Blog Awards

Hello everyone,

I have been sent a few blog awards and haven't gotten around to posting them until now. I am so happy that these ladies love my work and my blog so much to take the time to pass these on to me. My sincerest thanks to you all.

 Thanks Carla of Carla's Cards

Thanks Natasha of Crafting with Natasha  

Thanks Shen of My Curious Crafts and Diana of DL Art

Thanks Esther of For the Joy of Creating.

What you have to do:

Irresistible Sweet Award: Share 7 random facts about yourself and share the award with 8 others.

Versatile Blogger Award: Share 7 things about yourself and share the award with 15 others.
Stinkin' Cute Blog Award: No rules just pass it on.
Butterfly Award: Answers several questions then pass it on.

Here 7 thing about myself:

1. I have not been home in 12 years.

2. I subscribe to 4 scrapbooking/card magazines. (One comes all the way from England).
3. I am on Weight Watcher (lost now 24 lbs, 31 lbs to go).
4. I have to exercise but hate it!
5. I taught Science to high school kids in England.

6. I love to dance salsa, I am ok at it.

7. My friends called me Energizer Bunny because I would never leave a dance floor until the music ends. That was years ago now.

Butterfly Award Questions:

Q1) Name your favorite color? Blue

Q2) Name your favorite song? Anything by Brian McKnight
Q3) Name your favorite dessert? Cheesecake
Q4) What wizzes you off at the moment? Silly People

Q5) Your favorite pet? I like dogs but don't want one!

Q6) Black or White? Black
Q7) Your biggest fear? Loosing my mom

Q8) Best feature? My family

Q9) Everyday attitude? Make today better than yesterday
Q10) What is perfection? A day in my craft room with no kids!
Q11) Guilty pleasure? Chocolate
Q12) When you're upset you? I scrap!


Here are my awardees alphabetically: 
I'll invite them to take one of the awards they want and past it along. 
Adrian of By Adrian 4 U
Carla of Carla's Cards
Celeste of Touched By A Butterfly
Diana of DL Art
Esther of For the Joy of Creating
Holly of Ribbons And Glue
Jayne of Jayne Designs
Jovan of Cards By Jovan
Nicole of Creative Delights By Nicole 
Laurie of Scraps By Sissy 
Luciana of Dilsaver Designs
Melissa of Moe Creations 
Missy of Quick Chick Designs
Natasha of Crafting with Natasha
Shen of My Curious Crafts
Terrence of Polka Dots And Paint

 I still can't believe that they piled up so quickly. I just want to say thanks to the ladies who shared them with me. Your cyber/blogland love means so much to me.

Thanks Again
Happy Scrapping!
Judy

Celebrate The Occasion Challenge # 28: Birthday, Follow the Sketch

Hello everyone,

Its time for your weekly challenge at Celebrate the Occasion! This week the theme is Birthday but you have to follow the sketch provided.

I really wanted to use this more lace for my project and I really wanted to use this Recollections printed cardstock I found in Michael's. The Elegance set includes 5 sheets of 5 different black and white paper (25 sheets) for $3.99, but I used a 40% off coupon with it. I love the thickness of the paper so you could actually use them as the base for your card.

 

What was used:
Cuttlebug Seeing Spots Embossing folder
Recollections Cardstock
Recollections Elegance Printed Cardstock
Recollections Floral Embellishments
Recollections Rhinestone Stickers
Black satin and cream lace ribbons
Happy Birthday Sticker

Remember that the prize for August is a $25 gift certificate to Papertrey Ink. Please visit Celebrate the Occasion and get inspired by DT2 and share your projects to inspire us.

Happy scrapping!
Judy

Nuts About Sketches # 176

Hello everyone,

Its my last week on the design team for Nuts About Sketches. I have been very productive, completing 33 sketches in 6 months for this DT. I still hope to use Shawn Sketches and when I do I will share them with you here.

This week I used pictures of my little ones, except for the photo with them together, the pictures were taken 2 years apart. Now my son has celebrated is 4th birthday yesterday and my daughter will be 6 years old in a couple of weeks. The time has gone by so fast! 

I used the left side of the sketch for my layout.

 

What was used:
DCWV The Cotton Bloom Stack
Making Memories Spring sticker
Martha Stewart Custom Stamp Set for the title
EK Success Fastenator
Circle cutter

I am sharing a photo of my son blowing out the candles on his cake. My daughter chose the Valentine sprinkles for the top.

Please visit Nuts About Sketches and get inspired by the layout the rest of the DT submitted. I want to say Thanks to Shawn for choosing me for her DT, I can't wait to see what her new DT will do with her sketches.

Happy Scrapping!
Judy

Animals Circle Accordion Card

Hello Everyone,

I have this idea for an accordion card and thought I would combine a couple of challenges in making it. I always like to support my girls over at Celebrate the Occasion on my week off and I thought that this would a perfect shape for my card. I have to admit I went a little picture crazy on this post but I am really proud of my card. I will have to try a square one in the future because this circle one doesn't easily stand my itself.

The scalloped circles are each 4 inches and they were welded together on my Gypsy then rotated on the page so that they could be cut. I used one of my new favorite carts for the images, Nate's ABCs. The trouble with a 4 inch working area is that the images have to be cut smaller to fit in the frame and that meant I had to cut at 1.75 to 2 inches and some of the pieces were so tiny that I could hardly see them on the mat so I had to use my markers to add details.

I am also liking the sun on each scene, which is made up of twine wrapped around a few times on a punched circle.

 

I am linking this card to:
Celebrate The Occasion:  Circle Shaped Card (Any Occasion)
Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday: #74 'Birthday Bash'
Cricut Cardz Challenge: #89 'Its a Jungle Out There'
Patches Of Pink: Thursday Link Up Party

What was used:
Gypsy
Cricut Nate's ABCs (Images form 1.75 to 2 inches)
Cricut Elegant Edges (Base scalloped circles)
Cricut Georges and Basic Shapes (circles)
Cricut Once Upon A Princess (clouds)
Recollections Basics Light Blue Paper
We R Memory Keepers Cardstock
Divine Twine Green Apple, Cotton Candy, Lemon, Aqua and Orange
Buttons from stash
Inks

I hope you will visit these blogs and see the wonderful creations all the DT have made.

Happy Scrapping!
Judy

My Pink Stamper Card Donation for Breast Cancer

Hello Everyone,

I am making this card to donate to a Breast Cancer cause that Robyn of My Pink Stamper is hosting on her blog. She was contacted by a nurse, Kathy Mortl, asking for help to put a smile on the faces of ladies battling breast cancer. To know more about you can help out click HERE.

I really wanted the card to be very girlie so I pulled out my Pink lace ribbon. I am in love with lace ribbon.

What was used:
Cricut Stand and Salute
Cuttlebug Polka Dots
My Pink Stamper Fabulous Phrases Stamp Set
Making Memories Think Pink Paper
Making Memories Think Pink Sticker
Pink Ribbons (Satin and Lace)
Pink and Black Inks

Kathy needs only 1500, I am sure we can all pitch in and send them out. Mine goes out in the mail tomorrow.

Kathy Mortl

10261 N Sunnycrest Drive

Mequon, WI  53092"

Happy Scrapping!
Judy

I Made Top 5 at FCCB!

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to share that I got my first top 5 at Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog for my Cupcake Easel card. To see my full post click HERE.

Thanks Ladies for voting for me. I get to display this fabulous blinky on my blog!



Happy Scrapping!
Judy

Nuts About Sketches # 175

Hello everyone,

Its time for another sketch over at Nuts About Sketches. Shawn has also chosen the ladies for the new DT starting in September. I did not reapply for the team so this means that my term is almost come to an end this month. I really enjoyed working with her sketches it forced me to be very productive with my scrapbooking.

This week I have continued the school theme. My daughter had a class photo taken so I decided to turn it into a page. I did not put that photo on the page when I took the picture because of all her class mates. There are three other photos on the page of her having fun in her class.

Her teachers and her friends wrote her letters and I wanted to preserve those, some of the messages were so cute. Years from now she can read them and remember her Pre-K years. One of my favorite message was from her teach Marc, he wrote "Dear Aliisa, I will remember how excited you were about: 1. Putting on your plays and 2. Everything!" This sums up my daughter perfectly!

 

 

What was used:
Cricut Accents Essential
Paper from my stash (had it for a while can't remember the brand)
Cloud 9 Designs Chipboard Alphas
Decorative Paper clips

Hope you will take some time to go the Nuts About Sketches and see the gorgeous layouts the ladies have created this week and show us what you have done with this sketch.

Happy Scrapping
Judy

Celebrate the Occasion Challenge #26: Birthday Easel Card

Hello everyone,

Its time for another challenge at Celebrate the Occasion. This week's theme is Birthday Easel Card. If you haven't tried one before, this is the perfect time. I just love how easy they are to make and there are many U-Tube videos on how to make Easel Cards. I really like this one (Click HERE) by Split Coast Stampers. It is very easy to follow and you can really see how easy the technique is.

The other tutorial I used in making this card was a mini rose tutorial. I found the tutorial by Croping Queen (sorry she does not have a blog) for these roses, you can use any five petal flower. You can use a paper punch or your Cricut to create them. The best flower to use is the flower on Weddings Solution Cartridge because it is perfectly symmetrical but that is not totally neccessary. (Click HERE for tutorial). The leaves I just cut out by hand and added the details.

I will also be linking this card to:
Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #73 : A Piece of Cake

What was used:
Cricut Elegant Edges (Bracket frame)
EK Success Retro Flower Paper Punch (5 punch for each rose)
My Pink Stamper Everyday Life Stamp set
Martha Stewart Vintage Girl Paper Pack
Martha Stewart Modern Festive Paper Pack
Martha Stewart Modern Festive Chipboard Cupcake
Recollection Cardstock
American Crafts Stamp Marker: Cricket
Divine Twine Green Apple
Colorbox Cat's eye Chalk Inks
Bling from stash

I hope you will visit Celebrate the Occasion and see the beautiful Easel Cards DT2 have made to inspire you. Remember there is a chance to be entered into our August drawing for a $25 Paper Trey Ink gift certificate.

Happy Scrapping!
Judy

Nuts About Sketches # 174

Hello everyone,

Its time for a new sketch at Nuts About Sketches and remember you have until midnight tonight to submit for the DT.

I have used the school photos of my little ones for this week's page. It was my daughter's last year in preschool and my son's first. I used chipboard shapes that I have had in my stash for such a long time and I covered them with paper from DCWV Grade School stash.

 Right Side Only

What was used:
Cricut Locker Talk Cart (title cut at 3.75 inches)
DCWV The Grade School Stack
EK Success Binding Edge Punch
Chipboard Shapes
Offray Measure Up Ribbon
Black Chalk Ink

There are some really gorgeous layouts up on Nuts About Sketches, so please stop by and see them.

Happy Scrapping!
Judy

My Pinkalicious Blog Hop Friday (August 2011)

Hello everyone,

The monthly blog hop at My Pink Stamper is back on with her new DT. I love participating in her hops and this month she will even have a drawing for a Cricut cart and one of her stamp sets.

Her Challenge this month is for you to show off your style. This one was a little hard for me my style is always to try something different. I do love blue as well so I thought I would incorporate that into the project. I love the Nursery Rhymes and A Child's Years carts so I thought I'd use a cut from one of those. I also love the versatility of the Elegant Edges cart especially if you have a Gypsy so I used that too. I do love nice clean lines though, I am not too good with grunge or vintage styles.

I also used My Pink Stamper Everyday Life Stamp set which I received as a gift from Robyn for my Honorable Mention (for that post click here). Thanks so much Robyn.

 
What was used:
Cricut Nursery Rhymes (Pat-A-Cake cut at 2.5 inches)
Cricut Elegant Edges (Card base (with Gypsy) and topper at 4.25 inches)
My Pink Stamper Everyday Life Stamp set
DCWV Cotton Bloom Stack
American Craft Specialty Ribbon: Haute
Imaginisce I-Rock Hot Gems
Black Ink and Embossing powder

I have visited the stops on the hop and there are some really cute projects out there. Thanks for popping by.

Happy Scrapping!
Judy

Nuts About Sketches # 173 & DT Call Reminder

Hello Everyone,

There is a new sketch up at Nuts About Sketches. This is another page for my in-laws book. I am almost done just two pages left and this is good because my Mother-in-law is here from Finland to collect it. I think she is really happy with it and I am really sad to part with it.

A little background about this week's page:
My husband's aunt Leena is a doctor working and living in Tanzania for many years. John and Maria's mother gave her children to Aunt Leena just before she died of AIDS. I used pictures of them helping out my in laws at the summer cottage in Finland when they visited. The page I title 'Pikku Apualiset' which means Little Helpers.

What was used:

We R Memory Keepers White Out Paper Collection
We R Memory Keepers Twirl Paper Collection
Making Memories Rub-On alphabet
$1 alphabet stamp for (pikku)
Buttons from stash
Staples
Inks

Remember the deadline for submitting to the DT over at Nuts About Sketches is August 15, 2011 by 11:00 p.m. If you would to know more and see the sketch you need to use for the entry click HERE. Good luck!

Please visit Nuts About Sketches and see the amazing layout the ladies have submitted for this sketch.

Happy scrapping!
Judy

Paper This And That Challenge: Back To School

Hello everyone,

There is a new challenge at Paper This and That and this month for joining in the fun you can win $10 Gift Certificate from Glitter Babe Digis to her store. The theme is Back to School.

I did a layout of my daughter going back to her PreSchool last year. I really can't believe my baby is off to Kindergarten this year, the time does not go by slowly al all.

What was used:
DCWV The Grade School Stack
Bazzill cardstock

I also made this card from a digi stamp called So Smart from Glitter Babe Digis.
 

 

What was used:
Glitter Babe Digis So Smart
DCWV The Grade School Stack
Recollection Cardstock
Recollection Bling
Ribbon from my stash


I will be linking this project to:
My Sheri Crafts Challenge 66: Back to School
The Crafting Misfit Show and Tell

Please visit Paper This and That and join in our challenges too.

Happy scrapping!
Judy

Celebrate the Occasion Challenge #24: Kids Birthday

Hello everyone,

This is my first project for the new term on the Celebrate the Occasion's Design Team. There are so many wonderfully talented people on the two teams and I am humbled to be joining them.

As usual if you join in with our challenge you have a chance to be entered into our monthly drawing for an amazing prize. The theme this month is 'Kid's Birthday.'

This card is very special because I made it for my little friend Joshua Barry who is turning 3 years old today and he loves dragons! Unfortunately he is also moving way across the other side of the country with his family today. His mom and I are really good friends and great scrapbook pals. I am gonna miss them so much.

On the inside I stamped 'Have the HAPPIEST Birthday' from My Pink Stamper Fabulous Phrases Stamp set.

What was used:
Cricut Gypsy
Cricut Birthday Cakes (Castle cut at 2.5 inches, Dragon cut at 3.5 inches)
Cricut Everyday Paper Dolls (Sun cut at 3.75 inches
Cricut A Child's Year and George and Basic Shapes (grass welded on Gypsy)
Cuttlebug Polka Dots and Tiny Mosaic Texture Embossing Folders
Recollections Basics Light Blue Distressed
Cardstock: Recollections, DCWV, K&Company Recycled Grass Greens
My Pink Stamper Fabulous Phrases Stamp Set
Colorbox Chalk Inks

Please visit Celebrate the Occasion see the work fantastic work the ladies have produced to inspire you and share your own creations to inspire us.
Happy Scrapping!
Judy 

Nuts About Sketches # 172 and DT Call

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to remind you that Shawn over at Nuts About Sketches is on the search for new DT. Her DT serves for 6 months from September 2010 to February2011. The deadline for entries is August 15, 2011 by 11:00 p.m. If you would to know more and see the sketch you need to use for the entry click HERE. Good luck!

This week I did another page for my inlaw's book. There book is just about finished one more layout left to complete and it can make the journey to Finland in mid august. I used pictures from their family vacations over the years, so the title Lomalla means On Vacation. Its so nice to see all the fun my husband had as a kid (he's the youngest). I love this sketch from Shawn because it calls for so many pictures and is just what I needed for this layout.

 

What was used:
Cricut Plantin Schoolbook (title cut at 2 inches)
Gartner Studios Airplane Voyage Collection Paper pack
Panduro Hobby Travel Brads
Ribbon from my stash

Visit Nuts About Sketches and see the beautiful layouts the present DT have submitted.
Happy Scrapping!
Judy