October already

Waking up this morning I glanced at my phone to see what time it was, it was 6:39AM.
First thought to cross my mind was
it's Saturday - yuck!
 I was in disbelief about three things though -
1 - that four out of my five children were all awake and bouncing through their rooms as giddy as can be
2- That I haven't posted anything on my blog since the end of July and should probably get to work on something
&
3 - that it is October 1st already.
Today the 1st marks our newest daughter being 1 month old.

The time has flown by quickly the last couple of months and it's almost impossible to believe.

The end of July I was 7 1/2 months pregnant and felt I was ready to pop at any point. I measured on track the entire pregnancy with the week I was in until I hit 33 weeks. At 33 weeks I jumped up to measuring as if I were 38 weeks pregnant. This concerned the doctor and myself as I'm known for having large babies, with my last daughter weighing in at 9lbs13ozs.


After a few more weeks had passed and a couple ultrasounds later my doctor decided to schedule my induction for September 1st which put me at 39 weeks.


The 1st rolled around quickly, 
very anxious my husband and I went to the hospital ready to meet our newest bundle of joy.
After a morning of intense contractions due to the medication they put me on to jump start my labor I opted for an epidural. Not even an hour had passed that I got the epidural that my right side began throbbing to a point that I brought it up with my nurse. She decided to check my progress and thankfully said it was time to push. After the doctor arrived in the room it took five contractions for this beautiful little girl to make her appearance.

Ellowyn Paige
born
September 1st @ 153PM
9lbs10ozs 
19inches long


She is a wonderful little girl.
She tries with all of her might to get upset and cry but to this day at 
a month old she has yet to do so.

This beautiful princess is what has taken much of my time lately. 
Well to be honest adding another child, bringing our total up to five hasn't been that much of a change. Sure she needs to eat, be changed, and paid attention to but she is such a well behaved baby that things have transitioned smoothly.


The big change that has been consuming most of my time is our two oldest starting school along with my husband too. My husband is off to his first class by 8AM which leaves me to get all five kids up and ready to be out the door at 830 as. Not a big deal when they all cooperate with mommy,which happens often but we wont go there! I'm sure you all know what it's like to wake up your own children and get them moving in the morning!


We return home and it's study time for our 3 year old girls. This last week began working on the letter A! We wrap up our learning time and head out the door to get brother shortly after 11 as he is in AM kindergarten. Thankfully my husband gets home from school shortly after noon and is home to pick up our oldest daughter when she gets out shortly after 3. As you can see, most of my day is consumed with constantly being on the go!


On the 23rd I had a workshop WOO-HOO!
It has been entirely WAY to long since I've done one of those.
The night went smoothly but I have been out of touch with work for too long! 
It got me excited to come back home and work!


Do I have something to share with you right now other then this update?
Sadly, no. 
BUT..I will hopefully have something to share with you tomorrow if I don't get around to posting tonight.


I hope you've enjoyed this little bit of an update that I've filled you in on of what
has kept me away from creating and blogging the last little while.
My promise to you and myself to keep some sanity in my life is to try and 
start posting every day again in the near future!


Blessings

Cheerful Treat Nugget Box - Stampin' Up!

It's a little after 9 here in Washington and I am completely and totally exhausted. I couldn't for the life of me last night fall asleep. The last time I saw the clock was a few minutes after 1am. I woke up around 3am to use the bathroom (darn pregnancy!) and couldn't fall back asleep until 5am. Then got woken up by my baby boy at 630am asking if he could come out of his room. About 4 hours of sleep later and I'm ready to go to bed! Actually I was ready to go to bed around 1 this afternoon!

Too much to get done before tomorrow and the MS Bazaar that I'm taking a part in though to go to bed  anytime soon.

Although I am taking a moment to post this darling Nugget Box that I made as a thank you 

gift for my aunt who just recently placed a rather large custom card order!

Darling isn't it?

Plus I used our Cheerful Treat Designer Series Paper so it makes

the project that much more spectacular!

The punched out sentiment - Made for you - is from the set Best of Everything.

I used some scrap pieces to cover the nuggets to match the outside of the box.

I have received quite a few emails asking what has been going on with my blog.

I decided to redesign it...

Which I have done 4 times now and I'm still not satisfied with the layout.

I will probably tinker with it some more before I fall in love again

but in the meantime what do you think of the current layout?

Honest thoughts and opinions please!


Supplies
Ink-
Lucky Limeade
Paper -
Melon Mambo
Concord Crush
Cheerful Treat Designer Series Paper
Stamps -
Best of Everything

Colored Delicate Doilies Stamp Set - Stampin' Up!

Here is a clean and simple card using the Delicate Doilies Stamp set.

When I first started putting it together I wasn't too sure which colors that I wanted to use.
Thankfully I used some of my Great Reward Points (an awesome perk of being a demonstrator!) and got our Color Coach.
The Color Coach showcases all of Stampin' Up! colors and on the back of each card gives you a color combination to try out featuring that color.
Here I decided to try out So Saffron, Baja Breeze and Poppy Parade.

To add a hint of dazzle I used a strip of our pearls that you can find
in our Basic Pearl package.


The next few days are going to be quite busy for me. If I don't get around
to posting, like yesterday (sorry!), I should be posting again by Sunday night.
Hopefully I can get enough work knocked out today and be able to schedule blog posts in case that happens.


What do you think of this color combination? 
Does it flow nicely or is it one you wouldn't try?


Supplies
Ink -
Baja Breeze
So Saffron
Poppy Parade
Paper -
Whisper White 
Stamps -
Delicate Doilies
Accessories -
Basic Pearls


Blessings!

It's Raining Flowers that are Full of Life - Stampin' Up!

Tonight's share is going to be quick and simple.

I've been sick the last two days while trying to pull the last minute

things together for my vendor fair on Sunday which has left me exhausted

and not much time to do the fun things, like sharing wonderful

creations with you!

Yes...Raining Flowers stamp set again....and yes another

catalog CASE....well sort of.

I took the idea from the catalog but tweaked it quite a bit.

The sentiment on the front of the card is from the stamp set

Full of Life. 

Supplies

Paper -

Cherry Cobbler Card Stock

Whisper White Card Stock

Peach Parfait Card Stock

Crumb Cake Card Stock

Ink -

Early Espresso

Lucky Limeade 

Cherry Cobbler

Daffodil Delight

Peach Parfait

Stamps -

Raining Flowers

Full of Life

Accessories -

Brights Designer Buttons

Daffodil Delight 1/4" Ribbon

That's all for now,

Goodnight!

Blessings

Just Believe Stamp Set - Stampin' Up!

Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes

and having fun.

--Mary Lou Cook

This morning as I sat down at my computer and started the process

of going through emails, new blog posts, new card samples on Splitcoaststampers and Stampin' Connection, reading the demonstrator website for any new updates...you know the important morning tasks before anything else gets done -

 I happened across the quote above in the footer of an email in my inbox.

My business as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator when I lived in Alaska was going strong. I had clubs up and running, I was hostessing workshops and partaking in numerous vendor fairs.

After moving from Alaska to Colorado, I started finally piecing together my craft room when my husband and I decided that Washington would be a better fit for our family and the goals we were both trying to achieve. So we packed everything up and trekked our way to Washington.

We have been here since the start of April and I haven't done much with my business.

I've tried but haven't been succeeding very well. 

This quote reminded me that even though I am trying, when things get rough, not to give up. That I've got to put myself out there, take risks, and probably make a few mistakes along the way before I get back to where I was but to have fun with it all.

Now that I have gone completely off topic I'll get back to this mornings posting!

It is a card that I've admired in the new Idea Book & Catalog and wanted to CASE.

I've warned you already that by the end of this catalog I will have probably CASEd the whole thing so are you really surprised it's another catalog case?!

Probably not!

Breath taking isn't it?

I love how the Daffodil Delight and Pool Party look together.

With a hint of Crumb Cake, Early Espresso and finally Pear Pizzazz it all pulls together nicely.

I ran the Daffodil Delight piece of card stock through my Big Shot with our

Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. 

That's quite the mouthful, isn't it?!

This new ruffled ribbon offered in the 2011-2013 In Colors is to die for!

Yet another thing I am going to be ordering and hoarding like crazy.

Wouldn't you do the same?

I've used some of my left over butterflies from yesterdays card to add 

a little extra to today's card and envelope.

Supplies

Paper -

Crumb Cake

Daffodil Delight

Whisper White

Ink -

Pear Pizzazz

Pool Party

Early Espresso

Stamps -

Just Believe

Accessories -

Pool Party 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon

Big Shot

Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die

Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Neutrals Collection Designer Buttons 

It's time now to get to work on 200 bookmarks that I started yesterday to place inside of goodie bags at a vendor event on Sunday to the first 200 visitors.

Who knew it'd take so long to make so many bookmarks!!

I hope that they are well liked - 

When I am completed I will be sharing them with you!

Happy creating!

Thank You Kindly Stamp Set - Stampin' Up!

Monday, Oh Monday

You haven't been a bad day and you haven't been a great day

You've slowly passed by but I got a lot accomplished which has to count for 

something, right?

Tonight is another late posting and I can't really tell you why. 

I mean I've been busy plugging away getting tasks done and craft projects completed but I've had the time to post and haven't until now.

Tonight I am sharing with you a card that showcases all but one of the new In Colors.

It wasn't my intention to do so but it's how it all came together.

I used Pool Party as my base cut at 5 1/2"x4 1/4" followed 

by Crumb Cake as my first layer cut at  5 1/4"x4".

This is where I stopped and pondered what I wanted to do with this card.

I was looking through my stamp sets as I have been slowly but surely working on Thank You cards for my Aunt and decided to go with the set Thank You Kindly.

From a project that I was working on earlier in the day my Scallop Circle punch was still set out on my craft desk. I grabbed some of my scrap Whisper White Card Stock and decided to make some rolled paper roses. 

For the Kind Thanks sentiment I stamped it using Whisper White Craft Ink then set it with White Embossing Powder and my Heat Tool.

To add a little dazzle I searched through my accessories drawer and found my Illuminate Top Coat Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink and added it to the edges of my rolled roses.

I also went ahead added some of that pearlized ink to the smaller of my two butterflies from the Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die. I used Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, and Wisteria Wonder for the butterflies.

I keep finding myself reaching for these new colors.

With each new order I place I make sure to add a pack of each of these new colors of card stock so I will be up to my eyeballs in it when it goes to retire!

How do you like the over all look?

Does it flow nicely or not?

 I would love to hear your feedback.

Supplies

Paper - 

Pool Party Card Stock

Whisper White Card Stock

Calypso Coral Card Stock

Crumb Cake Card Stock

Lucky Limeade Card Stock

Wisteria Wonder Card Stock

Ink -

Whisper White Craft Ink

Stamps -

Thank You Kindly

Accessories -

White Embossing Powder

Heat Tool

Big Shot

Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die

Scallop Circle Punch

Illuminate Top Coat Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink

Now that we've got that supply list done and linked

I believe I will get tomorrows blog post scheduled so it will be ready to go in the morning 

and not so late at night!

Good night!

Bridal Shower Card - Stampin' Up!

Today's posting is going up quite late in the day,

for that I want to apologize. This morning I woke up and got right to work on my cousins

bridal shower card as her shower was today at 1pm.

I finished the card with barely 30 minutes to spare before I had to leave as I was meeting

my mom, grandma, and aunt so we could all carpool out the destination. 

I've seen these adorable bride cards made before and wanted to try my hand at it.

I knew that I've had this template saved to my computer for a very long time and went searching for it. The template is one that the wonderful miss Jan Tink 

(Janine Tinklenberg) created and for that I want to give her a big thank you.

The template that she provides for you is the skirt and arms, the rest is up to your creative imagination. 

Since my cousins dress is an off-white/cream color I decided to use Very Vanilla as my base color. 

I took my roll of Sticky Strip and put five strips of it on my card.

I then took my Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon and began folding it to one side and the other - from the top of the skirt to the bottom to give it this "gathered" look.

For the bodice I took a scrap piece of Very Vanilla card stock, my Big Shot and my Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit Die to get the heart that you see.

The scalloped edging of the heart really gives it that added detail for me.

The necklace is a strip of pearls from our Basic Pearl collection.

For the bouquet I decided to use Whisper White for the base flowers that I punched out using the flower punch in our Punch Pack.  

Followed by punching out more of the same flowers in Pool Party and Lucky Limeade.

She has orange in her wedding colors as well but I couldn't get the orange in there without looking funny in my eyes.

Here is the inside of my card - 

which is the only stamping I have done on this entire card.

I used the Borderlines Stamp Set and my Lucky Limeade Classic Ink pad and stamped

the vines at the top and bottom of my card stock.

One thing I will say that Stampin' Up! is lacking in is sayings and/or verses that we can use on the inside of cards or even the front of our cards. 

I wrote the quote on the inside of the card. 
It is a quote that I received in a wedding card at my own wedding and 
thought that it fit perfectly. 

Now don't judge my handwriting it's not the best but I didn't 
have the time to type it up and beautify it in My Digital Studio before I put it in the card!

And finally an over all view of the card.

What do you think?

After making this one I want to make a few more to keep on hand.

I'm pleased to say that my cousin and everyone else loved the card at the shower.

She was a little surprised that I made it and wondered how long it took!

Supplies

Paper -

Whisper White Card Stock

Very Vanilla Card Stock

Early Espresso Card Stock

Pool Party Card Stock

Lucky Limeade Card Stock

Ink -

Lucky Limeade Classic Ink

Stamps -

Borderlines 

Accessories -

Basic Pearls

Big Shot

Scalloped Hearts of Heart Embosslit Die

Punch Pack

1 3/4" Circle Punch

Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon

Now that I'm home and have got my blog post taken care of I need to get my booty in the kitchen and start on dinner as it is after 5 and I can see the little eyes watching my wondering why I'm not getting dinner done!

Tomorrow I will be sharing with you a card that a darling new customer sent me! It is too cute to only try to describe, I've got to show you!

 I've meant to share it the last couple of days but I completely space when I go to take my photos for the day and don't grab her card!

Until tomorrow morning

have a wonderful night and happy stamping!

Blessings