More Cosmo

Here are some more Cosmo Cricket cards. As you can tell, I LOVE all the new lines! :-)

This first one uses Lil' Man.


How about a Snorkel party??? Or are you ready to just chill?


These are made with the Everafter line.


I hope you all have a great FRIDAY! :-)

Unity Stamp Company Hip Hop Thursday!

Happy Hip Hop!! Remember, START at the Unity blog so you can get all the deals of the day AND don't miss any of the Hop! :-)

Don't you just love the new FEEL THE JOY by Lindsay? So elegant and simple. LOVE IT!!
So, what brings you joy? That is the topic of the day!

This is what brings me joy................
1. My boys (Jason, Jordan, Maxwell & Calvin)- It is hard to imagine that I used to live without these guys. Each one of them touches my soul in a slightly different way and makes me a better person. I admire all 4 of them and cherish the moments that we laugh together. My boys bring me joy.
*Maxwell, Jordan, Calvin & Jason on Martha's Vineyard, MA

2. Peace- I love when things are calm and supportive. Some of my most memorable and favorite moments in life are when nothing happened.....when life just was. Peace brings me joy.
*Maxwell playing football in the backyard (a daily occurrence in spring, summer & fall)

3. Adventures- Although I love those peaceful moments, I still like to travel to new places and see new sights. Whether it be hopping on an airplane to a new destination or loading the boys in the car for a long weekend, I like to experience and see what is out in this amazing world. Adventures bring me joy.
*San Felipe, Mexico

4. Learning/Teaching- I get so excited and enthused when someone learns something new, including myself! I don't think that we are ever to old to stretch our minds! Learning brings me joy.
*I can't post a picture of my students..so I thought that this was close enough! :-)

5. Nature- I am a low maintenance gal. I LOVE bugs, plants, and most things that grow. I have a garden, have been known to play with cockroaches, and LOVE fungus. Good thing I married a mountain man! :-) Nature brings me joy.
*Camping with my boys.
Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, JOY!

Today, most of the peeps are showing off the February Kit of the Month! Isn't it GORGEOUS??
I am straying from the pack and sharing some oldie but goodies.


This one uses the fun & funky Hullabaloo. Hot pink and sunshine yellow! Get out those sunglasses!


I dug up this sentiment from the Bliss & a Birdie June Kit Of the Month. I LOVE that kit! I went a bit crazy with my arrow punch. :-) I ROCK!


Nope, it isn't 1970....just getting a bit RETRO with the retro border. Seriously, does this make you want to listen to Janis Joplin or what?


Just a simple card. It uses the 'my star' from the This is the Time miniature kit. I love that touch of blue.


This last one uses the retro circle boogy & the striped boy. Have a Hip Hopping Thursday!!

Now hop on over to ..........BROOKIE!!!

Check This Out....

Hi there! I received my Cards March 2009 issue today! It is chock-full of inspiration.

Here is one of my cards published in there.

Do you see all the Cosmo Cricket Jack's World yummies? Paper & rub-ons and some Stampin Up twill. So simple! :-)

L'Amour

Love.
I love simple and today is simple! Mostly, I will be hanging with the new KING of the house, Calvin. He found the avocado pit in our king cake last night! :-) Jason happily passed on the crown and title. Good times! I love my boys! They are continual reminders to live one day at a time...just soaking it all in.

Here is a simple card. It uses the Lizzie Anne Designs L'Amour set. I added some flourish chipboard stickers to the tail and BUTTONS. I know, I am completely destroying my reputation. :-)

Stamps: L'Amour
Ink: memento
Paper: PTI cardstock, bittersweet pp
Accessories: bittersweet chipboard, may arts ribbon, buttons

Don't forget to sign up to win some Unity on Cath's Moxie Fab World blog!

In other exciting news............STAMP IT! Cards is on the shelves! YEAH!! Post a comment on the Paper Crafts blog to WIN a copy. :-) I saw it at my local grocery store. I still can't believe that one of my cards is on the cover (do you see gratitude=joy?) AND there are more inside..surrounded by card making divas! :-) A huge THANK YOU to Paper Crafts! :-)

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

Yeah for Tuesday!! This week, the JBE Challenge is a free for all! Anything goes! :-) We would love for you to play. If you upload to SCS use the keywords: JBE041

I decided on some Fancy Pants About A Boy patterned paper and the Love Birds stamp from Memory Box.

Stamps: love birds, heart flutter
Ink: ranger distress ink
Paper: about a boy pp, PTI cardstock, SU basic black
Accessories: nestabilities, cuttlebug just my type folder, janome sew mini, basic grey brad, icons rhinestone stickers, copic marker, offray ribbon

Ready to be inspired? Check out the other DT girls!
AJ Otto
Beth Thomas
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jennifer Buck
Jill Dunn
Kimberly O'Rosky
Kisa Peters
Lindsey Botkin
Lynda Benden
Melissa Bove
Michelle Woerner
Rachel Baird
Shannan Teubner
Taylor Usry

Monday, Monday

Thank you very much for your sweet thoughts and prayers. They mean a lot!
I stayed up way too late last night and occupied myself with stamping. It is great to have a such a constructive hobby! :-)

Another Monday means another Monday challenge! This week we are using some 'Moxie Fab' Unity! Did you see Cath's post here? :-)


Stamps: Love In the Air
Paper: Snorkel dp, PTI cardstock
Ink: ranger distress ink
Accessories: janome sew mini, PTI ribbon

This one uses the Unity sketch by AMBER! Be sure to play along! :-)

Stamps: Shine On!
Paper: Girl Friday dp, PTI cardstock
Ink: ranger distress ink
Accessories: PTI ribbon, slit punch, button (crazy, I know)


Stamps: Floral Feather
Ink: ranger distress ink
Paper: Everafter dp, PTI cardstock
Accessories: PTI ribbon, flowers, slit punch, black rhinestones, janome sew mini, buttons

Be sure to check out these FAB GALS: AJ, Amber, Brooke, Jeanne, Jennifer & Jimmi

Everything Is Temporary

Crazy how we sometimes need a little reminder. This weekend was a busy one.....coordinating VSN, submissions to write-up, calls to make cards for, paint and trim for my bedroom, prepping to teach class Monday night, planning Art Night & adding more games in the Team Math bin at my son's school and trying to get things stamped, or at least planned, for the week. Now, it is not so busy. Things will wait and go on without me for a few days. Everything is temporary and sometimes we need to just breathe.


My Bachan. My grandmother. Isn't she beautiful? This picture is from her 88th birthday this last fall. Today she finally rested and is at peace, painfree.

Crazy FOR...............

STAMPING??? Well have I got just the thing for you! :-) Virtual Stamp Night (it really should be called Virtual Stamp Weekend!) STARTS tonight...........5pm EST to be exact! The challenges will run till 11pm tonight and then pick up tomorrow at noon EST till 11pm EST. That is a ton of challenges!!! AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE PRIZES from some of your favorite companies.....UNITY, Jacksonbelle, Lizzie Anne Designs, My Favorite Things, Scor-Pal, Gina K, Little Paper Shop...to name a few!!!! Just upload your cards to the SCS gallery with the right keyword by Sunday at 10pm to be eligible. Remember...you don't have to do ALL the challenges but the more you do, the better chance you will win some goodies!!! :-)

Here are some more Cosmo Cricket cards to get you motivated....:-)

Playing with some Snorkel.....


Ever After & Girl Friday!


I will see you in the VSN forums!!! :-)

Hip Hopping Thursday!

Happy Hip Hop! I am so ready for a day of fun! :-) Did you check out all the deals on Angela's blog? If not...don't forget to hop on over there!

I am still playing with some of my new Unity sets!!
I just love this one, Love In the Air. One of my students just had a baby boy! I can't wait to give this to her.

Recipe:
Stamps: Love in the Air
Ink: brilliance
Paper: PTI cardstock, marrakech dp by Basic Grey
Accessories: SU ribbon, marrakech brads, marrakech chipboard stickers, white signo pen, jamone sew mini, paper piercer

I inked up the Linden Branch on this card. I sewed some wavy stripes all along the card. Note to self: don't sew the entire background if you plan to cover 3/4 of it up!

Recipe:
Stamps: Linden Branch
Paper: Pink Paislee dp, SU basic black
Ink: memento
Accessories: janome sew mini, black gems, offray ribbon, netabilities

I think that this single, 1 2 3 4 Thousand Cupcake Calories, is one of my all time favorites! These guys are the perfect cupcake height! :-) I made this card in honor of my friend & fellow VSN coordinator, Jennifer Buck. Happy Birthday, girl! :-)

Recipe:
Stamps: 1, 2, 3, 4 Thousand Cupcake Calories
Ink: memento
Paper: Porcelain dp by Basic Grey, PTI cardstock
Accessories: Porcelain chip stickers, porcelain brads, heidi swapp cherry bling, SU slit punch

Before you head out...let me share a before and after shot.

BEFORE


AFTER

Isn't that a HUGE improvement??? I just love these Little Monkeys!!! You can find more info on this great product HERE> They were the perfect solution to my crafty disaster! :-)


Now hop on over to the ULTRA talented, JOSLYN!

Simple Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! Here is a quick card that uses the L'Amour set from Lizzie Anne Designs. I love the black thread on this one. :-) I hope you all have a great day!


Recipe:
Stamps: L'Amour
Ink: white craft
Paper: PTI cardstock
Accessories: janome sew mini, offray ribbon, prima flower

Jacksonbelle Tuesday Challenge

Morning! I took a wee bit of a break around here. I was busy working on some projects and we put in some new flooring in our bedroom. I hope that you all enjoyed your Valentine's Day and long weekend! :-)

Today's Jacksonbelle Embellishments Challenge is to case the talented KIM! I picked this one HERE. Isn't it adorable? I kept the same basic layout but used some October Afternoon. Kim has a fabulous tutorial on the JBE blog so be sure to check it out!


Recipe:
Stamps: October Afternoon
Paper: PTI cardstock, October Afternoon
Ink: memento
Accessories: PTI ribbon, copic markers, SU scallop punch

Ready to be inspired? Check out what the other DT girls did with Kim's creations!

• AJ Otto
• Beth Thomas
• Heather Lee-Reppen
• Jennifer Buck
• Jill Dunn
• Kimberly O'Rosky
• Kisa Peters
• Lindsey Botkin
• Lynda Benden
• Melissa Bove
• Michelle Woerner
• Rachel Baird
• Shannan Teubner
• Taylor Usry

Fun Friday

So, do you notice any changes around here??????? A huge shout out to Veronica. She did a fabulous job remaking my blog! What do you think?

ALSO....did you notice a VSN blinkie to your left! Yep, VSN is coming up soon. A SHOUT out to DENISE for her magical work with that and our VSN banners. She is just the sweetest most talented peep around!! :-)

Other differences............

• I decided to make a different blog to list my publications. I left the link on here but thought my list was getting sort of tacky! ;-)

• Also, I added a 'chat' box to the left. Please feel free to ask questions or make comments over there. Fun stuff! :-)

Now, here are some more Cosmo cards.
Everafter

Snorkel

Lil' Man

Girl Friday

Hip Hopping Thursday

YEAH! TONS Of new RELEASES & FUN today! Be sure to check out all the info on the Unity Blog HERE!
Isn't this Patchwork Petals image so fun?? I love it!!

How about this adorable Love In the Air kit?

This one uses the new Rain & Flowers kit.

Now hop on over to the sweet & talented, Patter. :-)

Lizzie Anne Wednesday

I seriously can't believe that Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Although I am anxiously ready to welcome spring and all that comes with it, I am not excited that the year is flying by.

Today, I am sharing a couple cards that use L'Amour set from Lizzie Anne Designs.

Stamps: L'Amour
Paper: Honey Pie pp, PTI cardstock, velum
Ink: brilliance
Accessories: may arts ribbon, janome sew mini, Honey pie strip tease


Stamps: L'Amour
Paper: PTI
Ink: regal rose
Accessories: American Crafts Thickers, may arts ribbon, rhinestone sticker, copics

Oh, Happy Day!

Right? Today is Jacksonbelle Embellishments Tuesday! :-) We are following a fun sketch for today's challenge.

I am sorry for the late post.....sometimes I just can't seem to get it all done. I came home from teaching class last night at around 9:45pm and was just beat.

Paper: PTI cardstock, Snorkel pp
Accessories: basicgrey buttons, SU punches, PTI ribbon, Snorkel journal elements

Don't forget to check out what the other talented peeps created:

• AJ Otto
• Beth Thomas
• Heather Lee-Reppen
• Jennifer Buck
• Jill Dunn
• Kimberly O'Rosky
• Kisa Peters
• Lindsey Botkin
• Lynda Benden
• Melissa Bove
• Michelle Woerner
• Rachel Baird
• Shannan Teubner
• Taylor Usry

To make up for my tardiness, I decided to share some other cards with you! Am I forgiven? ;-)


I used Lil' Man paper on this one.

DON't FORGET..........you have until tonight to take advantage of the Jacksonbelle Embellishments SALE! 30% off STORE WIDE! NEW LIZZIE ANNE DESIGNS, COSMO CRICKET, MEMORY BOX, Melissa Frances Products & Prima...all on SALE!!
Promo Code: Feb30

Monday & More....

Today's Monday challenge is to make a card AND more. It could be a tag, bag, envelope, or something else....as long as it goes along with the card. I went for a little treat holder. Granted, I don't own anything sweet! I filled a small acetate bag with some nuts. :-) I also used Amber's Unity Sketch #14. That girl is TALENTED! :-)

Recipe:
Stamps: Be Owl Mine
Ink: ranger distress ink
Paper: American Crafts dp, PTI cardstock
Accessories: scallop punch, mm staple, pretties kit, love charm, rhinestones, trim, ribbon, copic markers

Be sure to check out the FAB 5: AJ, Amber, Brooke, Jeanne & Jennifer

Not So Scrappy Sunday

Okay...I didn't scrap this week. Please forgive me! Let me, instead, inspire you with some more Cosmo Cricket! :-)

How about some Ever After?


Or Snorkel?


Maybe you are in the mood for some Lil' Man?


Here is some Girl Friday.....