Nested Star Ornament

I was inspired by Anna Wight when I saw her star ornaments here and thought these would be perfect little somethings to give my peeps at Christmas.  I had a couple sizzix dies that nested nicely that I used to cut chipboard that I saved from the back of some paper packs.  I covered them with DCWV papers using mod podge and trimmed with my craft knife and then added a touch of chalk ink to the edges.  I added a cute heart button, some floss and a teeny bell, then twisted some wire to hang it and decided to add eyelets to be sure the holes didn't tear since they are punched so close to the edges.  These were really simple and fun to make, and next year I may do variations of this kind of ornament and give sets to my family as gifts.

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Frosty The NOMAN

My daughter still has a few cute ways to say certain words with one trend being that she usually skips the "s" sound if it is in the beginning.  Last week when I asked her what I should put on the front of the holiday cards for her teachers she told me "Put a NOMAN on them mommy!"  LOL!  How could I resist that request?!!  

So I made 6 of these Frosty cards for my daughter's teachers and bus drivers.  The design is by Hero Arts and was cut with my Silhouette.  At first I thought I was gonna whip out these cards quickly because the design was one piece and just a silhouette outline cut with no layering.  But when I put them together they just looked like they needed a little something.  So I added googlie eyes...  Then buttons...  Then ribbon... and feathers.  So much for the quickie cards, LOL!  But I know the recipients will enjoy them so it was worth it.  The ribbon was the trickiest part because when I cut it the little rope part that makes loops kept winging out and I had to glue and hold til they behaved. 

 

This aqua blue card stock is one of the prettiest color in my stash.  It's from CTMH and is textured and very thick with a lighter shade of this color on the back side.  LOVE CTMH two tone!  And even though it is thick it cuts like butter in my Silhouette.  Frosty is cut out of Georgia Pacific cardstock which I also used to make the 5"x5" card base.   

I will be proud when my daughter eventually gets all her words right, but for now I will giggle and enjoy hearing her singing Frosty the Noman because that is one thing I will definitely miss.


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Calendar

I wanted to make a little something to mail along with our Christmas card to my husband's aunt (not the same dancing turkey aunt, lol!).  I decided to make her a little 6"x6" calendar with the tear away pages and discovered that my Storybook Creator 3.0 software has an unbelievable calendar tool.  Oh how I LOVE LOVE LOVE that software!

I used my Silhouette to cut the gorgeous frame which is actually created by using four of the freebie flourish design that Kenzie Daley posted a challenge with last week.  If you want to participate check it out HERE but hurry - she's picking a winner tomorrow.  Papers were all Creative Memories as was the paper flower and the punch that made the teeny butterflies.  The leaves were punched with a Martha Stewart punch.

You know, I was so excited to find the calendar tool that I never stopped to double check the dates for each month - gosh I hope they are correct, lol!


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One Egg Different From the Rest...

Some days I get more than my fair share of children's tv and music, and some days it just makes me smile.  This is from Jack's Big Music Show and I dare you to watch and NOT find yourself singing along and bouncing to the beat too!

 

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'Twas The Night Before Christmas, the Buddies version

Once upon a time, in a far away cyber land of cricuts, a few crafters met in a Babbling Buddies chat thread and became good friends. 

Last year to celebrate those friends and fun times I revised The Night Before Christmas poem with some personal touches just for my buddies.  I also created this mini album from paper towel tubes (just couldn't get past the ick part of using toilet paper tubes, lol!) and sent it to my buddie Deb in our first GIBBS swap.  I painted the tubes, then used Creative Memories papers, added a K&Co sleigh sticker on the cover, some stamped and stickled embellishments, and a tag in each 'pocket' with the poem.  Here are the words:

'Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house
no buddies were crafting
they were clicking their mouse


Chatting on-line
with friends far and near
who they met on the message board
earlier that year


Each night they’d meet up
in the same babbling thread
sharing stories and laughing
until time for bed


They’d talk about families,
swaps, pets and food,
eat oreos and vent
to cheer up their mood


The buddies were nestled
all snug in their chairs
with hopes of a day
lotto winnings they'd share


And visions of a turtle
who walks down the street
holding onto a ticket
that will allow them to meet


Then what to their wondering
eyes should appear
but a post typed in caps
“COUPON SALE, click HERE!”


More rapid than eagles
buddies clicked on that link
then ran to their cars
before you could blink


To the LSS
the courses they flew
with a purse full of cash
and credit cards too


Still dressed in their jammies
from their head to their toes
(but when shopping a craft sale
anything goes)


Their eyes, how they twinkled
their smiles, how wide
the thought of a sale
made them giddy inside


They spoke not a word
but went straight to the store
filled their baskets with papers,
stamps, inks and more


They chose things they needed,
some things they did not
didn't matter too much
’twas a sale, so they bought


Then off to check out
with their coupons so treasured,
and review their receipts
proud savings measured


They sprang to their homes
logged back on their pc's
posted pics of their finds
for their buddies to see


Then they hid their new stash
tucked well out of sight
and signed off with "Merry Christmas"
“Sweet Dreams” and “G’nite”

 

I still laugh reading my version and remembering all the goofy stuff we talked about.  (The reference to the turtle was always good for some hearty laughing - the kind that made you either snort or spit your soda on the keyboard if you weren't ready, lol!)

And I still smile, remembering each of the friendships I've made.  My cricut days are long gone but my buddies are still as close as my laptop. 

I love ya buddies!  {{hugs}} to you all!!


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Secret Santa Banner and Card

My daughter needed a Secret Santa gift idea for a friend at school so I suggested a banner.  Her immediate response was "Great idea mom!  Can you make it for me by tomorrow?"  LOL!  I showed her a few ideas and she loved the Magnolia papers and the accordion fold rosette thingies so we went with those mounted on cutouts using my Spellbinders Labels Four - these may be my absolute favorite nesties!   I cut out the letters using my Silhouette and the Oklahoma font.

She also asked me to make a card.  I showed her a bunch of ideas and she picked one of my Bellas - yippee!  I LOVE coloring these and adding lots of Stickles for sparkle.  I used my Season's Greetings Cuttlebug embossing folder with some gold mirror paper for the background.  Nothing says 'holiday' like sparkly and shiny!

It does make me sad that my daughter is not a crafty kind of girl, **pout**, but she does appreciate what I create and I always get a "You're the bestest mommy!" when I come through for her, LOL!

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Thanksgiving Card

My hubby's aunt had some ankle surgery and has been stuck in a cast for 8 weeks, ugh.  It's coming off this week, (YAY!!) but she may not be able to make the two hour drive to spend Thanksgiving with us so I am sending her a little card.  She's not the kind of person to sit still much so this has been a long two months, and I wanted to put some humor in it for good cheer in case she does have to stay up north.  I don't usually get to make Thanksgiving cards so this was fun to get to use some of the turkeys from Dustin Pike.  Pattern paper is K&Co, border punch is Martha Stewart's Lattice Arch and I popped dotted the turkey on the front a bit to give some dimension.  Nothing fancy, just fun, and I hope it gives her a good chuckle!

Happy Turkey Day!!


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Is it spring yet?

The trees are bare now, no more beautifully colored leaves to look at to help distract me from the fact that I'm already wearing my thermals and it's not even Thanksgiving yet.  So I'm posting a pic tonight from this past spring, when the air was warm and the lawn was growing faster than my hubby could mow it.  He is usually quite meticulous with his lawn trimming, he likes the golf course kind of look, so he may not see the beauty in this field of clover of a lawn that we had at one point, but I couldn't help snapping it.  It reminds me of the Horton Hears a Who story, lol!  And I love that there is only one single purple flower in a sea of white. 

But as pretty as it was, it was a bit dangerous too.  There were so many busy bees doing their thing that my daughter and I had to be really careful when we walked out to her swings.  We would concentrate and carefully watch the ground where our feet were stepping as we walked in a funny zig zag path to avoid them.  The neighbors must have thought we were loony, LOL!

So on this chilly night I'm gonna put my warm socks on,  grab an extra blanket for my lap while I watch TV and forget that it's gonna be down to the 20's this week.  Ohhhhh.... it's gonna be a long winter.  If it snowed it would be easier to deal with, somehow it doesn't feel so cold when there's something pretty to look at.  I guess until it does I'll just stare at my field of clovers. 

Think warm thoughts :)

Get Well Card

I made this card for one of my bestest peeps using a Dustin Pike image that I colored with my BICs.  My idea was that the owl's bed was sitting on a tree branch and the sentiment was supposed to represent the moon.   I showed it to my dear hubby and asked if he 'got' it, and he just kind of answered a hesitant "Sure..." in a way like he was more clueless than usual, lol!  I know better than to show him or ask him about any of my crafting because he really doesn't understand any of it and just gives me a quick glance with a helpless smile and nod.   But every once in a while I decide to toss something out at him just for ha-ha's. 

Oh well, although I'd love him to ooh and ahh over every little thing I make, I guess I'll settle for the loving smile that I do get that says 'Do I have to understand crafting?  Can't you just be happy that I'm happy if you are?', LOL!  And after all, I confess, I really don't understand or want to learn more about some of the sports he watches either - but I AM happy when he is happy too.

I used textured Wausau paper for the "branch", Devine Swirls cuttlebug folder for the "sky", and the font in the "moon" is called Boring Showers (how funny is that?!!).  I also pop dotted the owl and moon to add some dimension.

Have a happy Veteran's Day, and a sincere Thank You to all those who have or are serving our country.

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Two Birthday Cards

I have two sisters with birthdays today (twins) and one with a birthday on Thursday - three family birthdays in one week just should not be allowed, LOL!  So, unfortunately, but predictably, my cards to them will be late.  I mailed two of them today so at least the postmark is on time, lol!

I used some awesome Dustin Pike images, my BIC markers and my Copic markers.  I'm liking the Copics a bit more each time I use them, and loving my BICs every time.  I even played a bit with my blender to give the dinos and turtle some texture, loving that too!

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