Are You Ready for Back to School?

** Don't forget to enter your name into my blog candy challenge! Click on the link on the left to go to the comment section and leave your favorite summer memory- deadline 8/31! **

I am almost ready. School clothes purchased, supplies are gotten, backpacks and lunch bags ready to fill, classmates are known, teachers are ready..... but sadly, I am not. Not that I won't mind the quiet, more time to create, lunch dates with hubby. But I will miss the kiddos. We have had a great few weeks together, going bowling, thrift store hunting, learning to cook, be better shoppers, and reading some great new books at the library. Summer just was over too fast for us. Didn't help that we had some really crappy weather the months of June and July. September is always meloncholy for me. My oldest is going into middle school and I am sad. For the first time, I am feeling my age and don't like it.

The cards above have actually lifted my spirits today. They have turned into the cutest danged cards! I just love them! Kris gave me some Reminisce stickers that she felt were "been there done that- KWIM?" and that I could put them to better use. I found a sketch at Inspirational Card Sketches #31 and really struggled with the image to do, in twofold no less. These stickers helped me fill the bill! I used the entire sheet, some scraps of black, orchid bouquet and petal CTMH cardstock, scraps of ribbon and these stickers. Now, the photo "stage" is taken in my front window. The set was too large to do on my black c/s and it is raining outside (like cats and dogs, hahaha couldn't resist that one!!LOL!) After I made them, my DD just loved them and wants to give them as a gift to a girlfriend. AHA! Cuttlebug Challenge #46 is to make a new gift set- these are PERFECT for a tween girl or even a college freshman to keep in touch with mom. Wonder who is going to be the lucky recipient of them.....????ME!

Cuttlebug Be Inspired #42- Last Week!

The final Cuttlebug challenge: to create a gate fold card celebrating National Friendship Week. my card is a take on the gatefold card, by doing a tri-fold card, i can get it into an envelope and actually send it to my best friend (my Baltimore scrapping buddy!) Laura and I celebrate our 30 year friendship by getting together at least 1x year, for a night, and scrap the night away- as well as eat good food and do some sightseeing! So, as i am planning our overnighter for October, this card finally came to me. i really struggled with this challenge, but knew deep down i couldn't let it get the best of me. I finished all 5 of the challenges!

So, i used the swirls folder for the front and top insert of the card. All papers used from BoBunny Alissa line. Love the colors in this- aqua, pink, green and black! Misc prima flowers, michaels ribbon and heidi grace pins finish off the card. Thanks for looking and for stopping by!

Recycle

Cuttlebug Challenge this week (for a chance to win the awesome new embossing folders debuting at CHA!) is to alter something from the recycle bin. Now, I am going to take liberties with the recycle part. I toss old plastic containers- eeewwww to clean them. I toss old cardboard boxes b/c in Miami those boxes ended up with ants in them or bowevils so it is habit that I got into. What I do recycle, I do reuse. For example: I save all of the gift bags that we receive presents in. They are darned expensive, so I reuse them like crazy. Like this red bag. I refold them and store under my bed in the "rubbermaid container that holds all wrapping paper paraphenalia". Looks good doesn't it???? I even reuse tissue paper! Call me cheap, I think of myself as frugal!

Now for all of the papers....here is where I am taking my recycle liberties. The paper was my sisters (who is on a few DTs) and she was purging her "old" stash. So, wonderful sister that she is, instead of tossing, she gave them to me! I am using old papers in a new way- recycled paper! Yes, could be stretching it a bit......LOL! The papers are: around the block and flair. The cut out of poinsetta leaves are Anna Griffin (hard to tell, but there is 3D on them as the diecuts were meant to be layered. The red and green were embossed on the swiss dots and swirls folders for texture. The Jingle Bells lyrics are Flair paper (you can find lyrics and sheet music on line- just GOOGLE it! easy peasy to make even Birthday cards with the sheet music). The edges were distressed with a Heidi grace tool and inked with chocolate to give the vintage feel. The tag was made out of some old paper, Anna Griffin and tied on with hemp. I wanted to use some old christmas cards that I have stored, but took one look in the garage, shook my head and walked away. Took my losses and improvised. Glued onto some tan cardstock, scalloped the edges and inked in more chocolate.

If you stayed this long, I hope that you liked the final product and it gave you an idea or two on how to recycle old bags and where to get vintage items like postcard tags and sheet music.

Once there was a snowman....

Cuttlebug challenge week #3....sketch challenge. I am covered in glitter. I glisten just like new fallen snow with the sun shining on it. My hair, cheeks, fingers, table, floor, you name it is covered in prisma glitter! LOL! Love this stuff. So how did I end up with it everywhere, you may ask? Well, stubborn me decided not to turn on the air conditioning today. See, this morning it was only in the 60's, so we opened up the windows and let the breeze in. Unfortunately, we get all afternoon sun in the living room and dining room (which is where I work...see where I am going with this?) So, at 5pm, it really isn't cost efficient to turn on the a/c to run constantly for the next 4 hours until we go to bed and open windows again (we have had some of the most amazing springlike weather this week!). Brought the big oscillating fan into the DR and turned on low. As I was sprinkling this, it flew. As I blew off extra, it flew. We are talking EVERYTHING is covered in this stuff! Tomorrow- dusting and vacuuming. sigh........

Papers used: CTMH bamboo c/s, twilight c/s. Snowman friends stamp set to create a melted snowman. Typed the saying on the computer (it is on the papers in the set from Carolee's Creations- snowman winter collection). ribbon, crystals and WR memory keepers embossed snowflake (which I covered in more glitter).

thanks for stopping by!

How the HOOT are you?

My muse is working overtime today! This is my third post of the day, maybe she'll take a nap tonight????
Made this card for Cuttlebug Challenge #39, Owl Flourish.

Take the colors given: turquoise, orange and lime green as inspiration
Create a woodsy outdoor project, using woodsy animals (no snakes!), use twigs, pebbles anything from nature.

So, I found this great K&Co paper, sweet berry and used it as my starting point. Thought about this project all day- literally. There is some FAB talent on this site and I felt that my project had to be up to snuff. Used a cinnamon stick for the twig- hehehe!
cut the bird out and the owl out of some paper/cardstock and glued them onto the twig.
I stamped some leaves 2x and cut out. For dimension and depth of field, glued one behind and in front. Added the owl and bird to make them look like they just flew onto the branch. Glued rhinestones on the eyes for some bling factor. Cuttlebug (flower?) folder in the background to make it "forest-y like (is that a word???)" and made up my own saying, using the computer and hand drew the word balloon.

I am super happy with the final product! It really is 3-D IRL, but buttons, ribbon and twine, gave it the final touch.

Have a great evening!

Happy 4th!- Cuttlebug challenge

Red, White and Blue- our countries colors! Love the patriotic look! Today I went all out and layered like crazy! The challenge on Cuttlebug was to use red, white and blue and to use the swiss dots folder.

Used CTMH carstock in white, red, and blue, and the celebrate sentiment. Used reminisce stickers for the flags (folded and on toothpicks!), made "sparklers" by curling thin pieces of cardstock and adding a reminisce star sticker to the top.

Enjoy your weekend!