Creative Daze!

And The Winner Is....

2011-10-24T00:44:00.004-04:00

I had a blast participating in the SOC Blog Hop! It was so fun seeing all of the projects and reading the heartwarming stories that were posted. I also found some more great blogs to follow!

Now I am pleased to announce the winner of the $20 Michael's Gift Card

*drum roll please*

Dainty Diva!!

I have already contacted Dainty Diva to let her know about her prize. Thanks everybody for stopping through and showing my lil ol' blog some love! I hope you'll come back to visit again soon!!! Peace and Blessings everyone!

::SOC BLOG HOP::Celebrate Sistahood Day 3

2011-10-23T12:12:00.001-04:00

Tiare: http://www.iclassygirl.com

Treva: www.scrappint.blogspot.com

Patricia: www.triciatreasure.blogspot.com

*--> Da Shawnna: http://creativedaze.dashawnna.com <--*

LaShawnda: http://lashawndawrice.wordpress.com

Margaret: http://margaret-ilovecrafting.blogspot.com

Tina: http://www.parablesproductions.blogspot.com/

Cyndi: http://nashvillesscrappinsisters.blogspot.com/

Teniera: www.giftsgalorebyteniera.wordpress.com

Karen: http://www.in-the-spirit.blogspot.com/

Kate: http://www.kateblue.blogspot.com/

Yvonne: http://www.grantinfavors.blogspot.com/

All Together Now...!

So yesterday (Saturday) was a *super* busy day for me! I knew that I wasn't going to really have time to post my project for the blog hop, so I created the post and scheduled it post at midnight....or so I thought... Imagine my utter surprise when I get up this morning and find that my 'scheduled post' never posted-- and I have no idea what I did wrong!! ...smh... LOL But things happen, right?

So what I'm going to do is share both of my projects with you today, on the last day of the hop!

One of my sistas has been having a cRaZy couple of months- a lot has been happening. So I wanted to create a card that had a bit of a wacky feel to it and then write her an encouraging message inside. I used a really funky foiled chipboard set made by Soft Spoken for the arrow and the phrase. My iRock, some glittered cardstock, and a random punch out I had in my stash helped complete the card. This card was certainly a departure from what I usually create, but I thought it was quirky cute! LOL

The second project that I want to share is a Friendship Journal that I created to start recording some of the wonderful memories my sistas and I have made over the years. We always have such a good time when we're together and come up with so many off the wall phrases and stories that I wanted to start writing them down. So I altered a notebook using designer paper with the meaning of friendship printed on it.

Reading the phrases printed on the paper made me think of my two BFF's so I figured it was a great choice. To cover the binding I used cardstock from the DVWC Old World Stack. I'm looking forward to this journal being an awesome walk down memory lane every time I pick it up!

Remember I have a $20.00 gift card to Michael's up for grabs!

To win, all you have to do to win is become a follower (if you aren't already) and leave a comment! I'll pick and post the winner on Monday (TOMORROW!!!!) - so make sure you leave an e-mail address so I can contact you if you're the winner!

Alright, time for you to hop on over to

LaShawnda's Blog!

Have a great day everybody and thanks for joining in on the Hop!!

It's been fun!! Technical glitches and all!! LOL

::SOC BLOG HOP:: Celebrate Sistahood

2011-10-21T00:26:00.001-04:00

Tiare: http://www.iclassygirl.com

Treva: www.scrappint.blogspot.com

Patricia: www.triciatreasure.blogspot.com

*--> Da Shawnna: http://creativedaze.dashawnna.com <--*

LaShawnda: http://lashawndawrice.wordpress.com

Margaret: http://margaret-ilovecrafting.blogspot.com

Tina: http://www.parablesproductions.blogspot.com/

Cyndi: http://nashvillesscrappinsisters.blogspot.com/

Teniera: www.giftsgalorebyteniera.wordpress.com

Karen: http://www.in-the-spirit.blogspot.com/

Kate: http://www.kateblue.blogspot.com/

Yvonne: http://www.grantinfavors.blogspot.com/

I am so excited about being a part of the Scraps of Color Celebrate Sistahood Blog Hop! If you are following along the hop, then you just came from Patricia's wonderful blog!

This is going to be a fantastic three days, and I can't wait share my projects with you. For my first post of the weekend, I thought that I would share a little bit about the sista-bond that inspired me to join and create for this hop in the first place.

Always Sisters, Always Friends

These are my two very best friends in the entire world- my sistas! Biologically, I am an only child, but I have been extremely blessed to have had some wonderful friends in my life. Growing up, I had plenty of friends who I was happy to claim as my family, but it wasn't until I met Brandi (in the middle) and Lornetta (on the left) that I truly understood the concept of God-given friends.

The three of us met in college and within months of meeting, we quickly became inseparable friends. We supported each other through boring classes, tough finals, and homesickness. Even after Brandi transferred to another college, we remained tight. Eleven years have passed since that first year we met, and in that time we have shared joys, sorrows, initial sermons, weddings, and even funerals. Through it all we have remained closer than ever. So my participation in this hop is dedicated to my sistas- the ones I thank God for every single day!

Okay, so now that all of that mushy stuff (lol) is out of the way- who's ready for some

Blog Candy!!!

In honor of sistahood- I have a $20.00 gift card to Michael's up for grabs!

All you have to do to win is become a follower (if you aren't already) and leave a comment! Come back each day and leave a comment on the other projects I'll share

and you'll be entered up to 3 times! I'll pick and post the winner on Monday- so make sure you leave an e-mail address so I can contact you if you're the winner!

Alright, thanks for stopping in-now it's time for you to hop on over to

LaShawnda's Blog! I know you'll enjoy!!

Have a great day everybody!!

A Wild & Cute Baby Shower!

2011-08-27T17:02:00.001-04:00

I've been working temporarily in Virginia for the last few weeks and one of my new co-workers is having a baby. The rest of the staff wanted to throw a small shower for he and his wife so you know I couldn't resist making a few decorations!!

I used the Create-A-Critter cartridge to cut out the cute little animals and DonJuan for font on the front of the box. I used a silk flower block inside of the box and then attached lollipop sticks to the back each character to hold them in place. I shredded a few sheets of green paper (different shades) to make the 'grass' and was all done! I think they came out pretty cute for a last minute project!

Here are some close ups!

I enjoyed this theme so much that I just had to make some cute little thank you notes! I paired Create-A-Critter with Plantin Schoolbook (grass) and Walk In My Garden (phrase) for the design. A little inking around the edges and an adorable card was born!! LOL

"Paws"-ing to Say Thank You

2011-08-24T17:56:00.000-04:00

This is a card I made for a neighbor to say thanks for being so kind. She is always extra nice to me when we happen to meet outside and I just wanted to say thanks! I apprecirate great neighors!

I've had the DCWV Pets Stack *forever* and have never had an occasion to use it until now. So I created this A2 card using Kraft paper, and three different pieces of the Pets stack layered together. It was super simple, but she certainly appreciated it...and I appreciate that! LOL

Get Well Soon!!

2011-07-07T15:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I found out that one of my co-workers was not feeling well and was in the hospital. Her supervisor asked me to make a card for her so the office could send their well wishes. Of course I agreed!

I am right in the midst of several projects, so I knew that the card was going to have to be quick, but I didn't want to skimp on the quality. But, thank God, every element of the card came together so quickly- right down the tea-themed stickers that I've had for 3 years! (my co-worker LOVES tea!) I've never been able to figure out how to use these stickers before- but last night they practically jumped on the card! LOL!

Hopefully this card will lift her spirits and let her know we care!

And the Craze Continues...

2011-07-04T12:12:00.001-04:00

So I am *clearly* having a good time with these altered notebooks- I decided to create one for every woman who works in my building! I customized each book for its recipient, while sticking to my usual style of wide binding, inked edges, and the use of a custom clasp. Here's the 'final wave' of notebooks!

From what I've heard, the books are a big hit and everybody likes them! I *think* I might be done with my notebook craze.....for now....but we'll just have to see! LOL Thanks for stopping by! See you next time!

I've Got It 'Covered'! Part 2

2011-06-28T19:46:00.000-04:00

Okay, I admit it, I AM HOOKED! I love covering these notebooks! I really like the composition books too, but these small notebooks have quickly become my favorite. In terms of flexibility and creativity- the sky is the limit- you can make just about anything work! And you can put your own spin on them too!

I think my signature on these books is the wrap around ribbon and the closures that I put on each book. Using the Cricut (or punches), I can create a custom clasp for each book that suits it perfectly. I also found that some inking on the seams of the book completely transforms it. I love this effect!

Wrap around ribbon with custom clasp

Another thing I really enjoy doing with the books is personalizing them by either monogramming or placing a name on the front (Gypsy anyone?!). I have quite a few more books waiting oh so patiently to be covered and I wouldn't dare disappoint them! More to share soon!

Cool Birthdays

2011-06-28T19:24:00.000-04:00

Birthday Ambassador duty has called once again! Well, really it's called several times the last two months- I just keep forgetting to take pics of the cards! lol! But I *am* trying to get better about that- and here's the proof!

This first card features a cut from the 'Just Because Cards' Cricut cartridge. I wanted to do something clean and simple for this co-worker and highlighting this sundae on a 6X6 square card seemed like a great design. It turned out a bit different than I had imagined, but I better than I was picturing! The dotted paper really adds something to the card, dontcha think?! I gave the card some dimension by popping the sundae up on some foam squares. The inside reads "best wishes for a sweet birthday- with a cherry on top!" I hope she likes it!

This card is for a co-worker that I don't know really well, but I was told by one of my 'ambassador connections' (lol), that she *loves* the beach. At first I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but after a quick trip to Michael's, where I found this awesome flip-flop paper by My Mind's Eye called Totally Flippable. My intention was to simply feature the flops on the paper and maybe add a few embellishments. But the Just Because Cards cart came in handy yet again when I noticed this refreshing (lol) glass of lemonade! Some vellum and a few Fiskar's punches later- this card was born!! I love this entire look and I alllmost said I was keeping this one! But in the end I wished her a birthday with 'sand, sun, and lots of fun'!

Duty is going to call at least twice more this month, and I can't wait to see what's to come! I'll be sure to share!

I've Got It 'Covered'!

2011-06-27T19:18:00.002-04:00

Hi Everybody! Wow- it's been a *long* while since I've posted! These last few months have been super packed with activity: work has been a little nuts and I've been able to squeeze a project in here and there- but blogging has been on the back burner... Things are evening out now and I have my new 'favorite' project of the moment that I wanted to share!

A few days ago, I was watching a YouTube video by MadebyMomo on altering composition books. I thought, "oh that looks neat, maybe I'll try it one day". Well, here comes Friday and I was surprised to discover that I didn't have a single project that needed to be done and that I hadn't been to M's in AGES! Say what?! Minutes later, I was happily strolling through the aisles of Michael's. In one of my favorite sections- the $1 bins- I noticed these medium sized composition books and some smaller note books. Instantly I knew what my weekend was going to consist of!! These books were an ABSOLUTE blast to alter and I *will* be making more! Here's what I have made so far! Thanks Momo!!

The Last Birthday Ambassador Card...for this month at least!

2011-03-31T00:16:00.001-04:00

March is winding down and it has been mega busy! But with the last day of the month comes the last birthday of the month- for someone who really is a true lady!

I have to admit, I started on this card a little later in the evening that I had planned, so I realized that I needed to go with a simpler card layout so that I could get it done before midnight! LOL! Also, since it's a card for more than 40 people to sign, I had to make sure it was large enough to hold everyone's signatures. With all of this in mind, I decided to create a 8.5" X 5.5" card using the Walk In My Garden (ladybug), Create-A-Critter (clouds), and Paper Doll Dress Up (grass) Cricut Cartridges. I made the envelope using my Martha Stewart scoring board- one of my *favorite* go to products!

April brings a whole new list of projects; including a DIY Baby Shower! So staaay tuned! LOL

Birthday Card for a Busy Bee!!

2011-03-27T15:42:00.001-04:00

March was one heck of a birthday month! I am finally winding down on my Birthday Ambassador duties for this month and the Create-A-Critter Cricut cartridge is helping me end the month out in style!

One of my co-workers is the consummate 'busy bee'! She works tirelessly on behalf of the children in the community and always has plenty to do. The first time I saw this little bee on the Create-A-Critter cartridge, I knew it had to be featured on her birthday card! To add a little bit of life to the card, I used a Sharpie (looooove Sharpies!) to do some doodling. Looking back, the one thing I wish I would have added is a cute little cloud or two to the background....oh well, you know what they say about hindsight!

I always create custom envelope for the birthday cards, just to give it that extra special touch- isn't the beehive adorable??

I only have one more birthday card to do for this month and then my Co-Ambassador is going to take the helm for April. I know she's going to come up with some awesome creations & I'll be sure to share them!!

Invites, Invites, Invites!

2011-03-27T15:22:00.001-04:00

Whoo!! Has this month been a flurry of activity! Filled to the brim with projects, preparations, and plans! ...okay, enough with the "p's"! LOL But seriously- between invitation requests, birthdays, and hosting my very first card swap- there has been a lot going on! Let's talk invites, shall we? I had two requests this month, one for a baby shower and one for a surprise party.

One of my friends is have a baby and she wanted to have an untraditional shower, so that meant some untraditional invites! She told me her theme was 'The Diva is having a baby', so I pulled out my Gypsy to see what I could come up with. I used the New Arrival, Plantin Schoolbook, and Quarter Note Cricut cartidges to come up with this little cutie! She was very pleased with the outcome!

The second invitation order was for a surprise party for my co-worker's wife. Her favorite colors are black and red, a striking color combination that I seem to be using a lot lately. I wanted to create something different for her and the Criss Cross card found over on Splitcoaststampers immediately came to mind. After a couple of small modifications and some bling- this really nice invitation emerged! My co-worker really liked them- so much so that he ordered a few more! LOL!

The Birthday Ambassador Strikes Again!

2011-03-10T19:11:00.002-05:00

Wow! Have these last few months been busy, or what?! I thought that after we pulled off the shower, I would get to 'rest' for a few weeks-- but then I looked at my calendar and realized that I had 4 birthdays to make cards for in the month March! And many of them are within days of each other! Whew! So I donned my Birthday Ambassador cape and got to work...

This first card was my supervisor. He doesn't like to make a big deal about his birthday and really didn't want a card- but I wasn't going to pass his day up like that! He *loves* dogs, so the Create-A-Critter Cricut cartridge provided the cute little terrier. The fence and grass were cut from the Paper Dolls cartridge. The sentiment was inspired by the 'Ruff Ruff' phrase on Create-A-Critter...my usually hidden corny side came up with the rest of the saying...LOL

I have been wanting to try flocking for a long time and decided to give it a whirl on this card, and it was so much easier than I thought it was going to be! For my time trying it- I think the flocking came out pretty nice!

This card was made during a 'Crafternoon' I was having with my friends for a dear co-worker who is really a beautiful person! I wanted to make something simple yet lovely for her...and I feel like I achieved my vision. The designer paper is from the DCWV All About Girls stack and the butterfly (my absolute fav!) was cut from the Indie Art cartridge.

To add some dimension to the card, I made the butterfly 3D. I really hope she likes this card, I feel like it's so "her"! :o)

Last but certainly not least, here's the third card that had me chuckling the entire time I made it! This particular co-worker looooooves (and I'm so serious about this!) BACON! So I knew without a shadow of a doubt that his card could feature nothing else! For this card I simple googled 'bacon' and eventually came across this cool image. As a side note: I was * completely* surprised at the huge following bacon has all around the world! Before yesterday- I had never heard of bacon flavored syrup or a doughnut with bacon sprinkled on top...who knew?!

The sentiment is courtesy of my corny side once again. But I do think that my inner-corniness helps when I'm acting as Birthday Ambassador! LOL

3 down, 1 to go! At least I have a few days before I have to make that one! Thanks for stopping by!

My Creative Daze Craft Space!

2011-03-07T18:19:00.000-05:00

I made a resolution to step up my video/tutorial game this year; I wanted to produce at least one tutorial/informational video a month! Well, clearly we are well into March and I haven't been able to post a vid yet! LOL But I wanted to honor my resolution (better late than never!) so I decided to start with a quick tour of my craft room. It's been a work in progress since I've moved into my new place and I'm finally at a point where I can share some of what I've done with it. I really enjoy my craft space and I hope you enjoy taking a peek!! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

DIY Bridal Shower ::The Thank You Cards::

2011-03-02T19:48:00.000-05:00

The final project for the Bridal Shower, of course, had to be the thank you cards for my friend to send to her lovely guests. She received some beautiful gifts; some that helped prepare her for her new role as a wife, some that made her laugh, and some that made her blush! LOL But, yes, they were all wonderful gifts!

I didn't know exactly how many guests we were going to have, so I waited until the day after the shower to make the thank you cards. I had a simple design in mind that I think turned out so very classy. For this card I used the cherry blossom image from the Pagoda Cricut cartridge (that was used throughout the entire shower) and the Mandarin Screen Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Simple but cute! These cards will always hold a special place in my heart because my friend actually helped me make them- and that was the first time we've ever crafted together!! Awwww!

I'm glad the shower was a success and now it's time to gear up for the main event- the wedding! I'm really looking forward to it because I am soo excited to be sharing in this special day with her!

Thanks for hanging in there with me with all of the shower projects!! Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! On to the next project! lol

DIY Bridal Shower ::The Shower Favors::

2011-03-02T19:20:00.000-05:00

"What should we do for shower favors??? ...hmmmm...." That was the question I kept asking myself as we were planning the bridal shower for one of my best friends. I knew I wanted to stick to the cherry blossom theme we had set, but I also knew that I wanted to give the guests something...different...than the usual run-of-the-mill shower favor. So I went to my go-to place for inspiration- YouTube! (lol) and found some great videos on how to make your very own sugar scrub- and I thought "that's perfect!". What would be a better favor that a cherry blossom scented sugar scrub?! Nothing!

So, after I purchased 5 bottles of Bath & Body Work's Japanese Cherry Blossom shower gel (caught an *excellent* sale!) and a 10-lb bag of sugar- I was ready to go...or so I thought. What in the world was I going to put the scrub in? I knew that I wanted something professional grade, and after searching around, I found these cute little jars from SKS Bottle & Packaging. They have really GREAT prices and delivery was *quick*. Once my jars came in, I was ready to rock and roll! This was a super-simple project and my kitchen smelled heavenly!

Mixing the sugar and shower gel!

Love the professional look- right from my kitchen!

To complete the favors, I made small 3X3 inch cards that simply said "thank you for celebrating with us today". Of course, I featured our ever-present cherry blossom on the front. I think the favors came out very cute and it really gave me the 'something different' I was looking for!

DIY Bridal Shower ::The Food::

2011-03-02T18:43:00.002-05:00

So the bridal shower for my BFF was a HUGE success!! She had such a great time and everyone else did too! Over the past few weeks I have been sharing the various projects that I've been working on, but in this post I wanted to highlight the amazing spread that we had at the shower. It was all done by the fabulous Matron of Honor, Tiffany!

I know she must have been up all night working because we had everything from cold cut wraps to fruits and veggies to the most delicious chicken salad I've had in a loooong time (OMGosh that stuff was good!). Everything was so wonderful that we had a hard time pulling the guests away from the buffet to play the shower games! LOL! Yes- it was that good!

The highlight of the event was the fabulous cake pops that Tiffany made! There were chocolate, strawberry, and red velvet pops and each flavor (yes, I sampled each one so I could give an accurate report) was deeeee-lish! The display she put together for the table was just the right touch too!

If you couldn't tell by all of the exclamation marks I've used, the food was amazing and really took the shower to the next level! So much so, that it deserved it's very own post! Great job Tiffany!! ...and can I get some more of that chicken salad?? :o)

DIY Bridal Shower ::The Centerpieces::

2011-02-23T02:14:00.003-05:00

As the days until the shower quickly wind down, my project list gets shorter and shorter! Tonight, I was able to complete the centerpieces and I am soooo excited about them- I struggled a bit because, for a while, I had no idea how I was going to 'finish' them. But, in the end- I think they turned out pretty well!

Going along with the cherry blossom/Asian-feel theme I decided that square lanterns would be the perfect choice for the centerpieces as well as additional decor for the shower venue. I was completely inspired by the laced luminaria over on Splitcoast Stampers! But I wanted different sizes and to be able to create them with Kraft paper- so I whipped out my new Gypsy (have I mentioned that I LOVE that thing?!) and created exactly what I wanted.

Sides A & B

Sides C & D

I created two sizes- a small 4-inch model and a larger 7-inch model. The cherry blossoms came from the Pagoda Cricut cartridge and I welded together some pretty letters from the Quarter Note Cricut cartridge to create some romantic words. Some ink, some ATG adhesive, a bit of Zig Glue- and voila! My lanterns are complete! There will be 10 in all!

I think they look so pretty when they glow!

Glad these are done! Up next- completing the shower favors! Yay!

DIY Bridal Shower ::Game Prizes::

2011-02-21T02:40:00.002-05:00

So the Bridal Shower is quickly approaching- it's this upcoming Saturday in fact! While I am certainly bubbling over with anticipation and excitement, I am also feeling that good pressure (lol) that comes along with putting on a stellar event. I have no doubt that Saturday is going to be a great day!

Today I decided to get the game prizes done and I think they turned out well! First, I did a towel and bath fizz combo in the form of a cupcake in a box. While searching for unique ideas for shower favors, I came across this super cute video on Style With A Smile's Youtube channel and knew that I had to use this idea! So I got to folding and then made a clear acetate box for each. I did 15 in all, and I have to tell you- the boxes were the hardest part of the process! But I think it was worth it!

Then, I broke out my jar of Armour Etching cream along with some vinyl and got to work on another cute prize. I scored some very nice glass candle holders at my local Dollar Tree and decided to etch them with the cute cherry blossom image that I've been using throughout the shower theme (from the Pagoda Cricut cartridge). These turned out so cute that I decided to do one more etching project! ....but I'll be posting that one tomorrow along with the fabulous shower favors that I am EXTRA excited about !! Stay tuned!

Surprise!!

2011-02-17T22:24:00.000-05:00

I was approached by one of my co-workers, who asked me to create invitations for his wife's surprise birthday party. Even though I am *supposed* to be ultra-focused on the DIY Bridal Shower, I couldn't resist squeezing this one request in! So I pulled out my Gypsy, welded some letters & a rectangle together- and VIOLA! Instant invitations! LOL I heard that the invites were a hit- and I'm so glad that I could contribute to this very special event!

Now my next posts really *will* be all about the DIY Bridal Shower!! Promise! :o)

Ol' Skool Birthday Wish

2011-02-15T14:53:00.000-05:00

I created this card sometime last year for one of my co-workers and forgot to take a picture of it. Luckily, he was nice enough to bring it back so I could get a couple of snaps! My co-worker loves music- especially old school - so I *finally* got to use the cassette tape cut from the Indie Art Cricut cartridge! He loved the card and I love being the 'Birthday Ambassador'! LOL

Treat Bag Madness???!

2011-02-14T02:09:00.001-05:00

So I think that I've been bitten by the 'Treat Bag Bug'!! Robyn, The Pink Stamper, dropped the bug off at my house last week and it's been madness ever since! LOL! At about 10 o'clock last night, I got the great idea to do something nice for all of my co-workers for V-day. Since I had plenty of clear cellophane bags and candy left- it was *so clear* what I should do! So tomorrow all 33 of my wonderful co-workers will receive a cute little treat from 'Cupid'!

The only thing I would have done differently- I would have gotten the idea a little *earlier* in the evening! LOL! Happy Valentines Day!

Princess Tea Party!

2011-02-13T21:32:00.003-05:00

Time has certainly flown by because I can't believe that my God-daughter just turned four!! It seems like she was just born yesterday!! But in these short four years, my friend (her mom) and I have made a tradition out of creating a different birthday experience for her each year. This year, since it's been discovered that she is *very* much a girly-girl, we decided to have a Princess Tea Party!

My friend found a real tea house that caters to the little ones and we knew this party was going to be a hit! I also knew that I had more than a little bit of work to do to take this party up a notch!

I designed her invitations on the computer and had them printed as 5X7 photos at a Walgreen's in her area. Since we live in different states, it's super-convenient to be able to upload them to their website, they print them up and she can pick them up in about an hour!

For the activity at the party, I bought picture frames from M's for a dollar and painted them purple. Then I bought a big tub of foam stickers with a princess theme that they could use to decorate the frames. I lucked up- the stickers were on sale! :o)

The girls all had a fabulous time decorating the frames and they turned out so cute! Since I had so many stickers, I also bought door-knob hangers for them to decorate too! Great activity- they loved it!

The Once Upon A Princess cartridge was perfect for each aspect of the party! Where else would you find a little crown with a teapot in the middle?! The 'tea party' cut in the middle of the picture frames came from this cart too. I think that the treat bags came out great! Next time though- I'll staple the bags *before* putting the decorative covers on! LOL! Lesson learned!

Now that the Princess Tea Party was a great success- it's now time to re-focus on the DIY Bridal Shower that will take place in just 2-weeks! The RSVPs are rolling in- so I have to get back to work! Stay tuned!

DIY Bridal Shower ::The Invitations::

2011-02-10T00:48:00.003-05:00

One of my very best friends in the *entire* world is getting MARRIED and I am sooooo excited!! Oh- and guess what?! I'm her Maid of Honor! When she told me I was so honored that I was flying high on could 9! ....it wasn't until days later that I started to wonder 'what exactly am I supposed to be doing as a Maid of Honor'??... Well thank God for Google! LOL! I quickly got schooled-up on all of my MOH duties and discovered that one my major duties was to plan and host the bridal shower.

So, teamed up with the Matron of Honor, the planning commenced. It was decided we would do a cherry blossom theme (I love cherry blossoms and have been wanting to do something with them for a while) and keep it simple, especially because we have a 50+ person guest list. Of course, I started thinking about I could create to make this wonderful event extra special....after entering a deep creative daze (lol) I emerged with tons of ideas that I'll be sharing over the next few days! Everything from invitations to favors to party prizes- I'll be sharing it all! So stay tuned!

Up first, the invitations! I knew I wanted to do something different and unexpected, so I grabbed my Gypsy and started tapping away. Two simple cuts later (the rectangle from Plantin Schoolbook and the blossom from Pagoda) and I had my invite!

Inking on the edges of the blossom created a nice dimension

All in all, it took about 10 hours to do the 60 invites. And in the end-I think it was well worth the time! Okay, up next I'll be sharing the upscale but low cost shower favor!!

Car Entusiast Birthday

2011-01-29T17:48:00.001-05:00

My first Birthday Ambassador assignment of the year! My co-worker is a *severe* (lol) car enthusiast, so I knew that I had to do something 'automobile-esque'. He also has the honor of being the most Well-Seasoned person in the building- a fact that most folks won't let him live down!

While trying to come up with a concept, I came across this sketch of a 1926 Fort Model-T- and I knew exactly what I wanted to do! So I created this 6X6 card and on the inside it read: "Of course not! Just An Absolute Classic!" It was a fun one and everybody really enjoyed it! ....on to the next assignment!...

Many Thanks

2010-12-10T20:21:00.000-05:00

A co-worker has a daughter that is graduating from college- a *huge* accomplishment! She asked me to make some thank you cards for her using her school colors of black, white, and teal. After thinking about, I knew that I wanted to do something for her that was a different- not just the same old regular card. That's when I decided that I would do a gatefold- one of my favorite cards to do!

For this A2 sized card I used a 4 1/4" X 11" piece of cardstock and scored it at 2 1/8" and 6 3/8". (Can we talk about how much I love my Martha Stewart scoring board?! It *so* came in handy and saved me tons of time on this project!)

Then I embossed a teal piece of cardstock (3 1/2" X 2 3/4") using the D'vine Swirls Cuttlebug folder. To bring out the lovely swirls, I rubbed the piece with a metallic silver inkpad. (I've been using this technique a lot lately!)

A 3 1/4" X 2 1/2" piece of black cardstock was the perfect mat for the computer-generated 'many thanks' sentiment. These three pieces were then adhered together to create the card front.

After the top of the card front was adhered to one of the card flaps- I was basically done. A white piece of card stock (4" X 5 1/4") with teal inked edges was placed on the inside to complete the card! **SIDE NOTE**The one thing would have done differently with this card would have been to frame the cardstock on the inside of the card with a teal mat...but I didn't have enough of the teal and it was too late to go to M's....blah...

Even though the card from weighed enough to keep the card closed, I added a thin mini glue dot to the bottom of the card front; just for a bit more security. I ended up making envelopes for these as well- I used my wonderful Plantin Schoolbook Cricut cartridge for this and cut the envies at 5 1/4".

I had to make 25 of these, so I wanted to keep it somewhat simple, but still provide an elegant, quality product. I think it turned pretty good!

And now....on to the next project!

Invitations Fit for a Little Diva

2010-12-08T21:41:00.013-05:00

A friend of mine asked me to make invitations for her daughter's birthday and I was so honored! Her daughter is definitely one my favorite kids on the planet! When my friend told me that the colors were going to be pink and zebra-print (what else would you have for a little diva?!) I knew that the Forever Young Cricut cartridge was going to come in handy.

The text on the invite are computer generated and, since I couldn't find enough of it at M's, so is the zebra-print. I love the fact that when you just can't find what you need- technology steps in and helps you make yourself! lol The 'little diva' is cut at 4" and I got to use Stickles on the dress to give a bit of sparkle and shine!

Outside of Envelope

Inside of Envelope (More Zebra Print! lol)

I hope my favorite little Diva loves the invitation and has a great time at her party! Wow- I can't believe she turning four already! :o)

'Tis The Season-- Day 3!

2010-12-05T08:10:00.001-05:00

Awww! Today is the final day of the 'Tis The Season Blog Hop! Even though I'm a little sad that it's all over, I have had a BLAST seeing all of the wonderful projects that everyone has created! Special, special thanks to Iva for allowing me to participate! Her blog rocks! If you haven't had a chance to stop by, please do- www.ivarai.com ! If you're following the hop you were treated to a super-cute card by Mary over at The Paper Salon!

For my third and final project I am sharing a card I call...

Peace of the Season

This card is all about simple elegance and I was able to use one of my favorite Christmas colors schemes of blue, white, and silver. Nice and easy to do too! Here's how I did it:

The base is an A2 sized in white. The bottom blue mat was cut at 5 3/8" (w) X 4 1/8" (h). The top white mat was cut at 5 1/8" (w) X 3 7/8" (h).
The blue strip was originally cut at 5 1/2" (w) X 1" (h). Then I ran the strip through my Cuttlebug in the D'vine Swirls folder.
Using a metallic silver ink pad, I ran it lightly over the embossed swirls to bring them out. I adhered the strip to the white mat, trimmed off the excess, then adhered the white mat to the blue.
At this point, the card front is just about complete, so I when ahead and adhered it to my white base.
The bird was cut from the Indie Art Cricut cartridge at 2 3/4". First I cut it out in white using the 'blackout' feature, then I cut the original image out in the blue. My wonderful lovely roll tipped Zig Pen helped me adhere the two layers together. (As a hint: just 'dotting' on the Zig glue works perfectly!)
Once my bird was together, I used some mini pop-dots to adhere it to my card front. And then- taaa-daaa!! Peace of the Season is complete!

Thanks everyone for stopping by!! I hope this isn't the last time you'll come visit!! Everyone is always welcome to join me in my Create Daze!! Now I'll send you on over to Vickie! Happy Holidays everyone!!

'Tis The Season-- Day 2!

2010-12-04T00:30:00.000-05:00

Well, it's the second day of my very first bloghop- and I'm still super excited! Hopefully you were lead here after checking out Army Wife Learns the Cricut ! If not, you should join in on the blog-hopping holiday fun by starting at Iva Youngs' great blog - www.ivarai.com!
Today, I wanted to share an elegant card that I call...

Christmas Flower

For this card I used the poinsettia cut from the Winter Woodland Cricut cart as my starting point. I think my favorite part of this card is embossing I did with my Cuttlebug and the Victoria embossing folder. To bring out the design, I lightly dragged a metallic gold inkpad across the surface. Normally I wouldn't think to use black on a Christmas card, but this particular creation kind of took on a life of it's own, and I think I like the finished product!

Well thanks so much for stopping in again! I hope you'll be back one more time tomorrow!! Now, I'm going to send you on to Rita at http://www.ritahutchesoncobbs.blogspot.com/!!

Have a great day and happy hopping!!

'Tis The Season! Blog Hop!!

2010-12-02T20:40:00.002-05:00

Happy Happy Holidays Everyone!! And thanks for joining in on the 'Tis The Season blog hop!! I hope you enjoyed the fabulous creations by the marvelous Molly over at Army Wife Learns the Cricut and that's how you got here!! If not, you should join in on the blog-hopping holiday fun by starting at Iva Youngs' great blog - www.ivarai.com!

This is my very first time participating in a blog hop- and I'm VERY excited!! (...if you couldn't already tell...!) For my first post I am going to be sharing a card I call...

Holiday Flurries

This card is very fun and super-easy to make! And would you believe that it all started with some packing tape from Micheal's?! Here's how I put it together:

I started off with an A2 base in a nice deep holiday red.
I generated the 'let it snow' sentiment on the computer and printed it on cardstock that was off-white. I cut the paper down to about 5 1/4" (w) X 4" (h).
I placed a 6" strip of clear holiday packing tape I found at M's (for a dollar!) on the bottom of the off-white card. Wrap the ends of the tape around the card or cut them off- whatever is easiest!
I cut a strip 1/2" (h) of the holiday red and placed is over the top border of the packing tape. Again, wrap the ends of the strip around the card or cut them off.
Using my wonderful Cricut and my Winter Woodlands cart, I cut the 3rd snowflake out at 2" using the 'layers' feature. I affixed the snowflake on the off-white card using my zig-pen.
I used my rockin' I-roc to glue on some bling. Finally I attached the finished off-white card to the front of the holiday red base and --viola!-- Holiday Flurries!!

All in all, I think this card turned out really cute!! And it's easy to make a couple of these for gift set or even your Christmas cards, if you haven't already started! :o)

Well thanks so much for stopping in on the first day of the swap! I hope you'll be back tomorrow!! Now, I'm going to send you on to see the amazing and inspired work of Rita at http://www.ritahutchesoncobbs.blogspot.com/!!

Happy Hopping!!

A Birthday Blessing & Martha Stewart

2010-11-05T18:33:00.010-04:00

I got a request from a co-worker to create a nice card for her mother's birthday. While I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do initially, I did know that I wanted to use this nice rich red paper that I had. I coupled it with some designer paper (I forgot the manufacturer- opps!) and decided to create a 6X6 square card.

Since my co-worker had written a really touching note to her mom for the inside of the card, I wanted to keep the design simple. Her mom is very spiritual, so I cut out the cross from the Wedding Solutions Cricut cartridge and embossed it using the Divine Swirls folder on my Cuttlebug. To highlight the swirls, I dragged a metallic silver ink pad across the surface. Then I just popped it up using Pop-Dots. To add a bit of bling, I pulled out my I-rock (for the *first time*) to create a simple arc. The sentiment and the solid red border are computer generated. On the inside, I used the same matting used on the front of the card and computer generated the message to her mom.

To pull everything together, I made a matching envelope in the same rich red. For this, my new Martha Stewart Scoring Board came in handy! I love that it has a guide that gives you the exact dimensions you need to create virtually any size envelope. A couple of scores, a couple of snips, some adhesive and you're done! If you don't have one - you might want to check it out! I got mine from M's with a 50% off coupon for $10!!

Plenty of Crafting...Not Much Blogging!

2010-11-05T18:05:00.000-04:00

It's been a looonng time!! Or at least it feels that way since I have posted what's been going on in my creative daze! Lately, there have been lots and *lots* of projects to keep me busy and I haven't been that dedicated to blogging the results when I complete them. Truth be told, I even forget to snap pics of what I've done...ugh... But I am going to try and get back in the swing of things- and who knows- maybe I'll finally finish the tutorials I've been working on for-ev-er!

Anyway, I wanted to share a Birthday Ambassador card with you guys that my wonderful co-worker Lidia made! Lidia is an ultra-talented crafter that I am so glad to call my Co-Ambassador!

As you can clearly see- Lidia *rocked* this card - which is a mega-sized gate fold-and everyone loved it! Especially the birthday girl! Ah yes, another success for the Birthday Ambassadors!!! LOL

My First Card Swap!

2010-09-12T21:24:00.002-04:00

I am finally participating in my very first card swap and I am super-duper excited! The theme for the swap is 'Fall/Just Because'. I haven't ever done a fall card before, so this was a great challenge for me-- and a fun one!!

The Doodlecharms Cricut cartridge truly came in handy for this card, providing the basket, leaves, and acorn. One of my infamous $1 stamps from M's (that I've had for 2 years!) finally came in handy and lots of inking with my Versa Magic Dew Drops helped finish the project out. I paired the cards with a Kraft paper envelope that corresponds with the card's base.

(Inside of Card)

Finally, I wanted to make a thank you gift for the swap hostess! I hadn't made a note card holder set in a long while, so I decided that's what I would do. Add some Core'dinations and Fiskars designer paper together- and this is what you get!

My package 'goes postal' tomorrow and I can't wait to see what all of the other participants have created!!

2 Unique Requests

2010-09-02T08:02:00.002-04:00

Some days I wish I could 'retire' from my day job to craft full time!! ...like I said- I *wish* I could do that...! lol But reality isn't that bad, especially when I have great weeks like this one!

From my assignment as Birthday Ambassador, came 2 more requests for cards. The first one was for a second birthday card for the co-worker I made the card for in the previous post. This card needed to feature Mike Tyson and say something about 'slipping a birthday punch'. I clearly know nothing about boxing and I didn't get the punch line...and I still don't! LOL But that didn't stop me from making a pretty cool card--if I do say so myself! ;o)

Inside of card

I love the Indie Art cartridge and have always wanted to use the fist image- this card gave me the perfect opportunity! The color scheme worked out nicely, and my the person who requested the card really liked it! He also thought it was really funny...so I guess I gave him what he was looking for!

The second request came from another co-worker who wanted a birthday card for his daughter. She turning 8 and is truly a Girly Girl. He told me that she love pink, purple, and Barbie. So I knew that this was going to give me another opportunity to work with my new Forever Young cartridge.

I found this super cute designer paper at Michael's that served as my inspiration. Then, when I found the image on the cart that reminded me of classic Barbie, I was really on my way.

I wanted to do something different, so I decided to make a gate fold card. This is the first gate fold I've done and I think it was a great choice for this young ladies' card!

This weekend is a 3-day weekend and for me that means 3 days of uninterupted crafting!!...or something like that...! LOL But I do need to get a jump on the Christmas Cards I'm making for my family. Sounds like the next project to me!

The Birthday Ambassador

2010-08-30T22:08:00.003-04:00

It's official! Today I was dubbed the 'Birthday Ambassador' on my job! Yay me! lol And while I wish I could say that it's because everyone wants a card from lil' ole me- I think it's more because no one else wants the job! And since this now gives me an excuse to craft (like I actually need one!)- it's perfectly okay with me!

With that being said, I found out that the next birthday on the calendar is THIS WEEK *&* it's a GUY! So that meant I had to come up with a masculine card quick! For someone who has only made 1 masculine card before, I was pretty much shaking in my boots! In the end, I decided to hunker down and knock it out! Here's what I came up with!

My co-worker is a retired Senior Chief in the Navy, so that inspired the blue and gold color scheme and the stars. I'm not sure you can tell from the pic, but I ran the star through my Cuttlebug in the birthday folder, and that added just the right touch for me!

All in all- I feel like this card came out pretty well, and I finished much faster than I expected! I think that I'm really going to enjoy this Birthday Ambassador thing!

A Diva-fied Birthday

2010-08-29T21:08:00.001-04:00

This weekend, I created a birthday card for a co-worker. She is definitely a diva, so I wanted to create a card that I felt reflected her personality...and I wanted a chance to use the Forever Young cart that I finally bought last week... :o)

So, as I close out this post, can we talk about how excited I am to be reunited with my Bugs?! Eight months without crafting has been as close to torture as I want to get! Now that I'm back in the groove, I have truly enjoyed crafting *every single weekend* for the last 6 weeks- something wonderful has come out of each of my 'crafting marathons'! ...or at least I think so!! lol

Thank You Cards

2010-08-27T19:20:00.001-04:00

We made it through the baby shower - and it was a great success! I was really pleased with the turn out, and so was the Mommy-to-be! Now that the main event is over, thank you cards were in order. So keeping with the giraffe theme- I created this set with a box to match!

In the end, we had invitations, decorations, and thank you's- sounds like a complete set!

A Producitive Weekend

2010-08-16T12:35:00.002-04:00

What a great weekend! Still working on catching up on all of my projects- but this weekend I took a quick detour to do a couple of (belated) birthday cards. One of my best friends is coming for a quick this upcoming weekend and her birthday is right around the corner, along with her mom's *and* her boyfriend's! Guess that means that everybody needs a card! LOL So here's what I came up...


This is the card I made for my friend. She loooooves purple, so there was no way I was going to go for any other color! This is the Scallop card (#1) on the Wild Card cart. The butterfly is my favorite cut from Indie Art. The decorative paper is from last year's Spring stack from DCWV.


The inside features a phrase cut from Wild Card. I sure hope she likes it!


I haven't mastered the concept of masculine cards just yet, but this is my attempt for my friend's boyfriend. I kept it simple using just two shades of brown and three stamped images of some cupcakes that were a dollar find at M's. Too feminine? Not sure- but I figure- who doesn't love a cupcake?


The inside features a cut from the George cart.

For her mom, I created this "cupcake in black and (off)white". Since the colors were so simple, I broke out the Cuttlebug and a Versa Magic Dew Drop to add some dimension to the elements. This card pulled me out of my comfort zone a little bit, but I think it came out pretty well. Her mom will definitely tell me if it didn't! LOL


Oh- I almost forgot these little bags! My final contribution to my co-worker's baby shower are decorative bags that will be used around the room to anchor balloons and spruce up the buffet tables. Once again, using the super-cute giraffe cut from New Arrival, to tie them in with the baby bottle invitations. The bag itself was cut from Plantin Schoolbook, which had truly got to be one of my favorite carts ever! There are so many hidden gems on it.

So all in all, I was able to get a lot accomplished! Can't wait for the weekend to get here! Thanks for stopping by & have a great week!

It's A Baby Shower!

2010-08-02T10:12:00.000-04:00

Ubber-cute invitations, anyone? LOL My co-worker is having a baby and we're giving her a shower in a couple of weeks, so we needed an invitation for the occasion! I starting thinking about what I could do, when it occurred to me that I hadn't done a 'spin-off of the flower pot' card in *forever*! So here's what I came up with!

Invitation when closed...

Invitation when open!

For this card, I used the New Arrival cart. I cut the bottle from green cardstock at 7", then cut it again using the shadow feature from Kraft paper. In shift mode I cut the nipple from a sand colored cardstock, and the bottle ring from brown cardstock.

The cute little giraffe was cut at 3 1/4" in normal mode from brown cardstock, in shift mode using the goldenrod cardstock, and on the shadow feature from Kraft paper. After layering the top 2 layers together, I ran it through the Cuttlebug in the Swiss Dots folder (but just from the neck down). Ran a little ink across the dots to bring out his little 'spots'. Finally I placed it on the Kraft paper shadow and used pop dots to pop it up from the surface of the bottle.

One down....39 more to go! I might have to get the Crafty Saturday Crew together for an assembly party! TFL!

Back In My Crafting Groove!

2010-08-02T09:31:00.000-04:00

It's official! I'm back in my Crafting Groove! Yaaay! LOL After last week's Crafty Weekend, I really wanted to get back at it this weekend- so I did! :o)

I have several projects that I've been neglecting, but now I can say that I am well on my way to 'clearing out my backlog'. Thank you cards, birthday cards, graduation cards, invitations...the list goes on and on. So much to do- so little time- but soooo much fun to be had!

Here are some pics of what I've accomplished so far!

You guys know I love Joy Fold cards! I used the Green Stack from DCWV to pull this card together. The 1 1/2" Circle Punch from Fiskars was just what I needed to make the corresponding closure.

I have always wanted to use the Bird cut on the Indie Art cart. The thank you card my mom requested gave me a good reason to finally use it. The flourish under the bird is from the Home Accents cart. The background paper is from last year's Fun In the Sun stack from DCWV. The pic doesn't really do it justice- I'm not the best photographer- the colors are much more vibrant in person! :o)

Another request from my mom! She saw the card that I made last weekend and requested one just like it. But I decided to put a little spin on it. The embellie is a Jolie's Boutique sticker that I thought was so pretty! For the spin, I used the stamp and a light pigmented ink to create a watermarked background. I think it turned out pretty well!

Crafty Satruday...and Sunday!!

2010-07-29T20:09:00.002-04:00

After 9 verrrrry loooong months, I have finally been reunited with my Bugs and it feels so very *good*!! This move turned into a huge period of transition that I certainly wasn't expecting, and that- unfortunately- meant that my crafting had to be placed on the back burner until everything calmed down. But now (even though the transition isn't totally complete) I'm able to pull out my supplies and get back to doing something I love!

When my co-workers suggested suggested getting together to craft- I jumped at the chance! What better way to get back in the groove than with a 'Crafty Saturday'? And let me tell you- we had a serious BLAST!! It was so much fun that we extended it into Sunday-- both days absolutely ROCKED!! We had such a good time that we decided to get together once a month, and I am already looking forward to the next one!

So here are a couple of pics from the Crafty Weekend!

We took over two classrooms with our supplies and materials! Oh- and the snacks too!

My Big Bug and my Baby Bug got some much needed playtime after 9 moths of 'rest'!

Everyone working away- except for Lidia...I think she was actually snacking! LOL

Jan teaching JT how to use the Baby Bug! JT made a great soccer layout too!


Tamie had some great photos of her family! Excellent layout material	!

Here's just one of the many wonderful layouts Tamie created!

Lidia scrapbooked for the first time ever! She did some awesome layouts!

She didn't stop at her first layout though- she made her first card too!! Her joyfold card came out beautifully!

Jan's first layout of the weekend was fantastic!

Her beach layout was out of this world!! So many great pics on an awesome color scheme!!

And here's one of the thank you cards I made! I found these ultra-cute 3D stickers and was immediately inspired. And I really like the pink and brown scheme!

My First Showing

2009-12-31T11:06:00.005-05:00

Hi Everybody!!

Whew! This has been an eventful few months and I am sooooo ready for 2010!! Now that I am settled and 'reconnected with the world' I wanted to share some pics from the card showing I had in Alaska right before I moved. Other than my blog and the Cricut MB, this is the first time I've publicly shown my cards and the first time I've sold them. Overall, I think it went very well!

Me at my little table!

A close-up of some of the cards I made especially for the show! I worked on the cards for the showing for *months*! But it was great fun preparing! :)

This was my favorite card! When you touched the wing of the butterfuly- it lit up!!

Of course I had to make custom bags for all of my new 'customers'! I sold my cards under the moniker Designs by Da Shawnna...I thought it had a nice little ring to it! LOL

I'm Moving!!

2009-10-10T17:33:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone! Thanks for all of the lovely compliments- so glad that the Beehive Card is such a hit! Sorry I've been so quiet- but I am in the middle of the BIG MOVE!! I am moving from Alaska to North Carolina. So I've packed up the Craft Room (so sad) and I'm enroute to the East Coast!!! I'm make sure I'll post when I get settled in!

One Lovely Blog Award!

2009-09-07T02:08:00.001-04:00

Thanks so much to Patsy Bocook for this blog award! I am so very excited! Thanks again Patsy!

My Very First Tutorial

2009-09-06T04:55:00.004-04:00

So I am *very* nervous about this, but I finally did my first tutorial! By friendly request, I demonstrated the Beehive spin-off of the flower pot card. Hope this helps anyone who was wondering how to put it together!

Constructive comments on the tutorial are highly encouraged and more than welcome! Thanks!

Little Baby Girl

2009-09-06T03:36:00.006-04:00

Here's another flower pot spin-off card! Using the New Arrivals cart, I created this onesie and the hanger comes right out of the top revealing the notecard. This card is so versitile- you can create any kind of card you want! I'll be making this in blue for one of my co-workers, so I'll be sure to post when I'm done!

A Spin-off of the Flower Pot Card

2009-08-29T19:21:00.010-04:00

Working on the flower pot cards gave me some *major* inspiration! While I working on the sunflower- I thought to myself "if I can do this with a flower pot- why can't I do this with something else?!" I instantly started getting all sorts of ideas about all sorts of shapes!

So here are two of my ideas that I have come up with so far- the beehive and the barrel of monkeys! I *can't wait* to see what else I can come up with! Now my only challenge if making the envelopes big enough...hmmm....LOL!!

The Lovely Sunflower

2009-08-29T19:06:00.008-04:00

Once I find a project that I like- I really like to see how much I can do with it! The flower pot cards are *great* and I can't believe that I waited so long to try them out!! This is my second flower pot card and I wanted to do something different- so I went with a nice big sunflower.

The Walk In My Garden cart is excellent for these cards and offers so much! I cut the flower pot at 4" using the blackout feature and then cut the sunflower (on shift) at 8 1/2" twice- once using blackout. To add dimension, I ran the middle of the flower through the Cuttlebug in the Swiss Dots folder. The leaves were cut at 2 1/2 and adhered to the back of the note card.

So much fun!!! My mind is already churning around what else I can do with this project-- stay tuned!!

Take the Cupcake for a Spin!

2009-08-27T01:14:00.005-04:00

I love spinner cards so I have to make one every once in a while! I wanted to do something really fun and light- so the Nana's Kids stack by DCWV really came in handy!

The "maybe a cupcake will help" stamp is by Inkadinkado and I got it from J's- I had been eyeing it for a long time and finally bought it when they had their big Founder's Day Sale. The spinning cupcake was cut from the Doodlecharms cart at 1 1/2". The stamped cupcake on the envie came from a Studio G $1 set I got from M's. (Gotta love those $1 stamps! lol!)

Spinner cards a fun and super easy to make and you can make just about anything spin!

Here's a link to a tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBWnEahrd0Y

Have fun!!

Growing Strawberries!

2009-08-27T00:55:00.007-04:00

After seeing one on the Cricut message boards, I really wanted to make a flower pot card with strawberries in it! I had this picture in my mind of how I wanted it to look, but after making it using the instructions from Splitcoast, it seemed kinda small to me. So I decided to "cheat" and make the card using the flower pot on the Walk In My Garden cart. I wish I could remember who I saw do this card- but I give credit to whoever that person is!!

The flower pot was cut at 4" using the blackout feature.

The strawberries are from Indie Art cut at 2 1/2" (using the shadow feature for the black cardstock).

The green border was run through the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots folder and I lightly ran a White Cloud Dew Drop ink pad by Versa Mark over the dots to highlight them. Finally, the edge was punched using the Threading Water punch by Fiskers.

This was fun and tomorrow I'll be making a couple more with flowers....maybe even 3D flowers.....hmmmmm.....

Got Faith?

2009-08-16T04:36:00.004-04:00

The Home Accents Solutions cart has so many hidden gems! I have been wanting to use the 'faith' cut on that cart for a long time- but just couldn't think of how... But now that I am on this Note Card Holder kick- the inspiration finally appeared!!

Assembly was the most time consuming part of this project since the design is fairly simple. A little ribbon, a little inking on the edges, and a tiny bit of stamping completed this set! The ribbon was a $1 find at M's (gotta love that!) and the fish stamp came from J's. 'Faith' was cut @ 1.25"- the bottom layer was cut using the shadow feature. My Corner Rounder punch by Fiskers added the finishing touches!

What really made my life easier with this set was my recently acquired Xyron!! Being able to crank the ribbon and words through that little thing was a true time saver! I am sure that I will be using it much more in the future- especially since I plan to make quite a few more of these note card sets!

Okay- off to see what more I can come up with! TTYL!! :)

A Flip-Floppy Hello!

2009-08-16T04:27:00.003-04:00

This is the second Note Card Holder set I have done! I decided I wanted to do something fun and upbeat - so flip-flops really filled that order!

I bought the 3-D flip-flops from J's a while back and didn't really know what I wanted to do with them. Then I ran across a $1 Summer Fun clear stamp set at M's - I really can't resist those dollar deals! LOL! Finally- while at J's the other day I saw the flip-flop ribbon and I decided to grab it, as I remembered that I had the 3-D flops. So all of my little random pick-ups here and there truly came in handy for this set!

Again- a *big thanks* to Dannie Graves for posting her tutorial- I am having a blast with this one!!

My First Note Card Holder Set!

2009-08-16T04:08:00.003-04:00

A *big thanks* to Dannie Graves for posting her YouTube tutorial on these great note card sets! When I watched I was immediately sold and have made 8 of these sets in the last 24 hours!! So I guess it's very fair to say that I am *totally hooked*! LOL!

For my first set, I used my favorite Craft Paper made by The Paper Company and a nice stamp one of my co-workers just gave me. The sets come with four note cards and envelopes. I made the envelopes using Plantin Schoolbook set at 5.25". This was fun and I have absolutely no doubt that I will be making many more of these sets!!!

Here's the link to Dannie's tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txjRzDbrF9c

Have fun!!

Simple Elegant Anniversary

2009-08-03T05:56:00.004-04:00

This is an anniversary card I made for my friends who just celebrated their very first anniversary! Yay! Keeping in line with my usual style, I kept it simple yet elegant.

I matted and embossed the black cardstock on the front of the card using the Divine Swirls Cuttlebug folder. I wrapped the white ribbon around just the black card stock and then cut the squares for the monogram, which is a rub-on. Then, I did just a little bit of stamping on the inside using an Inkadinkado wedding clear stamp set. Wrote them a little note- and I was finished!

I hope they like it!

Gift Set for the "Little One"

2009-08-02T07:57:00.010-04:00

My friends are having a baby and I wanted to send a gift in style! And what better way to that to create the gift wrap set myself! LOL!

Using the New Arrivals cart, I cut the "Little One" phrase and the cute little feet to run a theme from the card to the bag. I'm not that great at gift wrapping, so I created a top for the gift bag and decorated it! I love the top for the gift bag and I think I'll be doing them of all of my gift bags from now on!!

For the bag decoration, I measured the brown and green paper with a 1/4 inch border. I really wanted some detail on the green paper, so I cut the paper into fourths and sent each piece through the Cuttlebug using the Circles folder. I patched all the pieces together evenly and !viola! ~ a larger embossed surface! To secure the top, I punched holes one each side of the bag and used ribbon to "seal it". I'm thinking that I might do a tutorial on the bag.....hmm....we shall see if I am ready to wade into those waters.... :D

My First Cupcake Post!

2009-07-30T00:25:00.004-04:00

Even though I love love **love** making cards- my first love will always be cupcakes! I have always loved to bake, but I wanted to get better at decorating- so I took some Wilton classes at M's. The classes were *wonderful*, and I soon discovered that I really enjoy making individual treats for people to enjoy!! My style is really simple, but pretty and decadent; I really like to dress my cupcakes up so people feel like they are getting their own little fancy treat!

So here are two "fan favorites" that seem to get requested most often:

The Red Velvet Bars feature a smooth red velvet cake with fresh cream cheese icing spread in the middle of the bar. I top off the bars with just a couple of swirls of the icing and then garnish with hand chopped pecans. For those allergic to nuts- I sprinkle the tops with cinnamon! Mmmmm...

The Drizzle Rich Cupcakes are the most requested and feature a buttery vanilla cake topped with chocolate icing (sadly I haven't mastered chocolate icing just yet :( so- Ms. Crocker does the j-o-b!). The pizazz comes when I drizzle smooth white chocolate over the milk chocolate and top it all off with melted caramel. Yum!!! Now, some might think that it's way too much, but they are usually pleasantly surprised - the cake is light enough that you really get to enjoy the chocolates and caramel without being overwhelmed!!

Diva on a Dime!

2009-07-28T11:59:00.008-04:00

My friend had a make-up party and wanted to do something simple and elegant to set the tone for the event. So I created individual custom invitations using a gray scale monochromatic color scheme.

For the thank you card, we did the Joy Fold card in the same color scheme. For the embossing, we used the Divine Swirls Cuttlebug folder. Instead of the traditional Joy Fold closure, we used ribbon delicately knotted in the middle.

For the favors, I made the 2-5-7-10 box. This was an incredible easy box to make and I love that you can make it with just one sheet of 8.5 X 11 paper. While making the box, I noticed that I could fold it small enough to fit into a Cuttlebug folder, so just experimenting, I decided to emboss the entire box before I assembled it - and I loved how it turned out! A quick 60 second assembly followed by some sheer ribbon- and it was done!

Here is the link to the 2-5-7-10 box: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/2_5_7_10_box/

The party turned out great- everyone had a fabulous time!

The First "Crafty Saturday"!

2009-07-15T05:58:00.016-04:00

Since I moved back to Alaska, I have become hooked on paper crafting & I really wanted to participate in a craft day. Fortunately for me- I wasn't the only one! So last weekend, 6 of us got together for our very first "Crafty Saturday"! It was so much fun!

Everyone came with projects to work on and some of us did demos of various Cricut & Cuttlebug techniques. We also bought snacks, but we were having so much fun- we almost forgot to eat!! At the end of the day, we decided that since we had such a great time- we are going to do it every month! I can't wait until next month!!

So-- here are some pics from our first "Crafty Saturday"!

Kind of a random shot- but this was my work area! LOL!

Shameka was a total newbie to crafting- and these are her first two cards! She did a fabulous job!!

This is one of Debbie's projects- a really cute birthday card! Great colors!

Frederica showed how to create wall art using Provo Craft Vinyl and the new Stand & Salute cart! She's a pro at this!

Gracey created a wonderful birthday card using the cutest layered cupcake! Loving the birthday theme going on!

Lyn made some excellent sea-inspired note cards for her mom! Her mom's going to love them!

In the midst of all of my picture taking- I worked on a couple of projects as well!

Like I said before-- WE HAD A GREAT TIME!! :D

Happy 3rd Birthday!!

2009-07-05T02:48:00.004-04:00

Inside of Card

I created this card for one of my little friends who was turning 3!! She loves the Backyardigans so with the help of nickjr.com I put together this little card for her. Whenever I use a ShortCuts as a card base, I can never bring myself to write on the inside of the card (lol) so I usually make a little insert that slides in/out of the side/bottom of the card. I hope this likes it!

Card base: Medium sized ShortCuts

PP: The Spring Glitter Mat Stack by DCWV

Character: www.Nickjr.com

Letters: Opposites Attract

I rounded the corners using a Fiskers Corner Rounder

My First Glass Etching Project!

2009-07-05T02:21:00.005-04:00

My family is having a reunion this weekend and my aunt wanted to honor my uncle for having achieved 21 years of sobriety. (We are all SO PROUD of him!) She saw the Cricut infomercial, and knowing that I had one, called me up and requested "an etched glass replica of the AA coin"... Out of all of the things my wonderful E can do - she requests the one thing I was *terrified* to try!! ...Family!.. LOL

I'd been wanting to try etching for a long while- but was a little scared about how difficult it might be.... But after some great encouragement from Jeannie- **THANKS JEANNIE!!** - I went for it. It's not perfect, but I think it turned out okay for my first try! At least my aunt said she loved it!! :)

For this project I used a 16" beveled mirror I got from M's. To ensure correct sizing, I cut and recorded the sizes of all the letters and shapes and placed them on the mirror.

Then I cut the words and shapes using ProvoCraft vinyl. To assemble the triangle, I used strips of vinyl.

Finally, working from the inside out, going layer by layer, I etched all of the elements. When the entire project was complete, I used glass cleaner to remove all watermark, fingerprints, etc.

All in all- it was pretty easy project after I got everything layed out- the more elements you have the more time consuming your project is going to be. Etching is super simple! I look forward to more projects!!!

A Different Take on the Same Little Monkey!

2009-06-30T21:03:00.006-04:00

One of my co-workers requested a thank you card for her doctor. Her doc is a male, so I wanted to stay away from anything too frilly. And since I really *love* Changito (smile!) I thought- why not do a different take on the 'Thank U' stamp? So this is what I came up with!

PP: Animal Crackers by DCWV

Base Paper: Craft Paper by The Paper Company

Stamps: Stampendous

Elegant Couple

2009-06-30T20:42:00.003-04:00

This was a card I did for the embossing challenge over on the Sistah's Blog. I had bought a wedding stamp set (on sale!!) by Inkadinkado I had been eyeing for a while and my friend had also just announced her engagement so--why not make a card with some embossing?!

To create the background the image of the couple is on, I stamped and embossed a really pretty swirl from the wedding set. I also embossed the image of the couple.

PP: The Luxury Stack by DCWV

Stamps: Inkadinkado

Can't Celebrate Without Cake!

2009-06-06T17:18:00.003-04:00

These little cards were designed to be the perfect compliment to any wedding gift wrapping. I found the cake brads at Michael's and thought they were really adorable- just wasn't sure what I would do with them.... Then I came up with idea and decided to make a set of them with a box!!! So excited about my little box! I think I might give these away as a gift. After all- it is wedding season!

Card & Envie: Cut @ 4" from Plantin Schoolbook using Roly Poly feature

Border & Insert: Square from PS using Roly Poly feature

Cake: Brad from M's (not sure who it's by...)

Embossing: Cuttlebug Birds & Swirls; Swiss Dots

Bee Happy!

2009-06-06T17:10:00.003-04:00

Can't you tell that I love doing these little note sets?? I was cruising around J's and found some Sizzix clear stamps on clearance (my favorite way to find things!!)! Throw in the 09 Summer Stack from DCWV and you get the 'Bee Happy' note set!

PP: 09 Summer Stack from DCWV

Stamp: Sizzix

Punch: Seal of Approval by Fiskers

Corners: Corner Rounder by Fiskers

Sweet Strawberry

2009-06-06T17:04:00.003-04:00

A really sweet 4x4 note set that features the strawberry from the Indie Art solutions cart! This was my first card set for the summer- and what's better than a strawberry?! The border was cut from the PS cart using the Roly Poly feature.

Card: Cut at 4" from Plantin Schoolbook cart using Roly Poly feature

Strawberry: Indie Art Solutions Cart

Border: Plantin Schoolbook using Roly Poly feature

Embossing: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots

Elegant Flower

2009-06-06T16:40:00.004-04:00

A 4x4 note set that I was inspired to do- one night when I was really sleepy! I was fighting both the sleep monster and the crafting bug at the same time and this was the result! LOL! Embossed the card and used some really pretty blooms I got from Michael's- the whole set took only about 30 minutes!

Embossing: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots

Flower: Not sure of the producer, but I got them from M's!

Busy Little Bee

2009-06-06T16:27:00.002-04:00

This is one of my 4x4 note sets. Walk In My Garden is quickly becoming a fav of mine- the bee is so cute! This is one of the earlier sets, so no box for this one.

Card: Cut @ 4" from Plantin Schoolbook using Roly Poly feature

Bee: Walk In My Garden cart

Embossing: Cuttlebug Spots & Dots

Inside Stamp: Hero Arts

Flower: Jolee's Boutique

Joy Fold Hello

2009-06-06T16:18:00.002-04:00

Yet another Joy Fold! I made this one for a little friend of mine- just to say hello and check on him. The Craft paper is so versitile- makes making masculine cards easier for me. And the DCWV Green Stack is wonderful- so glad I was able to use it on this project!

PP: Craft Paper by the Paper Co.; Green Stack by DCWV

Punch: Seal of Approval by Fiskers

Stamp: $1 find at Michael's

Corners: Corner Rounder by Fiskers

Little Baby Girl

2009-06-06T16:06:00.003-04:00

Baby cards are a must-have for any stash! I was able to grab the New Arrivals cart on sale at J's- so I had to test it out... I was happy with everything except my pencil work around the collar- so I didn't do that on the other 3 cards. In the end though- I thought they turned out really sweet.

Baby Outfit: New Arrivals cart

Flower: Jolee's Boutique

Embossing: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots

Corners: Corner Rounder by Fiskers

Changito says Thank U!

2009-06-06T15:56:00.005-04:00

Some more cards for my stash! I made a set of 4 really simply thank you cards to have on hand. The Stampendous Chantigo Monkey is the cutest! I just stamped and colored him in with colored pencils for this one. And since I used some premade cards from DCWV, the whole set was done rather quickly!

Stamp: Stampedous

Embossing: Cuddlebug Swiss Dots

Ribbon: $1 find at Wal-Mart

More Lil' Monkeys

2009-06-06T15:19:00.004-04:00

I don't know what it is, but these little guys are a recurring theme in a lot of my projects. Maybe it's because they are so stinkin' cute! LOL!

PP: Animal Crakers by DCWV

Stamp: Playful Monkey by Hero Arts

Embossing: Cuttlebug Divine Swirls

Monkeying Around 2

2009-06-05T19:35:00.003-04:00

After seeing the first monkey card, a friend requested one for her daughter. I wanted to create something unique for her- while mantaining the style and this is what I came up with! The monkeys are acutally rub-ons I got from J's.

Monkeying Around

2009-06-05T19:28:00.002-04:00

INSIDE

I had these cute little stickers, so I made a card for a friend who loves monkeys! This is also the first card I made using the Craft paper by the Paper company- I don't know what it is- but I love that Craft paper!! And I really am developing a 'thing' for stickers too... They truly come in handy when you are on a time crunch! LOL!

Got Cake?

2009-06-05T19:18:00.005-04:00

Here a quick --but cute-- card I did for a co-worker's mother. I loved the colors on this one- they looked so vibrant and bright in person. The inside is a stamp I just got from JoAnns-- by Inkadinkado-- it really inspired the whole card since her mom really likes sweets. I am happy to report that she really liked it!!

PP: Sweet Stack by DCWV
Stamp: Inkadinkado

Joy Fold Cards!!

2009-06-05T19:04:00.004-04:00

Major Props to Ms_Dee on the Cricut MB for posting the link for the Joy Fold Card! This has got to be one of my most favorite cards to do! You can do so much with this card- the possibilities are limitless. Here are a few that I have done...

Oh- here is the link for the tutorial as well- courtesy of Split Coast Stampers!

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ee/index.php/resources/tutorials/joy_fold_card/

Hello!

2009-06-04T16:04:00.003-04:00

I can't remember where- but I got the inspiration for this card and just had to make it! Credit goes to whoever I 'lifted' this one from!

Card: DCWV premade set

Flower: Walk In My Garden Cart

Embossing: Cuttlebug Divine Swirls

Stamp: $1 find at Michael's

Hap-Bee Birthday!

2009-06-04T15:51:00.003-04:00

Needed to make a birthday card for a friend's MIL. She's a really nice lady that makes some excellent banana bread!! LOL! Didn't have a whole lot of time, so I used a DCWV premade card as my base.

PP: 09 DCWV Spring Stack

Stamp: Stampendous (I think!)

Border on Bee: Decorative scissors by Fiskars

Butterfly Thank You Card

2009-06-04T14:41:00.001-04:00

This is a thank you card I did for my stash!

PP: DCWV 09 Summer Stack

Butterfly: Indie Art

Emobssing Folders: Swiss Dots; Floral Fantasy

Inside Stamp: Stampendous

Simple Everyday Card

2009-06-02T20:51:00.001-04:00

I love this card! I made it for my stash and actually ended up using it as a welcome card for a new co-worker. Decorative paper is from the DCWV Spring Stack and the bloom is from a set of 4 I got from M's.