Life is like a box of chocolates...

I was in WalMart the other day looking for Valentine candies to fill little jars and these boxes of chocolates caught my eye. They've been around forever but that day they looked different to me... I pictured them in my mind a little more like this!
A friend of mine called Monday and asked if I could make a mini album for her that she was going to give as a gift. She needs it this coming Sunday. I said sure, I can do that! I put her to work gathering pictures and I took off for Lake Havasu to go shopping, we were in need of a few things from WalMart.
Do you remember the movie Forrest Gump? I saw it with my Mom and Dad in Laughlin Nevada on their 50th wedding anniversary back in 1990something (1996). I kept thinking about what he said in the movie while I was making this - Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get...

That statemet just seemed kind of profound to me today, this is the anniversary of my Mom's death 8 years ago. I've had a good day working on this project and thinking about my Mom and enjoying the memories I have of her.

I was pregnant with my second child when she passed away so she never got to know my second and third child. I think working with baby pictures today made me think more about his statement about never really knowing where life is going to take us. On a happier note though, I do have faith in God to walk through all lifes twists and turns with me.

A little bit about my project now - I used 12 x 12 sheets of kraft cardstock for the accordian fold pages of the mini album. I cut them to fit the box and scored each fold and used double faced scotch tape to put them together.
I cropped the pictures so they would fit into the space I had, matted them and put them on the pages and decorated around them with rubber stamping, eyelets and a few tags I printed out on the computer with the little boys name and all his personal info.
I covered the outside of the candy box with some designer paper from my stash. It's made by Petals & Possibilities and called All Boy. I then used the brayer to color the chipboard monogram initials with Bayou Blue ink by Stampin' Up!, I stuck them to the box with glue dots and added dew drops to each letter and used a strip of Bayou Blue stitched ribbon to finish it off.

What fun today with Gina K

I'm having fun with the new Gina K set Just So Hippy today. I think the Hippo and Giraffe are so darn cute! My first card is a sketch challenge I've used before from SCS, it's SC118.

I love heart shapes and have had the heart background stamp forever but haven't used it much. I think it's a perfect addition for this set, it's made by Stamp Oasis, the year 2000 is on it. (oh my) ;)

I colored my hippo with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol, I used the pink and black Copic Spica glitter markers for the heart tatoo and her eyelashes. Wild Thing is from The Verve Visual set called Wild Thing, I masked off the part I didn't want to use and stamped it, then took my Black glitter marker and carefully went over the letters to give them some sparkle. 3 big eyelets and some wide gingham ribbon and I was done. And now the giraffe... The next 2 cards are basically the same but I had to try it in pink too, it's a sketch challenge from Lauren Meader's blog.
The card base is Stampin' Up! Creamy Carmel, I used Nut Brown as an accent with the Real Red and Pixie Pink. I colored these with Copic Markers, the Happy Valentine's Day is a Hero Arts stamp, Heart Background by Stamp Oasis, Circle punches, Stampin' Up!s scalloped circle and some Brown grossgrain ribbon. And of course a little glitter pen on her eyelashes.
It's been a good day stamping, hope yours was too!

Welcome Packets

I've been working on Welcome Packets for our church today. My friend had an idea that we should have some kind of packet to give to people who were new to our church so they'd know everything that was happening there. She discribed what she was thinking about and asked if I'd like to do the art work. Ah ya!

I think I remember her saying keep it simple... I think I did!
The image on these cards is a drawing by Bob Karns that he drew for our Thursday Morning Women's Ministry cook book last year. I have the scanned copy from making note cards for our group to sell. I added Welcome and the name of the church and adjusted the size to fit my needs and printed them out on some left over linen text paper.
The images are matted on black and then the same color as the side panel, I used the Stampin' Up! photo corners punch and put the larger corners under the left side of the focal image to give it some pop and added a small photo corner and a brad or eyelet. In two out of three of these I added a black strip of paper toward the bottom to cover where the background stamp didn't quite meet the second time I stamped it. These needed to be 5"x7" and the background stamps aren't that long.
The background stamps I used are each made by Stampin' Up!, Weathered BG and Antique Lace.

So many stamps....

So many stamps so little time it seems lately!

I had two card making classes yesterday at my house, we had so much fun! My "craft room" (kitchen) was kind of crowded last night but we managed. A couple of my friends today have told me I need to expand to the garage. Those little flying bugs that are attracted by the lights at night don't look very pretty on our cards when they die though. It'll all work out I'm sure.

I made this heart shaped tin this afternoon, my PAPERTREYink. package came yesterday with the new Text Messages set and 5 heart shaped tins. I'm trying to use what's left of the digital paper I printed for my class. Debbie Olson has great tips on how to cover these tins on her blog, hers is georgous! I'm C.A.S.E.ing projects lately it looks like. I made the card late last night after the last class. Andrea Walford made a stunning card that I C.A.S.E.d here. I didn't have the stamp set she used so I used my Sizzix to cut out the Pretty In Pink hearts and inked up my SU Paisley background stamp with Real Red to stamp them. It seemed easier than using a heart stamp and cutting it out, I know I'm lazy! The oval and scalloped oval shapes are Spellbinders Nestabilities dies. The Valentine stamp is from a Verve Visual set called Wild Thing.

Valentine Class

Time keeps slipping away from me. It's been several days since I've posted anything and I have several things I've made to share.

My two cards today are for classes I'm having tomorrow morning and evening. This first one I C.A.S.E.d from someone's blog and can't remember who now. Her card was in purple tones and was just stunning. I'm using my PAPERTREYink. Sweet Love and Spiral Bouquet sets tomorrow. I have some of the new Verve Visual Valentine sets right now too I can't wait to play with.
This card uses the MFT digital paper with the Sweet Love set and a Spellbinders Nestabilities Scalloped Oval.

Happy Stampin', I'll be back soon!

...AND THE WINNER IS!

My blog candy winner is Amy from ZoeLifeCreations!

10K Blog Candy!

It's time for blog candy to celebrate 10,000 visitors to my blog. Thank you for stopping by, I enjoy your comments and appreciate your encouragement with what I love to do!

For a chance to win the blog candy leave a comment on this post and I'll draw a name Saturday at noon (1-19-08).

My blog candy contains a nugget tin decorated using Papertrey's Sweet Love stamp set, 2 Valentine stamps, 3 yds of May Arts ribbon, sm candle jar decorated with Stampin' Up! rub ons from the upcoming Sale A Bration catalog and a few Nestabilities Oval and Scalloped Oval die cuts in red and white (not shown).

Good luck and thanks!

Scripture Chicks Challenge

Hey! My blog went over 10,000 visitors Friday night!! Yikes, that's so cool! Thank you!! I plan on doing some blog candy soon, I just haven't figured out what to offer yet. Soooooo - blog candy coming soon!

Over the weekend I've done some blog browsing and came across a really cool challenge by a group of ladies that call themselves "Scripture Chicks". The challenge started as a New Year's resolution to get into God's word more. One of them thought of having a monthly challenge to make a card using Scripture. The challenge is on the 8th of every month and after reading about it I thought, count me in!

When ever something from the bible or a study I'm working on speaks to me I make a bookmark. I thought I'd love to have a fancy box for my table in the living room to put my Scripture Chick challenges in, so pictured below is what I came up with.

It's an altered recipe box. I got it at Ellen Hutson's online store and it's made by We R Memory Keepers. My box isn't real fancy, I suppose I could add more later if I have more ideas for it. I covered it in paper by American Traditional Designs called Then & Now and the top is covered in Nut Brown card stock. I stamped one of my favorite bible verse stamps on a scrap of white paper and cut it out with my Spellbinders Nestabilities Oval and a scalloped oval in Nut Brown again, a strip of Organdy ribbon around the top and I was done.
My first challenge card is actually a card front because it's for me to put in my little box. It's a prayer that my Pastor used yesterday in his sermon that had a lot of meaning to I think all of us in attendance. He told us he feels God is calling him to a new ministry after 20 years at Christ's Church on the River and will be leaving us soon. It's a sad yet very exciting time. Sad to see a dear friend move away, exciting to see what will happen in his life and our lives as our church goes through the transition period into a new adventure.

Supply List - Stamps - Stampin' Up! Print Pattern, French Script, Weathered, Compass by Stampers Anonomous, Paper - Nut Brown, Tan, White, Ink - Creamy Carmel, Basic Brown, Sahara Sand, Accessories - Anchor by Quickutz dies, Linen Thread SU, SU ticket corner punch, SU photo corners punch, Stampin' Sponges, Dew Drops.

Ollie & Olivia

Don't you just love Ollie and Olivia?! I do! I've been playing today with some stamped images Deb from Cassville, NY sent me.

I've noticed a lot of the stampin' bloggers looking for their mojo and wondered if I was going to experience that after making so many Christmas cards. Can I really make anything else now? I think I'm gonna be okay.
My first card is Ollie the pirate, I colored him with my Copic markers. I used the clear Copic Spica Glitter marker on his sword after coloring it with Neutral Gray. I used Stampin' Up! Sarah retired designer paper. I'm working on using my paper and having fun with it.

My kids brought home report cards yesterday so I made a couple of cards for them to tell them they're doing great and I'm so proud of them. This one is Michael's, Jenny's looks like the one in the last post with the snail and flowers.

For my second card with Ollie & Olivia I used the scraps again from my friends' mini ablums. That paper is all gone now and I finished his project today. The Modge Podge is drying on the last tin and I need to put the hardware back on it and it's deliverable.

Have a great day!

Alisa's Sketch Challenge Contd...

I'm intriqued by this sketch challenge. I like the simplicity and clean look to it. Yesterday was my masculine card using scraps from my friends' Spain vacation mini scrapbook. I wanted to try it again today and step it up a little. I have a picture of all 3 cards below, this is the last one I made today. I had to get into my old catalogs to find out what the designer paper was called, oh my... it retired 2 catalogs ago! I can't buy anymore patterned paper until I use up what I have. ;)
I had fun using the Copic markers to color my image and took a picture so you can see what colors I used.

My card base is Old Olive, the designer paper is called Sarah by Stampin Up! and it's retired, I matted my main image in Old Olive and Pretty In Pink. The stamps I used are from Stampin' Up! Riveting and the Snail and Flowers are by Copper Leaf Creations. I used the Crop-A-Dile to emboss all the way across the pink panel, not that you can see all of it but I got some practice at it! I also used a Super Jumbo Brad that I bought on clearance at the LSS awhile back.

I think the Build A Brad would be a great look here using the designer paper in the center. The only problem is I don't have a 1/2" circle punch. I couldn't believe it! Hmmmm, I wonder if one of my Spellbinders dies is that size now that I'm done...

Anyway, a picture of all three cards using Alisa's same sketch. The same, yet different. I like the first one and the last one best. What do you think?

Sketch Challenge by Alisa Tilsner

My card today is a sketch challenge by Alisa Tilsner. She was the first "stampin' blogger" I discovered and this discovery has changed my world. I didn't know much of anything about blogs then, let alone blogs by people who loved stamping as much as I do. She's also offering a prize for entering in her sketch challenge, so check out her blog, she's fabulous!

I love this sketch and want to try it using different stamps now.

Supply List: Stamps - Stampin' Up! Riveting, Compass by Stampers Anonomous, Paper - Basic Black, Senic Route, Bazzill Brown, White, Ink - Basic Brown, Accessories - XLG eyelet SU.

I didn't have as much time as I'd have liked to stamp today but that's okay. I did get to spend a few hours with my friend who does my hair and watch a good movie with other friends this evening.

Time spent with friends, is time well spent. I love that new stamp set! That sentiment immediately touched a place in me, we don't know how much time we have with our friends and family. We need to take the time and enjoy each opportunity we have with them. I think opportunities missed are why people have regrets.

The anniversary of my Mom's death is at the end of this month. I'm so glad that I was able to live close enough to her to spend a lot of time with her when she was alive. We were a mother and daughter, we had our ups and downs, I miss her but I don't have any regrets about how I didn't take the time now that she's gone.

I'm Gettin' There!

I've had a very productive day! I feel much better today and hopefully am over whatever bug that was. The kids returned to school today too. I didn't think it was such a big difference having them home with me... until they got home from school! Wow.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind looking at more pictures of my friends' vacation in Spain. I overcame my fear of what to do with the outside of the books today. It's been on my mind since the first day. Two of these books fit inside a tin that's pictured here. They can't be decorated with 3D stuff on the outside and we know I like texture! So that was out.
Do any of you have a favorite background stamp like I do? My favorite background stamp is Stampin' Up!s Old World Map. I know it's retired and has been gone several years now, it's just one of those perfect masculine stamps. A must have.
To finish the covers of these little books I used my Old World Map background stamp inked with Basic Brown. The book is a little bigger than the stamp so I masked off the area I'd already stamped and stamped again to cover the entire length. To cover my seam I used a couple of different compass stamps inked with Not Quite Navy and some words from an Impression Obsession clear Travel set. I then inked my Stampin' Up! Weathered background stamp with Sahara Sand and stamped over that, next I sponged the edges in Basic Brown ink and then Not Quite Navy ink.

Everything in Spain is OLD, so I wanted these little books to look old too. I like the vintage look.

Above is a picture of one of the books open so you can see that I had fun stamping on the insides too. I just realized I had a hard time getting into this project until I started stamping. I didn't feel like there were enough embellishments. There are now!
And my last and I hope for you final picture of this project.

I did a post about this project a few days ago and have a lot of really nice comments about it and me. Thanks! I thought I should mention that even though I am making this scrapbook for a friend of mine, it is a job I was hired to do.

I've been tagged~

I have a lot to share with you today. I've been sick for several days or should I say asleep? So I haven't created anything or even felt like it unfortunately.

My first project is a post it note holder that I C.A.S.E.d from Stamp Owl, who C.A.S.E.d it from Nancy Riley aka Stampinat6213. I though it was a quick and cute idea and had to try one.

My paper is Kaleidoscope "Make A Wish" double sided, a scrap of one of Stampin' Up!s purples and White. My image is from my friend Diana in Wisconsin that she stamped and sent to me in a package of awesome stamped images awhile back. I doodled around the bird image because it needed something. The scalloped rectangle is one of the Spellbinders dies, the flower came in a package of 8 from WalMart.

I added a different closure to this little purse, it's hard to see in the picture, it's an extra flap of the striped card stock turned the opposite direction. To hold the purse closed I used one of my Basic Grey magnetic snaps.

My next project was a birthday card for a friend of mine. I'm part of the Women's Ministry at our church and they requested a birthday card for our Pastor. Doris thought since it was from the Thursday Morning Women's Group it should have women on it.

Of course my mind went right to work, okay Ican do that! I had a lot of fun putting it together, I enjoy the challenges people give me when they ask me to make a card.

Last but not least - I've been tagged! Chris over at Cat's Scratching Post has tagged me, from what I understand I'm supposed to tell 7 (unusual?), little known things about myself and tag 7 other bloggers.

That makes me smile, I think I live a very ordinary life but here goes.

1. My family moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona when I was 10 yrs. old, it's known as the new home of the London Bridge. The developer of the city bought the London Bridge and had it unassembled, moved stone by stone to Arizona and reassembled minus a few arches in Lake Havasu City. The bridge was dedicated and opened in 1971. I first saw Lake Havasu City in 1965 when there were only 2 buildings on the main street, now it's a thriving little metropolis. I grew up there and now live 35 miles away.

2. Would you believe I don't watch t.v.? I actually started watching Hero's after I heard my friends talking about it. So now I watch 1 hour of t.v. a week when Hero's is on.

3. Tattoos, hmmm... Some of the gals that have been tagged told about their tattoos. There have been a couple of times in my life when I've wanted a tattoo but for one reason or another haven't done it. Here's my biggest reason why - I'm a very visual person so you'll have to close your eyes and think about this. I can picture myself with a tattoo on my ankle/leg and I'm at least 100 years old, I can't see very well anymore to shave my legs and I'm wearing panyhose. Did I mention I'm in church? Hehehehe

4. I have 3 children, the second and third children were born when I was 40 and 41 yrs. old.

5. I love the techno toys, the computer, digital camera, cell phones with gadgets, etc. and learning how to use them.

6. I've mentioned here before that I love to sew but don't do much of that anymore, I'm busy playing with paper.

7. I enjoy reading too and I'm usually working on at least one bible study, right now it's Beth Moore's study of Paul's life.

Now, I need to tag 7 other bloggers!

Jessica @ Smiling Makes Me Happy

Kylie @ Moments In Time

My Paper World

Dawn @ Treasure Oiler Designz

Rose Ann @ Paper Delightz

Paula @ Paula Ponders

Denise @ Geek Girl's Random Ramblings

There you have it! One long blog post, I've had fun with it I hope you enjoy it too.

Have a great day!

Back To Work For Me!

Ahh, the holidays are over... and I need to get back to work on projects that I've set aside to make all those Christmas cards.

This is a Maya Road Board Book that I'm working on. A friend of mine was lucky enough to go on vacation to Spain a couple of years ago and I get to do the scrapbook. I have 4 of these books and 2 tins that they fit into and I'm making progress. You can see one of the finished tins here.
I feel like I'm a little low on the embellishments and I'll come back to those after I get all the pictures in.
The vacation pictures are fabulous, it's difficult to pick the "best of the best"!