Summer Bucket List

Figured I better do a post with my summer bucket list (ya know, since June is almost over). I keep forgetting what all we were gonna do so this is really more for me than anyone else. ;)

A Summer Bucket List, if you don't know, is just a list of fun things you intend to do over the summer. A lot of families write things out and let the kids choose a slip from, oh say, a bucket, but this year I'm picking off the list or just giving them a couple of options. Items in italics we've done at least once.

Make ice cream
Make popsicles - These or these are nice :)
Make playdough
Make slime
Have glow in the dark drinks
Learn new songs
Make crayons from old crayons
Make melted wax art
Go to the lake
Paint Mommy's belly
Play with cars and finger paint
Get sno-cones
Family water gun fight
Make big bubble wands
Let the boys make their own pb sandwiches
Crazy hair with hair gel
Dye hair with koolaid
Pick our grapes
Build a fort in the living room
Wash the car
Make and decorate sugar cookies
Water color
Make smores
Go for a picnic
Go to the zoo
Make fizzing sidewalk paint
Dress up play day
Make short videos for the baby
Make and play with pinwheels
Mail someone a surprise
Discover the wonderful world of gluesticks
Discover the wonderful world of paper punches
Handprint art
Paint with rolling pins
Make placemats with old books

Will we get to all this? Who knows. Will we add other stuff to it? Maybe. Is it better than watching tv all summer? Oh yes!

Someone Special

We had a very nice Father's Day. Low-key, lots of good food, and it's wasn't too hot. We went for a walk just a little while ago and the youngest had fallen behind distracted by a mailbox. We all called for him to come on and then Jeff dropped to one knee and held his arms out wide and both boys took off running for him and fell into his arms hugging him. **melt** He's such an awesome dad. I can't wait to see him with another baby. I am so blessed.





I used this week's Make It Monday technique for his card. Trees always seem very Father's Dayish to me. I'll probably use one on my dad's card, too. (Yes, I'm bad. I haven't made Dad's card yet.) Anyway, I used 4 different greens on the leaves and I like how it turned out. I wish I had done it a little more evenly, but oh well. The frame is a piece of cork that is probably too thick for my cuttlebug but nothing broke so I guess it's okay. The button is either a PTI button that someone sent me because I cannot for the life of me find them on the site or it's a button off one of Jeff's Hawaiian shirts that is no longer with us. No worries, folks. He has plenty more.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day (or just a great Sunday). I'm gonna sneak a cupcake now. ;)

Supplies - Stamps: PTI Father Knows Best
Ink - Pear Tart, New Sprout, Bamboo Leaves, Cottage Ivy, Rich Cocoa, Desert Sand
Paper - GP white, SU Bashful Blue, PTI kraft
Other - PTI button twine, wood button of unknown origin, cork, staples, PTI Sunshine impression plate

What I'm Up To

Just thought I'd update anyone reading this on what I've been up to. Pirate Party VSN (Virtual Stamp Night) is this weekend and I get to hostess a challenge! You have until Monday evening to play so head over to SCS and check it out! I made this card for one of last night's challenges. (And no, your cards do not need to be pirate themed.) You have 45 minutes to make your card so it's great for slow, indecisive stampers like me to just make a card and not change my mind 400 times.




The cute pirate Ollie image is from the huge stack of images I collected from Wish Rak and Pay it Forward on Splitcoast. I think this card took about 30 minutes. Coloring took the longest and then finding something the right size to trace for that red circle mat. One of these days I will get the full set of circle nestabilities, but today is not that day. ;)

But mostly, we're up to this:

We are almost 19 weeks along and will find out in two weeks if we're having boy #3 or girl #1. Exciting! And exhausting. I have almost no energy for crafting and don't even ask what state the house is in. I don't know if it's because it's the 3rd pregnancy in 4.5 years or because I'm over 30 now, but I am tired ALL the time. Happily, everyone is very understanding and the only thing suffering is my to-do list. ;)

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Supplies:
Stamps - Ollie pirate image from Stampendous, Yo Ho Ho sentiment from Odd Bird Planet
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - Papertrey White, SU Real Red and Brilliant Blue
Other - almost every brown and grey Copic I have plus some red and blues, circle punch, scissors, Divine Swirls cuttlebug embossing folder, square punch to make the banner notch

Holiday Rejects

Hello! It's rejection time again. :) And I really don't mind. Several friends got good news and I have a headstart on the holidays. Of course, I'm blathering on about another Reject Blog Hop that Amber at Damask Love is kind enough to put on for all the lovely cards that will not be gracing the pages of Paper Crafts magazine. My rejects are from Holiday Cards and More. I could have resubmitted them for the December call, but I decided eh, I'll try again next time. ;)

This is a double reject. It was originally for Go To Sketches, but I thought it was cute enough to give it another try. Apparently not, lol! Still, it was loads of fun to actually use some of the glitter colors I've had forever and was, all things considered, surprisingly not messy. Stamped the frame from Waltzingmouse Stamps in Fresh Snow ink and cut 8 strips of 1/4 tacky tape the same size (an inch, I think) and 1 strip slightly longer. Attach em, peel the liner off and glitter one at a time just giving the card a few taps before you move on to the next color. Easy peasy. I handcut the flames and stuck them on with small gluedots. Found the Celebrate sentiment in Scattered Showers. I submitted this one in the No Holiday Products category for Holiday Cards and More, but maybe it's *too* no holiday? Perhaps a Happy Hanukkah sentiment would have been better? Maybe having the frame on another layer from the base giving the card some dimension? Most likely there were just some really rockstar cards that got submitted and glitterati here had to stay home. ;)

This one is very straightforward. The menorah is stamped repeatedly in alternating silver and gold encore inks - word of warning, they take FOR-EVER to dry if you don't heat set them. These are from a cute stamp set from There She Goes that Alyssa gave me. (Thanks again!) Stamped the sentiment in black and matted it with some gorgeous GinaK metallic silver cardstock and tied a fabulous gold ribbon from PTI. Seriously, who wants real metals when you have these beauties around. I could eat them up! (The supplies, not the cards.)

Anyway, these are my rejects! Check out all the fabulousness at the blog hop on Damask Love.

Celebrate Supplies:

Stamps - Frame It by Waltzingmouse Stamps, Scattered Showers by Papertrey Ink

Ink - Papertrey Ink Fresh Snow

Paper - Papertrey Ink Enchanted Evening, Stampin Up Daffodil Delight

Other - 1/4 Terrifically Tacky Tape, Martha Stewart Glitters - fire opal, peridot, turquoise, garnet, tourmaline, golden beryl, crystal fine, kunzite, charoite

Menorah Supplies:

Stamps - Home Sweet Home Hanukkah Additions by There She Goes Stamps

Ink - Silver and Gold Encore inks, Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper - Papertrey Stamper's Select White, GinaK Silver

Other - Papertrey gold ribbon, pop dots, craft knife (for the mat)

Surprise! It's a Birthday Blog Hop!

Woohoo!!! It's a very special someone's birthday. One of the LuvLee-est people you could hope to encounter in the wide world or the world wide web! ;) And some of her friends decided we should celebrate with a blog hop and I am tickled pink to be included!


Happy Birthday Lee!!!!


Lee is just as sweet and fun in person as she is on the computer. Not to mention a truly righteous stamper. But in all seriousness, ;) she has some real addictions. I mean, the amount of bling she uses is practically unreal. You know how some people want a coffee IV? Lee's would be full of glitter. But I'm not here to judge. Especially on her birthday. So here's my very blingy, very pink, using a small smackerel of Basic Grey, and a fun Gina K image colored with copics birthday card for one of the very nicest people I know!

(There are, count 'em, 3 sizes of rhinestones and pink Stickles!) Awesome retro lady is from GinaK Designs Sew Pretty set and, yes, I know it includes a Happy Birthday stamp but Lee is too punny and hot to not use this one.



Check out all the birthday fun on all the blogs!


Alison


Carole


Christi


Crafty Math Chick


Joanne


Lori


Lydia


Misti


Nancy


Have the best 21st birthday ever, Lee!!!! Love ya!

Here's her blog so you stop by and wish her happy birthday in person.


Supplies - Stamps: GinaK Sew Pretty
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Stampin' Up! Pink Pirouette, Papertrey Ink Raspberry Fizz, Georgia Pacific white, Basic Grey hmm, Bittersweet? Sugared? (bet Lee knows!)
Other: Copics (YR04, E09, E00, RV21, RV23, 0, E30, E31, E33), Paper Studio Gemstones, Pink Stickles, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, Papertrey Sunshine Impression Plate, Paper Shapers square punch (for the banner notch)

Family Cards

I'm trying to be better blogger, which is proving difficult since my wireless network card is on the fritz, so I thought I'd share a couple of family occasion cards. First, my cousin is living in New York looking for a job in the fashion industry. She ended up in the hospital for an emergency appendectomy two weeks ago. She has friends there, of course, but no family remotely close by and was feeling a little lonesome. She loves her coffee so I thought a card and some free Starbucks would cheer her up. The colors are from the (small) gift card I sent her. Super quick and easy. Took me longer to clean up my area to take a picture than it did to make the card.

Next up, my uncle got married this past weekend. It was a very pretty wedding in my aunt's (not the same couple, my mom is the oldest of 7 kids) backyard. I have to confess that I actually made this card for a Paper Crafts call, although now I can't quite remember what the specifics were. I liked it and thought it would be great for an outdoor wedding.

There ya go. Some random cards from me. :) Today is my little sister's birthday so maybe there'll be something new here tomorrow! :) I hope so, anyway! Not really sure what I'm gonna make her just yet. Also random, I am totally trying these Mocha Cream Cheese Phyllo Triangles sometime this week. Anyone wanna visit?

Perk Up card: Stamps - Waltzingmouse Stamps Frame It, GinaK My Cuppa Joe, Crafty Secrets Coffee and Tea

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper - PTI Aqua Mist and Stamper's Select White, Basic Grey Urban Prairie, Nook and Pantry, and Origins 6x6 collections

Growing in Unity card: Stamps - Unity Growing in Unity, Eco Chic

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa, Ranger Distress Ink Vintage Photo

Paper - PTI Rustic White, Stamper's Select White, Dark Chocolate

Other - Copics (been too long for me to know which ones, sorry!), scissors, PTI woodgrain impression plate, PTI small scallop border, Martha Stewart blush seam binding, Marvy Mega circle punch, sponge, PTI Ripe Avocado button, SU linen thread, pop dots

Make It Monday - Wish Big

Oh dear. It's been almost a month since I've blogged. Sorry about that. I have a good reason! I'm 11ish weeks along with baby #3 and I'm pretty much 24/7 exhausted. Hope, hope, hoping that once I'm past the first trimester I get a little energy back!

Love this week's Make It Monday video at PTI. (Loved last week's, too. Made a card, never blogged it. Doh!) I have decided that I am definitely investing either in the Ranger blending tool with multiple pads like Betsy Veldman uses in the video or giant sponge daubers - one per ink color - like Theresa Momber at Crafting the Web uses. The little daubers are just not that awesome at blending. Still, it was lots of fun. I wasn't too sure about this card while I was making it but I think I'm happy with how it turned out. My sweet sister-in-law's birthday was, ahem, a couple of weeks ago so I will be putting this in the mail pronto with her birthday check.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies - Stamps: Papertrey Star Prints

Ink: Memento Angel Pink, Grape Jelly, Bahama Blue, Summer Sky, Lulu Lavender, Tuxedo Black

Paper: Stamper's Select White, True Black

Other: sponge daubers, rhinestones, pop dots