How About a Card and a Giveaway!

Good morning! YAY! It is the weekend! I have an awesome giveaway today! Would you like to win a Gypsy?! It retails for $209.00! If you win it and register it before December 31st you will be able to download 5 free cartridges HERE! How do you win it? Just leave a comment telling me something interesting about yourself! That's it! Easy right? : ) I will randomly pick a winner on Sunday around 8PM CST. I also have a card to share with you today too! I created this using the cartridge, Freshly Picked. The paper is from Girls Paperie. I inked the edges to shabby it up a bit, and added glitter to the flowers. (They were cut at 1", 1 1/2" , 1 3/4" and then stacked). Buttons were added to their centers. I added a tag cut from the Sentimentals cartridge and stamped on it with a Papertrey stamp. I added some of my colored seam binding and a few pearls.

I created a shadow box effect with the frame (Also from Freshly Picked) and pop dots.

Have I told you how much I adore Martha Stewart's chunky clear glitter? SWOON!!

I hope to learn a bit more about you and make one person VERY happy this weekend! : )

Have a wonderful weekend!

Heidi Swapp and Yudu!

!One of our Cricut Circle sponsors, Heidi Swapp, will demoing the new Provo Craft Yudu Products—foil, flocking, and glitter! Be certain to catch Heidi’s webshow for all the fun! Heidi will be giving away a YUDU! If a Cricut Circle Member wins, we will be adding the foil, flocking, glitter, glue and 70 mesh screen! Also. Jinger Adams will be doing a giveaway on the Cricut Circle Blog! Be sure to check it out if you are a member!

In The Moonlight.....

Good morning to you! I have a JustRite card to share with you today that uses a brand new set created by children's illustrator, Elizabeth Dulemba. The set is called In the Moonlight. I just adore this set! This little gal was colored using my Copic markers. I did a bit of airbrushing while leaving my Circle Spellbinder's die in place. I added some glitter to her wings too! I added a few layers behind the image using Spellbinder's scalloped circle, oval, and Labels 10 die. The paper is by Papertrey Ink and Theresa Collins. As a final touch, I added a bit of sheer ribbon and a small Prima flower.

Life just isn't slowing down with the holidays fast approaching! Since things have been so hectic, my poor house has paid the price.......and the laundry? Piles and piles! Soon I will have no socks to wear! LOL! Maybe tonight.................maybe.

Have a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by!!!! : )

Crafty Secret's Christmas and More Family Photos!

Good morning to you! I have a Crafty Secrets card to share with you using the new Christmas Mail set. I colored this sweet gal in with Copics, cut her out with Spellbinder's die, Beaded Ovals, and did a bit of airbrushing. I used Spellbinder's die, Beaded Ovals, again to cut out the green felt. I hand stitched the felt in purple to match the Cosmo Cricket's Mitten Weather papers. I added a white satin ribbon, and purple glittery snowflake, and a button.

I have a few family photos to share with you from Saturday. The cousins got together and decorated gingerbread houses, opened presents, and apparently pose with silly elf hats! Here is my girl after like picture number 98! But I finally got her eyes straight, head up, no tonsils showing! And what glorious blue eyes she has!...... SWOON!

I don't often post pics of the "big" kids, but I had to post my sister, Lisa here! I guess the adults wanted in on the fun too! : )

Oh! And did I mention the hat moves, lights up, and plays music? Here is my "big kid!" ; )

My nephew, Alex.........And believe me, you'd better be quick with the camera with this kid!

......Unlike his sister Katie, who will pose alllllll day long for you, if you want!

Kyle, helping Hannah with her gingerbread house! (He takes his "Big Cousin" roll very seriously!)

And my nephew, Nicholas, who is posing with his finished gingerbread house. (I think dad may have helped him just a bit!) ; )

And last, but not least, here is the entire crew together with Santa. Everyone looks great......except my girl, with her eyes closed. Which is why I was so excited about the first pic....cuz this is her norm! Oh! And just so you are clear......their shirts say, "Elves" not Elvis! LOL!

On top of all this fun on Saturday, Brian, myself and the kids went to my in-laws for dinner last night. I thought we were going there because my FIL's TV went out and Brian was going to "help" him "fix" it. But instead? They surprised our lil' family with a trip to Jamaica! I just about passed out! Who does that? PINCH ME!!! We are going in March.....which is just around the corner!!! YAY!!!!

Off to school, to bring more decorations.......let the Griswald Christmas decorating contest continue........pictures to come soon! : )

Have a great day!!!!

Holiday Wishes Treat Containers!

Good morning! I can't believe it is Friday already! It has been a busy, crazy week at my school. The kids have been practicing for their Christmas concert next week and the teachers have been having a "Grizwald" decorating contest. We have a little competition between the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers on who can decorate the most. My 5th grade cohorts and I cut, laminated, strung, and hung about 100 paper snowflakes in our hallway yesterday! I think I may have developed Carpal Tunnel. ; ) It's all in good fun and seriously our school, kids and teachers, feel like one big family. It is a wonderful place to work and learn.

I have been busy making gifts for teachers, bus drivers, and co-workers. Something small, not expensive, but something that took time and care to make. I had these test tubes from Halloween that were unused. I pondered whether or not they would be appropriate to use for Christmas. Sure! Why Not? Christmas and test tubes goes together like peanut butter and jelly...........right? OK, so maybe it was a stretch, but I think I made it work. ; ) (Or the teachers are gonna think I've really lost it.......we'll see!)

I used my Cricut Winter Frolic cartridge to cut the trees. Glitter was added to the trees. I used Echo Park paper, Papertrey paper, some Magic Scraps red twine, a jingle bell, and a sentiment from Papertrey Ink. The tag was cut using my Cricut Sentimentals cartridge. (I actually cut the tags in bulk and leave them in a bucket to grab whenever I need one quickly!) The test tube was covered with a piece of vellum to soften the look a bit.

I have a busy, busy weekend ahead of me! Lots to do! Hope your weekend is fabulous! Thanks so much for stopping on by! : )

Crafty Secrets and a Few Family Photos

Good morning to you! I have a Crafty Secrets card to share with you today that uses the new set, Angel Blessings. I colored the image with my Copic markers and added lots of glitter to their wings. I cut out the image and placed it on foam squares for dimension. I used Artsy Banners for the word, Joy, which was printed from my computer. I added a couple of pearls to the banner and tucked it under the angels. I layered various papers in my stash and added glitter to the edges. I tucked a doiley under all of it and some seam binding.

If you are here only for crafty reasons.....then feel free to click outta here! ; ) For my family and friends who enjoy coming here to see my little family every now and then feel free to stay a spell. I have just a couple of pictures from our little jaunt downtown this past Sunday. I kindly asked a stranger to take a family picture of us. Unfortunately, my girl has her eyes closed.....but at least there is a smile on her face! ( I probably should have taken her bib off too.........oh well!)

My little photographer, Kyle, took this one of Brian and I. Pretty good for a 13 year old!

And last but not least, a picture of Chicago's "Bean." It looked beautiful reflecting the city in front of it. : )

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!! Have a wonderful "hump" day! : )

Altered Memo Board

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Mine was a busy one! Saturday we had lunch with my aunt who was in from out of town, did lots of Christmas shopping afterwards, and yesterday my little family and I went downtown to walk Michigan Ave. We saw the lights, walked tons, visited the LEGO store, ate at the Cheesecake Factory, and enjoyed being together.

I have an altered memo board to share with you today. It was a little cheap one dollar magnetic thing from Target. I used October Afternoon papers and my Cricut George & Basic Shapes cartridge to cut the various sized circles. The smallest yellow circle and large cream circle were hand stitched. The word "Love" was cut using the Sweethearts cartridge using cream paper and glittered. And last but not least, the large flowers were cut using the Accent Essentials cartridge. I cut it twice, inked the edges and layered them on top of one another for dimension.

I altered some clips I had in my stash with smaller flowers cut from Accent Essentials, buttons, and lots of glitter! I love that the clips stay in place and all I have to do is swap out the photos.

Do you think they have a self-help group to help me combat my obsession with glitter? ; )

The 3 buttons were threaded together......I was way too lazy to do each one individually!

Hope y'all have a great day! I am off to work! I was a bit spoiled having the last week off.......back to reality! : )