I almost forgot! I joined Create Your Year and the theme for January is “It’s Snow Lovely.” I thought about this quite a bit actually ~ we don’t get snow here but I’ve seen picture after picture from my friends back in WA. It doesn’t snow all that often where we used to live there so when it does you can bet it makes huge news. LOL Here is a pic of our tree at the other house.

I definitely miss that! The snow and the tree - that tree is beautiful. I have no idea what it is but the leaves are red and last all summer long. I’ll have to dig out pictures of that.

For my Snow theme I am going to submit another card project that I did. It was for my friend group swap and for December. It counts at January though because I just made it last week. LOL

All paper, ink and images copyright Stampin’ Up. I used Bashful Blue, Pixie Pink, Gable Green and Whisper White paper; The Snowflake Spot and Warm Words stamp sets; Pixie Pink ink pad, Pink Passion marker; Silver Embossing powder; Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

This scanned really badly. See on the snowflake in the middle where it looks … like glue is on it. It’s glitter and so it’s all sparly. The words at the bottom also have glitter on them, but this just makes them look covered with something. I need a new camera so I am relying on my scanner for these pics.

I think this is a cute card! I love the sparkle and be merry words but I wonder if this would have been better being stamped in pink and then covered in glitter, rather then doing the silver embossing on the snowflake. The glitter that I added did make it better, but it still feels like something is missing.

I’m loving feeling and being creative again! I’ve also been writing more and more every day. I need to put them into a file though because the desktop on my computer is littered with notepad files. LOL When I was in college I kept a journal on the computer, I don’t think I’ll do that again, but it is so easy to open the notepad program and type away when the mood strikes.

Remember I mentioned being two cards behind in my card swap group with friends? Well way back in November my group swap theme was Red ~ just anything red, red card, paper, ink, etc. I picked red as an accent on a welcome card:

All image, paper, stamps and ink Copyright Stampin’ Up. I used Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Creamy Caramel and Whisper White paper, Ruby Red and Chocolate Chip ink, Warm Words and Fresh Fillers stamp sets. The ribbon and rhinestones are from Target.

I like this design but feel like something is missing. Maybe something should be on the ribbon? Maybe there should be not as many flowers? I’m not sure. I do like the overall design though.

A lot of the stamps that I own are words ~ quotes or words that make up something a phrase, like Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas. I’ve always been a writer and assume that’s why I am drawn to the words. I like the images, but find I don’t have the patience to color a stamp multiple colors or to even just color something in. I have both the SU chalks and the watercolor crayons (I bought them before I joined SU – the chalks come with the demo kit) and have never used the chalks and only used the crayons a few times. I wish I wanted to use them more, I probably need to find designs that I like and just run with it. I’ve done projects with the watercolor crayons and oh my gosh they are so fun to play with and just beautiful. That’s it, I just need more project ideas!

Yesterday I shared the pink Birthday Card that I sent to be swapped with my team at the demo meeting. I also do a monthly card swap with a few friends back in WA State. We pick a monthly theme and then each make cards that go along with that. I am late with two cards (Nov & Dec) though. To make up for the lateness, I am also mailing my February card early! So anyway, yesterday I sent them each four cards. Here is one ~

All images, paper, stamps, ink and punch Copyright Stampin’ Up. I used Almost Amethyst, Blush Blossom, Apricot Appeal and Whisper White paper; Happy Everything stamp set; Flower punch and Blush Blossom ink. The eyelet came from a pack I bought at Target.

Sidenote about Target: You are stopping by the dollar section when you go right? I love that spot! And of course it is placed perfectly, at the front of the store where you can’t miss it. I think it was right before Christmas that they had the section stocked with scrapbooking/stamping/card making supplies. I grabbed some stickers and eyelets and also grabbed rhinestones that were in their stationary/scrapbooking section that were on clearance.

I am still loving this card design! I liked it so much that I made it my group swap birthday card. I picked paper color and just went with it. The stamp set come with other words - days, life, everything to name a few - and I want to experiment with different words with this design. And probably different embellishments too - flowers won’t work for everything. I need to make a birthday card for my Aunt’s birthday next month so I think her card will be the first I’ll experiment with.

I joined Stampin’ Up a couple of months ago – strictly as a hobby demo. That means I don’t hold parties, actively recruit anyone and just buy for myself. Yes, I am that addicted. LOL

This is the first month that I am making my own swap cards for my team demo meeting. My team is actually back in WA State, I signed up with one of my very good friends there. It is all her fault I love this! She made a set of cards for me for a previous demo meeting so I was a little nervous to make my own.

All images, paper, stamps, ink, eyelet and punch Copyright Stampin’ Up. I used Pretty In Pink, Perfect Plum, Sage Shadow and Whisper White paper, Happy Everything stamp set, Perfect Plum ink, Soft Subtles eyelets and Flower Punch.

I made a pink Happy Birthday card! The design is all my own too. The only thing I was thinking was I wanted a strip or I wanted half of the card to be a different color. I really like how this turned out – simple and pretty. I can’t wait to see what cards I get back!

I love the cowboy card that Linda posted at her A Muse blog! So very cute!!

I remember being in college and someone asking if my family celebrated Christmas. You know, because we are Native American and I guess that means we shouldn’t?

Of course we do - we like to eat good food too!

For me Thanksgiving just isn’t Thanksgiving without a rectangle pumpkin pie. That’s how my Grandma makes it and it’s just great. And she makes a cherry pie too. I’ve continued on that tradition since I’m not at home.

Wow, so much has gone on. My fickr has been updated in many ways - go over there –> and check it out!

The kids and I spent the past two days cleaning, hanging out with Chris, coloring, crafting and stamping. I have been doing a card swap with a couple of my girlfriends for the past few months - okay, I admit it, we all got WAY behind and are now in the process of playing catch up. I am sending three cards to each of them tomorrow. I had so much fun making them! And my kids had a blast too. They played with card scraps that I had and made various things - they loved stamping and playing with markers equally.

So with no further waiting here we have:

A Halloween Card

Let’s see, that is all copyright Stampin’ Up: retired Halloween Hedgehog stamp, cardstock and ink and I’m sorry but I put all the stuff away and don’t remember what the official name of everything is! It’s orange and yellow. Hahaha And the stars and words on the cardstock are embossed. CASE’d from here. (It’s considered CASE’ing even if it’s not exact right?)

Friend Card

Also copyright Stampin’ Up. Quotes To Live By stamp set, SU cardstock, etc. And CASE’d from here.

Happy Birthday Card

Copyright Stampin’ Up, images, cardstock, ink, etc. (I really need to figure out what I am supposed to say here. Actually do I need to say if I am not a Stampin’ Up rep?) Also, *ahem* my design. Hahaha

I really need a new camera. The only picture I like of those three is the birthday one. My camera is coming up on five years old - I went looking on ebay to see how much I could get for it a few months ago. I figure I could sell it and put the money toward a new one, good plan right? Except there was only one listing of my camera and it was $9.95!!! How sad. So a new camera is on the backburner for the time being.

Yes I am up late. Both kids were in bed and asleep by 8:10PM and I have cleaned the kitchen, done a load of laundry, visited with my Mom and read blogs. Wow, how cool is that. I’m off to bed after I post this though, the kids will be up at the crack of dawn (or possibly before, I’m not sure when daybreak is tomorrow!) and I need to be too! Chris is working the day shift starting tomorrow and I figure we will do laundry and go to the park. Jake climbs all over me like I’m a jungle gym, he needs to get some of that out!