Mod Podge virgin no more!!!!!!!!!!!

SO - finally used mod podge and did somethng NOT flat. Probably not very exciting by most people's standards who have experience doing altered objects but a first for me! i used the gorgeous ginger blossom SU paper with the matching groovy guava. The wording and snail are cut with Walk in my Garden cricut cartridge. I saw this challenge to make a dahlia out of folded circles and decided to try it. i cut the circles with the cricut too.

This is my lazy fat kitty - tiger. she had her head on the pillow so trevor covered her up :P

Pez loves to torture poor tiger and tiger wants attention so bad she puts up with it.

Holy cow i scrapbooked!!!!!! or poor neglected cricut

ok so i am slightly behind but not bad on my scrapbooking. i have been having WAY too much fun playing with ew products and learning new techniques as i decide what to add to my website for ya'll. it's Ranger Ink and Tim Holtz products hands down. Something that is looking real popular is the re-inkers mixed with perfect pearls powder and water in the mini mister to create a pearlized spray - awesome. also busy planning something super secret and super special for ya'll that i truly think you'll love - but it's still under wraps for now while i work on finalizing things. keep yourselves updated here!! now back to my layouts... these are my halloween pics and a couple pics from around halloween that my mom took.

The monkey from the zoobaloo cricut cartridge matched Pez's costume perfectly. Trev and his friends went as Emos - not to offend anyone - if i was a teen today i am pretty sure i would be dubbed emo :P but for my little jock kid it was a hysterical change. i was really stuck on what i would do for journaling on it because i wasn't sure how to explain emo - then on the blog things website i ran across a questionnaire called "are you emo?" it describes it perfectly!

Next is a layout of pez antics i did using some close to my heart items i got recently - paper and stamp set - i just love them. cut the title with the alphalicious cricut cartridges for all of these.

"Shenaganins" is a silly word from my childhood - my brother and i are only one year apart and my mom would be trying to bath us and we would be running around uncooperative. she would say stop this shenanigans and we would run around singing shenaganins, shenaganins. pez does quite a bit of shenaganins.

finally here is a card for my super fabulous but lately very neglected DH for our anniversary today. i used the same CTMH stamps set, bazzill bling paper and embossed with red pearl over fired brick distress ink and detail silver over versamark- all Ranger products OF COURSE! LOVE their embossing powders - all are fabulous. there's alot more bling to this card than what shows up in the picture :) man oh man do i love some bling.....

Lastly i leave you with a silly pic of two of the "cherubs" - trev put his hoody on the baby - she didn't know what was going on.

first tech club

busy busy over here!! first tech club is today. cori is doing this one with CTMH products but i designed it and am having it here at my house. fun fun.

i got goodies galore in the mail - don't you love it when everything arrives at once!!!! so of course i have been playing playing. i got a stamp that reminds me of mardi gras - which i have missed for years since moving away and i hate that - i thought it would be perfect with distress embossig powders and i do love it! my fancy corners cuttlebug folders also came so of course i threw those in too!

also made a thank you card for my mom with a stamp from another set i got. i used Rangers red pearl embossing powder but i got to be honest i am not too impressed with it. it is over Purely Pomegranate ink and card is Whisper White and Purely Pomegranate - which i LOVE LOVE LOVE - stampin up stuff is just so awesome!

and in other news - yes stuff goes on here other than carfting! my 15 year old jock son is taking gourmet foods - yes he loves to cook - always has. he sat on the counter and cooked with me starting around the age of two. so i just had to share his mardi gras cake (notice the theme going on here???). the icing photographed blue but it really is purple.

miss pezzy thinks her giant brothers are the greatest thing ever. Trevor was trying to eat lunch yesterday and she HAD to have what he was eating so here's a few pics. isn't he a fabulous brother???

well enough typing for me for now! lots to do.....

My stamp and scrap buddy

So i was trying to get something done while daddy watched Pez but she just HAS to be in the basement these days. so she insisted on climbing up to "help" mommy and daddy snapped a pic.

i got my mom's bday card done this morning - and not much else as i decided it was high time to clean up! i got the printed paper at ac moore awhile back - it is flocked and shimmery and i just HAD to have it. the card is simple but i like it:

my fave of the day is by amy/pickled paper designs - check this out http://pickledpaperdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/01/forever-in-love-with-baroque-motifs.html

also i have begun hearing from ya'll about your studio g series 10 stamps - glad they are arriving safely!!!!

hey all you distressers!!!!!

If you've been reading this blog you know i discovered Tim Holtz's blog - he's the senior designer for Ranger and i am in LOVE with his stuff. i always saw his distress inks and tools and such in the store and was curious but had no idea how to use it and felt it was too complicated. well i have conquered my fear!! i picked up some of his things - took trips to three different stores just to get a handful of items. and i have been playing with them. well i lov eit so much i am adding all of his products to my website along with some FAB stamps i have found that will look SUPERB using distress techniques on them! Look for the additions in the coming weeks - these things take time :P ALSO, for all you who are afraid like i was, i will be posting tutorials and projects as well. there is nothing worse than investing in products and not being able to do a thing with them!!! so look for a few new super cool easter designs featuring his products coming to my site soon!!!

in other news...finished my samples for my first tech club meeting:

only to have two people drop out - ugh!! not sure how we're going to work it now-i'll have to call Cori and see what she thinks - we're doing it together. in other bad news - why not we're on a roll - my stampin up upline is pregnant and had placenta previa. well she started bleeding last week and was put on bed rest - SCARY huh?? she will have a c section feb 6 BUT i was waiting to actually sign up until feb 1 for sale a bration so now that may not happen....plus my jan tech club order is in limbo and i need it for my feb tech club......but i seriously don't think she is going to be worrying about any of that - she has far more pressing concerns right now. so that is kind of who knows right now...

well i would normally be off to play in my studio right now but i have to figure out how to do stinkin monthly taxes for my business the yucky part!!!

The Diaper-head Gang

This is my favorite game Daddy plays with Pez - too funny huh?? they've been doing it since she was little.

We got 5" of snow Thursday so I took Pez out to play in it for the first time - she was pretty amused. Most of it had melted. She liked the water from the melted snow the most though and at one point was UNDER the drips off my hubby's big rock crawling jeep - eeewwww.

Got two adorable Valentine's Cards done for the first meeting of this round of Tech Club - we are focusing on embossing and I think they turned out well. We are alternating between a Close to my Heart demo and me as Stampin Up demo - this month is CTMH items so that is what I have here.

busy busy

wow have I been busy with the series 10 stamps - and they are oh so cute!! DH had a disturbing thought - as he was looking through them he said "hhhmmmm there's st patty's day and easter in here - that must mean they aren't going to put any new ones out for awhile." bite your tongue!! let's hope he's wrong!!

well i wanted to come post two cards i made as part of my committment to use some of the things i have been buying lately :P the first is another Bella - Balloonabella and i just think she's fab (if only i had waited a few more hours I could have put "Party Chick" on it from the series 10 stamps):

I also Made another Flower card which I am reall ypleased with - I hope to find time to continue to perfect the blending technique I used here:

Attn: PUH-LEEEEEAZE - series 10 is here!!!!!

hello girls!! series 10 is finally here!!! hooray - i know ya'll are just diein' for these and i truly expected them ALOT sooner - but they finally made it. SO I will be packing them up for you today and probably bring them to the post office tomorrow as it is snowing here right now and we're supposed to get 6" - FUN!! In addition to the series 10 I have ONE extra of each of the following I am looking to sell - each package is $12. The package is 4 x 6 and there are various size stamps - all very cute like the $1 ones - similar style.

oh i'm in love...

i am just in love with the Tim Holtz blending tool - tho it's so simple - probably could have MADE one myself - ha ha!! anyway, as promised I finished the card and here it is:

I used a retired SU stamp from a set I just got - I love them all and I am so glad I got them. You can't tell but the rose is embossed with Bridal embossing tinsel and very shimmery. I began working on another one but didn't get very far as little darling Pez decided she was going to get up for the day at 5:20 this morning - yikes!! SOOOO hopefully she will nap later and I'll get back down to my studio. I also made a quick and simple little card for my neighbor's little boy who's having his first bday party this weekend:

Not too fancy but I wanted to get to my other card. I used a super cute little Doodlebug Clear Expressions set that is by the same company as the Studio G $1 stamps I have all of the Doodlebugs and several extras still left if anyone is interested.

I have decided I am in desperate need of a supply usage goal. I have stamps and things coming in faster than I am using them so I have decided need to make something with all of the ones I have before I add more. Things for workshops and eClasses of course! I have three more stamps sets on the way so I better get crackin'! My first series will be the Flower set from SU and next will be my Bellas I got for Christmas. Now that I have more stampin' stuff!!

series 10 series 10 series 10

I am all in a frenzy waiting for the Studio G series 10 $1 stamps to arrive - as is everyone who's waiting on their order!! i know i am in line to ship but i guess they ship as many as they can each day - so i hope they arrive soon. tried to dig up info on any future series but came up with nothing! i AM thinking about adding some more of their items to my website but can't decide....

do have some good news - i have been OBSESSED with Tim Holtz's 12 tags of Christmas techniques - went out and bought everything i could find in his line and have been playing with it for a week and coming up with some truly horrible looking things!! but i think i finally got the hang of it and actually made something ogrgeous today - just in time - it's a rose from one of the SU sets that just got retired and my step mom is having hip replacement surgery tomorrow. SO i think it will make a beautiful get well card and so fitting since she is the one who got me into this card making craze i have been in. Hopefully i'll have it completed to post tomorrow and maybe add the technique to one of my workshops.

well i'm off to eat lunch - SO for all you Studio G fanatics - they're coming!!! i'm just as anxious as you and PROMISE I will get them out ASAP when they hit my door step - even if I have to put the boys to work matching up sets for ya'll!!!!

Pancake Puff Pan

Yes, that's right, it says pancake puff pan - surely you've seen the commercial. Well every time it came on Hubby got so excited - so what do you get the guys who has everything for Christmas?? A pancake puff pan of course! Complete with the chef's upgrade kit. Unfortunately, like everything else, it did not make it here for Christmas but we got it this week and I promised to use it today for breakfast. So we just finished having pancake puffs filled with strawberry jam or whipped cream. Well it actually works quite well and everyone scarfed 'em down. :P

Finally got to play around some this morning and finished my first four card kit examples. They are Valentine's cards featuring embossing. I am hoping to make treat bags to go with these - we'll see. These both have stickles crystal accents on the printed paper too but it doesn't show up well in the pic. Turned out quite well I think:

I made a third one but....well, ever have what you think is going to be fabulous laid out in your head and when you're finished you say - WOW! Now that's an ugly card! I took the ribbon off at DH's suggestion and added a bit of stickles to some of the dots on the patterend paper and it's better but still a bit iffy (on the left) but I like the other one:

Embossing - fun!

Went to Tech Club at Stacey's last night. Love it! We did two cards using resist embossing technique - so cool! I never knew about that! Also, first time I used Stampin' Up!'s embossing powder (we used clear) i like it better than what i had been using - especially the stuff i got at michaels - it worked but nothing like this stuff. i ordered clear and several others to play with. Here's the two cards:

I haven't had nearly enough time to play in my studio. I do love my new Close To My Heart stamps but I do find them to be a little bit more difficult in regards to inking and getting a crisp image. For one I think I press to hard for clear stamps. But also I find that the ink amost resists the stamps in a way - especially if I try to use markers. But the designs are adorable and I like the paper I got. Also got my SU goodies last night - it's like Christmas over here!! I decided to mount them using EZ mount to save on space. Maybe I will finally get some Valentine Cards done tomorrow morning. If I do I'll post them as a class on my website.

goodies

A package of goodies arrived yesterday - YAY!! my first order from Close to my Heart - adorable!! I am working on some classes in conjunction with my friend Cori who does CTMH - we both have lists of people interested in both CTMH and SU products so we are trying to make everyone happy by offering both :) anyway, I can't wait for my coffee to be done so I can go down and play! I have done some major re-organization down in my scrap area so it will be nice to work in. We are doing some Valentine cards featuring embossing powders so I will be working on getting those ready. No idea there were so many options in types of finishes :P And maybe at some point I will have time to catch up on my scrapbooking. Need to figure out how to get good pics of scrapbook layouts so I can post those as well......cards are so easy to just scan in.

I made alot of changes to my website getting ready to start posting my workshops and such - you can see it here http://www.pezadodle.com/. Now how to advertise and get those things filled up......always so much to do. Luckily Hollyn is a good baby and super cooperative yesterday. Even though she's cutting 6 teeth right now - YIKES! she woke up in the middle of the night and after a few minutes it was apparent she wasn't going to put herself back to sleep so I went in to rock her. When I picked her up she said "Tank oo mama" and gave me a big dramatic MMMMMwah kiss - SO cute. well coffee's done!

eClasses coming soon

Well I went to my first Stampin Up demo meeting with my upline last night. Actually waiting for Sale-A-Bration to start Feb 1 to sign up so I'm not official BUT oh what fun. Several talented girls there and lots of good business ideas. Stacey, my upline, is excited too which is fab. I am anxiously awaiting some supplies to do my first club/eClass project - embossed Valentine cards. Boy have I spent entirely too much money lately but for a good cause if I get this off the ground right?? Well lots to do - i leave you with the Bella I promised yesterday:

New goodies - YAY!

well my trip to AC Moore to look for studio g series 9 stamps was a bust - my ACM sucks. But I did go to Recollections and pick up some Tim Holtz items 30% off, though they didn't have much left. Didn't find much more at Michaels or ACM - this is why I shop online... :P Anyway, played with them this morning. Obviously it's one thing to know how to use them and quite another to have the kind of talent Tim does as far as making somethng that looks good. However, I did make a fab Bubble Bath Bella with his embossing tinsel - which I love love love. melts so nicely. I covered her in embossing ink, then re-inked carefully with a black marker over everything but her bubbles and the puddle on the floor. Stamped her and then covered the bubbles and puddle with Bridal Embossing tinsel and melted. colored the rest of her in with gamsol and prisma pencils. now to make a card for her. i'll post her for ya'll tomorrow!

Also got some goodies in the mail - my first ever bottles of Prima flowers - wow do i love those. FINALLY got one of DH's xmas gifts too - what's with the mail lately?? it's a pancake puff pan - yes that's right - you've seen the infomercial - he's all excited :) still haven't got another of the gifts i got from amazon for him and the boys.

well i'm off to clean house - yuck but god does it need it!!

Studio G $1 clear stamps - series 9

So i hear series 9 has hit the stores. if you aren't familiar with these little cuties you're missing out! series 9 is an ac moore exclusive so i'll be heading out this morning to check mine out - wow i hope i have them. i'll be buying as many complete sets as i can and they will be on my website first come first serve. you can see a picture here http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/mb/viewtopic.php?t=83153

there are 40 in the series!!!!! how awesome is that??

i will also be hitting up recollections looking for my newest obsession - tim holtz distress products. check out the 12 tags of xmas on his blog and you'll see why

http://www.timholtz.typepad.com/





well i have much to do. i'll leave you with my two latest cards - just recently got tipped off on the lola rose collections at http://www.pinkpetticoat.co.uk/ - love love love these - what a fantabulous idea!!! One has Lilli - Lola Rose's little sister and the other is a cupcake from the doodlicious collection i believe. Colored using gamsol and prismas with stickles and glass paint accents of course. there's never too much stickles!

starting new things

aahhh thought i'd try this out - seems everyone else is! DH says i already have enough to do, i don't need to add something else. i plan to focus mostly on my craft but will likely have family stuff thrown in as well as they are primary for me!! family is DH, two teen boys, a toddler girl, two crazy cats, a snake, and two chinchillas.