These are the only snowflakes I'll see in Texas!

Here's another card I put together for Splitcoaststamper's VSN challenges. The challenge was to use a snowflake on our card.  I used many thanks to the fun Northern Frost deco strip die from Stampin' Up! I thought it would be fun to deviate from my usual blue card with snowflakes and went for a neutral theme. I like how it turned out!

And it'll be the only "snow" I see here in South Texas! We're enjoying our "warm" 45 degrees today! (as I am bundled up and avoiding going outside! HA!)

Stamp: Four the Holidays; Ink: Crumb Cake; Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla; Accessories: Northern Frost Decorative Strip die.

I was debating if we should brave the crowds and go shopping for the After Christmas Sales...but I think not. I'm going to try and finish organizing my stamp room....which I started weeks ago before I got involved with Christmas projects and now will try not to PLAY before it's done. We'll see how successful I am. HA!

Surfin' Santa

Merry Christmas y'all!

Blue Christmas

Here's another card I made for Splitcoaststampers VSN challenge...a blue Christmas card. Of course I thought of Lydia (Understandblue)! I'm sure a lot of us did!


 Stamps: Delightful Decorations; Paper: Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Whisper White; Ink: Night of Navy, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze; Accessories: Ornament punch, Dots embossing folder, white gel pen

I'm still cutting my paper for my Christmas Cards...hoping to mail them on Monday...or Tuesday (which means I'll be assembing them on the road since we're visiting family next week.) But they WILL be mailed before Christmas THIS year. Right.

XOXO,

Your Procrastinating Stamper....procrastistamper!!! :D LOL

Thanks for stopping by!

Things that make you go SQUEEE!

There's a fun website www.wimp.com full of family friendly videos...really the best videos available online...and my hubby always saves the cute little animals that make me SQUEEE :D Red Pandas make me SQUEEE quite a bit. Here is a video I LOVE....

Major cuteness! Did you squeee?

So I played this weekend in the Virtual Stamp Night over at Splitcoaststampers (SCS)! So excited that I was able to participate--for each challenge you have 45 minutes to complete your card. I swear I work better under these conditions....I come out with more original cards SUPERFAST instead of pouring over the SCS site for hours looking for ideas! The first challenge was from my friend Lydia (Understandblue)--we had to make a card with something that gives us a warm fuzzy feeling.  So I stamped this little red panda and started watercoloring him and then realized he's a FOX! He's still cute though! I had to color his little present blue in honor of Lydia's challenge. I loved watercoloring him so much I decided to make my background paper by watercoloring Cherry Cobbler red and Garden Green. So fun!



Stamp set: Forest Festivites; Paper: Watercolor paper, Garden Green; Accessories: Very Vanilla ribbon, Modern Label Punch, LG Scallop punch, 2 3/8" Circle punch

Thanks for stopping by...hope you SQUEEE some today!

XOXO

Please stand by....

My power supply on my computer died. It's been sick for awhile...deciding on a whim to shut down completely--usually in the middle of editing a photo...or a blog post...or trying to submit a Stampin' Up order. Yeah, fun times. So it's been a gamble to begin a blog post and wonder if I get to finish it. So I went to my laptop...which is just old enough and slow enough to make a 30 minute task take 2.5 hours. Frustrating.

I married well--besides my husband being patient, kind, funny, etc....he's also my in-house tech support. He doesn't consider himself "handy" at all (even though he's uninstalled and installed a dishwasher, among other things)...but he is our computer/tech guru and considering the time we live in he's incredibly "handy"!
It's awesome having full access to someone who builds computers (his day job is programming, he builds computers for "fun"). So...he's rebuilding my computer now.

So, bear with me (as I post this via email from my phone! LOL) Because I've had lots of stampy goodness to share!! Working on my Christmas card...plan...hahaha haven't cut paper yet (from the girl who sent "New Year's" cards one year!)!
XOXO
Dana

Please excuse any typos as this email was sent from my iPhone. :-)

I'll pardon THIS turkey!

Last weekend I went to the biggest craft show EVAH...The "CHRISTMAS SHOWCASE" of crafts...which I have attended every year for the last several years.  It's the kind of craft show where you must wear comfortable shoes, bring your own tote bags to carry the stuff you buy...and really should NOT bring small children to since they don't have the stamina to walk the 27 miles across the 3 huge buildings to see all the wonderful handmade goods. (Well, not ALL of them are handmade...there are many booths with bulk buy-made-in-China "crafts"...I just walk on by.) Anyway, while at the craft show I saw a booth with handmade kids clothes/dresses, baby burp cloths, etc...and saw the cutest little turkey on a shirt...made of ribbon. I wish I'd taken a photo of it...but I immediately typed myself a note in my iphone so I wouldn't forget...because it was my inspiration to make...

THIS!! 

Stamps: Thankful for... (retired); Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Dots embossing folder, Grograin ribbon-Choc Chip, Real Red, Tangerine Tango polka dot (reitred), Crushed Curry polka dot (retired), Circle punches.

 Isn't he cute!?!? I don't make a lot of punch art cards...but I just had to make this little guy!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
XOXO

Happy Halloween!!

Hello all!!!
Sorry I've been out of the blogsasphere for awhile...been a little sick and a lot busy...I've missed a lot!!
I've put together these little test tube holders to give as goodies to my co-workers. The template for them is on Splitcoaststampers.com and I used the sets Warmest of Wishes ( which I got FREE at Convention!!) and Eat Drink Be Scary (retired).

Thinking of Tom Selleck....

Tom Selleck. That man can WEAR a moustache. That is a nice moustache and I'm not a huge fan of facial hair on guys. Ok this post is already getting too weird...  When Stampin' Up came out with these moustache stamps Tom Selleck was the first thing I thought of.  That makes me giggle.  A lot of people are "getting" the moustache thing. I don't really "get it" either. But I'm a mom of teenagers/tweeners and this stamp is COOL...according to my children. Bwahahahahaha!!!

So my youngest turned 12 on Sept 1st and she LOVES this moustache stamp. (She loves Stampin' Up's Out on a Limb set that has the jack o lanterns with moutstaches, too.)  So I made her a little moustache card. (Are you sick of reading MOUSTACHE? Because I'm tired of typing it! LOL) 

All supplies Stampin' Up! - Stamp: Many Mustaches; Ink: Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise; Cardstock: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Blushing Bride (In Color);
Accessories: Decorative Label Punch, 1/2" Stitched Poly Ribbon in Blushing Bride

 My corners are trimmed with the Decorative Label punch...a neat idea I learned at our Stampin' Up Convention this summer.  Instead of inserting your paper as you would normally to punch the design....turn your punch upside down and insert just the corner of your paper into the punch and VOILA!!! I SQUEEEE'd when I saw this!

Thanks for stopping by! I'm going to go watch some Magnum P.I. now...

XOXO

Thou Shall Not Whine...yeah right.

I have a sign in my home that says "Thou Shall Not Whine"...apropos since I have 3 girls and they can sometimes be whiny. (My hubby says I can get this way too...I choose to ignore this comment.) Bwahahaha. But bear with me while I rant for a moment...

I AM SICK OF BEING BUSY!!!

My kiddos aren't even in sports yet this year and I am dealing with major busyness. I'm tired of driving my kids everywhere. Sheesh. Even my busy weekends...which have been FUN...are not relaxing! I feel like I need a mental health day! GAH! Now, this weekend hubby and I decided to try and watch ALL SIX Star Wars films on blu-ray (because of course we had to own that set when it came out!! SQUEEE) We only got through Episode IV (the "original Star Wars from 1977 for all my non-geek readers) because I also had my Stamp Camp and a Thirty One Party this weekend (I know, I bring this on myself for scheduling so much on the weekend....I know)

....but here I am on Sunday night and even though I got to SIT and watch (or snooze, since I was so tired--I suffer from cinema narcolepsy LOL) I am lamenting that I didn't have time to organize my bathroom closet.

Wow. Am I SICK?!? Because that is just wrong. ORGANIZE MY BATHROOM CLOSET?!? Bwahahahaha.

Ok. Rant over. Sorry. Now on to our regularly scheduled progamming. HA!

So I'm overdue in sharing a card with you....my busyness has prevented me from participating in some of my favorite challenges...but this was a fun card to make. I would NOT have put these colors together originally, but aren't they fabulous?!? My Color Coach is my friend!

All Supplies from Stampin' Up! (SU) Stamps: Circle Circus; Paper: Lavender Lace (retired), Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant; Ink: More Mustard, Elegant Eggplant, Lavender Lace (retired), Summer Sun (retired); Sentiment: rub-on; Accessories: SU button, Circle punches

I hope you have a fabulous week!  I have one more month of the current Stamp Club. The next Club will start up in January.  I've also scheduled my Christmas Stamp A Stack of cards for November 5th! SQUEEE! Hope you can make it!
Thanks for stopping by!

Randomness...and ellipses....(and a winner!)

So I never heard from my 1st winner-so I used random.org to choose another number. This time it was #10....and that comment belongs to "hanwayink" who is also one of my twitter homies!!! Congrats Michelle!! I'll message you on twitter and get your box of goodies together!!

Hubby and I are spending the weekend up in Dallas for his best friend's wedding. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends...but at the same time wondering when I'll have a weekend at home without anything on the agenda! I haven't stamped a card since the blog hop and I miss my stamp studio! Wahhhhhh!!!! LOL AND my Stampin' Up customers keep telling me they miss my classes...and I want to schedule a few this fall...GAH!!! I hate being busy.
I cannot read all the novels I want AND stamp hahaha I'm finishing the 3rd book in the Hunger Games series--Mockingjay--and REALLY want to finish it already....and I'd like to read The Help...sigh.

I hear there is going to be an iPad app for Blogger...I hope so because I can't even change the font when I post from my iPad! Annoying!!!

So, thank you for reading this far...through the randomness and ellipses!!

Come back...I'll have some Halloween and fall stuff to share very soon!!

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

Ha...it IS Friday isn't it?!? No....?? It's MONDAY?!? WTH!!! Such is my life....better late than NEVER!!!
Random.org generated the number 25....which makes sandjano the winner! Congrats! So...please contact me sandjano! SQUEEE!!! You have until 24 hours to reply to this blog (7:32 pm CST on 9/13/11)...or email me at darthsunshine@gmail.com


CONGRATS!!!

Clean and simple...

I love clean and simple (CAS) cards...my customers are loving them during our Stamp Club, too.  I made this card several weeks ago for a Splitcoaststampers CAS challenge...and I think I got the idea from my friend Lydia (Understand Blue) to use punched DSP or embossed paper...how easy is THAT?!? I had scraps of it in and just punched out the squares and sponged it--I've used Wisteria Wonder, Tempting Turquoise and Melon Mambo (all Stampin' Up) here....sentiment is from Hope Happens.

 

You have to come back on Monday...my crafty twitter friends and I have put together a blog hop!

So be sure to see all the stampy goodness on Monday! ....and I'll have

BLOG CANDY again!!! SQUEEEE!!!!

And the winner....

....is....via Random.org which generated the #6....Elizabeth W!!!!

I'm emailing you now for your address! Congrats!!!

Lots of stampy goodness going on this weekend....Stamp Club is meeting today and VSN is going on over at Splitcoaststampers.com! Check it out!

I'm posting this from my iPad and not very happy with my editing options, it makes me stabby. So I'll show you what I've been working on in another post...from a "real" computer...when I can type on my real keyboard! LOL

Have a great Saturday!!

Pennants...and MORE BLOG CANDY!!!!

It's time for more blog candy!!! This week I'm giving away the background stamp Hello, Doily! Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win!

This week's card I did for Splitcoaststamper's VSN flag/pennant challenge. I love VSN because part of the challenge is not working more than 45 minutes on a card. ISN'T THAT CRAZY!!! Believe me...that is a serious challege for me!

Stamps: Pennant Parade; Paper: Real Red, Pacific Point, Whisper White; Accessories: Petite Pennants Builder Punch, Big Shot, Dots Embossing Folder, White Satin Ribbon, Real Red grosgrain ribbon, Silver Brads, Baker's Twine in Cherry Cobbler

 I've got my Stamp Club meeting this Saturday and I'm offering lots of stamps and accessories for SALE!!! SQUEEEEE!!! Once my club members have their chance to shop...I'll be listing what's left...so be sure to check my tab on the top of the blog page for what you can shop for!

Comment before midnight this THURSDAY August 25th for your chance to win Hello, Doily!!!
Thanks for stopping by!

And the winner is....

Random.org generated the number 7 for me.... So.... CaMeaux is the lucky winner of the distressed dots background stamp since she was my 7th commenter!!! SQUEEEE!!!

Please email me your address so I can mail your stamp to you! Congrats!!!

I'm giving away more this week! Check back soon for details!!!

Balloons! And BLOG CANDY!!!!!

I made a card for the Mini Virtual Stamp Night over on Splitcoaststampers last weekend and LOVED the challenge that said USE BRIGHT COLORS...absolutely NO problem for me whatsoever. I recently went through my box of ready-made cards and realized 90% of them are BRIGHT.  Which fits my personality quite well since I'm kinda loud. hehe.  I did throw in a little Pool Party (the teeny clouds) to tone it down a bit. Yeah....right.

I freaking LOVE THIS STAMP SET (Up Up and Away). I totally SQUEEEE'd out loud when I saw it in our new Catalog! I've seen hot air balloons for real once in my life....Abilene had a hot air balloon festival when we happened to be up there visiting my Brother in Law and his family.  It's so amazing to see them in action.  And the crazy people who are willing to stand in that teeny, tiny basket and fly HIGH in the sky!!! I'll watch safely from the ground thankyouverymuch!!!

Here's some pictures from the real thing....

Look at the TEENY TINY basket! GAH!!!




 And my card... 

All by Stampin' Up!--Stamps: Up Up and Away, Cardstock: Pear Pizzazz, Tempting Turqoise, Melon Mambo
Ink: Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party
Accessories: Scallop punch, circle punches, Corner Rounder punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

I used markers to color some of the balloons, and popped up some of them with dimensionals.

So...for the BLOG CANDY!!! I recently discovered I have ordered 2 different background stamps TWICE since our new catalog came out! That is how disorganized I am! (I also have flibbertigibbet tendencies...I know this. I also need an Organization Intervention in my Stamp Studio!!! GAH!!!) That also tells you how much I LOVE these particular stamps because I wanted to make sure I had them! BWAHAHAHAHA!!
So I'm going to have back-to-back blog posts with blog candy! CAN YOU STAND IT!!!
SO--to get your name in the hat for this week's stamp--the Stampin' Up! DISTRESSED DOTS background stamp--please leave a comment.  You have until midnight CST, August 13th, 2011. I'll announce the winner on 8/14/2011! Good luck!

The Kitchen Cabinet Remodel!!!

My kitchen is DONE! Well...actually I should say my cabinets are DONE--the "deglossing", painting, top coat....it all took 4 days longer than we expected...but they're DONE and we LOVE THEM! 

SQUEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

The finished cabinets (they were honey oak, without hardware before)!

Now I do have a countertop refinishing kit...but I need to recover from this project...and we just finished painting my daughters bedrooms (pink AND green!) and I think I need some time to just relax.  But that hunter green countertop is going to bother me a bit more and more and the weeks progress.  But for now...I am VERY satisfied with my cabinets!

There's a MINI Virtual Stamp Night tonight and I've got cards to blog! Just wanted to get this photo up for you! :D

The best part of Salt Lake City.....

I'm such a flibbertigibbet! I forgot my follow-up post from Stampin' Up Convention! (I KNOW you're all waiting to see the cabinets....the doors and hardware are going on TODAY and I'll be posting pictures of that crazy enormous project tonight....but I HAD to share some fun pictures from SLC!!!)

Truly, the best part of that insanely fun convention week of running around is spending time with friends you don't normally get to see! 

Lydia, Cheryl and I got to walk the stage for recruiting this year in Stampin' Up!

The last day in Salt Lake, my friend Melanie, picked me up from my hotel, took me to dinner at Cafe Rio (omg NOM NOM NOM WE SERIOUSLY NEED ONE IN SAN ANTONIO!!!!) and then we drove up to Snowbird Ski Resort!! GORGEOUS!!! My camera absolutely doesn't do it justice (and I let my husband know this so he knows what to get me for upcoming b'day or Christmas!)


Now... the drive UP to the resort made me a little nervous....they don't have guardrails on all the turns up the mountain (!!!!!!!!!!! WTH !!!!!!!!!!!) but since I didn't see a lot of fiery car wreckage in the ravines or tire tracks going off the side of the roads as we were driving up I felt a little better. Sheesh.
The scenery was so beautiful driving up (and back) I kept trying to take pictures out of the moving vehicle. Right. Those pics didn't turn out so well. Hahahahhahahaha.


But these did:

Here's a close up of those mountains you see back there.....

OMG


The resort was PACKED with people....understandably since it was so beautiful and the air was DIVINE. There was still some snow you could see....

I basically walked around with my mouth gaping open saying stupid things like "OMG the chair lifts are so HIGH OFF THE GROUND!! I would NEVER ride that!" To which Melanie said "Well, when there's snow on the ground, it's not so high then." Bwahahahaha!!!


I looked up at the side of the mountain and then at the rushing river of melted snow (hint Dana....THINK.....but no.....instead I said) "Wow, so you ski down the mountain, and how do you avoid skiing into the river?" As soon as those words were out of my mouth I started to BWAHAHAHA because they were all telling me "well the river is FROZEN silly and covered with snow" BWAHAHAHAHA truly a dumb blonde moment.  I still giggle thinking about that! DUH!

My sweet friend Melanie!

Thank you again Melanie! XOXOXOX

Cabinet makeover

Since I returned from convention....THIS has been my enormous project (forgive the grainy, low-light, iPad photo!).... My kitchen cabinet makeover!! They were a honey oak with no hardware and I'm painting them black/espresso and adding brushed nickel hardware!!! SQUEEEEEEE!!!! I can't wait to show the before/after photos!!! Just a few days more.....

Look what was made....

....with the upcoming Stampin' Up! Score Board!! There are features on this board that are so much better than other boards out there--can't wait to share with you when the Holiday Mini comes out!!

The Holiday Mini is going to be amazing!! New dies, 1" square punch! New fabrics and a cookie press AND A SCORE BOARD!

Convention Swap-Double Embossing!!

So here is what I was working on until 1 am before I had to leave for SLC. my WOW swap for our dinner last night--I actually had several variations of this swap since I had several colors I was working with from the Beyond the Garden DSP. Stamps are Fabulous Florets and Grateful Greetings...

Double Embossing--use an embossing folder AND embossing powder! Isn't it awesome! I totally SQUEEE'd!!!

You'll notice the bottom card looks a little "over sprayed" ...it was my husband's favorite. He said "that one is awesome, it looks like it was shot with a shotgun." Bwahahahahaa!!! I thought it would be the last to get chosen last night...but the ladies loved it! I have more pics on my camera I need to upload on my laptop (archaic...I know! HA!)

xoxo
Dana

On my way to Convention!!!! SQUEEEE!!!!

I was up until 1 am finishing swaps and packing for today! Gah! I'm at the airport now and I'll have updates for you....(and actually learning a bit from Lydia who is LIVE STREAMING from Convention this year!)

Stay tuned!!! SQUEEEEEE!!!!

My little Firecracker

 Today isn't only a day to celebrate our Nation's birth....it's also my oldest girl's birthday!

Isn't she GORGEOUS!?!? OMG!!!

Stamps: July Fourth, (sentiment-retired); Smooch spritz in blue and red; Circle Punch

Happy Birthday Madison Paige!!!! We love you!!!