Learn From Yesterday - Kazan's Sketch 27 at 2s4u

This is the card I created with the beautiful sketch by Kazan this week at 2sketches4you. All of the product on this card is from Stampin' Up!® Be sure to stop by my Stampin' Up!® website by the end of May to get in on the great buy 3 get 1 free paper sale going on. This includes all of the fabulous Designer Series paper (like the paper I used on this card) as well as the wonderful textured cardstock (the Kiwi Kiss base on this card). This stamp set is in the Stampin' Up!® Mini Catalog which runs until the end of June. There are also several other wonderful stamp sets in that catalog which you don't want to miss. You can shop and find all the information on my Stampin' Up!® website.....(click the shop button in the top right side of the page).

Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss textured cardstock, Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Patterned Paper: Raspberry Tart

Stamps: Sense of Time

Ink: Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss

Other: Clear Rhinestone Brads, 1/4" Rose Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Felt Fusion & Felt Fusion Too, Designer Buttons, Scallop Edge Punch, 1" Circle Punch, sewing machine and thread

First LO and Some Blog Awards

First of all, I would like to thank these ladies for thinking of me and giving me these awards/tags. I enjoy visiting all of your blogs for wonderful inspiration.

I was tagged by the super sweet and crafty Sandy From Ukiah. With this one, I need to show my first scrapbook page, share what I was feeling at the time and pass it on to 5 others. So, here is my very first scrapbook page....

I created this page when I was pregnant with my first baby (almost 6 years ago) and had an ultrasound to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. From the pink paper, you can already guess that it was a girl. I wanted to scrapbook as a way to preserve my new baby's memories. All I had to start out with was some cardstock, stamps, ink, and decorative edge scissors. I had been resisting getting started in the scrapbooking hobby. I had many other friends and some family members that were scrapbooking and were inviting me to paper crafting parties, but I just didn't have an interest. Little did I know how hooked I would become.

Now, I need to tag 5 others (I would love to see their first LO's), so I tag....

Tomi

Ashley

Kristi

Michelle

Jason


This next one is an award from the very talented Tammy at Tammy's Place......you should click on her name to go and check out her amazing work. I visit her blog often and I am always inspired by her creations.

I would like to pass this Rockin' Girl Blogger award on to:

Louisa May-Khoo

Sandy from Ukiah

Paulina

Amanda

Dora

Jennifer

Tammi

This last award I was recently awarded to me by the super creative Diane at Capadia Designs. If you haven't been to her blog, you really need to check it out.....especially if you have a Cricut and DS and would love to get some amazing .cut files.

With this blogging award, I need to nominate 5 people that show great attitude and gratitude, so I nominate these 5 great bloggers....

Tonya

Cheryln

Florellis

Enfys

Ginny

Thanks A Bunch - Laura's Sketch 26 at 2s4y

It has been so beautiful here with spring and the warmer weather. I find myself outside more (tending to my garden and other outdoor activities) and not spending as much time in my crafting room. I was able to get some time today, while we had a little rain storm, to make a card for the sketch challenge this week at 2sketches4you. The sketch this week is by the amazing Laura. They will be having an Ultimate Card Showdown starting on June 1st and going for the whole month and there will be a HUGE $500 prize given away, so be sure to check out the details on the 2sketches4you blog.

For my card, I used a Shortcuts clear card since they are the sponsor this week at 2sketches4you. I bought some of their clear and frosted cards and they are of wonderful quality.
Sorry about the pictures, we had a very overcast day and the pictures didn't turn out very well.

Clear card: Shortcuts

Cardstock, ribbon, stamp, rhinestone brad: Stampin' Up! ®

Patterned paper: Crate

Crochet trim: Making Memories

Flowers: Prima

Rhinestones: Creating Keepsakes

Other: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug and embossing folder, Fiskars threading water punch

My Projects from the Apron Strings Designs May kit

Here are the projects that I created from the Apron Strings Designs May smaller than a bread box kit. I loved the papers and embellishments that came with this kit and I almost want to get another kit because of all ideas I have of things to create with the awesome stuff that came in it. You can see what items I used for these creations on their website HERE. Also, don’t forget to check out the new Apron Strings Designs blog.

I hope to be able to get some stuff done before the weekend and get it posted, so check back soon!!

Mini Album Winner......

I hope that you all had fun with the Apron Strings Designs blog hop. I wish I had more time to complete the challenges that they had there this weekend, but we had company and I have been super busy. Alright, now for the mini album giveaway. I went to random.org and I put in the number of people who commented on the post and it gave me the number 5...........so,

Sandy from Ukiah is the winner of my mini album!!

Congrats Sandy!! Email me and get me your mailing address so that I can get it shipped off to you. Thanks to all that participated. I will be posting my creations from the May Apron Strings Designs Smaller Than A Bread Box kit sometime this week.

Sketch Challenge and Kazan's Sketch 26 at 2s4y

**For those of you who are looking for the post with the blog hop information, you need to scroll down to the previous post.**

I created a sketch for the challenges over at the Apron Strings Blog…..you can see my sketch HERE. Be sure to check it out and if you get a chance to create a layout with it, I would love to see it, so be sure to link it up to the Apron Strings Design’s blog. For mine, I used one of the kits from Apron Strings Designs to create this layout.


And with the leftover product, I created this card with the great sketch provided by Kazan at 2sketches4you.

Cardstock and chipboard: Bazzill
Star stamp and punch: Stampin’ Up! ®
Patterned paper: Bo Bunny
Felt: Queen & Co.
Circle brads and ribbon: Creative Impressions
Star brads (leftover’s from my stash and I can’t remember who made them)
Paint: Making Memories
I used my Cricut and the Plantain Schoolbook cart for the large star and some of the title and Opposites Attract cart for the cursive style title.
Other: sewing machine and thread

I hope that you are all having fun with the challenges over at the Apron Strings Design’s blog. There are prizes that will be drawn for each day of activities this weekend. The more you participate in, the more chances you get to win some awesome non-fattening cookie jar treats (scrapping goodies). CLICK HERE to go over there and check out all the great challenges and the blog hop.

Apron Strings Blog Hop and some Blog Candy

Apron Strings Designs has started a blog and in celebration, there is a scrapbooking event that is going on this weekend. They will be posting challenges all weekend long (check back there later today to see a sketch I created) and there is a blog hop going on with the design team.

A little story about how I found Apron Strings Designs....
I live in a very small town and there is a larger city about a half an hour away. There were a few local scrapbook stores and two of the big box crafting stores there, but their scrapbooking sections were pretty bleak and the local scrapbook stores were all closing down. There wasn't really a place for me to get scrapbook supplies, let alone try to get matching items to go on my scrapbook pages. Three years ago I came across a post about kit clubs on a message board that I visit often. The ladies were chatting about the different places they have received kits from (image that.....there is someone out there that does all the leg work for you and gives you everything you need to put together beautiful scrapbook pages). I visited the different websites for the various companies and came across the Apron Strings Designs website. They have two different complete kits available and a card kit, too. I signed up that day and I have been receiving their awesome kits ever since. I have never been disappointed in any of the products that they have sent to me and it has made my life so much easier and there is no commitment (but I don't have any plans on stopping my kits anytime soon). They have an online store where you can shop and have items shipped for free with your kits and you also get a monthly online newsletter packed full of ideas on how to use your kits. The ladies that run it are great and they like to give out cookie jar treats (translation=scrapbook goodies) when you participate in challenges that they hold often.

Here are a few of the layouts that I have created with their awesome kits:

On with the blog hop.......if you didn’t arrived from Jennifer Halleck’s blog, then go back to the Apron Strings Designs blog to get the details and start at the beginning. You can collect phrases from each of the blogs to enter for some yummy scrapbooking supplies (details on the Apron Strings blog). On my blog, I will also be giving away a mini album that I created from one of their kits for a design team project a couple of months ago.

If you would like to be entered for this mini album, just post a comment under this post and I will draw a winner on Monday May 18th from random.org.

To play along with the Apron Strings Designs Blog Hop and to be entered to win some scrapping goodies, you need to visit each of the design teams websites and collect a phrase from each, then email them to Apron Strings Designs. The phrase from my blog is:

JUST ADD PHOTOS

Now, on to the next blog…..you will visit the wonderfully talented Louisa-May Khoo's blog and pick up your next phrase. Have fun!!

LO of my baby girl and a toot

I hope that you all had as great of a Mother's Day as I had. We went to a park near my parents home and had a picnic with my family and took so many pictures that I will need to spend some time getting them organized so that I can scrap them. I wanted to share a LO with you that I completed last week for a challenge on the Yahoo message board for Apron Strings Designs. It was a fun challenge where we had to pick items off of a dinner menu and then later it was revealed what we had to use on the challenge based upon what menu items we chose before. For my LO, I had to use 1 or 2 pieces of cardstock, shaped patterned paper, 3 photos, journaling strips, and flowers, so I created this LO of my baby girl of her playing in the floor gym. I used a kit that came from Apron Strings Designs for this LO.

I also have a little toot to share with you. The card that I created last week (see here) was chosen as the Card of the Week at 2sketches4you. WooHoo!!

Another Mother's Day Card - Laura's Sketch 25 at 2s4y

Now, this card turned out like I wanted it to and it is intended for my mother. This one is based on the wonderful sketch by Laura at 2sketches4you.

Cardstock and ribbon: Stampin' Up!®

Patterned Paper: Chatterbox

Jeweled brad: Heidi Swapp

Other: Cuttlebug and Swiss Dots embossing folder, Cricut with Accent Essentials (flower) and Alphalicious (letters), sewing machine and thread

Mother's Day cards - CPS 114

I had this idea for this card and it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted it to, but the recipients will love them. I made these two cards for my grandmother and mother-in-law for Mother's Day. They are based on the sketch this week over at CPS.

Cardstock, oval punches, stamp, and celery ink: Stampin' Up!®

Patterned Paper: Heidi Grace

Rhinestone brad: Heidi Swapp

Ribbon: Michaels

Other: skittles (pink decorative accents), sewing machine and thread

Flowers cut with my Cricut and Accent Essentials cartridge and distressed with Dewdrop chalk ink

Busy, Busy, Busy!!

Although I can't show them to you just yet, I have been busy putting together the May kit for Apronstrings Designs. They now have a blog that you can visit HERE. I wanted to show you a sneak peek of the items I have completed and toward the middle of the month, I will reveal them, so here you go with the sneak peeks…….

We also took a quick mini vacation to our friends house down at Lake Powell last weekend and it was great to get out of the house for a short while. I hope to get some more scrapping accomplished this week. I need to finish my Mother's Day cards. Have a great day!!