Just a quick card!

FYI: 2 Pease does free classes and just started a new round of them for 2011! I love them and try to participate as much as possible (I even have them planned in my daytimer). So far 2 of the months classes have gone "live" and they are great! I am trying new things already!

One of my least used supplies would be stickers. Just never really got into them. One of the challenges for January is to use border stickers. Yikes! Luckily, I did have some stickers on hand (American Crafts Remarks collections) that I bought because they were cute. I thought I would try a simple card to get my feet wet.

Not too bad! I think I like them because they are the clear kind. The colors are fun and this was the fastest card I have ever put together! I layered 3 different borders for the bottom. Not much demension, but it looks cute. Rounded corners and faux stitching and I was done.

2 more classes will go live later this month...I can't wait!

Studio Calico Notions Tutorial

The Studio Calico Notions in the kit look so fresh and are a nice neutral element. They are also pretty easy to recreate yourself. I decided to make mine out of dictionary paper, but you could use tissue paper, patterned paper, old sewing patterns...anything really!

Here is what you need: Dictionary (or other light weight paper), adhesive, scalloped edge scissors, regular sciccors, twine or floss

Tear a page out of the dictionary and cut it into 2 inch strips. (My dictionary is about 7x4 inches)

Take your large scalloped edge scissors and cut scallops along both long sides.

Accordian fold the scalloped strip at each notch (lining up the scallops as you fold..don't worry if it doesn't come out even, just keep folding at the notches).

Hold the folded paper tightly together and cut a small triangular notch in the middle. Do not cut too close to the center as you will need to do the same thing on the other side and don't want to cut all the way through.

Take a piece of baker's twine or any kind of thin floss and tie it around the notches.

Put adhesive on one side of the fan and stick the sides together to form half of a circle.

Do the same on the other side.

Trim the twine, if you like or use it to attatch a button on top.

Play around with different sizes, types of paper, embellishments on the top. Have fun!

If you haven't checked out our challenge blog yet, stop on by to see the kit we are counterfeiting: http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/01/counterfeit-studio-calico-notions.html

It's HERE! Counterfeit Kit Challenge is up!

I am so excited! It has been a hectic month and a half and our vision is big, but Counterfeit Kit Challenge is up and running! The saying goes that Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and we are planning on flattering some great kit clubs this year!

If you have never made a kit before, you are in for a treat! As a mom of 2 with limited time, I have found that creating kits for layouts, cards, mini albums and other projects is the most efficient way for me to get my mojo going. Sometimes I just make a basic kit and see what comes from it and other times I make a kit based on a theme of specific pictures/projects I want to get done. They are great to pull out at home when you have a few minutes and are wonderful if you are going to a crop and don't want to drag everything you own. Can I tell you the best part? Making up a kit from your own stash is a wonderful way to save money and use what you already own as well! Here are some samples of the kits that sparked the idea over the year ago.

Have I convinced you yet? LOL Every month, on the 5th, Meridy and I will post a kit from a monthly kit club that we love and want to "copy" with our own stash. Over the next few weeks, we will show you examples of our kits and give you links to ways for YOU to create some of the embellishments in the kit. The last two weeks we will offer challenges and a blog hop so that we can share our work and use our kits. All through the month you can check both the main blog and each of our blogs for inspiration and fun ideas! We have plans to post several times a week, so check back often!

Rush on over to http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/ to see the beautiful kit we will be re-creating this month! And if you decide you would rather just purchase that kit, we promise not to tell. :) Tomorrow Meridy will be showing you the kits WE created based on that inspiration and I will be posting on this blog how I plan to store my kits.

I hope you will play along, create alot and share with us on our blog! We will have a rockin' year together and get alot of beautiful creations made!

Christmas Break Blues

It is the last day of Christmas break and I am sad. I think I actually have more time to create when the kids are OUT of school. LOL Isabel is 1/2 day Kinder, so I feel like I am running back and forth to the school all day long (drop off Collin...go home....take Isabel a bit later...go home...pick both of them up...homework...snack...play...dinner...bed...whew!) or working at the school. We have not done a lot of "special" things (ie: going places), but it has been a very relaxing break.

Here is a layout I just finished about my daughters first day of Kinder. It looked a bit bare to me, so I went a bit button and bling crazy. LOL

The paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Girl Friday. I even decided to make an embellishement. Can you tell which one? LOL I loved the apple ribbon, but couldn't figure out what to do with it, so I looped it and attatched a brad I made with my I-top. Voila! Cute flower!

Stay on the lookout for the Counterfeit Challenge's first kit challange tomorrow! I can't wait!

One Little Word Layout

I was inspired by a new class on 2 Peas (http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/classes_and_events/classes/19-scrapbook-stamping-with-nichol-magouirk/) to do some stamping on my One Little Word Layout. I was so happy to be able to use this K&Co. paper. My pet peeve about this is that I couldn't find the Alpha stamps I wanted to use. They seem to have disappeared. Boo! Instead I created my own patterned paper with an alphabet stamp and cut out the title with my Cricut. It works. Still wish I could find that stamp, though!

Cardstock: Coredinations
Patterened Paper: K& Co. Amy Butler Lucky Flowers Pad
Stamps: Unity (phrase), unknown flower stamp, unknown date stamp
Other Supplies: I-Top

My One Little Word

This is my word...motto...mantra for 2011. It is already working well for me. There are so many things that I want to become, areas that need growth that it was hard to pick just what my focus should be on for the next year. And then I heard myself telling my frustrated husband that the people at work are never going to change and he needs to change his perspective on the situation in order to stop being stressed. Perspective. That word seems to come up alot in my conversations. Every situation...every moment in your life can be viewed through different lenses...from different angels. Sometimes just changing your perspecitve can make all the difference. I am teaching my kids this word. When I have been frustrated the last few days with their behavior (not bad behavior...just irritating quirks), we have sat down and rephrased my frustrations in a more positive light. And it helped tremendously. Alot of my stress is all in my head. And I mean to do something about that in 2011. It seems to be paying off. I like to talk out loud sometimes and mentioned this morning about the things on my to do list. Just so I could hear them. And lo and behold Billy and Isabel started the dishes and Collin vaccumed and did laundry. Wow! I suddenly am blessed with some free time and I am going to go enjoy it. Have a wonderful end to 2010. See you next year!

A little nostalgia

Look what came in the mail today! Happy sigh! I'm not feeling well, so I am looking forward to a hot shower, a good cup of tea and some reading time.

Guess what I found today while I was picking recipes for the next few weeks?
This was my Great Grandmother's recipe box. I remember a long time ago my Grandmother was cleaning out the basement and was going to throw this out, but I asked if I could have it. I put it up and haven't looked through it since. What is wrong with me? I flipped through it today and had fun looking at the old recipes. Some typed...some clipped from magazines and newspapers and some even hand written. What a treasure! I don't recall alot of special family recipes on my dad side, but I am excited to look through them to see what I can find. I have a book of recipes that my mom/Grandma gave me as well. I think it is about time that I made recipe books for the family.