The end...

It's been on my mind for a while that my heart just isn't into blogging and crafting anymore. I started this blog a little over a year ago to accomplish four goals that I set for myself. I am so privileged and thankful that I have been able to achieve some of those goals during the past year. I have been able to work with fantastic stamping companies, I have had my work published in the best stamping magazines, and I have been honored to be featured on great blogging websites. Sometimes, in the pursuit of our goals we find out that what we thought we wanted isn't what we want at all.

I have ended my design team commitments with all of the fabulous companies I have been so privileged to work for. I have finished up the few magazine commitments I had left.

And I am taking the summer off.

I need a chance to recharge, regroup, and reorganize.

I appreciate all of you who have come and read and shared in a bit of my life.

Nap time!

Stamp- Kadoodle Nap Time, Cuttlebug, Card Candy, Nestabilities, Ribbon, Copics

All supplies available from THE CRAFT BARN.

I love this adorable *new* image from Kadoodle, available only at The Craft Barn. I thought it would be just perfect for a tilt card and I've always wanted to try one of those! You can find the tutorial over here on SCS. It's definitely one of those cards that you have to see to get the full effect.

It's a lazy Saturday over here. I wish I had a hammock so I could curl up and take a nap like this adorable little stamp!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Shiny butterflies

Stamps- In His Time by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

I hope Chris Dickinson doesn't mind that I took her gorgeous, elegant set and created something frilly, girly, and fun! I couldn't resist! The butterflies were just begging for something sparkly! :) I stamped the butterfly twice, once on the patterned paper in white, and one on the clear cardstock in versamark. I then embossed each butterfly and cut it out. The clear one I embossed with Crystal ep to give it a bit of sparkle. It's just gorgeous in real life! A few rhinestones, sparkly letters, and a bit of ribbon finished it off. I hope you like it!

I've got another post over on the Sweet 'n Sassy blog with a tutorial on Paper Piecing with Digital Images! You can check that out over here: Sweet 'n Sassy blog. That will show you how to make this adorable cupcake card!

Gettin' Crafty with Fabric

Fabrics: Heather Bailey-Pop Garden, Amy Butler-Lotus

One of my many talents is that I can operate a sewing machine. It's right up there with being able to operate the TIVO and turn on the DVD player. :) I stumbled across some gorgeous fabrics on Etsy and I just had to buy them. Then I had to figure out what to do with them! I picked up a few dress patterns from Frog Legs and Pony Tails (adorable!) and got to work. I should warn you that these are not your grandma's dress patterns. There is no flimsy, poorly marked tissue paper to try and discern a pattern from. This pattern is the Caroline dress, I did buy the Kyla dress pattern and fabric, I just haven't gotten time to make it yet. From start to finish, it took me 1.5 hours to sew the dress and a coordinating baby doll dress. How's that for easy peasy! I had to stop myself from making one for everyone in the neighboorhood!

CARDS April & May

April 2009
Stamps- Unity Stamp Co., Chatterbox paper, Queen & Co. brads

May 2009
Stamps- Unity Stamp Co., Ribbon- May Arts, Thickers, Glitter

May 2009
Stamps- SU!, My Mind's Eye Patterned Paper, May Arts Ribbon, American Crafts Brads


I can finally post the cards that I had published in April and May in Cards Magazine. I got my book of goodies today and I was so excited! It's fun getting published!

In His Time-SSS08

Did you SEE the gorgeousness released this month from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!!?? Wowzers! I'm loving the beautiful butterflies from the set "In His Time". I stamped the smaller butterfly on vellum, embossed it, and then colored it from behind using Copics. The result is this beautiful coloring with shading and a semi-translucent butterfly. The colors really pop if you layer your vellum over a solid, like the cream cardstock behind the butterfly. I used this week's Sweet Stop Sketch Saturday sketch challenge for my layout. The long panel with a circle was just perfect to showcase the butterfly. I finished off the card with the beautiful sentiment: "He makes all things beautiful in His time." Love that. So gorgeous!

The papers are from Basic Grey's Mellow pad and are from the Sweet 'n Sassy store. As are the Nestabilities!

Family stuff...

Life has been busy with a lot of family stuff lately. A lot of the quiet times on the blog are because we haven't been home. Which can be a great thing, but it can also be a little tiring! This past weekend we took our final camping trip of the summer to Cape Henlopen, DE. We're going to wait until it gets cooler before we camp again. My daughter had a blast! She loves the beach, the seashells, the waves. We saw dolphins, a live horseshoe crab, a live conch shell, pelicans, seagulls, deer, and probably more things that I can't remember. A good time! Now, I wouldn't want to deceive you into thinking my child is all smiles and loveliness....Here she is exactly 6 minutes after the first photo was taken:

This photo is definitely a keeper. :)