Challenge from Marla

Here is my next challenge card from the Spring Fever challenge. Marla challenged me to make a Mother's Day card that incorporated her mom's favorite color {orange} which happens to be one of my least favorite colors. Needless to say, that was the challenging part for me.

As I was reviewing the challenge it said no flowers on the card at all. Umm....I didn't use any flower pattern paper, or Primas but...I just realized that the bird has flowers on it's body. Ooooops. I might have to do this challenge over again...you can vote and tell me if it is a do over.

Tomorrow is my first full day of being an employee for JustRite Stampers. Whoooooo. Not that I haven't been working already...it's kind of impossible to not do research and other stuff when my mind has endless questions and possibilites randomly popping into it regularly. This whole week is going to be filled with JustRite stamping goodness. I will get to meet the other members of our team and get things moving along. Very exciting.

See ya on the blog!

Spring Fever Challenge Winner

Thanks for voting on my poll question. Shwoooooo, 100% of the votes said that I met Trish's challenge rules and 100% of you loved the card too. Yeah....I like it too. In the future, I'll have you vote on all my challenges. I am open for some constructive criticizm. BTW, when you vote it doesn't tell me any info about you...it's totally anonymous so be honest.

If you have been following the Spring Fever Challenge all last week then you are probably on the edge of your seat waiting for me to announce the winner of the Grand Prize Basket. {ok...maybe just the thirteen participants are on the edge of their seats}

Here are the prizes I put in the basket all while cleaning out my studio:

• K and Company paper assortment
• Versafine black ink pad
• Hero Arts clear stamps
• May Arts ribbon assortment
• Embellishments and bling assortment

And the winner is number 1o. Well who the heck is number 10 you ask? I took the comments from challenge one and wrote them in the order people posted their link. The number 1o on my list is Melissa. Congratulations and thanks for playing!! Please email me your address so I can get your package in the mail.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:10
Timestamp: 2008-03-30 22:11:06 UTC

I also need a mailing address for Trish and Ivy for winning the bonus challenges. Karen already sent me her address.

See you on the blog!

Just Me and Gina K

Today I went to the Rubber Stamper Expo in Milwaukee, Wi and guess who I got to meet? Yes, in that fuzzy pic below is me and the one and only Miss Gina K who is just as sweet in person as she is online. Ok and just for the record I am not a giant....really I am 5'6" and a size 14/16. Gina on the other hand is itty bitty teeny weeny which makes me look like ginormous in this crappy pic but I am sharing it anyway...she's a stamping, blogging rockstar and I got her autograph! {Look below} LOL...yeah I am being a Dorkabella right now...I know.



















It was so funny because all I said was Hello and before I could introduce myself she jumped up and hugged me and said Hi Denise...I read your blog and I of course said that I read her blog. It was so nice to put a real person with the blog.

I am such a lucky girl cause I got a one on one tutorial {well not really, my kids were watching and others wandered into the booth but I like to believe it was just for me} on Mineral Spirits. Here is the little froggy she colored and gave to my daughter Bailey....she wants to frame it and put it up in her room now. LOL

So I never knew that Mineral Spirits were so easy. I just figured what a pain the butt to gather the pencils, the mineral spirits and the stumps but really it was no big deal and it turned out great. I went back to the booth before I left to say good bye and to buy my Mineral Spirits but Gina was on break....so Bye Gina and thanks for the tutorial.

Gina made me laugh because she commented on how she is a long time reader of my blog and how I can put a humorous spin on things in my every day life such as the visit from Granny last year. It cracked me up because she said she couldn't get to her computer fast enough to read the next installment of what my mother in law was up to during her looooooong visit last year. She even wanted to know when Granny was coming back!!! Ack...I don't think I could survive another visit....nor would my house survive.

Anyway, it was totally worth the 40 minute drive up past the "Cheddar Curtain" as my husband likes to refer to anything in Wisconsin. I got to meet Gina K, scored at the Sizzix booth with some of the new releases at 40% off, picked up some more sassy sarcastic sentiments {my new addiction}, picked up the coolest TLC albums {I got family, friends and a blank one to alter}.

I'll be back later with the winner from my Spring Fever Challenge.
See ya on the blog!

Challenge From Trish

Hey, I just learned how to put a poll up on my blog. After reading about this card make sure you scroll up to vote. Just for the fun of it.

For those of you just joining me, I hosted a
Spring Fever Challenge and on the last day I allowed the particpants to challenge me. Very fun.

This first one is from Trish D and she was sure to make it difficult. I have to make an odd card that includes 7 papers, 5 embellishments, 3 stamps and 1 ink color. The hardest rule...NO RIBBON! That was the part that killed me because I have ribbon on just about every single card I make.

**Check My Work**

1. Odd card...hmmm...this is an odd 5x5 shape.
2. For the 7 papers I used 1 barely banana as the base + 1 wild wasabi for the mat + 5 different pattern papers = 7 papers used.
3. For the 5 embellishments I used a felt word (celebrate), 3 brads, and an embellished tag with the number 8
4. For the three stamps I used the words Happy, Birthday, Friend from three different stamp sets
5. For the ink I used wild wasabi
6. And finally...you do not see any ribbon on this card...and I like it.

Thanks for playing Trish and thanks for the challenge. Now I challenge all of you to make Trish's challenge card and post a link here for all to see.

See you on the blog!

Thank You

Scroll down to see the pics.

OMG...you guys are so incredibly kind. Thanks for all your wonderful words, gratitude and love you left me in the comments. This was a lot of fun and I too enjoyed the challenge week.

And let me tell you this.....holy cow..... your challenges are so AWESOME and so very creative. You are really going to put my skills to the test. This should be very interesting because I rarely color, I rarely use buttons, I rarely make a manly card, I rarely use orange on a card {except last week}, I rarely heat emboss {do I still own a heat gun?}, I have to pull out a tulip stamp from deep storage, I have to find an old card to alter, I have to go back to my stamping basics, I have to find some paisley papers, I have to make a card with 7 different papers on a single card and my goodness I have to CASE a card off of the very super-duper talented IvyPink....just to mention a few of the things expected of me. Oh and let's not forget that Amy challenged me to clean off my desk....that one is the hardest of them all.

I am so totally up for the challenge and this will be fun for you to put me through the test. Since you are so bummed that the challenge has ended why not join me in doing each other's challenges. I will post my version of the challenge card and then you can play along at your leisure....I don't think I can do another 13 days of daily cards but I'll try. FYI...I already did my first challenge and I'll post it tomorrow.

Ok...so all week my techno challenged friend Amy {She is off living in a far far away land called Guam...love you and miss you Amy} participated in the challenges but emailed me her cards every day because she doesn't have a blog or gallery to post them in. So I am going to post them all here for you to see and feel free to comment and leave her some love here. FYI....I love the Scottie dog card {my fav}.

See you on the blog!

Spring Fever Challenge Day 5

You girls ROCK! I loved all your tag cards and the creativity that you put into incorporating all the required steps. Thank you so much for participating...I really enjoyed it. This has been a lot of fun for me and I hope for you too. So sad that today is the last day of the challenge but I am sure there will be more in the future.

For those of you that haven't played but watched from a distance leave a comment today and I'll let you know when we do the next challenge week.

**Q and A** 1) Coconut Hershey Kisses are a seasonal item at Easter time only. I have seen them at Walmart and Target. If you are lucky you might find some left over. 2) The silverware stamp was purchased from The Paper Source. 3) Yes, I will show you a pic of my studio....once it is completely cleaned up and in presentable order.

Congrats to Karen for being the first to post a link in the comments both yesterday and today. An assortment of accessories and bling will be added to the prize basket today.

**Day 6 Challenge Rules** Today you get to create a monogram card with your own initials...one, two or three intials will be acceptable. 1) Make a monogram card using stamps, stickers or die cuts for the letters of the monogram 2) You must use your favorite color paper for the card base and any pattern papers 3) You must use ribbon on your card 4) You must use some sort of scallop on your card...scallop circle punch, scallop trim, I'll even accept ric rac ribbon or paper scalloped with scissors {get creative}. 4) When you post your link in the comments leave a challenge for me...now is your chance to get even and see if I can pull it off. Get creative with your challenge for me. I pretty much have almost every form of tool and accessory if that helps you think of something hard. I am up for the challenge.

**Bonus** First person to post a link gets a prize in the mail from me. Oh and if you post your card on your blog include a link to my blog so everyone that visits can see all the entries.

**Challenge Rules** The challenge is open to anyone that wants to participate and you may submit multiple entries as long as you incorporate the daily task and follow the rules posted below.

1. You must do all 5 daily challenges Monday thru Friday



2. You must post a comment with a link to your card by midnight central time (no exceptions) for each challenge every day, it doesn't matter where you post the card just send me a link before midnight



3. You must follow the daily challenge rules posted on my blog



4. Winner will be announced Sunday, March 30th
   
   

Spring Fever Challenge 4

It's already day 4 of the Spring Fever Challenge. Are you having fun yet? As you can see each day has progressively become more challenging....hence the reason it is called a challenge. I think everyone commented about how I made the last one more difficult....Jen even emailed me at work to complain. LOL. This one is easier...I promise.

Today's prize is a set of clear stamps that I got from the Hero Arts booth at CHA. If you need some more inspiration check out this cute card Beate received as a RAK from Anne.

**Day 4 Challenge** Tag...your it! 1) Your card must contain a tag somewhere in the design. Any size...big or small. Any shape....round, square, rectangle. 2) Your card must contain the color red somewhere in the design...any shade of red. 3) Your card must have some sort of bling in the design...anything shiney will count as bling....brads, eyelets, rhinestones, stickles, glitter...all counts as bling. 4) When you post a link in the comments you must tell me these three things 1) favorite color 2) favorite song 3) favorite candy. Don't forget to post your answers in the comments with your link.

And just to be fair here are my answers 1) Favorite color - Red and Green 2) Favorite Song -Home by Michael Buble 3) Favorite Candy - Hershey's Coconut Kisses.

**Bonus** First person to post a link gets a prize in the mail from me. Oh and if you post your card on your blog include a link to my blog so everyone that visits can see all the entries.

**Challenge Rules** The challenge is open to anyone that wants to participate and you may submit multiple entries as long as you incorporate the daily task and follow the rules posted below.

1. You must do all 5 daily challenges Monday thru Friday
2. You must post a comment with a link to your card by midnight central time (no exceptions) for each challenge every day, it doesn't matter where you post the card just send me a link before midnight
3. You must follow the daily challenge rules posted on my blog
4. Winner will be announced Sunday, March 30th
   

Spring Fever Challenge Day 3

Loved all your black and white cards. So creative which is the whole purpose of these challenges....to get those creastive juices flowing...and to clean up my studio. However, at this rate we could be doing challenges for the next year before I get my studio cleaned up.

Congrats to Ivy for being the first person to post a link in the comments.

The day three challenge was inspired by a card that I saw on Laurie Schmidlin's blog Just Give Me Stamps! I thought it was so cool that she decorated the inside and outside of the card.

**Day 3 Challenge Rules** Today you get to make a card that doesn't fold in half....it is what I like to call a Funky Fold. 1) It can be any size card but can not fold in half 2) It must be decorated on the inside and outside 3) You must spell out a word using stickers, thickers, die cuts or alphabet stamps 4) It has to have polka dots. The prize going into the basket today is an assortment of K and Company pattern papers (my fav) and some DCWV chipboard (another fav of mine).

**Bonus** First person to post a link gets a prize in the mail from me. Oh and if you post your card on your blog include a link to my blog so everyone that visits can see all the entries.

**Challenge Rules** The challenge is open to anyone that wants to participate and you may submit multiple entries as long as you incorporate the daily task and follow the rules posted below.

1. You must do all 5 daily challenges Monday thru Friday
2. You must post a comment with a link to your card by midnight central time (no exceptions) for each challenge every day, it doesn't matter where you post the card just send me a link before midnight
3. You must follow the daily challenge rules posted on my blogWinner will be announced Sunday, March 30th

Spring Fever Challenge Day 2

You girls rock! Thanks to everyone that is playing along. Your bird cards are amazing!!! I love them all.

lf you are just joining the Spring Fever Challenge you are not eligible for the Grand Prize Basket because you have to do all 5 Challenges. However, you are eligible for the daily prize if you are the first person to post a card link.

Congrats to Trish D for being first to post a link on Day 1.

The Day 2 challenge is a bit more challenging for me because I am not a CAS (Clean and Simple) stamper. But I was totally inspired by a card that Amy Tsuruta posted on her blog and this is what I came up with as a thank you for a mom at school. She organized our Mostaccioli Dinner so the Grazi stamp was totally appropriate for this card.

**Day 2 Challenge Rules** Make sure you read carefully and follow the directions. 1) Create a 4x4 black and white card 2) NO PATTERN papers 3) black ink only 4) Use any stamps. The prize that is going into the basket today is a Versafine Black Onyx stamp pad (my fav).

**Bonus** First person to post a link gets a prize in the mail from me. Oh and if you post your card on your blog include a link to my blog so everyone that visits can see all the entries.

**Challenge Rules** The challenge is open to anyone that wants to participate and you may submit multiple entries as long as you incorporate the daily task and follow the rules posted below.

1. You must do all 5 daily challenges Monday thru Friday
   
2. You must post a comment with a link to your card by midnight central time (no exceptions) for each challenge every day, it doesn't matter where you post the card just send me a link before midnight
   
3. You must follow the daily challenge rules posted on my blogWinner will be announced Sunday, March 30th

Spring Fever Challenge Day 1

**Edited** Yes, you can email your pic if you don' t have a blog or online gallery but I have to get it before midnight. Make sure you do everything in the daily instructionss too! Read carefully to incorporate all the required items.

The rules are posted at the end of this post as a reminder. Make sure you read EVERYTHING and pay attentinon to the daily rules! The prize that goes into the basket today will be a sample bag of my favorite May Arts Ribbons.

**Day 1 Challenge** Spring is late....again and I miss the tweeting of baby birds. Create a card that has a bird image on it. It can be a stamped bird, embossed bird, or a bird in the pattern paper just find a bird, Get {creative} here and use any kind of bird....if it has feathers it's a bird. Your card must also have at least one layer and some ribbon.

**Bonus**The first person to post a link in the comments will recieve a special treat in the mail.

**The Rules** The challenge is open to anyone that wants to participate and you may submit multiple entries as long as you incorporate the daily task and follow the rules posted below.

1. You must do all 5 daily challenges Monday thru Friday


2. You must post a comment with a link to your card by midnight central time (no exceptions) for each challenge every day, it doesn't matter where you post the card just send me a link before midnight


3. You must follow the daily challenge rules posted on my blog
   Winner will be announced Sunday, March 30th
   

Good Morning Jesus

Just wanted to drop in and say Happy Easter to my cyber friends. This is a partial pic of my cross collection that is at the landing of my stairway. I have crosses from around the world including Bethlehem. I also have rosaries from around the world too which include one that I made in 7th grade and one that was made out of the roses from my dad's funeral. The kids each have their favorite rosaries as well.

Anyway, this is what I see each day as I come down to start my day and it is a daily reminder to be thankful for the blessings in my life.

Yesterday, Bailey walked to the landing and said, "Nobody say anything while I stand here and pray for Grandpa". I thought that was so sweet of her.

My kids have dubbed it "The Holy Wall" and it makes me happy that they see it as part of their day too. I heard Maddie walking down the stairs one day and said "Good Morning Jesus".

Today is supposed to be my Sunday PMS check but I will just say that life is good and I am thankful for everything in my life.

Celebrate You and Spring Fever Challenge

Took a quick trip this weekend to a cool scrapbook store. They had everything you could think of and many awesome products to choose from. They had Quickutz too but no Cuttlebug or Sizzix dies...darn.

But I did find some nice birthday and Easter papers from Heidi Grace. Not sure if you can see it but some of the birthday candles on this paper are shiney because they are clear embossed. Adds some texture and shine to the background.

The image was stamped with Versafine black...of course....and colored with SU watercolor crayons. I used Sakura stardust gel pens to add some sparkles and highlights.

I used May Arts ribbon, a SU scallop circle punch and two silver brads to accent this 4x4 card. I really like the 4x4 size...perfect for a quick birthday card.

**Spring Fever Challenge** Every year, right around Easter I get a severe case of Spring Fever. The symptoms are a strong desire to clean and organize my house. This year is no exception to the rule. Starting on Monday I will post a daily challenge and post the prize for the day that will be added to the Grand Prize basket.

The catch...of course there is a catch.....you have to do all of the 5 challenges to qualify for the prize package. What's the prize package? Lots of stuff that I will gather from my studio as I attempt to rid myself of this Spring Fever. (stamps, papers, ribbons, brads, flowers, etc.) Get your creative juices flowing and tell everyone to check in on Monday morning for the first Challenge.

Here are the rules and the challenge is open to anyone that wants to participate:

1. You must do all 5 daily challenges Monday thru Friday
2. You must post a comment with a link to your card by midnight central time (no exceptions), it doesn't matter where you post the card just send me a link before midnight
3. You must follow the daily challenge rules posted on my blog

That's it.....easy peasy. Any questions just comment or send me an email. Get your stampin mojo ready by Monday.

A is for Amy

Just have a few minutes to post a quick card before I leave for Cody's volleyball game. Yeah!!! I love volleyball....so exciting.

This is a monogramed card I made for my friend Amy who live far far away on a far away island called Guam. {Sigh} I can't wait for that girl to get back to the continental USA. Geeesh. I haven't seen her since I left Florida 4 years ago.

Anyway, this is a monogramed card made with my Just Rite monogram stamper. It is sooooo cool. I have some other projects that I have been working on but my main focus has been "a" cards for a set I am making for Amy. Trust me....there is more than the letter "a" in the monogram set. LOL

The Twill ribbon is from May Arts. The flower is from my flower stash...I have no idea what brand. The solid paper is SU and the plaid was a scrap on my desk. Quick and easy card.

See ya on the blog later after the game.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Here is a card that was inspired by a card I saw on Nichole Heady's blog {Capture the Moment}. This is a great way to use multiple coordinating scraps of paper.

I used my square punch and matted the 4 squares onto a strip of vanilla paper.

In the first card the flower is from Making Memories and it is secured with a mirrored flower and green glitter brad.



The second card has a double layer flower made from a Cuttlebug die. It is has a silver brad in the center and it is mounted with a pop dot.

The sentiment is stamped with Versafine black ink....of course.

Always and a Challenge

Ok...I am back with a card this time. I went to Jen's SU party Friday night. I picked up my order from the last show she did and I got this set called Always.

Like I have said a million times, I am not into animals but I do love this bird. It goes well with this MOD paper too.

I made a lot of cards today using this new set. It reminds me of Spring....and goes well with my Spring Fever.

**Stampin Stuff** It's pretty basic here. I used Versafine Black ink for the image and letter "a". I used the scallop circle punch and a black safety pink to attach it to my May Arts Ribbon. The safety pin is definately one of my "go to" items. I don't like using those jump ring thingys....too much work and I am a lazy stamper...if you haven't figured that out yet.

**Challenge** I need to get motivated and start scrapbooking again. I can't even remember the last time I scrapped. Anyway, Simone from the blog Daily Dose of Spazz has another blog called Scrap Your Crap. LOL....don't you just love that name...very creative. Anyway, she offers a weekly challenge to get you using your scrap crap that you have been hoarding forever. This week's Challenge is to use your Primas and Heidi Swap flowers and use lots of them....not just one. Hmmmmm.....I think I can do this challenge.

Love this idea. I think I need to come up with some sort of challenge for my blog. Any ideas. I'd be willing to give away some of my 200,000,000 SU sets...really...no I really don' thave 200 million sets (more like 200) but I'd be willing to give some away rather than keep them here taking up space on the shelf, floor, table, desk and Jen's garage (don't ask). Are you up for free used SU stamps? Leave me a comment and if there is enough interest I'll post a challenge on Wednesday.

See ya on the blog!

Sunday PMS Check

It' Sunday and that means time for a PMS check. Sorry I don't have any card pics for you at the moment. I stamped, made cards and worked on the mountain of laundry all day today. I went to load the pics I took onto laptop and my memory card won't work. Hmmmph! After I post this I will go and re-take the pics.

**Sunday PMS Check**

• Physical Well Being - I have Spring Fever. It happens every year about this time. I clean my house and have a strong desire to go for a walk. Unfortunately, I cleaned all weekend but resisted the urge to walk the neighborhood.
• Mental Well Being - Just say no. I keep saying that over and over in my head. No I don't want to be PTO President next year. Heck...I can't...I will be working two jobs and it's mentally not possible. Just say no.
• Spiritual Well Being - I am attempting to read the Oprah Book.... A New Earth. It's about recognizing your Ego...the little voice in your head that talks to you all the time. It is a hard read...I will say that. I find myself re-reading a lot but I am getting something out of it. Who knows if I am "awakening" to the purpose of my life but I am getting some education out of it.

See ya on the blog in a few with some pics

Life Interrupted

Hi there....I am still around but I has been sick at the beginning of the week and then yesterday ended the week with a trip to see Romeo and Juliet at Navy Pier in the morning and then I went to Jen's for a stamping party. Yeah....I didn't do any stamping, talked all night, paid for a Quickutz order, and paid for a SU order. Wow...I spent over $200 and did nothing but talk. Great night.

Anyway, today is Spring Cleaning day and then I can stamp! Yeah.....my office will be cleaned and ready for some serious creativity. So I will return later...much later....with something.

See ya on the blog!

Tagged, Tagged, Tagged and Tagged Again

I got smacked...I mean tagged three times....ooops four times. I do like to play but I hate being the tagger. I know it's lame but by the time I get around to being tagged everyone else has already done it and then I am the kid on the playground continually running around in circles chasing myself. So please just play along.

Oh better yet...I am going to tag Kelly who is a brand new blogger and she needs some visitors. So go visit Kelly....give her some time to post some weird stuff about herself....then go visit her at Crafting Creatively. Hmmmm...there I tagged someone. Oh and then I am going to tag Lara cause she doesn't blog enough. Her last entry was random things and I know she can come up with 7 more. There...now I have tagged two people and I am tired.

The rules of the game:• Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.• Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, we all want to know them.•

Shannon, a new blogger that I found through the SCS Blog Forum, tagged me and then I was tagged by Taya. Oh and Jacki and Amy think I am pretty darn special too....thanks so much girls...very sweet to include me and sharing the love!

So I thought I would play along because there isn't enough useless infromation about me on the internet and once again.....my life is just so darn exciting you can't get enough of it...right? Feel free to skip this...you won't hurt my feelings. So here are my 7 Weird Random facts about me....otherwise known as Deniseisms as my husband says.

1. My favorite color used to be purple and as teenager. I had a purple bedroom, with purple carpet and a purple phone.
2. I like to eat Wavy Lays chips and pretzels together in the same mouthful.
3. I got married when I was 19 and I am still happily married after 18 years. {Is that weird?}
4. All 4 of my children were born in different states from coast to coast...thanks to the Navy.
5. I miss the TV show Dog the Bounty Hunter.
6. When I pump gas I have to end on a full dollar amount...no change.
7. Whenever Bill and I eat cake he scrapes off the frosting and gives it to me. {That's not weird...that's true love.}

There ya go....I am not weird....just a Dorkabella. See ya on the blog!

I Cherish You

Thank you very much for all your kind comments. I am overwhelmed by the comments and emails I have received about my Just Rite Stampers announcement. It is going to be so much fun.....and yes I will be giving away some stamps to celebrate! I am waiting for my shipment.

**Stampin Stuff** I made this card at Ivy's SU party. This one was designed by Ivy and I think it is called a belt card....not sure if there is a name for it....but that is what it reminds me of. The vertical flap opens up and then the white flap opens up. LOL....great explanation...huh? I should just take a picture of the card open and I wouldn't be babbling on how to describe it!

**American Idol** I must print a retraction here and apologize for my Chikezie comments because tonight he was amazing and I even liked Amanda tonight too. I did not like David Hernandez {the lying male stripper that said he wished he knew how to dance and said his last job was at a pizza place.um...I have never been to a pizza place where the waiter is naked and dancing....they don't do that at Chuck E Cheese...duh} or the country girl....I can't remember her name.....oh Sarah just told me....Christy Lee Cook.

See you on the blog!

Sunday PMS Check and Mail Call

FYI.....before I start let me explain why I do a Sunday PMS check. I started it a long time ago on my old blog as a New Year's Resolution and it just sort of stuck and people tell me that they like it. {Or they are just being nice.}

The PMS stands for Physical, Mental and Spiritaul well being. I almost peed my pants last week when Ivy commented that she finally figured it out because her thoughts were....man she sure does PMS a lot. LOL

It's just a way for me to stay accountable....to myself and you my imaginary friends.



**PMS Check***

• Physical Well Being- Today have been so achey all over. I think I am getting the flu....even my hair hurts as well as every bone and joint in my body. Yuck!
• Mental Well Being- I am finally over the mental torture of keeping my Just Rite secret. I have been thinking and praying about it a lot the last few weeks. It was hard to figure out what to do because my family comes first and I didn't want to take on any responsibilities that would interfer with my kids. I enjoy working and having the flexability to be there for them when I need to be. Just Rite is allowing me to work from home with is a good thing. I am very happy with the plan we were able to work out.
• Spiritual- I was supposed to incorporate morning prayer at school into my Lenten promise but that hasn't happened. I was able to stay away from Starbucks but I am totally looking forward to my first Mocha on my way home from Easter mass.

**Mail Call** I have had lots of questions coming in throught the comments and emails so I thought I would answer them here. Oh and my mailbox is one that I made last year as a baby gift filled with onesies, socks and binkies.

1. Yes, I will be responsible for the Just Rite blog and new WEB site that we are creating. Yes, I am going to get paid to blog....amongst many other things. Isn't that cool? Who knew my gift of gabbing would pay off. LOL....my SCS name is imchatty so I must live up to the name.
2. The Just Rite monogram kit is sold at Archiver's and local stamp/scrapbook stores around the country. Ask your local store if they would like to get it for you. You can also google Just Rite Stampers and there are lots of online stores that also carry it amongst the other products in our line.
3. Yes, I will keep this blog. This is my personal blog where I get to babble on about important things in my life like American Idol, PMS and my kids doing stupid stuff. The Just Rite blog will be all about our products, tutorials and guest designers....totally professional and business but still interesting, fun and educational.....as it should be.

OK...I am off to take a nap and hopefully find some stampin energy to get my cards done for the upcoming week. I usually stamp on the weekend and show you the creations all through the week. I doubt you want pics of me snoozing or folding laundry...not fun.

See ya on the blog!

Just Rite Stampers

Sorry to keep you waiting....if you were really waiting on the edge of your seat for my big announcement....here it is. I was hired by Just Rite Stampers to do some Marketing which will include Blogging, WEB site management and event coordination for CHA!!! Is that not so darn exciting?!?

What is even more exciting is how this totally fell into my lap. I had never sought out to find another job. (Yes, I get to work from home and still keep my bank job. For those of you that have been with me for a while you know all about my bank job.)

I made cards for a friend who showed them to her friend who happens to be married to the owner of Just Rite Stampers. Long story short....he liked my cards, liked my thoughts and opinions, liked my suggestions, paid for me to go to CHA in Anaheim, Ca, and offered me a job. Talk about dream come true. I have been given the opportunity to take my hobby to the next level and join the Craft and Hobby industry in a professional capacity. {Law of Attraction in action here.}

I am so excited to be a member of the Just Rite team. We are going to be doing a make-over of the company and all sorts of really cool things. I love the products Just Rite has to offer and I am thrilled with the potential of growth within their entire product line. You are going to freak out when I show you how to make your own clear stamps from home. YES, Just Rite sells a kit that gives you everything you need to take your own designs right off your computer and make them in to clear stamps...all with a 60 watt lightbulb in your office...amongst other things that are provided in the kit.

So the moral of the story.....you never know who is going to recieve one of your hand stamped cards. It doesn't require obsessing over design teams and getting published to make your mark on the stamping world.

See you on the blog!

All Paper...One Stamp

I cheated on this card.....the only stamping is the tiny friend sentiment which by the way is my most used sentiment from the Noteworthy set.

**Stampin Stuff** The pattern paper is from a pack that I split with Jen. I think it was the Wild Asparagus pack from Costco....don't quote me on that. The card base is pumpkin pie and the blue strip is another piece from the Costco pack. The circle medalion was cut out of the pattern paper. You can't see it in the pic but I added some bling around the middle circle.

The ribbon is twill from May Arts. Is there anything better than May Arts?.....Um...no....not in my opinion at least. For what it's worth.

**Random Blogging** I have a super awesome BIG announcement but you'll have to wait til tomorrow night. Sorry...I am not prepared to give the details JUST RITE at the moment. {wink}

**American Idol** Crushing!! Only one of my predictions came through....Luke went home. Oh the misery of having to watch Amanda and Chikieze another round. Well I want the final two to be Michael Johns and David Archulata.

See ya on the blog!

Happy Birthday To You From Me

Here is a card that I made for a co-worker. I picked up the paper this weekend....I am loving anything with polka dots.

**Stampin Stuff** The card base is old olive with a layer of polka dot paper and a strip of birthday papers on the left that was mounted on a scrap of textured DCWV pink paper.

The large orange oval is left over from the card in my previous post. The sizzix scallop oval die also cuts out the center of the oval and leaves the scallop frame. This oval is DCWV chipboard.

The flower is from a cuttlebug die and I added a silver brad. The sentiment is actually made up of three parts....happy...birthday...to you from me.... from two different sets. I tied on some sheer ribbon with ric rac along the edge. Added three brads in the corner as well. Easy peasy.

**American Idol** Time for Luke and Chikezie to go home. I am still lovin Michael Johns and David Archulata.

A is for Amber

Here is another monogramed card I made for my cousin Amber. The card base is white with a layer of DCWV textured paper. I love that paper because it has a white core and the texture adds so much to a card.

The scalloped frame is made with my new Sizzix die that I got for 40% off at Jo's this weekend. The chipboard is from the DCWV pack that was also 40% off. Yes, you can buy chipboard already covered with textured paper. Love it!

The pattern paper matches the DCWV papers perfectly. Every color in my spring pack of solid textured papers match every color in the pattern paper. Lots of possibilites there.

I used my SU scallop punch for the monogram. The monogram was stamped with my new Just Rite DIY Monogram Kit. I love this kit because you can change the monogram and personalize anything. There are two sets and this one comes with 3 interchangeable borders and the entire alphabet and it is self-inking. Oh and the ink tray came empty so I could fill it with the ink of my choice. This one I filled with SU Chocolate Chip ink. I also have the larger monogram set that comes in the box with two alphabets and 4 interchangable rings. Lots of possibilities here.

Geesh this post is turning into an infomercial. I need to get paid for all of these product endorsements

See you on the blog!

Fabulous

This card is totally inspired by Amy at Tsuruta Designs. She has a chandelier stamp and I happen to have a Sizzlet die of a chandelier. It was only a matter of time before I found the perfect sentiment to go with it.

**Stampin Stuff** The ingredients are obvious but I'll post it anyway so I have some verbiage on this post. The card base is black and with a layer of white. The chandelier is a Sizzlet die with black paper and the sentiment is from Bubble Queen and it is stamped in versafine black...I use nothing else for my black ink. Love it.

Oh and this is a 4x4 card. I love that size and the simplicity and elegance of this card. I think I am giong to make it into a birthday card and inside it will read...and 29 again! LOL....I am so funny I crack myself up. Ha!

Sarah and I spent the day stampin and hanging out. Love days like this....nothing to do but get creative oh and do some laundry.....yeah how could I ever forget that fun part of my life.

I went shopping way toooooo much this weekend. I totally have a dose of Spring Fever coming on and Spring is no where near the Chicago area. More snow is called for tomorrow but the malls are full of spring colors and the most awesome SHOES!!! I can't wait to get some new shoes and a pedicure too.

Ok see ya on the blog!

Sunday PMS Check

I am going to do my PMS check early so I can come back later with some stampin. I did a little shopping at Jo's Friday night and got some goodies to play with. I have been itching to do some creative stuff but.....laundry first. Yikes.

**PMS Check**

• Physical Wellness- Last week I made the bold statement that I was happy with my body just as is.....yeah....I should have refrained from that statement after the Girl Scout cookies arrived. LOL....no really I am ok with being me just the way I am need to put more focus on what I love about me rather than what I don't like about me.
• Mental Wellness- Procrastination is my enemy. Today I am going to complete a project that has been driving me nuts. If I just do it I won't think about it DAILY!!! What the hell is up with that.
• Spiritual Wellness- we went to mass last night and the Gospel was the story of Jesus giving a blind man sight. In retrospect, we are all blind to some degree and opening your eyes is deeply connected to opening your heart and mind. Of course, I am reading the Oprah book choice A New Earth which is focused on being more conscience and recognizing your ego....it's an awakening process.....the blind shall see. It's a hard read for me and I find myself reading things repeatedly but I do get it....I think. Anyone else readig it? Love to hear your comments.

Be back later with some stampin stuff. Oh and there is a little video of Michael Buble. I read that he will be in Milwaukee in April......maybe I'll get to go again. Twice in one year. {Big Sighs}