Challenge SC208: Birthday Whimsy

Again today I decided to use a retired Sell-A-Bration set from last year. This set is called Birthday whimsy. I also added to the SCS challenge by telling my self that I could only use scraps of paper that I had left over from other cards that I have made. This is what I came up with:

Recipe:

Birthday Whimsy Stamp Set

Whisper White Cardstock

Certainly Celery Cardstock

Regal Rose Cardstock

Tempting Turquoise Cardstock

Tempting Turquoise Classic Ink

Basic Black Classic Ink

Certainly Celery Stampin Write Marker

Tempting Turquoise Stampin Write Marker

Regal Rose Stampin Write Marker

So Saffron Stampin Write Marker

Earth Elements Eyelets

Stampin Dimensionals

Crop-A-Dile

SNAIL Adhesive

I will not be posting tomorrow. It is Christmas, and I have to work in the afternoon. On Friday I will join in on the SCS challenge, and post Christmas pictures. 

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Todays Challenge: 12-24-08

Todays challenge is again from SCS (seriously, if you haven't visited their site.... you need too!). The challenge is to use the following sketch to create a card:


This is going to be an interesting challenge, but shouldn't be to hard. Now, I just have to start working on it.

As always, if you decided to join in the challenge then please comment to this post with a link to your picture. If need more inspiration to make you vision to come true please click here to see what others have made.

Merry Christmas Eve,

Friendship Blooms: SCS Challenge

This is my creation for todays SCS challenge.

Recipe:

Friendship Blooms Stamp Set

Cameo Coral

Orchid Opulence

So Saffron

Ice Circle Rhinestone Brads

Cameo Coral Classic Ink

Basic Black Classic Ink

Orchid Opulence Stampin Write Marker

So Saffron Stampin Write Marker

Pop-up Dots

SNAIL Adhesive

Todays Challenge: 12-23-08

Todays challenge comes straight from SCS. The challenge is titled So Coral Opulence (CC198) and the rules are pretty simple. You have to design something that uses So Saffron, Cameo Coral, and Orchid Opulence.

Well this is going to be fun. I am off to find the stamp set that I want to use, grab the paper, and start designing. I will post the card, scrap book page, or 3 D when its done.....

Oh and by the way, if you decide to take on this challenge too then please comment to this posting with the link to your picture.

If you would like to see what others have made, please click here!

Inky Hugs, Ana

I'm BACK!!!!

After a little pause in my blogging life and my stamping life, I'm back. Please don't ask me why I ever left. Mainly because I really don't have any answers.

Right after Convention I kind of lost momentum. I know that is not what Convention is suppost to do for us stampers but for some reason.... the "umph!" was just gone.

Then I started working at a new job. Not just any job but a new job working the 11pm to 7am shift at a local nursing home. So, now when I was home I was either sleeping or wishing I was sleeping. After 3 months of working that trying shift I am now on a more normal shift of 3pm to 11pm.

To top everything off, we finally found out why my youngest son was always getting sick. He was in kidney failure. Thankfully though, Chris had surgery on November 17th (9 days after he turned 5) and he is doing great.

So, maybe all of these things that happened shortly after Convention had a snow ball effect on my stamping life and over all happiness. But, no matter what, I am back.

I am starting slowly this time though. I am not jumping in with selling, and classes to start with. Right now I am starting with stamping on my days off.... This means that I will be taking place in SCS challenges and possibly challenges on Shelli's Blog.

My first day with this "new" phase in my life will begin tomorrow. TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS (after all, I didn't even send out Christmas cards this year!). Please join me tomorrow to see what challenge I am planning on taking on and what I make to meet the challenge.

Oh, and.... another challenge I have to face is my stamping room. It has become a junk room where everything gets put instead of being put away. I will post pictures of this black hole over the next few days and start working on the great transformation. And, if any of you have any idea's on how to help transform my mess into success please feel free to post.

New Up Coming Classes

Things have finally settled down here on the home front and I am now able to schedual two classes. If you are interested in joining any of the following please let me know. Each class will be full at a total of 8 people.

Altered Scrap Book Class

This month we will be making two books... to make up for not having a class last month. The first book will be made out of drink coasters and the second one will be an accordian book.

Class Date: October 18, 2008 @ 11:00am till 3:00pm
Class Cost: $10.00
Pictures will be posted from the class within 1 week from the class date.

Christmas Tag Class

This will be the first of 3 days set aside to work on our Christmas Tags. We will be using a group of current and retired stamp sets to make our tags. Each person will be able to make up to 30 tags for the class cost. If you need more tags let me know and I will give you a special price for the extra you need.

Class Date: October 19, 2008 @ 10:00am till 2:00pm
Class Cost: $10.00
Pictures from the class will be posted within 1 week from the class date.

P.S. Chris is doing better. We are waiting for his surgery date which should be within the next month. Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes.

A Personal Note

I just want to take a minute or two and let you all know what I have been dealing with the last week. On Wednesday, August 27, 2008 I recieved a phone call from my 4 year olds school nurse. She informed me that Chris was not feeling well and she needed me to come in to the school to take him home. As most of you know, Chris has been sick for about 2 years now. He has been having episodes of nausea and vomiting and stomach pain since right after his 2nd birthday. So, I wasn't too worried about this new episode but found it more of a good sign. See, the doctors and I have been trying to figure out why he has been getting sick and Chris was set for a CT scan on Friday of that week. I was hoping that the scan could be moved up to that day, and set off for the hospital. Up till this point we thought Chris had intussusception but where unable to diagnose it. The doctors thought that this was in part of not having any tests down during an episode.

12 hours later we found out that Chris was being transfered from St. Mary's Hospital to Loma Linda Acute Peds unit via an ambulance. He was in kidney failure!

Before Chris was born I was told that he had hydronephrosis. After I delivered Chris I seen two separate doctors and both told me that if Chris did have hydronephrosis we would see signs and then they would run the tests needed to diagnose it. But, until those signs were present it wasn't wise to subject Chris to the large amounts of radiation that the scans produced. By the time Chris was two and started having his episodes we had kind of forgotten about the hydronephrosis. Matter of fact, we never told his current doctor about this pre-birth diagnosis. So, during each episode Chris had we all were looking for something different.

Well, it turns out that the kidney failure was caused by the hydronephrosis.

After two days at Loma Linda we got good news. My baby was sick, but the kidney failure was not as serious as first thought. Both kidneys were functioning at a total of 90%. The right kidney is filtering the blood but not draining. It is 13.5 cm in size when it should be 7 cm. The left kidney has multiple cysts (tumors). But, the kidneys are working. The doctors were actually surprised due to the fact that these attacks, or episodes, have been occuring for the last 2 years and usually that length of time means that one of both kidneys can be severely damaged. Plus, Chris has a 2mm kidney stone.

Chris was discharged from Loma Linda on Friday. He has a long road ahead of him. Over the next week we have to see his primary care doctor for a follow up, and he also has to see a specialist in Loma Linda for a pre-surgery consult. The following week, Chris needs to have surgery to place a shunt between the right kidney and the bladder. If this procedure decreases the size of his kidney another surgery will be performed to put the shunt in for good. If the kidney does not decrease in size we will have to figure out what to do next. After the right kidney is decreased we will move on to the cysts in the left kidney.

For all of you who know Chris personally, please know that he is doing well right now. He is almost back to his old self. He does have a lot of pain still and is on medication. He is hoping to go back to school on Tuesday.

I would like to thank all of you for the prayers. I truely believe that God had a hand in Chris's good news this past week.

August's Altered Scrapbook Class

I have had a problem posting lately due to a few firsts in my life. I will tell you all about these firsts in a minute but I wanted to take a minute to share the new altered scrapbook that we made this past weekend.

I got this idea from Convention this year. I didn't finish my scrapbook yet, eventhough I usually do before each class, but I can tell you that everyone in the class had wonderful looking books when they were finished.

Each scrapbook was made with a total of 7 pages and one pull out. I suggested to each class mate that they use the pull out for journaling. But, like everything else I do, I also made the comment that they could do what every they wanted. A couple of the girls used the insert as a place to hold tickets for the event they placed in the album. All very cute ideas!

This album was made with two envelopes bound together with a ribbon. If you would like step by step instructions for this project, or if you would like information about joining next months class, please let me know. Just send an e-mail to me at ana4stampin@aol.com or give me a call at 760-713-3708.

Now for my firsts! This month was the start of some great firsts for me. My kids went to their first day of school (after 4 years of being homeschooled). And, I started my first job as an LVN (after not working away from home in over 5 years).

The boys were very excited about their first. They are now into their 3 week of school and both of them seem to be thriving.

My new job is kind-of exciting. I am trying to get the hang of it.... and trying to remember all the things I am suppost to do through out the day. I am working at a local nursing home on the night shift. Yes, that means that while you are all at home suggled into your beds, I am up working. These new hours are taking a bit to get use to but I am sure that I will be ok.

The only bad things about my new job is the fact that I am going to have to juggle some of my SU! classes around. So keep posted and I will let each of you know about up coming classes as they are known to me.

Hope you all enjoyed this new project. And, like always, if this inspired you to make your own send me a picture of what you have made.

Ana

New Links

I have just added a couple new links to this page. Now you can view our new Fall~Winter 2008 Idea Book and Catalog just by clicking on the picture on the right side of the page. This link will open up a .pdf file that you can use to view the new catalog, and make a wish list that is all yours. You can even save the file on your computer to view at a later time.

The other link I just added is for a stamp sale. Stampin' UP! is offering some of the new stamp sets just released at a great price. Click on the link to view the sets being offered and then view them through the online catalog. If you see something you just cant live without, let me know and I will order them for you.

Celebrate Coffee Cup

This years SU! convention logo has really touched me. Not only is it SU! 20th year and their reason to celebrate; but, it is also the year that I finished school and became a nurse, which is my reason to celebrate.

I actually had one printed logo left from making my convention swaps so after I came home from convention I decided to use it for my coffee mug. Ok! If you really know me you know that I am not a big coffee drinker so I am planning on using this mug for my water, or soda.