Cupcake Challenge!!

I've never done one of Taylors cupcake challenges, but I just loved this sketch and knew I had to play along. My cupcake stamp selection is a bit limited (to this one stamp actually!), so I had to modify the sketch a wee bit. I love how it came out.



Card details:
Stamps: Cupcake from Sarah Beise (an old $1 stamp from Michaels!)

Paper: SU Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue and Black. DP from KI Memories Pop Culture collection

Ink: Black Staz-on, SU markers, Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue, Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana

Accessories: $1 bling from Michaels, Prima flower and KI soft embellie from Pop Culture, Misc ribbon from my stash

What a fun sketch, I'm sure I'll use it again!!

Our First Harvest

DH put in a vegetable garden this year. It's a first for us, and the kids have been very interested and involved. I was spraying for deer (more about that later) when I noticed a few of the radishes were ready for picking. So exciting!! Here is our first harvest:


Unfortunately, only DH really likes radishes. DD was game enough and tried one, but she didn't like it. Radishes are a great crop - only about 30 days from planting to harvest, but I'm not sure what we are going to do with them all!! So, if you have any ideas for radishes, please leave a comment!!

And about the deer.....grrrrrr......it seems that the main purpose of the garden so far has been to feed the deer. They completely ate the three tomato plants, chewed the snap peas and cantaloupe to stubs, but left the radishes alone! The lettuce looks like it will survive and the watermelon and carrots haven't been touched - yet!! We've been spraying the plants with a deer repellent, but since they have been bedding down between our house and the neighbors, it seems a little pointless. And I live in the middle of suburbia!! I have to admit that I feel a little bad for the deer, but please deer - eat the trees, not the veggies!!

Color Inspiration Challenge

I've always been inspired by Kristine's blog, but this is the first color inspiration challenge that I have completed. (I've started several but just couldn't get them to work for me.) Here's is the inspiration:

And here is my card:


I decided to take my picture in the garden since it seemed fitting for this lovely summer beach hat. And I think if this were a real hat, I might actually wear it!!

Just realized...

....that I never shared this sweet little sweater I made. It got a little boring to knit and took longer than it should have, but it sure is cute!! (I changed the pattern a little since this was knit in an acrylic instead of wool and will not block. I think the changes made it cuter, but I might be biased.)


It was knit in Bernat Softee Baby - a great yarn for baby items if you ask me! It holds stitch definition well and washes like a dream (and we all know how important that is for baby things!)

This sweater will eventually end up at the home of one of my husbands friends. They are due in August and since this is a 6 mo size sweater, the baby may actually get a chance to wear it this winter!

Knit on!

Last but not least...

I finished knitting Dawns PIF this afternoon. It is currently blocking on the floor in my craft room. Not necessarily the best place for it, but it's the most out of the way area in my house. (And part of it is under a table - scarfs are long!)

It's hard to get a good picture of lace, but I really like how the lace pattern looks after I placed the pins. Here is a close-up:


Once this dries, I'll pop it in the mail Dawn!! I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed knitting it! Hmmmmm......what should I cast on next??

Knit on!

I love this hat!

Let me just start this by saying, I'm not much of a hat person. I have wild curly hair and hats only seem to make it worse. But look at this hat - it is fabulous (if I do say so myself!) This gorgeous piece of knitwear will be on it's way to Susan - one of my PIF volunteers! (See - you should have commented. This hat could have been yours!)

I've made this hat before and Susan said she liked it. She also likes purple. I made this with Patons SWS in the plum natural and Patons Classic Wool in winter white. I think it looks fantastic - have I mentioned that?

Even after knitting this pattern twice, I still like it. I'll probably make a few more!

Knit on!

All in a Row

I finished all of the year end teacher gifts this morning. Each teacher will receive a knit dishcloth with an apple motif, and a set of 6 monogrammed notecards. I used plain kraft gift bags from Target. To dress them up a bit, I stamped a swirl in the corner in Brick Red chalk ink and then overstamped in white chalk ink. I love the folksy look this gives on the kraft bag, and it's a super simple way to dress up the bag and make it look more cohesive. Here's a close-up:


I made a simple 3x3 card using the PTI Little Lady set to write a note of thanks to each teacher. I really like these and I hope the teachers will too!

Now I'm working on finishing the PIF's I gave away on my blog last week. Dawn's scarf is nearly 1/2 done and Susan's hat is about 1/2 done too. I'm hoping to post pictures soon.

The big 4-0

Just a quick Happy Birthday to me!! I hit the big 4-0 this year. (Not sure how I feel about that just yet!)

Here's a picture from my birthday. The kids made me cupcakes (with lots of help from dad!)

Have a great day!!

PIF Update

I have three takers for my PIF! I'm so thrilled!! So here some pictures of the PIF's.

First Kate: I made her a set of 12 cards; 4 monogrammed, 2 blank, 4 customizable, 1 Birthday and 1 Thank you. I was rather pleased with the way I was able to make the "customizable" ones. I stamped the base with my favorite lady bugs and added a cardstock ribbon slider. Then I stamped sentiments in white and punched them out. They fit inside the circle of the ribbon slide and Kate can determine what sentiment she wants for each card. Brilliant - if I do say so myself! (The little baggie in the center holds the 12 or so sentiments.) I think I'm going to make a quick notebook and pen set to round out the PIF.


For Dawn, I'm knitting a lace scarf in a worsted weight. Her favorite color is red and I had this great Red Wool Ease in my stash. I love it when that happens. Now in the pattern notes, the designers says this can be knit in 4 hours!! I beg to differ! I've been working on this scarf for about 3 hours so far and I'm only about a quarter of the way done! Mind you, I should know better than to try and knit a lace pattern while the kids are awake. But even still, there is NO WAY I could knit this in 4 hours. Crikey!! (Said in my best crocodile hunter voice.)


And last but not least is Susan. Her favorite color is purple and she really liked the Fake Isle hat I knit for my dad. I think I have the stuff in my stash to make something, but I need to check.

Thanks for playing ladies!! Knit on!