Thanks Kim and Kath!!

Thank you so much! I stamped today because of your blog challenge. I forgot how much I love to stamp- but I remember now. :)

You challenged me to make a card using at least one color from EACH SU color family (not including IN Colors) and a neutral. That was harder than it sounded I can tell you.

The colors I used were Bashful Blue- Soft Subtles; Real Red- Bold Brights; Pumpkin Pie- Earth Elements; and So Saffron- Rich Regals. I used the Prints DSP for all except the Pumpking Pie. I did not have any Prints in Earth Elements so that DSP is from Bali Breeze.

I also wanted to use some new goodies that I hadn't had much chance to play with. Those would be my new MFT stamps and Nestabilities. I love those Nesties. I wasn't sure if I would but they are great. I think I have to have them ALL now. hehe.

Anyway- thanks for the challenge and thanks for looking!!

Stamps: My Favorite Things : By the Seashore
Paper: (all SU) Basic Black, White, Bashful Blue, Bali Breeze DSP, Prints DSP in Bashful Blue, Real Red, and So Saffron
Ink: Black Stazon, Various SU Markers
Accessories: Oval Punch, Large Rectangel Nestabilities, Blue Stickles, and lots of Dimensionals!

Poor Dixie!

Poor Dixie. While I was away having fun she was developing "hot spots." I had to take her to the Vet today and get her some medicine and a collar. In this picture you can see just how happy she is about the whole deal.

Well, after plunking down nearly $100 (that I could have spent on stamps) I hope she does start feeling better. I love her so much and I cannot deal with her feeling bad!

Another Williamsburg Shoe Box Swap!

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post! Wow! Well, I guess it's just because I have been sooooo busy lately. I have had a lot of chores around the house getting the yard ready for Summer and of course there's my job. (yuck!) But I did manage some ME time this weekend and this post is going to tell you ALL about it! :)

Yesterday was the 2nd Annual Williamsburg Shoe Box Swap. We had a blast. My friend Jimmi and I spent Friday afternoon shopping. I know- imagine that. LOL! We hit the local stamp store and the outlets. I was really, really BAD! But it was so much fun! Then we hung out at her sister-in-law's house and ate dinner.

Saturday morning we got up and headed to the SBS which Jimmi and I hosted along with Sherri Mallory (Sherristampsalot) . (Ok- I just helped and did what they told me to do.....) It was so much fun. There were 24 Shoebox Swappers and 18 3-d swappers and lots and lots of door prizes! On top of door prizes that were donated, the following companies donated prizes as well:

My Favorite Things

Hanna Stamps

Gina K Designs

Unity Stamp Co

Eclectic Paperie

Impression Obsession (had goodies for every single person!- awesome!)

Scor-Pal

JustRite stamps

I was so lucky that I won the gift certificate from My Favorite Things! Yay! My friend Stampowl is on their Design Team and I love her cards. I ordered It's a Jungle Out There and a mini set and some watercolor paints. But almost everyone received an extra prize- and they were all great.

Here is a picture of Paulette and Cyndi making my card at the swap.

We stamped the day away and had pizza for lunch. Then afterwards some of us headed out for MORE shopping! We headed for the stamp store (again) and then Jimmi and I went to Trader Joe's on the way home. There I stocked up on some wine and groceries for under $45! Wow! In times like these where everything is going up it is great to get deals like that!

The card I created for the SBS used Riley in the plane. I brought So Many Sayings (which I have separated and mounted on dominoes) and Things Hanna Would Say so everyone could choose what sentiment they wanted. I think it turned out pretty nice.

Stamps: Airplane Riley from Hanna Stamps, SU So Many Sayings

Paper: Bashful Blue, Real Red, Basic Black, PTI Stampers Select White

Ink: Black Stazon, SU markers

Accessories: SU Red Stripe Grosgrain Ribbon, Paper-piercing Tool, Silver Brads, Blue Stickles

The Door Prize I made contained a canvas bag that I stamped on then heat set with an iron on low. I also made some magnetic picture frames to match and threw in some store bought goodies.

Stamps: SU Stipple Butterfly (retired), SU Burst Into Bloom

Ink: PTI Pallette Hybrid Ink in Aqua Mist and Spring Moss

Paper (on frames) Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Everyday Blessings DSP

Ribbon: PTI Aqua Mist and Spring Moss

I forgot to take pictures of my 3-D swap and I didn't have any extras left over. Sorry! But I do have pictures of my stamp table from when I got home and all my new stamping goodies. Want to see? I also bought a new Coach purse and some clothes and shoes also but I don't have pictures of those. I went a little crazy shopping- it has been a long time since I have let myself go and buy "luxury items." (stamps are necessities just so you know.....) Jimmi is a bad influence but what do you expect from someone whose blog is called Stamping and Shopping???? LOL! I should have known I was in trouble!

These are my stamping goodies and pictures of the mess my stamping area became when I got home with everything:

Thanks for visiting!

Retail Therapy and a Sassy Challenge

What's a girl to do when she gets passed up for a promotion she more than deserves? Well, she goes shopping of course! A little retail therapy is good for the soul, if not for the bank account. I just wanted to show you some of the goodies I got at the brand new AC Moore last weekend.




Let's see, there's a stamp set from Rubber Soul- the octopus that says "I can't wait to wrap my arms around you" just grabbed me. (pun intended) I got the Basic Grey Precision File set, some Heidi Swapp Ghost flowers, brown brads, pewter brads, the Fiskars fingertip control craft knife and a big GIANT bag of Buttons! Aren't they so pretty? I feel much better now. ;)





Also, this week's Sassy Challenge was to create a card with flowers. Since we started April off with a rain card we wanted to end it with flowers. Get it- April Showers bring May flowers? :) This past week has been a busy and rough one. Between everything going on at my job (see above), personal issues with my son, personal issues with me, and a tornado that hit my town I just have not had it in me to stamp. But I needed to do my challenge so I kept it simple. It's a 4 1/4" square card so it will fit in a standard envelope. I used the Pallette O'Prints Hostess pack for the DP and Just Celebrate from the SU Spring Occasions Mini. I colored the image with my markers and cut out a second center flower and attached it with a brad to give a 3-d effect. Anyway- things are starting to look up for me so hopefully I will have more posts soon! Thanks for looking!

This card is totally Stampin' Up

Stamps: SU Just Celebrate

Paper: Bashful Blue, Basic Black and Confetti White CS, Red Pallette O'Prints

Ink: Black Stazon, Bashful Blue, Real Red, Old Olive

Accessories: Blue and Red Brads, Red Striped Ribbon, Dimensionals

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

I can't chat but for a minute today- but I wanted to show you the Altered Clipboard I made for my co-worker for Administrative Professionals Day. I used the Office-themed DSP from Stampin Up's Spring Mini last year and the On Board Chipboard. The letters are NOT Stampin Up. I am not sure what brand they since they came from my DSS two rounds ago. But I thought they matched pretty well.

This is for Christine. She works hard and one of the bosses does not appreciate her. I am sure he doesn't even know it is Administrative Professionals Day as he thought April 27th was EASTER! (yes, you read that correctly- he is a genius, right?) Since I knew he wouldn't do anything for her and I spent all my money on stamps, cardstock and ribbon- I decided to make her a clipboard with a matching pen. I hope she like it!

Got Lunch?

It's Wednesday! That's exciting for me because it's my day off! Oh yeah- and it's Sassy Challenge day too! This week's challenge is a Sketch Challenge. This layout came about accidentally when I tried to make my all green card in March using the weekly sketch challenge and it didn't quite work out. Well, one of my Sassy Sistahs like it so much she made that layout the challenge this week. It is one thing to "accidentally" end up with this layout and to actually PLAN your card with this layout! Phew!! I didn't know what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to use the new Rubbernecker stamps I got for my birthday! :)





All cardstock and ink is from Stampin Up with the exception of the white- that is from Paper Trey Ink. The base of the card is Green Galore and I layered it with black then a cuttlebugged layer of Tempting Turquoise. My son actually helped make the card because I let him choose between two Cuttlebug folders and this is the one he chose! He did a great job! The images were stamped with Black Stazon and colored with my SU markers. There are way too many colors on here to list. I just pulled a bunch of markers out and started coloring. I can tell you that the crab is blue because he isn't cooked yet. My BFF who gave me this stamp told me I am not allowed to color him red (even though that would look really pretty...) because only COOKED crabs are red. The card just would not be the same if the crab was already cooked- so I made him blue. LOL! After coloring the images I sponged the blank areas with Tempting Turquoise to make it look like water.



Once the images were colored and placed where they needed to go, I thought I needed a sentiment. I wasn't sure what kind of occasion you would use a card like this, though. I started looking through all my sets and in my $1 sets from Michael's I found "Hang in there". I think it fits pretty good since that is exactly what the worm on the hook is trying to do.



So anyway- that is how this card came into existence. I hope you like it!



Stamps: Rubbernecker, Michael's $1 Stamps



Paper: SU: Green Galore, Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, PTI White



Ink: Black Stazon, Tempting Turquoise, Various SU Markers



Accessories: Black Brads, SU Scallop Circle and Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Dimensionals, Cuttlebug, Sakura Black embossing pen, Sponge

Just for some more fun!

Here is card # 2 in my Just for Fun series. LOL! This card is perfect for me because I am very grouchy in the morning- especially if I have not had enough sleep. So this card could either be TO me or FROM me because I could just as easily say KWITCHERBITCHIN to someone as they could say it to me. But it is all in good fun- no one is getting this card.......yet. LOL!

The main image is from Rubber Romance. I colored her with my SU markers on Water Color Paper and blended with an aquapainter filled with rubbing alcohol. The sentiment is from River City Rubberworks. This is just one of several smart-alecky sentiments that are in this set- I love it. I saw it at my LSS and I had to have it.

I used the sketch from Sketch Challenge 170 to make this card because it really suited the tall and skinny image. The DSP is Bali Breeze from Stampin Up and the brads and ribbon are also SU.

Stamps: Rubber Romance, River City

Ink: Black Stazon, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, Blush Blossom, Regal Rose, Rose Red

Paper: Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, Water Color Paper, Bali Breeze DSP

Accessories: Aquapainter, Old Olive Wide Grosgrain, Turquoise Brads Word Window Punch

Just For Fun!

While looking through my stamps the other day I came up with some ideas that are just for fun. I recently purchased a set from my LSS that is made by River City Rubberworks. It had some funny sayings that I would love to use on cards for co-workers, but alas, HR will not allow it.

The first card in this series (currently there are two but there may be more because they are so much fun to make) was inspired by the fact that I love to cook, but my son is a picky eater. There's nothing like working really hard on a meal only to have him pick out all the onions and whatever else he finds objectionable.

I used the Diva Chef from Rubber Romance and the sentiment from River City. It says, "Complain and Die." There are some occasions when even my dear son knows that I have worked way too hard on a meal for him to complain- this card depicts one of those occasions. Haven't we all felt like this before?

The image was stamped with Timber Brown Stazon and colored with my SU markers then blended with my aquapainter filled with alcohol. I framed the sentiment with an Aged Copper Label Holder/Frame from SU's Hodge Podge Hardware. The cooking utensils were colored with my Sakura Gelly Roll pen in Star Dust to give it the metallic look. The Ruby Red layer was embossed with my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder and I finished off the card with my favorite accessory- Wide Grosgrain ribbon in Chocolate Chip. Yummy!

Thanks for looking

Stamps: Rubber Romance Diva Chef, River City

Paper: Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Water Color Paper

Ink: Brown Stazon, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa

Accessories: Aged Copper HPH, Swiss Dots CB, Chocolate Wide grosgrain, Sakura Gelly Roll Pen in Star Dust

Sassy Sunshine!

It's Wednesday and time for a Sassy Challenge Card. This week we had to make a rain-themed card since it's the first of April and everyone knows April Showers bring May Flowers. :) I thought this challenge would be easy for me.....but I was proved wrong as it took me a couple hours to come up with this card and I am still not sure if I like it. And yes, I am aware that the card says "Hey Sunshine." My thought is this: Our friends and family are the sunshine through the rain so this card can be given to someone I love. Yes, it's corny- but DEAL WITH IT! LOL!

I finally got to use my new Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder. It was very exciting! I used my markers to color the images and the umbrella is paper-pieced with Uptown DSP. I accented the images with my Sakura Gelly Roll Pens. I used Black on the boots and the umbrella handle, Star Dust on the buckle of the boot and the umbrella stick, and white on the scalloped edges.





All Images are from Hanna Stamps. All Cardstock and DSP is from Stampin' Up.

Stamps: Rain Rain, Things Hanna Would Say

Card Stock: Almost Amethyst, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Uptown DSP

Ink: Black Stazon, Almost Amethyst, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi

Accessories: Wasabi Ribbon, Saffron Brads, Swiss Dots CB Folder, Circle Punches, Marvy Scallop Punch, Word Window Punch, Sakura White and Black and StarDust Gelly Rol pens.

Just a Quick one for ya!

Just a quick one for ya today as I have to get ready for work any minute now. (Go figure...LOL!)

I have been participating in a group called Divine Secret Siblings on SCS where I have a big sister and little sister. My big sister sends me cards and presents and I in turn send my little sister cards and presents. Until the end of the 3 month round we do not know who our big sister is.

I decided to make my little sister something special to go in her reveal package that I sent off yesterday. I made my very first Altered Clipboard! I used Bali Breeze DSP from Stampin Up and decorated it with the On Board Blossoms chipboard. I have wanted to make one for quite some time but had been intimidated by it. It was soooo easy! All it takes is some careful measuring and cutting and some Modge Podge and you've it! The clipboard cost 97 cents at Wal-Mart and it is a blank canvas to create something beautiful. Try it if you haven't yet! :)