Jessica's Paper Petals

Sneek peek new paper and stamps and upcoming class

2012-01-24T16:16:00.000-05:00

I have been working on this cute little bookmark album that will be for sale in the new CTMH book on the 1st of February. We will be making this album at one of my classes in February which means we have a short 2 hr time frame to get this done, but my girls are great so they should have no problems.

The best bread ever!

2012-01-23T15:50:00.000-05:00

Wow,this post has been a long time in the coming. Today is the day if you love bread you MUST buy one or both of these books Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A day and Healthy Bread In Five Minutes A Day both by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D; & Zoe Francois. These books are amazing and yield the perfect bread results. I have made boule,bagettes,sandwich loafes,pizza crust and amazing hamburger buns. You can use regular unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, spelt or a number of others and it is so easy no more kneading and rising and kneading again. You can make a master recipe batch that lasts for 2 count em two weeks in the fridge. Of course mine never lasts that long and I even make a double batch, seriously depending on your recipe you could have only 4 ingredients, mix em up let the dough rise for about 2 hrs then refrigerate. Next pull out the dough cut off a chunck, shape it, let it rest for the set time and then bahe on a preheated stone for about 30 minutes. Ta-Da fresh hot artisan bread. Please for the love of everything good and right try this bread!

A cabinet re-do

2012-01-19T10:57:00.001-05:00

I know that in my last post I promised bread, and hopefully I will get it posted today or tommorrow. However I could not resist sharing my corner cabinet that I did yesterday, I am slowly in the process of redecorating my house and in the dining room we will be painting hopefully soon, and my hubby is going to build me a farmhouse table and I have some amazing chairs to re-do so I was ready for some change. Can I just tell you that I decided to try some Annie Sloan chalk paint and it is AMAZING I am in love with this paint if that's possible. It requires no sanding or priming(whoo-hoo) it is
fairly pricey but it requires no sanding or priming so it's totally worth it to me. I wanted to go with the color Louis Blue and I adore it. I did some distressing and I love the result, but after I get the whole room redone I think it will fit in much better. Might I also add that who in a million years would have thought that I, who own about 100 pieces of black furniture would ever paint a piece blue? Well I certainly surprised myself and I would just like to thank my ex-neighbor Aubrey because I am pretty sure she started my color transformation.So thanks Aubrey well from me anyways I don't know for sure that the hubby would thank you(hee hee).

I have linked this up to the following parties:

Miss Mustard Seed

How to make stock and yummy soups

2012-01-09T14:20:00.001-05:00

I really think that all fall and winter I could live off homemade soup and fresh bread. Since we raise our own grass feed beef we have a freezer full of beef and soup bones, so I love to make my own stock. For beef stock I usually make pretty big batches so I can freeze some. I actually did 10 soup bones in 2 pots this last time. To make my stock I put my bones in a roasting pan with some organic carrots, celery, onions and garlic and roast for about an hour at about 400 degrees. Next I take my roasted bones and all those veggies and dump them into a stock pot then I add about 12 cups of water, some whole peppercorns, a bay leaf, a jar of our own canned diced tomatoes, about 5 diced potatoes and kosher salt to taste bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 5-6hrs, strain through cheesecloth, then let cool and remove the fat layer on the top. True stock will gel- it looks rather unappealing but it is perfect. I prefer to freeze in 2 cup portions before it gels, there is nothing like homemade stock for your soups and gravies. The same can be done with chicken bones as well for fresh chicken stock and it is extremely economical.

A recipe you must try is Zuppa Toscana, I had it for the first time at Olive Garden and it is amazing. So I looked up a recipe and found a great one HERE, the only changes I made were to use our own italian beef sausage that we make and we used Kale instead of spinach then top it off with some fresh parmesean and you have the most wonderful soup.

Next up is a super simple soup, I used some of my freshly made chicken stock and added some spices, organic, celery, carrots, onions, shredded chicken and some egg noodles then I added some Franks red hot and turned plain chicken noodle soup into buffalo chicken soup-yummo. I added fresh grated parmesean to the top which was good but some crumbly blue would have been perfect! I am sure I will be experimenting with lot's more soups this winter and what goes perfect with soup but Artisan bread. That my friends deserves it's own post so maybe tommorrow I will share the best bread book in the world- well at least in my humble opinion!

Two page Valentines day layout

2012-01-09T13:51:00.000-05:00

Well looky there I actually posted something related to papercrafting. This is a pretty basic basic two page layout with a"LOVE" theme for my next class. All products are CTMH, if you have any questions let me know!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T20:03:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and happy new year! Thanks for reading my little ole blog, your comments make my day!

A card and a treat

2011-12-19T14:51:00.000-05:00

Can you beleive I actually made a card? My brother needed a card for a gift so I whipped this up quick for him. Everything is from CTMH and it's hard to see in the picture but the trees are super glittery irl.
I also made hot cocoa on a stick topped with homemade marshmallows and on some added some crushed peppermint and on some Christmas sprinkles. They make the most awesome creamy hot cocoa, just google it and you can find a recipe!

A little seasonal decor

2011-12-08T19:58:00.000-05:00

I just love those projects that are virtually free don't you? My best friend just delivered me a silver frame from the dollar store that she could not use, so I had to put it to good use. I knew I wanted to add it to my Christmas decor in my dining room and I am in love with silhouettes right now so I borrowed my sweet friend Linda's(Hi Linda) A Child's Year Cricut cart and cut out this adorable winter scence out of black cardstock and just attached it to a piece if Colonial white cardstock that I stamped with my Universal backgrounds music note stamp from CTMH. I adore how it turned out and can't wait to make some more that will stay up year round! FREE=AWESOME don'tcha think?

Peppermint Bark popcorn

2011-12-07T07:55:00.001-05:00

This stuff is amazing, so eat at your own risk it is addicting, popcorn, almond bark, peppermint extract and crushed candy canes equal=pure yumminess. I packaged up these little treat bags for my wonderful group of girls who come to my card classes every month. Last night was our last for this year so I thought we needed a treat. I just packaged up the popcorn tied it with some baker's twine and added a tag I cut out of the Cricut using the new CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge then I just stamped a small sentiment and that was it! We may of also had some cranberry walnut oatmeal and chocolate peppermint kiss cookies. It was a celebration of a whole year of being crafty!

Vintage Sheet Music

2011-11-29T16:19:00.001-05:00

I am in loooove right this minute with vintage sheet music and I bought 100 sheets of vintage hymnal pages from Etsy and have been playing. We recently bought an old beautiful piano for our daughter and so I wanted to make a sheet music wreath. It is not what I had pictured when I started out but it evolved and I kind of like it, there is so much character. You can find tutorials all over the internet if you are interested, i started and my wreath sort of took on a life of it's own. The picture is really blurry I could not get a good one. I also made a small banner today with it and spelled out JOY in some Martha Stewart Red glitter and all I did was use some negatives of some chipboard letters and filled them in with glue and then the glitter, punched some holes and tied with Jute. I am really happy with how it turned out, it is very simple. I have been missing the old blog here lately, so you just might be seeing me around a bit more in the New Year.

I linked up my banner to: There are some amazing ideas on there!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T16:04:00.001-05:00

Well here I am again, I am very sporadic these days and I am sorry but life has taken over. I wanted to share some pics from Thanksgiving. We hosted at our house and had 20 people and I love it, Thanksgiving is my favorite, maybe because I have so very much to be thankful for. I added pictures of some pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust and homemade whipped cream and caramel sauce, mini butterscotch pumpkin pies, pecan pie, and pumpkin roll! There is also a picture of the adult table and the kids table. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Cute little gift boxes

2011-10-28T20:25:00.000-04:00

Here is a set of three gift boxes I made for my next class. I used the amazing new Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge from CTMH!

Fall Treat Holders

2011-10-20T17:03:00.000-04:00

I feel like I am making up for lost time with so many posts in one day lol. Tomorrow we will be away on a field trip so there will be no crafting . The 1st is a take out box that I cut from the Cricut with the new Art Philosophy cart and the flower as well! It was super simple and I think we will be making these at my next class. The next is just something from the dark corners of my mind- It is however a little pouch that I will probably put a treat bag in filled with mini cookies! Again I am working on pictures so I have quite a few!

Post number 2

2011-10-20T13:19:00.000-04:00

Wow I must be on fire, this is my second post today-go me! This is a super simple cutesy little fall bag that I cut out using the new ART Philosophy Cricut cart from CTMH. I stamped my pumpkin and pop dotted it and then finished it of with a little jute and a button! This is what we will be making at a gathering this weekend and I am pretty sure it is going to be filled with something yummy! Have a great day!

I am on a roll

2011-10-20T13:13:00.001-04:00

Well it actually seems rather nice to have another post except for the fact that I can not take a decent picture to save my life! It's always either dark and dreary or way to bright or midnight! So I apologize in advance it is what it is! I got a bunch of great old wooden stamps from a lady over the summer who was selling off everything stamp related for dirt cheap! This adorable snowman was calling my name. I added some liquid glass for some shine and the snowflakes are covered in glitter! The paper is from CTMH and is called Believe.

Well looky looky who made a card

2011-10-17T17:17:00.000-04:00

I am sure after my long abscence most of you must have assumed that I had been kidnapped by aliens and was somewhere in space sharing my crafting skills with the extra terrestials. Wait-what you did not assume that, oh okay anyways I have just been super busy and the ole blog has not been top priority. I did however manage to make a card today using this weeks Mojo Monday sketch and a most adorable little House Mouse stamp. I am going to spare you all the details but if you have any questions ask away! Hopefully I will be showing up around here a little more often. Till we meet again I hope you have a lovely!

Happy Birthday Buck

2011-08-31T08:43:00.000-04:00

Today my little buck turns 7, wow how did he get so big? He is the most legalistic 7 year old you will ever meet he is very concerned with rules and regulations. He is also about as BOY as boys can get, he is an outdoorsman and he is very mechanically inclined. He is also a big softie, a hard worker, an awesome big brother and as handsome as his daddy. We love you buck!

To celebrate we had a birthday party Sunday after church it was supposed to be a smores themed party at out camp. However thanks to the hurricane we had tons of rain and wind so we improvised and had it at the house instead. I made a smores cake which was fabulous if I do say so myself the recipe can be found here at Annies-eats just type smores cake in the search box! We also made him his very own reading tent. I found lot's of inspiration on Pintrest but in the end my hubby just looked at a picture and went with what he thought would work best! The tab top curtains were ingenious and I got 4 of them at a yard sale for a buck-score! I also picked up some solar system fabric at Wal-mart and covered a chunk of extra foam I had floating around from another project. I think it turned out adorable and my boy LOVES it in fact him and his brother slept i it last night!

I think though we are going to have to re-do the bedroom set up and I might steal their desk and put the tent their instead! Only time will tell, the whole thing only cost about $25.00 but that was because the solar system material was $10.88 so if you had material on hand it could cost you next to nothing! I would also like to figure out a way to hang a little lantern from the top, always something to do! Have a great Wednesday!

P.S- don't be scared of his new cap gun, the only thing it can hurt is your eardrums!

Will wonders never cease?

2011-08-26T21:13:00.000-04:00

I have cards to share, can you believe it? This post is going to be short and sweet but I did want to show you I have not completly forsaken papercrafts. The 1st set is 3 cards that we will be making at my September card class they use the brand new Elemental paper pack which I adore and the Remarkable Wreath stamp set and those cool flowers were cut out of our brand new Cricut Cartride called Art Philosophy- it is amazing I tell ya! Next up is the card I made for my dear sweet husband who celebrated his 35th bday yesterday! I used Roxie paper and the stamps are a sneek peek of an upcoming SOTM set which is AMAZING and yes I am yelling and I also used the new Cricut Cartridge for this too, matching die cuts and stamps make a beautiful team! I promise once October gets here my posts won't be so sporadic! Have a great night!

A new set of diy lamps

2011-08-25T21:04:00.002-04:00

Hello bloggy friends I have been gone for a long time! I really needed a blog break, I have been so busy doing all sorts of stuff like canning and freezing and playing and cleaning and canning and prepping for school and well just life in general. I have lot's of projects to share over the next few days though even some paper crafts, however for today I wanted to share some pictures of a lamp redo I did a few weeks ago. The lamps I bought for a buck a piece at a yard sale and the shades were $5.00 at dollar general. They were just not my style so I took some antique white spray paint a some sand paper to them. I also bought some lovely linen material and recovered the shades using spray adhesive and some sort of piching and pleating technique which I am sure I could probably never recreate if I tried. So I was pretty happy with my matching lamps for about a total of $15.00- not to shabby! Oh and a very happy 35th b-day to my very handsome wonderful husband!

I linked up my lamp redo at the CSI Project this week!

A new Idea Book for inspiration

2011-08-04T10:27:00.001-04:00

There is nothing like a brand new Idea Book to get me back into the creative mood! This new release of the Autum/Winter CTMH Idea Book is amazing. I know I say that alot but seriously this book takes the cake. The new paper packs are fabulous there is a Cricut cartridge to coordinate with our stamps and stamps are CHEAPER what is not to love! If you are not on my e-mail list but are wanting a new book just give me a shout and I will hook you up! This first card I made using new Sonoma paper which is lovely greens and purples, cocoa ribbon, kraft cardstock, the new heirloom assortment,sparkles, foam tape, watercolored pencils, blending pen liquid glass, Enjoy Every Moment ss and A Little Thanks ss. This card took about 5 minutes to make it was super simple and I only used a few supplies, after I stamped the image I used watercolored pencils for some super quick coloring and then used the blending pen over the top then I added the sentiment. I felt like it needed something else so I added some dots to my scallops and then topped them with liquid glass-much cheaper then using all opaques or sparkles!

For my next card I used a kraft cardstock base then just made some simple frames with a ruler and black liner pen, then I stamped the flowers from the Enjoy Every Moment ss and just added some White Daisy Ink with my blending pen and a little yellow to the centers then added the sentiment from the A little Thanks ss. I have several new people who I am introducing to CTMH and I want to show them how simple and easy can also be really nice and not every card requires an hour or two to complete!

Are you sick of the home decor?

2011-07-28T13:37:00.002-04:00

I hope not, who could get sick of home decor? Wait nevermind do not answer that question. Here is a quick pillow I made from spare material(blue ticking) that I had that I just love. I used poly fil that I got at a yard sale, a huge brand new bag for a buck and then I just sewed some CTMH twill ribbon to the ends and tied them! I love how it turned out and I stuck it on an awesome antique chair I got at another yard sale for 5 bucks! Man I love yard sale season! Have a great day!

I shared this pillow at:

Whipperberry

and

A burlap wreath

2011-07-27T11:13:00.001-04:00

I have been wanting to make a burlap wreath for some time and today was the day! I bought a brand new straw wreath form at a yard sale for a quarter and I had tons of burlap left from Elaina's b-day party. So there are tons of different ways to make a burlap wreath but I just decided to cut strips of burlap and tie them on and then trimmed the edges! After looking at the picture I see I should go back and trim some more of the pieces. Then when I was finished I added an old berry wreath I had on top, I see myself doing lots of other fun stuff with this wreath as the seasons change. For now I don't think it's to shabby for a quarter and about 20 minutes!

I linked this up to:

Whipperberry

Yard sale finds and a homemade sign

2011-07-26T10:52:00.000-04:00

Well I am sure you have figured out by now that I am on a major home decor kick right now. I am in looove with anything vintage/antique right now oh it's also gotta be cheap. A few weeks ago I bought a really cool vintage crate at a yard sale to hold shoes and since then I have bought one more. With 7 people living here we have a lot of shoes. Anywho the bigger crate had two pieces of wood on the top that my hubby pried off for me but I wanted to use them for something.

So this morning I got a hankering to make a sign, I grabbed a piece of the wood from the crate and cut the word ANTIQUES out of my Cricut and then I used the negative to make a stencil. I used Cracked Pepper paint from Valspar to paint the letters, then I dry brushed some Chambray paint also by Valspar over the top and then sanded down the whole thing. I hung it above my laundry room door, I love it but it is hard to see in the picture but the thing that looks like an O is actually a Q. Oh and by the way I do not work for Valspar I just so happen to have lots of there amazing samples.

Some of my other yard sale finds were a Taylor Smith Taylor platter-amazing and only $2.00, I also found a vintage linen tea towel with blue stripes for .25cents and turned it into a pillow! My really cool crates were scored for $7.00 for the big one and only $5.00 for the smaller one, I practically stole them. I have lots more yard sale finds but I will save them for another day! Have you found any great bargains this summer?

Homemade Ice Cream

2011-07-25T07:27:00.000-04:00

I told you I would be back today with my homemade ice cream recipe! Okay so it's not actually mine but it came from Kevin and Amanda and it was so easy and so good! Click here for the recipe and several different flavors! For our ice cream I just followed the basic recipe and stirred in chopped peanut butter cups-yummo! Next time I am trying the cinnamon bun recipe. This was so simple to make my oldest helped me make it and everyone helped to eat it. While it was chillin in the freezer we spent the afternoon at camp and I had to snap a few pictures of the cuties. Now we are getting ready for a play date today with our buddy Kellen. Have a great summer day!

Mojo Monday 200

2011-07-24T13:16:00.001-04:00

I know, I know I have been gone a long time! Well this week Mojo Monday was celebrating 200 sketches and since I am such a huge fan of Mojo I had to play along. I am also doing Verve's July's Diva Dare Sentimental about paper. We were to use patterned paper and a sentiment only no image! I will just let this patterned paper speak for itself. This card uses paper from Paper Studio and wo different sentiments from Verve. I added some pearls and bling and a little seam binding a flower and a punched butterfly! That's it for now, we just got back from church made a little homemade ice cream which is in the freezer and we are headed to camp for the afternoon. I will be back tommorrow to share the yummy ice cream recipe! Have a great day!

A cheap-o bulletin board

2011-07-13T07:53:00.000-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last post, the time just seems to keep getting away from me. I made a bulletin board for my computer room using a frame that I picked up at a yard sale for a buck, and some burlap that I had leftover from my daughters b-day party. I spray painted the frame black distressed it a little and then hot glued my burlap to a piece of cardboard and now I have myself a big bulletin board that only cost me about a buck because I already had the burlap and the spray paint! Excuse my "before" picture with the POOH sheet but that's what I use for a drop cloth sometimes when I am spray painting. I am almost finished with the overall redo of this room and will be back to share pictures of the completed room soon!

Home decor for a card.

2011-07-05T07:21:00.000-04:00

Good morning to you on this lovely Tuesday morning! Believe it or not I have a card to share today. I made it last night at about 7:30pm, I was sorta in the mood to try my hand at a card. However I am still in decor mode so I made my card based on the fact that some new Paper Studio paper I got from Hobby Lobby would make the prettiest dining room wallpaper for my little PI girl from MFT who is having some tea and a cupcake. Wow today I am feeling like every card I make is exactly the same so why bother making any at all? I am sure this feeling will pass but I guess I am not over my cardmaking"slump" just yet. I wanted to add some texture so I made a little rug using an oval Nestability and then covered it with cream fun flock so it's fuzzy! It also is not easy to get a decent picture at 8:45 in the pm.

A summer wreath and very happy 4Th Of July

2011-07-04T08:29:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful 4th today and a huge thank you to all those who have fought for our freedom and who are still fighting for it! So I think you guys have figured out by now that I am in major decorating/crafting mode. The other day I decided to make this super quick summer wreath! The wreath was one I had here, the greenery came from a big package from Hobby Lobby, the bird was made of newspaper and I picked it up at the dollar store and painted it with some FREE Valspar paint in Chambray. Next I made some simple rosettes using a piece of material I got at Hobby Lobby for like .36 cents. So the total cost of my wreath was about $2.00 which I don't think is to bad for a summer wreath! My sister thinks it's hideous what are your thoughts? Be honest I ~~might cry like a baby~~ can take it!

I am linking this up to:
Under The Table and Dreaming

I made curtains!

2011-07-02T21:27:00.002-04:00

Can you hear the excitement in my voice? It all started with a little trip to Miss Mustard Seeds blog, oh her blog is just filled with dreamy things! She is totally inspiring and I so stole her curtains, I hope she does not mind but she shared her fabric source and had a tutorial. Can I just say I am in love with this fabric from Waverly called Tucker Resist Chambray and it is an indoor/outdoor fabric which is perfect because mine is on my sliding glass doors and they get massive sunlight. The print is a reproduction of some material from Williamsburg in the 1800's. I also followed Miss Mustard Seed's advice and used twin sheets from Wal-Mart for the lining and for only $5.00 a piece(I needed 2) it was way cheaper than buying lining and I love how they look. It only took me about 3 hrs to make these and that was with some other stuff mixed in like tending to children, cleaning up, and talking on the phone. If you are a better multitasker than me or a better seamstress than me you could probably whip these up in an hour! My taste is radically changing, if you would have told me a year ago I would be making myself some curtains with bird fabric I would have thought you had gone mad, but now I just can't stop staring at my ~~birds~~ curtains. So I would like to thank Miss Mustard Seed and Miss Aubrey for inspiring me to step out of my usual nice little primitive country box! Eventually I will share some before and after pics of this whole room but it is not 100% yet so I will wait until it is! For those of you waiting for some cardmaking or papercrafting I promise I will get back to it soon, as for now I am kinda enjoying the break!

I am linking these up to
I heart Naptime
Under The Table And Dreaming

I am still Here

2011-06-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

Well I am so sorry I have been missing in action lately. My poor blog has not seen much of me for the last few weeks, but I promise I have been working and have lot's of projects to share. Here is a sneak peek of my office/computer room redo. This is my 1st attempt at making topiaries, I had to have some but man they are pricey. So I decided to head to Hobby Lobby yesterday and buy some buckets, some topiary forms and some green Spanish moss and a ~~lot~~ few other goodies. Of course I forgot the before pictures but just imagine the topiary shape void of moss and only being made of foam. I spent about half of what they retail for new and I love how they turned out. You will see as I start revealing this room redo that my decorating taste is evolving and my next project for the weekend is making Drapes. I am very ~~crazy~~ confident that I can do this, my material should arrive Friday! Oh and I did buy some new scrabook paper so maybe I will even have a card to share soon! Have a great day!

I am linking this DIY project to:

My last Heart 2 Heart

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today is a sad day, it is my last day as senior design team member for Heart 2 Heart Challenges. I have been a design team member for the last year and it has been so rewarding. I also have been very humbled by the amazing creativity and talent of all of the designers I have worked with this past year. They all are amazingly talented and just super wonderful women. A huge thank you to Mary Vogel, the creator of Heart 2 Heart for all of her hard work and commitment. Now on with the show-I always wanted to say that lol. This weeks challenge at H2H is a color challenge, Barn Red, Bamboo and any Blue so this just screamed patriotic to me!
I used Barn Red and Bamboo cardstock as well as some patterned paper from the Miracle kit. I used the Circle Around stamp set and Barn Red and Outdoor Denim ink and some fun buttons and twill ribbon. The stars were stamped, cut, and the popped with foam tape. Now I can not wait to see what you can do with this challenge. Just remember to use mostly CTMH products on your entry. You will be wowed again this week by the teams gorgeous creations. As sad as I am to go I am truly excited to see the new design team in action! Hope to see you playing along with us!

For Dad

2011-06-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

This week at Heart 2 Heart Challenges we want you to make some background paper for dad. I do love random stamping so this was fun for me. I made a super simple card for my dad, who appreciates simple and is an avid fisherman. I used Kraft cardstock and patterned paper from the "Lucky" paper pack and some Colonial White. I random stamped some images from the Campin Fever set in Desert Sand ink and even stamped some "flies" on the twill ribbon. The sentiment is from "A little Everything" I added a button and some hemp and that was it. So break out some paper, stamps, and ink and get creating some background paper with a dad theme. Oh and you are going to want to check out the design teams work again this week for some amazing inspiration.

Mojo oh Mojo

2011-06-11T19:00:00.000-04:00

I finally made a card, are you in shock? This is going to be a quick post because I have some bacon, cheddar, jalepeno sliders broiling right now. I used this weeks Mojo Monday sketch and some Stella and Rose paper. The sentiment is from Verve! That's it for me have a great night!

A fab new dresser

2011-06-10T19:57:00.003-04:00

I recently scored a FREE dresser from my best friends mom, thanks Debbie! It was in great shape but is made of mfd or partical board or something. So we wanted this for our daughters bedroom so I really wanted to do a cool green color. I used Everglade Glen spray paint from Valspar and even though it looks like my husband was doing all the hard work he actually only sanded a small portion on the top to see what was underneath the original finish. So I sanded down the whole thing, then primed then painted, I also really wanted some fabulous drawer pulls but as my husband says "it's not in the budget" so for now I just spray painted the original pulls white and I love how they turned out! So after buying my paint this whole dresser redo cost me about $15.00 not bad huh? I forgot to take a "before" picture of the dresser all together but you should get the idea. So tell me what do you think? Oh and ignore the weird woman in the picture with the camera I have no idea who she is!

I have linked up to the following parties:

I Heart Naptime

A customers 1st H2H Creation

2011-06-06T07:21:00.000-04:00

Today I am posting this card for one of my very best customers, I wanted to share Linda's card with everyone at H2H Challenges for this months sketch. Linda used some beautiful Bella paper and an adorable old bear stamp(not sure of the name) and she colored her image with Copics. Feel free to leave her some comments on here and I will be sure she sees them! Thanks for playing along at H2H with us!

A wedding Heart 2 Heart

2011-06-06T07:10:00.000-04:00

Monday is here again, so that means a new challenge at Heart 2 Heart and this week we are thinking about weddings. Let's see what you make with the wedding theme, and then all you have to do is link up your project on the H2H blog just remember to use mostly CTMH products. My fellow design team members have some beautiful stuff to share with you this week. For my card I used "Bliss" paper which screams wedding. I also used the Soul Mates stamp set lots of opaques some colonial white ribbon and an awesome flower and butterfly brad from the Bliss Level 2 assortment. Behind that cluster is a cream colored spray made of Tulle with some small pearls that came from the wedding section at Hobby Lobby!

Some more Home Decor

2011-06-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

So you are probably asking, where is all the paper crafting ? Well my friends that is a wonderful question and I am sorry I can't answer that! Honestly I am just not in the mood to play with paper right now but give me some furniture and spray paint and I am good to go! I will be back into paper crafting mood soon enough I am sure but for know I thought i would share what I have been up too! First is just a little resin table I picked up at Lowes that was brown and I wanted white so I grabbed a can of Krylon Fusion paint for plastic in a white satin. Then I topped my little table with a cool metal tray I picked up last weekend out of a FREE box at a yard sale(score) and then filled a canning jar with some wildflowers my kiddos got me. So this whole arrangement chairs,cushions, table cost me about $30.00. We are redoing our deck but probably not until fall so I will have to wait until next year for my dream patio set. Next is an end table I snagged at another yard sale for $2.50 seriously two dollars and 50 cents! I primed it, and then spray painted it royal blue for my boys bedroom in between their beds. We are slowly trying to finish up there room that we redid this winter. Hopefully next week I will be able to share the before and after pics of the whole room. The lamp base I really like, the shade not so much but until I can find the "perfect" shade this was only $5.00 at Dollar General.
The books are super old and beat up but they are science books with lot's of pictures and since my boys can't read yet they love to look at these books and will "read" them for hours. Well I have a ton more stuff up my sleeve and hopefully I will get to post it soon.

A fun sketch H2H

2011-05-30T06:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Memorial day to those of you in the states. Todays Heart 2 heart challenge is a fun little sketch. I of course have been super busy lately it seems so I made a super quick card and this sketch was perfect for that! I used the Wings Creative Basics paper pack and ribbon, craft cardstock and the Enjoy Every Moment stamp set. The flowers were colored using Copics. To play along all you need to do is link up your take on this sketch on the H2H blog and use mostly CTMH goodies. I can't wait to see what you come up with and I know you will be excited to see what the design team has come up with for inspiration this week!

Wicker chair re-do

2011-05-24T15:12:00.002-04:00

Well this is my next garage sale find, these two beat up chairs with cushions but they only wanted
$2.00 each and I had a vision. So a little white spray paint and some outdoor fabric from Joannes that I scored for 50 % for the 1st yard and 75% off the 2nd yard. I also got some foam egg crate from my mom that I used for the cushions. Please forgive my very rudimentary sewing skills and my attempt to put a button in the middle. All and all I am super happy with how this project turned out for a grand total of $28.00.

I have linked this project up to:

Miss Mustard Seed

Remodelaholic

An antique chair re-do

2011-05-23T20:40:00.003-04:00

So I promised earlier I would be back later with some pics of my first ever chair re-do. I have a new- minor obsession with garage sales this year and I want to buy every piece of furniture I can find. I don't however but I have found a few amazing pieces and this chair was one of them. I loved the shape of this chair and it's so dainty and I just loved it and score for me I paid $6.00 for it. First I sanded, then primed, then painted two coats of paint. The top coat is antique white from Sherwin-Williams and then after it was dry I made a wash using glossy dark chocolate paint and a whole bunch of water. I took a little paint brush and brushed on the wash and then used a rag and wiped it off. It is fabulous it is like distressing paper and all that great dark color sits in the cracks and crevices. I am in love, I have to spray a clearcoat on yet but then it will be done. I have lots more before and after projects coming up so be on the lookout!

I have linked this project up to:

Miss Mustard Seed

Remodolaholic

ABC-H2H Challenge

2011-05-23T06:30:00.002-04:00

It is Monday again already and time for the next H2H Challenge and this week we have an ABC challenge-meaning we want to see YOU create anything but a card. I chose to do a two page layout this week which was great for me because I scrapbook so little anymore. Even though I love it and with 5 children 8 and under you can just imagine the number of pictures I have. I used the outstaged(I think) pattern from CTMH'S fabulous "Magic" book from founder Jeanette Lynton for this layout and the "Wings" paper pack. I used a flower and leaf Die-namic die from MFT to cut out all the flowers and leaves and then I added some black opaques to the centers and I used a MS punch for the butterflies and also added some more opaques. The stamp sets I used were Unity and True Happiness and I hinged the Colonial White piecce on the left page with button brad so that I could have some hidden journaling. Wow and for the first time I used my Sweetheart level 2 assortment epoxy stickers and they were alot of fun there is also some buttons and my favorite pleated ribbon. Now you should really join us in this challenge and see what you can create, just link up your project using mostly CTMH products at the H2H website. Remember you have the rest of the month to play along and you do not want to miss my teamates and their amazing creations for this week. I will also be back later in the day with one of my newly finished projects involving an antique chair!

Mt girl layout

2011-05-16T19:16:00.000-04:00

Wow it has been some time since I have done a layout and I actually only got this one done because it is for an upcoming class for the summer. I never feel like I can do those extra details when I am working on class projects because we are working with a fixed amount of time(2 hrs) and all different skill levels. So this is what I came up with using some "Mayberry" paper,some clear buttons,flowers,liquid glass and a couple different stamp sets. The layout comes from the "Magic" book.

Heart 2 Heart-What's your favorite technique?

2011-05-16T06:00:00.001-04:00

This week at H2H Challenges we want to see your favorite technique in action! You have the whole rest of May to play along with our challenge won't you give it a try? I have lot's of techniques I love but I decide to go with RANDOM STAMPING, I don't do it much but I don't know why because it is so fun. I had to prepare for an upcoming class and thought this would be perfect for some random stamping. We will be making this awesome card holder and the tutorial can be found on the most fabulous Tresa Blacks blog, she has the most awesome CTMH tutorials ever. Random stamping allows you the flexibility and creativity to create your own patterned paper to match virtually anything. I decided to use colors from the Sophia paper pack to recreate the look of Sophia without using up my paper. The stamp set I used was Endless Friendship and I used Pear, Hollyhock, Blush and Goldrush. A croched flower and button topped this cute little holder off. I also made a set of 4 matching notecards and envelopes! I love love love stamping my envelopes to match my cards. I can not wait to see your favorite techniques and I can not wait for you to see what my uber talented design team mates have come up with!

May GYDO card

2011-05-15T15:40:00.000-04:00

Here is my card for this months Get Your Diva On challenge at Splitcoast. The theme this month is "material girl" and we are to incorporate material into our projects. For my card I decided to use actual material instead of patterned paper. The lovely material I used is from Anna Griffin I also used CTMH kraft cardstock for the base of this card and lots of die cuts-Open scallop, flower, and fishtail banner die-namics from MFT and Elegant Leaves from verve. I used Verves Bloom and Grow stamp set for the sentiment and on the felt leaves. I topped it off with some stiching, I have lots more that I am working on that I will be sharing soon!

This months SFYTT

2011-05-11T19:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, I got started early this month with Jen Del Muro's Sfytt. The sketch is open all month long so you can still play here . I used more S&R paper from My Mind's Eye for this card and a fun new Pure Innocence girl from MFT. Everything was colored with Copics and I made polka dots on the glasses and then covered them and the pitcher with Liquid Glass. I added some bakers twine and a felt rolled flower with a pearl center.

Heart 2 Heart and buttons

2011-05-09T06:46:00.000-04:00

Well it's Monday and that means another challenge at Heart 2 Heart and this week it's buttons. I love buttons so this was a not really a "challenge". I hope you will play along with us, all you have to do is link up your project using mostly CTMH products. Remember you have the entire month to play along there are some great prizes up for grabs and you could be selected as one of the top 10 for May. Be sure to check out the ret of the teams amazing work this week for some fresh inspiration. One of our sponsors for the month, Angel Shifflett will also be joining us today. For my card I used the Sophia paper pack, the sentiment is from Card Chatter-Sympathy and the flowers were stamped in second generation Hollyhock, the flower is from the Bohemian Alphabet. I added some thick grosgrain and white croched flowers with some buttons tied off with bakers twine.

My babys birthday

2011-05-04T11:09:00.001-04:00

Well my baby turned 1 yesterday, I am not for sure how exactly that happened. I had big plans in my head for his party but they just never materialized, spring is so busy! I did however decide on a milk and cookies theme so the only thing that was really cool was the cupcakes. I totally stole this from The Tidy Mom who in turn got it from someone else and on and on the list goes. They are chocoalte chip cookie dough and I topped the b-day boys with a mini chocolate chip cookie and a chocolate milk bottle that I made using a candy mold. Regardless they are so cute but boy oh boy you can not eat anything else for like a week after you eat these. I so badly want to be a photographer but I am just not so my pictures are that of an ametuer-sorry! Hopefully I will be back later with a crafty post.

Heart 2 Heart Mothers Day

2011-05-02T07:26:00.000-04:00

We are back at H2H Challenges this week with a Mothers Day themed challenge, we want to see your mothers day projects! We have two new sponsors this month Angel Shifflett and Sharon Holmes. We also have two new designers joining the team Haley Dyer and Jody Gustafson both of which are amazingly talented. We will also sadly be saying goodbye to Corina and Lisa as this is their last week as design team members, they will be missed. Remember you will have a full month to play along with us, so let's see what you can create. This week for my project I also recycled again, I used the cutest candy shaped box that I picked up on clearance at Wal-Mart it was filled with spring colored taffy. I had a super busy week and had to make a super quick project and this fit the bill perfectly, in total I made this in about 10 minutes, don't you love those projects? The ends of the box were green so I used Miracle paper which is so springy and fresh and I paired it with kraft cs(my favorite). I used
A Little Everything and For Every Occassion stamp sets for the sentiment. A layered flower with a sweet leaf button and some opaques topped it off! This will be going to my mother-in-law along with some plants. Sorry about the picture quality but I just could not get a good picture with that plastic!

Mojo Monday Mothers Day

2011-04-28T15:55:00.000-04:00

Here is a card I made for this weeks Mojo Monday I used a brand new stamp from Verve called Love Deepens for the sentiment and Verve has the most beautiful fonts. The paper is K&Company and I made some rolled flowers out of felt stiched around the edges and added some pearls. The ribbon is from RRR.

MFT- You're one sweet chick

2011-04-25T16:06:00.000-04:00

Today I decided to play along with the MFT Wednesday Stamp club sketch which can be found here. I loved this weeks sketch so I used some more Stella and Rose paper and my new One Sweet Chick Pure Innocence stamp. I adore MFT stamps and I can not get enough of these little girls! She is colored with Copics and paper pieced. I also used the decorative doily Die-Namics die, some croched ribbon and a button! You have until Tommorrow to play along for your chance to win a $15.00 gift certificate to MFT or $20.00 if you use MFT Stamps!

No Heart 2 Heart

2011-04-25T15:58:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone I just wanted to pop in and let you know that there is not going to be a challenge for Heart 2 Heart this week! Our coordinator Mary just lost her baby grandaughter and we felt we should all take a week off. Please keep Mary and her family in your prayers they are going to need them! You should know that you can still play along with the other challenges from earlier in the month. So hop on over to H2H and check out all the ways you can be challenged.

April SFYTT

2011-04-21T16:31:00.000-04:00

Well at least it did not take me the entire month to get April's SFYTT sketch done but close. This sketch screamed boy card to me and I just so happened to get a new stamp from MFT that fit the bill perfectly! The little guy I used is called Wyatt and his wagon is'nt he cute? I colored him and his wagon of toys with Copics and drew in a wood floor, I added some liquid glass to the trucks window and headlight but I just could not get it to show up in the picture very well and I added some brads for the hubcaps! I used Hattie paper from the Stella and Rose collection then added a few wooden buttons and hemp from CTMH.

Sympathy

2011-04-20T17:02:00.000-04:00

I sadly had to make a sympathy card today and that is never fun. I used this weeks card patterns sketch and my new K & Company paper that is actually old but one of my favorites! I used the new elegant leaves die from Verve and just trimmed them a little the sentiment is Heartfelt Phrases also from Verve. The flowers are all ones that I made then I just added some pearls and a pearl flourish, the lace is from Offray. On the inside I stamped one of my favorite Plain Janes from Verve.

Better Get Better-Mojo

2011-04-19T16:17:00.000-04:00

Here is my take on this weeks Mojo Monday sketch and I used some K & Company paper and a
Pure Innocence girl from MFT which I colored with Copics. I used some lovely silk ribbon from RRR and I punched the little tag and added a sentiment! It's time for dinner so that's all for today!

It's Bunny Hop Day

2011-04-18T07:41:00.000-04:00

Today is Bunny Hop day at H2H Challenges and is also part of the From Our Heart To Yours series. Today starting at 8:00 am you can link up your Easter/spring project that you have made using mostly Close To My Heart products. Just head over to H2H and add your direct link to your project using Mr Linky, you have from 8:00 am till 8:00 tonite to play along. Also some lucky player will win a prize so make sure you play along! Now onto my card, I made this card using bamboo and black cardstock and patterned paper from the Miracle paper pack! The flowers are from the Enjoy Every Moment set and were colored with Copics. The sentiment is from Beloved. I also added some black opaques and a doily behind my image. Now hop along with us and see what wonderful stuff everyone is creating!

Who want's to do a bunny hop?

2011-04-17T20:30:00.001-04:00

Guess who's having a bunny hop? Heart 2 Heart Challenges is and we want you to play along with us and all you need to do is create an Easter/spring project using mostly CTMH products and then link it up to the Heart 2 Heart linky party. The only difference with this challenge is that you only have one day to play along and link up your project and that day is Monday April 18th you have from 8:00 am till 8:00 pm then the linky system will close. So get making those projects using CTMH product and link it up Monday and then hop around checking out all those other great projects and hey you never know you might be the lucky one to win a prize just for playing along! So see you on Monday!

Another Verve GYDO card

2011-04-17T16:45:00.001-04:00

Okay so I thought I would try one more card for the Verve GYDO challenge, you can find all the info at Splitcoast stampers on the Verve forum. I decided for this card to swap out the color category for my letter group, so for this card I needed to use blue, yellow, cream, buttons, brads, bakers twine and 4 layers. I again used Stella and Rose paper and a plain Jane scripture stamp from Verve! I love these cool flower shaped buttons that I got at Wal-Mart a while ago! Then there was some simple stiches around the edges! I have decided I am not really very good at following a recipe it is almost harder for me to create!

Verve Get Your Diva On April Challenge

2011-04-16T14:53:00.000-04:00

Here is my card for this months GYDO challenge from Verve, this time around we were to follow a recipe challenge dependant upon the first letter of your first name. So for me I had to use the colors brown, turquoise, and pink, buttons, brads and twine and a circle shape. I used a circle base from CTMH and the brown, pink and turquoise papers are all from Fancy Pants, next i added some brown sugar bakers twine and a pink croched flower layered with a cream flower shaped button and a brown button. For the brads I was not so sure but then I decided to add bitty brads to the butterfly wings and then later added a few more to the bottom. The sentiment is one of my many favorites from Verve's Plain Jane collection. The colors are not showing up real great in my picture it is dark and rainy here today. I have to say this was definatly a challenge for me, but I am so glad I decided to ply along!

Some new MFT

2011-04-15T18:57:00.001-04:00

First I want to apologize for my lack of posting, I have just been so busy I am working on stripping and repainting my steps and I had a field trip with the kids this week. I have however been working on some crafty stuff and I just got some of the most fabulous MFT goodies this week that were calling my name! First up is a birdhouse that I got at the dollar section at Michaels this past fall, I filled it with some kraft colored paper shreds and then added a peep and some Robins eggs{whoppers} for the topper I used a new Pure Innocence stamp and paper pieced her dress with Stella And Ruby paper from My Minds Eye and the rest was colored with Copics. I added a croched flower some twine and a button! Such a cute little spring treat and I am so in the mood for SPRING! The second thing I made is just a super simple card using a kraft base and more Stella and Ruby paper and another PureInnocence stamp and for this one I colored the whole image using Copics. I added some ribbon and a flower and that's that! Hopefully I will be back with more tommorrow!

I also linked up the birdcage at Under The Table and Dreaming's Sunday Showcase linky party!

Reduce,Reuse,Recycle

2011-04-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

That is the theme of this weeks Heart 2 Heart Challenge, we want to see what you can make using stuff you have have recycled or reused from another project! If you are confused just check out the great work by the design team listed on my side bar! All you need to do to play along is make your project using mostly CTMH products(links not following the rules will be deleted) then you have the rest of the month to link it up on the H2H blog! You will also find some info on something new and exciting we are going to be doing next week a "Bunny Hop" so make sure to check it out! For my project I used a container that strawberries came in and decorated it up and added some Hershey Kisses and some "Grass" I thought it would be a cute little "Spring" gift for a neighbor or anybody who needed some cheering up! I used Mayberry paper, twill ribbon, Bunny Love and Springtime stamp sets, color ready Kraft borders, opaques, a button and some hemps and the flower I made with cardstock. I put liquid applique on the the bunnies tail and liquid glass on the bubbles. I love to save my containers for all sorts of stuff and I will have some more projects this week with containers so stay tuned!

Think Spring framed art

2011-04-09T17:57:00.003-04:00

Here is my submission for the March Diva Dare challenge at VERVE STAMPS which is to think spring! So I thought spring, but I also have had home decor on the brain alot lately so I decided to combine the two! I spray painted the frame glossy white and then sanded it, next I stamped kraft cardstock with the music note background set from CTMH'S Universal Backgrounds set, then I used Verve's Plain Jane scripture verse. I cut the tag out using my Cricut and tied a bow at the top with some Jute and added some pearls at the bottom. I also used some spanish moss and eggs from Michaels, and added a little punched butterfly. The letters are Thickers and the flower is from Recollections. I love the combo of the bright white and blues with the earthy browns and textures and I do think that about sums it up. Oh yeah I also linked this project up over at Tatertots and Jello's weekend wrap-up, Under The Table and Dreaming and I heart Naptime!

Another home decor redo

2011-04-07T15:19:00.000-04:00

Wow do I seem to be on a kick right now! I took an old picture frame that I had grown tired of and I spray painted it black, sanded the edges then hot glued some burlap around the cardboard backing then I glued some mini clothes pins on and added some pictures. For the decorative row on the top I just used some jute(from the $ store) and twisted it then glued it down. Super simple and completly free, everything I needed I had on hand! Spring always puts me in the mood to spruce stuff up how about you? I am linking this up to the CSI Project as the theme this week is burlap!

Where's My Mojo?

2011-04-06T16:23:00.000-04:00

That my friends is a very good question. However I am just so not in a scrappy mood right now but I tried and it was a little easier with help from this weeks Mojo Monday sketch. I again used some Stella & Rose paper, sentiments are both from Verve, ribbon is MS and the felt flower I made using my rolled flower Die-Namic die from MFT. I also added lots of little glitter dots that I got on clearance at Michaels.

A Tea Party?

2011-04-05T08:46:00.000-04:00

I made this card late last night just in the nick of time to add it to the MFT April Guest Designer contest. The theme of this contest was shabby chic which I do not think I accomplished. As usual I was in a rush to get this done and it was not what I had envisioned but it is what it is! I used MFT'S Tea Time ss is'nt it cute? I did alot of paper piecing and I used some more yummy Stella & Rose paper from My Mind's Eye a lovely pearl flourish from recollections, a croched flower and some seem binding and I added a cool rose pebble to mimic a wall hanging and I tried to make wallpaper and some moulding which you can't see very well and I hand drew the wood floor!

Heart 2 Heart -April showers bring may flowers

2011-04-04T21:49:00.000-04:00

Well you may have noticed I have no card posted, well my week sort of got away from me and I have no project to share for this weeks H2H with you. However the rest of the wonderful design team has some stunning stuff to share with you! This weeks challenge is April showers bring May flowers so anything with showers or flowers will be perfect. Don't forget to use mostly CTMH product and link up your creation at H2H you have the entire month to play along, and we have 2 new sponsors this month with some great prizes up for grabs. I so hope you will play along and I will see you tommorrow with a new card!

More dollar store fun

2011-04-03T10:56:00.000-04:00

I am loving the dollar store, I used some more of those glass candleholders and some vases glued them together using E-6000 and next thing you know I gots myself some hurricanes for 2 bucks! Next is whats to put in them. So I made some burlap balls(I saw this somwhere in blogland, thank you whoever you are) I just crinkled up some newspaper into a ball, taped it and then hot glued some burlap strips around it, and the burlap was left over from my daughters b-day party. Then I used some spanish moss, a birds nest and some little eggs in one and the last one for right now just has some random fixins that were also left over from my daughters b-day party and they were also from the dollar store! So I made all 3 of these bad boys and filled them for around $10.00.

A canvas birthday gift

2011-03-30T17:47:00.000-04:00

My best friends little guy is turning 5 in a few weeks and he loves dinosaurs! So I decided to make him a gift with dinosaurs. I got a canvas at Wal-Mart and painted it tan and then cut some vinyl out of my Cricut with the Paper Doll dress up cartridge. I wish I would have had some colored vinyl but alas I did not, so I was left to work with what I had on hand. I do think I like the silhouette look of it though, and hopefully so will he! Have a great night.

Mojo Monday -Gertie

2011-03-29T15:20:00.000-04:00

Yeah, today I got to make a card for no reason at all, so I decided to use this week's Mojo Monday sketch. I used Gertie paper from My Mind's eye stella and Rose collection, the sentiments are both from Verve the scripture is a Plain Jane and the "I am so grateful for you" is from Bountiful Blessings. Julee from Verve has the most beautiful fonts for her stamps. I also added a felt flower and leaves made from MFT Die-namics dies, lovely ribbon from Really Reasonable ribbon and the pearls are from CTMH.

My finished fireplace

2011-03-28T15:38:00.004-04:00

Here are the pictures of my finished fireplace and my new tiles my husband laid. I added some of the before pictures again as well. ****EDITED TO ADD**** I thought I would add a few more details such as we had to repair the cracks and missing morter so after we did that and let it dry I primed everything and then painted the bricks Antique White(Sherwin Williams) next my hubby built me a more substantial mantel by boxing in the top 3 layers of brick. Then I painted that and lastly we added the italian tile to the floor. For the mantel decor I bought a set of 3 candle holders from Wal-Mart that were a hideous brown color but on clearance for only 7 bucks and I spray painted them black and sanded them, the frames were also old ones I had sitting unused in the closet so I got those out and again spray painted and sanded, the star was in my bedroom and the plate is from the dollar store and I cut out a M for Moore out of vinyl on my Cricut and voila I have a monogramed plate.

***Edited again***
I also changed out the small picture frame and added 3 hurricanes I have added a picture of that as well.
I have linked this up to the Best DIY projects of March linky party at Beneath My Heart you really should check out all the fabulous projects on there and to Tatertots and Jello where there is so much inspiration. This is also linked up at The Thrifty Decor Chick.

A Heart 2 Heart sketch

2011-03-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday, it is time for a new Heart 2 Heart challenge and this week we have a sketch for you. You could do this sketch a couple of different ways, you could make a circle card like I did or you could use the circle sketch on top of a square! This is such a fun and easy sketch to work with! I hope you will join along with us, you will have a whole month to play and there is tons of inspiration from the design team. For my card I used a circle base and the new "Miracle" paper along with the Tasty Treats and Bunny Love stamp sets. My bunny I colored with Copics and the Grass was cut out using a Die-namics die from MFT, I also used some Heavenly blue ribbon and finished it off with some pearl Opauqes. This card put me in the mood for spring or maybe I was in the mood for spring so I made this card. Either way I can't wait to see your take on this sketch!

Another DIY project-party platters

2011-03-27T19:40:00.000-04:00

This is such a fun project that I saw a couple different places in blogland and had to try for myself! I love to entertain, so I love serving pieces and these are totally customizable(is this a word?). The plates are Better Homes and Gardens from Wal-mart and I just used a candlestick from the dollar store in the middle and glued them with E-6000. I see lot's of these in my near future, the possibilities are endless. I'll be back tommorrow with another Heart 2 Heart challenge see you soon!

April's Class

2011-03-27T07:25:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to quickly share my April class, we will be making a gable box, card and magnet. I will also be sending out an e-mail later with all the details. For these projects I used "Mayberry" paper and the Unity and A Posy stamp sets! If you are interested in attending the class or ordering a kit to go just shoot me an e-mail!

Got an Ouchie?

2011-03-23T15:51:00.000-04:00

Here is a card I made a few months ago for a publication call that I don't think I ever got on here. The paper shall remain nameless for now because I can't remember the name, but the image I could never forget it's from MFT's Pure Innocence line which I adore. I paper pieced my little girls outfit and drew in the grass there is lot's of stiching an layers and I used a border punch and a doily Die-namics die also from MFT. My coloring I did with Copics and that is about it!

Fireplace redo

2011-03-23T12:56:00.001-04:00

Here are a couple shots of my fireplace redo, I don't know if it is done yet or not we might add some more moulding and such. We also have to tile the floor, hopefully this weekend and then I will share pictures of the completed project. I also added a before shot, and hopefully I will be back later with a paper craft!

A monkey birthday

2011-03-22T20:25:00.000-04:00

Here is a quick post on a card I made last night for my best friend Angie's son Nolan who will be 8 tommorrow! Happy birthday Noly boy! The felt monkey is from Fancy Pants and the patterned paper is old and I am not sure of the manufacturer. I added some googly eyes and a little yellow belly to the monkey, some buttons and bakers twine and that was about it. Oh and the sentiment is from CTMH's Card Chatter-Birthdays! Hopefully tommorrow I will have fireplace pictures to share, have a great night.

Food Fun

2011-03-21T10:19:00.000-04:00

Well my posting has been sporadic lately but that is because I have been so busy making food lately. I go through spurts in my homemaking and right now cooking is at the top. Here are a few pictures of some recent stuff. Like hotdogs, we made these from scratch out of our grass fed beef are'nt they purrty? Next I tried homemade long johns(donuts) with chocolate frosting but I think they are more like short johns. Then lastly for the first time ever I tried lemon meringue pie, oh it was so delicious however can you notice there are some little tips of meringue missing that would be my 3 year old. Now I am working on a redo of my fireplace hopefully I will have pics soon!

A Baby Card

2011-03-21T06:00:00.001-04:00

Don't you just love babies? Well this week at Heart 2 Heart Challenges the challenge is to create a "Baby" project, it could be a card or tag or keepsake box whatever you can think of! All you have to do is use mostly CTMH products and link your creation up on the H2H blog and you have until the end of the month! The design team has some phonemonal artwork for you again this week! For my card I used the lovely new Mayberry paper and the I"ll Love You Forever stamp set and the new Pennant Alphabet set. I also added some pretty Smoothie buttons and added some stiches around the edge. I so hope you will play along with us at H2H this week I can not wait to see what you create!

A CAS Card

2011-03-15T15:42:00.000-04:00

Wow this is sort of a rareity with me, I don't usually do clean and simple and I am not going to lie it is sorta hard. Whew I have a hard time not adding embellishments but I kinda like how it turned out! I made this card and magnet set for the March Get Your Diva on challenge over at splitcoast stampers, the challenge is to use nuetrals with a splash of color to signify spring. I used kraft and colonial white cardstock and the patterned paper is from the Stella and Rose collection. The stamp set I used is Verves Feel The Sun, I colored the flowers wit Copics, added some pearls, grossgrain ribbon and some bakers twine!

A Waltzing Mouse sketch

2011-03-14T15:47:00.000-04:00

Wowsers, my 3rd post of the day and I even have my house all clean, I must be getting better at managing my time lol! This card is for this weeks Waltzing Mouse sketch challenge they have such an amazing design team. I used some more Stella and Rose paper and the sentiment is from Verve, then a few roses from Prima some bakers twine and a heart stick pin. Now I am off to feed the baby!

A March SFYTT-dino Birthday

2011-03-14T15:30:00.001-04:00

I had time to play along with Jen DelMuro's SFYTT, I love that you have a whole month to play along now. I made this card for my best friends little boys b-day coming up in April, wooh-hoo I am ahead of the game for once. I used this fabulous paper from Imaginisce that I have been hoarding for some time now and the stamps were also from Imaginisce. Then I added some jute and a couple buttons, a super simple card that a 5 year old will hopefully love.

Heart 2 Heart and Happy Birthday

2011-03-14T06:00:00.001-04:00

Today my littlest girl turns 3 waaaah, I wish I could keep her little forever. She is a little spitfire with dark curly hair and she is so cute you can hardly stand it! Happy birthday my girl I love you so my miracle baby. Well since I was busy planning for her party I wanted to incorporate this weeks H2H Challenge to make a home decor item with something for my baby girls birthday. So how fun of a challenge is this? I love making home decor with my CTMH goodies I hope you will join us and play along and remember you have until the end of the month! For my project I used the new Sophia paper and made a banner that spelled out Avery, I put it on the backdrop behind the cake table for her party but now that her party is over I will hang it in her bedroom! I cut everything out with the cricut then just added some croched flowers and buttons and a couple Irresistables flowers and centers. I used a SU punch and used CTMH Blush ricrac to string it all together.Easy peasy and it matched her party stuff perfectly! I also wanted to share a picture of her cake which was strawberry with white frosting and sugar pearls, but for the topper I made a banner using our new Pennat Alphabet set(love,love,love it) and some bakers twine. Her party was yesterday and she had a great time, and there is no cake left but that is a good thing. So I have been incorporating lot's of my papercrafts into decor for party's lately and I just love that we have the perfect stuff for anything you can imagine. So go get crafty and join us at H2H you might just win a great prize or make the top 10 and don't forget to check out the rest of the design teams beautiful work!

Pillows

2011-03-12T07:44:00.001-05:00

Well I have another birthday coming up, my #4 will be 3 on Monday, why do they grow so quick? Anyways we got her a big girl bed for her birthday and an adorable bedding set from Target with owls on it. Her bed was delayed in shipping and won't be here until Tuesday but I wanted to make her some throw pillows to match. I made a 10 in owl from the Storybook Cricut Cartridge and traced it onto some yellow flannel material I had, then I just winged it for the rest. I am no sewer but I am trying to get better because I really like to do it! The other pillow I just cut out 3x3 squares and then made a felt flower. I am pretty happy with how they turned out! Tell me what you think.

I linked these up to the tatertots and jello weekend wrap up party check it out here! I also linked this up the CSI project linky party.

A Deer baby shower

2011-03-10T10:20:00.000-05:00

Well I had a few minutes so I wanted to share some pictures from the baby shower I hosted this past weekend. It was for a very dear friend who has been struggling for years to get pregnant and now is expecting twins a boy and a girl very soon. I will apologize now for the quality of the pictures I am no photographer and the showr was held in the basement of a church so the lighting was not ideal but you should get the idea.

The cookies I made and fosted with royal icing, I love that stuff but this was only my second time trying this stuff and it does take a little getting used to. I then packaged the cookies in plastic bags and hung them from mini clothes pins from branches that I stuck in sand in some terra cotta pots that I had painted and added ribbon and tags to. They were a hit, there are also some chocolate covered marshmallows which are super fun and tasty to boot! I also with the help of my best friend Angie and my sister Holly made the diaper cakes. I used the Cindy Loo Cricut cart for alot of the decor. My friends pastors wife made the adorable cake which was delicious! I made the cupcakes they were butter pecan with butter cream frosting. We had a great day and I can not wait to meet these two little blessings!

Mojo - Sympathy

2011-03-09T16:31:00.000-05:00

Well today I needed to make a sympathy card for a lady whom I used to work with who lost her husband.It is always so sad to have to make these cards. For this one I used this weeks Mojo Monday sketch the paper is from Fancy Pants and is called Mabel it's from the Stella and Rose collection which I am currently in LOVE with! I used a Plain Jane scripture stamp from Verve, the decorative doily and rolled flower Die-Namics dies from MFT. I do not love how this card turned out but it will have to suffice as I would like to get it out in the mail in the morning!

Creative Basics Card Class

2011-03-07T18:09:00.000-05:00

These are the 5 cards we will be making at my card class tommorrow night. Each participant will be able to stamp there own image or sentiment. Our cards are always sweet and simple as we are on a pretty tight schedule, there is still time to register if you are interested in attending! I used the Creative Basics paper pack and multiple stamp sets!

Bunnies For You

2011-03-07T06:22:00.000-05:00

Well did you miss me? Sorry for the long absence I spent the majority of last week prepping for a baby shower I was hosting on Saturday. I will have pictures to share later today, but now it's time for another H2H Challenge. This week the challenge is to use at least 3 images to create a scene-how fun? I love creating scences and I love this month's SOTM so that's what I used for my scence. I also used new Sophia paper and added lot's of layers, I stamped my scence twice and cut out the second set which I had colored first with Prisma colored pencils and Gamsol. Then I used 3-d foam tape to pop them up from the 1st stamped images. I used some new flower shaped buttons from CTMH'S pink collection and a little bakers twine. You have got to leave here and go immediately to H2H to see this weeks amazing work from the design team and this months guest design team member Mary Gunn Funn. To play along just make sure you are using mostly CTMH products and then link up your card, you have a whole month now to play along with our challenges and be entered to win a spot as a top 10 winner or win a prize package of some great CTMH goodies. Let's see what you can come up with for scene!

Color Challenge Heart 2 Heart

2011-02-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

I am always amazed at how quickly the weekends fly by, but alas it is Monday again and time for a color challenge at Heart2Heart Challenges today. We are using Gypsy, Creme Brulee and a touch of black. For my card I stamped my background using the February SOTM called Friendship and today is the last day to get it so if you want it grab it now! The sentiment is also from this stamp set, the flower I hand cut and rolled, added a little Prisma glitter and a black opaque. Everything is CTMH except the butterfly punch I used which is MS. I so hope you will play along with this challenge it's a fun one and you have a whole month to join us. All you need to do is use mostly CTMH products and then link it up on the H2H blog. Wait until you see the amazing work of the design team this week you will be in for a real treat. Also playing along with us today is one of this month's prize sponsors who also just happens to be my best friend. Angie has shared a beautiful card and she is offering up a great prize package, so be sure to check her out here.

My 1st Waltzing Mouse Sketch

2011-02-26T15:30:00.001-05:00

Well today was the day I got to complete A Waltzing Mouse challenge sketch. It was a super easy sketch and I just so happened to get some amazing new Stella & Rose paper packs from My Mind's Eye in the mail today. On the tag I stamped the border from the Ecclectic Edges SS and the sentiment from the Unity ss both from CTMH. That fabulous ribbon is from Really Reasonable ribbon. I seem to be obsessed with felt rolled flowers lately and this card is no exception. I also used my 1 3/8 in circle punch to punch through the front of my card and then attached the flowers.

Vintage Bunny

2011-02-25T15:07:00.000-05:00

Okay, so hopefully my title is not misleading my card is not really vintage but the bunny definitly is. I used the bunny from CTMH'S Sensational Season ss which is the March SOTM and the sentiment is from the new Birthday's Card Chatter set. I colored the bunny with Copics and paper pieced the dress then cut it out and put her ontop of my paper doily with 3d foam tape. The lovely ribbon is from MS and I added a croched flower and button from CTMH. The paper is Miracle from CTMH as well and I followed a sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches . Overall I was expecting a better turn out for this card but hey somedays it just does not flow the way I would like!

MFT-Wednesday stamp club #8

2011-02-24T15:46:00.000-05:00

Here is a card I made today for the MfT Wednesday stamp club challenge over at the MFT forum at Splitcoast. I knew I was running out of crafty time because my kiddos were going to be waking up so I made a super simple card using paper from October Afternoon(SWOON) the Farm Fresh line, and the stamp is from MFT and is called Clearly sentimental about gardening. I tied on some burlap and glued down a couple wooden buttons from CTMH and that's it! Have a great afternoon!

Card Patterns-Bee Yourself card

2011-02-23T15:41:00.000-05:00

I was not so sure about the card patterns sketch this week but I decided I liked it alot better rotated so tha's what I did. I used Cosmo Cricut's Togetherness paper and CTMH cardstock, the stamp set is Bee Mine from CTMH and I used the rolled flower die-namics die from MFT. I also added some yellow and grey bakers twine from Really Reasonable Ribbon and some opaques to my felt flowers. this was super quick and came together easily enough!

Miracle Mojo

2011-02-21T17:09:00.000-05:00

It has been a while but I got to do this weeks Mojo Monday sketch today-yeah me. I really liked todays sketch and I used CTMH'S new "Miracle" paper pack and the sentiment is from Verve's Feel The Sun stamp set. The Just Blooms flowers, buttons and sparkles are all CTMH. The fabulous ribbon and leaves are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, I also used a MS butterfly punch. Well that's it for me today, have a great evening!

Heart 2Heart-Cold

2011-02-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

It's Monday again already and you know what that means? Another Heart 2 Heart challenge this week the challenge is to create something that is inspired by the word "cold" that could be colors, or snow or Ice cream or anything related to the word "Cold". You do not need to use 100% CTMH but you should use mostly CTMH products when linking up to this challenge. For my card I used new Kraft cardstock and paper from the Lucky and Fanfare paper packs, and I used the Beary Best ss. I love this set it is so adorable, I decided my fishing bear needed to be an ice fishing bear. My husband just took my boys out ice fishing a couple of weeks ago and they will tell you it is a "cold" activity. I just hand drew the water and traced a small circle, the circle I colored with Copics and added a fish then cover in liquid glass. For the rest of the "lake" I covered it with fun flock and prisma glitter. I added some cute wooden buttons and some twill, some Irresistables letters that I colored Outdoor Denim and that finished it! I really could not find my mojo while I was making this card, hence why it is so fitting this is called a challenge! I wish you success in making your "cold" project and can't wait to see what you come up with, as usual the rest of the design team has some wonderful inspiration for you and you can find them listed on my sidebar!

2nd card of the day

2011-02-20T20:39:00.000-05:00

Wow I love it when I get more than one project a day done and today was that day! This card is for the Our Daily Bread Designs challenge this week to stamp an image over a sentiment. Well I only have one stamp set from ODBD (note to self-buy more) it is a beautiful one. I used CTMH'S new Mayberry paper pack and Kraft cardstock with the lovely Sing To The Lord ss. I also used a cool frame I picked up at Michael's (also clearance) and a paper doily, some lovely ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon and some flowers from Prima. I also used the other half of the pearl flourish from the card I posted earlier. I stamped the sentiment in second generation Smoothie and the image in Desert Sand. Our Daily Bread Designs has the most beautiful Scripture stamps if you have not seen them you should mosey on over and check them out. I will be back tommorrow with the new Heart 2 Heart challenge, see you then!

A SFYTT card

2011-02-20T20:23:00.001-05:00

I had some time to play today and decided to do Jen DelMuro's SFYTT for this month, I really liked the sketch and it was super easy. You have until the end of the month to play along so if you get a chance check it out! For my card I started out with some fabulous ribbon that I got at Michaels on clearance for like a buck! So I knew I wanted to use my new ribbon and then I just had to find paper to match-aha Basic Grey's eva-success. The sentiment is from Verve's Feel The Sun ss, and I used liquid pearls on the edge of the scallops. The flourish is half of a big one from Zva Creations that I cut down, and I used the rolled flower die-namic die from MFT and some white felt for the lovely flower in the center of the ribbon and topped it with a pearl!

Get Your Diva On card

2011-02-17T16:35:00.000-05:00

Todays card is one I made for the Get Your Diva On challenge on the Verve forum on Splitcoast Stampers. They are using a beautiful inspiration photo this week. I used CTMH'S Sweetheart paper pack and then I stamped my Plain Jane scripture verse from Verve on the center of my doily and sort of weaved some string pearls through and tied it in a knot, the rose ribbon is also from CTMH and I even added some stiches.

Vintage Bunnies

2011-02-17T07:44:00.000-05:00

Well it is about time I got a card posted don't you think? I made this one last night using the sketch from card positioning systems and I used the new Bliss paper pack from CTMH and the March SOTM Sensational Season. It has the most vintage feel to it and I love it. I am going to keep playing with it though because this did not turn out as I had envisioned it. The bunnies are colored with Copics and the beautiful ribbon and lace are from Really Reasonable Ribbon!

Baby Shower Banner

2011-02-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

I f I am planning your baby shower then look no further, some things should be a surprise. This is the banner I made for the upcoming baby shower I am hosting and it has a deer theme. The momma is expecting twins a boy and a girl so this is what I came up with for the main table. I borrowed my best friend Angie's Cindy Loo Cricut Cartridge for the super cute deer doily design. The chipboard banner is from CTMH and is only $5.95 and comes with 8 triangles. I covered mine with Colonial White and then stamped the dots in chocolate ink with the dot stamp from the intrinsic background stamp set. The K & H are the babies initials. The polka dot paper I used for the medallions is from CTMH'S new sophia paper pack. I thought it would be cute hanging on the bedroom door after the shower. Now I have got to go clean my scrapbooking room so I can make it a mess again!

Romantic dinner for two-ummm I mean seven

2011-02-14T17:33:00.000-05:00

Wait, I was wrong again it was really dinner for six, the baby only ate a bite of potato so I am not counting him. I am in a super Valentiney mode this year and thought I should make us a nice dinner. On the menu this evening was Blue cheese crusted Del Monico, Parmesean Asparagus, and Twice baked bacon and cheddar potatoes, and for dessert we had chocolate covered strawberries and blackberry pie with a spelt flour crust. It was mucho yummyo for real, now I tried to take some pictures tried being the operative word, but you should get the idea. I told my husband while we were eating that we should dine like this everynight- but then reality sunk in and I realized I don't want to clean up a mess this big evernight! Oh well it was great fun for the kids who just think candles on the table are the greatest thing ever. Hope you have a wonderful Valentines!

You bring out the animal in me

2011-02-14T14:15:00.000-05:00

Well this is not usually my type of valentine but I have had this awesome wildlife stamp set from H&M Stamps for a long time. I did not think I would ever use this particular stamp but today I decided to go for it! This is Green & Blacks organic chocolate bar for my husband I just covered it with paper then stamped it and added some glitter flourishes and a glitter heart. This was about a 2 min project which lately is about all I have had time for.