update!

Well, I am no better, no worse but hopefully heading in the right direction. The Doctors now believe I have some hip problems along with my back issues so I have been going to different "specialists", having MRI's, injections and tests galore! lol I am in Physical Therapy - my Dr believes that will be the best bet. I am hoping I won't need any surgery but they have explained a few to me that could possibly be in store for me (but I am hoping not). I have another appointment in a couple weeks that should get to the bottom of this.

I have been making some ATCs and cards while I'm laid up - it does take quite a bit longer now though LOL! I am hoping to get in the mood to start blogging again soon. I have alot to share, just haven't felt much like typing or posting. Maybe it's partially the winter blues. Hope to be back up and running soon!

Thanks for all the sweet cards, thoughts, emails and prayers!

Hugs,
Kimmy

Oh Say Can You See Blog Hop

Welcome to the Scrapbook News and Reviews "Oh Say Can You See 4th of July Blog Hop". If you came from Lauri Ingram's blog Paperville , you are on the right track! If you didn't please hop to SNR/Card universe and begin the fun. We have almost 100 blogs lined up for this 4th of July blog hop! Here is the card I made just for this Blog Hop:


For this card I started with my image stamped in SU! Pacific Blue ink on white card stock. Then I inked the edges with red ink and matted it on blue card stock then used my gold marker to ink the edges. Next I matted that on red card stock. Then I took my SU! Sweet Stars wheel and stamped that in Riding Hood Red ink on white card stock. I then inked that with blue and matted it on red card stock. Net I cut a piece of blue card stock to 4" x 5 1/4" and used my gold marker to ink the edges of that piece. Then I glued down my matted pieces on the blue card stock. I then wrapped a piece of thin red ribbon around the lower portion of the blue card stock and ran it through a metal star. (The metal start was silver but I used my gold marker to "paint" it gold.) I then glued that entire piece to the center of my red A2 card base.

I also made the inside to match. I thought it would be a great way to thank a soldier. Here's what the inside looks like :

Supplies :

• Stamps - Liberty United by CI Stamping, "thank you" by Hero Arts, Sweet Stars jumbo wheel by Stampin Up!
• Inks - SU! Pacific Point, Riding Hood Red.
• Miscellaneous - card stock by Bazzill, ribbon by Offray, metal star unknown.

I hope you are enjoying the Blog Hop, and my work:) Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to leave a comment - I love hearing what people like/dislike about my work. If you made a card for the Holiday I would love to see it leave a comment with a link to your gallery/blog.

The next stop on the Blog Hop is Debby Boltman's blog Debby's Stuff. So hop on over and continue with the fun!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Update on me

I thought it was about time for an update. I have some good news - tomorrow there will be a project on my blog!!!! I signed up for the SNR/Card Universe blog hop a while back and forced myself to make something for it. It took a while but I was happy with the outcome. So make sure you stop in tomorrow and check it out. I'm hoping it will be the begining of my come back;).

On the health issues I'm still not fixed. Monday I am having my first epidural injection and I'm pretty nervous. I have heard mostly positive reviews from people so that makes me a little optimistic. I guess my biggest worry is what if the injections don't work? I know I shouldn't think about that yet but I can't help it. I have already been off of work for 2 months. My time is slowly running out. So I am crossing my fingers these injections do the trick and I can get back to my normal way of life. I know I am extremely blessed and keep trying to think about all the good things. I have such wonderful friends who send me cards, emails, even make us dinner and just call to see how I'm doing. My hubby is having ankle surgery next week so I hope we are able to take care of each other - ha ha ha.

Don't forget to check out the blog hop tomorrow. And thanks for following my blog despite my lack of activity.

Happy crafting,
Kimmy

WOW! There's a lot of blog candy out there. So here is another one I found!

A Latte Inkin' Fun

She also does great work. I hope you check it out and good luck to you!

Happy Blog Surfing,
Kimmy

Blog Candy!

Well, I might not be able to sit and craft, but I have been catching up on my blog surfing:) Here is a site with some great blog candy up for grabs (and some super cute projects)

In My Minds Eye

Since I am actually spending some time on the computer hopefully I'll find some more goodies for you. At least it's something :)

Thanks for stopping by
Kimmy

No relief .....

Well still no relief with my back problems. I have been seeking alternative treatments. I am in my 3rd week of physical therapy and not feeling better. My legs feel stronger but my back issues aren't getting any better. They just started me in traction and are trying kinesio tape. I decided to try a chiropractor today. He says "absolutely no sitting or stretching" except the one stretch he gave me. I have a feeling recovery is going to take a while because I was feeling a little worse after my first adjustment (I know it's normal). He is positive he can get my bulged discs back in line. I have a follow up appointment with my doctor next week. He said if I wasn't doing better we would probably start injections for the pain (ouch).

I haven't yet figured out a way to stamp while laying but I'm thinking tomorrow I'll try standing and see how that goes. I am behind on my FFF challenges and have some swaps due in a couple months. I do have a few cards I would love to share with you I just have to steal the computer from my hubby:) he sprained his ankle pretty bad so he's been off work too. On what a pair we are - ha ha ha.

Well if you have been making any projects I would love if you would share with me. Maybe a little inspiration would help:) poor Jen seems to have lost her mojo too... Oh where could our mojo's have gone??? I bet they are sitting on the beach drinking piña colodas. Ha ha ha.

Hope to bring you some projects very soon!

Kimmy

Long time no post

Well it's been a while. I hurt my back and sounds like I have a bulging disc. I go back to the dr this week. So I haven't been able to do much thanks to the pain. I have pain medication but it makes me pretty sleepy. Right now I am having a difficult time sitting, standing, walking and pretty much everything so sitting to stamp has not been possible. Hopefully I'll jabs more answers this week. I am also a scheduled to start physical therapy this week so that might help:) once I am moving around better I'll get my pics uploaded and back into the craft studio! Until then I'll try to check in and see what you all are up to on your blogs:)

Hugs
Kimmy

Sorry I've been MIA

Sorry I've been missing in action. I was away last weekend on a stamping getaway with my girlfriends. I went to California the weekend before that. I hurt my back right before we left so that kind of sucked. During all that our laptop broke - that's our only computer. We got a new one this wee thank goodness. Then our camera broke. I bought a new one yesterday since it was payday:). Now I just have to wait for it hubby to install the camera software on the new laptop and my blog posting should be up and running. I have a couple of FFF posts for you. And some cute stuff I made at Shackapalooza - that was my stamping getaway. I hope to have some of that for you tonight.

Kimmy

Sorry no post

Sorry no post this weekend. My mom's visit kept me really busy then we left for California Friday. I'll be home Tuesday so I'll get my stuff posted sometime then:)

Have a great weekend!

Fun-Filled Friday Challenge Announcement

This week it's my turn to challenge Jen again. I decided we should make something using our ScorPal. She has been getting alot of practice with this lately on her blog. I haven't used mine much except to crease my cards.

I hope you decide to play along I would love to see your ScorPal creations!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Hoppy Easter!

HOPPY EASTER!!!
This weeks Fun-Filled Friday challenge was to make an Easter card. Here is what I came up with :

I did a couple of different things with this card. I stamped my image on watercolor paper and used my SU! inks with a water pen to color in my bunnies. I think it turned out pretty good, especially for a first try. I also used my SU! piercing template I got for my birthday. It makes paper piercing so easy!

Here is a close up of my coloring:

Supplies :

• stamp Happy Hoppers by Stampendous
• paper - watercolor paper by Archivers, card stock by The Paper Company
• miscellaneous - Prima Flowers, SU! paper piercing template, SU! inks, SU! Photo Corner Punch, brads by Joann Craft Essentials
  

Well, I hope you are all getting ready for a nice Easter. I unfortunately have to work this weekend and Sunday will be a 16 hour day for me - YUCK! So have some candy and hunt some eggs for me:)

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Technical difficulties

Sorry my FFF post is going to be a bit delayed. My hubby was playing with our camera the other night and it's in sepia mode. I have no clue how to change it! I can't find our manual either - so I will have to wait until he gets home tonight to put things back to normal. Maybe I should take some camera lessons - ha ha.

Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday

I had to make a Masculine Birthday card for a friend of ours. I always have such a hard time with these. I make my hubby ok it before I give it out. If it's too "girly", then I try to come up with something else. Here is what I came up with this time :


So what do you think? I had fun with this one. I colored it with my Prismacolor markers and tried to stick with blues and greys for the rest of the card.

Supplies :

• stamp - Beerafella by Stamping Bella
• paper by DCWV Latte stack
• miscellaneous - Stampin' up! inks, Stampin' Up! tag corner punch, black VersaFine ink, brads by Joann Craft Essentials

Well, I hope you are having a nice week.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday announcement

It's Sunday again. So here is this weeks FFF challenge announcement. Jen is having us make Easter Cards. This should be fun I have some cute Easter stamps.

For those of you who don't know what Fun-Filled Fridays are. Jen and I take turns giving each other a challenge every week. We post the challenges on our blogs on Sundays and then what we made for that challenge on Friday. Feel free to play along we always like to see what other people come up with too. Also if you have any challenge ideas I would love to hear them.

Well tonight is my first night back to work for the week. So I am going to spend the rest of the day finishing up my house cleaning and what ever other things I put off all weekend.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

4 layer card

This week's FFF challenge was to create a 4 layer card. Here is what I came up with:


This was fun to make. I got to use some of my new SU! supplies so I was kind of excited. I love playing with new stuff! I had the image colored from a while ago and decided to go with the purple and green theme. Make sure you check out Jen's challenge card for this week.

Supplies:

• stamps - QT Hooty from Pink Cat Studios, Celebrate You from Party Hearty set by Stampin' Up
  
• ink - black VersaFine, Stampin' Up!
• card stock - Bazzill
• miscellaneous - Prismacolor Markers, Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy Embossing Folder, Nestabilities circle dies, Stampin' Up! tag corner punch, Making Memories rhinestone brad

Stay tuned Sunday for next weeks FFF challenge.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday challenge

This weeks challenge is a pretty simple one. I am challenging Jen to make a card with 4 layers - no more, no less. That should be simple enough:).

Do you have any challenge ideas you would like to see? If so just let me know.
How is your weekend? I'm working so no fun for me. Oh well. I haven't been posting much because I've been in a bit of a crafting/blogging slump. I just haven't been feeling my mojo or much like doing anything. I haven't even been keeping up on my favorite blogs. I need something to get my mojo going again but I'm not sure what. I got some new stamps, but that didn't seem to do the trick. I'm sure it will pass:) Some good news though I just found out my hubby and I are going to Los Angeles in a few weeks to visit some family so that will be nice.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Kimmy

Fun Filled Friday

This week Jen challenged me to make a gift bag or gift box. I decided to use a tutorial I found on the Scorpal website. This is the tutorial I used. Here is how mine turned out:

I filled mine with fun size MilkyWay bars. I thought it was a cute treat bag. It fit way more than I thought. I also made mine tie closed with ribbon instead of using a Velcro or magnetic closure like the tutorial uses. Make sure you check out Jen's creation for this week's challenge.

Supplies :

• paper by K and Company
• miscellaneous - nestabilities Labels 1 set, Fiskars Lace border punch, ribbon by Bobbie M Designs, ScorPal.

I hope you enjoyed today's post. I would love to see your bag or box creations. Stay tuned Sunday for the next Fun-Filled Friday challenge announcement.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Blog candy winner!!!!!

I decided to throw all the names in a hat and pick a winner and the lucky person is


SUZI!!!!!


Congrats Suzi! I'll send out your package ASAP. Hope you enjoy all your goodies.

Happy crafting,
Kimmy

BLOG CANDY TIME!!!!

Next Sunday, March 22 is my Blogoversary and also my 30th birthday! To celebrate I have a nice blog candy give-a-way. Here is what is up for grabs:

If I get a lot of responses I will also be adding some more goodies! So now you are probably wondering what you need to do. Well, it's simple just post a link on your blog about my blog candy and leave a comment on this post letting me know you did that. There will be a couple other opportunities to enter this week also. I am going to leave this open for 10 days so you have until Tuesday March 24 to enter. I will pick a winner on Wednesday March 25.

Thanks for celebrating with me!

Kimmy

Happy Tuesday!

Well with my birthday and all the weekend flew by! I got some craft supplies and a new purse:) I also spent a lot of time with my hubby which was my favorite part. This week my girlfriends are taking me out to celebrate so the fun continues!

It's a lite late, but here's this weeks fun filled Friday challenge. Jen is challenging me to make a box or gift bag. This should be fun! Something really new for me. There are a few ideas I have wanted to try out an now here's my chance.

I still haven't posted my St Patty's Day card. There have been some computer issues. Maybe it's just when I try to use it - who knows.

Well stay tuned tomorrow to see the big blog candy winner!!!! If you haven't entered yet make sure you do you have until midnight tonight.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Another chance to win my blog candy;)

As promised, here is another chance to enter for my blog candy;) all you have to do is leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about stamping. Easy enough huh? No blog required.

More exciting news - if I get up to 50 responces I will add some more goodies - including a Stampin Up stamp set to the mix! So spread the word!

My fun filled Friday card will be posted as soon as my computer is running - my hubby is trying to fix a couple things on it. I had to use my iPod for this :) isn't technology great?

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Baby Moose

Happy Monday everyone!

Can you believe it's the middle of March?!?! I don't know where time has gone. Are you getting ready for St Patrick's Day tomorrow? Today I thought I would share a card I made with one of my adorable moose cards from Sunflowers and Dragonflies. My friend Beth designed him herself - Isn't he cute?


I made this card by coloring my image with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. Then I used Martha Stewart Pattern paper, different shades of blue card stock, and my Cuttlebug Argyle embossing folder. I think he is perfect for a new baby boy!

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out the adorable stamps at Sunflowers and Dragonflies.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday Challenge Announcement

It's Sunday! This week I am challenging Jen to make a St Patty's Day card. This should be easy for her she has already made a few with those cute DRS images of hers. I just realized I have NO stamps for this occassion! Guess that means I'll be taking a shopping trip before Friday:)

I am actually a little Irish but I have never gone out and celebrated St Patrick's Day. This year will be my first time! Can you believe it? I must admit I am a little nervous because I am going out with my Husband and his friends and they start pretty early in the morning and go all day and night. I have to work Monday night so I hope they let me get a little sleep Tuesday morning. Wish me luck! ha ha ha... Since my birthday is this is next Sunday I have a lot of fun stuff planned this week - I guess Tuesday will be my kick off! What are your plans?

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Dog Gone it - it's Friday!

Well, it's Friday! This week Jen challenged me to make a card with a Dog image as the main theme. I got this cute Rubbernecker image back in the summer and figured it was about time to put it so good use. He is so pathetic he's cute:) So what do you think?


Here is a close up of my image all colored:

Supplies:

• stamps - image by Rubbernecker, sentiment by Stampin up! Express Yourself
• card stock by The Paper Company
• miscellaneous - Stampin Up! word window punch, brads by Joann Craft Essentials, Cuttlebug Happy Birthday Embossing Folder
  

So did you make a Dog card this week? I would love to see it if you did. Please leave a link to it in my comments. Make sure you check out Jen's card for this challenge here.

My posting is a little late today, I haven't been feeling well this week. I dosed myself up on some Nyquil last night hoping that would help, but not yet. I guess I'll just have to take it easy today and rest up since I have to work tomorrow.

I have some news for tomorrow so make sure you stop in to see what it is:) Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

What’s that Wednesday

This week I wanted to talk about the Scor Pal. I think this is the best scoring tool I have ever used. I always ran into the problem of not getting a good fold when I used my scoring blade on my cutter. Either the score wasn’t deep enough or somehow it would end up crooked. It was very frustrating. I was very happy when I tried out the Scor Pal at a crop. Ahhhhhh scoring bliss!

The Scor Pal is basically a plastic board with grooves in it. The top and sides are raised so you can push the paper right into the corner and get an accurate measurement. The top portion also has a ruler along it that coincides with the grooves. The grooves are spaced every half inch from ½” to 11 ½” with special grooves at 4 ¼” (your basic A2 card fold). It also has a few other grooves at commonly used measurements and places you would score to make different projects. It also comes with a bone folder and a convenient spot to store your bone folder in the upper right corner. I got a kick out of how the bone folder clicks in and springs out when you push the button to release it (oh the little things that amuse me). I always get a crisp, accurate fold when I use my Scor Pal.

The Scor Pal retails for $39.95, but always check for stores that have or accept coupons when shopping.

Make sure you check out the ScorPal site for more info. They also have many tutorials for projects you can make with your Scor Pal.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday is going to the Dogs!

This week's Fun-Filled Friday is right up my alley! Jen is challenging me to make a Dog card. I am an avid dog lover but amazingly enough my dog stamp supply is a little lacking. Time to pull them out and see what I can do with them.

For those of you who may be new to my blog Jen is one of my dearest friends and we take turns every week giving each other challenges. We announce the Challenges on Sundays (oops not this week). And we post our creations on our blogs on Fridays - hence Fun-Filled Friday. Feel free to play along and post a link to what you make.

Things are still slow moving for me. I haven't been feeling very "crafty". Maybe it's the weather, or the economy, or just stress - who knows. I am trying to get out of my slump, but it's not going so well. I have even been putting off submitting cards to magazines and for DT calls. I hope my mojo comes back soon! Maybe some good old fashion sunshine would help:) I still can't seem to find what I am looking for as far as a new look for my blog goes, but I'm still searching.....I feel like I do when shopping for the "perfect dress". When you find the one you want you just know. Wish me luck!

Happy Crafting,

Kimmy

Suspension card!

This weeks challenge was to make a suspension card. This was pretty easy. I got the idea from Splitcoaststampers, they have so many tutorials. The suspension card tutorial link is here. This is what I came up with for this challenge :

and the other side :


Supplies :

• stamps - Stampin' Up Express Yourself
• paper - The Paper Company
• ink - Momemto black, Colorbox pink chalk ink
  
• miscellaneous - Cuttlebug Swirls embossing folder, Nestabilities circles, Prismacolor Markers
  

So what do you think?

Did you give this challenge a try? I would love to see it if you did.

How have all of my blog followers been? Things have been a little hectic in my household. Alot of it has to do with the economy. My husband's sister and her husband lost their jobs on the same day and my brother in law lost his job too. Now who knows who is next. Thank goodness it seems my husband and I are fine where we are, but it is still stressful. We have been trying to get things done around our house lately and finish projects we started. I hope to have my blog makeover all set by next week! So stay tuned for my new look!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Suspension Card

Well, this week we are going to give Suspension Cards a try! Here is a tutorial from Splitcoaststampers on how to make one. They look pretty simple and fun!

My blog makeover isn't going as quickly as I would like! I ended up working overtime last week on my days off so I didn't get much done. This weekend I refuse to work any overtime! I am going to get my blog in order, stamp, and get some swaps done. Sounds fun huh?

Some good news - my studio in the basement is coming along I should have a ceiling this week! I have decided to switch to a different area of the basement with a large window so that I will have a lot of natural light during the day. I came up with some floor plans for my space as far as furniture goes. Now I just need to get to that point :) It's always nice to see a new step completed!

I promise once I get things caught up I'll be back to posting.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday

Happy Fun-Filled Friday!

Well, as you probably noticed I am taking a week or so off of blogging - with the exception of our Fun-filled Fridays. I am looking for a new blog layout and sorting through old posts figuring out how I want to label them so they are easy to look through, and figuring out a couple of other blog things along the way. It's a slow going process for me especially with my work schedule. I work 12 hour shifts on midnights and have been trying to get a day or two of overtime here and there - which has been leaving me no time for getting caught up on my projects or blog. So this is my little catch up time. Enough about that on with this weeks challenge!

Jen challenged me to make an anniversary card this week. I realized I don't have ANY anniversary sentiments! What's up with that? Guess I'll have to put it in the back of my head to keep an eye out for. Here is what I came up with:


Since I didn't have a sentiment I used a bride and groom image I had. I have been in a very blue and brown mood lately and I don't know why - it is one of my favorite color combos. I also got to use the Just My Type Borders Cuttlebug Embossing Folders set I bought while I was visiting my parents last week. I added some rhinestones for a little bling!

Supplies :

• Stamps ~ A Muse Artstamps - Wedding Pose (#2-1046D); Stampin Up! - French Script
  
• Ink ~ Memories - artprint brown; Versa Mark; Colorbox Chalk Inks Turquoise
• Miscellaneous ~ card stock - Bazzill; rhinestones - A Muse; ribbon - Deja Views; Cuttlebug Just My Type Borders Embossing Folders; Nestabilities Lables 2.
  

I hope you enjoyed today's card. Did you try this week's challenge? If so please leave a link so we can check it out. If you have any tips or ideas for my new blog please let me know - I'll take any advise I can get:) Also I am always looking for ideas for my What's that Wednesdays or our Fun-Filled Friday's challenges so please feel free to let me know of anything you would like to see.

Have any plans this weekend? Unfortunately I'll be at work all weekend. Oh well, have to pay for my stamp habit some how - right? ha ha ha.... Whatever you do enjoy!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Closed for remodeling!

My blog is going tone closed for about a week while I do some remodeling on it. I will be posting my Fun filled Friday challenge though. You may wonder what brought this on? Well I applied for a few design teams in the past few months (ok probably more than a few) and didn't get picked for any of them. That is kind of hard to take especially when you don't get an explaination. I get over each one pretty quickly and I don't apply with my hopes too high but the rejection is still a downer. I totally understand that companies can't tell everyone that applies why they did not get picked but I still want to know:) The last rejection I got actually told me my blog didn't have enough traffic to promote their company - hey I can deal with that. Since I keep putting off making some changes that prompted me to get my butt in gear! I was going to try to do it without taking some time off of posting but with working 12 hour shifts I don't have much me time on work days.

Next Wednesday I will have a What's that Wednesday review and a whole new blog look!

Have a great week!
Kimmy

Anniversary Card

This week Jen is challenging me to make an Anniversary card. Actually perfect timing for me my parents Anniversary is March 3rd! This should be fun I don't think I have made an anniversary card yet. I wonder if i have a stamp for that?

Well today I am heading back to Michigan. Send me safe flight vibes:) I hate flying! I started reading Twilight so at least that is something to make the time go by faster. I am not much of a reader, but I am getting kinda sucked into this book. I like when you want to keep going and see where the story takes you.

I hope all my friends in Blogland had a wonderful weekend. When I get home this afternoon I'll have to take a nap and get ready for a long night of work. I'm already thinking of when my next trip to my parents can be:) I get 4 days off every other week so my wonderful husband encourages me to go as often as our finances allows. Isn't he sweet!

Make suer you check in through out the week. I have some projects for you.

Happy Crafting,

Kimmy

Prismacolor pencil tutorial - take 1

As I promised here is a quick photo tutorial on how I color with Prismacolor pencils. I titled this "take 1" because I am still out of town and not quite happy with the way the photos came out. That is what can happen when you use tools you aren't used to. Hopefully when I get home I can get some better pictures and perhaps give a video tutorial a shot. Don't hold your breath on that one cause I'm not to handy with my camera yet:) Here are the supplies you will need for today :

Card stock
Black ink
Stamp
Prismacolor pencils
Gamsol
Blending stumps

Step 1:
Stamp your image using a waterproof ink (such as Versa Fine, Momento, or Staz On) (please don't mind the green leaf I must have fogotten to take a picture before I started coloring. I am going to show you how to color the Acorn part of this stamp)

Step 2:
With your lightest color, color at the outer edge of image

Step 3:
Dip the tip of your blending stump into the Gamsol

Step 4:
Using a small circular motion pull the color towards the center of the image

Step 5
Repeat steps 2 - 4 with your next shade or color until you achieve the look you want.

Thanks for stopping by! Again as soon as I get home and settled back in I promise a better tutorial! Don't forget to stop in tomorrow for our Fun-Filled Friday challenge announcement!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday

Happy Fun-Filled Friday.

Sorry again for my lack of posting this week. I am out of town and didn't get the pictures loaded I had planned before I left. Again work gets in the way of fun. Darn those bills that need to get paid! I am still hoping to get a tutorial posted tomorrow (with Mom's help of course).

Well on with this weeks challenge. As you may know I challenged Jen to make a card in 10 mins or less! Ok this is a difficult task to being with now lets also add in for me it was a limited supply challenge. I didn't get to work on it before heading out to my parents and since I was flying I only packed 4 crafting items :

1. my ATG

2. my Prismacolor pencils

3. one SU! set

4. black Versa Fine ink

I then came up with a concept in my head and picked up some ink at Walmart here in Minnesota, and stole some of Mom's card stock. I even had my mom set the timer for 10 mins to see how I would do and I finished my last bit of gluing right as the timer went off WHEW! here is the outcome:

Since I didn't pack any embellishments and my Mom is a little lacking in that department and 10 mins didn't give me much time, I decided to layer 2 butterflies on top of each other and fold the wings a bit to give it a 3-D effect. Here is a close up:

Supplies :

• Stamps - Stampin Up!
• Ink - Versa Fine black, all colors by Martha Stewart
• Miscellaneous - card stock by The Paper Company, Prismacolor pencils blended with Gamsol

Well, it was pretty challenging for me. I had to use a cutter and scissors I wasn't used to and go digging around my Mom's house for supplies before I started. But a card in 10 mins or less can be done. I am sure it would have been something a little more creative had I had all my own supplies but for what I had I think I did pretty good.

I would love to see your 10 mins or less card. Post a link to it in my comments. And don't forget to see what Jen came up with this week. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

What's that Wednesday

Sorry for not posting anything last night. It took me longer than expected to get everything done,packed and ready for my trip. Now if work wouldn't get in the way of fun I would be all set - ha ha ha. Well on with the important stuff.

This week I wanted to talk about one of my absolute favorite parts of stamping COLORING! And my favorite way to color is with Prismacolor Pencils. These are another pricey tool to have but well worth it for those of you who love to color. I love how smooth the color goes on and that they can easily be blended many ways. My favorite is using Gamsol or mineral spirits. I originally started with OMS (odorless mineral spirits) that were just sitting in my garage and I will say they worked very nicely but still had a but of an odor. The Gamsol is actually odorless (to me anyways). I got mine from Angela's Happy Stamper in Virginia, but it can be found at many LSS and online stores. I know Inky Antics and Gina K sell it in their online stores just to name a couple. You also need blending stumps for this process. You can find these at your local crafting store. They are actually just paper sticks that you dip into the Gamsol and use to pull the color around they come in different sizes and firmness. Try a few to see which work best for you. I prefer the Taiwanese over the Chinese ones because they are softer.

To blend using Gamsol I usually will color just the outer edges of my image and blend inward with my Gamsol. (I think we may need a tutorial in the next few days). This gives a very nice look. You can then add color to darken areas and keep blending as you go. It's actually very easy and there are several ways to blend - that's just the way I like to do it best.

You can also try the colorless blended pencil. When I use this I apply my different colors starting with the lightest first and use the colorless blended pencil at the very end. ( now I am really thinking pictures would have been a good idea). The same concept works for just blending colors as you go. I haven't tried this yet but heard it works. You start with the lightest color and just keep on adding and layering colors until you get the look you like.

While typing this I convinced myself a tutorial is in order. I am going to be at my parents this week and my Mom has been wanting to learn how I color too so maybe I'll give her a little class and snap some photos for you all. I'll post something Saturday so come check it out. If you have Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, and blending stumps bring them along.

Now if you don't have Prismacolor pencils I started out with some Crayola colored pencils and Odorless Mineral Spirits and got a similar effect. It's not as smooth and you don't have as many colors to chose from but to give it a try it's a much cheaper version. I know there are many other pencils out there that people love, but I haven't tried any, so I can't compare. I also haven't done much with Copic markers yet, I am still debating about starting down that road. I am sure I will get hooked and I know those could get really expensive. I have played a little with Bic and Prismacolor markers, but I am no expert.

Please let me know if there is anything you would like to see reviewed on my What's that Wednesday - I can always use ideas! Thanks for stopping by!

Make sure you check back Saturday to see how I like to color! And Friday is our 10 minutes or less card reveal.

Happy Crafting!
Kimmy

Posting delay

Good morning all my blog followers. I have not forgotten about you;) I wanted to let you know today's post will be posted later on this evening. I am flying out to visit my parents tomorrow (all by my lonesome) and have alot to get done before I go. I also trying to get some things planned for my hubby to have around the house to eat and keep himself busy while I'm gone. I promise I'll have a project to share later so make sure you check in.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday Challenge Announcement

This week it's my turn to challenge Jen. I decided since I am leaving Wednesday to visit my parents and I have to work Sunday - Tuesday I better make it something that can be whipped up. So I decided we have to make a card in 10 minutes or less! Of course if your creative process is like mine this is completely impossible! So the 10 minutes doesn't include the thought process. I am going to try to come up with a sketch or idea if I get a break at work and when I actually sit down to work I'll start the timer. I'll let you know how long it takes.

I'm curious how long it actually takes to make a card. Usually I color some images thumb through some paper and see what comes to me while I am sitting there. Who know this may turn over a whole new leaf for me. Maybe I will decide to become more organized and think things out ahead of time. Hmmm isn't that what "Take Ten" is always looking for?

Well wish us luck. I hope you decide to play along. And for those of you who entered Jen's blog candy give away - good luck!

Happy crafting,
Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday!

Happy Fun-Filled Friday The 13th!

If you are a follower of my blog you probably know this weeks challenge was a stipulation challenge given by Jen. The stipulations were :

• main image must be matted on circle
• must use pink
• no red
• must contain heart(s)
• must use button(s)

This is what I came up with:

Supplies :
stamps by Stampin Up! Pun Fun; card stock by The Paper Company; miscellaneous - black Versa Fine ink, pink Colorbox Chalk ink, Cuttlebug Hearts embossing folder, Heidi Swapp rhinestones, Prismacolor pencils blended with Gamsol, light pink chalk, Nestabilities circles and scallop circles, Stampin Up! word window punch, flower button manufacturer unknown.

As you can see I used my Nesties to mat my main image on several circles, used pink, no red, I used Cuttlebug embossing folder for my Hearts, and the flower button completes all the stipulations. This was a very fun challenge! Now I am going to run over and see what Jen came up with.

Well tomorrow is Valentine's Day.... Do you have anything special planned? My DH and I both have to work. I have another V-Day card for tomorrow.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Exciting News

I have some news I am happy I can FINALLY share with you. I have been keeping a secret for about a year now. My very good friend Beth has opened her own stamp company Sunflowers and Dragonflies. She is the artist behind most of images from her company. Beth is from Sarnia, Canada and many of her stamps have a very special Canadian flair. From Canadian architecture to nature there is something for everyone. She also features products for the Red Hat ladies. There are also other supplies to fit your creative needs, coloring supplies, cutting supplies, embellishments, paper, Prima Flowers, and stamps from Rachelle Anne Miller and Sarah Kay! Make sure you go check out her store. She is also selling some of her own cards.


The other big surprise! She asked me to be on her design team! I was so honored! Of course I feel I have a lot to live up to because Beth is phenomenal artist. Stay tuned next week for some projects I created with her stamps.

The other Design Team members include:

Jennifer from Ink 'n Scrap Habits

Kim from Running on Ink

Kim from Creative Diversions

I am so happy to finally be able to share Beth's work with everyone! It's been a long process for her and I wish her all the best.

Be Mine - House Mouse Challenge

Well, I am back home from my week away. It's nice to be home, but it stinks coming back to reality. It always means time to go back to work, and back to the normal daily routine. I had a very nice visit with my parents in Minnesota though. I am going for another visit by myself in a week! Lucky me! So I guess I really can't complain can I?

I thought I would continue with my Valentine's theme this week and this card fits in with the House Mouse Challenge for this week to use a tall and thin card. This is my first week playing along. I decided I needed to start trying some of these challenge blogs and since I don't use my House Mouse and Happy Hoppers as much as I should this should help. You can check out the House mouse challenge blog here. So here is what I came up with :

and here is a close up where you can see I went a little crazy with the diamond glaze :)

Supplies :

• Stamps House Mouse - Be Mine Heart & Sole (#HMER1014), Stampin Up! - Just Celebrate
• paper The Paper Company
• inks brown Versa Color, Black Versa Fine
• Miscellaneous - Pink Glaze pen; Paper ribbon hearts by K & Co., Prismacolor markers, rhinestones by Heidi Swapp, Diamond Glaze.

Stay tuned tomorrow for our Fun-Filled Friday challenge posts! And Saturday for another Valentine's Day creation. I have to make up for skipping Tuesday!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

What's That Wednesday

Sorry today's post is a little late. I had some Internet issues.

This weeks "What's That Wednesday" is all about border punches. Border punches are another one of my favorite tools. As of right now I only own a few by Fiskars and Martha Stewart. I think they are a great way to add a little something to your projects and they are so versatile. One of the most wonderful things about border punches is you determine the size. You can make them as long or as short as you need. Another great thing is the price. They normally run around $15 and with a 40% off coupon at Michaels or Joann's you are out of there for under $10.

A quick tip I have learned with Fiskars and Martha Stewart border punches:

they take off 1/4" when you punch with them

It took some trial and error to figure this out. I measure alot to try to create equal borders so this is one of those things I needed to find out. (must be the old engineering student me)

I must give some praise to Fiskars. I bought a embossing border punch before Christmas and it would not punch right. It also was extremely difficult to punch. I emailed them and they were so helpful. With just a few emails back and forth I had a new on shipped to me free of charge. It arrived in a couple weeks and works great. I highly recomend them for their products and customer service.

I hope you found this helpful and informative. If there's anything you would like to see reviewed let me know and I'll try my best.
Stay tuned for tomorrows creation.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

LOVE YOU A LATTE!

Here is a little something to get you ready for Valentine's Day :

Supplies : stamps - SU! Pun Fun; card stock - The Paper Company; ribbon - Bobbie M. Designs; punches - SU! Word Window Punch, Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edge Punch; Miscellaneous - Prismacolor Markers, Cuttlebug Hearts Embossing folder, Heidi Swapp Rhinestones.

Very simple to make and one of my favorite combos - pink and browns - well tan in this case! Stay tuned Wednesday for this week's What's that Wednesday!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

BLOG CANDY BIRTHDAY GIVE AWAY!!!

Jen is having a huge blog candy give away to celebrate her birthday! Make sure you check out her blog Ink 'n Scrap Habits! She is giving away a pretty big pile of loot to celebrate her birthday. The big blog candy give away will be February 15th, so make sure you go check it out. The information will be on the top of her blog until the big day so you can't miss it! Good luck - she has some fabulous stuff up for grabs.

Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday Challenge Announcement

This week Jen is making our Fun-Filled Friday challenge a stipulation challenge. Or should I say a few stipulations? Here is what our projects must contain or not contain :

-main image must be matted on circle
-must use pink
-no red
-must contain heart(s)
-must use button(s)

Sounds a little challenging huh? Well with Valentine's Day right around the corner these stipulations fit. The no red is going to be the trickiest part for me I think.

Well am out of town for a few more days hope you had a fabulous weekend. I hope to have some great projects for you all when I get back. I have been enjoying having more posts every week and really like hearing your feedback. Let me know what you do and don't like.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday

First we have to start off this weeks post with a special birthday wish to my FFF partner Jen! ahem ahem...me me me me me...

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday dear Jen!

Happy birthday to you!!!!!!

And for all the polish folks out there

Sto lat, sto lat niech zy-je zy-je nam, sto lat, sto lat
niech zy-je, zy-je nam. Jeszcze raz, jeszcze raz
niech zy-je, zy-je nam. Niech zy-je nam!

Happy Birthday friend! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and get spoiled rotten!!!

Now back to this week's Fun-Filled Friday Challenge. As you may know it was to try Chalkboard Technique. This was fun to try. I had to do some shopping for this challenge - I didn't have any white ink! How can I call myself a stamper - ha ha ha. (I also picked up the stamp set I used - I didn't want a coupon to go to waste) Make sure you stop by Jen's blog to see what she came up with for this week's challenge.

Supplies : card stock by The Paper Company, Stamps by Inkadinkado - Garden Delights, Color Box frost white ink, Color Box chalk ink turquoise, Fiskars Sunburst border punch, ribbon by Offray, Chalk, white Glaze pen, brads by Oriental Trading

Well, I hope you enjoyed today's card. Stay tuned Sunday for our next Challenge. I hope you decide to give it a try. If you tried the chalkboard technique I would love to see what you came up with.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

MSU Birthday!

This is a very special Birthday card for my friend Jen! She is a HUGE Michigan State fan so I decided to go with that as the theme.

Supplies : stamp by Pink Cat Studios, background stamp by Stampin' Up!, sentiment by Inkadinkado - Garden Delight, card stock by Bazzill, Stampin' Up ticket corner punch, Fiskars threading waters border punch, stickles, Nestabilities

What do you think? Tomorrow is her birthday so if you get a chance make sure you stop by her blog to wish her a very happy birthday!

Make sure you stop by tomorrow for our Fun-Filled Friday projects. This weeks challenge was to use the Chalkboard Technique.

Happy crafting,
Kimmy

What's That Wednesday?

This week's What's That Wednesday I am going to continue my discussion of the Cuttlebug. I am a huge fan of the Nestabilities and found a wonderful project to use with the Cuttlebug and your Nesties - it's the Sizzix Crease Mat. This mat allows you to cut and emboss using the Nesties in one run through the Cuttlebug.

Normally you would have to cut the paper with your die, leave the paper in the die, get your "embossing mat" and run the whole thing back through the Cuttlebug. With the crease mat it's all done at once. How wonderful! Here is a picture of how I set mine up:


As you can see the recipe U used was :
A plate
shim
crease mat
paper
die
C plate

Here is a picture of how the embossed piece looks:

I forgot to get an embossing mat when I purchased my Nesties and was very eager to emboss and cut with them. I found the embossing mat at Cut @ Home for $8.99 and if you are a VIP member you get a 40% off coupon every month. I found my Sizzix Crease mat at Michaels for $8.99 and I used one of my 50% coupons. I wasn't sure how well it was going to work so I made sure I didn't spend too much money. When you get the Crease Mat you will have to cut about 1/4" off of one of the sides so that it will fit in your Cuttlebug. I have used it on many of my projects already and am LOVING IT!!! I am pretty sure you could find this item anywhere that sells Sizzix products so check around - especially places where you can use a coupon:)

I hope you found this information helpful. If you have any items you would like to see reviewed please let me know.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Birthday RAK!

For those of you follow Jen's blog you probably noticed the post about her Aunt turning 93!!! What a milestone! She asked people to RAK your Aunt with birthday cards to make her day special. She did this a few years ago to and posted a picture of her Aunt with all the cards for us all to see. For those of you who don't know what a RAK is, it stands for Random Act of Kindness. It's just something you do to make someone feel special and not expect or want anything in return. In my opinion knowing you have brought a smile to someones face is quite a reward. (awe what a mushy statement to make). Here is the card I made for Jen's Aunt:



Supplies : card stock by Bazzill; stamps by Stampin' Up, ribbon by Offray, Cuttlebug birthday embossing folder, Nestabilities circle set, stickles, gems by Heidi Grace, Prismacolor pencils blended with Gamsol.

I love how it turned out! Of course I had to add a little "bling" to it. It's a very simple layout and was super easy to make too! I actually made a few to have on hand.

I hope you decide to stop in tomorrow for my What's that Wednesday - I am going to talk about an accessory for your Cuttlebug and Nesties.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Picture Tag

Saturday my friend Jen tagged me! This was a fun game.

Here are the instructions:

1. Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.

2. Go to the 6th Folder, then pick the 6th picture in that folder.

3. Post that picture on your blog and the story that goes along with the picture.

4. Tag 6 other people that you know or don’t know to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog or an e-mail letting them know you chose them.

Since my DH is always transferring out files to our external hard drive I actually didn't have 6 folders. Isn't that crazy?? So I went the the last folder I had and picked the 6th picture and here it is:

This is one of the pictures from my DH's Honor Guard School graduation. They had a mock double funeral and this was in the procession. It was very real and sad. My hubby is the one holding the American Flag. That's his position when their honor guard does any type of details. I was so proud of what a great job they all did.

Well the 6 blogs I am tagging are :

Forgetfulone

Chrissy's Creative Spot

My Fence Posts

Sunflowers and Dragonflies

Aspergers Happens

Sandra Joseph

Stay tuned I have some fun stuff to share this week. Hope you had a fabulous weekend!

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Fun-Filled Friday Challenge Announcement

This week I get to challenge Jen for our Fun-Filled Friday challenge. I decided we should try a new technique that I have been putting off trying for some time now. So this weeks challenge is to use the "chalkboard technique". I found a tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers you can see here.

I am very excited to give this a try. It's a very different look. I got my coupons ready so I can go buy a white ink pad just for this technique:) Have you tried this technique yet? What do you think of it? If not why don't you give it a try and let us know what you came up with.

This week I will be out of town to visit my parents so I am going to try to get this done before I go. I am so excited to see them again. Wish me luck! Hopefully I will remember to take some pictures this trip - I always forget for some reason.

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy

Golden Fun-Filled Friday

Well its another Friday! Time sure flies from week to week. This week Jen challenged me to make a card with precious metals in mind. Initially this was pretty difficult for me but once I started going I couldn't stop myself! Here is what I came up with for this challenge :

I heat embossed the sentiment in gold, used my gold metallic marker on the edges, gold ribbon, and gold embellishments. For the bottom of the card I used one of my border punches then colored over it with my gold metallic marker. It was kind of fun. The whole idea came from the piece of pattern paper I found. I thought the colors went so well with gold. I also love paisley prints, but never seem to use them - I don't know why. Don't forget to check out Jen's card for this week.

Supplies:

• sentiment by Paper Inspirations
• card stock by Bazzill, pattern paper by Creative Imaginations - Terra Cotta Paisley
• miscellaneous - Ranger princess gold embossing powder, heat gun, ribbon by Joann's, gold embellishments by Oriental Trading, gold metallic marker by Pen Touch, Fiskars lace border punch.
  

Did you come up with anything for this challenge? Do you have any suggestions for future challenges you would like to see? Let me know I am always up for something to get my creative juices flowing.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend - any big plans? It's my weekend to work so nothing for me.

Sunday we will announce our next Fun-Filled Friday challenge so make sure you stop in to see what it is.

Happy Crafting,

Kimmy

Birthday wishes for dad

My Dad's birthday is today! He is a huge fan of fishing so here is what I came up with for him:

Of course I used my Nesties on this card :) It was a pretty easy card to make. The sentiment is actually a lot longer, but I cut out the part that I wanted. I used my white glaze pen to add a little touch to the splash the fish made. I hope he enjoys it.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Supplies :

• stamps - image by DRS Designs, sentiment by Paper Inspirations
• paper - card stock by Bazzill, pattern paper by Chatterbox Scrapbook Walls Varsity Argyle
  
• miscellaneous - Prismacolor pencils, mineral spirits, EK Success paper shapers corner stone punch, Spellbinders Nestabilities, eyelets by Oriental Trading, Versa Fine black and brown inks, white gelly roll Glaze pen by Sakura.

I hope you enjoyed yesterday's post about the Cuttlebug. It was fun to look though some of my supplies and find something to write about.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's metallic Fun-Filled Friday.

Happy Crafting,

Kimmy

What's that Wednesday????

I have decided to start a new segment on my blog "What's that Wednesday?". Want to know how that works? Thinking of buying something but now sure if it's right for you? Just want to know the pros and cons to a product? Want to try a new technique, but not sure? Is there an easier way to do something? Well I am here to help. I know I have tried tons of different types of products in my many years of crafting. Some I have bought simply because they were on sale, or cheap. Other items I just had to have. I have been both very excited and disappointed my different products I have. Some items took some getting used to and now I love. I thought maybe I could help some of you out there save some money and time by sharing some of my product and technique reviews.

I am going to start this off with a favorite product of mine :

The Cuttlebug by Provo Craft

The Cuttlebug is basically a portable machine for die cutting and embossing. You have to purchase the embossing folders and dies separately. It folds up when not in use and has a pop up handle for easy transportation. When you open your Cuttlebug it has a suction feature the holds it in place on your table or counter top. I have only used the Cuttlebug embossing folders, but I know there are several other brands that are compatible, you just need to know the "recipe". I have used Cuttlebug, Sizzix, and Spellbinders dies without any problems. The nice thing is the crafting world has figured out ways to use this with so many other brands and items that it's so versatile. The Cuttlebug comes with 4 plates to put your materials between; 1 A plate, 2 B plates, and 1 C plate. The order of the plates, dies/embossing folder and your material being cut make up the "recipe". I have heard of several people having one of the plates crack after alot of use. I don't know how to prevent this, but the plates are pretty cheap to replace.

Here are a few of the recipes I frequently use :
(I wrote these to be placed face up in the order you read them)

To use with your Cuttlebug Embossing folders
A Plate
B Plate
Embossing folder (with paper in it)
B Plate

To use with Cuttlebug Die
A Plate
B Plate
paper
Cuttlebug Die
B Plate

To use with Spellbinder Nestabilities
A Plate
B Plate
paper
Nestabilities die
C plate

***NOTE : I like to see what I am cutting so I like to cut with my Nesties face up. I am also trying to do all of the "cutting" on my B plate - just my preference no special reason. The recipes can be placed in different order.***

Many other recipes can be found online. The internet is so full of information and tutorials. Check out You Tube for video tutorials - they are very helpful.

I will admit I have had times where this item sat on a shelf collecting dust, but lately it's right next to me. I also will honestly say this is not a product I would expect someone just starting out to purchase right away, but if you can afford it I highly recommend it. I was lucky enough to get mine for a birthday gift :)

Just a couple of money saving tips. If you are looking to buy a Cuttlebug remember Michaels and Joann's offer 40% off coupons almost every week on non-sale items. The Cuttlebug usually retails for about $79.99. For Spellbinders Nestabilities I suggest the http://www.ucutathome.com/ online store. You can sign up for the V.I.P. club and receive a 40% off coupon in your email monthly. Hobby Lobby also has weekly coupons, but I don't have one close enough to shop at frequently. You can always check store ads online, or look for sales at online stores. I always try to use a coupon to save some cash.

Please let me know if there is anything you would like to see reviewed or have questions about. If I don't have it or have never used it, I'll do some research for you - or if it's something on the more affordable side I'll pick one up and let you know what I think. If you have some tips or tricks you want to share please let me know I am always excited to learn something new. If you disagree with my reviews (or strongly agree) please share, someone may learn from something you have to say. Feel free to email me.

Next week I am going to share with you a product that also works with the Cuttlebug, I am very excited about this one.

**Remember these are my opinions on how things work for me, you might love something I don't - it just depends on your style of crafting. ***

Happy Crafting,
Kimmy