Check it out!

So Cheri over at Little Miss Littleness is giving away some blog candy. If you like Paper Smooches stamps, you will love this giveaway! For a chance to win, you can check out her post here. Good luck! :)

Paper Smooches Monthly Blog Hop!

So while I'm waiting for Matt and Summer to come up and visit me in Seoul for the day, I had some time to blog hop. I never miss the Paper Smooches blog hop, I haven't won yet, but I love their stamps so much that I keep trying. :) Part of the reason I love their blog hop so much is that it isn't very long, only 5 blogs to hop to. I don't have the patience to hop to many more than that, haha. They have recently teamed up with EAD Designs to make stickers and rub-ons. This monthly they are giving one lucky winner the chance to win a sticker set, a rub-on set and the winner's choice of a stamp set. To participate and learn more about their blog hop, you can visit their blog here. Good luck!

MIA for a little while...

I'm going to be MIA for a little while. I'm currently in Seoul waiting to give birth to my son. My due date is on Wednesday, but it doesn't look like this little guy is coming anytime soon. I have a feeling he will end up being an August baby and I will probably need to be induced. I really miss crafting and can't wait to get back home and try to make something again. My first planned project when I get back is to make my baby sister Casey a belated birthday card. Her birthday is this weekend and I was too tired to make her a card before I left. See you guys in August!

Mini Baby Shower Thank You Cards

Hello everyone! It's been a little while since I've posted anything. I'm 37 weeks pregnant and it's getting hard to get motivated enough to get some crafts done. But after watching Grey's Anatomy all day today and lying around in bed, I finally got the energy to get up and do a little crafting project. :) Tomorrow a friend from work is having her baby shower, she is having a little girl. I am going to get her some other stuff for her baby shower, but I also wanted to make her these cute little thank you notes.  The cards are 4" by 4". I used the New Arrival Cricut cart for the onesie circle and cut it at 3". I punched out the patterned paper from the Basic Grey "Olivia" collection with a 2 1/2" circle punch and then rolled the onesie circle through my Xyron and adhered the patterned paper to the back.

Here is a side view of the card, as you can see, I used Pop Dots to add a little dimension to the card. The "Thank You" stamp is from My Creative Time's "So Grateful For You" set. I embossed it with while embossing powder and then used my i-Rock to set the stones on either side of the saying and give it a little bling.  

I used some ribbon from the American Crafts Dear Lizzy "Leafy" collection to tie them all together. I hope she likes them! :) Thanks for stopping by! <3

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey "Olivia" collection

Stamps: "Thank You" sentiment from My Creative Time "So Grateful For You" set

Cricut: New Arrival onesie circle cut at 3"

Embellishments: i-Rock clear gems

Ribbon: American Crafts Dear Lizzy "Leafy" collection

Extremely Late Father's Day Card

So...yeah. I am definitely really behind in sending stuff out to people, Father's Day cards included. I sent one to my dad on time and gave one to my husband on Father's Day, but I didn't get this card made for my Napa, father-in-law and step-father-in-law until last night and I finally mailed them out today. Better late than never right? ;) I made this card using my new MFT stamps, I love their products! They have great customer service so far too. I ordered something that was actually out of stock and they sent me a nice e-mail saying they would refund my money and let me know as soon as it was back in stock and they would not charge me for shipping when I re-order it.

The inside sentiment is from the same stamp set from MFT Stamps.

Recipe:

Paper: Tartan Plaid from the Basic Grey "Jovial" Collection

Stamps: "Let's Hear It For the Boys!" set from MFT Stamps

Embellishments: Kaisercraft Pearls in "Latte"

Markers: Colored in stamp with plain old Crayola markers

Thanks for stopping by! <3

Number One Dad

Hey everyone! I finally made my husband a Father's Day card...on Father's Day while he was at work! Talk about last minute, haha. I am about 34 weeks pregnant now and the heat and humidity out here is starting to get to me. I spend most of my time in bed elevating my feet to try to get the swelling to go down when I want to craft, but I have to rest as much as I can. Anyway, I made this card using the current sketch from Mojo Monday, I love their blog, they give me just the inspiration I need. I thought this card was so perfect for my husband, he is a huge sports fanatic. Thanks for stopping by! <3

Here's a shot of the inside. I used my stamps from My Creative Time.

Recipe:

Paper: 7Gypsies Barcelona Paper in Baradell

Stamps: "Happy Father's Day" sentiment from My Creative Time's "You're My Best Buddy" set

Cricut: Rectangular shape cut from Storybook at 3 1/2", Football cut from Wrap It Up cart at 1 1/2"

Cuttlebug: Football embossed with Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Folder

Embellishments: "No.1" letters and number from KI Memories Mini Alphabet Soup in Mushroom

Dad's Father's Day Card

So it's been a little while since I've posted anything. I finally finished my online class and now I am taking the next semester or two off while I get ready for the baby to get here. Now that I have a little more time, I need to catch up on my cardmaking and scrapbooking! My first order of business is to finish Father's Day cards. I didn't realize how close it is to Father's Day already, how time flies! Anyway, I got this sketch from Mojo Monday. If you enter a submission by 8pm Mountain Time on Sunday, 12 June, you enter for a chance to win a set of Verve stamps! I used the Winter Wonderland cart to cut the circle and the scallop circle because I don't have these punches. Thanks for stopping by! <3

Recipe:

-Cricut Cart: Circle and Scallop Circle cut from Winter Wonderland Cart at 2 1/2"

-Paper: Deer Paper from Basic Grey Jovial Collection

-Stamps: "Happy Father's Day" from "You're My Best Buddy" Set by My Creative Time

-Embellishments: Pearls from Kaisercraft in Lush

Lindsay's Birthday Card

My sister Lindsay is turning 20 next week, I can't believe it! She's officially no longer a teenager. I made this card for her, I got the sketch idea from Mojo Monday.

I used Pop Dots to add a little depth.

Here's the inside, I love it!

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey "Olivia" Collection

Stamp: Inside Sentiment - Hampton Art "Best Birthday"

Stickers: "20" - American Crafts Thickers Sprinkles in Cucumber

Cuttlebug: "Happy Birthday" Embossing Folder

Punch: EK Success Candle Slim Edger Punch

Ribbon: American Crafts "Everyday Laugh"

Stickles: Platinum

Thanks for stopping by! <3

Shelli's Going Away Card

I made this card for my friend Shelli who is moving to Germany next month. I'm so jealous! She has been such a good friend and I wanted to show her how "grateful" I am to have a friend like her. I got this idea from a sketch from Mojo Monday. I used some of my Glossy Accents to make the butterfly pop a little bit. The butterfly is from the Straight from the Nest cart and is cut at 3". The shape behind it is from the same cart and cut at 4".

I used pop dots to give it a little depth. Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey "Olivia" Paper Pack 

Ribbon: American Crafts Dear Lizzy Leafy

Stamp: My Creative Time "So Grateful for You" Set

Cuttlebug: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder (on butterfly); Distressed Stripes Embossing Folder (on shaped background)

Cricut Cart: Straight from the Nest, butterfly (3") and shaped background (4")

Embellishments: Kaisercraft Pearls

Baby Shower Thank You Cards

Hello everyone! Next weekend a good friend of mine is throwing me a baby shower, she's so sweet! I decided to go ahead and get a head start on making the thank you cards. I also need to send some to family members who have already sent us some adorable baby things. I used the bedding that we are planning on buying for our little one as inspiration for these cards. The bedding is a cute jungle pattern with all of these cute jungle animals all over it. I'm pretty happy with how these turned out.

I used Pop Dots to add some dimension to the "Thank You" sentiment...

And for the animals.

And here is the sentiment on the inside of the card. Thanks for stopping by! <3

Recipe:

Paper: Martha Stewart Baby Boy Paper Pad

Ribbon: American Crafts Dear Lizzy Leafy Ribbon

Embossing: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Folder

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Fox and Friends; My Creative Time So Grateful For You

Ink: StazOn in Jet Black; Colorbox in Sky Blue 

Nana's Birthday Card

Here is the card that I made for Nana's birthday this year. I got the sketch from Got Sketch. The owl and the birthday hat are from Straight from the Nest. They are both cut at 1 1/4". The branch is also from that cart, I forgot to write down what size I cut it at though, oops! ;) Thanks for stopping by! <3

Mother's Day Card II

This is the Mother's Day card that I made for my mom and nana. They absolutely loved this card. I wasn't sure if i loved it at first, but I think it's starting to grow on me, haha. I got the card sketch from Got Sketch again. The striped background is cut from the Storybook cart at 5". The flowers are from the Straight from the Nest cart, the stems are cut at 2 1/2" and 3", the flowers are cut at 1" and 1 1/4", and the middle of the flowers are cut at 2 1/2" and 3". I used my Glossy Accents for the middle of the flower to make it pop. The stamp is from a collection of stamps that I got from My Creative Time. Thanks for stopping by! <3

Mother's Day Card I

Here is the Mother's Day card that I made for my mother-in-law and step-mother-in-law. It's a bit late getting them out, but better late than never right? I got the card sketch from Got Sketch. I used the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder for the background and I embossed a stamp with blue glitter embossing powder. Thanks for stopping by!

Husband's Birthday Card

Matt's birthday is this weekend and I decided to make him a card. I always try to make him a card for those special occasions. I got the card sketch from Mojo Monday. Hop on over to their blog and join in on the fun! I got the golf clubs and the grass underneath it from my new Wrap It Up Cricut cart. The golf clubs have Glossy Accents on them that for that extra special pop. The swirls in the background are D'Vine Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder. Thanks for looking!

25 1/2 Weeks and Counting...

So I just checked my account at thebump.com and tomorrow I will have 100 days left! I can't believe it! This pregnancy seems to have gone by pretty fast so far. Now I'm starting to get really anxious, I can't wait for the baby to get here! I'm so curious to see what he looks like and how he will act like me or Matt. This picture is me at 25 1/2 weeks. Thanks Leah for the cute top, she gave it to me for my birthday. I love it, it's SO comfortable! I've been feeling great lately, my energy is up and I feel like I want to do things again. I'm starting to get hungrier too. If I could only get this back pain to go away everything would be perfect, haha.

Caramel Walnut Upside Down Banana Cake!

Let me first just say "Wow!" I got this recipe from smittenkitchen. They have a bunch of fancy recipes over there and when I saw this one I just had to try it. I had heard of this food blog from a friend at work but I actually started looking at it closer after I stumbled upon it again when doing a google search for the "best birthday cake" to try to figure out what to make Matt for his birthday this year. This cake is so ridiculously moist and scrum-didly-umptious!

Since this cake is incredibly sweet, you have to have a very small piece or you will go into a diabetic coma, lol.

21st Birthday Card for Leah

My oldest step-daughter, Leah, turns 21 next week so I decided to make her a special birthday card for the occasion. The card sketch is from the RAQ's card challenge that ended on 3/1/11. I got the idea for the cut from another lady on the board, I just thought it was so cute and such a great idea that I had to copy it. The martini glass is from the From My Kitchen cart and is cut at 4". I used the X-Mas Red Stickles for the olive pit and Silver Stickles for the starburst on the glass. I cut out a piece of teal vellum paper and put it over the other paper to make it look like a frosted glass but it's hard to see in the picture. The tag is embossed with the Distressed Stripes Cuttlebug embossing folder and is cut on the Shorty funtion at 3 1/2". The word Celebrate is cut at 2". Both the tag and the word Celebrate are from the Stamped cart. Thanks for stopping by! <3

I'm Hosting This Weeks' LID Challenge on the Cricut.com Messageboard!

I am so excited, I'm hosting this weeks' LID challenge over at the cricut.com messageboard. Above are the layouts that I submitted for the challenge, I can't wait to see what the creative girls on the site come up with. I am actually going to make an effort to get a page done before the week is up too, I guess I should since I am hosting right? Haha. Thanks for stopping by! <3

Pregnancy Layout for February LID Challenge

Here is the layout that I did for one of the February LID challenges on the Cricut messageboard. The picture isn't the greatest, sorry. The top part says "Made With Love." I am trying to stay on top of my layouts for the baby so that maybe I will have one scrapbook that is not behind, haha. In the passage I wrote like I was talking to the baby. I wrote how I felt when I found out and what foods I was craving at the time. I think it will be nice for him (or her, as Matt thinks) to be able to read it when he (or she) is older and see what was going on when I was pregnant with him (or her). Thanks for looking!

Mom's Birthday Present and Card

For my mom's birthday I decided to make her something this year. I took an empty pickle jar and cleaned it out and then glued some patterned paper where the label would normally be. Then I glued these colorful flowers over it and I used my i-Rock to make a jeweled center. Then I filled it with Jelly Belly jellybeans. Yum!

I did the same thing for the lid. I put a piece of adhesive ribbon around the edge of the lid to cover up the green pickle decoration already on the lid.

Here is the birthday card that I made for my mom. I used another RAQ's card sketch for the template. I used the Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder. The candles are made using a candle slim edger punch. I used my Platinum Stickles on the flame part of the candles to make it look like "real" lit candles. The heart is a Julie Bowen heart felt cut-out.

Matt's Valentine's Day Card

Here is the Valentine's Day card that I made for Matt. I am really happy with how it turned out. I used an old RAQs challenge sketch for the card sketch idea. The lips are from the Love Struck cart and are cut at 1.5" and then I used the X-Mas Red stickles to give it that shimmery lipstick effect. My sweet husband got me a body pillow for Valentine's Day. I love it...

...and so does Macy! :)

Summer's 15th Birthday Card

I made this card for my step-daughter Summer's 15th birthday. I was so happy with how it turned out. It took me FOREVER to figure out what I was going to do, had a bit of scrapper's block...lol. I used a card sketch from an old RAQ's card challenge. The top is done using the D'Vine Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder and then I used Star Dust Stickles to really make it pop. The ribbon is from American Crafts. And the number 15 is green glittered American Crafts Thickers. Here are some more pictures from her birthday...

Above is the birthday girl with some daisies that Matt and I bought her.

Here is a picture of her birthday cake. Her favorite colors are hot pink and lime green. The cake is chocolate with vanilla buttercream. We ordered it from a girl here on base who is trying to start her own cake business, Bee's Batter. Summer loved it!