Dancing in the Rain

Is summer flying by for everyone else or is it just me?  I feel like summer is almost over...probably due to all of that back-to-school stuff I am seeing in the stores!  We have had a busy, busy last couple of weeks.  My family made a trip to Cedar Point where my son rode on every roller coaster he was allowed to by height...even Millennium Force which is the 4 tallest steel coaster in the world!  Craziness!  Let me remind you he is only 6!  I couldn't go on that one with him...I was too nervous for him and when I rode on it with my husband, the first hill caused expletives (that my son should not hear me say) to come out of my mouth!  We had a great time!  And now we have a family wedding out in Colorado...so the busy part continues.  


Hence why I am so terribly late in posting some cards I made with the incredible Paper Temptress cardstock.  I posted on the Paper Temptress Blog this card (and another I still haven't shown) awhile back, but I am just now getting a chance to show it here.  I feel like this card used a sketch for my layout, but I cannot for the life of me figure out which one!   Anyway it showecases the awesome Paper Makeup Stamps Fairy Silhouettes.  This one is the Emma Silhouette and the sentiment (that goes perfectly with her) is also from Paper Makeup Stamps.  

The beautiful cardstocks on this card are all Paper Temptress.  The sun rays were created with oh-so-sparkly Copper and Antique Gold Mica/Metallic Cardstock and Gold Sparkle Cardstock.  The base is the beautifully textured Pool from the Treasures line.  I completed it with a pleated satin white ribbon and a gold twine on top.  


So here is hoping that summer slows down just a little bit, so I can enjoy it a little bit longer.  Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!


The Engineering Details
Stamps - Emma Silhouette, Danced in the Rain Sentiment (Paper Makeup Stamps); Paper - Pool Treasures 80#, Gold Sparkle, Antique Gold Mica/Metallic, Copper Mica/Metallic, Heavenly White 100# (Paper Temptress); Ink - Versamark (Tsukineko); Accessories - black embossing powder, white satin ribbon (Offray), Gold Twine (unknown), dimensionals, scissors

Makeover of a New Artist

I am a little late in getting this post up...really meant to do it last Friday.  Paper Makeup Stamps had a fun July Release Party last Thursday and with it, some new challenges were released...Paper Makeover Challenges!  A fun name for some fun challenges.  This is my sample for one of the challenges:  CASE one of the new PMS Makeup Artists.  With this last release, we introduced 4 new Makeup Artists and promoted 3 to Senior Makeup Artists.  I browsed around the new girls blogs and found this card by Shana.  It just spoke to me with all of those little squares, so I decided to CASE it!

I chose to break out the un-inked Milo rockin' his drums.  I decided to try and make it a graduation card and used the subjects paper from the High School Paper pad.  Milo was stamped on watercolor paper and watercolored.  I then cut him out and adhered his to a piece of very vanilla cardstock that had been sponged with Chocolate Chip.  Each square was also sponged.  Finished it off with a bunch of brown/white baker's twine.

Wanna join in on the Paper Makeover Challenges and have a chance to win a Paper Makeup Stamps Gift Certificate, make a card for either Paper Makeover Challenge, use a PMS stamp (don't forget all of the Freebie Friday Digis), and link it up to the PMS Blog.  Most of all have fun!!  Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Milo, Little Moments (Paper Makeup Stamps); Paper - Wild Wasabi, Very Vanilla (SU!), High School Paper Pad (DCWV), watercolor paper; Ink - Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Wild Wasabi, Pacific Point, Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red (SU!); Accessories - brown/white baker's twine (unknown), dimensionals, sponge

Movie Week - Recap

Here is another recap for you of my Theme Weeks.  Mainly because I wanted to take my kids to see Cars 2 in the theater, I made this week Movie Week!  So obviously, my husband and I took the kids to see Cars 2, which was a treat in itself since usually I am taking the kids by myself.  But we went on the 4th, so Holiday for Hubby!

The next activity was to have a "Drive-In" movie.  This idea came from Family Fun as well...probably going to get tired of saying that!  There actually is a local Drive-In by me, but I wanted the kids to have it at home.  So, I gathered up some boxes, hot glued some paper plates to the sides for wheels, and let the kids decorate their "cars" till their heart's content!  Each one came up with their own type of car and seemed to enjoy making them...well my daughter lost interest at one point, so I helped finish hers for her.  I actually found a box that already had an end cutout, so the oldest wouldn't get uncomfortable sitting in his box.

We had a Jeep, Mack the Truck from the movie Cars, a fully decorated convertible, and whatever my daughter made.

After everything dried, we took them down in our basement (where our main TV is), put some pillows in the cars for comfort, and took a seat in the cars.  I attached a food "tray" to each "car" with binder clips and gave them a cup of popcorn, cup of another food (cheese/crackers, sandwich, pizza rolls), and a juice pouch.  We watched the movie Tangled and I made sure to turn up the sound system nice an loud so they felt like they were watching a movie at a theater.

Isn't this just the cutest thing you have ever seen?!

My little punky made it in her car for most of the movie, but she joined me on the couch at the end.

A movie week couldn't be complete without actually making one, right?  So while we were at the beach, we made a couple music videos.  I put a couple songs on my phone, held it up by the camera, and basically followed the kids around while they did crazy stuff.  Not quite as organized as I would have preferred...I wanted them to plan out what they were going to do and then lip sync to the music...but they had fun.  The oldest didn't want me to post the videos publicly, so I can't post them here.  He had fun doing it, but I don't think he wants any chance of his friends seeing it...at 11 years old, gotta respect that.

Next week will be Nature Week...I have a separate post with the ideas I have for that.  Until then, thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

Patriotic Week - Recap

Ok I am now in the third week of theme weeks and I am finally getting a post up about it!  I will see if I can be any better about giving you advanced week info...knowing my luck, they will all probably be recaps like this one!  Oh well...I can only do so much.  


So the first two weeks were Patriotic Week in honor of the 4th of July.  The first week actually had the last day of school in there, so it was kind of a partial week.  I think that the kids have been enjoying the theme weeks and I have enjoyed having activities and such to do with them (planned out in advance) so we aren't always doing the same stuff.  Now we are still hitting the beach, playgrounds, etc, but we are getting the theme stuff in there too!


The first week, the kids (mine and a neighbors that I watch 2 days a week) made some very cute patriotic decorations.  The idea for them came from the Family Fun Website...pretty much everything I do comes from there!!  Totally love that site and magazine! 

They don't make a ton of noise when the wind blows, but they do jingle a little bit!

Then I had them make Star and Stripes T-shirts.  This was a huge hit!  

I kind of wish I would have made one for myself, they turned out so good!  

The last project we did was to make a Flag Dessert.  We made two...one for my family and one for the neighbors.  The kids were pretty proud of it.  They cut all of the strawberries and everything!

We did some other stuff too, but nothing noteworthy...tried to talk about the US, the flag, etc and got some books from the library.  I meant to teach them the Star Spangled Banner, but kind of forgot!  

One project, in addition to the theme weeks, that I have the kids doing throughout the whole summer is trying to look around us to find letters.  Not letters on a sign...that would be too easy...but letters that are formed by a tree, a lamp post, a handrail, etc.  My goal is to find every letter by the end of summer and then print out the letters of there name as a room decoration.  We are doing pretty good so far...here is an example of what one looks like:

A recap of the current movie week is coming up!  Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

July Paper Makeup Stamps Blog Hop

Well I am trying to write this post very late at night as having to make this card kind of snuck up on me...I always hate trying to make a card, photograph it, and post it in the same night.  Always makes for a very late night.  So since it is late, not much chatter for you.  I do still have a couple of posts coming that I hope will be of interest.  But until then, let's get to this Blog Hop!


You should be arriving to my blog from the wonderful Michelle...if you didn't start at the beginning, then make sure you head to the PMS Blog so you don't miss a single piece of inspiration and collect your letters for 15% off the entire release!  

I used one of the new silhouettes: Emma Silhouette for my card.  I went for the "Joseph Dreamcoat Technique"...at least that is what I think it is called.  Anyway, I scribbled markers on a piece of Iridescent Cryogen White cardstock from Paper Temptress.  Then I stamped and clear embossed my silhouette over top of my scribbles.  Then I brayered black over top a bunch of times and finally wiped any ink that was on the embossed image.  Kind of fun!  I love how the sparkle from the Cryogen White cardstock still shines through embossing and brayering.  The layout is from the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #198 and the color combo is from the SCS Color Challenge #330.


Well I am the last stop on the Blog Hop, but before you go, here is my letter:

Don't forget to join us at the Release Party on the PMS Forum, 9 - 11 pm.  Dawn has been cooking up some Release Party challenges (called Paper Makeover Challenges) to make it even more fun!  Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Emma Silhouette, Danced in the Rain Sentiment (Paper Makeup Stamps); Paper - Rich Razzelberry, Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango, Basic Black (SU!), Iridescent Cryogen White (Paper Temptress); Ink - Rich Razzelberry, Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango (SU!), Versamark (Tsukineko), Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Accessories - Velvet Black Ric-Rac (unknown), Labels 16 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), clear embossing powder (SU!), dimensionals, heat gun

Swimming By With a Sneak Peek...Again!

Time to get back to reality, right?  We have had a wonderful weekend of Fireworks (sort of...they didn't quite work out so they are actually going to do them again), Pool Parties (cake to be shown soon!), Movies (it's Movie week this week in my house...I know I kept meaning to tell you all about my theme weeks...this week I will!), and Beach BBQ.  But now the house is pretty much a disaster area with all of that fun, so back to reality!  


While we did do lots of swimming, we didn't get to do any snorkeling like little Miss Suzie on my card.  She is one of the Sneak Peeks from Paper Makeup Stamps today over on the PMS Blog.  Make sure to check it out...hint, there are prizes involved!  I love snorkeling...so the Suzie Fairy was right up my alley!  And see that sentiment...it comes with her!  The Design Team has been telling Katie (the owner of Paper Makeup Stamps), that we love it when sentiments are included with the images...I know I always struggle finding just the right sentiment for a card.


I actually printed out a digi version of Suzie and colored her with a blender pen and ink pads.  Not too bad...hard to get really good shading with the blender pens, but good to switch it up a bit.  The pattern paper is from the Sunshine pad by Me & My Big Ideas.  The layout is from the Card Patterns Sketch #122.


As I said before, check out the PMS Blog so you have a chance to win some free stamps!!  Then mark your calendars for July 7 for the Paper Makeup Stamps Blog Hop and Release Party (9 pm EST on the PMS Forum).  Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Suzie Fairy and Sentiment (Paper Makeup Stamps); Paper - Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Sage Shadow, Whisper White (SU!), Sunshine Paper Pad (Me & My Big Ideas); Ink - Melon Mambo, Sage Shadow, Tempting Turquoise, Crumb Cake (SU!); Accessories - Cuttlebug Bubbles Embossing Folder (Provo), white satin ribbon (Offray), Scallop Edge Punch and Corner Rounder (SU!), blender pen, dimensionals

Be Still for Some Sneak Peaks

Well Happy 4th of July to all of those in the great USA! We have been enjoying celebrating...maybe a bit too much!  I feel like we have been going crazy the last few days...but then again I was dealing with getting over Strep Throat (yeah, tell me how I get that during summer?!), my daughter having to go into teh doctor's for an infection on her face that turned out to be bacterial (mostly liked caused by strep), and my son suddenly coming down with strep throat yesterday!  We have managed some fun in there too, but that was a lot to handle!


But today is also special because it is a Sneak Peek day for Paper Makeup Stamps!  The July release is almost here!  Today I get to share a scripture from the Be Still Set...and mine is the Be Still scripture.  I actually used the digi version of this and colored the words "still" and "God" in Photoshop Elements.  I used the color scheme from the Paper Crafts Color Inspiration #6 Challenge.  Not sure my flourish looks right...feel like I didn't place it right, but finally hitting the stamping table after taking lots of nights off, I just went with it.  


Be sure to check out what some of the other "Makeup Artists" came up with for today and leave a comment on the PMS Blog for a chance to win some free stamps!  Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!


The Engineering Details
Stamps - Be Still Set digi (Paper Makeup Stamps); Paper - Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Bashful Blue patterned paper (SU!); Ink - Bashful Blue; Accessories - Black Rhinestones (Darice), Black Rhinestones (Bazzill Basics), Flourish Template (Bazzill Basics), Ticket Corner Punch (SU!), Labels 16 Nestabilities (Spellbinders)