A busy weekend

Good morning, all! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I was busy most of the time either running errands or doing some type of activity. Friday was super fun because I got to spend the day with my mom. We shopped (found some killer deals at Kohl's). We ate (Mexican...yum). We were very merry! When we got home, she was in the mood to make a thank you card for my cousin, so we set to work. I'm so proud of her! She claims she doesn't have an ounce of creativity in her body, but that's not true. Just look at the beautiful card she assembled. The only thing I did was write out the sentiment using my white Signo pen. Not bad for a first-timer, don't you think?

On Saturday, I went to very lovely nursing home that caters to Alzheimer's patients. My friend and I helped some of the ladies make cards. I think they really enjoyed the company and the process. I was very excited to be able to give back to the community. I spent the rest of my afternoon with my friend and her kids, and then I worked all evening long. I had a lot of stuff to do before Sunday morning.

I think Sunday was the best day of all! I had signed up for a Stampin' Up Stamp Camp, and I had a total BLAST! We made tons of cards, a mini album, and they provided lunch and snack for all us stamp-crazy girls. I'll be sharing my projects over the course of this coming week. For now, here's a very, very simple Christmas card. My mom has fallen in love with it and has decided that this is the card she wants to make for Christmas. Seriously, it took me about five minutes to create.

The little card inside the pocket pulls out to reveal the sentiment inside. You really can't go wrong with a simple card like this one.

Have a great day, everyone, and come back tomorrow for some more fun cards!

Awareness

One of my favorite bloggers, Cammie, is having the largest EVER blog candy give-a-way in order to bring awareness to a very important cause - Alzheimer's Disease. It seems that everyone knows someone affected by this terrible condition, and it's in honor of those who have suffered from this disease, those who are currently living with Alzheimer's, and those that care for these wonderful people that this post and this card is dedicated to.


Cammie has managed to pull together an amazing group of individuals and companies to donate their talents and their merchandize for a HUGE give-a-way. One lucky person will receive over $1,000 in product as well as a slew of beautiful hand-made cards. Everyone has really out done themeselves! Please make sure you hop over to her blog and take a peek at all the wonderful things she has done.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'm off to run some errands, but I'll be back on Monday!

I {heart} Halloween stamps!

It's true! Up until last year, I had never really collected Halloween stamps, most likely because I had no need for them. I wasn't one to send out cards for this particular holiday. Last Halloween, however, I found the most darling stamps at Michael's for just $1. I picked up about five bucks worth, and made a few simple cards. This year, I've gone to town purchasing not only Halloween stamps, but Halloween paper and stickers. How's a girl to resist all that stamping goodness?

I just finished putting this card together, and it was quite simple. I just stamped the owl images on Kraft paper, cut them out, and assembled the card. I'm very happy with the results.

I stamped and cut out several owl images at once so I can make other cards in the days to come. For now, I have some work to do, so I'll catch you all later!

Dollar-daze

I must confess - I fibbed yesterday. I had hoped to get a project done last night to post today, but I had some last minute work to do. I guess I better get my hiney in gear today and do some crafting! For now, check out these totally cool $1 Target spot finds. My mom picked them up for me this past weekend.

Aren't they just adorable? You seriously can't go wrong for a buck. I think the dimensional stickers will make great card embellishments. Speaking of which, I need to get started on my Halloween projects. I've got everything I need to make some wicked cards :)

I shall return tomorrow! Have a great day, everyone.

You're a blast

Hello, bloggers! How was everyone's weekend? Mine was crazy-busy, but oh-so much fun! Travis and I met up with an old friend at Barnes and Noble on Friday who we haven't seen in a couple of years. I love having a cozy cup of coffee with good friends. Since we were at the mall anyway, we decided to walk around, and we found ourselves at See's Candy. YUM! I bought some molasses chips and a chocolate bar. I couldn't help myself, but I'm being very good at pacing myself and eating just a few nibbles a day. I still have the chocolate bar all wrapped up sitting right here next to me!

Saturday and Sunday were a total blast. We went to our friend's son's birthday party on Saturday. Unfortunately, I absolutely did not feel well that day. I think I have allergies. I was sporting a headache and just a general feeling of fatigue. I had a great time, though! I just wish I was feeling like my normal self. Right before the party, I was able to make a quick card for the birthday boy. At least I was able to squeeze in some stamping time!


On Sunday, I woke up with a terrible migraine, but I still managed to pull myself together and throw a surprise birthday party for my good friend. She was definitely surprised! Everyone had an awesome time, and my migraine eventually went away in the late afternoon hours. All in all, it was a really fantastic time!

I have more projects to share with you tomorrow. Right now, I hear left-over pizza calling my name...have a great day!!

Let's end the week on a happy note!

Happy Friday! Actually, it's almost Saturday, so happy weekend! I'm totally excited because my Hero Arts stamp order came in today...finally! I've been waiting for this order for over three weeks, and I squealed with delight when I opened the package today. So which stamps tickled my fancy? I'm sure my selections will come as no shock to any of you who read my blog often. Take a looksie:


Super-duper-uber cute, right?! As a free gift, I got this stamp with my order:


You better believe you're going to see A LOT of cards with these stamps in the near future!

I have a busy, but very fun weekend ahead of me. I hope to squeeze in some stamping-time with my new toys! They're just calling my name. See you all next week!

My heart is heavy

I just recently learned of the passing of a truly gifted scrapper, Aleida Franklin. She was on the design team for Studio Calico as well as a beloved member of the Scrapping to the Music challenge blog. Aleida was a loving wife, a mother of two small children, and an avid scrapbooker. The following excert is taken from the Studio Calico forum:

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Our hearts are saddened today at the loss of Aleida Franklin (ricanlaw). On her way to work this morning, she was involved in a car accident that took her life immediately. She has been a dear friend to Studio Calico for the past year, being involved in circle journals, and practically every conversation on these boards. To say she will be missed is an understatement.

It's difficult to understand why this happened, but at the same time it makes me thankful that I "knew" her for a brief time. Her lively personality and "feistiness" have made us smile, and even laugh out loud just reading our computer screens. This is an amazingly supportive community and I'm glad she was a part of it. Her designs will continue to be here if you'd like to see them to remind us of what a beautiful person she was and the memories she scrapped will certainly live on in her absence. I believe Aleida's legacy will live on and this post on her blog is witness to that.

Certainly you are thinking as I am that there must be something you can do. I have spoken with her family and arrangements will be made early next week. As soon as I know the details, I will post a thread, but in the meantime, I would like to send cards to her family to let them know how much she meant to us.

Please mail all cards to:

The Franklin Family
c/o Studio Calico
513 East 10th Ave
Bowling Green, KY 42103

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Such a tragedy, and such a sad time for the scrapbooking community. I was instantly inspired to create a card for her family. It's unimaginable the pain that the Franklin family is experiencing right now. I only hope that they know how much Aleida was loved by many, even those of us who had never met her.

We'll miss you, Aleida!

I think I ate a bug

Anyone know which movie this line comes from? If you guessed Overboard, then you're right! It's the scene where Goldie Hawn is riding in the bed of a rusty old pick-up truck, and hill-billy Kurt Russel is driving them back to his house. He yells back at her, "Then keep your mouth closed! Lots of things flying out 'round here." Yup, I love that movie. It's one of my favs, and I can recite it line-by-line even when it's not on. Scary, I know.


So why am I babbling about eating bugs? Well, I think I caught a bug, a cold bug. My ears have really been bothering me these past couple of days, and yesterday I was all sorts of tired. I wasn't feeling well enough to make a card to post today, but I'll try and create one this afternoon. I've got quite a few projects to knock out!

Have a good Tuesday, everyone! I'll do my best to be back on my game tomorrow.

Owl always love you

Happy Monday! I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing weekend. I had a great time these past few days. Let's see...I went shopping at Target and found a pair of white capri pants for $5! They also have new items in their scrapbooking aisle including two new lines from Making Memories - Spellbound and Fa la la. They got some new KI Memories clear stamps (click HERE and HERE to see the ones I found) as well as some other tools new to Target. Plus, everything seems to be on sale! I grabbed quite a few composition books for 25 cents each. Considering comp books are $3.99 a piece during the off season, you really shouldn't pass up a deal like this!

Yesterday, I went to my friend's house, and we made the most adorable card. Believe it or not, this card is made entirely using punches! I was beyond thrilled when I put this little guy together. I think he came out so darn cute!

I'm just realizing that the color variation is difficult to note in this picture. The owl's belly is actually a chocolate brown color where as the oval behind the owl is black. I'm not sure why the color is off, but I assure you that he totally pops right off that oval. See...


Yup, I assembled him using a number of pop-dots. I L-O-V-E adding dimension to my cards. And here's one last surprise when you open it up...

POP! It's a pop-up card :) I couldn't find the right sentiment in a stamp, so I just wrote out "Owl Always Love You." I'm going to use my white Signo pen to write out the message inside. I think it will look really nice against that dark chocolate brown cardstock.

What's on your agenda for the day? I have to go run some errands, and then I'll more than likely sit down and make some more cards! I have quite a few thank you cards to get done as well as some birthday ones. I'll be back tomorrow!

PS - Did you see the new Papertrey Ink stamp releases? They are adorable! I really love how all the PTI stamps are so versatile. The whole "build-your-own-stamp" concept is really unique! Here are a few of my favorites:


This fun set was released a couple of months ago, but I have yet to pick it up. I'm thinking it needs a place in my stamp collection. What do you think?


Here's the "belly" add-ons:


Yeah, I'm pretty sure I *need* them :)

Remember

Today marks the seven year anniversay of the most terrible attack on US soil in history. For those of us old enough to remember what happened, the images of that day are deeply etched in our minds. After the attacks in 2001, September 11th was designated as Patriot Day, a day of prayer and remembrance. To honor the meaning behind this day, I hope everyone takes time to remember the nearly three thousand men, women, and children who lost their lives that fateful day. Remember those who risked their lives to save others. Remember our fallen troops and pray for the safe return of those who are still fighting the war against terrorism.

In honor of those not with us today, I want to share with you a truly unique organization that as crafters, we can contribute our talents to their cause. You know, some people belittle our fun scrapbooking hobby and think that many of us are wacky, stay-at-home moms with very little matter between our ears. Truth is, scrapbookers are the kindest people I have ever encountered (and hey, we're pretty darn smart, too). Their hearts are always open, and they never hesitate to help out those in need. Recently, Hero Arts and Jennifer McGuire teamed up with Cards for Heros in an effort to spread the word about this wonderful organization. Their mission statement is beautiful:

"CARDSFORHEROES.ORG is a group of hundreds of private citizens - artisans, paper crafters, card makers - who have come together through our common love of our craft and our desire to honor our armed forces serving on our behalf. Regardless of what we think about the conflicts currently going on around the world, we can agree that our heroes are brave, honorable, and deserve our support! The cards allow them to keep in touch with their loved ones, and thus we get to also bless the families who bravely keep the candle in the window at home. We also support Operation: Quiet Comfort by providing thank-you and get-well cards for them to send to those injured on the battlefield. "

(Picture borrowed from Cardsforheros.org)

What better way to combine our love of paper crafts with our love for our troops! I sent a box of personalized Christmas cards last season to a Marine troop over seas, and I cannot tell you how much joy it brought me just knowing that I had helped brighten a soldier's day! A small gesture of kindness and goodwill can truly go a long way.

So what does all of this have to do with us wacky scrapbookers? In a world filled with innumerable uncertainties, I am thoroughly blessed to be part of a community of women (and some men) who open up their hearts so readily to those in need or to those who need a little cheering up. Recently, one of our very own beloved scrapbookers, Stephanie Nielson, and her husband, Christian, were in a private airplane crash. Both suffered serious injuries. Scrapbookers have united in an effort to raise funds to help defer the costs of their medical treatment. How awesome is that?

(Photo borrowed from Stephanie's blog)

Click here to read more about how you can help the Nielson family.

On a much smaller scale, I recently posted a question as to where I could obtain some acetate to try my hand at this whole clear/transparent scrappin' revolution. No sooner did I post than one of my faithful blog readers, Nancy, sent me an e-mail asking if I would like some sheets of acetate. What a sweet-heart! A couple days later, I not only had a few pieces of acetate, but a wonderful handmade card and some gorgeous paper, too! Thank you, Nancy, for the lovely act of kindness :)

This past weekend, I received a package from my friend, Anne Marie. I was surprised as I wasn't expecting anything from her. I opened the package to find a beautiful card and an accordian album made just for me! She wanted to brighten my day, and she certainly did.

The front of the mini book (the little metal tag says "friendship"):


The inside:


The book has little tabs that I can lift up and put journaling on. She stamped each card with a beautiful bird image:

You simply must check out her blog as she is the QUEEN of mini books! She also wrote the most lovely story of how she met and fell in love with her "Country Man." It's a good read, so go check it out! Thanks, AM, for the thoughtful gift!

In wrapping up, I would just like to give thanks for all the beautiful people I have come to know through my blog. One act of kindness simply leads to another and another. I encourage you to check out the Cards for Heros site and make a few cards for our service men and women to send home to their families. If you can donate to the Nielson family, that would be lovely, too! Lastly, don't forget today, and remember, "no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted" ~Aesop.

Some scrappy pages and new stamps

Happy Wednesday! Is this week flying by or what? The weekend will be here before we know it :)

Today I would like to share with you some of the scrap pages I made for the 6x6 album I shared with you yesterday. The pages are simple yet totally fun, and each page represents a particular month starting with July.

I'm putting together a "year in review" type of album, and I haven't decided whether I want to put pictures on the pages or just some journaling. It will be nice to look back years from now and see what I was up to at this stage in my life.

I have some exciting news to share with you, too! Yesterday, I received my order from Taylored Expressions which is Taylor VanBruggen's store. She just released her own line of stamps last Friday called Stamp a Sweet Impression, and when I saw the cute Halloween cupcake line, I just had to have them! I also ordered the Halloween "Key Ingredients" set which includes coordinating cardstock, patterned paper, brads, and glitter. The great thing about Taylor is that her products are of the greatest quality, and they came super fast because she's not too far away from me!


Are those stamps cute or what?! I can't wait to put a card together a-la-Taylor style for Halloween. It's been quite a while since I've ordered new stamps, so getting these yesterday was a real treat! Let's see what I come up with and perhaps I'll have a card to share with you using my new stamps later on in the week.

Coming up tomorrow, I'll be showcasing a few RAKs I've recently received from some very sweet blogging buddies! See you then!

Better late than never!

Oops! Looks like I'm a little late posting today. Sorry about that! I guess time got away from me today.

Today's project is a little 6x6 album that I made from scratch. I created the flower using an oval punch for the petals and a circle punch for the center. Inside, I have several page protectors for my layouts which I will show you later in the week.

Thanks for all the nice comments about yesterday's card! I will put together some instructions on how to make it so that you can make one too!

I'll see you tomorrow with some scrappy pages. I promise to post in a timely manner!

Ready for another card?

Wow - it's Monday again?! Where on earth does the time go? I guess that old adage about time flying when you're having fun is true!

Today, I'd like to share with you a unique card. It's a really fun gift-card holder! Check it out:

I did a little tearing, a little stamping, and a lot of cutting! See that orange flower at the top attached to some cord? If you pull it, this is what happens...

Another piece of paper pops up to reveal a gift card inside! How exciting is that?!

Okee-dokey, I'm off to go create some more stuff, but first I'm going to go grab something to eat. I'm hungry!

Lots to share!

Happy Sunday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. I have lots of crafty items to share with all of you, but I'm going to spread them out over the course of the week. I'm so happy to be back into the crafting mode!

This first card is one of my favorites! All of the images are heat embossed, and I colored in the cat using SU! markers. Don't you just love the glitzy moon?!

Yesterday, Travis and I headed up the mountain to Big Bear. We had a great day walking around The Village and window shopping. Lucky for me, there's a really cute scrapbook store up there called Pages of Tyme. They're actually moving into a larger space to accomodate their growing inventory! Believe it or not, I restrained myself and only purchased this adorable "Say it in Studs" by Prima. How could I pass this up?

After having a wonderful lunch/dinner, we headed back down the mountain. Here's the view from my side of the car as we were taking a hair-pin curve. In the distance, you can see the desert and a dry lake bed (the light tan-ish area).

All in all, I had a fabulous weekend. I'll be back tomorrow to showcase another card! Happy crafting :)

A little album

Happy Thursday! I thought I'd share the mini album I've been working on for the last several weeks. It actually hasn't taken me that long to complete, but you know how it goes - you work on a project for a while and then you put it down and pick it up again later. This 8x8 album is of a trip that we took to Lake Mead back in 2006. I'm still working on the journaling, but for the most part, it's almost finished. It's super simple and very minimal in style. Sorry that the pictures aren't the best quality today.

Here's the cover page with a picture I took of the lake. I used my Cricut to cut out the title.

This two-page layout is all about Sedona. It's called "Just Plain Cute." I have a Making Memories journaling page behind the first picture, but I have yet to write anything on it. I took these pictures of her while we were in the car and she was sitting in the back.

The title of this page is "Biggest Girl," and it's a bit difficult to see with the glare. Again, I did a very simple two-page layout of me and my hubby with Sedona in the lake. I have minimal embellies because I really wanted the photos to stand out. The pictures I took are very vibrant, and I wanted them to tell the story.

I have other pages in my album that I'll share with you on a later date. I know I'll have some cards to share with you this weekend! I hope you check back then!