Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers

So imagine my glee when I found a new blog on the block called the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers.  I had to check them out right away as they sounded like my kind of folks.  They are doing their inaugural challenge right now through February 21st, so you have plenty of time to put on your evil head and let you inner snark fly!

As you see, the theme is the ANTI-Valentine and after so many Valentine challenges I am very tickled to have this one to play in.  I have wonderful snarky ideas rolling around in my head and I allowed one of them to come to fruition.  It involves conversation hearts...

..remember those chalk flavored little hearts with their sweet words of wisdom on them?  Yeah, these are so much better.  Happy VD* to y'all!

The Fine Print: Heart outline stamp by DeNami Designs, flourish by Magnolia, ribbon from A Muse Studio, designer papers by Martha Stewart because you know I just had to bastardize something by Martha for this challenge.  I did tone it down some though and rejected the "LMP DCK" heart.  * VD = Valentine's Day you silly.  Don't let that herpes heart go to your head!

Love on Demand

Imagine my surprise when blog hopping to get demanded, commanded, coerced and cajoled into joining the Crafty Little Fairies challenge by one of their design team members, Squirrel.  The theme is Love and who could pass up such a loving request as that?

So here is my lovingly distressed love card.  I flocked the bunny's tails and glittered the mushroom they are sitting on, all details that get lost by my amateur camera skills.  Besides getting to play with the Crafty Fairies, I was pleased to use up some random bits and pieces I had lying around, like the strip of corrugated pink cardboard and the "cutie pie" sticker.

The Fine Print: Who knew that strong arming people was the latest technique to get people to join a challenge?  Next thing you know there will be design team mobsters making sure you play up or else they will send the knuckle breakers after you!  Stamp by Lili of the Valley, sticker by K & Company, other supplies unknown.

Babycakes

We've had an awful lot of pregnancies, births and babies in my department lately.  I find myself hoping that it isn't as contagious as that wicked cold we all shared around the holidays...

...Especially now that one of the mothers-to-be upped the ante and is having twins.  This card isn't for her though.  This is card is for another baby, due according to its doctor in early March and by the ladies in the department in less than two weeks.  We'll see who's right.  You shouldn't underestimate those Mexican Mamacitas!

The Fine Print: The really odd thing about this rash of pregnancies is the rumor that it's coming from the water cooler in my office.  Um... yeah, I think there are a bunch of health class flunkies in my department.  Stamp by Stampin' up, ribbon paper from my really old stash, ribbon from my not-as-old stash.

Hearts of Love

We'll start off with a sad story, but never fear, it has a happy ending.  Our heroine (that'd be me) talked her long suffering hubby into taking her shopping for House Mouse stamps.  Alas! The store did not carry House Mouse stamps so there was much sadness and tears.  But luckily That Guy invented the Interwebs and soon there were House Mouse stamps! And hearts! And there was much rejoicing!

I'm entering this card into the Shopping Our Stash Love themed challenge this week. While the mice and the doily heart are new, the papers and the heart embellishment have been in my stash for an embarrassingly long time.  I'm also entering this with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where the theme is to have a heart.  I not only have a heart I have 7 of them.  That's me, the Princess of Excess.

The Fine Print: "With all My Heart" House Mouse stamp by Stampabilities, small heart doily die by Simon Says Stamp, heart embellishment by K & Co., brown designer paper by Basic Grey, pink dotted paper by Making Memories.

Polar Vortex!!!

Oh. Wait.  I guess I meant Polar Bear!!!!  My bad.

Are you still here?  Why?  That's all I got for today.  Well, okay since you insist I suppose I could say a little something.  I probably shouldn't say it, being as I work at a school and all... but what exactly was the purpose of all that stuff they made us memorize in school?  I mean I'm in my mid-forties now and everyone should be proud that I remember to put on pants before leaving the house.  You shouldn't expect me to name the state capitols or the first 30 Presidents or how to calculate the wind speed of a coconut leaden swallow too.  I'm human--I have limits!

The Fine Print: I can however, recite all the lyrics to all the great 80's rock and roll anthems though should there ever be a need for that.  Polar bear by Taylored Expressions, designer paper by DCWV, ribbon and brad from my stash. 

Hung by the Chimney with Care

The Shock and Awe continues as I continue to make Christmas cards early.  I think the frigid cold* weather helps.  The Merry Monday ladies have offered up a stocking challenge, which had me digging through my lingerie drawer in search of something slinky and black, before I realized they meant Christmas stockings, and good thing too because who wants to fuss with that other stuff?!

For Christmas stockings I had to then dig through a whole different drawer. I pulled out one of my new LOTV stamps that had some wee little stockings hung by the chimney with care and used that.  I had a very hard time coloring this image as I had to stop and sneeze every few seconds.  It was so bad one might almost be lead to believe that I'm allergic to Christmas.  Certainly I'm not allergic to coloring?!

* frigid cold in Southern Arizona is a wee bit different than frigid cold in say, Minnesota

The Fine Print: Stamp by Lili of the Valley, designer papers by DCWV, faux brads by Stampin' Up.  Hmmm... in hindsight I'm thinking that fire could use some glitter.

January Birthdays

I thought I'd share the birthday cards that I sent out last month.  Usually birthdays fly by with a whooshing sound and then a couple of days later I ask, "What was that?"  So I'm rather proud that I not only made some cards but I mailed them out as well.

The cupcake card was made after I rummaged around in my red paper drawer and discovered that almost all the papers in there were a brick red. I knew that wouldn't really do for Valentine's Day so I'd have to use them for other occasions.  I liked this piece because all the colored dots were glittered.

The next card I made after reading someone's blog (eek-sorry, I forgot who) and she was talking about how she saves many non-stamping bits like interesting packaging and the like but doesn't think to use it much.  I had to agree.  In fact, I've learned to not save it.  However, that night when I went to make a card I found a shimmery piece I'd saved from a gift card from years ago so of course I had to use it just to show I could!

This card was actually for a "cups and cakes" swap but since I made it birthday card I thought I'd share it as well.  I'm not a big cupcake fan, especially ones that look like that.  Doesn't that frosting hurt your teeth just to look at it?  The diagonal cut designer paper and matching piece are another bit I've had stashed for a long time.

This cute elephant was my attempt to stamp right on a designer paper and use it as is.  I'm not sure if it worked or not because it makes the elephant look like a ghost.  I did end up paper piecing the banner flags and the birthday hat.

This last card also had a glittery background paper on it.  I really like the sketched look of this stamp and need to use this set more.  I was looking for a different background than my usual scalloped circle and discovered I had the pinking circles.  I really had them to do that Spirelli string art with but they make perfect accent shapes as well.

That's it for the January birthdays, minus a couple of cards I already shared with you earlier in the month.  There aren't as many February birthdays so hopefully I'll be able to keep up with them.  How exciting!

The Fine Print: Cupcake card-stamp by Imaginations, lattice rectangle die by Spellbinders;
birthday lady card-stamp by Stampendous; cupcake tier card--stamp by Impression Obsession; elephant card-stamps by Stampin' Up, paper by Recollections; cake slice card-stamp by Stampin' Up, pinking circle die by Spellbinders, floral ribbon from my stash, yellow bling from Hero Arts.