Happy Birthday Evan!

Hey there! Our spring break has definitely not turned out the way we expected... I am really sick and we have had to cancel most of our plans. I am just heartbroken for Evan... his 7th birthday was yesterday and we have canceled most of his birthday plans because I can't leave the couch! 

Despite having to shuffle our schedule around, Ev still had a great day. Mark picked up a chocolate cake from Publix (complete with trick candles), and Evan got to spend some birthday money on Nurf guns and a mini bowling set from Toys R Us. We gave him two new Lego Star Wars sets + a new soccer goal for the backyard. Hopefully Mark and I will have enough energy to put it together tomorrow! 

I was feeling nostalgic last night and went looking for pictures of Evan as a baby... and I found these from the day after he was born. I think he was 7 or 8 hours old in these photos and I cherish them:

He. Was. Perfect. In every way. He never cried, loved to be held, and I fell in love with him the moment he was placed in my arms. I remember these first moments so vividly... I should have been exhausted, but all I wanted to do was hold him in my arms. And look at his cute little nose!  

And here he is today. 7 years old. 49.5 inches tall, 55 pounds, size 7 clothes, and size 2.5 shoes. Tall. Lean. Wide shoulders and long legs. And definitely all boy. 

Happy 7th Birthday, Evan! I love you to the moon and back.

Great Impressions Stamps | With Sympathy

Good morning! I have a trio of cards to share today using two fantastic stamps from Great Impressions. I never seem to have enough sympathy cards on hand, and the stalk of wheat paired with a lovely sentiment (and font) seemed like the perfect match. 

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Great Impressions) Wheat, With Sympathy. Ink: (Papertrey Ink) Terracotta Tile, Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate. (Stampin' Up!) More Mustard. Cardstock: (Wplus9) Oatmeal. (Stampin' Up!) Early Espresso textured cardstock. Twine: Papertrey Ink.  

Love the wheat stamp. I will be pulling it out again, soon! And don't forget about our monthly challenge... only 5 days left to enter. 

Have a great week! 

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop | Sequins!

I love this month's Papertrey Ink challenge... sequins! I purchased a lot of sequins several years ago and they have been sitting in a box, waiting to be used. I still have hundreds (thousands?) left, but the five I used on this card make me happy:

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Papertrey Ink) The Sweet Life, Background Basics: Herringbone, Bountiful Banners. (Stampin' Up!) Hearts a Flutter. Ink: (Stampin' Up!) Blushing Bride. (PTI) Autumn Rose, Scarlet Jewel, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, Ripe Avocado, Smokey Shadow. Cardstock: (Wplus9) Ballet Slippers. (PTI) White. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Autumn Rose Patterns Pack. Ribbon: (Stampin' Up!) White satin ribbon. Dies: (PTI) The Sweet Life. (Stampin' Up!) Hearts a Flutter. Other: sequins.)

The Sweet Life is a gorgeous set... I can't believe I waited this long to get it! I love the layered look with the 3 step stamping. 

I am also entering this card in this week's Retro Sketches Challenge:

Thanks for stopping by! 

Scotty Girl Designs | New Release

Scotty Girl Designs has a fabulous new release this week: Tangram Templates. I have always loved using templates, and these are so much fun because of the triangles! A few weeks ago I posted some pictures of a typical Saturday, and I used a couple of those photos for my layout:

I also created a layout using Scotty Girl's Layered Template No. 5:

I plan on printing both (sized to 8x8 inches) and inserting them directly in my Project Life album. I seem to fall w-a-y behind with PL when I have family visit (and this year was no exception!), but I worked on my album last night and finished up three weeks of layouts. Only three weeks to go until I'm completely caught up! I have learned to slip papers + notes in the album, even if I don't have time to work on full spreads. I don't feel too far behind when I know several of the slots are already filled.

I picked up the Seafoam addition back when it was released, and while I love the overall design and the graphic feel to it, I don't like how repetitive it is (the 3x4 cards especially). I haven't counted, but I don't need 25-30 of the same design. I really wish I had more variety to work with! I subscribe to the Studio Calico project life kit, which has definitely helped add variety to my layouts... but the new Midnight addition (coming in May, I think) is on my radar. Truthfully, the Kraft, Honey, Jade, and Cinnamon additions are all beautiful! But I think the Midnight addition will work well with the Seafoam kit I already own.

Sorry for the Project Life tangent... I am trying to get back on track so I can fully enjoy this project again. Falling behind is never fun.

Have a great week! We will be enjoying spring break + Evan's 7th birthday. :)

ColourQ | Challenge #181

Hi there! I hope everyone had a great week. Jack + Mark have been sick this week so I've been running around to doctor's appointments and the pharmacy. Jack is back to his normal, chipper self, but Mark is still battling bronchitis (poor guy!). I am hoping I don't come down with anything... I am the only one who has been healthy! 

Anyway, I had a chance to play along with this week's ColourQ challenge this week:

I combined three older Papertrey Ink sets: Little Lady, Friends 'til the End, and Wishing You to create my card.

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Papertrey Ink) Friends 'til the End, Wishing You, Little Lady. Ink: (Memento) Tuxedo Black, (Papertrey Ink) Blueberry Sky. Cardstock: (Papertrey Ink) Lemon Tart. Patterned Paper: (Papertrey Ink) Blueberry Sky Patterns Pack, (Stampin' Up!). Dies: (Papertrey Ink) Friends 'till the End, Headline Alphabet. Other: Twine, button, gem.)

 That's it for me tonight! Thanks for stopping by. :)

Great Impression Stamps | New Spring Stamps

Good morning! A few weeks ago Jenny posted a card and tag I created on Facebook to debut our new stamps, but I wanted to post them here as well. These gorgeous stamps are now available & are so much fun to work with! 

This is the second time I used this stamp... the first was to create this card. Same stamp, two completely different looks. 

(Supplies - Stamps: (Great Impressions) Whimsical Bird Houses and Simple Things. Ink: (Memento) Tuxedo Black, (PTI) Dark Chocolate. Cardstock: (Papertrey Ink) White. Twine: Stampin' Up! Other: Copic Markers.)

I wanted something CAS to show off this adorable stamp:

(Supplies - Stamps: Spring Eggs. Ink: (Memento) Tuxedo Black. Letter stickers: BasicGray. Ribbon: (Stampin' Up!) Daffodil Delight. Other: Copic markers, gems.)

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by. :)

CAS-ual Fridays | Chipboard Challenge

Hey there! This week's CAS-ual Friday's challenge is to use chipboard, so I pulled out some Studio Calico chipboard speech bubbles for my card:

(Supplies - Stamps: (PTI) Star Prints, (Studio Calico). Ink: (Hero Arts) Soft Pool, Soft Cantaloupe, Pale Tomato. (Archival) Jet Black. Enamel Dots: My Mind's Eye. Chipboard Speech Bubble: Studio Calico. Twine: Papertrey Ink). 

I have been using my Hero Arts Chalk Inks a lot lately and I really like the results. Soft and muted, but the images are clear and really beautiful. And the "Hello There" sentiment is one of my favorites from Studio Calico.

I am also entering this card in the Moxie Fab: Speech Bubble Challenge.

I received a big Papertrey Ink order today (a little birthday present to myself!) and I can't wait to play with my new supplies. Have a good night!

ColourQ | Challenge #180

The second card I have to share is for this week's ColourQ challenge.

I wanted something elegant and feminine (despite the masculine color scheme). I pulled out several PTI sets: Make a Wish, Daydreamer, Over Under Easy, and Tremendous Treats Birthday. I stamped the birthday cake with Gumball Green ink from Stampin' UP! (I don't own Glorious Green), and embellished it with flowers from Daydreamer, stamped in Lucky Limeade.

(Supplies - Stamps: (Papertrey Ink) Make a Wish, Daydreamer, Over Under Easy, and Tremendous Treats Birthday. Ink: (Stampin' Up!) Basic Gray, Gumball Green, Lucky Limeade. (Archival) Jet Black. Cardstock: (Avery Elle) Gray. (Stampin' Up!) White, Lucky Limeade. Dies: (Papertrey Ink) Daydreamer. Impression Plate: (Papertrey Ink) Linen and Canvas. Other: gems).

When Daydreamer was first released in 2011, I loved it. And I have used it a lot... but now that we have matching dies I am pulling it out even more! 

I have one more card to post today for this month's Hero Arts challenge, but I will post it on Flickr. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Paper Smooches Sparks | March Sketch Challenge

Hello there! I hope everyone had a great week. We are back in the swing of things after Evan's illness two weeks ago. The boys have been outside so much the past week... the weather has been beautiful & they love to ride bikes or the quad/motorcycle in the driveway. Jack also learned how to pedal his tricycle and has been perfecting that skill. I love March in Florida... the weather is perfect & sunny & not too hot (or humid). 

This week's challenge at Paper Smooches is a sketch challenge:

And here is my take: 

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Paper Smooches) Party Posse, Clipboard. Ink: (Archival) Jet Black. Dies: (Paper Smooches) Sailboat. Cardstock: (Papertrey Ink) Kraft, Enchanted Evening, Aqua Mist, Pure Poppy. Patterned Paper: (Papertrey Ink) Aqua Mist Patterns Pack, Enchanted Evening Patterns Pack. Other: button, twine.)

When Paper Smooches released their new dies, the Sailboat was at the top of my list. I placed an order last week and also included the Clipboard stamp set... both are just adorable! I tried hand cutting the inside of the clip (with no success), so the Clipboard dies are now at the top of my wish list.

Mr. Jack needs to go down for a nap, but I'll be back in a few with a couple more cards. Thanks for stopping by!

Paper Smooches Stamps | Be Our Guest Challenge

A few weeks ago I created this card for a challenge, but by the time I got it photographed & edited, the challenge had ended. I hate it when that happens! I used an adorable stamp by Paper Smooches from their Knick Knacks set:

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Paper Smooches) Knick Knacks. (Papertrey Ink) Inside and Out: Thank You. Cardstock: (Papertrey Ink) Spring Rain, Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold, Rustic White. Patterned Paper: (Papertrey Ink) True Black Patterns Pack. Dies: (Papertrey Ink) Double Ended Banner, Wonderful Words, Banner Builder. Ink: (Papertrey Ink) Blueberry Sky. (Memento) Tuxedo Black. Other: twine, buttons.)

I really like the images in this set... and the Raggedy Ann doll is my favorite! I am entering this card in Paper Smooches Stamps Be Our Guest challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wplus9 | Mood Board #5

This week's Wplus9 Mood board is stunning... navy, red, white, and lots of fun patterns. I pulled out some stamps + dies and went to work! 

The hearts + color combination were definitely my inspiration. I used Wplus9's Heartfelt Mix stamp set and dies, Banner Love, Quite Like You, and Design Basics: Background 1. 

I stamped the floral border from Design Basics with VersaMark ink, then embossed the image with clear embossing powder. The sentiment was stamped with Night of Navy from Stampin' Up!. 

I just noticed my photo is slightly blurry... I will take another photo tomorrow and post it when I get a chance. I was cooking dinner & over seeing Evan's homework while trying to get this card photographed. Sometimes I'm great at multi-tasking, but apparently not tonight! Luckily the homework got done + dinner was on the table at a reasonable hour. :)

Have a good night!

Great Impressions Stamps | Happy Birthday

Hey there! I was looking through my Great Impressions Stamps last night & I immediately picked up this Happy Birthday stamp to work with. We have several birthdays in March and April (including mine... today!), and I love having birthday cards on hand so I'm not rushing around at the last minute trying to create the perfect card. 

I am noticing a lot of cards with elements stamped or placed on an angle (like this card by Erin Lincoln), and I wanted to incorporate that trend onto my card. I trimmed the light blue cardstock then placed my strips of paper on top, making sure each piece hung off the page. After all my strips were placed I trimmed the excess paper off. I placed the banner with the embossed "Happy Birthday" stamp on my card last. And has anyone else discovered colored embossing powder? For this card I used Tangerine Tango embossing powder (from Stampin' Up!); the fine powder embosses sentiments perfectly:

 (Supplies - Stamp: (Great Impressions Stamps) Happy Birthday. Ink: VersaMark. Cardstock: (Papertrey Ink) Enchanted Evening, Orange Zest. (Stampin' Up!) Pool Party. Patterned Paper: (Papertrey Ink) Enchanted Evening + Aqua Mist Patterns Packs. Dies: (Papertrey Ink) By the Numbers, Double Ended Banner. (Simon Says) Large Holiday Shapes. Embossing Powder: (Stampin' Up!) Tangerine Tango. Other: twine, buttons)

And a big thank you to everyone who left comments on my last post. I read each one and I must say, my blog readers are the best! 

Mark and I are off to dinner and a movie (Silver Linings Playbook!) tonight. And I plan on having my favorite drink (Long Island Iced Tea) and eating cake. I'm not too picky about the order of events, but alcohol and cake will be involved. :)

Have a great day!

Moxie Fab | Chevron Challenge

The Moxie Fab blog has been busy posting challenges that coordinate with their new publication: Card Creations Volume 11. I didn't submit to this publication, but I can't wait to pick it up! Hundreds of cards to use as inspiration & dozens of awesome techniques. 

The new set from Stampin' Up!, Oh, Hello, has three awesome chevron stamps: a chevron oval, and a two-step chevron image featuring four different patterns. I stamped the oval directly onto Soft Pool cardstock. The two-step stamp I stamped onto white cardstock before fussing cutting it and adhering it to my card:

(Supplies - Stamps: (Stampin' Up!) Oh, Hello & Secret Garden. (Papertrey Ink) Wonderful Words: Hello. Ink: (Stampin' Up!) Temping Turquoise, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Marina Mist, and Island Indigo. Cardstock: (Stampin' Up!) Pool Party. Dies: (Stampin' Up!) Secret Garden. Other: Buttons, twine.)

That's it from me tonight. Check back tomorrow for a fabulous fourth birthday card featuring Great Impressions Stamps. Thanks for stopping by!

Valentine's Day & Rocket | Digital Layouts

A few weeks ago Big Picture classes asked for volunteers to try out a new class, Simply Modern Scrapbooking, then create a layout based on the class. Wendy's style is clean and graphic, and the class was fantastic. I used the included layered template to create my page:
 

(Supplies - Template: Wendy Bretz. Paper Clip: Scotty Girl Designs. Other other supplies: Karla Dudley Designs.)

Our sweet pup has been through a lot in the past two years, and we are so happy the surgery he had in January of 2012 was a success. For those of you who don't know, Rocket's tear ducts stopped working in August of 2011. We went through test after test and tried a lot of different treatments but nothing helped. Christmas day of that year we knew we had to make a choice: surgery or put him down. We opted for surgery and thankfully it worked. The eye specialist moved two salivary glands (one to each eye) to help keep them moist and functional. The only real side effect is he cries when he eats. Anyway, he has been a great dog and I have been meaning to create a scrapbook page about him for a while... I am so glad this class gave me the opportunity to do so. 

Karla Dudley Designs also released a new collaboration last week: Take Note. These photos of Jack crack me up... he was so excited to have a Valentine's Day celebration in his class and he was even more excited about his treat holder & all the candy he received.

And that smile melts my heart:

(All supplies are Karla Dudley Designs.)

That's it from me tonight. We are gearing up for a couple of busy weeks before spring break at the end of March... and Evan's 7th birthday!

Have a good night!

Our Day in Photos | Saturday

A perfect way to end the day: strawberry short cake. Yum. :)

Mama Elephant | Sketch Challenge

I had so much fun creating this card for the Mama Elephant Sketch Challenge that I pulled out my supplies and created another card for the challenge, using Trifecta and a sentiment from Type It. I stamped the triangle image twice, then colored it in with Copic markers.

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Mama Elephant) Trifecta, Type It. Cardstock: (Papertrey Ink) Black, white. Ink: (Memento) Tuxedo Black. Markers: Copic. Other: Ribbon.)

I don't usually gravitate toward jewel tones, but I'm pleased with how this turned out. The twill ribbon has been in my stash forever (Michaels from many years ago!) and it matches the card perfectly.

Thanks for stopping by and have a good night!

Wplus9 | Cloud9 Blog Hop

Good morning! I am delighted to announce that I have been asked to join the Cloud9 Blog Hop team, which features Wplus9 stamps. I hope you will join us this month!

This month's inspiration photo is so beautiful... lovely colors and a gorgeous floral bouquet:

And here is my take: 

(Supplies - Stamps: (Wplus9) Embroidered Bouquet, Folk Art Florals. Ink: (Stampin' Up!) Soft Sky, Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit. Cardstock: (Papertrey Ink) Berry Sorbet, New Leaf, White. Patterned Paper: (Stampin' Up!) Summer Starfruit Patterns Pack. 3x4 Note card: Studio Calico Neverland Project Life kit. Other: ribbon, buttons, twine.)

I hope you enjoy the hop! 

Erin.

Mama Elephant | Sketch Challenge

Thank you so much to those who participated in the Great Impressions Stamps Bunny Hop yesterday. The comments I received were wonderful and I loved reading each and every one of them. :)

I have a CAS card to share today for the Mama Elephant sketch challenge:

I used Mama Elephant's So Breezy stamp set + paper from Echo Park's Scoot collection. The twine is from Stampin' Up!. This is the first card I've made with this set and I LOVE IT. The little boy (and the little girl) in this set are simply adorable. I used Archival Jet Black ink and Copic markers to color in the JOY sentiment.

I made a second card for this challenge, but I had some issues getting it photographed tonight. The "issue" has a name. Lilly:

Every single time I pressed the shutter button Lilly would walk in front of my card. I finally got a photo without a kitty photobombing my shot, but it is blurry. Just slightly, but enough to drive me crazy. I will retake the photo tomorrow and post it then.

Have a good night!