Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Wow I got some awesome news this morning in my Google Reader (the place I keep track of all of my favorite blogs!)...I am one of the 7 winners from the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge Contest 98!! And that is out of more than 500 entries!! How exciting! Now I get a new Verve Stamps set...love my Verve!!! The card that got picked was my Masculine Tree Birthday card for my husband...maybe he is my good luck charm! And for the unusual title of the post...I have no idea, but that is a saying that I picked up somewhere!

Working with some more of Julee's sketches for the 2nd Anniversary of Verve Stamps, I created this card. Plus I combined it with a One Layer challenge by one of the Verve Divas...two for one! Gotta love that!! The sketch that this is based off it below...I think I may have streched using the sketch a little bit, but I love the result!

I stamped the Upsy Daisy (sorry, I just love this set!) in Versamark and clear embossed it. Then I paper pierced a rectangle around the image, masked the card off, and sponged Tempting Turquoise over the image and out to my masking. Giving it the illusion of a layer, but really it is still one layer...I can be so tricky (well at least I think so!). I added some faux stitching to my paper piercing with a Chocolate Chip marker. Then I added half of a rhinestine circle to make up the semi-circle element in the sketch. Lastly, I added some So Saffron ribbon with buttons and a rhinestone sticker in the centers. This card was actually fairly quick for me and I love the result!

Oh and I keep totally forgetting about a very sweet blog award that I received from Nicole Anderson (she is just the sweetest!) like a million years ago. Thanks Nicole for the lovely award...it means so much coming from you! And of course you need to check out what this lady can create...major inspiration there! So now I am to nominate some others that I feel are worthy of such an award...there are so many, but I will highlight some:

Teresa Kline - I recently found her blog after she actually commented on my blog...all I can say is WOW! She is totally awesome and I totally didn't realize she had been inspiring me every Monday as she is one of the Mojo Makers on the Mojo Monday Blog. But now I get inspiration from her on more than just Monday!

Susan Liles - Ok who doesn't love her style?! I am sure she is definitely not new to anyone, but I cannot not give her this award...I just love everything she creates! She is funny, crafty, and kind...can't get better than that!

Diana Gibbs - So anyone that is a SU! Demonstrator knows that she is one of this year's Artisan Award winners, so you know that she is fabulous! But if you don't read her blog, you will not see how funny she is and all of the cool animals that she comes across...although some I am not so sure I would want to see in person!

Jan Tink - A riot and an awesome inventor (or unventor as she puts it)...she is always full of new ideas that amaze me. What this woman can do with stamps, ink, and paper is simply amazing!

Deborah Anton - One of the sweetest bloggers around and uber talented, not only with stamping, but jewelry as well. I pretty much love everything she does!

Hoping to participate in some more of the Verve 2nd Anniversary sketch challenges this week...I would be amazed though if I managed all of them...you would probably be pretty sick of me by then! On that note, I will skedaddle. Thanks for checking out my kind of engineering!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Upsy Daisy, Happy Everything; Paper - Basic White (Papertrey Ink); Ink - Versamark, Tempting Turquoise, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip marker; Accessories - So Saffron 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Button Latte, Rhinestone Stickers (Me & My Big Ideas); Rhinestone Circle Sticker (Best Occasions), Crystal Clear Embossing Powder, Glue dots

Upcoming Class and Awards

So did everyone have a wonderful Valentine's Day? Mine was perfect! My husband is the best! He and my kids put on a "show" for me...they even created a little program. How cute is that? In our house, it is not uncommon to have "performances" by my son...he loves to do balancing tricks or have some figurines do gymnastics for us. But having it all arranged was too cute for words. The performance included "Interpretive Dance of the Heart by Elijah", "My Juggly Valentine by Kevin" (my husband can juggle...one of his "tricks"), "A Love Song by Elijah" (ended up being Christmas songs for some reason!), and "Extreme Cuteness by Adilane" (oh and was she ever cute!). Anyway, I loved it!

I don't have much to show you today. I thought I would post a bit about an upcoming class I have for anyone in the Detroit area that would like to attend. I am having a Stamp-A-Stack on March 7 at my home. You will make 25 cards (5 each of 5 designs) for $30 (which includes lunch, small gift from me, a chance for a door prize, and of course all of the supplies). The picture here shows the 5 designs of cards. So if anyone per chance is interested out there, please email me!

The other thing I thought I would mention is that I have been awarded a couple of blog awards by some amazing bloggers! I really suck at posting these types of things, but I now have two to post, so I figure I best. The first one I got awhile back from Heather of Enchanted Stamping. It is the One Lovely Blog Award. Thank you Heather for thinking of me...you are so sweet!

The rules are:

1. Link to the person who gave you the award

2. Nominate 10 more persons

3. Link the nominees and let them know about this award

4. Post the award on my blog
So here are my nominees. I don't have 10 people, but these are some of the people that I appreciate:

1) Jacki (The Card Castle) - I have recently found Jacki via Facebook. She has a wonderful blog and is always injecting the Lord into all she does and types! It is so very uplifting!

2) Cheryl (Engineered Expressions) - a fellow former engineer that does some amazing scrapbooking!

3) Alicia (Happy Stampin') - giving some more love to another fellow crafty engineer.

4) Nicole (Anderson Arts) - I have gotten to know her a little bit on Facebook (well at least I see her updates...is that more like stalking?) and she is the sweetest! She currently is on a mission to give something away on her blog every Wednesday...sometimes it is her beautiful handmade jewelry!

The other award I got from my Blog Candy for a Cause II winner, Deborah (Beadn and Stampn). Thank you Deborah for thinking of me for this award! You are the sweetest!

This "award is given to a blog that invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.” The rule of the award is to now pass it on to another 8 people who demonstrate this spirit.

Wow! Not sure I am really worthy of this award, but I thank Deborah for thinking I am! I do like the sharing and meeting people aspects of this whole blogging thing...really the reason I started it in the first place. But I will admit that I LOVE to get comments on my cards and scrapbook pages...is that self-aggrandizement? Anyway, these are the people that I would nominate for this award...most coming from my Blog Candy for a Cause II because I just couldn't believe how generous they were in helping me and supporting that whole endeavor:

1) Carolyn (My blog by Cammie)

2) Jane (Jane's Addiction)

3) Joanne (Stamped by Hand)

4) Debbie (Dolce Deb Designs)

5) Katie (Paper Makeup)

6) Monique (Heavenly Creations by Monique)

7) Anita (Cards and Coffee)

8) Alexandra (California Stampin')

9) Mikki (MikInks)

That is all for me for now! Need to work on picking out a paint color for our bathroom...it is almost done!!!!