Tyler is 8 today

Tyler is 8 years old today. I cannot believe that this little boy that fit into the palm of my hand when he was born could be 8 already. Where has all the time gone?

-He loves to play the Wii- Mario Galaxy this and Mario Galaxy that- He would live in front the TV and play the game forever if we should let him- He loves to put things together- He can put fairly complicated Lego pieces together in no time- He loves to ride his bike, his scooter and he swims like a fish. He is testing the ground talking back at times and muttering under his breath but he is really sweet inside and loves to goof around with play on words. This is a little card I am putting inside his lunchbox as a surprise with a small treat.

His school teacher said I could bring in a small treat so I made carrot cupcakes I hope everyone can eat. I made the little flags and the little card using the sentiment from PTI- Birthday wishes and It's a celebration.

This is a close up of the little flags on the little toothpicks. If only I could do this for a living- how fun it would be!

A Kind Word

I thought I posted this already but guess I hadn't. It's A Kind Word stampset from Stampin' Up. I loved to watercolor and I recently got into copics as well and I love the vibrancy of color and nice gradations you cna get. It's pink pirouette CS, textured with one of the texture plate. A little piece of my favorite Candy Lane Designer paper and tied with a the red gingham ribbon. I stamped the image on a larger piece of whisper white - colored it in with my copics and then cut the rectangle except for the little foot sticking out which I cut with my tiny scissors. Mounted on real red with stampin' Dimensionals.

This is the detail of the little girl colored in. Enjoy!

Mini Basket Variation

This is a variation on the basket we made last week. I changed up the colors a bit but I thought it was very sweet. The thing I liked the most about this was that when I got the stamp set Best Wishes and More I thought eek! Not really my style but you know what? it grows on me.

And the thing I liked the most about this project is that it made you see ways to use a stamp in a way you may not have thought of. Like this Flower stamp- It was punched after stamping in red with 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch circle punch and it looks totally different!

Take red textured CS and die cut with Bigz Basket and Blooms die. Use a small strip of Patterns Designer paper for the accent strip and use Baja CS for the tag and use the Baja 5/8 striped grosgrain ribbon and linen thread to tie on the tag.

Is it not sweet?

Stampshop hopping in Seattle

Do you ever feel like you are living your life one deadline after another? Well that is how I have been living my life the last few weeks- Blogging somehow ended up being that thing I love to do but as there is no deadline per se, everything seem to be ahead of it in priorities- but I am back!

I was at the Regional Meetings in Seattle last weekend and what do I love to do more than taking in the sites of the city? Stampshop Hopping! And you CANNOT go to Seattle without stopping by Amuse store- It was closing at 5 and I booked there from the convention center to barely get there in time but it was worth the drive. Icould not get a shot of the storefront without the reflection but it is a super cute store with ALL the amuse stuff and other adorables to touch and feel. Literally a kid in the candy store!

















Look at all these yummies on the wall!
I had a picture taken with Linda the owner- she said that her husband calls her Linda Lu and was so super nice- she gave me impeccable directions to Impress store in University Village- my next stop-
My in-laws are from Seattle so Tyler had his first haircut at Kidz - a toy store cum hair salon for kiddies and right across the walkway is Impress- and they were having their annual sale to boot! So yes, I bought some paper and a few stamps I've been eyeing much to the dismay of my poor little suitcase-



Next day I went to the Impress in Tukwilla - closer to the airport- and you know what? It was a great store- if you only have a chance to go to one Impress, that one would be it! There is also a paper source down the street which is really cool for all sorts of paper too. and you know what ? I always say I never win anything but when I got home, I got a call from Impress saying that I won one of the raffle items for a tonic border punch- Of course they will charge shipping to send it to me but hey! This is my first win ever- I am not even sure that the thing I won is even worth the cost of shipping -but I may have to frame this one to prove I may not be totally bad luck after all!

Samples to follow in the next few days as I get my room back in order to take pics to post!

Bella Rose Notebook

This is a little notebook I covered with Bella Rose DD paper and embellished with Dreams du Jour images. I just love this whole Sweet Bella line- so girly- having been a tomboy all my life who would have thought it? but being surrounded by testosterone - husband, 3 boys- and the only other girl in my house- Nikki our calico cat finally passed away- but she was almost 20 - I am the sole source of estrogen in this household now- at least until my ovaries give out on me.

Anyhow, you can pick up one of these school notebooks for a song before start of school. I covered it with bella rose on the front and inside covers and the back with matching cardstock I stamped with some inspirational words. I covered the seam with red grosgrain. Stamped Dreams du Jour with black and colored it in to coordinate- then put a clear rhinestone brad in the center of the flower and tacked it on using a bunch of glue dots to really hold and a butterfly to the left to covere th end of the ribbon- you know no matter how cleanly I cut it there is alway that potential for tatter- and you all know what a neat freak I am- but I like the butterfly there anyway.

It would make a lovely book to jot down your ideas, journal, cute things that your kids say that you just KNOW you will remember - but you never do later....so just write it down!

I like this one so much I think I'm going to keep it. But it would make a lovely gift for someone special with a matching pen.....

Lynda

Cheep Talk thanks

I just love this bird set. Some birds freak me out but this is so sweet how can you not love it? The Good Morning Sunshine DD paper just makes that chocolate chip CS sing. The Chocolate Chip CS is cut 3" from the end and turned sideways. This layout was CASED from my upline Tami. Add a layer of 2 3/4"x 4" Kiwi paper and then white CS 2 1/2x 3 3/4". The branch was stamped with Kiwi and then used brown marker to make the branch. the bird and the sentiment in Pacific Blue. Wrap the edge with Pacific Blue and punch through the layers with the Crop-a-dile and put a Kiwi Corduroy Brad through the layers. Secure the layers to the basecard using sticky strip. Stamp another sentiment inside if you wish as a surprise.

Easter Parade

At the last Stamp and Chat, Mercedes Weber -the undeniable Her Punch Highness- made an adorable scrapbook page using this punch bunny and the Egg Hunt wheel. Of course you can never have enough wheels for that really easy background. It's saffron ink on saffron CS. The Bunny is made using a large Oval and samll oval and word window punch. The nose is the heart from heart to heart punch. The eyes and toes are 1/8" circle punch. Highlight the eyes with the white gel pen to add a little sparkle. Sponge the edges of the body with some pink pirouette ink and mount onto white CS diecut with Top Note. I liked the ear a little flopped though. Pink pirouette striped grosgrain finishes it.

I liked the layout so much I used it for another card this time using the An Egg-cellent Easter set. It is so sweet. It is colored using the SU watercolor pencils after stamping in basic black. The bunny was colored lightly with pinkish pencil then using aqua painter blended in. A shadow underfoot anchors the image.

Just goes to show you how you can use one layout that appeals to you in lots of different ways.

HOppy Easter to you all!

Lynda

Happiness Always- crimped leaf

This is a level 3 hostess set from the 2008-2009 SU Fall Winter Idea Book-
I took a choc chip base CS, layere pink pirouette embossed with CB polka dot folder then layered with while scalloped edged CS with old olive on top pierced to make it look like a flower stem. the Images are 2 step done in pink pirouette base and old olive base then top stamped with choc chip again. The hardest part was trying to get the pink and olive borders to line up around the white CS with stamped image on it. The sentiment was colored using a marker then punched with circle and scallop circle punch. The leaf was a folded old olive scrap folded in half and cut out like a half leaf and run through the crimper at an angle. I wrote this up for the crimper ideas many months ago but forgot to post it so here it is. I want to go see my kids go Easter Egg Hunting today so being a little lazy....

Enjoy your weekend!
Lynda

Good Friend/Cheep Talk

This was one of my cards I had people make at one of my Sale-a bration workshops. The paper is delicate dots DD which was one of the special gifts you got with purchase. The stampset Good Friend and Cheep Talk is in the Spring and summer 2009 idea book and catalogue and one of my favorites- Now let's see how many favorite sets do I have? My MIL once said that she wished she could have 3 houses- one for the victorian style she liked, one for the modern style and another in art deco. Thank God that stamps don't take up that much room and I can have as many a different styles that appeal to me that I can keep.

I made a template of the big bird and cut out the wing to use as a stencil to sponge in the saffron color and to stamp on top. The branch is in celery and the bird, sentiment and the base cardstock is Pacific Point.


This is what the inside looks like all decorated. Isn't this fun?

Lynda

Botanical Blooms- one of my favorites

This was a card I cased from Elizabeth, one of my sidelines- she is such a gifted stamper and I always learn a lot from her. Here is her blog at http://seeinginkspots.blogspot.com/ Check her out and see what I mean. I did use the texture impressions plates from Stampin' Up on the right side of the card only and stamped the sentiment in chocolate chip. The flowers in pink pirouette and kiwi outlined with chocolate chip and glittered with dazzling diamonds. Layered on kiwi , punched hole on the left to tie a kiwi striped grosgrain. Eyelet punch the bottom white layer and mount on the textured base pirouette card.

I must be in the mood for spring- Flowers just keep popping up everywhere!

Lynda