Dana's Craft Blog

Old CPS sketch

2009-11-14T18:31:00.003-05:00

Here's a card I made with an old CPS sketch. I've had the bird stamp since the summer when I found it on clearance.

Cute Card Thursday Challenge -- Glitter Me Silly

2009-11-14T18:26:00.002-05:00

Here's my first submission in MONTHS! Cute Card Thursday's challenge this week is "Glitter Me Silly". I never pass up a chance to bust out the Stickles and Liquid Glass!

My First Christmas Cards

2009-11-14T16:37:00.001-05:00

I haven't posted in quite some time! Here are my first few Christmas cards. I challenged myself to do three things today:
1. Use my new stamp sets
2. Use paper I would not normally pick out
3. Make Christmas cards that aren't the typical red/green combination

What do you think?

CPS sketch challenge

2009-10-19T17:03:00.001-04:00

Here is my submission for the CPS sketch challenge this week. I actually used a Christmas stamp for this (from CTMH) and gave it a Halloween

twist!

Papertake Weekly challenge #3

2009-08-19T19:27:00.002-04:00

This week at Papertake Weekly, they are celebrating their 100th challenge. That means you can make a card based on any of the previous 99 challenges. I spent quite awhile looking through their archives and picking out some of my faves. This sketch is from March 23rd.

Papertake Weekly challenge (another one)

2009-08-19T19:20:00.002-04:00

Papertake Weekly challenge

2009-08-19T18:17:00.003-04:00

BLOG CANDY ALERT!

2009-08-19T11:15:00.002-04:00

The Crafty Den
http://thecraftyden.blogspot.com/

Cupcake challenge -- "something sweet"

2009-08-19T11:11:00.004-04:00

Here is my submission(s) for the "something sweet" challenge. I whipped up two little cards to keep in my stockpile of birthday cards. The cupcakes and cherries are foam. I found them on clearance at JoAnns. All of the paper is bubblegum from Close to my Heart. In addition to the fun challenge, they are having an anniversary blog hop. Go to Cupcake Craft Challenges to join in!

CPS Sketch Challenge

2009-08-19T11:02:00.003-04:00

CPS sketch challenge

2009-08-14T21:11:00.001-04:00

Wednesday Stamper challenge -- "paisley"

2009-08-14T21:08:00.002-04:00

Theme Thursday challenge

2009-08-06T14:51:00.002-04:00

Here is my submission for the challenge to use purple from Theme Thursday.

Cute Card Thursday challenge

2009-08-06T10:46:00.001-04:00

Here is my submission for the Cute Card Thursday "Tealy good" challenge. The challenge this week is to make a card with teal and red in it. I found this paper in the craft room--Mom and I got it at the Memory Lane yard sale.

Papertake Weekly and Stamp Something challenge

2009-08-06T09:39:00.003-04:00

This card works for two challenges: Stamp Something's "paper piecing" challenge as well as Papertake Weekly's "seasons".

Just needed these cards!

2009-08-04T22:38:00.003-04:00

I made these cards outside of the challenge cards today.... I was late on just about every single one anyway! I should have double-checked what the current challenges were but I just went with the paper I wrote a few days ago. Oh well!

Just Christmas and Birthday sketch

2009-08-04T22:34:00.002-04:00

Daring Cardmaker challenge - lots of sparkle

2009-08-04T20:01:00.001-04:00

CPS sketch challenge

2009-08-04T13:56:00.001-04:00

Stamp Something Challenge -- too late again!

2009-08-04T13:40:00.001-04:00

Here's my submission for the Stamp Something challenge... winged things. I'm too late again. I wrote down the challenges a few days ago and missed the deadlines.

Cupcake Craft Challenge -- but too late!

2009-08-04T13:08:00.002-04:00

Here is my submission for the Cupcake Craft challenge this week. The challenge was to use pink, brown and green as well as flowers and animals. I was too late to enter the challenge but here's the card anyway!

The curiosity of cats

2009-06-28T14:58:00.002-04:00

Here's the three cats watching my baby leopard geckos. They must have sat there, unmoving, for about 10 minutes. I was impressed that no one tried to actually get IN the tank with Skitz and Iris.

Sunday Sketch challenge

2009-06-28T11:54:00.003-04:00

Do you ever start making a card from a sketch and then start playing around with the pieces until it doesn't look like the sketch anymore? That's what happened with this! So, I like the card but it didn't really go as planned.

Two birds with one stamp...

2009-06-27T17:29:00.002-04:00

Here is my submission for the Daring Cardmaker's "miss you" challenge as well as the sketch challenge over at CPS. This is my first card in over a month! We switched my bedroom and the craft room so both have been in shambles!

Memory Lane PA yard sale

2009-05-03T11:17:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, Mom and I went to the Memory Lane PA yard sale. MLPA is a really cool scrapbooking store in Quakertown, PA. A few times a year people can sell their stuff and earn store credit. Check out all the cool stuff I bought! Take a look and see if you can guess how much I spent in total... (the amount is at the bottom)

$13.50 (wow :) )

JC&B sketch challenge

2009-05-03T11:15:00.000-04:00

Cupcake sketch challenge

2009-05-03T09:41:00.003-04:00

Here is my late (oops) submission for the Cupcake sketch challenge. You really have to click to enlarge to see all of the fun embellishing I did to it...my normal choices of liquid glass, liquid applique and stickles. I totally LOVE this card!

Created by Hand -- "spring" challenge

2009-04-12T22:25:00.002-04:00

My friend Deb gave me these AWESOME flowers for my birthday. She found them at Michael's. I made these cards to send to the other bridesmaids since we had a blast doing the bridal shower and bachelorette party for Meghan last weekend. I thought it had a nice spring-y feel :)

Stamp Something -- "shapes" challenge

2009-04-12T22:23:00.003-04:00

Does it seem like everyone is having babies? Sure feels like it around here! Here are two cards I made that fit the "shapes" challenge. They are fairly simple cards that I added the little circle stickers to once I finished the card. I got 12 puffy stickers in assorted colors for $2 at Walmart today. Woohoo!

Spoon Full of Sugar -- "how old?" challenge

2009-04-12T22:19:00.003-04:00

This is a card I made for my friend Marci's little boy. He turns 2 this month!

Paper: Close To My Heart
Embellishments: The turtles and the number were made with the Cricut. The "happy birthday" background is an old Cuddlebug embossing die-cut.

Just Christmas and Birthday sketch

2009-04-12T22:14:00.002-04:00

I recently bought the geisha stamps from Hero Arts and totally fell in love. The rest of the stamps on both of these cards are fun ones from Close To My Heart. Neither actually says "happy birthday" but they will inside! :)

Paper: The cardstock is Close To My Heart. I made the background and texture paper myself.
Stamps: Close To My Heart and Hero Arts (geishas)
Ink: Close To My Heart- bubblegum, clover meadow, star-spangled blue and sunny yellow
Embellishments: the geishas are pop-dotted onto the cards.

Miss ChaCha

2009-03-22T09:51:00.004-04:00

On Thursday, I had to make the decision to put ChaCha to sleep. Since her last shed, she had gone downhill really quickly. I hated to see her suffer.

Here are some pictures of ChaCha.

Poetic Artistry sketch challenge

2009-03-07T13:38:00.002-05:00

Here's my submission for the sketch challenge over at Poetic Artistry. I made this card for a woman at work. Her son likes jelly beans and his birthday is coming up. The jar filled with jellybeans is actually only three stamps-the jar and a few different-shaped jellybean stamps. I used a masking method to make them look like they all fit in the jar.

Paper: The cardstock is just a card pack from AC Moore. The background and texture paper is a mat stack from AC Moore (I really have to start writing down the names).
Stamps: Close to My Heart
Ink: Star-spangled blue and clover meadow from CTMH
Embellishments: random ribbon from AC Moore (LOVE when they go on sale for 25-50 cents!)

Papertake Weekly sketch challenge

2009-02-25T23:39:00.001-05:00

Here's my Papertake Weekly challenge submission:

Paper: White Daisy from CTMH and random background and texture paper from AC Moore
Stamps: House Mouse and random acrylic from AC Moore
Ink: Watermelon from CTMH and Staz-on black
Embellishments: white ribbon from AC Moore, stickles on the cupcake and crackle glass for the flames

Stamp Something challenge -- "3-D"

2009-02-25T23:31:00.003-05:00

Two fun cards for this one...

This card is made with one of my favorite stamps. What's so 3-D? Take a close look at the whipped cream on the card. It is made with liquid applique. Fun stuff!

Paper: CTMH
Stamps: I think it's from Stampabilities
Ink: Staz-on black
Embellishments: liquid applique and liquid glass (for the cherries)

Here's my first Easter card of the year. And the 3-Dness? The bunny tail of course!

Paper: CTMH hydrangea purple and some random background and texture pad from AC Moore
Stamps: I think it's from Stampabilities
Ink: Staz-on black and hydrangea from CTMH
Embellishments: cute little puffball from JoAnn Fabrics

Cupcake Crafts sketch challenge and Created By Hand challenge -- "stripes"

2009-02-25T23:24:00.003-05:00

Here's my submission for the sketch challenge over at Cupcake Crafts as well as the "stripes" challenge posted at Created By Hand. I totally missed the little embellishments at the bottom of the card when I sketched it out to create. Oops! This card is pretty neato because it opens where the big white stripe is. The orange stripes are actually on the inside of the card.

Paper: CTMH
Stamps: House Mouse
Ink: Staz-on (black)
Embellishments: Stickles on the cupcake and crackle glass on the flames

Arty Girlz challenge -- "butterflies"

2009-02-25T23:16:00.003-05:00

Here is my submission for the Arty Girlz challenge. We just got these butterflies. Aren't they adorable?

Paper: True Teal from CTMH
Stamps: I found the quote at AC Moore
Ink: True Teal from CTMH
Embellishments: The butterflies are from Pier 1! I used stickles to make the butterfly trails.

CPS sketch challenge

2009-02-25T23:06:00.003-05:00

Here's my submission for the CPS sketch challenge this week. I colored the HM stamp in with Close To My Heart markers. The mouse is done with Prismacolor pencils.

CARD RECIPE
Paper: Clover meadow green paper from CTMH and random polka dotted stuff I found on a shelf :)
Stamps: House Mouse, alphabet is from AC Moore, and numbers from CTMH
Ink: CTMH clover meadow and black staz-on
Embellishments: nada

House Mouse Monday Challenge

2009-02-22T12:02:00.001-05:00

Here is my submission for the House Mouse challenge blog. I really like this sketch! I made a tragic stamping mistake while making this card. I was trying to use up some of my scraps and I stamped the HM image on cheap white paper...when I started coloring with my CTMH markers it pilled up and started bleeding. Ugh. So, I guess it turned out OK but nothing as nice as I had planned!

Some of my favorite things...

2009-02-21T23:47:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting here thinking about the fact that I really go through spurts with crafting. Lately, I've been feeling kind of down and really haven't done a whole lot. Even after a crafting hiatus I tend to grab the same materials all the time. Here's my top five choices for crafting! What are your top five favorite things to use?

RHINESTONES!

XYRON STICKER MAKER!

CLOSE TO MY HEART PAPER!

LIQUID GLASS!

STICKLES!

Just Christmas and Birthday sketch challenge

2009-02-21T23:36:00.003-05:00

I really like the Just Christmas and Birthday blog sketch this week! This card is made with a random assortment of paper... the flowers and stamped image are from my swap partner, Donna. How cute is the ribbon? I got it for $1 at Michael's! "Happy Birthday" was made on the Cricut.

Just Christmas and Birthday sketch challenge AND ABC "blue" challenge

2009-02-21T23:33:00.003-05:00

I am totally loving this card! The paper is CTMH and a random mat stack from AC Moore. "Happy Birthday" is from the Cricut. The super fun ribbon was a steal at only $1 on the Michael's clearance rack! The stamped image is from Donna...the bubbles are done in liquid glass.

Just Christmas and Birthday sketch challenge AND Cute Card Thursday "spring" challenge

2009-02-21T23:30:00.002-05:00

This is my favorite card of the night. The adorable little fairy is from my swap partner. The square felt piece is actually a coaster and I got 4 in a pack for $1 at Michael's. The circle with "spring" and the butterflies is just a B&T I made from random stamps and inks. Although it says "spring", I'm using it as a March birthday card.

CPS sketch challenge AND Daring Cardmaker's "fish/frog" challenge

2009-02-21T23:28:00.002-05:00

This is a totally random card but I like it. My step dad bought me the frog stickers and I needed a boy birthday card for March. And here it is!

Valentine Gifts

2009-02-11T22:06:00.003-05:00

You need:
2- hershey kisses
2- oval-shaped pieces of pink paper
1- 2" piece of pink curling ribbon
1- 1/2" glue dot
2- tiny wiggly eyes
1- tiny pink pompom

Trying to focus on the positive

2009-01-29T22:40:00.002-05:00

It's really difficult to know that someone has passed away. It's even more disturbing when the person who has passed is young. A 12-year-old boy was killed this week when he fell into the road and was run over by a school bus at the middle school. Although I did not know him, it brings up a lot of feelings of loss.

So here's a list of 10 things that make me happy:

1. Books... the current series is House of Night but I plan to go back through all of the Twilight and Harry Potter novels in the next year or so.
2. My cat Sushi. Although he drives me absolutely insane sometimes, he is always happy to see me and wants my attention.
3. Rubber stamping. If you can't tell from this blog, I have a blast making cards. I've gotten away from scrapbooking lately.
4. Getting mail. Actual mail. The last few things I've gotten that were exciting were from my swap partner Donna. I got some really cool crafty stuff.
5. Getting my credit card bill. Seriously! I have it paid off and I am hella proud of it!
6. Cory. I know that he will always be there if I need him and we have fun together.
7. Chocolate.
8. Compliments from my students, other teachers or *gasp* even parents of students! Teaching can really be a thankless job sometimes. It's awesome to know that you are appreciated.
9. Going out for sushi. I love hanging at the Ichiban in Coplay. I've gotten to know the Yu family really well and the food is great.
10. The smell of Love Spell lotion. I have always loved that scent.

Cute Card Thursday challenge -- "valentine"

2009-01-29T22:21:00.002-05:00

For this week's Cute Card Thursday challenge, I took a totally random spin. Being that I am single, I don't really need to make lovey-dovey valentines. Instead, I made my friend Pam a card. I'm totally loving it! The scan didn't come out really well, but it says "forget love. I'd rather fall in chocolate". If you click to enlarge you can see the liquid glass, crackle glass and (of course) stickles. :)

Daring Cardmakers challenge -- "heart"

2009-01-29T22:19:00.003-05:00

Here is my submission for the Daring Cardmaker's challenge this week. I have to admit that I really thought this card stunk until I finished it. I was glad to find a use for this awesome spool of ribbon I bought forever ago. What do you think?

Just Christmas and Birthday sketch challenge

2009-01-29T22:14:00.002-05:00

Here is my submission for the Just Christmas and Birthday blog. No offense to the blog, but I'm boycotting Christmas for awhile and focusing on birthday. Why you ask? Well, I am sure to lose my Christmas cards before Christmas rolls around again. No doubt about that!

Dutch Dare challenge -- "mosaic"

2009-01-29T19:00:00.002-05:00

I am totally late on this challenge, but it's okay! I finally finished my mosaic card. I saw something in a magazine that reminded me that the challenge was happening. I was too late for the challenge but I still love the card (and the stickles of course).

Step Outside Your Box challenge -- "one word"

2009-01-29T18:56:00.001-05:00

Here is my submission for the SOYB challenge, "one word". I think one of the words I need to remember the most is RELAX! The stamped image is a Bella I got from Donna in the mail a few days ago. I am soooo hooked on these stamps!

Created By Hand challenge -- "pink"

2009-01-29T18:52:00.002-05:00

Here is my submission for this week's challenge at Created By Hand. A friend from work is having a little baby girl and I thought this would be perfect! I just got the little animal Sizzix dies today at AC Moore (50% off!).

Papertake Weekly sketch and Wednesday Stamper "handbag" challenge

2009-01-28T22:44:00.003-05:00

This card fits two challenges: the sketch at Papertake Weekly as well as the "handbag" challenge at Wednesday Stamper.

CPS sketch challenge

2009-01-28T22:38:00.003-05:00

Here's my card for the CPS sketch. With four inches of snow on the ground, I was feeling the wintery cards! The stamped image is something I just got in the mail from my swap partner, Donna!

My First Chinese New Year

2009-01-28T16:57:00.002-05:00

Betrayed

2009-01-27T22:35:00.002-05:00

I just finished Betrayed over the weekend. My mom bought me the book a few weeks ago. Little did either of us realize...it's book 2 in the House of Night series. Besides the little gaps in the story (which I thought was odd as I was reading haha), I really liked the book. Would I rank it with Twilight? Not really... but it was pretty good. I just bought the next book in the series so I can see what happens next! One thing that I didn't get into too much is the fact that it's really teeny-bopper-ish-- they text each other and talk about watching Moulin Rouge... it's very modern. I'll let you know how the next one works out!

Stamp Something challenge -- "birthday"

2009-01-18T20:22:00.002-05:00

I bought sock monkey paper about a month ago (I think). I couldn't think of what on earth I would ever do with it. Today I looked at it and thought it would make a fun birthday card. This opens up nice and big....so big that it doesn't fit into an envelope. Drat.

Papertake Weekly sketch challenge

2009-01-18T20:16:00.002-05:00

Sketch challenges are always a ton of fun. I got to use my new House Mouse for this one. What do you think?

The babies are growing up...

2009-01-16T23:02:00.002-05:00

Just for fun

2009-01-11T22:30:00.003-05:00

This wasn't a real challenge... I just went blog jumping a few days ago and saw a beautiful card posted. I used the layout. To see the original card, go to this site: http://sunflowerstudio.typepad.com/sunflower_studio/

The jar is super cute.... I stickled the lightning bugs and then covered the whole jar with liquid glass.

Poetic Artistry sketch challenge

2009-01-11T22:25:00.002-05:00

Here is my submission for the Poetic Artistry sketch challenge. I got the stamp set from Close to My Heart. Love it! You can put all different stamps into the little jar. I think this card will make a nice valentine even without traditional colors.

Mmmm.... dinner

2009-01-07T22:26:00.002-05:00

Baked potato and bacon soup (Weight Watchers....woohoo!)

French bread with gorgonzola.

Easy as...well... pie

2009-01-06T20:09:00.002-05:00

I love to make yogurt pie. It takes about 5 minutes and always gets rave reviews. My mom gave me the recipe (I think).

Here's all you need:
1 pie crust
2 yogurts (I get fruit on the bottom so it has pieces of the fruit in it)
1 container of Cool Whip (NOT LOW-FAT....the pie will not set right if you use low-fat)

Can you believe it? Couldn't be any easier! Just mix the yogurts and cool whip together in a bowl....pour it in the crust...refrigerate for at least a few hours.

This is dessert for tomorrow night's dinner. That way I know it'll be totally set and ready to go. I made one with blueberry yogurt and one with strawberry.

Another great thing about the recipe is that it is CHEAP!
pie crust = $1.29
2 yogurts @ 50 cents = $1.00
cool whip = 89 cents

A whole pie for a little over $3...can't beat it!

Bacon-Wrapped Salmon

2009-01-06T20:04:00.002-05:00

Here's what I made for dinner tonight:

I printed out an online recipe but now I can't remember where I printed it from. I usually take a look at what the recipe calls for and then change it up a bit. In this case, I added dill to the top of the fish and used turkey bacon instead of smoked bacon.

Tomorrow's menu: Baked potato and bacon soup.... french bread with gorgonzola... and yogurt pie.

You learn something new...

2009-01-06T19:54:00.002-05:00

Okay... so I've been meaning to figure this out for awhile (and you probably already know it, but humor me). When I go to the comments on challenges, I like when I can just click a hyperlink that takes me directly to the posting that has the card that I'm looking for. I did some research and practiced by leaving myself comments and I think I have it figured out.

Send me a comment with your e-mail address if you want the code. I tried to put it in here but then I get an error. Ugh.

Just Christmas and Birthday sketch challenge

2009-01-06T19:35:00.003-05:00

I think I've mastered messing up challenges lately. I totally drew all my sketches out for the challenges and then started making the cards. I made a valentine with this sketch.... it's for the "Just Christmas and Birthday" blog. What a silly girl I am.

Regardless, this card is super fun. It will probably go to my grandma because it came out really nice and took for-ev-er.

I used a masking technique to get all the little candies in the jar. This stamp set came with the jar and little things to fill it with. I wanted it to have a realistic look so I stamped some of the candy hearts onto post-its. Then I cut them out carefully. I stamped a few hearts into the jar and then covered them and stamped over the post-its. It gives lots of depth! I have to credit my stamp lady, Jes Ballas for that one!

Here's a close-up of the candy jar. It is covered in liquid glass.

Cupcake Craft challenge "glitter"

2009-01-06T19:26:00.002-05:00

Here is my submission for the Cupcake Craft challenge of the week... glitter!

I absolutely LOVE the quote on this card. If it's kind of hard to read, here's how it goes: "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." -Ralph Waldo Emerson.

You may wonder where all the stickles are for this card since I put them on everything. I decided to try something different. I used chocolate paper from Close To My Heart and sponged galaxy gold ink on it (one of those little dewdrop pads). It's a subtle glitter but I definitely like it. I sponged chocolate on the cream piece and then did the glitter over it as well.

CPS sketch challenge

2009-01-06T19:20:00.002-05:00

Here we go with more FABULOUS valentines! I made this card for the CPS sketch challenge. When I went shopping at Memory Lane PA for some new craft stuff (and new bottles of Stickles of course), my mom found BoBunny paper that is beautiful. (It's the stuff with hearts on it). The paper has a really nice sheen to it. Anyway, I only have one sheet of it so I've been seeing how many different cards I can use the sheet on. If you look at the circle cutout from the middle of the paper, you may recognize the hole as an accent on another card I made. I was tempted to throw out the scrap but am really glad I saved it!

One thing I was kind of upset with for this card is the fact that the "adore" stamp was much darker before the Stickles touched it. I don't think it looks terrible but the magenta color matched better.

Papertake Weekly challenge "spots"

2009-01-05T20:36:00.002-05:00

Here is one of my first valentines. Papertake Weekly's challenge is to use spots.... I had just made this card and then saw the challenge. Fun! It looks kinda stupid all small and stuff. Click on it and you'll be able to see that the candy dish is covered in liquid glass. Soooooo much fun!

PCP sketch challenge (or not)

2009-01-04T00:13:00.003-05:00

I just joined Paper Craft Planet. It is a fun website where you can post all of your fun stamping creations. Here is my first challenge submissions. I actually did two cards for the sketch. :)

Okay...I'm an idiot. I thought that the sketch below that says "sketch challenge" is the sketch that they are currently using. It's the icon apparently. Duh.

Anyway...here's a few cards that I made that don't fit any challenge but I love them just the same.

My Time sketch challenge

2009-01-04T00:10:00.002-05:00

Here is one of my first two valentines that were created today. This one is for the My Time sketch challenge. The heart paper (cut into a circle) is from BoBunny. It's got this really cool sheen to it.

TGIF "wintertime" challenge and CPS sketch challenge

2009-01-04T00:06:00.002-05:00

This card fits the theme for two challenges. CPS, of course, has a sketch challenge. The challenge over at TGIF is "wintertime".

How do you keep the challenges straight?

2009-01-02T11:33:00.002-05:00

Just out of curiosity... How do you keep all of the challenges that you do straight? I can sometimes feel overwhelmed with all of the different challenges. I write them all down on my mini notepad and then bring them downstairs. I just cross them off as they are completed.

Stamp Something sketch challenge

2008-12-31T19:38:00.002-05:00

This is what I came up with for the Stamp Something sketch challenge for this week. I was happy with the way the background and texture paper with the coffee cups came out. I was just playing around with it. I think this will just end up being a "just because" card for someone. I flip-flopped some of the sketch stuff to make it work a bit better. The colors and designs didn't look nice with the circle in the upper right :)

Poetic Artistry sketch challenge

2008-12-31T19:33:00.003-05:00

Here is my submission for the Poetic Artistry sketch challenge. I used more stuff from my swap pal, Donna to make this card. I wasn't happy with the card at first so I blinged it up to help. Stickles are ALWAYS awesome. I have no idea what to use the card for but I love it.

CPS sketch challenge

2008-12-31T19:27:00.003-05:00

Am I late on this sketch? It says it's the current sketch but there's one posted above it on CPS. Either way, this card is my favorite of the night by far! I did a lot of "things" with the card. The happy birthday was created with the cuddlebug and embellished with some chalking (Aaron will be proud of me...he loves chalks). I used paper and ric rac and the flowers and the stamped image that I got in my swap package from Donna. I chalked the outside of the stamped image with the chalks to make it less of a blinding white. I totally dig the 70s-ish color scheme.

Sunflower Studio sketch challenge

2008-12-31T19:23:00.002-05:00

Ta-da! My first valentine of the year. This card was made for the Sunflower Studio sketch challenge. I LOVE the sketch. I did alter it a bit by putting ribbon and a button instead of a sentiment. That part actually started out as a bow that was frustrating me so I cut it off. It looked cute so I added a few more strands of ribbon that were cut the same way. The patterned paper is BoBunny and I totally love it.

Check out the fun stamped image...it's from my swap pal, Donna!

P.S. I swear I'm not drunk. My scanning sure suggests I am though.

Twilight series complete

2008-12-31T15:35:00.003-05:00

I finished Breaking Dawn (the 4th book in the Twilight series) in three days. I was definitely reading until my eyeballs burned and I couldn't see straight. I was kind of surprised how everything ended but I totally loved the series. Now that I've finished it, I'm going to go back to the beginning and start all over again! I'd love to ramble on and on about the series but I don't want to give it away for those who haven't read it yet.

But here's a few thoughts:
1. Bella needs to suck it up and stop being a wuss. We won the vote in 1920. Act like a strong woman.
2. I want to be imprinted on by a shapeshifter.
3. Alice is the coolest Cullen.
4. Team Jacob all the way!

Swap stuff!

2008-12-31T15:32:00.002-05:00

I joined in my first swap in December and was matched with Donna who is from Canada. Check out the cool stuff I got! We are planning on swapping again. Fun! My favorite stuff from her package is the Christmas card and the orange, green and yellow flowers.

Papertake Weekly sketch challenge

2008-12-31T14:56:00.004-05:00

Here's my submission for the Papertake Weekly sketch challenge. I have to say that I wasn't sure I liked this sketch in the beginning. I'm usually all about everything lining up perfectly. Is it weird that having one thing angled like that totally threw me off? haha I'm learning that, as I go on, I try new styles that I would not normally pick and I usually like the outcome. Well, I absolutely love the final product. I did my own b&t paper with little cupcakes. What do you think?

Dutch Dare sketch challenge

2008-12-31T14:52:00.001-05:00

Here is my submission for the Dutch Dare Challenge this week. I needed some boy cards for January birthdays so I put a few of these together.

Sad news for Wookie

2008-12-19T15:55:00.002-05:00

Well, I took Wookie to the vet. Felt kinda funny saying "he looks fine but his breath is disgusting". Long story short, he pimped all the nurses in the room with his handsomeness and.... he needs surgery. He has three teeth that are so badly damaged that the gums have receded all the way down to the nerves. I scheduled his surgery for January 2nd. I feel so bad for my little baby!

12 on the 12th

2008-12-14T21:48:00.003-05:00

Here are my pictures for 12 on the 12th in December. I am soooo far behind in scrapbooking the pictures though....ugh.

Lots to Do "music" challenge and Stamp Something "red, gold, green" challenge

2008-12-14T17:32:00.003-05:00

Here is my submission for the Lots to Do challenge this week. I love that the theme is music because I was in the band from elementary school through college. I have a lot of bando friends that would totally love the card. Again, I used my stickled, rhinestoned, liquid glassed wreath.

This card also goes with the Stamp Something challenge this week....red, gold, green. Such fun Christmas colors!

Cupcake sketch challenge

2008-12-14T17:31:00.001-05:00

My Time sketch challenge

2008-12-14T17:18:00.007-05:00

Here's my "My Time" sketch challenge. Yeah yeah yeah, another wreath. I love the wreath. The wreath is even embellished with liquid glass, stickles and rhinestones. Good stuff!

CPS sketch challenge

2008-12-14T17:16:00.003-05:00

Here is my submission for the CPS sketch challenge this week. You'll notice that this as well as the next three postings are all of my new wreath stamp. I think it is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! I tried to use it in all of the sketch challenges (and anything else I could think of).

Updates of the mural

2008-12-10T21:05:00.001-05:00

Here are some recent pictures of the mural that is spontaneously appearing on my classroom wall. Don't know how it happens... maybe the mural faeries. (P.S. I'm teaching in a school building that is being demolished)

How to make your cat angry in just two steps!

2008-12-10T20:58:00.002-05:00

Step One: Put a sweater on your cat.
Step Two: Try to take your cat's picture.

So you may be wondering what sparked the whole "cat wearing sweater" idea. Well, I'm having a tacky sweater party and I wanted the whole family involved. Also, I think it's funny to dress the animals up.

Wookie was super impressed from the start.

I definitely had to chase him around to even get him in the shot.

I was officially snubbed.

Before Sushi got angry and wouldn't come out from under my bed.

That face says it all.

My first swap!

2008-12-10T20:52:00.003-05:00

I'm entering my first stamping swap and I'm so excited! The swap is through a blog that Karin Hoeve hosts. I'm partnered up with a woman named Donna who is from Canada.

Here's what I've learned about swaps (and myself) so far:
1. I have no idea what the whole swap etiquette is. For example, if it says to put 5 embellishments, is it bad to include more than that? Is the goal to follow everything to a T or to give you a minimum?
2. I have so much stuff in the craft room I really can't narrow it down to figure out what to send.
3. Swaps are scary because you have no idea what the other person's tastes are like. What if I send all pink stuff and they hate pink?
4. I haven't been excited to check the mailbox in a long time.
5. I have no idea how to send things to Canada (the address may as well be in Japanese because I have no clue whether I'm writing it out properly or not)

ChaCha

2008-12-08T18:32:00.000-05:00

Say hello to Miss ChaCha!

Lots to Do challenge -- "Christmas"

2008-12-08T18:30:00.001-05:00

Stickles anyone? The Lots to Do challenge is "Christmas" this week. Here's my card.

Just Christmas and Birthday sketch challenge

2008-12-08T18:26:00.003-05:00

Here is my submission for this week's sketch challenge over at Just Christmas and Birthday. I totally love the birthday card. The colors came out really nice.

Funky Fairy challenge -- "Christmas"

2008-11-22T23:53:00.002-05:00

This card is totally fun. Well, the image is. I am fully convinced that you can't go wrong with a gingerbread house. I've used this in a bunch of cards and I've spent plenty of time coloring this image. The whole thing is done in marker and then I add liquid glass to the windows, white puffy paint for the icing, liquid applique for the snow and stickles all over the place. This is definitely a huge project because it takes forever putting all the different things on the card. But everyone loves a super fun gingerbread house! (or they don't, just humor me)

The Dana challenge... creating birthday cards I can send to anyone!

2008-11-22T23:50:00.001-05:00

Here's my submission for the self-created challenge to make cards that can be sent to anyone--male or female. I got this stamp for a couple bucks at a yard sale. It takes awhile to color and stickle up (oh man I love stickles) but it's pretty simple to put together. I have this card in four different color schemes. The original was sent to my friend Ed for his birthday. When he said he really liked it I started mass-producing (alright, not really...but 4 is more than I make of most cards).

Daring Cardmakers -- "coffee"

2008-11-22T23:45:00.002-05:00

Here is my submission for the Daring Cardmaker's challenge this week.... coffee. I have to admit, I am not a fan of the taste of coffee. I do enjoy the smell though. My immediate thought was a tree covered in little coffee mugs but I didn't have the stamps for that. So I just drew it my self. The coffee mugs are colored with CTMH marker. I added a bit of cappuccino stickles and covered it with liquid glass.

Just Christmas and Birthday challenge

2008-11-22T23:35:00.002-05:00

Although I have been totally slacking on my card making, I have to mention how much I love this challenge blog.

CPS sketch and Cute Card Thursday challenge "snowflakes"

2008-11-22T23:29:00.002-05:00

Here is my submission for two challenges. I love doing the CPS challenge because it leaves everything open to total interpretation. I was excited to try the snowflake challenge at Cute Card Thursday because we had our first flurries this week.

The instructional assistant I work with, Deb, made me a shaker card for Thanksgiving and it inspired me to do some shakers of my own. My shakers are filled with holographic glitter and snowflake confetti. You really have to click on it to see how cute they came out. The slide shapes are from a baggie I got for 50 cents at the Memory Lane yard sale.

Wookie's New Haircut

2008-11-22T12:13:00.003-05:00

ChaCha is doing much better!

2008-11-09T20:45:00.002-05:00

I don't know how many people have leopard geckos, but I totally love mine (if you couldn't already tell by all the pictures). Recently, ChaCha got really sick. She wasn't walking around...her belly was swollen...her tail looked purple... I was really worried and talked to the pet center in Northampton. They suggested putting her in warm water a few times a day in hopes of getting her to be able to go to the bathroom. After 2-3 days of the hot tub treatment, it she wasn't doing much better.

I took her to the vet and got some laxatives and baby food to feed her. They told me that the calcium-based sand is said to be safe for geckos but if they ingest it (it happens when they go to grab food) the sand can get all stuck in her intestinal tract. I guess that's what happens.

Now that I've been doing the medicine and hot tubbing her, she's doing much better. I changed over to the artificial carpeting so she can't go eating sand anymore.