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.

Pineapples Aplenty, Part 1

As a Virginian, I have had a lifelong love and appreciation for that most majestic of fruits, the pineapple. Coming from the Old Dominion and Birthplace of Presidents, as far as we Virginians are concerned, we're the shizzle. How could we not think that, when the Virginian Creed states:

To be a Virginian either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one’s Mother’s side, is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign country and a Benediction from Above.

More often than not, the Creed is accompanied by that age-old (to us - we're Americans and brand-new, so what the hell do we know?) symbol of hospitality and welcome, the pineapple.

(I would include images here, but unfortunately I'm writing this post on my husband's wretched PC because I forgot my MacBook when we left town for St. Paul, MN.  It was early, I was cranky, and this is the price I pay... I don't know how nor do I want to take the time to relearn this operating system. Just imagine how AWESOME my post might otherwise be.  I'm sorry I let you down!)  Here is one image, though, of my very favorite new drinking vessel.  I bought this "for Carter" when we were in Florida a couple of weeks ago. But who do you think has been using it most?

Anyway, when I saw my good friend/REVERSE CONFETTI stamp company guru Jen del Muro's stamp set, PINEAPPLES APLENTY, the narcissist in me wanted to believe she had created it just for me. My rational self soon took over, but still felt that I NEEDED this set, with its coordinating dies, and the awesome & easy Pina Colada Quick Card Panels.  Lurve,lurve,lurve 'em!!!

I want/need/must jump back into my privilege of being on the Mojo Monday design team.  Julee has been far more patient than a saint with me, and now that I've been in my new home for a year (even though I still can't find a thing and will move the minute our purchased home is remodeled... don't try to keep up -- it's futile and I'm scattered. I'm a mess; can you relate?), I feel like I need to step up and be consistent. I'm not making promises, but I am endeavoring, and here's my contribution to this week's Mojo Monday Sketch # 405: 

 

As mentioned, I used Reverse Confetti's Pineapples Aplenty stamp set and coordinating Confetti Cuts.  That fabby pineapple panel is from the Pina Colada Quick Cards Panels.  The rest is black and white card stock, and the dotted pattenred paper is from Doodlebug Designs Craft in Color 6"x6" pad.

Head on over to the Mojo Monday blog for the sketch and info about how to play along.  It's the first Monday of the month, which means it's CONTEST WEEK! We'll have one winner for every 50 entries, up to a max of SEVEN winners!!! Winners will receive the Verve Stamps set of their choice. You can play as often as you like, and the more entries the more winners!

For more inspiration, head on over my fellow design team member's blogs -- you'll be ever so glad you did!

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

I just couldn't leave these sweet pineapples alone -- I'll be back soon to show you what else I made with 'em!  In the meantime, I thank you for visiting me and hope you have a wonderful, Mojo-filled week. :)

Sad Clocks and Peacocks

I just looked down at the little calendar icon that hovers on my computer dock (or whatever that strip along the bottom of my screen is called) and it says July 22. SAY WHAT?! It just doesn't seem possible that the summer has flown by so fast - it's practically time for the kids to go back to school...

()

As every glance in the mirror screams to me: time is marching on.  I could expound upon this subject, but who needs to get depressed this early on a Monday? And heaven knows it beats the alternative of time standing still, right?  Poor time.  You can't win, can you? 

(Image Source)

At least there's always Mojo Monday to look forward to.  This week's sketch is credited to me; Julee is generous that way.  Every once in a while, I'll scratch down a few EXTREMELY rudimentary sketches, take a terrible photo of 'em, and send them her way.  I'm always shocked to see how well she pretties them up; they certainly don't look like anything I've ever seen before.

And here's what I did with it, using Reverse Confetti's PEACOCK PRETTIES set, which you can find at i {heart} papers:

Be sure to head over to the Mojo Monday blog to see how you can particiapte in this week's challenge and for more inspiration from the Mojo Monday design team. 

Thanks for stopping by to see me - I'll work on having something interesting to say next time!

Supplies used from i {heart} papers: Peacock Pretties stamp set (Reverse Confetti); Well Played 6" x 6" patterned paper pad (Carta Bella); Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Butter Bar ink (Hero Arts); Dimensional Dots; Scor-Tape.

Whale Done, JdM!

Call me loco - I've played for two weeks running in the Splitcoast sketch challenge.  I guess I'm just a wild & crazy gal, huh?  No telling what sort of shenanigans I'll get into next...

Here was this week's sketch:

And here's what I made with it, using the HAPPY HARBOR set from my dear buddy, Jen del Muro's new stamp company, REVERSE CONFETTI:

I knew from the first minute I saw this set, I wanted to make a preppy little something with that cute whale image, and what's preppier than a repeating whale motif in pink and green?  Nuttin', honey!  I love the fonts Jen's selected for all of her stamp sets.

I also love that i {heart} papers carries all of the REVERSE CONFETTI sets so that with one card, I can create a three-fer:

• participate in a sketch-challenge
• get design team credit
• support a great friend's business endeavor

If that ain't a win-win, then I, dear friends, am a monkey's uncle.  And considering the fact that I'm fairly certain I'm 100% female, well, that's just impossible.

So, what have you got up your sleeves this fine weekend?  I've promised to take Carter to see a matinee of 'Man of Steel' this afternoon, but I have to confess, I'm dreading it.  I love superhero movies, but I've heard this one is about 30 minutes longer than it needs to be.  Gah.  Have you seen it yet?  What did you think?  I'll give you my thoughts in the morrow.

 

Supplies used from i {heart} papers:

Happy Harbor stamp set by Reverse Confetti Design Co.; Momento Cottage Ivy ink; Ultra Smooth White Card Stock by Crafter's Companion; Dimensional Dots

Other supplies: Regal Rose (SU!) and New Leaf (PTI) cardstock; Oval & Scallop Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Corner Chomper; Strano ribbon

Reverse Confetti Sneak Peek!

Howdy, peeples!  I'm so excited to post for you today and share the dream of a very dear friend of mine.  If you've been in stamping circles for any length of time, you know that Jen del Muro of i {heart} 2 stamp is a designer extraordinaire and nothing short of the BOMB.  What you may or may not be aware of, however, is that this stamping superstar is now an offical stamp company owner!!!!  Jen is not only making good things happen on paper, she's also enabling and creating the means for the rest of us to do so, as well.  Bravo, my friend!  Unlike lil ol' me, you have the guts and fortitude to put your money where your mouth is!!  I LOVE that in a gal, don' t you?

And, since Jen is my buddy, I have the good fortune of being able to share with you one of her first sets.  It's called DREAM IN COLOR, and when I first saw it, I literally squealed.  Don't tell Jen, because it would possibly (a) make me seem cocky and (b) embarrass her, but I think I might have been the muse for this set... I swear, this is a set I would create if I had it in me to do so!  See why:

You know me: I'm all about the COLORFUL!  And thus, I couldn't resist utilizing my good friend, ROY G. BIV, when I went about creating this sweet and sorta simple 3"x 6" long note.  You know I love a little hand-stitching, so I had to add a rainbow of cross-stitches to the borders, like so:

There are so many other fun sentiment combinations you can create with this awesome set - COLOR ME HAPPY!  (as you'll see in the set graphic, below...)

What do you think?  Am I correct in thinkin' Jen has her fingers on the pulse of the stamping zeitgeist and knows what we're looking for?  Something cute, on trend, and not too terribly color intensive?  Yep, that's all about where I'm at these days!  Woot-woot to my woman, JdM!!!

Wanna see some funtabulous creations using this and other brand-new Reverse Confetti stamp sets?  Then head on over to the Reverse Confetti blog for a list of links.  And some other great news (especially for yours truly): this release from Reverse Confetti can be bought not only on the RC website on May 8th, it can also be purchased via my oh-so-favorite one-stop-stamping-&-papercrafting-shop, i {heart} papers!   Holla at your girls, friendlies!