A Bella Card!

OMG.. is it ever cold here in Central Florida! Tonight our lows are dipping into the twenties and tomorrow night we're supposed to hit the teens! We haven't been this cold since 1995! I spent hours tonight bringing plants inside the garage, covering plants with sheets, wrapping the pipes to the well pump with a towels to keep them from freezing. BRRRR... I don't know how you Northerner's live in the cold all the time!

Tonight my daughter asked me to make a card to give to her boyfriend's mom for her birthday tomorrow. Don't you just love these last minute requests?? This is the card I made for her.

I colored Bella with copic markers and used my scalloped oval nesties to cut her out and mat her. The designer paper is Basic Grey Two Scoops. I used the label tags from Spellbinders for the sentiment and added a white organza ribbon.

Tomorrow night I hope to have a couple more cards to share! Thanks for stopping by!

Sale-A-Bration Time Is Here!

Promotion Dates: February 1- March 31, 2009

Promotion Details:

Our Sale-A-Bration promotion gives reason for everyone to celebrate!

Customers: Receive a free Sale-A-Bration product for every $50 purchase.

Hostesses: Receive a free Sale-A-Bration product with a $300 or more workshop, in addition to the normal hostess benefits.

Recruits: Choose any retail stamp set (a value up to $47.95) from the current catalog when signing up during the promotion. Plus, get 15% off the regular $199 price of the Starter Kit--that's $335 worth of products for only $169!

Also, From Feb 1st through April 30, anyone who orders from my Stampin Up website will get a free catalog shipped with their order while supplies last. If you'd like a catalog, what a great way to get one shipped right to you.

Superbowl Sunday.... Congrats To The Steeler Nation!

Well it's Superbowl Sunday.. Who are you rooting for? I haven't felt good all day and have been laying on the heating pad most of the day with those dreaded monthly cramps. UGH!

My best friend Kelli has a Superbowl Party every year and I skipped out on her tonight cause I just don't feel like do much of anything.

I am excited about finally getting my craft room! I've got all my stuff moved into my son's old bedroom. Saturday, my husband, son and I installed some kitchen countertops in the room for my workspace. I spent all day yesterday organizing my shelves, the closet and patiently waiting until I could put things on top of the countertops.

I will take some pictures of my craft room soon so I can share with you all. I've still got a few things to do, like hanging things on the walls..but everything is in so I'm happy!!

I have two cards to share with you tonight. The first card I used my Tilda with heart from the Holiday collection. I going to use this as a Valentines Day card even though it's not your traditional colors. I colored her with Copics and used my Scalloped Oval Nestabilites and the Houndstooth Cuttlebug embossing folder. The DP is from DCWV. I added ribbon I got at Michaels.




Now.. the second card I have to share is for a new Challenge Blog that I just joined. Christmas Stampin All Year Long is a great way to get you Christmas cards done early! Each week, a sketch is provided and you make your card from that sketch.

This is the sketch for this weeks challenge:



This is the card I created:



I love this Santa image. The DP is from My Mind's Eye Glitter Christmas Glitter Pack. I added the three snowflake brads..aren't they cute???

Thanks for stopping by!! I will have more cards to share this week!

At Long Last... Byrony!!

I've had her colored for over a week. I just couldn't get a vision of how I wanted to showcase her.

I put this card together tonight and I think I like how it turned out.

I stamped Byrony on PTI Special Select Cardstock and colored her with Copics. Her wings are painted with Shimmerz. I purchased both the stamp and the shimmerz from Susana. My card base is Certainly Celery by SU and the DP is Basic Grey. I added two Prima flowers as embellishment and the sentiment I just picked up two nights ago at Michaels.

Thanks for looking! Leave a comment if you will.. I'd love to know what you think of this card!

P.S. Stay tuned.. Tomorrow I'll be posting about my 1 year blogaversary blog candy!

I'm Such A Slacker!!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth! It seems like forever since I posted any cards on my blog. Sorry for the long delay! I've been busy this week with a sick daughter and a sick husband. Sick Husbands are worse than sick kids, don't you agree? My gosh they can't do anything for themselves! LOL

Tonight I have two cards to share.



I decided to take Deb's challenge and create a Valentine's Day Card. Deb posted this challenge to the Magnolia-Licious Yahoo Group. This Tilda stole my heart when I first saw her! She is the cutest.

I colored Tilda with Copic markers and used my Nestabilities Label One set to stamp the sentiment on. I added a couple of Prima flowers and brad and a piece of organza ribbon for embellishments. The DP is from DCWV.



I used a new stamp I purchased recently from Susanna. This is from the Shy Bear collection and I think he's just adorable!

I colored him with Copic markers. I placed some baubles on the four corners of the image that I punched with the ticket corner punch. I wanted to make this more of a masculine card because I'm going to send it to Kevin in Iraq. The hemp ribbon adds just a little more embellishment to the card. The DP is from a paper stack I got a Joann's but I can't remember who makes the paper! Sorry.

I'm working on a card using Bryony from Susanna's Faerie Song Arts Stamp Line. I finally used my new Shimmerz that I purchased from Susanna's store and will finish the card tomorrow night! I promise to share it with you when I'm finished.

Hope you all have had a great week. I'm looking forward to the weekend and getting my craft room set up!

The New Catalog Has Arrived!

The Spring/Summer Catalog is here!

I am really loving the new products just released by Stampin Up! This catalog is just beautiful and full of great cards and accessories.

You can shop online by visiting my Stamping Up website here.

Stay tuned, tomorrow I will be posting some exciting new clubs I am starting.

Also, I haven't forgotten about my blogaversary blog candy! I need to get a picture together of all the goodies I'm going to give away and I hope to do that in the next couple of days.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mom Is Home!!

First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you who left such nice comments and offered thoughts and prayers for my mom while she was in the hospital. I can't tell you how much it means to me and I am truly blessed to have such wonderful friends!

Mom was discharged from the hospital on Saturday around noon. It's been a hectic few days since she got home. I am still staying with Mom and Dad until I am comfortable that she is able to get by without me. Her legs are very very swollen. My mom is a tiny woman and I've never seen her swell like this. The doctor finally called in a medication for her tonight to help with the water retention. She is using a nebulizer to take her breathing treatments four times a day. Her breathing is doing much better and I'm happy to report that she is not smoking! She hasn't smoked since Dec 31st.

She talks daily about how she didn't think she would live the day Dad called 911. She knows how serious it is for her to quit smoking. I pray she can do it!

I know I promised you all some creations, but honestly, I'm so tired that I have no mojo to put together any cards. I have colored a few images, but sadly, I didn't bring enough stuff with me to create cards for the images I have colored.

I am hoping to have some of my stamping buds over this weekend, if my Mom has improved enough for me to go home.

I haven't forgetten about the blog candy to celebrate my blogaversary either!

My box of Stampin Up Catalogs arrived at my house yesterday! I CANT wait to see it! My daughter is supposed to bring the catalog to work for me tomorrow and I'm dying to browse through it. ( Kristina, my daughter, works with me now)



I decided to dig up the very first card I ever made! Hey Joni.. if you are out there reading... do you remember this?? Joni is responsible for my new found obsession.
I think I've come a long way in the short year I've been stamping!

Night everyone... will talk to you soon! Thanks for visiting!

It's My Blogaversary!!!

Today is my One Year Blogaversary!

I can't believe it's been one year since I fell in love with stamping! Since I haven't had much time this week to focus on a nice blog candy to celebrate, I'm going to think about a nice prize to give away and in the next few days I'll post the details!

Thanks to everyone who visits! I've made many many wonderful friends through this great craft and I look forward to what 2009 has to bring!

It's Great To Be A Florida Gator!!!!

We did it!!! Tim (Superman)Tebow led us to another NCAA Football National Championship!! What a great game it was and it's great to be a Florida Gator!!!


On a more important note, my Mom is doing better and was moved to a regular room today after spending 7 days in ICU. We are hoping she'll be able to come home tomorrow.

I am hoping to get some cards put together this weekend. I brought some stamping supplies to Mom's which included new stamps and shimmerz that I just received from Susana. Can't wait to ink them up!

Another Update on Mom...

Mom is still in ICU. We did make a little progress and they removed her from the ventilator but she's still not able to breathe on her own and is on a by-pap machine which is supplying oxygen for her. Her blood pressure has been through the roof and they are battling that too.

She's still unable to speak much and is very weak.

We were hoping she would be out of ICU by now, but that's not the case. Praying she'll be better enough in a day or two to go to a regular room.

I'll update more later tonight.

Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers!

Update on My Mom

Well..unfortunately I don't have any good news to share. My mom is still in ICU on a respirator. They tried three times this weekend to wean her off the respirator and each time she couldn't breath on her own.

She's also having some issues with her blood pressure. They did an Echo Cardiogram and Ultrasound on her heart on Saturday to rule out possible heart attach, but we haven't gotten the results back yet. Hopefully in the morning we will know how that turned out.

Your continued thoughts and prayers are great appreciated!

Hugs!!

Monica

Prayers For My Mom Please....

This morning, my Dad had to call 911 because my Mom was in respiratory distress. She has COPD and unfortunately is still a smoker. She's been fighting a cold for several weeks and yesterday and New Year's Eve Day felt progressively worse and short of breath. She had an Asthma attack yesterday morning and couldn't sleep all night. This morning she told my dad she wanted him to take her to the ER. He went back upstairs to get dressed, and when he came back down she told him to call 911.

My mom is in ICU and currently on a respirator and oxygen. She's been heavily sedated all day, so we haven't been able to talk to her at all. Lab tests came back this evening and her cardiac enzymes were elevated which my indicate that she also had a heart attack. They are going to run more extensive tests tomorrow to determine if she did or not.

It's going to be a long weekend at the hospital. I will try to update you all as soon as I can.

The picture above is of my Mom and I almost a year ago. She is my rock and my best friend. I'd really appreciate any prayers you can send her way!

Thanks!!

Happy New Year!!

I hope you all had a wonderful New Years Eve! We had a small gathering here at our house and spent the evening singing karaoke. It was so much fun!

I don't have any new creations to share with you all today, but my plan is to spend the weekend stamping and creating cards! I wanted to thank you all for continuing to come by my blog and visit! It means a lot to me. I've made so many wonderful friends this past year with my new found passion of stamping.

I wish you all a wonderful 2009 filled with many blessings, good health, love and friendship!

Hugs and Heartstamps,

Merry Christmas!!

I don't have anything to share card wise today, but I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!

I have been so blessed this year in finding a new love of stamping and all the wonderful friends I've made through this craft! I hope you and your families have a blessed holiday and reflect on all of your blessings.

I will be spending the next few days with family, but hope to be back to regular blogging after the new year!

Remember... Wise Men Still Seek Him!

Love and Hugs!

Monica

Birthday Card For My Husband

Tonight I have a card to share with you that I made for my husband. Tomorrow is his birthday and I wanted to make him a hand made card. I have only been stamping since January 2008, so this is the first birthday card I have made for him.

I really had a hard time with this card. Why are masculine cards so hard to make?? UGH! I really wanted the stamped image to turn out differently. I tried brayering and decided I need more practice! So this is the finished product.

I used Stampin Up's Nature Silhouettes stamp set. The paper is Not Quite Navy, Bordering Blue and Always Artichoke. I used my Label Nesties set to cut out the image and the matting. I also used the Nesties Ribbon Label die cut for the sentiment. The lighter blue background was cuttlebugged with two different embossing templates.



This is the inside of the card:



I was sick all weekend with the flu/head cold that's going around. I am feeling better than I was, but not back to 100% yet. Thanks for stopping by! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

New Rubber from Rubber Romance!

Forgive me if this posts ends up sounding loopy! I have caught a dad-gum head cold from either my daughter or my parents. Who should I blame? LOL .. anyway, I've taken some cold medicine and will hitting the sack very soon.

I have two cards to share with you tonight: The first card I created with a new stamp I purchased from Susana at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design. This is from Rubber Romance and I just the love this stamp! My card is very simple, too simple in fact. I made this to give to a friend who I've been missing lately. But since the head cold kicked in full force today, I didn't have alot of MOJO to really embellish. Sometimes I think simple is good. I like how it turned out.

I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and colored it with Copic Markers. The DP is Basic Grey and the matting around the image is SU Taken With Teal. I added a simple piece of organza ribbon.


The second card is one of the Christmas cards that I mass produced for my Christmas card list. I really LOVE this Santa stamp! I finally found one on Ebay and took the plunge to purchase it. I stamped it with Gold pigment ink and then embossed with clear embossing powder. The DP is from the My Minds Eye Christmas Glitter pack. LOVE this paper!!



















Hope everyone is doing well and making progress in their Holiday shopping. Don't even ask if I've started yet! My tree still isn't up.. but come heck or high water it will be this weekend.

Have a great evening! Thanks for coming by and for all your sweet comments you leave me!

College Football and New Cards...

What a weekend!! First and most important.. my Florida Gators beat Alabama in the SEC Championship and now The Gators are headed to Miami to play Oklahoma in the National Championship game! WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOO GATORS!!! I hope Tim Tebow wins the Heisman again this year. He soooo deserves it. What an awesome young man Tim is.. we are so proud of him.

I spent all day today with my three girlfriends, Lynn, Becky and Amanda, stamping away and trying to get my Christmas cards finished. We had so much fun today!

The two cards show are made with a new Tilda I just got from Diana Crick at Magnolia-Licious.
I think she is so cute. I colored her with Copic Markers and the Designer paper is from My Minds Eye Christmas Paper Pack. I also used my new Martha Stewart tree branch punch, Circle Nesties and ribbon from Michaels.

I have several more cards to share with you that I made today.

It's late and I need to get to bed! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm Still Here!!

First of all, I hope all my American friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was very nice and plentiful! Boy, did I eat too much!

I have two cards to share with you tonight. The first one is a card that I made for the recipients of a swap I do monthly in the Magnolia-Licious Yahoo Group called "It's Raining Cards". I used Tilda with Lantern and used Deb's sketch challenge for the layout of my card. You can find the Bi-Weekly Challenges here.

I used DP from a Christmas pack from My Minds Eye which I found at Michaels! I LOVE the paper in this pack. I colored Tilda with Copic Markers and cut out the snow flakes with my Sizzlet die cuts. I added the glitter and used distress ink to ink around the edges of the image and the border. I used Nesties to cut out the ribbon tag and then looped the ivory organza ribbon through the tag.





The next card I created with Gina K stamps from the Magic of Christmas by Rupa Shevde. I love this image.. it's so elegant! I used DP again from the Christmas stack from My Minds Eye and you can barely see it but I used a border punch from Marth Stewart along the edge of the snowflake paper. I adhered the stamped image which was embossed with Gold ink and clear embossing powder to the card with foam dimensionals. Then I added the ribbon and boom... I was done.





I'm waiting on a box from the big brown truck which shall arrive tomorrow and as soon as my goodies arrive, I'll have more to show this week!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Don't Miss Out!!

Starting today and through December 1st you can take advantage of some wonderful bundle packages at 20% to 50% off!

Just go to my SU website and order online! Just think.. you won't have to fight lines, or crowds or even leave the comfort of your home!

Supplies are limited.. so don't wait!

Exciting Announcement and Other Random Stuff

I finally started my Stampin'Up Demonstrator Website. If you didn't already know, I am a Stampin Up Demo.. more hobbist than anything, but I do have a great group of girls that order from me and we get together quite often to stamp!

If you're looking to place an order or browse the catalog, please check out my website.

I still have some work to do on the website and will do that in the next couple of days.

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Deb and I started a new Challenge Blog for the Magnolia-Licious Yahoo Group Challenges. You can check out the latest challenges here.

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I have been working on some cards but don't have any finished to share yet. I hope to have some in the next night or two! Bear with me.. sorry for the lapse in posting.

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This award was so kindly given to me by my stampin' friends Suzanne and Emma Thank you both!!

Here's some info on the award:

This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY- nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement . Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers.
Deliver this award to 8 bloggers who may then pass it on. I've seen this award do the rounds yesterday, so if you've already received this then your extra special :)

So my award goes to some of the people that inspire me! I wish I could list them all here!

Deb - Itty Bitty Inkspots
Susan - Stamping Tink
Cheryl - Cottage Creations
Suzy - Papermonkey