Monday, February 28, 2011

Favorite Feature


The These Are a Few of My Favorite Things challenge blog has a great new challenge for you. We want to see your favorite feature. It can be your feature, a family member's or a friend's.

I chose my hair. The journaling on the page talks a bit about how I didn't always appreciate my hair, but that now I love it. I've figured out how to wear my hairy curly or straight, and that has made me appreciate it's versatility.

So, what do you like best about yourself or someone else? We can't wait to see your pages! Link up on the TAAFOMFT blog. You've got 2 weeks to play along!!

Know what ... I'm going to throw in a second prize! In addition to what Julie is giving away at TAAFOMFT, I will also send some goodies along to second winner. Link here to let me know you played along with us and I'll choose a winner at the end of the challenge.

Thanks for stopping in today!!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Springtime on my mind


I am all about springtime! We had a few 40-50 degree days last week before we catapulted back into the teens and 20's. I got excited for the thaw and am now preparing my spring cards.

I used the sketch here at Scrapbooks Etc. I really liked the idea of the big ribbon, but on top of the jar it didn't work very well. I think it's because it was a jar. I may give the sketch another go, just because I love the look of it and I want to do that ribbon.


I hope everyone has a great weekend planned. I'm sure I'll be creating at some point. Will you? Thanks for stopping in today!!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Footies! (and finally ... a layout!)


Happily sharing a layout with you today. And it's Thursday, which means it's a new Sketchy Thursdays' sketch. This week we have a wonderful sketch from Heidi to play along with.


Our sponsor this week is the awesome BlueMoon Scrapbooking store. Do you get their e-mails or follow their blog? They take great pictures of their product as it comes in. I just love that!

Can you see the puffy and shiny dimension on the circles? I'm at it again with the Glossy Accents. I go through stages with that stuff. I either use it all the time or forget about it.


This page was made with my February kit from Scrapbook Circle. Again... LOVE it!! I have loved working with the pieces from this kit. From the papers to the stickers to the little extras. Just love it.

And on a side note—how cute is my little man here?! He's been so good about posing for pictures for me. This was when I was taking pictures of him in the jammies from my mom. He was acting like a child model ... propping his foot up and looking at me with far away eyes. LOL! I was loving it though. It won't be long before he tells me to take a hike when he sees the camera come out.

Thanks for stopping by and reading today. I hope you'll all join us for the Sketchy Thursdays challenge and have a chance at the BlueMoon prize.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Floral and lace and Leah!


When the Clean & Simple challenge site asked us to make cards using our label dies, I was over-the-moon excited about that. I find it tough NOT to use them! I am way addicted to my Big Shot and Nesties.


No real big explanation for this card, which I guess is the appeal and allure to the Clean & Simple premise, right?!

And I gotta share what was the highlight of my week. The fabulous Miss Leah was driving though my area, and she was nice enough to stop in her travels and have lunch with me on Monday. It was such a neat feeling to meet someone you feel you already know. KWIM? I really wish I'd had more than an hour to sit and chat with her.

Thanks again, Leah, for stopping during your trip. It was so nice to meet you in person!!


Have a great day today! And thanks so much for stopping by to read my blog.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Twine in the limelight...


Last week I stumbled upon a new-to-me site Limelight Papercrafts. Always on the look-out for new card sketches, I happily joined in. There was a sketch to use as well as the prompt: String.

After just getting my latest The Twinery happy mail, I was eager to jump into this prompt using my new colors.


This card is also for the Card Makin' Mamas challenge to make a birthday card.

While we are on the topic of baker's twine ... I thought I'd also share this cute little home decor project I made this weekend. I used little wooden spools from the wooden crafts aisle at the craft & hobby store, along with some cool empty jars I had on hand.


I have wooden spools, cool jars and jars with notions like this all over my house tucked onto various shelves. I just think it's the best way to add a splash of color. I used a Papertrey Ink die and stamps to make the little tag.


Thanks for stopping by today to celebrate baker's twine with me! :) I hope your week is going well!!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Friendship cards


I have been churning out the cards! I feel like apologizing to anyone who signed on to follow my blog as a scrapper ... I promise I'll be making more layouts soon. :)

The card above was made with 3 different challenges in mind.
1) Stamping with Markers Challenge in the Moxie Fab World (I used my Copics).
2) Color Combos Galore challenge for the colors as well as the idea to use the banner.
3) Card Patterns challenge sketch.

While I realize my Copics coloring is not outstanding and amazing here, I hope to get credit for the tiniest shading with Copics. These hot air balloons are SMALL!


I also made this card using the My Favorite Things card sketch for the Wednesday Stamp Club.


And if you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that clouds are my favorite. When I finished this card, I realized it would make a really nice St. Patty's Day card for a friend.

Thanks for checking out my blog today!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sure could use an espresso!


It's the weekend, which means I'm not in the office. That also means that my 2:00 espresso break has come and gone ... and I'm feeling it! Guess I'm getting hooked on that espresso break at work, aren't I?! It just might be time to get an espresso machine for home. :)

I made this card using my Skipping Stones stamps and their Sketch #64.


Thanks for stopping by today! I was busy making cards all weekend, so there's a lot more eye candy on the way in the next few days.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Wedding Belles and Jingle Belles


First, I have for you this soft and romantic wedding card. We had a surprise wedding shower for a co-worker this week, and I made this lovely card for the occasion. I used the sketch at Card Patterns, so if you like the layout, check out the sketch and play along with them!


And second, I have a very cool Second Chance Challenge from Sketchy Thursdays. Every once in awhile we team up with sites that make a great partnership. And Jingle Belles is that site! Their motto is "Taking back December, one holiday card at a time!" How awesome is that?!

So, over at Sketchy Thursdays we have a card sketch (pretty, cool, huh?!) and a fabulous chance at two prizes. One holiday card using one sketch, linked up to Sketchy Thursdays and to Jingle Belles gets you the chance at a prize drawing on each challenge blog. YAY!

Here's the card I made for the challenge.



Well, maybe I've given you some ideas for some crafting this weekend. Hope to see you playing along at Sketchy Thursdays and Jingle Belles! You have until 2/24 to join us. More details can be found on each site.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Sketchy Thursdays


I've been having some more fun with the Scrapbook Circle February kit. I used the kit when I made this week's Sketchy Thursdays reveal page. The papers went so well with this picture of my son.

My tip of the day: Even if a sketch calls for multiple pictures, it can sometimes be a neat design to use the same picture over and over again. This look works best when you alternate out only one picture to either color or black & white and increase the size of that photo. In my case, I also popped it up a bit with foam adhesive.


I just love those eyes!! He was having fun with a little photo shoot for me, but I managed to snap this one serious moment amongst the smiles and silliness.

This week's prize at Sketchy Thursdays is from Storyboard Kits. One lucky Sketchy Thursdays participant will win Storyboard Kits' "Giselle" kit valued at $45, which comes complete with cardstock, coordinating patterned papers, lettering, journaling spots, embellishments, trims and more!

Good Luck!!!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Gentle giraffe card


I absolutely love to make new arrival cards. There are endless possibilities, and the cuteness factor is the best part. These are the cards that you can't help but say, "Ahhhhh..." if you make 'em right.

I made this card using the sketch from Clean & Simple. And I had also used the Tuesday Trigger from Moxie Fab, but never got the card photographed and posted in time. The trigger was HERE if you want to see it.


I made the card from the scraps I had left over from this frame I altered last week. I just love these papers—classic, clean and fun.


I hope you enjoyed my baby goodness today. Have a great Wednesday!!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

My favorite magazine


I'm happy to be joining the ladies of These Are a Few of My Favorite Things challenge blog. Run by the amazing Julie, I was excited when she tapped me to join the team. I really think you'd like this challenge if you played along. It's twice a month, and it's all about favorites. So much fun!

The current challenge is Favorite Magazines. I HAD to make a page about my job—my favorite magazine! It has to be my favorite because I pour all of my heart into creating this publication. I design the pages, I prepare the files for the printer, I make sure it can be viewed online as an e-Mag... this magazine is my baby!

If you're interested in college, career and life skills for high school students, check out the FREE magazine HERE. Parents of teens, counselors and teens themselves benefit from the information at NextStepU. (We even have a scholarship drawing for $10,000 for college!)

If you are an adult learner going back to school... well, we do that, too! Check out BackToLearn.com.

Hope to see you playing along at TAAFOMFT!!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day!


Happy Valentine's Day, lovelies!! Here is a virtual cookie for you all to enjoy. There's nothing better than a tasty, frosted sugar cookie.


Here's a Valentine's Day card I made. I had two challenges in mind when I made it.

First, is Card Makin Mamas. They wanted to see some Valentine's Day cards. So I broke down and finally made one.

Second, is for my new role over at Paper Issues. I was turned on to this site from my friend, Kristy. The girls over there are fabulous!! And the best part is that if you used paper and you've ever made a project/card/layout and it fits the criteria, you can link it up to play along.

Paper Issues Blog Design


The current challenge is The Birds & The Bees (and Butterflies). I know you've all used these in some way at some time, right?! Link it up—play along!!!

I hope you have a great Valentine's Day. Hubby is working, but we'll be celebrating later this week. We're also celebrating the 10th anniversary of our first night out together, so that event has overshadowed the Hallmark holiday. But I will be getting a small V-Day gift for Nate today. He's been so excited that Mommy is going to get him a surprise valentine.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Taking a chance...


If you are a Facebook friend of mine, you may have seen a week or 2 ago a post about my going for a ham & swiss croissant and ending up with a fabulous opportunity. This is about that moment. :)

I work in a historic area called Victor, NY. The buildings are older and the village is quaint. One of those building is The Historic Dryer House. The women that recently refurbished the building and started a Tea Room also take vendors for nearly every nook and cranny in the two-story home-turned-business.

I am now one of those vendors. YAY! The opportunity was a bit more complicated than my relationship with La Bella Mela, but I had to give it a try. And the two businesses are nearly an hour away from each other in two different counties—so, no conflict (which was important to me to preserve the relationship I already have at La Bella Mela).

Here are some pictures of my little corner all set up with the beginning of my craftiness.





I am so excited about this endeavor and I have the highest hopes for taking a chance on this. Any ideas what else I can make for this space? I have so many ideas!! I get to use that whole wall adjacent to my table, so many more framed items are in the works.

Have a great Friday, and thank you for sharing this moment with me. I know I owe a huge debt to all you for supporting my crafts and giving me the confidence to give this a go.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Sketchy Thursdays is beary fun


Hello peeps! Today is Thursday so that means another Sketchy Thursdays layout day. The sketch is now live and can be seen over on the blog.

This week, Sketchy Thursdays is sponsored by the fabulous girls of Pink Ninja Addicts! I just love their kits. I wish I had a reason to scrap more girl pages sometimes—I'd be all over their pretty kits!


These pictures are of Nate in his footie jammies. He never used to like this type of pajama when he was really little, but he got 2 pairs from my mom for Christmas and now he loves them. I usually have to have one pair clean or in the laundry at any given time so he knows he can wear them again soon.


While I was taking pictures of him in his footies, he was playing around with his Beary Bear. The pictures turned out so cute. Nate is just the best little model for me sometimes. Such a clown and such fun to photograph.

I hope you'll find a moment to join us at Sketchy Thursdays for the weekly sketch. And don't forget you have until this Saturday to be included in the GDT challenge for March. Check out both challenges on the blog!!

Oh, and this page was made with the February kit from Scrapbook Circle. Such a great kit—I can't seem to stop working with it. The kits there seem to go on and on, an endless supply of pretty papers and embellies to play with!

...And thanks for reading my blog today!!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Cameos challenge


As always, I continue to be inspired by Cath & her team at Moxie Fab World. This card is for The Appearance of Cameos Challenge.

I'm sure that the work already linked up over there is awe inspiring—as it usually is. So, head on over to check out the entries and maybe even play along yourself!


And, as I am always looking for sketch challenges, I stumbled upon a great sketch at Card Patterns. I used Sketch 101 for this card.

Thanks for stopping by today to read my blog!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Altered frame love and a winner


As I mentioned in some earlier posts, I've had a run of good luck with the trash-to-treasure hunts I've been going on.

This frame was altered by taking the glass out and replacing it with cork board covered in fabric. I then hot-glued the flowers from Prima onto the side of it.


I think this is just so pretty. What a lovely little touch to a front entrance with photos hanging on it, or even a home office for little memo notes for the day. Pretty little to-do notes. Chores are much more fun if you read them from here, right?!

Thanks for checking in today. Oh, and, I have a winner to announce.

The winner of the $10 Scrapbook Circle store credit giveaway is...



Congrats, Angi@CokiePop! Send an e-mail to dianadesigns [at] rochester.rr.com so I can pass along your e-mail to Lisa at Scrapbook Circle. Enjoy your prize!!

Don't forget to check the Scrapbook Circle blog to see who won the February kit!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Loving pink


I can't seem to put down the pink! Papers and embellishments in all shades of pink seem to be permanently perched on the side of my desk. But if great little projects like this Valentine's heart garland come of it... I can't be too mad.


From that same stack of pink papers, I also made a card. I used the MFT Wednesday Stamp Club challenge sketch #5. I'm so glad they have been doing these sketches. I look forward to them each week.


I used the MFT Die-namics Polka Dot Greetings Die & Stamp Set Duo you can find HERE.


Thanks for looking at my pretty in pink post today. I just love February! I get a chance to put away the boy stuff and just play in girl-land for a little bit.

**Don't forget the $10 store credit to Scrapbook Circle I have to give away in this post here. You have until tonight to comment.**


Saturday, February 5, 2011

A little love for February


I love hearts. I'm also a big fan of pink, red and even some orange thrown in. So, February is a great month for me. I don't have to make excuses for loving these colors and putting hearts on everything.

I am also a fan or re-purposing old frames and digging for treasure at Marshall's, Goodwill and antique stores. I found this frame at Goodwill and scooped it up knowing I'd think up a project for it.


I made this frame for a few different challenges. I used the Card Sketch #3 at Sketch Support. I also used the color challenge at colourQ challenge #70.


So I gotta know—Are you a big fan of February? I'd love to see your LOVE projects. Link 'em up in my comments section so I can visit you.

**Don't forget the $10 store credit to Scrapbook Circle I have to give away in this post here. You have until Monday to comment.**