The Finished Product

My First Gina K Designs Stamp Set

Here's the card I made with my free stamp set from Gina K. You know...the set I won for entering the challenges on the Gina K Member Company Forum at SplitcoastStampers a couple weeks ago. See previous post here.



Seems like it took me FOREVER to get this card done! Not that it was some huge project or something...but I have been busy with life outside my craftroom. That happens sometimes! ha ha ha. Anyhow...I had started it and had enough done to give a sneak peek a couple days back. Today I finally sat down and finished. I LOVE this set. This card I used 3 of the stamps in the set out of 17! Yep...that's right...17 stamps in this set!



Recipe:
Paper - SU Cardstock Whisper White; Groovy Guava; Certainly Celery; Gray (I think is from Bazzill); SU Double-Sided Paper Groovy Guava
Ink - Versamark
Stamps - Gina K Designs Tag, you're it!
Punches - Marvy Uchida Scalloped Squares; EK Success Square Punches
Misc. - White Embossing Powder; SU Heat and Stick Powder; SU Dazzling Diamonds; Gray Ribbon; White Brads; Stampin' Dimensionals, SU Mini Glue Dots, Red Sticky Tape

Funny Video

This is a good one. One of those random videos someone found on the internet. My dad sent this to me.
Get ready to smile AND laugh :)

French Fry Tooth

She Lost It...

Her tooth that is! Michaela wiggled and wiggled her tooth for a couple days. During that time I got to enjoy her showing me how she could push her tooth back and forth with her tongue. What a lovely site! ha ha ha. While she was at school on Monday she got the job done. It was so funny when I was picking her up that afternoon as she came running toward me with her big toothless smile! She was SO excited. Of course we had to get a couple pictures.



Funny how kids get so much amusement with that little open space. It's a given that they MUST stick things out of that hole. They purposely look for stuff to do with it. Like drink through a straw with the straw sticking through the hole. Or smile at you and say "Look Mom! I can stick my tongue through the hole!" Or better yet..... "Look Mom! I have a French Fry tooth!" LOL Well...not matter what...they are SO CUTE :)

BTW - I got my free stamp set from Gina K! It's awesome. I've started working on a card and will share it as soon as I get a chance to finish.

Here's a sneak peek...

Easter Day

I have lots of FUN Easter stuff to share!

A Good Egg for Michaela

I was browsing the gallery at Splitcoaststampers (as I often do!) and ran across a super cute card made by jupiter. Check out her card here. I decided to make one and give it to my daughter for Easter. Michaela really loves to get cards. Wonder where she gets that from?! ha! Card details are on my SCS Gallery here.

We did Paper Crafting with our Easter Eggs!

Our Easter Egg dying kit had fun papers and templates to make these flowers. The pieces of square paper were folded and then cut out...sort of like how you make snowflakes. These turned out really cool! I saved the templates and instructions because we can use them for other paper crafting projects. By the way....can you find Sponge Bob hiding in there?

More Fun With My New Holly Berry House Easter Egg Stamp

As I was making a card with this new stamp from Holly Berry, I had this idea of making an ornament. I stamped the image 4 times and colored them all the same. Trimmed the out and then traced around them used my Layer Ease to cut out colored cardstock to back each piece. Scored all the pieces down the middle and then taped them together. Before I put the 4th piece on, I put the string with beads down the middle. The crystal and silver beads really add to the piece. I gave this to my daughter Alisha for Hosting the family Easter get together. (See previous post for card here.)

Family Fun on Easter Day!

Michaela finding Easter goodies.

Baby Emalie's 1st Easter.

Haylie makes the cutest Spring Flower!

Kayla and James found some really special eggs!

Kylee was as cute as can be with her girlie Easter basket. Nicholas is getting so BIG! He is my first grandchild.

Here's Alexa checking out all her Easter eggs. Brendon stopped for a "quick" picture and then off he went searching for more eggs!

That's me with my daughter Sabrina and grandaugther Kylee. We did manage to get the kids to stand still for a couple minutes to take a group picture.

When we all get together....my 3 oldest daughters always manage to get their picture taken together. Of course it's usually not just 1 shot...it's MANY shots! You know...we have to get ONE that all 3 of them look fabulous in! LOL

Easter Blessings

Holly Berry House Stamps

You ever heard of Holly Berry House stamps? I never did till I went to my favorite stamp store the other day - Stamp Works. That's where I saw this awesome stamp. This is a very large stamp, but it was super easy to ink up and stamp with. Wonderful quality!



The last thing I had on my wish list that day was an Easter stamp....but there was NO WAY I could resist this one! And she only had 1 of these left....so FOR SURE I had to get it before someone else did! ha ha. AND it was the 20th so I got 20% off!



Naturally I had to pick out a couple pieces of paper to go with it. When I found some patterned paper from Bella Press I knew this was going to be an awesome card. I couldn't wait to get home and create!



Recipe:
The card is 4 1/4 x 5 1/2. Cardbase is Bazzill Textured cardstock. Image stamped with Black Stazon on Stampin'UP! Very Vanilla. Colored in with 3 colors of Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol - Henna PC1031 (matches SU Cranberry Crisp) Sandbar Brown PC 1094 (matches the patterned paper) and Cream PC 914 (matches SU Very Vanilla). I did use my Clear Spica Glitter Pen on the bunnies for just a little shimmer. Cut out egg and layered on SU Cranberry Crisp cardstock. I used my Layer Ease to trace around the egg. Stampin'UP! had them in the catalog a few years back. Some stores carry them still....they are called Magic Matters. The little round stickers on the egg are from Stampendous and are called Dot Sparkles. They didn't stick at all...I'm thinking because the colored pencils are like waxy...so I just dabbed a tiny bit of Crystal Effects on them to attach. THAT was really time comsuming, but worth the work! The Flower in the middle of the egg is made up of 2 paper flowers from CTMH and a punched flower from Cranberry Crisp CS. French Vanilla Brad in the middle from Bazzill. Patterned paper is from Bella Press - Chandler Collection. Used my SU Ticket Corner punch on the corners and then layered it on Cranberry Crisp cardstock. Little Black Brads in the corners and attached it to the base. Attached the Egg Layer to base with Dimensionals. Stamped Easter Blessings from SU Fancy Flexible Phrases set in Black on bottom corner. Grossgrain ribbon from SU - True Thyme and Cranberry Crisp. Attached ribbon with glue dots.

Bella Style

BIRTHDAY BELLAS

This was a fun card to make. I really needed to make something that had LOTS of sparkle...and these Bella stamps were just perfect for that. Bella stamps are so fun and easy to create with! I was just looking at the Stamping Bella website...and I see there are a few new stamps! One that caught my eye is called lattebella. I think I "need" that one :)

You really need to click on the pictures to see all the glitter and sparkle up close!

Go ahead.....click.....you know you want to! LOL



The main image is called shopabella. The stamp on the cardbase is called not so bored border. The sentiment stamp - wishing you a birthday - is actually 1 stamp. I stamped the first line on the front and then by hand added the 3 little dots. Stamped the other 2 lines on the inside and also added the 3 little dots.

Here's a couple closeups of the main image.

This is the back of the card. Stamp is called cardbackabella. Really cute bella with her rolling craft tote in one hand and a stamp in the other!

Recipe:
Stamps from Stamping Bella - not so bored border; shopabella; wishing you a birthday; cardbackabella. Hand Stamped Original stamp from MSE! My Sentiments Exactly. Cardstock from Stampin'UP! is Certainly Celery and Whisper White. Black is from Bazzill. Ranger Adirondack Pitch Black ink for stamping. Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol for coloring. Copic Marker for coloring skin and the ground shading (E00 Skin White and C1 Cool Grey No. 1) I added some dots on a couple of the purses with a black marker and also made the wasteband on 2 of the girls thicker with black colored pencil. 2-way Glue Pen and Art Glitter for lots of sparkle. Spica Clear Glitter Pen in the hair. Lavender Stickles on card base background. Robins Nest Dew Drops attached with SU Glue Dots. Main image layer is popped up on dimensionals.

I WON! I WON! I WON!

Yippee!!!! My name got drawn from Challenge #2 of The Gina K Design Release Party Contest! I get a free Gina K Stamp Set!! WAHOOO!!!

It took me hours to make up my mind which set I wanted! LOL I finally decided on a set that was designed by Gina K called "Tag, you're it!" I can't wait to get it!



These stamps will work with some of the popular punches and dies. If you want to look at a few samples of how this set can be used....and lots more samples of other Gina K stamp sets....check out the gallery here.

4 Challenges

Gina K Design Release Party

The last couple days I have been doing some challenges on the Gina K Member Company Forum at SplitcoastStampers. I don't have any Gina K stamps....but I want some. Maybe I'll be one of the lucky winners and my first set will be free! :) Each challenge will have a winner drawn and they will get to pick a Gina K stamp set! WAY COOL!! Anyhow, the Party was to celebrate the release of some new stamp sets.

So here are the links to the posts on my gallery if you want to take a peek. Also, go take a peek at Gina K Designs. CUTE STUFF! Check out her Blog too!!

Challenge #1 (card 1)
Challenge #1 (card 2)
Challenge #2
Challenge #3
Challenge #4

Birthday Butterfly

Happy Birthday Sis!

Here's a card I just sent off to my new Sister-In-Law. I hope she likes it! On the inside I stamped the word Sister!

Recipe:
Stamps - Butterfly from Stampendous; Saying from Close To My Heart; Stampin'UP! Petite Patterns stamped on cardbase.
Paper - Pretty In Pink, Lavender Lace and Whisper White cardstock from Stampin'UP! Patterned Paper DCWV Poises Glitter Print Violet Squiggle Poises.
Ink - Versamark and I can't remember what color I used to stamp Happy Birthday...sorry! I used 3 colors on the butterfly....can't remember what colors I used there...I'm bad! I also used a couple different colors of ink and inked up the purple layer under the butterfly. I wanted it to blend in more with he patterned paper and give it a softer look.
Misc - After stamping cardbase background stamp in Versamark, I smeared White Shimmer Chalk all over and got a really cool shimmer effect. I used a glue pen to trace on the butterfly and sprinkle with glitter. Pink Swarovski flat back crystals were attached with Crystal Effects. Those crystals really add a nice bling! Butterfly layer is attached with dimensionals. The rest is pretty self explanatory :)

Ben Franklin Field Day

Ready, Set, GO!

Here are a few pics from Field Day at Michaela's school. The kids had such a good time. Michaela did win 3rd Place for Hurdles and 3rd Place for Long Jump in her class.

This is a funny video of Michaela doing one of the events. She started off putting her team behind...but they caught up and won the race!

Tealight Thank You Gift

Did You Bring a Friend?




If you're a demonstrator and have some sort of little "Thank You" gift for someone who brings a friend along with them to an Open House Party or event -- here's a quick and easy idea . I made these up for a party I'm doing tomorrow night. Inside the little cello bag is a Gold Canyon Candle Sweet Pea Tealight. They smell so good and are perfect for Spring!

I think the saying is perfect! It was just meant to be :)




Recipe: I cut out 3" x 3" squares of white cardstock and scored down the middle. Folded in half over cello bag and stapled. Stampin'UP! Hostess Level 3 Stamp Set "Time Well Spent" is what I used. Stamped with Ranger Adirondack ink in Meadow and colored in with a Deco Pink Prismacolor Marker. Used 2-way glue pen on the flowers and dusted with Angel Dust Art Glitter. I also stamped my demonstrator information on the back of the top. The flower on the cello bag is stamped with Cotton White StazOn ink. I LOVE StazOn! You can see how I positioned that stamp so when the tealight is in the bag it looks like it's right on top of the candle. Really cute!

Happy Birthday Bro!

Funny Birthday Card

I made this card for my brother. He's 1 year older than me....so I have to rub it in that he IS and will ALWAYS BE older than me :) LOL

(David...if you're reading this..."yer older than I am! yer older than I am!" ha! love ya!)



I like the way StampinUP's Naturals White paper is a softer off-white color and has those little flecks in it. Perfect for something a little country chicken-ish! Making cards for the guys always seems to be a bit of a challenge. Since we are "The Funny Family".....humorous cards seem to be what I create the most of. I think it's easier to make humorous guy cards because then you can use all kinds of stamps.

Are you wondering what's "The Funny Family?" Well...long story short...several years back my daughter Michaela asked a question something like "what family are we?" I think she was about 4 year old. I wasn't sure what they heck she was asking....so we just said "we are the funny family!" Since we are always joking around and bringing humor into about every moment of our day it seemed fitting.

Recipe:
Paper - Stampin'UP! Cardstock Naturals White; Chocolate Chip; Marigold Morning; White
Ink - Stampin'UP! Craft Going Gray; Ranger Adirondack Expresso; Clearsnap Colorbox Chalk Chestnut Roan
Stamps - MissyB Designs Chicken; Inky Antics Chicken Wire; Stampin'UP! Birthday Whimsy; Repeat Impressions (?)
Punches - Marvy Uchida Scalloped Circles; EK Success 2" Paper Shapers; Stampin'UP! Word Window
Misc. - Prismacolor Pencils; Gamsol; Clear Embossing Powder; Red Twine; Stampin'UP! Stampin' Dimensionals, Copic Spica Clear Glitter Pen (used on teeth - but you can't see it in the pic)