......................Counting the Days

Scrap Guy's Blog Relaunch

2012-02-07T01:14:00.000-05:00

Hey Crafters....

I just discovered Scrap Guy's (Bryan's) Blog and I would like for you to discover it too!!! He is an amazing designer and I think he's fantastic!!!! I was doing a little look-see around his blog and WOW!!! I was blown away.....go check it out for yourself....he's having some pretty sweet giveaways to celebrate as well!!! Just click on the above link and it'll take you right there!!!!

I'm still on vacation in California, but will return home this weekend and already have some thank you cards to share!!! Until then!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!!!

Bon Voyage!!!!

2012-01-28T17:37:00.000-05:00

As of today, I am on vacation!!!! Woot Woot!!!! My hubby and I flew to Long Beach, California today because we will be hopping on a cruise ship tomorrow headed for sunshine, warm temps, and lots of relaxation!!! We have been planning this trip for a long time and I'm so excited that it is here! I am excited to get out of the snow and cold temps in Michigan!!! As we were driving to the Detroit airport this morning, we had to deal with snowy roads....and by the time we reached Long Beach, I couldn't wait to get on my Summer clothes!!! It's 80 degrees!!! Anyway, we are going on this cruise with my hubby's sister and her hubby and so I made them a card for the occasion! We are on the Carnival Splendor and so thats the reason for the big whale tail!!!! Isn't it cute!!!! I'm so excited to give it to them!

Here it is....

And here's the recipe:

C/S - Coredinations
Cricut - Life's a Beach
Embossing folder - Cuttlebug
Stamps - Peachy Keen Boy Mates
Twine - The Twinery

Thats it for me today!!! I'll be gone for 12 days and I didn't bring any scrappy goodies with me, but I'll be sure to take lots of photos so when I return home, I'll be able to put it all to good use!!! Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Peachy Challenge 01 Pockets

2012-01-23T22:59:00.001-05:00

Hey Crafty Friends!!!!

I created this double pocket card for Peachy Keen's Pocket Challenge. The challenge is to

Create a project with a pocket!

Whether it folds, tucks, or hides a treat,
pockets are a fun way to add something extra!

And, since its around Valentines Day I thought I'd use my new Echo Park Be Mine Papers!!! I love this collection...so pretty!!! I actually found a tutorial on you tube for this double pocket card...just look under double fold/pocket cards...there are many!!! In the first slot I have my Office Depot card ...but will replace this with a nice gift card! And in the second slot, I made a tag.

Here's the tag.....my sister and her hubby were married on Valentines Day and so I may get them a nice restaurant card....that would be nice wouldn't it!!!

Recipe:

Cardstock: DCWV
PP: Echo Park Be Mine Collection
Hearts: Spellbinders,
Cute Face Stamps: Peachy Keen (of course)
Ribbon: Stash
Bling: Stash
Happy Anniversary Stamp/ XOXO: Hero Arts Everyday Sayings
Punch: McGill

Thanks for stopping by!!! Have a great week!!!

Winter has arived!!! Finally!!!!

2012-01-21T15:41:00.001-05:00

Well, its officially Winter here in Michigan!!! Yesterday, the temps were frigid...a whopping 5 degrees when I went to Zumba and I was so thankful for heated seats!!!! I must admit that it is very pretty, but I'm ready for it to be over!!! One of my favorite parts of the snow is seeing all the cute snowmen that the kids make...they are all so darn cute!!! I do love them!!! I thought I'd make my friends who live in Uruguay a snowman card since right now its Summer there and they've been posting beautiful beach photos!!!! Yes, I'm jealous!!! LOL

Isn't this just the cutest snowman!!! Here's the recipe

Card base and Oval : Cricut Art Philosophy
Embossing Folder: Sizzix Snowflakes
Background Stamps: Hero Arts Starry Sky
Embossing powder: Ranger Seafoam White
Snowman Stamp: Peachy Keen Snowmen, Greetings & Globe
Memento Ink
Copics B02, B05, Y63, Y67, R29
Glossy Accents
Ranger Enamel Accents
Mitten Stamp: Stampin Up Flaky Friends
Twine: The Twinery
Snowmany Hugs Stamp: Emma's My Creative Time Mixed Holiday Sentiments

I am entering this at Cooking With Cricut Challenge #69 Winter Warmies Challenge which is all about how to keep warm during these cold days...hence the mittens!!! and I'm also entering it over at Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #94 Snow Fun which is to use a snowman or snowflake.....

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Peachy Keen Challenge - Kickoff Linky Party

2012-01-18T08:59:00.000-05:00

Well, I think Winter has finally arrived here in Michigan! We actually had our first measurable snow back in November, and I think it was around an inch and a half!!! It sure is pretty that first snowfall; but then its just an annoyance!!! At least for me!!! I actually don't mind it as long as I don't have to drive in it!!! Anyway, these photos were taken the end of November and we did not have any measurable snow in December at all!!!! Now that its January, we've had a little, but all in all its been a pretty mild Winter so far!

I am submitting this layout in Peachy Keen's Kickoff Linky Party..where the challenge is to create anything with Peachy Keen stamps! PK is definitely one of my all time favorite stamp companies out there!

Recipe:

PP: Fancy Pants Hot Chocolate
Punches: MS and EK Success (flower)
Bling: Want2Scrap
Stamp: PK Snowmen, Greetings and Globe
Title: Cricut
Goosebumps Shimmer Texture Spray

Thats it for me today!!! Thanks so much for stopping by! Don't forget to check out this challenge over at Peachy Keen!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-06T13:35:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year!!! I took a month off and am now getting back into the swing of things! I totally needed that time away and now I feel ready to go...nothing like your kids coming home for the holidays!!!! I LOVED having them here with me and they made me so proud of the young adults they are! So proud of them both!!

Okay so I have a wedding I'm attending tomorrow and so I made a special card for them! They are both in their mid 70's and so this is not your typical wedding! I've always called her mom because she has been my 2nd mom since I can remember...and she loves wild-life in general and particularly birds. So using my Gypsy, I found this cute lil love bird image and thought it would be perfect!

For the nest, I cut thin strips of paper and wove them together and then glued them over the original nest...I just love how it came out...I think it adds a little dimension to it! I also cut the words out twice and pop dotted them so everything is raised a bit...love this look!

I am submitting this for CWC #67 - Something New Challenge!

Recipe:

Scalloped Circle Card: Art Philosophy (I LOVE my new cart!!)
PP: Stash
Zigzag Ribbon: stash
Birds in Nest and Greeting: Sweethearts
Bling: Stash
Goosebumps Glimmer Spray
Bow: Making Memories Ribbon
Stickles
Stamps: For the eye's I used Peachy Keen Animal Faces Medium
Heart: I punched this from my Troll punch (about 15 years old LOL!)

Thanks for stopping by...I hope you enjoyed my card!!!

Scraptastic Monday Challenge #5

2011-12-05T10:00:00.007-05:00

Good Morning Bloggers!

Did you know that you only have 19 more shopping days left until Christmas??? Seriously, where has the time gone!!!! LOL Well, today is challenge #5 at Scraptastic Mondays!!!! The challenge today is to create a card/project with a snowman or snowflake (with a Winter Wonderland theme). We would love for you to use one of Cindy’s fabulous digi images, but its not required!

For my project today I used Cindy’s *Sweet Snowman Love* digital image that you can find here! Aren’t these two super adorable!!! I thought so! And because today is my 24^th Wedding Anniversary, it was the perfect image to use!!!

I used my Copics to color these cuties and I just love how it turned out! I used one of my Spellbinders dies to cut them out and matted them with cuts from my Cricut (George cartridge). I stamped the snowflake background with my Hero Arts Stunning Snowflakes stamp and then heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I added tulle for my bow as it reminded me of my wedding and the bling is all part of my stash…you know, the kind thats long since lost its original packaging that tells you who makes it! I added Glossy Accents to her hat and over the buttons. I stamped the sentiment with a stamp from Hero Arts onto Emmas oval stitched die and then embossed it in red.

Remember that you still have another week to submit your entry for Challenge #4!! There is a new challenge each week, but you have two weeks to submit your entry!!! How great is that…to see more on this challenge, please check out what the Design Team has created over at Cindy’s Scaptastic Blog!!!

BLOG CANDY

BTW, Have you seen the awesome new stamps that Stephanie from Whimsical Designs has just released!!! Wow! They are amazing stamps and you can view them at her store at WhimsicalDesigns along with several projects by the DT using the stamps!!! They are really great and I love the variety of sentiments and fonts that she used!!! In fact, she has donated the "Snow Much Fun" Stamp set . Also for this weeks challenge one random winner will receive 3 digi's of your choice from Cindy's Scraptastic Designs store.

That’s it for me today! Hope you all have a great day!!! Thanks so much for stopping by…I really appreciate it!!!

Welcome to the Whimsical Design New Release Stamp Blog Hop

2011-12-03T07:00:00.015-05:00

Good Morning Whimsy Crafters!!!!

Welcome to the Whimsical Designs New Stamp Release Blog Hop!!!!! If you arrived here from Shelly’s Blog, then you are on the right track!!! If you just happened to stop by, please hop with us, but be sure to start at the beginning at Stephanie’s Whimsical Designs Blog!!!! This is such an exciting day as we all have been waiting for this day to arrive….Congrats to Stephanie on her new line of stamps…they are awesome!!!

I’m so excited to be able to share my project!!! The set I used for this project is Snow Much Fun . This is such a great set; especially now since we’re getting into the Winter months and with the Christmas holidays around the corner! I decided to finally alter this Advent Calendar that I picked up last year on clearance at JoAnns…see if you can tell why! LOL As you can see, before I snapped the photo, I had already taken off the door knobs; but this is the before photo.

And here is the after photo....I ended up taking off all the door knobs and I actually colored them with one of my Copic markers. Please click on the photo to see it a bit bigger!

Recipe:

Stamps…ALL stamps on this calendar are from Stephanies Snow Much Fun set, Days 4,6,8,14,15,23, and 25

PP: Fancy Pants…Hot Chocolate

Numbers: Alphalicious; Making Memories Stickers

Die Cuts: Spellbinders/1,15; Martha Stewart Border Punch/snowflakes/13

Felt Gingerbread Peeps, Snowflake, Santa Hat, Wreath, Red Bow, Frosty Hat, Fuzz Balls: Michaels

Ribbon: Bobbin Ribbon

Sticker Letters: Making Memories (from a LONG time ago!!!)

Bling on days 12 and 23…stash (unknown)

Cricut Carts used for Snowman/George, Christmas Tree/Designers Calendar, Santa & Reindeer/Doodlecharms

Here are all 4 of Stephanies New Stamp Sets...you can purchase them at her blog in the store!

GRAND PRIZE
One random winner will get a prize pack that will include One Whimsical Designs Stamp Set of your choice two Stampin' Up ink pads (Black and Chocolate Chip), one medium sized acrylic stamp block from Stampin' Up and one pack of Stampin' Up White Card Stock. In order to be eligible for the grand prize you must become a follower of the Whimsical Designs blog and leave a comment on all the Whimsical Designers blogs under their hop post.
For extra chances to win the grand prize
1. Advertise the Whimsical Designs Blog Hop Stamp release on Facebook and go to the Whimsical Designs blog and leave a comment that you did
2. Blog about the Whimsical Designs Stamp Release Blog Hop and leave a comment at the Whimsical Designs Blog saying that you did.
You must include the links to the post in your comment. You will have until Sunday at midnight to get your comments in!!!!

Okay hoppers, that's all I have for you today!!! Your next stop is the very talented and super sweet Miss Wendy!!! Thanks so much for hopping along with us today!!! I hope you enjoyed my project as much as I had fun making it!!!

Whimsical Designs Stamp Sneak Peek Day 2

2011-12-02T06:55:00.005-05:00

Good Morning Whimsy Crafters!!!!

Welcome to the Whimsical Designs New Stamp Release Sneak Peek, Day 2!!!! Today all of the Whimsical Designers will be giving you sneak peeks of the two remaining sets of Stephanie’s New Stamps. In order to give everyone more time to leave comments under the post for the two day stamp sneak peeks the blog hop will start tomorrow, December 3 at 7:00am EST. You have until 12:00am EST tonight to leave comments under all of the designers post for the sneak peeks from yesterday and today. All of the winners of the stamps will be announced, along with the winner of the entire stamp release, tomorrow morning on the Whimsical Designs Blog.

All of the stamp sets will be available for purchase on Stephanie’s blog, in her new shop!!!

The set I used for this project is Everyday Sentiments.

I made this Birthday Card for my adopted mom because her birthday is in December and she loves Penguins and so I combined them and this is what I came up with! I thought it would be cute to add the Santa Hat on this cute lil guy. Because these stamps stamp clear and crisp the stamps are great to use for embossing your sentiment! I just love how the sentiment turned out! I also heat embossed the background as well as his nose, feet, and scarf to add a bit of shimmer to it all! I also embossed the circle under the Penguin with my Cuttlebug Snowflake Folder....

Here's my Recipe:

Cardstock: Stash

Penguin: Cricut Create A Critter Cartridge

Santa Hat: Cricut Disney Pooh and Friends Cartridge

Face Stamp: Peachy Keen Critter Faces

Die Cuts: Spellbinders

Border Punch: Martha Stewart

Felt Penguin: Michaels

Fur: Stash

Embossing Powders: Ranger

Bling: Want 2 Scrap

Blog Candy

All of the designers will be giving away one stamp set for the sneak peek days. I am giving away With Love. In addition, Stephanie is giving away the entire release to one person. That is a total of 11 prizes!!! Wow!!!

Want two extra chances to win? Post about the two day Sneak Peek and the Stamp Release on

1. Facebook - come back and leave a comment under the sneak peek post on the Whimsical Designs Blog saying that you did!

2. Your Blog - come back and leave a comment on the Whimsical Designs Blog saying that you did!

You will have until tonight at 12:00am EST to leave a comment on the blogs. All winners will be announced during the Stamp Release Blog Hop.

Well, you will not want to miss out on our awesome design team members creative projects, so please head over to the Whimsical Designs Blog so that you can view the projects they have made for this special sneak peek!!!

That’s it for me today!!! Thanks so much for stopping by…I appreciate each and everyone of you!!!

Whimsical Designs Stamp Sneak Peek Day 1

2011-12-01T09:59:00.001-05:00

Good Morning Whimsy Crafters!!!!

Welcome to the Whimsical Designs New Stamp Sneak Peek, Day 1!!!! Can you believe that this day has finally arrived!!!! In case you haven’t heard, Stephanie of Whimsical Designs has a new line of stamps!!!! Today and tomorrow all of the Whimsical Designers will be giving you sneak peeks of two different sets each day. On Friday night at 7pm EST, is the stamp reveal blog hop beginning at Stephanie’s Whimsical Designs Blog. All of the stamp sets will be available for purchase on Stephanie’s blog, in her new shop!!!

I’m so excited to be able to share with my project!!! The set I used for this project is With Love.

This set is so wonderful! There are various fonts and the sentiments can be used for a variety of occasions! Not only are there sentiments, but there are also a couple of cute image stamps on the sheet as well. On this set alone there are 18 sentiments and 4 cute images!!!

Here is my project. I decided to make an altered frame to give to my dear hubby. Today is his first day of Retirement from the US Army after 27 years of active duty and 4 years at West Point. I'm so happy and proud of him....this photo was taken at his Retirement Ceremony. Please click on the photo to see it a bit larger!

Recipe:

Frame: Michaels $1 Frames

PP: Theresa Collins Mr. & Mrs.

Bling: Want 2 Scrap

Family: Cricut Gypsy Wanderings Cartridge

Scalloped Die Cut: Spellbinders

Ribbon: Stash

Trim: Wrights (from Joanns)

Blog Candy Time:

Want two extra chances to win? Post about the two day Sneak Peek and the Stamp Release on

1. Facebook - come back and leave a comment under the sneak peek post on the Whimsical Designs Blog saying that you did!

2. Your Blog - come back and leave a comment on the Whimsical Designs Blog saying that you did!

You will have until Friday, December 2 at 5:00 pm EST to leave a comment on the blogs. All winners will be announced during the Stamp Release Blog Hop.

That’s it for me today!!! Thanks so much for stopping by…I appreciate each and everyone of you!!!

Whimsical Designs Layer It Challenge

2011-11-30T10:01:00.017-05:00

Good Morning Whimsy Crafters!!! We woke up to a whole lot of white sunshine this morning !!!! It was our first measurable snowfall and its gorgeous! We only got about 5 inches or so, but enough to not want to get out on the roads!!! It's really beautiful as long as I can view it from my windows!!!

Lets start with this weeks Whimsical Designs challenge which is a Layers challenge…create a Winter or Christmas Themed card or project that includes layers! One of our fabulous Design Team Members Nanne is our sponsor for this week's challenge. She has put together a prize pack filled with Webster Pages scrapping supplies!!!! Who wouldn't want to win that!!!! Thank you so much Nanne, that is an awesome prize!!! You can visit her blog at Nannes Creations!

My card is one that I seen on one of my friends sites and it was so cute and layered, that I thought it would be the perfect card for this weeks challenge. I changed things a bit to make it my own and I hope you enjoy it. This would be a very easy card to make multiples of if you still haven’t made your Christmas cards yet!!!

The circle portion is actually a card that I cut from the Art Philosophy Cricut cart that I just got….LOVE this cart!!!! I then used George and Basic Shapes for the other circles (I used my sweet Gypsy for sizing and everything else…love her!) I used Gypsy Wanderings for the hat. Ribbon: Celebrate It Holiday (Michaels)

Pearls: Basics by Kaisercraft

Stickles on Hat: Studio G Glitter Glue (Joanns)

Thermometer: LSS

Face Stamp: Peachy Keen Winter Face Assortment

Flower: Hand Made by Stephanie…thanks Steph!!!

Arms: Sticks from my yard!

Pop Dots under each layer

Black Cardstock: Stash

Background Stamp: Hero Arts Starry Sky

Embossing Powder: Ranger Distress Broken China, Ranger Seafoam White

Merry Christmas Stamp: Craft Smart (Mikes $1 bin)

Prisma Colored Pencils for the nose and pipe

Glossy Accents on the nose

Remember, that you will have 2 weeks to enter this challenge. For more information and to see what the Whimsical Designs DT has done, please visit Whimsical Designs Blog where Stephanie will give you the details!

Now onto the Exciting News!!!! Stephanie of Whimsical Designs is releasing her very own new line of stamps!!! They are fantastic and the quality is absolutely amazing…they stamp beautifully! I have them all in my hands and I LOVE them and I’m sure you will too! Mark your calendars for tomorrow because that’s when we’ll start two days sneak peeks and the release will happen at the Whimsical Designs Stamp Blog Hop on Friday night beginning at 7pm. And of course there is a lot of Blog Candy!!! And, for one lucky hopper, an extra special Grand Prize!!!! Here is a sneak peek of one of the sets!

Also, the Add Texture Challenge is still going on Stephanie will announce the winner this Friday night in the blog hop post, you will have until on Friday December 2 at 12:00pm EST to enter the challenge and the winner will receive all 4 of her new stamp sets!!!

That’s it for me today!!! Be sure to visit all our wonderful Whimsical Designers today and see what awesomeness they’ve created!!! Thanks so much for stopping by…I appreciate each and everyone of you!!!

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge- Add Texture

2011-11-24T20:50:00.004-05:00

Hello Crafters,

I apologize for posting so late....just too much going on for me to handle on my own!!! Hubby was in Afghanistan and just got home on Wednesday morning and so I'm just now getting around to posting my project.

First of all, I want to welcome our 3 new Whimsical Wednesday Design Team members, Wendy, Sabrina, and Margie!!!! Welcome ladies!!!

Whimsical Wednesdays Challenge Blog has been so much fun and its so great to see all the entries that you all make. I really enjoy going to each blog to see your creations! So many talented folks out there! This weeks challenge is to add texture!!! Thanks for taking the time to play along with us!

My project was so much fun to make! This was actually the first Christmas Card I made this year and I used some new products on the market! Sizzix and Hero Arts have come out with a set that includes a stamp and a coordinating embossing folder...its so cool! The one I used is called Birds and Trees. You just stamp the image and then run it through the coordinating embossing folder!!!! I also heat embossed the Christmas tree and then added Stickles. The star is from a Troll punch that I have left over from my teaching 1st grade da I also embossed the bird that I cut out from my cricut. You may not be able to tell from the photo that I cut additional trees from the embossed folder and pop dotted them to the background as well as the sentiment, Christmas tree and bird. Another product that I used that is new to me is the Goosebumps Texture Spray with Shimmer. I don't think it shows up well in the photo, but it really has a beautiful effect...adds texture and shine!!! The bling is from Want 2 Scrap and the crinkle ribbon is from Patsy's Prairie Bird Boutique on Etsy!!! I finished off the card with some faux stitching around the edges....

Exciting news everyone!!! Stephanie's sneak peeks for her new stamp line will be next Thursday December 1, and Friday December 2. Sneak Peeks will start each at day at 7:00am EST. The release will be during the release blog hop on Friday night December 2 at 7:00pm EST.

One random winner of this weeks challenge will win all four stamp sets in my new release. She will announce the winner next Friday night in the blog hop post, you will until on Friday December 2 at 12:00pm EST to enter the challenge. Here is a sneak peek of one of the stamp sets:)

After four challenges all the names from the challenges will be combined and one random winner will have the chance to win their choice of $20.00 in Stampin' Up supplies!!!! WoooHooooo!!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please stop by the other Whimsical Wednesday designers blogs for more wonderful *texturized* cards!!!! And remember that you only have 1 week to get your card linked at Whimsical Wednesdays!!!

Scraptastic Monday Challenge #3

2011-11-21T10:02:00.001-05:00

Hello Scrappy Crafters!!! Welcome to our 3^rd Scraptastic Monday Challenge over at Cindy's Scraptastic Designs!!! Today our challenge is to create any fold card that is not an A2 single fold or a shaped card and must include ribbon, a die cut or a punch. I used one of Cindy’s digital images entitled “Sweet Gift” from the Christmas collection but please feel free to use any of Cindy’s digi images or cuts from a die cut machine or a punch!!! We would love to see you use one of Cindy's digi images, but its not required for this challenge!!! If you have not tried digi images, I encourage you to try one…they are so much fun!!!

My card is called a wiper card.. I guess because it acts like a windshield wiper in that when you pull on the sides, there is a “wiper” that pops up with a sentiment on it. I love searching for new techniques and I accidentally found the instructions to this card on You Tube!!! I had never heard of a Wiper Card before, but I love it…its very unique to me!!! How cute is this Sweet Gift digi image…I just love this lil guy!!!!

And this is what it looks like when you pull the sides...the sentiment pops up...how cute is that!!!

And this is what it looks like from the top! Can you see the sentiment hiding in there? :)

Recipe:

Cardstock: Core'dinations

Scalloped Circles: Spellbinders

Embossed Stamped background: Hero Arts & Ranger Embossing powder

Goosebumps Texture Spray (Shimmer); this adds shimmer, and a really cool texture to the cardstock! I am loving this stuff!

Colored Pencils: Prisma

Ribbon and Pom Pom: Create It Holiday (Michaels)

Border Punch: Martha Stewart Snowflake

Now, don’t forget that each challenge is open for 2 weeks, but there is a new challenge each Monday…plenty of time!!!! Cindy is adding to her collection all the time and I’m telling you that the images are just adorable!!! Check them all out at her store at Cindy's Scraptastic Designs!!! To read more about this challenge and to see what the other awesome designers have created, please head over to Cindy's Scraptastic Designs!!!

Also want to remind you that over at Whimsical Designs (Whimsical Wednesdays) that we are having a brand new challenge on Wednesday and I can’t wait to show you what I’ve made…it’s a very fun challenge and I’m sure you won’t want to miss it!!!! The release of Stephanie’s new stamp line is coming up and you are not going to believe how cute these stamps are!!!! I have already seen the sentiments and they are fantastic! I can’t wait for this release which is going to happen on DECEMBER 1^st. We will be celebrating with a Blog Hop so mark your calendars because you won’t want to miss it!!!! Let me just say that you will LOVE the blog candy!!!! Be sure to stop by Whimsical Designs to see the new line, to see what the team creates, and for your chance to win!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day!

Brrr.....Its Cold Out There!!!

2011-11-17T16:51:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but here in Michigan its cold!!!! As I type, I'm looking at the snow blowing around outside!!!! NOOOOOoooo.... I'm not ready!!!! Well, I'm ready, but I'm so not looking forward to Winter. They are predicting that we will get more snow this Winter than average....great!!! Today is not a day where it will accumulate, but soon, it will...its just taunting me today!

Well, since we did not have a Whimsical Wednesday challenge this week, I thought I'd post a card that I did a while back for a good friend who was going through difficult times. This is the first time I think that I even used my Copics...limited colors and no shading!!! Oh well, its the thought that counts right! I love how it turned out and hope you do as well!

Recipe:
Stamps: Peachy Keen Skunk Cheer Up Set
Enamel Accents : Black (they are the dots on the corners)
Stickles for the nose
Twine: The Twinery
Cardstock: Coredinations
Corner Punch: Creative Memories
Copics

That's it for me today! Don't forget about the Scraptastic Monday challenges and the Whimsical Wednesdays challenge that are going on right now!!! Stop by there and see what our awesome design team has created !!! Oh, and the blog candy too!!! Thanks friends!!!

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge - Thanksgiving

2011-11-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for the Scraptastic Monday Challenge, click here..

Good Morning Whimsical Wednesday Crafters!!!!

It's been a busy week around my house this week!!! My son brought me a big bag full of apples that he bought when he and his friend went to the Apple Orchard. So, I ended up making 12 half pints of Apple Butter and then for Sunday's Fellowship at church, I made 2 Fresh Apple Cakes (Paula Deen....YUM) and an Applesauce Snack Cake....sooooo good!!! And the house smelled so good too!

This week the challenge was to create a card or project that has a Thanksgiving Theme. Well, I went to a Copic class a few weeks ago and this is the image that we had to work with. I forgot to ask where the image came from but if anyone is interested, I can call them and ask!!! I ended up coloring 2 images and cutting out the corn from one and pop dotting it to my main image. I then used my Deckle decorative scissors to cut it out (GASP!!! LOL). I then added stickles (which are really hard to see here) and a jewel to the center of the sunflower for that added sparkle!! The Happy Thanksgiving stamp is from a Recollections set that I bought at Mikes...which I embossed using Gold embossing powder. I used a Spellbinders die to cut the sentiment.

Please visit the new Whimsical Wednesday Challenge site now Whimsical Designs for more info on the challenge. And for added inspiration, please be sure to visit the Design Team blogs....you know they always have such awesome reveals!!!

That's it for me today!!! I hope you like my card!!! Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by!!

Scraptastic Monday Challenge

2011-11-07T10:04:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the 1^st Scraptastic Monday Challenge!!! A huge thank you to those who participated in the hop over this past weekend! It was a lot of fun and what a great way to introduce you all to Cindy’s great new digital images! I hope by now that you’ve had the opportunity to browse her new digital image shop over at Scraptastic Designs!!! Aren’t they awesome!!!! Well, todays challenge is to decorate a gift bag or box, and must include a tag, stitching or a button and have a Thanksgiving theme. I had a great time with this Happy Thanksgiving Turkey!!! I colored him using both Copics and Prisma Colored Pencils; just as a comparison. I love both but I really like how vibrant the Copics are! This first project I found in a tutorial over at Splitcoast Stampers. I just thought it was so cute and I’m all about learning how to make cute stuff! This first cone project was colored with Copics and the second project was colored with Prisma pencils. I love both...they are so different! The stitching on this one is around the border punch which is kinda hidden!

This second project was my own creation….its a card that you can also easily add a treat bag to…my stitching is on the inside.

My recipe for both projects:

PP: Recollections from the Simply Autumn Stack

Copics and Prisma Colored Pencils

Odorless Mineral Spirits for Blending the pencils

Border Punch: Martha Stewart EK Success

Spellbinders Dies

Cardstock: Stash

Ribbon: Gold Tulle and MM

Buttons: Stash

That’s it for me today! Thank you so much for stopping by…I hope you enjoyed your stay!!!

Scraptastic Mondays Blog Hop

2011-11-04T19:11:00.000-04:00

Hi Crafty Friends!!!! Welcome to the First Ever Scraptastic Mondays Blog Hop!!!! I know you've seen some incredible projects showcasing Cindy's awesome new digi stamps!!!! Aren't they great! I've had so much fun playing with my copics and my Prisma colored pencils the last few days!!! It was hard deciding on which images to use! Cindy has not only designed spectacular digi stamps, but she has also put together a really amazing Design Team in which to showcase them! Starting on Monday, November 7th, Scraptastic Mondays will have their first challenge posted at Cindy's Scraptastic Designs Blog The challenge will be posted at 10:00 am EST and I hope to see you there!!! On to the Blog Hop!!! You should have arrived here from our amazingly talented Shelly's Blog, but if not, you will want to start at the beginning which is at Cindy's Blog. The grand prize for one random winner is three digital stamps and a set of 12 Prisma Colored Pencils. In order to be eligible for the grand prize, you must stop at every blog and leave a comment...easy peasy!!!! Good Luck!!!

Here are the two cards that I made. I chose to do Invitations for Thanksgiving Dinner at my house! These images were perfect and I had a blast coloring them! Both of these images were colored using the Prisma Colored Pencils...which I have grown to love!!! And I mean LOVE!!!! The key to blending with them is to use Odorless Mineral Spirits with a blending tortillons (nibs) which I got at Mikes for under $2.00. This first image is the Thanksgiving Cornucopia and you can find it in Cindy's store. I love this image!!! And I wanted to make it sparkle a bit and used Rangers Distress Stickles in Clear Rock Candy...but I kinda messed it up on the Pumpkin edge with my big fat fingers! Sorry, but you can still see the beauty of the digi image! The papers are from the Recollections Simply Autumn Stack and the ribbon is I believe from Making Memories....Oh, and I used my Spellbinders for the shape.. I love my Spellbinders!

And here is my second invitation! I just fell in love with these two cuties!!! I chose to use primarily Fall colors with the exception of her dress..which I couldn't resist the yummy blues in my collection...plus, I'm sure those crafty Pilgrim women wore blue back in the day!!! LOL These papers are also from the Recollections Simply Autumn Stack. The ribbon is also from Making Memories; but I decided to cut a slit in the crease at the top of the card and thread it through. I broke out my Spellbinders for the circle and and the Scalloped Circle. The stamp is from Studio G from a few years ago! If you're interested in this image or any other of her oh so cute images, please check out the store at Cindy's Blog!

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a looksie!!! Your next stop is Jovan and if you get lost just check out this blog line up!

Don't forget that Scraptastic Mondays will have the 1st challenge on Monday, November 7th!!!!

-Cindy-http://cindybcreations.blogspot.com/                                                       -Stephanie-http://www.whimsical-designs.com/
                                          -Kate-http://scrapperscreativecorner.blogspot.com/
                                          -Jayne-http://jayne-designs.blogspot.com/
                                          -Cathryn-http://inthepinkcathryn.blogspot.com/
                                          -Gigi-http://thecricutbug.blogspot.com/
                                          -Karen-http://kaleidoscopicsparkles.blogspot.com/
                                          -Star-http://starspaperpassion.blogspot.com/
                                          -Shelly-http://cardsbyshelly.blogspot.com/
                                          -Joni-http://justcounting.blogspot.com/
                                          -Jovan-http://www.cardsbyjovan.com/

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes!!!!!

2011-11-02T10:00:00.001-04:00

Big News and a Scraptastic Blog Hop !!!!!

Good Morning!!! I almost can't believe that its November already!!! We have had several mornings where there has been some serious frost on the ground and Winter, I believe, is at my doorstep! Well, because November is a month where we reflect on the things we're thankful for, I thought about how thankful I am for our military families. My husband retires at the end of this month after 27 years in the Army!!! I'm so proud of him and what he has accomplished, but I'm sad as there are things I will miss! There are so many wonderful aspects of our awesome military, but the families are in my book, one of the most important. They are the glue that holds it all together! I can't say enough about the importance of the military family! I love them!!! Here is my layout giving thanks to some pretty awesome military families and my personal friends! The photos capture the last few moments before these soldiers were deployed to Iraq...we were stationed in Ansbach, Germany at the time. Since that time, all but one are retired and he is in the process...all with over 20 years of honorable service to our country! Huge thanks to these heroes!!! I've hidden the journaling tag under one of the photos, but I have yet to actually write anything!

Our challenge this week is Anything Goes....I hope to see your project on the Whimsical Wednesday Blog!!! Our sponsor this week is one of our own amazingly talented design team members Nanne who has donated a variety of Websters Pages scrapping supplies...be sure to stop by her blog by clicking on her name to see her amazing projects! Thank you Nanne!!!

BIG NEWS: I don't know if you've noticed, but our Whimsical Wednesdays Challenge Blog has changed! If you click on the link above it will take you right there! There have been a few changes, so be sure to check it out! We have a new Design Team...and I remain on the team but ...There are also 2 Design Team spots open....as well as Guest Design Team positions... please check out the website for a DT call if your are interested! Also, Stephanie is coming out with her own line of stamps!!!! The release will be soon, so stay tuned!!! They are awesome and I know you will love them!!!!

Scraptastic Blog Hop is set for this Friday!!!! This is a new Challenge Blog titled Cindy's Scraptastic Designs from our very own talented designer Cindy...who has opened her digital image store and is ready for business!!! I have just started using these oh so cute digi images and I'm loving them... they are just adorable!!! OMG....so dang cute and so please mark your calendars so you don't miss out!!! Its going to be a lot of fun!!! And of course there will be blog candy up for grabs too!!!! Congrats to Cindy!!!!

Okay gang, that's a lot of information for you to digest this morning!!! Hope to see you enter this challenge and hope to see you at the blog hop!!!! Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!!!!

Awesome News!!!!

2011-10-27T13:23:00.002-04:00

If you are looking for the Whimsical Wednesday Fall Cutie Challenge, please click here.

I'm so honored and thrilled to announce that Cindy from Cindy's Scraptastic Designs has asked me to be on her new design team, Scraptastic Mondays!!!!!!! I absolutely love her digital images and was overjoyed when she asked me!!!! Cindy is opening a new digital stamp store very soon!!!! Her new Challenge Blog is called Scraptastic Mondays and she will be sponsoring awesome challenges every Monday where her Design Team will create awesome projects using her oh so cute digi's!!! I can not wait!!! Scraptastic Monday challenges will begin on Monday, November 7. Her fabulous digi store is now open!!!!!!

We are also having a Blog Hop on November 4^th!!!! WooHoo!!! Who doesn’t love Blog Hops with Blog Candy!!!! I know I do!!!
So be sure to put these dates on your calendar as there will be lots of inspiration to be had and Candy to be won!!! Help us to spread the word!!!! And in the meantime, please go over and check out Cindy's blog.

Fall Cuties!!!!

2011-10-26T09:58:00.002-04:00

Good Morning Whimsy Crafters!!!! Today is Whimsical Wednesday Challenge #29 “Fall Cuties”. The challenge this week is to create a card or project and include an animal cut or digital stamp. This challenge idea comes from our super creative Design Team member Cathryn!!! Thanks Cathryn, this was a fun challenge to work on!

Our sponsors for this challenge are Tanner who is Mr. Cricut Crazy http://www.mrcricutcrazy.com/ and Patsy from Prairie Bird Boutique http://www.etsy.com/shop/PrairieBirdBoutique who we’ve been working with all month with the awesome crinkle ribbon.

I really enjoyed working with Tanner’s stamps! He is also a dog lover also! The set I worked with this week is called Man’s Best Friend, Vol 2 and they are all so so cute!!!

My project this week is a wall hanging and I just love how it turned out. I love dogs and so this Fall Cutie challenge was a no brainer for me!!! Click on the photo to see it better! The sentiment reads A house is not a home without a dog.....How cute is that!

Recipe:

Dog, Bone, Dog Bowl: Create A Critter

House: Paper Dolls for Everyday

Tree: Stretch Your Imagination

Leaves: Disney Pooh and Friends

Grass: Plantin SchoolBook

Sun: George Basic Shapes

Fence: Mini Monsters

Sentiment Stamps: Mr, Cricut Crazy

Face Stamps and Sign : Peachy Keen

Ink: Ranger Distress

Bling: Want2Scrap

Sidewalk: My own

Thanks so much to Tanner and Patsy! Please stop by their sites for their products and also for some great inspiration! Thank you so much for stopping by!! Have a great Whimsy Wednesday!!!!

Emma's Throwback Thursday Challenge #258

2011-10-19T16:28:00.000-04:00

Hey Crafters...I'm so excited as this is my first challenge outside of my Whimsical Wednesday Design Team Challenges!!! Things have been so busy that I just have not been involved in any challenges....until now!!! This is a card that I did for Emma's Throwback Thursday Challenge #258 which was to use an older cartridge with a Card Feature on and it must be a Halloween Theme!!! This is the first time I've used the card feature and I must say it was so easy and fun to work with! I used Stretch Your Imagination Cartridge and used the image on page 44. I chose to hide the facial features because I like to use my Peachy Keen stamps! I embossed the brown cardstock with the Sizzix Damask Embossing Folder. I adhered the brown card to a piece of purple cardstock for a finishing touch and then faux stitched around the outside edge. For the *Boo* frame, I actually used the same purple cardstock and then I first embossed it with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder and then I painted it using Dimensional Pearl Paint from Adirondack, the specific color is Wild Plum. I cut additional Pumpkins using the Halloween DCWV stack and cut additional pumpkin toppings with green and brown cardstock. I then used some Distress Crackle Paint to go over them... and then you can see the cute little face I used for the pumpkin...Peachy Keen Monster Mash...they are all so cute! I used the same orange plaid paper for the sentiment. The sentiment is actually from the Country Bumpkin Stamp set call You Whooooo Owl....which I won a few weeks ago! Its a really cute set! The Stitched Oval Die is from Creative Time Dies by Emma! Finally the orange Crinkle Ribbon is from Patsy over at Prairie Bird Boutique..at ETSY...this is really wonderful to work with! And that little Boo clothespin is from Celebrate It Halloween....purchased from Michaels a few weeks ago!

Okay, I think that's it! Thanks for stopping by...have a great week!!! Happy Halloween!!!

No Tricks, Just Treats!!!

2011-10-12T09:57:00.001-04:00

Good Morning!!! Its Whimsical Wednesday!!!! Our weather has been so wonderful here in Michigan that I’ve spent a lot of my time outside soaking in all the sunshine…and preparing the flowerbeds for Winter! I’m loving this Fall weather!

Our challenge for this week is No Tricks, Just Treats which is to create a bag, box or whatever you wish that is a fun way to wrap up a treat/treats to give to someone. Our sponsors for this weeks challenge are Regina from The Cutting Café (which is where my cute lil box came from) and one winner will get to choose 3 cut files from her online store! Our other sponsor is Patsy from Prairie Bird Boutique (where my cute ribbon came from) and one winner will win one crinkle ribbon bundle from her ETSY shop! Easy Peasy!!!

Here is my project and I absolutely LOVE how it turned out!

First I used one of The Cutting Cafe's Milk Carton files and it was so easy to print and cut. And there are different cut outs for the window, I chose the pumpkin, but there is also a bat, a spider, and more…go check out her site! She also offers the files in other formats so that you can use your die cut machine. These milk carton files are so versatile for any holiday or special occasion! If you look on her site, she has some cute ones decorated for Christmas.

Since mine was for Halloween I used Patterned Paper from Martha Stewart and decorated it with various Halloween themed items. The fence and the Spider Web punch cuts are also from Martha Stewart. The grass is a stamp from Peachy Keen Stamps (Faceless Fall Fun 2) that after I stamped it, I cut it out. The pumpkin face is also a Peachy Keen face stamp from the Everyday Character set as is the Ghost Face which is from the Laughy Taffy Set(one of my favs). The Happy Halloween Stamp is also a Peachy stamp from Faceless Fall Fun the and the Bat and Moon stamp is from Studio G. And finally, the pumpkin and the ghost are Cricut cuts from Paper Doll Dress Up and Mini Monsters. And the Happy Halloween label is also a Cricut cut from Lacy Labels. The spiders I made with Enamel Accents and my trusty black pen! Cute eh?

I hope you all will enter this challenge…its so fun and I can’t wait to see what you create!!!! Thanks so much for stopping by today!!! Have a great day!!!

Welcome to the Whimsical Wednesday Halloween Blog Hop!!!!

2011-10-07T18:56:00.002-04:00

Hi Whimsy Crafters!!!! I’m so excited because tonight is the start of our Halloween Blog Hop at Whimsical Wednesdays. I’m thrilled to be part of the line-up!!! I hope that you are inspired by all the wonderful projects that you’ve seen so far and will see throughout the remainder of the hop! We have some incredible design team members and we are so glad to have Kate join us as well!!! If you have arrived here from Kate, you’re in the right place. If not, you will want to start at the beginning of the hop at Whimsical Wednesdays so click here.

I would like to thank our incredible sponsors for the awesome blog candy!!! Here is a list of our sponsors for this Halloween Blog Hop…and if you get a moment, please visit their sites…they are so great and you’ll be amazed to see all their beautiful products!!!

1. Trendy Twine: http://trendytwine.bigcartel.com/ Original Sample Pack
2.Trade Fish Designs: http://tradefishdesigns.com
/index.php?route=product/quickshopper Rest In Peace Stamp Set
3. Prairie Bird Boutique: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PrairieBirdBoutique one bundle of Shabby Crinkle Ribbon-you get to choose the bundle.

There is a GRAND PRIZE for the hop!!!! It is from PSA Essentials. It is a stamp package and the MSRP is $75.00 and includes the Stamper Body, A Peal and Stick Stamp Set, an Orange/Black Inker, and one customized stamp!!!! How great is that!!!!

In order to be eligible for the blog candy you must leave a comment on each blog and then go back to Whimsical Wednesday at the end of the hop and leave a comment. If you are not a follower, I would love for you to become one!!!

For this hop, I created a couple of different projects. My first project is this card. I fell in love with this image which was designed by our own uber talented design team member Cindy!!! Her digi images are so cute!!! I was so wanting to work with one. Now, I’m a new copic user!!! Really new as in this was one of my first attempts at shading! I know I have a lot to learn, but I really love how cute this turned out! I don’t have a lot of colors yet, but I’m working on building a nice set! If you have any suggestions as to good You Tube videos, please let me know. So far I’m attempting to do the techniques that Suzanne Dean teaches!

Here is my supply list:

Digi Image….Our very own Cindy!

Tinsel String…Prairie Bird Boutique

Purple Ribbon…Michaels (in the Bridal Dept)

Copics

Star Punch….Troll (left over from my days of teaching!)

Moon….Cricut using Create a Critter

White cardstock ….Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Orange & Purple Cardstock…scraps

Ink…Memento Black Tuxedo

Stickles

Okay, here is my second project! I thought this would be a great home décor project or if you are headed to a Halloween Party, this is a great way to wrap a gift for the host/hostess….

These three pillars are all done the same way so you can see in this photo how I put them together. First, I wrapped them with the Halloween paper (would be great for Christmas too!) and then I just decorated the outside. The tops are simply Halloween candy wrapped up in coordinating tissue paper and tied with crinkle ribbon and set inside the pillars. This is a quick and fun project!

This is how they are each constructed....

And here is what is under each pillar! Why, yes, that is a bottle of Asti!! My husband and I typically take a bottle of wine with us as a "thank you for having us over" gift. Just remember that if you take this to a party to be sure to hold the bottom so the bottle doesn't slip out!

Supply List

PP…Martha Stewart

Tissue paper

Crinkle Ribbon and Tinsel String….Prairie Bird Boutique

Happy Halloween Stamp….You Whooooo Owl by Country Bumpkin Stamps

Stitched Oval Die… Creative Time Dies

Twine….The Twinery

Spider Punch….MS

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have enjoyed your stay! Have fun along the hop! Your next stop is Glora!

Here is the complete line up!

Whimsical Wednesdays: http://whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/
Stephanie: www.whimsical-designs.com
Chloe: http://chloeandherclipons.blogspot.com/
GiGi: http://thecricutbug.blogspot.com/
Shelly: http://cardsbyshelly.blogspot.com/
Star: http://starspaperpassion.blogspot.com/
Libby: http://psastampcamp.blogspot.com/
Nanne:http://nannes-creations.blogspot.com/
Cindy: http://cindybcreations.blogspot.com/
Kate: http://scrapperscreativecorner.blogspot.com/
Joni:http://justcounting.blogspot.com/
Glora: http://glorascrafts.blogspot.com/
Melanie: http://inlovewithabug.blogspot.com/
Cathryn: http://inthepinkcathryn.blogspot.com/
Karen: http://kaleidoscopicsparkles.blogspot.com/
Whimsical Wednesdays: http://whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge- Fall Colors

2011-09-20T23:06:00.052-04:00

Good Morning!!!! Let me start off with a reminder about the Whimsical Wednesdays Halloween Blog Hop that is coming up on October 7th at 7 pm!!! This is going to be a great hop and you will not want to miss it...lots of cool stuff!!! It will begin at the Whimsical Wednesdays Blog!

Well, its a Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Day today!!!! I love WW!!!! Today's challenge is to create a card or project to celebrate Fall! In addition, you must include a handmade embellishment!!! Easy Peasy right!!!!

Our sponsor this week is Creative Inspiration Paints; www.creativeinspirationspaint.com One winner will get to pick out 5 colors of their gorgeous paints! How awesome is that! Their paint is really pretty! So be sure to enter this challenge!!!

I had a really fun time working on this challenge! I am taking a class with Jennifer McGuire called Inspiration Showcase and on one of the days Tim Holtz was the guest and he showed us this really cool technique and so I changed it up just a bit and it was so much fun! I mean really; aren't all of his techniques amazing! I love how my two cards came out and hope you do too!

First I'll explain the technique I used and then I'll give you a supply list! I took a sheet of Tim's Grungeboard and I stamped an image onto it. I then cut them out and applied a medium coating of Ranger Distress Crackle Paint (Clear Rock Candy) and let that dry completely...and if you see one of the leaves that has a darker spot on it, its because I thought it was dry and went to ink it up and it wasn't quite dry....this is why its important to let it dry thoroughly! Once dry, I then took Distress Inks and *colored* the images...Pop Dotted them to the page and added some ribbon! I love this look!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: Coredinations

Embossing Folder:PC Seeing Spots

Ribbon: Crinkle Ribbon Prairie Bird Boutique

Punch: EK Success

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress ink from Ranger

Stamps: Sign is from Peachy Keen and the pumpkin is from a local store called Karens Creative Stamping (which is no longer in business) It was the stamp of the month for 10/06; the Sunflower is from Image Encore, Inc (its an old one I picked up at a yard sale!)

Twine: Trendy Twine

Distress Crackle Paint; Clear Rock Candy

Paper flower: handmade and came to me in a RAK

Tag for Happy Spooky Harvest is Spellbinders

Bat Stamp is from Lil Davis Calendar Stamp Set

Here is the second card I made using the same technique on the Sunflower...

Thanks so much for stopping by! Don't forget that this challenge ends on October 5! And don't forget about our Halloween Blog Hop on October 7th at 7pm!!!! You don't want to miss this one!!! Have a great day everyone!!!

September 11, 2001

2011-09-11T21:15:00.001-04:00

This day in history has forever changed us a a nation and as a people. This is the day we remember those who lost their lives in this tragedy, and we also remember the first responders and others who stepped in to help those in need. This is a layout I did shortly after 9/11.

We had just arrived in Germany exactly one month prior to 9/11. Two months prior we had been stationed at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and my husband had been one of the aides to the Secretary of the Army and his job had finished and was set to be stationed in another office of the Pentagon when he was offered a Battalion Command in Germany. The Army told us that we had to be in Germany in approximately 30 days....the day we found this out was July 4, 2001. My hubby was a bit upset that they were only giving us about a 30 day notice and was considering turning down the command. Needless to say it was an upsetting dilemma for us and we just could not understand why the short notice. But, we talked about it and decided that it was a great opportunity and that it was summer and that it would be a perfect time to move the kids. They would be going into the 5th and 7th grades. We had passports to obtain, a house to rent, a truck to sell, and a dog that was overweight and needed a diet as there were weight restrictions for animals at that time in order to fly. As you can imagine, we were a bit frantic about getting all those things done in such a short amount of time. We did it though and we were happy we did. We arrived in Frankfurt Germany on August 11, 2001 and were extremely happy to be in Germany..a place we'd always wanted to go!

Well, as the events of the morning of September 11 unfolded, we soon realized the urgency of us getting out of the D.C. area. It was afternoon in Germany and I remember watching Katie Couric on the Today show as the events occurred. I called my hubby who was at work and told him to turn on the tv and attempted to explain to him what was happening. We were on the phone when the plane hit the Pentagon and we knew right then why we were given the extremely short notice to come to Germany. We had found out that the plane hit in the vicinity of the office that my husband would have been working in had we stayed in the D.C. area. He knew several of those who died there. We were devastated. We knew that God had sent us to Germany and had protected us. We have raised our two adult children in church since they were babies and our faith in God has always been strong, but that day it grew even stronger. I would never attempt to explain the happenings of that day, but what I will say is that my faith in God is strong.

I also think of (and want to thank) our wonderful military and those that have served and the sacrifices they have made as well as their families. My hubby is in the process of retiring after 27 years in the Army. Since 9/11, my hubby has been on countless deployments and we've encountered several separations due to training and such. And to be honest, I won't miss those at all! Our military is simply AWESOME!!!

The photo with the men raising the flag is the bulletin from our church service that Sunday....and the layout on the following page was inspired by a layout I seen on the internet; sorry that I didn't get the name or where I found it. The photos were ones that I downloaded from the internet. Unfortunately I didn't write down the products I used but just think about all the stuff that we used 10 years ago! The second layout is covered with vellum and there is a poem written on top of the vellum that again, I got somewhere off the internet but didn't write down the details!

We will never forget....

Thanks for stopping by!

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Day!

2011-08-17T09:51:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!!!! Wow, where has the Summer gone…August is nearly over and I’m not ready to say hello to Fall and the crisp weather!!!! Well, thankfully, we still have a few weeks of temps in the 80’s…maybe longer, but none the less, the end of Summer is drawing closer each day and I will miss it!!! Anyway, its Whimsical Wednesday today and this is Challenge # 19 Three Times a Charm that our uber talented WW designer Amber (Staying Crafty) suggested!!! This is a great challenge and I had a lot of fun using the criteria! This challenge calls to create any project/card using three cuts, three colors (only), and three of the same embellishment (3 buttons, 3 brads, 3 flowers, 3 eyelets etc). Our sponsor for this challenge is Jessica from Chick N Scrap…. http://chick-n-scrap.blogspot.com/ and she is giving away the Cricut Cartridge Nursery Rhymes!!!!! I hope you join us in the challenge this week!

Here is what I created...My colors are Pink, Black and White, my cuts are 2 flowers and the cut for the sentiment, and I used 3 brads with the 3 cuts….I hope you like it! My moms birthday is coming up and this will be her card! She loves pink flowers and so I thought this would be great! Its a simple card but sometimes those are my favorites! I stitched around the edge...used my Tim Holtz ruler to mark my spots and it really didn't take that long to do. My cuts are all from my Spellbinders dies, the stamp is from the Best Mom set from Studio G, the paper is from my Glitz stack, the ribbon and the brads were in my stash from who knows when…I love a challenge where I can incorporate my scraps!

For more Whimsical Wednesday inspiration, please visit the WW Challenge Blog http://www.whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/ and see what the Design Team has created for this awesome challenge. I’m looking forward to seeing what you all create with the Three Times a Charm Challenge!!!! And a huge thanks to both Amber for suggesting this challenge and to Jessica for sponsoring it!!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!!! Have a great and Whimsical Wednesday!!!!

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Day!!!!

2011-07-27T09:58:00.001-04:00

Welcome to an exciting week for Whimsical Wednesdays!!!! This week we have challenge # 16 "Fun With Folds" which is to create a CARD that is anything but a shape or a2 style. I choose to make a waterfall card because I just think they are such cool cards and I really love that they are so interactive and just plain fun!!! They are so cool because you pull the string or tab at the bottom of the card and as you pull it, it reveals cool elements and each one then folds back on itself and in the end you have your special message! I hope that you are all able to play along with us this week! Visit us at Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Blog

I was in a card swap a few years ago and received a waterfall card and I was totally amazed by the creative design of this card!!! Well, I just now got around to making one and it was easy and so much fun to create! At first it looks pretty intimidating, but once you have all the pieces cut, its really easy to put together. I wasn’t sure if my bulky idea would work, but it totally did and I just love how it turned out!

All the papers I used are from the DCWV Celebration Paper Pack. I love that pack because its full of vibrant colors and really cute designs. I used Heidi Swapp Bling, Studio G Glitter Glue, Distress Inks, Spellbinders Dies, Seeing Spots Embossing Folder, Peachy Keen Princess Faces Stamps, and the Crinkled Ribbon from Prairie Bird Botique, oh and an eyelet that I’ve had forever and the pull is twine from The Twinery!

I used a regular sized card and then I used a 2x9 piece of cardstock and you crease it at 2, 2 3/4, 3 1/2, 4 1/4 inches and then you can either use a shaped element like I did...scalloped circle or a square measured 1 7/8 x 1 7/8 with a stamped image or whatever you choose...its just fun to experiment!

For more Whimsical Wednesday inspiration, please visit the WW Challenge Blog and see what the Design Team has created for this awesome challenge. I’m looking forward to seeing what you all create with the Fun with Folds Challenge!!!! This week we have two prizes. The first one is a package of action wobbles from our Whimsical Designer Glora.

Thank you Glora for sponsoring us with these fun scrappy wobbles:)

The second prize is a Stampin' Up ink pad and coordinating Stampin' Write Marker. The random winner gets to chose the color. Head on over to Stephanies SU store here and let her know if you win what colors you would chose. All of the colors are so beautiful I know you will have a hard time choosing.

Prairie Bird Boutique is where you can find this awesome crinkled ribbon in a variety of different colors!!! its so great to work with too!

Thanks for stopping by!!!! Have a great Whimsical Wednesday today!!!!

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge

2011-07-19T21:23:00.000-04:00

Well, its time for another Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Blog and this week is challenge # 14 and we are scrapbooking. The challenge this week is to design a scrapbook page, any theme of your choice, but it must include something interactive. I have been wanting to scrapbook some photos from my trip out to New Mexico. My dad was so great about taking my sister and I different places and everywhere we went there were these awesome cactus plants and I really wanted to have photos of them. So my interactive aspect of this layout is the cactus moving up and down....and I'll try to explain how I constructed it.

Notice how the cactus is in a slightly higher position in the bottom photo?

This is how I did it....I punched 2 small circles and I used a brad to attach everything. What you don't see in the photo is the other circle that is hot glued to the back of the cactus. I cut a slit in the paper and it moves up and down pretty easily.

This is just the adjacent layout....I used my I-Rock for the bling on this page...I love that thing!

Thats it for today! Thanks for stopping by!!! Hope to see you over at the Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Blog!

The Craft Channel

2011-07-14T22:25:00.000-04:00

Okay, so have you all heard about the 20 Cricut Giveaways in 20 days????? Well, if not, you have to check it out My Craft Channel Blog. How cool would that be to win a Cricut!!!! You can enter everyday!!! I love that they are showcasing a variety of who is going to be working with them...some of my all time favs for sure!!! So, go check em out!!!

Winner Winner Winner!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-11T19:47:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to thank all who hopped through the Whimsical Wednesday Blog this past weekend!!! What fun and I just loved everyones' banners and wall hangings that will be going to a nursing home!!! Fantastic job ladies...Well done!!!

Because of all the issues Blogger was having issues with the follower button I decided that I would include followers as well as non followers in the drawing!!!! The random winner for the I-Rock bundle is Sherry K!!!!! Congrats Sherry!!!! I will be contacting you for your mailing info!

Don't forget that there is a new challenge every Wednesday at the Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Blog and so we'd love to have you stop by there and play along!!!! The challenges are fun and there is Blog Candy as well!! See you there!!!

Welcome to the Whimsical Wednesday Blog Hop!!!!!!

2011-07-08T18:55:00.074-04:00

Welcome to the Whimsical Wednesday blog hop. You should have arrived here from Cindy. If you just happened to drop by to say hi please go to the Whimsical Wednesday Blog to start at the beginning of the hop. For this hop we all made banners/wall decor that will be sent to a nursing home. The link to read more about this is posted at the Whimsical Wednesday Blog.

I will tell you that I LOVE my Gypsy and used it for every single cut I made with my Cricut!!! The cartridge I used for the majority of this project is Create a Critter...love that one! It has so many cut images that I thought it would be perfect for someone special in the nursing home! I hope that whoever receives it will enjoy it! Here is what it looks like hanging up....

And here is the first circlet up close! Aren't these roses darling? They were made by Stephanie and I absolutely love them!!! Thank you Stephanie!!!! The lace is from my stash and the paper doilies that I used came from my church...they were getting ready to throw them away!! Lucky me!!!

On the following circlets, I hot glued lace around a paper circle and then hot glued it to a scalloped circle. If you have any questions on how I put this all together, please ask me in the comments and I'll get back to you...not difficult, but several different layers...because its double sided. Also, all of these cute lil animals have a home made wobble attached to the back of them so when its hanging, they actually move...quite cute!

The glitter I used was from Studio G and some were Distress Stickles....I love my glue glitter!!! The paints I used on several of the pieces are Ranger Perfect Pearls and Adirondack Dimensional Pearls...these are great and look fantastic...these pictures just don't do it justice!!! I used regular old sandpaper for the bottom of this fish bowl to make it seem like sand...love this effect!

This cute frog has a title that says Prince Charming....he has a crown...must be a Prince right? :)

The faces on most of these lil guys were stamped using Peachy Keen Stamps. I really love them because they are just darling! What's great about the Gypsy is that you can use the hide feature for the faces on the images and then add the PK face stamps and it just makes everything that much more adorable!

I embossed this cute lil owl with the PC embossing folder with all the little circles/bubbles....I'm drawing a blank on the name...but its a very versatile folder! I also embossed the back layer of him with another PC embossing folder and I love how it looks like feathers!

I used twine from The Twinery on this lil peanut...isn't he so cute!

I also used left over Fur that I've had for years for my lil skunk!

Here is the other side...yes, its double sided. I figured since it would be hanging in the doorway both sides would be seen and so on the other side I wanted to spell out the word Welcome....and used a big bright sun to shine over it!!! Sunshine makes everything better doesn't it?

I used the Hannah Montana cart for this font. This is a new cart for me and I'm loving all the fonts on it!

These our the generous sponsors for our blog hop and what they are giving away for prizes

Patsy from the Prairie Bird Boutique http://www.etsy.com/shop/prairiebirdboutique-
Your choice of one bundle of Shabby Crinkle Ribbon. I will tell you that I have a bunch of these and they are fantastic!!!!

Babette from The Kraft Outlet http://www.kraftoutlet.com/store/Default.asp-
The Kraft Outlet has generously donated their “Inspiration Play Pack”; This is a collection of The Kraft Outlet's top selling items valued at over $45. The play pack comes with 10 yards each of the red and brown baker’s twine, an assortment of 50 of the plain and grungy tags, an 8 sheet assortment of their cardstock and text weight papers, an 8 envelope assortment, one sheet of Kraft labels, a set of their vintage dictionary pages, 1 yard of black twill tape and a CD full of 100 graphics and backgrounds.

In addition the Kraft Outlet is offering 10% off all purchases made during the ENTIRE month of July. All you need to do is enter the code JULY10 at checkout.

The grand prize for the blog hop is a Gypsy, donated by Stephanie. In order to qualify for the grand prize you must leave a comment on each of the designers blogs. At the end of the hop please return back to the Whimsical Wednesday Blog to leave a comment saying that you finished the hop and left a comment under all our post. The blog hop will run through Sunday and end at Midnight.

I also have blog candy....an I-Rock Bundle!!! To be eligible, please leave a comment and become a follower!!! I will choose a random winner and post on Monday!!!!

Thank you for joining us for the Whimsical Wednesday blog hop. Your next stop is Gigi

1. Whimsical Challenge Blog: http://whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/

2. Stephanie: http://www.alwayscrafting.com/

3. Star: http://starspaperpassion.blogspot.com/

4. Jessica: http://chick-n-scrap.blogspot.com/

5. Shelly: http://cardsbyshelly.blogspot.com/

6. Chloe: http://chloeandherclipons.blogspot.com/

7. Amber: http://my3escrapbooking.blogspot.com/

8. Melanie: http://inlovewithabug.blogspot.com/

9. Faith-Abigail: http://www.faithabigaildesigns.com/

10. Cindy: http://cindybcreations.blogspot.com/

11. Joni: http://justcounting.blogspot.com/

12. GiGi: http://thecricutbug.blogspot.com/

13. Amber: http://stayingcrafty.blogspot.com/

14. Carlene: http://misspinkcricut.blogspot.com/

15. Karen: http://kaleidoscopicsparkles.blogspot.com/

16. Glora: http://glorascrafts.blogspot.com/

17. Nanne: http://nannes-creations.blogspot.com/

18. Cathryn: http://inthepinkcathryn.blogspot.com/

19. Whimsical Wednesday: http://whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/

Whimsical Wednesday Blog Hop!!!!

2011-07-05T14:59:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder about the upcoming hop over at Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Blog!!!! Its Friday, July 8th starting at 7pm EST. Come on over and see what all the DT has in store!!!! Hope to see you then!!!!!

Whimsical Wednesday News!!!

2011-07-02T13:43:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July!!!!!! What a great weekend to celebrate our Nations Independence...the weather here is beautiful, the friends are great and the BBQ's are made even better by the fact that our family and friends have an opportunity to celebrate together!!! I hope you all have a wonderful Independence Day!!!

Well, I have some exciting news to share with you all! I have been asked by Stephanie over at Whimsical Wednesdays to join her Design Team!!!! I'm so thrilled and honored to have been asked! Stephanie is the sweetest person and she and the DT make this Challenge Blog so much fun!!! The challenges are challenging, fun and I really love that although there is a challenge each week, you have two weeks to complete them. The prizes and sponsors are fantastic and the DT is super sweet too! Come on over and check out the blog and see what its all about!!! To get there click on this link---------------------->

Mark your calendars because the Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Blog is having a blog hop on July 8th. You don't want to miss it!!! There will be some awesome blog candy and I will have some as well!!! You will get the chance to hop along with the DT and get to know us a little better too! We all look forward to seeing you there!!! Its going to be so great! I've been working on my project and I'm so excited to show you all....and there is a heartwarming story as well.

I've been so busy lately with my husbands retirement that I haven't really had time to work on his book, but I would like to share a few photos! He just retired from the U.S. Army after serving 26.5 years. We met and married 24 years ago and I had just served a 4 year tour with the Air Force...and so the military life is all we've known our entire adult life and so the future is exciting for us to be civilians!!! Its a little scary too!!! Our children are both attending college and so we are empty nesters as well! Its an exciting time for us!!!!

This first photo is our family...hubby, me, and our two kids Jonathan and Kelsey right before the ceremony started...you will most likely see this photo again...in my Christmas card! LOL

This photo is hubby standing behind this gorgeous cake.....reminded me of a wedding cake. It was so beautiful and although I didn't get a piece because I was too busy chatting with the guests, I heard it was delicious!! We did take the top of the cake home with us...it was carrot cake and really yummy!

This is hubby's boss handing him a letter from President Obama thanking him for his years of service. I'm pretty sure it was the standard letter they give to all retirees, but kinda cool none the less. For some reason, Juan couldn't get that smile off his face!!!!

And this is hubby's boss again giving me a certificate for my years of faithful service to the Army.

All in all a wonderful ceremony....and I didn't cry for once!!! My mom, my sisters-in-law, my niece, and a friend were in tears the entire ceremony...but I was so darn happy for my husband...and so proud, I could not shed a tear!!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!!! And I hope to see you all again on July 8th at the Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Blog!!!!

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge #2

2011-06-16T08:57:00.000-04:00

Okay guys, here's the #2 WW challenge that I managed to kick out this week! I love Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Blog because the challenges are just plain fun to do! And I love that although there is a challenge every week, you have 2 weeks to accomplish each one!

This challenge was to create a Fathers Day card or project. I'm so happy because my dad is flying in tomorrow to spend some time with me here in Michigan...he lives in New Mexico. He's flying in for my hubby's Retirement Party on Saturday and so I'll be able to give it to him in person! He and his group of buddies ride their 4 wheelers almost every day and so I wanted to do a 4 wheeling card!

I actually cut this with my Silhouette...and the trees were cut with my Expression and the sun was cut with my Spellbinders! I used my PC Embossing Folders too...love them! I'm going to stick a gift card in there as he has to fit everything in a small suitcase for the way home and he can purchase what he wants!

Sorry for the short post, but I'm gearing up for a huge Retirement party for hubby on Saturday and my daughter is home from college for this week only and I'm already pulling my hair out!! LOL But enjoying every every second of it! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Whimsical Wednesday Challenges

2011-06-13T22:51:00.000-04:00

Well, husbands Retirement Ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday and so things around my house has been very busy! We have numerous family and friends that are coming to the ceremony and many of them are also attending the party at our house on Saturday. I am doing ALL of the cooking! I am so excited to see some of the folks that we haven't seen in YEARS!!! I'm excited for my hubby! And we have several people flying in from out of state! I did manage to find a little time to work on these challenges. I'll post the second one tomorrow!

If you have never been to Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Blog, I urge you to go! Stephanie is the sweetest person and the challenges are always unique! The Design Team is wonderful and always has such creative projects on their blogs! Give it a try!

So this first challenge was to create a Summer layout with some kind of stamping on it. I am currently working on a scrapbook for my hubby that starts when he graduated West Point in 1985 to the present. Most of the pages are very simple and filled with lots of military stuff. I have always loved this photo mainly because of the story associated with it! I used my Cricut Expression, and the stamps I used on the journaling are from Hero Arts and Tim Holtz, along with stickles, twine, and an EK Success border punch.

The story about how my hubby caught the Halibut was that he caught them when his friend threw them to him...there wasn't even any water around! No fishing poles needed! LOL We still laugh about that. The year was 1992....and we were stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska.....brrrrr!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Challenge A-Palooza

2011-05-28T10:26:00.002-04:00

Well, hubby's last day wearing the Army uniform was yesterday and what an emotional journey we are on!!!! So bittersweet for the both of us! But, we are excited to explore the possibilities of what ever the future holds! His retirement ceremony is scheduled for June 15, and we are throwing a big party for our friends and family on the 18th...so busy times for sure!!!

So many great challenges this week!!! I love doing challenges and because its Summer and I'm getting ready for some big events, I decided to marry a few of them into one big happy family!!! So, Whimsical Wednesday Challenge is all about Tags this week with some sort of shiny bling and so I married that with Emma's Throwback Thursday Blog Challenge with using an older Cricut cartridge and some yellow and green, and married those two with the challenge over at Scrappy Mom Stamps with using a cut from the Cricut Cartridge Life's a Beach, and Peachy Keen Stamps Challenge was to showcase your favorite PK stamp face! And here's what I came up with! My daughter loves to read and so I like to make her a new bookmark every now and again. She's coming home from college out in Salt Lake City for the Retirement Festivities and so I'm making her up a welcome home basket full of her fav's and this will be in it too...along with a new book!

Here are the links to the challenges:
http://www.whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/
http://www.creativetimeforme.com/
http://scrappymoms-stamps.blogspot.com/2011/05/terrific-tuesday-challenge-lifes-beach.html
http://peachykeenstampschallenge.blogspot.com/

So, for this tag, I cut it out of Bazzill using my Tim Holtz Tag die....love that thing! Then I inked around the edges using the Tim Holtz Faded Jean Distress ink, added some Kraft paper that I wet, krinkled and inked with Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Ink and made the cuts from my Cricut using the Life's a Beach Cartridge. I inked up the Sun using Tiim Holtz Wild Honey Distress Ink and stamped the face with my Peachy Keen Happy Lashes Stamps! I used my Spellbinders Labels 10 for the title and inked that up with the Walnut Stain Distress Ink as well. The sentiment is from Emma's new stamp release called Have Fun in the Sun! I just received it the other day is its definitely one of my favs!!! The charms I've had forever...like several years...back when they were *IN*! LOL The twine is Martha Stewart. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thanks so much for the sweet comments about my husband's 26 years in the Army! They are so appreciated! We are so excited for the next chapter and will always and forever be grateful to the military for so many things! Please continue to pray for our soldiers and their families...the sacrifices they make are immeasurable. Happy Memorial Day to you all...Be safe and have a blessed weekend!!!

Hugs,

joni

I Passed!!!!

2011-05-21T15:40:00.000-04:00

Well, I've been MIA for the past little bit for 2 reasons...1 because my hubby just returned from spending 2 months in Iraq and Afghanistan. We called it is Gilligan Island Adventure because he was only supposed to be gone for 2 weeks...and it ended up being 2 months. Well, I'm just glad he's back and even better is that he is retiring from the Army after 26.5 years of service! I'm so proud of him and so happy for him and for us! Its definitely a time of uncertainty as to what the future holds, but we have our retirement house and am all settled in!!! I've also spent a lot of the past month with my nose in a few books preparing to take the MTTC..Michigan Test for Teacher Certification. I took the test yesterday and I Passed!!!! Woohoo!!! I've been an Elementary Teacher for 20 years, and have been licensed in 4 other states, but Michigan makes out of state teachers take all their state tests. I was so nervous and stressed because I haven't had to test for a license since I graduated college! Lets' just say its been a few years! I have one more test to take before I get my actual license, but this next one is called Basic Skills, which consists of Reading, Math, and Writing....I think I got this one!

So, today I'm finally back in my Scrap Room....and what a great feeling! So, my sons birthday was 2 days ago and thankfully, he was away doing National Guard Training....and so I just made his card today! I love to do challenges and this one is from Whimsical Wednesday's Challenge Blog. The challenge this week is to go old style...no Cricut, (I know!!!!) and use things like stickers, rub ons, chipboard, glitter, etc..... And so I did!

For the base, I used Core'dinations cardstock in Canvas..I really love this cardstock! And the background papers are from DCWV; and are inked with Colorbox charcoal inks. The chipboard is from DCWV Green Stack...and I used stickles in red and black and Studio G glitter glue in Orange. The flower is one that I received a while ago from a blog hop I think....I lost who made it...and I received a nice size baggie full! They are all so beautiful! And the ribbon is my new item that I just couldn't help but use! Its from www.prairiebirdboutique.etsy.com. Patsy has so many cute things in her store that it was hard to narrow down what I wanted and so I had to get a few different packs of this Wrinkled Ribbon! It really is fantastic!!!

My room is a bit messy so I'm off to clean! Thanks for stopping by!

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge

2011-04-28T10:49:00.000-04:00

I have been so busy that I haven't been crafting as much as I'd like to! I'm busy studying for my Michigan Test for Teacher Certification that I'm taking next month...and the time is creeping up on me!!! I'm so nervous because I've been a teacher since 1994 and haven't had to test since then, but I'm in a new state that doesn't offer reciprocity unless you have a Masters Degree. I've started on my Masters, but haven't finished it yet! So I find myself in the same position as the newly graduated attempting to get their licenses! Yikes!

I did find a little time this week to finish a challenge for the Whimsical Wednesday Blog...which was to create a home decor project. I have a few little bird houses that I picked up at JoAnn's a few weeks back for $1 each...not bad! I used DCWV stack from Spring and I painted the rest...added a bit of lace and trim...and used my MS punch around the page punch for the roof and another MS punch for the fence. The bling is from House of 3 Soiree Collection. Its simple, but will fit right in with my scrappy room......

If you like challenge blogs, Whimsical Wednesday is a fun one...each challenge is open for two weeks, though there is a challenge posted every week and there is always awesome blog candy up for grabs! Stephanie is wonderful and so talented.... so go check it out! Here's the link: http://www.whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh, how I love Pink Paislee and House of Three's Daily Junque!!!

2011-04-03T08:25:00.000-04:00

DAILY JUNQUE

This is a mini album kit that is sold at Archivers and you can either take the class or just buy the kit and DIY at home. I live about 45 miles from the closest Archivers and so when I seen it, I loved the papers and the coordinating ephemera and so I bought the kit and put it together at home. I decided to make it for my daughter who is away at college...it would be easy for her to just insert her photos. She is not a scrapbooker but enjoys these mini albums. This was one of her birthday gifts (she just turned 20...my baby is 20!)

I pretty much followed the instructions, but I distressed most of the pages and everything else with a little brown cat eye ink pad...I love distressing and I think it adds so much to the project! I was so happy with this album, I'm going to make another for myself! These papers are so awesome and they are all double sided so they are a nice weight! And I truly love every one of the papers!!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome Whimsical Wednesday Challenge Blog

2011-03-30T08:21:00.000-04:00

Oh, I have been waiting for this blog to get started!!! This is going to be so much fun! Hop on over there and see what great things Stephanie and Erika has in store!!! They will post challenges and then give you 2 weeks to complete and upload! I know that I need at least that much time especially with the warmer weather coming and knowing that I will be spending more time outside getting my flower beds in order!

Right now they are offering a chance at some blog candy....Peachy Keen Stamp Set and a Customized Header and coordinating Badge from Madeline over at The Shabby Vanity just for leaving a comment! Doesn't get easier than that!

Click on the banner or click here...http://whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/

See ya there!!!