the.amanda.sewell

This set is a lot of fun! It has SO many possibilities -- birthdays, Christmas, new baby . . . AWESOME! I made a couple cards to show you with it. The first one uses the adorable bear in it. I instantly thought of a baby card when I saw this guy (who knows why I have babies - specifically baby boys on the brain - only 11 weeks left *giggles*). I used a sketch from Limelight Papercrafts (Sketch #4) to create the layout of this card! Both of these two cards also work perfectly for today's challenge on Hanna Stamps (Create a card or item using 2 or more embellishments). This card uses ribbon, sewing machine stitching and buttons. Stamps : Vintage Toys (Hanna Stamps), Karen Foster Design Snap Stamps (Small Casual) Paper : Lily Kate (Basic Grey), Bashful Blue (SU!), Certainly Celery (SU!), Whisper White (SU!), Neenah Solar White Ink : Onyx Black Versafine, Colorbox Pigment Brush Pad - Frost White Accessories : clear embossing powder, white gel pen, copic markers, white bu...

This set is totally cool! I have not seen anything like it! I think it is perfect for a sympathy card, a thinking of you, a little hand out at church, maybe even for cards at Easter (thinking ahead here) etc. It is so CUTE! Hanna looks so angelic and well, to be completely honest, reminds me of my little sister (not sure why). I used the sketch at Card Positioning Systems (#83) for the layout. I was going for a "touched by an angel" look on the main image (and I think I kind of created that.) I used vellum to overlay the image to give it that glossy fuzz (soft focus). Stamps : For the Soul (Hanna Stamps), "God Bless" sentiment by American Art Stamp Paper: Lily Kate - Basic Grey, Neenah Solar White, SU vellum card stock, SU Whisper White Ink : Onyx Black Versafine Accessories : Sheer 5/8th Inch organdy ribbon, Nestabilities (Circle and scalloped circle), sewing machine, white thread, circle of plastic canvas, copic markers, white brads, paper piercing ...

What's better than chocolate mousse???? NEW Riley's of course!!!! In celebration of Hanna Stamps first year in business, (Hanna Anniversary Week) - Kristi has lots of giveaways for you!!!!! Visit our talented Design Team Blogs between now and Wednesday to see exciting sneak peeks and for the chance to win a never seen before Riley/Sophie Moose Image. For each comment you leave (on HANNA PREVIEW posts from this months release - one per post please), you will increase your chances of winning. Leaving a comment on each blog, each day to increase your chances of winning. One new stamp per Design Team member blog will be given out. Winners will be announced at the Hanna Stamps Release Party on Thursday October 2nd at 9:00 p.m. So pop into the party for challenges, prizes, chatter, more prizes and to see what the amazing Design Team has in store for you. Good luck and happy hoppin'!!! Adela - Creations by AR Beth - Freckled and Fun Bev - Savor the Journey Cambria - Stamp...

Okay, well actually we already went! It was fun, a little hot (about 85-90 degrees), but free, so how could we resist?!? It was Free Museum Day (though Smithsonian Magazine) and since the Phoenix Zoo is an affiliate, M and I took the kids to the zoo. We planned to get up early and get there by 7 am when it opened, but we ended up getting there closer to 9 am. We slept in. We stayed for only a couple hours, but had a lot of fun in that time. Plus, I got an awesome workout on the double bikes with Michael. Seriously, a lot for a little pregnant girl to handle (especially with only 11 weeks left). I am so glad we did it though and I would so pay the $20 it cost to rent them again. It was great!!! I am just going to attach all the pictures small, feel free to click and see whichever ones you want to! Some fun memories: the otters were about to be fed and their keeper called them out and they came (it was so cute), the vulture putting on a display of his wings for us (creepiest eye...

This idea was totally CASED from Home & Heart Magazine (Holiday Home, p. 23) if you want to see the original calendar. I am super excited with how mine turned out and thought I would share it with you. It still needs something on the bottom (I was thinking maybe some white rick rack or something, maybe pictures of some of our pumpkins we have made in previous years, but I am not sure yet, so I will add that when I decide what to put there. Anyway, hope you like it and it inspires you to make one too!!! The frame is an 11x17 poster frame I picked up at Michaels *using a coupon of course* and it was $3-$4. Pretty inexpensive, and it is acrylic and plastic, so mostly kid proof. I also bought a sheet of 18x18 Martha Stewart black paper (Michael's too) to go inside it and cut it down to size. Each rectangle on the calendar measures 1 1/2" x 2". Sorry about the slight glare on the photo, sadly, I had to keep the acrylic in because I put all the spider webs and spider...

What do you get when you have some gorgeous Heidi Grace Designs scrap paper you want to share, a little extra time and inspiring magazines lying around???? It's been a long time since I did some random baking (its been too darn hot), this time I opted for some banana bread to use up some very ripe bananas and for some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins because I saw the recipe and it just sounded terribly yummy! My friend came over and chatted while I baked (in the evening) and our kids played. Much cooler to bake at night. I sent one home with her and her hubby called and said it was "better than his moms" -- so that means that this must be a good recipe!!! Of course I plan to share the recipes with you, as always (both come from allrecipes.com today). Banana Sour Cream Bread Ingredients: 2 tbsp white sugar 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 c. and 2 tbsp butter 1 1/2 c. white sugar 2 eggs 3 very ripe bananas, mashed 1/2 16 oz. container of sour cream 1 tsp vanilla extract ...

I made this card for my SIL a long time ago, but I did not want her to see it before it got to her in the mail, so I decided I would not upload it till her birthday. Usually I am WAY behind on sending out cards, but I decided to try and get ahead and make a few super early!!! This was made using a previously stamped image -- I have been making efforts to use up my collection of these. Happy Birthday to Kari! Hope you like my creation! I used SC188 on Splitcoaststampers. Here are the rest of the details: Stamps : Cakeabella, Sentiment by Hero Arts Paper : Pixie Pink, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Carolees Creations - Pink Scratch Dots Ink : Close to Cocoa, Pixie Pink, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip Accessories: Sewing machine, brown thread, prima flowers, swarovski crystals, quickie glue pen, SU 1 3/8 and 1 1/4 circle punches, glue dots, aquapainter I am off to take my 28 week glucose test today -- wish me luck -- I hate drinking the nasty drink, but worse than that is the deal...

Cammie is doing something amazing. I know, not shocking because she is obviously an amazing person, but this time, to honor her grandmother who passed away, she is doing two things 1) She released a stamp set through Gina K called Whimsical Autumn for which she is donating 100% of the proceeds to the Alzheimer's Association in honor of her Grandma, and 2) Heart to Heart Blog CANDY -- She is giving away an amazing prize on her blog and all you have to do is make a card and send it to a caretaker of someone with Alzheimer's!!! This prize includes items from awesome companies like: JustRite Stampers, Shimmerz Paints, and Verve Visual, to name a few. It also includes awesome handmade goodies by awesome stampers such as Cambria Turnbow, Jeanne Streiff and SO so many more!!! WOW!!! I hope you will take some time and participate! It is super easy to do and think of the lives you can touch and the good you can do in the world. I know the warm fuzzies will be worth it!!! HURR...

This is by far the easiest little treat bag ever. Pastry bags are not super expensive and can be found in your cake decorating section at Michaels. (Be sure to get disposable clear ones like seen here). All I did was fill it with some Halloween M&M's and add a stamped gift tag and voila!!! This would also be VERY easy to adapt to Christmas, Easter, or even a birthday party favor. Pastry bags can be cut off at any length too, so you can make shorter smaller versions of this too. Stamps : Halloween Message sentiment stamp by Hero Arts, Doodle Pumpkins stamp by Stampendous (both of these from my awesome xpedx sale shopping so long ago) Paper : Basic Black, Neenah Solar White Ink: Onxy Black Versafine Accessories : Clear Embossing Powder, copic markers, black stitched grosgrain ribbon, pastry bags, M&M's candies

Just your regular boring Tuesday around here. I thought I would dig out an old image and play with it. I have been seeing cards in the gallery lately with old SU sets that I own (but now I consider them old and done with) but they have new life because people are coloring them with copic markers, and I was thinking I could do the same with this image by Penny Black. I used the color challenge colors (baja breeze, very vanilla, kiwi kiss) - but because I have not bought all the new "in colors" (SU!), I had to find alternates using Prism Papers because I have LOTS of those. Anyway, I think I pretty close to right with this combination: Prism Island Mist Medium (Baja Breeze) Prism Spring Willow Medium (Kiwi Kiss) Prism Vanilla Cream (Very Vanilla) I used the marker tip to tip technique when coloring the image because I did not have an exact match copic marker (I used new leaf (YG23) touched to olive (G99) to get the scarf color match on the green part). It worked really well ...

Here are your random numbers: 47 Timestamp: 2008-09-22 15:21:52 UTC I counted down 47 comments (ones containing the answers) and that makes Charlotte the winner of this fabulous candy! Please be sure to click on Charlottes blog and go see what she has been up to! Charlotte said... 1. Elyssa Tanenbaum 2. Prism Paper - I love the Nautical Blues! 3. "But I Need It" Great blog candy. Good luck to everyone! 6:49 PM Charlotte, please use the link on the side to send me an email and let me know where I should send your prize! Thanks for visiting and for your support everyone! I truly appreciate it. More blog candy coming soon . . . check back soon . . .

I have had such a lovely relaxing Saturday. I went with my kids to see "Igor" which was actually quite funny (if your kids hate villains though, skip this one because it is a little dark). I have been in kind of a funny mood all day -- full of giggles, which is fun. This morning at breakfast I was laughing so hard I choked on milk. *giggles* Oops! Maybe it is just out of control pregnant hormones, but oh well. Anyway, after the movie, we ate some yummy leftover chicken noodle soup and played some Mario Kart (I seriously *heart* that game). And then . . . off to the stamp room! Saturday is Inspiration Challenge day on SCS ! Today was a lovely set of dishes, that inspired me both with their gorgeous complimentary colors as well as with their textures. I went on a paper digging spree and came across some in the perfect colors to match my card! Next I needed a layout, so I stumbled on over to Amy R's blog, where she had a Friday sketch challenge, and I used that f...

I recently added a weekly challenges guide to the sidebar of my blog. There are so many blogs out there with so many challenges on them -- it is easy to be inspired by color, sketches and much more. I hope you will take some time to tackle some of the challenges that are out there (everyday there is one on SCS waiting for you). Is it Autumn where you are yet? Unfortunately for me, it is still 87 degrees outside here in the Phoenix area -- which is INSANE! I cannot wait for the cool crisp air and the colors of Autumn. I have been playing with Autumn colors recently trying to get in the mood. Maybe I can inspire mother nature to drop Autumn on us here in the hot desert. This card was created using the Mojo Monday sketch (#53) on Poetic Artistry . Julee always has the most amazing sketch ideas, and I am such a sucker for a sketch challenge. I wanted to use all the cute little images in the Jump For Joy set by Hanna Stamps -- they all just SCREAM Autumn and made a lovely background ...

I could not possibly let this glorious holiday pass this year without creating something for it! Hanna Stamps has just too many cool images with Pirates. First off there is Riley Moose dressed as a pirate: HERE , and then there is the Hanna Pirate set , which is just awesome!!! For more information on this amazing and silly holiday: CLICK HERE I made this set for my sweet hubby, M! First off, there is the mini trunk (complete with chocolate gold nuggets inside) and a pirate flag to warn off enemies. The treasure chest came from Michaels, I colored it with copic markers and added the gold detail using my Krylon gold leafing pen. Secondly, I thought it would be fun to put a message in a bottle and I came up with the idea of a pirate vocabulary list in a bottle (to help those who don't talk like this every day to be more pirate like). Of course, Michaels and JoAnn's did not have just the right size bottle, so I scrolled it up in a roll and tied it with a brown ribbon. Happ...

A month or so ago, a friend of mine had a potluck gathering in her home, and since then we have been trying to get another one together. This time we will be having it at my home, so I took some time today to come up with an invite using the sketch challenge on SCS. I think it turned out cute and was super easy to do. I think I am going to assign each invitee a category, such as salad, dessert, side, drinks, etc. and then take care of the main hot dish here are my house. Do you think that sounds like a good plan? That way, I know each of those will be taken care of and won't have to stress about it. How long do you think an event like this should go on for? We will be doing it Saturday afternoon/evening and there are going to be lots of kids there, so maybe for 2 hours -- max 3 hours. Should I put this on the invites, or just the start time? HELP!!! Stamps : Kiss the Cook (Hanna Stamps), SU Paper : Prism Papers - Baby Blue Dark, Neenah Solar White, Frances Meyer - Blue S...