Happy Halloween!!

Hi Everyone!! Before I begin, I want to thank all of you for being so supportive about my needing to slow down on my blogging. I want blogging to be a good experience and not one that I feel I have to squeeze in when I don't have the time to blog. I've been enjoying my quality time with my family. It's been nice to be able to hang out with them rather than being always holed up in my craft room. I really appreciate all your comments. . .you are all such wonderful people.

I wanted to share a card I made a few days ago and the Halloween costume I made for my daughter. My daughter wanted to dress up in costume for school and we initially, looked around for a costume but holy, a nice costume cost $40 or more. I'm like that's NUTZ. I told her "no way" I'm going to pay for a costume that isn't even well made and to be worn for one day.

I told her that I would make her costume. She was skeptical at first but I managed to convince her that I'll do a better job than the ones at the store. Besides, when she was little I made her costumes so she should trust that I would do a banging job! LOL!

Anyway. . .this picture was taken before I put her make up on but I was in a rush to get her out the door and still have time to take a picture of her.

I bet you're wondering what the heck she is dressed up as? Well, she's an anime character (Japanese cartoon) The picture below is what we used to model her costume as. Not quite exact but I didn't want her using a school girl uniform and in a short, short skirt.

I bought the black dress at the Salvation Army for $5.00 and bought a netting sort of material. . .you know, the ones that you use to make tutus and such. I basically sewed the ribbon on to the netting, You can't see it in the picture but there's black netting under her dress and gathered the bottom to make it all poofy. All in all, her whole costume cost $12!! Not bad, Maria. . .not bad!!

Here is a costume I made for her when she was 7 years old. She was a bride. Everything was handmade! I liked this costume the best because she looked so pretty in it.

I bet you're wondering what this costume is about? She suppose to be a fairy! LOL! Do you see the frily white gown over her tights,? It's actually a lady's lingerie that I modified. LOL! I know her costume is a bit overworked but I worked really hard to create this get up!! The most difficult part of this costume was keeping her wings up. Arggh. It was so huge!

Do you like making your kids' Halloween costume? It's much more fun when they're little. They're kinda picky when they're older.

Anyway. . .now to my card. I had fun making this card. Do you see the the ric-rac border around the sentiment and the background. I used a Fiskar scissors to create it. . .not a die or punch. These scissors are great because they're cheap and you can buy so many different designs without breaking the bank.

I added a bit of Stickles glitter to the sentiment.

Such a pretty flower don't you think? I love these large Prima flowers. I have a lot of them so don't be surprised to see more cards with Primas.

Anyway. . .I hope y'all have a wonderful Halloween!

Blogging Burn Out

Hi Everyone!! I actually made a few cards but I've been experiencing blogging burn out lately. Did you know I've been blogging, creating tutorials, creating sketches, making cards practically daily for the past two years. I started blogging in December of 2006. . .my blog anniversary is actually coming up soon! Wow, I can't believe it's been almost 2 years. It's been a fun ride and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I've met such cool people that I would have not otherwise met if it wasn't for blogging.

It's not the blogging that is the problem but for the past few months, I've been wanting to spend more time with my daughter. She's heading out to college next year and I almost feel like there's so little time left to be with her as a "child". I feel a little sad about it but I don't think it has really hit me yet.

Actually, I went through an "anticipatory grieving" process when she first entered high school about 3 1/2 years ago. What does this mean? Basically, it's anticipating a loss when it hasn't occurred yet. You behave like you're experiencing a real loss . . .you know, you get depressed, cry, feel sad, grieve like the experience is actually happening. It's a coping mechanism. . .it's a way for you to prepare for an expected loss so it won't be so bad when it actually happens. Basically, you've cried yourself dry so when it occurs, you already know how it feels so the impact is less severe.

Anyway. . .not only do I want to spend more time with my daughter but I've been doing other things that's kept me from managing my time effectively. Can you imagine. . .blogging needs to be time managed! LOL!

I'm not saying I'm not going to blog any more. . .it's just that if I don't blog for several days, it's usually because I'm spending quality time with my family.

I don't know if it matters but I just wanted to let you know what's up with me!

Until next time! Hope y'all have a wonderful week!

Little C's Weekly Challenge #15

Hey Everyone!! It's Little C's Weekly Challenge #15! What's the challenge? To create a card using the color combo above. Easy, peasy! No problem. I love that color combo! Yipee! I never used the color gray with this combo before so it's a nice change. Be sure to check out the Little C's Blog site for the details of this challenge.

I used my Hanna Christmas stamp that I bought from Jen's online store Little C's Stamps n' Things. Be sure to stop by Jen's store. . .she has a major sale that is going on. . .35% your total purchase and it's ending soon!! Hanna is so pretty. I colored the image with my Copic Markers, added Stickles glitter to her top, paper pieced her clothing and Christmas tree over a duplicate stamped image. I added Liquid Applique to the snow and a bit of Stickles too.

Here's a close up of the image with the Liquid Applique and Stickles applied to the snow! I love the puffiness.

To create the tag, I used a CTMH Christmas sentiment stamp. . .not sure of stamp set name then punched it with 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8" circle punch. Nothing much else to the card!

Be sure to check out the other challenge cards but all of these talented ladies!!

Adventures with Scrapbook Mama - Ellie
Big Ideas From A Little Girl - Teri
Life's Simple Pleasures - Risa
Pieces of Me - Jen
Stamping Spot Studio - Jean

Card Details:

Stamps: Hanna, CTMH

Paper: DCWV designer paper, SU Old Olive, Real Red, Gray

Ink: Copic Markers, SU Real Red, Sakura Stardust gel pen

Accessories: Liquid Applique, SU Ticket Corner Punch, Martha Stewarts border punch, Circle punches, organdy ribbon, grosgrain ribbon, Stickles glitter,

Pink Christmas

Happy Sunday, Everyone! I made this card yesterday sort of randomly. Initially, I created this card for my Card Inspired blog site because I wanted to create a "scrappy" card using square punches for the Christmas tree but I ended up rubber stamping images on the tree and as well as the sentiment. I decided because I had "rubber stamped" more that I had intended for this card, I decided to post it on this blog site instead.

I created the Christmas tree using 5 different sized square punches and cut each of the squares in half then layered them over one another in a tier. You don't need punches to do this but since I had them, why not? You can just cut different sized squares with your paper cutter.

I then stamped snow flakes on to the tree and added a bit of Stickles to the image. I did the same thing with the sentiment.

As you can see the snowflakes on the tree has a bit of glitter on it.

Anyway. . .not much else to the card. Hope y'all have a fabulous Sunday!!

Card Details:

Stamp: Inkadinkado

Paper: Black, Gray, White, DCWV designer paper

Ink: SU Cranberry Crisp, Pixie Pink

Accessories: Grosgrain Ribbon, Stickles

Glittery Tulips

Hi Everyone!! Just a quickie post! Time just seems to be flying and I'm barely catching up. It's one in the morning and I still need to finish the laundry! Argggh! Well, that's life I guess!

Anyway. . .this is a really busy layout but I kept adding and adding designer paper and layering everything. . .LOL!

Just a bit of info on this card. I colored the image with Copic Markers then added a bit of Stickles to the tulips. I believe the punched border was created I believe with Martha Steward border punch. I can't remember because I actually made this card over a week ago but just realized that I never posted it.

Anyway. . .nothing much else to the card.

Here is a close up of the glittery tulips.

Hope y'all have a fabulous weekend!! Now. . .back to my laundry!

Awesome Blog Candies going on. . .Check it Out!!

Hey, Everyone!! I decided to participate in a few blog candies today. I normally don't play but hey, why not. I was lucky with Elena's blog candy. . .maybe I'll be lucky again!! LOL! Anyway go check these blog candies out:

Jennifer Love of "Cuppy Cakes " is offering a $25 gift certificat from All that Scraps

Shimmerz Blog is offering a blog candy to win their new colors of Shimmerz paint

Good luck, everyone!!

Little C's Weekly Challenge #14 - Aloha Hanna

Hi Everyone!! Oh, my gosh. . .I totally forgot it was Tuesday! Tuesday is the start of Jen's Litttle C's Weekly Challenge #14!! Sorry Jen! What's this week challenge? Well, the challenge is to follow the sketch below and you cannot use any sentiment on your card! Okay simple enough. . .therefore, I expect all of you to play along!! LOL! Be sure to stop by Jen's store Little C's Stamps n' Things and be sure to check out the Little C's blog site for more details of this challenge. Jen is also having a major sale going on . . . 35% off your total purchase! Whoohoo!

I purchased this really cute Hanna stamp set from Little C's Stamps n' Things.

Okay. . .while coloring Hanna's skirt, I noticed something veeeeerry peculiar about it. I was like "wait a minute. . .Hanna's underwear and upper thighs are showing!" No way! Yup! Now that's indecent.

So. . .I decided to color her underwear and thighs green because well, I'm sorry but no hoochie Hanna on my blog! LOL! Sorry but my blog is a kid friendly blog. . .we can't have no peek-a-boo underwear showing.

Besides, Hanna comes from a decent Hawaiian home. . .what would her mother think, huh! Seriously, in real life, this wouldn't happen. The vast majority of hula dancers in Hawaii are kids and can you imagine if their underwear were showing. Actually, with this type of grass skirts, there would be an inner lining under the skirt so there's no way your underwear would show.

I showed my husband the stamp and told him that Hanna's underwear is showing and he was like "it's a stamp!!" I know it's a stamp. . .duhhh! I was like "do you think a man designed this particular Hanna?" LOL!! My poor husband thinks I always think of the weirdest things!!

Oh, another thing. . .this particular Hanna stamp set comes with a cute pig image and initially, I was going to use it but then I looked at it and decided not to. Why? Well. . .we all know what a pig at a luau means, right? Yup. . . .even if' it's a cute pig. . .well, it's a dead pig! Argggghhhh!!

You know I'm just kidding around. This is a lovely stamp set! It was really fun to create a card with it because I'm from Hawaii!!

Just a little info about my card. . .I colored Hanna and the background with my Copic markers. I added the small flower embellishments by Jolee by You and I drew in the stems and leaves

I added the Prima flowers to follow the sketch and added micro beads to the center.

I don't know if you can see it but the ribbon has a little bit of silver sparkles.

Anyway, be sure to check out the other challenge cards by these talented ladies:

Adventures with Scrapbook Mama - Ellie
Life's Simple Pleasures - Risa
Stamping Spot Studio - Jean
Big Ideas Fr A Little Girl - Teri

Little C's Blog - Jen

Card Details:

Stamp: Hanna Stamps

Paper: SU Cool Caribbean , Wild Wasabi, Sunny Yellow, K&Co designer paper

Ink: Copic Markers

Accessories: Prima flowers, micro beads, Jolee by You flower embellishment, Fiskar "Cloud" scissors, ribbon (unknown)

Rachel Miller Thank You

Hi Everyone!! Oh, gaaaawd, it's 5:00 in the morning and I did not sleep all night. At 2:00 this morning, my husband informed me that I needed to wake up at 5:00 in the morning because I need to drop off my daughter at the "Race for the Cure" event at 5:30. Okay, people. . .thank you for letting me know sooner!! Argggh!! Rather than sleeping for only 3 hours, I decided it was smarter to stay up all night and after I drop my daughter off, I can have a long continuous sleep.

Uggghhh, I'm so sleepy right now. I don't want to drink any coffee because then I'll be wide awake and won't be able to sleep.

What did I do to try to keep myself awake? Well, I mad 3 cards for each of my blogs! Whoohoo!!

I used the Rachel Miller stamp that I bought from Jen's online store Little C's Stamps n' Things!! I think this is only the second time I've inked this stamp. Isn't it such a cute image?

I colored the image using my Copic Markers. . .Nothing much else to this card other than all the embellishments I added to the card.

Help me. . .I'm so sleepy! LOL! Well, I'm going to end this post because I gotta run!

Hope y'all have a fabulous Sunday.

It Felt Like Christmas Today

Oh, I have the most sweetest husband, ever! For the past three years since moving to California from Hawaii, from time to time, I would tell my husband that I missed the Dobash cake in Hawaii and I can't find any bakery in California that makes it. A few weeks ago, I was telling my kids and husband how yummy the cake was and why I love it so much. . .I mean, they've eaten it themselves but they thought I was so hilarious the way I was talking about it. LOL!

I know it's silly but I really love Dobash cake. In Hawaii, it's a "typical" cake that we'd buy for birthdays and such. . .no big deal if you live there. It's funny when you move away from somewhere and you become fixated on something as simple as a cake when you know you can't find it where you currently live.

A few weeks ago, I had spoken to an employee at a store that sold Italian food products. They sell fresh homemade pizzas and I asked him which pizza he recommended. He began describing how delicious their pizzas were and what was so special about them. He told me that when he moved to the US several years ago, he ate a pizza here in the US and he didn't like it and thought that he would probably never eat another pizza. . .well, pizza as he knew it unless he traveled back to Italy. When he came to work for this Italian store/restaurant, he said he was so happy because they made pizzas like they did in Italy.

Well, I feel the same way about the Dobash cake! LOL! There's a lot of things I miss about Hawaii, one of which is the food. Arggghh! Anyway. . .about 30 minutes ago, we got a knock at the door and it was the Fed Ex guy. There were two big boxes from Zippys. . .a restaurant in Hawaii. I didn't really think much about it because we've ordered from them before. To make a long story short. . .I was up in my craft room and my daughter called me down to the kitchen. I went downstairs and there was a box on the kitchen counter. I looked at it and again, I didn't think much about it.

I was like "what?". . ."why did you call me down?" and my husband pointed at the box and said "read it". . .I looked at it and read "DOBASH". . .OMG! I felt like I received a beautiful Christmas present. Too funny! I was so happy. I was surprised because I didn't know that the restaurant delivered cakes. Okay. . .lemme' tell ya'. . .because it's a food product that is perishable, it needs to be delivered same day which cost 3X the amount of the product itself. I believe the delivery cost for just a cake is about $30. I mean, how badly do you want a $15 cake? LOL! Personally, I would never buy it for myself but my sweet husband wanted to make me happy.

Anyway. . .we cut up the cake and I ate a super big slice! It was sooooooooooo yummy! You know. . .sometimes the simplest things in life can really make such a difference. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful husband.

Hanna Christmas

Hello Everyone!! I actually made this Christmas card last week but forgot to post it. Now that I look at the card, I should have placed Hanna closer to the tree. Boy, Hanna is a tall chick! LOL! She's taller than the tree! She's so skinny too! Companies should make more stamps reflecting how most women look! Shorter and maybe a size 8 or 12. LOL! I wonder if people would buy them? Even stamped images seem to focus on tall, skinny women.

Well, no matter. . .Hanna is very pretty and looks nice on my card. I know. . .the colors of my card are not really Christmas colors but because I made Hanna hair blond, I had to add some yellow to my card. I actually like it. It's different. I purchased this set from Jen's online store "Little C's Stamps n' Things". She has a huge sale going on right now. . .be sure to stop by and check it out.

I used Liquid Applique to create the puffy snow. It's so fun to use LA. You know lately, I've been feeling like a couch slug. . . .lounging around watching TV. Terrible. Typically I hate being a couch potato but lately, I don't want to do anything. Arggghh!

I hope I snap out of this phase. . .like pronto!! KWIM? I'll give myself the weekend to get my self together. Do you have days when you just don't want to do anything? I mean absolutely NOTHING?

Anyway, back to my card. . .I colored the tree with my Copic Markers and smudged a bit of white opaque pen to the tree to create the subtle highlights.

Okay. . .I'm going to make it a goal to create something today. Hope you are all having a fabulous Friday!!

Card Details:

Stamps: Hanna Stamps, SU Seasons of Joy

Paper: K&Co designer paper, SU Real Red, Certainly Celery, Sunny Yellow

Ink: Copic Markers, SU Pastels, Sakura Opaque Pen

Accessories: Prima flowers, JoAnn brad, Liquid Applique, Martha Stewart Border Punch, Ribbon (Unknown)

Little C's Weekly Challenge #13

Hi Everyone! I'm a bit late but it's Little C's Weekly Challenge #13. Yesterday my Internet and cable went AWOL! It's unbelievable how dependent we are with the Internet and cable. . .we couldn't, it seems, function. . .like we didn't know what to do with ourselves. I know, it's a little silly but it was more to do with the fact that we didn't have a choice that was disturbing than with the actual Internet and cable not working. Typically, we don't watch TV regularly but we tend to use the Internet a lot but there's times when I can go a whole day without turning on my computer so it was sort of funny how we were obsessed with not having the Internet available yesterday.

Anyway. . .this week's challenge is to use the color combo below. Jen has a weekly challenge that she post on Tuesday and it runs through Sunday. For more details on the challenge be sure to visit Jen's Little C's Stamp n' Things blog site . . .there's a prize to be given out so come on. . .play along, okay!!

For this challenge, I used the Hanna Stamps "Garden Hanna" that I purchased it at Little C's Stamps n' Things. Jen has a use sale going on. . .35% discount on your total purchase. Click on the Little C's banner above to check out all the goodies in her store.

Just a little info on my card. I colored Hanna and the other images using my Copic Markers and paper pieced her clothing using the same designer paper as the background.

Anyway. . .hope you will join us in this challenge. . .

Check out the fabulous challenge cards by all of these talented ladies!!

Adventures with Scrapbook Mama - Ellie
Big Ideas From A Little Girl - Teri
Hawaiian Angels - Jodie
Life's Simple Pleasures - Risa

Little C's Stamps n' Things - Jen
Stamping Spot Studio - Jean

Here is the color combo for this challenge!!

Card Details:

Stamps: Hanna "Garden Hanna"

Paper: SU Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Close To Cocoa, K&Co designer paper

Ink: Copic Markers

Accessories: Fiskar Paper Shaper scissors, Darice Rhinestones, Satin Ribbon, SU large Oval Punch, Coluzzle Oval Template