I know, it might cause earthquakes--I've scrapped again! Of course, I have been doing all different sizes for my clubs and classes, so I'm not sure it will ever make it into a cohesive book. LOL The pics are of my 2 boys about 2 years ago.
This is a 12x12 page done using the set Under the Stars along with the Simply Scrappin Kit Pina Colada, which I won at Convention. (Aaah, Convention! I've been waxing nostalgic for that great stampin mecca! More on that later in the week!) The bears are embossed, and then attached to the ribbon so that they can MOVE up and down! How cool is that? At Convention, Jaron showed us the trick of using the arrow punch (My Way) to create more masculine accents out of the abundance of flower stickers in the Simply Scrappin Kits. I thought that was BRILLIANT! So I did it here. {smile}
Stamps: Under the Stars, Typeset Alpha (retired)
Paper: Old Olive 12x12 Textured, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango
Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft and Classic, Old Olive Classic, Tangerine Tango Classic, Riding Hood Red Classic
Accessories: Pina Colada SS kit, My Way punch. Tangerine Tango Striped 5/8" Grosgrain, Vintage brads, Clear EP
Chocolate. Mmmm. {sigh} Don't you feel better just taking the time to savor the thought of chocolate??? These little bags are made with the new Stampin Up Baskets and Blooms die for the Big Shot. I used the Ghostly Greetings Halloween DSP from page 170 of the catalog. I used scraps to wrap some yummy Hershey Nuggets to go inside!
I'm a terrible blogger lately. My excuse is that I'm busy being sick. But it's still Wednesday, right? Maybe not quite so terrible. 
This candy jar is one of the projects we're doing at Card Buffet in October. It is stamped with White Staz-On using the retired Booglie Eyes set. That set will remain in my collection a LONG time! Love those little characters! 
This card is based a card I made a few years ago when I first started stamping. I ran across it in an old box, and decided it needed a "new do."
You thought I forgot about my blog, didn't ya? Nope, just couldn't get to it! And I'm not *entirely* sure what I've been doing. LOL I think between allergies and migraines, I've just been "out of it." Oh, and then there those kids. :-) This is the technique I'm doing next month for my Card Buffet (if you want to see what else I'm doing, click over to my card buffet blog). This was such a fun technique! I've seen it around, of course, but I just haven't given it a try. I was in the mood for it, and this is what I came up with. I have a vague memory of being prompted by something on someone's blog, but I can't remember anymore.
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Stamps: Organic Grace, Elegant NotesPaper: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Tissue PaperInk: Baja BreezeAccessories: retired copper Hodgepodge, tag punches, sponge
There is always just "one more swap," right? {grin} I signed up for a swap with the new Stampin Up Sizzix dies, and this is what I came up with. LOVE the scalloped circle dies! You NEED them! :-) I stamped the cupcake stand stamp from Crazy for Cupcakes in Ridinghood Red, and then colored it with markers. I used the white gel pen for the "frosting," and put Crystal effects on the cherries to make them shine! I sponged around the cupcake scalloped edge with Ridinghood Red to give it a little more depth. The DSP is Washington Apple! Yummy! Stamps: Crazy for CupcakesPaper: Ridinghood Red, So Saffron, Washington Apple DSPInk: Ridinghood Red, Pumpkin Pie marker, Ruby Red marker, White gel penAccessories: Big Shot, Scalloped Circle dies 1 & 2, Scallop Circle Punch, paper piercer, Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain, dimensionals, Crystal Effects
Yesterday was my sweet baby Daniel's fourth birthday. Apparently I am the only one around here who thinks "birth" days should be all about me--the one who gave BIRTH!
Danny loves to flirt with his Mama and his sisters. Look out when he gets older! LOL He knows all the right things to say--"You're the best Mommy in my heart!" Awww. He is my little lefty--the only one of the 6!--and the only blonde. What can I say? Maybe my gene pool ran out of hair color?????
Love his kisses. Miss his baby-ness. He's growing up. He told me just the other day that we needed more babies, and I agree. But they'll have to be *grand* babies! Danny's the baby! With all the good and bad that entails. He gets a little more holding, a little more indulging, and a lot more bossing. But he seems to cope with that pretty well. He'll just slug you if you make him mad. LOL 
This is my entry for Jami's New Catty Swap Aug 08. I really like this one! LOL (Apparently, I've caught JanTink's "Yes-I-Love-Myself" virus.) My section was to use one of the new hardwares--so of course I chose the Filigree Brads! I used the Top Note die as my flap, and put magnets just inside and also under the designer paper on the bottom flap. Thanks for looking! You can order all the products below by clicking to my Stampin Up website.Stamps: Eastern Blooms Paper: Kiwi Kiss, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, Haiku DSP Ink: Tangerine Tango Accessories: Designer Brads-Filigree, Big Shot, Top Note Die, Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain, Small Oval punch, Dimensionals, Magnet Sheet
We're avid readers in this house, so someone ALWAYS needs a bookmark! We made this cool project at my Big Shot Party a couple weeks ago. It uses the new SU 20 years embosslit (which is so cool, I can't wait for more to be released!) at the top, layered with the one inch circle punch. There is a magnet inside the flap, too, so the bookmark stays put in your book.
Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly
Paper: Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Ridinghood Red
Ink: Pacific Point, Baja Breeze
Accessories: Big Shot, embosslit, 1 inch circle punch, 3/4 inch circle punch, magnet sheet
Well, it's been a big week. All good, but busy! Monday was the first session of Group Voice lessons for the year, and then Tuesday was Card Buffet for September. For some reason, I feel like I'm running at half speed lately! Maybe I still have peaches on the brain.
Anyway, things should be a little easier the rest of the week! (Dh always laughs when I say stuff like that. With a big family, something always comes up!)
Back before the Stampin Up Convention, a group of demonstrators who had possibly over-committed to swaps banded together. {laugh} We called ourselves Swappers Anonymous, because our original intention was to STOP signing up for more swaps. But it was hopeless. LOL We even added our own "SA Swap" to the mix.
We couldn't bear the idea of disbanding after Convention, so of course, we started another swap.
After all, we needed samples from the NEW catalog, too, right?? So here is my entry for the Swappers Anonymous New Catty Swap 2008. It uses my precious Big Shot, and that ADORABLE scallop envelope die! Don't you *need* it??? I'm sure you do.
Here is the little card inside the envie: 
Stamps: Cute and Curly (Curly Label Punch Bundle)
Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla, Parisian Summer DSP
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouette
Accessories: Big Shot, SU Scalloped Envelope Die, Curly Label Punch, Pretty in Pink Taffeta ribbon, Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon, Vintage Brads, Flower Fusion Too, Dimensionals
I hope it's not the LAST last rose of summer, but you never know! I love this peachy colored rose. I don't know the name of it, because it already lived here when we bought our house. See that big weed down there???? Yeah, guess I shoulda cropped *that* out! LOL The rest of the stuff is alyssum, which is sort of weed-y, but smells really great! Enjoy these last few weeks of good weather!
Come on, you KNOW you need a Big Shot! LOL I love that all my die cutting "expertise" is now SU-approved! 
I thought it would be fun to make the Inspired by Nature grass look like stems. I just put Ridinghood Red and Pink Pirouette cardstock down over the Flower Layer dies, and voila! Instant flowers! I had considered using this basic idea for a Big Shot swap, but then found something else I liked better.I used the 1/4" circle punch to add the ribbon on the top corner, and then it just seemed to be *begging* to have the whole layer popped up! I think I'll go back and do a little sponging around the flowers, but this was a fun, QUICK card!
Have a great weekend!
Stamps: Inspired by Nature
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Ridinghood Red, Pink Pirouette
Ink: Ridinghood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze
Accessories: Big Shot, Flower Layers die, brad, 1/4" circle punch, Ridinghood Red Taffeta, dimensionals
Another sympathy card--this time in cream and navy. The cord is the older SU non-elastic stuff. And this was the last of it! LOL Does that mean I can buy something new???? The sentiment is embossed in gold, with a coordinating sentiment embossed inside. It's simple, but I guess that's what I was looking for. I like sympathy cards not to be shouting: "Hey, I know you had a tragedy, but look at this great card I made!" And I have always loved this quote from Sir Thomas Moore. I think the gold adds just enough elegance, without being overdone. Thanks for visiting!
Stamps: Close as a Memory, Baroque Motifs
Paper: Very Vanilla, Night of Navy
Ink: Versamark, Night of Navy
Accessories: Gold EP, retired gold cord
I had a commission for some sympathy cards, and this is one of them. I used the hostess set Organic Grace, which I LOVE! And I'm really happy about how the light picked up the embossing! Stamps: Organic Grace, Warmest Regards (retired)Paper: Perfect Plum, Always ArtichokeInk: Perfect Plum Classic and Craft, Always Artichoke ClassicAccessories: Clear EP, Plum ribbon, Pewter brads from retired HPH, stampin sponge
Sorry this post is late--here's why:
First batch of home-canned peaches for the season. We're hoping to be done (for today) in a couple hours, and then if I have any energy left, I'll stamp!
I learned to can from my mother and grandmother. We did peaches, pears, grape juice, tomatoes and tomato sauce, cherries, apricots, and I'm sure more I can't remember anymore. Now my girls know how. It's important to me to "preserve" the tradition and the knowledge. You just never know!
What I love about home-canned food is first of all, the TASTE! So much better than anything else. Second, I love knowing exactly what's in my food. Especially now! And third, I love that the skill I kept up all these years finally makes financial sense. Preserving food has never been a particular money saver for me--more of a luxury. But food prices are so crazy, this year it actually "pays" to can your own!
Do you have any memories of canning with your family? What did you can?
I live for symmetry. Seriously. I have to really concentrate to do "random" stamping! And normally, symmetry does not make for great card design. But in this case, I just couldn't make the card do anything else! I think it looks like a Christmas present! (My kids are getting the Wii for Christmas--don't tell them.) 
Anyway, this is my contribution to the Convention Quality Swap #5, hosted by Lyssa. I love the fact that the Top Note die matches the Curly Label punch and stamp set! To make the texture on the Kiwi Kiss Top Note, I used crumpled up wax paper dabbed on the ink pad and then on the paper. The wrinkly-er, the better! The top blue layers are popped up on dimensionals to give it a little more depth. Oh, and I sponged ink on the bottom layers of Pacific Point and Baja Breeze, too!
Stamps: Cute and Curly
Paper: Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note Die, White Taffeta ribbon, Baja Breeze 5/8" striped grosgrain, Curly Label Punch, dimensionals, stampin sponge
