2sketches4you Laura's #36

oh my gosh! as i was making this card last night to participate in Laura's sketch #36, i said to my sister, "this is the cutest card ever!" hehe. and i really really do like it. i moved the scallops from the bottom of the sketch to right below the midline (with my lace). don't you love how you can switch one element of a sketch and still have it "work"?




see that amazing cupcake felt sticker? it's from sassafras and i'm giving two feltie sticker packages away in my BLOG CANDY--so if you think this card is cute, you should definitely enter.

the rest of the supplies all come from DCWV except the ribbon and lace--Michael's and Jo-Ann's.

that silhouette paper is actually velvety, and i love it. this card has so much texture and interest--maybe that's why it's become a quick favorite.

well, gotta get going--today i'm spending some much needed "rest/ catch up" time with a girlfriend, Paulina... we're getting massages :D then going to dinner :D and THEN going to a party. YAY! and you may be wondering why i'm blogging on a friday morning... well, i have the day off school! w00t w00t! i am so happy :D sleeping in is my favorite.

well, thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to enter in the blog giveaway HERE.

monster cards and a little about me

hey there! so last Saturday was World Card Making Day, and as i was surfing the web for all the fun stuff going on that day, i happened upon the Caardvarks survey regarding paper crafting. i thought at first--"there's too many questions," (ha! this coming from the English teacher), but as a dutiful sister would (*cough, cough* CHOKE) i followed my sister's encouragement to fill out the Caardvarks survey anyway. now i'm glad i did, even though it took some thought and typing :D you know, good things *DO* often take some time... BUT, the cool part is that some of my responses were actually highlighted on the blog on Sunday. :D

i've included my full responses below the pictures... i hope you enjoy learning a little bit more about me and my paper crafting style!

this group of cards uses the Doodle Stack from DCWV, a lot of red, green, and kraft. also, all the stamps are PTI sentiments that i borrowed from my friend Paulina.

don't you love those little faces of horror and delight? :D they make me laugh.

i showed these to my brother Peter, and he said, "When am I going to get my birthday card? Can this be my birthday card?" i just about fell over laughing--i said, "YES! ...just let me write something on the inside." anyway, i know if it passes muster when my brothers like it :D

all the layouts are similar, with just a few parts arranged differently. i had a fun time distressing the edges with an actual distresser as opposed to my scissors... SOOO much easier :D

anyway, here are the Q/A's as promised, and if you haven't already seen my BLOG CANDY from a previous post, you need to get going! go over and enter by leaving a comment--it's that easy :D

What is your favorite part of the card making process?
I love making the card… finding the right paper, cutting out the pieces I need, and putting it all together. I also really like adding the finishing touches—the glitter at the end, or the flower embellishment.

What's on your craft table right now?
A card in process: DoodleFactory “Santa” stamped in chocolate ink on cream paper. I’m working on a combo challenge card for Christmas—it’ll count towards Dawn Mcvey’s Color Challenge as well as 2sketches4you, Kazan’s sketch.

What color combos do you most enjoy?
Ooooh, I absolutely LOVE pink and black. I wear it a lot, so that may be a reason why.

Where do you gather inspiration?
Everything. I like looking at blogs and sketches, but really, when I’m not basing a card or layout on someone else’s art, I just kinda look around and ideas start flowing. I am not currently keeping an idea book, and luckily, haven’t *had* to keep one—my ideas haven’t stopped yet :D Pretty paper doesn't hurt one bit either--having things on hand helps me get going!

How many cards do you make in an average week?
Well, because I teach full time (9th grade English), and coach girls swimming, I generally only get to create on the weekends. Maybe 3-4?

How did your passion for card making begin?
My friend Paulina kinda got me started. She invited me to a scrapbooking convention last November, and I ended up going and spending a *ton* of money. Then I had all these things I was looking to use, so I started a blog, looking at work that I admired, and then it just kind of took off from there. I have always loved Paulina’s cards, and still point to her encouragement as the reason I started blogging/ card making.

What's your favorite card theme?
I love making cards for birthdays. I tend to go “whole hog” as my sister Cecelia would say, and the last couple of “cards” I’ve made have turned into booklets :D hehe. I especially like making cards for people I know intimately—family, friends, co-workers, because it gives me pleasure knowing I’ve created something they’ll love.

What 3 pieces of advice would you give to a new card maker?
Keep trying new things. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Update your blog/ photo gallery frequently. (Advice #4: participate in challenges and comment on other work—they’ll come back to your blog and leave you encouragement and good feedback if you ask.)

Other than card making, what other hobbies do you enjoy?
I love scrapbooking (even though it’s in the same category as card making), and watching movies. I’m something of a movie addict—I love watching movies just about all the time. I also love baking, when I get a free moment… anything with chocolate (banana nut chocolate bread, chocolate chip cookies, etc).

Do you send or hoard your cards?

Both. When I create something specific (birthday, anniversary, thank you, etc) then I send it right away. BUT, I usually don’t have a specific purpose in mind when I make all the cards I do—so I have ended up with a stash of cards that keeps piling up. I am working on de-hoarding that stash by slowly listing these cards on Etsy. We’ll see how it goes :D

thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to check out the candy HERE!

Kazan's #36 & Dawn McVey's #17

yay, a combo card challenge!

i finally got to participate in two challenges this week, which is major for me since i've been so busy lately with school (open house on thursday) and coaching the swim team (2 meets this week--phew!)

anyway, i was able to participate in the Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #17 over at Dawn McVey's blog (use the colors aqua, red, brown, kraft, and cream) as well as Kazan's sketch #36 over at 2sketches4you. hope you check both of them out as the participants have LOVELY entries :D

here i was able to make a super sweet "ho ho ho" Christmas card with one of my favorite stamp lines--DoodleFactory stamps... isn't that Santa the cutest? :D

well, i've gotta run--i'm going to see "Whip It" with my sister tonight--should be good.

also, please enter my BLOG CANDY above for a chance at some lovely goodies.

enjoy, and thanks for looking!

animal crackers layout

well, i was telling you last week about my upcoming crop. remember? well, if you don't, then just check out this post. anyway, it was AMAZING. i loved it. i had so much fun, was so productive, ate waaay too much food, and will definitely be going back next year.

this crop's location was in a nearby city, maybe 20 minutes from my house, so not too far away, but far enough to feel "away," you know?

well, as soon as i drove up to this place called "The Keepsake Cottage" (which by the way is booked almost every single weekend throughout the year with the exception of a few weeks in August), i was struck by how different its appearance was from what i'd expected. i walked in and was even more shocked! from the outside, what looked like a long rectangular single story "office" building almost (more house-ish, but still), was really a beautiful, well-appointed, and amazingly relaxed crop station! hard wood floors, full kitchen (with the cutest stools, tables, and centerpieces), ott lites, rolly chairs, 6 ft long tables, tons of outlets, a Cricut with EVERY SINGLE cartridge imaginable (seriously, i don't think there were any missing, aside from new releases!), 2 Big Shots, a TV/ DVD player, and about 8 different rooms--styled completely separately and fabulously.

in my assigned room i was greeted with some cute pink camo bedding. underneath it all, i had the MOST comfortable bed--pillowtop mattress, good support, everything was perfect, which was an added plus to the cuteness factor.

here's my bed, and above you can see the wall art--the lyrics to "Twinkle, twinkle, little star..."


let's just say i felt MORE than a little spoiled at this cottage. i was so blessed! oh, the nightstands held some noisemakers (i always have a fan running at home, so this was amazingly thoughtful) as well as earplugs for the snorers... not ME!

perhaps the best part, or *one* of the best parts, was the food... our hostess cooked EVERY SINGLE meal, and they were amazing! we had such good variety, quality, and we were treated with desserts after dinner and another "late night snack" towards the time of ten o'clock. i seriously probably gained 5 pounds! (so worth it :D)

the real best part of the whole weekend was the amount of work i got done. i was a machine, making layout after layout. in total, i made 36 layouts (some doubles mixed with singles) from events like last year's Fair pictures, to this year's missions trip to Ecuador.

it's going to take me a while to share all these layouts with you, but i'm super excited to do it... here's the first one, from the Fair last year, entitled, "Animal Crackers" showcasing the mama pigs and piglets that are newly born each year...

this layout is loosely follows Laura's sketch #35 from 2sketches4you... but i think i'll make a card to follow the sketch... gotta love the chunky scalloped edge!

in all my scrapbooking, i've never made that many layouts in that span of time... i think it was really helpful to have everything so spread out and having other people around me. i know for SURE that part of the reason for my success is related to the fact that i didn't have "anything else to do" too... made it easier to focus :D

here you can see a general view of the crop tables. mine is highlighted with the pink circle. i think i brought the most "stuff" to crop with, but it was a good thing, and i was glad i brought it.

here's my friend/ roomie, Shawna, getting things done on her computer so she could cross them off her "to-do" list. we shared a room, laughs, and lots of stories... so great to have her there with me :D

oooh, and a self-portrait. not one of my best, but i thought i'd better take one anyway. i didn't take many pictures while i was there because i was literally cranking out the pages!

oh, i'll have to share with y'all the PRIZE that i won... it's really an amazing prize, AND an amazing story.

anyway, i hope YOU get to have a fun weekend like i did at some point... i wish i could do these more often and with greater ease (i can't leave work that frequently). have you ever had a great (or horrible) cropping experience? care to share? :D

thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Friday!

u r a nut!

okay, two things. first, i LOVE my lightbox! i'm still working on the angles and the light exposure, but i think that my photos will be better :D yay! i'll have to take a picture of the outside of my box sometime... it's funny looking, hehe!

second, can you understand the sentiment? like, if i hadn't posted in the title, "u r a nut," would you have understood the words/ pictures? cuz 3/4 of my family *did*, but there was 1/4 that didn't "get it."

i used the wonderful sketch by Kazan over at 2sketches4you. always lovely, always inspiring. i think i'll be taking this sketch along with me to a crop i'm going to this weekend... fun stuff, eh?

i used the DCWV Green Stack, some chipboard alphas, kraft, some AC satin woodgrain ribbon, PTI button, and a new $1 stamp i got from Michael's. oooh, and the flourishes are stamped and glittered with Martha Stewart glitter i won at an Impress Stamp night--door prize, baby! :D they're having another one on Oct 24th if you'll be around the Tukwila, WA area around then you should totally check it out. i loved my first one, and i can't wait for my second time!

anyway, thanks for looking, and have a GREAT weekend!

tomorrow is...

1. thursday. one of the best days of the week in my opinion. you only have one more day of school, and you can start to anticipate the weekend. plus, it's a great day.
2. one more day until the scrapping weekend with Shawna.
3. the day i use my new light box (made by me! and Cecelia) on a card i made for 2S4Y
4. my swim team's first swim meet... with 4 girls. woohoo (*note: sarcasm* we have a super small team and will lose all our meets. it's hard on the girls, but hard on me, the coach, too.)
5. a quiz day at school! yay, less work!
6. a day to hear AMAZING singing at the swim meet... our national anthem singer has a voice to *SWOON* over. ah, my heart is melting just thinking about his voice... ;)
7. a day to be thankful
   

yay, so there's a lot of things to be thankful about, and so i thought i'd post this in relation to the above reasons. this is one of the last cards i took photos of without my lightbox... some cards from bygones will have this same brick background, but the new ones will have some better lighting, etc once i figure out all the kinks.

it's a basic card, ribbon, button, paper... but i love how simple it is and the "cuteness" of it.

thanks for looking, and check back tomorrow, for it is THURSDAY!

my sister's cards!

haha, my family is funny. you should know that if you read along with my blog... but my sister, Cecelia, she is a special kind of funny. i love her. she is my best friend. and she makes me laugh a lot.

but, she recently wrote a blog post about crafting/ card making. i laughed so hard (to myself, because i read it later at night when my family was already snugly tucked into their beds), i couldn't resist. go visit her post entitled, she made me do it! (in reference to myself of course! :D) and see for yourself. plus, her cards are pretty stinking cute, don't you think?