Even though I live in Canada, it would be hard to ignore what the gulf coast states are currently enduring. It is even harder for me to ignore it, because my cousin Justin is a volunteer at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, in Mississippi.

Not too long ago he challenged me to figure out a way to help out, from a distance of course, so I thought long and hard and decided that the best way for me to help, is by getting crafty. So, I decided to create and sell ocean inspired cards, with all profits going to the IMMS. Below is the first card of the series:

 
Graphics used are by Sanqunetti Design

Each card is printed on high quality textured cardstock, with waterbased inks. I’m asking for a minimum donation of $3.00 per card (includes envelope!) If you would like to order one (or a few) please contact me at sstar136 @ gmail.com (no spaces) I will gladly snail mail them to you for an extra $0.57 (or however much regular postage is to you in your neck of the woods)

The raised will be used to purchase items needed to help with capturing, cleaning and re-releasing the turtles. These animals are ENDAGERED and since the oil spill over 400 of them have washed up on the shore!

My goal is to raise $500.00…. I’m working on other cutie cards too, so stay tuned!

I’m not really sure where the time is going!
In less then four months, I’ll be walking down the aisle. There’s a lot of stuff that needs to get done, between now and then. I’m trying my best not to become a bridezilla, and that seems to be working just fine, until we hit a snag of some sort, then I go from calm, to crazy person it about 3.2 seconds flat.

It’s my turn to work with at a kit for the Scrapbook Star newsletter! I do have to say I LOVE this kit and the stamp in it…. and I’m not biased at all

I’ve been busy lately, my mind is overflowing with ideas. I’ve been lucky enough to find customers who enjoy my need to coordinate things and make them as perfect as possible. “You’re insane” they often tell me, but they leave with a smile, so I take it as a compliment.

My wedding is a little over 4 months away. I have a to-do list that’s a mile long, why? Because I keep looking at things and thinking “Oh I can make that” (jewelry, table runners, favors, napkin rings…. shall I continue?) So I’m calling it the Do It Myself wedding. I do know where to draw the line though: Food. I need to pick and chose my battles and cooking and baking are just not something I enjoy doing under stress (That’s where Michelle of Clever Cupcakes comes in) Her cupcakes are the best in Montreal, hands down! I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for our big day!

I was browsing Etsy looking for jewelry for my bridesmaids and found this:

 Sadly I don’t remember the name of the seller to give proper credit! At any rate I loved the simplicity of the set, but not the colors. My colors are darker, browns, coppers etc. So I made these:

I hope to keep adding little sneaks of the tiny details as the date gets closer. Hopefully I wont drive myself crazy with all the little details (doubtful, cause it’s the little details that I love the most)

Supplies needed: 1 piece of white cardstock, stamps of your choice, dye ink of your choice, Krylon paint pen, glitter, liquid glue, clear embossing ink, embossing powder, glimmer mist in the colors of your choice and cardstock in a coordinating color. ( I used Unity Stamps)

Step 1) Cut your white cardstock to 8.5″ x 5.5″ and  4.25″ x 5.5″ put aside.

Step 2) On a scrap of white spray with a lighter color of mist. Allow to dry (you can use a heat gun to speed it up)

Step 3) With dye ink, and the stamp of your choice, stamp your image over the misted area.

Step 4) Stamp a sentiment in clear embossing ink, over your image. Sprinkle embossing powder, shake of excess and heat emboss.

Step 5) Stamp another image onto colored cardstock, and cut out.

Step 6) Cut out all your shapes.

Step 7) On your piece of cardstock that is 4.25″ x 5.5″ stamp the same image twice. Once in the top left corner, once in the bottom right corner. Color the images in with your Krylon paint pen.

Step 8 ) Spray your piece of cardstock with Mist in darker color. Allow to dry.

Step 9) Apply liquid glue to the image and sprinkle on glitter. Shake off excess.

Step 10) Ink around the edges of your piece. Take your cardstock that is 8.5 x 5.5 and fold. This will be your card base. Glue your stamped panel onto the card. The reason I do the stamping on a separate panel is because the mist tends to cause the cardstock to curl, and by using a separate base you can bed the piece back into shape when gluing it onto the base.

A few days ago, I posted this page of me, at the Grand Ole Opry not even a year ago.

After flash flooding in Nashville, this is what the Opry looks like today

Nashville is under water and they need help! A friend who introduced me to the beauty of Nashville shared that photo along with this information: Middle Tennessee Red Cross is helping Nashville flood victims: Donate online at www.nashvilleredcross.org, by phone at 615-250-4300 or by mail at 2201 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203 …. so please help!

Let’s not forget the problems that the coastal states are facing.

In the center is my cousin Justin, in MS. He volunteers at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies. They need your help:  If you would like to make a donation to aid in oil spill recovery efforts and the rehabilitation of marine mammals and sea turtles affected by the spill, please visit our website www.imms.org or follow the link below. You can pay using your credit card or you can mail a check or money order to:IMMSP.O. Box 207Gulfport,……
MS 39503All

Another super thick page, I tried to scan it, but the bottom looks all grey and shadowy. At any rate, here is my super cute cutie, being a model. We were taking photos of dog jewelry for a friend and I of course had to put her in the spotlight. Strike a pose Cosgrove!

A lot of people told me that they wished they hadn’t of read my last post. Next I post something that’ll cause tears, I promise to put a disclaimer first
Tomorrow is a day i’m dreading for many, many reasons. I just need to make it through tomorrow, and I know I’ll be stronger for it.

Here’s a page I made, a photo of me at the Opry. I made a mess making this page which is fun. The chipboard frame is stamped and inked. The red patterned paper was sprayed with walnut ink (the paper is actually bright red and white). I embosssed the cardstock flourishes with a cuttlebug folder, the famous Swiss Dot, and then inked them up and I added a locket I found online to complete the page. Thanks for reading this far

I found this old photo, while sorting through our box of family pictures. I stole it. I had to have it, and it’s been hanging over my desk at home since last spring. These are my two Nannies. On the left is Hair Dresser Nanny (we used to pick her up from the hairdresser ever tuesday) … also on a side note, those of you who have met my sister can now see where she gets the red hair from. On the right is Nanny. She didn’t have a fancy nickname. She was my last living grandparent, but now they are sadly (for me) together. I know at the end of the day, that she has peace now, but there’s a very selfish part of me that hates, just hates the fact that she wont be there come October. When my father called me yesterday, the meltdown I had was just epic. EPIC. I went to go see her last night, cause I needed to tell her that I was sorry. Sorry that I had put work ahead of marriage in life, and of family, and that if I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat, that none of it was worth anything to me at this very moment. I sat there wondering if she knew, if she knew how I felt, and I remembered some words I uttered to someone  a couple of months back who had lost their grandmother, I said “Grandmothers always know, you never have to worry about that” So I’m taking my own advice for once, and going to think of a special way to honor her come October. Thank you to everyone who has reached out, who has taken over the store, who has offered me kind words and hugs. Know that I’m ok, it comes and goes in waves, but that having you all around me makes me realize how lucky I am.

Nothing beats the summer sun, country music and funnel cakes. I remember this day well, because it started with me getting a tattoo ended with Jada and I in Coyote Ugly, me line dancing on the bar “cause it’s what you have to do” and then me going home and being sick… the beginning of stomach issues that have since plagued me. Had it been just that one time, I would have blamed it on the funnel cake, the sun, the ink, the screwdriver… but it has happened many times since, all in the middle of the night, for no good reason. The mystery of my stomach continues, because my doctor was sure it was a gallstone, but the symptoms have since stopped and the ultrasound showed no stones…. I call it a phantom stone…. it was there, and now it’s not! At the end of the day, who cares what it was, cause it has since stopped! Woot. That day was perfect… but whenever I look at the plate of funnel cake I think “What were you thinking?!” had you been there, and smelled it… mmm mmm mmm… so good. The power also went out so we just went to sleep, which was fine until about 4am when the power came back on, and every light in the place woke us up… hahaha… such dorks!

This was another thick page, so I had a hard time scanning it. I fingerpainted my cardstock with Liquid Pearls, to make it my very own shade of Bling. I inked around the edges, created part of my title (Nashville) on acetat so I could pop it up, and added more Stickles then are usually recommended. Paper is Dear Lizzy, nice and fresh!

Ten awesome teachers at My Creative Classroom are hosting a Help Haiti Benefit Class. 10 tutorials for $20.00. Sign up today to help and to learn! I’ll be teaching Grungy Rainbow Cards — so bright and pretty. These are on display at Scrapbook Star right now if you’d like to see them, along with the supplies you’ll need!