December 12 of 12

I have been documenting a day in my life every month this year. Here is the entry for December (I still need to complete the LO for November). I used a new template this month, from Design House Digital and used paper and elements from 300DPI's "Tis the Season" digi kit. I am not sure if I will continue with the 12 of 12 project in 2011 but I did have fun doing my digi LO's every month and trying my hand at new skills/techniques.

wrapping, wrapping, wrapping

I have been busy wrapping packages--here is a sampling of what I am doing this year. Some small items are going into "sour cream" packaging with tags I embellished with cuts from Jolly Holidays and ornaments I made from coasters. Other items are going into brown lunch bags and being topped with bag toppers and loopy bows. Large items are being wrapped in brown kraft paper and topped with more loopy bows. It is fun having coordinated packages and making my own bows this year is a joy!

Wonky, Repurposed Holiday Label

I have been reading Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas this week. Wow--have I been inspired. I wish I had his genius (and access to all those products).
The challenge this week at Papercraft Star is to create an altered holiday gift, card or scrapbook layout using recycled or repurposed items you already have on hand. I used the plastic clamshell from a new cricut cart, dabbed it with alcohol inks and embossed it with the cuttlebug. Good way to use that packaging instead of tossing it! I also found some little tags that I bought years ago that I recolored with Distress Ink and adhered to the larger tag. And for a final bit of recylcing, I cut up some fabric strips and sprayed them with Glimmer Mist to make my own ribbon. Tim has a grunge look....I have a "wonky" look!

Ha-P B-Day

Made this fun card for my nephew's 9th birthday using Smiley Cards. Can't believe he will be 9 this week. Ha-P B-Day Jacko!!!!!

Papercraft Star has a new challenge this week
Create a Holiday Gift Tag Using...

Cardstock

Patterned Paper

Stamp and/or Die Cut (Cricut or Other)

Ribbon or Twine

Gems or Pearls
Here is my creation:

Calendar

I am planning to make several of these 2011 calendars to give as gifts for the holidays. I used the Better Together Imagine cartridge to create the background design and a calendar template from the internet. I placed my finished calendar into a CD case. A quick and easy (and inexpensive) gift. I plan to submit this to My Creative Time: Imagination Nation's gift challenge

Outstanding

I did this LO using my Imagine and the Country Carnival cart. I printed out my own paper and ran it through my printer for the text on the page. I plan to submit this LO to the Imagine Nation Monday Challenge. The challenge this time was to use buttons--I punched some from my printed paper with my MS button punch and used other buttons from my stash. I just got several colors of baker's twine this week, so I used a couple of my new colors, too!

Beach Day

I went to the CKC in Bellevue last week in came upon the Lea France booth. I was unfamiliar with their products and method of French Photo Collage scrapbooking. I was facinated! I watched the demo for a bit and then bought a couple of the templates. This is my first attempt, using the Quilt Stencil. I can see lots of possibilities for these in the future!

I was also creating this LO for My Creative Time's Throwback Thursday Cricut-less Challenge. No Cricut/No Gypsy! (oops--after I finished and linked the project, I discovered it was supposed to include "Thanks" in it--missed that part.) I had fun creating without using my technology today!

Merry Christmas card

Papercraft Star has another great challenge this week. I have had time to do much crafting but did get put together a card for the challenge.
Here are the requirements:
Make a Holiday Card or Tag that features a Christmas Tree or Ornament, Use the Cricut or Other Die Cut on your project, Add Ribbon, Add Handmade Embellishment, Add Bling, (use anything additional you desire)
I made the Christmas tree by tearing strips of holiday PP and layering the strips with MS branch punch pieces from glitter paper. I cut the layered strips into a tree shape and added a blinged star to the top and a cuttlebugged trunk. I used Noel ribbon and layered Nesties die cuts to frame my sentiment. I added glitter around the edges of both Nestie layers and used Viva Decor glitter liner to add dots to the top layer around the white card base and star.

Merry Christmas easel card

Papercraft Star's challenge for this week is a photo inspiration. Create a holiday card, tag, LO, etc based on this summer photo....
I saw the white scalloped trims and eyelets and striped fabric, as well as the blues and greens and I came up with the following Christmas card. I have never created an easel card before (don't know why--it was easy peasy) so thought I would do that and add some ornaments, using the SU ornament stamp/punch set I got last year.

Merry Christmas Dear Friend

12 of 12 September and October

I finally sat down and put together my September 12 of 12 LO. I used a free digi kit I downloaded from Summertime Designs called "Dryer Lint at Tiffany's". I love the kits from Summertime Designs. They are chock full of great papers and elements. And they are free!

For my October LO, I used another kit from Summertime Designs called "A BOO-tiful Night". I focused on the candy elements since I had a photo of my candy corn hate. There are great Halloween papers and spooky elements in this kit too. I had such a crazy day in October, I forgot to take all 12 photos--but I just filled in the blanks with patterned papers. I like the finished LO!

Going Buggy: WIN THE ENTIRE RANGE OF 148 PROMARKERS#links

Going Buggy: WIN THE ENTIRE RANGE OF 148 PROMARKERS#links

Wonderful

I created this card for Papercraft Star's Simon Says Make a Card challenge this week. I embossed the card base with the cuttlebug, added the 2 double mats, ribbon, made a flower from several punched circles & topped it with a button & stamped my sentiment. I really like the black & white simplicity of this card.

Papercraft Star Giveaway!!!

Help Papercraft Star get to 1000 followers! When they get there, they will draw a name for a $25 gift certificate. Go check out their site. I am loving all the new crafting challenges every week and that they post them early so I can get them done ahead of time!

Honor

Honoring DS with this LO about his induction the honor society at his junior high last spring.

All-Star

Highlights from the state baseball tournament this past summer are featured in this LO. I used my favorite cart-Sports Mania-to create the title and the bats. This cart will get lots of use for years to come.

Nuts About U

This Martha Stewart photo is the inspiration challenge for Papercraft Star this week. The bowls of nuts and the earthy colors grabbed my attention.

This is my final product!
Valerie Salmon's card sketch 105 was the base for the card. I pulled out Winter Woodland and Create A Critter Cricut cartridges for my squirrel, nuts and word art. I used the cuttlebug to give the squirrel's tail some detail and the nut caps. I found some great wood grain paper in the DCVW Green Stack (nuts/trees/squirrels...). And again used my newish MS laurel punch.

I'm "Nuts About U"!

yaking

I used my Imagine to create this LO. I really liked the sunny embellie--it was a perfect fit for the sunny outing I had with sonny! Pink Cricut and My Creative Time are having a challenge this week to do a LO featuring polka dots & I've got them in a couple places (although very faint in my big background).

Pinwheel card

I saw this great pinwheel card today and found the video tutorial for it at Barbstamps.com. I gave it a try and added some detail with the laurel punch. Diane at Capadia Designs did a great card with the punch today, so I scraplifted her idea to my card.

Colonial Crafts

A real simple LO featuring Maggie at school last year!

thanks SO MUCH

I made this card for 2 challenges! Pink Cricut was having a challenge to create something using the Imagine and a stamped imagine. Papercraft Star's challenge is a Thank you theme using dry embossing, cricut/die cut & metal. I combined all that into this card. Used the Imagine to print and cut the layered flower. Embossed a metal sheet with a cuttlebug "Many Thanks" folder and stamped a sentiment on the tag. Added some stickles, glossy accents and pop dots for dimesion (and my white pen)!

Egg-citing

This is another LO for my SDU sample book. I used my new Martha Stewart laurel edge punch--I really like the detail on it! These pix were a blast from the past--from 2005!

eek!

I dug up these vintage pix of the kids to use for a LO for my SDU sample book. These pix are from 2004! I used my new Martha Stewart crackle edge punch and I found a couple punches that made mini cats and bats.

Braces

Maggie got braces! They sure do change her appearance. I did not know she was going to get braces at this appt so I did not take my camera. One of the gals in the office was really sweet and let me use the office digital camera to take pix and then she emailed them to me. That is good customer service!

I used a Sketchy Thursdays sketch as inspiration for my LO. Their challenge was to also use a punch (used my new Martha Stewart crackle edge punch) & to have some orange in the LO (I have several shades featured). Check out Maggie's cool orange shades!

Altered project

For my NSSS group, a few of us are doing an elfster swap. We are supposed to alter an item and send a few goodies to our partner. I saw this great tutorial at Crop Stop on using metal in the cuttlebug, so I got some and gave it a try. I used my new Tim Holtz embossing folders to emboss the metal, distressed the colored side with a sanding block and used terrifficly tacky tape to adhere the metal sheets to the can. I added a few brads to bling it up a bit and wrapped some SU twine around the top and bottom. I think this would be great for pens/pencils/

markers/scissors....Hope my partner likes it. I had fun making it.

Happy Halloween

Papercraft Star is having a photo inspiration challenge this week, based on a Martha Stewart Halloween decor spread. The polka dots in the table cloth reminded me of the swiss cheese border punch I possess.....

....so I pulled it out, along with some Halloween papers, stamps, ribbon and ink. This is what evolved....

Memories

This is another LO I did for my SDU class. It is an example of a complimentary color scheme. I have done a few LO's with this photo (I love this picture)!

Memories

I got a new camera for Mother's Day and it has a great digital zoom on it. I have had the best time getting close ups of the hummingbirds that feed at the feeder hanging from the deck.

Bearylish on the Cricut MB designed a great sketch and this is my version of the sketch. I have also used it for my SDU class, since it is such a great design!

Sweet Dreams

Did this monochromatic LO for my SDU class using some really old pictures of DD! Also trying to highlight handwriting titles (something I don't do much of since I go my cricut).

A Top Mt. Mama

The mountains are covered with glitter to emulate snow! I used the newish 3M Craft Paper, cut out my shape, pulled off the adhesive backing and sprinkled the fine & coarse glitter on the adhesive and smooshed it down. Did this LO as an example for my SDU class-I have been giving students a sketch each week and I also scrap the sketch.

My Friend and Pretty Peas

I was playing around with Just Because Cards cartridge and the MS loopy punch and came up with this card. I used the Viva Decor pearl pen for the dots on the label. And my trusted white pen for the stitching lines.

I can't remember what cart I used for this card!!! I used a MS flower punch to punch a variety of flowers so I could layer them on the card. And I added silver and yellow Viva Decor pearl pen dots for accents.

Stinkin' Cute

My new Cricut Imagine has arrived. I was surprised at how big and heavy it is. I have not had much time to play with it. I did make 3 quick cards--this cutie is the only one left. I already gave away the others. One went to my parents, who were amazed that it was a handmade card!

For this card I flooded a background shape with a design, cut it out, & also cut out the medallion. Used a stamp from My Pink Stamper/Robyn's set and tried out my new Viva Decor pearl pens (love them). Finishing touch--the trusty white pen!

HAPPY halloween

I cannot believe Halloween is right around the corner (and that means Thanksgiving and Christmas are close behind---yikes)!!! I stumbled onto a fun challenge site and thought I would play along with their challenge this week. Papercraft Star has a card challenge this week and while I don't do many cards or stamping, I thought I would whip up a quick spooky one to get me ready for the scary season ahead!

Armed Forces Day

I finished this LO today. We had such a good time at the Armed Forces Day parade in Bremerton in May. Living in a Navy community, our military events and celebrations are really done right!

Bee Happy card

I am going to be doing some scrapping demo's at Michael's in a couple weeks as part of my SDU "job". This card is one of the demos I will be doing. I made up a sample to make sure I knew what I was making! I added a few extra details--I love my white pen and I thought the card needed some rhinestones!

new card

On the Scrapguy's blog today, he featured a wonderful card. I had to scraplift a couple of ideas from it--the pleated paper and tying a ribbon through a button. I had not tried those techniques before. Very easy and effective. I ended up making 3 cards since they were also fast to assemble. I will put sentiments on them when I use them. Thanks, Scrapguy!!!!

Intensity

I love this photo of DB! It was taken at a baseball tournament this summer by a dad from another team. He emailed it to us. The beauty of the internet! I used a sketch from Sketchy Thursdays to help me complete the LO.

Happy New {school} Year

The kids went back to school this week. Boy did the 10 weeks of summer fly by fast. I took my traditional first day of school pictures and Sketches! {by tamara} had a great challenge sketch that fit my pictures. 300 dpi was offerring a free digi kit "Hittin' the Books II" & I thought it was a perfect kit for my photos.

Happy Birthday Dude

I made this card for my brother's birthday following the challenge sketch posted this week at Sketches! {by tamara}. I used the Feeling Groovy Cricut Lite cartridge and my cuttlebug.

Emelia''s Gifts

I was invited to my friend, Kelly's baby shower. Time to decide what to make. I love to knit baby hats, especially the flower hats for girls. Griff helped me with the design (I was running out of yellow and he suggested the white stripe). I have had this denim jacket in my collection for quite awhile, waiting for the right child. When I got Kelly's invite, the time was right to start sewing! I have never used my cricut to cut fabric but it was really easy. I designed my project with the gypsy. So/sew simple! Used fabric and ribbon and floss from my stash and ran across these great buttons at Wal-Mart.

I think Emelia is going to look smashing as she sports this one of a kind jacket on the playground in a couple of years!

I want one in my size!

Sunset

I thought the Sketchy Thursday challenge for this week would be perfect for my pix of our last sunset in Hawaii.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Summer must be here because my flowers are finally beginning to bloom. This LO features a few of my fav blossoms. I am submitting this LO to Sketchy Thursdays August Design Team challenge! Along with following the sketch, you had to include a handmade embellie (I crocheted and colored the flower with alcohol inks) and use yellow in the LO.

Under The Sea

This LO is based on Sketches! {by tamara}'s layout challenge for this week. I really enjoy Tamara's sketches!