Maybe I'm Biased...

I  happen to think that all of the sketches that Michelle comes up with over at Card Patterns are fabulous.  I feel so honored to be on the very first Design Team over at Card Patterns and am sad that the term is drawing to a close.  Michelle, ever gracious, offered to us that we could extend our terms, but with my husband deployed I plan on doing some traveling so I just wouldn't be able to guarantee that I could get around to stamping.  I wouldn't want to hold up the posting each week!!  I am terribly sad that I won't be able to stay on past May, but you do what you have to do as a military spouse, and traveling is one way of keeping some sanity.

Anyway, the point of this post is to let you know that you really should check out this week's sketch.  As usual, it's terrific!  If you don't believe me, 100 other people have already played along and can tell you how much they enjoyed it.  So...what are you waiting for?!?!  Saturday a new sketch will be released, so make sure to stop back by then too!!!

Bows, Bows, Bows....

A long time ago I made a post that shared a link to Sherri Barron's blog where she showed how she ties her bows.  I shared it because it's the same way I do mine, and she was gracious enough to create a tutorial on it and thus I didn't have to.  So, here's the link to her tutorial.  Lately, after seeing THIS post on Nichole's blog about tying a button to a bow, I have modified the method a tiny bit, but thought I would share her short tutorial with you and you can modify it to fit your needs as well.  Basically, I kind of do the tying backwards so that the tied part ends up on the back of the bow rather than the front.  You could even modify it further and tie the button as you want it to look, cinch the ribbon together without the button, but threading around the ribbon as it says, and then attach the two (the button and bunny-ear ribbon).  There are several different ways you can get this look, but a picture is worth a thousand words.  Check out the links and let them know I sent ya and that you love their post!!! :)  Several of you have asked about my bows recently.  Ask, and ye shall receive!!!!

The inside....

So, I thought I would give you a teaser post with the inside of the card I made for this Saturday's Card Patterns sketch challenge.  I'm doing this to cheat and end up with two (creative) posts this week ;)  It's only the 2nd or 3rd time that I've ever done the inside of a card too.  I love it when people do that.  Beate is doing it most of the time now, and many other blogs I subscribe to have cards with gorgeous insides as well, but I can't think of exactly who at the moment.  It's a nice touch but usually I don't have the time to do it - getting to sit down and stamp at all has been extremely rare so I would rather make 2 cards than spend time on the inside of one.  This card was for a friend who was retiring from the US Air Force today, after 20 years of dedicated service and sacrifice (both his own and that of his family).  So, needless to say, I kept things CAS (clean and simple) because "boys" don't really like glitter and bling, or "complicated", do they?  ;)  LOL

So, I hope you'll check back on Saturday to see what I did with the CP sketch and that you'll play along with me and the rest of the CP Design Team.  We would love to have you and all of the CP sketches created by Michelle are fabulous!!!!

All items used are SU! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps:  Congrats (SAB 2009)
Paper: Kraft and Very Vanilla CS, Patterns DSP Pack I (retired Level I Hostess item) in Not Quite Navy and Always Artichoke
Ink:  Not Quite Navy and Always Artichoke classic ink
Accessories:  Piercing Tool and Template

I'm Pathetic...

Peter, my husband, deployed for at least 4 months for the US Air Force this past Sunday.  Today, the first full-day he has been gone I have already had one fiasco.  My home phone says that there is a line in use and I have unplugged each and every phone, left them off for a while, and re-plugged them all back in (both the phone jacks and power sources) and they don't work.  I'm so glad that this is such a little thing, but find it pretty funny that something is already going "wrong" the very first day (of 130 more days to go, at least - not that we're counting....actually, the kids are, but in a fun way....they get a "hug" or a "kiss" from a jar each day he's gone and will get to watch those hugs and kisses slowly dwindle down until Daddy gets home).  So....as you can expect I'm here to pathetically plead with you to please not desert me - I love my little blog and the friends I have made through it - but you are most definitely going to want to add me to your Google Reader or use one of the e-mail subscription methods in my left-hand sidebar.  I aim to post AT LEAST twice a week, but can't promise more than that.  So....thanks for everything and please bear with me as we count down the days until my wonderful husband gets back home and sanity once returns to my house (if it ever was there in the first place!!).  :)

WINNER and Card Patterns Sketch #12

First, drum-roll please..................

Random.org gave me number 23 and that is LaRee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Congrats on winning the Boot Loot that I am offering in honor of my DD's 6th birthday.  I am excited to say that LaRee is one of my dear friends, so I know where you live and obviously you won't have to e-mail me.  I think in my Boot Loot contests I've only had a person I actually know outside of blog-land win more than once or twice.  I must admit it's fun to see someone I know win!!!

Now, on to Card Patterns Sketch #12, which you can see HERE.  Card Patterns has the pleasure of letting you know that our sponsor this week is Unity Stamp Company!!!  They have some incredible stamps, kits and other stamping supplies that you can check out on their site and you can enter your sketch on the CP blog using Mr. Linky for your chance to win a great prize from them.  Swing on over to the CP blog to check out the sketch and the amazing cards by the rest of the DT and our Guest DT member.  Don't forget that entering your sketch also puts you in the running for being selected as a Guest DT member with one of CP's future sketches!!!

I hope you like my card - it's for my daughter's teacher.  Teacher appreciation week is coming up, so I thought another apple card was in need to start the little bundle of gifts we're going to be giving my DD's teacher.  I had fun making it and using my Prismacolor pencils again.  It's been a LONG time!!!  The card-base is 6-1/2" x 3-1/4" when folded, so it's a little bit abnormal in size.  I don't really like the 6" x 3" size, so I made it a half inch bigger and started with a 6-1/2" x 6-1/2" square.  Just FYI....

All items used are SU! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps:  ABC Images, Teacher's Apple
Paper:  Kraft, Kiwi Kiss and Whisper White CS, Chocolate Chip Textured CS, Washington Apple DSP
Ink:  Black StazOn
Accessories:  Prismacolor Pencils, Baby Oil, Blending Stump, Scallop Square punch, 1-1/4" punch (I trimmed a tiny bit off of the squares to get them to look a little better on top of the scalloped squares), Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, 5/16" White Brads, Vintage White Button (PTI), Linen thread, Paper Piercing Tool and Template, Stampin' Dimensionals, mini glue dots

Boot Loot and a BIRTHDAY!!!

THIS POST TO REMAIN AT TOP UNTIL CONTEST IS OVER

So, today is my oldest daughter's sixth birthday!!!  I can't believe how the time has flown by, and now I have a child that is six years old!!!!!  I just love her so, so , so much!!   We are so blessed to have her as part of our family.  She is sweet and cares so much about the feelings of others.  She tries so hard to please everyone and she is just so smart.  She is such a beautiful little girl who makes my heart melt when she runs around the house making up songs and dancing like a princess or writing sweet things about others in her "book" and draws such adorable pictures of them too.  I love her!!! 

In honor of her birthday I thought I would post my boot loot (aka BLOG CANDY, PRIZES, FREE STUFF, MY EXCUSE TO PURGE SOME STAMPING SUPPLIES/ITEMS) drawing today.  The contest will end Friday night April 24th at 11:59:59 Eastern Standard Time.  I will announce the winner with my post for that week's Card Patterns Sketch.  It will be posted at 9:00 am. 

Here's how the contest will go.  I took a picture of the beginning 3 items in the Boot Loot and that's what you see above (sorry, it's not the greatest picture).  They are:
1.  Thickers stickers
2.  Yummy SU! Sale-a-Bration '09 new, unmounted stamp set
3.  Patterns II paper pack from SU! - new and unopened 

For every 10 people that enter the Boot Loot drawing, I will add another prize and will start adding them below here with a picture (if possible).  I will tell you that I will be cutting any paper packs I add as prizes into 6x6 pieces for shipping purposes.

Added prizes so far - 1 for every 10 people that leave a comment:

Epoxy Buttons (for hitting 10 comments), 16 4x4 Alterable Coasters (for hitting 20 comments) and not pictured - a package of SU! Rub-Ons (for hitting 30 comments):


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The RULES:  Only one entry per person, please - just leave a comment here telling my DD (Emma) happy birthday, and you're "entered" to win.  Obviously, you are encouraged to share the link to my (new) blog with your friends via e-mail and your own blog so that the entries will go up and the prize will get bigger.  You must enter before 11:59:59 pm EST on Friday, April 24th in order to have your name go in the drawing (random.org will be used) to be the winner of the prize.  I will announce the winner at 9:00 am on Saturday, April 25th.   My purpose for this Boot Loot is two-fold.  I hope that people will see that my blog is moved, and will now come visit me here at my new blog instead, and I also thought it would be a super fun way to celebrate my DD's birthday, with YOU!!!! 

Good luck!!! 

PS - At the end of each day I will check the # of posts to select items and photograph them and I will update this post with pictures of the added prizes the next day.

Boot Loot Coming.....

For those of you who have followed me to this blog, you'll know that Boot Loot is also known as Blog Candy, or a PRIZE throughout the rest of blog-land.  So....keep your eyes peeled and the Boot Loot will get bigger the more people that enter.  I thought this would be a fun way to get people to change their links to my blog and such since I recently moved.  I'll post the Boot Loot on Tuesday.  Until then....