Asian Flair!

I love following the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog. Not only does it get me thinking out of the box, but it forces me to use the myriad of embossing folders that I collect. I must have nearly 40 of those things and I always forget to pull them out! This week's challenge was to create a card with white as the primary focus and try to make it an Asian theme. This is what i came up with:
I dug out Happily Ever After and cut out this frame with the flowers. Instead of using the flowers that cut out, I used some felt flowers i had in my stash and put Zva mini black flowers in the centers. I with the photo was more true to color (that's what i get for trying to use the new camera) Thanks for looking and Happy Scrapping!

Oh Baby!

Cupcake Craft Challenges is another blog that I have been looking at for inspiration and for motivation. They have some great challenges weekly and their design team is so sweet! This week's challenge was to break out of the holidays and create a Baby Themed project.
More scraps from my stash were used. I tried a Cuttlebug border too and I like how it turned out. I used some old shimmery chalks I found hiding in my drawar to sparkle up the little baby after I colored the image with my Copics (you guessed it...if you have been watching my blog, you have read that I have NO CLUE who the mfr of these images are....lol). Thanks for looking and as always, HAPPY SCRAPPING!

The Perfect Palette of Colors....

I have been following the Die Cuts R US Design Team blog for a couple of months now. Their weekly challenges have been terrific and their design team is very inspiring! This week's challenge was to create a project with the colors of the DIE CUTS R US logo in mind:
This is what I created with those colors:

I can't tell you where that image came from either (It is another one from the over 130 I received in an image swap in August). I was very happy with how the coloring came out on this one. My Copic skills are getting better with every image I color!
Because it is nighttime, I had to scan this one too, so some things look a wee bit funky tonight, but I really wanted to get this posted. Have a great night and Happy Scrapping!

Another Copic Buzz...

I told you yesterday about the Copic Buzz Party that I participated in on Sunday. Here is another one of the cards I created for that party.
This is another one of those images from the swap I participated in last August. Couldn't tell you the name or manufacturer of the image. I again was able to use scraps from may stash:
BG Buttons and BG Lime Rickey paper. I Love using my leftovers. The ribbon is some old Maya Road stuff I had hanging around. Thanks for looking and Happy Scrapping!

Huggable Gingerbread Man...

During my blurfing, I came across a unique opportunity to win a pass to UStamp with Dawn and Friends "with love ... 2010". This one month long event includes daily projects with tutorials, prizes, a swap, chatting, and more. It sounds like so much fun. Artistic Avenger (aka Carrie) is offering up this pass to one lucky winner who can use a Christmas stamp in a non Christmas way. I really found this to be challenging. I used the gingerbread man stamp from the Amy's Gingergread Cookie Fun stamp set by That's Jazzy Stamp Dreams.
I decided the gingerbread man looked like he was getting ready to hug someone. And perhaps this would work for Valentine's Day? Who knows! Anyways, thanks for looking and Happy Scrapping!

Bling and Shimmerz....

HEre is the final card I did for the Copic Buzz Party on Sunday. This one didn't photograph very well, so then I tried to scan it. Blech. My flower was actually a bright magenta so I tried to make it more of a subtle color by spraying different Shimmerz and painting it with different Shimmerz so that it would mellow and match the printed paper better.
The lighting was aweful but oh well! Thanks for looking and HAPPY SCRAPPING!

Copic Buzz....

I have been trying to find some new homes to visit on the internet in order to express my scrappiness more fully and perhaps a wee bit different this year. I discovered Papercraft Planet and that is where I found Copic Buzz. This is a perfect site for a Copic beginner like myself. Yesterday, there was a Copic Buzz Party all day at the Papercraft Planet with challenges and games galore. Here is the card I made for the first challenge:
Only scraps in my stash were used (I love that!). October Afternoon and old old old SEI paper was used. Small piece of cardstock was put behind the image. I can't begin to tell you who made the image. I accumulated around 150 stamped images through a swap in August. The ribbon was in my stash and found at the dollar store. The cherries were actually taken from a holly decoration that I found. Thanks for looking and Happy Scrapping!

Show Me Some School Spirit!

I have been so proud of Riley this year. He is in 6th grade and he is really trying to be a part of things and try new things. Our jaws hit the floor when he signed up for Basetball. He is not really a sports type kid but we must admit, with every game he is getting better and better and improving all of the time. Here he is at his very first game. He is wearing lucky number 2.
This was my first official day out with my new camera so I was trying some fancy skills here:

Cute scrunched up face, eh? He really opposes putting himself in any position of getting hurt. I decided to make some things to support this team. I got a Knifty Knitter by ProvoCraft and started knitting scarves for the kids. Then I decided to make buttons for all of the moms with their kids' jersey number on them using purple and gold (St. Monica's colors)

I used my MM Slice to cut out the baseketballs. They were embossed with my Cuttlebug.
Thanks for Looking and Happy Scrapping!

Yummy Treats! Good Eats!

If you knew me at all, you would know that I absolutely ADORE peanut butter and chocolate. In fact, I don't think I have ever met a Snicker's bar I didn't like! I tried out this recipe and it was SUPER SIMPLE! You can take those mini Snicker's or in my case, I took the snack/fun size and cut them in half.
I made a peanut butter cookie recipe following the Crisco directions. I rolled each Snickers piece in a ball of peanut butter dough and baked for 13 minutes at 375.

Heavenly yuminess!

Scrapbook Challenges Blog Hop...

I've HOPPED ON the Scrapbook Challenges' New Year's Eve Blog Hop! What wonderful inspiration I found along the way. If you would like to join the hop, it goes on until tomorrow night (January 3rd) and there are lots of prizes along the way. Start HERE at Pamela's blog.


Pamela created a wonderful sketch to work with for an extra chance to win some goodies. I couldn't resist the challenge or the sketch. It just worked for me! If you decide to HOP ON and use this sketch, post your blog link HERE at Scrapbook Challenges.
I just took the picture of my youngest son, Nicholas and the clock on New Year's Eve. About 10 minutes to midnight he told us he just wanted to "West a wittowl bit". 2 Minutes later, he was out like a light! Here is my take on the sketch using the Crate Paper Christmas line.

The alphas are a mixture of this and that. The chipboard elements are Fancy Pants and a random piece I found in my stash (the clock). It is hard to see here but there is a clear CD here too. Thanks for looking and Happy Scrapping!

Um, Dear Santa (?)

After our first snowfall, I couldn't resist taking a picture of Louie, through the sliding glass door. He looked like Santa with a beard full of snow!

I actually completed this card for a challenge in December at Die Cuts R Us Design Team Blog but I was too lazy to post it!!! I thought it fit well with Santa Louie!
Thanks for looking and Happy Scrapping!

A getaway for the family...

We try to take the kids on an adventure every year. This year, we decided to head a wee bit south of us for a 3 day adventure. We started out at the indoor waterpark, Carribean Cove, in Indianapolis. Who knew we could stay in a pool for 6 hours straight? We looked like prunes by the time we were finished.

The next day, we traveled to Bloomington to visit with "aunt" Lisa, our children's Godmother and her son, Thomas, and her friend, Janet. We started out at the bowling alley (and good grief, Lisa smoked us all...even a day post chemo treatment...now how did that happen?). We went out for dinner and saw a movie that night at the theater.

On the third day, we headed back north, but stopped at the Children's Museum in Indianapolis. My favorite exhibit there is the Fireworks of Glass:

Three days of running. Three days of fun. Three days of eating out. Three days of giggles. We were very glad to be back in our own beds!

Happy New Year--I am BACK!

Happy New Year 2010! December sure flew by quickly! We ended the year visiting friends in Bloomington. What a terrific time we had on our way there and back. I will share pictures of our adventures tomorrow....
For now, I wanted to show you a couple of things I finished up today. After taking a much needed long scrappy break, I have been itching to get going again. Every year, I make a "tracker" to record all of the cards, layouts, and other things that I create throughout the year. This year, I put it in a calendar that I am using to keep track of blog hops, due dates for projects, contests, sketches, etc. I used the "Date Me" acrylic stamps by That's Jazzy Stamp Dreams. What a terrific set with the months of the year, days of the months, circles, stamp cancel mark and some flowers. Perfect for calendars and for dating your projects. These stamps are handmade and they are a TERRIFIC deal. You can find them here.
I calculated all of the things I made in 2009 and was STUNNED. Here is the final count:

CARDS: 372

LAYOUTS: 70

OTHER (Can be altered items, albums, etc): 126

Really???? I created 372 cards? Where's Hallmark? Why aren't they calling me for a job for crying out loud!? lol. I can't believe I was able to get all of those things done. It will be interesting to see how many things I get done in 2010.

This next project is a layout I started before Christmas. The pictures are actually from 2008 (ok, with all of those cards, tt is amazing I got to these pictures at all!). I used some more That's Jazzy Stamp Dreams acrylic stamps, Three Flakes. I heat embossed them here.

January 15th is around the corner....14 days until the grand opening of Paper Popsicles' "What's the Scoop" site. This will be an exciting community full of techniques, tutorials, give aways, digi's, swaps, AND MORE!!!! Keep watching for updates....

For now, HAPPY SCRAPPING!

I've Missed Me!

Have you missed me? I sure have! I haven't done any blog worthy scrapbooking or crafting since my last post 12/5! Pathetic! I will try to update with some pictures at least this week...I promise! With the infection that I had and all that is going on with kids and school and extracurriculars, I have been without mojo! Perhaps an elf took it?
Paper Popsicles' is closing the doors today. We will re-open with something BETTER 1/15 so you want to be on the lookout in January! Fun and challenges and giveaways galore! You sure don't want to miss out so stay tuned.

A lot of Somethings for a Saturday!

I have been sick this week. Started out with a cold but morphed into Strep Throat. Eek! So I haven't posted anything. Mojo was flowing though and this is what i have done This morning:
This first project is for the challenge at Die Cuts R US Design Team. The challenge was to create a handmade gift. I am making coffee mugs for my staff and my boss. The logo was converted to a cut file for my Cricut Expression and I etched the glass with the diecut! Cool eh? Each mug will have a packet of hot cocoa and a candy cane (I didn't have the real thing when I took the photo!). There is a poem on the back called "Snowman Soup" . I decided to take the school logo and make these for the teachers too. So simple and quick and way too much fun!
This is a birthday card I whipped together last night for my hubby using a bit of this and a bit of that from my stash. The kids think he turned 22 (boy are they snowed!). Happy Birthday Matt! You are the best!

This card is for the Cupcake Craft Challenges blog. This has been a fun site to follow. I am a sucker for challenges (can you tell?!). In fact, I won last week's challenge and snagged some cute digis from Soft Pencil! This week we were to create a card with the colors Red and Green. I used some MM printed papers and Cosmo Cricket. The Digi is from Digital Delights by Louby Loo. I am still working on my coloring skills with those copics. Good thing I won a new set from the Cuttlebug Challenge blog. I think the trick is to have alot of these suckers in multiple shades.

This card was made using up the remaining Cosmo Cricket paper I had and a digi from Paper Popsicles. I used some Kaiser Craft pearls for some of the snow flakes. It is hard to see here but I used Shimmerz Blingz on the snowman. I did this card for the Snowflake challenge (#19) at Kaboodle Doodles.

This final quickie is a tag that I made with another Digital Delights by Louby Loo image. There is a challenge right now at PaperCraft Planet and their website right now using this image.

I whipped out my MM Slice for this one. I think it turned out rather cute. I think that is all I have for now. It is off to the mall with the little people and out for dinner with the birthday guy! Have a great day and Happy Scrapping!

Wacky Wednesday's Hump Day Sketch #9

We're back with a new sketch this week at Paper Popsicles! Think of the holiday surprises you can do with this beauty!!
Here's my example with Mistletoe paper by Making Memories.
What can YOU do? Link up your project by December 8th, midnight CST to enter for a chance to win 2 digis from the Paper Popsicles' store! Link up HERE.