Just Give Me Stamps...

I'm Back!

Whew!  We're back home now!  I have to tell you, that I don't want to get into another vehicle for a loooooong time!  LOL!  On the way over to there, Ali and I came to the realization that Seattle is much farther away than we remembered it being...LOL!  For those of you that have emailed me asking how she is doing, well we had a GREAT visit with her Neurosurgeon!  Her scans look great, and he is SO PLEASED with the progress she has made with her foot (she has some lingering weakness in her left foot) and expects her to regain 99.98% of her original strength!  You should have seen the smile on Ali's face!!  That was music to our ears!  :-)  The appointments with the Infectious Disease Doctors are ongoing, but we are hopeful that we will have some answers (and a treatment plan) soon!  In fact, we should have most of the test results later this week!  Hopefully, this is a chapter in our lives that we will soon be closing...

Don't worry, I won't babble on all night...and I WILL post the "Just Give Me Goodies" winners (in just a minute :-).  But first, I wanted to share just a few photos from our trip!  We had AMAZING weather the whole time, and we even had a free day on Thursday(with no doctor appointments) to enjoy it!  Wooohooo!  We went downtown to the infamous "Pike's Place Market", as well as traveled up to the top of the Space Needle!  We had a BLAST!!!

 

This was the view from the parking lot!  Just look at the beautiful weather!  Woohoo!

 

Because of the "unstable" weather in Seattle (it does like to rain there), the market place is both outside and inside.

  

Ali and I could have "people watched" all day long!  We had a blast...and there were SO many different things to see and experience!

 

There were also so many different restaurants to choose from there (including the famous cafe from the Sleepless in Seattle movie).  Apparently, everyone else in Seattle wanted to eat at the same time because we waited forever!  It was worth it though...we ended up having very fresh seafood at a little cafe with the view of the waterfront!

Ok...enough babbling on my part!  I will get right to posting the winners of the free goodies!  :-)

The winner for Just Give Me Goodies Day 1 is #85 (according to Random.org) ! 

Beautiful card!! Favorite source of inspiration...looking around my world. I see "great ideas" at softball games, baseball games, the clothes of the person sitting next to me....

Posted by: Denise~Paper Ponderings | May 27, 2009 at 09:08 AM

Congratulations Denise!  I will be contacting you soon!  :-)

The winner for Just Give Me Goodies Day 2 is # 246! 

Oh please add my name ... I just love these sets.. I make several food items and give away all the time.. and these are terrific for dressing up the gift!!!
My favorite combos right now are sage green,ivory, and lilac.
Thank you so much!!
Blessings
Nancy Evans

Posted by: Nancy Evans | May 29, 2009 at 01:08 PM

Congratulations Nancy Evans!  I will be contacting you soon!  :-)

The winner for Just Give Me Goodies Day 3 is # 143! 

Wow this is so fun. It's like Christmas! I try to look at others blog's when I lose my mojo.

Posted by: Tasha | May 29, 2009 at 01:15 PM

Congratulations Tasha!  I will be contacting you soon!  :-)

Thanks so much for all the wonderful answers!  I loved reading through them!  Big Hugs, Laurie

Just Give Me Goodies Day 3...

 Woohooo!  Day Three of "Just Give Me Goodies"!  How about some more JustRite Stampers?  Hands down, my favorite JustRite products are the alphabets!  I LOVE that there are so many different sizes included...so I always have the size I need for my project!  Also...now that they have come out with the Vertical stamper, they are even more versatile!  Seriously...I love them!  Anyway, I've got a Trompe Upper case AND a Trompe Lower case set to give away! 

Just leave a comment on this post (only one comment per person, please) before Sunday!  This is not required, but I would LOVE to hear what you do when you've lost your mojo!  :-)  Hugs, Laurie

Just Give Me Goodies Day 2...

  It's Day 2 of "Just Give Me Goodies" time!  I've got three JustRite Stampers sets to give away:   What's Cookin' Set, Baking Stamp Ensemble, Harmony Classic Oval Stamper II set! 

To be entered in the drawing, simply leave a comment (only one per person, please) on this post before Sunday!  This is not required, but it would be fun if you shared your current favorite color combo!  :-)  Hugs, Laurie

Just Give Me Goodies Day 1 (and a Colorful Balloon)...

Wooohooo!  It's "Just Give Me Goodies" time!!  (Oh, and I have a card to share with you as well.... :-) 

 

The idea for this card came just as soon as I received this set (Up, Up, & Away by Verve Stamps).  I have a photo that has a large rainbow colored hot air balloon floating over a vineyard...and I just LOVE the colors, so I knew I had to make a rainbow balloon!  :-)  Because the balloon has more colors on it than I usually put on five different cards combined (LOL!!), I kept the rest of the card super simple.  The textured background was made by using my Cutter Bee and Scor-Pal.  The sentiment is from Verve's new Sweet on You set.

Ok...now for the free stuff!  :-)

Today is Day one of a three day giveaway!  I've got a set of Blossom Nestabilities, a package of Taylor's Tiny Twinkles, & a K & Co. Madeline Mat Pad to give away!  Just leave a comment here on this post (only one comment per person, please) before Sunday.  This is not required, but I would love it if you would share your current favorite source of inspiration.  :-) 

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope your day is a blessed one!  ~Laurie

World's Best Dad...

 Happy Tuesday!  Today, I have two items to share with you.  For this first card, I used the new Protector and World's Best sets...as well as Seeing Stars.

Now...prepare yourselves (you may want to sit down).....I ACTUALLY scrapbooked!!  Well, kind of.  LOL!  I don't always share them here, but I like to make little 6 x 6 albums.  Here is a page that showcases a photo of my daughter DH together.  I used Dad's Day, Up Up & Away, & Abundant Blessings sets.

 

I realize it may look a little "odd" to have a picture of a cowboy on such a "girly" page, but I made this more for my daughter than anyone else.  :-)  I just LOVE this quote (from Dad's Day) and thought it described their relationship perfectly!  Ali is the oldest...as well as our only daughter, so she is naturally the apple of my DH's eye!  :-)

Thanks for stopping by!  ~Laurie

Porcelain Thank You...

I wish you all a very happy Memorial Day!  This day is such an important day...and always convicts me that the gratitude I feel should not merely be for a day...but a lifestyle.  The "cost" of the sacrifice that the men and women who serve our Country make (not to mention their families) is only something that I can imagine...but is experienced first hand by so many.  Thank you...to all of you that make this sacrifice!!  You are truly heroes!

As I mentioned yesterday, my daughter and I are traveling to Seattle today...and will be gone for almost a week.  Don't' worry though...I have SO much fun stuff to share with you ALL week (including LOTS of Goodies to give away!)!!  

 

This week Mary Jo is the hostess for the Weekend Sketch Challenge...and she has created a wonderful sketch!  I used the rose from the Porcelain Gracious Bitsy set (by Basic Grey) and the swirly corner stamp from the Porcelain Eloquent Bitsy set (also by Basic Grey) combined with some My Mind's Eye Bella Bella papers.  The sentiment is from Papertrey's Damask Designs set.  For embellishments I used some Dew Drops, Rose 5/8" Sheer ribbon, a Maya Road Crochet flower, and some Cotton Candy Stickles (on the flowers).

For more Weekend Sketch Challenge Samples, check out what Cami, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, Mary Jo, & Sharon have made!  :-)

I hope you all enjoy your day!  Hugs, Laurie

Up, Up, & Away...

Hi!  I've been MIA for a while...but I'm back with something new to share with you!  :-)  Last night Verve Stamps released six brand new sets and two Plain Jane stamps!  The release parties are always SO fast paced...but it's so much fun to see everyone's reactions to the new stamps!  :-)         

For this card, I used the new Up, Up, & Away (I LOVE this set) and Dare to be You sets and paired them with some K & Co. papers.  (BTW...Julee is having an AWESOMEMemorial Day sale!!  Everything in her store is 10% - 20% off...including all the new release sets!!)!

  

Just for fun, I added some miniature beads (from Making Memories) to the swirls and the balloon!

This is probably the shortest post I've ever written...LOL!  I just have several more things to finish before Monday (I'm taking my daughter back to Seattle for some follow-up appointments).  Oh...and I will be offering up some "Just Give Me Goodies" very soon!  **grin**

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend!!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Up, Up, & Away, Dare to be You (Verve Stamps), Text Style (PTI)   Paper: Rustic Cream (PTI), K & Co patterned paper)   Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, WaterLily Palette ink, Tea Dye Duo ink (PTI)  Other: Wood Buttons (PTI), Nestabilities Labels Four, Beads, Paper piercer, Sewing Machine, Ribbon

It's All About the Texture...

Happy Thursday!  This month's Stamper's Dream Challenge is a color challenge with added texture and bling!  I LOVE to add texture to my cards, so this was an easy one for me this month (it also helps that the colors Tosh picked out are the BOMB)!   

To achieve all the texture I used the Paisley Impressibilities template (I'll explain more about that in a second), embossed border around the card base (using my Cutter Bee and Scor-Pal), Butterflies 2 Spellbinder's dies, and some stitching.  For "bling", I used some Mini Flower Rhinestones (on the butterflies and the tag).

Here's the "skinny" on how I used the Impressibilities template...  :-)  First, I ran a piece of Island Mist Medium cardstock through my Cuttlebug using the Paisley template (my sandwich for that is A plate, shim, B plate, Paisley template, Prism cardstock, tan embossing mat, 2 shims, B plate) and then used my circle punch to punch out nine circles.  (Note:  I lightly sponged all the embossed layers with my Wheat Versamagic Dew Drop so the texture would "pop" a little).  I created the same embossed texture on the Birchtone Light layer by following Kim's tutorial on embossing using the Impressibilities while the c.s. is still in a Nestabilities die (I used the Labels One Nestabilities)!!

The colors chosen for this month's challenge are:  Birchtone Light, Island Mist Medium, Blush Red Dark, & Neutral of choice (I chose black).  The colors listed are Prism cardstock colors...but if you don't have any Prism c.s. yet, the Stampin' Up! colors that would be comparable are:  Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze, & Riding Hood Red.  To participate, just link your creation on Michelle's blog (Hint...there are some waaaay fun goodies up for grabs!!)!  We really hope you will get a chance to play along with us! 

Oh, before I go...I have to tell you that Carolyn, Charmaine, Denise, Kim, Michelle, & Tosh have created some gorgeous cards for this challenge that you aren't going to want to miss!  :-)

I hope you all enjoy your day!  Hugs, Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Mega Mixed Messages (PTI)   Paper: Birchtone Light, Island Mist Medium, Blush Red Dark, Black Prism cardstock   Ink: Versamark, Wheat Versamagic Dew Drop   Other: Black Detail e.p., Circle punch, Butterflies 2 dies, Labels One Nestabilities, Paisley Impressibilities template, Cutter Bee, Scor-Pal, Martha Stewart Tag punch, Black satin ribbon (PTI), Mini Flower Rhinestones, Corner Rounder punch, Sewing Machine

 

Get Well Balloons...

Happy Tuesday!  Today I've got a fun, cheerful little card to share with you! 

There is just something so "happy" about this adorable Get Well Cuppie (from the new Doctor's Orders set)!  It might have something to do with the fun balloons...but then again, that sweet little face always makes me smile!  :-)

 

I used the Spellbinder's Scalloped Edge Frame to create a decorative edge around the card base.  The Cuppie's base and the balloons were paper pieced using some October Afternoon I found in my stash.  For embellishments, I added a Baby Pink Candy Dot to the Cuppie, and a button to the Ivory Taffeta ribbon. 

O.k...that's all from me today!  I hope you all are enjoying your week!  Hugs, Laurie

ETA:  I am out of town with my daughter for a few days and will be away from my email.  My DH told me that I have several (well, his words were more like "a BOATLOAD" LOL!!) of emails, so I thought I better check in here and let you know that I won't be able to answer for a few days.  :-)

Recipe   Stamps: Doctor's Orders   Paper: Choice Buttercream c.s., October Afternoon patterned paper   Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Antique Linen Distress Ink   Other: Scalloped Edge Frame Spellbinder's die, Circle Nestabilities, Baby Pink Candy Dot, Button, Ivory Taffeta ribbon, Copic markers

 

WSC81 - Thanks...

Woohooo for Friday!!  Things are lookin' up (weather wise) around here!  Yep, it looks like we can almost shut down our fireplace for the summer (it has snowed THREE times this past week) because by this weekend our temps should almost hit 80 degrees!!!  I can't wait!!  :-)

Speaking of being Friday....  :-)  That's right, it's time for another Weekend Sketch Challenge!  Nothing like a good sketch (and Charmine -this week's hostess- has come up with a great one!) to jump start your creativity!

 

I was definitely in the mood for something fun...and what's more fun than these colors together?  :-)  I started by embossing the focal image (from the Basic Grey Nature 2 Beta set) using Versafine Black Onyx ink andClear detail e.p. onto watercolor paper.  After sponging (using my Antique Linen Distress Ink) around my image, I popped up the leaves...added some Clear Mini Microbeads to part of them...and then sprinkled on a little bit of Glitter.  :-)

 

The fun border along the green panel is made by embossing one of the little coordinating stamps included in the Nature 2 Beta set (by Basic Grey).  I have to tell you HOW much I love these little sets!  Michelle has several different sets in stock...and at only $1.95 each, they are VERY affordable!!  You've got to love that!!  :-)  You can check them out HERE (scroll down to see them).

Want to see more Weekend Sketch Challenge goodness?  Check out what Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Lori, & Sharon have created!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoy your day!  ~Laurie

Recipe   Stamps: Nature 2 Beta set (Basic Grey), General Sayings (Whiff of Joy)   Paper: Watercolor paper, Certainly Celery DP Prints, Patterned paper (Crate Paper)   Ink: Versafine Black Onyx, Versamark, Antique Linen Distress Ink   Other: Clear detail e.p., Black detail e.p., Nestabilities, Crochet flower (My Mindy's Eye), Button, Twine, Sewing Machine, Diamond Glaze, Clear microbeads, Glitter