The other day I updated my Google Analytics widget within Wordpress.  For some reason when I did this I lost the ability to go to the direct post when you visit from Google Reader.  I deactivated the widget and the issue should be resolved.  I did have to refresh my feed in Google Reader by clicking on the refresh button, but it seems to be working now.  I’ll keep an eye on it and hopefully it won’t cause any more issues.

It’s Friday! It’s the first week that we’ve been home all week this summer and I have thoroughly enjoyed it, but I am ready for the weekend to begin. I hope today is a quieter day than yesterday because Evan had a mind of his own and gave me a run for my money yesterday. I didn’t even get a chance to stamp and when I sat down I was too tired. I let the kids ride their bikes from our driveway to the neighbor’s. They then turn around and come back. I position myself where I can see both of them at all times. Evan decided he wanted to go around the block and took off. The house is wide open and Colin and I are chasing after him. He lost his bike for the rest of the day after that stunt. Then in the afternoon he wanted to put his puzzle together on the coffee table in the great room. Colin wanted to color with chalk on the driveway. They were leaving each other alone so I went back and forth between the two of them. I stepped out to check on Colin and Evan locked Colin and I out of the house. Then he couldn’t unlock the door. Luckily I had a phone with me because I couldn’t find the spare key and Roger made it almost all of the way home from work. Evan unlocked the door right before he got here so I called him and told him he could go back to work. Today I am making another copy of the key and will be giving it to one of the neighbors for instances like this.

I made this card for Cindy’s Dare to Get Dirty sketch challenge.  Since this is open to Fan Club members of SCS I am not going to post my directions and dimensions for how to make this card.  However, if you are a fan club member you can see the sketch in the challenge forum.  I used A Happy Heart, one of my favorite sets that hasn’t seen much ink lately, Great Friend and Pendant Park for the sentiment.  I again used Orchid Opulence!  It looks so pretty with the Cottage Wall designer series paper.  I paired it up with Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive.  I love this color combo!  I used my Circle Scissors to make all of the circle layers.  I only wish there was one for ovals too.

Well I hope you have a fantastic weekend.  Tomorrow we have an 8:30 am soccer game and then preschool registration for Evan right after that.  I’ll see you back here on Monday!  When school starts I’ll be back to posting everyday, but it’s nice to have the weekends off over the summer.

All products are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased via my Demonstrator Website: http://igotstamps.stampinup.net

Stamps: A Happy Heart, Great Friend, Pendant Park
Paper: Orchid Opulence, Old Olive, Cottage Wall dsp, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, Old Olive
Accessories: Circle Scissors, vintage brads, mat pack, pretties kit, word window punch, big shot, finial press embossing folder, eyelet border punch, dimensionals, mini glue dots, AquaPainter

Only one more day left in July. Just where did the summer go. It’s barely been summer with the weather we have been experiencing.  For the first time in 139 years, or as long as they’ve been keeping records this is the first July where the weather has not reached 87 degrees in Chicago.  Don’t get me wrong, I am loving the weather.  Yesterday it was in the 70’s and the kids and I played outside almost all day long.  I did get some time to stamp too!

This is to go along with the Christmas in July that is the Late Night Stampers challenge for the week.  I decided to go with some non-traditional colors.  I think it’s one of my new favorite color combinations.  I used Kraft, Sage Shadow, Not Quite Navy and Really Rust.  I saw it in the Stampin’ Up! catalog and just went with it.  This also meets the Dare to Get Dirty challenge of making your own patterned paper.  I used Park Avenue Patterns to stamp my Not Quite Navy strips.

To Make This Card:
1. Cut a Kraft card stock base to 5 1/2″ X 8 1/2″ and score at 4 1/4″.
2. Cut your Sage Shadow layer to 5 1/4″ X 4″. Sponge the edges with Sage Shadow ink.
3. Cut two Not Quite Navy pieces to 3 7/8″ X 1 1/4″. Use Dotto to tape them next to each other on grid paper. Use a Stamp-a-ma-jig, Not Quite Navy ink and Park Avenue Patterns to stamp the background.
4. Add paper piercing with your mat pack, and 3 vintage brads on the right hand side.
5. Cut your Really Rust layer to 3 7/8″ X 2 5/8″ and Whisper White to 3 3/4″ X 2 1/2″.
6. Stamp your swirl in Sage Shadow and the sentiment in Really Rust. Both are from Season of Joy. Stamp the flowers on scrap paper and cut out. Assemble your layer and attach it and the flowers to the card front with dimensionals.

I’ll have another card for you tomorrow that I hope you’ll love.  It’s one of my favorites for the week.

All products are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased via my Demonstrator Website: http://igotstamps.stampinup.net

Stamps: Park Avenue Pattern, Season of Joy
Paper: Kraft, Sage Shadow, Not Quite Navy, Really Rust, Whisper White
Ink: Sage Shadow, Not Quite Navy, Really Rust
Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig, dimensionals, vintage brads, mat pack, sponge dauber

I’m still working my way through the Dare to Get Dirty challenges on SCS. This is for KrystieLee’s Clearly Creative challenge. I pulled out a Medium thickness Window Sheet and my new Big Shot Scalloped Square die. I knew I wanted to go with a Halloween Theme so I used Haunting Halloween and All Holidays for the sentiment and Cast-a-Spell designer series paper. I wanted it to have an eerie feel so I sponged in my background with Elegant Eggplant and Perfect Plum. I really like the effect of the glowing moon with the house and sponged night time sky.

To make this card:
1. Cut your window sheet to 4 3/4″ X 10″ and score at 5″. Place it on your scallop square so the folded edge lines up with the top row of scallops without cutting them. Pop your clear scallop square card out of the die.
2. Punch holes in each scallop with the Crop-a-dile. Make sure you aim away from your face, as the window sheet material really pops out quickly. (Don’t ask me how I know . . . it really hurts if it hits you in the eye . . . )
3. Cut a piece of Perfect Plum to 3 3/4″ square and two Whisper White to 3 1/2″ squares, one is for use in the next step. Stamp the tree in Basis Black on the lower left corner and adhere the layers together. Place in the back of your card (this is not pictured but you can see it in the background).
4. Cut Cast-a-Spell dsp to 3 3/4″ square and use the 2nd piece of Whisper White from step 3. Stamp your house image in Basic Black. Use an AquaPainter to watercolor in the windows with Summer Sun and So Saffron ink. Use the same for the Moon.
5. Mask off the house and sponge Pumpkin Pie around the moon, Perfect Plum around the house and Elegant Eggplant around the outer edge. Remove your mask and watercolor the grave stone with Going Gray ink.
6. Attach your image to the Cast-a-Spell paper and attach to the front of the card. Tie on your Pumpkin Pie striped grosgrain ribbon.
7. Stamp the sentiment from All Holidays in Pumpkin Pie on a scrap of Whisper White card stock. Punch out with the Modern Label punch. Add a vintage brad in one side. Attach to the card with dimensionals.

When you attach your images to the window sheets you will be able to see the adhesive through the sheet. You can mask it by dividing your image mats in half. Instead of attaching the Whisper White to the Cast-a-Spell dsp or the Perfect Plum you can put those layers on the back of the sheet and then mount the main images over them on the other side so the adhesive is inbetween the layers. You can also just cut 2 more 3 3/4″ squares to put on the back of the layers. I used minimal adhesive and it doesn’t really bother me that I can see it slightly. It actually doesn’t show up on the back of the Cast-a-Spell paper I used. Go with whatever your preference is when making the card.

Well it’s Wednesday already! I’ve been so happy to not have swimming and to actually be at home to stamp! It’s been so relaxing. I hope you have a great day stamping.

All products are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased via my Demonstrator Website: http://igotstamps.stampinup.net

Stamps: House of Haunts, All Holidays
Paper: Medium Window Sheet, Perfect Plum, Whisper White, Cast-a-Spell dsp
Ink: Basic Black, Perfect Plum, Summer Sun, So Saffron, Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Sponge, AquaPainter, Modern Label Punch, dimensionals, vintage brads, Pumpkin Pie striped grosgrain

On Splitcoaststampers the Dare to Get Dirty Challenges are back. I love a good challenge, so I decided to play along. Jen’s challenge was Tag Art and to play along you needed to make a tag. I decided to include one on the front of my card. I paired it up with Laura’s sketch at 2 Sketches for You.  I used the same image that I used yesterday.  I just love this little cactus.  The colors are pulled directly from the Merry Moments designer series paper package, with a few extra Earth Elements colors thrown in.

To make this card:
1. Cut your Garden Green card stock base to 5 1/2″ X 8 1/2″ and score at 4 1/4″.
2. Attach a piece of Merry Moments dsp (3 7/8″ X 5 1/8″) to a Chocolate Chip (4″ X 5 1/4″). Cut 2 strips of Old Olive (1 1/4 x 3 7/8″) and scallop them with the scallop edge punch and then attach. Cut a piece of Real Red (1 1/4″ X 3 7/8″) and attach.
3. Add paper piercing along the Old Olive strips and a Very Vanilla 5/8″ grosgrain bow. Attach to the card base with dimensionals.
4. Cut a Chocolate Chip (2 3/8″ X 3 1/8″) and a Very Vanilla (2 1/4″ X 3 “). Use the Tag corner punch on both pieces. Use the eyelet border punch on the Very Vanilla piece.
5. Stamp your image in Basic Gray. Use an AquaPainter to watercolor with Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, Garden Green, Real Red, Summer Sun and Soft Suede.
6. Attach your layers and use the Horizontal Slot punch to punch through. I elongated my slot by punching more than once. Put a Real Red 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon through the slot. Attach a Pretties Kit half pearl.
7. Attach the tag to the card with dimensionals.

I am having so much fun stamping in my newly reorganized space!  It’s nice when things are nice and fresh and ready to go.  Plus it beats spending the hottest hours of the afternoon out in the heat.  It’s much nicer in the coolness of the basement.

All products are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased via my Demonstrator Website: http://igotstamps.stampinup.net

Stamps: Yippee Kiyay Holiday
Paper: Garden Green, Chocolate Chip, Merry Moments dsp, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Real Red
Ink: Basic Gray, Garden Green, Real Red, Soft Suede, Summer Sun, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy
Accessories: AquaPainter, scallop edge punch, mat pack, dimensionals, Very Vanilla and Real Red 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon, horizontal slot punch, pretties kit, mini glue dots, eyelet border punch
Techniques: watercoloring

When I’ve been away from stamping for a while I always love to start with a Clean and Simple card. It gets me stamping and gets the creative juices flowing. It’s also a quick project that I don’t have to put too much thought into so I don’t feel overwhelmed. Today the Clean and Simple challenge on SCS was a sketch. I can rarely pass up a sketch challenge. The Late Night Stampers challenge is Christmas in July, so I combined the two together to make this card.

To make this card:
1. Cut your Very Vanilla card stock to 4 1/4 X 11 and score at 5 1/2. Run the front through your Big Shot with the Finial Press textured impressions embossing folder.
2. Cut your Very Vanilla main image layer to 2 1/4 X 3 1/2 and the Garden Green layer to 2 1/2 X 3 3/4″. Cut the Merry Moments strip to 1 1/8″ X 2 1/4″.
3. Stamp your Yippee Kiyay Holiday image in Basic Gray and watercolor with an AquaPainter and Old Olive, Garden Green, Summer Sun, Real Red, Not Quite Navy and Soft Suede ink.
4. Pierce around your main image with the mat pack. Attach to your Garden Green layer, add dsp strip and then tie on a Chocolate Chip 1/4″ grosgrain ribbon.
5. Attach to your card base with dimensionals.

It’s hard to see the textured background in the above photo so here is a detail shot.  In real life the embossing really pops, but it is hard to photograph on a light background.

Today I got a HUGE package in the mail from 2 Sketches 4 You!  Thanks to Kazan and Laura and all of the sponsors for the wonderful prizes I won for making it through the Top 5 of the 1st Annual Card Showdown.

Well the kids are getting hungry and we are going to brave the heat a bit more after lunch.  Then it’s back to stamping!

All products are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased via my Demonstrator Website: http://igotstamps.stampinup.net
Stamps: Yippee Kiyay Holiday
Paper: Very Vanilla, Garden Green, Merry Moments dsp
Ink: Basic Gray, Not Quite Navy, Garden Green, Old Olive, Real Red, Summer Sun, Soft Suede
Accessories: Big Shot, Finial Press Embossing Folder, mat pack, dimensionals, Chocolate Chip 1/4″ grosgrain ribbon, AquaPainter

My stamp room is done and organized for now and it’s almost complete. I’m hoping that this winter gives us the opportunity to put in our drop ceiling. I have photos for you of my room before the cabinets were painted and what they look like today. Now it’s time to stamp! I’ll have a new project to post later today.  I think the white cabinets make a huge difference.  The white paint doesn’t cover the dark stain perfectly, but I like the distressed look.  Down the line I’ll replace the gold hardware, or spray paint it silver.  Now that the cabinets are painted the hardware looks even older.  Oh well, I’d rather stamp than paint this week.

off of the face of the Earth.

Thanks for the e-mails asking if I am okay.  I am here!  We were on vacation from Monday through late Thursday evening.  Yesterday I had to stock up on food as our fridge was empty and we ran a few other errands.  I unpacked and did all of the laundry that accumulated on vacation.  We hung out with our neighbors for a bit, ate dinner and took the kids to the park.  Today I worked on my stamping space.  I have oak cabinets from the 1980’s that we got from a friend of my parents.  They are wonderful as they hold a lot of stuff, but they are really dark and it felt like they were sucking the light out of my stamping space.  I sanded them and then painted them white.  But to do that I had to take all of my stamping stuff out of them.  I just finished putting my space back together.  However, I’m too exhausted to stamp.  Tomorrow my grandma is celebrating her 90th birthday so we are going to spend the day with her.  Also on Friday my Dad came home!!!!  He hasn’t been living at home for over 2 1/2 months.  My grandma lives with them so it will be a birthday/homecoming party.

I will be back on Monday – probably late in the day since I have nothing stamped.  I can’t wait for school to start so I can get my stamping time back.  Only a few more weeks and I’ll have 6 hours to myself every week.  Colin will be in school full time and Evan is going 2 half-days a week.  I won’t know what to do with myself besides stamp!

I am so glad you decided to join us on this fantastic blog tour! If you arrived here from Julie Dinn’s blog you are on the right track.  If I’m your first stop just keep going, it’s a full circle.  There are 12 stops along the way, so make sure you take the time to see all of the wonderful creations the Control Freaks Swappers Group has in store for you. The creativity in this group is beyond amazing and I am so thrilled to be a part of it. This tour is focusing on new products in the 2009 – 2010 Idea Book and Catalog and is a 100% Stampin’ Up! only Blog Tour.  At the end of this post, click on the image to go to the next stop, Melanie Schulenberg’s blog.  I chose to use Pendant Park and the new Medallion Background stamp set for my three projects.

Let’s start with a clean and simple card. I used Fall to Layout #51 sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping. I paired it with the Thoroughly Modern designer series paper package. I started with a Kraft card stock base and layered it with Rose Red and the Taken with Teal pattern from Thoroughly Modern dsp. The Whisper White layer has been die cut with the Stampin’ Up! exclusive Top Note Die for the Big Shot. I added a few 5 petal flowers and some Leaves also cut out with the Big Shot.  The Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon ties it all together.

Stamps: Pendant Park
Paper: Kraft, Rose Red, Thoroughly Modern dsp, Whisper White, Taken with Teal, Old Olive
Ink: Old Olive, Rose Red, Soft Suede
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note die, dimensionals, horizontal slot punch, Soft Suede Polka-dot ribbon,  Little Leaves sizzlet, Boho Blossoms Punch, 5 Petal Flower punch, vintage brad

A few weeks ago I’d have never reached for Orchid Opulence. It’s just not a color I use, or it wan’t until I purchased the Cottage Wall designer series paper. It’s just gorgeous paired with Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive. The Orchid Opulence layer has been run through the Big Shot with the new Stampin’ Up! Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  The Medallion was stamped in Rich Razzleberry on Whisper White and then layered on Orchid Opulence that was sponged with Rich Razzleberry.  This layer is set up on dimensionals.  I then made the paper flower by scoring a 1″ X 12″ strip of Cottage Wall dsp every 1/2 inch and attaching the ends together to make a circle.  It is attached with Sticky Strip.  I added a Latte button, linen thread and the Hello stamp from Pendant Park to finish off the card. The sketch for this card is Jen’s Sketch for You To Try.

Stamps: Medallion, Pendant Park
Paper: Old Olive, Orchid Opulence, Rich Razzleberry, Whipser White, Cottage Wall dsp
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker
Accessories: Big Shot, Finial Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, sponge, dimensionals, sticky strip, Latte Button, Linen Thread, Modern Label Punch

This last project is one of my favorites. Becky Robert’s sent me a RAK while my Dad was in the hospital. She sent me the tutorial to make this purse! I’ve been wanting to try it out and finally had a chance to sit down and make it. Thanks Becky!  This is my version of her Purse-onally Perfect Notes. I used the new Nouveau Chic designer series paper and Pendant Park to make this purse.  The colors in the designer series paper package are Apricot Appeal, Sage Shadow, Basic Gray and Basic Black.  I just pulled colors from there to put this cool purse together.

Stamps: Pendant Park
Paper: Nouveau Chic dsp, Basic Gray, Sahara Sand, Sage Shadow, Apricot Appeal
Ink: Sage Shadow, Basic Gray
Accessories: Circle Scissors, Sticky Strip, mini glue dots, 1 1/4″ square punch, Pretties Kit, Simple Flower Embosslit, Little Leaves sizzlet, dimensionals, wide oval punch, natural hemp twine.

I hope you have a fantastic time on this tour! Thanks so much for stopping by.  Remember that this week my family is going on vacation, so I’m taking a short hiatus from blogging.  I will be back later this week with some projects to share.

All products are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased via my Demonstrator Website: http://igotstamps.stampinup.net

As promised I have photos of my summer flowers. This patch is right outside of our front porch and is seen from the front door all of the time. I love the mix of yellow, purple and orange flowers. I think my favorite are the Blazing Stars. They grow over 3 feet tall and bloom with delicate purple flowers. The bumble bees love them too and I have always been fascinated watching them fly around and collecting pollen. I also have Shasta Daisies, Purple Cone-flowers, Moonbeam Coreopsis and other butterfly attracting plants.

I started planting these flowers 5 years ago when we moved in. I buy only gallon plants so it has taken some time for them to fill in. Other plants have been divided from my Mom’s perennial garden. I only plant perennials because I want plants that come back year after year. The plan for next year is to get some lower flowering plants to put up in the front of the garden, closer to the sidewalk to fill it all in.

Today is the day I pick the $40 Give Away winner. This lucky person gets to chose new home decor items thanks to Living Rooms Direct. I hope you enjoy your new living room furniture or whatever you choose to pick.  I used Random.org to pick a winner and the lucky number is 10.  Congrats to:

Tanja Fussell

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Make sure to come on back for the Tour de Freaks!

Jenn