He is on his way!

Jacob is on his way at this minute to New York City and then on to Brazil. This day was one of the hardest and one of the sweetest. He is amazing! I am not sure I could just up and leave my sweetheart and family and leave everything behind for two years! He had a rough time last night, but he had a smile on his face this morning. I am living on 3 hours of sleep! It was worth it as we had an incredible talk last night before he turned in for the night! He is going to be the Best missionary on the planet! Of course, being his Mom, I can say that. I am praying for you Jacob! I love you so much!

On to stamping. I am hoping to get some stamping time in tomorrow. My eyes are like totally blurry and hurt like the dickens today from all the crying last night and this morning. I need my outlet, but today isn't going to work. Watch out dirty girls I am going to get in on some of those challenges tomorrow! I am so excited that some of these dirty girls have made comments on some of my work. It is like royalty came to visit me! ;) I wanna be just like them when I grow up! Have a great day and enjoy the possibilities. I shall return tomorrow after some well deserved rest.

Hi Everyone!

I am down to 4 days until we send our son to Brazil. Sorry not much stamping going on. Hopefully next week I will be able to spend some time on some of the wonderful challenges going on over at SCS! It looks like everyone is having fun. I have chosen to spend the last bit of precious time with my son and savor every moment because all to soon it will be gone forever. We are going swimming tonight as a family. That should be fun and my kids are all fish. Sunday evening we are hoping to get some last family pictures taken. Monday is my granddaughters 2nd birthday and we are having a party for her before we meet with the Stake President to set Jacob apart. He is so excited to go and I am thrilled for him. His visa and passport along with his missionary badge arrived a couple of days ago. He has everything he needs. Now the packing begins. Hee hee, you try and pack what you need for two years in 2 suitcases and 1 carry on! Not an easy task. Have a great weekend and enjoy the possibilities. I know I will!

Love the boho west look!

This is so nice in real life! It is raining here today which we need so bad, but harder to get a good picture. It's dark outside. I wanted something that is more masculine, but don't have the new stamps to match the paper. I decided to see what I could come up with and here is the result. I started with sahara sand cs and stamped it with creamy caramel for the swirl from Baroque Motifs. I paper pierced the right side and across the top. Sponged the edges with creamy caramel as well. The bottom was done with my canvas bg stamp in chocolate chip. It is paper pierced across the bottom as well, but hard to see in the picture. I used really rust (not pumpkin like it looks in the picture) to do the border piece behind the dp from Stampin'Up! Love this stuff! I scalloped the edges with my Create-a-cut. Caramel gross grain ribbon and jute twine were tied at the bottom. Three brads are finishing the piece above the knots. I used my square scallop mega and giga punches for the medallion piece. In the spotlight was used for the flower piece. I finished the square with my papertrey borders and corners set. I used sage shadow, creamy caramel, chocolate chip for the ink. In the center of the medallion I used a pewter jumbo eyelet and set it with my crop-a-dile. I hope I didn't get it too girly. Does it look masculine to you?

Happy Tuesday!

My Granddaughter is here today! We are playing for now. If I can get her to nap this afternoon I will try and stamp something. Stay tuned!

I have been gathering all the paperwork for my son to take with him on his mission. He needs lots of stuff! I think I have everything in one spot now. His coat is at the cleaners and will be ready to pick up Thursday. We are still waiting for the church to send his passport and visa. I am getting a little nervous about that one as we were expecting it last week. He is spending the day with his girlfriend and has lots of fun things planned for today. I can't believe one week from now he will be on the plane heading for Brazil! I am trying to stay busy so I don't think about it too much! Hee hee, must be the Mom in me! ;) It's all good. At least I know he is going to be in God's hands for the next two years. He will be well taken care of.

I hope to have something fun on here by tonight, feel free to drop back by.
Lesa

Elder Jacob Rapp!

This day took a lot of years to get here. In ways it came so fast and in others it was slow. This boy has always had a special spirit about him. He knew he would serve a mission! There has never been any doubt in his mind. I look up to him for his decisions and his choices. What an incredible young man. Tomorrow he will speak in church and then on the 31st he flies to Sao Paulo Brazil. He will be in the Missionary Training Center for two months before he goes to his mission. He will serve in the Porto Alegre South Mission. I can't believe he is going to be so far away. I just wanted to share a couple pics of him that I took last week before he goes.

We are proud of you Jacob and love you tons!

Sparkly butterfly

I made this card yesterday and didn't have time to upload it. I hope you like it. I started with a groovy guava base and stamped the swirls from Priceless over and over. I ended up having some empty space and added the little flower from my papertrey borders and corners oval set. I added white gel pen dots and flower centers. On the bottom, I stamped the canvas background stamp and then the flowers and the little white design came from borders and corners ovals again. The sentiment missing you came from my fancy flexible phrases set. I used white craft on the oval pieces and guava on the rest. The next layer is vanilla scalloped on the bottom with my create-a-cut and then paper pierced across the top and the scallops. I sewed on a piece of soft sky after putting it through my cuttlebug and swirl folder. Hands down that is my most used folder! It goes with everything. I used my gel pen again for the dots on the swirls. I decided to add more dimension by using my aqua painter and some blue bayou ink to accentuate the swirls. Turned out kinda cool! ;)

The ovals were punched with my giga and mega oval scallop punches. I did the dots on the big one with papertrey's borders and corners oval set in guava and then put stickles on the dots for sparkle. The outside was sponged with soft sky. The smaller punch was stamped with the borders and corners oval as well. I reversed masked it and stamped some of the swirls from Priceless in soft sky as well. I added some stickles to some of the swirls. The butterfly was inked in soft sky and then rolled in guava, stamped and then cut out. I added stickles around the edges of her wings. She is quite stunning in real life, very sparkly! I finished the piece with double stitched blue bayou ribbon and a couple of pewter hodgepodge pieces. Have a great day and enjoy the possibilities!

Lesa

Answers to questions

I am answering these questions here because there may be a lot of other people out there with similar questions.

"Sandi said...
Lesa,I just ran across your site while googling "photo corner punch". Your work is gorgeous!! I saw Prima photo corner punch references in another site but cannot locate it. I was wondering if you would share where you found yours and who makes it. Also you mention your create-a-cut scallop cutter...who makes that and where did you find it? Also, the flower stamp on this card...is it a "Stampin' Up" stamp?I am new to Scrapbooking and am trying to find all the great tools to use. I make lots of handmade greeting cards many years ago (15+..I'm telling my age!!!), but had to handmake all my own patterns back then (truly handmade!!!). I would appreciate any help you can give me...and I will keep stopping back here to see your beautiful work)Thanks, "

Sandi I appreciate your comments. Yes Stampin'Up! made the photo corner punch I used in my samples. I love this thing, it is huge and has two sizes of photo corners, a really big one and a medium sized one! The price in the us catalog is 15.95$.

The create-a-cut is a trickier question however. Ellen Hutson used to sell them and no longer does. I have a sneaky suspicion I got one of the last ones she sold. It is a wonderful (yet pricey) tool. Ellen mentioned on her blog that she didn't even know if they were sold anywhere else. I know there were a couple on ebay a couple of days ago. You can see what it is and what it does here though: http://ellenhutson.typepad.com/ellen_hutson_simple_dream/2006/11/createacut_how_.html

The flower stamp I used on the card is Stampin'Up! It is from the new Fall and Winter collection and is called Priceless. It runs for $25.95 in the US catalog. Cute huh? I love that little flower.

Sandi, I thank you for your questions and if you have any others please let me know. I will try and get something new on here later today. Woke up with a headache and have a gazillion things to do to get my missionary ready to leave for Brazil. He leaves in 13 short days and I am trying to enjoy every second I have with him before they are gone. (Gotta share my time with his girlfriend though! Hee hee) He is so excited and can't wait to get on with the Lord's work! He is going to be an incredible missionary. I am so proud of him. Two years is a long time to let your child leave your side but I know he will be doing incredible work and be in good hands. He will leave yet a boy and come home a man. Now on with my day before I become a blubbering fool! Have a great one!

Simple joys

These new stamps are too much fun! Stampin'Up! released the new holiday mini to the demonstrators today! I am pretty sure I am in love with lots of the new upcoming items. All of the stamp sets from the holiday mini are die-cut so there is no trimming the stamps. Just put them together and play! The new designer paper is gawjus! I love the Apple Cider one! They are gonna make me love wasabi if it kills them! ;) My favorite stamp set is Autumn Harvest! Beautiful pumpkins, an acorn, leaf, and a Halloween face for the pumpkins! It is adorable!

K, on to the eye candy! This card base is sahara sand scalloped at the bottom with my create-a-cut and stamped with my polka dot bg stamp! Love that thing! I used a layer of blue bayou cs and put it through my swirl folder and then sponged around the edges with blue bayou and sponged the center slightly with white craft ink. I used my ribbon stamps from Inky Antics. I dotted them with my signo gel pen. I used my oval scallop punches to do the focal point. After cutting out the flowers, i punched the tiny flower with my 1/4" circle punch and glued it to the center. I used the small photo corner from my photo corner punch and pierced it with my paper piercer. The piece was finished with a piece of blue bayou stitched ribbon. Gonna have to stock up on that one before the new catalog next summer! ;)

Happiness hearts

I wanted to do something to showcase this piece of Outlaw paper. I love these colors and the paper is to die for! Note to self, need another package. I started with a chocolate chip base and used my scissors to distress the edges. The next layer is Outlaw designer paper from Stampin'Up! I love this color! I sewed a straight line down the left side and across the bottom. Chocolate chip craft was used to stamp the swirl from baroque motifs (my favorite stamp in the set) and to stamp happiness from warm words. I used stickles here and there on the word and swirl to give it some sparkle. I used two hearts from my On Board Accents I have been hoarding for a year (why?). The outlaw cream paper with the paisley was used to cover it. I traced it and cut it out and then used a two way glue pen to glue it on. Let it dry for a while and then sand and sponge with chocolate chip ink. I used buttons from my Earth Elements buttons and tied jute twine in the centers. I used the cream dp and my create-a-cut to make the scallop on the bottom. I put it through my cuttlebug for texture then sponged with chocolate chip to define the pattern then layered it with chocolate chip. A prima flower was sponged with chocolate chip and marker to do the lines in the flower. The center is a pewter jumbo eyelet set with my crop-a-dile. Taffeta chocolate chip ribbon was used to finish the piece. Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy it! I think it would make a pretty wedding card.

Second Priceless example ( or loving the Outlaw dp!)

Here is my second priceless sample. I started with a 5 1/4" chocolate chip base. I stamped the polka dot bg (I am going to use this to death) in chocolate chip craft and embossed with clear ep. On the bottom, I used two of the patterns from the new Outlaw dp! Knock me off my feet gorgeous! I am going to need another pack real soon. I love all of the prints in it! On the striped piece I cut the bottom with my create-a-cut, then pierced the scallops with my paper piercer. The top rust piece is zig -zagged with my sewing machine. I punched the big scallop in sage shadow, sponged the edges in chocolate chip and dotted it with my chocolate chip marker. The sahara sand piece is stamped with chocolate chip craft and embossed with clear ep. I stamped the swirl in really rust and love is stamped in chocolate chip with the rough edges alphabet. I sponged the edges in chocolate chip and roughed up the edges with my scissors and popped it up with dimensionals. I used a rust and chocolate prima flower and put a jumbo eyelet through the center with my crop-a-dile. I am going to love these jumbo eyelets as well. I got the pewter ones, but am going to need the antique brass as well. The tabs were punched with sage shadow and stamped the swirls with chocolate chip. Brads were used from the hodgepodge hardware pewter collection. I punched the photo corner punch in the striped dp and chocolate chip dp and faux stitched it with my white signo gel pen. The ribbon is the new chocolate chip taffeta. It is not dark in the center. It has chocolate chip along the edges and is more of a close to cocoa in the center. It is different than I imagined, but really elegant. I finished the ribbon piece with a flower from Priceless and put a bling in the center. Thanks for looking and enjoy the possibilities!

New toys......Priceless

Woo hoo! I started with the new blue bayou as my base. I used my swirl folder and cuttlebug at the bottom. I stamped one of the swirl stamps from the new set Priceless on the top. The second layer is creamy caramel and it was scalloped with my create-a-cut. I sewed the whisper white piece on the caramel after I stamped it with soft sky and my new polka dot bg stamp. The flowers were stamped with blue bayou and chocolate chip and cut out. I put stickles in the centers of the flowers. The ribbon is the new blue bayou double stitched. It is so pretty! I used my crop-a-dile to set the jumbo eyelet in pewter. The chocolate chip photo corner was punched with my new corner punch and to keep with the polka dot theme dotted with my signo gel pen. Can we say too stinkin fun? I am off to create some more enjoy!

My new stuff has arrived! I am off to play! Check back later for samples with new catalog items! I got priceless, polka dot background, ribbon (yummy), photo corners punch, jumbo eyelets in pewter and absolutely yummy outlaw designer paper! Happy Birthday to me!

My family also arrived home safely in Arizona. I wonder if they are hot yet? Hee hee. They just about freeze to death when they come here. It makes me giggle.

The family is on their way back to Arizona. It is so quiet in my house. I loved having them here, but I am truly going through stamping withdrawal! Tomorrow my small order from the new Stampin'Up! catalog will be here, then watch out cause I am finally going to play! Woo hoo! I can hardly wait. The thing that stinks is UPS doesn't deliver on Saturday. Yes my order has been sitting there all lonely for the weekend. It's all good though cause I wouldn't have time to play anyway. Come back soon as I should have pretties to show you! Thanks for being patient while I have had company. I am back!

Wow!

Life is crazy! Yesterday was my birthday and I am only claiming 29 of them. Since my daughter is turning 24 in August I should probably up that just a bit. Hee hee. My husband took the day off work and spent the whole day spoiling me. It was wonderful. Sorry I have been missing in action lately. I have a house full of company and lots going on. My son leaves on his mission to Brazil in 4 short weeks. We will be spending lots of time with him and helping him get the rest of his preparations done. We are almost there. We got his socks and a gadget to change the voltage of electricity. Now we need a few more things and he has his stuff ready to go. He needs more shots. We are waiting for his visa and passport to arrive. They will have them to us two weeks before he leaves. I REALLY hope to get a little stamping in soon. I am going through withdrawal and need a fix. Have a great 4th of July!