Celebrating Resolutions

For today's SplitCoast Free For All challenge, we were to "celebrate those resolutions".  I actually hadn't thought much about next year's resolutions as I am still frantically finishing up this year's!!  So, I sat back and quickly realized that I needed to chill!! 

I can turn anything into work.  I even do it with my card making.  I LOVE to make cards and I am thrilled to do it as a fundraiser for my church, but I am well-known for stressing over it.  After each monthly card gathering - our card sales racks are full.  A week later, I realize that the racks are half empty and, instead of rejoicing that the church has made some money and that the card recipients are going to be thrilled, I get all stressed that there are empty spots.  I run home and quickly produce some cards.  It becomes work instead of a hobby. 

So...I am going to take time in 2011 to "smell the flowers"!

Set 317 - Mostly Flowers

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Mostly Flowers, The Angel Company Dance Yourself Silly
• Ink: black
• Paper: white
• Accessories: Best Occasions rhinestones (from Walmart), Offray ribbon, Stampin' Up embossing folder

I do have multiple posts today so keep scrolling down!!

FOUR Birthdays, FIVE SU sets

Here's a batch of birthday cards.  I have quite a few more to make - so no chatting on this post!

Set 312 - Birthday Bakery

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Birthday Baker
• Inks: Stampin' Up Chocolate, copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate, Sweet Always dsp
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Cupcake Sizzlits, tag punches, and chocolate grosgrain; Fruit Punch Stickles, Creative Impressions brads

Sets 313, 314 - It All Adds Up, Riveting



• Stamps: Stampin' Up It All Adds Up, Riveting
• Inks: black
• Paper: Stampin' Up Black, Old Olive, Newsprint dsp
• Accessories: Stampin' Up corner punch and Old Olive grosgrain; misc circle punches

Set 315 - Lexicon of Love



• Stamps: Stampin' Up Lexicon of Love
• Inks: Stampin' Up Pacific Point
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pacific Point, Daffodil, Good Morning Sunshine dsp
• Accessories: Quickutz balloon dies, Cuttlebug number embossing folder, white floss, Ranger Glossy Accents

Set 316 - Love Ya Bunches

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Love Ya Bunches
• Ink: black
• Paper: Stampin' Up Black, Vanilla, Fall Flowers dsp
• Accessories: Nesties labels, Crystal Stickers pearls, SU crochet ribbon, Posh Impressions music punch

I'll be back later with more birthday cards!!

FOUR Sympathy, FIVE SU sets

I went through my remaining stamp sets and found some that work well for Sympathy cards.  Remember...I make these for the church card ministry, so I truly am not having this much tragedy in my life.

Set 307 - Serene Spring

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Serene Spring, Verve sentiment
• Inks: Memento Brown, copics, SU Baja
• Paper: Stampin' Up Baja, Pear CS, Pear dsp, Espresso
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Oval and Scalloped Oval Punch, Scalloped Border Punch, misc ribbon
• Challenges: Curtain Call Color Challenge

Set 308, 309 - Label Classics, Sweet Stems

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Labelicious, Sweet Stems, CD Stamps Heartfelt Sentiments
• Inks: Memento Brown, Prismacolor pens
• Paper: White
• Accessories: pearls from Michaels

Set 310 - Longtime Friend

The layout of pearls and buttons comes from a card in Paper Crafts Card Creations Favorite Occasions, Vol. 2.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Longtime Friends
• Ink: Memento Brown
• Paper: Stampin' Up Barely Banana, K&Co Susan Winget Nature
• Accessories: misc buttons and pearls, embroidery floss, Nesties oval and scalloped oval

Set 311 - Drawing on Nature

Edited to Add: After I got this card posted here and on OLW and on SCS, I realized that the OLW challenge said absolutely no embellishments.  "Oops" on the silver pearls.  But I do think this card would work without the pearls.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Drawing on Nature, Simply Stamped sentiment
• Inks: Stampin' Up Perfect Plum
• Paper: white
• Accessories: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (from a set of four folders called Give a Hoot), SU Shimmer Paint - on outside frame of butterfly, silver pearls from Michaels
• Challenges: One Layer Wednesday Boot Camp, SplitCoast Stampers Ways To Use It: Silver

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Yesterday I talked about the large quantity of cards that I have been making and posting on various challenge sites.  The "quantity" worked in my favor again!

I was a Just Add Ink Top Pick for Sketch 48 with this boxed set!!

Another Happy Day!!



A very good day!

Set 305 - Smarty Pants

I only have two cards to post this morning - I should have many, many more if I am going to complete my 2010 goal of using all of my Stampin' Up sets.  My mojo disappeared for awhile yesterday and I took a little break...but....it's back!!  (More on this later.)

The first card is for today's SplitCoast Sketch Challenge.

These owls are absolutely darling (and totally goofy!!)  I love the look of this punch, but I have to tell you - I am seriously counting the days to Stampin' Up's Sale-a-Bration as there is a set with an owl stamp to match the punch.  It will be SOOOO much easier than sitting, hunched over, with a tweezer, trying to get all the small punched pieces on the owl!  (And I'm old enough that my eyes just don't work well with tiny pieces!)

Set 306 - Weather or Not

The paper on my owls is an older Stampin' Up dsp (East Coast Prep).  I was totally enjoying the colors so made a second card.

This card was supposed to be a "retail therapy" card but it turns out that I don't have a single stamp about "retail therapy" or "shopping".  I don't know how that could be.  I have stamps that say "Cow's It Going?"and "Just Sittin' Here Thinkin' bout ya (with an outhouse!), and "You know it's going to be a bad day when you put your bra on backwards and it fits better" - - - but nothing about shopping!   I am definitely going to have to remedy that situation.

My mojo IS back and I am going to have to brag for a minute!  It turns out that there are advantages to stamping my fingers off to finish my goal.  As you know, I play a lot of challenges because I like the starting point of a sketch or colors.  So the more cards that I make, the more challenges I enter...and the more chances I get to be recognized.  I was mentioned THREE times in the last two days!!  Yippee!

1. Top Three for Sketch 153 at Techno Stamper for my Peas on Earth card (Yes...I spelled "peas" correctly!)
2. Super 6 for Sketch 95 at CardPatterns for In-Country Christmas (although I have to admit that this selection was likely for the amazing sentiment stamp on this card!)
3. Courtier for colourQ Challenge 64 at colourQ for Punch Potpourri.  (This is actually my personal favorite card that I have made recently.)

Then, I woke up this morning to even more exciting news.  My blog friend, Andrea at EnchantINK, is part of INKspirations 4U - a series of online classes, challenges, chats, etc.  The upcoming series is Valentines and Birthday.  There is actually a small fee for all the fun - but I WON A FREE PASS!!  I never win anything - and what a better thing for me to win than a pass to classes, challenges and chats!!  Check out Andrea's blog (click above) to see the quality of her work and you can see how amazing this event will be.  This post has all the details on INKspirations 4U!

Happy Day!!

Now an admission...I am NOT going to make my 2010 goal by end of day on December 31st.  I realized that I was getting very snippy at my family ("No, I do not have time to make you dinner or tuck you in!") - so I gave myself permission to finish by end of day January 2.  That actually feels like the end of the year since my kids go back to school the next day, Christmas is over, and my life feels fresh and new!

Goofy Stuff:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Smarty Pants
• Inks: Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi
• Paper: Stampin' Up East Coast Prep, More Mustard, Wild Wasabi, Tempting Turqoise, Chocolate
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Owl Punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Creative Impressions brads
• Challenges: SplitCoast Sketch Challenge

Purseonally You're the Best:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Weather or Not, Framed Greetings (Framed Greetings has been counted previously)
• Inks: Stampin' Up Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Tempting Turqoise, More Mustard
• Paper: Stampin' Up East Coast Prep, WIld Wasabi
• Accessories: Quickutz Purse Die, PaperTrey red felt, Michaels rhinestones, rectangle and oval nesties
• Challenges: Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge and Our Creative Corner Felt Challenge

My Little Athlete is 11!

Set 304 - Have a Ball

I was so glad that the SplitCoast Color Challenge today could go masculine!  I needed a birthday card for my youngest son's 11th birthday tomorrow.  I had set aside the Stampin' Up set Have a Ball for this occasion. 

I am hoping he has a better day today because yesterday started with the death of his pet hamster, Charles.  Part of Erik's Christmas present was a "palace" for the hamster.  The comment was made (not in Erik's hearing) that it would be just our luck if the hamster died right after we set up the palace.  Go figure.

Erik and Charles in happier days.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Have a Ball, Stampendous sentiment
• Ink: Stampin' Up Night of Navy, Crumb Cake
• Paper: Stampin' Up Night of Navy, Old Olive, Daffodil, Crumb
• Accessories: Cuttlebug embossing folder, Stampin' Up Navy grosgrain

SIX Valentines, NINE SU sets!

I am on a roll!  I have put together 10 Valentines using 12 Stampin' Up sets so that I can meet my goal of making sure that all of my sets see ink during 2010.  Some are pretty good.  Some probably wouldn't be published on my blog if I weren't trying so hard to meet my goal.  You decide...

Set 295 - Loving Hearts

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Loving Hearts
• Ink: Black and Only Orange markers
• Paper: Stampin' Up Melon Mambo, Only Orange, black
• Accessories: EK Success border punch, heart punch, Quickutz Goosebumpz embossing on the heart, ribbon from Michaels. Cuttlebug Embossing Plus folder

Set 296, 297 - A Little Love, Itty Bitty Bits

• Stamps: Stampin' Up A Little Love, Itty Bitty Bits
• Inks: Stampin' Up Night Of Navy, Pear Pizzazz, Rose Red
• Paper: Stampin' Up Night of Navy
• Accessories: Sizzlit tag, silver brad, small circle punch
• Challenge: One Layer Wednesday: Home Decor and  Picture Perfect Creations Color Challenge

Set 298 - A Little Bit of Happiness

• Stamps: Stampin' Up A Little Bit of Happiness
• Inks: Stampin' Up Rose Red, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Staz-On Black
• Paper: Stampin' Up Rose Red, Bo Bunny Press dsp
• Accessories: Fiskars border punch, Stampin' Up Vanilla Taffeta, aquabrush
• Challenge: Lord Have Mercy Sketch Challenge

Sets 299, 300 - Smorgasborders, Lots of Thoughts

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Smorgasborders, Lots of Thoughts
• Inks: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake CS, Poppy Parade dsp
• Accessories: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder



Set 301, 302 - Doodle That, A Light Heart

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Doodle That, A Light Heart (sentiment)
• Inks: Memento Black, copic
• Paper: Stampin' Up black, Blushing Bride dsp
• Accessories: 1 3/8" and 1 1/2" circle punches, EK Success border punch, Mark Richards black nailheads
• Challenges: clean&simple Fall-To-Layout

Set 303 - Cheep Talk

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Cheep Talk
• Inks: Stampin' Up Cool Caribbean, Kiwi Kiss, Rose Red
• Paper: Stampin' Up Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss, MME Alphabet Soup dsp
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Bitty Buttons, EK Success border punch, circle nesties, dew drops
• Challenges: Lord Have Mercy Sketch Challenge  (this is the last Tuesday sketch challenge ever - major bummer)

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Whew!  This is it for the Valentines that I am making using Stampin' Up stuff.  I'll have more Valentines next week using other stamps.  It does seem early to be doing Valentines, but that is our focus at January's church card gathering.  Be sure to stop back for more!

CAS with Punch Potpourri

Set 294 - Punch Potpourri

For this last week of my goal of using all of my Stampin' Up sets, I decided to first do a bunch of Valentines.  I was planning one big SU Valentine's post but then I realized that the colourQ Color Challenge ended pretty much right now so I must quickly post and link!



NOTE: This is actually a white card.  I deliberately shadowed it so you could see the nice embossing folder.

I have favorited and bookmarked many cards that use all the stamps in this set in a grouping like this.  I thank each of you for the idea!

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Punch Potpourri
• Inks: Stampin' Up Real Red, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette
• Accessories: Stampin' Up punches matching the stamp sets, Sizzix embossing folder, Stampin' Up rhinestones
• Challenge: colourQ #64

TWO SplitCoast Challenges

Having the children home from school is a love/hate thing with me.  I am actually a much better mother if they are gone all day and I finish all my chores and girl-time.  On the other hand, when I don't have to get up on Monday morning and rush around trying to pack backpacks, deposit lunch money, find missing homework and bus passes - I actually get to do BOTH Monday SplitCoast challenges!

Set 291, 292 - Garden Collage, Burst Into Bloom

Today's Clean and Simple challenge on SplitCoast is a color challenge: Chocolate, Crumb, Wasabi and White:

This didn't turn out as exactly what I personally call CAS.  To me, CAS is a layer or two and a lot of white space.  But everybody has VERY different definitions of CAS so I went with it.  I love this small bird - I can't believe that I had never used this set.

Set 293 - Elegant Inspirations

Todays' technique challenge at SplitCoast was to make a ribbon bookmark.

I really never branch out into other paper crafts besides cards...not that I wouldn't want to but there are always cards to make for church.  This was a fun change for me...and I liked it...I might have to "branch out" more often!

Gentle Thoughts

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Garden Collage, Burst Into Bloom (the small flowers on the kraft strip)
• Ink: Stampin' Up Chocolate, Crumb Cake
• Paper: Stampin' Up Chocolate, Crumb Cake, Wasabi, White, Chocolate dsp
• Accessories: Punch Bunch leaf punch, colored pencils

I Can Do All Things bookmark

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Elegant Inspirations
• Ink: Stampin' Up Chocolate
• Paper: Stampin' Up Chocolate
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Riding Hood Red ribbons, nestie squares, unknown charm

Blooming with Health

I LOVE this sentiment by DRS Designs.  We do a lot of Get Well cards for our church and this sentiment is so easy to use because ALL of us have too many flower stamps (or Cuttlebug folders!)  It works with any of them.

This is actually a CASE of myself so I didn't think that I would waste your blog reading time with it.  But..I really wanted to show the sentiment because it is a very handy one to have.  And...I wanted to show what a small color change would do.  Here's the original in red - it's an entirely different mood!

• Stamps: DRS Designs
• Inks: Black
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Black, PaperTrey Aqua Mist
• Accessories: Cuttlebug Border Folder, misc ribbons, Stampin' Up rhinestones (colored with Copics)

Noble Deer

Set 290 - Noble Deer

Today's Featured Stamper at SplitCoast is absolutely awe-inspiring.  Each card in her gallery is a work of art.  I simply do not have the artistic ability to even CASE her cards, so I went a different direction.  I selected this card that uses Stampin' Up's Noble Deer, a set that I need to use before the end of the year to meet my goal.  The first thing that stands out on her card is the amazing color, but as I looked closer there were lots of little details that made this card so gorgeous.  So my card removed the color, but kept the details:  the strip of trees, the blue contrasting with the browns, the angled panel, the ribbon "tabs", the woodgrain.

I'll be doing a lot of posting this week as I only have these few days to complete my 2010 goal of making sure that all of my SU sets see ink.  I hope you'll check back often and be sure to look past the first new post that you see - there are probably many more each day!

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Noble Deer, Teeny Tiny Wishes
• Inks: PaperTrey Dark Chocolate
• Paper: PaperTrey Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Ocean Tides
• Accessories: Tim Holtz wood embossing folder, Stampin' Up label punches, Creative Impressions brads

Christmas Blessings

Today in the city of David
a Savior has been born to you;
He is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11

I hope your Christmas has been merry!

Christmas Eve is always very busy for us.  My oldest son and I were involved in all three church services last night.  I played organ/piano duets and in the bell choir.  My son worked in the sound booth taping the services and then he was a little "elf" helper for the bell choir.  Between services, all of us who were there for the evening were served a wonderful lasagna dinner.  My husband and youngest son came for one of the services and then they hung out at home eating leftovers!!

I love all of the the church services but I am exhausted!  After all the rush of this month and our busy Christmas Eve, the "peace" of Christmas is finally descending on me this morning. I am sitting here on Christmas morning in complete surprise that my children are not up yet for presents.  So I am enjoying a cup of coffee and reading blogs.  What a wonderful way to start my day!

I have a few last Christmas cards to share. 

For my husband - I'm not saying he's overweight...
OK, maybe I am.  He is also totally scruffy as he
participated in No-Shave November and hasn't
shaved it off yet!

For my youngest - Erik is my stubborn and
opinionated child so we tend to regularly
find ourselves at odds.  I'm hoping he
is amused by this instead of thinking I'm
making a statement!

For my oldest - Andrew is my teenager, with the typical
teen sense of humor.  I thought that he would
appreciate this odd little play on words

I also made sets of cards as a Christmas gift for our bell choir director and for our church pianist/organist. 

This was for the bell choir director for all of us to sign.

As much as I love Christmas colors and papers and glitter and beautiful stamps, I am glad to be done with all of the cards.  I'm going to spend tomorrow getting them all put away and then I need to get back to my goal of using all of my SU sets!!  I only have one week to finish.  Watch for lots and lots of posts!

Four Stages of Life Santa

• Stamps: Darcie's Clear Set
• Inks: Memento black, copics, Stampin' Up Creamy Caramel (on edges)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Bashful Blue, Garden Green, unknown dsp scrap
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Poppy ribbon, decorative label punch, Cuttlebug snowflakes, Martha Stewart white flock

Is It Too Late?

• Stamps: The Cat's Pajamas (Note: the sentiment is actually computer generated because I seem to have lost the actual stamps)
• Inks: Memento Black, copics
• Paper: PaperTrey Ink Ripe Avocado, Scarlet Jewel, Basic Grey dsp
• Accessories: PaperTrey Scarlet Jewel ribbon, EK Success border punch, various stickles
• Challenge: Pals Paper Arts sketch challenge

Peas on Earth

• Stamps: Penny Black
• Inks: Memento Black, copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Dashing, Real Red, Old Olive
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Old Olive satin, decorative label punch
• Challenges: Technostamper sketch challenge

God Bless Us Everyone

• Stamps: Impression Obsession
• Ink: Stampin' Up Always Artichoke, Creamy Caramel on edges
• Paper: Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Deck the Halls dsp, misc scrap of gold on bell
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Artichoke seam binding, Cricut Quarter Note cartridge
• Challenge: Lord Have Mercy sketch challenge

Musical Gift Sets

• Stamps: Verve thank you and birthday, H&M Stamps friend, PaperTrey May the Lord, Stampendous musical background
• Ink:  Stampin' Up Celery, Saffron, Rose Red, Baja
• Paper: Stampin' Up CS and dsp in Celery, Saffron, Rose Red, Baja
• Accessories: Cricut Quarter Note Cartridge, misc black satin
• Challenge: same as previous card (looks really different, doesn't it?)

One Last Card!!!

We had planned to spend a week at our place in the mountains - but my Christmas to-do list got in the way and we have come home early.  Not to mention that my children would not have survived had we gotten snowed in up in the mountains when all their Christmas presents were back home!

This is what I did this morning - it's Wednesday - only a few days until Christmas - and only now am I addressing Christmas cards!

I got up early, made a great cup of coffee, spread all of my Christmas cards out on the floor in front of the tree (with the cats) and got them all addressed. I think friends in Colorado will get theirs on time.  To all of you outside of Colorado - I'm sorry!!

Of course, you might notice the complete lack of presents under the tree.  I have them all, but they aren't wrapped.  I feel bad for my children as they have not been able to shake each one and wonder, but they have reached the age of feigned nonchalance so they haven't given any indication that they care!

In sorting out the cards, I did realize that I had missed one - my sweet little niece!  So I popped onto SplitCoast and found that the sketch challenge would work.

My niece, Karina, is a little miracle.  My brother and his wife had the loving spirit to adopt her from Russia.  She has blossomed into an intelligent, charming, high-energy little girl.

Sadly, we had to leave some amazing Christmas weather behind when we left the mountains:

This is just the parking lot of our mountain place.  It
snowed the entire time we were there and the
snow plows made incredible "mountains".

Just seconds after I took the first picture,
the ground that Erik was standing on
gave way and down he went!

Erik, 11 years old next week.

Andrew, 15 years old in two weeks

We came back down from the mountains yesterday
morning.  We left the snow on top of the car so we
had a little bit of winter down here in Denver!  You
should have seen the reaction of the people
at the Starbucks drive through when I came through
with a pile of snow!

• Stamps: Angel Emma digi from All That Scraps
• Inks: copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Rose Red, Daisy Bucket Wrapped Wishes dsp
• Accessories: ribbon from Michaels, silver, clear and green Twinklettes