Happy Easter

 I'm just a bit late posting this one, I know! I used several of my favorite products on this card. Crafty Secrets' stickers are always on hand for me. They are beautiful and make card production a snap. I also love K &Co.'s glittery border stickers. I buy those so often I have duplicates. And a doily, of course, always a fave!

 The next four cards were all built around some old K&Co. epoxy tags. I think I got to throw the packaging away-always a thrill, don't you think?

 The papers are SU!, MM, & MME, plus vintage dictionary paper. But that goes without saying.

 The newest thing on this card is the white embossed image. It's from a Paper Smooches stamp set I've had for about a year. It has six little geographic squares this size. I don't know how to use it, as you can plainly see from my lame attempt to be modern here on this card.

I have recently begun decorating the insides of my cards and stamping matching envelopes. Sometimes I even line the envelope. It's fun to make them extra special. A handmade card should be a treat from start to finish, don't you think?

I finished a mini album last night. It only took me six years to finish. That's not too bad, right? I used all MME Bohemia. I still love that line, but it's a little dark and grungy compared to what's popular now. I was going through some stuff when I found the album, and thought, "This is ridiculous! Finish this!!" So I did. It took me about four hours, but it is done like dinner-yippee!!

Project Life Week 3: Then

 I still haven't figured out the best way to photograph my Project Life LO's. This was only my second photo session, though, and it's much better than my first! I'm slow, but I can learn!

 I am doing a THEN side on the left every week and a NOW side on the right. I have LOVED going back through our wedding pictures and adding them. I will continue this method until I feel like I am taking enough pictures and documenting enough to do a two page spread per week. It's almost June, though, and I haven't felt ready yet, so maybe not in 2013.

 Here's a little sewing and a PTI Love Lives Here die cut house. Vintage book paper is a theme throughout my album. I use it on every single page. This was before I bought my first typewriter, so my handwriting is prevalent. My writing gets suddenly weird when I try to add it to my books. I've gotten so I don't even try to make it nice, whatever appears on the paper is what goes into the book!

 No embellishments here, just family pictures. I still do this every now and then, but for the most part, my pages are embellishment heavy. I think the project going on at the table is birdseed bags.

Here's Sheryl checking out the Booze Fruit.

Fusion #6 Challenge Card

 So, my friend Amy is on a challenge blog design team called Fusion Card Challenge. I thought I might show her some love by playing along. I started with some Crate Paper, and added some Prima ribbon, a little American Crafts glitter tape, a Maya Road velvet ribbon flower and a My Mind's Eye sticker.

Everything here is new except for the SU! cardstock, Prima ribbon, and the MR rosette. I got the wide ribbon from my Cocoa Daisy kit, and the rest from my Citrus Twist kit. Oh, I do love those kits!! I highly recommend both!

Welcome to Paris

 I was workin' on my CAS mojo here. This card design is not original to me, I know I saw one like it somewhere else, but I have no idea where, so my apologies to whoever I stole the idea from-sorry! I used a Kaleidacolor pad from SU! that is probably 12 years old-I kid you not! Some of the buttons are vintage, some are A Muse Studio, which are my favorite new buttons. I very rarely use new buttons, but when I do, I always reach for my "Not Your Grandma's Bag of Buttons" from a|s. That's kind of an ironic name for me, because I would prefer my Grandma's bag of buttons!

 I got a new stamp and die set from PTI, and this was my first effort. Kind of weird, but I do love that October Afternoon paper. The hearts are a|s die cuts.

 I have tried and tried to make a good card with this vintage SU! stamp set, and most of my efforts have been in vain. I just don't know what to do with these gigantic flowers, I don't think I ever knew. I got this set in a huge lot on ebay years ago.

 This one just looks like breasts to me. Does anyone else see that?

This card I actually like. That's a Crafty Secrets sticker, and an A Chemistry With Paper sentiment. Sweet and simple, and you know I love anything with Crafty Secrets on it!

Well, here in Pueblo, CO, we went from winter to summer yesterday. No spring to speak of. I got my first sunburn of the year subbing for an elementary PE teacher yesterday. Here's what I learned: Fifth graders are incredibly competitive and contentious, and they take kickball very seriously. Second graders have no clue about kickball. Pre-schoolers are adorable.

Be faithful in small things...

 You know, half the time I just whack these cheesy sentiments down on a card without really paying attention to them. Some stamps I've seen are so ridiculously schmaltzy that I'm too embarrassed to use them. I've used a few lately, though, that I thought were profound and applicable. Think of the small things you do that really make a difference: skincare, putting things away instead of down, dishes loaded immediately, small dietary changes, these things are small, but make a big difference. Sometimes things look too big to tackle, but chip away at the small things, and after a while, it's done.

I think that's My Mind's Eye paper, and a Unity stamp.

 This crazy card came about because I was trying to use SU!'s Island Blossoms. I think it was a fail. I never could make anything decent when it was new, and it seems I still can't. I love that Lavender SU! embossing powder, though! It's super pretty IRL.

 I made these two cards for my middle son's graduation thank you's. My husband thought the top one might not be appropriate for some people, so I made a bunch of the tree ones as well. The caterpillar is a Tweety Jill Designs stamp. I love every single stamp she has ever produced! I only have five sets, as they are PRICEY! However, the quality is unbelievable. These stamps will never lose their stick. If you don't have any, treat yourself to a set and see what I mean!

That's BG Aged & Confused paper. I used the same line for our oldest son's graduation thank you cards. It's perfect for teenaged boys; I've found nothing better, actually. I stamped the image in Versafine Onyx and embossed in SU! clear. That's the way I ALWAYS do embossed black images. Black ep is just a big mess, so I never use it.

 This gorgeous Aspen background stamp is from A Muse Studio. You can count on a|s for beautifully designed stamps that are trendy but not fleeting. This stamp will still be useable down the road, it has real staying power. My favorite white ep is from a|s. The container in huge, and the price is small. I'd get all of them if I were you;) That's what I did!

I LOVE this fun stamp! I think it's Theresa Collins, but I can't be sure. I used to be able to remember every single stamp from every single set, but no more. If you HAVE to know, leave me a comment, and I'll go see for sure who made it and let you know. The papers are Basic Grey Boxer, which I love to use on masculine cards. I used my beloved Charcoal chalk ink here. Oh, ColorBox, how did I ever live without you?

Friends...

 This is an all A Muse Studio card. I used black and white embossing powders. I love to emboss, I don't think I'll ever get tired of it!

 Another friendship card. This is mostly My Mind's Eye, which is one of my all time favorite companies. I pretty much love everything they make. One thing I don't like is how strongly their glitter paper smells. Even when it's old, like this is, the smell is still strong! But oh, is it ever pretty!!

 This is more MME glitter paper, plus an assortment of hearts. The super curvy hearts are a|s, and the others are nesties.

 More MME paper, and a very old dress stamp. I put some vintage trim over the skirt to make it 3D. The tag is K & Co.

This is all Heidi Grace from a long time ago. Such a sweet line that was. Mine is all gone, not even a scrap is left over. I don't like brights, but these colors were all softened, but still cheerful.

I hope you have had some time to play in your stamp room recently. It's good for the soul, you know!!