{SK Studios}

just checking in

2012-01-18T18:04:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll!

I'm still here!! DH was home for the holidays, but now he's back at his mini-deployment- boo! I've been keeping busy around here, and I'll be bringing you some fun projects soon! Here's just a few of the upcoming things I'll be sharing with ya...
- menu planning calendar, created from an old cookie sheet!
- nursery decor
- new ribbon storage solution
- and more cards and scrapbooking, of course!

So thanks for sticking with me, and I'll be back in full swing on here soon!
*huggs*
-Shauna

easy DIY gift tags

2011-12-22T16:18:00.006-05:00

Hey all!!! Wow, can you believe Christmas is only a few days away?! Well, as you can tell, things have been a bit quiet over here- I only have a short time with DH this holiday season before he has to go back to his mini-deployment, so needless to say I'm spending most of my time with him ;) Not to mention I've been a bit under the weather, so unfortunately a lot of time has been spent on the couch- boo.

Anyhoo, I wanted to share these super quick and easy gift tags with ya'll!! This would make a great project to do with kids too :) The only ingredients I used are...

The Cutting Cafe digital stamps {cut out with a circle punch}
tag & snowflake punches
twine
buttons
rhinestones & rhinestone brads
cardstock & Christmas patterned paper scraps
leftover Christmas stickers
{and one leftover Christmas tree stamped image!}

I just kinda stuck things where they would fit essentially :) I think kids would have a blast using whatever crafting scraps and tidbits you have laying around! You could even use up scraps of wrapping paper for these! The possibilities are truly endless!

I may or may not be back on here before the new year, so if not, have a super

merry CHRISTmas

special dad

2011-12-11T19:10:00.002-05:00

Goodness ladies, it's been a busy week! So sorry I haven't posted much- between master's thesis, getting ready for DH to come home from mini-deployment, and getting Christmas gifts done, I've been a bit swamped! I'm sure you understand- tis the season hehe ;)

Anyhoo- here's a card I made for an auction item. It was a set of 12 cards, one for each month of the year. This was June's card- Father's Day! I really like how it turned out!! I'm pretty sure I'll be making this one again for my dad this coming year ;)

Materials:: PTI paper, Technique Tuesday tool stamps, Unity sentiment stamp, The Twinery twine, and eyelets from my stash.

12 Days of Christmas Countdown Calendar

2011-12-06T14:08:00.006-05:00

Hi all!! I wanted to share my 12 Days of Christmas display with you :) My DH is coming home from his mini-deployment just in time to count down the 12 days of Christmas. So instead of a traditional Advent calendar {which we would have had to skip the first half of, or open the first half all on one day!} I decided to go with the "12 Days of Christmas" theme!

It's our first Christmas being just the two of us- previous Christmases DH was deployed or we were hosting guests so things were crazy! So our 12 Days of Christmas calendar is filled with goodies the two of us can enjoy together. We both love tea and coffee, so each day is filled with a special tea or coffee that we haven't tried before, or one that is a favorite of ours. I'm looking forward to opening them each night and settling down together on the couch to enjoy our hot beverages, perhaps while watching a Christmas movie ;)

The best part?? Since I had all of the materials in my stash, the only expense was the items to fill the pouches- $30 {and there's lots of extras of each tea/coffee, hehe}.

Below is a tutorial of how you can make one too! I used lots of The Twinery twine on this project!! :D I've also included a link where you can download the whole tutorial in a PDF file. Enjoy!!

{download PDF tutorial here}

Christmas card

2011-12-02T10:36:00.004-05:00

Hi all!! I'm back from my little vacation visiting family over the holidays, and thought I'd share with you our family Christmas card for 2011 :)

It's pretty simple, and the hardest part was actually picking out a color scheme! Originally I'd intended it to be a light blue and dark red card with red twine... but that didn't work. Then I tried dark teal and navy card with navy organza ribbon... that didn't work. I just kept coming back to this- cream and navy card with jute twine... and it works :)

So here's wishing you a very blessed month of celebrating Christ's birth!

thankful countdown mini-album

2011-11-14T20:52:00.004-05:00

Hey all! This is my last post for about 2 weeks- going to be spending time with family for the holiday season. But not to worry, I'll be back again at the start of December!! :)

So in counting down to Thanksgiving, I decided to make a little "thankful" mini-album, or gratitude mini-album! So I counted down to Thanksgiving by counting down the ways I'm thankful for my DH ;)

I used PTI's mat stack 3 for the basic shape. For the covers, I die cut some thin cardboard leftover bits I had. Then I covered them in some Making Memories Autumn Splendor DP! Love that line :) The inside pages I die cut some more DP and some pages from an old book. For the numbering, I used a stamp from PTI's 2009 Holiday Tags. I added some scrap pieces of paper on each page to make a space for journaling. I finished it off with a few word stickers and some ribbons!

This is the last page, inside the back cover :)

FWF freedom

2011-11-11T10:36:00.004-05:00

THANK-YOU

to all our Veterans for serving to protect the freedoms of this great nation.

May God bless you and keep you.

I encourage everyone to thank a military service member whenever you see them. They sacrifice so much and often receive little thanks. Trust me when I say that it is always a humbling experience and often brings them to tears when someone goes out of their way to say a simple thank-you.

Thanking God for my Veteran DH today and everyday!

Playing along over at Friends with Flair Fridays at Unity! Using their Freedom stamp.

In honor of Veteran's Day, Unity is donating to Wounded Warriors 5% of the proceeds from Declare Freedom stamp and Unity in America stamp kit. The Wounded Warrior Project is a truly great organization helping our Veterans.

Handmade gift- cross stitch ornament

2011-11-09T20:05:00.002-05:00

So I'm not one for skipping holidays- Thanksgiving is actually one of my favorite holidays because both sides of our family always get together each year for big turkey dinners :) Love that it's a holiday that has really become about great food and great family!
With that said though, I did want to share this ornament that I'd made for a Silent Auction gift basket I donated! I'm getting started on Christmas gifts already too, since some require a bit of time to make- like a few other cross-stitch gifts I'm working on (I'll share once they're done!). This is a great gift- handmade and pretty cheap to make!

embroidery floss- $1 each color
cross stitch fabric- already had, recently bought some more at $6 for a big sheet
frame- $1 at Michaels
ribbon (to hang)- already had, ~$2.50 for a whole roll

So you can see how you could make a lot of these out of one set of supplies!! :) You could also dress it up with some beads for the holly berries or a twine/floss bow on the wreath!

This pattern was from Just CrossStitch magazine, but recently I've found a lot of beautiful patterns for free online. Cross stitch is really easy to learn, and make for some great personal handmade gifts :)

handmade gifts :: framed diecuts

2011-11-06T11:15:00.008-05:00

So here's a super simple DIY handmade gift! And the best part is, depending on what diecut you use, it could be perfect for any holiday or occasion! Customize the shape for the holiday, season, or maybe what your giftee enjoys- use their favorite colors, if they like dogs you could find a cute doggie cut out, if they like sewing you could use great buttons instead, use umbrellas for a baby shower or wedding shower decor, the sky's the limit!

.: materials :.

frame
background paper
die cut (or other items to frame)
3-D pop dots

.: instructions :.

{1} remove glass from frame

{2} cut background paper to the size of your frame

{3} measure your die cut, and approximate how many will comfortably fit in your frame

{4} cut out die cuts, if needed

{5} attach die cuts to background paper using 3-D pop dots **

{6} assemble frame and gift away!

** a few things I found useful during this step...

- I assembled this with the frame around the background paper, not attached in the frame yet, but just resting on the table around the paper. It helped visually space the die cuts.

- I also assembled this with my Olfa sewing cutting mat under my project. I aligned the frame/background paper with the measurements on the mat so I knew I was roughly spacing the die cuts evenly. You could also simply put a ruler along either side to help with spacing too!

apple trio FWF

2011-11-04T01:23:00.000-04:00

Happy Friends with Flair Friday, ya'll!! Things are busy busy around here. And speaking of busy, have you seen how busy they've been at Unity putting together tons of sales?! I recommend definitely checking it out ;) This little card uses the adorable apple trio stamp from the KOM Happily Ever After. I colored them in a bit with colored pencil and topped it off with some matching The Twinery twine :) Also linking up to CAS-ual Fridays' "Over the Edge" challenge! Have a fabulous weekend, friends!

handmade gifts :: post-it note holder

2011-11-02T13:12:00.003-04:00

hey all!! Checkin in here with a super simple, quick and easy handmade gift- perfect for birthdays or Christmas! Before we know it, Christmas will be upon us... but not before one of my favorite holidays- Thanksgiving :)

Anyhoo, here's a little tutorial for this easy gift!

.: materials :.

- acrylic photo frame

- patterned paper

- ribbon

- post-it notes

- pen

- glue

.: instructions :.

{1} cut patterned paper to the size of the photo frame

{2} insert paper into photo slot in frame

{3} cut and tie ribbon around top edge of frame

{4} cut ribbon loop and adhere to edge of frame

{5} securely glue post-it notes to frame, covering the edge of the ribbon loop

{6} add pen and gift away! :)

autumn wreath

2011-10-29T13:17:00.002-04:00

So here's a project that has been in the works for about a month! I wrapped the wreath in twine late last month when I did our autumn mantle {post to come about that!}, but it got left to the wayside. I finally got to finish it this afternoon! Yays :)

This is a super simple wreath, and I'll share a full photo tutorial for it soon. It started with an eco-friendly "styrofoam" type wreath from Hobby Lobby. Proceeded to wrap it in the great golden wheat colored yarn, which took about an hour & half- I just wrapped it while watching some of my favorite shows ;) Then cut out circles of some great fall fabric I've had for a year or so, put a pin through the center, and pushed it into the foam. Repeat lots of times. Then I created the fun little "autumn" banner with my scrapbooking supplies and The Twinery twine and hung it on our door!

cross posted on my homemaking blog- His Frugal Servant

Butterfly Sympathies FWF

2011-10-28T11:07:00.005-04:00

Happy Friends with Flair Friday, ya'll!! Sorry, it's been a bit busy around here- DH is getting ready for a mini-deployment, so I'm spending extra time with him :) Anyhoo, here's a set of sympathy cards I whipped up recently- super simple. It uses the sentiment from the KOM Think Happy Thoughts- love my KOM's! I diecut the butterfly and used the negative image- backed it with some scrapbook paper I've had forever from a Border's scrapbooking kit, then just added some ribbon, twine, button, and gems! I really like how they turned out- I think I actually like the horizontal LO the best- might be seeing that again in another card ;) Have a fabulous weekend all!!

happily ever FWF after

2011-10-21T10:56:00.002-04:00

Happy Friends with Flair Friday, ya'll!! Wanted to pop on here and share a wedding card I made for an order recently... this is one of those cards that didn't quite turn out how I'd imagined, but I think I actually like it better this way! :) It features PTI cardstock and the fabulous Happily Ever After KOM. Love me my Kit of the Months!!! Happy Friday and have a great weekend, friends :)

Bible study bookmarks

2011-10-16T21:42:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday, all!!

Just dropped in to show ya a quick bookmark I made :) I'm currently reading through the Bible in a year and I've chosen the chronological order- so it's the order of when things occurred historically and jumps around between books.

In order to keep track, I've created bookmarks with each day's reading on it, and broken up the reading into various bookmarks. I've listed the day's reading and a space to record which date I finished the reading on. It's a simple way to keep track of where I am in my readings. Every few days/weeks I get to pull out my next bookmark, and they're all different so it's fun :)

happy autumn

2011-10-15T14:09:00.003-04:00

how cute are these, right?! hehe... love making these little pumpkins- so super quick and easy. Just cut out a bunch of circles, fold 'em in half, glue them together, then add a stem and some wire vines (or I've made them with paper). Happy Autumn ya'll :)

summer FWF

2011-10-14T10:21:00.004-04:00

Happy Friends with Flair Friday!!! Love me my Unity- anxiously awaiting this month's KOM, maybe it'll arrive in the mail today! Lots of fun things going on at Unity- new releases galore, so be sure to check them out! Anyhoo... the card! The stamps are from the KOM What I Know. The LO is from Unity's WCMD challenge, which I flipped around a little so the elements would fit- just a simple fun summery card :) Enjoy your weekend ya'll!!

fall circles

2011-10-12T10:16:00.003-04:00

So this is one of those cards that didn't quite turn out how I'd envisioned it... but the more I see it, the more I like it :) I started out with the "circles" theme and color scheme from Embellish's challenge {love their challenges!}. Then I pulled out my Unity Dec 10 KOM "Just be you" because I knew I wanted to use this tree image. I cut out circles that closely matched the concentric circles in the tree image using my spellbinders dies. Then I cut out the card base and the coral outer circle. I assembled the tree circles and then stamped the image on the circles and card base. Add on some "falling leaves" pearls and sentiment and done! :)

give thanks

2011-10-10T21:09:00.003-04:00

This card started out with the color scheme and the theme of "falling leaves" from this month'sUnity Company Challenge. So I pulled out the only leaf images I have, from KOM "when I am with you" and it kinda fell into place from there. It's a card that I didn't really start out liking, but once it came together, I really loved it!! I might make a few more actually, hehe :) I've also fallen in love with PTI's cardstock- such vibrant colors and nice and thick- it's a real joy to work with!!

Thankful FWF

2011-10-07T10:06:00.006-04:00

Hey ya'll!! Happy Friends with Flair Friday :D Today's card started with the color inspiration from CR8FN #39... then I pulled out some of the few autumn themed stamps I have from Unity from the KOM "When I am with you" {apparently I need to get some more! hehe}. There's usually a little leaf at the end of the sentiment, but I masked it off so it would fit on the panel. The LO actually happened by accident because I cut the yellow panel too short... but I ended up really liking it! Love when an accident turns into a joy! Anyhoo, I added a button with some twine and colored in the pumpkins and there ya go! Enjoy your weekend everyone :)

lucky shamrocks

2011-10-04T18:57:00.004-04:00

{please excuse the poor late-day light!!}

Hey all! Just wanted to pop on here and share a fun card I made- perfect for a "good luck" or St. Patty's day card :) or even "lucky in love" maybe if you switched out one of the shamrocks or stamped hearts on the shamrocks... hmmm, I feel another card coming on ;) Anyways, enjoy!!

love love love

2011-10-03T14:12:00.003-04:00

Hey all!! Here's a quick little card I made for a friend's wedding using The Play Date Cafe #101 colors! The colors are Wine...Smudge...Leather...Parchment which I actually think are quite fitting for a love themed card :) This was the first card I made where I used my vintage book for the bookprint paper! I really like it and have a feeling I'll be using it a bit in the future ;)

birthday balloon bike

2011-10-02T20:08:00.004-04:00

Hey ya'll! Pop on here quickly to share a card I made for CAS-ual Fridays #22- ribbon tags! Super fun and quick little card- just stamped the fabulous Unity image, add some tags and some bling and there ya go! There's a Unity birthday sentiment stamped inside too. I may be making more of this card in the future... I like it ;) Have a blessed Sunday!

31 days of Lists and the Like

2011-10-01T23:13:00.003-04:00

Hey ya'll! So I just wanted to let you know that this month I've started a journey over on my homemaking blog- "31 days of Lists and the Like." I've decided to take up The Nester's challenge of 31 days of change! Bloggers across blogland are joining in with their own 31 day series, and this is the topic I chose to write about :)

I have lots of lists and the like to share- lists about organizing, bills & budgeting, family life, cleaning, Bible study, and more! Some lists are in the form of planners, some are crafty lists {like lists in the form of bookmarks!}, and all will be printables!

If you're interested and want to find out more, check out His Frugal Servant for more details :)

happy world card making day- congrats

2011-10-01T12:20:00.003-04:00

Hey ya'll! I'm back AGAIN ;) Here's a super quick card I made using the Color Throwdown #161 colors- lucky limeade, calypso coral, poppy parade, and chocolate chip. I'll probably be using this LO again, maybe for mass producing Christmas cards, since it was so simple-

1) stamp sentiment and cut out strips

2) diecut brown bookplate & attach twine

3) cut green square and chomp corners

4) glue down and add buttons & bling

Enjoy! I'll be back later ;)

happy world card making day- bookprint style

2011-10-01T11:28:00.002-04:00

Hey ya'll! Yup, back again, just like I said :) Enjoying your world card making day? I know I am! Here is another super simple LO that I will probably revisit anytime I need to mass produce! I recently picked up and old book at Goodwill so I could use it for crafting. DH and I are HUGE book readers, so I'll admit it was a bit hard buying a book to "destroy"... but I figure it's not going to waste- it'll just be appreciated in another medium :)

Anyhoo, I was inspired by the colors over at Moxie Fab's Tuesday Trigger, and also the vintage-y feel of the inspiration photo's contents. So I paired some vintage bookprint with my PTI die and buttons, a little stamping and there ya go!
<-- Here's the Moxie Trigger that inspired the card!

Like I said, another great mass production card because it's SO simple...

1) cut out red background to size

2) cut out bookprint to size

3) diecut sentiment panel and stamp

4) adhere background and sentiment panel

5) add buttons {and maybe some bling!}

Again, back to the craftroom :) I'll probably be back later, hehe!

happy world card making day- with birds

2011-10-01T10:11:00.004-04:00

hey ya'll!! Happy world card making day 2011 :D I'll be posting cards around here throughout the day, so be sure to check back later for more fun cards, hehe! And thank-you so much to my lovely bloggy friends who encourage me and leave lovely comments all the time *huggs*

So this card uses the colors from SPCC #19- pacific point, lucky limeade, and chocolate chip. I pulled out this BasicGrey patterned paper to paper piece the birdie. The image and sentiment are from Unity's Feb 2011 KOM "the best is yet to be." You know I love my Unity :)

Anyways, enough chit chat here, back to the craft room ;)

FWF snowmen

2011-09-30T08:58:00.006-04:00

Happy Friends with Flair Friday ya'll!! That means there's tons of fun and inspiration happening over at the Unity blog :) It's starting to get to the time of year where I start making up my Christmas card sets- gotta get a head start on those!! This card features the Jillibean Soup sets "Snowflakes Fall From Heaven" and "Jolly Good Fun," and could totally be a winter card or a Christmas card, and also I combined two Unity challenges for this!

First up is the LO from the KOM Sketch Challenge- this was a bit of a toughie for me, since I don't usually use a lot of angles, so the triangle was a challenge to incorporate! I decided to actually make it all into one single layer- which is actually the name of the game this week over at ATU- #40! Once I went with a single layer, and flipped the sketch on its side, it came together quite nicely :) Be sure to check out the Unity blog and the challenge blogs for lots more fun and inspiration!!

thanks a latte

2011-09-29T17:36:00.004-04:00

Yay! Finally I'm back in the craft room crafting for myself :D Whew- I had a huge order for 150 bookmarks, and by the end I was a bit weary of making bookmarks :) Anyhoo, nothing like the last minute, but I'm joining in over at Embellish Magazine and their latest challenge. Such fabulous inspiration over there!!

The challenge included using paint... well that was a bit of a stumper for me! Not a huge paint fan because I don't like waiting for it to dry, hehe. I ended up dipping the end of a toilet paper roll in some brown paint to create a "coffee ring" effect! I'm quite pleased with the outcome :) The stamps are Verve.

autumn pumpkin decor

2011-09-28T10:43:00.002-04:00

Yay, Autumn!! Again, it doesn't much feel like it down south since it's still pretty hot, so I'm just living off my memories of last fall up north- apple picking, pumpkin picking, jean & sweater weather... :) Anyhoo, I started putting up my autumn decor and decorating my mantle (because we have a mantle in this house!!!) and here's one of the little projects I came up with! Super simple, I had all the materials on hand, but fun and festive :)

Cross-posted on my homemaking blog, His Frugal Servant.

happy harvest

2011-09-26T18:17:00.003-04:00

So down here in the south, it's still in the mid to high 80's, so it certainly doesn't feel like fall! But since Friday {I think...} was the first day of fall, I decided it was time to start making some autumn cards! I love all the seasons, and fall is no different- the changing leaves, the apple and pumpkin picking, breaking out the jeans, and the beginning of fireplace season :) So anyways, enjoy my first autumn card, and I've also put this one up on Etsy!! :)

Papertrey September Blog Hop Challenge

2011-09-25T17:01:00.004-04:00

Hey all!! Today is PTI's September 2011 Blog Hop! This is only my second or third time joining in, so I'm excited :) The above photo is our inspiration photo. Such lovely colors! So I took those colors, and the repetition and interpreted them into my card below! I hadn't gotten a chance to use my eyelet lace border yet, so I knew I wanted to bust that one out. Added the fun birthday sentiment and some gems and there ya go!

Please excuse the dirty window frame- my craftroom and photo area are in shambles at the moment, and this was one of the better lighting areas in my home ;)

And just a variation on a theme... :)

FWF love bug

2011-09-23T10:26:00.005-04:00

I can't believe it's another Friday... which means Friends with Flair at Unity!! Yay :D This is an unusual card for me because it uses a LOT of patterned paper (BG's Bittersweet) and LOTS of layers, neither of which is typical for me! hehe. But I actually quite like how it turned out! It uses the Unity kit Love Bug- very fun set of stamps!!

Enjoy your weekend ya'll! DH and I are having a relaxing weekend around here after a very busy week for the both of us! I plan on doing some fun autumn crafting, so I should have plenty to share next week!

He has made everything beautiful

2011-09-20T13:41:00.003-04:00

Continuing with the trend of posting some oldies but goodies that I never got around to sharing, much of my days for the next two weeks will be spending thesis-ing and then working on a very large Etsy order. I really like this card- super CAS. The sentiment is Unity and the flower is Verve. Top off with a few gems and a little colored pencil action!

quick and easy

2011-09-19T13:50:00.002-04:00

Well today is another busy day so I decided to share another set of cards that I made a while back (actually quite a while back!). They're super simple and would be great as mini-cards or cards you might need to mass produce. Just two patterned papers, some ribbon, and a few embellies. I forget what I originally made these for, but maybe I'll have to do an updated version- kinda compare and contrast my older crafting style to my newer style :) Anyways, happy monday, friends!!

FWF treeline

2011-09-16T11:54:00.006-04:00

Hi all!! So sorry I've been away! Life's been a bit crazy- Master's thesis work, family vaca to Disney World, and other fun stuff... so it's been a while since I've been in the studio! Luckily, I have three orders to fulfill in the next 2 weeks, so you'll be seeing lots from me in the near future ;)

But today it's Friends with Flair Friday!! So I wanted to finally pop back in and share a set of cards I'd made a while back with one of my fav Unity stamps- itsy bitsy giggles. I simply love paper piecing that image!! I think I need to make some more cards with this stamp- just love it! :) So don't be surprised if you see something like this again soon ;) hehe, have a fabulous weekend friends!!

Scrapping Animal Kingdom

2011-08-22T19:15:00.002-04:00

Yay for gorillas!! I've been busy scrapping our Disney honeymoon from two years ago... figured I best get all the pictures scrapped before we go to Disney again at the end of this month (and we won't even talk about the fact that I haven't even printed the photos from last year's trip yet)!! hehe... we do love our Disney World!

Anyhoo, for those of you who have been there, you'll already know that these photos were taken at Animal Kingdom- land of the animals :) The gorillas can be found along one of the various walking trails around the Kingdom.
Since I've started scrapping a bit more, I've found some new blogs for inspiration... one such blog is shimelle.com <-- love her work! So the sketch for this LO is courtesy of {her blog post here}.

FWF scrapbook

2011-08-19T15:44:00.002-04:00

Happy Friends with Flair Friday!! It's been busy around here, haven't had much mojo goin on, but finally started on a scrapbook I've been meaning to make... I'll tell you more about it at a later date once it's filled out more!! ;)

For this CAS page I used three different Unity KOMs... the date banner is from last month's "Better Together", the journaling block is from this month's "What I Know", and the apple is from last July's "Happily Ever After". I do so love my Kit of the Month club membership!!! :D The paper is mostly from my stash- using up scraps! The twine is The Twinery, buttons are PTI's Harvest Gold, inks are Memento, and the gems are Recollections.

Hope ya'll have a fabulous weekend- I may pop on here to share a bit too :)

patriotic wreath

2011-08-18T08:09:00.004-04:00

Hey ya'll! Sorry I've been a bit absent- it's been busy around here!! I realized that I never showed you the wreath I made for Memorial Day/Fourth of July! I really like how it turned out :) I'll likely be making more of these!! It's actually still up on our back door- but since we're an Army family, patriotic is always the "in" decor theme ;)

I also have a tutorial that I'll post soon to go with this! The banner might look a little familiar... that's because I'd shared it earlier in {this post} hehe. Happy Thursday, ya'll!! :D

My Garden Journal {part 1}

2011-08-10T09:34:00.002-04:00

I'm back!! Finally- I know, hehe. Sorry, last week was taken up with Master's Thesis work and this week I've been preparing for my high school friend to come visit- yays!!

Well here is the beginning of a 6x6 mini-album that will be entitled "My Garden Journal." This is the first time since DH and I got married that we were able to have a garden!! Our last Army post was in the frozen tundra and so growing seasons were quite short... not to mention that all we had was a tiny {potentially structurally unsound} balcony for most of our summers there. Anyhoo, now we're in the deep south and I'm thoroughly enjoying the heat and the long long growing season!

These pages are from when I first planted everything back in mid-May. By now, we've already had two cucumber harvests, watched our first strawberry batches be eaten by {presumably} slugs, and battled nitrogen issues with our tomatoes. It's been a trial and error process, but a totally worthwhile one :)

Oh! and I earned my nature merit badge over at CK Summer Camp 2011, hehe. This LO was for their challenge to create a LO with woodgrain or nature accents- I think all the veggies count as "nature accents!" The paper is Cosmo Cricket's Garden Variety- love it! You'll see more of it as I finish up the album over the next week or two... or at least add to the album- I won't finish the album until we've harvested our last batch of veggies :D

FWF Sympathy Circles

2011-07-29T10:57:00.004-04:00

Hey ya'll! So sorry I've been a bit quite over here- just been catching up with friends and family. But, I'm back! DH and I had a great time visiting the Chesapeake Bay Retriever breeder, where we'll be getting our puppy from in November/December!! We got to meet all the girls that are being bred in the next few months and pick whose litter we'd like a puppy from- it was a great relaxing weekend! We spent time swimming in the lake with the breeder and her dogs, getting to know all the dogs and the breeder herself.

So, now onto the card- Happy Friends with Flair Friday!! I grabbed the colors from ColourQ #95, inked up my May KOM "think HAPPY thoughts," and focused on using lots of circles to play along over at Unity Challenge this month! And here ya go- CAS sympathy card. I don't know about you, but I don't particularly like making sympathy cards- too sad :(

Anyhoo, gotta end the post on a positive note- our deposit has been made, and we'll be getting a puppy late fall/early winter!! hehe- so so excited- they're such fabulous dogs! have a fantastic weekend, ya'll :D

ye old Christmas tree

2011-07-25T05:53:00.001-04:00

And here's the last sub-lication reject! Yet again, another card I really like and will make some sets from for this Christmas. Although the sting of being rejected for publication is, well, a ding to the crafting-ego, I find that it does often produce some of my best work :) So, even though the world may not see my cards in a magazine (yet! hehe), at least I got some cards out of it that I'm really happy with! This is some more Unity love, this time it's a Webster's Pages co-brand, Merry Christmas Home.

PS. I'll be back later today with some news on the puppy breeder visit!

winter mittens

2011-07-24T05:51:00.001-04:00

Still away visiting *hopefully* future puppies... but here's another sub-blicated reject. Another card I really like though!! Again, I'll probably make a set or two of these to sell around Christmas this year. More lovin for my Unity/Jillibean stamps- Jolly Good Fun.

wishing you blessings

2011-07-23T05:45:00.000-04:00

Well, like I said yesterday, I really liked this layout! Here's a card I sub-licated at the beginning of the month. No word yet, so I'm presuming it was a reject. That's ok, because I really like it!! Lovin some of my Unity/Jillibean stamps here- Snowflakes Fall From Heaven. I'll probably make a set or two of these to sell around Christmas. Our last Army post had a huge craft sale in early November, so I'm hoping this post does too! Time will tell.

Anyhoo, this is actually an auto post, because I'm currently on the way to see a breeder about some Chesapeake Bay Retriever future puppies!! We're meeting the adult dogs, seeing if we like them, and hopefully getting one of their future pups :) I'll let ya know how it goes on Monday!!

just a FWF note

2011-07-22T07:55:00.005-04:00

Just droppin in to say happy Friends with Flair Friday!! I used this LO a few weeks ago on a card I sublicated (submitted for publication)... since the deadline was about 2-3 weeks ago, I'm pretty sure it was rejected, so I'll show the original card to ya soon! Anyhoo, I loved the LO, so I decided to use it again here!

I used the colors from CR84FN #34. The stamps are, of course, Unity! The sentiment is from Jan's KOM "to the moon and back," a kit I go to over and over again, hehe. The images are from Treasure to Me- it has two vases and three flower images, so you get to build your own flower vase :)

And let's not forget All Things Unity's challenge #35- wrap it up, use ribbon or twine! Love my The Twinery twine- this is pink sorbet :)

fourth of july tags

2011-07-20T13:21:00.003-04:00

Although the 4th of July has passed, I wanted to share a set of tags I had made for the occasion :) Sorry I've been a bit absent here- things have been a bit eventful around here, including a weekend trip to the beach last weekend! And this weekend we're going to a breeder to see about puppies :) We've been wanting a furry friend for our home and now might just be the time! Anyhoo, hopefully I'll be back posting soon!!

you rock

2011-07-16T03:10:00.000-04:00

So it's not the most beautiful card, but the other day I got a new order of PTI and really wanted to use the stamps before I headed to bed that day, hehe... so DH had a presentation the next morning and I whipped together a mini card for him {literally whipped together, right before bed, this took I think a grand total of 3 minutes... it might have taken longer to photograph it than to make it!). Super simple- just some stamps, folded paper, and a bit of twine. You can't see it really well, but that paper is shimmery gold. I went with black and gold stuff (Army colors!). hehe

love.

2011-07-12T19:02:00.004-04:00

Does anyone else ever go to sleep thinking about card layouts and designs....? Well, when I'm in my crafting zone, I know I definitely do ;) hehe... this layout came to me while I was falling asleep the other night. Super CAS (which I love)- just two Unity stamps, a few inks, and a gem. Done. Yay :)

This is my last entry for the Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge in the Moxie Fab World, I promise, hehe! Three kinda different styles of cards that I submitted. Always love the Moxie Fab challenges!!

I grabbed the colors from this week's CR84FN #33!

Christmas day

2011-07-12T15:05:00.003-04:00

So here's another card that I created for Stamp It! CardsWeek Challenge in the Moxie Fab World. There may or may not be one card coming for this challenge... I do, after all, love my stamps! So for this card I whipped out my "25 days" stamp set by Unity. I got it after Christmas last year, so this is actually the first time I'm using it!! It's almost like a scrapbook layout, turned card really... I might actually use this as a layout, if I stay on top of doing my Daily December album this year! Anyhoo... I added some dimensional variation by popping up the sentiments on 3 different levels. fun fun :)

flowery thanks

2011-07-12T14:54:00.002-04:00

It's another CASE Study Challenge! To the left (<----) you'll find the inspiration card by Dawn. And above and below are my card :) I recently re-discovered this Gina K flower stamp and really wanted to use it again (I used it the other day on the "gracias flores" card!). If it's not already obvious, I'll tell ya what I drew from her card...

- the flowers, pink and yellow

- the butterflies

- the black background framing the white card

- the dual-layer sentiment area with vellum

snowflake gradient

2011-07-12T04:07:00.001-04:00

I made a two cards for the Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge in the Moxie Fab World, and here's the first one! I wanted to do a gradient, so I used three PTI snowflakes and a variety of inks/markers to achieve the general look I was going for... Then I popped the sentiment on (also PTI), glued it to the dark blue background, and voila! And it actually turned out like I'd imagined it! Love it when that happens ;) hehe!

sending border love

2011-07-11T15:54:00.004-04:00

So today is the last day of the Beautiful Borders Challenge in the Moxie Fab World. Again, I do love waiting until the last minute ;) This challenge definitely had me stumped for a bit... then I remember I had these Making Memories border strips- and this one reminded me of a postage stamp! So I paired it with last month's Unity KOM, and here's what I came up with :)

I'll be in the craft room the rest of the day... so don't be surprised if you see a few more posts today ;)

gracias flores

2011-07-11T00:06:00.005-04:00

Nothing like the last minute... hehe, but here's a card inspired by the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger (<--- see photo to the left)

I started out by using a foreign language, but keeping with the "thank-you" theme! I used orange for flowers, just like in the Trigger. I chose the light blue gems to pull in the color from the blue paper strip at the bottom of the Trigger inspiration card. Super simple, since it's super late :) Oh, and because I love CAS too ;) And because the Trigger inspiration card is super CAS. Hehe... and on that note... Nighty night, friends!!

good luck

2011-07-10T23:18:00.004-04:00

Here's a card from a little late nite crafting session :) It's been another leisurely day for me- church, lunch date with DH, reading, and crafting... "that's what I love about Sunday..." {a lil Craig Morgan reference for all you country fans, hehe}

Anyhoo, this mini-card is for DH who's been spending most of his day finishing up a presentation for work- it's been a doozy for him :-/ So I thought I'd make him a little card for him to wake up to in the morning! I used the colors from ColourQ 92 {missed the deadline- rats!} and shaped the card to play along with CAS-ual Fridays 10!

all who are weary

2011-07-09T18:15:00.003-04:00

And here's the second card of the day. Super CAS, which is the name of the game over atStampin' Sisters in Christ this week, focusing on Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” I knew I wanted to use this verse stamp by Verve, but I was a little stumped after that. So I grabbed the color combo from The Play Date Cafe, and then it started to come together. I realized that I need more colors of ink, because I really wanted to do the dots in buttercream or mint, but I didn't quite have the right shade. A girl can never have enough stamp ink though, right? ;)

wonder

2011-07-09T18:00:00.003-04:00

Today is a two-card kinda day :) I finished a deliverable for my master's thesis, so I get to unwind a bit this weekend before gearing up for the next deliverable. So it was a leisurely sort of day... sleep in, enjoy a cuppa tea, have some breakfast, meander into the craft room for a while... love these kinda days :) We're hoping that a big thunderstorm rolls through soon- it's been threatening to all day! Love these southern storms!!

This card is for All Things Unity's- Let's Fly Away theme of butterflies :) The image is from last month's KOM "all smiles," and the sentiment is from 2009's Store Kit "100% happy."

fwf fun in the sun

2011-07-08T11:20:00.004-04:00

It's another Friends With Flair Friday at Unity!! Woohoo! I've been wrapped up in Master's Thesis and card order business, but I took a break this morning to make a card. Didn't quite turn out how I'd imagined, but it's a fun in the sun kinda card :) Which is why I'm linking up to Unity's Challenge: Sun & Fun :D

Sorry for the poor lighting- I'm on my way out the door to a meeting, hehe. *huggs* have a fabulous Friday, friends!!

so fabulous birthday

2011-07-07T02:16:00.001-04:00

Here's a card I made a little while ago, but never shared here- it's a birthday card for my cousin :) She's a real classy, fashion-savvy girl, so I knew I wanted to use the shoe trio image from Unity :) I stamped a few rows to make my own border paper, then added a few embellies and a Verve stamp sentiment and there ya go! I'm not a shoe girl, but I really like that background! And the layout, so you might see it again ;)

The inside says "hope you have a fabulous birthday," by the way :)

dine with Shamu LO

2011-07-06T10:24:00.005-04:00

Here's another scrapbook page I did recently! I did it for CK's 40K Fan celebration on Facebook. That's when I created the left-page. The challenge was to use border strips on your page. After the challenge was over, I expanded it to a 2-page spread and tried to mimic the same elements on the right-hand page :) I actually pretty much like how this turned out!
The pictures are from "Dine with Shamu" (which they unfortunately no longer do) at Sea World Orlando, during our honeymoon two years ago! It was such a neat experience- I didn't use the zoom for most of these pictures- you got to eat right along side the pool while the trainers told you all about the animals and did a few training bits.

Disney sweet treats

2011-07-05T11:50:00.003-04:00

So lately I've started getting back into scrapbooking. Our honeymoon photos have been sitting around for nearly 2 years now, so I figure it's time to get a move on and get them in an album! I'm one of those people who loves to save EveRyThing to scrapbook {see attached napkins, hehe}. I'm still trying to figure out what my scrapping style is, but using sketches definitely helps me- this layout is based on Tiff's Sketchy Sunday 23.
I pulled the colors from the cupcake topper that I made a long time ago. There's a "tag" element in the sketch, and I knew I wasn't going to do much journaling for this sketch, and I remembered this topper and dug it out of my stash :)
I don't really know how to photograph layouts well- anyone have any tips?? :)

viva la verve june- part 2

2011-07-04T05:36:00.000-04:00

Here's two of the cards that I made- once again with Verve's American Hero stamp set- for Verve's June Viva La Verve challenge! I'm sharing close ups of this set throughout the weekend :)

Happy Independence Day, to my fellow Americans! :D

Let us not forgot those who lay their lives on the line everyday for our freedom, especially those who have paid the ultimate price protecting our freedom.

God bless our troops & God bless America!

viva la verve june- part 1

2011-07-03T05:32:00.003-04:00

Here's two of the cards that I made- once again with Verve's American Hero stamp set- for Verve's June Viva La Verve challenge! I'm sharing close ups of this set throughout the weekend :)

Happy Independence Day weekend, to my fellow Americans! :D

viva la verve june

2011-07-02T05:28:00.000-04:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I've played along with Verve's Viva La Verve month long challenge. Here's the set of cards that I made- once again with Verve's American Hero stamp set! I'll share close ups of this set throughout the weekend :)

Happy Independence Day weekend, to my fellow Americans! :D

bookmarks make the bookworm

2011-07-01T05:40:00.000-04:00

Here are some close ups of bookmarks that I posted to Etsy recently. I don't think I ever shared them here! :) I've made bookmarks for selling, but I have yet to make one for myself or DH (both avid bookworms)... I may just have to rectify that soon! :D

My in-laws are coming to visit for the long Independence Day weekend, yays! I am blessed with amazing, Jesus-loving in-laws, and it's always a great time when we visit them or they visit us. They were stationed here when my father-in-law was in the Army, so it's kind of nostalgic for them to come back here- fun too, to see how much things have changed and see what's stayed the same :) Anyhoo, gots to get back to cleaning and baking!!

let freedom ring

2011-06-30T05:20:00.002-04:00

So like I said earlier in the week, you'd be seeing this Verve stamp set (American Hero) a bit more! It is Independence Day time after all ;) This is a card I'm really proud of... not just because it turned out just as I'd envisioned it, but also because I won one of Creating Keepsakes' 40K Fan Facebook contests with it! We were asked to use the "window" technique, and I was chosen as the winner of the challenge! Exciting!! :D

Don't forget!

Today's the last day to enter BLESSINGS during checkout at my Etsy shop to receive 30% off!

rainbow run beside you

2011-06-29T05:16:00.000-04:00

This card is for Embellish's Rainbow Color Trends Challenge! I'll admit, rainbows are a bit of a challenge for me. I knew I wanted to use twine, and after a few different ideas, this is what I settled on. Did anyone else ever make embroidery floss necklaces and stuff, with the different "staircase" stitches and such? Well I know I made a lot, and this was one technique for making necklaces- you twist the strands really tight, fold the strands in half, and then let them unwind- they end up winding around each other, and I always thought it looked neat :) I added a Unity sentiment stamp and some gems and there ya go!

birthday sweetness

2011-06-28T05:06:00.000-04:00

This birthday card is CAS and would be great to make in bulk, like if you wanted to use it as a birthday party invite! I used the colors from CR84FN Challenge #32... great summer colors! I had originally envisioned the card being a bit smaller, but because the sentiment was larger, I kept the card a standard A2... I might use another birthday sentiment and make it again :) This card uses the brand new June Unity KOM!

simple thank you

2011-06-27T04:56:00.006-04:00

So this is my first time playing along at CASE Study Challenge Blog, but I have a feeling I'll be playing along a lot! Hehe... this month's muse is Jill Foster, and here is her card...

And here is my card...

And if it's not already obvious what I CASE'd...

- the colors and shape from Jill's card

- echoed her sunshine with my gold circle

- super excited that my gold paper had a similar "paint splatter-ish" pattern, kinda like Jill created

- stamped dark blue flowers

- a thank-you sentiment

- added off-white pearls instead of off-white twine

the fourth

2011-06-26T11:08:00.009-04:00

And post two of the day! Here's a fun little card that I created for two challenges... first I used the colors from ColorQ 90, then added in some fun border punches which is the challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays! This card is a bit more "busy" than I usually make, I'll admit, and it didn't turn out quite as I imagined, but it's fun nevertheless :) This card features a stamp from Verve's American Hero- you'll be seeing me use this set a bit in the future!

a couple o' cuppas

2011-06-26T01:27:00.004-04:00

So originally this card was going to have a cute saying tied onto the handle of one of the cups, and this card was going to be much smaller, and there wasn't going to be any black... well, even though this card turned out much different than I anticipated- I like it! :) Though I might try and make the original card I had in mind at a later date... we shall see ;)

Anyhoo, this is for Color Cue {16}- love these challenges! :)

P.S. I'll be back later today with another post! I've had a lot of time in the studio lately, and so I have lots of cards to share :D

.: supplies :.

Stamps: Verve, PTI

Ink: Memento, Martha Stewart

June Papertrey Blog Hop

2011-06-25T11:00:00.005-04:00

Today's the PTI June Blog Hop! This month there's an inspiration photo. Last night Dawn McVey posted said photo, and I got right to work! I knew I wanted to do colorblock and finally decided on doing a bookmark. I lined up my scrap bits on a piece of cardstock (great way to use up scraps!!) then trimmed them out to the right size. Next I ran it through the embossing plate, stamped out the sentiment, added some ribbon, twine, button, and gems! There ya go :) Head on over to the blog hop to see more fabulous PTI projects!!

.: supplies :.

stamps: All Booked Up {PTI}

ink: Memento chalk ink "Perfect Plumeria"

other: Bookprint Impression Plate {PTI}, Bookmark die {PTI}

bee you FWF

2011-06-24T11:09:00.005-04:00

Happy Friends with Flair Friday, ya'll! Have you seen the new Simple Story releases over at Unity?! Oh my word, they're fabulous! Head on over to the Unity store and check them out- you won't be sorry ;)

Today's card features stamps from this February's KOM "the best is yet to be," and I even did a little something out of the ordinary for me... I stamped a sentiment inside! It was originally supposed to go on the outside (in the corner where the bow and pearls ended up), but it just seemed too big, so I put it on the inside instead! :)

I'm also participating in the Unity Kit of the Month Sketch Challenge for June! I flipped the sketch around, turned it on its side- it was a toughie for me! Angled lines are always hard for me... I like things all horizontal and vertical, hehe- but I even played up the angles by mimicking them with the twine around the corners.

Cake USA

2011-06-22T10:35:00.009-04:00

Less than 24 hours after I made the cake pictured here... two-thirds of it is gone... and there's only two people in our household :) LOL, that is why I do not make sweets more often- they're gone almost before I even finish making them! hehe... Oh, and if you're wondering why the cake is so short, it's because it's a spelt cake (we're a low/no gluten household) and I'm still playing around with leaveners.

Anyways, DH has been having a rough time at work, so I decided to make him a cake, and dress it up a little! I made the cute little bunting, and after it vacated the cake, it took up residence as part of our patriotic mantel (pictures coming soon!).

I made the super simple twine balls whilst watching a movie. So simple and they are a great "filler" for any decor piece. I chose to put them in a cut-crystal piece that I bought at Disney World a few years ago. The twine was leftover from a wreath I made- tutorial coming soon! :)

There's a fun new challenge blog on the block- Decorate to Celebrate! -and their theme right now is Independence Day, so I'm playing along!

Don't forget my special going on at my {Etsy shop}!!

Enter the word BLESSINGS at checkout and receive 30% off your purchase!

I've extended this through the 4th of July weekend :)

dare to be different

2011-06-20T12:04:00.005-04:00

It's been quite a while since I participated over at Embellish, and their challenges are always so fabulous! So this card is for their background stamping color trends challenge :) It uses the trio of shoes image from Unity's Jan 2011 KOM To the moon and back, stamped on a diagonal many times. I paired it with a Verve sentiment, added a few pops of color using the challenge colors and there ya go! Super simple card, but I'm really loving those shoes as a background stamp!

Posting more Etsy stuff this evening!!

So don't forget! In honor of my etsy grand re-opening, a coupon code just for you, my lovely blog readers and friends.... enter

BLESSINGS

in the coupon code and get

30% off!!

{visit my ETSY store here!}

The code will be good through the end of the month!

sew in love

2011-06-19T15:09:00.008-04:00

It's been a while since I've done a Moxie Fab challenge, so I decided to take part in their I'm Sew Excited challenge... this card started out completely different- I cut out the heart with the intent of using that for this card, but then I saw how cute the negative image was left in the fabric... so I took it and ran with it. Sewed the word love, stitched some "x"s, put the buttons and pins on, distressed the card edges, and lastly stitched some zigzags in the lower corner.

Don't forget! In honor of my etsy grand re-opening, a coupon code just for you, my lovely blog readers and friends.... enter

BLESSINGS

in the coupon code and get

30% off!!

{visit my ETSY store here!}

The code will be good through the end of the month!

button notes

2011-06-19T14:11:00.008-04:00

Today I have finally found some good lighting in our new home! :) Yay! *and there was much rejoicing* hehe, it's not perfect, still gotta tweak, but it's very promising... so I decided to take part in Moxie Fab's Tuesday Trigger, just for fun! I played up the colors in the trigger photo for my card...

Don't forget! In honor of my etsy grand re-opening, a coupon code just for you, my lovely blog readers and friends.... enter

BLESSINGS

in the coupon code and get

30% off!!

{visit my ETSY store here!}

The code will be good through the end of the month!

Happy Father's Day weekend

2011-06-18T14:27:00.009-04:00

Happy Father's Day weekend :) Just wanted to drop in and share the card I made for my dad. Similar to the card that I shared for my brother's graduation, I wanted to use the folder die to make a spot to slip in my gift cards! And of course another opportunity to use some Unity stamping, so I'm playing along again at ATU's Get Manly challenge #33! Also playing at The Sisterhood of Crafters.

This card started out very differently, but ended up pretty cool- and this was another case of "I forgot to photograph it before I flew to my parents' house, so I improvised a photo session on their front porch, hehe."

On father's day we also take the opportunity to give extra thanks to our Lord Father who loves us as His children :) SSCC #93 has a great little devotional on it this week!

Don't forget! In honor of my etsy grand re-opening, a coupon code just for you, my lovely blog readers and friends.... enter

BLESSINGS

in the coupon code and get

30% off!!

{visit my ETSY store here!}

The code will be good through the end of the month!

rockin teen grad FWF

2011-06-17T10:09:00.008-04:00

Happy Friends With Flair Friday, ya'll! :D

So this photo shoot was a little improvised... this is a graduation card for my baby bro- he just graduated high school! I flew up north to see his graduation and forgot to take photos of the card before I left! So I set up my photobooth on my parents' front porch :) Hey, it worked out pretty good!

I'm really excited about how this card turned out :) I started with the idea to use the folder die as a place to put a gift card, and my brother loves music, so I knew I wanted to use the boom box stamp, then I added a few more KOM stamps...

:: boom box from Dec 2009's KOM "Delightful Moments"

:: "you rocked it" sentiment from Mar 2010's KOM "Rockin' it Unity Style"

:: "congratulations" from Jan 2011's KOM "To The Moon & Back"

Then I added on some bling and stars and there ya have it! :) Definitely a rockin teen style grad card!

Perfect for All Things Unity's "Get Manly" challenge too!

Don't forget! In honor of my etsy grand re-opening, a coupon code just for you, my lovely blog readers and friends.... enter

BLESSINGS

in the coupon code and get

30% off!!

{visit my ETSY store here!}

The code will be good through the end of the month!

new Etsy bookmarks and inventory

2011-06-16T22:30:00.002-04:00

Just posted my newest round of inventory on Etsy! The two bookmarks shown below are among some of the items I added today :)

{visit my Etsy shop here}

Don't forget! In honor of my grand re-opening, a coupon code just for you, my lovely blog readers and friends.... enter

BLESSINGS

in the coupon code and get

30% off!!

The code will be good through the end of the month!

Grand Re-opening Week

2011-06-15T21:25:00.004-04:00

Hello all! It's that time of the week... yup, it's my

Etsy Grand Re-Opening!!!

And in honor of my grand re-opening, a coupon code just for you, my lovely blog readers and friends.... enter

BLESSINGS

in the coupon code and get

30% off!!

The code will be good through the end of the month!

I've turned this re-opening into a week-long event... each day I'll be adding more goodies to my store... for tomorrow, I already have 7 more cards ready to add and some bookmarks, and who knows what else I might be adding! Check back each day for some new inventory!

USA mini-banner

2011-06-08T13:00:00.005-04:00

U-S-A! Hehe, being a military family, patriotic decor is up year-round. This particular piece I made for Memorial Day and will be staying up until 04 July... if not longer ;) Sorry for the delay in posting- I've been away for my baby bro's high school graduation!

It was super simple to create... find old frame, remove glass, cut fabric to fit in frame, cut mini banner, attach to twine, affix letter, and voila- instant decor! It's currently residing on our mantel (woohoo! our new home has a mantel! be assured there will be many a manteldecorations to come hehe!)... I'll post a pic of the entire mantel once it's completely dressed up for the season! I started decorating it for Memorial Day, and maybe by the 4th of July it'll actually be complete ;)

And don't forget...

June 15th, this Wednesday evening,

my Etsy shop is re-opening!

and a discount code posted on here

just for you, all my lovely blog readers :D

sunshine and twine

2011-06-07T03:45:00.001-04:00

I made a similar card a while back {here}, and just really loved the combo of a sentiment along with the great sunshine stamp from Unity's Oct 2009 KOM, Where you go. This card definitely has a different feel to it than the last one- we've got a different color scheme happening with some brighter bold colors. Love my Twinery twine, so I added some of that in lieu of a ribbon. Not sure which card I like better... but you can bet you'll see me pulling out this sunshine stamp again- love it! :)

simple sympathy

2011-06-06T10:39:00.003-04:00

Here's a simple sympathy card I made recently. I paired up two Unity KOMs {Jan 2011 and Feb 2011} with a little Basic Grey paper, a button, some twine, and a few bits of bling. I have two shades of grey ink, and I feel like I really need a third! The one I used here is a bit lighter than I was going for... but my other ink is a really deep grey, which I didn't want. Oh well, I guess that just means I need to head out for a little shopping! ;)

Happy Monday, my bloggy friends!

celebrate! it's your day

2011-06-04T06:41:00.002-04:00

{please excuse the less than perfect photos- still setting up the craft room and finding the best light in our new home!}

Here's a birthday set I recently made for an order! This card definitely went through a few stages... it started out with just the asymmetrical border, cake, celebrate, and ribbon.... then came along the extra bling... and then came along the "it's your day!" The inside says a simple Happy Birthday. I'm pretty happy with the final turnout :)

love love love

2011-06-03T12:13:00.005-04:00

{please excuse the less than perfect photos- still setting up the craft room and finding the best light in our new home!}

Just dropping in to participate in Unity's FWF! Love me my Unity ;) For today's card, I whipped out two Unity KOMs: the "love" stamp is from Jan 2010 Savor the Journey and the hearts are from Nov 2010 Picture Perfect. I got the LO from Tiff's Sketchy Sunday {TG022} and the colors from the Totally Hues Color Challenge #7 {whoops! missed the deadline for that one, but wanted to give credit anyways!}. After my lil moving hiatus, I'm having fun getting back into a few fun challenges! Enjoy your weekend everyone! :)

live long

2011-06-02T04:12:00.000-04:00

This quote definitely reminds me of Lord of the Rings :) The part where Biblo is giving his birthday farewell speech... well, if you like LOTR you probably understand hehe. It's also a great Irish blessing :)

Anyhoo, it's a Unity stamp from one of their KOTM's. Anyone who's been with me for a while knows I love my Unity! I paired the stamp with an embossed butterfly that I dressed up with a great big button and some Twinery twine antenna! Popped the sentiment up with some 3D dots, added some ribbon and a gem and there ya go! Oh, and can't forget the great border punch. Switch out the stamp, and this card could be used for many occasions. Love it!

just a note

2011-06-01T16:06:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the delay! I didn't get to schedule this post last night, and our internet on-post has been out all day! Even now I can only get to a few sites- luckily Blogger was one of them ;)

So here's a layout that I've come to enjoy! I first used it for a Moxie Fab challenge card {here}. Don't be surprised if you see it again in the future ;) This was a card made for my MIL. She order a set of 10 cards that would be suitable for any occasion. I think this fits the bill ;) And it's perfect for this time of year- the bright colors and flowers remind me of spring and summer!

OWH's Memorial Day Weekend Bloghop

2011-05-28T09:55:00.009-04:00

Welcome! If you've come from Operation Write Home's blog hop, you've found your next stop! Thanks for making it this far :)

Today I'd like to share "One card made Two ways!" Here is the first card :) Nothing fancy- I like my clean and simple cards! The materials I used are listed at the bottom of this post. I apologize for the not-fabulous photo... we've just moved to our next Army post, and I'm still unpacking the craft room!

To view the second card in my "One card made Two ways," please feel free to scroll down to the post below! You can also find details on my Etsy shop and other items for sale in the post below.

Thank-you to our troops, especially those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

~John 15:13

You're next stop on the Operation Write Home's blog hop is...

Sylvia's Stamping Corner

Please do stop by all the lovely blogs on our blog hop- you have all weekend, so take your time :) The banner at the top of the post will bring you to the beginning of the hop!

Thanks so much for visiting, and I hope you'll come back again soon!!

Have a blessed Memorial Day!

.: materials :.
cardstock: white- Georgia Pacific, red- Martha Stewart
stamp- Unity
ink- Memento
twine- The Twinery
eyelets- JoAnn's
gems- Recollections

OWH's Memorial Day Weekend Bloghop- Part 2

2011-05-28T09:54:00.009-04:00

.: Part 2 :.

We were only asked to share one card in our primary blog hop post, but I wanted to share the second part of my "One card made Two ways!" So here's my second card, same layout, but with some extra embellishments. Again, please excuse the less-than-fabulous photo- we're still settling into our newest Army post, and I haven't found the best lighting for phots yet! :)

I ran it through my Cuttlebug to add some great embossing and switched up some of the embellies in the corner! And there ya have it friends! One card made two ways :)

Please visit my post above to take a tour of the blogs on the OWH's blog hop.

Have a blessed Memorial Day, my friends!

*** Grand Re-Opening Sale ***

Mid-June my Etsy store will be re-opening with lost of new goodies! For my wonderful blog friends, I'll be posting a discount code, so check back June 15th! The new and improved store will have cards as well as bookmarks, banners, and treat holders. Coming in July/August I'll start selling party kits, mini-scrapbooks, and other great items!

*** Craft Supplies Sale & Giveaways ***

While unpacking the craft room, I'm weeding out some of my supplies. In the next few weeks I'll be posting items for sale here and also doing some mini-giveaways for my wonderful blog friends :)

Thank-you to our troops, especially those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
~John 15:13

.: materials :.

cardstock: white- Georgia Pacific, red- Martha Stewart

stamp- Unity

ink- Memento

embossing folder- ProvoCraft

button- from my stash

ribbon- Offray

gems- Recollections

thread- DMC

Blog Hopping with OWH

2011-05-20T13:24:00.005-04:00

I'll be kicking off my return to the blogging world {after my Moving Hiatus!} by taking part in Operation Write Home's Memorial Day Weekend Blog hop :)

If you want to participate too, check out the guidelines here: http://operationwritehome.org/bloghop.html

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T09:41:00.000-04:00

To all of my wonderful bloggy friends who are mothers...

Happy Mother's Day!

Yours is a job that is often thankless, but today is all about you! So have a blessed day- relax, enjoy, and thank-you :)

We've arrived!

2011-05-02T09:27:00.003-04:00

Hey ladies!

Just wanted to drop in quickly to let ya'll know... we've arrived in the sunny South! Quite a change from our previous Army post which was in the frozen tundra, hehe. It's going to be a little while before I can get my craft room up and running, but be assured that before the month is out, I'll have some goodies to share and can't wait to swing by yours blogs to catch up! :D

*huggs*

- Shauna

A few last minute cards

2011-03-28T18:46:00.003-04:00

Well, the craft room is all boxed up, ready for the movers! Crazy how much less room everything takes up when it's compacted into boxes and not out conveniently within arms reach for crafting :) I managed to get on here to post a few cards I made right before I started packing up everything...

This anniversary card is to play along with Tiff's Sketchy Sunday 13.

And this birthday set is a take on Tiff's Sketchy Sunday 12! Love her sketches ;)

Well, until next time {probably about a month or two...}, stay crafty! Can't wait to catch up once we're set up in our new home :) I already have some fun stuff lined up to show you!!

*huggs*

- Shauna

Moving

2011-03-25T14:10:00.004-04:00

Hey all!

So we are in the process of moving to our next Army post, and with that, it means that I won't be posting for a lil bit :( I have tons of goodies to share, once I'm back up and running in whatever new crafty space I might have in our next abode!! Please stick with me, and I'll see ya back here in a month or so ;)

*huggs*

- Shauna

The Sisterhood GDT- autumn digi

2011-03-23T08:50:00.005-04:00

Hey there everyone! So this is my second and final project as part of the March GDT over at The Sisterhood of Crafters! It's been fabulous getting to see everyone's lovely projects :) This week Boni at Dude Time Doodles was gracious enough to let us use her wonderful digi stamps! I found this fabulous fall harvest image and knew exactly what I wanted to do with it :) I have this jar of branches and fillers that I change up every holiday/season, and I knew that this image would look great wrapped around the jar with some great ribbon and twine!

So here's how my project turned out! I popped up some of the pumpkins and gourds using pop dots. The theme for this week's challenge participants is "man or masculine projects"... I think I might have missed that somewhere, but hey, fall colors are generally masculine, and my MAN will get to enjoy this decor piece too, so there we go ;) Hehe!

So come join in on the fun at The Sisterhood of Crafters' "Let's Hear it for the Boys" Challenge!

Christ Who Strengthens

2011-03-22T13:40:00.004-04:00

Things are getting busy around here... we're getting ready to move to our next Army post... which is both exciting and sad. Anyhoo, before my crafting supplies get packed up, I wanted to play along with some new color challenges I've found- so here's a card for Color Cue {13} Challenge :)

trust in the Lord

2011-03-19T15:44:00.003-04:00

So like I mentioned the other day, I've been whipping out my scripture stamps a bit more lately. Here's a card that I made for Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge #80- use something you treasure... I love teal/turquoise, and I have a limited amount of both buttons and patterned paper in said colors. So I used both of those on this card- they're something I usually like to use on projects for myself so I can keep them, but I decided to use them for this card. A card which will go to someone else.

Scripture: Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

FWF songbirds

2011-03-18T08:53:00.004-04:00

Happy Friends with Flair Friday!! :D Here's a Saint Patrick's Day inspired card... I love the saying that came with the FEB 2010 Kit Of the Month, "Nothin but Blue Skies." They're all very Irish-esque :) hehe, like this sentiment here! I paired it with some of the birdie stamps that were also part of that kit, and put some buttons with them!

Speaking of KOM... now's your chance to sign up!! Fabulous things coming out of Unity each month, and you can get them all mailed right to your door!

Rest in Him

2011-03-17T23:08:00.000-04:00

Two cards in one day?! I know, it's crazy hehe... I made this card with the CR84FN color challenge 19 in mind! I recently found this challenge blog and couldn't wait to start playing along :) I also paired it up with the CPS sketch 209 from this week! I haven't whipped out my scripture stamps in quite some time, but you'll be seeing them show up more soon :)

happy Saint Patrick's day

2011-03-17T09:03:00.004-04:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!

It's a bittersweet day in our household as it's a day that reminds us greatly of my Nana who passed away late last year. My Nana's mother came over from Ireland on a ship, processed through Ellis Island, and was a proud American ever since. We love and miss you, Nana.

I'll be back later to update with the challenges I made this card for :)