2014 Favorites

I want to thank all my bloggy friends and followers for the lovely comments you leave for me; I truly appreciate every one of them! As you may know by now, my time with the My Creative Time Design Team has come to an end and I look forward to finding a new path for my creative side I will continue to design for Emma occasionally as a member of the Alumni Design Team, and I still design for Melonheadz Friends so I hope you will continue to visit me here and maybe even join the challenges at Melonheadz Friends.

This year has flown by....I'm sure I say that every year now, but time seems to go faster the older you get. So as the end of the year draws to a close, I am sharing some of my favorite projects of 2014. Best wishes to you all for a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!

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WARNING: Lots and lots of pictures ahead
I've linked the original post for each of the projects below if you'd like to see more of a particular project or a product list. First up, scrapbook layouts, in no particular order. I did so few layouts this year, I should be ashamed of myself. But I did do some and the kids always enjoy looking through their albums for any new pages since the time they last looked. I used to set a yearly goal but haven't done that in a while. Maybe 2015 will be a great time to do that again. ;) I created this page for a Melonheadz Friends Design Team assignment. Grace and I made pancakes in different shapes. This plate of "bacon and eggs" pancakes was really fun! {Original post here.}

This one is another page I did for the Melonheadz Friends Team. Nikki's hand drawn images are so stinkin' cute they just scream to be used on album pages. This page is Olivia, who was so excited to lose her first tooth, it had to be documented! :) {Original post here.}

This page I created for My Creative Time. My adorable great-niece and nephew are so adorable, aren't they?! The super awesome stars and "Now and Then" stamps and dies are perfect!!! {Original post here.}

I think this page may be one of my most favorite layouts of all time. Of course, I might be a little biased, but my beautiful niece and her beautiful family are pretty much the perfect subjects to scrap, which certainly doesn't hurt. *wink  wink*. This page features stamping, embossing, paper flowers, tags and tons of texture. Here is the original post where you can see it in more detail.

Halloween mini book using My Creative Time products, and October Afternoon Witch Hazel papers. This book turned out so cute! Check out lots more on the inside pages in the original post, here.

Cards:

For baby Avery, who had surgery on her skull in October. Amazing what they can do these days!!! This adorable little image is from the Jingle Bells collection by My Favorite Things. Suspicious baby sock borrowed from the kids' doll clothes. ;) {Original post here.}

Count your blessings: This card was inspired by a version I saw on pinterest. The super cute leaves are dies by My Creative Time, and the acorn......Christmas ornament die, also by MCT!!! See more in my original post here.

This card is another pinterest inspiration that I just love and had to recreate. The pinecones are a Quickutz die and the boughs and berries are stamps by My Creative Time. Details in my original post.

Let's stir things up, Paper Smooches. {Original post here.} Love the chunky spoon die!

Original post: You anchor me card using Paper Smooches stamps and dies. I love the burlap paper and had to use this awesome rope for the finishing touch.

This card was a winner at Paper Smooches, Sparks Challenge! Here's my original blog post with all the deets.

For the first time ever, I took a few card classes this year. {Online Card Classes}. It was so much fun I took even more and I learned tons of great techniques {now if I can just remember to use them, right!? LOL} This one features hand sketching around a stamped image......

...this one is multi-layered featuring embossing paste background.....

.....and this one is stamping on a watercolor background that I painted.

With the help of my hubs power tools (ok, and his hands too LOL), I made this Easter Bunny wood hanging for the front door in place of the usual wreath. I love how cute he turned out!!! It was not my original idea, though....I was inspired by none other than pinterest. Super easy to make. {original post}

I hope you've enjoyed this quick look back through my creative year. :) These are just a few of my favorites and heaven knows I will continue to create through the coming year. Be sure to watch for my Melonheadz Friends challenge posts every other Monday!

Happy New Year, bloggy friends!
Thank you for your support. ♥

Merry Christmas!

Every year I share the following letter that I sent to the 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. (I don't live in the area now and I'm a "little" older too. LOL) I will never forget that Christmas. It was truly the best Christmas ever. Please enjoy.

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.

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Merry Christmas. May you be as blessed as I am!
Isaiah 58:7a ...Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless into your house.

Merry Christmas from Cousin Eddie!

If you are a fan of the Vacation movies with Chevy Chase and Beverly DeAngelo, you are well aware of the crass, and sometimes disturbing, Cousin Eddie played by Randy Quaid. Being a HUGE Christmas Vacation fan, needless to say, I HAD to have this cut file!!! This one is on its way to my sister. :)

My Creative Time Farewell Hop

Good morning and welcome to the last hop of the year for My Creative Time! As many of you know, I have been a designer on Emma's team for the past four years.....I KNOW!!! It doesn't seem like it has been that long, but they say if you enjoy your job, you never work a day. Well, that's what it has been like for me being a part of the My Creative Time Design Team. But, all good things come to an end, and my time with the MCT Design Team has come to an end. I want to thank Emma and all the wonderfully talented ladies I have had the pleasure of creating with for the past four years. THANK YOU so much to Emma for the opportunity to share my creations using her fantastic products!

This is not goodbye, however. While I will no longer be on the everyday team, I will continue to share My Creative Time products periodically as a guest designer with the MCT Alumni Team!!!! So, please be sure to stay tuned. :) 

****GIVEAWAY ALERT****

For our giveaway today, EACH ONE OF US is giving away a $15 gift card to the My Creative Time store!  All you have to do is leave a comment at EACH stop in order to qualify to win! Don't forget to leave a way for us to contact you if "YOU" are the lucky winner!  You will have until Sunday, December 21, 2014 @5pm PST to leave your comments! Emma will have all the winners on her blog on Monday, December 22, 2014~!

Now for my card. :) For the sentiment on my card today, I have used one of the retiring sets {please be sure to visit the store and check out those sets you've wanted but haven't yet added to your collection....they are selling out fast!} called Turn That Frown Upside Down. 

I also used the rectangle frames dies, light bulb die from the You're Brilliant stamp set, and the tiny hearts and stars from the 4x4 Journal Card and More set. The tiny flag behind the button is from the Chocolate Greetings set.

If you have come from Cassandra's blog, you're right on track. If you missed the beginning, hop on over to Emma's blog to start. Next up on the hop is Cindy! 

Product List:
My Creative Time, Turn That Frown Upside Down
My Creative Time, Rectangle Frames
My Creative Time, You're Brilliant
My Creative Time, 4x4 Journal Card +More
My Creative Time, Chocolate Greetings
Peachy Keen Stamps, PK173 Great Vibes Robots {face stamp}
Clear embossing powder, white pen, gold and yellow card stock scraps, twine, button

* Happy birthday, Peachy Queen Kathy!! *

Happy happy birthday to Kathy Jakopovich, aka the Peachy Queen! If you are a paper crafter, you have undoubtedly heard of Peachy Keen Stamps and the adorable faces and images created by Kathy! Today is her birthday and I want to share birthday wishes for a most wonderfully special and awesomely fabulous day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATHY!!!!!

Product List:
Peachy Keen Stamps, PK-1375 Faceless Chickens
Peachy Keen Stamps, PK-1379 Sunny Side Up Sentiments
Peachy Keen Stamps, PK-1382 Flamingo Phrases
My Creative Time, Rectangle Frames dies
Technique Tuesday, Ali Edwards Say It "awesome" die
Lifestyle Crafts, Sweet & Sassy 12x12 paper
Copic markers, clear embossing powder, foam tape

***Retirement Sale***

Just a quick note so you don't  miss out. My Creative Time is having a retirement sale through the 26th. If there are older sets you are still wishing you had, now is the time to get them! Many are already sold out so don't wait too long......

These would be great in your Christmas stocking! Happy shopping!

"Lots of Embellies" Challenge with Melonheadz Friends!

There are two posts on my blog for today, so if you are looking for the My Creative Time, Made in Minutes segment, click the home page and scroll to the next post. Thanks! 

Happy Monday and welcome to a new challenge with Melonheadz Friends! I love embellishments so this challenge was really not.....challenging, that is. ;) LOL!

For my card today I used this little girl from the Snow Fun digi set. I colored her outfit to match the papers I chose, and made a shaker of unassembled snowmen to match the color scheme as well.

To add even more dimension, I added puffy paint/liquid embroidery for the pom pom and fluffy edge on her hat. I also used it for the little un-snowball she is holding in her hand. Love that stuff!

Here's a little closer view of the shaker. Shakers are so much fun to make and really easy too. Once you've made one, you'll have no problem doing more and more of them. I used this pretty braided silver ribbon to attach my sentiment.

Thanks for coming by today. I hope you'll join us at Melonheadz Friends for this fun challenge!

Made in Minutes Monday

There are two new posts on the blog today, so if you are looking for the Melonheadz Friends Challenge, click the home tab after 6 a.m. Pacific time. Thanks! 

Hello and welcome to last edition of Made in Minutes for 2014. I have a simple card for you today that really does take only minutes to complete. Let's take a look!

I used the Winter Flakes dies to create a faux-embossed background. Any Xyron machine will come in handy for adding adhesive to the snowflakes, but I didn't want to deal with the glue boogers, so I used my zig glue pen. It takes a little longer if you have to glue them all piece by piece, but the finished look is so pretty! After I placed all the snowflakes, I heat embossed the whole panel with clear embossing powder, before adhering it to my cardfront.

The jingle bells cut from shiny silver paper and attached with a baby-bull clip are the perfect embellishment to the braided silver ribbon along the bottom of the card.

Product List:

My Creative Time, Rectangle Frames dies 

My Creative Time, Winter Flakes dies

My Creative Time, Warm Holiday Fun

My Creative Time, Stitched Pretty Flowers and Leaves

Silver card stock, silver thread, silver braided ribbon, bull clip, clear embossing powder

Giving gift cards

Some of the grands are catching on to how fun gift cards can be....or "credit cards" as the little ones call them, and choosing their own gifts. :) I love finding cute DIY ideas for giving gift cards in fun and unique ways. This year's find is from Technique Tuesday. It's a pull tab die!! What a FUN DIE this is!!!!

I used this stinkin' cute Santa and sentiment stamp by My Favorite Things... so adorable!! This is the Jingle All The Way stamp set and coordinating dies {sold separately}.

I color the Santa with my copic markers, cut a few and layered them onto my card using foam tape. Also added puffy paint to the hat - I love using that stuff on winter projects especially. It makes great snow also.

Here you can see the pull tab.....isn't it cool!

And here, to show you the finished card opened up, is a gift card inside! Super fun to use. Check out Teri Anderson's youtube video showing how to put it all together. Thanks for coming by!

Product List:
Technique Tuesday, pull tab die
My Favorite Things, Jingle All The Way, stamps and dies sets
My Creative Time, Rectangle Frames die and Stitched Decorative Banner dies
Foam tape, clear embossing powder, Copic markers, pattern paper scrap by DCWV, puffy paint

Day 5, Five Days of Christmas with My Creative Time

I hope you have all enjoyed our 5 days of Christmas and Emma's AMAZING GIVEAWAYS! Remember, in order to qualify for a chance to win, you will need to comment on each blog. Please remember also to leave an email address for us to contact you if YOU are a LUCKY winner! You still have the weekend to leave your comments. Emma will announce ALL five days of winners on her blog Monday, December 8, 2014! Good luck everyone! :) xoxo


Yes, I know it is 2014, but I'm just finishing up the last few touches to my December Dailies Christmas Album for last year. For the cover I used the Warm Holiday Fun set for the jingle bells, Stitched Chevy Dies for the banner flags, and for the sentiments, A Day in December stamp set. Also, the zigzag border stripe is from the Fun Stitched Edges die set.

When I finally got the hubs to get down the Christmas decorations from the rafters in the garage, he had a little mishap and I had to replace one of my containers. oops! For this page I used several MCT sets. The journaling cards are cut from the 3x4 card die, ornaments from Warm Holiday Fun, cute tiny banner from the 4x4 Journaling and More die set and speech bubble die. The album, pocket pages, and papers are all by Simple Stories. 

But a couple of weeks later, we received a call from my sis-in-law. MIL would not live to see another Christmas. Well, I set forth scheduling a flight for the hubs to help out with arrangements and be there with his sibs for mom's service. It was a quiet Christmas being home by myself, and needless to say, I didn't feel much like finishing my book after that. Now it is completed and I'm working on this year's album. :)

Thanks for spending some time on my blog this week, thank you for all your lovely comments, and best of luck in the prize drawings!! I hope you've been inspired to create lots of heartfelt homemade creations for the holidays.

Today's giveaway -- be sure to comment for your chance to win!!!!!

Day 4, Five Days of Christmas with My Creative Time

 I hope you are enjoying our 5 days of Christmas and AMAZING GIVEAWAYS! Emma has put together some of HER favorite "MUST HAVE'S" for the giveaways this week! To qualify for a chance to win, you will need to comment on each blog and VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE leave an email for us to contact you if YOU are the LUCKY winner! You will have the ENTIRE week to leave your comments! Emma will announce ALL the winners on Monday, December 8, 2014 on her blog! Good luck everyone! :) xoxo


Super easy project for you today! Great stocking stuffer ideas or classmate gifts. I found these cute little Christmas notepads, pencils and little puzzles and decided to personalize them a bit.

I removed the original label inside the upper sleeve of the notepads and replaced them with my own personalized labels. So quick and easy using the Holiday Tickets stamp set. Boom and done! :) The kids will love these!

And of course, today's giveaway.....if you've been dieing to try watercoloring on your projects or if you already love this technique, today's giveaway is perfect for you. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win these great Koi paints, brushes and watercolor paper pad.  Good luck!