We Wish You a Merry Christmas

I received these 2 handmade cards for Christmas this year. The card on the left is from Jennifer Stahr (http://myscrapmenagerie.com) and the card on the right is from Laura McGinnis- she doesn't have a blog. Jennifer is an online friend from several blog hops I've participated in with her. Laura is a friend who races horses and currently lives in Florida. I put these in my Eco SMASH book. All the Christmas ornament stickers are Sticko Holiday Stickers. The title- We Wish You a Merry Christmas, the journaling block, and the paper I used for the joined ornaments are from American Crafts Pebbles Home for Christmas 12x12 pad that I found at TJ Maxx. The joined ornaments are punched out from an EK SUCCESS border punch. The index tag at the top is K&COMPANY SMASH that I wrote Christmas Cards 2014 on with my SMASH crayon/pen. I adhered both cards and the journaling block with Glue dots. I wrote on the journaling block that the Christmas cards (are) from Jennifer & Laura. I adhered the joined ornaments with my XYRON 1.5 Create a Sticker maker. That's everything! I hope you have a great New Year! TFL!

Happy Birthday!

I just made this card for my stepmom. Her birthday is this coming Wednesday. I used Core'dinations A2 Card base and then added American Crafts Dear Lizzy Neapolitan 6x6 in pad that I found at TJ Maxx this past week. It has a lot of different papers and little journaling squares at the front. I couldn't wait to use it  and can't wait to use the rest on future projects. The sentiment "happy birthday" is from Simple Stories Happy Day 6x6 in pad, the watermelon is Sticko Sweet Treats Dimensional Stickers, the cake sticker is Recollections birthday collection. I also added 2 pieces of green bling before and after the watermelon, but you might not be able to see them. I used Recollections Dimensional Squares to give the sentiment some dimension. I'll write a message inside and include a $25 gift card to Bath & Body Works for her. I'll soon be working on Christmas cards and Christmas tags for a swap. TFL and have a great week!

Catch-up

 I made these 2 layouts about a month ago and am just now getting around to blogging- sorry. I've been busy!! I went to the beach with my sister, Emily, and her new boyfriend, Brian September 5. Both of these papers are from Oriental Trading Beach Collection (I threw out the original packaging, but all the paper is beach related).They're double-sided and the above paper has boats on the back, but I thought this side looked like sand. I made these at my last crop at church and borrowed the border punch at the bottom- it's EK Success. I messed up a few places, but you can't really see them unless you look up close. All the stickers are from Michaels and I believe are all Recollections. I don't have the packages in front of me and have lost some of the original packages. I believe the dimensional stickers on the following layout are also Recollections.

 These are all birthday cards I have made within the last month and have given away.

 The paper on this card is from DCWV All About Boys 8x8 paper pad. The sentiment is a Stampabilities Happy Happy Happy Happy birthday stamp that I stamped on a piece of scrap paper and used my decorative scissors. The stickers are Sticko Swirly Gigs. The card base is Core'dinations A2 White Cards.. I made this one for Robert, he loves comic books and superheroes, so this is the closest I could get. I wanted to make the sentiment look like Superman was saying it!

 The paper on this card is from Simple Stories Happy Day 6x6 Paper Pad as is the sentiment. I used foam tape to give it a little dimension. The twine is from my stash. I believe I used an A2 card base on this as well.

I made this card for my little brother, Tyler. He just turned 7 this past Sunday and I was able to spend some time with him, my sister, dad, stepmom, and Brian. The paper on this card is also from Simple Stories Happy Day 6x6 pad. The sentiment and balloons stickers are Sticko Themed Stickers. Tyler loves Toy Story, so I included a sticker at the top and gave him the rest of the pack. I know they're Disney, but not sure if that's the collection. I didn't write it down. I do remember they're game hologram stickers and that I bought them at Walmart near the cards. The card base is also A2. I used Glue Dots Ultra Thin Adhesives to adhere everything on these layouts and cards except the stickers and the beach border. I used my Xyron 1.5 Create a Sticker maker to adhere the border on the first layout. Sorry I haven't blogged since this past June. I've been volunteering at Tryon Palace and working at TJ Maxx. I have a birthday card to make this weekend for my stepmom and will promise to blog about it after I make it! I have ideas going in my head already! TFL and have a great weekend! :)

Scrap Layouts and a Wedding Card

I made these layouts at my last Crop Night the beginning of June and am just getting around to sharing. It's been a busy month for me with VBS at church and volunteering a lot at Tryon Palace!

I made this layout for a challenge with http://scrapbook.com and the challenge was to consist of 5 things: 1. stripes
2. glittery
3. cursive font
4. word(s) on a picture
5. Something with the letter "b". My stripes are a photo mat and is from Carta Bella Giddy Up! 6x6 Paper Pad. I used Stickles Clear Star for the glittery on the stripes and a few places on the photo mat above on the baseballs. The cursive font is the title- Play Ball and is EK SUCCESS Jolee's Boutique Play Ball Dimensional Stickers as is the baseball and catcher's mitt. The patterned paper itself is Steve's Pages by Sugartree that I bought at Hobby Lobby. I wrote on the main picture with a red Sharpie that they were saying "The pledge of allegiance even though the flag wasn't there!" My something beginning with the letter "b" is ball or baseball. The picture mat under the main picture is from DCWV All About Boys 12x12 stack that I trimmed down to fit under the picture and I made it a little bigger so the baseballs, bats, footballs, basketballs, and stars are visible.

This is a close-up of the picture. Sorry the writing is hard to see, but it is at the top written over the trees and dugout.

This is a close-up of the stripes mat and the picture of the tee for those that didn't want the pitcher to pitch the ball to them and you can see the bats on the ground. I forgot to mention the bats sticker is also apart of the Jolee's Boutique Play Ball Collection. The picture mat under the picture of the balls on the far left is from American Crafts Dots & Stripes 6x6 in Paper Pad that I bought from TJ Maxx. The journaling to the left of the bats/tee picture paper is from Pebbles Lakeside 6x6 in Paper Pad- another TJ Maxx find-- it pays to be a TJ Maxx Associate! :) I wrote on the paper that Special Needs Baseball is for Special Needs children & adults that meets every Saturday in April and May. They don't play to win or keep score- they just play!

This layout is of pictures taken the end of May at the James Farrow Reunion. My mom's side of the family gets together every summer with my stepgrandfather's family- there's so many in both families that we can't get together at Christmas. The patterned paper is from Me & My Big Ideas Sunshine 12x12 Specialty Pad. The green family paper in the middle is from Colorbok Home Collection- "fun & family you home and home is where the heart is" is imprinted on the paper. I used Cricut Jasmine cartridge to make the title on red paper from DCWV Scrapbook Kit in a Stack Love & Wedding 8x8 in pad. I decided not to mat these pictures so that the background paper would show.

I had to hide the journaling under the bottom left picture so I used Authentique Paper Elegant 6x6 paper pad for the mat and wrote on it with a purple ink pen. I attached it with a light green brad from my stash. The journaling tells who is in each picture counterclockwise: Jonathan is wearing Zoe's hat while shooting a baket & John is looking on. Michelle, Matt, and Zoey on swing- Mr. Raffael's daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. John, Jonathan, Ben,& John are playing frisbee toss in the other pictures. I have a few more pictures to scrap from this day that I will be sharing soon. 

I made this wedding card thinking I was going to be in a blog hop, but I misunderstood.

I decided to make this card for Lisa and Patrick. They're getting married sometime in the fall. I'm already ahead of the game! She is a friend of mine that comes to the Crop Night at church once a month and we keep in touch on Facebook and on the phone. The card base is part of DCWV Scrapbook Kit in A Stack Love & Wedding that I trimmed down to 4x5 using a Thank You card as my template. The front rose cover paper is also from the same stack. The lace and Congratulations vellum is from my stash as are the purple bling. Now for the inside:

The tag is from K&Company Tag Pad. The white ribbon is actually 3 Girl JAM (http://www.3girljam.com) crinkled antique white ribbon from the Pink and White Bundle. I love 3 Girl JAM!! The sentiment vellum is from the same collection as the Congratulations vellum, but I'm unsure of the name DCWV Colored Vellum Stack maybe. The sentiment states "Wishing you both on this special day- long life. Great Joy. Much Love. Happy Days. Good luck. Sweet times... through all your years." I thought the hydrangea tag would look perfect in this wedding card. Lisa's favorite color is purple, so I had to include the purple bling on the front!  TFL! I'm probably not going to be posting anything this week unless I decide to do my SMASH challenge. My birthday is Friday and I plan to do something fun with Lisa- she's surprising me and I can't wait! My sister and stepbrother's birthdays are next week on the 4th of July and the day before. I'll share their cards before their birthdays! Have a great weekend! :)

Super Dad Blog Hop

Welcome to the Super Dad Blog Hop

We are here to honor and celebrate all our Super Dads this weekend the best way us crafters know how, with a blog hop showcasing some amazing projects. We hope that our projects will show Dads everywhere just how special they are to us all.

Connie Can Crop is the first stop on this Blog Hop.

This is a one day blog hop and we appreciate your leaving a comment for all of these talented friends who are here sharing their ideas and creations. 

We have an awesome sponsor and giveaway for this hop!

Please be sure to visit their Blog
http://cuttinandstampin.blogspot.com/

Shop
http://cuttinandstampin.blogspot.com/p/shop.html

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cuttinandstampinscrappysupplies

What do you need to do to win? Easy... become  a follower of each of the fabulous blogs in this hop and leave each of them a comment letting them know what you like best about their projects. Then stop by our sponsor's page and be sure to like her on facebook!! 

You will have until 12:00 am Monday to finish the hop and leave your comments. 

Winner will be announced on Wednesday at Connie Can Crop.

Be sure to follow everyone and leave a comment along the way!

My parents split and remarried so I have a card for my dad and for my stepdad to share today!

I found this sketch on Pinterest that Sketch ~N~ Scrap (http://sketchnscrap.blogspot.com/2014/06/card-sketch-27.html) posted and it turns out this is a card challenge that ends June 30 so I'm entering it in the challenge! They also have a layout sketch challenge that ends June 30 as well, so check it out! Now for my card that I made for my dad: 

 I didn't follow the sketch completely, but it's close enough. The brown paper or card base I got from one of my crop nights from Debbi. The blue paper is from Colorbok Deluxe Texture Cardstock. The red paper is from DCWV Love & Wedding Scrapbook Kit in a Stack 8x8 pad. The striped piece just below the yellow circle is Studio G's version of washi tape. The yellow circle paper is from Martha Stewart Punch Pad and I used an EK Success circle punch of Vicki's. I made this card last Friday night at my crop night. The red checkered pennant and the green pennant to the right of it is Pebbles Lakeside 6x6 pad. The next blue pennant is Recollections Textures & Animal 12x12 pad. The last green pennant is Recollections Bright and Basic 12x12 pad. They all reminded me of masculine colors and different shirt patterns. The Happy Father's Day stamp & star stamp (I stamped the star twice) is Studio G i clear plus gems stamps. I don't wanna use the gems because they're pink. I don't know too many men who like pink! I'll use them somewhere else in my scrapping I'm sure!  I used Versafine Onyx Black Pigment Ink to stamp with. I didn't put anything on the inside of his card since it took so long to make the front! Now for my stepdad's card:

 The card base is a piece of white paper from my stash. I glued the orange on top that is also Recollections Textures and Animal 12x12 pad. I used the Happy Father's Day stamp and Versafine ink again. The flags, stars, and car stickers are Sticko Race Cars stickers since he loves NASCAR. The football I cut off Vicki's Cricut using Boys Will Be Boys cart on the same brown paper that I used for my dad's card. I wanted it to shadow, with the middle not showing, but it didn't work out so I colored over the middle with my Copic Sketch .Too 100 Black and later decided to add Trendy Twine (http://trendytwine.blogspot.com/) Watermelon Sorbet. He loves football and watermelon. Yes, his favorite team is Washington Redskins. I wrote Washington with EK SUCCESS Zig Memory System 0.5mm Ballpoint pen and Redskins with a black ink pen. The athletic sticker is Me & My Big Ideas Soft Spoken Word Embellishments. He used to be very active in softball, but he's getting older and worn out so he's not playing any sports anymore. He still loves to be a spectator and will holler like a ref!

He loves to take his son fishing any chance they can get. This fishing pole/fish is also from Boys Will Be Boys cart and I used a piece of 8.5x11 paper that Vicki brought. I used Elmer's Washable School Disappearing Purple Glue stick on everything. That's all I have to share today. Please come back Sunday as I participate in a Wedding Ideas blog hop!

 Up next is LORI's blog and I'm sure she has an amazing project to share!

Here is our complete line up in case you get lost along the way:

1. Connie - http://conniecancrop.blogspot.com
2. Alicia - http://goldengoddessdesigns.blogspot.com/
 3. Pam - http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com/
 4. Melanie - http://afternoonscrapper.blogspot.com/

 5. Sarah - www.sarahbiswabic.blogspot.com
 6. Gina - http://californiascrappin-gcinderella21.blogspot.com/
 7. Angela - http://crazy3monkeys.blogspot.com
 8. Jenny - http://crazyaboutcricut.blogspot.com
9. Madge - www.thescrappinlounge.com
10. Amanda- http://salnclts76.blogspot.com--> YOU ARE HERE!
11. Lori - http://www.scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/--> NEXT!
12. Jessica -  http://craftinandstampin.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for joining us! Happy Father's Day to all the Men in our lives!!

My Cricut Craft Room Dads & Grads Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us on My Cricut Craft Room's Father's Day Blog Hop! You should have come from  Erica's Craft Room if you just happened to stop by my blog, please start back at the beginning at Erica's Craft Room. Today I made a card to share with you.

I made this easel card for Brody, a little boy that I teach Sunday School to, that will graduate from kindergarten on Monday. I found a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers ( http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/easelcard/) and love making them. This is the 4th easel card I have made! Anyway, I gave the card to Brody last Sunday and he loved it! The paper is Colorbok Textured 12x12 Scrapbook Pad. The Reach for the stars and the stars stickers are from MAMBI Graduation set. The "Happy Graduation!", "hip hop hooray" and "Way to go!" stickers are all Sticko Graduation stickers. The footprint stickers are Hallmark. The cap and diploma are both digital stamps from the Congrats file from Scrapping With Lisa Designs (http://scrappingwithlisadesigns.com/). I colored the tassel, ribbon, and confetti with red and yellow Sharpies since that is the color of his gown. I wrote 1st grade on the diploma since he was advanced to 1st grade and the year, 2014, underneath with a black ink pen. The Congratulations ribbon is Martha Stewart Crafts. I added the ribbon so the card would stand open like an easel. The kraft paper under the reach for the stars sticker is a piece of American Crafts Dots & Stripes 6x6 paper pad. Now for the inside.

The balloons and confetti are also a part of the Congrats digital stamp set from Scrapping With Lisa Designs. I colored them with different colors of Sharpies. I decided to add some twine from Timeless Twine (http://timelesstwine.blogspot.com/) that I won in a recent Create*Craft*Share YouTube Hop in May with Scrappin' Madge (http://www.thescrappinlounge.com/). I thought the twine would look better than just the black lines already there. The red circular paper is from my stash. I did include a note, but I didn't take a picture. Thanks again for stopping by and please leave me a comment and become a follower if you aren't already. I will be having a blog giveaway when I hit 80 or maybe even 100 whichever comes first! :)

 Next you will go to  Vicki's Blog.  Here's the line-up in case you get lost along the way.
1. Start- http://mycricutcraftroom.blogspot.com
 2. Amanda- http://salnclts76.blogspot.com --> YOU ARE HERE!
3. Vicki - http://vickiscraftroom.blogspot.com --> go here NEXT!
 4. Connie- http://papercraftingfromanotherviewpoint.blogspot.com
 5. Erica- http://EricasProject.blogspot.com
 6. ShanAnn- http://kraftinmama.blogspot.com
7. Trish- http://ifieverdoit.blogspot.com
 8. Eileen- http://www.craftykards.blogspot.com
 9. Crafting Blog Events http://craftingblogevents.blogspot.com

Sending Loving Thoughts Your Way

I made this SMASH entry for the May SMASHaholics Challenge on Facebook. I would share a link, but it's a closed group. The challenge was to include stamps and you can see I used 7 different stamps! Shannon sent me this card for Easter and I forgot to include it with the others. I decided to do a separate entry for it since she made some earrings for me. I will include the picture later on the polka-dotted rectangle paper which is from Martha Stewart Crafts Punch Pad. I don't just use it for punches as you can tell! I attached the card with a brad from my stash, because the card is from Someone Cares and a story is printed on the back. I decided to hide my journaling under the card and you will see it in the next 2 pictures. Now for the stamps- the bottom 2 in the left corner are Bella Creationz (http://www.bellacreationz.com) Oh Snap Clear Photopolymer Stamps that I won from a recent Create*Craft*Share YouTube hop in May with Scrappin' Madge (http://www.thescrappinlounge.com/). The soccer ball and dedication stamps are Skipping Stones Design (no longer in existence) All-Star collection. The leaf /spiral stamp is from Making Memories Flutter Clear Stamps. The Friends are Flowers that Never Fade stamp is HeroArts and I bought it from JoAnn's. The flower stamp is from the collection of scrap goodies from Mrs. Gloria. I'm sure it's Close to My Heart, but I don't have the original packaging. It's from a clear floral stamp collection. I used Versa Fine Onyx Black Pigment Ink on all the stamps. I colored over all the stamps with Sharpies to cover up the ink mess-ups. The paper is kinda glossy so it was hard to stamp on it. Laura made this SMASH book for me with her Cinch so I'm not sure of the paper company name, but it's kinda like Kraft paper. The small circle at the top is Studio Calico Wood Veneer- extra-ordinary- that I bought from TJ Maxx and yes, Shannon is extra-ordinary! :)  I used American Crafts Dots & Stripes 6x6 in paper pad for the arrow stamp from the Bella Creationz set and My Mind's Eye Six by Six Happier Designer Paper Pad for the HeroArts stamp since the stamps weren't sticking to the page like I wanted. The sticker, Best Friends for Life, is from Life's Little Occasions Spotted Canary/K&Company Friendship Sticker Medley that I also bought at JoAnn's. Shannon told me about JoAnn's & I'm glad she did! :)

This is a close-up of the wood veneer.

Here you see the journaling, but I'm sure you can't read it. I used Inspirations 8"x8" Reversible Papers. I've had it for so long that I forgot where I bought it! I wrote that Shannon & I met in a chat community, Net Central, which is no longer in existence, in 1996, online. I was a student at Johnson Bible College and she had just finished college and was getting married. We have kept in touch through Yahoo Messenger, MySpace, Facebook, mail, and now texting. These earrings (to be added later) are the first item she has made for me. We both love scrapbooking & share techniques all the time. She has since divorced and a had a little boy, Devin, who just turned 11. I look forward to meeting her in person one day! She is a soccer coach to Devin's soccer team. I will do an update post when I add the picture of the earrings! Please come back Saturday to participate in the Father's Day/Graduation blog hop that I am going to be a part of. TFL!

Congratulations & Easter cards/SMASH entry

This is a Joy-fold card. I found the tutorial from Pinterest and (http://karonskraftykorner.blogspot.com/2012/07/something-different-2.html). A friend on Facebook, Kim, actually made a graduation card using this same fold and I thought I'd try it out! I can't wait to make more of these! It's easy to make! The hard part is keeping it closed as you can tell I used a pair of scissors to keep it down for the picture!  The orange paper is Colorbok Deluxe Textured Cardstock. Let me get back to who I made this card for first! This card is for my cousin, Caroline, who is graduating from high school on June 6. Her school colors are orange and black thus the reason for all the orange and black! Now back to the details! :) The black polka dotted paper, the congratulations sticker, the cap a the top, 2 stars, the class of sticker, and the diploma is all from MAMBI Graduation. The diploma I fussy cut out of one of the 12 x 12 PP that I have used for another card and only about a 5.5 x 12 piece of it left. The celebrate sticker and the letter stickers- FVHS for her high school name is from Colorbok 12 x12 Scrap Pack Textures. The cap/tassel stamp is Unity KOTM May 2013 Totally & Utterly Amazing using Versafine Onyx Black Pigment ink and the tassels are colored with Sharpie 80s Glam Leg Warmer Orange. I used the same Sharpie to write the year 2014 as well as my Copic Sketch.Too 100 Black. The 4 dots at the bottom between the celebrate sticker and the congratulations sticker is Stickles Star Dust. I wrote my note in the inside of the polka dot paper. I can't wait to give it to her on Saturday. I know she's gonna like it! We have a family reunion on Saturday. I'm also giving Amanda, the baby card I made for the Inspirational Thoughts Blog Hop I participated in I believe it was. She's having her first baby in June and I'm going to look at TJ Maxx for a baby gift to go with the card tomorrow! She is my step-grandfather's granddaughter and we have got to know each other in the last 3 years that they've been married. I guess the common name and the fact that she shops at TJ Maxx and she's such a sweet girl! Now for my recent SMASH entry!

These 2 pages are in my SMASH Eco Pad. I didn't add any PP since the pages already had enough color on them! I take that back I did add a piece off PP for the journaling, but I will explain that after the next picture! These 2 cards are the only cards I received this past Easter. The card on the left page is from Lisa that she made for me! I added a few embellishments to compliment the card and fill in the blank spaces! The butterfly sticker, Easter (the title), easter basket, the words "easter basket" sticker, the chick coming out of the egg, and the eggs on both pages are all MAMBI Spring 12 x 12 set. The number stickers 2014 are Basic Grey Oliver Alphabet Stickers. The ribbon on the same page is Studio G Printed Adhesive Ribbon and the puffy chick is from my stash. The card on the right page is from Robert. He bought the card obviously, but that's ok, it's the thought that counts! He included 2 clippings- Disney Muppets Most Wanted DVD promo pic with Batman on the back and then a cartoon that is hidden inside the card of a preacher standing behind a pulpit and the caption reads, 'He was always complaining about people staring at the clock. So we moved it.' LOL! He sprayed ck1 on the Muppets clipping so I can smell the type of cologne he wears! Oh, it smells so good! ;) It still has a slight hint of it a little over a month later! We both grew up watching The Muppets and still love them! The ribbon at the bottom is Bobbin Ribbon that I bought from Big Lots years ago and just recently opened it! It's pink roses because he loves roses and has a rose bush of his own in Wisconsin! I forgot to say the reason for the purple/bright floral ribbon on Lisa's side is because she loves purple! Now for the journaling strip!

The paper is My Mind's Eye Happier Six by Six Designer Paper Pad. I don't know if you can read it, I tried cropping the picture so it would show up better, but Blogger wouldn't allow it to show up that way. Anyway, I wrote- Since I'm too old for an Easter basket, I consider these cards my Easter basket! I wrote it in black ink, but can't remember right now which pen I used. I love SMASHing my cards and did these differently since I only received 2. TFL and have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Congratulations!

I made this card using the above sketch for the May Card Challenge with Scrapping Everyday Miracles (http://scrappingeverydaymiracles.blogspot.com/2014/05/may-1st-challenges-post-draft.html)- you have until May 26 if you wanna play along! I made a wedding card to mail to a lady's son that is getting married the 31st of this month. The lady, Tracy, babysat me as a child and I have kept up with her on Facebook and sent her a Christmas card and she sent me one as well this past year. They also sent me an invitation to the wedding, but I won't be attending. It's in Kentucky and I don't really know them. I knew her older children. I thought it was only fair that I made them a card! Now for the details! The card base is Studio G. The brown polka dotted ribbon was on a stack of post-it notes so I decided to keep it for my scrappin! This is the first time I've used it and I have a few more pieces of it left! The purple and baby blue ribbon strips are from my stash. I've lost the original packaging, but they do have self-adhesive on them. The butterfly ribbon is American Crafts Spring Pink Premium Ribbon. The rose ribbon is American Crafts Peachy Keen Premium Ribbon. The floral ribbon is Studio G Printed Adhesive Ribbon. The green bling/water spots are also from my stash. The Congratulations sticker is Sticko Black Tie Phrases. The flowers were punched on the card when I bought the card set. The flower centerpiece is also from my stash and I added a green water spot for the center of the flower. It's 2 different flowers layered with 2 green leaves behind just to give the card some flair. Now for the inside:

I found this from The Cutting Cafe (http://thecuttingcafe.typepad.com) as part of the Everyday Block Sentiments. It includes wedding or bride & groom, birthday, celebrate, get well soon, friends forever, and keep calm. I have using the birthday one and this one and still have the others to make cards or scrap with! I will write a brief note in the card and get it in the mail soon. I have also been SMASHin and made a graduation card this week that I will share in another blog post. I thought this card was enough for one post since I'm entering it in the challenge with Scrapping Everyday Miracles. I will try to post the card and SMASH entry tomorrow afternoon. Have a great Memorial Day weekend if you don't stop by again beforehand! TFL! :)

It's your birthday shout...Hooray!

I love making easel cards! This is the 3rd one I have made! I found the tutorial from splitcoaststampers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QPHOkRukeQ). The paper is from Life of the Party kit with Housecalls by Scrappin' Madge (http://heartstringdesigns.blogspot.com/)- the front cover is Simple Stories Happy Day Signature Elements 4x6 Journaling Card Elements that I trimmed down a little. The card base is Simple Stories Happy Day Celebrate- you can't really see it unless you flip the card over. I covered the polka dots side and the stripe side is the back. The brad is Martha Stewart Crafts Modern Fabric Festive Brads that I bought from TJ Maxx about a year ago. The ribbon at the base of the easel that holds the top part of the card up is from my stash. I'd never used it and still have a little bit left to use on another card! The Happy Birthday sticker, Lisa gave me, and it's from a Creative Memories Customer Gift Tinted Tile Stickers set. Now for the inside. I'll explain the bottom strip below.

The numbers paper is from Simple Stories Happy Day 6x6 Paper Pad and the green banner/party strip is as well. The tag, I hope you feel beautiful today,  is a cardstock sticker from Authentique Classique: Elegant 6x6 bundle. The camera flair sticker was a freebie media file kit that I can't remember where I found it online right now. I'm not having any luck finding the name of the website. The little dots are rainbow dots/bling that are in my stash. I have lost the original packaging. I made this card for Shannon, the online friend of mine that used to be a Close To My Heart consultant. She's turning 40 next Tuesday and I wanted to make her a special card. She's going to love it! I even drew a box around the numbers 4 & 0 at the top with my 80s Glam Valley Girl Violet Sharpie. (Purple is my favorite color so it is my go to color in scrappin!) I added my note with a brad and another piece of the Happy Day 6x6 pad, I just didn't take a picture of that part. I put it in the mail today so that she will get it on time! TFL and have a great weekend! Don't forget Saturday is Armed Forces Day and don't forget to thank a soldier or a police officer for their service to the US!

My Cricut Craft Room's Mother's Day Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us on My Cricut Craft Room's May Blog Hop! You should have arrived here from Nikki's blog. If you just happened to stumble upon my blog, please start at the beginning at Erica's blog. Today I made 4 Mother's Day cards so sit back and relax with your favorite beverage! Here we go! :)

I made this card for my Grandmama Rhodes, my dad's mom. She is in a rehabilition center after having pneumonia, COPD, and congestive heart failure. I went to see her the Saturday after Easter as we passed through on our way to a family reunion in VA. She was surprised to see us since I didn't know we would stop by on the way, but was good to see her. The card base is Studio G. The floral paper is Hampton Arts Peace and Butterflies and I borrowed a pair of Lisa's wavy decorative scissors at my crop last Friday night to show the flowers on the card in the corner. I also borrowed a scallop punch from Vicki to make the 2 pieces in the middle where I stamped Happy Mother's Day. The Happy Mother's Day stamp is Studio G i clear plus gems! clear stamp. I used Versafine Onyx Black Pigment Ink to stamp it and went over it a little with my Copic Sketch Too 100 Black to fix where I messed up on the "M" and I added the "!" with it as well. The purple coloring is 3 different shades of the American Crafts Chromatix Grape set. The flower popped up to the left I fussy cut out of Best Occasions Jewel Punch Pack and used Recollections Foam Squares to pop it up. The papers I used the scallop punches on are from my stash. The ribbon was from Lisa's stash. The butterfly and flower stickers (to the left of Happy Mother's Day) are both from Recollections Kids Stickers.

The jar is a Stampin Up framelet that I traced and used Best Occasions Jewel Punch Pack again. I added some twine to make the lid look real. I wrote "flour" in the middle of the jar as a play on words with my Copic again. The butterfly and both flower stickers are Recollections Kids stickers. My grandmama used to can is why I added this jar and should have put pickles or something she canned a lot of instead of flour- that's just the first thing I thought of since there is a flower in the middle! I mailed her card and wish I could see her reaction when she sees it, but I know she will like it!

I made this card for my Grandmama Farrow, my mom's mom. She loves flowers! The 3 flower circles are all from Colorbok Spring Morning and I used Recollections Foam Squares again to pop them up! The ribbon is American Crafts Peachy Keen. I decided to use a Kraft sticker for the sentiment this time. I found this set of Kraft Stickers at Michaels in the dollar aisle near the check-out. The Happy Mother's Day stamp is the same Studio G i clear stamp and I used Versafine ink again. I didn't put anything on the inside of her card. I'm going to see her this Sunday and will give her this card in person.

I made this card for my stepmom, Tammy. She loves the movie Mommy Dearest so that's what theme I was going for with this card! I should have said that the card base on all the cards is Studio G. The paper is Authentique Classique Elegant 6x6 Bundle. The ribbon at the top is Crate Paper Superior Quality Trims Peppermint Collection from Housecalls by Scrappin Madge (http://heartstringdesigns.blogspot.com/) August 2013 Life of the Party Housecalls kit. The washi tape/blue arrows is Oriental Trading Pastels set. The little pink paper behind the kraft sticker is Recollections Printed Cardstock Cupcake Cuties that I fussy cut out of an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. I also used the same Studio G i clear stamp for the Happy Mother's Day stamp and the same Versafine ink. The flower, blue sticker underneath, and the green square sticker are all from a My Mind's Eye set that I bought from TJ Maxx. I added a Recollections Foam Square between the flower sticker and the blue sticker to give some dimension and because of the glitter the flower wouldn't stick to the other. I added one piece of pink bling- from my stash- in the middle of the green square just to have some bling!

The flower stickers are from my stash and I don't remember the name of the collection. The "special lady" stickers are also part of the Authentique Elegant bundle.

I made this card for my mom. I found the idea off of The Paper Post All Free Paper Crafts (http://www.crafttestdummies.com/craft-projects-2/last-minute-mothers-day-card-video-tutorial/). I used Colorbox Gold ink pad for the butterflies, Colorbox Kelly Green for the leaves stamp- that is also part of the same Studio G i clear stamp set with the sentiment as is the red floral stamp. I used Colorbox Cranberry ink pad on the floral stamp. The butterfly stamp is from Making Memories Flutter clear stamp set as well as the little flower stamp. I used Martha Stewart Crafts ink for the purple flowers. The purple paper is K&Company and the white paper is part of my stash as is the bling. I didn't put anything inside her card. My sister is down for the weekend and for Mother's Day and we plan to make my mom breakfast Sunday- a breakfast casserole! I also bought her a pair of garden gloves and some foot butter.
Thanks for joining me on this Mother's Day hop. The next stop is VICKI! I'm sure she has something lovely to share. Have a great Mother's Day to all you moms! :) 
Here is the enitre line-up in case you get lost:
 1. http://mycricutcraftroom.blogspot.com
 2. http://www.creationsbymommy.blogspot.com/
 3. http://salnclts76.blogspot.com/ -- YOU ARE HERE!
 4. http://vickiscraftroom.blogspot.com -- NEXT!
 5. Craft Lovers Come Here http://CraftLoversComeHere.blogspot.com
 6. Eileen http://www.craftykards.blogspot.com/
 7. Crafting Blog Events http://craftingblogevents.blogspot.com

My Crop Night

I made this layout following the above sketch that I found on Pinterest from http://thescrappiest.blogspot.com/2009/09/sketch-32.html. This picture is of Tyler when he was 2 1/2 years old. The blue solid paper is Close To My Heart My Reflections Balloon Ride. The blue PP is Recollections Water Words. The pic mat and the green strip are Recollections Bright and Basic Cardstock Scrapbooking Pad. The 3 kraft circles I cut out of American Crafts Dots & Stripes 6x6 Paper Pad (I just used the back side). The title- Tyler- is made using the Monograms Cricut cartridge and not sure the paper used, it was shared. The Fun in the Sun/sun sticker is Sticko and was also shared by Lisa. The beach ball and the bucket/shovel stickers are Momenta ATD sticker set. This is a first for me- a non-busy layout! :) I also started on a Mother's Day card and finished it at home. You will have to come back Saturday to see it along with 3 other Mother's Day cards! I made my mom and grandmothers' cards and am going to make my stepmom's card tomorrow. TFL and please come back Saturday to participate in the May Blog Hop I am apart of!

Inspirational Thoughts Blog Hop

Welcome to the Inspirational Thoughts Blog Hop

 

It's Springtime and Easter time and what better way to celebrate this Season than with an Inspirational Thoughts Blog Hop. We hope that our projects will enlighten you and bring you all peace and blessings for a wonderful day!

You should have come from BETH but in case you didn't,

Connie Can Crop is the first stop on this Blog Hop.
This is a one day blog hop and we appreciate your leaving a comment for all of these talented friends who are here sharing their ideas and creations. 

We have an awesome sponsor and giveaway for this hop!

 Pinque Peacock
Is giving away a

 Check out their store here:
https://www.facebook.com/PinquePeacock

So what do you need to do to win? Easy... become  a follower of each of the fabulous blogs in this hop and leave each of them a comment letting them know what you like best about their projects. Then stop by our sponsor's page at be sure to like her on facebook!! 

You will have until 12:00 am Monday to finish the hop and leave your comments. 

Winners will be announced on Wednesday at Connie Can Crop.

Be sure to follow everyone and leave a comment  along the way!

Here are my projects I have to share with you today. Sit back with a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage and get ready for 7 pictures! You're gonna love them all! I started off with this Baby Girl card template that I found off Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/185914290840537205/) the website on the pin doesn't work, but it is on Pinterest!

Here is my card that I made for my step-cousin, Amanda, that has a little girl, Braelynn due in June!

The paper is DCWV Multi Dots Nana's Kids Print that I found at JoAnn's. The ribbon top is 3 Girl JAM (http://www.3girljam.com)  Pink and White Bundle- Cherry Lipstick and Antique White- I wanted to cover up my fold markings that I drew and then felt like it needed a bow to finish it off! The sweet circle directly under the bow, I fussy cut from a piece of baby PP that Sandi gave me as a RAK. I then added a pink strip of My Mind's Eye (MME) Happier 6x6 Designer Paper Pad so that you can't see the polka dots through the Recollections Baby Rattle sash! The Little Lady Sticker is from Momenta ATD Super Sticker Pack that I found at TJMaxx (TJM) and the MME pad is also from TJM. The rick rack ribbon is Martha Stewart Crafts given to me by Mrs.Gloria before she moved to VA. Then I added a strip of Recollections Butterfly Wings 4.5x6.5 collection for the diaper cover- found at Michaels- and used Martha Stewart Crafts Brights Punch Pad- the non-patterned sides- that I also found at TJM (it pays to work there ;))- to punch the 3 teddy bears with my small Teddy Bear punch that I believe I found at Big Lots- let's just say it's been in my stash awhile and I forgot where I bought it! Now for the inside!

The PP is MME Bella Bella by Carina Gardner- another TJM find I keep my eye on scrap supplies coming in and out! The so precious sticker is Recollections Baby Collection found at Michaels (both TJM and Michaels are in the mall in New Bern). The butterfly I fussycut out of a piece of baby Colorbok Flavia Sweet Baby PP that Sandi also gave me in the same RAK! The bird strip is Fiskars Heidi Grace Designs Flocked Cardstock Baby Girl Birds PP that I found at Big Lots in an assorted PP set, but can also be found at http://www.heidigrace.com! It was made in 2007 so it might still be available for purchase! The stamp- Begin Anywhere Just Begin- is Mary Engelbreit or ME*E*Inc.- a $1 find at Michaels. This is the first time using it! I bought it a few weeks ago and thought it would go perfect in this baby card, I've just been waiting for the best time to use it and voila! :)

this is a close-up of the sticker and the birds

this is the back of the card and my signature stamp- Hero Arts Handmade from the Heart- that I found from JoAnn's Arts & Crafts store in Raleigh. I forgot to mention that I used VersaFine Onyx Black Pigment Ink on both stamps. It's the best ink I've found for fine details and works for me! Now for 2 cotton bags that I won from 3 Girl JAM!!

I used Unity Stamp Company (http://www.theunitystampco.blogspot.com) May 2013 KOTM Totally and Utterly Amazing on both of these cotton bags. Unity had a sale on all their previous KOTMs so I decided to grab this one! I mainly grabbed it because I heard the song, "Don't Stop Believing" in January right after my dad's surgery and knew that was a sign that everything was going to be ok- Don't stop believing is a stamp in this set. I used it on a card a few posts down with a butterfly from the same KOTM. This kit has a whole sheet of stamps! I haven't used them all yet, but will! I'm just waiting to use them! I've been playing with them this week to just read them since some have fine print on them. I don't know if you can see the fine print on the strawberry, but it has "berry sweet" in fine print on it. I used VersaFine Onyx Black Pigment Ink on both stamps again. I plan to sell this bag and the next bag this spring. Both of these stamps set so well on the bag that I didn't want to add any color. I love the vintage feel of this one!

The clock/compass stamp didn't stamp that great on this one so I added Stickles Golden Rod and Silver to this one. I decided to add Stickles Burgundy and Silver to the heart just to give it some color! I used VersaFine again on these stamps. These are also from the same Unity KOTM. That's all I have for you today. I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop!

 Up next is SHAWNEE

I'm sure she has something lovely in store for you!

Here is our complete line up in case you get lost along the way.

1. Connie- http://conniecancrop.blogspot.com
2. Sandy- http://aworkingmomsjoy.blogspot.com
3. Alicia- http://goldengoddessdesigns.blogspot.com
4. Beth - http://thecraftyscrapyard.blogspot.com

5. Amanda- http://salnclts76.blogspot.com --> YOU ARE HERE!
6. Shawnee- http://sunshinycards.blogspot.com
7. Sharon - http://piece-ofheart.blogspot.com
8. Sarah - www.sarahbiswabic.blogspot.com
9. Michele - http://michelescraftroom.blogspot.com
10. Lori- http://Scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com

Be sure to leave everyone a comment to be entered to win!!