Back to our regularly scheduled program

This is a middle opening card made for Hanna Stamps Release Week. Can you believe it is that time again? Hanna Stamps has several sets becoming available after the release party Thursday night on the SplitCoast Stampers Hanna forum. Today's sneak peek is from the set coming up called "Patio". I stamped the background with stamps from the set, but now wish I had added the little gnome to the card in a more prominent way. Hindsight is 20/20, eh? I love this set and I love the gnome. I will be posting sneak peeks all week, so check in.

We had an odd weekend around my neighborhood with neighbor kids all being mad at each other for various alleged reasons. One kid decides he doesn't like so and so and then so and so gets mad at another kid, and they all seperated from each other and aren't playing right now.

I realize things won't be perfect 100% of the time and the kids have to learn not to always say what is on their mind, like "so and so said this" or "so and so doesn't like you". I sent Noah to a neighbor's house to apologize and the mom answered the door and before he could get a word out she yelled at/scolded him and he came home crying and angry. I wanted to go punch her in the face. But, I took the high road and am trying to ignore it and entertain the kids so that they are occupied and not lonely without playmates. It is deathly quiet on the street today.

On a happy note, we stocked up on books at the library and I had Taco Bell for lunch. Mmmmmm Gooood!

I Have Never...

been so thankful for a little bit of rain in my life. Seth came home from day camp yesterday and before the boys could think about the neighborhood pool, it began to rain. I laid down on the couch and slept about half an hour. I needed it. I slept well last night, too. I love when I can nap and it doesn't affect my sleep at night. Heavenly!

Today's Hanna card is made with hanna and Anthony and a dog from the Small Dogs set. The challenge on the Hanna forum at Splitcoast today is to use masking on your card/item. I dare say that masking is what i was born to do. I love it, and tend to do it quite a bit, so today was not as challenging a day as it could have been.

I am still cleaning the basement storage room and may get around to sorting toys if the kids play outside. My idea of sorting actually has a lot to do with throwing away and boxing up. I can do it with the kids outside easily. if they see anything get sorted, it leads to tears over toys they otherwise had no idea they even owned!

I Need A Nap

My Stamp Camp SU demo had a camp last night for mothers and kids. Seth and I went and we created three cards each. Above is a photo of one of the cards we made. Seth made one just like it, but I can't show it to you. He signed it right away and set it aside to give to one of his Day Camp leaders.

Our local county has a camp program through the summer and this is Seth's week to go. Noah goes in a couple more weeks. Everyday is a different theme, and although my kids have been going for years, they never get tired of it and eagerly wait for their camp time every year.

Once Seth comes home I usually take the boys to the pool, then have dinner, and feel some relief from being the Program Director/Taxi Driver when Scott comes home. Scott andI stayed up past midnight last night watching episodes of LOST season 1. It is great to see all the early mystery and storylines, but it's not as intriging as it was the first time around. But we are going to watch all the episodes until we are completely caught up. Why? Because I want to, that's why. But I am tired from the late night and want to nap when Seth comes home today. We'll see if I get lucky or not.

Here's The Thing...

I only had a yellow t shirt available for my first t shirt attempt. It looks a bit of color on the computer but adorable in real life. You have to remember things like Blue and Yellow make Green. See, I colored the tent blue, but it came out green on the t shirt. My son loves this though and he thinks it is perfect! The moose are Riley Moose stamps from Hanna Stamps. The post below will give more details to those who are interested.

It's a Monday!

I have been thinking for a while now about stamping on t shirts. Niki on the Hanna Design Team stamped on a kitchen towel last week and I told her all about my t shirt plans. Within minutes she had a photo uploaded and she had already done it! Just when you start to think you've got a great original idea, you realize you aren't so special anyhow....

I made a shirt for Seth with penguins from my Memory Box collection. Niki had the idea to stamp onto transfer paper/iron on and then color it in and iron it to your fabric of choice. I also made a moose shirt for Seth with 2 moose together. I ironed it onto a yellow shirt, as white does not last long around here. It is a cute camping scene and I'll have to post a photo when the shirt comes out of the wash bin.

My head is full of shirt ideas at the moment, and not enough time to make them. I have yet to determine how they will hold up to repeated washings.

Today I have been to the doctor (so Noah could get some shots) and have been to both Target and WalMart as well as Burger King today. Seth is at day camp and I dropped him off this morning and have to go back and fetch him soon. I hope your day is more restful than mine.

A Saturday to Sleep In

We had a rockin' good time at the Hanna Stamps Party on Splitcoast last night. Who would have guessed that trying to post and keep up with conversations on the computer would be such hard work?! Above is a card I made for the challenge to use stars on your card. I chose the "Patriotic" set from hanna and used the grill for a 4th of July card.

I also used one of the new Riley moose stamps. I chose the football stamp and cut out the little guy. The card looked great in person, it wasn't until I took the photo that I saw all the fingerprints.

I had a great idea to make some shirts for myself and the boys with the new Riley stamps. I asked Seth which stamp he liked the most and, like the rest of us, he loves them all! Of course, as we were all madly uploading last night, Design Team genius Niki had her shirts for her boys already made. Dangnabit!

I am learning summer is no time to try to keep up with blogging. Sorry for the delay in posts but the boys have me running ragged. seth has day camp this week, so maybe I will get a small break from the sibling fights and be able to update regularly.

Tuesday Update

I saw a card on Sherry Cheever's blog and knew I had to hunt down the Rubbermecker Stamp Company and get me some of those stamps! (A link to Sherry is in the sidebar where Hanna team members are). As is my luck, my package got lost in the mail and needed to be re sent to me. I tried to contact them, but they were having an e mail problem. Thankfully Sherry took care of it for me and I got me some new rubber!

The phrase says " I am African, not because I was born in Africa, but Africa was born in me." And let me tell ya, I'd like to be in Africa right now. Noah is under my chair and desk area poking at the dog who came here to hide from him. Kadi has boundless energy and Noah is refusing to walk her today saying that she does not pull him correctly. Pull him? Yes. He rides his skateboard and has the dog on a leash and she pulls him around. So much for good manners and teaching your dog to walk correctly. He claims actually walking the dog is not fun. I don't care much, I just want her exercised.

It will be a beautiful day out today. I have a neighbor college boy coming over to demonstrate those expensive knives I'll never buy. When do I need to cut rope? If I have to tie someone up, they are not likely to be cut loose. Then we are off to Seth's annual cardiology visit and Vacation Bible School.

Just A Note....

Just a quick post to say we survived the India Children's Choir. We had 6 kids and 2 adults. the adults were men and it was quite interesting to see that they really were not caretakers of the chidlren. In the morning the men slept in and Scott and I took the kids to a local sprinkler park. They were all well behaved and courteous and good eaters.

The water bottle (above) was made with a lemonade pack from Crystal Light and leftover paper. I just eyeballed what I needed to do and don't have any exact measurements. I did not put paper on top of the usual water bottle belly band because I have had a hard time with that in the past. I have laminated the paper before and used the red sticky tape, but it still does not want to stay on an item so round.

I made a couple of bookmarks with this set, too. Sorry for the shine, the lamination gives it that flash reflection that can ruin a photo. There is a table stamped under that pile of books.

Tomorrow we will be at the local library again, there are books left unread that Noah thinks he has to have. I should be happy he is a reader. And really, I am. I am just not happy to be a cab driver.

Friday Fanatics

I made this for the Anthony Challenge on the Hanna Forum at Splitcoast. I paper pieced Hanna's dress. Paper by Cloud 9 Designs This is again the Bookworm set, paper by Daisy D's.

The kids are crazy today. I get a small reprieve in that I only have 6 children coming to spend the night tonight. They will be here with 2 adults. I like those odds better than 8 children. Mostly we will be a bed and breakfast for them, so I am in a amd dash to get loads of laundry done so I can do theirs, and make sure all the bed linens are clean. I have to make the pull out couch into a bad, which means I have to find those sheets, too.

The basement legos need picked up which is a lot of the chaos in the basement. The kids are not helpful, but are instead running around like chickens without heads and their friends have already been in and out of the house today. I put the friends to work, too, which may have contributed to their going out part.

Random Thursday

So as not to bore you with too much card stuff today, I present a picture of my little cutie, Seth. He recently dropped out of Irish Dance class with just a couple of lessons to go. There were 12 girls in the class and 2 boys and he felt a bit out of place. He liked the other boy in the class but said recently, "When we dance in pairs, I never get to dance with him!"
I made a pack of cards for our school librarian out of the new Hanna Stamps set, Bookworm. This may get some bling or metal added, but all the cards are actually cute in real life. For this one I used some random scrap paper, so please don't ask what it is, I haven't a clue.
The paper here is from an Autimn Leaves' adhesive paper pack.
And here we have some paper from a daisy D's pack. I loved stamping extra books and piling them beside the chair? Why? It's the way we live around here, I am always picking up books and trying to reunite them either with their rightful owner or put them in their place.

Tomorrow I am hosting children overnight from the India Children's Choir that is performing at our church. Last I heard I had 8 children coming. I called today to check in and am hoping some of the children found other hospitality for the night. Otherwise we are breaking out the sleeping bags. I can comfortably sleep five extra in my house. Any more than that and we have to use the floor or couches.

Mid Week Update

I can;t call this post mid week news and there isn't anything new to report. One child is at 4H Mini Camp and the other child needed another trip to the library in order to be happy. That meant another trip to Wal Mart and the post office while we were out anyway.
I made these cards with the new Hanna Stamps set, Bookworm. The main image is a lady sitting in a chair reading, which I really love. I made these less than spectacular cards but decided to post them anyway. I do love this set the best so far. I used Autumn Leaves' Adhesive paper on both cards, plus assorted dew drops, bling, ribbon, colored with copic markers, you get the idea...

We went to the pool yesterday and will probably go again today. I am trying to be careful about the sunscreen as parts of me are a shade more red than I'd be comfortable with. But, who is comfortable when they are red? The kids are browning up nicely, the way I like them. They do get cute little tan lines. (Don't worry they are sunscreened, too.)

Hope your day is happy.

I am a Cranky Old Lady

First card up today is a CASE straight from the Papertey Ink web site by Nicole. I thought the mailbox set was adorable, but I haven't found the right use for it yet, so I stole an idea from the master of Papertrey. I have to think Nicole does not care how much we all case her out her in blog land, as long as we but from her, she is happy with whatever we make.
But my real love today is the Garden Hanna. I can't get enough of her. Through some masking I made her corn grow in a pot. In real life your corn won't do well like this, so don't try this at home, folks! The paper is from a Daisy D's pack and some Bazzill is in there, too. I used Gingham Ribbom and the SU oval punches and dew drops. See the crocs she has on? Too much fun, I tell you!
Today I say goodbye to my neighbor's dog, Molly. These neighbors have lived here in a rented house for about 9 months, but Indiana was too cold for them this winter and they are moving back to Alabama. The dad was able to get a job transfer "home". They have 4 bulldogs and 4 kids. I did like the dogs. This one in particular I would see a lot of. I walk through the back yard to go to the neighborhood pool and little Molly would come over and pull her chain as far as it would go so she could get a little love from us. She smells funny and grunts a bit, but loved to get tummy rubs when we came by. I am a dog person, so generally any friendly dog is the kind for me.

I made my fourth trip to the library in the six days that school has been out. You would think the kids would read enough not to cause trouble, but they are fighting about something all the time, from TV channels to where to lay around and read. And the library? It had a field trip from a local pre school going on. It was LOUD! It was one of those times that remind me I am old, as I apparently really like the quietness of the library and truly missed it today. If I wanted to listed to screaming kids, I would have just stayed home with my own.

It's A New Hanna Day

If you made it to the release party for Hanna Stamps, you know how much fun it was. I was inspired by the party atmosphere to make the card seen above. I used Hanna from one of the dog sets ans put the leash around Mikey instead. Hanna is stading on the table from the Bookworm set and wearing the lampshade from that set as well. Those of you who know me know that I can whip out a card in about five minutes flat if I am inspired and all supplies are at hand.

I suppose that is why I get annoyed every month at Stamp Camp. We make four cards and it takes two hours. People, please! Get a move on!

I made this card as my entry in the Hanna Stamps Challenge for today. The idea was to make a card with circles. I used the accessories from the newly released Anthony set. Sadly, I have no one to actually give this card to for Father's Day. My hubby and dad and FIL all have casual type jobs they don't dress up for. None of us are the fancy type, I guess. The background paper is from Stampin Up as are the punches I used with my Hanna Stamps.

The kids and I are of to my friend Maria's today. Eight children are gathering (mine included) and they are making Garden Stones for Father's Day. All the supplies are in my van so I have to bust a move and not be late.

Happy Summer

This is going to be a drive-by blog post today. I have one kid sswimming at the pool with friends and one asleep on the couch. They are both about to be underfoot, I fear, and STARVING both for food and attention.

I have some pretty Hanna's today, don't I? I made so many things with this set, I don't know what to show off, so I am posting two cards today.
In the very top card I brayered blue for the background and stamped a library check out type card for the background, but I am not sure it shows up great on my post. The bottom card is made with paper from an Autumn Leaves adhesive pack. This set is called Bookworm and will be released tonight at the Release Party on Splitcoast Stampers. I do love a party, so join us there!

Hanna Has It All Figured Out

Today is the first day of Hell....., I mean Summer Break. I was up doing laundry, doing dishes, and scrubbing bathrooms way too early this morning. Then I took the kids to our local casino to play for a while. casino? Well, actually, children's arcade place. Where you can make your husband's hard earned money disappear in a matter of mintes and it reappears in the form of cheaply made Chinese toys from plastic that will never biodegrade.

Then I took the happy campers to two different fast food restaurants for lunch. Why two? You see, I try not to be an over indulgent mother, but I have a child that for years has refused to eat any fast food from anywhere except Burger King. And the rest of us are so full of it that we never want to eat there again. And since Mr. Picky Eater is has a handicapping diagnosis (Asperger's Syndrome) we do feed him that garbage more than we would like. But we also like for him not to starve to death.

I came home to my younger child crying because I would not take him to the pool. I am laeving in minutes to go get my hair cut and my husband is coming to keep the kids alive while I am gone. Since I have not yet found a way to clone myself, getting my hair cut for summer wins over my 32nd trip to the neighborhood pool this week.

See Hanna, above? I love her. She is sitting there in her purple chair like royalty, having a nice hot drink and dreaming of pastries. I made the background paper by myself. It's how I live, dreaming of pastries floating all wround me while I am all alone in a nice quite cafe somehwhere without my yard monkeys surrounding me. Hanna has it going on, doesn't she? She will be released at the Hanna Stamps Release Party on SplitCoast Stampers on Thursday night. Come join us for the fun and the chance to win prizes.

Meet Anthony

Today we meet Anthony, a new stamp set to be released from Hanna Stamps of Friday. It is good to have another man in the collection. I used the sentiment set for the "Hey Girlfriend". I do love the sentiments, they are so handy. I can't remember where the background paper came from, but he is colored with copics, and I used the Ticket Corner Punch from SU, along with their circle and scallop punches. (I think I am in love with Anthony, he looks so professional. I do love man who is gainfully employed!).

Today is the last day of school for the year and the kids have a half day. I have to pick up Noah at noon and I am already wondering where I will have my last good lunch before summer settles in and I am stuck in fast food hell. I do look forward to sleeping in this summer as much as possible.

I have few last errands to run, like going to the next town over for the scrapbook store that is there and using some 50% off coupons at Michaels. The kids cannot go these places with me, especially not Michaels, they want too many things and we'll go poor in no time trying to support the crafting hobbies of all 3 of us!

Happy Hanna Days

I made this card for a little Sneak Peek at a new Hanna Stamps set called Cafe. The set reminds me of a great sidewalk cafe somewhere. I don't know where, because none of them are anywhere around me. Maybe she is in Paris. There are patries in the set, so that is what it makes me think of anyway.

I used some of the accessory stamps to make a card for a girlfriend. I love the look of the table. Makes me want to go and sit down and enjoy myself. I forgot who made the striped paper, soory about that. The definition is from Stampin' Up. I saw it at Vicki Garrett's house and stamped off a few images from her set. This one was perfect for my card.

I hope you are all enjoying some nice June weather and planning to visit an outdoor cafe near you on this beautiful day.