Mother's Little Helper

Something Incredible

Hi, friends. It's been a couple of weeks since I checked in. Carter had a great session at EuroPeds. He and I had a fun couple of weeks, hanging out with each other and doing our own little things. It's good to get away, one-on-one with your kiddo if you can, because you really get to know each other in a different way than you do at home. Carter and I have had many of these opportunities between various therapeutic programs, surgeries, recoveries, etc., so I know of what I speak. All in all, the conclusion that I repeatedly come to is: he's a sweet, funny, awesome little-but-quickly-getting-bigger guy, and I'm luckier-than-all-get-out to be his mom. :)

Now that we're back home, I've rediscovered my stamping cave, and I'm back with another Mojo Monday card.  Here's the lovely sentiment I focused on, in all it's emboss-y glory:

Heat embossing is still and will forever remain magical to me.  This sentiment is from Reverse Confetti's Shine From Within stamp set, and was heat embossed with Ranger Fine Detail Black embossing powder on to patterned paper from Echo Park's Teacher's Pet 6"x6" pad.  Here's this week's Mojo Monday sketch:

Here's my scholastic sample:

Dies used include these from Your Next Stamp: Circles, Stitching Marks Circles, Stitched Squares, and File Tab Die.  I also used MFT's Fishtail Flag STAX Die-Namics.

Head on over to Mojo Monday Blog to see how you can participate in this weeks challenge, and be sure to visit my fellow Mojo Makers for inspiration:

• Julee Tilman (Owner)
• Justin Krieger
• Lori Tecler
• Marisa Ritzen
• Mary Fish
• Sarah Bigelow
• Teresa Kline
• Wanda Cullen

Thank you for stopping by to visit me. I appreciate each and every one of you who spends a moment of your day with me. Have a great week, and I'll be back in a couple of days with brand new stamps and dies to show you from YNS.

Perk Up!

Hello from beautiful and temperate Pontiac, Michigan! The weather has been insanely glorious since we arrived on Sunday. Lows in the high 50's/highs in the mid-70's, sunny and clear. Perfect! I've been taking advantage of it while Carter's in therapy by taking long walks and getting lots of steps logged with my FitBit. Afterwards, I head back to the room, take a shower and get ready, then walk back over to the EuroPeds clinic. I sit and read for a few minutes, then Carter and his physical therapist come out and tell me what they've been up to over the past few hours. We head back to our room, grab a little lunch, do some homework, and then head out for the day's adventure. Not a bad way to spend a couple of weeks!

We're both excited for tomorrow (which is today, by the time you read this) -- a few months ago I bought tickets for us to see MARVEL UNIVERSE LIVE; can't believe the time has already arrived!  (Why does that same time seem to be dragging with regards to the house we're remodeling?! More on that in a different post...)

Anyway, I created today's card before I left Oklahoma. It's for the current Your Next Stamp Challenge (#23); YNS Challenges always have a sketch or color component, and if you're feeling really ambitious, you can incorporate both. This time, I went with the color challenge, which is:

Very autumnal, no?

I broke out the new PERK UP stamp set, which I had yet to use.

I like a cup o' joe in the a.m., usually, but if I don't get one, it's not a big deal to me. I'm definitely not one of those coffee fanatics that lose their minds this time of year because Starbuck's Pumpking Spice Lattes are back on the menu. Still, I couldn't resist this cute, kawaii caffeinated stamp set. Have you ever seen such a happy little coffee bean grinder or french press? I think my favorite is the standard coffee maker. I watercolored backgrounds for each image panel -- on trend and SO easy!  Win-win.

My card was inspired by this sweet card by my wonderful friend, Wanda. One of the things I like best about Wanda's card is how it features lots of images from a single set.

YNS products used include: Perk Up stamp set, Stitched Rectangles die set, Stitched Squares die set, Spellbound Gumdrops, and Silver Tinsel Gumdrops.

Go to the YNS Blog and see what the other participating designers made with YNS Sketch/Color challenge #23. There, you'll also find graphics for the sketch, as well as info about how you can play along and possibly win FORTUNE & FAME (up to $20 in YNS moola and/or be selected as the YNS Top Pick. Top Pick-ers get featured on the YNS Blog and a nifty badge to wear on their blog, proclaiming them as a winner of this major award).

Thanks for stopping by today, friends! Have a fabulous first weekend of Fall.

 

Michigan Mojo

Carter and I have been traveling all weekend, driving a total of 18 hours to get from Durant, OK, to Pontiac, Michigan. We're back for another two-week stint at Euro-Peds Center for Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy. This is, I believe, our fifth time to come to EuroPeds, and Carter makes wonderful gains in strength, balance, and mobility every time we're here. It's a good thing, so let's celebrate with donuts!

This week's Mojo Monday Sketch (#416) was the perfect opportunity to break out My Favorite Things' tasty LLD Donuts & Sprinkles stamp set and coordinating dies.  Take a look at the sketch, and you'll see what I mean:

Circles galore! Because I wanted to use the long sentiment above the donuts (perfect to send to my college freshman, who I'll have you know is actually going to his mailbox to retrieve my cards/packages! Of course, I have to text him that it's probably there, and I always add a little present to sweeten the pot) I had to figure out that element in the lower right hand corner. I came up with adding a tiny trio of donuts, and threaded baker's twine through two of them before tying up a bow.

Other card facts:

• The sentiment was heat embossed in white detail embossing powder on a Blu Raspberry scalloped die cut, made using Blueprints 23 Die-Namics.
• The background was created by stamping MFT's Pin Stripe Background stamp in Daffodil Premium Dye Ink on Smooth White card stock.
• This card also fulfills the current MFT Color Challenge:

And now?  I'm a bit tuckered out after driving all those hours, unloading the car, and unpacking/nesting in our abode, aka a 2 bedroom unit at The Residence Inn.  Oooh -- want to hear something fabulous (at least, to us)? Get this: we always stay at this particular Residence Inn when we come to EuroPeds. Previously, the clinic was located in a hospital near downtown Pontiac, about 20 minutes away from our hotel.  Within the last few months, EuroPeds relocated to a new, stand-alone building. That building is DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET from our hotel!

I'm going to wrap this up before I head off on another tangent.  (I think I'm getting a little punchy from fatigue...) Head on over to Mojo Monday Blog to see how you can participate in this weeks challenge, and be sure to visit my fellow Mojo Makers for inspiration:

• Julee Tilman (Owner)
• Justin Krieger
• Lori Tecler
• Marisa Ritzen
• Mary Fish
• Sarah Bigelow
• Teresa Kline
• Wanda Cullen

Thanks for visiting me today, and wish Mr. Carter good luck on his therapeutic journey, if you would. I'll be back later on in the week and fill you in on his progress and our adventures. :)

Stalker Moms Are the New Soccer Moms

I'm back! From Monday through Wednesday, Sean and I took a whirlwind trip to Boston/Cambridge, MA. We helped Truman get moved into his dorm room, took a look around campus, heard various Deans and college administrators talk about the First Year, and ate some awesome seafood that is just not available here in landlocked Oklahoma. It was a great trip, and though I'm sad I won't get to see my eldest until Parents' Weekend (a couple of months from now), I'm so excited for him to embark on this big adventure. My heart is full!

Here's a pic of Truman, standing in front of the library on Monday evening:

Next is me and my baby, right before we said goodbye on Tuesday evening. I'm sweaty (no A/C in those dorms! Never so happy to see a box fan in my life...), sans makeup, and puffy from being teary-eyed all day, but he looks pretty cute:

It's probably a good thing that we live so far from Boston; if I was closer, I might be tempted to do a little spying or "just happen" to bump into him, from time to time. You've heard of soccer moms, right? If geography cooperated, I would become the first self-admitted stalker mom. That's the inspiration for my Fun Friday card for this week, using the current Your Next Stamp sketch challenge (#21):

If you see someone slithering around Harvard Square in Groucho Glasses, with her hair tucked into a baseball cap, you'll know it's me. But don't tell! Sadly, this really does look kinda like a selfie:

Please note my beautiful ribbon hair. Oh, well. I'm pretty on the inside! All of us are beautiful in God's eyes! Etc.!

(It's been a while since I used the vomit smiley; you have no idea how happy it makes me to be able to that. I wonder what that means?)

Go, go, go to the YNS Blog and see what the other participating designers made with YNS Sketch/Color challenge #21. There, you'll also find graphics for the sketch and color scheme, as well as info about how you can play along and possibly win FORTUNE & FAME (up to $20 in YNS moola and/or be selected as the YNS Top Pick. Top Pick-ers get featured on the YNS Blog and a nifty badge to wear on their blog, proclaiming them as a winner of this major award). How can you resist?

YNS - Silly Monsters Incognito One stamp set	YNS Silly Monsters Incognito One coordinating die set	YNS Circles die set	Taylored Expressions - Pinking Circle Stacklets
Taylored Expressions - Say What Dies	Doodlebug Designs - Day to Day 6x6 pad	MFT Card Stock	Copic X-Press Blending Card Stock
Copic Sketch Markers	Memento Tuxedo Black	MISTI	Jody's Foam Boosters

InLinkz.com

Clowning Around with Charlie Brown

Hey, friends.  This is going to be a quickie, even though I'd like for it to be longer because I have a lot of backstory and extra photos I'd like to share with you. However, it's 9-something p.m. as I write this on Sunday night, and I have to get up at 4 a.m. tomorrow to make a 7 a.m. flight out of Dallas (wake, shower, load car, drive). Sean and I are heading up to Boston so that we can help Truman move into his dorm room. I have spent the whole weekend packing up all of Truman's stuff. I still have yet to pack my own bag.  Eek!

Anyway, I didn't want to leave without showing you the sample I made for this week's Mojo Monday sketch, #412. I'm sure it will not be a huge surprise to know I made it with Truman in mind...

I used a new-to-me stamp set by Lil Inker Designs called The Fine Print.  It's got several what-seem-to-be-snarky sentiments, but when you read the fine print, they are quite sweet. Take a closer look at this one:

There's a story behind the Charlie Brown zigzag. Truman was bald for a long time as an infant, and so for his first birthday (his birthday is on Oct. 30, hence he's had lots of costume parties and Halloween has always been a big deal at our house) he was Charlie Brown.  Here's a look at part of a scrapbook page from way back then:

And since I'm showing scrapbook pages, here's a part of a two-page spread devoted to the clown I spoke of in my last post:

I've already started buying little gifts I can stick in the cards I'm going to send Truman as part of the oft-mentioned 100 Card Challenge.  I picked up this USB drive a week or so ago for him, and now I have the perfect card to go with it. :)

Alrighty, folks - this is way longer than I intended, already. I have miles to go before I sleep!  Wish me luck, and I'll be back soon.  In the meantime, be sure to visit the Mojo Monday blog where you'll find this week's sketch and get info about how you can play along in the current challenge. For further inspiration, visit my craty Mojo Monday Design Team Members at:

• Julee Tilman (Owner)
• Justin Krieger
• Lori Tecler
• Marisa Ritzen
• Mary Fish
• Sarah Bigelow
• Teresa Kline
• Wanda Cullen

Awesome x 3

So, this is the third time in one week that I've used a sentiment that features some variation of the word "awesome." Pretty sure that's a record of some sort. I don't think I could do that again if I tried...

It's the 22nd of the month, which means it's Your Next Stamp's Feature Day!  Every month on the 22nd, YNS design team members are challenged to create a card around a given theme.  Because this is YNS's birthday month, this month's theme is CELEBRATE!

Clowns are celebratory, don't you think? (Or creepy/scary, but let's not go there.) Thus, I inked up the recently released WHEELIE FUN stamp set to put together this number:

I think this will for sure be a part of my 100 Card Challenge for Truman, as he is freaked out by clowns. At his first birthday party, David Boren (Sean's former boss, a former US Senator and the President of the University of Oklahoma for the past 20 years) and his lovely wife, Molly, had a clown deliver a proclamation that Truman was the first student in the high school graduating class of 2015 to be accepted at OU. Isn't that, well, awesome?!  Truman did NOT like the clown, however, and cried all through her presentation. (Maybe that's why he's going to Harvard, now, and not OU?  Hmmm... it's a theory!)  I'll have to remind him of this story when I send him this card.

Let's call this clown Tickles, because what little kid wouldn't love to be tickled by a clown? (hee)  Here's a close up of Tickles. Please note the embossing on the background behind him; a bumpy background makes his unicycle/juggling feat all the more extraordinary.

Head on over to the YNS Blog and check out what fun and festive cards the DT has put together for your enjoyment. Make sure to leave a comment and you'll be eligible to win a FREE YNS stamp set of your choosing! Free stamps -- that's wheelie awesome, for sure!

Thanks for stopping by, friendlies.  Have a wonderful weekend!

YNS - Wheelie Fun stamp set	YNS - Wheelie Fun die set	Doodlebug Designs -- Hip Hip Hooray 6"x6" pad	MFT Card Stock
Copic X-Press Blending Card Stock	Memento Tuxedo Black	Cuttlebug Clockworks Embossing Folder	Copic Sketch Markers
Jody's Foam Boosters	MISTI

InLinkz.com

You're Seriously Awesome

Hello, hello!  I'm here, and I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT the fact that my firstborn is leaving for college tomorrow. 

I'm telling myself that I am absolutely fine with this fact. It's a good thing! Especially considering the alternatives. It's the circle of life, right?

Right. So let's move along, shall we? Everything is right with the world. (*breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth... breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth...)

Today I've got a TRIPLE THREAT card for you! That's right, I've combined three -- count 'em: 3! -- challenges in one single card. I'm not going to claim it's the holy trinity, but it's definitely a trinity of some sort. Let me explain:

1. It's my sample for this week's MOJO MONDAY card sketch -- # 411, for your information.
2. The color scheme is from the current COLOR THROWDOWN challenge, #355.
3. I used stamps and dies from Lil Inker Designs, just in time for their AUGUST MONTHLY MEET-UP challenge.

Here's my card, also very suitable for my 100 Card Challenge for Truman (the aforementioned eldest sweet child o' mine):

The Basic Gray card stock was so dark, I knew I'd need to add an interior panel of white to make it useable. I also know myself well enough to know that I'd better do so when I make it, or it might never get done. There are so many great sentiments in the Seriously Awesome stamp set, that I couldn't help but stamp one in Tempting Turquoise ink to the interior panel:

Compare and contrast to the various challenge parameters:

And be sure to visit the MOJO MONDAY BLOG to see how you can play along. For further inspiration, visit my craty Mojo Monday Design Team Members at:

• Julee Tilman (Owner)
• Justin Krieger
• Lori Tecler
• Marisa Ritzen
• Mary Fish
• Sarah Bigelow
• Teresa Kline
• Wanda Cullen

Thank you so much for coming to visit me today! I get by with a little help from my friends, like you. :)

Little Inker Designs - Seriously Awesome stamp set	Lil Inker Designs - Pointelle Cover Up die	Lil Inker Designs - Seriously Die	Stampin' Up Card Stock
SU! Tempting Turquoise Ink	Jody's Foam Boosters	MISTI	YNS Silver Tinsel Gumdrops

InLinkz.com

You Light Up My Life

No, I'm not going to force you to watch a Debbie Boone video. Although here's a fun fact to know and tell: I did perform that song, acapella, with Lori Souza and Patricia Breedlove for the Belle View Elementary School talent show, when we were in the third grade. So there you go!

Let's make this interactive: see if you can figure out what that song has in common with my sample for the current Your Next Stamp Sketch/Color Challenge:

Figure it out?! 

You're so smart. 

I'm thinking this one is going to be part of my 100 Card Challenge for Truman. I honestly can't believe that sweet little baby who was taking his first steps what seems like yesterday is leaving for college in a mere 18 days...

I'm trying to be a big girl and tell myself that this is exactly what's supposed to happen at this stage in his life, that all is right with the world, and I've done my job thus far to get him launched into adulthood. This is good! This is positive! And it's also okay to be a little weepy.

I could go on and on, but I'll spare us both. How about a look at the sketch I used to make my card?

We've already established that you're smart; now, show us how talented you are by participating in YNS's Sketch/Color Challenge #19.  You just might win up to $20 in YNS Bucks or be selected as the Top Pick and get an extra-special badge for your blog. Get all of the details re: how to play on the YNS Blog, as well as more inspiration from YNS's handy-dandy design team members.

Thanks for stopping by to visit me today!  MWAH!

YNS - Perfect Chemistry	YNS - Fast Food Fun Sentiments	YNS - Stitched Rectangle Die Set	YNS - Whatnot Seasons Die Set
YNS - Candy Apple Red Glittered Gumdrops	YNS Sketch Challenge #19	Doodlebug Designs - Day to Day 6x6 pad	Taylored Expressions - Say What Dies
Stampin' Up Card Stock	UltraSmooth Premium White Card Stock	MFT Electric Red Premium Dye Ink	Memento Tuxedo Black
Jody's Foam Boosters	Copic Sketch Markers	MISTI

InLinkz.com

YNS Fun Friday: Delicious Beer...

I seem to have beverages on the brain when it comes to the most recent Your Next Stamp Fun Friday Challenges. Last time, I made a series of pop bottles. For challenge # 11, I'm serving up brewskis...

As you know, the Fun Friday Challenge lets you choose between doing a sketch and/or a color challenge.  I opted for the sketch challenge, yet again, which looks like so:

I tend to like repetitive images/making patterns, so when I saw the three stars in a row, I went looking through my YNS dies to see which caught my fancy. These sudsy sippers from the Irish Fun Die Set quenched my creative thirst, and it seemed right to use the eponymous sentiment from the Magically Delicious stamp set.

Frosty mugs of beer... they're magically delicious!  (<--- Sing to the tune of the Lucky Charms jingle, then try to get that ear worm out of your head.)

For the circle element dictated by the sketch, I thought a tipsy happy face was appropriate. He has a 'Man in the Moon' quality to him, don't you think?  Like he's looking at a constellation of beers in the stars... Moony was created using the smallest YNS Circles die and a face image from the Create-a-Character set.  I cut the circle out of white card stock then stamped the face in Momento Tuxedo Black ink. I colored it in with Copic markers, as this seemed a lot easier than using a yellow card stock circle and having to paper-piece the eyes and tongue. See that stitched rectangle die cut in Safety Orange that creates the background border? Well, that's an extra early sneak-peek of a die set YNS is releasing next week. Shhh... don't tell I shared it with you ahead of time!

It was such a pleasure to cut these dies using my NEW Vagabond die-cutting machine. I have been fighting with my very temperamental first Vagabond for months now. First, it wouldn't emboss evenly, then it got to where it would only cut on one side of the platform, and finally, it would selectively decide whether it would allow the sandwiches to run through from one side to the other. Lately, every time I wanted to die cut something, I held my breath. It seems like I make dozens of die cuts per card, so that's a lot of breath-holding. Last week, Vagabond 1 went down the poop shoot to the crap swamp (as Carter would say -- he makes his mama proud), so I quickly ordered a replacement from Amazon, as well as a Sizzix magnetic platform, which is LIFE CHANGING. Long live Vagabond 2!

Mosey on over to the YNS Blog to see what my fellow YNS DT members have created to make your Friday more fun, and get info about how you can play along with us in YNS Challenge #11. You might just be the lucky participant who wins up to $20 in free YNS goodies.

Have a great weekend, friends.  Cheers!

YNS Fun Friday: As Close as I'm Going To Get...

... to having a six-pack in this lifetime is this card:

It's Your Next Stamp's Fun Friday, don't you know, and I've opted to play using the sketch challenge, which looks like so:

The thing I really like about Fun Friday Challenges is that you have choices; there's a provided sketch and also a color challenge. When I'm feeling extra ambitious, I combine them for a two-fer. But ordinarily, I "feel" one more than the other, and that's what I opt to do. No pressure, and still participatory -- win/win, which, as Stephen Covey (RIP) would tell you, is one of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. (Kudos to Karen!)

I really wanted to use the Fast Food Fun Soda Pop Bottle die for this card.  To accommodate, but still adhere to the sketch, I made the card larger than the usual 4.25" x 5.5" size and started with a 5" x 7" card base.  I cut out the pop bottles in various colors of card stock [Red Hot, Sour Apple, Field Day (MFT); Summer Sun, Taken With Teal (SU!); Suede Brown Dark (Prism)]  and created their "labels" with scraps from Doodlebug Designs' Day by Day 6"x6" pad.  I initially came up with the color scheme thinking I was going to use a particular piece of patterned paper from that pad as a background layer, but when I got to the point of assembling, it seemed too busy, so I opted for the Sno Cone (MFT) background, instead.  The sentiment -- from YNS's Fast Food Fun Sentiments set -- is inked in Taken By Teal ink.  The teal accent layer was die cut using YNS's Criss Cross Border die (FYI - this die is currently on sale for only $2.98, way down from its original price of $13.95. You should definitely throw it in your cart if you don't already own it!).

Here's a close up of the sentiment and bottom row of bottles:

Be sure to visit the YNS Blog to see what the current color challenge is, for inspiration from today's participating YNS designers, and for information about how you can play along and be eligible to win up to $20 in YNS goodies. Another possible perk of participation: you could very well be deemed the "Top Pick" for Challenge #10 and get a fancy-schmancy badge for your blog and bragging rights for life.  Pretty cool!

Thanks for stopping by to visit me today. Do you have fun plans for the weekend?  I'm off on a quickie trip to Chicago (hubby has a work-related conference, and I have much-needed shopping and restaurant-ing to accomplish).  The high temperature for half of our visit is a blustery 31 degrees F -- one last hurrah for the sweaters and Uggs!

PS -- I'm also considering this 5/100 in my 100 Card Challenge. :)

 

Your Next Stamp March New Release Blog Hop!

Are you ready, are you ready, are you ready?!?!  It's time for the YOUR NEXT STAMP March New Release Blog Hop!  If you've been hopping in order, you've come to my blog via the oh-so-talented-and-lovely ANITA (can that girl color, or what?).  If you're not hopping in order (you rebel, you), that's okay, too.  Just be sure to visit all the stops (you can see the locations via the linkymabob below) so that you can A) see all the fabulous projects the YNS Design Team and Guest Designers have created just for you, and B) leave comments at each stop so that you're eligible to win a $20 gift certificate to the YNS Store.  You may think to yourself, "Oh, why bother?  I never win anything..."  STOP IT!  That's stinkin' thinkin', friend.  Why, just last week I won a $75 gift certificate to a great stamp-n-die store, and I had only a 1 in 87 chance.  You've gotta be in it to win it, friends.  So comment, comment, comment -- eventually, you will win.  I guarantee it!

My sneak peeks for this month were all about my youngest son, Carter.  My hop cards, however, are all about my eldest, Truman.  He's a senior this year, and thus the new CONGRADS stamp set is especially close to my heart right now. Actually, I ALWAYS love a good graduation set, as that seems to be one of those annual events I'm always in need of several cards for. Take a look at CONGRADS, and you'll see why it's a must-have...

Here's what I made with it, incorporating as many of the sentiments and images as I could in one card...

The hardest part of this card was the large, layered panel to the left.  First, I stamped the mortar board image, then I masked it off.  I wanted it to look like it was "sitting" on the sentiment.  Next, using my MISTI (ok, I swear I'll quit talking about that thing soon...), I placed the sentiment just so and taped it off to be able to use multiple colors of ink to make the sentiment *pop* and add visual interest.

I then used Rectangle Nestabilities to cut the sentiment out. The tassel was stamped and colored a second time, then fussy-cut out and adhered to the first image.  Once done with the initial image layers, I decided a little color-blocking would be the way to finish out the card, as well as a way to incorporate a few more sentiments from the set. One thing I really like (now that it's made) about this card: it can serve as a starting place for LOTS of grad cards, utilizing school colors where the Steel Grey and Robins Egg are in this sample, in combination with traditional black and Primitive White. 

Next up is a little portrait of my soon-to-be-spreading-his-wings kiddo, using the new ADORKABLE stamp set.

Now here are a couple of things you need to know about Truman: he really is a scholar, but he's also a bit of a dandy.  I mean that in the best possible way.  If you need further proof, though, here is a photo of a pair of shoes I gave him for Christmas that he LOVES:

Need I say more?  Thus, here's what I'm going to consider #4 in my 100 Card Challenge for Truman...

The outfit (khakis, Buks, tortoise shell glasses, and Harvard crimson sweater do resemble my boy, but that's where he'd probably draw the line. His hair, he would have you know, is shorter (thank heavens -- he was trying to grow it out like Thor's for a year or so, but it was just a stringy mess) and blonder. Carter (to give Truman a hard time) would surely say this looks like Kyle One (shout out to all of the South Park fans in the hizzy).

I created the little blackboard (Harvard is old school -- it probably still has blackboards, if any college does, don't you figure?) using layered Rectangle Nestabilities with kraft cardstock and backed it with Black Licorice cardstock before stamping out the sentiment in Sweet Tooth Pigment Dye Ink. The "wallpaper" was created by stamping a Linen Background stamp in So Saffron ink onto So Saffron Cardstock. The left-hand side of the image layer was looking a little nakey, so I added a few YNS Grape Punch Glittered Gumdrops to balance it out. 

Are you already sold?  Then don't forget to use your coupon code when you checkout:

And if you still need more convincing, or are a smartie who wants to see the rest of the hop and leave comments to increase her chances for winning FREE STUFF, then by all means, head on over to visit sweet, sensational SUE!

Mojo Monday - Irish Hello

Top o' the morning to ya! It's the first Monday of March, which means this week's Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge has PRIZES up for grabs! For every 50 card entries, one randomly selected participant will win the VERVE stamp set of her choosing, and there can be up to 7 winners. Be sure to visit the Mojo Monday Blog for all of the details how to play along.  In the meantime, here's my sample this week: 

This wee Leprechaun has a powerful thirst, but he's still gentleman enough to give you a proper greeting.  The image and sentiment are both from Your Next Stamp's new IRISH HELLO set, and his mug of green beer was created using the IRISH FUN DIE SET.  The circle layers behind the main image were die cut with YNS's CIRCLES and STITCHING MARKS die sets. 

The color scheme was inspired by a recent (but not current) Color Throwdown challenge:

I created the background paper using My Favorite Thing's Harlequin Stencil. First, I inked MFT Spearmint Hybrid Ink on to MFT Sweet Tooth card stock, then I shifted the mask over slightly and inked the paper with MFT Coral Crush Premium Dye Ink.  Fun stuff, huh?  Other card stock used  Gumdrop Green, Spearmint, and Coral Crush.

Here's a look at the actual sketch:

I think I'm going to go ahead and mark this one as 3/100 in my 100 Card Challenge for Truman. This time next year, he'll get a little hand-crafted, green-beered howdy from good ol' Mom. Lucky kid!

For more interpretations of this week's Mojo Sketch, head on over to these lovely ladies' blogs:

• Debbie Carriere
• Julee Tilman (Owner)
• Marisa Ritzen
• Mary Fish
• Sarah Bigelow
• Teresa Kline
• Wanda Cullen

Thanks for stopping by today, cairde!

I'm Attached

Happy Monday! Are you ready for the first week in February? What do you think Punxsutawney Phil will determine when he looks for his shadow, later this morning?  Hmmm. Not sure I personally put a lot of faith in the weather forecasts of a woodchuck, but that's just me. Large rodents aren't my thing, and I'm quite certain that if Phil or any of his brothers and sisters chose to show up in my backyard, Sweet Pea would make mincemeat out of them in nothing flat. That's just the way she rolls, and I approve.

It's the first MOJO MONDAY of the month, which means it's CONTEST TIME!  For every 50 card entries, one randomly selected participant will win the VERVE stamp set of her choosing, and there can be up to 7 winners!  Be sure to visit the Mojo Monday Blog for all of the details how to play along.  In the meantime, here's my sample this week:

I'm still thinking about the 100 Card Challenge I mentioned in my previous post, so consider this 2/100 for Mr. Truman.  I used MFT's Office Space stamp set, and I got a little slap-happy embellishing the sentiment panel with mini-staples, but still: I likey. Believe it or not, I found that hand-stitched panel hanging out in my stash, after I had created the masterboard using the stapler images. Bonus!

Here's a look a this week's sketch:

And here's yet another view of my sample (I notice fancy bloggers take lots of shots of their cards.  I'm trying to be fancy...):

For more interpretations of this week's Mojo Sketch, head on over to these lovely ladies' blogs:

• Debbie Carriere
• Julee Tilman (Owner)
• Marisa Ritzen
• Mary Fish
• Sarah Bigelow
• Teresa Kline
• Wanda Cullen

Thank you for stopping by, and I'll see you later in the week with some brand-new look-sees at February offerings from Your Next Stamp. Are you excited? Good! :) 

Panda-monium

Hello, hello!  How are my friendlies today? Are you happy it's Friday? Do you have big plans for Superbowl weekend? Me? No. I could not care less which team wins the Superbowl. Maybe I need to make a bet on it with someone, just to make it a little more interesting?  If I were to do so, which team should I root for?  On the one hand, I could root for Seattle because I love that city, and because my wonderful stamping-and-real-life-friend Karolyn Loncon is a Seahawks fan.  On the other hand, I could root for the Patriots because I'll be spending a lot of time in Boston over the next few years¹ and Tom Brady is very cute. Decisions, decisions! 

Enough football talk.  Let's get back to today: Friday!  Or, as those of us on the Your Next Stamp design team call it, "FUN FRIDAY!"² Every other Friday, half of the design team plays in the current YNS Sketch and Color Challenge.  Here's the sketch and/or color challenge:

 

This week, I opted to use the color challenge.  Here's what I came up with, using the new LOVE AND SMILES stamp set and YNS CIRCLES die set:

Here's a closeup of the cute little panda:

In keeping with the color challenge, he's colored in with dark gray Copic markers (from the cool gray family).

Pandas are some of my favorite stamp images, as Truman, my 18 year old, has loved pandas ever since he was a little, little boy.  In fact, one of the first cards I ever made for Truman was a Valentine that featured pandas, using a trio of panda stamps I purchased on eBay³.  Here's the card I made for him, almost 8 years ago to the day⁴:

I think that's a pretty awesome card, especially when you consider that I really only began stamping three or four months before making that. It kind of depresses me, in a way. I prefer to look back at my old stuff and think "Whew! That's terrible! I've come a long way, baby!" and then light up a Virginia Slims (even though I don't smoke).

This card makes me think, "Huh. That's pretty good. I don't think I've improved that much in eight years..."

Anyway, all this talk about pandas and Truman -- let me get to the point I wanted to make before I went off on various tangents: I was messaging on Facebook with a stamping/blogging friend⁵ of mine, Joan B.  When her son was a freshman in college, she embarked on what she called a "100 Card Challenge" to make and send 100 cards to her son before he graduated. Thinking about Truman going away for college, I told her I was considering embarking on her challenge and asked whether it was sustainable. She recommended I get started now and build up a stash for him. Her son loved getting the cards, but getting to 100 is harder than it sounds, especially with a full-time job, etc.

Fortunately, I have a TON of cards just sitting there, collecting dust. (Why, I don't know. I have no excuse!) But most of them, I doubt Truman would really like. Too frou-frou or girly or cutesy. Today's card, though, I know he would appreciate.  And now I'm going to consciously start making cards with him in mind. I always find that if I make cards with someone in mind, I end up liking them better than if I just make them for the sake of making them. So, in advance, consider this 1/100.  Thanks for the inspiration and great advice, Joan!

With this challenge in mind, I made my card (almost) as flat as can be, for mailing purposes:   One other card note: I used the current Sweet Sunday Sketch, #253.

Alright, alright!  This is by far the longest post I've written in a while.  I'll let you go!  Don't forget to visit the YNS Blog and see what fun creations my fellow YNS designers have created with YNS Sketch and Color Challenge #6.  Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope your team wins on Sunday!

 

Footnotes:

1.  Um, is this a convenient time for me to mention the fact that Truman will be attending HARVARD?!  Is that obnoxious of me?  I swear, I very rarely drop that factoid except for here on the blog-io. After all, I live on a college campus, and it seems inappropriate to talk about a different college under such circumstances. But still. I'm proud of him and excited -- you'll indulge me every once in a while, won't you?

2.  You can call today "Fun Friday," too, if you want.  YNS doesn't have a copyright on that term.

3. I also used a sentiment and heart image from the SU! set, Loving Hearts, and a lower case 't' from CTMH's Solo T set.

4.  I know this fun fact because I had to look it up in my Splitcoaststampers gallery.  I made it several months before this blog came into existence. It was waaay back in the day when you could upload a card to the SCS gallery and get lots & lots of views (1,322!) and lots & lots of comments (28!).  Makes me feel like breaking into the theme from "All in the Family."  Those were the daaaaaays!

4.  I've actually met Joan in real life, but it was so briefly (at a CHA several years ago; I believe I was helping out with a Make-N-Take at the Splitcoast booth, and she waved hello), that I can't really say she's an IRL friend.  But she's one of those cyber/crafty friends that I KNOW I would love to hang out with in real life as we seem to have so much in common.  We're both lawyers & stampers (a weirdo combination if there ever was one) and the mother of son(s), we've had complicated relationships with mothers who were "characters," etc.  If you don't yet read Joan's blog, I highly recommend you start.  She's a really good stamper, and an even better writer. She's wise and witty and just a cool chick.  ("Cool chick" is about the highest praise I have for someone.)