Christmas is coming...

Yes yes I know... It's only mid August and I am babbling about Christmas.  It's one of my issues... I am not a Christmas person. I love the lights and the music but I just can not get into the spirit.  So in order to get my cards made I have to start now or they won't be done in time.  So today I took one of my images that I coloured a few months back while working on sepia tones and places it on a card.  Well it has gotten me into the spirit and I am eager to make more.  

My life in a whirlwind!

Wow!  This Summer has flown by in such a whirlwind.  I am still shocked that it is mid August already and I am buying back to school supplies for my daughter and dreading the 5:30AM alarm clocks that will be going off Monday-Friday again.  So much has happened in this short summer that I can't even wrap my head around it all.  On June 1st I transferred to a store within the company I work for 5 minutes from my house and I have managed to go from just a cashier there once more to a coordinator again.  I only do it when others are on vacation, but it is a nice change of pace and my arms thank me for it.  Friday a friend I met on World of Warcraft invited a group of us down in 2015 for a WoW get together.  She is building a new house in Florida about 10 miles from the beach and Disney and Universal, so I asked my husband if he cared if I went.. To my surprise he said no.  So early March I will be hopping into a rental car with John and heading for a week in sunny Florida with the guys/gals of WoW!  I am super excited.. So much to do before then.  I need to hit the gym again, find a new swim suit, go shopping for some new clothes, and save up some spending money.  We are going to hit Universal Studios this time around and the Beach.  Let's not forget the holidays just around the corner..  have so many cards to make, but just can't get into the creative mood.  I haven't even felt like practicing my colouring with Kit and Clowder.  I have Spectrum Noir pencils to master as well as Spectrum Noir markers.  So much work to do.  With me working 5 days a week 30+ hours a week and at weird times I am finding it hard to find the time or energy to practice.  Right now, I am in my craft room blogging instead of working on cards.  I also have a lot on my mind that keeps me tense and stressed most of my day.  My mom who has been in and out of the hospital since early February has once again taken a turn for the worse.  If my Dad had not called the paramedics when he did they told him she would most likely not be here now.  How heart wrenching is that.  I am ok until the business stops and I lay down to sleep then the tears I am holding back fall and I cry myself to sleep.

Wedding of the century!

Forget Will and Kate! Paige Bedlion and David Allen exchanged vows on Saturday 21, June 2014... The ceremony was a simple Catholic ceremony but was stunning none the less.. Paige is an amazing girl.. Her parents raised her with amazing skill and she grew into a gorgeous young lady. Not only is she super model stunning, but all of it is natural and comes from the beauty that this girl possess inside. I was in tears when she told me that she had invited me and I was honoured to share in her big day. I sat down and after much thought I decided to go with a simple card that showed her faith in God and that of her future Husband's faith. He converted to Catholism for her and it amazes me of the shear love and devotion it takes to do that for someone. When I designed her card I felt that Precious Moments and a traditional Bible verse would be appropriate, but when the image was done... I felt it needed something more.. Thus off to the craft store I went and found the perfect paper and some simple yet beautiful crosses that I hung on a heart chain from the bow. After collecting all the pieces I assembled the card and thanks to a very ornery cat.. the bow on the front ended up not being a bow but a puff, but it still went well and still pulled it all together. At the reception I went over to look at her cake.. It was simple... White cake with black ribbon around the bottom of each layer then decorated with rows of purple roses. The cake topper... Precious Moments... Imagine the look on my face when the colours and image of her card went with her cake perfectly.

The cake 

The outside of the card.

Inside of the card.

Close up of the crosses.

I won!

I am super excited! Alyce from Kit and Clowder was offering a chance for someone to win their new Clothing class! I signed up for a chance to win and found out this morning that I indeed won! http://kitandclowder.ning.com/clothing I am looking forward to this amazing class.. My colouring skills with my Spectrum Noir markers is still a bit on the iffy side and I struggle with pleats and folds especially. Just waiting on the information on how to get into the class so I can download all of the booklets and begin to experiment with her techniques!

Update

So much going on.. Been awhile since I have been able to post anything. I started my Etsy shop. No bites so far, but it didn't hurt to try. I have been practicing almost daily with my Spectrum Noir markers trying to advance from my newbie state. I have experimented with Sepia and colouring shear fabric and shear wings. Saturated Canary and Magnolia have been my stamps of choice for practicing these new techniques. I am also getting ready to end my work days at one store and start a whole new career at another within the same company but one that is 5 minutes from home as opposed to 45 minutes. I am going to miss so many people but I also know that starting this new path is where I need to be for me. There is so much drama and angst at my old store and moving to a new store is a breath of fresh air. I have worked there off and on for the past three weeks and I have loved every minute of my time there. It didn't seem like a choir to go in and work 8 hours and then come home. So tomorrow I am off yet again and the Hubby is working about 6 hours mid day tomorrow so I am going to bury myself into a new project I am working on. I have several birthdays coming up in the next few months and I need to get some cards done for those as well as think and I do mean think about the coming holidays and decide on some card designs for those as well. I know I seem to be rushing the year along, but I am eager for summer to get started and over with so I can enjoy my fall getaway to Amish Country in Berlin, Ohio. That is my goal.. To get through this summer and enjoy my last vacation of the year with friends.

Hippty Hoppity Easter Blog Hop!!

Good Morning fellow bunnies.... Welcome to my little rabbit hole on this beautiful Easter Weekend morning... The skies are clear no rain or snow in sight and in here it's nice and cozy.  There is a pot of tea steeping on the stove and a cozy fire in the fireplace to keep away the chill.  Please feel free to take a seat in one of my over stuffed chairs and relax for a bit while you browse my little crafty items.  If you have hopped into my little home first please head back to the first rabbit hole on the list.  Lovely rabbit named Janet who is very crafty and will welcome you into her home.  If you have come from Cathie's House then you are in the right place.. Just follow the trail of carrots and brightly coloured eggs to the next rabbit hole on the list.... Beth I hear has some pretty darn good carrots she is sharing. If you should get lost please head back whence you came and pick up the trail of carrots and brightly coloured eggs once more. Now without further ado here is some lovely chocolate that you will be entered to win as a thank you for hopping with us today.

 

Now that is some yummy looking chocolate.  Winner will be chosen on Monday. Good Luck everyone and may the Easter Bunny shine his fortune on you this day.  Now for my projects for this hop.  I created one then I got the creative bug in me and decided to work on another.  Well I actually decided to start selling my works on Etsy and was in the creative mood to create more than one project for this.

This little gem was created using Magnolia Ink stamps, Paper Studio Paper  and Core'dinations card stock with added embellishments from my stash.

Graphic 45 Once Upon A Springtime collection, Core'dinations card stock, embellish from my stash and a digital image I purchased.  

 

Janet Royer- http://janetscreativeworld.blogspot.com/
Teresa-http://freshandrenewed.blogspot.com/
Denise S. - http://www.craftconfectionery.com/
Cathie W.-http://cathiescafe-scraphappy.blogspot.com/
Tricia - http://mysticalcardcreations.blogspot.com/
Beth~ http://thecraftyscrapyard.blogspot.com
Jessica: http://craftinandstampin.blogspot.com
Lori ~ http://scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/
Theresa - http://www.thescrapbookingqueen.com/
Amy E. - http://www.scrapthissavethat.com/
Debbie ~ http://craftydeb-ddscrafts.blogspot.com/
Amanda - http://cricktncrafts.blogspot.com
Sarah - www.sarahbiswabic.blogspot.com
Diana - www.daisylovecreations.blogspot.com
Thia- http://bluemooncreation.blogspot.com
Eva -  http://evasscrapsncards.blogspot.com/

Stepping it up!

I am a cardmaker.  I started out scrapbooking my newborn 13 years ago and about 3 years or so ago I got the cardmaking bug... I haven't scrapped a layout really since.  Well I have always loved the outside of my cards, but the inside lacked a bit of luster and I never knew quite what to do with the inside.  I didn't want to make the inside plain any longer and was looking for ideas on how to take the from plain to works of art.  Well while browsing various card making sites and blogs and other social media outlets I came across a phenomenal lady.  Her cards outshine anything I have ever seen and she gave me so much inspiration.  The best part... Her inside of her cards was just the idea I was looking for... Bev! If you ever get hours upon hours of time... browse her blog.  Her cards are simply.... STUNNING beyond words.  I want to thank her for inspiring me on how to take the inside of my card and make it look like an extension of the outside.  With that said I have assembled three cards today alone... Well they are not complete as I need to colour the images with my Spectrum Noir markers and then embellish if need be.  When those are done I am taking another step... A rather scary step for me but one that came to me while a friend and I were discussing a video game that my daughter bought and was never returned for credit.. He offered to post it on Ebay for me... With that said... I am going to create cards for him to post on EBay and we will share in the profits.  He can use his money for whatever... Me... Well one can never have enough pretty things to run her hands through and create with :)