More BKCC's and a Technique challenge

I completed the remainder of the BKCC's that I missed with the move. I'm not thrilled with how they turned out, but that's o.k.

This first one is actually this weeks challenge. Belinda found this elegant bedroom with bedding from Horchow:

And from it got this color combo:

Basic Black, Whisper White, Gold.

Any excuse to use my metallic cardstock. I don't use it enough. For this card I started out by cutting my gold cardstock and embossing with the paisley background stamp (I know, shock! I used the paisley's! Only for you Belinda! *wink*) Anyhow, I embossed the paisley onto the the gold cardstock using Black Embossing powder so that you can just see the hints of gold underneath. Then I added some gold ribbon (yes, I still have some SU gold ribbon, I think I have had it for 4 years or so, and it still isn't halfway gone, sad huh?) and attached it to my Whisper White card base. I finished off the card by stamping Birthday Hugs and Wishes in the bottom right corner, opposite the ribbon to balance the card out. Simple, quick, and not too shabby if I do say so myself. Not quite what I had invisioned, but still.

Supplies: Stamps- Paisley, Hugs & Wishes; Cardstock- Whisper White, Gold; Ink- Versamark, Black; Access.- Black EP, Gold Ribbon

This next one is my least favorite of the cards I did, which sucks cause I had such high hopes for it.
Belinda found this fun bed set in her Bed, Bath & Beyond mailer:

From it she took these fun fall colors:

Chocolate Chip, Close To Cocoa, Mellow Moss, and Riding Hood Red (I used Rose Red).

I absolutely love these colors together. Throw in somr more mustard and it reminds me of driving through the canyons during the fall and watching all the leaves change colors.

Anyhow, for inspiration on this I pulled out my SU catty and went looking for a card that uses 4 or more cardstock colors. I found one (although now I can't find it again, but I got the layout from the SU catty) that really caught my eye with the stitching in between the strips of CS. So I came up with this.

For starters, I decided that I wanted the mellow moss to be my card base so I cut the other colors into the 1 inch x 4.25 inch strips and lined them up according to how I wanted them to appear. Then I attached them and paper pierced the zig zag holes so that the stitching would connect each peice. I then and stitched the card using cream thread. I pulled out my chipboard at this point because I couldn't find a verse that I wanted to put on the front (as show in the original card, where the flower is there was a verse) I found this chipboard that I had gotten in a package awhile back and so I decided to go with that. I used rose red, mellow moss and chocolate chip craft inks to dye the chipboard and then attached it using pop-glue dots. I finished it off with some chocolate chip taffeta ribbon and stamped the word wish in the bottom corner. Not at all what I had set out to do, but o.k.

Supplies: Stamps- Small Script; Cardstock- Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip, Close To Cocoa, Rose Red; Ink- Rose Red, Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip craft inks, Black; Access.- Chipboard flower, ribbon.


For this last one I actually set out to do the technique challenge from yesterday on Splitcoast and decided to combine it with Belinda's color challenge from a few weeks ago. Belinda found this darling bedroom from Pottery Barn Kids:

And came up with this combo:

Lavender Lace, Elegant Eggplant, and Certainly Celery.

Purple and green...... Tailor made for me right? You would think I would have had an easier time with this, I am not sure if it was the tech. that I had a hard time with, or the combo itself. The challenge was to do the Batik Technique, the colorwash way. I don't have some of the required supplies so my first thought was that I couldn't do the technique. Then I was looking at the cards that other people did and I saw that one of the other ladies didn't have some of the required items but she improvised. So I decided that I could too:

I started out with my watercolor paper and I inked up some of my stamps from Delight In Life (SU) using versamark stamping them randomly on the paper. Then I embossed it using clear embossing powder. So far, so good. Here is where my improve came in, the technique requires you to put some reinker drops into a mister bottle with water. I only have 1 spray bottle, so rather then having to use just one bottle for 3 colors I opted to try a different way. I took some empty plastic containers that I have in my stamp room for just such an occasion and I dropped a couple of drops of my first color into one of the containers. Then I sprayed some water into the container and kept spraying till the inked water was the color I wanted. Then I took my aquapainter and randomly brushed the color onto the watercolor paper. I repeated this with each of my colors. Now that that part was done I was able to start following the technique directions again, so I went to my computer room, grabbed some paper, then went to my laundry room and turned the iron on. I laid down a towel on top of my dryer (because I was too lazy to set up the ironing board) and I laid a peice of computer paper on top of the towel. Then I laid the watercolor paper (embossed side up) onto the paper and covered that with my other peice of computer paper. Then I ran the hot iron over the paper until the embossing was melted and showed through the computer paper. I finished off my card (after turning off and unplugging the iron of course, don't want to burn the house down) by stamping the dots from Delight in life onto the bottom half of my card base using coordinating ink, tied some eggplant sheer ribbon, then distressing the focal peice with my scissors, attaching it to EE cardstock, distressing that in the same manner, attaching that to the card base using dimensionals and tying the ribbon off to the side. I decided the card needed something more so I attached some primas and a brad using a glue dot and then stamped my verse in the corner of the focal image. Not bad for not having anything in mind when starting.

Supplies: Stamps- Delight In Life, Words Of Wisdom; Cardstock- Certainly Celery, Elegant Eggplant, Watercolor; Ink- Black, Certainly Celery, Versamark; Access.- Plastic containers, reinkers, spray bottle, aquapainter, dimensionals, ribbon, brad, prima, Clear EP, Iron, computer paper

Look.... she hasn't forgotten how to stamp!

Our new ward (local congregation of our church) meets from 1-4 on Sundays. We have been going to a ward in Kansas that meets 10-1, so this 1-4 thing is quite the change. Not to mention that in KS we could leave 20 minutes before church starts and still get there with time to spare. Here, we have to leave 40 minutes before church starts. Not that it takes 40 minutes, it's only a 30 minute drive, but if you get there even 5 minutes before church starts you are sitting in uncomfortable seats in the cultural hall (gym). So, we leave 40 minutes before. It's definately an adjustment. We have commented several times about how nice it will be to be back in Utah in a years time and be able to walk to church. Not to mention to be able to go to the temple, and instead of driving 3+ hours just to get to the nearest temple, having multiple temples within a half hours drive.

But I digress, that was totally not my point. Back on topic now....

Since we go to church so late in the day now, I find that I have the morning free. So I decided to do some stamping and make some use of that new craft room I have. I hopped on over to Belinda's blog to check out her recent color challenges. I wrote them all down and plan to do them all this week. I have missed 5 or so, so I picked up at the one that I first wasn't able to do because I had already packed my stuff up.

This first one, (BKCC#3) was inspired by this picture that Belinda found:

on a site called Chocolate Blues. She pulled from it:

the color combo Baja Breeze (I used tempting turquoise), Chocolate Chip, and Certainly Celery.

I ran out of card adhesive (I know, shock!) so rather then using my sticky strip, or glue dots, I improvised and used staples and thread. Supplies: Stamps- How Swell (TAC); Cardstock- Tempting Turquoise, Chocolate Chip, White, and Certainly Celery; Ink- Chocolate Chip; Access.- Ribbon, thread, needle, staples, colored pencils

For BKCC#4 Belinda was inspired by these pillows

that she found at Design Public. From it she pulled the combo

Bashful Blue, Tangerine Tango (I used Only Orange), and Basic Black

I love how this one turned out.

For this card I used: Supplies: Stamps- Pretty Posies (TAC); Cardstock- Bashful Blue, Only Orange, Basic Black, White; Ink- Staz-on Black; Access.- Cuttlebug EF (Floral Fantasy), Gingham ribbon, Dimensionals

I'm trying my cards outside for a while. I have so much natural light here so I figured I would see how photographing them outside worked for awhile. So far so good.

I have 3 more color challenges of Belinda's to catch up on so stay tuned.

I'm baaack!

Greetings from sunny New Mexico! We are all moved, and settled in. We will be here for about a year and then DH is done in the Army and we get to move home. YAY! But, for now, we are enjoying our time here. The people here are friendly. Although I can do without the "wild life" as I like to call it. On the way down here I saw a tarantula crossing the road (it was about 50 miles from here), and on our second night in our house I found a scorpion. yuck! We have killed lots of bugs, and spiders. We even had a black widow hanging by our front door (luckily it was outside). It was being chased by a vinegaroon which is a cross between a scorpion and a spider. Yucky! DH killed the black widow and caught the vinegaroon and put it in the field across the street from our house. I am scared to death of this type of "wild life" so this is going to be an interesting year. So far I'm handling it o.k. No snakes so far, but we are told they are around.

Anyhow, enough yuckiness. We just got our internet up and running today so this is the first chance I have to post anything. I have been busy unpacking and getting us settled in, but I am happy to report that I am done! well, at least as done as I can be right now. We left some of our furniture behind in KS so we have to get a few things before I can finish unpacking, but that will have to wait till we have money. So for now I am done with that. I don't have any projects to share with you, although I am working on some, just not done yet. But I do have some photos to share.
This first photo is the outside of our house. I took it from across the street, they are doing construction around us.

This one is a view of our back yard. It is HUGE! It is actually bigger then it looks even in the pictures. Needless to say the dog loves it! You can kind of see off to the right, our back patio is covered with a nice pergola.

Here is a view of our living room, it's huge (the photo only shows about 3/4 of it). Anyone actually doubt that my living room would be purple and green? LOL

I have a few pics of my favorite room, which is my craft room. *grin* (a RAK to the first person who can tell me what movie I'm watching, lol, didn't mean to get the TV in the picture)

Another view of the craft room.

And the third and final view of my craft room. I'm going to have some fun creating in this room. Although I can't wait to get back to Utah, and buy a house so I can actually decorate my craft room, but for now, I'm just thrilled I have a craft room and not a nook in my bedroom.

And this final photo I have for you, is one I took yesterday at White Sands National Monument. My cousin Shelly was here visiting for a couple of days. Her boyfriend just got stationed down here as well, so she came to see him. (Small world, he is actually in DH's unit, and for now is even in his company.) Anyhow, we all went to WSNM last night, and got there just before the sunset. It was so pretty! The sand there is so white and so soft and beautiful, we got to walk up into the dunes (there were some pretty tall and steep dunes there) and I took this shot looking out over the dunes, and towards the mountains. Boy it's good to see mountains again. Enjoy!

Till next time.... I hope to have some of my projects done soon.

I'll be back!

Whew! This has been one crazy week! We load our moving truck tomorrow morning! I can't beleive it's almost here. We have a few loose ends to wrap up here before we can go, so we don't actually drive out of here till Wednesday morning. The next several days will be crazy though. I know I said I would do a week of favorites, and I'm sorry I didn't. I had no way of knowing how crazy this week would be.

I will blog again when we get settled in NM, and hopefully I will have some fun new projects to show you. DH will have a week or so off work when we get there so he will be able to help me unpack and settle in. Hopefully it won't take long. Anyhow, until then all my blogging friends, stay safe, take care, and I'll be back!

Just one of the many reasons....

Just one of the many reasons on why I love my husband.
A little back story....
As a teenager I was always on the thinner side. Although I thought I would was overweight, I was only a size 3/5, so that tells you that I was crazy in the head. After I had my daughter I stayed somewhat on the average side. I was a size 7 for a few years and then gained a little weight and went up to a size 10/12. Twelve years ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Endometriosis. I have had many sugery's for this but it always seems to come back. Eight years ago my doctor at the time decided to try a course of treatments on me that he was sure would work to help me. Well, the course of treatments not only didn't work, but I gained a whole lot of weight. I really don't want to say on the world wide web how much weight, but let's just say it was a crazy amount. And we know it was the treatments because the weight gain was within 8 months time. Now here we are, 8 years later, and I am still sitting at this high weight. I have been able to drop some here and there, but, as some of you know I also have a condition called Syringomyelia which is a rare spinal cord condition that makes working out difficult at best. I have been to physical therapy for it, and that really seemed to help. However I was in physical therapy for months and months and the doctors now feel that I know enough to go it on my own and only go in for periodical check ups. I have been so busy that I have kind of gotten out of the habit of going to the gym. So the other day my friend Dorinda posted a link to our friend Ally's blog. Ally lives in the UK and for the last year or so has been doing WW's. She has lost 94 lbs.! She looks absolutely fantastic!


(I have been on WW's before, and it actually worked really well, but I do better when I can go to meetings. When we first moved here I went to a meeting and can I tell you, it was horrible. Everyone had their little groups of friends, I was there by myself and no one said a thing to me. Even the director of the group wasn't friendly. So I decided to try it on my own, that didn't work. I never did go back. I really want to, and had thought about finding meetings near where we are moving, but it's a 30-40 minute drive to the nearest one, each way. I know, just another excuse, I need to stop that)


But, Ally inspired me, to take action and start taking control of this weight thing. So DH and I had a conversation the other day. I told him that I needed his help. I wanted to start working out when we get to NM (the gym will only be about 6-8 blocks -one way- from where our new neighborhood is) But, I am so out of shape there is no way I will be able to walk to the gym and work out right at first. So baby steps. I decided that I wanted to start walking here. So each night I take the dog and I go on a walk around our neighborhood (about 8 blocks round trip) I walk sometimes in the mornings as well. I figured that I could start out with that and then by the time we get to NM I will be o.k. to walk the 6-8 blocks (one way) there and back to the gym. And then after a few weeks of that I will be able to walk to the gym, do a small workout and then walk back, then walk to the gym, do a longer workout and walk back and so on and so on. Baby steps. This way I don't over do it all at once. I can work my way into it. So I told DH about my plan. He was on board with it. So much so that he has been going with me. This helps to motivate me to keep a good pace as well as to walk the whole way and not whimp out halfway through.

So, on to why I love my husband. No, it's not cause he is a hot soldier

*snort* just had to sneak this pic in there. I love this picture. It's of him in Iraq in 2005 during his first deployment. and is one of my favorites of him.

And no, it's not cause he looks hot with a goatee, or because he makes me breakfast in bed, or because he cooks, takes care of me, and helps around the house. Although those are some of the things I appreciate about him. But, I love him because he is so supportive of me. When I told him of my plan to get healthy, he not only has decided to go with me on my walks, but he gets me up and going when I don't want to. Case in point, Sunday... we had company for dinner, by the time they left it was too late to walk. We all know once you don't do something once it's easy to have no desire to do it the next day. Yesterday I wasn't feeling well for most of the day. I felt fine in the evening though but still didn't want to walk. I told DH that I didn't want to go. He said that it was understandable and then left the room. He left to go get my socks and shoes and came back into the room with them and encouraged me to get up and go anyway. See! This is why I love my husband. Even when I don't want to do something he encourages me to do it anyway when it is for my own good.

I decided that Ally has it right, on her blog she would report how much she lost each week. So I am going to start doing that as well. I have a chart that I track my weight loss on, but that means the only one who I am accountable to is me. So I am going to start posting how much I have lost on my blog. On Sunday's (not this sunday though cause our computer will be in a box) I will post how much I lost from the week before. Just a little incentive to have to post to all of you out in blog land with how I am doing. *grin*

Belinda's Blog

In my last post I mentioned that since I can't stamp any new projects I would take the next week (until our computer gets packed an loaded on to the Uhaul) to share with you some of my favorite things to include blogs and websites. Today I am going to share with you just some of my favorite stamping related blogs.
I have a list of blogs that I read daily. Not all are stamping related, but I do check them out each day. (You can check out a more complete list to the right in my links section.)
A lot of my stamping friends blog, there is Dorinda, Amanda, Jody, Teresa, Jen, Jenn, Lisa, and Karen, just to name a few.
The blog I wanted to share with you is that of my dear friend Belinda. Now it's a funny story how I know Belinda. A few years ago I was in a swap for a mini catalog on SCS. I remember looking at all the cards from the swap and coming across one by belindaking (SCS screen name) and thinking how adorable it was. Well fast forward many months and I'm at church on a Tuesday night for a quarterly woman's activity and the sister (in our church we call eachother brother and sister, followed by the last name) who was giving the lesson was new to the ward (congregation) and was named Sister King. As I sat there listening to her lesson, which was awesome btw, I noticed that she had her lesson printed on the backs of SU flyers (I found out later that because she had just moved she hadn't yet unpacked the box with her computer paper in it and that was the only paper she could find, understandable). I laughed to myself thinking what a coincidence it would be if this sister King who obviously knows what Stampin Up is were actually Belinda from SCS. So after the activity I went up to her and told her how much I enjoyed her lesson and then I asked her if she belonged to SCS. She looked at me like I was nuts but answered that yes she was. I asked her if her screen name was belindaking, she again looked at me like I was nuts and looked as if she was starting to wonder if I was a crazy person who was going to come kill her during the night. But she answered that yes it was. Seriously, what were the chances! So I explained to her that I was not a crazy person (fooled her didn't I?) and that I too belonged to SCS and just happened to remember a swap she and I were both in. She must have decided I was somewhat normal because we became really good friends. Belinda and I stamped together, took cake decorating classes together, went to lunch many times together and just enjoyed hanging out. Belinda has recently moved and I dearly miss her. I do enjoy keeping up with her through her blog though. I've recently started doing her color challenges that she lists each friday on her blog. Sadly because my stamp stuff is packed I haven't been able to do the last two challenges (which sucks, cause they are gorgeous! But I'm going to attempt them when I get settled). The other day my husband saw one of the cards I did for one of Belinda's challenges and asked me why I call her BK. Now that is another story in itself but the long and short of it is, Belinda and I both chat occassionally on a thread on SCS. The ladies there nicknamed her BK for Belinda King. It just kind of stuck. I rarely call her that other then online, normally in person or on the phone I call her Belinda. So anyhow, check out Belinda's blog. She, just like all my friends that blog is super talented and such a fun person to know.
Belinda's Blog

My favorites

And now, for the final VSN creations, not to mention my two favorite. I didn't get nearly as many challenges done as I would have liked to, but I was happy with what I did do. So that's something right?
Anyhow, this first card was created for a challenge where the hostess talked about the talent of Eric Carle who is a writer and illustrator of children's books. The challenge was to watercolor on our card. Perfect challenge for me! I love watercoloring! My favorite way to watercolor (for right now at least) is to use the SU stampin' write markers and an aquapainter. I just love how this card turned out. The picture is fuzzy so you can't really read the sentiment, but it says, "girl, it's all about the belly". The set is from TAC. I love this set!

Stamps: How Swell (TAC)
Paper: Rose Red, Night Of Navy, Watercolor Paper, Rose Red DP
Ink: Staz On
Accessories: Ribbon, crop-a-dile, eyelets, markers, aquapainter,

This next card is my favorite. It was for a challenge inspired by a book called Mukiwa, about a boy growing up in Zimbabwe, Africa. Our challenge was to make a card using the Brayered Batik technique. For an extra bonus we could use African animals on our peice. I have never done this technique before. It was so much fun! I will definately be doing it again. I just love how it turned out.

Stamps: Wild Animals (Pink Cat Studios)
Paper: Sahara Sand, Really Rust, Watercolor Paper
Ink: Versamark, Black Craft Ink, Autumn Leaves Kalidecolor
Accessories: Black EP, Chalk, Embossing Buddy, Powder Pal, Paper Piercer, fibers, brads, white watercolor pencil

So, there you have it, my VSN creations. I know, sad that I only did 7. If you want to see all the challenge, check them out here.

As I told you a week or so ago, all my stamp stuff is packed, along with most of the rest of my house. It is looking very empty around here. So I won't have new creations to share with you. But I thought what I might do to fill in time between now and when I actually get to create again (which hopefully will be in a few weeks) is, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite creations from the past that I have done. And not only that, but I thought I would share with you some of the blogs and websites I love to check out. So let's just call these next couple of weeks, the weeks of my favorites. *grin* Stay tuned!

More VSN creations

I promised more VSN cards so here they are! This first one was for a challenge where it talked about how books used to be bond using Twine. We had to use twine, or hemp on a card. I used this cream colored hemp I had to create this card. I actually don't like the way it turned out one bit. Although I do kind of like the leaf, but that's it. I used the Country Blessings set that SU created for Country Living Magazine a couple of years ago. I started out with the greeting and then I stamped one of the leaves randomly on Close To Cocoa CS using Chocolate Chip ink. Then I scalloped the bottom using the corner rounder punch. I then added some Really Rust at the bottom with leaves stamped on that as well. I added the hemp and then my leaf which was done by stamping it onto Very Vanilla CS using Chocolate Chip Ink and colored using Stampin Write Markers and then cutting it out using paper snips.

Stamps: Country Blessings
Paper: Really Rust, Close To Cocoa, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close To Cocoa
Accessories: Markers, Hemp, Corner rounder punch, scissors

This next card I like much better. The challenge was all about a passage in Alice In Wonderland (which can you beleive I have never read that?) where it talks about oysters and pearls. We had to use Pearl Ex, Twinkling H2O's or scallops on our card. I started out trying to use my Twinkling H2O's but I didn't like the look. So I remembered a card I had done a while back that was done with the shaving cream tech. and it looked like a blizzard. I also remembered another one I did that was done with shaving cream and had Pearl Ex mixed in. So I went with those two ideas, and came up with this card:
I love how this turned out, it is so sparkly in person and really adds to the blizzard look. I'm thinking this may be one of the designs I use for Christmas this year, we'll see.
Stamps: Snowflakes
Paper: Brilliant Blue, Whisper White
Ink: Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue
Accessories: Pearl Ex, Reinker, shaving cream, tray, chop stick (for swirling), punches, ribbon, dimensionals

In other news, we had out pre-move out inspection today with housing and everything looks good. They basically went through the house and told us what they will be looking for on move out day and said that our house was well taken care of. *grin* I also did my final Pampered Chef show here in Kansas today. I get to pack my kitchen now. Yay!

Oh, and just one more thing to add, Happy Birthday big brother!

A little more then two weeks!

We have just over two weeks before we move. Two weeks from today we will be cleaning our house here so that we can clear it two weeks from tomorrow and then two weeks from Wednesday we will be on the road on our way to New Mexico. Time is flying by so quickly!

This weekend my hubby has a 4 day weekend. He got off early on Thursday and then had Friday, Saturday, Sunday and today off. Tomorrow he works, Wednesday he works, and then he starts clearing post on Thursday. That means he only has two days of work left before the clearing process so we can move. YAY!

Anywho, with so little time left Hubby and I decided that we wanted to to go to Omaha. I know, I know, you're asking why Omaha aren't you? Well, in Omaha is the Winter Quarters Temple. We wanted to go one last time before we move. We don't get to go often because it is a 4 hour drive one way. (It'll be nice when we get back to Utah and we have multiple temples within a 4 hour drive.) We of course had a wonderful time at the temple. I thought I would share a couple of photos with you. I took the photo of the temple itself and we asked another visitor there to take the picture of the two of us. It is kind of a faraway shot, sorry. The third shot you see is where I cropped the second photo so you can see us better. I wish we had gone to the back of the temple and taken pictures there as well. Such a beautiful place.

Winter Quarters Temple, Omaha Nebraska

Jacob and I outside the Temple

Close up of us outside the temple. (It was windy, can you tell)

On our agenda for today is more packing. Actually Jacob is going to work on school work while I pack. I am going to do the downstairs closet and then the upstairs storage closet as well. The upstairs closet will be pretty easy since most of what is in there is my craft stuff (which is in drawers - those rolling carts-so I am just going to secure the drawers and we will take the supplies as is.) and then our Christmas stuff which is all in boxes so that stuff just needs to be moved to the garage (that is where we are keeping everything once it's packed to make easier loading when we get the Uhaul). Other then that I will be cleaning. We have our pre-move out inspection with housing tomorrow. This is where they come through and tell us what they will be looking for when we move out and what things we need to fix or we will get charged, etc. I'm sure it will all turn out fine. Our house is normally clean anyway, I just want to do surface cleaning. I also need to get ready for my final Pampered Chef show in Kansas which is tomorrow morning. :o) Tomorrow I will post with more VSN cards, I promise. Until then, Happy Labor Day all!