Howdy!

Here is a card I made this evening using the new digi-images that Melissa is offering over at Pink Cat Studio as a fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. You can read more info about the images, and their significance in the post below this one, and also on the Pink Cat Studio Blog.

If you've been drooling over Lily and Billy for awhile but haven't made a purchase, this is a great place to start (though technically they are called Ethan and Ava in this set, but still...). Not only do you get super cute images, but you also help an awesome cause.

Thanks for looking!

Pink Cat Studio: Weiman Wranglers

Pink Cat Studio is releasing these new digital stamps today to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in honor of Ethan Weiman. Little Ethan passed away on July 12th from Neuroblastoma cancer. Ethan was a true cowboy and loved horses, balloons and Knock Knock jokes. By purchasing these digital stamps you will help brighten the day of a sick child as the money we raise will go toward making one of their dreams come true.

I should have a sample posted later today, but until then click over to the PCS blog to see a few cards and read some info about a few contests you can enter as well!

Extra! Extra!

I just received an email from my friend Kate over at i {heart} papers. It seems Miss Kate is having a HUGE sale right now on all kinds of fab products including Nesties, Flowersoft (I soooo need some of that stuff), stamps, JustRite, and more!! Be sure to click over and take a peek!

Oh Hoppy Day!

It occured to me after I made this card today that the colors I used don't really shout "hoppy day". lol! I really wanted to use that striped paper though, and used that to pull the rest of the colors out, so I blame it on Basic Grey. ;) hehehe.

Isn't that little frog the cutest? Frogs always remind me of my childhood. My mom and I lived with a friend of hers for awhile when I was little, and she had a HUGE frog collection. They were everywhere. I recently reconnected with her online, and was so sad to learn she got rid of all of them a few years back! I don't know why that mattered to me, or even why I'm telling you about it, but still.... it did, and I am. *wink*

This cute little foggy (and lily pad and sentiment) is from the Pond Pals set over at Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. It's such a sweet little set. Perfect for every day cards, or even baby cards! My next card with it will be much brighter though! :)

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 3

It's day 3 of the Pink Cat Studio release, and you know what that means! Time to show you the WHOLE set. Check out these images! I'm dying. I love them alllllll! But if you know me at all, you have to know the football one is my favorite. :) Wait until you see what I've done with him. I'll have that (and a baseball sample) posted within the next few weeks.

Enjoy the day!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 2

Good morning! Welcome to day two of our Pink Cat Studio sneek peaks! Here is the image of Billy with the soccer ball. Isn't it fun? I know I probably say that all the time, but I just love these stamps!

Did you get a chance to look at all of the other DT blogs yesterday? Well, go back and check them again today! :)

Enjoy your day!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 1

Yay! It's time for another Pink Cat Studio release! Y'all know I am just in LOVE with Billy. He reminds me so much of my Henry (who turns 3 soon! Ack! How did that happen?!). This newest Billy set is absolutely adorable. Four of the most deliciously boyish stamps EVER! And the little appearances by the pooch just crack me up. :)

Be sure to stop back tomorrow to see another peek, and then Wednesday to see the full set. You can also click over to the other PCS DT members by following the blog links in my sidebar.

Enjoy the day!

Remember Me?

Hi friends! I am still here. Still alive! I just haven't been stamping and/or blogging as much lately as I used to. Haven't been doing much blog reading either, to be honest. And I apologize for that! I've been in spring cleaning mode, doing things around the house, and have also been working on a few bigger projects (non-crafty, unfortunately) that have taken up a good chunk of my time. Don't give up on me though! I'm still here, and will get back in the swing of things eventually!

Meanwhile, I wanted to share this bright little card I made last night using the Doodle Flowers set from Sweet n' Sassy Stamps! What a fun set! I love the look of the doodles. So cute!

I have to share a few more books with you while I've got your attention, too.

Second Chance, by Jane Green:

Jane Green is one of my favorite authors. She was the author that got me interested in "chick lit" to begin with, with her Babyville, and I have loved everything I've read by her ever since. I was hooked on this book by about page 25, which is excellent.... but then she lost me for awhile about 3/4 of the way through. It's not that it wasn't a good story, it just seemed to linger on certain points longer than I thought it had to. I loved the premise though, and the idea that maybe we all deserve a second chance. The characters were easy to relate to, I enjoyed it.

Another of my favorite authors is Jodi Picoult (she's probably #1, if I had to make a list). I just finished her Salem Falls...

As with all of her books, she had me at hello. Her writing style is just amazing, and sucks me in as soon as I turn the first page. This story interested me because of its play on The Crucible, and the way that false accusations can warp our societal beliefs. I loved the book and the story, but I have to say I kind of saw the end coming, which is odd for me with Picoult. Usually she pulls something out of left field and I end up not knowing what hit me. Not this time though...

Have any of you read this? I'd love to chat about it if you have! Especially if you remember the ending. I'd like to see if my interpreation was the same as yours...

Hey Chick

Good Morning! It's day one of the Sweet n' Sassy Stamps bloghop! Isn't this a fun card? I just love this bandana paper and fun Funny Farm set! I have been kicking myself for ages for not buying that barnyard set that SU used to sell, but this one totally makes up for it. The animals are just too cute. :)

Ok, now it's time to carry on to the rest of the hop!

Wednesday, May 27th: SNSS Blog, Jeanette, Sarah, Chris, Cindy, Ceal

Thursday, May 28th: Sandy, Faith, Courtney, Deb, Deedee, Korin

Friday, May 29th: Teresa, Janette, Suzy, Lorie, SNSS Blog

Enjoy your day! I have another book review to share with you, too, but it will have to wait until next time. The boys aren't being too kind about letting me have blogging time. lol!

Don't Worry, Bee Happy!

Ok, be honest... How many of you are singing that song now? :) You're welcome.

Here's a quick card I made tonight using the Bee Happy set from Sweet n' Sassy Stamps (which, by the way, I just noticed is currently on sale for only $6 something if you're interested!). It's a cute little set... but I love me some bees, so maybe I'm biased? Nah...

So, get this... see the little "buzz" tab? That's stamped on Almost Apricot (or whatever SU's Apricot is called). The DP and the base are both So Saffron. The ribbon, which matches the So Saffron paper PERFECTLY is Almost Apricot. What the??? Isn't there something wrong with this picture?! Anyhow, I thought it was odd, so of course I had to point it out. hehehe.

We've got a big weekend in front of us... Two weddings tomorrow, followed by a two hour choir rehearsal on Sunday for an alumni choir I'm participating in for my high school. At least we'll stay busy. I'd rather be busy than bored... most of the time, anyhow.

Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks So Much

Hellooooooo! I am SO excited to share this card with you. I made these (I actually made three, but could only fit two in my white space) for some of the people that I sing in our local choir with who gave me gifts before our performance (flowers, bread, chocolates - YUM!) on Saturday. We had our annual concert this past weekend, and we had an island theme for the show, so that explains the color combo, DP, and primas! The music clef stamp is by Unity Stamp Co., and was a sweet gift from my friend Lorie a few months ago. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Thanks, Lorie! The words on the image stamp are pretty small, but it says, "You make my heart sing!" Isn't that sweet? I love it! And holy man, have you been to the Unity site lately? I just looked up the link to add it here, and I think I have to go back and shop now. LOL! :) I love their single sentiment stamps!

Keep a song in your heart!

Baked With Love

The last time I posted a card using this Changito the Baker set from i {heart} papers, one of my blogger friends left a comment saying it would be cute to use for gift tags on baked goods. Right you are, my friend! In fact, the stamp set actually comes with this perfect little tag stamp, and you can stamp other images inside of it however you'd like. So, I used it to help decorate this box of cookies. These are my Mom's all time favorite cookies... Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies. I found these cute Wilton cupcake boxes at Hobby Lobby (3 for $5, I think - maybe a little less), and picked them up hoping they'd work for cookies too, and they do! Just leave out the cupcake inserts, and you're set! I made a double batch of the cookies to give to her as part of her Mother's Day gift today. Henry is very excited to go give Grandma her cookies after nap time. hee hee. I *think* he might be hoping to score one or two for himself, but I can't be sure. :o)

Here is a close up of the tag:

The tag is colored with my Copic markers, and tied on with some 5/8" Pink Twill Ribbon. The ribbon is PERFECT for this kind of project because it's a sturdy ribbon (and, it matches!) and really works well to help hold the box closed.

There's a little sad news though..... :o( .......... This is my last "official" post as an i {heart} papers Design Team member. My term ended, and it's bittersweet. Bitter, because I love Kate and the whole IHP team, but at the same time sweet, because I know summer is going to be super busy, and I probably shouldn't be spending as much of those beautiful summer days locked up in my stamp room! I will miss everyone though!

I also have another book to share with you! I just finished Jennifer Weiner's Certain Girls last night:

Weiner (pronounced Wine-er, before you start giggling too much!) is one of my favorite authors. I've read everything she has written, and have enjoyed all of it. Although I enjoyed this book, I have to say it was one of my least favorite by her. Not because it wasn't a good story... it was... it just took me a long long time to really get into it. In fact, while I was reading the book, I was thinking about blogging and decided that from now on I'm going to share my "point of no return".... meaning, the page I got to when it became nearly impossible for me to put the book down. For this book, sadly, it was page 245. That's a whole lot of reading to go through before being really sucked in! BUT... the interesting part is that not only was I totally hooked from 245 to the end, I also found myself crying through most of those final 100(ish) pages. So it's not that I didn't like the story, and it's not that I couldn't relate to the characters, it just didn't really draw me in like some of her previous works have. I would still recommend it if you enjoy Chick Lit... but maybe start with one of her earlier books like In Her Shoes, or Good in Bed (which, by the way, is not as racy as the title implies!). OH! Actually.... do read Good in Bed first, because it's something of a prequel to this novel. Same characters.... :o)

Happy Mother's Day!

We're Having A Picnic!

Ok, seriously, how fun is this card!? I love it! That red gingham paper (found at Hobby Lobby) is just perfect for a picnic card! The images on the card are from the Sweet n' Sassy Stamps set called Summer Fun, and the sentiment is from Summer Sentiments. The sketch today is from Card Positioning Systems. Have you seen their blog? They have some super cute sketch ideas! Click over and take a look at some of the other samples this week.

In my last post I mentioned that I'd finished another book, and said I'd talk about it here.... so here you go! The last book I read was The Shack, by William P. Young. You can learn all about it on that website, if you're interested.


The book was recommended to me by a friend, and I'm so glad I read it! The story centers around conversations the main character has with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit over the course of a weekend. I absolutely loved the story, and the refreshing take the author has on faith as a whole. There are lots of people who are unhappy with the book, citing heresies and what have you, but to them I say lighten up. I really think the book is worth reading, and then you can form your own opinions. Let me know if you read it. I'd love to know what you think!

More Changito

Here is another fun card I whipped up using Changito the Baker by Stampendous, from i {heart} papers. This would be such an easy card to mass produce - perfect for a swap, or a gift set! The ribbon is also from IHP, and can be found HERE. It's hard to see in the picture, but I also used Star Dust Stickles on the candle flames at the bottom of the card, and Angel Wings Shimmerz on all of Changito's pink accessories. I also globbed a little bit of stickles on the end of his spoon to make it look like he was whipping up something yummy!

I also have to take a minute to talk books. The last time I posted about a book was when I finished the Twilight series, and I'm on my third book now since I finished that! Once I finished that series, I moved on to this book, The Widow Of The South, by Robert Hicks.

Although it is a fictional novel, it's based on the true story of a woman named Carrie McGavock who lived in Franklin, TN during the Civil War. The story revolves around her house being used as a hospital during the battle in Franklin, and details the work she did to preserve the bodies of the fallen men, contacting their families to let them know where the boys were, etc. It really is quite fascinating, if you are interested in that era of history like I am. Her home, Carnton, is still standing as a historic plantation in TN. I would love to visit it some day. I've been to TN so many times... I wish I'd known about this a few years ago. I guess I'll just have to make another trip!

That's all for now. I'll write about the book I read after Widow in my next post. :o)

Enjoy the day!

Wednesday Weigh-In #14....on Sunday

Hi friends, here I am... late again. I'm happy to report though that I have finally met and exceeded my original PFP Challenge goal! I pledged to lose 28 lbs in this challenge, and to date have lost 30, so I'm excited about that! I went to the PFP website and reported my weight loss. Even if you didn't meet your goal, be sure to log in over there and do the same... every pound counts! May 5 is the last day to submit your information...

Since the PFP Challenge is over, I'm going to make this my final Wednesday Weigh-in post. If you're interested in following my progress, you can continue to click over to my blog periodically and look at the side bar... I'm going to find a new image to replace the PFP image, and update my progress there as time goes on. I'll probably also mention some milestones in random blog posts as well.

If you do decide to pop in every once in awhile, you will probably notice that my # of pounds to lose goal will continually increase as I meet each goal. For instance, my sidebar currently states that I've lost "27.4 of 28 lbs". My next goal is to get to the weight I was at when I met my dh, which isn't really that far away.... so after I finish typing this, I'll be changing that area to, "30 of 33 lbs lost"... Then once I hit the 33 lb goal, I'll set a new one, and adjust the numbers again. Make sense? I hope so!

Thanks for playing along with the PFP challenge, or supporting me while I worked toward my goal! All of your comments have been more helpfult han you realize.

Thank You Berry Much!

Today is day 2 of the Sweet n' Sassy Stamps blog hop, and here is my fun summery contribution! This card uses two super cute (not to mention versatile) stamp sets. The strawberry image is from Summer Fun, and the sentiment is from Summer Sentiments.

I used some dazzling diamonds to highlight the "seeds" on the berries, and my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder on the base. I love strawberries... they are easily my favorite berry (pretty much the only one I eat, for the most part), and also my kitchen theme! :o)

I'm the last stop on the hop for today, but be sure to pick up with us again tomorrow, starting with Korin's blog:

Friday, May 1
Korin
Deb
Tami
Deedee
Ceal
and back on the SNSS Blog to wrap it up!

My Eyes!

LOL! Sorry, couldn't help myself with that post title given the brightness factor here! :o) I don't know what I was thinking, but for a minute earlier this evening the whole red/yellow/turquoise thing seemed like a really good idea. *shrug*

Regardless of the color, I still am lovin' this Changito Baker stamp set by Stampendous from i {heart} papers. I stamped the monkey image, and then extended the table line with a pen and stamped a few baked goods next to him. The cinnamon rolls were stamped on a separate piece of paper and then cut out and adhered with dimensionals to give it a little depth.... hard to see that in the picture. You can get a little better idea in this one:

Check out that red dotted ribbon I used on the card. This stuff is awesome.... Why? Because the dots are printed on both sides of the ribbon. LOVE that. I have some cheap-o black and white dotted ribbon (used on the card below) that only has the dots printed on one side.... so when you tie a knot, the dots on the ends of the not don't look as bright as the rest of the ribbon length. A minor detail, maybe, but one that matters to me!

I also used clear and yellow stickles for accents on the flames (yellow) and cakes (clear).

So, I guess it turned out ok... even with the blinding colors. :o)

My Dearest Friend

I just wanted to share a quick card I made tonight using the set called A True Friend by Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. I accented the card with my Tart n' Tangy set from SU!, as well as some coordinating papers that I bought from the new IB&C.

I love these dark colors, even though I should be lightening things up for spring! It was in the 80's here today! I was so excited, but now we have another week in the 50's... *sigh*

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 3

Here we are at our final day of Sneak Peeks. Have I told you how much I love this set? Because I do. A lot. And of the four peeks I've showed you this week, this is my favorite card! I just got all of this gorgeous textured paper from SU, and I am in LOVE! I paper pieced her towel in that dotted paper, and then used coordinating papers to finish the card. Cute, no? Some friends and I go to a big waterpark in the area every summer, and we've missed the past three years because we've been busy taking turns having babies. I thought this would be the perfect card to send them suggesting we get back to our old habits this summer! :o)

And in case you're wondering, here is what the whole set looks like:

Go on... Admit it. You need it! Click on over to Pink Cat Studio and snag one for yourself. You'll be glad you did!

Wednesday Weigh-In #13

Hello!!! How is everyone doing this week? I'm doing alright. I thought for SURE this was going to be the week I hit my goal... I was only 6/10 of a pound away from it at one point!!! But then life got in the way and I leveled out a little higher when all was said and done. SO, I lost .8 this week... only 2.2 lbs to go!

Are you getting close to your goal? Reporting is open now. Remember to report your weight loss if you signed up for the Pound for Pound challenge. It looks like the donations they are making are only going through if you report at the end (which makes sense). If you signed up for the challenge you probably got an email just like I did, so you can take it from there.

Hang in there! The finish line is in sight... well, at least for this leg of the race, anyhow!