icing on the cake

Giving Cards....

2009-12-27T19:05:00.010-05:00

That was the challenge this week over on the Hero Arts Blog. Since it was a two week challenge, I had some time to play. I love giving cards with a little extra something so this was a perfect challenge for me.

The first one is my favorite and actually isn't a card. I created this gift tag to hold some YUMMY Jelly Bellys. The have a flavor called "top banana" which I thought would work well for this project. :)

A detail shot of the memorabilia pocket used to hold the candies. I attached it to the card using Tim Holtz's tiny attacher stapler (LOVE THAT THING!)

I love to give pictures with cards. Printing mini pictures is a perfect gift with any card:

Here is a detail shot of when the picture is removed...

I also made one that holds mini chocolate chip cookies. yum.
I used UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) to heat emboss the cookies to give them a faux epoxy look and to add some shine...

And last but not least, my favorite card that is a "giving card" which you can see HERE. (I've already shared this before but want to share again for any new blog readers)

Alright, off to watch Dexter...getting my husband hooked. Night!

Merry Christmas...

2009-12-25T12:05:00.004-05:00

to my sweet blog readers. I love you all and I apologize for being MIA lately. This year, Christmas hasn't been what I was hoping for....

-This morning, Alex woke us not with eagerly wanting to open presents but telling us he is sick and had been "getting sick" all morning. Sigh.

-Yesterday, I had lots of Christmas presents still to buy so I braved the outside world only to see when I got home that someone had hit my car on the driver's side door. I now have a dent and a scratch, but no note from the driver who hit me. :(

-On Tuesday, Ted and I came back from a nice lunch to find ALL OF MY CHRISTMAS CARDS THAT I SENT RETURNED ON MY FRONT PORCH (which was WET from the rain that day). Ready to cry, I found the note that said that there was not enough postage. Sigh. I already went to the post office where they assured me that two stamps were enough. So I went back, stood in line for an hour for the lady to tell me that it was enough and to send them again. I told her she was crazy to think that I was going to resend them....so she postmarked them and said she would talk to someone and assured me they would be okay. On Wednesday, seven of them came back. Luckily, they were people I would see so no worries. But if you didn't receive a card from me. PLEASE know that I tried! It has been such an ordeal to send Christmas cards! lol

-I have been fighting a sinus infection/cold for a week. I just got over it to give it to my husband, who is now upstairs coughing. :(

To be honest, with so much going on it hasn't felt like Christmas. But I keep reminding myself that He is the reason for the season and it is not about the presents or the parties, but Jesus. It is the one thing that I am focusing on today that is making me smile. :)

So from my family to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS! I pray that your Christmas is going smoothly and you are enjoying the day.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy....

2009-12-11T18:44:00.015-05:00

Got the sweetest comment from Mrs. Vincent the other day from her post HERE. She was so sweet to pass on a blog award to me! So a big thank you goes to her, my new blogging friend. :)

To accept her award, I have to list 10 things that make me happy. Here we go in no particular order....

1. Ted. I've been married to this man for five years and there is not one day that passes that I do not thank God for him or that my heart doesn't race when I see him.....

2. Alex. If you would have told me ten years ago that I would be a step mom to a teenager now, I would have thought you were crazy. lol But he is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I've never known anyone with a bigger heart than his (except his dad, he gets it from him). He teaches me so much every single day, isn't it supposed to be the other way around?...lol. I love him so much and I couldn't imagine a day without him in it. He is such a great kid. I am so proud of him.

(Alex and I on Christmas morning last year...still in our p.j.'s and our beagles who are always by our side, little stinkers. lol)

Speaking of Alex....

3. Alex's music. You can view his band's myspace page HERE. It brings me such joy to see him play. Alex is a pretty shy kid and it's an unbelievable feeling to see your child just let it all go and live their passion. I'm always amazed at his talent.

4. Friends and Family. I have the best friends and family. Wonderful parents, great siblings, and a great group of scrappin' friends that get together at least once a month....I am so blessed.

5. Rob Pattinson. No explanation needed. :) hee.

6. Receiving Cards. I love making cards and sending them but when I receive them, I'm giddy. I love seeing them in my mailbox because they seem to make the bills disappear. lol With Christmas right around the corner, I'm seeing more and more. (Already got Jana and Jennifer's Christmas cards...simply gorgeous. thanks girls!)

7. Technology. Because of technology, I have a website, I've met WONDERFUL friends through my blog (like Carla!) and I get to be part of great communities like the Hero Arts Flickr group to just name a few! (the ladies in this group are AMAZING-extremely supportive and encouraging which is so nice to see in this industry.)

Speaking of Hero Arts.....

8. Hero Arts. I think I am transforming into a stamper. I'm purchasing more stamps than I am embellishments lately and the company I just can't get enough of is Hero Arts. Creating with their stamps make me happy. (BTW-THIS makes me happy too!)

9. So You Think You Can Dance. I love this show. Just brings a smile to my face and I can't wait to see who gets the title this season. (I am lovin' Jakob and Ashleigh)

10. Starbucks Hot Chocolate. It has been SO cold and windy here and this is the only thing that can warm me up while running errands. Yum!

So just some random thoughts for today. What makes you happy?

AC Holiday Cards & Gift Week Challenge...

2009-12-10T21:42:00.009-05:00

I am lovin' the cute Merrymint line from American Crafts. I purchased a 8x8 pad of it recently and started playing. I'm also lovin' making swivel cards lately, so here is a set I made as a gift using this fun line...

Here is a close up shot of how the cards swivel open (to make them swing open, place a small brad in one of the corners of the card) ....

I left them blank inside so they can be used for a Christmas Card or a Christmas Gift Tag.

Thanks for looking...I'll be back posting again tomorrow.

Thank you Tim Holtz...

2009-12-06T21:46:00.005-05:00

for creating such yummy distress ink colors. I played with some sticky back canvas, hero arts stamps, and distress ink to create some holiday gift tags....

To create the tags, I cut some sticky back canvas and stamped the snowflake in VersaMark and then heat embossed with white embossing powder. Then I went over top the embossed ink with different distress inks. Added a pearl to the center, stamped the sentiment, tied a bow on top and then stamped the inside....

and now they are ready for a present! Just a quick idea that I wanted to share since the holidays are approaching quickly.

Thanks for stopping by. I'll have more to share soon....

Good Tidings Kit

2009-12-02T12:48:00.008-05:00

Happy to be back blogging and wanted to share the new Kit of the Month. It is called Good Tidings. You can find the ingredient list HERE. I was inspired by the KI Memories Badges that are included in the kit. I love the colors and I used that as a jumping off point.

Wendy Sue Anderson was the guest designer for this month. Check out her gorgeous work....I am in love with her little details:

How adorable is this holiday mini book? I may have to copy her idea to use for my never ending shopping lists for the season...

I love her details on the nametag...

The specialty paper in the kit (yellow gold circle) has holes that you can punch out. Wendy used her extra shapes to create a flower to frame the red flower. Great Idea!....

Wendy was so clever to use the kit ingredients to create a present. LOVE this LO...

Oh, to have Wendy's handwriting! ....

Loving the glitter thicker stickers! Happy Shopping and thanks for stopping by! Be back soon...

Stay Tuned....

2009-12-01T23:05:00.005-05:00

The December Kit of the Month is debuting very soon. I'm just super behind on everything! I'm having a party this weekend and house projects are taking over.....but I promise the kit will be up soon. I just got Wendy's images and they are amazing! Be back soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Black Friday Weekend Deal...

2009-11-27T13:11:00.004-05:00

ETA: I'm extending the sale until Monday night!

Hello! Just thought I would pass on the info. of the great deal this weekend at the Bakery. Use coupon code blackfriday09 and receive 30% off your entire purchase! Happy Shopping! (Coupon expires on Sunday night at 8:00)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T11:32:00.003-05:00

To all my blog friends.....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :)

Breaking News...

2009-11-23T14:32:00.003-05:00

I don't know how many readers are local and have already seen this but look HERE. That house is my next door neighbor's house. (80 year old Sweet Betty that I always mention here) Ted and I have spent the entire day over there cleaning and you would not believe the mess that this has left. I feel so bad for her but I am so thankful that she is safe and was sleeping in the back bedroom when it all happened. It's funny b/c I couldn't sleep last night and went in my scrap studio late (which is the closest room to Betty's house) and I could hear a car outside rev the engine many times. When I looked out my window, the car was leaving. Little did I know, he was the guy who just ran into her house! I'm happy to hear the police caught him trailing his leaking oil from the car....not the smartest criminal. lol

Anyway, Betty is the SWEETEST lady....please send good thoughts her way. Thanks. :)

Twilight Layout

2009-11-23T00:32:00.009-05:00

Wanna see what I made during my scrappin' day with the girls yesterday? .... I just had to document my love for the Twilight books. The journaling reads, "I tried to resist it but I gave in. My friend Jennie told me that I must read these books. I did and now I am bitten with the Twilight craze. I can’t get enough. I read the last book slowly savoring each chapter because I knew I would miss the Edward character. I was right. I’m already having withdrawals. So glad I can get a future fix with the movies."

A closer look...

To create the circles, I stamped them with different Hero Arts background stamps and then sanded/distressed the edges. The title was created with a twilight font I downloaded from the internet.

During my day with the girls I was surprised with a cake as a congratulations on my recent publication. My sister's camera batteries ran out, so I snapped a picture of the half eaten cake when I got home. But you get the picture. lol .....It was yummy. Well, I'm off to spend the day with my sweet husband. He is off all week. Yay! :)

Inky Fingers...

2009-11-21T21:38:00.007-05:00

Just got home from an all day class taught by the super sweet Jennifer McGuire. I always learn so much from her. She is just oozing with talent. If you ever take a class with Jennifer, you will always leave with inky fingers. lol I love playing with ink and different stamping techniques and that was what today was all about. :)

Speaking of inky fingers....I thought I would share a few holiday cards I've made lately:

The first one is a swivel card. The brad allows you to swivel the card open to reveal the message inside... Okay, off to pack my scrapbooking stuff. I'm going scrappin' with the girls tomorrow. This weekend if full of creativity! Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You!

2009-11-16T09:42:00.009-05:00

First, I want to say THANK YOU to all of my sweet blog readers. Your comments about my last post put a big smile on my face. I could feel the love. :)

All weekend I have been cleaning, purging, and cleaning some more in my studio. I'm determined to get it perfect so I can make a video (or at least pics) to share with you all. I'm excited. Is it just me or when you go through stuff and organize it, it sparks your creativity?? That is what happened last night so I had to take a break and play. Here is the layout I created using some photo booth pics from our Chicago trip...(who would have thought that $5.00 was so well spent. These are my favorite pictures!)

A closer look...

Journaling reads, "Ted and I celebrated our five year anniversary in Chicago. We found a photo booth at Navy Pier and these pictures are my favorite from the trip. Just us slowing down, being silly, having fun, and enjoying each other’s company. A perfect display of our love."

In other random news, I finished the last chapter of this book....The last book in the Twilight series. Sigh. I'm having withdrawls already. lol It's funny because I read this book SUPER slow so that I could make it last longer. I almost didn't want to read the last chapter but I decided to go ahead since the New Moon movie is coming out this Friday. Stephanie Meyer was on Oprah last week and said there may be a fifth book in th future. I hope so!

Okay, off to get some work done. Have a great Monday!

Removed for Publication...

2009-11-13T14:36:00.003-05:00

Honestly, I thought I would never put these words on my blog. But today I did just that. I'm so excited to share that a magazine requested some of my cards for a future (April 2010) publication. I am beyond excited. For YEARS I have submitted with no response. I've even vented here before about being frustrated and doubting my creativity. I know that I have many readers who are stars in this industry and may think I am silly for being so excited :) .....but I truly am giddy. (It was also nice to receive the news last night...on my hubby's birthday. He said it was his best birthday present ever. Isn't he sweet?)

Getting published was a huge personal goal of mine and it feels so good to see it happening. It is also a good time to give a shout out to Laura. For not only being a great source of information about being published but telling me to keep submitting. Thanks Laura. :)

Okay, off to mail my cards in. Just had to share the big news with my blog friends!

Happy Birthday Ted!

2009-11-12T15:39:00.007-05:00

My sweet hubby turns the big 40 today! We already went and picked up his present last week. I got him a STIHL leaf blower. Ted's old leaf blower broke awhile ago and when you have a yard like we do....it is a necessity. I think he was extremely happy to have a new toy and not have to rake all those leaves. :) Happy Birthday hon. I love you so much. XOXOXOXO

Off to bake his birthday cake...strawberry...yum!

Be back soon...

Glitter!

2009-11-09T22:24:00.006-05:00

The Hero Arts Challenge this week is to use glitter. I don't use glitter that much because of the mess but I do love diamond stickles so I used some on this card on the felt snowflakes....

It was hard to photograph the bling on the snowflakes so here is a close up shot...

I also added more bling by swiping a VersaMark Champagne Ink Pad over the embossed background and then tracing around some of the circles with a glitter pen. Also, the purple cardstock with the greeting on it is a Bazzill bling cardstock. Again, it was hard to photograph.

Speaking of Hero Arts, I participated in a ATC swap awhile ago and received my group's ATC cards in the mail the other day. I was going to photograph all of the cards but Yaneri (a sweet girl in my group) already photographed all of them and did such a great job. Check it out HERE.

Okay, off to watch Oprah that is on my DVR. Can't wait. Ellen was on today. Love her. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Address Labels

2009-11-06T17:26:00.008-05:00

Back today with another idea using the tiny Christmas stamps from my last post. I decided to use them to create address labels when mailing out my Christmas cards. I already have a stamp that has our address on it. So I stamped it on a sheet of sticky labels and then stamped various Christmas images next to it. Super fast and easy...Also, I want to tell you about the red envelopes next to the labels. Those are a few Christmas cards I whipped up for Noah. He is a five year old boy that I learned about through blog hopping that is in his last stages of cancer. His family is celebrating Christmas early this year in fears that he will not make it much longer. PLEASE take a few minutes out of your day to send him a Christmas card. You can find more info. including the address HERE. I can not imagine what this family is going through but if sending a card puts a smile on his face, I'm in.

Okay, off to get some of my to-do list checked off. Have a great weekend! :)

BINGO!

2009-11-05T16:24:00.009-05:00

Remember THIS post? Well as soon as I was done making the Halloween ones, my mind started to think how cute it would be with Christmas stamps! Well as I am working on that, I see THIS (scroll down to NOVEMBER 1st tweet) post and thought it was funny that I wasn't the only one who thought Christmas stamps would work well. lol

I used the Hero Arts ink and stamp Christmas set that comes with 18 tiny rubber stamps. The images are adorable! What is so great abou them too is the back has the images of the stamps and that is what I am going to cut up and use as the call out cards! I also printed my BINGO cards smaller than last time to make the stamps fit better.
and since I had another ink and stamp set (word fun) on my desk, I decided to make a set for my niece who is now reading and make the focus more on words rather than all images....Are you tired of BINGO cards yet? lol Well, come back tomorrow...I'll have another idea using these tiny stamps and I promise they are not bingo cards. :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-11-04T20:30:00.009-05:00

I know, I know. It's not even Thanksgiving and I am already talking about Christmas. But I am determined to be more prepared this year so I can sit back and enjoy the holidays. I decided to make a mini card set using the Earth Love collection from Cosmo Cricket. I purchased a few of the papers from my Chicago trip with Carla when she took me scrapbook shopping.

This set is for my neighbor, Betty. I love Betty. She is so sweet. She is eighty years old and is always talking about her family and grandchildren, so I thought this would be a great gift since they don't live close by.

I used a glitter pen to highlight images on each card. It was hard to photograph the great shine it gives but you can kinda see it on the yellow birds back on this card...

Thanks for stopping by! Off to clean up my studio. Night!

BFF Kit...

2009-11-01T10:43:00.012-05:00

Hi friends. Back today to debut the November Kit of the Month, Best Friends Forever Kit:

All of the patterned papers are double sided with solid colors on the back...
This month Dream Team Artist, Laura Vegas created her magic with this kit. Here are some of her projects...
Aren't her projects awesome? Thanks Laura! You can find more details about the kit HERE and more info. on Laura's projects HERE. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T20:26:00.009-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone. Just thought I would pop on and show you some of the games I made for my nieces and nephews. First up, a Halloween bingo game. You can find the blank printable bingo card sheet HERE. I just used some of my Halloween stamps to create the game boards and call out cards....

I also made my nephew a Halloween Memory match game.... Speaking of J.T. ....I just got back from trick-or-treating with him: (Isn't he adorable?)
I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween! Thanks for stopping by! Make sure you stop by tomorrow. I'm debuting the kit of the month....

Rasberry Suite Color Challenge #18

2009-10-27T20:23:00.004-04:00

Back today with a challenge from Dawn. I had a hard time with the colors this week....

The colors are so pretty but I just wasn't feeling the creative mojo. So, after I let it sit for a few days, I went back to it and it seemed to finally come together.....

I think using some new stamps helped! :) You can find the flourish background stamp HERE and the butterfly HERE. I love those images!

Well, that's all I got for tonight. TFL!

Chicago Trip...

2009-10-26T08:15:00.017-04:00

Ted and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary on the 16th. It's hard to believe that five years have passed since our wedding day...

We talked about what we wanted to do to celebrate for awhile. We both thought a trip to Chicago for the weekend sounded perfect.

After arriving in Chicago on Friday afternoon and getting settled in, we stopped for a bite to eat at Portillo's and then walked to Navy Pier. There was so much to do there. They even put on a fireworks show at night. I loved being by the water.....

As soon as we got to Navy Pier, we headed to go for a ride on the Ferris Wheel...
Me and my hubby inside the Ferris Wheel... A view of the Chicago skyline from the Ferris Wheel....
On Saturday afternoon, I met up with my blog buddy Carla and her cutie daughter Kendall for a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza lunch and some scrapbook shopping. It was so nice to meet up. She is super sweet. You can read all about our visit HERE on Carla's blog. THANK YOU Carla for hosting the day and taking pictures!
When I got home from my trip with Carla, Ted and I wanted to try a restaurant that was just around the corner. Weber Grill had the BEST steak.
After dinner we went to Michigan Ave. to do a little shopping. A few streets over, we stumbled upon the Hershey Store. Oh my. It was so cool...When we got back to the hotel, I broke out my new Slice (that I bought from Carla) and started playing while Ted watched the last few laps of the Nascar race. :) We stopped at Lou Mitchell's (one of Dawn's suggestions) for breakfast before going to the Brown Elephant for some vintage/antique shopping and then heading home on Sunday. It was SO good! Their not kidding when they say it is the best breakfast in the world. :) Ted and I really enjoyed the vintage, diner-like atmosphere.
The trip was fantastic minus the traffic. lol It was so nice that Ted and I got to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and just spend some time together. I can't wait to go back!

I'll be back soon with some creative shares. Thanks for stopping by!

Erin joins our dream team...

2009-10-22T17:20:00.006-04:00

Hello, Hello! I've got some super exciting news to share. Erin Terrell Clarkson is joining our dream team! Erin has been a favorite scrapper of mine for a long time. I always knew when a layout was hers because of her unique style and I remember drooling over her work in some of the making memories beyond books. I have to admit I was a little intimidated to contact her because of her famousness (lol...is that a word!?) but she put my nerves to rest as soon as I emailed her. She is so down to earth and sweet. A big shout out goes to Laura (a fellow Erin fan) for letting me know about Erin's new blog which you can find HERE. Here is a little more about this talented scrapbook artist:

"Erin began scrapbooking in 1997, shortly after the birth of her daughter, Daisy. She wanted a creative way to share photos with long distance friends and family members. After browsing through a scrapbook magazine at a local craft store, she found herself captivated with a new hobby!

Erin has contributed to numerous idea books with Making Memories, Provo Craft, Creating Keepsakes magazine, and Scrapbooks etc. magazine. Since 2002, Erin has been a frequent contributor to Scrapbooks etc. magazine and currently works as one of their contributing editors.
Her favorite thing about scrapbooking is being able to meet so many wonderful new friends who share in her enthusiasm and who love to be creative!".

Welcome to the team Erin. Can't wait to work with you!

In other random news, I was feeling bit bad/scared today after visiting an oral surgeon. Yep. I have to get my wisdom teeth pulled. Sigh. So it was a great surprise to come home and see THIS. It definitely put a smile on my face and made me forget for a few minutes about my future appointment!

Gotta go get a work out in. I'll be back soon with trip pics from our Chicago trip. We had so much fun!

Christmas Cards...

2009-10-15T20:30:00.010-04:00

Yep. I have all of my Christmas cards done. You may think I am crazy but I wanted to pack light when I went on a recent trip to Cornerstone (a scrapbook retreat) and wanted a project where I didn't have to think so much and just sit, cut, assemble and watch movies. I'm sure my friends thought I was crazy for making Christmas cards in August but I had so much fun creating without the pressure of the holiday right around the corner! Here is my Christmas card for this year (Shane and Jennie, don't look! lol) ... I really wanted to do non traditional holiday colors (these yummy papers are from Crate Paper). My starting point was THIS stamp set. I fell in love with the mug image and it is kinda hard to see in the pic but I added diamond sticklez to the steam above the mug...it gives is a nice effect.

So what is that you see inside the card? Yep. Each card will have a packet of hot cocoa inside!

To make the holder for the packet, I just used a piece of ribbon and two brads on the ends. Works great!

And since I knew I wanted the recipient to see the hot cocoa packet inside, I made a acetate window by stamping THIS stamp with white Staz-On ink . Here is a better picture of it without the packet inside...

And if you are not quite ready to think about Christmas and are looking for a fun Halloween idea you can look HERE. I did this project/video last year using THIS adorable stamp set. Thought I would post about it again for all of my new readers to the blog.

Speaking of great stamps, I just put in a whole bunch of new ones in the store. Here are some of my favorites....HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. Can't wait to play with them when I get back. Need to log off and go pack for our Chicago trip. My hubby and I leave in the morning. Can't wait! I'll be back Sunday to tell ya all about it. Have a great weekend! :)