Think Spring

Yeah right!! We are in the middle of a major winter storm. They are predicting approximately 20 cm of snow and I am making spring cards. I think I am losing my marbles~!! Haha, no this was for a challenge on another sight to make a just because card that is happy and bright with texture--this is my card. I really love this color combo. The green paper is Cosmo Cricket, the white is Doodlebug, a bazzill chipboard flower and the spring quote is from Around the Block, ribbon is May Arts, wow, talk about multiple manufacturers. Thanks for looking, stay warm everyone!!

Sharing some news......

Wow, I can finally spill the beans and share my exciting news with you. I've been invited to be on the Caardvarks design team from January through April. This is a big honour for me and the first DT I'll be on. Jen and the girls have some fun things in store for the next four months so stay tuned. What a fabulous team!! Psst, only 14 days til Christmas, are you ready??? I know I am not!!

Caardvarks Day 3 & 4

Here's my two take on Page Maps and Caardvards Sketches 3 & 4. Believe it or not, one as NO sewing and the other as NO inking. I can't remember the last time I didn't sew on a card. EGADS!! The red one uses all K & Co. papers and the B & W one uses all Doodlebug papers. Happy Humpday!!

Caardvarks--Day 2

Here's day 2 for the Caardvarks-Becky Fleck week long challenge. Can't say I am crazy about this one, but I needed a 50th birthday card for my sister's birthday this week. All K & Co. papers and glitter rub ons again. AC Thickers for the 5oh!!!

Caardvarks and Pagemaps

are having a fantastically challenging week this week. Caardvarks is featuring a different PageMap card sketch everyday this week. This is my take on yesterday's sketch. I loved this sketch so much when I saw it that I pretty much copied as it was. I used K & Co. Wild Safron paper and paper ribbon as well as K & Co. glitter rub ons. I cut the chipboard stems myself, but not the flourish, I am not sure who that is by. I added the little glass beads to the tops of the stems (I noticed after I had taken the picture that one of the beads floated off the stem and of course it was too late to do anything with it then). I am anxiously awaiting today's sketch. I love having these to get my mojo movin'!!Well, we have a beautifully sunny, cold December day here, a perfect day for preparing for Christmas. I started my Christmas baking yesterday and made some yummy Chocolate Mint Cookies. Today I think I'll get a GumDrop Cake made. Hope you all have a fabulous Sunday doing whatever makes you happy!!!

JOY to the world...

My girlfriend is having her annual Christmas craft party tonight but this year it is changed a bit. Instead of making 8 or 9 crafts (one per each person) this year we only have to make one craft and we will draw names. This is what I made to give. I got the idea out of the Paper Crafts Holiday Projects issue. I used all K & Co. paper and BG letters. Bought a preframed picture from the $$ store and disected it to get the frame and the matting. I am quite pleased with how this turned out, I hope whoever receives it will like it too!!

In the latest issue of Papercrafts

I am so excited to see my name in Papercrafts this month. Not once but twice. They picked up two cards I submitted a while back that I made using Outlines Rubber Stamps. These stamps are so versatile. You can use the whole stamp and keep cutting and popping and creating such unique, dimensional designs. These cards were for the JOCM feature and used both recipes this month. I used Basic Grey Fruitcake papers and Crate and DCWV rubons. This second card appears on their website as their online feature.

This last card appeared in their November issue in the JOCM feature. Using more Basic Grey papers and K & Co. rubons for the Let it Snow. That's it, that's all!! Now I must get ready for school, I've got a test this morning. Happy Humpday!!!

Happy Sunday

Hi all, another weekend gone and that much closer to Christmas. I've got to get out and get some shopping done!! My kids have their lists just about done, but need to get the letters out to that big guy up north!!! I received some excellent news this weekend and I am just about busting, but I can't tell you yet!! Trust me, as soon as I can spill, I will!!!

Here's a couple of Christmas cards. I think I am just about done on these, I've been making them since spring I think!! haha. They both use K & Co. papers from a gorgeous glittery pad I bought. This bottom one was a good idea gone bad. I had the card front finished and it was crooked, so I tried to make it straight, but the more I tried the worse it got. Anyway, here it is. I see from teh picture I need to trim up the edges of the ric rac. Ooops!! Hope you all have a fantastic week!!! Hugs!!

Holiday Magic...

I am just about done with my Christmas cards, I think, but I just keep making more cards. I don't know what I am going to do with them all!! I made this this morning for the sketch challenge on Janelle Richmond's new site Card Studio Designs. I really like this sketch and thought this new K & Co. sparkly paper would work for it. I don't normally do pink and blue Christmas cards. The rub on is Melissa Frances and the button is Making Memories!! Hope you all have a great long weekend and please remember all the soldiers who fight or have fought for our freedom! My dad was one of them, he served overseas in WWII.

Here's a couple of

Christmas cards I just made this weekend. The first one is for a challenge on Melissa Phillips' blog to use chipboard, buttons, ribbon, rubons, glitter and polka dots. I used this gorgeous Santa paper that I think is from K & Co as well as a K & Co. rubon. Buttons are from Making Memories and did a ton of distressing.

The second is all beautiful Daisy D's christmas paper and rubons. Imaginisce flower and buttons from my stash.

Hope you all have a great week, must get some studying done today.

CPS # 36

This is one of my most favorite sketches yet. I love long cards. This is for a challenge on another site. I love these colors, very 'rustic'!! Used all MF papers and sticker.

I've been tagged!!

My buddy Deb tagged me!! Thanks Deb, we need to get together one of these days!! We need to spread a little J O Y!!! haha. OK, here we go!!

1. If you could have 100.00 worth of scrapbook paper or assorted embellishments, which would you choose? I think I would have to say embellishments, cause right now I've got so much paper I'll never use it all!! I need some embellies to use up all that paper!!
2. If you had to choose between using only stamps or rubons, which would you choose?Rub ons by far. I am so not a stamper, I am envious of all you girls who can stamp, but I really don't have much desire for it.
3. If you knew how to do both awesome cards and layouts but could only do one for a whole year...which would you do?CARDS!!! nuf said.
4. Would you rather own a scrapbooking store or have your own scrapping room at home...(can't have both he he he)I would choose the scrapbooking store and then I'd have my own Scrappy room with all the supplies I want at hand. I have my own room at home and I am always in a mess and I am constantly interrupted by little people.
5. And last but not least, what is your CURRENT cardmaking or scrapping style....Tough question!! I just do whatever suits my fancy at the time!!!

OK, now I have to find five people that haven't been tagged yet, YIKES. I am just going to tag anyone who reads this -- consider yourself tagged!!

What's black and white and red all over???

No, it's not a newspaper, it's a couple of Christmas cards I made this weekend. I saw a challenge on someone's blog (sorry, I lost track of whose in all my blog hopping) to make Christmas cards that are just black and white. Well, some of these are masterpieces, gorgeous. So I decided to make a couple too, but I added just a splash of color. The first one I used 7 Gypsies paper and Imaginisce Pointsettias and Thicker letters that were painted and dipped in glitter.

The second one is Doodlebug embossed and polka dot papers and May Arts ribbon and an old vellum sticker from my stash. Hope you like them, it sure does feel good to be a little creative again.

Wow, it's been a while

since I last posted. I know, I am a bad blogger!! I've been busy with school and family and life!! School is great and I absolutely love it, it is the best thing I've ever done for myself. I look forward to each new day. I sure do hope I'll feel this same way come April and May. haha.

I've been meaning to post a few cards here ever since World Cardmaking Day last weekend. Treasured Scrapbooking had a bunch of fun challenges going on there last weekend and I managed to make about 5 or 6 cards. Some I liked, and some, well, not so much. Here are a couple that I did like.

This first one is a Melissa Frances card, we were given a sketch to follow and this was my take on it.


The second one was a sketch as well, I really like this one. The ivory paper is pearlized and looks much prettier in real life. The rub on is from Crate and the green paper is Imaginisce.

The third one was a challenge given by Dani to make a card with some "fussy cutting" on it. I used the 3 Bugs paper that came in the September card kit at TS. Used up some Thickers for letters. This one is on its way to someone on TS as part of a WCD card exchange.

So there you have it. I haven't had much desire to get into my crafty space lately, I am hoping its just school keeping me busy, and not me tiring of this hobby. I still love this hobby and looking at everyone's work, I just don't have the desire to do it myself!! Do any of you ever feel that way?? What do you do to get yourself out of feeling this way?? HELP ME PLEASE!!

White Wedding

I made these cards for the last PaperCrafts call for All Dressed in White, but I guess they didn't like them as much as I did!! I love that Doodlebug Embossed paper and used it on all three of these cards. Oh well, can't win em all, can ya!!!

CPS #31

I made this for the CPS sketch #31. I liked this sketch and wanted to use it. I made this card to send to an online friend who has had a very rough summer with illness. I do hope this finds her in better spirits and back on her feet!! (no pun intended) Used Melissa Frances sticker and paper.

Hey there!

I just thought I'd post my cards I made with my kit I received as GDT member on Treasured Scrapbooking. I had so much fun making these, even though I probably would never pick this paper as something I would work with, certainly not my usual style, but I enjoyed the challenge!! I gotta say though, Leslie puts together an awesome kit, you should check them out!!

Well, tomorrow is Monday again, I am so glad that Abby is settled into school. She loves it!! I've settled in quite nicely too, I might add. So far so good. Hope you all have a great day, looks like a gorgeous September week on the way!!!

Wahooo

I just got an email from Sarah Hodsdon at Sarahndipitous to tell me that I won a prize from the Blogabration celebrations. I won a handmade mug from Sarah Hodsdon. I think that is so cool and I cannot wait to receive it. I'll post a picture of my new mug when I receive it!! I can't wait to see it.

On another note, school went well this week. A little scary on the first day, but not bad. I have homework already, boy I am not used to homework!! Do you know how long it's been?? 22 years!!! I'll be OK, I think!!

My baby started too. She didn't have a great first day. She cried and cried when we left her, I cried and cried when we left her -- that was the hardest thing to do!! And when we went back at the end of the day to pick her up her beautiful brown eyes were puffy and red. You could tell she had been crying alot through the day. Her teacher said that everytime they did something new, or moved somewhere like the cafeteria or outside to play , that she would start to cry again. Just unsure of it all. Oh God, I cried again when I saw those sad little eyes!!!

The next day her daddy dropped her off and she was OK, didn't really cry, but didn't want daddy to leave either. When I went to pick her up at the end of the day she saw me and came running and said "Mama, I didn't cry at all today" Oh God, do you think Mama cried again??? YES!! Hopefully Monday will be an even better day for her. Our obstacle now is getting her to get on that bus. Her older brother and sister had better be nice to her and see that she is OK, plus she has a little friend that is brave enough to take the bus, so I am hoping that that little girl will give her the helping hand that she needs!!

Anyway, hope you all have a great Sunday!!

I just read...

that my itty, bitty blog is featured on Today's Creative Blog . Thanks so much Kim, I am ecstatic that you chose my blog, and totally shocked!!! I really didn't think that anyone really read my little ole blog except a few friends!! If you haven't checked out Kim's blog you really should she always features a fantastic blog every day!! It is a lot of work for her to constantly find fresh and new blogs everyday!!

Here's a little card I did for a challenge on Treasured Scrapbooking that I had to do as the Guest Designer this month. The challenge is to create a card using all My Favorite Things. I gave a list of about twelve of my fav things to use on a card and they have to choose five and it must include a quote or verse!!

I am getting very nervous, I have butterflies in my stomach!! I am starting school tomorrow. I can't believe the time is finally here!! Wish me luck everyone, I hope I can sleep tonight!! My middle girl is complaining of not feeling well, I hope I am not up with her all night!! This is reminding me of an old Kris Kristopherson song!! Help me make it through the night!! lol

I'll let you know how my first day went tomorrow night, if I make it, that is!!

My last three days...

before school starts and I am getting a little nervous, it's been such a long time, but I am really looking forward to it. It'll be a very interesting year I am sure!!!

I've been a cardmaking fool the past week! I thought my creativity had flew the coop but I am delighted to say it has returned!! I received my kit for Treasured Scrapbooking and I've gotten three cards made for my GDT spot with them. I hope they like them!!

I've been making a few little pretties for the latest PaperCrafts call, so I'll keep those to myself for now, if they don't like them then I'll post them here, I am very pleased with how they turned out, I hope they are too!!!

Now this card I made before I went on vacation, it was for Carla's sketch challenge but I never got it posted in time for her challenge so I'll just post it now. I love this sketch and it is very versatile, I can see me using it over and over, thanks Carla.

The last card for today is a card I started before vacation for the PaperCrafts call that just went by and it was for an interactive card, I think it was their JOCM feature. I started it before we left but never finished it, and by the time we got home it was too late! So here it is now. It was kind of fun to do!!

Hope you all have a fantastic Labour Day weekend and enjoy the last weekend before school begins!!

I've been tagged but.......

sadly, I am a computer idiot!!!!!!!! Selena and Elaine both tagged me and made the cutest tags for me and would love to pass this along to some of my bloggin' buddies, but I DON"T KNOW HOW!!! Isn't that embarrassing, I am such a loser!!! Oh well, I really appreciate the thought girls and as far as passing along, I'll just pass along in spirit to all my bloggin' buddies!!

Good news....

I received some really cool news on Sunday night!! Treasured Scrapbooking has selected me to be their Guest Design Team member for the month of September. I am so excited about that and I get to work alongside Dani, she's such an inspiration. I can't wait to see the kit and what I will be working with, I hear Leslie puts together a great kit, woohooo!!

Tomorrow we will be leaving for our vacation, a week or so on the beach, I cannot wait!! We may even sneak in a camping trip when we get back. Then it will back to school time for all of us!! I am getting excited!! So we'll see ya's all in a couple of weeks, don't have too much fun without me!! I'll miss ya'll!!!

Some new goodies!!

Yesterday was the first time I've been shopping for scrappy supplies since June when my LSS closed. I went to a store not that far from me and I bought some yummy new Melissa Frances papers and stickers and stuff and I got these fabulous K & Co. glitter rub ons!! What fun. Here's just a couple of cards I've been playing with today with my new goodies!! The first card is a Christmas card with Melissa Frances' new Christmas collection. The rub on is from her too.

The second card is Cosmo Cricket paper with the fun K & Co. glitter rub ons. I also glittered the swirls in the CC Paper. I love the green and black combo.

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weekend!!

End of Summer Blog-a-Bration

Check out this blog!! Gotta love a party!! Sounds like a great way to end the summer along with my vacation!! Woohooo!!
I am officially done at work now, another reason to celebrate, woohoo!! Bring on September and all of its many changes that are to come!! All my children will be in school, even my baby, boohoo. I will be in school, YIKES, I am starting to get a little nervous, but very excited too!! A totally different direction in my life, but I love change and I am up for the challenge. It's been 22 years since I've been in school and just hope I can handle the pace. I probably won't have much time for cardmakin'!! I'll just have to take a trip down to my room every now and then and just sniff my papers, ha!!
It's Friday today and I am off to meet my buddy Debbie and we are going shopping for some yummy new Melissa Frances stuff, I can't wait to get my grubby little fingers on those papers. Then we are off next week to spend the week on the beach, aaahhhh, small the salt air, feel the ocean breeze. I am feeling restored already!!! Love yas, have a great weekend!!!

Where has the time gone!!

My sweet Abby turns 5 today. She's no longer my little baby, she's a big girl now!! Off to school in a few more weeks, I can't believe it. Seems like we just brought her home from the hospital. She had a fun little party today that she's been planning for months. Every detail was planned out right down to the color of sprinkles on her cake!! I think she had a pretty good day and it lived up to all her expectations. I took a few photos of her this afternoon before any guests arrived. These are two of my favorites. I love this kid so much. I don't know how I am going to let her go on her first day of school. I'll need the Kleenex that day!

Happy Birthday Abby

Love you

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you......

Sing along now!! OK, I was surfin' this morning and was checking out Amy Westerman's blog (I love her work) and she has started a new tag game. An easy way of getting to know someone a little bit better, I am going to post the questions here and answer them and then I am going to tag someone that I'd like to know a little bit better!! Let's keep this going and see how far we can take it. Copy these and answer them on your blog and send along to someone else!! Come on now, do it!!

• I'm happiest when...My honey's home and my children are all getting along and we are a happy little family.
• Someday I'm going to...have a lovely little cottage home by the ocean.
• When I'm really down, what I want to do is...lock myself in the bathroom and cry!!
• I feel anxious when...I have to speak in front of a group of people I don't know very well.
• I'm afraid that...I am not going to survive raising three teenagers
• I like people who... caring and kind and fun to be around
• All it takes to make me happy is...when my children are getting along nicely and I am in my happy room with some fun new scrappy supplies.
• What I really want to do is...live a nice, quiet, comfortable life with my family
• I wish that...we had a little bit bigger house and that my girls each had their own bedrooms.
• I don't like people who...think they are better than other people
• A person really should...take care of their teeth!
• I just hate it that...food has calories
• I have everything I need, however...and unlimited scrapping budget would be so nice.
• If I could do whatever I wanted, I would...learn to fly an airplane!!!

Now let's see, who shall I tag?? Hhhmmmmmm, I am going to tag someone I don't know very well at all and hope to learn a bit more about her, I hope you play along Bety!! I love your work!!

Believe.....in Cosmo Cricket

Well, this is rather timely, I just found this on the Cosmo Cricket blog, take a look, sounds like fun!!

Well, I believe the humidity finally broke around here, thank heavens!! I felt like I was starting to melt, which would be really great if I could melt off a few pounds, ha!!! Anyway, here's a little card I did for Carla's sketch challenge on her blog!! I used up some Cosmo Cricket papers and that gorgeous Santa image. I kinda messed up my stitching around the circle so that is the reason for those snowflakes, especially the third one, it is hiding my sins!! Thanks for the great challenge Carla, I love that sketch!!

CPS and CMK

Just a couple of cards I did this weekend. The first is the sketch from CPS this week, #24. I cannot believe they've been around that long already!! I love that site, I can always find a little inspiration there every week with their new sketches!! I used my new 6 x 6 Basic Grey Infuse pad that Elaine brought for me, thanks Elaine. The butterfly is a velvet iron on from SEI, very cool!! And May Arts ribbon and ric rac of course!!!

The second is a Christmas in July challenge on CMK. Daniela Dobson posted a Believe card for us to create. This is my take on her card. I used some Cosmo Cricket papers, Crate Rub on and Melissa Frances label.

Happy Monday all, hope you all have a great week. I sure do hope this humidity breaks soon, I cannot stand much more of it!!!

Just goofin' around again.

I just saw a post on Today'sCreativeBlog on making a link directly to the site you are referring to in a blog post. I know, I know I am behind the times and very technically challenged. But the responses she got for doing this make is sound easy. So I am just trying to figure this out!! Ok, now does it work is the $64,000 question!!!

Oh my God, that was so easy!!!!!!!! Sarah, you really must do it this way instead of that llloooooooooonnnnnnnnnnngggg way you showed me of doing it!!!!

Monday again!!

and one more week closer to vacation! Looking forward to a week or two on the beach and time to relax, refresh and renew before school starts. Mark and the kids were down at his mother's last week and I had the whole house to myself, aaahhhhhhh, love peace and quiet!!! All's back to normal now though - chaos as usual, but I missed them while they were gone. I had the chance to make a few cards while they were gone though, hope you like them.

I feel honoured

to have been picked TWICE for the Rockin' Girl Blogger award!! My friend Debbie designsbydeb.blogspot.com tagged me as well as Regina Easter reginaeaster.blogspot.com. I LOVE the work that both of these women create and feel very special to be picked to RGB by both of them. Now if only I could be smart enough to figure out how to put that pink tag on my blog. I've tried and (embarassingly enough) I can't figure out how to put it in, can someone give me a hand, PLEEEEEAAAASSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE!! Oh, how I hate computers!!!!

Now I need to nominatea few more~~ I just wish I could post the little tag for them to copy. Sorry girls, just know that you are a constant source of inspiration for me and I think you are totally ROCKIN' GIRL BLOGGERS!!

Danielle Flanders
Roree Rumph
Barb Hurst
Pat Hines (this means you have to update your blog this week!!)

OK, I just figured it out, I hate computers!!!

Christmas in July???

This card has been removed for publication, see you next spring!! haha

Sure, why not!! This was another card I made for the PC JOCM call but never sent in as I realized that they were looking for cards for their Valentine issue, not Christmas, duh!! Sometimes I gotta wonder about myself, I do some stupid things sometimes!!! I think having three children has completely sucked out the good parts of my brain.

Off to Debbie's today, my sitter arrives at 1PM and then I am outta here!! See ya'll later!!!

The weekend is here, Yayyyyyy.........

I am so glad the weekend is finally here. I am in such need of a break from my kids!! I love my kids but I need to get away. Abby decided to put on a show yesterday morning and I just about gave her away to the gypsies. I was sitting here on the computer surfing and she came along and I guess I wasn't giving her my full attention so she decided to take a pencil and draw on the computer desk. Well, I tuned her because she is always drawing on something other than paper, last week she had drawn on the TV screen, luckily it was Crayola and washable. So anyway, after I got angry she stomped into her room and that was that, so I decided to get into the shower and when I got out I came into the living room and the little brat had pulled my curtain rod right out of the wall!!!!! What am I going to do with her, does anyone know of a band of gypsies passing through, send them my way will ya, they'd love her!!

So I am getting my break this weekend and going to Debbie's tomorrow afternoon, yippeeee. I don't care if I don't even so much as touch a piece of paper. I am just going to relax and have fun!!

Here's a card I did last week for the PC call, but sadly they didn't like it as much as I did. I am really pleased with how this turned out. I am totally into black these days in cardmaking and love how striking it is with bright colors. Used up Tres Jolie papers, a Bazzill chip flower that I added black dots to all the petals. Hand cut another chip heart and covered in the good ole glitter (I think my glitter must be getting low by now, ha). All letters are Thickers by American Crafts. Thanks for stopping by !! Have a great weekend all, I know I will!!

I've been working on some little cards lately...

I just love making baby cards for some reason!! Here are a couple I've just made the past few days. The first one is a baby girl card and I love the shabby, aged feel to this. I used Melissa Frances and Making Memories papers, a Deja Views vellum cut out and I finally cut into the Bazzill Bling I bought last fall!!! I cut out the star by hand and covered in white paper and gave it a good dip in glitter, the xoxo charm is by Making Memories Fresh Anthology.

The second is a baby boy card using the Melissa Frances and Making Memories papers again and another Deja Views cut out. I covered a chipboard heart in paper and gave it a good dip in the old glitter dish as well, can you tell I love glitter!! Thanks so much for looking at my work!!

What a busy two weeks...

We had the most fabulous camping trip last week at a gorgeous campground right on the Bay of Fundy and had a glorious salt water breeze blowing all week and beautiful summer sunshine. I am always amazed at how being near the salt water can restore your soul. I am not a very religious person but I do feel a little closer to God when I am there.

First pic is of my son (on the right) with his buddy that stayed with us!! His friend has very limited time each week that he can play his Gameboy and we just let them go with them, what the heck, the batteries only last so long!! Boy can they zone out of reality on those things!!

Abby with an attitude!!! Everytime that girl sees a camera she just has to strike a pose!! She's so cute!

A pic of Abby and Grace eating their Froot Loops for breakfast, I love those little sleepy eyes first thing in the morning.

Here's a pic of Grace with her Dad at bedtime, man that girl knows how to make the best of a camping trip, she was absolutely exhausted everynight and bedtime. She's such a sweetie.

Back to reality now! I am looking forward to spending this weekend with my scrappin' buddies at Debbie's house. That is always such a relaxing weekend and not much scrappin' seems to get done (maybe I should just be speaking for myself here, LOL)!!

I think Abby and I are going picking strawberries this morning while the big kids are in VBS!!