Favorite Projects of 2011

I just wanted to share a couple of my favorite projects of 2011.
I am linking this up to:

• Cooking with Cricut Challenge #66 - Year-in-Review 
• Whimsical Designs - Happy New Year or Favorite Project of 2011

These are in order by date:

• Zebra Purse Card

Lily Layout

• Framed Spooky Clown card - HDH103 Carnival of Curiousities

• Here Lies the Bride altered frame - HDH104 - I Was Framed


• One Eyed One Horned Flyin Purple People Eater Treat Bag

•  Elmo Invitations

• Christmas Jammies Layout

 Well, that is only a few of my favorites from 2011 - I have many more but I narrowed it down to just these 7.  I have great fun in creating whether it be for myself, my family or for others.  I have to say becoming a blogger has helped me so much in exploring the many sides of my own creativity and learning other techniques.  In the new year, I will continue to learn and explore so that my own creativity will continue to grow. 

Thanks for stopping by and viewing some of my favorites from 2011!

There's No Time Like SNOW Time!

I created this card originally for a challenge but by the time I got to link it it was already closed :(  Oh well, I am though very happy with the way it turned out.  The challenge required you to make a card using a snowman and it had to include a border, something metal, and be monochromatic.  No matter, because a couple of new challenges are available:

• Paper Playtime #63 - Say it with sentiments - anything goes - my sentiment is in the inside of my card
• Creative Cutter Room - Design Time Thursday - anything goes but MUST Sparkle!!!

I used these items to create this card:

• Design Studio
• Winter Woodland Cricut cartridge - for the snowman
• Martha Stewart punch set
• Cuttlebug
• D'vine Swirls embossing folder
• white sheer ribbon
• iridescent snowflake - on the ribbon
• snowflake brad - on the snowman
• Studio G iridescent glitter glue
• frosted lace Stickles
• (inside) - stamp from BugBites - All Year Round stamps

I'm not sure if you can see it but I used the iridescent glitter glue on the hat and scarf of the snowman and the frosted lace Stickles just around his body and eyes.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my little simple card and I look forward to sharing more projects in the future.

Christmas Jammies layout

I created this very simple layout as a gift for my mom for Christmas.  The two pictures are of us wearing our Pink Christmas jammies.  The picture on the left was taken Christmas Eve 2008 with just me, my Mom and my oldest daughter Kaitlyn.  The picture on the right was taken Christmas Day 2010 with me, my Mom, Kaitlyn and my youngest daughter Jaidyn. 

I used these items to create this layout:

• Design Studio
• Winter Woodland Cricut cartridge - for the font
• Paper Doll Dress Up Cricut cartridge - for the jammies
• Animal Kingdom Cricut cartridge - for the kitties
• metal snowflake brads
• Martha Stewart glitter
• misc. Christmas ribbon

Here are just a couple close ups:

I am entering this layout in a challenge over at Scrappin Chics Challenge - December Challenge - the challenge is Home for the Holidays.  Anything goes as long as it goes with Christmas or a holiday you celebrate in December.

Merry Christmas!!!

The Ho Ho man came and boy weren't my girls surprised with all their gifts! I also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has become a follower of mine.  It really does mean so much to have others give you positive feedback.  Thank you again and I hope you keep coming back!  May you and yours have a very Merry Christmas!!!

I am linking up over at Just B Creative Crazy - Wrap it Up - Link-Up-Party

O Christmas Tree

Just wanted to share a quick pic of our tree.  Each year we choose a different color scheme and this year we chose snow white and blue.  I'm not totally satisfied with the ribbon but it doesn't matter our 2 year old has been rearranging all of the ornaments anyhow! 

I am linking this up to Docerela Creations - Christmas Tree Link Up Party

So this is it, I hope you like it and I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Family Christmas Project

The other day while at Michael's I picked up some of the un-finished wood and decided we would have a family craft night.  So the other night we each had a un-finished wood ornament to paint.

This is my 2 year old Jaidyn painting her ornament:

This is my 9 year old Kaitlyn painting her ornament:

More pics of the kids and my husband working on their ornaments:

This is mine before it was finished:

Here is my finished project. 

I used a really pretty ice blue and silver sparkle craft paint.  I cut the snowflake from Cricut cartrdige Wrap-it-Up at 5 3/4 and then stickled it.  Lastly I attached ribbon to the back that says, "Let it Snow."

These are my husband's and my oldest daughter Kaitlyn's projects.

They used red, green, blue, and silver sparkle craft paint.  They also added some really chunky glitter and stickle.  Kaitlyn also attached a Dilly Bean stamp - Snow Family that I printed out on cardstock and colored with Stampin' Up chalks.  Both were finished off with some red ribbon.

Now this one was made by my 2 year old daughter Jaidyn...she had a blast painting her project and loved using all the colors.  I finished it off for her by adding some bright pink ribbon.

Here they all are togther hanging from our living room window.

I am entering our projects in Getting Cricky - Simply Sunday Challenge - create a holiday decoration

and at Anything Challenge #56 - Anything but a Card

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you enjoyed our family Christmas projects. 

Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Magical Dust

A couple years ago my mom introduced our family to the "Magical Dust."  As the card reads, "On Christmas Eve sprinkle magical dust on your lawn.  The glitter will sparkle in the moonlight, and help Santa find your house.  The smell of the oats will guide the reindeer."  So every year since we have practiced this tradition, now we are passing this tradition on to my daughter's 4th grade class.  I know 9 and 10 year olds might not have the belief in Santa like they once had but maybe they could pass this on to a sibling or other younger child.  So this Tuesday is Kaitlyn's last day before Winter break and along with the Magical Dust we will be sending her in with the Rudolph Treat Bags/Ornament/Gift Card Holder.   I hope the kids like everything...I had such a blast making all of it!

Here are BOTH my daughters Jaidyn (2) and Kaitlyn (9) helping make all 30+ bags of Magical Dust.

Here are ALL of the completed bags:

I used these items to create this project:

• Snack size Ziploc bags
• Qatmeal - 1/3 cup
• Buffalo Snow Flakes - 3 or 4 Tablespoons ** you can use regular glitter but the Buffalo Snow Flakes was more cost effective **
• Red and white cardstock
• Computer printer - to print out saying
• Misc. Christmas stamps - for the Santa and Reindeer
• Red and brown ink -  for the Santa and Reindeer

Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoyed my Magical Dust!

Rudolph Treat Bag/Ornament/Gift Card Holder

Today I share with you some little treat bags that I made for my daughter's 4th grade class for the last day before Winter break.  What I also discovered after making just one of these cute little bags was that it can double as an ornament for the Christmas tree or gift card holder.  The entire bag stands about 4 1/2 inches high, 3 inches wide and not quite 1 inch deep.  I made 28 of these for my daughter's class!!!

I used these items to create these treat bags/ornaments/gift card holders:

• Design Studio
• Plantin SchoolBook Cricut cartridge - for the bag
• Create-a-Critter Cricut cartridge - for Rudolph
• Martha Stewart punch - for the snowflakes
• Red stickles - for Rudolph's nose
• Misc. Christmas ribbon from Michael's

Here they are as ornaments on the tree:

I am entering this project in the following challenges:

• Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #89 - Present Time
• My Craft Spot - Monday Challenge #36 - Christmas Treat and Gift Packaging
• Robins Creative Cottage #2 - Ribbons and Bows
• Cardz TV #2 - Crafty Christmas
• Craft Your Passion Challenge #87 - Anything Goes + Glitter
• Terrific Tuesday Challenge - Any Christmas Project
• Decorate To Celebrate #13 - Christmas Party
• Cooking With Cricut Challenge #63 - Sounds of the Season - Create a project featuring your favorite sounds or songs of the holiday season
• More Than Favors - Wacky Wednesday #61 - Christmas theme project
• Cricut Creative Cutter Room - Animal Theme

I had so much fun making these and the versatility of this project was a HUGE BONUS!!!  I can't wait to get them to the kids!

Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoyed my Rudolph treat bag/ornament/gift card holder!

Have a Merry Christmas!

National Children's Memorial Day

The 2nd Sunday of December is National Children's Memorial Day.  If you have not been touched by the death of a child then you may not know of this day.  I have known of this day since 2005.  On January 9, 2005 I was 29 weeks and 6 days pregnant with my son Aiden and while at work that afternoon I began to not feel well.  I assumed I was having Braxton Hicks contractions but within in hours I was in severe pain and being taken to the hospital.  Then the most awful news that can be given to a pregnant woman, my son did not have a heartbeat.  I had had a complete placental abruption and my son was born still via C-section at 9:50pm.  My entire life changed that day.

Later that year I was fortunate to get pregnant again in October but sadly I miscarried that baby at 8 weeks, who we named Kiran, on December 7, 2005.  Just days later I went to my 1st National Children's Memorial Day ceremony and have been going every 2nd Sunday in December ever since.

The ceremony I attend starts at 6:30pm.  There will be speakers, songs performed and then at 7:pm around the world candles will be lit.  Everyone in attendance is welcome to come up on stage to light their candle and say their child's name over the microphone.  This year I will be lighting my candle for my babies Aiden and Kiran, my nephew Chad (who was taken from us at 4 months to SIDS in 1993) and my brother Eric (who was taken from us at the young age of 42 in 2007). 

Every day without my babies is a constant reminder of what I should have and don't.  I MISS and LOVE Aiden and Kiran every second of every day and I know one glorious day we will be reunited.  So tonight if you know someone who has lost a child at any age, for any reason just take a moment at 7:pm and light a candle for that child, so that their light will continue to shine even in death.

Thank you and may you be blessed. 

I'm a TOP WINNER @ FCCB

 

I'm so excited!!!  I had this idea in my head for over a year and now it is a reality, plus I was chosen a TOP  5 WINNER @ FCCB for my

 

This was such a fun family project for my oldest daughter and I.  I look forward to next Thanksgiving and reading all that our family was thankful for throughout the coming year!

Give Thanks Basket

A new Thanksgiving traditional was started this year.  I wanted to do this last year but never got around to doing it but with the help of my 9 year old daughter Kaitlyn we finally did it!  I read somewhere about this project years ago and this is our "Give Thanks Basket."  Basically the basket is where you keep strips of whatever color paper you'd like (I choose red, green and white) and throughout the year you write on a strip of paper something you are thankful for.  Then next Thanksgiving you bring out the basket and read what your family has written on them throughout the year.  Lastly, you make a chain-link garland out of the written on strips of paper and use for your Christmas decorations on your tree or wherever you'd like.

I used these items to create my Give Thanks Basket (ALL of these items I had in my stash):

• basket (just one I had at my house)
• leaves (from a Fall garland that had fallen off) - hot glued to the outside of the basket
• wooden dowels -  for the sign
• jute packaging twine - for the sign
• Create-a-Critter Cricut cartridge - for the turkey
• Sesame Street Seasons Cricut cartridge - for the leaves
• Storybook Cricut cartridge - for the font
• Studio G glitter glue

I am entering this project in the following challenges:

• Craft Your Passion Challenge #85 - Sponsored by Doodle Pantry - challenge this week is a photo inspiration, whether it be the colors, pumpkins, leaves, etc.
• Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #87 - Create a card or project with the words “Thank you” (or “Thanks”) on it 
• Getting Cricky - Simply Sunday Challenge Give Thanks - create a project reflecting something you are thankful for: family, friends, pets, crafting... It is open to your interpretation of something you are thankful for! 
• Paper Cutz Challenge #117 - make a card, LO or craft project for Thanksgiving, using a stamped, digital stamp or Cricut cut image of a turkey!
• Crop Stop Challenge #47 - Be Thankful - create a thank you card, thankful LO, or a thankful project
• Use It Tuesday Challenge #20 Giving Thanks - make a project that has to do with Giving Thanks
• The Cuttlebug Spot - Gobble Gobble Turkey Challenge - Your entry must have a Turkey

Here is our Give Thanks Basket during our Thanksgiving dinner:

Thanks for stopping by and viewing my Give Thanks Basket.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and now let's bring on Christmas!!!

Kaitlyn's Elmo Birthday card for Jaidyn

Kaitlyn is my 9 year old daughter and this is her card she made for her sister Jaidyn's 2nd birthday.  She designed it based on the crayon box in the Elmo's Party Cricut cartridge.

Kaitlyn is entering this card in Craft Your Passion Kids Crafts Challenge #2 - seeing red - create a project with red on it.

Here's a close up of the bottom:

Here's the inside:

I know Jaidyn won't understand it until she's much older, but there was alot of time and love put into this card and we are so proud of Kaitlyn for doing it!!!