slowly but surely

Slowly but surely, I am plugging through my impending deadlines, and to-do's, and trying to leave the world of PC and become a Mac girl. I think the problem is that Macs are TOO simple. I get confused, because I am so conditioned to have to do a thousand steps to accomplish my goal. And on Mac, it's just easier. Which makes it harder. And more confusing. So I am in a love-hate relationship with Mac right now.

BUT with my sweet hubby's help, I have figured out how to resize, and rename files today. So, here's a card to share. This week's CPS sketch is being sponsored by Stampotique. It's a new-to-me company with a HUGE array of stamps. If you look through their store, you'll find stamps in every style imaginable. This isn't actually my CPS card. . . but another one I created with their stamp, called Row Houses. I am OBSESSED with this stamp. I really have a thing about house stamps. They are so stinking cute and SO fun to paper-piece. I paired this with October Afternoon paper, because I LOVE to paper-piece with OA papers! I hope you like it!

So our new iMac is on its way, and I am going to try to learn as quickly as I can, how to do everything I used to do on a PC. Hoping to be back up and running SMOOTHLY soon. I hope your week is off to a great start! I'll be back when I can!!! XOXO

technological withdrawl

Well, it isn't REALLY withdrawl, because I still have my iPod at my side all day long . . . but dang, it stinks not having a computer! Hubby is letting me use his laptop when he doesn't need it, but he's a Mac. And I'm a PC. ;) And using a Mac (although i like it) is like trying to communicate in a foreign language. And that = FRUSTRATING. I have been trying to edit photos for a bunch of projects and duedates, and I am LOSING MY EVER-LOVING MIND. I can't even figure out how to resize the dang things! So frustrating. Frustrating. Frustrating!

At any rate, here i am, popping in just for a minute, to say HEY! and to share a card today. You are getting a sneak peek of what will be on my mom's Close To My Heart blog next week. (Because that's what I can find, and that's the file that's opened on this dang Mac. Don't ask me where all my other pictures are, because Lord only knows!)

I used BRAND SPANKIN NEW stamps from the new catalog on this card. The stamp set is called Paper Lanterns, and yes. .. . it's one of my new faves! This is also my CPS card for this week, sketch 202. . .or maybe it's 203. . .see, not having a computer is making me feel like I've lost part of my brain. :)

At any rate, the screaming child at my feet wishes I was NOT blogging right now. Dinner plans, and Girls Night Out plans must be made, and then I must get these kiddos bathed and in bed so I can HIT THE ROAD and go out with my girls. Starbucks, I need you. (I really need you NOW, but I will try to wait until 7:30pm!)

I'll be back when I can, and hopefully each day I'll be more Mac-literate, because I have a feeling that the dead Dell is going to be replaced with a Mac in the near future!

XOXO

I miss you!

Here I am, trying to post from an email on my iPod. Didn't know I could do this, but I don't have a choice .....MY COMPUTER DIED!!!!!!!!!! Ackkkk! But I wanted to check in and say HI and let you know I'll be back when I can! I suppose I'll have to call Dell today and figure out what to do with my big old hunk of technological junk!
Xoxo

the butterfly confession

I'll admit it - I'm NOT a huge butterfly fan. They are fine and dandy - but not generally my cup of tea. (That being said, there ARE some quite cute butterfly stamps and things out there - in fact, I ironically have more butterflies to share later in the week. And they are CUTE!) I don't really get excited about butterflies in real life, other than when talking to my toddler, saying, "Ooooh, look at the BUTTERFLY!" But in real life - EH. (I know, I'm a terrible person - who the heck doesn't like BUTTERFLIES!?)

But here's the thing. I LOVE to cut little things out of paper. Tiny scissors, tiny cuts, cute little shapes . . . . .so in this case, I am really digging the butterflies on this card. And the colors are gorgeous, on this new Close To My Heart paper, called Wings. If by some chance you visit my mom's blog, you've already seen these two cards - but I know most of you don't, so I thought I'd post them over here today!
I love the new pleated twill ribbon - no sewing or stitching required. It comes all ready to go. Which is good, because I have no sewing machine, and no patience to sit and pleat ribbon. This is easy peasy.

I hope you are off today, and able to enjoy your extra long weekend. We are starting the day with pouring down rain. . . .should make for some messy wet errands, and stir-crazy kids! Wooohooo!!!! Have a wonderful day, whatever you're doing. Thanks so much for coming by to see me today! I hope you'll be back - even though you know my deep dark secret about butterflies!
XOXO

thinking of you. . .

Remember, earlier in the week, I told you I was relaxing at home, with a sick child? I had embraced our Sick Days, letting Mr. B watch as much tv as he wanted, completely guilt free - and I was getting lots done! Well. . ..we probably all know where this story goes. . . . .I got sick. Of course I did. We all knew it would happen, I suppose. Right about the time that Bryce started recovering, I hit rock bottom.

I think today I am slowly going to rejoin the living! It's amazing how many dishes accumulate and how messy things can get over the course of two days.

Before I try to tackle all that though, I thought I'd pop in and share a card. This is my CPS card for the week, for sketch #200, sponsored by Flower Soft. I used the new Peony Pink Flower Soft, along with stamps from Papertrey Ink, and paper and pearls from my January Discount Cardstock kit.

And now, Mr. B is begging me to read him a book about coral reefs. And Tanner is trying to climb on the coffee table. So I better go! Have a great weekend! We're looking forward to a long weekend, no school and work on Monday! (I am thankful for an extra day with Daddy at home to help me get things back in shape around here!)

XOXO

Oh so posh!

What has come OVER me!? Blogging almost every day lately! It probably has something to do with dreary weather, and a sick kiddo. We've been laying low and hanging out the past few days. One thing I REALLY want to share with you is the January Posh Paper kit from Discount Cardstock. People, SERIOUSLY, I love this company. I am so happy to be working with them, and I would be singing their praises even if I wasn't working with them! They have a GREAT selection of cardstock. Their prices are great, and the product comes packaged so safely and snugly - no crumbled corners or damaged pieces when it arrives in the mail. And the ribbon and goodies that come with the kit are so much fun. I think the ribbon is my favorite. It's really fun to have a selection of ribbon to play with, without having to buy a whole roll of something. There's 1 yard of each, in the kit - enough to make at least a couple of cards with each ribbon!

Below, are two cards I made with this month's kit. I used some BoBunny patterned paper, also available from Discount Cardstock - it works perfectly with the kit papers and embellies. I also used some of my own stamps - from Papertrey Ink, and Close To My Heart. There is so much versatility with a cardstock kit - add your own stamps, and patterned papers - or use only what's in the kit. The possibilities are endless. It's also a great way to get a sampling of different cardstocks, (and then you fall in love with them, and have to order entire packages of it!!!! I promise that will happen with the dotted swiss!)





I'm sorry for rambling on and on about this kit! It's just a great kit every month, and definitely worth the investment! I hope you'll check out the January Posh Paper kit, on the Discount Cardstock website.

You Go Girl! (the winner is. .. )

Oh Stefeni. . .come on down!!! You're the winner of the Cookie Jar Treats, from the Apron Strings store! Please email Lori, at lori@apronstringsdesigns.com and let her know that you are the winner from my blog! Congrats!


"stefeni said...

This isthe first I heard of Apron Strings. Love everything about it! Great cards, love the paper airplane paper.
spunkycrayon at yahoo dot com"

Thanks so much to everyone for your sweet comments! I am so glad you blog hopped with us! (And even if you didn't, I'm so glad you stopped by!) I have been going through photos this week, and I realized I have a lot of cards and goodies I haven't shared yet! SO, I will attempt to get caught up from my holiday step-back from blogging, and do a bit more. If this weekend was your first visit here, I hope you'll be back again!

I'll leave you with one more card I created with the Apron Strings December card kit. I added the letters from my stash (they are American Crafts Dear Lizzie) They worked just perfectly with the kit goodies!

Shhh. . . don't tell Sara

(**APRON STRINGS BLOG HOP WEEKEND . . .SEE POST BELOW!!!!**)

I am over-the-moon excited for my dear friends, Paul and Sara, who had their baby girl this past week. I created this 6x6 album for them (but don't tell. . .because I haven't given it to them yet!) It was posted on the October Afternoon blog on Friday, and there are more pictures there! I'd love for you to go over there and check it out!!!! It's a super simple project that you can create in an afternoon! Gotta love that!


Be sure to head down below this post to join in the Apron Strings Blog Hop. There are chances to win lots of goodies!

Have a great week!

Apron Strings New Years Blog Hop!

Happy Weekend! I am participating in the Apron Strings blog hop this weekend! I've been a card designer with Apron Strings for a few years, and I am thrilled to be starting another year on the team! If you are starting at my blog, be sure to hop around to the other designers' blogs. At each blog, you'll collect an answer to the important question. . . "WHY APRON STRINGS?" Once you've collected all the answers, send them all in an email to Lori, at lori@apronstringsdesigns.com for a chance to win a Basic Grey 2011 Calendar, shown below! (How cool is that!?)So what's MY answer to the question, Why Apron Strings?

"Full color instructions in the card kits"

And I surely didn't want to leave you without some eye candy today, plus I realized that in the midst of December's chaos, I never shared my December Apron Strings cards! SO, here are three of my favorites from the December All Year Cheer Card Kit!



And here are the other designers blogs to hop around to:

Laura Williams (thats me!)

Melanie Holzwarth

Amy Crockett

Anet Tietjen

Jennifer Halleck

Kristin Perez

Maria Swiatkowski

Sarah Fleming

Patricia Moussatche (Patchi)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to hop around to the other designers, collect the answers, and email Lori! (Emails must be received by Sunday evening!)

Oh and I almost forgot!!!! Leave a comment on each designer's blog, for chances to win Cookie Jar Treats from the Apron Strings store! (We'll each draw a random winner on Monday morning!)

Top 10 (or so) of 2010

The fabulous Lea Lawson inspired me (as always) - this time she inspired me to share my favorite cards of the year. I am thankful that many of my favorites are out for publication, so just like she did, I'd like to share some of my favorites that I CAN share!

Oh October Afternoon, how I love you! I just love the way this card came together. It was one of those that I just started laying things down. . .and they worked!


This card features one of my favorite stamp sets from The {Stamps} of Life. And some paper from My Mind's Eye. And there's polka-dots. . ..another of my favorite things!

This was the year I started really attempting clean and simple. And this is one of the cleanest and simplest cards I created this year. And I love it. Tulip ink from Close To My Heart - it's one of my go-to colors!

My Mind's Eye blew me over again, with this ADORABLE Halloween paper. I cut and trimmed and trimmed and cut, and pieced this together on a big 6x6 card. It didn't take too much creativity, because it's basically right off the 12x12 paper, but I just had such fun with this!

Joining the team at Discount Cardstock has been a HUGE deal this past year! Cardstock, cardstock, and more cardstock!!!! Every color I can imagine!!! I created this card with their new Posh Paper Kits. November 2010 to be exact. And I paired it with stamps from Kitchen Sink Stamps. And I am pretty sure this was a CPS card. (Another amazing team to work with!)

This just might be my ALLtime favorite though, if I had to pick just one card. October Afternoon paper (but I think the green is Jillibean Soup.) Unity Stamps. Paper-piecing. My favorite technique of them all.

Thinking ahead to this year, I still need to make some goals. Some of my crafting goals of past years were: to get published (check!) join a stamp company design team team (check! check!) join a paper team (check!) feed my habit through design team work and publications. . .(check! check! check! hooray!) One of my goals NEEDS to be to do a little bit of scrapbooking. Poor child #2 has zero layouts in the book, and child #1 has bunches!

I am so blessed to do what I love, and to share what I love! And I LOVE you and thank YOU for coming by!

happy new year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

we're home sweet home.

we figured we may as well come back, since the snow melted! (wink wink!)
we had THE best time.
all-time favorite trip to my parents' cabin.
EVER.
great weather, great food, great family, great fun.
but i think we're all agreed - as much as we LOVED the snow. . .
we are SO glad we don't LIVE in it.
snow pants on.
snow pants off.
gloves on.
gloves off.
wet snow.
wet mud.
dirty shoes.
dirty bottoms.
wet jeans.

for all of you that live in snowy weather, especially if you have children - i have a new found respect, and pity for each of you. what a PAIN IN THE NECK!!! the time it takes just to get them bundled up equals the time they last outside!
The scene from A Christmas Story keeps running through my brain, "I can't put my arms down!!!"
I have GOT to get everything unpacked and put away, and finish cleaning up the Christmas chaos from before we left! And the tree. . .oh the tree will have to wait another day!
I am looking forward to the fresh start of the new year, and I'll be back soon to share some projects, and maybe some thoughts about the new year! It's always a good time to think back - and think ahead!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
(If you're still reading this blog, I'd love to know what you are looking forward to in the new year. no one talks to me anymore - or still.)
OXOXO