Excited over the top!

The best thing with these Christmas challenges in October is that, by the end of the month, I ended up with a LOT of Christmas cards. It's a great feeling! 

To end the month in the same Holiday style, I have yet another Christmas card. I attempted to made this card (you'll laugh...) for {Stretch your Holiday Style} over at Moxi Fab blog. At first I stamped the polka dots in golden ink, but since I got myself an embossing heat gun and some golden embossing powder, I couldn't resist the temptation to emboss the background. I think I need to change my embossing ink pad. I have it for well over a year and haven't used it until now. Do they have an expiration date? :-)  

Here is my card, in a golden light...

Recipe for {happy holidays}  

~ Cardstock: PTI {Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado}, Core'dinations Nostalgia.

~ Stamp: Making Memories {Fa La La};

~ Ink: PTI {Burnt Sienna};

~ Buttons: PTI {Scarlet Jewel};

~ Rhinestones: KAISERscrapbook;

~ Embossing powder: PTI Golden Filigree.

There no other way to say it, but blurt it all out: I got an award from Jessica, the wonderful girl over at Recapturing Wonders.  

I love making cards and I would keep on doing it even if no one would be around to appreciate it, but it DOES help and keeps me going when people like my work! 

Thank you Jessica! 

Thank you all of you who find time to stop by my blog and leave a comment. 

Here's the rule: I need to pass this award on to five people, post on their blog to let them know I left this award, and then I need to answer a list of questions in ONE word. 

1. Where is your cell phone? table
2. Your hair? wavy
3. Your mother? strong
4. Your father? away
5. Your favorite food? jogurt
6. Your dream last night? premonition
7. Your favorite drink? hot chocolate
8. Your dream/goal? writing
9. What room are you in? living
10. Your hobby? crafts

11. Your fear? rejection

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? where it snows

13. Where were you last night? Halloween shopping 

14. Something that you aren't? direct
15. Muffins? fresh

16. Wish list items? stamps

17. Where did you grow up? Romania

18. Last thing you did? eat
19. What are you wearing? PJ's

20. Your TV? old

21. Your pets? none

22. Friends? true

23. Your life? simple
24. Your mood? tired
25. Missing Someone? yes
26. Vehicle? truck

27. Something you're not wearing? red
28. Your favorite store? Christmas store
29. Your favorite color? purple

30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? don't remember
32. Your best friend? far away

33. One place that I go to over and over? Longleaf Coffee
34. Facebook? yes

35. Favorite place to eat? Germany :-)

~ Catherine Doucette {The Dancing Pear} 

~ Vanessa Menhorn {Wings of  Butterfly} 

~ Dawn {Stamp Away with Me}

~ Maureen {Button and Bling}

~ Maile Belles {Simply Stamped}

Some of these ladies have quite a few awards under the belt! Check out their blogs (just in the rare case you're not already a big fan of theirs...). 

Thank you for stopping by and come again!

Sweet Sunday Pink Bling

You thought I was done with Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch #41? 

Since both this week's Tuesday Trigger and Embellish Magazine challenges had gray in them, I decided to follow the same concept for both. I kept an eye on the Embellish magazine from the day it came out, but it took me a little time to participate in a challenge. (Bunny trail: Have you ever had to jump in the sand box during PE in high school? It always took me some stepping in the same place until I found the right "foot" to start on! )

Recipe for {Noel} card   51/2 x 4 in

~ Cardstock: Core'dinations {Basic Gray}, PTI {Raspberry Fizz, Sweet Blush};

~ Stamps: PTI {Tree Trio Trimmings};

~ Ink: Making Memories {Pewter};

~ Nana's pink buttons;

~ Sticko epoxy stickers;

~ KAISERscrapbook clear rhinestones;

~ Silver thread;

~ Clear embossing powder. 

I knew I had to keep the color combination under my eyes, because I had a few times when I was sure of a color in my head and, after finishing a card, I realized it was a different one! In the first card for this challenge I used cream instead of light pink (I was sure it was cream!). 

I had the chance to use the "blingy" buttons I found at my grandmother-in-law. And some sparkling rhinestones. It's good that I stopped before I got too serious on the "bling" part. 

Again, a special color combination for a Christmas card, but I really hope you like it! And hope you're not too blinded by it. 

Thanks for looking!  

Sweet Sunday Owls

I knew there was something special about Courtney's trigger the moment I saw it. But when I wanted to make a card for Tuesday Trigger, I had to think for a little while and deal with the fact that there was not a red-related color in it :-) 

I went ahead and took my chances in making a Christmas card, although the colors didn't speak Christmas at all at the beginning. I was really glad I did it, because the color combination looks good! 

I also dusted my Making Memories {Pewter} hybrid ink, that was the perfect gray/metallic color for my card.

I finally got myself an embossing heat gun. I had the powder, had the embossing pad, but no heat gun...what kind of deal was that?! :-) So I did some clear embossing, too. 

The sketch from Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch #41 was a tremendous help in putting everything together. 

 

Recipe for {Noel} Card  5 1/2 x 4 in

~ Cardstock: Core'dinations {Basic Gray}, PTI {Ripe Avocado, Vintage Cream};

~ Stamps: PTI {Trio Tree Trimmings};

~ Ink: PTI {Ripe Avocado}, Making Memories {Pewter};

~ Sticko epoxy stickers;

~ KAISERscrapbook clear rhinestones.

Hope you enjoyed my take on Tuesday Trigger and Sweet Sunday Sketch! Let me know what you think. 

And thanks for stopping by!

 

Hello everyone!

I thought I would write my post for today while I am waiting for James and our nephew to come back with some pumpkins to carve. Oh, I think I hear the door...:-)

*couple of hours later*

We sure made some scary faces! :-) Actually, only one with a scary-funny face and the other one with the peace sign, special request from Jakey-poo!

What are your thoughts on Halloween? Being a Christian, I had the chance to hear from other fellow believers different opinions. Some think it's a "pagan" and and dark celebration and I thought that for a while. But now I associate it more with other cultures' traditions related to "death". Wearing scary/funny costumes is a way of saying that we are not afraid of the "dark side". I can't quite figure out the purpose of the "sexy" costumes, though...;-)

Romanians go to the cemetery on the 31st of October, at night, and light candles on the graves of the dear ones. In my hometown,  we live in the valley (along with everyone else...) and the cemetery is on the hills around it. With all the candles burning, it looks like the sky with all the stars came down to earth, it's so beautiful! 

With all this talk about Halloween, I don't have a Halloween card. Do people actually give cards on Halloween? I wasn't really sure. But I do have a Christmas one :-) It is inspired by another Verve sketch that I didn't post on time :-)

Recipe for {Merry Christmas} card 4 x 51/2 in 

~ Cardstock: PTI {Ripe Avocado, Vintage Cream, Scarlet Jewel};

~ Paper: Making Memories {Fa La La};

~ Stamps: PTI {Peaceful Poinsettia, Vintage Labels};

~ Ink: PTI {Ripe Avocado, Scarlet Jewel, Fresh Snow};

~ Ribbon: PTI {Scarlet Jewel};

~ Button: PTI {Spring Moss};

~ Rhinestones: KAISERscrapbook;

~ Golden thread.  

Thanks for stopping by!

  

One Great Sketch for Verve Stamps October Release

Hello again! 

I have one thought on Friday night. That tomorrow we won't have to wake up early. Oh, bliss! Before I got married, my brain would shut off after 11 pm. But after, something happened and I took after my husband's habits, staying up till 1 am or so. And taking naps in the afternoon! I honestly believed I didn't have the nap gene, since I never ever took naps before. I wasn't even home in the afternoon, maybe that was the real reason. I keep telling myself that it's good to get used to an erratic sleep schedule, as a preparation for when the baby comes. 

I confess...I have no Verve stamps. There are a few that I like, but never got around to buy one, since I spend all the "stamping money" on Papertreyink. :-)   

For the October release, Verve Stamps has a challenge that involves 5 sketches, from which I picked two. Here is one. Since Verve Stamps are not required, I went ahead and used Papertreyink products. 

I hope to win a free Verve stamp with this sketch, so I can use some for the next Verve challenge. 

Recipe for {Season's Greetings} card    51/2 x 4 in

~ Cardstock: PTI {Kraft, Vintage Cream, Scarlet Jewel};

~ Paper: Making Memories {Fa La La};

~ Stamp: PTI {Peaceful Poinsettia};

~ Ink: PTI {Fresh Snow, Scarlet Jewel, Ripe Avocado};

~ Dew Drops: Robin's Nest.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

P.S. Well, I got busy with dinner and missed the deadline for the challenge, so I guess I'll show the card only here on the blog! But dinner was worth it :-) 

It's BOY!

Hello everyone,

I'll start with the big news. We're having a boy! We found out on Sunday morning at 8 am. Long story how we ended having it on a early Sunday morning...which goes like this: 

After we canceled our initial appointment from last Saturday, I came to terms with the idea that we have to find another ultrasound providing practice, but James wanted to talk to them again, to figure out exactly what happened. He called the lady we made the appointment with,  Debbie, to find out that she got very sick on Friday night. She asked someone else to take care of her appointments and this lady called us to change the plans. She didn't even tell us what the situation was. I thought all along that I am talking to a receptionist or something. 

James told Debbie the whole story and she herself was upset about how things turned out. She said she would expect us back anytime for an ultrasound free of charge. It would have been hard for us to get back to Houston the coming week, so she offered to pack her instruments in a van, come half of the way, rent a hotel room and have us meet her there on Sunday morning! It looked more like planning an illegal abortion than a legal sonogram! :-))) 

I never woke up more eagerly on an early Sunday morning, not even for church, I have to humbly admit...But on that Sunday, we were on the road at 7 am. Soon after 8, we were already able to see our little baby on the monitor, peacefully asleep. I was glad to see all his ten toes and fingers, not to mention the heart, the bladder, the kidneys?! :-) Then Debbie had to wake him up and when he moved his crossed legs, she told us we are going to have a son! He's the fourth grandson in James' family and we hope they can live with the idea of having yet another one. We know that they secretly wished for a girl :-) 

On the cards front, I was glad to see another Raspberry Suite Color Challenge, #18. 

I had to make a compromise with the green color, since the only "New Leaf" I've got is a runny hybrid ink cube. I went ahead and used Ripe Avocado and Spring Moss. Hope it counts! I followed the Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch.  

After so many explanations and clarifications, here is the card! :-) 

Recipe for {Congratulations} Card   4 x 51/2 in 

~ Cardstock: PTI {Spring Moss, Vintage Cream, Raspberry Fizz, Kraft};

~ Stamp: PTI {Peaceful Poinsettia, Polka Dot Basics, Scattered Showers - sentiment};

~ Ink: PTI {Ripe Avocado}, Stampabilities' {Brown};

~ Dew Drops: Robin's Nest.  

I also made a card for my father-in-law. James remembered his birthday only last night, so today I hurried and made a card for him. 

Recipe for {Celebrate} card   51/2 x 4 in

~ Cardstock: Paper Studio;

~ Paper: Stampin' Up! Delicate Dots Collection;

~ Stamp: Inkadinkadoo's {Celebrate} sentiment;

~ Ink: Stampabilities' {Brown}

~ Ribbon: Making Memories:

~ Dew Drops: Robin's Nest.

Hope you enjoy my cards and thanks for stopping by!