My weekend projects...

As you know, I've been working on projects to sell at the Bargain Hunt that my church is having on November 13, 2010. I participated in one they had over the summer. I didn't do so well, but I didn't really know what to expect and decided to do it VERY last minute. So, this time I have a plan! With the Holidays coming, I'm focusing on holiday related items or items that someone may want to give as a gift for the holidays. I've made a few Christmas/Holiday cards, so far, and will be making more along the way, but this weekend I focused on on gifty stuff. (PS on all of the projects I make for the Bargain Hunt, my goal is to use up my stash only - no buying new products!!). Ok, I'm officially determined. Especially because all my proceeds (except for the 10% donation to the church) will go directly to the Relay for Life I'll be doing in March.

This first item is an Ornament I made using a chipboard star from a Maya Road coaster mini. I covered it with My Mind's Eye Christmas paper left over from last year. I just love this paper!! In fact, I have a couple sheets of and some chipboard stickers left over, and will be making gift tags out of them :). Anyway, I chalked the edges of the star in orange ColorBox, and made a "flower" using a Fiscars scalloped border punch. I also added some thin wire, that I has curled on a skewer and popped up some cute little stars (stuck them on using Glossy Accents). And I HAD to finish it off with a beautiful banner and sentiment from my Lawn Fawn Cozy Christmas Stamps (LOVE!!) I just love how it came out so much!! I like the colors - so bright and fun!!

For the next ornament, I took a Jenni Bowlin chipboard bird/wing and traced them onto empty/flattened boxes of...fruit snacks. Yep, fruit snack boxes. I'm also doing a heaping of recycling here. Been saving them for a few months now. They work great. They're kind of thinner than chipboard but very environment friendly - especially with the plethora of fruit snack my kiddies go through - and, once you cover both sides in paper, they do get thicker. You can do this with cereal boxes, rice boxes, heck...scalloped potatoes, whatever - you get the point! I used a sheet of My Minds Eye from another collection left over from last year. I actually wasn't crazy about this paper by it's self - I got it in a kit - and thought I'd never use it. At least not on a scrapbook page, but I really like how this came out! I also chalked the edges of this lil birdie in brown Colorbox, and finished it off with a Prima jewel for an eye. Then I completed both ornaments by stamping "Merry Christmas 2010" using a Hero Arts stamp and Momento Ink. Enjoy - hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Studio Calico (October) Kit Page

Happy Tuesday ;). Hope everyone had a great weekend. I made a few cutsie things this weekend. I made a card using Bo Bunny's Peacock Lane & Lawn Fawn's Bannerific and Sophie's Sentiments stamps, to submit to the Paper Crafts Mag. submissions call - can't share it yet, but it came out super cute!! Then I worked on a few things I plan on selling at the Bargain Hunt (on November 13th) at my church. I'll share those things tomorrow, but today, I wanted to share the layout I created using this month's Studio Calico Kit, On the Easel. As I mentioned last week, that lil polaroid pic stamp just made my heart skip a beat, I tell you!! I love it so much! Anyway, so they had a sketch challenge on their blog this week. Here's a looksie at the sketch.
I just thought it was so cute, and I really have been wanting to use the little "You & Me" card that came in the kit. It really inspired me, and I've been having an itch lately to scrap some wedding pics of me & my hubbs. And, the "title" section of the sketch was screaming for my favorite lil Lawn Fawn Stamp (Bannerific) and paper piecing!!!

So, this is what I came up with based on the sketch: Everything is from the kit, except for the October Afternoon "Mini Market" letter stickers and the bling/staples. I just HAD to use that little bracket off the scalloped paper - it was too perfect to pass up! The pic of the two of us is my absolute fave from our wedding. It was taken on one of those table top disposables. It's just candid and fun & I love it!! I like how it tuned out. Well, hope you have a happy day. be back tomorrow to share some more goodies!

Christmas cards are done!! Now onto other projects!

Well I got all of my Grandma's Christmas Cards off to her last week, and this weekend I finished all of my cards too! Woo Hoo!! now, I'm just waiting to take the pics of my kiddies to stick onto the cards - which won't be, at least, until the beginning of next month - then, finito! So, I did 47 of them. Ran out of the red paper for the fire places. I may go check out one of my LSS' to see if they've gotten Basic Grey's Jovial line in yet (I originally ordered from 2Peas) and then maybe I'll bust out another 25 (later). We'll see about that!

First of all, hope everyone had a great weekend! I got the coolest stamps from Studio Calico that I wanted to share with you!!

Ok, this was the first time I've ordered a Studio Calice Kit!! Exciting! I just LOVE their blog, and design team - so many crafty ladies in one place!! Love their vibe! So, I was browsing what their DT was doing with this month's kit - and, well, WOW! Awsome stuff over there. The kit is amazing, but this adorable little polaroid picture stamp is what sold me - I HAD TO HAVE IT!! It's so cool! When I ordered the kit, I also added on those amazing alphabet stamps!! There is just something about them that I adore! Aren't they just too cool!?!?!?

Well, I've been dying ALL weekend to use that polaroid stamp especially!! I mean, literally, I've been filled with inspiration waiting to burst out with that little guy! The problem was that I had to finish my Christmas cards first (I just had to!). Finally yesterday, I had the opportunity to break it out. So, my Christmas cards are finito, but my church is having a "Bargain Hunt" in November. It's like a big thing where a bunch of venders, crafters, etc get tables and you can sell or buy goodies.

I've decided to get a table and sell some cards/crafts (wish me luck - wink). I thought that since it's in November, maybe Christmas Cards would be the way to go! I've pre-made quite a few (Thank You, Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, etc.) cards and plan to sell them as well, but for here on out, I want to focus on making Christmas Cards for the Bargain Hunt. I also have a few little crafts in mind, but will share those later.

So, I was digging through my stamp stash and found these cute little Hero Arts Owl Christmas stamps I picked up from Michaels last year (50% clearance - after Christmas). I honestly didn't even remember that I had them! So, I had this scene in my mind. How cute would a little polaroid snapshot of these cute lil owls playing in the snow be?!? Well.... this cute!

I started with a black card base, it just seemed right. The patterned paper is something my mom gave me last year from her stash. I used my EK Sucess punch - with some glue and silver (Martha Stewart) glitter - I think it worked perfectly as snow. I then paper pieced the hat/sweater on the owls and used flock (Doodle Bug) for the lil guy's hat. Now, obviously, I am NOT a flock expert (1st timer, actually). I would've liked to get it on there a little thicker - hopefully next time. Then I added some pretty ribbon from Michaels and a sentiment (have a warm winter) from my Lawn Fawn - Cozy Christmas stamps on the outside of the card, and used one of the sentiments (Wishing you all of the magic and joy of the holidays) that came with the Hero Arts owl stamps. I like how it came out. Took quite a while to make but it was fun! I also decided to hold one back for my former boss/friend who is Jewish. Usually my Christmas cards say "Happy Holidays" but this year I totally went for "Merry Christmas" so this'll work perfectly for him.

Thanks for peeking. Hope you ghave a great day!!

Aaaaahhh... the fruits of my labor (of love)!

I had a great night last night! Hope everyone else did too! My hubby actually went to the Dolphins game and the kids and I just hung around the house. So we did homework, played, did "tickling and stuff" (what my son calls me running around tickling them). By 8:45pm they were both in bed - and it was mommy's crafty time! I had it in my mind to AT LEAST finish my Grandma's cards, so I can get them off in the mail to her, nice and early, and I did - woo hoo!! I made her 3 different styles. All using Lawn Fawn's Cozy Christmas stamps, and the Basic Grey Jovial line. This is the only Christmas paper that I purchased this year. Usually there are at least 3 lines I'm dying for for Christmas pages and such but this year, not so much. I really like the colors and the distressed/aged look about it. Plus, all the colors worked perfectly for me. And the plaid - well, I just love plaid so much!!

This first card is much like the cards I'm making for myself. For this card, I also used Lawn Fawn's Bannerific (for the banner, of course). I just love the look of it, and the twine bows just make me happy! The stockings were a dilema for me. My Grandpa passed away last year the day after Christmas, I know this may be a tough year for my Grandma and I didn't want to use 2(definately not 1) - just didn't seem right. So I decided on a neutral 3 stockings per card.

For this next card, I used the Cricut to cut out this little bracket on a light olivy (dono the real name for it - it was just sitting in my stash) green Bazzil cardstock. Then I used distress ink (Fired Brick) around the bracket and to stamp the sentiment. It seemed to go really well with the paper, much better than a bright red. I have to say, I was super excited to use these little fire-men stamps ;). Are they not the cutest thing ever?!?!? (The log is October Afternoon paper). I used Kelly Marie's (AKA Mrs. Lawn Fawn) technique with my twine and the Tim Holtz tiny attacher. It was a super easy way to attach the twine - looks super cute too! I used a big glue dot behind the bracket to make sure it stayed in place.

This last card, I shared with you yesterday, however, my red/white twine came in, (WOO HOO) and I thought it looked more complete with some purty twine on it!

Well thanks for peeking. I hope this tuesday finds you blessed and having a wonderful day!! PS> you should totally go to the Lawn Fawn Blog today!! There is so much to see. Kelly Marie has posted videos for the past few days showing their new releases and techniques!! So much Holiday goodness going on over there!! Check it out - you wont be disappointed!!!

I confess... I had no clue what I was in for!

Ok, who knew and didn't tell me?!? Was it you??? I spent this whole weekend (on and off, of course, during my down time - mostly during Alivia's nap time or when the hubbs took the kids outside to play) stamping... cutting... CUTTING... embossing... corner chomping.... well, you get the idea!! WOW! So ambitious of me. Yeah, sure, I'll make 50 Chirstmas cards for myself and 25 for my Grandma. Not just cards. 75 intricately paper pieced cards. OMG!

Ok, I DO realize that I have oh about 2 months to complete these cards. And that I DO NOT have to finish them immediately. But... well, my undiagnosed OCD says that I can't leave a project (no matter how huge) undone! I guess that's what's happening here. I thought the 300 tiny (adorable, I might add) pieces I cut last weekend were alot... well those got me about 25 cards. So, needless to say, I spend this weekend in cardmaking mode. Yay World Card Making Day! Oh, I'm not bitter. Just kinda tapped out, I guess. I already have all of the card bases ready to go. They're all lined/covered with their patterned paper.

Oh! I did finish one set (10) of cards I made for my Grandma. I scraplifted (is it called that when your card making too?!?) a card from Lindsay's blog AKA Mrs. Note to Self, herself. I used a white card base for this one, with some Antique Linen Distress ink, Basic Grey's Jovial paper and Lawn Fawn's Cozy Christmas stamps. What I love so much about this stamp set, is that you can make so many different phrases. They actually separated all of the words so that you could piece them together however you'd like. I love that!! So here's a peek. It's no where as georgeous as hers (she had lace, twine and bling) I just loved the look of it, and decided to go simple and easy (so I could at least finish SOME cards this weekend)
I thought I'd share some pics of this weekend's creative journey. Nothing new to anyone here, I'm sure. But... it gives me something to do ;).



I also used the scraps from the Kraft cardstock to make mini cards to stick on a few extra special gifts. My boss gave my husband tickets to tonight's Dolphins/Patriots game, so after the kiddies go to bed, I'll get to do the fun part and piece all of the little cuties onto cards. I'm hoping to get a lot done. Now we're talkin!

My Christmas Card "Prototype" ;)

Ok, I've been itching to make Christmas Cards ever since I got Lawn Fawn's new Cozy Christmas Stamps. This will be my first year making my own Christmas cards. **SCARY** I usually go to Costco and buy the 6x7 1/2 photo Christmas cards because, well, I like sending pictures to friends/family at Christmas time, it's super easy, they always have really cute card templates, and... did I mention, IT'S SUPER EASY!! Also, I usually don't buy seasonal/holiday stamps. I just get so sad to file them away till next year, and (mainly) I like to spend my cash on something I can use any time of year - but these sweet stamps were SO hard for me to resist!!! The smiles (on almost everything) just made me so darn happy!! Also, I had fallen in LOVE with Basic Grey's "Jovial" line and thought it would be perfect for Christmas cards!

So I had a dilema. I love sending pictures, but wanted to make my own cards this year...hmmm... So, I thought "I'll just make the cards, and throw in a picture of the kids... that'll work!" but then i got the idea to make my own picture card a-la-costco.

So...after receiving my 2Peas box-o-goodies, I went to town stamping away. Then there was the cutting, and let me tell you, IT WAS ALOT OF CUTTING (at this point, I'm at over 300 lil' pieces - but I LOVE the paper pieced look, so it'll be worth it in the end!!). Last night, I finished my first card :D. I decided to use 4 stockings (cause we're a family of 4, of course) and I also thought it would be super cute to emboss "HO! HO! HO!" with (Hardold ABCs) inside the fireplace. It just seemed like a fun idea to me. I used Copics to color the top of the glass and the bottom of the cookie plate. So, here is the finished product:


I love it!! I've only made one so far, my "prototype" (hee hee) because, honestly, my brain was literally to exhausted to go any further after all the good stuff mentioned above. Plus, I figured I just needed to complete one fully (for peace of mind and happiness), then this weekend I'll go to town. The only difference will be 1. the bakers twine (apparently I'm out of red/while?!?!?, so for this card, I used Martha Stewart's plain red bakers twine) however, I just ordered more red/white twine (from Layer Cake Shop) and 2. the picture. This is one of the random pics I took last year, I just used it to make my card complete. I'll take the real pics closer Christmas - probably the beginning of December. The hard part is deciding how many cards to make. I usually buy 75 cards from Costco (friends...family...everyone at church - and we have a smaller church) buuuuut this year I may have to revise my list, or something, I really don't know. We'll see what happens. I have enough goodies cut and ready for 35 cards. Plus, I've offered to make my grandma's Christmas cards this year, as well. I'll see how I feel after making those. Maybe I'll have to take a little brake at that point. What I do know, is I am SO glad I'm getting an early start. Gives me some breathing room, I think, I am a beginner at this afterall (I have no idea what I've gotten myself into). But I sure had lots of fun with it so far. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend!!

My BESTEST creations ;)

Are these sweet little ones right here!





It's amazing how quickly time goes by. It really does fly by. (I don't think) you really even notice "time" until you have (or are around) children. I didn't anyway. One day you look at pictures that you JUST took, and say "Oh. My. God! When in the world did my babies get so darn big"! It almost made me sad to see this, my Lil little Lulu especially! Maybe it's the outfit?!? I dono, but she looks alot like a big girl here. Two years have flown by. My Christian too. Where have the last 5 and a half years gone?!? I must say, it was much harder to get "good" pictures of him. He just wanted to be wild and crazy (making silly faces only) just because he could, I guess. My babies. They're so cute. We made beautiful babies. They're keepers. I love them so! So lucky to be their mama. So blessed by them. Their sweet and spunkiness. Grateful for their health and hearts! It's an amazing thing to be a mom. To be a part of this process. To feel so connected to someone so completely. The hard part must be staying that way. Helping them grow and giving them wings. Hoping you do your best to make them whole and complete and of good character. I feel really happy to be their mama. Happy to be doing this with my best friend. Happy that we're a great team (even on the rough days!).


Happy Tuesday, everyone.