Using your stash feels good!

This is the first time I've used any of this BG Archaic. It's perfect for reptile pics. This little guy just appeared on our patio one morning last summer. He was SO cute! BUT--I kept my distance. Turtles can be vicious. I know this from experience. They may be slow(and actually this one moved out pretty fast) but they can bite HARD. We just left him alone(after I made sure to take his mugshot) and he hung out all day and was gone the next morning. We had one show up like this in our backyard in El Paso and we kept him for a few days as a "pet". Yeah. That didn't work out so well. Our freshly sodded yard was torn up and half eaten before we had to kick him out. We released him in the desert behind our street and do you know he showed up in my parent's backyard later on that summer? They lived 5 blocks away. How did we know it was the same one, you ask? He had a red sunburst painted on the top of his shell. Guess somebody decided they didn't want him as a pet after all. He lived in their cul-de-sac moving between the yards for a few years up until we all moved here to Georgia. Wonder if he's still there?

Just a couple things I thought I'd share about the techniques on this one: the little turtle shells lined up at the top are a Quickutz die( part of a rose, I think) that I die-cut from a piece of thick velvet cardstock. I ran them through a cuttlebug embossing folder (the mesh one) and then took a black marker and colored in around the raised spots and along the edge. The funky little extra under my title was just me messing around with a Spellbinders edge die. I die-cut the edge once on a piece of cardstock and then turned it around and ran it through again to make a shape. I had to trim some of the edges to clean it up a little, but I thought it turned out kinda cool. Reminded me of something reptilian. My brain works in weird ways.

There's no rhyme or reason to what I'm choosing to scrap these days. I had these pics laying around in the same place with those Army formal pics. I did up kits for both layouts a few years back so I just decided to finally finish them. That felt good! So did using some of my older stash. I might try making up more kits in the future when I don't have a lot of time to scrap but I want to get SOMETHING accomplished.

I have a major dilemma going on with digital photo organization and trying to figure out what to scrap next. I want to work with some of my more current pics which requires me to edit them and print them off. I'm just being lazy about it. I read a good article by Stacey Julian in the new issue of Scrapbook and Cards Today. You can check out the issue here. It's a FREE download and has some serious eye-candy in there! She has a 3 part series on tackling your digi pics and it couldn't have come at a better time for me. I'm going to take her 15 minute timer idea and get started this week.

I might try to work on a card or two this week, possibly a layout, but we're leaving in a few days for my in-laws beach house in Delaware so I'll be MIA for a week or so. It's our annual family reunion and there's 15 of us staying in their house! It's ginormous though so it's always a fun time--fireworks on the boardwalk, kayaking in the canal, and bodysurfing at the beach WOOHOO!! Hope everyone's enjoying summer and able to get out there and make some memories!


Supplies used: BasicGrey paper,PTI paper(lined notebook),Perfectly Clear stamps,Cuttlebug embossing folder,EK Success border punches, Quickutz dies,Spellbinders dies,Bazzill,Ranger distress inks.

A little more PTI love...

This is a quick one I whipped up yesterday for my Dad who always seems to be traveling on Father's Day so I end up forgetting to make him a card. My folks arrived back in town and I had a gift all packaged up for him but no card. My Mom guilted me into making one at the last minute. Something along the lines of "you have all those supplies and you couldn't make one little card??" I believe was how it went down.

If it looks vaguely familiar--ok, REALLY familiar--it's because I had an extra balloon all colored in from the OWH bloghop a few weeks ago and I needed this thing FAST. I just stamped and diecut a few more balloons and clouds and sticking with the same color scheme, I used some more of that OA paper and some PTI paper. I suffer from the same aversion to masculine cards that so many others seem to have. It's not that I don't like them when they're finished--it's the getting to the finished part that I HATE. These stamps turned out to be a really good investment. He loved the card and even commented on how cool the balloons were! I guess you'd just have to know my Dad to fully appreciate the comment. He's not one to gush about a handmade card so---

this year's balloons=good
last year's horse=not so much

I've received nearly all my scrappy purchases in the mail this week. I had a real moment there last night where I felt a little sick to my stomach looking at the pile of new stuff. I admitted this to hubby and his reply was "what? hoarding getting you down??". Nice. I guess I just have to get working on some projects and work my way through the stash. I've got a good start on it this week! I'm finishing up another layout that I'll hopefully be able to post this weekend. Two in one week? Now THAT'S crazy talk.


Supplies used:PTI stamps,dies,felt,paper,SU stamp,punch,Copics,Martha Stewart punch,OA paper,Memento ink,Ranger Distress ink.

{GASP}...Could it be?!?

Supplies used:
K&Co and BG papers,Cuttlebug embossing folder, SEI velvet paper,Tim Holtz distress ink and die,Prima flowers and beads, Creative Imaginations clear label, Tsukineko white gel roller,Sizzix die,Quickutz dies,DMC crochet thread,Martha Stewart punches.


A scrapbook layout?!? That's crazy talk. I can't believe how long it's been since I've actually scrapbooked. I love, love, love card-making, but I've really missed working with my photos too.

I've had this layout in the works for about 2 years now. I know how that sounds but no, it wasn't laying on my scrap table for 2 years. I chose the K&Co papers back then and had the pics printed, but never went any farther until this past weekend. I'm really really happy with this one. I tried my hand at a little distressing. I've bought nearly every color of Tim Holtz distress ink and I LOVE it! I have a few tips to share with you with regards to these distress inks, the first being the best little tool you can use with these is the Tim Holtz distress ink applicator tool with the sponge refill pads!
It's a good idea to go ahead and find it in your budget to buy enough refill pads for each ink pad you own. I only have one applicator handle as I really didn't want to spend the money on a bunch of them with the handle caddy(though it looks really cool and would be SO much easier to use than my method but I digress....) I found it's easy enough to switch out the velcro pads when working with different colors of ink. I bought these small clear baggies at Michael's a few years ago and they work perfectly to store the pads when not in use. I just slapped a label on each bag and I sit them upright in a basket that holds my inkpads.I also really recommend the Ranger craft sheet(or any comparable craft sheet) when working with these inks. It's made blending a breeze and saved the top of my craft table.




And since I'm on a Tim Holtz kick here lately, I bought the ruler with the paper piercing edge which is what I used to stitch on my layout. It's super easy to line it up and pierce along the sides and gave me the option of using a bit thicker crochet thread and a cross-stitch needle to sew. I used a backstitch(for all you cross-stitchers out there) and while it took me a bit of time to complete, I really think the end result was worth it. If you're like me, sometimes I make mistakes with my sewing machine and it's been known to jam and rip the paper. This was the only sheet of this paper I had so there was no room for mechanical error today. It'll be so easy to use that ruler to add quick stitching on a card!




I used a few new goodies on this one. The label under the title is one of the new Tim Holtz dies and the edge peeking out from the large photo is a new Sizzix frame die that I just tucked up underneath. And of course, I had to incorporate some of my Martha punches. I wasn't sure about those rain drop punches that I used for the border of the page at first, but now I'm so glad I held onto them. I think they were just the right touch for a military themed layout--not too frou-frou if you know what I mean?

I've been pretty bad the last week and ended up ordering MORE stuff online. I just got my PTI order in the mail today and a few other small packages are filtering in. It's ok though. My mojo appears to be back and I'm ready to play!
I'm off to work on a few more scrappy things. Hope your week's a great one!

Ah....Heaven....

Here's those obnoxious stash addition pics I promised. Now do you see what I mean about buying WAY too many of those new Tim Holtz dies?? They are HUGE.Before this shopping expedition, I only owned one of those giant Sizzix dies and it had it's own little storage place. Now? I'm in trouble here. I couldn't resist though once I saw them in person. I can't wait to use those edge dies on some cards.

I also picked up a few of his new embossing folders. I didn't like them so much when I saw them online, but again once I saw them in person I was imagining the possibilities...

I tried not to go too crazy with paper(well, single sheets of paper). Paper pads on the other hand?? I can't get enough of them! Here's a nasty little confession for you---I bought a second pad of each of those new October Afternoon papers. I'm already using them a ton and every serious papercrafter knows--once they're gone, they're gone. Gotta get 'em while you can, right?

I think I got a pretty nice assortment of goodies. They should keep me busy for awhile. My hubby had to turn around and go back up to Baltimore unexpectedly a few days after we got home and he called last night asking if I needed anything else from the stores up there! Um....yeah..... um....not really, but since you asked....I really want one more of those Tim Holtz dies...

My guy's a keeper, for sure! (and I think I'm loving all the consolation prizes I'm winning for all the unexpected business travel)

I only had time to take a few quick pics of the stash today, no scrappy play time for me, but tomorrow is wide open! Can't wait!

Just For You

Supplies used:Cosmo Cricket papers,Spellbinders,Quickutz Moxie skinnimini and leaf,SU cardstock,linen thread and stamps,PTI felt,MM button, DMC crochet thread #3.


Ok, really it's just for Paula....shhhhhhhhh.......don't tell her. (hopefully she won't see this post before she gets her package this week!) On second thought, hopefully she does read this so she knows to be looking for a kraft envelope in that cardboard box. It kinda blends in with the side of the box and could easily be pitched. That would be sad. Especially since I struggled for hours on that crochet flower! (just kidding)

I had a real crisis situation in the scrappy room this morning. There were bags and bags of stuff waiting to be lovingly fondled all over my table and I had no place to work on this card. I had to rush the whole process and unpack the bags. I hate that. I didn't give each little goodie the attention it so deserves. I just had to pile everything up in a corner and make promises to get back to it later.

I'm thinking about lining everything up for a photo shoot. I HAVE to share all my scrappy finds from last week! This is the problem with having absolutely no LSS in your town. When you finally get to shop at one, you totally blow your budget and throw caution (and any extra space you may have had left in your house) to the wind. I seriously have no idea where I'm going to put this stuff.

That's it--I'll have to share a pic tomorrow and you'll see why space is an issue. I went a little overboard on a certain something(or somethings) that are just ridiculously huge. And before you go thinking I went and bought 15 Cricut E's and a couple Silhouettes....I'm exaggerating. But still, they're beastly huge for the purpose they serve. Granted, it's a divine purpose.

Hope your week's off to a great start! I plan on being very scrappy this week...

And the OWH Bloghop winner is......

PAULA(May 29,9:49am)!!!

And Paula, you can thank the Boston Red Sox for your prize!

I just have to share real quick my cute(well, I think it is anyways) method of choosing a winner. Yep, sure--I could use the random number generator and I've done that in the past, nothing wrong with that, but this time I was gonna be a lot more 'hands-on' and write each name with the date and time on a little slip of paper and pull from a hat(probably an old black beret laying around here somewhere). Well, you guys really blew me away with all the awesome comments! I never thought I'd have 136 of them!! Long story short here--I just got back from my roadtrip to Baltimore and I was tired and there was no way I was gonna stick with my original plan so I asked hubby to choose a number between 1 and 136.

What do you think a total and complete Red Sox fanatic is gonna do?? Yep. You guessed it. Josh Beckett chose our winner.

So Paula, you're #19 and the lucky winner!

Take note my friends, for future bloghops.....you might want to know all the Red Sox jersey #'s and time the placement of your comments accordingly....heehee...

Thank you all again SO much for taking part in the hop and for all of your truly wonderful comments! You guys are the best!