AC Weekly Challenge-Favorite Technique

This challenge was just calling my name!  I love cutting out embellishments from patterned papers!  I just bought some paper from the City Park Collection from AC and knew that I would end up cutting some balloons out. Perfect for this week's challenge: Favorite Technique!  So my favorite technique changes oftens, but the technique of the moment is cutting out paper designs.  Here is the card that I came up with:

I used the following AC papers: Grass Cardstock, Everyday-Gidday (sky), Craft Fair- Midge Gathermore (houses), and City Park- High Line Park (balloons).  I embossed the sky with Cuttlebug's Divine Swirl embossing folder. The stamp is from Studio G.

I'm sooooo ready for FALL!!!!

It feels like it has been so long since I have made a card! I found some cute fall paper from Imaginisce at my LSS this weekend and could not wait to try it out!  I am sooooo ready for fall weather!  I hear all everyone talking about how their weather is changing and it's so nice, but here in Houston it's still hot and muggy and icky!!!  Anyway, here is the card I came up with :

I started thought process of this card with the sketch challenge from The Paper Variety weekly challenge.  It is a new challenge site that just lauched this past week!  I am so excited to see what comes from this challenge site and hope is gets my creative mojo started up again!

I used a Studio G stamp I found in the Michael's $1 bin and stamped it on some orange marblized paper from The Paper Studio.  The cut-out leaves are attached to the Imaginisce paper (back pattern).  Strip patterns were cut out and added to the card.  Cream cardstock (The Paper Studio) was inked with brown ink and tied with brown hemp string.  "Thanks" is a diecut from the Cuttlebug.

Button Challenge for Practical Scrappers

This week's challenge is BUTTONS.  My favorite embellishments!!!!  I found some button paper and textured cardstock at Hobby Lobby and decided to use it for a layout of the birth of my first son. 

I inked the edges of the paper with Memento Ink-Bamboo Leaves.  I used a chipboard shape to trace and cut-out the patterned paper.  The chipboard letters are from The Paper Studio.  The real buttons are from Making Memories.

New weekly challenge for Practical Scrappers

This week's challenge at Practical Scrappers is to make a project using white core cardstock. 

I have limited experience using white core and decided to emboss and sand.

The texture white core carstock is from DCWV.  A birthday Cuttlebug embossing folder was used to create the images.  I sanded the images to reveal the white core of the cardstock.  A tag was punched and stamped with a Studio G stamp.  Stickers were used for the numbers (stash).

White Pen Challenge for Practical Scrappers

This week’s challenge over at Practical Scrappers is to use a White Pen. I did not have a white pen to work with, so it gave me the perfect reason to go shopping! Well, they did not have a white pen, but they had a white marker! I made a LO about the birth of my daughter. I made a paper flower (from a lunch bag) and outlined it with the marker. The swirls were hand-drawn and cut-out. I use chipboard letters for the title and also outlined some of the letters using the white pen.  The envelope was made with my new Martha Stewart scoreboard.

The patterned paper and buttons are from Making Memories. The green and pink cardstocks and chipboard letters are from The Paper Studio. The flower was made using a heart punch and a paper lunch bag.

New Challenge Blog

I am getting excited about the new challenge blog The Paper Variety.  They announced the pretty cute giveaway today!  I love it...crossing fingers!

I was hoping I could get some crafting done today...but I spent the day looking for a certain ribbon for a project.  I had just used it 2 days ago and COULD NOT for the life of me find it!  (My craftroom is organized and clean.)  I was getting ready to give up, assuming that I threw it away by accident...I found it in one of my scrap boxes!  But now the day is gone...off to do supper, baths, and bedtime!

What a bright smile!!!

So I cranked out another scrapbook LO!  I am having fun...I am so addicted! 

So I was going through my paper piles and I came across my "Songbirds" paper pack. (I forgot I had it and it was like Christmas morning!!!) I just had to use it!  (OK, I know I am using !!!! too much, I will try to stop! oop, sorry....)

Here is the LO:

All the paper came from the DCWV Songbirds pack.  I hand-cut the sun, birds and house to embellish the page

The SMILE is Provo Craft chipboard letters that I painted a Golden orange.  The letter stickers are from Making Memories- they started off white, but colored them with a tan marker.

I used pop-dots to the birdhouse embellishment.

Off to the craftroom to see what I come up with next!

Lace Cardstock challenge from Practical Scrappers

This was a tough challenge!  My first thought...how do I make lace cardstock, never heard of it???? So I looked through my suppplies and came across my Martha Stewart border punch and went from there!  I also included a digi stamp from this month's sponsor Sassy Studios.  I did a chalkboard instead of a scrapping project today!

Practical Scrappers Stitching Challenge

So this week's challenge at Practical Scrappers is to use stitching.  This was that first time I actually used my sewing machine for paper.  I had a blast and have stitched on several projects since.

I used a Sailor Honey stamp for Sassy Studios (colored is with pencils) and the patterned paper is from The Paper Studio.  I used a simple zig-zag stitch to sew the patterned papers together.  The stamp is from Stampablilites.  Buttons are from my stash.

I love my husband...

I got so much crafting done this weekend!  My husband knew I have been under a lot of stress lately, he did all the housework and let me spend tons of time in my room.  Greatest husband ever!!!!!

I came across a sketch challenge at Skipping Stones and gave it a try.  It is not what I had invisioned, but it did turn out pretty good, I think!

I used brown textured cardstock for the card.  The pattern paper is from Heidi Grace.  I cut the large flower out of the paper and used the revesre side for the bottom of the card.  The yello cardstock is embossed with Cuttlebug swirls.  I stamped the sentiment on a tag and attached it with a Recollections brad.  The button and ribbon came from my stash.

Ahh, the summer is almost over...

This summer has gone by so fast!  I am both happy and sad about it coming to an end.  My oldest starts school back up in two weeks.  He will be going in the morning program, so that means that once again I have to rearrange my schedule for getting things done wach day.  My husband says I'm a little OCD and tends to make fun of the lists and schedules I make for EVERYTHING.  But hey, I know that works for me and I will continue :)

So this week's challenge at Practical Scrappers is to use summer themed items.  Believe it or not, I found this somewhat difficult.  I don't have too many summer-themed items to work with!  But I made a cute LO...

The summer-themed item I used was a Studio G flip flops rubber stamp. 

I used ribbon to make the sun.

I used a couple different scissors and torn paper to make the waves.

I am off to complete my next project...what will it be?  I will find out once I start going thru my scrap room.  I think I need to make some more birthday cards for September.  But we will see what I end up doing!

Have a great day!

My first Design Team project for Practical Scrappers

I am so excited about joining the Practical Scrappers team!  I look forward to the upcoming challenges and I hope I inspire others as I have been inspired by the wonderful artists out there!

Here is a quick and short bio- I am a stay-at home mom of 3 wonderful (and energy-draining) kids. Two boys (4 and 2) and a 8 mo. daughter.  Nap-time is my crafting time.  I use it as a relaxation method!  I normally make cards, but just recently started to make scrapbook pages!  I am addicted to looking at the fellow bloggers' pages (that is my after bedtime addiction)!

Practical Scrappers is celebrating their 1 year anniversary this week.  So they are bringing a different challenge for each day.  Today's challenge is to make a card or LO celebrating a "first" (birthday, anniversary, tooth, etc). 

I have made a first birthday card for a little girl.  I used kraft cardstock (MY FAVORITE) for the base of my card. I took patterned paper and matted it onto green cardstock.  I hand cut the layered cake and rolled a piece of paper to make the candlestick.  Pop dots were used to adhere the cake to the card.  The flame was also hand-cut and orange ink was used to accent the flame.  I punched out 6 flowers to make the 3D flower and added a lime green button for the center of the flower.  The number 1 was a die-cut from Cuttlebug. And finally "Happy Birthday" (Studio G, another addiction) was stamped in brown ink.

Thank you for viewing my first design team project!  I look forward to many more!

More paper flowers...

I just had to try these flowers that I have been seeing. I think they turned out pretty well for my first try!  They can only get better (I hope)!  I am also lovin' stitching!  I am finally putting my sewing machine to some good use!

All the papers are from My Mind's Eye.  Brads-Recollections. Stamp-Studio G.

Challenges:

Stamp and Create - Flowers

Ooh La La - Birthdays

 

Tons of projects in the works!

So I have actually had time making a variety of cards, scrapbook pages and wedding invitations this week!  I am loving it!  Now that I have cleaned and organized my room, I have been letting the kiddos in the room while I work (probably not the best idea, but it works)! So they are having a blast bouncing on the bed, so I am getting some work done!  (In between my daughter's fits...gotta love teething)!  Here is one card that I made:

Once again I used kraft cardstock...I cannot stop...please help me (just kidding...don't send help...I'm not in need of a kraft intervention quite yet)!

I used  my Slice machine to cut out the scallop circles and hand cut them to turn them into flowers.  I embossed the circle with Cuttlebugs Swiss Dots and brushed it with black ink.  I used white ink to stamp the Studio G stamp.  The patterned paper is from Adorn It.

Relaxed...

Got back from a small vacay and ready to get back to crafting! 

So we went to Oklahoma to visit with family.  My craft buddy is my mom.  This time around...she showed me how to sew a dress for my daughter.  I'm sorry, but "easy-to-sew" patterns should be considered as false advertisement!  I will try to make a dress on my own (I'm afraid of the final outcome)!  I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to my work and I think it will drive me crazy if I cannot get the hems straight.  But I will try :]

Tweet, Tweet little Chalkboard...

So I had some masonite left over from a project, so I decided to paint it with chalkboard paint and make this cute board for my kitchen:

The tree is a hand-made cut-out and the leaves were done using a Cuttlebug diecut. The birds were cut-out from the AC paper-Millie Singer.  A Tiffany blue satin ribbon is used as a hanger.

SWEET...

I could not resist making a page using this picture of my daughter.  Her smile melts my heart :) (Yes, I know all mothers' think that!!!)

I used a couple of AC papers to cut out the circles, as well as the flowers to make my own 3D embellishments.  The coral patterned ribbon is AC Premium Ribbon.  The letters are so OLD (I believe I have had them for at least 5 years and sad to say I think this was the first project I actually used them!

Supplies: AC papers (Yo!, Long time no see, Gidday, Aloha, Good morning, Bonjour), AC ribbon,stash punch-out letters, Recollection brads

Home is where the heart lives...

So I completed the second scrapbook page and I must say (to myself)...Not bad!!

I have been having too much fun (wait...that's not possible) with making my own embellishments from patterned papers.  I cut out the houses and circles from AC papers. To add texture to the page, I embossed the yellow tree and distressed the edges of the pink tree.

Supplies: AC Papers (Wouldn't it be nice, Yo!, Midge Gathermore and Pretty), Stash Cardstock (Brown-tree trunk, Red - dragonfly body, kraft), Studio G stamps, white and brown inks, circle punch, border punch, distress tool, Cuttlebug-Embossing folder Swiss Dots.

Crafts and Food---Life is good!!!

So I have been working in my room all week and am getting a lot of projects completed!  (While keeping a clean room---a project in itself!)

Here is the one of the latest cards:

Supplies: Studio G rubber stamps, Martha Stewart Doily Lace border punch, Recollection red brads, patterned paper from stash, kraft cardstock, red, white and blue textured cardstock, black string

And on top of being busy in the craft room, I made homemade chicken pot pie that was so DELISH, I have to share a pic!!!!

Getting there...

So The last few weeks I have been focused on organizing my craft room.  It has turned into a bigger project, but I am loving the outcome!

Sadly, I do not get a ENTIRE room to myself (sniff, sniff...wipe tear)! Half the room is my craft room and the other half is the guest room.  So I was overwhelmed with projects in May and June that the room got CRAZY!!! So I went on the mission to re-organize.  So here is the big reveal...

I'm not done yet, still have some final touches to complete. Boy, do I have more than ribbon than I thought...it disn't help that the last time I went home, my mom gave me all her ribbon!  So I ran out of the pegboard things, so I will hopefully get to Home Depot this weekend!  I have 2 more rolls of solid ribbon to hang (and won't mention the amount of pattern ribbons there is!  But I must say I do like the idea of the pegboard!  I stole it from my husband's garage!  It have been leaning against the wall for almost 2 years, so I snatched it!!! And worst of all...I made him hang it up ;) 

Well, I better get back to my project!  Kiddos are napping, so the time is precious!