The last of the mini album

Hello again! As promised, I'm sharing the last of my mini Christmas Traditions album.  I did manage to keep the washi obsession to only one page today!

an old glimmer brad & using up some retired paper too...

finally using some stickles I've had for ages

-a green and red mixture

pulled out the silver glass glitter too!

I managed to pull out some neglected supplies for this project.  I hadn't used the glass glitter in ages and almost forgot how awesome it looks.  I HAD to have this bottle of red and green stickles a few years ago and this is the first time I've used it...  I also used a little more of Be of Good Cheer DSP left over from last year.  I was amazed at how many things I pulled out for this album.  Usually I try to keep everything really simple and don't pull out the fancy stuff, but it was a lot of fun playing with the pretties and not really all that time consuming either.  Once you've brought something out, you might as well keep using it! Maybe that's what happened with the washi... yeah... let's go with that!

We only have a week of carefree days left before school resumes and my girls are determined to fill them with lots of fun activities.  We went to one of the free movies at a local theater this morning and they really want to go to the pool tomorrow.  I'm hoping I can convince them to be crafty on Friday so I can have some playtime too! Wish me luck and happy crafting!!

Project Recipe: Paper-Be of Good Cheer (ret), Ink-black stamp and write marker, cherry cobbler, Stamp Sets-Tags til Christmas, Joyous Celebrations, Accessories- Season of Style washi, silver glass glitter, silver glimmer brad, postage stamp punch, extra large tag punch, circle framelits, very old stickles

More Mini Album Pages and a slight addiction...

Well hello! I am so glad you are visiting because I finished my mini album this weekend, and I have pages to share!  We had some rainy weather followed by a drop in temperature this weekend.  I actually had the a/c off and the windows open and it's the end of July!! Crazy!!! Not that I'm complaining...made it a lot easier to mow the grass and pull weeds!

The cooler weather also gave me a little motivation to finish my mini album I started for the current ABAC challenge-Christmas in July.  I also discovered that I have a slight addiction to washi tape.  Once I started using it, I wanted to put it on every page... Sheesh! Well, at least I'm using the stuff!!  I kept my pages pretty simple since the pictures took up most of the space anyway.

I used washi tape to make the stripes.

more washi to add some color...

and a frame made from washi... Are you seeing

the trend here?

I have a few more pages to share, but will save them for another day.  I'm pretty sure there's washi on at least one more...

I also thought I would share a pic of Shadow enjoying the cooler weather. I think he got wind of the kitty post and was slightly offended that I would allow them to have the spotlight...

Well, I have promised my youngest a fun filled day so I better get off of here!! Have a wonderful day and happy crafting!!

Project Recipe: Ink-black stamp and write marker, cherry cobbler, Stamp Set-Tags Til Christmas, Accessories-Season of Style washi tape, scallop square punch, chipboard album, vintage white acrylic paint

Flashback Friday- Naughty? No problem!

Do not adjust your screens! Yes, it is a Flashback Friday!!  After a super crazy month filled with family in the hospital, and preparing for Christmas, on top of the normal chaos that is my life, I am finally managing some time to tend to my very neglected blog!  Bring on Christmas break!!!

I generally do not spend a lot of money at Christmas and prefer to share my holiday spirit with little handmade gifts.  Now granted, my paper crafting supplies are not free, but when I don't have to go out and buy something specific, it doesn't really count as a purchase in my book.  I work with a wonderful group of ladies at the daycare and I always give them a handmade Christmas card.  This year has been a bit crazier than normal and I wanted to do something a little more special.  I found these adorable little chocolate dipped candy cane stir sticks at Big Lots and had to buy them.  I thought they would be especially yummy in hot chocolate.

*Time for a little background information.  I am a die hard coffee drinker.  I will drink the occasional cup of tea, but usually my morning drink is a nice big mug of java. This is not the case with most of my co-workers.  In the winter months, the coffee pot downstairs is usually filled with hot water for tea and hot chocolate (good thing the coffee drinkers have their own coffee maker upstairs!).  So I thought a packet of hot cocoa and a stir stick would make a cute little gift that everyone would appreciate.

This also gave me a chance to use quite a bit of my 'stash', which is always a good thing!  I'm not sure why, but I had a ton of 12x12 paper in various shades of green.  This were quickly put to use by cutting them in half and then scoring each 6x12 piece at 2" and 6".  I stamped the holly leaves, then folded the paper at the score lines.  I also found a spool of Christmas tree ribbon that had never been used, so I adhered that to the 2" strip.  Then I sealed the edges using sticky strip.  A long time ago, I had bought a package of various glitter glue bottles and I pulled out the red to make some glittery berries.  Of course, me being me, I had to add the fun little sentiment to finish it off properly.  These were super quick and easy, and best of all, everyone loved their little gift!

Well, lots to do in the last few days before Christmas! I still have a few last minute gifts to buy and also need to get some groceries (silly family thinks they need to eat during our Christmas break...).   Be sure to stop by to see the new ABAC challenge on Sunday! Have a wonderful weekend and I hope you find some time to be crafty!

Project Recipe: Cardstock-real red, whisper white, Ink-crumb cake, black stazon, Stamp Sets-Tags til Christmas, Bells and Boughs, Accessories-1 1/4" square punch, scallop square punch, Flashback Items-green paper, ribbon, red glitter glue

Tiffany's Color and Sketch Challenge-Just a little bling...

Hello! I hope you week is going well and you are finding lots of time to be crafty!  Personally, I feel like my wheels are spinning, but I'm going nowhere... Lots to do and trying to keep track of everything is not conducive to my crafty mojo!! I think I need a vacation (and yes, I do realize that I just went back to work!) so I can relax and play!

Every month my team leader, Tiffany, gives us an envelope with cardstock pieces and a sketch.  If we choose to accept her challenge, we must use the sketch and the colors she chose to make a card.  We can add a neutral and embellishing, but it has to be in the colors she gave us.

When I saw the sketch with the circles at various heights, I thought of ornaments and knew it would be a great chance to use my new ornament stamps and framelits.  I did not know I would be trying three different ways to 'hang' them...  I created everything on the card and embellished the ornaments with a little bling (rhinestones and dazzling details), then set out to hang them on my card.  My first thought was linen thread, but then the thread would be taped on the back of the card and I wasn't thrilled of trying to cover it up.  So I thought, I'll use the night of navy marker and draw lines.  It didn't look horrendous, but it also did not look beautiful.  So as I'm looking at the lines I thought 'What would happen if I used the string of rhinestones...' and I tried it on the second and fourth ornaments.  Beautiful! Next came the strings for #1 and 3...um....wow...that is a LOT of bling...  See for yourself!

Now that is one sparkly card! And definitely NOT what I normally create! Stampin' Anne, eat your heart out!! Tee!Hee! For those of you not familiar with Anne Marie's work, she is the queen of all things glittery (and pink!)!!

It took a little time for this to grow on me, but my girls loved it and I'm thinking it may go to one of my girly girlfriends for Christmas.  I'm just glad that I completed the challenge on time and was able to play with my new toys!!

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and that we both find some time to be crafty!! I really need to scrapbook!!!! Have a fabulous day!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-old olive, whisper white, Brights DSP stack, Ink-old olive, pretty in pink, night of navy, Stamp Set-Ornament Keepsakes, Tags til Christmas, Accessories-Holiday Ornaments framelits, ornament punch, word window punch, pretty in pink dotted scallop ribbon, 3/4 " circle punch, RHINESTONES, silver dazzling details

Flashback Friday and Merry Monday

Happy Friday, everyone!  As you are reading this, I am preparing for a weekend campout with 21 rowdy and hungry 10-12 year old boys! Woo! Hoo! I am praying that a cold front moves in and we have zero humidity for a few days!! Don't need to add stinky to the list of adjectives!!  I honestly have to admit that while this is usually a very hot and tiring weekend, I really enjoy it! Crazy, right?!

I am proud to announce that these are the last two cards using Merry Moments DSP (at least for now...)  I am still planning on using up some of my other older Christmas papers and of course there is the NEW paper that's sitting on my table begging to be used!  But for now, Merry Moments is being re-retired!

I used sketch #11 from Merry Monday and made two cards, both very similar, but using some different supplies.  I used  the retired corduroy buttons and brads on both.  I'm so glad I bought extras of those when they were in the clearance rack!!

I colored my rhinestones with a red sharpie so they would add some color and shine to the ornament.

I used up the last of my leftover scallop ovals from my cricut.  It was the wrong size for the intended project and I just knew I would find something that would work with this one!

My Flash Back items are: Merry Moments DSP, corduroy buttons and brads, the scallop oval, and the sentiment is from the retired set Star Studded Season.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and that it's raining if you need it and dry if you don't!!  -I found myself wishing for a way to collect and transport rainwater from flooded and soggy places to other parts of the world that are in dire need of the water...  Now that would be something worth researching!  But anyway... have a great weekend and I hope you find some time to be crafty!!

Card Recipes: Cardstock-very vanilla, Merry Moments DSP, Ink-chocolate chip, Stamp Sets-Tags til Christmas, Star Studded Season, Accessories-chocolate chip corduroy buttons and brads, linen thread, ornament punch, basic rhinestones

Umm... Another Christmas Card...

No, it's not Flashback Friday, but in my desperate attempt to use up my older Christmas DSP, I have another card to share this week!  I had to get a little creative with this one.  I used the sketch #5 from Merry Monday and knew I wanted to use the snowman circle from Tags Til Christmas, but there wasn't any blue in the DSP... So I grabbed the color coach and found that marina mist was suggested with real red and old olive, which were colors in the DSP! BINGO! Of  course, the snowy image just begged for some dazzling details as well!  Who am I to argue with a snowman stamp?!

I colored the image with markers and also did a little 'splitting' of the sentiment using the marina mist marker.  I love being able to color only what I want to stamp.  Makes fitting things into a punched shape much easier!!

I think there's just enough DSP left to make that mini album and possibly a few scrappy cards or a page or two.  As happy as that makes me, I am even more amazed that I have 10 Christmas cards made already!  I just won't know what to do when December arrives...  Maybe I'll get some more scrapbook pages finished!  Hope you are finding time to enjoy your weekend! Happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-very vanilla, real red, Merry Moments DSP (ret), Ink-marina mist, real red, pumpkin pie, basic black (markers), Stamp Set-Tags Til Christmas, Star Studded Season, Punches-large oval, scallop oval, 1 3/4 circle, 2 3/8 scallop circle, Accessories- dazzling details

Flashback Friday-Merry Monday #4

I am on quite the roll with the Christmas cards!! I hate to admit, but I'm actually enjoying this!  I thought being limited to two packs of DSP would drive me batty, but it has actually made things easier.  Of course, there is still the temptation to dig into one of the newer packs...must be strong...

Today's card is based on sketch #4 from Merry Monday.  Sorry for the shadowy pictures... I waited a bit to long to try and take pictures outside...

and I even decorated the inside!!

My next project is making a 6x6 Christmas album.  I'm thinking that will just about finish off my Merry Moments paper (sniff...).  Only a few more days before my July preorder for the Holiday goodies!!!!

Well, that's it for me today! Another busy weekend with little time for craftiness... good thing there's still over a month of summer vacation left!  Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-real red, very vanilla, Merry Moments DSP (ret), Ink-real red, chocolate chip, soft suede, Stamp Sets- Snow Swirled, Tags Til Christmas, Accessories- petals a plenty folder, ornament punch, photo corner punch (ret), decorative label punch