the.amanda.sewell

So, I decided not to stamp at all today and spent half of the day in bed reading "The Undomestic Goddess" - Sophie Kinsella. Then I remembered that tomorrow we are headed to Utah and I decided that maybe I should stamp a card for my SIL in California who is pregnant, before I leave -- get it in the mail before I go. So I did. The colors I used are blush blossom (a rare one for me) and chocolate chip. The background is stamped with canvas on whisper white. The pregnant woman is by Katie & Co. and is a stamp I found in the $1 spot at Michaels. The sentiment is from Swell News - Stampin' Up! I watercolored using a blender pen and the ink pad lid to color in the dresses, shoes and ribbon on the hat. I double layered the ribbon at the top for interest -- it looked too plain with just one layer. It is Dots Dashes and Checks ribbon in chocolate sheer from Michaels. I am pleased with how this turned out. It was my first time using the Katie & Co. stamp. Then, I ...

So I decided that since I slacked off yesterday (READ: did the laundry and all the housework I had been neglecting instead of stamping), I would try out the color challenge and get one of my new sets inky! I got this set because I love sets that you can color in, and because the sentiment in it is just too cute!!! The colors I ended up using because I do not have all the new colors yet *shock* were bashful blue (I know, my picture does not look quite like that -- camera messed it up), apricot appeal and cranberry crisp. I also added Old Olive in for the leaves and it worked with this particular color combination. In the card above, faux stitching was done on the cranberry crisp using the white gelly roll pen I have. The apricot appeal is stamped with linen background, tone on tone. I don't know how well you can see it, but I distressed the interior edges of the cranberry crisp square. Then I rolled them back a bit. The image was watercolored with a blender pen and the top of my...

Don't stress out, I was not quite meaning Christmas yet, although I have seen some stampers who are already working on Christmas cards! WOW! Speaking of holidays though, I have to admit I am a bit weirded out by the fact that US Thanksgiving is after Halloween. I know I have lived here for like 5 years plus, but growing up in Canada made me trained to expect it in October before Halloween, and my brain cannot handle that it is after. ANYWAY . . . we are headed to visit relatives next weekend . . . fun fun . . . let the holiday party begin. I was just messing around with some stamps that I got at JoAnn's for $1 each. I came up with a couple of cards, one for Thanksgiving and one for Halloween . . . I made these late last night so I think my creative juices were running out, but they turned out okay. The turkey card was watercolored and then I doodled on the edges. Had to try that at least once since it is so "in" right now. I also doodled on the linen stamped str...

So I don't really do scrapping, and since today's creativity challenge was journaling, I decided since it would be hard to incorporate into a card, I would just do ten minutes of free writing on my dream life. I found this to be very therapeutic and lots of raw emotion just poured out. My dream life would be one in which I was loved completely for who I am. There would be no negative . There would be no hurt emotions. There would be only love . I would be able to get pregnant when I wanted to. I would be able to spend more time with my kids. I would be a better mommy. I would make the right choices at the right times. I would not carry any emotional baggage. If the mood struck me to stamp, dance , sing, read, eat, crochet – I would just go do that. There would be no bills to pay. There would only be peace in the world. I would be free. I would be closer to my family. I could help my grandma who is struggling with chemotherapy. I would know why s...

E made it on the potty twice today! Miracles do happen! She got M&M's the first time and a small snow white dolly the second time . . . I am trying to encourage repeat performances . . .

I had the best mommy time this weekend. Wondering what that is? Well, every Saturday I have free mommy time from 12 noon till 3 o'clock-ish. This Saturday I decided to check out a stamp store in Glendale, since it was not too far from me. I drove to the Creative Quest and when I went in the door, I knew this had been what I was looking for. I was looking for a store that had less emphasis on scrapbooking and more emphasis on rubber stamps, paper and cardmaking. I am so excited about this store you would not even believe it. I spent about an hour browsing around and found some new rubber, some flexible microscope slides, and some precut book board. The Impress flower is pretty rad. It is just the flower, not the center pieces. I love it. I also got two sentiments from Penny Black, but I have not used them yet, so look for them in a future post. I am so excited to play with it all. When I was done there, I made a pit stop at Ceretta's Chocolate Factory (like a bloc...

So, last night a stamped a creation for Rhonna's Creativity Exercise A Day challenges. I did not have an inspiration/idea/sketch book, so I decided to create one. I will do the other parts of the challenges soon, but that was all I could handle last night, I was way too tired. The darker pink is stamped with Print Pattern Background and then a little gem was added to each point connection. The lighter pink was stamped with Mixed Bouquet roses (which p.s. I am obsessed with this set-especially that stamp) and then the leaves were stamped on celery with staz on, cut out and adhered. The roses were then sponged with regal rose ink, and then covered with Crystal effects and a little glitter to make them puffy and shiny. The black dots were my "doodling aspect" and were done with a sharpie. The ribbons are self explanatory. Font is Curlz. Today I am working on potty training E again. I think we are making progress by making her go bare butt. She had a huge temper t...

I saw this great card in the gallery on Splitcoaststampers, by Kelly Brandt, where she mixed lumiere with reinkers and the dabbed it on cardstock using plastic wrap. I had done lumiere resist before, where you dab the lumiere on and then brayer color over it, but I had never thought to mix the color right into the lumiere. Her results were gorgeous and so I just had to try. My attempts do not quite compare to hers, but I know this is something I am going to play with some more until I get it just right. I also might have to try a combination of this color mixed lumiere technique and the resist. Thanks for inspiring me with your great idea Kelly, and thanks for the extra tips and advice you PM'ed to me. You're awesome!!! Bloom - The font on this card was printed from microsoft word. I used just the cranberry crisp reinker and lumiere mix on this background. The stamp is from Tags and More (Stampin' Up!) and the black brads were added for interest. I wanted ...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14486560/ This is too funny to me. Seriously, if you are old enough to have a penis pump, then you are old enough to realize that admitting that you have one and not claiming it is a bomb is a good idea. Um, three years in prison, or telling your mom that you are a sexual being . . . . seriously, some people are so dumb. Just sayin'.

So, I was reading on Jennie's blog, and came across this other blog by Rhonna Farrer, where for 10 days she is doing challenges. And, although I do not scrapbook -- I was thinking that I could just as easily take her challenges and apply them to my cardmaking. So, since I am already 3 days behind, I am gonna stamp this next week or so, and try some of her creativity exercises and I will post what I came up with . . . (to be continued)

So yesterday I decided to play with chipboard. I also completed the sketch challenge. I thought my results were just okay, but the feedback that I have gained from this card, is astounding. "They like me, they really like me." The chipboard flower was created following a tutorial by Jenn Balcer on how to cover it. It was simple really. Then I just punched a small circle and a button with mellow moss ribbon just seemed the perfectly logical next step. The layout and the different paper layers came easily. The hardest part for me was figuring out where to put "friend" on the card. Oh, and deciding whether or not to add the primas on the side. They were totally an afterthought and did not quite match perfectly (I am so A.R.) so I could not decide. In the end, I added them, but only after sponging them with mellow moss ink. That way they blended in better. The whole card is done in confetti cream, cranberry crisp, and mellow mellow moss. The moment of weakne...

So, my poor "Bugs and Kisses" SU set was being treated cruelly. I got it right after the new catty came out and it has sat on my shelf waiting to be used and I have ignored it. So, I decided to play with it and see what I could come up with. My first inkspiration was to use the worm as gummy worms. I was looking at my bag of grosgrain scraps and the colors just kind of came to me. The colors used are tempting turquoise, regal rose, yo yo yellow, and green galore. The ribbon was done in the perfect bow method, only I used three colors. The black gingham was tied through the original loop. The yellow strips of grosgrain were to replace the paper strip in the original sketch challenge idea, and the black brads at the bottom were just to add interest. Also, stamped tone on tone in the background there are more worms. The only thing this card is missing is a little glitter. I think overstamping the worms with irridescent ice would complete the yummy gummy worms look. M...

My card turned out okay. I really struggled with it. The colors are summer sun, handsome hunter and pumpkin pie. Oh, and the sunflower itself is stamped on kraft rather than the traditional vanilla or white. The stamp set used here is a Stampin Up! one called "Give Thanks." It was new in this years catalog. The image is colored with water color pencils and a blender pen (yes, I am old school). There is a little bit of crystal effects and glitter on the seed center of the flower, although in hindsight, I think I would just do crystal effects next time. The piercing was an afterthought because it looked too plain to me. The ribbon idea came from the SU mini catty, and the brads were because I did not want to use staples. It is hard to see but the background is stamped tone on tone with Linen background from SU! I think it will do. I hope Marsha likes it. I guess I will know in about a week or so . . .

For some reason I have not really been as "into" virtual stamp night lately. But, I did do a few of the challenges. I think I would have done more, but I was uninspired. I think part of my stamping block is because there are things I need to get done like my swaps for my upline , and a wedding invite idea for a sideline member, and they are keeping me from just spewing forth creativity. At any rate, I did 6 of the challenges. The card on the left is called "Stupid Happy in Love." The challenge was to use pink and one neutral. You could use any pinks you wanted to, so I used pink passion, rose red, pretty in pink and pixie pink Stampin ' Up! inks. The couple stamp is a Penny Black design. I got it when I was in El Paso . It has been waiting for some love. The hearts in the background are SU "All Through the Year" and the "Happiness" at the bottom is also SU , "Warm Words" I like how this one turned out. I got the layout i...

Okay, so I am quickly learning how not computer saavy I have become and I am starting to understand somewhat of what my grandparents feel. I have been trying to work out some of the kinks on this site and get the pictures looking snazzy and such, and it is actually lots of work. I am also going to transition my blog to include more of my stamping work, since I can and because more people are having stamping blogs, so why not me? Anyway, today I wanted to write a bit about the Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Expo that I had the opportunity to attend on the weekend. It was held in Mesa, AZ and was a little smaller scale than I was first expecting, however, I had fun! I got two stamps from starvingartiststamps and got to do a make and take and see some cool demonstrations. A friend of mine suggested Saturday mommy time away from the family, and it is really working for me. From noon to three I got to play at the expo/Michael's/ Scrapbooks Etc. There were some demonstrators from Stampin...

Here is the article from MSNBC.com http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14065706/ In spite of all the good things about breastfeeding -- is breast-feeding now TABOO??? I read this article and my first thought was "get over it." I think the cover of this magazine was a very appropriate location for a photo like this one. This cover shows no nipple or anything too gross, and is simply a cute baby eating his lunch. If it had a picture of a baby eating a spoonful of rice cereal no one would care -- so why does this have to be any different? I was offended that so many people were upset by this cover. It is beautiful in its own way and any mother should appreciate it. I breast fed my children and was very discreet about it, but at the same time, I don't feel like it should be something that should be looked down upon. What do you think?

So we are working on potty training E. It is a slow process, but after lots of drinks, popcorn and bribery last night, she finally went pee in the big girl potty. We gave her the Belle doll as promised for her peeing on the potty. Then this afternoon we had another success. We are going to make Dora the explorer cupcakes to celebrate. I am so ready for her to be trained, I mean, she is 3.5 years old and has great bladder control. Just think, when I get her trained, it will be not too long and I will get to train a cute little J. That ought to be a blast since boys are apparently harder to train than girls . . . *sigh*