TCP Tuesday - on a Wednesday :)

Hi everyone, I know...it's Wednesday, but I'm a day late posting this week's TCP Tuesday challenge - we're taking it easy here at The Cat's Pajamas over the holidays, so I'm posting a nice and easy challenge for you: for the New Year, make any card that uses something "NEW" - try a new technique, use a new stamp (a TCP one if you have one!), use a new layout, make a New Year's card - it's up to you! When you're done, add your card to Alma's blog slideshow for us all to see :)

Continuing with the relaxed theme of the week...I'll be working on my card and posting it later today or early tomorrow. Have a relaxing, creative day!

Happy Birthday to me :)

Today I hit the big 3-8 :) We went bowling yesterday, followed by a visit to Krispy Kreme - then in the evening I went to see "Up in the Air" - a super movie!! Shopping today with Nattie to use up our gift cards :)

Happy, Happy Holidays!

I hope you're having a super week :) I am finished with my shopping and now I just have to finish the wrapping! I went to the grocery store today, and now it's snowing outside - we're supposed to be getting between 6 and 12 inches of snow with this one. Looks like we'll be having a white Christmas here in Colorado.

Best wishes to everyone for a super Christmas! I'll be back at the weekend :)

TCP Tuesday Sketch Challenge Card :)

I am so sorry it took me this long to get my TCP Tuesday card posted! I have a new laptop and had to figure out some new photo software...I will have to play around with it over the break to get used to it :) Anyway, my card uses one of the new TCP sets - "Give a Little" - check out Sprinkle on her candy cane!

TCP Tuesday - Sketch Challenge!

Happy TCP Tuesday :) This week's Hostess is Jen...click on her blog entry right here to see the fabulous sketch she has created for us! I have made my card, but the light was awful when I got home from school this afternoon - so I will post it tomorrow.

I hope all's well with you! We're heading into the last 3 days of school before a 2-week break. My new job is so much fun; the staff have made me feel extremely welcome and every day I am learning something new! The reception for our retiring secretary (Kathleen) is tomorrow evening; she has been at the school for 16 years, so there will be lots of Marshdale families stopping by to say goodbye to her. Some of the teachers stayed behind after school to decorate it as a surprise for Kathleen in the morning; I can't wait to see her face when she pulls up at 7.30am!

I made it...

The first two days in my new job were hard work, but great fun :) I am very lucky to have an overlap of 7 working days with the current secretary, and she is an excellent teacher. On the first day, I shadowed Kathleen, and yesterday we switched so that I'm now doing the job and she's there to guide me. All of the staff and students have been very supportive, and Jamie and I decided we'll have a lunch date every Wednesday :) It's strange being in the school at 7.30am - very, very quiet! Last night we had the staff holiday party which was great fun. Whatever you're up to, have a super weekend!

TCP Tuesday - Stamp Challenge :)

Hi all...TCP Tuesday has rolled around again, and this week Susan is challenging us to make a wintery card :) I decided to post this card as I don't think I showed you a card with this particular image - check out Poochie with his head deep inside the present box (from TCP's "Give A Little" set)! I'm also happy to be able to post a card with warm colors on it - considering that right now the temperature outside is -11! The kids at school haven't had outdoor recess for the past 2 days, since we can't take them out if the temperature is under 20 degrees. Fingers crossed for at least 20 degrees tomorrow...

Favorite tree ornaments

BRRRRR!

This card made with the new Pure Innocence line of stamps from My Favorite Things is perfect for today! We aren't expected to get above 15 degrees! Yesterday when I got home from work around 4pm the temperature was 5 degrees...

I used the patterned kraft paper by Jillibean Soup on this card, and as you can see, I paper-pieced the little girl's coat, hat, scarf and boots. I added some sparkle to the snow with some Stickles (Frosted Lace). The layout is from the Card Patterns blog (Sketch 42).

It's time for me to head off to work, so I'll catch you later! Stay warm!

TCP Tuesday - Color Challenge!

Hi everyone - we have another TCP Tuesday Color Challenge for you - hosted this week by Joanne :) Jump over to her blog right here to get all the details on playing along. For my card I decided to make a holiday card - I used TCP's "Give A Little" set (I love the bear!). I paper-pieced the bear using some patterned kraft paper by Jillibean Soup. The word "honey" is spelled out using a new alphabet set from TCP - it's called "Coolvetica" and the letters are the perfect size for cards :)

Better Late Than Never...

Here's my card for this week's TCP Tuesday challenge - I'm sorry it's late! I used TCP's "Make Merry" set and some tone-on-tone snowflake paper with lots of holiday shine :) For the layout, I used a sketch from the Unscripted Sketches blog.

It's back to work for me and the kids tomorrow. It was nice having a week-long break - and we only have to go for 3 more weeks before our 2-week holiday break!

TCP Tuesday with Amy :)

Hi everyone, this week's TCP Tuesday hostess is the super-talented Amy - hop over to her blog to find out what her challenge is :) I'm spending the whole day at home tomorrow and am hoping to get lots of stamping done - I have some really pretty holiday paper to play with, and now that I am done with my degree, I am able to enjoy my stamping without thinking about school assignments :) The first card I'll work on will be my TCP Tuesday card, so stop by tomorrow evening or Thursday to see what I came up with.

I also have some news about the GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE SALE over at The Cat's Pajamas from November 26th - November 30th. Everything (excluding Kitty Kat Packs) will be 25% off, so it'll be a great time to stock up! HAPPY SHOPPING!

TCP Tuesday - Inspiration Challenge

Hi all! This week I'm the hostess for TCP Tuesday, and I have an Inspiration Challenge for you. I love this hat from L.L. Bean - you can see it on their website right here. The bright colors are perfect for winter, and I really like the chocolate brown background. Of course, since it's an Inspiration Challenge, you don't necessarily need to use the colors as inspiration - you can use anything that jumps out at you when you look at the picture :)

For my card, I used TCP's brand new "Give A Little" set. I cut out circles with a craft knife to replicate the pattern on the hat, and added some Stickles (Magenta) to a white felt snowflake for a little more bling. Here's the scoop on how to play along:

1. All challenge entries will go into TCP's monthly Swanky Stamper contest. This means $25 in Cat Cash for the winner to spend on new stamps from The Cat's Pajamas!




2. Link your creation to the slide show on Alma's blog so that we can all see it!




3. TCP stamps are not required, but are of course highly recommended :)




4. If you'd like to also upload your piece to Splitcoast Stampers, use the keyword TCPTUES85 for this week.




5. Have fun!!

Obtain bachelor's degree - DONE!

I did it! I finished my bachelor's degree today - after four long years of fitting school in with family and work! I am proud, relieved, tired, happy...the list goes on :)

Busy, busy....

Thought I'd post an update along with another TCP card - this card uses TCP's new "Penguin Christmas" set. I also used the German Glass Glitter to cover some felt snowflakes before I attached them to the card front.

It's been quite a week here so far...I'm in my last week of school (YEAH!) - my last official day of class is Monday November 16th - and then I'll have my degree! It's been a long few years, but I am very, very proud of myself :)

Things at school are going really well. The kids from 2nd, 4th and 5th grade that I work with every day are fantastic - they are so open and honest, and I have grown attached to every single one of them. Although I am excited to start my new job on December 10th, I will miss the kids a lot - but they have assured me that they will be stopping by to say hello (or to get bus passes, to be excused for a dental appointment, or anything else I can help them with). Change is good, right?

Nattie and Jamie are both working very hard at school. They are both turning into really nice, fun people which is cool to watch :) All the animals are well, although Sally (our diabetic cat) has to go to the vet on Friday to have her blood monitored for a day so that we can find out if her insulin dose needs to be adjusted. She's back to drinking a lot of water again, so I'm thinking there must be something going on...

After school finishes, I will have my evenings and weekends back! I am very much looking forward to catching up with all my blogging friends (I am very sorry that I've been a bad blog visitor this past month), participating in all my favorite card sketch challenges again, and generally just being able to have some "me" time :) Take care everyone - and thanks, as always, for stopping by.

Light the Way...

Here's another card made with a brand new stamp set from The Cat's Pajamas - this set is called "Shine Bright" and has lots of possibilities! All the new sets are posted right here on the TCP website, including brand new buttons and glitter - perfect for those holiday cards :)

Holiday Hop!

We're back with another TCP Blog Hop - this time we're showing off 5 new sets that Alma is releasing tomorrow (Tuesday, November 10). There will be a special offer for the set of 3 stamps included in the Kitty Kat Pack. For now, sit back and enjoy the hop! If you're joining me from Susan's blog (she's our hostess this week for TCP Tuesday), then you're in the right place since that's where the fun begins :) For my card, I used the brand new "Make Merry" set along with some patterned paper from Making Memories' "Mistletoe" collection.

Thank you so much for stopping by!! Your next stop is Ana's blog - tell her I sent you!

Another peek...and some news!

Here's another holiday card made with the brand new stamp sets coming this Tuesday from The Cat's Pajamas :) We'll be doing another blog hop starting on Monday evening at 9pm EST, so stop by and see what we have to show you!!

In other news, I have a new job! Our school secretary is retiring next month, and I applied for the position, went through an interview and got the job :) It's full-time, although I'm working pretty much full-time already anyway. With this job I'll get benefits and almost as much time off as the kiddos (I'll work a couple of weeks at each end of summer break). My first day is December 10th, so I'll get 7 full days of training with the current secretary before she leaves. I will really miss working so closely with the students (and they have told me they'll miss me a lot, too!), but I've told them I'll still see them a lot :)

TCP Tuesday - Sketch Challenge!

Hi all! I'm so excited about this week's TCP Tuesday because I'm getting to show a little sneak peek of the new holiday stamp sets coming next week from The Cat's Pajamas :) Leigh is hosting a sketch challenge, so hop over to her blog right here to get the sketch and all the details about playing along!

For my card I used the new "Give A Little" set - yep, the penguins are back! The patterned paper is from the "Mistletoe" collection by Making Memories - very holiday-ish! Be sure to check out cards from the rest of the Cat Pack throughout the week - you might get to see some more peeks of the new sets :)

What a night!

So, with all the surprise over our snow days last week, I forgot to post about the Rob Thomas concert at the Magness Arena in Denver. It was FANTASTIC. We were in row 15, so we got a great view of the stage. Nattie got more excited as the starting time got closer and closer :) The opening bands were Carolina Liar and One Republic, both of which were outstanding! More CDs to buy on iTunes :) By 9.30pm it was time for Rob Thomas to come on, and the audience went wild when he appeared on the stage. He sang a huge variety of songs: some new ones from his latest CD, "Cradlesong", as well as some classic Matchbox Twenty songs and some unreleased pieces. His live performance was just amazing. What I also like is that he seems like a completely genuine guy; he explained a lot about the inspiration for the songs, which included his wife and his dog. The snow was so heavy that we left around 11.20pm, which was just as well, because it took us 2 hours to get home (it's usually around 50 minutes from downtown to Conifer). The drive was worth it to hear an evening of great music, though! I don't think Nattie will forget her first concert experience!

More of the white stuff...

Snow Day!

Yep, it was a snow day today here in Conifer - it started to snow last night around 8pm and hasn't stopped since then! So far we have over 2 feet of snow, and the forecasters say it probably won't stop snowing until tomorrow evening...so we're having another snow day on Thursday!

These are photos of our back deck...the chairs are out there somewhere :)

TCP Tuesday - Color Challenge!

Hi all! Check out this wintery TCP Tuesday Color Challenge being hosted by Joanne this week!! I looove it! I hope you'll jump over to Joanne's blog and get all the details for playing along - and I'll be posting my card in the next day or two. You might even get a peek at the new holiday release coming next month from TCP! :)

Definitely...pink :)

Here's the birthday girl after she got her hair colored yesterday :) It took longer than we thought because she ended up having to have it bleached first so that the color would stay on. When the stylist told us about the bleach, I almost changed my mind about letting her have it colored - that was a tough decision for this mom!

Jamie slept over at a friend's last night, and after we pick him up this afternoon we're going out for Nattie's belated ice cream birthday treat. Coldstone, here we come :)

It's official...

We have a teenager in the house! Today is Nattie's 13th birthday! She opened her gifts last night (as is tradition in our family), and was thrilled with everything she received. She will be waiting for just a few days for her gifts from Iain and me: this Saturday, Nattie is getting her hair highlighted (she says she wants a chunk of pink or some other color in the front!), and then next Tuesday, Nattie and I are going to see Rob Thomas in concert in Denver. It's going to be a fun few days for her.

In other news, I've been home sick for the last couple of days; I went to the doctor this morning and she told me I have another sinus infection. Ugh! Iain and the kids are out having dinner this evening, and then when they come home we're all going to watch a movie of Nattie's choosing. We have about 6" of snow on the ground as a result that headed through here last night - it looks really pretty outside :) I hope your week is going well!

I'm thankful - for another TCP Tuesday Blog Hop!

Hi all! I'm the Hostess with the Mostess this week for TCP Tuesday - and we're having another Blog Hop to show off the two new stamp sets that Alma is releasing on October 20th!! The hop starts right here with me, and I have a new inspiration piece for you on the left from the Pottery Barn catalog. I just love the mix of the fall colors with the tin!

For my card I used the brand new "Gobble It Up" set along with buttons from the "Hocus Pocus" set. The patterned paper is by Basic Grey, and I paper-pieced the tablecloth and the penguin's napkin :) As always, you can play along with the challenge and post your creations directly to Alma's blog. This week, since we're doing a blog hop, we have a PRIZE! All you have to do is leave a comment on each blog throughout the hop, and Alma will draw a random winner this coming Friday! Your next stop will be Leigh's blog - ENJOY!!

Whipper Snapper Reindeer

Hi everyone - I hope your weekend is going well! Today's card was made using a layout from the Sweet Stop Sketches blog, and a stamp from Whipper Snapper Designs called "Chris Moose."

The patterned paper is from SEI, and I added some Stickles to the ornaments and the scarf to give the design more shine for the holidays :)

I'm going to get some stamping done today, and then tomorrow Jamie and I are going shopping for some birthday gifts for Nattie. Enjoy your Saturday!

Featured Blogger Friday!!

I'm back with another Featured Blogger for you :) This week's blogger is Tracy Clemente - a super-creative lady and a super blogging friend. Check out Tracy's blog, "Eat, Sleep, Stamp" right here. And here's some more information about Tracy (and a sample of her beautiful work!):

Tell us a little about you:

I was born and raised in Northern California. I currently live in the Bay Area - the best place ever! By day I work in human resources for a high tech company in the Silicon Valley managing employee benefit programs. And when I'm not spending time with the family you can find me huddled away in my stamp room getting crafty. My husband and I have been together for 12 years and we have a 7 year old daughter who is our world. We also share our home with 3 very spoiled kitties and any other kitties that seem to gravitate to our house! I am also a Step Mom to 2 wonderful (grown kids) and a Grandma to 2 amazing little boys!

How long have you been blogging?

I began blogging in early 2007 after stumbling across Amy Rysavy's blog. I'm consider myself technically challenge so it's kind of comical to me that I even have one!

Why do you blog?

That's a really good question. One that I ask myself often, like when I'm behind on my ever growing TO DO list! LOL! But seriously, I blog because it's an extension of my passion for stamping and a way to connect with others that are just as passionate. I have met so many *amazing* women as a result. And some actually in real life! The world truly is such a small place.

What’s your favorite topic to blog about?

Everything crafty! But I do also love to talk about my family & kitties. :)

Have you learned anything special from blogging?

That there are A LOT of good people out there. I have had a few bumps in the road since I began blogging and the unconditional support and random acts of kindness that I have received is such a special and unexpected gift. While I try to keep my blog mostly about my passion for stamping, I have to be honest when my life happens. I can't tell you how many times someone has left me a comment or sent me an email that has truly made my day or gotten me through a dark time. My family isn't terribly large so my extended family of friends is HUGE for me.

What do you hope that people get out of reading your blog?

You mean people actually read the darn thing? Just kidding! Well hopefully they get my sense of humor! But seriously I hope that they get a little bit of inspiration and a lot of friendship!

Can you give us links to 3 of your favorite blogs, and tell us what you like about them?

The hardest question for last! There are literally dozens that I pour through on a daily/weekly basis the I get inspiration from. Three that I visit every morning (with my coffee) are:

I {heart} 2 stamp - Jen del Muro
Wild Stamping Sprinkles - Tori Wild
Taylored Expressions - Taylor VanBruggen

I am completely in awe of each of these artists.

I am drawn to Jen's clean style and flair. Every time I see her work I'm like WOW, I never would have thunk to do that!

Tori is the queen of color. All of her cards have such a fun use of color. I am lucky enough to be on a design team with Tori and she just knows how to work a card. Oh and it's because of her that I own almost every Nest-ability out there!

And Taylor. Taylor is just amazing. She has a simple & clean style that I just love. And when my mojo isn't cooperating I can always turn to her wonderful Key Ingredients kits to help me along.

A Winter Welcome :)

Here's another card that I made this past weekend. I used this stamp by Whipper Snapper Designs - it's called "A Winter Welcome" and is a perfect image for coloring! I pulled out my colored pencils and blended the pencil with odorless mineral spirits. I like the soft look it gives to the colored image!

Jamie returned to school today now that his antibiotics are working. We have school tomorrow, but we all have Friday off - the teachers are having a staff development day. Another nice long weekend! I have to do some shopping for Nattie's birthday (she turns 13 next week!), so it's a good job that I have an extra day...

I hope you're having a terrific week. I'll be back on Friday with a new Featured Blogger :)

TCP Tuesday!

Hi there :) This week's TCP Tuesday challenge is being hosted by Amy - you can find her blog and all the details for playing along right here...

For my card I used the new "Gobble It Up" set being released next week. I pulled out my TCP "Hocus Pocus" buttons, stamped and cut out the sentiment and the pie (isn't it sweet?), and overall this card was pretty simple to make. This layout is from the Card Positioning Systems blog - I love the overlapping on it.

Monday, Monday...

Poor Jamie...this morning he woke me up at 4am telling me that his ear hurt; I knew right then that there would be no school for him today. Iain took him to the doctor while I was at work and sure enough, he has an ear infection. So tomorrow I'll be spending the day at home with Jamie since Iain is off to San Francisco for a couple of days. As of tonight, Jamie still isn't keeping much food or water down. Hopefully tomorrow after the antibiotics have kicked in a little then he'll be able to keep something down. Poor little guy :(

There's still a lot of "stuff" going around at school: today I had just 14 kids in a 2nd grade class that is usually made up of 21 kids; Jamie's teacher had 8 out of her 22 kids absent. Time to pull out more Clorox, Lysol, Purell and Kleenex...

A Crafty Weekend

The kids and I spent the day indoors yesterday keeping warm - we were in the 20s all day!! It looked so pretty outside; we hardly got any snow, but what we did get had frozen on to the branches of the trees - they were beautiful! I got several cards stamped, including my cards for the next 2 TCP Tuesdays!! I also wanted to let you know that the release date for TCP's "Gobble It All Up" Thanksgiving set has been changed to Tuesday, October 20th - and there will be another blog hop to show off this super set.

For today's card I used Tracy's sketch for the week. What a versatile card layout this one is - thanks, Tracy! And the sweet reindeer is by Impression Obsession - you can check out the stamp here :) The patterned paper is an older line by Sassafras Lass. Enjoy the rest of your weekend - and thanks for stopping by!

Brrrrr!

It's going to be a chilly Saturday here! The forecast says we will be hovering right around 30 degrees...the fog is rolling in right now. Nattie, Jamie and I are planning to stay home and keep cozy! Perhaps a movie, playing a game, some stamping....sounds good to me!

So, to go along with our chilly weekend, here's a nice winter card :) I used the sketch from Sweet Stop Sketches. The cozy winter dude is a stamp called "Brrr!" from Whipper Snapper Designs, and the sentiment is by Savvy Stamps. The striped paper is by Doodlebug, and the felt snowflake came from Stampin' Up! Have a great weekend - stay warm!

Thankful...

Today I am very thankful for all my supportive friends in the blogging world and the real world. You all know who you are - thank you for being there for me!

Here are some other things I'm thankful for right now:

New stamps from The Cat's Pajamas (a set of clear Thanksgiving stamps will be released next Tuesday, October 13th)! I used the new stamps, buttons and glitter to make today's card :)

Beautiful fall weather here in Conifer - crisp, sunny mornings!

My job. I'm thankful not only that I have a job, but I am also lucky enough to have a job that I really LOVE.

The health and happiness of my kiddos.

Our family pets (Tasha, Pickle, Sally, Aspen, Bailey and Sandy) who give us unconditional love every single day :)

Being only 6 weeks away from completing my bachelor's degree! I'm doubling up on classes for the home stretch, but it'll be worth it to be done before the holidays.

School shows! Jamie is playing "Pete Moss" in the 2nd grade "Save the Plants" show next week. We have been practicing his part every night for the past week :)

Still being able to remember enough math to be able to help Nattie with her algebra homework!

TCP Tuesday - Happy, Happy Birthday!

Hi all! This week the super-talented Leigh has come up with a great sketch for us all to play with! Head over to Leigh's blog to get all the details on how to play along (including how you can add your creations directly to Alma's slideshow!)...

For my card I used one of my favorite TCP sets - "You Say It's Your Birthday" - I paper-pieced the birthday cake and matted it with some Nestabilities shapes. The patterned paper is from Basic Grey's "Bittersweet" collection. Have a super day!!

Happy World Card Making Day

Hi all, I know I've been very quiet on the blogging front this week. I'm into my last couple of classes before finishing my degree, so between that and keeping up with work and home life, I haven't been able to post as much as I'd like :(

I had to post today, though, because it's World Card Making Day! Yeah! Talking of cards, I have several published in the latest issue of "Just Cards!". It's full of terrific card ideas! I will be spending time creating over this coming weekend. I'm going to work on some sketch challenges, work with the new Holiday sets coming soon from The Cat's Pajamas (you're going to loooove these!), and just generally catch up! My husband is going back to the U.K. tomorrow for a week, and so on Thursday and Friday I'm taking the days off to create all day long. I need it!

TCP Tuesday - A Haunted Hop!

Hi all!! This is a very special TCP Tuesday - we're doing a "Haunted Hop" featuring TCP's "Fright Night" set. Alma also has a special price for the "Kitty Cat Pack" which includes the stamp set and some coordinating buttons and glitter! The hop starts with Susan, and if you're working your way through the entire hop, you'll be joining me from Carol's blog!

Something else that's special about this hop is that some of our past Swanky Stampers are playing along too - which means even more super creations for you to check out!

Remember, you need to leave a comment on each blog to be eligible for the prize drawing :) Alma will announce the winner sometime this coming Friday. And there's a new way to post your creations directly to Alma's blog!

Now - head on over to your next stop - Amanda's blog! Happy haunted hopping!

TCPTUES77 - Color Challenge

Joanne has a terrific color challenge for us this week - these colors are perfect for that overlap between Summer and Fall. I hope you'll pull out your stamps and play along! Get all the details on Joanne's blog right here :) I'll be posting my card tomorrow (Wednesday). Have a great day!

SNOW!!

Yep, we've got SNOW on the ground - a foot of it - and the yellow/gold leaves haven't even fallen off the Aspen trees yet! It was pretty light this morning, not even settling on the road, but by the end of the school day it got really heavy with big, fluffy flakes.


I had an appointment in Evergreen right after school, and the drive home took me an hour - it's usually just a 25-minute drive. I'm a wimp driving in the snow; everyone gets stuck behind me on the single-lane road up to our house :)


Then again, I'd rather get home safe and slowly than get stuck or swerve off the road like the dozen cars (and one school bus!) that I passed in the last couple of miles of my drive...

Spoooooky!

I love this cat image by Impression Obsession - it's spooky but sweet at the same time :) I popped the cat and the moon off the front of the card to add some more dimension. The layout is from the Card Patterns blog; I believe it's the one from last week (Week 32). Have a great Monday!

Foxy

Here's a visitor who stopped by our front yard last week :) Look at that beautiful coat!

I apologize to my blogging friends for not stopping by as much lately with everything going on here at home; I plan to spend some time this week catching up with you all! Have a super week ahead.

Featured Blogger Friday

Hi everyone! This week our Featured Blogger is a super-talented crafter and a new mom who was nominated by several other bloggers :) Say hello to Sarah Coggins over at her blog, "2 Paws Designs" - and here's some more information about Sarah...

Tell us a little about you: I'm 30 years old. Born and raised in rural Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I moved to North Carolina in 1996 to attend college, and I have been here ever since. My husband and I share our home with our new baby boy, Dylan, and 2 cats (aka my "four-legged kids"), Cali and Chester. For the last 9 years, I've worked in commercial architecture designing buildings. With the recession and the arrival of Dylan, I'm currently holding a new title - "stay at home mom." I plan to return to work when I can, but for now I am just enjoying every moment being at home with my son.

How long have you been blogging? I'll celebrate 2 years in late October. That truly stuns me, as I had blogged once years before (circa late 90s - i.e. before the term "blogging" was even coined!) and grew tired of it. I think part of my problem was that it was also before the age of the comment section - having that interactive portion to blogs helps keep them interesting and proof that you aren't just talking to yourself! LOL!

Why do you blog? Initially I began blogging to share creative ideas from paper crafts to do-it-yourself projects. Over time, I began to write more about personal events in my life - a public journal of sorts. Now my blog is a mix of these and I continue it both for myself as a way to remember and as a way to share with friends and family.

What's your favorite topic to blog about? My little boy is my newest favorite topic! Can you blame me? :) As a first-time mom, I'm trying to absorb every little moment and blogging about them helps me remember to jot them down so I don't forget and can add them to his scrapbook album as I have time later. My second favorite topic would definitely be that - scrapbooking.

Have you learned anything special from blogging? I like to think I've learned to write better. Not sure if that is true or not. I've definitely learned a lot about other people and how it is possible to create wonderful friendships and truly care for people you've never met in person.

What do you hope that people get out of reading your blog? A little entertainment, some creative inspiration, and maybe the desire to try something as crazy as repairing a bathroom disaster with their own 2 hands? :)

Can you give us links to 3 of your favorite blogs, and tell us what you like about them? Just 3?! There are so many blogs that I enjoy reading. Off the top of my head...

Pattye Duffner's blog - I love the fun, creative projects she shares and the how-to's she shares.

Cameron Crazy - Besides sharing my love of scrapbooking, I became hooked on Laura's blog after realizing we were both expecting our first child (both boys) within 2 days of each other (although her little Cameron surprised her a month early and my Dylan held out 10 days after my due date). Now I enjoy seeing what similar adventures she and her son are up to.

Trying Our Best - If you want an ab workout while blog reading - this is the spot. My belly has literally hurt after reading posts by The Mrs.

TCP Tuesday!

Hi all! I hope you're having a great week :) This week I'm hosting TCP Tuesday, and I'm switching up the Inspiration Challenge - this week I'm challenging you to make any card (TCP stamps preferred, of course!) that includes:

Embossing (dry or wet)
Bling
At least 3 circles

I hope you will play along with us!! Here are all the details...

• Post a link to your creation in the comments section for this post. You will have until midnight this Saturday, September 19th to play along.



• If you post your card on SCS or PCP, be sure to include keyword TCPTUES76 so that we can find your work!



• Alma will post all the entries the following week in her "Holey Moley Monday!" slideshow.



• The Swanky Stamper will be announced on the first of each month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat's Pajamas website, where he/she will reign for the entire month.

For my card I used one of my favorite TCP sets: "You Sick Thing". The strip of paper down the left-hand side is dry-embossed using a Cuttlebug folder; the bling is down the right-hand side and in the corners, and I used circles for layers behind my stamped image. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Featured Blogger Friday!

Hi everyone - this week I have a terrific Featured Blogger to share with you - Lisa Foster, and her blog "Stampin' for Sanity". I hope you'll hop over and say hi after reading all about Lisa and checking out a sample of her beautiful work on the right :) Not only is Lisa amazingly talented, she is also a super blogging friend - thanks, Lisa!!

Tell us a little about you: I have two grown kids, both in the military. One adorable granddaughter that will be 2 years old very soon. I'm married to a wonderful husband who supports my "Stamping Disorder" with a smile on his face (mostly). I have a dog that thinks he's a person, and a cat that thinks she's a dog. I'm a surgical nurse by trade, but am currently taking a sabbatical.

How long have you been blogging? I've been blogging about a year and a half and now all the friends I've made through blogging have become extensions of my family.

Why do you blog? I started blogging to share my cards and scrapbook pages with others, and to become part of the blogging community. I have learned so much from being a part of this crazy, cyberspace world!

What's your favorite topic to blog about? My favorite thing to blog about is still stamping and papercrafting.

Have you learned anything special from blogging? Oh, so many things! Probably the most important thing I've learned, though, is confidence. It means so much when someone leaves a compliment on your project. That has really helped me grow as a papercrafter by giving me courage to try new things!

What do you hope that people get out of reading your blog? Mostly I hope people get a smile. If they happen to pick up an idea, or be inspired by my work, great. But more so, I want people to feel happy and uplifted when they read my blog.

Can you give us links to 3 of your favorite blogs, and tell us what you like about them? Ha! Choose only 3??? I'm sorry...I just can't do it...when you see my blogroll, you'll know why - THOSE are all my favorite links!!

Caught a Bug?

It turns out that Jamie has a bug - strep! Ugh! It's only the third week of school...he was sick all night on Monday, so Iain took him to the doctor yesterday and they did a strep test. The antibiotics have kicked in quickly, though, so he'll be back at school tomorrow.

And what a coincidence that I made this card over the weekend with an image from Whipper Snapper Designs. Isn't this little guy sweet? This is my card for Tracy's Sketch Challenge :)

TCP Tuesday!

Here's my card for this week's TCP Tuesday. Leigh is hosting a Sketch Challenge :)



For my card, I used TCP's "Fright Night" clear set and lots of layers in these Halloween-y colors. The circles in the background were embossed using a Spellbinders Impressabilities template, and then I just rubbed my black inkpad over the surface.


I cut out the ghosts and mounted them with foam tape, so that they really stand out on the front of the card. I added some bling with shimmer brads and Stickles, and I love the end result! Have a great Tuesday :)

Super-Simple for Saturday

Here's a very easy card that I made using the A Muse stamps that I bought from Tracy last month (thanks, Tracy!). The polka dot card and the strip with the green ric-rac pattern were pre-printed, so all I had to do was stamp the "Happy Summer" sentiment, stamp, color and cut out the tree, and mount the tree on the front of the card. This took about 15 minutes!

Bookworm :)

Check out this little guy - isn't he sweet with his glasses on, reading his book? This image is another one from MFT's "I {Heart} Books" and the layout was from the Card Positioning Systems sketch challenge. The patterned paper is from DCWV's "Retro Stack".

I don't have a Featured Blogger for you today, but I'll have one lined up for next week :)

I wanted to add: the bookworm's book is popped off the front of the card using foam dots; that's what's causing the shadow there.