Life Is About Who You Love

Earlier this summer my local stamp store started carrying these wonderful kid saying stamps from Inkadinkado. I loved them so much, I've bought nearly all of them. Some of my favorites are related to love, and I got this idea in my head to make an accordian card with them. Last weekend I finally put my idea down on paper, and these pictures show you the end result. The last picture shows what the inside of the card says. The stick people stamp is from Wordsworth. Note card is from Memory Box. Someone very special will be getting this card!

Better Than Ice Cream

I went to my friend Kelly's house for dinner last weekend and we had ice cream for dessert. I wanted to send her a thank you note for having me over, and remembered this new set of stamps I recently purchased from My Favorite Things. The main image was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and colored in with Prismacolor markers (I forgot Versafine is NOT a good ink to use with Prismacolor/Copic markers. The ink bleeds if you touch it with the marker). I then cut out the image and mounted it on several different pieces of colored cardstock (Memory Box). I added the pink and green dot ribbon around the base of the image, and then finally stamped the sentiment at the bottom of the card.

Sweet Scallops

This week's challenge over on the A Muse Addicts site is to create a card and use scallops on it. I just got this Hey Cupcake stamp, so thought I'd ink it up right away for a change (rather than let it sit in the drawer for ages, as I usually do!). It's colored with Copics and embellished with a red rhinestone sticker. I punched it out with the small yellow Marvy punch, and then mounted it on a piece of Kitchen pink card stock that was punched out with the blue Marvy scallop punch. Black Kitchen note card and black and pink stitched grosgrain ribbon by A Muse.

Afternoon of Fun

Yesterday I got together again with my pal Rhonda for an afternoon of stamping fun. We decided to work on the weekly challenges over at the A Muse Addicts site.

This first card works for both the stamp of the week (Stack of Books stamp) and the challenge of the week (use office supplies on a card, in this case a fancy paper clip). The book stack stamp is one of my favorites. It's colored in with Copics, with the colors inspired by the bit of striped paper from Memory Box. The aqua blue paper is also from Memory Box. Note card, Swiss Red paper and stamps from A Muse.

This second card is also for the stamp of the week challenge (super hero). I didn't have the stamp, so Rhonda let me use hers. I've always thought he was a little goofy looking, so I decided to make this a humorous card. A lot of you know I work for UPS (but I'm not a driver), and in my position I interact closely with customers. I frequently hear stories of how "our driver saved the day by getting us our much-needed shipment." I used that as my inspiration for this card. Super Driver has saved the day by bringing Elyse her birthday present from her grandparents who live across the country! There was quite a bit of masking done on this card. Elyse is normally holding a heart, so I masked that off, stamped out Tiny Present, cut off the bow, glued that to her and drew in her hands so it looked like she was holding the delivered package. The delivery truck is actually the Ice Cream truck stamp with the ice cream cone, music notes and driver masked off (this has been a favorite technique of mine to do for many delivery inspired cards!). I accidentally inked part of a music note, so when I stamped the truck, I had a weird mark above it. I figured I could hide it when I stamped super hero, but when he was finally put down on paper, the mark was still there right next to his boot. It sort of looked like a wing, so I decided to incorporate it into his "uniform," and added a similar mark to his other boot. Now he has winged boots so when he gets off the truck to make a delivery, his feet can fly him to the doorstep! LOL! All images are colored with Copics. The finishing touches were to create a blue sky using Rosie's Roadshow cloud template and an A Muse clear sticker to create Elyse's thought bubble. I also printed out two tiny UPS logos from the website to make the delivery truck and super hero's uniform more authentic (another favorite trick of mine). All stamps and paper by A Muse.

Finally, this last card was just made for fun. I used a couple of the new Seattle stamps from the latest A Muse release, the Public Market (that has quickly become another of my favorites) and Greetings from Seattle. The postage stamp up in the right corner is a color copy of an actual canceled postage stamp. Make an Impression, a local stamp store in the Puget Sound area, has come out with several collections of color copies of canceled postage. There are several coordinating images in each collection, and usually about 25 stamps per sheet. These are fun embellishments. The Seattle postage cancellation stamp is also from Make an Impression. Finally, the apple embellishment is a die cut piece of plain wood that I colored with Copics and then went over with a red glitter Spica pen. Note card and green stripe Pretty Little Paper from A Muse.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Fall is Around the Corner

Summer is flying by and fall will soon be here. Out of all of the seasons, fall is my favorite. I love the cooler temps, the crisp air, and the vibrant colors of the autumn leaves. Fall also means football! I am a huge Seattle Seahawks fan. Go Hawks!

I decided to play along again with the A Muse Addicts September home page contest. This time the challenge was to create a card using A Muse colors of Bark, Swiss Red, Orange Crush, and Palm, and to add some glitter. I decided to try out some of my new A Muse fall release purchases, so stamped three of the leaves from the new Leaves clear set on watercolor paper and embossed them. Then I pulled out my Twinkling H2os and painted each leaf with three different complementary colors. After the paint was dry, I went around the card border with a gold Spica glitter pen. I think it finished off the stamped images nicely. Then I mounted it on to each of the Orange Crush, Swiss Red and Palm Green cardstocks. I punched the bottom edge of the Palm Green with the Fiskars Threading Water punch. All of this was mounted on top of a Bark note card and then finished off with the new A Muse Lime Peel sheer ribbon.

Here is a shot of the card head on. I'm really pleased with this card. I love the simplicity of it. Thanks for looking!

Time to Hit the Books!

I made this pocket card for my boyfriend's son, who is five years old and likes books. Since he's getting ready to start school, I thought this would be fun for him because he gets a card and a gift in one! I made the book plate stickers using Avery shipping labels that I stamped with A Muse's book plate stamp and then trimmed around the image. Then I made the bookmark using the school related background paper and blue plaid from DCWV's The Grade School stack. I then stamped out Tristen's name with A Muse's small polka dot clear alphabet stamps. The book plate stickers and bookmark can then be tucked inside the pocket card, which also has the DCWV paper and is embellished with ribbon from Michaels and the A Muse school house stamp. This card also counts for the Weekly Challenge on the A Muse Addicts site, which is to create a card using some office supplies. (In this case, the Avery shipping labels.) Thanks for looking!

Celebrate Good Times---Half Done!

Okay, so I know creating music lyrics isn't my calling, but I'm still chuckling at my revision of that song by Kool & The Gang, "Celebrate." Instead of "Celebrate good times, come on," I'm saying, "Celebrate good times--half done!" :-)

Just came home from the hospital because today was my LAST DAY of chemotherapy! Whooo Hoooo! I am half way through my treatments for Hodgkin's lymphoma. I've spent the last six months receiving chemotherapy every two weeks. There were a few challenges along the way, but nothing to be concerned about now. My doctor will run some final blood tests on me next week to make sure my blood cells are building back up after being attacked for half a year. Then in a month I will have a PET CT scan which will show any remaining cancerous cells in my body (we are hoping very few, if not any at all!). Then I will begin daily doses of radiation in September. This photo that includes the Martinelli's bottle of sparkling apple cider is the present I received from my team of oncology nurses who took care of me today. When they found out this was my final chemo treatment, they presented me with this on the way out. That white label says my name and "Last Chemo!" I was thrilled! When all of my treatments are finally over, I will have to wait six weeks before I can have any alcohol. That's when my real party will start!! :-)

A quick and dirty photo today. Sorry for the cluttered background. My Ottlite is in my craft room, and it was just easier to bring everything in here, rather than move the light. The two cards are a couple I whipped up not too long ago for a card order from a woman who owns a wonderful shop here in Washington, called Marie Haggin Accessories. She bought 25 cards I made last weekend to sell in her shop. I was thrilled! If you ever go to Kent Station, drop in her shop. She has wonderful things for women of all ages! Unique gifts, jewelry, handbags, dishes, etc.
A few card details: The two notecards are from Savvy Stamps; Cheers stamp from Come Clean Designs; Champagne glasses and Party Silhouette stamps from A Muse; Congratulations stamp from Hero Arts.

Let me just say that having cancer has definitely prompted me to reevaluate how I view things. Things that would have bothered me in the past now seem so silly and insignificant. Prior to getting sick, I was a working fool. I had an intense, competitive position where 10-12 hour days was the norm, and allowed for very little personal free time. Now, I can't help wonder if that crazy routine contributed to me getting sick. I'll never know for sure, but I have to believe it wasn't beneficial to me (other than the pay check!). Getting Hodgkin's disease has forced me to take a good hard look at this and focus on my priorities.

While getting cancer is no picnic, some wonderful things have happened to me on the personal front. First, a good friendship with an amazing man blossomed into a fantastic, supportive relationship. The fact that he was there for me before I got sick and now wants to continue to stick with me speaks volumes about his warm, loyal character. He is a keeper!

Second, not being able to work and being confined to home much of the time has allowed me the opportunity to focus on one of my real passions--stamping! I've created more in these past six months than I probably would in a year if I were 100% well and working. I've become more involved in the A Muse Addicts forum, and met some wonderful fellow stampers, including my new buddy Rhonda! (Hi Rhonda! I got your sweet card in the mail today, thank you for your well wishes!) Rhonda and I have already gotten together and had a stamping play date. We hope we can get together regularly!

Third, I know I wouldn't be doing as well as I am right now without the support of my family and friends. My parents and my sister have been there for me since day one and I couldn't ask for a more supportive family! I have super friends who check in with me regularly, offer to help with anything, and have just been fantastic cheerleaders for me. My coworkers have been truly amazing! From phone calls and emails and weekly get well cards in the mail to personal visits and lunches out (when I've felt well enough), they have been regular sources of happiness for me, not to mention great vehicles for learning about the latest workplace happenings! And my entire department got together and donated an unbelievably generous gift of setting up a prepaid account for me with an online, organic meal service that can be delivered to my home within 24 hours. Who could possibly want for anything more?

Finally, any of you A Muse addicts who want to celebrate with me, create a celebration card (any kind you want!), using at least one A Muse stamp and leave a comment to this post with a link to your card so we can all see it. I will pick a random winner from all of the posts and send you some A Muse goodies, including some stamped images of the celebration silhouette stamp, some note cards, and some other crafty goodness! You have until one week from today to create your card and link it to your comments to this post. Cut off is 6 pm PDT on 8/18/08. Thanks for celebrating with me!!

Thank you all for your tremendous support!
Hugs from me to you!