I bought a card !!! And a game of Tag

Sorry I have not posted, I was away in Ireland for a wedding. In rush of packing, I forgot the card I made! The horror, I actually had to go and buy one over there. We had a grand time, if you never have been to a real Irish wedding, it goes all night.

Anyways, no stamping to show you. Hopefully, I can get some things posted this week, when I recover and catch up on the laundry. I am looking forward to check in with my blogging sisters to see everything you have been up to while I was away :}

I was Taggged by Marilyn, I usually check on her everyday (she does some cool stuff) and she is so great about leaving comments!

So, here it goes:

1. 10 years ago- I had a 1 year old son and was coaching swimming for my full time job, we were still living in the same house we do now. I think I tried cross stitching as a hobby, it did not last.

five things on to do list:

1) arrive from Ireland to Boston
2) pick up boys from in-laws
3) un-pack
4) do some laundry
5) try to get some sleep and adjusted to time
(this is not a typical day for me)

snacks I enjoy: anything chocolate, chips and salsa, skinny cow ice cream sandwiches

things I would do if I was a millionaire:
hopefully have enough to send my boys to college (it will probably cost a million dollars by then),
build our addition and travel.

places I have lived:
Natick, Ma; Keene, NH;Las Vegas, NV; Franklin, MA

Now I need to tag some others, I know it's tough as most of you get tagged by others:
Janna
Mindy
Becky
Gwen
jenni

Rules of the game: just answer the questions above and then tag 5 more. Always good way to share others blogs :}

Look mom, no stamping!

At sketch 101 class this week, they gave us some card sketches to do. I have been crazy busy, so I apolgize to my blogging sisters that I have not been able to pop in and visit and leave any comments.

So, this was a really quick one, no stamping- I used rub ons. I got the inspiration for color scheme on SCS color combo- taken with teal, wild wasabi and white. I through in some rose red and pumpkin pie with the felt flowers. My belly band is crooked, as I scanned image quickly.

Also, if you haven't heard Stampin Up is getting into home decor. They are vinyl clings for your wall, doors, mirrors, cars, you name it- that can be removable. They will be available July 1st, contact me if you want a brochure.

Here are some cool pics I have seen some others already do some fun things with:

Scrapbook Saturday or Sunday

As I have mentioned before I am taking part in Sketch 101 scrapbooking class on-line. So, I hope on weekends to share some pages with you. I love the class so far as the layouts are for multiple photos, which you don't always see in magazines.

My son who started Karate 5.5 years ago, achieved one of his goals after much hard work and commitment to earn his Junior blackbelt. He loves Karate and plans to continue to be an instructor himself one day.

Not much stamping on this one- I used lovely labels alphabet and embossed it with black emboss powder. I used embrace life on title strip, as I thought it went with Asian theme. I just used star punches with brushed silver and gold cardstock for my embellishments and black grosgrain ribbon with some hodgepodge ribbon slides. (got use all my stash of it up before it retires).

Featured Friend Friday

This card was done by Suzanne Russo, she always has the best swaps. This set is from spring mini, which you can still order through the end of this month.

This one was a shoebox swap designed

by Judi Dugas. Again, another cute set
from Spring Mini catalog. It is also a gift

card holder- super cute. My scallops out using corner rounder could use a little work. I can't wait for new scallop punch promised in upcoming catalog.

Here is inside of card:

a sketch to get me started

This the sketch challenge 181 on SCS today. I am on a sketch roll...My son's team is in the playoffs and I needed to get some thank you cards done for coaches.

Simple sketch, so easy to do a quick one. The color scheme is based on their team colors- the Cubs.

BTW- whoo hoo the Boston Celtics are World champs!!! Now I can get to bed a decent hour.

Boston is a great sports town!!!!

2 challenges for a wedding

I am going to a wedding in Ireland next week. I have pondering a card and looked at SCS challenges for a jumping off point. The color combo was soft sky, kraft and basic black. I was not sure I could pull it off for a wedding card until I saw tlfstamper's card, under the sketch challenge 180. She used grey combos instead of kraft and black but it was one of those magic moments when I said "a ha", I know what I can do now. The dazzling diamonds look better "IRL" but did not scan well in picture.

card recipe:

stamps;year after year, short and sweet

ink: black stazon, versamark, soft sky (to watercolor)

paper: shimmer white, black, kraft, soft sky, spring silouettes dsp

access: silver embossing powder, ticket corner punch, vintage brads, dazzling diamonds

retirement list is here

The Stampin Up retirement list is here for Spring Summer Catalog. You can view the retirement list here

I am excited for new catalog and convention! The new catalog is like waiting for Christmas for me. At least I can start thinking about convention swaps now.

So, if you have any favorites on the list now is the time to buy as their are limited quanities available. I am offering free shipping if you make your purchase by June 20th!

This is a card I made awhile ago using one of my favorite sets that is on retirement list-unfrogettable. It also uses background canvas and wheel. sniff, sniff..... going to miss it.

I have been scrappin

I can't believe I have not posted and just caught up on some of my blog roll friends. Crazy busy with end of year school stuff and just life in general.

However, I am taking the sketch 101 class. I must say I love working off a sketch for scrapbooking, it goes so much quicker. Lately, my scrapbooking has taken a back seat to card making. So, I challenge you to do something- new technique, new fold, new color scheme. So, good for creative juices.

Anyways, here are two of our assignments this week.

tip I used on baseball page: I used my 1"circle punch to make scallop edge on side of page, just attached onto back.

tip here: I used my heat and stick powder

on top of craft ink, heated then dumped

glitter on to chipboard piece.

#2- I also used my punches to make circle

punch outs for my title.

casing swaps

This is another card we did at shoebox swap. It was actually one of my favorites designed by Jess Hudon. I have been having a crazy week between work and help organizing a lot of end of the year activities at school. Note to self, stop volunteering for stuff!

Anyways, it is almost the end of school and I needed some thank you gift card holders. So, I decided to copy Jess's layout and voila, 4 fast gift card holders. I just used a dimensions of 5.5 x 10 and scored at 4.25 and then 1.75 up from bottom to make pocket for gift card. Sadly, do not have defining your life (maybe after my SAB rewards). So, I used "thank you" from fresh cuts set that is on special this month.

Father's day craft with second grade class

This is a project I did with my son's second grade class for Father's day. This is my sample, using my 5th grader's picture. Super easy, just take 4 x 4 designer paper and cover with glue stick and adhere to coaster. Use sticky strip or double sided tape to attach dsp to binder clip. Embellish how you like. Super easy project for 8 year olds.

Not my original idea, saw it on SCS and then we did at a demo meeting. The kids did well with it and we made a card.

Featured friends Friday

Hello, I have been crazy busy help organizing end of year activities for my kids school. Plus had two stamping classes this week, and working on Father's day project for my son's second grade class for next week. So, I have not got a lot of personal stamping done this week. Luckyily, it's Friday and I have some more shoebox swaps to show you. Hopefully I get right demo name right with card.

This card was created by my convention roomie Barbara Lash.

This one was done by Jen Cowart. I don't use this set that much anymore, but makes me want to take it out again.

This one was done by Amy Varnerin. I loved doing the dry embossing technique with brass template. It's a little addicting. She also had us do it just by feel, no light box needed (easy with this circle template). It makes it a much cheaper alternative. But I do love my bug!

Fresh new stamps!

I have been pretty good not to buy any new stamps sets, waiting for retirement list and new catalog!!

But this Fresh cuts set is a sneek peek from Fall and Winter catalog and is on special this month for $21.95 and you can get great pack of laser cut fresh set note cards (15) for $5. Host a workshop in June that earns $400 in sales and you will recieve this set and note cards for free. Contact me today, if you want to book.

I loved this set when I saw some great photos from the cruise, so decided to snap it up when I could.

I did a little playing and came out with two cards:

This one, I decided to just use top base of card and put it on a 5 x 5 card, so I could mail it.

Tough to tell by scan, but I used soft sky for background stamp and then wild wasabi for base. I can't seem to get away from this color combo.

I added a rhinestone brad to center. I am thinking I probably should have paper pierced around outer edge.

This one I used pretty in pink and basic gray color combo. I saw on Dawn Griffins blog to use post it notes under the lazer cut flower image so you could stamp flower without getting it on your card base.

So, much fun! I have to come up with some fun color combos to keep playing.

Yeah a scrapbook page!

As I mentioned in my last post I joined the sketch 101 class on-line. This is one of our preview sketches. For those who don't think they can scrapbook, having a sketch makes it so much easier to have a direction to go with, same as a card sketch. For me, limiting my pictures is my struggle. I like a sketch that gives you picture size and how many to use.

This was of my son's first communion. I used my new favorite paper of the moment spring silouettes. I even got a flower on a boy page, using my pretties kit.

I am hoping this class will get me caught up as I only have completed pages through Halloween.
Still time to sign up here.

busy circles

A couple of my SUO blogging sisters are part of stamp something blog. They post challenges every week so it is a good place to go to get creative juices flowing. This was sketch last week and I knew I wanted to use "so cool" set with this circle image. I used my marker on stem sayings trying to get curve on other circle. I used paper from simply scrappin "Summer days"

It seems a little busy to me, the sketch had a lot of elements to get in. It is not my favorite, but it was fun to play along and stamp something.



I also joined got sketch 101, if you are familiar with got sketch blog this is an on-line scrapbooking class starting June 9th and runs for 3 weeks. I am hoping to kick my scrapbooking butt into gear as I am so far behind. Beyond just sketches, there is forums, class notes, and place to display your work. Plus, you can complete it on your own time schedule. It has not even started and we have gotten 2 sketches already, a fun project and meet some really talented people. So come join us!!!