I Bet...

...you wouldn't have initially guessed that I actually made this card with a circus-themed collection, did ya?



It looks like many of the scrapbooking companies are having a mini-release here lately between winter and summer CHA, so I thought I'd share with you what's on my wish list right now.

How about these from Webster's Pages?

I'm crazy for the Sweet Threads collection from Basic Grey, but especially this particular pattern...

FYI:
I super-love any line that comes in a 6x6 pad.

So, of course, that means I have to include this 6x6 pad from My Mind's Eye too...

(Quick! Someone bombard them with emails saying they NEED me on their design team. I'm drooling!!!)

And while you're at it, go ahead and message American Crafts too, because I can't get enough of their rub-ons. Why can't they make more? I need them! I mean, I don't think it's possible for me to make a card without a rub-on or alphabet stickers.

Oh! And what about these mists from Studio Calico? I have a couple mists that I've never used, but the bright colors that they come in sure do make me wanna jump right in.

And last, but not least...

I really think I'm ready to get one of these...

I know some of you have one. What do you think of it? It's such a big investment. Should I do it???

Best Friends

Yes, more GCD Studios goodness. I can't help myself. The shabby chic, brightly colored papers in this line are just the right fit for me. That rose strip is some super fun paper ribbon from the Funhouse collection. It comes on the cutest little spool filled with five other fun trims. I'm trying to decide what to do with the spool once I use all the trims. I just can't throw it away! :-) I bet Ethan would love to chew and bang it around. I also used some fun pre-threaded (love that!) buttons from a wedding collection called Sweet Surrender. I'm a total sucker for buttons of course. I'm fighting so hard against my desire to hoard supplies with all this yummy new stuff. Say prayers for me! Heehee!

Beautiful Brave Girl

I just love this journaling tag, don't you. Of course, it's from GCD Studios. Melody Ross designed such pretty collections this past season. The collections just make you feel good. They're great for girlpower cards and layouts for sure. They kinda make me wanna actually do a scrapbook page! :-)

See this card in the December 2011 issue of CARDS Magazine

Thank You Tag

The mailman brought me a HUGE box of GCD Studios goodies to play with this week. I've been dying to get into everything, but with finals next week I've had a hard time getting into my craft room. I did manage to make a couple little treats though. Look at this cute little tag made with the fabric tags from The Great Outdoors camping collection. I hope to have every one of the 8 tags from the package fully decorated in the next two weeks. These are going to be really hard for me to part with.

Check out this creation in the October 2011 issue of CARDS Magazine



Happy (Rainy) Easter

Smiles are the Souls of Kisses

I really like this color combo of light blue, aqua, deep grey, and lime green. I think I'll start trying to find fabrics in these colors for a quilt. It just speaks to me!

See this card in the December 2011 issue of CARDS Magazine

Eight Months

At eight months he...

...sits himself up.
...pulls himself to standing.
...wears size 3 diapers.
...wears size 6-9 month clothing.
...still has no teeth.
...claps.
...raises one eyebrow when I do something weird.
...likes to feed himself.
...loves bath time.
...still uses a pacifier to sleep.
...loves going for a walk around the neighborhood.
...bangs all his toys together.
...kicks and rolls around when I change his diaper.
...crawls.

Okay, I tried so hard to take some nice pictures of Ethan this month, but nearly all of the pictures are either blurry or of him crawling out of the frame. I did my best. Here we go...

This song reminds me of how Vince and I met.

Thanks Mini Card

See this card in CARDS Magazine October 2011

Switching Gears

Life, as usual, is super duper busy. I took my entrance exams for nursing school at the butt-crack of dawn this morning. I thought I did horribly when I saw my final score pop-up on the screen, but then I didn't know what to think when it said I was "advanced" and also that the average score was in the 60's. I wish I had a better idea of how I did, so I wouldn't have to worry so much. I'll be turning in my whole application some time this week. I hope to start attending this fall after I clear from the Army. I'm ready to get on with life!

Oh, and Ethan totally freaked me out. I picked him up from daycare (or "school" as I tend to call it) yesterday and set him on the living room floor like I usually do, but then he did this...

*Please overlook the fact that my floor is quite lint-y and the fact that I'm doing the goofy mommy voice to Ethan. I didn't realize I talked like that. Where's the 'mute' button? :-)

Okay, here's a new list of my favorite things. I don't know where to start, so I'm just going to jump right in. I'm absolutely in love with Echo Park's Dots & Stripes collection. It even comes in a 6x6 pad for us card makers. LOVE LOVE LOVE! Now, if I can just find a place that sells it!

Baker's twine is another love of mine. I think I have it in every color you can imagine. I tend to hoard it rather than use it all too often though. I do that a lot. Several companies are making this stuff now, so you can get it just about anywhere. Don't they look yummier than candy?

Label stickers are another thing I hoard. I just love them. They're good for making sentiments 'pop' on cards and even for fun gift tags. I love finding new ways to layer them too. October Afternoon always has the cutest colors and shapes. Take a look at these...

I can't go without mentioning something from My Mind's Eye. I adore absolutely everything they make. I bought every single one of their 6x6 pads from the last release. They always have great sentiment stickers and die cuts that are so versatile for both scrapbookers and cardmakers. Here's one I can't wait to get my hands on...

How about buttons? You know I love buttons. GCD Studios and Melody Ross have some SUPER cute ones. Just look at them. I need them!

Another thing my cards rarely go without are either Thickers or rubons from American Crafts. I have two huge buckets full of alphabet stickers and another one full of rubons. I can't get enough. I just wish more companies would get on board with the cute rubons. I gotta have them. Maybe I should just design my own line!? :-)

And though certainly not the last thing I love, but probably one of the most loved would be ribbon. I looked through all of my cards, and I didn't see one that didn't have ribbon on it some way. It's essential to my cardmaking, so this ribbon from May Arts is on my wish list too...

I hope you enjoyed my Friday Favorites. As always, I'd love to hear what your favorite things are too. Happy Friday!

True Love Never Grows Old

Optometry

We've been in such stormy weather lately. It's really making my pictures crummy. I guess that just shows you what a crummy photographer I am! :-) I cannot adapt to anything other than perfect variations of sweet sunny skies for picture taking. Ugh! Anyway, today I start my Veteran's Affairs medical appointments. First up: Optometry!

P.S. So weird! I just noticed that the Trigger Tuesday challenge over on the Moxie Fab blog just happens to have the same color palate and shabby country vibe that my card does. Even the scallops on my card look kinda like the mirror frame. So... why not play along?! Here's the provided inspiration photo:

Michael Buble is super cute, but it just reminds me that my hubs is super hot. Love him!

Friday Favorites

I have so many things saved in my favorite links, but once they go there they never seem to resurface, so I thought I'd start sharing them here. Maybe this can be my virtual rolodex of favorite things.

I've been eyeing teired wire baskets for a while now, but I haven't commited to one yet. This one from Pottery Barn is nice and big. I'd spray paint it white if it were mine, but the price tag defiintely keeps me from buying this version.



On with the Pottery Barn theme... I would love to have this as my tool table in the closet. I'd even love to have that mini fridge in there too. I can always go for an ice cold Coke and chilled chocolate bar when crafting!

This would be cute in Ethan's room filled with stuffed animals.

These are very familiar. I have candy jars in my scrap room storing all of my ribbon rolled onto clothespins. I bought my jars from Walmart.

Super storage like this would be awesome. Can you imagine the shelves filled with brightly colored bins and knick-knacks? Yummy!

And since I happen to have some pictures of my crafty space already on my computer...

Here's a picture of one of the rows of ribbon candy jars I mentioned.

I definitely swear by organizing everything by color. Here's how I keep my paper. The tabs are secured to clear page protectors that I sliced the 3-ring holes off of, so they're just pockets. I keep the scrap pieces in there, so I reach for them first. It really pays off.

I even organize my closet this way.

Okay, my mom is here visiting from Texas, so I'm off for now...

Challenge

What a treat to find out I was a vendor challenge winner over at Two Peas for one my favorite companies. This little ditty won me some cute cute papers.

I can't wait to get my inky little fingers on this cute scooter paper.



Okay, I'm going to choose the scraplifter of the month this weekend, so please post your links here in the comment section. You can scraplift any card or project here on the blog to enter. Just post your link, so I can share it here with all the other readers. I'm sure we would all love to see what you've made. I know I would! :-)

Totally Me Right Now

except I have to get to work by 0630. (I wish it was nine though!)

Ethan Laughing

I've never made a video before. I'm just one of those people who thinks my camera is supposed to do just one thing. I forget that it's more of a Swiss Knife of imagery than one of those disposable cardboard enwrapped things. If anyone knows how to edit a video or has any other video tips, I'd be more than happy to hear them. Here's Ethan...

CARDS - March 2011

Yeah, it's finally the time when I can reveal the cards that were published in CARDS this past month.

The first one here was in the Masculine section...

...and this one was for the Springtime section: 



It's strange to see cards after keeping them in hiding for so long. Publications usually want your projects about six months in advance. A line of cards I'm working on now isn't even scheduled for publication until December! It's difficult to keep up with the trends, products, colors, and seasons that far in advance. Finding items of season when we're far from it can be tricky too. Summer CHA hasn't happened yet, so I'm going to need to either get creative with the spring/summer lines or use some of last year's products. More than likely I'll end up with a combination though. Using product that's not current can be a quick way to get overlooked if you're attempting to squeeze into your favorite magazine's pages. I'm constantly looking at fashion and home decor magazines and TV shows for inspiration. I'm not fashionable by any means, but it really does translate into the crafting world. Just take a stroll through the mall even and note color combinations, hardware styles, and recurring detail themes of pieces that catch your eye. This is beginning to make me feel  like taking a stroll to the mall... maybe if Ethan keeps chipper I'll grab the camera in the next week and show you what I mean all the way from fashion to creation.