Sarah's Graduation!

We are back from Utah.

Surprisingly, no one died in our car packed to the brim (yeah, I overpacked, sorry Kelsey!) We had snow outside and clothes, stinky shoes, 3 kids under 9, a teenager, and 2 very frazzled moms inside.  It was amazing to see my niece graduate with an RN degree.  I am beyond proud of her.  I am soo lucky because all my nieces are super successful and genuinely NICE people.

Challenges:
Art Impression: Winged Things
Freshly Made Sketches: The sketch
Dragonfly Journeys: Just Add Sequins.

FMS 328

I didn't have to work today so that means I had more time to play in my studio today.  I've been wanting to color this guy up since he arrived at my door.  I probably should have colored his boots a bit differently.  It kinda looks like he has leg warmers on!  But it's OK, he is ROCKIN' this 80s look!

I used the sketch over on the Freshly Made Sketch blog.  I liked it's simplicity.  I'm also joining in the "Going Green" theme over on the Dragonfly Journeys site.

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!

More Halloween Cards

I am sooo sick of all the drizzly rain.  Too cold and wet!  It IS the perfect excuse to stay inside and craft tho.

My second card uses the sketch over on the Freshly Made Sketch site.  I decided that the kids would like interactive cards and their sketch was PERFECT for a shaker card.

Despite all the card making (aka laundry, vacuuming and baking that I've avoided doing all week) I still have 10 more Halloween cards left to make.  Ugh!

I'm also entering the "Fall Colors" theme over on the Fab and Funky site and the "Trick or Treat" theme over on Cute Card Thursday.

At least I've had fun.

Happy Shaky, Shivery Halloween

I need 20 Halloween cards, so I'm off to make those (see I TOLD you that I would get distracted from finishing my Christmas cards!)  I decided to use a few of my interactive stamp sets.  This fun little guy is the Wiggle Wobble Skeleton Set from Art Impressions.  I wasted a few minutes entertaining myself by posing him in all sorts of different ways.  I got WAY too much entertainment out of him!!

I'm using the sketch from Fresh Made Sketches for both cards.  It was fun and looks so different with each one.

I'm also joining the Crazy 4 Challenges Saturday challenge.  They want to see interactive cards.  Boom.  Done!

My next card has mini-shakers.  I'm using another AI set: Quivery Mini- Shakers.  How fun are those scared little trick-or-treaters?!!

And since there is embossing on the first card, it satisfies the QKR Stampede challenge this week.  How many challenges can I join in with 2 cards?!!

The Allsorts challenge blog wanted to see wings.  There aren't wings on the skeleton, but there ARE some on my little piggy.  Not your typical winged thing but, I think it counts!

FMS304: More ... Wait For It .... Birthday Cards

Still working on my September birthday cards.  This is a From The Heart image.  I can't tell you how much I miss her talent.  Cancer stinks.

I'm using the sketch from the Freshly Made Sketches blog.  It was so cute and worked perfectly with this image.

My next card uses an Art Impression image: Elephant Slider Set.  As you can see ... I kinda went with a cupcake/ birthday cake theme!  Can you tell that I'm dieting and not supposed to be eating carbs, sugar, soda, and everything good in this world?!!

CAS cards

Clean and Simple cards ... are not my forte.  I kinda stink at them actually.  Sooo anytime that I can practice, I do.

This first card is from Freshly Made Sketches.  I'm still using my From The Heart pre-printed images.  This first one is A Little Something .

My second card uses the sketch from the Less is More blog.  I think I used to many layers for this one to be considered CAS but ... I tried!

My image is Nerd Girl Potion with a sentiment from There She Goes

Off to go make Guacamole for our Oscar Celebration party

January Gerda Challenge

Happy Martin Luther King Day!!

I'm spending mine: vacuuming, doing laundry, shoveling snow and posting all the cards that I made earlier in the week. Um, yeah, not much of a holiday for me.

Well, playing downstairs in the craft area isn't so bad but the others ... blah.

This is my take on the Gerda Steiner image for January.  It's a super cute one this month ... perfect for all those Valentine's Day cards that need to be made.

I used the challenge over on the Freshly Made Sketches site but didn't get it posted on time.  Bummer.  Oh well, I'll be more organized next week (I'm not holding my breath on that one!)

DP: Orange You Thoughtful

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas!  Ours was great.  One gift that I gave was so perfect for the recipient that I was giggling in anticipation (doesn't it make you happy when you pick the perfect gift?!!)

AND we found out that another baby is going to be born in July!  I am totally excited to be a Great Aunt again.  Unfortunately I will likely miss seeing this little face until Thanksgiving (I'm already planning to go to Utah!!) since she is due in July and our summer visit is locked in for June. (Sigh)

But in other news, I wanted to share the "Thank You" card that I made for the boys to give their grandmother.  I'm using the Doodle Pantry set: Cherry Nice Mice.

I'm also using the sketch over on the Freshly Made Sketch.

Wasting Time

I should be cleaning the floors or doing laundry but blah ... who wants to do that?!!  So I decided to join in the coffee fun over on Dragonfly Journeys.

For my first card, I used the sketch from the Catch The Bug site.  I love this image (tho the crystal effects distorted the coloring on the coffee pot.  It looks way better in real life).

My second card uses another Bugaboo image but the sketch from the Freshly Made Sketches site.  This site is dedicated to "clean" cards.  My card is not so clean.  I have too many layers on this card to count as "clean."  Oh well, it's a cute card anyway.

And now ... I suppose I should hit the laundry!

Back To School

I just finished up my youngest's "Back To School" card.  And not a moment too soon, he goes back on Monday.  We walked his schedule on Thursday and he was seriously nervous about going to Middle School.

   "Here Mom, quiz me on my schedule."
   "You don't have to memorize this, you know.   I've printed a copy and put it in your backpack."
He shot me a look of unbelievable disgust.  "Seriously?  Only geeks wander around aimlessly."

Alrighty.

I used the sketch over on the Freshly Made Sketch site.  I'm trying to be able to do a Clean and Simple look on cards but I struggle.  I do love my layers!

I'm using a Doodle Pantry set: Pencil & Paperclip Color plus.  It's incredibly versatile.

Sorta CAS and "Fresh"

I was looking at the calendar to help my youngest figure out how many days until his birthday (he swore that it was in two days -- it's in four)  But as I looked at the calendar I was stunned to notice that my anniversary is tomorrow.  Well crud.  I need a card.

This little cutie is destined for a niece so I'm headed downstairs to come up with something for the hubster.

I used the Freshly Made Sketch this week.  This card is pretty CAS for me.  I like layers and I did try to contain myself :-)

I'm using the Doodle Pantry image Honey Bear Birdie.

Desperate For A Distraction

If you watch the news at all, you probably know that Colorado is on fire ... again.

Believe it or not, this isn't my family's first rodeo ... we were in last year's evacuation for the Waldo Canyon fire.  If you want to read about LAST year's party, click here.

What I've learned is that you DO actually get better at packing the second time around.  And, it isn't any less stressful this time ... kind of still freaking out!  I still didn't have pictures of my the stuff in my house but my boys are calmer.

Right now, the fire is about 3 miles away and the evacuation boundary is within walking distance to our house.  I've been crafting up a storm right now to keep myself busy.  Initially I had a bit of a crying spree looking around my craft room but there is no room to pack it.  And, as I keep telling myself, it's only stuff and it can be replaced.


I'm including a picture of our stuff piled up ready to load into the car and also a picture of the ridge that separates us from the fire.

This card is one of the many projects that I made to distract myself.  I've also done 4 loads of laundry and vacuumed (those who know me, know that I HATE to vacuum, so I MUST be desperate!!) I used last week's sketch from Freshly Made Sketches that I never got around to using.

Missing Mojo

I don't know what has stolen the mojo but I am REALLY struggling to make stuff that I like. It could be a lack of sleep:  school has started, youngest son has football practice three days a week, and the year anniversary of my mother's death all occurred recently.

AND, if that weren't enough on my plate, we threw a puppy into the mix.  Meet Miss Holiday Go-Lightly aka Holli. She is busy with a capital B and loves to chew stuff that isn't hers to chew. Both darling sons have lost legos already (and as I typed this post, I glanced over to see her chewing on the youngest's football cleats, ugh!

She IS super cute tho (did I already mention that she's busy like a toddler on sugar?!!)

I made two cards yesterday and I hated this one the least. Oh OK, it's not completely terrible, I prolly should have chosen another sketch.  It just seems a bit ... plain.  I made this card to send to Eldon, the man who also loved my mom.  I just wanted to let him know that I was thinking of him.

Stamps: MFT