a little bit of this...

Distressed Core Tag How-To

2012-02-13T07:02:00.001-05:00

Good Morning!
Thought today would be late start for us but alas, it's not.
We got a dusting last night. ~~Where is my real snow?~~
I have been watching the weather around the world and it is crazy! Those poor people in Croatia, my heart breaks for them. So I will retract my statement about wanting lots and lots of snow.

Today I have a tag up on the May Arts Blog using Core'dinations Core Tag. (LOVE these tags so much!) Each one comes with metal grommet.

First crinkle the card like crazy and sand it. Don't forget your Sand It Gadget!!!

Spray spray spray!

Add layers of color...

Take a needle and thread the May Arts burlap string. Then thread that through the larger ribbon, crushed satin Ribbon by May Arts.

It is like a loop in a ribbon if that makes any sense!

I have some fun NEWs

2012-02-10T07:50:00.005-05:00

I am excited! You KNOW how I love to STAMP!!!!!!!!!

You should check out them out .....Nicole's stamps they are CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE!

And I got my grubby hands on some of them at CHA when I met Nicole and her sweet husband.

Of course...I used Core Core Core on here, too. Some Black Magic and PP Core Impressions. Stamped on our our Pearls cardstock. It stamps beautifully.

Don't forget about the SWEET Sale going on now through Sunday on Spectacle, Buddie Bee, & Hello Beautiful
Use coupon code HB10 in the Sweet Shop to get 10% off your purchase of any of these 3 sets!This is the one I used.....

Hard Core Crafter

2012-02-07T10:59:00.000-05:00

ARE YOU HARD CORE????????

I think you might be ;) I know I am.

Do you love to tear, sand and rip Core'dinations Cardstock every chance you get??????????

Then you NEED to sign up HERE NOW! It is FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

You will get to view exclusive videos....win TONS of Core goodies....AND view sneak peaks before anyone else.

Yummmmmmmm!

2012-01-24T16:26:00.001-05:00

How much do you love cupcakes? I never considered myself having a sweet tooth until now.

If you would like a full tutorial on how to make this card click here to go to the May Arts blog. It is May Arts and Hero Arts blog week. That means there is a giveaway!!!!!!!!

I used May Arts striped Twill (I looooooooooooove this ribbon so much!!!!!!) and the cardstock is Core'dinations.

{click on images to make them larger}

I scored along the chevron stripes of the cupcake liner.

Lawn Fawn, Core & some May Arts Ribbon

2012-01-20T11:02:00.003-05:00

Lawn Fawn, Core & some May Arts Ribbon = The PERFECT Friday post! Right?

Have you been over to the May Arts blog lately??????????

Well you should! :) Bethney and team gave it a huge make over and it looks awesome so go check it out!

And today I have TWO tutorials over there for you.

For these cards I used some May Arts Suede String (LOVE this stuff) especially in gray of course!

The patterned paper is Teresa Collins On The Edge and the cardstock is Core'dinations. Stamps are Lawn Fawn and adhesives are Helmar. They have some of the cutest stamps!!

I used some Glitter Silk Core'dinations and made my own little banner with some May Arts Plaid Ribbon in gray and topped it off with some more Suede String. It's funny...now I keep TOOTHPICKS, of all things!, on my scrappy desk. They are my new go to supply for making my own little banners. Don't be afraid to make them out of ribbon! So head over to the May Arts blog today to see how to make these fun cards.

The second tutorial is how to make this fun little braid along the bottom....

Hello Saturday, It's me Ellen.

2012-01-14T16:40:00.000-05:00

Working like a busy bee...and it feels good to be back scrapping!

I have a few lo's to share today and a, well, a funny store. So Henry and I were sleeping in. Okay, I was...he just came into our room after brain left for work and owen got on the bus and we snuggled watching TV :)

Anywho....I hear the dogs going crazy in their kennels and I hear this ruccus outside. Yup. They're back...TURKEYS...started off as about 20 of them but now there are 50+ easily. Talked to my neighbor today and she counted 60. So...think of 60 turkeys in your backyard as your alarm clock. They are LOUD. Sooo loud and a really strange kind of noise. Not gobbling for sure. Or the cute sound you make when you are like, "gobble, gobble" it's more like garbuckabuckabuckabuck. And of course, the camera was downstairs so we missed a great shot. Guess I have to go to bed with my camera now, LOL! So now that you are officially schooled in the daily life of a turkey at the Sosnoski household...

how about some layouts? So you know how I love stamping!

Speaking of stamps.................

Did someone stay stamping????????

I did some, as I like to call it...schtampin' on these with some CD stamps and some of my favorite goodies...LYB!

{remember to click on the images to make them larger}

I love love this CD stamp!!! Today...just a great word :)

So this is Chase. You see my pooches in my lo's a lot. I used the 10 Favorite Things from his perspective...you know sleeping, bones, chasing turkeys!!! LOL!.....

These adhesive fabric stickers in chevron are the BOMB!

And my fave fiskars punch :) pawprint.

I spruced these up a bit and punched them.

And my ham! Henry! Hammin' up for the camera with his Cheeto face.

I cut out the butterfly below and then used this cool postage stamp border that was left over from the ticket/journaling card.

And I love this one, LOL! He is such a Turkey! I cut the title with some Lifestyle Crafts alphas. AND I embossed the woodgrain sticker!!! LOOOOOOVE these. So sad I only have one left :( But seriously...Twig is my favorite line ever.

You can see the embossing here a bit better and I made my own turkey.

Seriously...has anyone ever said that word turkey so many times in one blog post? LOL!!!!!

I did a few cards, too, but I subbed them to Papercrafts. One of these days they are going to pick up one of my cards!!!!

2012-01-10T19:31:00.001-05:00

I have been a mad woman on Pinterest lately.

Some people pin stuff for their home and craft ideas. Apparently I pin cocktails :)

You need to check out my Let's Get In The Spirit board ;)

This one might be my fave. Every time I go to the store I get blackberries. Fresh in season or frozen if out of season and I freeze them for drinks. It started out as a way to save fruit that was going to spoil and now it's like a hobby. I have different baggies in the freezer that I pull out when it is cocktail time and finding different fruit to pair with cocktails drinks is so much fun. AND, not it's just for cocktails. I love putting a frozen orange peel or some frozen cantaloupe chunks in my water. So...anyway... How perfect is this for the holidays?? YUM! I never got a chance to make it but it is high on my list. Um. like this weekend ;)

Oh and I pinned this, too. :) If this could be me any more like me, I am not really sure.

And my most favorite ice cream treat is Friendly's Watermelon Roll. Check out THESE!

From cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com

Some Scrappin' !!!

2011-12-29T23:23:00.002-05:00

So I got my scrap on again this week. Been home with the boys and no classes to teach does my scrapping mojo good! :)

The first one is for the Core Colour Challenge so make sure you head over there and check it out. It's the most gorgeous colour pallette!!! I used loads of Cosmo Cricket Core Impressions on here.

{Remember to click on the images to make them larger}

Next up is the from the Cocoa Daisy December Kit. I love their kits so much.

I can't believe how much I scrap with them!!!! I keep them all piled on my desk and just go to

town. I love the December kit b/c it's filled with yellows and gray....and they always have fun challenges that just get me going ;)

And I a few weeks ago I did a tutorial on making your own Chevron prints with Core here and I used that for this layout.

The challenge was to use tissue paper and layers so I used modge podge and OA sprinklers on some kraft.

The cut it out and layered it this Amy Tangerine frame

Christmas Card Time!

2011-12-23T06:52:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Sosnoskis!

Here is our Christmas card that will be going out soon. We had fun with it this year, especially since the boys were BEYOND silly this year when it came time for Christmas pictures so this worked out for us.

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Webster's Love

2011-12-20T13:52:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you saw this but Webster's is having a Clean and Simple DT call. Details are here. If you are like me and love Webster's but use their products in a more simple fashion than you need to apply. Brandin is one of the nicest people I have ever met, it's family owned business and their products knock my socks off ;) They are beyond generous and foster a fun loving atmosphere.

So I have been nursing a really bad cold for over a month now. I am on my second sinus infection, second round of antibiotics and can't kick this cough from my bronchitis. So besides work, there isn't much for me to do but rest. That gets old so I scrap.

I got some goodies from the last release and here is what I created.

Remember to click on the images to make them larger.

I got this ampersand stamp from Stampin' Up! YEARS ago so I busted it out for this mask....the balloon is a Webster's stamp, too. Rain drops are with my Irock.

This one is for the December Challenge. I added some Vintage Cardstock from Core to this...the colors match perfectly!

And here is Brain posing in Brussels. Love this big red door. We had a fun photo shoot here.

And a card . I love me some cards!!!

May Arts and Graphic 45

2011-12-13T08:32:00.007-05:00

Welcome to the May Arts and Graphic45 Blog Hop!

Before I get started, I wanted to let you know that May Arts is beyond generous and you need to head over to their blog for giveaways!!! And to Graphic45....you don't want to miss what they are giving away, too!
Here is the info you need for today.

Tuesday's Hop:

Prima Ribbonistas:

Ellen Sosnoski
Charlene Driggs
Jen Shears

Graphic 45:

Laura Denison

Melaine Forbes

In Case you need yesterday's information...

Prima Ribbonistas:

Graphic 45:

Today I have a layout for you that combines ribbon and paper. I love being able to use the gorgeous ribbons from May Arts just like paper. I cut the the flags shapes out of patterned papers and then used a 1.5" May Arts ribbon just like a piece of the Graphic45 pp. They have the most gorgeous holiday paper don't you think? Check it out here.

You can't even tell which one is ribbon, they blend so seemlessly. I love that!
{Remember to click on the images to make them larger}

Here is a close up of the two toned 1.5" May Arts Ribbon that I cut just like the pp and Graphic45 Core Impressions. :

Cardstock is Graphic45 Core Impressions and Graphic45 Signature Series. Stamp is Cocoa Daisy exclusive.

And............. next up is the May Arts Suede String. GOSH I love this stuff!!!

I inked mine with some pigment ink. The key is using pigment inks so it absorbs into the suede material. It does need to sit a bit to dry.

With one stroke of the ink, you can completely change the color!

And not sure if you can tell but I ran the Graphic45 metal flower through my Cuttlebug.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

If you are looking for more giveaways head over to the Core blog for giveaways from now until Christmas!!!

Wink ;) Wink ;) Wink ;)

2011-12-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Hump Day!

Well, it really is almost over but that is okay. I am excited to be back in the blogging groove these days. A few blogs a week is a good thing. Means I am scrapping more again, too, and that always makes a girl happy.

You know what else makes me smile? Winks. Nothing beats a wink from this kid. Nothin'.

;)

I have some scrappy pages to share, too.

I used a mix of Cocoa Daisy kits for these layouts. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE these Glitz stickers. I have seen people cutting the paper with the line of the sticker so I did that here. But why stop there? LOL! I did it three times and layered the pp. I really wanted to use all of these papers together.

This is Brian's family..his brother (left) mom and dad and then brain (right).

Remember to click on the images to make the larger.

I embossed the of the flowers after I cut them out of the left over pp. You know me and my texture :)

And then some photos of Henry. I swear this kid has mastered the art of Play.

Have a GREAT week! We have some exciting things happening over at Core so you need to stay close for deets!!!!!!!!

Teresa Collins World Traveler

2011-12-03T23:58:00.000-05:00

Some Teresa Collins World Traveler in the house!

I got my stash from For the Luv of Art. You are going to love love love this line. I used it for a trip to Amsterdam this summer for Core. It could be for any road trip. And even the damask prints and the greens and black and whites.....gorgeous! I love the lattice print and the map paper especially. Seriously, how much map paper can you really have? :):):)

{You can click on the images to make them larger}

The banner is from a Cocoa Daisy stamp.

The Chevron print is Core'dinations Core Impressions (Pink Paislee)

I had so much fun creating these and was totally inspired by some challenges over at Cocoa Daisy a few weeks ago.

Lawn Fawn and May Arts

2011-11-30T15:56:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to stamp!

May Arts is have a blog week with Lawn Fawn. Gosh do I love the cute little stamps they have.

Here is my post on how to make this little bail of hay. You might wanna head over there to win some stamps and ribbon, too!

The cardstock is Core'dinations. The cloud is Whitewash. And the string is May Arts Twisted Burlap {insert swooning noise here}. OH and I used a Copic marker on the card, too!

Hold the phone, I know. a COPIC! Thanks to my friend Joyce, she may get me hooked on these soon enough.

{click on images for a slideshow}

Again, I have more close ups and a step by step tutorial on the May Arts blog here.

Wacky Wednesday with some Pink Paislee

2011-11-23T12:00:00.002-05:00

So are you ready for the Holiday? I am. R AND R baby. I have the worst chest cold and sinus infection. What a way to spend the Holiday. Good thing is we aren't doing NADA. Nope, nothing...just going to the in-laws and chillin'. Can't wait for that. With this cold I might want to stay in bed but I might get yanked out. Maybe if I threaten them with cooking I will get to stay in bed ;)

Speaking of chillin'...I have the funniest photo of henry and i sneaking some cheetos in the garage the other day. He is the quirkiest kid. He wanted a snack so I got him some in a bowl and he asked to go eat them in the garage. What? Yep. Garage. So I got out the cooler and he got out his chair and we had a Cheeto picnic. So without further ado... let me introduce you to Mr. Cheeto Face....

And then of course Mr Nosey didn't want to miss anything so he came out to make sure we weren't shooting baskets in his new basketball hoop. We will call him Mr No Shoes in November...

Anywho....

So up for a project? I made this for the Core'dinations and Pink Paislee blog swap last week. Core and PP teamed up for the GORGEOUS Pink Paislee Modern Prints Core Impressions line...

{Remember to click on the images for larger images and a slide show}

I layered and layered the cut out flowers with some Glue Arts UCut 3D Adhesives.

And I stole this cool scissor from Joyce to make these fun flowers. This scissor is SO FUN! I would definitely recommend stealing one from a friend ;)

And a card....

Holiday Wishes

2011-11-18T21:00:00.010-05:00

Welcome to the Getting Cricky blog hop with K Andrews stamps. I am so excited to be part of this hop. If you are hoppin' along and you came from Kristal's blog and you will be heading to Shawn's blog next.

AND Kristal is giving away ONE stamp set to someone who comments on this blog! Yep...all you need to do is comment to win. EASY, huh?

Oh and there is MORE.

I have a promo code for you ;)

Enter cricky20 at checkout & all you fabulous hoppers will get 20% off your nentire purchase through Sunday ONLY! Hurry and get yourself an early Christmas Present.

Here are a few reasons why I LOVE LOVE these stamps!

Each of the stamps sets benefit charity. At least $1 per stamp set goes to benefit the charity noted on the stamp set package. She donates to TONS of amazing charity. $1 for every stamp set sold, retail or wholesale will go to the charity noted. So you can feel good that each time you purchase a K Andrew Designs art stamp set, someone around the country is receiving some good help!

ALL of her stamps are all made and assembled here in the USA, which is very important to me. This ensures all product materials are safe and that jobs are being provided and maintained here in America. You can learn even more about these stamps (and pick some up for yourself) by visiting my online store: K Andrew Designs:

The theme of the hop is Holiday Wishes so I have some cards I created just for Christmas using the Fall-o-Ween stamp set (YES, I used a Halloween themed set for these!!!) I love getting creative and using my supplies in as many ways as I can (i.e. getting my money's worth ;)

I used this set for Holiday Cards...You gotta love that kind of versatility.

If you click on the images you can get a look at a larger image and a small slideshow of all of the photos on this post.

Don't be afraid to use big ribbon on your cards. This silky ribbon is from May Arts and it is 1.5". Patterned paper is Echo Park and Cardstock is Core.

The cute little wings in the Fall-o-Ween set are so fun. I used them here for the corners.

And then I used a PTI die to create the window.

The bow is attached to the outside of the window so you can open the card. I just tacked it on with some Glue Arts adhesive squares.

This is a better shot of the ribbon tacked on to the outside of the card.

This is the SOFTEST and SILKIEST ribbon

EVER!

Have a fun hop!

Remember you are off to Shawn's blog next.

Happy Tuesday!

2011-11-15T12:01:00.001-05:00

So this is funny. As I am typing this, I was thinking it was Wednesday. Oh boy.

Where does the time go?
First up, I wanted to share THIS awesome Give-a-way over at Lifestyle Crafts.
PICK ME PICK ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!! Hands down I love love love their 12" dies the best. Not to mention all if their stuff goes GREAT with Core!

I made some layouts this weekend with my some Cocoa Daisy kit papers and an older Scrapdango kit and some Websters! Love mixin' it up ;)

OH and make sure you head over to Core blog! Pink Paislee Swap week!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember to click on the images to make them larger....

This was for an hour challenge you needed a list, some office stuff and other goodies. I have been dying to scrap this photo of Chase sunbathing. Cardstock is Core'dinations...Whitewash and a Jenni Bowlin mini. I got so much use out of this Fancy Pants Off To School paper from the Scrapdango kit a few months ago.

And some more Fancy Pants! Challenge was to use some large fonts. I am so into red lately!!! Maybe it's the Holiday season approaching...of course pair it with some teal :):):)

I cut some of the squares, embossed them and raised them with pop up dots from Glue Arts.

And some Websters!!! YIPEEEEE! It's been so long since I played with some. I forgot how much I missed it. This is for a handstitching title. Gonna do this more! And more hints of red red red!

Some hand stitching...

Embossed some Glitter Silk carstock from Core.

OWH November 11

2011-11-11T05:44:00.002-05:00

Today is the May Arts Veteran's Day Operation Write Home hop!

Please help us spread love to those amazing men and women that keep us safe and served and continually serve our country every day. We LOVE you and THANK YOU!

I used Twisted Burlap form May Arts (cannot get enough of this stuff!) and tons of Core.

Core Essentials, the NEW Core Tags (again, a new crush for me), and some Tim Holtz Kraft-Core!

AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE PINTEREST CROP OVER AT FOR THE LUV OF ART.

CHALLENGES ARE GOING UP ALL DAY TODAY!

{CLICK ON IMAGE TO MAKE IT LARGER}

NO WAY! Pinterest Crop!

2011-11-07T10:04:00.001-05:00

YES IT'S TRUE.

FIRST EVER.

PINTEREST CROP.

AT FOR THE LUV OF ART.

BE THERE OR BE SQUARE.

You name it,. we got it.

Recipe Challenges...DIY yourself projects.

Layouts....Cards...Holiday gifts...Modge Podge :):):)

{click on the image to make it larger}

Some Layouts and a Card

2011-11-02T00:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday!

So I am super stoked for a scrappy weekend!!!

OH and mark you calendars baby.

PINTEREST Crop at FTLOA November 11th!!!!

DEETS SOON

Here are a few layouts I created with some gorgeous My Mind's Eye that I got over at FTLOA and some Gel-a-Tins stamps. OH and the tags are new Core tags. I LOVE these and cannot stop making and using tags. These tags come with a gorgeous metal grommet. Love that.

{Please click on the images to make them larger and see a slide show}

I accented the circle scraps from my hole punch with the tiny stamped circles and then used some date stamps on the tag.

stamps :)

These are paisley stamps that I cut out and then fanned under the vintage button.

Same technique here. Cut out the MME Core sentiment from the MME mini Core pad and inked it.

And this gorgeous acrylic flower is exclusive FTLOA :)

Decorate your Envelopes Halloweeeeeeeen Style

2011-10-30T17:17:00.001-04:00

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!!

So we had some friends over a few weekends ago and the kids carved pumpkins. It was FUN! And I got some shots that I want to give the parents so I decided to decorate these envelopes from the FTLOA store. Norma has SO many cool colors you should check them out here and all sorts of sizes, too. These over sized ones are great for photos. This pp is MME Mischievous from the store here. Grab it while you can!!!!

{Click on the images to make them larger and if you click on the photos, you can see a slide show of all the photos in this post. COOL, huh???}

I used an older Stampin' Up! Stamp on here where you build your own pumpkins. I use this set EVERY year during Halloween. I looove a good stamp set like that.

And the tag on the front is interactive. I loooove stamping right on my patterned paper like

I did here.

I wrapped the photos with some ribbon to keep them all together.

Elle's Studio Sketch

2011-10-26T09:40:00.001-04:00

I got some serious scrappy time this past weekend and it was great. I dove into my Scrapdango kit and love all of these fun Amy Tangerine papers. I loooove the colors and of course this fun Chevron print. I think I had more fun using the bottom strips of paper than anything else. I love that companies are utilizing these strips for added designs.

I used the Elle's Studio sketch for this, I just had to when I saw it and saw these two little wallet photos tucked together up at the top of the page. You MUST get the Layered Cut outs! I have a close up of the little date one I cut out. And Elle's Studio is having a hop all week long with some Lily Bee :) I wish they had sheets with just Date cut outs {wink wink}

The green cardstock is Tim Holtz Kraft-Core. This stuff doesn't leave my desk.

{Click on the images to make them larger}

PHEW!

2011-10-20T15:13:00.000-04:00

I find less and less time to blog these days and that makes me sad!

We had some fun weekends just being at home the last few weeks after our whirlwind September.

I wanted to share with you some cards I made over World Card Making Day. I went to town. It was my first time scrapping since AUGUST!

Most of them were for the Pink Paislee Challenges they had over at Live Pink forum.

For this first one, I embossed the blackboard sticker and then rubbed my white craft ink on it to show off the embossed images. OH and the card base is Kraft Core :):):)

I used a Spellbinders pennant die for this card....

This was for a color challenge....

And this layering stamps...I used some Gel-a-tins stamps and the twine is kind of like the Compass Rose with the map paper.

Tim Holtz Kraft-Core Wreath with Glue Arts

2011-10-08T06:40:00.002-04:00

This wreath is featured over at the Core blog for the Glue Arts Blog swap we had this week. This time of year is all about fall and with that time of year comes the time to be thankful for all we have.
I have made it a point to be thankful more often and to thank God about what I have and not what I want. For me it's about giving my thanks to the universe, knowing that more will come by being thankful than wanting and needing all the time. It has brought an amazing kind of peace for me. Not wanting and needing things but just living be thankful...it's a bit hard to explain I guess.

With that being said... there are some special things about this wreath that I am very thankful for. I am so thankful for my role over at Core. I love the people, have met friends that will be a part of my life forever, love the company, and of course the product!!!! And recently, I have had the opportunity to travel and I love to travel. Sometimes I wonder if I have a restless soul or something. I tell Brian all the time..when you are ready to move out of the US for another adventure let me know!

The leaves on here were cut in the Netherlands when I was there doing some work for Core. The Sizzix booth was next to me and Peter, one of their designers, demo'd the Vagabond and cut these leaves for me. They are gorgeous! The rich fall colors from the Tim Holt Kraft-Core collection are just perfection and to be able to create something from that means a lot. It's funny, too, because Brian was there with me and we all met up for dinner after work and Peter and Brian were like long lost brothers. They had so much in common it was crazy! It's amazing the way people come into your life.

Also the wooden spool is from my husband's grandfather's sewing kit. His grandfather was a tailor in the Navy. When he came home from Pearl Harbor (he floated on a mattress for days until he was rescued) he was the town MilkMan. They called him Willy the Milkman and he also sewed clothes, drapes and did repairs. I love hearing my husband's stories of driving in the truck with him delivering milk when he was a boy. We are blessed to have his sewing machine in our home and all of his supplies including hundreds of wooden spools like this.

Please click on the images to make them larger and to see more detail:

You still have time to win over at Core'dinations and Glue Arts!!!!!

Glue Arts!

2011-10-03T10:50:00.001-04:00

This week Core'dinations and Glue Arts are teaming up for some inspiration!

So make sure you head over to both blogs for some chances to win goodies and check out the gorgeous projects the design teams have been up to.

I really love Glue Arts. Whenever we have a trade show or make-n-takes to make, Glue Arts is there to supply us with Glue Glider pro's and Square Adhesives. They are super super generous!

For this gift bag I used some My Mind’s Eye Core Impressions and My Mind’s Eye Minis and Glue Arts Adhesive Squares, Glue Arts Glider Pro and Glue Arts UCut it Foam Adhesive.
Stamps are from Cocoa Daisy.

And next up I created a card using some Pink Paislee Core Impressions and a Core Tag in Pastels (I looooove these!!!) I was over at their Live Pink (The Pink Paislee forum) this weekend and played along with some of their WCMD challenges to upcycle so I used a rubon applicator.

This is the best part. I used some UCut it Foam Adhesive, of course, and ONE adhesive square for the rubon applicator! I only needed one that is how tacky they are. I put it right under the ribbon knot and it’s not going anywhere.

World Card Making Day

2011-10-01T10:46:00.004-04:00

Happy World Card Making Day!!!

But before we get started make sure you mark your calendars for THIS!

Core is at it again ;) and we LOVE it.

AND CORE IS GIVING AWAY A PAPER PACK THIS WEEKEND!!!
ONE LUCKY WINNER THAT CREATES A CARD USING THIS COLOUR PALETTE
WILL WIN!
You gotta use Core ;)

So today I have some cards to share....

The first one is for the Core'dinations Colour Lovers October Palette. Isn't it gorgeous???

For my card, I used some Tim Holtz Kraft Core, Sizzix leaves cut with a Tim Holtz die, and some Whitewash. Finished it off with a myStamp Box stamp.

{click on images to make them larger}

And May Arts is participating in OWH so join the Hop over at the May Arts blog today! SUCH a great cause and this is the card that I created.

Right now they are looking for Holiday cards so I created this card using tons of Core'dinations Cardstock (Jenni Bowlin Core Impressions Brights and Core Essentials) and some May Arts Twill.
For the tree, cut a triangle, fold it in half and then run it through your Fiskars paper trimmer.

{click on images to make them larger}

Hey! CROP ALERT!

2011-09-28T23:21:00.001-04:00

(If you are here for Core...scroll down a bit ;) )

We are super duper excited!

Awesome challenges...

Prizes are being posted here...

Seriously come join us for the weekend. It's World Card

Making Day...loads of challenges for the weekend...a GREAT

group of ladies...fun stuff.

For the Luv Art

Core'dinations and Spellbinders Blog Swap

2011-09-25T22:20:00.001-04:00

Good Morning!

Welcome to the Core'dinations and Spellbinders Blog Swap.

We are living it up this week with some awesome inspiration.

There are tons of ways to win, check it out....

Here is how you can win:
1. Visit the Core’dinations blog and leave a comment every day, Monday the 26th through Friday the 30th. We will give away two packs to TWO lucky winners.
2. Like us on Facebook and comment to win a paper pack.
3. Visit the Core’dinations Designer’s blogs and leave a comment. We will be linking them up on the Core’dinations blog throughout the week and will choose one random designer’s blog to pick a winner.

Make sure you visit the Spellbinders blog for more details on how to win some of their awesome dies AND for some amazing projects from their Design Team.

I used some Vintage cardstock for this card. Spellbinders dies cut Core BEAUTIFULLY!
I used a Grand Scalloped die to create the window.

I was actually inspired by myself and a card I made earier. I love love

making window cards and new the doily would fit in this shape perfectly.

I have to say these Spellbinder's dies stay on my desk 24/7!

Happy Friday!

2011-09-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

Mornin'!

I am so excited to share this layout with you.

I have had it completed for some time now and it is one of my FAVES.

I used May Arts ribbons on here and created some banners with them.

They are the Double Stitched/Striped ribbons. I just LOVE these colors.

Henry doesn't say his "g"s very well so he calls my mom Nama instead of Grandma.

She eats it up every time he says it and even signs her name that way now. It's tooo cute.

I snapped this photo on the boat down at my sister's this summer. H is the BEST snuggler in the world and this photos really captures that. He also pronounces that "nuggle". LOL!

I used my Scrapdango July kit for this. I love these papers from Simple Stories and I accented it with the ribbons, of course, and some LYB stickers.

Here is a close up of the ribbon banners.

I love wide ribbon....you can use it just like patterned paper and that is what I did here.

Have a great weekend!

Cricut Cards

2011-09-14T11:53:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!

I got a happy box already this morning!!!

I had two cards picked up for this issue. Both use loads of Webster's Pages and Core'dinations.

The ribbon is May Arts striped twill. One of my FAVES!!!!

And this one...

with a MyStampBox stamp...I still use these stamps over and over again!

OA Cards

2011-09-05T01:53:00.000-04:00

Cards Cards and More cards!

I created a few cards last weekend and wanted to share them with you today.

For some reason the OA sketches always get posted for me at the opportune time.

This card sketch was no exception.

{Click on Images to make them larger}

And this one is for fun ;)

I loooove these Doodlebug rubons. They are so tiny and cute, I knew they were perfect for

this vintage button.

Authentique

2011-09-01T07:25:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday!

I am super excited about this post today.

I get to share some of my fun layouts from Scrapdango's August Sugar Kit.

It is jam packed full of fun Authentique papers.

Here are a few layouts that I created:

(Remember to click on the images to make them larger)

Disclaimer--> this garbage can is brand new and clean ;)

Stamps are MyStampBOX (not in kit)

And some pics of Henry. He ALWAYS says this when he can't
get something to do what he wants. It's obviously broken and not
his fault, LOL!

OH and make sure you head over for the Month of September.

School is in Session!

AND YOU COULD WIN A 3 MONTH SUB!!!

Click click..is this thing on?

2011-08-29T13:49:00.000-04:00

I am here! Things have been crazy around here.

BUT I have been scrapping!!!

First up check out the May Arts blog for some AWESOME give-a-ways!!!

My post is up on how to embellish your ribbon.

It's all about stamping on your ribbon. I suggest using ribbon that doesn't have

a lot of cotton fibers in it b/c it will bleed. I used Stazon and it works

GREAT on this ribbon.

Of course, I used THREE kinds of Core on here...Vintage (red), Core Couture (Black) and Glitter Silk (green).

The stamps I got from Our Craft Lounge where holiday ones so I stayed with that theme. This little Moos guy is the CUTEST.

And of course the video :):):)

Cheery Lynn

2011-08-18T08:30:00.001-04:00

GOOD Morning!!!

Head over to the Core Blog this

week for a chance to win some Core Goodies.

We are doing a week long blog swap with Cheery Lynn.

They have some awesome dies and embossing plates.

Here is a card I created for a Wedding I went to this past

weekend.

{click on image to make it larger}

I used a dauber and applied some Tim Holtz Distress Inks to

the embossed image to show off the cool texture.
I even embossed the Crate die ;)

Stamps are Gel a Tins (numbers)

and myStampBOX

DT Intro and Card-a-Palooza!

2011-08-11T00:37:00.000-04:00

HEY!! FUN news!

MY DT intro is over on the May Arts blog today along with some of my favorite

ribbon projects.

SO exciting!!! I never thought I would like to do videos as much as I do but then again, I love to talk so there's no surprise there, LOL!

Also...there has been a TON of stuff going on over at FTLOA! You HAVE to get over there and play along wtih Card-a-Palooza. It has been so much fun making cards and there still is plenty of time to get the challenges done.

Here are a few cards that I created for them:

Lots of Core and May Arts Ribbon on these cuties!

(click on images to make them bigger)

Monochromatic

Primary Colors

And Mini Cards...these are SO fun to make!

PLEASE COME AND PLAY!
You will like it there...low key ...drama free :)):)

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-08-04T00:44:00.002-04:00

Shouldn't every day be mother's day??

It should!

When I saw this Get Picky challenge I almost fell over. I have these photos and

I saved this butterfly from the hanging plant brian and the boys

got for me for Mother's Day. They always get me a few of these and I

just love them!

That and a case of beer. What more can a mom want??? :):):)

{click on the image to make it larger}

Core Impressions Woodgrain CS, MME patterned papers,

Pink Paislee alphas and twine.

And a HUGE thanks to miss Andrea for her scraps ;)

and PTI cloud die cut. A MUST HAVE!

and a close up of the loopty loo's :)

October Afternoon Building Block

2011-07-25T11:47:00.001-04:00

Wahoo!

Got some Scrappy time done this weekend.

Andrea and Joyce came over and I actually got a bunch done :):):)

One thing I worked on is this layout using the OA Building Blog sketch.

When I came across this photo and thought about our family's love of reading, I thought...

why not use these papers?!?! They are just for boys ;) When you have two boys and a lot of boy themed papers...you tend to think outside the box with them, LOL!

When I started with the Building Block, I really went with the idea of the sketch as just that...a starting point...

I thought the large image would help balance the photo along the very top of the page. I see

this design a lot but sometimes, when I try it, it seems top heave and this seems more balanced for me.

And to "girl it up" I added some tulle ;)

Click on the image to make it larger....

Summer Time!!! :)

2011-07-20T12:07:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday!

It is hot hot hot here so I thought it would only fitting to share

a summer layout from the July Sugar Scrapdango kit!

It's full of fun summery colors and papers from LYB (you know I love

my LYB!!! & Simple Stories)

This layout is actually based on the LYB sketch this month.

One of my new favorite things is to make my own photo "art". I call it that but

I no photographer or artist by any means, I just love to play with actions and then

add my own Word Art directly to the photos. I have always had this weird addiction to Word Art and find myself scouring the digi world for cool stuff. Vinnie Pearce always has the coolest downloads and I guess that is where I started loving it a few years ago.

p.s...can you see the BG Core Impressions??? LOVE IT! ;)

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO MAKE IT LARGER.

And a fun card using some more LYB. I used a Gel-a-tins stamp set. I love these fun button stamps and faux stitching!!! I have to say I never really used faux stitching stamps before and they sooooo easy!

May Arts & Stampendous

2011-07-17T07:38:00.001-04:00

Welcome to May Arts and Stampendous Blog week!

I created an altered frame with the Stampendous Jumbo Cling Rose and some May Arts Twisted Burlap.

Why or Why do I LOVE burlap??? :)

Here are a few images of the final project. You can see the video HERE if you would like some additional details. In the video, I explain how to make the layered flower and then weave the Twisted Burlap string.

I stamped directly on the Pink Paislee patterned paper.

And the crackle paint. Gosh I love this stuff!!! I use it all the time. I started with a bright yellow coat, then I blended some light brown, blue and green. Then added my crackle paint.

Video:

Webster's Yacht Club

2011-07-14T12:06:00.001-04:00

Have you used your Webster's Pages Yacht Club yet?

It is the perfect summer paper for all those family photos by the water.

This photo is of a few family friends and my mom and nana

having a talk by the lake at my sister's.

I accented the gingham paper with some Glitter Silk cardstock and brads. I cannot

say enough about this glitter cardstock. It doesn't shed, it cuts like butter...embosses...

(click on the image for a larger view)

And then I layered the tags with some Glue Arts pop up dots to

get them off a page a bit.

I also used my doily stamp from Cocoa Daisy on the chipboard with some

white pigment ink.

Winners & KRAFT-CORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-11T12:30:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much for coming by this week for the Gel-a-tins blog hop!

Here are the winners...

Follower: Suzy Q

Gel-a-tins blog: Bobbi-Lynn
"amy"

Ellen: Kelly
Karin: Alex
Cassie: Rebecca
Jessica: Bishop's Mommie
Cherie: Kim
Natalie: Elin
Gladys: Linda Johansson
Sharm: Cathy
Angela: Dot L

If you see your name on here make sure you send an email to

info@gelatinstamps.com with your information.

AND!!!!!!!! I HAVE SOME MORE EXCITING NEWS!!!

KRAFT-CORE.

Be still my beating heart, it's awesome!

Available in September. You better ask your retailers to get it

because it's going to fly off the shelves :):):)

Gel-a-tins Blog Hop

2011-07-05T06:47:00.010-04:00

Welcome to Gel-a-tins first ever blog hop!!!

You are in for a great hop with some aWESomE prizes. AND

make sure you check out the new website, too.

Each of us has posted a few of our favorite Gel-a-tions projects for you, too.

Gel-a-tins is back and better than ever. Make sure you check out the fun new stamp sets that Bonnie has been creating.

First up, here is the order:

1. gel-a-tins blog (all of the blog links are there if you get lost)

2. Ellen (you are here now)

3. Karin

4. Cassie

5. Jessica

6. Cherie

7. Natalie

8. Gladys

9. Sharm

10. Angela

Make sure you leave a comment at every blog for a chance to win these GorGEoUS stamp sets.

Winners will be chosen at random from all the comments on July 11th. Also make sure you become Gel-a-tins Follower so you have the chance of winning the GRAND PRIZE!!!

Butterfly Love

Peace on Earth:

Admission is Free:

Here are some of my fave projects with Gel-a-tins stamps!!!!

I love to use pigment ink and this AC charcoal is one of my new faves.

And of course stamping on layouts!!! :):):):):)

Those who say it can't be done...

2011-06-27T22:46:00.000-04:00

So if this is posted it is because I am mia because my grandmother has passed away.

No, debbie downer here...just me & you....CeLebRaTing some life. I had an amazing relationship with my grandmother and I know my sister, Amber, did too and that is what matters. She has been battling dementia for two years now and after some long prayers and wondering why life takes it's certain twists and turns, she has closed her eyes.

I know she would agree with me on this one. And Henry, named after my grandpa...well...this just seems fitting.

Scrapdango Spice Kit

2011-06-21T17:24:00.005-04:00

And it is SpIcEy!!!!!!

I love to say that word....Spicey..... She's spicey...it's spicey... ;)

First up are some projects from the Bo Bunny papers in this kit. I loooove them. BoBunny does plaid, strips and polkas like nobodies business. KWIS? {that is know what i'm saying? LOL}

This is henry's new buddy, Toby. They were best buds and become closer and closer every time we go to Amber's. Owen even calls him his buddy...it is sooooooo cute! i wish i got a close up but henry was so mad that he couldn't catch a fish (the water is 20 ft deep right off the dock and he is using a net, LOL) so I put a chippy fish in his net for him :) I like to call it mama bear-ism.

And a card for some fun....

I used my Gel-a-tins stamps on here for the "thanks"

And these are some of my favorite photos from Memorial Day weekend. AND I had to pair it with this CRAZY, flippin' awesome shark from these papers!!!!! I love Owen's face as Brian is looking at him. It's just one of those moments you catch on camera and think..wow...this is so awesome. And he is getting SO big. And you can see that in Brian's face, too. Owen would stay on this tube ALL DAY LONG if we let him. Well, if Uncle Greg did, LOL!!!!!!

Have a good one!!!

October Afternoon + Cards + lOvE

2011-06-16T18:55:00.003-04:00

So, I definitely earned the bad blogger award for the last week!

Life has gotten in the way and summer has been crazy and been working so much that I neglected one one of my favorite past times...BloGGiNg!

So I got a RAK from Danni Reed and played around with some of the of the October Afternoon she sent me last week. Here are a few cards I played with and this first one was featured on their blog. Might be one of my fave cards ever.

Some yellow Core with black and white {sigh}

Just so happened there was an OA card sketch up! This is based on that sketch.

Sketch Inspirations

2011-06-05T19:50:00.011-04:00

First up....MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

IT'S CROP TIME! :):):)

You know I looooove challenges and croppin' with the girls so you best get your scrappin' pants on and join me! AND IT'S 80's THEMED!!!! Like, WOOOT! ;)

Speaking of Scrapdango...we are sponsoring the Sketch Inspiration Site this month. Here is a layout I created with the May kit. Yes...I still have some left over :) I am saving all my bits and even have a few sheets that's how much paper you get. I love the Simple Stories line!

And if you haven't headed over to the Core blog in a bit, check out this tutorial from Lydia Jackson. I got my hammer out and went to town on this layout with my Tim Holtz embossing folders on the corners of the Chocolate Box cardstock.

It was so funny! Henry came into my room and asked me if I was mad at my paper, LOL!

Some close ups of these FUN Gel-a-tions stamps! I looove this set to pieces!

Okay...and check this out!!!

MAY ARTS!!! YIPEEEEEE!!

Gettin' Picky!

2011-06-04T14:41:00.005-04:00

Brian's Uncle sent us some of their photos from our Phillies weekend and I instantly fell in love with this photo of owen and I at the fountain in Philly. It's the fountain with the LOVE piece of art work is that is famous around the world.

Owen would not put this Philly Phanatic down all weekend. He went everywhere with us, it was so cute. He even tucked him in his own part of the bed. It just melted my heart because I always wanted to be the Philly Phanatic when I was growing up. It's on my Bucket List ;)

So the challenge over at the Get Picky Challenge Blog was to use a this awesome quote from Diane Ackerman. As soon as I read it, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and that I was going to use this photo.

I was drawn to this quote because Brian and I have chosen to try and travel as much as we can with the boys. Less money spent on the house, redoing the floors...stuff like that...and want to take this time and take the boys to as many places we can as they are getting older now and learning to appreciate it. I know growing up, I can't remember projects my parents did or the cares we drove. I remember trips to the lake, to Germany, to Florida....and that is what we want for our boys, too.

Here is my take. I used Core'dinations Black Magic and Echo Park goodies. I also used the Cracked Glass Technique over at the Papertrey Ink blog this week on the chipboard hand.

Here is the scoring detail on the black magic Core! I LOVE this CARDSTOCK!

So I printed the quote right on the Echo Park journaling card. And hid it under the photo. I couldn't fit the credits on the front so that is on the back.

Here is a detail of the journaling card behind the photo and the cracked glass detail on the chipboard. I also use the leaf dies from Papertrey Ink under the vintage button in the upper right hand corner.

May Arts

2011-06-02T09:48:00.006-04:00

I am so stoked! I am a May Arts Finalist and couldn't be more excited! If you have some time, check out the entries here. Mine is on this specific blog post so leave some love if you stop by ;)

I created a burlap covered wine bottle. We love to entertain and so do our friends so we are always brining wine and we always have a few bottles on hand. This is a quick and easy way to add pizazz to those gifts. And it is perfect for any occasion.

I used the wired burlap (on the bottle for the closure and flower) YES! I said WIRED BURLAP!!! {sigh, love}

And then for the accordion card, I used burlap string in natural and purple.

I used a big 1/2" Zap dot for the button. That sucker isn't going anywhere!!!

Click on image to make it larger....

Here is a close up of the card. It is a made of Core'dinations Cardstock and the stamps are from Gel-a-tins Home Sweet Home set. I LOVE how versatile this set is...

Have a great week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :):):)

Back to the Grind

2011-05-31T12:29:00.006-04:00

Welp, our long weekend at Aunt Amber's is over. Why does it go so fast???

We had so much fun! Anyone else a day behind? I can't seem to get it straight. I did some cleaning today and was so excited that I cleaned on a Monday. OOPS! Well, still impressive for me on a Tuesday ;)

I wanted to share a tutorial with you that I created for the Scrapdango newsletter. You know me and my wax paper! It seriously is a staple in my scrapbooking arsenal of tools. I use it for so many things, especially for my Cuttlebug.

So..what do you need?

Alpha stickers

Wax Paper

Embossing machine & folder

{click on the images to make larger}

Place the letters you want to use in your title on the wax paper....

And run it through your embossing machine....

And here is the layout,. I used lots of Studio Calico goodies and how much do you love this color combo????? I was inspired by one of their challenges over NSD.

It was perfect for these Easter photos.

{click on the image to make larger}

Have a great week!

Let's get this week started!

2011-05-23T05:44:00.000-04:00

GOOOOD Monday Morning!

I hope everyone had a GrEaT weekend. We sure did. Our local winery (which we support very heavily, LOL) had their annual Blues Fest and it was a blast! I got to hang out with some work friends, too, and I just love that I get to be surrounded by such amazing people all the time.

I wanted to share some layouts I created with the May Spice Kit over at Scrapdango. I can't stop making these ribbons and the fun felties in the kit were so perfect for one on this card.

And next up is a layout I created about life right now. Remember in Sex in the City when Charolotte doesn't run when she is pregnant? She talks about being so happy that she is terrified of losing it all? That really struck me when I watched in watched it the other night. And it's so true...but that is no reason not to do what we love, to not be happy, and to not celebrate.

So this layout is about Happiness: a Destination. Something that I am always on a journey to achieve.

Have a great week!!!

Some Cards on Friday

2011-05-19T22:34:00.009-04:00

Happy Friday!

I have been a busy beaver this week. Work. Work. Work! But I managed to squeeze in some time over the weekend before a wedding to scrap some cards.

This first card is for the Papertrey Ink weekly challenge to use re--inkers in a creative way. I used two Tim Holtz re-inkers (Copper and Walnut Ink) and a Stampin' Up! one (green).

The car is a Papertrey Ink die. How cute is it??? I added some pearls. Cardstock is a combo of Core Chocolate Box and Core Pearls (yellow). I love this new cardstock!

Patterned Paper is Simple Stories from the Scrapdango Spice Kit.

This is an interactive card that I had a lot of fun with. These super cute envelopes come in the kit and they are FUN!

Patterned Paper is Simple Stories from the Scrapdango Spice Kit.

LOVE this May Arts ribbon that came with the kit, too!

This is for my Card challenge over at Scrapdango this month....to create a ribbon.

3+5 =

2011-05-17T22:46:00.007-04:00

Thanks so much for all the Happy Birthday Wishes. You guys are the SwEeTeSt!

In celebration of a milestone, um..... 35 yrs old is a milestone, right? I want to do a post about 35 things i love. Not in any particular order (& for the record not my personal idea but i like it ;) see my new fellow Core teammate april's list here.

1. brian. ack. i love a boy and he loves me even though i pushed him away toooo many times.

2. owen. gosh that kid. total handful. what's not to love about that? i love handfuls of all sorts of things...quarters, peanuts, swedish fish....

3.henry. my buddy. laughter.

4. max. the lover. we rescued the loudest, hungriest lab in the history of the world.

5. chase. the jumper. the crazy dog. the gasiest dog in the world!

6. sushi. YUM!
7. my job. i love love it. i have two. and i couldn't put one above the other.

8. naps.

9. knowing that karma is a serious bitch. it comes back. trust me ;)

10. my camera.

11. core'dinations.

12. brushing my teeth in the shower.

13. espadrilles. ok. shoes in general!

14. swimming. wanted to be a Mermaid when i was little.

15. playing baseball with the boys. mom's can play, too!

16. SCARVES!

17. pizza. for some reason....even bad pizza tastes good!

18. Wine! DUH! that should be at least in the top 10.

19. My NEW wine fridgey that i got for my birfday :)

20. SCRAPBOOKING!

21. cloud hunting. with the boys. on a blanket. in the backyard. our backyard.

22. Adele. Rolling in the Deep.

23. my laptop.

24. henry's laugh. he sucks in! i swear it, LOL.

25. chips & dip.

26. Chelsea Lately. Laughing!

27. coffee. cream no sugar.

28. pottery. esp. one day if i can throw on my own again.

29. sleep overs with owen in the living room.

30. hugs and kisses from my boys. ALL five of them ;)

31. running. but only when i want to.

32. FrIeNDs. and Lots of them.

33. deodorant.

34. flowers. tulips especially. and hanging baskets on my front porch right now.

35. me. being happy. and realizing that it is OK to love your life and be Proud of it.

and.....36. Passion. just for good luck ;)

Have a beautiful week everyone!

Scrapdango Blog Hop

2011-05-13T14:03:00.006-04:00

Welcome to the Dango Girls' Blog Hop. I'm so glad you hopped on over to my pad. We've got a lot of fun coming your way for the weekend and through the week. If you just happened to hop on over here and didn't know about this blog hop, then hop on over to the Scrapdango Blog where you should start this hopping good time. Okay, enough with all the hopping. Let's get down to scrappiness.!!!

We have a brand new DT over at Scrapdango, and this blog hop is a way to introduce everyone. You will learn a little about each of them, and they will each post a challenge. You have until next Friday the 20th at midnight EST to post comments on each blog and to complete the DT challenges. There will also be other ways to earn draws, and one lucky person is going to win a fantastic prize of one of Scrapdango's fabulous kits chock full of scrappy goodness. Here is the breakdown of how you can earn draws:

--1 draw by posting comments on each DT member's blog (must comment on all blogs to get the draw)
--1 draw for each challenge that you complete. Please provide a link to your challenge in a comment.
--1 draw for becoming or already being a Scrapdango Blog follower
--1 draw for becoming or already being a fan of Scrapdango on Facebook

--2 draws for correctly answering quiz questions on the DT members. The quiz can be found on the Scrapdango forum here.

Here is the order:

Scrapdango Blog
Heather's pad (get it...it's a hop :):):):):)
Laura's pad
Celeste's pad
Megan's pad
Ellen's pad----->you are here!
Vanessa's pad

Soooooo.......Here is my challenge for you!

I love love to stamp and I like to stamp on my layouts, too. Using white pigment ink is one of my favorite techniques and it looks so good on colored cardstock

SO....my Challenge to you is to stamp your own background on a layout on a non traditional color! Yes, you guessed it...your background cardstock or pp must not be (any shade of) white or kraft. You must use patterned paper (yes stamping on pp looks cool!), black, gray, or any other color.

heehee...I love this little guy. I cut him out with my Cuttlebug and Cuttlebug die. That is the new Glitter Silk from CORE! It cuts beautifully.

Ran the cardstock stickers through the Cuttlebug, too.

And a close up of the stamping.

Okay...a little bit about me for the quiz ;)

I live in a very small town in Northeast PA about an hour from Hershey, PA...YES! Where they make the delicious chocolate. I was born in Allentown, PA and just love this state. There are so many great places that we can drive to in a weekend it will be hard to move from here.

I am very forgetful and quirky, LOL! So I do silly things like brush my teeth in the shower b/c I am always late.

I am married to a wonderful guy...we have two boys...owen and henry and we have two dogs, too....max (our big beefy lab) and chase (the quirky boxer). We travel a lot and love hanging out with our family and friends. We stay active and exercise together almost every day. I mean...if I played field hockey for 13+ years than I can at least get a run in every day.

I am so so excited to be part of this team. I love the community and of course, the kits!!!

You will be able to tell my favorite color from this layout!!! (It's the color of the Core'dinations Cardstock).

NSD Hangover!

2011-05-09T14:47:00.007-04:00

So how much did you get done over NSD? I had an absolute blast working and getting time to scrap all day Saturday. The best part is, is that owen and henry hung with me in my room all day, too, so we got to spend some fun time together.

I joined in some challenges over at Big Picture Scrapbooking and ACOT and FTLOA.

Here are two layouts I did this weekend.

The first one is with a photo from our weekend at Philly watchin' the Phils

spank the Mets ;)

Here is a close up of the Glitter Silk Core'dinations. It punches like a DREAM!
And I ran it through my Cuttlebug for the star. Love it against the wood veneer from Studio Calico.

And a lo about me. I was inspired by Stacy Julian so I had to use her Core'dinations Core Impression line! And do you like the martini glass? YUM! I used my Cricut and some more Core.

This cute little stamps is from Gel-a-tins. Loads of My Mind's Eye on here from FTLOA.

AND DON'T FORGET TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!

Embossing Tutorial

2011-05-06T12:23:00.014-04:00

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to be this month's guest designer over at 3 Scrappy Boys.

I have a tutorial on embossing to share wit you using theMay Kit and Gel-a-tins SCENTED embossing powders. YUM!!!! I love techniques and embossing stuff is no exception.

I used it on two layouts from the May kit (full of tons of BG :) with the fun Maya Road chipboard pieces. Here is the one from my previous post.

And here is another one:

and a close up of the technique:

Start by using your chipboard and Versamark. Again, I am using Gel-a-tins SCENTED powder. It is delicious! I like this color yellow, too. It is very opaque.

Cover generously with embossing powder.

And begin to heat it with your heat gun.

Now start adding layers of embossing powder.

I find the best way to do this is to dip it back into the powder while the chipboard is still warm. This way the powder will stick to it.

Keep repeating until you get the layered look you are looking for. I like might nice and thick.

Then splatter painting it is fun, too! or you can leave it as is.

3 Scrappy Boys Guest Designer

2011-04-29T23:59:00.001-04:00

Happy Sunday!

I prescheduled this post because I couldn't wait to share some excitement with you!

I was asked to be the guest designer over at 3 Scrappy Boys for May!!!

They have some scrumptious kits and a fun MB.

This month's kit is jam packed with cool embellishments and these fun

Life of the Party papers from Basic Grey.

I was inspired by a Vinni Pearce layout. I am not sure if you buy her digi products or visit her blog but she is amazing and has this cool, fresh style. I first found her when searching for some cool Word Art and has some insanely cool stuff. This is the post with the lo of the pie chart. I just LOVE this idea!

And some textures with my Cuttlebug. I covered the Studio Calico wood

veneer with some Core'dinations Chocolate box.

I have a fun tutorial coming for you for the "Snapshot" title later this week.

i used the NEW delicious gel-a-tins embossing poswers!

Have a great rest of the weekend!!!

Happy Weekend!

2011-04-29T08:57:00.004-04:00

Happy Friday!

I have some cards to share today. Wow, come to think of it I have been doing a lot

of cards lately. I guess that is because I have 3 folders of photos to go through and edit, LOL!

I always need to be in the right frame of mind for that.

The cool thing about these cards is that they have NEW CORE! Core'dinations released a Cardmaker Series at CHA in January and both of these cardstocks are part of that release.

First up is a Jenni Bowlin card with the 4x6 paper pads:

I use a die cut and my cuttlebug for the flower.

And next up, I have a card using some Trendsetter from Websters!!!!

And the cardstock is Pearls. I used my Stazon and stamped on the Pearls cardstock. SWOOOOOOOOOON! This paper is insanely cool. I just love it!!! Just that perfect touch of shimmery and shine.

Some Weekend Cards

2011-04-23T19:29:00.008-04:00

Happy Weekend!

What a great week. We had some gorgeous days and today turned out to be one, too. We got hammered with rain the past few days so Owen's baseball game got cancelled anyway because there was so much water but at least we got to hang outside for a bit.

Owen and Henry got bug catchers for Easter and, well, let's just say that we are going to have a fun filled summer of creapy crawlies :)

I have a few Imaginisce cards to share with you. First up is a card for their Paper Piecing challenge this month. I LOVE to paper piece and I got this pattern from Scrapbooks, etc. They have awesome patterns.

Oh and check out these cute stamps from Gel-a-tins! How fun are these little guys...I thought they would be great for gettin' all up in my watermelon ;) AND, I have this obsession with the word "yum". It might be one of my favorite words in the English language, LOL!

I used some Chocolate Box Core'dinations for the seeds. So perfect with that pink coming through! And I used my scalloped Spellbinder's Die for the "bite". YUM!!!

This Live Loud Line was one of my FAVORITES! I love the colors...gray..orange...green and of course everyone loves a good boy line ;)

Bridal Shower Favors

2011-04-19T11:25:00.013-04:00

Recently a friend of mine asked me to create some party favors for her bridal shower. It is going to be a small, intimate affair so being able to create a one of a kind, unique gift for each of the attendees will be a special treat for each of them. Having an open dialogue with her in terms of theme and colors was important in order to ensure she was happy with the end result.

After deciding on a color palette, it was important to both of us that the women would be able to use the favor again. We went around to various stores and after going to a flea market, we found a variety of these small mason jars that we just fell in love with.

She has bit of an old world, eclectic theme for her wedding so these fit perfectly.

Umbrellas are so fun and the perfect theme for a shower and I knew using my Fiskars tools that I would be able to create a festive altered jar for each of the ladies.

The sticks are bamboo skewers purchased at a local grocery store. Using candy as the jar filler enabled me to be support them so they would stand on their own. Not only is it functional it but it is delicious, too! Each skewer is cut at a different height, allowing you to be able to see each one the toppers at different angles. This is important since they will be sitting on the tables as the guests arrive. Then, I cut various styles with different Fiskars border punches, creating a layered trim border for the neck of the jar.

I couldn't forget about the top of the jar. Adding a scalloped accent along the edge with my Fiskars border punches and a complimentary butterfly ensures that this can be a gift party goers can use again once those candies are gone.

And don't forget about those scraps. Here is a detailed tutorial for you on how to create this raffia by running your scraps through your Fiskars Paper crimper.

The finishing touch is a card for the Bride-to-be. I couldn't resist adding this special card just for her to let her know how happy I was that she asked me to be a part of her special day. I hope you found some great ideas here that you can use on your projects, too.

Playing with Punches and Pluff

2011-04-18T21:48:00.010-04:00

Hi there! I have a fun project to share today. Have you heard of Pluffy?

When I was at CHA, I came across this booth. It is a funny story because the gentleman came to use first because he needed some cardstock to match a few things they were doing over there and I told him when we got it unpacked, I would run it over.

Well, I went over and instantly recognized the brand from Michaels (turns out I had picked some up before and had lots of "great" ideas that never came into fruition) and we began talking about Polyform clay and he he gave me some samples to take back to the Core booth. Well, as soon as I got home, I started playing with it and it has such a cool texture. My mind instantly started running.

It's not like the clay you are used to, it isn't sticky...it is very smooth and resilient and it doesn't dry out. Then you bake it when you are done so it hardens. It is so much fun! Because it is so versatile and easy to use, you can easily use your favorite crafting tools when creating with Pluffy.

I used my Fiskars punches, Fiskars Soft Grip Detail knife and Fiskars Hand punch for this project and they worked beautifully.

1.) Roll out the Pluffy and using the Fiskars Circle Punch XX punch a piece of heavy duty cardstock and use as a template on the Pluffy to make the base of the cookie. Use your Softgrip Detail Knife and cut the clay around the punched image.

2.) Next, take the large Seal of Approval punch and press the scalloped edge into the corner of the circle to create the "bite". You will need to apply enough pressure to make an indentation in the clay so you can use the Softgrip Detail knife and cut it out.

3.) Using the 1/8" Hole punch from Fiskars, cut out small holes from the scraps of the Pluffy for the chocolate chips. Again, punch them nice and slow. After each time, open the punch and take out the small circle so they don't stick together. Don't forget to punch a hole in the cookie so you can tie it to your package. You must do this before you bake it.

4.) Press the chocolate chips gently on the cookie base. Bake according to package directions (15 minutes).

5.) Let cool and paint. I added texture paint in between layers to make it feel more like a real cookie.

6.) Spray with some Glimmer Mist for a little shine (just one squirt, not a lot).

7.) Embellish your cookie bag with some baker's twine, sentiment and journaling spot (I used Core'dinations Cardtock).

Here is a close-up:

Make Your Own Raffia

2011-04-17T18:56:00.003-04:00

Remember that Fiskars paper crimper? Today’s I have a fun and easy Tutorial showcasing a unique way to use that Fiskars crimper with Core’dinations Chocolate Box cardstock. I don't know about you, but this was one of my first scrapbooking tools I ever bought and it has been a staple in my crafting tools ever since.

For this project you are going to need Fiskars Paper Trimmer, Scissors , and Paper Crimper, Core'dinations Cardstock, a Mason Jar and any embellishments you may want to use.

First, using your paper trimmer or scissors, cut very thin strips out of the cardstock. Scraps work great for this, too.

Take the strips of cardstock and run them through the Fiskars Paper Crimper.

Next, sand the strips so the color core of the Core'dinations cardstock is exposed for a unique

look.

Now it is time to use them for your projects! It will look great in gift bags but my favorite is using the raffia for jars.

Now it is time to embellish!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and will be able to find some crafty uses for it, too!

YIPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

2011-04-13T11:56:00.004-04:00

I am a May Arts Finalist!

Wahooooooooo!!!! They are posting them all week long so if you

feel like voting??? {wink} {wink}

You vote here.

And my video and the project are here.

You should check out the other projects...there are some amazing things you can do with ribbon!!!! Some seriously crafty people out there.

I created this weaved ribbon cover for a mini album...

The binding and butterfly are Core'dinations Cardstock.

And here is the video!!!! I have to tell you. I am loving making videos these days. Well, for those of you that know me I like to talk so being able to combine that with crafting makes me happy!

April Showers

2011-04-12T09:10:00.003-04:00

April Showers Bring may Flowers....right??? So I will be thankful for the rain we are getting today. LOL! I can't complain, the breeze we had flowing through the house last night was amazing! And 80 degrees :):):) ... if only for a short moment ;) ;) ;)

So how is your week looking? time moves so quickly. I have some goooood news! I had a few cards picked up for the recent Cricut Magazine calls! Wahoo! I am so glad that I am using it more and more and it is such a great tool to have in your arsenal of scrappy supplies.

You know what else every scrapper should have???? AN I-ROCK! Back in the beginning of the month, I won an i-rock over at the Imaginisce blog!!! Not sure if you have even been over there (I am sure you have) but they are beyond generous with their give-a-ways so check it out. In celebration of my winnings, I wanted to post a fun little project I made with some Imaginisce goodies.

It is a fun little gift card holder and perfect for Spring. I love these crayon boxes. They are so great for all your paper crafting needs.

Some stamping on Core'dinations...

More Stamping... and I cut the layers for the flower & the butterfly with some Spellbinders dies and then embossed it.

And can you see the rubons on the clothespin?

Just playin' around...

2011-04-09T11:08:00.008-04:00

So last night we had a quiet night here and home and we watch the Phillies game and I scrapped. It's so great having an area where we can all hang out. Henry sat with me for a while, too. He played with his guys. They love to sky dive from my drink holder into my adhesive basket and then hang from the ledge. See! I knew that my scrappy stuff would always serve more than one purpose!!! ;) ;) ;)

First up is a card for the Crate Color Challenge. I also threw in my doily stamp with some white pigment ink and embossed the flower.

I didn't have much mojo of my own and I saw on Facebook that MME had their challenge up so I created this layout from the sketch. Our Maxer LOVES to jump when you play catch with him. Well, who needs a tennis ball when you have snow? He will catch snow balls for HOURS!

Again, some white pigment ink with the doily stamp. Best investment EVER! And some Stella MME patterned papers. I loooove the colors. Esp that pop of they yellow/orange.

A Close up of some May Arts Twill.

Good Morning!

2011-04-04T10:00:00.005-04:00

First up I wanted to let ya'll know there is a fun blog swap going on with Core'dinations and Jenni Bowlin. Check out their respective blogs for chances to win! Two super duper generous companies. AND Core'dinations has a Design Team Call going on!!!

I did some projects last week for Gel-a-Tins. SO FUN! I love love love these Doodles stamps. They are so versatile!

LOVE love to stamp with my white craft/pigment ink ;)

Here I layered some of the stamps (cut them out first) and then used the cute little heart stamp on the Tim Holtz memo pin.

And a fun card with my NEW favorite ink pad!!!!!!!!!!! AC Charcoal pigment ink!!! {sigh} love love it and I got mine from the For the Luv of Art store! I also got all this FAB MME Stella Rose over there, too!

Canvas Corp Banner Contest

2011-03-30T23:45:00.017-04:00

Have you found Canvas Corp yet??? I found their products at Archivers last year at Scrapfest while I was there with Core'dinations and haven't looked back. I just LOVE them!!! Check out there Facebook fan page here, too. There is some great inspiration over there. AND they have such cool stuff for your home, too {sigh}.

So for my banner, I used the Canvas Circles and the Large Square Banner and Heart in burlap. I also used the new Crate Paper Toy Box collection from the Nook's add ons for March.

I kind of like how it isn't 100% symmetrical yet it still seems balanced. And the wide ribbon is from May Arts.

Here are some close ups....it is so hard to get a good close up photo of the bigger banners....

I did some misting on here with some Glimmer Mists and a scalloped circle that I cut with my Spellbinders (I also used them for the scalloped shape in behind the canvas).

Haha, I love how the dartboard fits perfectly! {sigh} I just love these canvas circles...SO versatile!

I also did a video entry. It has been rainy and yucky here for the last week so I thought this might help get some close up details. PLUS, the above photos are on my baker's rack, LOL! I wanted shots of the banner on his actual shelf with his other toys ;)

Phew!

2011-03-29T17:42:00.007-04:00

Well, this last week just flew by, didn't it? The scrappy weekend with my girls just came and went, the flu bug that hit our house, okay well just me, this week came and went...and now finals are here and the craziness begins once again, LOL!

I did get some scrappiness done this weekend which was fun! I am excited b/c I got to play with some new Studio Calico! I got all my new S.C. from Norma over at For the Luv of Art.

I stamped around the cut out alpha and then ran it through my Cuttlebug along with the birdie.

Another fun detail. You know how I looove to use my Cuttlebug!!!! AND A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO LEAH!!! I won this Lifestyle Crafts die cut on her blog and I put it to use ASAP!

And here is some older papers I had in my stash. Turns out that you kind find some amaZing goodies when you aren't looking for them. I was going through some older stuff b/c I made a pact with myself I would use my older stash before the new CHA stuff and I found an entire Studio Calico goodie bag! It was one that I got from a Scrapbook Trends pub and it go buried somehow so I tore into it ASAP!

For this background, I ran my Washi Tape through my, yes, you guessed it... Cuttlebug, LOL!

l.r.a.r stands for Little Rock, AR. Since we booked our tickets to go see Uncle Dave and Aunt Suzie I thought I would celebrate with a layout :)

Hi Tuesday!

2011-03-22T12:08:00.005-04:00

I am trying to savor Tuesday right now b/c we are supposed to get SNOW tomorrow! I knew as soon as I changed my blog over to a more springy look this would happen, LOL! Can you believe a winter storm warning from tonight until Thursday morning???

Anywho....how's your week going? I have been busy working and getting ready for a scrappy weekend!!! Can't wait to spend the weekend with my girls and hanging out. I figured I should at least vacuum for them ;) OH! Owen has his swimming championships, too. His first year swimming and he qualified for two events.

He was SO cute at last week's meet. He was SO excited to swim breaststroke that he swam it a race early! Brian & I are like, "what stroke his he swimming"??? LOL! The guy next to us was like, "who cares...he's winning"! He got 2nd place in his freestyle heat swimming breaststroke. Gosh, I love that kid.

I think we should celebrate with some photos, don't you?

Ready?

Swimmers....Take Your Mark....

GO GO GO!

I love this action shot!

I love this one (courtesy of Amber) BREATHE, LOL! BREATHE! Too, cute.

And another one from Amber (owen's aunt amber...proudest auntie in the whole world, yelling and screaming at him up and down the lane just like our dad did ;)

Have a great week!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats!

2011-03-17T22:25:00.011-04:00

Happy Friday! I have some more cards to share today. Working through my scraps over the last few months has been so great. I love making room for all the new scrappy stuff I just purchased within the last few weeks.

These two cards are actually two of my favorites. If you've been here before you know my love of gray! And, for me, this card sums up the last two weeks for me.....Congrats, Ellen! You made it through the last two weeks. I have been working my tail off. I picked up extra hours at work subbing for someone who lost a family member. Three 12 hour days last week and then I subbed again last night. I love it though! AND this Saturday is our St Patty's Day parade :):):)

So....Core'dinations Cardstock, Jillibean Soup, SRM stickers on this card and Making Memories big glitter alpha. I love these and raided my stash ;)

Lots of Core'dinations on this card. I just love this color combo and I cut out the stars from the Core Impressions and accented them on the card in addition to some pearls. And a fun SRM sticker sentiment with the trusty 'ole circle punch ;)