Happy Birthday Card

I'm doing pretty well on my goals of 2013 to do more scrapbooking and less card making.  I love making cards but I found I was making them just to make them....and then I fall in love with them and don't want to send them so now I have a card collection!  So, I'm going to continue to make cards but try to do more scrapbooking. 

But sometimes you just gotta have a card.

I made this card for my friend's daughter who just turned 21.  Her daughter is not a frilly type of gal so decided to veer from my usually overly feminine stuff to make this card.  It was fun and I was inspired somewhere in BlogWorld or Pinterest World!

I believe she likes owls so I chose these fun coordinating papers which I put on a kraft cardstock base that I did a little line embossing on.
The star is some grunge board from Tim Holtz which I painted

The thought bubble is Hero Arts and the sentiment is Hampton Arts.  I used a glitter button from WALMART (don't you love it?) and tied a little cotton crochet thread through it.
Simply, easy....and not pinky and frilly!

I like the way it turned out!  I'm sure she loved it but liked the gift card I enclosed much more! LOL!

Happy Crafting!

Christmas, 2012

Christmas 2012 is a thing of the past but I've been having fun in 2013 scrapping those pictures.  We did have a wonderful Christmas and I very much enjoyed being with the little ones Christmas morning when they realized Santa HAD come to their house!
I did these layouts with Echo Park's Christmas papers and embellishments (by Lori Whitlock).  Such fun prints and colors.  Love the vintage feel to it.  Reminds me of Christmases when I was a little girl!

and here is how they look side by side (of course, since I'm using We R Memory Keeper albums there will be 3 rings separating the pages!....but I do love those albums!....totally over post hinge albums!) 

I am entering this in the following challenges:

A Blog Named Hero (use something new....I used the new Echo Park papers I received for Christmas)

Simon Says Stamp and Show (something new....new papers and embellishments that I got as a Christmas gift from my daughter)

Simon Says Stamp and Show: Anything Goes

 Happy Crafting!

Favorite Projects of 2012: Part B

Happy New Year!

Whoopsie...was supposed to post this yesterday but got caught up with other things.  We celebrated New Year's Eve with some dear friends and didn't get home until very late....
I'm slow moving on this first day of 2013 but I'm going to go in my craft room shortly and will celebrate the January 1st doing something I very much enjoy! I hope you find some time to do the things you enjoy on the first day of this new year.

Here are some of my favorite projects from July through December (you can click on the pictures to take you to the original posts):

July

August

September

October

November

December

Happy New Year to all and as always....HAPPY CRAFTING!

Favorite Projects of 2012

As the year comes to an end it's time to set some goals for 2013.  I've already mentioned how I want to focus a little more on my photography and I want to commit to Project Life.  Both will go hand in hand, I think.

I also reflect on what all I've done in 2012.  I was looking at Jackie Rockwell's BLOG and she posted her favorite cards of 2012.  I thought what a great idea but instead of cards I'll post my favorite projects!

Here are projects from January to June (you can click on each picture if you want to go back to the original post).

JANUARY

I loved this little layout of my little man and artist.

FEBRUARY

No kid cuter to me....and the layout was prefect! :)

 MARCH

Sweetest baby girl in a tutu ever!

APRIL

I loved this card done with coffee filters.

MAY

Party invitations cut out on my Silhouette Cameo!

JUNE

Very proud of this photo I took.  

How fun it was for me to go back and look at some of the things I'd done this past year.  My projects are like my babies, though...it's difficult for me to just choose one!  LOL!!!

Happy Crafting...I'll be back tomorrow with the second half of the year!

Photos with Santa Page 2

I like to do 2 page layouts whenever I can.  I used to obsess about it....the pages HAD to flow.  But I have let that go and now can have a 1 page in bright primary colors next to a layout in muted colors.  I don't love but I get over it.  LOL!  I used to have too many rules and sometimes you just gotta break a rule.

Not in this case though.  I shared my Photo with Santa page yesterday and I did the companion page which matches perfectly of course!  I did use some different papers but they complement and I tied them in with some scraps from the original page.

And once I again I saved my husband money (HAHA!) by using my Cameo to make my embellishments.

I used Michael's Recollections papers.  The "Dear Santa, I've been very good" is a cut from Samantha Walker in the Silhouette store and the little Santa gnome is also from the Silhouette store by Nathan Jenne.  I added some Liquid Applique on the beard and pompom and heated it....such fun stuff to use.  I've had this little tube for years but it still flows and works!

 I added a few googly eyes (well, 2 to be exact!) and was happy with the way this little guy turned out.

And...despite all attempts my grandchildren would not smile for the camera....but at least they didn't scream!

Tomorrow I'm going to Archiver's to scrapbook!  I'm packed and know I'm not taking even 1/3 of what I need.  But that's ok....I'll have a great time nonetheless!

Happy Crafting!

Photo(s) with Santa

As the year ends I am reflecting on what I want to do in 2013.  You can call them resolutions, if you'd like.  One of my resolutions for 2012 was to journal daily.  I made it half the year.  HAHA!  I so admire those who love to keep diaries and journal....I want to be a journaler but I fail miserably each time I try.  I started journals when both of my children were born.  After the story of their births I gave up!  Oh well....
So what am I setting up as goals in 2013?
1. Take more pictures.  I have definitely slacked off taking pictures of my grandangels.  At 3 and nearly 19 months it is just so difficult to get good photos of them because they are always on the move.  I just need to go with it, though, and keep trying. 
2.  Scrapbook more.  I have gotten lax about scrapbooking...I make tons of cards but I want to document a little more what is going on in our lives.  I am going to do Project Life this next year although I will definitely tailor this concept into what works for me.  My goal will be to do a 2 page layout weekly but we shall see.... LOL!
3.  Drink less coffee.  HAHA....not really!  I know I'd fail at that!

Yesterday I ordered some photos from Costco of our visit with Santa and some from Christmas day.  I am cropping on Saturday and hope I can crank out a few pages!

Last night I did this layout of the "professional" photo taken on our visit to Santa:

 I was in Michael's just before Christmas for the deal of the day which were Christmas paper stacks for $7.99. Great deal....these papers are Michael's own brand, Recollections, and I just loved them!

.

 The title was cut with my Cameo from a file purchased in the Silhouette Online store.  I offset it slightly to give a bit of shadow.

I will do a companion page when I get those little photos in my hands! 

Do you have any resolutions or goals for 2013?

Happy Crafting!

Hope Your Christmas Was Merry!

We had a wonderful Christmas....hustle, bustle, lots of fun...great food...lots of family...and today I am going to recover!  I am "plumb tuckered out"! Today I will not leave the house and I'm going to go in my craft room and play.  I have decided to participate in Project Life so I want to get some "prep" work done! HAHA!  My friend, the fabulously talented Donna Gibson, was named to Becky Higgins Design Team for Project Life for 2013 and she is going to help keep me motivated.

Just a quick share today of a decorated recycled gift bag.  Someone gave me this plain bag and I cut the mistletoe out with my Silhouette with a free shape from the Silhouette store.

Nothing special here....but it was cuter than the plain gift bag and so easy to do.

We did spend Christmas Eve at my daughter's house and were there when my two grandangels came downstairs to see if Santa had come.  David "gets" the whole Santa thing...Taylor is not quite there yet but next year will, I'm sure!

Here they are coming down the stairs:

David is looking towards the tree to see what is there.  I just love the look on his face!  He had a great day and Taylor did too....in fact, after our meal we found him like this:

Worn out!

Well, I am off to go find another blog template since Christmas 2012 is now a thing of the past.  Time for a change!

Happy Crafting!