Splatter Pattern

just like riding a bike...

2010-01-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

It's been 3 months since my last post and I'm really missing it.
I took a break for various reasons... nothing important enough to
get into here so, I'm just going to jump right back into doing what
I started this blog to do. Share and journal all craftiness that
surrounds me. Right now it's all things sewing!

Here's a little something I made for 2 special ladies...
they are doll boots converted into pin cushions. Similar to my
tea cup pin cushion I posted back in July.

Vintage Polaroid Effect

2009-10-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

I've decided to go digital hybrid with my scrapbooking. I just love all the options

and I'm excited to learn more and more about photo editing. We went to the
Renaissance Faire yesterday and I took this picture of Mallory in her buggy.
My Dad just loved it and wants me to frame it so I decided to play with a
vintage Polaroid effect I've seen and really like. Here's the original...

and here it is after I played with it:
Click to enlarge and check out the detail added to the background.

Thanks for your help Andrew. I so wish I had his talent.

day 18....

2009-10-13T11:50:00.001-07:00

i miss you dear friend...

It's a 20Q celebration...

2009-09-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

LA from Freckled Nest is hosting a blog party to celebrate her

1,000th post. You can join in too by playing 20 questions on your blog.

1. Show us the inside of something cute:
Here's inside these cute hoody bath towels
made by Aunt Pat...

2. What's the last home cooking you had?

this am w/butter - no syrup.

3. What do you miss?

I miss sleep terribly!

4. What makes you laugh often?

5. What's your favorite word?

"absofreakinglutely"

6. What are you trying to quit?

day 4... ugh!

7. What's your favorite commercial right now?

I don't know about favorite but these make me smile...

8. Whose style do you dig?

Zooey Deschanel

Gwen Stefani
(amazing hair... although not in this pic.)

9. Link to a great blog you've discovered lately...

ironically while surfing I found a local gal...
where I found the link to FreckledNest.

10. What's the last craft you made?

technically it's not done
but it's 99%...

11. A photo of the last happy mail you got

a sweet card from hubby..

12. Something you've got lately?

A cute little sewing chair for $5 that I cannot wait to
attack with some paint and coordinating fabric!

13. What are you looking forward to?

14. Post a recent snapshot of yourself...

15. Recent Favorite Movie

16. Something you're working on right now...
My word where do I start... at first glance around my room...
the LO of this site, a fairy door for the kids room,
a photo book for my Mom, a SCAL cut for one of my CMB sisters,
that dang quilt, a minifig photo collage for the boys room,
but most important halloween costumes...
which I hope to get done soon!

17. If a movie were made about you, who would play you?

looks... (so I've been told)

personality?... (I try but have my flaws)

demeanor?... (I love my family)

18. What gives you goosebumps?

19. Share a new obsession...

picasa 3.5 face recognition
(I can't stop sorting!)

20. What's the meaning of your life?

When I figure it out, I'll let you know.

(So you can copy and paste it easy)
1. Show us the inside of something cute
2. What's the last homecooking you had?
3. What do you miss? (alive)
4. What makes you laugh often?
5. What's your favorite word?
6. What are you trying to quit?
7. What's your favorite commercial right now?
8. Whose style do you dig?
9. Link to a great blog you've discovered lately...
10. What's the last craft you made?
11. A photo of the last happy mail you got :]
12. Something you've got lately?
13. What are you looking forward to?
14. Post a recent snapshot of yourself.
15. Recent Favorite Movie?
16. Something you're working on right now?
17. If a movie were made about you, who would play you?
18. What gives you goosebumps?
19. Share a new obsession.
20. What's the meaning of your life?

Storage Labels

2009-09-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

As part of my OCD I prefer storage bins to not only sort

but mask what's inside. Although organized, it's usually
an array of shapes and colors that I would rather not look at.
So I use Fellowes Self-Adhesive CD Cases for a pocket
to hold word doc generated inserts that I can change
at any time... which I do. The CD Cases can be found at
Cheetah Office Supplies for less than $1 each.

These are in my garage:

Clothes that my little have yet to grow into I store similar...
those are in clear so I can see boy vs. girl.

These are in a (3rd) bathroom we are using for storage until the
kids are a little older and a bit more independent.

I also circulate their toys so there are 2 bins with misc. toys
and 3 with all the Little People. In addition I store a few household
items we only need when we entertain.

Take 2

2009-09-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

I'm desperately trying to find time to finalize the LO of this site. I'm on the move from splatpat.com and I have a few kinks to work out before I drop that site completely. Hope to call this my 'only' home soon. Stay tuned....

I heart Felt Food

2009-09-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

Micah loves Chinese food so I made one of these to
put in his lunch with a note. Unfortunately, the lunch
ladies fit the mold so after lunch it was tossed in the trash.

LillyBean is my source for felt food inspiration...
Although I don't splurge for wool felt, regular felt from
Michael's for twenty cents a sheet works just fine for me.

Photography

2009-09-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

With my camera swinging from a strap on my wrist
at all times my kids must think it's an extension of my body.
Although I've been known to swoon over those fancy shamancy
cameras with the big flashes and long lenses I know at this point
durability is more of the priority. So... over the last few weeks I
have been day dreaming over all the digital possibilities.
Tonight I was able to get the kids in bed and asleep in record
time so I thought I'd play around a bit.

Here's my CS2 take on the lomo look.

Before

After

And here's my high contrast photo...

Before

After

And here's a look at how I worked out the distracting
background and added a vignette. I also played with it in gray scale.

Before

& the gray scale after

Where do I start...

2009-09-04T05:51:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a pretty organized person so...
how the heck did this happen?

1. Vinyl project for Micah & Shane's room.
2. Snap envelope's to finish.
3. Cougar clipboard for Micah's homework
4. Felt fortune cookie (apology/thank you) for my Dad.
5. Quilt backing for baby Jack's quilt.
6. 3 monkey's 1/2 done for a LO my mom is putting together.
7. Fairy door for Mallory's room.
8. Brand new Crocs that I'm selling for my cousin because they didn't fit her.
9. Pen holder that broke that needs new life.
10. Princess barrette holder for my niece.
11. CD holder that needs to be refurb'd for clear stamps.
12. Tray to refurb.
13. xoxo letters to alter and hang.
14. Paper work to be sorted.
15. Frame that needs a picture.
16. Halloween glitter - not sure yet.
17. A cool box (looks like a bread box) that I want to alter.
18. Jeans I want to add a ruffle to for my God daughter.
19. A pen holder that I want to decorate in a beachy theme
w/a hula dancer for my God daughter.
20. Wooden sign for the front door asking people
not to ring the bell (sleeping babies).
21. Magazine holder to sew to hang on Micah's bed.
22. Mallory's dress that needs hemming.
23. A 2GB media card I need to fill with pics for my Mom's digital frame.
24. Fabric for Micah and Shane's Halloween costumes.
25. An old napkin holder I want to refurb.
26. Box tops I need to trim.
27. A pattern for felt booties for Mallory.

Guess I'll start by clearing a space to work...

Dress Form this to that...

2009-08-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

Another fun find for Miss Mallory's Boudoir...
A brown wire 2ft tall dress form turned pretty.
Used my fallback white spray paint, trusty glue gun
some pretty lace, ribbon, coordinating buttons, flowers and
over 150 frost pearls that adorn the base and every
tip of filigree.

Plastic Bag Holder

2009-08-25T03:31:00.000-07:00

This is for my wonderful, smart, pretty, sweet, giving and
fun Sister in-law, Monica. (Did I mention she reads my site?!)
It measures about 2 feet long so it should hold a ton of bags.

Laughter is the best medicine...

2009-08-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes to keep from crying over messes

like this you just have to laugh!

And when your 4 year old wants to take up a hobby like this
you just have to chuckle and embrace it.

And while I wonder how I can fill and run a dishwasher twice in a 12 hour
period & vacuum the same area so many times in the same day to
lose count... I find things to make me laugh.
And since my hubby isn't home to crack jokes and keep me going,
tonight in the wee hour, I seek quirky little funny gadgets such as these:

Snippits

2009-08-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

The combination of 3 little ones hasn't left me much time to craft so... while I long for a time to relax by creating you'll have to settle for stories of my Mommy life.

Schultüte

2009-08-13T03:17:00.000-07:00

Germany has a sweet tradition to celebrate a child's first day of school.
Parents give their child a Schultüte, a giant paper cone filled with
school supplies and small gifts. It is given to children to make this
anxiously awaited first day of school a little bit sweeter.

Micah's consisted of
markers, color pencils, transformer folder,
a sucker, tickets which will be used to earn prizes throughout
the year, glue sticks, Spongebob teeth-brushing gear and aside it
his new, very cool and very him, Lego Backpack.
(found at eBags.com)

As long as I can remember I've told him,
"Use good manners. Make good choices."

Hope it sticks. You'll do great little man..

Locker Hooking

2009-08-09T04:52:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd try my hand at producing a video...
It was fun (and a bit frustrating at times) figuring out all the
options, but more importantly I've learned before inserting
captions (getting the timing and positions just right) music and
title pages, do the video editing first. I wanted to speed up about
30 seconds of this - which may not seem like a lot but if you watch in
it's entirety you would probably agree. Anyway, I hope to do
an actual tutorial of another project soon.
Hope you'll join me.

Supplies:
* Locker Hook
* 1 inch strips of fabric, yarn, ribbon,
lace etc. cut to the length you prefer
* Canvas - cut any size or shape you want
for your project. I went with a book cover for
a standard composition book.
* String or yarn
* Darning needle

The Last Dance

2009-08-07T05:17:00.000-07:00

This is the second season I have followed
So You Think You Can Dance. Last night was the season finale and I
have to say the results were surprising. Good... but surprising.
Out of the top 4 I thought Brandon had it in the bag.
I didn''t see the obsession with Kayla... she's beautiful and a
great dancer but I could multi-task out of boredom during
all of her dances where I couldn't with Janet, Randy and Jeanine
(but not until after Jeanine lost her long time partner Phillip was
I impressed with her amazing skills - you were so right on Casey!)
I'm never a part of America's Votes, I have this thing
where I believe in situations like hers if it was meant to happen, it will happen
and who am I to mess with cosmic forces.

Some of my favorite dances of the season...
(can you tell I was a Janet fan?!)

And my... "What were you thinking dances???"

Congrats Jeanine!

Crayon Roll

2009-08-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

I needed a gift for a neighborhood friend of the boys
so I whipped up this Crayon Roll...

Without any planning I found this dress for her and it matched perfectly.
I wish I took a picture of it wrapped. I bundled the two in tissue,
put them in a cellophane bag, secured the ends with ribbons tied in bows
and snipped the other end of the bag to make it look like a big piece of candy.

.25¢ for a box of crayons (back to school sale at WalMart),
.96¢ a fat quarter this weekend at Joanns and 17 little one's on our Christmas list,
I'll be sewing plenty of these over the next few months.
I'll be back to post a tutorial and a pic of my preferred wrap job.

My fries are your fries...

2009-08-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

I want to give a great big hug to Deborah for honoring me with
The Circle of Friends Award! Thanks Deborah!

I initially met Deborah 'virtually' via the Cricut message board...
Deborah has hosted her share of Swarms which is where we ended up
meeting in person. (it's my opinion she has perfected the art of
crop-hostrestry... not really a word but you know what I mean...)
Anyway, Deborah and I have done a little online shopping together
and she has graciously opened her home for me to come and
craft with her.

Check out her little corner of the WWW. She's a Copic/Anya girl and creates
beautiful cards so hop on over and check them out...
I made this clickable banner showcasing her site. Hope she doesn't mind.

fineto!

2009-07-30T04:18:00.000-07:00

I finished my refurb and I'm in love! Lil Miss and I sneaked out of the
house last night after dinner to do whatever tickled my fancy and what
did I choose... YAY!.. browse fabric for 3 hours at Beverly's and Joann's!
I spotted this great Alexander Henry fabric and knew exactly what I
wanted to do with it. I even bought a bit extra to create a few notions...
(sewing) scrap bag, pin cousin, I see something modge podged etc.
I just love my new sewing table!
Click here to see the before.

Life is a Highway...

2009-07-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

What is it about the 1 hour drive to Grandma & Grandpa's that I love so much...
seeing a horse galloping by... watching cows graze...
rest in the shade of a tree or a calf drink from his mama...
catching a glimpse of a llama or a field of sheep or goats...
the calming scenery, country fences, endless road, thick brush of trees...
crossing 7 bridges, passing barn after barn, the rusted tractors...
the warm sun bathing our truck...

all of the above and then some!

Crinkle Luv

2009-07-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

I found this fabric at Joann's the other day and just fell in love with it.
The sweet birds tweeting away and the soft colors...
I had to have it but didn't know what I was going to make.
I made a crinkle tag blanket for Mallory's big cousin, Anna
(born a mere 10 days before her) so I thought I'd make one
for Mall too out of this adorable fabric.

For those of you who want to follow along...

1) Cut the front, back and the crinkle insert... I went with 8 x 7.

2) Gather and cut various ribbons. Mine averaged 3 inches, 1.5 folded.
Pin your ribbons randomly to the face of your fabric.

3) Prepare to sew by layering as follows:

a} pattern/finish fabric (face up)
b} pattern/finish fabric (face down)
c} crinkle insert (face up) (in this case I used a baby wipes package)
d} solid fabric* (face up or down)
* This piece (d) is OPTIONAL. The pattern I went with
was really light and I didn't want the blue of the package
to show through so I added a piece of white fabric
in the d layering position.

4) The crinkle packaging makes for a slippery sewing surface so
pin thoroughly and in all directions.

5) Run a stitch around the outside but make sure
to leave an opening wide enough to invert the fabric.
Before you turn right side out, remove pins inside and out, invert.

6) Once you invert, tuck in the hole, pin and top stitch.

Here is the one I made for Anna Banana.

11lbs to grow...

2009-07-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

I couldn't let Miss Mallory go another day in her itty bitty life being toted
around in a 3rd generation black and gray unisex infant carrier.
The weight limit of this carrier is 22lbs so she has 11lbs to grow.... in style!

I used a rub-on to put her initial on the button of her flower.

Sewing in comfort...

2009-07-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Right now I have my sewing machine on a cabinet below a window.
Needless to say it hurts my back and my knees to sew.... SO...
I've been on the hunt for the perfect sewing desk and I've found,
I've found! Local Hospice for $18! Hope to re-purpose very soon and
complete lots of projects to share in the coming weeks. Here she is!

cushion cozy

2009-07-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

I didn't think this was post worthy but when people see it they are
always commenting... so... I've decided to share. Here's a pincushion
I made out of a cup/saucer set I found in a second hand store ($2).
I just hot glued them together, covered a styrofoam ball in a piece of
pink vintage chenille then shoved it in the cup. If I didn't find this cup...
you would be looking at a stuck voodoo doll.

lookin' out

2009-07-08T04:31:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of shots of my boys together... and the scrapbook title
"Brothers" is going to wear thin. (I say 'going to' because I'm so far
behind I have yet to actually pull together more than a hand full of pages.)
I just love the way Micah is always looking out and helping Shane. Here
he is helping him put on his shoes while Shane was compensating him
with a hug. It was so cute. Anyway, I received this quipit today and thought
it would be funny on a page... what do you think?

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day,
picked out a box of tampons and proceeded to the checkout counter.

The man at the counter asked the older boy, "Son, how old are you?"

"Eight," the boy replied. The man continued,
"do you know what these are used for?" The boy replied,
"not exactly, but they aren't for me. They are for him.
He's my brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use
these you would be able to swim and ride a bike.
Right now, he can't do either."

Life is a blessing...

2009-07-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

This couldn't have been a better project for me to work on to fill my
crafting void since my Uncle's passing.

We will be visiting my in-laws for the anniversary of my husbands Grandmothers
Passing. Since my Mother in-laws parents have joined each other I decided to make this
gift for her and each of her sisters with both of their pictures.

I had to do a lot of research to find the perfect sentiment... so it felt good to
read tons of quotes on remembering and appreciating the good times with
those who have passed.

The quote I used on the reverse:

"Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure.
You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure."

my heart is sad...

2009-06-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

To my Uncle the fisherman... "If today were a fish, I'd throw it back."
I love and miss you so much already.

Uncle Bob
May 24, 1945 - June 12, 2009

Juki Juki, ya ya ya!

2009-06-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

I'm SEW SEW excited! I've been wanting to replace my sewing machine
for awhile now. It's a great machine, but seriously lacking in the
decorative elements department. I started my research and had my
eye on the Brother LB6770PRW Project Runway machine. I wanted
to see it in person so I went to Joann's to take it for a test drive, but when
I was there I fell in love with the Juki HZL-E80. I called
SewingMachinesPlus.com to see if they had any suggestions for a machine
that offered more around the same price but they couldn't find one.
Instead they offered to match J's price with FREE ship and NO tax; J's
was a floor model and they were offering brand new so I ordered it!
I placed on the 10th, it arrived on the 12th. I'm so excited and can't wait to play!

Boppy Transformation

2009-06-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

I bought a used Boppy for $1. Purchased $2.50
worth of fabric, a zipper and voila ~

Before & After

Work Days Suck!

2009-05-29T04:20:00.000-07:00

I made this tie onsie for my little guy...
as you can see, he was real happy to show it off.

Miss Mallory's Boudoir

2009-05-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

Her room is not done but I've been asked to share an update so

I thought I'd post the few things I've done so far...
And if you have any suggestions - I'm open to hearing them!
Her room is Red, Pink and white.

Vinyl
This was my first vinyl project and it wasn't easy...
I searched high and low for a vector image to suit her room decor,
found this one at iheartvector.com. I then used Illustrator to separate
the image into ten pieces which I then converted into individual .svg files.
One by one I imported each into SCAL, cut each then pieced back together
on the wall. I did this because the original image wouldn't allow enough
space in the center for her initials. Getting all the detail in the filigree
to attach to the wall and not rip was the hardest part.
Measures approximately 20" x 24".

Memo Board
This frame has been used in every house we've owned.
In our first house we used in the kitchen. I distressed the frame and
painted a piece of wood for a chalk board. In the second house I painted
the frame and put cork in the center for a bulletin board. For Miss Mallory,
I backed with pink fabric and added red velvet ribbon and accented
with satin roses. It awaits a post card from Grandma and
Grandpa who are currently traveling in Germany.

Chandelier
I posted the slideshow of this transformation a while back.
{Link to March 4 Post}
In short, it was an ugly chandelier that needed a total face lift.
From the paint to the electrical. One of my favorite projects thus far.

Shag Heart
This is a rug I mounted to a piece of wood.
It was Valentines decor I found for 70% off at Marshall's.

Closet Organizers
I posted the details of this project not too long ago as well.
{Link to March 24 Post}
In short, I bought wooden door hangers and
decorated with my E.

Framed Art
I bought two white frames from Goodwill, painted
them red, adorned with pink buttons all the way around and embellished
with a white grosgrain bow. The artwork shown was made by Micah.
(Various drops of paint in a box, add a few marbles then shake shake shake!)

Odds and Ends
A collection of milk glass, coordinating silk
flowers in a pink vase and a Raggedy Ann doll.

Projects in progress
A corset shaped beveled mirror etched
with a design that I haven't decided on,
a sewn crib purse for her favorite friend,
ribbon bows to the tabs that top the drapes,
a quote by or on her closet, I'm thinking...
"A girl's best accessory will always be her loving family",
paint a few knobs that I bought that match her curtain rod caps.
(Found these at Lowes for 80% off!) Maybe hang
them on the wall to hang her coats or add a ribbon with
clothes pins to hang pictures on - haven't yet decided.
I also want to work on bookends,
a clock and a toy box or hope chest.

Craigslist, Hospice and Goodwill are my favorite shop spots.
Lots to do but it's so fun to repurpose. This is the only room
I have total carte blanche in and I'm going to take full advantage!

a whole lota nervous energy!

2009-05-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

I was up till 3am last night with a bug... and here he is.

During pregnancy I gave myself an "eat all you want" pass and
now that she's here I'm paying the price. I'm having to exercise
some self control and not eat everything in sight. With this change,
I want to craft in every way possible... I've been dying to cross stitch,
sew, paint, knit 'um I've even looked into needle felting and leatherworking!
So, here's my first non-paper craft. I'm sure there will be more in the
coming weeks but for now, I'm trying to stick with projects I have the
materials to do.

I made the Copic plunge!

2009-05-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

I've been going back and forth on which marker route to go...
SU, Copic or Prismacolor's. So after months and months of
reviewing each of these I sold all of my cart boxes and used
the money to shop Carpe Diem! To get FREE shipping I went
in on an order with Deborah, scrapn_momof2 and that allowed
us to buy a couple more markers each!

I have been hanging out at "I Like Markers" and can't wait to
play with my Greeting Farm stamps! I just need to find the
right paper... so many choices but which is best for me?!

Princess Leia turns 2!

2009-05-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

My one and only niece Leia turns 2 in July and her Mom loves Sprinkles Cupcakes so I couldn't resist making her one of these giftcard holders. I really liked the grosgrain ribbon for the whipped cream on my last one so I wanted to carry that effect over to this one by doing that for the entire layer of frosting. I used the DCWV Sweet Stack for the cupcake liner and my E to cut chipboard holder and the liner. It's rare that we list what products we didn't use but I just wanted to say that I didn't use my score-pal to make the accordion pleats for the liner, the pattern paper is too thick and it ends up ripping the paper which makes for an ugly finish. I hope to make a card to go with it tonight.

Oh and after about 15 years, this was my glue-gun-minis' final project... my he RIP.

My Goddaughter is turning 6.

2009-05-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

This stands almost 7" high and 4.5" round. The PP collection
is from WRMK White Out Frenzy collection. I used the MS
punch for the flowers. And I added lots of bling with Stickles
and Darice Finishing Accents. The J's gift card is just a place holder...
I haven't yet figured out what retailer gift card I want to give
her or if I just want to include cash. You can find a smaller version
with a tutorial done by Fabulously Artsy by clicking here. I went a
big larger and used my E to cut the chipboard and the cupcake wrapper.
Thanks for looking.

And last but not least...

2009-04-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

{baby closet dividers} I've got OCD...

2009-03-24T02:15:00.000-07:00

Organized Closet Disorder!

Although I had all my boys outfits sorted and labeled in bins,
I missed out on a couple of really cute outfits because clothes
always run bigger/smaller than labeled. I knew I needed to sort her
clothes a bit better and out so I can keep an eye on cute dresses,
jumpers and other fun outfits.

The base of these are wooden door hangers, bought at M's for $.89 each.
I painted the fonts and back white then adorned like crazy using the following:

Cricut Carts: George, Alphalicious & Storybook - Used DS to create the mat.
CB Embossing Folders: Borders Frills, Love Language & Swiss Dots
Punches: SU, MS & EK Success

I took the rod off and slid the dividers on. No screws, no hard labor
just lift and slide - easy peasy.

Update: Miss Mall is 5 months old and these are working out really well.
I am quickly able to see outfit choices and put things away that
she's given that are a little too large for her. I'm also able to see outfits that
were purchased used and after several washings too small that
can be placed in a smaller size bracket. So glad I did this!
They would make a great gift to any new Mommy!

Congrats

2009-03-22T05:38:00.000-07:00

Card I'm sending with the Ruby book...

Fiskateer update... pair no. 2!

2009-03-20T03:32:00.000-07:00

I signed up back in May... first pair came on my birthday
12/7 (top pair)... second came 3/19 (bottom pair). Both were
packaged in the green hemp draw string bag shown.
Thanks Fiskars! If you want to sign up, details are in my OP
posted May 3. I hear they are currently only honoring UK sign
ups but I haven't verified and it's still worth trying IMO. You
can never have too many pairs of scissors and
you can't beat the price tag - FREE!

ruber... Latin for red

2009-03-18T14:09:00.001-07:00

I made this for DH's cousin who just had a baby girl, Ruby.
I used an Autumn Leaves paper pack "foof-a-La" that I've
had for almost a year and have never felt I had the perfect
use for until now. Aside from the embellies that came with
the pack - coordinating ribbon, buttons and journaling rub-ons,
I used the new Fiskars Upper Crest and Apron Lace Punches
(Thanks Teresa!!!) various MS punches, SU punches, CB
incorporate some filigree, a star charm (Thanks Lori!!!) and my
Bind It All to seal the deal. If you have any questions, just
let me know. And the Storybook cart of course.

ahhh, Paradise.

2009-03-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Simple LO of my Aunt and Uncle who live in Paradise...
no really there's an actual town called Paradise!
Used SCAL for the title (Zebra font) and an MS heart
border punch. Nothing mind blowing but it was fun to do.

You (already) Light Up My Life!

2009-03-04T04:46:00.000-08:00

I just love the look of a chandelier in a little girls room. When I went looking
I could not believe how much retailers were asking, $150 to $2000! I
found a few at the standard chains... Ikea, Lowes, Target, WalMart etc.
but they were very cookie cutter and I felt for the price it wasn't exactly
what I was looking for.

SO... I went searching for an old vintage chandelier that I was going to
alter myself. I mostly searched Craigslist and eBay... nothing. Then my
Mom called from her local Hospice with THE chandelier (YEA!), a little
dirty, a little broken up but only $8!!!

So I bought a can of spray paint $4, a conversion kit (for the electrical) $9,
new light bulbs $2, new socket covers $7 and six bunches of roses from
M's 70% off Valentines inventory, $6. It took a few days, some trial and error
but I loved this project and I love the outcome and all for under $30 (Grandma
paid for the Chandelier! Thanks Grandma!). I cannot wait for hubby to paint
her room so I can start decorating. And so I can take a picture of my project
in it's new home! Here's the progression of my efforts... thanks for looking!

Sweetheart

2009-03-04T03:22:00.000-08:00

Nothing fancy but I saw this title and decided to run with it. I've also decided my weekly goal is going to be to finish at least 1 LO a week for each kid.

Recipe:
Paper is from the DCWV Sweet Stack
Cricut Cuts welded and cut with CDS.
"Sweetheart" ~ Alphalicious
Arrow ~ PDDU
Hearts ~ George
Corner Punch ~ EK Success
Border Punch ~ MS
Journal Stamp ~ Autumn Leaves

Satin Ribbon Rose

2009-02-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

I couldn't wait to try out this embroidered Satin Ribbon Rose on
paper that I saw on TV the other night. It's also known as the
Spiderweb Rose that you see often on pillows and sweaters.
I'm not in love with this LO but I have a hard time creating
LO's without a specific pic in mind. And since our little girl
won't be here until April... well this is what I came up with.
Also... I am not a fan of using all one line on a project but
in this case almost everything is SU. I think the Storybook font
is the highlight of this LO for me.

"A rose is a rose is a rose":
Instructions for the rose available in .pdf format
via google docs:
Satin Ribbon Rose Tutorial

Saddle & Spurs

2009-02-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

My Mom gave me the old preschool photos of my brother and
I on a horse. I scanned them both and had them printed at Costco,
5x7. I have never done a page of myself but find I often preach to
my Mom about doing one of herself... for me... for her grandchildren.
I see so many self done pages with great ideas so this was a good start
down that path for me. I not only want to preserve memories of our
lives together I want my children to know who I was before them,
what I do when they are napping or at school, I want them to know
who I am besides the one who makes their meals, their beds and wipes
the tears (not to mention the boogers!).

My Brothers page:
I used Storybook for the mat and scrolls. MS diamond punch for the border.
A Paper Shapers punch for the photo corners. MS glitter for the badge
and of course those are Primas. The card I made and is left over from my
boys' Valentines. I'll add the year over the PP when my
Mom figures out when this was taken.

My Page:
I used Storybook for the mat, scrolls and date. MS punch for the border.
I cut 10 hearts at two different sizes, embossed and fanned using two
pearl brads to create the flowers. And a Paper Shapers punch for the
photo corners.

DVD in the making

2009-02-04T03:41:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this to share with the ladies over at SB.com to show the cases
that I'm in the midst of creating for the photo's I want to share with my
family. These are done by year and based on the families' attendance. A
whole year of pics with any Birthday, Picnic, Anniversary, Sporting event,
Holiday party or weekend get together they attended where I have shots of them.

The base decor is done but I'm going to finish with the year and their name.
I still have 3 more families to create a case for. Embellies are not a huge part
of this (for me) because I want the keep the case easy to store and inline with
all their other DVD's. KIS = keeping it simple.

The cases are 4 disc DVD cases purchased from Fry's.

Front:

Back:

Heartbreakers Valentine Cards

2009-02-03T06:06:00.000-08:00

I love Valentines more than I do any other holiday!! This year
I made these for the family. I'm concerned about postage and sending
out 20 of them but I spend more time and energy on Valentines day
cards than I do any other card including Christmas cards. I guess
I just Love Love!

Measures 7x5

Used:
Accent Essentials to cut the backgrounds and chipboard.
EK Success Venetian Slot Punch to frame the photo.
Google images to find the Ace of spades card which
I enhanced in a sepia tone and printed on my HP Photosmart
C4450 which I wrapped in hemp.

"I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the Mayor!"

2009-01-30T04:27:00.000-08:00

Micah loves Jim Carrey. He pulled this Ace Ventura quote out at
dinner when we didn't expect it and it made us laugh so hard.

The cut is from Home Accents.

a Taffy Town Tummy ache...

2009-01-30T03:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to Sacramento to pick up DS's birth certificate for Kindergarten registration. We decided to hit Old Sac for lunch then went to The Candy Barrel....
I thought I'd purchase some taffy for Valentine treat fillers. Well today,
I'm paying for it. Do I not have any self control???... just look at this place,
can you blame me? - Agustus Gloop, out!

I also took the boys to get their pic taken. Micah was so into it. He wanted
to be a bad guy and needed no direction for his pose. I'm hoping to create
fun 'Heart breaker' Valentines out of these.

I was tagged today...

2009-01-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

by a Cricut MB sister, Suzeq4500 {Karin} over at Paper Therapy.
She makes amazing LO's so make sure to check out her blog!

The instructions for this tag are:
*Go to the 6th folder in your my pictures folder.
*Post the 6th picture.
*Explain the picture.
*Tag 6 people.

This picture is of Shane. He went through a faze where he would
sniff in and out really hard which made him laugh pretty hard and
show off his pearly whites.

Those I'm tagging... I went with 3 sisters I know and 3 who I've yet
to meet but found on the MB ISO a tag-ee today.:

Lori - LoLo
http://lolo612.blogspot.com/

Aymee - Southernbellescrapper
http://southernbellescrapper.blogspot.com/

Tifany - CakeJunkie
http://inkblotsbytrd.blogspot.com/

Jennifer – roxybonds
http://www.roxybonds-scrappin.blogspot.com/

Andrea - Andrea
http://andreagriggs.blogspot.com/

Barbara - BarbaraRouse
http://spotofsanity.blogspot.com/

A Valentine for a Friend

2009-01-17T02:36:00.000-08:00

I Love the new Martha Stewart Lace Heart and Mini Heart Punches. The image is a Rachael Anne Miller, embossed photo corners are Martha Stewart. The patterned paper is from the $1 bin at Target. Fruit Punch Stickles and the inside sentiment "Happy Valentines Day" is a $1 M's stamp.

Flea Market Baby

2009-01-14T04:05:00.000-08:00

I've found her room decor... I've been looking at this bedding since I was pregnant with my 4 year old and I just haven't been able to let it go. I wanted to do a cupcake theme but I really love red and have just fallen in love with this collection all over again. It's called Flea Market Baby Bedding

Two Hearts. One Love.

2009-01-12T04:14:00.000-08:00

Made with DC and AE.

Used Stickles, Miss Elizabeth's rub-ons, My Moments flowers and embossed the hearts with D-Vine Swirls CEF.

So Flippen Excited!! {SCAL .jpg to .svg}

2009-01-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

I don't know how I stumbled upon Becky Roberts Blog but... I fell in love with her latest project then quickly become obsessed with the featured SU stamp. As we should all know original ideas are few and far between... there's always some variation or take on something somewhere so it's not her original idea but I followed the credits and hers was what did it for me.

The stamp 'Simple Birthday Thanks' is SU... and $17! OMG $17!! Needless to say, it had me tossing and turning in my sleep. I just love it but $17 for a single stamp, pa-leez!! So this is what I did...

Took out the 'ole SU catalog... scanned the image, cleaned it up in Photoshop, imported into Inkscape and created an .svg. Now... I have the stamped image if I want to print and do a little gamsoling or I can cut in SCAL! I've posted a pic of the SCAL image but I'll be back to post an actual cut after the kids go down.

Yippeee! I'm so flippen excited!!

Update: Okay... below is the cut. It's a test and nothing fancy. I'm just excited to have created a .cut from a scanned image! Yipee!

And here is what I did with the printed image:

One Shape... Many Cuts Challenge

2009-01-07T05:55:00.000-08:00

Nilda over at the board started a challenge where you choose one cut from the cart that came with your machine, cut 5 times in 1/2 inch increments and use in a LO or card.

Here's my take. I used the balloon from the George cart, stamped with Itty Bitty Backgrounds from SU and popped with some dots.

I loved this because it gave me the push I needed to create one of the many birthday cards on my to-do list. Thanks Nilda. You can check out the Challenge here: Cricut Rookie Challenges

my Sugar-Booger

2009-01-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

Micah just turned 4. He's growing up so fast, he can maneuver the web like it's nobody's business and he's so close to being a 'reader' it's crazy! I can't believe my baby is already THE big brother. He's still such a Mama's boy and a bit of a cry baby but there are other things he could be that I have to be thankful crying is our only real hurdle. He's such a good boy. His Dad and I couldn't be prouder.

I just love my little man. (He's so lucky to get his Dad's lips and not mine!)

Here he is at 1 and a half years old. "Cheese Micah Cheese" - guess you can say I took a lot of pics of him.

Pucker Up!

2008-12-20T02:18:00.000-08:00

Made this for DH. Cut the ornament from JOS welded with the mistletoe from JOS and attached a pair of juicy red lips cut from IA. Used Rangers Glossy Accents to make them shine and kissable!

Featured in:
The Cricut CHIRP Newsletter - Dec 22, 2008
Vol. 135

Click to Enlarge.

Spooky -n- Silly

2008-12-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

I have yet to figure out how I want to do my books. I really wanted to do a book for each child but that is 4x's the work. These were easy enough that I did one for each of the middle boys but I don't know if this sets the precedent for all scrapable moments.

Click to Enlarge.

Handsome Like Daddy

2008-12-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

Since my WW MB group is coming to an end, I really want to get back into crafting for family and friends and scrapbooking my boys.

Click to Enlarge.

Simple Santa Card

2008-12-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

Used the MS Button Punch and AE. I used the Hide Contour feature to double up the buckle and thicken it up a bit. I LOVE this new feature in DS. Thanks Provo.

It's a girl... really!

2008-12-10T07:29:00.000-08:00

After ultrasound #2 and a little more reassurance that it's a girl... I'm letting my heart feel it. I'm so excited! Our world is going to be turned upside down.... and I can't wait! Made these with NA and MM.

Gobble Gobble

2008-12-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

Here are two projects that I made for Thanksgiving.

13 Turkey place settings... the feathers are scalloped circles from MM. The turkey is an upside down flowerpot from WIMG and a circle from George.

After dinner I scooped up a few Turkeys to make cards for when I send out the pics to family and a Thank You to the host/hostess, my parents.

Happy Birthday... to me!

2008-12-07T03:22:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted this cart but never had a use for it until recently... we found out we're having a girl! I'm thinking about a cupcake theme for her room and I love the one on this cart.

** Update: looks like this cart is on back order until 12/23 from Scrapbookpal so I won't be receiving anytime soon.

Kiyop! ~ Micah's 4!

2008-12-03T03:20:00.000-08:00

We handed these out at his Taekwondo class yesterday.

Used PDDU for body, head and gi. And grosgain ribbon for his belt.

Click to Enlarge.

Stickles List

2008-11-23T05:18:00.000-08:00

Here's my Stickle list... I'm posting because I'm sharing the file so if you want a copy send me an email (sgunthner@yahoo.com) or post a comment w/your request and I'll send to you. I'm sending a clean copy without the hearts. If you know of any additional flavors not on the list, let me know and I'll update.

Click to Enlarge.

A new year, a new look!

2008-11-21T02:32:00.000-08:00

Although I don't plan on refacing my site every year, revamping splatpat has been in the works for months so this is a temporary peek at the look to come. I've added a hit counter (on my end) to see if it's worth updating and low and behold - I have visitors! The hits to comments ratio is that of projects posted to the CMB about 150 to 1... sad, huh!? Anyway, yesterday I spent a lot of time working on the "My Crafty Spot" section... so be sure to check that out. Just click on "My Crafty Spot" under Categories in the column to the left. And check back often... I'm working on a new group with my MB sisters in mind that focuses on personal progress, back to the basics where we will focus on family projects! Thanks for stopping by.

They're Engaged!

2008-11-14T05:13:00.000-08:00

After 5 years my cousin Dan proposed to his Love Mimi! They are a Disney family so I created this card in DS with the Mickey Font cart. I used Xmas Red Stickles for their names and Frosted Lace to highlight the white accents on the Disney patterned paper.

Click to Enlarge.

Christmas ABC Swap {some assembly required}

2008-11-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

H is for Holly

I really like the religious story behind Holly but I created two backgrounds in the event another participant preferred not to include. I sent in the background with the H is for Holly candy unattached. The history included reads, "The evergreen holly symbolizes eternal life. This shrub's most conspicuous features have long been associated with Jesus Christ. The bright red berries represent the drops of blood He shed on the cross; their color also represented the burning love for God present in the hearts of the faithful. The prickly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns the Roman soldiers placed on Jesus Christ's head."

I used the Christmas Cheer cart and Edwardian Script font.

Click to enlarge.

Happy House Hunting!

2008-10-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

My Aunt & Uncle have been searching for a new home for quite some time. They are stopping by in the AM to drop off my Grandmother (who will be staying with us for a few days) on their way out for another long day of searching for just the right place to rest their heads at night. I wish them the best and made them some brownie cupcakes for their journey.

House cut with Zoobaloo. Scalloped sentiment cut with Accent Essentials. A little sewing and a little doodling topped off with a hint of pink Stickles on the heart shaped chimney.

Click image to enlarge.

NORCAL SWARM III

2008-10-12T05:17:00.000-07:00

40 of the NA Cricut MB Sisters gathered for a 12 hour scrap-a-thon held at Green Tangerines in Citrus Heights. And as I said before... I cannot THANK everyone enough, Deborah aka~ scrapn_momof2 (our Hostess) and everyone else who donated their time, raffle prizes and home made treats.

Deborah Once again you did an amazing job pulling us together. I had a fantastic time and I really got a lot done! I can't wait until the next one! Thank You, Thank You! Visit Deborah's blog here: A Scrapping Mom's Scraps

Geeze Lueeze! 40 already?

2008-10-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

I made this for my Cousin who is turning 40. Cut in OA in pink with a pink polka dot patterned paper atop, this card stands about 5.5.

ABC Halloween Book Swap - 84 LO's total!!

2008-09-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

I signed up for three letters 28 LO's each, 84 LO's total and it was a bit much. The letter I thought was going to be the easiest turned out to be the most challenging, R. I originally thought tombstones but then realized this is more for a child so I just wanted to focus on the quote, Rest in Peace. It's not my favorite or very exciting but it's decorative none the less. I also ended up doodling a different hanging spiderweb for Y. I originally started with tiny x's but changed to a doodle with loops that I like much better. I'm sure there will be tons of after thought ideas I'll have for these letters but isn't that always the case? I'm sending them off today and I'm looking forward to receiving everyone's work in return.

O: O is for Owl - Owl & Tree cut were from Happily Ever After. Owls eyes Stickled in Stary Night and Lavender. Font, Jellyka Castle's Queen. Inked edges with Versa Magic Midnight Black. Doodles made with a fine Sharpie Pen. All elements adhered with XYRON 900.

R: R is for Rest in Peace - RIP cut from Plantin SchoolBook. Font, Beyond Wonderland. All double matted. All elements adhered with XYRON 900 & XYRON 150.

Y: Y is for Yikes -Spider cut from Stretch Your Imagination. Spiders spots stickled with Lavender, Yellow, Black, Diamond, Star Dust and Orange Peel. Doodles made with a fine Sharpie Pen. All elements adhered with XYRON 900 & XYRON 150.

Click image for detailed view. Click again to exit:

Cricut Cartridge Storage!

2008-09-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

This is my storage… I’ ve gone through several
variations and this is by far my favorite.
(Storage cemetery at the bottom of this page.)

Click any pic for a closer look.

I’d love for you to leave your questions or comments here or in my cbox.
I still get PM’s via the Cricut MB but I just don’t
frequent the MB as often as I used to so my responses may take a week or so.

For over 300 testimonials visit this link:
Cricut Message Board reviews on the Snapware Cart Storage

Because I use DS it’s rare that I reference the books so I keep my
carts and tools in one set and my books and overlays in another.
I sort my carts alphabetically and leave a space between all letters.
(see pic mid page)

Sightings of the Snapware Ribbon Holder have been at J’s,
M’s, Lowes, Office Max & Ross. I preferred an all clear lid so I bought
3 units from The Container Store. (A unit is 1 small bottom and
1 large top.) They were $15 in store last year when I bought mine
but they are now $11. Some with colored lids have been
purchased for as low as $1 a unit! I have a few of the colored lid units
for other things but I have noticed that you get what you pay for…
some of the cheaper units I’ve purchased do not feel as secure as
the more expensive units I initially bought at TCS and
they sometimes give me trouble when I try to close them.
IMO, not worth going cheap.

It’s called the Snap ‘n Stack Ribbon Dispenser at TCS. Here’s the direct link:
Snap ‘n Stack at The Container Store

This neatly organizes 40 carts in a single small layer of the holder
and up to 15 books/overlays in each of the larger compartments.
I have my foreign languages removed and use the bottom
compartment for tools and markers.

KarenL.Jenter from the CMB took it a step further and added a
luggage strap for additional strength. I found these pink with heart dog
collars in the Target $1 bin and they work great.

The dividers are made of Plastic Canvas. Plastic Canvas comes in a
6 pack of 10.5×13.5 mats at WM for $1.97. Although I have never seen any
size other than what I use, It comes in 4 sizes:
5 holes to the inch, 7 holes to the inch, 10 holes to the inch, and
14 holes to the inch. I use and provide cut dimensions
for 7 holes to the inch. Out of a single package I
have made 2 sets for myself and 2 as gifts and I probably have enough
to make 1 more (5 total = storage dividers for 400 carts – lol!.)
I’ve also seen colored Plastic Canvas sold in single sheets at Joann’s.

The cut directions are:

7 strips of 59×10 (# of holes)
Cut 5 deep @ 12, 24, 36, 48

4 strips of 39×10 (#of holes)
Cut 6 deep @ 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 & 35

59×10: You should see 59 rows by 10 rows so you’re
cutting at 60 and 11. The same for 39×10.

Any questions, please just ask!

Enjoy!!

If you would like to order a set please leave a comment
here or in my cbox (to the right) and I’ll get back to you.
I will make for you for $5 plus ship & handling.

Cricut Storage Cemetery

Original Boxes

Unless you have enough room to house these they’re just way too bulky
to store as-is. Not to mention the hassle of having to locate and open a box
every time you want a different cart or to look at a book – just too much work
if you ask me. Even with DS I wouldn’t want to take up any room in my craft area
to store these in their original packaging. AND, if you have any solution carts
you have to buy boxes because they come in the disposable plastic cases…
waste of time and again, money and space that could be used on other
crafting supplies. (I sell my boxes so if this is your preferred method…
keep an eye out here for sales on empty boxes.)

Scrap Paper Scissors Polka Dot Bag

I really liked this early on. It was a great portable way to store my
carts, books and overlays with the option to grab and go with ease.
Unfortunately at about 20-25 carts the books and overlays
started to become too bulky. The bag lost it’s shape, it wouldn’t stand
on it’s own, the handle started to give… I just needed to move on.

Plano Flip Sider

Hated this from the get go! Unfortunately I packed up the family and
drove over 40 miles to pick up the last 3 units the bait and tackle shop had
on their shelf. Once I tried it out… 1) I wasn’t about to immediately admit
that I obsessed over these boxes that I HAD to have only to find out how
much I hated them and 2) I wasn’t about to pack up the family and drive
another 40 miles to return them. I didn’t like that the carts sunk so deep you
couldn’t just grab them… part of this storage means altering the depth of
every slot. I’ve heard of people using Kleenex, that thick foam used for
packaging, bubble wrap, toilet/tissue paper – sorry, not into it.
And you still needed to find a solution to organizing the books and overlays.

(P.S. – I have 2 around here somewhere that I’ll
sell cheap if anyone wants them!!)

Sharing my Dirty Laundry

2008-09-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is for a Breakfast LO Swap that I'm in. This recipe is a spicy family favorite that I'm really looking forward to sharing.

I used hemp for the clothesline and I cut toothpicks and marked with a silver ballpoint pen to create the clothes pins. Paper collection is Main Street, Madison's Maternity. All cuts are from the PDDU cart, shirt embossed w/Diamonds In the Rough , bloomers embossed w/Swiss Dots, and bra w/Perfectly Paisley. All distressed with T.Holtz: antique linen. Fonts are Chicken Farm and Berlin Sans.

Click images to enlarge for detail.

Make a Wish Oma!

2008-07-30T05:24:00.000-07:00

Here's the card I designed for Oma's Birthday. I cut the cake w/ the Celebrations cart, used George for the candle and used the DCWV Glitter Stack. It stands about 8.5". I think it looks better in person - I just couldn't get a good shot of it. O-well, you get the idea.

Happy Birthday Leia!

2008-07-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

Little Leia is turning 1! I can't believe this little doll is already turning 1 year old. It seems like she was born just yesterday. We will be visiting with SIL and family this weekend when we go to LA and visit the in-laws. I can't wait to see my one and only niece.

I used Doodlecharms and a bunch of coordinating odds and ends.

Recipe Swap ~ Coctail

2008-07-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

I decided to go with Long Island Iced Tea. The Mother of all smooth cocktails that really pack a punch.

The color combo inspiration for this LO is from a onsie my DS was wearing. You can't really tell from the photo but everything is shadowed and mounted on chocolate brown Bazil paper. It took a while to do all the cuts, chalk and piece together but it was worth it. There are also rhinestones throughout. I used the Indie Art Cart and DS. I had a lot of fun making this one.

Recipe Swap ~ Smoothie

2008-07-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

So I decided to go with the Raw-eo Smoothie from Gone Raw - a place where people share raw vegan recipes. Done the right way it tastes like Oreo cookies!

You would never know it by the simplicity of this LO but it took hours!! Literally I started the "Smoothie" shadow cut (not even the top layer) 11:39 pm and it finally finished at 1:11 am (SCAL). I'm not exactly proud of this LO but I didn't have it in me after spending 4+ hours on the title to do anything better... sad, I know.

Amigurumi

2008-07-11T04:56:00.000-07:00

Recipe Swap ~ BBQ

2008-07-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

I hosted a swap for BBQ recipes. It's all a bit ironic considering I can't stand meat!

Anyway, I contributed Macaroni Salad which is one of my Grandma's signature dishes! And Garlic Corn.

For the Macaroni Salad I used SCAL for the title and inside the tiny star cut outs I Stickled with silver. I CB'd the background paper with Decorative Stars then Stickled all the embossed dots with silver. The punch tag is SU. Qty. 10

For the Garlic Corn I grabbed an image of corn off google images and created my own paper. I then used SCAL for the cut. I CB'd with Tiny Mosaic Texture so it really looks like editable corn! Tag and "Yum Yum" stamp are from the SU Punch Box Terrific Tags. Qty. 10

Recipe Swap ~ Cookie

2008-07-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

I contributed Spicy Oatmeal Raisin to Drea's (Crzykittycat) Cookie Swap. The recipe in under the apron on a 4x3 removable card that is held in place using a slit punch. I stamped the apron with SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds. Used PDDU for the apron, bow and sash. I used George for the hearts and CB'd with Floral Fantasy. SU tag punch also CB'd with FF. Qty. 25

Happy Fathers Day Opa!

2008-06-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

We'll be with my in-laws early August so this is when we'll celebrate Father's Day. Here's the card I made for my FIL, the avid Bowler.

Created the pin with DS measures about 11.5 inches tall.

Box Tops / Labels for Eduation

2008-06-18T04:44:00.000-07:00

My son has yet to start school but I collect these and donate to our local middle school. They save and use towards an Author Day. If you collect Box Tops or Labels for Education here are a few suggestions posted by a Mother who coordinates these for her child's school. I believe "Beggars shouldn't complain" but IMO I don't see that in this case, these requests are legit. Feel free to read her story...
Heathers Blog: Who the hell knows?

1. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE trim the Box Tops on the dotted lines provided. PLEASE. Did I mention PLEASE?

2. Please make sure that the whole coupon is there. Tape it back together if you need to. If you are missing the expiration date it can't be sent in and the person doing the sorting won't be counting how much money s/he is throwing in the trash.

3. Don't send in expired coupons.

4. Campbell's changed what they want to sent in. They want the UPC code along with the little kid next to it holding a pencil (or some say Labels for Education). The newer labels have dotted lines to cut upon, I suggest you cut on the lines. Again USE TAPE if you don't have everything. This should actually make things easier since they are smaller, you don't need to peel the entire label off the can, etc.

5. If you are feeling really ambitious you might want to send the Box Tops in one envelope and the soup labels in another. It makes sorting easier!

You might want to check out these links to see what products you can save labels from. Here are the Box Tops and here are the Campbell's.

And thank you for taking the time to help your local school.

I'm a Liver not a Fighter

2008-06-11T04:20:00.000-07:00

Cousin Tim just had a Liver transplant and we wanted to send him something a little on the light side... I had so much fun making this. The liver was created using the George cart and DS.

Birthday Wishes for Grandma Conchita!

2008-06-11T04:18:00.000-07:00

Congrats Grad!

2008-06-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

I used "the all dressed up stack" for this so I didn't really need to embellish. I ended up just adding some rhinestones to the center of each floral cluster and atop the tiara on the reverse which I didn't take a pic of - darnit. I did a strip from the premium stack on the inside just to let a peek of the money show.

My Crafty Spot

2008-06-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

I'm playing around with this section of my site so like everything else I have going on it's a work in progress. Any who...

I've been tempted to clean up my space, take pics and post but the creative side of me wants to share what my space looks like at the peak of inspiration. I am proud of my room when everything is in it's proper cubby, bin or the latest Sterlite container I've purchased but I'm proud of myself when I see it in a state of disarray. This means I'm using my stash, working with what I love and creating something to preserve a special moment in the life of a Gunthner or piecing together something special to send to someone I care about.

So... here I am in all my glory, crafting away!

I've also included a shot of my individual letter storage and my photo shoot location, our backyard. This is where I take all the pics of my projects. I'll post more as I take more.

Update on my crafty spot.

2008-06-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

As of today I have a clean slate... check it out:

~ The cassette rack I found at Hospice for $2. It holds my SU Ink Pads.
~ The hanging shelf on the wall is a Pottery Barn shelf that I also found at Hospice for $8.50. It's so heavy and sturdy. I use to store ribbon off it's spool or on tiny spools, like the M's or J's $1 ribbon.
~ The 3 shelf unit to my left holds full spools of ribbon on dowel holders that I made. The top has a jar full of overflow ribbon that wouldn't fit on the coordinating dowel or jar on the shelf. Each color has two dowels.
Here's a link to how I made the dowels http://shannon.gunthner.com/scrapbook/
~ The open shelf is from Lowes... it's a bathroom vanity mirror that I actually paid full price for. I use bead holders to store all my tiny embellies - brads, eyelets, pewters etc.
~ The spinning rack that's sitting on my table is a coaster display from a store that I got for free and painted white. I use one side to hold my Ranger Inks - liquids and distress pads, Prima's, Stickles and Versa Magic Dew Drops. The other side holds more Prima's, MM eyelet collection, Decorative Accents and my MM Scrapbook colors (paint).
~ The two metal bars holding my SU punches are from Ikea @ $2. They are found in the kitchen dept.

Pic Below:
~ The larger drawer unit came from Ikea from the closet organization dept. It store different pending or ongoing projects, swaps I'm hosting, events that need to be scrapped with coordinating paper, memorabilia and embellies.
~ The smaller drawers are for all paper smaller than 12x12 by color. The bottom three drawers are patterned paper waiting to be sorted and put into my patterned paper storage.

Pic Below:
Top Shelf ~ BIA wires and spray glues.
Second Shelf ~ Extra albums.
Bottom Shelves ~ A bin for each child and one for RAKS that I have yet to give away!
The rest - na'na!

Pic Below:
~ Carrying tote, Cuddlebug behind those... Beads in the plastic picnic basket.
~ More Decorative Accents (6 jars by color - can't stand these things now!), more Prima's and my BIA.

Pic Below:
~ Random crap in the Sterilite drawers. All my CB embossing folders. Cutter and Sewing machine.
~ Light box. In the bins: glue gun, sewing supplies, florestry supplies, non acid free adhesives, plaster of paris, velum quote stacks.

Pic Below:
~This cart came from the damaged goods/clearance section of Ikea for $10. It holds my 12x12 Patterned paper and card stock in Generations paper holders.

Pic Below:
~ Mat Stacks

Pic Below:
~ My updated cart storage. I've gone through the original boxes on a shelf - too bulky. The Plano's - hated these! I also tried the M's polka dot bag which I loved but outgrew so this has been the next best by far. The insert dividers are made of Plastic Canvas. Six sheets in a pack for $1.97 at WM! It takes one and a half sheets for a layer which holds 40 carts. Love this!

Happy B-day with a cherry on top!

2008-06-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

I totally scraplifted these but only because I loved them! Thanks Krista aka~Turnip!

They were so easy and a great way to use up some scraps. I went with a totally whimsicle look - I used textured paper for the green ice-creams and loved the way it came out so I CB'd two others [D'vine Swirls and Spots & Dots]. I also used some tie-dyed paper which made one scoop look like sherbet. (Which I always thought was spelled Sherbert!) I also opted to use DS/Alpahlicious to create "birthday" instead of using the George sentiment. I Stickled the cherries with Burgundy & Frost and chalked the cones.

Fun! Fun! Thanks again Krista!

Another update

2008-06-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

It seems that my room is always evolving. (I guess it depends on my current obsession.) This last month or so it's been punches @ 40% off of course... MS, SU (@ 20% off) and Borders of all sorts so I had to add a bar to my wall punch storage and obtain a rolling cart for the misc. And sweet DH, my biggest enabler, bought me a HP Photosmart C4450 so I didn't have to run into the office every time I needed to print something in color so that needed a spot of it's own and matching jammies of course. I also added a barricade to the front of my table to block out tiny fingers sifting through my papers and crawling through my rolling bins.

Here's my entire room. Yep, I'm among the garage scrappers.

Here's the new punch digs:

And I'm not much of a stamp enthusiast so here's my stamp storage in the midst of the re-org. Maybe when I go down this road (when I have the money to invest...) I'll be a bit more into the storage of it all but for now, I have them dumped in two large rolling carts. (some of these stamps are 20+ years old... but oh so cute) And looks like I have a love for love, heart and birthday stamps because they individually filled up their own drawer and stacked.

Happy Birthday Goddaughter!

2008-05-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

My Goddaughter is turning 5 on Saturday! Here's her Hello Kitty card. Used my E for the card and hearts, inside and out, CB w/Happy Birthday folder for the insert, VersaMagic throughout, Stickles on the flowers, stitching to adhere the HK heart, buttons and a little rick-rack. I created the sentiment space on the reverse side of the heart. I embossed with the tiara from the Princess CB folders then outlined it with pink and silver Stickles. I forgot to take a pic - o-well. I also put rhinestones on all of the flowers of the Happy Birthday embossed paper inside. It's girly, that's for sure!

Princess for the Princess

2008-05-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

I made this with Micah for his cousin's Birthday. He painted and embossed the lettering, I decorated with Stickled Prima's, rick-rack, buttons and fibers. He's so excited to give this to her! He loves all things Cuddlebug - just like his Mama!

JUMP 4 Joy

2008-05-24T05:34:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Deb has an appreciation for handmade, craft, elephants and vintage so this is what I came up with. It's so much fun creating for those you know will appreciate your work.

These cards are vintage Flash Cards. I stickled the J U M and P, stitched some rick rack under each JUMP, used the Celebration and Street Sign carts for "4 Joy!" and the images on the back. Used BasicGrey rub-on's throughout, Versa Magic Dew Drops to blend the edges, included a couple dyed Decorative Accents, Stickled an American Crafts chipboard candle and used Daisy D's rub-on tape atop the red paper with the gift.

1 down, 3 to go...

2008-05-20T03:37:00.000-07:00

who's this for, I don't know.

I have 10 birthdays in May!! Most of the cards are done and sent, I just have a few left. I was up until 3AM last night playing! dying Decorative Accents, organizing and making this card. I love the Sassafrass Lass rub-ons. Almost to the point I didn't want to use them. These are from the Candied Apples collection. I used the MM cart and the swiss dots folder, other than that... nothing special.

Cart Storage

2008-05-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Update: As mentioned, I did love this storage however
I feel you outgrow it around 30 carts.

Thanks to Brenda aka~ BrensDesigns I store my carts in this case.
I love it. The carts are easily accessible on top along with all my tools
and markers, then on the bottom I store my books and overlays.
I currently have 27 carts in here but I've been told this will store 50-60.
The bug head as I mentioned in another post is from Sharon aka~ GrammaS
who made them for the NA SWARM. Visit Brenda here: Brens Designs

Yet another Belated sentiment... argh!

2008-05-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

What's the deal... I can't get it together. My intentions are good but my follow through is lacking! I'm definitely a work in progress. Taking this card off my To Do list and adding some time management goals.

Another Thank You Card

2008-05-07T09:58:00.001-07:00

Another card... waiting for a home.

2008-05-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Thank You Card

2008-05-07T09:57:00.001-07:00

I sent this to my Aunt and Uncle who gave us this great chair for Shane. We will definitely use it for our travels but while at home, I'm keeping it attached to my crafting table. I have to say, I love my new crafting view.

Blank Card... for who, not sure yet

2008-05-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Splatter Pattern

just like riding a bike...

Vintage Polaroid Effect

day 18....

It's a 20Q celebration...

Storage Labels

Take 2

I heart Felt Food

Photography

Where do I start...

Dress Form this to that...

Plastic Bag Holder

Laughter is the best medicine...

Snippits

Schultüte

Locker Hooking

The Last Dance

Crayon Roll

My fries are your fries...

fineto!

Life is a Highway...

Crinkle Luv

11lbs to grow...

Sewing in comfort...

cushion cozy

lookin' out

Life is a blessing...

my heart is sad...

Juki Juki, ya ya ya!

Boppy Transformation

Work Days Suck!

Miss Mallory's Boudoir

a whole lota nervous energy!

I made the Copic plunge!

Princess Leia turns 2!

My Goddaughter is turning 6.

And last but not least...

{baby closet dividers} I've got OCD...

Congrats

Fiskateer update... pair no. 2!

ruber... Latin for red

ahhh, Paradise.

You (already) Light Up My Life!

Sweetheart

Satin Ribbon Rose

Saddle & Spurs

DVD in the making

Heartbreakers Valentine Cards

"I'm in Psychoville and Finkle's the Mayor!"

a Taffy Town Tummy ache...

I was tagged today...

A Valentine for a Friend

Flea Market Baby

Two Hearts. One Love.

So Flippen Excited!! {SCAL .jpg to .svg}

One Shape... Many Cuts Challenge

my Sugar-Booger

Pucker Up!

Featured in:The Cricut CHIRP Newsletter - Dec 22, 2008Vol. 135

Spooky -n- Silly

Handsome Like Daddy

Simple Santa Card

It's a girl... really!

Gobble Gobble

Happy Birthday... to me!

Kiyop! ~ Micah's 4!

Stickles List

A new year, a new look!

They're Engaged!

Christmas ABC Swap {some assembly required}

Happy House Hunting!

NORCAL SWARM III

Geeze Lueeze! 40 already?

ABC Halloween Book Swap - 84 LO's total!!

Cricut Cartridge Storage!

Cricut Storage Cemetery

Sharing my Dirty Laundry

Make a Wish Oma!

Happy Birthday Leia!

Recipe Swap ~ Coctail

Featured in:
The Cricut CHIRP Newsletter - Dec 22, 2008
Vol. 135