Another Challenge…or two!

You just thought I was done for the day! I have two more LOs that I want to post and THEN I think I will be done for the day…..

I have chosen to do the challenge at Artful Delight this month and it is a sketch challenge. I did something a little different with the sketch…instead of making a LO with pictures, chose to use a poem that I just love at Christmas time. I am going to put it in a shadow box and hang it in the living room by the front door. Perfect!

 

So this is the sketch:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is my interpretation. I actually turned the sketch upside down to make it work for me! I love that about sketches… it is just a starting point!

 

 

 

 

 

I also used the Versa Watermark ink for the first time on this project and I am happy with the way that it turned out! Here is a close-up of the stamp.

 

 

 

Okay, so the last LO that I have to share with you is based on the weekly sketch at Sketch Inspiration.

This is sketch # 247.

And this is my interpretation of the sketch:

I just love the first snow of the season…especially when it doesn’t come until well into November and is light and doesn’t last! The snow came down in about 1 1/2 hours and was gone 30 minutes after it stopped snowing and the sun popped out. The boys were excited that it was snowing when we went to get Anthony from school…and so heartbroken when we got home because the snow was already gone   I know they are ready for the BIG snows that come and stay for weeks So here is hoping that we get enough snow to play in all winter but not enough to cause any problems!

Enjoy the Moments!

Stacey

Challenges galore!

 

Hello! Just a warning that this may be a long read! I am posting several LOs

So I have been following Jessica at Scraptastic Club for a while now and I am loving all the inspiration her blog and her designers have to offer! I have also been trying to do all of the monthly challenges that she posts…but I must admit that life gets busy and while the LOs get made I just don’t get them uploaded in time But this month I have completed all 3 of the challenges to date and I am actually going to get them published on my blog! YIPPEE!!! Okay enough rambling!

Challenge #1 – must have banners somewhere on the LO

This LO is from Brady’s Preschool trip to the SunnySide Pumpkin Patch in Assaria. Love how it turned out! And the colors really suit Brady

 

Challenge #2 – sketch challenge by (Heather) that has to show a family relationship.

 

This is the sketch (which is fabulous!!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is my interpretation of the sketch:

 

 

 

 

I had so much fun with this sketch! And the pictures of my parents with 3 of their 7 grandkids where just perfect! I love the relationships that all of the kids have with their Mema and Papa. Make me so very happy!

 

Challenge #3 – recipe challenge

This month's recipe is... use any three of the following:

• Use a fall photo
• Dig out those embossing folders. Try using them on a chipboard piece!
• Use two colors of cardstock
• Use rub-ons. I think that sometimes can be one of those items we tend to forget to use.
• Punch a border
• Use teal, orange and brown
• Mist somewhere on your page, be it the whole page or a mask or an item adhered to your page.

And this is what I came up with:

 

*use 2 colors of cardstock

* Use teal, orange, and brown

* Mist somewhere on the page

*use a fall photo ****this doesn’t look like the “typical” fall photo but it was taken after Fall had officially started!

 

Okay! So that is all for the Scraptastic Club Challenges…unless there is another one before the end of the month!

I want to share one last LO that I just completed last night. It is of Brady and the Preschool Bear, Precious. Brady got to bring Precious home for the weekend and was to care for him like he was Brady’s “little baby”! Oh that bear went everywhere…he even got lost a couple times BUT was always found again once the toy mess was picked up (poor Precious was always buried under the toys). I had so much fun with this LO…I love all the colors and yes ever single letter is stamped, embossed and then hand cut around! Took awhile to get just the letters done but the end result is so totally worth all the time

Gosh I just really LOVE how this turned out!

Remember to Enjoy the moments!

Stacey

I am here!!!

So I just realized that it has been almost a month since I last posted something! Really??!! Has almost 30 days gone by already…where exactly did it go?! Well we have been busy with school activities, and getting ready for Thanksgiving and winterizing the yard and house and all those daily blessings that we have… so okay that is where the past month has gone. I have been crafting up a storm too… AND all of the pages have pictures on them! I know! I am just as surprised as you SO now the challenge is to get pictures taken, blurbs written and posted…hmmm I am thinking that it will be after Thanksgiving before I can get that done. And by then there will be more LOs (layouts) to make, photos to print, photos to take and more blurbs to write… my head is spinning! I don’t know how those of you that post everyday do it.

OH! I did purchase a new Cricut! I got the Cricut Mini when it launched this past Monday! So excited to be able to cut cute shapes again! Although not having a working CE for the past couple of months has challenged me to get back to the basics and I must admit that it has been fun! Circles and squares and triangles and stickers and markers and stamps and… you get the point! But I am also super excited to be able to get back to doing the “scene” LOs and those are SO much fun! You can tell a story with the LO as well as with your journaling and pictures! I will try to remember to post some of my scene LOs soon…ish 

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the Moments

Stacey

Birthdays and Blessings!

So today is my birthday… and it has been a great day! I am not one who dreads the day of turning a year older as I have come to realize that with age truly does come wisdom. The wisdom of knowing that when you were younger you really were not that smart in the choices that you made. And I made several that make me cringe to remember. But even with that being said, I would not change a thing about my life so far. The ups and downs, the smart and oh so not smart, the friends, the friends that are no longer friends, the family and friends who are no longer with us except in spirit, the laundry and dishes that never end, the sleepless nights when kids are sick, the frantic running to get all the kids to the right places at the right times. All of this has made me who I am. And it has brought me to where I am right now, which is a very blessed place. So here are 20 blessing for my birthday (and they are in no particular order except the order that they popped into my aging brain!):

1. JT learning how to snap his pants. Strange to be thought of as a blessing but for only being 3 I think that is quite an accomplishment…and he keeps interrupting me as I am writing this to show me. He has the biggest proudest smile on his face

2. My parents. They are awesome! They brought the wonderful me into the world. They tried their hardest to teach me the right path to follow…and I think after 38 yrs I may finally be on that path! And through it all they never lost faith in me…although I think that some of the stories that we never told them back then but are starting to tell now (usually with the help of wine and my brother saying “hey sis remember when you…”) really should be left untold. There are certain things that your parents probably knew you did but didn’t really know you did that just don’t need to be reinforced with a story about how you really did do what they thought you did but really didn’t want to know you did. You know??

3. My In-Laws. I just love them so much! They accept me as I am. Loud, opinionated and totally not at all like them! But flaws and all I know they love me!

4. Jon. Hands down the best man for me! He loves me for me. He has never asked me to change anything about myself. He loves me through the bad days and the good days, a never failing or changing love. And he can and does still take my breathe away with his actions and words. And he is mine, that right there takes my breathe away!

5. Brady’s smile. What a kiddo Braydon is. No matter what challenges life has thrown at him, he is the happiest little boy I have ever known!

6. Anthony’s charm. Is there a mom out there who is not head over heals in love with her sons? I know I am! And Anthony, being the oldest, is so protective of his little brothers. So loving and kind. He has the biggest heart and truly cares that others feel welcome and included. And his charming smile that he gets whenever I catch him doing something that is on the verge of being “naughty”! You can’t help but laugh

7. The dish washer. Come on, you know it is a blessing to anyone… especially a family of 5!

8. Stickers and goo smeared on the walls. Call me crazy, but that just reminds me that I have 3 healthy and active boys running through our house and it is very much lived in, making it a home. Our home.

9. Lack of Sleep. Yes, you read that right. Lack of sleep. Because that means that I have been up all night snuggling with a kiddo. It may not seem like a blessing at the time but it is.

10. Coffee. I can’t function without it… well I can and have, but not many people wanted to be around me…and some didn’t even survive!

11. Jon’s Job. It is demanding of his time and energy and it takes away time and energy from the family. But where would we be without his job? That is a scary thought. And Jon is very conscience to spend as much time as he can with the boys, even if it means that after they are in bed he has to go back to work until 1 or 2 a.m.

12. Hair mousse. Natural curls + Kansas wind = YIKES without mousse!

13. Flat Iron…because there are days I just don’t want curly hair

14. God and my faith. Without which I would not have all the blessings in my life and I would certainly not be who I am. There are many times that MY way seems better but in the end HIS way is the only way.

15. Cousins. You may not be able to pick them but like kids’ burgers they will stick to you through the tough times!

16. My Brothers. Jason and Joe are always there for me. And while we may not be able to see each other as often as this clingy sis would like to, I know that when I call they will Answer. Are you reading this boys??? YOU WILL ANSWER!!!

17. Tom, my dearly departed Brother. Just thinking of him brings a smile to my face! And I know that he is near…. how else do our boys come up with some of the stuff they do? I know that Tom is whispering in their ears “If you do this, your mom will make the funniest mad face”. Thanks Tom!

18. Toilet bowl cleaner. 3 young boys, potty training, really…do I need to say more?

19. Best Friends who know how to listen, who will let you vent and scream and yell and then tell you “buck up B*&ch! You know you are over reacting again” and says it with a smile and love.

20. The internet and blogging. How else would I be able to reach random strangers and friends and family with all of my glorious words of wisdom to enrich their worlds with my wondrous words??!!

I could keep going all day! But I have only allowed myself 30 mins of playtime and it is time to get back to my daily blessings. May you all be able to see that everything in your life is a blessing.

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Stacey

P.S. to those of you wondering… Yes JT is still snapping and unsnapping his pants! How can you not smile and see the blessing in that?!

Simply Beautiful

I was inspired to make this LO from the Artful Delight October sketch. When I saw this sketch I knew exactly the paper and the picture I wanted to use. I still find it amazing that a simple sketch can inspire so much! I am totally in love with sketches!

This is the sketch:

and this is my LO based on the above sketch:

The paper is from my stash (some of it is from a previous Club Ruby Designers kit). I used my i-rock to make swoopy designs with rhinestones in place of the circles on the sketch. The stamp that I used is from My Creative Time (I love all of Emma’s stamps!!). I took the picture in such a way to show that everything is just a little off… not perfectly straight. I am going to put a picture of my DH and I on it and while we are perfect for each other, we are not perfect. And I wanted that reflected in the LO. Not many people will even notice… but with my DH being an Engineer (and me a perfectionist) I know that he will notice and get “it”

Thanks again for stopping by! Be sure to check out the blogs that I mentioned… these are some super talented ladies!

Stacey

It’s a spooky time….

Ah, October is here! I love this month…change of season, birthday’s (mine included) Halloween parties at the schools for the boys, My parents Wedding Anniversary, and of course Halloween itself! A night that kids (and kids at heart) can be whatever/whoever they want to be! And a night that will ensure that your kiddos will not sleep… because of all the candy they have eaten…even though you told them they could only have one piece and had to save the rest!
Usually I have been out and about taking pictures of the trees changing colors. Unfortunately with the drought we had through the summer the leaves are just turning the dirty yellow color and falling off the trees with the slightest of breezes I am still holding out to find at least ONE tree that will turn that super deep almost glowing rust color. And if I can find that ONE tree, I will make a entire layout devoted to just that one tree!! I already have the sketch in mind…now I just have to drive all the back roads in Ellsworth County to find that tree
So for now I am still working on Halloween LO’s and I have two more for you today! When my CE was up and running I would rarely do a single page LO. I love doing the double page LO’s  because I can make a whole scene on the page and use the pictures as embellishments (of sorts!!)! So with my CE down I have gone back to the basics and have also found that making a single page LO (even with a sketch) can be a challenge! Did the CE actually make me lazy??? Well… hmmm!
Okay enough rambling! Here are my pages! This first one is based on a sketch from Shimelle. I love her sketches and her take on scrapbooking!


This next page if for the first October challenge at Scraptastic Club. The challenge is to use a pattern on our LO. I went with a checker board type pattern. And then of course added the embellishments (actually the boys helped me added the embellishments!). Every thing that I used on the following LO is from Scraptastic Club Witching Hour kit. (the above LO also uses papers and embellishments from the same kit).

Thanks for stopping by! We have another busy weekend full of football and family time! Have a wonderful weekend
Stacey

State Fair Layout (LO)

It is amazing to me what a person can create when inspired!

This happened to me this afternoon while I was hopping through some of the other blogs that I follow. I came to Scraptastic Club Blog and found that a new LO challenge had been posted! WhooHooo!!! So this challenge has a much different twist to it than I am used to. It is a recipe LO challenge!

Here is the recipe: 3 cardstock, 4 patterned papers, 3 alphas, 2 pictures, 5 buttons, 1 banner, 1 journaling spot, and paint.

So I jot this down and decide to let it roll around in my crafty little brain while I clean up my craft space. As I started filing sketches and various scrap papers, an idea POPPED! State Fair pictures with that crazy carnival paper that I just had to have and bought over 7 months ago and have never used… shhhh, don’t tell Jon!!

So this is what I came up with:

This is the completed LO. Sorry about all the reflection in the picture…I am still trying to figure out how to take better pictures of my LO’s and cards. I am much better with pictures of people!!

I used paint to make this journaling spot.

And this is where I “cheated” a little and used patterned paper that already had a banner on it  

So here is the break down of what I used to create this LO:                

• Bazzil Cardstock – Tangelo, Artesian Pool, Lemonade
• Patterned Paper – Imaginisce Animal Cracker – Under the Big Top, Come one! Come All, Kaboom, Step Right Up
• Buttons – stash
• Paint  - Jenni Bowlin Seed Packet, Adirondack Brights Pool
• ATG (glue gun)
• Chestnut Roan fluid chalk ink
• Paper Trimmer
• Thickers (alpha stickers) - Jewelry Box

So now as I am looking at the page on the table beside me as I complete this blog, I am thinking….hmmm I think it needs some white gel pen stitching! So I may just go back and add that…or not!

Thanks for stopping by

Stacey

P.S. Did anyone notice that there are NO Cricut cuts??? That is because my poor Cricut Expression has gone and gave out on me So while I can’t use my machine to do the super cute cuts at least I have just proved to myself that I can actually make a nice LO without using my CE. Who know?!!!

Halloween Cards

I am getting a jump start on making all the Holiday cards (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas). The Challenge for me is not making the cards, it is remembering that I have made them and to actually get them mailed! I still have several Christmas cards from last year that I never did mail….so I don’t need to make as many this year…just MAIL THEM!!!

So here are a few of the Halloween cards that I have completed.

This card was made using the Cricut Cartridge Happy Hauntings and the paper is Paper Layerz by Megan Elizabeth over at Above Rubies Studio. (if you have not heard of her or seen her work, you really should check it out!)

This is a simple card using scraps of Halloween paper that I had in my stash. I crumbled the paper and used Chestnut Roan fluid chalk ink to distress the paper, then just glued it all down… the paper is crooked on purpose!

For this last card, I used Close To My Heart which stamp from the Wicked set. I love this stamp set! I used black embossing powder on the witch to make her stand out a little. I curled the edges of the “frame” paper to give it more dimension.

I hope you enjoyed the cards! I will start keeping better track of what products I use and what cut sizes are so that I will be able to give you the recipes to each card!

My next project is school themed cards. Our oldest son just got his school pictures back and they are just SO super CUTE! I am going to send them out to friends and family in the school themed cards… just as soon as I find time to get those done!

Have a super great day

Stacey

Life and constantly changing plans

Today is one of those days that you just have to "tie and knot and hang on".  With our oldest son home sick from school and the two younger ones not understanding why "him not play with me?" it has made for a very long day!  And not at all what I had planned! Today is the launch of the new Cricut Expression 2 on HSN and any of you who know me know that I have a passion for the Cricut. SO I had envisioned today being a day of playing on the various blogs that I follow and watching at least one airing of the launch and setting up my own blog so that I have ONE place where all my crafts and creations are and can be shared with family and friends. So far I have been on one blog and watched NONE of the airings. But I am finally getting my blog set up..... well it has a name and now there is a post! The rest will come together over time. I hope that I will be able to post at least once a week with an actual craft and more often with family/life mussings.

Thanks for stopping by... and remember that this is just for fun and a way for me to share creations and life lessons as taught to me by our 3 boys (amazing what you can learn from 3 young boys about life!!)

Enjoy ;)
Stacey