HSS 180

Hi stampers!  Well I wasn't sure I'd be participating in the Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge this week as my stamp room currently looks like the tornado which hit near here last week hit here instead!

UGH!  This two week closing business is for the birds or at least not for stampers!  The main problem though, was that we are getting an apartment and movers through the new job so instead of just being able to take care of things ourselves we are at the mercy of other people.  We have to call someone who calls someone who waits for a call back from someone...you get the idea....SO I had NO idea when the movers were going to come until a few days ago (hard to plan things when you don't know) AND we won't have an apartment until a couple of days AFTER they move us.  Of course we have places to stay so that isn't a big deal except for they can't make a second drop if it's not on the same day.  So, I have to schlep around everything I think we may need in the foreseeable future which is like half my stamp room of course a long with a ton of clothes due to the seasons changing and lots of other stuff (and I've never traveled light to begin with!  And I do NOT trust other people to pack my craft stuff.  And we can't really get easy access to our stuff should we need something...so that's fun!  Have I mentioned I HATE moving??? :-)

So, I'm going to be busy sorting and packing other stuff in the house we may need as we really have no idea how long we could be in an apartment.  Thankfully my wonderful momma is here to lend me moral support (the main thing I need) and help me!  Anyway, now you why if you don't hear from me for a while, lol!

But I managed to clear a spot and use this sketch to come up with a quick card!

And here's the card.

It's not my best work but hey, I was working in a disaster zone :-)  I'm also in a rush so the whole list will have to wait.  I used the colors from the Dynamic Duos challenge:  Melon mambo, tangerine tango, wild wasabi.  The paper is retro fresh and the stamp is from the new Hip Hip Hooray kit!

Ok, gotta jet.  Go check out the DT samples and play along!  I'll be packing.... :-)

Happy stamping!

Challenged

Hi stampers!  So I've kind of quit playing in challenges.  Not sure why but maybe because I can look at Pinterest for sketches and see so many all in one place?  I don't know but I have got to start playing in them again!!!  So, this week I sat down and started with one of my fave, Retro Sketches!

I used some of the new SAB goodies and kept it pretty simple. I also used my new textured impressions embossing machine and the sentiment is from the CUTE new Hip Hip Hooray card kit!  It's totally cute and I LOVE the stamps.  I think sometimes people forget you can use things from kits and matching suites to do other things!  Mix and match!!!!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Hip hip hooray card kit, petal parade (SAB)
Paper:  Whisper white, summer starfruit, costal cabana
Ink:  Summer starfruit, coastal cabana
Accessories:  Scallop border punch, in color dahlias, envelope punch board, decorative dots EF (ALSO a SAB option!)

It's super simple but super cute! I rounded one corner with the punch board.  I LOVE the corner rounder punch on that thing!

Ok, here's to playing in more challenges!  All while I pack up my studio and move it 2 or 3 times.  Yikes!!!!

Happy stamping!

Mailable Monday - A Little Bit of Spring

Hi stampers!  Who's SICK AND TIRED OF WINTER????  I can honestly say this is the worst winter I ever remember!  Sure, I remember snow, and ice, and cold but never this much for this long!  I don't even remember the last time it's been above freezing practically IF it's even been in double digits!  I also don't remember this much snow on top of more snow on top of more!  And then lovely ice today!  UGH!!!!!  I got a workout just from scraping my car off today, it was crazy!  I KNEW I should have pulled it into the teeny tiny garage last night :-)

Anyway, how about some spring in a card?????  I finally sat down this weekend for a while to play with a bunch of the new stuff I got.  For now, I'm just ignoring the fact that we have to pack up and get out, lol!!!  I'll deal with it later and stamp now :-)  That's how I deal...I ignore, lol!!!!

Stampin' Supplies:

Stamps:  Happy watercolor

Paper: Whisper white

Ink:  Basic black, basic gray, summer starfruit, coastal cabana, crisp cantaloupe, pistachio pudding

Accessories:  None!

I swore I didn't need this set but you KNOW how that goes!  And I totally didn't realize the watercolor blotches I kept seeing were an actual STAMP in the set, lol!  Here I am, you're knowledgeable demonstrator, lol!  Anyway, I tried to stamp some super simple stuff as I'm still trying to get back into the swing of stamping.  This one's not perfect but it works and it screams SPRING!!!!!!!  

Sorry for the glue bottle photo bomb, lol!  And I really need to get some SAB projects to you but I just have so many stamps and so little time!!!!

Hope you're safe and warm wherever you are and that spring is on the way!

Happy stamping!

Fab Friday 35

Hi stampers and happy Friday!  Hard to believe another week has come and gone!  I always say that when my momma is here though, she keeps me busy, lol!  I'm looking forward to a low key day of working out then hopefully stamping some especially after my new goodies come!  What are the chances Mr. UPS will be early?  He doesn't usually come until 3 or after, bummer!  I may have to make a Valentine too for Mr. Bada-Bing :-)  Haven't made too many of those this year, oh well!

And happy Valentine's Day to all my friends and readers!  I hope you have a day filled with love and happiness!  Or chocolate!!!! ;-)  We aren't doing the traditional "romantic" thing as I thought we'd take my mother in law and future sister in law out for dinner since their guys are on a hunting trip.  And the place we used to go isn't very good any more so it will be nice to do something different!

So, of course it's time for a new challenge over at Fab Friday now that we're back!  This time it's a sketch:

And here's my Valentine to all of you!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Dictionary (background)
Paper:  Coastal cabana, crisp cantaloupe, baked brown sugar
Ink:  Coastal cabana
Accessories:  Chevron ribbon, gold sequin trim, basic pearls, doilies, MDS, e-cutter

So I used some left over letters from a project I cut out a while back and I popped the O up on a dimensional.  I couldn't decide on a background and then I remembered the dictionary stamp.  How perfect since I was using letters!

Now, head on over and check out the other fabulousness from the DT and play along with us!

Happy stamping!

SOLD!

Hi stampers!  Ok, I've been gone again, I know!  But I have a good excuse or excuses this time!  First, we were out of town all weekend at my Mom's family for a first birthday party and then a 90th!!!!!  Then, my mom came up on Monday and has been here wearing me out all week keeping me busy :-)  And instead of stamping we have been watching the Olympics together so she's partly to blame.  Glad she's been here too!  There have been some minor "disasters" this week, lol!  Can I just say I'm SO over this cold and frigid winter!!!!!!!

And then we sold our house!!!!  The only downside is that the buyer is on a tight time table and wanted to close in TWO WEEKS!  Ack!

Now, if we already had a place and were just moving across town it wouldn't be so scary....oh and if I wasn't pregnant (everything seems more stressful pregnant....and hey, I'm tired, lol)!  Thankfully we squeezed a FEW more days out of them and will be having movers pack us.  No way could this preggo lady pack our whole house in less than two weeks!  So now, I just have to figure out what to take and what to send to storage (the stamp stuff is freaking me out...I want it ALL with me but that won't happen...and do I want strangers touching it or to pack it myself????) and ya know, find a place to live for a while :-) I am however going to stay with my in-laws (and possibly my mom a little later) for a little while and get some things finished up in town.  I need to make a vet appointment for the dog as well as a doctor's appointment for me and then want to have my anatomy scan at my OB's office who I will miss very much!  And it seems fitting to change OB's at pretty much halfway through :-)

And wouldn't you know, I have a bunch of new stuff due tomorrow!  I WILL be stamping tomorrow and over the weekend dang it!  I'm so afraid I'll get new stuff and it will go to waste with the move!!!!  Maybe this will spur my creativity for once!  I do have a few things already made so I'm going to try to make a point to blog them in the next week or so!

Granted, I'm happy to have the house sold but nothing can ever be simple.  A month closing would be much easier to handle!  And we aren't even CLOSE to finding a house up north...or at least AGREEING upon one :-)

So, enough of my rambling and onto a little card!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Peachy Keen, hardwood
Paper:  Very vanilla
Ink:  Crumb cake, blushing bride
Accessories:  Gold sequin trim, chevron ribbon, gold baker's twine

Sorry the photo is a bit blurry.  Didn't realize when I took the picture.  I'm pretty sure I pulled the colors from something I pinned.  A light pink, crumb cake and gold.

Off to stamp, or try to do something else....or watch the Olympics, lol!

Happy stamping!

HSS 179

Hi stampers!  Happy Tuesday!  It's time for another challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments!  This week is a color challenge!

I've still been struggling with my creativity lately so I took this one pretty clean and simple.  I actually used a design I've used in the past as I thought the colors would work really well with it.

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps: Oh, hello
Paper:  Whisper white
Ink:  Smokey slate, rose red, midnight muse
Accessories:  None!

Let's pretend you don't see the little pink shadow up there where apparently I over-inked the flower stamp, whoops!  Don't you hate it when that happens?  But I left it, it makes the card truly homemade, right?  And looking back I probably should have stamped off the smokey slate and thens stamped but hindsight is 20/20! I like how bright the rose red is against the gray and with the deep blue!

Now, head on over to HSS and check out all the samples and play along with us!

Happy stamping!

The Golden Age

Hi stampers!  So I have a super simple card for you today and sadly the photo does NOT do it justice!  I tried and tried to make it look as good as it does in person but it wasn't working!  But gold is IN now and I'm kind of surprised I've embraced it in both stamping and fashion!  A few years ago you would not have caught me in gold and now it's almost all I wear :-)  Sadly, one day I'll probably hate it all again (lol) but I hope that takes a while...I may have quite an earring collection ;-)  And SU has a ton of fun gold toned products!!!!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Hip notes
Paper:  Whisper white, brushed gold
Ink:  Encore gold
Accessories:  Decorative label punch, linen thread, watercolor wonder washi tape

I used one of my favorite sketches and the watercolor wonder washi tape which is very pretty in person!  I also used the brushed gold cardstock which has been around for ages and I tend to pass over it but it's GOR-JUS!!!!   Looking back I probably should have cut the main panel down a bit more to show more of the gold!  And I was going to emboss the sentiment which would look great as well but...well...I'm lazy and instead of pulling all the supplies out for that I remembered the gold ink we have in the mini!  It also looks much better in person!

Have you embraced the gold trend?  If not, give it a try!  It's a perfect time to stock up on the gold stuff too with SAB!

Happy stamping!