What happened the year you were born?

In 1986 (the year you were born)

Ronald Reagan is president of the US The US officially observes Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday for the first time The space shuttle Challenger explodes moments after lift off, killing 6 astronauts and a teacher A major nuclear disaster occurs at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union Japanese video game maker Nintendo introduces its games to America US warplanes bomb Libyan headquarters in retaliation for terrorist attacks The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station IBM unveils the PC Convertible, the first laptop computer Charlotte Church, The Olsen twins, and Lindsay Lohan are born New York Mets win the World Series Chicago Bears win Superbowl XX Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup Top Gun is the top grossing film "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne & Friends spends the most time at the top of the US charts ALF, the Oprah Winfrey Show, and Pee-wee's Playhouse premiere

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Happy 30th!

I love the colors on this card. Those micro beads really dress up chipboard so well. I hope she'll like it.

Materials:
American Craft Thickers (Black Tie - they're fuzzy!)
Chipboard 30 (I'm not sure yet, Scenic Route, maybe?)
micro beads
Anita's 3D Clear gloss finish (for liquid embossing)
May Arts ribbon
blue textured foil paper
ChatterBox patterned paper
black cardstock

Animals birthday card

I used this sketch from stampchallenges.blogspot.com to make this card. It was very easy to use. Don't the chalks give these images the perfect look? I love it!

Materials:
Stampin' Up 'Wildlife Reserve' stamps
Creative Cafe alphabet stamps
FancyPants paper (light green)
cardstock (brown, dark brown, and cream)
Pebbles Inc chalks
Whisper brown marker
brown brads

Quick card

Q is for... Quick card challenge over at abc-challenge.blogspot.com.
Making a card under 20 minutes is really hard.

Materials:
Penny Black candles (from 'Salutations' set)
See-D's alphabet stamps
Creative Cafe alphabet 'I' stamp (for the dashes)
gems

I'm an Orange!

You Are an Orange

You have a zest for life, especially for anything colorful, wild, or dramatic. You have a unique take on the world, and you're not afraid to be a little funky. You are a bit reserved toward people who don't know you well. (Very true.) You have a thick skin, which can protect you from anything that goes wrong in your life. (Definitely not true; I'm too sensitive.) Once someone does get to know you, they totally get and appreciate you. Your friends see you as a bright person with a refreshing take on life. (I hope so.)

What Type of Fruit Are You?

Birdy Birthday card

I made this card for my friend Stefanie. She's only 7, so it also works with Spoon Full of Sugar's challenge to make a card for a child. I don't really make cards any different for kids, but I do like to think of the person who will be receiving it when I make one.

Materials:
Inkadinkado Stamp
Quickutz alphabets (Paige mini and Bright)
October Afternoon paper (dots)
Crate paper (red)
Sakura pens
Whisper markers

Simple thank you card

I made this card for the challenge over at Stamp Something. The challenge was to only use one layer of cardstock. Boy, that is difficult. To me this card doesn't look quite finished. If I had a silk or paper flower in the right color, I would have added one on the bottom right. Or something like that. Or maybe I should have added a third color.

Materials:
Inkadinkado 'Birds Galore' stamp
Penny Black 'Salutations' stamp
Hero Arts (the four flowers around the thank you's)
lilac cardstock
blue ink
blue ribbon

So exciting...

Craft Stamper magazine has a new blog and they mentioned me! Check it out: here. I am so THRILLED!

I used their strawberry stamp on this card:

Happy Birthday, Lou!

Happy Birthday, Lou! I love you! Have a great day!

Ok. I made a card, but haven't mailed it. (The post office is my nemesis. I hate going there.)


Materials:
Penny Black stamp
Stampin' Up celebrate stamp
FancyPants paper
Crate Paper
fuzzy white Dovecraft ribbon
black May Arts ribbon
Whisper markers
brown color pencil

I live in England...

"So what are you doing over here?"
When I first moved to England, I got asked this question a lot. Mostly from strangers. I think it's funny how people can ask me such a personal question just because I have an American accent. I don't mind, I'm a naturally curious person myself.

I tell them in the simplest way that I married an Englishman. I'm not very good at reading people, but I think a small portion that ask are surprised that I'm married at all; I think that to them it would make more sense if I were studying at the University. That's because I'm young (22) and to most people I actually look younger than I am.

"Do you like England?"
This is a funny question. Do you know how you would answer if you were asked if you liked where you lived? I always answer that I think England is normal. I mean life for me is work, eat, sleep, etc. Everyday life in England is only slightly different than in America. At least it is for me.

The biggest differences for me: snack food and sweets, and I don't drive over here. I really miss crackers, but I don't really miss driving.

"How did you meet your husband?"
Whenever I answer this one, I grin like crazy.

My husband was studying International Business at University and got the opportunity to study for a semester in Moorhead, Minnesota just across the river/state border where I was living/studying in Fargo, North Dakota (my hometown). The two cities are squished right together with only the river seperating them.

NaBloPoMo

November is NaBloPoMo (which means National Blog Posting Month). I'm not going to be able to post everyday (my life is a little too slow for that), but I will make a huge effort to make lots more posts this month. And hopefully, I'll get into the habit.

I'm going to start today, by going over the basics:

I'm 22 year-old American, married to a great English guy.

My favorite color is orange (blue is 2nd). I have a weird dislike for pink; it's just not for me. I'm trying to overcome it little by little, but something all pink puts me off.

My favorite foods: pepperoni pizza, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and mashed potatoes. (But not all together; that would be weird.)

I love animals. I have two budgies (Jack-jack and Mater). I love them to bits.
Here's an old scrapbook layout showing them:

I'll do a post later all about my birds soon.

I love crafting. Scrapbooking, card-making, and cross-stitch are the main ones right now, but I love trying lots of different crafts. I dabble in drawing, watercolor painting, beading, and quilting, and probably some more I'm forgetting at the moment.

I also love baking. Cookies, brownies, pies, tarts, and other desserts are my favorite things to make. I like trying new recipes all the time. Desserts are the most fun, but I try different meals, too, sometimes. Making the same things over and over again frustrates me.

That's all for now. I should write more about each of these topics soon. (and with photos, don't you think?)

If you have any interesting questions I could answer, I would be grateful.