SBVC105 - Paper Chains

Christmastime brings back so many memories of when I was a kid. I remember learning to make the paper snowflakes or the construction paper link chains for the tree. My favorite was stringing the popcorn on the thread, yummo!

I have always liked the look of the paper doll cutout chains. So my challenge to you is to use a paper chain on your scrapbook page.

Here are a couple of website with templates:

Paper Chains

Snowflake I used the Cottonwood snowflake template, turned it so two "arms" are touching the folds and cut.

Thanks for stopping by.

SBVC104 - Pieced Traditions

This week's SCS Scrapbook Variety Challenge is all about piecing things together. Today's challenge is to make a layout based on a Holiday Tradition. BUT, when creating your page I want you to include a paper pieced item that represents your tradition.

Ideas:

Baking cookies (gingerbread) with the kids. Cut out a piece of brown card stock and apply small paper pieces representing the icing.

Decorating the tree: paper piece the layers of the tree with different patterned papers.

Lighting the Menorah: cut a base for the candelabra, silvers of paper for the candles.

Making ornaments: cut out the shape of an ornament and lay on the paper layers.

I think you all know what I mean. Here is a link to some paper piecing ideas.

SBVC103 - The Music In You

This week's SCS Scrapbooking Variety Challenge involves music. I love music even though I don't have a musical bone in my body. lol. I crank up the music in the truck while driving. I have music playing while cleaning (for some reason it seems like I get a lot more done while playing music). So I'm sure you get the picture.

Your Challenge this week is to incorporate music into your layout. It can be in several ways:

Patterned paper

Chipboard

Brads

and/or perhaps the lyrics to your favorite song.

Thanks for looking.

3 Pounds of Rubber

You are probably wondering what in the world am I talking about.. I know I would. A few weeks ago I was playing Inspirational Bingo with the Unity Stamp Co. on Splitcoast. That week I happened to have won the bingo game (which I have never done before in my life). For playing bingo I had won 100 random stamps.

I just received my 100 stamps. The box weighed 3 pounds. I was pleasantly surprised. So are you asking what 3 pounds of rubber stamps look like? Check these out.

sorry they are uneven, I tried to straighten them out.

TLC249 - Washer Pendants

Today's Lynn In St. Louis was inspired by Shelly Katzung, aka Sugrnspicy's washer pendants. Shelly does an outstanding job on her pendants.

TLC249 required you to make a washer pendant. Yup that is correct. Awasher as in tool box raid!! lol.. So out to the tool box I went. I hope my husband doesn't need the two larger ones anytime soon. Next I raided my scrapbox for the papers.

I have alot of fun making these. One thing about making the pendants you have to let the glue and clear coating dry. Yes it is a bit time consuming. Me being inpatient placed the brown and black/white/red ones under a tabletop fan. It dried them and in less time..

I hope you like my creations as much as I do.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

What am I Thankful for:

My husband and boys. They bring me such happiness and joy. I love you all very much!

My parents, I love and miss you. Hopefully next year at this time we can come for a visit.

My extended family (husbands side), being with such a large family at the holidays makes missing my family not so hard. They are such a warm bunch of people and quite fun to be around.

Good health, especially this time of year.

My friends, I have made so many new friends (online) over the past couple of years. I feel as though I have known most of them all my life.

I could go on and on but then it would get either silly or sappy..

So I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Stay safe, warm and healthy!

TLC248 - Stocking Gift Card Holder

Lynne must have been reading my mind. This week's SCS Technique Challenge she posted a stocking template by Waltzingmouse. I have had this template printed for a couple of weeks and said I would get around to making them for Christmas. Now I have been known to put things off until the last minute (last year I was making the cards the morning of Christmas to take to my mother-in-laws to hand out), but this challenge gave me that swift kick in the butt to get moving.

The card holder is very easy to make. My first card I made was very simple. I used some patterned paper by Dream Street Papers LLC called Merry & Bright - Celebrate. This paper is double sided printed and that is where the green polka dots came from too. On the red & cream patterned stocking I paper pierced the edges of the cuff and toe/heel. Then I faux stitched using my white gel pen. I added a little sponging on the cream paper.

On the green polka dot stocking I wanted to try something different. My youngest son has been playing with my felt scraps and I thought what a good way to accent the stocking. Plus I wanted to try stitching on a card with my good sewing machine. I found some white felt zig-zag stitched it to the card front and did the same for the cuff. I remembered I had some white pop-pom trim and sewd that to the cuff.

I think the pom-poms gave it a fun style.

So now that I have two down, how many more do I need to make???? hmm...

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Unity Stamp Co. - Batchelor Bro Contest

Okay I can breathe again. The contest winner has been announced. The winner was Nancy. She did an outstanding job on her entry as did the rest of the very talented ladies. Congrats Nancy!

I thought I would share my gift to Broman. I had very limited Unity Stamps and the only thing that popped into my head was coffee.

I started off with an old tin box I had on my craft counter and wondered what would I use this thing for. Light bulb flickered. It needed to be altered.

I happened to have some coffee themed pattern paper that I wrapped around the tin box. Sealed it with Modge Podge. Then tied a wired organza ribbon around it.

The next thing I made was a set of coasters. I took out my tumbled tiles and sprayed them with Workable Fixativ by Krylon. This allows the coaster to take any kind of ink, paint or any other kind of coloring medium. While that dried (not long), I stamped my coffe cup onto a piece of tissue paper, colored with Bic Mark Its, cut out and Modge Podge'd onto the tile. I then sponged some ink around the edges and sealed afterwards.

The last stamped part of the gift was stamping on fabric. I stamped the coffee mug onto a piece of fabric I had made and filled it with some coffee, that I placed in a dark brown coffee mug. I threw in some store bought biscotti so he could have a snack with a cup of coffee.

My package was all wrapped by sheets of you guessed it coffee cup stamped tissue paper.

I was really happy with the results of my project and was honored to have been in the final 7. Congrats again to Nancy. Angela, Jenny, Kristen, Courtney & Randi you are some of the most talented ladies I have seen. You all are winners in my book!

SBVC102 - Filter Through

This week's Splitcost Stampers Variety Challenge is a bit odd. Recently I had to buy a new coffee maker and without thinking I bought a new one that took a different style of coffee filters. Now what do I do with close to 500 coffee filters... lol.

Abouth two weeks or so ago I bought the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Scrapbooks Etc magazine. As I was turning the pages I stopped in my tracks and said that's what I can do with the coffee filters. (not that I will ever use up 500 filters for this technique).

So here is what you do:

Take a coffee filter and spray it with dye (I used a spray bottle with water and reinkers). Let it dry and then pleat the filter to get the look of a flower. You can accent it with patterned-paper for a stem. I happened to have some floral tape and used that.

I used a layout from Page Maps from the January 2009 Sidemaps.

NOV09VSNK - Strange Case

Nothing too strange about this. I never think to do this.

For this challenge we were to CASE our card layout from an 8.5 x 11 scrapbook page. There are very talented scrapbookers out there. It was hard for me to pick a layout. One layout struck the girlie side in me. I love the colors of this page by anewdesign. Once I saw this page I knew exactly the paper I was going to use...

NOV09VSNI Cracked Glass Technique

This challenge was to use CASE a card and use the Cracked Glass Technique on it. You can find the directions for the Cracked Glass Technique here on the Splitcoast Stampers website.

For my card I cased this card by Rox71.

I have never attempted this technique before. I panicked at first looking for the UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel. Then I started thinking no you don't have any, so I tried this technique with ultra fine embossing powder. I DOESN'T WORK! Then I searched some more and found my canister of UTEE (it was as large as what I thought it should have been). I really enjoyed this technique and will definitely be using it more often.

NOV09VSNA

This weekend's theme was all about Masquerades. The first challenge was about the glitz, glamour and the ruffles that you find in most Masquerades.

For this challenge we were to CASE (acronym for Copy And Steal Everything) another card but add some Ruffles to it.

My card's inspiration came from a card Kendra had made. My ruffle was made from a piece of of hot pink organza that was wrapped around my birthday roses from my sister-in-law Mary and her kids.

I hope you like the card. Thanks for looking.

SBVC101 - School Pics

For today's SCS Scrapbook Variety Challenge 101 you are to use those school pictures that we all have.. We all have them of the kids, grandkids, niece/nephew or maybe yourself.

I used last year's photo of Kyle (yes it looks familiar I altered a frame using this photo).

The paper is the Static Collection by Crate Paper. The stars are stamps from Unity Stamp Co. I used my Storybook cartridge by Cricut for the title.

It's Postal!!!

Oh the pressure is off!!! I mailed my Unity challenge submission yesterday. Talk about breathing a sigh of relief.

Now is the worst part of all the wait.. lol... The winner will be announced on November 19, 2009... All I have to say is "Good thing I don't spend the money on having manicures done!"

Good Luck to the other 6 participants.

Unity Stamp Co- Final 7 Challenge

Yesterday Unity Stamp Co. posted the winner of last week's Unity Bro Challenge.
Congratulations to all the other winners!!!!

Now the pressure is on!!!! I'm stressing about it all ready. lol.

The Challenge: Make An Altered Item or Gift. Hmmmm... Now where is that thinking cap???

Feeling of Fall

This week's Variety Challenge SBVC100 is all about Fall.

I love Fall. I love the cooler days, the smell in the air, the color of the leaves and the fall harvest. This weeks challenge is to use the colors of Fall on your layout. Plus I want you to tell us what Falls means to you. You can do this in your own words, a song or a poem.

I am working on my sample. It will be posted this morning.

Royal Reindeer

This weeks Ways To Use It challenge (WT243) - It's a Stick Up, we were to use stickers on our cards.

As I was cleaning up my craft counter recently I came across some clear glittery stickers I had bought at Walmart. I knew right away I was going to use that package of stickers.

I matched up the stickers to the latest Stampin Up patterned paper called Holiday Lounge. I love this paper. It's not your typical Christmas paper.

I also used this week's Sketch Challenge (SC253).

Thanks for stopping in.

What a Day!!!!

This morning I was browsing around Splitcoast and found myself in the Unity Stamp Forum. I saw there was a Bingo game taking place this afternoon. I wanted to play. I picked my 20 words from the list and posted them in the thread. So when 4pm est came around I was sure glued to my computer. I got 14 out of 20 words. woohoo!! I ended up being the winner. I can not wait to play with the new stamps...

Oh I was notified this afternoon from Pinky regarding the Stampin Bella challenge from last week. My Addy Seeing Spots card won.

Can you tell I'm excited????

SBVC99 - It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

Yes, it's that time of year. My favorite time. I love apple picking and pumpkin picking. This year I can say we haven't gone yet. I just might end up going by myself.

Today's Splitcoast Variety challenge is all about Pumpkins. Pumpkin paper, pumpkin embellishments, embossed pumpkins, pumpkin overlays or pumpkin lace.

Simple and easy.

I am still working on my page, so I will upload it as soon as I'm done.

BTC10 - Addy seeing spots

Last Friday night I went to a calendar making class with my sister-in-law Kathy at The Paper Tree. It was a class put on by A Muse Stamps. I really enjoyed taking the class and the project was fun.

After the class The Paper Tree allowed us to do some shopping (the store was closed except for the people taking the class). I have always liked the Stamping Bellas stamps. A stamp had caught my eye and I knew instantly that I was going to buy it. The stamp is called Addy "Tude loves her Tini's. I have wanted to stamp with Addy all weekend and just couldn't come up with an idea. So I started to stamp a few images and then colored one in purple. After coloring the image I was at a road block. I went to the Stamping Bella thread on Split Coast and saw a challenge for the Bellas stamp. You had to use the color purple and do some paper piecing. The light bulb flickered. Off I went to the craft counter.

And next thing I knew Addy seeing spot was created. After three martinis I know I would be seeing spots. lol...

I used the following:

Addy "Tude loves her tini's by Stamping Bella

Beverage stamp block by Stampcraft

Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing Folder

Papers: Eggplant, Plum, White & Silver paper

Inks: ColorBox - Wisteria Fluid Chalk Inkpad, Tsukineko Brilliance Platinum Planet

Accessories: Brads, rhinestones, markers & gallery gloss

SBVC98 - Page Carvings

I got this idea from the Creating Keepsake October 2008 magazine issue. If you have this issue look at pages 69-73. If you don't have this issue you will find the directions below. First of all this challenge can be a bit time consuming but I had alot of fun with it.

Step 1 - go here for the templates & print off the one you want to use. After printing the template you will need to enlarge the template. I believe I enlarged by 140% on my printer. You might want to make two copies of the enlarged print so you can have one for the "mat" and one for the photos.

Step 2 - Cut your photos in the shape of the grey part of template.

Step 3 - Finish your page as you wish.

You can find the original challenge I posted on Split Coast Stampers.

Reindeer Food

Last week I made a recipe card for the Unity Stamp Company's Unity Bro challenge #4. I only have three Unity Stamps and decided to use my All Santas Reindeer stamp.


I started by cutting my Chocolate Chip cardstock to 6 x 4. I roughed up the edges with my Making Memories Distressing tool.


Next I stamped my All Santas Reindeer image onto a piece of Vanilla cardstock. I used my Aqua Painter and Creamy Caramel ink to color the reindeer. Then I sponged around the edges with brown Stazon ink.


Finally I printed my recipe onto a piece of Vellum. Sponged around the edges. Lastly I adhered the Vanilla & Vellum layers to the Chocolate Chip cardstock by using four brown brads.

You can find more information about their weekly challenges here or here.

Splitcoast Stampers Variety Challenge

As most of you know I tend to spend a good amount of time on Split Coast Stampers' website. The people there are so talented and very friendly.

Every week Favorite Grandma a.k.a Peggy brought us some fabulous ideas for the Scrapbooking Variety Challenge. Peggy has since taken a Design Team position for Scrap Attack Scrapbooking. I wish Peggy the best of luck on her endeavors at Scrap Attack.

So when I heard Splitcoast was looking for someone to fill the Variety Challenge Hostess slot, I was hesitant at first and sent my name in. I am now the new Variety Challenge Hostess.

Every Wednesday I will be posting a new challenge for you all.

365 Bust...

I have given up on my 365 Project. I got so far behind on my photos I can not even catch up.

What I might start doing is just updated this blog with my daily/weekly happenings, scrapbook projects and card making creations.

Week #12 - Project 365

Day 75 - Since I had the wine glasses out I decided to take a picture of my new Green colored wine glasses. I found them on clearance at Target and unfortunately they only have four left. I actually debating for a couple of days if I really wanted them and then I went back and bought them.

Day 76 - Since I made our Irish dinner on Sunday I had been wanting to make a Black Bean Salsa for a few days. So for St. Paddy's dinner we had Black Bean Salsa, Mexican Rice and Grilled Chicken. Oh and you can not forget the Sangria... lol

Day 77 - All I can say is AHHHHHH. We had a couple of days of "warm" weather, that being 55 degrees. I know I had posted a picture of the front of the house with a ton of snow. Now I'm posting a photo with the majority of the snow gone. Thankfully...

Day 78 - The boys had some of their friends over after school. Again it was another beautiful day out.

Day 79 - Happy Spring!!!! I noticed I had a couple of daffodils getting ready to open but haven't yet. I decided to talk a walk around the yard and found these beautiful white crocus in bloom. I

Day 80 - I wanted to make something fun for myself. I decided to sit down and go through my patterns. I found a pattern to make a handbag. I bought this cream and blue fabric. The fabric reminds me of a t-shirt and comfy jeans. I was surprised how fast and easy it was to sew this bag.

Day 81 - Well as you can see I made another bag. This time I used one of the other styles from my handbag patterns and made a slimmer version of it. Coincidentally, I holds two bottles of wine very nicely.

Week #11 - Project 365

Day 68 - Our neighbors cat Brady was over. I went outside to sit with him. He walked off and found this hole in our front yard. He sat there and sniffed it and then starte to put his front leg in it. I have no idea of what made the hole and I sure do not want to find out.

Day 69 - Every Tuesday I volunteer for Nick's teacher. Today, I decided to take a picture of my school pass.

Day 70 - Nick was playing Guitar Hero and I tried to sneak a picture. He didn't want his picture taken so he moved away. When I said I wanted it for my picture of the day he was like okay you can take it. Forget it never mind..

Day 71 - You know spring is not too far off when you start seeing Robins in the yard. I have always wondered how the Robins can find the worms in the ground. Do they have like supersonic sensitive hearing???

Day 72 - I had made some chewy granola mix (recipe by Giada) yesterday and I decided I would have cottage cheese, blueberries, strawberries and granola ontop for breakfast. It was delicious and filling. I think I skipped lunch that day.

Day 73 - Yet another one of my sewing projects. This is an apron made with a checkered background with cherries on top. I lined it with red matching fabric and red ties.

Day 74 - Every year I invited my mother in law, sister in law and her husband for St. Patrick's dinner. This year I decided I was not going to make the traditional American corned beef and cabbage (last year I think I got a very tought cut and was not happy with the meal). This year I made a Beer Braised Beef Brisket, with Rissolo Potatoes and carrots. Anyway I decided to take a picture of my half set table.

Week #10 - Project 365

Day 61 - We were leaving a store parking lot and noticed these cute little birds sitting in this small tree.

Day 62 - I was walking around and saw these pinecones on a tree. I decided to use my macro setting and get an upclose photo for the texture of the needles and cone.

Day 63 - I took this picture while we were at the beach. I thought it looked really nice.

Day 64 - By now you all should know I have been sewing little projects and selling them on my Etsy Shop. I made this wine "grocery" or gift bag out of the cutest fabric.

Day 65 - I am not much of a reader but I do have to say I loved the Davinci Code by Dan Brown.

Day 66 - You are going to hate seeing snow pictures as much as I hate the snow now. This was another snowstorm that dumped at least 8 -10 inches on us. So far this year we have had 80+ inches of snow.

Day 67 - I was talking with someone and told them a story of when Steve and I went to a pizza place and had a Stromboli for the first time. Man was that delicious. I decided to give it a try. I made the pizza dough and cut it in half. I made the boys a pretty basic stromboli. Then I made one for me and steve that started with the same meats as the boys but threw on some peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms. I will definitely be making those more often.

Week #9 - Project 365

Day 54 - Today I noticed our neighbors cat was up on the roof of their house. Yes, the roof of their house. I stood there watching Brady walk along the roof line, walk up the front pitch of the house and over above the garage. I'm not sure how he got down but he did safely.

Day 55 - Today is International Pancake Day. I know it was put on by IHOP but I didn't feel like driving there today. So I decided to make some pancakes for me and the boys. They had chocolate chips on theirs. I wanted some blueberries on mine. I took some frozen blueberries placed them in a saucepan with a little sugar, lemon rind and caradmon. I heated it for a few minutes until it started to make a sauce. Then I poured some on top of the pancakes and around the plate. It was delish....

Day 56 - The boys and I were on our way to Nick's dentist appointment as the sun was setting. Kyle took this picture as we were driving down the road.

Day 57 - Each week I my trip to the pet store to buy crickets for the frogs. Today the boys were with me and we saw this peacock walking around outside the building. It is a scrappy looking peacock. Do they shed their feathers??? Or is this one just old or sick???

Day 58 - Kyle had an appointment with an Oral Surgeon. They took one digital x-ray and it was on the screen in seconds.

Day 59 - I sold a few of my handmade recycled grocerys bag through my Etsy shop. So today I decided to take a picture of my packages being mailed to their new homes.

Day 60 - We decided to go on an adventure. We drove out to Salisbury Beach to see if we could see seals. We did see some seals (even with photoshopping the pictures they were all that great) but we did see something that I never thought I would see in my lifetime. We saw a snowy owl. As we drove into the park a crowd of people were taking photos of the owl on a log. On our way back we saw the owl sitting ontop of the utility pole. How cool is that.