An entire year ...

I can't believe it has been an entire year since I have posted a project here. Well, a lot has happened in the last year - besides getting a year older. I completed my Masters on March 31, 2009 and was immediately hired by two colleges part-time to teach some online accounting classes - YEAH!! In addition to those schools I am also working part-time for two other colleges. I attended my first SU! Convention. I had so much fun and met so many people. I was able to make a lot of progress in the backyard. Then in November we were struck with heartache. Our beloved dog, Zeke, of 5 years passed away suddenly. We missed Zeke and realized that we could not be without a dog for long. So, in December we got two new puppies - Razz and Sophie. Then, the last major decision was made this week is to take and hopefully pass the CPA exam before the end of 2010.

So, between the new puppies, teaching classes, and studying for the CPA exam I am not sure how much I will be able to post again this year. I am going to try and make a point to post my creations. Please bare with me.

Color Inspiration #47

Well, I decided to give Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration another try even though I completely felt out designed on the last challenge. Low and behold for this color inspiration she challenged us to think and create with autumn colors. I looked through my stamps and discovered I have no "autumn" style stamps. I guess I should have pre-ordered Forest Friends or Scene in a Garden oh well live and learn. So I did the next best thing and decided to go with a masculine design.

So, for this design I decided to used my Textured plates for the first time. I absolutely love the argyle for masculine cards and the textured plates are so much fun to use. Another item I have used for the first time have been the Corduroy Buttons. When the new SU! catalog came out I jumped on the accessory waggon and bought just about all the new Corduroy Buttons and I have not been able to use them on any of my projects. Let me rephrase that - I did not like the way they were looking with any of the projects until this one. Enough talk. I just hope that everyone enjoys the design.

Recipe -- Stapms: For Father and A Little Birthday Cheer -- Paper: PTI White, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, and Tangerine Tango -- Ink: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, and Tangerine Tango -- Accessories: Chocolate Chip ribbon, Chocolate Chip Corduroy Buttons, Backgrounds I textured plates, Dimensionals, and Sponges.

Here we go

Over the next few days I will be posting some long and overdue ideas and projects. While I was finishing my last class I did have a few chances to slip away to my stampin room, but I did not have a chance to upload the ideas to here or to Splitcoast. So here goes.

I have just fallen in love with the Big Shot through Stampin Up! and I am always looking to ways to use the dies then the original intention. This was an idea originally presented by Christine Grygar. I just loved how she took the Baskets and Blooms die and made the "bin". This was so easy to do that I am passing the idea along to my best friend and SU! Demo so she can use it for one of her club projects.


Here is my Baskets and Blooms "Bin":

Again you can tell I have also fallen for the butterflies this year, or I am just ready for spring to get here. Either way, this project is using two SU! Exclusive dies along with items from the Occasions Mini which will be available to everyone on April 1. This bin was so easy to make. All you have to do is click on the link to Christine's blog above and follow her step by step direction. Have fun, I know that I did.




Recipe -- Stamps: Oval All -- Paper: Walk in the Park DSP, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Cameo Coral, and Whisper White -- Ink: Cameo Coral -- Accessories: Scallop circle punch, Large oval punch, 1 3/8 circle punch, Scallop edge punch, Big Shot, Baskets & Blooms die, Beautiful Butterflies die

Color Inspiration Challenge #46

This is a great way to get back on the waggon with stamping. I have been stalking Kristina Werner's blog for the past couple of challenges and I have not been able to get up to the stamping room to complete any of them. Well I made a point to do this one. This is my very first submission for one of Kristina's Color Challenge. I just hope I played by all the rules.

Here is my design:


For this challenge, I took a design I did earlier this week for a Clean and Simple Challenge on SCS and added a little more. I have fallen in love with butterflies, so I decided to use the Great Friends set out of the Mini. I cut out three butterflies and add rhinestones for the body.




Recipe -- Stamps: Great Friends -- Paper: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White -- Ink: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Regal Rose, and Pretty in Pink -- Accessories: Basic Black Grosgrain, Regal Rose Grosgrain, Paper Snips scissors, and Rhinestones

I am BACK!!!

I can not believe it has been almost two months since my last post. Life has been crazy. I am a week away from graduating with my Masters in Accounting. YEAH!!! I have finally finished my thesis all I have left to do is to just submit it to the professor and get three copies bound and mailed to him. I have also made the huge decision to continue my education. Starting June 29 I will be starting on my DBA - Doctor of Business Administration - with a concentration in Marketing. At least I will have some time to be able to share my creations.

Valentine's Day Basket

I have to admit that I have not been stamping much lately. This DRP paper that I have to do this quarter is starting to eat up all my time. A minimum of 50 pgs does not sound like a lot. Wish me luck as I attempt to finish this by the end of March. Enough with the excuses lets get to the reason why you are here.

I need to give you a little bit of some background information. I am involved in a monthly stamp club. My best friend Jennifer runs the club. I have been recruted as her helper. For the last two months of the previous club (which ended earlier this month) I had been presenting the projects. Now with the new catalog and a new club we decided to split the 6 months and alternate everyother meeting. So, for this upcoming club I am incharge of the meetings in the beginning of March, April, and June. The sad thing is that I alread have the main non-card ideas picked out and designed for my three club dates.

This project, a Valentine's Day Basket, was created for the club we had earlier this month. Jennifer and I figured with the Love You Much promotion that was going on through SU! that we needed to focus on those items. This basket was made using the Big Shot and the Basket and Blooms die. Another reason I am helping with the club is the fact that I have the Big Shot. The Big Shot is a blast to use. I absolutely love all the projects you can create with it. Lately I have been more into the 3-D items then cards. And that will be proven more with the other ideas I have for the next three clubs. You will just have to wait and see what they will be.

Recipe -- Stamps: Love You Much -- Paper: Very Vanilla and Candy Lane DSP -- Ink: Riding Hood Red -- Accessories: Bis Shot, Basket and Blooms Die, Scallop Punch,
Pink Pirouette reinker, Blender Pen, Linen Thread

Flying By

This week has been flying by. I have started my last class before I eran my Masters Degree. The class is my thesis class although the university calls it a Directed Research Project (DRP). For this week we needed to turn in our topic. It has taken me since Tuesday to decide on a topic and I have decided to focus on a section of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. I know, I know it is a boring topic, but it is something that has always intrigued me. I am not sure when the professor will have his comments back to me, so it is a waiting game to see if the topic will be approved.