Be My Valentine!

Ken was hard at work today at my craft table.

He decided to make his own Valentines for his preschool classmates.
I have to admit I was pretty amazed at what he came up with.
He knew exactly what he wanted to do. The foam heart block stamp is from the $1 bin at Michael's that he had saved up for. Ken asked to use my Purely Pomegranate ink pad for the hearts. He borrowed my Brocade Blue ink pad to "ink up" the edges. Then he used his Stampin' Kids markers to write "Love Ken" on the insides of the cards. I'm so proud of him! :)







He finished them by punching holes in the corner of each card.
I helped him by adding the white curling ribbon to each card and tying a pencil and a lollipop to each card.



Here I was worried about what we were going to do for his classmates tomorrow! lol!

WSC34 - Sew Happy, Thank You!

Can you believe I actually sewed on a card?

Okay, so I tried this before... sometime last year. It was an utter mess.
The thread bunched up underneath the cardstock and I could not stitch a straight line. It was frustrating to say the least! I took my sewing machine to a sewing store and made the manager behind the counter thread the darn thing while my two boys threatened to take apart his store. This was after five minutes of him telling me how he didn't carry that particular machine (like it was SUCH a bad thing) and wouldn't be able to help me out unless I took a class at the store. LOL! Anyways, it got done and when I made it home, I put the sewing machine away.

Well today, I took it out again. This time, it was a success!

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #34



Stamps: Spring Solitude
Cardstock: Almost Amethyst
Designer Series Paper: Afternoon Tea *
Ink: Almost Amethyst Classic, Whisper White Craft
Ribbon: Chocolate Chip Poly-Twill *
Other: Write-on Transparency, Detail Embossing Powder, Sponge dauber, Stampin' Dimensionals

*Available in Occasions Mini Collections Catalog on March 1st

I stamped the little bird and twig in Whisper White Craft ink on transparency and sewed that onto the DSP before using Stampin' Dimensionals to mount it over the card. It is faint and hard to see, but on one side of the card, I stamped the outline flowers from the Spring Solitude stamp set in Whisper White Craft ink and embossed it with Detail Embossing powder. I discovered how to adjust the settings on my sewing machine to do straight stitching and to do a zigzag pattern so I tried both on this card.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Keiji!

February 10, 2005


February 10, 2006


One year old and hanging out with Papa


February 10, 2007


February 10, 2008


The Four Matsumotos



We can't celebrate without cake!







Happy Birthday, my lil' bugaboo! I love you!

Oh where, oh where has my Crop-A-Dile gone?

I have been searching high and low for my Crop-A-Dile since yesterday night and I can not find it anywhere! I put it away Saturday morning just before my hostess club workshop started because I didn't want it getting in the way and that was the last I saw of it. I just set it aside!

Oh where, oh where has my Crop-A-Dile gone
Oh where, oh where could it be?
With its pretty pink handles
And shiny eyelet setter
Oh where, oh where could it be?

I'm back in the saddle again!

Let's Sale-A-Brate!


Birthday Whimsy


I saw a card with a design similar to this and just had to try it out with the presents going across the card like so.


Merci


Do you see the two tiny pink hearts? They don't belong there. Ken decided the card needed the two tiny hearts so he added them. lol!
The flower stamp was inked in Certainly Celery and stamped all around the edge of the Certainly Celery cardstock. The images were colored with an aquapainter with the ink from the lid of my ink pads. I will be putting up a post on how I color with my aquapainter later tonight.
The bee was punched out with the Boho Blossoms punch and distressed with a sponge dauber in Certainly Celery.


So Many Scallops & Lots of Thoughts


I didn't think I would like the Bali Breeze Designer Series paper but I LOVE it!
It's hard to see, but if you look closely, I scored the top and the bottom of the So Saffron cardstock twice. The scallop stamp was inked up in Pumpkin Pie and stamped on Whisper White cardstock. I punched out the center with the 1-1/4" Circle punch and kept punching out the excess white trim since it is just shy of the stamped circle. Then I punched out the scallop with the Scallop Circle punch. The Happy Hellos stamp is from the Lots of Thoughts SAB stamp set. I stamped it in Tempting Turquoise and punched it out with the 1-3/8" Circle punch. The ribbon is Old Olive, 5/8" wide grosgrain.


So Many Scallops & Lots of Thoughts... again


Here's a simple buckle card. Again... that Bali Breeze DSP is so pretty! I used the Word Window punch to create a slot for the buckle. The flower stamp used on the Tempting Turquoise cardstock is from the Spring Solitude stamp set (Hostess Set Level 2). I stamped the scallop in Old Olive and punched it out with the Scallop Circle punch. I inked up just the words "Note of Love" with the Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write Marker and punched it out with the 1-1/4" Circle punch. I popped it up on the scallop with a Stampin' Dimensional. The buckle is attached between the Whisper White card base and Tempting Turquoise cardstock. I rounded the end of the buckle with the 3/16" Corner Rounder punch.


You Crack Me Up!



I showed my Hostess Club ladies a new technique today!
Masking!
If you look at the zigzag on the front of the card, it was masked first then the flowers were stamped in Almost Amethyst. Then if you look at the inside of the card, you will see that the egg shell has flowers on it. I showed the ladies how to create a negative for the egg and stamp over that so that the flowers go on the eggshell and not on the rest of the card.

Now if you take a closer look at the ribbon, it is going to be a SU! ribbon.
The Poly-Twill Ribbons will be featured in the Occasion's Mini Collection Catalog from March 1st until May 31st. They will be available in Old Olive (shown here) and Chocolate Chip.

Cheers!
Jane

Belated thanks...

This "thank you" is a few days late, but still very much heartfelt.

A beautiful basket of "get well" goodies was hand delivered by Carolina on Tuesday. It held this most adorable card, a tin with a huge container of soup and crackers, a tin of caramels and lollypops, tea, and loads of love.







Thank you for making me feel so warm and good when I was feeling so awful and icky!

Stephanie called me every day to check in on me to make sure I was okay... I can not tell you what that means to me. Thank you, love! I don't how you do it with your busy schedule! You are super mom and super friend.

Kristin, if you get to around to reading this, your call out of the blue today was perfect timing.
Thank you for lifting my spirits.

Thanks to all who wished me well - every wish helped make my day a bit brighter.
I love my boys but wish they kept their germs to themselves! lol!

Here is a poem I came across my birthday last year that I saved that I would love to share with you now:

True friendship isn't seen with the eyes, it is felt with the heart.
When there is trust, understanding, loyalty, and sharing.
True friendship is a rare feeling, but when it is found
It has profound impact on our well-being, strength, and character.
True friendship does not need elaborate gifts
Or spectacular events in order to be valuable or valued.
To ensure long-lasting quality and satisfaction,
True friendship only needs a few key ingredients:
Undying loyalty, unmatched understanding, unsurpassed trust,
Deep and soulful secrets, and endless sharing.
These ingredients, mixed with personality and a sense of humor,
Can make a friendship last a lifetime!
This is just a thank you, my friend, for all the wonderful and colorful
Special ingredients you've brought to my life!
- Author Unknown

What goes with Summer Sun?

3a and I'm lying on the bathroom floor wondering what goes with Summer Sun.

Anyone?

"Why" you ask?

The hallway bathroom walls are painted in Summer Sun.
Not by choice, of course.
It came that way.
The previous owner had painted it that color.
Now it's the "boys" bathroom / guest bathroom.

The dark blue navy towels look great in there.
Maybe Mellow Moss?

Oh... why was I lying on the bathroom floor at 3 in the morning floor, contemplating this color challenge?

a stomach virus

yup

no hostess club workshop this morning

no hostess club workshop tonight

BUT I did get to sleep in a bit AND I got to take a nap this afternoon. I will also get to go to bed super early tonight.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, will ya?
That this is it because Keiji's 3rd birthday is this Sunday!

A quick update

Hello friends!

I'm sorry I haven't been around much. It turns out that I have a double ear infection and a bad case of bronchitis. The doctor put me on an inhaler, Cheratussin, and Azithromycin.

The boys are doing much better on their own. They had the flu which they managed to fight on their own. The flu shots seemed to help get them through most of it quickly. What little troopers!
I really am starting to feel a bit better and stronger. I am hoping to be able to stamp a bit later.
Stay tuned for more!

Thank you for all the get well wishes!
Jane

Flu season

We are all sick in the Matsumoto home.

Whatever I have is terrible. I don't know how the boys managed the past few days without complaining any more than they did. They were so good for me! A few tears and tantrums but nothing out of the ordinary. Keiji was very sick Wednesday night but we thought it was from either eating too much mango ice cream for his cousin's birthday or maybe a stomach virus. He was really out of it all day on Friday though... probably from not being able to keep anything down for a day and a half. Then Ken got sick Friday night and again tonight. I was having cold symptoms earlier but started feeling worse today. Now, I can tell you I'm pretty certain I have the flu. This really stinks. :(

Hostess club workshops for tomorrow are cancelled.
Monday hostess club workshops are still pending... as much as I want to push through this and hold the workshops, I don't want to get anyone else sick.

So ladies, I have alternative days for you.
Thursday 9:30a - 11:30a
Thursday 7p - 9p
Saturday 10a - noon
Saturday 7p - 9p

I hope this will work for all 14 of us. Yes! I believe we have a new member to our club!