Nuts About You

I haven't done a Tuesday Trigger in forever. Ages and ages forever. I got new PTI stamps for my birthday this week and I was itching to try them out so I checked out this week's challenge. (My birthday's not until October, but my mom and my friend Alyssa decided to gift me early so I could get a little craft time in before baby girl arrives. :) Thanks!)

Here's the trigger picture. The yellow chairs reminded me of mushrooms. I don't have any cute mushroom stamps, but I did just get Maile Belles' adorable Autumn Acorns set and acorns are kind of like mushrooms, right?

So I came up with this. I stamped the acorns in Memento Dandelion and Angel Pink inks and added a little sparkle with a clear spica pen, which is apparently afraid of my camera because I have yet to take a picture where you can see it. Stamped the sentiment and that darlin little acorn on a circle punch out, added some black mats, and c'est tout. A nice, nutty CAS Tuesday Trigger. Thanks for looking!

Supplies & Dimensions: 4.5"x4.5"

Stamps - PTI Autumn Acorns

Inks - Memento Tuxedo Black, Angel Pink, Dandelion

Papers - Stampin' Up Very Vanilla and Pink Pirouette, unknown black

Other - Paper Shapers 1.75" circle punch, Marvy Super? (the blue one) scalloped circle punch, clear spica pen, pop dots

Baby Season Preview

I have been reading crafty tutorials all morning long. Theoretically, I am getting a "break" this weekend. This may or may not happen since we have two birthday parties tomorrow and it's actually raining (YAY!) and wet today. Theoretically, if I get a break, I am going to be super productive and make lots of things. This may or may not happen as I am notoriously well intentioned but not overly motivated in general, I am about 26.5 weeks pregnant, and, well, do I need any other reason? Yes? Well, I bought oreos yesterday (because they're was a coupon stack at Target and it's morally wrong to not buy oreos when you are getting a good deal on them unless you are allergic to chocolate, sugar, or fun) and I have some pretty decent hot chocolate and it's a grey, rainy, and shockingly quiet day even though everyone is home. So not looking too good at the moment. I think my best shot is to have so many oreos and mugs of cocoa that I give myself a sugar high and that gives me the energy to craft. Sounds like a plan. (And, yes, I know it's July. I eat ice cream in February, too, so it's all good.)

If I should happen to get something done, baby gifts are high on the list. Two dear friends just had babies and I know 12 other preggos not counting myself. Baby season is at a trickle right now, but it picks up speed in August and breaks wide open in October and goes strong through January. Alyssa started things off with her sweet little chubby-cheeked man and I got a few things made for him. Just a week before he made his appearance, Alyssa had given me a cute little $1 stamp set of mustaches. I decided it would be fun to use that for his card and present so I did mustache onesie card and a custom mustache onesie. Since then, I've seen mustache pacifiers on Pinterest so that would have been fun to include too.

The other thing I made was this adorable rainbow sunshine plushie from Chez Beeper Bebe. It's a free pattern and even though I am really not a seamstress and have never embroidered it came together very quickly. I think next time I will either use thicker ribbon or more ribbon because it seems a bit sparse in places, but I still think it's pretty cute.

So a handmade with love baby gift that comes together in a day. Nice. And, since I had the onesie already and everything else was from my fabric and ribbon stash, this portion of the gift was free, which left more money to buy all those little baby things that add up crazy fast.

Now, to see what we can make today. :)

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)