Macaroni Eyebrows

While we were eating dinner, Emma held up two pieces of bow-tie pasta and exclaimed, "Look! I have eyebrows!"

Me and My BFF, Robyn!

Pinky is hosting a fabulous new challenge in the SCS Stamping Bella Forum. It's called Bella's Scrapbook Challenge, which you can see here. The inaugural challenge was to make a scrapbook page featuring your BFF, using at least one photo, one title, one journaling piece, and one Stamping Bella image. Mine turned out to be a four-page spread, and I am "Tickled Pink" with it! (I used the CTMH Tickled Pink Scrapbooking Kit. The image is Best Friends Forevah by Tiddly Inks for Stamping Bella. Click here to see my supply list.)

I met Robyn in Colorado in 1999 when I was her son's 3rd grade teacher. Two years later, she became a 3rd grade teacher at the same school. We've been BFF ever since! I was devastated when I had to move from CO to MA. I miss her soooooooooo much!

The first photo is of me and Robyn in Robyn's classroom a few days before I moved. Robyn came to visit me two months later. In the second photo, we are in Cheers in Boston.

That summer, we planned our family vacations together. We went to Maui! The first photo shows us poolside. In the second photo, we are at The Plantation House to celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary with Rick. Robyn's parents were also there, as was my brother, Bill, and my SIL/BFF Lori (whom you know as scrapinglori on SCS).

I went to CO for Robyn's 40th birthday. We hit our favorite restaurant and then spent a few days in Beaver Creek with Robyn's mom. In the bottom photo, we are on Maui again. And yes, I get really dark in the sun! (Robyn, we MUST go back to Maui! Busy tomorrow? LOL)

This is such a sentimental photo for me. Here Robyn and her husband, Justin, met my grand-daughter, Emma Grace, when Emma was one day old. How sweet is that? The blank spot is for a new photo I plan to take when Robyn comes to visit me in two weeks! We haven't seen each other in two years, so this visit is long overdue.

Pinky, thanks for such a fabulous challenge!

Robyn, I'm counting the days!

Bella Birthday Bash Challenges

In honor of Em's (Stamping Bella's) Birthday, we enjoyed a huge Bella Birthday Bash last night on SCS! As part of the fun, we were issued two challenges.

Sparkle gave us such a fun challenge: in honor of Em's 37th birthday, we were to use 3 embellishments (I used three types of embellishments, not just 3 pieces) and 7 layers. I had so much fun with this! And I LOVE this stamp. She reminds me of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. Guess that's why she's called Elizabella! I paper pieced her dress. (See my supply list here.)

Shannan gave us a wonderful sketch. Tutuface by Tiddly Inks is one of my favorite stamps. She seemed perfect for this challenge! (See my supply list here.)

Hope you a delightful birthday, Em!

Bella Birthday Blog Skip, Hop, and Dance!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EM!

In honor of Em's birthday, we are having an awesome Bella Birthday Blog Skip, Hop, and Dance! If you've just happened upon my blog, click here to start from the beginning.

During our Ketto Blog Hop, some ladies mentioned that they'd like to see a simple, fast, and inexpensive project. So I've got one for you! I found a large Nicole Crafts Takeout Box at AC Moore for 99 cents! They stock several colors. Michael's and Hobby Lobby have them, too. They are available on the internet as well.

I wrapped black grosgrain ribbon around the edges. I used Stamping Bella's Cuppacakeabella and cut her out with a "silhouette" shape. I added some Prima flowers and Bella's Dots. I made a thick layer of frosting using Cotton Candy Stickles. Then I wrote a message with a Sharpie. This literally took 15 minutes! It's definitely simple, fast, and inexpensive! Of course, you can add as much flair as you'd like: some DP, more embellishments, etc. It's a great project for any level stamper. The best part is that you can fill it with fun surprises!

Now for the REALLY exciting news: there is a prize hidden somewhere along this Blog Hop! One pre-selected and secret blogger will draw a random winner from the comments on her post, and the winner will receive a $40 gift voucher to Stamping Bella! Be sure to leave a comment on every blog so that you have a chance to win!

Now skip, hop, or dance (or all three!) over to Michelle's blog. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Em!

Christy Croll (aka Tiddly Inks) created this fabulous digi-image in honor of Em's (Stamping Bella's) birthday. This image is soooooo Em! Some of the Splitcoast Sistahbellas used this image to make cards for Em. Of course, I wanted mine to be funky and sparkly! Em's signature colors are black and pink. My favorite color is purple. And we both LOVE bling! (See my supply list here.)

Happy Birthday, dear Em!

Pretty in Purple

Sorry for the blurry photo! I'd retake it, but the card has already been sent. Not too sure about the skin color. It's Copic's Orientale, but it looks a bit too dark. Hmm... (See my supply list here.)

You Color My World

I needed a fast and simple card, and this fit the bill. She is so cheery, isn't she? (See my supply list here.)

A Perfect 10!

Emma is taking gymnastics lessons. It's hard to get any good photos because of the gym lighting, but I had to try. Emma's the cutest little gymnast EVER! I love the leotard!

Emma LOVES the trampoline. She is convinced that her crib mattress is one. LOL

Miss Carly is trying to teach her to do a forward roll.

Emma loves to climb anything! This photo is out of focus, but I am a grandma so I think it's perfect! LOL

GO EMMA!

Happy Father's Day, Rick!

Emma gave Papa lots of hugs and kisses.

Emma shared her Finding Nemo fruitsnacks with Papa. That was a gift in and of itself!

Emma, Rick, Brittany, Keaton, and Brennan

Me and my sweetheart!

I told Rick that this photo proves that we NEED to go to Hawaii to get some sun! LOL

Life is Sweet!

Emma adores her uncles! Here she is with Uncle Brennan. Does life get any better than this?

Me Treasure Box

This is for CCBJ16. I flipped the sketch to accommodate the image.

This stamp is too cute! It's Little Johnny Deppster by Tiddly Inks. I made this for a girlfriend who likes pirates. Can you guess who she is? (See my supply list here.)

Little Lady and Her Ladybug

This feels so bright and cheery to me. And you know how I am about ladybugs and daisies! (See my supply list here.)

Have a great weekend!

Monstah Bash

This is for BSC78 on SCS. I love Jamie's sketches! I flipped this sketch on its side to accommodate the image (Monstah Bash by Tiddly Inks for Stamping Bella). To get the distressed look on the blue panel, I used CTMH cardstock (which has a white core), embossed it with a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, then lightly sanded the surface. (Click here to see my supply list.)

Hmm...what's up with Blogger? This photo looked fine until I uploaded it. :(

Wishing you a happy day!

Tricycle Built for One

Emma is learning to ride a tricycle!

She is extremely independent and she wanted to do it by herself, until she ALMOST tipped over. She didn't actually fall, but she was still scared. Poor baby!

But her adventurous spirit took hold, and she got right back on and insisted on riding it solo.

You go, girl!

Hangin' Out

Emma loves to "hang out" (her words) with her Papa and her Uncles. The fact that they adore her is probably why! Here she is riding the carousel with Papa at our local mall.

Here she is reading with Uncle Brennan.

Here she's cuddling Uncle Keaton as they watch The Lion King.

Here she is riding the carousel again, this time with Uncle Brennan. She kept waving to me and saying, "Hi, Giffy Giff!"

Life just keeps getting sweeter!

Have a Fabby Day!

I've been busy making cards to send to our troops. I am mostly making cards for our soldiers to send to their children. The little girl in me absolutely loves this stamp (Fabby by Tiddly Inks for Stamping Bella). What little girl wouldn't love her? I used last week's Stamping Bella Bellariffic Friday sketch. (Click here to see my supply list.)

May you have a Fabby Monday!

Beach Babe Betty

This is for BTC6 on SCS. Hope challenged us to use a Bella Sketch by Jamie Morris (BSC70) and to use red, white, and blue in honor of Flag Day. Sorry for the poor photo quality. It's dark and dreary, and I cannot get a photo of this. Ironically, the sentiment reads, "Have a sunshiney day." (Click here to see my supply list.)

Thanks for another fun challenge, Hope! Now I'm ready to hit the beach!

Miss Maisy

In anticipation of the recent Stamping Bella Ketto Blog Hop, I couldn't decide which Ketto stamp to use. So I made a card using each of my stamps (the sign of a true addict!). Then the idea for the Wasabi pen caddy came to mind (see a few posts below). I was so pleased with the final project that I used it for the blog hop. It is now sitting on  my crafting table (aka dining room), and is filled with markers. It does, indeed, bring me much happiness (the sentiment I used on it).

Here is one of the cards I made in anticipation of the blog hop. This is Phoebe Ketto. I had so much fun making this card. It was the first time I had embossed! The embossing didn't show up very well in the photo~it's on the pink sparkles on the blue panel. (Click here to see my supply list.)

Hope you have a great week!

Cherry Blossoms

This is for CCBJ14. Janet's challenge was to make a sympathy card. The timing was perfect~or not so perfect~since I needed to make a sympathy card. I used SU's Soft Summer stamp set. I just love these cherry blossoms! (These trees are all over Boston, and they are breathtaking!) I was excited to use my first 2-step stamp, until I realized that Copic markers don't work well with this technique because the ink dries too quickly. So I ended up stamping just the second layer and colored it in with my Copics. The embossing lost its glossy sheen where it was touched by the markers, but it's not too noticeable. (Click here to see my list of supplies.)

I can't take any credit whatsoever for this card! My sweet friend, Christy, sent me the following card for Mother's Day. I totally fell in love with it, which is why I ordered the stamp set. I begged her for a step-by-step tutorial, as I had never done any 2-step stamping or embossing. She kindly explained it all to me. Thanks, Christy! And what did I do in return? I stole your card idea! LOL At least you know I really love the card you made for me!

Bella's Favorite Stamper for June

I am so excited that Angie Williams (aka Renski on SCS) is this month's Bella's Favorite Stamper! It is a well deserved honor. You can view Angie's gallery here or her blog here.

To celebrate Angie, Laura has challenged us to CASE (copy, changing at least two things) one of Angie's cards. Angie has so many fabulous cards in her gallery, it was hard for me to choose one! I finally selected this one because I really like the sketch.

Here is my take on it:

I used the same paper, sentiment, and sketch. I used a different Bella (Rockabella), altered the sentiment placement, and used different ribbon. (Click here to see my supply list.)

Congratulations, Angie! I had so much fun CASEing you!

A Magical Birthday

For this week's Bellariffic Friday Challenge, Em gave us this sketch:

Here's my take on it. (Click here to see my supply list.)

Don't you just love the Chichiboulie Fairies? They are so dainty and sweet! 

I like these bright, springy colors, especially since it takes quite a long time for spring to arrive here in New England.

Happy Friday!

Who Are You?

I am quite excited! I am honored to be a member of the brand spankin' new and totally cool team of Splitcoast Sistahbellas! (Stamping Bella's new forum team on SCS.) We've been shakin' things up on the forum. In addition to this fabulous and talented team of ladies, we've got new challenges and monthly events. We also have an exciting new twist for the weekly challenges: there will be a winner for each weekly challenge, and the prize is a $15 Gift Voucher to Stamping Bella! So come hang out with the Splitcoast Sistahbellas, have some FUN, and earn a chance to go shopping at Stamping Bella!

Each month, I will host a thematic challenge called Bella's Show and Tell Challenge. Each challenge will have two parts. First, you will make a card based on a specific theme. Second, you will briefly explain your interpretation of the challenge. Here's the first Bella's Show and Tell Challenge:

Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Tell me, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

'Cause I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

(written and copyrighted by The Who)

If you are a fan of CSI or of the rock band The Who, then you surely recognize these lyrics This month's challenge is to make a card showing who you are~as a woman, a wife, a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend, a dreamer, a career woman, etc.~anything that defines you. After you upload your card to this SCS BSAT1 gallery, go back to this thread and briefly describe your card, specifically how it represents you. Thus, you will show and tell!

It's time to look through your stash of Stamping Bella stamps and select the perfect stamp that answers the questions, "Who Are You? Who, who, who, who?" 'cause I really wanna know! 

For my own card, I used Bookwormabella. I love to read. I have a BA in English. I taught the 2nd and 3rd grades emphasizing literacy. Since I was 8 years old, it has been my life's dream to be a children's author, and now I am. Books are as important to me as breathing, or at least pretty close, so this stamp is perfect for me! (Click here to see my supply list.)

At 9:00 PM EST on June 10th, I will randomly draw a winner from the challenge participants. To be eligible, you must post your card in the SCS BSAT1 gallery by 9:00 PM EST on June 10th. I will randomly draw a winner at that time, and will post the winner here and in the challenge thread on the morning of Thursday, June 11th. Click here to participate in this challenge. 

P.S. I apologize in advance if this tune gets stuck in your head, but happy humming while you stamp!

I NEED YOUR CARDS!

A dear friend is serving in Iraq on his third tour of duty. He and his fellow servicemen and servicewomen would LOVE to have our handmade cards to send to their sweethearts, children, parents, siblings, etc. PLEASE HELP ME by making cards or sending some from your stash. All cards are welcome! For every card you send, please send an envelope, too.

I will provide the postage for them to mail the cards home. On June 22nd, I will mail all of the cards and the stamps. Please have your cards to me NO LATER THAN JUNE 20TH!

PLEASE ink up your favorite stamps or raid your stash and help me! This one small act of kindness will make a huge difference to someone else.

If you'd like to participate, please email me at giffysk8s@mac.com so I can send you my address.

Thank you in advance!

Phoebe's in Love

This is Phoebe Ketto by Stamping Bella. I like the colors and the non-rectangular shape. And I really love the Kanji Phrase (by CTMH) at the bottom. It suits her perfectly!

(Click here to see my supply list.) 

Happy Wednesday and TFL!

You Bring Me Much Happiness

Now that the recipient of this card has received it, I can post it here. I didn't want to spoil the surprise!

Suzette was one of my first Kettos and she's still one of my favorites. She is so much fun to color! I really enjoy using the CTMH Kanji Phrases. They add a different touch, and seem to go so well with the Kettos. (Click here to see my supply list.)

Happy Tuesday!

Workin' at the Car Wash...

Emma helped Brittany wash her car. What most of us think of as a chore, Emma thought was a special treat!

Here are my two favorite photos of Emma washing her car!

Ahh...life is sweet!