Sending a Smile

So I am joining in on the Hambo Hoedown this week.  Love me some Hoedown once in awhile! Just saying it make me feel like square dancing!  This week is a special week...Hambo Hoedown is in honor of Send a Smile 4 Kids which is a fabulous group that collects handmade cards to be used at Children's Hospitals to try and cheer up the patients.  


The challenge for Hambo Hoedown #49 is "Anything Goes"...can't be any easier than that!  And if you participated last week and sent a pic of your card, you got the adorable Bailey Digi (shown on my card).  The little bailey dog is so sweet and is sure to brighten anyone's day!  If you didn't participate, you can still purchase the Bailey digi at the Hambo Store.  


I used the latest Sketch for You to Try for January for my layout.  I printed bailey out on watercolor paper and watercolored him/her from there.  With trying to get a bunch of cards done before I pack up my craft area, I kept the design very simple...but I kind of like it too!


Anyway, please join in on the Hoedown and check out the Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge Blog...they will have a new challenge on January 21 that is sponsored by Hambo Stamps.  So get to it and help Send a Smile to someone that needs it!


Thanks for checking out my kind of enginnering!


The Engineering Details
Stamps - Bailey Digi (Hambo Stamps); Paper - Real Red, Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip (SU!), watercolor paper, heart pattern paper (unknown); Ink - Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Old Olive (SU!); Accessories - Red Rhinestones (Me & My Big Ideas), Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), dimensionals, aquabrush

Flower Birthday

Is it finally spring? I think we are there now...but that of course brings rain and I am not so sure I like how that mixes with the start of soccer for my son. His first game is tomorrow and it is totally going to rain...and I am pretty sure it only gets canceled if it is lightning. Not sure how it will go if it isn't canceled...we will see. But at least it isn't snow coming down! A little more warmth would be good, but I am trying to be patient.

So I finally got to stamp after a bit of a hiatus as my family went on a trip to Chicago during my son's Spring Break. We had a great time and the kids did great, but I am realizing it has been awhile since I was in my stamping area! So I decided to jump in with the "Get Your Diva On" Verve Stamps challenge. It was a recipe challenge...your recipe is determined by your first name. So hi, my name is Andrea and I need to make a card that is 1) blue, yellow, and cream, 2) has flowers, eyelets and ribbon, and 3) is square shape or has 3 layers. Check, check, and check.

Went for a couple of blues with Not Quite Navy and Baja Breeze and I think it technically has more than 3 layers, but it is square so I am good on either way you look at it! It was kind of weird to pull out the eyelets...haven't used them in awhile. Nothing to crazy here so I won't bore you with specifics...ingredient list below!

Here's hoping for lightning in the morning so I don't have to watch Kindergarten soccer in the rain!! Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Petals and Stems (Verve Stamps); Paper - Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla (SU!), Still in Box from The Thrift Store collection (October Afternoon); Ink - Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, More Mustard (SU!); Accessories - Jumbo Eyelets (SU!), Labels 14 Die (Spellbinders), Antique White Satin Ribbon (Offray), dimensionals

Whooo Did Some Stamping?

Yup I managed to get a little stamping in tonight...yay for me! I was prompted by the fact that I never did the current Sketch For You to Try for March and well March is just about over...seriously not sure how that happened. Now if only the weather around here would agree with the calendar and give us some spring like weather. I am so ready to put away the winter coat!

So like I said I used the current Jen Del Muro's Sketch For You To Try for March for my layout and the Color Throwdown #135 colors (Vanilla, Black, Red, and Yellow). I got the cutie Webster the Owl from Paper Makeup Stamps awhile ago and hadn't inked him up yet. And as cute as he is, that is just a shame! So I stamped him on vanilla cardstock and then used a blender pen to color him except for the present which I paper pieced.

Don't forget the BIG news will be coming out soon, so make sure you stay tuned. Now I am off to bed...thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Webster the Owl, Cutie Critter Sayings (Paper Makeup Stamps); Paper - Basic Black, Real Red, So Saffron Very Vanilla (SU!), Black & Ivory Fusion Paper Pad (K&Company); Ink - Real Red, So Saffron (SU!), Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko); Accessories - Ticket Corner Punch (SU!), Red Rhinestones (Darice), paper piercer, dimensionals

Sweet Otter

So we went from almost spring back to full-fledge winter! Almost all of the snow had melted and now we are back with a new 8 - 10 inches! Pretty, yes...but not looking forward to shoveling the driveway! My husband had to shovel out his car this morning so he could go to work, so at least I don't have to do the whole driveway...although the snowplow came through so I get the fun job at the end of the driveway! We will see if I can get the kids to play outside for a bit while I do it. My daughter is not a fan (at all!) of wind and cold, so it may not happen until nap time.

Anyway, since we are on a Snow Day and I can't do my normal Monday routine, I thought I would take this opportunity to share a card I made for the February Sketch For You To Try by Jen Del Muro. I feel like this card is kind of a hodgepodge of colors, but they are all in the heart paper, so i went with it. Definitely more colors than I usually put on one card! The cutie Otter with a cupcake is Olive the Otter from Paper Makeup Stamps. She is part of the Retro Cutie Critters line...so love this line of stamps! The one thing I did like about this card was my ruffled ribbon with the twine over top of it...will have to use that again.

Well hope you all either are in warm weather or stay warm today! Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Olive the Otter (Paper Makeup Stamps), Flexible Phrases (SU! retired); Paper - Pretty in Pink, Orchid Opulence, To the Nines DSP (SU!), Heart paper (Unknown), watercolor paper; Ink - Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Sage Shadow, Pretty in Pink, Ruby Red, Old Olive, Orchid Opulence (SU!); Accessories - Circle and Big Scalloped Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon (SU!), Red and White Bakers Twine (Unknown), Striped Purple Brads (Making Memories), aquabrush, dimensionals

Ooh La La Moody Time

Ok the Christmas tree is down, but every other single decoration is still up and the lights are still plugged into the timers outside. Why is it so hard to take down Holiday decorations? I have this difficulty after every holiday...Christmas is just worse because there is more. I promised myself that I would get it all down by the end of the weekend...let's see if I can keep that promise.

So we are continuing the Sneak Peeks for the January Release from Paper Makeup Stamps today...and today is Moody day. There are two new Moodys to add to your collection and I have the honor to show you Moody for France. Ooh La La...she has the cut short haircut, beret, and is full of bread, wine, and cheese...what is not to love! I stamped her in Brilliance Graphite Black ink and heat embossed it with black embossing powder on watercolor paper. I colored her with a combination of ink pad/aquabrush and marker/aquabrush. The paper I used is the front and back of the Happy for You paper from the So Sophie Collection by My Mind's Eye. The sentiment is from the Little Moments Set by Paper Makeup Stamps. The layout is the January Sketch For You to Try by Jen Del Muro.

Make sure you check out the PMS Blog to see the other peeks today. Don't forget to leave a comment there to have a chance to win the ENTIRE release. Then join us on Friday for the Release Party in the PMS Forum at 9 pm! Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Moody for France, Little Moments Sentiment Set (Paper Makeup Stamps); Paper - Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede (SU!), Happy for You Paper from So Sophie Collection (My Mind's Eye), watercolor paper; Ink - More Mustard, Whisper White Craft, Rich Razzleberry marker, Soft Suede marker, Crumb Cake marker (SU!), Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko); Accessories - Labels 16 Nestabilties (Spellbinders), Tangerine Rhinestones (Bazzill Basics), Lace trim (unknown), dimensionals, aquabrush

Catching Up From the Weekend

Hoping for a down day today. We were camping from Thursday to Sunday and I am pretty sure the kids need as little excitement as possible today...the crankiness and attitude levels seem to be at an all-time high and I am hoping it is just from exhaustion after a busy and exciting few days. Either that or we are entering a new phase that I do not like and will have to quickly remedy! Even Adi was throwing out some attitude last night and she is only 2! Wish me luck!

So while I was away, I missed a Makeup 4 The Weekend Challenge...I totally meant to participate in it ahead of time, but time escaped me once again...hate it when that sneaky "time" slips away! Anyway the challenge this week is to create a card with Lime Green, Turquoise, and Kraft. Oh and there is a nice prize up for grabs (like a single stamp of your choice!)...and I will let you in on a hint...there is only a few people thus far, so your chances are awesome to win!! To be entered into the running for the prize you need to complete the challenge with a PMS stamp and link it up to the Makeup 4 The Weekend Challenge #38. But don't delay as you only have until midnight (EST) on Wednesday!!!

So since I hadn't stamped in awhile, my mojo is a bit off...I think I sort of pulled this off, but not real sure I like it totally. Anyway, stamped my heart dandelion from the Dandy Wishes set by Paper Makeup Stamps in Green Galore and the sentiment over top of it in Taken with Teal (I know not turquoise...when I pulled out my "turquoise" pattern paper to use I realized it really was Taken with Teal...oh well). This was matted on Kraft cardstock with a scallop border. My pattern paper is from two Stampin' Up! collections: Rainbow Sherbert and Bali Breeze. A little hemp twine and a turquoise rhinestone brad finished it off.

That is all I have for today...make sure you check out that Makeup 4 the Weekend Challenge! Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

Stamps - Dandy Wishes (Paper Makeup Stamps); Paper - Kraft, Whisper White, Rainbow Sherbert pattern paper, Bali Breeze pattern paper (SU!); Ink - Green Galore, Taken with Teal; Accessories - Turquoise Rhinestone Brad (SU!), Hemp Twine, Scallop Border Punch (SU!), dimensionals

Dancing into the Weekend

I am going to totally admit that if anyone were to watch my house through the windows, they would totally see some dancing. Dancing of all kinds...ballet, head-banging, or simple just gettin' down...and I am sure it is not done well! If I am alone and cleaning and have the music nice and loud, you may see even more dancing. Even my kids will dance...we have little dance parties sometimes. Pretty darn funny! So this little ballerina fairy, Marissa, just spoke to me and yeah, I like to "Dance as if no one is watching".

So this is my first Makeup 4 the Weekend Challenge #33 (from here on out this will be shown as M4TW because that is a lot to type!) and I love the idea that it is a different type of challenge every week. While I am partial to sketch challenges, it is fun to play with other challenges too. I am usually a one challenge per card type of gal, but I went CRAZY with this card and made if for not 1...not 2...but 3 challenges! Yup, got a little crazy, but I think it worked out. So the M4TW Challenge was to make a window card...this is where my people walking by my house seeing me dancing through the windows discussion came from...so I chose to put my ballerina on the inside with a square window to see her from the front of the card. I almost did actual window panes, but I was afraid it would cover her up too much. I used Jen Del Muro's Sketch For You To Try from last Saturday...can't go without a sketch right?!

My color scheme came from the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger Pleasing Palette inspiration picture. I loved the cup in the picture as well (shown below) and the Turquoise color was just so bold. So those are the primary things that I put into my card. Then I used some pinks and greens to accent with. The orange stripes were made by crumbling the more solid orange paper from the Green at Heart Basic Grey collection, flattening it out some, rubbing it with Whisper White craft ink (to get the ridges of the crumbling), and then embossing with white embossing powder. I love the way it looks...not sure it really fits with the card though, but I was going with the inspiration picture! The fairy was colored with a blender pen and ink pads.

So now, I encourage you to check-out all of the samples for the M4TW Challenge #33 and get creating! Once you are done link it up to the Paper Makeup Stamps Blog so that we can all see your amazing work! Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Marissa Fairy (PMS), Beautiful You (Verve); Paper - Tempting Turquoise, Rose Red, Whisper White (SU!), Green at Heart Collection (Basic Grey); Ink - Black Staz-On, Tempting Turquoise, Really Rust, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Mellow Moss, Blush Blossom (SU!); Accessories - Blender Pen, white embossing powder, heat gun, pink pearl stickers (Oriental Trading), white satin ribbon (Offray), Scallop Border Punch (SU!)

Continue the Giving Spirit

Well in my daily blog browsing...stalking...whatever...I saw that Jen (I {Heart} 2 Stamp) is having a fantastic Blog Tart Giveaway. She had a blog makeover and wanted to celebrate, but wanted to do something philanthropic at the same time. So she is asking everyone to send cards to a University in Dallas, TX that then give those cards out to the many international students there that have families far away. In return she will enter you into a phenomenal blog candy....believe there is a ton! So anyway, here is my card that I sent.

I took Jen's Sketch for You to Try layout and combined it with SplitCoast Stampers Color Challenge #201 (I am not even that late for this one for once) to create the card. Utilizing one of my Christmas presents...Circle Nestabilities...I went with a circle theme. Circles usually are not my thing. I am an engineer (well, by trade now anyway) and I tend to go for straight edges and lines. I am pretty pleased, although I probably need a little more practice. I love the look of Kraft, but I do have difficulty in using it...mostly coloring on it. What are the secrets to this??? The verse, which I love...can't go wrong with Dr. Seuss...is from Verve Stamps.

So go check out Jen's Blog Tart Giveaway and get your entry!!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Pun Fun, Beautiful You (Verve Stamps); Paper - Kraft, Basic Black, Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy; Ink - Basic Black, Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy marker; Accessories - Blender Pen, White Gel Pen, Circle Nestabilities, Circles Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, hemp twine, 1/8" Circle Punch

Thinking Baby and a Birthday Card

I totally meant to make this first card for my friend’s son’s 2nd birthday (so it would have had 2’s all over it instead of 4’s), but I didn’t get to it in time! So I decided to make it in advance for another friend’s son’s 4th birthday. Hey I actually planned ahead somewhat…look at me go! So the idea for the card popped into my head when I saw Jen del Muro’s (I {Heart} 2 Stamp) Sketch for You to Try (SFYTT) sketch from last week.

I made the front panel the “opening” part of the card. I made just the front part of the truck visible on the small square and then when you open it, you can see the whole truck with presents in the back. The truck was paper pieced…basically to give it some dimension with the different colors layered on top of each other. I added some Crystal Effects to the windows to give them a shine like windows.

The green and yellow “dew drops” or “baubles”, which I believe are the brand names of them…not sure what the generic name is (I’ll go with acrylic dots), are from Michael’s. I think I read at Jen Del Muro’s blog about finding cheap versions in the floral section at Michael’s, so when I was there the other day I found them…on clearance for $2! So I got all of the colors they had left. I have no idea how they compare to the actual “dew drops” or “baubles”, but they work! So run out and get some for yourself…at that price how can you say no! I attached them using Tombow Mono Multi and that seemed to work really great.

The Engineering Details
Stamps – Load of Love, Loads of Love Accessories, Quirky Numbers (retired), Brushstroke Numbers (retired), Typewriter Numbers (from Wal-Mart), Funky Numbers (from Wal-Mart); Paper – Ballet Blue, Basic Black, Whisper White, Bashful Blue DSP from Hostess Print Pack, Green Galore, Summer Sun; Ink – Basic Black, Ballet Blue, Bashful Blue, Green Galore, Summer Sun; Accessories – Crystal Effects, White Gel Pen, Acrylic Dots (Michael’s), scissors, Tombow Mono Multi

Since I was so late with doing Jen’s last week sketch, I decided to try this week’s Sketch For You To Try (SFYTT) too. So since I am trying to get prepared for baby girl to arrive, I wanted to use the sketch to make up some baby thank you cards. I used some ribbon (on sale) that I also found at Michael’s as my starting point for the colors. The colors aren’t the typical baby soft colors, but I really liked them! On a side note, I haven’t been to Michael’s in awhile…for some reason I had been going to JoAnns more often…there was a lot of great stuff there! I was trying a couple of different things with the cards (emboss or not to emboss, eyelet colors, etc.) so they are both “examples” of what the final thank you card will look like. I think I like the second one better…I like that the colors contrast each other more than on the first card. I will be using both though because I only have so much ribbon on each roll!

When I made the card at first I didn’t have the crimped portion above and below the baby carriage and it felt like it was too much white space. I was kind of impressed I thought to break out the crimper…I really like the look of it! I decided I also like the “baby” word being embossed instead of not embossed. The non-embossed version (on the first card) of the word “baby” just didn’t show up real well. I also decided that I need to get some Bravo Burgundy eyelets for the second card (they have been ordered now) because I want to carry that color across the card.

I decided at the end to try adding some Stickles to the center baby carriage. While I like the idea of it, all I had was Diamond and Crystal Stickles…I think a colored Stickles will show up better. So what do you know, I have some on the way! Maybe I will repost the truly completed cards once I get all of my new supplies for them. Hopefully the difference will be noticeable.

The Engineering Details (Pink and Orange version)
Stamps – Something to Celebrate, Baby Set (Studio G - $1 deal acrylic stamps at Michael’s); Paper – Pink Passion, Whisper White, Only Orange, Pretty in Pink; Ink – Pink Passion, Only Orange, Pretty in Pink, White Craft; Accessories – Pretty in Pink eyelets, Diamond Stickles, Striped grosgrain ribbon (Michael’s), paper crimper, Crop-a-Dile

The Engineering Details (Pink and Green version)
Stamps – Something to Celebrate, Baby Set (Studio G - $1 deal acrylic stamps at Michael’s); Paper – Pink Passion, Whisper White, Green Galore, Bravo Burgundy; Ink – Pink Passion, Green Galore, Bravo Burgundy, White Craft; Accessories – White eyelets, Crystal Stickles, Striped grosgrain ribbon (Michael’s), paper crimper, Crop-a-Dile, White embossing powder, heat gun

Anyway, that is it. My next pre-baby task is to design up the announcements…I have an idea floating in my head, but haven’t tried it yet. I won’t be posting that though until baby girl arrives since it will include a picture of her. Other than that, I have some other cards to work on as well and eventually a decoration for my son’s room. We will just have to see what I can get done. Tomorrow I am taking a day off for me! Plan to try and get my stamp area more organized (labeled and such), so maybe I will show some picture of that soon as well! Have a great week!

Another Take and a Sketch Challenge

I still plan to post my hostess gift, but I did this last night and wanted to get it up first. I had some leftover sets from the Make-and-Takes that I did at my workshop, so I decided to make some extras and change things up a bit. This seems to becoming a theme on my blog...card transformations. Anyway, I started with the Happy Bird-Day card that I made for the workshop...you can see it here...and I saw Jen Del Muro's Sketch For You To Try (SFYTT) so thought I could apply the elements on the card to the sketch. She has a great guest designer too, so check it out!

The square with the punched out window and the colored Pun Fun image is the main part that I took from the original card...well besides the colors obviously! I also kept the Barely Banana strip with the Mellow Moss grosgrain ribbon on top of it. I couldn't use all of the same actual cut cardstock from the original and still stay in line with the sketch, so I had to change to a rectangle shaped card and have a longer strip of Mellow Moss. I added the little flowers from the SAB Love & Happiness Rub-ons and some stickles for some sparkle...see the detailed photo below to see the pretty sparkle. I added the scalloped white edge and the scalloped edge to the card to highlight the scallop circle around the adorable hippo.

I really am please with how it turned out. It is a great sketch...so thanks Jen for the inspiration!

I am hoping to maybe get another sketch challenge in at the beginning of this week. My goal is for it to work for my son's 3rd birthday Thank You cards...still haven't made them yet and I am feeling a bit behind now! So we will see how it goes. Hope you have a great week!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Pun Fun; Paper - Pink Passion, Mellow Moss, Barely Banana, Whisper White; Ink - Basic Black, Pink Passion, Barely Banana, Mellow Moss; Accessories - Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Mellow Moss Grosgrain Ribbon, Barely Banana Eyelets, Love & Happiness Rub-ons (SAB), 1/4" Hole Punch, Crop-A-Dile, Blender Pen, Diamond Stickles