Beate's WSC30 Sketch Challenge

Beate posts a sketch on her blog each weekend. This is a card I made using the sketch. The colors aren't true to life in the picture...guess that's what I get for taking the photo at night! In reality, the colors/papers match the box from yesterday's posting.



All stamps are from Stampin' Up.

Enjoy!

Jane
(hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go...)

Happy Monday? Hello Friend.

Well, we are back to Monday again. Funny how that works. LOL. Yesterday I was bored to death...so you'd think going back to work would be a good thing. I just wish it didn't mean having to get up so dang early! Plus when I woke up my stomach was all queasy. Hopefully that goes away.

Anyways, on to some artwork (it's all you really care about anyways...huh?) I received this image from a fellow stamper. The main image is a House Mouse image (of course)...the saying is from TAC (The Angel Company). The punched image (that the saying is on) is created by a punch from Stampin' Up.



Well, I best get going. Have a wonderful day!

Jane

Artwork and a New Stamp Company!

Well, a new stamp company to ME at least. And actually, I don't own any of their stamps yet...but my birthday is next month (hint, hint! LOL!) I love all the adorable images from High Hopes Rubber Stamps. After seeing several cards in the gallery at SCS I decided I had to at least have some images from this company to play with. So I posted several requests and have three people lined up to send me images. The first envelope arrived and I HAD to play!

Here's my first creation using High Hopes images:



I used prismacolor pencils to color it in. A tiny bit of stickles on the drops that his feet are kicking up. And the rest is just paper for the most part. Very little embellishing because I didn't think it needed anything else.

Yesterday I stamped and stamped and stamped. I have plenty to share for the rest of the week. So make sure you check back every day for more artwork!

Also, in yesterday's mail I got a surprise package! On SplitCoastStampers they had an "elfing" program at Christmastime. There was a coordinator who took names. If someone wanted to "elf" you they let the coordinator know and the coordinator would contact you and ask for your mailing address and send a questionnaire. Well, I knew I was elfed and received a package in December from my friend Bonnie. Then yesterday I was sleeping when the mailman came and my hubby laid a package on the bed beside my head. So the first thing I saw when I woke up was a package. It was from Iowa and I don't know anyone in particular from Iowa that I was expecting something from. So I took my time opening the package...relishing the surprise. Turns out it was another Elf package (not from Bonnie...I think she lives in the NW). So I'm not sure who elfed me this time...but it was a big surprise! There was a clear alphabet stamp set, stickers, die cuts, notecards and envies, etc, etc.

I've also joined an online group that is for the use of House Mouse stamps. Yesterday I received a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) from one of them welcoming me to the group and they included some stamped images. I used one of those to make a card and it'll be one I'm sharing this week.

Hope you are all having a great weekend! I need to go get showered. My dh is having company over and I don't want to be sitting here in my PJs!

Jane

Are you the Frog or the Fly?

I was stamping some images for an image swap the other day when I ran across these stamps and decided I HAD to use them to make a card.

The frog is from a company called Biblical Impressions
The saying....I'm not sure. Picked it up at a stamping convention. That's the problem I have with unmounted stamps and conventions. By the time I get home I usually have no idea where the stamp originated from!



I colored the frog in with two shades of prismacolor pencils. And added a little faux stitching and a piece of hemp to dress it up a bit. I think it's a great masculine card and it was really easy to make.

Enjoy!

Jane

I laughed till I cried!

Yesterday, I met up with my to stamp. I had brought my new $1 stamps from Michael's to play with. She was going to make a criss-cross card so we pulled up the tutorial on SplitcoastStampers. I decided I'd make one too. So we sit down and get to work. My $1 stamp has a bunny and says Some Bunny Special. So I stamp the bunny at the top and put the saying portion on the bottom of the insert. I wanted to put U R on the "envelope" so it'd say "U R (pull it open) Some Bunny Special". So I stamp the U and try to find an "R" that looks ok with it. I think "duh". I could add a tab to the top of the insert panel and put the "R" or "are" on the tab. I'm thinking I'm SO smart and loving how it's turning out. See here?



Looks great, eh?

Well, then I slid the insert into the criss-cross card and my friend looks at it and says, "Umm...Jane...NOW look at what it says."



Instead of "U are somebunny special"...it now appears to say "Are U...somebunny special"? OMG, we had so much fun laughing about it. Totally wasn't meant to be funny...but add a question mark behind the "somebunny special" and I can think of a few people to send this to! ;-) LOL.

For the tutorial to make a criss cross card you can go HERE.

Have a great weekend!

Jane

Have to Keep it Short and Simple today...

I'm running late (hitting the snooze alarm 3 times will do that to you! ;-)) That would go back to my posting earlier this week that said "Not a morning person doesn't being to cover it!" LOL. I'm a night owl. And as such I stay up way too late and then 5:30 comes around in the morning and I REALLY don't want to get out of that bed. Sigh.

Anyways, I did want to say how well received my nugget boxes were from yesterday. My boss loved his (he seems to get a kick out of my creativity more than the two gals I work with). He asked me where I bought the box and when I told him I made it he was amazed. I could hear him telling people all day long that I MADE that box. So funny. Then I came home and I had an email from the owner of Clear Dollar Stamps telling me how much she loved my boxes and could she post them on her website! Of course I said "yes". I feel like a celebrity!

On my way home last night I stopped and bought a full set of the prismacolor pencils with the gift card I got for Christmas. Used a 50% off coupon so was able to get the set of 48 for $30. Yay!

Anyways - here's my artwork for today. It was a Limited Supply Challenge from SCS. You could use ONLY white cardstock but could use 2-3 patterned papers, no specialty tools, no brads or other embellishments...the only embellishment you could use was one piece of ribbon. This is what I came up with.



The Bella image is one I received as part of a PIF (pay it forward) on Splitcoaststampers. I love the Bellas but don't own any of them. So far I have resisted the urge! LOL.

Have a great day!

Jane

Not a morning person...

This card seemed perfect for this morning. The stamp on the front is from Sparkle and Sprinkle. On the inside I used a saying (don't remember which company) that says "Not a morning person doesn't begin to cover it..."



Happy Monday everyone! Oh...and happy New Year's Eve!

Jane

Love You!

Happy Sunday! Thanks to everyone for the well wishes for our anniversary! We had a nice time out. Went out for a steak dinner and walked around the mall and looked at wedding bands (we want/need new ones...he has mangled his at work and mine is too small). Then we stopped and visited with some friends before coming home. It was a nice evening.

Wow, this 3 day weekend idea feels GREAT! I've slept a LOT but must have needed it. Got the house cleaned up a bit. Stamped a few things. Spent some time with friends. Did a little shopping. It's been really nice! I have to go back to work tomorrow but then have Tuesday off. So it'll be a short week.

Hmmm...what artwork do I have to share? How about this one?



This was inspired by the sketch I posted a few days ago where I used my Ice Cube stamp (it used a total of 5 circles across the panel). When I was doing that I thought about my cuttlebug embossing plates and thought about using them instead. So that's what I did here. I cut my white panel and centered the square embossing plate in the center and pressed it down. Then did one more on each side (for a total of three). I could have stamped in the center of the squares but I decided to use some punches (get more out of my usual comfort zone). So I stamped the heart a total of 6 times and glued sets of 2 together (to give it a little more dimension)...and then glued each set of 2 in the center of a square. The rest is just layering...and the one stamp from SU. I added the little Making Memories heart brad as the finishing touch.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!

Jane

Happy Anniversary to me!

Wow, who would have thunk...17 years! That's a long time!

This is the card I made for my hubby. I don't own this stamp - but one of my fellow AZStampers (VA) sent me some images. Pretty basic card but I'm happy with how it turned out.



I've got a couple more cards to share and I've also been working on my calendars so will have more photos to share through the week...so come back and check for more artwork!

Thought I'd also share a picture of why I love where I live...



This is part of my view in the mornings as I drive to work. I love watching the sun rise over the mountains! One day it had rained the day before and it was really foggy in the the morning...the fog covered the bottom of the moutain so it looked like the mountain was floating in space and then the sun was coming over the top. It was SO pretty...and of course I didn't have the camera!

Have a wonderful day! My niece is coming to babysit the boys and dh and I are going out to dinner (and maybe a movie or ???)

Jane

Thanks SNOW much!

Once again, my card isn't what I had intended but I like how it turned out. I'd chosen THIS sketch from SCS that the main focus is a circle..and I thought it'd be cute with a snowman face.



But then I didn't like how it looked at the top of the card...and it needed a hat. So I ended up improvising. Cut a square and rectangle out of cardstock, rounded the edges and stuck it together to make a hat. Did faux stitching around it and attached it to my snowman's head. Then used ribbon for his scarf (had seen someone do that on SCS before and thought it was such a cool idea).



The stamp set is called "Cold Play" from SU. It's a retired stamp set. The saying is also from SU (I think) but I'm not sure which set. It was a single stamp I acquired at some point.

Do you think I should add pink chalk for cheeks? Or glitter on his nose? Or should I stop while I'm ahead?

Jane

Good Friday morning (for me!)

I'm taking tomorrow off work...so today is FRIDAY for me! LOL.

First I'll share some artwork and then will ad the vet update below so you can read it if you're interested.



This card uses a House Mouse image. I love how cute the images are but have a hard time working with them because they are SO large. I colored mostly with chalks (used pencils to color in the curling ribbon). Then I had an "ah ha" moment and instead of using ribbon...I used curling ribbon! ;-) This card would need to be hand delivered or otherwise packaged (wouldn't fit in a regular envelope without costing a fortune for the bulk that the curling ribbon added). But I love the extra "bling" it adds!

Update on the vet - the lump is a hernia which they weren't worried about. The reason he's walking so funny is because he has an inherited condition which is causing calcium to grow on his spine and is putting pressure on his disks...which is then causing him pain and partial paralysis. They gave him the highest dose of steroids they could yesterday (a shot) and sent us home with a prescription of more. And now it's "wait and see" to see how he responds. It sounds like it's progressive so my guess is that this is a short term "fix" (assuming it works). The next option was surgery which they said cost several thousand dollars and once again, it's temporary more than likely. They told us we didn't do anything wrong - it's inherited. Sigh. At this point we are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

To top my day off yesterday, I went outside to leave for work and my car wouldn't start. So it was a mad rush to find someone who could drive me partway to work (my hubby) and someone who could come partway and pick me up from work (a coworker). I couldn't take DH's car nor could he drive me all the way in because he had to get the dog to the vet appt. It was a crazy day! I didn't leave work till 6:00 then met up with hubby and got a battery, came home and put it in. I was exhausted and headed to bed BEFORE my kids last night.

Hope you have a great "Friday"! ;-)

Jane

SC155 - Have an Ice Day

First off...some artwork. I followed the sketch challenge#155 on SCS.



I used my new Hambo Stamps. The ice cubes are cute without the penguins but the penguins (in former posts) are oh so cute on their own or paired with the ice cube. I can definately see myself buying from this company again. Anyways, here's my card!



Now on to personal ramblings:

My dog (Mr. Sammy) hasn't been acting right for the last few days. Last night I discovered a bulge/lump on his belly. Guess we'll now have to come up with $ for the vet (assuming they are open on Christmas Eve day) and pray that it's something relatively simple. My uneducated guess is a hernia but I'm certainly not an expert!

Ok...gotta run to work. Have a great day. I won't be posting artwork tomorrow.

Jane

And yet.....MORE monkeys!

I promise...last monkey card for awhile! :-) I do love how this one turned out. The layout was a sketch challenge on SCS...all stamps are from Stampendous.



And...if that weren't ENOUGH monkeys...I thought I'd share a few more FAMILY monkeys! LOL.

This is (from left to right) my brother Dallas (who is two years older than me), my brother John (who is 10 years older than me), and then myself...please keep in mind this is what I look like on Black Friday...with little sleep! Too bad I don't know how to photoshop myself into a 20 year old thin cheerleader type! LOL.



And here are my two boys...



That's all for now!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Jane

More monkeys!

Here is another card I made with my new Stampendous Changito Monkey stamps. Not sure I really care for this layout. It's this week's sketch challenge from SplitcoastStampers.



So, what TV shows does everyone watch? I've been watching The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, Grey's Anatomy (which seems to get weaker by the weak IMO), and Desperate Housewives.

On The Bachelor:
He has issues - although it would be a very confusing place to be in. But to send BOTH girls home?

On Dancing with the Stars:
I can't believe Marie Osmond is still on Dancing with the Stars. She has spunk but she's not the best dancer. I think both of the other two are very very good...so hopefully one of them wins the show.

On Grey's Anatomy:
I swear it gets weaker by the week. Now it's more of a soap opera.

On Desperate Housewives:
Hmmm...still love the show.

Well, off to my last work day of the week. Then home to help my hubby make bread for tomorrow and I need to make a couple pies.

Jane

Just monkeying around!

Have I mentioned before that I LOVE my changito monkeys? Stampendous has a line of these monkey stamps. Cute, cute, cute!

Without further ado, here is one of my monkey cards...



For the layout I chose to use a sketch from Beate's blog. I tweaked it a bit. But I think it still meets the challenge???

Have a great day! And no monkeying around!

Jane

Snow day!

Ok...I wish it were a true "snow day"...but I'll have to settle for a snow card. I live in Southern Arizona where snow days are nonexistent. Sigh. ;-)

This is another of the cards we made at the Christmas card stamp-a-stack. I think it's the last one I haven't shared. Yesterday I made new cards with my Stampendous Changito monkeys...so expect some "monkeying around" later in the week.

For now, here's the card of the day:



Stamp set used is from Stampin Up. I think I'll probably add a little glitter glue to him before he goes postal. But he's cute, just as he is.

Well, I'm off to a training class this morning. Going to be a short work week. I have training today and tomorrow. Wednesday I'll work and then Thursday and Friday are holidays. Wooo hooo!

Jane

Is it Sunday already???

Wow, where did Saturday go?

Yesterday I did go the the stamping class and made my address books. They are SO adorable...and of course now I REALLY want a Bind-It-All! I'll be sharing pictures of that during the week to come.

I also stopped at the new scrapbook store on River and LaCholla (in the Bashas plaza if you're from here and want to go). It's a REALLY nice store. Honestly, I'd say I like it best of the ones here in Tucson. I like the layout of the room (it probably has less stuff but it feels like more because of how it's layed out and organized). It does have plenty of stuff...gorgeous papers. The workroom is pretty good sized and the chairs are fat comfortable cushioned desk type chairs. I hate sitting in hard chairs all night. They are open 7 days a week (at least a few hours) for now. Most days is all day...but Sundays are 12-4 I think. All in all, I'm sure I'll be back. Hopefully they will have some decent classes and crops at a reasonable price. I did ask if they needed teachers or designers and was told they already have what they need.

Ok...after you've put up with all my ramblings...I should share a card, eh??? :-) How about this one?



Another Memory Box Penguin card. Hopefully I haven't shared this one yet. Sometimes I lose track! It also uses Stampin' Up's canvas background.

Have a great Sunday everyone. I'm going to go check out Beate's weekend sketch challenge and use my new stamps I just picked up at the scrapbook store yesterday. They had the clear changito monekey stamp set! Yay!

Jane

Christmas is almost here!

Ok, I'm officially freaking out. I'm NOT ready for the holidays! Someone care to buy me a winning lottery ticket?

Well, the one thing that is done, is my cards (getting them mailed out is another story!) Here's another card that we made at the Stamp a Stack class. It uses all Stampin Up stamps and supplies.



I love this card. Very simple and easy - yet still classy.

Well, I gotta finish getting ready for work. It's thundering like crazy outside and I'm afraid I should probably leave early today because if it rains it's going to make my drive even longer. Amazing how when you add water (even a little bit...not poring) that people seem to lose the capacity to drive. LOL.

Oh...a new scrapbooking store opened closer to me (still about 30 minutes...but the other is probably 45 minutes away that I design for). I'll have to check this one out. I've heard that it has a nice size work room. I'd love to find one close enough that I could make a monthly "date" and scrapbook. I do very little scrapbooking at home because 1) it requires space and my space is imploding on me at this point and 2) because with the kids and all the interuptions it's easier to work on a project that takes me 30 minutes versus something that might take me 1-2 hours. I'm a slow creator (good thing I wasn't God....it'd have taken me a month instead of a week to create the world!) LOL.

Jane

Slugger and a Ganga Deal

This is another of the Happy Hopper images I received in the image swap. Isn't he adorable?



Also, thought I'd share my "ganga deal" with you today. See this ATG gun?



Look closely at the price in the bottom right corner. If you need to see the picture larger...just click on the photo...I'm waiting....

...
...
...
...
...
...
... waiting
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...
...

Ok...now HERE is the FRONT of the box.



So I got this adhesive gun that normally goes for over $55 for a whopping $3 at the thrift store! What a deal!

Anyways, just had to share. Happy Wednesday all!

Jane

A VERY merry frog! LOL!

Made a couple more cards last night. They both are very bright in color. Not my "normal" style...but the coloring works well with the particular stamps I used. Sometimes you just have to step outside your comfort zone. I know some people LOVE the bright colors...but for me they are very difficult to work with.

Anyways, I picked this frog up at the last stamping convention (comes every February...just in time to spend $$ at it and call it my birthday gift!) I believe he is by Sparkle and Sprinkle...but if he is...I can't find him on their site now. Maybe he has been discontinued...or maybe I'm remembering the wrong company all together.



For the background I used Stampin' Up's "Crosshatch" stamp and then at every "intersection" I used a white gel pen to place a dot. The saying to the right is also from Stampin' Up. Normally I'd think of using this staying only for Christmas...but this frog seems pretty merry! ;-)



I also then went back and added liquid glass (a clear adhesive that looks wet once dry) to the drink in the glass and to the olive. Added the little tabs (used a punch from Stampin' Up to make those) and some mini brads from Oriental Trading Company...and walaa...done. Actually a pretty simple card but I struggled with it. Sometimes simple is very difficult for me! LOL.

Have a great day all!

Jane