Yummy Summer Treat

I love Chai tea. My wonderful friend Paula turned me on to it several years ago and it's something special the 2 of us would share as often as we could. We'd usually try to get together once a week to have a cup and share a time of prayer together. I miss those times!
One hot summer day we decided to try our Chai a little differently. Paula is the brains behind this Chai Smoothie. I don't particularly care for yogurt...heck, I can't stand yogurt, so this is not my idea. BUT, you don't have the yogurt taste and this is a great treat. Here's all you do:

Chai Smoothie
1 scoop powdered chai drink mix

6 oz vanilla yogurt (any kind works)

1 glass crushed ice

Blend in blender or smoothie maker. Enjoy!

Polka Dots AND Stripes

I really loved this sketch when I saw it recently in a magazine and couldn't wait to try it. This card takes only a couple of minutes to make if you use coordinating DPs. I used my favorite "Grandpa's Attic" line of paper from SEI. I don't think you can go wrong with this paper line especially for masculine projects. The "Special Thanks" at the bottom was a rub-on (Paper Studio) and shows up better in real life. Some stiched ribbon (Michaels) is threaded through each end of a silver bead and adhered behind the black which is then adhered to Kraft cardstock. That's it. Told you it was an easy peasy masculine card.
I still have that set of Snap Stamps to give away. I'll be posting that in the next few days so check back!
Blessings~ Angel

Some soapbox ramblings: Don't forget to comment when something strikes your fancy on someone's blog. It really gives the blogger a lift to hear a sweet compliment from a peer/fellow stamper/crafter!

Lovin Estate Sales!

I went to an estate sale this morning since I couldn't find any yard sales open until tomorrow. This estate sale was the jackpot! The homeowner was apparently a crafter for years and years and years- with rooms of crafts. I spent $14 and brought home all kinds of stuff. I could have spent more, but I had my tired DD with me who kept telling me...."You don't need that." Always the voice of reason. As I looked around though I did realize that some day there may be an estate sale at my home and people would be shaking their heads saying...."She was crazy!". I really do have all I need and then some! A good reason to stay out of Hobby Lobby and Michaels and not worry about getting my hands on that new SU Catty. (Well, that may be going a little too far....heehee.)
This Air Art tool and kit was a great find for $3 and that BIG book is a Webster's Dictionary from 1959. I have a feeling it's worth the money I spent and then some. It's one with lots of pictures so I thought I might dare to tear it up for collaging....maybe.
I've got a COOL idea for the wedding rehearsal dinner party favors and have been collecting lots of little things and that shoebox has buttons in lots of shapes.
For my friend, Paula I have another shoe box not pictured that is stuffed with quilt binding, bias tape and elastic.
Who doesn't love Gooseberry patch books? These were only $1 each.
I only had $20 with me.....probably a very good thing.
I plan on another post today... with an easy peasy masculine card that I really like.
Blessings~
Angel

Luau Invite

We're having a luau! If I can get my act together and get everything planned, that is. My son's fiancee is so adorable and we are so happy she is going to join our family. God put those two together and I for one am absolutely ecstatic that He did! A luau seemed like the perfect wedding rehearsal dinner party because it reminds me so much of Megan's happy, sunny attitude.
When I saw Beate' Sketch Challenge last weekend, it was just the layout I was looking for to make these 22 invitations. It's simplicity was a definite bonus!
Details, details- I started with a kraft base and added some Rhonna Farrer swirls and flower in white kraft ink. The white vellum strips (Leaves a la Carte wheel w/white ink) were left over from the actual wedding invitations...BIG BONUS! I mounted those to Basic Black cardstock. The flowered ovals started out as a single sheet stamped all over (pictured above)- a one sheet wonder. It was enough for ALL of my ovals! I chose some bright tropical colors (Based on their names...heehee) Cool Caribbean, Wild Wasabi, Purely Pomegrante and Marigold Morning and stamped my old faithful Tropical Blossoms. I was so very tempted to purchase a more current tropical set, but was thrifty instead! My husband should be proud. LOL I used my Snap Stamps and stamped "to a luau" to follow the "you're invited" using an All Year Cheer set. A cool carribean oval and a black scalloped oval behind and 2 white brads on each end completes the card. IF you read this far, I just want to give you a head's up. I have an extra set of Karen Foster snap stamps to give away....in the near future. Check back..... Oh...and comment once in a while....heehee.
The wedding invitations will be posted once my technical friend (Lori) gets back from vacation and can help me with taking out the wedding date, time and place so we aren't inviting the entire World Wide Web!
Thanks for stopping by!!!
~Angel

Blog Candy Winner

It's summer and you guys are busy so my feelings aren't too hurt that only 2 of you played along with my challenge. So, the winner is Michelle who gets the ribbon and goodies. BUT, I also want to send Cheryl a little something. So, if the 2 of you would please email me your mailing address (angel2stamp@yahoo.com) I will get your goodies in the mail. Thanks for playing!
I'll have more challenges (maybe not as tough) soon! And another card posted later today.
Have a great Wednesday!

Luggage Tag

I showed this card to my hubby last night. I ask him for opinions and quite often he tells me exactly the right thing I need to add/change. Last night he asks me, "Don't you have other things you're supposed to be working on?" The answer to that question is YES! I have a long list of projects that I need to be working on. But, I think I am getting hooked on challenges. Yesterday as I was doing my daily blog surfing I ran across another Angel's blog! It's a great blog and I love her color scheme of pink, black and white. Then I saw her challenge to use a luggage tag. She even posted some links to several great projects. I couldn't help it.... I had to play. So, here is my entry. It's a needed birthday card for a special thoughtful friend. (But, it's going to be late.)
Details, details: I started with an oops. The card base is recycled from my luau inviations. I had tried some paint along the edges, but it wasn't right for that project. Perfect for this one though. The tag is stamped with Linen using Sahara Sand ink. In collage style, I used Travel Post and Stamp of Authenticity sets. Some twill tape, a cloth tag, date stamper, postage stamps and a stapler were all I needed to finish it off.
Thanks for looking.

It's an Inspirational Challenge

White narrow organdy ribbon....an unopened spool. I have ONE person in the drawing for it. Surely you are not going to let Cheryl just run away with it. Well, if Cheryl gets it, she is getting the little envelope of goodies that goes along with it. I took a picture for you to see.
I have also included some flowers, primas, skeleton leaves, tags and cancelled postage stamps from all over. I started adding a few things to the envelope and then decided maybe more of you would play if you could see what you're playing for. And it's really not that hard. Look at the tag here. Then post a link or email me a pic so I can see what this clothing tag inspired you to create. You'll see my card is in the post that follows this begging, pleading email.
Do I sound like a whiney 6 year old? "Mommy, nobody wants to play with me!!!"
Show me some love, sisters!
Tomorrow I think I can finally post the wedding invitations. I waited until they were in the mail and ours arrived today! YEAH!

Tag Inspired

Here is the card I made inspired by my challenge of the Energie tag. I discovered this weekend that I'm actually not a bad doodler of birds and sheep. That's about as far as my artisitic abilities go I think. My mom can draw. Why can't I? :-)
Details, details- card base is kraft stamped with sahara sand canvas background. Tag is V Vanilla and many different flowers mostly Studio G. A couple of primas with a brad, a little Heidi Swapp rhinestone and 3 different types of string tied around the tag in a knot are the accessories used. The "Thank You" seems to be the same exact font so that's why I chose it. I attached the tag with Stampin Dimensionals but it looked too bare so I doodled the little birdie in one corner and a few dots in the other.
Not sure how much stamping I'll be able to do this week. Many of you know I have pain from a back injury that's been fairly controlled by medication. The last few days have been miserable for me and yesterday I spent in bed for most of the day. Needless to say, stamping aggravates this situation. I wish it didn't. I have rehearsal dinner invitations to make and a dinner to plan. Please keep me in your prayers.
Thanks for visiting~
Angel

Same Card- Two Pics

Yesterday as I was blog browsing through my list of favorite blogs, I came to Julie's blog where she explained how she photographed her cards. I decided to try it for myself on the card I was planning on posting today. Look at the difference between her way and my OLD way. The photo on the bottom shows my card under a lamp in the living room. The one on the top is on my desk under my sunlight lamp with white 12 x 12 cardstock as the backdrop. The card is very colorful and cheery- reminding me a lot of Amy W.
Details, details- Card base is Cool Caribbean which is stamped with a very old Homespun Plaid and cuttlebugged. Such a variety of scrapbook papers (is DP the correct lingo here?) that I can't tell you all. They're scraps of course. I can tell you the stems are Paper Studio's Lime with White stitches. I like that it looks like I sewed them on. Thanks is from a Studio G set and is embossed in white onto Green Galore. Two little flowers are punched out and some bling added in the middle. Center of the larger flower is a chipboard circle and is topped with Crystal Effects. Hubby thought I should have rounded my corners on the flowers. I agree, but too late now. They're stuck on as I fed them through my little "X". Scalloped edge made with the SU slit punch. Love that technique!! Striped DP is MME.
Thanks for looking. See you on Monday with my Challenge card. I think it turned out cute. Where are my challegees??Blessings~ Angel

A Challenge (With a Butterfly Kisses Treat!)

Anybody up for a challenge? I am. I've been collecting things that are inspiring to me and I'm finding tags on my teenager's clothing is a major source of inspiration. It occured to me that not everyone has teenagers and may be missing out! My DD's clothes often come with really hip tags and stickers. She has been giving those to me and I've been sticking them in a box. Today, I decided to pull one out and maybe combine it with Beate's or Amy's sketch challenge for this week. If you are inspired by THIS tag and want to play too, just post a link to your card in with your comment on this post. Okay, okay, I'll do a drawing from the participants. If I choose your number (random.org), you'll win an entire spool (25 yds) of SU Sheer White Narrow Organdy.
The colors I am using are: Ruby Red, Marigold Morning, Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi (only because I could not even come close to matching the green here.)
What will you make using this tag for inspiration?
ETA: Drawing will be held Wednesday, June 27th. Submit your card by then to qualify! You may submit more than one creation, but each submission MUST be uploaded to your blog or gallery or emailed to me.

Hope...

This small (4x4) card went perfectly with this week's SCS Ways to Use It challenge - Be Square. I made it for a friend who recently lost her mother. I know she is at peace and has hope. Her mom is in heaven.
Details, details- I started with a Choc Chip base and stamped it with the so-pretty Paisley background stamp. I pulled out my Basic Grey "Blush" collection and covered a chipboard flower in the "Crush" paper. I cut out one of the flowers from the "Tease" piece and adhered it as the center of the flower topping it with a K & Co adhesive rhinestone pearl. The stem is from SU ribbon collection "Flirty"- a very generous gift from an amazing friend. The leaves on the stem is simply a SU heart punched from the "Sweetie" paper and cut in half. HOPE is from Fancy pants "Simply Stated" and is embossed with a "Winter Wonderland" Stampn Stuff EP. (If I did this card over- I would move the flower towards the center more. Oh, well.)
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Reinker Organizing

Do you have tons of reinkers and can never find the one you're looking for? That was my dilemma. But, then my Katie helped me organize them. I can't take credit for this idea. I'm sure it came from someone else's genius. Katie took a regular office style hole punch and punched out holes matching the reinkers, ran them through that little "X" and adhered them to the bottle's lid where they fit perfectly. And at a glance you can see the reinker color! I have 2 plastic shoeboxes of reinkers. (I hate for my pads to go dry.) And Katie took some time last weekend and organized them for me. Organizing is one of Katie's gifts. I can't tell you how many teachers' closets that girl has organized! She's so good at it. She has helped me organize on many occasions. I'm excited to have her come home tomorrow. She's one of my best friends and I miss her like crazy!

Journal

Hi Friends! Today I want to share a picture of a journal I recently made for my sweet best friend, Peg who is a busy mom of newborn twins- my godbabies. She's been trying to keep track of feedings and such and I thought a cute little journal may help her.

Details, details: The background paper is from DCWV stack "Pocket Full of Posies". Green is "We R Memory Keepers" and is pierced and faux stitched with white gel pen. I added a chipboard tag from K & Co's Brenda Walton collection and a little polka dot ribbon. Then a strip of ribbon across the front which was included in the Cupcake scrapbook kit I won from Scraptime. YEAH! A felt flower which was another blog candy from Tracy. I added a pink button and a little thread there and then just the dymo label. Oh, the Baby Love was from Leisure Arts as were the sayings on the pen. The pen fits inside the journal. The set came from Target and was originally a kraft brown w/ the black. I hear some of the other colors match SU's new colors. Cool!

Looking for a Friend~

I've been looking for a friend that I lost touch with and would love to reconnect with. Since she was an avid scrapbooker, I thought I might find her through the stamping/scrapbooking blog community. Her name is Angel H. and she is or was a military wife married to Corey with 3 kids last I knew. If you know anyone matching this description please have her email me.
Thank you~
Angel

Enabler Alert

Have you ever shopped at MaryCroppins.Com? Well, run don't walk over there and view their amazing selection AND their 40% off everything sale!
You'll hear more from me later....I have shopping to do.

Another Winner

I know I said 5ish... but I have a headache quickly approaching migraine status...so better early than late, right? Our winner (thanks to Random.org) is #2.... Sara of "It's My JOY to Stamp". Sara, email me your mailing address and your goodies will go into the mail right away.
I may or may not wait very long for my next blog candy. I've got a bit of fun stuff saved up. I love giving blog candy away even more than I like getting it! So check back often. Or better yet, subscribe!
Until tomorrow, dear friends~
Angel

Still Time for Butterfly Kisses Candy AND another chance...

The Mini candy drawing will be today at 5ish. You still have time. And since I added Feed Blitz I decided to offer an additional chance to win by subscribing. So go and subscribe and then post once here after you are subscribed and ONCE on the original post as well.

Feed Blitz

Notice on my sidebar I did indeed add Feed Blitz. You asked for it, so now you can subscribe to my blog. What does that mean? You'll get emails when I update my blog. I subscribe to several blogs myself and love this convenience.

Pink & Green Paisleys!

Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery is so girly! Add paisley, primas and rick rack and you have a cutesy combo.
I could hardly wait to cut into this big block of paper I got at Wally World (WalMart if I lost you there). It was pretty inexpensive and when I saw Autumn Leaves I knew I couldn't go wrong. The rick rack (Paper Studio I think) is stamped and cut out. It took me a while to get the pink right. I finally went with the retired "Positively Pink" stamped on Pretty in Pink. Crazy for Paisley from Technique Tuesday is stamped in white on the Celery base. Sentiment is from Studio G and punched out with SU Oval punch. Layered askew on another Pretty in Pink oval that was the same size. Primas and a new SU jewel brad finished this easy to make card perfect for the TLC challenge on SCS .
Today, I am thinking of my sweet 16 y/o who is gone this week at C.I.Y. (Christ in Youth Conference). http://www.ciy.com/summerconference/
Our home church in Wichita, KS picked her up on their way to Savannah just yesterday. She'll be gone for the week.
C.I.Y. changed my boys forever. BOTH of them are attending Bible college and plan a lifetime of ministry. They'll be the first ministers in our family lineage (that I know of). I pray that Katie will have a wonderful time and be changed forever as well. She already plans on attending the same Bible college and wants to be a teacher.
I am so proud of my kids. God did good!
I'm off to clean house. Have a great Tuesday.

New Look & "Mini" Sweets

How do you like my new look? If you know me, you know I LOVE butterflies. In fact, my hubby calls me "Butterfly". He started calling me that when I got my butterfly tattoo. That was years and years ago, right, Peg? (How did you talk me into that? :-)
In honor of my new look and in honor of butterflies, I am once again doing a little "mini" blog candy. This one will be short and sweet. I'll do a drawing tomorrow at this same time. What will you win? Well, butterflies of course!
ETA: I couldn't find the butterflies I was intending to give so here is what I came up with: A Studio G set (it does have a butterfly), yards of white eyelash fibers, 3 cheeky chipboard shapes from MM and a handful of primas.
I'll see you here tomorrow at 5ish!

The Winner..

Announcing the winner of my MOVING DAY blog candy
using

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers: 30
Timestamp: 2007-06-18 12:00:52 IST

The prize goes to
Lisa from Calgary, AB in Canada.

For Julia

Philipians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

One of my favorite blogs that I visit every day is Belle Papier {pretty paper}. Julia is so gifted and I enjoy her sweet spirit that oozes out of her blog. Today I post a complete CASE from Julia. You can see her original card here: http://bellepapier.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2007/06/14/flourishes/
And I dedicate this post to her today due to the loss she experienced this past weekend.

Details, details: Card base is Paper Trey White. Flourishes and butterfly are Autumn Leaves, Rhonna Farrer designs. Greeting is Studio G. Ribbon- SU. Lg Prima is dyed to match the watercolored butterfly which was covered in Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

Dad's Day!

Here is my wonderful hubby's Father's Day card.
If you care to know details read on....this is going to take a few....
I started this card with a base of Chocolate Chip CS in a long card size of 4 x 9 1/4. It fits inside a legal envelope that way. The colors were determined by a sheet of die-cuts by "One Heart, One Mind" that I got at the awesome clearance section at Recollections in Sterling, VA. The frame and the corners as well as the word window punched design came from that brown and blue sheet.
I love, love, love the Bohemia Collection from My Mind's Eye. The background of light blue with white diamnonds comes from that series. I finally used a vellum quote from my DCWV Vellum Quote Stack. I disected it a bit for the card- punching out DAD. Both parts are layered onto another paper from the MME Bohemia collection (Brown with Blue Stripes). A Cuttlebugged shimmery white piece is behind DAD in the oval frame tacked on with screw head brads. Have you seen the Glue Dots for Vellum? Well, you actually can't see them. They're so itty bitty. But they do work! A piece of white embroidery floss breaks up the quote a bit. I decided to do that since I didn't cut it apart and wished I had. Ticket corner punch and a little distressing about covers all of the boring details here. If you read this far, let me know by commenting. I may not ever give this many details again if nobody reads them. :-)
I hope all of the men in your life at a Happy Father's Day! And don't forget to thank our Heavenly Father for giving them to us in the first place!
I'll see you here tomorrow for the big drawing!
Blessings~
Angel

Saturday Stampin

Here is a set of cards I made a few days ago when my computer was in the shop. My inspiration came from the latest PaperCrafts magazine. I used some Imagination Project "No Clue Whatsoever" papers I had purchased from Mary Croppins on a whim. They were so much fun IRL! I am glad I got them. Cardstock colors are Cranberry Crisp, Blush Blossom and Naturals Ivory. I stamped By Definition on a transparency film with StaZon and punched it out with my scalloped oval. I broke open my Basic Brown ink pad for the distressing and stamping. WHY didn't I get that sooner??? It's very cool.
Here is a mini chance to win a little somethin somethin. Be the first person to tell me where in the magazine the project is that I CASEd and I will send a small envelope of goodies to you including some new SU in-colors Cuttlebugged and some scalloped punches and a variety of primas and maybe a little ribbon too!
I'm off to do some Saturday stampin while hubby is mowing the lawn!
A Happy Father's Day to all those great guys out there!
Blessings~
Angel

A Circular Challenge a la Beate!

I fell in love with this gift bag yesterday at the Dollar Tree. It has glitter and flourishes and doodles and vines...oh my! The colors were a bit different, but I still loved it and knew I wanted to mimic the style with a card. When I saw Beate's weekend challenge, I knew it was just the right card style for this project! What I didn't know was how complicated it would be. There was probably a much easier way, but I took the hard road for sure! I started out using Pale Plum, but somehow switched to the old Mauve Mist. It was a closer match to the bag. I cut the circles using my Creative Memories Cutting System. I've had that thing for years and the blades are still working great! I hand cut the scallops with scalloped scissors since I only have one solo scalloped punch and it's an oval. Most of the stamped images are Autumn Leaves- Rhonna Farrer designs. The "Love" comes from Fancy Pants- Simply Stated. There is also some freehand doodling to fill in some empty spaces. I needed Anniversary cards so ended up making 2 of this design. The Love and flower images were embossed using Disco Black EP from Stampn Stuff. This is the first time I used it and I love it! It's an opaque black with glittery shine! Colors used were Mauve Mist, Ballet Blue, Close to Cocoa and Basic Black with Whisper White.
I think I'll go with an easier challenge next time. But it was fun anyway! Thanks, Beate!

Older Posts

A thought came to me that I might actually want to post a link to my OLD blog site so new readers to Angelosity could go back and see my previous posts! They will be there for a short time to view:
www.angel2stamp.wordpress.com

Oh, Baby!

As many of you know, DD Katie and I have just been to DC to visit my new twin godbabies. They are simply adorable and I so wish I could have them closer so I could spoil them rotten along with their older brother, my 8 year old godson Zach.
This is Faith Ellen and Brandon Scott along with a card I made before taking my trip.
I started out with Paper Trey's amazing white cardstock. It's a very sturdy white and is perfect for when you want white to be your base. SU's Whisper White cardstock has it's advantages for layering crisp clean images on white, but I've always wanted it to be a little heavier when the actual card is white. Paper Trey's cardstock fills the bill! I brayered certainly celery ink onto the white and then sanded it a bit so some of the white showed through. The striped BP is from the "Bon Bon" paper pad from Marcella by K & Co. You'll likely be seeing more of this paper. It's SO pretty! I printed my greeting and punched it out with the word window punch adding matching primas with brads. The "Wild About You" giraffes were stamped with Pretty in Pink and Bordering Blue (not a perfect match to the paper, but stamped off it was ok.) I punched them out and layered them onto a pink oval and then a celery oval that I made lacey by using my tiny 1/16" punch around the edges. A little vintage lace and some cute little pins finished it off.

Moving Candy!

Yes, this is a cheap trick! I want you to know I moved my blog so I am offering blog candy! All you have to do is tell me your name and say hi, howdy, hello, aloha or whatever it is you say wherever you come from! Oh, tell me where you come from too! Comment on this post and I will draw a name on Monday, June 18th! Check back to see if you won!
Moving candy includes:
Heidi Swapp Edge Distresser
Mono Aqua Liquid Glue
Ribbon Assortment includes 1 yd of lime green rick rack- perfect for flower stems!
Doodlebug White Star i-lets
Clear Stardust Gelly Roll pen
Scalloped Oval punches in the 6 new SU in-colors
An assortment of white/off white primas
And a flag day magnetic bookmark because today is not only moving day, but it's also Flag Day!
Blessings~
Angel

Starting Over

Sometimes starting over is a necessity. Thankfully we get those chances in life. Sometimes it hurts though. This is one of those times.
My computer is fresh and clean thanks to a complete clean up after SEVEN trojan viruses. THAT won't happen again. (My 16 year old will not be using Limewire ever again either.)
I was nearly out of room at my Wordpress site. Although I was happy there, I did not want to spend my precious nickels and dimes on more blog space. So here I am at Blogspot...starting over just like my pretty clean computer.
Note- I lost a complete Word file that was filled with hundreds of pretty cards I hoped to case some day. I am not complaining too much however as I was able to save ALL of my precious pictures onto a jump drive before my computer recieved it's cleansing.
The good news is I have been stamping quite a bit since my computer was with the Fire Dogs (don't ask me why they are named that) at Circuit Cuty. I have lots of stuff to share!
So, bear with me as I download all of my software back onto my computer. Blog candy coming SOON!
Hugs to you~
Angel