Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

What's happening today? I hear some of you have snow! We have a teacher work day so Christopher has no school today! And I have a Halloween card I made just to share with you!

What do you think of this crew of adorable monsters? I think they are the cutest! I love their smiles and google eyes! They are from the Doodlebug Designs  'Monster Mania' collection!

This card was ultra easy to create with a Create-a-Card base, Doodle-Pop Stickers and Doodle Twine. Everything coordinates perfectly!

I  created this rosette for my card sentiment with a Tim Holtz die cut. I love this die...no scoring involved!

Well, I've got to run. I'm going to make some Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili for my lunch this week. The recipe is from Whole Foods. I'll let you know if it's worth trying.

Hope you have a spook-tacular Halloween!

Kathy :)

Thankfully

Hello!

What kind of day are you having? Is it sunny? Rainy? Is there snow? It's about 40 degrees here with rain. Not a good day for outdoor activities. But it's perfect for hanging out at home and taking it easy! Christopher is creating a train layout on his computer here in my office while I blog and craft. Mr. Dan went to fetch some groceries and will spend time reading magazines and playing his guitar. This kind of weekend would have bored me to tears once upon a time. Today, it's the little things, the simple everyday things, that make me happy. I'm going to bake some pumpkin cupcakes, we'll carve our pumpkins and roast the seeds. How about you? What are your plans?

Before I get to the crafting portion of my day, I have a couple cards to share with you. Would you believe these cards started out as a scrapbook page? I created a page yesterday that along the way lost its focal point. Some projects are like that, they don't turn out as planned. This time I had the idea of cutting it up to make some cards! I salvaged the photos and added a couple things...and here you have it.

I used an adorable new digital kit from Two Peas in a Bucket called 'Thankfully' by Polka Dot Pixels. Love this turkey and the children rolling that huge pumpkin along!

I almost created a sign for this turkey that said, "Eat Tofu-rkey!" :)

Instead, I opted for this cute phrase from Bella Blvd.

I like the way these cards turned out...cutting up my page wasn't such a bad idea! I have two cute cards instead of one bad page! ;)

Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of my page to show you before I put it on the chopping block.

 

I hope you enjoy whatever you have planned for the weekend! I think I'll add a cat nap and reading to my weekend agenda!

Enjoy!

Kathy :)

New Bella Blvd. Release Projects

Hey Hey, it's Friday!

Earlier this week I mentioned that the new 'Winter Wonder' and 'Spring Flings and Easter Things' mid-releases by Bella Blvd. started shipping on Monday. Yippee! They might be at your favorite store by now! Guess what? I saw them at Two Peas in a Bucket! Just click on the collection names above to find them! I also mentioned that I would be back today with a couple cards made with these fantastic new lines...

Since spring is my favorite season, I'll show you my 'Spring Flings and Easter Things' card first! Mother's Day is just one of the special occasions that occurs during spring and a great time to send handmade cards!

When a collection such as this has a lot of beautiful coordinating papers and colors, I like to create a design that uses several of them. I also enjoy finding ways to use products in a different ways. The yellow check paper is actually a conversation bubble sticker that I turned upside down, using it as another strip of patterned paper.

Here's the card I create with the 'Winter Wonder' collection.

 I love the way stitching can jazz up a project! I thought it would be fun to stitch around the phrase letters and heart. I used an awl to pierce the holes first and then added the stitching by hand with a regular needle and thread.

So, what do you think of these new lines? Gotta have 'em, huh? :) In know the feeling! ;)



So what are your plans for Halloween weekend?  We will be laying low since the weather is going to be ugly. I'm so happy we didn't wait until this weekend to visit the patch! We'll carve our pumpkins, bake seeds and maybe some pumpkin cookies or cupcakes and I'll get a little crafty...just got my new Papertrey Ink goodies! :)

Have a good one and enjoy!

Kathy

Hill Ridge Farms

Hi!

With Halloween just days away I have a timely scrapbook page share with pictures from our recent visit to the pumpkin patch, Hill Ridge Farms.

This is one of my usual Two Peas hybrid pages with a twist. Each week one of the Creative Digital Team members picks a paper page from the gallery to recreate in digital or hybrid form and this is my week!

I chose this fabulous page by talented Garden Girl Lynn Ghahary. Isn't this page darling?

I used the gorgeous 'Autumn Leaves' kit by Polka Dot Pixels for my project. It includes a lot of fabulous vintage accents that I adore!

Here's my boys on their annual train ride at the patch. Look at Christopher's face. He was in a quiet sort of mood that day.

I used one of my favorite Papertrey Ink dies and made a bunch of buttons to scatter throughout the page. If you look carefully, you may even notice those that blend in with the patterned paper.

What a fun assignment this was! I look forward to my next paper to digital (hybrid)! Thanks to Lynn for her terrific page design!

Before I go I have to tell you about a sinful cake I made from a Pinterest recipe. Yep, I'm at it again! ;)

This is Almond Cake with Almond Frosting from Sweet and Savory by Sarah. Oh wow is it DELICIOUS! So moist...there's a little sour cream in it. So sinfully good! I made cupcakes instead of a sheet cake. This is to help me with portion control. Otherwise, I'd cut a little slice and eat the rest of the cake!!!! :) Anyway, this cake is ultra easy too. What more can you ask for?

Have a sweet day!

Kathy :)

December

Hello!

How goes it for you this morning? I received a bit of bad news. Not too bad, just a bit of a bummer. I was supposed to have the following page published in a book, but the project got postponed, indefinately. Oh well. I believe things are either meant to be or not. And now I get to share my page with you!

This page is was created to be similar to a December daily, focusing on some of the events of the month.

The calendar grid, the title and the white snowflakes are Silhouette shapes. The red snowflakes are from a My Favorite Things thin metal die. And those aqua blue felt snowflakes...old Fancy Pants.

Lots of oldies but goodies went into this page like the Prancer American Crafts Thickers, old Basic Grey brads and ancient Making Memories chip board accents.  Isn't it cool that old product can look just as awesome today?

There's our lovely tree! It will not be long before we get out our holiday decor and ornaments to deck our halls! I'm looking forward to it!

So, if you stopped by yesterday I mentioned that I was making a recipe I found on Pinterest for pulled pork sandwiches made in the slow cooker? Oh my word! They were heavenly!

Officially, the recipe is called Slow Cooker Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork Sliders from Six Sister's, but we always shorten recipe names in our house 'cause they're too darn long to remember!!! And I didn't make sliders either, I made a regular size sandwiches because we had buns for that! Anyway, the boys LOVED it and are thrilled there's enough for dinner tonight! I wouldn't doubt if one of them asks for these for their birthday! Enough said? Oh, the house smelled so so so good I almost couldn't stand it!

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

Kathy :)

What's in Store!

Hi!

Guess what? Winter Wonder and Spring Flings & Easter Things, the new Bella Blvd. mid-releases are shipping this week! Yep, you heard right! That means you will get these awesome new goodies in your hot little hands very soon so be on the lookout at your local scrapbook store! If you don't see them soon, ask for them!

Here are just a couple things I've made with these new collections.

'You are My Sunshine'

Spring Flings & Easter Things

'Happy Winter'

Winter Wonder

I have a couple more cards to show you, but you will have to wait until Thursday when they are released on the Bella Blvd. blog! But don't wait until then to visit because everyday the design team gals will have inspirational projects using Winter Wonder and Spring Flings & Easter Things!

Okay, must go create. And clean. And cook. Today the cooking is super easy because the crock pot is going to do all the work! :) I'm trying a pulled pork recipe I got on Pinterest. Hopefully it's awesome or I'll hear it from the boys!!! ;)

Kathy :)

Lil' Racer

Hi!

Can you believe next Monday is Halloween? It's coming up quick! And I bet there will be a lot of great Halloween projects on blogs, on-line craft sites and Pinterest all this week! In fact, Doodlebug Designs challenged me and two of my teammates to create a card or layout with the 'Monster Mania' collection and a sketch they provided!

I've been looking forward to sharing this page with you! I think it turned out so cute! There are so many great accents made for this line and even more that coordinate with any Doodlebug collection!

That spook-tacular bat is just one of many Doodle-Pops dimensional stickers and the eerie spider is a
Braddies. You know how much I like Doodlebug brads!

Everything on this page is from Doodlebug! Boutique Buttons, Shin-Dig glittered alphas, Cute Cuts die cuts...even twine!!! I used a few of the patterned papers from Monster Mania to make these rosettes.

Check out this Happy Halloween sentiment! It's one of the Doodles Sticker Sayings! The size is perfect for cards or embellishing scrapbook pages!

 How about some more crafty Halloween inspiration? Check out the Doodlebug blog to see what Sherry Cartwright and Stepanie Buice created with this collection and sketch.

I hope you have a fun-filled Halloween week!

Kathy :)

Santa?

Ho Ho Hello!

Is that Santa I'm hearing? No! It couldn't be! Although...Halloween is next week and this month has gone by at lightning speed! Perhaps I am hearing the faintest sound of Santa?

If you are like me, you are thinking there's plenty of time to make Christmas cards, ornaments and gifts. Then I blink my eyes and it's just two weeks until the big day! Does that happen to you? You go from having all the time in the world to it being the eleventh hour in the snap of a finger?!?!

I've already made a half dozen or so holiday cards this month so just maybe this year I'll be a little further ahead? Yea, right! Not! ;)

Here's a Christmas card I made yesterday using the 'Santa's Workshop' collection and a 'Create a Card' base from Doodlebug Designs. Could this card be anymore colorful or cute?

I'm in love with Doodlebug's Create a Card line!!! They're a series of stylish card bases created in the nine colors Doodlebug is famous for! They make it so easy to create the cutest cards! Pretty darn quick too!

For this card I picked a card base from the Polka Dot Assortment...there's a subtle polka print on the inside and a scalloped edge on the bottom of the card and the flap of the envelope. I simply cut a square piece of Candy Cane Lane paper from the Santa's Workshop line and added a scalloped border at the top with  Fancy Frills. Santa is a Cute Cuts die cut. Then I accented the die cut with a few Mini Jewels and Icon Stickers. I added a die cut snowflake using one of my thin dies and layered it with a Boutique Button. All these products coordinate perfectly! So easy! So cute! So much fun!

So, what are you up to this weekend? Have you been to the pumpkin patch yet. Do you have your costumes picked out? Oh, guess what? Christopher decided that he didn't want to trick or treat this year! The only reason I'm not in complete shock is that he mentioned this a couple years ago when he was eight. I was very shocked then! Since then, I've been expecting he might give it up. His dad and I are fine with it and told him he could always go next year if he missed going this year. And you know what? The reason he gave for not wanting to go was that I make such yummy desserts, he no longer needs candy! That makes a mom feel pretty good! :)

Well, whatever your weekend plans are, I hope you have the best one! Enjoy!

Kathy :)

Thank You Cards

T.G.I.F!!!

It's a beautiful, sunny Friday morning in North Carolina! Is the sun shining brightly in your area? If not...how about creating a little sunshine! :)

You know, a good way to spread a bit of sunny happiness is by sending a card to someone! Isn't it fun to get something in the mail besides a another bill or a solicitation? Recently, I thought I'd send Stephanie Hunt, owner of Bella Blvd, a thank you card. I'm a new design team member and when I received my box of fabulous Bella Blvd. goodies to create with, I was soooooooo excited! Now, I know that when you design for a company they are supposed to send you their product, but I still feel grateful for the supplies and honored that I was picked out of so many deserving and talented ladies so I thought a thank you was in order!

Here's the card I made using three adorable Bella Blvd. collections...Family Dynamics, Hello Beautiful and Sunny Happy Skies.

Isn't this little yellow, sketchy bird adorable? One look at him and you have to smile!

You know what? I heard that Piradee Talvanna sent a thank you to Stephanie last week too! Because of all this happy mail, Stephanie suggested on her blog post today that we all send a card to someone. Isn't that a great idea? A card for no other reason than to spread a little sunshine! I love it!

Kathy :)

State Fair

Hi!

We just went to our State Fair on Monday and I have a scrapbook page share for you today! How's that for a quick turn around time? I'm usually not that ahead of the game!!! In fact, I usually scrap these events about a year later!

I love the chevron goodness is this new Two Peas in a Bucket digital kit called 'Hallow Fields' by Kenner Road! As usual, I elected to create a hybrid page...I can't get away from the need to hold and play with paper and accents! And I used a fabulous Page Maps Sketch from Becky Fleck.

I thought a few of our State Fair photos would look awesome with the papers and goodies in this kit! Was I right?

Banners, banners everywhere! I love a great looking banner and this one has fun shapes and prints!

Looking at my photos makes me want to go back to the fair! I have a lot of fair favorites. I always have to have a roasted ear of corn, browse the crafts, check out the biggest pumpkin and watermelon, and stroll the gardens. Oh and we always partake in homemade ice cream on the way out. It's all good!

I'll be back tomorrow with another crafty share! Until then, take care and enjoy the day!

Kathy :)

Fall Favorites on Pinterest

Hello!

It's a fall kind of day here in North Carolina with cloudy skies, rain on the way and every time a breeze picks up, leaves come showering down. I love driving when the leaves rain down on top of the car and swirl about all over the streets!

Since I'm in a fall kind of mood, I thought I would share some of my favorite autumn picks from Pinterest.

Speaking of driving in falling leaves...isn't this flickr photo gorgeous?

Oh my what a lovely country scene of New England in autumn from We Heart It. I think I'd enjoy living in that country cottage!

There are dozens and dozens of pumpkin recipes from making your own Starbuck's pumpkin spice lattes and scones to these yummy Pumpkin Cookies with Carmel Frosting from Let's Dish.

If you're in need of some Halloween decoration inspiration...how about this awesome looking ghost? I love how raggedy he is! There's a step-by-step tutorial for making this spook-tacular ghost at You Craft Me Up.

Or maybe you're looking for Thanksgiving table scape ideas? There's oodles to choose from like this gorgeous table from Marriage to Motherhood.

Fall is a fabulous time for creating scrapbook pages of your trip to the patch or pumpkin carving! I love this scrapbook page and design by Vivian Masket from the Bella Blvd. blog. Those flags she created at the top of her page are so cool!

How about crafting up something creepy goodies with the kiddos? Eek! How about these Spider Pops from House of Baby Piranha? Too cool!

What do you think? If you like my picks, you can find more on my Pinterest boards by clicking the Pinterest button on the right side of my blog. Warning:  It's highly addictive and a whole lot of fun!

Hope you have a great day! :)

Kathy

Fresh Snow

Hello!

After just one spring card, I'm back to another winter project! I just love this 'Winter Wonder' collection by Bella Blvd! I've lost count of the number of projects I've done with this line so far!

I really enjoy working with these bright colors! They're so cheerful and fun!

The 'brand new snow' phrase I used on this card was one sticker that I thought would be fun cut apart 'ransom' style. I added them to the card with pop dots for dimension.

I added a few trinkets from my stash, the glittered snowflake is from Jesse James and the Rhinestones are from K & Company.

So...our trip to the state fair was lovely! We had a record high temp of 85 degrees! Lots of people at the fair for a Monday! We always go on a weekday...I can't image the mob on the weekends! We really enjoyed the gardens, the food, crafts and people watching...a continuous parade!

I got to hold a baby chick! I always enjoy that being the animal lover I am! Those precious little babies fall asleep in your hands in a couple seconds flat!

Have any of you scrapbookers or card makers checked out the paper crafts at your local fair? I always enjoy doing that, but I'm amazed that the scrapbook pages look like those we used to make 10 years ago? I don't understand why the papers, products or designs aren't current? Can anyone enlighten me on this?

Anyway, lets all have a fantastic day! We're not supposed to get as warm as yesterday, but it's supposed to be beautiful and and I intend to soak it up because a storm is heading our way tonight and tomorrow we have rain in the forecast.

Kathy :)

You Are My Sunshine

Hi!

We're expecting a lovely sunny day with a high of about 84 degrees today! My husband and I picked a perfect day for our annual trip to the North Carolina State Fair! I think this is the fourth year we have enjoyed the fair as a couple! We take it nice and slow enjoying all the sights, the crafts, the garden displays, the food, the carved pumpkins, and I always have to hold a baby chick! I really would like to have chickens at home, but this will have to do.

Anyway, before I leave, I want to share a card with you.

I've created lots and lots of projects using the Bella Blvd. new 'Winter Wonder' collection so now I want to show off their equally fun and colorful 'Spring Flings and Easter Things' line! Hands down, spring is my favorite season of the year! I enjoy seeing the earth wake up from its winter nap. The trees sprout their leaves, the birds sing to each other and lay their eggs, the days grown longer and warmer. Then there's Easter, Mother's Day and birthdays! My son and I both celebrate our birthdays in the spring!

For my cloud trio, I used a chipboard cloud, a reverse die cut cloud and a regular die cut cloud. I like the layered look!

Have you ever seen so many darling and colorful umbrellas? Love these! The final touches to this card are the two buttons, from my stash...both from Jesse James.

I hope your Monday is good to you and that you have some equally lovely weather where you are! I'll be back tomorrow with another crafty share!

Kathy :)