To Move On...

Well, I just wanted to say that I will be taking an "official" break from blogging. I can't find the time to craft, or even upload photos these days, so that leaves nothing to post :). We are officially moving. To where you ask? I do not know. But we have three weeks to be out of our house of the last 8 years. Although I am sad to leave this house behind, being the house that both of my children came home to from the hospital, the house of many, many firsts; it is time to leave. Hopefully in time we will be moving closer to family, something we have desperately missed as they are all so far away. But in the mean time we will likely be renting for a few months until my husband finds a job up North or we decide to buy something here. Given the current economic situation, we aren't making any rash decisions either way. We just knew it was time to sell our house and not have anything anchoring us here in case we were able to leave. Our house sold in two months, which is pretty darn good for the current housing market. We were a bit shocked, but happy at the same time. Lots of work ahead of us, and lots more stress. As soon as life regains any sense of normalcy perhaps I will find time to start posting again. For now, it's time to move on.

Summer Fun with the Kids...

I am now breathing a sigh of relief; I took my final yesterday and aced it! Yeah me!!! And then I came home and took a nap, ahhh... that was the best part of the day.

Now the best part of my weekend was our day out with the kids today. My husband has also been studying a lot and taking quite a few tests for his job, so we really wanted to make a special day for the kids today. This is a post for all the grands who haven't seen the kids in many months. This will certainly be a picture heavy post, so for everyone else... just enjoy the smiles :)

We took the kids to the Children's Museum of Richmond today and they loved it!

Inside, it's all about imagination...


The grocery store is complete with registers, groceries, and carts. Our daughter spent a great deal of time at the water table (thankfully they have plastic aprons to keep them somewhat dry, she needed it!)



They have a full craft room - HEAVEN!



Cute little places to hide, and even a car to work on which makes glug-glug noises when they put pretend fluids in it - so cute!



They even have a news room where the kids can be on TV. Of course our daughter danced around in front of the camera so she could see herself and all her moves on TV :)

Then we headed outside and found the drums, chimes, and of course the Hula-hoops!

So my husband spied the hula-hoops from inside the museum and bet me I couldn't hula anymore (not sure what he was implying here :). So I said I'd take that bet! (I should have bet something really good on this one because I was confident I could do it). But instead I bet him that if I did it he had to do it too. That brings us to the second photo, my dear sweet hubby hula-hooping! I love it when I'm right!

What a fabulous way to spend the day! Hope you all had a great weekend too!

Papertrey Blog Hop - Fun With Text!

Well to say summer has been busy is an understatement! My class is finally coming to an end, so I am hoping that after this week I will have more time to devote to me - does that ever really happen? (You moms out there know what I mean!) It's funny though, even when you think you couldn't handle another thing on your plate, you add more and somehow it all gets done, but then when you take something away and you still feel like you are sooooo busy! Ahhh, go figure!

Since it has been some time, I needed something to get me started again, so why not participate in the PTI Blog Hop this month? I haven't done one in quite some time, even though I usually try to at least lurk :)

I had a lot of fun with this one and had sketched out five ideas, but of course not enough time to do all of them. So these are the two I finished...

This card measures 4 1/4 square. It was my very first attempt at using Copics, and as you can see I obviously need some practice. I have had them for about two weeks, but I am honestly a little intimidated by them :) Other than the coloring, it's a pretty simple card. I used a sentiment from Everyday Button Bits. I cut a square using the largest of the square Nestabilities, and used the frame from that to create the border. I added some cinnamon Stickles to the center to add some dazzle. The flower and leaves were then popped up on dimensionals, and it was complete. Aside from my Copic attempt, it was put together in a jif!

This one was even easier! The card measures 5 x 5. I used my Labels One Nestabilities to create the focal piece, and the Happy Birthday sentiment from Birthday Basics. I added an embossed border it using a larger Lables One die and a stylus to get just the right size. Add some MM flowers, buttons and a little splash of ribbon and done!

I hope you enjoy the Blog Hop - I for one can not wait to see what everyone comes up with for this challenge!

Have a great night hopping! I will be hopping and writing a paper at the same time - how successful do you think I will be with that paper??? *wink*

What I Used:

Smile Flower Card

Stamps: PTI Everyday Button Basics and Friends 'til The End

Paper: PTI Vintage Cream and New Leaf

Ink: Dark Chocolate

Miscellaneous: Copics, Cinnamon Stickles, Dimensionals, Large Square Nestabilities, Cuttlebug

Happy Birthday Text

Stamps: PTI Birthday Basics

Paper: PTI SS White and Raspberry Fizz

Ink: Pallette Noir

Miscellaneous: Labels One Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Stylus, flowers are Prima and MM, black embroidery floss, glue dots, buttons and ribbon from my stash

Father's Day Full of Stars...

I seriously never thought I would be so crazy busy this summer. Having our house up for sale, going to school, keeping kids entertained for the summer, and volunteering, not to mention taking on more than I can handle in the cardmaking "business," is seriously making me re-think how much I can truly handle. I haven't seen my bed before 1 am for about two weeks now. Enough complaining!


But before the holiday weekend hits I wanted to post some of the Father's Day cards I made for my dad and my Fathers-in law (I have two and consider myself lucky!). I also made a card for my brother, but I will post that one next time; it doesn't exactly go with the theme here :P

For all of these cards I used the Papertrey set Star Prints . I really like this set for masculine cards, but I almost didn't buy it. I kept going back and looking at it because I really liked the font used in the set and the variety of stars. Now I am so happy I purchased it! I made a scrap page with it too, but I am saving that for another post too since I am thinking of submitting that one.

So, onto the cards... I have the hardest time doing masculine, so I figured staying clean and simple was the way to go.

This was for my dad...

I really liked the green with the Smokey Shadow, it's actually a dark gray, or light black depending on if you are a half-full or half-empty kind of gal! The main panel is popped up on dimensionals while the green is glued directly to the Smokey Shadow. The sentiment is embossed with detail white. All the supplies used on this card are Papertrey with the exception of the white ink.

These two were for my Fathers-in-law.

The Cowboy... The Retired Navy Official...
Appropriate colors right? :) The squares are popped up on dimensionals for that added depth. Although sometimes it can be a challenge to line the squares up with dimensionals between them, I really like the shadowy effect it creates. Again the sentiments are embossed.

Well that's about it for me. It is now after 11, and I still have to finish a paper by tomorrow and finish some invitations. I am soooooo tired!

I hope you have a very Happy 4th of July! Enjoy spending time with your families and friends, but most of all enjoy the freedom you have to do so and remember those who fight for that freedom every day.

Stay safe!

Thanks for visiting,

Free Things To Do & A Simple Birthday Card...

WOW! Who invented the phrase "lazy days of summer?" Where are those lazy days? I need one or two of them! Life hasn't slowed down a bit, which I guess is a good thing, but I am absolutely exhausted and see a nap in my very near future *wink*. The heat always puts me in the mood to sleep, and today it is a whopping 93 degrees - way too hot for me! So we went to the free movie to see Barnyard this morning - cute!

Speaking of free movie... I have made it my mission this summer to find lots of things to do for free. My friends and family always laugh, it's become quite a joke that not only am I always looking for a bargain, but I almost always use a coupon. Perhaps you can benefit from my bargain hunting. Here are some of the things I have found that don't have to cost a dime: bowling, the movies, playdates at the park, hikes, picnics, scavenger hunts, geocaching, the pool. The possibilities are endless with a little imagination. Some days we just spend the morning on our back deck fingerpainting (no mess that can't be hosed down!). In the end, what it comes down to is spending time with family and having fun! I hope you found something here that you may not have thought of, now go have some fun!

On a more crafty note, I was going through my pictures trying to organize them a bit, and found some cards I made over the last few months that I never shared on my blog and wished I had. Here is one such card...
I plan to do this card again with different colors, I really like the layout. I used a variety of stamps here, Technique Tuesday, See D's, Cornish Heritage Farms - I think I was trying to use things I had never used before. I even sewed! That takes some effort for me 'cause I hate lugging the machine out and setting it up. It really does add something to a card though. I wish you could see the CHF background stamp more, but the ink I used, PTI Aqua Mist, never comes up very dark in pics. Everything else on the card is pretty self-explanatory.

Well, I really think that nap is calling me, matter of fact it is screaming my name! I will wrap it up with my supply list and call it a day! Tomorrow is volunteer day, so perhaps I will get a chance to post this weekend.

Have a fabulous weekend!

As always, thanks for stopping by!



What I Used:
Stamps: Technique Tuesday sentiment, See D's flowers, Pretty Pattern Backgrounder CHF
Paper: Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist, Dark Chocolate and Vintage Cream
Ink: Paperrey Ink Aqua Mist, Dark Chocolate, Spring Moss, Ranger Antique Linen Distress Ink
Accessories: Pearls from Michaels, Scotch dimensional tape, EK Success flower punch, whole punch, SU! Taffeta ribbon, sewing machine, Fiskars Threading Water border punch

Pretty Circles...

I was looking through some of the projects I have worked on over the last few months of my "Blog Hiatus" and I knew I had to share this one. This was one of my favorite cards, so simple yet so pretty. I actually made this one for my mom with some of the first stamp sets I ever purchased outside of Stampin Up! (cause you know we all started there.) Each circle/flower is an individual stamp, most are from Art Warehouse, but the curly circle is Papertrey Ink.

I cut the center flower out and the hexagonal shape and propped each up with Scotch dimensional tape. I like this tape better than the SU! or MM dimensionals because it isn't as thick; it doesn't make things stand up as high so it makes it easier to mail cards without any extra postage. But of course I added pearls to the center and the "scrolly" circle, so added postage was necessary anyway :D! Here is a close-up of the pearls...

Like I said, one of my favorite cards. I hope you enjoyed it too!

I'm going to try to be short and sweet with my posts, perhaps that will make it easier for me to keep posting on a more regular basis, and most of you probably don't enjoy me blabbering on anyway - LOL! My hope is that when you come visit my blog you will find some inspiration and will enjoy visiting with someone who is enjoying the blessings that life has to offer.

Hope you enjoyed your visit today! As always, thanks for stopping by!

What I Used:
Paper: Kraft and SS White (Papertrey Ink)
Stamps: Graphic Flowers (Art Warehouse), Interactive Circles Small (Art Warehouse), and Borders & Corners {Circle} (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Craft White (SU!)
Accessories: Pearls from Michaels, ribbon Spring Moss (Papertrey), dimensional tape (Scotch), Large Scallop Scissors (from the dollar store and they work pretty well :) )

I Am Still Here!

I just wanted to check in to say I am still here!

I have had several emails asking if I am still using my blog, or still crafting for that matter. Yes, I am and have been crafting off and on. I needed a little break, and I needed to feel like I was making a difference somewhere. Life got monotonous, and that is NEVER good for me! So I have been volunteering in various capacities to kind of fill that void. It's been nice and I will continue to do it, just not as often since summer is here and I want to devote more time to my family.

We have also had A LOT going on here at the ole' homestead. Our house is finally on the market, my son finished pre-school, I am teaching myself how to crochet, I am going back to school, and spending lots of family time together.

I want to desperately give the Ole' Blog a makeover too, just haven't found the time to do it.

With that said, I will have some pics edited and posted by this weekend, both things I have made and places we have been.

I hope you will hang in there with me!

Have a fabulous day!

Oh How I Missed Scrapbooking!

My scrap pages have been on a bit of a hiatus - ok a pretty long hiatus, four years to be exact. I have so many pictures I just felt overwhelmed at where to start. But I LOVE these pictures of our daughter and wanted to get them scrapped before they were forgotten about.

Last month I ordered some colors of cardstock that I was a little unsure of until I actually got them in my hands. I knew they were perfect. Her pics were done in color and black & white, and I really liked the B&W the best, but I wanted the rest of the page to have that WOW factor, and these colors were perfect!

After finishing this page, I was REALLY happy with it! I entered it into the PTI Guest Star Stamper contest. Although I didn't win (insert sigh) I did get an Honorable Mention from Nichole Heady, which is huge in the paper crafting world! I haven't entered in quite some time, so it felt really good to be recognized.

Here are some of the details, lots of glitter on the flourishes and on the flowers. I cut the flowers, the flourishes, and the letters for the title with my Making Memories Slice, which my hubby bought me for Christmas - LOVE that thing!
The journaling tag is hidden behind the main picture...

The Damask patterns are embossed with white EP. I really like doing the little ribbon effect with the sewing machine. I need to do that more on my cards too.

Sadly, I have had to pack a lot of my craft supplies, well mostly paper and miscellaneous things that don't get a whole lot of use - but even that was hard. My husband looked at the space yesterday and laughed because he could actually see the top of my desk :D. You just never know what your gonna need - KWIM? I couldn't pack any of my stamps away, I tried, just wasn't gonna happen!

Hope you enjoyed seeing some of the detail from my scrap page. I had so much fun putting it together. This was the first project in a long time that I didn't even have to ask my husband for his opinion. He came home from work, saw the page and said "WOW, that looks AWESOME!" That makes a girl happy!

Well, I am off to start New Moon. I finished Twilight last night and read it in three days, which is so not like me. It is seriously as good as everyone said it was.

Have a great night and as always thanks for stopping by!

Time Is Flying!!!

I can't believe I haven't updated my blog since it snowed. Although we have been having mixed weather around here (one day 60, next day 30), I don't expect anymore of that fluffy white stuff - So SAD :(

Well, I have a few things to share today to participate in the Papertrey Blog Hop once again! It always helps get me out of a creative funk. I have been so busy packing and volunteering that I haven't made time for my craft therapy :D! One fun thing (quite honestly there are many) that comes out of volunteering is that the ladies at the home are teaching me how to knit; now I just can't wait to actually complete something - LOL!

So, the challenge for the PTI Blog Hop was to create a background with stamps. I made a few cards to showcase some of my favorite stamp sets for backgrounds.

The first one is one I made for one of my fathers-in-law (technically, I have two) for his 70th birthday. I love these colors together! This card was actually inspired by this card that Niki Estes made a few months back. I LOVE NIki's backgrounds! For this one, I used PTI's Guide Lines , and added little white dots with a Ranger Inkssentials pen. The Kraft paper was scored with a Scor-pal at 1/4" intervals. Then I sponged the edges with Dark Chocolate ink. Easy peasy!

The second card I made last week for a friend whose husband just got laid-off (seems to be an epidemic these days :( ). I hope it brought a little glimmer of joy to her life. I used both Guide Lines and the PTI 2007 Anniversary Set Simple Little Things for this one, and again added the little white accents with the Ranger pen. I love that little accent! The sentiment is from a new set I picked up at our new Jo-ann Superstore (YIPPEE!) from the Paper Company Studio called Faith Greetings (great set!). The butterflies are of course a Martha Stewart punch, I think they complimented this design well. I popped the white piece with the sentiment up on dimensionals. Oh and one more thing, with the ribbon I did that crinkly thing with the heat gun - so pretty! I think this may have been the first time I didn't scorch it - LOL!

Well that's all I have for now. I have a crazy toy room that is screaming to be packed up (can't wait to put those toys in storage!).

Have fun on the Hop! As always thanks for stopping by!



***One more thing... How could I have forgotten this, I was chosen as one of the Honorable Mentions on Nichole Heady's Blog, Capture the Moment for the March Guest Star Stamper! Please go and read all about the other designers she chose! It's always so inspiring to see what everyone creates! I will share my project in depth tomorrow - PROMISE! ***

What I used: {Masculine card}
Stamps: Papertrey Guide Lines
Paper: Papertrey Kraft, Ocean Tides
Ink: Papertrey Dark Chocolate
Accessories: Scor-pal, PI Dark Chocolate Satin Ribbon, Cuttlebug and Tag Dies, Ranger white EP, Ranger White Inkssentials pen, twine, sponge, dimensional (under tag)

What I used: {Pink card}
Stamps: Papertrey Guide Lines, 2007 Anniversary Set Simple Little Things, Paper Company Studio Faith Greetings
Paper: PTI Kraft, Raspberry Fizz, SS White
Ink: PTI Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Fizz
Accessories: Provocraft Mini Scallop Scissors, Organza ribbon Jo-ann, Martha Stewart Butterfly punch, Pearls Michaels, Ranger White Inkssentials pen, dmensionals