Birthday Blowout!

It seems like someone is always celebrating a birthday around here.  I guess that comes from having three kids and being blessed with lots and lots of dear friends.  We have a double birthday party this weekend for two friends of our youngest sons.  The boys are brothers so we're heading off to play some glow golf and celebrate.  Sounds fun right?  I for one am looking forward to helping these two very special young men celebrate their birthdays.  Who doesn't like a little glow golf and some cake?

Supplies used: Card base - Michael's; Die cuts - Silhouette Cameo; Ink - Bic Mark It, ColorBox Chalk Ink (Yellow Citrus) & Signo UniBall white gel pen; Letter stickers - Sassafras; and Patterned paper - Core'dinations, October Afternoon &Sassafras

Supplies Used: Brad - Basic Grey; Card base - Michael's; Cardstock - Bazzill; Die cuts - Silhouette Cameo; Ink - Bic Mark It & ColorBox Chalk Ink (Charcoal); and Patterned paper - My Mind's Eye

Whatever you have on your calendar for this weekend...I sure hope it includes a little celebrating.  Even if it's just celebrating the ordinary everyday!  Be blessed.



TWO Artsy Chicks...

My crafty year is getting a jump start thanks to the Cameo that my husband got me for Christmas.  I've been playing like crazy and love the flexibility it gives me to virtually create anything I need for a layout or card. 

I'm also anticipating all the new goodies that are going to be released at CHA and feeling the need to use up (or at least decrease the amount of) my supplies.  I really mixed up product (old & new) to pull today's layout together. 

I think it all works pretty darn well together though.

Supplies used: Canvas tag - GCD Studios; Cardstock - Bazzill & The Paper Studio; Clear stamps - Technique Tuesday (Studio AE August 2011); Date Stamp - K & Co.; Die Cuts - Cosmo Cricket ( flower pot), GCD Studios (border strips) & Silhouette Cameo ("TWO" & journaling card); Flowers - Sassafras; Ink - Distress Ink (Tea Stain & Frayed Burlap), StazOn (Timber Brown) & Versamark; Patterned paper - GCD Studios, Jillibean Soup & Websters Pages; Rubon - Colorbok; Stick pins - craft supplies

Well, I'm off to do a bit more creating before the kids come piling through the front door.  Enjoy your day and be blessed...

My First Cameo Layout...

As promised, my replacement Cameo was delivered safe and sound to my front doorstep late yesterday afternoon.  I plugged it in and got right to work.  The die cut that was giving me so much trouble on my original machine cut like a dream the very first time.  So then I cut out a beautiful title and it too turned out great.  Here's the completed layout.

Supplies used: Brad - Nikki Sivils; Buttons - Sassafras; Cardstock - Bazzill, Die Cuts With a View & The Paper Studio; Die Cuts - Silhouette Cameo; Glitter Mist - Smooch Spritz (Spun Sugar); Ink - ColorBox Chalk Ink (Pumpkin Spice), Distress Ink (Frayed Burlap) & PrintWorks (York Town Blue); patterned paper - We R memory keepers; Stamps - Studio AE; Stapler - Tiny Attacher Tim Holtz; Tags - October Afternoon

I seriously could not be any happier with this amazing machine and can't wait to spend more time working with it.  The possibilities truly are endless and their customer service is fantastic too!

More Things Christmas...

I am working on non-Christmas layouts right now but my lovely new Cameo is having a problem and I'm waiting for a new one to arrive from the wonderful folks over at Silhouette.  So...I have some layouts that are almost done except for the die cut elements.  I can't wait to share them with you though...soon, my crafty friends.

In the meantime I didn't want to leave you with nothing to look at so here are the Christmas cards that I made for my kiddos this year.

And the one I made for my wonderful husband...

I've made lots of kids' birthday cards lately but it's usually at the last minute, just before our boys are heading out the door to go the birthday parties.  Alas, those cards have not been photographed so I can't share them.

More things crafty (and non-Christmas) to come.  Hopefully my replacement Cameo will appear on my doorstep today and I can finish off the layouts that are waiting for their lovely die cuts.

Happy 2012

It was a busy end to the year for us.  I didn't get much done as far as scrapbooking or card making goes because I was busy finishing this...

I know he's 6 and it's about time his stocking was finished but counted cross-stitch is really hard to do when there are little people running around the house, distracting me from my counting.  Anyhow...I promised our youngest that his stocking would be done this year to join the rest of the family and so that is how I spent so many of my evenings leading up to Christmas.  And here it is, with the rest of the family, all safe and cozy and made with love.

Our Christmas and New Year's were incredibly blessed.  My parents and brother and his partner joined us to celebrate and my wonderful hubby and I are convinced it was the best holiday ever!  It seemed that at every turn, every meal, every moment...we were surrounded by those we love and who love us and it just doesn't get any better than that.

So now that some of the holiday hub-bub has died down (although our Christmas tree still stands proudly in our family room - hey, it's a lot of work to get all those ornaments off and put in their individual boxes) I am getting back to playing with paper.  Not to mention the fact that the aforementioned wonderful hubby of mine got me a Silhouette Cameo for Christmas.  Still trying to work some of the kinks out of that super sweet machine but I can promise you there will be some beautiful die cuts on future layouts and cards. 

My hope is to spend time every week in my craft room creating something beautiful, or at least meaningful, to share with all of you.  Don't hold me to it though - life can get pretty busy around here and I don't always find time to sneak away to my little corner of the house to play with all my crafty goodness.  So until next time...may your new year be incredibly blessed!