What a difference a year makes

With all the baseball tournaments I have not been able to join in on CR84FN or Mojo Monday like I want to, but I am back baby!!!  Today's cards were made for a couple of people at work that have a birthday coming up.  Of course while I was making them I reflected on my almost year at the high school. It is hard to believe what a difference a year makes.  I am happy, and much healthier. I had always thought people were nuts to say that a job could age you like that.  Especially when it was a job that I loved. I loved working with the staff but most of all the children.  I am not going to bore you with the things I did not love.  Those would be the reasons that I left.  

A year later, I am happy, less stress... A LOT LESS STRESS!  I am doing something I love and something I am good at.  I am working with people that are Godly people that let me pray for them, that encourage me to pray for them and that have prayed for me.  

My cholesterol is down.  WAY DOWN!  God works things out in the neatest ways.  I love when He surprises me and takes care of me when I didn't realize I needed it, but I always do.

Now a year later, there are some people that I miss, and probably will never talk to again.  And to that I just have to say "oh well".  I am happy!  

These cards are made with a lot of leftovers so telling it all might be hard.

The top card:

Scallop oval die cut by Spellbinders

Flower die cut by Tim Holtz

Ribbon bought at CKC

Patterned paper by K&Co

Red paper by Recollections

All inks are Distress inks by Tim Holtz

Birthday stamp by Stampin UP!

Leaves made from the Magnolia line of paper and inked with Distress inks

 

Second card:

Embossing folder by Stampin UP! (thanks Cassie for selling it to me)

Yellow paper by Recollections

Birthday sentiment by Stampin UP!

all other supplies same as above

Random Cards and thoughts

I haven't much to say this weekend. I guess I did it all this week.  I have worked very hard in getting our home together during my time off school.  I have hired the painting of the eaves, check.  Fixed the grout in the bathroom, check.  Fixed the hole in the deck, check.  Had my dad build the bookcase, check.  Had the plumber fix the pipes, check.  Repaired all knicks in the living room wall, check.  Talked to someone about replacing my windows, check.  Repainted the bathroom cabinet, check.

I still need to fix that stupid laminate floor in the kitchen, considering ripping it all up.  Still need to refinish the kitchen cabinets, I do believe that I will work on that next.

We refinanced our house.  Got a great rate and will own it in just a few short years.

You can imagine with all this work I have not had much free time to make things. I have not made cards.  I have made three wedding gifts and these cards and that is it.  I hope you like my cards.  There were quick and fun. 

Memorial Day: a day of accomplishments

I had high ambitions for this Memorial Day.  I got up at my usual time and since John was at work and the kids were asleep I got started.  My objective?  I could use however much paper I wanted I just could not have an scraps (I have too many all ready).  Okay, I can do this.

I took one pack of paper by Basic Grey (Kioshi) and used that as my starter paper.  I added some plain cardstock, but most of todays paper came from that pad. 

The first scrapbook layout and two cards were made for the MOJO Monday and the CR84FN scrapbook challenges. 

In addition to the Basic Grey paper I used Black archival ink by Ranger, Walnut Stain ink by Tim Holtz, plain papers by Recollection and Bazzil, stickers by Basic Grey, and clear transparencies from a kit that I got at CKC. 

Celebrate card...tag by Graphic 45, ribbon by Technique Tuesday, buckle from JoAnn's, Celebrate from a CKC kit, paper by Basic Grey

pattern paper by Basic Grey, green paper by Bazzil, transparency from a CKC kit, ribbon from my stash, eyelet by Making Memories, black paper by Bazzil

Purple paper by Recollection, green paper by Bazzil, Good Luck tag by K&Co, all pattern paper by Basic Grey, ribbon from my stash

Tag by K&Co, pattern paper by Basic Grey, green paper by Bazzil, Purple paper by Basic Grey, ribbon from a set of sheet I bought

All pattern paper by Basic Grey, green paper by Bazzil

I LOVE this one!!!  Butterfly by K&Co, fresh air from a kit purchased at CKC, card base by Recollections, patterned paper by Basic Grey

All patterned paper by Basic Grey, quote from a CKC kit, eyelet from Making Memories

Book page from Song of the Siren by Philippa Carr, chipboard by Die cuts with a View, all pattern paper by Basic Grey, lady by Graphic 45, quote from a CKC kit, lace by Recollections...I love this one too!!!

made for a friend of mine, picture is of her grandmother, patterned paper by Basic Grey, butterfly and gear stamp by Hampton Arts.  I made this card in memory of her grandmother who just passed away.  She had been her grandmother's caregiver. 

Most of the collage materials by K&Co, all patterned paper by Basic Grey, Ribbon from Michael's, frame by Making Memories, stickers by Basic Grey

A Mirror Makeover

My father-in-law used to buy things from Publisher's Clearing House so that my mother-in-law could keep her hopes alive of winning 10 million dollars.  Today's refit craft is one of those "GRAND" gifts that he ordered from PCH and then gave to me.  It was a granddaughter frame and I was supposed to give it to Hannah, but she did not want it.  What I did was scrape off the granddaughter poem and took off the flower that was glued on there.  Then I redid the whole thing. 

I first added a wire of seed beads in purple and green (using this week CR84FN colors).  Then I made flowers from paper (a gray and a purple).  I used a prima flower at the top of the mirror along with a Tim Holtz metal charm, some rhinestones and then on the bottom a rub on that said "someone to watch over me" along with some Prima leaves.

I thought it turned out cute....especially since my "canvas" was so tiny.  The mirror is about 7x2.

Very simple, but I promise you it is 100% better than the PCH mirror that I started with. 

One Layer of Fun

It is no secret I like layers.  All  my scrapbook pages, my cards, my home decor....I want the layers.  When I saw this challenge I had to participate just because it was something I usually didn't do...ONE LAYER!  (check out the challenge here.....http://crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/ )

I decided that I had to create the illusion of layers by layering stamps.  I am pleased with the results, hope you are too.

To get the look:
All stamps by Technique Tuesday-I took the stamps and layered them my creating masks so that I could keep stamping the single fruits on top of each other.  I used the A Little Fruity stamp set, but since that is no longer available you could use their Fruit Stand set.

The embossed border was a cuttlebug embossing folder and I inked it using Technique Tuesday berry ink

The lines and dots were drawn by me using a Martha Stewart black pen

That's it...hope you enjoy

Time to create

For the first time in my working life, I actually have a relaxing summer. It is sort of strange, something I am not used to having. I have many goals for this summer...

Seal the driveway
Stain the deck
Repair broken lattice on the deck
Paint my bathroom cabinet
Paint my kitchen
Install new windows
Paint the eaves of the house
Cut down some trees
Buy some patio furniture
Fix my front sidewalk
Paint the concrete leading into the garage
Repair nicks in the living room paint
Install a bathroom fan
Install new gutters on the front of the house
Stain kitchen cabinets
Replace a rotten deck board
Get the plumber out to work on the pipes

3 days into summer (I am only working on "work days" Monday-Friday...my weekends are still MY time) and we (John and I) have gotten the driveway done (we are just waiting to drive on it), I have replaced the lattice and I have painted the bathroom cabinet.  Doing good so far.

Today card was made because of the extra time that I have in the mornings. I decided to make some string art (for this weeks Mojo Monday sketch) while I was waiting to go to work one am.  I was  thinking about all the extra time and how it was a gift and I was so grateful for it. 




The patterned paper is all by K&Co
The blue line on the white cardstock was hand drawn using a Martha Stewart pen
The white cardstock is by Recollections
String by DMC flower thread (no longer made) 597
Embossed strip by my Big Kick using a Cuttlebug embossing folder
Blue Bayou ink by Stampin UP! 

A parting quote for me, the restless one....

Make use of time, let not advantage slip.
William Shakespeare

Because I had extra paper left from the 12x12 page, I made two more cards (trying hard not to leave scraps) 

Hello card uses Technique Tuesday stamp Petite Posies for both the Hello and the dots

It also features K&Co patterned paper, DMC flower thread in 597 and white cardstock by Recollections

Best Wishes features a Spellbinders scalloped oval cut, Best Wishes stamp is by Fiskars.  Papers....white cardstock by Recollections, green from a kit I purchased at CKC, and patterned paper by K&Co

Rolled Rose Tutorial

Today I wanted to share with you my rolled rose technique.  It's not a perfect flower, just a simple little flower you can make and it can provide a wonderful accent to your projects.

I begin with a little square of paper and draw a little spiral (ok I admit sometimes-most times I free hand the spiral).  Then I cut out little waves on the outside of the spiral line.   

  You end up with a little spiral that looks like this (left).  I like to spritz the spiral with water then I wrap the outside edge (not the center) around a stylus.  I keep winding it around the stylus until it looks like the picture below.

 I then use some glue to hold the flower in place.  You will wrap the center of your spiral under the bottom of the flower and it has it's own built in base.  Then you can glue it onto your projects.

I am picturing 3 cards that I made today using this technique.  NO two are alike because I don't use a pattern, and I love that effect.

 These projects all feature:
Tim Holtz Distress inks in Evergreen Bough
Ranger Archival black ink
Scallop frame by Sizzix
All paper is from my scrapbin (I know the blue is MME)
string from my ribbon scraps
Floral patterned paper by Creative Memories
Bird, butterfly, music note paper and Wonderful  by K&Co
wire from a spool I bought years ago at Old America
Striped ribbon from Hobby Lobby
Quote from a kit from CKC
the leaves were handcut by me.

To get the colors on the leaves I put some Evergreen Bough directly onto a craft sheet.  I spritzed it with water and ran my cut out leaves through the ink.  I dried it with a heat gun and then drew on the veins with a Zig marker.