Happy Mother's Day?

Well no, its not Mother's Day.  Although every day should be treated like Mother's Day........in my opinion.  Which I know doesn't mean much.........................anyway........

I wanted to show you a card I made around the time of Mother's Day.  But I didn't use it for that.  I must have made something else but honestly I don't remember what. 

Elements of Style and Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Crumb cake and very vanilla cardstock.  Soft suede and early espresso inks.  Baja breeze seam binding, big shot, Newprint DSP, designer frames embossing folder, neutrals buttons, sticky pearls, hemp, corner rounder and dimensionals. 

Isn't it pretty?  I had the idea of putting the pearls on the button to hide the hemp and afterward I decided they looked like eggs in a nest.  What do you think?  I might make this again using the bird from the Nature Walk set.

I used a sponge to darken up the raised dots on the frame. 

I gotta say again that I LOVE the new ink pads.  It was effortless to ink up that flower stamp and it showed all the detail.  Beautiful.

Here is something I think is funny, when I stamp I usually have on a movie.  Usually a movie I've seen a million times so I don't pay too much attention to it.  Or, one of the kids will have something on the tv back here that I know I won't watch too much. 

Whats funny is that even though I stamped this card a month ago I still remember what I was watching, The Princess and the Frog. I'd never seen it before and Grace had it on.  I watched it.  I liked it.  I taped it. 

So I can watch it again.

Do you guys remember what you were listening to/watching when you see a card you made a while ago? 

Okay, I checked an item off my summer to-do list.  I took pictures of all my retired stamp sets that I'd like to find new homes for.  Go check it out here.  On the blog its on the top left hand side.  I have some other things I'll be adding in a week or so.  Let me know if you'd like something.

Okie dokie, thats it for now.  Thanks so much for stopping by and keeping me company.

Blessings, b.

School's out for summer!

Yep, I'm done with work for a few weeks.  YAY! 

My to-do list is a mile long though.  They say slow and steady wins the race right?  Well, thats the plan anyway in order to get through it. 

So I thought I would start my summer by showing you a quickie Father's Day card.  It would have helped had I remembered to mail the darn thing.  I'll be late again............

Lovely as a Tree and Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Midnight muse, very vanilla and soft suede cardstock.  Soft suede and early espresso inks.  Comfort Cafe DSP, striped embossing folder, big shot, antique brads and dimensionals.


The picture doesn't do it justice.  It is a really nice clean yet masculine card.  I love the new Comfort Cafe DSP.  It has both masculine, feminine and neutral patterns.  Can't ask for more than that can ya? 

And the blue there?  That is a new 2012-2014 In Color, Midnight Muse.  Its inbetween Night of Navy and Not Quite Navy.  Its really nice.  I'll see if I can get a comparison up here showing all the new colors. 

Speaking of new colors, I made a little hostess gifty the other day. 

Fabulous Phrases set.  Black Stazon and crumb cake ink.  Whisper white and crumb cake cardstock.  Big shot, labels framelits, scallop punch, brights button, comfort cafe dsp, white bakers twine and rose red seam binding. 


I gave her a sheet of each of the new In Colors.  This color on top is Raspberry Ripple.  It goes with the Rose Red seam binding very well. 

I made the flower by punching out a bunch of shapes from our packing paper.  It made a cute and quick tag. 


Alrighty then, I've had a full day and I'm pooped.  I'll be back with more.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Blessings, b.

these are AWESOME!

Hidey Ho!  I hope everyone is having a great day. 

So, do you want to know what I think is AWESOME? 

The new and improved ink pads.  They are awesome!  There really is no other word that describes them.  Check them out;

This is a new Early Espresso pad compared to an old Early Espresso pad.  See how smooth the surface is?  That is the new Firm Foam.  Our old pads were made from felt and you can see how the top material would fray. 

On the belly of each pad there are stickers.  Peel off the language of your choice.  I already peeled off the English one.

Stick it on the end of your pad and WA-LA!  You always know what color you're picking.  That alone makes these pads pretty nifty. 

But wait until you stamp with them!  Can you see the difference?  Of course you can.  The lighter butterfly is with the old pad, which I had reinked a few weeks ago.  The darker one is with the new pad.  They are so juicy! 

Instead of the old smash smash smash and sometimes twist, you just tap tap tap.  I'm really just so impressed. 

All of the current reinkers will work with the new pads with the exception of Marina Mist, Basic Black, Basic Gray, Tempting Turquoise and Perfect Plum.  Those colors had to be reformulated.  They are the same color, they just made them user friendly for the new foam pad.  So don't use your current reinkers in those colors on the new pads.  I'm not sure what will happen but they say not to, so I won't.  You can use any other color of your current reinkers on the new pads. 

Is that clear as mud?  Let me know if you have any questions. 


Alrighty then.  Thats it for today.  I need to get busy pricing my retired stamps for sale.  I'll be sure and let you know when I get that done.    Thanks so much for stopping by.

Blessings, b.

no longer MIA

Hey there!  So so so sorry about the absence.  I didn't mean it to happen.  Things just got away from me.  Story of my life.

So, lots has happened since we last chatted. 

Among other things, we celebrated Mother's Day.  We had a DARE shindig at the mini golf joint.  We had a special Honor Band concert.  Celebrated the fact that The Boy finished his first year of college.  5th grade night at the middle school.  We had 3 different award ceremonies and then we had................................................. GRADUATION! 

Not just 1 but 2.  Oy!

So proud of my girl!  She has been going nonstop ever since graduation.  Party party party.  I've seen her for about 30 min in the last 72 hours. 

Her graduation has hit me harder than The Boy's did.  I think its because she is leaving to go to college.  My heart cries just thinking about her leaving.

Then this one is all done with elementary school.  Geez!  I can hardly believe it.  They really get to whoop it up in 5th grade.  This years grad party was "Glowing into 6th grade".  Everything was neon.  They don't do a ceremony, just a party.......you know, the important part. 


Its been a time of reflection for me.  It was the last time I'll be at that high school.  The last time at the elementary school.  Last time in the car loop.  Last time walking her to her line.  Last time I'll be in these bleachers.  Last time I'll be on this campus.  I've shed alot of tears this last week remembering.  Trying to soak it all in so I don't forget it.  Another reason to really love doing Project Life.  I will have a record of some things. 

Alrighty then.  Things here are slowing down......I think.  I still have 2 more weeks of work before my summer starts.  And then we'll be off and running again. 

I have some goodies to show you.  I'll be popping back on here in a day or so.  Thanks so much for stopping by and hanging out. 

Blessings, b.

teacher appreciation

Most of you will read this tomorrow so I'll say it now, Happy Mother's Day!

I'm so glad its the weekend.  I spent the week getting all the state tests cleaned and packed up.  I can see the light at the end of the school year tunnel.

This week was also Teacher Appreciation Week.  We had cool treats everyday in our boxes.   For Grace's school, they send home a list of things for every day. 

Monday was wear something red to show you love your teacher.

Tuesday was bring a school supply item.

Wednesday was bring your teacher a flower.

Thursday was bring your teacher something sweet.

Friday was write your teacher a thank you note or poem or picture.  Of course Grace did this at the last minute and I didn't get a picture. 

I'm going to show you what we did on Thursday.  The idea started out as something very different.  Things just morph around here.......

Cute huh?  My original idea was to give them strawberries with a fruit dip.  But, I had thrown away the lids to my little bitty canning jars because they had rusted. 

Hmmmm........now what? 

I know!  We'll get some pound cake and make a trifle!  And you know of course it just kind of went from there. 

Fabulous Phrases set.  Crumb cake, real red, old olive and whisper white cardstock.  Black Stazon ink.  Square duo die, big shot, square lattice embossing folder, polka dot embossing folder, 1 1/4" square punch, small heart punch and boho blossoms punch. 

I used the medium blossom from the punch and cut it to fit the top of the heart shape.

These are pint jars.  I cut up an old bandana to fit over the lids.  Made a cute little tag.  Added a spoon and there ya go.   A perfect sweet treat!  Make some for Mother's Day, she'll love it. 

Here is the recipe for the creamy dip:

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup lemon juice

That is from the Eagle Brand condensed milk can.  This was the only way I ever had cheesecake when I was little.  It wasn't until I was in my 20's that I had "real" cheesecake. 

Just for the record:  I love them both............yum yum.

Alrighty then.  For Mother's Day I am making the hubs finish a project he started in the front yard.   I am going to finish my Week In The Life album.  I would have had it done but I ran out of the page protectors. 

Have a wonderful Sunday and thanks for stopping by.

Blessings, b.

got any grass, man?

Today we'll say goodbye to Inspired by Nature.  I really loved this set and I don't think I'll be selling it. 

I remember when we got it at convention one year and I kept joking with my buddies, "Hey man!  Got any grass?" 

Yeah well, I thought it was funny. 

Anyway, I was checking the ol' bloggerooni here and I have a few samples on it.  I made ALOT more projects with this set but it may have been pre-blog days.  So have fun with these oldie but goodies.




schedule needed now!





bag tags




baby fishies or fishy babies?





ha ha........kayaking






insert catchy title here.......






happy birthday dad!





home for good this time






Valentine's day continued......





stamping...........again?






butterflies and a bullet


I know I did do some cards that actually used the flower in this set but I like the grass better.  Its just so versatile. 


Okie dokie, I'm still working on my Week In The Life project.  I have all the pictures printed, just need to get it all together now.  I'll show you as soon as I get finished. 

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Oh yeah, I ordered the new catalogs today.  Let me know if you want one. 

Blessings, b.

While I'm busy................

.......stamping other things, I thought we could revisit some of the stamp sets that are retiring.  You know, just give them another hug and a squeeze before they go. 

Today, lets check out Season of Friendship.  This was a set I had alot of fun with. 






Bye Bye Birdie






Just call me Dr. Beth  this one just uses the snowflake.






 owlie birthday








stamping..........again?            


 




teacher appreciation week







lots to say, lots to say



I'm sure I have more on the computer but, because I have never taken the time to sort my pictures properly..........it would take me forever to find them.  So enjoy these for now. 

I also noticed that I tend to give my posts weird titles.  Well, I guess thats no surprise. 

Alrighty then.  I am working on getting my thank yous done for my MARCH online orders.  Sorry I'm so behind ladies.  Story of my life. 

And I'm working on getting my Week In The Life done too.  Wish me luck!

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I like the company.

Blessings, b.