Friday, June 29, 2012

OCL Challenge #123

Hey Peeps ~ today I have a challenge card for you using a new set by Our Craft Lounge called Star Spangled.  



I used stars on the blue background from the Patriotic Parade stamp set and then the sentiment from the Star Spangled stamp set.  This new set also has a great flag and some other fun patriotic images ~ which are perfect for many occasions ~ not just the 4th of July!



Now it's your turn to play along!  Don't forget to add your link to the OCL Blog.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Rome...Part 1!

One year ago, we booked a very special trip for our family.  It came out of the blue & we made the decision very quickly.  In fact, it wasn't one my husband even wanted to take ~ but since he loves me so much, he decided to take the chance on this trip!  We just returned from a trip to the Eastern Mediterranean and it turned out to be one of the most AMAZING trips we have ever taken ~ and one we will never forget!

Our first stop was Rome, Italy ~ Ahhh....ROMA!  I was in shell shock when we arrived, but it didn't take long to fall in love with this beautiful city.  We stayed right in the center of it so we could walk everywhere and my amazing brother-in-law was the most amazing tour guide (he lived there for a year while in college).  Our little hotel (more like a B&B), was called Case De' Flori and it was just charming.  It is located in the Compo del Flori Piazza where there are many outdoor cafes and an outdoor market that is set up each morning.  It was the perfect location.  Inside, we each had a lovely room on a few different floors of the hotel, and then we enjoyed a fabulous common living room area where we could all gather to visit.  Here is the family out front. 



The streets of Rome are about 3 inches wide, but they manage to get all their Smart Cars & Vespa motor scooters through there.  


After we checked in to the hotel, we walked through the city to go find some lunch.


Although Matt was half asleep, we managed to drag him through the streets and outdoor vendors on our way to lunch.


Just at the end of the street beyond where this picture of Matt and Richard was taken, this is what I saw... Piazza Novona!


We found a wonderful outdoor cafe called Vacanze Romane ~ we had real Italian Pizza!


This gorgeous church was in the Piazza ~ just lovely & the day was PERFECT!


Matt by the fountain in the Piazza ...



And Tim took a pose too!



Each day the local artists set up beautiful booths to sell their crafts.  It was such a colorful display!



On the way back, we stopped for a visit to the Pantheon!



the inside was amazing!



Around every corner there was something new and wonderful to see!



Tim and I shared a kiss on the Spanish Steps.



The Spanish Steps & then we found another outdoor cafe for dinner.  That was the end of Day #1 in Roma!


Day #2 ~  we started off going to the market outside our hotel for fresh pastry and fruit from the Campo del Flori.  After that, we walked to the several historical landmarks ~ The Forum, Colosseum, Gesu Church, Campidogllo, and the Monumento Vittorio Emanuelle.



The Forum 



The Colosseum


Uncle Shawn with Matt & Megan at the Colosseum 



Inside the Colosseum 







Back to The Forum



These cool Umbrella Pines were all over the city. 



Meg poses at the Forum




Uncle Shawn has a "Jesus Help Me Moment" ~ it was a tad hot!

Tim, Meg and Matt at the Forum


 More ruins at the Forum 



After that was had lunch and then headed back to the hotel and took a nap!  Later that evening we had dinner at the outdoor restaurant across from the hotel called Ristorante de Pancrazio ~ it was an AMAZING meal.

OK ~ that was the first 2 days of our trip but that's it for my post today.  I'll post the rest of Rome and the many other places we visited in the next few days.  Enjoy!

Monday, June 25, 2012

DT Challenge Day for GRS!

It's time for a DT Challenge with Gourmet Rubber Stamps ~ YIPEEEE!!!  This month we were challenged to use stamps in ways other than originally intended.  So..... I decided to use the pretty flower image from the new Diners set called Bloom and Grow as the pattern on the butterfly die cut.  I also added some flourishes from the Fanciful Flourishes stamp set.  I just love kraft and coral together ~ but, I think I love anything with kraft cardstock.



Hop along and take a look at what the DT girls came up with today...   

Monday, June 18, 2012

Wedding Gift Card Holder...

Hey There ~ it's wedding season around here and I wanted to share a fun way to dress up a gift card for the special day.  The wonderful sentiments and cake image are all from the Swingin' Summer set by Gourmet Rubber Stamps.  And the pretty paper is from My Minds Eye (Miss Caroline Fiddlesticks collection).  



Directions for Gift Card Bag:

  1. Cut 2" off the top of white bag with scallop scissors for a decorative edge
  2. Cut light purple cardstock the width of the bag (3 3/4") & use a scallop edge punch to create a decorative edge.
  3. Cut a piece of darker purple cardstock and a piece of pattern paper for layers.
  4. Wrap ribbon around the bag and create a bow with some twine and a matching button.
  5. Stamp the wedding cake image in coordinating pattern paper (you'll want to make sure the pattern on this paper is small because of the detail on the wedding cake image).
  6. Trim the wedding cake image, color the flowers on the cake and add some clear gems attach the cake to the bag with foam dots.
  7. Stamp a sentiment on the light purple cardstock and attach it to the bag with foam dots.
Directions for Gift Card Holder:

  1. Using the same colors of cardstock and pattern paper, cut a piece light purple cardstock for the gift card holder 4" x 6".  Along the 6" side, score the cardstock at 1 1/2" & 4". 
  2. Cut a piece of dark purple cardstock 4" x 2".  Using an edge punch, punch out a scallop edge and attach it to the top flap.  
  3. Add pattern paper to the top and bottom flaps of the gift card holder.
  4. Add pom-pom trim on top flap.
  5. Stamp sentiment and punch out with an oval punch and punch out a decorative mat in the darker purple cardstock and attach to the top flap.
  6. Attach magnet enclosure to the inside top & bottom flaps.



Supply List:
GRS Stamps: Swingin' Spring
Pattern Paper: My Mind's Eye (Miss Caroline Fiddlesticks)
Cardstock: Bazzill
Trim: Maya Roads trim & May Arts twine
Markers: Copic (V17, V22)
Ink: Palette Noir
Punches: EK Success
Decorative Scissors: Fiskars
Bag: white bag (approx 3 3/4"x 7")
Foam Dots
Magnet closure - Basic Grey

Friday, June 15, 2012

Appetizers Anyone?

Hello Hello my friends and welcome to the 15th of the month when Gourmet Rubber Stamps comes out with new Appetizer sets.  One of today's fun sets is called Squared Sentiments and is a fun take off of the new subway graffiti that is all the rage.  I paired it up with this fun new paper from My Minds Eye & simply stamped the image in black ink on colored paper.  Super EASY PEASY!


Check out both new sets on the GRS Blog and then check out the designers blogs for all the fun samples...
Have fun hopping along!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Flower Seeds...

I was having fun with some of the new images from the GRS June Diners Set called Bloom & Grow along with this great paper from Lily Bee Designs called Double Dutch.  I think they are a perfect match!  Both are available at i{heart}papers.



Supplies from i{heart}papers:
Stamps ~ Gourmet Rubber Stamps Bloom & Grow 
Pattern Paper ~ Lily Bee Designs Double Dutch

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Rock & Roll!

YOU ROCK MATT!  I made this fun card for my son who just turned 13 years old on Sunday.  The set is called Tweens & Teens and just perfect for our growing (but not quite grown) kids.


Friday, June 8, 2012

OCL Challenge #121...Summer Fun!

WOW ~ I can't believe how many weeks it has been since I was able to get a challenge card done for OCL.  I've been a bad girl for sure!  Well today's fun challenge just couldn't keep me from playing along.



And here's a card I made for one of our store samples that I thought fit perfectly into the theme of this week!  The set is called Beauty and the Beach ~ too funny huh?  I also added some Brown Sugar Sparkly Fluff for the sand and Platinum Sparkly Fluff for granny's hair ~ perfect touch!



You can play along too!  Just add your link to the OCL Blog.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Washington DC ... Part 2

Last week I posted some of the pictures from the first few days of our trip to Washington DC trip over Memorial Day weekend.  We did so much and I had so many photos to share, I decided that I needed to break my post up on two different days.

So here are the rest of the pictures.  First up, our day at Mt. Vernon ~ one of our favorite stops of the trip!





Amazing views from the beach!



My favorite chickas!



Me and my girl!



The back porch of the mansion ~ what a view!




Next up we went back into DC and spent the afternoon at the Smithsonion Museum of our choice.  I went with the Band Moms and we visited the Air and Space Museum and then the American History Museum.



Dumbo from the American History Museum


and the original Kermit the Frog from the 1970's



Later that day, we went on a dinner cruise on the Potomac River.
The kids had a blast dancing the night away!



On Monday morning {Memorial Day}, we visited the Basilica of the National Shrine.  It was gorgeous & my pictures don't even come close to doing it justice!








And now...the reason for the trip ~ the National Memorial Day Parade!



Posing with some of the Japanese Tourists ~ it was awesome!  There were several groups who wanted photos with our band.  They must have known we are Indiana State Champions!  LOL!



Chilling out in the shade before the parade.



There's my girl getting ready to go! 



Almost time to go ~ in parade rest position.


And they're off ~ they looked so sharp!



Going by the Capitol!




And here's a YouTube Clip of their parade performance ~  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j0cN5Gf9Ns&feature=share

After the parade, we cooled the kids down and stripped off their uniforms as fast as possible ~ boy was it HOT! Then we stopped for dinner at Union Station at UNO's Pizza. On our way out of town, we made one last stop at the very impressive Iwo Jima Memorial.




WHAT AN AMAZING TRIP!  I was very happy to have been able to go with the band and watch these fantastic kids experience the sights and sounds of our Nation's Capitol.  It took me a week to recover, but I would trade the experience!





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