Happy New Year's EVE...AND ~

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Yup ~ today is my birthday.

The last day of the year;

A New Year's Baby;

Yes, my dad got a tax deduction {but it was only $60 at the time};

I wasn't born close to midnight {8am actually & I was 12 weeks early and only weighed 3 lbs}; and

YES ~ it's a ripoff having a birthday so close to Christmas. Those are the standard things said when the birthday discussion comes up.

So what are my pet peeves about having a birthday within a week of Christmas ~ birthday gifts wrapped in Christmas paper; combine Christmas/birthday gifts; and Christmas cards with a Happy Birthday message. Great things about having a New Year's Eve birthday ~ people generally don't forget; everybody has a party {yes, when I was young I thought they were celebrating for me}; and, it's a great time for the bubbly {Asti is my favorite ~ but just one glass}! ETA: Yes, you can wish me a Happy New Year and a Happy Birthday at the same time ~ LOL!

Several months ago, I made a fun flip-top card and decided to make another one with my fun Lizzie Anne stamps. This set is called Party Animal & I love it!

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve & have a safe and healthy New Year!
Thanks for all the special birthday wishes girls ~ what a wonderful day it's been so far, (and it's not even noon yet)!

Heart to Heart...

That's the name of this retiring set from Lizzie Anne Designs. I made these cards several months ago for the next Lizzie Anne catalog; however, they later decided to retire the set. But at least now I can show you the cute creations I made with it.

This standard card is a window card where the image is actually stamped on the inside (as you can see in the photo below). I like this layout ~ I may need to do it again soon!

Supplies Used: Stamps ~ Lizzie Anne Designs (Heart to Heart ~ Retired); Cardstock ~ SU, PTI; Ink ~ SU, Palette; Embossing powder ~ SU; Pattern Paper ~ SU; Nestabilities; Ribbon ~ SU.

Volleyball Anyone?

My daughter would be the first one to raise her hand to that question! She loves it! So much, in fact, that for her birthday party today, it's all about Volleyball! Yes, her birthday was earlier this month; however, she took pity on us and said that she would wait to have her party during the Christmas vacation. Thank Goodness!

Last week, I realized that with the holiday craziness, I had forgotten to make her invitations. Thankfully, I came up with this invitation in about 20 minutes on the computer. I colored the volleyball on the front, added the trail marks and shadow with my Copic markers & the computer/printer did the rest. Woohooo ~ easy peasy!

Later today, I'll try and come back and post a few pictures of the party!

True Love...

OK ~ Christmas is OVER! I am so ready to move on to new images and pattern paper. So are you ready for some fun Valentine images? I know, I know ~ it's not even the new year yet! However, in the crafting world, we move from one holiday to the next pretty quickly because it takes time to make all this stuff!!! Don't worry, I won't be showing Valentine's Day stuff every day until February 14th ~ Easter, St. Patrick's Day and Spring will be thrown in there too! JUST KIDDING! I will continue to mix things up just like I've always done! I am going to have sneak peeks GALORE over the next 3 weeks or so ~ just wait!

Today's post includes a few cards using a new set from Our Craft Lounge called True Love! It's a sweet little set that includes tons of hearts in all shapes and sizes; 2 sentiments, and three different heart borders! Talk about a lot of images in this set & it's on Crafty Cling Rubber so it's super easy to use.

Supplies Card #1: Stamps ~ Our Craft Lounge (True Love); Cardstock & Pattern Paper ~ KI Memories; Ink ~ SU; Ribbon ~ May Arts; Punches ~ SU.

Card #2: Stamps ~ Our Craft Lounge (True Love & Dr. Pea-Nut); Cardstock ~ SU; Pattern Paper ~ Paper Studio; Ink ~ SU; Ribbon ~ May Arts; Punches ~ SU.

So ~ what do you think of my new blog signature? I thought it turned out pretty cute, but I may keep playing with it to see if I can make it a bit better.

Love Bug... I Love You!

LOL! Look at the sweet little bugs in this set ~ they are adorable!!! I made these cards using the new Love Bug set from Our Craft Lounge! This set is on Crafty Cling Rubber and it stamps sooooooooo very nice!

Supplies from i{heart}papers.com :Stamps ~ Our Craft Lounge (Love Bug); Ink ~ Palette, Copics, atyou Spica glitter pens; Oval Nestabilities

Cardstock ~ SU; Pattern Paper ~ Doodlebug; ; Ribbon ~ May Arts.

Inchie Friday ~ Our White Christmas...Tree

Today I have one last Christmas post. I am tired of making Christmas themed things, so this is it for right now. I'm sure I'll have some scrapbook pages to do, but right now, I'm ready to move on...

Today's Inchie Friday post I decided to once again use my white Inchie squares as page accents; however, this time I stamped my images on gold paper. I used vanilla ink and vanilla embossing powder to make them stand out. It was fast and easy and makes a great page embellishment.

This is our tree this year. Talk about being on top of it with my scrapbook page ~this never happens. I love that I have to scrapbook for this design team because I really sit down and get layouts done. I think that will be my New Year's resolution ~ scrapbook MORE!

Isn't this paper clip cool? I found a package of them at Staples & thought they were fun. I was planning on doing some gifts with them for Christmas, but that didn't happen. I'll have to save them for another time.

INCHIE BONUS: Today I also have a sweet and simple card to share. I made this several months ago for a magazine call, but it didn't get picked up ~ which means I can share it with you!

Scrapbook Page Supplies: Inchie Squares ~ Inchie Arts; Cardstock ~ SU; Pattern Paper ~ Making Memories; Rub-on letters ~ Making Memories; Ink & Embossing Powder ~ SU; Punch ~ SU; Stamps ~ Lockhart Stamp Co & Hero Arts.

Card Supplies: Inchie Squares ~ Inchie Arts; Cardstock ~ SU; Ink ~ Palette & Copics; Punch ~ SU; Stamps ~ Lockhart Stamp Co & Lizzie Anne Designs; Ribbon ~ SU.

ARE YOU STILL WITH ME????? I have some news to share from i{heart}papers !

First ~ we have a new Design Team Member. The very talented Dee Jackson has joined us. AND... to celebrate, Dee will be offering some YUMMY BLOG CANDY!! So...go take a look!

Second ~ Kate over at IHP is offering a one-day after Christmas sale. It's today only 15% off your entire order ~ WOW! The coupon code is IHPgift.

A Very Merry Christmas...

Well it's finally Christmas Day and I pray that each of you has a wonderful day filled with family and fun!

It seems that the Christmas season starts earlier each year and there is more to do too. Today, my family is having a very low-key day where the four of us (well 7 if you include our furry family members) will just enjoy watching movies, playing with gifts and eating a yummy dinner. It's the first Christmas it's just been our little family in 13 years. We will miss having Tim's family with us this year, but as long as everyone is safe and healthy ~ that's what really matters.

My project for today is a Lizzie Anne Designs card using the set Christmas in the City. It is Monday's Lizzie Anne Sketch Challenge ~ #58 maybe you'll have time to play this week ~ if so, make sure you post your fun creation.

Supplies Used: Stamps ~ Lizzie Anne Designs (Christmas in the City); Cardstock ~ Bazzill; Pattern Paper ~ Lizzie Anne Designs; Ink ~ SU, Palette & Copics; Cuddlebug embossing plate; Ribbon ~ SU; Shimmerz Paint ~ December Sky.

Keepsake Ornament...

While completing another assignment for the Lizzie Anne Design Team ~ I was really trying to come up with some different ideas. This year our families on both sides decided to go light on gifts, so I handmade all of the gifts we gave to the grandparents, our adult siblings and my neices and nephews. This sweet ornament was a gift for the grandparents.

Supplies Used: Stamps ~ Lizzie Anne Designs (Glad Tidings); Cardstock, Ink & Pattern Paper ~ SU.

Beautiful Packages...

I love beautiful packages & I like making my own wrapping paper too. However, I really don't enjoy wrapping gifts. I know it sounds odd doesn't it?

I had a ton of fun with today's project because I didn't really have any paper at home to wrap these gifts except for a roll of Kraft paper from Michael's. I was too lazy to go out, so I decided to make my own (and get another Lizzie Anne Design Team project done while I was at it).

I used the Glad Tidings set from Lizzie Anne Designs ~ it's perfect for this project! So here are my tips for making your own gift wrap.

1) Unroll a good amount of paper and tape it to a large flat surface. (Did you notice all my unfinished projects in the background? You have probably seen all of the finished projects on my blog by now.)

2) Select 2 colors of ink and stamp a random pattern all over the gift wrap. Make sure you stamp them close enough together & make sure you go in all different directions.

3) Coordinate your gift tags and ribbon ~ I like using fabric ribbon rather than normal gift wrapping ribbon. It gives it a much richer feel. This new ribbon by Stampin' Up! was perfect for this project.

And there ya go ~ a pretty & inexpensive package! It will be a big hit with the recipient!

Supplies Used: Stamps ~ Lizzie Anne Designs (Glad Tidings); Ink, Ribbon & Scallop circle punch ~ SU; Kraft Gift Wrapping ~ Michael's.

Today's new layout...

I'm excited to show you the latest scrapbook layout that I made last night. I used some of my new Unity Stamps & love the little added touch they add. I don't have that many {yet}, but I did use a few on this page.

OK ~ So the story behind this page is pretty funny. My son, Matt, is in Cub Scouts & my husband is the Assistant Cub Master. Each year the troop has a cake auction and all the proceeds benefit a local family in need. This year, Matt & Tim wanted to go all out on their cake. I gave them some pointers, but pretty much left things up to them. Tim found directions online for this cool Christmas Tree cake & thought they would have a great time making it. So that night, they made a cake and put it in the freezer so they could decorate it later that week.

So a few nights later the guys began cutting the shapes and decorating the cake. I was down in my studio creating and decided that I would just stay away ~ I was a bit afraid! About an hour later {and much restraint on my part}, I heard roaring laughter coming from my guys in the kitchen. I went upstairs to see the masterpiece ~

I immediately grabbed my camera to take a few shots!

They decided against trying the Christmas Tree cake again and opted to go with the Boy Scout Theme. I think you'll agree that this came out much better! And ~ Matt won for the best cake the night of the auction!

Supplies Used: Stamps ~ Unity Stamp Company (Flirty Flowers, Our Life ~ Our Story); Cardstock, Pattern Paper, Chipboard & Letter Stickers ~ KI Memories; Ink ~ SU.

Quick and Easy Christmas Treats...

Good Sunday Morning!

Over the last several weeks I have been trying to create some quick and simple treats so I'd have them ready for teachers, school office staff, church volunteers, neighbors and friends. While I was preparing all of these ideas, I decided to get some design team assignments done for Lizzie Anne Designs at the same time. Gotta love multi-tasking!!!

My first project today are little candy jars. They are simply Ball Canning Jars filled with yummy M&Ms & then I decorated the jars. I used the set Glad Tidings by Lizzie Anne Designs. I used two different ribbons to decorate the jars (wide red and narrow green). Then I added a button where the seams meet.

The second project is a little bag filled with Cami Patties ~ decorated York Peppermint Patties. I call them Cami Patties because my sweet friend Cambria Turnbow came up with this brilliant idea!My final project is really nothing new, but it's a big hit as a quick and simple gift.

The chocolates inside are Hersey Nuggets (these fit the best inside) & they are just decorated with Avery address labels. Easy Peasy!

Come on back over the next few days more easy gift ideas, decorations and gift wrap!

Supplies Used: Stamps ~ Lizzie Anne Designs (Glad Tidings); Cardstock ~ SU; Ink ~ SU; Pattern Paper (jars) ~ American Crafts; Ribbon ~ SU.

Secret Santa Gift...

A group of my wonderful online friends all did a Secret Santa gift exchange last night at our virtual Christmas party. I've had this gift set done for a few weeks, but didn't want to share until I knew she had it. My Secret Santa girl was Cindy from Starlit Studio ~ talk about pressure to get the perfect gift!!! What do you give a SUPER DUPER talented stamper ~ YIKES!

MERRY CHRISTMAS CINDY ~ LOVE YA!!!!

The coffee bags has COFFEE inside ~ who would have guessed? LOL!

Supplies from i{heart}papers: Pattern Paper ~ Be Merry (My Mind's Eye); Stamps ~ Hero Arts (Winter's Butterfly) & Inkadinkado (Christmas Characters); Nestabilities; Palette Ink ~ Burnt Umber; Gems ~ Hero Arts; Glitter Pen ~ Clear

OH ~ and one more thing! Carolyn from the i{heart}papers Design Team is having blog candy this weekend. Go take a look and enter for her fun Valentine candy!

Inchie Friday ~ Christmas Eve, part 2...

I had so much fun with last weeks page, that I wanted to finish the 2-page spread and document our Christmas Eve traditions. We always enjoy so many things on Christmas Eve. In fact, I may need to do a few more pages just to document everything else.

This weeks page focuses on some stamp techniques that I haven't done with my Inchie Squares ~ paper piecing and cutting out stamped images. Isn't this cup of cocoa too fun? I colored the image to match the page (thus why it's pink). Then I used my Glaze pen to make the dots stand out ~ it looks so yummy to me!

This is my page from last week's Inchie Friday (click here for more photos of this page). One thing I did change on this page from last week ~ I added stamped snowflakes on the blue border and I like it much better.

This is what scrapbooking is all about to me ~ documenting my family history. I know that years down the road, our family will love looking at this page and reading about what we did every Christmas.

I used my Inchie squares on my journaling block to do two things: 1) bring attention to the journaling; and 2) tie the journaling to the specific photo.

I stamped the ice cream cone on cardstock this time and after I colored it with my Copic markers, I cut it out. It was such a long, narrow image that I thought it looked better popped up off some coordinating pattern paper.

On this last Inchie square, I decided to paper piece the mittens. When you have a larger amount of empty space on your image, paper piecing is a fun technique to try. It adds a lot to your image without having to color it.

Supplies: white Inchie Squares ~ Inchie Arts; Cardstock ~ Stampin' Up!; Stamps ~ Lockhart Stamp Co. Supplies from i{heart}papers: Pattern Paper ~ Be Merry Collection by My Mind's Eye; Palette Ink (Burnt Umber); Stamp set ~ Hero Arts (Winter's Butterfly); Velvet Ric Rac ~ May Arts.

Christmas Cheer for the teachers...

This year for teacher gifts I found these adorable plastic cups and matching trays at Target (my favorite store). Then I made some cookies and put them in some fun little cookie bags. The cups are filled with an assortment of chocolates.

To complete the little set, I added a Target gift card and wrapped everything up in clear plastic wrap ~ VOILA! Easy, yummy and cute ~ it doesn't get better than that!

All supplies are Stampin' Up!

Merry Christmas to all...

First I have to say ~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAULA!!! I miss you & I really wish we were spending the day together!

Today I thought I'd share our family Christmas card with everyone. I ended up making about 45 of these & then sent out lots of Christmas cards that I already had made for design team projects. I love these & would have made more of them, but I ran out of pattern paper & just needed to get them in the mail!

As you can tell from the gobs of projects I've done with this pattern paper, I LOVE IT! It's called Be Merry from My Mind's Eye & it's still available from i{heart}papers. I love the pink and blues for the non-traditional Christmas colors ~ so fun!

Here are a few more versions of the card. It's all the same card ~ I just used several differen't patterns in the same line of paper.

Supplies from i{heart}papers:

Pattern Paper ~ Be Merry (My Mind's Eye)

Hero Arts ~ Winter's Butterfly

Nestabilities

Palette Ink ~ Canvas, Burnt Umber

Other Supplies:

Cardstock ~ SU

Stamps ~ Lizzie Anne Designs (sentiment from Holiday Cheer); Papertrey Ink (large snowflake from Snowfall Additions by my friend Pine!)

Punches ~ Marvy snowflake, SU Oval