Storage Idea...

Ok, so as I've collected clear stamps from JoAnn's, I've saved a bunch of the little baggies that the stamps come with and have thought "There must be something I can do with these things!" FINALLY, it came to me!


I ended up making one of my own "clip-it-up" version's based on another bloggers instructions for the same thing. I love that now I can clip up my stickers and other items instead of hiding them in drawers never to see the light of day. The other day I was punching some butterflies for a card and thought "I won't be able to use all of these, but I want to save them somewhere I won't lose them." So...I put them inside the little bags that the clear stamps from JoAnn's come in and clipped it up and VIOLA! Now I can see them and know where to find them when I want them!


Here's a pic of the little bags with stuff inside - and where I hung them:

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers!

Ok, so this one falls under both paper crafting and "other" crafting:

My DH and I needed to get some new growth into our front walkway, so we picked up some flowers and I spent an evening putting them into the ground. Now, I am NOT a green thumb, but hubby is and hopefully these will last! :) I did enjoy feeling like I'd accomplished something - even if it wasn't in paper crafting!

That said, our neighbor's daughter fell and broken her forearm and my son's made up some cards and we got some lollipops - but I couldn't just give them her plain, so I added some "flowers" to the top and stuck them in a cute little pink bucket (her cast was pink, so I felt it fit!)

Late, Late, Late...

for a very important (post) date! Well, not really important, just late! :)

Have you ever started crafting something and then set it aside because there was something about it you couldn't make work, only to find it WAY later on and then everything just came together? Well, that's what happened with this card. I'm sure I CAS'd it from something, but have no clue as to what, but here it is> I originally didn't have the flowers and bling on the top or the sentiment on the lower left side. But I ended up deciding I wanted to put those on and I liked the result.

Welcome, Fellow "Ocean's" gal!

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to the newest "Surfin' Ocean's 11" blogger, Ramona! Hi, Ramona!!! So glad you're going to be "blurfing" (did I spell that correctly?) around our blogs. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome! :)

If you've never been to her blog, Inkpressed, go and check it out! Looking forward to checking out all of your *craftsiness*, Ramona!

A Lovely Surprise Award...

Well, since I had finally succeeded in getting my 2 year old to sleep (and DH was working on the same with the older two boys) I thought "Now's a great time to pop on-line and do a little blog hopping!" When low and behold I found a sweet and lovely surprise of an award given to me by a fellow "Ocean's 11" blogger, Kathy (stampinmn)! Thank You, Kathy, for thinking of me! I'm still feeling very new to a lot of the blogging world so I hope I accept this correctly...

Ok, so here are the "rules" for this award (let's make sure I get this right!):

1) Accept the award (check!)

2) Post award on your blog along with the name of the giver (check!) Again, Thank You, Kathy!

Make sure to check out Kathy's website here!

3) Pass the award on to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered (ok, here's where I may digress just a bit...since I'm not able to get around that much to 'new to me' blogs very often, I may do a combo of some "newer" and some blogs I've known and enjoyed for some time now. I hope that's Ok! Since I'm in the "Ocean's 11" group and that's how Kathy knows me, I figured it would be Ok!) :)

4) Remember to contact the bloggers and let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Ok, so here goes!

Elizabeth, Life as I know it...

Siobhan, Adventures from the Monkey Hut
Erika, Stampin' Mama

Tracey, *Insert Creative Witty Blog Name Here*

"RiverIsis", Krikey Kreations

Andrea, Just because I love to play...

Ramona, Inkpressed

Dell, DaDoodleDiva

Kim, Desperately Seeking Stamps

Diane, Diane's Designs

Kim, Ozziepuddles Cards and Such

Stephanie, Papercrafterthoughts

Karen, Savedbygrace

Kay, Tartan Magnolia

Laura, Whirlpool of Imagination

* Updated: This has actually taken 2 days for me to update since my little ones keep me from being on the computer for any more than 5 minutes at a time. Once they are asleep I sometimes get a little longer, but it's amazing how fast my youngest one can wake back up when he *knows* mama's trying to do something... :) But I love them!

I want to make sure I add something before I post this too (and I hope this will make sense since late-night ramblings are more my style rather than wittiness) There are many in the above list that know me from a particular blog group, and some others who probably have never really heard of me (or perhaps have *met* me through SCS.) I've seen this award on some of my fellow "Ocean's" group blogs as well and so I wanted to make sure and "pass the love" around! :) Also, I've come to know about some truly amazing people through SCS (some have responded to threads I've posted and that's how I first came to know of them, others I'd seen posts by and checked our their blogs and was captivated.) The above blogs I clearly love to visit and many I am able to visit more frequently than others, however, I know there are also other wonderful, creative, and inspiring blogs/bloggers out there that I was not able to mention. But as you can tell from the sidebar area of my blog, I find inspiration in a great many blogs and those who create them, and they also deserve attention. I look forward to being able to further my awareness of the creativity, joy and wealth of ideas (crafting related or otherwise) that exist out there in "blogger land" over the years (particularly as my children get a little older and I have a bit more time to attend to my crafting side of life...) :) I am grateful for the many moments of inspiration I have received from all of the blogs I've ever visited! Now...CRAFT ON!

A VSN, A "Pretties" class, and a little gift for a friend...

Sorry I've been out of the blogger-sphere for awhile. Since our return from vacation I've been
trying to keep afloat with the other demands of life. But I have had a few times to craft, here and there, attend a fun class by a friend and SU demo, and even make a little gift for a friend. The "popscicle" card I made with my SIL during our most recent VSN. The scallop-dress card, the "Best Wishes" card, and the little M&M filled box were all made during a "Pretties" class, and the "Friend 2 Friend" gift is actually 3 Hersheys milk chocolate bars wrapped up with a little "bling" for a friend. Sorry the candybar photos are out of order, but I was having a little trouble with getting the pictures in the right order! :)
Hope you enjoy!

CD folder instructions...and out of town reply

I've had a number of requests for more info on the CD folders so I thought I'd put some basic instructions up for anyone interested. These are the instructions I received from my friend after we took the class - but I know these albums have been out for a bit so I think it's Ok to post these. It's really just a basic framework and then you do all the embellishing to whatever level you want. Also, I will be out of town for the next week, so I'll be unable to post but will look forward to getting back into the swing of things after our vacation!

CD FOLDER ALBUM INSTRUCTIONS:
You'll need 3 CD folders for each album. I'm not sure where my friend who did the class got hers but I'm sure you can google it and find good pricing.

1. Fold 3 CD folders at the score marks
2. Fold 2 pieces of cardstock (5" x 10") in half - if you are going to stamp these, make sure you stamp it before folding it. These 2 sheets will be the "glue" that holds the 3 CD fodlers together. Use sticky strip to attach the cardstock to the folder. Make sure the fold of your cardstock is flushed with the spine of the CD folder. Tip: make sure all 3 folders are faced right-side up before "gluing" all together.
3. Take 3 pieces of cardstock (5" x 11") and score at 3, 3 1/2, 4, 4 1/2, 5, 5 1/2, 6 - if you awre going to stamp these, make sure you stamp it before folding it. Fold at score marks and insert into 3 CD folders. Insert the short end on the left side. Tip: you will want to use your bone folder to make each crease neater and each fold flatter.
4. Place ribbon around your entire album - ribbon should be approximately 28 inches long.
5. Adhere the front and back cover to your album - 5" x 5" squares.
6. Adhere 5" x 5" squares also to the left side of each folder. You will need 3 squares. Optional: use half of a 3/4" circle punch to make the notch in your paper to match the notch of the folder.
7. To cover the right slanted pocket of the folder, get a 5" x 5" square and insert it into the pocket. Trace the pocket and then cut. This may take some practice and adjusting. You may want to make a template or a pattern for this piece.
8. Adhere the "mini-cards." You will need 9 of them (3 1/2" x 2 3/4"). Make sure you round the corners before adhering the tabs. The envelope size is 3 1/8" x 3 1/8". You can insert more envelopes if you wish.
9. For the circle page on the last page of the book, use the coluzzle to make the circle. Use the largest circle and the next to the largest circle sizes.
10. Add desired embellishments to the front cover, mini cards, and pages.

Ok, that's it! Now...go and create...and ENJOY!