Baby Thank Yous

My little guy is 2 months old this week! How time has flown. Yes, I've been very sleep deprived and I have my own set of luggage that resides under my eyes, but every minute has been a blessing. He's such a joy and fills our days with so much laughter and love.

I decided that it was finally time to post the Thank Yous that I made for any baby gifts that I had received. I figured by now I've received them all....so here it is :)

My son's nursery is done in a nautical theme, so I wanted the Thank Yous to be as well. I found a card by annieht on SCS that was similar and it gave me the inspiration I needed for this card.

I love sailboats! They just have a fun summer feel to them. I used one of my favorite designer papers (Maine Blueberry) for the background and I even put my scallop edge punch to use!

The bottom of the sailboat is coated in Crystal Effects to make it shine like it's in the water and I felt that the use of the designer papers was like the sky and the ocean. The white dots along the edge of the scallop are done in white gel pen to coordinate with the designer paper and the CuttleBug backgrounds.

I used the markers to ink the stamp, so each time I stamped the sailboat, I had to reapply the marker colors individually. It takes time, but it certainly makes the image pop!

Sets: By Sea, Much Appreciated (both SU)
Accessories: Maine Blueberry DP, Old Olive, Whisper White & Bashful Blue cardstocks, Scallop Edge Punch, Coluzzle, Cutter Kit, Sponge, Not Quite Navy ink, Many Marvelous Markers, Striped Bashful Blue Grosgrain, White Gel Pen, Crystal Effects & CuddleBug

New Catalog Excitement!!

The new Spring~Summer catalog is out!! Mine arrived over the weekend and I received my box of customer catalogs yesterday! It's a beautiful catalog filled with so many new stamp sets (all of which are now die cut for easy assembly) and the accessories are fabulous!!!

Click on the catalog icon on my sidebar and you can view the catalog on-line.

I have extra catalogs on hand, let me know if you are in need of one!

Things I'm spying:

One thing I really love about our updated catalogs (the past couple) is that after/before each section there are techniques right there in the catalog! Step by step instructions to help make amazing projects!!

I already have "Just Buzzin' By" (page 57) in my hands and I hope to make a card or two this week to show you...it's too cute!

So many new designer papers, these are a temptation of mine, I can never have enough!!

And new Jumbo brads and even Corduroy Buttons!! And who can pass us hand-made Fleurettes! They are so delicate!

On my first order will be the new Circle Scissor Plus. I saw one similar on a craft show and thought it was brilliant and I was pleasantly pleased to see it in our new catalog. Perfect circles in all sorts of sizes!!

For the first time you can even view the Sizzix Big Shot and the Decor Elements right in the catalog!!

As you can see, I'm excited and I'm sure...if you're a stamper....you will be too!

Mitten Shirt

Just a plug for my sister-in-law....

She works with autistic children and designed this awesome shirt where the mittens are part of the shirt so the child won't loose them, or complain that they had to wear the mittens. The shirts are made of fleece and come in a variety of colors/sizes.

My niece and nephew both have one and love them and I'm sure that I'll have one on my little guy when he gets older.

If you have little ones, take a peek. You can put water-proof mittens over them if you need to.

Her Etsy store: mitten08
Let me know what you think!!!

Edit:
Question: Do the mittens come off if you want them to?
Answer: No they are all part of the shirt, it's one piece...no seam at the wrist.

Unfrogettable cards

Here are a couple cards I made for family's birthdays recently.
When I need to make a card for a kids birthday, the Unfrogettable set comes to my mind quite often. It's so fun and whimsical!

I pulled out my old cloud stencil and used some retired DP too! I love when I can put my retired things to use!!

Set: Unfrogettable, Daisy Field Wheel
Accessories: Soft Sky & Whisper White cardstock, Soft Sky DP, Black StazOn, Garden Green/Summer Sun/Soft Sky inks and SU markers, Stickles, Eyes, Dimensionals and Soft Sky Ribbon

This card had to be purple for the recipient. She is a purple lover. I used a stamp from Baroque Motifs and used the Enchante DP.

Home for Christmas

Merry Christmas!! I hope that you are all enjoying the holidays and remembering the reason for the season!!

Here is my third and final card for Christmas 2008. I just love that I have had the time each year to make my own cards, it thrills me to send out my creations to all my friends and family to enjoy.

Home for Christmas really has the warm cozy feel to it. Being a military family, we really do cherish whenever we are able to go home and spend time with our families.

When I got this set, I surfed SCS to see what others were doing with it and I came across one by Kharmagirl and used her's as an idea when making mine. You can view her's here. I then surfed through her gallery and found that I really like her style!!

Anyway, I used Shimmery White cardstock for the main image to give it that glistening snow look. And I added Crystal Effects to some of the image to make it stand out.

Set: Home for Christmas
Accessories: Holiday Treasures DP, Ruby Rd, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Whisper White & Shimmery White cardstocks, StazOn Black ink, Various SU Ink Pads, Aqua Painter, Crystal Effects, Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon.

A thank you to our military

My husband is a sailor in the US Navy, and although he's home with us this year, it's not the case for many families around the globe. So, whether sailor, airmen, marine or soldier...Merry Christmas and thank you for all you do.

The Sailor's Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, the ship was out steaming,
Sailors stood watch while others were dreaming.

They lived in a crowd with racks tight and small,
In a 80-man berthing, cramped one and all.

I had come down the stack with presents to give,
And to see inside just who might perhaps live.

I looked all about, a strange sight did I see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.

No stockings were hung, shined boots close at hand,
On the bulkhead hung pictures of a far distant land.

They had medals and badges and awards of all kind,
And a sober thought came into my mind.

For this place was different, so dark and so dreary,
I had found the house of a Sailor, at once I saw clearly.

A Sailor lay sleeping, silent and alone,
Curled up in a rack and dreaming of home.

The face was so gentle, the room squared away,
This was the United States Sailor today.

This was the hero I saw on TV,
Defending our country so we could be free.

I realized the families that I would visit this night,
Owed their lives to these Sailors lay willing to fight.

Soon round the world, the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate on Christmas Day.

They all enjoyed freedom each day of the year,
Because of the Sailor, like the one lying here.

I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone,
On a cold Christmas Eve on a sea, far from home.

The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The Sailor awakened and I heard a calm voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice."

"Defending the seas all days of the year,
So others may live and be free with no fear."

I thought for a moment, what a difficult road,
To live a life guided by honor and code.

After all it's Christmas Eve and the ship's underway!
But freedom isn't free and it's sailors who pay.

Vintage Ruddy

Here is another of my Christmas cards for this year. This one actually has three different faces. I couldn't use just one of the line-up, I had to make use of all three poses.

I really wanted to go for the vintage look. I have been in love with the striped ribbon and just wanted to stick with the Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla for this card. I felt it was pretty traditional.

I used stickles on a couple focal points of these cards, like Ruddy's nose or hat pom-poms. And the CuttleBug folder was perfect yet again! I also sponged the edges to give it an even more aged look.

Set: Holiday Lineup
Accessories: Very Vanilla & Riding Hood Red cardstock, Timber Brown StazOn, Close to Cocoa & Riding Hood Red Inks, CuddleBug, Ticket Corner Punch, Sponge, Stickles, Felt Flurries, Riding Hood Red 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain ribbon