Now you know...

...my dirty little secret. Kelly had asked what I do with all of my cards...

...that's pretty much it. Isn't that pathetic?!?! You can ask anyone in my family, I am the world's worst at sending cards. The only ones that actually make it out (usually) are the Christmas cards, but otherwise there they sit. Don't judge me. ;) But to prove that I am on my way to reforming... Kelly, email me your address and I will send one out to you (snowchris_01@yahoo.com).

And now to help wipe that ugly image from your mind, here is a bit of something pretty. :)

These were some photos that mom took in the Bury St. Edmunds gardens in England when they visited in 2003. I had to do an English layout with those Tea themed stamps.

Supplies Used:

*Unity Stamp Company A Moment of Tea set
*Scenic Route Laurel paper and alpha stickers

*Jenni Bowlin shaped paper and label

*Fiskars Threading water border punch

*Marvy Uchida Circle Scallop punch (pink one)

*Making Memories velvet flower brads and ribbon

The middle of this Tea for Two stamp is the perfect size to hold the Marvy Uchida Scallop punch (the pink one--second largest).

I hope that you all are having a good weekend. I am sitting here listening to my new washer/dryer running which normally is not something that I relish, but it's actually kind of fun when they are new. I think that I found the key for actually getting my laundry done! Think that Ben will be willing to buy me a new washer/dryer every 6 months just to keep me happy to do my laundry??? :D

smiles,

Christi

More Unity Stamp Company Fun

It is giveaway time over on the USC blog again! ...and look at this fun set that they are giving away this week. LOVE it! Robyn Weatherspoon has made some gorgeous layouts on her blog using this set if you want to see it in action. And as a bonus this week, there is both a US and an international winner so be sure to go comment by 5:00 Tuesday evening!!!

I have been playing with my Unity stamps, specifically A Moment of Tea set. Here are a couple of cards that I made last night.

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company A Moment of Tea set

*Prima papers

*Making Memories mini alpha stickers and ribbon

*Heidi Grace brown brads

*Bazzill

*StazOn Timber Brown inkpad



Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company A Moment of Tea stamp kit

*KOlogy papers

*Making Memories trim

*buttons

*StazOn Timber Brown inkpad

*Bazzill

Today I am doing a layout using this set. SO MUCH FUN! I cannot tell you guys how awesome these stamps are...they really stamp like a dream which makes them so much fun to play with. I'll be back tomorrow with my layout!

BTW, it's Shake Friday so be sure to treat yourself to a shake today!

smiles,

Christi

Equal time...

Because she is so photogenic, it's sometimes easy to forget that I have a pretty handsome boy too. I really do "love this kid!"

This layout features the same Unity Stamp Company set, Two People in Love, that I used on Kat's layout from yesterday. These photos were taken in front of my parent's house in Texas.

supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Two People in Love stamp kit

*Fancy Pants About a Boy paper

*Creative Cafe tags

*Scenic Route alpha stickers

*StazOn inkpad

*Bazzill

*buttons

smiles,

Christi

It worked....

Just by venting a bit on here yesterday, I was able to sort out all the clutter in my head and was actually able to sit down and focus and create yesterday (and get a ton of other little jobs done around the house that needed to get done.) Thank you all so much for listening and for all your wonderful advice!!!

I managed to complete 3 cards and a layout yesterday. I can't share the cards yet as they are for a magazine assignment, but here is the layout.

These are photos of Kat that I actually took yesterday out in front of our azalea bushes in the yard so they are VERY current. ;)

The main goal of this layout was to use this fun Unity stamp set, Two People in Love. Isn't it fun?

There are lots of little details on this layout that have been inspired by the style of Christine Middlecamp. I just love the detail work that she puts into her layouts!! If you haven't ever gone to her blog, you need to go visit this week. She has a wonderful spring tree that she has made using Pink Paislee which is just gorgeous!

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Co. Two People in Love Kit

*SEI black polka dot paper

*Autumn Leaves/Rhonna Farrer shaped paper

*Pink Paislee Polka dot paper (pink)

*Heidi Swapp bling

*Prima flowers

*metal flower

*Making Memories flower, butterfly, and mini alpha

*K&Co. Black Glitter alpha and pink glitter

*Zig Writer

I still have 2 more projects to make with this stamp set so you haven't seen the last of it yet.

BTW, can you offer up a little prayer for Junior the cat? He isn't feeling so well and I am really starting to worry about him. Unfortunately, his vet is out of town this week, but we have an appt. next week so I need him to stay strong until then... Thanks!

smiles,

Christi

Stress makes me ADD....

Our two baby dove's. They were born while we were in Texas.

Stress...
Let me preface this by saying that I am truly very lucky right now. When I found out I was pregnant, I was kind of at a crossroads. I have always been very involved with Jacob's schools and volunteering on base, but at that point in time I was at a point where I was burnt out and needed a break so I called it quits to all of my volunteer positions to focus on myself (so I could simply sleep away all that pregnancy nausea) and on Kat. And since she was born, I haven't changed that...if anything, I have become even more of a hermit. I don't really have any outside obligations and right now I don't have a husband coming home everyday, so I can literally stay home all day in my pj's and craft. I try not to do that very often (you know, we don't want the neighbors talking about the crazy hermit that lives here), but it is an option. So there is not too much in my life to cause stress...


...but stressed I am and I am finding that I am becoming more and more ADD as the days go on. We are halfway through Ben's deployment which means that stuff is going to go wrong. This last weekend, it meant that my washing machine died (thank goodness I can wear pj's all day since I have nothing clean!) hmmm, not exactly what I had planned for my income tax refund, but at least we had it. So yesterday I bought a new washer/dryer to be delivered this Saturday...now I am wondering if we will be able to get them through that door and around Ben's motorcycle, which I have no way to move (must figure out how to unlatch the screen door from it's springs and chains so it will open fully)...



We are also moving as soon as Ben gets back which means that we have been trying to find a house to rent via internet. That alone is literally sucking hours out of my day. At any given time, I will have 5 windows open on my computer...one on email with Ben, one on a house, one on a school reviews website, one on mapquest checking out neighborhoods, and usually one other random thing like washing machines or cat health websites(that's the ADD kicking in...have I mentioned that Junior is sick too?) But, I think just maybe, we might have a house (see, I probably just jinxed it there...)



I literally have not created in 3 days?!?! and I have so much to do and my creative muse is actually cooperating. I counted up this morning...I have 47 projects to have completed before Ben gets home in 2 months...47!?!?! The crazy thing is that I really already have most of them planned out in my head, but I am too ADD to sit down and get them done. I have got to de-stress!



So I thought that talking it out with you all might help a little...you know, get it all out there and let it go from my head.


And because I can't leave you with nothing but a vent, here is a card that I created while I was home. It was supposed to go in the box that I just sealed up to send to Ben, but with the ADD I totally forgot, so now it will go out in the next package.

supplies used:
*Making Memories 5th avenue
*Stamping Bella stamp
*Kim Hughes sentiment stamp


If you are still here with me after all that, thanks so much for listening and letting me vent. Now I am going to let it go and go create! I hope that you are doing the same today.
smiles,
Christi

The two stubborn Kat/Cat's...

It's 9:00 am on Sunday morning and I desperately need to go get in the shower, but my cat/Kat are not cooperating. Kat is located in one half of my very tiny scrap room so she has her changing table at the end of her crib. Her changing table has a flannel cover which is warm for my cat, Junior, who isn't feeling all that well these days so he wants the heat.

Right now (when she is supposed to be sleeping) I can hear her talking to Junior the cat as she flicks his collar. He will sit there and purr and soak it all up until she hurts him and then he will fight back, which will make her cry, but she still won't let go of him. So I try to drag him out of the room so that she will sleep, but then he sits outside of her door and cries which wakes her up.

The two of them are driving me nuts. It goes all day like that if Junior is awake...even not in her room. He lays down right in front of her on the floor and purrs, but she grabs, pulls and uses him as her support while she tries to stand which ends up hurting him. But he refuses to leave and she refuses to leave him alone. It's wearing me out!

You will notice the not-so-gentle grip on his ear, but the darn cat was purring. UGH!

Easter Projects...

I know that I am a bit late with these, but over at Unity Stamp Company, we are creating the artwork for the packaging and this was one of the sets, Easter Blessings, that I got to play with. Fun, fun!

These photos of Kat were taken Easter day while at my parent's house. I love those little reflective looks that she sometimes gets...it makes me wonder what she is thinking (besides wishing that mom would stop taking photos and putting hats on her.)
Supplies Used:

*Unity Stamp Company Easter Blessings Stamp kit

*Scenic Route Lynden

*StazOn Timber Brown inkpad

*CTMH Amethyst inkpad

*Fiskars Threading Water border punch

*Zig Writers

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Easter Blessings Stamp kit

*Scenic Route Lynden

*StazOn Timber Brown inkpad

*Zig Writers

*Fiskars Threading Water border punch

*Buttons

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Easter Blessings Stamp kit

*Scenic Route Lynden

*StazOn Timber Brown inkpad

*Fiskars Threading Water border punch

*Zig writers

*Buttons

And don't forget to head over the USC blog this week and comment for your chance to win this week's FREE stamp set!!!

smiles,

Christi

Happy Shake Friday!!!

Did you remember? It's Shake Friday! I think the consensus around here today is that we are having Blizzards for Shake Friday today. While not necessarily a drink, it is blended ice cream so I say that it counts. :)

I have a layout to share with you today. I am still working with the Unity Stamp Company's Together Forever stamp kit on this one and although, I am not so sure that this is a phrase that you would think of putting with siblings, I think that it works here.

As older parents to Kat, I worry that we won't be here to support her for all the milestones in her life so I am looking for Jacob to fill those rolls for her just in case. I hope that they will always be together as family, but also as friends and to be able to be the support system for each other.

supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Together Forever stamp kit

*Making Memories Chelsea's Place paper

*buttons

*Bazzill

*inkpads

And I also have been tagged with the 7 random things tag from Angela, but since I have done that one several times and I am not THAT random, I am going to do this tag with a twist. I will tell you 7 places that I have lived and random facts about my time there. BTW, before the age of 10, I never lived anywhere more than a year and a half. My dad was in the oil business and managed to work his way up the career advancement chain by moving lots. I figure it was the perfect preparation for our military life because I have always loved moving.

1. Michigan -right outside of Traverse City: some of my earliest memories (I was around age 3-4) are from there, but my main memory is the boy that lived next door standing on the swingset and peeing on me...lovely! LOL! I also remember the snowmobiles and my little red skis.

2. Amarillo, TX- I was in kindergarten there and looking back, I must have had a wonderful teacher. I remember fingerpainting and then when we were through, she told us to lick our fingers...we had been painting with pudding and didn't know it. She could take the lid off of her desk on rainy days and inside was a sandbox. I also remember I had a rust colored skirt (it was the 70's) that twirled....I loved that skirt. Kat will always have a twirly skirt.

3. Glendive, MT- (1st-3rd grade) I learned how to suck the honey out of honeysuckle there and how to make a great playhouse out of snow.

4. Midland, TX- (age 10) When we moved there, it poured buckets for days. I thought that it was the wetest place on earth and if you know anything about West Texas, you know that is the furthest thing from the truth.

5. Lubbock, TX- (college) I love that town and would move back in a heartbeat, but wouldn't necessarily want my kids to grow up there. I met my husband there, but unfortunately his memories aren't as fond of the place as mine, so I have to just settle for a visit about once a decade.

6. Ft. Dix, NJ- 1998-2001- Probably one of the most foreign places that I have ever lived. I think that everyone in this country should live on the upper East coast at least once...it gives you a lot more insight into how our country works. My favorite thing about NJ was the little flower/fruit stands on pretty much every corner...that and WaWa's- the best convenience stores ever created!!!

7. RAF Mildenhall, England- 2003-2005- My favorite place that I have ever lived. It was wonderful living in England. The culture, the history, the country, the opportunity for travel...it was a FABULOUS 2 years.

I hope that you are having a great Friday!

smiles,

Christi

It's Gift of the Week Time...

...over on the Unity Stamp Company blog. Go over and make a comment and someone will be chosen to receive this fun stamp set, Doo Dads.

This set is so fun. Wendy and Heather have put together some awesome, creative samples using it...go check them out!

smiles,

Christi

Stamping Fun!!!

I have been having so much fun playing. My creative muse is cooperating which is awesome esp. in light of how much I have to do over the next month.

So I have a couple of cards to share with you today using Unity Stamp Company's Together Forever stamp kit.

This was the first project that I did using this set and I did it for a color challenge over at Splitcoaststampers for this week so they determined my color scheme for both these cards and the layout that I will post tomorrow where I also used this set.

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Together Forever stamp set

*Bazzill cardstock

*StazOn Timber Brown inkpad

*Prima flowers

*Making Memories polkadot flowers

*ribbon

*card blank

And here is my second card using this set. For this card, I added a touch of blue to make it pop a bit more.

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Together Forever stamp kit

*Bazzill Cardstock

*Marvy Uchida Oval Punches

*Fiskars Threading Water scallop punch

*StazOn Timber Brown inkpad

*ribbon

Tomorrow I will share a layout that I made using this same stamp set. I am having so much fun!

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And be on the lookout! The Creative Prompts blog is back today. I will be posting a new prompt around 10:30 am EST.

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Oh, and I need some help. I need a way to create some professional looking sketches. Do you all know what program people use to do sketches and a way that I can learn how to use it really fast and easy?!? :P Please advise me!!!

smiles,

Christi

Getting Creative...

Since Monday was the last day of the month, I had to quickly get home and get my final Creative Team project for the month completed for Heart in Hands Scraps. This project is a remix of Tammy Tutterow's Spring Decor Board class. The thought behind this is that, rather than doing a layout, this is a piece of art for your wall or to set on an easel. It is created on chipboard so that it is a heavier piece than a layout.

I loved doing this class and I know that I say that every month, but they are just so much fun and so easy to do!! I made my board to hang in my bedroom with a photo of my wonderful family simply as a daily reminder of what a beautiful life I have.

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Beautiful Life kit

*Making Memories Chelsea's Place papers

*Creative Imaginations Kimberly Poloson papers, rub-ons, and stickers

*cranberry cardstock

*chipboard

*Fiskars Threading Water punch

*Marvy Uchida Circle scallop punch

*Prima flowers

*buttons

*brown inkpads

Unfortunately, Tammy has made the decision to close HHS so if you want to get any of their wonderful classes, you need to go buy them soon. I think that they are only going to be available through the middle of May.

Did you notice that gorgeous Unity Stamp Company stamp (Beautiful Life and flower)? Those came in while I was out of town so I am going to be having some serious fun with stamps over the coming weeks. I have quite a few projects to get done so hopefully you all will find some inspiration around here soon.... Oh, and speaking of USC, the owner, Angela, is going to be on the Diva Craft Lounge tomorrow at 3:05 pm EST. Don't forget...I think that I need to tie something around my finger so that I don't!

smiles,

Christi

We're Back from Texas- photo heavy

We're finally back and this post is going to be super-photo-heavy, but it's only about 22 of the 350 photos I took while we were at home. I haven't even downloaded Jacob's camera yet. :)

We had a fabulous time. It took Kat a while to warm up to everyone, but that's to be expected as she isn't usually around too many strangers.

The first thing that she warmed up to right away was Brownie, the rocking horse, that sits in my parents' living room.

This is Kat and Jacob on Easter morning.

a thoughtful Kat...

A thoughtful Jacob...

We discovered that she wasn't quite as wary of the guys like she was the girls (my theory on this is that she always has female nurses doing her monthly blood draws which most of her stranger-experience.) This is Uncle Dan and her on Easter morning and I would say from the look on her face that they are watching someone with food. She is a serious mooch...I have a feeling that her first word will be "bite" too just like it was with Jacob.

Instead of a visit from the Easter bunny, my mom created an Easter scavenger hunt for all the kids to participate in...lots of fun rhymes and searching for these three.

Working on a clue....

I'm thinking that Mia has her own ideas about this clue...

Just a pretty photo of my niece Mia and her mommy, Kara.

One night while we were home, we went and watched an acrobatic act called Aeros. My mom took this photo of us while we were waiting for it to start.

I love the loneliness of this photo...

Kara did a photo shoot of the girls (Mia and Kat)in matching dresses and took some amazing photos. I took my camera out too and while my photos don't compare to hers, I just love this photo of Mia.

By the end of the week, Kat was finally letting some of the family hold her. Here she is with Nana.

And here she is with Papa...

A bit of fishing out in the backyard....

An amazing Texas sunset...it was just breathtaking. No one has sunsets like Texas does!

Jacob and Nana...

Dave and I spent a late night discussing photography...

...and he showed me how to do this with my camera! Yay!!! I have hated this camera ever since I got it, but I have a feeling that it was just because I haven't known how to use it right.

I also took this photo that same dewy morning.

At the airport getting ready to say goodbye...

I honestly wasn't sure if we were ever going to get out of Texas once we got to Dallas though...we had a 5 hour delay, but we did finally arrive home at 12:30 am Sunday night/Monday morning.

It's so nice to go home and visit, but it's wonderful to be back in our own space.

I will have some art to share either later today or tomorrow...

smiles,

Christi