I Was Totally Inspired! :D

Nicole challenged us to be inspired by this amazing picture. I just love the bedding! The colors are fantastic! I wanted to keep this card simple and Wednesday's Splitcoast Sketch Challenge was perfect! I used rub-ons for the image and sentiment on this card. I had forgotten that there was a butterfly in the pack of rub-ons that I had and it was perfect for this inspiration piece! I really like how this card turned out. I think I am going to use vanilla cardstock more often! Well, we are leaving again tomorrow to go on vacation with Nick's mom, dad, and sister! We are going to travel around Utah and Arizona. It is going to be a lot of fun! Thanks for stopping by again! I will try to continue posting throughout the week!


Recipe:
Stamps: None
Paper: Vanilla, Old Olive, Summer Picnic dsp, Ginger Blossom dsp
Ink: None
Accessories: Rub-ons, Dimensionals, Ribbon, Corner Rounder Punch

We're Back Again!

And we are safe! We didn't have one accident and we only had a couple of flats (on the bicycles) the first day! That is what you would call a smooth trip! We did have a couple of close calls though. While descending down one of the passes, Nick and another guy started to get a shimmy in their bike while they were going over 50 mph. They almost lost control but the Lord took control of both of their bikes and they reached the bottom safely. Talk about scary! The boys averaged around 60 some miles a day and probably half of those miles consisted of climbing! They rode up 4 different passes and really did an incredible job! The wonderful thing about riding in a group is that you work as a team. One person leads the group for a mile and blocks all of the wind while everyone follows. After their mile is up, they go to the back of the line and there is a new leader. That way no one is working harder than another. The first day was really rough for them because they had a head wind the entire day. They really had to push themselves. It was hard for them to keep their spirits up, but the Lord really worked on their hearts and they did wonderfully! Here are a few pictures from the trip.

This is our entire group (early Tuesday morning) before leaving for the trip. We drove to Fort Garland, CO to start the ride. We rode all over southern Colorado and into northern New Mexico. The ladies and I did all of the cooking for the boys and rode behind them to make sure they didn't have any issues.

Here are all of the boys before they start their big ride.

Here are the boys climbing La Manga Pass. Nick is currently the leader in this picture.

Here is my hubby getting a drink! :D Isn't he handsome?

The boys had just reached the summit of La Manga Pass.

Nick and I took this picture in front of a lake we camped by one evening. The sunset was absolutely gorgeous!

Here are the boys at the summit of Cumbres pass. It was quite the climb.

Here are the boys resting at lunch one afternoon. It was hilarious how all of them crashed. This picture was taken after they had just finished climbing.

Here are the boys at the end of their final day. They were hot and exhausted! The guy in the middle had a bad knee and wasn't able to finish the ride. He was disappointed but had such a great attitude about it!

What a great trip we had! It was wonderful getting to know some of the guys that went. I hadn't met two of them before this week and it was wonderful how we grew to be a family by the end of the trip! We are already looking forward to next year!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this long post! No card for this post but I will be back later with one!

Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #18!

This week's sketch was so much fun! I had such a blast trying to put together this card. I pulled out my All About U set and went to work. I did just notice that the corner of my paper is starting to peel up in the picture but I don't have time to take another one so I am just going to let it go. Hehe. Like it's that obvious anyway! Anyway, I just can't get enough of this color combination. I love this dp (even though it's not SU! *gasp*)! I do need to mention that I absolutely LOVE Stampin Up!'s paper snips. I don't know how I survived without them! They cut so precisely! Anyway, sorry for the random tangent. Hehe. I guess that's all I have to say for this post. I seriously can't believe it's already Friday! Make sure, before you close this window, that you check out Taylor's sketch and card along with this week's wonderful featured stamper. And of course, you MUST check out the other fabulous girls' take on this sketch!

Sherrie Siemens: Card Creme
Vicki Chrisman: This Art that makes me Happy
Jami Sibley: More is More
Mary Jo Albright: Beauty Lies Within
Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper
Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity
Ana Wohlfahrt: Ink A Stamp

Recipe:
Stamps: All About U
Paper: Sage Shadow, More Mustard, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, K-I Memories dp
Ink: Close to Cocoa, More Mustard, Sage Shadow
Accessories: Ribbon, Dimensionals, Brad, Punches, White Gel Pen

I Colored My Flowers!

Here is another card that I made for Jen's SOA challenge a while back. We were supposed to make a card using this sketch. I had been wanting to try dying the flowers in my Pretties kit and I figured this would be the perfect card for it! I got my inspiration from this fantastic picture. Why I like it so much, I'm not sure. The colors are just so striking (imho). I never would have thought of putting these colors together, but I think they look great! Have a wonderful Thursday everyone! Make sure to check back here tomorrow morning for another Friday Cupcake Challenge! :D It is a fun one!



Recipe:
Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Paper: Naturals Ivory, More Mustard, Basic Gray, Bravo Burgundy, Bordering Blue
Ink: Black StazOn, More Mustard, Bravo Burgandy, Bordering Blue
Accessories: Aqua Painter, Pretties Kit, Ribbon, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals

A REALLY Tough Color Challenge!

Jen Tapler posted a neat picture for one of her Stampin' Out Alzheimers challenges and asked us to make a card using the colors in the picture. The colors we were required to use were Going Gray, Summer Sun, Ruby Red, and Soft Sky. The picture may be neat, but the colors on a card are definitely NOT! This was probably one of the hardest cards I have had to make! However, I think it turned out fairly well, considering what I had to work with. I tried to keep it as simple as possible so that it didn't hurt your eyes TOO bad. What do you think? Did I do alright? Haha. I can't say that I absolutely hate it, so it must not be completely awful. Well, that's all for this post! I will be back tomorrow with another creation!

Recipe:
Stamps: Doodle That
Paper: Going Gray, Sage Shadow (I didn't have any Soft Sky cs), Whisper White, Summer Sun, Ruby Red, Fall Flowers dsp
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Punches, SU! Markers, Paper Piercer, Ribbon, Brads, Dimensionals

A Bland Card.

I think there is just way too much ivory on this card. I need to add more color. I was going for simple card but ended up with a bland one. Boo. Oh well. It's really too late to fix it now. I am just stuck with it. Anyway, I made this card for last week's SCS sketch challenge. I am way behind on some of my favorite sketches because I have been so crazy busy with everything. I miss them but what can I do? I just don't have enough time on my hands! For this card I wanted to use some black accents so I punched out the little flowers, added black brads to them, and popped them up on dimensionals. I then tied on some lovely black organza ribbon and called it good. I guess I don't hate the card, but it's definitely not a favorite of mine. Well, that's all for today! Enjoy your Tuesday! I am somewhere in the state of Colorado trucking along behind these dedicated men. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it would be to ride a bike up an entire mountain! They are doing it left and right though! Go boys! :D Us women are enjoying our time together. Continue to pray for their safety if you would. I always get nervous watching these guys get passed by some not-so-courteous drivers going 70 mph.

Recipe: Stamps: Embrace Life Paper: Naturals Ivory, Mellow Moss, Basic Black, Ginger Blossom dsp Ink: StazOn, Mellow Moss Accessories: Blender Pens, Punches, Brads, Ribbon, Dimensionals

And Finally!

I will stop with this one. I made more, but those will have to wait. This is the card that I made for Jen del Muro's Sketch For You To Try. It was a crazy sketch but I liked it. I wanted to use more bright colors and decided that a funky sketch deserves funky colors! :D I had forgotten about this crazy dp until I came across it this morning and knew it would be perfect! I also had forgotten about this adorable ribbon too and decided I might as well use it! I then added these retro flowers to finish off the look! The sentiment is from the new stamps that I received from Taylor. I love how versatile they are! Overall I can say that this is another great card! I am proud of myself for getting so much accomplished in one morning! Hehe. Oh, I would also like to mention that I did happen to get ALL of our laundry finished AND packed for our trip tomorrow! I didn't spend the entire day stamping, don't worry. :D

Well, that's it for me! I will continue to post through out the week but I won't be able to respond to your comments or emails until the weekend. So, if you don't hear from me, that's why! Thanks so much for hanging out with me today! It was fun sharing all of my creations with you!
Recipe: Stamps: Doodle That, Totally Tabs by Stampendous! Paper: Whisper White, Orchid Opulence, Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, K-I Memories Ink: Black StazOn Accessories: SU! Markers, Punches, Ribbon, Dimensionals, Brads

And Again! :D

Sorry if you get tired of seeing so many posts in one day! :D I have more coming too...hehe. I made this card for Julee's Mojo Monday sketch and I absolutely love how this card turned out! I used some colors that I had never used before, especially together, and I love the look. The great thing about this card is that it would be great for anyone (I think)! It's different, but it's a good different. I struggled with what to put in the little half circle because I didn't have any sentiment stamps that were small enough and matched the image. I finally discovered that this cute celebrate rub-on worked! The only thing that I wish was different was the background piece. I would love some texture but I, sadly, don't have a cuttlebug yet. Overall, I think it turned out well. What do you think? Thanks for looking once again! :D

Recipe:
Stamps: Changito Rubber Stamps
Paper: Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Really Rust, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Black StazOn, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel
Accessories: Ribbon, Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Blender Pens, Punches, Rub-ons, DImensionals

Wanna See What I Did on Memorial Day???

I stamped! :D I got a lot of cards made too! It was exciting. Here is the card that I made for MJ's Lunchtime Sketch challenge. Instead of the 3 something down the center, I added ribbon. I hope it still works. I didn't know what else to put there that would look decent (even though it is a masculine card). :D Thanks for looking!

Recipe:
Stamps: All Holidays
Paper: Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Summer Picnic dsp
Ink: None
Accessories: SU! Markers, Ribbon, Brads, Dimensionals

Happy Memorial Day!

Good morning all! I used two different challenges on this card. The first was Amy Westerman's Super Sketch Sunday #4 and the second was Verve Visual's Project Parade Color Challenge! I really had fun with both challenges and I think the card turned out ok. I struggled to add in the pumpkin pie. I wasn't exactly sure how to do it. I finally realized that splashes of orange would be fun, so I added the small piece of pumpkin pie dsp, the ribbon, and finally, the three brads in the corner! :D I also used the So Sweet of You stamp from the So Many Scallops set for the sentiment. I like the layered scallop look. It adds some fun dimension! Well, that's all for today! I hope that you all have a wonderful day! Mine is going to be super busy! Thanks for stopping by today!






Recipe:
Stamps: So Many Scallops, Garden Whimsy
Paper: So Saffron, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Whisper White, Prints Pack dsp, Fall Flowers dsp, Bali Breeze dsp
Ink: So Saffron
Accessories: SU! Markers, Punches, Ribbon, Dimensionals, Brads, White Gel Pen

A Gift From My Secret Sis!

Hey...that rhymes...sort of. Haha. My husband would be proud. He is always rhyming. It's just something cute that he has always done! Anyway, check out this great gift that I got from my secret sis! Isn't that notebook adorable??? My husband couldn't believe that she had covered it herself. It is really neat. I love it. She also sent me some M&Ms, but I admit that they were devoured within minutes of me receiving them! Haha. I just happened to be craving chocolate at the time. Too funny huh? Thanks sis for the incredible gift! I love it! :D

A Card That Took Too Long

I used Beate's Weekend Sketch challenge for this card. I tried using a circle for this sketch but just couldn't get it to look right so I decided to use this almost circular stamped flower image instead. I really love these colors together! They make such a sweet card! I also had to add the sentiment where it is because I had made a boo-boo and needed to cover it up! Haha. Oh the joys of stamping! Overall I am pleased with this card. I will admit that it took me much too long for as simple as it is. I just couldn't get it right. Oh well. That happens from time to time. I hope you enjoy! Also, my posts will be sporadic over the next week because I am doing follow up in a van behind my husband and a bunch of other men as they make their 250 mile trek on a road bike! I will hopefully have some neat pictures to show you when I get back though! Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone! :D

Recipe:
Stamps: Stitched Exotics
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Fall Flowers dsp, Print Packs dsp
Ink: Always Artichoke
Accessories: Build-a-brads, Punches, Dimensionals, Ribbon, Rub-ons, Paper Piercer

Two RAKS From My Secret Sis!

Here are two cards that I got from my wonderful Splitcoast Stampers Secret Sis! Aren't they gorgeous? I love her coloring on both cards. She used the same image so that she could show me her different ways of coloring. One is using Prisma Markers and the other is using alcohol and reinkers. Don't you just want to be her? She looks so relaxed and content! I could use a good relaxing bath...with bubbles though! :D Thanks so much sis! You are the greatest!

My Winnings!

A couple of weeks ago I won one of Taylor's Cupcake Challenges. The prize was this awesome stamp set. I received them and this terrific card in the mail yesterday and I am so excited to use them! See how great her challenges are??? You get fun stuff! :D Thanks so much Taylor! Your card is beautiful!

Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #17!

Happy Cupcake Day! The lovely Taylor Van Bruggen over at Taylored Expressions is continuing her weekly Cupcake Challenges but she has added a little twist! She has picked 8 lovely ladies to sample her sketch and create a card so that others can refer to them for inspiration! Now, do you want to hear why I am so excited about this? She picked ME to be one of them! :D I was thrilled and honored! I honestly still can't believe she picked me to accompany all of the other fabulous girls, but she did! Be sure to check out this week's sketch on her blog!

I really enjoyed the sketch from this week. I found it pretty easy to work with. The only thing I struggled with was how to include the sentiment. I didn't want it to take away from the rest of the card, but I really felt that it needed to be there. I finally, with the help of my wonderful husband, just decided to include this small sentiment on whisper white paper and punch it out with the word window punch. I then popped the sentiment up on dimensionals. Now I will mention that (luckily) Taylor doesn't require us to use cupcakes on our cards. This is good because I don't own a cupcake stamp...yet. Overall I am pleased with how this card turned out. I am not super happy with my coloring but that's life. I need more watercolor paper! Be sure to check out the other girls' beautiful creations too!
Sherrie
Vicki
Jami
Mary Jo
Monika
Lynn
Ana

Taylor also decided to change the contest up a little bit as well. On top of randomly choosing a winner she is also going to choose the card that she feels is the cutest and most creative. The person who created that card will then be lucky enough to be the next week's Featured Cupcake Sampler. If you would like to be a guest designer you just need to submit your version of the sketch! The winner from last week's challenge is Jennifer over at Jennifer's Sweet Designs. Jennifer is incredibly talented. I have been a blog stalker of hers for quite some time now!

Well, I'm off to school for the morning. I have a few things to finish up there. I need to have my room ready so that the fabulous maintenance men (Right Leanne? Hehe.) and the custodians can do what they need to in there this summer. I still can't believe my first year of teaching is over! My how quickly it went! Anyway, I will be back later with another card. I hope to get lots done this afternoon! Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe:
Stamps: Merci, All Holidays
Paper: Old Olive, Whisper White, Prints Pack dsp, Summer Picnic dsp
Ink: Black StazOn, Bashful Blue, Old Olive
Accessories: Blender Pens, Ribbon, Dimensionals, Brads, Word Window Punch

Bug Me Anytime

This was one tough challenge! This is a challenge that Jen Tapler posted on her blog for the Stampin' Out Alzheimers week a while ago. I am still working on posting those cards! Haha! We were supposed to be inspired by the colors in this picture. Now, I love the picture, but the colors were almost impossible to put together on a card! Haha. I also wanted to use Lindsay's Thursday Sketch on this card. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. It's different, but cute!

Today was our last day of school! I still can't believe it. I am going to miss my kids so much. They were an incredible class. I loved having them! It will be interesting to see how much different the upcoming class will be. I am still trying to get my room ready for the summer but I don't have a whole lot left to do. After I finish that tomorrow, I am free for the summer! :D It's pretty exciting. Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you. I am going to go make supper now though. Have a wonderful night!

Recipe:
Stamps: Very Punny
Paper: Summer Sun, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Prints Pack dsp
Ink: Timber Brown StazOn
Accessories: SU! Markers, Punches, Ribbon, Dimensionals, Paper Piercer

I Was the Sketch Designer on Tamara's Blog!

Yes, I know it was last week Saturday but I sadly didn't get the opportunity to announce it then. I was hoping to, but with everything that happened, it didn't get done. :( I was SO excited when Tamara asked me to be her featured sketch designer. I was completely shocked too! I immediately looked for a sketch that I liked and chose this one. You should check out the picture I sent her too! Haha. It was my school picture. I literally could not find a picture of myself without Nick! Haha. That was the only one I had! It is funny. Here are my two cards that I made for the sketch. The first one I made for Cassie's wedding (dark purple was her main color) and the second card is the one I made for my mom's Mother's Day card! I love how they turned out!



Thanks for stopping by! Life has been completely crazy here. After missing 3 days of school I am killing myself trying to catch up and get everything done. Tomorrow is our last day of school and I haven't even started my report cards! Yikes! I have a feeling I am going to be completely stressed these next few days!

Recipe for Cherish Card:
Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Paper: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant
Ink: Elegant Eggplant
Accessories: Pretties Kit, Dimensionals, Ribbon

Recipe for Mother's Day Card:
Stamps: All Holidays
Paper: Whisper White, Always Artichoke, Fall Flowers dsp
Ink: Always Artichoke
Accessories: Pretties Kit, Ribbon

We're Back.

Hi everyone. I just wanted to let you all know that Nick's grandpa did die. He died last Thursday night (late) and the funeral was yesterday. We drove all day and are now back in Colorado. I will post a new card tomorrow. I am sorry for the long delay. I haven't even had time to sit down in front of a computer. Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers. If you could continue to keep Nick's grandma in your thoughts and prayers that would be appreciated. After 67 years of marriage, we are not sure if her heart will be able to handle her husband's death. She is just heartbroken. She is also trying to recover from her own bout of pneumonia. Thanks so much. I will be back tomorrow.

We Arrived in Iowa With a Prayer Request

Good evening everyone. Well, Nick and I made it to Iowa today. It was a long trip and we are glad to finally be here. However, it's been a rough trip already. We got a call on the way home from Nick's father telling us that Nick's grandpa had fallen ill and was probably not going to make it through the week. We didn't know just HOW bad he was until we reached the hospital. It was horrifying. Nick was completely shocked at the state his grandfather was in. He has had pnemonia and has fallen into an unresponsive state. He can hardly breathe and we aren't sure how much longer he will survive. Please keep us in your prayers this weekend. If he dies, I will not be able to make it back home in time for school on Monday and I don't have any kind of subplans ready. Pray that we allow God to take control of this situation and that He will give us a peace about everything. Pray for Nick and his family as well. This has been very hard on them. They weren't prepared for it. On top of this whole situation I have to act happy at my friend's wedding too. I am happy for her but I am constantly worried about my husband. He adored his grandfather and was extremely close to him. He regrets not being able to get to his grandfather before he entered this stage of illness. I may not be able to post much these next few days but I will try to keep you all updated.


Before I leave, I want to mention that I made this card for Jen del Muro's sketch challenge. I made it earlier this week and wanted to get it posted before she posts her new sketch tomorrow. I do love how it turned out.

Well, thats all for now. I'm going to bed. It's going to be a long weekend.

Recipe:
Stamps: Doodle This
Paper: Whisper White, Regal Rose, Always Artichoke
Ink: Regal Rose, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Black StazOn
Accessories: Blender Pens, Brads, Ribbon, Dimensionals

Cherish a Challenge!

Hehe. Another cheesy title from me! I made this card from the Be Inspired Challenge that Beate posted last week! I am a week late now! Sheesh. We were supposed to somehow be inspired by this print. It was pretty tough for me to figure out what I wanted to do. I finally decided to be isnpired by the colors and the overall feel that I got when I looked at it. I also used the Mojo Monday sketch challenge that Jen Tapler posted for her Stampin' Out Alzheimers week. I really am pleased with how this card turned out. I love this chocolate ribbon. It's amazing! It is so easy to work with! :D Thanks for stopping by! I will hopefully have time to post another card tomorrow. I will be in Iowa!

Recipe:
Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Paper: Ruby Red, Old Olive, Naturals Ivory, Fall Flowers dsp
Ink: Timber Brown StazOn
Accessories: Ribbon, Dimensionals, Pretties Kit

Another One of Tamara's Fabulous Sketches!

Good evening everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic day. Mine was great except for the fact that it SNOWED all day! YUCK! :( We had 70 degree weather yesterday and snow today! We are hoping the weather shapes up for tomorrow because we are taking our 2nd graders on another field trip to Colorado Springs. We have been looking forward to it too! Anyway, I made this card using Tamara's latest sketch. I also used Ashley's Brain Wave challenge for this card. Leanne introduced me to this weekly challenge (and I decided I didn't have enough on my hands...haha) and it was a lot of fun! We were supposed to be inspired by these bright purses. I tried to use some of the colors and flowers on my card. I really like how it turned out. It's bright and fun! Well, that's all for tonight! I just want to let you all know that I will be in Iowa for the rest of the week because I am in a friend's wedding. I will still try and post but I might not be posting near as much! I will be more active when I get back next Monday! I will miss my stamping, that's for sure, but I am excited to see my family! I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Recipe:
Stamps: Doodle This, All Holidays
Paper: Whisper White, Orchid Opulence, Ballet Blue, Regal Rose, Regal Rose dsp
Ink: Regal Rose, Ballet Blue, Orchid Opulence, Black StazOn
Accessories: Dimensionals, Blender Pens, Ribbon, Paper Piercer