Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Hello Friend

Hi! I thought I had this post scheduled to publish Monday, but it disappeared, so we'll try it again. Is Blogger being weird for anyone else or am I just losing it? Anyway, I have a Verve-y hybrid card I've been meaning to share, along with a story. First, the story...

One of my oldest friends (old as in we've been friends since we were babies, not old like old lady), Tiffany, was very recently diagnosed with Stage 3c breast cancer. Tiffany, 35 years old, is an amazing mother of 3 young children, wife, daughter and friend. Tiffany and I grew up together in small town Oklahoma - our Moms have been good friends since I think before we were born. Tiffany's maternal grandmother died at a too-young age from breast cancer. My sweet friend had a modified radical mastectomy and axillary dissection on July 6, they found her tumor was very aggressive and she had 10 of 12 positive lymph nodes. She started chemo on August 3 and will undergo radiation after her chemo is completed. In this very short time from diagnosis to surgery to a few chemo treatments and already the loss of her hair (shortly after the loss of her breasts), Tiffany has remained amazingly positive and is such an inspiration. I hate that I am so far away and feel somewhat helpless. So, for a lack of anything else to do, I've been sending Tiffany a "hello" or "thinking of you" card in the hopes of just making her smile and letting her know I'm thinking of her about once a week. So, consider this fair warning for lots of those types of cards on the blog in the coming months! And please keep Tiffany and her sweet family in your thoughts.

So anyway, I created the following card to add to my stash of "Tiffany cards", ready for mailing.


I used a mix of old and new Verve goodies on this one. Those fun felt flowers were created with the Loopy Blooms Die Set and some 100% felt I can't seem to stop buying from the Felt on the Fly Etsy shop (awesome prices and selection). My favorite thing about this card is that cute little circle tag - it's stamped from the new Tag Time set and then punched out with a 1 1/4 circle punch (SU). I added a little glitter around the edge for some shimmer. Then I just simply attached a little sentiment strip right on top of the tag, from one of my most-used sentiment sets, Friendly Phrases. All of the patterned paper as well as that cute vintage looking bicycle image are printed digi goodies from the Charming kit by Misty Cato (Sweet Shoppe).


And finally, I wanted to end with this hilarious photo of me and my friend Tiffany when we were little girls. This was taken before some kind of dance recital way back in 1984, when we were about 7 years old. I'm the short one with the ill-fitting costume and no front teeth on the left (always the short one, even back then. Some things just never change), Tiffany's on the right.


I know what you're thinking and no, we're not horribly sunburned...that's our makeup. And yes, it was like that on purpose apparently. And no, our Mother's did not let a legally blind drag queen do our makeup before the show (at least not that I know of. It's possible though, but I'm betting our makeup would have looked better). It was 1984. 'nuff said.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Sweet Sunday Sketch #132

Well, hi there! I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I blogged! I haven't taken that long of a break in quite some time. I have to wonder if anyone even noticed I was gone? ha! We've been trying to get into a groove with school and work schedules and figuring out the whole drop-off and pick-up thing and I'm still adjusting to this 5 days a week of school. I'm used to having my little man around quite a bit more often - but at the same time having longer hours of alone time a few times a week when he'd hang out with my Mom in Kihei, which is where his preschool was. I'm definitely missing that!! His elementary school is just a couple of blocks from our house so he's not getting to see Tutu (my Mom) as much. We're all feeling the shock and adjustment of that! LOL. On top of the adjustments and my tennis elbow (which is slowly getting better thanks to some PT treatments I've bribed my co-worker into providing as it's just too hard to do PT on yourself and trying to coach your husband into doing manual therapy and joint mobilizations on a hypomobile radial head just doesn't really work very well, but I digress), anyway we also all got sick last week, which I'm blaming on a whole new set of little germs. Oh well. Immune System Strengthening, what doesn't kill us, and all that blah blah blah!

Anyway, it's Sunday and that means it's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. It's a fun one this week:


As usual, I decided to go hybrid again this week and created a Teacher Thank You card to have in my stash. We'll probably use it in a few weeks when we go to Open House.


Those awesome patterned papers and fun school-themed embellishments are all printed digi goodies from the School Daze kit by Dani Mogstad (Sweet Shoppe). I also used the School Time stamp set from PTI for the sentiment. Super quick and easy!

Be sure to stop by all the Sweet Sunday Stampers' blogs and see what they've done with this week's sketch.
Then play along with us and post your own creation using InLinkz over on today's post on Karen's Blog!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Sweet Sunday Sketch #130

Hi there! It's Sunday and you know what that means - time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! Here's a look at this week's sketch:


I took some creative liberties with the sketch this week, leaving a few layers off, but I think the general idea is there. I really wanted to use these awesome new Verve stamps and I think I made it work:


First, all of those papers are printed digi papers from the new Free To Be Me kit by Melissa Bennett and Libby Pritchett (Sweet Shoppe) - aren't the colors fabulous!? I used a few of the brand new Verve goodies that just released Friday night - have you guys checked out the AMAZING new products from Verve's Anni-Verve-sary release? If not, be sure to head on over to the Verve Store for a look. I really think this is the best Verve release Julee has come up with yet! So many beautiful stamp sets and coordinating dies!! And...there's a pretty sweet sale going on right now with 10-40% off ALL stamps and dies!! On my sample card above I used one of the tag stamps from Tag Time (which has a coordinating die!). The flowers, sentiment and sprig of leaves are from Sunny Days. And I'm SO excited about the Leafy Sprigs die set!


Be sure to stop by all the Sweet Sunday Stampers' blogs and see what they've done with this week's sketch.
Then play along with us and post your own creation using InLinkz over on today's post on Karen's Blog!

That's it from me today. I might be a little more quiet than usual the next several weeks. I'm dealing with a severe case of Lateral Epicondylitis (aka Tennis Elbow) on my dominant arm that is exacerbated by using the mouse (and to a slightly lesser extent using a paper cutter, scissors, bone folder, etc). As a Physical Therapist, I know what I need to do - or more accurately what NOT to do in the case of a repetitive strain injury such as this - and that means lots of REST and avoiding the aggravating activities. So, I'll probably just be sticking to my minimum requirements for now and not be too chatty until it all clears up. Like I said, I'm a PT, so I'm in good hands and treating it and expect to fully recover. But as a PT I see firsthand how these things can turn into a chronic MONSTER of a nightmare and I do NOT want to go there!! So I'm trying to be a good patient and swallow my own bitter medicine. It's hard being on the other end!!

Also, for those of you who are interested, Dean started Kindergarten last week. It was a huge success!! You can read all about it and see photos from his first week over on our Family Blog if you'd like. I think he's pretty cute! ;-) Have a great week - I probably won't be back until next Sunday!!

Monday, August 8, 2011

I {heart} U - Anni-Verve-Sary Spotlight Hop

Welcome to our Anni-VERVE-sary Spotlight Hops! Hop along with the Divas all week long as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve on Friday night! One lucky commenter from each day's hop will win the sets and dies featured that day, so be sure and leave a little love in the Divasphere! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.


Isn't that fun!? I am absolutely in love with the soon-to-be-released You and I stamp set and coordinating I Heart U dies used on this card. SO MANY possibilities. The You and I stamp set includes 18 stamps that just might be the most versatile in my entire stash! And I'm sure they will be some of the most-used (so just get used to seeing them!!). And those letter dies? I'm already hard at work on a campaign to convince Julee to release an entire stamp / die alpha in that amazing font! So everyone go ahead and join me in that OK? Maybe if we all start bugging her now we'll drive her crazy enough that she'll cave. :-) Anyway, I created this card to give to my son Dean as he starts kindergarten this week (eeek!). The papers are all printed digi papers from the Zoom Zoom kit by Zoe Pearn (Sweet Shoppe). Does that card sketch look familiar? It's the August Sketch For You To Try!!

Be sure to stop by all of the participating Diva blogs today and the rest of the week - it's my opinion that this is the best Verve release EVER!! (and the Spotlights started yesterday, so you might want to catch up if you missed those).

1. Julee9. Laurie
2. Charmaine10. Maureen
3. Tosha11. Amy
4. Andrea12. Jen d.
5. Teresa13. Shannan
6. Jackie14. Lynda
7. Sarah {Guest}15. Jen T.
8. Marisa {Guest}16. Betty

Card Supplies:
Stamps: You and I (Verve)
Paper: Kraft, Soft Stone (PTI); Printed digi paper from Zoom Zoom by Zoe Pearn (Sweet Shoppe)
Ink: Lucky Limeade (SU)
Accessories: I Heart U Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE); Glass Glitter (SU); Baker's Twine (the Twinery); Ribbon, button, Polka dot embossing plate (PTI); Sewing Machine

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Sweet Sunday Sketch #129

Hi there! It's Sunday and that means it's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! And can I just say that Karen has *almost* made up for last week's crazy tilted panel with this week's AMAZING sketch!! I absolutely LOVE this one!! Definitely will be using this one over and over again!


My sample card this week is an all-hybrid, no-stamping card and I'm so happy with how it turned out:


I've recently fallen in love with Jady Day Studio's digi kits and can't stop scooping them up as fast as she releases them! When I saw this new Silly Silly Bo-Billy kit I couldn't add it to my cart fast enough! All of the papers and those cute little silly monster-like people are printed digi goodies. This is another card I'll likely be giving to my son soon! I can't wait to scrap with this kit too! It's so full of fun stuff!!

Be sure to stop by all the Sweet Sunday Stampers' blogs and see what they've done with this week's sketch.
Then play along with us and post your own creation using InLinkz over on today's post on Karen's Blog!

August SFYTT


It's the first Saturday of August and that means it's time for a new Sketch For You to Try AND a new sponsor!! This month's challenge is being sponsored by Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! (psst...I heard that they're having a new release coming up on August 21 with some peeks starting on the 18th, so be sure to check them out!).


But first things first, here's a look at the August Sketch:


Now, if you're a regular reader of my blog you know that I'm NO fan of the dreaded tilted panel and I will admit I was cursing Jen del Muro QUITE A BIT in the process of making my sample card. I *almost* caved and made the stupid thing nice and straight, but since I'm kind of the new girl and all, I didn't want to go breaking the rules this early in the game and get myself fired or something! {wink}. I gotta get nice and comfy and suck these girls in with my sweetness (ha!) before I go all crazy on them. But man, I don't know how many more tilted panels I can take. Although...with a little language therapy (read: swearing and muttering under my breath) I pulled through and can grudgingly admit that it's actually a pretty great sketch. I'll even admit that I might have made a 2nd card using the same sketch (WITH another tilted panel! gasp!) that I'll be sharing in a couple of days, so stay tuned. Anyway, enough of that. Let's get on to my sample card.


I used the cute little Jilly the Jellyfish stamp along with some printed digi papers from All Wet by Melissa Bennett (Sweet Shoppe).

Be sure to stop by the rest of the SFYTT Sisters' blogs to see what they've been doing with the sketch this month:

Jen del Muro with guest designer Tenia Nelson
Amber Hight
Amy Sheffer
Carole Burrage
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Sony Christoph
Susan Liles
Terri Moore

Here are all the pertinent SFYTT details you should know...
1. The SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY {SFYTT} will be posted on the first Saturday of each month on www.iheart2stamp.com at 8am EST and will stay open to participants until the last day of the month, unless otherwise noted.
2. This is for fun! Interpret the sketch as you wish and embellish as desired. There are no vendor restrictions, but we would love to see you use the sponsor’s stamps!
3. Each month we will have a Designer of the Month that will be chosen from past month’s participants.
4. Come and play with us on each and every sketch! On Christmas Day 2011 a prize package worth over $200 will be given away to one very lucky and loyal SFYTT stamper that participates in EVERY sketch for the year.
5. To be eligible for the prize package, you must complete ALL of the sketches by each of the deadlines AND link your creation to the link system on that month’s sketch post (the first Saturday of the month). Everyone except for SFYTT Sisters are eligible for the prize package, including Designer of the Month and international players.
6. When posting your sketch creation on your blog, please post the sketch and link back to the sketch post on www.iheart2stamp.com. When posting to online galleries, please use the keyword “SFYTT.”

Monday, August 1, 2011

Week in the Life - Day 1


I'm participating in Ali Edwards' Week in the Life Project, but a week behind everyone else (last week was just too crazy for me to get anything done). I'm hoping that by blogging about it I'll actually stick with it this year! However, I'm blogging this project over on my family blog - Tapler Ohana. (WARNING: If you go over there, you're going to see me in my pajamas and my house messy and my kid being a brat. I don't filter or edit photos much on my family blog). I'm doing it there because it's so family photo heavy and the grandparents all want to see those photos and they don't ever come to this blog. Just getting them to figure out how to go to the family blog was difficult enough. So if anyone is interested is seeing my process for Week in the Life, head on over to my Family Blog and check it out (I'll post a few reminders throughout the week this week - it will help keep me motivated I think). Also, I just did a big Blog Makeover on my family blog with a new-ish Zoe Pearn Blog in a Box kit and I think it looks super cute! ;-)