Well, it’s Saturday…. not yet ready to call it “Good” yet, though…. and I’ll tell you why in a moment..

I really needed a distraction this morning, so I decided to check out the IC challenge and see what I could come up with.   You would think that with 1000’s of stamps in my studio, I could find a rooster, but nope!  I did have an outhouse, though… so I went with that.   Besides, I haven’t played with my Hambos in a few days and was beginning to feel the withdrawals. 

Unfortunately, my mind is not on stamping or much happy things this morning, as we have had a major tragedy hit home.   My ‘adopted’ son (Mike) returned from Iraq yesterday for what was to be a very happy homecoming (although only a 1 month leave).  Well, Thursday night, his mom’s fiance was killed in an auto/train collision.   Mikey is my Zeke’s best friend for years and we basically adopted him as he spent so much time at our house.   We, as well as our community, are in shock.

Sorry, I don’t feel very chatty this morning..

 Here’s my deets:

Stamps: Outhouse Pig and sentiment by Hambo Stamps (www.hambostamps.com)

Colors: Chocolate Chip, Pirouette Pink, Bella Rose DP, GP White

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, copics

Accessories: brads, ribbon, HPH, dimensionals, ticket corner punch

TFL!~ and have a blessed day

  Is it Wednesday already?!

Here is my submission for this morning’s SCS Sketch Challenge.   This card wouldn’t have come together without the friendship of Vicki B (justcrazy on SCS).    I have been searching all over for 1/2 pearls.  I’ve been to Michael’s, ACMoore and JoAnn’s without luck.   Well, yesterday I opened my mail and this is what I received:

  would you look at all those 1/2 pearls???    Vicki rocks!!   So, I decided to use her gorgeous card as inspiration for today’s SC card.    I feel very honored to have received such an awesome RAK.  WOW!

It was a great mail day… I also received this cutie pie from Tracy (LodiChick):

   My DH did some work in Tracy’s new kitchen and she sent this as a thank you.   Well, Tracy, it was our pleasure…. sharing talents is what life is all about :).

Ok, here is the deets on my card:

Stamps:  Baroque Motifs (SU)

Colors: Basic Gray, Basic Black, GP White

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, SU Craft White

Accessories: ribbon, 1/2 pearls, oval punch, HPH square clip, dimensionals

TFL!~ and have a blessed day!

  Oh, Happy Day!

How’s it going!?   I didn’t think I would get a chance to do the challenge today (CC), but I squeezed out a few minutes as I wanted to play along with Em’s first challenge as a new Dirty Girl!!

You have to wonder what I did before I had the swiss dots embossing folder..lol.   Well I used it up but good today because I am eagerly awaiting my new EF releases and I’m sure there will be a new one in there that I’ll fall in love with.   I finally found a good use for the Martha ribbon I bought way back when, too.   I love this ribbon.. it’s so silky!   The image was stamped on GP white, colored with copics and then run through the cuttlebug.  I like the effect of embossing right over the image.

Oh!!  Before I forget….. Here is comes!    I invite all of you to join in the Dare to Get Dirty ‘08 fan club challenges beginning July 21st and running through July 27th on Splitcoasters.   I will be hosting a sketch challenge!!   I will give more info and you will find more info on SCS as we get closer to the dates.   Mark your calendars!

Ok now for my deets:

Stamps:   Be Calm by Annie LaPoint for My Favorite Things (www.mftstamps.com)

Colors:  Almost Amethyst, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron, GP White

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Copics

Accessories: square brads, Martha Stewart Ribbon, swiss dots EF, scallop circle punches, dimensionals

TFL!~ and have a blessed day!

Happy Monday!!  Well, I survived!  Our event (1st Western New York Splitcoaststampers Gathering) went off really well.  We had 50 in attendance, including Tracy (Lodichick) and I.  What a whirlwind of a day, it was, too!

We arrived early to set up and get our ‘kitchen crew’ moving.  Our kitchen crew (seen below) consisted of my DH, Don and Tracy’s DH, Greg.  They were awesome!!!  The food was awesome, too.  Kudos to the guys!!  It’s not easy keeping 50 women happy, but they pulled it off

  That’s Greg on the left and Don on the right.  

 We gave away over $2000 in doorprizes from the following contributors:

Janome (www.hancockfabrics.com)                  

 Memory Box (www.memoryboxco.com)

www.cutcardstock.com                                       

 Scor-Pal (www.scor-pal.com)

Bonnie’s Best (www.bonniesbest.com)            

  Gina K  (www.ginakdesigns.com)

Cornish Heritage Farms (www.cornishheritagefarms.com)

My Favorite Things (www.mftstamps.com)   

 Copic Markers  (www.copicmarker.com)

Hambo Stamps (www.hambostamps.com)      

Prism Paper (www.prismpaper.com)

Flourishes LLC (www.flourishes.org)              

Impress Rubber Stamps (www.impressrubberstamps.com)

Lizzie Ann Stamps (www.lizzieanndesigns.com)  

Scor-It (www.scor-it.com)

Kitchen Sink Stamps (www.kitchensinkstamps.com) 

Verve Visual (www.shopverve.com)

Glue Dots International (www.gluedots.com)   

Clip it Up (www.clipitup.com)

www.pennywisearts.com               

Buffalo Stamps and Stuff (www.buffalostamps.com)

Splitcoaststampers (www.splitcoaststampers.com) 

Rosie’s roadshow (store.rosiesroadshow.com)

and last but definitely not least:

Rubbernecker (www.rubbernecker.com)  (Dave sent rubbah for ALL the girls!!)

Isn’t that amazing!!  Talk about generosity!  Our product sponsors ROCKED!!  Oh, and I won the sewing machine!!!!  Now I need someone to come teach me how to use it :).

Here are a couple pics of our winners:  (note the smiles on their faces!!)

  Our Score-It winner!  Talk about excited!!

  Our My Favorite Things winner!

  Oh and Arin won SU!’s brushed silver Hodgepodge Hardware Set!

  Our Hambo winner!! 

Here are a few more pics of all the girls in action

I just can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate all the people who contributed to our event!  Our sponsors as well as our attendees made this one VERY special day.   I feel like I made 50 new stamping friends and cannot wait to do it again!!

It’s a day I’ll never forget and one that bears repeating soon!!

 TFL!~ and have a blessed day!!

P.S.  I’ll be back to stamping by tomorrow morning

  Hey ya’ll!!  I have not fallen off the face of the earth…. in fact, I’ve been stamping my lil heart out and creating like crazy for our upcoming event.  I can’t share that with you just yet, as I need to keep it a suprise for our gathering attendees, but I will  be posting them the night before the event (April 26th). 

I have so much to do still.  I am making the table decorations, and I still need  to make 26 card fronts.  Oh, and we’re having a contest for the best nametag,  so I need to get busy designing that, too!  I feel like I’m in college… just about to pull a few all nighters. 

On the homefront, DH is working daily(Yay!) and the boys are off for spring break.  I’m keeping them busy helping to organize my space while I’m doing everything else!  The pic here is Levi’s organization of my ribbon.  There are two drawers, but I thought one picture would surfice.  I also bought a big round glass bowl to keep my ribbon pieces in… it looks so cool with all the colors in it!

One bad thing about having the boys off school is that I can’t get to my studio before 8am.  It’s only 6am now and I’m chomping at the bit.  Oh well, a couple of cups of coffee and I’ll be raring to go by 8… heehee.

Hope you all have a blessed day!  Peace!