My sweet BABY girl

This is my 365 Cards Day 137: I'm in a bind submission, and my Allsorts Challenge week 16 submission - a BABY book. These pics are so so soooo sweet, and bring back so many memories. I created this book while pregnant since we knew she was a girl and we didn't tell the family I had this book hidden under a lot of clothes and stuff in a bin - now, it's a beautiful testament to her first month of life.

Then 2 weeks before my due date I spent hourzzzzz making her birth announcements, with just enough space to add the picture when she finally was born. Here they are:

I asked God for a flower,
He gave me a garden.

I asked God for a tree,
He gave me a forest.

I asked God for a river,
He gave me an ocean.

I asked God for a child,
He gave me 'YOU.'

YAYY!!!

So stinkin cute!

Okay, so you all know that I am in love with my little "handmade with love" stamp... from http://www.sweetpapery.com/

The date is left blank on my actual stamp, I'd just write it in...

BUT, this one is so stinkin' cute, I had to show you all !!

A boy-card

It's funny, my little one is invited to a bouncing castle birthday party on Sunday for her 3 year old frined... who is a boy. I don't have a problem with the boy part but I didn't realize how challenged I'd be making a boy-card LOL :) Taking advantage of the 365 Challenge for somewhere to start, here's what I came up with:

The bear is Macbeth from Sugar Nellie

Having a whale of a time !!

Now... I've had a whale of a time this week for my birthday so for my BlogBuddies who had a whale of a time reading my whale story... this one's for you!!

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs:

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs psas it on !!

And since I've been so busy this week, here's a cutie from one of my fave cardcrafters - BondGirl

What an awesome quote... and look who it's from!!
Thanks BondGirl you've always got such nice creations so from me to you - here's an award for ya -YAYYY!!!

To all my beautiful friends!!

Happy Birthday to meeee :)

... have you entered my blog candy yet? See this post and you could get a birthday gift too!

All you have to do is: (1) Become my friend, follow me around - lol, how fun :) and (2) Leave a comment to let me know you've given me some birthday love on your own blog (I've gotta see it for you to win it!).. and I don't mind which post you comment on, I'll see them all :)

So, yesterdayyyyy... I woke up at minutes to midnight to a grinning hubby who got me to go downstairs to find a bunch of sunflowers on my kitchen table, my lunch packed and a mini-cake with Happy Birthday Nikki written on it... what a sweet sweet hubby - and he sings too haha! And then, I went online, uploaded some pics/videos to facebook and realized it was after midnight so I haaaaddd to check 365 cards! So the very first thing I did for my birthday was make a card, and play on facebook! Tee hee - how wonderful !!

Here's my creation for the 365 Cards Day 179 checkerboard background challenge. I simply cut black and white strips of paper in exactly 1/2 inch strips and began weaving... my inspiration was to weave robbon but I just didn't have two the exact width. The rest was just inspiration from the pop of colors that made me happy today. Some hand cutting for the grass, some QK 4X8 Dragonfly die cut letters and a QK daisy and some ribbon to finish it off from my stash... and of course, a little bling in the center of the flower and YIPPIE!!! Happy birthday to me... and I have NOOO idea why it keeps uploading sideways, when I've saved it correctly, or why the flower looks so dead in the pic, it looks so much better in person - ah well ;)

Here's the uncropped version of how I've been photographing my stuff using a jet black file folder, a jet black piece of cardstock and I have 2 mini-stand, one in black and one in natural - I'll have to practice getting better pics soon though, especially after yesterday's post and ideas.

...aaaaannd for my 35th birthday, I thought I'd share this grrrrreat story with all my new and oldie-but-goldie friends. Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tanned woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:

"THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?"

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins, stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia . Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don't have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a coffee with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think,

"Good gosh, look how smart I am!"

Tips & Tricks: How I photograph cards/pages

Tomorrow is my birrrrthhhdayyy.... have you entered my blog candy yet - see post below ... I still need 13 more friends ;) LOL...

OMG - Kristina read my mind in her "How I photograph cards/pages" post. The comments are excellent ;) Take a look at her blog post for some great tips.


So my dear Hubby got me a Kodak Easy Share 8.1 mega pixels - refurbished with a warranty. In the last 5 years we've been through a total of 3 cameras, this is our 4th... so I refuse to buy new any more. We've had motor issues, shutter sticking, just weird stuff not worth the price tag to fix. Ah well, I am back in business with my cute pink camera now :) I just need to read the manual to figure out the lighting and stuff, it's not as perfect as my last two cameras were :(

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

*****THIS CANDY WILL STAY POSTED AT THE TOP,

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE RECENT POSTS***** :)

Although I haven't actually won anything in blog candy world, I'm amazed at how generous people are and thought I'd spread some love too - so, I thought while my camera is dead and while I am vacationing out of town and unable to post, I'd offfer up some blog candy as a MY BIRTHDAY gift to you. So, here's how to win:

1. Become my friend, follow me around - lol, how fun :)
2. Leave a comment to let me know you've given me some birthday love on your own blog (I've gotta see it for you to win it!)

And... when I have 44 friends - I'll randomly draw a winner to share in the love! I am sooo excited, probably more than you - hahaha - so here's the sweet stuff - a best friends forevah stamp from Stamping Bella ... and I'll ship it anywhere in the whole wide world!!!

My wish: 44 follower friends by my Aug 26th birthday
... or I'll keep the challenge open :)

So when you're done becoming a follower/friend and posting my candy on your blog - leave a comment telling me where you posted me... and then there's one more thing...

NEWSFLASH re: The Brigades Care Team.

In the event of a millitary tragedy, my blog-pal Jess may be called on to give support to a grieving spouse. She had the idea of making sympathy cards but felt that handmade cards would seem more personal than something from a store shelf. And she's even sweetening her incenive with blog candy - go visit her blog to find out more :)

Doesn't that make you feel all

warm and fuzzy inside :)

Check out even more Yummy Candy listed in my sidebar too!!

Peaceful Wedded Bliss

If you are reading this, REMEMBER to post a link on your blog,

and tell me about it in a comment to get my BIRTHDAY candy ;)

Off we go to yet another wedding, this one I am sure will be just as beautiful as the last. This couple is such a wonderful pair of people. They have both been through a lot of life's challenges and have come out even more beautiful (on the inside) than ever before... and then.. they met ;) ... now they are getting married in the beautiful mountains in Lake Placid. This is one of those "need I say more" cards, and the elegance of the beautiful thick textured super soft ribbon is what just makes this card say "ahhhh" when you open it up. It's so so sooo perfect :)

The sentiment, I did on my computer,


The stamp is my custom stamp


The slits help everything sit perfectly positioned

And the final card, a masterpiece!

... and happens to meet one of the 365 Day Card challenges too LOL ;)

... and don't forget the groom's daughter... her star booklet was made to make sure she didn't feel lift out on the wedding day. See my previous post for more pics of it. I've en'velop'ed in the same paper I made the wedding card from.

Have a wonderful week and weekend, I'll be back next week.

Stars stars everywhere :)

Here is the star card tutorial I previously posted.

Materials Used:
ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inkpad - Dark Moss
ColorBox Pigment Brush Pad - Silver
K&Company Amy Butler "Faded China" 36 sheet double sided Designer Paper Pad
1 large roll of double sided tape, and a straight cutter that measures 10 inches and 8 inches accurately.

Note: I made 3 star booklets using one large roll of double sided tape, 7 sheets of double sided cardstock (each) for the inside triangles of each book (I kept the same page and turned the middle over to keep the color families cohesive), one sheet for two book front and back covers and the back of the paper pad for 3 front and back book cardboards and ribbon from mys stash. From that ohe one paper pad, I've used 23 sheets and the back cardboard. I have 9 sheets left over.
Here's my custom stamp :)

And this is the front of the first book. Her name was done using the Quickutz Dragonfly 4X8 alphabet, and outlined using a thin marker.Stamps and copics were used for interior decorations, and spaces for 2X3 photos on papers cut as mats and edged with inkpads and I stamped on the coordinating papers to give the stamp's clothing more character and for colour cohesiveness... and 'cause it looked cool ;)

Here's the second book, and a cool top view.

It all starts to look the same after awhile, but I wanted to show how much prettier the thicker ribbon was from the top view and how cool stamping ont he patterened paper to give the clothing a fabric feel theat *matches* the book. I actually filled this book with 2X3 pictures before creating the envelope. I used one sheet each to make an envelope for my star books, some matte tape for the edge of the hand-made envelope and more ribbon from my stash. I just cut as I went along, and taped and made a custom fitted envelope.

To get the 2X3 pics, I actually use a photo program and open a blank 4X6 document. I drag 4 pictures into my 4X6 background and size them in evenly (I get four 2X3s in one 4X6 photo printed at Wally-Mart!!! Then I cut when I get them home and use them in these star books, very often I've used them in card making and also in scrapbooking - they are so fun and soooo cheap!! And lookie here... I still have 7 more sheets to go... Not bad for a $14 paper pad purchase with my 40% off coupon from Michaels!!!

Here's the tutorial in case you missed it earlier ;)

Tips & Tricks: Diagonal Double Pocket Card

Here's the the SCS tutorial for this adorable idea and the author over at Pretty Pressings :)

Sweet is right!!

I just got my "handmade by" stamp that I ordered from Sweet Papery and it was so touching to open the packaging. My stamp was wrapped in blue tissue, tied with a pretty bow and had a tag from Sweet Papery but wait! That is not all... there was a hand written card attached that said "hope you enjoy your stamp". Maannn... what a sweet treat!!

I would buy from Sweet Papery over and over and over!!! I've gone back to their website again to see what trouble I can get myself into :) Also, receiving this "gift" packaged purchase made me remember again why I love card making and paper crafting and how the recipients of my creativity FEEL when they receive something from me... good thing I have a stamp now so they won't mistake it for something store bought or mass produced - LOL :)

And finally, I am so so soooo glad that I ordered it in brown ink, it looks so delicate and pretty stamped on paper, I am truly thrilled with my lil stamp. I have to make sure my fine point marker is the same brown though for when i fill in the date of the copyright... it's spaced so i can hand write the year after the copyright symbol.

My digi cam is broken :( The motor for the retractable lense is smokin' it's like the lens is stuck and no matter what I try, I can't get it to retract so it's sadly in the camera infirmary awaiting a miracle. That's why I can't post any pics of what I have been up to.... or of my new brown stamp. This will have to do, sorry. Oh... if I was to do it again, I'd order this layout instead, it wasn't available when I first chose my stamp.

Ohhh isn't he cute ???

From one of my absolutely faaaave blogs... with faaaantastic tutorials, here's some Sweet Blog Candy of Bubbles the Sea Turtle by ilikemarkers - ends 08/09

aaannddd.... sketchgirlannie is looking for followers and 3 will win this awesome candy!!

Wedding invitations

Now that the wedding is over and the couple on their honeymoon, I can finally share some of my creations. Here is the wedding invitation I designed alongside the bride. I am so proud of her, she'd make a suggestion, I'd make a mock-up and finally we reached a consensus of what I "could" do and what I believed *SHE* could do and we then we firmed up our design and she got to creating the content, and ordering paper, envelopes and tha card base. So, I got out my handy Silhouette and logged into my KNK Studio GE software and designed the monogram with the font we agreed on that would be completely versatile, then out came the CM straight cutter and I made a very realistic mock-up in full colour - she LOVED IT! 150 invitations later, she did most of the straight cutting, all of the assembling and I fiddled with monograms and helped her with formatting what would be printed to maximize paper and gave her some coaching on the cutting, etc. Many hours later - the final product was done :) Isn't it sexy !! I'm so proud of her and so is she!!

(Next time, she'll remember to center everything before printing though!!)

Stair Step Fold Card

Click here for the tutoral - it's sooo cute !!