Where the heck have I been?!

Hey All,

Just popping in to do a quick post.  It has been quite some time since I posted last.  The holidays really just came in with a vengeance and left no time for anything.  I have been making lots of cards, some of you may have even received some of my cards for Christmas.  For my first holiday card making season, I think I produced about 500 cards (WOW!).  Of course now Valentine's Day is approaching and I am getting prepared to make cards for the kids to exchange at school.  That is a lot of cards considering each class has roughly 26 kids.  Not sure if the big 5th graders will be exchanging them, but I know Lizzie will want some to give to her BFF.  I will post some pics as soon as I can get them taken and uploaded.

We went Snow Tubing this past weekend at Wintergreen Resort in Virginia and it was amazing.  We all had so much fun.  Unfortunately the little man was just too scared to take "The Plunge" so he sat it out, but we got him on some ice skates after dinner and he had a blast.  Here is a picture I had loaded on my phone.  It was so cold out there that my camera froze up and I couldn't take any pics.  Nick of course had the big guns out and we have a lot of pictures that he was able to get.

 Nick with the girls waiting to go down the hill

Kate, Lizzie's BFF posing while ice skating.

We met up with my brother and his family as well and it was so nice to be with them and my nieces.  Good times!  Until next time, and I will do my best to get this Blog updated.  Man, I still have a Fall background for crying out loud ;o)

Happy Post Thanksgiving!

Hi All,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Ours was pretty quiet, but it was completely stress free which was really good - the whole house has been passing on a nasty head cold that has proudly taken residence right behind my right eye.  Not to mention all the aches and pains I have been recovering from.  My girls particpated in a group called Girls on the Run which is a program held at there school 2 day a week after school.  The program is to help the girls learn the importance of exercise, eating healthy and generally growing up.  At the end of the program they along with their "required" buddy runner run in a 5k run with all of the other local chapters of the group.  Here are some pictures from the run. 

Yep, you guessed it, I was the "required" buddy runner and let me tell you...I will never do that again without preparing.  I trained a total of 0 hours for this run and I am still paying for it.  Having been a runner in my youth, I know better than to go out there unprepared!  The girls did an amazing job and I am so thankful that it is over with.  We will see if there is a next time - but I know Elizabeth is ready for another one!

Catch you all later!

C

November Update

Hi All!  It has just been crazy so I apologize I have neglected my updates.  I have been feverishly been working to prepare for my very first Arts and Crafts fair.  My company puts together this event twice a year and my co-workers have convinced me to enter and sell my cards.  After some thoughts, I decided that I would do it and since that day, I feel like I haven't done anything but make cards.  Not to mention the cards that I have been making for the holidays to send as well as those that have requested that I make their holiday cards.  So here it is the week before Thanksgiving and I have several hundred Holiday/Christmas cards covering my dining room table.  I think once I get through this craft fair I might hang up the tools and supplies for a little while and take a break, what do you guys think?  Never gonna happen!  I don't have the ability to be sedentary, LOL!  However, I am looking forward to a few weekends not dedicated to making cards.  The show is this week, so I will definitely post you guys on how it went. 

Here are a couple of non-holiday cards that I did for the show:

Sorry this one is sideways - I just couldn't get it to load properly!  All my holiday cards can be viewed at Bgirlsdesigns.

Check you later!

Cindy

Happy Belated Halloween!

 Boy, time really flies when you don't have any of it.  I can't believe we are in NOVEMBER already.  Not only that, but we have already gotten out first snow.  Ok, really, that is just crazy.  I wanted to post pictures of the kids in their costumes, but my camera died, so once I get those pictures uploaded, I will post, but I did have a picture of  my scary witch Emmy.  I took this on Saturday after we came back from the store.  We were able to find a long black wig and "gothic" witch dress.  This doesn't show her all dolled up with her black lipstick, but you can get the picture.  So many funny stories to tell about that night.  I will save them for when I post the pictures of all three of them.

So, other than traipsing all over Leesburg in the snow on Saturday, I did manage to create a few cards.  Here is a picture of one of my newest Holiday Cards.  I used the Trees with Trimmings stamp set from Papertrey Ink.  I stamped the images with Versamark and then embossed them with white linen embossing powder.  Then I cut the images out and  popped them up on my 4.25 x 5.5 inch card.  I also used Papertrey Ink's Signature Christmas stamp set for my sentiment.  I love how simple this card is yet so festive.

This next card was on I put together for a co-worker's birthday.  I lifted this design from Christina at Creations with Christina.  I always seem to find such great inspiration from her. I made a few modifications to my card, but they are still pretty close.  The recipient loved it.  The papers I used were Pure Poppy and Vintage Cream from Papertrey Ink and the black and cream damask was from the Black Currant Die Cuts with a View Stack.  I just love the black and white with the little pop of red.  I had the black sheer ribbon in my stash and have no idea where I got it from.  Chances are it is from Michaels, but I have had it so long I just can't remember.

So that is all for today, and I promise to get those Halloween pictures posted soon so you can share in the fun that I had with the kids that night!  It still makes me laugh thinking about them.

Until then, stay warm!

Big Hugs,

C

Where oh where did I go?

Hi all!  So sorry I have been absent.  Work has been really busy, and I have been hard at work making cards.  Here are some cards I just made.  I recently purchased my very first Copic markers and aside from being intimidated by these little markers, they are really fun.  I stamped this Santa image below and colored it in using R29-Lipstick Red, I colored in Santa's suit.  I tried blending multiple colors, but that didn't work out so well, so I just stuck with the solids for now.  Didn't he turn out cute!
 

I ran my mat through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder.  I was going for the whole "Santa Suit" effect and thought the dots gave the paper a fabric feel, and then of course his black belt which was just a 1" strip of black cardstock.  For a little bling, I added Stardust stickles to his pom pom and used a gold pen to color in the package he is holding.  Just love it!!

My next card I just LOVE!  I stamped the tree with the Trimming Tree Trio stamp set from Papertrey Ink with Versamark and embossed it with Pearlescent embossing powder.  Then I took my blending sponge and added a cloudy effect of Jenni Bowlin's Stick Candy ink around the tree.  Since the tree is embossed, it resists the ink.  Doesn't this just look so elegant....

The sentiment is from the Trimming Tree Trio as well.

And for my last card, my little snowmen.  I just love how cute these turned out and they were so simple to make.  I actually took the snowman image from my clip art and then matted it in the center of my card.  I rand the white mat through my cuttlebug with the snowflake folder and then put that onto a red cardbase.  This is certainly a good one to keep in the pile for making multiples. 

Hope you all have a GREAT DAY!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Happy 10/10 everyone. I don't have a picture or card to showcase today, but I did want to send a big birthday shout out to my oldest Elizabeth. Today she turned 11 and I truly can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital.

I think she had a pretty awesome b-day. We let her invite a couple of friends over for a sleepover and shopping mall scavenger hunt. Although I was completely exhausted by the end of the night I over heard the girls saying that it was the best birthday party they had ever been to, so my exhaustion was well worth it.

Tonight we took her out for a birthday dinner and swung by the local starbucks for some birthday cake pops. Now its off to bed and getting ready for school and work. I wish every weekend could be a 3 day weekend ;o).

So as I said in the beginning...happy 10/10 everyone and sleep tight!

Announcing the Grand Opening of B Girl Designs!

Hi there blogger friends!  I am so excited to tell you about a new adventure in my life.  I have formed and opened "B Girl Designs" (www.bgirlsdesigns.blogspot.com).  B Girl was created to offer quality hand crafted greeting cards.  The business originally started when a co-worker asked me to make a card to send to the son of a fellow employee who had been deployed to Iraq.  I thought sure, that would be fun and sending a little love to someone so far away from his family is totally worth it.  Little did I know that that simple card would spur multiple requests from fellow co-workers to make cards.  I am now knee deep in Holiday creations and loving every minute.  Here is a sampling of some of the card products I am offering on my site.

All the B Girl products are hand crafted and stamped using high quality cardstock (110lb), ink, stamps and embellishments.  We offer a variety of products such as announcements, birthday cards, get well and thinking of you cards as well as a number of other sentiments.  Please help spread the word to your family and friends and stop by often to see what new.  You can find us at www.bgirlsdesigns.blogspot.com.  

Thanks for coming by!