My Last Crafty Secret's Design Team Post.....

I have been with Crafty Secrets for many years now, and am saddened to say that Crafty Secrets will be sold to a new buyer for all of Sandy's digital images.  In the meantime all digital products will be transferred and sold to an Etsy shop.  Sandy will announce soon when that happens.  

I have loved my time on this amazing team, working with a multitude of talented ladies. 

It will be a loss for me for sure.

Vintage is where my heart really lies. I created this ornament using this sweet St. Nick image from the Winter Printable Christmas Sheet. I cut it with a circle punch and gave it a dose of glossy accents. The rosettes were cut from glittery purple ombre paper, the bottom layer from gold. 

The wooden ornament was picked up at a craft store, Michaels I believe. It was also given a thin coating of glossy accents and glitter. 

As a finishing touch, I added purple rhinestones.  

Here it is hanging snugly on my tree.  

Lots of changes this year.  I am not always good with handling changes, so January should be interesting for me.  Hopefully other opportunities will come up.

In the meantime, I am trying my best to go with the flow.

:) 

Thank you for always being a constant in my life.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve to you! I am having a cup of coffee and relaxing for a few minutes before the craziness ensues.  I am having a house full and need to get my table set, sangria prepared, appetizers ready.....etc. 

I am up on the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L blog today with a last minute Christmas card to share. I used this fun Lawn Fawn circle die and filled it with coordinating papers.  

The poinsettia is from Provo Craft.  I gave each petal a coating of glossy accents and sprinkled it with glitter.  I added a pretty sheer green ribbon, a sentiment from SRM Stickers, and a sprinkle of sequins. 

My girl is sick and was running a fever yesterday.  She had many tears and just didn't know what to do with herself.  I am hoping she broke the fever last night.  Her daddy has a surprise planned for this weekend and I am hoping that she feels better by then. 

No one likes to be sick, especially during the holidays.

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Pink and Grey and a Giveaway!

I totally rhymed up there in my title....channeling my inner Dr. Seuss! 

;)

I do have lots to share with you....first a card and then what I think is a pretty grand giveaway down below!  

First things first.....my card was created with some leftover pieces and my new polka dot stencil from Heidi Swapp.  I used embossing paste and once it was dry I sprinkled it with pink Zing powder.  

Then I heat embossed it. 

I love the texture and visual interest it gives to the card. 

 And really is there anything better than pink polka dots?

I had some left over cuts from a publication project using Cricut's new cartridge, Box it Up!  I layered the pieces with dimensional foam circles and added some pink posies, string, and some fluffy silk flowers I purchased from A Pink Swan Etsy shop. 

I framed it with a pink circle....also a Cricut Leftover, and white frame from Spellbinders. 

As a final finishing touch I added a few sequins. 

I've been wanting to do a giveaway for awhile because it is so fun to make someone's day.

I wish I could give more,and to more people, but it just isn't in the budget! ;)

I have all of this to give to one lucky person! 

What do you have to do?

EDITED:  I don't want to scare people away with my giveaway...so if you would just like to leave a comment that is totally fine with me too! :)

Well as many of you know, I have been in a quandary about whether or not to start a Facebook page for Cortney.  Part of me thinks it would be great exposure and maybe a chance for her to be "discovered." The other part of me thinks maybe I'm opening up a can of worms that shouldn't be opened.  And sometimes I think I am completely nuts for thinking anyone would want to use Cort as a model in the first place.  I think she is beautiful, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world feels the same way. 

So I guess what I am looking for is opinions.  If you think I am nuts, please say so! Be honest...but be kind.

I've been on this fence for quite awhile and can't seem to reach a decision.

If you are a new follower, pin my giveaway to Pinterest, Facebook, or your personal blog, please leave an additional comment for an additional chance to win. :)

The giveaway will end on Friday, February 21st at 10 PM CST.

Good luck and thank you!!

Brr!

Good morning friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! It seems that as fast as it came this year, it also was over in the blink of an eye. Yesterday I spent the day cleaning and organizing.  I haven't gotten in my craft room in quite a bit of time.  I have bee enjoying the time I have spending it with family.  Sometimes the crafting just has to take a back seat. 

Since I haven't made anything new that I can show you, I thought I'd pull out a layout I did for last year's issue of Cricut magazine.  It uses the Winter Woodland and Winter Lace cartridges.

I used a Tattered Angels stencil to create the swirls in the background.  I then sprayed it with a spray adhesive and quickly sprinkled it with silver glitter. 

The snowflakes were done with Winter Lace. I stacked them and added a white pom pom to the center of each. 

The bird and title were cut using the Winter Woodland cartridge. 

Lots of glitter........ 

Here is a quick recap of my Christmas......

Family, presents, good food, laughs....... :)

As always, thank you for taking the time to pay me a visit.

I appreciate it so very much!

Christmas Eve.....

Shopping completed, presents wrapped, food prepared.......we are ready (I am ready) to begin celebrating Christmas with my family. This is the time of year that I truly count my blessings.  And they are quite abundant. I am a very lucky gal. 

I have a card today using this beautiful vintage image of St. Nick. It is from Crafty Secrets and is part of their digital Creating with Vintage Christmas CD.  

The image was cut into a circle using a Spellbinder's die.  I backed it with a doily cut from Papertrey Ink.  The flower is Provo Craft's quilling kit.  It makes a gorgeous poinsettia! I added lots of glitter to it.....because I like to be consistent! ;)

I also added a bit of ribbon and rustic twine to pull it all together. 

I just wanted to share with you my kitchen tree.  I just love it!  It brightens up the corner by my sink and makes washing dishes just a bit less painful! 

From my family to yours....... 

Bon Voyage!

I wish I could tell you I was traveling somewhere, but I am not. (darn!)

 But I do have a card that celebrates retirement, a long awaited trip,  or a new pathway in life.  My card uses my Cricut and the New England Shore Cricut Craft Room Exclusive. I layered the lighthouse using dimensional foam circles and added glossy accents to the windows. The background was masked with cloud die cuts and sprayed with a Copic marker. 

I added pops of red with twine, machine stitching, and my sentiment from Papertrey Ink. 

It is Monday.....again........

Amazing how fast the weekends go!

Off to mold some young minds!

Have a great day!

Sweet Cookies!

 Today's post may be a bit like Deja Vu........since I've been on the baking theme this week.  But these photos are actually from last year's baking experience!  You'll notice the peanut butter cookies are a favorite and are baked every year.  You may have also noticed how Kyle has changed over this past year.  I couldn't believe when I saw last year's photo how much younger he looked! And as always he is dressed in his Sunday best to bake......  ; )  

I used the Sweet Shop Lite cartridge to cut my lil' cookie.  I added some glossy accents to the chocolate chips and found this cute little spatula in my stash.

The title and cookie jar were also cut using the Sweet Shop Lite cartridge.  To add a bit of definition to the jar, I embossed it with the snowflake embossing folder. I added glossy accents to the title for a bit of added definition. The brad is by Basic Grey. 

Last year was the first year, Cortney took any interest in all in helping us bake.  So it was pretty exciting to see both of my children in the kitchen.  It was a sweet moment.  

We have a busy weekend filled with shopping and celebrating our first family Christmas party.  

What are you up to this weekend? Any plans?

Would love to hear!

Hugs to you all!

Happy Fall....

Good morning to you!  This is going to be a bit of a shoddy post due to the fact that I am sitting here desperately trying to remember what cartridges I used for this fall inspired card I created for the Cricut Circle last fall.  So if you happen to know, please leave a response here! This gal would really appreciate it! ; )   I do happen to know that the tag was cut from the Sentimental's cartridge and the stamp is by My Craft Spot.  

Other than that, I got nothin'.  My mind is completely blank.  I'll blame it on the fact that it's Monday?  

On a brighter note, I do have some pretty exciting news to share with you soon!  And it isn't craft related either! ; )  So stay tuned!

Have a great Monday!

What a Difference Colors Can Make!

Have you ever tried to cram a zillion things into one week? That's what I am trying to do before I head back to work on Monday. Finishing up my kids' doctor appointments, setting up my class room, getting my house organized, and buying some last minute items for my kid's school supply lists. I am certainly not complaining.....just explaining. ; ) It has been quite a whirlwind....and every errand I run I have my lil' side kick with me!  (Cort doesn't start school until next Thursday) : ) 

Remember Monday's card?  With its soft pink, grey, and cream color scheme?  I loved the cut so much I decided to create another card with some bolder, more retro inspired colors.  It is exactly the same minus the silver spatula, which I replaced with a sentiment from My Craft Spot stamps.  

I love making those lumpy bumpy cards....so I use a lot of dimensional squares in my projects.  It is such an easy way to add depth. 

So which do you prefer? The softer color scheme from Monday? Or today's more bold color scheme?

On some creative happy news, THIS card got picked up by Papercraft Inspirations from the UK.  The card will be featured in their October issue.  : )

Gotta run to my school and get some lesson planning done!

Have a great day my friends!!!

A Little More Amazing....

....Paper Grace that is! ; )  I hope you enjoyed yesterday's projects using Becca's new kit!  Be sure to stop by the JustRite blog for today's line up of designers!  I have sort of a miscellaneous card to share with you that used a bunch of odds and ends from my desk.  Some left over Cricut cuts, a frame I had painted with the Ten Second Studio paint, and this wooden silverware set that I thought was adorable but didn't know what I was going to do with it.  Then it dawned on me......a thank you card for the hostess.   

I just started layering and decided the frame was perfect for a pop of color. 

I adore Becca's line of stamps.  I used the Just the Right Words    set which has such an elegant font! 

It has been a rough week here.  I know some weeks are just like that, but this one was tough.  My van once again had to go back in to the shop, for the umpteenth time......at the mere cost of $1200 bucks.  I know everyone has car trouble, but this van has gone above and beyond the "normal" repairs.  My dogs have been terrible this week.  (Yes, even the cute little pup!)  My older dog decided to mark his territory in my house! So not only did I have to watch the pup like a hawk, but now had to worry about Skippers. I think he is mad that she came back after her little surgery? Maybe I need a doggy psychologist! 

There was also some very sad news at our school this week.....heart breaking.

It was just a "pile up on your heart" kind of a week.....

But it's Friday.

And today the sun is out.

I am going on my "date" with the hubby tonight.

And I can't wait....

Have a fabulous weekend my friends! I love coming here to "visit" with you!

Hugs!

Christmas Boxes

I have a couple more projects to share with you that I created for SRM Stickers. I used my Cricut and the new Close to my Heart Artiste Cartridge to create these fun little boxes! They were super easy and fast to make!  I just tied the ends with a bit of red twine.  I attached the SRM sticker to cream card stock and punched it out with a circle punch. 

I inked the edges of the circles a bit, applied a bit of glossy accents, and sprinkled it with glitter. 

I added a couple of jingle bells tied with black string as a finishing touch.

Thank you for your well wishes regarding my little pup, Myla.  She isn't home yet, but did well after the surgery. I am picking her up this afternoon. I miss the little bugger! 

Have a great weekend!

Amazing Paper Grace August Release

Hi there friends!  For the next week, JustRite's Designers are going to knock your socks off! We have projects using the new stamps that were released just in time for CHA! Did you know that Becca Feekin has her own line of stamps with JustRite?  Amazing Paper Grace is the name of her line.  It is so "Becca."  It is reminiscent of her beautiful and elegant style..... 

I used two of her sets here.  I used the Vintage Filigree Fancies set for the top of my jar and the round tag. The jar itself was wrapped in burlap and some red gingham ribbon. I also used the Vintage Alphabet Soup set to wrap the tube in.  So what's in the jar? Votive Candles!  And inside the tube I've placed the stick matches. 

I found this little plastic strawberry container at Target in the dollar section and am totally kicking myself that I didn't buy at least a dozen of them! ; )  I filled it with paper strawberries cut with my Cricut and the Spring Cottage cartridge. I did some with red paper and several in book print paper. The smaller kraft  tag was stamped in Versamark and embossed in white. It is part of the Spring Rose Medallions set. 

Here is a close up of the tube using the Vintage Alphabet Soup set. 

I just love all the creams, reds, and browns here......feels like a country basket!

Here are the two sets I've used today! 

Be sure to check out what the other designers have created using these gorgeous new stamps!

JustRite Inspiration

Marisa Job

Darsie Bruno

Eva Dobilas

Kathy Jones

Michele Kovack

Angela Barkhouse

Barb Schram

Sheri Holt
Debbie Olson

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*Update*
Kyle did have his wisdom teeth out yesterday. Unfortunately, they were all impacted.  He is a bit sore and isn't eating a whole lot, but hopefully in a day or two he will be back to his sassy 15 year old self! ; )

Have a great day my friends! And as always, thank you for stopping for a visit!