Beautiful Hydrangea.... take 3

I finally got some time to get this last card posted. I am totally in love with this set. I have only been coloring it in the 2 colors for these 3 cards, but I have plans to do this up with so many more colors!! I really hope you all love it as much as I do, since you will be seeing it a lot over the next year.



Stamps: Because I Care
Inks: Marina Mist, Concord Crush, Wild Wasabi
Paper: Concord Crush, Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, Watercolor Paper
Misc: Rhinestones (eggcellent eggs kit), Aqua Pen, Rhinestone Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Finial Press Textured Impressions Folder, Sponge Daubers,

I am totally exhausted from teaching classes this past weekend, so I am off to bed. I want to thank everyone who came to my classes. I will have the rest of the pics up under the classes tab soon along with instructions. I am also going to be adding a few other classes later this summer so keep an eye out. If anyone is interested in long distance classes, please let me know by email and I will let you know how that works.

Beautiful Hydrangea.... take 2

I was hoping to get to posting this card on Saturday, but I was super busy this weekend with classes. I always love teaching classes, but when I do them it is tiring. The best part is always when someone creates a card using a new technique that they figure they can not master and it turns out wonderfully.... the look on their face is totally worth it.

I also had a blast doggy sitting. We took the dogs out to the off leash area and let them run wild. Meika found a slough and went head first into it, and came out soaking wet. Gross!! Needless to say she ended up getting a bath when we got home.

Here is take 2 of the Hydrangea card. I think you all will get sick of me posting cards from this set. I have already made 2 more cards in totally different styles with it, and I plan on doing many many more. This one is different from the first by changing the card base to Concrod Crush, and using Marina Mist as the background. I also added another mat in Marina Mist to the stamped image, and added rhinestones as well as the En Francais in the background.



Stamps: Because I Care, En Francais
Inks: Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, Concord Crush
Paper: Marina Mist, Concord Crush, Watercolor Paper
Misc: Aqua Pen, Rhinestone Brads, Sponge Daubers, Stampin' Dimensionals

I hope you like take 2 and I should have take 3 up in a day or two. I have my last classes tomorrow night, and then plans to take the kid to the local amusement park on Tuesday, so sometime in there I will try and get it done and up.

Beautiful Hydrangea.... take 1

I LOVE Hydrangeas, and I am beyond thrilled that Stampin' Up! has this new level 1 hostess set. It is called Because I Care, and it is now my new favorite set. This is take 1 of this set. I am actually doing it in a 3 part set, each one a little bit more embellished than the last. This is to showcase how you can step something up and create a different card, with only a few additions.
You start out with a very simple card, and just keep adding.



It is a little hard to see from the angle, but there are a few extra blossoms that are popped up for added depth.
Stamps: Because I Care (Level 1 Hostess), Occasional Quotes (Level 3 Hostess)
Inks: Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, Concord Crush, Basic Black
Paper: Watercolor Paper, Marina Mist, Concord Crush
Misc: Aqua Pen

I will add the take 2 of this card later today or most likely tomorrow. I am dog sitting for my sister in law, and I am planning on taking both dogs out for a long walk soon, probably around 5-8 kms in hopes of tiring them out so they behave well. They are the funniest dogs when they are together. Meika (our dog) is a brat and will chase Shasta for hours, but Shasta doesn't like it and takes for ever to learn/remember that if she just sits still, Meika gets bored and stops.

has it really been that long??

Things have been really busy here, and when I went to visit a few of my friends blogs, on the sidebar it said I had updated my blog 5 days ago!! I normally aim for every 2nd day, so I am WAY behind!! I am very sorry for that, I think a big part of it was being nervous for my race on Sunday, and then being sore after. I am quite proud of myself. I was signed up for my very first 10K race and over 5K I took a ton of time of my previous time! I also ended up finishing at a little over 1 minute per Km faster pace than I was hoping to be able to keep up.

Enough of my ramblings, you all are here for a card.... this one is for my Sister in Law and her Hubby. They celebrated their 20th Anniversary last month, and while I do not make cards for every year (my hubby is one of 8, that is a lot of cards) I do do them for every 5 years, which is 4 for this year alone!



Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Inks: Baja Breeze
Papers: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Soft Suede, Parisian Breeze DSP (retired)
Misc: Dazzlin Diamonds Glitter, Tombow Multi Adhesive, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Whisper White 5/8" Organza Ribbon (sponged with Baja Breeze)

Again????

I know that is what you are all saying right now.... and I promise you that this is the last card made with this set for a while, probably a long while. I really am going to miss this set. I call this my triple embossed card. It is firstly heat embossed with clear embossing powder, then embossed using the big shot and the texturz folder finial press, and finally dry embossed over that with platinum shimmer paint.

I will warn you if you try this, that when you heat emboss first, then run it through the big shot, the embossing will crack and distress (which looks really cool). If you do not want the distressed look all you need to do is re-heat the powder. It will melt again and look all shinny and pretty like this card.




Stamps: Very Thankful
Inks: Basic Black, Versamark
Papers: Real Red, Whisper White, Basic Black, Brushed Silver
Misc: Platinum Shimmer Paint, Sponge Daubers, Rhinestones (from the Eggcellent Eggs Kit), 5/8" Basic Black Satin Ribbon, Ribbon Slide (Hodgepodge Hardware), Clear Embossing Powder, Final Press Texturz Folder

I think that is everything. It really is a very easy card to make, and looks stunning in person. I got my sneak peak order in, and will have a few really cool samples up in a day or two to tease you all with.

Very Thankful

I know I have been using this set a lot lately to make cards, but it is just so darn cute, and I will really miss it! I think this is my favorite RMHC set yet.


Stamps: Very Thankful
Inks: Pacific Point, Baja Breeze
Paper: Pacific Point DSP, Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Sahara Sand
Misc: 1/2" Circle Punch, Rhinestone Brads, Pacific Point striped Ribbon,


That's it for me today, it is way past my bedtime, so I am going to hit the hay. Hope you all have a great day!

PPA 46 color Challenge

I decided to play along with another PPA challenge, and this one was to use Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry and Soft Suede. I also wanted to use this set, something sweet, as it has not gotten a lot of use lately. This is what I came up with at 2 am when I couldn't sleep.



Stamps: Something Sweet
Inks: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede
Papers: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Misc: Sweet Treat Cups, Smarties

Crystal Effects Video Tutorial

I was making my own rain dots yesterday and decided to do a quick little tutorial for you all, to show you how easy it is to make your own. I love making these, they are so fast and easy to do, and look great on scrapbook pages.




Misc: Crystal Effects and Re-Inkers, stir stick, non stick mat and non stick plate

I should have the actual LO up on here in a day or two. If you do try these out, let me know what you think of them.

something old, something blue

Nope, this isn't about a wedding, it is all about using up old stock.

I love the forest friends set, and corduroy buttons are probably my favorite embellishment ever. This is a pretty simple card, but I love it all the same.

Stamps: Forest Friends
Inks: Chocolate Chip
Papers: Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Delicate Dots DSP
Misc: Chocolate Chip Corduroy Buttons, 1/4" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch

I am having a bit better night so far. The computer was acting stupid again, and this time my speakers were all messed up. After 3 hours of trying to figure it out, it turns out my 4 year old got a hold of the speaker utility and messed with the settings. I never ever would have guessed he was able to do that. I am hoping to get quite a bit of stuff done after he is fully in bed tonight. Tomorrow is *supposed* to be nice out, and if it is, I am planting my garden. I was wanting to get it done around the 23rd or so of may, but it has been way way to wet to get it done. If I do managed to get out in the garden I will not have anything for you all tomorrow night.

I need your help

I spent about an hour today trying to fix some settings on my camera and rearranging my lights and set up, and I think these are the 4 best pictures. I would love it if you would pic a favorite, so I can decide a final setting to take all my future pictures on. I really like having the white white background, but I don't like it when it overexposes my card as a result. These are the 'happy mediums', some are grayer than I wanted, but not overexposed and some are white white, but a little overexposed.
Picture 1

Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4Please leave a comment with your pic of the 4. Thanks

I forgot to add what colors they were....
Stamps: Echos of Kindness
Inks: Garden Green, Night of Navy, Bashful Blue Blender Pens
Papers: Bravo Burgundy, Night of Navy, Garden Green DSP, Whisper White
Misc: Bold Bright Brads, Eyelet Border Punch

Almost back to normal

Well things around here are almost back to normal... whatever that means, lol. My computer is back up and running, although DH is not done with it, all my stuff is back to the way it was. I still can not figure out why my camera is being weird, but until I fix it, I will just have to play with my pics in photoshop like I have been doing. I am trying to get back into more scrapbooking, but it seems every time I sit down to make a LO, I get sidetracked or something else pops up that I forgot about. Cards are so much faster, and it seems that I am always needing to send one out, so they keep getting made and the scrapbook pages don't.

I made a few thank you cards the other day to give out, and this was one of them. Have I mentioned how sad I will be when this set retires? I love it since it makes such a wide variety of thank you style cards.



Stamp: Very Thankful
Ink: Basic Black, Taken with Teal, Bashful Blue, Real Red, So Saffron Blender Pens
Paper: Sweet Pea DSP, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Taken With Teal, Chocolate Chip
Misc: Fresh Favorites Buttons, Blender Pens

I need to make 2 anniversary cards today, but I am hoping to get started on a LO later tonight, so here's hopin' I actually get to it.

Very Thankful

You've all heard the saying when it rains it pours right?.... Now I am having camera issues. I have no idea why, since nothing has happened to it, but now it is taking awful pictures. I apologize for the horrid pictures, and I sure hope I figure this out soon.

I love this set, and while I knew when I bought it it would only last a year (since it is the RMCHC set) I am still very sad to see it go. This uses the Sweet Pea DSP that is retired as well as some brads that are retiring soon. Can you tell that the 'black' paper is actually Rich Razzleberry??

Stamps: Very Thankful
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Certainly Celery, Soft Suede, Taken With Teal, Basic Gray and Blender Pens
Paper: Sweet Pea DSP, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Misc: Designer Brads, Blender Pens

Cross your fingers for me that I can figure this camera thing out, and a big THANK YOU to all who came out to my retired items sale today... Most of my extra stash is gone now and now I have room for all my pre-order goodies. I do still have a little left over if any one is interested, give me a call.

computer issues

I have been having massive computer issues lately, so my wonderful hubby is currently overhauling my computer, including swapping out hard drives. He of course is also tweaking it, and somehow making it a 'server' for a home network or something.... not really sure, but he has been taking a networks and something course and is practicing with the home computers, and since my main computer is a desktop that is the 'server' now.

What does this mean for you..... well not much. My pictures are always uploaded to the main computer, so until later tonight or tomorrow, all the fabulous new cards I had been making and taking pictures of are well, not easy for me to get to. As soon as I get my computer back once it is fixed I will post a bunch of them.

It's HERE!!!!

The Last Chance List is finally here. When you click HERE you will want to then click on the SHOP NOW button and then the last chance list button so you can look at everything by category with all the pictures.

I am also putting in an order for wonderful new pre-order goodies, so hopefully in about 2 weeks or so I will have some cool samples to show you all. If you are thinking of placing an order with me soon and want to save on shipping costs, please email or phone me, as my order is going in by the 4th.

I have no new cards or pages to show you since we have been very busy here, but I am hoping to get some time to play tomorrow, so fingers crossed, there will be new and exciting things to see here soon.