How about another challenge?

Today was my day to post an item made from a sketch over at the Pink Paislee blog, so I decided to make my own sketch this time! I would love it if you would all play along, so how abouts a little challenge? Create a card or layout from this sketch to be entered into a drawing for a RAK from me! Here is the sketch:

Here is the card that I created from the sketch. I used lots of yummy Pink Paislee goodies!

Top:

Bottom:

On the inside, I decided to add a photo of my girls taken the other day at the beach:

...and some die cuts to add my sentiment for the person receiving the card:

If you'd like directions to make this, please visit the Pink Paislee blog HERE! Link me up to your creations made with the sketch by the end of the day July 4th and I'll choose a winner to receive a little prize pack from me! Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you have a terrific weekend!

~Danielle~

the little things in life...

Happy Tuesday! I don't have anything scrappy to show you, but I thought I'd share some photos of Taylor's last full day of second grade with you today. She has a half day left and then she is done! I'm so proud of her. She has worked really hard this year, and I know each day is a struggle with her. She was diagnosed with ADHD recently and after getting her on the right medicine, it's been a blessing.

The bus comes right to our door and picks her up each morning, which is really great in the winter time, then we don't have to stand outside in the freezing cold weather.

Next stop: THIRD grade!!

Yesterday, I spent the day with Kati planting flowers. I love flowers, they are so rejuvenating to my soul! Also picked up these cute pillows at Target. Love Target! They really add a pop of color to the deck.
I'm not that great with gardening, but I picked out all plants that love full sun as it gets hot back there in the afternoons. Here are a few of my favorite plants....(not even sure what they are called. LOL)

That's all for today! Do something that makes YOU happy today!
Hugs! ~Danielle~

Sketch inspiration...

Stop by this new sketch blog called Creative Scrappers if you get a chance! They have a new sketch each Sunday and featured designer... and they were so kind as to ask me to be the guest this week! I am totally amazed at the awesome designs their team put together...WOW! Am definitely going to bookmark that site and visit often for great inspiration!

Here is the sketch this week:
And here is my interpretation! Papers, sticker letters and die cut arrow are from the We R Memory Keepers - White Out Promenade line, chipboard stars are Melissa Frances, other letters are American Crafts:



And if you don't have anything to do tonight, come and chat with us in their forum at 9:00 pm EST here! Thanks for visiting me today! I am printing out some beach photos and getting ready to scrap today since it is thunderstorming out...love the rain...it really puts me in a scrappy mood. Hugs... and hopefully chat with you tonight! ~Danielle~

Happy Thursday!

Does that mean tomorrow is Friday? Yay!! Seems like this has been a long week! Next week is Taylor's last week of school, finally. I can't believe they go so long. When I lived in South Dakota, we always got out middle of May! So I best get some things planned for her or it will be a long summer! I spent yesterday at her school for Field Day, lunch outside with all the kids and then they each did a presentation in front of the parents and showed their dioramas that they made of a state that they chose. Of course she chose South Dakota since she was born there and her grandparents are still there. I love seeing her in action. Speaking of school, I created this little teacher card for the Melissa Frances newsletter for June. All of the products here are by Melissa Frances except the button and twine.

Do you like sketches? I was asked to be the guest designer for a new sketch site called Creative Scrappers, come by and check it out this weekend. They have a new sketch and featured designer each Sunday! We will also be having an on-line chat in their forum HERE on Sunday evening June 22nd at 9:00 pm EST! Hope you will join us!

Before I get some shut-eye, I just wanted to remind all you card makers to enter a card in the Paper Crafts Gallery Idol contest! You must enter a newly made card never before seen into their gallery with the theme of "friends". I entered 2 cards: The Best of Friends and Gift of Friendship. Last year I made it into the top 5! Hurry and enter! It's fun and they give away lots of prizes! Good luck to you all!

Have a great weekend! G'night! ~Danielle~

My baby is growing up!

We celebrated my daughter Kati's 3rd birthday yesterday. Her birthday really isn't until the 22nd, but we decided to do it yesterday since we were all together for Father's Day, and the day turned out so nice! How bitter sweet to see her getting bigger. I know I will miss her as a baby, cuddling with me and needing me so much. She is such a doll to me, such a beautiful little girl inside and out. I couldn't love her any more than I do! I know every parent says that, but seriously, her and I have so much in common and I just adore her to pieces!! I am truly happy to see her growing and learning new things every day. She's such a little sponge and loves to learn. Here are some photos from our day yesterday.

Here she got a new pool from her aunt and uncle complete with balls (her favorite)!

New picnic basket...

Princess cake...

See the look on her cousin's face? Silly me bought TRICK candles and I didn't mean to!! Poor little Kati! I was so embarrassed! But it was kind of funny...

I can't believe she is 3!!

Here is a Pink Paislee layout I did of her the other day called "I'm Home". Journaling says, " Words can't express how I feel about you little girl. One day I thought I only wanted one child, but now I realize you have made me feel whole. I'm finally home." I was so excited that this one made the top 10 layouts at 2 Peas! That has never happened to me before!
And last but not least, the June card kit is ready and available for purchase at Create My Keepsake HERE! You will love the papers and goodies in this one featuring the new Passport papers by Making Memories, gorgeous stuff!!! Here are a few cards that I made with the kit, instructions for these are in the kit as well.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a good day! ~Danielle~

Happy Friday!

Hope your week was wonderful! I have been scrapping up a storm for a few different things that I will be able to share soon! First, I have a chipboard album kit that I wanted to share with you (with the cute tree from Maya Road and some of the yummy new Crate Paper) available for sale at Right at Home Scrapbooking! When you visit the site, you will see the links for purchasing on the left hand side, one link is if you need it shipped to you and the other one is for pick up in the store (Massachusetts). This book has 8 pages of chipboard, so you have room for 16+ photos to fit inside! Lots of room! Also with the kit, you receive the Crate Paper "Family" rub ons, so this would be perfect for photos of your family, or a family reunion, grandparents, etc. (All of the photos and instructions are included as well.)
Here are pages 13 and 14 to show you a sample of what's inside! There are lots of cute die cuts, chipboard birds, ribbons, buttons, etc. inside this kit as well!

(You can click on photos to see them in more detail.)

And some very exciting news.... today marks the last treatment for Melissa Frances' stage 3 breast cancer, so the design team put together some cards and projects to congratulate her on such an amazing accomplishment! You can see them all HERE! They are really amazing...I think she will be so surprised!!! This is the card that I made for her....

Enjoy your Father's Day weekend with your loved ones! We are going to spend our day with my father-in-law...my dad is way across the country....but I'll be seeing him soon in August! My in-laws live right on the Hudson River, and I love visiting them..it's so peaceful and serene there with lots to do...boating, swimming, etc. We always have an amazing time together! Thanks for stopping by today! ~Danielle~

Blessed...

Today is my birthday and as you get older, it doesn't seem so important anymore, actually I don't want anymore birthdays, because that means I have to get older. ha But the different things that transpired today really make me realize how blessed I am in my life at this moment. Truly! Blessed with good health, a loving family and husband, beautiful children, blessed with who I am able to be...able to stay home and take care of my girls and not have to deal with working. I wonder some days how I became so lucky? And I get to scrap. For some amazing companies! =)

Speaking of an amazing company and person, I hope you will stop by the Melissa Frances blog and send Melissa your well wishes. She underwent a biopsy for lumps in her nose and eyelid. Please pray for good news. Friday marks her last treatment for her stage 3 breast cancer. To celebrate this wonderful accomplishment, she is having a week-long countdown celebration full of inspiration, encouragement and fun giveaways on the blog! And her giveaways are always awesome.

This is a little project I made for the blog with her 12" metal star. I turned it upside down and covered the inside of the star with some of the gorgeous papers. I distressed the edges and added a few buttons, then filled the nook of the star with moss from the craft store, a chipboard bird/resin flourish for the wing and a resin frame. Everything here is Melissa Frances except the little brad for the bird's eye, some paint on the bird, the moss and a couple of the white buttons. I set it on a grapevine wreath.(Will be in Handmade Magazine, Apr/May 2009.)

I also made a few things with my Pink Paislee goodies recently! This is a little round tin by Die Cuts with a View. The lid opens up and it came with a round accordian album. I took that out and loved the little saying from the Office Lingo set. It says, "This memory is one of a kind and can never be duplicated. Keep it close to your heart." I thought the tin would be perfect for keeping little memories/trinkets of my girls such as their first lost teeth or first hair cuts, etc. All of the papers here are by Pink Paislee and the key and round stamps as well. The post card is Making Memories and beautiful resin frame is Melissa Frances.

(Out for Publication, Paper Trends - Dec. 2008)

Eternal card: Papers are Spring Fling by Pink Paislee and I used the Love Birds mini stamp and the Retro Spring frame stamp with the cute Amy Butler fabric tag I found at Michael's! The key is Melissa Frances.
And last but not least, a round card made with the Office Lingo Paislee Page Overlay by Pink Paislee. I know I made a layout similar to this, but I couldn't help doing a card as well.
Phew! Sorry for the long winded post this evening! (if you are still reading!) Some very bad storms just passed over us and now I can breathe easier, so I'm off to bed to get some shut-eye! G'night! ~Danielle~

I (heart) stars!

I've created a couple more things with the June kit at Create My Keepsake, loving this kit so much, I'm sooo into stars lately! The color combo is really terrific! Here's a little teacher card...I added the saying by Melissa Frances and the red thread for stitching. Can't wait to give it to my daughter's teacher. She has really been wonderful this year and so understanding and patient with her. Such a warm person! It makes such a huge difference in your child's life when she has a great teacher!

*4 a Teacher With Class*

*Almost 3*

Created a transparent layout (I think it's my first one!) and had a lot of fun with this! Kati is turning 3 in a couple weeks and it makes me so sad, but happy at the same time. I miss her being little, but she's still so cuddly and loveable, yet getting so grown up and smart at the same time! I used a few things from the June Project Kit from CMK with the Pageframe clear tag behind my photo and added rub on swirls over the photo. I misted the chipboard 3 with the charcoal Glimmer Mist in the June layout kit and kept the felt stars in groups of 3 to keep with the theme of the layout. This is a photo of her playing on the swingset we have in our backyard.

I received my copy of the latest Paper Crafts Magazine called Crafting With Kids yesterday, and I just adore this issue! It's packed with super cute ideas, can't wait to try them with my kids this summer! Lord knows we will need lots of things to keep them occupied. Here is a little project I had in there, a piano practicing chart. I mounted chipboard music notes onto magnets so they can be moved around depending on how many minutes the child practices each day! I thought it would be a fun motivator. I played piano as a kid and would have loved one of these! The times are also on magnets, so you can change those out too if the child practices more as they get better. =)

*Piano Practicing Chart*

The back of the chart is just an old cookie sheet that I had lying around; I painted it black and punched holes in the sides with my trusty ole Crop-a-dile to tie the ribbon on for hanging. Love my Crop-a-dile. I also had 2 little keychains in this issue too using the Maya Road people keychain and a girly one with a little hat, dress, purse and shoe. These would be great to hang from your child's backpack with cell phone numbers of the family on each little chipboard piece! Check out the issue, you won't be disapointed! ~Danielle~

all you need is love...

Just wanted to pop in really quick-like and share a peek of a mini album kit that I have coming soon at Right At Home Scrapbooking featuring Blue Hill papers, rub ons and die cuts by Crate paper and this cute tree mini album from Maya Road! The kit will be ready soon here! Can't wait to show you more of the pages. This album would be wonderful for your family photos, whether you have boys/girls/or no children at all...even family reunion photos would work wonderfully!
The other night when I stayed up late, I was working on a project for the Melissa Frances blog, which I can't share quite yet, but I was inspired to make this little frame as well. Everything here is made with Melissa Frances products with the exception of the frame, button, brad, silk flower, paint and floss! I used the MF spring chipboard (butterfly and flower), painted them white and stamped on them with some of my favorite border stamps by Melissa Frances. (And added a bit of glitter over the top.) I created a house shape with some of the patterned papers and stitched a little...gotta have stitching to finish it all off...my favorite embellishment!

The rub on quote says, "No matter what, no matter where, it's always home if love is there."

(Out for Publication, Scrapbook Trends - Dec. 2008)

Well I'm off to do a little creating tonight! Kiddos are in bed fast asleep and hubby is watching a movie, so I'm able to have a bit of "me" time! YAY! =)
~Danielle~