Li'l Buck's Creations

The new Celebrate Collection for Valentine's Day

2012-01-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

Please head on over to the AUTHENTIQUE PAPER BLOG to check out all the Valentine's I made with the Celebrate collection :)
Have a super sweet day!

Garnet #6: To The Moon Buddies

2012-01-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

I used Kristy Lee's Garnet 6 Sketch as my starting point for this layout. I am gearing up to do a ton of boy layouts.
My son and his friend Tommy. They like so many of the same things that sometimes their friendship becomes one of two mortal enemies fighting for possesion of the same toy ;).

I cut out some triangles and adhered them to the top of the pictures to create a border.

Journaling on shipping tags. I watercolored the third one just to add some color.

I cut out different sections of the grid paper and added colored patterned papers to the backside.

Rectangle Coffee Filter Wreath: Fun Friday Craft

2012-01-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

My newest class is up! I made this coffe filter wreath for Valentines Day. It's so fluffy-don'tcha just love Despicable Me referances?!?!

I hope all my regular gals love it and don't worry...if you think it looks a little sparse I will have PLENTY of extras on hand so you can spruce up your very own.

Hearts and pennants...the sweetest thing. This is the pennant punch from Stampin' Up. If anyone non-local would like a kit you can comment here and I can get in touch with you. Thanks!

Have a super sweet day and remember to make some time to get your craft on!

New Authentique: Genuine

2012-01-25T10:23:00.000-08:00

Denim is all the rage right now and Authentique did it right!!!

Here's a quick sneak peak of the Genuine Cabinet I made for CHA.
Have a wonderful day.

Go HERE to see the full collection.

CELEBRATE: NEW AUTHENTIQUE CHA

2012-01-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

Another one of Authentique's new lines. It's perfect for boys or for a party. Very versatile. I think the wood grain is a dream.

These boys...best of friends...worst of enemies scenario.

I used my top note die from Stampin' Up for the journaling block.

I saw the pinwheels and I wanted to simulate wind blowing in some fashion with the paper. Loop de loo zig-zag stitches and cut outs...did the trick.

I hope your day is amazing!

Altered Thickers Tutorial: Scrapbook Steals

2012-01-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

I made up this tutorial and totally forgot to post it. It's a fun way to make your Thickers match any project you're working on :)
SCRAPBOOK STEALS HOW TO'SDAY
Have a super day :)

How Do I Have an 11 Year Old???

2012-01-20T23:58:00.000-08:00

He is my joy and my life and also the pain in my butt! What is it with this age-the teasing and pestering of younger siblings does eventually taper off right??? Someone please tell my I'm right?!?!?! Well, the boy asked for cheesecake for days and then on the morning of his birthday changed his mind to red velvet with cream cheese icing-so I delivered like any super mom would.

For the past three years he has asked for chicken and dumplings-my grandma's recipe-and I make it once a year :). It's delicious. For some reason last year was really warm on his birthday and we were all sweating through dinner :)

Oh, he's ecited all right and in need of a good haircut-but he wants "the guy" to do it and not his mama. (The guy is the barber down the road :)

Oh thank you, oh thank you after Christmas clearance sales-for without you my children might go hungry and unclothed-not to mention without awesome birthday gifts. Total for both lego kits under 25 dollars. TOTAL STEAL. He was so funny and tried to stay up late building them and set his alarm so he could work on it before school in the morning.
Some things about my eldest kiddo that may be of some interest.
He is really helpful when he wants to be...really responsible.
He does this thing where he'll be sitting there watching t.v. or talking and he'll notice that the table runner is out of place or the rug is askew and he'll absentmindedly fix it-even getting up to do so. I think he must get this from me.
He's just as capable of living in filth as the other two hooligans but he's quicker to get it back in order.
He loves basketball, scouts, camping, riding his bike, jumping on the trampoline, drawing, math, science and archery.
He's wicked good with electronics (that might just be a sign of his generation).
He always gives me a kiss goodbye whether he's leaving from the house or the car. He's taller than me-I'm 5'6".
He earned gold honor roll at school this semester.
He loves to help his dad on any "project" that's going on-tomorrow that means going to butcher some cows to help out a neighbor-he's almost morbidly excited about that one. (I may have to worry)
He has the best dimples ever.
He's a great reader but usually doesn't want to stop go, go, going to settle down and read.
He can eat more than both his dad and I combined-the bottomless pit.
He is probably allergic to dairy products-we're testing the theory right now (thank you soy milk)-because we couldn't handle the smell anymore ;)
He now sleeps on the bottom bunk but once fell off the top and gave himself a pretty good shiner.
He's a pretty sentimental guy and he has a great big heart.
I love my boy

BRAND NEW AUTHENTIQUE: Genuine CHA

2012-01-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

Authentique has a new collection called Genuine. It's super gorgeous. Faded blue jeans and mustards. Perfection. I had this picture of my youngest getting read to by my mom and i really wanted the layout to be special. The picture is blurry and I had to make it black and white just to see some contrast but I LOVE what's happening.

My mom always read to me when I was little and now that's one of my greatest passions besides scrapbooking.

Authentique has some other changes in store. Instead of chip shapes they now have sticker sheets so everything comes already to be stuck on AND all the stickers are now MATT. I have gone to heaven.

These letter stickers are included on the 12x12 sticker sheet.
Loverly huh.

The Mustard Pea Coat: Thrifty Thursday

2012-01-19T08:21:00.000-08:00

So, before we get started...this coat is not thrifted :). My husband bought it for me for Christmas at Forever21. It was a whopping $40.00...sticker shock for me. The thing is that when I went to wear it the second or third time one of the buttons popped off. I was totally disappointed but I still had the receipt so off to the mall I went to return it for it's less than stellar performance.

I really wanted my money back because, let's face it, I'm thrifty and if a FORTY Dollar piece of clothing (that's not even wool) loses it's button on the second wear I feel cheated. But guess what, you only have 21 days to return something to Forever21 with a receipt. Lame. I was told they don't do store credit but that I could exchange the coat for anything in the store that equaled the same amount.

Off I went in search of a better "deal". Mind you I was shopping with my three year old-he was gettin' his groove on to the music in the store and hiding under every rack too. Not my idea of "retail therapy".
Faced with so many decisions and sizes I was truly overwhelmed (who knew department store shopping gave me anxiety) and finally decided I would just exchange the coat for the exact same thing and hope for the best.
There was only ONE left and it was in my size AND get this!!!! It was marked HALF OFF!!! NO WAY!!!
Making a long (three year old tantrum throwing story) short I was able to get the coat, a new shirt, a necklace, and some lip gloss all because I didn't want to put up with shoddy workmanship.
BTW I love my mustard coat-even more so now that it came with lots of extra goodies :)
Have a super thrifty day.

CREATE challenge: Rolled Paper Card

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello there my lovelies. I hope you are well and that you're enjoying your day. I had a yummylicious cake yesterday and made this card for a friend. I used Lillybee, DCWV, and Authentique papers.

I love the dimension rolling the paper gives.
Hope your day is sweet.

Roarin' Good Birthday

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

So, I turned another year older today :)...fitting that I would post a birthday card. I purchased this Jelly Park digital stamp from this etsy shop and just had to make a card for my guy that's turning 11 in two days.
I used glossy accents on his teeth and cut out hexies from some paper I've had for some time.

I colored the image with ink and a blender pen. I think I like watercoloring a bit better myself.

I hope your day is filled with fun and happiness.

Garnet #3: Mama's girl

2012-01-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

At eight...these are all her faves! Fabulous sketch by Kristy Lee again.

I feel that she is so like me...sometimes she acts more like the firstborn than my firstborn does. :)

October Afternoon Sidewalks
Sassafras pop up flowers
Studio Calico Tab
DCWV Lemon Flower Stack
Lilly Bee Doily Paper
EK Success Punches
Authentique Free Bird Papers
I hope you have a great MLK day.

We Say You Say: Garnet 5

2012-01-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

A little page about the funny things my little guys says. I used Scrapbook Steals Garnet #5 sketch by the wonderful Kristy Lee.

I had to add the last one on there because I was reminded of it this morning when we went to the grocery store

Buttons are the best

Gramy Buck made the pumpking hat for him and can't get over how cute he looks in it.
Have a super day! Get your scrap on.

Thrifty Thursday: Casual Like

2012-01-12T09:31:00.000-08:00

So, making jewelry is pretty simple. Trust me...once you know the basics you can make just about anything.

Today's outfit...for errand running.
Ambercrombie and Fitch navy blue tee: .25
Target Striped cardigan. .25

Belt: .25
Guess jeans: a quarter or a dollar I can't remember.
Jewelry: made by me
Shoes: Target on clearance for $5.00
I need hair help. Anyone willing to be my personal hair stylist. UGH!
Outfit total
$6.75

Bookmark Beauty

2012-01-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

Birthday Bookmark.

I'll try to do a tutorial for this bookmark soon. It really is quite simple. Those folded flowers can really make anything special.

Authentique January Sketch Challenge: I'm Crackers over you

2012-01-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

How I adore these pictures of Jonah eating his favorite (at the time) animal crackers. I kept it pretty simple because I wanted his pictures to shine. He almost isn't this little "baby" anymore. :(

I love folding these fabulous flowers...so easy to do with Authentique's double sided Free Bird papers. Shipping tags and Technique Tuesday chipboard shape.

Thanks again to Aubrey for the washi tape and the Shimmerz which I used on this layout.

I had punched out the butterflies for another project I was working on and the strip was just sitting there on the desk begging to be incorporated here. I love the little dots of yellow Shimmerz that pop off of the craft background.

Hope you're having a happy day and don't forget to head on over to the Authentique Paper Blog to see the other great sketch entries and enter yourself.

Uncommon Authentique Calendar

2012-01-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

Good Morning!!! Head on over to the AUTHENTIQUE PAPER BLOG to see my newest project :)

Thrifty Thursday: Suited Up

2012-01-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

So, I really need to get out of the house and get thrifty.
I bought this Ann Taylor LOFT suit a while ago for a dollar a piece. It's pretty sweet! It's a size 6 and the skirt is just the right length. I think I need a better photographer on site. Have a wonderful day.

Stamp Sale!!!

2012-01-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

In light of the recent tragedy that we've had to face with loosing our dog Thor and the subsequent vet bills that we are responsible for (since our neighbor is denying any involvement) I'm unloading some of my inventory. Message me if you'd like any of these stamps and then I'll let you know what exact shipping will be. I can fit quite a lot into a flat rate box and two sets in a flat rate envelope. After that you can PayPal me and I'll get them sent off. Thanks! I've linked most of the sets to cards.
One set will mail stateside between $3.00 and $4.00
Two sets will fit in a flat rate envelope for $4.95
The big flat rate box is $10.95

$8.00 Itty Bitty Buds brand new (SOLD)

$5.00 So Many Sayings (SOLD)

$4.00 Alphabits (SOLD)

$6.00 Seeds of Kindness (SOLD)

$8.00 Be Happy

$7.00 Cause for Celebration (SOLD)

$4.00 Big Blossom

$6.00 Reason to Smile

$7.00 Tag Time and another (SOLD)

$6.00 Aged to Perfection (SOLD)

$5.00 Painted Posies

$7.00 In the Spotilight (SOLD)

$6.00 Best Blossom (used for wedding invites-navy ink)

$6.00 So Very (SOLD)

$7.00 Love It (SOLD)

$8.00 Swell News (Rare) (SOLD)

$6.00 Going Buggy (Definitely Decorative: can be used on decor) (SOLD)

$.75 Fancy Flops

$.75 Witch (SOLD)

$.50 For you (SOLD)

$2.00 How Kind of You

$.75 Bronc (SOLD)

$.75 Windmill (SOLD)

$.75 Frankie (SOLD)

$2.00 Unity Stamps Funky Flower (SOLD)

$2.00 Unity Stamps Circle Background (SOLD)

$2.50 Santa

$20.00 Brand New We R Memory Keepers Entire Alphabet

$5.00 CTMH April Word Puzzle (SOLD)

$3.00 CTMH Greetings to you (SOLD)

$3.00 Bold Alphabet

$4.00 American Crafts Party (SOLD)

$4.00 Inkadinkado Animal Hearts (SOLD)

Tuesday Tutorial: Altered Thickers

2012-01-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Head on over to Scrapbook Steals Blog today and check out the tutorial I put together :)

Free Bird Bow Card

2012-01-02T06:45:00.000-08:00

I wanted to use some free bird papers that I don't usually go to and this is what I came up with.

I actually love how it came out. I also love that the back side of each paper is solid and coordinating.
Have a super day.

Nativity Luminaria Tutorial:

2011-12-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

Score a sheet of 8.5'x11" at
2.5",5",7.5", 10" and 10.25"
Turn it and score it at 2.5" all the way across.
Stamp your image

Cut out the windows

Stamp your image and emboss on the vellum

Color your image and then assemble the box.

The vellum warped a bit on mine when I colored it. I'll be sure to use a different method next time.

Add a flameless tea light and you have a perfect Christmas decoration.

Have a super day. Head on over to the Authentique Paper blog to see a few more luminarias I made.

Garnet #2: Family with Authentique

2011-12-27T09:01:00.000-08:00

I was so glad to be able to get a family picture this year at Thanksgiving. My wonderful friend, Tera, took a bunch for us.

Blissful, Journey, Free Bird papers all used here.

Still using all of the lovliness I got in my goody box from Aubrey. I love paper tape!

I printed out the journaling on the tag and then stamped the grid over the top of it.

Liquid pearls...delicious.

I hope you have a very scrappy day.

Merrry Christmas: Angel Wonder

2011-12-24T07:58:00.000-08:00

I hope that you are all enjoying your Christmas Holidays. I made this card using Authentique's Wonder Collection. I love the patterns and colors. A super sweet girl I met this year was the recipient of this card. She really made my day a few weeks ago. Thanks A!

The felt angel is from Hobby Lobby. It's so intricate and pretty. Merry Christmas blogge land.

Thrifty Thursday Patterns

2011-12-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

I'm digging funky, bright patterns lately. We'll see if other people are too. This shirt is definitely funky. :)

This tunic top was made in India. It's sheer and pretty.

Ahhh, Ann Taylor how I wish this skirt was in my size.

I love this Charlotte Russe shirt too but anything that lines and accentuates the bust is a no-no for me.

What about this floral/animal print?!? I think if you wore a nice blazer over top to balance it would be a great thing.

Play Nice: Garnet #1 Scrapbook Steals

2011-12-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

Great sketch by Kristy Lee. I love it!
This is Jonah with his best buddy...the love to hate on eachother. It's hilarious. They've grown up right alongside eachother and it's always been this way. Now that they're separated by distance I had to document their most recent encounter. REALLY, they do love one another to bits.

Thank you card: Free Bird

2011-12-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

I made this card for our neighbors to say thanks for all they did for us and our dog.

It's a tri-fold card that I used Free Bird and Wonder papers on. The stamp is from Stampin' Up

I sent it over with a special little something in the bag. Tutorial coming soon.

Authentique/Scor-Pal Blog Hop Truffle Box

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hi there! Welcome. You should have arrived here from GINI CAGLE's Blog.

Just click on the button to take you back to the beginning.

I'm so excited to share this project with you today.

It's Christmas time and I wanted a special way to deliver my homemade goodies. I created a template for my truffles using simple dimensions. 2" on each side and 4.5" wide. Perfect for three truffles nestled inside.

After I cut out my template I scored the box every two inches along the length. Flipped it around and scored it at 4" and 6.5" for the side flaps.

Fold on your score lines.

Ink your edges.

THE BEST PART is I only needed ONE piece of 6"x6" paper from Authentique's Gathering line to make cover the box. I wanted a bit of contrast so I did use the same paper all the way around and no paper on the bottom. I cut the strips at 1.75"x 4.25" the little square that got cut off of each long strip was the perfect size for the sides of the box. :)

Add your truffles or nuts or and kind of treat and oila! Perfection.

On this box I punched holes but you don't have to. There are so many ways you can dress it up.

How about a pinwheel and some twine :) with some beautiful Free Bird papers.

Don't forget to leave a comment on each blog along the way to be entered into the drawing.
Your next stop is
LISA ANDREW's BLOG

Blog Hop Prizes: {*2 total winners*}

From Authentique Paper –
Authentique Paper prize pack

From Scor-Pal –
Scor-Buddy
Blog comments close on Monday, December 19th at 11:59pm (Pacific) and the winners will be announced Wednesday, December 21st on the Authentique Paper blog and the Scor-Pal blog.

Fun Friday Food

2011-12-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas treats abound at the house today. :)
-Graham cracker chocolate covered peanut butter truffles
-Buckeyes
-Chocalte cake truffles (just a chocolate cake with chocolate icing dipped in chocolate)
-Peanut chocolate covered peanut butter truffles THIS RECIPE-Chocolate chip cookie dough chocolate covered truffles
-Pecan/Pretzle turtles

This is what it looks like when you make rolo turtles :)
Pretzels, rolos and pecans that's all you need. Pop them in the oven at 300 degrees for 3-5 minutes. Perfection

Cinnamon Almonds: SO SUPER EASY in the frying pan
1 c. of sugar
1/2 T. cinnamon
1/4 cup water
3 c. almonds
heat until sugar dries and cool on wax paper. YUM!

Don't you want a taste?
COOKIE DOUGH TRUFFLES is used This Recipe with no eggs.

Oh my goodness...I need to work out 10 days a week :)
Have a super day and don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the Scor-Pal/Authentique Blog Hop.

Thrifty Thursday Ebay Sellers

2011-12-15T07:55:00.000-08:00

I got some pretty good items a while back with my $.25 cent sale card and here are my top sellers. These sold around Thanksgiving time and I think people were more interested in Black Friday...still... :)

Freeway Peasant style blouse $5.24

Ann Taylor Loft corduroy skirt $11.01

bebe linen/cotton dress: $8.51

NY & Co faux satin blouse $4.99

Venezia cardigan $6.19

NY & Company Silk Skirt $13.39

Vintage Official Boyscouts of America Wool Jacket $25.00

Attention New With Tags Denim Skirt $10.50

I did okay, it could have been better but I'm happy with making a bit of extra money. I had tried to sell that BSA jacket three times before at much lower price points...you just never know. Hope your Thursday is super Thrifty.

Wonder-ful Nativity

2011-12-14T14:14:00.000-08:00

I made this card using Authentique's Wonder collection and the Holy Triptych stamp set from Stampin up.

Twinery Twine and MS Punch as well as a spellbinders die.
Have a wonderful day.

Opal #10: No People Challenge

2011-12-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

Heather had such a great sketch for Opal #10 at Scrapbook Steals. It was a two pager but I only had these pics of our irises on hand. I also participated in a challenge where we had to scrap pictures without people in them.

I dyed some of my white vinyl Thickers with alcohol inks to match teh pictures...messy and fun.
Hope your day is filled with wonder and beauty.

This Week's Big Sellers

2011-12-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

I think most people are looking at electronics right now on ebay. It was an okay week. I listed 50 items and sold only 10...that's low...even for me. Thankfully, some of the items I sold went for larger amounts. Coming in at the top was this J. Crew sweater. It always suprises me what will be my biggest seller. I thought the Banana Republic skirt or the Diane von Furstenburg cropped pants would have gone for more :) All of these items were purchased at the most recent Salvation Army bag sale. So, on average I paid about 20 cents an item.

$19.50
J. Crew Cashmere Blend Wool V-Neck Sweater S

$5.99
Lane Bryant Black Blazer 24

$4.99
Mossimo Graphic Print T-shirt XL

$11.49
Banana Republic 100% Silk Gold Party Skirt 2

$8.99
New York & Company Holiday Red Blouse M
$13.49
Diane von Furstenburg Silk Cream Cropped Pants 4

$6.99
Ralph Lauren Polo Full Length Dress
I hope you are having a great Monday. I've got a lot on my plate for today!!! I still have a few items that are ending today so we'll see what my total ends up being.
So far.
SPENT: $1.40
EARNED: $71.44
EBAY FEES: $6.43
TOTAL PROFIT: $69.61

(There are pay pal fees too but I won't add those in because normally they are covered by the cost of shipping)

All Through the House

2011-12-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

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

I love my made over stereo cabinet and that it inspires me to decorate in a new way for the Christmas season.

I purchased this nativity at Bethel for a few dollars...it is beautifully handcarved...couldn't pass it up.

This salt dough nativity is something the kids and I made a few years ago. Travis likes to tease me that my sheep looks more like a dog...so we just call him a sheep/dog. No wise men yet but there gifts are there.

There's that snowflake I purchased at Salvation Army along with a South American clay nativity that I picked up there last year. I love the tones of it and their sweet expressions.

Just a white porcelaine nativity that I purchased at Bethel for I believe fifty cents.

Here's the hurricane all filled up with the lovely ornaments I purchased last week. I just put a bit of fiberfill in the bottom and then started stacking.

That Santa bell was actually Travis' Nana's. She sent it to us for Christmas one year when she was clearing her household. He's very delicate and flaky so he needs extra care.

Our Tree this year...maybe someday I'll live in a house where I can put the tree in front of the window like we always had it growing up.

I have an ornament addiction...I like to shop around after Christmas each year and see what beautiful things I can find for 70-80-90 percent off. We have a tradition in our home where the kids get a new ornament every year so that when they leave home and finally have their own tree they will have ornaments to put on it.

This is my clay pot nativity. Last year I decided that I was going to make wise men to go along with the Holy Family. I finished one...then I must have gotten distracted :). Maybe the other two wise men will find the star this year.
Have a wonderful weekend! Going to listen to the Messiah today and then the ward Christmas party.

Lovely Christmas Card

2011-12-09T06:39:00.000-08:00

Isn't this card beautiful?!!? My friend, Erica, made it for me and I just love it to pieces. The paper goes so well with how she colored the image. I hope you're all staying warm.

Have a beautiful weekend.

Thrifty Thursday: Casual

2011-12-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry, with all that's been going on I didn't realize that it was already Thursday.

Here's Tess in her outfit that cost $1.50. DC sweater, Children's Place cords and floral print shirt from WM.

Yeah, check me out too. Jeans $1.00
Gray shirt and sweater I'm sure were a dollar or less. I love a comfy cardi. (Jenn has tried to steal this one more than once-or wheedle it from me).
Have a wonderful day.

Remembering Thor

2011-12-06T10:46:00.000-08:00

What a traumatic past couple of days we've had. On Sunday our little minpin/chihuahua mix, Thor, was attacked by a pack of our neighbor's dogs and he later died as a result of his injuries. This happened right in our back yard. I feel so horrible about not being able to save him.

I never really thought of myself as one of "those" pet owners...you know...the ones who treat their pets like people. I have four kiddos that are tops on my list but Thor wriggled his sweet little self into our hearts. We adopted him from the Animal Humane Society over five years ago and he was such an easy dog to be an owner to.

He didn't wander. He never messed in the house. He only got on the furniture when we weren't home to notice :). He slept in his bed on my side of the room. It took him forever to eat through a 20lb bag of dog food. He was so good with the kids and hardly ever barked. I used to say that if anyone wanted to rob us Thor would run out to meet them and tell them, "Take anything you want just as long as you give me some love."

Our neighbors, Andy and Gloria, were like his adoptive parents. They loved to love on him-they even let him up on thier furniture :). Andy is actually the one who ran out to save Thor when he saw him being attacked. The most shocking part is that the perpetrator dogs are still there, with their owners. We have to take them to court to have them removed from the home. I can't believe that tAnimal control would take a chance that this might happen to another animal let alone my children.
I just wanted to pay tribute to our "good boy".
A few things about Thor:
-Every night when we would kneel down in a circle for prayer in our family room Thor would always come up and be a part of our circle
-He refused to eat or drink while on any car trip-even the WHOLE 12 hour trip to Gramy and Grampy's house.
-When he was out he would mosey on over to Andy and Gloria's house and wait on their porch until he saw our minivan round the corner-then he would race us home-he always won because he could cut across our yard :)
-If I was making anything with chicken he would smell it and just sit in the kitchen until I put a few scraps in his bowl
-He was 7 and a half years old (we think, based on the estimate from the humane society when we adopted him)
-My husband named him, Thor, because he wasn't happy that we had adopted such a small dog-he cried too when we had to let him go.
-He had the funniest snaggle tooth on his lower jaw that stuck out over lip on his left side...this frightened more than a few visitors that thought he might be baring his teeth at them.
-Whenever we have a fire going Thor is laying right near it-even if it meant he was panting-silly dog.
-He was such a QUIET dog. In order to get what he wanted he would follow you around EVERYWHERE just looking at you until you figured it out. "You wanna go out-head to the door and open it-no." "Are you thirsty-no you have food and water." "OHHHH-the bedroom door is closed and you want to go lay down!"

I asked my husband to take his bed out of our room because I just couldn't handle it. There are little reminders of him everywhere. WE WILL MISS YOU THOR!

Authentique December Sketch Challenge

2011-12-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

What a super sweet sketch we have this month. Head on over to the Authentique Paper Blog to see all of the inspiration and join in the challenge.

My son is OBSESSED with all things train related. When we're in the car and he spots a train off in the distance (which I may not even see) he yells out, "TRACK! TRACK!", until I acknowledge that, yes, there is a track. :)

I painted the red and blue circles with acrylic paint and then outlined them with a white gel pen.
Keepin' it real here. I totally smudged the journaling and couldn't fix it. It fits the boy theme, right?!?!

Ahhhh, Blissful papers will never get old for me.

Cutie Pie!

I used Market Street Stamps grid background stamp with Stampin' Up Tempting Turquoise ink to stamp the title paper.

The red ruler paper is actually from Authentique's Christmas Collection, Wonder.

Designer Felt Tissue Case: Fun Friday Craft

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

I adore this printed felt and I had a great project in mind for it. Inexpensive and useful.

Begin by cutting a 6"x 7" piece of felt. The width will be 6 inches. Fold the bottom up to the half way point and then fold the top down so that it overlaps 1/4" over the bottom. Place it under your presser foot on your sewing machine and sew a straight stitch with a 1/4" seam allowance.

For flair and funtionality I added a second row of stitching at 1/2" from the edges.

I then pinked the edges of my tissue case

Add your mini tissue pack and you have a super gift for family or friend this Christmas!!

So, my friends, don't be suprised if one of these tissue case finds itself in your happy little hands this holiday season.

Stay crafty my friends.

Thrifty Thursday: Christmas Style

2011-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

$7.00 for the lot!!!

I received some HORRIBLE news the other day about my local Edgewood Salvation Army. The dear lady who ran the store resigned as did her two co-workers. I don't know what this means for the future of that store. It hasn't been open since...but my life instantly got sadder because of it. I still need my thrifty fix though so I headed out (farther) to another great store called Bethel Storehouse. They have THE BEST prices on books and toys.
All soft back children's books are FIVE cents!! Hard backs are .10 cents. Adult HC are a quarter (with a few exceptions).
Blue ornaments: .50 cents
Gold ornaments: .75 cents
Zooble House with five zoobles: .25 cents (SCORE for Tessa's Christmas present)
Lego helicopter/plane: .25 cents (for Jakob's stocking)
Liz Claiborne Wallet: .75 cents
Decorative Plate: .75 cents (for a friend's gift I'm making)
Birds: .50 cents (makeover coming up)
Spice Stepped Stand: 1.00 (it's underneath everything)
Scrabble: practically brand new (have you seen the cute ornaments you can make with the letters??!?!)
books :) (the Fantastic Four coloring book is brand new and still has stickers it will go in Aaron's stocking)
(Silly Shark Pop Up in beautiful condition for Jonah for Christmas)

Happy for my haul. I may have to go back to visiting Bethel regularly again...but SA will always be near and dear to my heart!

Simple and elegant card

2011-11-30T11:36:00.000-08:00

I challenged myself to make a very simple card using only items that were already on my desk...The end result is simple and sweet I think. Back to stamping for me though :)

Mid Week Mojo Opal 8

2011-11-29T07:29:00.000-08:00

I used Kristy's newest sketch over at scrapbook steals for this layout. I also participated in a challenge to scrapbook something about a body part.

Jakob's dimples are so striking. The moment he was born they were evident...the nurse commented :)

We like to talk about the craters in his cheeks and give him a hard time about how girls are going to fall into them :)...he gets them from his daddy so I should know.
Have a scrappy day!

Thanksgiving: Part 1 and 2

2011-11-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

Krazy Party Punch: it was nummy

French Bread Stuffing and Sweet Potato Puff

Pretty girlies

The roaster of bacon wrapped Turkey. YUM!!!

The cracker stealers

The patiently wating eaters

The exciteable buddies

The four wheel rides!!!

On to Las Vegas, NM

Gun envy

United World College Montezuma Castle

Rainbows!!

Mennonites singing in the Sanctuary so beautiful

I think I like orange :)

It's been 13 years and we're still friends (hahaha)

Jenn crushing on the Indian at the drug store

No Thanksgiving is complete without a fight between Tommy and Jonah :)

The boys! The accountant, the electrician and the military man :)
It was such a full weekend and we have so much to be thankful for. New friends, old friends, our health, our beautiful country and all that yummy food.
Have a super day.

Nativity Shadow Box Scene: Authentique and Paper Studio

2011-11-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

I had gotten this Fancy Pants frame from Express the Moment and was waiting for something to inspire me to use it...then I saw this set of stickers from the Paper Studio at Hobby Lobby and just knew I had to create a little nativity scene in it.
I backed most of the stickers with cardstock and then cut them out. The background papers are from Authentique's Gathering collection and their Free Bird Series.
This will be a gift for my mama and I hope that she enjoys it this Christmas. Have a joyous Thanksgiving! I am thankful for my family, my church, my friends and for all of my wonderful readers.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2011-11-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

A little Authentique goes a long way. I am so thankful for my family and friends, for getting to work with such an amazing company. For my health. For a warm home and food to feed my family and I. I am especially grateful for the gift of repentance and for a loving Father in Heaven that watches over me. I hope you have a blessed holiday.
-with lots of family and food and a bit of scrappy time!

Thanksgiving lunch and life :)

2011-11-21T15:24:00.000-08:00

$5.00 to eat a school Thanksgiving lunch with my kiddos. Hmmm and I shared with the munchkin because I knew he wouldn't eat a whole meal.
Turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing, canned green beans (blech), cranberry sauce and pumpkin cake.
Jakob was done in no time.
Thanks Gramy for the pumpkin hat for my birthday says little J. Also, thanks to Salvation Army in Edgewood for a seriously cool dinosaur that walks and roars...twenty five cents!
Thanks to little Larry Lee for having us at his baptism. It was super special. We love you and I hope you like your new set of wheels :).
Stampin' Up To the Finish set and Authentique Free Bird Papers

Let's make a bowl/packet :) with Authentique

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

Because Authentique paper is such a nice weight you can create little keepsakes like this that will hold up in the mail.
you can find a template online

trace it and cut out the shape...then begin scoring the lines

fold on the scored lines

then press the scored and folded petals down :)

open and fill with a scrappy treat

Such a cute little flower box that you can mail. I'm off this morning to do some thrifty shopping. Have a super day!

Thrifty Thursday: Zoo Deal

2011-11-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Why do my children look so terrified?!?!? (well except for the smallest of the small ones (SkippyJonJones reference))
So, I bought a Zoo Pass which also includes the Aquarium and the Botanic Gardens and Butterfly Pavilion as well as concerts at the zoo and whatnot (I believe it was only $79 dollars for the year)
2 Adult: $7 each
4 Kid: $3 each
That would equal $26 for one trip just to the zoo for our family. All we need to do to get our money's worth is go to the zoo less than four times :). Now that's thrifty!
The bonus is we also get a discount on unlimited train rides from the zoo to the gardens. Little J LOVES trains. :)
The kids were out of school last Tuesday for election day and I thought I might get our money's worth out of our pass

Run, it's a cobra!!! I love how Jonah doesn't get it :)

Hey there cute froggie.

Love the lion...he's so loud sometimes.

Gotta feed the ducks!

Watch out for attacking Pea-cocks!!!

I just love how pretty it is there this time of year

They look a little chilly, no? We had a really good time and I got absolutely nothing done at home...perfect day.

Stay thrifty my friends.

Hey There Tiger:

2011-11-16T06:39:00.000-08:00

I got some time to scrap with Erica yesterday at The Hen House Paperie. These pictures of Aaron were begging for a page all their own.

I had fun with this one. Carnival/State Fair feel

A little MME.

A lot of Studio Calico and Penant Stamp by Teresa Collins

Authentique petite type and AC Chipboard Thickers. Hope your day is super scrappy!

Opal #6: 5K Run

2011-11-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

I made this layout for Scrapbook Steals Opal #6 sketch. My printer ran out of colored ink mid print on the main pic. I ran to WM and ended up with the wrong cartridge...which they wouldn't take back even though it won't work in my printer. Canon came to the rescue...they're awesome.

Since it was a night time run and there were lots of glowing things I thought this paper with the squiggle doodles was perfect.

My little footsie punch.

Thanks for another great sketch Kristy and for inviting us to the run!
Have a great day!

Little Bowls of Happiness

2011-11-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 peach
1 tsp. psyllium husk
1 TBSP chia seeds

1 apple
1 packet Truvia
1 tsp cinnamon
Granola
microwave 2-3 minutes

Crochet flower filled bowl
1 template (soon to be posted)
1 scoreboard
1 piece of AUTHENTIQUE Gathering Patterned Paper

Christmas Wreath

2011-11-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

I'm likin' it. This is my newest kit class and I am enjoying how it looks although there will be some changes made :)

I'm headed to my children't Veteran's Day program. Have a wonderful, remembering day.
Thanks Annette. Entering this in Moxie's Medallion Challenge

Thrifty Thursday: Decor Day

2011-11-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

I've found some pretty sweet things at my Edgewood Salvation Army lately!!! Any tips on how to get that nasty wax out of the hurricane???

Snowflake: 50 cents
Frame: free because of cracked glass (thanks sweet J girl)
Hurricane: originally 30 dollars from price tag on bottom 50 cents. I can't wait to decorate for Christmas with these things. Let me know what thrifty things you've scored lately!!!
Have a great day.

Just for you

2011-11-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

Unity dress form stamp

Love this frame!

2011-11-08T09:29:00.001-08:00

Great Giveaway! I so hope I win. I love this!
http://granddesignco.blogspot.com/2011/11/chevron-frame-give-away.html?showComment=1320773275671#c1514054989147772396

Laugh At Yourself: All Wet SS Opal #5

2011-11-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to scrapbook this day for a while. Jakob was feeding the ducks and then got startled. He quickly turned around to get away and fell right in the duck pond. Luckily, we have some pretty mild winter days mixed in with our cold ones. He was laughing so hard at himself. What a good sport.

I used Scrapbook Steals Opal 5 sketch as a starting point. Cathryn did an amazing job on this weeks sketch...her creations were all so beautiful.

Flowers with free bird papers. LOVE and WRMK postal ppr.

October Afternoon Mini Market letters thanks to my swap box buddy :)

Just a few doodled lines to finish off the layout.
Hope your week is awesome. Wednesday means a new sketch :)

Basically You rock...

2011-11-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

My brother, Joel, turns 21 tomorrow! I can't believe he came into our lives 10 years ago and the roller coaster it's been since then :). I know he's of the CD generation and now the MP3 but I just loved this stamp set by WRMK. Short sweet and to the point ain't it. Hope he likes it. I also sent him a WHOLE dollar and told him not to spend it all in one place...I had to...that's what my grandparents always did for us. Happy Birthday Bro!

Scrapbook Steals Retreat

2011-11-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures from the retreat... Marcie and I OWLING

Tour of the warehouse and buying opportunity.

Blurry pic of me and Samantha: Owner of Authentique Paper

My table mates: Kendra and Aubrey
We had classes by Fancy Pants, Teresa Collins/MME and Authentique. Schweet goody bags and lots of giveaways!!

Jana and I (with gatorade)
Running my first 5K and having the decent time of 32 minutes 7 seconds

Melissa, Kristy, Jana and I
Girls who came to the retreat that also ran :) and walked the 5K

Melissa, me, Nichol, Erica, Kristy, Heather, Venetia, Marcie
Jana, Vanessa, Kristina
It was such a blast. I came home so tire that I went to bed at 8:30 for an entire week :)
Until next time ladies!!!

AUTHENTIQUE November Sketch Challenge

2011-11-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi all. Just wanted to pop in and let you know that the new Authentique sketch for November is up on the blog today. You could be chosen to win some awesome prizes if you enter :)

You just need to use some Authentique Paper and the sketch as a jumping off point for either a card or a layout!
Have fun and have a great day!

Market Street Stamps on Scrapbook Steals Today!!

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here Comes the Sun

I used two separate background stamps on this layout.

I used the Too Many Martinis stamp for the placement of my brads and pearls and the stitching.

Vintage Notepad was used so that I could have evenly spaced words

Punched Tin
On this card I wanted to show how you can use a background stamp to create other elements.

Pretty Perfect Grid was PERFECT for this retro robot card.

I loved the distressed nature of the Here Comes the Sun stamp. I rolled a few colors of ink over the surface with my brayer and laid my paper on top, smoothed the paper and am thrilled with the results.
So head on over to the SCRAPBOOK STEALS site at 9:00 AM mountain standard time today to snag some of these awesome stamps for your stash. They're sure to be a GREAT PRICE!!!
Happy Stamping!

Thrifty Thursday: Fall Outfit

2011-11-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's still fall right??!?! With the snow and frigid temps I wasn't so sure, but this past Sunday was pretty gorgeous and I was able to wear this fall inspired ensemble.
I made the hair clip with a Prima flower...super simple

The skirt was a dollar at the local Bethel Storehouse thrift store. Cardigan a dollar at Edgewood Salvation Army. Shoes were a dollar at the Meadville Salvation Army in Pennsylvania. Yes, I get my thrifty goods from across the country :)

Ruffled tee-shirt from Ross for six dollars.
So this is one of my pricier outfits...coming in at $9.00

Sketchy Thursday: Sunday Duds

2011-11-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

The new Sketchy Thursday sketch is pretty sweet. I had this picture of Jonah all dressed up and ready to go to meetin' which was perfect to showcase here.

I made a pennant banner with varying sizes of rectangles.

Cardstock sticker journaling block

Jillibean Soup alphas and a few little extras from Sassafras and it's finito! Although I may add a little something to the upper right corner now that I see it here online.
Have a SUPER DAY.
Don't forget to stop by the AUTHENTIQUE BLOG to see the advent calendar I put together with the wonder collection. Here's a sneak.

Boo! Let the sugar rush begin!

2011-11-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, it was a bit late when I got outside to take pictures and the sun was really low but at least I got something.

Isn't he the cutest dinosaur you ever did see?

Now give me some chocolate or I'll stomp on your house.

Oh and my sweet 50's girl. At first she insisted she have pig tails but after seeing herself in with the pony she relented and swung it around a few times.

She has now told me that wearing socks with your skirt is "much nicer than tights" :)

My blurry little G.I. Joe guy. He has wanted to be this character since last year.

And the final child: Lego Batman Minifigure Dude

I think his hnds came out so cool. It was very difficult for him to see with this costume on...he couldn't see anywhere but straight ahead but he loved it and so did everyone who saw him. He had black pants on the first time he wore it but the were in the wash. Oh well.
Hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween. Now to start planning next years costumes.

Oh, I was Rosie the Riveter but this is the only picture I have because my Powershot decided to die Saturday night. The sensor went bad or something.

This is the best pic of the family. I'm sad about my little baby camera. :(

Tender Moments: Opal #4

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to go back and complete layouts for Jonah's first year album. I love reminiscing over these pictures. He was such a sweet baby. He still is sweet but he's got that three year old stubborness in him now. :) I used Scrapbook Steals Opal #4 sketch to jump start this layout.

Authentique patterned papers with some chipboard Thickers, thanks to my swap box pall Amanda G.!! I just inked them up and they were perfect for this layout.

I randomly cut some papers that I thought would go with the colors in the pictures. Added some word sentiments from Authentique and voila, page done!
Have a sweet day!

Papercraft No Go's :)

2011-10-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

I had fun with these cards I made for Paper Crafts Magazine.

This one was a bit outside my norm. I cut out the center of the card adn added a piece of vellum. I loved teh look but it's definitely a bit more busy than my normal card. I love the Blissful collection from Authentque.
Hope your Sunday is super sweet!

Joy Cards! Take 2

2011-10-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

So my idea of a joy card is something home made that I can quickly send off to someone I care about and want to send joy too. These are simple cards...mailable with just one stamp mostly. I hope you all are having a fabulous Friday. (I made all of these cards while I was at the scrapbook steals retreat this month)
I have to get ready for Halloween parties :)

Thrifty Thursday Halloween Style Batman Minifig

2011-10-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Kuddos to my hubby for crafting the form for this costume. Jakob wanted to be a Lego MiniFig for Halloween but it wasn't until the last minute that he decided he wanted to be a BATMAN MiniFig!!! Travis got to work and built all of the parts out of a piece of sonotube and a home depot box. :)

Then I got to work painting. First I masked off the area that would be yellow with masking tape and paper. I then painted the head black. Later, after removing the mask I painted the mouth and chin cleft. And here we are with the ALMOST finished product (we have cool hands too). I added velcro tabs to the box and attached the cape he had from a previous Batman costume. He is going to wear a long sleeved gray shirt and his homemade minifig hands made out of PVC pipe. Those need a little tweaking before tomorrow's school reveal. This only cost a few dollars but he is in heaven.

Hope your day is thrifty and fun!

Thrifty Thursday Postponed

2011-10-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

Taking my little sickie to the Dr. this morning. Hope he's gonna be fine :)

Besties layout from the SS retreat.

2011-10-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

So I love this layout so far but I feel like it needs something...It's driving me a bit bonkers but hopefully by tomorrow I'll have it figured out.

Who doesn't love the new LOST AND FOUND II by MME. The yellows and aquas are a dream I tell ya.

More journaling perhaps?!?!? Needs an anchor of some sort. Any suggestions. I did get some new lovelies in the mail from my swap buddy...maybe something in there will work. Have a super day!

Two Peas in a Pod

2011-10-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Best buds!

These boys just make me smile. They have such a good time together. A little crazy at times. :) They're in the same class at school and are unable to sit by one another (mostly I think it's Aaron's "fault" because he just can't control himself when he's around Ben...his energy boils over). They're doing better at church and Aaron has been learning to self master his enthusiasm.

Like I say here, thank goodness Ben is the calming influence in this duo. Because if they both were as exciteable as Aaron we'd be in serious trouble :0 hahaha.
Have a super day!

Had to share...

2011-10-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

Jakob came in whining at me the other day to help him get his jacket off...technically this is HIS jacket (my mom bought it for him when he was just a wee thing). I laughed so hard and then grabbed my camera. No help from mom until she documents it for future blackmail attempts.
Here's little J with his "cool dude" jacket on. Yeah, that's more like it. I let my kids wear what they want now so hopefully when it matters they'll listen to me...here's to hoping right.
Have a sweet day!

Falling for you: MME Skectch Challenge #28

2011-10-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Here's the card I made for the sketch challenge with "Fall" as the theme. You can see the sketch on the MME Blog. I LOVE the new Lost and Found papers.

Lost and Found II as well as Black Bird
Have a great day. I'm off for a walk with the family.

Just Call Me: MME Challenge 28

2011-10-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

I used MME's Card Sketch #28 for the starting point on this card. All the papers and embellishments on this card with the exception of the photo turn arrow are MME. I love the colors and textures of their Lush line not to mention the new Lost and Found and and Stella and Rose. Just gorgeous.

I hope you're all having a great day. I can't wait to get this card in the mail. Guess I'll be making another card today as the theme was supposed to be fall...hahhaha

Glue Arts and Glowing: Now with Glitter

2011-10-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

I don't usually scrapbook many Halloween photos but I do always love the way they remind me of the fun we had. I still can't get over what a super duper cute Superman my baby made that year.
So, I got busy creating a page with these adorable pics, Authentique Paper's Glowing collection and Glue Arts brand adhesives.

I started by using my Glue Glider to run adhesive along the edges of my photo mat.

I then added glitter and watched the paper transform before my eyes. I loved the look of the glitter crusted edges.

Next, I used Glue Art's Raisen's to pop up the Trick or Treat title block on my page.

This was perfect because the ric-rac underneath didn't make the title bulge where the two overlapped.

Some more Raisen's for my hand cut banner.

I used the Glue Arts Mounting Squares to attach the rick-rack to my page and it held beautifully. Extreme tac just like the label states...I'm not worried about my trim shifting :)

Really, just a little piece of Heaven right here. :)

I loved the Glue Arts combopack of Raisen's and U-Cut-It adhesive foam because I had the perfect dimensional adhesive choices all in one pack. I cut off a piece of the adhesive foam and used it to raise up my "Fright Night" label here.

I hope you enjoyed the tips I've shared here today and I know this year I'm going to make sure and scrap my Halloween pictures as soon as they're developed.

Happy Scrapping!
All paper elements used are from Authentique Paper's Glowing Collection
All adhesives used are from Glue Arts
Paper: Black Scratch Brocade, Newsprint, Harlequin Patches
Headline: Trick or Treat, back: newsprint corner piece
Noteables: Beware of Candy Overload
Icons: Fright Night, Happy Haunting
Other: Architectural trace paper, EK Flower Burst Punch, Glitter, Fab Rips from Studio Calico, ric rac

PLANNING A TRIP TO THE GREATEST PUMPKIN PATCH AROUND!!!

Thrifty Thursday Goes Retro:

2011-10-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

I found this navy blue pleated polyester shirt and just had to have it! Hahaha. I love the color. The sleeves need to be taken in and shortened...I need help for that. How 'bout those bells. Those pants really balance my hips...not saying I want to go back to the 70's but it was fun to flirt with them for a day.
Then later that day I found this belt at a different thrift store in town.
Yup, I'm liking how it can be dressed up. The necklace was a find too. Shells and mother of pearl. I really like chunky jewelry. I'll try to get better pics but it's been super crazy around here and until I fix the sleeves...
oh, total oufit cost $4.75 (the necklace was $3.00)
Hope your day is a thrifty one :)

Just a few things I've Learned: with Gathering

2011-10-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

I saw the new Sketchy Thursdays 10.13 sketch and knew I really wanted to do a layout about myself with it. Layouts about personal things are super hard for me sometimes. I do want my kiddos to know what my thoughts and desires are so why not scrap it :)
I framed the photo with pieces from the Gathering Tabloids set. I love the lattice from the Flourish paper!! I honestly think this collection was made with me in mind...the colors and patterns speak to me :)

Using Tiger Lilly Glimmer Mist and a butterfly mask I spritzed my foundations paper from Authentique.

I sewed the whole foundation paper to a piece of Kraft cardstock. I wanted this layout to look like it was worked on...like my life.

Various flowers. Circles from Gathering Icons and Elements
Journaling:
-being abandoned by your father is hard but it's not the end of the world
-working hard in school really pays off. Scholarships are for those hard workers who earn them
-being married keeps you balanced and develops your tolerance and acceptance levels. It's nice to have two perspectives
-being a mom is the hardest and most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life. My children teach me how to be a better person every day
-I am imperfect but God still loves me. I feel that love embracing me when the world seems to be crashing in around me
-your true friends will love you and be by your side no matter what religion you are or what pant size you wear. They will support you in life's worst trials and in the happiest of times
-you can't change people... you can only love them and hope through that love that they will want to change
-being healthy is hard work but it's worth it. I want to be around for a long time
-the laundry and the dishes will NEVER be done
-hugs from my kiddos can make a hard day good
-chocolate doesn't fix anything...but it sure tastes good
-I am here on this Earth for a purpose and I'm doing my best to live up to that purpose

Hope you have a wonderful and amazing day!

Wonder: SS Opal #2 Sketch

2011-10-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

I made this layout with the Scrapbook Steals Opal #2 Sketch.

This is my baby boy Jonah when he wasn't even two months old yet. Now he's three and tearing through the house. I love my snuggle buddy.

The little feet pics were blurry but making them small helps and you still get the idea.
I hope you're having a wonderful day.!!!

AUTHENTIQUE October Color Challenge: Spooky

2011-10-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!! I just got back from a whirlwind trip to SLC. So many wonderful people, great classes with Fancy Pants, MME, Authentique and Teresa Collins. It was a blast! So my first order of business is to share with you Authentique's October Color Challenge!

I had so much fun with this card. When I first saw the challenge I thought I might need to add some orange in it, but as I created it came together wonderfully.

I hope you're all having a beautiful Monday!!! Make some time to create today!

Thrifty Thursday: Wedding Attire

2011-10-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

So here we are (actually I'm on a 10 hour drive to SLC :). I purchased this swanky black dress for a quarter, it was missing a belt. The ruffly sweater was 25 cents too. The purse was a dollar. The belt was a quarter...the shades were free because they were in a purse I was purchasing and the awesome Edgewood Salvation Army diva, Jaime told me just to take them (they're so retro I love them)!!!
OUTFIT TOTAL: $2.75

Necklace from the dollar store. So that's what I wore to Ms. Heidi's wedding. She looks amazing! I can't believe the young girls I taught at church are now getting married...making me feel old.
Oh, PS my shoes are Naturalizers...thrifted for 2 bucks but the elastic was shot so I took them to a local shoe repair and for 2 dollars a shoe he made them perfect for me!!! $6 bucks for Naturalizers ain't bad ;)
Have a Thrifty Thursday!!!!

A little box of joy AUTHENTIQUE GATHERING

2011-10-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

I just got the most amazing box of joy in the mail. The brand new collection from Authentique: Gathering!!!!
I LOVE the colors and the prints.

Because their paper is of such a high quality you can create a gift box with it and it remains so sturdy.

Seriously the colors are amazing! Oh, and the texture!

I hope you all are having a wonderful day. I leave EARLY tomorrow morning for a scrapbook retreat with Scrapbook Steals!!! I can't wait to come back and share all that I've learned and all the goodies!!
Have a great one!

Homemade Washi Tape

2011-10-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Just wanted to share with you a quick card I made using some homemade washi tape that I whipped up. I used double sided tape (the kind that has a top and a bottom to peel off) and trace paper. I stuck the trace paper to one side of the tape and then stamped it in various colors.

When I was ready to apply it to my paper I just pulled off the backing strip. I can see all kinds of possiblities with this method!!! If you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll be sure to get back to you.
Have a super day!

This card was made using Scrapbook Steals Monday Card Madness sketch #53 as a starting point.

Happy Ballon Fiesta: Opal #!

2011-10-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

I used Scrapbook Steals Opal #1 Sketch which was created by guest sketcher, Van Nguyen, as my starting point for this layout. I first covered the entire page with clouds punched with a Fiskars cloud punch. I was planning to sew circles to frame my photos but this is how it came together :).

I added smaller clouds popped up throughout the layout.

The banner was created by stamping on tissue paper and fussy cutting.

I love how the clouds look with back lighting...hmmm...how to add back lighting to my scrapbook. Hahaha.
Have a rockin' Monday!

Authentique/Unity Blog Hop

2011-10-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Unity and Authentique Paper Blog Hop...you should have arrived here from Maria Gurnsey's blog if not then head on over to AUTHENTIQUE'S BLOG and start from the very beginning!!!

I love Authentique paper and I love that Unity made stamps to coordinate with the collections that are cling mount rubber...you get the perfect impression every time. These two are a perfect match! The above card is made with Authentique's Journey and Blissful collections with Unity's Splendid Things stamp set.

I made this card with Authentique's Wonder collection and Unity's Wonder of It stamp set.

I used the edge of the map stamp to create a border for this card.

I poured clear embossing ink over the distress ink to give the map dimension.

And here I've pair Unity's On This Journey stamp set with more of Authentique's Journey collection.

Now HOP on over to

Lisa Arana - http://dahlhouse-designs.com/

DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE COMMENTS ALONG THE WAY TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING THESE AMAZING PRIZES!

Blog Hop Prizes: {*4 total winners*}

From Authentique Paper –

2 prize packs (one each for 2 winners) including a sampling of papers from each of the first 6 Authentique Paper collections and a sampling of the Free Bird Series

From Unity Stamp Company –

2 prize packs (one each for 2 winners) including the complete set of Unity/Authentique co-brand stamps

To win:

Participants should leave a comment on each blog along the hop.

(Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments on the manufacturer blogs AND the DT blogs.)

{Winner must have a US/Canada address}

Blog Comments Close:

Monday, October 10^th @ 11:59pm (Pacific)

Winner Announced:

Wednesday, October 12^th (on Authentique Paper blog and Unity Stamp Co. blog)

To Be "Fwee"

2011-10-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was the poster over at the Authentique Paper Blog yesterday and here's the layout that I shared. Jonah just had a birthday and he's "fwee" you know. He talks so cute right now. I'll miss it when he grows out of it. Also, how sweet is he with his "okay" sign for 3?

These Free Bird Papers are from the Endless and Fair-Weather collections. You can purchase them in individual sheets or in a "nest". I love using architectural trace paper on my layouts (eh em, if you haven't noticed :)) so I punched out a bunch of stars and adhered them randomly on my layout. I taped some trace to a piece of cardstock and ran it through my printer.

Oh, and I wanted to let you know that the Free Bird papers go like a dream through my Dymo labeler. I just cut a strip of orange from the back of an Endless print and typed out (squoze) "Jonah you are". I then lightly sanded over the letters to make them pop.

These buttons have been in my stash forever...so glad I'm using them and I made the little toothpick flags.

I'm also excited to let you know that this layout was chosen as a Sketchy Thursdays fave!!!

Thrifty Thursday Sunburst Reveal

2011-10-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Remember, last week, when I showed you this amazing wonder of a glamorous, gilt, clock. Well she's ready to be revealed now.

I defaced her...yup, I took that clock face right off and got to work.

You need the tools of the trade. I gave her a good brushing...she had some serious plaque ie dust build up from her 70's days :).
Oh, and the clamp, how shall I say this...I broke her, I didn't KNOW I broke her (I suspected but in her dark days it was hard to tell) but upon inspection it became apparent that she had a crack from stem to stearn as it were. Do you know how she received said crack.
Well let me tell you a little ditty...
While at the Edgewood Salvation Army last week Jonah started yelling, "I've gotta go pee" over and over again and you just can't ignore a newly potty trained child when they say that. So, I'm trying to carry the girl, and she's not light I tell you, and helping maneuver Jonah through the flappy doors and trying not drop my purse, and well, I sorta dropped her (gasp). Don't worry though.
She's all better. I got some E-6000 in that crack and clamped her up nice and tight.

Then she got primed...I know I should use a better primer that gets better coverage but I still have some of this dollar stuff left so until it's all gone I'm stuck with it.

She was looking pretty good in gray. I ALMOST left her like that but Rustoleum's Heirloom White was calling my name once again.
All beautified and looking skyward with her brand new shiny face.

She's all gussied up and ready to take on the wall now.

Just which wall, exactly, is the question.

I love her here in my master bath with the teals and oranges.

But she might brighten up the living room too...hmmm. Decisions, decisions. (I refuse to get a new couch set until my kids stop drooling and wiping their filthy hands on anything that might remotely resemble a towel).
Hope you have a thrifty Thursday. I'd love it if you'd share your creations with me.
LINKIN' UP to Finding Fabulous' Frugalicious Friday!!!
and Mique's Pity Party

Phew!!! Pumpkins done.

2011-10-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

I recently had an order for 10 of my Happy Halloween Pumpkin cards. I'm happy to say that I've finished them and they're in the mail today!

I stamped and watercolored and cut out each of the larger pumpkins. Watercolored the trio of gourds and pumpkins and drew and cut out the pumpkin from some Authentique gingham paper.

I stamped the tree limb and water colored the leaves. Then I hand cut it. I punched mini sun bursts for "nests" and adhered them to the limbs. I then stamped the baby owl and hand cut it out. I added orange stickles to his midsection for a pop of color. I also dyed the pearl accents with alcohol ink to match the card.
I hope the recipients enjoy them as much as I do :)
Have a great day.

Joy Cards

2011-10-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys, I'm feeling deathly ill and I'm working on a few new posts for Authentique. Hope these little bits of joy can tide you over :)

Albuquerque International Baloon Fiesta 2011

2011-10-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

This is Betty Jean the largest butterfly hot air balloon and she's from Arizona.
It's that time of year again...when hot air balloons fill the New Mexico skies!!!

Darth Vader hails from Belgium.

If you ever get the chance to be here the first week of October you will not want to miss this event. It's such an awe inspiring sight.

The best part about the Fiesta is that you get to be RIGHT THERE with all of the balloons! There is no roped off arena...you, the visitor, are smack dab in the middle of all of the action!

There's such a fun atmosphere!

There are three bees, they're a family. So cute!

This was the first year that Jonah actually will remember seeing these sights.

This clown is from Brazil.

This year there were over FIVE HUNDRED balloons from around the globe. Amazing, isn't it?!?!

This was the last balloon that we saw inflated, his name is Mr. Z and is from right here in Albuquerque. Tessa really like it.

They also have night events called balloon glows which are beautiful and surreal in their own way. Hope your weekend was as fun filled as ours! Have a super day.

Here's a link that will take you to a directory of all the special shapes baloons.

Bug Hunter Topaz #10

2011-10-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Layout for the Scrapbook Steals Topaz #10 sketch. If you haven't joined the ladies over at SS in one of their sketch challenges please do...they're getting ready to start a WHOLE NEW SET OF 10 sketches. Random prize drawing with each completed sketch and a BIG PRIZE drawing for completing ALL 10 in a series. The sketches are posted each Wednesday on their blog and they have a super active FB page. They have amazing savings on two separate deals of the day!! I am just giving my opinion and have in no way been compensated for this post (other than making great friends that I can share this hobby with :)).

I printed out 10 things Jonah loves to do and put them in this pocket taht I altered with stitching and washi tape. I free hand cut the patterned paper on the base, adhered it and then hand stitched around it!

I created teh title background with a piece of cardstock and a punched out piece of ppr that I cut in half.

I wanted to highlight the stink bug so it was rhinestones to the rescue.

Such a sweet little guy... I'm glad my use of girly papers and rhinestones actually are okay with this boy themed bug layout!
Have a wonderful day!

Authentique October Sketch Challenge

2011-10-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER SKETCH...I turned it on it's side :)

YAY! It's time for another Authentique Paper Sketch to get your creative juices flowing. Are you guys sick of seeing my back to school layouts yet...sorry, but I'm loving having these DONE! Tessa, was last but definitely not least (love my baby girl) to have her layout completed.

The Splendid collection was PERFECT for these pictures of Tess on her first day. She wanted those shoes so badly and I was like "holy cajoly what are those even going to match?!?!" since they were less than $20.00 she won out. The craziest thing is that they light up so on early mornings before the sun has made it's way up into the sky she blinks all over the house :).

One of the other fabulous things about Authentique is there paper embellies. They just add the perfect sentiment and coordinate so nicely with the rest of the papers.

I took some of my foam Thickers and tinted them with ink. Then I heated and stamped them with a background stamp from Stampin' Up to get the texture. I just folded, cut and sewed my architectural trace paper to my layout for added dimension.

So head on over to the Authentique Blog today and enter the sketch challenge for the chance to win some goodies.
I hope you all enjoyed the last "installment" of my back to school layouts...hahaha. Now on to Halloween :)!!!

InLinkz

Thomas the train took over my house!

2011-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Jonah turned three last Saturday and he is totally obsessed with trains and Thomas the train...my first boy to be so.

I was looking up cakes online and he kept pointing at a picture of a cake with Thomas coming out of the side of a mountain...so I tried to give my baby what he wanted. I think he really liked it.

I made two eight inch rounds and one 9x13 cake for this big boy. I cut the two rounds in half and stacked three of them. I used the other half to shape boulders (cake mixed with icing). Chocolate marshmallows were cut up and shaped for the stone archway. Black licorice and pretzel sticks for the track. Gold sugar sprinkles for the rocks under the rails and the mountain was covered with white melting candy mixed with some black icing coloring.

Travis found these wooden train and slide whistles. Jonah loves them...a little too much for mommy's sanity.

There's my big boy...eating his birthday pizza

He can do three fingers like this!

I adore this little stinker. So glad he's mine.

At three Jonah
has been potty trained for a few months!!
can pretty much dress himself except for socks
loves puzzles and riding his tricylce (he learned how to peddal over our summer vacation)
is the best trampoline jumper ever
asks me to sing the ABC song over and over
will grab a set of 3lb weights and proceed to work out with me :)
likes to put his hands in the toilet
still likes Cars but prefers trains of any sort sleeps with them piled in his bed
begs to talk on the phone when I'm on it
is starting to draw pictures (perfect scribbles)
sneaks treats from the cupboard and then hides somewhere while he partakes (he almost ate an entire bag of jumbo marshmallows before I caught him)
loves playing with his friends
is the first one to jump up and set the table when I tell the kids it's time for dinner (this one is amazing to me because the older kids grumble about it so he's not getting it from their good example) He just loves to do it!
Yells, "Daddy!!!" whenever Travis walks in the door.
Can now say "spoon" instead of "poon"
Happy Three Years Big Boy!

Fluttering by

2011-09-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

I do so love to use my trace paper for embellishments
linking up to Mark's Finest Papers Challenge #74

Thrifty Thursday and a Winner :)

2011-09-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

I hit up the Edgewood Salvation Army yesterday and boy did I score!!!

Isn't she stunning??!!! NO!!! Well, you're just gonna have to wait and see. Right now she's the ugly duckling but just you wait. I have plans to turn her into a beautiful swan. (pricey little thing at $3.00 :))

All those lovely nooks and crannies.
I also bought THIRTY items of clothes yesterday for a quarter each...here are a few faves.

How about this NWT Dana Buchman orange silk shirt...I paid a quarter. Let's look a little closer at that tag.

WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY?!?! People actually pay $148.00 for ONE shirt and then they donate it to the SA! WOW!

Super cute, huh? For someone who's a size TWO!!!! (FYI, that ain't me)

Oh yeah, you came here looking for a winner...well Random.org says that winner is #5...so, I went and counted down the list...had to laugh...the winner is SARAH, she's a super blogger and a lot of her poignantly written posts tend to make me cry!!!! I guess I'll be saving on shipping :). Thank you all for playing along and I hope you enjoy my blog for many more days to come. Have a super one.

Summer Time and Another After School Snack

2011-09-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last day to enter my BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!! Scroll down to enter.

I wanted to do a synopsis page for our summer. I loved this photo that I took of th kids on the trampoline with their popsicles.

I'm using up some old papers with some new ones and I'm loving it!

I created the title in Word and printed it out.

Those Sassafras flowers are the best!

Journaling and washi tape (thanks Erica!)

So I made these little bowls of yogurt for the kids to have as an after school snack. Pineapple eyebrows, grape eys, half cherry nose (from the ones I cut,pitted and froze) and mandarin orange segments.
I hope that a fall comes full force you remember to capture your summer on pages :)
Have a great day.

5th Grade Journey

2011-09-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY BLOG GIVE AWAY HERE!!!!!!!!!

I created this layout using the Topaz #9 Sketch from Scrapbook Steals as my starting point. I had to turn the sketch to fit my pics.

I used papers from Authentique's Journey Collection and included some facts about J-Man's 5th grade year!

Hopefully these shoes will last at least half a year. He's growing so stinkin' fast!
Shoe size:Men's 8.5
Height: 5'-6"
Pants: 16
Shirt: Large or 14-16 (I basically wear the same size as my 10 year old but he's quickly passing me by)

5th grade facts

I love this notebook paper punch.
Have a super day and don't forget to leave some time to create!

Authentique BLOG CANDY GIVE AWAY!!

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have been truly blessed in my life. Today is my baby boy's birthday. He's turning THREE and I just made a milestone of 15,000 hits on my li'l ol' blog.

To celebrate such a momentous day I'm doing a little giveaway. In order to enter you'll need to be a follower over there-----> on my side bar :) and you'll need to share this give away with your friends because I'm all about sharing the love.

Make sure you leave a comment here (just one) to be entered and I will draw a winner on Wednesday September 28, 2011

5 12x12 sheets of Authentique Paper's Blissful Collection
1 sheet of Authentique Tabloids
1 sheet of Authentique Petite Type
1 set of Fiskars clear stamps
+ I might add a few other trinkets just to fill up the package :)
Have a SUPER SABADO!!

Authentique Card Set

2011-09-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi there! It's Misty again with a card set that is NOT for the birds. I am loving the new Free Bird papers from Authentique Paper. They are PERFECT for card making.

The Fair-Weather collection is one of my true favorites and I can't wait to get some more!!! Many of you who know me know that I have a personal goal to send joy through hand made cards I create (I was inspired by my dear friend Kristy) and I'm happy to tell you that I have now made and delivered over 80 cards to friends and family...so, for me, this was the perfect assignment.

I wanted this set of cards to be uniform in some ways but still be individual. So I covered each card in a foundation paper from the Wonder collection. Next I used a small embossing folder to make an impression on the front of each card. Then I got to work creating.
I cut a one inch strip from each of the Fair-Weather papers and adhered it to the left hand side of the card and then rounded the corners.

Petite Type Circle Letters from the Journey Collectoin

Here I added some words from the Blissful Diction set

Please stop by the AUTHENTIQUE PAPER BLOG today to see the details on the rest of the cards.

I hope you enjoyed this little collection of joy and maybe you can use some Free Bird papers of your own to send a little joy! Have a great day!

Supply List:

Free Bird: Fair-Weather

Wonder: Foundations

Journey: Excerpts, Petite Type Circle Letters, Classic Type

Blissful: Diction

Stamps: Stampin' Up Priceless and Bliss

Inks: Stampin' Up Crushed Curry and Taken with Teal

Ribbon: We R Memory Keepers

Corner Chomper, Cuttlebug, Zig Marker

No Bones About It!

2011-09-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Clearly Inspired Challenge #36 was to use glitter. I covered this mask with some green glitter stickles!

Such a cutie...trick-or-treating.

Hope you're having a sweet day!

Have you heard the word about FREE BIRD???

2011-09-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Authentique Paper has just launched their new Free Bird series one designer papers. This is a BRAND NEW CONCEPT. These 6x6 papers are sold individually. The designs are the same beautiful Authentique designs we're used to and they're TEXTURED!!!!!
I hope you can find some at a Local Scrapbook Store near you but if not I believe A Cherry On Top will be selling them online. Go to the AUTHENTIQUE WEBSITE for the full release.

Here's my newest creation with my Free Bird papers. These designs are from the Poised line. I am in love with that diamond pattern.

Here's the sweet little Prima Fishing Boy hoping for a big catch. I hope you get a catch of the day with some Free Bird papers from Authentique.
Have a great day!

Thrifty Thursday REVEAL: Ye Old Stereo Cabinet

2011-09-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's time...da da da daaaa...da da da daaaa to reveal the TRANSFORMATION of "Ye old Stereo Cabinet". I'm a huge fan of the blog BETTER AFTER. After seeing all of the wonderful transformations taking place over there I was completely inspired to begin my own redo.
If you remember last Thursday in this POST I told you I bought this beautiful girl for $20.00 and it was high time she had a makeover...well, today's the day... she's finally finished.

Unfortunately this is about the best picture I have of it before I started her makeover. I had previously added the paisley fabric because of the unsightly orange speaker covers and left it at that. Don't get me wrong, I love orange but these were ratty and a bit too retro for me. After I refinished the mirror she was looking old and dreary. Solid wood and in awesome condition.

UPDATE: I remembered I had a non digital photo in an old scrapbook and scanned it in...forgive the plaid and the plethora of pictures. I was newly married and my decorating sense had yet to be refined. :)

So here she is all primed and painted with Heirloom White satin finish paint. I let the primer dry for a full week before beginning to roll on the paint. I also needed a small brush to get into the thin molded lines.

The hardware was brass and that just wasn't going to work here so I took these puppies out back, primed them and shined them up with a coat of Satin Nickle Finish

The last part was the hardest...deciding wether to put my paintable wall paper in the speaker panels or this lovely fabric I found at Joann's??!? Such a hard decision, but I like the blue on white and I'm glad I went for little drama :)

All beautified and ready to get handprints and milk splatters all over her. My hubby keeps telling me I'm asking for trouble painting something white with four kiddos in the house. I like to live dangerously like that :)

Mirror and companion stereo cabinet. So happy together.

And since fall is just around the corner I pulled out my lovelies and decorated her up.

Lastly, I added that hoot owl trivet. I spray painted him so I don't think he's useful for hot dishes any more.
Have a great day and I'd love it if you'd share some of your thrifted or upcylced items with me!!
Linking up to Finding Fabulous for less Frugalicious Friday.
http://kammyskorner.blogspot.com/2011/10/trash-to-treasure-tuesday-link-party-1.html