Time flies!

Has it been really 5 days since I last posted?  How does the time fly by so fast?  We've been busy, school commitments, working as an event planner for my old boss a few days again, keeping up with family demands, planning fundraisers....I must say no to something, 'cause I'm tired of having to give up my creating time!  I can say no, I can say no, I can say no...

This is this weeks Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger.  I adore this outdoor set from West Elm.  Clean and simple wood slats, it reminds me of the beach house we stayed at for Spring Break.  Now, if it was my outdoor set, I would have yellow and blue with touches of pink flower pillows on it...with a chandelier above... wine chilling in a bucket...aahhh... *snap*  Back to reality.  These are the cards I made that were inspired by this photo.

Wasabi Thanks
I scored the white card stock in 1/2" increments to look like wood slats and added my new obsession on my cards, burlap.  I'm sure I'll get over that one soon enough.
Cardstock: White 110 lb, SU! Baha Breeze and Wild Wasabi
Inks:  SU! Wild Wasabi and White craft
Stamp set: PT Delightful Dahlia
Accessories: burlap, Wild Wasabi stitched ribbon, brown button, hemp twine

Florida Birthday
My dad turns 70 on the 16th...WOW he really doesn't seem to be that old to me ;) (hi dad).  This was inspired by him and my parents recent purchase of a new home off Hawk's Island in Bradenton Fl.  I'll be making a different one for him - I'm not sure this is special enough for such an amazing man.
Card Stock:  SU! Cool Caribean, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive; Amy Butler paper
Inks: SU! Chocolate Chip and Old Olive
Stamp Set: PT Delightful Dahlia
Accessories:  SU! Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, burlap, mini buttons, SU! 1 3/8" & 1 1/4" square punches

Just under the wire!

This weeks Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab was a challenge for me (hence the name I suppose)!  I just couldn't get into the circle napkins.  So every morning during my cup of tea I would take a glance at it and hope inspiration would hit me.  Nuthin...for days...  Perhaps I needed to pull out papers and it would flow out my fingers...like magic...do you still believe in magic?  I do.  However... still nuthin...  I decided to make a fabric yo-yo out of the colors hope that would get me un-stuck.  So this first card is what I did in about 8 minutes, and what do you know...I like it! 

Simple, to the point, perfect for...well I'm sure I'll find a reason to use it.  The color in the photo is a bit off, the purple satin is much more lavender than it looks here.
Now, since this card was so easy and I was impressed with my creative skills, I decided to create a second card.  With this one, I used the same color story, and also made the same patterned background but instead of circles, I used Dahlias.  It was pretty bold, so to soften it up, I placed a piece of vellum over it.  The large Dahlia on the front totally ate up my blender pen, so perhaps I should invest in some copics...

Super quick

Hello blogger world!  Well, it appears I didn't get invited to be on a DT I really wanted to join...Oh well, perhaps next time.  I made this card for this weeks Get Sketchy #35 challenge.  I thought it was cute and fun, and it gave me an excuse to use another one of those felt coasters!  I'm also loving the burlap on my cards, it's an unexpected element to an elegant card

Praying

Card stock: Pink Pirouette, 110 lb white, vellum paper

Ink:  Versamark, SU! Pink Pirouette and Close to Cocoa

Stamp Set:  PT Guidelines Two
Accessories:  brulap, Soft Sky stitched ribbon, felt coaster

Happy Birthday Baby!

I guess she's not a baby anymore... (sniffle)  My baby is 6 years old now.  It's amazing how the time flies when you have children.  It seems like yesterday when I dropped her off at her first day of pre-school and cried on my way out of the building.  Now she wants to do everything on her own, dress herself, do her own hair, go to the potty by herself when we're at a restaurant (I have to say no to that one).  I tried to hold her on my lap today for some snuggle time, and the two of us didn't fit so well on the cuddle chair anymore.  It's hard to let go of the little things like that, so I told her I would buy us a bigger chair for cuddling (I'm so logical!)

It's tradition in our house for me to make the girls cakes.  At first it was for my own pleasure of making a sweet creation, but Lily has been putting in her requests for the last 3 years.  Since we love to watch the cake challenge shows on the Food Network together, she imagines now, big 3D cakes for every occasion and she can certainly come up with some doozies!  Last year she wanted a butterfly with moving wings sitting on a flower...yea, she is totally my daughter.  After explaining that I was unable to make a moving cake, this is what I came up with for her 5th birthday.  Not a Challenge worthy cake, but she really liked it. 

This year she wanted a Tinkerbell house with fondant icing and a Tinkerbell on top with 'magic' sprinkles coming out of her wand to make everyone fairy size - just like at Disney...   How do I get myself into these things?  Rob explained that the 'magic' has to stay with Tinkerbell in Disney and since we weren't having a big party palooza this year, we talked about down-sizing her cake for our small family party of 8.  After seeing some ideas on the internet, she decided she wanted a rainbow cake with m&m's.  Thank goodness she forgot about the m&m part 'cause each color is $5 bucks a pound!!!!  This is what I came up with for this year's sugary perfection!

Here is the post baking, pre-icing photo.  I made 2 batches of white chocolate cake batter (doctored plain white cake mix).  I took out 6 -1 cup scoops and placed them into separate containers to dye with food coloring into the colors I wanted.  I then baked each 1 cup serving in my 8" round baking pans, (I only have 2 8" pans) at 2 pans per cycle of 15 minutes of baking and 15 minutes of cooling, it took almost 2 hours to bake.  The rest of the un-dyed batter I placed into 2 6" round pans and baked until done.  I made icing to match the layer colors and used them to layer the cake and then I froze them for the night. 

The next morning I cut off the bottom of the layered cake and shaped it into a rainbow and placed the ends on the 2 6" cakes. (I really like making 3D cakes)  I piped colored icing for the rainbow with a small star tip and piped the clouds with a large star tip with white icing.  This could be done flat if you are afraid to go 3D, but it's really not as hard as it looks!  Below is the cake cut...how fun are all these colors?  I really looks like you are eating a rainbow!  Wouldn't it be a hit at a kids party?

Here she is peeking thru her cake!

I don't know where the time has gone...she is so beautiful!

Elizabeth enjoyed the cake too!

Can you relate?

I just saw this on this blog The Idea Room.  I can so relate! 

Not a favorite

So I CASEd this from the latest Paper Crafts StampIt Magazine.  The original idea was from Maile Belles (page 78), I really liked the monochrmatic look and with the current Color Throwdown #89 challenge, I thought it may work well.  It's sort of a miss.  Not my fave, but not terrible either.  If you want the spec's on this let me know, I'll post them up!

Thanks Grandma

EDIT:  I made the ColorQ royal court with this card!  Thanks for the acknowedgement ladies!

This is a thank you card for Rob's Grandma 'T'.  She is always so generous with our family and she gave Lily a nice gift for her birthday.  She always deserves an extra special card from us.  This was made combining 2 challenges (crazy, I know!)  First the 2S4U #50 bonus layout challenge by Heather, a great simple layout allowing the elements to shine!  Second, the ColourQ challenge.  This is the first ColourQ challenge I have done but I've been watching their site for a while now.  They always come up with interesting color combinations, and this was no exception!  I used a May Arts striped burgandy and ivory ribbon and colored the ivory stripes with a YoYo Yellow marker.  Next time I would use Pumpking Pie. 

P.S. No such luck on getting to bed early, it's currently 2:21 a.m.  Perhaps I'll be able to sleep in???

Thanks Grandma!
Card stock:  SU! Green Galore, Whisper White and YoYo Yellow, vellum paper
Inks:  SU! Pumpkin Pie (I don't have the tangerine color) SU inks Bravo Burgandy, Green Galore, Pumpkin Pie and YoYo Yellow,  and SU! YoYo Yellow marker
Stamp Sets:  Delightful Dahlia (Paper Trey)
Accessories:  green beads, green glitter, May Arts striped burgandy and ivory ribbon, blender pen

Busy, busy, busy!

I was having so much fun creating this week, that I lost track of time!  Last night I was up until nearly 3 a.m. (...yawn...stretch...)  I made this card on Tuesday for this week's 2S4U challenge and Caardvarks Celebrating Core'dinations Challenge.  I really love these Hambly silk screened rub-ons, the graphics are adorable and the quality is amazing!  I did have to cut it down to fit on this card, but it was very easy to do.  Thanks to Cath at Moxie Fab for sending me these, I'm now a rub-on fool!  My in-laws are coming in the weekend, so perhaps I will be able to create a card for the bonus sketch by Heather before the sun rises tomorrow.
I mirrored the sketch for this card and ruffled the tulle on my sewing machine before I attached it.  I'm going to send this to my friend Anne across the big blue ocean in Denmark for her belated birthday.  At least I made the card on her birthday...

Celebrate Anne

Cardstock: TPS pink chandeliers, SU! Pink Pirouette, Basic Black & Pretty in Pink

Inks:  Black Stazon

Stamp Set:  Damask (Papertrey)

Accessories:  Hambly Rub-ons, pink tulle, Martha Stewart scallop punch, Spellbinders Labels 2, Zva pearls

It's a bonus!

I love that Kazan and Laura at 2Sketches4You always provide us with 2 sketches each week!  This is the bonus sketch from last weeks challenge.  It's a cute little 4.25" card.

Dear Friend

Card stock:  110 lb cotton blend ivory, TPS Sweet Pea Houndstooth Blue

Inks:  SU! Close to Cocoa, Versamark

Markers:  SU! Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Blush Blossom, Blender Pen
Stamp Sets:  Delightful Dahilia (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories:  Ranger gold and silver pearlized EP, SU! River Rock stitched ribbon, Prima pearls, Zva Creative Pearls, burlap, Delightful Dahilia die, SU! chipboard tag

Better late than never?

Last week was a crazy one!  There were so many things I wanted to get done, (creatively) but I had to move other things up the priority list.  Like laundry, cleaning, bathing...just kidding!  I did have to get all those things done, but I also hosted a fundraiser at my house on Thursday, baked a cake for Lily's birthday, made a cheesecake for the fundraiser, and worked as a Special Events Designer again for 4 days.  My old boss had 3 corporate events to produce, one event had over 100 tables so she needed some expertise on her team (I think I broke my arm patting my own back).  How do you ladies handle life and work outside the home?  I am in awe of you!  I barely made it out alive!

I wasn't able to get into my crafting space until the end of the weekend.  I missed all kinds of challenges I like to partake in, and was disappointed that I missed this week's 2S4U event.  They were also checking out all the entries scanning for future Design Team members, so I missed that (tear...weep)  Since I am trying to complete all the challenges I missed, I decided to go ahead and do this challenge now. 
The challenge was to use this sketch and to incorporate SRM stickers.  If you haven't seen these stickers at work, check out the samples the DT made here.  They just disappear into the paper!  I didn't have any of these stickers left, so I  used a card stock sticker from Cosmo Cricket.  I decided to turn the card 45 degrees and used my coveted May Arts silk ribbon stash.  Isn't that ribbon to die for? 

Adore

Card stock:  110 cotton blend ivory, SU! River Rock, Webster Pages designer paper

Inks:  SU! Regal Rose

Accessories:  May Arts olive silk ribbon and pink ric rack velvet ribbon, coral button, Kaiser Craft red rhinestones, Spellbinders oval die, Cosmo Cricket card stock sticker

one of those days

Have you had one of those days when everything you do is difficult?  This card happened on one of those days.  This was the first time I used Stickles (what???  about time, I know!) and I didn't realize it takes a while to dry.  I think I smudged the polkadots about a bizzilion times!  I was getting so frustrated (my blood pressure is rising just thinking about it)! I was creating this for the Paper Crafts April Gallery Challenge the theme was "Shimmer and Shine" which is totally up my alley...so why was this so hard?  Who knows, it must have just been one of those days.  Let's hope it's behind me.

Daring Day

Card stock: SU! River Sock, 110 cotton blend ivory cardstock, Memory Makers polka-dot paper, vellum paper

Inks: SU! Chocolate Chip

Stamp Set: Dare to be Fabulous

Accessories: brown stickles, brown Kaisercraft pearls, Hambly screenprint rub-ons, May Arts velvet ric-rac, brown tulle, sticky strip

I've really been creating...

I just haven't been posting!  (tisk, tisk)  I'll post all my updated cards this week so you can see what I've been up to lately.  Here is the first one to show you.  I've been hanging onto these felt lazer cut coasters from Micheals $1 bins for a while now.  Just waiting to find the perfect project for them.  When I saw this sketch for the CardPatterns #60 this week, they instantly popped into mind. 

I've been using this color combination alot lately, at least I'm consistant, it's the same colors of my home decor!  First, I turned the sketch on it's side, then used River Rock as the card base and attached a panel of Soft Sky (I wish this one was returning).  To the SS, I then sewn on a piece of this FANTASTIC TPS paper called Sweet Pea houndstooth blue (I must get more) and inked the edges with SU! White Craft.  Next,  May Arts white silk ribbon was used for the bow.  The felt coaster was then attached with several glue dots. 

I used my Labels 4 spellbinders for the sentiment, SU! Heard from the Heart with Close to Cocoa and White EP, and used my stylus to trace the inside of the die for a white frame on the vellum and stamped the back of the paper with Soft Sky and the SU! Houndstooth background stamp.  Finally, KaiserCraft bliss blue pearls to cover the holes of the button and attached it with a foam dot.  That's it!  Now who's birthday is this month....

Lolly, lolly, lolly...

get your adverbs here.... (did I just date myself?)  I made this 'ornament' for Paper Crafts current call.  I thought I was so clever, creating a large lollypop into a x-mas ornament.  After I finished it, and had taken the photos, then submitted it, I realized I HAD to have seen this somewhere before (I'm not that creative).  So if it's you, I honestly didn't mean to copy.  Lily will enjoy it atleast!

Calls

I have been amazed by some of the bloggers out there and all their accomplishments with their crafts.  It's also nice to put a face with the names I see in publications like Paper Crafts and Cards.  After I won the Moxie Fab Olympics of Stamping, I learned about 'calls' for publications.  So that's how these talented ladies are getting their work in these magazines!  I submitted some items for publication for Cards and Paper Crafts for their last call, but obviously didn't get anything in (I'm sure I would have been contacted by now), but I'm not giving up! 

Here is a wreath I made for Paper Crafts current call.  It's made of coffee filters and I decorated it to match the card I made (and won with) for the Moxie Fab Olympics of Stamping.  These are the colors I use when I decorate my house for the holidays; Soft Sky blue, Certainly Celery green, pearlized metallic Gold, whites and ivories.  I just LOVE this color combo, it's fresh and clean with lots of wintery-ness (is that a word?).  I embellished the wreath with snowflakes, glitter pearls and buttons.  This probably won't make it either, but it was fun to make!  Since I got the wreath form and coffee filters at the Dollar Tree, this cost me only $3 to make!  My kind of decoration!

Pickin' up some paper...

Still trying to get back into the swing of things...I decided to do a card for the Moxie Fab Pickin up the Pieces challenge.  I'm not really good at the paper piecing thing.  I don't think I have the patience to make all those intricut cuts.  Simple is better for me when it comes to cutting!  Instead of using patterened papers, I decided to dry emboss some Kraft paper with my Cuttlebug.  I picked up a new folder but forgot to write down the name of the pattern, oops!  I'll be sending this out to one of my girlfriends, she invited me to a party in a few weeks and I can't make it (bummer).

Penny Peep
Card Stock: SU! Kraft, white 110 lb paper, Penny Lane by My Minds Eye, SU! Designer prints Certainly Celery
Inks: SU! Chocolate Chip and Craft White inks, VersaMark
Stamp Set: TPS Whimsical Birds, SU! Spring Solitude, Papertrey Damask Designs (words)
Accessories: Cuttlebug folders, swiss dot and (?)  Kaiser Craft brown pearls, pink ribbon, thread, white EP

It's been a while...

Can you believe it's been nearly 2 weeks since my last post, and over 3 weeks since I last got creative?!?  Life's been overly crazy here, and I now seem to have some order to our house and our lives.  It was a bit hard to get back into the swing of things, my creative machine is a bit rusty.  I decided to oil up and try out the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger with some handcrafted satin yo-yo embelli's I made last week and my new Papertrey Impressions plate.  The yo-yo's happened to be the colors of the inspiration photo, so I just added a little Tempting Turqouise to it and Voila!  This one still has a bit of rust on it, so I'm going to try another challenge later.

Yo-yo thanks
Card Stock: White 110lb, SU! Kraft
Stamp Set:  Warmest Regards
Inks:  SU! Tempting Turquoise
Accessories:  Handmade satin yo-yo, brown button, SU! turqouise grosgrain ribbon, Hamble rub-ons, Papertrey polka-dot impressions plate, Nestabilities labels 4

Sports Nuts!

My husband is a major sports fanatic.  He collects baseball memorabilia mostly, but dabbles in just about every sport.  He has autographs lining the walls of our basement and boxes upon boxes of signed baseball cards, magazines and so much more! 

We have 2 daughters, but he doesn't seem to mind.  We have been taking Lily to baseball games since she was 10 days old.  She enjoys going to games with her dad, not only for the game, but for some major spoiling as well!  She generally returns from a 'Daddy Daughter Day' at the ball park with a belly filled with ice cream and arms filled with goodies!  While we were on vacation, Rob spent many days at spring training games.  The last game he saved for Lily watching the Pitsburg Pirates at McKetchnie Field in Bradenton Florida.  They had a day filled with face painting, speedball pitches and autographs.  A perfect DDDay for the two of them. 

We were leaving for home Tuesday when we discovered this photo of Lily, FRONT page CENTER of the Sarasota Herald Tribune!  Our little sports nut strikes again!  I think this is the 3rd photo in various local papers of her cheering on the players.  She is a natural born cheerleader!

Oops! I did it again

When you're sleep deprived, you tend to forget things.  Like where your keys are, where you parked, how to spell...I tend to make a challenge card and not follow the challenge.  I am thinking the entire time about the limits of the challenge I'm creating for, but somehow when I'm completed, it doesn't fit the challenge...at all. That's how this one started.  I like it even if it's now just for fun.  Maybe I'll enter it in the Stamping Royalty contest....hummmmm

Lace

Lace.  It's not just for grandma.  I'm not a huge fan of it, but once I recieved this great May Arts Lace from No Time to Stamp, I may be a convert.  This card is for the CaardVarks Lacy Days challenge with JustRite Stamps.  I would KILL for some of these, I love making monogram cards and their system is fool-proof (and I am a fool!)

I started by spraying water on cotton blend ivory card stock and stamping SU! French Script background stamp in Creamy Caramel.  I then dried it a bit with my heat tool, turned it over and stamped it again with the same stamp and ink.  I really like the feel it created.  I wrapped the great May Arts Lace Ribbon around the bottom of the panel and layered it with May Arts blue velvet ribbon as well.  This panel was then adheared to a 4.25 x 4.25"  Chocolate Chip card body.  The Baja Breeze was cut with a Spellbinders tag die and stamped the cherry blossom image from SU! Embrace Life with Chocolate Chip classic ink.  I colored the blossoms in with a UniBall white gel pen, then with a blender pen, used Creamy Caramel over the white to give it a softer color.  'Thinking of you' was stamped in Chocolate Chip from the SU! Warmest Reguards stamp set.  I finished it off my placing it hanging over the edge to give it a classic card size feel and adding brown pearls from Kaiser.
I'm still sunin' it up in Florida!  Wish you were here!

Puking Perfection

Ahhh vacation....or is it? Saturday before we left for this sunny place, Elizabeth was throwing up all night. I thought it was from drinking sour milk from a found sippy cup. Apparently not. My first night here in paradise I spent praying to the porcelan Gods, something I hadn't done since my parting days of yore. I had no fever, thowing up and a little bit of the ....well you know. It passed with-in hours, but left me jumpy for about a day. About 4 hours ago, my dad came down with it, left the condo and went to their house a few miles away. 1 hour ago, Lily tosses her cookies all over the pristine bed with it's down pillows and comforter.   Ahh the joys of a Kramer vacation.  This is the second Spring Training trip in a row where the family came down with a terrible bug.  I think this annual trip is cursed.

But, I have to take a moment and brag...isn't Lily adorable?  I made this shirt and headband for her last week for St. Patty's day (before Elizabeth's illness).  She loves it when I make clothes for her for school, it makes her feel so special, and she is!  She has been such a good girl lately, it's amazing to watch her grow up, I want to keep her small!