Crystal's Scrap Shack

April Christmas Cards

2009-04-30T14:58:00.003-10:00

I got back from New York City today and I am exhausted! So, here is just a photo. I'm sure you can see the rest.

April Scrapbooking Challenge

2009-04-16T14:50:00.004-10:00

I hosted this month's Scrapbooking Challenge at my online group, R-C-S. The challenge:

1 - 2 -3 Challenge

1 - Use only 1 word for your title

2 - Use 2 photos on your page, and only two.

3 - April showers bring May flowers so use 3 flowers somewhere on your
page

My title was actually 2 words but 1 phrase - Honolulu, Hawaii. Both of my photos are looking down on Honolulu from Round Top Drive. Amazing views, huh? Lot of concrete! I have three flowers along the middle of the page along with lots of circles, buttons, and chipboard buttons. I don't use lots of circles on my pages and I don't really clutter things like this, but I love the way it turned out. Here are a few close-ups of the circles and flowers.

Thanks for dropping by!

Penguins and Snow Men

2009-02-04T18:32:00.008-10:00

I don't have much time to post since I am working on my tax returns so I will be quick. Yes, I know. I am way early for my tax returns but we already had all of our information and I hate doing them, so I decided to go ahead and get it over with.

Now, on the Christmas cards. I really liked having all of my cards ready to go by November 15th last year which is why I am doing Lynne's Christmas Card Challenge again this year. I got two new Christmas stamps from the Michael's dollar bin and decided to break them in. For the most part these cards are all similar with tiny details being the exception. I loved the polka-dotted paper from last year and since I am following a strict budget this year, I must use stash as much as humanly possible.

Here is the cute little penguin. I added red ribbon along the middle of the card to break up the papers and turned the image to add emphasis on the main image of the card. Here are all three penguins. Notice the small changes like different hat colors and different ribbons on the card.

Here are the snow men. There are also slight differences between these two cards. I like the snowball-like ribbon and thought it fit well with my snow dudes. We had another challenge added to this month but I finished these cards a couple of days ago (notice my slow uploading time?) so I might get a little creative sometime this weekend and make a few cards using the challenge. I have a busy weekend. Saturday is my sign-ups for Team in Training and I promised my pooch I would take him to the Dog Park. He really enjoyed his first trip last week and I think it is a good idea for him to interact with other dogs.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you like my Snow Dudes and Mister Penguin.

Lots of cards

2009-01-25T12:26:00.009-10:00

If you followed my blog last year, you will remember me participating in a monthly Christmas Card Challenge. The gals at RCS and I are at it again. My goal is to complete 5 Christmas cards a month so I am not frantically trying to get my cards done on December 1. Each month, a participant also posts a challenge to go along with our Christmas cards if we want to participate. Here is the challenge for January:

I know for me, when I look at my stash, I can get a tad overwhelmed,
so challenges and ideas help me focus.

Remember - these are just to provide some inspiration or a little
extra fun - they are not required, and there is no pressure!

Here is the first challenge you may wish to incorporate when making
your CCCs.

"Cleaning up"

I know some of you may be super organized and already have everything
put away after the Holidays - but for any of us that have extra small
bits of wrapping paper, small bags, Christmas cards from that distant
relative that you don't want to keep, but you like the design of....or
even a spare ornament hanger you found in the carpet....

Find a way to incorporate those last few bits of your 2008 into your
first set of 2009 cards.

I didn't have anything lying around as I had all my Christmas cleaned up by the 2nd of January. In a small apartment, you can't just leave things like that lying around or you won't have a path to walk. I did however, keep to all scraps/stash to make my cards. I did 5 of the same card with the only difference being the sticker found in the bottom right corner. These are simple and not too Christmas-y for those friends that don't celebrate. I found last year I didn't have enough generic wintery-type cards for some friends so I am hoping these work this year.

I also got a few thank you cards finished. Five down, only 20 more to go.

Three of this one: Each card has different photos of flowers, otherwise they are the same.

Two of this one: These are identical.

I am Alive

2009-01-18T09:41:00.010-10:00

How horrible of a blogger am I? Having a career seriously cuts into time that is normally spent doing fun things. I might have to rethink this whole having a job thing. However, I am hoping to get with the program and start updating this thing and visiting all of my scrappin and stampin friends more. I miss ya'll!

At my online scrapping group, I am hosting a monthly scrappin challenge. The challenge this month was presented by a lovely lady, Sandy, and her challenge goes as follows:

Are you ready for the January 2009 Scrappin Challenge?
January is the month everyone seems to be into goals and
resolutions.......feeling the need for a new start......decluttering their
lives.

My challenge is a one or two page LO (digital or traditional) of your goals
for 2009. I don't care what kind of photos you add to your LO, be they
objects, scenery, etc....But, there must be one current photo of yourself on
the LO.

Most scrappers find themselves behind the camera, not in the photos at all.
I know I just printed 200 photos from March-June 2008 and I am in only one
of the photos. It will be hard for my family to find out what I looked like
last year. This way we can leave at least one for 2009.

Also in keeping with the decluttering theme you must only use supplies from
your stash - no purchases!!!

REMINDERS:
1. Scrapbook goals for 2009
2. At least one current photo of yourself
3. Only stash - no purchases

So lets get started and remember you must have your LO posted by January
31st at midnight.

Here is the page I created for the challenge. I used all scraps and things I recieved from my Secret Santa this year. She did a fabulous job getting me things like those cute chipboard buttons. The paper is from TLC - the Sweet Pea kit - which I receieved from my friend M-C but hadn't used yet. I took mty Storylines Stencil and created the wavy edge of the patterned paper just to break up the colors some. The photo frame is also from the kit. Speaking of the photo, this was taken on New Year's Eve so I thought it appropriate to place on my first layout of the new year. It is also one of my favorite photos of Brian, Shrek, and myself.

I used these great chipboard buttons that I got when I was living in Hawaii. I can't believe I still have letters left! I thought Goals was a more appropriate term since I can't seem to actually keep a resolution. Perhaps it is the wording, right? I really like how the chipboard buttons and letters add depth to the page. I added two tags to the page; one says Happy New Year! and the other says 2009. I used white ribbon to attach those to the "L" chipboard letter and placed another chipboard button in the middle of the "O". I suppose you guys are wondering what my goals are. Thank goodness for my digital camera because now you can just read them youself...

I added the definition of goals to the journaling. Now sure why but I thought it was appropriate. If you are interested I am posting my progress on my goals at my other blog, Carolina Transplant.

Now this page is, in my honest opinion, too cute to place in an album. Plus, I think having your goals in a place that you can see them and be reminded every now and then is a good thing. Therefore, I placed them on the side of my scrapping storage bins. I really like how it looks there.

For the readers:

1)What are your New Year's Resolutions or Goals?
2)How are you putting those on paper, whether on a scrap page or in a journal?
3)If you have scrapped a page, share it in my comments. I would love to feature them!

My Scrap Space

2008-11-30T07:58:00.007-10:00

Since moving to Colorado, we definitely upgraded our apartment space by about 600 square feet. It is still a 1 bedroom so no extra space for a scrap/stamp room. The solution: I scrap and stamp on my dining room table. Our table is small so I usually end up with a mess around the entire table, all over the floor. Hey, I have to have a little room though, right? Since the move, I also had to get rid of most of my scrappin and stampin stuff so now, everything I own can fit inside 1 tote (yes, only 1 tote). That tote sits next to my dining room table, much to the dismay of my boyfriend. =D I thought I would share a few photos of my dining room after my stamping process was all over.

As you can see I have a very small space to actually work with. The perimeter of the table is filled with all of my supplies and of course, the most important tool, my Mac.

Here is the floor around my table, absolutely destroyed, littered with supplies. I try to keep things semi-organized so I can find things in the floor but this rarely happens. I should be ashamed that my house looks like this after a mini scrap session, but this is who I am.

More floor and more mess. It usually stays like this for a day or so. I am just so worn out from all my hard work that I don't want to clean. I'm sure all your stampers understand.

However, at the end of the day the mess is all worth it because I have a set of cute Holiday cards that I am sure my friends and family will love. Little do they know the sacrifice I go through to create such cards. The constant mess littering the floor and table when we try to eat dinner. The constant threat my the boyfriend to throw it away if I don't clean it up at once. Look what I have to show for it. One day I will actually organize my things. I have been meaning to make a couple of purchases that will organize my scrappin stuff but after buying a car (and an awesome car, if I may say so) those things got put on the backburner. Then I purchased plane tickets home for Christmas so it looks like organizing will not be happening for a while. When (or if) it happens, I will be sure to share that too.

Carnival Giveaway Winner

2008-11-21T16:30:00.002-10:00

Thanks to all who entered my Carnival giveaway! A huge CONGRATS to lucky number 11 - Natalie!

Here are your random numbers:

11

Timestamp: 2008-11-22 02:29:02 UTC

Natalie's favorite Christmas carol is O Holy Night, a fantastic carol I might add. Natalie, be on the lookout for an email from me.

Thanks again everyone!!!

Carnival Time - Join Us for a Give-Away

2008-11-16T15:25:00.004-10:00

EtsyGreetings, a handmade greeting card street team at Etsy, is hosting a blog carnival all this week. I am giving away a set of 5 hand-drawn holly flat cards with envelopes. You can find other cards I have created at Crystal's Creations, my Etsy shop.

It is so SIMPLE to participate in my give-away. Christmas is my favorite time of the year and it is just around the corner. I want everyone to get excited with me. Simply leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite Christmas carol is. If you don't celebrate Christmas, tell me what the favorite part of your winter holiday is. I will choose a winner using a random number generator at the end of the week.

To enter to win other fun prizes offered by the many talented members at EtsyGreetings, stop by our blog for a linked list of all the giveaways happening this week.

November Christmas Cards

2008-11-09T09:14:00.007-10:00

Here are my Christmas cards for Lynne's Christmas Card Challenge over at R-C-S. I am so glad I participated. I haven't counted up the number of cards I have but I know it is more than enough. Now to just finish (yes, I said finish...as in I have already started) my shopping.

This is another card I made for my co-workers this year. It is flat so nothing fancy. I used my Stampendous Santa Tree image and my NEW Elzybells sentiment which reads, When you stop believing in Santa Claus, you get underwear for Christmas. Isn't that cute!?! I colored the image in with markers and set aside. I will be doing a large batch of these.

Card #2. I used TLC cardstock with Making Memories Green Polka-dotted paper. My stamp is one of the cutest Elzybells images I have seen. I matted it and catty-cornered it on the card front then added a cute red gross-grain ribbon. The sentiment on the inside reads, Wishing you a Christmas filled with angel wishes and reindeer kisses! Everyone with me...Awwww!

Here is #3. I used Beate's Weekend Sketch as the layout. I thought it turned out very cute. The polka-dotted paper is from Making Memories. I rounded opposite corners of the image before coloring it in. To finish if off I added faux stitching around the outside and cute ribbon to fill space in the right corner. I love Beate's sketches; I just never seem to have time to play along.

Card #4 if fairly simple. I rounded opposite corners of the card than added this cute snowflake paper, also from MM. I stamped the Santa Tree image and mounted it on green cardstock. To bring more green into the card, I colored a few of the snowflakes in.

Last, but not least, this is cute card disguised as a gift. I added this yummy candy stripe paper from MM on green cardstock. I added a green strip across the middle and distressed the edges. The sentiment on the tag is the same Reindeer kisses sentiment used on a previous card.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope ya'll had a great weekend!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T16:19:00.000-10:00

Hey Everyone. I hope you had a wonderful Halloween. The weather here was awesome but we didn't get one trick-or-treater! I was kind of sad. I thought I would share some pumpkin carving photos.

My finished pumpkin. Scary Wolves.

He really wants to try some pumpkin

My dog is so confused

Scary,huh?

Take a look at the knife!

Thanks for stopping by!

Fun October Pages

2008-11-01T15:56:00.008-10:00

Hey everyone. Remember that October challenge I posted a while back? There were so many great pages that I just had to share.

Lori did an amazing job with this digital layout. Isn't her title FUN?

M-C put together this DPS. Her page has so many details. Did you see those crazy pumpkins?

Here is Lynne's page. Her title font is so cute and I love the stripped paper.

Some of the gals uploaded their pages to Webshots so I was unable to download them. However, no worries. You can still check out their pages. Here is Kate's page. I love the digital layout she did. Last (but not least, I hope) if you missed my page you can see it here.

If you completed the challenge and I missed you, could you please leave me a comment with the URL of your page? I would love to post it!

Thanks everyone that played along. October was so much fun. I will be posting the November challenge soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

October Monthly Challenge

2008-10-25T07:07:00.007-10:00

Hey everyone! I am heading up a monthly scrapbooking challenge at one my online groups. This month's challenge focused on Halloween, of course. Here is the challenge:

Could the theme be anything other than Halloween?! Using the colors of green, purple and/or orange create a 1 or 2 page LO using Halloween pictures you already have from past years. If you're caught up (hardee har har) create a 1 or 2 page LO in anticipation of a Halloween picture you will take this month. Halloween pictures can be pictures of anything from costumes, a party or a really cool Jack-O-Lantern you carved.

I'm adding one more component to this challenge. It stems from me having to move all my punches to a larger drawer. I seldom use them and having to puzzle them into a small drawer was frustrating. As I moved them to a larger drawer it reminded me of all the cool punches I have. So, I'm challenging everyone to dust off and use a punch on the October challenge LO also. Any shape punch you have just tell us what you used. Of course, I didn't have any photos that needed to be scrapped so I left the orange panel for the photos from this year. I am already ahead of the game I suppose.

I think the main reason for this challenge is to get us all back into creating scrapbook LO's. If you find the challenge stifling rather than encouraging feel free to do whatever you want. I want to see us all sharing our LO's each month.

If you're a digital scrapper everything goes except for the punch. Can you create a punch like shape with your digital programs?

And here is my page. Sorry for the mediocre photos. My good camera is on the fritz. Guess that means I know what is on my Christmas wish list. These papers are from Top Line Creations and were a gift from my friend, M-C and I just love them. This is my first experience with TLC and I am loving it.

For the punch part of the challenge, I had to get creative because I think I own 2 punches, a circle and corner. How sad is that? I guess I manage okay. I used my circle punch to create these cute pumpkins. I used markers to draw cute little faces and stems. In this photo you can also see I added a border to the orange photo mat with a marker.

After looking at the page I felt it needed something. I decided to add this cute spider handing from the top of the page. I colored each spider in with markers. I think he is just the cutest. You wouldn't believe it. After I complete this page, for some reason this little guy disappeared. I can't find him anywhere. I guess that is what happens when you keep your scrappin materials in a tote. Oh well, I guess the things made with him will be unique. I finished the page up by adding a matching pumpkin sticker also from the TLC collection. The stamps came from the Dollar Target Bin (another reason I am not too worried about the little guy).

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Halloween is coming up! Do you have your costumes?

Thanks for stopping by!

It's Fall

2008-10-04T16:59:00.008-10:00

Can you believe it? Death is on its way. To understand exactly what I mean by that, see my other post HERE. The weather is chilly here in Denver and I heard on the news earlier we could see snow next week. WHAT?!? Snow? It is only October!

To celebrate the fall season, I have a couple of fall cards to share with ya'll.

This is my first project ever that uses vellum and I loved it. Such a simple piece of paper gives such a great look to the card. The words you see are the top vellum layer. I am usually not a huge fan of burnt orange but I really enjoyed this color on this card. Maybe I am really excited about the fall in the air.

Spiders, spiders, everywhere. I am terrified of spiders. We ventured into the pet store today (which really bothers me but that is a post for another time) and came upon the biggest tarantula I have ever seen. I almost threw up in the middle of the store. I just can't do it. However, I do think this little spider is pretty cute. He is popped up for a little dimension and on the same cute polka-dotted paper.

Thanks for stopping by!

More Christmas Cards

2008-09-27T10:05:00.005-10:00

Hey everyone. Thanks so much for all the well wishes about my new job. It is going great so far and I love knowing that a paycheck will be coming in. I have been in Denver for 2 1/2 months now and I love it. I am so happy we decided to come here. I am still not used to the cold, but I can now stand (sort of) 60 degree weather. I am very excited to see snow again, although I am not sure I am ready to go outside in it. I will be happy to view it through my window.

Speaking of cold weather and snow, I will definitely experience a white Christmas this year. At least I better! Here are my Christmas cards for the month of September. I made two of each design. One of each design will be sent overseas to our soldiers and the others will available for purchase in my Etsy store. I am doing a very cool project this year called Mission Soldier Support where any card (Christmas or otherwise) purchased in my store from October 1 to November 7 can be sent to soldiers overseas. Simply put MSS or Mission Solder Support in the comments to seller (me) and I will place that card to the side and ship it to our project coordinator with the other cards to be sent overseas. Pretty cool, huh? I am very excited and proud to be a part of this. So, here are my cards. If they are not listed in my shop when you read this, they will be listed soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Support Breast Cancer Research

2008-09-27T07:17:00.002-10:00

I recently created an account at Zazzle to create my own postage stamps. I decided to take it a bit further and create products that focus on Breast Cancer Awareness. I have mugs, magnets and totes directed at Scrappers, Stampers, and Crafters that say We Make a Difference.

If you like the design but would rather have it on a different product such as a T-shirt, contact me and I will create it for you.

All the royalties I earn from these Make a Difference products will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month but we need to make an effect to combat this disease year-round. Consider purchasing one of my products and know that you will be helping to make a difference.

Mission Soldier Support

2008-09-27T07:15:00.002-10:00

It is time for Mission Soldier Support!

I have a new batch of Christmas cards listed at my store, http://crystalware.etsy.com. One of each design will be sent overseas to our soldiers so they can have handmade greetings to send back to their family.

The others will available for purchase in my Etsy store. I am doing a very cool project this year called Mission Soldier Support where any card (Christmas or otherwise) purchased in my store from October 1 to November 7 can be sent to soldiers overseas. Simply put MSS or Mission Solder Support in the comments to seller (me) and I will place that card to the side and ship it to our project coordinator who will in turn ship a huge bundle of cards overseas. Last year, this project sent over 1700 cards to our soldiers. I think we need to shoot for a new record! Also, the shipping you pay to me will be sent with the card to help with shipping overseas.

So, will you help us break our record?

If you are not interested in purchasing a card from my shop, feel free to send a card of your own. Contact me to let me know you will be sending a handmade Christmas card for Mission Solder Support and I can give you my address.

If you are not into making cards but you would like to contribute a monetary donation please let me know. I will use your monetary donation to create a Christmas card to be sent on your behalf. You can also send a monetary donation to assist with our shipping costs. Again, just contact me for my information. I would be glad to accept money through Paypal which is simple and secure.

I am very excited and proud to be a part of this. So, check out my cards. If they are not listed in my shop when you read this, they will be listed soon.

Liluokalani Gardens

2008-09-16T10:36:00.006-10:00

Liliuokanli Gardens is located in Hilo on the Big Island and I had the pleasure of visiting during my Christmas vacation last year. I did not plan on visiting on my first day in Hilo but upon touching down at the airport we discovered that it always rains in Hilo. During a break in the rain we headed for the gardens to a quick peek before the rain started up again. Well, we got caught in the rain anyway but it was well worth it because this place was gorgeous.

Here is my page for the Gardens.

I did some really cool elements on this page. First, the little envelope is one of my favorite embellishments for scrappin pages. The envie opens to reveal the name of the Gardens and the date we visited. Second, the cute tag at the top swings around and reveals my journaling for the page.

I enjoy finding different ways to journal on my pages, especially when things are a surprise. You can click on the photos to see a larger, more detailed image. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great week!

August Christmas Card Challenge

2008-09-12T09:13:00.005-10:00

Here are the cards I made for my group's Christmas Card Challenge. All of the images are hand-drawn by Moi'.

I am really proud of my images. Much cheaper than stamps!

Thanks for stopping by!

I was featured

2008-09-11T09:44:00.004-10:00

As most of you know by now, I sell on Etsy. Nothing too big yet but it keeps me from being too bored during the day. Well, members have this really cool tool called a treasury where they pick items from various Etsy shops and feature them. I was surfing through the treasury when I noticed that I was featured in one. Yea! That really made my day. It is always nice to know someone else appreciates my work.

Here is a screenshot of the treasury. Mine is Hidden Treasure - the waterfall at the bottom. Just in case you want a close-up of the photo, I will share it with you.

Happy Fall Y'all

2008-09-07T07:29:00.005-10:00

Hi Everyone. The weather finally warmed up here in Denver after a high of only 54 degree on Friday. Fall is definitely in the air and around the corner. I haven't experienced a fall or winter in almost 3 years so I am kind of worried but also kind of excited. I just don't know about a Denver winter yet.

To get myself pumped up for the season change, I sat down and got a little creative. Fall was the inspiration for this simple but cute card. I started with a 4" x 5 1/2" piece of burnt orange cardstock from TLC. I am not a huge fan of burnt orange but I really liked this, not sure why. Next comes the green polka-dotted paper also from TLC and another ribbon of the burnt orange paper along the middle. The focal point is this cute pumpkin sticker - the icon of the fall season. Pretty soon, pumpkins will be everywhere! I can't wait. I love to carve pumpkins.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Tomorrow, it's back to the old grind. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Late Birthday To Me

2008-09-03T12:05:00.000-10:00

This past Friday was MY BIRTHDAY! I turned the big 2-4. We spent the day in downtown Denver shopping (mostly browsing) the stores on the 16th St. Mall. I fell in love with Breaking the Mold Candle Company when my Mom was visiting and decided my b-day present was going to be a locally made Vanilla-Tahitian candle. Isn't it gorgeous?!? The holder is made locally as well from the same shop. If you are ever in Denver you must visit this place; the candles are delicious! You would have to smell it to believe it. We finished up my day at the Cheesecake Factory where I had a yummy lunch and Chocolate Godiva Cheesecake.

Happy Labor Day

2008-09-01T10:57:00.008-10:00

Happy Labor Day Holiday Everyone! I am working on all of my Hawaii pages but yet to get half-way through because it seems like I am so busy these days (which I am clearly not). Last week I had an interview with a company that I am very impressed with. Isn't it great when you find a company that you would enjoy working for day in and day out? I was lucky to have landed that interview. I will be even luckier to hear good news.

Friday was also MY BIRTHDAY! I turned the big 2-4. We spent the day in downtown Denver shopping (mostly browsing) the stores on the 16th St. Mall. I fell in love with Breaking the Mold Candle Company and decided my b-day present was going to be a locally made vanilla-Tahitian candle. Isn't it gorgeous?!? If you are ever in Denver you must visit this place; the candles are delicious! We finished up my day at the Cheesecake Factory where I had a yummy lunch and Chocolate Godiva Cheesecake.

Now, back to the programming. During our Christmas Island-Hopping Vacation last year, we visited Volcano National Park and was amazed with the sheer size of the volcano's and lava fields. It was by far one of my favorite places we visited on the Big Island. On our first day, it rained (of course), but we decided to hike anyway. Well, as this first photo will show you, I was not happy. The hike was abut 2 miles across lava fields in the rain. If the sun had been shining I would have enjoyed it but, alas, only rain.

The second page shows the lava fields that you drive through on the way down Crater Rim Drive; it was a magnificent site. At the end of the drive you can hike the half-mile or so to where the latest lava flow covered the road. You can see the thickness of the lava in the photo of Brian. That road sign was almost completely covered. The third photo shows the volcanic smoke coming from the Halema'uma'u Crater. Kilauea is a live-active volcano so you are able to see the eruptions and lava flows. Check out the webcams in the park to see the action.

Here is the complete DPS. I love how this turned out. I don't do many DPS's...but I should.

I made some cards!

2008-08-26T11:56:00.008-10:00

Remember all that blog candy I received from Crissy? Well, I sat down and decided to create a couple of cards using my new papers and stamps.

Here is the first one. I used basic white cardstock, a 4 1/4" square, then placed this gorgeous Stampin Up! paper as the main layer. I then found a matching piece of cardstock to act as the base for my cute little Rhonna Farrer bird stamp. I stamped another bird on the DP and cut out to use as a paper piece. To create something a little more unique I cut out the wing to show the white background. The sentiment Birthday Wishes from the For a Friend stamp set is stamped on the inside. To finish it off, I added 2 white buttons on the top left corner.

Here is the second. This is a sketch from Splitcoast but for some reason the site is slow and can't get the URL for the specific sketch. I have been having lots of problems with SCS lately...not sure why? Anyone else having problems? Anyway, I used more of the gorgeous Stampin Up! paper and stamped the Thinking of You image from the same stamp set.

I just love this new set. Hopefully when I get a job I can actually invest more mula into Stampin Up! products. I have an interview Friday...on my birthday! We shall see how it goes.

Things you don't say to your wife

2008-08-25T12:08:00.000-10:00

This is HILARIOUS.

Things You Don't Say To Your Wife - Watch more free videos

Ch Cha Cha Changes

2008-08-21T07:58:00.002-10:00

Hey everyone. As some of you have probably noticed, my blog recently got an overhaul. I just needed a change (I enjoy lots of change). I added lots of new gizmo's and gadgets, not to mention a whole new column. You will also see lots of buttons for charities and organizations I feel strongly about. I thought that my blog should really be an extension of who I am. So, what does this blog say? Hopefully that I am a techno geek who loves to scrapbook and stamp but also cares deeply for non-profit work.

I also want to mention a huge THANK YOU to Crissy over at SCRAPBOOKING FOOL I received the most wonderful blog candy from her last week but I have been so busy with interviews and job applications that I haven't gotten around to telling her how AWESOME she is! Hey Crissy---YOU'RE AWESOME! Hopefully I can get around to posting a card later that I made with her yummy candy.

Home Sweet Hale

2008-08-09T11:47:00.004-10:00

Hey everyone. I hope ya'll are having a great weekend so far. We decided to scope out a small shopping complex today because we had seen a little restaurant over there on our walks to the grocery. Well, wouldn't ya know, I found a MailboxIt with tape! Now I have tape to put together some of the stuff I have been working on. Yippee. Do a happy dance with me. This also means I don't have to go out of my way to mail a package.

I thought I would share another scrapbook page with you. I am trying to get caught up on all of the Hawaii photos that I wanted to get scrapped before I get too many for Colorado. Do you ever catch up when it comes to scrapping memories??? Sheesh.

This page is pics of the tiniest apartment you guys will probably ever see. It was so small in fact, you couldn't fit a bed in the bedroom =0 What?!? Yes, I know. I paid too much to live there. The paper is from a kit I got a while back and I can't remember the name. Sorry bout that. I used a wavy edge of a journaling stencil to create wavy lines then I used my Crop-a-dile to punch holes along the sides for the border. I then mounted my photos on light blue cardstock, added some faux stitching then drew out my title to complete the page. I can honestly say it was one apartment I will never forget. It makes the one I have now look like a mansion.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pana'Ewa Rainforest

2008-08-03T06:10:00.005-10:00

Hey everyone! Things are starting to settle in. I have a second interview tomorrow so I am hoping it goes well and I can get off the unemployed list soon.

Anyway, the other night I took out what little stamping things I have and was settling down to make some cards when I realized I have only 1 sheet of white cardstock and nothing to hold my cards together. No tape. No glue. Not even a glue dot. Nothing after the move. So, until I can get a job, so I can get a car, so I can get a ride to someplace that has these things I will be sharing older things I made but never got a chance to post. See why I need things to move along...so I can get some tape! =)

This is a page I did of the Pana'Ewa Rainforest Zoo on the Big Island in Hawaii. I loved this little zoo! The white Bengal tiger was just amazing and I got to get so close I could touch him with a stick. Not that I would have wanted to... If you are ever on the Big Island, Hilo side, check out this zoo. It is free too, by the way.

The paper is from a paper pack that I can't remember right off the top of my head. I got it in a kit. The bubble letters came from the same kit. I used my monkey stamp by Mindy Terasawa then a paw print stamp from Nicole Stamps along the right side as a border. My journaling is strips of white cardstock. I really liked how this page turned out. It is fun...just like the day I had. I think this is the good thing about scrapbooking...we get to reminisce about the great times we have had.

Thanks for stopping by!

I am back!

2008-07-24T18:23:00.002-10:00

Hello Ladies and Gents. I am finally back online. I graduated in May and spent June and the first part of July vising my family in NC and Brian's family in KY. It was a long month and a half but we finally arrived in Denver on July 13. Phew, let me tell ya'll about a long, boring drive. Better yet, you can read about it HERE. I don't won't to repeat myself for those of you that read the post.

Anyway, all of my stampin and scrappin things are packed in a tote in the back of my closet. SHAME ON YOU! I know. *hanging head in shame* I had to get everything kind of settled before I started making messes, I mean treasures, again. I have some things back in stock to get me posting again but hopefully soon I will have my things out and creating again.

But, first things first, I have to find a job. Wish me luck.

See ya'll around!

I'm finally settled...sort of.

2008-07-18T14:29:00.000-10:00

Helllllo everybody! It has been a long time since the last post. Things have been so crazy. Have I told you that I hate moving???

We left NC on Saturday morning and it took us 2 days to drive out west. Our first night we staying in Columbia, MO which turned out to be a nice town. We passed through Chattanooga, TN, Paduchah, KY, and St. Louis, MO, before arriving in Columbia. This drive wasn't so bad...probably because I went to sleep 3 times or so. We bunked at the La Qunita Inn which is a plus for anyone who has pets. They are very pet friendly and do not charge any additional pet fees. The next day was a nightmare. We headed west through Kansas City, MO and into Kansas. If you have never driven through Kansas, don't bother. There was nothing to see along a never-ending road. I have never been so bored out of mind. If you are making the drive out west, I highly suggest taking 40 along the southern route; much more to see and do.

So, we arrived in Denver last Sunday and had the pleasure of staying with Brian's aunt, Susan. Before we left NC we found out Susan lived within walking distance of the apartment we were applying for. How crazy is that but wasn't that nice of her? Her house was lovely and we had a chance to check out the neighborhood before we actually home-steaded.

We were finally approved and moved in to Village at Bear Creek on Tuesday. The apartment is so nice! It is definitely an upgrade from our Hawaii closet. Plus, we have a nice brick fireplace for the cold winter nights...and days. The complex comes complete with 2 swimming pools, hot tub, and exercise room. You heard me right, Rain...a workout facility less than 5 minutes away. I can't wait to get in there and get the ball rolling again.

My Mom stayed with us until today. While she was here we were able to get some things for the apartment. We found a very unattractive couch at a thrift store but it sat well so we bought it for 40 bucks. As luck would have it, we also found a Linen's and Things that was going out of business so we found a very cheap sofa cover. Now we have a pretty couch. My Mom had been collecting things for the 2 years we were in Hawaii so thanks to her, I now have a fully stocked kitchen. By the way...the kitchen is big, so now I am more than motivated to cook again. I had a small dining room table that I purchased years ago but never got to use. All in all, we are set with everything except a chair for the living room and all the bedroom furniture. We don't have a bed yet so we are bunking on an air mattress. It doesn't really bother me seeing as how we slept on the floor for 2 years. I am very pleased with our living quarters.

Shrek is more than pleased as well. He is loving the room to run around and the soft carpet to lay on. We bought him a new doggy bed that has NASCAR flags on it since Brian is a NASCAR fanatic. He loves it so much he won't hardly get out of it. While we were in Hawaii, Shrek lived with my Mom but he was an outside dog. I thought I was going to have problems with potty-training him again but so far, he has not had one accident in the house. I am so proud of my baby! Most people will say that dogs wouldn't remember someone after being away for 2 years but I must disagree. The way Shrek acts around me makes me think he actually does have some faint memory of those years we spent together.

Since this post is getting so long, I believe I will wrap it up. I have some pics to post as well as some sight-seeing to talk about. I have begun my job search so I will keeping everyone updated with that as well. I also have some interesting observations about living a mile high that I can't wait to tell you about.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I GoT a MasTeR'S DeGReE!

2008-05-19T14:32:00.000-10:00

This past Sunday was the big day. I officially walked across the stage and received my 'diploma'. Of course, it wasn't an actual diploma; instead there was a piece of paper from Chancellor Hinshaw congratulating us. Not very exciting considering I worked my behind off for 2 years but it works for now. The official documentation arrives in several weeks, like 10.

The ceremony was okay. It felt very, very long. Those who received certificates walked first, followed by us Master's students, law degrees, medical degrees, then the big kahunas - PhD students. Hearing the medical degrees was pretty interesting but having to sit through the reading of dissertation's by the doctoral students was a HUGE snore. Granted they worked very hard and deserve the moment, I had no clue what any of the studies were with the exception of one and that was only because I had a class with him.

Anyway I thought I would leave you with a few of the photos from my big day. You can click on any of them for a bigger view. The first photo above was of my dress when I was getting ready. I just loved the color.

Can you spot me? It's like playing Where's Waldo

I'm not trying to turn ya'll on to the bald guy. Instead, take a look at the different colors on all the graduates. Mine were black, white, and green.

Shaka with all my beautiful leis and my slippahs.

My partner in crime...I mean the title sponsor of my research.

My diploma, cap and tassel and all my leis. I got photoshop so I have been playing.

Thanks so stopping by and sharing in my moment. We didn't have graduation dinner last night because I wanted to make it home in time to watch the season finales of Extreme Home Makeover and Desperate Housewives. How sad is that??? Anyway, tonight we are headed to Cheeseburger in Paradise for a little celebratory indulging.

Thanks!

2008-05-16T12:23:00.004-10:00

I have been so super busy! My last day of work was yesterday and I graduate this Sunday...in 2 days! Holy Cow! Anyway, you can read about those updates on my other blog, A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CRYSTAL .

I just wanted to share a couple of thank you cards I made for my mentors. I had to wait to post them until after I gave them away. I have a lot going on...mostly cleaning...so this is going to be a quick post just to give you some eye candy. Enjoy =)

I just love the butterfly stamp I received from my Big Sis in a previous Sistah swap. These colors are great for spring too. I hope they enjoyed them.

Mahalo for stopping by.

For Sale-Sold

2008-05-02T17:04:00.005-10:00

It's a dreary day and I will come back later to explain more about why but basically most of my stamping and scrappin stuff is in a box at this point. I have limited space (and limited funds for shipping) so I had to be picky on what scrappin and stampin stuff I pack. With that said, I have a big pile of things that I am wanting to get rid of. It would more likely appeal to scrappers than stampers. Take a look at the photo below. I am selling all of that for $15.00 and that includes shipping (within the US, insurance isn't included). First person to let me know will be the lucky recipient.

If you want more details about what is included, just ask. =) You can click on the photo for a better view. I would prefer payment via paypal so that the transaction can go smoothly.

Thanks for helping me clear my things out.

I Heart Spring Colors

2008-04-27T15:04:00.004-10:00

Hey everyone. This weekend brought another great sketch from BEATE. I wanted to do a happy card for my boss since I will be leaving work in a couple of weeks. I owe her a lot of gratitude for being a great mentor so I hope she enjoys the card.

The SKETCH was fairly simple and let a lot of room for creativity. Just the way I like it :) The base is 4 1/2 inche square piece of basic black. (Can you tell I am using my stash? Almost all of my cards have had black bases.) The polka dotted paper came from a kit paper pack, although I am not sure what kit is was. It was a gift. I just love it! The strip of squares is actually a sticker adhered to basic black and comes from the same kit. I stamped these great flowers on white cardstock then stamped the hello sentiment from Stampendous below. After coloring those in I mounted it in pink cardstock then adhered it to the card. For some space filler, I stamped 'Just a Note' from Studio G in the top corner and added a ribbon at the main image.

I just love these bright colors and I hope you do to. Mahalo for stopping by!

Hey Friend

2008-04-25T19:15:00.005-10:00

Aloha ladies and gents! I hope everyone's weekend is off to a good start. I have a Beate sketch to show you but I am not quite sure which weekend this was for. Everything just runs together as school starts to wind down.

I just love how this turned out. The card base is 4 1/2 inch square of basic black with a 4 inch square of this great American Traditions flower paper. Very Hawaiian =) I scalloped the edges of a piece of Bazzil green and added it to the left side. My main image is a kitty from Studio G stamped on white then layered on black. The words "you're purrrfect" are beside the image, also from Studio G. I stamped 'my friend' from Stampendous on the bazzil green and added a piece of wild ribbon around the card. I finished the card off by adding doodles on the scallops and the main image, which I am not sure you can actually see.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Oh The Lessons You Can Learn

2008-04-23T09:17:00.000-10:00

from a cat, a dog, and a rat. Listen to the video below to see what I mean.

All Me

2008-04-21T19:56:00.004-10:00

Aloha everyone! I just love this simple page. It is an 8x8 page for my "All About Me" scrapbook album. Everything you see is from my American Traditions Beach Paper Pack with the exception of the flower; I grabbed those out of the clearance bin at my LSS.

I just love the photo too. Mahalo for stopping by!

My Monkey Friend

2008-04-17T20:13:00.004-10:00

Aloha everyone! I have a simple card to show you today. Just something I put together using scraps. Since I am moving I am trying very hard to use up all of my paper stash so I don't have to ship it.

I just love this monkey. It was given to me by a fellow sistah. I kept with a green theme but I honestly couldn't tell you the brand of papers except there are two pieces of Bazzil cardstock - the black and middle green piece. The monkey stamp is by Mindy Terasawa and the sentiment is from Stampendous. I colored the monkey image with plain ole Bic markers.

Well, I have exactly 1 month until graduation. I just purchased my cap, gown, and hood for the ceremony yesterday and I am so super excited! I will be moving from Hawaii back to the mainland to begin my second life as a career gal. I have been working on finding job leads and it is a tough market out there right now.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Sunday Scrappin A Little Late

2008-04-14T10:59:00.003-10:00

Hey everyone. Sorry, my Scrappin Sunday will have to fall on Monday. Yesterday, my fridge broke and through all that mess I completely forgot to post. Hopefully I will be getting a new fridge sometime soon.

So, last week my goals were:

-to finish the tags and get them mailed off-SUCCESSFUL

-complete 2 cards for Mother's day-Only got one finished. You can see that card HERE

-Scrap a page-Didn't get to it. I had plans to complete the SCS scrapbook layout on Sunday but you already know what happened there.

My goals for this week include scrapping one page (I will get this done this week), complete another card for Mother's Day, complete a card for my boyfriends birthday and find him a gift.

The bonus question this week was: What's your least favorite project that you've done lately, and why? I would have to say my least favorite project this week would be packing things to send home. LOL. As far as paper projects, I don't think I have done anything recently that I haven't enjoyed. Of course, I haven't been that busy with paper crafting, at least not as much as I would like to be.

Another Beate Sketch

2008-04-09T16:27:00.006-10:00

I just love browsing Beate's blog. Her weekend sketches are just so fun. This card is made with the last sketch she provided. I believe it was week 42.

The card is a 4 1/2 x 10 square of Bazzil red cardstock folded in half. I used matching paper from American Traditions for the squares and mounted them on basic black. Next I used the Creative Memories circle cutting system to cut three nesting circles in red, black, and white then mounted them off-center to the base. Don't you just love the flower? I punched a 1/2 inch white circle then used 1 inch ribbons folded together taped to the circle to make the ribbon base. Then I attached the flowers with brads to the ribbon base. If anyone would like more descriptive instructions, let me know and I get get a tutorial up. I used a glitter pen to doodle lots of faux stitching, although I am not sure you can see all of it in the photo. Lastly, I wrapped the same green ribbon around the card, tied it off in a knot and added 3 brads to the bottom left.

My First Sunday Scrappin

2008-04-06T09:01:00.003-10:00

I found a great new site through my friend Chrissy's blog. It is called SUNDAY SCRAPPIN'. Everyone involved with Sunday Scrappin' posts their Ta-Da's and thier To-Do's of the week. It is a great way to keep yourself motivated while gathering inspiration from other crafty ladies so I decided to join in.

My Ta-Da's: This week I have been focusing on a tag swap that I am participating in. I can't share them here because I don't want to spoil the surprise for any of the R-C-S ladies. :D They are turning out super cute if I do say so myself! I can't wait to see what everyone else does.

My To-Do's: I want to finish up the tags for the swap and send them out on Monday, Tuesday at the latest. I also want to get 2 Mother's Day cards finished; one for my Mom and one for my boyfriend's Mom. Last but not least, I want to scrap a page. I haven't scrapped in such a long time (so it seems). Plus I am trying to use all of my stash since I am moving. I don't want to pack and ship a lot of scrappin' and stampin' materials from Hawaii to North Carolina. LOL.

They also give you a question of the week to ponder. This weeks question is: What kind of projects do you do the most often?
It seems like I have a lot of cards that I need to get finished lately. I have been working on a Christmas card challenge to get X number of cards finished each month so you have plenty of cards ready when the Christmas season rolls around. That has been consuming most of my time but to be honest, I am Christmas-ed out! I need to venture away from the Christmas cards for a bit. LOL.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Maui No Ka Oi

2008-04-04T08:50:00.004-10:00

No Ka Oi is a frequently used Hawaiian phrase and translates to "Is the Best." I love Maui and this is a page of the Maui Ocean Center that we visited on our vacation. It is a very simple page because I had this great ocean paper from American Traditions. I simply matted the photos and mounted them on the paper. To finish it off, I added a title piece with brads that is also from American Traditions and wavy journaling to match the paper.

I just love it when you find the perfect paper that brings everything together and really speaks for itself. I know you ladies know what I mean! LOL. I tried to explain it to my boyfriend and he just couldn't comprehend. lol. The jellyfish photo is one of my favorite photos from Maui. :D

Mahalo for stopping by!

And just for clarification:Someone posted that they knew what Mahahlo means from watching Lilo and Stitch. Aren't cartoons some of the best educating tools!?! :D For those of you that are not sure, Mahalo means 'thank you.'

Who doesn't love the water

2008-03-28T12:14:00.006-10:00

and crazy photos? I had this cute water themed paper and knew that I just had to do a snorkeling page. Aren't these pics great??? We're such goobers :D The sketch is pretty self-explanatory so I will just leave you with a basic recipe.

Paper: American Traditions
Embellies: The border, letters, and Life's A Beach is from American Traditions; stickers are from Jolee's I believe. They came in a Christmas gift. :) I used a glitter gel pen for all the doodling. The S is a chipboard letter from American Crafts.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Happy Easter Weekend

2008-03-21T10:51:00.007-10:00

Aloha everyone. Happy Easter and Good Friday! I hope everyone has awesome plans for the weekend. I know that I can't wait for some R&R! Before I head off on my much needed vacation I thought I would share the second of 3 Christmas cards for my March Christmas Card challenge.

My card is a 4 1/4" square (one day I will be something besides a square) piece of red Bazzil cardstock. I then added a 4" square of green paper from American Traditions. The center imagr from Stampendous is stamped on basic white cardstock, then matted on red bazzil then matted on a larger basic white circle. I used Bic Coloring markers to color in my image and added a dotted border around the larger white circle. I added a huge piece of peppermint ribbon to the bottom to finish off the card.

I really like how this card turned out...so I made a couple of them. :D To see the first card for my March challenge, see THIS POST.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Lots of Green

2008-03-18T22:14:00.009-10:00

Happy Belated St. Paddy's Day everyone! As you know I am part of an online group that is working on Christmas cards. One of the added challenges is to incorporate a green focal point in your card in honor of Saint Patrick. Why not use a green present? Everyone loves green presents!

My card is a 4 1/4 inch square of basic green with a second layer of green bazzil cardstock followed by a piece of scrap Christmas paper from My Mind's Eye layered next. After rounding the corners of my card, I also rounded the corners of the Christmas paper. Using the same green bazzil paper, I cut a present using the gift Sizzlit and mounted it on a basic white circle cut with my Creative Memories Circle Cutting System. I used a green Bic marker to dot a border around the present and finished with a bit of American Crafts ribbon.

I like this card so well, I made two using up the rest of my Christmas paper scraps. I hope you enjoyed it :D

If you didn't read my !FABULOUS NEWS! check the blog post below.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Thought I would share...

2008-03-16T19:16:00.008-10:00

Hey everyone. I just had to do a quick post with some updates.

First, I PASSED MY THESIS AND I AM GOING TO GRADUATE IN MAY!!!!!!!! Woo-hoo! I am so glad it is over and I can resume my normal life again; you know, the kind with sleep :D

Second, our Relay for Life event was super-successful! We raised over $2,200.00 to donate to the American Cancer Society. I am so pleased with my team and how hard they worked to achieve such a goal. Isn't it great for our first time? Yeah, I thought so too. :D

Last, Who is a LOST fan? I know my mother is and she of course, flipped out when I told her what I got to do. If anyone watches the show, please venture over to the BLOG POST (toward the end of the post) at my other blog. I think you will recognize someone :D

Be sure to stop by tomorrow. I have 3 more cards to show you.

I Love the Virtual World

2008-03-11T20:04:00.005-10:00

The virtual world of scrapbooking, that is! Two weekends ago was SPLITCOAST STAMPERS Virtual Scrapbook Night. I was super busy preparing but I did manage to find time to complete two pages.

The first page was for Sally's Jefferson's Challenge and the mail focus was that arrow. You guys know the Jefferson's theme song: ♪ Movin on up ♪ Hence the arrow :D I really loved the circles in this sketch and was excited to give it a try. The circles were made with the Creative Memories Cutting System and layered over the best toes photo ever!

The second layout was for Jennifer's challenge to use a TV logo. What better logo for ziplining than SHOWTIME?!? The sketch came from the weekly sketch challenge. This was awesome! Not sure how many people would zip across a 300 foot canyon flying at 65 miles an hour---but I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Another Lil Birdy

2008-03-05T12:50:00.006-10:00

Aloha everyone! I thought I would share with you a card I made a little while back. I just love this little birdy stamp by Rhonna Farrer. The card begins with a 4 1/4" white square with My Mind's Eye paper as the next two layers. The solid blue is actually the back of the stripped paper. I just love coordinating double-sided cardstock! I then stamped my little bird with Versmark ink on white cardstock and used Bic Markers to color in. The circle was cut with the Creative Memories Circle Cutting System. I added a blue dotted border around the circle and attached it to the front of my card. Lastly I added a cut polka-dot ribbon to the bottom of the circle around the blue layer and then added it all to the white cardstock base.

Just wanted to give everyone an update. We worked things out with my professor and I was able to turn in my paper last Friday. I am scheduled to defend my thesis next Thursday! I am so nervous and scared and panicy! Oh well, I just hope all goes well.

And don't forgot to vote on my Vacation Poll. See this post.

Mahalo for stopping by!

No Time

2008-02-25T13:22:00.007-10:00

Hey everyone! Well, my thesis is not going very well. I feel like it is but my professor is just not willing to meet with me outside of his 'office hours.' So what this means is that I busted my behind over the weekend and sent my revisions to him on Sunday night and he sent me an email saying he could meet during office hours on Wednesday. On Wednesday! Well, that made me furious and there is nothing I can do. Because of this there is a huge chance I won't make deadline to graduate in May and instead it will be the summer. So, in between sobs and furry I decided to blog and show off some things I did a while back hoping it would lift my spirits. I don't have time for details but I thought you might enjoy looking at something new.

Flowers

Birdie

Acrylic Photo Frame Notepad

A Little Early...

2008-02-18T17:19:00.008-10:00

but that's alright. In a previous post I told ya'll about a Christmas card challenge that I am working on with an online group I am a part of. Well, I have been busy! I got three Christmas cards done yesterday. My goal every month is five which should give me plenty of cards for Christmas time and I won't have to rush in.

This first card was created using Beate's Weekend Sketch. She is such a talented lady. I haven't been able to play with any of her sketches in a while so I was excited to have time for this card. The accomplishment: All these cards were make with my stash! woo-hoo! The base is a 4 1/4" x 9" piece of Bazzil red folded in half. The polka-dotted paper is from My Mind's Eye and the brads were left-over from last year's Ebay binge. I'm not sure what brand that ribbon is; I got it is a huge mass of ribbon in a gift this past Christmas. The Christmas tree stamp is from Stampendous and was colored with Bic Markers.

This second card was inspired by a fellow sistahs February sketch challenge. Lynn had a great sketch so I decided to play along. This card is the same size as the previous one and uses the same Stampendous stamp. I started with Bazzil green as a base and then used last year's left-over star paper by My Mind's Eye. The ribbon you see is from American Crafts and coordinated perfectly with the colors in the paper. I used a present stamp from Hero Arts to put under the tree and popped it up with pop-dots. Lastly I used a glitter gel pen to doodle along the edges of the layers.

Last but not least is a card I am especially proud of. I took this 4 1/2" x 9" piece of Bazzil green and layered it under a 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" piece of basic white. I then used my Bic Markers to hand-draw this tree and limbs along with the 'Christmas lights' around the branches. I added heart die-cuts as ornaments. One of the added challenges was to find a way to incorporate hearts into a Christmas card since it is February. I think I did pretty well getting those hearts in there. The largest ones are popped up with pop-dots. I'm not sure why I am so proud of this one. I think it is because I drew it myself and didn't rely on stamps to make the image. Anywho, I hope you like it just as much as I do. This is going to be one I mass-produce for people, but without the hearts I think.

Mahalo for stopping by! Sorry about the long post!

That's me...

2008-02-16T20:43:00.000-10:00

What Crystal Means

You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily.

You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind.

A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.

You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.

You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.

You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.

You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.

You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.

You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.

You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.

Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

One Man's Junk

2008-02-10T10:32:00.003-10:00

Is always another man's treasure. That is, these CD's were going in the trash, that is, until I got ahold of them. Isn't this just cute. This was the first wall-hanging I made and it was actually a gift I gave for Christmas but I forgot to blog it after the giftee received it. Can you tell I am proud?!? TeeHee. The paper covering the CD's were from My Mind's Eye Bohemian Style I believe. The letters are chipboard from Making Memories and some of the letters are matted with white dollies from Wal-Mart.

So, you will notice there are two different pattern papers; one striped and one plain. Those letters that are mounted on the stripped paper have a white dolly underneath them while those mounted on the solid light-blue paper are not. The letters without dollies have ribbons attached to give them a bit of flair. I just love these ribbons. I found them for 10/$10 at my LSS and I believe they are by American Traditions. I'm not positive since I have used all the ribbon since then :D Does that mean I need to take a trip??? tee-hee. For each of the CD's I used my crop-a-dile to punch holes, fill with eyelets, and then string the CD's together using binder rings. Afterwards I added ribbon to the binder rings. I couldn't believe how fun these are and how simple they can be. This particular one took about 15 minutes.

So, I needed a couple of thank you cards that were simple and sweet. This is what I come up with. The flowers are from Nicole Stamps and were colored with Bic Sharpies. I added some stems and there you have it. I really liked how these came out. I took a photo playing with my new lighting system I have.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Gung Hey Fat Choy!

2008-02-02T20:30:00.002-10:00

Wishing you Wealth and Prosperity!

Aloha Everyone! Well, things with the thesis are going well. No major problems thus far; I just hope it stays that way! Hope everyone is having a great weekend :D We spent the day ringing in the Chinese New Year in Chinatown here in Honolulu which hopefully explains the title of the post :D. It was a day of festivities and good Chinese food! You can check out a small video below I uploaded to youtube if you want. The Chinese tradition involves the Lion Dance to invite the new year as well as ward off evil spirits. Money (traditionally put in red envelopes) are offered to the lions. It is a great tradition to participate in since Hawaii has a HUGE Chinese population. For more info about the Chinese New Year, see THIS ARTICLE

Now, on the Stampin! I received this adorable card from my Secret Sistah. I can't wait to figure out who she is because she is one amazing stamper!

I am part of another online group - RCS - and we are doing a mini Christmas challenge. We get to set our own Christmas card goals each month and to mix it up a bit, we throw in our own monthly challenge to work into a Christmas theme. This is January's card. I set my goal at 5 a month because I never need that many cards. The other mini challenge was to use a non-traditional color theme so I chose pink and brown. The card is simple enough. I used Fiskars dry-embossing templates to emboss snowflakes on the pink layer. The three circles are a mitten, snowflake, and 'let it snow' (I am unsure of who the set is by, sorry!) and are attached with some cute red and white fibers. I added two photo corners to the other side. As I was looking at it, I decided that side was pretty bare-thus photo corners :D

As always, Mahalo for stopping by. My sistahs are so awesome. They keep me sane and happy through all this blah I have this month!

More V-day

2008-01-25T14:21:00.001-10:00

Aloha everyone. So I am freakin' out! I have set my thesis defense date which is March 12. What that means is that I have TONS AND TONS of work to do before the end of February. I am so stressed. I have been in front of this computer for the past 4 1/2 hours typing my research. I NEED A BREAK!

So, I have a couple more Valentine's Day cards to show you both of which are pretty simple because they are for the men in my life-my boyfried and my dad. This first one is for my boyfriend. I ticket punched the corners and rounded others then stamped I Love You on the bottom left. The heart is a brass-toned charm that I received in a Christmas package.

This second one is for my Dad because I am daddy's little girl. I'm not sure what this particular fold is called but I had seen it on SCS before so I decided to give it a try. I kept the colors the same as the above on but changed it up a bit. I added this scalloped heart as the center and two photo corners.

Mahalo for stopping by and listening to my panic attack. :D

I Have Been Tagged!

2008-01-20T22:20:00.001-10:00

OK, so I was tagged a little while back by Chrissy (a fellow siesta!) so I figured I better give this a go. :D

I am supposed to list 7 random or weird things about myself. I think this shouldn't be too difficult.

1) I am still a student and have been for 21 years. It is time for a break.
2) I have lived in New Zealand
3) My eyes change color depending on the weather
4) I lived in 4 states before my 24th B-day (and I am not an army brat)
5) I can clog and have clogged on stage at Walt Disney World
6) My Numero Uno Pet Peeve is snoring
7) I love dogs but hate cats
8) I love adrenaline rushes which is why I have jumped out of a perfectly good airplane
9) My highschool summer job was a river rat guiding on the Nantahala River
10) I am afraid of the dark. No, I am terrified of the dark.

OK Ladies, There you have it. I'm sure I could keep on going but I will spare you :D

I now have to tag 7 other people so the Lucky 7 are

Alex-Sillybirds Stamping Diary
Savitri-Scrapin and Stampin with Savitri
Lori-Ramblings of a Paper Crafter
Elaine- Quixotic Creations
Sandy- Paper Transformer
Catherine- Paper Addict
Mel- Mel Stampz

The rules of the game:
• Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
• Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, we all want to know them.
• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
• Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Phew, What a week!

2008-01-19T10:46:00.002-10:00

Now that my first week of school is ovah, I need to get back into blogging action! I have so much to share with you that has been building up on my desktop. But first, I must share my first card that I received from my Big Sis today in the mail. I also got some goodies-a monkey stamp and a mounting block. This stamp is just adorable and can't wait to play with it. Don't you just love this card?!?

Next, I will share with you some of the Thank You cards I sent out for the holidays. This card was sent to my SS for delivering me such a fantastic gift. I started with a piece of green Bazzil cardstock that measured 4 1/4 x 4 1/2. I had just a bit of this leftover Christmas paper so I added a piece along the bottom to break the card up. Next, I stamped the little Birdie on a piece of basic white and colored him in with my sharpies. I scalloped the edges and then layered it on a piece of tan. As an added touch, I tied a knot with this cute stripped ribbon and added to the image. My scallops got a little funky in that spot so I just added the ribbon to cover it up :D Along the top I wrote A Lil Birdy Told Me and the inside reads That You Were A Great Secret Santa.

To keep this post fairly short, I will just show the cute treat box I made for Valentines Day. I just loved this treat box tutorial from SCS so I just had to give it a try. I went with an 8x8 size treat box and instead of adding patterned paper, I just added heart die-cuts and scalloped the edges. I love the scallops along the edges!

Mahalo for stopping by!

No Time!

2008-01-08T12:11:00.001-10:00

Oh My Goodness! I am so busy with school work and school doesn't even start until next week! I hate working on a thesis but it has to be done. With that in mind, today is going to be a quickie so I will share a few cards that don't really need an explanation :) LOL.

These have Valentines Day written all over them! I just love these cards. Both were made with Bazzil paper and the stamp is from a Nicole stamp set.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Another SS thanks

2008-01-02T16:53:00.002-10:00

I just love love love this card. So simple and so fun! The card measures 4 1/4 x 4 1/2 with green Bazzil as the base. The sketch came from SCS's SC. I think it is pretty self-explanatory so I will give just the basic recipe. If you have any questions, just ask in the comments.

Paper-Bazzil, American Traditions DP
Stamps- Hero Arts Alpha Stamp, Rhonna Farrer flowers
Ribbon- American Crafts

I had some leftover scraps so I made another smaller one that sits a different way with the ribbon in a different position.

Need Your Opinions Please!

2007-12-30T21:21:00.002-10:00

Aloha all,

*FYI-I posted a card before this if you want to scroll down and check it out*

So, I need your opinions. I am making wedding invitations for my Little Bro's wedding. We decided on a criss-cross card and finally picked the red the bride wanted. What I would like ya'lls opinions on is the ribbon ties. On the first card which I posted awhile back, I added 3 ribbons. Check it out HERE

For the one I completed tonight I only attached 1 ribbon at the bottom.

Don't pay attention to the color difference. The most recent one pictured above is going to be the red. I was just wondering if you guys liked 3 ribbons or 1? Keep in mind this will be a wedding invitation.

Mahalo everyone!

Happy Happy Almost End of 2007

2007-12-30T19:06:00.002-10:00

Aloha everyone! I thought I would share a thank you card I made for one of my Secret Santa's. This is for SCS's sketch challenge a few weeks ago. I thought it would make an appropriate thank you :) The card base is a red 4 1/4" x 9" piece of cardstock folded in half. The wonderful and festive polka-dot paper is from My Mind's Eye and is cut 1/4" smaller. I used my small circle punch to punch three white circles to be my snowman and then 2 circles from used wrapping paper to fit the sketch. I assembled those first on basic green and then blue. For the right I added two eyelets and then added this beautiful American Crafts ribbon. I love how the colors match! I used Hero Arts Alphabet to stamp thanks on white them layered on blue before adhering to the card.

Isn't my snowman cute? I sure think so. Mahalo for stopping by! Happy New Year!

Oh Happy Christmas Day!

2007-12-26T11:12:00.003-10:00

I had a wonderful Christmas and I hope ya'll did too! I thought I would share some of the mazing crafting gifts I received. First is my Secret Santa-Sandy. She remembered a conversation I had earlier in the year about my dismal lack of a circle cutter. I can typically draw shapes fairly well but circles give me a hard time. A few weeks ago I purchased one of those Fiskar's Shape Cutters so my circles would not be boxy and wouldn't you know - it was BROKE! I took it back and refused to get another one. It was a rough day. Well, Sandy is such a sweatheart. She bought the Creative Memories Cutting System with a circle template! I love it. She will be getting a thank you card with a big circle!

Next I will talk about this strange couple named Vern and Vixena Elfington. This couple sent out tons of boxes under a mysterious identity and they came from the NE SE BIPOLAR USA! Mr. and Mrs. Elfington had so many excited and confused because we did not know their identity until latter last night. But they sent out 25 boxes to our RCS group full, I mean jammed, with scrapbooking and cardmaking stuff! I am talking stickers, rub-ons, paper, punches, sizzlits, border makers, font CD's, ribbon and the list goes on and on and on. Dave and April, aka, Mr and Mrs Elfington, truly brought the spirit out in our group. They were awesome!

I got a beautiful card from Sandy as well today. So its a little late, it is still a beautiful card. Check it out!

Here is a beautiful card I got from Mel, another RCS member. I love her embossing!

Jessica sent me a wonderful Thank You card since I was her secret santa.

I hope ya'll have a wonderful New Year! Mahalo for stopping by!

Here's A Challenge For Ya

2007-12-22T10:36:00.002-10:00

Aloha everyone! How are those holiday tidings coming along? It is very close to Christmas but the holidays did not put a damper on scrappin challenges over at SCS. I was a guest hostess for this week's VARIETY CHALLENGE. My challenge for the ladies was TO FIND A CREATIVE WAY TO USE ENVELOPES ON OUR SCRAPBOOK PAGES. You can click the title there <---- to see all the details. Here is my sample for the challenge.

I played a lot with this sketch before finally finding a layout that I liked using these photographs. I really like this layout! The focal point is a chipboard letter "B" with the rest of the letters spelled out with stickers. I adhered those stickers to a neutral cardstock then punched them out with my circle punch. I used the SANDING TECHNIQUE BY MEREDITH on the photos before matting them. I used decorative scissors by Provo Craft to cut them out then doodled with a glitter pen around the mats. For the edge border, I used the EYELET DOODLING TECHNIQUE FROM PEGGY for some added jazz.

Next came the envies, the part of my challenge. I downloaded a template online for mini envelopes then followed the directions to make these cute additions. You can find a template for the envelopes HERE or HERE. I added min square brads to keep the envelopes closed on two of them and assembled some flowers for the bottom one. I think these are just awesome. They add a lot of character and texture to my page. The solid green is made with BAZZIL and the top two were made with MY MINDS EYE.

I hope you find some inspiration here. Give this a try and stop by SCS to check out other challenges! Mahalo for checking in!

More Christmas Cheer

2007-12-21T13:32:00.004-10:00

Here is another handmade card I received from one of my RCS friends-Linda. I love the holly.

Here are some pics of the handmade gift I received from one of my Secret Santa's-Kate. I was allowed to open, if you were wondering ;) She altered this old cigar box into a cute purse of NYC. I just love it and the rhinestones are even the color of my birthstone. I wonder if she realized this before hand? Enjoy.

Mahalo for stopping by!

A Child's Christmas

2007-12-20T15:33:00.000-10:00

i wait patiently
staring in anticipation
at those wonderful boxes
tempting me so.

big and small
wide and tall
they haunt me
calling me closer

a little shake
will be okay
just to cure
that curiosity

i crawl slowly
to the neath of the tree
a giggle escapes
i am so close

"don't shake your boxes johnny
santa would not agree"
i bow my head and crawl away
wondering what it could be

Joy Joy Joy

2007-12-20T15:14:00.001-10:00

I accumulated quite a few CD's and decided to alter them into Christmas banners for house decorations. This was so much fun and I think it would be a great idea for a swap. Hmmm...brainstorming for the future :)

These are so simple. I used American Crafts Christmas dp to cover the CD's. On one of them I added a dolly then a Chipboard letter. The other two have the chipboard letters with ribbons. To put them together, I used my Crop-a-dile and inserted eyelets. I added binder rings to bring them all together and then added ribbon at the top through 2 more eyelets for hanging.

Wah-lah! Simple as that! One of these takes no more than 15 minutes. This particular one was sent to my Mom. I have another larger one (not Christmas theme) that I will post after Christmas because it was a Secret Santa gift.

Mahalo for stopping by!

A few Christmas Cards

2007-12-18T15:36:00.002-10:00

I thought I would share a few beautiful cards made by my friends at R-C-S.

The first is a lovely card with plenty of sparkle made by Dave.

The second is from M-C. This card is just stunning.

The third is from my wonderful Secret Santa, Kate. Isn't the embossing just gorgeous!

Picture Perfect

2007-12-17T09:39:00.002-10:00

Aloha everyone! Happy Holidays! Some of you have asked if I am still around. Well, last Saturday my boyfriend and I took a vacation over to Maui and the Big Island. We needed a little R&R outside of the city. We had a great time but now back to the city life. On the positive side, I took over 400 photos that I'm sure will find a way to a scrapbook page!

I thought I would share another Christmas gift. This was a simple gift I made for my Dad this year. Since I haven't seen him in 17 months, I always try to share photos as often as possible. This was one of those cheap acrylic frames from Wal-Mart. I cut a piece of My Mind's Eye Paper to fit inside the frame as a background. The frame around the photo is a cheap mat from Wal-Mart as well. I coordinated the mat with the paper. On the right is a poem that was printed out and matted first on a piece of coordiating blue then brown.

Sorry about the photo. It is hard to photo these kinds of frames. I hope you enjoy and if you need a cheap last-minute gift, this is perfect! Mahalo for stopping by!

Stampin on Candles

2007-12-06T10:27:00.001-10:00

Ever since I saw THIS TUTORIAL at SCS I just had to give it a try. I made this set for my aunt for Christmas. They are super easy and it is a great way to buy the cheapy, ugly candles and then make them look like a million bucks! I colored the images with Crayola magic markers. The flower stamp is from Rhonna Farrer and the smaller inchies are from Hero Arts.

For lots of other pretty stamped on candles and a little inspirations, check out the SCS GALLERY

Drum roll please....brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (that's my drum roll lol)...all of my Christmas gifts are finished, wrapped, and postal! Whoooo-hooo!

Mahalo for stopping by! Mele Kalikimaka!

WOO-HOO

2007-12-05T21:26:00.000-10:00

IT'S OVAH!

I'M FINISHED!

GOODBYE HOMEWORK, REPORTS, AND PRESENTATIONS!

HELLO REST AND RELAXATION!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE :)

Mele Kalikimaka

2007-12-04T12:30:00.000-10:00

That is Hawaiian for Merry Christmas. I thought I would extend a little island holiday cheer to you and share the lyrics to Hawaii's very own Christmas song.

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you
From the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say "Merry Christmas to you."

To hear the song sang by Bing Crosby, you can go HERE and check it out.

Or check out this youtube video with the hula.

It is a great upbeat carol that is sang with pride here. Enjoy!

Mahalo for stopping by! Mele Kalikimaka!

Swap Update

2007-12-03T12:20:00.002-10:00

A little while back I showed you Calendar CD's that I had created for a swap. Well, I know have the complete set from the R-C-S ladies! Everyone did such a wonderful job and created absolutely beautiful CD's that I just have to show you!

Mahalo for stopping by! Aloha!

Sisterhood of the Stamping Bloggers

2007-11-30T21:37:00.001-10:00

Today while browsing through the wonderful world of craft blogs, I came across this great new group. I am suppose to write a little about me so here goes...

I'm a graduate student at the University of Hawaii studying intercultural communication. I really enjoy what I am studying but sometimes (like now) it can just be a little too much to handle :) To take the stress off, I make cards and scrap my Hawaii memories. I started scrapping a little over 2 years ago because I wanted to create a book of my college graduation. Once it began it has never stopped. I just recently got into card making after finding Splitcoast Stampers :) Those enablers...It is great to be able to send handmade cards back home to the fam. It is at the end of the semester so I haven't been able to glittery and gooey as much as I would like...but hey, I have to graduate sometime! :)

If you would like to become a Sisterhood Blogger, head over and see what we have to offer.

The Joys of Summer

2007-11-30T21:22:00.001-10:00

I know all your mainlanders are pretty cold right now so here is a little something to warm you up :) This is for another VSBN challenge over at SCS.

Now that the weather is cool...I am starting to miss summer. Scrap a page about a tradition you have in the summer. It could be that you eat meals out on your porch or it could be a 4th of July celebration. These are just a couple of ideas...let's see some summer pages! Bonus points if you use glitter.

I just love this photo of the weiners cookin on the grill. My boyfriend had dropped one down in there so I was trying to get a pic of that. LOL. You can see if you look hard enough :) It is charred and definitely not edible. Everything on this page came from the American Traditions Beach Fun paper pack. The layout was a sketch from Valerie's Sketches. Valerie has an awesome sketch blog. You should check it out! I double matted the photos first with tan and then beige. I had never matted my photos with neutral colors but I really liked how these came out. The inside of the journaling box is popped up with dots to give the page some added dimension and I journaled with a glitter gel pen.

Mahalo for stopping by! Stay Warm!

Dream Wedding

2007-11-29T16:30:00.001-10:00

Aloha everyone! Time for another scrapbook page. I was on a card kick and hadn't really gotten around to pages. Well after completing these pages I realized just how much I love to scrapbook. Not sure why I like pages more than cards. Personal preference I suppose. Anyway, this page was for a VSBC at SBS.

Well, one tradition that I have been creating or carrying on at the moment is getting ready for my wedding. There are so many things that you must do before the BIG DAY! Find the guy, get the ring, pick the dress, pick the bridesmaids dresses, cake, decor, church, music, flowers... oh man the list goes on and on and on....

My challenge to you is to scrap a page about preparing for your wedding. If you don't want to include photos you don't have to, but the journaling better be there!!!!

If you are yet to be married or find the guy scrap a page of what you dream your wedding will be like!

Since I'm not married I decided to scrap my dream wedding. The paper is from Paperbilities and I assembled the flowers with brads. I stamped flourished from Rhonna Farrer in Versamark Black. The best part, this page won the Challenge! I was blown away when my page actually was selected. How fun!

Mahalo for stopping by. Take some time and scrap it!

I'm Going Nutty

2007-11-26T19:48:00.002-10:00

Aloha everyone. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday! I have been doing nothing but scrapbooking lately and I am loving it! This is a page I did as part of my All About Me book. The challenge:

Now, many of you know that I think chocolate is a vitamin, so my challenge shouldn't surprise you:

Every holiday needs family; every family needs fudge at the holidays! Bring them together for the perfect scrapbook theme:

"Families are like fudge: mostly sweet with a few nuts."

Scrap pictures of family members acting nutty using this saying on your page. Or journal a nutty family story. Use a color scheme that includes chocolate tones, chocolate designer paper, or chocolate stamping. Bonus points for embellishing with "chocolate chip"-board. (any chipboard will do, but extra bonus points for chocolatey chipboard)

*Warning: please be sure to have edible chocolate nearby during this challenge so you won't be tempted to nibble on your layout.

Since I love chocolate too and I think that me and my boyfriend are a little nutty, then this is the perfect page for us. I love this photo too. The paper if Paperbilities cardstock. I think the rest is pretty simple.

Mahalo for stopping by!

My Fur Baby

2007-11-19T18:41:00.002-10:00

Aloha everyone. Well, I am slowly having a mental breakdown and my brain will probably be mush at the end of the next three weeks. School is getting to be a pain in the you-know-what. December 7th can't come fast enough!

With that said, I had an awesome time playing with Colleen's Thursday Throwdown. Her challenge this week ---> Use Tags. How much fun. I don't use tags hardly at all on my pages but after this challenge I think I will have to make room for them! I loved tags so much, in fact, that I added tags to a scrapbook I am working on for my Mom. I can't post that one thought just in case my Mom decides to peek :)

Well, here is my page. It is an 8"x8" page done with American Traditions Beach Fun paper pack. The large S is attached with ribbon and comes from the same paper pack. I think the rest of the page is pretty self-explanatory. I loved using the tags to spell out my Pooches name-Shrek.

Mahalo for stopping by! Check out Colleen's blog for tons of inspiration and this Thursday's Throwdown!

Christmas Time is Comin

2007-11-15T21:11:00.001-10:00

OI VEY! This week has been crazy. It is that time in the semester. I had a big exam this week and for the next three weeks I have major assignments due. With that said, I will try to post but they may be brief. On the other hand, I might need to let off a little steam :) Before I hit the hay from a long long day of studying I will leave with you a little Holiday cheer. This is one of my favorite photos of Christmas time in the islands. Santa giving his shaka! LOVE IT!

Mahalo for stopping by and wish me luck for the rest of the semester!

Mmmm...Pet Peeve

2007-11-12T12:14:00.001-10:00

So, if anyone really knows me they know that my numero uno pet peeve is Snoring! I hate it. For some reason I just get enraged when I hear snoring. As luck with have it, my boyfriend is a snorer. We tried everything and nothing we could find would work so the compromise: I wear earplugs to sleep. Sad, I know, but we are both happy now and I don't have to hear him infernal snoring.

What does all this have to do with scrapbooking? Well, one of the challenges at SCS for the VSBN was to use a sketch and keep it real. We were supposed to scrap a pet peeve or something that is quirky about us or our family. Hence the connection.

Again the page is pretty self-explanatory. The page is an 8x8. The papers are from American Traditions and their Beach Fun Paper Pack. The alphabet that is stamped is from Hero Arts. The flowers are from Green House.

Under the Moonlight

2007-11-09T15:29:00.001-10:00

Aloha everyone. It is getting cold everywhere! I just talked to my Dad and it was 23 there the other morning. Crazyiness! I can't even begin to imagine how cold that is anymore. 70 is the way I like it and even that is a little chilly now.

However, because the weather is always fantastic here we get a lot more opportunities to do things like sit at the beach and watch the moon rise and stare at the stars. This page depicts just that. I made this page as part of my All About Me scrapbook for VBSN at SCS. The challenges were so much fun.

For this page I used an 8x8 piece of purple Paperbilities and scalloped the sides with my corner rounder. The borders were made using coffee filters. Yes, that's right...COFFEE FILTERS! I used my star and moon stamps inked in Versamark Black and stamped on crumpled coffee filters. I really like how these came out. The filters really absorb ink very well. I layered the photo on a piece of silver and then created photo corners. The moon as hand-drawn using yellow Paperbilities card stock and a black crayola colored pencil. I attached silver brads in the corners of my journaling and that was that! I really like the colors in this page.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Warm and Cozy

2007-11-06T16:44:00.001-10:00

Aloha everyone. I have another scrapbook page to share with you. This is from the VSBN preview party that I had tucked away and forgot to post. The challenge for this page was:

Scrap a Warm and Cozy Morning!
Every Thanksgiving morning since I was a little kid, my family would cozy up on the sofa in our warmest comfiest PJ's to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV. The only times I have missed the parade in 36 years were the years I was actually there!
For this challenge I want you to scrap your Thanksgiving Morning tradition using warm cozy colors, and lots of texture! Use colors that are soft and warm and use textures like embossing, fabric, fur, cotton etc! Get yourself cozy and show me your best morning traditions!

How fun was this challenge! As a child my Mom always got me up on Thanksgiving Day to watch the Macy's parade with her. Now, while I do love watching the parade, I cherish my sleep more. So, my page depicts what I would rather be doing on that cold Thanksgiving morning :)

This page must have said Warm and Cozy because it was one of the winners in the challenge. I am so excited! I can't believe that I won! I hope you enjoyed the page as much as I did making it.

On a New Track Week 2

2007-11-05T16:18:00.000-10:00

Ok, so it has been another week and well, not to successful. I think I picked the worst time to get this whole new track thing started. For starters, it was Halloween this week so who has the time to run that day??? For some credit I will say that I walked the streets of Waikiki for a couple of hours if that means anything :) Next, we hit the rainy season here in Hawaii. The result, rain non-stop since Saturday. My lanai has flooded and almost creeped into the apartment. To make things worse, we had thunderstorms. Yes, Thunderstorms! It never storms in the islands unless the conditions are, shall we say, PERFECT FOR STORMS. This time, two systems merged directly on top of the islands and has just sat there. Needless to say...I AM SICK OF THE RAIN AND THE RAINY SEASON HAS JUST BEGUN!

At any rate, I can say that I kept my goal...only stairs. I am proud of that one and will keep it up for sure.

My goal for next week, riding my bike or walking to complete errands. This should be a fun one! I really enjoying riding during the day, especially now that we are in 'fall'.

So, what did I do exactly you ask?

Mon- 2 miles walk
Tues-1 mile run
Wed-Halloween!
Thurs-2 mile walk
Fri-lazy
Sat- raining
Sun- raining

I guess that is not so bad ;) Ok, I could have done better. As I sit here typing this, it is once again falling a flood outside. So, not sure about running today...

Aiea Loop

2007-11-05T14:00:00.001-10:00

So, I had a very exciting weekend of virtual scrapping over at SCS. I think I completed 11 of the 12 challenges. Well, let me tell you. After awhile, your brain starts to rot away and you have to find inspiration in all kinds of places. A few weeks ago we battled, quite literally, the Aiea Loop here on Oahu. I came out from that 5 mile hike covered from head to toe in mud! It was a great time though and some of the scenery was beauitful!

I got my inspiration for this page from Beate and her wonderful weekend sketch. I really like how this page turned out. It is a lot of fun to see how to take a card sketch and create a memory! I think this page is pretty self-explanatory. The patterned paper is from American Traditions. The card stock is from Paperbilities. The flowers are dollar flowers from the Wal-Mart. I think these are very cute. I layerd white and blue ribbon and wrapped around the main layers of paper. The stamps are from a wonderful package I recieved from my Mom. She is the best!!! They are the Hero Arts Alphabet stamp set and I have gotten a lot of use out them lately!

Mahalo for stopping by. I have a lot of scrapbook pages to show you so stay tuned!

Something new and fun!

2007-11-02T15:42:00.002-10:00

Aloha everyone! I have something fun to share with you that I am totally in love with. Check out this background made with tissue paper. To make this is so simple.

First you find tissue paper that you like and crumple it to give it texture. Then you build your card sandwich. First a piece of wax paper, then your card or cardstock that you want covered, then plastic wrap, then the tissue paper, and lastly another piece of wax paper. After you have made your sandwich, you need to "warm" it. You do this using an iron. Simply run the iron over the sandwich for several seconds giving the plastic wrap time to melt. Let that cool and then peel you card from the wax paper. Wallah! Your card with a very cool background.

Sometimes you just can't find the tissue paper you are looking for. I have this problem. Solution: purchase solid color tissue paper and stamp your design that you like. Follow the same process as above.

But, what if you don't have tissue paper in your budget. I know some of us have no-buy policies going on for the holidays so I have a solution using only things that you will need for your home. Instead of tissue paper, use COFFEE FILTERS! Almost everyone drinks coffee these days so you should have filters laying around. Check out this card background using coffee filters.

So easy, fun, and cheap! Give it a try. Mahalo for stopping by!

Family is what it's all about

2007-11-01T15:34:00.001-10:00

Aloha and Happy Scrap Thursday! I thought I would share another scrap page that I made for my 6x6 All About Me album. But first, how was everyone's Halloween? Mine was so much fun! Waikiki is out of control for Halloween with tons of people dressed up as crazyiness! My boyfriend and I dressed up and headed down with a huge group of friends and hung out all night. Fun Fun Fun!

Now, on to the show! What do you notice that is special about this page???

Did you guess no embellishments? If you did then you are very observant! This page has no hardware, brads, stickers, embellies, nothing! I guess you can make a good page without all those extra's built in :) I think this page pretty much explains itself with the exception of the journaling. I added a small pocket to the back of the page with sticky tape and then used my circle punch to create a small semi-circle at the top. This way we can grab the journaling when we feel the need to read :) This is a great way to add journaling especially on these smaller pages!

Stamps: Rhonna Ferrer Flourishes
Ink: Versamark Black, Archival Teal
Paper: Paperbilities card stock, 6x6 dp paper pack
Accessories: circle punch, gel pen

Mahalo for stopping by!

What is Community?

2007-11-01T12:16:00.000-10:00

I had a very interesting conversation the other day involving community. We had had a campus scare that day and it prompted some very amusing conversations about that town-crazy's that are always seen out and about. You get to know these people simply because you and the crazy's are usually following the same routine everyday. I wouldn't go as far as saying you actually get to know them. You recognize them. They become acquaintances if anything.

In short form, this lead to a converstaion about how Hawaii has that small community feel to it. People think of Hawaii as being a small tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone. I responded in saying that Hawaii, especially Honolulu, doesn't feel like a small community at all. I say this because I come from a small community. My town population is right at a thousand people and it is uniquely a place where "everybody knows your name." You would see the same people on a daily basis but you actually knew this person. You knew their parents or children, their cousins, aunts, uncles, and most definitely where they lived. You knew their pet-peeves, what they enjoyed, what they didn't. These people would help you out in a pinch without a second thought, would give you the clothes off their back. It was a small close-knot community.

This generated a response along the lines of we feel it is close-knit because we see the same people everyday. Whether you are at the farmer's market on the weekends, Wal-Mart on Saturday, or taking the H1 to work through the week. This hardly constitutes a community in my opinion. This translates, to me anyway, that people have routines in which they follow like a religion. Just because you recognize a face, doesn't make it a community. Until you get to know this person, you are simply just another face in the crowd.

I can't say that my opinion echo's through the masses. However, I do feel that my definition of community will drastically different than those growing up in Honolulu today. Not to say their definition is wrong. In most aspects, Honolulu is a tight-knot community, when you compare it to the other major cities around the mainland. But if you really want to hold that close-knit award in this state, then you must work a little harder to get to know the million or so who live here.

Jumping the Fence

2007-10-30T12:39:00.000-10:00

My boyfriend says I have a bad habit of jumping the fence. In other words I can't make up my mind. I have to say that I agree with him whole-heartedly. I have commitment issues and when I have to confirm things, especially things that involve money, I have anxiety attacks. Not the kind where I hyperventilate on the floor, seize and draw unwanted attention; mine are less noticeable but can cause some serious problems.

Take for instance, the day I decided to buy a new laptop. I was all about it. I needed a new computer because I was afraid mine was going to die at the most inconvenient moment and take all of my thesis work with it. That would create an anxiety attack! Anywho, back to the story. We headed to the Apple Store to purchase a MacBook. This is exactly what I wanted...no questions. However, when it came time to say to the nice Mac man, Yes Sir, I want to purchase a MacBook, I froze! It was so difficult for me. I started sweating. My heart starting racing. It took every ounce of strength in me to hand the guy my card. However, once this catastrophe was over and I had signed the slip, I was fine. I went home happy and have enjoyed my Mac ever since.

So, why do people have issues like these? If you know you want something and there is no question, why is the world is it so difficult! I curse who ever came up with the phrase commitment issues and put a name to my disease. I suppose there is no cure and I will simply have to deal with it. In the meantime, my boyfriend now has the hard part of signing the big checks.

On a New Track

2007-10-29T16:32:00.000-10:00

Yes, that is correct. I am on a new track as of last week. So, I am now officially on a health kick. I realize that I have a very healthy appetite, especially when it comes to chocolate. However, I have to take this change in small steps. In the words of Brian, I have to ween myself. Not that I need to lose weight. I just need to be healthier like I used to be. So, every Sunday there will be a diary update on my new health track. As of last Wednesday:

Walked: Wed-2 miles
Thurs-2 miles
Fri- 1.5 miles
Sat- 2 miles
Sun- Lazy

Total= 7.5 miles.

I have not gathered the courage to actually buy a scale or anything. Hopefully one day I will muster that courage and be able to report actual numbers and progress!

But for now, each week I am going to set a new goal. Not a miles walked goal; that is a given each week. Instead a 'fitness' goal of some sort.

The new fitness goal for this week: NO ELEVATORS OR ESCALATORS---ONLY STAIRS.

A little Altering

2007-10-29T11:43:00.002-10:00

Can you believe that I have never altered anything. ***gasp*** I KNOW! I just thought that was crazy. So, I made this vow that I was going to try and make most of the Christmas presents that I sent home this year. So what better way to start altering?

Colleen over at Distinctive Touches threw down an altering challenge last Thursday so I thought now is the best time to start. Her challenge was to alter something lying around the house. Frankly, I don't have anything. I live in a 200 square foot closet (if that) so I don't necessarily have things around the home besides the absolute basics. For the altering, I went out and bought a cheapy frame that could use a touch up for my grandma.

The altering was very simple. It was my first time using Modge Podge so I learned some valuable lessons. First, don't be stingy with the stuff. Second, it is much easier if you use a credit card or the like to smooth out the paper. This keeps it consistent.

I really enjoyed this project. I used You're Missed from Around the Block paper and blue Paperbilities card stock to make the photo corners. The paint is Folk Arts acrylic craft paint. The flowers are from Greenhouse and are held together with green and blue brads.

3 years and counting

2007-10-26T12:08:00.002-10:00

Aloha everyone. I am so behind on challenges at SCS so I threw in three challenges on one card to make an anniversary card for that upcoming 3 years. The card is a 4 1/2" sqare on baby blue. The sketch is from SCS, of course.

To follow the masquarade challenge I punched a bunch of small circle and tapped them on the front of the card and then used my Archival Teal and a cotton ball to sponge ink over the front. Once i removed the circles I had polka-dotted paper that wasn't too girly and busy. I really like this new technique. I will have to use it more often!

The limited supplies challenge was to use no sentiments on the front of your card. Instead use numbers. What better challenge for an anniversary! Thus the 3 that was stamped inside the heart. Awwwwww....

So, now I have a polka-dotted background so I cut a large blue assymetrical piece and then layered a piece of heart designer paper and adhered that to the left of the card. I'm not sure if you can see the hearts in the designer paper :( For the main image I stamped a little boy, a little girl and a heart on a piece of basic white, cut those out and layered on a piece of blue with pop-up dots to give it some dimension. I then layered that on a scalloped black rectange.

For details I sponged teal around the heart designer paper and a glitter gel pen to doodle faux stitching around the outer edge. For the main image I added some color to the little people's clothes, faux stitching around the edge and 4 brads on the scallops.

Ever Have One of Those Days

2007-10-25T16:31:00.000-10:00

You know, when you feel the world is against you and consuming your entire lively-hood. Well, maybe not that bad. Oh, screw it. Just that bad.

You wake up to the sun a-shinin, clear blue skies, birds a-chirpin, and what seems like a genuinely good start to the day...until you leave the house.

Then you have to encounter

know-it-all,

snooty,

whinny,

bitchy

people

who think that God's light shines from their gold-crusted ass.

After putting up with them all day, you only look forward to heading home, putting on some comfy clothes, and just relaxing. Instead, you get home to find that special someone cranky just like the rest of the world. **sigh** It just never stops.

Why do ~~things~~ problems come in threes, or fours, or hundreds? I have never understood that. Perhaps I never will. Perhaps I will just have to live in this world and all of its shatty days...

**sigh**

Hoo-ray for Halloween!

2007-10-25T16:22:00.001-10:00

So, continuing on with another scrap page that is going into my ALL ABOUT ME album, one of the challenges was to create a page that shows getting ready for the holidays. What better holiday than upcoming Halloween. I love carving the pumpkin! It comes second only to candy!

I love how this page turned out! Especially the cute pumpkin that I free-handed and the spiders that are hanging from the photo corner and the hat. I think this page is pretty self-explainatory so I will leave you to bask in all its glory (^d^,)

Stamps: Hero Arts
Paper: Paperbilities Card Stock
Ink: Versamark Black

Mahalo for stopping by!

A Brighter Bolder Future

2007-10-23T16:34:00.000-10:00

Have you ever just stopped? Not to smell the roses but to take a good, long, hard look at the world around you. To see people for who they really are. To see the world for the place that it really is. Ever feel like you just want to pull over and let the world go on without you? Just sit aside and watch the world evolve into its final form and do without the desperations, hurt, and dying place we call our world?

Sometimes I do. I want to take a backseat and watch the world go by without me. I don't want to be a part of this place and the actions of others. What, with the hunger, poverty, stress, anxiety, wars, and disease, how can anyone truly say this is a blessed place to be?

As I rode theBus home, we passed several men and women at random bus stops. Why do I remember these people in particular? Because I see them at that bus stop everyday. It is their home and that shopping cart with the squeaky wheel is their lively-hood. They have nothing, no family, no friends, no reason to go on. Yet when I say hello as I pass, their faces shine. Could it be that they have finally found the secret to true happiness? Are all of my things a facade in this great big world? I don't know.

What I do know is that I live in the land of Aloha and Ohana but it is far from the meanings held within those words. It is a land where people are being forgotten. Where those with nothings are forced to give up their squeaky wheels in search of another place to call home. Where those who do have something left, are slowly having it taken away by a government that promotes tourism over the Ohana.

Hawaii may be a beautiful place with its glowing sunsets, palms swaying in the breeze, and sunshine that gleams year-round. But on the inside, it is just another city in the democracy that we still call "our country" which belongs to "the people" when in fact, it belongs to everyone but...

I hope one day...for the sake of my children...there is a brighter, bolder future.

True Beauty

2007-10-23T16:09:00.001-10:00

This past Saturday at SCS was a W-I-L-D one! I participated in my very first virtual scrapbooking night which was a preview par-tee for an even larger night coming in November. I didn't know what to expect but I had a lot of fun. While scrapping I was able to chat with other people working on their pages and share inspiration and stories. It has been great getting to 'know' the people at SCS. They are a great bunch! I thought I would share one of the pages that I completed for the challenge.

The page is 6x6 and is the start of a small ABOUT ME album that I have been wanting to do, if for no other reason than to laugh at myself in a few years. The sketch actually came from the sketch challenge by Beate. I LOVE hibiscus plants. They are by far my favorite flower, especially the pink ones. I may have grown as em mountain folk but I sure do love me some hibiscus'. My friend swears that I should have been an island gal :) I might have to agree if I didn't like snow so much! Anywho, these are 2 photos of that beautiful flower mounted first on baby blue and then pink card stock from Paperbilities. For the background I used my Fiskars Texture Plates to dry emboss a flower print. I then added a layer of black with a ribbon wrapped around. I used an alphabet stamp set my wonderful Mom bought me by Hero Arts to stamp True Beauty on white then cut it out and added it with dimensionals. After adhering the photos I added 4 Making Memories brads to the four corners of the black.

I wanted a simple layout and page that really made those hibiscus' stand out. I think I accomplished just that :) As for the journaling, the photos lift up to reveal my thoughts on how I just wish I had a green thumb :) Mahalo for stopping by! I have lots more pages to show you in the next few days!

A Candy Wonderland

2007-10-22T18:25:00.000-10:00

Ahhhh, Halloween. Perhaps the yummiest of all glorious holidays with the exception of, of course, Thanksgiving. Perhaps it is because I posses the greatest of all temptations-the sweet tooth. For others, what makes this day so special? Maybe it is because for one day a year you are able to dress in outlandish costumes that under normal societal conditions would be frowned upon. On the other hand, maybe it is a day in which you can leave your life, your burdens, your identity behind and pretend to be that other person under a mask for a short glimmer of 24 hours.

For me though, it is all about the chocolate. The walls are lined with yummy goodies-
milky
dark
sweet
sour
hard
soft
red
blue
orange
green
Just simply enjoyment in a bag. However, if I have any faults at all, creamy goodness is my fallout. It is this time of year when all that hard work, that effort to treat yourself better, to eat right, to excersize, to try your best, gets flushed with the remnents of all the chocolate that you were not able to digest.

But oh the candies! The sweet candies! Will I ever lose this sweet tooth? I sure hope not. But Brian swears that he will ween me from chocolately goodness.

So you are probably wondering why the sweet frenzy this week. I have been making goody bags for my co-workers for the holidays. They are getting M&M's. As for me, I get the left-overs :)

Halloween Goodies Treat Bags

2007-10-22T15:51:00.001-10:00

Aloha everyone! This is going to be my first tutorial so I hope you are able to follow. Feed back, as always, is appreciated. So, I needed cheap, easy, yet fun treat bags to give to co-workers as Halloween gifts. The catch...the budget :) I could only use things that I have in my home. This is what I came up with. My inspiration: tie-dyed coffee filters.

Supplies Needed:
coffee filters
stamps of your choice
ink of your choice
card stock (purple and green used here)
tag die cut (sizzlits tag dies, oval used here)
coloring utensils (colored pencils used here)
ribbon (orange used here)
scissors

First stamp your images randomly on the bottom side of 1 coffee filter.

Next color in the images that you want to have color. Tip- colored markers would work great here because the filters easily absorb the ink

Next, use your die-cut machine to cut the tags for your treat bag. Here I used the sizzlits tag die which gave me 2 oval of different colors. This way I was able to layer 2 different colors of tags for the treats.

I then took 6" or so of ribbon and threaded it through the tags. For the sentiment I inked my Trick or Treat stamp in black and stamped it directly on the top tag.

To ensure support for the candies I took another coffee filter and layered it on top of the stamped filter. For the candies, I bought the fun packs of M&M's and poured one pack each in the filters.

Last, I gathered the coffee filter and used the ribbon to tie it shut. Ta-Da. Your finished! Easy, quick and fun treat bags.

Let It Snow

2007-10-19T20:50:00.004-10:00

If only I could see snow in Hawaii. Yeah right!!! I will take Christmas on the beach any day! My wonderful Mom just send me a package with some yummy goodies and candy too! Hehehe...I opened the box to find three stamp sets. Well, I couldn't let them go uninked now could I? I found a little mojo today from Poetic Artistry. I used Julee's Monday sketch to play with and this is how it came out.

I'm not to sure about this one. I have never made my own background before. I love relying on designer paper but I just had to give it a try. My card base is 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" piece of lavender with a piece of 4" square of light blue layered on top. I them cut a wavy piece of silver sparkly designer paper for the bottom layer (I wanted to snowy effect). Next I inked my new mittens in Versamark Black and stamped three images on basic white then layered first on green, red, and then on a scalloped piece of green. I used colored pencils to color the hears. Then I used my glitter gel pen to draw a 'clothes line' linking the mittens. So cute! I then doodled faux stitching around all the layers. Next I inked my Let It Snow in black and stamped on basic white then red, green and red layers. Before assembling I added a blue ribbon with two knots around the card then added the main image and lastly the sentiment. To finish I added a faux border around the outer edges of the card.

I got to see...

2007-10-19T20:36:00.000-10:00

the LION KING ON BROADWAY! It was such a magical experience. I love that movie; it was always one of my favorites. To see it recreated on stage was just amazing. The effects thay had were awesome. At some points in the show I just starred in awe at what was happening with the lights and special effects. It is truely a show to see and well worth the money.

My best advice...sit in the balcony! There is so much going on it will most likely be hard to take it all in from the floor.

I was supposed to have a fundraiser tomorrow but it got cancelled. I can't say that I am upset because it was like pulling teeth to get people to volunteer. That's okay though, it is OVAH!

Speaking of OVAH I had my midterm on Tuesday night. I was so anxious about it and that is so not me! I summed it up to my lack of test-taking skills. After all, I haven't taken a test in years! My supreme lack of abilities though wasn't a damper on my final answers...at least I hope not anyway! I actaully feel okay about the exam. My one problem, the questions seem extremely open-ended so I could have spent the entire 2 and a 1/2 hours scribing a book about the problems and possible solutions of the Digital Divide. I suppose we will see what happens.

I have no major plans for this weekend except for a yummy sale at Ben Franklin this weekend! Very exciting, I plan on doing a lot of shopping for Christmas. I have vowed to create most of my gifts this year. As a matter of fact I have the cutest Halloween goodie bags planned for my co-workers and a few for friends. If Brian is good I might make a few for his co-workers. After all, everyone needs to have a SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN don't they?

A Scrap Happy Thursday

2007-10-18T19:01:00.000-10:00

It has been a C-R-A-Z-Y W-E-E-K! I had midterms this week for school...the first test in almost 2 years so I was test-tarded. I forgot how to study for these things!!! At least it is ovah!

Anywho...I thought I would share another fun scrap page from my Oahu scrapbook that I made a while back. This page is from our visit to Sea Life Park. I love this page. It is probably one of my favorites. If you ever come to Oahu, this is another very fun family attraction that you should visit!

The paper is designer paper that I bought as a bundle at a local office supply store here on Oahu. The stars are die-cuts and the stickers are Jolee's. I love the doodle borders; this actually was the first page I used doodling on.

Mahalo for stopping by!!!

If Friends Were Flowers

2007-10-17T15:00:00.002-10:00

Wow-wee, it has been a crazy week. I had mid-terms and since I haven't had a test in a very long while I think I forgot how to study! Anyway, it is over now and I can relax, until tomorrow (^d^,) Kimmie just has had all kinds of things going on over at her blog this past week or so. I made this card for her Pink Cat Sketch Challenge and I really like how it turned out. I started with a 4 1/4' x 8 1/2" blue card base from the American Traditions Beach Fun Paper Pack. I just love this paper. Next I chose a piece of flower designer paper from the same pack and added it as the bottom and then a 1/2" slip of pink. I used the green glitter gel pen to doodle a faux border and wrap white ribbon.

Next I used my Flower dollar stamp from Rhonna Ferrer inked in Versamark Black and stamped my main image on basic white. I used my simple Crayola colored pencils to color the images. Next I mounted it on a piece of orange from the paper pack and used my gel pen to doodle another border. Next I cut a 1" piece of Orange and used my corner rounder to make a scalloped top border to frame the image. I finished the frame by added another border and some dots in the scallops. The sentiment is written is glitter pen on basic blue from the paper pack, a brad attached to one side and then added to the card with dimensionals. I really like how this card turned out. Mahalo for stopping by.

A Christmas Gift Already

2007-10-15T10:48:00.001-10:00

I know, I know. It is too early. But when you have to worry about a job, school, and getting everything mailed in time to make it from Hawaii, I feel the need to start early to get it all done! This is an expandable scrapbook that I made for a gift for my aunt. I just love these and they are so easy to make. I changed computer so I lost the link to the directions but I will search for them and get it posted. The sketch for the front came from Beate's weekend sketch. I know you are supposed to create a card but I just had to give it a try for the cover. The paper is from a local scrap store and is from Creative Native. They have an online store...Paper Island...and it is on the right hand side of my blog down there ---> I cut a piece of basic white and wrote a great quote on the front: What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And most importantly, COOKIES! I just loved that :) I made 2 photo corners and used a green glitter gel pen to doodle a border. And what about those flowers! Aren't those SCRUMPTIOUS! You can find the tutorial on those here. They are so simple and so beautiful! Definitely give them a try! You will most definitely be seeing those from me more often! I closed the book with a white ribbon. Since it is for my aunt, it will be filled with photos of my cousins with chipboard letter names. I am so excited for her to get this. If only I was going to be home for Christmas...*sigh*

CD Calendars Are Finished--Spoiler Alert for RCS

2007-10-14T08:34:00.003-10:00

I told you I would get the CD Calendars finished this weekend. So, in the online scrap group that I am a part of, we decided to do a CD Calendar swap. Twelve of us each had a different month and since I love August (it is my birthday!) that is what I chose. Lots of popcicles, snglasses, and beach wear! I though these turned out great. I used American Traditions Beach Fun paper, Bobbins ribbon, and not sure what brand those embellies are....oh wait, just kidding; those are Dress It Up. I just love that line of embellishments! As soon as the swap is complete I will post all the months so you can see how talented the ladies at R-C-S is!