hi all!

so, i’m two days late posting this.  blame it on The Sims.  i haven’t actually been playing though, or building houses… all i want is for it to work on my computer the way it always worked before. 

i have uninstalled and reinstalled it 3x now… it is now no longer on my MacBook for the time being.  it will be, probably tomorrow, after i get around to getting BootCamp set up on here so i can make a Windows partition and play my games normally.  mostly, the games they come out with for Macs are not the good games, or they are sorry ports of PC versions, so they don’t work as well and don’t get tested as thoroughly before being released.  sadly, after my jaunts through many a forum trying to piece this puzzle together, i found that Mac users in general are complaining about the latest Expansion Pack and how it pretty much breaks everything – especially if you run Custom Content from sites other than EA, which i do excessively.  my problem?  i suppose.  i love my MacBook though, and thanks to people who are smarter than me who have also had the same problem, i now have a solution.  am i entitled to complain about it?  absolutely.  i paid a lot of money to have all the Expansions and stuff, so i could have the game.  i actually paid – not pirated.  so i’m out… $50 for the original game, $30-40/each for 5 expansions and $20/each for 5 stuff packs.  WTF?!  yes, i spent $300 over the course of the last 3 years buying these games, and they say “PC/MAC” on the box, so …. i should be able to use it, right?  RIGHT?!  yeah, apparently if i want to have a Mac, not without a whole bunch of hassle first.  let me just say this:  it took the program 2.5 HOURS to load the other night before i could play anything and then the gameplay was so laggy and terrible that it wasn’t even worth bothering.  and since then, i’ve been on this quest.

but i digress, and apologize horribly for the g33k breakdown i just had.

what were we talking about again?  oh, right!!  The Sampler!  February Card Challenge!

[ image via Etsy ]

MOUSTACHES!!!

that’s the theme this month, and we’re hoping this image will inspire you to make some really cute cards with this month’s kit, “Oh, Penelope“.  it definitely inspired us!  here is what Amber, Amy S., and I came up with for this challenge:

[ by Amber ]

[ by Amy S. ]

[ by ME  ]

i totally have so much fun playing with this kit!  there are so many fun little tidbits in there to use for stuff like this… i love how all of our cards turned out for this challenge, and i can’t wait to see what you put together too!  come join us – the challenge runs through March 9th at 11:59PM so you have a whole month to think about it  and if you haven’t picked up the February kit, “Oh, Penelope” yet, then go on over to Scrapbooking Supplies R Us and grab yourself a little Valentine’s Day treat  you know you want to!

get your challenge submissions linked up to the Sampler’s blog, via the inLinkz widget on the challenge post for your chance to win a prize package from the Sampler!  plus you get to make a really cool card so it’s a two-fer

well that’s about it for me for now, back to fighting the good fight… with my crochet hook!  i’m done with that awful mess of a game for right now, gotta finish up some last minute V-day goodies and whatnot and then maybe play some Halo because all the headache of dealing with THAT situation makes me want to kill some aliens.  excessively.

in the words of the famous LeVar Burton, i’ll see ya next time.

SUPPLIES:

* Cardstock – Core’dinations “Stormy Gray”, Bazzill Dotted Swiss “Butter” (from the Sampler February 2012 kit); Bazzill black (personal stash)

* Patterned Paper – Simple Stories “Year-o-Graphy – Blue/Newsprint”, My Mind’s Eye “Love Me – Doilies” (from The Sampler February 2012 kit)

* Bling – KaiserCraft Pearls “Latte” (from The Sampler February 2012 kit)

* Butterfly – FabScraps (from The Sampler February 2012 kit)

* Banner – My Mind’s Eye “Kraft Funday Everyday Banners” (from The Sampler February 2012 kit)

* Stickers – Echo Park “Times & Seasons” cardstock stickers (from The Sampler February 2012 kit)

* Ribbon – May Arts twill with olive stripe & twill with blue stripe (from The Sampler February 2012 kit)

* Journal Card – Lily Bee “Memorandum” index cards (from The Sampler February 2012 kit)

* EK Success corner rounder

inspired by the upcoming arrival of The Sampler owner Holly’s new daughter, whom she will be naming Penelope (SO CUTE!)…

we are proud to present this month’s The Sampler kit, Oh Penelope!  this kit is just absolutely STUFFED with amazing goodies for you to play with.  it includes facets of Valentine’s, Fun, Family… and some delicious Echo Park / Hambly / etc / etc / etc. goodies for you to play with!!!

so fabulous!  jog on over to Scrapbooking Supplies R Us to see more pictures of this amazing kit.  here’s what you get:

* (1) sheet Core’dinations – Kraft-Core #6
* (1) sheet Core’dinations – Kraft-Core #16
* (1) sheet Core’dinations – Snowflake
* (1) sheet Core’dinations – Stormy Gray
* (1) sheet Bazzill Dotted Swiss (butter)
* (1) sheet Echo Park “Times & Seasons – Spiffy Moustache”
* (1) sheet Simple Stories “Year-O-Graphy – Simple Basics Blue/Newsprint”
* (1) sheet My Mind’s Eye “Love Me – Doilies”
* (1) sheet My Mind’s Eye “Love Me – Stamped”
* (1) sheet Jenni Bowlin “Red Black Extension – School Dress”
* (1) sheet Crate Paper “Random – Victorian”
* (1) sheet Hambly “Mini Graph Overlay” (pink)
* (1) sheet Hambly “Little Hearts on Kraft” (red)
* (1) pkg KaiserCraft Pearls (latte)
* (1) pkg Lily Bee Design “Memorandum – ABC Cardstock Stickers”
* (1) booklet Fundamentals Petites Alphabet sticker (kraft)
* (4) FabScraps Metal Butterflies
* (1) pkg Hambly Remnants Rub-ons (white)
* (1) pkg My Mind’s Eye “Kraft Funday – Everyday Fun Wood Banners”
* custom hexagons in gray velvet & canvas
* (3) FabScraps fabric brads (red)
* (1) pkg Lily Bee Design “Memorandum – Index Journaling Cards”
* (3) lengths May Arts ribbon (twill w/ olive stripe, twill w/ blue stripe, white grosgrain)

SO. STUFFED!  there are about a million different ways to use up this kit, and i’ll be back throughout February to share some ideas and tips with you!  look for my Thursday posts over on The Sampler’s Blog as well as here on my blog for more ways to work with “Oh, Penelope”.  i’ll be back ASAP with a picture of the first layout i created with this kit, as well as our card challenge on the 10th!  so you’ll definitely want to check back in soon!

now for today’s Life.in.Lists:

I “HEART” FLAVOR.

Tami relates a story about Baskin-Robbins to open up today’s post.  unlike Tami (who shockingly chose vanilla!) i have always been a bit adventurous.  i remember going to BR myself as a kiddo, and the first thing i wanted was mint chocolate chip (since it was green, and, at the time my favorite color was green)… that started a love affair that has never ended.  my grandparents will tell you that i would go as far as ordering mint chocolate chip with pineapple or strawberry topping every time we went to Friendly’s for a sundae.  i’ve always been the weirdo that likes fruit in my salad and dessert as a part of my meal.  i will try anything – at least once – but i’m so fond of food that it doesn’t really even matter anymore!  so today’s post will be a fun one for me:  Today, some of my favorite flavors are…

* Mint.  anything and everything mint, preferably peppermint but definitely NOT spearmint.  it’s my favorite flavor AND scent.
* Chocolate.  nuff said.
* Coffee.  any kind, iced or hot.  i’m down.
* Raspberry/Blackberry.  my dad started this one with blackberry picking when i was a kid.
* Beef.  is that allowed? lol.  i love beef in all its many forms – especially stroganoff
* BACON.  baconbaconbaconbaconbacon.  i love bacon.  especially if mayonnaise is touching it.  i actually thought to make a bacon and mayo casserole once.  yeah i know it’s gross.  and prob REALLY bad for you.  but i’d eat it

allrighty, well that’s all for me for today!  thanks for taking the time to stop by – i’ll be back soon with some great inspo for The Sampler’s February kit

peace, love and stickers -

it’s here!  February’s Paper Lovelies kit is just overflowing with romantic, shabby goodies – just in time for those Valentine’s projects and layouts

it’s really gorgeous!  there is really a lot of stuff in this kit, too – even stamps!  here’s what you get:

★ KaiserCraft “Sweet Nothings” 12×12 double-sided papers (2 each):  Dozen Roses, Devoted, You & Me, With Love, Sincerely, All Yours, Silver Lining, Cupid’s Arrow, Love Letters, Memories

★ KaiserCraft “Memories” die cut sheet (1)

★ Jillibean Soup 12×12 corrugated alpha – white (1)

★ KaiserCraft pearls – blush (1)

★ small red felt heart (1)

★ Maya Road mini ruler (1)

★ Jenni Bowlin bingo card – red (1)

★ Prima mini bouquet – color varies (1)

★ Maya Road wood spool (1)

★ Maya Road game pieces (2)

★ Hug Snug seam binding – white (24″)

★ May Arts rosette ribbon – red (12″)

★ KaiserCraft “With Love” mini stamp set (1)

so very exciting

to get you started with some inspiration, you can check out my samples below, or visit our other designer’s blogs to see their creations:

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

and here are mine:

this kit absolutely has a bazillion possibilities!!!  you definitely need to check out Paper Lovelies before they sell out – they go FAST!!!  don’t forget to stop by the Paper Lovelies Facebook page from time to time to participate in giveaways and see other creations made by the Paper Lovelies fan club!

thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today.  make sure you stop by The Sampler’s blog tomorrow to see the ultra-fabulous-super-amazing layout i made to finish off this month’s kit!

peace, love & stickers 

SUPPLIES:

“Tiny Toes”

• Patterned Paper – KaiserCraft “Sweet Nothings – You & Me, Sincerely, Cupid’s Arrow” (from Paper Lovelies Feb. 2012 kit)
• Alpha – Jillibean Soup (from Paper Lovelies Feb. 2012 kit)
• Flowers – Prima (rosettes from Paper Lovelies Feb. 2012 kit; petaled from personal stash)
• Pearls – KaiserCraft (from Paper Lovelies Feb. 2012 kit)
• Mini ruler, game piece – Maya Road (from Paper Lovelies Feb. 2012 kit)
• Hug Snug seam binding (from Paper Lovelies Feb. 2012 kit)
• Rub-on – Basic Grey (personal stash)
• Metal charm – ??? (personal stash)

“With Love”

• Patterned Paper – KaiserCraft “Sweet Nothings – You & Me, Sincerely, Memories, Silver Lining, With Love” (from Paper Lovelies Feb. 2012 kit)
• Pearls – KaiserCraft (from Paper Lovelies Feb. 2012 kit)
• Stamp “With Love” – KaiserCraft (from Paper Lovelies Feb. 2012 kit)

just wanted to stop in really quickly and share a card with you that i made yesterday for The Sampler Kit Club, using the January 2012 kit

it’s so simple, but i love it because it was a great way to use up bits & pieces of leftovers from the kit!  everything is from The Sampler’s January 2012 kit “Ready, Set, GO!”, minus the kraft, the mini brad, and the woodgrain embossing folder – those were from my hoard.  this card was also a great excuse to try out the woodgrain embossing folder that i bought at Hobby Lobby the other day.  i can’t say i’m fully pleased with it as yet… this emboss was done on a piece of the Core’dinations from the kit, and the emboss seemed to almost come right through the paper!  this piece was the second attempt.  the first i had run through the Cuttlebug twice, as i usually do to get a nice crisp emboss, and the paper was perforated all the way through in some places!  this second one was a little better, since i only ran it through once.  it was still a tidbit fragile and wanted to perforate in places if i manipulated it too much.  maybe i’m using the wrong combo of embossing plates or something… idk, i’m a n00b when it comes to this embossing stuff (heat or dry)!

the brand of this particular folder was “The Paper Studio” which is Hobby Lobby’s flagship scrapbooking brand.  comparatively, i never really have a problem with “The Paper Studio” products – they are generally pretty durable and quality is pretty good, and they keep up with the current trends at a fraction of the price.  this folder was originally $4.99, but with the 40% off any one item coupon, i snagged it for $2.99.  it didn’t seem to vary much from the Cuttlebug and Sizzix folders i have that have produced nice embosses in the past.  i will certainly be trying it again, possibly with some different / thicker paper in the future, and i will hopefully be able to give a more accurate review of this product then

[ PS - this is my personal, honest opinion and the tested results of the use of this product.  Hobby Lobby and/or "The Paper Studio" is in no way compensating me for this review, howevermuch i wish they would!!!!!  ]

oh! anyway, back to the card.  i have a tutorial for the flowers made on this card and the “hey you” card i posted earlier in the month for the reveal of The Sampler kit, so head HERE, to The Sampler’s blog, to read that post and make you own cute, quick little flowers for your own creations.  i made three flowers during the tutorial, these were a bit different from the flower from the original card, but you can achieve either result with my tutorial.

*** UPDATE ***

Shopping is a chore that I don’t always enjoy but…

1. CRAFT SUPPLIES!!!  i mean, are you kidding me?  i keep considering asking if they will let me just move into Hobby Lobby if i pay them a monthly premium…
2. CLOTHES.  i have tons of clothes.  i don’t like to wear the same things all the time, and i like everything to be matchy.  there was a time (when we weren’t dirt poor) that i couldn’t go into a store that had clothing without making a purchase.
3. FOOD.  i love food shopping.  i love food.  i love being surrounded by all the pretty packaging and smells!
4. BOOKS/MAGAZINES.  i’ve been known to spend hours in B&N just wandering around and pitching camp on the floor surrounded by stacks of books with Starbucks in hand.
5. IPHONE APPS.  it’s rare that i miss a Thursday App Store update.  you just never know what little program they’ll come out with next that simplifies another area of your life!  or… if you’re me, a game that ends up consuming more of your time than originally planned

peace, love and stickers 

SUPPLIES:

• Cardstock – Core’dinations “Marsh” from The Sampler January 2012 kit; kraft (personal stash)
• Patterned Paper – My Mind’s Eye “Lime Twist – Out of the Blue Playful”, Simple Stories “Live Life – 24-7″ from The Sampler January 2012 kit
• Sticker – Simple Stories Yearography Expressions from The Sampler January 2012 kit
• Chipboard – My Mind’s Eye “Kraft Funday Happy Days” from The Sampler January 2012 kit
• Ribbon – My Mind’s Eye “Stella & Rose – Hattie” trims from The Sampler January 2012 kit
• Mini brads, Woodgrain Embossing folder, foam squares – The Paper Studio – Hobby Lobby (personal stash)
• “3 flowers” die cut by Lori Whitlock – Silhouette Online Store / Silhouette SD

hi everyone!  here with a challenge from The Sampler Kit Club, featuring this month’s kit: “Ready, Set, GO!”

it’s a very simple challenge, and there are so many different ways you could use your supplies from this kit to make a card for this challenge… and so many different designs you could take away from this simple photo!

[ photo credit - Pinterest ]

such a cute card to begin with, but with all the krafty goodness in the kit, you could really take this idea 1,000 different directions.  here’s what i came up with to inspire you:

isn’t it TWEET?!  lol.  okay, i admit… that was pretty corny!  i just love this kit, though, it’s just awesome how everything works together so well!  i added a piece of plain kraft and a scrap of black cardstock, the twine, and the brads from my own stash.  our other card designers came up with some fantastic examples to share with you as well, stop by their blogs and check ‘em out!

★  AMY S.  ★  AMBER  ★

so stop by The Sampler’s blog to get more info about the challenge, and link up your creations so we can admire them and leave you some love!  and if you haven’t gotten your The Sampler kit yet, you’d better hurry over to Scrapbooking Supplies R Us and grab one before they’re gone!  challenge submissions for the card challenge will be due on Feb. 10th – so you have a whole month to play with the kit and come up with something!  and one lucky, random crafty person is going to win some goodies from The Sampler for playing along!  just upload your creations to The Sampler’s Flickr Gallery by Feb. 10th to be entered to win!  how awesome

also, a couple fun giveaways i wanted to plug really quickly!!

#1 – Paper Lovelies has a FANTASTIC giveaway going on at their Facebook Page through Wednesday – Carrie is giving away 4 packs of AC Thickers, 1 pack of AC Remarks stickers, 9 acrylic stamp sets from We R Memory Keepers / Flourish / Dina Wakely / Maya Road / Pink Paislee / Hero Arts – so stop by the Facebook page (join if you haven’t already!) and leave a comment on the giveaway post by Wednesday for your chance to win this super-sweet prize pack!!

#2 – Fellow The Sampler DT member Amy C. posted about a giveaway on The Greatest View blog and i figured i would pass that one along too!  The Greatest View is giving away THREE $25 vouchers for The Greatest View Etsy Shop to celebrate their new products and blog!  You’ll have until Jan. 31 at 9pm for that one – stop by the new The Greatest View blog for more d’s and to enter for your chance to win!  Here’s a sneak peek at what they’re offering in their shop:

sooooo CUTE!  i need me some of them chevron buttons!  ASAP!

thanks for stopping by today, please visit The Sampler’s blog on Thursday for my post there!  i’ll be back with more soon

SUPPLIES:

* Patterned Paper – My Mind’s Eye “Kraft Funday – Patchwork Party”; Lily Bee Designs “Head Over Heels – Dreamy” (from The Sampler Jan 2012 kit)

* Cardstock – Core’dinations “Snowflake” (from The Sampler Jan 2012 kit); Colorbok (black) & Hobby Lobby – The Paper Studio (kraft) (from personal stash)

* Sticker – Simple Stories “Yearography Expressions” (from The Sampler Jan 2012 kit)

* Trim – My Mind’s Eye “Stella & Rose – Hattie” trims (from The Sampler Jan 2012 kit)

* Twine – Walmart (from personal stash)

* Brads – Hobby Lobby – The Paper Studio (from personal stash)

* Silhouette SD / “birds on a wire” by Alaa’ K from Silhouette Online Store

hooray!  finally able to share The Sampler’s January kit with you this kit is so packed full of awesomeness; you are really going to love everything this kit has to offer!!!

Ready, Set, GO! – January 2012 The Sampler kit

each kit contains:

CARDSTOCK (12×12):

* Core’dinations “Begonia”
* Core’dinations “Marsh”
* Core’dinations “Jillian Small Dot Cityscape
* Core’dinations “Snowflake”

PATTERNED PAPER (12×12):
* Lily Bee Memorandum “Payday”
* My Mind’s Eye KRAFT Funday “Lollipop Dots”
* My Mind’s Eye KRAFT Funday “Patchwork Party”
* Lily Bee Head Over Heels “Dreamy”
* Simple Stories Live Life “24-7″
* My Mind’s Eye Lime Twist Out of the Blue “Playful”

SPECIALTY PAPER (12×12):

* Hambly Mod Circles Screen Print (aqua)
* Hambly Lattice Screen Print Overlay (aqua)

EMBELLISHMENTS:

* Simple Stories “Yearography Expressions” cardstock stickers
* Pink Paislee Woodshop Alpha * My Mind’s Eye Stella & Rose “Hattie” trims
* My Mind’s Eye Lime Twist Fly a Kite “Genuine” journaling card
* Kaisercraft square border rhinestones (copper)
* My Mind’s Eye KRAFT Funday Happy Days chipboard embellishments
* EK Success Calendar SMASH Pockets (4)
* vintage Weekly Report Time Cards
* October Afternoon Boardwalk Sticker Alphabet (licorice)
* The Sampler custom large hand-stamped jar (black and sepia)
* The Sampler custom Quickutz Polaroid frames (3)
* The Sampler custom glittered 2012 Die Cut

SOOOO MUCH STUFF!  a great collection of goodies that play so well together, and a great price too!  if you subscribe for 12 months, each of our kits are only $29.99 + $5.00 shipping!  of course, you will pay a little more for a shorter subscription or a one-off kit, but the cash you will spend is SO worth it.  if you are wanting some new supplies and you like variety then this kit is definitely for you

head over to Scrapbooking Supplies R Us to pick up your kit – and don’t forget to browse the rest of the store while you’re there, because there are plenty of great products in stock that will go with this kit fabulously!  stop by The Sampler’s blog today and every day throughout the rest of the month for more inspiration from our talented designers on what you can do with this kit – everyone came up with some really great examples to get your creative wheels turning.  stop by their individual blogs as well, to see more:

★  AMY C.  ★  AMY S.  ★  NANCY  ★  HOLLY  ★  AMBER  ★

and of course, yours truly

i am SO PROUD of my first two creations!!!  my second scrapbook page in forever, and i LOVE how it turned out!  i really try to keep it equal with my kids when it comes to scrapbooking but lately all i’ve wanted to scrap are the pictures from my stepdaughter’s photo shoot in downtown Ft. Worth… they all turned out so good and she looked so cute that day that i can’t resist.  originally had one of them on thus layout as well, but in the end i took to sticking different pictures from my pile in the spot for the photo trying to figure out if there wasn’t a more perfect fit for this collection – and OMG this picture was the best choice by far!!!  i love that picture of my son and i, taken on Mother’s Day 2011 – it’s total proof that he’s 100% mine and shows off our personalities so well.

everyone around here loves the card, too, as it is proudly on display on our bar counter – everytime someone walks past it, they shout “HEY YOU!” lol!

i will be back throughout the month with more creations and a tutorial on how to make the cute little rose from the card, so stay tuned here and over at The Sampler’s blog for more inspiration and maybe a fun giveaway   we will also be hosting two challenges this month featuring this kit, so make sure you stop by on the 10th and the 20th for more information!  thanks for stopping by today, hope everyone else is staying warm and cozy wherever you might be (even if it’s California and you’re not freezing to death like the rest of the world!)  Happy New Year to all as well, since i didn’t say that before.  so far, i have had no resolutions and the ones i was considering are already a fail… there’s always next year!

oh!  in other news, i have been plugging away hardily at my family tree for MONTHS AND MONTHS and i can say that the fruits of my labor are finally paying off.  last night i discovered my Scotch and Irish roots and i couldn’t have been more excited!  as far as i can tell, i am descended from Clan MacBean through the Bane family of Scotland and the Burk(e) family of Ireland – very exciting!  i have a tartan i can call my own (finally)… next step – A KILT!  i have also been working hard behind the scenes to put together a public Family Tree website that will be an extension of this site when i am done, so that anyone who wants the information i am putting together can gather it all up without paying for an account on one of the pricy genealogy sites.  so i will have more information about that soon!

take care everyone, and stay crafty

just popping in with a quick sneak peek at The Sampler Kit Club’s January 2012 kit!!!

it. is. fantastic.  let me just tell you.

there is a really spectacular range of products included in this month’s kit, including Pink Paislee, My Mind’s Eye, and more!  we will be premiering the kit sometime in the next few days, so be sure to stop by The Sampler’s blog and the main Scrapbooking Supplies R Us website soon for more details.  of course, i will be posting here as well as soon as the kit goes live – so please come back and visit me too – i’ll be sharing my projects and some tutorials and other goodies throughout the month!!!

there will also be a card challenge for the kits starting on the 10th so i will be back with more details about that then as well.

exciting times around here!  can’t wait to share this kit with you

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