from the archives...

when i saw a post in draft form on my blogger dashboard, i was immediately going to delete it, but decided to check if there were any pictures loaded already... and YES, there were a few (below).

but first, you'll have to forgive the editing/ quality of the pictures.  not really sure what i was thinking way back when.  i think these cards have been shipped off or are long gone in a gift somewhere.  not quite sure.

but the colors are cool, and i did do some stamping (PTI) and a few rub-ons (which is NOT normal for me).

so maybe these make you smile because they're cute, or because the photos are well... just check them out!



i remember that the cupcake chipboard elements are from DCWV... the above card says "daydream"

and this one says "golden days."

ha! so there you go!  a blast from the past so to speak.

hope you enjoyed!

manicure monday: nail obsession?

hey, it's me.

i TOLD you that i might not always be posting crafty stuff!  i *do* have some creativity to share though... it's been going on a while, but i've mainly been sharing it through Facebook and Instagram.

so, this is new feature on the blog "manicure monday" will be where i share some of my recent nail art designs/ creativity with you.  i might add a few posts about my nails throughout the week, but for sure, they'll be something every monday :D  and, at this point in my life, i am painting my nails with alarming frequency.  i used to think that the people i stalked read about on blogs that painted their nails once or more a day were crazy.  i don't anymore.

i haven't actually done a two-fer (painted my nails twice in one day) but i have thought about it (very seriously).  not because i don't like the end result, but because it's fun!

so, feel free to share with me which designs you like, or if you have questions (not that i'm any expert!) but i do love to cater to your needs/ feed a new obsession if i can!  if you want to borrow an idea from here (or anywhere else), it's always a good idea to give credit... you'll see that most of my ideas aren't necessarily 'my own.' 

the above was a sunset gradient idea i borrowed from a pinterest pin.  (if you want to follow me/ my nail board, just go HERE.)

these cheetah print nails were done the same day (they're just different hands, not bad eh?).  i love neon, i love sparkle, and i love fancy nails.  hence, the ridiculous nails!

i love the animal prints obviously! i stamped this design too (using a konad plate, i probably bought it because of Kristina's blog :D) and i again used a neon pink.

this one i'm super proud of... ombre designs are super popular now, and i decided to go with a green theme.  i stamped (using a cheeky plate) for this manicure as well, and i got a TON of compliments on it.  the stamping really does pull the whole idea together.

back in the days when i was just learning how to stamp on my nails, i did this manicure... used some coral Essie polish (i can look it up if you want to know the name) and the Insta-Dri from Sally Hansen. i don't think it's terrible for my third go around... :D

here's the last one i'm showing you today.  it's my first attempt at stamping.  i only did one nail, as an accent.  see how the image didn't transfer all the way?  sometimes in crafting that happens too if you're not careful.  stamping definitely requires practice, but it's totally worth it to tell someone who "LOVES your nails" that you did it yourself :D

hope you enjoyed, catch you later!

it's been a long time

hi everyone/ anyone!

i hate those blog posts when people come back after a long absence.  it just seems weird.  and this is weird to me too.  so i'm not going to say a whole bunch about what i've been up to since i last posted.  i'm pretty sure there will be bits and pieces that come out along the way.  instead i'm going to give you a nutshell and move on to a crafty thing, sound good?

NUTSHELL:

• got busy with volunteer work (summer 2011)
• got busy with teaching (september 2011)
• hospitalized for 6 days for cellulitis... nasty skin/ tissue infection (march 2012)
• not allowed to work--doctor's orders (march-june 2012)
• laid off from teaching because of "restructuring," completely unrelated to sickness (april 2012)
• physical therapy appointments (june-present)
• apartment lease ended (june 2012)
• moved to parent's house (july 2012)

and that, my friends, has been my life in the recent-ish past.  oh, and you can probably fit "depressed" in there somewhere between getting cellulitis and getting laid off.  sometimes life isn't what we had planned, eh?

when i moved back to my parents house (temporarily until i find another job), i found that i needed some reminders to be positive, so i painted a few canvases with cool quotes in some bright colors (which you all know i LOVE!) to encourage me when i'm feeling low.

they were really fun and easy... i usually care more about the neatness factor (for instance on the yellow/ orange one) but for these, i just needed to get them done and displayed.

i've been taking pictures with my iPhone ever since my other camera has refused to turn on, which has been a long time.  i know they're not always the best quality, but it's all i've got at the moment.

hope you enjoy, and come back for some more crafty stuff (might not always be cards!)

xoxox!

happy birthday (to me)

hey y'all!

i thought i'd pop in for my birthday and say hello/ goodbye (i gotta run... i'm watching 4 kids between the ages of 9 and 1 for my friend for part of the day & part of yesterday).

and, since i love you so much, i thought i'd share some cards with you as well. i never know what you're in need of inspiration wise, but i hope this fits the bill in some way :D

the first one up features a free-hand patterned paper banner with Lawn Fawn stamps that i borrowed from Paulina one time we had a crazy crafting session a while back...

and here we have a VERRRY me card... that color, the glitter, the flower, the ribbon leaves, etc. (p.s. if i've shared this card before, enjoy it a 2nd time!)

anyway, that really IS all i have time for, but best wishes to you all...

hello sunshine! Denami Blog Hop

welcome to the Denami Design Blog Hop!

you should have come here from Karen's blog. if you didn't you can start over here.

this time we're going with a MONOCHROMATIC theme along the hop. don't forget that Denami is giving away TWO $20 gift certificates to the website to TWO people who comment along the hop! you have until April 11, 2011, 11:59pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a prize). :D

so for my card, i LOVE the 'hello' sentiment Denami has, and since yesterday was one of the first sunny days Washington has seen in a long time, i decided to go wiht a monochromatic SUNSHINE card :D it makes me smile! the paper comes from Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket, and October Afternoon. i added some stickles to some of the sun's rays and bling by the sentiment (it looks dark, but it's really a gold yellow). the felt/ chipboard sun is from Me and My Big Ideas.

i had a ton of fun making this, and also limiting myself to one color :D who would have thought? i'm actually writing this in Seattle as i'm on a scrapbook retreat... so far we've had TONS of laughs, quite a few things accomplished, and most of all--FUN :D

the next blog on the hop is Samantha's... thanks for stopping by and leaving your encouraging comments! :D have a lovely Sunday!

wish big.

celebrate with style!

hehe, i think that this card does just that... celebrate with S.T.Y.L.E.

if my memory serves me correctly, i meant to post this for a former Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger. (like... a LOOOONNNNGGGGGGGG time ago.) oh well. it's still a pretty card, and i still have yet to give it away ...although there's a few weddings this summer... one of the lucky ladies will probably get this during a shower.

i tried making my own paper flowers for this one, and i seriously LOVED it. i think that i'll have to do it again, but next time with some double sided patterned paper. wouldn't that be awesome to see two different patterns on the same flower? i think so :D

anyway, i glittered the flowers and used PTI's sentiment stamp from the Big & Bold set, and also put some Amy Butler paper as the background with some Webster's Pages velvet trim, and seam binding as well.

i love how clean and pretty it looks. what do you think? does it work as a wedding/ congratulations card?

my brain isn't always logical...

hey everyone! long time, no see, right?

well, i wanted to share a few things with you, but beware! they're in no particular order and aren't necessarily crafty:

• my friend Paulina has an awesome fitness blog and she's having a GIVEAWAY that you can still get entered in
• i recently joined PINTEREST and have become quite addicted. thankfully i'm busy right now, so my time on the site is limited, but BOY oh BOY!
• my co-teacher Jen and i are heading to Seattle this weekend for our twice yearly scrapbook retreat... we're going to be experimenting with paperbag scrapbooks, so it should be fun... oh, and we'll also be making sure that we just relax and enjoy ourselves, maybe have a drink or two :D

• i'm going to be joining a band in the next week... i know what you might be thinking, a BAND?? really? well, it's not a rock band, and i'm not going to be singing... i'll be playing one of the two instruments i know--the tenor saxophone (i've played the clarinet for longer, but don't enjoy it as much). i'll be in a community band (about 40 people, aged 16-70+) that practices once a week and plays concerts throughout the year. it seems like it's laid-back, which is perfect for me since i won't be able to go to every single practice, you know? BUT, one thing you should know. i am SUPREMELY excited about this. in my college search back in HS, i specifically looked for a college that had 3 things: water polo, marching band, and a good education program. i was blessed to have found one that specifically met my requirements :D so yes, i have "band camp" stories, and they're actually hilarious. i loved playing ALL FOUR YEARS in my college marching band. in fact, if i could afford it, i'd go back every single year and play in the alumni marching band performance they have every fall. music for me is almost like crafting... it relaxes me, and i love being a part of a group. does anyone kwim?
• i'm currently reading "To Kill A Mockingbird," and i really love it. i somehow missed reading this in HS or college, and i'm so glad i picked it off my shelf recently.
  
  (photo courtesy of Amazon.com)
• my birthday is coming up, and i recently discovered the Amazon Wishlist feature. does anyone else use this? i think it's awesome because you can post anything from the internet to whatever wishlist you want, and it puts it all in one place. amazing.
• the library system in my county now has free music downloads through a resource called "freegal." the music you get can even be downloaded to an iPod, etc. how cool is that?? :D

• i'm decorating birdhouses instead of making cards or scrapbooking. i mean, i'm not going to stop doing either of the other things (tongue-twister there), but for RIGHT NOW, i've been making some decorative birdhouses that will go around my apartment.
  
  
  (note to self: still must share apartment photos. after i do 4 loads of laundry. *le sigh*)

and that's it, i think... oh, please come back for the DeNami Design Blog Hop on sunday...

because it will be awesome... thanks for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments :D