Day 10-Out with the old...

Hello! I can not believe that in 15 short days, we will be celebrating Christmas... How can a celebration that never changes dates sneak up on you???  Please tell me I'm not alone!

I am happy to say that I'm very close to being finished with my cards!  I am also glad that I have been using a lot of my supplies that I've had for a while.  I am really trying to commit myself to only keeping things I use or love.  Of course crafting supplies have to be replenished, but I could probably go quite a while without buying anything! So I am making an effort to use up a lot of my goodies instead of just adding to the supplies!!

Today's card uses many retired items that haven't been used in a while.  I pretty much CASEd this card from France Martin.  I saw her card a LONG time ago and saved the photo to my computer (prePinterest days...), but didn't save the actual link to her blog post.  But I still wanted to give her credit since I loved her card so much!  I used corduroy brads where she used bakers twine and jingle bells, and the background embossing & DSP is different, but otherwise it's almost exactly like hers.

I really enjoyed breaking out the red glimmer paper again and I LOVE those brads-so sad they're no longer available...but I parted with some all the same.  I also forgot how fussy those bits of stocking are to handle.  I may have muttered a few choice words as I tried to glue them perfectly to the glimmer paper...  But in the end, it really is a pretty, sparkly card!

I have some major Christmas shopping to do this week and I'm hoping to have most of it done by the weekend.  I would love to have everything wrapped and ready by next week, but I'm not sure that will happen! Gotta be realistic...

I am so glad you stopped by and I really appreciate my blog friends that leave such wonderful comments.  It makes my day even happier!  I hope you have a wonderful day and find some time amid the busyness to do something fun!

Card Recipe: Paper-whisper white, ruby red (ret), baja breeze (ret), old olive, red glimmer paper, Holiday Treasures DSP (ret), Accessories-1 3/8" circle punch, large scallop punch, stocking builder punch (ret), baja breeze corduroy buttons (ret), snowburst embossing folder (ret), dazzling details

Anything But a Card Challenge #9- Sisterly Love...

It's time for week 2 of Challenge #9 at Anything But a Card.  We've made it so easy for you to play along with this challenge! The challenge is Anything Goes or Your favorite project from 2012. Now how simple is that! I hope that you will find time to link up a new or favorite project this week.  The design team has done a wonderful job with their submissions as well, so be sure to stop by and check them out.

I had something of a crafter's block going on the week before Christmas.  I managed to complete all of my projects but kept putting off my gift for my sisters.  I really wanted these to be special and was hoping my mojo would return before Christmas day.  I finally broke down on Christmas eve and decided these had to be finished one way or another.  I printed out the pictures I wanted to use and noticed that red was a focal color in both photographs.  Then I started the daunting task of choosing papers.  After discarding several options, I settled on the retired Sending Love DSP. I love the glittery accents on this specialty paper! Apparently this was just the jump start I needed. As I played with the paper patterns I started visualizing each little frame and the whole project fell into place.

I even manage to squeeze some sneak peeks of new products onto this! Of course, using the retired paper helped reduce my growing stack of DSP, and that's always a good thing. Gotta make room for new stuff!

The flower trim in this picture is one of the new products

available in the spring catalog, available January 3rd!

Vintage yumminess!!

I used three glimmer paper hearts symbolizing the 3 sisters.

Another new product-Real Red Core'dinations paper!

Well that's it for me!  I'm off to do a little more organizing of my crafting table (imagine an explosion in a paper crafting store...)  and then hopefully work on a few ideas that have been floating in my brain.  I hope you had a wonderful December and managed to share some crafty goodness with others!  May your new year be filled with happiness, health, and peace! 

Project Recipe: Cardstock-real red core'dinations, very vanilla, Sending Love DSP (ret), red glimmer paper, Stamp Sets-Joyous Celebrations (oval frame), Fabulous Phrases, Ink-real red, chocolate chip, Accessories-frame from Hobby Lobby (1/2 price sale!!), full heart punch, large oval punch, Holiday Frame embossing folder, sanding system, vanilla flower trim, Victoria crochet trim, 'sisters' metal embellishment from my stash

Anything But a Card Challenge #8- Frosty the Glowman

Hello and welcome to week two of the current challenge at Anything But a Card.  We are celebrating the light or Seasonal Holiday.  You are free to interpret light however you like, as long as it's not a card.  We would love it if you would join in our challenge!

I am neck high in planning and making gifts for Christmas and knew that I would combine my design team project with something that would make a nice little present as well. It's multitasking by only doing one thing!! Gotta love that!!

I have been on an ornament kick lately and enjoy giving them as gifts because most people have a Christmas tree and who doesn't love a gift made with love?!  I first saw a snowman using a tea light, at Stamp & Scrap with Frenchie and thought it would make a cute idea for a little gift.  Then I saw another version that had a body as well.  Debbie's snowman is part of her 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments and she has a great tutorial, and some absolutely wonderful creations displayed on her blog!  I loved the hat on France's snowman and decided it had to go on my snowman too.  Of course, I took a little artists inspiration to change things around a little and make this guy my very own...

This was so easy to put together that I made 6 of them using up the tea lights I had left over from DD#1's birthday party a few years ago.  My girls liked them so well, they immediately laid claim to them as gifts for their teachers.  Good thing I made six of them!!

If you would like to recreate my little snowman, he really is super simple to put together.  Just layer the two larger circles and then use the 3/4" circle punch to make a hole for the switch to fit through. A little sticky strip around the base hold the ribbon in place and also attaches the tea light to the circles.  The eyes, buttons, and mouth are pearls that I colored with a black sharpie.  If you need a more visual description, I suggest a visit to Debbie's blog.

Well, that's it for me today! Only three more school days until our Christmas vacation begins.  Woo! Hoo! I am planning on doing a lot of crafting during my break and am looking forward to some 'not busy' time with my family.  Have a wonderful week and happy crafting!

Project Recipe:  Cardstock-basic black, whisper white, red glimmer paper, Ink-Baja breeze, whisper white, black sharpie, Punches-2 1/2" circle, 3/4" circle, Boho blossom, modern label, word window, Accessories-3" circle die, basic pearls, neutrals brads, old olive grosgrain ribbon (ret), sticky strip

Color Me Beautiful Challenge #11-A Christmas Flashback

Is it really Friday?! This has been the craziest week and I don't feel like I have accomplished anything, even though I have been running around like a chicken!!  I also realized that the annual arts and crafts festival that we attend is in a week!! That means Christmas is WHEN?!  I am not going to count the days because then I would really start to worry!!  But enough of my whining...

The challenge at Color Me Beautiful, this week, is sure to inspire the Christmas spirit!  Although... if you are not moved by the Christmas spirit, you could easily use these colors for any other project as well!

Try as I might, I could not get primrose petals to cooperate with the other colors.  Who knew it could be such an anti-social color... :p   But I DID use some Spice Cake DSP!! Go figure! 

I'm not sure that I'm finished tweaking this card... A little too much 'space' for my liking, maybe another stocking? The other ladies on the design team managed to succeed where I struggled and are sharing their fabulous creations at the challenge blog, so be sure to go visit them. And if you are so inclined, we would love to see what you can do with these beautiful colors!!

I managed to pull out some retired goodies for this card and it's Friday, so I'm calling this my most recent Flashback Friday card!

Today I am baking cookies for DD#2's fall festival, but I'm hoping to multi-task and get some creating done as well!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and find some time to be crafty too!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-sahara sand, real red, soft suede, very vanilla, red glimmer paper, Spice Cake DSP (ret), Stamp Set-Bells and Boughs, Ink-soft suede, Accessories-1 3/8" circle punch, scallop oval punch, stocking punch (ret), linen thread

ABAC-Shiny, Sparkly, Blingy, OH MY!

It's week two of the challenge at Anything But a Card, and it's my turn to share a project. Our challenge is to make something shiny, sparkly, or blingy and I think this will qualify (wink) as sparkly. I am loving all of the creations that have been linked up so far!  There is so much variety and everyone has their own style that shows through all of the bling-bling!!  

I really need a class on taking pictures of my layouts as they never appear as nice as they are in real life.  I give you exhibit A...

I sprayed vanilla shimmer smooch spritz all over the base, added a couple of strips of silver glimmer paper and a glitter brad in the center of a distressed flower.  The butterflies are heat embossed with iridescent ice embossing powder. You would think that the glint from the sunlight would be blinding in this picture, but it's not.  So you will just have to take my word that it is VERY sparkly!!

This blurry close up of the flower shows a hint of the shine...

This was a fun page to create.  DD#1 loves purple and I thought the elegant eggplant and silver would give these holiday pictures a festive look.  The grungy flower was a first for me.  I punched 3 scallop circles and misted them with a little water, then mushed them into a ball. This gave them such wonderful texture.  I attached them together with a glimmer brad and sprayed them with vanilla shimmer.  Not to bad if I say so myself!!

When I finished my page and was looking at the pictures, I noticed DD had a jeweled belt buckle on her shirt. How perfect is that?!

Well, i hope you like my sparkly page and I would love to see what you can create with a little sparkle, shine, or bling! Have a wonderful week!

Page Recipe: Cardstock-elegant eggplant, silver glimmer paper, Ink-versamark, Stamp Set-Precious Butterflies, Accessories- scallop circle punch, elegant eggplant dotted scallop ribbon, silver glimmer brad, vanilla shimmer smooch spritz, iridescence ice embossing powder, heat gun

Scrapbook Monday-Christmas

I am super proud that I've managed to stick with my resolution so far!  It has helped me get over half of my 2011 pictures scrapbooked, and it's only February!!  My girls have been enjoying looking at pages without saying "When was that?" or "Where were we?"!

Today's page is from Christmas.  Now don't get all excited, I'm not almost finished with the year! I've been jumping around to different occasions as the inspiration hits and this time it just happens to be Christmas.  Tomorrow it might be Easter, Halloween, or some random moment!

The stockings were an afterthought.  I wanted to punch all four sides of my journaling block with the eyelet border, but the corners were off just enough to make me not like it! So, as the saying goes... "There are no mistakes in paper crafting, only times for embellishment!"  In the end, I really like the sparkle the stockings added to the page.  It was also the only Stampin' Up! supplies I used other than the eyelet punch!  I am slowly but surely making a dent in my hoarded scrapbook paper and stickers!

Well, today I'm feeling rather old.  My oldest DD is officially a teenager today!  Isn't it funny that my birthdays don't make me feel older, but my kid's do?  She is picking the place for dinner tonight, which is a bonus for me since I won't have to cook dinner!  I'm just glad we've moved past the age of choosing McDonalds!!

Page Recipe: Cardstock-red glimmer paper, and stash goodies, Accessories-stocking builder punch (ret), eyelet border punch, stickers from stash

A CASE of CAS

As if paper crafting and blurfing weren't enough addictive habits to consume my time, I also found Pinterest a few months ago! Oh the possibilities! The card I'm sharing today was inspired from Mandy at A Little Space of My Own.  I loved the clean look and the huge pop of the red against the white.  It was also super fast and easy to make and since I'm only half way to my required goal of Valentines, this is a very good thing!

In case you missed it, I'm offering blog candy on the post below, so be sure to check it out! Have a wonderful day!!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-whisper white, red glimmer paper, Ink-cherry cobbler, Stamp Set-Loving Thoughts, Accessories-heart to heart punch and dimensionals

Am I Crazy?!,

This time of year is always hectic for me.  I teach 4 different preschool classes and I organize the Christmas program that they perform.  We also have 4 separate parties.  I also help the children at our church with the special children's service on Christmas Eve.  Add to these the normal holiday preparations and it gets quite busy!  This year was the first year I had a pretty good start on my Christmas cards and I came up with the 'brilliant' idea to make all of the tags for our gifts this year!! Am I CRAZY?!  Most of the tags are very simple, after all, I'm sure most of them will be thrown in the trash with the wrapping paper (sniffle...).  However, I put a little more effort into some of them, especially the ones I designed for our team's Christmas tag swap. We were to make a set of three tags.  This is one of the tags I took to the swap...

I love the little accents of glimmer and the stocking punch made this super easy!  Next week, I only have three days of school, so hopefully I will be able to catch up on my blogging!!

Recipe:  Cardstock-wild wasabi, cherry cobbler, whisper white, silver glimmer paper, Ink-wild wasabi, soft suede, Stamp Set- Stitched Stockings, Accessories-snow burst folder, stocking punch, ticket corner punch, cherry cobbler bakers twine

Tinted Glimmer Paper

A few posts back, I shared a picture of the glimmer paper ornaments I punched out and tinted.  I finally used these to make some Christmas cards. I got the information on tinting the paper and the card design from Debbie, you can see the full directions on her blog, but it's pretty basic.  I punched my ornaments first.  I took re-inkers and squeezed a little ink into a lid, then used the aqua painters and ink to paint the ornaments. You can use your heat gun to set the ink or if you do several, like I did, just put them on paper towel and let them air dry.  This was a little messy and my fingers were inky by the time I was done, but this really is a simple and fun, yet beautiful technique. I was amazed at the amount of shimmer that still came through and after sponging the edges with soft suede, they really took on an antiqued look.  Here is my card.

If you saw the card we made at the crop, this is the same layout, only I used linen thread for the 'hook' and the glimmer ornaments. Be sure to check back on my blog and see the other creative idea that came from my aqua painter and re-inkers!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-garden green, whisper white, glimmer paper, Ink- cherry cobbler & marina mist re-inkers, garden green, soft suede, Stamp Set-Lovely as a Tree, Accessories-ornament punch, linen thread, square lattice folder, top note die

Return of the mojo, sort of...

For the past week, I have felt a little 'blah' about creating.  I would see all of these inspiring creations from others and then sit at my table and think 'hmmm.....' I have created a few things for some upcoming projects that I didn't want to post yet, but other than the things I HAD to make, there hasn't been much creativity flowing.  So tonight I decided, no matter what, I was going to make something!  I pulled out my silver glimmer paper, punched a few ornaments, and got everything ready to color them.  If you have yet to be exposed to this technique, I saw this for the first time at Debbie's Designs.  She is so nice, super talented and always has the best tutorials! Anyway, as I sat there playing with my aqua painter (first time!) and the ink, things just sort of clicked.  I was having fun, not worrying about the end product (which was AWESOME!) and just experimented with the ink and paper.  So as my ornaments were drying, I starting thinking about this super cute image my super talented, always funny, friend, Lisa at You Made Me Ink, had posted a looong time ago that I had printed and colored.  I was waiting for just the right inspiration to strike so I could use this and I came up with this...

It's a little hard to appreciate from the picture, but the image of the 'not so perfect' snow family has been given a few little touches after the coloring.  I used dazzling details on the ground and accented the hat, Mother's scarf, and the instigator's earmuffs with crystal effects.  I really love this image and had to remember the many, 'not so perfect,' family pictures I have been a part of over the years.  It also seemed so fitting since there are four in our family (five if you count the dog).  Maybe I'll have to talk Lisa into commissioning a special image with Shadow knocking both of the kids down.  He is notorious for this!

 Because of the coloring, and added touches to this card, not to mention the glimmer snowflakes that I punched (glitter everywhere!) I decided this qualified for the challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  They are looking for 'over the top' cards.  You know, the ones that you make and love, but say "Never again..."  Not saying I won't ever do this again, but I sure wouldn't want to make 20 or 30 of these!

 

Just in case you wanted to see my tinted ornaments...

I'm hoping to be able to do something with these over the weekend. Wish me luck!

Card Recipe: Cardstock- pear pizzazz, whisper white, poppy parade DSP (in colors stack), glimmer paper, Ink- assorted SU markers, Stamp Set-image from Lisa M, Accessories-pear pizzazz seam binding, dazzling details, crystal effects, non SU snowflake punch

Ornaments: Silver Glimmer paper, cherry cobbler  and marina mist reinkers, aqua painter, ornament punch