Happy Halloween ~ Love, Mummy

Happy Halloween stampin' friends!  Any spooktabulous plans for tonight?  My kiddos will be hitting the neighborhood later tonight dressed up as...well, I'm really not sure what they are!  My older boys came up with their own costume of skinny jeans, a skater shirt and a mow hawk stocking cap...so, I'm calling them Rob Dyrdek!  Neither me or my husband are thrilled with their love of this look, but it could be worse, right?!?!?  I'll be sure to post pictures :-)

 

I always love to pack a special treat in my boys' school lunches on holidays and this is what they will be getting today...

Mummy treat bag toppers for Muddy Buddy snacks!

 On the back I created a little tag in MDS that says Happy Halloween ~ Love, Mummy.

I'm sure some day they will be embarrassed to have these packed in their lunch boxes, but I'll keep making them special treats for as long as I can!

 

Wishing you and all of your little pumpkins (or hooligans) a safe and Happy Halloween! 

 

Happy Stamping!!



I Wanna Go Back...

...back to the beach! I absolutely LOVE the Oregon Coast and cherish each and every visit  we make there.  We were lucky enough to squeeze in one more trip to Pacific City a couple of weeks ago with a great group of friends from my hubby's work {C} shift.  We had big plans to catch a ton of crab and have a big feast when we all got home, but our plans changed a little...Stick with me, this may be a bit wordy, but it's all part of my MDS page today.

 

Yep, that's our boat...off the trailer in the middle of the freeway.

And this is our car...which the boat was attached to at the beginning of our trip.  This is what happens when you aren't paying full attention while driving.  We had slowed down for a car that was stopped in the middle of the freeway, trying to get over to the other lane to exit (who stops in the middle of the stinking freeway?!?!), the truck behind us slowed down, but the car behind him did not.  That car swerved into the next lane, hitting another truck, spinning him sideways and straight into us.

Before y'all freak out, my entire family was ok as were all other people involved!  But let me tell you...I was freaked out!  I've only ever been in one other wreck before and it was pretty minor.  Being in a wreck with your entire family in the car, on a bridge, in crazy Portland traffic was a bit scary.  One of my twins was pretty shaken up and had hit his head, but was ok.  My other twin, who was in the very back seat was pretty freaked out that the window broke out, but was thankfully unharmed as well.  My two year old never made a sound and seemed to have no clue as to what was going on...a true blessing.  My hubby was a true hero and dealt with all the chaos on the outside of the car while I stayed inside the car with the boys...for 2-1/2 hours, on a bridge, in crazy Portland traffic.   All I can say is thank goodness for cell phones, Kindles and iPods!  It took all I had to hold myself together and not break down in front of my babies, but I did it.  Once we got a tow truck for the boat, we drove our car to an area body shop where my husband spent another hour+ on the phone with the different insurance companies involved.  We decided to rent a car and carry on with our trip as planned...we had made it this far, all unharmed, so we were going.  Our dear friend Rocky met us at the auto body shop, took some of our gear that we could not fit in the rental car and we were back on the road.  We finally made it to the beach about 8:00 that evening and were so happy to see our WWFD family and food!

The next morning I could not wait to get down to the beach for a run!  This is what I was welcomed with...

Clear, beautiful skies with the moon still shining, fresh ocean air and the sound of the waves crashing.  As my feet hit the sand all of the emotions I held in the day before came pouring out.  I'm not sure how long I stood there and let the tears fall...but when I was done I felt even more blessed, refreshed and at peace again.  And this is why I love the beach...No matter what life throws my way, this place takes all my worries away.

 

We may have lost our boat and are without our car for a few weeks, but my family is all ok and we ALL had a great time on our trip...even if we didn't catch any crab :-) 

 

Thanks for sticking with me through this long post!  I'm always reminded in times like this how therapeutic blogging can be!

 

Happy Stamping!

 

All Layered Up ~ Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration

Good morning and Happy Tuesday!  The fabulous Design Team over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration is WOWing everyone today with some layered creations.  Sometimes clean and simple is the best, but other times adding multiple layers can really make a card say WOW! 

 

I created a pretty simple card but adding the extra layers of paper and ribbon really dressed the card up. 



Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Eastern Elegance DSP

Ink ~ Coastal Cabana

Stamp Set ~ Feel Goods

Other Supplies ~ Dress Up Framelits, Circle Framelits, Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder, Rhinestone Basics, Linen Thread, Subtles Collection Buttons, Summer Starfruit Stitched Satin Ribbon, 3/8" Coastal Cabana Ruffled Ribbon

 

This sentiment is one of my all time favorites...it is so inspiring and motivational.  There are so many things in life worth fighting for and if you put your mind to it you can make anything happen! 

 

Now head on over to see what the rest of the talented design team has for you today...you're sure to be WOW'ed!

 

Happy Stamping!

 

 

Blingy Birthday Wishes

Happy Monday Stampin' friends!!!  I finally found some time to play in my craft room yesterday...YIPPEE!!!  I feel like I'm a little ahead of the game again...club cards all ready to go, Design Team cards are caught up and I still had time to stamp for fun. Well, all stamping is fun, but you know what I mean, right? 

I love me some good challenges and the sketch over at Fab Friday and the color and cake challenge over at Friday Mashup got my creativity flowing!  The Mashup challenge is to create a cake project with the colors Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Smoky Slate and Basic Gray. 

 

Pair the two challenges up and here is what I came up with...

 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, I Am Me DSP, Eastern Elegance DSP

Ink ~ Smoky Slate, Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry

Stamp Sets ~ Make a Cake, Sweet Essentials

Other Supplies ~ Chevron Punch, Epic Day Washi Tape, Silver Glass Stampin' Glitter, Rhinestone Basics, Basic Gray Bakers Twine (SAB 2013)

 

I wasn't sure if I could pull all of these elements together, but I kind of like the end result. I have a few friends having birthdays this week...who will be the lucky recipient of this card?!?!?

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for another creation!

 

Happy Stamping!



Getting My Mojo Back!

After our car wreck last week, I've been a bit stressed and been in a creative slump :-(  But I finally found some  of my creative mojo this morning thanks to the Mojo Monday sketch!  It felt good to get in to my craft room bright and early this morning and stamp!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Smoky Slate, Island Indigo, Whisper White, Silver Foil, Winter Frost DSP

Ink ~ Bermuda Bay, Smoky Slate, Pool Party, Island Indigo

Stamp Sets ~ Christmas Messages, Festive Flurry

Other Supplies ~ Festive Flurry Framelits, Label Bracket Punch, 3/8" Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, 1/8" Bermuda Bay Taffeta Ribbon, Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder, Rhinestone Basics

 

I love how therapeutic stamping can be...this is why I LOVE my hobby!!!  I'm looking forward to spending some time in my craft room this weekend!

 

Happy Stamping!!!



Curly Paper Wreaths for Christmas ~ Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration

It's two for Tuesday...two posts that is!!!  I almost missed the bus on my post for SSINK, but I got it done just in the nick of time!  Whew!

Today I'm sharing with you two fun and easy Christmas wreaths.  Curly paper wreaths!  Have you tried making one yet?  If not, what are you waiting for?  They are so easy and so much fun! 

 

Chose your favorite 12x12 DSP and cut it into 1/2" x 12" strips 

Using a bone folder (or any straight edge) curl each strip of paper

Adhere curly paper strips around a circle foam wreath (found at your local craft store) with straight pins

Embellish as you wish

Voila!

Supplies Used:

Season of Style DSP, Gold Foil Paper

 

This next wreath is a CASE from the amazingly talented

Alana Wharf.  I loved her Joy banner and just had to make one of my own! 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Winter Frost DSP, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Whisper White

Ink ~ Bermuda Bay

Stamp Set ~ Festive Flurry

Other Supplies ~ Island Indigo Bakers Twine, Bermuda Bay Taffeta Ribbon, Frosted Finishes Embellishments, Stylish Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Festive Flurry Framelits, Typeset Alphabet Bigz

 

I had hopes of getting a Thanksgiving one done in time to post today, but it didn't happen :-(  Be watching...I'll get it finished and posted soon!

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Happy Stamping!



I Freakin' LOVE Monstermaniac ~ HSS 171

Happy friends!  It's Tuesday and that means it's time for another Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge!  This week we have a sketch for you to play with!  So grab a cup of coffee, some paper, stamps & ink and join in the fun :-)

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Old Olive, Whisper White, Brights DSP Stack

Ink ~ StazOn, Bermuda Bay, Old Olive, Melon Mambo

Stamp Sets ~ Monstermaniacs, Yippee-Skippee (MDS)

Other Supplies ~ Bermuda Bay Taffeta Ribbon

 

I wanted to use this cute sentiment from Yippee-Skippee, but I was too lazy to get out my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line things up just right.  Sooooo...MDS to the rescue!  In just a couple of clicks, I had the sentiment just the way I wanted it and I was all ready to stamp my cute little monster!  If you haven't seen the full Monstermanics stamp set, you MUST!!!  They are all so cute!!!

 

Be sure to check out what the rest of the design team has for you and be sure to play along!

 

 

Denim, Ruffles and Lace ~ Monday Montage

Welcome back to another Monday Montage!  Thanks for joining us again...If you are just joining in, be sure to hop all the way through so you don't miss out on any of the creations...you're sure to be amazed!  If you've just come from Amy's blog, don't you just love her style?!?!

 

Today I'm sharing a card I made for my mom's friend Shanna.  Anyone who knows this amazing lady will know that this card is so Shanna...she has a fabulous sense of style!  I'm not a frilly girl (kind of hard when your the momma of 3 boys!), but I really had fun making this card.  And guess what?  I didn't even stamp on the outside of this card!  The DSP had just the right images on it...love it when that happens!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Night of Navy, Very Vanilla, Etcetera DSP

Other Supplies ~ Baked Brown Sugar Ruffled Stretch Trim, Crochet Trim, Denim Jean Ribbon, Linen Thread, Very Vintage Designer Buttons, Delicate Doilies

 

Doesn't this card have a romantic feel to it?  Reminds me of an old western romance novel...denim, ruffles and lace.  *Sigh*

 

Thanks for hopping along with all of us again! 

Now  either skip on back to Amy's page or hop ahead to Cathy's page....just be sure to make the full loop so you don't miss out on any of the amazing creations this time around!



It's All About the Candy! ~ Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration

Happy Friday to all my stamping friends!  Halloween is coming up quickly and I always like to have fun little treat bags or boxes for my boys and a few other special kiddos in my life.  I'm always looking for new ways to package these treats up and not use the same 'ol thing every year!  The INKspiring crew over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration has some fun ideas to help you package up sweet treats for your sweets!

I've seen a lot of cute fry boxes lately, so I decided I would try to make one. I'm still fine tuning some of the measurements, but this one didn't turn out too bad!

 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Witches Brew DSP

Ink ~ Pumpkin Pie, StazOn, Daffodil Delight

Stamp Sets ~ Halloween Hello, Oh Goodie!

Other Supplies ~ 1" Circle Punch, Postage Stamp Punch, Label Bracket Punch, Pumpkin Pie Taffeta, Linen Thread

 

Other than fussy cutting out the actual box, this went together really fast and makes for a cute treat box!  I plan on getting a few more of these put together so they'll be all ready for my Halloween kiddos!

 

Happy Stamping! 

 



Deco Lable Framelits, Dahlias and MORE!

This week's Weekly Deals include some amazing products!  If you don't have any of these fabulous items, grab them while you can!

I have a quick card for you today using some of these products...take a look and see which ones you can find!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Raspberry Ripple, Whisper White

Ink ~ Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit

Stamp Set ~ Regarding Dahlias

Other Supplies ~ Deco Labels Framelits, In Color Dahlis, Basic Pearl Jewel Accents

 

Be sure to hop on over to Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration for some more great INKspiring ideas using some of the Weekly Deals!

 

Happy Stamping!



Bite Me!

Ok, I'll admit it...I wasn't thrilled with this sentiment when I first saw this stamp set, but the more I see it used, the more it grows on me.  Not sure that I would actually say "Bite Me" to someone, but for a Halloween card with a creepy, crawly spider, it kind of fits :-)

I gathered my inspiration from Muse and Fab Friday for my card...

 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink ~ Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Basic Black

Stamp Set ~ Bite Me Photopolymer

Other Supplies ~ Brights Candy Dots

 

See...all stamped together, this sentiment isn't so bad after all! 

 

Happy Stamping!



Thankful ~ Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Sketch

Good morning and welcome to October's card sketch for Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration!

 

Have you had the chance to get your hands on the Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit?  The pretty birch paper ribbon used on this card is included in the kit and I absolutely LOVE it!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Early Espresso, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Birch Paper Ribbon (kit), Sweater Weather DSP

Ink ~ Crushed Curry, Sahara Sand, Early Espresso

Stamp Set ~ Truly Grateful

Other Supplies Expressions Thinlits, Linen Thread, Stampin' Distress Tool

 

I have to say, I am very thankful this morning to be able to walk down my stairs to my office/crafting room...I am feeling every last one of those miles I ran yesterday ;-)

 

Be sure to check out all of the other great creations from the SSInk Design Team and don't forget to post your creation too!

 

Happy Stamping!



Running on Faith

Happy Sunday stampin' friends!  I'm a little late getting a post up today, but for good reason!  I was a busy running a half marathon with my hubby this morning...my 5th, his 1st!  I was really hoping to complete the race in 2 hours, but came in a little slower...2:05:58, which is a new PR for me, so I'm still totally happy with my time.  And I'm even more happy with the fact that I came in just 6 minutes behind my hubby...WOOT! 

I don't know about the rest of you runners out there, but I am always a nervous wreck the day before and day of a race, so I did all that I could yesterday and this morning to keep my mind off of the race.  Some of those things included carving a new stamp with my Undefined Stamp Carving Kit.  I'm no artist when it comes to drawing, but I've been wanting to carve a running shoe for a while, so I gave it my best shot!  Not great by any means, but still fun!  I had carved my signature running girl shortly after Convention, so I added her to the card as well.  I don't like how the card itself turned out and will re-stamp it later.  This is what I worked on this morning before the race to help calm my nerves.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Night of Navy, Whisper White, Calypso Coral and Night of Navy Core'dinations

Ink ~ Night of Navy, Calypso Coral, VersaMark

Stamp Sets ~ Gorgeous Grunge, Undefined Stamp Carving

Other Supplies ~ White Embossing Powder

 

I also created an MDS page this afternoon, post-race, as I let my tired legs recover :)

The sketch came from the Simply My Digital Studio Facebook weekly challenge...I love how Kimberly and Heather help keep me moving forward with my MDS creations! 

 

Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to stop by again!

 

Happy Stamping and Happy Running!

Burlap and HOOT! ~ Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop

 

Thank you so much for joining us for the October Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad  Blog Hop! This month we are focusing on the Fall season. It’s the time of year when fireplaces start crackling with warmth and we dig out our sweaters. This month’s blog hop will showcase many of the Stampin’ Up! products that are available to make  Autumn themed creations. We hope you enjoy seeing how we use the products to create our projects and feel inspired to come up with some great projects of your own.

You should have just left stop number 13 on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad blog hop –Heidi of Stuck on Stampin'.  If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn’t work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below. 

 

I've been on a wreath kick the past few weeks, so I have a fun fall wreath to share with you today!

My cute little owl (which survived a little play time with my new puppy) was made using MDS and my Silhouette...love that machine!  I created an svg file in MDS with an enlarged Owl Punch, transferred it over to my Silhouette library and cut him out!  The colorful layers were made with the Large Scallop Edgelit.  And the flowers...oh how I love the Burlap Ribbon and Cotton Ribbon Flowers!  I may not like using the spritzers on the banners, but they are AWESOME for dying the ribbon.  I embossed some of the Antique Brads and In Color Boutique Details with gold embossing powder for the center of the flowers, added a few leaves cut out with the Autumn Accents Die and voila! 

 

Here is a close up of the burlap ribbon flowers... 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Garden Green, Gold Foil Paper, Early Espresso, Island Indigo, Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Basic Black

Ink ~ Island Indigo, Perfect Plum, Pumpkin Pie

Other Supplies ~ Burlap Ribbon, Cotton Ribbon, Antique Brads, In Color Boutique Details, Gold Embossing Powder, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Circle Punches, Large Scallop Edgelit

 

While I was cutting out the bigger owl for the wreath, I decided it would be fun to cut out a smaller card size owl too...

 

My house is now fall ready and this cute little owl happily greets all my guests at the front door!

 

Happy Fall and Happy Stamping!

 

Next stop in the hop is Anastasia. 

 

Blog Hop Participants:

1.  Pam S. of Stampin' in the Sun!

2.  Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet

3.  Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place

4.  Jennifer C. of Happy 2 Scrap 4 Life

5.  Cynthia R. of Ink-a-Doodle Creations

6.  Jamie H. of Unique Ink

7.  Kim R. of Stamping with Kim

8.  Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya

9.  Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana

10.  Annie L. of Love Me Card

11.  Rose C. of Stamp with Rose

12.  Heidi B of Stuck on Stampin'

13.  Bree R. of Craft-somnia

14.  Anastasia R. of Stampin'Blondie

Frosty, Foggy, Festive Flurry

Do you know what day it is?!?!?  It Freshly Made Sketches Day and Jen T has a great sketch for all of us to play with!

The frost on the ground and fog filled skies this morning inspired me to pull out some Christmas stamps and have fun with this sketch...

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Smoky Slate, Island Indigo, Whisper White, Winter Frost DSP

Ink ~ Smoky Slate, Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Island Indigo

Stamp Sets ~ Festive Flurry, A Banner Christmas

Other Supplies ~ Festive Flurry Framelits, Island Indigo Bakers Twine, Frosted Finishes Embellishments

 

I've been in denial that winter is on it's way, but I embraced it this morning and was happy to pull out my warm, fuzzy Uggs and sip on some pumpkin spice tea.  Bring on the snow!

 

Happy Stamping!



Toil & Trouble ~ HSS170

It's time for another Color Challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments! I just had to create another fun Halloween decoration for my house with these festive colors!

Supplies Used~

Paper ~ Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango, Garden Green, Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black

Ink ~ Tangerine Tango, Garden Green, Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black

Stamp Sets ~ Toil & Trouble, Gorgeous Grunge, Off the Grid

Other Supplies ~ Rhinestone Basics, MDS Halloween Banner Kit

 

 I am LOVING my Silhouette!!!  I used it to cut out the skull and crossbones....spooktabulous!!!!

 

Be sure to check out the rest of the fabulous design team creations and don't forget to play along!

 

Happy Stamping!

Colors of Fall ~ Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Color Challenge

 

Happy Monday!  Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration is kicking off the week with this months Color Challenge and these colors called for a pretty fall card!

 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango, Elegant Eggplant, Champagne Glimmer Paper

Ink ~ Gold Metalic

Stamp Sets ~ Gorgeous Grunge, Label Love

Other Supplies ~ Autumn Accents Bigz, Artisan Label Punch, Linen Thread, Woodgrain Embossing Folder

 

Be sure to head on over to Stylin' Stampin' INKspiraiton to see what the rest of the design teams has to INKspire YOU to CREATE!

 

Happy Stamping!



Washi, Glitter, Burlap & BOO ~ Monday Montage

Welcome back to another Monday Montage Hop!  Fall is in full swing for most of us and Halloween is right around the corner!  I decorated my house for Halloween and was happy to add a few new creations to the mix, which I am happily sharing with you today!

First up is my Burlap & BOO wreath for my front door.  I had an image in my mind for a wreath and I was pretty darn excited that it turned out just as I had imagined it!  And I will tell you that I absolutely LOVE the burlap ribbon!!!  Creating the burlap flowers and stenciling the polka dos was so much fun :-D  I had even more fun breaking in my Silhouette to cut out the {very} delicate spider web that I transferred from MDS. 

Supplies Used:

Ink ~ Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black

Other Supplies ~ Burlap Ribbon, Build a Banner Kit (stencil), Halloween Banner Accessory Kit (buttons), Witches Brew Designer Washi Tape, MDS (spiderweb)

*The BOO letters came from a local craft store*

This next project let my craft table, me and my poor dog covered in glitter, but it was a lot of fun to make!  I saw some cute Washi pumpkins in a Halloween craft magazine a few weeks ago and could not wait to create my own!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Silver Glimmer

Witches Brew Designer Washi Tape, Sticky Strip, Black & Orange Stampin' Glitter, Silver Glass Stampin' Glitter

My house is now complete with all of my Halloween decorations!

Now skip on back to Amy's page or hop ahead to Cathy's page....just be sure to make the full loop so you don't miss out on any of the amazing creations this time around!