Recent pics...

I've been kinda slack in the blog department lately, and I apologize. I've been sick, and there's some other stuff going on right now I can't really get into on here. Nothing bad, just time consuming :) I have found a bit of time to stamp though, here and there.

First I had to finish off some swaps that I had outstanding... and I can't show most of them due to SU rules :( But I can show you this lovely I made last night for a swap, using a favorite stamp set that recently retired - Font of You. Poor thing debuted in teh Spring 2009 SU IB&C, and went dormant in the 2009-10 one, retired Jan 4/10. BOOO. Hopefully that means there's a new fonty set coming out in the 2010-11 catty. A girl can dream, right?
Then there were a number of cards that the receptionist at my acupuncture clinic ordered. Most were CASEs of previous cards, but she requested one I had sold the stamp set for (duh duh duh) so I had to come up with something along the same lines... and I LOVE what I ended up with. Enter, Sock Monkey & his twin brother & sister :)

Let's see, what else have I made lately?? hmm... I posted the PTI celebration cards I made... oh yes, my February workshop items! There was this Valentine's treat cup slider (based on Heather's card) that almost gave me a coronary because my stupid Heart punch doesn't want to always work properly (which, combined with PMS was naaaaaaaasty. My poor hubby....) and a cute SAB-inspired birthday card. Love using 'free-to-me' items!

I had promised to contribute something crafty to the Easter raffle basket at work, and so decided to CASE Kerin Sylvester's great card using the Eggcoutrements set from the current Mini... Such a cute set. And there's a Chick stamp! Yay!  Isn't the card  cute?? I ended up making a pack of 6 of them, and putting them & envelopes in a cello bag tied with some leftover ribbon from last year's SAB. They looked pretty cute & were a huge hit at work...

This Kraft one on the left was for a downline member of mine who had to have surgery last week... I love the white embossing for a change, and the little bouquet I put on the inside & watercolored with my blender pen. Love that look...

The bluey card uses the kaliedoscope DSP and Bermuda Bay CS & ribbon - LOVE the combo. That DSP just in general (Kaleidoscope by SU) is my current favorite. Love the bright colors. Buy some. it's awesome. Trust me :D

The last card is for a friend who just found out she's expecting her 2nd lil one.. I needed a quick card,but liked how it came together. Gotta love the Top Note die...

SHOP SU 24/7!!

holy swaps, batman!

I am the world's greatest procrastinator. And because of that, I ended up creating 34 cards last week, in two evenings. 18 were for my upline's September meeting, and most of the others were for monochromatic bigshotish swap on SCS (I had taken 2 spots - blue & purple).

I did the xmas cards first (as they were due a mere 4 days later, and had to make their way to ON... oops?) This was my creation at first... J. didn't like that it was all monochromatic (kraft CS & taffeta ribbon, beautiful Christmas Cocoa DSP from the Holiday Mini, soft suede ink), and thought I should add some color. "How about yellow?" Uhh ya. Because nothing says Christmas like yellow :P I went with Real Red instead, and ran the panel through my Big Shot with the new Petals a Plenty embossing folder (LOVE! - also from the Holiday Mini). While I like how this turned out too, and it's probably better for the upline swap, I really liked my simple card too.

The next day I worked on the SCS swaps (which are due today, and got in the mail almost an entire week before the deadline. GO ME!). For the blue cards, I kinda cased Chat's Cute & Curly Flowers card... Just kept the colors to white & brocade blue. I ran the white through the big shot with a texturz impression plate, used my Movers & Shapers to cut the bigger blue scrolly bit, and then SU punches for the flowers & smaller white scrolly bit (cute & curly, boho flowers). A bit o' glittery glue in the middle of the flowers, and some retired brocade blue DSP, and voila. There turned out to be 2 versions, as I was getting tired of punching flowers. As I was trying to get the smaller flowers, enough of the larger ones for 3 cards were produced, so 3 cards had bigger flowers (1 for the hostess, and I kept 2) and the others to go for the other swappers.

And then... I decided to get a bit dirty. Well, not dirty, but inky. I used the fabulous Meg Loven's reverse texturz tutorial and pretty much completely cased her sample. I just switched up Eggplant for Razzleberry, because I heart the razzleberry so. And this is what I came up with.. Needless to say my hands & desk were covered with razzleberry. Ah well. Part of the fun in crafting is getting down & dirty.

Next up for swaps... Pink Xmas cards (due Nov, so I've still got some time ;)), more upline holiday cards (due mid-Oct), and some adult (not X-rated, just not-for-children - just wanted to clarify. Talk about knowing your readers, eh?) birthday cards due EOM. Guess I should get going on those ones... I think I'll change up this card of mine a bit... maybe using the oval template that I'm getting from Patty Bennett? oooh. eh. Could be too 'leafy'... we'll see.