Recharging Batteries

I have a quick announcement from Stampin' Up today, so I thought I'd share that, along with some ramblings. :)

I have soooo been enjoying time with my family during our Christmas Break from school. Most all of December has been super busy days and nights, but this last week has been WONDERFUL. Much slower pace, doing what we feel like doing, taking it easy (I mean the girls and I when I talk about this, lol). It was much needed. A recharging of batteries, if you will. :)

My hubby's a dairy farmer, so he doesn't have weekends/holidays off like some do, but he did TAKE a vacation day this week and ahhhh...that was so nice. We went out to breakfast as a family, meandered downtown for awhile, went roller skating as a family (something the girls have been begging to do for awhile now)... Even better, we only paid $10 for the whole 4 of us to go. :)  We had a FREE pass for one daughter (won it at Library Summer Reading program), and a BOGO coupon for my hubby and I's entrance. Love getting a good deal. :)

Anywho...just wanted to explain why it's been a little quiet around here on the little blogeroo. Been taking and making time for family. Slowing down. This morning, we reorganized our game closet, and my daughter's desk is next (ehhh). MAYBE if we have time, we'll take down the Christmas decor. ;-)

Here's to a Happy, Healthy 2012!!! :)

Ooops. Almost forgot the announcement from SU. lol! 

Stampin' Up News:

December 30, 2011

Due to overwhelming demand for the Early Espresso 3/8" Quilted Satin Ribbon, we have run out of stock. This item from the Holiday Mini is no longer available for purchase. We apologize for this inconvenience.

**Remember, Holiday Mini is done after January 3, and Build A Stocking punch will be unavailable after that date**


Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day, and a Happy New Year! :)
Crystal

Sneak Peek!!

BEFORE I get to my regularly irregularly sheduled program (wink), I bring you this announcement:

"We have decided not to carry over the Stocking Builder Punch (item 124095) from the 2011 Holiday Mini Catalog into the next Idea Book & Catalog. Once the current inventory of this punch has been depleted, it will no longer be available for purchase."

Get yours now before it's too late!  The Holiday Mini ends January 3, 2012.

And now...back to the program. ;-)

I FINALLY made something with some new goodies!!  It was my sister-in-law's birthday, and I just had to use new stuffas. :)  I can't show you the actual product or pictures of the product itself, but I can show you what I made! :)

Be nice now...it's the first time in quite some time that I've created from scratch. ;-)

Let's see...I'll count how many new things I used on this card...ummm.... FIVE!

First of all, let me just say I *love* the new Sale-A-Bration designer paper. LOVE IT!!

I also used a new flower punch...twice. On the front flower, I cut the petals inward a little more and curled a bit for some lift. Sounds like I'm talking hair, lol!

See the center?  It's a stamp from the set that coordinates with the flower punch. (I used a 3/4" circle punch on it, but the whole stamped image would fit nicely inside our 1" circle). Then, added dazzling diamonds.  Ahhh...glittah!! :)

The lovely cut border...oohhhh, baby!  Let's just say...TWO items on that alone!  Something to cut the edge, something to emboss it with the lovely line! :)

Here's a little closeup:

Don't look too closely at the inward edges of the flower...I grabbed the closest scissors to me. Aye. Much oversized household scissors and not sharp. Learned my lesson. Next time, my SU paper snips!!!

Well, what do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Yes, I realize it's 2 days past, but to my credit...I had this scheduled for the 25th. Instead, I just saw it was still in draft mode. ;)

*******************************************************************************

A couple of Saturdays ago, the girls had been awake for a bit already when I got out of bed.

This is the scene that greeted me as I stepped into the kitchen:

Grabbed my heart, it did.  Do you see it?

Everyone's lined up around the manger - even the animals who don't actually "belong" with the nativity set.

You see, even the children are aware that ALL eyes should be on Jesus. :)

May the beauty of God's greatest gift be yours today and the rest of your years, too.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a beautiful day!
Crystal

Simply Christmas

Hi there!

A quick post today...just wanted to share a simple little card I made earlier this month for a Christmas Gift.

I really like the stamp I used from the set Easy Events...it's definitely one of my most favorite clean and simple images.  Love how you can make it cutesy OR elegant. Sometimes, simple is best. :)

I simplly stamped the image with black Stazon ink, colored it in with my SU markers, and added a tiny bit of silver ribbon (non SU) to match the gift.

Well, what do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day!
Crystal

Three Projects!

Sorry, this post is late today...gone all morning, then wrote this while making blackberry jam this afternoon. Requires some concentration. ;-)

Wednesday was my BIRTHDAY (yay - I love birthdays!), so I didn't make it to the computer all that day!  Thursday was last minute preparations for Christmas.  Thought maybe I should make up for it with three projects today - one for each day since I last posted?  How bout that...sound good?

Two of the items are treat holders, and one is for a different kind of treat...you'll see. ;-)

All three items use the designer paper "Frostwood Lodge" - available only until Jan 3!!

FIRST up, is a container called a "sour cream container".

Also used:  Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon, ink, and cardstock, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White cardstock. Stamped snowflake from Season of Joy and added a bit of bling in the center with our clear rhinestone.





SECOND, a little "purse" of sorts, made using the Top Note Die and Big Shot.




Also used: Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon and cardstock, Cherry Cobbler cardstock, clear rhinestone, and Triple Layer Bouquet Punch. Oh, and our small cello bag. :)











 LAST but not least, our THIRD project for today...

What IS inside that holder, you ask???

A different sort of treat. ;-)

Besides the Frostwood Lodge designer as used in the other two projects, I used the stamp set Season of Joy again, and some punches - scalloped circle, 1 3/8" circle, and lace ribbon border (?)...the red you see in the center of the white lace is actually the  Cherry Cobbler quilted ribbon.

WHEW!!  Took me several hours to finish, but finally here's the THREE projects I promised today. :)  Well, what do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Chocolate Tub??

Hee hee...NOPE, I do not have a chocolate bathtub.
I just can't think of a proper name for this little treat, lol! 

Here's another of the samples I mentioned before...
Actually, this doubles as a sample AND one of the items I sold here!

"All you need in life is a friend who has chocolate."

I made some of these that were "friendsy," as well as some with a Merry Christmas greeting.

INSIDE: Hershey Kisses. :)

"TUB": Baby food container! :)
Stamp Set: Eat Chocolate
Colors: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

Perfect for a sweet little gift!
Well, what do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Two For Tea?

Remember the crazy 24+ samples in one week?

This is one of them, a nifty little treat holder. :)

LOVE the colors.
Cherry Cobbler cardstock base.
See the texture? It's Cherry Cobbler cardstock embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, then sponged with Early Espresso ink.

The scallop circle is our large scallop circle punch in Early Espresso, and the stamped image on Very Vanilla cardstock is from the stamp set Easy Events.

See the brown ribbon between layers?  It's the new quilted Early Espresso ribbon in the Holiday Mini! LOVE it.



Would you like to see what's inside? I'm guessing you have a clue, but...OK. :)

Tea...for TWO! :)

A neat little gift for secret pal, someone at the office, or just because...








Well, what do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Thank You Treat

Quick post today...

Thought I'd share the Open House thank you's I made to include in the gals' order bags.

Soft Suede and Very Vanilla cardstock
Spice Cake Designer Paper
Easy Events stamp set
Aquapainter & Ink pad lids
Pool Party ruffled ribbon






Would you like to see the inside??

OK. :)

I always like to include some kind of little treat. :)

Well, what do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)

Crystal

CLEARANCE RACK BLITZ!!!!

Oh. My GOODNESS!!!
Do you love a good deal?  You DO?? (so do I!)

Head on over...I mean RUN (however you can do that by clicking your mouse, lol)!!! to my online store...items up to 80% off!!! We're talking GREAT deals!!

There's a a bunch of our "retired" style punches in there! If you don't care what style they are, or prefer the previous style...you'd better go check it out for that and MORE (as in, they added over 200 items! :)

RUN!

Ohhh, I *heart* a good deal! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Open House Treat!

So, a week after I debuted at my first Craft Show, I held my Annual (Stampin' Up) Holiday Open House at my home. Crazy? YES.

Funny thing though...usually I stress out about the Annual Open House. It's interesting what insane craft mode for 3 weeks straight will do to your psyche. After that, I thought...Open House? Bahhh...no biggie! :)

So where I'm usually making tons and tons of new samples, this year I limited myself to 24-ish, combined with "older" samples that were still legit (not retired product). Kind of nice...however, 24-ish samples (cards AND gifty stuff) done in a week...still a little crazy. ;-)

I always enjoy my time with the ladies who come...some of them I don't see but 1-2 times a year, so it's exciting to see them again and catch up.

In the past, I've offered a couple of free make n takes, and this year was no exception.

I had the card figured out, but had the gifty-item narrowed down to three items. The first, I'm just WAY too embarrassed to show you, lol. It was one of those things that you have this idea, and when it comes to fruition - yeah, not as lovely as you pictured it. ;-)

Here's the runner up (didn't make the cut):
Keep in mind the Open House was on NOVEMBER 19th (wink)

I really liked it, but yet...it just wasn't quite right. It's a rather large scallop die for the Big Shot. It needed two pieces cut, scored at a certain point, and adhered together - I felt it wasn't very easy to line up the two at the bottom.





Instead, I wanted to make something which maybe had more uses, and came up with THIS:

First, it uses the Sizzix Two Tags Die. You get two different cut outs from one die - more for your money! :)  Anywho...whereas the above project is DEFINITELY pumpkin-y, I felt like this one could be changed up to reflect different holidays/birthdays/baby shower/wedding shower, etc. So that's why I chose this project...plus it was a little easier to put together. :)

See the texture?  It's the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. And the leaves? Little Leaves sizzlit.

Yes, we used a lot of BIG SHOT. :)

The ribbon is our 5/8" chocolate satin ribbon, tied with our hemp twine. The stamped sentiment is from Grateful Greetings, which I punched out with the large oval, and backed with the scallop oval punch.

Wanna see what's in it?? OK. :)

What ELSE could it be in November? ;-)

Stampin' Up's small cello bags held the treat nicely. :)













Well, what do you think? Try to look beyond the fact that it is now December. ;-)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Craft Fair Pictures!

Yes, I'm still around. :)

If I'm being honest...it's been kind of a nice break. Things have been rather hectic in my life, and I just *had* to cut something out or I think I may have gone crazy!  It's been good to slow down and focus on my family, and myself too.  Taking time to be still. In many ways.

Things are much better now, and I'm looking forward to a quiet, reflective Christmas season. :)

There were a few of you that asked to see pictures of the Craft Fair stuff when I got around to it...so I'm finally getting around to it. Thank you for being patient with me as I sort out stuff. :)

Here's a view of my "shop" head on. Not the easiest to see what's going on...lots of distracting things in the background. :)

I had kind of a "kids" area set up, with notebook sets, bookmarks, tooth fairy tins, playdoh fun, etc.

 

Something new I tried was homemade decor "wipeboards" - more fun than the standard white kind  Included a dry erase marker w/ velcro, and wrapped in cello. :) 

  

A few different things pictured here...my tile coaster sets, magnets, gift card holders, etc...

Since I sell my signature cupcake toppers on my Etsy site, I decided to have a few (ahem) of those on hand as well...(I need to update the listings on Etsy, but there are a few listed there).

We're full circle now..

Here's another little "gifty" section...this one a little more "food-related". Chocolate tins, Snowman kisses, Snowman Soup mug sets, M&M sticks, and more.

The items on the Christmas Tree are hanging gift card holders, also available in my Etsy shop Christmas Section. :)

WHEW!!  Can I just say I'm a *little* glad to be done with that, my very first Craft Fair?? (wink)  Especially considering I signed up 3 weeks before the event....and made everything in that time?? lol

Overall, it was a good experience...one in which I learned many things, and met many great people! :)

Stay tuned for Stampin' Up Open House pics and projects next time...

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Holiday Online Extravaganza!!

Oh. My. GOODNESS!!!

Who loves a good deal? I do, I do! ;-)

You can order online through me, and have it shipped directly to you! :)
Available for a LIMITED time!

Clicking on the picture will show you the flyer with all the items and prices,

Clicking HERE will bring you to my online store where you can purchase the deals. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

WHEW!!

DONE with the Craft Fair,
DONE with the Annual Open House (Stampin' Up).

Can I say I'm ready to crash??
Cuz I am. :)
Goin' to bed early tonight.

Because sometimes, ya just gotta take care of yourself...and SLEEP is what I need right now, lol!

I'm hoping to recover over this weekend (maybe even Monday too b/c technically it's still Saturday, the day of my Open House - wink).  THEN, tackle the old blogeroo. ;-) I have made oodles of stuff in the last month, some of which I can share with ya! :)
Thanks for stickin' with me, hope to share with you soon! :)
Crystal

Craft Mode & Pumpkin!

HI there! :)
Yup, I'm still here...just busy.

I'm preparing to be in a local Craft Show...trying to get the "business" needs (bags, business cards, etc) done as well as crafting. Sometimes feels like not a whole lot is getting done, though, as I've had other commitments keeping me busy as well.

Anywho...last week (when I wasn't as busy), I made some yummy cookies, and shared the picture and link to recipie with my FB friends...but didn't think to do it here!

It's Fall. That means pumpkins. Oh, and chocolate chips too, right? ;-)



They were a hit. :)
(pardon the bad quality phone pic)










So now I s'pose you want the recipe for these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Go to my super-talented friend's blogpost here. You'll want to take a look-see around the place while enjoying your cookies & milk. She not only has the gift of creativity, but a great gift of words, too. :)

Enjoy! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Mending & A Gift

I have to tell you...this week is starting off *much* better than last, and it feels oh, so GOOD. :)

You see, last week was umm....a bummer of a week (to put it mildly). Our Bible Study prayed for me Friday night (& beyond), and I started to feel a healing in my heart through the weekend.

This morning, as the girls are off to school and I am sorting laundry, I find myself prayerful and reflective. My daughter's new shirt (accidentally torn yesterday), begs mending. It wasn't part of my plan today, but it was a part of God's plan. ;-)  Since I always wash the darks first, it means a quick mending before washing. I see now that it was God's timing, His prompting. (I never get around to mending that quickly - it usually sits waiting for um...an embarrassing amount of time, lol)

So, I hauled out the sewing machine and respective supplies, and popped a CD into the player. I start the mending, and after some time, as my heart is soaring, I realize:

While my daughter's shirt is being mended by my hands, my heart is being mended by God's hands!

The music is speaking to my soul, and this beautiful word picture is speaking to me.  It is a gift from God, and I am so grateful. Are those problems still there? Yes, some of them are...but with this newly mended heart I feel like He & I can deal with them better now. :)

Soooo....God has given me a gift this morning and I wanted to share that with you. :)

Speaking of gifts, I have another gift to share...one that I made for someone a few weeks ago:

Simple, yet stated. Would you like to see closeups of what the gifts are? Ok. :)

This is a Post-It holder, and I just love the texture on the cover!  I acheived this look by running the cardstock through my Big Shot, with our new (Holiday Mini) embossing folder, SnowBurst.

The personalized "L" part was created with our stamp set Lovely Letters, and mounted on our circle and scallop circle punches. Finished it off wth our Pear Pizzazz Stitched-Poly ribbon! 

Yes, another nugget box. ;-)  As you can see, I am loving to use the set "It's A Wrap Occasions" on Hershey Nuggets. :)  The belly band (which stays on the sleeve) is created with our Lace Ribbon Border punch, Postage Stamp punch, and 1" Square punch. The stamp set used for the "Thank U" part is from a retired Hostess set, called Cute By The Inch.


Well, what do you think?

PS - The issues last week are not marital - hubby and I are great! :)
PPS - The CD I was speaking of is THIS one...22 songs in all (most are medleys, so you only see the name of the first song of the medley)

Thank you for letting me share with you today, and....
Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Spice Cake, Anyone?

If you're here for a peek at Spice Cake, you're in the right place!
If you're here for Spice Cake that goes in the oven...sorry. ;-)

I'm talking about a gift set I recently made with our "Spice Cake" designer paper! :)
Hee hee

I've been wanting to share this for a LONG time, but had to wait until the recipient received it! :)

Sorry bout the shiny glare on the pic. Kinda hard to get a good pic with this plastic case.

What plastic case, you say? Well, it's our Clear-mount Storage Case!! I've prettied it up with the Spice Cake designer paper (Holiday Mini), punches, and purrrty Pool Party ribbon. :)

I made a matching pen (see bottom), magnet (Fun Flowers die), a little box with treat inside, and matching thank you card.

Want to see inside the case? Ok. :)

It's a mini legal pad cut down a bit and a bit of pizzazz added with Spice Cake designer paper at the top! :)












Want to see inside the little gift box? Ok. :)

I made the gift box with our Soft Suede cardstock &  Spice Cake designer paper!

Stamp sets used:
Inside - It's A Wrap Occasions
Tag - Cute By The Inch

I made the tag by coloring the stamp with my markers, stamping onto Very Vanilla cardstock, then punching it out with our new 1" square punch (Holiday Mini)! I added a layer of Pool Party cardstock behind that, and a final layer of Soft Suede cardstock punched with our Postage Stamp punch. Tied it to the box sleeve with our new Early Espresso Baker's Twine.

Finally, the magnet is made by cutting layers of Spice Cake dp and Soft Suede cardstock with our Fun Flowers die and my Sizzix Big Shot. The middle is one of our Neutrals Buttons with the Early Espresso Baker's Twine tied to it. :)

On the thank you card, I used the set Easy Events, and continued the theme of Soft Suede and Spice Cake. :)




Well, what do you think? I'd love to hear from you!  :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Cookies and FREE Stuff?!!

I have SOOOO much good to share with you today! :)

FIRST:
What could be better than stamping and cookies?  How about Stamping on cookies? :)

Brand NEW starting Oct 1st (yesterday), Stampin'Up! has these adorable cookie stamps!
Click HERE to view and order yours today!

**(The cookie stamps come with the wooden handle and 3 different designs of stamps PLUS 2 cookie recipes~ for $16.95 + S&H).**
______________________________________________

Cookies stamps not enough?  Well, how about FREE STAMPS?

Starting Oct 1st, when you purchase (2) Simply Sent Kits (pgs 192-193 in Big Idea Book & catalog) you get a Coordinating Stamp set for FREE!

The Coordinating Stamp set/s are listed below each Simply Sent kits

Click HERE for flyer.









________________________________________________

Cookie stamps & FREE STAMPS not enough?  Well...what about a...

FREE BIG SHOT!!

Oye. I *heart* my Big Shot. Wish I could've gotten it for FREE! lol

Starting today Oct 1, 2011 through Oct 31, 2011 anyone who signs up to be a Stampin'Up! Demonstrator will get a FREE Big Shot or You can pick $100.00 worth of products from Stampin'Up!

Click HERE for flyer.

Click HERE for more details on joining the Stampin'Up! Family.


Please contact me if you have any questions...there's a list of information I should have you look over before signing up. :)

Okay, and if all that weren't enough...SU has added products to the CLEARANCE RACK (including some Holiday product)!!

WOW. October's a GREAT month! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crysta

Matchy-Matchy Gift

I've had the privilege of a friendship with a super-sweet gal since 7th grade (about 20 years - yes, I'll let you do the math - wink). Much to my dismay, she moved across the country after we graduated High School. :(  We have kept up the friendship over the years, and to say I am grateful is a bit of an understatement. ;-)  Sometimes we're good about staying in touch, sometimes not. But we always know that friendship is there. Through thick and thin. :)

I had purchased a little something for her birthday...a little pick me up for each day. But that just didn't seem like enough. So, I made an ensemble out of it. A few little "extra" things to add to the gift I purchased. I love dressing up ordinary things to make them more fun (matchy-matchy). Hee hee...

I was thrilled to find a retired designer paper in my hoarded supply (wink) which matched nicely - Raspberry Suite!  I covered a mini comp book with it, added some retired cardstock to the edge (Apricot Appeal), and then some white taffeta ribbon to top it off. Made a pen to match, and...wait...what's in that little box??

CHOCOLATE, of course! What's a gift without chocolate?? ;-)

I used the same retired dp and cardstock on this little gift, but I also used some NEW items!! :)  The birthday tag is a stamp from the Happiest Birthday Wishes (Hostess) set. I *heart* that set! :) On the inside, you'll see some Hershey's Nuggets with a stamped wrapper!  When I saw the catalog for the first time, I labeled this It's A Wrap Occasions stamp set a must-have. :)  Oh, and guess what?! They've came out with another label set, the one in the mini catalog is called It's A Wrap Holidays! What fun! :)

Last on my agenda was a matching card...and I'm not that excited about how this one turned out. I was just having trouble, for some reason. But I used a new stamp set (Easy Events), AND it matches (cue singing angels)! lol :)

If you look closely, there's a bit of *sparkle* on the frosting - NEW - Dazzling Details (Holiday Mini)!  Oh, and the cherry on top? A CropADile punch, with crystal effects added to make it shiny. Stem and leaf were handdrawn. :)

Also used in these projects: Whisper White cardstock, Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/8" & 1 1/4" Circle punches, Scallop Edge punch, White grosgrain ribbon, Ink pad lids, Aquapainter

WHEW! Well, I think that's all...what do you think? Would *love* to hear from you! :) 

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

All The Little Things

I completed a challenge!!! WOO HOO!!
Do you know how long it's been since I've participated in a stamping challenge??
Me either. ;-)

It's great for gettin' those juices flowing again. :)

The challenge at SCS is called Free For All, and the title was "Acknowledgement." Think on the last 5 days...is there someone you could thank? Make a card for them and give it to them within 48 hours of making the card!

This is such a great challenge for me! I often think of making people a card, to say thank you, or hello, or whatever...but then I get busy, time goes by, and the moment has passed. :(

I knew I wanted to use a certain stamp and a certain designer paper, and I really really like how it turned out! Thinking about making more to sell on Etsy! :)

I used the new designer paper Spice Cake from the Holiday mini!! LOVE that stuff - perfect for Autumn, or really...any time of the year! :)

I inked the stamp from Full of Life with my More Mustard and Soft Suede markers.




Also used are Soft Suede, More Mustard, Pool Party, and Very Vanilla cardstock!  The Soft Suede taffeta ribbon was the perfect final touch, don't you think? ;-)

The sentiment panel is up on dimensionals, of course. ;-)

Well, what do you think? Would *love* to hear from you! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Lost & Found

Ever lost something and found it years later?
Back when I was about 14, I lost my wallet.

I was as devastated as a 14 year old can be. The wallet itself was an 8th Grade Graduation gift, and I mean...who knows if there was money in there or not...but what about everything else? You know, all those pics I traded with classmates??? I mean, THAT is important, lol! ;-)

Well, nearly 20 years later...my parents were cleaning out the attic and found this:

What was once was lost...now is FOUND! :)

They put it in a box with a bunch of other stuff that was supposedly mine (wink), didn't tell me it was in there, and one day as I waded through each and every item...there it was!

Boy, was it a blast from the past!! lol

Yup, classmate pics were there, as well as 2 group pics of my friends and I taken in 8th Grade...I'm trying to figure out a way to share it with those friends on Facebook, without the whole world seeing it (in a private message) - anyone know how to do that?

Anyways...back to the subject at hand. I found other little treasures, too:

Shall we play "I Spy?" in this pile of stuff? lol

I wonder what DQ would do if I walked up to the counter with one of those tokens? lol

Oh, and there WAS a $10 bill, and a bunch of change too - score! :)

Have you lost something and found it years later?  If you haven't....you might want to go search your attic! ;-)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a great day! :)
Crystal

Ten Tiny Toes

Ten tiny fingers, ten tiny toes...

My mom, SILs, & I are going to be hosting a baby shower for a cousin-in-law of mine, who recently had a baby boy. Guess who was on invitation duty? ;-)

I thought on it for awhile, and came up with something I liked...assembly was the "easy" part. It was all the cutting, stamping, embossing, etc...that took all my time! :)

Ready for the end result?

OK. :)

Everything is SU except for the baby feet stamp. I got that AGES ago (10 years??) when I started stamping, and it's one of my non-SU stamps I've kept for such an occasion. ;-)

Supplies: Bashful Blue & Whisper White cardstock, Big Shot, Polka dot embossing folder, Bashful Blue gingham ribbon

Well, what do you think? I'd love to hear from you! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Polka Dots, Polka Dots!

So, my girls and I were thinkin' on a party theme for my youngest, about to turn 5.  Finally narrowed down to two possibilities. Butterflies, or POLKA DOTS!!

I'm sure you've guessed what we chose. ;-)

Yup. We had a great idea, now we had to come up with an invitation.

Why not buy some? Oye. Good question!  I was sooo tempted - multiple times - especially knee-deep into it. Would've been much easier, but you know me. I can't buy what I can make, especially when we have a good idea and are excited about it. Gotta see it through to completion. :)

Soo...we set to work. Made a pattern, then set to work repeating over and over.
5 year old punching
7 year old adding adhesive
Mom (me) putting all the polka dots on in the set pattern.

Oh, now that's the short of it.

Here's a few pics of how it went down.

Yes, we put them on the cardstock.

But then, as you see, the polka dots need to be cut off all the edges.

Like this.

Then, some computer work was needed...

Printed onto vellum....

And now....the finishing touch...

Hole punches at the top, then added ribbon!

Colors used:

Retired: Green Galore, Lavendar Lace (I think? It's been too long, lol!)

Current: Whisper White, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo

Well, what do you think?

COMPUTER UPDATE: Yup. My laptop has FINALLY arrived !!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

SU Update, and STILL no computer!

Yup. Still no laptop back from Dell.

Boy, I am going to be SOOO glad to see that thing when it is back in my hands!

I'll probably kiss it! lol :)

I did fire up the dinosaur (old computer that takes 25+ min. on button to being able to type something in a search bar online)....and I've updated the SU catalogs tab - the new HOLIDAY MINI came out on Sept. 1st!  yay!! :)

Here's a little a teaser of sorts...you'll have to click on SU Catalog tab for more. ;-)

Well, that's all for now...crossing my fingers that the laptop will be shipped today??

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)

Crystal

Technical Difficulties

We're experiencing technical difficulties over here. :(

I haven't had the use of my laptop since last week, and expect to not have it at least for another week. :(  We think it's just the adapter, but Dell wants us to send the whole computer in to figure it out. Thankfully we're still under warranty...but it's a pain to be without my laptop!

Just wanted to let you know (man...I was on a roll with posting, too!) that things may look a little spotty for a bit. We DO have an older computer we call "the dinosaur"...which I finally gave in and turned on yesterday. Oh, MY.  From turning it on to being able to actually type online...over 25 minutes! Not the best speed when using programs and online, either.

Hence, I use it sparingly.

Just wanted you to know that I really want to be here, and hopefully I can...it'll just be a bit spotty. :)

Thanks for your patience and stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Last Hurrahs

This week has been a bit sad for me.
Why?
Because it is the last week before school starts.

Now, some of you may be laughing. Why on earth would that make a momma SAD?  Honestly, I'm not ready to send them off just yet. Maybe it's because it seems like the Summer took FOREVER to get here, lol!

Yesterday, we spent a LOT of the day making my daughter's 5yr. Bday party invites. I'm really excited with how they turned out!  You'll see them...someday. ;-)  Just not sure if I'll show them before party happens, or on an after-party post. :)

EDITED TO ADD:  Here are the finished invites. :)

Anyways...being indoors for most of a REALLY nice day...a little depressing.

Today, it's supposed to get up to 90*, which I believe is the hottest yet this Summer...so...since it's supposed to be nice, AND it's the last Friday before Fridays are school days...I think I'll try to do something fun outside with them.

One last hurrah, if you will. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Flower Garden Thank You

Quick post today...I'm in the middle of making 5th B'day party invitations for my daughter. :)

Judging from the title, you probably pictured today's project as something full of color and flowers, maybe?  Well, it's completely opposite of "full of color," but there IS a reason I titled it that way. :)

I used my Big Shot for this card...along with an embossing folder called "Flower Garden," which premiered in the Summer Mini catalog (6 days left!). :)

A clean & simple card...soft, serene...could maybe be used for wedding??

Not a whole lot more to say about this one...again, I used the Big Shot and Flower Garden embossing folder.

Ran a length of white taffeta ribbon along the side, and stamped "thank you" from the set Short & Sweet with Crumb Cake ink. Punched it out with our Large Oval punch, and adhered with dimensionals (of course - wink). :)

Well, what do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal