Hello Spring!

Today it is absolutely beautiful here in Washington. We took advantage of the nice Spring day and enjoyed a trip to the zoo...it was great! And last night hubby and I got a long overdue date night so I am having a wonderful week! :)

Last night I had some creative energy so I decided to create another card based on the Get Sketchy challenge that I am sponsoring this week. You still have one more day to get your cards in for your chance to win some great crafting goodies! Check out the challenge HERE.

And BoBunny has a new card challenge up this week too so I decided to play along with their Spring themed challenge.


The patterned paper is from BoBunny's Flutter Butter collection. I just love all the great blues, greens, and patterns in this collection. For my flower I used BoBunny's fabulous Double Dot papers...these are a 'must have' for me. I decided to give my flower lots of color and have it cordinate with the patterned paper by combining scalloped circles of Ocean Dot, Citrus Dot, and Buttercup Dot. Then I created the leaves using Wasabi Dot paper.

For the final touches I just added some orange rhinestones to the centers of the flowers and a Hello brad from Crate Paper.

If you'd like to see more BoBunny, you can also check out a mini album I recently created using the Persuasion collection by clicking HERE.

Hope you're enjoying a wonderful Spring day where you are!

Ever feel like...

you are in a bit of a rut? That is where I am at lately. I usually am a very organized, positive, ahead of the game type of person...but lately I just feel like I am lacking a little motivation and feeling more like I am always just a step behind and needing to catch up on stuff. I haven't done much exercising in awhile and haven't been eating the best either...I know this is part of the problem. I think I maybe need to be better about taking more time for myself. I love my boys and family so much but sometimes I need to do a better job taking care of their mommy...know what I mean?

If you have any great motivational type books you've read or sites you visit that really inspire you...I'd love to hear your suggestions! Several years ago I read 'The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity' by Julia Cameron. It was wonderful. It focuses a lot on journaling and taking creative time for yourself each week. I would highly recommend it to anyone feeling a little down and needing some creative direction. Maybe I should go back through it again myself! :) I am hoping that a friend and I can find one day each week to meet up at the gym...that would be a good start!

Anyway, thanks for listening...I'm feeling a little better already! :) It's nice to have such wonderful blogging friends! I so wish some of you lived nearby...I am sure we would be good friends!

And I can't leave you all without a little project of some sort so I thought I would share my favorite Easter card that I created last year...hopefully it will be new to most of you! :)


This card uses Bella Blvd papers and sticker as well as some Bazzill Basics cardstock and May Arts ribbon.

Celebrate Beginnings - Etsy Inspired Challenge #81

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope your weekend is off to a good start! My oldest is officially on Spring Break so we are looking forward to a week of quality family time. I'm hoping to head up to the outlet mall tomorrow...we all are in need of some Spring/Summer clothes. And I think a trip to the zoo might be in order later in the week too!

On to the challenge! This week our featured Etsy shop, Ponder and Stitch, is one I have had my eye on since I started my shop on Etsy. I love Amy's unique cuffs and pretty, vintage style. Plus she is happy to stitch a custom word or phrase on them. I'm thinking I might like mine to say have faith, dream big, or go ahead...wish. What would you like yours to say?

Our sponsor this week, Digi Stamp Characters has the cutest images. And the lucky winner this week will get 3 digi's from them! I used THIS Pure Innocence image for my project this week. Isn't it adorable?!

I was inspired by these two cuffs from Ponder and Stitch.



Aren't they both just perfect for Spring?! I gave my bag a Spring feel and thought it would be a sweet bag to use for a baby shower gift. I colored the girl with my Bic Mark-It's which Paper Crafts happens to be giving away this weekend if you're interested. However they don't have very good skin tones so I had to resort to using my son's crayon. :) And if you love the white felt scalloped borders like I do, you can find them HERE!

Okay, now it's your turn! Check out Ponder and Stitch and find an item that inspires you. Create a project of your own and link it up to the Etsy Inspired blog by next Friday at noon. Easy enough, right?!

For some extra inspiration be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team!

• Ashley
• De
• Emily
• Heather
• Jackie
• Joy
• Laurel (March Guest Designer)
• Lisa (March Guest Designer)
• Shannon

Get Sketchy and Get a Prize (From Me!)

Hello blogging friends! I am excited to share that I am sponsoring the Get Sketchy challenge this week! When Bree contacted me to ask if I would consider sponsoring I was so thrilled, and I am hoping you all will join in the fun for a chance to win one of my Creativity Kits! I put together a special Spring themed Creativity Kit especially for this challenge...want to see it?!

Would you like to win these goodies?! All you have to do is participate in the Get Sketchy Challenge this week. You can see all the details and the sketch over on the Get Sketchy blog HERE. Bree was kind enough to send me the sketch in advance so that I could play along. Here's my card using some of the same products from the kit.


I'll be giving this card to my mom for her birthday in May. I just love the colors and patterns in the Making Memories Flutter collection. I distressed some of the circles to add a little texture to the card.

And if you love that corrugated scalloped circle on my flower, I have some colorful and natural ones for sale in my shop! Click HERE to check them out.

I can't wait to see what you all come up with for the Get Sketchy challenge!

I'll be back tomorrow with my Etsy Inspired Challenge project and you know there's always a great prize to be won then too! :)

Pretty in Pink

Now, I am not much of a pink kind of girl...I love my earthy blues, greens, and browns a bit more. But I found some gorgeous pink items on Etsy today that inspired me to create this beautiful treasury.

You can check out the treasury and shops that created these beautiful items HERE. Which item is your favorite? I'm in love with those gorgeous shoes and that baby is just beyond adorable (does it even matter what the product is?!).

Enjoy the rest of your evening...I'll be back with a new post in the morning!

Living My Happily Ever After

I don't tend to make mini albums much but I was totally inspired to create one when my scrapbook store gave me the BoBunny Persuasion line to create some projects with. I especially love the cut outs that BoBunny includes in their collections...they are perfect for mini albums and journaling spots. And when I saw the BoBunny Persuasion sticker that said 'Living My Happily Ever After', I knew it would be a great theme for a mini album, especially for me! :) Okay, enough talking...here's my album

My boys, my family...they are truly a dream come true! What does living happily ever after mean for you?

For this mini album I just used some Bazzill cardstock as the base for my pages. I know it may not be quite as sturdy as chipboard but I find that it still works well. This was displayed for 2 months in the store and is holding up just fine.

I hope you are having a wonderful week! Come back and visit me on Friday...I have some fun news which includes a possible PRIZE for you! :)

I made it onto the Front Page!

Well, technically the Doilies and Lace treasury that I created made it onto the front page of Etsy this morning...but still...jumping for joy over here!!! I don't know how Etsy decides which treasuries to feature on the front page but this is the first treasury I've had picked. At least 5 of the items that were in my treasury sold and I've gotten some great feedback from the shops I included that they have seen an increase in traffic and sales today. I too have gotten some extra hearts and views! :) Here's the screen shot from Etsy at 8am EST.



It is slightly different than the screen shot I shared HERE because a few of the items sold so they included my alternates. If you are interested in still checking out the fabulous shops that created these items you can go HERE and click on the items you like.

Have a blessed Sunday!

Etsy Inspired Challenge #80

Hello blogging friends! It's Saturday which means it's time for the Etsy Inspired Challenge! We have another beautiful jewelry shop for you to be inspired by this week, Designs By Cathy. I love her hand stamped pieces and the fact that Cathy uses recycled silver (yeah Earth!).



I was inspired by this piece to choose just a simple one word sentiment. And I was inspired by the overall elegant feel to the shop. I thought this would make for a nice wedding card (hence the Tiffany blue!) but the simple sentiment allows it to be used for a variety of occasions.

The patterned paper, brads, and ribbon are from My Mind's Eye Lush collection. Card stock is Papertrey Ink and I created the sentiment using American Crafts mini marks.

We also have another great digital stamp sponsor for you this week, The Digi Kitty. Check out this page to see some of their adorable new releases. The lucky winner this week will win a set of 8 Easter stamps from the Digi Kitty. And that winner could be you!

To play along all you need to do is:
- Visit Designs by Cathy and find an item that inspires you
- Create a project based off that inspiration
- Link your creation up to the Etsy Inspired blog (challenge post #80)

And if you're looking for a little more inspiration, be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team!

• Ashley
• De
• Emily
• Heather
• Jackie
• Joy
• Laurel (March Guest Designer)
• Lisa (March Guest Designer)
• Shannon

Doilies and Lace

So Cath's Moxie Fab World challenge really inspired me. Vintage, doilies, lace...it definitely seems to be a big trend. Now normally I don't pay much attention to trends but I really enjoyed creating this card for Cath's challenge and today when I had the chance to create a treasury on Etsy I decided to see what doily and lace items I could find. I was quite impressed and inspired by the beautiful items I came across. Take a look...

You can click HERE to see these great items up close and discover the wonderful shops that sell them.

And speaking of vintage, I got these cute Nine West shoes from their Vintage America Collection.

Mine are more of a gray color and I love them! I'm trying to update my wardrobe a bit...feeling a little too Mommy and not enough feminine and beautiful...know what I mean?! :)

The best part of all is that I bought these shoes at Nordstrom Rack for just $39 when they are regularly priced at $69. I LOVE a good deal!

Need a Creative Boost?

I've added some new Creativity Kits to my Etsy shop! It's always nice to have a variety of papers and supplies to choose from but often I find that I don't want to buy a whole paper pack or whole package of embellishments. My Creativity Kits are theme based and have lots of items from great companies like Cosmo Cricket, Making Memories, and My Mind's Eye (to name a few). I just listed a girl and a boy themed kit this past week as well as some fun embellishments and stamps. Click HERE to check them all out.



I also have a card to share with you all today. This card was one that didn't get picked up for a publication call (oh well). But I thought you all would probably appreciate it still! :)


I love the cheery feel to this card and thought my button flowers turned out pretty cute too! :)

Hope you're enjoying your day!

So Glad We're Friends - Etsy Inspired Challenge #79

Hi everyone, happy Saturday! I am honored to introduce you to this weeks featured Etsy shop, 3 Dots Jewelry. The jewelry in this shop is fabulous...I should know since I have already purchased 3 necklaces! :) I absolutely love them! Lucie (the owner) has a beautiful, modern style that is inspired by nature and it is truly reflected in her wonderful pieces. Take a look...



I was inspired by the colors, the wood, and overall natural feel of the pieces. Here is my creation:

Cute, right?! The patterned paper, tree sticker, and owls (which I popped up on foam circles) are all from My Mind's Eye Little Boy Blue collection. The kraft cardstock and stamps are from Papertrey Ink.

Okay, now it's your turn! To play along with our challenge, all you have to do is go to 3 Dots Jewelry and pick any item to be inspired by. Make your creation and post a link to it on the Etsy Inspired Blog by next Friday, Mar 19th by noon Pacific time. Everyone will be entered into a random drawing to win. If you upload to SCS or PCP, please use keyword EIC79. And please remember to give credit to the shop that you found your inspiration from.

Our fabulous sponsor this week is Stretch N' Bubbles, a fun digital stamp site. Personally, I am in love with THIS little rocket image. Alison is generously giving away 4 prizes!!! So your odds of winning this week are great! :) The first winner will receive 4 free digital images and 3 runners up will receive one digital image of their choice from Stretch N' Bubbles.



Be sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team created for you too!

• Ashley
• De
• Emily
• Heather
• Jackie
• Joy
• Laurel (March Guest Designer)
• Lisa (March Guest Designer)
• Shannon

Mini Cards (& winner!)

Happy Friday everyone! Today I thought I'd share a mini card set with matching box that I created using some MME Colorful Christmas papers and mini alphabet stickers. (Click on the photo to get a closer look.)

These were a great way to use up some scraps I had leftover from a layout I did. And since I created a box too it makes for a great little gift!

If you are looking for more mini card inspiration, the CARDS blog has a whole bunch of eye candy for you!

And today is the day I announce the winner of my little birthday gift...Congratulations Mandy! Please send me your address via my email in the right sidebar and I will get your new Paper Crafts Magazine out to you ASAP.

I will be back tomorrow with my Etsy Inspired project and our featured Etsy shop is one that I have purchased from a few times now...I love her work!

For the Home

Thank you all for the sweet birthday wishes this week. I enjoyed celebrating my birthday last weekend with my boys and get to spend some time with family this weekend which will be nice too! Just a reminder that there is still one more day to take advantage of the little birthday gifts I offered up HERE.

So, have you all seen the new For the Home idea book that Scrapbook Trends is getting ready to release?! They shared 3 sneak peeks on their blog this week along with a download and instructions for the 3 projects. I am extra excited to see this new idea book because I have a project in it (my first to be published in print)! For the Home is available for pre-order now HERE. The cover alone looks fabulous...can't wait to see what other beautiful ideas are inside! :)

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

One of a Kind Grandma

I have been a crafting fool lately and have been trying to participate in lots of challenges...they are a great motivation and starting point for me. Cath's current challenge over at the Moxie Fab World is to showcase doilies and/or lace on a project. Now this was definitely a stretch for me as I rarely venture into the vintage or shabby chic style but sometimes stretching ourselves leads us to wonderful things right?!

For this card I used some fabulous doily patterned paper from Basic Grey's Nook & Pantry collection. Then I used one of those paper heart doilies (that you can find just about everywhere around Valentine's day) to create the flower. I basically just cut the inside of the doily heart out and then worked the lacy edge around in a circle, cutting little slits in the center as needed to get it to form this little blossom.

I finished the card off with some Papertrey Ink buttons and stamp, fun pom pom trim, and American Crafts Thickers. All the doilies and vintage feel made me think that this would be a perfect card for a special grandma like mine! :)

American Crafts Challenge

So we all know American Crafts came out with the fabulous new Dear Lizzy collection at CHA but did you know they have a blog with tons of inspiration and a new challenge every Friday?! You can check it out HERE. The current challenge is to create a card with two or more AC products...perfect for a card making, American Crafts lover like me! :)

So I got out some of my favorite papers from American Crafts Blue Skies collection and some of their great felt ricrac to create this card.


I used some of Taylored Expressions tiny twinkles to accent the trees and the sentiment is from Unity's Simply Said set.

Thanks for stopping by today! I'll be back tomorrow with another project!