Los Martinez

It's been a LONG time without any postings :-(

2009-05-11T21:12:00.003-05:00

Here's a thank you card that I gave to Ron for my b-day gift.

Here is a card that I CASE'd from Beate (http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/). I loved this card from when I first saw it on her blog. it's the whole reason I bought the stamp set.

Here is a Calendar that I made for my parents for their anniversary. I just wish I had a better picture of Ezequiel and I to put on it. :-(

This is the card that I made to give to Dan & Lindsey with the gift for their twins which are on the way. I have had the stamp set, By Ones & By Twos for quite awhile, but this was the first chance I got to make a card for twins. :-)

I made this card because I was super excited to use my new Bella Birds Designer Series paper and the Always stamp set which I just recently got. And I used the colors to complete the Color Challenge #214 on Splitcoaststampers.com. The colors were Bordering Blue, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, and Chocolate Chip. I LOVE this color combo.

Birthday Happiness

2009-03-02T16:50:00.003-06:00

I made a big birthday card for my manager at work. I made a big card so everyone could sign it. Here is the card that I made. I used my pretties kit for the first time. I even used the technique of dying the flowers using my reinkers. :-)

Trying to get things ready....

2009-01-22T12:58:00.002-06:00

Since I haven't been working the last couple of weeks, I have been trying to get paperwork ready for the attorney. There are some things that need to be signed by Ezequiel & myself (still trying to figure out how I am going to do that since I will not be back in Canada until Valentine's Day). I am currently planning on going for interviews the end of April/beginning of May. And it should take about 2 months after the interviews before I will be moving up to Canada. I just hope that I am able to get a job in Edmonton. I told the attorney that I we would be willing to find something in British Columbia or Alberta. But, I can't stand the Calgary area, don't know why, I just like Edmonton alot better. The Vancouver area is nice, we went there back in October, but I still prefer Edmonton. So, hopefully I will be able to find a job there.

Birthday Present Box

2009-01-20T16:36:00.003-06:00

After making the Origami box the other day, I have been very eager to make cute boxes. So, I checked out SplitCoastStampers.com and found a tutorial for an A2 box. I used the tutorial to make a cute box to put Sherry's birthday present. I decided to use a stamp set that I had not used in quite a while, Crab & Company. I guess it is my ode to a stamp set that I really like since it is now retired. Here are some pictures of the cute box that I made for her present. I can't wait to give it to her this weekend.

Recipe:
Stamp set(s): Crab & Company (retired), Sandy Shells Wheel (retired)
Paper: Kraft CS, So Saffron CS, Real Red CS, Very Vanilla CS
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, So Saffron, Real Red, More Mustard
Stampin' Write Markers: More Mustard, So Saffron, Real Red, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Sponging, Ticket Corner punch

Rodeo card

2009-01-19T20:25:00.002-06:00

I was able to use my new stamp set (Bronc Buster) to make a card. I guess it really isn't new since it is retired now. But, it is new to me. I decided to get it because it was at a discount and I got free shipping. YAY! Here is the card that I made.

Recipe:
Stamp Set(s): Bronc Buster (retired), Loads of Love Accessories, Starstruck
Paper: Blue Bayou CS (retired), Baja Breeze CS, Kraft CS, Chocolate Chip CS, Very Vanilla CS, Blue Bayou DSP (retired), Au Chocolate (retired)
Ink: Blue Bayou (retired), Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Circle Cutter, Corner Rounder punch, Ticket Corner punch, Photo Corner punch, Small Tag punch, Large Tag punch, Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbon

Origami Box

2009-01-18T16:21:00.004-06:00

I saw an Origami Box on SCS and I knew that I had to try it out. Since, Valentine's Day (an my anniversary) are coming up, I thought that I would make a cute box to hold some candy, and give it to my hubby. Here is the link to where I found the directions http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=410418. I made a few changes but it is pretty much the same. Here are the pictures of the finished box.

Man, it has been a LONG time!!

2009-01-18T16:10:00.002-06:00

I was making cards but wasn't always taking pictures and posting them. I just recently got home from spending 4 days in the hospital due to having Pneumonia, Bronchitis and the Flu all at once. It was very difficult to breathe and it they ran multiple blood cultures and tests to make sure that I didn't have anything else on top of the triad of illnesses. I am starting to feel better now. It still requires ALOT of energy to do the everyday stuff. I have a follow-up visit to my regular doctor in 4 days. And, I may be released to work the following week. It will be nice to get out among the human population again. :-)

Beate's WSC #61

2008-10-13T14:42:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that it's already another Weekend Sketch Challenge. I really like this sketch because it is simple yet very unique. Here is the sketch for this weekend.

And here is the card that I made for the sketch. I pulled out some paper that I hadn't used in a LONG time to make this card. But I love the colors together.

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: All Year Round II (Retired), Birthday Whimsy
Paper: Always Artichoke CS, Sage Shadow CS, Whisper White CS, Wintergreen DSP (Retired)
Ink: Whisper White Craft, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Always Artichoke Grosgrain Ribbon

Thanksgiving Day

2008-10-13T14:18:00.003-05:00

Well, today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. So, I decided to make a Thanksgiving Day card in celebration. I had never made a Thanksgiving Day card with my Thoroughly Thankful stamp set, so, I figured what better time than now. Here is the card I made:

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Thoroughly Thankful, November (Clear Stamp Set)
Paper: Tangerine Tango CS, Always Artichoke CS, More Mustard CS, Close to Cocoa DSP (Retired), Very Vanilla CS, White Glossy Paper
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze
Markers: Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Old Olive, Garden Green
Accessories: Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware (Retired), Stampin' Dimensionals
Technique: Watercolor Wash (Check out Beate's tutorial on SCS)

Halloween Bags

2008-10-06T10:58:00.002-05:00

Well, I saw a bag like this on Beate's blog. On her blog she made a cute Christmas bag. So, I decided I would give it a try for a Halloween bag. It took me a while to get the first one done because I was having problems. But now I am on a roll. I love these cute bags.

I hope you like them.

Beate's WSC #60

2008-10-06T10:40:00.002-05:00

Well, I am actually getting my Weekend Sketch Challenge Card posted before 11AM (Sometimes I shock myself). Here is the sketch for this weekend.

Here is the card I made. I used the colors from the the most recent color challenge that was posted: Baja Breeze, Really Rust and Chocolate Chip. These colors are great for fall (even though it doesn't feel like fall yet, at least not here).

Recipe:
Stamp Set: September Clear Stamps, Baroque Motifs
Ink: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Really Rust
Paper: Baja Breeze CS, Really Rust CS, Chocolate Chip CS, Very Vanilla CS
Accessories: Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Sponging, Very Vanilla grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Dreams Du Jour

2008-10-06T10:31:00.003-05:00

Ok, I love this stamp set and I love the new In Colors. I used Night of Navy with the Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze. I only bad thing about this stamp set is that I wish there were more stamps in it. :-)

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Baroque Motifs, Dreams du Jour
Ink: Basic Black, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Night of Navy
Paper: Kiwi Kiss CS, Night of Navy CS, Baja Breeze CS, Whisper White CS
Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Scallop Punch, Blender Pen, White Sheer Ribbon from Michael's, Paper Piercing, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sketch Challenge #59

2008-10-06T10:19:00.002-05:00

I didn't know if I wanted to post this card because I still haven't decided if I like it yet. It was the card I made for Beate's WSC #59.

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Thoroughly thankful
Ink: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, More Mustard, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Really Rust CS, Chocolate Chip CS, Whisper White CS, Old Olive DSP
Accessories: 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scalloped Circle Punch, Masking Tape, Sponges, Embossing Powder, Michael's Halloween Ribbon
Technique: Faux Leather with Masking Tape, Heat Embossing

Special Day Birthday Card

2008-09-25T11:39:00.003-05:00

I normally make a card for all of the employees that work in my department at work. So, I asked one of my coworkers what his favorite colors were so that I could make a birthday card for him. He told me that his favorite colors were Silver, Blue and Orange. I was thinking it would be a great way for me to use my Jersey Shore Designer Series Paper. Here is the card I created for his birthday.

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Background Sampler (Retired), Lots of Thoughts (Retired)
Paper: Pumpkin Pie CS, Bashful Blue CS, Whisper White CS, Jersey Shore DSP (retired)
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue
Accessories: Silver Brads, Photo Corner Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Small oval Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon, Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #58

2008-09-22T11:00:00.004-05:00

I finished my card for the sketch challenge on Saturday night and I kept thinking I have till Monday morning to get it posted. I am such a procrastinator. Then I was on the phone trying to get information about getting a passport and then I had to order birth certificates and so forth. Then before I knew it, it was 11:00am. I know the winner has already been picked but I am still making the post anyways. So, here is the sketch for the week.

And here is the cute Halloween card I made for the sketch.

Recipe:
Stamp Set(s): Home is Where the Haunt Is (Retired), Haunting Halloween
Paper: Perfect Plum CardStock, Pumpkin Pie CardStock, More Mustard CardStock, Basic Black CardStock, Whisper White CardStock, More Mustard DSP (Retired)
Ink: Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad, Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad
Accessories: Scalloped Circle Punch, 1 3/8 Circle Punch, 1¼ Circle Punch, Corner Rounder Punch (to make the scallops because I don't have the Scalloped Edge Punch yet), Halloween Ribbon from Michael's

My Sunflower Card

2008-09-18T11:16:00.010-05:00

I had found a template online someone's blog (Can't remember who now) that was to make a flower card. And I made a flower card for my Mom for Mother's day and she loved it. But I decided to do a little spin on the card for a friend of mine. Her favorite flower is the Sunflower. This card took a long time for me because I don't have the nestabilities yet :-( If you have the nestabilities then it would be much easier. I still think it turned out great (but maybe because I worked so hard on it).

Cards I gave to my Mom

2008-09-18T11:16:00.007-05:00

I made some 3" x 3" cards to give to my mom so that she could give them to people and wouldn't have to buy cards. I never knew that making little square cards would be so much fun. I used the Very Punny stamp set to make the cards. I might have to make some for myself now. Here are my favorites of all the ones I made.

It's been a long time since I posted a card.

2008-09-18T11:16:00.004-05:00

I have been making cards and taking pictures of them. But everytime I try to upload the image of the card to make a posting I am having problems. I am far from a computer expert. So, I am going to break down and finally ask someone for help. I don't know if it is a program that I downloaded or what. But the window won't open when I try to upload the image. I should have some cards posted by this weekend.

Misused English Words

2008-07-20T18:53:00.001-05:00

So, I stumbled across this quiz online. I was curious how well I could do, so I took a stab at it. Here are my results:

Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test ...

English Genius
You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 87% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!
Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!

The weird thing is that I only missed one of the expert questions, and it scored me at 87%. I should have received 92% if I only missed one. Oh well.

I challenge everyone to also take the quiz and post your results. Here is the link

Toronto Zoo

2008-06-30T19:24:00.002-05:00

The Zoo in Toronto puts all the other zoos that I have been to, to shame. The only bad thing was, that they were having very high temperatures that day and I was starting to get sunburnt there. So, I wasn't able to go see all the stuff that I wanted to see. :-( Anyways, here's the slideshow of the zoo pictures that we took that you could see.

Niagara Falls Trip

2008-06-30T18:53:00.006-05:00

We just recently got back from our Trip to Toronto, Ontario. We had loads of fun there. One of the first things we did was to go down to Niagara Falls. It was so awesome!! We even went on the Maid of the Mist. Here is a slide show from Niagara. Just click on View All Images.

WSC #52

2008-06-14T15:10:00.002-05:00

Here is my card for the weekend sketch challenge. I hadn't used my Frolicking Frogs stamp set in a while, and it just seemed to fit this time of year.

Recipe:

Stamp Set: Frolicking Frogs

Paper: Bashful Blue CS, Wild Wasabi CS, Whisper White CS, Cutie Pie DSP, River Rock DSP

Ink: Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi, Jet Black Stazon, River Rock, Creamy Caramel

Write Marker: Garden Green, Cameo Coral

Accessories: Sponging, Wild Wasabi Striped Ribbon, Blender Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Everything!

2008-06-12T10:27:00.002-05:00

There sure have been alot of birthdays lately. Here is the card that I made for one of my co-workers because today is her birthday. I can't wait to get to work and have some cake (even though I really shouldn't be eating any). I wanted to use my Berry Bliss DSP because I hadn't used it in a while. So, as I was searching for a stamp that could be used for a birthday card, I stumbled across good ole' Greetings Galore. And I was thinking the Happy Everything stamp could work with the flowers on the Berry Bliss DSP.

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Greetings Galore
Paper: Purely Pomegranate CS, Close to Cocoa CS, Whisper White CS, Berry Bliss DSP
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, Purely Pomegranate
Write Markers: Pretty in Pink, Old Olive
Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon, White Gel Pen, Blender Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals

Eat Cake

2008-06-12T10:14:00.002-05:00

Well, my hubby's birthday is coming up soon and so I needed to make a birthday card for him. His favorite colors are Black, Silver and Turquoise. So, I put together this card with his favorite colors. I didn't have an silver paper, so I used the Charbon DSP because the Basic Grey was as close to silver as I had.

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Eat Cake
Paper: Whisper White CS, Basic Black CS, Tempting Turquoise CS, Charbon DSP
Ink: Versamark, Whisper White Craft
Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Brads, Silver Embossing Powder, Heating Tool, Stampin' Pastels, White Sheer Ribbon (Michael's), Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Piercer

2008-06-10T11:19:00.002-05:00

So, Father's Day is coming up pretty soon. And I couldn't wait to try out this card. I saw this type of card on Cambria Turnbow's blog last year and I thought it was super cute so I wanted to make it this year for Father's Day.

Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Riveting, In the Loop Alphabet

Paper: Bashful Blue CS, Wild Wasabi CS, Basic Black CS, Bashful Blue DSP (From the Print Pack), Charbon DSP

Ink: Basic Black

Accessories: 1¼" Circle punch, 1½" Circle punch, Cuttlebug, Divine Swirls Embossing Folder, Light Blue Gingham Ribbon, Bashful Blue Stripped Grosgrain Ribbon, Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

Beate's WSC #50

2008-06-01T17:36:00.004-05:00

Man, it has been a while since I have posted anything to my blog. I had been out of town and then my work schedule changed so I haven't really had any time until this weekend. It is so weird to have the weekend off. Anyways, this is the card I am going to give to one of my coworkers who is having a baby girl next month. I really love the pinks and browns together, especially for a baby girl card.

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Greetings Galore
Paper: Regal Rose CS, Chocolate Chip CS, Pretty in Pink CS, Very Vanilla CS, Close to Cocoa DSP
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel
Accessories: Regal Rose Grosgrain Ribbon, Cuttlebug, Divine Swirls Embossing Folder, Blush Blossom and Pretty in Pink Write Markers

WSC #48

2008-05-16T21:34:00.002-05:00

Here is my card for this weekend's sketch challenge.

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Pick a Petal, Sincere Salutations
Paper: Certainly Celery CS, Basis Black CS, Whisper White CS, Cerise DSP, Certainly Celery DSP
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: 1¼" Circle Punch, Black Gingham Ribbon, Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

One Card, Two Challenges

2008-05-09T11:01:00.003-05:00

So, I was able to make one card this week for two different challenges. The first challenge is Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #47 and the second is the Color Challenge #165 (Lovely Lilac, Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery). Here is the sketch challenge this weekend.

And here is my take on the sketch. I had to use a flower on the card because I don't have an oval punch or nestabilities.

Recipe:

Stamp Set: Time Well Spent

Paper: Pretty In Pink CS, Lovely Lilac CS, Flowers For You DSP, Certainly Celery DSP

Ink: Lovely Lilac

Accessories: Crystal Brad, Ticket Corner Punch, Scallop Punch, Flower, Stampin' Dimensionals

Beate's WSC #45

2008-04-29T02:25:00.003-05:00

I know that this is being posted really late, and I'm hoping that it isn't too late since a winner hasn't been picked yet. Here is the sketch challenge for this week.

Here is the card that I came up with for the challenge.

Beate's WSC #44

2008-04-21T09:44:00.004-05:00

Well, it looks like I am just barely getting my card posted before the deadline. I do not have the Jersey Shore DSP, however, I decided to make this card with the colors from that are on the Jersey Shore paper, which are Pumpkin Pie, Brilliant Blue and Wild Wasabi. And I used one of my brand new stamp sets that just arrived this past Friday, Big Birthday Candle.

Recipe:

Stamp Set: Big Birthday Candle, Sincere Salutations

Paper: Whisper White CS, Pumpkin Pie CS, Brilliant Blue CS, YoYo Yellow CS, Wild Wasabi DSP (From the Prints Pack)

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi, Brilliant Blue

Accessories: Wild Wasabi Double Stitched Ribbon, Small Tag Punch, Large Tag Punch, Dryer Sheet Technique (Tutorial on SplitCoastStampers), Glitter, Stampin' Dimensionals

Trying something new

2008-04-17T18:22:00.003-05:00

Well, Beate had her Fresh & Fun Freebies because she had 1.6M hits on her blog. So, she had a raffle, and all you had to do to enter the raffle was to post a comment to her blog entry with your favorite color combination. I was entry #209 with my favorite color combo as Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Groovy Guava and River Rock. I didn't win, Oh well. But I did decide to go through all of the comments and try some of the color combinations that I would have never dreamed of using together. So, I made a list of 25 of the color combos that were posted. So, far I have made two cards using the different color combos.

The first card I made was using Taken with Teal, Certainly Celery and Chocolate Chip/Close to Cocoa. I have an entire pack of Taken with Teal paper that I bought probably 8 months ago, and I never opened it until today. Once I got it, I didn't know which colors I wanted to use with it, so I never used it. So, here is the baby card I made with this color combo. Also, I decided since I hadn't made a pocket card in a while, that I would make this baby card, pocket style.

The next color combination I decided to try was Elegant Eggplant (sorry Beate, I know you're not a fan of purple), Summer Sun and Old Olive. As I was going through the huge list of color combos, I realized that I haven't used Elegant Eggplant since I was making Christmas cards, so I was looking for color combos so that I could use it more often, all year long. I also tried a new technique that Beate had on SplitCoastStampers for this card. I used the chalkboard technique. It was fun using this technique because I had to dig out my stampin' pastels (which I hadn't used in who knows how long). I had fun making both of these cards, I can't wait to make some more of the cards with the other color combos on my list.

Beate's WSC #43

2008-04-11T13:04:00.003-05:00

Well, it is time for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge again. I had fun with this one, and it was pretty easy. Here is the challenge that was posted for this weekend.

Here is the card I made for the challenge. It wasn't too difficult because I didn't stamp a whole lot and I didn't have to color anything.

Recipe:

Stamp Set: Blooming With Love

Paper: Whisper White CS, Regal Rose CS, Certainly Celery CS, Lovely Lilac CS, Flowers for You Designer Series Paper

Ink: Taken with Teal (I would have used Tempting Turquoise but I don't have that one).

Accessories: Regal Rose Grosgrain Ribbon, Turquoise Grosgrain Ribbon, Versamark, Stampin Pastels, Paper Piercer

Sick and Exhausted

2008-04-10T22:36:00.004-05:00

Well, I have been sick for about the past week. But, now I'm starting to feel a little better. Typically, I like to spend my 4 days off making cards. But I haven't really felt up to it. Since I started feeling better today, I decided that I would make a couple cards. The first card I made I decided to use the Farm Fever stamp set because it seemed to describe how I was feeling, because over the last few days I have felt Udderly Exhausted! This card can also be used for the TLC 161, which was to use double ribbon. Also, I was very excited to use my white and brown liquid applique on the cow. YEA!

After I made the first card, I just seemed to be in a card making mood. And I have been wanting to use the Old Glory stamp set ever since I got it for Christmas. But it never seemed right because it never seemed to fit with the holiday. Since Memorial Day is just next month I decided to go ahead and make a patriotic card. I really like how this card turned out.

Short trip to Canada

2008-04-08T12:19:00.002-05:00

Well, I just got back from Edmonton, Alberta last Friday. It was a short trip (I didn't even get to spend 2 whole days with Ezequiel) because I missed my connection in Denver and wasn't able to get on a flight until the next day. Then once I got there, I realized that my camera had been accidentally been switched on and then ran out of battery. I didn't bring my charger because I had fully charged the camera right before I left. The weather was quite nice. The highs were in the upper 30's and the lows were in the mid 20's. It was a nice change of pace from mid 80's here in DFW. Since I got back from Edmonton, I started feeling very yucky. I had to leave work early on Saturday night (actually Sunday morning) so that I could go to an emergency care clinic. I have the flu and bronchitis. I haven't had the flu in so long that I can't even remember when. So, they gave me an antibiotic injection at the doctor's office and then prescribed an anti-viral and antibiotic for me to take. I am starting to feel a little better now. Not 100% yet, but I am on my way. I pulled a muscle in my abdominal region because I was coughing so much. Also, my throat is still very sore from coughing. The best thing for a sore throat is ice cream. And the best ice cream can only be found at Milwaukee Joe's. Hmmmm, I think I'm going to go to Rosa's and get the Taco Tuesday Special. Then head to Milwaukee Joe's, hopefully they still have some Oatmeal Creme Cake Ice Cream left.

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #41

2008-03-28T12:07:00.003-06:00

Well, here is my Weekend Sketch Challenge for this week. I can't believe I got it in early two weeks in a row. The sketch was for a square card, but I made a rectangle card because I don't have any square envelopes. And since my parent's 34th wedding anniversary is coming up soon, I thought I would use this sketch challenge to make their anniversary card. Here is the sketch for this weekend.
And here is the card that I made using the sketch. I enjoyed this sketch and tried the sponging for the first time. I hope they like the anniversary card.

Just Because

2008-03-26T15:56:00.004-06:00

Well, I should be asleep right now but I decided to make another card instead. I decided to use some new designer paper that I bought at Michael's. It was on clearance so I bought it.

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Greetings Galore
Paper: Whisper White CS, Purely Pomegranate CS, Berry Bliss Designer Series Paper, Candy Shop Designer Paper (Martha Stewart)
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Light Pink Gingham Ribbon, Flower Accents, Brad, Stampin' Dimensionals

Springtime Friend

2008-03-26T12:57:00.003-06:00

Since it is Spring now, I was feeling like making a card that illustrated the spring fever. So, I used a stamp set that I was given for Christmas from a friend. I hadn't used it yet because it seemed kinda springy-summery. I don't know the name of the stamp set because the label isn't on it. But it is a retired Stampin' Up set from the year 2001.

And of course, I used my Spring Fling Designer Paper and I used my paper piercer for the first time. I also used my new flower brads. The flower brad goes great with this DSP. I like the card, but it did take a while to make because of all the coloring. But it just wouldn't have looked right without the coloring.

Be Inspired Challenge #6 and Color Challenge #159

2008-03-26T07:35:00.003-06:00

Beate's Be Inspired Challenge #6 was a picture of this Coldwater Creek skirt.

And once I looked at the Color Challenge, which was Soft Sky (Bashful Blue), Basic Gray (Basic Black), and Whisper White. I figured that I could knock out both challenges with one card. Here is the card that I made for the challenges.

Recipe: Stamp Sets: None Paper: Whisper White CS, Basic Black CS, Soft Sky CS, Soft Sky Designer Seris Paper Ink: None Accessories: Love & Happiness Rub-Ons, Scallop Circle Punch, Circle Punches

Beate's WSC #40 - Fabulous Love

2008-03-21T12:24:00.003-06:00

I can't believe it is already Friday. That means I have to go to work tonight. Thank goodness I only have to work three nights a week. This week I thought I would do the WSC before I head off to bed on Friday instead of waiting until Monday morning when my week is over. Here is the sketch for this week.

I really love the Fabulous Flowers stamp set and I was thinking that this sketch gave me a great excuse to use it again. :-) I had tons of fun with this sketch, thanks for the inspiration, Beate! Here is my card for this week's sketch.

Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Fabulous Flowers
Paper: River Rock CS, Groovy Guava CS, Designer Paper from the Secret Garden Simply Scrappin' Set (retired)
Ink: Groovy Guava
Accessories: Groovy Guava Double Stitched Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

TLC 160 - Cuttlebug:Negative Effect

2008-03-19T18:13:00.002-06:00

So, the technique challenge this week was to use a Cuttlebug folder and ink the negative side and then choose your paper and run the inked folder with the paper inside through the Cuttlebug. I decided to make a birthday card because I wanted to use my new balloon brads that I had ordered. So, making a birthday card just fit. Since my brad was very close in color to Pretty in Pink I chose that as my base card. I absolutely love the color combo of Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa and Purely Pomegranate and so I just went from there.

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: For a Friend (Level I Hostess)
Paper: Pretty In Pink, Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbon, Balloon Brad, Cuttlebug, Happy Birthday Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals

WSC #39

2008-03-18T18:35:00.003-06:00

Since it is almost Easter, I thought I would use my stamp set, 'A Good Egg', for the first time to make the card for the weekend sketch challenge. I really like this sketch and enjoyed making this card.

Here are some of the other Easter cards that I have made recently. Hope you enjoy them.

Beate's Be Inspired Challenge #4

2008-03-12T12:15:00.003-06:00

I can't believe I have had time to do two challenges in one week. It is actually a miracle. Here is the textured cutting board that Beate posted on her blog as the Be Inspired Challenge.

Here is my take on the card. I actually had to pull out some retired stuff to complete the challenge.

WSC #38

2008-03-12T11:30:00.006-06:00

So, I get home from work on Monday at noon and don't have to be back to work until Friday night at 11pm. Since I was going to have so much time off I decided that I actually had time to check out Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge and get the card made by Wednesday. It has been months since I have participated in the WSC, but I remember that the winner was selected on Wednesdays. So, I made the card and then when I went post it today, and I realized that the winner was selected on Monday. :-( Well, it's too bad that I wasn't able to be the winner, but I did do the challenge, so I decided to go ahead and post it. I used ALOT of my new stuff that my hubby bought me to make the card. The stamp set I used was one of the Sale-a-Bration sets that was free with the order. I was super excited to make this card.

Here is the sketch that was to be used:

And here is the card that I made:

Here's the recipe for the card:

Stamp Sets: Merci (Sale-a-Bration 2008)

Paper: Apricot Appeal CS, Certainly Celery CS, Barely Banana CS, Pretty in Pink CS, Sage Shadow CS, and Spring Fling Designer Series Paper

Ink: Staz-On Jet Black

Stampin' Write Markers: Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink

Accessories: Apricot Grosgrain Ribbon, Hodgepodge Hardware, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Cuttlebug, Bloom Dots Embossing Folder

Happy Anniversary to my husband and I

2008-03-12T11:11:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe that my husband and I have been married for three years already. Time sure flies when you're having fun. I love my husband alot and believe that I am extremely lucky to have him as my hubby. I wanted to make a special card for him. So I decided to use a stamp set that I received as a gift (I had never used it before) and a new technique. He really loved the card and always seems shocked when I show him a card that I have made.

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Love Always
Paper: Pretty in Pink CS, Purely Pomegranate CS, Close to Cocoa Designer Series Paper
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Purely Pomegranate
Accessories: Dryer Sheet Technique, Glitter, Light Pink Gingham Ribbon

Boatloads of Love

2008-03-12T10:58:00.004-06:00

I made a valentine's day card for my mom to give to my dad. And since it was going to be a card for a man, she didn't want it to be pink and red. So, we sat down and she chose Blue Bayou, River Rock and Very Vanilla as the colors for the card.

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Boatloads of Love
Paper: River Rock CS, Blue Bayou CS, Very Vanilla CS
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, Blue Bayou, River Rock, Groovy Guava
Accessories: Hodgepodge Hardware, Blender Pens

The great thing about this card is that it can also be used as a Happy Anniversary or even Thinking of You card.

Onesie Cards

2008-03-12T10:11:00.003-06:00

I saw a card that my sister had made that looked like a baby's onesie and I thought that it was super cute. So I had to try it out. I made two different cards, one for a baby boy and one for a baby girl. I really love the results. I used the same stamp sets, Baby Firsts and Greetings Galore for both cards. I simply used different colors when I was coloring and decorating each card.

Making these cards was alot of fun, and they were very simple to make. I might have to volunteer to make these cards for the next baby shower that I am a part of. :-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-12T09:43:00.004-06:00

It has been an awfully long time since I have made a posting. It is difficult when you are working 70 hours a week, and barely have time to sleep. I'm glad that I have 4 days off a week now. It gives me more time for stamping. I have made lots of cards over the last week that I will be posting today. Since St. Patty's is just around the corner, I decided to make a card with my new stamp set, Pinch Proof. There is alot of green on this card, but that is the main color for St. Patty's Day.

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Pinch Proof, Year Round Fun II (Retired)
Paper: Garden Green CS, Certainly Celery CS, Whisper White CS, Wild Wasabi Designer Series Paper (From the Level I Hostess Prints Pack)
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Hodgepodge Hardware, Wild Wasabi Double Stitched Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Bags from Cardstock

2007-09-27T23:22:00.000-05:00

I found an example for a bag made from a sheet of card-stock. So, I decided that I would try it out to see how it works. So, I made a cute little Christmas bag that can be used to put some miniature candies in it.

Recipe:
Stamps: Flaky Friends
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla
Ink: Basic Black, Night of Navy
Write Markers: Night of Navy, Bravo Burgundy, Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Regal Rose
Accessories: Always Artichoke Grosgrain Ribbon

So, once I made the cute Christmas bag, I thought it would be cute to make a bag for Halloween. You could put goodies in it also. So, this is what I came up with. It is a little bit harder to see because I took this picture when it was dark outside (no light coming in). I might be able to get a better picture later.

Recipe:
Stamps: Best Fiends (retired), Halloween Backgrounds (retired)
Paper: Old Olive, More Mustard, Very Vanilla, and Halloween Night DSP (retired)
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Blender Pens, Stampin' Pastels, Vintage Violet Stitched Ribbon

I really love how the bats on the bag match the saying on the fiends' t-shirt, "I Love Bats".

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #19

2007-09-17T17:02:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I posted anything. I guess I'm not very good at blogging. Anyways, I always noticed how my sister, Julie was making cards for this weekend sketch challenge. So, I decided that I was going to give it a try. I really like this card.

Recipe:
Stamps: Perfect Presentation (Hostess), Warmest Regards (Hostess Retired)
Paper: Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla, Holiday Harmony DS
Ink: Always Artichoke
Write Markers: Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Rose Red
Accessories: Eyelets and Grosgrain ribbon

All about Me

2007-08-15T06:54:00.000-05:00

I'm doing this because it was on my sister's blog

Jobs I’ve Held: I won’t list all of them…it would be a long list.
1. McFarland Concrete Structures - pouring manholes to earn extra money when I was a teenager
2. McDonald's - A job that I held in high school for a little while
3. Blackeyed Pea - Another job I held in high school because it paid more than McDonald's
4. Hanner & Associates - I did some payroll and book keeping stuff for a couple of years (this lead me to change my major from business because I didn't want to be at a desk all day)
5. Romano's Macaroni Grill - Waited tables during college
6. Walgreen's Pharmacy - Worked as a tech because I thought I wanted to be a Pharmacist, but I didn't
7. Cardinal Health - Testing pharmaceutical drug products
8. Adam's Respiratory Therapeutics - More pharmaceutical stuff
9. Blood Systems Laboratories - Testing of donor blood samples

Movies I can Watch Over and Over:
1. A Few Good Men
2. Seabiscuit
3. A Time to Kill
4. The Count of Monte Cristo

My Guilty Pleasures:

1. Finding recipes and trying them out
2. Sleeping in
3. Collecting Princess House stuff

Places I Have Lived:
1. Jacksonville, Arkansas - until I was 3
2. Bedford, Texas
3. Euless, TX
4. Arlington, TX

Shows I Enjoy:
There are actually quite a few of these so I will try to pick my very favorites…
1. Forensic Files
2. Seinfield
3. Lost - My husband got me hooked on it
4. Law and Order SVU- Yep, I still like to watch them.
5. American Idol

What were likely the 1st things you thought when you saw your significant other for the first time?

I couldn't believe that his hair was longer than mine. And I thought that he was really tall (he is 1 foot taller than me).

Places I’ve Been on Vacation (other than the U.S.):
1. Chihuahua, MX
2. Acapulco, MX
3. Cancun, MX
4. Edmonton, AB

Favorite Foods:
1. Mexican Food - I love it (What do you think, I'm married to a Mexican :-P )
2. ICE CREAM

Websites I visit (almost) Daily:

I don't really go to any websites daily. But I try to check my email daily.

Body Parts I Have Injured:
1. Dislocated my shoulder when I was 13.

Nicknames I’ve been called:
1. Sheila bo Beila - My uncle Rod used to call me that when I was younger. Now my husband calls me that because he thinks it is cute.

People to tag:
Not really sure…anyone who reads this and hasn’t done one.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

2007-07-30T15:03:00.000-05:00

I made some chocolate spice ice cream today. The spices include cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. I am really bad when I make homemade ice cream because I end up eating the the whole half gallon in about a week because I LOVE ice cream! Which, anyone who knows me very well knows that. I have been putting my ice cream maker to good use this summer. It's a great ice cream maker, and I'm glad my parents got it for me for my birthday this year. A couple of weeks ago I made strawberry cheesecake ice cream. It literally was too die for (and I'm only adding the parenthesis so that I will not end the sentence with a preposition). Anywho, if you live in the DFW area and you want some really good ice cream, you should head to Milwaukee Joe's. You can check out there website at www.milwaukeejoes.com. Almost every flavor of the day that they have is my favorite. Today it is Mexican Vanilla Crème Brûlé and tomorrow the flavor of the day is Nutter Butter. That place is evil (but in a good way).

My apartment is leaking again!

2007-07-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, it has been a long time since I posted anything. I am normally extremely exhausted and don't even bother with trying to post anything. I am going to try and get better at it. So, this is how my weekend is going so far. Thursday night I left work early because I wasn't feeling well. And early Friday morning I noticed that water was leaking from around the light fixture in my bathroom. So, I called maintenance to have it fixed. There was a leak in a pipe that was in the ceiling. So, they had to cut a hole in the ceiling and fix it. And they were going to come back on Monday to repair the hole in the ceiling. It was a big inconvenience because I normally sleep during the day (which I didn't get to do yesterday). Then at about 3:30am on Saturday morning, I noticed that water was starting to leak from another part of the ceiling. At first I was thinking the ceiling was still wet from the day before and it just needed to dry out. But then water started leaking from two other places in the ceiling in the bathroom. What a way to start the weekend out, huh? Then more and more water started dripping down, so I went ahead and called maintenance at about 6:45AM. I frantically started cleaning out my linen closet in the bathroom because water was dripping in there also. And I had close to $1500 worth of stuff in there. The value of my wallflower refills and fragrance oils alone is almost $800. When the maintenance man showed up and started looking at the pipes again, he noticed that there was another leak in the same frickin' pipe as before. He had to cut a bigger hole in the ceiling and water just started pouring down. Then he showed me where the pipe was leaking and how it was the same pipe and he thought the plumbers that had come out the day before were going to replace it. So, they only replaced part of the pipe when the entire piece of that pipe had began to oxidize and corrode? What's up with that?? The maintenance man put a clamp on the pipe as a temporary fix while we are waiting for the plumbers to come out and replace the entire pipe. They were supposed to be here within an hour to an hour and a half. Hmmmm, they were called almost 3 hours ago and they still aren't here. I just hope this time it is fixed so that the pipe doesn't start leaking again. Anyways, so now they are pretty much going to have to replace almost the entire ceiling in my bathroom. This is the third time I have had leaking in my bathroom in the last year. So, needless to say, I will not be renewing my lease contract here. Here are some pics of my ceiling, they might be difficult to see cause it is kinda dark in the ceiling, but here they are.

Friday the 13th

2007-04-15T15:36:00.000-05:00

Well, I had never had any bad experiences that occurred on Friday the 13th, until now. This past Friday, I was laid off from my job. I am not going to miss all of the stress and crap that is associated with that job. I am going to miss some great friends that I made while I was there. I hope to keep in touch with everyone. It will be very stressful financially if I don't find a job quickly. So, I will be filing for unemployment (something I thought I would never have to do and don't wish on anyone) and also I will be going full strength with my Princess House business to help me out during the transition. While I have some hard feelings about certain individuals who were chosen to stay with the company (mallets), this could actually be a blessing in disguise. Maybe with my experience in the lab, I will be able to get a job dealing with forensics. Any of you who know me very well; know that the whole reason I earned a degree in chemistry was to pursue a job dealing with forensic sciences. If I can't get a forensic related job, I would like to try to do something other than pharmaceutical. There are many chemistry related jobs out there, I worked 3 years in pharmaceutical, and part of me feels that the 3 years, was long enough.

Aimee's Baby Shower

2007-04-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry it took so long to get these pictures up. I really think I'm losing my mind. Of course, the day of the shower, I really thought I was going to lose it. I decided to go over to my parents' house to make everything because their kitchen is alot larger. My parents were down in Katy, TX visiting my sister and her husband, so I would have the house all to myself. I have not done much cooking over at my parents' house since they remodeled. So, I was having trouble finding stuff. It seemed like I had to call my mom a hundred times just to know where stuff was. Well, once I found everything I needed I was well on my way to making all the food. But, after I made the cake and was getting ready to get the icing prepared to decorate, I realized that I couldn't find any food coloring. So, I had to run to the store and get some. I ended up leaving a little late but thought I would make it up on the road until I got caught in traffic going about 3 miles an hour on the freeway. It's just my luck too. Needless to say, it was so hectic just trying to get over to Aimee's house for the shower. But once I made it there, everything went pretty smoothly, except for the fact that I forgot to bring the gift. I remembered the cake and crepes, etc. And then I forgot the gift. I really think that I'm losing it. Here are some pictures from the shower.

This is a picture of Aimee, her daughter Samantha and her mother, Donna

Here we have Aimee, Samantha and Aimee's Grandmother

Aimee opening up some gifts.

Aren't these duckie slippers toooo cute?

Here is a shot of Aimee, Samantha and Megan

Picture of Sheila, Aimee and Samantha

Picture of Sheila, Aimee, Samantha and Megan

Some more cute outfits for Katy Michelle (that's what Martin and Aimee are naming daughter number 2).

Even more outfits for Baby Katy (and it looks like Samantha wants all of Katy's things).

Here is the newer, bigger diaper bag so that Aimee can carry around stuff for two youngins.

In the center of the picture we have Aimee's friend, Penny and her daughters, Cheyenne and Brooklyn.

Here we have a picture of Aimee, Samantha, Hope and Isabella is in front.

Here Aimee has a new quilt for Baby Katy.

Here is a picture of Megan and Katy (and no, it is not a typo, This is Jordan's daughter Katy).

Here we have a picture of Megan with Emily (Jordan's other daughter, Katy's twin sister).

Here is Aimee receiving some paper and craft stuff to work on scrapebooking for Baby Katy's scrapbook.

Here is a picture of Jordan, Aimee and Megan.

Here we have Heather (who is due about 1½ months after Aimee), Aimee and Samantha.

More cute outfits for Baby Katy.

Here is a picture of Aimee with the cake that I made for the shower.