Scrapstreet.com and Cardalicious #31

It’s now time that I can share a layout I created as part of being a guest designer for the online magazine called Scrappstreet.com in October for the Sound Off! Section.  The prompt was to create a layout focusing on the sounds you hear. You can check out the section here.

I chose to create a layout based on my background music while scrapbooking.

The Journaling reads:

Halo 3. It’s a typical sound I’ve come to get used to. Whether I’m on the computer or scrapping, it’s the soundtrack I’ve become dependent on! Tom and Bailee are two peas in a pod when it comes to playing Halo 3. I giggle at the commentary between those two while they play. Usually it’s along the lines of Tom yelling “where are you” and Bailee yelling “back at the base” or Tom “Snipe them”. It’s funny how intense you guys get while playing and the sounds gurgling from the T.V. When the other team gets killed. I hear them go Uuuuuugggggghhhhhh….aaaaahhhhhhh…ooooohhhhhh. And the blast of machine guns…dadadada d or the gaaaarrrrrsss when someone attacks. My favorite yet is the talk from y’all after a kill with your “Your Grandma’s, beat downs, oh snaps and fo’shizzles.”  I truly get a kick out hearing you two play together!

And here’s my card for this weeks challenge at Cardalicious to make a Thank You card using the colors black and red and flowers. This is one of my favorite color combos.

I am glad I finally had something scrappy to share with you but that’s about all I have for now. Thank you for stopping in and saying hello – and if your new to visiting my blog (even if you’re not) - say HELLO! I love to see where all my visitors are from and love to hear from you! Don’t be shy!!!!

Have a great week everyone! More later!!!

Threading Water Punch – tutorial

Have you ever sat and stared at your products or stash just KNOWING there HAS to be another use for it all?  Well, I am one of those that has to play with everything just to utilize the most of my stuff. Even if that means accomplishing nothing in the end. But when something comes from nothing – now that’s sweet success.  I have been on a kick of wanting to use my punches but find new and vitalizing ways to use them.  I get bored of the same ol’ border punch and just can’t afford to buy the newest and coolest out there. So that means – EXPERIMENTING!!

What I’m about to show you is a way to utilize your Fiskars Threading Water Punch other than just as a scallop border. I have done this once  – a while ago and thought I’d do it again but this time I thought I’d share how I did it.

Supplies:

Fiskars Threading Water Punch

Paper of your choice

1. Start by creating the scallop border(See picture #1)

2. Then trim the strip to where the total width is only .5 inches (from edge of scallop to edge of paper. It’s going to be a thin strip. (See picture #2)

3. Then VERY CAREFULLY – line up the hole inside the scallop – see pictures #3 – 6) — *tip*  once I have the top part lined up with the holes – I turn the punch over to make sure the holes line up from the bottom (picture #5). This just makes me certain my holes are lining up and my circle will be good.

4. Continue punching the strip in it’s entirety (Picture #7)

Picture #1

Picture #2 - cut to .5 inch from edge of scallop to edge of paper

Once the strip is trimmed to .5 inch - line up the holes from the border with the straight edge against the back (as shown)

Continue using the holes to line up the punch

Also - to make sure your holes are lined up - turn the punch over and line up the paper that way and punch - this can be a good tip to really get the circle perfect

Example

End Result

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then just embellish your card/layout/item to however you plan to use it.

This is just a quick little 4×4 card I created to use the example.

Card I made using the Threading Water Punch on both sides to make roof detail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

here’s the card I made a while ago using this same method of punching for

detail on a roof.

Hopefully this will inspire you to get creative with your punches – Thanks for popping in!!! Have a great day!

Camouflage…Can you see me now?

I’ve been a bad bad blogger lately but just thought I’d pop in to just so you know I’m here and well. I haven’t been scrapbooking much lately so I don’t have alot to share so this post will be quick.

This weekend was low key with the soccer games cancelled. It was sort of nice to have a weekend without the hustle even though I feel so bad for the girls since it seems all their games have been cancelled this season! Including the game last night! OYE VEY – But I got quite a bit accomplished on Saturday including some errands, cleaning house and having our neighbors over Halloween Night. The girls came to our hood after tricking and treating through theirs so it was fun to see their costumes. They looked so good!

Then I had Sunday as a free day so Tom and I went to camp for an afternoon hunt.  Well, he hunts – I sit and make noise and irritate him. hahahaha — I don’t shoot a bow and right now it’s only bow season. Come on rifle season….But it was still fun to get out there and have some one on one time with nature and my hubby.  I got some random photos to pass the time while sitting in the box stand. (This is where the irritation comes to play).  Typically you have to be very still and quiet while hunting – especially with a bow since they have to come in closer for a good shot. Well, you could only imagine the irritation from Tom every time he heard “click, click”.  — We saw no deer and not much wildlife so I was having to entertain myself by shooting pics of spiders, ducks, squirells, trees.  Not sure if he’ll be so quick to let me come with him anymore on his bow hunts!  — I will leave you with some of my random (not so quality/good) photos. Have a great week and thanks for stopping in!!!

Yes - even at the time a black crow atop some trees was picture quality!

 

 

This is the area we hunted - we had to hike to it through swampy muddy water calf high - YUCK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random - just playing with settings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A squirrelly squirrell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally a couple ducks came in - this is as far as my zoom lense would go - so you'll have to forgive how grainy the photo is

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is our little buddy Charlotte the black widow who decided to hang with us in the stand too - and for those who REALLY know me - this is HUGE for me that I didn't go running like a little girl - that came later when 15 wasps decided to make an appearance out of their nest and chased us out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally...this is the tree we bunkered against to finish out the hunt after being chased out of the stand by the dang wasps - couldn't resist taking a picture looking up against the pine tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brrrrrr….

It has gotten pretty chilly here lately. The rain has blown out and the sun is shining but you wouldn’t know it with how cool it is outside. The past few days we haven’t broken 60.  I think we are supposed to warm up later this week though to around 70 something. I even had a bit of frost on my windsheild this morning on my way to work – it was 40 degress! **AAAACK** I think fall has finally arrived!

Good news is with the weather drying out – that means we will have soccer games again! YAY!  Cassie played hers this Saturday but the older girls’ games were cancelled due to field conditions (the games are played at different locations). It was soooooooooooo cold out there. I felt sorry for those girls having to run on the wet muddy fields with temps in the low 50’s.  brrrrrrrrr… But they won – (creamed the other team actually – and they are currently undefeated)!!! The older girls have a game tonight so they’ll get to also enjoy playing in the cool weather! I think ALL girls are playing in tournaments this week! So we will have LOTS of soccer to enjoy! woo-hoo!!!

Other than that this weekend was full and fun. Finally cleaned house yesterday. I think I was being overrun by black dog hair that was beginning to morph into puppies in the corners.  Gross I know but it’s been raining so much it’s been just impossible to keep the floors (or house) clean.  So it’s nice to enjoy a clean home again. LOVE IT! 

I also got a little scrapping in and got a layout done. I created it for the current  challenge at A Million Memories to use a company’s logo.

 I chose the apple logo on the IPOD to create this TOP 10 on my playlist. The apple is the actual sticker that comes when you purchase an IPOD. I can’t probably even begin a supply list on this page as most of it was scraps and hodge podge of stuff. I did some masking with the Graphite Glimmer Mist. I put a vinyl mesh over the Kraft Cardstock and sprayed it to give it the grid look.  Detailed with some rubons and stitching. I used Pink Paislee Alpha Stickers for the numbers and 3 different AC thickers for the title. Used the tag rims for the metal circles. Just took the white paper out of them. This was actually a fairly quick layout for me and a fun one. It took me only about 2 1/2 hours to do it.

 

And I forgot to share my card last week for the current challenge at Cardalicious.  This weeks challenge was to create a card using 3 items (ie, paper, stickers, ribbon, etc).  I used K&Co Amy Butler paper and cardstock shapes. Added some pink ribbon for a pop of color. Simple but elegant I think — oh and I have to thank Shanna for showing me a secret for a beautiful bow.

I have always admired those scrappers who make beautiful bows as I always felt my fell “flat”. Well, thanks to Shanna and her showing me how she does hers, I can finally start doing pretty bows myself! Who knew the secret was all about making the center knot small and tight to fluff the ends???  So easy but I certainly didn’t think about that! So thanks girl!!

Well that’s about all I got for this Monday. I hope you all have a great and creative week and always always ALWAYS….THANK you for stopping in and saying hello!

Simple Pleasures

wow – it’s been two weeks since my last post! yowza…I’m falling behind! If you’re wondering where I’ve been lately, I am still here. Just enjoying simple pleasures.  It’s been a nice break to really stop and enjoy time with family and heck…even myself.  It’s good to take a break and regroup. I have missed scrapbooking but filling the time with the kids, soccer, family, husband, friends and myself sure made it worth the cobwebs I had to blow off my desk and supplies when I finally got to sit and create this weekend.  

The girls soccers games were cancelled yet again on Saturday due to field conditions from all the rain (which is coincidentally still raining) but the Coaches still ran practice and took the team to the High School Soccer game.  So of course Shanna and I took full advantage of the time of no games, kids (well except for the baby -who kept her running- lol), husbands, etc to sit and scrap the afternoon and evening away.  I managed to a get a couple cards AND a layout completed….did you hear that?  A…… L-A-Y-O-U-T!!!  Whoa!   I felt like I was in unfamiliar territory doing a layout again but I LOVED it and I felt good after doing it too!

Then on Sunday Tom took Bailee hunting with him.  That left me, Cass, and Macey with a girls day. We went to eat lunch then to Mcdonald’s for some hot chocolate, ice cream and play. Then we came home and rollerbladed and did some halloween craft stuff. They painted paper plates orange and made themselves some pumpkin masks. Wish I would’ve taken a picture but I forgot. They turned out cute! We had alot of fun.

I will leave you with my creations from the weekend (well a couple of them anyway – one will have to wait until the challenge from Cardalicious gets posted – so check back in soon. May surprise you all with TWO posts in ONE week! )   ;)

 

Whoopsa Daisy!

 I took these pictures of the girls couple weekends ago when I took them and their friends Madeline and Meredith to Liberty Park. They had a lot of fun being silly on the swinging ropes, then they flipped over. As you can see – Bailee bailed just in time!  I used a lot of scraps on the layout – Mostly from the K&Co. Greenhouse collection and American Crafts. But I love these thicker font stickers from AC.  May have to go get me some more! Way fun!

 

Simple Pleasures

 I used more scraps from the K&Co Greenhouse collection and some BoBunny Double Dot – I LOVE BB double dot!!! I hand drew the tree and used my new $1 stamp from Michaels for the house. The “scene” was inspired from the cardstock sticker set from October Afternoon’s Weathervane collection.

 

Thanks for poppin in! I hope you all have a great week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brand New Week

How about that?   I think everyone should work four 10’s  so we can have 3 day weekends. I just don’t get everything I want to done on Saturday and Sunday. Here it is Monday, my house is still dirty and I still have a few loads of laundry to tackle and looks like it will remain so until next weekend.  Plus, I could really use an extra day today since I am battling some sort of sinus infection.  And to compound the head issue – I have an eye infection so I am forced to wear my glasses all day.  Wouldn’t bother me so bad if the glasses didn’t give me a headache by the end of the day. I mean who has time for that, REALLY? 

Tonight is the FIRST game the girls are getting to play since soccer season started TWO weeks ago. Yes, each game so far has been cancelled due to rain and field conditions so we are all jazzed up for tonight’s game! Plus we have 3 games so far coming up on Saturday to start making up some of the missed games. Could possibly move to 4 if they start rescheduling more.  It’ll be a full day! Good thing Tom and Shane condition the girls to run cause they will be doing alot of it this Saturday! hahahahaha – so I should have some pictures to share of the girls in their spiffy uniforms! YAY!

The weekend was great. We had the kids so we hung low after soccer practice on Saturday just watching some movies. Tom had to work at Deer Camp on Sunday so it was just me and the girls (which I love this time since it’s few and far between) so we took full advantage and went to lunch, then the park and they had a couple friends over to play and hang out. The weather was so nice yesterday. The first day of sun for a couple weeks now so hanging out at the park was great! Since I haven’t been scrapbooking  – I will just share some of the pictures I took of the kids at the park. They had fun playing on the bungee ropes and were making their own “obstacle course” through the playground.  Oh to be a kid again!!! Oh, I mean “tween”.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I go, I wanted to also mention that Shanna has started a Crazy For Cards Club.  She will be making kits to create homemade cards without the fuss and stress! The best thing about them is she’s selling them super cheap for the amount of cards you can make with them.  I’m sure you won’t be disappointed so be sure to pop over and get yours before they are gone! If she gets enough demand for it she may do a monthly subscription but for now it’s first come, first serve — SO DON’T WAIT!

Thanks for popping in – have a great week!!

Fall is in the air

It was official on Tuesday, the first day of fall. Now someone just tell me where the fall weather is! It’s been soggy soggy soggy here – nonstop rain. So much so all soccer games have been cancelled left and right. They have already decided to cancel the soccer games this Saturday too. I just hope the games on Monday can happen. I’d love to see the girls actually play a game!

But other than all the rain, I’m excited to see the temps falling. I am ready for cooler weather.  Maybe that is what inspired me for a card I made to get my hands dirty again! LOL -well that and some new $1 stamps I found at Michael’s.    

So yes, believe it or not – my first post in a LONG while where I DO have something scrappy to share!

And I have a very exciting toot to share as well. A card I submitted for the Paper Crafts: Stamp It! edition was picked up for publishing. It goes on sale in January so be on the lookout for it! And I’m totally stoked because I never EVER would consider myself a stamper!!!!  I just can’t work the same magic true stampers can so I’m happy!! YAY!!!

This first I made using my new stamps from Michael’s – they are the pumpkins and leaves.  I made the wagon by just using a rectangle and adding wooden buttons for the wheels. Used some raffia for the hay. Pretty easy to put together and it sure does make me in the mood for Thanksgiving already!

 

 

 

 

This next card I created for this weeks challenge at Cardalicious  – it was to create a birthday card using the colors red, blue and yellow. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this line by BoBunny – It’s My Party. It just SCREAMS birthday to me! and who can resist a little Martha Stewart Loop Punch action ? 

 

 

 

That is about all I have for now. OHHH, and have you noticed the new look of my blog?  Yeah, well…I’m not 100% sold on the new “makeover” and would love to hear any opinions!!!! Your thoughts would be mucho appreciated and you know that I can’t ask something of YOU and not give in return………..so I am going to give a small “thank you” RAK to one random winner who leaves me a comment on the new “do”.  I will post a winner on Monday the 27th!!!  Also, I’m thinking of switching to Blogger – do/don’ts?  What do you think?  And don’t be afraid to be HONEST…I have thick skin and can take any NEGATIVE/POSITIVE feedback so be brutal!!! hahaahhaa

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I appreciate you taking the time to pop in and say hello or just to pop in!!!

Time Flies when you’re having fun!

I swear the World is spinning so fast we are all just going to go flying out into space someday. Sometimes I feel that’s already where I am! Is it really too much to ask to just have things slow a bit? And with full schedules and a never ending “to do” list – I know it never will.  I guess that’s ok — i’ll just have to deal with the fact that time flies when you’re having fun.

I do have to say these past two weeks have been such a blast!  I love having family and loved the time we spent with my Mom and Sidney. Sidney flew in Friday and stayed with us until Monday.  Now things are back to the same ol’ work and grind – — this is where I don’t mind the days going so fast though! hahahaha – the weekends are always welcomed!

Speaking of which – this coming Saturday is the girls FIRST soccer game of the season. After lots of practice and a full scrimage last saturday for the older girls - I think they are ready! The teams look good and I’ve got my loud cheering voice ready to shout!

I have zilch to share scrapbooking wise again but this weekend I do plan to sneak some crafting in. Tom has to go to Deer Camp to start the food plots now that hunting season in nearing so that means………..ME TIME!  And I’m pretty excited to get my hands in some paper and glue and ink!

I will keep this post pretty short and sweet with some more picture love and shares. Here is a picture of Sidney getting smooshed in the face with some whipped cream - her 18th birthday was back on the 7th of September but we celebrated while she was here and the waiters sang to her with the sombrero and then shoved this whipped cream in her face! It was so funny!

 

 

 

 

 

All the girls with their daddy - canoeing on the Okatoma Creek

And then a pic of our canoe adventure down the Okatoma Creek on Sunday. We did a 7 mile run and it WAS SOOOOOOOOO MUCH FUN! I am ecstatic to do it again.  Macey was with me in a canoe and we were the only ones who didn’t turn over! So we were pretty excited! Tom and Cassie were in one and then Bailee and Sidney in another. They all did great and caught on to rowing very quickly! I think we are ready to do the longer run next time! The weather was nice to us and didn’t rain at all until we LITERALLY got to the end where they pick us up and the skies just opened up. But it was perfect. Not too hot – no sun – the creek wasn’t busy with other canoers. It was great! We saw a few turtles and the fish were jumping out of the water. We were hoping one would plop in our boat but none never did. I wish I would’ve gotten more pictures but it’s hard to canoe and take pictures at the same time! hahaha – although I would’ve loved to have gotten some pictures of the CRAZY big spiders hanging above our heads as we passed under some trees. They are called Mississippi Garden Spiders but are commonly known in MS as banana spiders. I will apologize for the pictures since they were taken with my camera phone after the small point and shoot camera went swimming! Oops!   —

 anyway – hope ya’ll are having a great week and thanks for popping in and saying hello! I always appreciate the time and love you take to visit! ♥♥♥

Pics from Labor Day weekend

I had such a wonderful time with my Mom. The visits never seem long enough but I’m just glad she was able to fly in from Texas to be here. We had 4 days together and it was wonderful! She flew in on Thursday afternoon and we watched the girls practice soccer, then Friday we hung around town and went shopping – I got TWO new purses! yay! Then on Saturday we went to Vicksburg, MS to visit the Civil War Memorial.  I can’t even express how cool this place was. I LOVE LOVE LOVE history (is that a prerequisite when you scrapbook? – to love history and want to preserve it?) anyway…. we toured some of the old Antebellum homes and WOW….the history and stories behind them were just so fascinating. And the architecture to the buildings were jaw dropping.  When touring the Memorial Park it was sobering to think about the bloodshed and to see all the tombstones in the graveyard. It’s hard to believe that over $600,000 people were killed.  The park was enormous and hilly with thick woods. I couldn’t imagine trekking through that in the garb they wore loaded down with their ammunition and necessities.  Canons were everywhere! It was awesome to tour the park and refresh a major turning point in history on how we live today. It makes you wonder how things may be now if the South had won. 

Sunday Tom and I took my mom out on the Natchez Trace.  We stopped at the Cypress Swamp and actually saw an alligator chilling on a log.  First time I actually saw one since being out here. It was kinda cool. Then Monday we went antique shopping and she flew back home yesterday.  Good thing I got some pictures because the time went so fast, I’d wonder if she was even here!

I will leave you with some pictures from the weekend. Most are from Vicksburg and then a few of the gator.  I’m not sure when I will get a chance to update again since we have Sidney flying in from Vegas on Thursday night to stay with us until Monday, but I’m sure I will have more pictures to share when I do update again! We plan on going canoeing at Camp Okatoma so I’m super stoked about that!

Anyway – I hope you all have a great end of the week and weekend! I will update again soon! Thanks so much for popping by and saying hello!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Me and Mom sitting on bench in courtyard of Anchuca antebellum homeOne of the memorials in the park

 

Canon overlooking the river

  

One of the memorials in the park

 

Just some scenery

 

 

 

Canon

 

 

 

 

 

One of the MANY beautiful buildings/churches

 

 

 

Statue of Ulysses S Grant

 

The taller headstones are graves of soldiers identified - the smaller blocks are numbered for anonymous soldiers - VERY SOBERING

 

 

It rained a bit while we were there and saw this rainbow - gorgeous!

 

 

this is a room in the McCracken home which was caught in the crossfire during the war. The broken plaster where brick is showing is actual damage caused by the canon balls.

 

 

This tree outside the McCracken home is over 400 years old - rumor has it, it still has a canon ball lodged in it.

 

The Cairo ship

 

      

 

This section is where the torpedo struck the ship and sank it

 

 

This is the gator we saw at the Cypress Swamp on the Natchez Trace

Gearing Up and some cards

I’ve come to a reality check. I have been on such a card making kick lately and have really taken a back seat to doing any layouts. I’m kinda missing them! But I think I need some new pictures to jumpstart me in that direction. Not that I don’t already have THOUSANDS to choose from. LOL – I mean I wouldn’t be a scrapbooker if I wasn’t like 10 years behind in scrapping pictures right?  hahahaha… I just love to make cards because I still get some creating done in not that much of time and let’s face it, time is something we all struggle to get more of! I just need to become more of a simple and quick scrapper for layouts. I feel guilty using stash on cards and look to see empty photo albums….nice preservation of memories Renee. *insert eyeroll*.    — anyway – I say this but will I change it?  uh…yeah. well….

exhibit 1 and 2 – MORE CARDS! (come on – do you really expect much else?)

This first card is pretty slim in supplies and was pretty quick to put together. I just used plain white cardstock, gray satin ribbon, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder – Textile, stampendous couple stamp, silver embosssing powder and Amy Butler’s Lotus Faded China diecut cardstock shapes, and detailed with some pearls. But I love the simplicity of it.

 

This next one I created using the new Hero Arts Cling Antique Brocade that Kelly Booth from the Hero Arts Blog was soooooooooooooooooooo generous to just GIVE me! I was jumping out of my skin when I saw it! What a gorgeous stamp and I had to play with it right away! What a sweetheart she is! Oh and I have to just say how great the cling stamp works – I plan on getting more of these in my collection! I stamped it onto black cardstock and then used some white embossing powder. (Can you tell I’m loving the heat embossing? LOL — Used some K & Co. Greenhouse Collection for the pink pattern paper, 7 gypsies thank you rubon, large oval nestabilities and lots of bling.

And that’s all I have to share for now – I wanted to do some more playing with the Moxie Fab World challenges but I don’t know now if I will get the time because my mom is coming into town on Thursday and that means lots of cleaning to do between now and then! LOL -

But I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo PUMPED and GIDDY and EXCITED and STOKED that my mom is coming to visit! I hate that we don’t live close enough to hang out all the time but I am so thankful for the twice a year visits – but usually it’s me going home to Texas – but since we just moved to Mississippi she wants to come see the sites! hee hee – so I plan to take her antique shopping in Canton, drive the Trace and then we are going to go sitesee in Vicksburg. So we’ll be busy and have lots of fun! It’s always a good time with my mom! So anyway – if you don’t hear from me in a while that is why! But I hope you all have a fantastic Labor Day weekend if I can’t pop in before then!  And thanks always for stopping by and saying hello! Always appreciate your sweet comments and hello’s! xoxoxoxoxo ♥