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

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

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)

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!

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)

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!!

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

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

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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!!

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!!!

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!

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! :)