Do you submit? Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Greeting, friends!  Saturday.....wooHOOO!!!  What are you up to today?  Crafting?  tee hee.  I got up early (for me- ha), filled up the gas tank in Tommy laSolstice, picked up a  few groceries and came home to start crafting.  I still have several projects to finish, but I wanted to jump on here and post another 'loser' card!

Now, another benefit of being on the Spellbinders(TM) DT is that we are required to submit to a publication each month.  Since this is something new to me, I've been forwarding my submissions to PaperCrafts, one of my favorite papercrafting magazines! 

But I am obviously not their style - ha!  I actually sent three cards this time, and this one is the most simple.  To me, their cards are extremely clean and simple, so I had hope for this one!  But alas...no e-mails for me.

But I'm okay with that!  I spoke with my friend Gina last night and she suggested I try other publications. I can do that!

In the meantime, I really like this little loser card.  I used the AWESOME Fancy Tags Shapeabilities(R) die template (love my Fancy Tags!), Classic Ovals Large and Big Scalloped Ovals Large.  Yum!  My New JustRite stamps and some awesome CTMH cardstock rounds it all out.

So, what's your style?  What types of cards have you submitted successfully for publication?  Are you ready to dip your toes in the publication pool?  Go for it!

Happy weekend!

Creating with Spellbinders Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Floria

Hey y'all!  Good grief; life's been crazy here in Melbourne, Florida!  Lots of interesting things at work, and lots of crafting going on in my studio!

This is the first time I've ever created projects for CHA - the Craft & Hobby Association big event.  So I've been working diligently on those...as well as new Spellbinders(TM) projects (yippee!) and other cool things I'll be able to show you one of these days. 

In the meantime, here's my first card posted on the Spellbinders' blog.  It was actually featured yesterday and again today, so check it out.  A bit of a departure from my style, but I'm lovin' that Fair Isle Pendant die template, aren't you?

I hope some of my work gets picked up so that I can share it....well, I guess if it doesn't get picked up, I'll be able to share it even sooner!  HA!!!

Now let's go create!

JustRite BlogHop sponsored by Spellbinders(TM) CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Hey y'all!  Here I am with a sore throat after coughing my fool head off last week.  Good grief!  At least I have a desk job, right?

Anyway, I've cooked up a little recipe box to play along with JustRite Stampers' Blog Hop sponsored this week by Spellbinders!  The challenge is to share a summer recipe project using JustRite stamps, and then share the recipe! 

I used two JustRite stamp sets to create this recipe box with inserts - Joyful Hearts, Borders and Centers on the front label, and the Special Occasions Uppercase font set on the inserts.  The front label is probably my favorite part!  I embossed the sentiment with Sparkle 'n Sprinkle Cherry Cosmic Opaque Embossing Powder, then cut the sentiment with Spellbinders S4-110 Classic Ovals Large die template, matted with S4-251 Big Scalloped Ovals Large, and mounted on S4-235 Fancy Tags (yum!).  All the papers are CTMH's Cherry-O line.

I cut, embossed and stenciled a little scalloped edge on the card inserts with S4-244 Fair Isle borders.  The cute little cherry elements are CTMH's Cherry-O Opaque Pearl Stickers.  A few buttons, a little ribbon and Stickles and it's complete!

Now for the recipe.  Summers are hot here in Florida, so we really enjoy our cold beverages!  Here's an awesome recipe for Strawberry Lemonade.  Why don't you give it a try and let me know how it turns out?

Strawberry Lemonade

1 quart fresh strawberris, washed and hulled
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup superfine sugar
3-1/4 cups club soda, chilled

Place strawberries in blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Combine lemon juice and sugar in a pitcher and stir until sugar dissolves.  Add strawberry puree, stirring well.  Stir in club soda just before serving.  Serve over ice.  70 calories per 1 cup serving.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by,

As I promised...............................Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Happy Friday again, y'all!  I promised I would share my sister's birthday card, so here you go.  This really was a pretty quick card to make once I made the rose.  Don't you love it?

I'll have to search for the link for you - there's a YouTube video - paper roses (not Marie Osmond - good grief!) that outlines the steps.  This first attempt I thought I would have to scrap, but I really think it's gorgeous!  You can click on either of the images to get a closer look.

The paper is from a K&Company paper pad that I've had for a couple of years, I think.  I really loved this sheet with the big green flowers, tiny blue leaves and brownish background.  So I fussy cut a piece and popped it up on foam tape on a solid green mat, which in turn was matted with more of the pink. 

The paper that I used for the rose is actually a piece from CTMH's "Bella" paper pack. No ink involved!

Can you believe that I used neither Nestabilities(TM) nor ribbon?  Will wonders never cease.

Speaking of Nestabilities....I've added a new feature to my blog that should be extremely helpful for all of your Spellbinders Die Template collectors.  Click on the Wizard (die cutting machine) in the right-hand column and you'll be rewarded with an inventory list of all current Spellbinders die templates!  Print it out, fill it out and make it a little easier to keep track of those Spellbinders products.  Now if only the rest of our lives could be so organized!

So what do you think?  Do you find this list helpful to you?  Do you want me to find the link to the rose tutorial?

Toodles.....

Half Price CTMH Special Today CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Happy Friday - woooHOOO!!!

Today's Jackpot special is a surprise goodie box - $40 gets you $80 worth of goodies!!!  Check out my website for details.

I'll be back with a picture of a card I made for my sister's birthday - it's so purrrty!

Hit the Jackpot!!! CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Remember the clearance sale and goodie boxes last year?  Well, it's back but it's better!

For the month of June, CTMH will have daily deals.  Goodie boxes loaded with loot at 50% off.  Hit the jackpot and you'll win free products! Check out my CTMH website for a new deal every day!

Goodie box days  will feature a surprise variety of new and retiring products, all at 50% off or more!  Jackpot days will offer five different products at a discount.  One of those will be the mystery jackpot item of the day!  If you order the jackpot item, you'll get FREE CTMH items shipped to you FREE!  How do you know if your scored?  The jackpot item will be revealed the next day, so you'll know if you have an extra item coming your way!  Or just purchase all five items and you know you'll hit the jackpot!!!

These special offers include discounted shipping/handling and are only available through my CTMH website.

Check back daily for the special of the day!

Today’s special offer is a choice of five different Level 1 Kits at 30% off...that's just $7 each! Plus, if you hit the jackpot and order the correct one, you will also get a FREE tube of Heavenly Blue ribbon rounds and a FREE tube of Hollyhock ribbon rounds (pictured above)! Or order all five Level 1 Kits and you know you'll hit the jackpot!

If I've confused you, check out the details on  my website.  Enjoy!!!
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June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Greetings! Welcome to our Close To My Heart June Stamp of the Month blog hop!  Did you get here from Jen's blog?  If not, no worries....just follow the link at the bottom of this post and you'll eventually come back here, full circle!

CTMH's Stamp of the Month for June, "Wonderful Friend", is perfect for Father's Day.  But it's also perfect for any number of masculine cards!

I used five of the stamps from "Wonderful Friend" on this card.  The image of the watch is stamped in Cocoa ink and clear embossed (shiny IRL!).  The watch 'background' is stamped in Bamboo ink with the argyle stamp.  There's also a houndstooth stamp (awesome!) that I stamped in bamboo behind the sentiment, which is stamped on cs cut with Nestabilities(TM) Labels Three.  Finally, I used Cocoa ink to stamp the front of the card base (behind the script paper/mat from "Passages") with a fleur-di-lis men's tie image.  There are a total of nine images in June's Stamp of the Month, which you can purchase or earn it free with other purchases!

Now hop on over to the delightful Wendy's blog to check out her creation!

Memorial Day Photos Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Alan took these photos when he visited the beaches of Normandy a couple of years ago.  He backpacked through Europe and his love of history dictated that he visit this place of our fallen soldiers.  The first photo is the actual beach where our American soldiers landed. 

My dad served in the Korean War.  Alan's other Grandpa did as well, and Alan's dad retired from the Navy.  I learned the ways of the military well.  How about you?  Do you have special memories today?

 

Another Take on Caboodle CTMH Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Hello, friends!  Thanks for coming back after my two week hiatus.  There's no good reason for it...but it's surely the longest period I have let lapse without blogging! 

I've just been in a funk.  No desire to create, blog or do much of anything, to be perfectly honest.  We're all worried about our jobs at work, and I guess I lean towards hibernation when I'm stressed.  So why didn't I hibernate in my studio and knock out some projects?  Who knows.  Just wasn't in the mood.

But my sister told me yesterday that I need to get out of my funk, so I'll start by sharing this card that I made for the Humble Artists' Swap (HAS) that was due in April.  I really like it!  We had lots of requirements for this card - seven or eight layers in one place, embossing (I did dry and with powder), ribbon, scallops, a specific number of embellishments....it's really fun to meet the challenge!  Every product is from Close To My Heart except for the sentiment mat, which is cut with my favorite Nestabilities(TM) Labels Five die template, cut in half.

If you have any questions about how I made the various elements in the card, ask away and I'll answer here.  Because I'm too lazy to get up and get the names of the stamps that I used!  Good grief. 

I hope you're enjoying your summer.  I have a new air conditioner and my pool is warm, leaving me no excuses for not exercising.  How have you been?  Any great plans for the summer?

Lovingly,

Miracle Butterfly is JustRite Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Happy weekend, y'all!  The weekend just flies by, doesn't it?  Sometimes I think I wish my life away waiting for the weekend.

Today I had a wonderful day scrapbooking with my friends.  With my BEST friend Rindy, my other best friend Theresa who just moved home from Charleston (wooHOOO!), my other best friend Amelia and a new best friend Donna.  Now, Rindy got on my case tonight because I have so many 'best' friends.  Well, what's a girl to do????  So she gets all caps and red.  'Cause she really is my best friend.

Here's a card I made with CTMH's National Scrapbooking Month special, the "Miracle" kit.  Aren't the colors peaceful?  The kit includes papers and instructions to make scrapbook layouts.  See the little butterfly?  She is one of many chipboard shapes included in the kit, and she is an "irresistible".  She started out white and all I did was sponge her with Sweet Leaf ink.  See where the design "resists" the ink and stays white?  Awesome, right????

The sentiment is from JustRite, and it's the first time I've used their awesome stamps.  I used my Nestibilities(TM) to mount the stamp, as well as the nice mat behind the image.  Don't you love that you can stencil the image while it's still in the die template, leaving the nice bright white border?  Yum, yum! 

So are you looking for a Miracle (ha)?  Check it out on my CTMH website....order it and have it delivered directly to your front door!

Will you be spending Mother's Day with your sweet babies?  I will be spending the day with my sisters and my Mom.  I feel lucky to still have my Mom with me.  She is so cute.  Her little church group had a "Safari" today.  It was a dinner at the church for the seniors, and she wore a shirt with giraffes on it with binoculars and a straw hat.  Cute!  I told her to take a photo, and if she did I will be posting it for sure!

Enjoy your day and thank you again for stopping by!

Paper Roses for Mother's Day Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Hey y'all!  Can you believe I have my Mother's Day card ready this early?  A record, for sure!

My primary inspiration for this card was the paper rose you see above.  Jeanette made it sound so easy- which it was! - but mine will never be as beautiful as hers!

This card has a lot going on, so I didn't use patterned paper and kept the colors simple. You can see that there are three key elements - the roses, the sentiment panel and the cameo tag.  You usually can't go wrong if you feature three elements rather than two or four.

There is a tiny big of patterned paper - "Lush" from Pink Paislee".  I cut leaf shapes from a small piece and scored veins in the leaves.  The sentiment mat and the tag are cut and embossed with my awesome Nestabilities(TM) die templates - as well as a tiny mat behind the cameo!  I stenciled the Fancy Tag die template with Blush ink and dabbed a bit on top of the smaller rose.  The Blush cardstock is scored and sanded to show the white core.  Simple but a nice backdrop to anchor all the craziness!  And no ribbon - can you believe that?

I hope you will be able to spend Mother's Day with your dear mother, as I will.  I hope that my son will be able to come home from college - I've never had a Mother's Day without my baby!

Thanks for stopping by, friends!

Spellbinders Gals Photo and Mojo Monday 136 Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Hey, y'all!  I have a couple of fun things to share with you today. 

Here's a cute card that I made for the Mojo Monday 136 Sketch Challenge.  Can you believe that I used this bright, funky paper?????   I am trying to step outside of my 'zone'.  This is the second time I have used orange!  wooHOO!

The paper, ribbon and sunglasses 'sticker' are from Cosmo Cricket's "The Boyfriend Collection".  Awesome, right?  Now how perfect is the Nestibilities(TM) Small Pinking Circle die template behind that sticker - makes it look like the sun, right????  The great thing about Spellbinders(TM) die templates (well, one of the great things) is that after cutting and embossing, you just leave the paper in the die template and sponge away (yes, ORANGE ink!!!). 

Now here's proof that I really was in Phoenix with the awesome Spellbinders 2010 Design Team:

Yep, that's us!  I am the big one (HA!), second step behind my new BFF Mona.  Behind me, my new BFF's Julie, Gina, Judy and Ashley (hey y'all!).  Standing in the front my new BFF's Latisha, A.J., Kimberly and Kazan (yo girlfriends!!!).  We had a BLAST!!!  Can you believe that they let me be a part of this amazing group? (p.s.  We were all wearing black on purpose - for our headshots.  tee hee).

Beth made a gorgeous layout that's posted on the Spellbinders' blog.  Go check it out and read about entering our National Scrapbooking Day contest!!

Thank you for lasting through my ramblings and for all your sweet comments.

Till later,