the.amanda.sewell

It seems little miss Hanna has been cleaning her house and making us all look bad. Seriously, what a slacker *wink* I adore this set by Hanna Stamps called Domestic Goddess. This card was created using SC157 and was made for HSC10 (Hanna Stamps Challenges that you can find in the Hanna Stamps forum on Splitcoaststampers). The challenge was to add bling your images. I had so much fun playing with these bright funky colors and I USED MY NEW PRISM PAPERS CARD STOCK . I know, don't die of shock! LOL! I needed a color that matched perfectly with the designer paper I was using and PRISM happened to offer one called Frosted Kiwi! I was coloring my image and realized the color was not exactly an SU color, so I blended two colors while watercoloring (gable green and yo yo yellow) -- have you ever done that before to get an exact color match? I was really excited when it worked. Hanna's hair was colored with twinkling H2O's blended with barely banana ink (apparently today ...

I have had this design idea in my head for a couple days, but last night I got it out and down on paper. I wanted to do something different with the flower in my Fairy Whimsey set from Artful Inkables. I wanted to not include the fairies in a card. The bloggers challenge for this Friday was to do something with "Spring Flowers" and I thought this was the perfect opportunity, so basically, I "springified" the flowers in the Fairy Whimsey set. They are colored with prismacolor pencils and gamsol. I just love working with prismacolors. They seriously do all the work to make it look so blended and realistic. I used my divine swirls embossing folder and my cuttlebug machine on the lavender lace paper in the background. I did two layers of ribbon to pull out some of the more subtle colors in the coloring. Both ribbons are from my collection (jars). Layout is pretty basic. Sentiment is stamped using Karen Foster Design Snap Stamps. I stitched (or attempted to) t...

Here is a simple card that involves very little coloring. I wanted to show you that all of the Artful Inkables images do not have to be colored intensely to look great -- aka, if you suck at coloring, you can still use these awesome images. Here, I stamped the butterflies from Fairy Whimsey in timber brown staz on. I watercolored the ones on the white paper using certainly celery, but you could for sure use SU markers to color them in just as quickly. I added diamond stickles over the top of the colored parts for just a little bling. The layout for this card was totally CASE'd from this gorgeous card on SCS by Julie. I added the dots along the edge of the brown paper because it needed something and they just kind of seemed to fit. The base of the card is white, it is hard to see the white paper, but it really pulls the whole card together. Stamps : Artful Inkables Fairy Whimsey Paper : Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Whisper White. Ink : Timber Brown Staz On Accessori...

I have to tell you about the coolest thing that happened yesterday. UPS dinged my door bell and since I had not ordered anything recently, I was like, hmmmm . . . I went and got it and there was a box . The box was addressed to me and was from Prism Papers. Inside was this huge block of paper (3 sheets of every color in the prismatics line) and another pack of some prismatics and a swatch pad. I was drooling when I opened it. It is seriously the most gorgeous paper. WOW! It turns out that Prism Papers will soon be sold on the Hanna Stamps site and a wonderful girl named Jamie at Prism Papers sent out a designer block and swatch book to each of the members of the Hanna Stamps Design Team. (Thanks also to Kristi and Tami) We are all so excited about it! How wonderful!!! I hope you are super excited about this news too! I sorted my pack yesterday by colors and it looks so pretty in my drawer -- now I just have to work up the courage to cut into it . . . but that shouldn't be...

I needed to get into my stamp room. It is a total disaster but I was feeling the gotta stamp bug. I made another card using Artful Inkables stamps -- this time it was from the Fairy Whimsey set (one of the four newest ones). I colored the image using my aquapainter and the lids of my ink pads. I also did the hair with Luminarte Twinkling H2O's. I used some H2O's on the dress as well to add some shimmer -- it is so subtle but pretty! The flesh areas were colored using a crayola colored pencil and gamsol. The background paper is Basic Grey - Scarlets Letter - Fare thee well. I placed a sheet of vellum over the top in an attempt to make it more grey to match the color challenge which was soft sky, basic grey and whisper white. It worked! I was super excited at how well it matched. Second background piece is embossed using the Cuttlebug machine and the Tiny Bubbles folder. I then dragged the sponge over the top of the piece with some basic grey ink on it. Subtle and per...

We made it back safe from our trip to UT! And miraculously we still have some sanity left -- that was a super long car ride for a couple of kids. They had a lot of fun playing with their cousins though. I am really glad we went and got together with family. It was a short visit, but I feel like we talked more in this visit than we had on any other one that we had previously taken. I have been sleeping most of the day so far . . . catching up after getting home at 4 am this morning. I should be back stamping tomorrow sometime . . . I have stuff I need to get done :) Hope you had a wonderful Easter! View Album Get your own

Here is my card for Bev's Hanna Stamps Sketch Challenge. I used "But I Need It" -- I seriously LOVE this set. Maybe it is because I relate. But, our girl Hanna is generous and this card says "for you" because all those bags she has this time are for a dear friend of hers. Awww, what a sweetie! Don't worry, she had LOTS of fun shopping for it all! *giggles* Especially those shoes!!! The size of the card is 4.25 x 4.25. I wanted to make a bright card, because if you have been following my blog recently, you'll know, I am totally stuck on the bold brights. This color combination reminded me of watermelon. Mmmm. I love summer. It better get here in a hurry too because I am sick of being sick! And I am in AZ, so I know people in other places across the country are even colder and, as hard as it is for me to imagine, probably even more sick . . . of winter! Stamps : But I Need It - Hanna Stamps Paper : Whisper White, Green Galore, Pink Passion...

I made these note cards to send to my cousin in Canada. Just out of the blue I felt like doing this in the past week and then imagine my surprise when today's limited supply challenge basically asked to do exactly what I had done. Here is what the challenge was: ***** Remember how long it took to collect enough stamps and colors to actually feel like you could make something unique over and over? Let's help our new stamping friends and show them that just a few stamps and colors can create very different looks. Here's what you'll need... along with the directions. STAMPS 3-4 stamps CARDSTOCK & INK white or vanilla one piece of designer paper (If it's double sided, you can use both prints!) 1-2 additional solid colors of cardstock TOOLS & EMBELLISHMENTS *any* DIRECTIONS: Make 2-4 cards using the SAME stamps, designer paper, and color scheme. Things that can change to make each card unique are layouts, tools and accessories. The ...

I played with the fairies again. They are just so darn cute! Seriously, how can I resist them. This time I used the color challenge, CC158 -- only slightly modified because I added bashful blue. Layout is an old school sketch challenge from way back when -- SC68 I think. DP is by Stampin' Up! It was the back side of some old seasonal series paper. I thought it worked perfectly. Image was colored using watercolors and prismacolors. Stitching was done with a singer sewing machine. Background is cuttlebugged. Orchid ribbon was in my ribbon jars, not sure who makes it, but it was a perfect match. Prima flowers are Asters from the monthly collection primas. The blue ones are from a box or Primas I got from Jody :) Thanks Jody! If you haven't had a chance to drop in and visit Kristin at Artful Inkables . . . go do it. Seriously, her prices are great, stamps are cute and you will not regret it!!! Plus, those GRAND OPENING specials are still going on, so quick, CLICK H...

OMGosh, if you could see my desk at this moment. I had to push stuff out of the way to be able to fit my laptop on it in order to make this post *giggles* I think I *may* need to clean up after this. However, with a mess comes . . . drum roll . . . Postapalooza 2008. I have tons of stuff to show you in the next 24 hours, just as fast as I can upload and type. I had a lot of fun stamping and playing today. It was mindless stamping up until I decided to give paper basket-making a try using this tutorial by Laura Canale. For the most part, the tutorial was really easy, (aka, not Laura's fault, I am just basket making special). I struggled a bit with making the skinny layers sit right, but other than that . . . it was easy peasy *wink* The only things that I changed were instead of putting a layer of paper on the inside, I used the ribbon that I used on the handles to line the inside (I think it looks sweet) and I used DP -- by Lasting Impressions- Lilac Plaid. It was thicker...

I have noticed that strawberries have been more cheaply available lately -- I got a really good deal just last week. My kids just love strawberries. This week, instead of telling you what we are making for dinner (which I am pretty sure will be KFC bowls again - home made of course), I decided to share a recipe for strawberry jam with you! Hope you enjoy!! Home Made Strawberry Jam Ingredients Makes 48 ounces. 4 pounds strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and cut into 1-inch pieces 5 cups granulated sugar (2 1/4 pounds) Directions Put a small plate in the freezer. Place berries in a nonreactive 10-quart stockpot set over medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, mix in 1/4 cup sugar with berries. Cook, stirring, until berries are juicy, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in a third of remaining sugar until dissolved. Repeat until all the sugar has been added and dissolved, about 7 minutes total. Bring mixture to a full boil; cook, stirring, 10 minutes. Continue boiling; use a stainless-steel spoon ...

I thought this was pretty hilarious!!! Thanks for the tag Becky . . . even if it was sneaky *giggles* 3 things that.... Fascinate me: My children's eating habits Stars and the moon The Human Brain Inspire me : Awesome stampers on SCS Pottery Barn My family Anger me : Illegal Immigration Senseless violence Rude people Delight Me : Bright colored flowers in a clean house Dark chocolate and almonds When my kids tell me they love me Frighten me : Whether or not I am capable of raising kids that will contribute positively to society Going to the dentist Risk Relax me : Reading a good book or watching a movie Stamping and creating Having a clean house If you read this ...you've been tagged!!! If you post your own leave me a comment and i'll stop by and take a look!!

You may have noticed a new link on my sidebar recently to ARTFUL INKABLES . My friend Kristin now has her own line of stamps and has invited me to be her design team (the only one for now). CLICK HERE for a little background on her stamp line. Right now she is running a GRAND OPENING special . . . which means FREE stamps for you and maybe even FREE shipping . . . be sure to check that out. She sent out a bunch of stamps for me to play with, priority even so I got them super fast, so over the next few days you may see a few samples using her stamps . . . hope you like them and will take some time to check out her stamps. Do you like fairies and dragons? She has both in newly released sets . . . keep your eyes peeled for samples of those coming really soon!!! From Pretty Parrot I used a typical parrot image for the coloring to create this one. The black tulle reminded of a bird cage and I thought it would work well with the bright colors. I used SC140 for the layout of this one. ...

This morning I spent my morning addressing and sending out some thank you notes for some gorgeous cards that I have gotten in the mail recently! I finally feel a little bit caught up on that. Then I decided to tackle the sketch challenge. I know, I know, a day late and a dollar short as usual! I am excited about how it turned out though . . . the colors are so vibrant and summery! I am eager for summer to arrive. The weather here in Maricopa has been sunny and bright and lovely (read: 80F) the past couple days and we are loving it. We just have to get that play structure done soon before the real heat arrives!!! Stamps : Magnolia Easter Egg Tilda, Bunny Hugs (SU!) Paper : Colorbok Aqua and Yellow Stripe, Taken with Teal, Apricot Appeal, Whisper White, Kraft, Pale aqua color DP (no name on it) Ink : Memories Black Dye Ink, Apricot Appeal Accessories : nch (Marvy Uchida), oval punch (SU!), white organdy with white dots, apricot grosgrain, mounting tape, ice crystal brads by...

I was tagged by Teresa at Inkfully Yours and Katie at Katie's Niche The rules of the game: • Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. • Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, we all want to know them. • Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. • Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. 7 Randomly Weird Facts About Me: 1. I wear size 8.5-9.5 shoes -- I used to wear size 8's pre-pregnancy 2. I have lost 5 lbs in the past two weeks 3. I have two houses right now because we still have not sold the old one in Phx. due to the market being so bad. We are considering renting it. 4. We are building a really cool playground in our back yard for our kids -- it is slow going, but consuming lots of our Saturdays and when it is done it will be amazing. The boxes are currently laid out in my living room -- fun fun . . . wood and tools and parts everywhere. ...

This card was made with a set that I got at Target. The set is an Autumn Leaves set called Mini Make a Flower by Katie Pertiet. I scored it on clearance for $1.38! YAY! It is acrylic. In case you missed it, this weeks color challenge was Basic Black, Basic Grey, and Purely Pomegranate. EASY PEASY for a girl who loves her pinks especially when paired with black or browns! I am loving this card!!! The background is actually white, even though the color is off -- it was sort of dark in the room and it came out kind of dark. Anyway, what do you think? Stamps: Mini Make a Flower, All Holidays (SU!), Linen (SU!) Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Basic Black, Basic Grey, Memories Black Dye Ink Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black Accessories: Black brads, assorted prima flowers (black dotted and grey), aquapainter, small SU circle punch (for flower centers)

So I have some news . . . I have been asked to be a permanent member of the Hanna Stamps design team! I am so excited because the girls on the team are so talented and I feel like I can learn a lot from seeing their work. Plus, Hanna Stamps is a company that is FABULOUS! The stamps are gorgeous, Kristi is sweet and awesome and even leaves comments on all the cards I make with the Hanna's (isn't that awesome for an owner to do?? I know she has a busy schedule and it is sweet for her to take the time). For now, I anxiously await the mailman daily, new stuff should be coming to my mail box soon. Be sure to check back here on my blog to see previews of the new Hanna stuff. Also, this FRIDAY -- 5 new sets will be released. You have got to head on over and check those out. Oh and another cool thing -- Kristi is now selling copic ciao markers on her site, and I just love how they are arranged. I think I am going to get some as soon as my budget allows me. I have wanted ...

I have seriously felt awful lately for slacking so bad on this group. I was sick and then life was just getting in the way of my stamping -- but I did do the challenge for this week and since today is still Friday, I did it on time *smiles* I did not really branch out too far -- well, I did, but trust me, after the first card I tried in a circle made it into the trash bin, I decided to try a square. We were supposed to make a card any shape besides a rectangle. I made a square -- but for me that is WAY different because I usually stick to normal card size . . . I like how it turned out even too! My card is 4.25 x 4.25 so it will still fit in a normal card size envelope. Hope you will take the time to check out some of the other cards that the girls in the bloggers challenge group have done. They are super awesome this week. Their links are on the right hand side and there are lots of them . . . so get busy . . . Stamps : Sentiment by River City Rubber Works, Chicks from Eggstra S...

WARNING : No animals were harmed in the making of this project, however, some Hershey Caramel Sticks may have been. *smiles* They were just too yummy to resist. And besides, they are only 60 calories each . . . hello, that rocks!!! Ever since I saw the tutorial on SCS to make these cute little door/bottle hangers -- I wanted to make one of my own and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to make one. I figured I could put it on my neighbors door . . . but wait - only one neighbor has moved in and the other house still remains empty. *sigh* I am starting to wonder if the deal did not work out or something and maybe I am never going to get a neighbor on that side . . . wanna be my neighbor???? I promise to hang cute treats on your door from time to time . . . I took this paper on Rose Red cardstock (not sure what happened at the bottom of the photo). I wanted you to be able to see the box, since I made it white. I am really happy with how it turned out, but seriously some...

I was lucky enough to be in the forum for the last release -- although I missed the party this time. Darn getting sleepy at 8 pm -- apparently I am not quite better yet -- I had big plans to watch a movie last night too and after I got the kids into bed I just crashed!!! Anyway, I signed up for the first official swap and these are the two cards I came up with (cannot wait to see what everyone else came up with - I used the same set for both my cards with quite different results): Happy Easter Bunny by Amanda Sewell Stamps : Eggstra Special Easter Ink : Staz On Timber Brown, Close to Cocoa, Pixie Pink Paper : Close to Cocoa, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Pixie Pink, Whisper White, Pebbles Inc – My Girl Stripe Accessories : Prima Flower of the Month – August Gladiolus, Singer Sewing machine, Pop dots, pretty in pink brads, glue dots, cocoa grosgrain ribbon, aquapainter Sketch 11 – Hey Chick by Amanda Sewell Stamps : Eggstra Special Easter Ink : Memories Black Dye Ink, cameo coral, ...

I made baked ravioli and it was super easy! The tomato sauce was very tomato -- WAY better than a jar and tasted authentic italian more -- kind of like what you would get at Bucca di Beppo! YUM!!! This recipe came from a book I have called Everyday Food - Fresh Food Fast by the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we did! The pan was empty at the end of the meal and everyone ate till they were stuffed -- always a good sign!!! Oh and sorry there is no picture but I did not think about it until the end when the pan was empty, I will be sure to add one next time we make it because there will be a next time with this recipe! It is great!!! Baked Ravioli Serves 4-6 2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion chopped (tip, buy frozen chopped onion -- fast and easy) 3 cloves garlic, minced coarse salt and fresh pepper 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano (we use oregano) 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes 2 cans (14. oz) diced tomatoes (they used whole tomatoes and t...

I have been sick, (awful cold and cough and I am still coughing but it seems to be getting better) and trying to catch up and last week it seemed like we had play dates out the wazoo, which I totally needed to do because my kids needed out of the house, but I am feeling so behind on my stamping. I did manage to complete some swaps that have to be postmarked this week (for the 1st Official MFT Swap), last night, so that is something at least. I fully intend to photograph those tonight and post them soon. Anyway, today after church J wanted me to make cupcakes, and since I haven't done any in a long time, I made some. I iced them with just an icing knife (sweet and simple) and added a cherry on top! The recipe made nice light and fluffy cupcakes but I would have liked a little more cherry flavor and I think I would add some cherries into the batter next time too! M took a picture of me while I was baking . . . *giggles*