Unmounted Stamp Storage

How do you all store your unmounted stamps? Since I've gone unmounted, I store mine in CD cases and then put them in a CD holder. I have the wire bin type that hold 20 (25?) CD cases and have 4 of them that are bursting out of the seams. I have not unmounted my stamps that originally came wood mounted, my background stamps, and my alphas and small phrased (Everyday Flexible Phrases, et al)

I like the space saving way of storing these stamps and the fact that my cases will stack on top of each other but I don't like that I don't necessarily know what I have and I'm not about to make binders of stamped images to cross reference.

I've seen the Little Monkeys system which looks cool but seems pricey for how many sets I have at this time which even with selling and trading away will only grow larger. I did order a starter system and extra sleeves since I can't tell for sure how many stamp sets it will hold and accidently ordered 2. I cancelled one and was thinking I should have kept it since I think I'll fill the first one quickly but if I don't like the system, I've still got my CD system.

So, this is long and rambling but I wanted to give you my initial thoughts and get your input on how you store your stamps.

Thanks for visiting!

CC168 Sage Chocolate

This week's color challenge at SCS was Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla. I substituted Curious Iridescent Poison Ivory for the Very Vanilla and this color combo is simply yummy! I feel like I haven't had the chance to stamp in forever since this time of year is so busy for me. I cannot wait till June 30th when I get a little time off for the summer. I preordered the new Fresh Cuts stamp set and Fresh Cuts notes from SU and finally got the chance to ink it up. I love this new set!!!!!!!

My card base is Poison Ivory and the focal image is stamped with Chocolate Chip on the Poison Ivory as well. I sponged the edges with Chocolate Chip and then matted it on Chocolate Chip cardstock. The Sage Shadow layer is stamped with the Sanded background stamp in Sage Shadow and then overstamped with the leafy image from Fresh Cuts in Sage Shadow. The edges are sponged with Chocolate Chip as well. The cardbase is also sponged with Chocolate Chip. Then the sage panel and focal images were adhered to the card front. The sentiment is stamped on Poison Ivory with Chocolate Chip and punched out with the small oval punch. Its adhered to a large Sage Shadow Oval. This is lightly sponged with Chocolate Chip and then pierced with the paper piercer. I tied a piece of Sage Grosgrain from the District Ribbon Originals around it and then attached the sentiment. I finished it off with some Cowboy Dewdrops and tahdah--all done!

Thanks for visiting!

SCS Blogger RAK

I got this super cute RAK in the mail from Heather Phillips. You can check her blog out at www.ribbonsandink.com She's got some super cute stuff!

I love the colors she picked and the layout. I also really, really love this stamp set. I think it's fun to color but it looks great like this, too. I'll have to remember that it's ok to not color in my line art images and they can look gorgeous this way as well.

Thanks, Heather!

Wow, I wasn't expecting this

What's Your Perfect Car?

My Result: Minivan

All aboard! Whether it's heading to the mall for new soccer sneakers or running off to Grandma's for the weekend, the car for you is the much-maligned Minivan. We're thinking a nice roomy Dodge Caravan or the spacious Chrysler Voyager—how about a powder blue or metallic beige? Maybe you once wore designer threads, but now you're seen more often sporting sweats and lugging groceries. And as you've matured, you swallowed your automotive pride and went with pure functionality. But don't worry, all the appreciation from your comfortable passengers is what really matters. As long as there's a supermarket parking lot out there, there's a space with your name on it. Your heart is as open, reliable and accommodating as your ride. Best of all, people feel safe with you in that spacious ride. You're in it for the long haul, and not obsessed with your looks on the way. You're car is a true family friend.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=carogt&c=50652

Amazing Blog Candy!

You must got check this out--Lil Deb has some amazing blog candy up on her blog. Visit her and then link up and send your friends her way.

Wish me luck on Monday. The kids and I are off for Malcolm X Day and I have not only my own 3 for the day but 2 cousins as well. I don't think I'm stamping on my day off.

Thanks for visiting!

Bright birthday card

My middle child shares the exact same birthday as his cousin who is one year older so we generally do a combined party for them. This is the card that I made for Cousin Brian :-)

Pun Fun has been on my wish list since I saw it in the catty but I've kept holding off on buying it. I was pretty excited when I saw that it was part of a recent SU promo but still held off until the last day of the promo when my willpower gave out on me. Now, I'm wondering what on earth I was waiting for! This set is super cute and I totally love it!!!!! I know that it will be getting lots of use in the future.

The cardbase is Tempting Turquoise. The yellow patterned paper is from a 6X6 pad from Sassafras Lass and the red is from the SU Hostess pack. I stamped the image onto Neenah Classic Crest Solar White with Palette Hybrid Noir and then colored it in with Copics. I cut it out with Square Nestabilities and then matted it on an Only Orange Scalloped Square which was also cut with my Nesties. I highlighted the swirls and stars with a Lemon Spica Glitter pen and the little window with Ranger's Glossy Accents. The image is popped up on dimensionals. I finished the card off with some dew drops and a rub on from the SAB set and tah-dah! A perfect card for a little guy who's turning 7.

Thanks for visiting!

We have a winner!

Dh picked the number 6 so Denise, email me and I'll get the pencils sent out to you.

Sob Sob Sob. . .

Anyone wanna come over and help my clean my dryer? Someone who is almost 6 apparently had some crayons in his pocket and I wash and dried them accidently. . . The inside of my dryer has some melted crayon and is a lovely shade of blue. . .

I had to let out a bunch of f bombs this morning and it looks like I won't be doing any stamping tonight. . .

If my little guy wasn't so darn cute, I don't know if he'd make it till 6.

How about some blog candy?

As I've been cleaning up and organizing my stamping supplies, I've come across duplicate items and other things that are not getting much love from me so I've decided to share the love with someone else.

I bought a set of 24 Prismacolor pencils to try them out and decided it just wasn't enough colors so then I got a great deal on a set of 120 Prismacolor pencils on Ebay. Would you like to own a virtually brand new set of 24 Prismacolor pencils? If you would, make a card using some type of coloring medium--markers, chalks, watercoloring, etc--and leave me a comment on this post. I'll randomly draw from the comments and send the pencils your way this weekend. I'll leave this open until Friday 5/16 at 8 pm PST.

Just a disclaimer--the pencils pictured in this blog post aren't the pencils I'm sending you. Mine are sharpened but they're still virtually new.

Thanks for visiting!

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

Look what's going to be in my hot little hands sometime tomorrow!!!!!! I cannot wait to play with it!!!!!!! Dh thinks it's silly that I need such a nice camera to take pictures of cards but I'm really trying to convince him that it's not just to take pics of cards--I really, truly am tired of getting crappy pics of the kids since they don't stay still long enough for me :-)

So, all you Digital Rebel users--point me in the right direction. Got any tips for me? Any books I need? Any get websites to learn more how to use it? I'd appreciate any and all tips and suggestions you've got.

Thanks for visiting!

PTI Mother's Day Card

Dh needed me to make him a Mother's Day Card for his grandma and this is what I came up with. Most of the supplies used are from PTI. The card base is Spring Moss. I attached a layer of Sweet Blush cardstock that I ran through my Cuttlebug with the Floral Fantasy embossing folder. Then I tied a piece of Spring Moss Classic Grosgrain ribbon over the seam. I stamped the branch from Out on a Limb on a piece of Curious Iridescent Poison Ivory with Palette Hybrid Burnt Umber and then stamped the leaves and berries with Palette Hybrid Spring Moss and Berry Sorbet. The sentiment is from Pond Life and is stamped with Spring Moss Palette Hybrid ink. I cut this piece out with an Oval Nestability and then attached it to a piece of Spring Moss and Berry Sorbet that were also cute out with nesties. This piece is attached to the front of the card with dimensionals. I looked at it and it was nice but needed a little something else so I added some Diamond Stickles to the center of the berry clusters and decided it was perfect!

I hope dh's grandmother likes it.

Thanks for visiting!

CC165

Wow, I actually got a SCS challenge done on the day it was supposed to be done :-) This card was for CC165 on SCS. The colors for the challenge were Lovely Lilac, Pretty in Pink, and Certainly Celery. This card started out differently in my mind but I do like how it finally ended up and it's another card to add to my birthday stash.

So, here's the deets. The card base is Lovely Lilac. The patterned paper is from the SU Hostess Prints pack. I ran a piece of Pretty in Pink through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots embossing folder and attached it on top of the dp. I cut out a piece of Whisper White and Certainly Celery with my rectangle Nestabilities and then stamped the cake from Bitty Birthday on the white with Palette Hybrid Noir. The cake is colored in with the following Copics: BV02, BV04, G21, R81, R83, and then outlined with CO. The flames are colored in with a Lemon Copic Spica Glitter pen for a little shimmer. I also went over the purple parts of the frosting with Ranger's Glossy accents. The cake is adhered to the dotted piece with dimensionals.

I stamped the sentiment on Whisper White with Palette Hybrid Noir and punched it out with the word window punch. I added a purple dew drop to the side and then attached to the dotted piece with dimensionals.

Voila! All done!!!!

Thanks for visiting.

Yes, I do make cards

I do, I do, I do!!!! I'm so happy that I'm not going to work this summer because working as a school administrator in the months of April through June are just SWAMPED!!!!! Work kicks my butt twice a year, at the start of the school year and the close of the school year. The rest of the year is busy but manageable. For the first time in four years, I'm not the summer school principal at BHS :-) I'm so looking forward to the time off. Don't get me wrong, the money is great and helps out around the house as well as feeds my stampin addiction for the year but I am soooooooo looking forward to having some time off.

This super cute image is one of the Rakles that Heather sent me. I colored her in with Copics and would tell you which ones but I started coloring them in on a car ride and then went from there. I {heart} Sheetload of Cards but I can't make myself make the whole sheetload. I probably should but I try to say that I'm a stamp artist and my cards are one of a kind (unless it's Christmas or a party invite).

The card base is Regal Rose which is probably one of my favorite SU colors ever! I think it's the perfect pink evah!!!! The patterned paper is some that I've been hoarding from the Petal and Paisley collection, I think. I cut the focal image out with one of my rectangle Nesties and than cut out a scalloped rectangle Nestie from Old Olive cardstock and matted the focal image on it. She's popped up on the dp strip with dimensionals. The flowers are cut out from Regal Rose, Taken with Teal, and Regal Rose with one of my cuttlebug dies and then I adhered a clear dew drop over the dot from this set on the flowers. The sentiment is from the SAB rubons which have now convinced me that rubons are cool and not a waste of money. I love how crisp they are. I know I probably would have blurred my sentiment some if I had stamped it :-)

The layout is from Sheetload of Cards May mag and if you haven't seen it, go check it out!

Thanks for visiting!

Shout out to Sheetload!

If you haven't checked out Sheetload of Cards yet, what are you waiting for? This is a very cool, free monthly ezine that showcases a layout so that you can easily recreate a bunch of cards from a few sheets of cardstock and/or patterned paper.

This month's copy features Bellas and if you're like me, you love the Bellas! You can also join me in giving them a shoutout to be entered to win. Here's this month's prize:












Thanks for visiting and I promise, I do stamp. I'll have some cards up later today for your viewing pleasure.