Checking in....

Hi Friends and Stampers,

OMGosh when I signed up for on-line RN to BSN five week classes, I had no idea it would consume my whole life. I am taking two week breaks in between the classes but it is just enough time to catch up on everything I have been neglecting for five weeks, lol.  Literally, every single minute of spare time is spent studying. I do occasionally jump over to Facebook or click through my emails that stack up thousands at a time. Sometimes I cannot read or look at another word, so I might watch a TV show or something, but wow, this has been all life consuming. 5/12 classes are done now, after this next class I will be half way there!

In this break, I wanted to make some cards up ahead for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop coming up in June, starting on the 17th, so I will have some more cards to show you then. In the mean time, I was able to make a couple quick CAS cards using this very funny Unity Stamp set I bought.

I thought these were appropriate for what I have been going through, lol. 

I wanted to take a minute here and thank those of you who have left me words of encouragement and let me know you miss you.  You have no idea how much that touched me. I miss being able to blog hop and comment on everyone's creations. But one day next year, it will be all be over and I will have my life back again, lol. 

Oh and the other study breaks I have taken are to hunt and gather the fabulous new products out there, lol.  Just because I have no time for stamping or card making does not mean I can't reward myself with more things as I keep going, lol. I finally got the Crystal Katana mixed media pick up tool.  OMGosh can I just say that I should have taken the plunge long ago? Quite literally I used the black end to pick up these googly eyes and set them right now on the dots of glue I placed and for some reason, it just let go right where I wanted them to go and there was no finger, tweezers, or other object about it, it is amazing. Speaking of Glue, I have discovered Art Glitter glue with the little metal tips you can put on them and I do love this product. I have used it on almost all the cards I just made. Glue right where you want it to go and it delivers the perfect amount with the tips. The last object I have discovered is my Stampoholic stamping tool.  Have you ever executed the perfect card, only to stamp the sentiment last and it's off-center or not straight? Don't you hate that? Me too! Or how many pieces of paper have you thrown out because you didn't get a sharp or complete stamped image? Me too! With the stampoholic, I can ink it up and restamp it as many times as I want and it's all in the same position, so it does not create a shadow. And it's so easy! 

Now there is some controversy about the the Stampoholic and the Misti. I am not sure what came first. I know there is a lot of talk about steeling idea's and standing behind products, etc. I know my stampoholic came in great condition, it was half the price of the Misti, and I can change the colors from teal to purple, which means a lot to me, lol.  I know this poop emoji came from unity, I know I have another one from The Sweet Stamp shop. I know I have emoji dies from Spellbinders and that Lawn Fawn just released emoji die faces. I know I have umteen stamp images and dies that so similar and close to each other, I often wonder why I buy two of the same thing, but you know, they are cute, lol.  My point is, is that there are many great reputable companies that make close to or similar designs and no one is pointing the finger at them or saying they stole an idea. I was also able to find a video of how to make your own stamping tool on you-tube, and I also saw an IKEA frame that someone was also using as a stamping tool. When it came right down to it, the price is what really drove me to buy the Stampoholic. There are so many cute products and tools and paper and stamps and glue, etc, etc, etc. and only some much budget to get the things I want for my hobby. To be honest with you, I could not justify spending over $120.00 for a stamping tool. I just would have continued to use my acrylic blocks and called it good. But for half that price, I was persuaded to put a bug in my husbands ear about Mother's Day, lol.  And he is so sweet, of course he got me one. But either way you decide, I highly recommend getting one or the other. I like my regular sized one but they have mini and jumbo sizes too. 

Okay, this is my semi-annual posting for now, lol.  Thank you for stopping by and checking in on me. 

Holly 

Happy New Year!!!

Hello Stampy Friends,

I wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year!!! I hope your Holly-Days were good and you were able to spend time with your family and loved ones.

This year is going to be more of the last six months, lol.  More School for me.  I start my third class on Monday. They are like an amusement park ride, where you have to hold on to edge of your seat and be ready for a fast and furious ride. And yes, I would rather be stamping or creating some fabulous art project, but the truth is, this is important for me to do and finish.  A year and a few months from now, I will have my BSN in Nursing and then I can resume my crafty fun full time.  In the mean time, I will try to get some inky time in and join in whatever fun I can.

I was able to get something made a few days ago:

My stepmother texted me a few days ago and wanted me to make invitations for her daughters upcoming Spring Wedding.  They wanted country cards.  I found something very similar to these on pinterest and that's the ones she wanted.  I started out with a Kraft base and found an old Stampin' Up background stamp called, "Burlap" I think. I inked it up in Soft Suede - which really matches the brown color in word. I found this mason jar digi on Pinterest as well, downloaded it and brought it up in word and re sized it to what I wanted.  Now how did I get those words in there?  Good question.  I hate to tell you that I am not really sure.  I am not really that familiar with all the stuff you can do in word and so I just kept pushing buttons until I found a combination that would work, lol.  Then I printed, fussy cutted, and added burlap ribbon I found in my stash.  I also noticed as I was running through Hobby Lobby :15 minutes before closing time that they have a lot of this in their store right now. I used the MFT Sunflower die cut and colored with my Copic markers. Then I added the layers on with Score-Tape. Oh and I added a layer of lace to the top also using score-tape. 

These were fun to make and it was great to get creative and actually make something useful.  She will take these to her printers and have them copied and printed off.  All ready to send out for her invited guests.  I am blessed to be among one of them.  I hope to make her a matching chipboard album, if time allows and the stars line up, lol.  

What are your crafty plans this year?

Holly

chip board book

Hello Friends,

I haven't forgotten all of you.  School is way more intense than I imagined, lol.  So I do get breaks in between but it's just enough time to get things done and I'm back at it again.

Before I started school, I made this and hope to get a few more made along the way.

This was a lot of fun to make!!! 

I hope to make it around to everyone's blog soon!

Holly

Forced to take a Scrappy Break

Hi Friends,

"Go to College they said...it will be good they said."  But no one told me I would completely have to give everything up in life and immerse myself completely, lol.  Wow, this is only the end of week two and I have lost more sleep than I can tell you.  Burning the midnight oil for this paper or that reading or this assignment or that.  And every day the instructor adds two more things.  So just when I think I have a handle on things, bam, I'm late again.

I am in an accelerated (not a joke either) RN to BSN program.  No longer is 22 years of nursing experience and two certifications later enough.   The good news is that each class is only five weeks long.  I am sure once I get used to things and do not have to take a tutorial for this and a tutorial for that, things will go much quicker.  I also need to let go of the perfectionist thing too.  I agonized over the first paper.  I just turned it in at 12:21, now it's one a.m. and yes, I have to be up in four hours, lol.  I'm getting used to the sleep deprivation or I am just delirious.  lol.  It does feel good to hand in that first big project.

I just wanted to say to you all and let you know I miss coming to your blogs, but I will be coming around again soon.  I might have to miss this years Fall Coffee Blog but I will try to squeeze in some time soon for that if I can.

Thanks for checking in.....three more weeks to go!

Holly

Bonjour

Holy Crap!  It's Monday night!  I nearly forgot about this weeks sketch over at MFT's!  Well I whipped this one up in a hurry.  I hope everyone had a fabulous Labor Day! 

Holly

Original

Again, I'm squeezing this sketch in at the last minute.  I had fun with this one. 

MFT Sketch Challenge

Simon Says Challenge

Wedding Day

Hi Friends and Stampers,

Wow, life is just flying by.  I've been working some Overtime, headed to a wedding this weekend and decided to use this weeks MFT sketch for my pattern.

I've almost made my way back through most of you, so I hope to be getting by your blog again soon! 

Thanks for looking,

Holly

Also playing in Tiddly Ink - Have a Heart