Recap and New Card

Although my day yesterday was fairly quiet, which was how I wanted it to be, both my home and cell phones rang with well wishers (and singers) for my birthday. I also received a beautiful floral arrangement from my brother, his wife and their son from Northern California. But the biggest surprise was when I opened the card from my DH, who is still in NY with our daughter, Chelsea, who is on an 8-day field trip. Inside the card I found 2 tickets to see the one and only Michael Buble', my most favorite singer of all time! And, he bought seats close to the stage! I am so excited!!! Then, while I was at the post office mailing my swaps (below), my other daughter, Jasmine, baked me a chocolate cake (my favorite!). Shortly after that, my best friend dropped off an Italian dinner for Jasmine and me. I'm constantly amazed at how much I have to be thankful for.

NMBS - No More Bad Swaps
I recently joined a swap group called NMBS and below is my very first swap card that I'm participating in with them. Usually it's all SU products, but for this swap, there were no vendor restrictions.

Stamps: Favor It (PTI), Sweet Celebrations (HannaStamps), All Holidays (SU)
Ink: Pitch Black (Adirondack)
Paper: Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Berry Bliss DSP, Soft Sky DSP, Cardboard from any Simply Scrappin' Kit (All SU)
Acc: Taffeta Ribbon (SU), Lace Ribbon (JoAnn's), Sm. Oval Punch, Clear Acetate, Nestabilities, Copic Markers (G99, R29, R43), Mini Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Sewing Machine and White Thread

Forever 29?

I was talking to my niece on the phone yesterday and we happened to be talking about birthdays. She told me that for her birthday invitations last year, she wrote, "Please come to my 2nd Annual 29th Birthday Party." Now how funny is that? This year, her invitations will read "3rd Annual 29th Birthday Party." I never used to care much about age, but now that it's fastly creeping by, I want to be 29 again!!! So if anyone asks me how old I am today, I'll just say I'm 29 and leave it at that! Okay... enough sobbing...

I can't believe how many RAKs I received for my birthday! I feel so very blessed! I had already listed the first two in an earlier post from Angie and Debbie. I received four more, which I'd like to share with you.
This first card is from Lisa of Ohio. Lisa and I are in the same swap group that I recently joined. Lisa, I love the large plastic die cut flower! I've never used one before, but now I'd like to get some (I just heard ca-ching in the distance!) Thank you so much, Lisa. It's beautiful!

This next card is from Jen of Hawaii, my favorite vacation spot! Jen is actually the originator of Jen's Birthday RAK Club. You can't tell from this picture, but the bear has layers with lots of depth. She also included a package of clear stamps. How sweet is she? Thanks so much Jen. You're an "angel."

This card is absolutely adorable! It's from Heather Huggins of Oregon, who's also a member of Jen's RAK Club. Didn't she do such a great job coloring and designing this card? She also enclosed 4 sheets of stamped card stock ready to be colored. Heather, that is so sweet of you. I really appreciate it so much!

Now this card has a lot of work put into it. It's made by Diane Archer of Ohio. I looked through SCS, my phone contact list, email list, Jen's RAK list... but I don't know where she got my address and how she knew that it was my birthday! Diane, if you're reading this, please email me, or know that I so much appreciate this beautiful card and all the hard work you put into making it.

Thank you to all who wished me a happy birthday!

Blog Hopping with Papertrey Ink

Welcome Blog Hoppers! I had found out very late that I was chosen as one of Papertrey Ink's 25 Featured Blogs for April so, I had to quickly come up with a design for the challenge using the new "Father Knows Best" patterned paper. Tonight from 8pm to midnight (EST)... for us Californians, check back here between 5pm to 9pm... you'll have the opportunity to vote for your favorite project in this forum: Blog Hop.

Now on to my challenge submission. The new paper is geared towards the masculine side. The first thing I thought of when I saw this paper were ties. But, since I've been working on making baby cards, I decided to make an "It's a Boy" announcement card for this challenge. I hope you like it!

Don't forget to vote here between 8pm - 12am (EST), 5pm - 9pm (PST). Thanks!

Busy Wednesday & BD RAKs

I have been preparing all day for my daughter and my husband's trip. My 14 year old and her dad are leaving Thursday morning at 5:00 for Washington, DC, NY and Boston. It's for the long awaited 8th Grade field trip for 110 of her classmates and about 50 parents. I opted out of this trip to stay with my 16 year old and also because I can't handle tours too well with my constant headaches and migraines. But I'm going to miss my baby so much!!! I don't think we've ever been separated for so many days before. I'm still not done with all the laundry and packing for the two of them, but I needed a break. So I thought I'd tell you about the birthday RAKs I received in the mail...

A Great Big THANK YOU to
Debbie of Texas & Angie of Hawaii

A few months ago, I joined Jen's Bday RAK Club and I was so pleasantly surprised to receive these two beautiful cards in the mail! With my 14 year old and my husband leaving for the East Coast, I was so bummed that only one of my daughters would be around during my birthday (the rest of my family lives in Northern California). But getting these cards really cheered me up! The one on the right with the Delight in Life set was made by Angie from Hawaii. The Time Well Spent set on the left was made by Debbie from Texas. Thank you so much to the two of you. These really mean a lot to me!

SCSM5 Shoe Box Projects

At StampMania, each attendee was to bring a shoe box project for 10 people to make while they went around the room making other peoples' shoe box projects. Each project was supposed to be made in 10 minutes or less. So, when the event was over, everyone had a total of 10 make-n-takes (all current SU products), a card from Taylor of Taylored Expressions (the fish card sponsored by Stampendous), and a roster of everyone who attended, taught by Alora.

Everyone made this roster, which had the info of all who attended.

I won this prize from Cornish Heritage Farm.

More Door Prizes
These are pictures of the make-n-takes that I made. The only thing I forgot to take a picture of is the 3-D project -- a really cute pocket book!
This was my "station." The card I chose for my make-n-take was a similar design I made a while back, but simplified.

SoCal StampMania V

What a fabulous event it was yesterday (April 19) at the SCSM5 in Long Beach! About 117 stampers participated along with the coordinators, Joy, Jami and Emily, and several volunteers. We were privileged to have the very talented Taylor from Taylored Expressions who shared a make-n-take with us. It was stamping, chatting, snacking and winning prizes from noon till 6! I, myself won one of the two SCS t-shirts they were giving away and I also won a stamp set from Heritage Farms! But I think the best part of the day was meeting the people whose faces and names were so familiar to me through SCS and various blogs.

(Pictured above with me is Joy Kennedy. Some people asked her if we were sisters! Coincidentally, her aunt and I used to be roommates years ago, but we just found that out recently. And here's a picture of Joy and Taylor right before my group started Taylor's make-n-take. I'll post a picture of her card tomorrow.)

These are just some of the various door prizes given away throughout the day. The recipient of my Accessory Planter seemed quite thrilled!

This is a partial view of the hall.

Each of us were to design and make our own name tag. This was mine. I used the cardboard backing of one of SUs Simply Scrappin' kit and cut and embossed it with the largest size of the scallop square and scallop oval. I heat embossed with silver EP on two places, added charms, blings and dew drops. After printing my name, I dabbed some VersaMark over it and heat embossed Iridescent Ice EP. I also put acetate over it to protect it.

One of my critics (my daughters) asked if I was going to a wedding! The other one said it looked "weird" and laughed when I proudly said "oh, good!" I just love my personal critics... they don't hold anything back!

And then there was the Italian buffet dinner from 6pm to 9pm...yummy!! About 90 of us met at a nearby restaurant and had a great time rehashing the fun-filled day. Above is a picture of Becky Kwan, me and Trisha Lim. We're smiling because the buffet table was about to open (jk)!

I'll have pictures of some of the projects tomorrow. Thanks for visiting!

Accessory Planter

A few weeks ago I saw some really cute aluminum tins at Mike's in the dollar bin and knew that one day I would eventually use it...well, today was the day. It stands about 3" tall and maybe 4" across the top. I'm guessing because I have it put away already. I'm going to an event this weekend where everyone attending is supposed to bring a door prize and this is my contribution. I had my door prize ready a long time ago, but it was too wobbly, so I came up with this today. Anyhoo...

I covered the tin with DS paper using sticky tape. Next, I cut a piece of florist foam to put inside the tin to hold the flower stems. To make the flowers, I used SUs flower chipboard and cut out the center the same size as my plastic containers. To cut the center, I used the Crop-a-Dile and punched all the way around until I had the size I needed. I then used Mod Podge to glue the paper to the chipboard. After that dried, I used Crystal Effects to attach the "stem." Fill the containers with little accessories and push it thru the center hole. Tie a bow on the stem, stick the stem into the foam, cover the top with shredded paper or a long piece of ribbon thrown strategically on top, and that's it!

Thanks for visiting!

New Online Class-Brag About Mom

This brag book is a true gift from the heart for so many occasions such as: Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Teacher Appreciation gifts.
What a fun and memorable party or group activity. For more detailed information about this online class, please go to Stampin' with Adela.

Catwalk Hanna

This is my debut Hanna card and she is making her very own debut -- as a model! She is wearing a flashy turquoise cocktail dress with matching shoes and a sparkly bracelet. Even with all the blinding flashes from the fashion photographers' cameras, she is enjoying her shining moment immensely!

Stamp: Just So Sayings, Snow Bursts, But I Need It (Hanna Stamps)
Ink: Turquoise, Versamark, Adirondack (black), Copic Markers
Paper: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Going Gray, Basic Gray, Basic Black
Acc: Iridescent Ice EP, Fine Cosmo Glitter Turquoise, Two-Way Glue, Dimensionals, Bling

Polka-Dotted Bra Card

For my friend's bridal shower tomorrow, I wanted to make a card that reflected our sense of humor. I've seen these bras made out of the scallop punch, so I wanted to give it a try. But I just couldn't think of which sentiment would work with it... then I found good old Happy Harmony from last year's SAB:

"It's the little things that make life Big."

Size: 5x5
Stamp: Happy Harmony, Ambassador Monogram (Paper Trey Ink)
Paper: Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Basic Black, Real Red, Cerise DSP, Vellum
Ink: Versamark, Mellow Moss
Acc: Scallop Punch, White Taffeta Ribbon, Black EP, Mini Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Rectangle Nestabilities, Pearl Dew Drops, Bling

Vivian's "Faux" Cookbook

My beautiful friend, Vivian, is getting married in May and this Sunday her sister is throwing her a bridal shower. The invitation suggests bringing a favorite recipe. Now, knowing Vivian, she always wants to "go out" and I've yet to hear her say "I made this!" So, instead of bringing a recipe for her, I made a fake cookbook. Okay, it looks like a cookbook on the outside (I made a very similar one several weeks ago here) but when she opens it, here's what she'll find:
A page with Emergency phone numbers to some of the local restaurants near her house. I also put a section at the bottom of the page for "Vivian's Faves" and "Justin's Faves" that she can add on to.
I then created tabs for the book to separate the different types of restaurants (Italian, Mexican, etc...). Inside the page protectors I inserted a few take out menus from some of the restaurants nearby, along with some catering menus in case she wants to invite some friends over for a party.
I'm sure she'll use this just as much as -- or maybe even more than -- her regular cookbook!

Thanks for visiting.

Dewey Thanks

I just LOVE these Dew Drops! The color I used on this 4-1/2 x 6 card is carnation. Crystal Effects can be used to attach these little cuties, but since I wanted to attach them onto a strip of ribbon, I used mini glue dots, which are actually so much easier to apply. To soften the white card stock a little, I used a dauber to sponge in a little bit of rose colored pastels (chalk) around the oval with the sentiment and around the edges of the card base. I usually use ink to sponge on cards, but sometimes it comes on too strong, and I wanted just a hint of color on this card.

Stamp: Full of Life
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Ring Around the Rosie (Daisy Bucket Designs)
Ink: Brown StazOn
Acc: White Taffeta Ribbon, Dimensionals, Pastel Chalks, Dauber, Bitty Blossoms (Bazzill), Nestabilities, Dew Drops (the Robin's Nest)

I've Been Tagged!

Two things come to mind right away when I see the word "tag." First, there's the tag I see when I go shopping (yes, I have shopping on my mind!); the second is a flashback of my childhood when my little friends and I would play tag-you're-it! Several days ago, Susanna (the very sweet Barefoot Stamper), tagged me. Now to play along, here are 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.

• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

• Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

OK, here is my list of 7 random/weird things about moi --

1. I LOVE vacationing on tropical islands, but I'm afraid of the water so I don't go in (weird, huh?).

2. I was born in the Philippines, at home... delivered by a midwife. Doesn't that sound so medieval?

3. I have headaches every single day, with migraines 2 to 3 times a week -- I'm not exaggerating.

4. Chocolate is my passion -- but isn't that almost everyone's?

5. I like to sing and dance around the house -- when I do I often hear my girls say " Mom's weird."

6. I love Scrabble, but can't find anyone to play with (my DH stinks at the game, sshhh!).

7. I can't seem to part with my old cell phone because every night I still play the game that I downloaded it on a couple of years ago.

OK, my 7 picks are:

1. I recently stumbled upon Julie's blog (of Stampin with Julie) and had a great time looking thru all her creations! They're so beautiful!

2. Krista, from the Netherlands, is so, so sweet. I met her through Beate's Yahoo Group and although she doesn't have an abundance of supplies readily available to her like most of us do, she does wonderful work!

3. Now Kathie McGuire is a multi-gifted artist. I've never met her in person, but I can just tell that it would be a hoot to hang out with her! Her energy just oozes out...

4. I have been visiting Suzy's blog (of Papermonkey) since day one... another talented artist!

5. Lori of Make a Difference is another recent discovery and she does such beautiful work!

6. When I think of originality, Rochelle of Impressions comes to mind. She seems to always come up with some new idea... she's awesome!

7. Last, but not at all least, Kristi, of Hanna Stamps, is an artist I really admire. Not only is she creative, but her talent is spread throughout other areas.

OK... that took longer than I thought. I've gotta run and pick up my girls from school! Thanks for visiting me!