Sites of the week

The 20th of each month is Celebrate MFT Day. What is that? Well, it’s just a day to have an excuse to play with your MFT stamps-MFT Style…in pink, black and white. I wanted to do something a little offbeat since I knew that I wanted to use my black and white Heidi Swapp paper with the pink and white American Crafts paper…AGAIN. With that in mind, I reached for my Dino-Mite set and made a girly card. Being the dinosaur lover that she is, Ellie, LOVES this card! For a finishing touch I wrapped Sweet Blush satin ribbon from Papertrey Ink around the largest panel and adhered a bow using hot glue.

Click HERE to find out more about how to play and win on Celebrate MFT Day.

Dino-girl card…

Now onto the other stuff…

If you are in the DFW area and are interested in taking a Copic Class, call Imprints {in South Fort Worth} for details on the classes {beginning and advanced} that I am teaching this Saturday. Their number is 817-294-4600. Hope to see you there!

I am almost a week into my goal of losing 25 pounds. I will be blogging a little here and there about successes {hopefully} and struggles. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to turn into my diet diary. So far, I have added exercises into my {almost} daily schedule. This has consisted of going to the gym and doing cardio and weights, and walking around the neighborhood. I would like to build up my stamina so that I can run a few miles each day. Right now that’s just not going to happen. I have also changed my diet. NO MORE FAST FOOD! It was becoming too much of a habit to run out and get something quick. I am incorporating more protien, more fruits and veggies and less fat and sugar. I have a sweet tooth, though. I have failed at other diets by ignoring it, so I making sure that everything is in moderation. That’s it. No fads, no programs. I know that the key is eating right and exercising and that’s what I am doing. I hope to reach and maintain my goal by the spring. Feel free to keep me in line or share your stories, too!

Again, I am in awe about how fast this week flew by. We have been busy, busy, busy!! Tony is knee deep in mid-terms and interviewing for jobs post graduation {keep your fingers crossed for us!}. Ellie is going to her little Mom’s Day Out program and doing Little Gym and Wiggles ‘n Tunes class. She is having a blast with all of them! As for me, I have been working on some stuff for publication, some stuff for upcoming releases and some stuff for upcoming classes. I am teaching 2 Copic class, a beginners and an advanced class next Saturday. If you are in the DFW area and would like to sign up for either of these classes, please call IMPRINTS. So a little of this and a little of that pretty much covers our life these days.

As for today, let’s get rockin’! Here’s the sketch…

My sample using Inkadinkadoo stamps, Prima {star} and Heidi Swapp {polka dots} paper…

The inside {don’t go on fainting because I did the inside of a card now!}…

Isn’t this just adorable!?! This is from Designer of the Month, Nancy Riley…

Check out the samples from a few of my stampin’ friends, Amy R., Amy S., Carole, Shannan and Susan!

Wanna play? Here’s what you should know…
1. ANYONE can play.
2. Have fun with this!
3. When uploading to SCS, use the keyword SFYTT.
4. Post a link to your blog or gallery on this post.

I’m later usual posting my ABC Friday stuff. This week has been crazy and {unfortunately} stamping/crafting just hasn’t been happening. Hopefully this is worth the wait…at least I would like to think so. I wanted to create some Halloween decor because a lot of ours got ruined in the attic one year. Note to self…if it’s been in your yard and it might have ANY moisture in/on it, don’t put it in with all your Halloween decorations unless you want to pull out a big moldy mess the next year! Ewww!

Here is the before shot. I used 3 of the photo holders to create the end product, with 4 of the 1/2″ wooden balls as feet on each one.

Here is the completed trio with the cubes covered in Halloween paper from DCWV…

Close up of the “BOO”…

The letters are Maya Road chipboard that I painted black, then covered in Diamond Glaze and smothered with Martha Stewart Onyx fine glitter. The bats are a Martha Stewart punch that I punched out of black paper and then covered with black Stickles.

Finally, here is the foot that I attached to these to make them a little more dressed up. I took the 1/2″ wooden balls and painted the black. Then I covered them in Mod Podge and dunked them into a tupperware container filled with the MS Onyx fine glitter. They took only about 10 minutes to dry and I popped them on with hot glue.

As for the tops of the project, I cut out scallop square frames from the polka dot paper using my Nestabilities. I then backed it, gluing only on 3 sides, with black cardstock. This way I can slide pictures in and out. The frames are attached to the wire swirl using hot glue. So what do you think? I think I wanna make more!! I got the supplies at Mike’s, but I can’t seem to find the picture holders anymore…BOO! I have some wood blocks that I might alter like this. Just think of the word possibilities!…Give Thanks, Noel, Joy, 2009, Love, Freedom… I could go on, but I will leave it at that.

See you tomorrow for another SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY!

Today is Day Two of this month’s Project Parade on the Verve blog. Our parade this month focuses on embossing. I can honestly say that I am not much of a technique person, but embossing (both heat and dry) is something that I immensely enjoy. I decided to go ahead and make a sprinkle-ly mess and break out the embossing powder for this project. I started with a Kraft base and stamped the long filigree image from the Artful Elegance set twice in VersaMark. I then sprinkled bronze embossing powder and heat embossed. I then created the other heat embossed pieces with the same bronze embossing powder on black paper. I really like this color combo, as I think it would be perfect for many occasions including everyday cards, birthday, wedding and sympathy.

Detail shot of the embossing…

Wanna play along with us and have a chance to win $15 in Verve Bucks? Here’s how:
Just upload your creation to this post by noon on Friday, October 24th. If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword VVPP07 so we don’t miss your creations! A random participant will be drawn on October 25th to receive $15 in Verve Bucks to spend at the Verve Stamps store!

I’ve got a lot going on today. Many of my sets listed for sale HERE have sold, so I am off to the post office, then to do some errands-sans 2 year old and then back here for some stamping. I might just have to squeeze in a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate from Starbucks. Anyone else tried these new yummies? DE-LISH!!

It’s Tuesday and that brings on another TCP Tuesday Challenge. Today Hipster Hostess with the Mostess, Toni, has a color challenge for us. At first I thought that this was going to be so hard, but then I thought outside of my normal style box and this is what I ended up with…

Here is a detail shot of the embossed hearts…

EVERYONE can play and this is what you are gonna wanna know…
1. Each a week one of the The Cat’s Pajamas DT Members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, color,theme/inspiration, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until {this} Saturday night to complete the challenge.
4. Link your project on this week’s hostess’ challenge announcement. This week you will link your project on Toni’s TCP Tuesday Post.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. When uploading to SCS, please use the keyword TCPTUES29 for this challenge.
8. Alma will post the entries from the week the following Monday on her blog.
9. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.
10. Oh yea…HAVE FUN!