Guess what my Christmas card is going to consist of this year!!!???!!!

Check out this former Christmas card I sent - way back like '97 to '99 ... At that time I didn't have Scruffy's ears cut close, so all the hair was too heavy for his delicate ears to have them pop up like a normal Yorkie....and look at him...he is always saying, "Mom - get this crazy stuff off me!!" Why? Cuz he has coats, boots, costumes, shirts, sweaters....I think you get a little MORE nutty when you go from BIG dogs to SMALL dogs....Anyway....NEXT check out the stamp I just found in Michael's.....How PERFECT is THAT??!?!?!?!?!?!?

WAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY too cute!! ROFLMAO

Now - this is all you get until those Christmas cards are done....but how stinkin' cute, eh? I mean, now, really!!!!???

The October Stamp-a-Stack at Girl's Night Out!

Thankfully - our Stampin' Up! family shares their ideas and creations with us....and as I always say...I can recognize beauty when I see it!! So - with the dissertation process in FULL SWING...my brain is only focused on that and I have a hard time just keeping my brain from leaking out my ears, let alone come up with my own card ideas these days....So I CASE'd away again for the Novemeber Stamp-a-Stack...So check out what y'all missed!!!

This card was CASEd from a talented male demo, Kevin Theesen.

Recipe:

Stamps: Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Season of Friendship

Paper: Tangerine Tango, More Mustard, Whisper White, DSP (either Haiku or Hawaii Papaya), Chocolate Chip

Ink: Versa Mark, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, More Mustard, Red Riding Hood Red

Access: Chocolate taffetta ribbon, glue dot

This card was CASEd from XXXX

Recipe:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, French Script BG
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Kraft
Ink: Brown Stazon, Old Olive, Cameo Coral, Really Rust, Sahara Sand, Close to Cocoa (pad and marker)
Access: distressing tool, Spritzer tool, Tombo multi glue, dazzling diamonds, wide olive ribbon

And as always...a CASE from THE Patty Bennett!! She is "da bomb" - I tell ya'!! I love purses (who doesn't?!?!?!) so how stinkin' cute is this?!?!?!?!

Recipe:

Stamps: On Your Birthday, Priceless
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, So Saffron, Brocade Blue
Ink: Basic Black, Blue Brocade, Pink Pirouette
Access: Many Punches: small and large oval, 3/4 cirlce, 3/4 square, word window, round tab, 1/16 hand held, matching color, gold or silver brad

Soooooo - since you don't want to miss any more fabulous creations, make sure you come to my next Girls' Night Out!!!! Black Friday!!!!

Alright, I know this isn't a card, but how cute, eh?

Since Stephanie was born on October 25th - she was always lookin' good on Halloween...and this year at age 2 (just) - she took the cake!! She was Lil' Red....and big ol' shepherd Spike (shepherd and lab mix - a FABULOUS loving and protective dog- just hairy, hairy, hairy...) was of course The Big Bad Wolf dressed as Grandma...Everyone loved it!!! Stephanie also went as this at age one - but I can't put my hands on those pictures yet...and if you can believe it - are even cuter than these!!! So - since I just found these and have been posting personal and past pics on my "About you" page...I thought I HAVE to put this front and center!! LOL I hope you enjoy it too!! I love looking at 'em!!!

Spike was so good to keep that get--up on until I took it off him...

Two cards not used in September SAS

The following two cards were originally planned for the October Stamp-a-stack...however, I always show my DH my cards, and he always gives me the "great!" comment...and then I go on my merry way, since I LOVE positive feedback (who doesn't?)....and he saw these two and said, "....Oh...." "whaddya mean, '...oh'?" "...well - they're not like what you usually do..." "Like how?" "I don't know...not as fancy or something...." "GREAT!!! SAS is tomorrow night!!!!!! And you don't think these are good!!??! whaaa!!!" "No, no they're good, but...." "Don't but me mister!!! Harrumph.....Thanks a lot!!!" (yes I am often sarcastic!!) So - I was freaked out and self-doubting - and so Friday I came home from work and made two more cards and THEN cut all the paper for the event....Thankfully - I got it all done by 6:30 - but holy smokes, man! But - now that I look at the cards (and after the girls yelled at me because they liked them!!) - I realized the cards just aren't my normal STYLE...not that they were BAD....kwim? And unfortunately, my DH the silent one (for good reason!!! LOL), couldn't express quite what he meant...at least, I guess, I should be happy he could tell that I HAVE a certain style....

So this first card was CASEd from two cards I saw and mixed together...one was from Michelle Zindorf and one from Lee Conrey....

This next cutey, patootie was cased from Jen Peel, but I changed up the colors...

So enjoy the cards....and yes - NOW I know they were fine!! OH MY GOODNESS!!! (yessss...a Shirley Temple quote!)

WOW!

After visiting my SBS9 Sistah Sue's blog - I see she has linked an unbelievable blog candy from a fantastic crafter/stamper....so here is the link and good luck to you..and to me....I think I really want copics, darn it!!!!

Debbie's blog candy

Remember I told you I would share the individual cards from the September SAS? Here they are!! Finally!

Well - I blew it! I was supposed to save that Bob posting for tomorrow but hit post too soon!! Anyway...here are the three cards with recipes that I used for the September Stamp-a-Stack...This first one was CASE'd from Sally, a member of my sister SU group...

This next card is my version of the famous Patty Bennett (of Advisory Board fame!!)

This card was CASE'd from my dear friend and sideline Rhonda Morgan from AZ, who I desparately want to go visit!! LOL Still working on DH to let me vacation without him again!!

Anyway - the girls loved the cards and we all (as always) had a great time!!!

Two little shares...

Here is my version of what everyone was doing...Frankie!!! Too fun!! And how can you not LOVE the Big Shot!

This is the card that my "lil monkey" gave me for my birthday. She did this all on her own...AND she got me a wee little sock monkey...too cute...now where on earth did I put it? hmmmm

Our birthday cards to Bob...

These are the two cards that Stephanie and I gave to my DH Bob for his birthday - which was the 28th...In the pictures it is hard to see that I used Crystal Effects on the balloon - which is cut out and popped up with dimensionals- I also put CE on the cupcake sprinkles to make them stand out all shiny...the cupcake is cut out too - although NOT popped up...I used piecing for the cupcake holder thing...you people who cook out there- what do you call those things anyway? LOL

This is Stef's card for Bob...and the weird thing is that the DSP paper is the same DSP paper I used - the picture just came out strange...anyway...she embossed the "b" - this is plain but looks really nice IRL...she did this one all by herself too!! {sniff sniff} one proud mama!! LOL

Check out my birthday card to my twinnies!!

Listen, my brain may be mush from concentrating so hard on my dissertation, but I know a beautiful card when I see one (and case one, LOL). This beauty is a CASE from the famous Beate Johns...I just love the colors and everything...And my girlfriends who stamp HAVE to have fabulous cards...hence, the CASE!!! (rememeber, Copy And Share Everything)

Sorry I have been MIA...

I am sorry I have been missing in action these days...but the dissertation is taking way more out of me than I thought, and I can't give up...so close but sooooooooo far!!! Anyway...I have made some posts ahead of time that are pre-timed, so I have some other things to show you....I miss you all and to my SBS9 sistahs, I will be back again soon!!! Just not enough time in a day...kwim? If only we didn't have to sleep......{sigh}......

ok - TTFN
(ta ta for now!!)
LOL - yes its still me!! crazy as always!! LOL

...tick tock...doc...tick tock...OMG

Thanks to many of you for being faithful and visiting...I have been stamping, but have not had an opportunity to post...or take pics...I have actually been carrying around a handful of things to photograph, but have been so dang busy...and CRAZY!! ...LOL ...because as the post title suggests, my clock is ticking down....NO, NOT MY BIOLOGICAL CLOCK!!! {thank God!} - it's my doctoral clock...I have to be done {or I AM finished!} by Thanksgiving {that's the OMG part}...I can register for next term, because in order to defend your dissertation, you have to be registered - but my writing and research have to be DONE...and then there's the publishing and all the other paperwork "stuff" that has to be finished...I do still stamp in between though, 'cuz you know it is therapy for my poor, tired brain...

Anyway - the schedule has been: up at 5 for school (to teach) - home between 3 and 5pm (if I am carpooling- its late) - maybe a short cat nap - dinner clean-up (you know I don't ever cook) and then off to Barnes & Noble, which is not even 5 minutes from my house...I plug in my laptop, put in my earphones, and work my butt off til mostly 10 pm when they close M-TH... Fri and Sat open to 11 - woo hoo! All that while drinking several Caramel Macchiatos ...and no...by the time I get home and fall into bed...I go RIGHT to sleep...no caffeine problems here! So - in the area? Stop by and give me a little happy break and say hi!! My sore butt will thank you! LOL

This has been a LONG time coming, and I am so ready to be done. I had to stop out in early 2000 right after I took my comprehensive exam due to Bob's cancer # 2 (we just finished #4 a couple of months ago)...and I went through a series of what is referred to as survivor's depression - and then when I finally got myself re-instated back in school, I found myself facing a brick-wall block...which I am thankfully busting through as we speak...even though its still there...I just keep on smilin' and workin'!!! So - after that long blathering, would ya do me a favor? Keep me in your thoughts and prayers that I get this DONE...you will have no idea what it will mean to me...so leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! Please...I can use it!

Oh - and by the way...Girls' Night Out tonight!!! 6:30 pm - be there or be square!!! LOL So you see - I WILL have lots of cards to post after tonight!!! TTFN!!