Five Question Friday!! - October 29, 2010

1. If you could be a fly on any wall, which would you choose?

I'd LOVE to be a fly on the wall of - not any one place specifically, BUT I'd like to be there when some people make weird decisions so I could hear what they were thinking... and how they justify their craziness. :)

2. Do you budget your Christmas shopping or just get it done without budgeting?

I try not to budget, but in the past 2 years have made many Christmas gifts for family, so I guess that is a form of budgeting. Special people always are given a little extra without regards to money, but as per their requests/wants/needs.

3. What is the craziest fad diet you have ever done?

It had to be the grapefruit diet. I didn't like grapefruit as a kid, but discovered the Ruby Reds as an adult, and took advantage. It didn't work, of course... anyone who knows me can tell I'm not a dieter!

4. Is there a TV show that you have seen every episode/season of?

M*A*S*H - I've been CRAZY for that show... oh, seems like FOREVER!!! Gotta LOVE Alan Alda as Hawkeye. At the beginning of the show, with just a few words and the opening shot, I can tell you a synopsis of the episode. I use a lot of the lines from the show in daily life, AND when the boxed set came out on DVD, I was surprised to find 1 episode I never saw. My husband couldn't believe I know the show so well, but after 8 years, he just asks... "What's this one about?" :)

5. What one song always pulls at your heart?

Lady in Red from Chris DeBurgh - for very special personal reasons from college! :)

Your comments are always appreciated!
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Five Question Friday!! - October 22 (on the 23rd)

1. Who is the better cook, you or your spouse?
I am DEFINITELY a better cook than my husband! If he cooked, we'd have noodles, hot dogs, and frozen food!

2. How often do you talk to your mom?
I talk to Mom quite often... some times it's 3 - 4 times a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. It depends what's going on, or if something exciting has happened that I just need to share with her.

3. Are you adventurous in the kitchen or stick to the recipe?
I always stick to the recipe the first time I make something, and then I deviate using more of what we/I like, and fiddle with amounts. At school this past week they served something I'm trying tomorrow with no recipe. We'll see how it turns out! I'm sure it will be good!!

4. Is your second toe longer than your big toe?
Yes - just by a little bit!

5. Do you dress up for Halloween? (Bonus question: What will you be this year?)
I wish that when I dressed up for Halloween they had such great costumes as they do now! I suffered from lack of imagination as a kid... and ended up as a ghost every year. :( Not very imaginative, but we still got candy! Now I enjoy watching all the kids dressed up.

Your comments are always appreciated!

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Kitchen Sink Crew Challenge #28 - Part 2 Matchboxes

I bought the matchbox die this past month, and finally had time to play with it today while I'm enjoying our vacation time.

I used the 3 step Pumpkin stamp set and dimensionals to help the pumpkin vine trail down the side of the matchbox stack. I got my new Memento inks today in the mail, Thanks, Maria, and I had to play!!



Here's a better view of the top of the matchboxes. I used Cantaloupe, Tangelo, and Tangerine SU ink to stamp the pumpkin, and 3 colors of the Memento ink to stamp the vine: Pear Tart, Bamboo Leaves, and Cottage Ivy for the tendrils. I really love that sparkly pumpkin cardstock from DCWV, and had a few 'scraps' to use. This project was perfect! I think I'll add a few pumpkins popped to the base.


Here again is a better view of the top pumpkin and vine trailing over the edge. It really is cute! I think I'm going to send this one to my Mom. She'll LOVE it!!


Your comments are always appreciated!
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Kitchen Sink Crew Challenge #28

I'm entering this card into the KS Crew Challenge this time. Makiko's Trick or Treat Challenge sounded like way too much fun, and I LOVE using my new pumpkin stamp set!!

At the Houston workshop, Makiko provided us with cardstock that was already 'colored' around the edges. I wouldn't call it distressed since this looks much more refined, and I like the style very much.

Connie, one of the other KS Crew members told us how she made her very, very pretty bows! I've been playing around with those since we got back, and found a way to make them, too!


Here is the inside view of the card.


I used lots of inks since the pumpkins are some lighter, and some darker - as you know, no pumpkin is ever identically colored!!

One trick I did discover - when stamping the faces, I used a double stamping of More Mustard to get the background 'yellow', and then the black face on top. It really gave the look of depth.

I used some of my DCWV paper for the sparkly pumpkin background and used the Pumpkin Harvest embossing folder on the other side.

Your comments are always appreciated!

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Wedding Card for my Cousin!

I'm SO excited for my cousin Jon! He's getting married on Monday to a very sweet girl named Olga. My Mom and sister have told me much about her, and Bennie and I are excited to meet her soon!

I've made several versions of this wedding card since the summer, and like it SO much! It's definitely my favorite. They should have the card and gift we sent along by the weekend.

I'm so sorry we couldn't be there, but we definitely will be thinking of them both on their special day!


This is the inside view of the card.


I used a 5 x 7 card base, and 3 Stampin' Up sets, I {Heart} Hearts, Teeny Tiny Wishes, and Salutations along with my Silver Brilliance ink to stamp the silver hearts on the background.

Your comments are always appreciated!

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Kitchen Sink Stamps Houston, Texas Weekend!

I was so fortunate as to be able to go to the Kitchen Sink Stamps workshop offered in Houston over the weekend of October 8 and 9! As soon as I heard they were going to Houston, I made the hotel reservation, and told hubby to take the weekend as vacation!!!

We used to live in Houston - so it was great to go back to some of our old haunts and revisit the city. I really loved it, and it felt like home... my husband was very happy to leave on Sunday morning and head back to our current home! :) Oh well!!

We were fortunate enough to be able to use some of the newest yet unreleased Kitchen Sink Stamps, as well as meet the 'Maker' of the KSS stamps! After all our email conversations, I was way too excited to meet Maria!!! The rest of her design team was FANTASTIC!!! We were ooh-ing and aaahhh-ing at all our new discoveries... and I know they loved hearing it!!

These are three of the amazing projects they planned for us!

Here's the cowboy hat and gloves set. SO perfect for Texas!


Here we are again using the hat. Makiko designed this adorable bookmark for us - and everything worked fantastic! The hat fit perfectly, and she had inked each one of the pieces for us to stamp on which gave it such a wonderful effect! "Thanks, Makiko!"


Here we're using 2 of the newest stamp sets together - and working with a masking technique. This is actually one of a pair of boots on the stamp set, with bluebonnets in the background. My table partner and I decided to add the butterfly for effect. We were experimenting with ink colors, and different layering techniques.

The best part about receiving the Bluebonnets stamp set, is that nobody knew how crazy I am over bluebonnets!!! I've got pictures here on this blog from our last trip down to Houston showing TONS of bluebonnets in the fields near the roadways! :) :) :)

There is ONE MORE project we did over the 2 days! Lynn designed a 3D gift box that includes the 2 boots. It has some really adorable embellishments. That picture will be coming soon!!!

Your comments are always appreciated!
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Kitchen Sink Stamps - "Snowman" Pumpkins

This isn't a scary Halloween card, but I did see this in Houston at the KSS workshop, and had to play with these images!!


I added a scarf using the leaves and vines and at the bottom, added some of the pumpkin blossoms simply so I could see what they looked like stamped using different colors and strengths of inkings on the stamps.

They really are WAY too much fun!!!

Your comments are always appreciated!
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Kitchen Sink Stamps - My New Stamp Set!

Well, one of many, at least!!!

I was able to attend the Kitchen Sink Stamps workshop in Houston, TX over the weekend of October 8 and 9... and had absolutely the BEST time!!!

I learned lots of new techniques, and ways of using inks I would have never thought of, THANKS Maria, and the team!!!



I loved the harvest set as soon as I saw it, and was able to purchase it at the workshop. Here's my very first stamping made into a fall/harvest card. Wait until you see the apples! They're really amazing in the bushel baskets!

Don't you think the hay bale looks real?


Your comments are always appreciated!

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Cards for Soldiers 9/7 to 10/22/2010

This Cards for Soldiers Challenge was to create Thanksgiving and Christmas cards! You might already know this, but Christmas is my very favorite holiday! I love everything about Christmas... the colors, the holiday season, the shopping, and especially the lights!!

I made 40 cards for this challenge - here are some of my favorites. I used a template by one of the other CFS Queens - a 3 sheet wonder!



I have some really amazing Christmas cardstock, so I got some of it out and started playing early with Christmas cards. :)










Your comments are always appreciated!
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Stampin Up Club Cards - September 2010

This is one of the new sets from Stampin' Up's Holiday Mini. The stamp set is called: Day of Gratitude. It includes 7 stamps - the leaf is used on the next card!

For this card, we used the new Cajun Craze color, and inked with the Early Espresso on the edges. The Top Note die is used to cut the matted piece.



This window card was only a little fussy to make, but it's SO pretty!!!
We stamped the leaves from the Day of Gratitude set in 4 colors, hand cut them, and then mounted them in the 'windows' we cut from a separate piece of cardstock. We used dimensionals to lift the cardstock to give the window effect.



Your comments are always appreciated!
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