My Life, My Love(s), My Passion(s)

Garden Challenge ~ May update

2011-05-29T05:04:00.000-07:00

The weather sure has been getting warmer. I do have one complaint; generally it has been nicer during the week than on the weekends. With all of the outside projects we have scheduled we ran out of nice weather weekends to get a garden space tilled and fenced in from deer and rabbits. So, this year we have to do our vegetables in pots. We planted 5 tomato plants, 1 habanero pepper plant (for daddy) and some chocolate mint that the girls picked out at the plant sale.

I placed the pots amidst the front landscaping.

We also planted some flowers. Begonias, Moss Roses, Petunias and some accent plants.

HSV Garden challenge

2011-04-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

Since it is still too cold to plant a veggie garden around here (and will be for another 3-4 weeks) we have been doing some indoor plant observing. We just got a cute yellow viola to observe. Bug learned that her plant needs water and sunshine to do good and has been quite concerned that it has been cloudy out. I assured her that it would be okay.

And then we put a few bean seeds on a wet paper towel in a zipper bag. I taped it to the window and it has acted like a mini greenhouse to sprout the seeds. We have been watching their progress and are now able to see sprouts and roots.

Check out The Homeschool Village for more linkups!

HSV Gardening Challenge

2011-03-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

While browsing the blogosphere, I found a kids gardening challenge that looked like fun. So far in Minnesota we haven't given much thought to planting as the ground is still covered with snow. I am hoping we can build a raised bed this year, otherwise we'll look into containers I think. We decided our first step in the challenge would be to get some books about gardens from the library. We are now set to learn! The girls can't wait to "dig in" and get planting soon! You can check out more details over at HSV.

a flashback, a preview and some updates

2010-10-06T05:39:00.000-07:00

I was digging through my studio, starting to think of the daunting task coming this fall...packing it all up so we can rip out the basement ceiling to do repairs, and I came across this chicken card. It is a Stampin' Up! set (best of cluck) that I colored with markers and a blender pen. I thought the sentiment was appropriate for this post...Just Chicken In.

Here is a preview of something I am working on for my girls and will post upon its completion. Any guesses as to what I am making? I'll give you a clue...I am thinking of labeling the segment "teaching Thursday"

Here is a second clue...any guesses now?

And look at my sweet Elvis. He's 3 1/2 months old now. He's grown so much.

And here is one of our recent items to receive attention in the home. We were trying to just get a glimpse at how they hung the light and found this... Notice that all the wires are black...that is smoke damage. The wires were cracked too, not good. The damage was old, prior to when we purchased the home, but frightening to think that it was sitting as a fire hazard for that long. Praise God for his protection! Finding that halted our plans that weekend but we got new wires run and a new light up now.

And lastly...HUGE THANKS to Patti and Paper Maniac for letting me be a part of the design team for the past year! It was a blast, anytime you need a guest, I'm here!

boo!

2010-09-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I'd get a jump on Halloween. I broke out my new Stampers Anonymous and Tim Holtz texture fades and can I just say I am in LOVE! I love the incompleteness and distressed aspect of Tim's designs and have more on my wish list! I inked up the raised portion with my Memento Black and it just pops. It's hard to make out, but I used versamark on a script stamp from the Shabby French stamp set and stamped it on the black base layer. Boo was stamped in distress ink and then I used a circle punch to get the letters centered, I inked the edges black. I made this a 5x5 square card.

Card Stock: black, shimmery lavender, white
Patterned Paper: none
Stamps: Stampers Anonymous: Shabby French
Ink: Memento: Tuxedo Black, Distress Ink: Dusty Concord, Spiced Marmalade, Versamark
Accessories: Tim Holtz texture fades, Circle punch, ATG

A Monarch Passes Through

2010-09-22T04:59:00.000-07:00

We interrupt the stamping and scrapping projects while I get my rebuilt computer loaded with things like camera software, once that is loaded I hope to have more regular postings again. The good news is that the virus seems to be gone! In the meantime I thought I'd share a couple pictures of the monarch that passed through our yard.

Once upon a time, Bug found it on the flowers by the garage. She picked it up/coaxed it on to her hand.

After a minute or two, it flew off and promptly landed in Button's hair.

She was less than thrilled with that experience!

The End!

Halloween Tree

2010-09-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall! I can't wait for the leaves to change colors! Today I used a stamp from a past Unity KOTM and added glitter accents. They dried lighter than I wanted so I colored over them with my copics! (Love them and can't wait to play more!).

Card Stock: Pumpkin Pie
Patterned Paper: None
Ink: Memento Black
Stamps: Unity KOTM
Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Corner Rounder, Copics, Glitter Glue

Paper Maniac Blog Hop ~ with Flair!

2010-09-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

If you arrived here from Ann’s blog, you are on the right track! If not, go back to the Paper Maniac Store blog so you don’t miss any of the great inspiration. Today is a celebration of Paper Maniac's first year! This past year has gone so quickly, it has been so fun to be a part of things from before day one! Today I am showcasing an altered clipboard with fabulous Echo Park Paper and Unity Stamps. I made 2 of them to give to Bug's preschool teachers.

Here is the back (it isn't glossy since I hadn't mod podge'd it yet).

In addition to the clipboards, I altered a couple binder clips and made a bookmark for each of them. I packaged it in a cello bag and made a matching topper with some scraps from the clipboard project.

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Various KOTM (Unity Stamp Company), Shabby French Stamp Set (Stampers Anonymous)

Card Stock: Summer Sun

Patterned Paper: Walk in the Park (Echo Park)
Ink: Cocoa Brown (Memento), Antique Linen (Distress Ink), Versamark
Accessories: Circle Nesties (Spellbinders), Mod Podge, Clipboard, Binder Clips, Jumbo Paper Clip, Corner Rounder

Now for the FUN! There are some faBuLOUS priZes to be won this weekend! Check out the Paper Maniac Store Blog for complete info!

Head on over to Emily's Blog!

It's coming!

2010-09-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

Come back Friday for the Paper Maniac Birthday Blog Hop! Prizes galore!

makin' progress Monday ~ the puppy edition!

2010-09-06T05:46:00.000-07:00

So...we decided to add a puppy to our family! Introducing Elvis! He is now 10 1/2 weeks old. He is an adorable fluffy bundle of energy!

Here is is home in puppy prison! He stays in the kitchen unless he is outside or being held, so if he has an accident it is not on the carpet.

He loves the girls and loves to give them lots of puppy kisses!

Bug is super happy with him and she even likes going on poopy patrol with me (we'll see how long that enthusiasm lasts!)

Happy Birthday Paper Maniac!

2010-09-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

This past year has flown by! So much has changed around here...new house, new church, new projects, and most recently new puppy! The girls are getting bigger and we are gearing up for the start of preschool in a couple weeks. Today's card features a Bazzill cardstock base topped with a strip of Making Memories DP...love the black and white, so classic! I did a wavy, smooshy ribbon using lots of glue dots on top of the DP. The Happy Birthday sentiment was stamped using Memento Black ink then colored with prismacolor pencils and then I added bling for a finishing touch.

backpack tag

2010-08-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's almost time for school to begin again. I made a backpack tag for Bug's backpack {although I am not sure it will even make it to school as she has already claimed it and run off with it}. I started with a chipboard tag, covered it with some Basic Grey paper. I also added a strip of embossed paper across the bottom. I stamped the butterfly from a Unity KOTM and colored it in with prismacolor pencils to match the DP. I used a binder ring through the hole and some 1/8 inch groisgrain ribbon on the ring.

Now it's time to celebrate the end of summer and head off to the Great Minnesota Get Together this weekend! Check out other blogs participating in Friends with Flair today on the Unity blog.

dusted off the sewing machine ~ dog beds!

2010-08-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it's true, we are getting a puppy! We pick him up on Sunday! I decided to dust off the sewing machine and use up some of my fabric stash. I made two beds for the puppy. The first is a canvas bottom and camo fleece edge. It's really poofy and soft. The girls have been testing it out and determined it makes a good boat too.

Secondly, I made a kennel cushion. Bug chose Cars fabric for this. I was going to go with monkey flannel and green corduroy, I was informed Cars fabric was the better choice.

enjoy the day

2010-08-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today I dug out my Earth Love paper pad and went to town. I used the page with the small bug as the focal point in the lower right hand corner. The stamp up the left side is from Unity. To finish it off, I did a bit of stitching and some bling. I just love how all the patterns pull together so well.

so thankful for you {with flair}

2010-08-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Once again, it is my favorite day of the week! Happy Friday! Today I decided to mix it up a bit and make a horizontal card that opened on the side. Check out the Unity Blog for a list of Friends with Flair participants!

And for a fantastic sale on Spellbinders Impressabilities, Borders and Frames, and Cuttlebug Folders - {35% off}; Spellbinders Nestabilities, Shapeabilities, and Tim Holtz/Sizzix Dies & Folders- {20% off} AND Clear Stamps - {15% Off} ~ check out www.papermaniac.com

Stamps: Unity store KOTM
Card Stock: White
Patterned Paper: Making Memories
Ink: Staz On Black
Accessories: Pink Ribbon, Acetate, Foam Dimensionals, Corner Rounder, Rhinestones

You're so AMAZING!

2010-08-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show a necklace I made using Tim Holtz Fragments. It was a birthday gift for a friend. I have become addicted to making them, so fun and so many possibilities!

Makin' Progress Tuesday ~ Front Landscaping!!!

2010-08-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

As you can see things are looking quite a bit different around here. Especially out front. Check out the before shots here and here. This past weekend was busy. We started by digging up all the existing plants we had (lots of hosta, peony, a bleeding heart and some iris) and set them under one of the pine trees out front. Next we leveled the dirt and brought in dirt from the backyard that was leftover from the septic tank replacement. Pavers were set in place and dirt brought up to backfill between the edgers and the lawn. Grass seed will get planted soon.

Then came the fun! Deciding what to plant. After laying landscaping fabric down I used the girls sidewalk chalk to lay out plants and bushes. We kept things simple using boxwood bushes, a couple of hosta varieties and some day lillies.

I was able to get the rest of the bushes yesterday at Home Depot for $5 a piece so I finished it off in the sweltering nastiness that was Monday. (it was in the upper 80's with tons of humidity). Cedar mulch was raked in place and it was complete! I LOVE it!

A view from the step looking south.

tweet hello tweet

2010-07-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today it's Friday! Time to gear up for another jam packed summer weekend. My card today was super easy and fun! I love the bright colors, they scream summer-time to me. I think I see more chipboard stickers in my future after playing with some Basic Grey ones I found in my stuff (it pays to tidy up every now and then, you find treasures that way!). I stamped "hello" then added some bling to jazz it up a bit.

Card Stock: White
Patterned Paper: Henry's Brilliance
Ink: Memento Ink~Cocoa Brown
Accessories: Blue Rhinestone (Kaiser Craft), Scallop Edge punch, Chipboard sticker (Basic Grey)

alcohol ink emboss resist

2010-07-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! Today I have a card that features a cute image from the Unity Store KOTM (past kit). I stamped it on glossy paper then embossed it using clear embossing powder. I then applied alcohol inks to the paper to make the plaid background. I rubbed the image clean with a bit of blending solution (use a q-tip or rag). To check out more blogs on the Friends with Flair hop, check out the Unity Blog!

Supplies used: Unity Store KOTM, Alcohol Ink (I used Farmers Market), blending solution, Alcohol Ink applicator, bling, twill tape (recycled from packaging), ticket corner punch

scrappy happy birthday

2010-07-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Just a quick card to showcase using up some scraps that my friend Katy sent me. The button is a chipboard one covered in matching paper and threaded with hemp twine. I love adding twine to my cards, it's so cheap...I mean affordable!

recycled paper scraps and flowers

2010-07-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! Today I have a card that features some scraps of Cosmo Cricket Earth Love paper on a 4x4 card. I used some repurposed flowers for the center. I took apart some flower stems and just used the petals. The twill tape was also recycled, it originally was wrapped around some pajamas I purchased.

daydream ~ emboss resist

2010-07-13T05:40:00.000-07:00

Today's card features the emboss resist technique. It also highlights some inks, and powders (perfect pearls) on sale at Paper Maniac right now! For a step by step tutorial, check it out on the Paper Maniac home page. It will only be available for 1 week!

Makin' Progress Monday ~ 140 and counting!

2010-07-12T05:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since I have posted a house project update. Our weekends have been packed full of projects. Attending neglected landscaping, removing sheetrock in the shop to prep it for new wiring, some re-organization in the garage and a HUGE basement clean up.

Here you can see my Begonias are super happy on the front step.

Here is what the front looks like. We just weeded again this weekend (it was really bad). Now it's all set for a bit more dirt to be brought in to level it out. Then we'll lay landscape fabric and some edger bricks.

Tomatoes and peppers are finally growing.

The playground is complete! (well almost, on the backside there is an opening for another climber, but we are going to wall it off and then attach the steering wheel, telescope and add a pulley and bucket for the girls to play with)

And here is the sight the yard waste pick up man has seen for the past 7 weeks. 20 bundles of branches from the yard. We are at 140 and counting for the season. In addition to that, the 96 gallon cart has been full every week. The previous owners were elderly and were lucky to get the lawn mowed according to the neighbors, so tree trimming and general landscape maintenance was non-existent.

Backyard trees.

Trees in the front yard. That pine will come down because it's too close to the maple tree, but in the meantime, it got a straight line trim so the maple would get sun.

Trees on the other side of the driveway in the front yard. The neighbors are noticing and liking what they see. It's nice to know the hard work is appreciated.

And then there is the massive bush in the corner of the backyard. We started cutting into it and bundling it.

playing with paint!

2010-07-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Today's card is one that stretched me a bit. The challenge was to use paint on the card. After a few failed attempts at stamping with paint, I chose to paint some chipboard letters. I am really wishing I had some of the Ranger paint dabbers, as I had to do things the old fashioned way and use a paintbrush. I used some DP by Daisy Bucket and some silver string from my stash to tie everything together.

Freedom tag FWF

2010-07-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

Woot, I love Friday! Especially when it falls before a long weekend! Today I made a patriotic tag that could get attached to a scrap page, used as a bookmark or on a card. I used Cosmo Cricket DP and distressed it with my distressing tool and added Tea Dye Distress Ink. "Freedom" was stamped using an alphabet by Unity Stamp Company (Just my Type). The "USA" canvas twill was repurposed from a clothing tag. And, lastly, I punched out stars, added Distress Ink to them and added red and ivory pearls (check them out...they are on sale this week). The red I had was too bright so I muted the tone by coloring it with a brown sharpie so it matched the paper better. Check out the Unity Blog today for a complete list of FWF participants!

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!

Some recent thrift store finds!

2010-06-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

So last week was our annual visit from out of town cousins. We spend time catching up and doing one of our favorite activities...thrifting! I prepared for the big day by hitting up my thrift store on Monday, gotta be in practice you know. I found some cute cloth napkins and a basket to store them in that is the perfect size. Also included in my score from the day are: a vintage recipe box, a new mirror (I think I'll paint the frame), a vintage knitting tote (which matches my couch and fits in great with my bedroom curtains too), and a desk top cube for scrapping tools.

Then on Tuesday (with the cousins) I found this little shelf/nightstand. It is sturdy and I see paint in it's future.

Check out the price! But, wait, it gets better! It was customer appreciation day so it was 25% off! $3 can't beat it!

And I had a plan for it, it is going to house my Big Shot. I am working on only buying things I have an immediate purpose for.

But that whole "buying with an immediate purpose" thing is a work in progress, because I bought this. I like how it looks, I am not sure what I will store in it yet. I think it will go into the studio, I am dreaming in vintage/shabby chic style for that room. So, what should I store in it??

Not pictured from the day, some clothes, little spice jars for scrapping embelishments (brand new 4 pack from IKEA), and a doll high chair for the girls.

Butterfly Bookmark!

2010-06-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

To stick with the summer theme going on at Paper Maniac this week I decided to make a bookmark for all those great summer reads. I used a jumbo paper clip (from the office supply section at Walmart) and a chipboard butterfly I had on hand. I glued some Basic Grey Origins DP to it and then trimmed it to size. I inked the edge with distress ink and added some Kaisercraft pearls to the body of the butterfly.

Here it is in use. Great book by the way if you want a quick summer read.

Have a fun weekend!

Makin' Progress Monday ~ hedge removal

2010-06-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Another day of landscaping occurred over the weekend. This time we attacked the front overgrown hedge that lined the angled right side of our driveway. A few of the smaller bushes were salvaged but the rest were such a mess that we will just start fresh. I don't have a good before shot of the project, but here is the space with everything taken out. The worst ones were the thorny bushes, they may have been some sort of rose, but they were tough to get out.

And, as an added bonus we discovered our driveway is about 2 feet wider along the north edge and 6-18 inches wider along the front angled side. The previous owners kept piling mulch into the overgrown bushes. I sketched a chalk line where the mulch and weeds had spread out to so you can see how much room was gained.

Knowing we wouldn't till up a garden this year I had actually thought that the hedge space would make a good spot for a garden. I honestly didn't think we'd get to the project until much later in the year rendering the idea useless. Well since we got to the project this weekend we decided to go ahead and move in the tomatoes that were very, very unhappy in the sandy soil in front of the house. I am thinking I may go get some clearance veggie plants and some miracle grow this morning to expand our garden a small bit. I need to finish leveling the area and removing some more of the mulch. I will add some pavers on the lawn side of the garden to separate it from the lawn. And, since this is just a veggie garden and will be dug out in the fall it keeps the area clear for snow removal (which was hubby's requirement). Here are the holes the tomatoes were dug out of, I planted them in the space in front of the house just to get them in the ground before we went on vacation last week.

Here they are in their new home along the north edge of the driveway.

In addition to the hedge project this weekend, two other fun things occurred. First, the air conditioner is now hooked up! It was replaced when the furnace was in the fall, but the wiring was dangerous so it needed a redo. Secondly, the (ugly) wrought iron railing that was in front of the house was removed. I love how it opens up the step, and it will look really nice once we get to landscaping the rest of the front.

Here are all my pots of flowers, they are doing well and quite happy there.

The big planter is over by the garage, and some of those plants started flowering this week too.

Whew, I made it.

2010-06-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

I'm back from a mini vacation we just took. It was nice to get away, too bad it rained most of the trip. Today I have a more masculine card to showcase. I used Itsy Bitsy Giggles stamped on the cardstock base in Cocoa Brown. I then took some DP from Cosmo Cricket's Boyfriend line, cut a window and distressed the edges with my paper distresser tool. It did help to spritz the paper a bit with my mini mister to get it to roll nicer. Then I added brads and had at them with the Tim Holtz texture hammer.

Wishing all the dads a HAPPY FATHER's DAY!

Happy Graduation!

2010-06-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a card I made to congratulate the class of 2010. I used some Cosmo Cricket for the background paper and to punch the stars from. I added some bling to the star centers and some silver string in the middle. Wishing the class of 2010 huge successes as they reach for the stars and dream big dreams.

thankful {for teachers} flair

2010-06-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

I made this teacher thank you card in some non traditional teacher colors and it is also important to note that no apples were harmed in the making of this teacher card. I used one of the great Unity Store KOTM's. The paper is by Sassafras lass and I added some bling and trim from my stash to finish it off. Check out all the great Friends with Flair creations from the list on the Unity blog.

Thank you for your service

2010-05-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a tribute card to all the WONDERFUL men and women who defend our country, and their families who sacrifice time with their loved ones. The inside simply reads "Thank You". The DP is Henry's Brilliance (which is on sale!) and I wrote some words that came to mind on the school rule print. The stickers came off out of this great journaling book.

cupcake flair

2010-05-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Hip Hoppin' Friday! Today, I used the 1,2,3,4 Thousand Cupcake Calories stamp using the emboss resist technique and colored it with distress inks to match the Henry's Brilliance paper. For the glittery chipboard I used a circle from the Autumn Afternoon Pack and peeled the sticky off and shook some glitter on it. Well it was too dark, so then I painted it with some white acrylic paint and re-glittered it. I stuck it down on the card with my ATG.

If you want to be inspired today by more Unity creations, hop on over to the Unity Blog!
AND if you want a great deal on some stamps, hop over to Paper Maniac and use the code WEEKEND20 to get 20% off all in stock stamps!

2Cute Owl

2010-05-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

I just love this owl! I decided to make a CAS 4x4 notecard with it. I paper pieced the owl using Earth Love paper then made a blingy branch for her to sit on. The stamp is called Owl Miss You by 2CuteRubberStamps. Be sure to check out the 2Cute design team blog for lots of inspiring ideas.

Makin' Progress Monday ~ Front Landscaping day 2

2010-05-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the updated state of our front landscaping. We finished the bulk of the rock removal along the house and then moved all the hosta out of that front triangle area. The previous owners just put dirt on top of landscaping rock. The plants won't last there with only 4 inches for roots. So next will be to screen all the rock out of that area and then we can layout the plants and put in some sort of paver border.

Here are the hostas in their temporary home.

Here's some old metal edging that is in the front section of landscaping. It will get pulled out when we screen out the rock.

And a couple of small things that got completed. First is the hall shelves. I got hubby to cut a board to lay on the bottom shelf so I can set my 3 ring binders and books on it.

And secondly I got the front entry straightened up and put a couple more rugs down to catch all the dirt the girls will be bringing into the house.

Celebrating Gotcha Day!

2010-05-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

WOOHOO!!! I am so excited to show off one more altered object (from last weeks Paper Maniac Design Team theme). Here are the necklaces I made for the daughters of some sweet friends. They finalized their adoption last Friday and today we are celebrating "Gotcha Day" with a picnic, and I couldn't post them last week or I'd ruin the surprise. I am so very excited for them and the sweet girl they added to their family.

I had fun making them and will definitely be altering more of these fragments and making more necklaces. I did have to try twice to get the satin cord necklaces to work out right since you can't attach both ends before you slide the pendant on. Stamps - none used
Paper -Basic Grey: Eskimo Kisses
Inks - printed on my ink jet printer
Other -Jewelry supplies, scissors, Tim Holtz Fragments , Mod Podge, Diamond Glaze

2 cute while crabby!

2010-05-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

I finally got the chance to play with my 2 cute stamps! I just love Heidi's playful style. This one is a digital stamp and my girls love it when I print them a large copy so they can color with mommy. I used my Prismacolor pencils and OMS to color in the crab and background.

Check out Heidi's Etsy shop and blog for more inspiring ideas!

2 Cute Rubber Stamps!

2010-05-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have been chosen to guest design for 2 Cute Rubber Stamps for the month of May! Stay tuned for upcoming projects! Heidi's designs are adorable and playful! Check out the 2 Cute blog too!

Makin' Progress Monday ~ a whole big bunch

2010-05-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

We had our most productive weekend since moving in. Hubby took the day off on Friday so we started early. Our first task was to get the carpet removed from the dining room and put down some vinyl flooring so we can all eat together at our table. We haven't done that since moving in 6 months ago.

One of the bonuses to actually being able to eat at our table is that the kids table is no longer in the kitchen. No more tripping over it, no more bruises on the shins. Back to the studio it goes to be used for craft projects. Woohoo!

We are thankful that at least they replaced the carpet and it wasn't the green stuff we came across under the railing/bookshelf.

Here is how the flooring looks next to the carpet and kitchen vinyl flooring. It doesn't match, but it's functional.

And here it is in all it's glory! Well prior to the trim going up at least, but that has all been done now. It was free from some friends. Funny story...they won it at the grand opening of a Menards store back in August 2004. Who can use a random chunk of vinyl flooring? Well not many people, it has been hanging in their rafters ever since.

Friday was also when the guys came to install new insulated garage doors. The one on the shop will allow us to have that heated next winter after it's remodel later this spring/summer. It ended up being only about $100 more than we could buy them for ourselves...way worth it to have someone else install them. They look funny with all the brown on the house. I am trying to decide if I should paint all the brown white on the house...or some other color.

And then there was our Mother's Day landscaping project. Well it isn't done, but it is the start of redoing our front, overgrown landscaping. If you will recall what things looked like before. Along the house there is rock under the mulch, about 6-8 inches deep and 18 inches out from the house. We got about 1/2 of it dug out and screened. And then there is some more rock under the plants, so they will all need to be transplanted to the back of the landscaping after we fill in the trench left from removing the rock, remove that rock and move them to their final spots. It'll be a while.

I started digging out grass to make room for a new edge to the landscaping. I am thinking maybe tumbled pavers, but don't know for sure yet.

Another thing I need to figure out is what plants I want to divide and how I want to place them along the front.

Here is the start of the pile of removed rock. We are saving it for now until we figure out if we can use it somewhere. If not, it'll go on Craigslist.

i {heart} you flair

2010-05-07T05:00:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday! I, for one, am excited for the weekend. We are hopefully going to be getting the girls playground built and the carpet tore out of our dining room and some temporary linoleum laid instead. (carpet in the eating area + a toddler + a preschool = big GIANT mess!). Today I made a quick 3x3 card to attach to a Mother's Day gift. I love how it turned out.

Check out the Unity Blog for a complete list of today's gals with flair!

Stamps - Unity Stamp Company: KOTM
Paper -Basic Grey: Eskimo Kisses
Inks - Distress Ink: Broken China, Worn Lipstick
Other -Pom pom trim, corner rounder

an attempt at Mother's day

2010-05-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to come up with a great Mother's Day card. This is one of my takes. I was browsing Isabell's Umbrella for some inspiration as a part of the Etsy Inspired Challenge. I used a past Unity store KOTM for the crown stamp and added some jeweled brads to the bottom from my stash. Patti has these over at Paper Maniac which are similar. I colored in the crown with my prismacolor pencils.

Makin' Progress Monday ~ Insulation

2010-05-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it! Saturday hubby and I got to spend the day together! That may sound super exciting, like we actually got away...until I tell you that we were in the attic of our house laying insulation. Good times let me tell you. So for a day's worth of pain, claustrophobia and itching our energy bills will be significantly lowered.

camping flair

2010-04-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Unity Stamp Company! If you just happend across my blog today, be sure to stop by the Unity Blog to see a list of blogs participating in the hop today.

In honor of National Scrapbook Day tomorrow, I made a quick 8x8 scrapbook page of my girls and I from our camping trip last September. . This is one of many photos from that day, it was a beautiful, warm fall day and the girls loved the tire swing and tube slide. I used a kraft base and stamped pattern on it with versamark ink. I added a 6x6 square of Basic Grey paper and then my photo.

I also found a new way to use sticky backed chipboard. This particular package (Autumn Afternoon Chipboard Stickers ~ ONLY $.50 BTW!!!) had designs printed on the other side that wouldn't work for this layout, so I peeled off the backing and shook 3 different colors of glitter on the sticky side (since it was so nice and evenly coated in sticky) and then taped it down. So I ended up using it upside down from it's original purpose. I might go back and sew the patterned paper to the base layer, we'll see.

Stamps - Unity Stamp Company: Store KOTM
Paper -Basic Grey: Origins
Inks - Versamark
Other -Autumn Afternoon Chipboard Stickers, glitter, sharpie

Meals on Wheels

2010-04-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

Here are the cards we'll be making tonight at Family Craft Night. We'll be donating the cards to Meals on Wheels to distribute. We'll also be decorating lunch bag for the meals and oven mitts for the volunteers to use when handling the hot food!

Makin' Progress Monday ~ Landscaping

2010-04-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was able to get all the old mulch and lots of weeds removed from the front landscaping. It is all overgrown so it's slow going. I am finding lots of plants coming up, so that part is exciting.

Here are the tulips in the front that are growing up amongst overgrown grass. It's slow going in that area to seperate plant from grass.

Here is a view looking across the front of the house. Notice all the plants coming up about 1 1/2 feet in front of the landscaping timbers...that is because there is 4-6 inches of rock as the "landscaping" and the plants are in the lawn. Again it will be really fun to seperate plant from grass.

The plants have been threatened by hubby and the new John Deere. I plan on getting it all moved before that happens.

Celebrate Earth Day! Recycle!

2010-04-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Let's celebrate Earth Day all this week! That would make it Earth Week then huh? I got into the recycling spirit by repurposing bubble wrap. I added it to my card front and LOVE the texture it adds. The birds came from a Stampin' Up! set I have, and I thought they matched the Earth Love birdies perfectly.

Stamps - Hero Arts, Stampin' Up!

Paper -Cosmo Cricket: Earth Love

Inks - Memento: Cocoa Brown,

Other -bubble wrap, square punch, dimensional adhesive, twine

Etsy Inspired

2010-04-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

I got my card made in time for this weeks Etsy Inspired Challenge. This week's challenge was sponsored by Paper Maniac! What an awesome prize they donated! Without further ado, here is my card inspired by The Mouse Market. They have so many cute miniatures in the shop. The colors are so vivid, I played off of that and came up with this! I colored the flowers with my Prismacolor pencils and OMS. The brown layer was run through the paisley cuttlebug folder.

Here is my card inspired by the Mouse Market

Happy Birthday Katy! (and a card for Ella)

2010-04-13T05:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Katy! I hope you have a great one!

And here is a card Bug made for Ella!

hooray for bubble wrap!

2010-04-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Today's card is showing off some Tim Holtz products. I had fun playing and experimenting with Distress Inks to create the pattern on the white cardstock. I inked up some bubble wrap, then spritzed it with a mini mister of water and placed my cardstock over that to pick up the color. It reminds me of the Unity distressed dots stamp, only with larger dots. I used sheetrock tape as the background grid layer. I love the texture it adds to the card.

Stamps - Stampers Anonymous

Paper - kraft, white and olive cardstock

Inks - Memento: Tuxedo Black, Distress Inks: Peeled Paint, Broken China, Dusty Concord

Other -sewing machine, bubble wrap, sheetrock tape, mini mister

musical heart flair

2010-04-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! Today's card I think still needs a little something in the lower right corner, but I haven't figured out what yet (or is it good as is? tell me what you think). I used this cute heart stamp from the November store KOTM. Come back Sunday, I've been playing with my Tim Holtz stuff! Be sure to check out Paper Maniac Garage Sale! (There is still time to sign up to be a seller and unload your unused stuff)!

Check out the Unity Blog today for the list of blogs playing along today!

It's a Virtual Scrapping/Stamping Garage Sale!

2010-04-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

Makin' Progress Monday ~ spring cleaning

2010-04-05T05:10:00.000-07:00

The weather was absolutely perfect this weekend! We (and by we, I mean hubby) got a good start at cleaning out the shop and getting things organized. That is the first step before we remove the sheetrock so he can begin rewiring, insulating and getting more rafters in place before insulating and putting sheetrock back in place. I was in the garage going through some boxes there and so far we have about 5 boxes of stuff to donate to the church garage sale. And this is in addition to all the clean up/getting rid of boxes I did at the end of last week. It is easier to walk through the dining room now because of that.

Today, hubby actually took the day off work so I am hoping he will get a chance to put up the shelves in the hall before he goes outside to work in the shop again.

Clean, Simple and Pieced

2010-04-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Sunday! Today's card is kicking off a week of clean and simple inspiration over on the Paper Maniac blog. Here is the card I came up with.

Stamps - Unity Stamp Company
Paper - Basic Grey Origins, Sassafras Lass
Inks - Memento Cocoa Brown
Other -Sherbet Buttons, corner rounder

It's Friday...but Sunday's Comin'

2010-04-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

sisters!

2010-03-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on Valentine's Day, every so often I can get my girls in a picture together. If you want to see how much the girls have changed in one year, here is last years layout I did with their 2009 Valentine's Day picture. I might have to try more layouts, I like how this one turned out.

1. Stamps: None
2. Paper/cardstock used: Cosmo Cricket ~ Early Bird, Bazzill cardstock
3. Ink/Embossing Powders: Distress Ink ~ Tea Dye
4. Accessories/tools: chipboard, sewing machine, black sharpie, sanding sponge

thankful flair

2010-03-26T04:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! Today I got out my Basic Grey Origins paper. I totally love all the patterns in the pack! The sentiment came from the September store KOTM (Paper Maniac has it for only $23 right now!). The black dots in the corner came from the JoAnn $1 section a while back. Check out the Unity Blog for the complete list of today's gals with flair!

Makin' Progress Monday ~ sort of

2010-03-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I did get some rearranging done in the girls room. I moved the dresser into the corner by the closet and moved the girls chairs in between the beds. And you'll see our attractive daylight savings time curtains. The girls don't think bedtime should occur when it's light out. And you'll see that this morning the girls had a great time playing in there, removing blankets from their beds and moving toys in from the living room. So much for getting it cleaned up.

in love with Tim!

2010-03-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

I am in love! I am in love with Tim Holtz products! I am loving grungeboard and crackle paint! I am loving my distress inks! I am loving glitter! I am loving the glimpses of spring we've been having (although I'd love it even more if it'd stay warm). I am loving this sketch I found over on Split Coast Stampers. I am loving my nestabilities!

The patterned paper used to be in the Dollar Store section at Paper Maniac, but it is sold out! So the moral of the story is "if you see something you like in the dollar store section, buy it ASAP!". The "imagine" sentiment is from Unity Stamp Company.

Spring Flair!

2010-03-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring! I am loving the warmer weather, the birdies tweeting and most of all, our yard is snow free! Woohoo! Today I chose to use It's Spring, stamped with Dusty Concord Distress Ink. The DP is Making Memories as well as the cute epoxy flowers. The green sheer ribbon came from Paper Maniac, I love that you can buy it by-the-yard. Check out the complete list of today's inspiring blog posts at the Unity Blog!

Makin' Progress Monday ~ Microwave

2010-03-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

Here is our new over the range microwave! It is so nice to have more counter space now! It's a bit lower than we'd have liked it to be, given the existing cabinets we had to work around. We'll raise it up a bit when we get to the kitchen remodel.

I also got the chance to go through the girls clothes this weekend and boxed up the 2t and 4t stuff. Which meant more boxes got out of the girls room. I just have to finish with the cloth diaper purge since we only have one in diapers now.

Good Luck!

2010-03-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday! Only a few more days until St. Patrick's Day. I thought I'd celebrate by making a rainbow complete with a pot of gold. I used my circle Nestabilities (which are on sale, by the way) to make the rainbow, clouds and pot. I started with the largest circle for the red layer and worked smaller. The clouds consist of 4 of the smallest size circle layered. The pot to hold the gold is the 2nd to the smallest size. I used that same size to cut the top out of the pot and used that piece cut in two as the pots legs. (see photos below for pictures of the steps). Then I filled up the pot with bling. The inside reads "Happy St. Patrick's Day".

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

2010-03-13T06:18:00.003-08:00

Button turned 2 on Wednesday! I can't believe how fast time has flown by. One of her birthday presents was a set of rag quilt letters I made her following the directions here. I love how they turned out.

EEEEEKKKK I'm so excited

2010-03-12T10:34:00.001-08:00

Paper Maniac is getting all of the Tim Holtz stuff in! Check out the tools, embellishments, masks, paints, inks and powders, and papers! I just love his stuff and the distress inks I have, I can't wait to get more!

And then there's Basic Grey, Pink Paislee, October Afternoon and Fourishes all new stuff coming in soon! So much paper-crafting goodness!

I am looking forward to getting in my studio again this weekend, I had a couple of family emergencies happen at once.

a matching game

2010-02-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today's project is a matching game for Bug to play with. I cut some white cardstock 3x4 inches, and cut some one inch strips of patterned paper from my favorite Sunshine Lollipop bundle so I could make a second set for Button and they can tell them apart and minimize the fighting (a girl can dream!). I stamped the numbers 0-9 on the fronts of one set of cards, and used a flower from a Unity kit to stamp to make the picture representation of the numbers. On the backs of each of the card I stamped the word, as a secondary way to match the cards up. I am in process of covering each card with contact paper to make them last longer in little hands, and will punch a hole in the upper left corner so I can attach them to a binder ring to keep them from becoming lost.

it's a baby!

2010-02-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

It's a baby! Big congrats to Jess and her family on welcoming their newest bundle of joy earlier this week. To celebrate, today the Paper Maniac design team is having a baby blog hop. If you arrived from *** Amy's blog *** you are in the right spot. To see the whole hop, start at the Paper Maniac Store Blog. My card has a kraft base, the elephant is a by Stampin' Up! I used dp from Henry's Brilliance by Nikki Sivils for both the "baby" letters cut by my silhouette and the striped paper under the elephant.

Now hop on over to *** Patti's blog *** and leave a comment for your chance to win this fantastic blog candy. A winner will be chosen on February 24th!

green and yellow owl

2010-02-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today's card features earthy tones. I colored the owl (SideShow Stamps) with my prismacolors and added Smooch to make him shimmer a bit. The DP is Basic Grey Origins and the swirl stamp is from a past Unity Retail Kit (I did cut the swirl and make it longer to mimic a branch a bit more) then I added some bling to it.

you're so HOT!

2010-02-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Here is take two at a masculine Valentine's day card. I really like it. I used Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper to piece the peppers together. The stamp is one I got when I first started stamping from Rubber Soul. I printed the "you're so" then cut out the label shape using my Silhouette. And the "HOT" was cut with my Silhouette as well. I am really enjoying playing with it more and more. I ran the white cardstock layer through my Big Shot using my Swiss Dot Cuttlebug folder.

Calendar Project

2010-02-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today I wanted to share the wall calendar I have up for our family schedule. My girls (ages 3 1/2 and almost 2) like to see what is going on and it is helping them learn the days and months. I picked up this desk calendar at Wal*Mart for around $4 and jazzed it up with stamp set I had on hand. I stamped a heart on each day and added a football for the Super Bowl and a "Happy Valentine's Day" sentiment on the 14th. I need to find something that would be good for the days we go to school and Bible Study so we can have an icon for each event. I used a cupcake stamp for birthday's and then write on events and visitors as they come up. We "x" off a day each morning then talk about what we are going to do that day. Just another way to use your stamp supplies in a non-traditional manner (and justify them as "homeschooling" to your hubby!).

tempation

2010-02-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

I am finally getting to post my 2nd page for the Scripture Challenge. Between sick kiddos last week and no time to create, it kept getting delayed. Now to start the 3rd one! I chose paper from the Cosmo Cricket Boyfriend mini deck for my background. The winding arrows reminded me of the twists, turns and choices we have to make day to day.

Makin' Progress Monday ~ The Basement

2010-02-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I had a chance to clean up in the basement and unpack some more. I got one of the bookcases moved to it's spot and loaded up. I am starting to go through the girls toys and put them in bins. The plan is to rotate them every month, we'll see how I do with that. We have enough toys to keep them entertained for quite a while. The carpet in this room is starting to be visible, not that it is all that exciting being ugly brown and all, but it's progress.

image is everything

2010-01-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today's post is all about using a large image stamp. I found this stamped off image in a bin when unpacking and am pretty sure it is from a Northwoods stamp. I embossed it in black and then colored it with my chalks. The "imagine" is a sentiment by Unity, punched with my word window punch and attached with twine. The base layer (blue) and textured cardstock (green) both came from Paper Maniac. Check out the large selection of quality cardstock in store.

Here Comes the Sun ~ Paper Maniac Blog Hop

2010-01-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Paper Maniac Magical Mystery Blog Hop! If you arrived from Alicia's blog you are in the right place. If you want to see the complete hop, start at the Paper Maniac blog, the creations are fantastic! And all of them were inspired by lyrics of songs by The Beatles

I chose Here Comes the Sun. We have had cloudy, cold days lately and I needed something to create something that reminded me of spring and sunshine. I made the flowers using my scallop circle nestabilities, distress ink, buttons from the Harvest and Sherbet collections and a little glitter. The stem of the flowers is a Unity stamp. The card base is Old Olive with a scallop across the front and the blue layer is actually DP from the Sassafras Lass Sunshine Lollipop's pack. I added distress ink to all layers of paper to complete the look.

Here is a closer view of the flowers.

And the lyrics to Here Comes the Sun:

Here comes the sun,
Here comes the sun,
And I say it's all right.
Little darling it's been a long cold lonely winter,
Little darling it feels like years since it's been here.
Here comes the sun,
here comes the sun,
And I say it's all right.
Little darling the smiles returning to their faces,
Little darling it seems like it's years since it's been here,
Here comes the sun,
here comes the sun,
And I say it's all right.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.
Little darling I feel that ice is slowly melting,
Little darling it seems like years since it's been clear,
Here comes the sun,
here comes the sun,
It's all right,
it's all right.

Want to know what you're playing for? Leave a comment (on all blogs) for your chance to win a mini-deck of all 3 new Cosmo Cricket packs, the new Flourishes cloud background stamp and a package of American Crafts Pearl Brads.

Wait, there's more! If you sign up for an account at Paper Maniac if you haven't already and be entered to win a $20 voucher to the store!

And be sure to sign up as a follower at the Paper Maniac blog for daily inspiration and 2 challenges each month with prizes!

Next, hop on over to ***Tenia's blog***

carefree flair

2010-01-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's that time again. Time for more Unity flair! Today, in my attempt to make a more masculine Valentine's card I got out my Carefree Moments Oak stamp and embossed it in white on some fantastic glossy cardstock from Paper Maniac. The DP is from the black and white pack by Making Memories. I added some metal accents I had on hand from the $1 section at JoAnn's. And the verdict on my attempt at a masculine card after I showed it to hubby was try again.

Check out the Unity Blog for the list of today's blog hop participants! And come back tomorrow for the Paper Maniac blog hop! I can't wait!

YIPEE!!

2010-01-28T05:23:00.000-08:00

I have been invited to guest design for 2 Cute Rubber Stamps for the month of May! I can't wait! You can check out the design team blog for some great inspiration using these stamps! And if you want to see some sketches of potential future stamps and offer your opinion, check out Heidi's sketches here.

a delightful sketch!

2010-01-26T06:05:00.000-08:00

Here is my take on Delightful Sketch #15. Paper Maniac is sponsoring this one and the winner gets a $40 voucher to the store! My patterned papers all came from the Early Bird Cosmo Cricket pack. And, most excitedly, I got to use my new circle Nestabilities on the project! I love them, and all the possibilities they hold! I added some Kaisercraft Pearls to look like bubbles from the elephant's trunk.

Makin' Progress Monday ~ the studio

2010-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

I thought today I'd show off my unpacked studio. Don't you just love the awesome grey paneling? It will go and be painted sheetrock at some point, but not high on the priority list unless we get bored and alot of other stuff done this winter. This first picture is the first wall to the left of the door. Hubby made the cabinets and we got the bins and dimensions for the cabinets from Ikea. I have my ink pads stored in a cassette tape holder from the thrift store. I have some chipboard alphabets in re purposed frap bottles on top.

Boxes with punches and ribbon. I need to get the shelves up still for those.

My "desk". Hubby built the paper racks, I need him to build more and also one in 6x6 size. Can't wait!

Some "awesome" cork backed built in shelves. My silhouette sits safely out of reach of the little ones (and notice their markers are safe there as well). The boxes have misc. felt and sewing supplies. My totes (purple) are sitting in front of them. The file box holds the girls art supplies. My smaller punches and some note card blanks are in the drawer unit.

This shelf is an extra deep bookcase style. Originally it was in the girls closet at the old house. Fabric, sewing and knitting supplies are on the bottom 2 shelves. The photo boxes hold misc papers, adhesives and scraps. Not sure what will go in the blank space on that shelf. My sewing machine and Carl cutter and sewing machine sit on top. Next to the shelf sit a 12x12 album and paper file. Cutting mats and a spare oven liner sheet (think ranger craft mat, but $.99). And the tall cabinet is a pantry cabinet that was in the laundry room at the old place.

Here is the pantry cupboard open. I have document boxes on top and my Stampin' Up! markers sit up there too. The top couple shelves hold my Stampin' Up! and Unity stamps. Then I have some notebooks/sketchbooks, glitter, Bic Mark-it's and Prismacolor Pencils. The next shelf holds a couple 12x12 paper pads. Below that sits some chipboard packs, paper from the thrift store and my heat tool. The blue tins hold my wheels, Sizzix dies and embossing folders and I have one set of watercolor crayons and hodgepodge hardware too. On the bottom I have my paper crimper, a couple cutting plates for the Big Shot, a Creative Memories box where I think I'll store my new Nesties and my drawing pencils which I haven't used since college.

The closet with the doors opened. Some misc boxes and bins. Notice the awesome wallpaper! We'll put shelving up after it gets painted. So for now I just keep the doors closed.

texture, bling and stitching!

2010-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I am enjoying all of the CHA peeks. I can't wait to see some of the new releases! Here is my card for the Paper Maniac Challenge. Play along before February 1 to be entered to win one Impressabilities and one Cuttlebug folder. For texture I ran my paper two different Cuttlebug folders (Perfect Paisley on the purple paper and Swiss Dot for the black paper). I layered my 3 butterflies and added some bling to the belly of the butterfly since I couldn't think of a way to integrate a button into my project. I faux stitched the flight path and added a sentiment from a past Unity Kit of the Month. (By the way, Unity is still 40% off!). And check out the great WorldWin metallic paper I used for the base, it adds such a nice shimmer.

Don't forget to sign up for the Paper Maniac Blog Hop this coming Saturday (the 30th). Details here, all participants will get a $5 voucher to the store!

And for your chance to win $40 to the store, enter the Delightful Sketches challenge sponsored by Paper Maniac.

colorful flair

2010-01-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! Today's project features black and white with a pop of color. I used a white cardstock base, then a piece of Making Memories DP. The stamp is Hawaiian Stem. The buttons are from the Sherbet Collection. I added some pink ric rac across the front to finish it off.

Check out the complete list of participants of today's blog hop on the Unity Blog. Happy hopping!

Oh, and check out Delightful Sketches, Paper Maniac is this week's sponsor and the prize is a $40 gift card to the store!!!

tweet, tweet

2010-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today's card was made when I dug out my Impressabilites and embossed paper from the Earth Love collection. Then I decided I wanted to run that through the Big Shot with the top note die. I stamped the cute bird stamp in Memento Cocoa Brown, then restamped it on a scrap, colored the bird with colored pencils, cut her out and used foam tape to attach her. I tied some twine at the top.

**And just as an FYI, the shipping department is closed at Paper Maniac until 1/26...BUT...the good news is all orders over $25 get a 10% discount if you use the code PATIENT_ME how awesome is that?**

Wishing you all a relaxing Sunday! I'm off to check out today's Scripture challenge word.

Hope Flair!

2010-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! Today's project is actually my 6x6 layout for the 2010 Scripture challenge. The first word to study was hope. I chose Romans 5:3-5 to journal on my page. I used the Princess Flowerette stamped in Versamark on the pink base page. The green cardstock was embossed with the Impressabilities Flourish that Patti sent me for my birthday (in September). The journaling page actually came from a cute tablet I got at the dollar store and I added the cut outs to the side using a punch. And I am all for recycling, the twill tape was wrapped around sheets and blankets my girls got for Christmas. Be sure to check out Angela's blog for a full list of today's Friend's with Flair blog hop!

ENABLER ALERT: Be sure to check out the Unity at Paper Maniac, most of it is 40% off!

Enabler Alert...Nesties 4 packs and Unity Stamps on sale!

2010-01-12T05:18:00.000-08:00

Paper Maniac has awesome sales going on right now! If you aren't on their e-mail list I highly recommend it. 1st deal is on Nestabilities...there are 8 different 4 packs to choose from for $65. I got the circles and they came today! Bug (age 3 1/2) thought it was fun to make circles to put in her purse. She also likes making snowflakes with that set as well. The second deal is for all those fans of Unity Stamp Company...Patti has marked her inventory at 40% off (except the January store kit of the month). Go get those deals! Shipping is free at $75!

Patti is super quick at shipping and sweet to work with :)

Move Over Copic...

2010-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today's project is my take on the Paper Maniac sketch challenge. I used Sassafras Lass DP on my kraft cardstock base. Patti sent me this cute stamp by Serendipity when I moved and I finally have my studio unpacked enough to put it to use. I colored the birdhouse in with my girls' Crayola crayons. One day I will have a large Copic collection, but until then, Crayola to the rescue. Funny side note I did a speech on Crayola in college speech class, I really do think Crayola rocks!

Be sure to check out the Magical Mystery Blog Hop on January 30 and sign up to participate and receive a $5 credit at Paper Maniac!

Butterfly Flair!

2010-01-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! It has been nice to get back into a routine this week. This week's project is a set of 5 cards. I found some blank cards/envelopes when unpacking my studio space and decided I needed to tap into my stash more and use up some of what I have on hand this year. The butterfly stamp is from my faithful August '08 KOTM. The paper is from Sassafras Lass and the great sketch for this card was found on the CPS blog. Be sure to check out the Unity Blog for a full list of participants in the Friends with Flair blog hop today!

Here is the set.

Looking for a Sketch?

2010-01-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

Look no further than the Paper Maniac blog! Create a card or layout using the sketch and comment on the post I just linked to and you'll be entered to win a LaLa Land stamp and some ribbon! If you upload on PCP or SCS use keyword PMSC-01. I love sketches and have my card started...stay tuned!

10 in '10

2010-01-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! As I was thinking ahead to the next year I came across an idea to post 10 goals that aren't necessarily resolutions. Here are the 10 priorities and areas I want to work on/do better/accomplish more in 2010. Many thanks to Shanna for the idea in general and a few specific ones too.

1) Complete Scripture Challenge 2010 ~check out Patter's Blog for details.

2) Set up and stick with daily cleaning schedule that fits with the new house/our schedule. ~before our move I had a pretty good system going. Now that we will have our dryer hooked up (as of tomorrow if all goes well) I won't be spending 2-3 mornings a week driving back and forth doing laundry and I can focus on other areas.

3) Restart SCD and limit cheating :) ~again the move has thrown me off. All the running back and forth, moving, painting, unpacking have necessitated quick meals. I have noticed changes that I will be glad to be rid of again once I buckle down on SCD. The lack of dishwasher slows the cooking process a bit. I need to make the required homemade goodies to be successful, but a better routine and less time on the road to do laundry will help this as well.

4) Intentional time of prayer/Bible Study. ~new study starts next week.

5) Get out of the house monthly without kids; either with friends, hubby or alone. ~I think this will be a bit of a struggle, but I need to be intentional even if it's just running to the grocery store or Target.

6) Work on one sewing or knitting project a month. ~I have a few things I want to complete, I'll need to organize those patterns so I can stay focused.

7) Speak kindly and gently, pause before reacting.

8) Plan family camping trips and monthly activities to break up the house projects. ~they can be simple activities, just something fun to do as a family. Hopefully we'll get in 4 or so camping trips this year as well since the girls enjoy it so much.

9) Work on menu planning to avoid the last minute "what's for dinner?" scramble. ~I am excited to try a few new recipes from my new SCD cookbook.

10) Organize and unpack the remaining rooms in the house, purging along the way. ~just one more way having a washer and dryer here will help me be more productive during our mornings at home.

Grammy's Feet

2009-12-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

I made this frame for my mom. While at the cabin this summer we discovered that Bug's feet fit almost perfectly in the shoe impressions Grammy made when the cabin steps were poured. The bottom picture is my mom's initials and date in the cement. I used the fun Sassafras Lass Sunshine Lollipop paper as mats for the photos and on the tag. I dug out my paper edge punch, I think I need to start using these more, I love what it added to the edge of the orange. Check out all the great ones in stock at Paper Maniac here. The title was die cut using my Big Shot and the letters were ran through my "X".

A belated Merry Christmas and introducing...Frosty and The Worm!

2009-12-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas friends! I hope that you had a wonderful time celebrating the birth of Christ with family and friends. The girls have had fun enjoying all our snow and using their new shovels. This past week, (unrelated to Christmas, but more importantly related to potty success)we welcomed 2 guppies into our home. They currently reside in a big vase, their new 29 gallon home will arrive mid next week. Frosty has the red tail and Worm has the blue tail. Hubby and I have wanted fish for a while so this was our chance to start an aquarium. We would have loved to set up a saltwater tank, but we didn't have a spare $1,000 laying around. Bug is really enjoying feeding them and they both like to watch them swim.

A Photo Cube

2009-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

I picked these up from the Target $1 spot a while back (I am not sure if they are still there). I had some photos made into wallets for this project. I made the pages simple since I didn't want to have to try and accommodate the thickness embellishments would add. The patterned papers all came from the cute Sassafras Lass paper pack! (on sale now for only $.97).

Here are the sides all laid out.

Friends with Flair! (part 2 of the 12 tags of Christmas)

2009-12-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I can't believe it's only one week until Christmas! Are you ready? I am getting there...baby steps. I took time out to make more tags for the 12 tags of Christmas challenge. The first tag features Jolly Little Winter colored with my Stampin' Up! markers. "m.c." stands for Merry Christmas! The patterned paper came from a Paper Maniac card kit and I added some Kaisercraft rhinestones in the corner.

Here are tags 4, 5 and 6. I made number 4, using distress inks on the background, added a scrap of patterned paper across the bottom that matched the background colors. The "Joy" stamp is by Recollections and Kaisercraft pearls adorn the corner. You can see I had some help with numbers 5 and 6. Button colored in Rudolph (also a Recollections stamp) on tag #5 and Bug chose the colors and stamps for tag #6. The bling on their tags was in my stash.

12 tags of Christmas (part 1)

2009-12-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

I was inspired when I came across Tim Holtz's blog to make some fun gift tags this Christmas.

The one on the left uses Graphic 45 "Christmas Past" paper pack. I tore the edges of the paper and added distress ink. The background tag uses Peeled Paint, Broken China and Tea Dye distress inks. The Merry Christmas stamp came from the Michael's $1 bin and was stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa ink.

The tag on the right uses Broken China and Walnut Stain distress inks for the background. The tree is stamped in Peeled Paint ink, stamping the image 3 times in a row to get the lighter tones. "Noel" was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa ink. Both of these stamps were also found in the Michael's $1 bin. The corner piece is a piece of chipboard that I colored with a silver Sharpie and covered with Crackle Accents.

I attached them to their respective gifts with hemp twine.

Rudolph!

2009-12-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today's project is fun for kids of all ages, and makes the created keepsakes archival when you use scrapping supplies. We made reindeer! First trace both hands on dark brown cardstock and cut out. Next trace one foot (shoe on or off, your choice) on a lighter brown cardstock. You can let the kids color them while you are cutting if they are too young to use scissors. Or have them use your paper punches to punch out the eyes and nose. My oldest (3 1/2) just loves to use my paper punches. We used 3/4 inch for the red nose, 1/2 inch for the white of the eye, and 1/4 inch for the pupil.

I decided I wanted to hang mine up in frames normally occupied with family photos, so I cut cardstock down to 8x10 for the frames. In the center frame, I stamped out "Merry Christmas 2009". I added the girls names and "2009" using the Just My Type alphabet by Unity Stamp Company.

Here are my 3 frames hanging up. Bug loves seeing her project up on display.

As an added bonus, a project like this helps me justify my supplies to my hubby as necessary for "preschool". ;)

Backpack Tags!

2009-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Time for more inspiration! Today's project is a set of 3 backpack tags (or could be diaper bag tags, lunchbag tags, etc.). I make them business card size and slip them into badge holders found at Wal-mart. I added 2 additional holes for a total of 4 ribbons and tied on grosgrain ribbon and put a drop of crystal effects in the center to secure it. Not shown in the picture is a binder ring that is used to attach it to the backpack.

I have to apologize for the poor pictures as the computer with the editing software isn't set up quite yet and daylight is lacking these days. The first one uses Sunshine Lollipop paper and some Bazzill Jewels.

The second tag uses a Unity stamp from a past KOTM, and silver brads. The background paper is also from the Sunshine Lollipop pack.

Lastly I made this one using a penguin from Unity Stamp Company. I colored him with my markers and added Sherbet buttons to the side.

countdown to Christmas

2009-11-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

For this project I altered a mini clipboard with Eskimo Kisses paper by Basic Grey. I just love the colors and patterns. I added some matching buttons to the side, a stitched button near the bottom and various ribbons at the top. I first stitched my papers together on my sewing machine then Mod Podged them to the clipboard. For the title at the bottom, I used my Silhouette. I just love how it turned out. I am not quite sure how I am going to display my countdown, so stay tuned for that. I do know that I need more Basic Grey, this is fantastic. Check out the AMAZING deals to be had at Paper Maniac this Black Friday!

PS... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

place cards and ornaments

2009-11-17T04:45:00.000-08:00

Today I thought I'd share a couple of quick and easy additions to your holiday decor. Both projects are kid friendly too. For starters how about some place cards for your Thanksgiving table. I used my topnote die and Big Shot (only since I don't have Nestabilities). I ran some Graphic 45 and Cosmo Cricket papers through for the base layer, and vanilla cardstock for the top layer, then distressed the edges a bit. My daughter helped me attach some Autumn Afternoon Chipboard stickers; I thought they were really nice to work with and some even have a velvety texture! Finally, I stamped the guests names.

My 2nd little project involves metal juice lids. My girls love to play with them so we have a few, I swiped 3 for these cute penguin ornaments. First I stamped a cute penguin from the Jolly Little Winter kit by Unity Stamp Company using Staz-On ink. Next I tried two methods of coloring in the penguin, and my daughter helped with the third ornament. Finally I attached an eyelet to the top using my crop-o-dile.

This one I colored with Bic Mark-It's. A word of caution, don't go over the staz-on ink or it erases it.

The next one I used a fine tip glue pen and glitter (Martha Stewart Crafts). I love the sparkle!

And here is the one Bug colored. Since her coloring erased the penguin, I stamped him again after she colored. I'll have to maybe try embossing it next time for a better result, but she had fun creating.

Christmas Wish List

2009-11-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hey gals! I finally got a chance to get out some crafting supplies and create again! I decided I needed to whip up a little booklet to keep track of gifts to make or purchase for Christmas. I used some adorable Graphic 45 double sided Christmas papers as the base layer. Using my Top Note die (since I didn't have a Nestabilities set for this project...Christmas hint, hint) I cut out the base layer from the DP, then cut a top piece out of cardstock, and cut along the perforation then distressed the edges. If I could have located them, I would have used my distress inks and a jumbo eyelet to add interest.

In case you want a peek into my studio in it's current state, here it is.

And this is why I can't find my eyelets. They're in a box. Alot of the boxes belong in my studio, but that is last on the list. Areas like the kitchen and living room seem to be a bit more important.

Didja miss me?

2009-10-23T06:34:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that moving is exhausting. Life has been chaos for over 2 weeks now. We have most of our stuff here now but it is all still in boxes. Before I can unpack, cleaning needs to occur. I am almost done with the kitchen cabinets. Let me just say that I should not be going through a bucket of water for one cabinet. NASTY. Here are some pics of our "progress".

The rental truck I got to drive! Notice it's size compared to the Explorer.

Here is the broken lift gate. It wouldn't go back up so we could no longer drive it. They had to tow the truck. Thankfully we were mostly done with it.

The girls room. 2 tone green.

Our room, the colors aren't the best in the picture, but I like how it looks in real life. You get the idea.

The living room. Again the colors aren't best and I don't have editing software on this computer. I love how it looks. The dark beams took 3 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint. Not bad considering all the walls needed 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint because they were so smokey stained.

A swatch of the really old carpet under the carpet in the bedroom. WooHOO 1973!

Our room after the built in was removed and wall repair was underway.

The oil tank once it was dug out.

Oil tank in the ground.

Snow on October 12. Pretty, but so not right. I love fall and miss that we skipped it.

Flamingos outside the front door.

Boxes in the living room.

Boxes in the dining room. The carpet will get ripped up before the girls destroy it. We have been sitting on the kitchen floor to eat since spills wipe much easier there. .

Our bedroom...hmmm...boxes there too.

And the girls room. Notice we did get the paneling off the wall and it was sheet rocked under the paneling. Much better.

old school gaming

2009-10-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

The challenge this week was to make a card without using an image. I chose to break open the Cosmo Cricket and use stuff from their "the Boyfriend" collection. I love the patterned papers the colors are fabulous! I ran a piece of wire through my paper crimper and added it to the card by securing the ends with good 'ol Scotch tape, it not only attaches the wire, it protects the recipient from the wire ends. The front of the card is cut short along the pattern to give it interest. I choose the joystick controller sticker. I figure a sentiment can be added to the inside when I am ready to give it, anything from "Happy Birthday" to "Thinking of You" could fit.

Paper: the Boyfriend by Cosmo Cricket, Chocolate Chip SU cardstock

Accessories: the Boyfriend stickers, wire, scissors, corner rounder, adhesive

another 1973 flashback

2009-10-04T04:45:00.000-07:00

Just posting some more pictures of our new soon-to-be home. We close next Wednesday, I am excited for the possibilities it holds. And then the real fun will begin. The first weekend we'll be busy cleaning, prepping for painting and then giving everything a fresh coat of paint. We'll also be ripping up the brand new carpet that is in the dining area. With a 3 year old and an 18 month old, it'd be NASTY in a week from all the spills. I just started packing things up around here. We'll be moving two weeks from today. It is going to be a crazy few weeks around here.

Here is the girls room. You'll notice the lovely brown paneling and trendy mauve curtains.

This lovely floor to ceiling shelf closes in the dining room from the stairs. Can anyone spot the safety issue with this? Let's just say a piece of plywood will be screwed into the back until it can be replaced with a mission style railing down the road. And yes, little one has already tried to climb through it.

Yellow kitchen sink anyone?

This is the light hanging over the stairs. I actually kind of like it though so I'm not sure of it's future.

And does anyone like landscaping? Check out the HUGE bush in the back corner of the lot. It is literally at least 20 feet wide and about as deep.

Happy World Card Making Day!

2009-10-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

In honor of World Card Making Day, Paper Maniac has the August and September Unity Stamp Company store kits on sale. They are an amazing 40% off through Sunday at noon.

Go grab them while you can!

Get one or both, you know you want to!

Button Mania!

2009-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's all about the Buttons and Brads this week at Paper Maniac! Be sure to check out the Halloween Boo-tique too, it's all 15% off this week! And be on the look out for fun ways your kids can enjoy in paper crafting with you by checking out the Crafty Kids Corner, there are some fun Christmas projects!

Here is the bookmark I made for my Bible, I am in a study at my church on the book of Esther and needed something more "me" than an old bulletin for my place marker.

Stamps: Contempo Alphabit (Stampin' Up!)

Papers: Old Olive cardstock, Sassafras Lass Sunshine Lollipop

Ink: Tea Dye distress ink, Memento cocoa brown.

Accessories: buttons from the stash