I can tell now...

Such a nice dreary rainy day here. Calling for snow mixed with rain tomorrow. Thanks for the get well wishes, I'm feeling better but still weak here and there if I do too much. I have managed to stamp a little. Nothing major yet but at least I can pick up a stamp and color an image. My mojo is not lost as I had feared!

Okay, so you are probably saying so what! Tell us the news. Well... I'm not pregnant like someone emailed me and asked!! Slap that person!! lol



I made the Helmar US Design Team! We all need adhesive and I love what i've used of Helmars so far so this is exciting. Can't wait to try out the rest of their products! It's now starting to sink in as Tracy called when I was sick so it's kinda blur of her telling me! lol Make sure you bookmark the new blog: http://www.helmarusa.typepad.com/ as there will be giveaways, contests, project photo gallery and much much more. I'm excited to be a part of this new adventure and with a great group of ladies.

Tracy Weinzapfel Burgos, Design Team coordinator
Jenna Franklin
Laura Achilles
Carla Schauer
Tish Treadaway
Jennifer Beason
Marci Knecht
Beth Root
Becky Teichmiller

Happy Thanksgiving

To all my American friends:




Thank you for all the get well wishes, I am feeling tons better. Hope to get to stamping today and find that my mojo didn't leave me while I was sick! Have some news that I can't share with you yet but soon! :) Just have to throw that out there for a tease. Yup, I'm feeling better!! lol

It's Strep :(

Hubby took me to Urgent Care today and they confirmed what I figured is that I do have strep! ughhh I hate strep. I've had it twice before (no not this year) and it just isn't any easier. So I am on antibotics and off of stamping until i get my strength back. And now i'm going to go lay down with my hot sack and my blankets and try to find some sleep!!

Running a fever?

I am and have been since Friday. Hence the resons of no posts from me. Today is the first day I've felt some what good enough to sit here and make a short post. I've just been sleeping all day and all night long. When what I wanted to be doing this weekend was stamping!

I made this card for my sister-in-law as she too was sick this past week. Guess it works for me also!

Images are from a new stamp company called Our Craft Lounge. Sketch is off of someone's blog i'm thinking but can't remember where. If you know whose it is, please let me know so I can link it. thanks

stamp: running sick by Our Craft Lounge; ink: black; paper: real red, night of navy, black, white, creamy caramel, so saffron, dp; accs: ribbon, brad, scallop edge punch, word window punch, white gel pen, crystal effects, clear embossing powder

Loving BC Dzyns!

MFT's new line BC Dzyns has come out with another set "and then I said". This set is being released now and if you follow the blog hop, there is a treat at the end! :) Kim's blog is the start of the blog hop.

It wasn't long after I got this set that Carmen had a birthday party to go to and requested a notebook altered. Something 'fast' she said was fine. hahaha Me? Fast? She may not care how it looked but I sure did and I always put 199% of myself into my creations. So needless to say she didn't get to take the gift to the party but had to give it to the birthday girl when she was getting picked up. Did I fail to mention that she asked for the gift the day of the party?? KIDS!!

I embossed the girl with fine black detail on white cardstock. Colored her hair with Prismacolor markers (same color as the birthday girl), used blush blossom ink for her skin. Added a little 'blush' with pretty in pink and watercolored the 'table' with chocolate chip ink.

Her shirts were paper pieced with retired SU design paper. The notebook was also covered in the same coordinating retired SU design paper. Sahara Sand cardstock was added to the side that I used the scallop edge punch on. Faux stitching around the saying and ribbon added to the side finished off the notebook.

Sorry for the little bit of bent to the upper corner of the cover. I had taken pictures of this before it was given away but wouldn't you know it, the laptop that those pictures are on is 'dead'! Carmen's friend was kind enough to bring the notebook to school so that it could come home to me to take pictures so I could be able to post it. Thank you!

stamp: and then I said; paper: white, chocolate chip, sahara sand, su dp; ink: chocolate chip, versamark, blush blossom, pretty in pink; accs: black embossing powder, prismacolor markers, ribbon, scallop edge punch

Close up of the girl

You may have been wondering why I had placed the girl over so far. Well, now you know. This notebook came with this 'strap' that came over the cover, there was no way for me to take it off so I had to make it part of the design.

Now continue your journey by visiting Cammie's blog. Enjoy!

Flourishes in the house!

I finally got some Flourish stamps. Just had to use a few of them for the Limited Supply194 (acrylic stamps only) last Friday. I also added in the Color challenge192 and Ways to use it 192 (watercolor paper). The sketch comes from Beate's blog sketch challenge.

I used Certainly Celery, Not quite Navy and Basic Gray cardstock plus Watercolor cardstock. The flowers were stamped in Basic Gray and then watercolored Not quite Navy and Certainly Celery on for the sky and ground. Pulled out the distressing tool again!

The faux brads are acutally Basic Gray cardstock with cyrstal effects added on top. The cardstock is attached with glue dots.

stamps: Flourished Elements & Summer Botanicals; paper: certainly celery, not quite navy, basic gray, watercolor paper; ink: certainly celery, not quite navy, basic gray; accs: crysatl effects, distressing tool

I haven't forgotten about my blog candy. Should be up by the end of this week. :)

Wise Men Still Seek Him

I loved the Sketch Challenge 202 over at SCS today. Well actually I love all the sketches Rox finds. Did you know you can go to this thread and print out all 202 sketches to have right at your finger tips?? LOVE IT!!

For today I pulled out Treehouse Stamps "Wise Men Still Seek Him" set as I was in the mood for a Christmas card. (only days left.. do you have your cards started??) I also used Ashley's color challenge for this week of Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze and white/vanilla. I watercolored the image with the Baja Breeze and Old Olive ( I have yet to get Kiwi Kiss ink!!). Added a little yellow for the star and some Creamy Caramel for the road. Added stickles to the star and the candle just for a little shimmer.

The distresser tool was calling my name pretty loudly as I've been neglecting it so I pulled it out and went to town. The squares are 1 3/8 and 1 1/4, faux stitching with white gel pen done on all three with the sentiment going on the last square. I added some black Rhinestones to the corners of the main image. The "star" design paper is Ski Slope from the SU mini catalog.

stamp: Wise Men Still Seek Him - Treehouse Stamps; paper: kiwi kiss, baja breeze, vanilla; ink: baja breeze, old olive, black stazon, creamy caramel, yellow; accs: baja breeze ribbon, rhinestones, distressing tool, white gel pen, aquapainter, stickles

Do you know what today is?

It's my one year blog anniversary!!!


Be watching for blog candy sometime next week to celebrate. Never in a million years did I ever think I would have a blog and still be blogging a year later! Thank you to all of you that keep coming back day after day.

Checkered Birthday Chef

I wasn't planning on making a card today as I have a Stamp Camp I needed to be getting ready for tonight BUT dh tells me this morning that he needs a birthday card for his BOSS/friend like today!! So I grabbed the SU catalog and turned to Violia as I liked that card. Of course I had to change it some so that it would fit within the Limited Supply challenge which was to use a circle AND a rectangle on your card.

I used retired SU design paper for my rectangle and also for the chef's jacket that I paper pieced. His hat and neck tie are paper pieced with Kiwi Kiss cardstock. I layered the rectangle on chocolate chip and so saffron. Using my coluzzle, I cut a circle ring out of So Saffron. The chef was stamped on white and also cut into a circle stopping at the hand and hat. As I cut around them to make them coming "out" of the circle. The birthday cake was stamped on another piece of cardstock and adhered with a glue dot. I colored it with markers.

We were allowed ribbon ONLY as an embellishment for the limited supply. So I used Kiwi Kiss striped ribbon. I thought it turned out pretty cute for as fast as I had to come up with it.

stamp: violia; paper: retired SU dp, kiwi kiss, so saffron, chocolate chip, white; ink: black stazon; accs: ribbon, makers, coluzzle

I did add stickles to the candle AFTER I had taken a picture for the Limited Supply Challenge but of course didn't get a picture of it with the stickles on it as dh had to run out the door.

Cheese Danish and MFTeaser

I was in the mood for something sweet last night while I stamped. Since the oven was still hot from dinner (chicken enchiladas), I decided to try a new recipe (to me): Cheese Danish. Oh, my!! It's yummmyyy and sooo EASY!!! So here is the recipe: (sorry there is no picture)

Cheese Danish


16oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup raspberry or apricot jam (I used strawberry)
2 packages of crescent roll dough
1 beaten egg
4oz sliced almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese, vanilla and sugar in a bowl. Unroll one can of crescent rolls onto a greased cookie sheet, seal perforations. Spread cream cheese mixture on dough, leaving 1/4 inch edges. Top with jam. Unroll second can of crescent rolls over top of mixture. Seal perforations. Seal edges with fork. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake for 30 mins. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

So what did I stamp while I ate this yummy Cheese Danish?? MFT's new Who's that e-Girl, that's who!

I paper pieced her completely but then was completely brain dead on a layout. (must have been to much danish as the kids didn't like it so guess who has to eat it all??) So I left it to finish in the morning hoping that the Sketch Challenge 201 would work. And it did!!

I used coordinating design paper for the rest of the layers. Cut apart the sentiment so I could position it how I wanted it. Added some hodgepodge over it with some ribbon. The dp that I used had glitter on some of the pages, so her skirt, the wall and second layer all has glitter on it! I'm so loving her floral laptop.


stamps: who's that e-girl - MFT; paper: chocolate chip, black, DCWV Once Upon A Time; ink: black, chocolate chip; accs: ribbon, hodgepodge, brads, cuttlebug

My Favorite Things (www.mftstamps.com) is having a New Release Cocktail Party on Wednesday, November 5th from 9-11 p.m. Eastern time. This month there are FIVE new sets being released, including THE must have Who's That Girl set of the year! Head over to the MFT forum on www.splitcoaststampers.com to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. We hope to see you there on tonight!

Don't miss out on MFT's first blog hop. Details are in the post below.

Medallion Geranium - Blog Hop

Welcome to MFT's first Blog Hop! Hopefully you just came from Shannan's blog to mine if not and you would like to start from the beginning, please visit Kim van den Sanden's blog. At the end of the blog hop, don't forget to leave a comment on the last blog as there is some wonderful blog candy being offered. (of course you are free to leave comments here too, they just won't count towards the blog candy)

Now you may have seen my card on SCS yesterday but I didn't go into much detail there. I used the soon to be released stamp "Gernaium" by Annie LaPoint, MFT Presents series. The color challenge for yesterday was kiwi kiss, riding hood red and pretty in pink. I combined the Try New Technique 193 which was to make a decorative "circle" Medallion. Well i had to be different and do an Oval instead!

To see a video tutorial on a Circle Medallion, go here. I'm going explain how I did the oval medallion though. I used my coluzzle and cut my oval at least 3 times bigger than normal. Now i did try to do the 'cheat paper' that is described in the tutorial but with the oval you don't need it. I just stuck my corner punch (with the guide off) over my paper and punched away making sure it was close the previous punched section. I tried different sizes of oval cutouts and never once did i end up with an odd punch or overlapping.

I used inks to watercolor the image. The pot is paper pieced with Berry Bliss dp that was also used for the medallion. A single layer of kiwi kiss cardstock was cut with the coluzzle and placed around the geraniums. The medallion is on dimensionals with some faux stitching added to it. The background is cuttlebugged with the swiss dots and sponged with pretty in pink. Oval punch with faux stitching added to top and bottom of card front. I only used a little bit of Ruby Red as I didn't want much of a Christmas card look.

stamp: Geranium - Annie LaPoint; paper: berry bliss dp, vanilla, kiwi kiss, ruby red; ink: old olive, ruby red, pretty in pink, black; accs: corner punch, coluzzle, brads, white gel pen, oval punch, cuttlebug, aquapainter

Now it is time for you to leave me and head on to your next stop in this great MFT blog Hop! You are off to visit Lauren and her wonderful creations. Enjoy and I will see you again at our next MFT blog hop if not before.

Don't forget to join us tonight in the MFT member forum in SCS from 9pm-11pm EST for the release party.

Thanks So Much - MFT style

Hubby 'ordered' a Thank You card last week and I also needed to do a card for MFT's Wend challenge. Well, if you haven't figured it out by now, I like to combine as many challenges/reasons into one card that I can so of course I combined these two reasons to stamp. :)

MFT's challenge was to be "bossy" or to use embossing on your card somehow. Also to use MFT Presents Annie LaPoint images if you had them. I used Annie's Chive image. Embossed it in silver and colored it with markers. Of course I had to distress the sides with inks, starting with So Saffron and Chocolate Chip to give that aged look. SU's Linen was stamped on both the mellow moss pieces in mellow moss. The pattern paper is SU's retired Print sampler, that I never use and decided to pull out. I distressed the edges of it with Chocolate Chip ink and used the scallop edge punch on the one piece.

Now for the fun part... I'm not a big fan of buttons on my cards. I like buttons but have a hard time using them so I challenged myself to use buttons on this card. I attached them with Helmar's liquid glue dots so there is actually some dimension to them. The hodgepodge is also attached with Helmar's liquid glue dots. And of course I had to distress the saying with the inks too! (guess you could say I was a little distressed over this card! lol) Thanks So Much is from MFT's Sassy Sayings set.

stamps: Sassy Sayings, Chives - MFT, Linen - SU; paper: SU Print Pattern, mellow moss, vanilla, chocolate chip, so saffron; ink: chocolate chip, so saffron, versamark; accs: hodgepodge, silver embossing powder, SU buttons (retired), scallop edge punch. markers, Helmar's liquid glue dots

Snowman Wishes

I know.. some of us don't want to even think of SNOW yet! Especially after the beautiful 60 degree weekend we just had. But I never shared the card I did for Sketch Challenge 200 on SCS and I'm afraid it's just a little cold. So go bundle up and grab a cup of cocoa and enjoy my card.

This sketch is #200! Can't believe we are on #200 already. Seems like just yesterday they had started the sketch challenge on SCS. I really like the sketch that Rox picked but am not that crazy about my card. lol Don't you hate that? Spend all the time on a card only to have it turn out not how you invisioned it. So be gentle with me... maybe it will grow on me in time. (personally I think it is the colors as I also combined the color challenge 190 with it.) I made my card a tall long card.

I used Jolly Snowman from Treehouse Stamps and stamped him on Shimmery White. Using inks, I watercolored him with Pixie Pink, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie. A little bit of close to cocoa was used for his arms. I then used my scallop square punch and layered the snowmen on. I happened to have a piece of Kiwi Kiss (I still don't own the ink) cardstock already cuttlebugged with snowflakes that I decided to use for the top of the card. I used my Pixie Pink marker and ran it along the top and bottom edges of my ribbon. Stamped the saying at the bottom of the card with Black.

stamp: Jolly Christmas - Treehouse Stamps; ink: black stazon, pumpkin pie, old olive, pixie pink; paper: pixie pink, pumpkin pie, kiwi kiss, shimmery white; accs: ribbon, marker, aquapainter, scallop square punch, cuttlebug