such an appropriate challenge for this week!  this Design Team term for Perfect Sentiments closes with this challenge, and i couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to thank Jennipher and all of the girls i had the pleasure of working with over the course of the last three months!  i have had the ability to participate in some fun challenges that really pushed me outside of my box and gave me the ability to do something i don’t normally do.  i’m really excited about what is in store for Perfect Sentiments Challenge blog going forward – i hope to be able to continue to play along when i have the time!  i appreciate all of the comments, followers, and new friends i have made throughout my term with Perfect Sentiments as well – your kind words all make it worth creating for this blog

now, on to the sketch!

a really fun, really versatile sketch to work with!  i had several ideas for this sketch, so i may end up using it again sometime!  your challenge this week is to create a card with a “thank you” sentiment and the twist is to use this sketch (and the Design Team’s examples!) as inspiration for your creation.  we welcome back Pattie’s Creations as this week’s fabulous prize sponsor – Pattie is giving a random winner the digital stamp of their choice from her Etsy shop!  LUCKY!

you will have until 10PM EST on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 to get your submissions linked up to the inLinkz on the Perfect Sentiments blog, for your chance to be one of the “Perfect 3″ for the week and the random draw for the prize from Pattie’s Creations!  take a stroll over to the Perfect Sentiments blog for more info, then visit the other Designers’ blogs to gather up inspo!

★   JENNIPHER   ★   SAMI   ★   SARAH   ★   JAN   ★   SASSY   ★   ABBY   ★  ROCHELLE   ★   STACEY   ★   TERE   ★   THERESA   ★  MAGGIE (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★  SAM (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★

 here’s what i have to inspire you this week – i really love how this card turned out:

this picture really does it no justice!  it is so sparkly and beautiful in person!!!

thank YOU so very much for following along with me during my time with Perfect Sentiments – i really have had a great time working with this Design Team and being part of something so dynamic and inspiring!  i hope you will all continue to stop by my blog when you have time and leave some love or just say hello!  and definitely keep checking back for more fantastic challenges at Perfect Sentiments!!!

don’t forget, the winners from the challenge two weeks ago will be posted on the blog on Friday!  stop back by then to see if you’re one of them!

thank you again, best wishes for a happy New Year to everyone!

SUPPLIES:

• Cardstock – Bazzill
• Patterned Paper – My Mind’s Eye
• Transparent Ticket – 7gypsies
• Vintage Mirror – Prima (from Paper Lovelies December ’11 kit)
• Bling – Kaisercraft (from Paper Lovelies December ’11 kit); Walmart
• Butterfly – Jenni Bowlin Studio
• Ribbon – Offray
• “happiness” sticker – October Afternoon
• Alpha – EK Success

okay, first of all, let me just say this:

i. am. freezing.

WHO ORDERED THIS WEATHER? i live in Texas, for crying out loud, it should not be this dang cold!  it’s 40 degrees (feels like 35) with light rain here, and i’m freakin’ out!!!  i guess it could be worse – i could still be in OHIO (currently 28 feels like 28 there with 0 precip…), or in SPOKANE, WA, with my BFF Ryan (currently 20 feels like 20 with snow in the forecast for tomorrow), or in beautiful WASILLA, AK, (currently a completely, utterly nasty 7 degrees with 0 precip!) where Carrie and Paper Lovelies are spreading some Christmas cheer with their latest kit!  i don’t know how you do it up there, guys, but i have respect for you – i would love to come see Wasilla… in the summer… 

beautiful segway, right?  yeah, i worked on that for a while

so the new kit is out as of the 23rd!  super duper excited about this kit – Carrie has such beautiful taste and the kits always come together so well!  this kit has a little bit of everything you need to do some shabby / vintagey winter pages, packed full of Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tales” line.

i mean, absolutely. gorgeous.

so many fun extras too!  i especially loved playing with the bling strip – it was so hard to figure out where i wanted to incorporate it because i wanted to use it for too many different things!  it’s so fun!!!  this kit is PACKED, too, i mean… stuffed.  the box was really heavy!  you really can’t beat this deal – you will definitely get more than your $15′s worth!  the January 2012 Paper Lovelies kit includes:

• 12 sheets double-sided Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tales” patterned paper
• 1 Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tales” die cut paper
• 1 Webster’s Pages Storytellers alpha
• 1 Webster’s Pages 8″ bling strip
• 2 Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tales” Sentiment fabric tickets
• 2 Webster’s Pages 12″ Bloomer trims
• 2 Webster’s Pages Feather Flowers
• 2 Webster’s Pages Pins

i really enjoyed working with this line – it’s definitely a different spin on Christmas/winter themed pages, and the elements all work really well together whether you have a card or layout in mind.  this would probably also make some fabulous Christmas gift projects

here is what i came up with to inspire you for this month’s kit:

okay, so i like seriously have not done an actual scrapbook page in FOREVER.  this was huge for me.  i’m really surprised at how it turned out, not my typical style at all but it has grown on me the more i have looked at it.  i just hate that i’m not a big journaler though.  i know that’s the point but i guess i do a pretty good job of telling the story the way i see it as art on a page.  i guess that’s why i tend to lean toward cards so much more often.

well at any rate… just wanted to share that and wish everyone a Merry Christmas from our family to yours – Happy Holidays, Hannukah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa… whatever it is you do, do it BIG and enjoy the time with whoever you’re with wherever you are.  God bless.

DON’T FORGET – Perfect Sentiments challenge is observing the holiday this week and you still have until Tuesday to get those Anniversary Inspiration cards in!  keep ‘em comin’, people!

peace, love and blessings.

PPS – my apologies for the heavy, unnecessary overuse of animated GIFs in this post.  i couldn’t help myself.

SUPPLIES:

Card

• Patterned Paper, Die Cut Paper, Feather Flower, Fabric Ticket – Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tale” from Paper Lovelies January 2012 kit
• Pearls – Hobby Lobby (personal stash)
• Glitter Sticker Borders – Doodlebug
• Roses – Prima “North Country”

“there was a girl named COURTNEY”

Patterned Paper, Bling Strip, Rosette Trim, green/purple alpha, Feather Flower – Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tale” from Paper Lovelies January 2012 kit

• Gold Alpha – American Crafts
• Roses – Prima “North Country”
• Buttons – misc.
• Chip Hearts – K & Co.
• Chip Clouds – Studio Calico
• Label / Tab stickers – Crate Paper “Random”
• Gold Uniball
• Heidi Swapp edge distresser

hi everyone!

this week’s Perfect Sentiments challenge is another great card to make for your “stash” – wedding anniversaries always seem to sneak up on me, and it is really nice to have a card all ready to go!  this week’s challenge is to make a card with a sentiment for a wedding anniversary – and as a twist, use this photo as your inspiration for your creation:

use the image in any way that strikes your fancy – there is a lot of inspiration for this challenge here – ruffles, white/black with a bit of pink, even the star on the wall – let your creativity run wild!!!

this week’s sponsor is Shelly’s Images:

Shelly is giving away a $9 voucher (equal to 3 digi images) to one lucky random winner!  some really cute images over there, you should definitely stop by and check out what Shelly has to offer!  as always, we will be selecting a “Perfect 3″ as well, so get your entries linked up to the blog for your chance to win either of these prizes!  stop by the blog on Friday to see the past week’s “Perfect 3″ and winner of the challenge prize!

here is what i came up with for inspiration for you this week!

oh, how i love my Silhouette!  there’s always something on there that inspires me – this diecut was the inspiration/starter for this card, i really think it turned out great!!!

don’t forget to stop by the rest of the Design Team’s blogs to check out what they have to inspire you with as well!

★   JENNIPHER   ★   SAMI   ★   SARAH   ★   JAN   ★   SASSY   ★   ABBY   ★   KIMBERLY   ★  ROCHELLE   ★   STACEY   ★   TERE   ★   THERESA   ★  MAGGIE (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★  SAM (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★

get your creations linked up to the Perfect Sentiments blog no later than Tuesday, December 20th @ 10:00PM EST via the inLinkz at the bottom of this week’s challenge post… we are all excited to see your creations for this challenge!  we really appreciate all of you who have come out and participated in our challenges and made this new challenge blog a fun place!  although my Design Team stint with this group is coming to a close at the end of the month, i really hope to be able to continue to participate in their challenges when i can in the future, because it’s always really nice to have inspiration for a card i wouldn’t have thought of making!  i’m certain that Perfect Sentiments will continue to be a wonderful place for inspiration and fun challenges, and for creative minds to come together and share what they have made!  thank you from all of us for making this challenge blog a success so far – we are really enjoying inspiring you and being inspired by what you create!

well, i’m off to watch “The Help” – it looks amazing  then to straighten up my craft area – i completely rearranged my entire bedroom/crafty space tonight so now there is a huge pile of miscellany on my desk that needs to find a home so i can get back to crafting ASAP! good luck to everyone on this week’s challenge & happy scrappin’!

SUPPLIES:

• Cardstock – Colorbok
• Patterned Paper, Lace, Silver Ribbon, Pearls – Hobby Lobby
• Journal Spot – Making Memories
• Rub-on – Heidi Swapp
• Twine – We R Memory Keepers
• Button, Rose – Walmart
• Diecut – couple with umbrella by Cali Arroyo for Silhouette Online Store

well, i have TWO bits of amazing news to share today! 

#1 – i have been selected as a 2012 Design Team Member for The Sampler Kit Club!!! !!!!!  really excited about this opportunity!  The Sampler Kit Club is a part of Scrapbooking Supplies R Us.  their kits are fantastic – every month’s kit is chock-full of an assortment of the latest and greatest products out there, with a little bit of everything (tons of embellishments!) to help you create fabulous scrapbook pages, cards, and other paper crafting projects.  i am joining five very talented crafters to work with The Sampler’s kits and blog, and i know we are going to ROCK their kits and there will be lots of great inspo for you each month – in addition to some fun giveaways, contests, challenges, and more to come in 2012!  i was FLOORED when i got the email from Holly (the owner) the other day, it totally made my day!!!

i will not be working with their kits until January, but in the meantime you can stop by their store and check out this month’s kit – it’s LOADED with Christmas-y goodies from some of the hottest collections right now – American Crafts “Father Christmas”, Crate Paper’s “Peppermint”, MME, Core’Dinations, Hambly… and so much more!  SO AWESOME!  i almost want to order it for myself!!  (too bad, hubby has me on a spending freeze… i went a little crazy last month and spent this month’s allowance… okay, i went a LOT crazy…)  you should definitely click your way over to their site and check it out – and grab one for yourself before they run out!

[ photo via The Sampler ]

isn’t it exciting?!?  browse over to the kit’s page by clicking the link or the photo to get the entire list of what this kit includes, and then hop on over to their BLOG because they are also having a pretty sweet giveaway!  FIVE (5) complete Crate Paper “Peppermint” Collection kits (+ a few extra goodies!) are up for grabs – all you have to do is leave a comment on the 2012 Design Team Announcement post, and for an extra chance to win, share the link with your friends and leave another comment letting us know!  spread the word – this is BIG!!!

speaking of “Peppermint”, this is a great opportunity to segway into the next part of my news!!!

B.)  I WON!!!!!!!!!  (me, who never wins anything!)  on a whim, i decided to participate in the Two Peas in a Bucket Blog Hop last month, and i’m excited (SUPER EXCITED) to say that i actually won the entire “Peppermint” collection from Crate Paper!  after a snafu resulting from my not having correct address info on my Two Peas profile, and the package being shipped to my old house, rerouted, finally returned to Two Peas, then shipped to my new house… on Saturday, i came back from a Walmart trip to my hubby announcing that a package from Two Peas showed up while i was gone!  i had been waiting anxiously for this prize ever since i found out that i won!

[ photo via Kristina Nicolai-White ]

 i had to steal Kristina’s pic of the prize, since it has been rather gloomy around here and there is no getting any good photos of anything!  i may attempt to do that, if the sun ever decides to show back up!  but, really, pictures won’t even do this collection justice.  vintagey, cute, Christmas-y goodness…  buttons, brads, TONS of papers and stickers… i can’t wait to have a chance to sit down and make something with this stuff!  i really think this is the first time in history that i’ve had an ENTIRE collection all at the same time.  i’ve been really partial to collections lately, it just makes everything so much easier when the supplies you have to work with all coordinate.  i’m extremely grateful to Kristina for all the extra work and stress that she had to deal with throughout the package being lost, then finally returned, and for selecting me as a winner!  maybe i should just decide to play along with stuff more often, on a whim!

YOU COULD BE NEXT!!! get your hiney over to The Sampler’s Blog and comment on today’s post for your chance to win one of FIVE “Peppermint” collections!!!

i’m really excited.  i don’t know how many other times i have said that throughout this post, but i really can’t say it enough.  i’m excited about this new opportunity, excited to get to know the talented ladies i will be working with next year, and excited to get to work with “Peppermint” and all the Christmas photos we’ve taken so far, and those yet to be taken!

as always, thank you so much for stopping by and for sharing in my joy over this good news!!!  i’ll be back on Wednesday with another Perfect Sentiments Challenge for you — don’t forget to stop by Perfect Sentiments Blog and check out our winner and “Perfect 3″ for last week – plus, you still have until tomorrow night to participate in this week’s challenge and enter for a chance to win an A|Muse Studio gift certificate or join the ranks of the “Perfect 3″!!!  good luck to everyone, and happy crafting!

Another Perfect Sentiments challenge!!!  yay!  i don’t have much time to post as i am trying to make “Lego Head” cake pops for my son’s classroom birthday treat tomorrow – expect pictures if they turn out good

this week’s challenge is to create a card that reflects a sentiment for Christmas – and as a twist, make it sparkle!!!  use glitter, shimmer mists, glittered cardstock, or whatever you can find that sparkles – the possibilities are endless, and you can never have too much glitter!  (this is literally a personal philosophy of mine, if you ever meet me in person you will understand, as i am usually covered in it from head to toe!)

in addition to the opportunity to be one of our “Perfect 3″ this week, we are also proud to have Kania’s A|Muse Studio sponsoring this challenge!  Sami has graciously offered a $15 gift certificate for one lucky, random winner!!!  (Regretfully, if you are a prize winner who lives outside of the United States, we are unable to award you a physical prize. By the time we have to do the customs paperwork and everything associated with sending parcels out of the United States, it always costs more than what the prize is worth in most cases, and this includes Canada, unless you have a Post Office Box in the United States. APO and PPO box addresses are considered US.) If you live outside of the U.S. and you win we will award you with a digital prize that can be sent electronically via email. Thanks for your understanding.

my take on this challenge was one that i’ve been wanting to do for a while with one of my Christmas cards for this year – and the glitter twist was definitely something i wanted to make part of this design.  i’m not as pleased with this card as i thought i would be, but it’s still really cute!

i totally love this die cut!  i might just use it again, with a different card!

check out the examples from the rest of our design team and our guest designers on their blogs:

★   JENNIPHER   ★   SAMI   ★   SARAH   ★   JAN   ★   SASSY   ★   ABBY   ★   KIMBERLY   ★  ROCHELLE   ★   STACEY   ★   TERE   ★   THERESA   ★  MAGGIE (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★  SAM (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★

now, head on over to Perfect Sentiments and get the lowdown on the challenge – then get started on your card!  this should be an easy one & one that everyone will definitely benefit from right now!  entries should be submitted no later than Tuesday, December 13th @ 10PM EST, via the inLinks widget at the bottom of the blog post.  we are really excited to see what you will be able to do with this challenge, it’s going to be a fun one!  BRING ON THE TWINKLE!!!!

SUPPLIES:

• Kraft Cardstock, Glitter Cardstock, Glitter Glue – Hobby Lobby
• Sheet Music PP – Flair Designs
• Bling – Walmart
• Lights – misc. (from an old necklace!)
• Die Cut – Deer Antlers by Loni Stevens – Silhouette Online Store
• Black Fine-Tip Sharpie
• Silver Uniball pen

that’s right!  our 5th Wednesday challenge is a CASE challenge – and our design team has some really great example cards for you!  you will have to select one of the Design Team’s cards and CASE it – or jack it, or lift it… whatever you like to call it! as an added twist – if you CASE my card – i would love to see you use the ruffled technique that i used with the white ribbon on your card  also, doesn’t have to be Christmas themed, i’m just on a roll with that right now, trying to get enough cards done to mail out to some folks  the ruffled technique looks amazing with paper OR ribbon, so use whatever medium strikes your fancy.  it’s very simple to do – just thread a needle with some same/similar/neutral colored string and gather folds of fabric/paper onto the needle starting at one end and working across.  when you have the needle through the entire piece, pull the string taught and push the folds toward the beginning to create ruffles.  you can play around with them until you get the look you want, then secure the piece to your card/page.  well, i mean, if you didn’t already know that anyway. the best part this week is our sponsor, The Digital Emporium of Paper Expressions.  our very own lovely Miss Jennipher is graciously offering 3 of the digital images shown on that page to ONE lucky random person !!!  really, really cute images by Tracey Malnofski of The Stamping Boutique… head over and check them out!  don’t forget, you’re also playing for a chance to be one of our Perfect 3 well, on to my card!

i reeally, REALLY love this card!  did some more heat embossing with the reindeer – it took me a few tries to get it, kept burning the powder   i’ve really been overusing the kraft too… can’t help myself though!!!  i really love the subtle look it gives everything.

of course, you don’t have to CASE mine, but i would absolutely be honored to see what others can come up with using my original design.  check out the rest of the Design Team’s fantastic examples on their blogs:

★   JENNIPHER   ★   SAMI   ★   SARAH   ★   JAN   ★   ABBY   ★   KIMBERLY   ★  ROCHELLE   ★   STACEY   ★   TERE   ★   THERESA   ★   JESSICA (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★   RITA (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★

when you have found a design you can work with, then CASE it and post your version on your blog and tell whose card you CASE’d.  then link back to Perfect Sentiments Blog by Tuesday, December 6 @ 10PM EST.  we are thrilled about this challenge and all really excited to see what you will be inspired by our creations to make!!!

don’t forget to stop by Perfect Sentiments on Friday to see the winner/Perfect 3 for this week’s challenge!

thanks for stopping by!!!  i’ll be posting December Daily pics soon, so come back and check ‘em out.  IT. IS. EPIC !!!!!

SUPPLIES:

• Kraft, Patterned Paper, Stamp, Pearls – Hobby Lobby
• Cardstock (black) – Colorbok
• Alpha – Cosmo Cricket
• Embossing Powder – Martha Stewart
• Ribbon – misc.

hi there!

it’s really late, so i’m going to attempt to write this as quickly as possible so i can get it up before i go to bed!  sheesh – what a week!  everyone has been home from school/work, and we are getting ready for a big Thanksgiving meal on Thursday – i’m so excited!!!  it’s definitely a lot of work getting ready, though… as we speak, i have a bucket of brine cooling in the garage for the turkey, and there is a pan of bread chunks in the oven drying out for the stuffing… it’s going to be a fantastic meal, but i can’t wait till i can finally just sit down and EAT!

this week’s Perfect Sentiments Challenge was especially fun for me – i didn’t know what direction it was going to take when i started but i’m extremely pleased with the results!  this week your challenge is to make a card featuring a sentiment of encouragement – using the sketch provided here:

it’s a great sketch – very versatile and it’s fun to see what our Design Team came up with this week!!!  i think i loved every member’s card equally!!!  go check out what they came up with on the main blog, >here<  and then head over to their blogs and leave them a little love for coming up with such fantastic examples to inspire you!!!

★   SARAH   ★   JAN   ★   ABBY   ★   KIMBERLY   ★  ROCHELLE   ★   STACEY   ★   TERE   ★   THERESA   ★   JESSICA (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★   RITA (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★

but wait – there’s more!

MEEEEE!!! !!! !!! 

heheheh.  i looove this card a ton!  the coffee cup die cut had my heart from the second that i saw it on the Silhouette store… i bet there’s a bit more of it in my future, if i had to gamble!  the corrugated piece is even recycled from a Starbucks wrapper  plus, there’s plenty of room inside to add a pocket for a gift card!

we are welcoming back Pattie’s Creations this week as our sponsor.  Pattie has a TON of cute digi images, and she’s giving one away to one random crafter – winner’s choice!  stop by her site and check out what she has to offer, if you haven’t already – there are a ton of cute designs just itching to be put on a card!!!

if you’re ready to play, head on over to the Perfect Sentiments blog to read more details about the challenge, and then grab your scrappy supplies!  link your card up to the blog via the inLinkz at the bottom of the post, no later than 10PM EST on Tuesday, November 30!  come play for a chance to be one of our “Perfect 3″ and to win a fantastic prize from Pattie’s Creations!!!

well that’s about it for me – better get in bed!  no reading time tonight   i’m trying to wade through Patton Oswalt’s Zombie Spaceship Wasteland.  i made it through chapter one; so far, it’s a little strange but i get his sense of humor and we’re from the same generation so i totally get what he’s saying!  i’m just not really sure where he’s going from this point, and how long i can hold interest in the story.  i always get bored and distracted with anything that’s not sci-fi/fantasy… idk, i guess it’s just the sense of getting wrapped into an entirely different universe that keeps me from having those types of ADD moments!

later, gators

SUPPLIES:

• Cardstock – Colorbok
• Patterned Paper – My Mind’s Eye
• Doily – dollar store
• Swirl Stickers – EK Success
• Corrugated – Starbucks
• Ribbon – Offray
• Pearls – Hobby Lobby
• Font – The Only Exception
• Die Cuts – coffee by Sweet Afton; Decorative Circles by Kara Dudley – Silhouette Online Store
• Silhouette SD
• Uniball silver ; Gelly Roll red/white pens

back again with another Paper Lovelies kit !!!!

i’m really pleased to present December’s kit to you – this month we are featuring Prima’s “North Country” line, and let me tell you - i. love. it.  LOVE.  the papers are all gorgeous and very unique compared to many other “Christmas” and “winter” themed collections – not to mention all the extra goodies that come with it!  Carrie did a fantastic job with this kit and you will definitely want to snatch one up for your stash before they are all gone (did i mention they’re $15?!?  that’s SOO CHEAP for all the amazing stuff you get with these kits!!!)

absolutely stunning!!!  there are sooo many pretty Christmas-y goodies in this kit, you definitely won’t want to miss out!  it includes:

• (2) sheets each double-sided 12×12 paper from Prima Marketing “North Country” — Forest Notes, Icicles, Snowfall, Glacier Roads, Wonderland, Red Deer, In the House
• (2) sheets Core’dinations cardstock in Cream
• (1) pkg. Prima Marketing “North Country” Antique Mirrors
• (1) pkg. Prima Marketing “North Country” flowers (set of 6)
• (1) pkg. Prima Marketing “North Country” tiles (set of 6)
• (1) pkg. Kaisercraft Sparklets in Royal
• 12″ Webster’s Pages Silver Garland
• (1) pkg. American Crafts Thickers (red)

SOOO MUCH STUFF!!!  it’s really a steal at $15 – i couldn’t do better than that at my local scrapbook store or even at any of my fave online retailers, for all this stuff!  i was really inspired by this month’s kit and although i only made two cards with it so far, i am definitely planning on cranking out a few more Christmas cards with this kit, as well as including it in my December Daily project that i’ll be sharing soon

and when i say that i was inspired, i mean i ABSOLUTELY LOOOVE the cards that i came up with for this month!

okay, so i might be a little biased, but i really *DO* love these cards!  especially that snowflake one – OMG.  i was definitely excited to be able to share that one finally!!!  that idea had been running around in my brain for a few weeks, ever since i saw >this< card on my friend Stacey’s blog a few weeks back!  i don’t have a snowflake embossing plate for my Cuttlebug (yet!) so i figured i could get the same effect by using my good ol’ Silhouette.  i die cut a lace design from the same cardstock i used as a card base, and VOILA!  i really love it, i hate to brag but i really do   i fully expect to use this technique again very soon!!!

but of course, you can’t always just take my word for it.  the rest of the Paper Lovelies Design Team came up with some great – i mean AMAZING – projects using this month’s kit as well!  there’s a little bit of everything in this month’s design gallery – home decor items, cards, scrapbook pages… you really should go check it out, >here<, on the Paper Lovelies website, or go visit the team’s personal blogs for more inspiration.  i am so privileged to work with this talented group of ladies!

★   CARRIE   ★   LISA   ★   SARA   ★   KASSIDY   ★   AMBER   ★   ILENE   ★

i definitely need to get crackin’ and get some more projects going with this kit!  there are a few home decor items i’d like to do with it, and probably a few cards… of course, i’ll be including it in my December Daily as well, so that’s really exciting  i’m so stoked for this December Daily.  i have never participated before but i need to do something where i can literally force myself to work on one little thing per day for at least 25 days… i’m so bad about doing that!  our Young Adult pastor gave the sermon this weekend and he talked about how since we are so connected, literally, to everything now, that we have trained our brains to have a very short attention span.  i completely identified with his message this weekend and realize that he put the final piece in an epic puzzle i’ve been working on in my head about the degradation of society and why we are where we are as a culture today as a result of the access to technology and information we have is like none other before… and he said exactly that.  it was pretty powerful.  and Jed is a great speaker (very funny!) so you can go check that out >here< via Milestone Church as soon as it is available (most likely sometime monday!)  :)  but to back up to what i was saying about the December Daily and why i’m excited… i always intend to create something every day, but somehow fail to because i get distracted by crocheting (well, i guess that is creating too but… not scrapbooking!), or video games… or Pinterest (ahhh the devil!) when i do have free time to devote to something i enjoy.  so i think the December Daily will be a good thing for me because it will help me to stay focused on something simple every day and it will be something beautiful our family can share for years to come and put a little nostalgia and family back into Christmas for a change!  for more info about the December Daily, click the banner below:

wow that was totally a tangent there.  i apologize for that.  please forgive me for rambling.  i’m still pretty pumped about that message this weekend!  it’s definitely something that is going to stick with me throughout the holiday and the creation of this project.

anyway…

don’t forget that ALL proceeds from this month’s kit are being donated to Katie Renz and her family.  Katie passed away on Monday, November 7, after less than a year long battle with Gastric Cancer.  Katie was a devoted crafter, mom, and wife, and it’s really heartwrenching but almost peaceful to read the posts on her blog.  her husband kept things up all the way to the very end and says he doesn’t know how long he will continue to update her blog, but you can always go read the posts that are there – Katie was truly a beautiful person.

well, that about wraps things up for me this week.  i’ll be back on Wednesday with a new Perfect Sentiments challenge – stop by the blog and check out the Perfect 3 and winner of last week’s challenge!

thanks for stoppin’ by

SUPPLIES:

CARD #1 – JOY

• Cardstock – Core’dinations (from Paper Lovelies Dec. 2011 kit)
• Patterned Paper, Joy Circle – Prima Marketing “North Country” (from Paper Lovelies Dec. 2011 kit)
• Bling – Kaisercraft Sparklets (from Paper Lovelies Dec. 2011 kit)
• Red glitter glue

CARD #2 – LET IT SNOW

• Cardstock – Core’dinations (from Paper Lovelies Dec. 2011 kit)
• Flowers – Prima Marketing “North Country”
• Alpha – Cosmo Cricket
• Ribbon – ? (was tied on outside of DT package, lol!  it was too cute not to use!!!)
• Bling – Walmart
• Die Cut – Snowflake Lace by Lori Whitlock – Silhouette Online Store
• Silhouette SD

hi all!  i’m back

i have been SOOO busy lately i haven’t been able to really put any time into blogging or crafting – seems like every event that our kids could possibly have has occurred over the last few weeks – and i have been tired, tired, TIRED at the end of every day!  but i’m back this week with our seventh Perfect Sentiment Challenge and really excited about it

this week we are focusing on those precious little blessings we are all so happy to welcome into the world – NEW BABIES!!!  i have personally had to make several baby cards in the past year, and it would have been really handy to have a card already laying around, so this challenge will definitely benefit anyone looking to build up their card stash!  so this week we would love to see your “Baby” cards – and your challenge is to make one that utilizes stitching in some way, either hand stitching, machine stitching or faux stitching, your choice!

our fabulous sponsor this week is Cindy Coutts Designs!  if you don’t know Cindy, you should definitely head over to her site and check out all the great stuff she has going on!  right now she’s hosting her annual “12 Days of Christmas” (through November 21!) Every day Cindy will be posting a different inspirational video + project to help you get in the Christmas spirit and start your holiday craft endeavors… and there will be prizes!!!  you need to check out her blog for more – there are already some really great projects up already!

Cindy has graciously partnered up with Perfect Sentiment for this week’s challenge and is offering a mini Stampin’ Up “Something for Christmas” set for one lucky crafty person out there!  you can find out more information about the prize and some other contests and challenges that Cindy is involved with,  so get some inspiration from her and from us and get your cards linked up to our blog!!!

our design team came up with some CUUTTTEEEE examples this week!  i really enjoyed everyone’s cards for this challenge, and i bet you will too!  head on over to their blogs to check out what they came up with to inspire you:

★   JENNIPHER   ★   SARAH   ★   JAN   ★   ABBY   ★   KIMBERLY   ★   ROCHELLE   ★   STACEY   ★   TERE   ★   THERESA   ★   JESSICA (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★   RITA (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★

and of course, me!  

i really think these are SO cute!  i do.  i hate to gloat, but… i am really excited to have someone to give these to!  (so please, someone get pregnant!!!  ASAP!  lol!)

thanks for stopping by   i really hope you’ll come play along with us this week!

SUPPLIES:

• Kraft Cardstock – Hobby Lobby
• Patterned Paper – My Mind’s Eye; DCWV
• Tags, Metal – Making Memories
• Roses & Rose Trim – Walmart
• EK Success border punch
• pink / blue sewing floss

so… pinterest.  if you don’t know what i’m talking about then you should probably leave now.  get out, while you still can.  i’m being serious.

this thing has sucked up a vast portion of my time since… oh, April or May or something.  but it’s genius.  revolutionary.  an all-in-one bookmarking / social marketing / information resource where you can find just about anything you search for.  pinterest is the new google.  the modern-day homemakers’ handbook.  once you figure it out, it’s a downhill slide from there.  just don’t blame me if you end up stuck in front of your computer for the next two weeks without moving!!!

so i decided.  a column, maybe?  a top ten?  nah, too cliche.  i guess maybe i will just recap my week in pinterest.  the best things i’ve seen this week.  warning: you may experience dumbfoundedness due to the awesomeness of the following content.  viewer discretion is advised.

wallflame edelstahl/schwarz by Radius Design

Hymn Page Feathers by Todolwen
photo by Todolwen
{ i actually made a couple of these out of pages from “Alice in Wonderland” – they turned out awesome! }

Green Celebrity 3/4 Sleeve Double Breasted Pleated Overcoat by The Morpheus

from tiffmarie23 on imgfave.com

somethin jus from icanhascheezburger.com

The Rainbow House in London, UK by Ab Rogers Design
photo from realestock.com

from someecards.com
hah. awesome.

DIY Large Work Table by The Ivy Cottage
(2 $25 hollow core doors & 4 $16 Walmart bookshelves)

Making a bow with a fork by Scrap Tiffany
(i also tried this – it works! really cute bows… a little hard to figure out at first, but once you get it you’re golden! probably best for double sided ribbon)

Baby Fleece Duffle in Gray Marl from bodenusa.com

DIY Paper Mache Letter by Green Zebra Crafts

Branch Staircase by CustomMade.com
via  CustomMade.blog

Batter Dispenser from Fresh Finds
(me & Ryan were both like, “SHUT YOUR FREAKING MOUTH.” i mean really. where has this been all my life?!?)

from 9gag.com

Robots on Brown (fabric) by Panova via Spoonflower

How to Build an Outdoor Stacked Stone Fireplace from HGTV
(build?!? someone get me some stacked stone, i’ll gladly build this in my backyard!)