Warm Wishes

I finally participated in a SFYTT . It is the first time I actually tried. I have no idea what took me so long. It isn't my best card, or colored great, I just felt like trying. I am trying to get my stamp groove back. I used to stamp all the time and this past year I kind of pushed it all aside. I collected stamps like fine china to be looked at but not used. Not sure why, I just did. I am once again enjoying stamping. I think I started stamping around 7-8 years ago . I was trying to remember when I got the stamping bug and I think it was just before we moved to Cedar Park in 2002 or 2003. It started with an invitation to a Stampin' Up party. It took me about 3 more parties to start collecting supplies. I still have that purple Stampin Up Black ink pad from my first party.

Now I am a paper collector. I love all 6x6 paper packs , especially Basic Grey. I also love 8x8 paper packs from October Afternoon. I am sure there are others in my collection but those are the main ones. Oh and PTI LOL. I wish I had known I was going to become a color er along the way, I could have saved a ton of money on ink pads. I rarely use my colored ink anymore. I am torn between selling them all and holding on just in case I start using my solid image stamps again. I am rambling now... Good thing no one reads this blog LOL.

Cooking up Some Love challenge

Another Challenge from MFT... Let's Picnic. Finally figured out how to use the rolled flower die and I love it! I also used the wood paper I got from TCP as a sample. I stamped the picnic basket and then cut it out and coloered it with my copics. pretty cool stuff but it does want to curl after its colored. paper is from October Afternoon Modern Homemaker. Cute stuff. Having fun stamping again.

Great Catch

WoooHooo, on a roll again. I have a ton of stamps I have never used and I am determined to get inky. Another MFT , this time Fred Bear. I tried to use my copics to get a water color effect. It looks better in person. Paper is from Basic Grey Wonder pad. New Die from MFT as well.

Whale Of a Friend

Look, I stamped...it's a miracle! I cleaned off my stamp space so i can mess it up all over again. Image is from The Cat's Pajamas. Paper from PTI.

Name tag

Simple name tag using A Muse alpha set, The Cat's Pajamas die, SU scallop border punch, and spellbinders nestabilities. Paper by Cosmo Cricket Material Girl. I would have needed a giant name tag to use my screen name "Gamblemom". I tries every way I could think of to add it but decided to just use my real name. Getting excited now that I am finished getting everything prepped.

Doorprize Austin Area Shoebox swap 2010

Well here it is. Nothing fancy and mostly store bought. I was not a good planner this year. I put off making my door prize until the last minute. I ended up altering some wooden coasters from KaiserCraft by painting and covering with papers from Basic Grey Jovial line, then varnished them. I sanded the base to distress it. Then I made a skinny lined notepad from PTI, covered with more Basic Grey papers. Then I made a matching RSVP pen. I bought the Jovial paper pack and matching brads and the BoBunny family alterable album. The tag is just decorating the gift bag everything goes in.
I wish I was one of those eenlightened creative people that come up with all kinds of cool gifts for door prizes. Oh well. I would want these things if I won them so I went with it. In fact I bought myself the paper too LOL

A couple of cards I forgot to post

My Austin area shoebox swap card. MFT Little Loveosauras, PTI papers, and die cuts from MFT. Cuttlebug folder for the textured background.

My dad's birthday card from last month. Another MFT card, paper pieced.

Birthday Wish

 I am on a birthday card roll, a slow uphill roll, but I am atleast rolling. MFT a'la modes cling stamps and Basic grey Hey Cupcake paper. great combo. Enjoy!

Birthday Bunny

I just love this stamp from The Cat's Pajamas I could color it all day. I am currently going to be posting birthday cards because I am way behind on August birthdays. Sheesh! Everyone is born this month, it's June all over again LOL. June was another birthday month for us. Anyway, hope you like it.

Stamps: TCP Forget about the cake set
Paper: Basic Grey Olivia, PTI white, SU kraft
Ink: Copic markers and mommento ink
Accessories: MFT Die-namics open scallop, SU oval scallop punch and oval punch, SU ribbon,Prima flower, SU courderoy button

A quickie that wasn't so quick

I started to make this card for my husband and really wanted to use the new dies from MFT. It looked simple enough in my mind. When it came to execution, well, that was another story. It turned out okay if you don't look at it too hard LOL. Squint your eyes, it looks better that way. The brads are all wrong but as usual it was too late to remove them. I wanted brown buttons but couldn't find 2 that looked the same and were the right size.Should have left it alone. Oh well. He will like it. It isn't floral and frilly. I like floral and frilly and glitzy and blingy.

PS: the tools won't let me align to the left and so everything is going to the center. Not sure what I did to cause this strange blogging situation.

Magnetic solutions

I have a problem, I am a closet stamper. No really, I stamp in a closet. I have run out of room big time. I am always looking for a new better way to store stuff. My dies are the biggest problem for me right now. I normally use CD cases for my nestabilities but some just don't fit. Now I have MFT and TCP dies to find storage for. I won't use them if I can't get to them easily. My solution is this. I bought a big magnetic craft sheet, stuck it on my wall with push pins, and voila'. Problem solved, well sort of. I need another one LOL.I have room for one more higher above this one. It won't be as convenient up higher, but it will work. I like everything to be at my arms reach. Funny thing is when I was putting these up I found some I didn't know I had. Oiy! I gotta get out of the closet someday.

PS: I got the magnetic sheet at Hobby Lobby. It was rolled up in a tube so I stuck it on the side of the fridge overnight to get it to lay flatter. It wanted to buckle a little at first from being rolled so long.

So Sorry

I really hate needing to make cards like this one because it means something sad has happened to someone. A dear friend of mine lost her father this week after a prolonged illness. I hope it brings just a little comfort to her in her time of grieving.

Stamps: SU So Very, SU Bella Toile
Ink: Chocolate chip, Versamark Dazzle
Paper: Basic grey Capella, Plum, Mellow moss SU blush

Wedding anniversary tin

My In-laws are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday. We are having a big party for them. I decided to decorate a tin to set out for people to put cards for them in. I will set it on the table with the guest book that we have for the guests to sign.They can store them inside for later as well. Very simple design. SU retired LeJardin papers.

Birthday Texas style

I needed a quick birthday card for my nephew and pulled out this stamp from Texana designs. I just love to color those cactus. LOL. The Birthday stamp is from Stampendous. The paper is from SU, a retired paper pack that I have lost the name for. Colored with copic markers.

Wild Thing

Look, I stamped again! It's a miracle! No not really. It just means all the summer re-runs have started on TV and all I have is time on my hands. Plus I have a ton of people in the family needing gifts this month. I really adore this image from MFT. It's just so cute! Imagine my delight when I discovered that I had the Archaic paper pad from Basic Grey! It has dinosaurs! Hooray!

Stamps: MFT Little Loveasauras
Ink: Su artichoke, mommento cocoa, Colored with Copic markers
Paper: PTI white, SU artichoke, Basic grey Archaic
Accessories: Copper brads, Making Memories, SU oval punch, May Arts ribbon

PI Fairy Girl

Basic Grey Kioshi papers combined with SU Plums. May Arts ribbon, Basic grey brads, Smooch applied to wings on wand.

RAWR

 Another new card. We have a ton of birthdays in June in my hubby's family. Trying to get them all done before the actual date. I already missed one. Used the new Die-namics grass die and cloud die set. Basic grey origins paper again. MFT Felt. Colored with copic markers. The sketch is from MFT June sketch challenge on SCS.

A little graduation stamping

I decided to make a money holder for an upcoming graduation, all graduates want money. Having just been through graduation with my own child last year I know that is what everyone really wants. College kids eat alot of ramen noodles and peanut butter so they can go out on their money. LOL.Here is is.

I used the new MFT Pure Innocence Book In Hand set and Basic Grey pattern Paper from the 6x6 pack Origins collection. Colored with Copic markers. Also used the new Grograin die-namic from MFT. Hope you like it.

*someday I will get my light box set up for taking pictures again.

PS: I totally forgot to mention the graduation cap she is wearing, it' not part of the PI MFT set, it is actually from an MSE set I have had a few years. I just stamped it, colored it and cut it out. added it using a deminsional glue dot

Texana designs

Oh lookie, I remembered how to stamp LOL.I know I am out of practice but I really do love to stamp so I am trying to get back to it as much as I can. Yesterday I went to a Make n Take at Lonestar Retreat Center for Texana Designs. I met the owner JimmyeSue I realized I already owned several of their stamps and decided I needed more. She also reminded me that I own some Twinkling H2O's to water color with. I always forget that there are so many different ways to use all the stuff I have accumulated over the years. I sat down and worked out this little card.

Stamps: Texana designs stamps on cover, Deadbeat design sentiment on inside
Paper: SU creamy caramel, chocolate chip, vanilla, Pattern paper is retired SU
Ink: Versamark, Twinkling H2O's
Accessories: Judikins embossing powder in chocolate twinkle, watercolor brush, May arts ribbon

Mother's Day

I am trying like crazy to stamp again but I have a 12 week old puppy that I am baby-sitting until the 12th of may when my daughter gets out of school. She is finding things all over the floor in my stamp room and it's driving me crazy! Buttons! Scraps you name it she finds it.

Hi I am Sunny...I am naughty!

KOTM Time again

Seriously cute images this month. Really happy and just my style. I am so behind on stamping my KOTM's that it's like they are brand new to me everytime I open my binders evn though they are months old now.  I am trying to enjoy my favorite hobby more. Lately I have let my health get me down in the dumps and it's a shame. I need to snap out of it.

Paper: Cosmo Cricket Material girl, PTI Ocean Tides, SU So Saffron, PTI white
Ink: Mommento Cocoa, Colored with Copics
Stamps: Unity KOTM February
Accessories: A Muse twinkle stickers, deminsionals

Where have I been?

I have been on a little trip. I went to see my dear friend Jody Morrow in New Mexico for a few days. It's been a very long time since we had a friend weekend and I feel like we deserved one! My son had off from school for the first three days in February so I packed him off to grandma's house and took off. We had a great time hanging out, sight seeing, gambling, stamping , and talking up a storm. We went to White Sands, Riodoso, and El Paso. We shopped and ate and did I mention gambled? There is a casino in Riososo called Inn of the Mountain Gods. I loved it! I got to play a few slots and win a little, then lost a little more, but had a great time. here is a picture of me throwing a snow ball outside the casino.

Don't looked at my wind blown hair...I didn't know it looked like that when she took my picture LOL. On the way home we stopped at the Pistacio farm claiming to have the worlds largest pistacio. Another photo op.

Look how small I look *grin* I bought some super hot chili flavored pistacio nuts for my hubby that are too hot to eat LOL. The garlic flavor ones were a hit and are already gone. As is the pistacio toffee and pistacio crunch that I bought. Yummy!

  The next day we went to White Sands National Park with Jody's kids. We watched them slide down the dunes on their disks. It is crazy how beautiful the sand is in the middle of the desert.

Can you see the snow capped mountains in the background? I think it's beautiful there. I wish I had my whole family there with me. Maybe next time.

Before I left I made Jody a little gift set. It had socks, a cold gel eyemask, chapstick, chocolate, nail polish and bath salts.

 Tomorrow I will show off some of the cards i made in New Mexico.

  I always enjoy stamping with Jody.

Karen

Hero Arts Good Fortune

So while I was at Archivers the other day, I had a coupon burning a hole in my wallet. I saw this on the Hero Arts display and thought, ohhh that is cute! Then I bought it! She is so so cute! This is just a simple little card that I paper pieced together while I had out my SU DS paper pad. Hope you like it.
Stamps: Hero Arts Good Fortune Clear set, A Muse sentiment
Paper: SU Bashful Blue, Black, PTI White, SU DS paper
Ink: Momento Black
May Arts ribbon, black mini brads

It's a Boy

One thing I continuely struggle with is baby cards. I don't really buy baby stamps. All my friends are past the baby making stage. But once in awhile I need one. My daughters BFF's sister is expecting any day now and she needed a card. Today was the last day to get it made. After spending 20 minutes going through stamps I discovered this cute little plane and banner from Unity. It's was in the October KOTM. Then I decided to add the sentiment from AMuse. Woohoo! A card was created.

Stamps: Unity Wherever you go October KOTM, A Muse, SU sentiment inside
Ink: Mommento black, colored with Copics
Paper: Bashful Blue, Barely banana, SU designer series paper, PTI white
Buttons and twine

Basic grey Wisteria #2

Card number 2 from yesterday.
Stamps: 5th Avenue Floral, Upsy daisy
Paper: Egglplant, black, Basic Grey Wisteria pattern paper, PTI white
Ink: Versafine Hydrangea, bordering blue, plum, mommento black

I am back!

It's been a long time since I stamped and I almost convinced myself that I no longer could make anything crafty again. Almost! I had a little medical issue that put me in the hospital for 8 days over Thanksgiving and took another month to recover. Then of course there was Christmas. So no more excuses. it's a new year and time to get back to my favorite hobby! My friend Brenda(sassybee) talked me into dragging a suitcase full of supplies and meeting her and some of her friends at Archivers to use the workroom. I scrambled around and finally did it. I forced myself to use one pattern paper pack and coordinating cardstock and several stamp sets. I normally can't work that way because I change my mind a million times and then I don't have the supplies I need. I did need to go buy a stampin'spot size ink pad while I was there and I desparately looked for some matching ribbon, but I couldn't find ribbon in the store that would work.  Had I been at home I know I would have had some that would have been perfect. Oh well. I made do and ended up with 3 simple cards that turned out just fine without all the extra stuff. I managed 3 whole cards away from home and out of my cave. That in itself was an accomplishment!

Stamps: Stampin Up Upsy Daisy
Ink: Black, Versafine chalk ink Hydrangea
Paper: Plum, Black, Basic Grey Wisteria, PTI white
Accessories: crystal mini brads