Blog Candy for a Cause II Update

I am finally through all of the cards I have received so far for baby Francesca! I am recording everyone's name that sends a card and a name for posting something on their blogs...let me tell you, my husband is tired of seeing me on the computer! You all have kept me wonderfully busy! I am officially up to 83 cards, but I had a note in the mailbox that the mailbox was too full...so there should have been even more today! Oh my goodness...I am excited to see how many I get tomorrow! In addition to all of the fabulous cards I have gotten, I also have gotten more blog candy! So be sure to check out the latest additions HERE. I am up to UPDATE 18!!

Now on to my Francesca update for all of you. As you can see, Francie's Dad, Ronny, got to hold her today! It appears she had a rough few days in there as they were trying to wean the ventilator. She is looking pretty good, but her blood gases and stats are still cause for concern. So keep the prayers going for her...she still has a long way to go! Below is what they posted today on their online journal:



Posted 12/29/08:

"Hello Family & Friends,

Francesca has appeared to weather the storm she was in for the past 3-4 days. It appears that Francesca was not able to tolerate the rate that the ventilator was being weaned at last week. After a few extremely rocky days, Francesca’s stats and blood gases have appeared to level out a bit. During those rocky days, the ventilator had to be turned back up to the original settings (in fact, even slightly higher settings than she started out at after ECMO). We started today back at “ground zero” with trying to wean the vent, this time, at a much slower pace. We are hoping she can tolerate this slower wean rate a bit better…She continues to have fluid in her lungs, as well as almost 2 pounds of excess fluid around her body (even though she already looks so much smaller!). The doctors do think she will do better and better as she gets rid of the excess fluid in her lungs and body.

Maureen and Ronny have both now officially been able to hold Francesca, and she has appeared to tolerate being held fairly well. The doctors and nurses have explained that, for Francesca, learning to be held can be tiring and a bit stressful. Luckily, she does seem pretty comfortable while being held by Mommy and Daddy, and has tolerated it for an hour at a time, once --sometimes twice-- per day.

Thanks so much to everyone who checks this website, and who thinks of Francesca, Maureen & Ronny every day. We appreciate each and every prayer said for Francesca, as she still definitely needs them."

Christmas Greetings to All of You

O.k so I am a few days late in showing this...I really meant to have this post out on Christmas Eve. I guess the hosting duties and Blog Candy for a Cause II stuff took over! Anyway, Merry Christmas to all of you and your families! I hope everyone had a magical and blessed Christmas and I pray that everyone has an amazing New year!

This was the card I sent out for my Christmas cards this year. Kept it simpler than years past, but I did not manage to get them done early like I had planned! Oh well...they made it out with some help from my Mom. She visited a couple weeks before Christmas and helped me finish them!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Snow Swirled; Paper - Green Galore, Garden Green, Real Red, Whisper White; Ink - Garden Green, Green Galore; Accessories - Red rhinestones, dimensionals

Prayers Being Answered

Well, Merry Christmas a day late to all! I am finally done hosting 3 days of get-togethers and I am enjoying some quiet time...and catching up on emails! One thing that I have missed immensely with my off-line time was getting my Francesca updates out to you. But now I can share with you good news...I really feel that prayers are being answered! The following posts from their online journal say it best, but my friend, Maureen, was given a wonderful Christmas present in being allowed to hold Francesca for 10-15 minutes! Francie is probably a long ways from being out of the NICU, but this is definitely one huge step in the right direction! They even posted some videos showing Francie with her eyes open and moving a little...she is looking so good! Thanks to all of you out there that has said a prayer, continues to say prayers, and/or will say a prayer!

Also if you still haven't heard...the Blog Candy for a Cause II in honor of Francesca is STILL growing! So check out the latest additions to the blog candy HERE...I am still completely stunned by how generous everyone is! God Bless you all!!!

Posted on Dec. 24:

"Merry Christmas Eve to all of our Family and Friends,

Francesca has continued to have an “up and down day” here at Children’s. She started off the day well, with good blood gases and good oxygen saturation scores. Therefore, the ventilator rate and oxygen were able to be weaned down a bit (to 84% oxygen, from 95% this morning). This evening, however, she has had some problems with fluid in her lungs, which is causing her lungs to have difficulty with opening (atelectasis). They have had to turn the pressure up on the vent, to try to assist her lungs with opening better. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that the theme of the NICU is “2 steps forward, 1 step back”.

On a positive note, Francesca was able to wear her first onesie today. This was the first time she’s been able to wear clothing! Maureen and Ronny were so pleased. Francesca has also lost about two pounds of fluid (which is a great thing). She is currently about eight and a half pounds, and they expect that she will still lose at least another two pounds of fluid weight. She looks so adorable! Her doctor says she is a “shade of her former self”.

Our family is huddled together in a nook at Children’s, where we are happy to celebrate Francesca’s first Christmas. We hope you all have a Merry Christmas Eve. You will be in our prayers, and we continue to appreciate prayers for our Sweet Francesca."

Posted on Dec. 25:

"Merry Christmas to our Family and Friends,

Francesca had another up and down day. Her oxygen saturation continued to be running a bit low today, and her blood gases have not been great, so the vent settings were not changed for the day. The doctors and nurses seem to feel that Francesca is regrouping after having so many vent changes (weans) over the past few days. They do seem to think she will likely build herself back up and have better scores in the next day or two.

A major highlight happened today, when Maureen was finally able to hold Francesca for 10-15 minutes (see pictures uploaded to the website today). Holding Francesca will probably not be a daily activity just yet, but it was a precious gift for Christmas for Maureen & Ronny, for Francesca to be able to be held “for real” for a short time. We were also able to upload four short video clips to the website, so that you can all see Francesca with her eyes open, looking at Mom and Dad. Francesca is still a bit sedated, but she usually has two or three wakeful periods during each day.

We hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Please keep Francesca in your thoughts and prayers during this holiday season."

Blog Candy and Francesca Update

Hey there everyone! I will actually post some stuff I have made soon, but I felt I needed to first post about the amazing generosity of all of you out there!!! Daily, and I mean daily...sometimes more than once in a day...I am being contacted by stampers from all over wanting to donate to my Blog Candy for a Cause II! I am completely floored by all of the donations I am getting (and secretly a little jealous of whomever wins this blog candy...I want some of this stuff!). Everyone keeps commenting how they are thankful to me for letting them help either with a donation, card, or even just prayers...but really I am thankful for all of you!!! I am just plain out of words for how thankful I am for all of you, your beautiful cards, and most importantly for your prayers. So, if you haven't seen what this blog candy has become, check out this POST. Every time I get a new addition, I add an UPDATE to the post...I am now up to UPDATE 12!!!


Now an update on sweet baby Francesca. I missed posting the journal entry on Dec. 21, so I have included both the 21st and the 22nd here. She has been off of the ECMO machine now for over 3 days...lots of ups and downs, but hanging in there. The best part was reading that Maureen and Ronny FINALLY got to hold their baby girl for a minute or two. That makes me squeeze my baby girl that much tighter though considering I got to hold her the minute she was out of me! As you can see I added a new picture of my friend, Maureen, watching over her baby girl!

Posted on Dec. 21:

"Hello Family and Friends,

Again, sorry for the gap in updates. The days are long and seem to blend together at times! Francesca has been off ECMO for two days, and has slowly been working on healing. Her doctors and nurses seem to think she is doing “OK”, after coming off the ECMO. They do still feel that it was the best decision to take her off the ECMO a little early, rather then take the risk of developing a large bleed in her brain.

Francesca’s blood gases and oxygen saturation have been inconsistent over the past two days. She has had several episodes when she desaturates and has needed to be quickly suctioned to help her oxygen saturation return to a safe level. They say this is because of fluid in her lungs moving and migrating when she is repositioned. She has retained fluid again, and is therefore, looking “puffy”. They said it is expected for her to retain fluid after going off ECMO. Francesca is urinating well, with the assist of diuretics, but the doctors say it will take a number of days (maybe weeks) before we see a noticeable improvement in her fluid retention.

We are hopeful that Francesca will continue to make slow improvements. The doctors remind us daily that although she is doing “OK”, she is by no means “out of the woods”. She still has a very determined look on her face. She has periods of wakefulness during the day when mom and dad are quick to be at her side, catching glimpses when her eyes are open. She still loves her ipod, and appears to enjoy both music and gossip.

Please continue to pray for our sweetest Francesca. Thanks to everybody."


Posted on Dec. 22

"Hello Family and Friends,

Today was a long, “up and down” day. Francesca’s blood gases and oxygen saturation have not been great, and she has needed to be suctioned a bit more frequently (which might be a good thing, meaning the fluid in her lungs is breaking up a bit).

A major highlight of the day was that for the first time, both Maureen and Ronny were able to hold Francesca for a short time (1-2 minutes) while standing next to her bassinet, as the bedding in her bassinet was changed. They both seemed very excited for the opportunity to hold their little angel.

Please continue to pray for our sweet little Francesca Maria. We just love her so dearly, and are so appreciative for all the supportive thoughts and prayers, from each and every one of you. "

Francesca Update - Pray Hard!!

Hi there everyone! Not sure if everyone who may subscribe to my blog or look at it through a reader can see the post that stays at the top, so I thought I would update everyone on baby Francesca here. We really need a lot of prayers for her right now. I just received a text message with the latest update so I will try and recap it for you all.

Basically, they are taking Francie off of the ECMO (heart and lung machine). They did some tests and they feel she should be able to handle it. From what I understand, they decided this was the safest option as they found a questionable spot in her brain during the ultrasound yesterday...they won't know if it was a small bleed or not until later today. But because of that they decided they needed to try to see if she can get off of the ECMO machine. She will still be on a respirator though for oxygen.

So please pray that her little lungs start doing their job and she continues to fight!

If you haven't heard about my Blog Candy for a Cause in honor of baby Francesca and after reading this you are compelled to help out, please consider sending me a card for Francesca and her parents to let them know prayers are being said for them. Check out all of the details in this POST. Thanks for your support and I will continue to update you!

Update: Here is what Francesca's Online Journal said regarding what I talked about above earlier today...I prefer it when it is in their words and not mine!

"Hello Family and Friends,

We do apologize for the 2 day gap in our updates. Our little Francesca has been a busy girl. On Thursday, her vitals & blood gases were all fairly good. However, she had a questionable ultrasound of her head, and the radiologist was concerned that he saw the start of a small bleed on the left side of her brain. They did a 2nd ultrasound, which thankfully did not show a progression of the area he was concerned about.

With the new concern about a 2nd questionable area in Francesca’s brain, they decided to “push” Francesca a bit more in weaning off the ECMO from yesterday afternoon to this morning. Luckily, Francesca does appear to be the one running the show, and she did just fine with the “wean-down” on the ECMO.

After weighing the pros and cons of keeping her on the ECMO another day, it was decided early this afternoon that it would be the best decision to take Francesca off the ECMO. The surgery went fine, and she is now recovering with Mom and Dad by her bedside, as well as both Grandmas & a Grandpa doing shifts too. We are cautious but happy that Francesca had progressed on the ECMO enough to safely come off, and are now waiting to see how she will do “on her own”. She is still getting a lot of ventilator & medication support (lots of sedatives), to help her with the transition. They say these first 24 hours off the ECMO are important, but she appears to be doing OK so far.

Please continue to pray for our sweetest Francesca. These have been a couple of long days, but she seems to have made a bit of progress."

Posted on 12/19 at 7:13 pm

Francesca Prayers Card

Hopefully most of you have now seen my Blog Candy for a Cause II. I am completely floored by the amount of generosity out there. I have had to update the post 3 times so far to add more blog candy being donated by some of the sweetest ladies! So if you haven't seen the post yet...check it out. While you are doing so, say a little prayer for Francesca.

Last week, I made up a basket of snacks, homemade bread, a book, a blanket made by the Piecemakers group at my church, and a little santa hat that was taken to Maureen and Ronny (Francesca's parents) by Maureen's sister. With that package, I included this card. I have a hard time making cards for difficult situations...I want it to be pretty, but yet somewhat subdued. So this was kept fairly simple...although the paper piecing took a bit...with the inside just saying "our prayers are with you". The card was based off of the SCS Sketch Challenge #205. As you can see I paper pieced the flower from the Verve Stamps set called "Beautiful You" with the same patterned paper that I used for the background. Some diamond stickles to the center and I felt it was complete.

I will be making another card for Francesca, Maureen, and Ronny to give to them when I give them all of the cards that are being sent my way. Please join me!!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Beautiful You (Verve Stamps), Notes of Prayer (Verve Stamps); Paper - Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Pretty in Pink DSP; Ink - Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip marker; Accessories - ribbon (Michaels), Diamond Stickles, dimensionals

Embrace the White Birthday

O.k. that title is a bit misleading! I am not talking about embracing the white hairs that I so frequently find on my head (dye on sisters!), but embracing the white space on a card. This is a tough thing for stampers to do...it is just so bare and you have the urge to put something there!

I needed some birthday cards, so I used Julee's Mojo Sketch Challenge #63 (way late for the actual contest part of it, but oh well...that is what happens when you try and finish 41 costumes for a Christmas Pageant and make 66 Christmas cards in the same week). Anyway, Julee stated specifically to embrace the white space along with her sketch. So I gave it a shot!

The first card changed the sketch somewhat, so I am not sure I would say it qualifies for meeting the challenge, but there definitely is white space! Nothing real significant to note on this card except for the pretty sparkly paper behind the main image and the dots. I colored So Saffron cardstock with a yellow glitter pen that I have had for years and it made the paper a really pretty sparkle. You might not be able to tell (my picture was taken very quickly prior to giving the card to its recipient) but the centers of the flowers are all sparkly too.




The second card follows the sketch exactly. This ended up being a little too plain and simple for me, but it still looks nice. I, of course, couldn't handle the completely white background though and added a couple crimp lines to it to dress it up just a smidge. With times being so busy right now, I am keeping things fairly simple...hopefully not too boring!

That is all for now. Please make sure to check out my Blog Candy for a Cause post HERE and read the update about baby Francesca above. She is proving to be a little fighter, but she still really needs a lot of prayers right now...I started crying when I read about the last brain ultrasound. Thanks for your support and most importantly your prayers!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Eastern Blooms, Something to Celebrate (retired); Paper - Whisper White, Old Olive, So Saffron, Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant; Ink - Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive Marker, So Saffron marker, Rose Red Marker, Elegant Eggplant marker; Accessories - Yellow Glitter Pen (Sakura), Scallop Edge Punch, 1/4" Circle Punch, crimper, dimensionals

Blog Candy for a Cause II

I think that most of the people that have found my blog found it when I did a Blog Candy for a Cause a little over a year ago. At that time I was gathering together RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) cards for the Dunn Family. Their twin baby girls had Neuroblastoma and were being treated very aggressively to save their lives. Thankfully all of the prayers were answered and the girls are doing great and the family treasured (and still does) all of the cards that people made for them.

Well now I am trying this again for a good friend of mine. Maureen had a baby girl, Francesca Maria Bucci, on Dec. 1 via c-section only about 2 weeks before her due date. The C-section was unplanned, but had to be done because the baby was showing signs of distress (low heartbeat, etc.). When Francie was born, she was not breathing due to meconium aspiration. Meconium is the first stools of a newborn and sometimes when a baby is distressed, they poop in the womb. Babies inhale the amniotic fluid while in the womb normally, but it is not good when they inhale meconium tainted amniotic fluid. The doctors were able to finally clear her airways so she could breathe, but her lungs were not functioning properly. Since her birth day, she has been at Children's Hospital where they are trying to stabilize her and get her lungs to heal and function properly. As a result of the meconium aspiration, she has developed pulmonary hypertension which basically means her lungs are not working. She is currently on an ECMO machine (heart-lung machine) that does the job of the lungs for her. They have to do daily brain ultrasounds to watch for bleeding in the brain which is a very dangerous side effect of the ECMO machine. One of the most heart-breaking journal entries said that it was a wonderful moment when Maureen was allowed to kiss Francesca on the forehead about a week after she had been born. Having had a baby recently, I can't imagine not being able to do that immediately. I would post the site that they update her progress on, but it is password protected and I am not sure they want it to be made public...I will see if they mind.

Upon hearing this news of my good friend's baby, I wanted to figure out a way to help her and her husband, Ronny. I have sent food to the hospital so that they can get some nourishment, as they have not left the hospital in two weeks. But, knowing that the best way to help them is prayers, I have decided to try and get as many prayers said for Francesca as possible. So now I ask anyone that reads this to do a couple of things: 1) stop and say a prayer for health and healing for Francesca and her parents, Maureen and Ronny...in particular the family prays for healing of her lungs, good brain ultrasounds, good blood gases, and good kidney functions (she has good deal of swelling at this time), and 2) make and send me a RAK card signed with your best wishes to give to my friends to let them know prayers are being said all over the country and maybe the world for their baby girl!

To entice you to do this, I am offering some blog candy...sorry it is small! The blog candy includes a couple of clear acrylic stamp sets, a glass jar filled with some dew drops (they are the fake ones though from the floral dept), a small container of adhesive backed blue rhinestones, and an IKEA Bygel large storage basket (see below for how I have used them for storage...great system!).

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UPDATE: Carolyn King (My Blog by Cammie) has ever so generously donated a few more items to the blog candy. In addition to the above blog candy, she will mail the winner the following:

Papertrey Ink - Holiday Treats Stamp Set

A Signed Whimsical Autumn Stamp Set (she actually created this set)

Tinkering Ink- Haberdasher Petite Patterned paper pad

Thank you Cammie for your wonderful additions. Please visit Cammie HERE and thank her as well...plus she has amazing creative ideas that I am sure you will love!

UPDATE 2: Cambria Turnbow (Stamp a Little Love Baby and co-owner of Our Craft Lounge) has lovingly donated one Tree-mendous Love stamp set from Our Craft Lounge.

Thank you Cambria for your amazing donation to the blog candy! Most of you probably already visit her blog daily (as I do), but go HERE and show her a little love for her generosity!

UPDATE 3: A good friend of mine, Stephanie, has decided to add to my blog candy as well! She is going to include a retired SU! stamp set: Sleigh Full of Toys (it is new and unmounted). Thanks Steph...you know I love ya!!!

UPDATE 4: Nicole Anderson (Anderson Arts) has been kind enough to not only send a RAK card but also a new bottle of Prima Flowers to add to the blog candy.

Thank you Nicole for being so sweet! Visit her site HERE and send her some love...plus you might find a beautiful Christmas present as she is also a jewelry designer!

UPDATE 5: Mary Vogel (Life and Creating) was also compelled to add to my blog candy. She is including a Close to My Heart Stamp set: Heartthrob

Thank you Mary for being so thoughtful! Check out her blog HERE and share your appreciation too!

UPDATE 6: Jane Bosi (Jane's Addiction) was driven to help out as she looks upon her 5 children (how do you do it?). She is donating the following to the blog candy (she will be mailing it out herself):

SU! Punches Three Set (new and unmounted), 2 Clear Stamp sets from Autumn Leaves, Stampendous Hey There Cupcake (gently used), and Heidi Swap Clear Stamp: Forever

Jane, your thoughtfulness astounds me! Send Jane some love as well HERE.

UPDATE 7: Julie Crossley (Special Craft Mom of 4 and owner of Scrapbook Store at Your Door) has volunteered to add to the blog candy with a BoBunny Aloha Acrylic Stamp Set.

Thank you Julie for your wonderful addition...I cannot express my gratitude! Express your gratitude to Julie with some love HERE and by visiting her online store!

UPDATE 8: Joanne Basile (Stamped by Hand) is happy to contribute to the blog candy as well! She will mail the winner directly the following:

Pink Paislee “Vintage Pop” clear set of stamps, Making Memories “Funky Vintage Ruby Collection” 6x6 paper pack, and Sudio G Clear stamp Set

Thank you Joanne for being so generous with your contribution! Visit Joanne's blog and send her some cyber hugs for being so sweet!

UPDATE 9: A Stampin' Up! $50 Gift Certificate (redeemable through me) has been added. This was added due to an extremely generous donation by someone that would like to remain anonymous!

You know who you are, so thank you once again!

UPDATE 10: Debbie Stelton (Dolce Deb's Designs) had decided to include a brand-new Scor-Pal with a case to the blog candy! She will be mailing it directly to the winner.

Thank you Debbie for being ever so kind! Send Debbie some love HERE!

UPDATE 11: Katie Cotton (Paper Makeup) has been kind enough to now include the Close to My Heart Stamp set: From the Heart.

Thank you Katie for your wonderful Valetine's addition! Your kindess overwhelms me. Send Katie some cyber love (and maybe get some makeup tips) HERE!

UPDATE 12: Milissa Howes (Serendipity Kits) is showing her generous nature by donating a Papercraft Kit from her Online Kit Club, Serendipity Kits. Once I receive the kit I will post its contents as well.

Milissa, my gratitude for your kindness will probably never be expressed adequately. Thank you so much for your donation. Check out all of her kits HERE!

UPDATE 13: Ashley Bowen (Ashley's Creative Corner and owner of Treehouse Stamps) was kind enough to donate a $25 Gift Certificate for Treehouse Stamps!

Thank you Ashley for your wonderful donation! Check out the adorable stamps that she has HERE!

UPDATE 14: Denise Lynn (owner of Whimsy Stamps) is adding to the blog candy as well with a stamp set from Whimsy Stamps!

Denise, thank you for contacting me so sweetly and being so kind to donate! You must check out the adorable Whimsy animal stamps that she has to offer HERE...so cute!!

UPDATE 15: Monique Matthews (Heavenly Creations by Monique) was inspired to donate to the blog candy. She will be mailing directly to the winner a brand new JustRite Curlz Monogram Stamper Kit!

Monique, thank you for your generous donation! Please stop by Monique's blog HERE and leave her some love!

UPDATE 16: Cindy Walker of Breckenridge, MN surprised me with some blog candy additions when she sent me her card! So now, due to Cindy's generosity, a SU! stamp set Shapes and Shadows has been added to the loot!

Thank you Cindy for the wonderful surprise!

UPDATE 17: Anita Autore (Cards & Coffee) told me she was going to send some blog candy additions with her card and she definitely did! So thanks to Anita, a roll of Michaels Ribbon, Studio G Crystal Glitter Glue, and Studio G Green Glitter Glue has been added to the candy!

Thank you Anita! Send Anita some cyber hugs HERE!

UPDATE 18: Alexandra Hobson (California Stampin) contacted me yesterday because she too would like to add to the blog candy. So Alexandra has added SU! stamp set - World Over (retired) and SU! stamp set - Event Full (retired)!

Thank you Alexandra for your kindness! Tell Alexandra thank you for her donations HERE!

UPDATE 19: Stephanie Sheridan (do you have a blog Stephanie?) was kind enough to send along some more to add to the blog candy with her card. She added Inkadinkadoo Brenda Walton stamp set - Somerset Expressions, The Robin's Nest Dew Drops, Fired Brick Distress Ink, and Small photo album.

Thank you Stephanie for the wonderful surprise addition! You are too kind!

UPDATE 20: Mikki Madden (Mik Inks) decided to help me out with a wonderful card and even more additions to my blog candy. She has now included Darice Finishing Accents Rhinstone stickers, Blumenthal Lansing Company - Button Sensations, Inkadinkadoo Humingbird Stamp, SU! - 6x6 Pattern Paper Pack.

Thank you Mikki for you awesome blog candy additions! Tell Mikki thank you as well HERE!

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So I will enter you into my blog candy drawing once I receive your card in the mail and I will enter you a second time if you pass the word on (on your blog, SCS, or any other community site...just leave me a comment so I know). If you post your card on SCS, please include the keyword "bcfac08" so that we can see all of them at one time. I would like to receive all of the cards by Dec. 30 so that I can give them all to my friend at the beginning of the new year. I will select and post the winner on January 4, 2009 (note: I pushed this date out to give a chance for the overseas card to get to me)...someone will have a very good New Year!! Please mail all of the cards to me:

Blog Candy for a Cause II
Andrea Vernagus
2797 Warwick Dr.
Bloomfield, MI 48304

I know this is a very busy time of year, so I greatly appreciate you taking a moment to help me out with a prayer and/or a card!

The IKEA storage basket that is part of the blog candy is shown on the right side of each bar.

Cards Posted on SCS

A Scrappy Affair

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We will be celebrating with my husband's side of the family. Particularly excited that we finally get to meet our new nephew...can't stand that he is already 3 weeks old and we haven't met him yet!

Anyway, thought I would share a scrapbook page that I FINALLY photographed. The page has been in a state of doneness (took awhile for me to get the journaling done) for a month or so, but I kept forgetting to take a picture of it! So here it is! This was the first wedding that Elijah went to. He was so cute with that little tie on! You can see the individual pages below.

I used the Baja Breeze DS paper (retired) paired with some Close to Cocoa and Bravo Burgundy cardstock...made for an interesting color combination, but it worked so great for the pictures! I added the Teal rhinsetone brads for some bling and printed the journaling in the Tekn with teal color to finish off the coordination. I love that someone on SCS figured out the RBG values for all of SU!'s colors so you can print it them.

One of my favorite parts about the page is the chipboard title. I covered it with the same DSP that I used on the page and it really made the title pop! Check-out the detail shot of the title.

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Alphabet set from Wal-Mart, $1 stamp set from Michaels; Paper - Baja Breeze DSP, Bravo Burgundy, Taken with Teal, Close to Cocoa, Vellum cardstock; Ink - White craft; Accessories - Lots of Letters Chipboard, White gel pen, Round Rhinstone brads, scissors, dimensionals, Mat Pack, paper piercer

Two for One Sketch

Well, as usual, I am very behind on getting some birthday cards out and such...and my stash at home is not very exciting anymore. Which means, I had to do some stamping! Like always I turn to my favorite sketch challenges for inspiration! Julee on Poetic Artistry always has great sketches, so I used her Mojo #61 Sketch Challenge. I was really feeling the sketch so I used it for not one, but two cards! How cool is that!

The first one is very pink as it is for my husband's Grandma's birthday...pink is her favorite color! I was in a very simple mood so I did not deviate from the sketch and I kept all of my embellishments to a minimum. I love how it turned out...so soft. 1/4" circles fit nicely under my fake dew drops...so the clear dew drops now have a soft pink appearance. Perfect!

The second card is a male birthday card. Using one of my favorite new stamp sets, Season of Friendship, I utilized the same sketch but instead of the scallop bottom, I used the rugged, manly tear! O.k. so it isn't really manly, but it is more so than the scallop! I added a little sparkle to the bird on the branch with Crystal Stickles. Other than that, this one too was fairly minimal on embellishments.

On a very good note, I finally figured out what my Christmas cards will be for the year. In keeping with my simple theme, they seem like they should be fairly quick. I can't post them though until after I send them...don't want to ruin the surprise for the ones that get them. Now I have to focus some attention to my December birthdays and get some costumes (and motion for some songs) figured out for our Church's Christmas Pageant.

The Engineering Details - Flower Card

Stamps - Heartfelt Thanks, So Many Sayings (Retired); Paper - Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Bradbury DSP, Whisper White; Ink - Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip Marker; Accessories - 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain ribbon, Word Window Punch, Corner Rounder, Scallop Edge Punch, 1/4" Circle Punch

The Engineering Details - Tree Card

Stamps - Season of Friendship, Birthday Whimsy (Retired); Paper - Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla; Ink - Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss; Accessories - Crystal Stickles, Pewter Brads, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack

Bad Blogger - Trying to Get Back

Yes I am still alive...in case you were wondering! I have just been a very bad blogger! Personal events, holidays, and stamp classes took over my life...and then on top of it, I lost some motivation in there too! Anyway, I think I am back now and will hopefully have some interesting things to share.

So the last time I posted was back in September! Let's see what has happened since then...1) My daughter has decided breast is best and has completely refused the bottle...tried to get her to change her mind (and believe me I am persistent when I want something) and she won, 2) Halloween was a blast...my mouse (Eli) and my ladybug (Adi) went trick-or-treating with friends this year (we were there too, don't worry), 3) Almost had a neck surgery...doesn't that sound like fun?!, 4) found out I have carpal tunnel...where this came from I don't know, but treating this has helped me avoid the neck surgery in point 3, 5) held a Stamp-A-Stack at my Mom's house in Grand Ledge...which brings us to this post! So now that we are all caught up, let's get to the topic at hand.

The Stamp-A-Stack went great...I had a lot of newbies which is always a little scary for Stamp-A-Stacks because they are doing so much. But everyone completed all 25 cards and had a great time. These cards were kept simple, so they could complete them all (5 of each design), but I thought they turned out nice. So check out the individual shots below. I will be back with some other stuff I have done while away and something I am holding a class for soon!

A HEART to HEART Card

O.k. so another blogger and fabulous crafter is doing an amazing thing! Carolyn (Cammie) King has organized the mother of all blog candies in celebration of World's Alzheimer's Day. She recently lost her Grandmother to complications from the disease and wanted to try and give back to the amazing caretakers that care for those with Alzheimer's. What better way to do that than to give them some amazing homemade cards!

So this is my card (sorry the picture is not the greatest!) that I will be mailing out shortly. I didn't have a chance to make a new one this week, but I had this one that I tried submitting for publication but it was not selected. It was quite a long time ago that I did this though, so I honestly cannot give too many specifics.

To participate in Cammie's blog candy, see her post here. There are literally over $1000 in prizes and they will be going to one single soul! In her post, you can see all of the amazing companies and individuals that have donated to this awesome cause. So go check it out and get a card in the mail as the blog candy ends September 26!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Heartfelt Thanks, Dotted Autumn (retired); Paper - Perfect Plum, Mellow Moss, Barely Banana, So Saffron, Whisper White; Inks - Barely Banana, So Saffron, Mellow Moss, Perfect Plum, Craft White; Accessories - So Saffron brads, Crystal Stickles, Sponge, Moss Gingham ribbon, Ticket Corner Punch

Sparkly Blooms

One of my dear friends (Hi Steph!) was having a birthday this last week (the day after my own) and I wanted to create a special card for her. So as usual, in my limited time I again turned to a sketch challenge for some inspiration...are you all getting tired of me saying that?! Anyway I used Julee's Poetic Artistry Mojo Sketch Challenge #53 and one of my new stamp sets, Eastern Blooms. By the way, I love that the new sets are die-cut! I got 4 sets (including an alphabet set) put together during one nap time!

I wanted a fall color look and I also wanted to use some Burgundy stickles that I have had for awhile and never used. So I put together my color combo of Really Rust, Bravo Burgundy, & Old Olive. Both of the main flower images were done with markers directly on the stamps. The saying came from Verve Visual's Beautiful You set. I also decided to pull out some eyelets that are apparently not very "in" anymore...Stampin' Up! only is selling the metal colors now instead of all of the colors like they did before! I still think they look nice...though I will admit I probably would have used brads instead if I had them in the same colors. Poor little eyelets!

On a side note, do you think this picture means that I vacuumed just a little bit too long? I put Adilane in the Exersaucer while I vacuumed one day. I heard her fussing a little...no all out wails...so I did a little bit more. Finally I stopped and went to check on her and this is what I found! Poor thing!!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Eastern Blooms, Beautiful You (Verve Visual); Paper - Really Rust, Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive, Very Vanilla; Ink - Really Rust Marker, Baroque Burgundy marker, Old Olive marker; Accessories - Really Rust & Bravo Burgundy eyelets, 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon, Burgundy Stickles, scissors, Mat Pack

Baptism Prayers

I wanted to participate in Julee's Poetic Artistry Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge Contest, but I kept putting it off. I have a stamp camp and baptism coming up so I have been focused on those. Anyway, I created the baptism invitations for my daughter and decided I would try Julee's sketch challenge for some baptism thank yous. The baptism invitation that the thank you was based on is the second card in this post.


I bought Verve Visual's Notes of Prayer set specifically for the cross image...I have been looking for a great cross for baptism invitations. I embossed the cross in black, colored the center, and added some pink stickles. I can't stop using my Cuttlebug, so once again I reached for the wonderful D'Vine Swirls.


I pulled out the retired Petal Prints to get the leaf pattern on the Pretty in Pink paper. I love the subtly and visual interest it generated. The Thank you card has most of the same elements as my invitation, but it ended up being a little more time consuming than the invitation...which is best I guess...one of the two should be easier to make right?!

So this is the actual baptism invitation. Pretty basic, so not much to say. I love the cross below the main image...highlights the main image cross!

It is now official...I am no longer employed! I turned in my resignation on Friday. A little scary, but I think that I have come to peace with the decision to stay at home. Not much else...too tired to think right now!!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Notes of Prayer (Verve Visual), Petal Prints (retired); Paper - Basic Black, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink; Ink - Versamark, White Craft, Pretty in Pink; Accessories - Cotton Candy Stickles, Black embossing powder, heat gun, D'Vine Swirls Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder, Black brads

Road Less Traveled

Got a little bit more stamping in this last week...always makes me feel good to be a little creative! Even if it means I don't get as much sleep as I should! My stamping time generally doesn't start until everyone is in bed, so if I get on a roll, I stay up too late!! Oh well!

This card is for Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch Contest. I flipped the sketch though, so I hope it still counts! I finally bought some of her fabulous stamps...bought the Notes of Prayer set to make my daughter's baptism invites and had to throw in the Beautiful You set because I just love all of the quotes! I was very pleased with how this turned out and the quote is perfect as we have some friends that will be moving soon. I used the SCS Color Challenge #180 (Blush Blossom, Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa) for the color scheme...not one I would have ever thought of, but I love it!

I colored the quote with markers so I could highlight certain words. Then I added a little sparkle to those words with a Gelly Roll pen that I have had for years! The quote layer and the Ruby Red strips on the top and bottom were sponged with Close to Cocoa ink. I roughed up all of the edges on all of the layers but one...the road is less traveled by afterall, so it should be a little rough. I pulled out my Cuttlebug Swirls embossing folder that I love so much and embossed the Blush Blossom layer under the quote. I rubbed it with some Close to Cocoa ink as well.

The sketch called for a circle element under the main image, but I just couldn't come up with anything that looked right. So I thought of using brads to create my circle element. Then I created a button (because I don't have any otherwise) out of some circle chipboard...I covered it with Blush Blossom cardstock, sanded the edges, sponged them, and the punch two holes with the Crop-a-Dile...tada, a button! Then I found some cross-stitch floss that matched the Ruby Red cardstock and tied it to my button.

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Beautiful You (Verve Stamps), Sanded; Paper - Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red, Blush Blossom; Ink - Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red; Accessories - Cuttlebug Swirls Embossing Folder, Pewter brads, Sakura Gelly Roll Red Sparkle Pen, Circle Chipboard, dimensionals, Glue dots, Crop-a-Dile

Masculine Giraffe

How about a more masculine card? I needed a couple of male birthday cards, so I once again turned to my trusty SCS challenges to help me get started.

I utilized the Sketch Challenge #186 and the Color Challenge #176 (Very Vanilla, Soft Sky, River Rock). Since I do not own the Soft Sky or River Rock ink pads, I had to add some Chocolate Chip into the mix...tried not to add too much, so I wouldn't deviate from the 3 main colors.

I also realized that I am really lacking a good guy stamp set, so I had to turn to one of my favorites, In the Wild. Can't wait to see what the new catalog has in store for me...when is it going to come?!! Anyway, the giraffe was stamped in Chocolate Chip and layered a lot. I crumbled some Soft Sky paper and attached it with pewter brads. To give the bottom River Rock layer a little interest, I stamped the Sanded background with Versamark. The ticket corner punch and some reverse paper piercing finished it off. I always have a hard time with "guy" cards, but I was quite pleased with this one!

All is well in our home. I was the "Song Lady" at my church's Vacation Bible School. My son basically learned all of the songs prior to VBS starting, so he was my little "helper" when I had to teach the songs to the kids. It was fun. Adilane is doing great as well...she is just such a happy and easy going baby...we truly are blessed. So I will leave you with this adorable picture of her that I took over the weekend!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - In the Wild (retired), Sanded, Birthday Whimsy (retired); Paper - Very Vanilla, River Rock, Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip; Ink - Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Versamark; Accessories - Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Pewter Brads, Ticket Corner Punch

Swirly Anniversary

Last week when I found a little stamping time, this was the second card that I did. I actually found a little time this week as well, so I will have another card to show soon...yeah me!

Utilizing the wonderful tools of sketch challenges and color challenges, I created this card for my sister's anniversary (and I made a second one for a friend's anniversary as well...what the heck, the supplies were all out already!). I love, LOVE, sketch and color challenges because it takes so much of the time of designing a card out of the way, so I can get them done quicker...and when you are only able to work in that 1 hour or so of overlapping nap time, quick is good. So I used Sketch Challenge #185 and Color Challenge #177 (Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Groovy Guava or Cameo Coral). I forgot that I actually had like 2 sheets of Groovy Guava and went with Cameo Coral...oops!

I embossed the couple with Crystal Clear embossing powder and then bleached them. The bleaching came out very vanilla colored, so I took the liberty to add Very Vanilla to the mix. I used my Swirls embossing folder for my cuttlebug (so love this thing!) and applied some Very Vanilla ink across the top.

That is all for now...I should have my card I made this week up in a couple of days. I am so proud that I am actually finding some time to stamp...it makes me happy!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Summer by the Sea; Paper - Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Cameo Coral, Very Vanilla; Ink - Versamark, Very Vanilla; Accesories - Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder, Antique Brass brads, dimensionals, Crystal Clear embossing powder, bleach

Getting Back in the Game...Sort of!

It has been a long time! Things are going well at home with two kids, but we seem to constantly be adjusting...figuring out what works. Every day is different it seems, so there isn't a "normal" yet. Adilane is getting bigger and stronger all the time and Elijah continues to be the "Big" brother that is sweet and loving one minute and then he turns crazy and almost out of control the next! Believe me, I have a new found appreciation for Stay-at-Home Moms! In fact I have questioned if staying home is the right decision for me a couple of times...those were just the really bad days though!




Anyway, I actually found a little time yesterday to stamp! I was so very excited to do something creative...and I finally broke out my Cuttlebug that I have had since Mother's Day! Right now I feel pretty mentally and somewhat physically exhausted by the end of the day, so my creative juices have not been flowing! I am way behind on some cards for friends and family so I am attempting to catch up. To help speed things along (since my time is apparently limited) I am relying heavily on sketch challenges and color challenges. Less thinking for me!


So this card uses a sketch challenge from Julee at Poetic Artistry - Mojo48 (she always has great sketch challenges every Monday) and a color challenge from last week on SplitCoast Stampers (CC175 - Almost Amethyst, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron). I decided to try the die and embossing set that comes with the Cuttlebug machine. I have to tell you...I love my Cuttlebug and I know what to get so much more for it! It was so easy to use and the results were incredible! I altered Julee's sketch a smidge because I lent out my circle punches, so I went square instead.


I used the die to get the "postage stamp" square and then embossed the cupcake on the three colors and pieced them together. A little diamond Stickles finished off the cupcake. I don't have much Wild Wasabi or Almost Amethyst paper, so I had to keep it to a minimum. Luckily I still have the Designer Series Paper from the Hostess Benefit Prints Pack which contained Wild Wasabi! Mellow Moss Grosgrain ribbon actually does a nice job of matching the Wild Wasabi. Not much else to say...fairly basic but it felt good! Oh and I did a second card that I will post later!!!

The Engineering Details


Stamps - Everyday Flexible Phrases; Paper - So Saffron, Almost Amethyst, Wild Wasabi DSP from Prints Pack, Shimmer White; Ink - Versamark; Accessories - Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug Celebration Die and Embossing Set, Corner Rounder Punch, Diamond Stickles, Moss 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon

A Flip-Flop Announcement

Ever since I saw the Flip-Flop (swing) card, I had it in my head to do baby announcements with it. So I finally did! I took the instructions from SCS (found here) and then altered the sizes to fit my photo and such.
I don't have a whole lot of truly baby stamps, so I borrowed a retired set called Welcome, Little One from a friend. All of the lettering was done on the computer and carefully cut to place everything where I wanted it.

I stamped the flowers in Rose Red and added a dot of White in the centers with the White Gel Pen. The white centers just gave it a complete look...something that was totally lacking prior. So this was my daughter's birth announcements. Probably a little more time consuming than I thought considering I made 60 (pretty typical with me), but I was very pleased with how they turned out. They took a month to get out...what is the etiquette on the timing of sending out birth announcements anyway? Oh well, better now than never!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Welcome Little One (retired); Paper - Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Whisper White; Ink - Rose Red, Pretty in Pink; Accessories - White Gel Pen, Cutter with scoring blade

My Stamp Nite Out

Well I have been without cable and internet for awhile now. We had some bad thunderstorms come through last Sunday night and we have been without cable since…not that I am complaining since a lot of our neighbors have been without power that whole time as well! Still adjusting to our new family dynamics and figuring out what works for us…but overall, everything is going well and Eli is doing a great job at being a Big Brother. Granted thanks to family, I have really yet been with both kids for very long on my own. I am very grateful for all of their support and help…makes figuring out the breastfeeding rhythm for Adilane and I a little easier when I don’t have to worry about what Elijah is doing. But I think I am ready to start doing things on my own and getting into our own routine...although I will probably regret saying that! :)

Since Adilane came 3 weeks early, I had to cancel a Stamp Nite Out that I had planned for May, but I was able to reschedule it for a week ago. It went great and I think all of the ladies had fun. I figured I would show off the projects that I had them do.

I wanted to showcase the Flower Fusion flowers, so I copied and altered an idea I saw on Stampin' Gal Val's blog for a card that really shows them off. It utilizes very little stamping, which obviously draws attention to the flowers. Not knowing which color flowers they would choose to use, I kept the base of the card black and white so that the color was coming from the flowers. Add a little faux stitching and some ribbon and I think we have a beautiful card!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Paint Prints (retired); Paper - Basic Black, Whisper White; Ink - Old Olive, Rose Red marker; Accessories - Flower Fusion Flowers, Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Black Brad, Slot Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Dimensionals, Sponge





I loved this Onesie card idea when I saw it on Lauren Meader’s blog while back (wow is that girl amazing!) and I knew that I wanted to share it with my customers. It is a very easy card to make (assuming you have the two punches you need), but it is so adorable! I made it yellow so that it would not be sex specific. I utilized some shimmery white cardstock for around the neckline, leg openings, and sleeves and then added 3 silver brads at the base to act like the snaps at the bottom of a onesie.

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Wild About You, Everyday Flexible Phrases; Paper - Barely Banana, Shimmery White; Ink - Craft White, So Saffron; Accessories - White embossing powder, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Silver Brads, Cutter with scoring blade, scissors, ruler, pencil, heat gun


Alright, so have I told you how much I love Lauren Meader’s ideas (seriously, you need to check out her blog)…well I took another idea from her for Father’s Day…which by the way, totally snuck up on me somehow! Anyway, I loved the little toolbox she made so I took her instructions and made a card to match. I loved the woodgrain look that I got just by dragging Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, and Creamy Caramel across some Kraft cardstock. If there is any interest out there, I could put together a tutorial on how to do this…I didn’t create the idea myself, but I have no idea where I saw it at. Then I added some awesome measuring tape ribbon from Michael’s and the perfect “Man” set was created. Who would of thunk that the set A Beautiful Thing could be used for a guy card?!


















The Engineering Details
Stamps - A Beautiful Thing, All Year Cheer II (retired); Paper - Ballet Blue, Kraft, Basic Black, Very Vanilla; Ink - Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Ballet Blue, Basic Black; Accessories - Tag Corner Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Pewter Brads, Measuring Tape Ribbon (Michael's), Scissors, Wood Pencil, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Cutter with Scoring Blade

Introducing Adilane Rose Vernagus

Adilane Rose Vernagus

Sorry for my absence recently...our lives have permanently changed recently. At 3 weeks and 1 day early, we welcomed our daughter into the world! She came into the world very quickly (only 2.5 hours after my water broke and contractions started!!) and has melted our hearts instantly! We are at home and adjusting to the new family dynamics. So far my son, Elijah, is doing well in his Big Brother role...likes giving her kisses, wants to hold her, and tries to help out. Adilane (Adi for short) is doing well and is just too sweet! I hope to eventually hit my stamping area, but it may be a little bit as I learn to adjust to my new schedule and life!

The Engineering Details

Birthdate - May 20, 2008; Time - 8:27 pm; Weight - 7 lbs, 1 oz; Length - 20 in

The Best Big Brother!

Our New Family

For my Son

Using Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge 48, I created this special card for my son. Well the card itself is not anything earth-shattering, but the sentiment behind it is the important part. This is a card for my son from his soon to be born baby sister. The inside (didn't take a picture because it really is nothing beautiful) says "Thank you for being my BIG BROTHER!".

We are having Baby Girl give her Big Brother a gift (Lightning McQueen Car...something he wanted) and this card. Knowing that she will be getting a lot of gifts, we wanted to make sure that he doesn't feel left out. It is a big moment in his life too afterall!

Anyway regarding the card, I stamped the crocodile and flower in Craft White ink and then rubbed pastels over top...think this is called the chalkboard technique. I think it probably would have looked better on darker cardstock, but my son will still like it. Gave the croc a heart (from the Happy Heart Day set) and popped it up on dimensionals and made it sparkle. Not much else...everything I think it pretty self-explanatory.

No consistent contractions yet! Just some Braxton-Hicks contractions sporadically. My girlfriends and I went and had pedicures (they are both pregnant too), so now I have pretty feet all ready to go! Just waiting for Baby girl to decide it is time!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Wild About You, Happy Heart Day, Crosshatch (retired); Paper - Handsome Hunter, Mellow Moss, Barely Banana, Ruby Red, Kraft; Ink - Handsome Hunter, Ruby Red, Basic Black, Craft White; Accessories - Stampin' Pastels, Q-Tips, Scissors, Diamond Stickles, So Saffron Brads, 1/16" Hole Punch, Dimensionals

Whoa Nelly & a Late Mojo Sketch

This will be a somewhat quick post, as my computer is being very slow and therefore very frustrating! Trying to run a disk cleanup, so hopefully that speeds things up once it is done.

Anyway, I am late in posting my take on the Mojo Monday 37 Sketch Challenge. I made the card for some dear friends 6th Anniversary...Happy Anniversary Eric & Stephanie! As usual, I didn't get them the card until their anniversary had past, but I was only 2 days late. That is actually pretty good for me!

I am really trying to use patterned paper...I think I have mentioned I am pattern paper challenged...so I am pushing myself to use it so I can get used to it and hopefully get better! I like how this card turned out. Fairly basic: the flower was colored with pastels and a Q-tip, I used a white gel pen to add white dots along the edges of the Taken with Teal cardstock to mimic the pattern that was in the Bali Breeze DSP. Beyond that, I just added some antique gold brads and ta-da, a beautiful anniversary card.

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Doodle This, Everyday Flexible Phrases; Paper - Taken with Teal, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Whisper White, Bali Breeze DSP; Ink - Taken with Teal, Basic Black; Accessories - Stampin' Pastels, Q-tips, Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Antique Gold brads, White Gel Pen, Dimensionals

Now on to the Whoa Nelly part of my post! I had my 36 week appt on Wednesday last week, and the doctor surprised me with the information that I am already 2-3 cm dilated and 60% effaced! Whoa Nelly! Things seem to be progressing along too...won't give you any details...but I have a feeling that Baby girl may be coming this week! Needless to say after that news, I have been frantically getting stuff ready for her arrival and getting my pre-baby checklist completed! Wow...still in shock a little! I will keep you posted!