Happy Easter!

Hello! I just wanted to take a minute to say Happy Easter to all of my followers who are celebrating today! I hope that you spend the day with loved ones and cherish the most wonderful gift we were given on this day!

We are starting our morning off with a beautiful church service, followed by a day of family and fun at my parents' house.  There will be lots of food and for some reason, even though there are only a few little ones right now, the Easter Bunny still brings enough goodies to stock a small store... On occasion, he has also been known to bring black eggs to my naughty brothers!  Did I mention we like to have fun?!

I will be back tomorrow with the new challenge for Anything But a Card, and this one is killing me!!

May your day be sunny, your Easter basket filled with goodies, and your eggs be anything but black! Have a wonderful day!

A new product? 'Dino'mite!!

Hi! So glad you stopped by!  I have big news!! Stampin' Up is introducing a new product!

Photopolymer stamps!!

Click the link to see Designer Typeset

I have to be honest; when I saw the information on the new style of stamp, I was not too impressed.  I have used clear stamps in the past and was not happy with the quality of the stamped image.  They just weren't my 'thing'.  So I didn't rush out to buy this set when it became available to demonstrators.  I did however win this set at our team meeting!  I promised Tiffany that I would keep an open mind and try the set.  I have to say I was impressed with how well the stamps stuck to the block and the images were pretty crisp too.  But my favorite part was the ability to curve the banner on my block before stamping! Very cool!  I don't know that I will be getting rid of my other stamps any time soon (still LOVE them!), but this is a nice alternative to the traditional rubber.  I used the banner and the alphabet from this set on my card.

This is a pretty basic card (except for the fussy cutting-gasp!) since I was simply playing with the new stamps anyway.  But I do like the way it turned out and I now have another little guy card for my stash! Or I could be not so nice and send it to one of my older siblings for their birthday... hee! hee!

If you think you would like to try out this new style of stamping, please visit my SU website. Just click here!

I hope you have a wonderful day and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-Baja breeze, whisper white, Stamp Sets-Dinoroar, Designer Typeset, Ink-black stazon, asst. markers, soft suede, chocolate chip

Happy Anniversary- Saleabrate!!

Well, hello there! I am so glad you popped in for a visit today!  Things have been quite uneventful this week, which is perfect for spring break!  I even managed to get a few scrapbooking pages finished using MDS!!  But today is not about my current projects. Nope, today is all about my wonderful ability to procrastinate and then realize that I goofed again...   In February, my stamp club made a card using the beautiful paper that was available for free during Saleabration...key word being WAS available...as in 'not available now that I'm getting around to posting this'... Sheesh! Have I mentioned lately how crazy things have been for me lately?!

So, today I am sharing the card we made at club that features the lovely, but no longer available, Sycamore Street DSP!  It also has a very pretty ribbon that was also a free item during  SAB... not that this helps you if you don't already have it...

I borrowed this layout from someone, but unfortunately, I do not remember who...  I decided to use the postage stamp punch to make the fish tails on my banners, and really like the interesting edge!

If you are a follower and frequently read my posts, you know that I have been alluding to a very crazy few months.  You also know that my Mom has not been feeling the best and that I also recently relocated my classroom to a new building.  It was during this time of major stress that I realized that I needed to make some drastic changes to my life because I was becoming more unhappy with each passing day.  So I made the HUGE decision to make this my last year of teaching at the preschool.  I have turned in my notice and will officially be unemployed as of May 17th.  While the initial thought of this scared me to no end, I must admit that in the past week I have found an inner peace that has not been present for me in a very long time.  No, I don't know where I will be working next, or even what I will be doing, but I also know that God has a plan for me and He is guiding my steps.  In the meantime, I will be crafting my little heart out and spending some much needed time with my family.  I'm also letting those rusty wheels in my head spin and I have some really fun ideas floating around up there.  Before I finish this post, I want to share something I found on Pinterest...

I hope you allow yourself the same! Happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-pool party, whisper white, tangerine tango, Sycamore Street DSP, Ink-island indigo, Stamp Set-teeny tiny wishes, Accessories-Sycamore Street ribbon/button set, oval punch, scallop oval punch, postage stamp punch

Fabric Frenzy!!!!

Just poppin' in to let you know about an amazing deal from Stampin' UP!  Right now, all of our fabric is 50% off!!!!! Not into sewing? Not a problem (believe me, I know!!).  The fabric can be used in so many different ways-cut with dies, rolled into flowers, or just to add a bit of texture to a project.  Of course, it's great for sewing too!

If you would like to take advantage of this special deal, you can click here to shop my online store!

Thanks for stopping by! Now it's time for me to get back to my laundry and house cleaning...yippee...

Anything But a Card Challenge 15-Spring/Easter

It's time for week 2 of Challenge 15 at Anything But a Card Challenges and it's my turn to share my project for the challenge Spring/Easter/Alice in Wonderland.  As much as I really wanted to do an Alice project, I have absolutely no Alice goodies in my stash, sniff! sniff!  So my project is following the Easter portion of the theme.

I would love to take credit for this sweet little basket design, but my crafty sistah, Sheila, shared this as a make and take at our most recent Stampin' UP meeting.  I couldn't get over how easy this was to make and only takes one sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock.  I also added the bow and little tag just to dress it up a little bit!  Wouldn't this be so cute full of candies?! Especially chocolate!!

I will try to get the diagram for the cardstock piece on my blog later this week.  I am officially on spring break and hope to have lots of crafty and bloggy time to get caught up on some much neglected things!  I hope you enjoyed my little Easter basket and that it inspired you to link up with us and share your own craftiness!  Have a fantastic week and happy crafting!

I Got Happy Mail!!

I know I've said it before, but there is nothing like opening the mailbox and finding 'happy mail'! You know anything that is not a bill or junk mail...  Well, the other day, I received the most wonderful package from my dear sister in blogging, Lisa.  Lisa and I like to spend a lot of time on Pinterest pinning all sorts of things that we may or may not ever make.  She had pinned the cutest crocheted coffee cup snuggie and I told her that if she would be selling them, I would buy one.  Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found my very own snuggie!! And it's even BLUE!!!! She also included the most beautiful tag with the sweetest message on the back!  After the month I have been dealing with, this was just the pick me up I needed!!  Here is Lisa's crafty crochet work...

 and her beautiful tag...

Thanks so much, Lisa for making my week!  

It would be a Valentine, but we're calling it a love card...

Now how's that for a post title?  Confused??  Well, if you visit my blog at all, you know that I am a long time card carrying member of the Procrastinator's Club (well, I would have a card if they ever got around to making them...) and on occasion, my procrastinating leads to complete and total forgetfulness.  Today's card was created for a club in February and it WAS a Valentine card, but since it is now mid March, I don't want to look too absentminded, so I'm renaming it a Love card, perfect for an anniversary or just a 'honey, I love you' note.  Clear as mud, right?!  My intentions were to post this for Valentines day, but in my procrastinating to create the post, I completely forgot to make it.  And while I know that some people create Christmas cards all year long to prepare for the holiday, I don't know anyone who makes Valentines all year.    If you do, please don't tell me! I already feel like a slacker for not making enough cards for the times that I do need to send them!!  But enough of my endless rambling about forgetfulness...

Here is the once a Valentine, now a Love card...

I totally pulled inspiration from a dear blogging friend, Carole.  I loved the way she used the heart framelit for her card and had to make my own version!  She of course, was not a procrastinator, and had her card on her blog well in advance of Valentine's Day... I should despise that about her, but she is so super sweet and so much fun that I am willing to overlook her perfections!! Did I mention she has a wonderful sense of humor too?!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my card and don't think too poorly about me and my less than perfect posting habits! Have a wonderful rest of the week and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-whisper white, More Amore DSP, Stamp Set-That's the Ticket, Fabulous Phrases, Ink-real red, soft suede, Accessories-Hearts a Flutter framelits, Chevron folder, ticket duo builder punch, pool party ruffled ribbon

Anything But a Card Challenge 15

Hello! So glad you stopped in today! It has been a WET and nasty day in southern Indiana. The perfect day for curling up with a good book or crafting, or if you are as fortunate as I was, taking a nap!

There is a new challenge posted at Anything But a Card Challenges.  This time, we are encouraging you to think spring! Of course, if you follow our challenge blog, you know that things are never as simple as this...  We like to get as creative as possible and Carla, our fearless leader, has taken the Spring theme and made it even more open ended!

"For Challenge 15 we are asking for something Spring-y or spring colors, or Alice in Wonderland!  I know it may seem like a strange combination, but that's how it works in my mind! :)  I think it's probably the rabbit/Easter thing."

So there you have it! Get your thinking caps on and see where this challenge leads you.  We would love to see your creation, and if you are so inclined, the team would love it if you checked out their creativity for the week.

I will be posting my project on Week 2, so be sure to stop back in to see the inspiration for the second week as well!

And just so you have something to look at on my blog this week, I created a card for my most recent club meeting that fits the theme of the challenge.  Yes, I know this is a card and the challenge very specifically is Anything BUT a Card, but since this isn't a DT post, I'm bending my rules a little!!  Feeling a bit rebellious at the moment... Hee! Hee!

This card was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest.  You can see that card here.  She has a great tutorial on how to create her card.  Since I was using mine for a club project, I simplified it using punches instead of the oval framelits.  I also made mine a standard sized card so the ladies could use the envelopes they already have on hand.

I hope you have a most wonderful week and find lots of time to be crafty!!

Card Recipe- Cardstock-Baja breeze, whisper white, pink pirouette, Stamp Set-Wacky Wishes, Ink-Baja Breeze, pretty in pink, early espresso marker, Accessories-extra large and large oval punches, 2 1/2" circle punch, small heart punch, decorative label punch, wisteria wonder bakers twine, perfect polka dots folder, big shot

A 'Labor' of Love...

Hello! Well, hopefully my life is settling back down enough for me to start being crafty again! If it wasn't for a promise made to family, I'm not sure I would have found time to make the crafty goodness you are seeing today.  But, I do believe all of my non-craft obligations are back in order so this week promises to allow for some inky time! Woo! Hoo!

My niece is having her first baby in a few short months and my SIL asked if I would be interested in helping with the shower preparation. Um.... YES!  After an evening on Pinterest, my head was swimming with ideas for table decorations and goodies.  I decided on three very sweet projects. But first a picture of the decorated tables. Aren't the blocks such a cute idea?  And now Baby has some toys to play with too!

 See the cute little diaper holding the M&Ms? Yep, that's mine!

A 5x5 square of flannel wrapped like a diaper and pinned closed

I also made wrappers for some chocolates using the

It's a Wrap Occasions stamp set.

 and my personal favorite, the onsie banner!

I used a template for the onsies and cut the letters 

with my cricut. The little clothespins were found

at a dollar store and hold the paper to the bakers

twine line.

 Isn't this the cutest fruit display ever? We saw this idea

on Pinterest and our local grocery store recreated it for us.

I was so excited when I saw the invitations they were using had some of the same colors as the Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP. The sweet prints were perfect for a baby shower and all I had to do was mix the patterns with marina mist, pacific point, and early espresso cardstock to make the banner.

Well, that's it for me today! Have a wonderful week and happy crafting!

Anything But a Card Challenge 14

Well, hello! I am so glad you are visiting today!  After an incredibly manic two weeks, I think my life may be returning to it's normal level of crazy...  Our childcare center has officially moved into our new building and I can finally say after sharing a classroom for over 12 years, "I have my very own classroom!!!"  No more panic attacks about spilled paint on the carpet (who puts carpeting in kids classrooms????), no more hectic Fridays where I magically change my classroom for 3-5 year olds into a Bible study room for adults, and best of all, a place where I can let the kids be as creative as they like with messy art supplies!  The bad part?  Trying to move over 12 years of teaching 'stuff' in one weekend and remember where the items new homes are...

Added on to the chaos of moving, was my mother having her heart go out of rhythm (again) and then also straining her back.  She is fine now, but since she has been told to take it easy, that means her daughter who lives up the road gets a few more jobs added to her 'to do' list.

So if I haven't been by to visit you lately, now you know why!  Hopefully, I will be able to get back into creating and blogging again this week and catch up!  But enough of my rambling!!

We have a brand new challenge at Anything But a Card Challenges and once again, there are lots of different directions to go with this!


Challenge 14: Anything Green Or Irish or St. Patrick's Day-  I know it's a BROAD challenge but it has so many options that surely you can find something to inspire you:  leprechauns, fairy, rainbow, pot of gold, Saints, St. Patrick, shamrocks, recycle something (go green), Ireland, iconography, triptychs, just to get you started!  Or you can just do something primarily in the color tones of green. 


The design team has some fabulous projects posted and we always get so many wonderful creations linked up as well, so I really hope you will find the time to join us!

Have a wonderful week and happy crafting!