Hand Stamped By Lacey

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Quick post today...

Ansley has a birthday party after school today for one of her classmates. They are going to a Children's Salon called "Sweet and Sassy". They cater to little girl "glamour" style birthday parties. Ansley and her friends are going to be picked up at their school in a Pink Limo!! How fun! I will be sure to share photos later.

In the meantime, here is a card I made for the birthday girl...

The image is one of the new High Hopes releases...Danni Dress Up. The sketch is Truly Crumptious Challenge 5. The papers are Basic Grey Blush line.

The sentiments on the inside are also from High Hopes...

Here is a close up of Danni...

Ansley made a card also, but I will have to post it later.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Whiff of Joy Challenge meets Cute Card Thursday

I am so pleased with how quickly this card came together! I did have some interruptions...I mean, I do have 2 kids!! But when I figured out what papers I wanted to use, it just all came together...I love when that happens!

This is for two challenges...Whiff of Joy Challenge #27 (a sketch) and Cute Card Thursday #57 ("getting edgy"...distressing...I can do that...I always do that)!

Here is the sketch...

Here is my card...

For the image I used Willow with Umbrella which I embossed in Black and watercolored with Twinkling H2Os. The DP is from MME "Grow". The card base is SU Chocolate Chip.

I added some primas, some spacers from Hobby House and some SU buttons.

I carried the layout onto the inside...

Have you ordered the new Summer Stamp Kit by Elizabeth Bell yet? If not, you still have some time, but not long...you have until May 4th. The kit includes 6 main image stamps, 5 accessory stamps, and 4 sentiments (in English). Check out the discount you get by buying pre-ordering the kit vs waiting until it is released...here.

Here's a closer view of Willow...

I had a very busy day today. Now that the house is on the market, we have to keep it straight all the time! We'ved showed the house a few times this weekend. Twice we only had a half hour notice. Needless to say, having 2 young kids AND keeping a house ready to show is not an easy task!! The kids are being very big helpers (and they are being very well bribed)!! LOL If they help keep the house clean and cooperate with us, then they get a special gift at the end of the week. Last week they each got a new Webkinz. Hey, whatever helps, right? On the bright side, I can actually see my stamping desk and I go to bed with everything put away...if only this momentum could last.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by today! Happy stamping!

~Lacey

Creatively Cute - Sweet Stuff

If you missed my post yesterday, make sure to see the High Hopes Blog Challenge #28 to see my awesome news!!

I was finally able to play along with the new Creatively Cute Blogger challenge #5 - Sweet Stuff. Laura is hosting this challenge and here is what she had to say...

Challenge # 5 Sweet Stuff
Whoo Hoo! I’m excited to finally be the hostess with the mostess!!!
Creatively Cute Blogger’s Challenge #5 is a theme challenge:
SWEET STUFF!
So create a paper craft item of your choice using, what else, sweet stuff!! This can be candy, cake, cupcakes, ice cream cones, sundaes, cocoa, coffees, chocolate, fancy drinks, etc…..use your imagination and use your special sweet stuff stamps to create something quite DELICIOUS!!!
Please use keyword CCB05 when uploading your challenge cards. This way we can find all of our cards and view them all in one place. Below is a link to the gallery so you can see your upload and everyone else's.
PM or Email me with your vote for your favorite CCB05 challenge item between May 3-May 5th. I’ll break any ties that occur by random drawing.Let’s get stamping, ladies!!!
CCB05 Gallery

Here is my card...

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

For card, I used the adorable ant from the newest High Hopes Release called Sweet Little Thing . Isn't he adorable?! I embossed him in black, then watercolored using Twinkling H2Os and an aquapainter. I added Worn Lipstick Stickles to the candle and sprinkles...

For the layout, I used SC225. I used Pumpkin Pie for the 5 1/4" square card base. The DP is MME Magnolia. I added some primas, buttons (from PTI), and a SU paperclip with some ribbon.

I carried the layout on the inside.

If  want to play along, make sure to upload your card to SCS using keyword CCB05.

Here's a closer view of the image...

I have a ton of stuff to do this week. I was hoping to get a lot of cards made today and schedule some posts. But I ended getting a call to show the house, so I had to leave the house for a little (which interfered with my plan for the day). Oh well, maybe that means we will sell the house soon! Anyway, as soon as an order comes in this week, I need to work REALLY fast to get 30 babyshower invitations for a friend done!! Yikes!

Regarding the house and move, we have put our house on the market (obviously since we are having showings) last weekend and have already gotten a few showings! We have the appraisals today for our "Relo" package. Therefore, we should know what our buy-out option is soon. That will allow us to start looking for a home in South Florida once we know how much money we will have to put down.

My husband's 40th birthday is coming up (May 17th). I really wanted to do something special for him since it's a huge birthday! But with the move, it doesn't look like we will be able to do much since he is traveling so much right now. Maybe after the move we can do something special!

Anyway, thanks for stopping by! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey

High Hopes Challenge #28 - Think outside the Card

It's time for another High Hopes Challenge! This time I have the insider information....because.....I have been asked back on the team FULL TIME!!!! Yeah!! You have no idea how hard it has been for me to keep this a secret!!! I am beyond excited! I have been in love with the adorable High Hopes images for close to 2 years now. So to be on the team full time is truely a dream come true!!

Thank you Kimmie, Tina, Bethany, Crissy, and the whole gang of Divas!!!

Now on to this week's challenge. Amy is the host this week. And her challenge it to "Think outside of the Card"...alter something, make a box, and in my case...make a scrapbook page!!

Click on the pictures for a larger view. However, the colors are "off" since I took this picture late in the day. I am hoping to take better pictures after church and edit this post later.

Edited to add:

I have uploaded a new picture. Amazing what the right natural lighting can do! The first picture was taken this afternoon. The 2nd picture was taken last night (taken around 6:00pm - still a little light outside)...

When I saw the plates for this release, I was estatic!! So many adorable girls...and bugs...oh my!! But when I saw this image, it was PERFECT! I recently allowed Ansley to have some sleep overs. The first one was at her friend Ashleigh. I have posted about Ashleigh here before...her mother is Ryan's assistant preschool teacher...and is in my stamp club. So, obviously, I know her mother well. Her 2nd sleepover, and 1st at our house, was also with Ashleigh (and Ashleigh's sister Amelia). So I was so excited to have Girl Talk to use on a scrapbook page. I was struggling to get this finished this week since we spent so much time getting the house on the market...so I only have half of the layout to show today...I have more pictures from this sleep over so I will make another page at some point. I prefer to do 2-page layouts.

Anyway, I embossed the image in black onto SU Whisper White and watercolored with Twinkling H2Os.

I sewed each of the pictures onto the layout and added a TON of primas and brads with spacers...

I got the spacer and pearl brads from Hobby House. The wonderful Bev gave me a great hint...smash the flower spacers with a hammer to get them flat!! It only took a little hit and they were perfect!! Thanks, Bev!!

The DP is My Mind's Eye Magnolia collection along with some SU Tempting Torquoise CS. Some tools I used were a Martha Steward border punch, Curvy Cutter (circle), and Nestablility Labels One die (finally got that in!!).

For the journalling, I printed on the computer onto Kraft CS...

The chipboard was left bare...with only a little chocolate chip inked up the edges. The swirl is from Bazzill and the letters are some assorted SU letter sets.

So, do you want to play along this week? Make sure to link your card to the High Hopes Challenge post to be eligable for some FREE stamps!! And if you link your project on SCS, use keyword HHC28.

Thanks for stopping by today!! Happy stamping!

~Lacey

Blog Candy to knock your socks off!!

Wow! You have got to check out this blog candy!!! Debbie is being sooo generous with her blogaversary candy!! Go check it out!

High Hopes Challenge #27 - FINALLY a card!!

Oh my goodness!! I have been sooooo busy with house stuff. Our Realtor came over on Saturday to list our house. She told us that the photographer was going to come by on monday to take pictures for the virtal tour (these will be 360 degrees...meaning it looks like you are in a room and can turn around in a complete circle to see the whole room). That meant that EVERY room needed to be cleaned and de-cluttered...no more throwing things in the spare bedroom to get it out of sight (since that room was going to be photographed as well)!! That also meant that I had to tackle my office/stamp room/play room. Our front room is about 14'x15' and holds our family desk (with computer, where we pay bills, etc), my stamp desk with 2 bookshelves to hold my stuff, a big cabinet that holds the TV, AND the kid's playroom (more like toy storage room since the usually come in, grab a toy or game, then take it to the family room to play).

Let's just say it took us ALL day on Sunday to work on landscaping pulling weeds (why are weeds the first thing to come back in the spring?), laying new mulch, and hanging potted plants and clearing out the spare bedroom (our "dump" room). Then it took ALL day on Monday for me to tackle Ryan's room and the office/playroom/stamp room while my husband did the Master bedroom and bathroom! THEN I had stamp club monday night (rescheduled from last week) so I had to clean up again after everyone left!!

So yesterday I finally tried to make a card. And I will not tell you how long this card took to make!! Let's just say that it was dark outside when I finally finished it so I had to wait for today to take a picture with natural light!

I wanted to use the SCS sketch 224 from last week before the new one was posted today...oh well!

The HH challenge was Distress to De-stress...unfortunately this card did NOT help me de-stress since I had way too many interrruptions while trying to make it!

The papers are a new My Mind's Eye Blossoms "Grow" kit (which includes a die-cut accessory sheet) from Bev at Precious Scraps. I used two of the die-cut strips that I sewed onto the main layer. I added some primas and some new spacers and pearl brads from The Hobby House!! I have seen these spacers and brads on Bev's cards for months and have been trying to get my hands on them!! Finally I found them!!!

They pop out a little, so I would probably add something to help cushion the card if I mail this out.

For the image, I used Lynne Angel form High Hopes. I got this one a little while ago, but haven't had the chance to use it yet. I embossed her in black, then watercolored her with Twinkling H2Os (I just got my order in...so if you ordered some after they announced that they are closing, they are now starting to ship out).

I added stickles to her wings.

Well, that's it for now. I have to leave in a few minutes to pick Ansley up from school and take the kiddos to gymnastics.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy stamping!

~Lacey

High Hopes Release Day and some pics

 The newest release (cute bugs and girls) are LIVE on the High Hopes Rubber Stamps website. Here is a link to the stamps HOTP (Hot Off The Press).

Some of my favs are...

Singing Catrina

Danni Dress-up

Ants Picnic

Today is also the next High Hopes Blog Challenge #27. The challenge is to use distressing on a card.

I haven't been able to play along. Unfortunately, we have be too busy on house stuff!! We listed the house yesterday and we are trying to clear out clutter and do yard work so they can take pictures (possibly tomorrow). So, my back is killing me and I am sooo tired)!

Anyway, go check out the High Hopes Blog to see all of the wonderful Diva creations.

Lastely, another thing that kept me busy yesterday was taking pictures of my friend's son's birthday party. Here are some pictures I can share of my kids...

My daughter Ansley

My son Ryan 

Birthday boy "reading" the birthday card I made him...Lightning McQueen (one of his favorites)

Birthday boy with his mommy after the party.

He had a rough day...it's hard to turn two!! LOL And the only thing he said during the party was "NO"!! But he loves Ms. Lacey, so he gave me a big smile when I gave him his birthday present...

He is such a sweet boy! (Except during the party LOL!!)

Well, we still have a ton of things to get the house really ready to be on the market. So I don't have any time to stamp :-( Hopefully soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Man I had a busy day today! And tomorrow is just as bad! I hosted a Tastefully Simple party tonight for my friend...ate way to much, but had a great time! Tomorrow we have a soccer game, a birthday party (which I am taking pictures) and then Scott and I are going out with another couple to dinner. And Sundays are always busy for us with church and life group.

So, although I have something new made, I don't have pictures yet so I can't share it!

However, I did want to remind you that the High Hopes Divas have sneak peeks from the next release on their blogs. Make sure to check them out!! Links on the right.

The stamps will be live on the website early Sunday morning. To find the new stamps, you would do a search for HOTP (for Hot Off The Press).

Let me tell you...what I have seen of this release so far is awesome! You won'te be disappointed!!

Go on, check them out...

~Lacey

RAK from a High Hope Diva

I received this wonderful RAK (Random Act of Kindness) from the very talented Niki Estes!! I was an admirer of Niki before she was a Diva. And I happened to be a guest Diva when she was added to the team.

Niki is such a sweet and talented lady!! And it was such a wonderful surprise when I received this totally beautiful card!! Thank you, Niki!

Now since we are talking about High Hope Divas....you better go check out some of the Diva's blogs (still listed on the right)...because Thursday starts the next High Hopes Hullabaloo!! That means sneak peaks from the newest stamps that will be released on Sunday!!!

I am sure you won't be disappointed!!

~Lacey

A few Challenges

It felt good to be able to make a card! It seems like forever (or maybe over a week) since I was able to make a card from start to finish. The last card I made (for the High Hopes Challenge) was mostly completed before my vacation). And my scrapbook page posted yesterday didn't have any watercoloring.

So, I decided to combine some challenges.

1. Whiff of Joy Challenge #25: a sketch by Katharina.

2. SCS Color Challenge #213: Bashful Blue, So Saffron, and Close to Cocoa

3. Creatively Cute Blogger Challlenge #4 (find inspiration from Williams-Sonoma Home website)...I used this as my inspiration for the DP and the soft colors.

4. And it also works with the Color Create Challenge #11: Chocolate, Coffee, and Cream. Which is my first time playing along!

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

I used Musing Melinda from the lastest Whiff of Joy release embossed in black and watercolored with Twinkling H2Os. The DP is from SU Parisian Breeze Specialty CS which I distressed with ink and attached by sewing. I used my newest (new to me, but old to the crafting world) Martha Stewart border punch.

I added a splash of color with a little blue and yellow primas, chocolate primas, and some SU Chocolate Chip Cordouroy Brads. Of course the circles for the image and mat were done with Nestabilities.

Lastly I added some crystal ice stickles...I love how the frosted ice just adds shimmer to the design instead of adding color like "crystal" stickles (although I love that one as well and use it most of the time).

I carried the sketch design onto the inside as well...

I really like this soft color combo. I hope to use it again.

Thanks for stopping by today! Happy stamping!

~Lacey

Beauty...a SU Scrapbook Page

...well, almost all Stampin' Up!

My Stamp Club is tonight. I have a couple scrapbookers in the group so I promised that I would teach them how to create their own "designer paper" using stamps. We will be using the DP we create to decorate a box for either a Mother's Day or Teacher's Appreciation gift. But I wanted to show how the custom DP can be used for a scrapbook layout.

Since it's for my Stamp Club, I used mostly SU supplies (with an exeption of 2 things). I have highlighted the SU supplies in a different color since linking so many items in typepad causes it to freeze up. But all of the SU products can be purchased online here (you also get a free Idea Book and Catalog free with any on-line purchase).

Of course, I started my layout by choosing the colors that would go well with my photos. Then I created my DP...

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

I used SU Fifth Avenue Floral, Sanded background, and the dot from Heartfelt Thanks stamps. The colors used are Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, and Creamy Caramel.

I stamped the Baja Breeze rose randomly over a 12" x 12" Whisper White cardstock first. Then I stamped the flower in Kiwi Kiss making sure it over lapped the roses just a tiny bit. Then I stamped the Chocolate Chip flower making sure to connect the clusters together and filling in some space. Next I stamped the dot from Heartfelt Thanks in Creamy Caramel filling in any spaces. Lately, I randomly inked and stamped Sanded Background stamp making sure to "stamp off" onto scrap paper first so a 2nd generation was stamped onto the CS (this is so the scratches from the background were more subtle color).

I punched the top and bottom with the SU Eyelet Border punch, cut off a tiny bit on the sides of the DP (so that I could mat it on Chocolate Chip 12"x12" CS and allow some to show), then inked up the edges with Chocolate Chip.

Here is a closer look...

It's real simple and Fifth Avenue Floral creates such a beautiful DP!

And here is my layout...

Let me tell you how much I LOVE this layout!! The pictures were taken by my friend and former neighbor Erin Teplin. She has moved her home and business to Milwaukee, WI...she does AMAZING photos...so if you are in the area, give her a call!! She took this picture as well. I have a TON of pictures from this session that I haven't been able to scrapbook yet, so you should be seeing more at some time.

Here are some details...

I used the SU Sizzix Scalloped Circle for the journaling. The journalling is actually a bible verse that I thought is good for little girls to know...

"It should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight" 1 Peter 3:4 NIV

I printed the verse on the computer on Kraft CS before die cutting. The "October" is stamped using the Full Calender stamp set and the year was printed on the computer onto Kiwi Kiss CS then punched out with the Word Window Punch. The butterfly was die cut from the SU Sizzix Beautiful Butterflies die. First I cut the butterflies out of some On Board Long Board chipboard (I love how the dies mixed with the chipboard material allow you to create your own custom chipboard). Then I cut the same butterflies out of some Parisian Breeze Specialty CS. I glued it on using the Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive glue and sanded the edges using a finger nail file (it gets in the small corners better than sanding blocks).

The flowers are from the SU Pretties Kit died with SU reinkers in Kiwi Kiss and Baha Breeze. They were attached together with some Chocolate Chip Cordouroy Button/Brads. The swirl chipboard is one of the non-SU items on the layout. It is a Bazzil Chip Board that was covered with some SU Bella Rose DP. The other non-SU item is the title letters. They are actually wood pieces that a friend of mine gave me. They are self adhesive and were perfect for this layout.

Here is the other butterfly chip board.

I am just in love with these pictures of Ansley. Erin did a fantastic job capturing her inner beauty and personality. Ansley is my little angel. She has a very kind heart. She is almost always willing to share and always wants to save something for me or daddy (sometimes she will get a cookie at the store and will say that she wants to keep the last bite for daddy)! She also has a wonderful love of the Lord! I believe, at such a young age, she can see God's glory is the beauty of nature! Ansley is also a sensitive soul! She is broken hearted if she thinks she has hurt someone. She cries at movies and loves to draw pictures for her family and friends!

And she is so beautiful on the outside as well! It's amazing how much a little girl can look like her father...while still looking like a beautiful "girl". She has her daddy's eyes, too! You can just look into them and see her inner beauty.

Ansley is also a "good" girl. She almost never pushes the limit or fights with us....her brother, on the other hand, can be another story :-) But we almost never have to worry about her disobeying us on purpose (unlike her mischievious brother)!! Of course, she is only 6 years old...my story may be different when she is 16!! LOL

Here is the whole page again...

I have to run so I can finish getting ready for stamp club!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey

Upcoming releases

I have some awesome news from 2 of my favorite stamp companies!!

1. Whiff of Joy is now taking preorders for the new Summer Kit designed by Elizabeth Bell! As if her amazing images aren't enough...there will be some sentiments included in this kit as well!! Go check out the website and preorder your kit before May 4th.

2. I just saw it announced on Crissy Armstrong's blog and the High Hopes thread on Paper Craft Planet that High Hopes Rubber Stamps will be having a new release on Sunday, April 19th!! Crissy will be showing sneak peeks on her blog starting on Thursday and will also have links to other Divas who will be peeking some of the designs as well!!

Oh, how exciting!! Rubber heaven!

High Hopes Challenge #26 - Pierce it!

This is my 2nd post today. So make sure to scroll down to see some cute pictures of my kiddos on Easter morning!

Anyway, It's time for another High Hopes Challenge! This week's challenge is to add paper piercing to your card and is brought to us by the one and only Crissy Armstrong! Crissy is the super talented artist who draws the images that get turned into High Hopes Stamps!!

I am so glad I was able to play along this week. Since I no longer know the challenges in advance, it's a little harder for me to upload the challenge on Sundays! But I was lucky enough to have this card half way finished before my vacation. All I did was add a little piercing and put it together!

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

I used SU Tango Tangerine for the 5 1/4" square card base. The DP is from WRMK. I matted the image with Chocolate Chip. The image is Bunny with gift which was embossed in black onto SU Whisper White and watercolored with Twinkling H2Os. I added some Liquid Applique to his chest and tail.

Here is a close up of Bunny...

If you want to play along with the challenge, make sure to upload your card to the High Hopes Challenge post for a chance to win the free stamps. And if you upload your card to SCS, make sure to use Keyword HHC26.

I will leave you with a wonderful Easter RAK I received from Michelle Ueligtone aka Mushi's Creative Inspirations...

Thank you so much Michelle! It was such a wonderful surprise to come home to after our vacation!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey

Happy Easter

"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Matthew 28:1-6 (NIV)

I hope you are having a wonderful Easter. I know we are. We had a wonderful visit from the Easter Bunny this morning!!

The kids had a great time hunting for eggs this morning. Ansley's face says it all!!

Here are some pictures my husband took outside before we left for church...

and

and

Aren't they adorable?

My mom was still in town this morning so she came to church with us...

I will have another post with the High Hopes Challenge. So check back in a few.

In the mean time, I will leave you with a picture of my family! Have a very blessed Easter!!

CCB03 Winner

I am finally home from vacation! We had a really awesome time. I will have to sort through some pictures and try to post some later.

In the mean time, I am late picking the winner of the Creatively Cute Blogger Challenge #3 since I had limited access to SCS while on vacation.

And the winner is...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

6	

Timestamp: 2009-04-11 23:16:11 UTC

Counting backwards from my sample (not counting mine in the drawing), the winner is...

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1305650?si=ccb03

 

Congratulations Anjou! Email me Laceysoliving@bellsouth.net with your address and I will get your "stuff" to you in the mail!!

My mom is still in town so I don't have much time to chat. I hope you all have a blessed Easter!!

~Lacey

Creatively Cute Blogger Challenge #3 update

I am still on vacation and apparently have hit a snag in my plans to pick the winner for the Creatively Cute Blogger Challenge #3! I can not log onto the SCS CC thread and can not leave any comments on SCS from my husband's laptop. So I will check out the cards tomorrow (saturday) when I get home and pick a winner.

If you haven't had a chance to upload your card, you still have a chance!!

Sorry for the delay!

In the mean time, I am enjoying a lazy day today! I was hoping to be able to go in my neices pool today, but it's not so sunny in Sunny South Florida today! So the water's a little too cool with no sun to warm you up! Later we plan on going to my Aunt's house to visit with my Grandmother who recently broke her hip.

We had a really fun time at Sea World and Disney World earlier in the week. It was soooo busy though! I had not seen it that busy for years!! And we go a few times each year!

Well, I have to run. Have a wonderful weekend! I will be back on saturday to post the winner of the Creatively Cute Blooger Challenge #3!

Another Easter Card

I made this card for the High Hopes Challenge a few weeks ago "Buttons Galore". But I ended up posting the scrapbook page instead.

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

I used the SCS sketch CS220 that week as well.

The image is Bunny with Gift from High Hopes Rubber Stamps. He is embossed in black onto Whisper White CS, Watercolored with Twinkling H2Os, cut out and attached with dimensionals. The scalloped oval is SU Ruby Red that I distressed with some white craft ink.

I sewed a few buttons on and stamped the sentiment directly onto the card.

The card base is a standard A2 size using SU Bashful Blue with a Ruby Red mat. The strips of DP are from We are Memory Keepers White Out Collection.

Here is a close up of Bunny...

I hope you are ready for Easter! We are getting back from vacation saturday night so need will need to hurry to get ready for the Easter Bunny!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey

Baby on Board

My Bunco group had a combo baby shower a few weeks ago for two of our ladies. I needed a baby shower card, so I went through my stash and decided to create this card.

I used Kanga and Joey by High Hope Rubber Stamps. The image is embossed in black onto Whisper White CS and watercolored with Twinkling H2Os. The sentiment is Baby on Board.

This is a standard A2 card using SU Sage Shadow CS. I sewed a few layers of DP (I am sorry, these are scraps and I can't remember where they are from).

I added some more DP on the inside of the card before sewing so that the inside also had the fun stiched border.

I stamped some baby feet that I got from Michaels a long time ago (sorry for the blurry picture. I was in a hurry when I took these pictures before I gave it to them).

I carried the layout on the other side...

The sentiments on the inside are 2 different ones from SU.

Here is a close up of the image...

As a reminder, we are on vacation this week so this post was scheduled in advance. I hope you are having a wonderful Spring Break for those that are also on vacation!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey

Friday Sketcher #46

I needed another Easter card, so I decided to use Friday Sketcher layout #46 for my card.

Here is my card.

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

I used Curious Bunny from High Hopes Rubber Stamps for my image. He is embossed in black onto Whisper White CS and watercolored with Twinkling H2Os.

The card base is SU Barely Banana CS, Whisper White, and Tango Tangerine. The DP is We ARe Memory Keepers White Out collection. I added some primas, a SU Rhinestone Brad, Ric Rak ribbon, and stickles.

I carried the same design on the inside...

The sentiment was created on the computer.

Here is a close up of Bunny...

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey

Baptized (again)

I got Baptized again today! Why? I was an infant when I was baptized. Although I have known Christ as my Savior for as long as I can remember, I never made a public proclamation of my faith before my church and my peers.

I went through a time in my early adulthood when I made MANY poor choices. It was a time when I chose to listen to the screams of the enemy over the whispers of my loving God.

I can now see how God was with me the whole time...even though I decided to pull away from his lead, away from his hand. I see it in my son! As a very busy 4 year old...he walks the line of his "boundaries"; what can he get away with without getting into too much trouble? And I see God's presence in my life during my time of rebellion...the way that I am in Ryan's life. I can not make Ryan choose to make good choices...but I can watch him...looking out for dangers around him. Like when he doesn't want to hold my hand in a parking lot. His strong-willed independent nature is very much like mine!! I can do this myself!! So I scan the area, making sure that no one is in the cars he is running behind...ready to grab him if needed. And so was God in my life. He kept me safe, but allowed me to make my own choices...most were bad choices, but he was there to pick me up when I fell.

I believe it is through those times that I have been "broken" like a wild horse. I needed to be broken before I could accept God's yoke. I needed to make my own choices so that I could finally understand that I CAN NOT do this on my own!

I have experienced healing and forgiveness for those sins and poor choices. But I felt that I needed to take this one last step in my faith.

Today, the choice to accept and follow Jesus is MY choice...not my Father's. It was my father who chose to have me baptized as an infant. But today I said in front of my peers, my church, and my friends that I want Jesus in my life....I can not do this without Him!

Click on the picture for a larger view.

Scott took the pictures, but he was a little far away so the flash didn't help much. I have tried to adjust the exposure, but it is still dark.  Not to mention the plant in front of my face!! LOL

Scott joked with Pastor Jeff telling him to hold me down a little longer...so he did!!

Victory!!

I am so glad I made this decision. As I mentioned before, we are going to be moving in a few months. So I really wanted to do this in the church that helped me grow in my walk with Jesus!

I also did this as an example for Ansley. Her Youth Pastor did not think she was ready to be Baptized yet. She sort of misses the whole symbolism with the baptism...she said she wanted to get baptized because "it would be fun". And that we get baptized with water "to get clean from playing outside"! Um...not exactly, sweetie!! She has asked Jesus in her heart already, but she's too young to understand the reasoning behind getting baptized.

Anyway, I don't think I am going to be able to play along with the High Hopes Challenge this week. It is an awesome sketch by Jeanne. But I still have to finish packing for our vacation to Sea World, Disney World, and South Florida. However, I do have a few cards I made earlier this week that I will schedule to post while I am gone.

Since Scott has to work, he is not joining us at Sea World and Disney. My mom is on her way from Georgia right now and she is coming with us instead. So I will not have access to Scott's laptop until Thursday in South Florida.

In the mean time, make sure to check out the challenge on the High Hopes blog. And if you want to play along with the sketch challenge, make sure to link your card to the challenge post in order to be entered in the drawing for the free stamps!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey

A 3-way combo challenge

I said I was very busy this week and may not be able to participate with many challenges. BUT I was able to participate with 3 challenges...just all in 1 card!

This card is for the CC212 Color Challenge (Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red) and SC222 sketch Challenge at SCS and the Whiff of Joy Challenge this week...Distressing.

Here is the sketch...

I made my card a 5 1/4" square...

Click on the picture for a larger view.

I used the new Confirmand Melinda stamp designed by Elizabeth Bell for Whiff of Joy Stamps. I embossed Melinda in Black onto Whisper White CS, then watercolored with Twinkling H2Os.

I used Riding Hood Red for the card base, added a Chocolate Chip mat, and used 2 different pieces of Basic Grey Bittersweet DP...distressing all of the layers by adding Chocolate Chip ink to the edges of the DP and roughing up all of the layers with my scissors. I added some Making Memories ribbon from the Passport line.

I added 2 primas with a PTI Button.

The image was matted onto Pink Pirouette first, then onto Chocolate Chip.I added the same papers on the inside (but didn't take a picture).

Here is a close up of Melinda...

I worked in the library on tuesday, but subbed in a class today and yesterday. I have the day off tomorrow, so Ryan and I are looking forward to a "PJ" day!! I plan on doing lots of stamping to finish my Easter projects, get ready for stamp club, and schedule posts while I am on vacation next week!

Thanks for stopping by today! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey

April High Hopes Project of the Month

It's the begining of a new month, so that means it's time for a new High Hopes POTM. I just checked the High Hopes Challenge blog and realized that I already made a card using this stamp when the last releast came out!!

Click on the picture for a larger view.

See my original post here with details about this card.

The April Project of the month is:

L-041 Bobby Lee
L-042 Ally Rose
M-046 Bale O' Hay

E-161 Take A Break Sentiment
F-167 Sit A Spell Sentiment

If you purchase these all together, you will get 25% off. If the April POTM is not up on the website yet, you can sill contact Tina to order them at the discount.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey