An Etsy Challenge

I did my first Etsy Inspired Challenge. Have you tried one? It is a great challenge blog that chooses a shop that sells items on Etsy. You then pick any item in that store for your inspiration. The EtsyInspired #68 Challenge is a great shop called Gypsy Rose Handbags. These bags are some of the cutest I have ever seen. Now I knew I had to try this challenge because I am a bag fanatic. I actually change my work bags with the seasons. Yes I know, sounds a little crazy. But who wants to carry a black bag in June and a yellow bag with orange and green flowers on it in January? O.k. back to the fun stuff...this is the bag I used for my inspiration:

Now here is my card:

I see this being one of those cards that will be hard to give up.

Recipe: CS: Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Very Vanilla, Rose Red, Crushed Curry DSP: Manchester Stamps: Best Yet Ink: Rose Red Embellishments: Corduroy Buttons, Rose Red Ribbon, Linen Thread, Stickles

Green Eggs?

Just thought I would share a picture that my boys took of what was cooking in our household last weekend. My boys just had to try their hands at Green Eggs. Needless to say they put a few extra drops of food coloring in while I wasn't looking. After a few shakes of pepper and salt they were actually good-at least that's what I heard.

Teacher Gifts

Hello Everyone,

Well it's official...my children our home for the next TWO WEEKS!!! Isn't life grand-(cough-cough)?

I thought I would share a few of the notecards I did for Alex and Nicky's teachers. I orginally thought I only had to do 4 sets; one for each teacher and one for each of the two ladies who work extended day and who are so sweet at walking my boys over to the auditorium for their basketball practices and games.

I get so excited when I get to use things that have been sitting around for months. All of these packs contain 8 notecards with matching envelopes. I used the top note die to add a little decorative touch so I didn't have to wrap them. This was the perfect project to use up those 6x6 paper packs I know all of you have laying around.

A Christmas Card

I vowed to myself that I would send out Christmas cards this year. Needless to say I have been a little busy and have just gotten around to thinking about some layouts. I came across a simple but beautiful card while blog-hopping and thought it would make a great card to case. First check out my inspiration HERE from Julee Tilman. I really enjoy visiting her blog, she does such beautiful work. Now here is my take:

I hate that I waited to get to work to take this picture. Cubicle lighting is just plain horrible. I liked the fact that it didn't take long to put this card together either. So it should be pretty nice to reproduce a few of these for my favorite family and friends. Now I need to come up with about 2 or 3 more layouts.

Recipe:

CS: Real Red, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla; Stamps: Snow Swirled, Christmas Greetings; Ink: Real Red; Embellishments: Real Red 3/4 Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Real Red Button, Linen Thread

First Class of the New Year

I've been putting together a list of classes for the upcoming months and thought I would post the very first one of the new year.

Desk Set Class:

Saturday, January 9, 2010

1:00pm - 3:00pm

Cost: $15

Isn't this the cutest little desk set? As you can see we will be making a pretty little desk caddy for your pens, pencils, scissors, and such; matching scratchpad holder (which will come with your own personalized sratch paper); a matching pen; and a greeting card. Now this set can be perfect for a gift to someone special or you can definitely keep it for yourself and have an extra card to use at a later date. It's up to you.

I have also planned some new "card-technique" and scrapbooking classes. So come back and visit often, you don't want to miss out on any of the fun.


Save the Date:

Saturday, January 23, 2010
Card-Technique Class

Saturday, February 9, 2010
Valentine's Class

Christmas Wreath

The Martha Stewart Living Magazine is a dangerous thing, especially for crafters. I came across a beautiful wreath in last month's edition using an assortment of nuts. The only thing I thought was missing from her wreath was a little color. So here are my takes on it:

As you can see I used my Big Shot. The wreath base is from Michael's. The nuts are from Meijer's. And the little burns on my fingertips are from hotgun-LOL. But besides that, it was very easy to make. Glue the walnuts down first since they are your biggest. Then just fill-in the empty spaces with your other assorted nuts. Now decorate how you see fit. It is such a versatile decoration. You can customize the colors to go with any color scheme.

Paper Jewelry

Recently I came across a wonderful crafter and blogger, Amy Celona. And while I was visiting her past posts, I saw where she made the most beautiful pins using guess what? PAPER!!! Now I knew I just had to try my hands at this. So what do you think?

Amy provides a wonderful video on exactly how to put together these cute, handmade, one-of-a-kind gifts that would be perfect for the upcoming gift-giving holiday. Now this is not something you can do in just a day. From the pictures you can see that my flower is actually three layers. I wish I would have done a smaller 4th layer for the very top, like Amy did, but I was being impatient at the time.

Now each layer you see is actually 3 layers of cardstock modge podged together. And after the modge podge dried I covered each layer in SU's crystal effects. Believe me when I say that this was not hard to do. The hardest part was waiting for it to dry in between steps. I actually started this on Sunday afternoon and let the modge podge dry overnight. On Monday night I covered it in the crystal effects and let that dry overnight. Before I went to work on Tuesday I checked on it and noticed it still was not completely dry and that's when I took a little of the dazzling diamonds from SU and sprinkled it on each layer. That's the hint of sparkly you see. I put a dew drop on the very top because it just seemed like it was missing something. That's where my regret came in at not doing that 4th little layer to top it all off.

I will definitely be doing more of these. My plans are to work on another one of these this weekend but using one of SU's newest products. I think they are going to come out pretty cute. Stay tuned.

A Christmas Card

Can you believe it? I actually did a card! I can't remember the last time I was able to sit and work on a card. It was so relaxing. Plus, I really liked how the card came out. I have a Christmas class coming up and I think this will be one of the layouts we will do.

Now doing this card also made me start thinking that I have not started on any of my own personal Christmas cards that I send out. This year I do plan on sending some out since I was such a lazy bum last year and did not send out one Christmas card.

Now of course this also got me to thinking about what I needed to buy and what to purchase to make my Christmas cards and then it came to me-I AM NOT BUYING ANYTHING!!!! I have so much stuff I could use. I just refuse to keep buying more on top of more. So I was really happy when I was able to put this card together with the stuff I have on hand.

Recipe:

CS: Very Vanilla, Kraft, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Simply Scrappin' Kit: Sweet Nothings, Stamp Sets: Snow Swirled & Punches Three, Ink: Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Accessories: Very Vanilla & Riding Hood Red Taffeta, Rhinestones

Wanna Deal?

Stampin' Up received some great feedback when they introduced their "Deals of the Week" a couple of weeks ago. So they have decided to bring it back. Here's the first set of deals:

• Trio Flower Punch - $10.99 (regularly $15.95)
• 5-Petal Flower Punch - $10.99 (regularly $15.95)
• My Way Punch - $11.99 (regularly $15.95)

Watch for a new set of deals on Monday, October 12th.

Don't have a Stampin' Up demonstrator that you love, or loves you? Then give me a call. I would love to place an order for you and keep you updated of all that Stampin' Up has to offer.

My Digital Studio Is Here

Stampin' Up has done it again. They have made my life just a little bit easier. Well let me explain: I am a lazy scrapbooker. I have yet to actually finish a scrapbook. I have all these wonderful ideas floating through my head but I have done absolutely nothing with them. Well Stampin' Up has made it easy for me and you. This month they have introduced "My Digital Studio". Or for a better name, "Scrapbooking Made Easy".

My Digital Studio is an easy-to-use, software-based design studio featuring thousands of Stampin’ Up!’s images, colors, and accessories. My Digital Studio allows crafters of all skill levels to easily navigate the program and design their own digital project or use hundreds of templates to create professionally designed cards, photo albums, scrapbooks, and more. New artwork and templates will be available on a regular basis for download via Stampin’ Up!’s Online Store. In addition, My Digital Studio will offer professional print services where customers can purchase bound photo albums, cards, individual scrapbook pages, and calendars.

Click HERE for more info. I can't wait to get my own copy so I can start playing with it and getting some pictures out of my camera.

Have a great day and stop by again soon,

A New Look

I have decided to accept the fact that fall is here. ARGHHHH!!!! So this means a new look for my blog. Hope you like. I am also in the process of finalizing a new business venture. I'll share this as soon as it becomes final. It is really an exciting adventure that combines my love of paper and crafting.

TTFN,

Birthday Gift

Happy Friday Night everyone. I know I should be doing laundry now but I just can't get in the mood for that. So I decided to post some picts of a little project I have been working on. This is a gift I am giving my boss' daughter for her birthday. This idea came from two great bloggers:

Nancy Reilly

and

Nichole Heady

You should check them out. They do the cutest work. I visit their blogs often.

I did have to do a few adjustments because they used full size cake mix boxes and I used little cake mix boxes. My upline found these smaller versions of Duncan Hines cake mix just for cupcakes at Big Lots. Now she can make some cupcakes and add a few sprinkles. I also added four "thank you" cards so she can send out those thank yous for those great gifts she will get.

I guess I should get to folding. Hoping to hit the outlet mall tomorrow. Mommy needs a new pair of shoes, and pants, and shirts, and purse, and, and, and...you get the picture!!!

Fall Wreath

Even though my craft room still looks like hell, I felt compelled to get a little crafting done this weekend. I have seen some beautiful wreaths using the Big Shot dies and thought I would try my hand at a fall one since I love decorating my home for the fal and spring. I hung this on my front door and now I am thinking I will do a smaller one for my cubicle at work. I also loved how I used items that I have been hoarding for months; like the corduroy brads and designer buttons.

Oh, and by the way, this is a sample of what we will be doing in my class on October 10.


Recipe:
DSP: Autumn Traditions
CS: Elegant Eggplant, Ruby Red, More Mustard, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Accessories: Jumbo Brads, Corduroy Buttons, Designer Buttons, Butterfly Punch, 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon
Big Shot: Flower Daisies #2, Leaves #2

Fall Classes Are Here...

My fall classes have been scheduled and I am so excited. There are so many little projects and techniques that I have learned this summer that I can't wait to share them. So if you are in the south Chicagoland or northwest Indiana area, give me a call and sign up. I would love for you to participate.

Fall 2009
Paper Crafting Class
Schedule

September 26, 2009
Big Shot Class
$10.00
1:00pm – 3:00pm Registration Deadline: September 12th
Have you seen the Big Shot in action? Even if you don’t own it, doesn’t mean you can’t check out the latest in paper crafting trends. Come make 3 great projects using this fun machine.

October 10, 2009
Fall Wreath Class
$15.00
1:00pm – 3:00pm Registration Deadline: September 26th

This is one of my favorite projects. You will make a beautiful wreath to hang from your door or mantle. What a nice way to start off your fall home décor.

October 24, 2009
Christmas Stamp-A-Stack
$15.00
1:00pm – 3:00pm Registration Deadline: October 10th

Want to get a head start on your Christmas cards? Then come make 10 quick and easy holiday cards using stamp sets and accessories. This is a favorite so be sure to sign up early.

November 7, 2009
Mini-Scrapbook Class
$20.00
1:00pm – 3:00pm Registration Deadline: October 24th

Do you have a group of pictures that need a home? Well this scrapbook will be perfect to show off that vacation or special birthday. This mini-scrapbook makes a wonderful gift as well.

Email or call me for class location and if you have any questions.
Phone: 708-672-0744
Email: paperexpressions@att.net

All classes must be pre-registered and pre-paid for to ensure a kit is available for you. If you are unable to attend, payment can be transferred to a future class. The only thing you are required to bring is your favorite adhesive.

I'm trying!!!

As you can see, my creativity room has run amuck. We recently separated my boys into their own rooms and now I have to figure out how to combine the materials from the old office into my craft room. And boy has it been hard, and these pictures are after I did some clearing and throwing out. But I'm still trying.

My upline did the cutest teacher gift and I would love to be able to do two for my boys. Look like I will be creating on the kitchen table for now. I'll post some picts as soon as they are done-because that is why you come here isn't it?

Baseball...Baseball...Baseball...

Need to ask what I have been doing this summer? Of course not. This is the first summer my son has participated in a travelling baseball league. Has it been fun? Yes, we don't have totravel far for our games but we did travel a couple of weekends ago to Kalamazoo, MI. This was their first tournament "away" from home and they did really well, won 2 - loss 1. Here is a pic of Alex after having to slide back to 3rd base about 3 times (the pitcher thought he could catch my baby leading off) and finally coming into home.

And here is a little relaxation (and M&M's) in between games:

WHEW!!!!!!.......

Imagine yourself high above everyone else on a roller coaster...it looks like you can touch the clouds...you hear the faint wind in your ears...you're shaking...you close your eyes, and WHISHHHHHH...you go full speed ahead...down...faster...down...faster...down...you can't take anymore...faster...down...faster...down...and...it seems like there is no relief in site!

Now you have a slight picture of my summer. It has been one long roller coaster ride with no breaks. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, but boy would I love just a few days of sitting around doing absolutely nothing. I started doing classes this summer, which have been totally fun. I love thinking of the projects and I especially love that they really enjoy what they are making and learning. I have finished a few monthly swaps this summer, I went back to school to get my degree, and even though I am not going to the Stampin' Up convention I did sign up for a scrapbook swap so I have been working on that. My SU upline hosted a "Conventional" that I attended. Oh my gosh, what a wonderful event! It was so informative and the projects we did were amazing. I will posting these pictures int he next couple of days. Actually I will doing a lot of postings since I have so much to share...finally!!!

Bare with me...I'll be blogging on a regular basis real soon.

Now let's get to some fun stuff:

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to do some kind of container that would hold a baby shower gift and they also wanted a matching card. When I came across this cute template from Papertrey Ink I knew I had to try it. Here is my creation:

I was so happy with the results. My customer only had one requirement, she wanted me to use the picture of the little girl somewhere because this was going to be a mural in the new baby's nursery. I was able to capture the mural on the picnic basket and the card. I don't know if you can tell but I left the bottom part of the picture loose so she could lift it up and write her message inside the card. She was so grateful and mentioned how her gift was talk of the baby shower.

Supplies:

Cardstock: SU Kraft, Certainly Celery, & Very Vanilla

Accessories: Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon, Clear Rhinestone Brads, Flower(unknown)

Want a chance to win this....

Then make your way over to Stampin Addicts!

What's Stampin Addicts you ask? Well it is a great site for all your paper crafting needs. And right now they are having a contest that will knock your socks off. Have you seen all the new and wonderful Big Shot dies, texture plates and embossing folders in the new SU catty? Well with this contest you have the opportunity of winning this wonderful combination pack.

So have I peeked your interest? Want to know how you can enter to win this great Big Shot Pack? All you need to do is write a short post on your blog about the contest and send an email back to SA linking your post. It's that easy. And if you don't have a blog, you can even make the notice on your Twitter or Facebook page. How easy is that? Click HERE for all the contest details.

A BIG Reveal!!!

A BIG HELLO to Michelle Krupa!!!!

This post is for my SCS July Secret Sister Michelle.

Have you guys ever participated in a secret sister swap? Well I am currently participating in a month long ss swap. Now this consisted of purchasing 31 items for your secret sis so that she will have something to open everyday of the month. Now I know it sounds a little crazy but it was really fun. So I sent my ss card kits, skittles (one of her favorite candies), ribbon, I can't mention everything, she still has to open some things. Now being the complete airhead that I can be sometimes, I forgot to include a little card to let my ss know who I was. So I thought linking her to my blog would be a good way to "reveal" myself.

First I was super excited to get a ss that lived in Illinois, same as me. Then I was extra shocked when I learned she lived in Chicago, not that far from me. We are still probably a good 45 minutes away from each other but the way I drive I'm sure I could knock off about 10 or 15 minutes. So what a neat thing to be able to meet someone on SCS and have the opportunity to actually be able to meet them in person as well. I did some cyber stalking and found out she is getting married soon and taking a wonderful honeymoon oversees. I do wish her and her soon-to-be hubby the best of luck. And once the craziness of the wedding passes and she is all rested from a great honeymoon, maybe we can get together on a Saturday and meet in person and swap some great craft secrets. I'll defintely have to try to change what "sox" she wears. She likes wearing red. And now that she lives in Chicago we have to get her to start wearing white, even if she does live on the north side. She'll know what I mean-LOL.

Hope to meet you soon Michelle. And hope you are having fun opening your gifts.

The End of Monthly Swaps

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to share my last 3 cards I did for the monthly swap groups I have been participating in for the past 6 months. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed conversating with the ladies on Splitcoast who participated. Most of us have decided to take a break, but we may do this again once the summer fun has ended. But I have to say that I probably won't do 3 groups again. Even though it was a lot of fun, it was very time consuming. Plus, I would like to put a little more time into my part-time SU business. Coming up with great projects and actually doing samples does take a lot time and planning. So if you don't have an SU demo at your hands let me help you out. Even if you live out of the Illinois area, I'll be happy to bring the benefits and the fun of SU to your doorstep.

New Favorite Combo

Each month the SU demos in the group that I am in get together for a little info, swaps, and chatty conversation. And this past Monday was no exception. We buzzed about the new catty, convention, and our goals for the upcoming SU year. And the best part, of course, is our swap time. Well this months swap had to use colors from the SU color wheel. Now me, I don't own one, so I had to borrow one. And boy did I come across a color combo I have never done and which I believe is now my favorite combo for the time being: Almost Amethyst & Rose Red. Have you used these two together before? They really do compliment each other. And it also gave me a chance to use the rose red ribbon that I have had for months and never used. Have I ever mentioned I am a SU accessories/embellishment hoarder! I am really bad at this. I hate using my goodies. I know I need to but I am afraid I am going to run out, they won't be available anymore, and then I am just stuck without them. I also purchased a couple of months ago the new SU latte buttons. Well I have just used 1 on a frame I did. I can't seem to use them. They are so cute. Yes, it's crazy, but I know I am not alone. I know 2 other SU demos like this. Oh, and speakingo f the frame. I'll have to take some picts so I can show you guys.

Talk to you soon.