Happy Mail Day!

It's always nice to receive something other than bills and junk mail in my mailbox.  A few days ago I received this great package from Faith, the owner of Mark's Finest Papers.  I was selected as one of the winners for the Color Throwdown Challenge Blog #100.

I received a set of 24 Watercolor Pencils, a package of Colored Pencil Paper, the Ladybugs and Carnation Stamp set, the Speedy Cat's Friends stamp set and a blending stump.  I'm so excited, as I've never won on a huge give Away like this before.  I hope to have time this weekend to play with my new goodies--that Carnation stamp is screaming to me and the wheels are spinning in my head!

Big thanks to the CTD Blog and to Faith for selecting me to win this great prize package!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Changes!

I apologize ahead of time for today's boring post.  No pictures, no projects, only a bit of rambling.  I'm also sorry for not posting as often as I usually do.   I've been undergoing a bit of a transition and I thought I'd share a bit to fill you in.

This last month has been a bit of a struggle to keep up with everything in general.  I work afternoons and on April 2nd, my husband switched shifts from midnights to days permanently.  For the last 9 years, I've stayed up late at night with him, and now that he's been going to bed earlier and getting up much earlier in the day, I find myself slowly adapting to the same trend.  However, I'm still on the afternoon shift, so that means I only have a few hours in the morning to cook, clean, stamp, and blog becuase by the time I get home from work I'm exhausted from getting up so early, so I just go right to bed.  In due time this should correct itself, but in the mean time, boy what a change!

Another change that has come about is that I've recently been named the DT Coordinator for the DRS Designs DT!  I'm really excited about this position and eager to start "coordinating" some upcoming events. In adddition, the DT has also recently expanded to include 6 additional team members.  I've been busy trying to get many things scheduled for the team and getting the new members on board and acclimated with the team blog etc. Of course with every new position, there are also new duties that come along with it, but unfortunately, those duties have taken me away from my stamping room for a bit.  I am happy to report that DRS Designs has a lot of new and fun stuff planned for the upcoming months, and I'm very excited to share the details with all of you! However for now, I must keep my lips sealed, and let me tell you, that IS the hard part!  Once the DT becomes situated things should calm down a bit, so in the mean time please accept my apology for my sporatic posting. 

Thanks for hanging in there with me.  You all mean a lot to me and I greatly appreciate your comments.  Stay tuned for some fun stuff from DRS Designs coming very soon!

Hope all of you Moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Back To The Grind!

I apologize for my lack of posting last week.  My husband and I were out of town for the week and things were crazy as I tried to prepare projects and blog posts before I left.  After I completed the projects due for some deadlines there wasn't much time for playing in my stamp room and blogging about it.  

We traveled about 5 hours North to Michigan's Upper Pennisula to go snowmobiling for 5 days.  Over the course of the trip we covered about 400 miles on our snowmobiles in Michigan's Winter Wonderland.  Yes, it was cold, but we had a great time!  One of the stops we made was in Tahquamenon Falls.  Here are some pictures of the frozen and not-so-frozen waterfall. This is one of my favorite places to go to on our snowmobile.  It's absolutely beautiful!

So, tomorrow is back to the grind for me after having a week off of work.  But, on a much happier note, I came home to a huge package of rubber from DRS Designs for their next release, which will be here very soon! :-)  Please bear with me over next few days--I anticipate my next post to be on Thursday.  I have a ton of laundry to do and it will take a bit of time to mount, stamp and color my new stamps/images before I can create cards with them.  I should be back to my regular posting schedule by the end of the week. 

Thanks for being patient, for all of your wonderful comments, and for visiting often.  I greatly appreciate it and look forward to posting very soon!

Have a great day!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Happy Holidays!

Seasons Greetings From the Sunflowers and Dragonflies Design Team!

We'll be back with some new challenges for you after the New Year.

We wish you lots of good cheer & a fabulous 2010!

As for me personally, I'll be spending time with family and friends over the next week, and I'm going to take this time to allow my computer to rest as well.  You can expect me back next Saturday, January 2nd!

Have a wonderful and Safe New Year!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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Party Girl 2 ways Sneak Peek!

Here's a sneak peek of one of the cards I posted today on the DRS Designs Blog. To see more you'll have to run over to their blog to read more about them.

Hope you have a wonderful Friday & an awesome weekend!

Smiles,

Jennifer

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What a Beautiful Wedding!

Did you miss me? Well, my SIL's wedding is finally over and all of the festivities that went with it. We also just returned from a family vacation to Tennessee, so I'll be back to stamping and card making very soon!

Here are a few pics we took from my Sister-In-Law's Wedding on Saturday August 8th. It was a beautiful day, even though it rained the entire day, and it was so much fun!! Unfortunately I didn't get a close up pic of just the bride and groom--it's hard to take a lot of pics when your the Matron of Honor and it rains--you really need to make sure you take care of that dress so it doesn't get dirty or wet!

Enjoy!

DH and I

My SIL and I with other family members

SIL, Cousin, DH and I

Be back soon....

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Landscaping Helps Makes a House a Home!

Whoo Hoo! Our yard is finally a little greener! Our landscaping and sod are now complete!! I'm loving all the green and the beautiful blooms our yard now has, and let me tell you it's been a long time coming! We've lived in our house for over a year & half and up till now we've just been staring at dirt, and alot of it!

I know the pics above make it difficult to see some of the individual flowers we have so I've taken a few close ups of them.

Knock-Out Roses

Day Lillies

Service Berry Tree, surrounded by Knock-out Roses, Black Eyed Susans, Purple Palace, Day Lillies and a rock! (Pic taken before the mulch was laid.)

Japanese Maple surrounded by decorative grasses, Day Lillies, and Salvia.

We also have Purple Iris plants. Unfortunately I took this pic before the top soil and mulch was laid around them. I planted some cute little pink daisy annuals in the top soil around the irises--I thought about retaking the picture, but now they're not blooming anymore.

I'm really excited to see how all of these plants will grow and expand in the spaces around them over the next few years. Things look a bit bare right now, as everything that was planted are just babies. Isn't it amazing what a little Miracle-Grow will do in just a short time?

Well, this is just one major project that we've finally completed as we prepare my house for my Sister-in-laws wedding. She'll be getting ready at our house for her big day! 11 days to go & counting!


Smiles,
Jennifer

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New Rubber Now Available!

Sorry I don't have a project to share with you today.

This has been an awfully busy week! Our landscaping is finally in progress--yes, that means no more dirt (YEAH!) & pictures coming soon, and my Sister-in-Law's Wedding Shower is today. Her & her Fiance will be staying the weekend at our house so we have been busy cleaning and preparing for the shower.

I'm very eager to get back into my craft room--I have a long list of layouts that I want to put together and card ideas that I want to try, and will eventually get to them later this weekend & the rest of this week.

BUT....

Remember all the sneak peeks the DRS Designs DT have been showing off all week? Well, now's your chance to get them before they sell out! That's right, today is the big release day & you can find them all here as soon as they become available.

Happy Shopping!

Smiles,
Jennifer

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Hang In There Teasers!

I am happy to report that I believe my mojo has returned (Yeah & TG! I was getting worried!) It just needed a little break--you know, go on vacation, drink some margaritas and pina coladas and visit with other out-of-town friends, like Kimmy's mojo. Unfortunately though, I still don't have any projects to share with you (I know, bummer!) and as a direct result of it I have become extremely behind in meeting DT deadlines, papercrafting in general, and blogging (like you haven't noticed, right?).

The few projects that I have successfully created in the last 10 days are all for DRS Designs upcoming release. So, I'm unable to show you any of it right now except for a few teasers that can be seen below. Stay tuned...starting next Monday I'll be able to show you these projects in their entirety.

You know what they say, "Good things come to those who wait," and the good thing about all of this, is that come next week I'll be all caught up & get back to some of the weekly challenges that I like to do. That being said I should be back to posting daily as well. So...hang in there...just a few more days & my blog & I will be back to our old selves!

Smiles,
Jennifer

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Where O Where are you?

This title refers to lots of things today...

1. Me! You've probably noticed I haven't posted in a few days. I haven't necessarily been MIA, it's just that...

2. My Mojo and inspiration to create are gone, and seems like they are no where to be found! I've made several attempts in my craft room to get something started & I don't like anything that I've been coming up with over the last few days. Rather then get frustrated & put everything in the garbage, I have several unfinished projects laying around my craft room that maybe when my Mojo comes back I will be inspired to complete them.

and finally #3. My Fun Filled Friday project is missing as a direct result of #2! Last weeks theme was to decorate the inside of our cards to match the outside. Once I finally get my mojo back to finish the outside of a card, I'll be able to complete the inside as well...if I should ever get to that point any time soon...

How frustrating this is!!!!!!! I am home for a 3 day weekend and had huge plans of getting caught up and crafting the weekend away & what a bummer it is to have my inspiration just up and leave me! Maybe it's because I just need a break and after a few days I'll be inspired once again. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed!)

So, now you know why I haven't posted in the last few days. I honestly just don't have any new projects to share with you. I'm going to stay out of my craft room for today & spend time getting some things done around the house & spend some time with DH since he is home today. Then, tomorrow when he is back to work & I'm enjoying the last day of my weekend with a nice, quiet house I'll venture back in to that craft room & see what I can complete. (Maybe I just need to clean that room...I bet I'll find my mojo in there hiding under a pile of cardstock!)

With that being said, it is Sunday & it's time to announce the next Fun Filled Friday Challenge. (Although I don't feel right posting another one before the other has been completed--just seems a little backwards to me...) Maybe a different challenge is just what I need to get my inspiration jump started! So, what's the challenge you ask? Get out your brayers & brayer away! Kimmy decided on this weeks challenge & I'm wondering if she had the Zindorf blog in mind when she decided this. Good thing for me, is I sort of already have an idea in mind for this challenge, so hopefully when I sit down to do it, this project will come easy for me. If you get a chance to play this week and want to play along in our Fun Filled Friday challenges, please do so. Make sure to leave a link with your project for us to see. I'd love to see what you do with your brayer!

So, for now I'm off to enjoy the day at home and tomorrow will be a new day for me in my craft room. Hopefully I have a project to share with you soon.

Until then...if you see my mojo send it back home, ok?

:-)

Have a Wonderful Holiday weekend!

Smiles,
Jennifer

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All Good Things Must come to an End

Well, our stamping retreat has ended and I am now back home. Did you miss me? Our stamping girls weekend was at the Potawatomi Inn in Angola, Indiana, and we had a blast! Twenty two of us have been stamping, chatting, eating & inspiring each other together since Thursday. I have to admit, I am glad to be back home, but I am so bummed it's over--already! Time flies when you're having fun & this weekend surely flew by!

Here are a few pics outside the Inn where we stayed.

Here we are, all of us, in front of the fireplace in the Inn lobby!

These pictures show our crop space in the conference room.

At one point a man peeked in wondering what we were doing asked if we were having a Rummage Sale! LOL!

And here's Kimmy and I hiding behind our luggage! By looking at this picture, you'd think we brought our entire craft rooms with us!

So, now that I'm home I'm trying to catch up on my daily blog reading, and I found out that if you are like most paper crafters/stampers who like Copics, Nesties, Martha Stewart border punches, Stamps, Paper, Flowers, Buttons and ribbons, then you don't want to miss the blog candy being given away here.


Hope you had a fabulous weekend!

Smiles,
Jennifer

PS: Stay tuned to see my late Fun Filled Friday Project!

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Stamping in La La Land!

Kimmy and I and 20 other stampers from the Stamp Shack are having a blast at our yearly stamping Retreat weekend! Unfortunately, I forgot the USB cord to my computer and am unable to upload any pics, so my Fun Filled Friday card has been postponed until I get home on Sunday. To be honest I haven't even been on the computer much at all--so unlike me!

We are living the life here, stamping & papercrafting all day & night long! It's amazing how quickly time flies by! I love seening what other people's projects in progress and I'm learning all kinds of new things from them. I have a ton of new ideas, I just hope I remember all of them when I get back home! I've tried to take pictures of the things that are inspiring me. So far I have ideas for Christmas cards! (I know it's still way to early to even be thinking about that!) I've also learned how to tie pretty knots (Thanks Traci!) and I have been playing with lots of glitter! Stay tuned to see all of my new projects soon!

I'll be sure to post an update Sunday evening when I return home.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Smiles,
Jennifer

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Technical Difficulties! (Long!)

Unfortunately, I don't have a project to share with you today. I'm so sorry about that, but you can expect more later this week. My weekend was spent being lazy, and then when I wasn't being lazy, DH and I cleaned up. We finally (!) put away all of our Christmas decorations and took our real Christmas tree down. Oh, such a chore! Now my house looks so dull and dreary. I'm always bummed every year when the holiday decorations come down. (Although I am glad that all of it is finally put away!) Do any of you get the post-holiday-decoration-blues like I do?

I spent some time on Saturday and Sunday revising my blog a bit. If you click on the actual link to my blog you can see that I've changed my blog header to one of the snowmobiling pictures I posted on my blog a few weeks ago. We are in the heart of Winter right now in Michigan and I swear this winter we will break records with the amount of snow fall we've had so far! It seems like every few days we get dumped on! So anyways, I thought the picture I used for my blog header was appropriate.

I also noticed this past Friday that Feedburner was moving their feeds to Google, and I received notice that Feedburner Subscribers have until the end of February to make the move. They claimed we wouldn't lose any of our stats, subscribers etc. Since I was revising other areas on my blog this weekend I figured I should make this change now as well. With a few clicks I had everything transferred to Google. Since this change I've notice I've lost half of my subscribers just over night!!!!!!! Now, I may be completely wrong (although I find it hard to believe that half of you would just up and leave me!) but I'm blaming the transition from Feedburner to Google for the loss. So, If this should reach any of you who used to receive my posts via feeds and now you now longer are, please re-subscribe! If you are new to my blog, WELCOME! Please click on one of the subscribing links on the right side of my blog to follow me! I have a lot of exciting things to share with you all over the next month or so and I'd hate for any of you to miss it! So go ahead, Subscribe today, It's free! :-)

I normally take and answer questions from my readers, but today I'm changing things up a bit. I've stumbled on a question of my own that I thought you could help me with.

I am stumped on how to add pics to my blog that people can click on to make larger to see the detail better. How is that done? I've tried changing the pic size on my camera from email size to regular printable size, but that doesn't do it. Does it have something to do with photo editing software? I don't have Photoshop...I use a Kodak photo editing package.
I'm curious as to what incite any of you may have on this. Any advise is greatly welcome. If you would rather email me privately, please feel free to do so.

I apologize that this post is rather long, and I don't have any fun pictures for you to look at. If you've made it this far, thanks so much for taking the time to read it all!

Thanks for visiting today!

Smiles,
Jennifer

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