1/1/09 - 2/1/09 | Stampin' When I Can

Saturday, January 31, 2009

A Couple of Quickies...

No real blah, blah, blah to go with these...I am off to catch some z's!

Whenever I get on a blog editing roll, out come the tips!

Anyhoo, Paula let me know this morning that one of my blog posts was not displaying as it should. I use Firefox (in Windows) so I opened Internet Explorer for a peek...yeesh! All my CSS elements seem to be okay but any of the plain HTML (especially using Blogger gadgets) does not display as it should.

Now this just drives me nuts. I may have to spend some time investigating the issue to "pretty" things up. One site I found interesting (and you may as well), was Browser Shots. It will display screenshots of your site as it displays using various platforms and browsers. Here's an example using my site...

In my case, knowledge may not be power since I cannot revamp Internet Explorer just so that it will display my site the way I see it for everyone else. Nevertheless, at least I know where problems lie should anyone email me about it!

(Note: In Safari and Firefox for Mac, all is well.)

Newly Discovered

Friday, January 30, 2009

My Lil' Ladybug

Oh I love my lil' bug. And this Urban Prairie DP (aptly titled "Ladybug") was perfect since the blue and light green were nice calming contrasts with the starkness of the black and red.

The ladybug is a TAC stamp.
The sentiment is a cheapie See D's stamp.

Got a Dead Blog?

Most of you may know that I am out in blog-o-land forever on the lookout for a blogger I have yet to "meet". Sometimes, when I go to their Blogger profile, I see a number of different blogs. More than a few times a day, I get a dead (read: inactive) blog which, in many cases, re-directs me to another Blogger blog.

So as a little suggestion from me to you, instead of displaying your dead blog, why not hide it? Here's how to do it:

1. From your Blogger dashboard, click Edit Profile.

2. Under the Privacy header, click Select blogs to display.

3. When the Set Displayed Blogs page displays, select those checkboxes of the blog(s) you want others to be able to view.

4. Click Save Settings.

Newly Discovered

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Thank Gawd for Crafting...

On a night of no TV worth watching and no work worth doing, thank gawd for crafting. I think I would easily plummet off the edge if I only had a day of mothering, housework and chauffering to look forward to...

Paula and I escaped to the LSS tonight. Everything was 25% off and, even though I said I would buy no more paper, of course I did. Here is some cutesy Heidi Grace paper that I could not ignore, and yes, another baby card!

P.S. I have overactive letdown. I come home, start chatting with my in-laws (who came over before they depart for Palm Springs till April [sniff!]) and Brad points out that I have two large circles on my chest. Jeebus! Even with breast pads, I am still a leaky nightmare. Between spitty Avery and milky Mommy, our washing machine is never gonna get a break!

P.P.S. I just love Avery in this ladybug outfit so I must share...

Quickie Blog Point...

More than once, I have seen posts out there in blog-o-land about some frustration in responding to reader comments. Just in case you didn't know, if you don't set up your profile to display your e-mail address, the blogger cannot answer your question or thank you for your comments. To ensure that bloggers can communicate with you, do the following...

1. From your Blogger dashboard, click Edit Profile.

2. When the Edit User Profile page displays, ensure that the checkbox "Show my email address" is selected.
3. Under the Identity header, in the Email Address field, enter your email address.
4. Click Save Profile (all the way down at the bottom of the page).

Cheers!

Newly Discovered

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

To Prima or Not to Prima?

Got a question for ya...do you prima?

I have a whole drawer full of primas and it is a rare day that I reach for one. I used to add them to everything...on this card, I forced myself to remove the ribbon and instead reach for the flowers. Are you finding the same thing?

I certainly had to reach to the back of my shelves to find this set (Hip Hop Hooray). Why do I buy and then ignore all these stamps I own?

Newly Discovered

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Newly Discovered

Monday, January 26, 2009

LPS Monday - Owly...

A card for my dad (whose birthday was yesterday!). He'll understand that I was otherwise engaged. (Unfortunately, I not only forgot about his birthday but also about Charlotte's registration for preschool next year...sigh!)

Note: I used Sherrie's sketch and the color challenge (Old Olive, Cream and Chocolate Chip) from the LPS blog.

P.S. On our first night together, Avery was up at 2:30 and 5:30 (her long sleep was from 8 PM to 2 AM...we gotta change that)! I am getting a little tired now...lord knows what I will feel like by the end of the week.

P.P.S. You know the old problem with toilet paper on your shoe? Well as I was holding Avery tonight, I ended up with her dirty diaper taped to my foot. Since I was holding her (and trying to get her to sleep), I tried to use my other foot to get it detached. Do you think I had any success? What a comedy of errors!

Newly Discovered

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Ave's Home...

...and just being a regular baby. Eats lots, freaks out during a diaper change and has been living in mama's sling...

Three WJs:

One last time at the hospital:

Here's a quickie for tonight featuring Steph's sketch for Taylor's cupcake anniversary...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Ave's Coming Home...

...tomorrow! And probably not a moment too soon for those poor nurses! I went back up there tonight, and as usual, Miss Avery was up causing trouble. She usually is awake for a good two hours after her feed (which she wolfs down). She has to have her burps, her gas, her diaper change (where she acts like a hellion), her cuddles and then miles of mama walking... I sure hope DH can take some time off since it may take a little time for me and the WJs to get used to her demands...

Here's my card for tonight using Taylor's sketch (one of many she has offered up this weekend). I wish I had more time to play but I got to do all those things I have been putting off (hemming curtains, putting the crib up, sorting out baby clothes, etc.). Ciao for now!

Newly Discovered

Friday, January 23, 2009

Photo Carousel of Avery

As a thank-you for my in-laws (who had to go beyond the call of duty in the last month), I made this photo carousel of Avery pictures for them.

You may have seen this photo carousel on Ali Edwards' blog. Paula got me thinking about them (since she has wanted to do this project for some time) and I decided this was the perfect time for it.

I worked with Basic Grey's Sugared DP and chipboard.
A lot of my pics were just right in the 4 x 6 size. Since I didn't feel the need to do a lot of decorating on the front of the picture (save some chipboard accents, ribbon or photo corners), I elected to decorate the back of the pictures in many cases. Here are some examples:

Of course, I had to get a little scrappy in some cases. So I cropped a few and added embellies. The last one is my favorite since a) I sing "You Are My Sunshine" to the kids all the time and b) it features Avery's little head (I love her little head since my other two kids were so gigantic at birth). (P.S. Did you know that "You Are My Sunshine" is the state song of Louisiana? If you sing the extra stanzas as I do, you will realize what a depressing song this actually is!)

P.P.S. Here is Alberta's official provincial song. Lame-o!

Newly Discovered

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Wondering...

Just sitting here pondering...

Some random mom at preschool (I don't even know her name!) gave me dinner for tonight (bread, salad, and pasta). She knew about Avery so she thought it would help. I am so appreciative but I never feel like I convey it properly (esp. when Charlotte is clinging to my legs since she gets all nerved up going into school). I will have to give her a thank you card...it was so fleeting (esp. since I was rather surprised) that I hope I remember her face.
I hate that I can never remember people's names. Compared to my DH, MIL and SIL, I am such a dunce. I feel like I am running at a 100 MPH every day and it is all I can do to get the important things crossed off my list (like remembering to pick up my kids from school). Names, while certainly not minute details, escape me. And right now, with so many people helping Avery and the kids out, I so wish that I was better at this!
Where are my blog rolls? Looks like Blogger has f'd up again...
A slide show of pics of Avery (the ones I have developed and actually created a project with!):

Avery is doing really well. No more morphine but we have to work with an occupational therapist so that she learns how to feed properly. Her biggest issue seems to be her sleepiness (common with cardiac patients)...after a mere one ounce, she is out for the count which means the rest has to go through her nose. Even with extra supplements added to the breastmilk, one ounce per feeding is sure not gonna cut it! So, we must continue to plug away if we want to go home!

Shout out to my BFF P. - Happy Birthday!

Just a reminder...

If you want some links for candy, tutorials or card challenges, you can check out my share here: http://www.google.com/reader/shared/user/17241582063497641522/state/com.google/broadcast

While you are there, why not subscribe to that feed for regular updates?

A "Not So Sure About This" Card

I thought I would make a "scrappy" card. Not so sure about it though...

Newly Discovered

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Pink Cat Mama Tweet and Baby Tweet!

Another image from Pink Cat Studio...Mama Tweet and Baby Tweet. Mixed up some Sassafras Lass with some Basic Grey Blush DP...cuteness!

Newly Discovered

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Pink Cat Kitty!

This pink cat kitty is too cute for baby cards. I am so proud of myself since I have stayed away from the LSS and just am using what I have on hand!

Newly Discovered

Monday, January 19, 2009

LPS Monday - Teddy Bears for Baby

This little teddy bear from Little Paper Shop's {Swell News} is very cute. I just love it paired with this DP (found in a whole mess of scraps!).

Newly Discovered

Sunday, January 18, 2009

RAKs

This post has been a long time in coming but I have been just a tad busy! Thanks so much ladies...as always, your creations are all covet-worthy!

From Patty:

Super fun with the non-traditional DP and just using half of the Cuttlebug folder for embossing!

From Amy:

Amy with her trademark Fabriano paper! Love this...makes me crave a London Fog!

From Michelle:

These glittery strollers are adorable...such a fun combination of stamps makes one cute card! And I love this Christmas card. The layering of the Snowflake Spot stamp with the felt snowflakes is just brilliant (and look at that color combo to boot!).

From my nephew Kiernan (a la Paula):

From Chris:

My oh my! Just makes you want to pull out that heat gun, don't it? Love that DP (would never have picked it up myself but could it not be more perfect here?)...I gotta stretch my wings a bit at the LSS!

From Yosha: