Too Terrific Tags, Alphabet Soup and Key Tag punch could be yours!

WOW This post will be long! Im in a chatty mood and have tons to dish about. But thats what is great about a blog, I CAN! And, if you dont wanna read my babble you really dont HAVE to, you can skim over the the good stuff.

 I originally planned on 2 other cards to showcase today (that will be tomorrow) and decided to show these instead because it went with my Mytime Mail idea.

So, I spent HOURS going through all my alterable and crap-FUN! FUN! BUT, now its all organized, so I feel SO good. Plus Jason is happy. I had NO idea how much alterable stuff and extra other things I truly had. No wonder I had no room! 😀 Sad part I always want different alterable stuff-EEEEK! True sickness over here. I have SO much to get rid of but cant just toss it cause its definitely GOOD stuff. But who needs 20 memo cubes, and 12 bandaid tins? Or like 40 tiny “tooth fairy” tins? I guess I thought I did! Not to mention 2 HUGE bags of FLAT large marbles, Large Brown box CD Sotorage boxes (at Target years ago), Mini Maint cans (8) 2 boxes of marble tiles. OMW-what else???? The list just goes on. You get my point.

BUT, I fit it all nie and neat in the 2 jumbo drawer storage bin on wheels at Target $14.95!

There is a little overflow of Bloomin boxes and Petal card packets and stuff that I hope to MYTIME MAIL here. SO stay tuned-and if you need anything-LET ME KNOW!

Anyway-due to my cleaning spree YOU will gain from what I am losing.

Just reply to this post-your favorite thing about summertime. I will share mine tomorrow.

I will pick a Random winner on Friday morning!

Now we have taken care of the blog stuff, time for the eye candy-

You can see a WAY CUTE card I did HERE. Its by Green Grass Stamps.

Dont forget to reply and tell her you LOVE me! LOL! I want her to keep me around a while 😀 And check out whats coming up for stamps on her blog as well. Im dying to get the new sets.

QUICK NOTE: Copic Markers! If you want to jump on the band wagon you can get them from Kim HERE (under ink it up) or you can get them from Christine HERE AND GUESS WHAT??? You Stampin Up Addicts! You can get the SU! Color matched markers in ONE set HERE. Also Christine has the much popular scalloped punches IN STOCK. So RUN somewhere!

OK Sorry I got a tad bit excited. I own all this stuff so I know how amazing it is, and cant help but share the excitment. And yes the markers are pricey-but they are refillable! And glid across your paper. AMAZING! Make anyone a true coloring artist.

Down side-you do have to wait a little to have them arrive cause the makers are all backed-up. GEE I wonder why that is? (insert evil grin).

 Unique Shells

I love VERSATILITY! And I think these 2 cards I am going to share shows a little bit about how these images are versatile. Not versatile in a way, that they can have a funky cool new use- but they can lend themselves to very different looks! And I love that!

 Ever get a set that you feel you can only do ONE thing with? I know I have. When I saw Shore Thoughts by Lizzie Anne I about fell over! I loved the combination of solid and open line images. Cause sometimes I wanna color, and sometimes I dont. Sometimes I want to try a cool technique that lends itself to one type of the other as well.

Anyway I LOVE this set! LOL!

So my card above-

I love the look. The shells were stamped on black cardstock with versamagic ink. I used a Caribbean color, pink color and celery type color. NOT evident by the photo but very striking in real life.

I punched a scalloped rectangle from vellum cardstock and layered it over my image so the shells peek through the negative space. Essentially highlighting them.

I was totally inspired by my ribbon from SEI-Groovy Collection.

By the sea

 So here is this card, using the solid shell as well. When I created it I was truly thinking by the sea-hence the “ocean waves” in the bkgd. I inked them in Blue Bayou then applied my Martha glitter in a deep blue on the bottom, and a crystal white on the wave crests.

The scalloped top border was done to mimick the scallop top of a seashell.

My shell was embossed with silver powder. I colored it with various blue Twinkling H2O’s. I think this is so glittery yet elegant. I just love it all. Lots of texture, interest and dimension.

I will say I can’t NOT use Soft Sky with this set! LOL! I cant help it. Not only is it my favorite NEW color but its perfect. So I guess I should challenge myself in that way.

The Random winner picked was lucky #22!

Cathyon you will need to email me your info. so I can send out you goodies.

 Here is what Cathyon wrote

1. # Cathyon 15 Jun 2007 at 5:07 am

   What sweet candy you are giving to your readers. You have a great blog and creative artwork. Ok what am I grateful for this week, um..I would say that my family is healthy and I was able to stamp during the week after work. WHOOHOO! Thanks for the chance.

This card was made for ALL of YOU! Those of you who follow my stories and check in regularly. Those who support SCS, and the companies that support them! A BIG HUGE THANK YOU!

This will also be my Saturday Sketch challenge!

I created my own bloom with the stamp set. Its paper pieced, and multi-layered.

Stamp set by Stampendous called Feather Flourish can be found here and here. The For You is by Paper Trey. The circle of thank you is by Stampin Up.

The paper is by Crossed Paths, and is the Friendship collection. Cardstock & ribbon is by Martha Stewart.

Want this????

WOW! As I sit here typing I see I am at almost 50,000 views! AMAZING. Now I know my blog is not the TOP 10, but I just got started, and thats totally NOT my goal. I just really want to share my stamping views, art, and opinions. Its fun to see how many people actually enjoy them.

I LOVE when you share your stories, give me feedback, and all the amazing compliments, emails and support you all offer.

How can I thank you for actually wanting to read what “I” have to say?

Well how about some MYTIME MAIL?

From now- till Sunday night, post your comments here, and I will have the Random Selector pick a winner! You will receive this ENTIRE package of DCWV notecards/env. and 4 new stamps by AC Moore.

All you have to do is tell me something YOU are thankful for this week!

I am thankful that my kids are doing well. Especially Alexa! Her cancer remains in remission, and her prognosis is good. Despite the ups and downs of treatment NO COMPLAINTS!

And that I lost 5lbs this week! Go me! All those twizzlers were starting to catch up! Can you say SHOPPING!

Now its your turn!

It is a miracle! Not only do I now have my blog back (when SCS goes down my blog does too!) But I have FINALLY figured out how to make a Sketch in my Paint program! GO, LAUREN, GO, LAUREN….GO! GO! GO! GO! LMBO!

So I know this is late but its not my fault, here is the sketch!

OK so its not a fabulous job on it- but time was ticking. I have a ton to do over the next few days. All the info I had ready to go,got deleted, as did my SCS Pm’s so if you need something please re-contact me. That being said I had to re-do many things and dont have too much time.

I was SOOOO bombarded with emails from people DYING to know when my blog was going to be back up-I feel truly loved! LOL!

So here is my card for my sketch.

I didn‘t use an OLD sketch so figured we’d start a new! I do have another card to upload in a couple of days using this sketch as well, with a NEW Release set from My Favorite Things Stamps-so stay tuned. The 13th is its release date, so thats when I will post my sketch inspired creation. She actually has 2 sets ready to go that day, then another on the 15th! WAHOOOOO!

OK so the card-

I found some SUPER cute $1 stamps at Michaels that were irresistible! The Preggo Girl was one of them. Isnt she cute. This will be going to a friend of mine who I was meaning to send a YEAH! You did it-literally! LOL!

I stamper her on Blush Blossom and colored with Prismacolor Markers.

The Patterend Paper is from my LSS and I ahve NO CLUE who makes it-sorry!

So I used the cuttlebug mini embossing folders, on vellum cardstock for the accent WAHOO!!!

New Primas and brads for a little extra. Hope she likes it. Looks just like my friend!

I loved these new stamps SO much I decided to use my 3 faves as MYTIME MAIL!

All you have to do to enter is reply with a memorable story from either your pregnancy, birth, a baby moment-whatever!

If you dont have kids then you can respond with a funny story about YOU as a kid or a kid you know!

I will randomly select a winner on the 15th!

I would like to share a FAVORITE quote I heard recently that I think ANY mom can relate to

“I was a much better mother before I became one”

Isnt that hilarious! I think we can all relate! I would love to hear about things you said you’d never do BEFORE kids, that you have done!

Here are my stories-

Baby Story-

I was in Walmart, and a Greeter (old woman) complimented on how gorgeous Amber was. She added the slap to the face when she said ” What a gorgeous baby. Too bad you are covering her beautiful face with the disgusting sucker in her mouth (aka her binki). Im sure she’ll be oh so thankful for her buck teeth when she has braces in her teens”

I went postal on the woman. I was like “Hey who the H&#L asked your for your ____ing opinion. Do you even have children? and I went on to say many things about the woman that I am unable to type here. WOW! Totally hormonal moment.

I was a better mother before story-

I swore I would never feed my kids fast food, like McDonalds. Now I bribe them with it! LOL!

There are many things on that list let me tell you.

Ok now its your turn.

DRUMROLL PLEASE………………..

via random selector , the lucky winner is Number 11- Who writes:

# doverdion 24 May 2007 at 4:18 pm

I like your Peek-a-boo card. I think it’s cute. A favorite color combo that I like with grey is Always Artichoke-Elegant Eggplant-Pale Plum and Going Grey. I love the purple grey combos as well as the pink and grey.

Hope you find the combo that works for you. Thanks for a chance at a great prize

SO, doverdi

Please contact me with your info so I can get the set off to you!

I did make a card tonight featuring gray but will post it tomorrow as it may just be the sketch challenge! I have to think about that. Plus my batteries in the camera are dead! LOL! Dont you love that.

 So, Im sorry there is no sample-TONIGHT. I will say that site for color combos ROCKS!

Thanks again everyone, and those of you who posted links!!!

See ya tomorrow. Enjoy the holiday weekend.

So I was pretty excited to get some stamping done. Sadly my MOJO is gone missing. So I needed to really do warm up card, and saw the Sketch Challenge 23 on SCS.

So I needed a quick card to get the ideas flowin-and since I bought this set weeks ago, and never used it I figured it would be cute for the challenge.

 Peek-a-boo bunny

When looking at the sketch, and the images I thought this bunny peeking out of the “grass” would be cute. So I grabbed my wavy cutter by CM, and created the grassy hills. While this card is cutesy its also plain. Again, it was a warm up card. Im not lovin it. It did only take like 8 minutes to create, and that I love! LOL! I colored it with my SU markers, and sponged some “sky” Ribbon is polka dot gray from Ribbons and Bows Oh My! I dont use gray enough and so tried it out. Cute, but not my favorite color in the world. Id love to hear YOUR ideas for a color combo including gray! I will pick one and make “something” with YOUR ideas! I usually ONLY use pink & gray-BORING!

MYTIME MAIL-so here’s what I got! I dont like that set. I actually wonder why I even bought it! That is a bummer! But its the truth. Im not going to even attempt to make magic when the wand is broken! LOL! So, if YOU like it, and want it (used of course) then reply to this post. TRY to include a fun color combo using gray PLEASE!

So- By “it” I mean the stamp set. Just in case you weren’t sure what I was giving away for MYTIME MAIL. I will include this card with it. Winner will be randomly selected Friday night. A requirement will be you send me a link to ONE card you make using the set. I wish the winner best of luck. It would be a cute Stacker set. You know stack each animal on the other. I dont have the energy to even attempt it!

Now, back to the sketch. After my warm up the ideas poured out (some of which I cannot share but you will see eventually)! Trust me its kills me waiting for the Dirty Dozen reveal monthly and submissions to get published, and Lizzie Anne will soon have an Idea Book which some of my “assignments” will be published in for you all to view.

Anyway, I made this next card.

So Happy

So for this I was actually inspired by a mini catalog to advertise the purchase of CD’s. Their layout used a rainbow of colors, and featured squares with CD covers on it. Anyway-loved the strips of colors, and thought I could use it for the challenge. Just MYTIMED it, by using it for INSPIRATION not exact caseing.

So I layered strips of alternating cardstock, then just stamped my sentiment from Card Greetings in black ink, on the vellum cardstock layer. Attached the layer with 2 heart brads (retired by SU! No idea why I love them!!!) using my crop-a-dile.

So after that warm up came another card that attempted the sketch but turned WAY different. This was going to be a Sympathy card for my “boss” but I forgot to send it with her other goodies! What an idiot!

Tulips and Thoughts

So I LOVE Tulips. They are my most favorite flower! No idea why I just do. So when I got this ultra funky patterned paper by SEI called Penelope’s Potpourri I was in HEAVEN! I got the buttons, brads and ribbon to match too!

So I used the tulip pot image from Bundles of Bouquets by MFT stamps, and my acrylic frame by Making Memories. LOVE the frames. They are also self adhesive! MUST HAVE ITEM!

The senitment is also by MFT stamps and is called Lotsa Love.

HOW did this start as the sketch? Well my tulips were stamped on the left of the long panel-it then got cut and the frame was added. Then, I had the layer of tulips as you see it. Alot of maneuvering and this was the finished project. Colored the tulips with my Prismacolor markers.

The paper on this one was by Prism which is coming to All That Scraps in 8 1/2 x 11 sheets! OMG! Im so excited cause they have like EVERY shade of color imaginable! I love their cardstock. LOVE it! My supply is getting low, and I feel an order coming on! Also in case you forgot they are now selling MFT stamps too! PLUS she is getting in the Gel-A-Tins, the NEW! Gina K scalloped stamps, punches, and summer collection of stamps. Also more goodies! If you are going to order Id wait till after this weekend as most of her stuff is arriving Friday! I want you to be able to cram it all in ONE order! My basket is ready to go! FYI if you create an account you can log on and save you basket! So you can add and add till you are ready to hit SUBMIT! YEAH!!!

OK Sorry for the enablement but you know me, I need it ALL!

Now onto the last (of what I can share) samples after my “warm up”

 Get Better Blossoms

OK I know I went a little nutty with the paper! Cant help it.

So here is the last one. I thought the blooms in the paper looked like this stamp from Green Grass Card Sentiments. so I stamped them on the pink Prism paper using my awesome versamagic dew drops ink.

Now you can see the matching buttons.

I figured a Get Well card would be cool.

Its cheery to me, yet not so over the top get well. Make sense?

Well thanks for looking.

I hope to have more eye candy tomorrow.

Dont forget to reply if you want that stamp set.

Happy Spring day!

  Happy Saturday! Lets start the weekend off with some goodies!

I received these 4 magazines from Paper Crafts, along with a lovely handmade card from one of the editors there, after receiving a submission of mine that was accepted! YAHOOOO!

I actually have all 4 of these already, so figured YOU may not! So this is the Mytime Mail!

Respond to this post with what your DREAM Mother’s Day would consist of! I’d love to read about it. It could be how you’d like to spend the day, a favorite gift, whatever you want to share. Could be a favorite memory. Just gush!

We are actually celebrating “Mother’s Day” today. Since everyone will be out tomorrow. I will go shopping (as usual) and to lunch at my favorite place TGIFridays! Love that place. I hope to stamp the rest of the day FOR FUN!!!

Noah had his FIRST T-Ball game today. OMW! More on that later. I would rather go through labor again than indure the torchure that came with him there. Wait till you see the photos! 

So here is the sketch for today!

I made this card for a friend who just lost her grandfather. He was 99!!! OMW! I hope to live that long. Anyway I thought a Thinking of You was appropriate.

Here is the original sketch. I changed it a bit. This card is a 6×6. Love that size sometimes.

This card was done Using NEW! K & Co paper. It has a nice brushed gold effect on the flowers. Their PP is just gorgeous!

I used my sets from Green Grass called Flourishing and Card Greetings. The ink is versamagic dew drops. Its has a nice matte look. The Thinking of You was embossed with Gold. Very elegant card I thought. The flower is by Bazzill. Its their assortment pack. I love them so much!!!!

Hope you like it and have fun with it! This is the time to dust off the larger stamps you may have and use them!

If you participate in the sketch post a link here so I can comment!

I will choose the Mytime Mail winner tomorrow evening after my kids go to sleep!

Enjoy the weekend!

OK As promised! Here is MYTIME MAIL! I am already over 20,000. Not that is matters. But its KINDA cool to watch the numbers go up.

Much better than the scale!

This is for a new UM Reason to Smile, and UM Doodle Numbers set! I will pick a random winner on Sunday.

All YOU need to do is respond to this post by telling me your birthday (year isnt necessary so don’t worry), and one of you best birthday memories.

I love learning about you all. So lets hear it!

My Birthday is May 3rd.

One of my best birthday memories was when I was 10. My grandmother took me on a $500 shopping spree! Literally! We went to Sears, and spent the day at the mall. It was so fun. I remember saying to my grandmother when the total showed on the screen-“Oh my gosh, grammy thats alot of money. Lets put some stuff back. Grandpa will kill you”

And she just smiles and said “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of your grandfather.” LOL!

Another good memory was my 7th birthday My mom had a big party for me, and made me a cabbage patch birthday cake. I got the Michael Jackson RECORD! The one of him in the white suit with the tiger.

It was so hard to get and I was so excited.

Funny. Wish I had that album now. I thinks its worth alot of $ now! Its VINTAGE you know!

You know you are old when the toys you had as a kid is listed as ANTIQUE! WHAT!!!!

Check in for tomorrow’s Sketch challenge. And maybe some eye candy!

Wow! I have had a CRAZY week. Design team stuff sure has been demanding lately, but- can I confess I LOVE every minute of it. Well almost every minute. I have been working on Christmas submissions! HELLO! I’m trying to get rid of the snow, and here I am stamping Christmas items and singing Walking in a Winter Wonderland! WHERE ARE MY FLOWER STAMPS!!!

So, in between submitting, I got an email from Christine yesterday telling me I was tagged! The goal is to write 7 things you want people to know about you!

So in no order I want to say

1) I love my SCS peeps, loyal PSF’s and readers. I am addicted to browsing SCS! BADLY! First thing I do in the AM (after I sip my coffee, and last thing I do before bed-well sometimes)

 I have met SO MANY amazing people through stamping. You are all like family to me in some ways. Thanks for checking in regularly and ALL the kind words you send me. I enjoy learning about each of YOU as well, so instead of me tagging someone else- I tag YOU!

IF you want MYTIME MAIL you need to respond to this post, by telling me 7 things about YOU! I will pick a random winner Sunday evening at 7pm eastern time.

2) I have a shopping/stamping addiciton. Seriously. I am an online shopping addict! It runs in my family. I love to get mail-not just any mail, happy mail. If I realize I dont have anything coming I panic! Then hit submit somewhere. I love waiting for my goodies. I think thats why I shop so much. And no Mr. Brown is not HOT, nor is my mailman. And since most days I run in the shower just before dinner I would say its definitely not because I want to run into ANYONE! LOL!

3) I have a “touch” of OCD. While my house is not the most spotless, I will notice if the littlest thing is out of place. Turn my salt shaker a hair, and I will notice-ask my husband. I wish it wasn’t true but I inherited it from my mother. Although I have RELAXED alot! Its still hard to shake. Thanks mom! My son Noah has it too! GREAT! I have to make sure the4 house is clean several times a day. CRAZY! I vacuum at least twice-

4) I wear mostly black and brown. I have no idea why. I just notice that I do. Open my closet, and its full of black and brown. And jeans. I only wear jeans- Maybe because its slimming!

5) I haven’t cut my hair (besides a trim) since I was 12! My hair has been long since then. Never shorter than a few inches past the middle of my back. Usually its to my waist. I look awful with short hair. My hair was long-to my waist when I was 12, my mom chopped it to my shoulder, and LAYERED it! OMG! That year of photos makes me cringe! That day I swore my hair would NEVER be short again! And it hasn’t. Also another FUN fact-my hair was straight till my mom chopped it off! After that it got curly! (IMAGINE: short, layers curly hair-oh the horror) Now I have naturally curly long hair. It also got darker as I got older, and now I dye it! Yes I admit it I dye it-so what!

6) If I could eat anywhere it would be at either TGIFridays or Olive Garden! Im so not high maintenance. I LOVE both of those places. One of my most favorite food I NEVER get to have is Greek vegetables! OMG! Love them! I also love italian food, and seafood. Since meeting Jason I rarely get any seafood!

7) I use to bite my nails as a child. My dad always said it was so gross and no guy would ever date me if I kept biting my nails. He offered to pay me $250 if I stopped for 2 weeks, and grew just a little white on my nails. I could not bite ONE single nail. I was so motivated for the money that I did it! AND he actually paid me! Since that time I have not bitten my nails! I do however, pick at the sides when Im upset-you know like hangnails-I know really gross and too much info. You should have seen my hangnails when Erik and I had court (my ex-mistake aka Alexa’s father) and when she was in the hospital! OMW!

STAY TUNED for tomorrow! Saturday Sketch challenge!

Your turn!

I have SO much fun reading about each of you! My response to you all is not only thanks for checking in, and playing but GET THE CUTTLEBUG and GET THE BIND IT ALL!  These are must haves people! MUST HAVES!

This weeks random winner for MYTIME MAIL  is #28! Cheryl K! Please email me your address So I can get this   off to you tomorrow!

Here is what Cheryl wrote.

Hi Lauren –

1) I’ve been stamping for seven years, but not sure I remember a time before stamping! Ha!

2) I remember my first set was from Stampin’ Up!, and it had lots of pieces, not sure of the name.

3) Favorite technique? That is hard. I love embossing, but there are so many to pick from.

4) All the punches, I want them all, and I really try to add one to each order, but it so tempting to order them all, if only DH would let me!

5) My embossing gun and my Crafter’s Tool Kit.

Check in frequently cause there will be more MYTIME MAIL before you know it! LOL!

Ill be posting some eye candy as soon as I take a shower!