OK, so it's not exactly "STAMPING"....

It's papercrafting.  No stamps were used! Just papers and punches and stickers!  Here are the twins' birthday cards!

The paper on Abigail's card came from my stash.  Don't know who made it, sorry.  The brown on both cards is Chocolate Chip and the bases are Pretty in Pink and Soft Sky.  The paper for Gregory's card is from the Afternoon Tea DSP from Stampin' Up!.  The Stickers are Jolee's Boutique.  The brads are Gold and Aged Copper (from the Hodgepodge Hardware).  I got the idea/pattern from another blog.  Can't remember who, or I'd give her credit... SORRY! 

Back on the 8th, I helped Megan make 13 "criss-cross" birthday party invites.  If you would like directions on making a criss-cross card, there is a tutorial HERE over on Splitcoaststampers.  I didn't get a picture of the finished ones, but here is the sample that we re-created:

The invitation is printed on the white insert.  We moved the flower up more and stamped "You're Invited" from Sincere Salutations (Stampin' Up!) to show in the triangle area.  The flower is from Prima and all other materials are CTMH (Amethyst cardstock, paper is from an old wedding scrapbook kit, silver brads and organdy ribbon).  I think they turned out rather well.

And from the same papers, here is the Mother's Day card we sent to Russ' mom:

The scalloped edge is done with a Martha Stewart Embossing punch.  I didn't do the greatest job lining it up, so I covered the boo boos by adding the small Primas with little adhesive rhinestones in the centers.  The insert pulls out to a stamped (retired) Stampin' Up! "Happy Mother's Day" image that has daffodils in a mason jar vase.  I really liked that old set.  Had some GREAT images!  I'd upload the card I sent my mom, but #1, I didn't take a photo and #2, it wasn't as good as this one.....  Bad bad Lisa.....

So there's my creative "genius" for the first half of May!

I'm a horrible mom.....

I feel just TERRIBLE.  Last night, in the dark, I stepped ON Taz.  Not just stepped on her tail or her foot, but really ON her body somewhere.  And I was sleepy, so it wasn't a quick, light step either.  I "stood" on her long enough for her to scream bloody murder and bite me TWICE.  Once pretty deeply, I might add.  Of course, after THAT, I was WIDE AWAKE as I tried to calm her down and check her for any obvious injury.  I didn't get around to washing the bite out with Bactine for a good 15 minutes which, I'm sure, did not help that at all.  Ouch.

She seems to be OK this morning, although she is still walking with a little limp in the back and she is having trouble jumping down off the beds.  I have a lovely bite wound on my leg that is red and really, REALLY hurts.  I tried to stand on tiptoe earlier to get my cereal down and I almost toppled over from the pain.  I wonder if she bit all the way to the muscle?  Ouch.  Serves me right.

Last night I kept waking up and every time I did, I would go and find her and make sure she was OK.  She runs when she sees me coming now, which just breaks my heart. 

So, let's see.... I abandon her for 4 days while I go and frolic in Hawaii, then I come home and practically kill her.  Gee, how lucky is she to have such a fantastic mother?  And her birthday is Monday too.  SIGH.  I suck.

ALOHA!

I'm baaaaaack!  I'll post more detail and photos later, but we just got back last night from a trip to Hawai'i!  My first trip there.  So much to unpack!  So many photos to upload!  Plus, I've got to stamp birthday cards for Abigail and Gregory.... their first birthday is today and their party is Saturday!

I'll update when I can.... just didn't want you to think I'd dropped off the face of the earth!