Blooms.

Good afternoon, folks!

For today's card, I was feeling more of that Spring fever. And that means lots of blooms! Used more of Cathy's felt flowers. Just can't get enough of these beauties. I also tried my hand at rolled flowers...a first for me. It was a total disaster (it's the striped one with pink and orange), but I kinda like how 'jagged' the petals look. Then, I fussy-cute the roses and other flowers out to add to the bundle.

The image is from Some Odd Girl's Noveau Girl (Bliss). The ribbon is from Amy, and the papers/ lace ribbon are from my stash.

Although, I'm making lots of Spring-themed cards, I'm hoping that this coming week won't get too warm! We are going for a little road trip to Lake Tahoe later this week, where we'll be playing in the snow with some close friends. It should be lots of fun! I'll be sure to share pics, and I've got a couple of posts lined up. Have a wonderful day!

Caroling Anya.

*** Please click HERE to go to my TGF Guest DT post.****


Hello folks!

For the 13th week of Christmas Card Challenges, we challenge you to add a music element to your card.





I used these Melissa Frances design papers and stickers to accompany my image - Anya from Xmas Sweeties. She may have been smiling but in this instance, let's pretend she's caroling and singing "Deck the Halls."

Remember that you don't have to participate in the weekly challenges, our only rule is that your card should be new and Christmas or Winter-themed. Please visit the CCC blog for more info and inspiration!

Have an awesome rest of your weekend!

I Adore You.

Good morning, everyone!

For my last post as The Greeting Farm's February Guest Design Team member, I wanted to make a Spring-themed card. I thought Birthday Anya II would be perfect for the new & sweet papers of Dear Lizzy's Neopolitan.

I used the same rolled paper technique that I did on one of the cards for my first post. See below for my quick tutorial.

I created this card using my favorite design methods -- layering embellishments and creating lots of textures! The background of ruffled crepe paper actually came like that -- it's from Dear Lizzy's new line from American Crafts. It was a bit tricky cutting it (make sure you don't cut the part where it's glued), but the result was worth it. Every supply is from that line except for the two birdies -- they are from Imaginisce.

I'm also trying out new color combinations for hair and skin. The hair combo is E50, E21, E23, E27, and I got it from the talented Arabella. For her skin, I didn't quite have all of the Copic shades. Hence, the result is that Anya looks a bit like she overdid it at the tanning salon, a la Jersey Shore style. Before I colored her hair, my sis said she looked like Snooki. Hahahahahaha!!!! I tried to correct it by using a colorless blender -- you can kinda see where I tried to take off some color (ooops!).

Aside from her skin, I'm loving the way her dress and its pleats turned out. I taught myself how to color ruffles in. I must say that I'm pretty proud of it :).

Anyway, here's a quickie on the rolled paper. Pics were taken by my phone so they're a bit blurry/ grainy.

Cut slits on your patterned paper. Make sure it's double-sided.



Take a paper piercer or lollipop stick, and roll the paper around it. You have to roll several times using your fingers and work in the fibers of the paper to make it more pliable.



Try to keep the rolls on different levels for a better layering effect.




Anyway, it's time for this girlie to go! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Project Life 2012 - Cover Page

When I started scrapbooking in high school (aka the mid-'90s), I just wanted to save and showcase all of my pictures and mementos. Out of all my friends and families, I had always been the one to take the pics at parties, the one to document each event, may it be big or small. I saved everything. From restaurant business cards to someone's graffiti drawing, I kept them all and somehow used them as my scrapbook decorations.

Fast forward to the early 2000's, and I discovered Creative Memories. And patterned paper. And embellishments made specifically for scrapbooking. I also learned about acid free stuff.

I have always enjoyed scrapping -- the designing of a page, the show-casing of photos, the preserving of memories. But I have never been able to keep up. There are so many gaps in my documentation, so many months or even years. I always wanted to be my best at creating a lay-out, so if the mojo was not there, I would stop. And of course, true life got in the way. Let's face it, in order to make memories, you gotta live them right?

When I first heard about Project Life, I was very hesitant. I thought it was too different, too restrictive. I wasn't used to just adding photos or cards in pockets to make a page. But then, I started seeing finished pages and realizing that this simple way was very similar to what made me fall in love with the craft almost 15 years ago. I'll get to save my mementos again...who gives a crap (pardon moi) if they're not acid-free?? From what I've heard, it's very doable. And what finally sold me is that I'll get to document the everyday stuff. Such a seller because for me, I have wanted to slow down the time when I started having kids.

Anyway, before I start to bore you (if I haven't already done so), here's my cover page. I chose the Clementine kit and added some washi tapes and a Maya Road chip board.








I love this video:

Lucky Bunnies Cards

Hi everybody!

I made some quick, coordinating cards out of TGF's Lucky Bunnies Clear Stamp set. They're pretty versatile so I gave one as a Valentine and the other two as birthday cards. Here are closer looks:







The design papers are from Fancy Pants Designs. The papers and flower ribbon/ lace ribbon came from a scrapbooking kit at my local scrapbooking store. All of the other supplies came from my stash. And the ink is Memento...I've been using the cocoa brown lately. It gives a softer effect.

Oh, speaking of my LSS, Our Paper Place...I was lucky enough to snag a seat in their now sold out class! You know who'll be teaching?? My favorite scrapbookers, Amy Tangerine and Kelly Purkey!!!! Am, so, so super excited!!! :) :) :)

Have an awesome day!

Paisleys.

Good Sunday morning, everyone!

It's time for another Christmas Card Challenge! Week 12 is all about paisleys. My Holiday cards mojo is still going strong, are yours? I am super determined to be done with tons of Xmas cards come December this year.



This was a bit hard for me because I really had to dig around my old papers to find one with paisleys. I finally found one and it had sort of a quilt-feel to it. I wanted to show off the paper so I opted for a simple main image that was a die-cut from Bo Bunny (rest up, Copics!).



Hope you get to play along! Go to the CCC blog for more deets and inspiration!

Here in the States, it's President's Day Weekend. It's a Holiday for some, and I happened to get tomorrow off so some of us have a long weekend. Hope you enjoy the rest of your time off!

XO,

A Unique Journey.

Hi peeps!

It's my l'il sis' bday weekend, and I'm very excited to celebrate with her. My sissy is one of the coolest people I know. She sports her own unique style, is very artistic, not very girly, but has the biggest heart.

She even had a pixie-haircut years ago, much like Some Odd Girl's Coy Kaylee's. I would totally want to rock this hairstyle someday too. My sis looks a lot like me, so I have hope, LOL! :)

I wanted the card to reflect her personality so I used awesome colors and my trendy papers from Studio Calico. That houndstooth pattern is my fave! The bright butterfly is from American Crafts. The mesh is from my stash.

I used Sketch 11 from Sketches 4 Cards - an app I downloaded on my phone. I think it's pretty cool to be able to draw inspiration from just about anywhere.

This card is also an entry for this week's Flutter By Wednesday's # 190 (anything with wings).

We are staying at a hotel for an adult-slumber party for her bday. We'll be going to a dinner at a stylish, new restaurant and having some drinks. Yay for a girls' night out!

:),

Smitten

Hi all!

I have a few minutes during my lunch break so I wanted to share the Valentine's card I made for my DH!

It's of SOG's 2 Hearts Kody and Mae, with some Pebbles Inc and Love Elsie and Echo Park :). The sentiment is from Paper Smooches. Used Deconstructed Sketch 38.

Sorry so short! Gotta get back to work!

XO,

Happy V Day, part uno.

Hi everyone!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I found this quote on my cousin's facebook page and thought it funny and appropriate for this sometimes non-inclusive holiday:

"Happy Hearts Day to those who are taken, still-to-be taken, taken for granted, assumed to be taken, needs to be taken, waiting to be taken, almost taken and who will never be taken! Spread the LOVE!!!"

Hee hee hee. Cute, huh? I've been almost all of those at one point in my life :).

I gave away a few V cards to some of my bloggy & real world friends. I custom-ordered them from Cathy through her Etsy store, CatShy Crafts. Aren't they just adorbs (adorable)? I bought a lot of felt goodies from Cathy but have been hoarding them. These particular ones are cute because not only did they decorate the Valentine's, they are also detachable and re-usable!

Anyway, in the life of my fam, here are some V-day happs:


In the beginning of the month, the hubs & I got some Krispy Kreme doughnuts. For the month of Feb, they've got special heart-shaped ones. Not good for the 'diet' I know, but aren't they cute?



Made by my 6-yr-old patient. He was so darn proud of it, too! I tucked in the corner for his privacy. You can't tell here but the embellies at the center are popped out. Lots of texture going on around here, I LOVE it!



The little tater tot picked out Valentine's cards at Target and decorated them with stickers. He's actually using the Glossy Accent just as a stand for the stickers. That glue is sort of expensive, ya know.



And just because I wanted to include the chub babe here, I thought this pic was ultra funny! It's not so much the texting but more the facebooking and blog reading, LOL!

I did buy him special V day pants that are red, but never got around to taking a pic! Maybe I'll include it with the card for my DH (which I still have yet to finish!!!).

And to end my V Day part I post, I found these older pics from a couple years back and thought the bib and MK are super cute!




Have a wonderful LOVE day! We're having a special dinner out tomorrow night. Hoping to post some pics of it here. See you soon!!

XOXO,

CCC's Sketch for Week 11.

** click here for a chance to win the Miss Anya Garland set from my TGF GDT post.***

Hi everyone,

It's time for another Christmas Card Challenge, where we make Christmas, Holiday, Winter-themed cards all year long! For Week 11, we have a sketch for you:





You have all week to play along, and remember that the sketch is an optional challenge. All you gotta do is make a new Christmas card - see the CCC blog for the rules and DT inspiration!

For my card, I used lovely Gorjuss girl & Mr. Polar Bear. I bought them at ATS, but they are currently sold out. Used Bo Bunny for the die-cut circle and strip. The trees DP is from My Mind's Eye. The second DP is from Melissa Frances.

Talk to ya folks later!

Guest Designing for TGF in February..... AAAAAHHHH!

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well!

I am super excited to say that I'm the Guest Designer for the month of February over at The Greeting Farm! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!! I am so thrilled and thankful to Jess and Marie!

I was asked to showcase a couple of stamps from the January release, and I chose the three lovelies from Miss Anya Garland. These ladies are just so very cute, and really very versatile. They're perfect for any occasion, so i decided to make three different cards.

I love dabbling in different card styles and techniques, although most of the time, I tend to be very cutesy. Here are my three versions of Valentine's cards for some dear friends.




My first card here shows a whimsical touch -- love Cathy's felt flowers and the mixture of bright design papers (Hearts DP- Pebbles Inc. Stitched paper DP- Amy Tangerine from American Crafts). I continued the theme of stitching by drawing on the black CS (Bazzill) with a white gel pen. The sentiment is an old Imagination Project coaster, and the ribbon is from my stash.




The second one shows a more shabby chic card with lots of layering. I love using tons of embellishments. The heart border, blooms stickers, and blooms DP are all from Pebbles Inc. The DP with diamonds is from Echo Park, and the buttons stickers are from s.e.i. The rest are from my stash.




Learned this rolling technique from just browsing in my LSS (local Scrapbooking store). Cut parts of your DP on the side and roll around a needle (or in this case, a bbq stick, LOL!). They add some fun, quick textures!




For my last card, here's my version of a CAS card. There's a lot of pattern-mixing, but the whole card is pretty simple and easy. I sometimes love cards that are very bold and ecclectic -- afterall, I think cards are such works of art!

The B&W chevron DP is from Echo Park. The yellow chevron and flower DPs are from Amy Tangerine. The flower is made by Amy Young. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.

Thanks so much for stopping by! There will be a lucky random commenter here that will win a Miss Anya Garland set. Leave me a comment by Sunday, the 12th, 9 PM CST. I'll pass on the name to Jess, and she'll announce it on the TGF blog Monday morning. Good-luck everyone!!!

I'll be back with another TGF GDT post later this month...till then...Am so very ecstatic as The Greeting Farm started my stamping addiction!!! :).

Hugs,

Our Currents.

Meet the future Dr. Oliver. Just turned 7 months. Oli has so many facial expressions. He usually just stares at first, usually with his mouth open. But once you get him going, he's all smiles and giggles and funny looks. Just learning to sit on his own now. I remember Mattie being able to do that sooner. But I can tell that O will be more rambunctious. Is that saying true? Is the second child always the opposite of the first?

I just want to bite those chubby cheeks all day! And that wild hair? Well, it gets lots of comments. You know every mother probably thinks her children are cute .. but I think Mr. Sweetcheeks is awfully adorable! Love those mesmerizing eyes!

Thought I'd do some CURRENTS a la Tina Azmus style:

time: 12:49 am.
place: office/ craft room.
eating: crackers.
drinking: emergen-c. (feeling a cold coming on).
watching: before this? my recording of american idol.
reading: email.
wanting: to go to bed.
thinking: about something exciting that's happening this weekend.
creating: a new play list on my itunes.
hoping: to get some craft time tomorrow.
needing: to get my Vitamix blender already. (c'mon amazon!)
wishing: too many to mention.

How about you? I'd love to hear some of your 'currents' in your comments below!

Please come back tomorrow! I've got some news!

Make Your Own Background

Good Sunday morning, everyone!!

My Sundays are reserved for Christmas Card Challenges on my blog, and this 10th week is all about making your own background.

A lot of the other Design Team members did beautiful embossing. But since I have yet to own one of those embossing/ die-cutting machines, I decided to play with some ink to make some clouds/ sky.

I used some Tim Holtz distress ink and a cloud stencil that I cut myself. Learned the technique from Amy, but I couldn't find the exact link.

I used another stamp from the SCRS Karber Fairy Set. The papers and snowflakes are from Bo Bunny. I hand-wrote the sentiment. The ribbons and bling are from my stash.

I hope you can play with us this week! Just think of all the Holiday cards you'd have made come December!!! One less thing to stress about, am I right?! :)

Please visit the Christmas Card Challenges blog for more details and to see the other DT's fab cards!

And if you're watching the SuperBowl, have a great time! I'm not really rooting for any team as the Niners didn't make it. But I'll be peeking in on the game and eating lots of chips and dip.... maybe craft at the same time too! Woot woot!!

Love,