2S4Y - Laura's Sketch 42

Hi everyone, just stopping in quickly to post a card I made to play along at 2S4Y this week...

To create this card:
1) a. cut card from cream cardstock  b. cut kraft paper mat slightly smaller than size of card (ink edges)
2) a. cut patterned paper (slightly smaller than kraft paper) b. cut patterned paper in half and flip one side c. adhere both pieces to kraft paper
3) a. stitch patterned pieces to kraft paper with a zig zag stitch  b. tie on ribbon  c. adhere to card  d. embellish with flower/leaf
4) a. stamp sentiment on die cut  b. ink edge of die  c. adhere die to card with pop dots

Also, if you are looking for a little ribbon inspiration hop over to Jacksonbelle Embellishments Blog... today's Tuesday Challenge is Rolling in Ribbon:)



Supplies: cream cardstock (AC Moore); kraft (Paper Reflections); patterned paper (Little Ladies from Jana by MLS ); ribbon (ribbonFX by Hobby Lobby); tag (Feeling Groovy "No Worries" Small Accessories from Penny Lane Collection by My Minds Eye); clear stamps (Birthday Cupcakes by inkadinkado); leaves (large bean seed by Jillibean Soup); flower (Alabaster Flowers Alissa by Prima); ink (Chestnut Roan chalk by ColorBox); other (thread)

Sketchy Thursdays ippity Second Chance Challenge

Hi everyone! Did you have a good Christmas? We did in so many lucky ways, but are now all working hard to catch up on our sleep and get back to a somewhat normal routine.

I'm just jumping in to throw up a card up for Sketchy Thursday's Second Chance Challenge (card sketch... whoot!) & the deadline isn't until the 31st so there is still time for you to play along too;) Here's my card...

... yes I'm a snow lover & we didn't get anything but rain here for the holidays, so I'm still waiting for some of that fun white stuff to be dropped here:)  For this card I used Jibber Jabber from Jillibean Soup's Talk Soup Collection as a base with a little Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly!, Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses run-ons, Prima pearl flourishes, scrap ribbon and Jolee's Snowflakes to complete the card.

Thanks for stopping in today!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Hello everyone and happy Wednesday! I just wanted to drop in with one last holiday card to wish you all a heartfelt and Merry Christmas!

I'm signing off until January when I'll be bringing back Card and Page Mondays and I have a new feature that I will share with you on Fridays called Reasons for Mail... I can't wait to share all that I've been working on then:)

May peace be with you all!

products: patterned paper (Joy Ride Collection by College Press), buttons (Mimis Boutique by DeNami Designs), clear stamp (Strictly Sentiments by Renaissance by Design), ribbon (gingham by Bazzill Basics and baker's twine by Knit it Up), other (metallic thread by Coats & Clark), ink (ColorBox)

Jacksonbelle Tuesday Challenge

Its Jacksonbelle Tuesday... you will be hearing that a lot more around here as I am just so happy to announce that starting January 1st, I will join the Jacksonbelle Embellishments Design Team (aka Jacksonbelle Rockstars), which will enable me to bring you fun challenges every Tuesday and a great source for finding the newest and greatest products in the industry...

So I'm pleased to be joining the current Jacksonbelle Rockstars for this week's challenge which is simply to use any product from the store... super simple since Christmas is right around the corner.  I decided to show you this card using that fab Pink Paislee Mistletoe and Co. Paper (with a bit of Amber Road thrown in;) ..  I think I love this holiday collection best this season because it is a refreshing change from all of the pink, red and green/teal combos that are out there... it makes a great masculine card... perhaps this one would work for someone's hubby...

It is super easy to play along in the JBE challenges! All you have to do is post a comment on the JBE blog linking to your blog or card. Be sure to visit the other JBE Rockstars for more fun and inspiration!

Lynda Benden: Stamp Act

Lindsey Botkin: Embellished

Tobi Crawford ~ Tobi’s Place

Jill Dunn: Ink Genious

Heather Lee-Reppen: The Best in Life

Jimmi Mayo ~ Stamping & Shopping

Michelle Philippi ~ Inside My Own Private Idaho

Carly Robertson ~ Paper in Bloom

Stephanie Severin ~ Ingenious Inkling

Shemaine Smith ~ Scraptastic

Amy Tsuruta ~ Tsuruta Designs

Happy Tuesday! Thanks for stopping in:)


Sketch: CPS 72

CPS 147

Just jumping in quickly to share my take CPS sketch this week... three cute and fun tags using some of the scraps that are laying around my workspace and American Crafts Stamp Collection clear holiday stamps.

Thanks for stopping by!

Last Minute Gift Ideas...

Just stopping by today to share a few last minute gift ideas that I am going to squeeze in...

A CD case desktop calendar for a coworker or fellow crafter...

I cranked this one out in about 10 minutes, start to finish. You can purchase these fab calendar templates from Kwernerdesign Blog. I was looking for a super fast way to decorate... and even though I'm really getting into stamping... I just didn't think it would be quick enough. So I pulled out my glimmer mist and screens (any type of reverse stencil would work) and after a few spritzes here and there... you've got an elegant but simple to make gift.

Another gift that I found to be simply stunning were these salt and dough ornaments. You can find the details on Abigail Money's blog Down Abbie's Road. I haven't made any yet, but certainly plan too... I'd love to take theses elegant and stunning ornaments as little gifts to everybody I visit next week (and would it be fun to share all of your favorite stamps this way;)


Take care!

Yikes... Friday Already??

Just dropping in quickly to share a homespun Christmas card...

size: 5.5 in x 4.25 in

1) cut card form kraft 

2) cut patterned paper slightly smaller than card, mount on red cardstock and sew to card 

3) punch scallop border, ink edges and adhere to card 

4) adhere ribbon, twine, flowers, buttons, and hearts to card 

5) stamp sentiment on kraft, cut out and attach to card with pop dots

Thanks for stopping in! I hope you are enjoying a slew of (happy) holiday activity:)

Products: patterned paper (Gingerbread Lane from The Merry Days of Christmas by MME); red cardstock (Archivers); felt poinsettias (Hero Arts); mini buttons (Basic Grey); burlap twine (May Arts); leaves (small bean seeds by Jillibean Soup); rubber sentiment stamp (Picture Show); cream ruffled ribbon (May Arts); red metal hearts (ColorBok); red hybrid ink (Technique Tuesday); Chestnut Roan chalk ink (ColorBox); punch (EK Success); other (thread)

Snowy Stitches... Moxie Fab World Challenge

So I started off tonight making a card for Moxie Fab World's All Creatures Great & Small Challenge (you can play along too until Monday, December 21) and it turned into a little series of cards... all stitched and snowy:)

First is my Moxie entry... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this little penguin (and just needed an reason excuse to pull him out of my stash;)

 And then I got going on the snowflakes and couldn't stop...

...and all of this snowy craft gets me dreaming of a white Christmas. We have a little snow in the forecast for the weekend... perhaps we'll get lucky:) How about you... are you up for a snowy holiday?

Have a terrific Thursday:) Thanks for stopping in today!



Products: patterned paper (Cosmo Cricket), metal sticker dots (HeroArts), snowflakes (Making Memories), kraft (Paper reflections), ribbon (American Crafts, Bazzill Basics) metal hearts (ColorBok), other (ink & baker's twine)

Catch Up on Your Christmas Scrapbook Pages...

... and play along with us over at Scrap That Poetry. The poem for Challenge #6 is "The Night Before Christmas." If you are like me you probably have it memorized... if not, you can click on over to read it.  This poem of course arouses visions of my little sugar plums not dancing, but sleeping in their beds...

Journaling reads: ... not a creature was stirring... not even a mouse... 12/24/05... the one and only time you two have ever slept together

When Jenn emailed us the December poems I knew that I had to scrap this photo... (not a great photo but) it is the one and only time that these two have ever slept together so it is one of my favs (how darling is that to see your two little ones all snuggled in their bed?)... Hadley is not one for snuggling... even at a young age she only wanted her own bed, so this event is one of a kind:)

Hope to see you over at STP! Have a great week!

products: patterned paper and stickers (K&Co.), baker's twine (Knit It Up), bells (Darcie), journaling card (CollegePress), other (pink satin ribbon & cream thread)

Warm Winter Dreams...

... thought I'd save these photos that I captured in St. Augustine, FL for a cold winter day. That, my friends, is here in Cincy today.

Can you feel the warm sun on your face accompanied by a 78 degree day? Have a loving and warm (even if its only on the inside) Sunday!

Our First Real Snow...

Ok, so today we had our first "REAL" snow according to my four year old... naturally, we went outside to make snow angels...

... if only we could see the world from the eyes of a child. We spent quite a bit of time outside this morning playing in our first "REAL" snow... my little munchkins had a ball running around, tossing snow back and forth... giggling and laughing... and playing along as of there were 3 feet of snow.

I have a quick holiday share tonight... the one was birthed as I was trying to work out a design with this lovely little tree stamp for my holiday cards... this wasn't the winner, but once I get my cards out in the mail I will share it with you.

That's all for today (and thank you all for your kind words about my little gnomes and Moxie Fab win:) Have a fab Friday!

Meet Peace and Noel... Moxie Fab Christmas in the Old Country Challenge

I'm addicted... I never thought of myself as moxie fab, but I just love Cath's challenges! This one (and yes, I'm cutting it down to the wire) entitled Christmas in the Old Country Challenge is all about "channeling the global ghost of Christmas past."

My inspiration is from the darling Scandanavian felted gnomes on Cath's post... I just couldn't stop thinking about those cuties... and since I have two very girly gnomes running around this house, I decided to make a pair of paper gnomes (paper dolls;) for my little cuties.

Meet Peace and Noel...

Have a super Tuesday!

products: patterned paper (Jillibean Soup and Cosmo Cricket); cardstock (Bazzill Basics Dotted Swiss), pearls (Mark Richards), sentiment stickers (EK Success); other (felt, floss, bells, thread)

Little Miss Mismatch

Oh glorious day! Today is the day that my two year old has decided that 2 mismatched shoes are more fun than 2 of the same shoe. This whole phenomina started yesterday when she was in a rush to get outside and couldn't find her second shoe, so she hurriedly put on two different shoes. Today she choose to wear two completely different shoes... :)

Since the week has slipped by I thought I'd just quickly share another fun card using some of Cosmso Cricket's Jolly By Golly Collection paired with Glitter Big Red Dot from the Mistletoe Collection by Making Memories. Its not necessarily a holiday card... but could be used as one. This color scheme is one that I am defiantly digging lately. I picked up that beautiful ribbon at Michael's... its from Martha Stewart Crafts.

Hope you have a fab Friday!

Scrap That Poetry Challenge # 5- The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost (1915)

As a parent (and I think especially as a women who has made a choice to be a stay-at-home mom) often times neck deep in toddler tears, drama, diapers, tantrums... I often think of the road not taken... that college degree that is hiding deep in that vast closet of my life... the point at which I stood and looked down a road as far as I could and then left it, knowing there would be no return. I naturally wonder at times about that road the I could have easily traveled... but I am so thankful that I took the grassy one, less traveled by (the one that I never thought I'd take as a 20 something, ambitious and eager women). That road has made all of the difference in my life... and this layout reminds me how beautiful it is...

This poem evokes much thought and emotion for me, but it mostly makes me grateful for the road that I'm on and for the people who are on it with me. What kind of reaction does Frost's poem arouse in you? I challenge you to document that reaction on a scrapbook page. If you are up for giving it a try, join us over at Scrap That Poetry and share your layout with others who are doing the same. I hope to see you there;)

Take care & thanks for your time spent here today!


All products by Jillibean Soup

Sketchy Thursdays iCopics Second Chance Challenge

There's a great card sketch over at Sketchy Thursday's right now. If you post before midnight tomorrow night you will be entered into a chance to when a set of Copic markers:)

Here is my entry... an easy peasy pinky card. I just LOVE all of that pink holiday paper out there right now.

Signing off for the night! Happy Tuesday!


More JBS pp here and clear stamps by Penny Black.

From the Kitchen of: Campbell (aka 4yr Old Rainbow Girl)

I wish I had found this one in the backpack before Thanksgiving to share... but I thought you all might want to try it for your holiday dinner;)


Serves: 10

How to cook a Thanksgiving Christmas Turkey

1 big box Rainbow Snacks

7 Bones

6 Chickens

3 Hot Dogs

4 boxes Mac & Cheese
Mix together and cook in microwave for 20 seconds. Then eat! 

Bon Appetite! 

Just a quick share today with a couple of holiday cards using some Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly holiday goodies. Have a great week!

Paula Dean...

... must have awfully soft hands. Tonight I attempted to "make my own" pie crusts for Thanksgiving (we won't even discuss the outcome) and our recipe called for shortening... (wow was that a blast from the past... you know, the days when all you had to keep your brownies from sticking to the pan was Crisco?)... anyway, let's just say that I don't think I'll need to put hand lotion on for weeks after revisiting that stuff. I now remember why my mom always wore plastic gloves when she would grease our birthday cake pans:)

Before I take a little blogging break for the Thanksgiving Holiday, I thought I'd squeeze in Dawn's Raspberry Suite's Color Challenge 19? Here is my entry, I hope you enjoy...

This one took me out of my comfort zone and brought me to the realization that kraft is undeniable my new white... I just can't make anything without it.

Thanks for stopping by! I wish you the best Thanksgiving:)

Today I'm thankful for...
1) pizza with Grandma & Grandpa
2) rainbow pretzels
3) Santa hats

products: cardstock (Bazzill), patterned paper (BoBunny), glitter lace (WeRMemory Keepers), monkey stamp (Unity), sentiment stamp (Renaissance by Design), felt & border punch (EKSuccess), ribbon (scrap), kraft (Paper Reflections), thread (Coats & Clark)

Semi-Handmade (aka super simple;) Holiday Cards

Anyone up for some super quick, semi-handmade holiday cards? I know, I know... we want to send everyone on our list beautifully crafted cards that look like we toiled on them for hours, but lets be realistic... how many of us have that much time? Sometimes it best to save those works of art for our very special friends. 

Here are a few ideas for whipping some cards that are clearly homemade... just not super complicated;)

1. Start with a package of die cuts, 1" wide strips of coordinating patterned paper, and blank cards & envelopes.

2. Lay out strips on your cards about 1/2" from the bottom of the card.

3. Now embellish...

Variation 1 (super quick, super simple)

• layer die cuts on top of your patterned paper

Variation 2 (super quick and simple)

• staple twine across patterned paper
• use pop dots to add dimension to your die cut  

Variation 3 (quick & simple)

• ink all edges
• use pop dots to add dimension to your die cut
• add a bow

Variation 4 (simple)

• add stitching (it screams "I'm handmade")

There you go... four quick and simple cards that you can make in a matter of minutes, using any die cut pack and patterned paper:). Happy card making & thanks for coming by!

Today I'm thankful for...

1. preschool Thanksgiving parties

2. chocolate cupcakes

3. breakfast, lunch and dinner with my whole family

products: patterned paper: (Mistletoe & Co. North Pole by Pink Paislee), die cuts (Mistletoe & Co. punchouts), ribbon (American Crafts), twine (Darcie), ink (Chestnut Roan chalk ink by ColorBox)