Couple Father's Day Cards

Worked on a few cards this week for Dads. Manly cards are so hard it seems. Gotta space, fill it with flowers....just can't do that for the dudes! TAC came out with a way fun dude set this past spring. I've really enjoyed the images in it. This reminded me of my one FIL who is in construction. I love how the stomach peaks out under the shirt! I paper pieced his whole outfit.

Than on my second card I used some un-inked stamp sets from TAC. The label stamp fits perfectly with the nestie. So, it was a nice way to add some pop to the nestie shape. I don't normally make cards that center around sentiments. I seem to struggle with that, so this card was hard to feel positive about. I created the Father's day sentiment off the computer. I followed Mojo Monday 143.

Supplies: TAC stamps, Basic Grey papers, SU cardstock, nesties, copics, SU punches,

Basic Magnolia!

How cute is this image? This was sent to me by a sweet friend! Totally adorable image! Have you seen the new line coming out with Magnolia? Oh, my, so cute! Anyhow, this covers a few challenges for me. The sentiment is from TAC.

Mojo Monday Sketch.

Rachel's Cupcake Inspiration Challenge

Pile It On Is it Spring yet

All Sorts In Stitches

Our Creative Corner Beautiful Butterflies

(Anyone for Anya Sweet As Sugar I won't be linking to their blog, since I didn't use a Greeting Farm or CC Design image.)

Supplies: Basic Grey paper, SU Cameo coral ink and cardstock, blush cardstock, stickles, copics,

Thanks for stopping by!

Just Magnolia Sketch

Took a break after getting the rest of the house ready for company to make a card. I had to run to get Gabi to her dance recital practice, and we just got in. Paul and his parents are at dinner. I did the Just Magnolia challenge. I just got my very own Magnolia stamps. Picked up three! Man, now, I wonder why I waited so long to buy some! Anyhow, my company just made it here, so I have to go.

Supplies: nesties, copics, primas, sentiment by Hero's Art, Basic Grey paper, SU and PTI cardstocks, stickles.

Not sure I"ll be posting over the weekend. Might be able to show a few things to my MIL, who is getting into stamping. Or I might be able to show a few photos of Gabi.

Sultry Willow

I'm not quite done with the year book, but I'm waiting on a few things from three people, so there's not much I can do until I get those things. Means, I had a break from 535 kids photos! I needed it too! So, how did I spend my time? I finally got to play today with the new Whiff of Joy Spring kit. Man, such cute images! I joined a card kit swap, and this was the image I selected, so I wanted to try it out first. This is the first time I've been able to ink any of them up since they arrived. They are so cute! You just gotta love Willow! This is my first card with this set, and I can't wait to play with rest of the stamps! I got this sketch off of Amy R's page.

Also, the other day I headed to Michaels. I was so surprised to see some new products in! Brand new paper punches. I called my friend Kim gasping about what I was seeing! Such cool ones! A beach theme, scallops, bats, ABC's, there was a bunch of fun ones to look at! I took a photo on my phone, because I was so giddy with what I saw. (I asked permission to take the photo, because I was to nervous about it with team members walking around.) I'll have to see if they're still on my phone. They had 24 new border punches at 14.99, and two rows of smaller punches at 9.99. One of the smaller punches that I recall was a cute martini glass complete with two itty bitty olives, and the stick! But anyhow, I got two of the new border ones. I'm taking a picture to show the size sample next to the SU scallop punch. I took photos of the punches open, and closed next to the SU punch to show the size difference, love this about them, and how they close shut and can stack next to each other because they lay flat. They take less space than the whale tail punches. Please know, I'm not picking on SU punches, I tried to take the photo with Martha's punch, but they're white, and my banner top paint is white, so it wasn't showing up. The space where the punching happens is the same as MS and SU punches. I punched the two that I grabbed to show how they look. I punched the deep green layer in SU's scallop punch. The one in red has a diamond shape above the scallop part. I used the itty bitty scallop on the card above.

Supplies: Whiff of Joy Spring kit, Basic grey Sultry paper line, lyra water color crayons, close to cocoa, kiwi kiss, pixie pink cardstocks by SU, stickles, gems, glitter pen-pink, brads and punch from Michaels.

Joyful Girl

My friend, Kim, was sweet enough to send me a few images of garden joy by TAC, which just released yesterday. It's a darling new set by Mabelle. Kim was asked to help design some new stuff for TAC, so she had this set before any of us! She also was published in the first edition of Serendipity! Big woo hoo for Kim! She says I'm her cheering squad! I'm just so happy for her!

I grabbed my Basic Grey Mellow pack and started to color this sweet heart. I got the sketch idea off of Amy R's blog. This is based on sketch 45. The image is big, and I didn't get my flowers by Queen and Co low enough. Oh, well, it still looks cute enough with them peaking out, right? Please tell me I'm right! But I do wish they were lower on the card. I had already put that part together, when I went to layer the top down, and discover they were way too close. I even tried to pull the flowers out over the edge, but that didn't work. I used a few Queen and Co brads and flowers on here. They are from the Sonic Boom collection, with I believe they retired. I used my lyra crayons to color her with. I was gonna put a sentiment, but couldn't make up my mind on which one to use! I use my rectangle nesties to cut, emboss and scallop the main image.

Supplies: TAC Garden joy, SU red ridinghood cardstock, Basic Grey Mellow, Queen and Co brads and flowers, lyra water color crayons, stickles, and nesties.

Basic Butterfly

Whew, been a busy week for me. We did a quick spur of the moment visit with family, since the kids were out of school an extra day. Sadly, Trey spent most of it sick, ended up going to a Dr out of town, and he has strep. Bad momma I am, thought it was a sinus infection, so I was holding off taking him to a Dr until we got back home. I will have spent 25 of the 31 days in Jan giving antibiotics to one of my kids! January has been rough! Than we get home, and I'm all ready for nice rest in my bed, and Gabi got sick last night. So, both kids are home today resting. Crossing fingers, both are well enough for school tomorrow.

Today is Flutter by Wed's on Danni's blog. I do like to play along. I felt a little creative and went out of my normal comfort zone. My ILS, who are wonderful folks, spoiled me for my birthday, so I have 6 new Nesties sets. Not all are from them, but we're not telling hubby that! LOL! We did tell him I purchased all of them, and he told me to get a job! One new set is the paisley set. I made my butterfly wings from the nesties. The camera isn't here, and the scanner is washing out the background paper. I used Mellow from Basic Grey, and there's a cloud paper in there, but the scanner doesn't like it! I might change out the photo later if I can capture it better on the camera. The sentiment is from Beautiful day in the new TAC catty. Solid cardstock is Ripe avocado from PTI, and all the sheets of paper are brushed with close to cocoa SU ink.

Nesties in the house for the New Year!

Hope everyone had a delightfully, wonderful New Year's Celebration. We had a small party here last night. We do an annual party. This year we had about 22 people come. Everyone loved the food! And my handmade stuff went faster than Paul's CFA strips! I have this one pinwheel dish I make that is so yummy! It has shredded chicken, cream cheese, cilantro-my ubber favorite herb, and jalapenos wrapped up in crescent rolls. They are so light, and the spice is just the right touch. It's so yummy! I only had a few because they ate them up! I even made a double batch, thinking I'd have some today! LOL! Always nice to bring in the New Year with special friends.

I was given some moolah for Christmas from my ILS. I know, I'm a lucky gal! People seem to have a love/hate relationship with their ILS, but I've been blessed! Paul's parents are the best! Even better, he has two sets of parents, and both sides truly spoil us! I have been waiting forever it seems to get some nesties, so when they sent money, that's what I ordered! I had a good time picking them. I don't have any rectangle scallop punches, so I grabbed those two scalloped sets first. I also grabbed the scallop oval and circle figuring I could replace the two punches I have. I was surprised at how big the scallop circle was in the kit. I didn't get the non-scalloped sets yet, thinking I can use supplies I have for that for now to fill in the centers. I'm thinking I'm gonna want them. Good thing I have a birthday in Jan, huh?! LOL! In the top left corner of the photos is a Rachel Anne Miller stamp. This is my first stamp of her's.

I also grabbed some new stickles! My, the new glitz ones are very blingy! I can't wait to use these things. I have company who are in my bonus room so right now, I can't use them. All my goodies are upstairs waiting to be used! Crossing fingers maybe I can play tomorrow!

I made the card the other day using the cute TAC angel set. I used some Basic Grey paper, I think this is sultry 6x6 pack. SU's wild was. card stock. Gems from Michaels, and stickles on the wings. I colored with my Lyra water color crayons. I found the Basic Grey paper at Michaels, during their 40% off all paper packs the weekend after Thanksgiving! Such pretty papers!

New Maid and The Nutcracker

Not sure if I told anyone about my new maid. I figured with Paul getting a new FSU CFA, I could afford a maid! I'm not sure if taking a photo of a maid is normal or not, but since I scrap, I figured I should show case a clean house. Goodness knows it's not clean when I'm done! LOL! It reminded me of the Friends episode where Monica is going crazy with her new maid, thinking she stole some jeans. I don't think I'll have to worry about the new maid stealing stuff! I had to giggle when my DD came down dressed that way to vacuum the floor, which is one of her new chores. Such a funny picture! She added the apron, which is a smock for art projects!

Anyhow the dance went super well today! Gabi did so well with both shows. Even have to commend Trey, who had to suffer the whole day at the recital! He did so well too! We where there from about 12 to after 7:30, Gabi and I were there until after 8. Long day for both of them. It's harder on Trey because he doesn't have a bunch of guy friends floating around to play with while he was waiting for his sister to get done, but he did manage to keep himself fairly busy with a few boys and girls here or there. A friend of mine helped keep an eye on him while I was running back and forth tending to Gabi's costume changes. I sent him home with Daddy after he came in to see Gabi's part of the show two, and than they headed out while I watched the end of the show and the bows.

Only drama we had to deal with was over Gabi's wings. Gabi's wings were made of a material like hose. She accidentally got caught on a door latch last night, and tore it. Momma wasn't happy about that. Another mom fixed it up for her. Thankfully, no tears tonight, and the wings made it thru the evening! All four of the angels in her group tore their wings, either last night or tonight. Three of them got caught on the door latch.

We had happy surprise tonight because her best friend came in on a whim with her Aunt to see the show. She was a wonderful surprise for Gabi, and she was excited to learn Gabi was dancing in the production.

The dance studio owner is friends with a gentleman who took over a struggling dance company locally, he moved from TX or Ohio. Aren't I good with details?! For the last two years, they've flown him in to set the routines, but this year he lived locally, so they worked it out and brought in professional dancers to be guest stars at our production. Gabi had a sweet part in the dance where she walked out with the Sugar Plum fairy, the one dressed in pink as they were greeting Clara in the arrival scene. I don't think she understands how cool it was to dance with a professional ballerina, let alone get to hold her hand as they walked on stage!

The dance company was sweet enough to host a little Tea Party for the girls if they wanted to drop in for photos and sweets. I snapped some photos for Gabi with the Sugar Plum fairy and Snowflake Princess, or Snowflake Queen. Aren't their costumes so pretty? These ladies danced so gracefully. Both men were so gentle with them as they were flipping them in the air and helping them with their spins. The one in white is married to the ballerina dude, sounds funny together, who did the setting of the dances. The other male ballerina was in with the ladies and even had on pants for the tea party! (I'm sure that made all the young girls happy, as it turned out it was much the chatter behind the stage doors amongst all the 9-12 year old girls! As Gabi told me last night, there were kids there for goodness sakes, he needed to put on some pants!) I let her know that he was dressed correctly for being a male dancer doing a ballet. Handsome chap he was too!

Lastly, one quick card for the day. I made this to go with one of Gabi's teacher's gifts. I used Basic Grey paper, TAC's Joy of Christmas, palette ink pad, cranberry crisp SU paper, Martha Stewart double scallop punch, and ribbon from Michaels. The card came together quickly, but I felt it really turned out pretty. That Christmas line from Basic Grey is so pretty! All the card needed was stickles, which I forgot to add, and by the time I realized it, I didn't have time to add it before giving the card away.