My Mother-in-Law's Birthday!

I made this card for my mother-in-law's birthday, which was this Tuesday, but we won't see her until she comes to our house this Tuesday. She's full of spunk and I think she'll like this card! I got the idea from an add in the newspaper flyers for a Dolly Mamas by Joey porcelain figure with the sentiment. I'm planning to do a little dinner party for her with a cake. She loves angels, so I am going to try my hand at making a cake in the shape of an angel and decorate it. I have never done anything like this, so stay tuned....! I have the very best mother-in-law in the world! Since the day I met her, she has treated me like one of her own, we are best friends, but she's also the most loving mother to me!! She truly is my inspiration and my model for what kind of parent I want to be. She also has been the most supportive and helpful person since I have had children. She is ALWAYS there for me when I need her and/or her help! As a matter of fact, she is coming this week because Paige has an appointment for an MRI in conjunction with her Sturge Weber. Grandma comes for every appointment to watch the kids for me while I take Paige for her medical stuff. She's also my concert going buddy! We go to all the country concerts we can! I think we've been to like 10 together now, we have so much fun! The best was last year's Tim McGraw/Faith Hill concert. We had front row seats and were standing with our arms resting on the stage, it was awesome!!!!! We both were like little giddy girls when Tim touched our hands!

Bunny Bath

I love how this card turned out! It's called Bunny Bath from Happy Hoppers. I have wanted to use this stamp for so long! It's definitely what I need when I finally get those kids in bed at night! I look at this image and almost feel the day's tension slip away! I used my aquapainter to color in the image on watercolor paper. The designer paper is Basic Grey Blush, love it!!! The ribbon is from Close to My Heart and really coordinates well with the Blush papers. I love the sentiment too... from High Hopes Rubber Stamps.

Bella Saturday

My goal today was to make some Bellas using images I have had ready to use and to use paper and embellishments I've had for a while. Ohsoprettybella is just too cute! I loved using my raspberry baubles I got from Stamping Bella, I like the color so much. Minivanabella shows my life to a "T!" It seems I never have enough hands for all the kids, and no matter how old they are, they still cling on my leg like in the picture! Recently, the kids have been fighting over who will hold my hand when we walk in a parking lot, etc. That always leaves someone out, so the one left out will push in and grab a finger of the hand that is already holding a hand! It's a battle to go anywhere!!! Plus, the smaller twin, Paige, always wants to be held like a baby. Then they start to fight, "my momma," "no, my momma!" It goes round and round between the three of them! Too funny! I like the saying, good humor, which is what us moms need a lot of, right?!

My Baby is 5!!!!

Here is a picture of the thank you cards I made for my son, Parker's, birthday last week. He just turned 5 and is geared up to start Kindergarten next Thursday and is so excited! I have mixed feelings... I can't believe my baby is going to school! We went to the State Fair for his birthday and it happened to be the Governor's Fire Prevention Day, and my son is totally into firemen and anything to do with being a fireman!! He had such a good time and did some fire safety activities, got a fire hat, etc. Then when we got home, our neighbor had put up a fireman birthday banner on the garage with fireman balloons on the mailbox and garage. Three of the neighbor families came over and had a little party for him in the yard. He had presents, cupcakes, a fire truck pinata, the whole thing! We really have an awesome group of neighbors and they sure came together for that night. We all help each other out with watching kids and whatever may come up. This summer, us ladies met outside at night often to "support" each other (vent) and just to laugh and relax after getting kids into bed! My husband calls us the "sewing circle." I used the fireman stamps I have from High Hopes for the card. I made the cards, but Parker personally wrote on the inside of each of them. He was so proud to do it and is very good at writing.

How Sandie Got Her Groove Back!

Well I posted yesterday to Bellaholics saying that I was ready to get back in gear and looking for some new images to swap. Then today I sat down while the little darlings napped and suddenly I was cranking out cards!!! This is the first time I've used these particular Bella stamps and got to use some new paper I got (at the beginning of summer) and try out some new ideas. I really like the Cupcakeabella as she was inspired by this cute little ceramic photo holder in the shape of a cupcake that sits on my desk. Last time I was up north at my in-laws, us ladies went shopping at these cute little country stores that are loaded with fun goodies. I walked into the first one and they had all these adorable cereamic cupcake goodies!! I could have lost my mind! So many cute things, so many cute colors, but alas, my checkbook kept me in check and I only purchased this little ceramic cupcake that is sooo cute! I knew when I purchased the cupcake that I wanted to make a Bella card based on it. The Biker Babe card was fun because I used many shades of green (my favorite color) and I put some liquid applique on Bella's collar for the fleece. You can't really tell in the picture, but it looks really cute in person. The Baby Bella Pumpkin was just too fun. My best friend just had her third baby, third girl, and I thought this would be cute for her for Halloween! Lastly, Yogabella, I love, love, love her! I had bought the Serenity set from MFT right before Yogabella was released. But I just had to have her also! I love the paper with the blues and greens. Again, my favorite shade of green for the yoga mat, makes me want to get it out and do some yoga! After the week I had last week, I could use it! In brief, I was hit twice in the same parking lot, once while I was sitting in the parking space!!! Then the next day I was at my neighbor's house eating some fresh mango and within 20 minutes was on the floor with an allergic reaction! It was the scariest experience I have ever had! I could not breath and my face was so hot and red that my glasses were steaming up. My neighbor called 911 and the ambulance was there and had me at the hospital in no time flat! I had to stay in the ER for three hours with an IV full of Prednisone, Tagmet, and Benadryl. I also was given an EPI shot, no fun!!! I thought "this is the big one, I'm a goner!" My poor neighbor, she felt so bad... I have eaten mango many times before, but never again!!!

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Bella's Baaaaacccckkkk!

Okay, had to get back to my Bellas!!! Here's my most recent Bella babes!

Changito goes swimming!

I made these little 4x4 cards using the Changito pool guy from Stampendous. I tried to do shadowing around the picture (new for me). I also used lots of stickles and crystal effects and baubles. Also played with my cuttlebug and bubbles die folder.

Stampendous Bees!

I love this summer's Stampendous Bees! I had fun making these cards, used lots of different color themes, embellishments, etc. I used lots of summer designer papers and I also put stickles on all the wings and antennae.

Got zinc?!

This stamp cracks me up too. It's a cutie mouse from Whipper Snapper! His nose has liquid applique so that it's raised and looks like zine, like the lifeguards wear! I cut out the pina coladas and sunscreen bottle and put dimensions on them in the sand. I also put dimensions under the flip flops. Another CASEd card, but just love the color and the way the sand is made, and of course, that cute NOSE!

The older ladies...

These cards crack me up! I used my stamps from Art Impressions. I guess I shouldn't say "older ladies" because I actually can relate to all of them!!! He he he! I used SU cardstock, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore and the markers too. I used crystal effects on the circles of the float and the red nail polish! Used stickles, ribbon, brads, and other embellishments. I love the sentiments!! I can't wait to use these for birthday cards, I love older ladies who are crass and just a hoot!

I LOVE Hedgies!!!

My first Stampin' Up! party, back in 1999, I was immediately drawn in and hooked by the Hedgehogs they had. At that time, you could only get them for hostess sets, so I had to have a party to get my first set! After that, they came out with more sets for purchasing and I went wild! Then I found out about Penny Black and it was all over after that! I've been "hoarding" hedgies ever since! This card used a stamp I've had for years. It's one long stamp but is using it piece by piece in the square. I CASEd from someone on SCS, but I love the card and the new use for this long stamp.

More cowgirls...

I had fun with these! Lots of stickles for accenting, ribbons, embossing and fun designer paper! I'm a total country music fan and love my cowboy boots! This girl's got some spunk and cute outfits! Speaking of country music, my mother-in-law and I go to country concerts together. We last saw Willie Nelson a couple of weeks ago. He was very good. A really funny thing, we were talking on the way to the concert about how there would probably be some smoking of an illegal kind going on. So about half way through the concert, as I catch a whiff of some funny odors... I nudge my MIL and say, "Do you smell that?" To which she replies, "Is that what that smells like?!" I just laughed, she's very cute! We always laugh about Toby Keith's song, "I'll never smoke weed with Willie again." When we saw Toby in concert, he talked about the story that goes with it.

Sassy Cowgirls!

These are some cards I made using cowgirl stamps I got from Sideshow Stamps. I had wanted to find some sassy and hot girls and thought these were really cute! The first two I focused on the greens and rusts. I used Stampin' Up's Mellow Moss cardstock and Mellow Moss, Real Rust and Ruby Red markers. The designer paper is from Chatter Box and is called Cowboy Paisley, I love it for the cowgirl and cowboy cards! I also used some beautiful green "pearly" brads I received from my last Bella Sistah, Jennifer Kraynak, thanks Jennifer! I also used copper brads and copper hardware with the ribbon and twill tape. I also used stickles on the boots, gun, and the fringe of her top and skirt.

Oh summertime lemonade!

I made this card using Penny Black stamps. I've had these forever and have wanted to use them to make this type of card. It is actually a CASE from someone on SCS, not sure who now, but I really love it! The designer paper is from Stampin' Up! and so is the cardstock, Barely Banana and Pretty in Pink. I made the sentiments on the computer and cut them out. I also used my big scallop punches, which I love! It says, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade and call a friend." I really like my other sentiment better, that I've used on a Bella card swap before, having to do with tequila and a worm, but this was too cutesy for that.

Okay, onto the cards...

Just wanted to share a few of my most recent cards that I've made. I recently decided to use some of the zillion stamps I've been hoarding the last couple of years that I haven't even inked up once. I'm also trying not to buy new supplies or paper, as I have so much to play with and use up! So here's my card using a Close to my Heart set called Flower Child. The card is 4x4 and the designer paper is Pocket Full of Posies stack. The other papers are from Stampin' Up!, Bashful Blue, Apricot Appeal and Wild Wasabi. I love this combo!!! The markers are also Stampin' Up! and the ribbon is from Michael's. Oh, and I love the baubles!!

The new baby....

Well as it turns out, about a month before Foster had to go, my DH talked me into a new puppy. We knew Foster was not doing so well and Foster had always been our dog, not the kids, we had him before kids and he never really was happy about the fact that they came and took over his territory and took our time away from him! So we decided to get a puppy, that would be the family dog and would grow up with the kids. My DH had always wanted a Siberian Husky, and I like bigger dogs and we both wanted one that was good with kids. So we found a husky and named her Loki. The name was also my DH's idea, it means "Norse God of Mischief." Wow, is she appropriately named! She's about 4 months old now and doing very well with training, but she's still doing that puppy nipping and rough play, which the kids don't appreciate, but they love her and are having fun playing and getting used to a doggie that will play and isn't grumpy and hurting. She's very soft and cuddly, so the girls really like that, me too! Everyone we know that have huskies or have had them, say that they are great dogs, but very stubborn! Even the vet told us that. So... it's like having another two-year old around! This is Loki at 8 weeks and today!

Can it possibly be?!!!! Two months??!!!

Wow, does the time fly! It's been two months since I posted to this blog. It's been quite a busy summer with day camps for Parker, playdates for the kids, get-away weekends to the lake, holidays, etc. I'm looking forward to school starting this year, Parker will go to Kindergarten and the girls will go to ECFE again. Our schedules will be more set and things will slow a bit! A very sad part of this summer was that on July 3rd, we had to put my dog Foster to sleep. He was 10 and it was his time to go, but it was extremely difficult for me, he was my first baby! I miss him so much, especially when I'm in the kitchen, he used to always sit in a corner and watch me and wait to see if food fell for him, of course! And at night, when everyone else has gone to bed and I'm in my craft room stamping, etc., Foster would always be there, laying beside me. He would refuse to go upstairs to bed until I went, no matter how long I took or whatever. He was such a good dog, he had a good life, and he brought immeasurable happiness and love to our lives! My next project once things slow down is to do a scrapbook of him. I hope that he is somewhere today where he is not in pain and is happy... I miss you Foster! Love, Mommy