Happy Halloween!

Hello friends and Happy Halloween! Do you have any fun trick-or-treating plans? My kiddos will be dawning some super hero costumes this year. It seems like the super hero theme from their birthday party this summer has not let up. I have high hopes that I will be able to put a post together to share our festivities from this evening at some point this weekend. Fingers crossed.

 

I have also been rather busy this past week as I start a new job. I will continue to work at my old job as well since both jobs are per diem. There will be lots of adjustments in our family routine but it is all good. I am still learning more about fitness and finding new recipes to feed my family. Thank you pinterest for helping me! I have had a lot more energy (not that I was feeling run down before) and my heart is doing really well. I am so thankful for that. I have a follow up with my cardiologist in December. I think she will be pleased to know what I have been doing to improve my health.

 

This year I made Leah her costume again. It was nothing fancy, but I can't wait to share this weekend. I also made little mummy treats for the kids to give to their classmates and teachers. I wrapped mini chocolate bars with crepe paper, glued on some googley eyes and tied on a tag onto 38 bars! I would've normally enlisted Leah's help in the assembly, but this week was super busy so I worked on them late at night. Since I had today off, I squeaked in some time to finally create a card. Love this sketch from CAS(E) this sketch!

 



 

The CAS girl in me kept the panels white. I think I had that stamped orange striped paper for two years! So glad to use it on this card. I made those stripes using Three Line Border from DeNami Design. I love that stamp!!! The sentiment is also from DeNami. The sequins are from a bulk bag that I picked up from Michaels a while back. If you look closely, the raised panels were impressed with my PTI Linen/canvas impression plate.

 

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!



Happy Birthday, One stamp

 Hello friends in blogland! I am popping in today with a clean and simple birthday card. I am linking it up to a few challenges.

 

 

 

This week's CAS(E) this Sketch!  and Virginia's View: Clean and Simple and Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes.

To create my card, I used some leftover patterned paper I have been itching to use up. To create my border I used my Pretty Pink Posh stitched borders die. And the sentiment is from Altenew: Faux Veneers. The final touch on this card is some Pretty Pink Posh sequins.

 

 

Those of you that follow my blog may be wondering why there have been huge gaps between posts. You may recall that in the middle of the summer, I started having some cardiac issues. Well, after all of the tests were completed, my doctor put me on some medication and recommended exercise. Well, given that I haven't done that in almost 20 years, I have had to do some research and ease my way into it. The events that took place this summer have been a real eye opener. I have taken my health for granted. Thanks to some inspiration from my sweet friend Paulina, I have been making huge changes to the way I eat, feed my family, exercise and simply take care of myself. It has been a huge change, all for the better.

 

So, do not fear dear friends. My craftroom is not neglected. It's just not a busy as it usually is. Halloween is around the corner, so Leah and I will be busy making treats for her classmates and Josh's classmates. And I still have hope that I will be able to make Leah her costume this year.

 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

U Rock! Happy Birthday

Hello friends! I know that it has been a while since I have posted. But no fear. I have a card to share for the current CAS(E) this Sketch! challenge.

 

 

A friend of mine celebrated her 30th birthday this past weekend. Although I wanted to make her a card that actually had 30th on it, I opted to leave it out. Niki is a member of the rock band my husband plays in, ELEVATORS. She plays lead guitar and performs vocals. I really wanted to ink up PTI's Boy Basics: Rock On for her. And I inked up the back of one of my stamps from Altenew, Label Love to create the rainbow background. The sentiments are also from Label Love.

 

 

 

I have to say that she had a pretty rockin' birthday this past Saturday. She and the band had their EP release show and it was awesome. There was a great turnout and we all had a great time. Their EP Live to Find Out will be available tomorrow on iTunes if you would like to show your support.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Happy Birthday

Happy Monday! Lucky for me, I had today off from work. That meant doing something I haven't done in nearly 2 decades...I went running! Actually, there was more walking than running, but that is the plan when you start a workout routine. I certainly did not want to overdo it, since I don't want be too sore tomorrow. So excited about this new adventure in my life.

 

 Onto today's card. It plays along with the current CAS(E) this Sketch! and CAS on Sunday challenge: to make a celebration card using sequins.

 

 

 

 For my card I inked up Tiny Tags II by PTI. I used some Buttercup twine from The Twinery to hang them using glue dots. The die cut tag behind them is Tag Sale #5, also from PTI. My sentiment is from CAS-ual Fridays, Casual Elegance. And lastly, I sprinkled some Pretty Pink Posh sequins to finish off the card.

 

 

That is all for me today. Work beckons me the rest of the week and now my new workout routine does too. I still hope to find some time to get crafty. Halloween is around the corner and I've got some costumes and treats to make.

 

Thanks for stopping by!



Congratulations!

Happy Sunday, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Yesterday I spent the afternoon watching my nephew play some tennis. Boy, do I love watching him play. It also means that I get to hang out with my sister, too. Love that!

 

So I am popping in super quick with a card for the current CAS(E) this Sketch! challenge. On Saturday, a friend of mine will be getting married and I thought this would be a perfect sketch for her card.

Although the theme of her wedding is a beach wedding, I thought I would create a rainbow card. But once I uploaded my card, I realized it is not ROYGBV, but ROYBGV. Oops. Since I had added some white in each of the corners, I thought I would keep the card as is. I think she and her man will be delighted, nonetheless, at receiving a hand made card.

 

 

 

I used my curved stitch border die from Pretty Pink Posh and adhered the pieces together. Then, using my rectangle nestie, I marked off where I needed to trim. Then I used the same nestie to cut out the black cardstock to adhere my trimmed cardstock. The sentiment is from Altenew Faux Veneers.

 

That is all from me for now. I hope you have an awesome week!

Congrats!

Hello friends! I hope you are all well. I know the blog has been quiet. Two weeks ago, I actually worked some overtime. And last week, we took a family vacation. I have been busy in the craftroom working on decorations and favors for my kiddos birthday party that will take place in 2 weeks. I have also had some tests done for the palpitations that I have been experiencing. I have my stress test on Monday, and I will be following up with the cardiologist in 2 weeks to go over everything.



 

So now that you are caught up on what's happening with little ole' me, I have a card to share with you. I cleared away the yards of felt off my desk to create a sweet little baby shower card for a friend of mine. I combined a few challenges to create my card and matching tag. I used the current challenge over at CAS(E) this Sketch! and the current and last challenge for 2014 over at CAS-ual Fridays. 

 

I inked up Lawn Fawn Plus One and did some paper piecing. This stamp set is dear to me since I used my winnings from my first challenge win over at CAS-ual Fridays to buy it. I also used it for my first guest design spot at well. I used Stitched Borders from Pretty Pink Posh along with some 6mm and 4mm clear sequins. I used clear sequins to mimic raindrops. And lastly, I added some Lawn Fawn twine for my bow. So if you haven't figured it out, I am playing along with the far right column: sequins, emboss and twine.

 

 

 

 

That is all I have to share for now. It's back to my sewing machine and felt. I hope you have a great rest of the weekend!



Happy Mother's Day, Marsha!

I am back today as promised. Yesterday I shared the card I gave my twin sister for Mother's Day. Today I am sharing the card I am giving my mother-in-law. As I mentioned before, I really like This week's CAS(E) this Sketch! #75.

 

 For my card, I started off using some PTI Soft Stone cardstock. I ran a scrap piece through my cuttlebug using Tag Sale #5. I inked up Mums the Word from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. I used the two smaller floral images in versamark on the tag, but they don't show well in the photo. Then I inked up the sentiment in Smokey Shadow. I trimmed off the top portion of the die and stitched it to the cardfront with my sewing machine. Lastly, I added some Pretty Pink Posh sequins. I also used another sentiment from Mums the Word for the inside of the card.

 

 

This card is for my mother-in-law, Marsha. She is truly an amazing woman. You see, when I was only 3 years old, I lost my father and grandfather. So I was raised by my mother and grandmother. In 2004, my mother lost a 3 year battle to ovarian cancer and in 2006, my grandmother passed away due to complications from pneumonia. So my husband's parents are the only living parents I have. The love and support they showed me through the loss of my family was nothing short of amazing.

 

They have always lived about 30 minutes from us. After the birth of our daughter, they came to visit us almost every Saturday. Leah turns 7 this summer, so that adds up to a lot of Saturdays! You would think by now that they would've worn out their welcome. But quite the contrary. My mother-in-law has always lent a hand to help watch the kids or pick up lost toys around the house. She has listened to me and encouraged me through situations at work. Despite major shoulder surgery last year, she still continued to do what she always did. Almost 2 years ago, my in-laws moved about 5 minutes away. And now that my mother-in-law is retired, she has us come over once a week for dinner. A welcome break to my weekday cooking!

 

My mother-in-law has made me feel so welcome and a part of the family, just as if I was her own daughter. Marsha, thank you for being an incredible mother to me and your son and an incredible grandmother to your grandchildren. We are blessed beyond measure!

 

I love you, Mom!



Happy {early} Mother's Day!

I know, I know. It's only Saturday and Mother's Day isn't for another day. But this card will be in the recipient's hands today, so I thought I might as well share. I also have another scheduled post for tomorrow for my mother-in-law so I wanted to keep these cards/posts separate.

I am so excited to be able to link up and play along with this week's CAS(E) this Sketch! #75. I am a bit smitten with this sketch because I created this card a while back which I really loved and it had a similar design. So in a weird way, I get to CASE myself. Thanks for the awesome sketch, N@Ali .

 

 

For my card, I started with some DeNami white cardstock. I used my Martha Stewart score pal to create the diagonal lines. Then I inked up Camera  from DeNami Design and trimmed it out with scissors. Then I inked up  You're Special from Thoughtful Greetings petite four. I trimmed out another piece of white cardstock that was large enough for the image and then I attached the camera to the banner using foam adhesive. I used my ATG to adhere it to the cardfront and then added some sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

 

The Happy Mother's Day sentiment is on the inside of the card. You may be wondering why this Mother's Day card would have a camera image on the front. Well, that's because my sister is a photography hobbyist. I try to learn as much from her as I can. Now whether I can find the time to practice myself is a different story. She started this hobby after bringing home her son from China. I have watched her grow in leaps and bounds in her photography skills. If you want a glimpse of how she can take simple things in life and turn it into something amazing, you can visit her blog here. She has taught me to embrace the simple things.

 

Thanks sis, for being an AMAZING mother to your children. I love you like crazy cakes. Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Birthday, Friendly Robot

My daughter needed a birthday card for a classmate. So naturally I was assuming the role of cardmaker when the lightbulb went off...Leah is a cardmaker herself. She tends to create one layer cards when coloring DeNami images, so I told her that I would link it up with a new challenge One-Layer Simplicity. The challenge is to create a card/s to restock your shelves. This one, however, will be off our shelf this weekend. I have some great ideas to participate in this challenge myself since I rarely make one layer cards and they are perfect for mailing. 

Leah inked up Friendly Robot, Happy Birthday script and Small Stitched Circle. She colored in the robot herself. The only part I played in making this card was helping with the splatter.

After photographing her card, I realized that is also plays along with the current C AS(E) this Sketch! Her card is flipped on the side. It is so fun to see that Leigh's daughter is the guest designer this week. That young girl has some awesome talent.



Thanks for stopping by!

A couple of thank you cards

Happy Monday friends! I hope you had a fantastic weekend. I am popping in with 2 quick cards today for CAS(E) this Sketch.

 

 

Last Thursday my hubby and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. To help is celebrate, my wonderful in-laws watched the kiddos for a couple of days. So I wanted to show my appreciation with a card.

 

I used some DeNami washi tape for the strips and added You are Sweet (cling) for my sentiment. I finished it off with a few sequins.

 

 

When I am in my craftroom, my daughter Leah usually wants to be in there with me. She often wants to make a card so I told her "Why not try making a card for a challenge or two." So she combined this week's CAS(E) this Sketch with CAS-ual Fridays. The last card she submitted to CAS-ual Fridays, she used glitter strips, so I thought she would do well with it. Since CTS required strips at an angle, I thought I would help her lay them down this time. She picked her sentiment to fit nicely along the glitter and added her flower sticker to some leftover patterned paper. Not too bad for a 5 year old.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!



2012 Year in Review

So 2012 was my first complete year of blogging. I decided that I would pick my top 12 cards from the blog (one from each month). I must admit that some months were a toss up because I sometimes had 2 or 3 that I really loved. Here they are:

 

 

January 

 

 

 February

 

March

 

April

 

May

 

June

 

July

 

August

 

 

September

 

October

 

November

 

December

 

 

This was a fun trip down memory lane. It's been good to see my own style develop over the year. That is what blogging has done for me. As long as we create, I think we will continue to discover things about ourselves. Thanks for stopping by. Can't wait for 2013!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



DeNami fun and CAS(E) this Sketch #3

Hope you are having a fabulous Saturday. In my neck of the woods, we having been dealing a bit with Hurricane Sandy. Yesterday was pretty windy and lots of rain bands, and today is just overcast with wind. That makes it kind of difficult to photograph cards since I take pictures outside on my porch.

 

 

 

 

This morning, my daughter, Leah, and I had some crafty time together. I told her to pick out stamps to use, starting with the sentiment. She chose Baby Script. Hence, she decided to make a baby card. She then selected the rest of her stamps. I reminded her that she could only use enough stamps that would fill up her card, so she had to put a few back. We attempted to use my stamp-a-ma-jig. She was so stinkin' cute. She actually misaligned it, but it turned out in her favor because it gave her more room to stamp her larger images. To complete her card she used Polka Dot Elephant, Giraffe, Brushed Present, and Baby Jesus. I loved her rational for using Baby Jesus, "It's a baby card. It has to have baby Jesus." So precious, I tell ya.

 

DeNami Color Challenge #11

 

So after she finished her card, I worked a little on the treat bags that she will give her classmates for Halloween. I will have those to share on the blog soon since I have to bake the goodies in the over. Fingers crossed that they turn out. I decided to use one of the left over images to create a card for CAS(E) this Sketch! I can't tell you how long I have been wanting to play along, so this left over piece worked perfectly.

 

 

I used Friendly Mummy (cling) along with some Papertrey Ink paper and dies for the focal point. I used Happy Halloween for the sentiment.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!