2011 in review - My Faves!

Can you believe the year is GONE!? I'm flabbergasted myself, but the older I get, the faster time seems to fly by. I'm trying to slow it down so I'll live a little longer but I haven't been able to figure out the formula quite yet. I'll keep you posted on that. ;) 

I would first like to thank all of you who enjoy my blog enough to become followers, and I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to comment as well. I read every single one and try to reply to questions when contact info is provided. Thank you so very much!! {smoochies} 

Ok, enough of the mushy stuff, let's move on to the pretties! LOL Here are a few of my favorite projects from the past 12 months, in no particular order. I hope you'll enjoy see them again--or for the first time--as much as I enjoyed creating them. Happy New Year bloggy friends! Have a safe one and see you in 2012. 

  

   

 

     

                             

***Coming Soon***

!!! ** FINALLY ** !!! 

♥ The Scrapendipity Studio Etsy store is nearly ready to open ♥

Watch the Studio fan page on Facebook for details 

in the coming days!!!

♥

Life is Beautiful card

I love love love the Snowfall collection by BoBunny. The colors and patterns are gorgeous and it's easily one of my top favorite lines. Here I used the 6x6 paper pad for a card and added one of the pearl brads to the bow to spruce it up. I really enjoyed making these flowers and I think this is one of my favorite cards to date!

Life Is Beautiful sentiment stamp by Verve Stamps. Banner by Lifestyle Crafts and foliage by Spellbinders.

My roses are handmade by me, inspired by Anna Fearer whose flowers are nothing short of amazing.

Product List:
Lifestyle Crafts Banners and Arrows set, DC0046
Quickutz leaf die RS0101
Spellbinders labels2 dies
Spellbinders foliage dies
Tim Holtz/Sizzix tattered pinecone die
BoBunny Snowfall 6x6 paper pad
American Crafts Elements pearl brad
Bazzill textured cardstock
Inks, pearl beads, sheer ribbon, foam tape, glimmer mist
paper roses handmade by me - inspired by Anna Fearer 

...and the stockings were hung

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!!

Every year I share the following letter that I sent to my, then, local newspaper in 1997. It's my favorite Christmas memory; a memory that means so much to me and reminds me every year to be grateful and count my many blessings. Thank you for reading my story. I would love it if you would post a comment sharing your favorite Christmas memory. :)
***

Isaiah 58:7a ...Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless into your house.

The Key Peninsula/Gig Harbor area has been home to me and my family for 34 of my 43 years. During those years, I have donated clothing, household items, and food to local food banks as much as I can throughout the year, never expecting, of course, that I would one day be in need myself.

Several years ago, my daughters and I fell on hard times and the holidays seemed bleak. By Thanksgiving, I still had not found employment. The girls had just entered high school, and though they had never asked much for Christmas even in good times, I felt despair in knowing I would not be able to give them much of anything that year. We did our best while I continued looking for work, but finally had to seek help from a local food bank to make ends meet. A short while later, we received a call from the food bank telling us a local family wished to “adopt” us for Christmas. About that same time, my job search finally paid off and my first day of work was to be December 20. That day, we woke to several inches of snow on the ground and no power. I had no way to get to my new job and no number to call them. We were not the only ones snowed in, however. The food bank was unable to deliver Christmas to many adopted families. Though the families and the adoptees generally remain anonymous to each other, our “family” decided that if it meant the difference between our having or not having a Christmas, they would make the delivery personally. Not only did our family bring gifts in abundance, they also delivered a van full of groceries, including laundry and cleaning supplies, and everything imaginable for Christmas dinner. As if that wasn’t enough, this wonderful man drove me to my new job and later called to find out what time I finished so he could drive me back home!

This true story of the spirit of Christmas always brings tears to my eyes. We never heard from our adoptive family again. We understand they left the area some time ago, but their gift of love and generosity will never be forgotten. That Christmas, which looked so dismal, remains one of our most cherished and treasured holiday memories.

***
Merry Christmas. May you be as blessed as I am!

Trio of Tags

Welcome to Scrapbuggy Tuesday on my blog. Today's project is a tag trio. The new year is just around the corner and many people will be attending parties and having get togethers. I thought these tags would be nice as place cards or a gift card to accompany a hostess gift or bottle of champagne - or sparkling cider if you prefer.

For this one I used the Quickutz Champagne bottle die and the Lifestyle Crafts new Countdown release clock - I used just the hands though and the inside cutout circle of the actual clock. The tag is from the Lifestyle Crafts Splendid release. Sentiment by My Creative Time.

Tag number two is also from the Lifestyle Crafts Splendid release (the two tags come in a set). The rosette is actually one of the drink markers from the Lifestyle Crafts Countdown release and the leaf is a Quickutz die. Sentiment by My Creative Time.

For the third tag I also used the cutout circle center from the Countdown clock but this time as a base for the pinecone and twig accent. The pinecone is by Tim Holtz/Sizzix. Sentiment by My Creative Time.

Product List:
Lifestyle Crafts Countdown, clock
Lifestyle Crafts Splendid, tags
Tim Holtz/Sizzix tattered pine cone
Quickutz champagne bottle Rev0203
Quickutz leaf RS0101
My Creative Time, Follow Your Dreams and Small Talk stamp sets
Bazzill textured cardstock
DCWV textured metallic cardstock
White pen, spica silver glitter pen, ribbon, inks

Butterfly card

Today's card features this glittery butterfly. Believe it or not, it is a Christmas ornament I got at Wally's for about $3 - for a pack of 12!

I added the pearl beads to jazz up the butterfly, but you can see it doesn't really need anything to be stunning. I wish the colors showed up better in the picture, though, this paper is beyond gorgeous! It's the Bo Bunny, Snowfall collection in the 6x6 size.

My handmade flower is from the Tim Holtz/Sizzix Tattered Pine Cone die. It makes the prettiest roses. This one would be even prettier if I had rolled it inside out so the pattern side of the paper were the part you see. Oops. LOL Still you can see how well the shape is when it's finished.

Product List:

Bo Bunny, Snowfall 6x6 paper pad

Butterfly ornament from Walmart

Spellbinders nesting labels22

Spellbinders foliage die

Tim Holtz/Sizzix Tattered Pine Cone die

Pearl bead bling, satin ribbon, fern leaf punch, ink, sandpaper