Valentine's Day Saturday Sketch

Happy Valentine's Day!

Do you have special plans with your sweetie? We are going to afternoon tea together. Yes, he will actually do this with me, AND he'll enjoy it! I'm so LUCKY! I told my hubby that I didn't want a gift (preparing to be poor...relatively speaking), I just wanted an organized garage. We have so much junk (read: he keeps so much junk that just piles up), and we (he) never seems to go through it or at least doesn't make much of a dent. He did put together some Costco shelves a few weeks back, and today we threweverything into a box and onto a shelf. At some point, we (mostly he) will actually have to go through the boxes, but in the meantime, it feels much more organized. I have several other organizing tasks on my to do list. All this is leading up to clearing out a bunch of stuff from the baby room so that we actually can put together the nursery. Is this what they call "nesting" perhaps? Well, onto today's sketch...

For this card, I used Karen Lockhart's beautiful rosebud cupcake stamp. I colored the image with my Copics, ran a glaze gel pen over the rosebuds, and also added a few stickles. You can't really see the glaze or stickles in this photo though. The sentiment and little hearts are from a Stampendous clear stamp Cupcake set. Belatedly, I realized that I won't be giving this valentine to my cupcake. It's really just too girly to make a good valentine for a boy! Oh well!
{For You Cupcake recipe}
Stamps: Karen Lockhart rosebud cupcake, Stampendous
Ink: Palette Noir
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Whiper White, some random double-sided pattern paper from my stash
Accessories: paper flowers, Build-a-Brad, Marvy square scallop punch

Be sure to check out the other designs for today's sketch:
Lauren Meader
Tamara Harder
Maria Levine
Dawn Easton
Kirsten Dubosque
Kristy Vernon
MacKenzie Bruckler
Alicia Weiman
Kendra

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday Sketch

Happy Saturday! I'm delighted to say I managed to do the Saturday Sketch this week. I really miss stamping these days. It's rare that I find time to do any. I have to say those pregnancy hormones have destroyed most of my creative juices! I even cheated with this card. The main image is an old one from the set Meet Me at the Cafe by My Favorite Things. I've had the main panel stamped, colored, and even mounted on the olive cardstock for probably a year now. The awning is stamped on a scrap of patterned paper, cut out, and mounted over the main image with dimensionals. The coloring is done with my SU! markers (before I had my Copics). Even if I cheated, it felt good to get something put together last night. It was just about the only time I've been vertical this week. I've been home sick with a terrible cold since Tuesday afternoon. I don't remember the last time I had such a bad cold. Did me in, I tell ya! I'm still recovering. Hope you all are faring better against the germs!

{Bon Amie recipe}

Stamps: Meet Me at the Cafe by MFT

Ink: Palette Noir

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Basic Black, patterned paper ?

Accessories: gold brads, kiwi buttons, 1" and 1 1/8" circle punches, nestabilities, SU! markers

Check out what the other girls did with Lauren's sketch this week:

Lauren Meader

Tamara Harder

Maria Levine

Dawn Easton

Kirsten Dubosque

Kristy Vernon

MacKenzie Bruckler

Alicia Weiman
Kendra

I actually felt good enough today that I've photographed my January Stamp Club cards from a few weeks back and have set up posts for this week. Yay!

Now, I have to get busy with February's cards. I just realized that I have clubs again starting later this week! I love having all the gals over, but where does the time go? I can't even fathom how I was doing this and card classes and working in my real life before pregancy!!!! Will my mojo ever come back????

It's a Girl!

I know it's been a couple of weeks since I've done a Saturday Sketch, or posted anything for that matter. It's amazing how time just gets away from me (and probably you too). Isn't this week's sketch a fun one? This is Saturday Sketch 15, and you can play along and upload to Splitcoaststampers using keyword mytimess15.


Several of you have asked if we found out the gender of the baby. Our ultrasound showed that it's a girl! We haven't named her yet (and we figure we better come up with a boy name too, just in case she turns out to be a he). So, in her honor...
{It's a Girl! recipe}
Stamps: Fun & Fast Notes, Polka Dot Background, Nursery Necessities (sentiment)
Ink: Pirouette Pink, Going Gray, White Craft, Basic Black
Paper: Pirouette Pink, Going Gray, Whisper White, Bella Rose DSP
Accessories: scalloped edge punch, pink taffeta ribbon, 2" circle punch


Visit the other girls to see their take on this week's Saturday Sketch.
Lauren Meader
Tamara Harder
Maria Levine
Dawn Easton
Kirsten Dubosque
Kristy Vernon
MacKenzie Bruckler
Alicia Weiman

Late Saturday Sketch

Hi friends! I actually did Lauren's Saturday Sketch on Sunday, but I haven't had time to photograph and post it. When I first saw this sketch, I was thinking snowflakes, but I ended up with something completely different, a fall card.

I watercolored the images using SU! Classic Inks and an aqua painter (water brush). The little leaves are Sizzix die cuts. To create the texture, I used a stylus to make the "veins" on the leaves.


{Thankful Thoughts recipe}
Stamps: Thoroughly Thankful
Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive
Paper: PTI White, Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: Sizzix leaf die cuts, stylus, aqua painters

I did a Holiday Card Class a couple of weeks ago and need to post those cards still. Plus, I have this month's stamp club to post. I will try to spend some time this weekend scheduling some posts because it seems I just get get to it during the week!

Thank you for all the well wishes and inquiries about how I'm doing these days. I'm feeling much better. Still constantly tired, but at least not so utterly exhausted I can't function. Half-way is quickly approaching. We'll be 20 weeks along in just over a week. We have an ultrasound scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving. If little one cooperates, we hope to find out the gender.

Saturday Sketch

Time for another Saturday Sketch. I used an old stamp set from Pink Cat Studio. First time it's seen ink though. The snowflakes are punched with a Paper Shapers punch. The silver glitter one is actually a silver glitter paper by Die Cuts With A View, and the patterned paper is by Memory Box. QT Owl is colored with Copics. Makes me almost ready for winter... {Warm Hoooliday Wishes recipe}
Stamps: QT Owl by Pink Cat Studios
Ink: Palette Noir
Paper: PTI White, Whisper White, Almost Amethyst, Night of Navy, Basic Gray, Memory Box, Die Cuts With A View
Accessories: Paper Shapers snowflake punch, silver brad, gray taffeta ribbon, circle punch, Coluzzle

Here are the other takes on Lauren's sketch:
Lauren Meader
Tamara Harder
Maria Levine
Dawn Easton
Kirsten Dubosque
Kristy Vernon
MacKenzie Bruckler
Alicia Weiman

One of my stamp club members just started her own blog. You can see Susan's first design at Lil' Bit of Ink.

I love this week's sketch! Lauren made a snowflake card with it last week sometime, and that's what inspired my version today. By the way, did you read Lauren's big news last week? If you missed it, you can read all about it right here. I'm so excited about this...another opportunity to get even more amazing ideas from the stamping queen herself.

For this week's sketch, I used my new SU! Little Flurries felt snowflakes. I like the simplicity of this one.
{Peace recipe}
Stamps: Glad Tidings, PTI's Square Borders & Corners
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Basic Black
Paper: PTI White
Accessories: Little Flurries, rhinestone brads

You can see the rest of the team's creations here:
Lauren Meader
Tamara Harder
Maria Levine
Dawn Easton
Kirsten Dubosque
Kristy Vernon
MacKenzie Bruckler
Alicia Weiman

Happy weekend! Oh, and Happy Anniversary to me (and hubby...six years)!

Saturday Sketch and The Truth

Welcome to another edition of Lauren's Saturday Sketch. Yes, I am on time this week! I know I've spent a lot of time neglecting my blog, and probably even more time complaining about being exhausted. It's true that every year, back to school time is so busy and so tiring. It really is the busiest time of the year for both of us (hubby is also a teacher). Moving just kinda makes it worse. This has without a doubt been the most challenging start of my career (and I thought last year was it). I come home and can't do ANYTHING, except eat dinner, veg out, and go to bed early. But, the truth...the WHOLE truth, and nothing but the truth, is this...We are finally (after many years and a miscarriage) on our way to (hopefully) having a baby. I've just made it through my first trimester. Turns out the whole pregnancy thing, while working full-time, is utterly exhausting! Nature's way of preparing you for motherhood, I suppose. Due date is early to mid April. Anyway, I've been very eager to let you all know WHY I've been such a slug with the whole stamping and blogging thing, but we really tried not to make a big deal of it until we got through the first trimester. I hear the second trimester is supposed to get better. I'm looking forward to THAT! And now, of course, we are happily anticipating being parents (so we can at least be exhausted together).

Lauren Meader

Tamara Harder

Maria Levine

Dawn Easton

Kirsten Dubosque

Kristy Vernon

MacKenzie Bruckler

Alicia Weiman

Visit the sketch girls, have a great weekend, and thanks for being loyal readers despite my absence from the blogging world.

Better late than never...

Here it is, Lauren's Saturday Sketch! See, I told you I made it. It was so nice to stamp on Friday night. This is all I made, but it it was relaxing nonetheless. I ordered this Stampendous Tiers of Treats stamp at my local stamp store this summer, and it just came in a week ago. I forgot all about it. It was fun to color. I used my Copics for this one. See my bright blue mistake? Yep, I was too lazy to start over. It was one of the last things I colored. Totally out of place, but oh well. The sentiment is from the Stampendous clear cupcakes set, can't remember the name. This card makes me want a sweet treat!

{How Sweet recipe}
Stamps: Stampendous
Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black
Paper: Certainly Celery, Groovy Guava, Pumpkin Pie, Regal Rose, So Saffron, Whisper White, Crate Paper
Accessories: Groovy Guava ribon, dew drops, coluzzle (oval), circle punches, Copics

Life at school is still quite busy. I went in this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday to try to catch up. I unpacked about half of the boxes I still had left to do. I also rearranged my room so it's a little more functional. Parent Night is this week, and I anticipate things to ease up a little after that.

Saturday Sketch Time Again

Well, a week has come and gone since my last post. I guess it's just that time of the year when all my energy goes towards school and the kiddos. This too shall pass. And hopefully soon, because I have this month's Stamp Club and an Inspiraton Class to get ready for. Plus, I have a bunch of swaps to get in the mail on Monday. That means soon I hope to be posting again at least a few times a week. Thanks for bearing with me. I miss all of you! I haven't even had much of a chance to visit any of my blogging friends, so I don't know what anyone's up to these days. I do appreciate all the comments I've been getting. All of my comments get sent to my email address, so I get to read each and every one. Makes my day it does!

Just in time for Lauren's Saturday Sketch and a little fall holiday action. I had these Karen Lockhart images I colored this summer. A good friend of mine (Hi, Beth!) was lucky enough to attend a Karen Lockhart class when she was teaching in Bellingham, but I couldn't go because I was scoring the state writing assessment for fourth graders. Lucky, lucky girl! Anyway, we ended up stamping and coloring a bunch of Lockhart images that day. So, I dug these out to go with our sketch and some patterned paper I've had in my stash forever. Belatedly, I realized I should have used the matching sentiment for these stamps, but it's late and I forgot until it was too late. It says this: witchie, witchie, screamie, screamie, happy, happy halloweenie. Is that cute, or what? Oh, well!{Happy Halloween recipe}
Stamps: Karen Lockhart, sentiment from SU! All Holidays set
Ink: Basic Black
Paper: Green Galore, Pumpkin Pie, Solar White, Pebbles Inc.
Accessories: prismacolor pencils, black brads, giant black brad by American Craft, silk flower, white taffeta ribbon

With any luck, I'll be back later next week with Stamp Club samples. Have a great weekend!

Off you go now to visit the other Saturday Sketch samples:

Lauren Meader http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Tamara Harder http://tamarastamps.blogspot.com/
Maria Levine http://riacreations.blogspot.com/
Dawn Easton http://www.TreasureOilerDesignz.blogspot.com/
Kirsten Dubosque http://www.kirstendubosque.blogspot.com/
Kristy Vernon http://www.kvernon.blogspot.com/
MacKenzie Bruckler http://midnightscramper.blogspot.com/
Alicia Weiman http://www.happystamp.blogspot.com/

Saturday Sketch

I survived my first week (well, three days) of school. It was CRAZY, but it actually went better than I expected for my level of preparedness (which was: NOT prepared). Magically, my body and brain knew what to do, and everything seemed to run fairly smoothly. I am seriously looking forward to sleeping in Saturday morning. In fact, as you're reading this, I'm probably doing just that!

For last week's Saturday Sketch, I had school on the brain. After this week, I'm ready for another vacation! I love all of Rubber Soul's stick figure images. This one is from the clear Vacation Collection set. I used some Crate paper and paired it with two of my favorite past In Colors from SU!, Cool Caribbean and Groovy Guava. I miss these colors! I just wish SU! would keep them around a bit longer. Don't get me wrong, I really like the new ones too. {Vacation recipe}
Stamps: Rubber Soul's Vacation Collection
Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black, Cool Caribbean, Groovy Guava
Paper: PTI White, Groovy Guava, Cool Caribbean, Crate Paper
Accessories: Copic markers, paper flowers, dew drops, double-stitched guava ribbon

Stop by and see what the other gals came up with for this week's sketch:

Lauren Meader http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Tamara Harder http://tamarastamps.blogspot.com/
Maria Levine http://riacreations.blogspot.com/
Dawn Easton http://www.TreasureOilerDesignz.blogspot.com/
Kirsten Dubosque http://www.kirstendubosque.blogspot.com/
Kristy Vernon http://www.kvernon.blogspot.com/
MacKenzie Bruckler http://midnightscramper.blogspot.com/
Alicia Weiman http://www.happystamp.blogspot.com/

If you have time to try out the sketch, either upload your card to Splitcoast using keyword mytimess04 or link it to Lauren's comments for today's sketch. Have fun!

It's Saturday Sketch Time!

Thursday was day one in the new building. I cried. All morning. Then I just stared at all the boxes and junk in my room and wandered the halls aimlessly in the afternoon until finally I mustered up enough energy and mindfulness to start moving furniture. Luckily, that was all it took for the overwhelming feeling to pass (mind you...SIX moves in six years...I was so not ready to do it again). Friday was much better. I finally started unpacking boxes, and feel like things will hopefully go smoothly this weekend. Hopefully, I can get the classroom all unpacked and set up before Monday. It would be nice to spend some time planning for the kiddos! We start school Wednesday. Sure hope the new building is ready for students by then.

Do you think there's stamping time in the midst of all of this? Well, normally, I would say no, but this time, it's a yes! I had to. It's Lauren's Saturday Sketch time! Can't skip out on that kind of fun! One of the great things about being on her design team that I was really looking forward to was exactly this...forced participation! So, tonight I created a card about, what else? School. First time inking up these Kim Hughes Making the Grade stamps and two backgrounders from Cornish Heritage Farms. More stamps suffering from time to purchase, but no time to stamp syndrome. I just went off to find you a link to my backgrounders at CHF, but couldn't find them. Ellen Hutson also sells them at her online store. I used markers to stamp the images and I colored in the tree by using inks and an aquapainter. The little apples have Sakura Glaze gel pen on them. Can't see it too well. Crystal Effects might have been a better choice.

I also set up my new light tent in a matter of minutes to snap this photo. Seriously, no time to bother with directions. Not the best, but probably better than I would have gotten otherwise. Thank you, Ebay! I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunity to test out the tent as time goes on. Anyway, ramble, ramble...Enjoy!
{School recipe}
Stamps: Kim Hughes' Making the Grade from Cornish Heritage Farms, AlphaNumber backgrounder, Lined Paper backgrounder
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Kraft, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Summer Sun, Whisper White
Accessories: Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, SU! markers in Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Real Red, Summer Sun, and Bashful Blue

Okay, things might get quiet over here. I will post those POM class close-up photos and recipes just as soon as I can come up for air.

Saturday Sketch

As promised, here's my take on Lauren's Saturday Sketch. I used my Unity stamps again. I can't recall the name off the top of my head, but this set was July's Kit of the Month. This close-up shows the glitter on the owl belly and tree leaves.
{Friend recipe}
Stamps: Unity Stamp Co.
Ink: Basic Brown, Mellow Moss
Paper: Almost Amethyst, Whisper White, Close to Cocoa, Crate Paper
Accessories: moss taffeta ribbon, stickles, Copic markers, SU! markers, Hero Arts gemstones, oval punch

I gotta run. Have eight gals here working on their Recipe Box class. Thanks for stopping by. Remember to go check out what the other girls did for Lauren's sketch. Also, you can upload your creation to Splitcoast using keyword mytimess02.

Lauren Meader http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/

Tamara Harder http://tamarastamps.blogspot.com/

Maria Levine http://riacreations.blogspot.com/

Dawn Easton http://www.TreasureOilerDesignz.blogspot.com/

Kirsten Dubosque http://www.kirstendubosque.blogspot.com/

Kristy Vernon http://www.kvernon.blogspot.com/

MacKenzie Bruckler http://midnightscramper.blogspot.com/

Alicia Weiman http://www.happystamp.blogspot.com/

Saturday Sketch

It's time for another Saturday Sketch! Lauren always comes up with fun sketches, and I love to play with them. Starting this week, Lauren is inviting everyone to play along as usual and then upload your creations to Splitcoaststampers. You'll need to check Lauren's blog for the keyword to use when you upload. Now we'll be able to see everyone's creations all in one spot. I can't wait to come home and browse the gallery to see what you all come up with.

This week I decided to use some of my Unity stamps and combine it with some American Crafts patterned paper that I've been wanting to use. This set is called Butterfly Beauty. Aren't the butterfly images just gorgeous! I added a lot of bling to this card in the way of gems and stickles. I should have taken a close-up shot, so you can see the stickles better. Darn! The sentiment is from Verve Visual's Here for You. This card didn't come together easily for me, and I wasn't sure I liked it at first, but it's really grown on me now.{Butterfly Possiblities recipe}
Stamps: Butterfly Beauty by Unity Stamp Co., Here for You by Verve Visual
Ink: Palette Noir
Paper: PTI White, Old Olive, Whisper White, American Crafts
Accessories: gems by Hero Arts, brads by American Crafts, black craft wire, Cuttlebug's Floral Fantasy embossing folder

Be sure to visit the other sketch girls' blogs to see their takes on the sketch. Then go make your own and upload it to Splitcoast (remember to check Lauren's blog for the keyword you need to use). I can't wait to see what you do!

Lauren Meader http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Tamara Harder http://tamarastamps.blogspot.com/
Maria Levine http://riacreations.blogspot.com/
Dawn Easton http://www.TreasureOilerDesignz.blogspot.com/
Kirsten Dubosque http://www.kirstendubosque.blogspot.com/
Kristy Vernon http://www.kvernon.blogspot.com/
MacKenzie Bruckler http://midnightscramper.blogspot.com/
Alicia Weiman http://www.happystamp.blogspot.com/

Saturday Sketch Time

It's time for Lauren's Saturday Sketch. I really enjoyed using this sketch and if I have time, I'm going to make a couple of more cards using this sketch. I used one of my new MFT stamps again. I use the word "new" loosely. I so often buy stamps and don't get around to using them for months. Shopping doesn't take quite as much concentration for me!

Here's my submission for the sketch challenge. I already had the image colored (used my Copics), so I just had to dig up some paper and supplies that matched. I don't think it shows up too well in the photo, but the flower centers have stickles on them for a little sparkle. The ribbon is an old retired ribbon originals from last year's SU! catalog. {Chamomile recipe}
Stamps: Chamomile by MFT Annie LaPoint image
Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black
Paper: Conqueror White, Almost Amethyst, Apricot Appeal DSP
Accessories: retired ribbon originals, Hero Arts flower gems, stickles, Copic markers

Be sure to check out the creations from all the other Saturday Sketch Team.

Lauren Meader http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Tamara Harder http://tamarastamps.blogspot.com/
Maria Levine http://riacreations.blogspot.com/
Dawn Easton http://www.TreasureOilerDesignz.blogspot.com/
Kirsten Dubosque http://www.kirstendubosque.blogspot.com/
Kristy Vernon http://www.kvernon.blogspot.com/
MacKenzie Bruckler http://midnightscramper.blogspot.com/
Alicia Weiman http://www.happystamp.blogspot.com/

I'll be back later today with some blog candy for you.

Saturday Sketch

Happy Saturday! Lauren Meader, who as you probably know is one of my stamping idols, and she has assembled some gals to come up with some creations for her Weekly Saturday Sketch Challenge. I'm thrilled to be part of that group! On Tuesday, I was madly trying to get my card done before I left for convention, and I ended up with two. It was overcast out and I'm not an expert with photo editing, so I apologize for the poor lighting and the colors being a bit off. Here's the matching pair of cards I made for her sketch.

I really like these Annie LaPoint images from MFT. Just looking at them makes me happy!

{Take a Break recipe}

Stamps: Annie LaPoint by MFT, sentiment by Verve Visual

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black, Black, Lovely Lilac, Baja Breeze

Paper: Conqueror White, Basic Grey, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White

Accessories: white taffeta ribbon (dyed Baja Breeze), Hero Arts flower gems, Stickles, Copics
{Be Calm recipe}

Stamps: Annie LaPoint by MFT

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black

Paper: Baja Breeze, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White, Basic Grey

Accessories: white taffeta ribbon, Hero Arts gemstones, paper flowers, Stickles, Copics

I hope this inspires you to stamp today. For more inspiration, check out the creations of the other Saturday Sketch Girls. Then, go stamp something!

Lauren Meader http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/

Tamara Harder http://tamarastamps.blogspot.com/
Maria Levine http://riacreations.blogspot.com/
Dawn Easton http://www.TreasureOilerDesignz.blogspot.com/
Kirsten Dubosque http://www.kirstendubosque.blogspot.com/
Kristy Vernon http://www.kvernon.blogspot.com/
MacKenzie Bruckler http://midnightscramper.blogspot.com/

Alicia Weiman http://www.happystamp.blogspot.com/