According to Jane Austen...

"Without music, life would be blank to me" (Emma)

2012-02-01T11:27:00.001-05:00

Though I'm definitely NOT the queen of the double paged layout, I knew I'd have to attempt one as soon as I dug out my pictures from our recent trip to see Wicked with this year's students. The show was, needless to say, amazing, and both Melanie and I have been walking around the house singing "Defying Gravity," "Loathing," and "Popular" at random moments throughout the day! :)

To make this layout happen, I was blessed with a Wicked title strip as a gift from one of the scrappers at this weekend's Scrap A Doodle Doo crop, and I took my inspiration from there.

Coupled with this week's sketch from Creative Scrappers, and viola, I had LOADS of fun... :)

I used the Cricut Craft Room software to make the cool circle thingy with witch that appears on both pages and I even made an extra or two for some scrappy friends who peeped the embellie while I was makin' it! :) Have I mentioned that I love being able to weld? I have NOT yet gotten the gypsy I've been drooling over, but the Craft Room is so easy to use (and free!!) so although I'm still lusting over one, I think I can hold off for a little longer...

And there you have it... I totally had fun reliving the play while I scrapped it... I listened to the soundtrack to get into the groove and I just kinda visualized what it must've been like when Joey McIntyre and Idina Menzel played Fiero and Elpheba... Wow. The play was absolutely worth the wait though, and I'd go back any day! :)

Welcome February!!

2012-02-01T10:35:00.000-05:00

With the LACK of snow falling in Northern NJ, I'm getting a little antsy... :) I mean, it's OK if the harsh weather chooses to pass us by this season, but I'm just getting worried that we're going to get something HUGE in recompense for the beautiful mild weather we're experiencing... Way to try to be the weather man, I know...

WELL, in response to all this gorgeous weather, I have had a hard time making cozy "warmth" inspiring layouts and had to instead resort to playing with flowers! :) SOOOO... I gave a quick flower making class at the last Scrap-A-Doodle Doo crop and am going to be giving this class again on February 7th for people who were unable to get a spot in the class or who couldn't attend the crop... The layout featured five different flower making techniques and I am LOVING my Close to My Heart Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, as most of the pieces are cut from that cart...

I used Graphic 45 papers (Springtime and Steampunk Debutante) and Bazzil Cardstock to make this simple layout, but the fun part was making the flowers... AND playing with Cricut Craft Room to weld the titles! :) I think I love that software...

I'll be back later on today to show some layouts I played with at the crop... Oh no, and I just realized I have to somehow sneak into Melanie's dance school to take a picture of the mirror I made her teacher that I forgot to photograph before giving it away... Geez... Where are my priorities? :) Have a great day!!!

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not...

2012-01-23T15:07:00.000-05:00

Hello and happy new year blogland! I can't believe how long it's been since I last played on this page... so long it took me fifteen minutes to remember my blogger password! I miss my virtual friends! :) And my scrappy friends are making me HAVE to jump back into the blog land SOOOOOO...

Here's a quick sneak peek at some of the posies we'll be making at the upcoming Candyland Crop sponsored by Scrap-A-Doodle Doo this weekend. Ninety Seven scrappers... One weekend. Holy Crop... :)

Five flower techniques, hopefully in under an hour! :) If you haven't yet registered for the crop, head on over to the Scrap A Doodle Doo website and sign up! It's guaranteed relaxation...

Many hugs!!!

Welcome Christmas!

2011-12-04T18:03:00.001-05:00

A quick post to showcase some REALLY quick cards I made using the Simple Stories paper in preparation for my upcoming fancy folds class at Scrap A Doodle Doo this Thursday... These cards are the "extras" after my "two step" class featuring the stepped card format...

Anywhoo, it was SO nice to make cards when the baby was sleeping, the tree was lit, and the Christmas music was playing that I actually scrapped a page too! :) I'll post that shortly once the stickles dry! :)

(Sneak Peek ofthe two stepped cards for Thursday's class!)

Thanks for looking and happy holidays!!

All I need is a little...

2011-12-01T22:11:00.002-05:00

Inspiration! :( I've tried swapping and challenges and staring at my stash, but I CANNOT get my mojo going anymore!! What do I do?????????????? Any ideas blogland? I mean, I make cards when I HAVE to these days and I haven't scrapped a page in like forever... HELLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!

Missin' my crafty peeps...

2011-11-22T10:59:00.000-05:00

Just a quick hello to blogland today... It's been too long since we've "communicated" and I miss my bloggy crafty friends... So hello, happy holidays, and happy crafting. Hopefully I'll be able to play and share sometime soon! :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Halloween...

2011-10-14T13:46:00.001-04:00

And Halloween is honestly the one holiday I rarely celebrate with my children! Melanie dresses up for Trunk or Treat at church but I refuse to buy her a new costume... we spend so much money on dance costumes that she can usually adapt one of those outfits for Halloween. And yet I found myself signing up for every swap imaginable over the summer... Making Halloween cards turned out to be a little difficult for me because I don't really collect the traditional Halloween embellies... But I was able to play with my Magic of Oz collection, which DID make me smile! :)

I'm submitting these for One Stop Craft Challenge (Anything Goes) and Card Makin Mamas! Thanks, as always, for looking! :) I have GOT to make time to blog more... Maybe it'll be a New Year's resolution... :)

"The rain continued the whole evening without intermission." (Pride and Prejudice)

2011-09-04T18:48:00.000-04:00

So don't believe the naysayers... Hurricane Irene was NO joke... She left quite the devastation behind, and because of her, my basement (and, scrap room!) was flooded with up to three or four feet of water... But I have to thank God I escaped relatively unscathed... She damaged SOME of my prized scrappy goods, but the advance warning and dire predictions helped salvage my more sentimental items, such as my unscrapped pictures, favorite papers, and more portable goods...
(Here's a shot of Main Street in my town, Lodi, NJ, where ALL commerce was shut down... this is down the block from my house)

My Cricut, however, suffered the wrath of my husband's angry hose... The machine ALMOST avoided destruction because I placed her on the windowsill in the basement, high above where the waters would have collected... But since Andrew chose to switch the hose's position as we were pumping our waters out of the affected areas to the same exact window that housed my prize machine, well, you get the picture. I can't say that I'm not highly affected emotionally by the loss of my bug... I may not be as attached to the machine as I was when she first arrived in our household three years ago, but I still cannot figure out how to title a scrapbook page without her... A memorial service will follow. :)

Today we hiked up to Sparta to visit my parents, and I dragged my bag of salvaged Graphic 45 papers with me... I had a pad of Memento Tuxedo Black ink along and my tape runner. And some cardstock that escaped the wet bucket... (Ugh, just for future reference, even if a bucket SEEMS watersafe and is plastic and seems durable, it may not be... I had a nice sized bin full of papers, embellishments, and other scrappy goodies (e.g., stickles, bling, flowers... RIP Prima... that floated out of my basement when we realized we had gotten so much water. After, of course, all the contents sank to the bottom :(.

Anywhoo, I dragged my papers along to see if I could still scrap a bit with limited supplies. Though I would've LOVED to add a flower or two to this project or even some bling, I was able to eek out two cards for some educators who are going back to work this week using the new ABC Primer Collection from Graphic 45. I'm SO glad these papers were in my Scrap-A-Doodle Doo tote and NOT stored with my older G45 papers (like my Romance pack... that was a painful loss).

SOOOO, simple as they are, I am submitting these to Crazy 4 Challenges and One Stop Craft Challenge, as their challenges this week feature a "Back to School" theme....Thanks for looking, and hope you are all DRY!!! :)

"Dinner was soon followed by tea and coffee" (Mansfield Park)

2011-07-31T16:04:00.000-04:00

This week's challenge at Card Makin' Mamas is to incorporate food or drink into a project... AND I'm currently signed up for a swap with Splitcoast Stampers featuring caffeine, so this double whammy came in QUITE handy!

Quite honestly, this is the MOST clean and simple card I think I've EVER made, lol! I added stickles to the sugar cubes and some bling on the ribbon trim, but even though it's got all my favorite things (like Graphic 45 paper, ribbon, lace, bling, copic coloring), It's still so... clean! :) But I like the look, although oddly enough I'm not too sure I can always repeat the effect!

Although it doesn't have a Some Odd Girl image (though I generally LOVE using 'em!!), I am also submitting this one into the SOG challenge this week, which is a "Thank You" theme (cause the DT's terms are up... If you HAVEN'T checked out SOG, you should definitely hop on over there... My pal Kristy is beyond talented and has some AMAZING artwork for sale!

Thanks for looking and have a sunshiny day!

Christmas in July!

2011-07-25T09:34:00.000-04:00

It has been a SWELTERING week here in Jersey... So hot that we lost power on Friday and have been pretty much exclusively indoors all weekend. The only good thing about being stuck inside is the time to get crafty! :) I signed up for like a bazillion swaps to keep myself busy, not to mention the fact that I'm still working on samples for my Copics Club classes at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo...

But my mojo has been semi-MIA... I haven't scrapped a single solitary page in FOREVER... Cards help me get the creative juice flowing, but nothing has helped me crack the lack of scrap mojo... What to do??

BUT, I did check out the Kraftin' Kimmie challenge this week (awesome sketch, btw!) and it definitely helped me get some craftiness goin'... I was stumped on what to do for my Pink n Green Christmas Card swap, and though I am not 100% sure how reproducible this card is (it took me about six hours to make... I had fun making it, but to repeat six more times for a swap? Not too sure...)

I had tons of fun coloring in and paper piecing this cutie, Christmas Clara... I used some old Basic Grey Nook and Pantry paper for Clara's dress and then added highlights using Copic markers R10, R13, T0, and T6... I colored her skin in with E000, E00, and E11... Then I went to town on her hair. :) I used E50, E53, E31, E33, E25 and E27 to get the shades correct for her hair. And sadly, I think I am still in need of other "E" shades... :) Since she came out so cute, I did think to include her in Papertake Weekly's challenge... :)

AND I finally got a Cuttlebug Machine... I've been in denial for years and gave in recently... So featured here are the script Cuttlebug folder and the Spellbinders Labels 8... SO much fun being able to emboss and cut with the Cuttlebug... And less noisy than my Cricut, so I was able to play with these pieces at 1 AM this morning! :) SOOOOO... I'm also entering this card into the Simon Says Stamp challenge (Newspaper) for the printed embossing on the side of the card.

Well, I've got to run, but thanks so much for checkin' out this lil' cutie, and STAY COOL! :)

Steampunk Vintage Time!

2011-06-30T23:07:00.000-04:00

So I got sucked in again... Swaps do it to me EACH and every time... :) But it's honestly been a long time since I really was involved in swaps via Cafe Mom, so when I saw a couple of interesting swaps on Splitcoast, I had to join in...
These ATCs were created for a Steampunk swap that was DEFINITELY up my alley, particularly since I haven't played with my entire pack of Steampunk Debutante paper from Graphic 45, and it's probably still my favorite line they've released recently... So here's the whole lot of nine:

And here are a few of the cards individually:

I had lots of fun making 'em... I used some corrugated cardboard (my alltime favorite backing for ATCs, btw!) and added some light gel medium mixed with Paprika Glimmer Glam that I then dripped on top of the coppery blend... Then I layered my favorite Graphic 45 papers, inked em up, added a stamped Tim Holtz Millinery image that I colored in with my Smooch ink and then of course there's some lace, some Tim Holtz sprockets, and CRACKLE accents (without which no project is ever complete!)... Oh AND I played with the Viva Decor Bronze pearl pens for the pearl accents...

"He talked of foregrounds, distances, and second distances — side–screens and perspectives — lights and shades.” (Northanger Abbey)

2011-06-17T08:53:00.001-04:00

And it is lights and shades that I too am working on! :) I'm still trying to figure out exactly where the darker shadows should go on a complex image and how to add the light element to said picture... A fun image to work with for shadows was this Cinderella stamp from Kraftin Kimmie.

And I was able to find the lil gold shoe in my stash to add with the gold stickles and gold paper matting to qualify for this week's Kraftin Kimmie's challenge: gold. :) These images have so much depth to play with so I'm thinking I'm going to have to dig 'em out more and more! :)

Cutie Patootie...

2011-06-14T21:36:00.001-04:00

Hey there blogland! Just a quickie post cause we're in the middle of final exams (thankfully!) and cleaning up and all that good stuff... I'm SO looking forward to the summer months so I can get crafty! But in the meantime, I may have mentioned my darling Leah was around this weekend... Check out HER blog cause I'm sure she's showin' off her FOURTEEN cards... BUT I did get to make THREE measly ones while she visited! :)

THIS one was made using Toby from Some Odd Girl... And since the "manly" challenge is up tonight, I thought I'd squeeze him in there before it expired! :) ALSO, I stumbled across this lil blog called Card Cupids... WELL, their mission is to provide some love to lil' kids who are suffering, via handmade cards, stuffed animals, and the like... Since I've been teaching my students to make cards for troops, I think we're going to add Card Cupids to our list for next year and send some love out to little ones as well... This one is being submitted there cause of Toby's li'l doggie, and I'm DEFINITELY making something with butterflies on it for their newest call for happy mail... And I think I'll enlist Mini Me Melanie to help out too! :)

"Nobody minds having what is too good for them." (Mansfield Park)

2011-06-12T15:10:00.001-04:00

And it was TOO good to see my darling friend Ms. Leah yesterday for our all day cropping adventure... Leah got her cardmaking mojo rolling and made a whoppinig fourteen cards to my THREE... :) BUT in my defense I was also working on some layouts for Scrap-A-Doodle Doo's use at the upcoming CKC.

This card was made using the Lil Victorian Steampunk Lolita Evie from Tickled Pink... This week's challenge was to incorporate texture, and my darling Leah hooked me up with some GAWJUSS Core'dinations paper that I sanded down to show the fabby texture underneath... paired with crackle accents on some of the clocks (yes Jill, I'm still a crackle accents addict!), and a couple of little embellies, this one was SO much fun to make... Did I mention how much I'm lovin this lil lady?? :)

"Woman is fine for her own satisfaction alone. No man will admire her the more, no woman will like her the better for it. Neatness and fashion are enough for the former, and a something of shabbiness or impropriety will be most endearing to the latter." (Northanger Abbey)

2011-06-08T22:12:00.000-04:00

SO... I was ogling the new Victorian Steampunk beauties released by Tickled Pink recently and poof, up popped an announcement that Kellie was giving away some freebies to the first fifty respondants... I SO didn't think I would've made the cut off, but then Kellie updated the blog and mentioned there were still some spots! SO... whoo hoo, I was blessed with a Lil Victorian Lolita Evie! :)

Here she is in all her shabby chic splendour, fully colored in copics (oooh ooh, did I mention that I JUST got copic certified this week in Philadelphia? The two hour ride was SO worth the pretty certificate and all the awesome techniques I learned from Lori Craig!!! BUT that's a whole other post in and of itself! :)

For this card, I used the Super Sketchy Sunday design from 365 Cards, and the Tickled Pink challenge is Anything Goes (as long as you use an image from them!). Paper Sundaes also asked for Sentiments along with or without images...This sentiment came from Paulette over at TLC, and totally fit this Victorian fashionista!

Copics used:

Skin: E000, E00, E11

Dress: T0, T6, 0, E04

Hair: E23, E25, E27

Accents: Viva Pearl

Thanks for looking! :) Stay cool... the forecast is up to 97 degrees tomorrow, and we have officially cancelled schools because of the heat advisory!

Wings n Things

2011-06-08T19:16:00.002-04:00

Here's a quick card made using the Bo Bunny Gabrielle line... I LOVE making accordian flowers now (now that I know how to that is! :) ) And this one is a clean and simple card using some of the VERY cool Glimmer Mists I was lucky enough to win on Facebook, which made this card lots of fun to make... I'm submitting it for the Creative Card Crew's Wings Challenge, Charisma's Something that Flies Challenge, and the Bo Bunny Flowers Card Challenge.

I'll be back later on tonight with a card I'm working on using an ADORABLE Tickled Pink stamp... We have NO SCHOOL tomorrow cause of the heat advisory, so I'm WAY excited... :) Pool n sun tomorrow! :)

A Magnalicious li'l card...

2011-05-30T21:11:00.000-04:00

I still LOVE LOVE LOVE my Magnolia stamps... they're just the cutest. I actually just finished a swap over at split coast and got some cuties so I have GOT to crack em out and play. But in the meantime, I did play with the Cuttlebug over at the Doo the other day and was able to dry emboss the background to this li'l card... And I SO want a cuttlebug now, but my hubby will KILL me if I get another machine (did I mention I'm itching for the Copics air compressor too? But, that too must wait until forever lol...

Anywhoo, here's my li'l creation...

She's still one of my favorites... I have a few others that rarely see the light of day, but I've had fun playing with this one in particular... This week's challenge over at Magnolia Stamp Lovers is to use dry embossing, so this card was definitely a fit, but more than that, it was just fun to make! :) Thanks for lookin' ya'll and hope you are staying cool! :)

I'm STILL a Card Makin Mama...

2011-05-30T20:52:00.000-04:00

Even though I've been crazy hectic busy and going crazy hectic nuts here... Whatever scrap time I DO have is usually spent catching up with projects for the Dollies (of which I have severely fallen behind, and I feel horribly about that!) or for Scrap A Doodle Doo (of which I again, have severely fallen behind on...)... Gee, the general consensus is that I'm way behind on stuff! :) Including teacher projects for Melanie's teacher... she's getting married in July so I have a canvas all gesso'ed up for her... and that's about as far as I've gotten on the canvas for over two weeks. I have a picture in my mind's eye on what it will look like... but right now it's a blank slate lol.

HOWEVER, I have a card, lol! :)

And the ONLY reason I was able to finish this one was cause I had some scraps laying around at work and I had no classes until 11 AM... and the rest is history. :) (Which works for the "use your scraps" challenge at Card Makin Mamas!) AND I've been kicking myself for not using enough of my digis these days... I have TONS of the Some Odd Girl images and a handful of the Kenny K ones, and they do NOT get enough love... :( BUT this one finally got some action, which was fun... I am still working on my copic collection, but this one was actually all colored in using my itty bitty copic stash, so that too was fun... We are actually starting a Copics Club at Scrap A Doodle Doo in June, so that SHOULD help my stash significantly! :)

Ok ya'll, thanks for looking, and have a wonderful week!

Rainy days and Mondays... :(

2011-05-23T15:19:00.002-04:00

What a gray, rainy, wet day! :( BUT I am glad to be here, typing away at my computer, while all my little seniors are getting ready for prom on Thursday and sighing happy sighs that school is, for all intents and purposes, OVAH... :)

I too, am SO glad! :) Is that wrong of me? To be glad to be bidding farewell to the young ladies who tormented, frustrated, and terrorized me with their senioritis for the the past few months? But who, nevertheless, will ALWAYS hold such a special place in my heart? I will miss them, I believe, once the summer is over and I do not hear their (LOUD!!) voices in the hallways... or their infectious laughter... the BA graduating class of 2011 is such a dynamic, energetic group full of POTENTIAL, and I truly hope to be able to witness some of their continued growth...

The biggest hazard of my profession, besides going gray early, is the fact that you lose a piece of your heart to each special student who crosses your path. And you hope beyond hope that they will remember you fondly and hold onto the life lessons you tried so hard to impart on them. Content aside (I mean, really, once you graduate, who CARES what an asyndeton is??), I do hope I was able to touch their lives in a fraction of the way they touched mine...

In particular, Emilie, who is the most dedicated and passionate individual I have ever met...senioritis aside, this Princeton bound young woman is going to take the world by a storm... And Chisom. Who will EVER forget Chisom? Such a huge smile... and the "ahem" before her speech (really, it's better than the Snickers commercials when you need a moment to think... she ALWAYS clears her throat before BSing!!). And Carolline. Oh. My. Goodness. This kid was the BIGGEST pain in my rear all year long. She did NOTHING. And gave me a headache with her stories to make up for why her work was just NEVER completed. But then she turned out to be the absolute BEST writer I've ever had the pleasure to read... if only I could've read MORE of her work, her "shout out" would be VERY different! :) And Paola... Oh wow, this kid is the sweetest thing since apple pie... but she came out with the FUNNIEST out of left field comments EVER... Our valedictorian Geraline... I offended her once by implying she was on the rag, lol... I don't think she has ever forgiven me... My lovely Christie. The Meanest Mean girl in the class, but with the most heart...Chelsea (or was it Sara?) who wanted to trip me in the hallway but refrained from doing so because I was pregnant (Elijah thanks you for that...). Ugh, I think I'm going to go home and cry now. Tears of joy that the stress is OVER, but also some tears of sadness because they will be missed... With love...

Altered Mirror ala Webster's...

2011-05-11T14:55:00.000-04:00

Hey there bloggers! :) Today I'd like to share a little project that I hold near and dear to my heart... I ran across these AWESOME unfinished wood mirrors at Ikea a few weeks ago and decided to update the mirror a bit... And in the end, I got to play with some chalkboard glimmermists, Webster's Pages paper, crackle accents, Prima flowers, and a FABBY Dusty Attic chipboard dressform!

This week's Charisma Cardz challenge is to create anything BUT a card, and as much as I used my card making supplies for this one, it's definitely NOT a card, lol! :)

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I will be teaching a class on this project at Scrap A Doodle Doo on Friday at 6:30 and on Tuesday, June 28th at 12:00 PM. So come on out and join us for some scrappy fun! :)

It's all in the Fold with the Dollies!

2011-05-09T09:00:00.001-04:00

This week's Elements challenge at the Dollhouse is to play with creative folds... I've been perfecting the Easel card over the past few weeks, and having fun with different techniques and styles as I've been trying to come up with fun ideas for classes at the Doo... This Easel card was at first scheduled to be used for my Back to Basics: Coloring class in addition to being my "folded" technique card for Design Dollies... but the card got so complicated it was yanked, lol...

But still, I do love Whiff of Joy images SO much... And these kind of cards just ASK for lots of love... :)

Please do forgive the clutter behind my picture... I took it last minute at the end of a crop and haven't been able to get a better shot since I already gave it as a gift! :) Thanks for checking her out! :)

A Shabby Concept...

2011-05-06T11:18:00.000-04:00

Hey there ya'll! : ) I am MISSING my bloggy friends! :) AND missing my scrappy time! :) But with only a month or so left to the school year, I'm optimistic that I'll be able to get much more crafty really soon! :) In my limited spare time I did finish this two page layout featuring Bo Bunny's Gabrielle papers (Cameo and Romance) and some distressing, crackling, and of course LACE! :)

It's Time to Get Shabby Chic at the Doo!

2011-04-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

Come join the Doo Crew for a Shabby Chic layout class featuring Bo Bunny's Gabrielle papers, some distressing action, and lots of crackly fun... And of course, you can't forget the lace!

Class will be held Friday, May 6th, from 6:30 PM till 9:30. For more information, visit Scrap-A-Doodle Doo's website and click "Classes".

Have you been playing with Dollies?

2011-04-16T09:41:00.002-04:00

This week's Elements challenge with the Design Dollies is up until Sunday night at midnight and asks you to get creative with BUTTONS! :) AND the Whiff of Joy challenge this week is to include THREE buttons, TWO papers, and ONE ribbon... SO, here's my take on the challenges:

So head on over to the Dollhouse and upload YOUR cute as a button project for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to Scrap-A-Doodle Doo, and check out Whiff of Joy for some ADORABLE inspiration! :)

It's a Flutter of Cards, comin up at the Doo!

2011-04-11T11:50:00.001-04:00

So in my last post I showed ya'll how I played with Bo Bunny's Gabrielle line to make a mini album that I presented to the gals at the Doo on Saturday... Well, my infatuation with the line is still not over, lol! :) I HAD to get my hands on some more of the stuff to play with in the form of some cards! SO, I'll be presenting a "Flutter" of cards over at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo on Thursday, April 21st at 6:30 PM (contact the store directly to book your seat today!), in which we showcase some more of the awesome possibilities with this gawjuss line... Here's a sneek peek: Hope you can join us for another fun filled evening at the Doo! :)

We Hopped with Bo Bunny this past Saturday!

2011-04-10T23:35:00.007-04:00

So if you haven't seen the new Gabrielle line from Bo Bunny, you have GOT to check out this scrappy goodness... the colors are fabby (very springy and surprisingly versatile!), and I LOVE the fact that you can go butterfly crazy... or skip 'em entirely and still embrace the "look" :).

I played with the collection quite a bit on this mini album dedicated to my little girl... who's getting to be not so little anymore! :( The journaling on the backs of the glimmermisted cards has the lyrics to the song "In my daughter's eyes" by Martina McBride... Tear jerker if I've ever heard one! :)

SO, if you missed our entire day of Bo Bunny related classes at Scrap A Doodle Doo this weekend, I've got a peek at my Gabrielle-inspired mini album for ya! :) As always, thanks for looking... and happy scrapping! :)

Spring is in the Air at the DOO!

2011-03-19T11:26:00.000-04:00

And what better way to get ready for Spring than to spend some time celebrating the Spring with crafty goodness? :) Today's class at Scrap A Doodle Doo will feature the Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime line in the form of a Tri-Fold Shutter card:

Getting our craft on at the "Doo"!

2011-03-04T17:21:00.001-05:00

TGIF!! :) And Thank God I am about to get my SCRAP on with my favorite gals at the "Doo" (Scrap-A-Doodle Doo, of course!). Today we will be working on a perpetual calendar (influenced by my friends over at Whiff of Joy!). We'll be working on handmade flowers and all sorts of stampy scrappy goodness!

Here's a look at what we've got going on....

It's an adorable little desk topper, and was tons of fun to make... Thanks for looking! :)

Take a Bow...

2011-02-26T15:57:00.002-05:00

This easel card is the second of three cards I'll be featuring at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo on Saturday, March 19th, from 1-4... This "Fancy Folds" class will showcase the Tri-fold shutter card posted earlier today, this easel card, and another format using the Cirque line from Graphic 45... I just haven't figured out WHAT kind of card to make using that fabby paper, so any suggestions would be appreciated! :)

Yummy Graphic 45...

2011-02-26T00:53:00.004-05:00

I know I'm probably behind the times with the Once Upon a Springtime pack from Graphic 45, but I have had NO time to play with my goodies (gasp, I'm still drooling over Steampunk! lol... Everyone else has moved on to Le Cirque and Curtain Call!!)

BUT here's a sneek peek at my next class (March 19th) at Scrap A Doodle Doo, where we'll tackle some Fancy Folds (e.g., the Trifold Shutter, Easel, and... TBD lol!)

Now to crack open my Curtain Call and get cracking on that piece of the puzzle... yum!!

Time Goes On.... :)

2011-02-25T21:31:00.003-05:00

Hey bloggers! I'm so psyched to announce my next class at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo! It's scheduled for Friday, March 4th at 6:00 PM, and we'll be making a Perpetual Calendar using a customized stamp and featuring handmade flowers... Check out the sneek peek! :)

My new favorite Austen blog...

2011-02-09T13:50:00.001-05:00

I HAD to share this... (click me, click me!) I'm making my students read it... I'm excited lol! :) A whole blog with CURRENT discussion on Jane... And all things Austen! :) Whoo hoo! (ok, ok, I know...)

Love is in the air...

2011-02-02T11:36:00.004-05:00

Actually, it's ice in the air today... Stuck home again due to a CRAZY ice storm that's STILL going on... I am SO over this weather! We have had the snowiest January in like the history of Januaries, and February is not starting out so hot either (no pun intended!).

BUT, with February comes all the lovey dovey stuff associate with Valentine's day... (Yuck)

I may not be the most romantic of women and I truly dislike flowers on VD (when I was in college we actually would go out for lunch or dinner with a group of friends to boycott "VD")... BUT the concept of love is still all well and good lol...

SO, I have been trying to empty out my stash of hoarded stuff... I have SO much scrap crap lying around that needs to be used. Not trashed, just used. Especially with CHA stuff arriving every day, lol! :) So, I'm on a mad dash to use all my pretties up over the next few weeks so I can make room for new stuff!

This card was made using a piece of transparancy that I've been hoarding for over two years... Do you ever do that? Hold onto something pretty cause it's almost too pretty to use? And then realize years have past and you never used it? I still get a nervous feeling in my tummy when I use my really pretty G45 or Webster's Pages papers cause I'm scared to finish 'em off... but there's ALWAYS something new! :) Ugh, I have GOT to get over it and just CUT!!

WELL, this card is full of "old" stuff... the transparancy is one I got from Bad Girls FOREVER ago, the lace edge is also from my Bad Girls days... and the "Love" sentiment was from Creative Memories, which I stopped selling over a year and a half ago as well! :) So there goes me cleaning out my stash! :)

Because it's a "loving" card, I'll submit this one for Charisma's challenge...My darling Leah is on the DT over there and they have a Valentine's Challenge going on for the next two weeks, so head on over to play! :)

Lili of the Valleys are HERE! :)

2011-01-31T22:34:00.001-05:00

My scrappy enabler Stephanie at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo TOTALLY hooked up my addiction this weekend as we cropped the night away... She and Lorraine just got in some GORGEOUS stamps from Lili of the Valley... I've been ogling these bad boys for months now and restraining myself. Until now, lol! :) Since Steph got 'em in stock, I HAD to relieve her of the burden. :)

Here's the first card I made using my adorable new cuties... Although the card is rectangular and this week's LOTV challenge is "anything but square," I did make sure the image was cut in a circle too, just in case my rectangle was too... angular lol.
Definitely check out their challenge blog cause the DT has some AMAZING shaped cards! :) And of course, thank you for spending time in my corner of the world! :)

Trifecta Week at the Dollhouse!

2011-01-31T09:56:00.002-05:00

Hello there bloggers... It's another Sicky Day at the Medina household... :( I kept both kiddies home today with runny noses and coughs. BUT I probably only have the patience to do so because I was away cropping all weekend long with my "Doo" Crew. More to come from THAT trip later on!

Right now I have GOT to let ya'll know that today begins Trifecta week with Design Dollies. What THAT means is we take the whole month's worth of challenges (color, elements, and sketch) and combine 'em into one HAWT project. Our monthly sponsor for the Trifecta is One Stop Card Crafts, so be sure to check out the Dollhouse and play along with this month's Trifecta challenge! :)

Here's MY go at it, incorporating light blue, red, kraft and white, freehand doodling the leaves of the flowers and the faux stitching around the title, and Kristy's amazing sketch....

So hop on over to the Dollhouse to play along this week! :) Happy scrappin!

"Nobody minds having what is too good for them" (Mansfield Park)

2011-01-23T13:44:00.013-05:00

Yesterday I was blessed with the opportunity to teach an altered file folder class using the Curio papers from Basic Grey to a fabulous group of eight women...(AND I'm submitting this project to the Basic Grey challenge blog for their "Flower Power" challenge!)

My first scrappy class at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo was (surprisingly!) a hit... Or the gals who came along for the ride are being too nice! :) Either way, we did have fun, and the time FLEW by...
I guess I did hit a few bumps in the road... Let's see... I was WAY nervous to start out with and wasn't QUITE clear with my directions on folding the album (so I ended up having to just shut up and physically show the gals what I meant. My words weren't coming to me -- odd for an English teacher, I think!) And THEN I had the gals glue their folders closed... before they decorated the insides! Which made it QUITE difficult for 'em to get to some of the decorating without ripping the insides apart...And then of course there was the papers... I cut papers for the class members as they were decorating their folders and ended up missing some of the measurements, making some of their papers a bit too small. They had to improvise a bit to cover up the tabs on the backs of their albums!But thankfully, they made it happen and being the talented group of women they are, I do think they had a very nice time and a pretty project in the end...And to prove my friend Jill's point, yes, I am a Crackle Accents whore... :)
SO... my darling Stephanie has invited me back to teach at the "Doo" once again, and my next class ("Time Goes On") is scheduled for February 26th from 10AM to 12 PM (followed by a class by my darling friend Ms. Sherri C!). I'm thrilled to have been asked back after some hiccups... And way excited to play with the "Doo" girls again! :)

"It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that every man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" (Pride and Prejudice

2011-01-20T21:21:00.002-05:00

Quick post just because... Just because I am teaching Pride and Prejudice, my absolute FAVORITE of Jane Austen's works (ok, maybe second only to Northanger Abbey). And although I have NOTHING scrappy to share today, it's always a good day when I am blessed enough to teach Austen to girls who truly want to learn and I get to do just what I love doing each and every day. AND my student teacher leant me a copy of Pride and Prejudice in COMIC BOOK format! :) How cool!! :)

Oh, we are expecting snow tonight so I'm still debating getting scrappy! :) (Wish me luck!)

Another one for the kids...

2011-01-08T17:50:00.003-05:00

I'm busy cranking away at the cards for this year's seniors and was able to crank out another one that, oddly, also resembles a student of mine lol...I guess it's just the hair and skin color this time around though. No way this girl LOOKS like Tilda, but there are some similarities! :)

AND because this week's challenge at Just Magnolia is "Anything Goes," I am loving the chance to play along with them as well! :)

"There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart." (Emma)

2011-01-07T15:48:00.003-05:00

It's SNOWING again! Although I dind't get to have that snow day I was hoping for, we DID have an early dismissal, so this week was basically a wash for me (we were off Monday, I stayed home sick Tuesday and Thursday, so I only worked Wednesday and today... that's the way to do it!). And I think my students would agree! :) But once we go back Monday we have to start hitting the books hard... Midterms are approaching and all that good stuff.

So of course, instead of grading, I'm playing with my card stuff again. :) My darling friend Lizzie is on the DT for Card Makin Mamas and their first challenge is being sponsored by my Dollie Kristy at Some Odd Girl, so this week's girly challenge was DEFINITELY up my alley...

Hey, btw, are ALL of our Cafe Mom groups moving to blogs now? Card Makin Mamas started out as a CM group moved online... AND I DO miss my CM peeps out there, but I haven't logged on there in FOREVER... Anyone else in the blogosphere a former Cafe Mommer? Or current?

AND make sure you check out the Dollies this coming Monday, January 10th, when we'll start out the year's challenges... we have a new format coming for our challenges, but they will definitely be as much fun! :)

A New Year, a New Venture

2011-01-04T14:37:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year Blogland! The kiddies are all sick (as am I!) once again, so instead of cleaning (and grading!) I'm playing around with my scrappy goodies... And I'm recommitted to doing so a LOT more often this year! :) I mean really, with the amount of time and money we sink into this craft of ours, well, it just makes no sense to not USE the scrap crap we have lying around! :)

So I opened up an Etsy shop to try and market myself a little more (really, it was my mom and stepmom who encouraged me to do so...), and I've listed a few cards there for now... And my wonderful friend with the angelic voice (AKA Becky) decided to request a print of a card I listed there... Here's my swing at it (Becky, hope you like it!) --Image from Elisabeth Bell, sentiment from Create with TLC...

AND I have my first technique class coming up at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo on January 22nd! I'm so excited to play at my favorite Scrappy Spot! :) Check back soon for a sneak peek at the project we'll be working on! :)

"Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings." (Mansfield Park)

2010-12-28T21:06:00.003-05:00

As I close out the year (Merry Christmas, by the way!!!), it is with a resolution to put the rough year behind me and move on to better and brighter things. So I am rededicating myself to my Dollies (I had taken a two month hiatus and will start the new year back with my gals) and to my crafty goodness... My preoccupation with all things personal caused me to lose my scrappy mojo. BUT this snowstorm that left us with 31 inches and snowed in did a lot to re-up that scrappy drive!

So, rather than wait till the last minute, I decided to start on my "senior" cards for the Class of 2011... For that ONE student who is a follower of this blog, STOP reading my posts from now on, lol! :) You will ruin the surprise! :)

For those of you who don't remember, last year I made individual cards for the graduating senior class... And left myself a three week deadline to make forty six cards. Though I made it within the deadline, that was a painful three weeks, and it stinks when your hobby begins to feel more like work than play! :) SO, I figured I'd start a bit earlier and space it out some more... :)

The first card for this year's class is the one below... It's actually for a young lady that I don't technically have in class, but the stamp, colored in, LOOKS like the kid... :) Isn't it funny when that happens?

This one is being submimtted for Kenny K's final challenge of the Year (distressed), as well as Charisma Cardz' Pearl and Lace Challenge. The Holla Back girl is from Kenny K, and the awesome sentiment is from Create with TLC (I KNOW I've mentioned how awesome Paulette's freebies are!!). Thanks for looking, and I just MAY have some more cards to post before the new year! :)

Baby, it's COLD outside!

2010-12-17T20:23:00.004-05:00

SO, I'm inside enjoying a warm home, a toasty oven, a lit tree, and a loving family... what more can I ask for? (Besides more scrappy time!) :)

What about YOU? What are you thankful for this holiday season? My top five are as follows:

5. My friends at Design Dollies... I love them gals...(and dude!!)

4. My job... it has its ups and downs but definitely is a blessing

3. A warm house, no matter where we end up

2. My loving, caring family and friends

1. The ability to freely celebrate Christ's birth!

AND of course, onto the art... I played with a friend's outlines stamps and LOVE the pointsetta effect... Popped up, this card is a doozy...

This one has some stickles around the edges (so I can't send it to OWH!) and a blinged out diamond... AND some blinged out lace effects that I absolutely ADORE!!! :) AND, it's respectfully submitted at my Dollies' favorite digi site, Some Odd Girl for this week's blingy challenge!

"I always deserve the best treatment because I never put up with any other." (Emma)

2010-11-29T11:58:00.004-05:00

Hello blogland!! I have been REALLY MIA these days, and am SO missing my online friends... How ARE ya'll? :) I'm going through tons of personal things right now with the economy the way it is (STINKY!!), but I'm praying things turn around soon! In the meantime, I haven't been as crafty as I'd like, but I have been playing around with my stash here and there. :)

Like this little sweetie using 50's Mae (Some Odd Girl) in black and white with beige (in accordance with Robin Funge's challenge at My Partner in Crafting Crime as well as Paper Cutz's Anything Goes challenge!

WELL, that's all for now folks, but please do keep us in your prayers... :) Ciao!!

"It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at twenty-nine than she was ten years before." (Persuassion)

2010-10-23T22:04:00.004-04:00

This little project was SUPPOSED to be a birthday card for me to send with my class' OWH package next week (I have GOT to take pics of the cards my students made to send to Operation Write Home... it has been inspiring!). BUT I just remembered the no glitter rule... SO I guess I'll hang onto this one until we have a girly birthday again... I stickled Tilda's wings and the frog's crown before I remembered glitter was off limits... BUT I did this one with this week's Magnolia challenge (Think Pink) and Wild Orchid's Pastels in mind. Thanks for looking!

"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." (Emma)

2010-10-23T14:29:00.008-04:00

I have been in the biggest funk for the past month or so... And it has affected my scrapping, my health, and EVERYTHING. :( BUT... I made myself snap out of it because I have a couple of baby showers coming up in a few weeks (funny, ever since Elijah was born so many people are being bitten by the baby bug... he's going to have LOTS of friends to play with when he gets older!) :)

SOOOOOO... This one is for my old College friend Rachel, who is having a baby girl in November. I'm SO happy for Rachel--she is going to be such a great mommy and she has waited so long for this blessing! :) AND baby girl clothes are SO much cuter than boy ones! :)

Challenges: Charisma Cardz (Vintage)

And this one is for my darling friends Elizabeth and Aris... Elizabeth and Aris were married on May 16th of this year, and are expecting their first bundle of joy in February... Sadly, I missed the wedding because Elijah insisted on arriving two months early; the DAY before the wedding!!!!

BUT, I'm so excited for them because this couple is especially close to my heart... I've known them for over fifteen years (scary) and honestly, Aris has been crushing on Elizabeth since day one. BUT it took them about fourteen years to get it together lol... And now they are on the right track! :)

Challenges: Whiff of Joy (Distressing)

Thanks for taking the time to check out my little creations... Please leave some love if you have time! :)

The Birthday Patrol

2010-09-15T19:21:00.003-04:00

Melanie's 7th Birthday is right around the corner so we are planning her Spa themed party over the next few days. AND, my homie Kristy od Some Odd Girl created a Special Spa Kaylee JUST for such an event!

So, this week's Design Dollies Elements challenge was to use the Happy Birthday theme in a project. I was able to finish Mel's invites RIGHT on time for this one lol!

Thanks for looking!

"It requires uncommon steadiness of reason to resist the attraction of being called the most charming girl in the world." (Northanger Abbey)

2010-08-30T17:02:00.012-04:00

My youngest sister just turned fourteen this month, and WOW, it's amazing to me how time flies... In honor of her birthday (and my dwindling pocket book!) I decided to make her this back to school gift pack using one of my favorite Kenny K images and some Bo Bunny papers I picked up at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo...

So the first piece in this puzzle was the altered tin container that I got for a Queen swap some time ago... It reminded me how much I LOVE to alter things! :)
Then I made these little notecard thingies using ANCIENT lined paper from my Creative Memories days (I KNOW... I hoard things FOR EVER!!). I cut up one of the Bo Bunny sheets and mounted 'em to make 'em look modernized...And then there's the altered composition notebook (again, one of my all time favorite things to alter!!)

And the altered memo notebook thingie (I went to town with the ribbons on the edge...)
And THEN I altered some pens with flower tops and glimmer mist And a laminated bookmark to round the whole gift out.

I have to say, being broke has reawakened my crafty side, lol... Serina definitely felt the love, and although I would've preferred shopping for NEW stuff, using stuff from my super old stash was nice too! :) I definitely think I'll be making similar sets as time goes on cause I think overall I spent like six dollars on the whole gift... Not bad on my budget! :)

The gift pack was made for:

The Design Dollies color challenge (Black, White, Pink, Blue)

Kenny K's challenge this week is music (I chose Download Diva cause she's listening to her Ipod, which is what Serina ALWAYS does these days!) :)

Daisy Doodles has an Anything Goes Digi challenge

The theme for the Pixie Cottage is "Back to School" (which this giftie was ALL about Serina going back to school and using it there!)

AND Paper, Scissors, Rocks ALSO had a "Back to School" theme to play along with!

So there you have it bloggers... We are in full swing with Back to School preparations now, and I am VERY excited to be returning to the classroom next week... Melanie starts on Wednesday so I'm hoping to be able to scrap a back to school page for her before the weekend is over! Happy scrapping to YOU! :)

Perspective

2010-08-26T09:15:00.003-04:00

I know, I know... it's been FOREVER since I scrapped a page. And my son is already three months old and NOTHING! :) SO, for Kristy's sketch challenge this week, I finally cranked out a page with Elijah as its central feature... (and looky looky... the One Stop Craft Challenge this week is to do anything BUT a card, lol... How true to my life!) The letters on the wooden blocks also make this poage appropo forthe S2G letters challenge (NBF baby!).

Elijah is so much healthier and chubbier and sturdier than he was when he was born! BUT a lot of people who saw his picture on Facebook wouldn't have really understood exactly how tiny he was when he was born at 4 lbs 11 oz... He was so FRAIL! :) So I took these pics, one zoomed in and one zoomed out, to show how really tiny he was in comparison to the chair he was sitting in... It basically swamped him! :) but zoomed in he looks adorable nevertheless! :) (Biased?!)Anywhoo, I'm so grateful that he is growing strong and keeping his head of hair! :) And I have GOT to get scrapping on his pics... and then all of last year's pics that piled up during my pregnancy and lack of mojo! :)

Darcy to Sir Lucas: "Every Savage can dance" (Pride and Prejudice)

2010-08-24T12:26:00.003-04:00

LOL, WELL, this adorable little Magnolia is DEFINITELY not a savage! :) I am in LOVE with the Charleston Magnolia (very much "me" in theme...) And I got the sentiment from my new favorite sentiment site, Creating with TLC... She has SERIOUSLY got some amazing freebies, and even more inspiration at the store!
So this week's Design Dollies challenge is to incorporate a recipe of the color RED, at least three Ovals, a flourish, Glitter, and two Patterned Papers. And this week's Just Magnolia challenge is to get sentimental with it... (Did I mention how much I LOVE the sentiments at Create with TLC??)

Oh gosh, AND while I'm playing with my blog today, I would ALSO love to show ya'll my color creation for Design Dollies this week (navy, mint, and cream)... I'm LOVING the Magnolias, ya think?I am STILL trying to master the Copics and they're SO easy to play with using Magnolias... I got those crochet flowers from a friend a WHILE ago, and have been hoarding them ever since... And the crystal leaves were a find at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo (who is carrying Magnolias now, and I MISSED them!!!). Anywhoo, thanks for looking, and happy scrapping! :)

"There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart." (Emma)

2010-08-22T22:28:00.007-04:00

As the summer draws to a close, I'm beginning to feel the pinch of time! I should SO be working on lesson plans and seating charts... instead, I'm trying to make "one last card" every day. :) AND, for those of you who know that I've been working out of my closet and dining room table area... I officially have a scrap space:

SO, the need to craft is even STRONGER now that I have a piece of the basement all to myself (or I should say, for Melanie and me to play!)

And play I have... Tonight's card was made using Some Odd Girl's Tiny Tia (who is beyond adorable and absolutely looks like Kristy's daughter Esme!) for their Ribbons and Rub Ons challenge this week... I totally had fun cracking out an old pack of rub ons that I've been hoarding forever (and now can find thanks to my new space!!)...

Anywhoo... I go back to work on September 1st, so hopefully I'll be able to play a little more before I have to get back to the grind... Happy scrappin!

"Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well" (Mansfield Park)

2010-08-20T14:25:00.003-04:00

So one of Melanie's babysitters is off to college this week, and I am TRYING to make her a quick gift set to take with her as a thank you for saving my sanity so many times! :) (Her name happens to be Melanie too, which MY Melanie loves!). I will miss her, but I do wish her ALL the best in college! Wow, I feel like I just left college... but it's been a whopping eleven years now (ouch!) since I graduated. How time flies!

This card was made using Kraftin' Kimmie's Clara, for this week's challenge of scallops, buttons, and bling... AND, Anything Goes at Stampin for the Weekend! Thanks for looking!

Gettin Wavy!!

2010-08-17T00:13:00.007-04:00

And the summer is almost over!! :( I'm not totally bummed though... I can't wait for regular adult conversation, even if it's with teenagers! :)

This week's Design Dollies elements challenge calls for the incorporation of WAVES into one's project, and I absolutely HAD to play with Some Odd Girl's Kody and a gorgeous sentiment from Create with TLC:

As you can tell, I'm STILL struggling with copics here and there. I liked the way thewaves came out with the distress inks more than with the copics, not to mention my OFF shading... BUT I did have fun making the card, which is half the battle! :)

Also from Some Odd Girl, I played with Magic Mae for this week's color challenge (Orange, Royal Blue and Teal/Aqua) for my niece's birthday card... AND I lifted that sentiment from Create with TLC as well! :)

AND while I am talking about making cards, well... I sold THREE of them at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo! I couldn't believe people would actually scoop them up, and yup... I think the ones that sold were the Magnolia and WOJ 6X6 cards I played with some posts ago, and that just feels down right GOOD! :) I'll be bringing some more over there eventually, but for right now, I'm just BASKING in the glow of positivity... SO, happy scrappin folks! :)

TV Tuesday!!!

2010-08-10T17:01:00.005-04:00

Hello all! :) Tuesdays mean another chance to play along with the Elements challenge over at Design Dollies, and this week's challenge is to use a TV theme song as inspiration. I have been LOVING "How I Met Your Mother" since its debut, and although I don't get to watch it every week, it really is a funny show... Now granted, the song's theme song (Hey Beautiful) works for the TV show well, it also worked well for the title of this card:

To make this quickie baby, I FINALLY whipped out some Crafty Secrets stickers I had been hoarding for well over a year... so be prepared to see more of that kind of girly vintage theme in my work soon, since I'm TRYING to create a matching set... I'd like to box em up either as a gift or a theme for sale at Shabby Chic (the store I'm TRYING to secure a consignment at!). I've already got a handful up for sale at Scrap-A-Doodle Doo, and I'd love to get some more of my items out there so I can keep up my habit... in this economy, it's getting expensive to pay for my paper addiciton! :) Thanks for looking!

A brand new Sponsor for August!

2010-08-03T11:21:00.006-04:00

Check out this week's Elements Challenge over at Design Dollies and play along with our Friendship theme for a chance to win a Basic Grey Card Kit sponsored by Scrap-A-Doodle Doo!!! The challenge was to create a project in honor of Friendship day (which was August 1st, who would've thunk??)

For my card I whipped out the Java Bellas (it's been TOO long, my friends...) and I colored them in with Distress inks (my NEW favorite medium... Copics are proving to be harder than I thought!) :)
The sentiment is very Jerzey Girl, no? (Perfect since I'm obsessed with the Real Housewives of NJ... that Kim G is a PHONEY! And I am BEYOND tired of Danielle!! BUT it was great to see Dina again this week! I think I miss her!) :)

So there you have it... come out and play with the Dollies for a chance to win an adorable prize pack from my favorite LSS, Scrap-A-Doodle-Doo! AND check out the Scrap A Doodle Doo Blogspot to see what we're up to while you're at it! :)

"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." (Emma)

2010-07-28T13:30:00.003-04:00

And as much as I'd like to stay at home all day making cards, I have to go shower and pick up my youngest sister for a while... BUT Melanie and I started the day making cards (and playing with our new "Handsome Oakley"... on whom Melanie has admitted she may have a crush... I totally lifted the idea of pairing him with Willow with coffee from Jacqui over at the Whiff of Joy challenge blog, and I LOVE how it worked so much that he's definitely going to be "paired" more frequently!

I used this week's sketch from The Pink Elephant to play with this coffee inspired card.... So I think I'll have to stop at Starbucks on the way from Serina's! :)

Thanks for looking!

Doll Hop Winner and your LAST chance! :)

2010-07-27T12:28:00.000-04:00

Thank you to ALL of you hoppers out there who took the time to play along with the Design Dollies this past weekend! We all genuinely had a blast learning about you as you learned about us, and we definitely felt the love!! :)

I guess my quiz was a little trickier than I originally thought, as I had NO winners for that one, but my "All about Me" winner is... Aleisha! When you get a chance Aleisha, email me your addy and I'll post your prize ASAP! :)

This week's Elements Challenge at the Dollhouse was a Recipe challenge, asking players to include:

The color Baby Blue
Ink (and lots of it!)
Masking (to get the masked effect)
Newspaper print, or some sort of paper with words (like the cool dictionary papers they have, or just lots of words, kwim?)
Stripes

And here's what I came up with as an example:(Can you tell I'm STILL working on my thank you cards???). So come over to visit the Dollies and play along for your last chance to win our awesome prize back from Scrap Attack! Hope to "see" you soon!!

"Woman is fine for her own satisfaction alone" (Northanger Abbey)

2010-07-26T13:45:00.003-04:00

Ok, so maybe I didn't make this TOTALLY for my own satisfaction, but I AM pretty happy that I FINALLY have Magnolia stamps of my very own, lol! :) I'm thinking of starting a shabby chic line and maybe peddling my wares across town to try and actual (gasp) sell some... I saw some handmade Cricut cards at the Flower Shop in town recently, and, well, I figured if she can do it, so can I! :) So wish me luck...

This one was made using the Friday Sketchers sketch and is my very first entry for the Just Magnolia challenge site as well!

The Dollies are Taking you on a Hop through the Dollhouse!

2010-07-25T22:00:00.000-04:00

Hello there!!! Welcome to the final destination at a Dollilicious "Hop through the Dollhouse"!

If you've just finished being SO glam you can sweat glitter from Nicole's blog, then you're right on track. If you've just bumped into the hop by accident, head on over to the Dollhouse and start at the beginning... you'll come back here eventually! :)

This weekend we are inviting ya'll to get to know the Dollies just a little bit better... Especially since we've been blessed with the BEST Design Team members that have ever graced a keyboard... or scrap page! :)

By now you should have met two of the three founding members of Design Dollies, and you should DEFINITELY have gotten to see some of the sheer talent displayed by our amazing design team! So now, a little bit about me...

Name: Adina Medina (definitely God's sense of humor when picking my husband!)

Location: Jersey Baybay!

Stats: Married 8 years, with two beautiful children (Melanie, 6 and Elijah, 2 months)

Hobbies: SCRAPPING (duh) and more recently card making!

Misc: I have a love for all things vintage and girly. The more glitter and frill, the more "me." I also have a crazy shopping addiction that is NOT helped by my position on the Design Team for Scrap-a-Doodle Doo!

In honor of this Dollilicious Blog hop, I'd like to invite you to take a little quizzie poo... :) If you get all the answers right, you'll be entered for a chance to win THIS prize pack (Cricut NOT included lol!):Ok, so here we go... Check out the Dollie Banner at the top of this post and use the NUMBERS above each dollie as your response to the following questions (for example, if I were to ask "Which Dollie MOST looks like Leah L'Orange, you'd answer "Dollie #1"):

1. Which Dollie wishes Puerto Ricans could be Southern Belles? (hint, look CAREFULLY at this Dollie's layout, and it's there in her journaling!)

2. Which Dollie launched her own ODD Digi Stamping company (with AMAZING images, may I say!)

3. Which Dollie hails from Sweden and LOVES Scrapping Dolls... (Ironic, isn't it??)

4. Which Dollie had to sensor the drink title for her favorite alcoholic beverage (hint, it consists of 2 Parts Butterscotch Schnapps and 1 part Bailey's Irish Cream)?

5. Which Dollie lives in the same state as I do?

6. Which part-time Californian part-time Norwegian Dollie just started scrapping again this past April?

7. Which Dollie is a Philipina Pediatrician?

8. Which Australian Dollie is in SERIOUS need of a good album since she NEVER puts layouts into one...

9. Which REPEAT DT Dollie is a retired Biochemist turned stay at home mom?

REMEMBER, I don't necessarily want the Dollie's real name... I want you to use the numbering system at the top of the post to show me which DOLL representing the Scrapper is the one being described...

And FINALLY (geez, Adina, do you REALLY need us to work??) I'd like YOU to play along (as always!!) with the Dollies... Link up YOUR own "About Me" creation via Mr. Linky below, and I'll put your name into the pot for THIS prize:

(That's right, I've got TWO stashes ready for ya!!)

Your "About ME" page should include some journaling with at least five things that are uniquely "you" and should be uploaded before 10 PM EST on Sunday, July 25th. Winners for both candies will be announced at the Design Dollies blog on Tuesday, July 27th. If you have ANY questions, feel free to email me!! :)

"My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation" (Persuassion)

2010-07-23T18:49:00.008-04:00

And when you get Melanie and Gianna together, well, you're definitely in for a LOT of conversation! This layout was done for the Scrapbook Challenges ning group I recently stumbled across... the challenge was to lift a page of the week layout and make it your own... And it DEFINITELY helped me get some scrappy mojo back in my life! (And use some old Basic Grey papers that have been lying around FOREVER!! I seriously have a paper addiction... as I dug through MASSIVE amounts of paper, I realized I probably don't have to shop for paper for the next two years... do you think I can hold to that though?? I have GOT to get scrappy so I can USE that stuff!!)...

Rainy days...

2010-07-14T16:22:00.002-04:00

It's raining something terrible out here in Jersey, which is a PERFECT time to stay home, nap, and play! :) The napping part won for MOST of the day, but I did manage to finish up one card, the FIRST with my new copics (just Mae's shirt and pants were with copics, the rest were water colors)... I'm still working on getting a collection of markers together but for now, they ARE fun to play with!

This one was made using the sketch from DRS Designs. The thank you sentiment was used to fit the challenges at Critter Sketch Challenges and at Clearly Inspired. Thank YOU for looking! :)

"What wild imaginations one forms where dear self is concerned! How sure to be mistaken!" (Persuasion)

2010-07-12T14:40:00.006-04:00

This weekend was digi day at SNR Card Universe, hosted by my Dollies Kristy and Leah, as well as the rest of the Some Odd Girl crew... SO, I gave up on fruitless house cleaning (who am I kidding anyway?) and played with some of the gorgeous Mae digis that I have been DYING to color in... AND Melanie cracked open my new Magnolias for some crafty designs...

My mini me stole the show though...And she's SO proud of her first "layered" card:(as well she SHOULD be!!)

Melanie's card above and mine below were made for the sketch challenge hosted by SOG during digi day...Either way, we had TONS of fun playing together and only wish we could've finished MORE items before the crop ended! :)

"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of." (Mansfield Park)

2010-07-09T14:50:00.004-04:00

And since I have NO income this month, lol, I am going to have to stick to scrapping/card making for MY source of happiness! :)

Making me VERY happy these days is when I stumble across blogs that help me get that creative urge up and moving... LIKE Create with TLC, where you can get TONS of freebie Digi images and Sentiments, as well as some larger collections in the Store...

AND one of the more recent freebies was a vintage style cooking up kinda image, and well, you KNOW I had to snag it and pair it with some Graphic 45!!! :) Thanks for looking!!

SO, there's a challenge going on at Create With TLC if you like the digi image, (sentiment came from there too!!) and it's running until tonight, so head on over there and snag a copy to play along!! :)

Java Queen!

2010-07-08T19:18:00.009-04:00

Have you SEEN the new Whiff of Joy City Girls release yet??? RIGHT up my alley... I'm currently brainstorming an ode to Starbucks card using the gorgeous "Willow with Coffee 2 go" but in the meantime, I HAD to play with her using some Bo Bunny papers and Prima flowers (for the Flower Power challenge at Magical Crafts!) that I purchased from Scrap A Doodle Doo... AND the sketch from this week's Whiff of Joy Challenges helped kick me in gear... As well as all the distressing (because I can't cut ANYTHING straight these days!!), per the challenge at One Stop Craft Challenges!

Thanks for looking and happy scrappin! :)

The dollies are at it again!

2010-07-06T18:51:00.005-04:00

And with a sponsor this time!! Check out this week's elements challenge, which calls for you to use a song as inspiration (something relatively new, since 1990)... AND enter your projects for a chance to win our very first sponsored prize from Scrap Attack!

My entry was the VERY first layout I've created since FOREVER... and featured my darling Melanie with my "baby" sister Ashley at her college graduation... it's weird to see Ashley all grown up, when I still think of her at Melanie's age. Actually, there's a LOT about Melanie that reminds me of Ashley when she was a wee tike...

Red, White, and Blue!!!

2010-07-04T09:29:00.004-04:00

It has been a SEMI scrappy week this week as I try to reestablish some sort of normalcy in my crafting... I worry though, that my creations lack a certain something because of my extreme exhaustion! I think I need to find a crop where I can be inspired by others while trying to regain my mojo! BUT, here's a patriotic card inspired by Kraftin Kimmie's sketch this week and Alice in Wonderland's color combo. AND I'd like to wish everyone a Happy and safe 4th of July!! :)

A little bit of sparkle...

2010-06-23T21:25:00.004-04:00

FINALLY, we are moving into some sort of "normalcy" with the baby around... and set times where he is DEFINITELY sleeping and I have some sort of energy!! I even got to make three cards today, which felt GOOD! :)

This one is a sparkly creation using Kaylee and made for Melanie's BFF's birthday on Saturday... The pinks and glitter and glimmer and foil are ALL girl and ALL Melanie and Gianna! :)

Some Odd Girl's challenge was to use some sparkle... WELL, with sparkly foil paper, stickles, bling, glittery black paper and glimmer mist, I THINK I addressed THAT requirement! :)

The Pink Elephant also asked for the colors Pink and Black (PERFECT for these two girls...) AND I used a sketch provided by Mojo Monday... AND if you're stumped out there, be sure to check out the Design Dollies for inspiration and weekly challenges on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays! Happy scrapping!

"Behold Elijah is here" 1 Kings

2010-05-24T21:25:00.005-04:00

Arriving about two months early and weighing in at 4 lbs 11 oz, Elijah Andrew Medina made his appearance on Sunday, May 16th at 9:19 AM... Because he's a little tyke, Elijah is still in the NICU for a few more days, but he's been doing so well...

"Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery." (Mansfield Park)

2010-05-08T22:06:00.004-04:00

So the laundry didn't get finished and there are still baby pieces in the living room that need a permanent home, BUT I did get my grandmother's Mother's day card done! :) Thank you Karm for this beautiful Tilda... I used the Magical Crafts sketch for this one, and am, thankfully, DONE with my requisite cards for tomorrow... but that doesn't mean to imply that my THANK YOU cards are done at ALL! :) So, more cards to come... and maybe a layout once the baby is born and I can have a glass of wine to get my creative juices flowing again! :) Hugs!!

"I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be any thing extraordinary now." (Pride and Prejudice)

2010-05-08T17:33:00.005-04:00

One more down, one more to go... Today has been a crazy hectic housekeeping day, and I managed to squeeze this card out while my darling daughter was rehersing for her dance recital... but otherwise, we've been moving and shaking getting things ready for the new baby (crib is up, bigger than I remembered lol, and we're GETTING there...)

Anywhoo, this card was created using the Whiff of Joy sketch for this week for my Stepmom... I still have to finish my grandmother's Mother's Day card before morning, but I have NO creative energy right now... :) Thanks for looking!

"That Lady, I suppose, is your mother" (Pride and Prejudice)

2010-05-05T16:07:00.004-04:00

Though the mean Lady Catherine had no love lost for Mrs. Bennet, I DO find her to be one of Austen's most humorous of characters... :)

With mother's day coming up this weekend, I'm sure I'll have a couple of other cards to post (or else my family will be disappointed, it seems... they are my biggest fans when it comes to my card making obsession...). Here's the first of what will hopefully be at LEAST three or four! :) Inspired by that Marie Antoinette stamp I drooled over from Kraftin Kimmie's Stamps, and humbly submitted for this week's sketch challenge!! (Color scheme and bling inspired by a CafeMom challenge as well!)

AND of course, yesterday was another elementary Tuesday at Design Dollies with a Teacher Appreciation Week inspired challenge for ya'll... if you ARE a follower of that challenge site already, make sure you play along this month cause we have YUMMY candy coming your way! :)

My teacher inspired card was made for Melanie's First Grade teacher, who collects and LOVES all things Moose related... Which reminds me... the week is almost over and I have to GIVE her the card, lol! :)

And there you have it folks... If I can get dinner done on time today (riiiiiighhhhht...) and clean up around the house (yeah, sure!), then maybe I can make another mother's day card before lesson plans and grading (um, yeah, ok...). WELL, here's hoping! :)

"A lady's imagination is very rampant" (Pride and Prejudice)

2010-04-21T19:12:00.012-04:00

My imagination has DEFINITELY been running rampant these days, but I've been WAY too tired to capitalize on all the gorgeous things I'd LIKE to be creating... It's been MONTHS since I've scrapped a page (have I mentioned that before?), but I AM still motivated to get some thank you cards done before my pending baby shower... :)

This one was done using a Whiff of Joy sketch from two weeks ago and the colors from this week's Color Dare, and lots of "Sparkle" for the ABC "s" challenge, as well as Creative Belli's Die Cut Shapes challenge (had LOTS of fun whipping out the Cricut once I FOUND it...)! AND of course, it wouldn't be an Adina Medina card without some distressing (now that I FINALLY found my missing Edge Distressor!!!) (Check out Crafty Creations' Distressing Challenge this week, which prompted me to pull the sucker out!) :)

Thanks for looking bloggers, AND be sure to tune into Design Dollies sometime soon... All I will say is if you're NOT a follower, you may want to become one SOON, cause goodies are coming your way... And if you ARE a follower, well... keep following lol! :)

LAST one for the vacation...

2010-04-10T17:02:00.008-04:00

One final look at Miss Mae before I pack up the scrap crap and put it away until next mini-vacation... It's been fun getting scrappy again, but I SERIOUSLY need to scrap layouts next time around...

This card was created to support the Town Scrapper's Autism drive (check it out, it's for a GREAT cause!), and also used the Eat, Sleep, Stamp sketch... And I used my dusty old stamps to create the "Springish" background inspired by Mae's basket of poisies, as requested by Challenge Up Your Life! :) AND, to top it off, we have something old (the OLD stamps used for the background paper), something new (a brandie new Mae image that's not available until April 20th, but you can download the freebie all this month!!), and something Sweet... Isn't Mae the sweetest?? :) Cooking it up with Katie asked for that unique little combo, and it DEFINITELY helped make Mae look sweeter in this little project!!

And with that, I have GOT t run and take Melanie to a play date, but I wish you all happy scrapping!!

"One cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty." (Pride & Prejudice)

2010-04-10T13:51:00.003-04:00

I squeezed in ONE more quick card in honor of my Stepmom's birthday on the 14th... And now I have to run to the post office to mail it out on time!! :)

Let's see... this one was made using the I {heart} 2 Stamp Sketch, the Kraftin' Kimmie Color Challenge (OMG did you SEE the Marie Antoinette stamp?? I am going to HAVE to find a way to get her!!!), a Bow according to the Our Creative Corner Challenge, and of course, it's a birthday card as required by Stamp, Scrap & Doodle... Hubby is painting the living room today to spruce up the house for sale, so if I can MANAGE to squeeze another in while he's busy, then I may be back again... otherwise, my scrappy mojo may be over for a time being, since it's back to work Monday! And, um, yeah, I DID say I'd stop making cards, but I haven't scrapped a layout in so long I think I've forgotten how!!! Any ideas on how to jump back into it? I do believe it has to do with the right PICTURES, but, well.... I'm stumped!! :)

Enjoy a wonderful day!!!

"If things are going untowardly one month, they are sure to mend the next." (Emma)

2010-04-09T22:06:00.006-04:00

So I was having a rough day... the realtor came and put up the For Sale sign at our house, and although I am slowly talking myself into the knowledge that a move would be a good thing for us, moving at seven or eight or nine months pregnant and leaving behind the only home we've ever owned... well, that's a heavy emotional step for us right now. BUT I know that God has a plan and He will take us to where He feels we belong.

And my darling friends, Leah and Kristy, totally felt my pain this afternoon... And they TOTALLY cheered me up by enabling my creative juices and sending me MAE!!!!!!!! :) In MUCH appreciation, I put the child to bed early, kicked the husband out to watch the baseball game, and sat at my croweded dining room table to craft this little card for the SOG Sketch Challenge and the Res-Q Challenge (blue, flowers, pattern) this week.... And Mae DOES make me smile! :)

Mae will be available to the public on April 20th, but the more I get to know her, the more I'm sure she is going to be my FAVORITE digi ever... AND you can download a Freebie of Mae courtesy of Some Odd Girl ALL month long!! Now that my heart is peaceful again, I think I'll hit the sack, lol, for as long as my little kicker allows! Have a wonderful evening bloggers!

Merci Beaucoup... And a blog hop...

2010-04-09T15:40:00.007-04:00

I love days off... when I'm NOT cleaning! :) Today I took a April in Paris blog hop just for the fun of it, and "toured" the streets of Paris!! :) Which inspired my little thank you card featuring an awfully hard to color Ketto, lol! :)

Some Dollilicious Work...

2010-04-09T11:13:00.004-04:00

Although I have mentally sworn off cardmaking due to the huge volume I had to produce for my students, I think I'm over it now... And I have to start making thank you cards for my upcoming Baby Shower! :)

This week's Element's Challenge at Design Dollies is to use the theme of "April Showers bring May Flowers" with an element of rain/water in it... So I played with a shower thank you card and glossy accented some elements to make 'em look wet...

And our color challenge this week is to use Dark Green, Yellow, and Rust...

(which I used in a card for one of my 46 students.... I have to start making 'em for NEXT year now so I don't end up rushing as much as I did this time around!!)

And... that's all folks, lol... For now at least. I'm thinking of getting scrappy on my last day of official vacation, but then again, I DO have lesson plans to write and papers to grade... what do YOU think bloggers? Scrap or work? Hee hee... Do head over to the Dollies and check out Kristy's sketch this week and play along for some awesome prizes... in fact, I think I'm heading over there RIGHT now to post my prize for this month's Elements challenges and to pick a winner from March! Happy scrappin!

Charmed, I'm sure...

2010-04-04T22:18:00.012-04:00

This week's Town Scrapper challenge is to incorporate a charm into a project, and in order to finalize this card using the much drooled after Whiff of Joy Dancing Willow stamp, I used a previous sketch from the Whiff of Joy Challenge blog, and used this week's recipe (3 papers, 2 buttons, 1 ribbon) as well... AND there's this CUTE site called "Alota Rubber Stamps" that has a 3,2,1 challenge going on this week... with a name like that, well, I couldn't resist playing along! :)
More importantly, I do hope everyone had a wonderful Easter today... We had an uplifting service that reminded us all how joyful it is to serve a Risen Lord, so celebrating definitely helped lift me out of the doldrums... As did this ADORABLE stamp... :) Ciao, bellas...

"'You are in a melancholy humour and fancy that anyone unlike yourself must be happy." (Sense and Sensibility)

2010-04-01T10:40:00.005-04:00

It's beautiful outside, but I'm fighting a funk... I SHOULD be happy... First day of Spring break, expecting 70 degree weather, and having a quiet day at home. But still in a funk somehow... SO, I made an Easter card for my mom to snap out of it, lol...
Using Sketch #30 from The Sugar Bowl, I finally had a chance to play along with this week's challenge...AND, my darling Leah is DT coordinator for the Town Scrapper, who had a cool Easter challenge this week to inspire this card's theme...
Playing with Kaylee DID make me smile a bit... especially since it was for Some Odd Girl's first ever Stash/Rainbow challenge... I dug out that paper I've been dying to play with but afraid to cut and found some crushed flowers at the bottom of my box... made me feel a little better to use stuff that's been lying around for the longest! :) And have you SEEN Mae yet? She's ADORABLE, and I can't wait till she's releaseed!! :)

Now I guess it's time to clean up and snap out of it... Hope all is well with YOU bloggers! :)

Candy Winner!!!!!!!!!!

2010-04-01T09:09:00.007-04:00

SO.... Here we go. Thank you to everyone who CORRECTLY entered in for my candy by following my blog, commenting about their favorite birthday memory, and posting my candy to their blogs (THEN for any Dollies players who fullfilled the above). I had a great birthday this past month, and I do thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes!

SO, I randomized my list of entries:

There were 54 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Amy
Amy
Jude
Leah
Leah
Miislucky
Karen
Amy
TeenaBugg38
Karen
Leah
Beate
Karen
Crystal
Amy
Leah
Leah
Amy
DZMania
Leah
Amy
Denise
Leah
Leah
Grazi
Amy
Crystal
Leah
Karen
Karen
Melissa
Amy
Denise
Karen
Kimmie
Crystal
Liezl
Amy
Karen
Crystal
Karen
Rosa
Alin
Leah
Karen
Ramona
Noga
Karen
Alin
Amy
Karen
Leah
Winged
Karen

And THEN randomized the number order thingy:
Making our winner................. AMY :)

(Girl, you ROCKED those Dollies challenges, btw!!!)

I'll be sending out your goodies this week, and in the meantime, keep playing with Dollies!!! :)

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!!! (CLOSED!!!!!!)

2010-03-31T23:55:00.002-04:00

March is absolutely my favorite month of the year, even as it always ends up in me being older and older! :) My birthday is coming up on March 14th, and in honor of that event, I'm offering up some yummy CANDY!!!! :)

Included in my box of favorite things:

Webster's Pages:
Lullaby Lane and Life's Portrait Petite Papers
Lullaby Lane Deluxe Journaling Card Set
Silhouettes Self Adhesive Cameos
Sassafras Lass:
Snack Attack Felities
Cherry Sweet Treats Cardstock Stickers
Cherry Delicious Wee Bundle
Basic Grey
Offbeat Rubons
Opaline Half Pearls (Mauve and Gray)
Kaiser
Self Adhesive Pearls (Blush and Ice Green)
Close to My Heart
Colonial White/Sweet Leaf Embellishments
Chocolate Shades Collection Mini Medley
Tattered Angels
Golden Terracotta Glimmer Mist
The Paper Loft
Now and Then Old Timer Journaling Card
Storybook Pages Love and Romance Card
Prima
Pebbles Cailloux

So here are the logistics:

If you already ARE a follower, please comment below and share YOUR fondest birthday memory and post a pic of my candy/link back here on YOUR blog's sidebar (1 entry)

If you are not yet a follower, please become one and comment below on YOUR fondest birthday memory, then post a pic of my candy/link back here on YOUR blog's sidebar... (1 entry)

Please take a moment to play along with the Design Dollies anytime this month and of course comment back here that you HAVE played along with the Dolls (with a pic of my candy/link back here on YOUR blog's sidebar)...(1 entry)

IF you play with the Dollies on March 16th, I'll be directing you back to my blog for more, well, of me (and you'll get another 3 entries for playing with MY Elements challenge that week after you post a comment here and link your blog back to my candy)

Ok, so I'm an English teacher, but I THINK that gives everyone at least...16 chances to win (if you play with ALL the Dollies challenges, that is!!!) :)

I will keep this post up and running until Midnight on March 31st, so until then, happy scrapping, and thanks for playing!!! :)

Last chance....

2010-03-29T18:59:00.003-04:00

My candy expires at Midnight on Wednesday, the 31st (Can you believe March is almost OVER already?)... So make sure you comment on the Candy post with your favorite birthday memory and play along with the Dollies for extra chances to win!! Happy scrappin!

It's a Dollilicious Challenge!! WITH extra chances to win candy...

2010-03-16T18:11:00.005-04:00

WELL, thank you to everyone who has shared amazing birthday wishes and beautiful stories of their own favorite birthday stories. I LOVE reading about your experiences and can't wait to read more!! :)

As promised, we have a special Design Dollies challenge in honor of my birthday, so definitely head over to the Design Dollies Challenge Blog to see what we have in store for ya.... And then come on back to play!! :)

Here's a sneak peek at what I played with for the challenge above...

And I've got, oh, let's say twenty more cards to go before I'm done with the seniors' batch... And I think I won't make another card again for a LONG time, lol!! :)

"It was a delightful visit - perfect, in being much too short." (Emma)

2010-03-14T12:10:00.012-04:00

My darling Leah visited with us yesterday, and we had an impromptu surprise birthday party... Could you picture my dining room table and living room bedecked with our scrap supplies aplenty and one half of my family all together cooking some Puerto Rican specialties (even my hubby made the arroz con pollo!!) while Leah and I tried to get our mulitple projects done WITHOUT being rude to the well wishers? At first I was worried they'd be offended, but everyone in my family seems to understand my addiction at this point... especially when they saw the ABUNDANCE of supplies we pull out for these things!!

AND, I made thirteen more cards toward my goal of 49... I think I'm up to 26 now... SOME of them were rushed and WAY too simple for me to post (you'd fall asleep on them)... BUT, then there are some like the one using the Card Patterns sketch (Tracey, if you read this, WHERE in NY are you?? I'm in Northern NJ right over the GWB... are we neighbors??):

And this What a Wonderful World card from the 365 Days Challenge:

Thank you JILL for the amazing embellishment you made oh so long ago for our CM swap!! Fit PERFECTLy for what I had to crank out this weekend!!

BUT I think my favorite (and most girly) card so far was the one I made using the Pile it On (Pastels) challenge that fit for the Ooh La La Anything Goes incentive, the Secret Crafter's Anything Goes challenge, Rosie D's Spring challenge, By the Cute and Girly's Spring Challenge, and an awesome Paper Sundaes Spring Challenge for Willow (SHE'S ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!)....

I think that's enough for now, but please do remember to check out the Dollies Tuesday the 16th for a special triple entry chance for my candy.... And thanks to everyone for the awesome birthday wishes... Admittedly, thirty three doesn't feel like an age to really go out and party for, lol, but I welcomed my day in doing my favorite thing and I hope the old wive's tale that says how you spend your birthday will set the tone for the rest of your year rings true on that aspect!!!

""My dear, you are too particular," said her husband. "What does all that signify? You will see nothing of it by candlelight." (Emma

2010-03-13T07:08:00.001-05:00

And as crafters, aren't we ALL a bit meticulous about our work overall?? WELL... I can critique my projects ad nauseum, but I have GOT to get these cards done for my students this weekend... so far, this is #12 of 49... For Delightful Sketches' Kids Challenge as well as the Color Dare's Tempting Chocolate Celery Challenge...

WELL, I'm hoping to get MANY more cards done this weekend with Ms. Leah, so please check back by Monday... And don't forget that we'll have a special candy-related challenge at the Dollies on Tuesday the 16th!!! Happy Scrapping!

"It was agreed that, provided the weather were fair, the party should take place on the following morning" (Northanger Abbey)

2010-03-12T17:12:00.004-05:00

And tomorrow IS a party day!! Two more days until my birthday, and my buddy Leah L'Orange is comin over to scrap and play all day!!

And though we'll be playing, I have got WORK to do!! My seniors are getting ready for their annual retreat at the end of Spring break, and it is our tradition to send them off with a little note from each teacher (even if we couldn't STAND the kid all year), encouraging them as they embark on their new journey... So of COURSE, I decided to make them each an individualized card reflecting THEM and write a personalized note in each. Then I realized I have 49 seniors. And three days to get the cards finished. And ten made. :) SO, wish me luck, and I'm sure my next few hundred posts will be of cards, no layouts, until I have finished this project. BUT I act like it's a chore... It's actually a fun thing (right?) :).

SO, here's number eleven of 49... Made for a Cafe Mom challenge and the current sketch challenge at The Character Cafe... I LOVE their digis, btw, and may have to get some before I'm done with my card run to play with. Kristy's digis are also awesome at Some Odd Girl, so I will have to fire up the printer for those... Hey, question bloggers: if I heat set a digi, will it help prevent bleeding when I color 'em in?? I tried coloring in a Kaylee the other day and smudged it beyond recognition... Hmmm...

"Mary wished to say something sensible, but knew not how. " (Pride and Prejudice)

2010-03-07T19:38:00.002-05:00

Don't you just have to LOL sometimes when reading Austen? So witty... AND I know exactly how Mary felt... I have put my foot in my mouth so many times I truly wish I could stop talking sometimes... And it's often easier to WRITE the correct thing than to say it... SO, this card is one of the ones I made for my recent Alice in Wonderland swap, and shows the vintage Mad tea party. I can't wait to see the movie, maybe on Sunday in celebration of my birthday...

I made this one using a sketch that was posted in a group I play with on CafeMom, and now my humble little card is the icon thingy for the group this month, which makes me feel all warm and gushy inside, lol. Now, if only I could KEEP the energy going to make some more cards... WELL, do check out the Dollies when you have a chance and play along for my candy (see post above). Later...

"What is the use of a book, without pictures or conversations?" (Alice in Wonderland)

2010-03-04T20:12:00.014-05:00

And WHOA do I have pictures for YOU!! :) I just got my fabby swap box from my DARLING partner Gina, and DID she hook me up or WHAT?????????

So I opened the package and found this: But seriously, LOOK at the detail AROUND the box!!:

And that's not even the BOTTOM of the box!!!!:
So... of course you KNOW the inside of the box RAWKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:

But wait... it gets even BETTER:

AND did you SEE the detail in the bracelet??:

AND that's not to mention the wind up caterpillar and two books that Gina enclosed as well! Um, Melanie confiscated them, and she hid them from me already, but when I find them (they're probably under her pillow where she stows all the stuff she swipes until I have my back turned), I'll add 'em to the post!!

Gina, seriously, thank you so very very much for all of the goodies! I cannot wait to play, and NOW I definitely want to see the new movie!! Hope you enjoy your box o' goodies when it arrives as much as I loved mine!!!

Prima's Got a Secret...

2010-03-02T20:59:00.002-05:00

And they've got some AWESOME candy too!!!

That's Right! Prima is giving away two more AMAZING prize packages in conjunction with their BIG SECRET!

Check 'em out!!!

"She was obliged to recollect that...no private correspondence could bear the eye of others" (Persuassion)

2010-02-28T19:23:00.007-05:00

While Jane Austen may have felt correspondence should remain private, hopefully the recipients of my cards won't feel that their privacy has been invaded by my posting the cards in advance! :) I have to finish up my Alice swap this week and THEN I'll be busy card making for the next two weeks... I have 48 seniors who are going to get individual cards wishing them well... And I have my work cut out for me!! :) Other than the "You're a Hoot" card below, I think I'll be working from scratch... :) (OH, AND please be sure to check back in the next week or so cause I'll have a little birthday announcement!!!)

"Every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason; and, in my opinion, exertion should always be in proportion to what is required."(P&P)

2010-02-25T13:33:00.006-05:00

I know, I know... I've been awfully MIA this pregnancy.... But shall I throw a hint to my loyal followers and say I've FINALLY begun my pre-birthday celebration with a gift chance for YOU?? Tune back in during the month of March to see what goodies I'm able to compile in honor of my thirty (gulp) third bday...

In the meantime, I HAVE been crafty... but again, I can't post the stuff till it goes "Live" with the Dollies, because honestly I try my hardest to just get THOSE challenges out of the way before I scrap anything else... and then I run out of time or mojo or energy!! :) BUT it's snowing out again today, so maybe we can get scrappy in the interim??

Let's see...

Did I mention my chagrin when I found out that Ranger is discontinuing Crackle Accents and I had JUST finished my last bottle on some layouts? WELL, here's one of those final projects...

And here's a layout of my loves... And my teenage loves, New Kids on the Block, lol... They STILL have it going on...
Hey, if any of you bloggers out there have a tutorial on how to take a better picture of a 12X12 layout, please pass it along... I STILL (obviously) struggle with getting just the right shot of my work... Cards are easier MOST of the time, but I can't seem to get my 12X12s to look the way I'd like them to... :) Thanks!!!

(oh, pregnancy update... still due June 26th or July 6th, and Elijah is growing very nicely. We had a sonogram yesterday and we saw his spine, confirmed his gender again, lol, and saw him moving around, which was pretty cool... I SHOULD be scrapping his sonogram pictures but who has time??) :)

It's a Snowy, Scrappy Day!!!!

2010-02-11T11:10:00.006-05:00

Actually, it's been TWO snow days at this point, whoo hoo!! We got about 18 inches here in Northern NJ, and having been spared the weekend snow, it's not THAT bad out there... But bad enough that schools across the area have been closed for two days! Which means BUMMY days! :) AND Scrappy days, believe it or not! It's been so long since my clutter has taken over my dining room... Feels good (but overwhelming when I think of cleaning it up!) :)

(My Creative Clutter is BACK)

And I'm back in challenge mode (could it be????)

Here's a "Heart Filled" card for the AI Factory Challenge, the CCEE inspiration challenge (black, red and white as well as hearts), Cute Card Thursday, and I THINK it fits the Pile it On challenge as well (although it's the wine I love not the bunny)! (This is also card one for the upcoming Alice in Wonderland swap... Gina, stop reading!!! :))

Can you tell I'm still loving the flower soft stuff??? AND that I'm still dying for a glass of wine?? -- the little charm thing is a double entendre... It's reminiscent of Alice's "Drink Me" tags and bottles, and my extremely STRONG desire to drink a whole bottle of wine, lol... Four more months...

A Couple of Items (Whoo Hoo!!)

2010-02-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

I have FINALLY gotten some scrappy mojo going on, largely as a result of my recent crop weekend with Scrap A Doodle Doo last weekend. So...

For Design Dollies, I played with some Vintage papers from Graphic 45 (go figure):

AND in honor of my darling friend Kristy's newest line of Digital Stamps, Some Odd Girl, I had the chance to play along with Sketchy Thursdays' Second Chance Challenge using this funky Kaylee Cuddle stamp and some Flowersoft (my newest addiction!!):

All in all, I did complete eleven projects this past weekend, but I can't showcase them until they are released with the Dollies... SO, hopefully that means more blog posts this month! :) Thanks for checking in!! :)

It's a....

2010-01-24T19:45:00.001-05:00

BOY... Just a quick note to update my readers, lol (thanks Sylvia for reminding me to post this news!!) that we found out our little bundle of joy due July 6th is a Boy... Elijah Andrew Medina is what we're thinking of naming him and we are beyond excited. Exhausted, but excited... Many hugs ladies!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-31T14:39:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note to blog land to wish you all a very happy 2010!! I know it's been FOREVER since I've posted, and I am hoping my energy levels will increase now that the first trimester is pretty much over so I can get back in the groove of things! :)

Christmas Break SHOULD be consisting of preparations to teach Jane Eyre to my AP Lit class, Romantic poetry to my Brit Lit classes, and whatever else I can conjure up for my AP Language and Multicultural Lit classes! :) BUT today I am spending it catching up with my scrapping, which has definitely gone astray during the first exhausted months of my pregnancy! :)

Some old stuff that has appeared on Design Dollies are below, but I have GOT to get with the swing of things this week!!!

Wishing you the VERY best!!

Uh oh... could that be MOJO flowing???

2009-11-08T13:57:00.004-05:00

It's still going strong I believe... :) Melanie has me making cards today... she's up to her fourth card (which I think I'll have her post later so everyone can see just how cool she is... she's working with Bellas and rub ons right about now!

Here's my one humble card using the 365 Cards sketch:

And here are ALL of Melanie's gorgeous creations! :) I'm so proud of my little six year old... she really IS a mini-me... She was just laughing at me for taking so long to finish one little card while she wrapped up all four of hers. So she went to go watch Annie while I tried to catch up! :) Gotta love kids!!!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!!

2009-11-08T10:16:00.003-05:00

Can you believe it!!?? Has anyone else started their Christmas countdown?? I don't know about YOU, but I'm thinking that in addition to some Christmas cards in progress, perhaps it's time for some candy??? :) Stay tuned, I am feeling Christmasy!! :)
For now, though, my Dollie Leah and I were scrappy this weekend and we knocked out a bunch of Desin Dollies projects that I can't share with you JUST yet... Once THAT was done, lol, I DID manage a Magnolia "Thank You" card (THANKS Karmyn for sharing your stamps!!) :)

She's a cutie patootie, that's for sure! :) This one actually fits the Pink Elephant Color challenge (Brown, Yellow, Neutral and an extra... in this case glittery pink) and I used Sketch Saturday's sketch to get this concept going...As a Thank You card, this piece fits the Pile it On Challenge for this week AND the Simon Says Stamp challenge as well! :) SO... Thank YOU for stopping by... More fun and some candy DEFINITELY to come soon! :)

"When the felicities of rapid motion have once been, though slightly, felt -- it must be a very heavy set that does not ask for more.” (Emma)

2009-10-24T09:29:00.008-04:00

Melanie's recital was last Saturday (could it already have been a full week??). It was BEYOND adorable and SO very worth all the hard work on both sides! From watching the bigger girls dancing she decided she wanted to add acrobatics to her repertoire, so now she's taking ballet, tap, flamenco, AND acrobatics... I'm just psyched she's finally liking it. We tried enrolling her when she was almost three and she cried the whole time! :)

My mojo returned for one sole page using recital pictures...

AND I finally got to play with some Rock Candy... This jury is still out. :) I think I like Crackle Accents better, but for the "sweet" theme of this page, I think the concept works...

Hmmm... Here are a few other pages that have recently appeared on Design Dollies

(Webster's Pages just ASK to be cut up, don't you think?) :)

Have you checked out the Dollies yet??

2009-10-06T15:48:00.005-04:00

It's official... our weekly challenges have begun. In addition to the lovely blog candy available just for checking us out, we have weekly challenges in three categories: 1) Colors (Mondays); 2) Elements (Tuesdays); and 3) Sketches (Thursdays). Individual prizes are given out monthly per category, so there's a chance to win three different prizes... Come check us out if you haven't been over there yet! :) And happy scrappin! (If only I could join you today!!)

(Oh, here are two of my "creations" as featured on DD as well!!) :)

World Card Day Yesterday

2009-10-04T10:58:00.007-04:00

Who woulda thunk there'd be a WORLD card day? And who woulda thunk I'd actually get crafty with it? :) I made quite a few cards, some for Design Dollies so those will be posted in time, BUT here are a few that do not have an upcoming reveal date, lol! :)

I have missed my online friends and blogging family so much this past month... now that it's October things will be in full swing until after the middle of the month when I can hopefully identify what my new "normal" is! :) Stay tuned...

Check out the Dollies!! :)

2009-09-30T21:10:00.003-04:00

Launching in about three hours is the premeire of the Design Dollies! :) Come check us out and play along for great prizes, challenges, and lots of scrapping fun! :)