{Stamping is a Disease!}

This stamping habit is a DISEASE, I tell ya! A DISEASE! "How," "Why," you ask? Well, let me give you a perfect example of what us stampers go through ...

So, I've been keeping you all posted on the details of my room, right? Well, did I happen to mention that it went over budget? Yes, it did! I mean, I still have some old furniture from the "old" room that I am trying to sell on Craigs List that will help defray the cost a bit. AND, I did get 99% of the items in that room either 1) On Craigs List, 2) At discount stores, 3) At a thrift store, or 4) On a VERY good sale. So, I know that although I went over budget, I was still being very budget conscious. But, NO a new room is not enough! Now that it is all organized, I have to buy things to fill the room. lol ... No, I'm serious! Not just organizational stuff, but embellishments, paper, stamps, etc. There is a place for this stuff now, so I need to put things (even if they're new!) in their place! For example, I have a gorgeous and HUGE glass apothecary jar for my buttons. Well, it is only like 1/4 full. So, I tell myself that now I can justify my strong desire for my buttons because I actually have a place to put them now, right? Well, I have really tried restraining myself for a while now. But then, I heard that Oriental Trading is having a promotion for free shipping if you spend $60 (by the way, the code for it is RLS105 :D). WHY did I go look? hhhhmmmmm? What is wrong with me? I KNOW my room is over budget, I KNOW we owed good 'ol Uncle Sam WAY more than we had intended this year, I KNOW that the SU! retirement list is coming out July 1st and I should probably save for that, I KNOW that I just placed a yummy order with Purple Onion Designs, the new purse on it's way to me, I just bought some more ATG gun tape AND am waiting on a catalog trade. I KNOW all these things and yet ... I go look ... I tell myself that I just to see if the stuff I had been eying for a while is still there ... this stuff:

Vintage Buttons
Craft Buttons
Winter Buttons
Pastel Buttons
Bright Buttons
Plus/Minus Brads

(yes, that is nearly 3,000 buttons for those of you paying attention!) And, of course, it all is. So I throw it all in the cart. Oh darn, it doesn't add up to $60. Okay, I tell myself "no" and close the screen. I come back later, and nice people who built the Oriental Trading knew that it was a good idea if they saved my shopping cart for me (what a good sales ploy!). I start looking around some more, ya know, to see what other "good" stuff they have. Of course, I find plenty and my cart quickly adds up to a nice $61.50. Free shipping, here I come! I pull out the credit card and review my order. But then, sanity takes over and I tell myself "no" again and close the website ... again ... and close my wallet. Then, I start to justify the purchases to myself. I just had someone purchase some altered notebooks. I've sent the product, just waiting on the check ... that would cover most of this purchase ... the button jar really does need to be filled, and these buttons are SUCH a good deal ... the brads that look like the tops of screws are PERFECT for my "Power Up" stamp set, and Father's Day is just around the corner ... and I go on and one with some very good arguments. "Okay" I thought, bringing back up the website, throwing open my wallet, whipping out the credit card with a "tah-da!" and review my shopping cart once more ('ol reliable Oriental Trading STILL saved my shopping cart) and quickly place the order before I talk myself out of it again. I'm happy, I smile, and I do a little happy dance inside.

But then ... I remember the over-budget craft room and the yucky taxes that we had to pay, the fact that my rent goes up next month and that the car insurance bill that is due then, too ... and I feel yucky, bad and guilty.

Tomorrow, I'll probably be busy again and not think about any of it until I get my yummy package in the mail (approximately on the 20th), then I'm sure I'll start the "happy then guilty then happy then guilty" cycle all over again.


So, did that answer your question? Now you know why this craft is a disease!

Okay, please, tell me there is someone else out there who feels me on this ... anyone?

{Daily Window}


Do you like it? This is my new bag from Daily Window! This style is called the "Eight Days Tote." Isn't it stylish and classy? I really like it! Wanna know the best part? They gave it to me for free! All I had to do was pay shipping! Yes, it was REALLY free! In this day in age when "free" never really means free, it was such a nice surprise when I received it when it was as great as it seemed and really nice! So nice, in fact, that I went back and ordered 2 more! I ordered this one for both myself and for my Mother-in-Law for Mothers Day:

This one is a bit smaller than the one above, and has a zipper closure (the Eight Days has just a single magnet)! This one is called the "Urban Sport Tote." I plan on putting a card in the front to hopefully boost my card-making "business" (I say business lightly because I have only had 2 orders so far, and they were friends/family!). My Mother-in-Law runs a bridal alteration business so she will put a picture of a bride on the front. I heard some SU! demos say that a Mini Catalog will fit in the window of the Eight Days Tote - so really, this bag is perfect for *any* business. Actually, really, anyone! I can totally see a doting mother or grandmother carrying pictures of her kids or grandkids! My mother, I know would put a picture of her little dog, Pepper, if she had one. Yes, she has a beautiful granddaughter and another one on the way, but her heart belongs to her dog. lol ... Anyway, I just wanted to share my wonderful new find! If you have a chance, you should totally check out their website (linked above). Their products really are great and their customer service is wonderful!

Enjoy!

{Furniture Update}

Well, it has been a struggle, but I finally have more than just a desk in my room! The Ikea Expedit shelf that I mentioned below just would not work in my room. It was way too modern/contemporary for all my shabby and vintage pieces that I have. I ended up selling it back on Craigs List for $80, yes, that is a profit of $70 for those of you following! My Hubby said that instead of flipping houses, I was flipping shelves! hahaha

I found a decent hutch on Craigs List for $40, but it needed a good coat of paint. So, Hubby and I spent an entire Saturday sanding, painting, drying and more painting! It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. Oh, I decided to paint it purple - yes, PURPLE! It has a new lease on life now, and is so beautiful. My Hubby is so sweet to help me with it. Like I said, he sanded and painted right along side me, and also did some structural repairs to make it nice and sturdy for me. It was in good condition, but it was a tad bit wobbly. Since I am going to put my Big Shot on it, I needed it to withstand all the embossing and die cutting that I will be doing! I forgot to take pictures of it, so I'll have to show them to you later. I even have a before shot, so I can show you a comparison! :D

After putting the hutch in on the wall behind my desk, there was about 30 inches left, so I searched around, searched some more, and more, and then finally found a table that would fit there! I got this one from Target:
This is called the Country Drop Leaf Table. They claim it is distressed white, but in my opinion, it is not. There weren't any distress marks on mine at all. It is bright lacquered white to me (and easily scratched at that), but I'm over it! I was more concerned with the dimensions. It is exactly 30 inches wide on the sides that do not have the leaves. I can't tell you how hard it was to find a table with that dimension. The smallest I could find for a long time was 32 inches, which just would not work in my space. So, I was ecstatic when I found this table. The down side is that 1 of the leaves and the drawers are rendered unusable as the desk is wedged between the wall and my tall hutch. But, the plus side is that I get a 25 inch deep table that expands another 10 inches when I put up the leaf. Another bonus - when we eventually move, if I get a bigger room (here's hoping), this piece is expandable so I could potentially pop up both the leaves. The best part is that I was able to score this baby at 15% AND free shipping! Woo hoo! The original price was a bit more than I wanted to pay, but the discounts made it more bearable for me!

I also FINALLY found some black plastic Cropper Hopper Vertical Paper Storage holders, like this one:
Apparently, Cropper Hopper had discontinued the black ones (I guess making room for the new sturdier ones that they have, but at $13 each, I wanted the cheaper plastic ones) and all I could find were the frosted white ones. But, knowing that I was going to purchase white shelves, I really wanted the black paper holders. I don't really know why I had to insist on the black ones, but I did - I had to have black! Anyway, after days of searching (literally), I found some at Two Peas AND they had them on clearance! Double score! I scooped up 10 of them right away! I plan on using them for my Papertrey and patterned paper.

Finally, my latest purchase was the shelves that I had mentioned before (see here), the Madison Ladder Shelves from Target. I waited for a MONTH for these babies to get free shipping, but it hasn't happened. So, I took the 15% discount and ran with it! ;) I just ordered them today, actually - watch them have free shipping next week! hahaha I was going to try to hold out a bit more, but with all the other furniture in place, I am just ready to get my room back! I need those shelves to put my patterned paper, TV, embellishments, etc. It has been out of commission for a month! Shocking, right?! I've been going a bit nuts-o without my crafting space and I have a TON of projects that I need to work on. I think Hubby sensed this and persuaded me to stop waiting for free shipping and to just get the shelves already! I'm not sure if it was for my benefit or his, but either way, I'm just relieved to have some shelves on their way to me!

Anyway, the last piece I am holding out for is the chair. I still want the one that is also in the Madison Office collection. I think it is a bit much already, so I really need it to be both discounted and with free shipping. I have a chair that works for now, anyway. It's not cute like the rest of my room, but it'll have to do for now!

I hope to update with more pictures soon! I am crossing my fingers that my shelves will be here sooner than the May 1st-6th delivery estimate that Target is giving me!

{Houston, We Have Furniture!}

Yup, there is furniture in my new room now! We did go pick up my beautiful Madison Trestle desk in Antique Black last Friday! The desk itself was in good condition, but there were a few missing hardware pieces. Luckily, I have a handy husband who, after 2 trips to Home Depot, and about 4 hours of work, had the whole thing assembled beautifully! I'm such a lucky girl! :D I have been surfing Craigs List and other websites for a nice hutch/buffet piece to go behind me to be my work station and storage area. I really want a nice, sturdy, antique style piece, but those area just all out of my price range at the moment. But, at the same time, I didn't want to spend good money on a temporary piece. Well, not a lot of money anyway ;). Well, while searching Craigs List yesterday, I can across a post for a white Expedit bookcase from Ikea for ... are you ready for this? $10!!!! Yes, you read that right - just $10!!! SCORE!! I yelled out to my Hubby who immediately said, "Let's go get it!" Luckily, we have a pickup truck and are mostly able bodied. We had to enlist the help of a friendly stranger to help us lift it into the bed of the truck. It was a bit sturdier and heavier than we thought an Ikea piece would be! Anyway, I did want a white piece, though this is way too modern and contemporary for the look that I was going for. But, hey, for $10, it'll be the perfect thing to hold me over until I can find that perfect antique piece that is in my price range!
So, once I get some nice baskets or something to put in there, I know that this piece will give me plenty of storage, though I am still without a work station. But, I have an idea for that, too! There is a nice window in my room that I don't want to cover. I as much natural light as I can get! But, I'm wondering if I can get some sort of bench or low bookcase to put under it. Then, I can use that surface as a work station. It's an idea, anyway! I'll have to see how it will actually work out. Many of the pieces that I am seeing are more expensive than I think a small piece should be!

In the meantime, I am tried to organize all my stuff and trying to sell my old furniture on Craigs List - it's the circle of life!

Anyway, hopefully it'll all get figured out soon so I can get back to some stamping! :D

{ Room Updates }

I thought I would update you a bit on my craft room re-do. I have found TONS of great decorating pieces at a local thrift store, Home Goods, Michaels and TJ Maxx. I think that I just may be set in that department ... well, for now! I found 2 great decorative vintage trunks at Michaels - 40% off, too! One is perfect for holding all my Big Shot accessories (dies, Nestabilities, embossing folders, etc) . I also found an apothecary style drawer cabinet at Home Goods. It is a perfect distressed green that I know will be a focus in my room. Home Goods also had a beautifully antique looking globe that even my Hubby loved! AND - an olive colander! Yes! I can wait to fill it with stamps or acrylic blocks or some other really fun thing like I have seen so many other people do (see links near the bottom of my sidebar) and they had this awesome glass and metal star candle holder thing. It looks just like this one, except the glass in mine is Plum and the metal part is a sort of rusty brown. SO perfect! The thrift store I went to had some awesome olive green vases that I just snatched up immediately - they are the *perfect* color for my room. I also found 2 different open boxes that had white pickets round them - just too cute! TJ Maxx had a sort-of rusted iron looking CD/DVD rack that is so perfect for a small space between my entrance door and closet door. I LOVE it when things just "fit" - like they were meant to be!

Another great find: I found a Target Madison Trestle Desk on CRAIGS LIST!!!! Woo hoo! I have an appointment to pick it up Friday night! It sure is a good thing my Hubby has a pickup truck! Actually, I'm the one that drives it most, but he bought prior to knowing me, so I still call it his. Anyway, it is Antique Black, not the Antique White I had originally envisioned, but I tell ya, I think I'm more excited about the black! I think if I had gone with the all white furniture, everything may have been too matchy-matchy (thats the technical term, I'm sure *wink*). Now I'm thinking black desk, white ladder shelves, white chair and then some other piece (the armoire or buffet hutch or whatever) in maybe another color? Dare I hope for olive? I did find a potential piece on Craigs List, but I don't want to discuss it in detail here and jinx it. Anyway, I'll try to update with pictures soon!

I'm way excited!

{Room Ideas}

I have been dying for a new, put-together crafting room for a while now. Actually, for a whole put-together house! *wink* We keep putting everything off while we rent until we move into our own house so we could be sure everything fits for that space, and so all the nice furniture doesn't get dented, dinged and scratched while we move from place to place. I guess that's the smart thing to do, right? Well, I have become pretty disfunctional in my crafting room. I mean, there is plenty of surface space and it works okay, but there is just no storage! Everything is all over my desk! I have a large "L" shaped desk and still end up working on like a 6"x6" square of it because it gets so covered with stuff that I can't work! Not to mention that I am dying to give it some character but have been trying to make it work with things that we already have. Urg!

Well, I've decided - no more! Much to the chagrin of my husband, I'm sure! I have decided to try to sell as much stuff as I can from my room - furniture, unwanted stamps, unneeded accessories, etc, and am going to put that money to good use in my new room! Yes! I am so excited! When I shared this idea with the Hubby, he supported me, but I think he's a bit anxious and nervous about it all. I think he's afraid there is going to be furniture and stamping stuff all over the house until this all gets straightened out. I'm hoping not, though - hoping being the key word here - no promises! *wink*

Anyway, I have been searching everywhere for pictures of crafting studios. After much webpage and soul searching, I have finally decided what decor I want in my room. I'm not sure if it actually has a name though. It is sort of vintage, shabby chic, old world - ya know, old! hahaha Anyway, with furniture that is mostly clean lines. I don't like furniture that is too ornate. Besides, I want to have lots of fun knick-knacks and trinkets and such, so I don't want the furniture to take away from all the fun stuff! I really want to fill the room with pieces and items that I LOVE so it'll be a really inspirational place for me. The color scheme, in Stampin' Up colors, will be Old Olive, Perfect Plum, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White. I'm debating if I want to add in some So Saffron. When we eventually move into our real house and can paint the walls, I want them to be Perfect Plum, so the accents in the room will mostly be Old Olive. I've already found some fabulous Old Olive glass urn/vase things that are just the right shade! I also purchased some vintage style trunks from Michaels. They were on sale for 40% off - Score! I think I'm going to keep my Big Shot accessories in one, though I haven't figured out what to do with the other one just yet.

I also think I have narrowed down a few furniture pieces that I want to buy.

First up:

The Madison Office Collection from Target

I have seen many stampers and scrappers with these in their room. They all love that desk! This baby is 29Hx64Wx30D" - talk about depth! I have it pictured here with the matching organizer thing for the desktop. I would love to have that, but so far, I can't find it on Target's website. Maybe it is discontinued? Oh, that would be terrible! I hope they're just out of stock or something. When I actually get around to buying, I'll have to give them a call! Anyway, the chair is a bit pricey, but I'm not sure that I'll find something else that looks as good with this collection. I guess we'll have to see.

I also think I'll need 2 other pieces. Something for my laptop and printer and then another workstation that can hold my Xyron, Big Shot, and maybe even a small station for unmounting my stamps.

My first idea for a space for my computer was an armoire.

I fell in love with this one in one room that I saw (labeled "Peach and Olive" over on the side bar). I think that it may be my one exception to all white furniture because it is just so darn cute! Besides, it may just be the right shade of green. I also like that the keyboard drawer is sort of hidden (since I have a laptop, I don't need a keyboard drawer). I also adore the shutter design on the front and the distressed feel to it. I think it'll add a vintagy touch. But, at nearly $2,000, it too is also out of my price range.

This one is closer to the budget. It has the shutter detail that I liked and it is already white, but it isn't as tall as the lovely green one above.

This one also has the nice shutter details on the front, but is a lot smaller than the previous two, which I guess could be good that it is narrower?

But, seeing as how a laptop doesn't require that much space, and my printer is pretty compact, I tried thinking of other options. I thought of one of those old fashioned secretary desks with a hutch! I found some pieces on an Amish furniture website that are basically the shape that I want, though they are WAY too expensive to consider for my room. Also, they are pictured here in stained wood, but I would want them white to match the above Target furniture. I want all the furniture pieces to be white to "pop" off the eventual Perfect Plum walls that I will have.


This secretary looks like it would have lots of storage space! I bet I could put my laptop and printer on the inside and have plenty of drawers for other goodies!


But, this one may be able to fit in more places since it is narrower. Maybe I could even put some stamp sets in the top glass section?

I looked at a few other sites for secretary desks with hutches, but I haven't found an affordable one yet. I like the secretary desks better than the armoires, but I think the armoires are going to be the more affordable option.

Anyway, the other piece I was looking at would be my sort of "tool" or work station. I need to to have a flat surface for my Xyron and Big Shot and some more cupboards to hide my other stuff.
This buffet table would have plenty of space for all my gadgets! I think the work surface would fit everything comfortably, though probably not room for an unmounting station. And, it looks like it would look nice next to the secretary desk above!

This piece is also roomy, comes already white and definitely looks like it would go well with the Target furniture! I had originally wanted the top hutch to have doors, but I can totally see all my stamps stacked side-by-side on these shelves! Ikea, of course, has a decent price on this, but I am having a hard time imagining putting it all together!

A piece that I would LOVE to have, though don't know if I can find or afford is some sort of apothecary cabinet or library card cabinet.


This one is an apothecary drawer look-a-like that is actually made to store DVDs or CDS, which would actually be kinda cool. But, the really ones have tiny drawers that I have seen people fill with embellishments by color, stored alphabet embellishments, etc. A piece like this would definitely add the vintage feel but also has nice, clean lines!

Anyway, these are the ideas that I have floating around in my head right now. It's going to take a lot more searching and the selling of some other stuff before I get to go any further! If you have an comments or opinions, I'd love to hear them! :D

{ Oh, Baroque Motifs, How do I love thee ... }

Stamp Set: Baroque Motifs Paper: Groovy Guava,Whisper White & Brocade DSP (retired) Ink: Groovy Guava and River Rock Accessories: Groovy Guava Double Stitched Grosgrain and Crystal Stickles

... Let me count the ways! Have you caught on to my undying loving for Baroque Motifs yet? I don't know what it is about this set - it is just so darn elegant, sophisticated and versatile (much like my beloved, yet retired, Gorgeous Grapes)! I'm also super happy with how this photo came out. It was taken on the windowsill of my craft room. The only thing that didn't come out just right was my crystal stickles. They are all over the white "starburst" center of the guava scalloped flower thingy. Geez, I hope you followed me on that one! *wink* When you make the picture bigger (simply by clicking on it), you can sort of see them ... if you know they're there! hahaha

I know you've seen this layout on my blog before - I really like it! I love any layout that allows (*ahem* forces) me to use a variety of different patterned (or stamped) papers because I never do! I'm such a plain, simple stamper and I just don't naturally get too crazy or fun with my cards, so any layout that forces me out of my comfort zone and makes me layer, layer, layer, is always fun for me! :D Are there any layouts that aren't your typical style that you really love?

Enjoy!

{ Alligator Love }

Stamp Sets: Wild About You and Warmest Regards (retired) Paper: Chocolate Chip and Non-SU! Ink: Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise & Whisper White Accessories: Wiggly Eyes & Dew Drop Look-A-Likes (from the floral department of Michaels)

A stamping friend whom I met through SCS asked me to join a monthly swap with her. The participants switch purchasing 4 sheets of paper and an embellishment (not shown on this card) to be used to make cards for everyone. January's set included this *fabulous* green alligator paper. I decided to make the card on the left for my swap, but with a bit of this wonderful stuff left, I made a couple of the cards on the right. I just love this stuff - I might have to go find some more for my stash - just don't tell hubby! ;)

Enjoy!

{ Pink Bib }

Stamp Set: Wonderful Words (retired) Paper: Georgia Pacific 110lb Cardstock, Unknown Patterned Paper (sorry, it was buried pretty deep in my stash) Ink: Chocolate Chip Accessories: Pink Bib Stickers from Paper Bliss and SU! Flirty Ribbon (retired)


For Christmas, my sister asked for a mixture of cards. She especially asked for some baby-themed thank you cards that she could use to send to people from her daughter (and my beautiful niece!), Madison. She said Madison regularly receives gifts from her friends and family, so my sister wanted to be able to thank them with some beautiful cards!

I bought these bib stickers as soon as I heard that my sister was pregnant with a girl. I thought that they were just so darn cute! I had intended on using them in her scrapbook (which I will debut later), but then decided to use the Baby Girl SS Kit from the 2006-2007 catty, which used Groovy Guava instead of pink. Anyway, I thought that they would be cute on a card, and here's what I came up with! I sure wish I could remember where I got this paper from because I think it is just so stinking adorable (and just perfect for a little girl, too!). I used SU! retired Flirty ribbon, which I have been totally hoarding, but figured my beloved niece was the perfect reason to break into some! ;)

Enjoy!

{ Mason Jar Goodies }

Stamp Sets: Papertrey's Holiday Treats, SU! Peaceful Wishes Paper: Artichoke, Real Red, Whisper White Ink: Artichoke, Real Red Accessories: Rectangle Nestabilities, Clear Rhinestone Bling, Non-SU! Ribbon, Red Stickles


Here was another of my large endevors this past Christmas - I made 15 (I think?) nugget jars and decorated 8 (?) candles. It wasn't difficult at all, and dare I say fun! Anyway, so remember how I showed you all my nugget tin alternative of using mason jars to put the yummy chocolate nuggets into? Well, this is what started it all. See the mason jar on the right? Well, these are my husbands and my FAVORITE candles EVER. They are from Our Own Candle Company. They boast having the best color, scent and burn - and Hubby and I think they're right! These mason jar candles last *forever* (or, approximately 100 hours! ;) ) and they smell *fantastic*! The one featured here is French Vanilla - yum! But, my personal favorites are Raspberry, Pumpkin Spice and Lavendar Chamomile. Moving on, Hubby and I often buy these to keep around the house not only for our personal use, but to give as gifts. We decided that I should decorate some for Christmas this past year. I thought it was a good idea, but wanted to include something else as well. When I heard about Papertrey's nugget tins, I knew that would be just perfect - but they ran out before I could buy some! Well, after staring at the candles for a while, trying to figure out what to do, it dawned on me! DUH! I could use plain mason jars which would show the beautiful nuggets AND would coordinate perfectly with my candles! Woo Hoo! Anyway, that was how the idea came to me, and I must admit that everything pulled together much better than I could have imagined!

Enjoy!

{ Fun-On-The-Go Box }

Stamp Sets: By Land (retired), By Sea (retired), By Air (retired), Whimsical Alphabet (retired) & Wild About You Paper: Treehouse (retired), Island Blossoms SS Kit (Retired), Only Orange, Chocolate Chip, Lovely Lilac, Brilliant Blue, Garden Green, Real Red, Going Gray, Pink Passion, Yo-Yo Yellow, White, Brocade Blue & More Mustard Ink: Only Orange, Chocolate Chip, Lovely Lilac, Brilliant Blue, Garden Green, Real Red, Going Gray, Pink Passion, Yo-Yo Yellow, White, Brocade Blue & More Mustard Accessories: Square Nestabilities, SU! Scallop Punch


I am SO excited to share this project with you. This was one of my big endeavors this past Christmas. This project took A LOT of time and energy, but I must say that I was *ecstatic* with the way everything came out. I wanted to make a box full of fun stuff to take on the go for kids. I decided filled the box with a Tic-Tac-Toe game, slinkys and a matching game, but you could have easily filled it with coloring books, matchbox cars, Koosh balls, and the list goes on and on!

For the box, I used an old Bare Minerals box that I covered and then placed a laminated Tic-Tac-Toe board into. It was the perfect size for a game board! It was inpired by "cmf1216"'s creation, seen here. The Tic Tac Toe game pieces are punched with the SU! Scallop punch, laminated and adhered to some thin chipboard (think cereal box or those pieces that come with all SU! Designer Series paper). When not in use, I found a plastic flip box to put the pieces in - the little box was what came with the jumbo paper clips that I bought at Walmart. The matching game cards were the most time consuming. I used my Nestabilities to punch out the background paper, a piece of thin cardboard and the background color. I had to laminate and put adhesive on each piece separately, so you can see why it took so long. I just LOVED the way the 3 stamps sets ("By Land," "By Sea," and "By Air" - all retired) went perfectly together!

Like I said, this project was NOT quick, but wasn't too hard and was totally cute! I wouldn't say that I won't do it again, but it will have to wait awhile! ;)


Enjoy!

{ Baroque and Pomegranate Love }

Stamp Sets: Baroque Motifs and All Holidays Paper: Brocade DSP, Pomegranate & Vanilla Ink: Pomegranate Accessories: Silver Brads and Round Tab Punch

Ya know, you would think after 6 months with this set that I might be staring to get tired of it, but I'm just not! And I've even used it for several swaps and even to make some invites - I usually get tired of a set after all that. However, I still just LOVE this large swirly stamp. It is so sophisticated, elegant, versatile and feminine! I was drawn to it from the first moment that I laid eyes on it, and I'm still in love! Anyway, nothing new or unique about this layout, it's a golden oldie but really let me show off a lot of the big beautiful swirl, so I'm happy! I'm really starting to get a feel for this Pomegranate color. When I first got it, I thought it was a pretty color, but it is so rich and vibrant that I just didn't know what to pair with it. I feel like I'm finally getting a handle of it. But really, once you get started, there are SO many posibitlites. Here, let me show you what I mean! Try Pomegranate with: River Rock, Blush Blossom, Old Olive, Soft Sky Chocolate Chip (what *doesn't* go with chocolate? ;) ), Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa, Basic Grey, Groovy Guava, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Night of Navy, Barely Banana and Mellow Moss! See? And, I'm sure there are more that I just haven't tried! Feel free to let me know if there is a combo that isn't on my list that I should give a try!

Enjoy!

{ Mom's Birthday }

Stamp Sets: Warmest Regards (retired) Paper: Kraft Ink: Chocolate Chip Accessories: Silver Brads, Just Delightful Simply Scrappin' Kit (retired) and Pretties Kit

Okay! I finally feel like I've rested a bit from the past CRAZY month. November and December is such a hectic time for us as we have my Sister and Niece's birthday in November along with Thanksgiving, December has my Mom's and my husbands birthday plus Christmas and New Years! It feels like we have no time to just relax. I was whipping up cards and gifts left and right! But, the good side of that is that I now have PLENTY of stuff to share with you for a while. I tried very hard to remember take pictures of everything I made so I could share them with all of you! And, I actually think I succeeded (at least, I think so!).

So, onto the card! I made this card for my Mother's birthday. I just love the Simply Scrappin' Kits because they are so versatile! The striped paper, green and numbered borders, the flowers and the leaves all came from the kit! I love to use up scraps and the kits just make it so darn easy - the coordinate papers and images stickers - all I have to do is get a card base (I used Kraft cardstock here) and embellish! And, as an added bonus, the card matched her gift perfectly (it was the little scrapbook that I shared with you most recently). This card seriously took probably all of 5 minutes to make - quick AND cute? That's what I'm talkin' about! ;)

Enjoy!
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