Warm Winter Wishes

I have no idea yet who will receive this card. I created this card which I believe fits into two challenges:

Clearly Inspired Challenge #20 : Use three shades of blue, and use one of their stamps. The gals at Clearly iStamp even tossed in a freebie, which I used in the challenge.

Stampin' Sisters Challenge #39: Based on Ephesians 4:29, we were instructed to make a card that would encourage someone. Ah! Now I know who will receive this card!

Besides the Clearly iStamp snowman stamp, I used paper I had on hand. The following supplies came from Stampin' Up:

• Ribbon
• Flower brad 
• Crystal Effects (snowman's hat band)
• I printed the sentiment on my computer and punched it out with the Scallop Oval Punch.

I had a lot of fun creating this.

 

Love Birds

A worship leader we know is celebrating his 27th wedding anniversary with his wife in a few days. I saw his post on face book and decided to whip up a card. I searched for inspiration and found it at She Stamps (thanks, Cheryl!). I gave myself 15 minutes...then set the timer for 15 more minutes...then went a bit past that. So much for 15 minutes. I think if my office were more organized I could've done it in about half the time! I'm working on it. Progress, not perfection.

I used paper I had on hand, the Owl Punch and Scalloped Oval punches from Stampin' Up, the Journey and Ashlyn's alphabet Cricut Cartidges.  I made a little "oopsie" at the bottom. I wrote in my nicest handwriting, "A Chord of thee strands is not easily broken." Notice I wrote "thee" instead of "three." There was no way to squeeze the R in there. Then I remembered I had this gorgeous chantilly crocheted trim in my stash! I used sticky strip to lay down the satin ribbon to cover up my oopsie. I would have preferred to use Chocolate Chip, but I was out. I think the black works ok with the crocheted trim over the top. Another  layer of sticky strip (where would I be without this indispensable tool!?) went on over that, followed by the lace. My friend Michelle taught me this fold over technique & I use it every chance I get. It's a fun, easy way to add some flair. I'm all about fun and easy!

Thank you Card: Emma the Caroler

Hubby asked me to make a thank you card for a client who gave us a huge ham. She's a pianist who loves angels. It took me quite a while to find just the right stamp. I will edit this post later with a link to the site I bought it from. Yes I said bought. I'll explain more about that later.
I used paper I had on hand for the wedding album I have yet to make, despite recently celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary!

Update: I bought the Emma the Caroler/ Caroling Angel Pre-Colored digital stamp set from Fred She Said. I searched all day for just the right freebie, to no avail. I found one I liked used on a card but I couldn't find the source stamp. In my search, I came across this little cutie. As much as I of course prefer freebies, I just had to have this one!  $4 for a stamp I can use forever is not a bad deal!

Christmas Card ala My Digital Studio!

This was my first crack at my Christmas Card. This isn't the one I'm going with but a couple of my followers will be receiving the real thing in the mail, so I didn't want to give it away.  I'll be doing a 12x12 page from the Cookie part we went to Friday night and a Gymnastics birthday party we went to on Saturday. Stay tuned!

Happy crafting!

Peachy Keen Stamps Challenge #40

I'm on vacation with hubby this week. We are up in Tahoe. It's kind of a working vacay for him, but it gives me some much needed down time. I've been working on a quilt (stay tuned for pics!) and have been doing some digital scrapbooking. Along the way, I've meandered into the world of digital stamping.

In my meanderings, I encountered Peachy Keen Stamps. They have some super cute stuff. Right now they have a challenge going on. I hope to have time to make something with real tangible paper when I get home, but realistically I have way too much on my plate when I get home as it is. So, for now, I made this digital scrapbook layout.

I'm new to PhotoShop Elements. This is only my second project using it and I just started today! If you want to participate in the challenge, check it out here!

The papers are from a collection called Christmas Confection. I found these delectible freebies over at ComputerScrapbook.com.

More Easy,Peasy Digital Scrapbooking

At first I was just going to use some recent freebie kits I'd downloaded to create some pages to fill in with photos later. Then I realized I have so many photos and unfinished pages, I might as well take a couple of extra minutes to plunk some pics in there! Voila! May 2010 spread is finito!

If you would like to play around with this kit yourself, you can find it one of my new favorite freebie sites, No Reimer Reason. Even if I weren't head over heals nutso for the awesome scrapping products she has, I love the blog name. I'm sure it's based on her last name or something. But, the reason I like it is it reminds of my favorite teacher of all time, Mrs. Squires!  There is so much I could say right now, but I'll try to stay on topic! One day I was absent, but when I came back the next day she had this on the chalkboard, "The poetry and logic contest has been canceled for no rhyme or reason." I cracks up so hard when I read that, I was shaking! Everyone else thought I'd lost my marbles, but not Mrs. Squires. She knew exactly what I was laughing at. While everyone else had seen the note the day I was absent and shrugged it off, thinking "Huh? What poetry and logic contest? Well, I didn't enter so I don't really care." But I caught the joke in it and laughed uncontrollably.  OK, enough about Mrs. Squires!  Here are my scrapbook pages for today:

I am going to make a coordinating facing page that has all of the various nicknames we have for Miss M. This is all I got done today, headache and all!

Recent Digital Scapbook Pages

I don't have Photoshop. I wouldn't know how to use it if I did. I downloaded a free "knockoff" of it called GIMP once but couldn't figure out how to use that either. My friend showed me some awesome pages she has created using digital scrapbook freebies she has found on the internet, and layering them in Microsoft Publisher. Sooo...here are some pages I made today. I will be adding some others in the next few days as time allows!   I don't know why Blogger won't let me display them side by side! grrrr. Anyway, if you are interested in the free kit, you can get it over at Free Digital Scrapbooking.com

Cricut cards with Stampin Up features

I should check in with my own blog mire often! I totally thought I had
already posted these. I made these with my new fave Cricut cartridge,
Opposites Attract, some paper I had on hand, a Stampin Up stamp &
stampin up ink.

Cards fit for 2 Princesses

I whipped these out for my neices' upcoming birthdays. They are both
later this month. I am loving my Stampin Up stuff! The stamps are
called Princess Time. I used Regal Rose paper. I had the ribbon on
hand. The bling is "jewels basic rhinestone" from the latest Stampin
Up Idea Book & Catalog. Easy peasy!

You're My Cup of Tea!

This corny little play on words is so perfect for my hubby. I think
he'll appreciate that part. I'm wishing I'd decorated the tea pot a
little bit. I'm open to suggestions! Gotta get it done "under the
radar" by tomorrow night!

Thank you cards 1&2

I recently joined Stampin Up as a demonstrator to get my quality
stampin & scrappin' products at a discount. Theirs stamps, inks,
papers, & other consumables compliment my Cricut very well! These are
my 1st two SU cards. Sorry the 2nd one is sideways. I don't know how
to fix that on my phone yet.

I am so excited! Hubby tajes his next trip 4th of July weekend. It's a
tradition that when he's gone 3 days or mire, he gets a personal note
from me for each day he's gone. He really enjoys the handmade cards.

Not Your Grandma's Cloth Diapers!

When I was pregnant with Lil Miss, I decided I wanted to give cloth diapering a try. I knew it would save us a LOT of money, not to mention would be better for her skin, AND keep a ton of waste out of landfills! Something about mommyhood just makes me want to do whatever I can to make the world a better place for her to grow up in!

I had a very old fashioned book from the used book store day to day baby care. It showed how to fold diapers and pin them. However, the diapers in the book were large and square. Mine, which were given to me, were rectangular. I had no idea how to put them on, which led me to the story that unfolds in a previous post. In that post, I told you I would share my adventures of the newer kinds of diapers...so as promised, here it is!

After giving up on good ol' Gerber plastic pants, I ventured into the local baby boutique one day in search of ONE new diaper to try. The plastic pants had become hard to find. The prefolds are available at Wal-Mart but I guess most people buy them for burp clothes and don't need the covers.

Here are the THREE diapers I left the boutique with that day:

This is a fleece cover. It works like magic! It goes great over the pre-folds or the flannel pocket diapers I made for her. I stuff a pre-fold into the pocket and then wrap it up with this fleece cover and everyone stays dry! It's a little on the bulky side by the time you get all of that on her, but it's worth it in the end. She looks super cute, toddling around with her fluffy butt!

I'm in the process of making one out of a pink camo looking fleece I bought at Joann's. One will be a pull on and I'm going to try a wrap style like this one too.

I also have aspirations of repurposing a fleece blanket that wasn't made quite right into a skirty. It's basically a skort. Stay tuned!






This is a Happy Heiney One Size Pocket diaper. I had told the boutique owner I was looking for an All In One (AIO), for their daddy and daycare friendliness. She pointed out that pockets can be just as daddy/daycare friendly if you just pre-stuff the dipes for them. The one size feature also means they will last longer because we won't need to keep buying new sizes. See the snaps in the front? It's kind of hard to tell but there are three columns of them. The right and left column are hidden by the fullness of the diaper. You can snap those up to make the diaper smaller. The waist is also very adjustable. Pocket diapers give the flexiility to add more inserts for more absorption such as nap and night time. This diaper is a great investment, but I still look for similar, less expensive types on eBay!



This is my absolute favorite diaper so far! It's called a JamTots Berry Plush. The outer part of the cover is made of minkee, the softest, cuddliest fabric in the WORLD! The inside of the cover is PUL, which has become the gold standard of waterproof liners in cloth diapers. It's flexible/soft and breathable. The soaker has a layer of minkee that goes against baby's skin, and seven layers of organic hemp fleece. The soaker is incredibly absorbent. Plus, it snaps in and out. You just change the soaker and reuse the cuddly-soft cover unless it gets soiled.

This diaper has been great for night time. We haven't had any leaks or blow outs. Plus, I love snuggling with her (well I love snuggling with her anyway) when she wakes up in the wee hours to nurse.

You can find great cloth diapers and more online at Kelly's Closet. Right now you can get free shipping (those words are music to my ears!) on orders over $49!

My Unintended New Year's Resolution!

When I was little, I used to suck my thumb. To hear my mom tell it, it was a hard habit for me to break. They tried all kinds of things, including bribery. I agreed to stop and mom was going to take me to get my ears pierced. Well, evidently the trauma of getting my ears pierced led me back into the comfort of thumb sucking!

I eventually got over it I guess. But not long after, picked up the nasty habit of biting my nails. I can even remember sitting in my bath tub at the house I mostly grew up in. I was biting them and Mom told me to stop. I then put my hands under the water and proceeded to pick at my nails. Ha! Like she couldn't see my hands under the water! Anyway, she said, "Don't pick at them, either!" or something like that.

I just turned 34 years old this month. This has been a very long habit. I've tried to quit, but it's SO hard because your hands are always with you! Mostly I do it and don't even realize I'm doing it. I don't even know WHY. I've tried getting acrylic nails, but managed to get to those too. Mostly if I found an edge that was lifting, I just had to get in there and "help it along."

A few years ago, one of my lower, front teeth chipped. I don't remember now if it was from biting my nails or something else. I got it fixed, but it soon chipped again and took even MORE of the tooth with it. I was devastated and hated my smile. Not long after that, I bit on something that shouldn't have had anything hard in it, but it did and it chipped a TOP, front tooth! Now I REALLY hated my smile!

The crappy dentist I was going to (not the same one who "fixed" the 1st chip) wouldn't even attempt to fix the chips due to their location. Being the front teeth where we bite down and pull on food, he was sure they wouldn't hold. The last time I went to him, some of his equipment started to fail and he opened up something in the floor and tried to fix it with me in the chair! It was so dusty and awful, and a spaghetti factory of wires and hoses, I just couldn't bring myself to go back.

My husband recommended his dentist to me. He's on our dental plan, so I decided to give him a try. I was ecstatic to learn he was willing and able to fix my teeth AND it would be covered (in part) on my dental plan because it was restoration, not cosmetic! Wahooo!

While I wish they were whiter (but am not yet ready or willing to give up coffee), they are WHOLE again and I can smile more confidently.

The unintended consequence, and New Year's Resolution that came out of all of this is that I can't "feel" my nails when I bite them because of the composite in the places where I normally bite! So, whenever I go to bite them, I stop myself because I realize I can't feel it. I'm sure if I persisted, I'd figure it out. But for now, the composite stops me long enough to realize what I'm doing and STOP.

My Diaper Stash Part II

Here are some pics of the first set of 5 or 6 diapers I made for Miss M before her arrival. I got the awesome, easy, FREE (one of my FAVORITE words!) pattern, called Rita's Rump Pocket. I will be using this pattern to make some waterproof dipes soon. I got some nylon (like windbreaker jacket material) that I'm going to sandwich between the flannel layers so I don't need a cover, thereby reducing the bulkiness! Stay tuned for more on THAT adventure.

For now, here's some pics. Remember, she wasn't here yet so I used my Army Teddy Bear to model some of them!



Oopsie! I guess I only have one pic! Sorry about that! I'll take some more and add them later. Til then, Happy Crafting!

Tiny Tush Elite Diape Giveaway!

I have been getting back to cloth diapering Miss M...mainly when we are home. I have not gotten brave enough to push it on her day care provider yet, though I'm sure she wouldn't mind, or to use them when we are out. I guess I'm still looking for "the one" what I feel confident enough to do that with!

I love trying different types of cloth dipes. I have gotten some good ones on eBay. There is a cover I especially like. It has a purple print on the outside and PUL on the inside so it just wipes clean if needed. It fits over the dipes I made her OK. I love seeing her bubble butt when she is wearing cloth! Her walk is also especially adorable in cloth!

Well, in my quest to find THE perfect cloth diaper, I found that Tiny Tush is giving away a Tiny Tush Elite diaper to each of THREE winners! I love the fact that it is an "AIO" (all in one). To me, that makes it more like a 'sposie, which would make converting day care and daddy a little bit easier! It's also a one size, which means it will fit Miss M and her brother or sister (should she have one someday) for most of her diapering days!

If you have considered cloth diapering, why not head over to Tiny Tush and enter the giveway! What a great way to give them a test drive!

Birthday Card ala Cricut

My aunt's birthday is coming up so I thought I would make her a card.
I was low on inspiration but my trusty bff helped me. She designed the
coffee background paper when I told her my aunt likes starbucks. I had
the cream colored cardstock on hand so it worked out great!

The bottom line kinda resembles a ransom note but I'm hoping she won't
notice!

Made with the Cricut Journey cartridge