If Friends were flowers....

Hi my crafty friends! I hope you had a nice and relaxing weekend!  It is Monday and should have been a BBTB2 challenge, but sadly I messed up on the challenge. :-( I miss understood the challenge, well more like I didn't right it down right on my calendar that I use to keep track of all the challenges.  The challenge was to use the color purple for Feb. birthdays and a cupcake/cake die cut.  Well I only got the use the purple part. lol I guess I was brain dead when I looked at this one.  So I didn't participate in the challenge since I didn't do the right thing. But thought I would share my card with you guys.  I used the Art Nouveau Cricut cartridge with a long 9x4 inch card that fits in a buisness sized envie.  A little embossing with my scoreboard and a little embossing with a Cuttlebug embossing folder. My sentiment is from My Pink Stamper, although she isn't releasing anymore stamp sets so if you see one and want it you'd better grab it up! I inked up my die cut with Gather Twigs and Seedless Grape Tim Holtz distress ink and then used some glittery chalk to go over my tulips, doesn't really show that well in the photo, but in real life it does. Remember you can click on the pics to see closer. Thanks for looking my friends and go over to BBTB2 and leave my design team sisters some love, and maybe think about linking up in this challenge with us!

Digital Desserts Fridaze with My Paper Crafting

Happy TGIF my crafty friends! Today is Digital Desserts Fridaze at My Paper Crafting and I have used an adorable digi from Melinda called "Bear with Rose".  He is so adorable, I colored him with my Spectrum Noir markers. I decided to make him into a Valentine card. Yes, I know Valentine's Day was yesterday, but this Valentine will be going to my son who is over in Afghan so it will take a while to reach him anyway so it doesn't matter that it will be late.  He will love it cause I'm sending food too. lol  I am sending him some of my heart cookies that I make every year for my guys along with some breakfast foods since the military isn't serving our soldiers breakfast. DS hasn't had any of these cookies in quiet a while so it will take him back to his youth. lol It doesn't matter that he is 30 years old, he will always be my baby bear just like the card says. All 6 of my boys are my baby bears, to a mother it doesn't matter how old they get, they will always be our babies.  I made a 4.25 x 4.25 square card, put my cut out on so it made it a 4.25 x 5.50. I used the Martha Steward heart punch for the bottom, a Nestibility for my lacy circle as well as the regular circle.  My sentiment comes from My Creative Time. Papers were scraps from my stash.  I think that is it. lol  Please come along and link up a digi project, if you use one of Melinda's your name get's enter twice to win a cool prize. Don't have one, no worries because every Friday she offers a free one to you!!! How cool is that?!  You are also free to use any other digi's you may have too.  So there's no reason not to link up with us! So what are you waiting for?!

Vertical Paper Bag Mini!

Hello my crafty friends, Happy Valentine's to you all!  This month is really flying by fast, and that is kinda' good cause then spring will come faster! lol  I have a really cute mini to share with you all.  I'm so proud the way it turned out, at least for me. lol  I've been admiring this kind of mini for a while now. Ginger at My Sisters Scrapper does these all the time and I just love them!  So she make a tutorial on how to make them. Of course I was right there in front of my laptop making mine right along with her. So if you want to make one, please check out Ginger's blog for the tutorials or go to YouTube and search for her videos. She is awesome and an awesome teacher too!  Ok are you ready?!  Here it is, this is the front cover.  I made this mini for my girlfriend to put pics of her grand-daughter in. The initals are from the Imagine Cricut cartridge Baby Boutique. The bingo card and August calendar is from My Creative Time stamps and dies. Flowers from my stash.

Inside cover and first page.  I die cut some envies and little cards for the inside cover, my friend can put little things in them, like a lock of hair, etc...or she and her hubby can write a little letter to their grand-daughter. You could put almost anything in them!  The first page is the announcement page for my friend to write down all the info about her newest grandchild. The flower looks red in the pic, but it is really a deep orange color.

First page with the flap open. Each page will open like this.  I also used a Martha Steward punc for my corners on the flaps.

The following pages all have the flip out but I didn't take a pic of each one. At the top of each page is a tag in the paper bag as well. The little pink frames tucked in all through the album is for my friend to use how ever and where ever she wishes in the mini.  She can put them over her picture to draw the eye in or she can crop her pic and place behind them.

I used Nursery Tails Cricut Imagine cartridge for the little labels and small tags to journal on. My paper is from DCWV. My letters were from my stash and I dyed my own seam binding with Tim Holtz distress inks.  All my paper was distressed as well with Tim Holtz Antique Linen distress ink. Below is the binding back of my album, showing the charms I put on.  There is a lot of room to put on tons more charms that represent her grand-daughter who by the way was born in Hawaii!  My girlfriend was out there helping out and spending time with this newest grandchild. So she could hang a lot of charms on here as time goes by to represent her grand-daughter, which I think is so cool!

Here are what the tags look like.  This one is like all the tags that go at the top in the paper bag, front and back of the tag.  Doesn't the little journaling spot look like a diaper?! Cute!

Here is the tag that is in each pocket on the backside of each bag. She will be able to put 4 pictures on it is she so desires.

So what do you think?! Cute right?!  Now why not go watch Ginger's tutorials and make one for yourself!!  Thanks for haning in here with me on this long and pic heavy post! Have a wonderful evening with your Valentines!  Crafty Hugs, Brenda

My Paper Crafting and Feel the Love Project

Hi my crafty friends! Today it's time for My Paper Crafting to sponsor the I Feel The Love project.  Here is the info about the project from our very own design team member Madison:

Alana

I Feel the Love Project for February 2013

21 year old student Alana experienced a devastating loss as the result of Hurricane Sandy when it came to shore in October of 2012.

She lost her original home, as well as most all of her family home belongings due to this horrific storm. These included her clothes, her bed, and the home furnishings.

When Alana returned from school she did not have a home to come back to. She was able to stay briefly with an aunt before living in a hotel for a month. The family was finally able to relocate to another home.

When Alana was asked how this storm impacted her she said that she was "scared for my family and for my house." Alana was forced to stay away for a couple of weeks and she said it made her "homesick." When Alana was able to go into the area for the first time and see that her family home had been knocked down she said, "I was in shock of what I saw. It is something I will never forget as long as I live."

I can't imagine losing everything all at once. That would be very difficult. We can support Alana and her family. Words of comfort can go a long way. With all of the difficulties she has recently experienced, we would like to honor her as the I Feel the Love Project February 2013 recipient.

We recently had a fundraiser to raise money for the I Feel the Love Project. So in addition to sending hand crafted greeting cards, the I Feel the Love Project will also be sending a gift card to Alana so she can buy some clothes or something for her new home. There is no obligation or need for anyone else to do this. It is just something we felt called to do.

If you would like to be a part of this project...

All you need to do is:

Submit your hand crafted card/s by February 28th to:

Madison Womack

IFTL Project

P.O. Box 1203

Atascadero, CA 93423

Project #18

  I can't even imagine losing everything your own as well as your home.  But I am thankful that this family had no lives lost during Sandy's wrath. Sandy came through where I live too but we were very fortunate that we only had a little water come in our basement office.  Yes, it was a little inconvience, but we didn't lose our home, we didn't have feet of water in our home, we were blessed in every way!  To go through what this family and other families have been through is so heartbreaking.  I feel it is up to those of us who are forunate to help those who have lost everything.  I will be putting in a gift card into my card for this family to be able to buy some clothing or whatever they may need.  I know if my readers would just send a $10 gift card and a card to this family they will indeed be able to start to pick up their lives and slowly start returning to a normal life once again.  Can we all do that?!!  Please consider doing this and mail your card and gift card to the address above.  Madison is an exception teen doing these "Feel the Love" projects.  I'm so in awe of this young lady for thinking of someone other than herself at an age when being a teen isn't easy anyway.  I'm proud to say that I am a design team sister of Madison!  Come on everyone, lets get those cards in the mail to Madison so she can make sure that Alana and her family have smiles on their faces in knowing that we all care about them!! 

Here's my card. I used Close to My Heart Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge for my card base and my little blue mat.  My sentiments come from SU. My little flower I made using a SU punch.  And that is all there is to this card.  I let the cheery paper do the work for me.  Thanks everyone! Make sure you link your card up to My Paper Crafting and I Feel the Love.

Sorry my loyal followers, I forgot to add my card! lol Yes, the mind is the first to go when you get old! lol  Here ya' go!

inside:

Love is in the Air! BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends!  It is Valentine's week and my turn to host the challenge over at BBTB2.  I challenged my design team sisters to use a heart, cupid or both from any cartridge on any project. Oh my you have to go check out the beautiful creations my design team sisters made!!  Awesome!!!  As for me, I did a card for hubby.  This is a special week for us, our anniversary is the day before Valentine's and then of course we have Valentine's day.  We have a little get-a-way planned for next month after the holiday has ended and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Why do they double or almost double everything just because it's Valentines?!  Well hubby and I are to cheap to pay the full price, plus when I was confirmed in the Catholic church, we were remarried and that date was March 13th. So we will just celebrate on that anniversary. lol Yes, people we have two anniversaries if you can believe that.  We usually only celebrate the one in February though.  So now that I've told you more than you needed to know or cared to know onto my card. LOL  I used the Sweetheart Cricut cartridge for all my die cuts and for my stamped sentiments I used Lots of Love from My Creative Time.

The inside

Go check out my design team sister's projects and then go make something for the sweetheart in your life and link up with us at BBTB2.  Please make sure to follow our simple rules listed on BBTB2.  Can't wait to see what you come up with!  Crafty hugs!!!

Be Mine Valentine

Hi my crafty friends, hope all is well in your neck of the woods.  We lucked out and didn't get the storm that hit the along the East Coast, just got some rain and a little bit of snow unlike the feet of snow they got in NY and Boston areas.  Thank God! I'm not against snow, just dont' want any, I'm ready for Spring. lol Of course that's not coming for a while yet so might as well not complain, right?!

 There are a couple of challenges going on right now and I thought that I would enter them. The first one is at Cardz TV and the challenge is "Kidz Kardz challenge 24" to make 3 3x3 cards and the second challenge is over at My Creative Time for Me and the challenge there is to use embossing, either dry or wet embossing.  So here are my cards that I'm entering this these 2 challenges. All products used on these little 3x3 cards are from My Creative Time, dies and stamps. I also made little belly bands to keep my cards closed and to put my die cuts on.


On these little 3x3 cards I used kraft card stock with the 3x3 Trifold Card die, Chocolate Greetings, Lots of Love, and Beary Special Thoughts stamp set. I also used real tin foil on my Hershey Kiss, I just ran it through my Cuttlebug with the die! Cool huh?! Now I wish I could take credit for that idea myself but sadly I can't. It was one of MCT designers that did this and I thought it was too clever!!

On these little white cards I used the 3x3 Trifold Card die, Stitched Scallop Heart Die set, and the Lots of Love stamp set.

I hope you enjoyed my little sweet Valentine cards, can you believe that I didn't use my Cricut?!  See what you can come up with and make your grandchildren, children and hubby or someone special a sweet Valentine!  Have a wonderful weekend!!

Digital Desserts Fridaze with My Paper Crafting

Happy Friday my crafty friends! Today is Digital Desserts Fridaze at My Paper Crafting and I have used an adorable digi from Melinda called "Owl Always Love U".  I am getting my Valentine goodies together for my grandchildren and thought this little digi was perfect for on a little treat box as I will always love them. I kept my boxes small as their parents don't like them to have to many sweets. I cut my box from the Cricut cartridge Love Struck at 5.75. I die cut an open heart to layer over my heart window on the box. I die cut some more hearts and placed them above the open heart and then put my digi on the back of the box using foam tape to pop her up. That's it, just kept it simple because I know the kids will just rip them open to get at the candy. lol Oh and I colored my little owl with my Spectrum Noir markers and stamped a sentiment on the front of the box.

Won't you join us and link up a digi that you've use?! You can use any digi image to play along with us but if you use one of Melinda's digis you will be entered twice to win a prize from Melinda!! So come and play with us whether you use a different digi or one of Melinda's digis!