the.amanda.sewell

What do you do on a Saturday when the kids are rowdy from being cooped up all day while you and your hubby catch up on cleaning, etc??? You go to the park of course. Burn off some energy! The kids had a blast playing. Here are a couple pictures of their adventures . . .

I love Thursday! It is pizza day at my house, and that means I don't have to cook dinner so I can usually fit in a little crafting/stamping time. Of course, today I am going to try and fit in just a little bit more touch up ceiling painting time, and organizing time so I can show you my office either later tonight or tomorrow . . . I have been trying to create some Valentines/Love cards with non traditional valentine looks . . . like no massive reds and pinks. I love the way this one turned out! I created this card based on this awesome sketch HERE ! Stamps : Magnolia, Kiss Kiss (9-8217B - A Muse Artstamps) Paper : Suede Brown Light (Prism Papers), Textured Pink (Hobby Lobby), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Meadowsweet Vines (The Paper Studio - Hobby Lobby) Ink : Tuxedo Black Memento ink (ME-900 - Tsukineko) Accessories : Paper Frill (scalloped) - (Doodlebug Design Inc.), classic hearts - nestabilities (Spellbinders), copic ciao markers (Imagination International I

Happy Wednesday!! We've made it halfway through another week! I decided to stamp one more sample with the Skipping Stones Design set " Buns 'n Crunches " -- This time, I made some yummy cookies. Here is the sketch by Amber Hight : and here is my card: Stamps : Buns 'n Crunches (Skipping Stones Design) Paper : Tawny Medium (Prism Papers), Baby Blue Medium (Prism Papers), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Chocolate Chip (SU!), Blue Mini Dots (Express Yourself...Creatively! - Colorbok) Ink : Rich Cocoa Memento (ME-800 Tsukineko) Accessories : Copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), brown satin ribbon (Michaels Stores Inc.), Corner punch (Paper Shapers - EK Success)

So I just realized that I still have not shown off my stamp studio/office since I painted, etc. SO, I decided that tomorrow (or by the weekend at the very latest *crossing my fingers*), I will take and post some pictures to show you all. (Of course you must promise not to laugh at how messy I am - well, at least loud enough that I will hear you). Happy Tuesday . . . can you believe how fast January has ZOOMED by? This is the last sketch this month already. It has been wonderful having Amy as our sketch designer -- her sketches have ROCKED! This one is no exception! Thanks Amy!!! Be sure to jump over to my side bar and go see what all the DT girls have been up to . . . they have created some AWESOME stuff!!! Also, just released today: Dandelion Dreams (a gorgeous set you NEED) and Well Behaved - Special Edition (which truly was not well-behaved and has some typos -- but you can get it for really, REALLY cheap because of this)! GET THEM WHILE THEY'RE HOT!!! Stamps

Such a simple, clean and awesome sketch ! I am such a sucker for sketches!!! I found this sketch over at Card Positioning Systems blog. I was lucky enough to win an awesome prize from them a couple weeks ago (thank you Gina K Designs & Tami for drawing me!), so stay tuned for some fun using that new stamp set in the coming weeks . . . This week I have been playing with Skipping Stones "Healing Wings" acrylic stamp set! As soon as I got to see it, I knew it was a must have for me! I love the butterflies, and I adore all the beautiful sentiments in the set! And now, I am headed to go stalk my FedEx guy . . . he is supposed to be bringing me my new Stor in Style file drawers (my birthday present) and I am anxious to get busy on putting them together and getting my office/stamp studio all cleaned up! See you tomorrow for the Skipping Stones Design Tuesday sketch! Stamps : Healing Wings (Skipping Stones Design) Paper : Forever Family - Gladys Pauline (Dream Street

This sketch was a lot of fun for me. I decided almost right away to turn it on its side -- and it worked out perfectly like that with the image I had! Hope you like my Magnolia valentine . . . more to come soon as I have been playing in my studio again since we have had some INSANELY rainy and stormy weather here in the past couple days! Stamps : Magnolia, be mine (3-8222B - A Muse Artstamps) Paper : Perfect Plum (SU!), Emma's Garden (Fancy-Free Collection - Fancy Pants Designs), Crabapple Light (P027-E -Prism Papers), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink : Tuxedo Black Memento (ME-900 - Tsukineko), Perfect Plum Classic (SU!) Accessories : Pink Paper flowers (Prima Marketing), sponge, long scalloped rectangles- nestabilities (Spellbinders), Classic Hearts - Nestabilities (Spellbinders), pale plum buttons (SU!), pale pink with white dots organdy (Michaels Stores Inc.), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), Inkssentials Glossy Accents (Ranger), pop dots.

It's that time again kids -- are you ready? Time to pick up your favorite Skipping Stones Design stamp set and get stamping with the weekly sketch challenge. The layout today is simple, classic, and nice. Thank you to Amy Sheffer for the sketches this month. My card follows the sketch pretty well, but I did add a sentiment to the bottom right corner (please don't shoot me for kinda cheating). I was going to just put a bow, but in the end, the sentiment made more sense there, and fit better! Hope you will take a few minutes and go check out all the awesome creations that the DT has made with this sketch . . . they are located *new* on my sidebar so you can do this easily! Also, if you upload your creation to a gallery, please remember to use keywords "SSD08" so we can see what you made! Stamps : Buns & Crunches (Skipping Stones Design) , Mega Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink) Paper : Bashful Blue (SU!), Barely Banana (SU!), Solar White classic crest (Neenah),

So have you heard about the deal that McDonalds is running on the weekends (well at least here in AZ) . . . 50 nuggets for like $10 or so . . . well out of this amazing deal was born this nugget eating contest at my hubby's office. *roll eyes* Of course, my hubby participated and WON ! He ate a disgustingly impressive 62 nuggets *gags* He is not a big guy, so I am seriously surprised he did not puke or have a heart attack or something. EW! FINAL TOTALS: Wendy - 19.5 Todd - 31 Marc - 34 Michael - 62 Anyway, gotta be proud, and how could I not be? The contenders M and 6 boxes of ten + 2 . . . 62 glorious McNuggets in 45 minutes My WINNER!

ZOOM, SWOOSH, time is just flying by. I can't believe it is Tuesday again already. Due date day will be here before you know it . . . it is crazy! I need to start getting more organized . . . less stamping, more preparing . . . like packing a suitcase could be useful right? As if any baby of mine would come early *crosses fingers and toes that she won't* Here is today's sketch (thanks to Amy Scheffer): http://pickledpaperdesigns.blogspot.com/ Today I have a special treat for you -- a sneaky peek at a new set available soon-ish from Skipping Stones Design . It is called Buns & Crunches and it is HILARIOUS! I just love it! Hope you find some time to play along with us with this awesome sketch . . . happy stampin'! This card features the BEST SENTIMENT IN A STAMP SET EVER: "Who wants buns of steel?" and for inside: "When you can have buns of cinnamon" Stamps : Buns & Crunches (Skipping Stones Design) Paper : Chocolate Brown (HobbyLobby

As promised, here is another card from the Bra set (Skipping Stones Design). I am kind of stuck on the black and white with a color POP theme with these . . . Does that ever happen to you as a stamper -- you find something is just working well for you, so you go with it? Inside of card reads: They help you hold it together even when things are falling apart." Stamps : Funny Bras - Volume 1 (Skipping Stones Design) Paper : Black Tie Optional - Kitsch'n Floral (Imaginisce), Textured Black (The Paper Studio - Hobby Lobby), Bashful Blue (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink : Bashful Blue Classic (SU!), Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko) Accessories: Rhinestones (KaiserScrapbook - Papertrey Ink), Black with white dot organdy ribbon (Dots, Dashes & Checks - Michaels Stores Inc.), Scalloped and Plain circle nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), sewing machine (Singer), black thread (Sulky)

CHALLENGES GALORE to make this card --I am a sucker for sketches, and fell in love with this simple and clean and easy one over at Card Positioning Systems blog . (CPS148) I just knew I had to try it. Then the color challenge (CC252) intrigued me -- strange colors (Bermuda Bay (or taken with teal), handsome hunter, and certainly celery with a *pop* of pink somewhere). Oh and can't forget Monday there was an awesome Technique Lovers Challenge on SCS (TLC254 - it was quilting on a card), so I threw that in too . . . and this is the crazy finished project I came up with! I like it. What do you think???? Stamps : Funny Bras - Volume 1 (Skipping Stones Design) Paper : Taken With Teal (SU!), Handsome Hunter (SU!), Certainly Celery (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Certainly Celery Designer Series Paper (SU!), Graceful Circles - Penny Lane (My Minds Eye) Ink : Onyx Black Versafine Accessories : 3D Glue Dots (Therm o Web), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), Pale pink

I did get us tickets to Weezer, but after the awful accident that happened - that show was cancelled, so we were trying to figure out what to do on or anniversary and we decided it would be fun to buy Guitar Hero 5 and play together (Make our own concert so to speak)! So, first we went to dinner at Benihana (thanks to the Wrights who took our kids for us for the evening) and then we rocked out to our own show until we were too tired to think (literally, I think Michael fell asleep playing a song -- yes, I am quite sure that is why we got boo'd off the stage). It was a fun evening, truly a happy 8th anniversary for us! Here are a couple more pictures from our experience at Benihana . . . Our cook, Ananda cooking and Mic showing off how he can use chop sticks like a pro Our pretty plates and my lemon chicken cooking Me (7 mos. preggo and not *glowing*) and My Michael The sweet note my baby girl left for us on the kitchen table (she is just too cute!)

Hey guys! Happy 2010! I was so not ready for vacation to be done when I had to send my kids back to school yesterday! *sad face* We had such a fantastic break! Guess what though? Lots of fun stuff for you today! First, HAPPY 8th ANNIVERSARY TO MY CUTE, CHARMING, and WONDERFUL husband! I am seriously the luckiest woman! He is so good to me and makes me laugh and smile! We've grown so much together in 8 years and being my opposite he has taught me a lot and for that I will forever be grateful! *tears* I can hardly believe how fast the time has flown by. I am excited for the years to come. ********** Enough sappy Manda, introducing the Skipping Stones Design Blop Hop . If you've just happened upon my blog, you can CLICK HERE to start from the beginning. You should have arrived here from Debbie Fischer's blog: http://debbiedee.blogspot.com/ Along the way, the Skipping Stones Design Team (aka the Stamp Tramps) will have blog candy for you to enter. As an added bonus, th