MY CREATIVE HUSBAND

So, you think I'm creative? I just had to show you what my husband does! These images are a sampling of his artwork which are computer generated images (CGI) using Vue and Photoshop software programs. John's occupation of landscape designer and professional photography background only enhance the keen eye he has for detail.

John just recently submitted some of his work in a gallery at www.zazzle.com/jrdesignsaz where you can purchase posters, mouse pads, etc. with his images. Expect more images to be added in the future! If you have any questions about his work, you can e-mail John at jrdesigns@cox.net.
Thanks for looking! I'll be back this evening with this week's iPICKS!

ANOTHER SHARE UPDATE

My apologies to those of you stopping in to be inspired by some original artwork. The job of coordinating the Embellishment Shares and Designer Paper Shares is huge, and the easiest way for me to communicate with the share participants is by posting here.

* Designer Paper Group #4 and Embellishment Group #5 are filled and I've started one more new group in each. It's not too late to get in on the awesome sampling of new product from the new Spring-Summer '09 Idea Book & Catalog! E-mail me right away to get in on these groups! nrileycm@cox.net

* For more information about the Designer Paper Shares and Embellishment Shares click HERE. (I've gone back and labeled each post "Shares Spring-Summer '09" so you can see all the information and updates with one click.).

* All the embellishments are sorted for Embellishment Group #1, #2, #3, and #4. If you ordered an Embellishment Share ONLY, I will ship your order out on Monday.

* All the designer paper is cut for Designer Paper Group #1, #2, and #3. Waiting on the backordered Manchester DP to ship from Stampin' Up!.

* I will be placing a Stampin' Up! order this weekend for Embellishment Group #5 (possibly for group #6 if it fills quickly) and for Designer Paper Group #4 (possibly for group #5 if it fills quickly).

Hope you're all having a GREAT weekend! Thanks again for making these shares so successful !!!

EMBELLISHMENT AND DESIGNER PAPER SHARES UPDATE

In this post, I am referring to these posts regarding my offering of Embellishment Shares and Designer Paper Shares from the new Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book and Catalog. Additional updates can be seen HERE and HERE.

* There are a few spots available in Group #5 Embellishment Share and Group #4 Designer Paper Share. Please contact me via e-mail at nrileycm@cox.net to be a part of these share groups. A fantastic way to receive a sampling of the NEW embellishments and designer papers! I'll get the products ordered as soon as the groups are filled, and everyone has paid (through Paypal).

* The Stampin' Up! order for the first four Embellishments Shares and first three Designer Paper Shares arrived today. The embellishments are sorted and I will begin cutting the designer paper into 6 x 6 sheets tomorrow. One paper pack (Manchester) is backordered from Stampin' Up!. Therefore, no designer paper shares will be mailed until Manchester DP is received. If you ordered and paid for an embellishment share ONLY, I will ship those out on Monday 2/09.

* While sorting the embellishment shares this evening, I realized that I have a couple of typos in my original Embellishment Share post. Luckily, they outweigh each other - I must have reversed the numbers. Instead of 10 Latte Buttons you will receive three to five, and instead of 4 Jumbo 5/8" Brads you will receive 10. My apologies for this mistake!

* In case you're wondering what group you're in ...

EMBELLISHMENT SHARES

Group #1 Embellishment
1. K. Loewenstein
2. C. Smallsreed
3. K. Brancato
4. K. Brown
5. G. Donnelly
6. G. Donnelly
7. N. Olson
8. M. Fowler

Group #2 Embellishment
1. J. Seiter
2. C. Seiffert
3. S. Hartsock
4. S. South
5. M. Flieg
6. H. Brueck
7. L. Callahan
8. J. Sturgill

Group #3 Embellishment
1. L. Hickson
2. L. May
3. J. Hartman
4. M. Thompson
5. M. Johnston
6. J. Portonova
7. C. Collins
8. T. Camp

Group #4 Embellishments
1. W. Bond
2. K. Roberts
3. K. Zehnder
4. L. Barutha
5. N. McHale
6. L. Hays
7. G. Contor
8. N. Olson

Group #5 Embellishments
1. L. Gray
2. L. Gray
3. L. Gray
4. L. Gray
5.
6.
7.
8.

DESIGNER PAPER SHARES

Group #1 Designer Paper
1. W. Bond
2. K. Brown
3. S. Hartsock
4. S. South
5. J. Seiter
6. D. Vaughn
7. N. Olson
8. M. Flieg

Group #2 Designer Paper
1. H. Brueck
2. R. Holmes
3. Irene
4. L. Hickson
5. L. May
6. J. Hartman
7. M. Thompson
8. J. Portonova

Group #3 Designer Paper
1. C. Finley
2. C. Finley
3. G. Yip
4. T. Camp
5. M. Fauque
6. M. Fauque
7. K. Roberts
8. N. McHale

Group #4 Designer Paper
1. N. Riley
2. G. Dickinson
3. G. Contor
4. L. Rinehart
5. L. Gray
6.
7.
8.

Thank you so much for the wonderful response to these shares!

DELICATE POLKA DOT PUNCHES

I've been struggling with this card for days! I think I tried to add a sentiment to it in about every way shape and form I could think of. I've given up and it is what it is.

I used Jen del Muro's fantastic Sketch For You To Try, along with several new items from Sale-A-Bration 2009 - Polka Dot Punches stamp set, Delicate Dots Designer Series Paper, and 5/8" Certainly Celery Poly-Twill Ribbon. Earn FREE stamp sets, designer paper, and/or ribbon bundle for every $50 purchase - no limits! Sale-A-Bration runs from February 1 to March 31, 2009. I'm happy to fill your Stampin' Up! order ... just e-mail me ... nrileycm@cox.net.
RECIPE
Stamps: Polka Dot Punches (SAB '09)
Paper: Delicate Dots DP (SAB '09), Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Sahara Sand, and Very Vanilla CS
Ink: Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, and Sahara Sand
Embellishments: 5/8" Certainly Celery Poly-Twill Ribbon (SAB '09), Bashful Blue Brad, So Saffron Brad, Certainly Celery Brad, Pewter Brad
Tools: Paper Piercer & Mat Pack, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" Circle Punches
Supplies: Stampin' Dimensionals

COURTNEY'S 1st BIRTHDAY CHALLENGE

This little sweetheart is Libby Hickson's daughter Courtney, and she's celebrating her first birthday today! For the past year, Libby has been holding "From Courtney's Closet Challenges" each week on her blog, Libby's Little Addiction, where she dresses Courtney up in one of her cute outfits, and encourages others to use it as inspiration for a card. It's about the cutest idea I've ever seen for a stamping challenge! It has been so much fun seeing photos of Courtney each week during her first year, and am thrilled to help Libby celebrate this special event, along with these other talented ladies ...

Carole Burrage, Mother's Little Helper
Leslie Miller, Running With Scissors
Maria Gurnsey, Scraps by M
Melissa Sauls, In Stamping Mode
Rose Ann Reynolds, Paper Delightz
Sue Kment, Sue's Stamping Stuff

Libby has some amazing and generous blog candy to give away too! Check it out HERE!

Here's my card inspired by Courtney's "Cute As A Cupcake" shirt ...
RECIPE
Stamps: Simple Birthday Thanks, Think Happy Thoughts
Paper: Tempting Turquoise Prints DP (retired), Green Galore, Pink Passion, Real Red, Close To Cocoa, Yoyo Yellow, and Whisper White CS
Ink: Basic Black, Pink Passion
Embellishments: Tempting Turquoise and Green Galore SU Brads, Yellow and White Brads (non-SU), White Taffeta Ribbon
Tools: Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, 3/4", 1 3/8", and 1 1/4" Circle Punches
Supplies: Stampin' Dimensionals

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, COURTNEY !!!

EMBELLISHMENT AND DESIGNER PAPER SHARES UPDATE

THANK YOU for the overwhelming response to the Embellishment Shares and Designer Paper Shares! The Stampin' Up! order for three Designer Paper Shares and four Embellishments shares was placed over the weekend. If you've paid me through Paypal, you're in one of those groups. Now it's just a matter of time for the product to get to me ... waiting, waiting, waiting! I'm headed back to my day job tomorrow so I'm praying that the order arrives before the weekend. Wouldn't it be nice if I could get all the paper cut, and all the embellishments sorted, and everything prepared to be mailed over the weekend?

Interest for more shares keeps coming in! I will continue to coordinate Embellishment Shares and Designer Paper Shares as long as there is an interest, and as long as we can get groups of eight. If you e-mail me regarding the shares, please remember that I'll be at my day job during the day where I have no computer access (*gasp*). I will return e-mails and send Paypal invoices in the evenings. My e-mail ... nrileycm@cox.net.

See all the details for the shares here ... EMBELLISHMENT, DESIGNER PAPER, and DETAILS.

PRETTY AMAZING RASPBERRY TART

I got a chance to create with some of the goodies that Connie Collins sent to me (see my previous post)! This is my first time working with Raspberry Tart DP, and I love it! I used one of my favorite stamp sets, Pretty Amazing ... and Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #3.

Details about this card that may not be obvious in the photograph ... a) the perimeter of the large flower print dp panel is paper pierced, b) the large flower was stamped off in Pretty in Pink and randomly stamped on the Whisper White panel, c) the hummingbird image is paper pieced by stamping in in Jet Black Staz-On onto Raspberry Tart DP and cut out, d) the large flower was created by stamping it three times onto Whisper White CS ... once in Real Red, again in Rose Red, and again in Pretty In Pink. All three layers were cut out with scissors, attached with a Pink Circle Brad, and adhered with a Pop-Up Glue Dot. You can see an excellent tutorial for the flat-tailored bow by Joanne Basil HERE.
RECIPE
Stamps: Pretty Amazing
Paper: Raspberry Tart DP, Kiwi Kiss, Pretty In Pink, Rose Red, and Whisper White CS
Ink: Real Red, Rose Red, Cameo Coral, and Pretty In Pink Classic, and Jet Black Staz-On
Embellishments: Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, Pink Circle Rhinestone Brad, Rose Red Brads
Tools: Paper Piercer & Mat Pack
Supplies: Mini Glue Dots, Pop-Up Glue Dot, and Stampin' Dimensionals

RAK from CONNIE COLLINS

Look at the fun surprise I received in the mail the other day from my blogging & stamping friend, Connie Collins, Constantly Stamping! This super cute, teeny tiny card measures about 2 1/4" x 3 1/2" , and is designed with this little bird from On Board So Tweet. In addition to this adorable card, Connie mailed GOODIES!!! .. a sampling of chipboard from On Board So Tweet, and 6 x 6 samplings from Tea Party DP and Raspberry Tart DP! WOW! These are all new Stampin' Up! products that I don't own, so I really can't WAIT to create with them!
Connie and I share several common bonds ... we both have feet problems (ugh!), and both have a true passion for papercrafting! You've GOT to visit Connie's blog, Constantly Stamping ... it's jam-packed with inspiring projects!

PROUD CARDINALS FANS

This photo is of my family ... my daughter Allie, me, my son Drew, and my husband John ... proudly wearing our Cardinals t-shirts. We celebrated Superbowl at family friends' John & Gaylene's house. That was some nail biter of a game, wasn't it?! A very disappointing loss for Cardinals fans, but we're very proud of what our team accomplished this year! I thought we had it in the bag after Fitzgerald's exciting touchdown! Imagine approximately 40 adults jumping up and down screaming at the top of their lungs! That was so exciting, and so disappointing to see them lose the game. There's always next year! We {heart} the Arizona Cardinals!

iPICKS, Week Twelve

Edited to Add: I hit a wrong button and accidentally published this post early.

I wrote this post in advance and had it scheduled to publish. Right now, I am at a Superbowl party cheering on our home team, the Arizona Cardinals.

Welcome to iPICKS where I post a selection of my favorite cards and projects found during my blurfing (blog surfing) and SCS stalking for the week. GO CARDINALS !!! There's no formal rules or guidelines ... just inspiring projects that catch my eye, clever ideas, and exceptional designs. GO CARDINALS !!! These are projects that inspire me and I hope they inspire you too! Here's my iPICKS for Week Twelve ... (GO CARDINALS !!!)

Chat's Cherish Card, Clean and Simple Card, and XOXOXO Card (Me, My Stamps, and I).

Ilina Crouse's Sending Happy Thoughts Card (My Creations).

Mary Elliott's Winter Club Projects ... my personal favorite is Project #3, One Sheet Box (Everyday Elliott).

Donna Centamore's Quarter Fold Heart (Butternut Sage Designs).

Carrie Gaskin's Define Old Card (Artistic Avenger).

Diana Ball-Seitz' Kiwi Kiss SAB Pocket Card (Diana Ball-Seitz).

Christine's SAB Botanical Blooms Card and Sweet Love Card (ChristineCreations).

Dawn Olchefske's Sweet Always Project (DOstamping with Dawn).

Monique Hawrelluk's A Flower For All Seasons Card (Self Expressions).

Connie Collins' Top Note Valentine Pocket Card (Constantly Stamping).

Mercedes' Fun Valentine Punch Art (Share~Inspire~Create~).

Enfys' Unique Storage Solution for Stickles bottles ... see 4th photo ... (Going Buggy).

Julie Buhler's A Rose Is A Rose Card Purse and Card Purse Tutorial (Paper Pleasing Ideas).