So I was called out by Lisa to do a challenge! I of course accepted, but was a bit intimidated.

She noticed my LOVE forPTI and decided to include me in her fun challenge to use  this pattern, that Lisa created to go inside the mini PTI heart tins! Isn’t it just so cute.

It will be VERY interesting to see what we can all do with that tiny little note card don’t you think?

Here is a list of the other girls who were asked to play along! Make sure you check out their stuff. I can’t wait.

OK Now its time to pony up, and share my creations! Yes I did two! I had fun with the first one, so did another.

A little love note

So I cut and stamped the little note. It seemed so sad all alone! So I added it to a regal rose layer, then onto a paper heart lace doilies.

I had a hear time keeping straight cutting that pattern! LOL!

Anyway I think ths is soft sweet and a touch of elegant.

It uses the NEW!!! Out on a limb, which is just so gorgeous, no matter how bad you cut your heart! LOL!!!

After doing that one I felt compelled to give it another shot!

Heartfelt Thanks

So I kept seeing butterfly! I know! I know! I could find a butterfly out of a circle, couldn’t I?

So for this one-I cut the little heart note out. I figured if I tilted it, it had the appearance of a butterfly wing.

Stamped it using Spiral Bouquet. This made the “wings” pattern, as well as the flourish under the Prima’s.

I then turned to my Butterfly Kisses, for the smaller wing layer (which was done using Fantasy Film-more on that —>here) Its is so pretty and shimmery. Adhesive rhinestones add a nice touch to the butterfly!

So, there you have it, the note is attached to the front of my card. It could hold a special message.

Well that is it for me. I will check on the girls later.

This little warm up has inspired a few other creations 😀 I’ll share those soon too.

Let me hear your thoughts.

Tomorrow is our blog challenge and I STILL have a bunch to share-so come back soon.

Till tomorrow!

I have so much to share and V-day is getting closer and closer! So I figured I better post this before they get LOST in my archives forever! I do that sometimes. I create so much that I forget about some :C Not good.

I dont have a ton of time. I am exhausted from my day and have alot on my plate lately-not in a bad way. Just busy.

Well, I was in the mood for LOVE! LOL! OK not really, but just something to take my mind of my blah’s. So that was a little warm up. I pulled out my Heart to Heart set.

I just wanted to make 2 quick and cute cards using the same colors 😀 Again-quick and warm up.

I like how the guava pops on the black.

I LOVE the winged heart image. That is my FAVORITE image from the set in case you didn’t notice. The sentiments are really sweet too.

Heart to Heart

This one was so simple and I just love it! To me it looks like it will fly off the card.

Next up is 2 of hearts

I was just toying with a concept. I thought it was cute, and achieved my goal-SIMPLE!

This one is scored at the top, and the ribbon tied through. I love doing that.

Alrighty! That is it for tonight. We have someone coming to the house so I gotta get my butt off the puter. I’m getting THE LOOK!

Dont forget tomorrow is our S.M.A.K. Down!

Till then.

THANK YOU! To all of you who told me your “teeth” stories or offered encouraging words about our kids dentist visit.

Made me feel a whole lot better. Knowing I’m not the only one. I felt like the dentist must not believe I have them brush their teeth, with that many cavities. He was surprised Amber has the same diet and her teeth are in his words-“gorgeous”.

I appreciate each of you taking the time to share. Means so much.

Now I am off to take Alexa to chemo. Will be gone most of today. Exhausting.

I just feel plain ole BLECH!!!!!

This card I decided to share is so not that way. It makes me smile looking at it.

I was so drawn to the colors and simplicity. Oh yeah, and lets not forget the bling.

Stamps-Build a Bloom, rub on by Making Memories

So I will share it here and with it celebrate the good things-

I have 3 beautiful children, who I think love me as much as I love them.

Alexa is Cancer free, and the 2 other children are pretty darn healthy, a man who loves me, a happy marriage, a new puppy, and a good life, with lots of friends.

We have a roof over our head, food in the fridge and clothes on our back-lets not forget a room full of stamp yummies!

I have met many goals and continue to do so.

So no more whining. Sorry.

I have SO many cool things to share, but little time today-I know you understand. Plus the editing is a killer when you are crunched for time. Oh and you know me, blah, blah blah all the time.

That being said I was shocked when Lisa asked me if she could S.W.A.K. me!

Now when Lisa asks, you don’t say NO!!!! You kind of fall off your chair, and then politely respond YES!!!!

Here are the deet’s, and who will be playing

1. Download this pattern. (this is the mini heart note card that I made to go inside those BRILLIANT Papertrey heart tins!)
2. Create anything using this pattern.
3. Use Papertrey Ink stamps. (heart tin is optional)
4. post their project on their blog this Thursday (Jan 24th) and link to the other S.W.A.K.-down participants.

PLAYERS

• Emily
• Lauren -that’s me! EEEKKKKK!!!!
• Debbie
• Becky
• Julie
• Lynn
• Jenn 
• Amy
• Geny
• Taylor

So, come back here Thursday and see what I come up with. Is that not exciting?

You can join in-just leave me a link to your blog/gallery so we can all check it out.

OK I’m off.

Till tomorrow.

UGH! Pinch me! I think I’m awake.

I hope I’m not, but I’m pretty sure I am. Its another dental nightmare.

PLEASE-if you are putting off taking your kids to the dentist DON’T. I don’t care if you legs are falling off-don’t go through what I am.

OK so in one of my posts, I went on how I was FINALLY taking the kids to the dentist-that I wasn’t going to let myself feel bad for NOT taking them in 2 years because all our family had going on.

Alexa was the only one who has been before. When Noah turned of age-Alexa got cancer, and blah, blah, blah, a million excuses later, that amount to nothing.

Well now I feel like the WORST parent in the world! I wanted to die when I heard the “news”.

So we take the kids. Who ALL were totally AWESOME! The dental people ROCKED!!! OMG! I was so happy with the way they did things with them.

Amber was just so good-especially for a 3yo! I did take my camera but it died right there! That was a huge sign. A sign I would want NO documented PROOF of what a horrible parent I am.

Amber got a clean bill of health! YEAH! One kid-good. She did the x-rays like a PRO!

Alexa-only got an exam. Due to her counts and chemo tomorrow. She couldn’t get x-rays either, because in case the slides cut the inside of her mouth it could result in a serious infection. She will ahve one in 2 weeks-count dependent. She also has thrush from all the daily antibiotics she is on to fight her own germs! FUN!

She has one “possible” cavity that they want to put a Veneer on. That is HUNDREDS of dollars, out of pocket! But its a permanent tooth, and in the FRONT! So worth it in the end. Also not bad considering people with DS have little enamel, and she has had MONTHS -(yes I said months) where I could NOT brush her teeth due to severe mouth sores from her chemo-she drinks LOTS of water and doesn’t eat allot of candy, so that saved her! I have no guilt with her cause I seriously did my best, given her situation.

Oh now for the KICKER!

NOAH-

He was the cutest, sweetest, funniest kid getting his cleaning. Just awesome.

I had a inkling Noah had a cavity at the bottom right. He complained Sunday-so I immediately made an appointment.

Um yeah can you say FIVE!!! Yes FIVE CAVITIES!!!

2 being very deep! one in his front baby teeth!

Let me say before I go on, I also help the kids brush their teeth so I am just astonished by this.

WHAT!

How does a 5 yo get that many cavities?

Believe me-I make my kids brush their teeth at least twice a day. There is a very occasional morning that the bus arrives a little too early and it doesn’t get done, but first thing when they get home, those suckers are scrubbed.

Myself having dental woes never wanted my kids to.

Anyway-Noah has to go back, in 2 weeks and the the child equivalent of 2 route canals!

SHOOT ME PLEASE!! The poor kid. All because I put off taking him to the dentist till I had to.

OMG! He is going to HATE the dentist forever. Its going to cost a small fortune too. Since insurance doesn’t cover much for route canals, nor the Nitrous! Which for a kid I totally dont understand.

I’m glad I didn’t get my stuff fixed so I can pay to get him all fixed up first.

Oh look at all my ((!!!!!!)). Can you tell Im freaking out?

Anyway-I chalk it up to drinking too much juice-too many gummy candies, and now I have a TON of guilt.

I could seriously cry.

Even though I did clean their teeth, I bribe them during our tough moments with candy, and now look.

They are paying the price.

What kind of parent does that make me?

Who does that? What an awful thing I have done to Noah.

Sorry to go off, Im just at such an emotional crisis.

I know I have been through worse, but I feel like those things I had no control over, I certainly have control over letting my kids get gummy treats as a reward, AND taking them to the dentist.

They did say it could just be his system harbors more bacteria but c’mon!

OK I need to go.

If you are still reading this thanks for listening, and sorry for the endless ramble.

OK by my title you are probably thinking “WHAT on earth is Lauren blabbering about now?”

I am stepping out of the box a little (for me), trying a new technique, and doing a different style of card.

Just so you know, I AM capable of transforming my style into whatever I want, its just not often that I feel the need to mix it up! But today I mixed away.

Well, I have a NEW product to share with you all. New to me anyway.

I “showcased” the product by making my card all old, distressed, and collagey, with a REAL OLD set-Garden Collage. There is the ” old” part.

 Beautiful Butterfly Collage

This was a SU! Sell-A-Bration set at least 2 years ago. So ANCIENT to me! LOL! I got it not long after I started stamping. It had a butterfly so I fell in love with it.

I heated my gold ribbon, to make it curl. I stamped the main image in vellum, and layered onto patterned paper by Prima. I used my sewing machine to stitch around the edges. I sponged the edges, and added some gold cardstock as well.

It picks up the gold in the butterfly.

Notice my GORGEOUS-POP OFF THE PAGE-GLIMMERY-3D butterfly of beauty?

How could you not right? The butterfly is popped off the page.

But what makes it have that special look?

Well I made the butterfly using a product called Fantasy Film.

It’s the coolest thing ever.

It was bought in place of what my friend thought was Bling paper. Can’t blame them, its very close looking.

After getting it I found I didn’t have the correct things to use it :C BUMMER! So off to the store I went, to get what I needed.

Here is what you need to do to use Fantasy Film

A stamp 😀

You need the Fantasy Film-DUH! It cost $7.00 for the roll you see here. Comes in several colors like clear iridescent white, pinkish, greenish—-and thats all they had. May come in other colors-not sure.

NOTE: You need to cut and layer the film over the stamped image, 3 times. (see the 3 pieces)

A permanent ink such as StazOn or Pallette ink.

A Iron. I use Heidi Swapp’s ribbon iron-works like a charm 😀

Most importantly, a nonstick layer! I got the non stick craft mat-shown in photo. It was $10. has many uses, especially if you use your heat gun frequently.

Here is what you do:

1) Ink your stamp with permanent ink. Place stamp ink side up.

2) Cut/layer film over stamped image 3-4 times.

3) Place non stick parchment paper or Craft mat over film that covers stamp.

4) Place iron on mat, and rub in circles for about 30+ seconds. Depending on your iron.

5) Take iron off image, remove mat, and now you have your inked/melted fantasy film image!

6) Trim out image, and design card as desired.

COOL huh?

The process is actually very fast-after you get it down.

The more solid the lines  the image has the better the look you get.

I have a butterfly from a set, (not used yet) and it looks great.

AND I tested it on Acrylic stamps! Oh I was petrified!!!! But it worked. I am not saying I endorse YOU doing it, nor am I going to claim responsibility if it doesn’t work for you, but I personally had no problem using it with a Papertrey Ink set. You will see that sample soon.

Also the film mets, and morphs into a variety of colors. The more it mels the more it morph’s. Pretty cool look!

I hope you give me your feedback on this product if you get a chance!

Till tomorrow.

to your nearest Michaels.

On a shopping excursion to M’s, I was browsing the dollar spot, and-right next to it, found these babies!

Look familiar?

Well, if you are saying DUH! Its says right on the package Decorative Accents-that obviously go in your candle holder/vase’s then you are SO WRONG!

These are JUST like the Robin’s Nest Dew Drops! I mean EXACTLY! same size and everything. Only for an entire bag of these you will only pay $3.99!!

I was tipped off to these during my blog browsing (which is not very often :C), so if you know who originally made this find-post it here!

I had to see for myself. YUP! They are exactly the same.

You see I got the pink/purple variety, green variety, and clear-so I can use my Copic marker’s to color them whatever color I want 😀 They also had a blue variety. No need for that.

Now the bag was rather big, and was NOT with the plant/vase stuff. It was near where you buy decorative home greenery, on an end cap!

So I wondered  HOW I could store these.

As you can see in the above photo, I used a old SU! plastic stamp case. I didn’t want to mix them up, so I did this

I simply measured my case size. Then cut cardstock a bit longer (about 4 inches longer) in length. Scored it, with my Scor-Pal, to make divider’s that fit it inside!

The dividers are scored at (for example) 2-3-4 then again at 6-7-8. This gives you the mountain you need to support the weight of the beads, and keep them separate! Your measurements will vary depending on case size and how many packages of bead thingy’s you purchase.

Just put a bit on adhesive on the bottom of the divider before you place it in. Add beads-DONE!

Cool huh?

I have an INSANELY busy day today, so hope to post some eye candy later.

I have alot to share this week, so stay tuned 😀

INCLUDING a cool product I NEVER heard of before. You are going to want to see it.

HINT-its shines, and changes color.

 Now I know you want to know what it is 😀

Till then.

So now that we have some ground, we sometimes let Diasy play outside for a few minutes, in the driveway, while on the leash. Only when she really wants to stay out.

She can’t be in the yard yet, cause her place is not ready, and we still ahve several feet of snow.

So this afternoon I tied her up, and I went inside to start lunch.

8 minutes later………………………Came out to see this-

Look at that face? If she could talk I think she would say “Oops! Did I do that?”

She immediately sat down, and gave me this pathetic face-only a doggy mom could love.

Oh after getting my Crafty Secrets Coffee & Tea set, I had to dust off my beloved MFT Hot Stuff set!

I LOVE this set. I recently had a card with it published in the Dec/Jan issue of Paper Trends.

The *ONLY* problem with being on design teams is, you get these awesome sets you LOVE, you get to use them briefly before a release, then its on to the next set. NOT COMPLAINING! So, when you REALLY love a set it stinks when you don’t have more time to use the “oldies but goodies”.

Kim is only going to be releasing one mini set in February, since she is busy getting ready for CHA,  and has given us free reign to PLAY with our faves instead. I am getting an early start :D.

So wait till you get enabled to buy some older sets (wink)!

I was so happy with this card/layout.

I used some YUMMY Martha Stewart paper (and ribbon), and away I went. I used my sewing machine to attach the patterned layer, onto the embossed floral layer (embossed paper came that way). The colors are blush blossom, and pretty in pink. A nice monochromatic combination.

Its pretty simple, but lovely all the same.

Things are going pretty well here. I always appreciate the warm thoughts 😀

Tomorrow will be TORTURE the kids day!

My way of getting back at them for driving me insane the past week-KIDDING!!!

I made them each an appointment at my most FAVORITE place-the DENTIST!!! I don’t know WHO it will hurt worse, me for having to deal with 3 kids at the dentist, or them for having their first cleaning.

YIKES! I get an anxiety attack just thinking about it. If you follow this blog-you will understand. I hate the dentist. I hope to get my kids in and have a good experience.

Alexa can’t be touched. She has Chemo Wednesday, so I guess a week of travel AND torture. Her counts have to be REALLY good to go to the dentist, for risk of infection, plus due to her heart surgery she always requires antibiotics. They will however PEEK in her mouth to make sure things look OK till we are safe to get her a cleaning. People with Down Syndrome are prone to dental issue’s :C Little enamel, and overcrowding are a big issue-add chemo and you have the perfect cocktail for cavities no matter what you do. I will get Alexa’s teeth capped when she has all her adult teeth in, and will make sure she has a nice mouth of teeth if it kills me.

Due to our hectic health schedule this will be Noah’s FIRST visit and he is 5! BAD MOMMY! OK I honestly don’t have that much guilt because I can’t. We had priorities, and that was Alexa’s health first. We had all we could juggle. I can put my guilty sign on, but it will do no good. I have done my BEST. That is all one can do.

I really think we as mother’s wear that sign all too often, and we have to cut ourselves some slack time to time.

It’s OK to not be PERFECT! Who is really?

OK that is enough of my crazy banter.

Hope you have a great day. I have tons to do.

Don’t I always?

Till tomorrow-

Today is the 20th! That means it is time for our monthly Dirty Challenge. I really have fun doing this with all my fellow Dirty Girls.

All past/present dirty girls, who want to, participate in the challenge.

Each month has a special theme with certain guidelines or restrictions!

This month-Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

RULES:

Challenge Focus: Girls Young and Old (your main image must be or include a girl – think Bella, Ronnie, Hanna, Elzy, Rubber Romance, etc. etc.)

Required Element: Something *SWEET* – you may interpret that any way you like.

Restricted Element: NO standard A-2 cards (4.25 x 5.5). Any other card size or type of project is ok.

Keyword: DCG108-this is where you can find them in the SCS Gallery.

So, for me, I went the extra challenge mile, and used my Rubber Romance Girls!

The link I provided is where mine came from. I learned recently that the creator of them, has her own Etsy store, and sells many you cannot find else-were!

Jody, always KILLS me with her mad skillz using them! After seeing some of her recent stuff I ordered “a couple”! So these are for her!

So here is my first one:

 Romantic Ribbon of Birthday Wishes

How could I possibly resist this one? Her name is -Judy is giving gifts.

This card is 5 1/2 squared.

Girl is stamped on a rectangle, cut using my nestabilities. Colored with Copic markers.

When we got word of the challenge and to use something sweet, I thought, what is sweeter than a new use for my May Arts ribbon?

 I folded it up, and made it into the bottom of her party dress. I used a hobby blade to cut a slit at the waist band and put the excess through the slit.

I thought it was so “sweet”. I also used some YUMMY paper by Imaginisce called –For Peep’s Sake. You cannot see it by the photograph, but the paper has glitter all over!

I wanted it to be soft, and elegant, so the added sheer ribbon, and tied it around the card-like a gift package.

The vellum punched flowers (edges sponges with ink), with a touch of bling, would be perfect! To continue the design, I used a scallop border at the bottom portion of the card.

The sentiment is a Rub On from Making Memories.

What do you think? Sweet enough for you?

Here is my second one:

 Daisy

For obvious reason’s I called this one Daisy!

This one is suppose to be for my mom, as a thank you for helping Jason buy Daisy for me. She is the best little poochie ever.

 Here is my mom, holding Daisy, with her GINORMOUS Golden Retriever named Teddy. He weighs OVER 100lbs, and is the gentlest dog ever.  Daisy had NO idea what that HUGE ball of fur was. Keep in Mind Daisy was only 5lbs! So the size of one of the clumps of fur, that comes off him after brushing! LOL!

 Here is Teddy “dog kissing” Daisy.

Cute huh?

I got this stamp from AmyR! She bought it for me right after I got Daisy. (Don’t know the name of this one though). She said it looked just like us. AWE! Thank You Amy!

Isn’t it SO us? So this is my sweet! Sweet Daisy Doodle.

I colored this with my Copic’s. Used my Scor-Pal to create the dry embossed border around the image. The Prima’s match the embossed border.

I  LOVE this paper by Piggy Tales-Little Red Riding Hood. It inspired my color scheme for this card.

Now due to the large image, and challenge requirements-this card is 4 3/4 X 6.

My sentiment is by a CTMH set-I think its called Puppy Love. I really love that set alot, and it has the best sentiments for cute dog cards 😀 Cute images too.

So that is that.

Hope you enjoy looking at all the challenge cards.

Till tomorrow.

 Circle of love

I figured MOST of my sketches have funky layer’s. This time I felt like we should KEEP IT SIMPLE!!!

I love clean and simple. I am also planning on “stepping it up”! LOL! I want to do another card layered, with the same sketch idea.

 click to enlarge it.

I love incorporating circles in my designs, so thought this card would be a great one for today.

I DO agonize about the weekly sketch, as I try to make it fun, fresh, easy, and exciting. I did ponder if this was TOO plain. But I will let you decide 😀

So, for THIS card, I was re-organizing my “supplies”. This is something I like to do often.

My space has to be clean and spotless for me to get creative. Sometimes my supplies in bins get unorganized. So it was time to reclaim my totally organized space!

I was also inspired because one of my reader’s asked how I know what I have, and how I find it all! LOL!

Well I do have “bins” for each thing. Such as -BLING has a bin, fun flock has a bin, stickers, have a bin, rub on  also have a bin, acrylic frames and ghost shapes and the like have a bin-you get the idea. SO things have their place.

As I organized, I came across the red sticker you see in the upper left. They were in the Target $1 spot like 2 years ago! I know I hoard alot :C So I figured it would be fun to use it. I had forgotten all about it actually.

So I used my Green Grass set, which I am SADLY realizing as I type this-has been discontinued :C It was one of her Alpha’s, in which the name escapes me now. But any word could do the same thing. She has a bunch of sentiments/words/alpha sets.

So I stamped the “love” word several times onto white card-stock.

The what I did can be done with any word. I used the “love” sentiment, and stacked it onto each other, coloring 1/2 the letters in a darker color to create a “block” word that says love, once stacked on each-other. I made it POP out at you, by using a making memories page pebble.

I then used my Coluzzle to cut the circle. I stamped a large frame circle (PTI Borders and Corners circle set) with white craft ink, onto my base, then fit the stamped circle into it.

Added my sticker, and ribbon.

I then did the same “love” sentiment in the lower right corner.

Now please use whatever you want in YOUR circle! You can use images, may your own paper, whatever you choose.

I hope you have time to try it out. If you do send me a link here so we can all see YOUR take on the sketch! I HAVE NO “rules” about my sketches, just that you have fun. Use them how you wish.

As always, thanks for reading.

I am off to my LSS AGAIN! I may take Amber with me 😀 She loves to shop too.

Tomorrow is the 20th-which means it is  Dirty Challenge time! All past and present Dirty Dozen girls get together with a “theme” for a challenge! So check back then!!!

Till tomorrow.