Bella

What a nice three day weekend. I cleaned house a little, exercised, sat at the pool and actually crafted a little. This is a simple card for a friend. It's double embossed - first with the cuttlebug and then with irradescent embossing powder. It looks pretty neat in real life.

Cupcake Card

Playing with Hello Kitty cartridge and a Tilda stamp. This is what I came up with. I sure wouldn't mind a giant chocolate cupcake just about now.

It's a beautiful day in Phoenix after all the rain this week. Only (lol) in the high 90's. Well it could easily be over 100. Already spend some time by the pool this morning.

Something new (finally)!

3 day weekends. Aren't they just great? Not only do we get to celebrate something great like giving honor to our folks in the Armed Services, but it's finally time to sleep really late and have the time to do some crafts.

Got the computer back yesterday; thankfully our local Data Doctors got it working again and improved it's performance.

This card is a copy of a beautiful card by Donna Mundinger. She was gracious enough to share her cricut cut file. The entry with info regarding this card is here: www.donnamundinger-popsicletoes.blogspot.com/2009/05/custom-crops-design-team-1st-post-free.html. Donna's creations are beautiful because she pop-dots everything for a 3d look. I've been wanting to scraplift her items for a long time and having the cut file finally made me do it.

I'm not a happy camper

Our computer died this morning - it won't boot up. So it's at Data Doctors being fixed, hopefully. I may go into a rage if they can't save it...my husband hasn't backed up the computer in a long time - pictures, finances, cricut files, you name it, the possibility of these things maybe not being recoverable is just making me sick. This after I bought him a backup system for Christmas that he hasn't used. Even worse - the "doctors" are saying they won't even have it ready for us until next Tuesday! So have almost a week to hear the prognosis. And no computer over the holiday weekend!

Let this be a lesson to everyone: backup your stuff regularly!

Some HM and friends Cards

Work is definitely getting in the way of crafting. I'm so busy that when I get home all I do is veg out. Haven't practiced my violin either!

So today was a beautiful day - forced myself out of bed, went to lo-impact aerobics at 8am and then had the rest of the day to do some things I enjoy including sitting out in the pool, baking cookies and actually getting a couple of cards done.

The lilacs with the bear are enhanced with flowersoft. It looks great in real life - gives some good dimension.

Playing with Hello Kitty

Am I the only one who hates Sundays? I got up early at 7am (which I NEVER do) and already it's 4pm and I've basically just been hanging out. What if I had actually been busy? Would it already be 10pm? I don't know where the weekends go.

So I'm just listening to my favorite country radio station and playing around with Hello Kitty. The cuts are just so darn cute. The larger image the card cut that will be for my niece and the small one is an embellishment I promised to make for a lady at work who loves Hello Kitty.

Here's to the day slowing down a little because I still have a lot to do today including practicing my violin for the first time in 3 weeks (shhh don't tell my violin teacher - my lesson is tomorrow!), doing some work (why do they give us so much you have to work the weekends too?), and just get ready for the upcoming busy week.

ATC up close and Happy Mother's Day!

My picture in yesterday's post, while pretty, just doesn't show all the detail. So just wanted to add a new picture.

By the way, we are having beautiful weather in Phoenix, for those not used to it you'll think me crazy for saying that it so so nice when you see what the temperature is.

It's right around 100 degrees, the sky is as blue as the background paper I used for the ATC, and the pool water is up to 85 degrees. Perfect combination. I just got back from lo-impact aerobics (my first class since before my 15 year old son was born) and about to go hop into the pool. I love it here!!

I hope you are all enjoying your mother's day! Around here everyday is mother's day. My husband and 15yo son are always great. And, they have really grasped the concept that "If mom's not happy, no one is happy" lol.

My first ATC's

I've been wanting to make ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) for a long time, but as usual had no ideas. I always mix up the words crafty and complicated. After going to a stamping store today and seeing samples of a couple of techniques, I put them all together and came up with these.

First I cut up a diet coke can and cut strips from it 3" by 1". Then cut each strip into approx 1" x 1" squares. Didn't really measure because I didn't want them exactly the same.

Then the messy part - I dropped lots of drops of alcohol ink on them and smushed it together with a paper towel til I liked how they looked. Then took them to my cuttlebugged and embossed them with swirls.

Created the scalloped blue backround with accent accentials. I really like the new hide contour feature in design studio. This was a frame cut, but hid the interial contour and got a nice rectangle which I stretched a little. The black swirl is actually from stretch your imagination...this was a tall rectangle with the swirl cut in the center, so I just hid the rectangle contour and just cut the swirl. There's some navy blue ink around the edges.

So the name of this set? Swirls, curls, cans and cubes. Even the name is complicated.

Crossing my fingers I can work it out

The great Michelle Zindoff (check out her blog - I have a link on the right side of my page) will be coming to Phoenix in January to teach her brayering workshops IF I can find someplace to hold those workshops. I'm very excited - if you have seen her artwork you can understand why. I learned my brayering from her tutorials with help from my friend Debbie (taz) long distance.
I have some shop hopping to do tomorrow and thanks again to Carole Beathe I have a good idea regarding to where to go and who to talk to since I'm so new to this world of stamping.
Watch this space for more updates as the year goes on.

Fun with Hello Kitty

I got a new cartridge after I was enabled by Carole Beath and all her beautiful little creations with this one. And I got a deal - only $30 on Ebay. I had about a 1/2 hr tonight and just couldn't wait til try it. Hopefully more to come soon. I didn't think I needed it, but all the little embellies are adorable.

Been very busy with work, and my husband is FINALLY getting over his pneumonia. He's still coughing and his clothes are too big (he thinks he lost about 7 pounds, I think he lost double that). But thankfully he's back to work, and last night he says he has his best night's sleep. Now to get the cough to stop before our vacation in 24 days (who's counting, not me!!)

Pain in the Butt

This is a fun little card I made for a friend's 60th's birthday. It says "What a pain in the butt". And you see a butterfly tattoo, a thong (well I think they literally a pain in the butt), and a boo-boo. The inside says "It's another birthday".

There are other similar ones on the cricut card message board, so I can't take credit for the original idea. :)

House Mouse & Friends Challenge #35 and Sketch Saturday #49

Being able to do one card for two challenges was great again this week! Although it was quite by accident. The HM&F challenge was a Feel better soon challenge and after I put the card together, I thought this stamp definitely fit the challenge. On the inside it says "A mother is "sew" wonderful".

My husband still has pneumonia and I worked a ton of extra hours last week. I'm still exhausted! He had been getting better and then had a relapse that was worse than the first time around. He has to go to Doc tomorrow, so we'll see what he says.

The Cuttlebug Challenge Blogspot blog candy!

I've been remiss getting this story on my blog - my husband has pneumonia and I've had to work 10 hour days this week! UGH! But I have to say that the Cuttlebug Challenge folks sent me a c/b embossing folder and some MS jewels just for advertising their scrapbook weekend - which is this weekend! I haven't had a chance to take a picture to post here unfortunately.

Have fun checking out new things on this National scrapbooking weekend! Click their link on the left side of my blog!

Mickey and Friends Cards

I hate that I haven't posted lately. My husband is just getting over pneumonia and I actually had a very busy weekend. Now that the week started, it's also very busy - I actually have to try to get some work done tonight too.

These are some cards I did using the Mickey and Friends cartridge. I really love doing the piecing work which is why I got this one even tho I have no young kids!

Another "old" HM card

Oops, missed this one when I posted the rest! Same story, different stamp. I did a reverse image of the second mousy from the first one, scanned it in and took out the heart so it looks like he is receiving the heart from the first one.

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This has been an interesting week to say the least. My DH is a teacher and this is the first time in his 7 years of teaching that he made it through the school year without getting sick, or so we thought! He woke up with a fever on Monday and very nauseous. Actually was going to go to school and I said in my best old NY accent - fuggetaboutit! So he stayed home. Woke up on Tuesday, still the same, altho not horribly ill, but I told him to go to Doctor - unusual for him to have a fever and it just so happened he passed a kidney stone (luckily no pain!) on Monday AM so we figured it was either a UTI, prostate or kidney infection since he's had them before with kidney stones. I call him up a lunch time and he's feeling terrible. Asks me to come home to take him to Doctor because he feels horrible and he's vomiting, and can't even get up to go. I get home and he's got over 103 fever! Yikes. Give him ibuprofen and ice him down so I can get him to the doctor. Well, turns out he has bacterial pneumonia!! How he got that, who knows, but good thing he went to doctor when he did because he progressively got worse during the rest of the day. He's on antibiotics now, and barely feeling better. Hopefully tomorrow's a better day. But, geez, next year, maybe he should get sick a little during the school year! Here's hoping me and DS don't get it, we have another 3-4 days before the incubation period is done!

House Mouse & Friends #34 AND Mojo Monday # 83

Two challenges conquered at once! Now that makes my life easier.

The HM&F challenge said to think spring! And the bunny and mouse eating a nice fresh carrot in the lavender (which is flowersoft) just made me thing of spring.

Cuttlebugged the background (don't you just love how cuttlebugged has become a verb?). Nestie for the sentiment, which is computer generated and the Fiskars treading water punch for the edging border. The lady bug is from a set of foam stickers in one of the Michael's dollar bins.

Look what I got today!

My friend Debbie, at Coastal Creations, gave me my very first little blog award today. I'm so happy my blog makes her smile. Especially since she does such wonderful work. Check out hers at http://www.coastalcreations.blogspot.com/.

So now I need to pass this on to the top 5 blogs that make ME smile. I'm sure this has made the rounds, but I want you to know anyway that you are some of my favorites.

Jeannie - www.aplaceformycards.blogspot.com

Carole - www.crayola58a.blogspot.com

Ruth - www.ruelysicreativecards.blogspot.com

Diane - www.capadiadesigns.blogspot.com

Kris - www.klcardcollection.blogspot.com

Sketch Saturday #47

Happy Sunday everyone. This was a perfect challenge to go along with April's MCPT challenge on the Cricut Cards messageboard. Changito stamp, MCPT, nestie for circle, rain dots for bubbles and some flowersoft.

Some more "oldies" - House Mouse (and friends)

Seems like there's many house mouse fans out there - and I certainly don't have all the stamps, but I'm building my collection. It's certainly my favorite brand so far - I love the details and how they look when colored. My biggest problem is that I haven't done too many more than once so far!

Some older cards

I've been crafting cards only since around August. I had gotten a cricut expression for my husband, who is a teacher, last April. I played with it for a while, but the only thing I really did was some vinyl lettering for our wall. I taught my husband how to use it who then went crazy! He did his whole class room in vinyl, he started up some scrapbooks for our vacations, etc. I tried my hand at scrapbooking, but just couldn't get into it - by then I had found the cricut message board - the cards specifically, and found a new hobby.

Turns out I learned alot from the message board. I learned I loved House Mouse stamps. And I learned how to color them with Prisma Pencils and mineral spirts.

I found out I had to have a cuttle bug! And then had to have every embossing folder made (well I don't have them all yet).

I found other websites and learned how to make gift holders too! I found out there were ALOT of cricut cartridges I loved and although I'm not great at using them, I can churn out some things when inspired.

I bought a sewing machine even though I never sewed before. And I love love love how it makes my cards look. It sits out on my dining room table all the time, and you can't believe how happy my mother is that I'm learning to use it before she dies.

I've continued to carry on with my stamping and learned brayering (if you scroll down through my blog you'll see some of my work!)

Maybe I'll put some more things in another blog on a day I get nothing else done.

I hope you like these little crafts of mine. :)