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!)

on Wednesday, my oldest son’s class went on a field trip to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and Dinosaur Valley State Park.

it was like being on a totally different continent for the day!  we got to see lots of animals and drive up to the top of a mountain, and even see some dinosaur tracks!  everyone had a really good time, we learned a lot about the animals and the dinosaurs, and there were even a few pretty funny moments!!  i’ll let the pictures speak for themselves:

[ an ostrich. she walked right up to the car and tried to bonk Brodyn to get some food.  he squealed like a girl.  it was pretty funny! ]

[ a lazy herd of Sable Antelope.  look at the beautiful view behind! ]

[ a White-tailed Deer. several members of my family would have been itching for their shotguns on this excursion. hey, Dad, see all you gotta do is talk nice and hold out some food and they just walk right up! ]

[ tossing a treat to a friendly Addax. ]

[ addax. ]

[ isn't he cute ?!?!! ]

[ European Red Deer. "oh, hello there!" ]

[ baby Aoudad - SOO CUTE! ]

[ pretty kitty. ]

[ zebra snuffle. ]

yes, it was really that close.

[ they were OVERLY FRIENDLY... ]

[ he decided to find out if the steering wheel was tasty... after she managed to shoo him away, he moved on to the window edge! lol! ]

[ just not shy at all. ]

[ there is only one word for this. ROFL. ]

[ o, hai! i notiss u haz fud. we can b frenz? ]

[ i mean, really. how often do you get to do THAT?? ]

[ these guys also decided to see if various parts of the car were something they might like to eat. ]

this place would make a great family afternoon excursion – although not free or even close to cheap at $22.95/adult and $16.95/kids 3-11 on weekends during the peak season, it is worth the money and the memories that will be made!  just be sure to buy food at the office before you head out!  visit their website for more information about tours, pricing, their animals and lots more:  Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas.

we really had a lot of fun and i would definitely take the rest of the family back sometime

well, thanks for stopping by!!  have a great rest of the weekend

PS – All photos were taken with my iPhone 4 – all photos attributed to Shaunna Farral (c) 2011

do you love cream cheese?  i L-O-V-E me some cream cheese!  i seriously eat it by itself… it’s soooo tasty.  BUT.  it’s way better when you cook it with something.  and this recipe showcases it perfectly!  we have had it twice, now, and both times there was literally none left in the crockpot.  oh yeah, that’s the OTHER great thing about this recipe – you can make it in your crockpot!  and it’s really, really easy – i have been trying out some new crockpot recipes for a few weeks now and it’s nice to just put everything in at the beginning of the day and forget about it until 5:00, and it’s really hard to screw up a crockpot recipe!!!

photo by sandi from CA via Food.com

it was gone so fast i didn’t even get to take a picture!!!  it’s really THAT GOOD.

this recipe comes from Dawn via Food.com.  she says:

I got this recipe from a nurse at work. We’re always sharing easy and family-pleasing recipes. The sauce tastes like a creamy alfredo sauce. This is great with noodles.

we served it with rice, here, and a side of green beans as well.  i think maybe asparagus one night, but it was a while back.  anyway, the sauce IS really good.  the chicken is very tender and flavorful.  the sauce mixes in great with the rice, too, but i might have to try it over noodles sometime, that sounds just as good

here is the recipe:  (thanks, Dawn!)

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken
from Dawn via Food.com
Prep Time:  20 mins.
Cook Time:  7 hours

serves 5-6.

INGREDIENTS:
* 3 lbs. chicken pieces (i used chicken breasts and chicken breast tenderloins)
* 1 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix
* 4 tbsp. melted butter (divided)
* 1 small onion, chopped (i used 1/2 a medium white onion)
* 1 garlic clove, chopped
* 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
* 1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese
* 1/2 cup chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Place chicken pieces in crockpot and sprinkle with Italian dressing mix.  Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. butter.
2.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
3.  Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a saucepan and saute onion and garlic (and mushrooms, if you’d like!).  Add cream of chicken, cream cheese & chicken broth.  Stir until smooth.
4.  Add mixture to crockpot and cook on low for an additional hour.

easy peasy!!!

definitely worth a try, especially if your family loves cream cheese!  mine seemed a little burnt-ish after an additional hour in the crockpot, so the next time i made it i decreased the final hour to 1/2 an hour instead.  it seemed better after that.  i guess it just depends on your crockpot and how hot it gets – they are all different!

thanks for stopping by

hey everyone!  we have another great challenge for you at Perfect Sentiment this week!  just in time for the holidays, our challenge this week features a “Thanksgiving” themed card — and the twist?  brads or eyelets!  use brads or eyelets ANYWHERE, IN ANY WAY on your card!!!

our prize sponsor this week is Stacey’s Creative Corner !!! yaay Stacey

and she is giving away this pretty sweet prize pack full of coordinating papers, stickers & punch-outs for one lucky (random) winner!

FAAAABULOUS!!!  (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.

you also have the opportunity to become one of our “Perfect 3″ – so don’t be shy!  we are excited to see what this challenge inspires you to create!!

speaking of inspiration, if you need a little to get started on this challenge, you can visit the blogs of our Design Team members to gather some before you head off to get busy with your card !!!  leave them a little love, too

★ ROCHELLE  ★  STACEY  ★  JAN  ★  KIMBERLY  ★  THERESA  ★  JENNIPHER  ★  ABBY  ★  SARAH  ★  SAMANTHA  ★  JESSICA (gdt)  ★  RITA (gdt)  ★

and me!

this really turned out to be such a cute card!  i love it

our entire team really did some cute things with this challenge!  come on over and play, and don’t forget to stop by the blog on Friday to see last week’s “Perfect 3″ and the prize winner!!!

i was really inspired by this week’s Cupcake Inspirations Challenge for this card – so i am linking up to their blog as well!  i really LOOOVE their inspiration for this week!!

this card also qualifies for The Paper Players challenge this week – fall “Anything Goes”!  i’m really excited about entering this in other challenges because i have never really done that before!  i’m definitely going to try to get more involved with some other challenge sites – there is SOOO much inspiration out there for those looking to play and create and share their work with others!!!

thanks for stopping by this week – hopefully you will head on over to Perfect Sentiments next and check out the challenge details – can’t wait to see your creation!

SUPPLIES:

• Kraft Cardstock, Lace – Hobby Lobby
• Cardstock – The Paper Studio, Colorbok
• Patterned Paper – Studio Calico “Classic Calico”; Sassafras Lass
• Ribbon – American Crafts
• Sentiment Stamp – Michael’s
• Brads – Making Memories
• Black Dye Ink – Stampabilities
• Silhouette SD & “3 pumpkins“, “3 pumpkins” dies by Lori Whitlock – Silhouette Online Store