Thank You Card

I know, I know! Where the heck have I been? It's been quite some time since I last posted, and quite some time since I last crafted. I've been busy with Homeschooling (we're finishing up for the year), and home renovations (yes, we ARE still working on those), and I've had some company (Grandma came for a surprise visit). So, lots of things have kept me busy and away from the crafting world. And during that time, I realized I needed the break. :)

I have a quick thank-you card to share with you today. My husband's cousin and his family invited us over for Sunday brunch last week, and it was SUCH a lovely time that I wanted to make them a little something to say "Thanks".

You know me - I can't resist a good coffee pun. ;)

Details:
A2 size card
Base: Kraft paper
All paper: scraps (I LOVE when that happens!)
Coffee cups: Paper Smooches Hot Concoctions, paper pieced
"Thanks": K Andrew Winter Wishes
"A Latte": K Andrew Coffee and Tea for You and Me
Twine: The Twinery "Cappucino" (fitting, yes?)

Challenges Entered:
Little Scrap Pieces - use a bow
Paper Playtime - anything goes
Aud Sentiments - anything goes
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Crazy 4 Challenges - use paper piecing

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

A Very Special CWC Challenge

Good Morning! It's Wednesday again, and time for another challenge over at Cooking With Cricut. This week we're asking you to use your talent in the most wonderful (and rewarding way).

The CWC DT has recently been introduced to a couple of remarkable young ladies who are going through some tough things in their lives. Patty is a beautiful 13-year-old girl who is battling a rare form of cancer (you can read about her HERE), and Emily is a 6-year-old sweetheart who is fighting leukemia (you can read about her on Madison's I Feel the Love page HERE). We're asking you to step up this week and send these girls some love.  

Here's my card for Patty:

I love vintage Winnie the Pooh, and this stamp makes me smile - I hope it does the same for Patty. :)

Details:
Card Base: 5"x5", Kraft paper
Flowers: Forever Young
Stamp: bought it from a fellow DT member in a "yard sale" - I've been hoarding it ever since, waiting for the perfect card to use it on; coloured with Copics
Yellow, leafy paper: DCWV solid colour cardstock. I stamped it with a mini Winnie the Pooh leaf stamp I bought in the same yard sale referred to above
Green paper: Paper Smooches cardstock that I bought AGES ago, but haven't used because it's SOOOO nice
Red Paper: DCWV
Inside Sentiment: My Craft Spot Sweet Sentiments #1
Punches: Martha Stewart, EK Success
Spellbinders Nestabilities Lacey Circles

Shared With:
My Craft Spot (Inside & Out)
Make it Monday
Cutie Pie Challenge (favorite cute stamp)
Cupcake Craft Challenge (Spring)
Use It Tuesday (Anthing Goes)
Anything Goes (Anything Goes)
Pile It On (Starts with "S" - the swing)
Sundays Are Lovely

Now, on to Emily's card.

Details:
Card Base: A2, Kraft paper
Cricut Cartridge Used: I used Twinkle Toes for everything. 
Mouse: 3.25"
Black and Pink frame (which is actually the base for a phrase): 3.5"
Flowers on inside of card: I can't remember the size! Acck! Sorry. :(
Sentiment: Paper Smooches Eco Friendly & Alphadot
Pink & White paper: DCWV Baby Girl Stack

Shared With:
I Feel the Love
Die Cuttin' Divas (pastels)
Celebrate the Occasion (Just because, use pink)

So now it's YOUR turn! Please, please, PLEASE join us this week. There is no better way to use the talents God has blessed you with than to uplift someone else. Let's FLOOD these girls with love! You can find all the information you need (including mailing addresses) over at Cooking With Cricut. I so look forward to seeing all your wonderful cards of encouragement.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fabulous day! :)

CWC Easter Challenge

Good Morning! It's Wednesday and that means a brand new challenge over at Cooking With Cricut. This week we want to see your Easter creations!

I can't believe it's already Easter! Normally, by this point I would have my egg hunt all ready to go, and my Easter baskets all packed up. But this year I'm completely behind. Thanks to this challenge, I have ONE thing finished. Hey, it's a start, right?

Have you ever played with Christmas crackers? My kids discovered them on Mr. Bean (NOTHING makes us laugh as hard as Mr. Bean's antics), and sort of fell in love with the whole idea. I decided to make my own as part of our Easter week celebrations. They were SUPER simple, and Abi and Luke are already asking when they get to crack them open.

Here's what inside:

I stuffed it all into empty toilet paper tubes and then wrapped the tubes with some old paper I found in my stash. It's thin, so it was easier to manipulate, but I think I'd use gift wrap next time.

Here's a back view - love that little bunny tail:

I used Doodlecharms for the bunny heads, and PKS Critter Faces for the cute little faces. The feet are just circles I cut out using circle punches, and the tails are pom poms I swiped from the kids' craft stash.

APPARENTLY, you can buy the snaps to put inside the crackers - to make the "POP" - but I coudn't find them. Disappointing, but Abi and Luke assure me they can make the sound themselves and it'll work just as well. :)  I have made it my mission to track down the actual snaps before Christmas though, so if anyone can point me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it!

Challenges Entered:
PKS Challenge: Easter Candy Container
My Craft Spot: Easter
Wacky Wednesday: Easter or Spring
Scrappy Moms: Easter
Krafty Girls: Easter

And now it's your turn to get that last minute Easter crafting finished. Be sure to head over to Cooking With Cricut and share it with us!  Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fabulous day! :)

I Feel the Love - Abi's Card

Hi all! Just a quick post to share my Abigail's card for Madison's I Feel the Love project.

Know what? I believe God gives each of us gifts for a reason. Personally, I'm happiest when I'm using those gifts for HIS purposes. Like the I Feel the Love Project. With that in mind, I always encourage Abi to join me in making cards for Madison's project. 

Abi was super excited to USE MY COPICS for the first time!! The image is from C.C. Designs, and Abi coloured it ALL BY HERSELF. She then designed the rest of the card around the image. The whole time she kept saying: "Oh, THIS is SO going to make Trinitie smile." Gosh, I'm proud of her. :)

There is still time to make a card for Trinitie. So why not use YOUR creative gifts for a higher purpose this month? I mean, really, who the heck are you going to give a "Welcome Spring" card to anyway? ;)

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful evening! :)

Cooking With Cricut "Make Us Laugh" Challenge

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday! It's time for another challenge over at Cooking With Cricut. This week we're asking you to make us laugh. So pull out your joke books and your punny stamps, and let your silly side take over. :)

Oh boy, this one cracks me up. It's almost a naughty word, but not really (although the entire time I was making it, I kept thinking my mom was going to show up with a bar of soap. hee hee!). I actually made it for my nephew, who's turning 11 in a few weeks. He's going to appreciate being able to say the word "dam" without getting in trouble with his Mom. HA! That's what Aunties are for, right? :)

Details:
4.25" x 11" card
Beavers: Campin Critters
Embossing folders: Tim Holtz wood grain, Swiss Dots
Outside Sentiment: Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler
Inside Sentiment: my computer
Patterned Paper: Me & My Big Ideas
Other Paper: Scraps

Challenges Entered:
FCCB (use a gentle animal. I think beavers are gentle. Aren't they?)
Paper Playtime (for a guy)
Pile it On (for a guy)
Make It Monday (link party)

Now it's your turn! Head on over to Cooking with Cricut and make us laugh! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day. :)

I Feel The Love With Paper Smooches

Happy Friday everyone! My husband has the day off today (we call it "Special Friday" and the kids LIVE for it), so he's playing board games with Abi and Luke, and I get to take some time to share a very special card with you.

As many of you know, I am a big supporter of the I Feel the Love project. This project was created by my friend Madison over at Funky Cards. Not only is Madison SUPER talented, she is also SUPER giving - she has the BIGGEST heart. Every month, Madison selects a family or individual that is facing some challenges, and she gives us the opportunity to send them some love through our hand-made cards. This month's recipient is Trinitie, a beautiful little girl who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor (you can find all the details HERE).

I had a million different ideas running through my head for this project. I finally chose a path by considering what my Abigail would like, since she and Trinitie appear to be the same age. Abigail is REALLY into animals (she's my future vet), and I happened to have a BRAND new set of Paper Smooches stamps that I have been DYING to use (because they are SO cute!). Here's what I came up with:

Abi gave me her stamp of approval (I believe her exact words were "OOOOOOHH, CUTE!!!!"), so I hope Trinitie will like it too.

Details:
Animals: Paper Smooches Zoo Crew, coloured with Copics
Flowers, Bee: Paper Smooches Perky Plants, coloured with Copics
Sun, Inside Sentiment: Paper Smooches Eco Friendly
Grass, Inside Butterflies: Martha Stewart punches
Paper: Scrap Box

Challenges Entered:
Paper Smooches Sparks (inspired by Spring theme, colours)
Celebrate the Occasion: Spring
Whimsical Wednesday: Spring
Crafty Catz: Spring
Sundays Are Lovely: Link Party and Jaihart Designs

Please head on over to Madison's blog and check out the I Feel the Love Project for March. I really hope you'll consider joining us in sending some love and encouragement Trinitie's way. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend! :)

Cooking With Cricut Challenge Day

Good Morning! It's Wednesday and that means it's time for another challenge over at Cooking With Cricut. This week we are creating projects inspired by SPRING SONGS.

This is a fun one for me. I love music, all kinds of music, so it was hard to narrow it down to just ONE Spring song. But in the end, I chose a classic.

Gosh I love that song. It just makes me happy. :) Here's my take on it:

Details:
Clouds and Sun: Create a Critter
Sun's face: PKS Everyday Character Face Assortment
Paper: Recollections
Sentiment: my computer

In order to get the dimension I wanted, I cut both layers of the sun three times and layered it all up. I did the same with the clouds and then pop-dotted them too.

I'm also sharing this project with Jill's Sundays are Lovely link party over at Jaihart Designs (she's a fellow DT member, and she's fabulous!).

Now it's your turn! Head on over to CWC and link up your Spring-Song-Inspired project! Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day! :)

Thank You!

Good Morning everyone! 

Don't you LOVE getting mail? Not email (though that's nice too), but actual MAIL from the mailbox? Me too!! And I've been super blessed over the past couple of weeks in this regard. Not long ago I won some blog candy from two of my fellow Cooking With Cricut DT members, and it finally came in the mail!!

This is from Court of Court's Craft Corner:

Now, those of you who know me know that layouts make my head hurt. :) These scrapbook kits are PERFECT - everything I need is right there in each little package! I already have big plans for these, and my Abigail has already claimed one for herself. :) Thanks so much Court!!

And if that wasn't enough, earlier this week I received a package from Felicia over at Scrapper in the Making:

There is no way Felicia could have known this, but I've checked out this EXACT stamp set a few times, and I've talked myself out of buying it every time. So THANK YOU Felicia! I can hardly wait to get creating! :)

Isn't the crafting world generous? :)

Before I sign off, just a reminder that today is cartridge showcase day over at Cooking With Cricut, and yours truly is sharing some projects I've made with Paper Doll Dress-Up. So be sure to head on over there and check it out. :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day! :)

Birthday Penguin

Happy Sunday! We have some GORGEOUS weather happening in Calgary this weekend. I spent a good portion of yesterday outside and I plan on doing the same thing today. The housework can wait until it snows again. ;)

I have quick card to share with you today. It's my niece's birthday this month, so I whipped up something cute for her.

Recipe
5 x 5 card
Penguin: Bugaboo Stamps, coloured with Copics
Yellow Patterned Paper: Echo Park Summer Days 6X6 Pad
Purple Paper: DCWV
Sentiment: My Pink Stamper Punny-Licious
Twine: The Twinery - "Lilac"

Challenges Entered:
Freshly Made Sketches
My Craft Spot - use a bird
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards Challenges - use an animal
Bugaboo Stamps Catch the Bug - use humor

And now I'm off to enjoy the great outdoors! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful rest of your weekend! :)

CWC Dr. Seuss Challenge

Good Morning! It's Wednesday and that means it's challenge day over at Cooking With Cricut! This week we are saluting Dr. Seuss.

One of the things I love about Dr. Seuss' books is how he encourages children not only to read, but also to use their imaginations. To come up with new and wonderful ideas.

Pulling out my Bind-it-All, I created notebooks for Abi and Luke to write their "thinks" in. And with the leftover paper, I made them each a book mark.

Aren't Thing 1 and Thing 2 adorable? They're just one of several new Dr. Seuss-themed PCW files. Using them for this project seemed appropriate, since there's a little bit of Things 1 and 2 in Abi and Luke. :) I modified the digi files a little, and coloured them with Copics. I also used Simply Charmed for the pencils, and Create a Critter for Thing 1's thought bubble. The twine is from The Twinery.

I have to say that this challenge is near and dear to my heart. I have very fond memories of my Mom reading to me every night before bed, and often our books of choice were those written by Dr. Seuss. Fox in Sox, The Cat in the Hat, Wacky Wednesday, How the Grinch Stole Christmas - they were favorites of mine then, and still are today, as I enjoy them with Abi and Luke. My Mom loves books, and through that special time together, she passed that love on to me. And I've now passed it on to my own children.

My husband and I have been reading to Abi and Luke since they were infants. Literally. I firmly believe that it's never too early to start instilling a love of literature in your children. At age 9, Abi doesn't merely read books; she DEVOURS them. At last count, our Homeschool reading log indicated that Abi has read over 40 chapter books since September! And Luke? He's in the early stages of learning to read, and can hardly wait until he can do it all by himself. In the meantime, there is no hiding his pleasure when we sit down with a pile of books and read the afternoon away. :)

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you'll head on over to Cooking With Cricut and join us in paying tribute to Dr. Seuss. :)