Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Season's Givings 2015 Blog Hop!


Happy New Year Everyone!!

Welcome to Seasons Givings Blog hop!!!

I can't believe it is 2015 already!   That means I have been crafting for over 15 years and blogging for 8.  And since then, I have acquired a lot of craft supplies. I am talking A LOT! So......the sweet and talented Latisha Yoast, came up with the idea to just... give. We will end the year and start the new one with a gift. So every single blogger on the Seasons Givings Blog Hop is giving something of their own away. Every. Single. One. No sponsors, no one knows what other bloggers are doing - we all are just choosing a gift from our hearts to yours and doing this thing!

So grab your favorite Happy New Year beverage and settle in for some beautiful art, and tons of chances to get a gift to make your New Year brighter.

I have a few favorite tutorials from this past year I thought would be worth showing again.  :)
I created these Christmas ornaments for a Krylon paint challenge and won!  They were also featured in December's Woman's World Magazine.  It has also had over 11,000 repins on Pinterest.  (Which is a record for me) :) You can see the entire tutorial HERE. 

I usually host a tutorial once a month for the Crafty Secret's Design Team Challenge.  This Halloween card was one of my favorites.  A fun shaker card! You can see the complete set of instructions HERE. 

How about a summery card....mermaid style?  The tutorial can be found HERE.

Or maybe a masculine card?  Instructions can be found HERE to make this little number.

I also have decoupaged Easter eggs to make.  Click HERE for full instructions!

I also created a stained glass church window perfect for a wedding, communion, or confirmation.  I give step by step instructions HERE.

Okay, I can't show you every single tutorial I've ever had, so I will make this my last one! But if you are interested in seeing more, head over to my right side bar and scroll down to the tutorials heading.  You can see all of them there. This last project recycles the Bath and Body Wallflower into a Christmas ornament.  I created about 4 different ones and now I never throw them away! For all of the details click HERE. 

Now on to my Giveaway!! 
I am giving away an assortment of products from my favorite companies!
All of this goes to ONE winner! All you need to do is become a follower and tell me what you would like to see in a future tutorial. I will pick a winner on January 6th at 10:00 CST.  (Because I can't stay up later than that! LOL!)
I hope this awesome blog hop brings some sunshine into your life today. Enjoy the journey and Happy New Year! :)

Monday, December 29, 2014

My Top Ten of 2014 Blog Hop and Giveaway!



Edited on 1/6/15
*****Giveaway Now Closed*******
I am so excited you decided to visit me today! I am taking a walk down memory lane and reviewing my ten most favorite projects from this year.  (Which by the way was very difficult narrowing down!) I am participating with many other talented bloggers who are doing the same thing....and that's why it has turned into a blog hop! ;)Be sure to make it to the end of the post where I will be hosting a fun giveaway! 

So here it goes! (click on the picture to see the original post!)
1.  I created this doughnut shaped card for Splitcoast Stampers, when I was part of the Dirty Dozen design team.   
 
2. I actually had TWO cards for the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L and Spellbinder's blog hop. But this one was my favorite.  :)

3. I told you I loved the water coloring trend! Beautiful rose stamp by Crafty Secrets and my Inktense pencils.  

4. And yes, every now and again, I actually create a scrapbook page.  ;)  I took inspiration from Christina Aguilera for the title.  It seemed to fit perfectly for this page about my daughter. 

5. I was so excited with how this card turned out! It uses foam adhesive squares from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L covered with glitter and glossy accents to create the flag.  

6. A BBQ invite.....hot dog style! 

7. Can you tell that I LOVE shaped cards?  This card uses a Christmas set from JustRite and my Silhouette! 

8. And yes ANOTHER shaped card! It uses background stamp from JustRite, my Silhouette, and Tim holtz Distress markers. 

9. I had created this altered muffin tin for a contest over at Favecrafts.  I won first place with it! 

10. This was a little cupcake box that I had made with my Silhouette and stamps once again from JustRite. :)

And now to my giveaway!  
What do you have to do to win? Just become a follower (If you aren't already) and leave me a comment telling me which top ten project was your favorite!  The deadline to enter is January 5th 2015 at 11:59 PM.  I am able to ship to United States and Canada. One winner receives everything you see here!

There is also a group prize up for grabs as well!
By leaving a comment below you have the chance to win 
the Top 10 Blog Hop Grand Prize... 
a $75 Gift Certificate to Paper Issues!!!

Make sure you leave a comment on each blog to increase your chance of winning the Grand Prize! You have until January 4th to leave your comment! A random winner will be selected and announced on January 5th. :)
Cathy Harper

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit!

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve to you! I am having a cup of coffee and relaxing for a few minutes before the craziness ensues.  I am having a house full and need to get my table set, sangria prepared, appetizers ready.....etc. 
I am up on the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L blog today with a last minute Christmas card to share. I used this fun Lawn Fawn circle die and filled it with coordinating papers.  
SRM stickers Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Lawn Fawn
The poinsettia is from Provo Craft.  I gave each petal a coating of glossy accents and sprinkled it with glitter.  I added a pretty sheer green ribbon, a sentiment from SRM Stickers, and a sprinkle of sequins. 
Lawn Fawn Michele Kovack
My girl is sick and was running a fever yesterday.  She had many tears and just didn't know what to do with herself.  I am hoping she broke the fever last night.  Her daddy has a surprise planned for this weekend and I am hoping that she feels better by then. 
No one likes to be sick, especially during the holidays.

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!


Friday, December 19, 2014

Christmas Joy Cricut Style!

This week has been a marathon to the finish!
It is my last day and then I am off for two weeks!
I am blessed to have a job that allows me time to regroup, recharge, and take a break. 
I love that I will have time with my kiddos and time to do things I don't normally get to.
Like creating. ;)
I have another Christmas card today that uses my Cricut. 
It was a cut from the Holiday Cards 16 CCR exclusive.
I cut the image several times so I could pop up some of the ornaments on the tree.  I also added glossy accents and glitter. I created a bow in the corner with a scrap of Christmas fabric, twine, and a couple of glittery jingle bells. 
Each year I take pics of my furry babies. They are always so patient with me. (And it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I have them stranded on a tall kitchen chair! LOL)
So away I shoot.
Love them.
It is amazing how attached and in love with them I am. 
:) 
Off to find my crazy socks and "ugly" holiday sweater!
Have a wonderful Friday!

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Glitter in my Veins!

Maybe not literally,
but I DO love me some glitter!
My card today uses lots of it!
I used this sweet image by Crafty Secrets.  It is from the Couple of Cuties digital stamp set. IT is normally not a Christmas set, but to me they looked like they were ice skating. ;)  I colored it with Copics.  I matted the image with gold glittery card stock from DCWV.  This stuff is so sparkly in person.  The designer paper is also from Crafty Secrets.  Since it is a digital product, I can control how the big the pattern is.  This is great when you are making cards!
My cards aren't complete unless I've got a boat load of "stuff" on them.  ;)  So I made a little arrangement in the corner.  It included ribbon, glittery die cut snowflakes, a pink rose, and gold leaves. 
I LOVED reading everyone's captions for this photo!  I finally decided on this one.
It really "spoke" to me.  ;)
And the answer to that?
Nope. 
:)

PJ day at school! Happy Wednesday everyone!

Monday, December 15, 2014

Ho Ho Ho!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
As much as I tried to recover from this virus I had all week, I still managed to catch up on laundry, clean the house, bake Christmas cookies, and take some Christmas pictures! I guess that means I am on the mend!
How about a little Santa to brighten your day?
There is nothing like facial hair to scream Christmas! LOL!
I used Cricut's exclusive Holiday Cards 13 images to create my card.
I used LOTS of liquid applique and glitter for his mustache and beard. ;)
I added silver glitter, some pearls, and a bit of sweater string tied with jingle bells to finish off my card. 
I have lots of photos to edit, but came across this one in my stash.  For some reason it just cracked me up.  Myla is so full of personality!  We tease all the time that she should be a TV dog! ;)
If you have a caption for this photo, I would love some ideas!
Today is crazy hat day at my school....guess that means it is time to bust out the elf hat with fake ears! Gotta love spirit week!
:)

Friday, December 12, 2014

Oh Christmas Tree-Cricut Style!

Good morning to you!  
I have a Christmas card to share with you today that uses my Cricut and the Creative Holiday Cards cartridge.  It was published in Northridge's Cricut Magazine last year. 
I cut the Christmas tree and added glossy accents and clear coarse glitter.  I then adhered that to the white panel. The designer paper is from Papertrey Ink.
I popped up the main image using foam tape.  I was able to slip red gingham ribbon behind it and tie a bow.  I added a few distressed jingle bells tied with twine to the center. 
I have been sick all week and my goal this weekend is to try and rest up so I am healthy for the holidays.  Of course "resting" will be done in between the 8,000 loads of laundry and the filthy thing I call a house. ;)
I also have a photo shoot tomorrow of a sweet family for Christmas.  
But then.....I will rest. 
Take out and movies!
Have a great weekend my friends!



Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Merry Christmas!

Good morning!  I am up on the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L blog today! I am sharing a full tutorial on how I created this Christmas card.  It had a few of my favorite things......water colors, Spellbinder's die cuts, (Pierced Circles and snowflakes), glitter, and sequins! (Oh my!)
And as is typical of me these days....a totally nontraditional color palate! 
I hope you are able to sneak over to the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L blog for a quick peek at my tutorial. 
I have another jam packed day today.....
I have a meeting at my school tonight.  Cort is coming with because both of my boys are working. 
I absolutely have to get to the store for a Christmas party Cortney and I are attending tomorrow.
Nothing like being last minute!
I am realizing I am not as young as I used to be!
;)
Have a great day!!




Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Density-Will it Float or Sink?

Awhile back, when I was still creating for Northridge Publishing, I was asked to design a page about an everyday event.  What is more "everyday" than homework? 
Cort had to conduct a science experiment about denisty.
She was given a list of objects and asked to make a prediction on whether or not each one would float or sink.
Cortney predicted pretty accurately and really enjoyed doing this experiment. 


I used quite an assortment of Cricut images from different cartridges.  I used From my Kitchen, Cricut Font and Basic Shapes, Mother's Day Bouquet, Tablescapes Winter and Fall, and Teresa Collins Easter Basket.  That's why I love CCR, it makes finding what you are looking for a breeze!
It is another busy, busy week!
I will be heading back to school tonight for my 5th grader's Christmas concert.
It is always fun seeing the kiddos dressed in their prettiest clothes!
We have a couple of Christmas parties this week too....
Have a great day!
I truly appreciate you taking a few moments to pay me a visit!
I know everyone's time is limited at this time of year.
:)


Friday, December 5, 2014

Joy

I hope you all have a had a great week!
I am so glad it is Friday!  Cortney has a photo shoot scheduled for tomorrow and Sunday we are having brunch with Santa.
I am trying to slow down a bit and really enjoy all that the holiday brings.
I have a card that is from my days of creating for the Cricut Circle.
I am terrible for not remembering which cartridge the angel came from, but I do not. 
If you know, please leave a comment. :)
As is typical for me, I added lots of "stuff" to her.  Like glitter. A sentiment. Ribbon. String. And a little button do-dad.  There was some embossing, and a snippet of doily and ribbon to finish off the card. 
I am headed out tonight after school for a bit of dinner and shopping with the girls! 
Have a wonderful weekend my crafty friends!