Rainy... with a {Definite} Chance of Sports

Hello, hello on this rainy, {but not too rainy to cancel our sports line-up, but too rainy to have the other boys watch and support their brother who is on the field} Saturday. Ughh - we have had this horrible stretch of luck of beautiful weather during the week and rainy weather on Saturday and Sunday. But luckily we are getting most of the games in today.

Anyways, so since I'm at home, while my hubs is out there with one of the boys, I'll take some time to post something I made a couple of days ago. This was actually the first pink project to kick off this trend I seem to be on of late. I made this birthday gift card holder (including the handmade flower embellie) for one of Alex's friends. So about gift cards... I must admit I am a fan of them. Yes, I know that on one hand, they may seem impersonal, but it truly is the most practical way to ensure your celebrant gets what they want. And at the end of the day, let's face it... the receiver knows best what they want. :) And while I'm thinking about it, I can't imagine what I would do without registries (especially for showers) - I think they are the best thing to come along in gift giving. LOL. Do you know that the local toy store has started a registry program too - LOVE it! It's always a bonus when you can go it a store, know exactly what the child wants and can leave with a wrapped gift that only needs a card - wahoo. It can't get better than that... The owners are geniuses. Nothing like the value of convenience - which is worth a ton to me when you have birthday parties to go to almost every weekend.

So back to the g/c holder - I used one of Lauren's Timeless Templates to make this card holder. It was such a snap. I'd been planning on getting a template - I have loved each of the ones that come out every month, but just hadn't gotten around to it. But that was until the Cash and Charge Collection came out this month. I feel like she'd designed it just for me - seriously! And I love how this template actually came with 3 - what a deal. I can't imagine how much time she pours into making these templates for people like, but I absolute appreciate it very much so :)

I know these templates will get much use in my house...

Pink AGAIN!

Like I mentioned in my last post, I NEVER use pink, especially the fuschia-kind-of-pink. But I saw Dawn's latest color challenge and I still had the other 1/2 of the sheet of Raspberry Fizz sitting on my craft desk, so I figured I'd take on the Lilly Pulitzer challenge (c'mon, you have to admit that a Lilly Pulitzer sweater comes to mind whenever you see bright pink and green together, right?)!

I also jumped on the make-my-own-embellie craze with my new Sizzix die that I just got from SU. I think it turned out ok and really does look like the flower I intended it to be. I even gave my flower leaves by using the largest die to ground it. I think that the card turned out pretty much how I planned it in my head, which is such a bonus to boot.

So thanks for a real challenge this week, Dawn. Now I have to get back to watching the Yankees game, which has been such a topsy turvy game... which seems to be par for the course of this series. Ughhh.

Three Birds... One card

I'm in a very efficient mood in a crafty kind of way tonight :) and decided to make a card that I need for an upcoming party and try my hand at 3 challenges that are going on right now on 3 blogs I follow.

I'm absolutely enjoying my downtime tonight and relaxing while I watch the Yankees win game 4 of their series with the Angels (woohoo) and make cards after spending the day in Cleveland for a bunch of meetings for work. I travel a decent amount (relatively) for work and always love when I can get a day trip in that does not require a red eye, and Cleveland TOTALLY fits the bill. And it was such a bonus to get home before the kiddos went to bed (translation - 6:15 flight this morning!). But it was a good day at work, so no complaints. Plus my plane was early both ways... which of course means I'm in for a serious delay in the near future. And this is not that much of a stretch of the imagination considering I fly in and out of Newark - LOL.

Anyways back to the card... we have ruffles, sketches and colors for a cure going on, so with one card, I have a Moxie Fab/Embellish's Colors for a Cure & Bling/M's #2 challenges covered! I haven't done a Moxie card in a little while and I was determined not to be late on M's challenge this time and I just have been having fun with the Embellish challenges, so I was quite pleased with myself to be able to tie it all together. And I REALLY mean pleased :), given that my cards usually just find their way to the finish line so to speak, with usually not too much planning other than the 1 challenge I am usually trying to do. I also used a few stamps and ribbon that I haven't used in a while because 1. I liked to remind myself why I bought different stamps in the first place, vs. just using them when they are "new" and 2. I really have to make myself use pink - dunno why it doesn't come more naturally... maybe because I am just surrounded in a house with boys!

And OH - HOLY COW! I can't finish this blog entry without mentioning that I was actually mentioned in the wrap-up for the second Embellish challenge. Look!! (Not too surprisingly) I've NEVER won/been recognized in any kind of a "competitive" crafting blog or been in a publication, other than on PTI's GSS in a category where I was LITERALLY the only entrant... good thing I didn't get 2nd place - LOL!!, so this was TOTALLY not expected. Heck, I consider it quite the accomplishment that I can make a deadline on time - LOL!!!. I honestly do this hobby purely for my enjoyment and relaxation, so it is a pretty spiffy feeling that someone else thinks my cards, well at the very least my froggy one, aren't half bad.

So THANK YOU, Ashley, for making my day in that crafty kind of way. ;)

Deets (haven't had the chance to do this in a little while!)

Stamps: Imaginesce cupcake, LAD Sketched Sentiments, PTI Birthday Basics; CS: PTI Raspberry Fizz (I hardly EVER use this color!), SU Prints Pack (broke open the plastic on this one after having it sit on my shelf for more than 1 yr!), PTI white, Ink: Adirondack - Pebble, SU Pink Passion (again - never use this color!); Other: Kaiser rhinestones, petite scallop nestie, PTI Sweet Blush saddle stitch ribbon (all scrunched up for the ruffles!), Stardust Stickles all over the icing of the cupcake, copics

5 Hours and 10 minutes...

That's mainly why this is late!

The whole fam was planted on the couch watching last night's very exciting (though at times thoroughly frustrating) Yankees play off game vs. the Angels. Yep - it went 13 innings and the Yankees finally won and are now up 2-0. We are huge fans in our house, so everyone stayed up and mostly made it. My two littler guys made it up well past regulation (maybe the 11th inning) and my oldest kiddo made it the whole way. Very fun and quality family time for all.

Anyways, I made this card for the challenge sometime in the beginning of the game - luckily my crafting area is right by the TV in the basement which means I can usually do both... except for when the game gets as interesting as it did last night ;) Plus, who can resist the sound of three boys asking mom to join them on the couch... gotta soak it all in before they get to big, kwim?

So back to the card again... I read on Naomi's blog about Savitri's daughter having her own challenge, so how could I resist (I suppose I would have found it on my own seeing as how I have Savitri's blog in my reader, but that was the sequence of events)?? It was such a sweet blog entry, as well as an easy and very versatile sketch. I know it is late, but I'll post anyway to share!!

The image is colored with copics (I really love these sunflowers) the card was finished with scraps of Basic Grey Cupcake collection, PTI CS, ribbon and a random button. That's it! Thanks for the sketch M, and I'll keep an eye out for your next one! :)

First time for this Froggy...

Breezing back through again with a card for the latest Embellish challenge. Seems to be the only thing that gets me to my computer for anything non-work or PTA related these days. Sheesh!

I made this card a couple of days ago. This is most probably the 2nd circle card I have ever made - the first one I'm sure for a challenge as well. ;)

I am finally getting a chance to open up some goodies I bought some time ago (we're talking a month here at least!). And there is so much more that I still have to open - patterned paper packs, more Hero stamps etc. I think I might have even mentioned at some point either here or commenting on someone's blog (Naomi's, I think) about getting and using Hero Arts stamps for the first time... well, technically this was the first time I actually used it. Sad in a crafting sort of way, I know, but that's the way it goes in my life. But that's why I love this hobby so... it can sit for periods of time and I can pick back up where I last left it! Then there are other days (albeit few and far between!) where I will go on a tear!

Life has been very fun in all sorts of ways in the last couple of months, which means we are on the go. Travel teams have been made (oldest for basketball), middle guy threw for his first touchdown in flag football this past weekend (we were all so thrilled about that) and my middle guy is scoring soccer goals all around. I'm a professional cheerer and so happy about it.

Anyway, back to the card - I used Ashley's toot to make the card and basically followed the guidelines. What a cute little guy this froggy is. Perfect for the birthday party that one of my guys are going to this weekend. Very easy to color with my copics and a cinch to put together (my kinda cards! LOL).

Well, I'm off to bed. I'm going to be working in the city the next couple of days, which means train schedules must be adhered to (so funny how easy it is to fall out of a routine... what's the saying again - 21 days to make a habit, but only 3 days to break one or something like that?). I must say though that I love my days in Manhattan, well, as long as I don't think about the commute. ;) Later.

Dusting off my craft desk!!!! :)

Trying to squeeze in under the deadline... be back with a full post in a bit ;)

Edited to add....

It's been quite a while since I have had a chance to be crafty in any way, my desk was getting a little dusty, unfortunately. Even though I work full time out of the house and the kids are in camp for most of the summer, the beginning of the school year is somehow still so very hectic for me... lots of back to school stuff, switching into new sports for the season... just a new routine all around for everyone. Plus it coincides with the end of my work fiscal year - so it is just all the more busy.

Therefore in an effort to make some time for myself, I used the first Embellish challenge to get the creative juices flowing again. Fun colors - and oh so perfect for fall. Squeezed it in with minutes to spare ahead of the deadline too. Now I just need to figure out who I'm going to send this card to in the morning...

Back to regular scheduled programming for me (ie... catching up with my PTA stuff, work, figuring out how my husband and I are going to shuttle around 6 games and a travel basketball tryout all in a 6 hour time span on Saturday, and most of all catching up with my PILLOW)...

Have a good one! :)