Pagemaps and Little Beauty...

Paper:  Basic Grey Wisteria

Cardstock:  Smokey Plum

Stamps: Vintage Type and Bohemian Alpha

Ink: Amethyst and Gypsy

Other:  Recollections Butterfly and flowers, various adhesive gems, CTMH Bitty Sparkles colored with Copic Markers, Dollar Butterfly Punch from Michael's, Fiskars circle and border punch, EKSucces corner rounder, and Making Memories embroidery floss

This layout is pretty simple, but, it took FOREVER and clearly does not resemble the Page Maps sketch posted on their blog here.  This one was so frustrating because of the way I insisted on printing the pictures and by the time I decided it wouldn't work, I'd wasted to much time/supplies.  So, I powered through and a month later, this is what you get! ;O)

Love...

Paper:  Basic Grey Urban Prairie

Cardstock: Blush, Creme Brulee, Hollyhock, and White Daisy

Stamps: Key to My Heart, Bohemian Alphabet, Hope, and Can't remember the "joy of life" stamp set

Ink:  Blush, Hollyhock

Other:  Spellbinders and Memory Box Dies, CTMH Clear Buttons, Making Memories Embroidery Floss, CTMH Bitty Pearls and Brads, Martha Stewart and Michael's Dollar Butterfly Punches, Recollections Pearls, Joann Essentials heart brads, Fiskars border punch, CTMH ribbon, Sizzix embossing envelope, Marvy and Zig pens.

I started this layout shortly after I found out I was having a girl and will use it as a cover page for her baby book.  The layout was on the cover of one of CTMH's catalogs with a paper I didn't like and I've been dying to recreate it.  I wish I'd done the stitching differently, but, I still like it overall!  

Freshly Made Sketches Baby Girl Card...

I was blog surfing a little today and came across this super fun card sketch blog called Freshly Made Sketches!  They are doing a special blog hop for one of their DT members who is expecting a new baby in the near future.  I loved the sketch and decided to keep with the theme and get a jump on the cards for all the new little ones my friends are expecting this year! ;O) 

I love this bear image, he's one of my two go-to baby images.  But, I think he's a little big for this standard sized card...I may have to rethink him in the future!  I also had to laugh because I've spent five years focused on little boy scrapbook supplies and have practically nothing in pink.  This stack from Basic Grey is about all I've got!  Olivia has a little outfit that is brown with, dark/light pink and grey spots on it and I thought I'd use that for my own little color challenge.  I like how it turned out, but, definitely not my typical colors!

Paper:  Basic Grey Urban Prairie
Cardstock:  Blush, Hollyhock, Grey Wool
Stamps:  Beary Much and New Arrival
Ink:  Grey Wool and Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa
Other: CTMH flowers and Clear button, Making Memories embroidery floss, Fiskars border punch, EK Success corner rounder, and Prisma Water Color pencils

Deepest Sympathy...

Cardstock:  CTMH Colonial White and Pansy Purple

Stamps:  Treasure Life, Universal Backgrounds, and Card Chatter Sympathy

Ink: CTMH Pansy Purple and Cocoa

Vicki Wizniuk posted a cute card on her blog the other day that was based on a card by Wanda Guess.  I love to look at new blogs, so, I ventured over to Wanda's and fell in love with this card here.  I thought it was so pretty and so simple, it would make a great sympathy card.  Sympathy cards are so tough for me and of course, they always get done in a rush because you never plan for a death.  I had all the supplies out for the "Family" layout still, so, I did my card in Pansy Purple with the Treasure Life and Universal Background stamps.  Easy Peasy! ;O)  Hopefully, I never have to use it though!

Family...

Paper:  Creative Memories-Nancy O'Dell's Hummingbird Collection

Cardstock:  Colonial White and Pansy Purple

Stamps: Treasure Life, Treasures, Journaling Jots, and The Works Alphabet

Ink:  CTMH Pansy Purple and Cocoa

Other:  JoAnn Craft Essentials Clear Embossing Powder with Versamark, Making Memories embroidery floss, JoAnn Essentials Brads, CTMH Bitty Brads, Ribbon from LSS, and Cricut 

I bought a scrapbook and matching "Hummingbird Collection" paper from Creative Memories over a year ago with the intentions of starting a scrapbook for my mother as a gift for her birthday last November.  Needless to say, with the year I've had, that didn't quite a happen.  But, I did manage to get this layout done based on this one here that I'd done a couple of years ago for Owen's scrapbook.  I hate to tell you how long ago I started this!!

CSI Case 20 and Sketch Savvy...Little Lady Bug

Happy Memorial Day!!  Don't forget to thank a service man/woman for their sacrifices today!!  Thats the least we can do while we enjoy our freedom...

Paper: Imaginisce Twitterpated, CTMH Let's Get Together (yellow) and Emporium (light green)

Cardstock:  White Daisy, Black, and Kraft

Stamps:  Just the Ticket, Rustic Alpha, Small Chocolate Alpha, Ambiance, and Fluttering Frames

Ink: Cranberry, Buttercup, Pear, and Tsukineko Memento Black Tuxedo

Other:  CTMH flowers, Imaginisce Brad and Twitterpated Rub-ons, Plantin Schoolbook Cricut Cartridge, Copic Marker (lipstick red), and Marvy Pen

While I was busy being pregnant and miserable, my favorite sketch blogs, Sketchy Thursday and Pencil Lines decided to call it quits.  I am still upset, Sketchy Thursday's sketches always struck a chord with me and between their great sketches and amazing DT, it was instant inspiration.  Anyway, I've been blog surfing a little trying to find new sketch sites and in the process, learned about CSI.  You've GOT to check out this challenge site, it's SO much fun!!  I desperately tried to put together my layout yesterday for Case #20 and get it submitted in time, but, I just wasn't fast enough.  I did however complete it from start to finish in one day...thats practically record breaking for me!! ;O)  Of course, I got no work done and my house is a disaster! ;O)


So, here's a quick synopsis of how it works, you have to complete a sketch (cards don't count) using all 5 colors provided, 2 options from Evidence, and 1 from Testimony.  They even provide digital papers and embellishments to download and print!!  I used...
Evidence:  Insects/Bugs and Kraft Background (I snuck a mushroom in just on principle)
Testimony:  Set Journaling on top of something and Inspiration Word: cute (in my journaling)

The other site I learned about while I was blog surfing was Sketch Savvy.  It's absolutely fabulous and reminds me a lot of Sketchy Thursday sketches, but, even better!!  I chose to use Sketch #70 from back on January 20th.

Mojo Monday Baby Shower!

Yaaay!  I finally got a chance to play a little this week and even had a good excuse!  I have a baby shower today and needed a card.  I was counting earlier, including me, I've known six different people that have had babies since September of 2011 and I know five more having babies between May and this September!!  It's like there's something in the water lately! ;O)  Stay clear of Alaska if you don't want a bundle of your own!!

I played along with this week's Mojo Monday sketch and used my favorite digi stamp from Meljen's Designs.  Believe it or not, she still has it in her freebies here!!  They currently have a blog challenge to use one of their stamps with pink and green.  Wish I had checked before I did this card...I may just have to do another one! ;O)

Paper:  DCWV Nana's Nursery Baby Boy (Really Old Stack)

Cardstock:  Pear, Gypsy, and White Daisy

Stamps:  Meljen's Designs Digi Sweet Little Donkey, New Arrival, and Card Word Puzzle

Ink:  Tsukineko Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black and Gypsy

Other:  Copic Markers, Stickles, Robin's Nest Dew Drops, CTMH Bitty Sparkles (Colored with Copic Markers to match), Fiskars Border Punch, Casa Collection Ribbon, Crop-a-Dial corner punch, and Nestabilities Die Cuts

Our Little Girl Is Here...

Olivia Laray finally arrived a couple of weeks ago and we are slowly getting into a routine and getting more sleep!  I hope to have time to be crafty soon.  In the meantime, here's some pictures I thought I'd share of our new little angel!!  Her brother is totally smitten! ;O)

Hip Hip Hooray....

I made this card this past summer for Dave's Granny and have yet to get it in the mail!!!  How bad is that!!!  I don't know what is wrong with me!  Anyway, figured I'd share it here at least and hopefully, it will give me the motivation to walk it to the mailbox! ;O)

Paper:  Key To My Heart

Cardstock:  White Daisy and Tulip

Stamps:  Card Chatter-Happy Birthday and Happy Forever

Ink: Tsukineko Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black, Juniper, and Tulip (Sponged around cardstock)

Other:  Copic Markers, Stickles, Recollections Adhesive Sparkles, CTMH Hollyhock brads, EKSuccess Corner Rounder, Crop-a-Dile Corner punch, and Celebrate It White Ric Rac Ribbon

My Work In Progress...

So, we found out this week what we are having...it's a healthy baby GIRL!!!  She's about the only thing I've managed to work on lately!! ;O)  She was less than cooperative during the sonogram, so our pictures aren't exactly stellar.  This was our first experience with a 3-D sonogram, kind of disappointing I have to say!

I have one card I will share with you tomorrow that I completed forever ago and never posted.  I also have a couple layouts in the works I'm hoping to share soon.  Sorry for my lack of productivity!  I have a feeling I won't be very consistent until after our little trouble maker makes her appearance this spring!!

Happy Birthday to Me...

Hey everybody!!  I'm finally starting to feel more like myself, o.k., well, less nauseous anyway...still extremely exhausted!  Anyone who says they "Loved being pregnant" didn't have to work!!  

I photographed these beautiful cards, that I received for my birthday ages ago, but, am just now getting them posted.  Aren't they gorgeous!!

The first one is from my friend Barbara, isn't the background paper great?  She totally did that with embossing powder and a fancy tool....I need to ask her how, I've never seen anything like it!  How great is it!!  She also did a great job on the ice cream cone from the stamp set with the Fanfare Workshop on the Go with embossing powder again...I never think to stamp tone on tone.  I love how it looks!  If you want to see more of her work and read her creative take on life, check out her blog here at "Grammy's Place"!

The second one is from my mother-in-law, Diana.  How great is it!  I just love the colors!!  She used the Splendor paper pack.  Can you tell they are great customers! ;O)