Cards for our Troops

I've always wanted to participate in sending cards over to our troops but haven't had the time with E's treatment. I finally made the commitment to do 10 cards. It's not much but at least it's a start. Right now they're asking for holiday cards with BLANK insides so the troops can use these cards to send back home to their loved ones.


Knowing not everyone celebrates Christmas, I did 5 Santa cards and 5 snowmen cards. I figured the snowmen were pretty generic to use if someone didn't celebrate Christmas. The inside of the Santa cards say "Merry Christmas" and the snowmen cards say "Happy Holidays." I decided to jazz them up a little and use crushed velvet for the snowman's scarves and hats and for Santa's hat and coat.

I appreciate each and every member of our armed services for keeping our country safe. They put their lives on the line every day because that is their job. Thank you!

Sweet Baby

While I post mostly cards, I do scrapbook. I've been doing more cards I think just because it's faster and I get instant gratification!




However, Loreen at Wish on a Scrap has changed things for me. She has these AMAZING scrapbook kits that make putting a layout together so easy. Here is one of mine:






Everything but the "little giggle" stamp (Studio G) and the journaling stamp was used for this kit. And the title, Sweet baby? THICKERS! These things are awesome. Maybe you'll see more layouts from me soon!

Thanks for checkin' in!

Think Pink

As you know, E was diagnosed with cancer last year. In that time, I've had so many people that have supported my family, prayers spoken and just shoulders to cry on. One of the ladies, whom I consider a dear friend, was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks ago. She wasn't going to tell me (!) because of all I've been going through with E, but I asked how she was doing. In talking to her, I felt a sense of peace, not panic, that things will be OK for her. She is an amazing woman and I am blessed to know her.

After she told me of her diagnosis, I immediately felt the need to make her a card. This is what I came up with:



I took my Papertrey Ink Perfect Match paper (background and paper piecing) and ribbon, Spellbinder Nestabilities & Tags, and My Favorite Things stamp set, Think Pink to make this card just for her so she knows how much I care and am praying for her.

Warm Heart

In the last year since E's diagnosis of cancer, I haven't had a lot of time (or energy) to scrapbook. Only recently have I started to really spend some time at my table. Since I am a mom that works outside of the home, I often feel bad if I do any type of creating when my little ones are awake. I feel that time should be devoted to my family, not doing something for me.

So, I decided to put a small table in my room so that the kids can craft, color, cut, etc in the same room with me. Previously it was in the kitchen and I just spent too much time going back and forth to get what I needed from the other room. They have their own set of stamps and stamp pads (washable but I disagree with that label!!), paper, makers, scissors (though I keep those away until requested) and glue. This makes it much more productive for them to get their "supplies" out and create and less hassle for me too!

So I took a picture the other night of the girls at their table. It warmed my heart to see them together, concentrating so intently on what they were doing. The table? The table my sister and I used as kids! E is getting so meticulous with her scrapbooking (or card making), spending hours (if she could!) on one project. Many times I must gently prod her to finish up! I get requests constantly, "Mommy, can we scrapbook tonight?" and that just melts me. S is still in the "what can I stick down with glue" and "how many pieces of scrap can I make using my scissors" but like her sister, I know her time for creative genius is not far behind!

Tell me, what hobby do you like to do and how have you included your family into it? How does that make you feel? I know that life is so precious that it is hard for me to waste a minute!

Lauren ROCKS

Have any of you checked out Lauren's blog? I am a FAITHFUL reader and just a little bit ago she posted a tutorial on glass etching here. I tried it and am SO happy with the results.

A few things...

• read the directions ALL THE WAY THROUGH! ;) Though I missed the first line "shake before using" it still worked.
• I put it on and waited 20 minute (directions say 3-4 but Lauren suggested longer; I go with Lauren!)
• The paste is expensive (~$20-25/bottle) but if you have a craft store near you that you can use their 40% off coupon then it would make it much more affordable. I expect this bottle to last a LONG time.
• Make sure you have a clean brush (I used foam) on hand as well. Took me FOREVAH to find one in my house. It's now with the bottle of etching cream! LOL
• Don't worry when you rinse your piece if you don't see it. The water kind of "hides" the etching and you won't really see it until it's dry
• Try not to use short strokes, long ones are better and make sure you use a good bit of the cream. In the light of day, I can see where I did too light of a coat. It's not noticeable to the naked eye; only to mine 'cuz I was looking for it!
• You don't have to have stamps and embossing powder. You could use vinyl and if you have ability to do die cuts you could cut your shape out that way.

Here is my 99 cent votive holder using Papertrey Ink's Women of Life stamp (the flower).

What do YOU think? What are you waiting for to try this?

Women of Life

For E's teachers, I made each of them a special card to say thanks for all they've done for her and for us. I used Papertrey Ink's Women of Life set.
They were all simple to make and it was enjoyable to do the paper piercing. I need to work on the straight line part though! The yellow and green one kind of went a little off kilter!

Birthday and Mother's Day

I struggle with a "stash" of cards so I am usually making one right before an event. Here is the one I made for my MIL's birthday:

I LOVE this sheer ribbon with the DCWV glitter paper! The stamp is paper pieced and stickles were used on the present's bow. I also used my dew drops to accentuate the bottom of the card. She LOVED it!

How do you "get ahead" with cards? Do you find a simple forumula and then make a batch of them? Tell me your secret!!

Birthday Card

Seems like the last couple months have been birthday central: S's 3rd, DH's XXth, E's 5th and mine coming up Saturday.

Lesa has a card challenge and here is my entry:

I used the cupcake from a PIF thread over on SCS. I was so excited to finally be able to use one my images just sitting around in my stash! I even used the Liquid Applique for the first time. Haven't decided if I like it or not. What do you think?

Thanks for the inspiration Lesa!

National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day

Did you know that today is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day? Unless you’ve had someone affected by this horrible disease, you might not have realized this.

Did you know:
• Cancer is the #1 cause of death by disease in children, cutting short the lives of more children under the age of 20 than any other disease.
• 1 child out of 5 who is diagnosed with cancer dies.
• 3 out of 5 children suffer from long-term side effects.
• Every school day, 46 young people, or two classrooms of students, are diagnosed with cancer in this country. More than 12,500 children are diagnosed with cancer each year and over 40,000 children and adolescents currently are being treated for childhood cancers.
• The average age of a child diagnosed with cancer is six years old; saving the life of a child with cancer gives our children a future; approximately, 66 years of life’s milestones and dreams to celebrate.
(Taken from CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation FAQ)

Many of you know that my daughter, 10 days before her 4th birthday last year (9/20/2007) was diagnosed with cancer. While she’s currently cancer-free, her journey is far from over. We have met many families that are traveling down the same road of having to watch their child go through things no man or woman should endure, much less a child. It makes you feel quite helpless.

Won’t you stop for a minute today and say a prayer for those children and their families? Give them the strength to battle this monster and balance life. It’s a tough battle and it never seems to end.

If you also are able, would you consider donating for research? I am participating in the CureSearch Virtual Walk for 12,500 to conquer childhood cancer. The 12,500 represents the number of children diagnosed with cancer each year. Every donation, no matter how small or large, brings us one day closer to reaching the day where every child with cancer can be guaranteed a cure. Follow this link if you’d like to donate. (Participant name Dana Jones). I am "walking" in honor of my daughter.

One last thought from Senator Hillary Clinton:

"We have made tremendous strides in the fight against childhood cancer, but far too many children still suffer and lose their lives to this illness. The more we know as a nation the better able we will be to prevent and treat the disease and help those who are battling and surviving pediatric cancers. National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day is an opportunity to reach out to all Americans with the facts about childhood cancer, and this day will be an important symbol of our commitment on all days to find a cure," said Senator Clinton.

Hi and hiatus again for a little while

Hi to my faithful readers! ;) I am sorry that I have been absent so long but things have been crazy for me! My daughter is doing great but will have to have another surgery in a week (a week from yesterday). We are hoping and praying that this will be the end (plus one outpatient procedure) of this journey.

I have been busy. I was able to go on a scrapbook retreat and get over 30 layouts done! Whoo hoo! I have not been making as many cards I would have liked though. I am having a hard time dividing my time (work, husband, kids, family time, crafting etc). I am hoping things settle down soon and praying for a quieter hurricane season!

I made a card for my sisters birthday with Dress Up Lily. I absolutely ADORE this set as there are so many different options with this set. I even used fun flock on the hat to make it soft and fuzzy! Hope you all enjoy!

Blog Candy Winner!

Thanks everyone for you patience and the lovely comments! I really appreciate it. So, I had over 80 folks which really suprised me!! Thanks everyone! Without further ado our winner is...

Fiona W
Check out her blog! She has some really beautiful creations!!

Send me your addy so I send out your package. I believe you are as we say, "across the pond" and I am extremely excited to send it off to you!

Now, a few of you have asked about the google doc/spreadsheet. It worked great BUT I would only use it again if I was asking for one entry. Since I had said you could do 1-3 things, it made things a little more time consuming to figure out how many entries each person got then have to add another line item. Additionally, I'd turn comments OFF on the blog so that all folks would know to use the form to submit their entry rather than in the comment form. All in all, I'm really happy with GoogleDocs and will use it again.

Be back this weekend with a few creations!!!

We're Home

So sorry to have left ya'll so quickly! We made it home and are trying to adjust again. E's surgery went as well as expected thought didn't expect to stay two weeks nor for her to have two surgeries! Unfortunately, her journey is not yet over. The surgeries performed didn't help so we're now looking for a specialist (anyone know of a pediatric endourologist??).

I'll draw the name in the next day or two. Just need to get unpacked and settled.

Thanks everyone for your well wishes and patience!!!

Be back soon

Sorry for not drawing blog candy... We had a slight change of plans and had to fly out this past weekend for my daughter and her surgery. I hope to draw the candy in the next day or two. Stay tuned!!!

Birthday Set

While I love to make "stuff," I really want it to be practical and useful. I love pretty things but if it's just going to end up in the garbage, why bother?

With my sister's birthday coming up, I decided to make a note card set for her. I absolutely LOVE Papertrey Ink's stamps and paper (I WANT MORE!) and decided that this would be perfect for a set of note cards for her.

Cards with matching envies:


I even boxed the up, made a matching pen and added some York Peppermint Patties!

What do you think?

Google Reader

I’ve gotten several questions about Google Reader (what it is, how to use it, etc) in response to my blog candy so I thought I’d give a quick summary.

Google reader (www.google.com/reader) is a FANTASTIC tool that houses all your blogs you like to surf (or as I like to say, BLURF!). Gone are the days of having them in your favorites and having to click on them one by one to visit them every day to see if there is a new post. Google Reader takes care of that for you. Much like an email program that highlights “new mail”, Google Reader does the same thing.

To get started, you must have a Google account (but you do not have to have a Gmail account). If you don’t it’s quite simple to set one up. Once logged in, your home screen will appear. Here’s a copy of mine:

Yours will of course look different because you won’t have any blogs set up yet. Here’s the hard part (and I say that very loosely!) You need to collect all the blog addresses to put in here. That is the most labor intensive part (i.e. copy/paste function). Look over to the left side bar and in the middle you’ll see a neon green section with a plus sign that says Add Subscription. Just click on it and you’ll see this appear:

All you have to do now, is paste in one of your addresses (or mine for instance – www.mytreasuredcreations.blogspot.com). I chose for this example to add Making Memories blog(http://makingmemories.typepad.com/ ) I typed in the blog address then hit the Add button. This is what came up:

Depending on the blog you may or may not have unread items. If you do, then they’ll appear in the screen where it says “Making Memories” has no unread items.” If you want to view all of the blog entries you can click on View All Items. You’ve just added your first blog! How easy was that? Just do it as many times as you have blogs.

Now you can also organize your blogs as well by putting them in folders. If you see in the golden color bar where it says “You have subscribed to “Making Memories.” There is a button that says Add to a folder…. You can add it to an existing folder (if you have one), create a new one or leave as is. I like to organize mine on topic. I have photography/Photo Shop tutorial blogs, Scrapbook, Stamping, Friends, and even company blogs (like Making Memories). I even have a folder for new blogs I found and entered blog candy (so I remember to check back to see if I won!) This makes it much easier for me to locate a blog I want. It also allows me to not have to read ALL my blogs at one time if I don’t want to. I can choose a folder and only scroll through those. If you forget when you add a blog to put it in a folder (or you want to create one later, just click on the Feed Settings tab and go down to the third section where you folders are listed or choose at the bottom New Folder.

A couple notes. When you scroll through a blog, it now marks it as read and when you refresh your reader, it’s gone. SO, if you find something of value, you’ll need to figure a way to remember it. If you want to visit the blog (i.e. to leave comments or blog candy), you can click on the name of the blog entry in your reader window or on the name of the blog at the top and it’ll take you directly to the blog.

I’ve only scratched the tip of Google Reader and I know there must be more tips out there so how ‘bout YOU all give me some? What features could I be using? Also, was this helpful for you?

MY blog Candy Time!

Woo Hoo! I've surpassed 1K in hits! THANK YOU! In show of my appreciation, I have the following candy up for grabs:

• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Jo-Ann Pink Letters
• Heidi Swapp Distresser
• American Craft Pink Polka dot ribbon
• Five Heavy Weight 4x4 Coasters
• Two Bind it all 4x4 acrylic pages (for your coasters above)
• and a Copic Sketch C1 Cool Grey marker!
  

(I choose this color Copic marker because it is FABULOUS for shadows and I thought if you haven't tried Copics then it would be a good introduction to get you hooked!)


Of course there has to be rules and ways to enter. Here is the fine print:
1. One comment, one entry
2. Add my blog to your Google Reader (or similar) and get a second entry
3. Add a link to my blog candy on your blog and get a third entry!

Blog Candy Closes Sunday 6/29/2008 at 9PM CST.

Please use the following form for your entries. Upon reading on Freebies4Mom's website about Blog Coach's advice, I've decided to use GoogleDocs for my entries. This is going to be a better way to track entries (and safer too!)

Good Luck!

Another Blogger giving Candy Away!

Did you see this blog and the candy she's giving away?? Magnolias?? Paper? Ribbon?? YUM! Go check her blog out too! She has some adorable creations!

Freebies 4 Mom: Arts Cow Review

Have any of you tried Arts Cow Printing? They have a promotion right now that offers 400 free prints plus an 8x8 book. I've signed up and been credited with my free prints. Want to try them? Use this referral link to sign up.

I'll order some prints later this month and let you know how they turn out. If you're curious, Freebies4Mom used them and here is her review here and here.

Let me know if you try them!

Freebies 4 Mom: Arts Cow Review

High Hopes Stamps

Did you see Jami's blog? She's got some High Hopes images for BLOG candy. If you haven't checked out High Hopes stamps you need to go there! They are wonderful! I LOVE that elephant!

Happy Father's Day!

Remember the cards I posted here? Well, I was blurfing (blog surfing) and found this post of a really cool wallet and just HAD to do it for my amazing hubby! Here is how it turned out.

Outside is embossed with my $2 stamp It's Good To Be King from Big Lots:

Inside is embossed with Cool Dad and Man of the Year (again from Big Lots!).

In the wallet itself is a picture of S (the youngest) on pink cardstock (her favorite color) and E on yellow ( her favorite color), a Starbucks gift card, a Happy Father's Day card and of course there has to be green in the wallet right?

Hope you all had a wonderful day!

Blog Candy Coming!

I cannot believe it! I've passed the 1k mark for visitors on my blog! WOW! To thank my ya'll (yes, I live in the south!) I'm going to do blog candy!! Check back here in a day or so and I'll have some posted.

THANK YOU!!

Kim's Creative Corner Challenge

I'm a faithful reader of Kim's blog and decided to take her challenge. I love her owl card here and that black and green color inspired me to use the same colors on mine.

Here's mine:

I made this for a good friend of mine who is so thoughtful. Since my daughter was diagnoised with cancer, she has been checking in with me, just to see how she's doing and making sure I'm alright. She also coordinated meals after we came home from her surgery in NY and decorated our house! I know that if I need any help all I have to do ask. She ROCKS!

Sweet Pea

One of the gals from the girls playgroup had a little baby boy on Wednesday so I had to make card to welcome him. This is the same mom that I made 30+ invites for the baby shower here. I used my $1 Studio G Sweet Pea stamp, American Crafts ribbon, and Sandy Lion Lollia Paper. I used the rectangular and scalloped rectangle nestabilities for the blue mat and the stamped image. I paper pieced the blue baby blanket but that's hard to see in the picture. Isn't it cute?

Father's Day Early

Believe it or not, I am actually DONE with Father's Day Cards. This year is a hard one for me as my grandfather passed away less than two short months ago. He was my "father" as he and my grandmother raised me since I was nine months old. This is the first year I won't be sending him a card.

I made two cards, one for my husband (from the kids) and one for my dad. I had intended to the It's good to be King card for my dad but decided that it DH would appreciate it more! The stamp I used was from my Big Lots find ($2!) and the chipboard man is from my LSS.

This one again, the stamp is from Big Lots but I made my own paper using the stamp then popped up one I stamped on white paper.

After doing these cards, I realized that all I really have is girly paper! I need more manly paper!

Did you make anything for Father's Day? The girls and I are going to work on garden stones today. Each girl will have their own stone to decorate as they please or put their hand print/footprint on it. Wish me luck!