tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44051647810141944872024-02-07T02:39:31.605-05:00Life, Work, and Paper CraftingElizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-56714767678885850622010-12-03T11:30:00.010-05:002010-12-07T12:18:30.319-05:00Sequin Tree<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546497673793982674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-5AR90csyCWv-brBz9ZB3U1e1blojo43_YQztIG15qveewVfarh0GEIWSn93AZEOjKvd9vqEtW3eFZY04hwvAneYN8jRHlC9Y75IDQZWijy6_v1coOQbsPwgVB79SFmY-SAbCJeR9Tm6/s320/IMG_2392.JPG" /> <div></div><div>So I finally finished my first DIY Christmas decoration a few weeks ago that I started way back in October!!! It took entirely way too long, and I remember at some point telling the DH that this was the worst craft project ever (because of how long it was taking me). In the end, I think the time and very little $$ spent was well worth it!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546495231621648162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGXyV9FzMNLqi-NJeUOM8gr81aborUygmwvOrgf2OkJhNQp_9TSs-IJionTiYVfHxPDDcFWGGUzDBzGlFbYxdMrq-ReKsZtyxPpG7X6ruNuJKs0Z3DTZ2sq3YLl9pNcq8xT7fCqhQyov7/s320/IMG_2184.JPG" /></div><div>It all started off with a styrofoam cone, straight pins, red sequins, and green glass beads. I did run out of straight pins (twice) which is probably the reason this project took 6 weeks to complete. Who knew I would use over 1500 straight pins to cover this small styrofoam cone! </div><div></div><br /><div>The process was really quite simple. Take a straight pin, thread on one glass bead, one sequin, and stick the straight pin into the the cone. And then repeat about a million times. I made sure that each sequin I stuck into the tree slightly covered the sequin next to it, so that I wouldn't end up with the white styrofoam peaking through. Starting from the bottom, and going up helped ensure that I kept the sequins in a straight line making it easier to cover up all of the white styrofoam showing through. I guess I could have painted the cone red before I added the beads/sequins but in all honesty as soon as I brought home all the supplies for this project I was too eager to get it started and didn't even think about painting the cone!</div><div></div><div></div><div>Here is a picture of the tree almost completed. Once I got closer to the top of the cone, it became progressively more difficult to push each straight pin all the way into the cone because each pin was running into another pin already inserted into the cone. I would repeatedly have to stick the pin into the cone at different angles to get it to fit perfectly. I also decided to cover the top of the cone before I finished running my sequin rows all the way hoping that it would make covering the top easier. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546497601182680546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifu3VJEUmxHjdxg6DvCdEC-FiOkhieq2GU2g89m6lie-jGiG7rKiWgvHwT0iHy1xVXkN019q4cd9qpF36K43LLBl8JvFqcVHc4vNu-ib5uE5Y6JP2dHuwPtVTwBE3dpnk6m3jQ_mGvO8qD/s320/IMG_2380.JPG" /></div><div></div><div>Now my finished cone has a place of honor on our freshly decorated mantle! I love the way it sparkles and shines in the light, and matches my Christmas color theme of red and silver! Totally worth it!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546492534997481970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO13OYYWU6p7lZx_hsU6a58TU4rZC2nG3SxcfKLmSs6yH2vF3HzjpFn9Xho31u7jU-DQM1JGtoFZiWnt0WXemzFXmOXi_zz4B04-46nSHruYh5wyP3wIjpCGabX36V1YDx5QiB2U8v_zL1/s320/IMG_2391.JPG" /></div><br />Linked up here:<br /><a href="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/12/christmas-craft-link-party/">Centsational Girl</a><br /><br /><a href="http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Christmas">The DIY Showoff</a><br /><a href="http://vintagewannabee.blogspot.com/2010/11/talent-tuesday-1130.html">The Vintage Wannabe</a><br /><br /><a href="http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/2010/12/whatever-goes-wednesday-42.html">Someday Crafts</a><br /><a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2010/12/01/hookin-up-with-hoh-26/">House of Hepworths </a><br /><a href="http://www.tipjunkie.com/handmade-projects-5/">Skip to my Lou<br />Tip Junkie<br /></a><br /><a href="http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2010/12/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-baby-blvd.html">Tatertots and Jello<br /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-3146279384508269662010-11-22T08:40:00.004-05:002010-11-22T09:09:11.047-05:00Defeated?This is not easy, but I'm very close to admitting defeat. I may or may not have been defeated by a pillow this weekend. Very sad, I know. But let me give you a little background info first.<br /><br /><br />My mother is a wiz with a sewing machine, although I'm sure if you asked her she would never admit to being a wiz. She helped me with a few sewing projects when I was younger, but I can count those sewing projects on one hand. Now, in my adult life, I've become more interested in DIYing things - which this year migrated into DIYing things with fabric. So one casual convo last month with the DH, I mentioned thinking about buying a sewing machine. That casual convo turned into owing a sewing machine in about two seconds flat. What a sweet boy - he listened!<br /><br />I automatically knew what I wanted to create first - a pillow. Sounded easy enough, but my ADD crafting mind apparently took an easy DIY pillow to the highest level, and the next thing I know I'm ripping up an ugly old bridesmaids dress with high pillow expectations. Yikes!<br /><br />Well, I 'finished' the pillow this weekend. It looks much better un-stuffed than stuffed, which sort of defeats the purpose of a pillow. I'll share pictures of the process, and maybe the end result a little later. But for now I think I'll be giving my mother a call to see where I/my pillow went wrong, since admitting defeat isn't as easy as it sounds.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-4722035422926048082010-11-05T20:00:00.003-04:002010-11-05T20:09:13.791-04:00Birthday Boy!I was so disappointed in my last Mojo Monday submission, that I decided to try again. HA! Just kidding! I just liked the sketch so much that I figured I'd use it again this week!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzW3YtF-2uTyjHT5h4_xU3auxqY3u0SArMUKtN7XjoTr4X8qAXwGZYrQvqnlBHS0Z55ZPuXtSxHduH48ea6-dLmjc0vF37LT81skZxg0_NG-xIGjrX2_wGvCLtXoaeBimGEQD1l0j_qV1/s1600/IMG_2353.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536220542281371490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzW3YtF-2uTyjHT5h4_xU3auxqY3u0SArMUKtN7XjoTr4X8qAXwGZYrQvqnlBHS0Z55ZPuXtSxHduH48ea6-dLmjc0vF37LT81skZxg0_NG-xIGjrX2_wGvCLtXoaeBimGEQD1l0j_qV1/s320/IMG_2353.JPG" /></a> Once again, this one is linked up to the <a href="http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2010/11/mojo-monday-163-contest.html">Mojo Monday Sketch #163.</a> This one goes to my wonderful DH for his birthday this Sunday!!! Because the birthday festivities start today, I'm keeping this post short and sweet! I stuck to the sketch a little more than my last submission, and I'm very glad I did. <br /><br />I used my new fav DCWV Latte Stack paper again, along with a MFT sentiment. So this is the very first card I've used my sewing machine with. Please don't look to closely or you'll see how inexperienced I am with the sewing machine. I've only used a sewing machine a few times in my life, and that was under the instruction of my mom. So cut me some slack until I've mastered my hopefully new found skill!!!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-77948750428171075192010-11-03T13:08:00.003-04:002010-11-03T13:25:30.063-04:00Thoughts of you...One of the DH's cousin's is having brain surgery this week. Just typing the words 'brain surgery' is scary - eek. She's been having horrid migraine headaches for a while now, and was diagnosed with a 4mm brain aneurysm a month ago. To let her know that we're thinking of her and her family during this scary time, we'll be stopping by the hospital to check on things and drop off this card. It's not much, but sometimes it's the little things that count, right? She's also a fellow card maker and a super crafty gal!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuehY_j6LXwrHkHqPxhdLVlBmAORsxUkg9u2JSwAoimP_n27oAPkfTYa3MEdxBmdw2VxYjcQhCnC2UkS5dF2oEgYnkVL5yYST6ux47S3BXvFnJSDZIO4CzUmHjlpfnxw7mjQks-R_6c7R/s1600/IMG_2346.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535371731217934322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuehY_j6LXwrHkHqPxhdLVlBmAORsxUkg9u2JSwAoimP_n27oAPkfTYa3MEdxBmdw2VxYjcQhCnC2UkS5dF2oEgYnkVL5yYST6ux47S3BXvFnJSDZIO4CzUmHjlpfnxw7mjQks-R_6c7R/s320/IMG_2346.JPG" /></a> Anyways, I tried to use the <a href="http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2010/11/mojo-monday-163-contest.html">Mojo Monday #163</a> sketch this week, but I always find myself tweaking it a little. I'm linking this one up today too. I'm still in love with this new DCWV paper pack I picked up a few months ago. I think purple and green should be the new fall colors! My sentiment is from my Essential Sentiments set from MFT, and has proven to be a great purchase. My ribbon came from the $1 bin at Michaels, and I used a few baby brads in coordinating colors. In retrospect, I should have added a bow to my ribbon which probably would have followed the sketch a little closer.<br /><div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-2259777767390094072010-10-30T10:51:00.001-04:002010-10-30T10:51:00.266-04:00Short ReviewHere's some knowledge I'd like to share:<br /><br />Glitter wrapping paper: super cute - SUPER messy.<br /><br />Word to the wise, stay away!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-6237451794534515692010-10-29T09:10:00.014-04:002010-10-29T10:49:51.612-04:00Christmas in October? You Bet!<div align="left">I made my weekly trip to tar-zahy yesterday and picked up some extra Halloween Candy (because let's face it, I only buy the good stuff to pass out to trick-or-treaters which usually means we've gobbled it all up well before Halloween rolls around. oops!). While I was roaming around in the Halloween section I stumbled upon row after row after row of Christmas stuff. Seriously? Christmas stuff out in October? But then as I roamed a little more I actually started getting into the holiday spirit. Which is great considering I'm already starting making a few <a href="http://lifeworkpapercrafting-elizabeth.blogspot.com/2010/10/busy-little-crafting-bee.html">holiday decorations</a>. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">And then, BAM! This morning I get an e-mail from <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/">Shutterfly</a> with an offer for 50 free Holiday Cards! YES PLEASE!!! Talk about an awesome early Christmas gift for me!!! I've used Shutterfly plenty of times in the past (wedding album(s)), but I've never bought any of their cards before. The photo books I've bought were awesome, so their cards must be awesome too right!?!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Considering last year I made all of our Christmas cards, I think I may have gotten a little too excited about not having to make them all again this year! So I started checking out what Shutterfly had to offer, and attempted to select my favorites. Impossible! I think I ended up with at least 30 favorite holiday cards, but I'll share just a few of them. Here's a <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards">link</a> to their holiday cards and stationary if you'd like to browse through and pick out your favorites.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Get ready for TONS of pictures.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left">This one jumped right out at me. I love it for the non traditional holiday colors - it's so hip and modern!</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 231px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533465619744788626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFoFo-CcbFIbiwCP_wz-d00x5LSqGmBwq5KzzVKJ9WmWCmpBz3UD80CQaXoG4M77x21LiMj8bd1_w1_zzeQXHF2EG33akQ2EWjQoTSJVuM8hYtXJKK2dh3W163hVHWdbgQnWGsxhzXLGv/s320/hip_and_happy.jpg" /> <p align="center"> [<a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/hip-and-happy-holiday-card-5x7-flat?fg=4096&sortType=1&fa=4&storeNode=93479">Hip and Happy</a>]</p><p align="left">Love the pastel ornaments. For some reason this one reminds me of a beautiful snow shower.<br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 231px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533467503503162034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Uw1oolqORnykJPC6VVemN2hMKeB6PzjQb8ltTAKHWgob-oBmN0hKpH5EGkkZMvTLXVpUfUteJjDmM49kErletIOFH1xw20-k25MwUAiM5AdQ39-fImIOih9z465XUXP2rDmrMRDwq-FA/s320/dazzle_and_sparkle.jpg" /> <p align="center"> [<a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/dazzle-and-sparkle-holiday-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=93491">Dazzle and Sparkle</a>] </p><p align="left">Here's a more traditional looking card. It's classic, and modern at the same time. And I love that it's a card so you have the option of writing a personalized note to the lucky recipient.</p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 231px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533467667570314178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_2XeKfVJIXi81DP76wqlSqlg_24BXbV-Vv6h03fCT-B01-vPt0xsFcFjO_kjLn2QwHIHdKJ68L-t_ocqaI0UmdALj2d-w4Q6OdN7L1aujpxuz-0dMzQnwIHX-N_-ycI2b_8-VbeP-40w/s320/classic_mistletoe_frame.jpg" /><br /><div align="center">[<a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/classic-mistletoe-frame-holiday-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93491">Classic Mistletoe Frame</a>]</div><br /><br />This one might be my favorite. It's simple and clean. It includes the year, a simple sentiment, a large picture, and it comes in a folded card. Winner in my book!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 231px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533467730205916850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GucoNdVWyCRRi2jeOydxIPKLnZZWjvXN4hZIwxyvBCAJ6oIxmS8aZUb-QEvy2xCvVXpgxnbat9pD75ESgG3GYaSbZEdwEsaf1SkqUw0_UOIcuo8KJSAvNRm10jla4hMgDA0Aqbd3_XNA/s320/2010_flourish_holiday.jpg" /><br /><div align="center">[<a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/2010-flourish-holiday-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93491">2010 Flourish Holiday]<br /></a></div><br /><div align="left">But wait, there's more! Lets face it, the Holidays are always super busy, and sometimes sending out cards gets pushed back till the last minute. So why not send out <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/new-years-cards/new-years-cards?">New Years cards</a> instead? Brilliant! I'm diggin this one - so bright and happy!<br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 231px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533473665444073042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pV5fy4a3seanXyYXIuCEoQmZGpoqewEfyy8YWWqmCg9jUPju27ESRaPS_4gpuTSXHph9KcpgT_G3M8KdaaQZ1Ls3TQ2hpEResAF-jqkkwjnwpvFtaKsrnOehJmh4zA1tlgSzxzVzhx6R/s320/happy_2011_damask_new_years.jpg" /> <p align="center">[<a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/new-years-cards/happy-2011-damask-new-years-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=60791">Happy 2011 Damask New Year's]<br /></a><br /></p><div align="left">Oh boy. The possibilities are endless - <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/thanksgiving-cards">thanksgiving cards</a>, <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/thank-you-cards">thank you cards</a>, wait - <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-gift-tags">christmas gift tags</a>!!! I must have spent an hour on Shutterfly's website this morning. I did notice that Shutterfly was having a sale - 25% off on cards when you buy 50 or more till 11/3. I'm always up for a good deal or discount!</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left"><em>Disclosure Statement:</em></div><div align="left"><em>This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. Participating bloggers are reviewing the new Shutterfly cards and sharing their favorites, and have been compensated with coupon codes for 50 free cards.</em></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-78160309161537468352010-10-21T09:32:00.003-04:002010-10-21T09:41:23.714-04:00Busy Little Crafting Bee...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4TKIWzBkzO9usNwuSrdqMHxuedWOO_nc40lxJ_eKWafjF-sLGyCV9yCt4szD5MueX67WsXeMr3D1-TYumK-1vgmQa4LmB-kficSfb4gx0PlVljY8gvrXqGNDXzb4oGlz8weGgkjhbcey/s1600/IMG_2184.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530491786591419330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4TKIWzBkzO9usNwuSrdqMHxuedWOO_nc40lxJ_eKWafjF-sLGyCV9yCt4szD5MueX67WsXeMr3D1-TYumK-1vgmQa4LmB-kficSfb4gx0PlVljY8gvrXqGNDXzb4oGlz8weGgkjhbcey/s400/IMG_2184.JPG" /></a> I swear I must have at least 10 projects going on right now. Most are right smack-dab in the middle of completion; a few have only made it to the scribbles on a piece of paper phase. Call it crafting ADD if you'd like. But for now, this is one of the projects I've started and had to put on pause (1 - because I ran out of a key ingredient, and 2 - because my sweet niece's first birthday party is just around the corner and I promised I'd create a few decorations for the occasion).<br /><br />What is this jumble of objects you might ask? Sequins, straight pins, glass beads, and a styrofoam cone. But you'll have to wait a few months to figure out what this one turns out to be! Just cross your fingers that it the final product is as awesome as the vision in my mind is.<br /><div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-64475241993167729842010-09-30T11:56:00.005-04:002010-09-30T12:11:11.074-04:00Early Bird birthdayI'm about a month ahead in making this card, but I figured being ahead of the game isn't so bad. I did however use two challenges this time!! I used this weeks <a href="http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2010/09/mojo-monday-158.html">Mojo Monday</a> sketch and last weeks <a href="http://dancinginpajamas.blogspot.com/2010/09/tcp-tuesday-127.html">TCP Tuesday</a> color challenge!!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522738474893327698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCo9UjZ8aNXZdzLOkx0enll1v96G-3IzMbdXqK4agCV0LHM-6Sc1_4ux_xLU9jiaEIHocwCquKh4VP8K7XeFHXEZqNxPGBDcWDw1idCIxY4qRUxL7AQz3Yhyl6q0WXOVejXoOCZqAqp0fk/s400/IMG_2204.JPG" /> I'm in love with this new paper pack I picked up a few weeks ago, much like I was in love with the Citrus paper pack this summer. My sentiment is from my favorite birthday stamp pack from My Favorite Things. Sometime when I first started making cards I picked up a pack of birthday brad's and haven't used very many of them. Not sure if the purple present brad I used flows with the rest of the card but I took a risk and went for it.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522738590003653842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcewuAz6mrt8fBDl9BYfoSN_NFD5Zyi7LJ3Wh5SWtCbqKMeOYRNBfE13epcrKIC0k1N1k2UruD4SmY2p2DFki5htV0YflLi-Bi6xWLu6jOIcysRHLtr1nP6drxbiAGGSBII8kHC1VW3SEt/s400/IMG_2201.JPG" />I punched out a whole bunch of flowers using two different punches with coordinating paper, and stacked four flowers on top of each other. I bent some of the petals up to give the card a little dimension and interest. Once again my ribbon bow wasn't playing nice so I ended up with just a simple knot...which still didn't behave the way I wanted it to. But it was late and I still had laundry to do so I gave it up. Maybe next time my ribbon and I will get on the same page.<br /><div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-91492251359364780902010-09-29T14:10:00.004-04:002010-09-29T14:21:10.305-04:00HB Coach!<div>No time for chit-chat, just quickly sharing a card today. This one goes out to a good friend 'Coach Ken' for his birthday this weekend. Ken is the head coach of the baseball team the DH helps coach. He's been a good friend for a few years now so it will be sad when his son ages out of the baseball rec league and the DH is done with coaching. Luckily that wont happen until a few more years though! Anyways, I'm linking this one up to the <a href="http://cardpatterns.blogspot.com/2010/09/sketch-83.html">Card Patterns</a> blog using Sketch #83. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522400677974951394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz8KPBGOligoo8WrdumGRxVicuGXpezjOAcaIHCs127rCNk6yk8K7LAtCS6ZfYvQlnthp7rOwR7nHN-Fr70rOQYkPcZ0o1eZ67LmsntkCoeOxuYUI1N-SbOKt9H9wsb2Q0W9IhvFkY-By/s400/IMG_2198.JPG" /></div><br /><p>In other random news....apparently my post last week on my fall wreath successfully brought fall to the area. Not enjoying the 60 degree weather, but I'm sure it has something to do with Tropical Storm Nicole and not my fall wreath!!!!</p><p> </p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-79228898506783088932010-09-27T10:00:00.018-04:002010-09-27T10:00:05.290-04:00Cake what....?<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520499728412580562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsjTu1GNxeCzA8ZdLrBhVJZKwXzSDrLEuFL0y8KEN-juVibNP5BuxjyNGhRG4WI7yibO3HwlQCt8HpBPedSSNIySZ077-EDuifdSUNK_o_W8u0CY3pkT6iMNk7eFidyPewig3t72eSJbm/s320/IMG_2144.JPG" />'Seriously, cake balls? What in the world is that?'....is what I heard after I insisted all my friends eat this mysterious brown looking blob I shoved in their faces. But oh no - they did not regret it! Apparently cake balls have been floating around for some time now, but they are completely new to my group of friends.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><br /><div>Now I do NOT claim to be a good cook or baker. In fact, the DH does most of the cooking in our house. But I'm not afraid to try new things and this one sounded like it would be yummy even if I screwed it up. Remember <a href="http://lifeworkpapercrafting-elizabeth.blogspot.com/2010/09/sweet-friend.html">this post</a> when I made a card for the hostess of our Girls Night Out beach trip? Well, those ladies were the lucky guinea pigs for my kitchen experiment.</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520499518566041842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEq0qHBdRBM7jzU72QjUKaMaonEif0eHVw6Gj65OSg4EZjYG0IBvwDHGBZPreSQp_VUYv2yZU1Srujfw965c_1HdLBqY5Aixgr7bgTtJ5ROLEZ5fsYlzI_maTIiLl7xUsOaRPxufAzKt3i/s320/IMG_2130.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520502270427358418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwX4zdVuvmrquRUOt5slZPxIEagDbsBds439-6AzSi-mrMTjlTiNAsI3HlqnUyBIug3VvnJ69ffA4toWx-6a5aa-vQMWWi_0p12hvVPUOjFR21hbUuv-LDZRqL8i_vWbISBEmAcI_KTwzH/s320/IMG_2132.JPG" />I started out by baking a cake just as your normally would. From a box. Easy. I chose a white cake because that's what I had on hand. Any type of cake mix would do though. I used a regular 9x13 sheet pan, but it really doesn't matter how you bake the cake, just as long as it's cooked. Let your cake cook down for a while, 20 minutes should do the trick. Then comes the fun part.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520501192314248482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMdz0h7oHEokcsVEuda938OZhOMLhUSxXjrZZXVshwqRleMDjPfk9TxsrSuLLIw_jmJGbF6UkjUnf9mkaxI8TKZEYmfrbggpA52DIyyzJ47h-EvmaXCAWcYDPEo7OU24o4JAWG2RatCwA/s320/IMG_2134.JPG" />Spoon out your pretty baked cake into a large bowl and crumble it up into small pieces. Seriously! Give it a try! It's fun to get your hands dirty and tear up a perfectly good cake into tiny pieces. I spooned out the cake into my bowl because the cake was still a little warm - which is a good thing - and I didn't want to burn my hands. Next is the messy part. Take an entire can of frosting and dump it into your bowl full of crumbled cake. I used a can of triple chocolate fudge frosting because, once again, that's what I had on hand. Get your hands dirty and mix the frosting and cake together until you're left with a big pile of mush. On a side note - you can add less frosting if you want, but mine looked a little dry when I added 3/4 of the container at first, so I added the rest. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520502543424260034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-GqeO2tYqvL-PQPOknDdN8ektyRY70tR6xMzc5X5L7uS914dToeb4S58Bi6Lu5eWaV08bj8FFhL2hG1x0UhRpzpXgBJx0CWTfxchIV_jc6bewegemT1DkpOE2KBet0sjGbmJBcxqhGLS/s320/IMG_2135.JPG" />This mixture felt and looked really weird to me, almost like a pile of wet dog food - but I really was on the right track. Next, throw the bowl of cake blob into the fridge and let it chill for a while - 1 to 2 hours is best. You could put it in the freezer for 20 min, but there was no way this huge bowl would fit into our freezer. You want your mixture to be cool because if you try to roll out your balls while they are warm you will end up with a big crumbled mess instead of tight balls. </div><div></div><br /><div>After your cake blob is chilled, use your hands or a cookie dough baller (thanks sis-in-law!) to make the cake blob into cake balls. You can make them as big or as small as you want, but I think 1 1/2 inches works best since some of the larger cake balls were harder to eat. Once all your balls are rolled out, place them on a large cookie sheet lined with wax paper and shove them back into the fridge for a few hours. Keeping the balls cool makes it much easier to dip them. </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520506820804881346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ExFZDQhbAPGtt5Gm76YJcUy3v_5BthuUnpn66f79nXB8JH9BqmT2zPD_KOtbgiawmS4qpt0uo9UT4hLcJLURqG3bVgJ_E2RtNpiiH-h5ll0rlO0Irq8QJgVYP5NceDP37ZxfwXjq3TI_/s320/IMG_2137.JPG" />Now time to get even more messy! Time to dunk your doughy balls into melted dipping chocolate. I found some Baker's brand dipping chocolate thinking this would be the easiest way to go - I was wrong. I only bought one bowl, which covered about 5 cake balls, so I had to run out to the grocery store right in the middle of things to get more. I ended up buying the large Food Lion brand bark coating milk chocolate thinking I'd have plenty left over - again, wrong. But I'll get to that later.<br /><br /></div><div>I used the melting instructions on the back of the bag, but instead of melting the entire bar I cut it up into quarters and melted it one quarter at a time. Coating the cake balls was the biggest challenge for me. I tried many different methods - I used a toothpick, I used my fingers, I used a fork, I used as spoon, I tried drizzling the chocolate on instead of dunking the cake balls. Frustrating. In the end, what worked the best for me was placing the cake ball into my bowl of melted chocolate, spooning the chocolate all over the cake ball until it was completely covered, and then used a fork to fish the coated cake ball out of the bowl and back onto the wax paper. After about 15 cake balls the chocolate started to harden, so that's when I added another quarter of the non-melted chocolate bar and heated it up again. I ended up using all of that chocolate to cover all 50 some-odd cake balls.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520510372897104258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoF8A5SgKwcVCkxJY8MfqvtJVhRVPcXuuEKcrkS-BrZbpjDXkmdK9eLsMCc4E7sFKJUIx3UwSHe4DmrfoBcMt4pnEpQL4EeN9rgMVuv54BTjEzYhhuzMZVTkhcZX7LOvYpPi3p199_BQo/s320/IMG_2141.JPG" /></div><br /><div>Once they were all coated, back into the fridge they went. This step isn't really necessary, but it was pretty hot in my kitchen by then and I didn't want the cake balls melting. After they had cooled off for a little bit, I took the cake balls off of the wax paper and placed each one into a cupcake wrapper. I probably could have shoved them all into a container on top of each other, but I was afraid they would stick together. Having them in a cupcake wrapper made them easier to grab and eat in the end.</div><div></div><br /><div>Verdict was? Yummy! Which makes me a happy girl! Now I'm thinking about the different cake/frosting combinations I can use next time. The DH said it was too much chocolate, but the girls certainly didn't mind a bit. I think I'll try red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate coating next time.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520514199956317138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWhg0YwmsamHQAUG_XKJeYxPS6qU3w8_bLY_I8m_4ZLOcdumC3THchnjtGIXEd2MdlalijL1_vZdVF4M5756AuNZVCkl6BWSVHOv9NXIMekwnnVR4kl7UXACDTiV-v5D5xmspsK5MjzPc/s400/IMG_2138.JPG" /><br /></div><br /><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-44955127171731038262010-09-24T09:45:00.011-04:002010-09-24T10:59:23.513-04:00Happy Fall Ya'll!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iQWJwPHSR9RuYbI0oXZKDaIuMDf9_uUnx6xs9BjhQj2DsNtMIIS0UmIft1FFsluJCqsng3CxJjL4p2nYFuUNgxpZ91QTTbEQpy6gxXzQybYpoUcelDORPAYWmVIBUTE9v6gDPCm15PHk/s1600/IMG_2194.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520482479523099682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iQWJwPHSR9RuYbI0oXZKDaIuMDf9_uUnx6xs9BjhQj2DsNtMIIS0UmIft1FFsluJCqsng3CxJjL4p2nYFuUNgxpZ91QTTbEQpy6gxXzQybYpoUcelDORPAYWmVIBUTE9v6gDPCm15PHk/s320/IMG_2194.JPG" /></a>Supposedly fall has arrived. It certainly does NOT feel like fall outside, but that's a-okay by me since I'm all about hanging onto that last little bit of summer. But since I know cooler weather is on it's way I must at least try to get into the fall spirit. Ugh. Since we don't have any little ones running around the house and aren't planning on throwing any sort of Halloween party, I figured decorating the inside of the house would be a waste of time. But we might have some trick-or-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">treater's</span> this year since we're in a new neighborhood so I could at least try to decorate outside. Hold the phone. I don't want to go all out with hay bails in the front yard and orange lights and pumpkins all over the place. Let's keep this simple. Since our front door is looking a little boring and plain, I decided it might need a wreath - now that's nice and simple.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520480761568848146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQVRjvfP-Odx_HQOeFQ9R9Fegty3rk-_RO3msp18-iIj35wpemjio9CTA_cVdyNXE-5RMvw2r9qTpKMX58DoysA_0d0DIkbnHIRjipzj2QLOLYCMNb-SfbgR5BlG07ZFyFEaP6BSjlTQz/s320/IMG_2185.JPG" />Lately I've gotten the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">DIY</span> itch, and decided I would check out the wreath's available at my local <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Michaels</span> to see if I could duplicate (or improve) something while spending a little less money. All the wreath's large enough for our front door that weren't too tacky looking were in the $25 to $30 price range - not what I had in mind. So after spending about an hour in the store, I ended up walking out with a twig wreath, two flower bouquet's, two packages of loose leaves, two spools or ribbon, and one leaf garland all for $13.20. SCORE! Everything I bought was on sale except for the wreath, but I had a 40% off coupon that I was able to use for that.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WnXGeAzGW91IhhHYBM_klbhdIb6UGGFeaUR9QZ-M7P5FnqQBGPmLN-9NZ0Y-hgqVXhFo2iVOpG8P7rNnK5-4M-dFmC-n2aa0Rt_f-APcWJ7b7xaL0PhtwMn6wEwtjMsrKG0vcwXcTYLA/s1600/IMG_2186.JPG"></a><br /><br />I can't tell you how excited I was to start this project (just call me a HUGE dork!) so I was glad when the DH told me he had baseball practice the next day and that it would be a perfect time for me to start on my wreath while he was out molding young minds. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">YIPPIE</span>!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520493419952491906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEMic0pXGerWgqpEC7LwnKBC7n6FcmBCdNlDfGN5IOIf-lHwDqsFAqEof77OPegLeNnA7DquW_KS7DC1Pz1AgTeMUsCQE8C4TONq63xTtv2yGGf5CXX-PBb_5wYEnXu_G9KkHk1EPjx0P/s320/IMG_2186.JPG" /> I started off by stripping the leaves off of the garland and small bouquets. This turned out to be easier than I expected - no cutting needed, just a gentle tug and the leaves came right off. Then I used the huge wired ribbon I found for $1 and tied a bow to the twig wreath where I thought the top should be. Apparently I need to get my sister-in-law to show me how to make pretty bows again since mine ended up looking a little sad and droopy. I figured having the ribbon on the wreath before I started attaching the leaves would be easier than trying to work the ribbon in at the last minute, and boy was I right! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46-4ziKRc7zsgk_KoyNHH_e0o3PigjwNxiPjS4v9kvcWSMDCt8kUwaZWz9GHlCLPAGrFAT21EDU7UMN5V03om6G_bdmbx-g8IyOBMVx8EsjR_AD1fPiNPdytDVdkmI5cdIwe7nZoELm8k/s1600/IMG_2187.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520481567061779218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46-4ziKRc7zsgk_KoyNHH_e0o3PigjwNxiPjS4v9kvcWSMDCt8kUwaZWz9GHlCLPAGrFAT21EDU7UMN5V03om6G_bdmbx-g8IyOBMVx8EsjR_AD1fPiNPdytDVdkmI5cdIwe7nZoELm8k/s320/IMG_2187.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46-4ziKRc7zsgk_KoyNHH_e0o3PigjwNxiPjS4v9kvcWSMDCt8kUwaZWz9GHlCLPAGrFAT21EDU7UMN5V03om6G_bdmbx-g8IyOBMVx8EsjR_AD1fPiNPdytDVdkmI5cdIwe7nZoELm8k/s1600/IMG_2187.JPG"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46-4ziKRc7zsgk_KoyNHH_e0o3PigjwNxiPjS4v9kvcWSMDCt8kUwaZWz9GHlCLPAGrFAT21EDU7UMN5V03om6G_bdmbx-g8IyOBMVx8EsjR_AD1fPiNPdytDVdkmI5cdIwe7nZoELm8k/s1600/IMG_2187.JPG"></a><br />Now came the fun part - attaching the leaves. I started in random sections, hot gluing one leaf at a time making sure to attach the leaves in random directions since I was going for less structured look. I also found that if I attached two or three leaves in one spot all at once made it harder for those leaves to stay in place. Attaching one leaf to opposite sides of the wreath allowed the glue to dry and set and gave it a more random look. Here it is in progress:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdcV5lnJkTrQjTUhOdKYSWuNF6FfnbAqVZmWE3gKaCIzFevsbq3W2MtzbgIP3r4KlMPmkL9C54mieSsbi2StxRbpdqLOR1cyj-Tqc2q3qpjzMMuusAII5SstNFKsULPSdyDGQpCy-lxW2/s1600/IMG_2189.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520481702573061554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdcV5lnJkTrQjTUhOdKYSWuNF6FfnbAqVZmWE3gKaCIzFevsbq3W2MtzbgIP3r4KlMPmkL9C54mieSsbi2StxRbpdqLOR1cyj-Tqc2q3qpjzMMuusAII5SstNFKsULPSdyDGQpCy-lxW2/s320/IMG_2189.JPG" /></a>After a few burnt finger tips, and a huge mess left on our office floor, I was pretty satisfied with my end result. I hung it from the office door knob to see see what it looked like and found a few blank spaces that needed some extra poof. Luckily I didn't end up using all of the leaves, but I'll save them in case I decide to make something else. I used a thinner wired piece of ribbon to make a loop on the back of the wreath so that I could attach it to the front door.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When the DH got home that night from practice he said our house was starting to look festive - which made me super happy. Goal accomplished! Now if I could just get that bow to look pretty.....<br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520482028312559698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLEI9YyaPFBcIzv1iOHFd72BxJeaSDdx93HN3GxKeNlS79BGPR2dsvAhTk3A_AIQgsbacc65xPxmRwA976Qf_7ufeBFx6-LmDrgu99I6GGeqgPoM4lYHIQbS_tlQ9HbZ3aQEKSFPIKSpG/s400/IMG_2196.JPG" />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-24203107339790489852010-09-10T09:33:00.003-04:002010-09-10T10:05:14.506-04:00Best (and worst) at Tar-zhayI don't normally do stuff like this, so if you're thinking this post is a little out of the ordinary you'd be correct. I read a quick article I found on MSN today that I found interesting and worth sharing.<br /><br />I'm a huge fan of Tar-zhay - pretty much do most of my shopping there for everything from clothes to toilet cleaner. So when the title of an article is "Best (and worst) buys at Target", my curiosity peaks and I read on. <br /><br />Best buys:<br />- <strong>Kindle</strong>: Apparently Target is the only store where you can go and buy a Kindle in person for the same price as you can online. I've never had an interest in buying one, but thought this was good to know in case my preferences changed in the near future.<br />- <strong>Green cleaning products</strong>: These days all you hear about is 'going green'. I haven't jumped on the band waggon completely yet, but I'd say I have at least one arm on it.<br />- <strong>Groceries</strong>: Seriously? Target is an awesome place to pick up banana's and milk? Tis true. Most of the Target stores in my area just recently went through a huge remodel to include more grocery items. I keep getting coupons for free grocery stuff in the mail which tempts me even more to try out their expanded grocery sections. What I didn't know until I read this article was that prices are at least 10% to 20% less than a regular grocery store. (side note from my experience: I know target will allow you to combine one of their coupons with a regular newspaper coupon, but I'm sure you can still get a better deal on some items in the grocery store when places offer double and triple coupon deals, especially if those items are in their weekly circular sale).<br />- <strong>Cosmetics</strong>: Yes, I buy a lot of my cosmetic items at Tar-zhay (make-up, shampoo, soap) if I can't get it at one of the big discount retailers in bulk. I have found that Target sells a wide variety of brands of cosmetic items, which is always a good thing.<br /><br />Not so good buys:<br />- <strong>Furniture</strong>: Duh! Why spend $100 on a book case now that will crumble to pieces in one year, when you could spend $200 on one that will last you 10 years? Also - Wal-Mart isn't a smart place to buy furniture either, you never know what kind of wood they make their products out of, if you can even call it wood.<br />- <strong>Movies, Books, Music</strong>: Save your mulah and shop online at Amazon.<br />- <strong>Exercise equipment</strong>: If you are serious about exercising, and want quality equipment, to go a sporting goods store.<br />- <strong>Plastics, including some toys</strong>: The article says that Target is still putting toy's on it's shelves that contain PVC. Since I'm not a mom (yet), I actually had to look this up...which might be admitting my stupidity some, but too late now! Apparently PVC is hazardous from production to disposal - PVC's life cycle uses and releases highly hazardous chemicals which children, particularly infants are extremely vulnerable to. Just look for the recycling symbol with a number '3' in the middle of it - put the toy down, and slowly step away.<br /><br />I felt a little at ease after finishing the article knowing that Tar-zhay isn't my go-to place for items on the 'worst' list. But I was hoping to find out some insider shopping secrets from the article and was a little disappointed in that fact. By the way, the article does go on to discuss best/worst buys for drugstores and Wal-Mart but since I don't frequent either I didn't think it was worth re-posting.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-75982407529559701622010-09-08T13:31:00.000-04:002010-09-08T13:32:08.340-04:00Wordless Wednesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyZC-AsW-fWY1EUFE-4nCXqwQzss5nixcMTo-qecOuO5AUOPAcIypFOgerDIZVhXUGKV_hWFXp52JTrvBq6zXXc1B7sdQj8xSUFB2SeyMVKObGJtBPcrfVmrHkyzeclEyyJgsBVAotLxr/s1600/IMG_2091.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 360px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 439px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514596693610841650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyZC-AsW-fWY1EUFE-4nCXqwQzss5nixcMTo-qecOuO5AUOPAcIypFOgerDIZVhXUGKV_hWFXp52JTrvBq6zXXc1B7sdQj8xSUFB2SeyMVKObGJtBPcrfVmrHkyzeclEyyJgsBVAotLxr/s400/IMG_2091.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-52519087057944056622010-09-02T12:43:00.004-04:002010-09-02T13:45:16.592-04:00A Sweet Friend<div><div>The DH and I apparently decided to take our vacations at the very end of summer this year, but that still doesn't excuse my absence. Work is crazy with a capital C these days, not to mention all the family drama we've been through in the past 5 months - 4 funerals in all. Sheesh! But I'm not letting funerals or work get me down or get in the way of having a little fun. </div><br /><div></div><div>Which brings me to this card!! First, I'd like to say that I LOVE this sketch I used from the <a href="http://kgiron.blogspot.com/2010/08/sweet-sunday-sketch-challenge-83.html">Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 83</a>. And the sample card is pretty much to die for. Love the color combo used. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to try it.</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512359917554412034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUok_7yakq5wVstgKuiRV-31Vk7ZA0xdSxwqx9Eyp8EOY3I2Z-m_VAyH6EghAaEcSwlQtRgJJosCZfbA4wIAKTrXEGmYubbuOEDEiHJ6GgHfgwCsL9JqEPhnA5z6R8UXq8eAQl0yhLyqtR/s400/IMG_2129.JPG" /> <div>This Labor Day holiday will be spent with all my best girl friends on our annual Girls Night Out beach trip. We've been doing this beach trip every since my bachelorette party, and every year it's proved to be the best vacation of the year. We usually drive down to Wilmington and stay at one of the GNO'ers house for a huge sleep over!! Of course hitting the beach while we're there is a must along with having at least one night out on the town. No matter what we end up doing, it's always a blast (esp since there are no boys allowed!!!).</div></div><br /><p>Anyways, as a thank you to our host this year the girls are all pitching in on a gift card, so I made a thank you cart to go along with it. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out too. I'm getting pretty good at making these paper flowers, but I still find it easier to use hot glue to make sure the flowers don't unravel themselves.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8Hmu8iH0e1GKeKGLuMnKKjE8LJVn56-ay1ArNc9nkXLnBHxAdVDExFV_ouzZu7TRMauiDzgmlV1xwo0prHZdt61E76ppGGE_opkGmc98YuucBY86EduQxzNM-NEQ9gudJyvtQ3E8-l0b/s1600/IMG_2126.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512361826949794146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8Hmu8iH0e1GKeKGLuMnKKjE8LJVn56-ay1ArNc9nkXLnBHxAdVDExFV_ouzZu7TRMauiDzgmlV1xwo0prHZdt61E76ppGGE_opkGmc98YuucBY86EduQxzNM-NEQ9gudJyvtQ3E8-l0b/s320/IMG_2126.JPG" /></a> I'm still not sure if these flowers work well with one sided patterend paper or not. I tried rolling the flower in both directions, and ended up liking the pattern on the inside of the flower instead of the outside.</p><p>Anyways, I've linked this one up to The Sweetest Thing's sunday challenge - which I haven't posted to a challenge in almost a month!! Birthday's for family and friends pick up again in the fall, so hopefully I'll be participating in a lot more challenges in the next few months or so. But for now, I'm off to our girls weekend. Although I'll miss the DH ton's, I'm looking forward to haning out with the girls!!!</p><p> </p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-88642331689154338152010-08-09T17:57:00.006-04:002010-08-09T18:35:20.685-04:00A Parisian Bathroom - After!Ta-Da! Here it is!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503533436274181218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNtzRvr_UaZUsyMiCGRCUdWhD3r-xTqDI_72UcOOUUg0kmIvH2lVaYhJir_z2KE-9soLjhA_Kw0M4XQolbDMC2yY8cze-iqp5-yOp-Y4hEyrwP9iDX1ibCn_Ji-dWXpd9jSHPF15wnPnY/s400/IMG_1942.JPG" /> I have to say, I L-O-V-E this bathroom! If you don't remember what it looked like before the make-over, check it out <a href="http://lifeworkpapercrafting-elizabeth.blogspot.com/2010/07/parisian-bathroom-before.html">here</a>. Before, our bathroom was just plain boring, very much like the rest of the rooms in the house. The walls matched the floors, and the vanity just blended right in with everything else. It's amazing what a little splash of color and a few accessories can do to a room! <div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpjg0_AOh9ZaWVYaL2LJpYlifAGjsfRr0e76sEpBAGjYneKUwnssVTM6voEWjVWCXBakeCyDlr3B0rkj3tXrQSlD7pCMIjDYmq3ZJAqoOYUKWJhcEfbaQ0VBz1P6gkbl2l4mrtIqu09dE/s1600/IMG_1943.JPG"></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpjg0_AOh9ZaWVYaL2LJpYlifAGjsfRr0e76sEpBAGjYneKUwnssVTM6voEWjVWCXBakeCyDlr3B0rkj3tXrQSlD7pCMIjDYmq3ZJAqoOYUKWJhcEfbaQ0VBz1P6gkbl2l4mrtIqu09dE/s1600/IMG_1943.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503534765771426242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpjg0_AOh9ZaWVYaL2LJpYlifAGjsfRr0e76sEpBAGjYneKUwnssVTM6voEWjVWCXBakeCyDlr3B0rkj3tXrQSlD7pCMIjDYmq3ZJAqoOYUKWJhcEfbaQ0VBz1P6gkbl2l4mrtIqu09dE/s320/IMG_1943.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We got the towels and shower curtain as a wedding gift from my grandparents. Nice cool spa like colors of green, blue, and beige. I found a bathmat at Target that had some of the same colors as the shower curtain. My fav part about this find is that it's reversible. One side is a deep, yummy chocolate brown and blue, the other side is stripes of chocolate brown, blue, white, and beige. I choose side with less emphasis on brown since there isn't a whole lot of brown in our bathroom.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br />At my wedding shower, my little sister gave me a basket full of yummy soaps she picked up in France while she was studying abroad a few months earlier. They are beautifully stamped on both sides, and are a variety of sents and colors. Each are individually wrapped, and I can't quite bring myself to using any of them for some reason! So as an alternative hand washing soap, I pulled out some of my Bath & Body works soap I had stashed away. Lucky me it matches the room! </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503539534295464002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiax7x2SxfHszOZgLA729XiO0XuKBGXySbb5cNFRE9V70bj82rJIxAy8eZH4jYWSvZsqRczv1YgkqvPY-0bksAalOqRUTQen4UOnIcbXfiMoJP69JWuxJVi4VBoiqKqHVq4uTlNxXNCLH/s320/IMG_1945.JPG" />I had two small white shelves that were in our powder room in the old house that weren't being used yet, so I installed one over the toilet (the only blank space!). Since we haven't hung our picture shelves in the living room yet, I borrowed some decorations from that to fill this shelf. Two pillar candles, and an eiffel tower we picked in France over our New Years vacation. That's when the accidental theme started....french soaps, Eiffel tower, and then I found my Cross of Camaruge to hang on the wall. BAM! It's a french themed bathroom!<br /><br />I'm super happy with the way it turned out, and almost wish I could do this theme in our master bath, but I have other ideas for that one!<br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpjg0_AOh9ZaWVYaL2LJpYlifAGjsfRr0e76sEpBAGjYneKUwnssVTM6voEWjVWCXBakeCyDlr3B0rkj3tXrQSlD7pCMIjDYmq3ZJAqoOYUKWJhcEfbaQ0VBz1P6gkbl2l4mrtIqu09dE/s1600/IMG_1943.JPG"></a></div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpjg0_AOh9ZaWVYaL2LJpYlifAGjsfRr0e76sEpBAGjYneKUwnssVTM6voEWjVWCXBakeCyDlr3B0rkj3tXrQSlD7pCMIjDYmq3ZJAqoOYUKWJhcEfbaQ0VBz1P6gkbl2l4mrtIqu09dE/s1600/IMG_1943.JPG"></a></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-38848360990661010492010-07-28T19:50:00.002-04:002010-07-28T19:52:38.070-04:00Wordless Wednesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeCbc8ZXQgBaVeDtJ8jQY-APJhjlB4zIu9Z1aLR_QJBYucw8UTMJ4JZ7GOWV6Oz2E67Pe-Q_tqMnNrTDqCw9JqfM_C0n74Lsv0Vkjpzr1c5CLNDspTzTEuBmHDtEelI8k_d47SFvJFozl/s1600/IMG_1900.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499109210469198178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeCbc8ZXQgBaVeDtJ8jQY-APJhjlB4zIu9Z1aLR_QJBYucw8UTMJ4JZ7GOWV6Oz2E67Pe-Q_tqMnNrTDqCw9JqfM_C0n74Lsv0Vkjpzr1c5CLNDspTzTEuBmHDtEelI8k_d47SFvJFozl/s400/IMG_1900.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-5177594695215227132010-07-21T18:18:00.010-04:002010-07-23T10:37:42.164-04:00A Parisian Bathroom - BeforeIt was actually my little sister who dubbed it the French bathroom, so I take no credit for that. It wasn't even on purpose! Things just sort of turned out that way.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsmrROiHoD4avqmhTjBddNiLQpnEwNVeiXaW5Y56U3Afh7-k14S2nYMCnWzA0M8RE41LHrw4QB_85r4owfFVW-abmGkYWVPNNI88dHdn6IHJXGC7dCRrCAG_SjuoxLyJnNHmslEOrFl09/s1600/IMG_1404.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496488728822633554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsmrROiHoD4avqmhTjBddNiLQpnEwNVeiXaW5Y56U3Afh7-k14S2nYMCnWzA0M8RE41LHrw4QB_85r4owfFVW-abmGkYWVPNNI88dHdn6IHJXGC7dCRrCAG_SjuoxLyJnNHmslEOrFl09/s320/IMG_1404.JPG" /></a>Our ENTIRE house was painted what I lovingly call institutional beige when we moved in, with the exception of the dining room. Why the former owners lived here for so long and only painted one room, I have no idea. But that just means there are more rooms for me to paint!!! The picture to the left is what our bathroom looked like before it's makeover, plain and boring! Something had to be done, and done fast. </div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily I had a nice set of guest towels and an extra shower curtain laying around that needed to be put to good use. And so it began. It took me literally 2 minutes to pick out a paint color. Usually I'll pick out 5 or 6 I think <img class="gl_photo" border="0" alt="Add Image" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" />I like, buy 3 or 4 samples after the DH picks out his favorites, and slap on some randomly painted squares that are left up for weeks on end while we decide which shade is perfect. Nope, not this time. I picked out one color, and ended up loving the end result. That will never happen again I assure you!<br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvX_eEwOOW_LGc2pmXMLYDBrOqWpqCUIFoL8Wv44-1sC0N74246X00dnKENUw49eALsjvBwof0fTAihltcKWAcTEsStSh-v6YBsnhc79a_J7o56ICQydr23ERNqQgCFMmcYldTbRS_kF4/s1600/IMG_1580.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497103801106343346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvX_eEwOOW_LGc2pmXMLYDBrOqWpqCUIFoL8Wv44-1sC0N74246X00dnKENUw49eALsjvBwof0fTAihltcKWAcTEsStSh-v6YBsnhc79a_J7o56ICQydr23ERNqQgCFMmcYldTbRS_kF4/s320/IMG_1580.JPG" /></a>But before I get to the end result, let's talk about prep work which is SUPER important. First, everything gets removed from the room, which luckily for me that didn't include a whole lot of work! This does however include removing any outlet and light covers, towel racks, and light fixtures. I wasn't able to remove the light fixture without the risk of shocking myself to death, so I just left it there! The hand towel bar required some fancy screwdriver for it's removal so I left it there too. I also patched up any holes in the wall, and fixed a few nail pops. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrM1ercbJvyPsqDCZH1hFWSOvI3N86dhmkKrGGv-OUuDxfqh4uXnDY5eBX8P6OSBLMN-f2AIqE0Hlgcu7NQYydasi2DTDptLUlcR7X8_20sSGwxNyv4SukvRw8Q_T3eoKFe0DVx11ObCff/s1600/IMG_1581.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497103953821679266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrM1ercbJvyPsqDCZH1hFWSOvI3N86dhmkKrGGv-OUuDxfqh4uXnDY5eBX8P6OSBLMN-f2AIqE0Hlgcu7NQYydasi2DTDptLUlcR7X8_20sSGwxNyv4SukvRw8Q_T3eoKFe0DVx11ObCff/s320/IMG_1581.JPG" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div></div><div>Next came the taping, which is the MOST important step. You may have noticed that I did not tape off the ceiling. Most people do, unless they are painting the ceiling the same color as the walls, but I don't. It seems as if I have a steady enough hand that I can paint a straight enough line on the ceiling that doesn't require many fixes in the end, so I usually skip this step. I also didn't tape off the tops of the door frames since you can't really see if my line is straight or not from standing on the floor.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt3CU-Av_udZg5j33jZ5fh1hl56XZ85c7MlJIUYWoE1BBPwLOS6cHOU_uu5QoqcbYPuSSiDYxwKSZhU9nzMQ7-o2_PY9Q9XdJYZWy3Y49JgTvMtPHV-_kAZzWCZm75qllFJ39bGEQ54hp/s1600/IMG_1582.JPG"></a> </div><div>Now that the prep work <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt3CU-Av_udZg5j33jZ5fh1hl56XZ85c7MlJIUYWoE1BBPwLOS6cHOU_uu5QoqcbYPuSSiDYxwKSZhU9nzMQ7-o2_PY9Q9XdJYZWy3Y49JgTvMtPHV-_kAZzWCZm75qllFJ39bGEQ54hp/s1600/IMG_1582.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497107695379840098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt3CU-Av_udZg5j33jZ5fh1hl56XZ85c7MlJIUYWoE1BBPwLOS6cHOU_uu5QoqcbYPuSSiDYxwKSZhU9nzMQ7-o2_PY9Q9XdJYZWy3Y49JgTvMtPHV-_kAZzWCZm75qllFJ39bGEQ54hp/s320/IMG_1582.JPG" /></a>is done, time to start painting! When it comes to picking out your paint, make sure you get the right finish. I always use an eggshell finish for our bathrooms. Eggshell has a very slight hint of shine or gloss, which makes for easy cleanup of messes. It also doesn't soak in moisture from the steam of your shower. You could use a semi-gloss, which hold up just the same as an eggshell, but I'm not a fan of glossy paint. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Just before you go to pour your paint into your tray, poke a few holes in the lip with a screwdriver or drill. This will allow the extra paint that gets caught in the lip to flow back into the can, that way the paint won't spill over the edge as much when you're pouring your paint. It'll also make it a lot easier for you to open up your paint can later on when you need to do some touch ups.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Since this bathroom was so small it took me no time to complete two generous coats. I even had enough paint left over to use in our powder room!!!! Check back next week for my reveal!!!</div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-73791383637862838632010-07-07T15:00:00.002-04:002010-07-07T15:01:08.759-04:00Wordless Wednesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCo57_59SDziBpcvtBna97m-epJTooHBxFyjOTvCdp2KnAiF1gcRyzAXSLyOv2FACOPUX4HGaDFhpxI5kRmxrvE0xk3ZRrCaOn5HisTSMghJlQmbmt1iQ347Cxs0znAFUhVyRzSvh_78gz/s1600/IMG_1419.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491241356883362946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCo57_59SDziBpcvtBna97m-epJTooHBxFyjOTvCdp2KnAiF1gcRyzAXSLyOv2FACOPUX4HGaDFhpxI5kRmxrvE0xk3ZRrCaOn5HisTSMghJlQmbmt1iQ347Cxs0znAFUhVyRzSvh_78gz/s400/IMG_1419.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-28588479800143945732010-07-06T21:25:00.010-04:002010-07-06T21:58:10.447-04:00Here's wishing a day....<div><div><div>It felt great to spread out all of my card making supplies onto my desk this afternoon and just create! I can't remember the last time I didn't clean up after I was done making a card, or carefully choose which supplies I wanted to use so as not to have to put too many things away when I was done using them. Yup, you guessed it, the housewarming party is done, all of our friends have seen the new house, now it's time to just live in it! (pictures from the party to come!) <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490970621739283794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislmjEOq8E-PqYu0mGXm2AcX46S5TDl-iqN0ZPge1HnOfLm4qMHB7xBCvJz2BXBEsKwDgWxpShZuibwzs3FofYKDTi0GBWhkpDkjMReX4CKjMjUDJWMlmVCV63nZu-ncA5DHFTfnp42sAS/s400/IMG_1704.JPG" />So, here's my card I created using this week's <a href="http://iheart2stamp.com/2010/07/03/winner-announced-first-saturday-of-the-month/">Jen's Sketch for you to try</a>. I realized last week after I hung my new card display board on the wall in the newly painted office that my stash of cards has severely been depleted over the last few months of not having any time to create anything new. My mom's birthday is coming up in a few weeks, so this beauty might go to her, we'll see though.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZugt9MoXCjoSa0jR0y6iVPbkhsPTZuherPqSklu6GlGPBH0h5rm66mceb-WUr7VBA-d_yVbEMs7Lv3r3CPo26X5nWdTcjBsvGKbbJJduPAj22oQIKVdDF2sn6KCbRIHHNuuRV_q0bijcZ/s1600/IMG_1700.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490970013767330098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZugt9MoXCjoSa0jR0y6iVPbkhsPTZuherPqSklu6GlGPBH0h5rm66mceb-WUr7VBA-d_yVbEMs7Lv3r3CPo26X5nWdTcjBsvGKbbJJduPAj22oQIKVdDF2sn6KCbRIHHNuuRV_q0bijcZ/s320/IMG_1700.JPG" /></a></div><div>There are TONS of layers on this card, and lots of yummy patterned papers from my still favorite stack! After I had everything all laid out the way I wanted it, my card just didn't look quite right using Jen's sketch by the book - so, I turned it on it's side, and voila, much better! But with all those layers I needed to add some depth, so I popped my image up a bit to add some nice dimension.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>The image and sentiments on the front and inside of the card are all from MFT - 'You Take The Cake' set. I love the way she turned out - I colored in her dress with my new stamp markers, and paper pieced the cake with some coordinating paper. I dug into my coveted Prima flower stash for the green flower, and punched out a pink paper flower for some different texture. The flowers are topped off with a teeny tiny button, that was a pain in my rear to thread with the silver thread I had on hand. But I managed, and all turned out well. And did I mention - half of the paper I used sparkles?!?! LOVE!</div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490969677479104610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyALbbZsdrOjhb70Q9TaKaOZ0bgTXHWOOAmTs7zNv7KRpsGOP2u6GTfKvRBWBalpOpjTMbjciFork-UF3wqAk-NHGKX_Beb4YhnjYJIptI2VFlFmh9BWUYS_p6nByYm8lZCizyMhGipLr/s320/IMG_1706.JPG" /></div><div>Overall, I'm pretty darn happy with this one!</div><div><br /> </div></div></div><p> </p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-43298570120904850872010-06-30T20:53:00.006-04:002010-06-30T21:28:08.059-04:00Patriotic Letters<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 111px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488742824651168450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWHoLb0HQdg7d6En6wtIlfyYe6Y7XRHJU67rcPQbJijj8t7rRQFm5w3RSKxq_IrqApwfK9c3-rjzg7YNhP1_vDzzzlbrPtK6Z7ujSdP2iq7RKExGEz63ptNOZoxYgaXgzMebI1j3IhjAr/s200/starsandstripespartybutton2.jpg" /> <div><div><div><div>I'm feeling a bit guilty I let the ole' blog gather a couple of cobwebs, but I'm back to give a sneak peak of some of the decorations I created for our upcoming "3rd" of July/Housewarming party this weekend!!!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488736082640540274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnOfjYAsKHbtUs2WECtVyigwF9tB189VjBWrbVa_zzjNREuGHR5ZMJwNkdtxIf8m37gnQWVsLyPlZYl-pq5PNittaCt2hDFMal4Pd_RSSSus2IVdyYu3LIxgnqNndaHELfSjg9Xn1NVYG/s320/IMG_1597.JPG" />We have been super busy getting the house in order over the last couple of weeks, and the remaining "junk" boxes unpacked, but I think we're as close as we'll ever get. In the middle of unpacking, I'm surprised I found the time to do a bit of decorating and craft making. You might remember back in <a href="http://lifeworkpapercrafting-elizabeth.blogspot.com/2010/02/dh-and-i-are-well-on-our-way-to-wv-for.html">this post </a>how I made some festive X-mas decorations with some wooden letters, paint, mod podge, and scrapbook paper. Well, I tried it out again, except this time I used some cardboard type letters I found on sale at Michaels for 99 cents (score!).<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488736485856842466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJXPoosKu5xr8PR7sIVETDAuWhzFSvlvYx0hw361vhdu1JliVXCWpajozFCDEPYPLmEPEfNXE1rs-IMf9fttrCOul1nRYopc7I9qX8Lo1WqtBM9HhJgbX4mfxKmzBttIIzcRmIiN0lZhK/s320/IMG_1601.JPG" />I used the same red and white paint I used on the X-mas letters to paint my U-S-A letters. It went a lot faster this time since I didn't have to sand the letters before painting them, but I did have to be careful not to over saturate the letters with paint for fear they would break down and get all gooey on me.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPX9b7oedVNX0OXFy4z8D0GFCcAI1fowG1TIlJ6fVimn5dioAh8m-Dvx2xKH8PcIEKe1PJG6QDbiWhn1UsTxrBm5u3DmoqXNfBPRGwzN7LAMxQ2uTthzgBLiSPTc46Q_MqFBut8ooCs9A/s1600/IMG_1602.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488735700315679858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPX9b7oedVNX0OXFy4z8D0GFCcAI1fowG1TIlJ6fVimn5dioAh8m-Dvx2xKH8PcIEKe1PJG6QDbiWhn1UsTxrBm5u3DmoqXNfBPRGwzN7LAMxQ2uTthzgBLiSPTc46Q_MqFBut8ooCs9A/s320/IMG_1602.JPG" /></a> I think I may prefer these letters over the wooden ones. For one, they're a lot larger and easier to see from across the room, and two, the bottoms are flat which allows them to stand up straight on my mantle, where as the wooden letter were sort of propped up against the wall.</div><div></div><br /><div>I won't bore you with all the details since the process was pretty much the same as my <a href="http://lifeworkpapercrafting-elizabeth.blogspot.com/2010/02/dh-and-i-are-well-on-our-way-to-wv-for.html">x-mas letters</a>, but you get the idea with my pictures. Lucky for me I was armed with a 25% off my entire purchase coupon (including clearance items!!!) when I went to Michaels, so this project ended up costing me less than $8.00. Hard to believe I know but here's the break down: Three letters @ 99 cents each; polka-dot ribbon @$1.00, blue ribbon @1.00; three sheets of scrapbook paper @ 35 cents each; three wooden stars @ 65 cents each; I already had the paint, mod-podge, red and white ribbon, and glitter used to decorate one of the stars on hand, so all those were free. Add everything up, subtract the 25% off coupon, and you've got yourself an inexpensive, patriotic mantel decoration.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488734920262547026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xEI4CIa7Q9L_IdnVx9IEfTh4uXG2JbVKy9jyx_oE1-2fuFMP_Zyl0Z1M5UechO8fyFVg46EyAZjyo1TboveggnRjq7sVvzjIi6d_TDvBZehm-zjRXuo1cx-_lypSs3Vf8VF46uhUaLTC/s400/IMG_1603.JPG" /> I'm hoping to take lots of pictures of the rest of the decorations I have planned for the party on the day of when the tables are all set and the house looks all pretty. But for now, I'm linking this up to Centsational Girl's <a href="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/06/stars-and-stripes-party/">Stars and Stripes Party</a>!!! I just love her sense of style and have gotten a ton of inspiration from her.<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-68842708687392250822010-06-17T10:01:00.003-04:002010-06-17T10:38:01.620-04:00Fathers Day!!Please forgive me for the horrible lighting; it was late, I was tired, and my camera battery was low. I promise it looks much better in person than what the picture shows!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1NMXULCF2GiJU-N7H-KIfJ1YZ_ct4JZJCRrHzEB1_r7Y3PUrSKsXI-fpOSCJ8hSHKHVvsjFvY77mXp3lpoFA5V4YLC8d6hrHhQqSYHaUC2DjQCvw655pdpcwUgHH7-aj5RZqARqOi0-j/s1600/IMG_1592.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483742703904174466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1NMXULCF2GiJU-N7H-KIfJ1YZ_ct4JZJCRrHzEB1_r7Y3PUrSKsXI-fpOSCJ8hSHKHVvsjFvY77mXp3lpoFA5V4YLC8d6hrHhQqSYHaUC2DjQCvw655pdpcwUgHH7-aj5RZqARqOi0-j/s320/IMG_1592.JPG" /></a>I'm super excited because I think I finally mastered a 'masculine' card! I used <a href="http://cardpatterns.blogspot.com/2010/06/sketch-68.html">CardPattern's</a> sketch #68, and linked everything up! This sketch was super easy, and will probably be used multiple times in the future! I just love adding new patterns to my go-to sketch book for those in a bind, gotta make now cards. Not sure who this one will go to yet, either my father-in-law, or my brother-in-law. I made my dad's card sometime last year, only because I had this awesome layout in my mind and wanted to get the card completed before I forgot about it. I still have one more card to make before Sunday, in between cleaning the house and painting another room!!! Hopefully I'll get around to sharing them both once I find my camera battery charger....<br /><div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-56831695069498782422010-06-11T21:10:00.005-04:002010-06-11T21:41:45.233-04:00I'm back with a cute card!!!I know it's been a while, but I'm back without any further delay (hopefully)!! Let's get to the good stuff first! Here's the first card created in the new house!!! Made for a friend of mine who is probably my biggest supporter on this card making hobby of mine!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3v340JPSKfmue44v0Iot-XvHnCBEF1kGikW0pKtOoFPckTlzEevsEAP_rlnj3_dLkhyphenhypheni7r5xaeDpa6wFHjPKB-R5tWN1WKrqFrcaMTTG20HMFmHZOIJtLDCDGI3KMeKqT5F6xmio5LGp6/s1600/IMG_1569.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481689506337668450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3v340JPSKfmue44v0Iot-XvHnCBEF1kGikW0pKtOoFPckTlzEevsEAP_rlnj3_dLkhyphenhypheni7r5xaeDpa6wFHjPKB-R5tWN1WKrqFrcaMTTG20HMFmHZOIJtLDCDGI3KMeKqT5F6xmio5LGp6/s400/IMG_1569.JPG" /></a> I used the <a href="http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2010/06/mojo-142-contest.html">Mojo Monday</a> sketch challenge because lets face it, after taking an almost 3 week break from making cards, I needed to just jump right back into card challenges. And what a way to start!!! I found some cute buttons in Michael's the other day, and knew I had to use them right away. I also used some new (to me) stamp pens on the baby carriage to mix things up a bit. Eventually I'll invest in some Copic markers so I can start coloring my images in, but for now I'll play with my new pens!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBL-mB2K7wSTEOAYPzVi_fV4cTAXFQzxmn-zC6hmlrweNvYNOXOfre915CCTFo4g_7OtE81wDn1H3cBHLF2trDUcnU1gDSflG4nk99P45BQH8xip6C7kYo8PXus_WyAcABvvvITpeWFLPB/s1600/IMG_1578.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481689115136457074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBL-mB2K7wSTEOAYPzVi_fV4cTAXFQzxmn-zC6hmlrweNvYNOXOfre915CCTFo4g_7OtE81wDn1H3cBHLF2trDUcnU1gDSflG4nk99P45BQH8xip6C7kYo8PXus_WyAcABvvvITpeWFLPB/s320/IMG_1578.JPG" /></a><br />I also decorated the inside of the card, and actually took a picture of it!! Amazing!! The image and sentiment are popped up on some foam 3-d dots so the card wouldn't look so flat.<br /><div><br />The DH and I have had a pretty busy week, and haven't made as much progress on the house as we'd like to, but it's coming along quite well. Spring baseball ended this week in the semi-final round of the championship game. The boys played a good game, and lost by only one run. Bummer. But fall ball is just around the corner, and we still have plenty of Durham Bulls games to attend, so all hope is not lost.</div><div> </div><div>We're still planning on having a 'house warming'/4th of July party this year, so we'll be working our butts off the next few weeks unpacking those final random boxes, and painting some more rooms. Yup, you read that right, <u>more</u> rooms implying I've already started painting!!! Stay tuned for a post in my painting adventures in the new house, and the fun I had while the DH was out of town!</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-65859565878251902112010-05-27T10:00:00.005-04:002010-05-27T10:00:01.566-04:00A Birthday and Our Baseball Life...<div>At this time right now, the DH and I are probably already sweating our bum's off loading up all of our worldly possessions into the U-Haul truck. No, I'm not taking a break from packing to post on the ole' blog; this post was scheduled last week remember? Eh - who cares if you do or don't. Anyways, I'm sure we're having a blast by now and hopefully we haven't had any arguments yet!!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473756508586660258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAUrENi0a6rIFZ0Bn6oM8ehX9wF2DIVurZz7XSNbSPL172xXOphwgB-gchKGNrQerDW-j2o7KkIeVG2j9_AGQ-NuqK1pgw5IQRdnPdHqZt-VFV2m-_sGZjJOLV9TYVqHLGl10pbTgumtJ/s320/IMG_1443.JPG" /></div><div>Here's a fresh birthday card I created back in April for a good friend and mom from the DH's little league baseball team. More on that later. I feel sure I used some old sketch challenge for this one, but I can't for the life of me remember which one it was now. My image and sentiment stamps are both from my favorite birthday stamp set - 'You take the Cake' from <a href="http://www.mftstamps.com/">My Favorite Things</a>. I did a little paper piecing with my stacked presents, which wasn't really easy. One of these days I'll invest in a few Copic markers so my images can really shine!</div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJj2KmcDMN-xLOEfh4n9RJHkoePVWq0zj-kDkC8W8iEl8wrjtQh_BRLPyNnwtkRRGum3Pstbp1J8nck18tGSAZqYqzZUWvNxOj7xou6MHlL7d5ta4lqwmXsot800wtnBI7nM_UwhnYkh25/s1600/IMG_1441.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473767519741511906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJj2KmcDMN-xLOEfh4n9RJHkoePVWq0zj-kDkC8W8iEl8wrjtQh_BRLPyNnwtkRRGum3Pstbp1J8nck18tGSAZqYqzZUWvNxOj7xou6MHlL7d5ta4lqwmXsot800wtnBI7nM_UwhnYkh25/s320/IMG_1441.JPG" /></a>So a few years ago a friend of ours approached my DH and asked if he'd like to help out at his son's baseball practice. Marshall played baseball for a good number of years as a child, and we're definitely a baseball family so I knew this would be fun for him. Marshall must have really enjoyed that first practice he helped out with, because he's been an assistant coach ever since! Shortly after the first season, our friend asked if I'd be willing to help out by scoring the games now that the kids were getting a little older and he wanted to track how they were doing. Timid at first? Yes I was. This was a big responsibility. I've never scored a baseball game, in fact, I didn't know baseball games had such a thing as an 'official score keeper'! I didn't even know all of the rules (we grew up playing soccer and swimming so baseball was pretty much a brand new sport for me)!! Needless to say I had no idea how this responsibility was going to go. To make a long story short I've now become the official team score keeper for spring and fall baseball season. For some reason I've also become the go-to person for the parents on the team when it comes to the rules of the league. I have to say I certainly don't hate it - I really do enjoy watching my DH interact with the kids teaching them how to be a better baseball player. And we've made a few friends along the way. It certainly will be sad when our friend's son get's too old to play in the rec league...I have no idea what we'll do with our spring and fall nights when that time comes!</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-16551875093683230632010-05-25T11:00:00.002-04:002010-05-25T11:00:05.373-04:00Belated Mother's Day card...Yes I know, Mother's day was a few weeks ago. But things just got too crazy that I didn't have time to share all of the cards I made. I think I hit a new personal record - 7 cards in one week. Yikes! Here's the card that I gave to my wonderful mother on Mother's Day!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowvB8JUS0g7Ru9AQ4YeNcHq3JuIjwrgN1xv8o5c9Z35Muz5_7_jxmRB8jxODiDHE6vit7ADO29O-jrq7XJjMiigGBvS7fNBRoIegPlMFljdzbLvdqQxA5i2vFUuOohz33KsH_6Yn5g8WH/s1600/IMG_1491.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473748583347994978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowvB8JUS0g7Ru9AQ4YeNcHq3JuIjwrgN1xv8o5c9Z35Muz5_7_jxmRB8jxODiDHE6vit7ADO29O-jrq7XJjMiigGBvS7fNBRoIegPlMFljdzbLvdqQxA5i2vFUuOohz33KsH_6Yn5g8WH/s320/IMG_1491.JPG" /></a><br />This Mother's Day my sister and I took my mom out for lunch, then spent a few hours doing something we haven't done in years. We drove on down the road a bit to a local farm to pick strawberries!!! I think the last time my mom and I went to pick strawberries was when I was in high school which seems like a lifetime ago! The weather was perfect, the company was perfect; all in all it was a great start to Mother's Day! After my mom and I parted ways for the day, the DH and I had a few hours to relax some before dinner with his family at Bonefish.<br /><br />Enough about the day, how about the card!! I used an old Mojo Monday sketch for this card, <a href="http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2010/05/mojo-monday-137-contest.html">Mojo Monday Week #137</a>.<br />Well, the sketch wasn't old when I created the card - I just never had time to submit my card for the challenge. Either way I had fun creating it! If the paper looks familiar to you, it's because it should. I swear I own more paper than my DCWV Citrus Stack I just can't seem to tear myself away from it lately. <br /><br />And did anyone notice - no stamps!! I certainly didn't do this on purpose, but I can't bring myself to buying any mother's day stamps when I know I'll only use them once a year. So I did a little throw-back to a year ago when I first started making cards - I bought some dimensional stickers from Michaels that included at least three sentiments I could use for the three Mother's Day cards I needed to make. Back in the day when I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy/continue to make cards I would just buy a few dimensional stickers only for the current card I was making. My how times have changed. Now I like to think my stamp stash is sufficient for pretty much most occasions with birthday and thank you stamps in the overflowing category.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405164781014194487.post-6583865519963693002010-05-21T11:05:00.003-04:002010-05-21T11:36:32.143-04:00Happy Pregnancy!!I made this card a few weeks back to give to an out of town friend who is expecting her second child. Well, she's actually the sister of one of my best friends if you want to get all technical about it! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjZNyhBqL3niVSCxw4TUofmIG0aqjTbb-GGAbqu-GYP5YIojHS8WRaZIAeirXeGzVP3ykSonYnm2uHHDbsWWr1sr4JqpfcFzXK7DrcVBD_PeIwzVSpwx6pIv4nZONjzeNLJb9ECseGTwY/s1600/IMG_1436.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473740681873229762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjZNyhBqL3niVSCxw4TUofmIG0aqjTbb-GGAbqu-GYP5YIojHS8WRaZIAeirXeGzVP3ykSonYnm2uHHDbsWWr1sr4JqpfcFzXK7DrcVBD_PeIwzVSpwx6pIv4nZONjzeNLJb9ECseGTwY/s320/IMG_1436.JPG" /></a><br />I L-O-V-E this card! It was my first time using buttons, so I learned a few things as I went along. The tiny button attached to the image was just stuck on with double sided tape; the larger button I somehow figured out how to tie it to the orange/white ribbon. Next time I'll pull out the glue gun when I get all daring and use a few buttons again - but at the time of this card's creation the glue gun was packed away already.<br /><br />And - get a load of that cute stamp I used!! It's probably my favorite baby themed stamp I currently own. Gotta love the cute baby bump! I did some paper-piecing with the image to match one of the patterned papers I used. All of the patterned paper came from my DCWV Citrus Stack (I'm obsessed). I also decorated the inside again, but I always seem to forget to take pictures of the inside. Oh well.<br /><br />House news - This weekend is our official packing weekend and next weekend is our official move date (yay!). Because the next few weeks will be so busy I don't anticipate that I'll find much time for the dear old blog. I certainly don't want my blog to start collecting dust and cobwebs so I've scheduled a few posts for next week sharing some cards I created before all of my supplies were packed up. Hopefully once we're all settled into the house I'll be able to share some pictures of the moving adventure. I also anticipate you'll be reading some different types of posts in the near future. I have a few projects planned already that I can't wait to share!!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07032558628411622814noreply@blogger.com0