what's your current temp?

I'm sitting here in Michigan watching a movie w my eldest and DH, sitting in disbelief as the weather forecasters are predicting record breaking weather today! They're predicting 55 degrees Fahrenheit and it's currently 51 degrees outside (colder in our closed garage this a.m. when we checked - 39 degrees!)! We've scattered thundershowers in our forecast and I'm checking blogs between storm cells (addicted to the Internet as we know I am ... sigh).

I ask this question as the kind folkes at SheetLoad ShortCuts blog have a give-away and are asking, so head there if you're interested in playing along - by midnight CST! The picture at left should take you to their frosty give-away post.

a good read

did you know? ... that the kind folkes at Scrapbook & Cards Today offer a FREE version of their magazine online (including access to past issues)? Click on the picture at left to visit.

O' Christmas Tree

This year's Christmas tree is a departure for me - I've needlepointed for years (make that decades ... sigh) and have always started out decorating with hand-made ornaments, then added others. This year we used cranberry strings, asst'd red bulbs I'd picked up on a trip to IKEA w friends recently, and icicles (which we generally use in place of tinsel). It's SO PRETTY IRL!

Here's wishing you and yours a merry Christmas!

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas,
I'm glued to the tree.
I'm wondering what Santa
brought just for me.

Could it be cardstock
or chipboard or lace?
"Or a Cricut," I said,
with a smile on my face.

And that's when I heard him,
"Hi Santa!" I said.
"You know ... good little girls
should be in their beds."

"I know I should Santa,
and now I've been caught.
But I was just so excited
to see what you brought."

"Well, let's take a look
in this room where you work."
He shook his head quickly,
and left with a jerk.

I heard him exclaim
as he put it in gear ...
"You've got enough crap,
I'll see you next year!"

~ anon

beyond quick

Here's a simple silhouette card that was a perfect fit for this CHF trumpeting angel stamp and sheet music AND Sharon's Stamp Simply challenge #66! I purchased the single sheet of weathered-look sheet music at a garage sale this past summer, and the trumpeting angel stamp at a recent CHF sale. Put the two together along with some gold leafing paint around the DP's edges and voila! Easy peasy!

stamps: CHF Trumpeting Angel, SU's Heard from the Heart (inside sentiment); paper: Flair Designs' Christmas Carol Music DP, A1's Natural cardstock; ink: StazOn's Jet Black, Krylon gold leafing pen

Secret Santa 2009

I'm participating in a Secret Santa gift exchange at work and made this mini scrapbook for one of my gifts. Sorry for the washed out pics, but I probably won't have daylight and am too lazy to pull out my portable photo studio to make it any better, LOL!

The deets? Some of its pages were from CK's freebie download area, some from searches on the Internet, and some are pictures of 12x12" DP that I thought went with the project. I sized all the pages to 4x4" so I could use some coaster chipboard I had on hand, and recycled some thinner cardboard for the inside pages. I used Photoshop to make some areas transparent that were originally grey, changed some text from white to rust, and added the Christmas tree pic to the cover from the downloads. Then I put the whole thing together using my Bind-It-All. Voila!

I'm using Google's timed upload feature so its recipient doesn't spot the gift before our gift exchange - isn't modern technology wonderful?!

freebie 4x6 photo overlays

Checking blogs tonite before hitting the hay I came across a freebie I thought I'd pass along that Linda of Just A Scrappin' blog noted ... that Crystal Rieger at Memory Makers has some free photo overlays available for your downloading pleasure that will work very nicely with your 4x6 holiday photos.

Interested? Head over to Memory Makers' Web. And thanx, Linda!

a taped response

Mandy of Limelight Paper crafts blog provided the inspiration for this card, made mainly from some Heidi Swapp Christmas-theme tape I'd picked up at this past May's Mega Meet in Novi MI.

stamps: SU's Heard from the Heart (inside sentiment); papers: Rusty Pickle's White Christmas DP, A1 Natural, Prism unknown green and red cardstocks; ink: StazOn Jet Black; accessories: Heidi Swapp's theme tapes

a repurposed life

Ever pull apart store-bought cards and make your own from their parts? Today's card is from one we received at work the other day. We'd received two of the same card ... and who'd miss the double?! I made two cards from it - this one and another I'll post later. FYI, the group of three larger trees is from the card and the row of trees at the bottom of the card is from the matching envelope's flap. This one's based on Taylor's TECC46 challenge (better late than never!) and works for Jeanne's Holiday Blues color challenge - you KNOW how I love a challenge, right?!

stamps: studio g series 22, SU's Heard from the Heart (inside sentiment); paper: Paper Magic Group card/envelope for DP, CTMH Outdoor Denim, SU's Bashful Blue cardstocks; ink: CTMH Outdoor Denim; accessories: CTMH Outdoor Denim grosgrain ribbon

wedding day approaches

Do you recall the "welcome to the family" card I made for a work buddy back on the 2nd (here)? I made a coordinating Wedding Day card for Jeanette this past weekend. I lifted portions of their announcement card and edited it in Photoshop to remove some banners and fill in the tree with more leaves, printed that for the inside, then printed the verse on vellum to lay over the trees.

I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the front and a piece of the background print used in the announcement card and fashioned a gate-opening card for the front. This is one of my favorite PC fonts - it's Lucida Handwriting, in case you're interested, but I don't recall where I got it now. I'm a fontaholic and am always on the lookout for them!

stamps: no stamps were used in the making of this card!; paper: Colormates' Light Spring Green, SU's Vellum, Shimmery White, Whisper White cardstocks; ink: PC-generated; accessories: Cuttlebug and Wedding/Marriage embossing folder

year in review

... so I'm a bit early, you say?! It's Julee's fault - she got me started with today's posting! I'm a countdown junkie and LOVE watching the year in review shows every calendar year end. Julee asked today about a few of our favorite things in 2008 - and mine turned into a post, LOL! Drumroll, please ... here's a few of my favorite things:

fav songs:

• John Mayer's "Say" (The Bucket List)


• Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours"


• Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly," "Feelings Show"
  (I know, it's last year's album ... )

fav movies:

• PS, I Love You


• 27 Dresses


• Spiderwick Chronicle


• The Bucket List


• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian


• Iron Man


• Wall-E


• Dark Knight

fav shows:

• CBS' Sunday Morning


• Law & Order


• NCIS


• Designed to Sell


• Curb Appeal

fav toys:

• purple crop-a-dile


• portable photo studio


• nesties


• bind-it-all


• silhouette (4 Christmas)

moments:

• beautiful sunny days like today


• any time my guys take time to say they love me


• firsts - first flower bloom, first snowfall


• playing tic-tac-toe w Geoff on way in to work


• Wednesday afternoons when I schedule 1/2 day vacations!

SU Retiring Stamps List

SU's Retiring Stamps List is now available and the kind folkes at SU have made my life SO MUCH easier this year by publishing a list complete with pictures on their Web site as well as the PDF list (also available as a permanent link at right on my blog).

The good news? Besides the fact that I have most of my wish list already, the kind folkes at SU are offering a 10% discount, and free shipping on retiring stamp purchases over $70 thru December 23rd. And the bad news? After January 18th, kiss these stamps goodbye! The retiring accessories list s/be available January 5th. I'm already anxiously awaiting the upcoming catty!

I'm Dreamin' Of A White Christmas

... just like the ones I used to love ... speakin' of those we love, I LOVE Rusty Pickle DP and am LOVIN' the muted colors of this particular line. I picked up some ribbon to match the DP - called White Christmas - and thought the label looked pretty 'nuff to use ... so I did! This card's based on the OCCC's sketch challenge!

stamps: SU's Heard from the Heart (inside sentiment) and Rough Edges Alphabet (I know, I lined it up so wonderful it looks like a ransom note, LOL!); paper: Rusty Pickle White Christmas DP, A1 Natural White and Prism unknown cardstocks; ink: StazOn Jet Black, Tri-C watercolor markers; accessories: white string removed from a tag, used for the "package's" ribbon

RAK from Claudia

Oooh, ain't she STINKIN' CUTE?! I received my first hand-made Christmas card in today's mail from my neighbor buddy Claudia ... LOVE the colors, DP, stamp, fact that she pieced the ornament ... sigh ... thanx, Claud!

happy b'day Walt!

It's Walt Disney's b'day today. I haven't made a card to commemorate the day, but didn't want it to pass without making note to someone either ... and you were elected!

Did you know he received fifty-nine Academy Award nominations, won twenty-six Oscars and seven Emmy Awards? I grew up watching his t.v. show, going to Disney movies, and have been to Disney World but not Disneyland. When I felt "too old" to be heading to Disney movies I took my younger brother. Then we both treated the younger kid down the road. It wasn't 'til I started working at GM that I met another Disney movie afficianado. Nowadays I take my own kids, we've got a pretty hefty video collection, and we watch Disney movies at least weekly. Happy birthday, Walt!

SFYTT - Happy B'day Sue

I'm getting together tomorrow w some friends for dinner at one of my fav local restaurants to celebrate my buddy Sue's b'day. Her first choice was Outback and for whatever reason they choose to open at 3 p.m. I'm glad that worked for everyone joining us. It's a busy weekend for everyone and the others joining us have committments afterwards, but I've got a QuicKutz club meeting beforehand so this worked out great for all!

I just got this paper yesterday and have wanted to play w Jen del Muro's weekend sketch, so put the two together for a wintry b'day card but will have to use some for Christmas cards too. I inked the backs of the two ghost snowflake dies and decided to add Dazzling Diamonds to the front of the larger one.

stamps: Hero Arts' Solitary Snowflake, SU's Heard from the Heart (inside sentiment), studio g's series 11; paper: CTMH's Aspen DP and cardstock; ink: StazOn's Jet Black, VersaMagic's Cloud White; accessories: CTMH Colonial White brad, Heidi Swapp's ghost snowflake dies

Memory Makers Sweeps

I'm addicted to the Internet. There ... they say the first step of recovery is admitting you have a problem, right?! I can travel from one site to another, and realize I've been online for hours ... and I probably have WAY too many blogs on my Google Reader account ... but it's hard to weed any out, y'know?!

This sweepstakes page is one of my home pages on my PC at home and work (did you know you can set multiple pages as your home page? That way you can enter various sweeps easily when you sign on) - and if you check out the prize package for the December booty you'll understand why!

Click on the picture to see more info about the sweepstakes.

what kind of cookie are you?

I'm a molasses-gingerbread cookie - warm, spicy, and multifaceted (hey, you there, I heard that! Quit with the laughter!). Go back to the Christmas Workshop for holiday cookie recipes and creative packaging ideas, and then check out the Cookie of the Day. Want to check what type of cookie YOU are? Take this 8-question test to find out! ... and don't you just love the row house cookies?

Cuttlebug Challenges

My latest blog addition to the right is Cuttlebug Challenges. Those who know me know I LOVE that machine AND the embossing folders. If you do too, you've gotta check these folkes out. Enjoy, and tell 'em SueB sent ya!

Whiff of Joy blog candy

Just a quick "heads up" that Bev of Whiff of Joy's got some awesome blog candy at this post - and if I don't win, I hope one of my readers does! Let me know if you win!

welcome to the family

I made this card for a gal at work to give to her future daughter-in-law to welcome her into their family. It's an acrylic card similar to the one here and uses the poem below as the inside sentiment. I used PhotoShop to crop and remove the background from the quails used on the front of the original card, and the leaves background from another portion of their card to use on "our" version - so it's 4 layers: front is matted quails, inside front is custom DP, inside sentiment is printed on vellum cardstock, and back is green cardstock. I scanned the card at work as I forgot to take a picture before bringing it in to Jeanette. I LIKE creating custom DP - cool beans, eh?!
Jeanette made a mini bridal dress from a special hankie and is giving that to Alison with this card. Do you recall earlier hankie poems for baby cards I've made (one example's here)? Same gal - this is one crafty mama! - provided that poem and taught my boss Susan how to make the baby bonnets from hankies (Susan made that example one for me this past summer). Today we discussed ideas for a wedding card using the quails in the trees as a watermark ... but I've gotta pick up more supplies AND find some nice wedding card sentiments! It may be this weekend's project ... so more to follow ...

My New Daughter

As your wedding day approaches
these thoughts have come to mind,
my son has found the sweetest bride
that he could ever find.

I'm so glad that he has found you,
for you fit just like a key
into our special locket
that we call family.

Hold this hanky as a keepsake
that's from my heart to yours,
and with it are my blessings
as you open your life's doors.

Years from now in times to come
you'll pass this hanky on...
to a loved and cherished daughter
or the bride of your grown son...

Now you join our family,
and I joyfully extend
my open arms of friendship
to my new daughter and my friend.

Welcome to our family; we love you!

stamps: n/a; paper: custom DP, recycled acrylic report cover, ColorMates Light Spring Green, SU Whisper White cardstocks; ink: PC-generated; accessories: eyelets from a past share

happy Cyber Monday

Today's the unofficial start of the online shopping season and here's a couple coupons good for a one-day sale and free shipping thru December 6 at Jo-Ann's. Use the promotion codes on your online shopping experience, and enjoy!