Stylish Blogger Award!!

WOW!  I am such a lucky gal that my cute blogger friend Glora from www.glorascrafts.blogspot.com wanted to pass an award on to me!  I have felt terrible about my days of crafting being swallowed up by many other things in life, and something's gotta change.  It just has to!  But I want to sincerely thank Glora for being so gracious and such a sweet crafter.  She is truly an inspiration! You must check her out... 

This award does come with some rules, so please play along:

1.Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this

2. Share 8 things about yourself

3. Pay it forward to 8 bloggers that you have recently discovered

4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards

8 Things about Me:

1).  I have 2 brothers; one younger, one older.

2).  I dated my husband for nearly 5 years before we got married.

3).  I have never broken a bone.

4).  I have been crafting since 1997.

5).  I had never been on an airplane until my honeymoon, almost 11 years ago!

6).  I have two beautiful daughters, and one brand new nephew.

7).  Brownies are my favorite food.

8).  I love to iron clothes.  Nothing better than a perfect crease...  

I would love to pass this award on to the following fabulous crafters.  They are amazing, and I love to see everything they create:

Mad Crafter at www.funkycards.blogspot.com

Kerry at www.mommakcrafts.blogspot.com

Dorcas at www.4craftyangels.blogspot.com

Terri at www.treasuresbyterri.blogspot.com

Vicky at www.luvmygypsy.blogspot.com/

Anita at www.scrappingwithglitter.blogspot.com

Jen at http://www.jennyscards.blogspot.com/

Diana at http://www.dianasdesignsblog.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for visiting!

Bear Birthday Card

My sweet daughter has another birthday party to go to this weekend, not to mention her own parties... she has a bear themed one on Saturday and I thought it would be so fun to make a bear shaped card she could sign.  She wanted pink on it and when I got it finished and presented it to her she was truly giddy about it and told me she might not want to give it away.  I was so happy to hear that!  I feel that way about some of my handmade things, so I'm happy she got that gene!  Thanks so much for stopping by...

Wow... Sorry about this image.  It's the "Happy Birthday" from Create-a-Critter in brown and pink... 

Ready Made Scrapbook

I have been working like crazy for what seems months to do this book for my cute friend Courtney.  She just had the sweetest baby girl in October and I wanted to do a little memory book for her.  It was 20 pages (10 two page layouts), and  I really loved how it turned out. I used the Cricut for everything...  The 8x8 squares for the pages, the mats and the journal blocks and tags, and of course, all of the cute images.  It was so much fun!  That certainly is an amazing tool.  Thank you so much for visiting!







My Cute SIL's Halloween Project

I have the most darling SIL.  In fact, she was the one who took it upon herself to teach me about crafting.  And boy, am I glad she did!  She bought these wood blocks at our local Scrapbook Store and decoupaged them and glittered them up and made them as cute as can be.  She's amazing.  She did 5 sets of these in what seemed like no time, and I was soooo excited that she gave me one!  I will cherish it forever, and my girls LOVE to look at it.  Thank you Missy for sharing your talents with me.  And, for helping me become the crafter I am today.  

Halloween Treat Bags

I realize Halloween has long since passed, but I had made these treat bags for a party my daughter was going to.  I used Mini Monsters, and I have to admit that I LOVE that cartridge.  It has lots of layers, and sometimes those aren't too fun to glue, but they look so sweet when they are finished! I made 15 bags and didn't have one left over.  They were so fun and a big hit!

Thanks for visiting, and stay tuned for a premade scrapbook I have been feverishly working on... Can't wait to deliver it so I can share pictures. 

Halloween Boxes

My daughter's school is having their Halloween parade today.  She asked me if I could make her teachers a box or a bag she could put candy in for them.  I was happy to do it.  I would like to thank Emma at www.creativetimeforme.com for the inspiration... and the tips on welding a different shape to the bags and boxes on Mini Monsters!  Thank you Emma!  I really enjoyed making these, and reinforced them with chipboard.  My first time ever cutting chipboard with my Cricut.  Thank you so much for visiting!!

My Creative Time Challenge - Create a Critter

I was so excited to join Emma for another of her awesome Throwback Thursday challenges today.  She chose Create a Critter and asked that we do a shaped card that included the color orange.  I was beyond happy about this. I absolutely love orange with pink, so it was pretty easy for me to throw a card together.. plus, my daughter needed a birthday card for a party this weekend, so it worked perfectly!  Thank you so much Emma for hosting another challenge.  Please be sure to check www.creativetimeforme.com for all the beautiful entries. Thank you for visiting!!

Gift Card Holder

My cousin has a birthday coming up and I couldn't help but get her a present that might help her get her Cricut collection a little bigger!  I have been dying to try a new way to do a gift card holder.  I used Tags, Bags, Boxes and More, Simply Sweet, Sweet Treats and Create a Critter.  The envelope was a "tag packet" from TBBM which I welded another tag to it to make it the shape that I liked better.  I cut the bird, the "Happy Birthday" and the grass from Create a Critter and the envelope flower was from Sweet Treats, and the name is from Simply Sweet.  I have really loved how this turned out and cannot wait to make some more.  Thanks so much for visiting!! 

My Creative Time Challenge - Old School

I was so excited to be able to join Emma at www.creativetimeforme.com for another of her exciting Throwback Thursday Challenges.  This week, she challenged us to not use our Cricuts!  I was pretty excited about that, because for many, many years, all I had was brass embossing templates.  It was so fun to break those out and use them for her challenge.  I really miss doing embossing, but since the Cuttlebug and Cricut, most of my old hobbies have taken a back seat to my ever changing skills.  Thank you Emma, for hosting another great challenge!  Be sure to visit her website to see all the other  "old school" entries!

Thanks for visiting!!

Roar Like a Lion...

My big brother and his darling wife are expecting their first baby any day now!  They have the most darling nursery for him and wanted to add one more element of decor for him.  My dad always told us kids when we were growing up to "Roar like a lion!" anytime we were scared.  This was what they wanted to do with vinyl for their nursery.  I was happy to do it for them!  Sadly though, I only cut the vinyl and my husband did everything else!  Isn't he amazing!?  He truly is such a talented person and can make anything look like a million bucks!  I cannot wait to see it in the baby's nursery and I am just so proud that my husband could take the time to make this extra special for my cute brother. 

Thanks for visiting!!

My Creative Time Challenge - Paisley

WHEW!  I was able to join Emma at www.creativetimeforme.com once again for her awesome Throwback Thursday Challenge.  This week, she chose the Paisley cartridge with the theme of Back to School.  I have loved the Paisley cartridge since I bought it, but I don't have a child that is headed to school yet.  My four year old has been asking how to spell things for about 4 months now, so I thought I could make her a fun little set with a few of the critters from the cartridge.  The cartridge doesn't lend itself to Back to School right from the start, but if you dig into the manual, you'll see  few things that could double as school items.  On page 64, I used the "Paisly1" cut on the Card/Tab feature and thought it looked like a pencil.  I cut it three times and took the parts I needed to make the pencil:

The font I used was from Makin' the Grade and the pencil border is from Locker Talk.  I welded 8 pencils together to make the edge and then cut their layers accordingly.

Next, I used the bee, snail, frog and dog and put them on the top of some lines I had my computer generate.  I cut the letters using Simply Sweet.  She can now look at the letters and practice writing them and actually make words.  She will be so excited! 

Thank you Emma for hosting another great challenge.  This by far was the most challenging for me, but I'm so happy with how this turned out.  Be sure to check www.creativetimeforme.com for all the amazing entries.  Thanks for visiting!!

Owl Together Now!

Whew!  The baby shower I did for my darling SIL was yesterday and it was a huge success!  I was so happy to see her giddy with joy about her shower and the gifts everyone brought her.  She's one of those women that I admire deeply for her dedication to my brother and their family.  I'm so glad she's in my family and I get to be an Aunt because of her!  Thanks, Angie!  :) 

The theme for the shower was "Whoo-Ray!".  I took that and ran with it.  I'm really into owls right now, and I couldn't help but use that darling sleepy one from Create a Critter.  It fit so well!  The centerpieces fit on 6 tables and were a hit!  The ferns were from our Great-Grandpa's yard and the pine cones were from my yard.  We were thinking "woodsy" for the centerpieces.  I'd say we achieved that!

There were 18 bags with two owls on each for the tables. It was so fun to make them!!

I've always wanted to make a banner but have never had an occasion to need one.  This party seemed perfect!  I cut "WHOORAY!" from Storybook and the squares are from Fabulous Finds. I was so happy with how this banner worked.  It was so fun!

Our next decoration was a tree full of owls!  It was sooo cute.  I loved this element of the decor.  It was quite windy, but those little owls survived the storm! 

We had a diaper cake sitting on the table with the tree and put some branches around it so it was sitting in a nest.  Everything that we put out just made it all that much cuter.  Here's a picture of the whole table with the tree and cake. 

I would like to send my sincerest thanks to Jill, Missy, Patty and Paige for helping me make this event one that Angie will remember.  It was a blast working with everyone, and I hope you had has much fun as I did!  Thank you, thank you!  I couldn't have done without you. 

My Creative Time Challenge - Celebrations

I was so excited to join Emma at www.creativetimeforme.com for another of her "Throwback Thursday" challenges.  I just love to see what she creates with the older Cricut cartridges and I am always so happy that I can join her.  The theme this week was birthdays.  She asked us to use the Celebrations cartridge and our project could be anything we wanted.  I was so excited to make a birthday card for my cute friend.  Also, a special congratulations goes out to Emma for her first DVD!!  I have mine on order and cannot wait to receive it!  That is so exciting, and I am thrilled for her.  Thanks so much for visiting and be sure to check Emma's blog to view all of the gorgeous entries!  Happy Crafting! 

WHOO-RAY! A Baby Shower Invitation

My darling SIL is expecting her first baby in September.  I am thrilled beyond words for her and my big brother so I wanted to do a shower.  I love to go to baby showers, so I wanted hers to be super special!  We are all so excited for them that "WHOO-RAY!" seemed to be a perfect theme.  Sincere thanks go to Missy and Jill for their endless hours of helping me get these ready to mail.  You gals ROCK!  Stay tuned for more great "owl" projects to go with the shower.  We have tons in store!  Thanks for visiting! 

My Creative Time Challenge - Wild Card

First off, I want to sincerely thank Emma for hosting another challenge.  I have been so happy I can make time to join her, and I was thrilled beyond words that I was chosen the winner of last week's Throwback Thursday.  I was truly in disbelief.  I cannot wait to get my Zooballoo cartridge out and get caught up on my scrapbooks!  Thank you Emma and Peachy Keen Stamps! 

Now, on to this week's Throwback Thursday.  She chose Wild Card and asked that we do our favorite holiday and make a card for it.  For me, that was a no-brainer!  I LOVE Valentine's Day and thought this was a perfect time to make a card for my hubby... or daughter.  I haven't decided who this will go to!  I used the "Argyle" cut because I love argyle and my card just came together from there.

Please be sure to check http://www.creativetimeforme.com/ and check out all the beautiful entries for this week's challenge.  Thanks for visiting!

Grandmother's Poem

My husband's grandmother is one of the sweetest women I know. She is super talented in so many areas and is just one those ladies you wish you could be more like. She is amazing with ceramics, and does these tiny little intricate flowers on most of her pieces that I would just kill for! She has a friend who's son is leaving on an LDS mission in the Fall and she wanted to give her a piece with a boy kneeling. I love this piece, so I was happy she'd call to tell me about it. Well, she wanted to know if I could take her poem she had written and "dress it up". I was beyond flattered. She told me she needed three of them, but she didn't care what they looked like. My thinking was, I'd design three different styles and she could pick the one she liked best, and I'd put two more of them together. I delivered them to her, and she loved them all, and decided to keep all three! It's always so fun to have such a talented woman enjoy the things I make. It makes my hobby that much better! Thanks for visiting!

I'm so sorry about the poor picture quality. 

"My Creative Time" Challenge - Zooballoo

HOORAY! I was able to join Emma from http://www.creativetimeforme.com/ and her "Throwback Thursday" Challenge. I absolutely love Zooballoo. It was the second cartridge I ever got for my Cricut! I decided to try to make a "Post It Note Holder" and put that cute lil' fox on it. I just love him! Thank you so much Emma for doing your fabulous challenges. They ROCK! Thanks for visiting...

"My Creative Time" Challenge - New Arrival

I finally was able to make a little time to play along with Emma at http://www.creativetimeforme.com/ and her New Arrival Throwback Thursday Challenge. I really love New Arrival, and I hate to admit it, but I don't use it like I should! I hope to get better about using it because it really does have some great cuts on it! Thanks for visiting!

Goodbye, and Thanks!

My daughter is done with her first year of preschool. I think I'm a bit more sad about it than she is, but that's okay. She wanted to do a cute little card to put with a cookie bouquet for her two teachers. She asked me to cut a purple flower and "make it pretty". That was a lot of pressure! She signed the inside and was just so happy with how everything turned out. I was too. The cards were super easy and she loved them. That's the best! Thanks for visiting...

An Invitation to Play

My daughter's school is just about done for the summer and she has a darling friend that she wants to invite over to play. I realize I can just ask the teacher for this friend's last name and try to find her parents, but I thought it would be fun to have Shelby give her an invitation with her phone number to play at a park or whatever. I hope that her friend is excited and even if she isn't, we had fun making it! Thanks for visiting!

This is the inside. I just love that "Let's Play" from Create a Critter!!

Birthday Tag

My daughter has yet another birthday party to go to tomorrow, so I wanted to make a little tag to put on her gift. I love how this turned out, and I think I could use the simple design on a lot more tags. Thanks for visiting!!

Cupcake Card

We had a birthday party for my husband's sweet grandmother on Saturday. I was driving home from the hair salon, and was hit with some much needed inspiration for a card for her. I'm loving my "Sweet Treats" cartridge, and usually incorporate it in all of my projects lately, but the cupcake cuts are my fave. So, I tried another shaped card. I was so happy with how it turned out, and I can't wait to make more. I put her card with a metal cupcake holder and the inside of the card said, what else but "Happy Birthday, Cupcake!". She loved it and couldn't wait to pass it around to the family. I love when someone loves what I do for them... There's not another feeling like it! Thanks for visiting...

Mother's Day Cards

I can't let a Mother's Day slip past me without making at least 2 cards... One for my mom and the other for my MIL. I was so excited to try my new "Mother's Day" cartridge, and it is just so gorgeous, and fast! Just my type... Thanks for visiting!!