Happy 4th of July!

The 4th has always been one of my favorite holidays. Celebrating our nations independence with friends and family and usually enjoying the sunshine always puts a huge smile on my face. I have been wanting to play with the new stamp set Home of the Brave for a few weeks but I have not been able to carve any time out. Well this morning I sat down and I had an idea in my head and it came out pretty close. I hope you like it.

I first stamped the flag in cranberry and outdoor denim and then added the pole. Once I had that down I took clear embossing powder and embossed the fireworks and then sponged the outdoor denim to make the back ground. I added the bling at the bottom and wala super fast fun card to take over to your hostesses today.

The big day - Wedding album complete

Well the beautiful bride and the handsome groom have tied the knot so I can share what I have been working on.

 

For now I am just going to show you the album itself. Once she gets her photos in it I will borrow it and break it up into a few posts and add details details and more details.

The album turned out even better than I could have hoped and I hope you are inspired.

Quick Graduation Cards

 

I made some quick graduation cards this past weekend. These came together so fast and you can customize the colors that you need. I did the letters on the Cricuit and used the cute little graduation set in the current CTMH catalog.

Inside the card I just kept it super simple. Like I said this was a fast card. I had to make them the morning of graduation. This set is from the For Always WOTG.

Summer means proms, graduations, and weddings

For Always is the perfect paper pack for these things! My daughter is getting married at the end of this month! My other daughter graduates...this weekend, while my little one finishes up pre-school tomorrow. Wow what a June!!

Here are the invitations and the reason I have been MIA around here

I blacked out all of the details but you can still get an idea of what they looked like. I also put a band around the front of the pocket invitation.

 

In addition I thought I would share some art work from Close to my Heart using this paper pack. It is just gorgeous!

 

 

 

 

 



June Stamp Camp

Hello all - I am sorry I have been MIA I have had no creative juices for months and months. My girls have also been keeping me busy. I won't bore you with the details as I am sure I have talked about what a big year this is for my family.

Yesterday I woke up and was insired to stamp. I went into my studio and magic happened! I made four cards and I really love the way each of them turned out.

 



I am going to start holding stamp camps again! Whoo hooo I am also changing things up a little. In addition to holding stamp camps in person I will be doing Stamp Camp Kits through the mail!

You can sign up for a single camp or you can sign up for a 6 month club where you will receive your kit each month. 6 month club members will receive a bonus gift at the end of the term. Each kit will include one stamp set and 4 precut projects using the focusing on that stamp set, embelishments and instructions. The cost of each kit will be $25 and that will include shipping.

If you do not need or or want this stamp set or if you will be attending the camp in person and do not want the stamp set the price is $15. This month my stamp camp will be on Friday June 21st from 7-9 pm at my home. Seating is limited so please RSVP by June 14.

You will need to have your own basic tools however if you are missing a few supplies that I used I will have a supply list so that you will be able to purchase them in order to complete your projects if you do not have them on hand.

You can order this months kit in the side bar and if you need the additional items please join my June Stamp Camp Party on my website. The supplies that you will need to complete the camp are listed below.

Other Supplies needed:
Blocks: 1” x 3 ½” (Y1002), 2” x 2” (Y1003), 3” x 3” (Y1006)
Ink: Black (Z2105), Slate (Z2173), Crystal Blue (Z2117),Pear (Z2197), Cotton Candy (Z2193), Buttercup (Z2110), Gypsy (Z2190), Sorbet (Z2164) 
Tools: Sponge Dauber (Z697), 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151), Adhesive (1514), Glue Dots (1772), Micro-Tip Scissors (Z534), Piercing Tool Kit (Z114) can also use a punch, Stamp Scrubber (Z1782), Spritz Cleaner (1778)

Cherry O Sugar Pie

Today I am sharing a quick Sketch-n-Scrap page, I was so happy the whole time I made it and I knew it was going to just all come together.

These are just a few photos of my girls. They are just hanging out being extra adorable. I grabbed some Cherry-O paper. I think this paper always works with girl pages.

I have actually had this level 1 kit for a while but it was white and cherry's in every other space. I decided to fill in the cherry's and I love the way it turned out. I might take a second look at some other level ones I have and use them up too. I love getting new stuff but I also try to use up my old stuff too. I am doing much better. I no longer save it for the perfect layout. If i love it I use it now cause I can buy more or use the next new must have item.

I added some bling and a date. I need to work on my journalling but at least I have the date on here. Better than nothing.

Popped up the cherry's and added more bling

Love the way the title came out. 

Here is the sketch! Isn't it super cute? I hope you will join us and play along...and use up either something brand new or something you have been holding on to forever. 

Sweet on Hexagons

 I have been playing with my new goodies and I am just in love with this new set that has hexagons in it!

The set is called Honeycomb Flair and it is super fun!! I look forward to making lots more cards and pages in the near future but first up I have this sweet little card that I made when I was inspired by a Hero Arts card that I saw on Pinterest.

The set comes with all sorts of patterns and you can mix them and match them or use all the same one. I stamped them and then cut them out. There is also an outline if you wanted to go that route. Did you also notice that little wax looking bee hive? What about the little wooden bee? Both of those can be found in the Buzz and Bumble Assortment. I also used a sparkle from the brown & tan pack to make the bee stand out a little more.

I always like to decorate the insides of my cards too.

Here is the card that inspired me.



















I hope you enjoyed my card and have been inspired to make one of your own.

Wonderful Beautiful Day

Hi everyone happy March 1st. My grandma always says in like a lion out like a lamb or in like a lamb out like a lion...so we shall see what today brings and how March makes it's exit.

I have had these photo's for a while now, well since 2011. They are special and I have been trying to find the perfect way to scrap them for a while. I am actually in August and this is from April...so see I skipped it. Until I started working on today's sketch and with the new Buzz and Bumble Workshop on the Go Kit. It was a perfect match!

I used Sunset for the base and Cocoa and then I trimmed the pattern paper. I fancy cut the embellishments from the stamp set that comes with the kit. I colored the flowers in with my very neglected Prisma Colored Pencils.



Supplies - CTMH Buzz and Bumble WOTG Kit, Brown & Tan Sparkles, Cocoa & Sunset Ink, Prisma Colored Pencils

I can't wait to see what the rest of you come up with using this sketch!!

Perfect to me....

So my friends used to make fun of people who scrapbooked weird things. Turns out I am one of those people. Who knew? Secretly all along I probably knew.

I am always taking photos of food. I just can't help it. Sometimes it is because it is so pretty and different and sometimes it is so I can try to make it and other times it is so I can record it in my food journal. For years and years I have been driving past this tiny little place called Pete's Famous Hot Dogs it is in between a few near by towns out in the middle of no where. I would always say I am going to stop there...well I never did.  To make it even less likely that I would ever stop the girls have decided that they hate hot dogs. What? Who hates hot dogs when they are a kid??? Usually you have to be older and figure out what in the world is in them before you dislike them. 

Personally I still love them and so here it is a page about something weird because this food isn't fancy, pretty, different, or going in my food journal. I just wanted to record the experience and remember that I did indeed try those famous hot dogs.

So take a look at my page and then head over to Sketch-N-Scrap and join us for our mid-month sketch.

Supplies area all from the Sweetheart Paper Pack and coordinating products from Close to my Heart

Here is the sketch

Oh and by the way the hot dog was yummy and as a bonus I just discovered my little one LOVES hot-dogs so now I have a partner in crime.

I will announce the winner on my blog a little later on today.

My Heart is..Perfect right now

Welcome to the Sketch -N- Scrap Blog Hop!

We decided to try something new this month and our team is sharing artwork today featuring a bonus sketch! Also we have a special phrase for you to decipher along the way. Each of our blog hop ladies has a word(s) BOLDED for you to complete the phrase from the beginning to the end of the hop. Once you have completed the phrase, EMAIL it to sketchnscrap@gmail.com for another chance at the grand prize! If you have come here from Tamika's blog, then you are on the right path.

Our theme for our hop is Love Grows Where the Heart is...as I tried to decide what I wanted to scrapbook I came across these photos from my 40th birthday. I am not a big fan of them but at 40 if you don't learn to love yourself what will you have to offer others? There are a million things I thought I would have accomplished by 40 that I didn't. There are a million other things that I did accomplish. I think maybe part of the  reason I don't like these photos is because my whole WORLD had been crashing down around me leading up to my birthday and I was not really sure if I was prepared to take on my 40's or not. My 20s seemed a little tragic and my 30s were really a happy time and so since I had lots of final straws at 39 and had to decide where I wanted to take myself I decided that I could handle my 40's and I could handle them with grace, acceptance, and love...love of myself where I am right now. I have tons of changes I want to make in this decade. I need to pick up the pieces from a failed marriage. I need to start over financially. I need to lose the weight I have been saying I will lose for the past two decades. I want to send off my girls to each of their new life stages with the knowledge that they can do anything in the WORLD that their hearts desire. I want to enjoy those who love me. I want to make even more new friends and cherish my old friends.  I want to embrace who I have have become because of where I have been and enjoy each and every day! I want to remember that even though life is never perfect sometimes it can be perfect right now! At 40 I have learned to embrace who I am and you know what it is pretty liberating.  So no I don't think I am perfect .. but I am right now ~

Supplies: Pemperly kit and coordinating accessories from Close to my Heart

Here is the sketch if you would like to make your own page about how love grows where the heart is!

Now hop on over to Mandi's blog but before you do...leave me a little love and you will have a chance to win some eye candy! Yep...you have several chances to win...one chance here for leaving some love, a chance here and there on other Sketch-N-Scrap blogs...and one chance for figuring out the hidden phrase.

***eye candy surprise***

Leave me some love and I will pack a surprise goodie box for you full of fun things to make cards, scrapbook pages, or whatever paper craft you prefer. Winner will be drawn on February 15th so please comment by midnight on Valentines Day... February 14th.

You + Me = Friends

 So today we are having a great new sketch for you to try at Scrap-n-Sketch it is a multi photo and so versatile  I just fell in love with it right away.

These photos are some that I had laying around of me and my bestie we for some reason do not have very many photos of us even though we have been best friends for almost 30 years. I think we need to change that...though I am not sure if I can get her to agree. 

Here is a detail of the little journaling pocket and the owls from Whooo Loves You? 

Did you notice that sparkly paper? It is new in the Close to my Heart catalog...that is online starting today! I must get me some more of it. 

Here is the sketch. Please take the time to join us...and don't forget to stop by next week to see our special bonus sketch blog hop...you are going to LOVE it.

Name frame...twins

Ok so as you read a few weeks ago when you saw Jordan's name frame we had a little baby boom. All of these births were super exciting and joyful times. I was so happy for my cousins as they each welcomed new babies into their lives. I was doubly excited for the last announcment and she was having TWINS now we always joked about having twins in my family as my aunt who is a geneoligist told us how twins showed up here and there in the family but none of us ever had any...until now. A perfect set - one boy and one girl. They are just the sweetest little babies. When I got to hold both of them together it made me thankful that I only had one at a time.

I was really trying to think of what paper I could use for twins who share a room for my cousin who has always been a tom boy. Do I want them to match do I want them separate...I dicided to coordinate using a paper pack that is fun for kids and can be for a boy or a girl. Animal Cookies! Many years ago I entered the wrong code and ended up with a second set of this paper. I thought about getting rid of it but figured I would just keep it. Well I am SO glad I did cause it is just perfect for this project. See it isn't so bad to hoard your supplies for that some day...some day happened to me!

Here they are together

I wanted to make them coordinate but not be the same. I used a few different papers and My Stickease for each frame. First up the little boy frame.

 

Next up the little girls frame. I added a banner to this one. I just love to use banners. I hope this trend sticks around next year.

Here they are all finished together. She loved them. I loved them. I cannot wait to make more of them! Such a great fun gift that can be personalized. My daughter who is getting married later this year informed me that I will need to make her some when she decides to start having babies.

You can see the other name frames here Jordan, Eli, Maizie.