And the award goes to....

ME!  No, I'm not talking about the Oscars (I didn't watch...*gasp* I know), I'm talking about the stylish blogger award!  I've seen these things making their way around some of my favorite blogs as of late but never in a MILLION years did I think my lil old blog would get one!

I'd like to thank all the little people like Kris at Stampin' From Thought To Finish who was so kind as to nominate me.  In all seriousness I would like to thank my new friend, I was flattered and honored to say the least!  And I'm more than happy that people actually look and or read the stuff I put on here, hehe!!!!

So I guess I have to tell you 8 things about myself in lieu of my speech, lol!  So here goes:
1.  I'm an only child - I think this is kind of unique because I honestly don't know very many only children at all!  My mom said I was a good baby who slept through the night very fast so why risk it, lol!!!  That's REALLY what she tells me:-)
2.  I married one of my high school boyfriends...after not seeing each other for around 10 years.  It's kind of cool to have a prom picture of you and your high school boyfriend who happens to be your husband.  His mom carries our prom picture in her wallet to this day and has for the past 10+ years..guess it was destined to be!
3.  I can't watch the commercials on TV for the ASPCA or animal cruelty.  I will cry...I MUST turn the channel...every time!
4.  I have my master's degree in exercise science.
5.  I teach Turbokick kick boxing at the local Y.  It's so fun and I love teaching aerobics and turbo has the best music and fun moves!
6.  I'm allergic to cats!  The last time I went to my grandmas who has two I got horrible hives within minutes of being there!
7.  I collect Hallmark Christmas Ornaments as does my dad.  I have the fondest memories of us collecting them together when I was a kid...we even went to a convention one year!  Plus, I love all things Christmas!
8.  Las Vegas is my very most favorite vacation place ever.  It's so fun and there is always something going on AND the people watching is second to NONE:-)

Ok, really that wasn't too hard because I have a lot of quirks (read, I'm totally a weird-o) :-) And now for the hard part, I have to nominate 8 more fellow bloggers!  And it's not hard because I don't know who to nominate, it's hard because I want to nominate about 100 of my cyberspace crafting friends!!!  But here are some peeps who have been inspiring me lately or are just plain awesome....and the awards go to:
Brandi beacue she is all that and a bag of doritos yo
Ilina - because I love her work and her accent in her videos:-)
Lydia - because she cracks me up daily and she's a fellow shortie like me!
Lyssa - because she is just plain awesome!
Sherri - because she makes great cards that are right up my alley
Carrie - because she's a superhero, duh!
Erica - because she too loves pink!
Bev - because she is my bestest friend on stampin' connection!

Phew that was hard.  Now, ladies please don't feel like you have to accept the award, I know it's time consuming but please know that your work truly inspires me and I love each and every one of ya!

Ok, that's it...hope I did this whole award thingy right:-)

Under construction...please excuse my mess...

Hi stampers!  Just a quick note about the funkiness of my blog...I'm working on customizing my blog and header with Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio and I don't quite have the hang of it yet so it may look a little wonky here for a day or two.  But please bear with me and please check back often to keep an eye on my progress!  I'd like to finish it but it's well after midnight and I should really try to go to sleep...as if I'll be able to after at least 3 diet cokes at Buffalo Wild Wings...they have best and fizziest diet coke!  And lets not even talk about the nachos, wings, and fries that I had too:-) 

The kind of card you don't want to make

Hi stamper!  Today I have a card for you and as much as I love to stamp, I don't like making sympathy cards!  I just got this set this week and sadly I had to ink it up immediately.  One of my sidelines lost her husband over the weekend so I created this card for her.   I do have to say that I really like this set, it's a great sympathy set.  It's delicate and elegant but not too fussy.  I used the emboss resist technique on the main focal point.  I embossed it in white embossing powder and then sponged over it with baja breeze ink once it had cooled off.  I also sponged around the edges of the circle, the edges of the crumb cake panel and over the embossed part of the card base.  I hope it brings my sideline some comfort and I hope you like it!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps: Thanks for caring, teahouse (background)
Paper:  Baja breeze, whisper white, crumb cake
Ink:  Baja breeze, versamark, crumb cake, so saffron
Accessories:  Tulip frame embossing folder, white embossing powder, daffodil delight taffeta ribbon, 2.5 inch circle punch, 3" sizzix die, dimensionals

See you soon, happy stamping!

I should be sleeping...

....but who needs sleep?  Hi stampers!  So I should be in bed so I can get up and get to the gym early tomorrow but I just got home from work and I just can't go to bed as soon as I get home.  So what better to do than blog...well maybe stamp with my new stuff that came today but then I'll be up for hours so that'll have to wait till tomorrow!

I'm sure I won't sleep much anyway since my dog has the dreaded cone of shame and is not sleeping so well with it.  She gets up a lot at night and shakes it around or makes the most terrible racket scratching it!  I do feel terrible for her, it has to be horrible to have an itch you can't scratch!  She had a growth removed last week that they are afraid is melanoma so please pray that it's not if you get a chance!  They pulled the skin pretty tight so I'm sure it's itchy!!!!  Now we just wait to get them out and to hear what the histology report says...

Anyway on to the stampy-stampy!  Tonight I have a masculine card for you, which doesn't happen very often!  I was working on some projects for an upcoming class, my Birthday Bash class and thought it needed a good birthday card for the men in our lives!  And we all know how much I like pink, and frills, and glitter, and ribbons....you get the idea..so this was a challenge for me BUT this is what I came up with and I think I love it!

A few notes about the card:  There is a lot of sponging.  I sponged around the punched out main image, around the DSP and around the whole card base.  I also used my color spritzer with soft suede ink. The card base was also stamped with the sanded background stamp and I stamped off once to make it really light.  I really like the newsprint DSP with the numbers for birthdays and I really like the wish big pointy finger from the Bring On the Cake set!  It's very manly!  And I've been waiting for a good birthday set...and man, this one is it!!!  Hope you like it and happy stamping!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps: Bring on the cake, woodgrain
Paper:  Marina mist, basic black, very vanilla, soft suede, newsprint DSP
Inks:  Basic black, soft suede, marina mist
Accessories:  Decorative label punch, 1-1/2 inch circle punch, hemp twine

Happy {heart} day!

Hi stampers!  Happy Valentine's day!  I'm sooo behind on Valentine's day stuff and I didn't get ANY cards sent out on Friday....oh well.  I did manage to make a couple of cards today and I really like them!  I got some free rub ons from SU back in January and finally got around to using them.  They aren't really my style but they sure are cute and I really like the color combos.  The hubby came in when I was working on them (darn it because they were for him) and he really liked them too...so much for a surprise...but at least I know he'll like them, lol!  I made two versions and can't figure out which I like best.  I used white craft ink on basic gray paper for one and gray ink on the gray paper on the other.  Which do you like best????

There is actually no stamping on this card (but please excuse my crooked cloud, hehe)!  It's all rub ons and the letterpress plate background  Hope you like them!

Stampin' Supplies:
Paper: basic gray, real red, whisper white
Ink:  craft white and basic gray
Accessories:  Rub ons, modern label punch, 2.5 inch circle punch, 3 inch sizzix circle die, scallop circle #2, letterpress plate

Happy stamping and Happy Valentine's day!

Quick one....

Hi stampers!  Quick post today as I have to get to work...in the middle of the day on a weekend...so inconvienent, I know!  Anyway, here's a cute valentine I put together this week.  I LOVE the red glimmer paper, it's soooo pretty and doesn't get YOU all sparkly:-)  It's hard to see in the picture but the background was done using the letter press plate and crumb cake craft ink.  It's subtle and I like it since the glitter is so bold!

I'm still way behind on valentines, making them that is, let alone MAILING them, lol!  So, I'm hoping I'll have some time to work on them tonight and then tomorrow for sure!!!!  I also bought a bunch of candy for treats and need to work on them too....strangely the candy seems to be disappearing though..hmmmmm:-)  Anywho....here's the card, hope you like it!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Define your life
Paper: Crumb cake, real red, basic black, red DSP, red glimmer
Ink:  Basic black, real red, crumb cake craft
Accessories: basic rhinestones, 2.5 inch circle punch, 3 inch circle sizzix die, real red ribbon, hearts & brackets die, lots of love letterpress plate, decorative label punch

Whew, that was a lot of accessories for a pretty "basic" card:-)

happy stamping!

Leadership Valentine

Hi stampers!  Today I have a valentine for you that I saw at my upline's house.  I have no idea who's original idea it was but I thought it was so cute.  It was a swap that Judi received at Leadership in Nashville.  I like the blue as it's a non-traditional color and I like how it's not too girly!  I also LOVE that red glimmer paper.  It's so rich!!!  The heart was cut from the hearts and brackets die and then I used the dot, dot, dot stamp on it in black ink and sponged around it.  Hope you like it!  It's going to end up in someone's mailbox very soon:-)

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes, Dot, dot, dot
Paper:  Basic black, whisper white, baja breeze, glimmer paper
Ink:  basic black
Accessories:  Polka dot embossing folder, hearts and brackets die, scalloped edge punch, word window and modern label punch, heart to heart punch, linen thread

And now I'm off to stamp my little heart out...Valentine's day came way too fast and I'm way behind on cards and treats.  You can find me in my stamp room until work and then after!!!!  Happy stamping!

I love BINGO!

Hi stampers...no, I don't love the game bingo, I love the stamp set called BINGO!  We had yet another snow day around here and I tried to make it into work this morning...I made it as far as halfway out of my drive into the street before getting promptly STUCK!  It took my hubby a while to dig me out, push me out, and use my expensive miracle grow potting soil for some traction:-)  For most of the day even 4WD trucks were even getting stuck!  I sure hope they plow our street by morning...I NEED to go to the gym and get my hair done!!! 

Anywho on to the stamping!  I had ample time to play today and came up with this gem:

It is loosely based on a Christmas card I saw by the talented Kimberly VanDiepen.  Even though there aren't any bingo bits other than the Christmas ones, I made my own by using a number of stamp sets I had lying around.  My only regret was that I didn't search too closely and found about 4 more cute little hearts I could have used:-(  Oh well.  I just think it came out so cute and there are SO many things you can do with this stamp and then fill it in with all kinds of tiny images!!!!  It's going to be in the big catalog that comes out in July and you can still order it now!!!!  Hope you enjoyed it and got to play if you had a snow day too!  Happy stamping!

Supplies:
Stamps:  Bingo, Filled with Love, Something Sweet, So Happy for You, I {heart} Hearts
Paper:  Crumb cake, early espresso, very vanilla
Ink:  Early espresso, pretty in pink, blushing bride, pink pirouette, crumb cake, soft suede
Accessories:  Pretty in pink taffeta ribbon, crochet trim, basic pearls, vintage tags

Snow day...of sorts

Hey stampers!  Well, we are supposed to get ice today (which we are and got some last night too) and up to 18 inches of snow or something crazy like that.  Needless to say, I don't think there will be any sports or practices after school today since it was canceled.  So unlike a real snow day, I had to take a day of vacation to keep my hours correct....oh well...not going to complain about a day off to stamp which I plan on doing after lunch!!!!  But first, I wanted to share a couple of projects with you.  I have a card and a treat holder that we made at my Sale-A-Bration Celebration class on Saturday.  You're going to be sad you missed it!  :-)  Here is the first card and I made it using a lot of SAB freebies! It would be really fun for a kids birthday! The stamp set is called Punch Bunch and it's so fun, it matches a lot of our punches and I just HAD to use the owl and owl punch!  Also notice I punched out his belly from the DSP as well.  I also used the DSP, ribbons, and buttons you can get for FREE!  The sentiment is also a SAB set!  And don't you just LOVE that fun pink pom pom trim!!!!

Supplies:
Stamps:  Punch Bunch (SAB), So Happy for You (SAB), Medallion
Paper:  Old olive, mambo melon, daffodil delight, whisper white, Ice Cream Parlor DSP (SAB)
Ink:  Pacific point, old olive
Accessories:  XL scallop punch, 3/4" circle punch, pom pom trim, owl punch, paper piercer and mat pack, Ice cream parlor ribbon and button pack (SAB)

And one other sweet treat for you!  We also made this treat holder using the new Petal Cone Die which is fabulous!  I wanted to keep this one simple so it's all about the cute die!  It's super easy to cut out and put together, you just need two strips of sticky strip and boom, it's done!  The scallops are also included in the die.  You could omit them and then the top will close up nice and cute.  I used my crop-a-dile to punch holes and put some ribbon in so it can hang!  The sentiment is from the level two hostess set in the mini and The pearls are the perfect touch!

Supplies:
Stamps:  I {heart} hearts, Something To Celebrate (hostess)
Paper:  Pretty in pink, pink pirouette
Ink:  Rose red
Accessories:  Petal cone die, full heart punch, heart trio punch, pearls, sticky strip, crop-a-dile, very vanilla seam binding.

Hope you enjoyed today's post!  And happy snow day if you have one!