New stamps, whoo hoo!!

I got my first Whiff of Joy stamp today (see below) and HAD to play with it!! :)

I was just psyched that I could finally submit a card for the Whiff of Joy challenges!!! This one was also submitted for the Everybody Art Challenge (sketch), as well as Stampin for the Weekend (Babies) and Cute Card Thursday (Celebrating new things, like babies, lol)...

I have a couple of Gorjuss girls that I want to play with tonight and I STILL have a page to scrap, so perhaps you'll be hearing from me again in a few!! :)

"Oh! Do not attack me with your watch. A watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a watch." (Mansfield Park)

It's pushing 11 PM and I've been working on this card for, oh, about four hours now... And as excited as I am about the new school year starting next week, I know in the back of my mind that as tired as I am right now, I have GOT to at least scrap one more page before I go to bed tonight, because it may very well be my last Thursday night to scrap late for a long while...

This is another multi-challenge player today... those are getting fun, lol...

Pile it on: Good things come in threes (three brads)
Colour Create: Ruby, Gold and Cream color challenge
Delightful Sketches: I moved some stuff around when I finally figured it out, but I DID start with that sketch as a guide!
365 Cards: Day 180, Vintage image... the postcard thing is a piece of vintage ephemera from 7 Gypsies

**This one is also going into Cafe Mom's Advanced PaperCrafting group for Jill's Brush it on challenge, BUT you have to be a member to view that one, lol... It's an AMAZING group of talented ladies if you're interested!**

And there you have it bloggers... I'm SO trying to bang out at least one more layout before hubby gets home from the baseball game... Go Yankees!!!

"One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other." (Emma)

So today's post is a little thank you to my friends online and in life, lol.... I find that when I'm stumped and have no idea how to release my creative energy, all I have to do is look to my friends for support... Sometimes it's to scraplift (sad, but true, as in the case below) and sometimes it's simply to see what else is out there to BUY! :) And sometimes, as in recent days, it's to get out of a slump and just get some CRAFTING done! :) So thanks to my friends for all your encouragement and support! :)

Many props go to my new online friend Diana who actually inspired me to FINALLY cut into this piece of Sass during my tenure at the Shoe! :) The idea was DEFINITELY scraplifted from one of her gorgeous creations! :)




Miss Kristy supplied the Sketch AND the stamp for this lovely lady...

Claudia the Artist above was definitely inspired by a conversation I had with Karmyn like two weeks before I finished the card! :) Isn't it amazing how a little conversation between friends can spark creativity you didn't know was lying dormant??

Again all thanks go to Karmyn for helping me muddle through this card... It took me THREE Minnie faces before I just gave up on her and used her as is... :)

And THIS one, well.... the non traditional Fairy Tale thing was Tanisha's idea, and my Melanie was Giselle from the movie Enchanted for Halloween, and I took inspiration from the movie for the concept behind the layout... :)

"How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!" (Persuassion)

And although my camera is out, I am going to have to "like" the quality of image captured using my scanner... :) BECAUSE, I have finally completed my very first Pile it on Challenge... I've been trying to do one of those challenges forever, partially because Dalis and Vicki are amongst the sweetest of sweet ladies that I've met through the Shoe... And they happen to be running that amazingly novel site together! :) Coming from the school of thought that every single online challenge is a chance to make one new project for my collection, I had to retrain myself to figure out how to best combine challenges to get one coherent project that met multiple requirements... SO, please bear with the picture quality until my Canon comes back from the Geek Squad :)

Pile it On: My dad's birthday card is very masculine, which is this week's prompt...
If the Shoe Fits: Ning Elements Challenge... Hee hee, this is one of MY challenges, but I played along for the first time in a while! :) The challenge was to use swiss dots (ribbon), at least four brads (corners), the color teal blue (the brads are teal), distressed edges (all over), and vellum (see inside sentiment below).
Cafe Mojo: (Thanks Karm!) for the blue and brown colors...
Colour Create: The colors of choice were sand, blue, black, and silver... (I even embossed the black chess pieces with a polysparkle embossing powder but you can only see the barest hint of shine on them in this pic...)
Project Tuesday: Was to create a Surprise Gift Card holder (see the picture of the inside below)

SO, there you have it... Not really a fan of the scanned image quality, and if anyone has ANY suggestions on how to scan a 12X12 layout using a regular at home scanner, please pass them on, lol, because I want to finish this layout and get it up onto my site but other than running to kinkos, I have NO idea how to get it up without a camera!! :) BUT no worries, because we're still encouraging happy thoughts so that the Canon is back before Melanie's recital! :)

Oh, and the AC moore card is just a placeholder, lol... we're getting dad a GNC gift card instead... it'll match better too! (Anal as always!!)

"One cannot have too large a party" (Emma)

But one can be out of a camera to photograph that party! :) My camera lens is on the fritz again... so thankfully this time around I had purchased that extra warranty I usually DON'T get. The Geek Squad has promised that my camera will be back in working order within two weeks, right on time for Melanie's first dance recital! :) That's really all that matters, lol...

If I COUDLN'T take pictures of the awards ceremony, recital practice, and recital itself, well that would be a problem. But I'm sure the Geek Squad will return my camera with time to spare, and all will be good.

Unfortunately that means I really don't have pictures of anything new to share in my little blogging corner of the world though (cause I know you've been waiting with baited breath!) LOL...

I CAN, however, direct you to some of my blogging friends who have posted new and amazing works, in case you HAVEN'T seen them!!! :)

First I have to say that you should check out Lisa Howards' page... She not only has gotten some good news recently, but she has shown me that it's OK to scrap painful life lessons in a creative manner. Um, Jill WAS trying to get people to do exactly that a while ago, but it's not as easy as it sounds!!

And speaking of good news, check out Karmyn's exciting news and share in her joy!! :) OH, and she's got some awesome blog candy happening as well! :)

Hmmm... now that I think of it, it has been pretty quiet in my blogosphere, so I guess everyone is out living life and enjoying the summer! We do have some pretty awesome challenges going on at the Shoe's blog and ning sites... so come play over there and hopefully I'll have more to share by the end of the month!! :)

Happy scrappin!

I would rather be a teacher at a school (and I can think of nothing worse)... (The Watsons)

I had to seriously laugh when I saw the quote above... I LOVE being a teacher, and I'm starting to get my lessons together for September now. But I guess Ms. Austen saw the art of teaching a bit... differently? :)

I fell in LOVE with some very beautiful hat pins offered by one of my favorite scrap spots, BUT when I saw the price for them, well, the crafty junkie in me figured I could probably make my own at a fraction of the price! :)

SO I figured since I'm in teacher mode already, I may as well post a quick tutorial!

I made the hat pins in this first picture before I started the tutorial, using some bottons that I had received as a RAK and some baubles I got at Michael's in the jewlery section for about three bucks...

Instructions

Step 1. Compile supplies. You will need

A. A clear epoxy type of glue (eg, E-6000);

B. Straight Hat pins (I got a package of like 100 for two bucks at Michael's); and

C. Embellishments of choice. I have some buttons and beads I found lying around the house.

Step 2. Arrange your embellishments.

Step 3. Add epoxy glue and embellishments.

Step 4. Allow to dry for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

(Some hints: The epoxy glue is tacky, and easy to clean up. This is NOT a procedure that requires lots of precision, but do make sure you have removed any glue from the visible part of your project, because when it dries, it's super hard).