Just Because

Have you ever had to do something again just because?

I had to try this Etsy Inspired card again. I am much happier with this stamp design. It is called Key to My Heart from Close To My Heart. The background stamp is a London Script, I can not remember who made it. I had to add this to DYSU challenge 8 anything goes. And just I had to add some more bling for the Kraft Journal challenge #7 ;)

Here's the mug from Claylicious that inspired it all.

Etsy Insipred

This mug came from Claylicious. It's my inspriration for the Etsy Inspired Challenge #127 and The Kraft Journal Challenge #7 Bling It Up.

I started by inking up my stamp with craft ink, stamping it on kraft cardstock then heat embossed white. I sponged it with brown ink to make the design pop out. I trimmed it out and layered it onto aqua cardstock. Added the ribbon and bow. I added 3 aqua rhinestones in the bottom right corner. Then layered that piece onto the textured cram cardstock. The stamp came from Close To My Heart. Ta-dah!

Thank You So Much

I used several stamps by Papertrey Ink to make my card; Thank You so much from Damask Designs, the fancy circle from Spooky Sweets II and the Recipe Box Label. The patterned paper is from Sweetness by Pink Paislee. I also used Laceful  from Tapeswell. The rose came from a card kit by Anna Griffin. Check out the following challenges CR84FN, Papercraft Star, Papertrey Ink, and Moxie Fab World.

Cake Stands

I picked up these small wooden decorative pieces for $2 or $3 each from Lowe's. I had my husband cut a couple of small wood squares for the top. Then I screwed the pieces together, filled imperfections with wood filler and painted them white. I picked up a bag of glass rocks from the Dollar Tree and hot glued them into place around the edges.

 

Today I found this fantastic candle stick and square plate on clearance at Hobby Lobby. I paid just over $6 for them both. I really like the square shape and decorative edge, but do not like the roosters.

I used masking tape to create a square straight edge. Then I randomly ripped the masking tape and covered up that rooster.I then sponged shades of brown, burgundy and orange ink all over the masking tape.

The roosters are gone!

And to finish it up I hot glued the plate to the candle stick.

Voila!

Make It Mondays

This is my entry in the Papertrey Ink Make It Mondays Challenge #2. I started with a plain piece of white cardstock and used a swirly embossing folder for a little bit of dimension. I then used several shades of blue and green inks to sponge the sky and grass. I stamped the house and trees from the Boards & Beams stamp set and then used watercolor pencils. I stamped the sentiment from Homemade on vellum. Tada!

Red Damask

The bookmark and card is made with decorative tape from Tapeswell. It's the Red Damask pattern. I really love that the tape is clear so you can see other colors behind it. I am searching for the perfect shade of green to make something for Christmas with it. I'm linking this to Moxie Fab World Challenge - Get Daring With Decorative Tape. I'm also linking this to Paper Sundaes.

Hehehehe

My With Love card was the winner of Papercraft Star Challenge 31!

Check out the link.... http://papercraftstar.blogspot.com/2011/02/winner-of-challenge-31.html

Thank you for voting for me!

Just A Note

My card is on kraft cardstock measuring 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 square. I used the Stampin' Up! Big Z die called Top Note on white cardstock, then inked it up with Papertrey Ink's tea stain duo. I used a large background stamp called London Script with brown ink to stamp the die cut. The blue bird is from a stampset by

Close To My Heart called Find Your Style. I hand wrote just a note on cardstock, then cut it out and inked it all up. I tucked it under the birds beak and popped parts of the "ribbon" up for dimension. And finally added a rhinestone for the birds eye.

I'm linking my card to the Embellish Magazine, Kraft Journal, PaperCrafting Journey and Passionately Artistic.

Friend

For this card I started with a piece of green butterfly designer paper by Close To My Heart from the Wings collection. I used red ink on a large London Script background stamp then inked up the edges some. The butterfly and word friend is also by Close To My Heart from the Find Your Style stampset. I used dark red ink to stamp the butterfly, sponged it with more red ink and cut it out. I added some green ribbon and a few red rhinestones. Voila!

A Friend Is Someone Who

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart,

and will sing it back to you when you forget the words.

 Isn't that so true!

This sentiment is from the stampset called Find Your Style by
Close To My Heart.

The background is actually decorative tape from TapeSwell,
the pattern is called Pink Twig.

The twine is called Pink Sorbet from The Twinery and the
 flowers are from Anna Griffin.

I am adding my card to the Moxie Fab World decorative tape challenge,
 to Papercraft Star, Paper Crafting Journey, Craft Your Passion,
Paper Sundaes, Really Reasonable Ribbon and to Paper Issues.

{heart} pancakes

My four year old son Parker and I made pink pancakes with red hearts. So fun.

I don't guess he'll make them with me for too many more years. My baby is getting big.

Mon Amie

This is what I came up with for Embellish Magazine Color Challenge with hearts. This reminds me of some vintage wallpaper that you would find in a ladies room in a old hotel.

Thank You

Here's a Big O thank You!
I'm linking this to CR84FN and to {capture the moment} on Facebook.
This is my version of a Go-To Sentiment Card using teal, green and yellow.

Thanks So Much

How do you get yourself to use what you have and not hoard it all? I finally cut opened this scrapbook kit from Close To My Heart. I think it was called Emporium? They make the most fabulous kits, fun clear stamps and stickers to coordinate. Now if I can get over my fear of scrapbooking! lol
I linked this card to The Sweetest Thing and CR84FN.

Valentine Please Be Mine

Here's a Valentine's day card, envelope, gift bag and candy wrapper that was all made with the Black Damask tape from Tapeswell. I made the gift bag with the Fancy Favor Stampin' Up! Bigz Xl Die. If you check out Tapeswell's blog  you will see these posted there. I have gotten a little bit better at photographing my projects, but have so much more to learn. You will be able to see how beautifully Eileen displayed and photographed everything. I am entering this in JUGS spotlight challenge. Notice how the red heart is lined up with the damask pattern.

Come home with me, please

I am in love with this table. I love the fat pedestal. I love the tobacco finish.

It is from Paula Deen Home. I am swooning!

Dinosaur

I used my dinosaur to make a set of pot holders to enter the Prudent Baby sewing contest. I have a Singer that is easily 20 years old. I think I paid $20 for it last year. I wanted one for the longest time. Mostly to do stitching on cards. Isn't the red and white towel fabulous! I think I better stick to cards. lol

Happy Valentine's Day

Tapeswell has a new Red Damask pattern that I'm so in love with! I can't decide if I like it best on white, pink or red. Don't ya just love the pink wrinkled seam binding ribbon with the giant rhinestone brad. I had my first post on Tapeswell's Blog today! Whooo Hooo! So exciting! I give some details there on how I made the Valentine's Day cards. I added these to Do You Stack Up and  Making The World Cuter and Passionately Artistic Blogs.

Home Before And After

Today I thought I would show you some before & after pictures of some home improvement projects my husband Chad & I have completed. Thank you Chad! In know some of the projects (like the shower) I'll never be able to talk you into doing them again. I appreciate your skills kid :) lol

As you can see from this picture of our backyard it's nice and flat with no grass.

Our deck is now the entire length of the back of the house. On the far left we have a fireplace and a bar. The hot tub is sunk down into the deck, you can see the rust colored cover peaking up through it. The next area is open to lay out and relax. Then Chad's giant stainless steel grill. On the far right you can dine under the pergola. Chad hooked up the stereo system to play outside. We love to cool the hot tub down in the summer and listen to Bob Marley. It reminds me of a vacation in Rivera Maya Mexico.

Ah look at that lush green lawn. I'm anxious for spring. This picture shows the fort Chad built for Parker. Please ignore my poor landscaping around my fountain. lol

This was my first Mother's Day present. I'm glad I won the fight to make the shape round :)

It was so amazing to find out how much space was wasted by having a fiberglass shower stall.

You can get an idea how small it is next to the tub.

I can't imagine life without the shower now! We gained about four square feet in the same space. I bought the travertine 1 x 1 tiles a good year before talking Chad into helping me tackle this project.

Here's boring beige. Beige walls, beige carpet and beige-gray fireplace. Brass/goldtone ceiling fan. Really?

I used Walnut and Oak waterbased stains to change the look of the fireplace. Um yeah, after I started on the fireplace I thought "what was I thinking? This thing is huge." The fireplace looks so much warmer and natural now. I just love the orange walls with the hardwood flooring. And now the house feels so much cleaner without the carpet.

Fairytale

I used Vintage White Lace from Tapeswell over Papertrey Ink's Aqua Mist  cardstock. The sentiment is Beth Silaika's tag I used for Papertrey Ink's Download Challenge. I think this sentiment is perfect for weddings and anniversaries. I love that the Vintage White Lace is on clear tape. It will be so easy to make a card to match wedding colors.

Papertrey Ink Download Challenge

I made this Happy Birthday card for Papertrey Ink's Download Challenge. I decided to use both Nichole Heady's Happy Birthday To You tag and Dawn McVey's pattern tag. I started with a kraft cardstock base then covered it with  Venetian Decorative Tape from Tapeswell. If you look closely you can see I used foam tape to lift up the Happy Birthday tag and layered it over the patterned tag. I think all the circles and the color pop of turquoise is so fun. This challenge is for a chance at becoming the next Papertrey Guest Stamp Designer! How exciting!

With Love

I think this Valentine's Day is a bit sexy with the red and black. I made this card with Black Lace and Black Damask tape from Tapeswell. I just love how easy it is to take their tapes and put onto cardstock to create "my own" designer paper. This was the first time I tried the paper rolled roses technique. I love the red bling I put in their centers. I've had the Cherub stamp for so long now that I can't remember who made it.

I have entered this card in a few challenges today...

Simon Says Stamp And Show, Papercraft Star, Simon Says Stamp, Passionately Artistic, Do You Stack Up, Marks Finest Papers, PaperTake Weekly andMoxie Fab World.

Did you hear the news?

I am so extremely excited to say that I have been invited to become a member of the Tapeswell Team! Whooo Hooo!
It is so thrilling to be asked to make crafts for such a terrific company. I truly love their products and look forward to be "Stickin' with Tapeswell"  ;)
Here's the link to the announcement. You can see some of the things I made with the new Red Damask tape. Swoon! On their  blog.tapeswell.com there are details on how I decorated Homemade Valentine's Day boxes. Soon details will be posted on how to make the "ribbon".
Please check them out on  Facebook, their blog, YouTube, and Twitter as today is the last day to suggest a new pattern and possibly win a $20 gift certificate! You will not believe just how much you can do with just one roll!