Guess what I got???  A very early Mother’s Day present… hee hee hee… I am so excited!!!

Hubby bought me a 120 ct. Prismacolor colored pencils!!!  Isn’t he just the absolute bestest???

I mentioned to him that I have been wanting them for some time now and he said, “Show me what they are and where to get them and they are yours.”  So, the search began…  I checked several different craft sites and local craft stores and came to the conclusion that e-Bay was my best chance at getting them for a decent price.  I got a 120 ct. with shipping for $40.00!!!  Can you believe that?  Brand spankin’ new - with shipping!!!  Crazy!!!

I am going to “attempt” to play with them sometime tonight so hopefully I will be able to share from experience how wonderful these pencils are!!!  Keep an eye out!

I guess I just didn’t realize how busy my house would be with two extra children!  Wow!  I am exhausted trying to keep up with them all day and by the time they are asleep, my brain is on complete meltdown!!!  Stamping?  What’s that??   Sangria?  That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!!!

I promise to get something stamped to show you soon!

Okay - I have limited time to stamp right now and yes - I AM HAVING WITHDRAWALS!!!!! So, while DD was napping today I was able to sneak in a little ink time. I haven’t done a crayon resist in a while and the SU! Delight In Life is perfect for that technique. It was also a stormy afternoon here so I chose the Brocade Blue which makes me think of rainy days for some reason.  Hopefully I will get to do some stamping this weekend and have more to post for you.

Stamps: Delight In Life, MM sentiment
Paper: Whisper White, Brocade Blue
Ink: Black Stazon, Marigold Morning, Brocade Blue
Accessories: Ribbon, Scalloped punch, circle punch, large oval punch, small oval punch, paper piercer, hodgepodge hardware, pop dots
Techniques: crayon resist, sponging

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend. We did, as the weather finally warmed up enough to go outside and play. Winter seems to last f-o-r-e-v-e-r to my 4 yo DS.

My girlfriend and her 2 daughtes are going to be staying with us for a few weeks before they transfer so my stamping time may be a tad limited as she is NOT a stamper… yet! (She will be before she leaves… hee hee hee)

I will try to post at least every other day just so I can stay in the habit of blogging. Who knows, maybe I’ll share some of my beginner cards just to show you how non-talented I was.  I still have a long way to go and will have a blast getting there.  It’s all fun and games…

Stamps: Bothway Blossoms, Sincere Salutations
Paper: Almost Amethyst, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Almost Amethyst
Accessories: Gingham ribbon, markers, paper piercer, gel pen, stickles, circle punch, scalloped circle punch

Alrighty then!!! I have been Tagged by my sassy sister-in-law, Kimberly. She is actually the evil spirit who got me addicted to stamping (which I am extremely thankful for!)

So, for the blogs that I frequent and admire (in no specific order):

• Anna Wight aka SweetMissDaisy
• Kimberly VanDiepen aka mkkimber
• Jenn Balcer aka jbalcer
• Leslie Miller aka leslierich
• Lauren Meader aka mytime

There are so many talented people that I could list here but since I can only do 5, this is my list!

I had an idea in my head that I just couldn’t get out. I knew how I wanted it to look and knew exactly what colors I wanted to use but where to start!?! I am really starting to enjoy using the designer paper that I have struggled with for so long.

I made this birthday card for my mom, whose birthday is the 27th (Hi Mama!)

I really wanted the letters to stand out so I cut them out and glued the to the pink DS paper. Using the Polka dot Posies set from SU as the letter o in bloom is the idea that would not leave me alone. I cut them out and popped them up for added dimension. The stems were the tricky part… I just couldn’t make up my mind on which ones to use. SU’s flower sets have so many different styles to choose from, ya’ know? I finally decided that Bothway Blossoms was the way to go. I wanted the stems to be there but no be too bold.  So, this is the final result and I am very happy with the way it came out!

Stamps: Headline Alphabet, Bothway Blossoms, Small Sayings, Polka Dot Posies
Paper: Whisper White, Mellow Moss, SU Designer Series Paper
Ink: Brocade Blue, Mellow Moss
Accessories: Buttons, ticket punch, ww punch, oval punch, brads, pop dots

Okay. Well, I told you that I would be playing with my new SQUARE punch and I did… a little… (I had to have mouth surgery Monday, trust me - you do not want details - so I wasn’t really in a stampin’ mood.) I did get one made, which turned out pretty cute. I’m having a hard time using these cute lil’ stamps in the SU Doodle That set. They are so stinkin’ cute but so small… perfect size for my square punch though!

Stamps: Doddle That, Happy Harmony
Paper: Brocade Blue, Barely Banana, Whisper White, Green Galore, SU Designer Series Paper
Ink: Basic Black, versamark
Accessories: Hodgepodge Hardware, ribbon, markers, paper piercer, gel pen, stickles, square punch, scalloped square punch, brads, ticket punch

Can I just tell you how much I hate storms???  Being a Florida girl, you’d think I’d be used to being without power and all (from hurricanes), well, that was before I had children!  There is ONLY SO MUCH you can do to keep small children occupied…  Needless to say, I wasn’t able to stamp in the dark so I have nothing stamped to post for you today.  Sorry.

Love, Love, Love these Hedgehogs!!!  They are just too stinkin’ cute!  You can use them for just about anyone and any occasion, which is another awesome reason to have this set!  My neice’s birthday is soon and she just loves pink - what girl doesn’t?!?!?

In case you haven’t noticed, I have a slight ADDICTION to the scalloped punches.  I HAD to have the CIRCLE, HAD to have the OVAL and yesterday I HAD to buy the SQUARE!!! (Can you believe I found it at Michael’s???) Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to play with it last night but will definitely make time this weekend to play with my new toy!!!  Hopefully, you won’t be disappointed!

Stamps: Hedgehog Happiness, MM sentiment
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Pretty In Pink, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Scalloped Punch, Circle Punch, paper piercer, gel pen, colored pencils, WW punch,brads

Stamps: Hedgehog Happiness, MM sentiment
Paper: Old Olive, So Saffron, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive
Accessories: Scalloped Oval Punch, Oval Punch, paper piercer, brads, ribbon, colored pencils, ticket punch, WW punch

Stamps: Hedgehog Happiness, Paisley
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Pink Passion
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Ticket punch, ribbon, Scalloped circle punch, circle punch, paper piercer, gel pen, brads, colored pencils

Isn’t this the cutest girly set? I just love it!!!

I had something to send a ‘Blog/SCS’ friend and made this card to go with it.

Still trying to get used to the designer paper on cards… I’m happy with the way this one turned out though.

This is all I have time for today… sorry.

Stamps: Living Large, Hedgehog Happiness, Simply Said
Paper: Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, watercolor paper, DS Sarah paper
Ink: Black Stazon
Accessories: Ribbon, Hodgepodge Hardware, SU oval punch small & large, pencils, stickles, oval scalloped punch, oval punch, paper piercer, ticket punch