random ramblings...

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection... again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my document that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), and then when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer... drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day - what a waste!

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

a bunch of cards...

and a few other details, but first, the cards:

I'm teaching a birthday card class this evening and I wanted to try something a little different than your "standard" card fold - this type of card fold is called an easel card, and there is a whole gallery of easel card inspiration over at SCS. I used SU! Cottage Wall DSP, and kind of CASE'd myself from an earlier Mother's Day card I'd made.


I don't know about you guys, but I struggle constantly with masculine cards - here's a simple masculine birthday card. I've used something similar for a sympathy card as well - Lovely As A Tree is just such a versatile set and it is my "go-to" set for masculine cards! Contrary to what it looks in the photo, the ribbon is Always Artichoke (not Old Olive!) and does, in fact, match the card base!


I've only done a couple of acetate cards before, but I love how they look, and when I saw this card by Michelle H., I knew I'd have to CASE it! I just love the blue, black & white combo, and the filigree brad is the perfect embellishment! Thanks for the inspiration, Michelle!


According to my mother, my cards are "beautiful, but bulky" and she wanted some non-bulky Christmas cards to mail out this year. I struggle with that because that limits my use of my favourite embellishments - ribbon tied in bows (yes, I know you can make a flatter bow, but I don't like it the same!) & rhinestone brads! I mean, it hardly seems like a Christmas card without bows and a little bling, right?!? I don't mind this one - the divine flocked paper sort of makes up for the plainness of the card overall, maybe?


This card is another complete CASE... this time from this gorgeous card by Jaydee. It is just so elegant in its simplicity!


This SU! paper was a favourite the moment I saw it (I love all things snowflake!) - it's slightly shimmery and it's in more of a non-traditional, neutral colour. I stamped the snowflake from Patterned Pines in Sahara Sand and then outlined it with my glue pen and added some bling with Dazzling Diamonds. I just love this one - I think this will be our card for this year!


Finally, a card I did with my Stampers Group this month, featuring the Split Negative technique that I learned about on SCS.

In other news, I got a little happy mail from Angie L. yesterday, saying that she'd like to feature not 1, but 2 of the cards I submitted on the Ella Publishing Co. blog on Monday! Woot!!!! How totally cool is that?!?!?

a little surprised...

(pleasantly, of course!)

I was nominated by Rose for an Over the Top blog award! Shocking, since I have been neglecting my poor ol' blog for a long time now - I couldn't believe I still have a reader! Thanks Rose!

For this award, I'm supposed to answer this list of questions using one word. So, here's a little bit of information about me:

1. Where is your cell phone? bag
2. Your hair? short
3. Your mother? forgiving
4. Your father? strong
5. Your favorite food? starches
6. Your dream last night? bad
7. Your favorite drink? water
8. Your dream/goal? happiness
9. What room are you in? kitchen
10. Your hobby? paper crafts
11. Your fear? abandonment
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? unsure
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something that you aren't? tall
15. Muffins? YUM!
16. Wish list item? paper!
17. Where did you grow up? BC
18. Last thing you did? TV
19. What are you wearing? PJs
20. Your TV? off
21. Your Pets? doberman(s)
22. Friends? wonderful
23. Your life? blessed
24. Your mood? melancholy
25. Missing someone? husband
26. Vehicle? garage
27. Something your not wearing? socks
28. Your favorite store? scrapbooking
29. Your favorite color? green
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? today
32. Your best friend? Shawn
33. One place that I go to over and over? Starbucks
34. Facebook? yeah
35. Favorite place to eat? depends

Here are the 5 creative people (well, actually, 5 blogs, 6 ladies) I'm nominating for this award. I enjoy their blogs and think it would be fun to find out more about them! I hope you ladies will please play if you have the time!

1. Karin & Julie
2. Lauren
3. Beth
4. Carol
5. Lynn

I may still be sick...

but at least I'm feeling well enough to sit at my crafty table for short periods of time. I was playing with this BG Wassail Card Kit that I bought last Christmas (I tend to hoard my much-loved BG!!!). Oh, who am I trying to kid... I tend to hoard all things crafty that I love!!

Anyhow, as one would expect from BG, the kit directions were easy to follow and the results are so cute! Love these cards! Well, maybe I don't 'love' the bird one, but still... And the kit has leftover rub-ons to customize the card insides or use on other projects!


It may not show up well in some of the pictures, but I added bling (of course, it's Christmas!!) to some of the cards and that was not included in the kit.





This one is one of my favourites! Love all those little trees all lined up... I would imagine it would cost extra to mail because it is not a 'standard' size and it has a bunch of chipboard bumpies on it.


Yeah, it's kind of a freaky looking bird (well, more so than other birds, I think), and this is probably my least favourite card of the kit, but perhaps one of my non-bird-phobic friends will get this one!



I really like this one too!!

Moxie Fab World: Plum Crazy!!

Check out this challenge on the Moxie Fab World Blog here - you have until midnight on Monday, November 16th to play along! I like plum (purple, eggplant, aubergine)... it's a colour I don't reach for nearly often enough. And using purple for snowy glittery Christmas cards makes me Plum Happy!!

challenging myself...

to use up paper that I've bought and never used. Like this pretty Cottage Wall DSP. Not my usual go-to colours, but I like it!

TOTALLY & shamelessly CASE'd...

from Maren Benedict's card on pg. 32 of Holiday Cards & More Vol. 4:


I absolutely adore this combination of kraft, chocolate & white!

Week 2 Deals of the Week

Item	Description	Special Price
115961	Perfect Setting Bigz XL die	$34.99
114515	Flower Burst Embosslits die	$7.49
116760	Pop-Up Three Tier Cake Bigz XL die	$34.99

Week 1: Deals of the Week

Item	Description	Special Price
109183	Trio Flower punch	$15.99
109041	5-Petal Flower punch	$15.99
110709	My Way punch	$16.99

Dates: October 1-31, 2009

Promotion Details:

During the month of October, Stampin' Up! will offer several discounted products as "Deals of the Week." No limits and no minimum purchase required.

Customer Weekly Deal Announcements:

• Deal #1: Thursday, October 1, 2009; 12:01 AM (MT)
• Deal #2: Monday, October 12, 2009; 10:00 AM (MT)
• Deal #3: Monday, October 19, 2009; 10:00 AM (MT)
• Deal #4: Monday, October 26, 2009; 10:00 AM (MT)

Click here now to shop 24/7 at my Stampin' Up! website, or contact me to purchase!

My Digital Studio...

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Professional Printing

With the My Digital Studio software, you have the option to have your work professionally printed and delivered straight to your door! Professionally printed projects are ideal for layering with traditional Stampin' Up! products to make unique, multidimensional hybrid projects.

Digital Downloads

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Gotta have it? Click here to purchase My Digital Studio NOW in my online store!

Happy Digital Stampin!

2009 Christmas Stamp - A - Stack #2...

A couple of days ago (before I got SICK!) we had 2009 Christmas Stamp - A - Stack #2... some new faces joined the group and it was a fun night!

The card above is based off of the Stamping 411: Saturday Sketch Challenge 118 over at the Stamping 411 blog. I love their sketches and don't play as often as I should!

September = return to routine...

and that means stamper's groups begin again, and fall card classes start! I've been working on a few things for upcoming groups and classes. Fall, for cardmakers, means Christmas is just around the corner!!

This is a colour combo that was sitting on my desk in scraps, so I thought I'd try to use them in a card... not too bad, eh? You can click on the pic to make it larger, but in case you can't tell, the colours are: bordering blue, certainly celery & perfect plum. The stamps are from the Christmas Punch hostess set. I used the Dazzling Diamond Dust technique over the snowflake panel of the card for that shimmery snow!


This card uses some of my very favourite colours for Christmas: real red, old olive and chocolate chip! The paper is SU! Merry Moments and the ornament stamp is from the Delightful Decorations set... love that it has a coordinating PUNCH! Woot - no fussy cutting here!!! The ornament is blinged up with irridescent ice EP. Oh, I also super love the 3/4" polka dot ribbon... hope it will come in more colours!

I'm a Mrs...

Kelli got some good shots at our wedding & a few of them are up on her blog... one she didn't have up yet was our cake:

We got PJ's to do it - isn't it fabulous & funky!

Our photographer, Andrea has a sneak peek up on her blog... more to come soon!

today's THE day...

I'm getting married today. To Shawn. Shawn and I are getting married. Today. It's a huge big feeling that I can't even describe... I've waited for this day for so long, and now that it is finally here I can't even describe how I'm feeling! I'm excited/nervous/thrilled/giddy/sleepless/exhausted/happy it's finally here/sad it's already here - does that make even the slightest bit of sense??

Did I mention I can't sleep??

a little late night crafty...

a few things I was working on last night...

this one is to accompany a little surprise that I have for a friend...



a couple more Thank You cards...


commissioned sympathy cards for work...


a special Thank You for a friend who made my beautiful veil...

this made me LOL...

Dog in Swing - watch more funny videos

a little peek into life with Harley & Milo...

(turn your volume on!)



Milo 'talks' to Harley all the time... sometimes Harley 'talks' back (mostly he just leaves!)... I'm trying to get a good one of the two of them when they really get going in unison, but they're on to me!

found this on my morning blog hopping (unfortunately my computer reset/crashed/hiccuped before I could get the website link, so if it was your blog, thanks!)... somewhat appropriate, seeing as today is, in fact, my birthday! Thanks to everyone for the sweet birthday wishes on Twitter & FB, and for the phone calls!

a little production line stamping...

This card was a CASE of a CASE... the original card was by Dawn McVey and was published on the Stamp It! Cards cover, and then Earleen McDaniel CASEd that card here.




3 slightly different versions of the same card... CASEd from this card by Lisa Echerd.

just getting a little start on some Thank You cards for the wedding...

Christmas Stamp - A - Stack #1...

last night was my first Christmas Stamp - A - Stack for 2009. They're popular, so I offer several, usually starting in June or July.

I totally CASEd this card by Annette Stewart for the card above... love her stuff!



The card above was inspired by this card by Sharon Johnson.


This sparkly purple creation was a reworking of sorts of a card I did last year... I like purple, and I like sparkle!

a few cards...

that I've made lately:

I was so tickled with this one for my Dad's birthday! I think it's so cute! The idea for a peg board or tool wall was totally CASEd from many similar examples over on SCS - I so love that site for inspiration!


This one uses the new SU! In Colour, Rich Razzleberry, and one of my new sets, Circle Circus.


More Circle Circus, this time with Soft Suede...

And a couple of emboss resist cards for my Stamper's Group from last night:

I'm trying to embrace pink, really. This Melon Mambo is beyond pink though - it's SO bright!


Crushed Curry brayered on and then sponged with Dusty Durango...