The Whimsical Butterfly: October 2009

Friday, October 30, 2009

Flair with Sunshine is a GREAT combo...

Don't you agree???

{{{Please scroll down for my FARM FRESH FRIDAY post for The Greeting Farm...I have a VERY special card today and am still reeling in the excitement of having stamps of my two DD's and CAN'T WAIT for you to see! Thank you SO much!}}}

Ok, so today is Friends with Flair Friday at UNITY STAMPS and OH MY....have you guys SEEN the NEW KITS????? I am CHOMPING AT at the bit to get them in the mail!!! Angela is having an AMAZING Sale THIS WEEKEND ONLY ....so be sure to check it OUT!!!

Speaking of kits...I'm seriously anticipating the November Kit of the Month, especially now that I have seen some CUTE CUTE CUTE sneak peeks this week! But, I'm definitely NOT done with the AMAZING October Kit either...in fact this card is made with two of my FAVE stamps from the kit!

I LOVE this quote. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! It's SO true, and also a good reminder I think, don't you?

"WHEREVER you GO....no matter what the Weather...always BRING YOUR OWN SUNSHINE"...

Well, I hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend and that it's FULL of sunshine! Thanks for scrolling down to see my "Madelynn" card, too ;) It definitely doesn't EVER go unnoticed that you guys hang here and I LOVE that. Thanks for being so MANY rays of sunshine for me...you really are!

HAVE MERCY! It's my DD Madelynn!...

I'm pretty excited about this week's Farm Fresh Friday challenge from The Greeting Farm...and that's in part because 2 out of the FIVE new TWINKLE TOTS are my DD's ;) Marie has TOTALLY outdone herself with these adorable new stamps, being released on SUNDAY, Nov 1st!

That's right! In JUST a few days, you'll be able to take these cuties home! I'm SO excited for them! I'm also really stoked because my friend and SKETCHER EXTRAORDINAIRE Mercy Kerin has volunteered up our Farm Fresh Friday challenge this week with this brilliant sketch:

Isn't it fantastic? I was BURSTING w/ excitement as I made this card a few days ago and am SO glad it's finally time to show it....I bring you...Madelynn:

Isn't she precious? I used Mercy's sketch and flipped it to create this card using one of my FAVE Holiday DP's of the season-Cosmo Cricket's Jolly By Golly!

Have I MENTIONED how AWESOME these new Twinkle Tots are to color? They really are a dream to color up and I just can't see myself putting them down any time soon!

We hope you'll play along with Mercy's sketch this week on the Greeting Farm's blog, and be sure to check out my fellow TGF DT girls to see the UBER amazing creations they have for you today too:

That's it for now...thanks for sticking with me today! HUGS and have a great weekend!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Mi Casa es...

...A gingerbread house! Well, at least for today!

I am SUPER stoked about another AMAZING new release from The Greeting Farm! The set is called "MY HOUSE" and it will be released on the 1st along with the adorable new Twinkle Tots that you saw earlier in the week :)

"My house" is the PERFECT stamp set for new home, congratulating someone else on their home, even apartment. EVERYONE can use this set-I love it. It just so happens that I havent' done my moving announcements yet because I've been a TAD bit busy, LOL...so I am even more excited about this!

And, as some of the members of the TGF DT found out, this set is even MORE versatile than we thought....make sure you stop by the TGF blog to see what I mean! And you can see my take on this cute set right now, using this week's Sketch for you to Try by Jen Del Muro:

Be sure to stop by and leave some love for the rest of my TGF girlies, too:

Now, did you THINK we were going to do a release and NOT have a contest for the adults? Well, whether you're young, or young at heart...we have a FABULOUS chance for you to WIN this new set! We are excited to announce the:

"HOME IS WHERE THE _____________ IS!" CHALLENGE!

That's right! It's your turn to fill in the blanks! WHERE, WHAT, or WHO reminds you of home?

Now's your chance to get creative with this fun weekend contest. Here are the details:

*Create a card, project, or layout that completes and symbolizes the above sentence by making it your own. WHERE? WHAT? or WHO? reminds you of home? We had SUCH an awesome turn out for the New Beginnings Challenge at Club Anya last month, we can't WAIT to see how you interpret this challenge!

*You will have until Sunday, November 1st at NOON CST to get your submission into the Galleria.

*You MUST USE TGF stamps.

*Please place your entry in the TGF Galleria>Contests/Challenges>Home Challenge

We will choose our TOP TWO submissions and announce the winner at our VSN/Release party on Sunday, November 1st at the TGF PCP page at 7PM CST!

The GRAND PRIZE winner chosen for this contest will win the ENTIRE NOVEMBER RELEASE! The 1st prize winner will win "My House!" Can you STAND IT?!?! See you back tomorrow for another Farm Fresh Friday...and have FUN with this contest! Can't wait to see what you do!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

DARE to get to know me?

Ha ha well I'm sure a lot of you do, at least somewhat! Today is "Whimsical Wednesday", and time for another DIEDRICH DARE CHALLENGE!

This week, we have another FANTASTIC sketch drawn by my sweet Madelynn (have you CHECKED HER OUT, by the way??? She and her sister Ava are now STAMPS at The Greeting Farm! They will both be released on Sunday, but you can sneak a peek HERE.)

Here's this week's DDSC8:

Fabu, right? Well, I was STALKING my mailman last week and on Saturday, my BRAND NEW STAMPS from KRAFTIN' KIMMIE arrived! Woo HOO! Have you guys seen her new line of stamps? I've long been a fan of her blog and her awesome creations and was so excited for her when I saw these awesome stamps! There is something for EVERYONE-some sweet, adorable and some fun and funky like Charlotte here! You can check out Charlotte and all her twisty friends HERE!

And HOW PERFECT is the "FRAZZLED" sentiment from UNITY??? OMG as soon as I saw Charlotte I KNEW I was gonna have to pull out my Sept. Kit of the Month and go to town with that phrase! What do you guys think?

Well, we have another fun treat for you today. Yesterday, our sweet CASSIE gave the Daredevils a blog award and with it came this little questionnaire.

We decided that rather than pass it on(of course, you're ALL free to take it) to specific people, we'd all fill out the Q&A and share some fun facts with you today!

The key is: YOU CAN ONLY USE ONE-WORD ANSWERS:

1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen

2. Your hair? Craziness

3. Your mother? Amazing

4. Your father?Wonderful

5. Your favorite food? Pizza

6. Your dream last night? Nyquil (ha no dreams on that stuff-TKO!)

7. Your favorite drink? Coffee

8. Your dream/goal?Attainable

9. What room are you in? Kitchen

10. Your hobby? DUH

11. Your fear? Death

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here.

13. Where were you last night? Bed

14. Something that you aren’t? Rested ;)

15. Muffins? Banana

16. Wish list item? Health

17. Where did you grow up? Illinois

18. Last thing you did? Storytime

19. What are you wearing? Cashmere

20. Your TV? Heroes :)

21. Your pets? Lazy

22. Friends? Stampers

23. Your life? AMAZING.

24. Your mood? Pensive

25. Missing someone? Nope :)

26. Vehicle? Mommyvan :)

27. Something you’re not wearing? Makeup!

28. Your favorite store? Trader Joe's (I'm sorry but I cannot condense that into one word!)

29. Your favorite color? Pink

30. When was the last time you laughed? yesterday

31. Last time you cried? While

32. Your best friend? Mom

33. One place that I go to over and over? School

34. One person who emails me regularly? Marie

35. Favorite place to eat? Charleston

Well, hopefully you enjoyed those 35 little bitty facts about me! If you happen to take this and fill it out, leave me a comment so I know to come visit you and see your answers :) For now, head on over to see the OTHER Daredevil's amazing creations and fun facts! They are:

Last but not least, be sure to head over to the DARE Blog to see our Featured Daredevil, my favorite "cousin/BFF" (yes, that is the word she invented LOL!) KIM has something AWESOME to share with you!

Thanks for stopping by today-I so love when you guys do!!! Smooches! ~jess ;)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

An All-Boy Preview and CALLING ALL KIDS!...

Hey everyone!

I am SO excited about today's post-it's a doozy, but there is a VERY special contest at the end that I'm so excited to announce so stick with me!

Today it's time for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge and she has another FAB sketch for us this week:

Love it? Wanna play along with us? FANTASTIC! Just upload your card or creation to your blog or gallery and make sure to head over to Mercy's blog where Mr. Linky is waiting for you! And don't forget to check out the rest of the Muse's and their AWESOME take on this fun sketch, including our AMAZING November Guest Muse, the sweet Silke Ledlow! Stop by and leave some love for:

It's also time for another Challenge at DieCutsRUs and we're using the fabu "Boyfriend" line of DP from Cosmo Cricket to create a "Boy/Masculine" themed project. These are always challenging for me because of my love for everything blingy and flowery! But, I hope I did ok ;) Stop by the DCRU Blog to enter your creation as it's sure to be true that the men and boys in our lives need a little TLC, too! And, be sure to stop by the DCRU DT gals, too to see their awesome takes using that sweet Boyfriend DP:

What's even BETTER? It's time for sneak peeks at The Greeting Farm! Most of you who've visited are aware of the MUCH-anticipated Twinkle Tot line that we've been sorta sneakin' around my and Marie's blog for a few months now...with the addition of Ava and Max that were revealed last week, we have FIVE NEW TWINKLE TOTS that are being released THIS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1st! Woohoo! These little stamps are SO cute, you're gonna need them...ALL of 'em! Wait until you SEE what the TGF DT has for you today! OH MY WORD can you say AMAZINGLY, RIDICULOUSLY CUTE??? Be sure to stop by The Greeting Farm's blog and also visit our FABULOUS TGF DT:

What's more? We have a SUPER EXCITING ANNOUCEMENT TO MAKE TODAY: Please welcome (back :) KIM NATH as our newest FARMER at The Greeting Farm!

Kim has been WOWING us from the beginning with her creations and we are SUPER psyched to officially have her back beginning with our November release! CONGRATS KIM!!!

These girls are so talented they will knock your socks off! So, want to know the BEST part about this Twinkle Tots release? Wait til you read THIS:
*****************************************************************
We have not one...but THREE contests BEGINNING TODAY in the TGF Galleria!

***CALLING ALL KIDS: "THIS TOT'S GOT....*** contest!!!

We are SO excited to announce THREE contests, beginning RIGHT NOW for the wee ones! ONE RANDOM winner will be selected on Sunday, November 1st (release day!) for EACH CATEGORY to WIN THEIR CHOICE of one of the new Twinkle Tots!
Here's how to enter:
Here are the THREE categories for the "This Tot's Got..." contest:

"This Tot's Got...BLING": Kids (ages 0-13) are to create a card or project using bling :)

"This Tot's Got...COLOR": Kids (ages 0-13) are to color their little hearts out using crayons, markers, pencils, paint, copics? (gah!) Just COLOR it up!

"This Tot's Got: A STORY": Kids (ages 0-17) are to create card or project based on their FAVORITE CHILDREN's BOOK.

RULES:
*Create a card or project, based on the THEME and AGE GROUP above.

*Kids will have until Sunday, November 1st, at NOON CST to enter the above three contests.

*PROJECTS MUST use TGF stamps.

*Please upload your projects to: TGF Galleria>Contests/Challenges>This Tot's Got> one of the 3 categories listed above.

Remember, the winners for these contests will be selected at RANDOM. Can't WAIT WAIT WAIT to see the submissions! If you don't have kids of your own, grab a niece, nephew, or neighbor! ALL can enter to WIN their CHOICE of ONE new Twinkle Tot!

Winners will be announced on Sunday November 1st during our release party/VSN! Dont' forget to join us on Sunday, 11/1 from 7PMCST to 9PM CST for some fun, prizes, and chatter with the DT and all of our wonderful friends of the FARM!

Thanks for stickin' with me, guys! See ya tomorrow....I double dare ya to come back ;)

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Holidays are knockin' on our door!...

{{{THANK YOU SO much in advance for scrolling down to view my Little Paper Shop post...there is a TON of Holiday cheer for ya on my blog today! ;) }}}

Can you BELIEVE it? There are only 59 "sleeps" til Christmas??? I sure can't! Just yesterday my Mom started talking to me about who was going where and when and my head started to spin...this year is going to be particularly interesting because it's the first year that our family is truly scattered everywhere. I'll keep ya posted on the family madness that ensues...it should make for a good laugh if anything.

For now though, I couldn't WAIT to share with you this sweet SARAH KAY image from Stampavie! This card was made last month for our October Newsletter. Are you getting the Stampavie Newsletter, "Stampavie Creations"? Well, I sure hope so...cuz it's chock-full of seasonal eye candy and well, just happens to be written by little ol' moi ;)   Not getting it in your inbox? You can sign up HERE.

This Sarah Kay stamp "Noel Charity" is my absolute favorite of her "SK NOEL" line of Holiday stamps this year. I must share that when I was little, I had a coat that looked EXACTLY the way I colored it. The little girl in this image also has hair very similar to the way my Mom would do mine for holidays, and I was ALWAYS the first one to the door at my Aunt's house when we'd get there for Christmas dinner. So, one "VIRTUAL LEAP" is all it takes and I am RIGHT back there.

I have so many childhood memories that I cherish, and Christmas has always been my favorite time of year, so this card is just super close to my heart and I'm honored to share it with you.

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoy telling the story behind it.   Warm holiday hugs...
~Jessica :)

Gettin' A-ROUND to another Challenge...

Hey folks! Can you believe it's Monday already? I sure can't! This weekend didn't exactly go as planned, but I still managed to get a few things done and got to spend a lot of quiet time on Sunday with the kids which was nice. We weren't feeling very well on Friday or Saturday so yesterday we just kind of bummed around the house, stayed in our jammies, played Monopoly, and Grandma made us an amazing dinner! Was soooo yummy.

I didn't get much stamping time in this weekend but managed to squeak out a fun card using our new Sketch Challenge at Little Paper Shop, LPSC39:

I am not much of a round cardmaker, so this was a challenge for me, especially since the biggest sized Nestie left me w/ about a 4.25" working space. I ADORE these chipboard elements from the Cosmo Cricket "Jolly by Golly" line though and thought they'd work well with the sketch. Finishing off this card is the "Merry Christmas" sentiment from {Katie Christmas} and there is a snowflake very lightly shadowing the sentiment from the {Merry and Bright} set.

Be sure to check out the LPS Blog for our latest details and the PRIZE you can win for doing this week's challenge! Lots of inspiration there from the DT, too...don't miss it!

Enjoy the start to your week! Hope it's a good one!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

If you're CRAZY, you're in pretty good SHAPE...

...well, GEOMETRICALLY speaking, at least, heh heh.

That's because today at Crazy 4 Challenges, we are all getting into SHAPE (ha, I wish I were!) by using at least THREE DIFFERENT SHAPES on our cards, layouts, and projects!

This is a card I made yesterday for the VERVE STAMPS Release Challenges. It was a FANTASTIC sketch and just happened to take the guesswork out of it too-I used a half-circle, square, and a rectangle on this card using the WISHFUL ELEGANCE set. I love this set because you can create your own fabby DP and also it's such a versatile set for so many occasions.

Make sure you stop by and see what kind of SHAPE the rest of my C4C girls are in today with their FABULOUS creations and check out what these CRAZIES are up to:

Thanks for stopping by today and have a GREAT weekend! Don't forget to link your OWN submission this week to the C4C Blog...we're waiting for you! xoxo.....~Jess :)

Friday, October 23, 2009

Gettin' REAL Punchy on Farm Fresh Friday...

{{{Thank you SOOOOOO much for SCROLLING DOWN for my UNITY Friends with Flair post...I'm SUPER excited about it and I so appreciate you guys makin' your way down! xoxo}}}

Ok, so this is a LITTLE BIT sick and wrong...but I HAD to.

Why? Well, I don't know why. Truth be told, I don't know HOW this idea came to me or what the HECK could be in my subconscious because a.) NO. NOT PREGNANT. Don't even go there, folks!..and b.) WHEN do I alter things? Well, today. Last night, to be exact ;)

Now, it is NO secret if you've been coming here for any length of time that ALICE IN WONDERLAND is my ALL-Time FAVORITE Movie. LOVE it. LOVE Alice, her curiosity, tenacity, and well....the fact that she pushes the limits and in the end has a heck of a lot of fun. I guess maybe she reminds me a little of me....

Well, if you like it too, then you know that the beloved Disney classic is NOTHING like the book.   It's MUCH darker, more twisted...JUST like this card! HA!

So yeah, the White Rabbit...the "I'm late" song he sings in the movie....hmmmm.....you all know where this is going. I HAD TO! I STILL don't know why, but I HAD to, LOL!!!!!!!!!

So today also happens to be Farm Fresh Friday and there's a PUNCHY new challenge going on at The Greeting Farm's blog!   This week, I challenged the DT to use at least TWO different punches on their card or project.   We'd LOVE for you to play along, so check it out HERE ;)

I used this last sheet of Sassafrass Lass DP-perfect because as you may remember in the movie, there are a few mushies :) I used TESC87 from Taylored Expressions as my layout and the stamps are from The Greeting Farm. I used the Wonderland stamp set and then the new Mom/Dad Anya set in which I "superimposed" Anya's body on the White Rabbit.   Yeah, she's goofy, folks!   I sure do hope you enjoy it though :0)

Thanks again for scrolling down to see my UNITY Friends with Flair post!   Lots going on here today and it's all the sweeter knowing you're hanging with me! LOVE that!

Brown Baggin' It...w/ Flair!...

Hey guys!

Thanks again for coming back for my Friends with Flair post today! I am really excited about today's post because I did something totally out of my comfort zone and it felt GOOD!

This is my submission from last week's UNITY BACHELOR contest. I am so excited about it, because I was among some AMAZING talent this week! The challenge was to use a regular, everyday household item on your project. I was totally stumped, but on Sunday night at about 11PM last week as I was preparing my kids' lunches for school the next day this idea came to me to use a Brown Paper lunch Bag!

I ADORE the October Kit of the Month from UNITY! I was so excited when Angela first previewed it on the 1st of this month it seemed like FOREVAH til the 15th when they shipped! I LOVE the variety of stamps in this kit and the quotes...Ohhhhhhh the quotes. You guys all know they're my fave!

Here's a pic of Madelynn, my 9 yr old DD's lunch on Monday w/ the card and of course I HAD to stamp the bag too, hee hee.

Thank you SO much for sticking with me today on this TOTALLY non-traditional Friday for me! First a preggo bunny....now stamping on Lunch bags?? Have I LOST it??? LOL! I don't know, but I SURE had fun with these projects!

Thanks so much for hanging with me today and I'll be back with my C4C post tomorrow!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Peaceful Window in Time...

Hi everyone,

I just thought I'd come by today with a card that I've been wanting to share but haven't had the chance to blog yet. I fell asleep on the couch last night at about 8pm-that NEVER happens. We just had such a nice, quiet night also never happens! LOL!) and had the windows open to sleep as it got up to about 75 here and it was perfect sleeping weather as it cooled off in the evening.

I've been so busy this week that I didn't realize how tired I was, I guess. It felt good to have such a cozy, cuddly night with my family. Anyway...peaceful is the theme today which is ALWAYS a good thing!

I adore this set, Fresh Flowers from Taylored Expressions. It is so incredibly fun to color and add depth and shading to to really make it look like the sun is coming through the windows and it just makes me feel happy to look at it when finished.

This was just the kind of image that I was ok with using up my last few pieces (sniff!) of my SU "Afternoon Tea" DP. This was my ALL TIME favorite SU pack of paper and although I am sad to see it go, I'm happy to have used it on this card.

I decided not to stamp the sentiment on this card originally because i didnt' know what I was going to use it for. But, the more and more I look at it, the more serene it seems to me without anything stamped out on the front so I think I'm going to keep it this way.

Thanks for coming by today! I'm super psyched about my Friends with Flair card tomorrow and also my Farm Fresh Friday challenge card for The Greeting Farm, so I'm thrilled for you to come back tomorrow if you can make it!

Thanks for being so awesome everyday and for leaving such wonderful words for me to read...I have met so many awesome people through this craft and it just keeps getting better! Hugs!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Ahoy there Mateys...

Before I begin, I just want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all your sweet comments yesterday on my Caterpillar Card. It really meant so much to me that I was able to share that with you and your comments about my card were so heartwarming. You guys are awesome and I definitely won't forget it!

It's Wednesday....yay! Time for another installment of the Diedrich Dare!

I have a totally great announcement to make today before we get to this week's DARE:

Please join me in welcoming my friend and colleague, the SUPER DUPER talented and fabulous RANDI WALL has joined the Daredevils! I first met Randi when she graced the Greeting Farm's DT as a Gardener and we have kept in touch ever since.

She is amazing with paper, shimmer, and more and we are all excited to have her. And I HAPPEN to know that she loves Pirates as much as we do in the Diedrich household so this was a fab challenge for her to start up with!

Yep, behold DDSC7:

This INSPIRATION CHALLENGE is brought to you by none other than Matey Jack. So it was just kinda fitting that I needed to use the MATEY set from The Greeting Farm! I cannot BELIEVE this set is on clearance for only $7 btw...can you say STEAL? I just wanted to make mention of this too because tomorrow is the Farmer's Market so TONS of good deals and steals!

I actually printed out this treasure map paper straight from the internet. I had hoped to print out the pic that Jack chose but I was having issues with it, AND my week...this is actually a card I made many months ago that I never blogged. Anyway, I definitely used a literal take on the challenge but cannot WAIT for you to see what the rest of the DAREDEVILS did! Check 'em out:

Well, now it's YOUR turn! Be sure to LEAVE A COMMENT on the DARE BLOG to play so we can all see your great creations...and you can use DDSC7 for uploading to public galleries!

Be sure to stay tuned....next week it's time for another prize! See you soon and I DOUBLE DOG DARE YA, MATEYs!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Caterpillar in 'da twee"...

So, this is one of those posts that I just wish could stay at the top of my blog forever...LOL. It's a bit long, but if I can put a smile on your face today while I am feeling all warm and fuzzy just typing this...then I'll be thrilled.

{{{Before I go on, PLEASE scroll down for another Earth LOVE Feature and also for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch challenge today! THANK YOU SO MUCH for sticking with me! }}}

One of the games my kids and I always play is "Im the Peanut Butter, You're the Jelly"...ok , so I don't really think that's the actual NAME of this game...or if it even is a game? But, it's something that we've done since my first was a wee tot. Basically we just say things that go together to let each other know how much we love each other and how much one needs the other to do what we're supposed to! Plus, it's also a really good exercise for the kids to have to come up with things that go together.    Here are some favorites:

Madelynn: "I'm the milk and you're the cookies"...."I'm the notebook, you're the pen"

Jack: "I'm the pirate, you're the ship" (lol!)..."I'm the pancake, you're the syrup"
Nicky: "I'm the butter, you're the popcorn"..."I'm the webkin, you're the computer" (I kid you not )...well, THEN there's Ava.

For a while, it was a bit harder for my then 2 year old (who is now almost 4) to comprehend this game, so we'd get things like "You're the pizza, I'm the french fry"....or, "you're the makeup, I'm the cherries". SO random. OMG I am cracking up just writing this.   Well, as time went on, my little baby wasn't such a baby anymore and she started to get it..."I'm the cupcake...you're the frosting".   There is something both happy and sad about the moment that a child "gets it". It means there will be no more silly sayings like "I'm the blanket and you're the grapes" (true story, haha)...but it also means they're growing up and gaining sooo much insight and knowledge and it makes you feel good too...

Anyway, close to a year ago, we were sitting at Chili's.   It's ALWAYS a good time to play this game while the kids are waiting for their food... However, the BEST part about this story was that we actually weren't playing it...when OUT of the blue, she SHOUTS (and I mean, shouts!) "MOMMY!!!!!!!" Shhhhhh! lol "Yes Ava?"

"I'm the Caterpillar...and you're the BUTTERFLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Clearly this was her LIGHT BULB moment. She totally got it. And um, HELLO could the kid have chosen anything more perfect? Surely she knows how much I LOVE butterflies.

From that point on, it stuck...we've been referring to her as "Caterpillar" ever since.

When the Hannah Montana soundtrack came out (from the movie), my 9 year old said "Mom, you have to hear this song! It's about a caterpillar turning into a butterfly and getting older and stuff"...that kid's insight AMAZES me, but that's a whole 'nother story.... The song makes me BAWL every time I hear it because as much as I know it's going to happen, I can't stand the thought of my babies not being babies anymore sometimes... Here's one of my favorite lines of the song:

"Caterpillar in the tree, how you wonder what you'll be, can't go far but you can always dream...."

Ok, sniff, enough....and if you're wondering about the title of this post, well..that's how little Miss Ave pronounces the song :) LOVE that...another sign she's still my baby, right???

Anyway, I'm sure by now you can only IMAGINE how it took me all of oh, 30 SECONDS from when I saw this digistamp from Inktegrity on my friend Heather's blog to go buy it! My friend and fellow Club Anya Guest DT Joni Wilson is actually the owner and illustrator of this image and she is awesome!

Today also happens to be the DieCuts R Us Challenge to create an "Earth Friendly and/or themed project." Can you say PERFECT? We would LOVE for you to play along this week, so be sure to check out the details HERE.

I used Cosmo Cricket's awesome "Earth Love" DP paired with a Chipboard sticker of theirs and created this card on 70% recycled Kraft paper. The caterpillar CRAWLS in the ground/earth..so that counts too, right? ;) The layout is from Jen Del Muro's SFYTT this week. Click HERE to see it-its a great sketch!

I had to print out the verse from the song because...well, by now, if you've stuck with me, you know EXACTLY why.

Hope this makes you smile...have a good day, everyone...~Jess :)

Gimme some LOVE...

EARTH LOVE!

I've seen this ALL over blog-land, but can I get a what what for this PAPER PACK??? LOVE. Cosmo Cricket is seriously my hero these days for DP....am I right?

Well, today I have not one, but TWO challenges to share with you today:

DIE CUTS R US Tuesday Challenge &

Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge

So, over at DieCuts R Us, we are lucky enough to have a challenge going on to create an EARTH friendly or themed project, and the talented ladies there are showing off some serious Earth LOVE using the Cosmo Cricket line! Be sure to head on over and play along!

It's also time for another Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge...YEAH! Mercy is not only a wonderful friend, but an amazingly talented artist AND designer and her sketches NEVER disappoint...and hey, she thought me worthy of being on her sketch team and that is pretty darn awesome!!!

This week she has a fabulous sketch and we sure do hope you'll play along!

If you haven't guessed by now, my card today uses the Earth LOVE paper pack that I've been raving about :) The "For You" is a little cut-out from that line as well. I added some distressing, piercing, and that AWESOME flower stamp is from the new UNITY stamps October KOTM. Add a little bling, a little silver...and voila! Hope you LOVE. I LOVE :)

Be sure to check out the rest of the MUSES creations and leave some LOVE for them too...I am ALL about the LOVE today, folks! (but I'm sure you've picked up on that already ;)

And don't forget to leave some LOVE for our October Guest Muse, Silke Ledlow!

So, you want to get sketchy with Mercy? Get Earthy with DieCuts? Here's what you need to do:

TO ENTER MERCY's SKETCH CHALLENGE: Link your creation to Mercy's blog using Mr. Linky, and if you're uploading to a public gallery, please use keyword MTSC44.

To ENTER the "EARTH CHALLENGE" at DieCuts R US: Just leave a comment on THIS post linking your creation! I can't wait to see your take on this SUPER fun challenge!

Well, thanks for sticking with me today...I really enjoyed sharing my story with you on the above post and it means the world to me that you are here in all my long-windedness today :) LOVE you guys....

Monday, October 19, 2009

LPS Monday: Get Embellished!

Hello there friends...I can't believe how fast this weekend went! It's kind of a bittersweet Monday here in our neck of the woods. The kids have been on "Fall Break" for 2 weeks so today is their 1st day back to school. I'm a little bit relieved and a little sad as two weeks is a long time to get used to doing fun things, sleeping in , etc. So BACK to the grindstone, but will also be nice to have some extra time to do some cleaning, shopping, and STAMPING!

Today it's time for another LPS Monday challenge from Little Paper Shop! Julia whipped up this AWESOME sketch for us this week and there is plenty of opportunity to "get embellished!"

Here is my sample. I used Prism Cardstock from Taylored Expressions, which has quickly become my favorite to buy. I just love the texture and the elegant look and feel it has to it. Also from Taylored Expressions that I am having a SUPER fun time playing around with is this Sparkly Fluff from Our Craft Lounge. It's in the Christmas Key Ingredients, also used to make this card (which I'm sure you know by now that Jolly by Golly is my FAVE holiday DP from Cosmo Cricket!), and Taylor also sells it by the jar so I picked up another color :0 ) Hard to resist this fun stuff!

We would LOVE to see what you do with this week's sketch and there is a PRIZE as always! ONE lucky winner will be drawn to receive the Merry and Bright set, newly released from Little Paper Shop! Be sure to link your card to the LPS blog on this week's post to be entered to win!

See you tomorrow, everyone!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Great Pie Incident...

...as told by me. haha. (If you are here for the Crazy4Challenges Sketch Challenge today...you've come to the right place! Here's a fabulous sketch by our own Cindy Haffner and we'd LOVE for you to play along! Head on over to the C4C blog to add your name to Mr. Linky when you do! I'll get to my card in a sec...but of course, it's me, and there's a story behind it ;)

Ok, so it was almost as if me buying this ADORABLE new digital stamp from Pink Cat Studio the other day was a foreshadowing of what was to come...

DISCLAIMER: You probably won't find this anywhere NEAR as funny as I did, BUT...if you knew my Mom and had been there.... anyway...

So, today was the day my 7 yr old twin boys had been looking forward to for SOME time...the sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's. Now, mind you, my parents live about a 2 minute drive from me, but we're a busy family and contrary to what some people might think, sometimes a whole month or two can go by without seeing them. So, my kids have been on fall break for 2 weeks and they go back Monday, but Grandma promised them a sleepover before they went back to school. This is a big deal.

The DH and I had BIG plans to take the girls out to a special "princess" dinner and do some clothes shopping for them as well. DH was running a bit behind getting the little one ready so said for me to just take the boys and come back and get him and the girls. No prob. We drive over, all 80 of my son's stuffed animals in tow, and show up at the house.

Mom opens the door. Hugs. Something smells GOOD. Cinnamon. Fall. Apples. LOVE Mom. "Ooooh, smells yummy!" I say, turning into the kitchen where there it sat: The biggest and most BEAUTIFUL apple pie, all prepped and ready to be put in the oven. Mom was just cutting those little slits on the top of her perfectly pinched and molded crust and was all ready to bake it. The boys oohed. I ahhhed. LOVE Mom! Did I say that already? LOL.

Chatter unrelated to the pie ensues as we are discussing what they will do tonight, etc. a as she walks to the oven and at this point, I'm walking backwards out the kitchen door about to leave. Then, all the sudden, the most HORRIFIC noise of my mother SCREAMING begins. The dogs cower. The boys are staring at me with 2 pairs of eyes like deer in the headlights.

SCREAMING. like, you'd have thought someone was being seriously injured...or worse. Well, I look over as she becomes unhunched over the oven...and there it was...

A perfectly beautiful Apple Pie. Murdered. Somehow, as she had bent down to put the pie in the oven, it flipped out of the pie plate and landed on the inside of the 400 degree oven door. MORE SCREAMING.

Ok, what to do....what to do. Thinking fast, Mom gets out an oven mitt and a pot holder and I'm thinking ok, even grasp on the pie, hold the plate in place...it might make it when we try to flip it back over. We can do this. WRONG. Like watching a train wreck, too fast to be able to let me speak a word in time, I see that also in her hand is a spatula. She proceeds to try and hold up 5 pounds of apples and a measly top layer of crust with a SPATULA?

Uhhhh, yeah, NO. Before I could say a word, the spatula literally goes through the crust and about 3 pounds of apples come free falling out of the pie. EVERYWHERE. And when I say EVERYWHERE? I mean the oven door, the bottom of the oven, the crack between the oven door and the abyss that we're STILL not sure where it leads to....oh, the ridiculousness.

Mom is too distraught-somewhere between laughing and crying, so I soak up some wet paper towels and at least manage to get the door under control. Now I will admit the rest was a bit tricky as apples were falling through the crack of the open door onto the floor, and also going behind the crack which was VERY difficult to reach.

One of my boys, Jack, assisted as a nurse would assist a surgeon as he handed me my instruments...A wooden spoon, a pair of olive thongs for martinis, and a knife as I carefully extracted dozens of hot, gooey, slimy apples from the tiny, hard to reach crack between the oven and the door. I'm hunched over this 400 degree oven, laughing, trying to catch my breath because all I can still hear is the SCREAMING that had just occurred.

Mom starts in, saying "Stop laughing! Be careful! You're going to burn yourself" Ok, I'm trying to stop laughing, when just as I'm on my 2nd trip to the garbage can, I hear Jack mutter "at least YOU know what to do, Mom". Grandma hears this, and we both burst into another bout of laughter. Poor Grandma. Her 7 yr old grandson thinks she's losing it...IS she?

Then, out of NOWHERE, my other one goes "awwwwww Mom, you said a bad word!" And I'm thinking, "Did I?". No. "No I didn't!" I say back. "You DID Mom!". "I DID NOT!" through laughter....silence......"Yeah, but you were thinking it!" At this point I have stomach cramps because Mom and I are laughing so hard.

By this time, Dad has returned home as his grandsons meet him at the door rattling off so many details of what had just occurred that all I heard my Dad say was "I'm not going to go in", LOL! I kiss the boys goodbye, drive home, and we go about our evening but I was giggling to myself about it the rest of the evening. Not to mention that now, of course, I REALLY want pie.   Ha.

There is no moral to this story...no catch...not even a punchline, really. It's just us...typical Friday night fun. Fun that inspired me to go home immediately and purchase this SUPER cute digi from Pink Cat that I had seen a few days ago because yeah....Mom needs this card, don't you think? As a thank you for taking the boys, but more than anything, for being my Mom who is just so dear to me regardless of the screaming that is still a little bit in my head. LOL!

So....I'll definitely be giving this to her when I pick up the boys ;)

If you've made it THIS far, thanks!   Time to check out the YUMMY Creations that I just know the rest of the C4C "Crazies" (can you see I fit right in here?) have for you today:

Well, thanks for stopping by! Hope your weekend is as sweet (albeit maybe a bit more intact than ours!) as Apple Pie!

~xoxo~
Jess :)

Friday, October 16, 2009

Fairy Tale Friday...

{{{UNITY FRIENDS WITH FLAIR FRIDAY POST BELOW! THANK YOU SOOOOO much for SCROLLING DOWN to see it!}}}

Greetings my friends!

Whew! It has been a BUSY week here on my blog and I can't thank you guys enough for your support! I have had a ton going on and have been truly loving EVERY minute!

Well, today is Farm Fresh Friday at The Greeting Farm and we are doing a "NO Frills" challenge. This basically means no ribbon, lace, bows, etc. but you can read all about it on the TGF Blog. My card today is for FFF, but there is a little extra fun involved this week...

...I have some VERY exciting news. You might have remembered me talking about this last week but I was just in too much pain (wisdom tooth/jaw) to get my act together, LOL. Anyway, before I share my news, I'd like to share some recent pics of Ava, my soon to be 4 year old little princess:

So why the pics today? Well, one because I ADORE this child, and two, if you got the TGF Newsletter yesterday, you've already gotten a little sneaky peek of my card below ;) Are you subscribed to the newsletter? You can click on the TGF store and sign up there if you haven't had a chance to yet!

So about that exciting news....I'm sure you can ONLY imagine how honored, ecstatic, and even emotional I was when Marie drew THIS image:

Can you BELIEVE IT!?? LOOKS JUST LIKE HER! AVA will be released on November 1, 2009 at The Greeting Farm and I am OVER the moon about it :) She will be released along with the three other new girls, Lottie, Izzy and Madelynn (my other DD!) that I previewed a few months ago, and also Max, a cute little all-American boy. This new line will be called "Twinkle Tots" and I am BEYOND excited about them!

Well, thanks so much for sticking with me and I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

hugs,
Jess ;)

Quotes With Flair...

Hey there!

Thanks for scrolling down and landing here on another FUN FUN FUN installment of UNITY's "Friends with Flair" FRIDAYS!

LOVE FRIDAY...especially this week! It's been SUPER fun and productive...but VERY long. So, it's definitely a TGIF for me!

I know I probably sound like a broken record, but you guys know I am ALL ABOUT THE QUOTES!

One of the reasons I fell in love with UNITY STAMPS is because of the huge selection of quotes they have and the whimsical styles in which they offer them. I ADORE THEM.

Today's card uses an AWESOME quote which ties in very much so to my post above regarding my soon to be 4 year old DD and how she just makes me smile at every turn. You can read about it above or click HERE.

I am SUPER psyched about getting my October Kit of the Month in the mail today, but for now, I am still having a grand old time using my September Kit and this quote speaks VOLUMES to me. I used the TESC86 sketch from Taylored Expressions this week to create this simple card that really lets the quote shine through as the focal point.

Well, thanks SO much for coming to my blog and I hope you all have a Wonderful, WHIMSICAL weekend!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

To the Moon and Back...

Hey everyone!

I have one more card to show for the Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge, TESC86.

This card is really close to my heart because ever since my kids were babies, I would always quote Dr. Seuss and tell them I love them to the moon and back. Every night to this day, after storytime and prayers we still say it and when I saw this ADORABLE "The Places You'll Go" stamp set from Taylored Expressions I knew I had to have it :)

I flipped the main panel from right to left and used my Labels One Nestabilities and Circle Nestabilities to frame this adorable rocket ship, which I colored up with BG10, BG72, YR12, Y35 and Y00. I finished off the image on the moon and stars with some VERY appropriately titled "Stardust" stickles ;)

I used Prism Cardstock in Island Mist light which is even prettier than Baja Breeze (gasp! can you believe I said that?!?) in real life. LOVE this color! I think it looks so pretty paired it up with Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird DP! LOVE Cosmo Cricket! I finished it all off with some filigree brads and trim by My Mind's Eye. I adore this color scheme and it's perfect for my boys :)

Well, it's been a great day and I hope you all have been having a great week!

See you back here tomorrow and thanks SO much for stopping by!

Jess :)

Yeah, She's Back...

...with my BIG reveal!

If there was any doubt, YEP! That was me on PAM's BLOG!

Here is my "Signature Style" blurb...and this is the REAL me, this time!!!

My signature clothes: jeans and cute, boho-chic tops in the summer, and soft, fuzzy sweaters w/ the sleeves that are almost too long for your arms in the winter ... love it!

My signature shoes: my extensive collection of Havaiana flip flops

My signature accessories of choice: well, I have a few signature handbags, but I never take my silver Tiffany necklace off...It's a BUTTERFLY ;) hee hee. Couldn't tell ya that, though before or it would have GIVEN it away, ya think???

My signature addiction: coffee. TONS of coffee. and an occasional cherry limeade :)

My signature stamping style: I can't live without my paper piercer, Copics, and lifetime supply of flowers!

And here's the FULL reveal of that card you saw on Pammy's blog:

Ho, ho, ho! I used this week's TESC86 challenge from Taylored Expressions to create this fun card and also used her Christmas Key Ingredients to make this chipboard snowflake embellie w the Sparkly Fluff...oh my word. Have you guys heard of this stuff? It's flocking w/ SHIMMER. HELLO can you say SIGNATURE Jess??? ;)

I also intepreted the 3 dots on the sketch to be the Ho, Ho, HO :) What do you think?

So as for the HOP!!!! WASN'T THAT FUN????

Oh, so you want to know who ***I*** had?? The results were PRETTY amazing...you guessed it right! I had KELLY!

Now be sure to head on over to the Club Anya blog for the announcement of ALL the winners...and CONGRATS TO SILKE LEDLOW!!! YOU are the Random winner of my comment contest earlier today and you WIN Xmas Sweeties!

Yay! Last but not least, are you chatting over on PCP with us? There's about a 1/2 hr left...so come say hi! HUGS!

Time to get HOPPIN...in Signature Style!

Hey everyone!

Welcome to the Club Anya Blog Hop! We are switching it up on you this month by playing a fun little game called:

"Guess My Signature Style"

Each Club Anya DT member's blog has been overtaken by another team member! Gasp! Your mission? Figure out WHO's signature style we are talking about on each DT members blogs! Think you know the answers? Well, leave a comment on our blogs and a random winner will be chosen at 8pm CST tonight for a PRIZE!

What's the Prize you ask? Well, that's the fun part ;) You'll have to come back tonight at 8PM CST to see MY Signature style, the full reveal of my card, and find out who's blog I was featured on today. Oh, and the best part? The stamp I used on my card is the stamp YOU'LL WIN!

HOW fun does this sound?! You in? Good. Let's get started! Here are the details of a CADT member....let's see if you can guess who I'm talking about:

My signature clothes: Sweats and a nice Warm fuzzy

Hoodie....usually a billabong one!

My signature shoes: My Warm UGG Boots...LOVE them!!! Have to have a new pair each winter!

My signature accessories of choice: I have a Coach Purse that my daughter bought me that I just LOVE. I also have a little silver heart necklace from my granddaughter that I never take off.

My signature addiction: Coffee Coffee and more Coffee.....I am a Starbucks Junkie!

My signature stamping style: Love my copics...my Prima flowers and my sewing machine!!

And now, a little snippet from the person who's signature style is all of the above :)

Can YOU guess WHOSE SIGNATURE STYLE I'm taking about?

Leave a comment on my blog today and ONE RANDOM WINNER will be selected to WIN the stamp set used on the card that I reveal at 8PM CST! So you have until then to get your guesses in....so start investigating and get those answers in!

If you get lost along the way today, here is the OFFICIAL order of the Hop:

Club Anya Blog
Pam
Amy
Suzi
Kelly
Kim
Jessica <---------you are HERE ;)

Haven't a clue? No worries! Now, be sure to head BACK to the CLUB ANYA blog, where if you leave a comment there today, ONE random winner will ALSO be selected to win the ENTIRE October Release! Winner will be announced tomorrow along with all the individual Team member's winners on the Club Anya blog so stay tuned!

Good luck today and we'll see you back here at 8PM CST! Don't worry if you don't live in the US, you'll have plenty of time to get your guesses in and you can find out the answers in the morning :) Be sure to stop in our PCP page today to chat with the DT from 7PM CST to 8:30 PM CST...there MIGHT be a few more prizes given out there, too!

HAPPY RELEASE DAY, everyone! See you back here at 8PM CST TONIGHT!

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