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