confetti by lexi

attawaytogo to camp!

 

where have i been?  pretty much, here, there & everywhere!  reading harry potter (loved it!), working on orders (busy!), packing & traveling to the camp bus (first time away!) and dealing with a dead hard drive (ick!).

yes, more computer trouble.  when my laptop stopped working last month, the tech guy warned me that this might happen, so it wasn't a surprise.  thankfully it happened while staying at the galleria in houston, where there's also an apple store--much faster than anywhere here in new orleans with very capable "geniuses."  i love that store!  now, with a new hard drive, my laptop should be good as new, but i do have to re-install my software yet again.  i'm becoming a pro!

other than the hard drive issues, the girls and i had a great girls' weekend in houston--shopping, ice skating, swimming, eating.  then we waved mignon's bus on and colleen and i headed home, with a stop at club libby lu first.  take a look at my little hannah montana.  a few sweet shoppers "spotted" her and asked for autographs which totally made her day!

 

and of course i couldn't send mignon to camp without a few crafty goodies in camp colors.  i'll share her clipboard box and personalized stationery today, but i went a little orange and blue longhorn crazy so stay tuned!

 
 

it brought back memories of my crafty college days!

attawaytogo!
:) lexi

cha inspired

 

i love all the posts on craft critique and other blogs about cha.  one day, i hope to be in that number, but today, at least, i found inspiration and i don't have to wait 'til product hits the stores!  i spotted a tree paper by scenic route in a couple of photos and the first thought that came to mind was that i could recreate it card-size using the various line images from papertrey ink's faux ribbon and green thumb combined with the little double leaf design from the new borders & corners {oval}, which provided me with a nice sentiment element, too.  i also took another opportunity to play with the new su! in colors, using soft sky as an accent color with the more natural tones of river rock, wild wasabi and chocolate chip.  the little bird is inkadinkado from michael's and practically flew to my paper to join the tree.  it was a great way to add a little more blue and still have the brown.

don't forget to stop by craft critique for your cha scoop!  today's post is especially informative and includes a picture of the paper that inspired me.

i'm still taking it somewhat slow with harry potter.  it's so hard to put down and i would just throw caution to the wind, but i have so much going on right now! 

back to juggling it all...
:) lexi

midnight madness!

papertrey ink, harry potter...

as i've mentioned before, i'm a sucker for a good midnight reveal!  i promise to get back to stamping soon, but first i must stick my muggle nose in this magical book!  i read year 6 so fast i was really bummed when i finished, so i promised myself to read this last one a little slower!

i can't believe this is it...
:) lexi

rockin' blogs

the last couple days have been so busy that i haven't had any stretch of time for stamping or blogging.  so of course, while i blinked, i got tagged a "rockin' girl blogger" not once, but four times!  thank you so much to my fellow rockin' girl bloggers: kristina lewis [balance], michelle clark [crazy stamp chick], julie masse [stampin' with julie] and sarah bertolino [suki's blog].  this card's for you...

   

the sentiment is a muse, purchased with my little boyfriend, rock star.  but i knew that i would also use it with my favorite diamond stamp from stubby stampers.  the diamond is actually a stamp by itself, stamped with an outlined circle from the su! simple shapes set to create a ring.  i love bling and diamonds are a girl's best friend!

so back to blinking--while i was tagged, so were most of the blogs i've had time to visit so far today.  so i don't know who to tag.  but please visit one of the many rockin' blogs in my "people to read" list to the right and if you didn't come by way of my taggers, be sure to visit them too!

it's almost midnight, so i'm off to the book store...
:) lexi

ETA:  i tried to grab and save the cute little tag emblem from all 4 of my taggers, but had no luck--there's no right click, left click on my mac laptop, so maybe that's the problem???  usually i can figure these things out, but nothing seemed to work for me tonight.  i'm sure it's obvious and i'm going to kick myself if i finally figure it out!

ETA:  i finally figured it out--the control key was the trick!

 

 

mini collage

 

one of the first things i thought of when i saw text boxed by papertrey ink was a collage card i'd seen.  i can't remember where i saw it and couldn't find it again, but it also had a reverse image.  i fiddled with the idea on and off for a while and couldn't quite achieve the look i remembered, so i finally settled for this "mini-collage" with a touch of bling!  it was also a first play with the su! in colors groovy guava and wild wasabi.  i think i've said it before, but i like how this set is designed with images to layer over and match the reverse boxed images.  the dot trio is a fun little stamp, too--i paired it with the larger dot to create the corners.  i also used it to create a cool border.  it didn't work here, but i'm sure it will show up in another design soon.

thanks for stopping by!
:) lexi

hello new colors

 

just a quick card while i work on other things today.  i had one of these a muse note cards sitting on my desk and realized it was the perfect match to the new su! in color soft sky.  so i thought i'd play with combining some of the new in colors using the card as a base.  credits: a muse note card and small polka dot letters; su! patterned paper, card stock, ink and buckle; martha stewart adhesive ribbon and marvy uchida paper trimming buddy for the scalloped edge.

it's so strange not to have another a*muse*a*palooza challenge to look forward to!  wasn't it fun?!  even better was winning a few goodies yesterday on the a*muse*a*palooza blog and again on jenn shurkus' blog.  kinda makes up for not having an event nearby.  well, not really, but fun--thank you!!!

enjoy!
:) lexi

and finally...

 

for the a*muse*a*palooza last chance challenge, i created another shopping scene.  i can't wait to add the stamp shop and book store to my street scenes!  for this one, i chose to create the pattern for a perfect day of shopping--shop, grab a cookie, shop again, have coffee, then shop some more!  i thought it would be nice to stamp "let's get together" on the inside to suggest just such a day with a fellow shop-a-holic.  it's hard to see, but the vespa is colored in with the sakura stardust glitter pen--nice and sparkly. 

i'm going to miss these challenges...
:) lexi

another "new" stamp

 

one more stamp that i hadn't used yet for the new to you challenge!  like the bird cage, i forgot to pick up a sentiment to make it quick and easy to use.  but that's okay--remember how i said i like bad tv?  this card is inspired by a wall in the big brother house!  click here to see it--behind the stairs.  i stamped it on the blue card thinking the wall was blue and then went looking for the picture to share and realized the chandeliers were on a pink wall next to a blue one, but i was close.  i totally listen more than watch!  but the chandeliers jumped out at me as soon as i noticed them all because of this stamp!  i think i saw wrapping paper like this recently, too.

still more...
:) lexi

p.s.  i forgot to say that i printed the sentiment.  i was trying to come up with different light sayings and got stuck on this one.  any other ideas?

 

dinner anyone?

 

the challenge:  to use a new a*muse*a*palooza stamp or a new to you a muse stamp.  since i don't have a stamp store near me, i used the bistro, one of my new york shopping spree stamps, and an a muse card that i had yet to use.

more to follow...
:) lexi

another cozy card

   
                       click here to pull the tab!

just when you think the a*muse*a*palooza card challenges are over, another one pops up--literally!  this is for the mini class--pocket card sketch challenge.  i was a little stumped over which of my stamps to put together and what sentiment to use--especially after seeing the perfect haunted house card emily created!  but inspiration finally hit and i had fun putting it all together.

enjoy!
:) lexi

p.s.  thanks emily for the cool posting idea!  it doesn't pop open quite like hers did for me this morning, but if you center both images on your screen and use the back and forth arrows, it's a neat effect!

cozy slippers

 

a happy life is made of little things.  and one of the little things that makes me happy is lounging in my pj's on the weekends!  this is a design for the fun over at ellen hutson's blog today.  she posted a challenge to use a lockhart stamp and one of her layouts posted during the early days of july.  the slippers here are lockhart and you can see her original card here.  i've also used a sentiment from papertrey ink's little lady, trés jolie papers from my mind's eye, marcella k adhesive pearls, velvet rickrack (basic grey, i think!) and palette burnt umber ink pad.

:) lexi

one more (for now, anyway!)

 

here's the last one from last night for the keep it simple challenge.  i just love this bird cage and bought it in new york since i already had tiny bird (i still need the nest!).  but, i forgot to get a birdy sentiment, so i hadn't gotten around to using it yet.  then i remembered this su! sentiment sitting in my (very neglected) stamp closet--what a great match and so simple, too!

:) lexi

p.s. bird, cage and note card, a muse; sentiment, su!; pallette noir ink pad, copic sketch markers, sakura stardust glitter pen; and a fine tip black pen to draw hanging chain.

love ya!

 

another card from my quick and simple stamping last night for a*muse*a*palooza challenge 11.  credits: tennis gal, note card and micro dot twinkle stickers, a muse; love ya, green grass stamps ; pallette noir ink pad, copic sketch markers, sakura stardust glitter pen and su! word window punch. 

be right back!
:) lexi

more simple stamping

 

here's one more tonight for the keep it simple challenge over at the a*muse*a*palooza blog.  i tried to keep it to just the stamping, but it looked funny, so i just had to add ribbon--still simple!  another quick trick was dying my ribbon with the same copic marker i used to color the cafe sign and awning.  the ribbon was originally pink with brown stitching, but the pink was just too light and not quite right.  you can see the copic ribbon dying how to on trudee sauer's blog, which is linked over on today's ribbon carnival at craft critique--lots of good ribbon links to surf.

'night!
:) lexi

keepin' it simple

here's a quickie card for today's a*muse*a*palooza challenge 11 to keep it simple.  after all, that's the motto, right...  think simple. think a muse. 

more to follow!
:) lexi

addictions

 

i love ribbon!  if there's one thing that multiplies as fast as stamps in my studio, it's ribbon.  i buy rolls of it, i buy it by the yard, i save it from gifts--it's crazy how much i have.  a collection like mine needs to be contained!  some of my containers include a glass cookie jar (with a decorated lid, of course!) that sits near my desk for bobbin ribbon and other small favorites, a wicker wall shelf hanging in my craft closet that is the perfect size for ribbon rolls and a basket for ribbons on cards, duplicates and overflow. 

but one of my favorite ribbon storage solutions is my scrap ribbon storage for smaller pieces, ribbon i've cut but decided not to use, some by-the-yard choices that i can't find a spool for, etc.  which brings me to another addiction: pom tea.  who knew that these two addictions would be a perfect match?  there are lots of really cool jars out there that you can buy which i was considering, but when these glasses with lids started multiplying in my kitchen, a lightbulb went off.  they were a good size, had a wide mouth and were clear glass--perfect!  when i started playing around with them, i also realized that i could pop out the logo part of the lid and replace it with my own chipboard and card stock--even better!  it's hard to see in the picture, but i swiped ink pads in matching colors on white card stock, simple and quick, letting the ribbon take front stage.  it's a storage solution that's both functional and decorative.  and the chopsticks?  they're perfect for digging to the bottom of the jar or mixing them around to see what's there!

you might be thinking that ribbon stored this way would get quite wrinkled and yes, some of it does.  but no matter how i stored scraps, i had that problem.  ribbons on cards often have creases which bugs me too.  i used to iron those that were particularly bad, but that meant a lot of extra work.  recently i discovered an even better solution--at least i'd never seen this idea before, but maybe i'm just behind the times.  anyway, i saw an ad for a ribbon iron that looked like a smaller version of a flat iron for hair.  i happened to have an extra flat iron, so i thought i'd just try it out.  i'm happy to report that it worked perfectly and now that has a place near my desk too and i'm a better organized and much happier ribbon addict!

if you love ribbon too, be sure to stop by craft critique this week for more ribbon tips and reviews...

:) lexi

a musing myself!

 

i have been over-the-top busy today, but i finally squeezed in a little time to make a quick card for the a*muse*a*palooza mini-challenge.  the task: to use 9 stamps in honor of today, the 9th, the beginning of a*muse*a*palooza!  i wish there were a store event near me for stamping fun and instant purchasing power.  sadly the closest is probably about nine hours away.  so, here's my take on 9 stamps--how did i do?  a lot of credit goes to the a muse note card with 9 circles!  but i did try to spotlight things you might do during the summer.  i wanted to do a scene one also, but i'm beat.  if i hadn't posted this one last week, it would have worked too...  oh well!

enjoy!
:) lexi

p.s.  all stamps, note card and mini star twinkle stickers by a muse, pallette noir black ink pad, miscellaneous su! and copic markers, touches of silver and stardust gel pens and 1 inch circle punch by ek success.

07.07.07

i've been tagged twice--thank you kristina lewis and also sarah moore, my fellow craft critique-r!  although i've done 7 facts about myself once before, this one said 7 "random" facts, so i thought i'd play again--especially on this day, the 7th day of the 7th month of the 7th year of the millenium!  and because i wanted to play with some new digi buys, i digiscrapped 'em.  i hope they're random enough!

if you can't read it (and you want to!) click the photo for a bigger pic and please remember, i'm still learning!

:) lexi

p.s.  the pretty woods paper and swank label are little pretty studio by jennifer pebbles, the font (including the dots) is hobo.

ETA:  i forgot to say that i really don't know who to tag, so if you want to play consider yourself tagged and let me know so i can go read about you too!

ladybug baby cakes

 

i made these cute cupcakes for a baby's first birthday today.  the supersize cupcake decorating tips by wilton make for quick icing, leaving lots of time to make the fondant ladybugs with oval and circle cutters and endless pinching and rolling for the dots!  don't they look cute crawling around in the grass?

yummy!
:) lexi

let's do lunch

 

during the school year, my girls either use lunch boxes or buy lunch at school. but for their day camp (which sadly ended today), it's easier to send bag lunches because everything else stays there from monday to friday--one less thing to keep track of!  of course being the stamper that i am, i've gotten into the habit of not only stamping their bags, but trying to stamp them differently or at least slightly differently each day.  for school they get a lunch note in their lunch box--for camp, i write the note directly on the bag.  i always do a pattern on the back that folds over, with the name and note on the front in matching colors, along with a sticker to close it shut.  sometimes the sticker is the note--which they both love to wear after opening!  this one is a little more elaborate than usual since i stamped it during the day as opposed to right before i go to bed or right when i wake up!  and they're usually brown bags, but i found a white one in my stash for today so that it would show up well in the picture.  and since it's not a card, it's perfect for a*muse*a*palooza challenge 10... 

thanks for stopping by!
:) lexi

p.s.  all stamps are a muse, except for the small dot circle (hero arts) and the name stamp (su!)