Paper Blooms #8 Challenge

Today's challenge over at http://paperblooms.blogspot.com/ is a color challenge using red, white and blue. Great choices with the upcoming memorial day holiday. I dont have any patriotic themed stamps so I went with a nautical theme. I first chose my stamp set, "boatloads of love" from SU, then proceeded to watercolor it in. Then after much deliberation, I worked on the layout. I seem to be stuck on my large curvy nesties.. (see next post ) I used real red paired with pacific point both dsp and cardstock and ink and I stamped the boats on watercolor paper. Thanks for looking! ! I cant believe I forgot my paper bloom! I had it all set out and everything! ARGH!

Color Challenge 219 Wishes

This is my submission for today's color challenge over at http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ Once again, Emily chose some great and very challenging colors! The colors this week are: Only Orange, Brillant Blue and Purely Pomegranate. I knew I wanted to use my new stamp set from http://www.cleardollarstamps.com/ called Biggest Wishes. A super cute set of three for only $4.99 ! I first chose the large curvy rectangle nestie set and colored it in using my only orange and brillant blue su markers and watercolored the purely pomegranate-- very carefully. This stamp is very detailed.I did not want to color the cake itself, so I applied glitter to help it stand out a bit. Also, I wanted to try shaping the card itself with a nestie. I saw it somewhere on a tutorial, wish I remembered where.. Suprisingly it worked. I remembered on the tutorial to let the top part of the nestie hang over the paper leaving the fold and cutting thru both layers at the same time. Easy peasy. Then I continued cutting nesties, one in floral purely pomegranate dsp from the candy lane collection (floral to mirror the flowers on her dress) and one strip of only orange for accent. I also ran that strip thru with the delicate dots embossing folder to mirror the polka dots on the cake. Finally, after much deliberation, I decided to add the sentiment on an only orange circle nestie cut out and added some glitter. I am still not sure if I should have added that or not.. All in all, this was a very fun card to make and I am happy with the results!

Clean & Simple Challenge #15

This is my submission for monday's clean and simple challenge. The challenge was to use "black and white and one bold bright." I chose lovely lilac for my bold bright and once again, I chose the "beautiful butterflies" set from http://www.cleardollarstamps.com/ . I embossed the card itself and embossed the lovely lilac as well, then lined them up so the embossing flowed from lilac to black. I used watercolor paper for the butterfly and watercolored in lovely lilac. I have the stampin spots for my bold brights and when I want to watercolor with one I flip over my cutting mat to the smooth and shiny side and smash down the stampin spot to release some ink onto the cutting mat, then I dab my watercolor pen right into the ink just as I would with a regular stamp pad. One thing I wish I would have done.. I threw out all the packaging for all my embossing folders, and I have no memory of their names.. I should have written the name on the back with a sharpie.. I would really like to accurately describe which embossing folder I am using. You can bet I will be doing that with any future embossing folders !

Mojo Monday 87

This is my submission for today's mojo monday sketch challenge. I was inspired by the textured patterned paper that my best friend, Cassie shared with me, and the random piece of not quite navy cardstock that found its way on my craft table... I did not want to cover the dsp with a square, so I made a frame instead! I also found that switching the small circle and square from the right to the left sat with me better. I stamped the birds in not quite navy then again on the red patterned paper to cut out the wings and affix them with a dimentional. The birds are also affixed with dimentionals. I struggled with where to put my sentiment and what to do with the frame and if to use the frame.... finally, I decided to use this "your sweet" rub on from the stampin up chateau bella rub on set. So, here it is, my mojo monday entry for May 18, 2009. I think I will go watch the season finale of desperate housewives now! :0)

Connor's favorite ride

At the K-9 walk for the animals there was a few attractions for kids, there was a bouncy house, an obstale course, a rock wall, and the bungee trampoline. He loved the jumping! He actually got pretty high up once he got it figured out.

K-9 Walk for the Animals 5-17-2009

Connor and I came across a poster advertising this great event to raise money for the El Paso humane soceity, so we decided to go! It was a day to bring the dogs out for a 1 mile dog walk, and games for the kids as well as the dogs. It was fun! Oscar really enjoyed being out not only with us, but with the other dogs. It was a great way to spend the morning.

Paper Blooms #7 Challenge

This is my submission for the paper blooms challenge which can be found at http://paperblooms.blogspot.com/ The challenge was to use three ribbons. I really wanted to incorporate my newly purchased paper blooms which can be found at http://www.esty.com/shop.php?user_id=6887095

The ribbon is stampin up kiwi kiss cut in half and frayed. The leaves are from "in full bloom" SU. I used the large curvy rectangle nestie, sponged the white with summer sun and the dsp is from "good morning sunshine" SU.

I wish my flower garden looked this cheerful ! Maybe I should plant paper blooms instead!

Color Throwdown #42

This is my submission for this weeks color throwdown challenge over at http://colorthrowdown.blogspot.com/

The challenge was to use tempting turquoise, so saffron and basic black. I layered three of the labels 4 nestabilities and embossed the so saffron and basic black ones with the swirly embossing folder. The butterfly is from the beautiful butterflies set from http://www.cleardollarstamps.com/ a set of 15 stamps for only $14.99... I watercolored the butterfly with tempting turquoise and so saffron.

Mother's Day 2009

This mother's day was probably the best one ever. Connor is 5 1/2 and for the first time, he really understood what mother's day was. I am not one to look for an expensive gift or alot of pampering on mother's day. But with Jason deploying a few days before mom's day, I asked him if he would take Connor to pick me out a small gift, and he did. Connor was so sweet, he told me to not go in his bottom drawer, and he asked me for a few days "how many more days till mother's day"... The morning of mom's day came and he brought out the gift he chose out for me. It is a really pretty necklace with a blown glass pendant that is red, black and gold. He chose it on his own, and was very excited about it. It is very pretty, and I do like it alot. Then Connor said he wanted to take me to lunch for mother's day. He said either Mc Donalds or Olive Garden. Needless to say, I chose Olive Garden.

It has been a week ... 51 more to go

Here is a picture of Jason at the Maine international airport. Turns out deploying soldiers transistion thru Maine and this great organization called http://www.mainetroopgreeters.com/ meets each plane, shakes hands, hugs and hands out welcome to maine cards to all the soldiers. They also take pictures and post them on their website! There are picts going back to 2006.

I know it has only been a little over a week since Jason left for Iraq, but it was sure great to see his handsome face! I think one of the hardest parts of a deployment is not getting to see his face. Hopefully this time we will get to use the webcams to chat once in awhile.