Another deep thought.

After yesterday's "later tater" brilliance I was feeling a little pressure to perform on the blog today. Sadly I don't have a pun but I was doing some pondering this afternoon. You see, I played along with this week's TCP Tuesday.


The challenge was to draw inspiration from this picture.
I was looking over some of the submissions and I was struck buy all of the different interpretations. Some people drew from the colors, some people drew from the designs etched on the glasses. Me, I looked at the picture and thought, "Wow, those are awesome shot glasses! What kind of liquor themed stamps do I have?" Then I felt like a lush and put down my 10am martini. No, no, just kidding. Really, I was kidding. Grin... The pondering came as I wondered why my first thought drifted towards a tasty beverage. I wonder what that says about me...

I was looking at my TCP stamps and trying to decide what to use when a certain kitty began demanding (rather loudly I might add) that I pay attention to her. I got the message, I needed to bring out my Sprinkle stamps. It could have been Godiva yelling at me, but I took it as a sign to play with the black cat.

I might just say that this stamp features my favorite stamp of all time. Am I so bold to say that I have a favorite stamp? I am!!! It's the martini thought bubble stamp. Love it and would totally put it on all of my cards. That thought bubble frequently accompanies me, especially on Fridays. Snort... It follows Sprinkle too.

Enjoy! ~Lara

Supplies used:
Stamps: Big Sprinkle, martini bubble - The Cat's pajamas. Paper: Taylored Expressions Kit, Basic Grey, MME, PTI Berry and cream. Ink - Pallete Noir Black, copics. Accessories: Nestibilities, Taylor's Tiny Twinkles, Kiwi Kiss Ribbon, Crystal Effects, dimentionals

More birdies

Birdies, birdies everywhere. This is the first time I've played along with Mojo Monday and to commemorate this eventful occasion I pulled out Verve's Black tie birdies. I LOVE this set and recently picked it up after looking at it for several months.

I guess this makes it a Vervie Birdie. Heh, heh, heh... Yesterday I bought a baked potato at work and didn't want to eat it then. (This is for you Carrie.) That made it a .... are you ready? Tater for later! Ha ha! Yeah, I've been a little bored at work this week. Hence the tater for later...

Any who, the designer paper is from Crate Paper, the Prudence collection. Sigh, I {heart} paper. I colored the birdie with copics. Then I hung the sentiment from the ribbon with some elastic cord.

While I was taking the picture, Godiva jumped up on the crate and I was able to take my first nice picture of her. For once the black kitty doesn't look like a black lump of fur. She doesn't look particularly happy, but I'll take what I can get.

Enjoy! ~ Lara

Out of my comfort zone

I branched out yesterday and made a little something that was a bit out of my comfort zone. I hadn't really broken into my Damask Designs set from Papertrey ink and last night I did. I was really feeling the yellow, gray and white color combo and thought the damask would be so pretty as a watermark against the gray. Actually I thought it would be really awesome against the yellow paper but I stamped it 4 times and each time it looked dirty. Then I realized that my stamp cleaner needed cleaning Oops!



So, I stamped it with Versamark and added a bow. Lemme tell you about that bow. I didn't think that it would look good tied with hemp twine and I didn't have anything else until I remembered that roll of silver elastic I got at Christmas time. You see, I keep it in a bag in the drawer because Titus LOVES it. I can't tell you how many mornings I've come downstairs and found it wrapped around the kitchen chairs. Many, many, times. Apparently he KNOWS when it comes out because he came running the minute I took it out. I had to cut him off a piece and he rolled around with it under my stamp desk. Sigh...


Seriously, the hardest thing was figuring out there to put the sentiment. I fiddled and fiddled with it before I remembered that I had those label dies. Then a few of Taylor's Twinkles! I really like the simplicity of the card. So pretty.

Enjoy!
Lara

TCPTUES 55? Wow!

I can't believe that there have been 55 TCP Tuesdays! Wow! This week's challenge was to use a super cute sketch found on Carole's blog. This card is a little bigger than the ones I usually make, it's 4.25 x 6.5. I started with a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock and ran some So Saffron through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss dots folder.

I hadn't yet inked up the elephant from TCP's Hearts and Flowers set. Isn't she adorable?!! I really thought Ms elephant should yellow, you know to coordinate with the paper. Grin... Sometimes our images are subject to the whims of designer paper.

I just had to show a close up of the image. I recently got some tiny twinkles from Taylored Expressions and it came with some shaped twinkles. There were flowers, squares, teardrops and other teeny, tiny glittery things. I love those little static charged bits of sparkle that stick to the table, your fingers and the cat. So fun to embellish your cards!

I put teeny flowers inside of the flowers. Yea. Do you like her pink toes? Spring is here and she needed a pedi after the long winter. She went with pink this time.

Have a happy Sunday!

Lara

Earth Day OBP Challenges!

My last 2 posts have featured my submissions for the Earth Day Challenges over at Odd Bird Planet. Several of the design team members posted 'green' challenges and at the end of the contest, they would draw 1 name from the submissions. Those winners get an Earth Day Stamp from OBP. THEN those names go into a hat to win $100, $50 worth of stamps from OBP or $25 off your next order.

Guess what?! I won twice! YEAH!!! I never win anything! Here is the post for the one layer card and this one is for the stamp on plastic challenge! For the 2nd one, a cat picked my name! She poured all the entries on the floor and her cat pounced on my name! Ha Ha. If it were my cat they would pick the name by either sitting on the paper or shredding it.

Now, keep your fingers crossed cuz I have 2 entries into the grand prize drawing!!! Wish me luck!

Lara

Under the wire??!!

This post has been edited - Scroll on down for the rest!

EEEKKK!!! I think I'm getting in just under the wire! Hopefully the OBP Earth Day contest ends at 11:59pm PST. Here's the last challenge I played along with. It was to stamp something on plastic.

I have to run, but will post the deets tomorrow!!!

How about some of those details?? Let me start off by telling you about my evening. After work I took my ring to the jeweler to get a prong fixed, then off to stamp club. On my way to stamp club I got a text from a friend asking me if I wanted to come to the sports bar and watch the Pittsburgh Penguins' play-off game. So, I stamped, watched the game, ran home to make some HG apple bread THEN decided to do ONE last OBP Earth Day Challenge. So, I showered, ran to the stamp room and got to work. You see, it was 11:15 and the contest ended at 11:59pm. However, I totally forgot that it was 11:59 PST. I ran like a fool and still had 3 hours to go!!!

So, I took a piece of Baja breeze paper and scored 1/2 inch all the way around the card. Then I cut out the insides to make a frame. I used red line tape around the edges of the frame and stuck on my piece of plastic. On top of that I added a 1 inch frame of Pumpkin Pie to cover my plastic and tape. Then strips of some super yummy dp I got at Archivers.

I would also like to note that I used chipboard! Not only did I buy chipboard, but I actually used it!!! Go me!!! I covered it with SU!'s "Hello Sunshine" dp and roughed the edges. I stamped Mr Gnome with Pallete Noir ink and hit him with the heat gun to set and colored with copics. Then I took a piece of neutral Pink Paislee paper and adhered it to the inside so you could see the gnome a little better. Add a bunch of Primas and there you have it!!! Woo Hooo! And I posted it at exactly 12am my time, (I was running!!!) as I hit send, I remembered that the challenge was PST. Sigh... At least I got to bed slightly earlier. Grin!

Enjoy!!!

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!!!

Did you do anything to be a little greener today? I rinsed out the cat food can and put it in the recycle bin instead of in the trash. I also brought some silverware to work to use instead of the plastic ware at the cafeteria.

Best of all, I played along with the Odd Bird Planet Earth Day Challenges. Several of the design team members have challenges posted on their blogs. The best part is that there is a LOT of moolah and prizes up for grabs. BUT, you have to complete your submissions within 24 hours. There isn't a lot of time, so head on over and check it out!!

I was all sorts of inspired tonight and played along with 2 of the challenges! The first one was to repupose an item. I was sitting at work today and in a small OCD fit, I sorted a box full of mixed paper clips, binder clips and rubber bands. We have literally thousands of binder clips at work. So many that we send e-mails to the rest of the building for them to come and take. WELL.... I decided to make over some giant binder clips and rescue them from the abyss.

Aren't they cute??? I used the Forrest Friends paper from Michaels, SU! and PTI ribbon and then I colored both images with copics. I think the clips are much prettier now than when I pulled them out of the box.

The next one was to create a 1 layer card. Well, we could use the card base and 1 additional layer. Then you could add non-paper embellishments. Well, I pulled out some white PTI paper and stamped these sign carrying gnomes. I colored them with copics and then I cut out flowers from some October Afternoon designer paper. I popped them up on dimentionals and added some ribbon and a button. Still no paper. Yea!!!

I hand wrote the sentiment in my not so great hand writing. I thought it would be really cute to make a bunch of these cards and add different green sentiments. Maybe "Always fill the washing machine before washing a load." or "Save water, shower together". snort...

Off to bed all, have an awesome night!

Lara

New look!!!

Yesterday I was looking for blog templates and I stumbled across this site. They have the cutest templates!!! The best part is that they load them for you after your puchase.

Love, love, LOVE the colors

Enjoy!!
Lara

A little more technology..

I would like to draw everyone's attention to the picture in the previous post. Yep, I changed it from yesterday. Please draw your eyes to the fancy schmancy new... Watermark! Yes, I know that there are Internet pirates stalking my blog and waiting to steal my pictures, I'm on to you...

While I was blog hopping today I came across this blog. She had the cutest watermarks for sale for only $2!!! I'm super excited!!

Enjoy!
Lara

In a nature kind of mood...

On Saturday Kev and I were struck with the brilliant idea to head to the local home improvement store and get some stuff to beautify our house. Before I start this post, let me preface it by saying that we can't grow anything.. Nothing, I seriously have a black thumb. It all started a few years ago when we decided to plant some flowers at the old house to add some "curb appeal" before we sold it. Seriously, we planted them one day and they were dead the next. I don't have any clue what we could have done that was SO awful as to kill them so quickly.
Fast forward to this house. One of the people Kev used to work with was a master gardener. She wanted to give us snippings of her garden to start our own at the new house. I explained that while I was flattered that I wouldn't be able to keep it alive. She SWORE to me that they would be fine. Again, I planted and in 2 days they were dead.

This time I asked for bushes that would flower, I wouldn't have to fuss with AND that I couldn't kill. We are now the proud owners of 2 reddish bushes and 2 gardenia bushes. All of which are in the ground and hopefully still alive. I did learn that they come with a 1 year guarantee, so you bet I'm keeping the receipt!

In addition to the bushes, I also put in a hummingbird feeder. Right in view of the front window. So the kitties will be entertained while we're gone. Grin... Since I still had birds on the brain, I pulled out the owl from My Cute Stamps and paired it with this super cute designer paper I got at Archivers. I played along with the sketch challenge on Paper Craft Planet, and this is what I came up with.

I colored Ms Owl with Copic Markers to match the retro-tastic designer paper. I also added some more buttons AND flowers. Woo Hoo! I am really loving the olive, orange and turquoise combo. I have a feeling this won't be the last time it shows up!

Enjoy!
Lara

What is up with all of these birdies?

There's been a birdie-paloza around here. 'Round here meaning on the blog and in my card making, NOT here in the house. I'd never been a "fan" of birds. That's just me though. I prefer kitties and fish. And let me tell you that my kitties would NOT stand for a bird in the house. I've seen them with the odd cricket or lizard that happens to find its way into the house. I couldn't intentionally bring a bird in here. Now bird stamps are a complete other story. I can't stop with the bird stamps. They're everywhere lately and I just can't help myself!

So, why so much talk about birds? because I made another card using "My Cute Stamps" This time I rotated the branch and made it into a tree. I paper pieced the leaves and the birdie and popped them up on dimentionals. I once again used DP from Stampin'Up!, and all of the card stock is SU as well.

I would also like to draw attention to the number of embellishments used on this card. I am quite proud of myself for using buttons, flowers, ribbon, rhinestones AND baubles. These are also my very first Prima flowers.I honestly have not used Prima flowers before today. Not sure what took me so long, but I bet this won't be the last time!

Alrighty, I'm headed up to the craft room. I had a 30% off coupon to Archivers today. yea... Have a good night!

~Lara

Sneeze, sneeze, cough, cough blech.

I think I have allergies. Then those allergies turned into a cold. Yick... I hadn't heard of pine pollen before we moved to NC. The first spring, we work up one morning to find everything covered with a bright yellow powder. Which lasted for 3 weeks. I sneezed a little then, and a little more when the following year rolled around and a lot more this year. Boo, we don't have that up north. Needless to say, I've spent the last 2 weeks sneezing and blowing my nose and main lining honey lemon cough drops.

I haven't been terribly creative over the last few days and I was getting ready for the big craft show at work. I was a dip making fiend. In light of all of that, I DO have a little something to show. I got some stamps from Queen Kat Designs one of them being these adorable birdies.

I colored them with Copics to match the SU! designer paper. I really like the color combo of So Saffron, Riding Hood Red and Pumpkin Pie. I especially like that I had some red stick on flowers that matched the red. I also liked that they covered up a mistake I made. Shhh.... Yeah for embellishments!

I also added a few stickles and some gold glitter pen for a little extra bling. A

Alright, off to take the beer bread out of the oven. Have a good night!!

Lara

Birthday Card

How about another card using My Cute Stamps? This is the "Eeek a Monster!" set. I thought this one was adorable and since I didn't have any boy stamps. I HAD to get this one. In the set there are monsters, fire and a city sky scape. Too cute!!

Well, one of my good friend's son is celebrating his 3rd birthday. I was actually running a little late getting his card and present out so I called her last week and to let her know. I learned that 3 year olds don't care when they get presents or mail, no real sense of time yet. Ahhh, those were the days.

Since he's 3, I didn't add my usual sparkles, baubles, flowers or ribbon. Instead I went with a monster eating a city. I'm not quite sure if a monster eating a city is appropriate for a 3 year old, but I think he'll be OK. I'll tuck this in with his present which is also late. Grin... Hey, I'm just extending the celebration. Right???

So, I colored the monster with some Copics and covered him with Crystal effects. All the rest of the supplies are from Stampin Up!

Enjoy!
Lara

Getting it in under the wire?

Lookie, I played along with this week's TCPTUES challenge! As you can see, it's 10:20pm and the sun has been down for a while. Please pardon the poor photography. (And the excessive use of P's) I'll take a better one tomorrow at work. BUT Since I wanted to get it in on time, I had to work with what I had.

The challenge was to use orange, bright pink and yellow. I was super excited because I just got my Stampin Up order which happened to contain packs of Summer Sun and Pumpkin Pie Card stock. Add that with some Raspberry Fizz paper from PTI and I was good to go! Then I found this yummy designer paper in my scrap paper and went to town.

I colored the birdies with my Copics and added some Raspberry Fizz ribbon. I also added some tiny twinkles around the scalloped edge. Again, SO much prettier in person, I will thankfully remedy that tomorrow.

Alright, off to fold some clothes, have a good night!!!

Lara

So Cute! - What's your favorite?

A few weeks ago I was blog surfing at work. (shhh....) and I came across a post using the cutest stamps I've seen in a while. Coincidentally, the company is called "My Cute Stamps". So flippin' adorable. I like them so much I had to put their blinkie on my blog.

Well, my stamps were waiting for me when I got home. I FINALLY got a chance to ink them up! I used the "Little Forrest Friends" set which is right now my favorite from their current line. The animals are adorable and I had to use the owl and the tree. There is also a snail and a hedgehog and little flowers. Ack! adorable!!!

The designer paper is from a recent SU! order, don't you just LOVE those colors together??!!! Summer Sun, Kiwi Kiss and Chocolate Chip. Love, love, LOVE. It kinda reminds me of the appliances and carpet my parents had while I was growing up. Carpet was a golden yellow shag and the appliances were "Avocado" Retro-tastic...

I colored the owl and tree with my Copics and since I was on suck a polka dot kick between the 2 designer papers, I kept it going with the ribbon.

Lookie!!! Another button! Can you believe it??? Buttons and ribbon together woo hoo! Once you get started with buttons, I guess you can't stop. For a little added bling I used Taylor's Tiny Twinkles from Taylored Expressions. Do you see that? They are indeed tiny. I squirted a little Tombow adhesive on a baggie, picked up the twinkle with my tweezers, dip in glue, stick to card, repeat. I just love the effect, don't you?? I'm really happy with this one. I might have to keep it for myself!

Now, it just so happens that My Cute stamps is giving away some blog candy. Head on over here and tell them which of their sets you love the best! Good Luck!!

Lara

Get you some baby stamps at Starving Artistamps

Starving Artistamps is releasing a bunch of new stamp sets!!! My favorite one (but really love them all) is Oh Baby! Such adorable images and I only have 1 baby stamp from them. (scroll down 2 posts to check it out!) So I really need some more. Especially with all of the people having babies 'round here!

So, what you gotta do? Tell all about it! Put it on your blog, tell your friends, heck, shout it from the roof tops! Then head over to their blog and tell them what you did!http://starvingartistamps.blogspot.com/2009/04/oh-baby-youre-super.html

Good Luck!!

A face only a mother could love

Last week we were looking over the stuff at Kev's dad's house and deciding what we were bringing back with us and what his sister was taking. I came down the stairs and saw the most AWESOME thing sitting on the coffee table.

me - What a COOL nutcracker! That is Fabulous!!!
Kev's Mom - You want it?? It's nice, from the Black Forest Region of Germany, carved from one piece of wood. (she says eagerly)

Kev's Sister - You like it? Take it!! That is all you. (again eagerly)

me - Cool!!

Just then Kev comes around the corner....

Kev - AHHHH!! Put that thing down, I hate it! I had nightmares about it when I was a kid!!!(Kev's mom and sis mutter under their breath.)
me - are you crazy? This is a nice friendly nut cracker. Nothing wrong with it.

Kev - That thing is psychotic. It's gaping chattering mouth chases me in my sleep.

me - uh huh...
Then Kev leaves the room.

Kev's mom - (whispering) put it in your purse. Then hide it when you get home in a place where

he'll find it.

Kev's Sis - Yeah, yeah, that would be awesome!

me - he he he, (I scurry to my purse)

So, I almost made it home before I blabbed at dinner. I was most of the way through my cosmo when I told him it was in my purse. I cracked, I admit, I got nervous. I swear that he was in my purse more times on that trip home. I thought it would be better if I spilled the beans instead of him coming upon it by accident.

He said that I had to find it a new home. So, I called mom and explained the situation. She happily agreed to give him a new home. (She thought it sounded cool too.)

I decided to take some pictures of it for the blog. After I took them, I had a bit of an epiphany. See, when you look at it from the top (like you would as a grown-up) he looks friendly and nice.

When you take a picture from the underneath, at the same view point as if you were perhaps a child looking up at it, you get this...

Eeek!!I get it. To a kid, that would be horrific. On a happier note, I packed him up and sent to mom. She got it and had it on the table when my brother got home from work. He fell in LOVE with it and asked if he could have it. He named the nutcracker Walter.

Have a good night! ~Lara

Slightly retro owls

Have you noticed that oranges and olives are popping up every where? Furnishings, dinnerware, clothing, etc... For those of you who are also children of the late 70's / early 80's have you noticed that it looks like the stuff our mom used to have in the house while we were growing up? I have a funny story to share. When Kev and I were going through his dad's house I found this AWESOME platter / plate. It was cream stoneware with a 70's tastic orchid (his mom said that's what it was) painted in tangerine, olive, black and yellow. I fell in LOVE with it and asked if I could have it. Kev's mom and sister happily agreed. Kev however, can't believe that the plate that was on the wall for his entire childhood existence will now be in our house. I think it's fabulous and oddly current. I would post a picture but Kev said that it didn't "fit" into the car with all of the other stuff we had to bring back. I didn't discover this until yesterday when we started to unpack...(Later I'll post about the nut cracker from Germany.) We are going back in 10 weeks for his reunion and I'm confident it'll make it back to NC with us then. Grin...

So how about a retro owl card? I used MFT's Owl for all seasons and paired it with some funky striped paper from my stash. I stamped the owls directly on the card and again on some white card stock. I colored them with Copics and punched them out with 1 inch circles. I attached them to the card at varying angles.
I got me some more button action going on here. This time with some hemp twine. You likey? Me likey...

Enjoy!
Lara

New Baby!

No, not me! So, I've posted that I had 4 pregnant friends. Well, in January 4 became 3 and on 3/30, 3 became 2!! One of my oldest friends just had a little girl! Baby Jocelynn was born on the 30th weighing 8pounds, 14 ounces. She was 3 days past her due date and mom was VERY happy that she decided to make an appearance without having to be induced!

All of my friends have had/are having little boys and she's the first girl! You have to check out the adorable bow holder I got for her. (Yes, I know she doesn't have any hair yet, but she will!!) The ladies who run Nap Time Creations live in Durham and I absolutely love their stuff! Heaven Help me if I ever have a little girl. The bows and the outfits and the matching...

K, How about a baby card? This is actually for a little boy, but a baby card never the less.

I took a 4 1/2 square of chocolate chip card stock and added a 4 1/4 square of Kraft paper. Then I cut 8 1 1/4 squares from SU! designer paper. I alternated both sides of the paper. Some people have new-fangled punches that make a perfect square. Not me, nope, not me... I cut each of these with my own little hands (and paper cutter...) I digress, The little man is from Starving Artistamps. I got him for their Million Stamp project. Basically for a dollar they sent you a stamp. I asked for a Doodle Factory one and I got this guy. SO CUTE!!

K, I used my Nestabilities and made a scalloped square and them I colored him with copics. Added a few buttons and some chocolate chip ribbon and there you go! To both of my faithful readers. You'll be happy to know that I recently got some different colored ribbon and perhaps I'll put the chocolate chip away for a while. Perhaps.. Well. I got lots of stuff to play with in the mail while I was away. Off to put them in some sort of order!

Enjoy! ~ Lara

We're back

After a very long 9 days, Kev and I are back in NC. I want to thank all of our wonderful friends who have reached out over the last week and a half. We have been overwhelmed by the cards, donations and warm wishes we've received. It's truly amazing how people come together during hard times.

Thank you so much, we can't even begin to express how appreciative we are.

Lara