Wolf Creek Crafting

Back Up & Running!

2012-01-26T18:50:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! It's good to be back. Shortly after my last post, my computer blew up. It's one of the hazards of working online most of the day. My dear techno-savvy hubby has set up my Netbook as a temporary solution, so I can get my work done until I get a replacement PC.

I have a lot of things to share with you. I just need some time to get my projects photographed and organized. In the meantime, here's a birthday card I made for my sister-in-law. She likes buffalo (buffaloes??), so what image is better than this skating buffalo from the Birthday Bash Cricut Cartridge? I knew as soon as I saw it that it would be on her next card.

Who would have thought a buffalo could be so cheerful & feminine??

Hey, thanks for sticking with me through my 'puter troubles. I've missed you!

Hugs,
Marcy

Life is Tweet Cricut Canvas

2012-01-02T18:37:00.004-05:00

My first canvas & my first craft project of the new year!

Our newly remodeled powder room needed a little extra homey touch, so I made this canvas to hang above the towel rack. The evening light isn't great, but at least you get the idea.

Details:
Cricut Cartridge - Straight from the Nest
Patterned Paper - Foofala (multi floral); DCWV (yellow)
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Wild Honey & Fired Brick; Memories Direct - ink daubers
Accessories - felt ric-rac - Offray; buttons - Stampin' Up!; foam adhesive dots - Darice; Mod Podge

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Birthday Bluebird of Happiness

2011-12-29T08:45:00.003-05:00

I hope everybody had a lovely Christmas! We had a nice time visiting with family over the weekend and mostly have been relaxing around the house since.

Some of my favorite presents are a vintage wind-up rabbit toy from my dad (more on that in a later post), a Ninja Pulse from my mum (just finished off a super yummy breakfast smoothie), a Kindle Touch from my MIL (downloaded a ton of my favorite classics right away!), and my brother & SIL got us family passes for the Erie Zoo and the Carnegie Museums in Pittsburgh - unlimited admission for a year! (There will definitely be more posts about that later.)

Of course, I got a bunch of new crafting stuff - two new Cricut cartridges, Distress Ink, Distress Crackle Paint, and lots of embellies and paper. Yesterday, I headed to the craft room to play.
Here's the card I made for my mum's upcoming birthday in January:

Details:
Cricut cartridge - Florals Embellished
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Grand Greetings
Patterned Paper - Brenda Walton (floral); DCWV (vintage text)
Cardstock - Coredinations
Ink - SU! - Night of Navy; Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Dye; Memories Direct - ink daubers
Accessories - seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; vintage buttons; pop dots

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

A Cavalcade of Christmas Cards

2011-12-23T10:13:00.005-05:00

Here are several of the Christmas cards I've made in the past few weeks:

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas & the peace of Christ throughout the New Year!

Hugs,
Marcy

Twinkle Bright

2011-12-12T16:17:00.003-05:00

The Christmas crafting & decorating has begun in earnest now that the remodeling projects have begun to wind down.

I am really in love with Anna Griffin's Twinkle Bright collection - lovely rich reds, greens, and cream with wonderful vintage & retro patterns and images. *sigh*

Here's a card I made using a Crafty Secrets image & sentiment along with Twinkle Bright papers and embellies:
This sweetie is on her way to my mum's house.

Hope your days are merry & bright too!

Hugs,
Marcy

Thanksgiving Treat Bag Toppers

2011-11-21T09:29:00.004-05:00

Good morning! I hope you are all looking forward to a peaceful & festive Thanksgiving week. During this Thanksgiving, I wanted to make a little something for my kids' teachers, school secretary, and administrator as a small demonstration of how much we appreciate them. Each one of them is such a dear soul, and we are so grateful for their dedication and the sacrifices they make to work at a small, private, Christian school.

Yesterday, I baked up some batches of sugared pecans. Oh, they made the house smell so good! Then I put them in this little treat bags (from Wal-Mart's cake decorating section in the crafts department) with these bag toppers.

Here's a close up of the toppers:

Details:
Cricut cartridge - Celebrate with Flourish
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Thanksgiving set
Ink - Ranger Adirondack - Espresso; Memories Direct - Ink Daubers
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Cardstock - Core'dinations

Wishing you a lovely Monday!

Hugs,
Marcy

Cricut Forever Young Invitations & Thank You Cards

2011-11-15T05:58:00.007-05:00

We celebrated Shannon's ninth birthday in October with a salon party for the girls in her class. They each got to have their hair styled and their nails painted, then we all walked across the street to our favorite coffee shop for hot cocoa and cupcakes. It was such fun to see the girls so excited about getting all fancied up.

I made her invitations and thank you cards using my Gypsy, Cricut Expression, and the Forever Young cartridge.

The invitations:

Details:
Cricut Cartridge - Forever Young
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug - D'vine Swirls
Adhesive Rhinestones - Miss Elizabeth's

The thank you cards:
Cricut Cartridge - Forever Young
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Stamps - SU! (sentiment)
Foam Dimensionals - Darice
Adhesive Rhinestones - Miss Elizabeth's
Seam Tape Ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs (not sure why the color is so off, it actually matched the dark pink cardstock layer.)

The birthday girl!

Fancy hair:

Hope you have a wonderful day ahead of you!

Hugs,
Marcy

Crafting with the Kids: Handmade Critters

2011-11-12T07:33:00.004-05:00

At school the other day, the kids had free drawing time in art class, and Shannon came home with a drawing of a neat little critter. It reminded me of the kids' Ugly Dolls (love them!), so I suggested we make a stuffed friend for her using her drawing as a pattern. Of course, Ronan wanted one too and quickly drew one up. Look at that smile - seems like a bit of a self portrait to me!

(Ronan with "Venus" and Shannon with "Blurg")

It didn't take long at all to translate their drawings into these stuffed critters, but I did learn some tips along the way:

*Have the kids draw their picture, including any appendages, as large as possible - even after you add a seam allowance, once you stitch and turn any arms, legs, tails, ears, etc. they can be pretty small
*Use a low-pile (micro) polar fleece that won't shed too much
*Let the kids have a say all along the way - have them pick out the colors & any embellishments that are added

My kids were so proud of these creations. They couldn't wait to show them off at school!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Feeling a Bit Bird Brained

2011-10-22T16:48:00.004-04:00

Wow, October is just flying by, isn't it? We've been so busy this month with birthday festivities for Shannon, fall activities, and school events. I've been crafting a little, but everything has been pretty hurried and heading out the door with the adhesive barely dry. From the looks of our calendar, it seems that we'll be enjoying a little slow down at least for a couple of weeks.

Here are a couple of projects that I finished recently.

A birthday card for my mother-in-law, who loves feeding the birds with her numerous bird feeders: Details:
Stamps - Stampin' Up! - Nellie the Nest Lady & Warm Words
Patterned Paper - Making Memories
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Accessories - photo corner - Making Memories; felt flowers & brad - Stampin' Up!; markers - Copic Sketch

I found this sweet little wooden set of drawers at the Salvation Army. It was stenciled 1980s style, so I brought it home and "shabbied it up."

Details:
Images - Crafty Secrets - Birds & Blossoms and Seasonal Calendar Creative Scraps
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Accessories - rub ons - Hambly Screen Prints; vintage button; vintage spool & thread; border punch - Martha Stewart; Mod Podge; hot glue gun

Thanks for sticking with me & stopping by!

See you sooner!
Marcy

Find Joy & Birthday Wishes

2011-09-14T06:10:00.005-04:00

Autumn is my favorite season - the rich rusts, yellows, and oranges associated with it, the clean crispness of the air, the gorgeous sunny but cool afternoons and slightly chilly evenings. All of it is such a relief after the humidity and mugginess of late summer. In Western Pennsylvania, we're already experiencing some of the seasonal delights that come with the fall season, like trips to our local apple orchard.

Fall colors are starting to ease into my cards and scrapbook layouts too. Here are a couple of the projects I did over the weekend.

A scrapbook layout for my son's book of fall photos from last year. I started this page at the retreat in the spring and finished it off with embellishments this weekend:

Details:
Patterned Paper - DCWV - Green Stack
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Title - cut with Live Simply Cricut Cartridge
Tree - cut with Straight from the Nest Cricut Cartridge
Ink - Martha Stewart
Chipboard birds - DCWV - Green Stack Coordinates
Piercing template - Hot Off the Press
Embroidery floss - DMC

Here's a card I made for my best friend's 40th birthday:

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Sunflower set; Papertrey Ink - Out on a Limb set
Ink - Ranger Adirondack Ink - Espresso
Patterned paper - K&Company
Cardstock - Coredinations (aquas & yellow); Gina K Designs (ivory)
Markers - Copic Sketch
Label - cut with Lacy Labels Cricut Cartridge
Seam Tape Ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs
Buttons - Oriental Trading

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great day in store.

Hugs,
Marcy

DinoMite Scrapbook Layout

2011-09-12T20:57:00.004-04:00

Remember that scrapbooking retreat I went to last spring? If you recall, I made a bunch of layouts without the titles, journaling, or embellishments. It has been so nice to have these unfinished layouts on hand for those times when I just want to play for a little while and don't have time for a big project. I just grab a Ziploc bag with a layout in it & finish it off. Such a great sense of accomplishment in a short amount of time.

This layout is for my daughter's book. The kiddos were playing at a park with a lot of dinosaur themed activities, so I used that for inspiration for my layout. I repeated the circles & colors from the background paper using cardstock circles for the journaling and to accent the photos and die cut dinos. The dinos & title were cut using the Cricut Create a Critter cartridge. I really like the way this layout came together. It's so playful and reflects the fun they had at the park together.

I finished another layout, and I have a new card to share, so be sure to stop back tomorrow.

Hugs,
Marcy

Spooky Time

2011-09-10T06:12:00.002-04:00

Have you noticed yet that I am absolutely head over heels for Core'dinations cardstock? I love the amazing colors, the various finishes, the really good prices at Pat Catan's, how well it cuts in my Cricut, and the more you work it - the better it looks! Win, win, win, win, win!

I used Core'dinations Black Magic for my Spooky Time card below. I distressed it, embossed it, wrinkled, and generally beat it up, and it turned out looking and feeling like leather. Looove it!

Details:
Main Image & Tickets - Crafty Secrets - Halloween Creative Scraps
Cardstock - Core'dinations - Black Magic & orange
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Vintage Brad - Stampin' Up!
Velvet Ribbon - unknown
Embossing Folder - Sizzix

I am hitting the craft table later on today, to finish up some scrapbook layouts and create a birthday card for a special friend. So I'll see you back here on Monday!

Hugs,
Marcy

Violin Practice Chart with Cricut

2011-09-03T07:30:00.004-04:00

Well, we made it through the first week of school with flying colors! Both kids are loving their new teachers and classrooms. Hubby is adjusting to a really busy teaching schedule - 6 classes @ 3 different colleges, while I'm getting used to a new work schedule & having the house to myself all day.

In our experience, the key to a successful school year is organization - managing all of the little details & tasks that need to be completed on a daily basis. Even better if the kiddos are given the tools to keep track & complete some of their tasks on their own.

Shannon, our 8-year-old, is starting her second year of violin. She is a very visual person who likes lists, so I thought having a practice chart would be very helpful. A visual reminder, it eliminates me having to nag her about practicing and gives her a sense of accomplishment when she adds a circle to the chart. The circles are attached to the squares with Velcro dots.

Details:
The title & violin were cut using the Cricut Quarter Note cartridge. The days of the week (she doesn't practice on Sundays), squares, circles, & music notes were cut using the Cricut Lite Chore Chart cartridge.
Patterned Paper - Anna Griffin - Lizzie Anne Collection
Cardstock - Coredinations (dark purple); Bazzil (aqua); DCWV (light purple)
Ink - Memories Direct - ink dauber
Pearlescent Chalk - Pebbles Inc.

Wishing you a lovely Saturday!

Hugs,
Marcy

Read to Me

2011-08-25T08:33:00.005-04:00

In just a few more days, my kiddos will be heading back to school. It's kind of bittersweet to see the summer end, but it's also exciting to see the kids embark on a new year of learning. This was my mindset when making my sample for this week's Crafty Secrets challenge - ABCs & 123s.

My dad blesses me with all kinds of lovely vintage goodies - both decorative & functional, and one of his great finds was a huge set of old primer flash cards. I used one as the basis for this wall hanging:

Details:
Vintage Primer Flash Card
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Story of Me & Book Lovers sets
Patterned Paper - Basic Grey
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Soot Black; Martha Stewart Crafts (aqua)
Markers - Copic Sketch
Eyelets - Making Memories
Ribbon - repurposed from a gift package & colored with Copic Barely Beige marker to age

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Card Parade

2011-08-12T07:08:00.006-04:00

In between projects at home and the HUGE project of remodeling the kids' new school in time for the first day, I have been getting some crafting in here and there. So here is a little card parade:

For the Craft Secrets' Christmas in July challenge on SCS -

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Christmas Images & Journal Notes
Stamps - Anna Griffin
Patterned Paper - Anna Griffin - Lizzie Anne
Cardstock - Stampin' Up! (green); Papertrey Ink (pink)
Ink - Adirondack - Lettuce
Button - Jenni Bowlin
Ribbon - Little Pink Studio

Showing off some of our favorite patterned papers on the Crafty Secrets' forum -

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Thinking of You
Ink - Memento - Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up - Marvelous Magenta
Patterned Paper - Anna Griffin - Lizzie Anne
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Cricut Lite Cartridge - Lacy Labels
Markers - Copic Sketch
Half Pearls - Queen & Co.

Crafty Secrets' fans embracing our wrinkles with a little distressing -

Details:
Images & Sentiment - Crafty Secrets - Little Dolls Images & Journal Notes Booklet
Bingo Card - K&Company - Cut & Paste Die Cuts
Cardstock - Core'dinations (red); Bazzill (blue)
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Dye
Seam Tape Ribbon & Bingo Chip - Rebecca Sower Designs

Playing with checks -

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Sew Nice Creative Scraps
Stamps - Stampin' Up! - Button, Button set
Cardstock - Core'dination (green); Bazzill (yellow)
Patterned Paper - DCWV - Berry Street Farmers' Market Stack (gingham) & Crafty Stack (scissors)
Tape Measure - K&Company - Cut & Paste die cuts
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Forest Moss

Looking forward to more crafting time with some new goodies this weekend!

Hugs,
Marcy

Birthday Bash Cards

2011-07-24T06:35:00.003-04:00

Whew! What a busy, but fun, summer we've been having! I've spent very little time in the craft room, partially due to other obligations but also because it's been so very hot up there lately. My daughter and I did do some re-organization of our supplies, so I'll have to share pictures of our new solutions with you soon. In the meantime, here's a picture of the birthday cards I made for the twins, a boy & a girl, in Shannon's class.

These easy-peasy cards were made using the Birthday Bash Cricut cartridge - such a fun, cute cartridge! I used K&Company patterned paper & Core'dinations cardstock (the 6 x 6 packs are the perfect size to have on hand for Cricut cutting - gives you lots of color options too!) I like to use ink daubers (mine are from Memories Direct) for sponging the edges of die cuts to give them more depth.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you're having a fun summer too!

Hugs,
Marcy

Watermelon Fairy

2011-06-29T19:34:00.003-04:00

This week for the Crafty Secrets challenge over on Splitcoast Stampers, we are doing a color challenge inspired by our favorite summer treats. Just think of all the dreamy color combinations that those yummy summer foods represent - chocolate-covered strawberries, gelatin salads, fresh fruits & veggies, lemonade, sweet ice cream treats like creamsicles, banana splits, and scooter crunches - yummmmm!

My card was inspired by sweet, juicy watermelon!

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Fairyland & Mouse Party (sentiment)
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Amy Butler
Cardstock - Core'dinations (green); Gina K Designs (ivory)
Ink - Adirondack - Espresso; Ranger Distress Ink - Barn Door
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch; ribbon - Pebbles Inc.; Pop Dots

Thank you for stopping by! Hope your day is sweet!

Hugs,
Marcy

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T07:24:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I got to spend some special time with my dad. We went yard saling together for the first time in quite awhile. I love going to yard sales and flea markets with my dad, who is a retired high school teacher and an antique dealer. I always learn so much from him. One thing he taught me when it comes to antiques is to buy what you love, regardless of the "book value." That way you have things in your home that you truly like and not just expensive clutter.

Our yard saling adventure resulted in four (count 'em - four!) new-to-me Stampin' Up! sets and a whimsical, vintage handmade doll that will look wonderful with my vintage candy boxes at Christmas time and for Valentine's Day. Most of all, though, I really enjoyed my alone time with my dear dad!

Here's the card I made him:

Details:
Stamps - Stampin' Up! - Knobbly Gnomes set (image); Papertrey Ink - Mixed Messages (Enjoy the Moment) & Pond Life (happy Father's day)
Patterned Paper - DCWV - Natural Mat Stack (plaid); K&Company (paisley)
Cardstock - Core'dinations - Chocolate Box (brown); Gina K Designs - Pure Luxury Cardstock (ivory)
Ink - Ranger - Adirondack - Espresso
Markers - Copic Sketch
Border Punch - Martha Stewart

Thanks for stopping by today!
Hugs,
Marcy

Bunny TV

2011-06-14T06:11:00.007-04:00

Scooter's exercise pen arrived the other day, and now he can play in the yard (supervised, of course) when the weather is nice and not too hot.

He definitely has a special affinity for Shannon, "the bunny whisperer."

Taking a peek at the great wide world beyond.

Shannon made this house for him out of Aldi's boxes.

I have a feeling we're going to be watching the Scooter channel a lot this summer. :)

(In case you're interested, this is the Rabbit Run Around by Precision Pet.)

Hugs,
Marcy

Embellishing

2011-06-10T07:11:00.004-04:00

Remember that weekend scrapping retreat I went to awhile back? I'm still pulling out the layouts I made that weekend and finishing them off with embellishments and journaling. It's so relaxing to me to pop into the craft room, maybe put a good movie on, and just play around with these almost-finished layouts. Here's one of the pages I completed last weekend:

Details:
Patterned paper - DCWV - Green Stack
Chipboard elements - DCWV - Green Stack
Cardstock - Coredinations (orange); Gina K Designs (ivory); unknown - rust
Accessories - fine tip marker - Sharpie; brads - Making Memories

Hope you have a great weekend in store!

Hugs,
Marcy

We Dare You...

2011-06-07T06:40:00.003-04:00

go ahead and smile! :)

Summer vacation has officially begun, and smiling is a must-do on our long list of things to do over the next three months!

Here's the rest of our list:

*Remodel the powder room
*Finish building the kids' playset in the backyard
*Go bike riding & swimming as often as possible
*Play with Scooter the bunny
*Go to summer camp & Vacation Bible School
*Have a yard sale
*Paint Ronan's room & install flooring
*Take a family road trip
*Take violin & art lessons (Shannon)
*Practice our archery
*Eat as many meals as we can outside
*Go swimming in Lake Erie
*Help at the school's funnel cake booth
*Attend picnics and summer birthday parties
*Create works of art with paper, paint, clay, and sidewalk chalk
*Participate in the library's summer reading program
*Enter the Great Stoneboro Fair

Let the summer fun begin!

Hugs,
Marcy

A Good Reminder

2011-05-29T08:57:00.003-04:00

Happy Sunday!

Hugs,
Marcy

Inspired by Scooter!

2011-05-24T07:15:00.007-04:00

Introducing Scooter! Scooter is our new 9 1/2 week-old mini-lop bunny. He joined our household on Sunday, taking up residence in a luxurious tri-level bunny condo in my home office.

The kids were especially excited to welcome him to our family. Ronan provides a running commentary on his antics, and Shannon helps brush & feed him and clean out his cage. He's settling in to his new home quite nicely.

Inspired by our new arrival, I decided to do a black & white challenge for this week's Crafty Secrets' member forum challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. This definitely was a personal challenge for me, as I rarely use black & white in my crafting. Here's my sample card:

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Chandelier Fun
Cardstock - Gina K Designs - Pure Luxury (white); Coredinations - Core Impressions - Jenni Bowlin; Coredinations (pink)
Accessories - emery board; satin ribbon; rhinestones; hat pin - Maya Road

Wishing you a lovely day - safe from all of the storms!

Hugs,
Marcy

Hello Friend!

2011-05-22T07:29:00.005-04:00

This sweet little girl went out in the mail yesterday to one of my dearest friends. One of the things I love about cardmaking is how personal it is. From the selection of images and colors to the handwritten notes inside, handmade cards are all about the connection between the cardmaker and the recipient.

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Couple of Cuties
Patterned Paper - Anna Griffin - Lizzie
Cardstock - Coredinations (pinks); Gina K Designs Pure Luxury (white)
Ink - Versafine Black; Memories Direct Ink Daubers; Adirondack - Lettuce
Accessories - paper tape & glittered die cut - Anna Griffin - Lizzie; markers - Copic Sketch; half pearls

Wishing you a lovely Sunday, my friend!

Hugs,
Marcy

Teacher Appreciation Week

2011-05-20T06:39:00.005-04:00

Each year at my children's school, they have Teacher Appreciation Week. Each day has a different theme, and the school families are encouraged to be creative in showing their thanks to the teachers for the hard work they do all year.

Here are a couple of the things I made this time around:

A card for Shannon's gym teacher, using Stampin' Up's Just Buzzin' By stamp set: (She loves photography too, so we included a gift certificate for a photo lab in town.)

A gift card holder for Ronan's Kindergarten teacher: (We included a gift card for her favorite coffee.)

Hey...thank YOU for stopping by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Mother's Day & New Kittens!

2011-05-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

Well, between Mother's Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, and the slew of birthday parties my daughter has been and will be attending, I have been crafting like crazy. Then there's a bunch of home improvement projects underway at our house, now that my hubby's done teaching for the semester, including the long-awaited powder room remodel! Yay! My family room is filled with boxes of flooring and bathroom fixtures. Can't wait to show you those photos! But first things first...

I'll start with Mother's Day crafting today. Here are the cards I made for my mum and mother-in-law:

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Rose; Papertrey Ink - Pond Life
Ink - Adirondack Ink - Espresso
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Classics
Cardstock - Gina K Designs - Pure Luxury (natural)
Markers - Copic Sketch
Accessories - seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; vintage buttons; embroidery floss - DMC; sponge - Darice

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Sunflower set; Papertrey Ink - Pond Life set
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Cardstock - Coredinations (yellow); Gina K Designs - Pure Luxury (natural)
Markers - Copic Sketch

While we were visiting at my mum's, we got to meet this new mama:

Miss Kitty is a stray, who showed up at my mum's property with a litter on the way. The kittens are two weeks old now. Aren't they dear?

That's it for today! I have lots more to show you though, so stop back soon!

Hugs,
Marcy

A Useful Little Box

2011-04-27T06:31:00.004-04:00

This week it's my turn to host the Crafty Secrets challenge over on Splitcoast Stampers. We are making useful, helpful things for our projects: gift card holders, gift bags or tags, recipe cards, bookmarks, clipboards, tissue box covers, magnets, grocery or to do lists, etc. Anything is fair game, as long as it's useful.

I chose to decorate this little earring box. The box is only about 3" x 2", and it was really fun to work on such a small scale.

I stamped directly on the bottom portion of the box with a vine stamp from CS' Art Blooms set. I decorated the top with dp, added stamped layers from CS' Sunflower set, then adhered the ribbon with red liner tape to finish it off.

Hope you have a happy Wednesday!

Hugs,
Marcy

Easter Cards

2011-04-22T06:44:00.004-04:00

I am really looking forward to having my kiddos home for a long Easter weekend. One wonderful benefit of working from home - even though I have to work today and Monday, at least I still get to be here with them. :)

Here are a couple of the Easter cards I've made recently:

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Easter Creative Scraps
Patterned Paper - Bo Bunny - Shabby Princess
Cardstock - Coredinations - Core Impressions - Jilly Bean Soup (blue) & Chocolate Box (brown)
Ribbon - Michaels

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Easter Creative Scraps
Stamps - Papertrey Ink - Mixed Messages
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo & Rusted Hinge
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Accessories - scalloped circle punch - Martha Stewart; circle punches - Creative Memories; trims - Little Pink Studio; glitter glue - Stickles; vintage button

Wishing you a blessed & happy Easter!

Hugs,
Marcy

Keep Your Sunny Side Up!

2011-04-16T14:27:00.004-04:00

It's a rainy, gloomy day here in Western PA, so we could certainly use this reminder to keep our sunny sides up!

Details:
Main Image & Sentiment - Crafty Secrets - Farm Fresh Creative Scraps
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Down on the Farm set
Patterned Paper - DCWV - Rustic Stack
Accessories - tag; vintage buttons; paper piercer - Stampin' Up!; embroidery floss - DMC

Hope you have some sunshine in your neck of the woods today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Spring is in the Air!

2011-04-12T06:24:00.005-04:00

We had a burst of glorious spring weather on Sunday and spent the afternoon doing yard work while soaking up the sunshine and warm breezes. When we finally came inside, I headed to the craft room and made this spring-themed door hanger.

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Birds & Botanicals Images and Journal Notes booklet
Tag - K&Company - Mega Tag
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Fairyland set (bird's nest)
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Mulberry Paper - DCWV
Cardstock - Gina K Designs
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen & Vintage Photo
Accessories - sheet music & doily - The Little Pink Studio; ribbon - Basic Basic Simply Satin - Michaels; flowers - Prima; decorative brad - Stampin' Up!; vintage button (Thanks, Dad!)

Hope you have a little extra spring in your step today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Such a Sweet Pea!

2011-04-09T18:55:00.003-04:00

This week we welcomed a new neighbor to the block - our friends' little baby girl...their fourth girl!

Everybody is quite taken with this little sweet pea, although our son was a bit disappointed at first. On hearing the news that the baby was yet another girl, he turned his face to the heavens and wailed, "WHY does it always have to be GIRLS?!" then he promptly burst into tears. Poor guy! He certainly is outnumbered in the neighborhood. He's come around, though, and thinks the baby is very small and very cute. :)

Here's the card I made to welcome the new baby:

Details:
Cricut Cartridge - Country Life
Patterned Paper - Stampin' Up!
Cardstock - Stampin' Up! (pink); Core'dinations (greens); Bazzill (white)
Ink - Memories Direct - Ink Daubers
Accessories - border punch - Martha Stewart; ribbon - Offray; 3-D Crystal Lacquer; glitter glue - Stickles

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Hugs,
Marcy

Laugh & Smile

2011-04-04T15:46:00.005-04:00

Here are a couple of layouts that I "stuck" during the weekend scrapbooking retreat I attended a couple weeks ago. At the retreat, I just adhered the photos and paper, saving the embellishing until I was back in my craft room at home.

The patterned paper, letter tiles, phrase stickers and photo corners are all from a K&Company Scrappad To Go. I just inked and layered them to make them my own.

I just love these photos and the others that my hubby took of the kids at our annual fall photo shoot. He did a great job of capturing their personalities.

More layouts to come soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs,
Marcy

Birthday Party Pack

2011-03-30T08:39:00.004-04:00

Whew! I finally turned in my school auction donation yesterday. It's a garden-themed party pack of 15 each: invitations, cupcake toppers (with lollipops attached), favor boxes, and thank you cards.

Too many details to list specifics, but I used the Walk in My Garden Cricut cartridge, Bazzill cardstock, Stickles glitter glue, and the white Signo gel pen. I think these will be perfect for a summer birthday party.

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday in store!

Hugs,
Marcy

A Weekend Away is Precious!

2011-03-27T06:33:00.005-04:00

Last weekend I went to a scrapbooking retreat at Seneca Hills Bible Camp & Retreat Center, and it was such a wonderful time. It was the first time I'd been away from both of my kids overnight for five years. They had a great time with their dad all to themselves, and I had a good time chatting, scrapping, and eating.

Packing for a Crop:
I went through the photos I wanted to scrap and divided them into themes or events for layouts. Then I picked patterned paper and coordinating cardstock to go with each set of photos. In some cases, I gave myself a few different options. I put each of these page kits in a big Ziploc bag and put all of the page kits in a plastic tote.

I packed my shoulder bag with larger tools: paper cutters and ATG, and I put all of my smaller tools, ink, stamping blocks in a train case.

I chose to leave my embellishments behind and just concentrated on creating the layouts and matting and adhering the photos. This worked really well for me, and I felt like I made really good use of the time, "sticking" 21 pages.

I also packed some of my Crafty Secrets stamps and my Copic markers and took a little break from scrapping to make this card using the Poppy set for this week's Crafty Secrets' challenge on Splitcoast:

The challenge was to do some fancy cutting and layer parts of your image. The tallest poppy has three layers. The top two layers are popped up with dimensionals.

I'm coming down the homestretch of creating the rest of my birthday party pack for our school auction, so I'll have that to show to you tomorrow (I hope!)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,
Marcy

Work in Progress

2011-03-16T09:19:00.005-04:00

I've been busy as a bee working on a donation that I'm making for my kids' school fundraiser auction. It's a birthday party pack with 15 each of the following: invitations, thank you cards, cupcake toppers, and favor boxes.

Here's a peek at the cupcake toppers:

The auction is a garden theme this year, so I figured I'd just roll with that. These toppers will be adhered to lollipops (wrapped, of course), then you can just stick the sticks right into the cupcakes. Then they can double as favors for the kids to take home.

Details:
Cricut Cartridges: Walk in My Garden; Straight from the Nest (scalloped circle)
Cardstock: Bazzill
Accessories & Tools: circle cutter - Martha Stewart; glitter glue - Stickles; white gel pen - Sakura; embossing folder - Cuttlebug

Thanks for buzzing by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Farm Fresh Cards

2011-03-04T17:58:00.003-05:00

I'm loving the new Farm Fresh Creative Scraps from Crafty Secrets. vintage + country + crafty = true love to me!

I made this card for our little neighbor girl next door. She's a blond cutie who is always hanging on our fence to talk to our kiddos, so this image was absolutely perfect for her!

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Farm Fresh Creative Scraps
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Down on the Farm set (sentiment)
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Kazoo Kids
Cardstock - Core'dinations - Rustic Collection; Gina K Designs - Pure Luxury Cardstock (ivory)
Ink - Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Decorative Brad - Stampin' Up!

I made this next card for my dear mother-in-law to send to one of her friends. Most of them grew up on farms near each other.

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Farm Fresh Creative Scraps
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Kitchen Classics set (cherries)
Patterned Paper - Paper Pizazz - Flea Market Fabrics
Cardstock - Colorbok
Ink - Adirondack Ink - Espresso
Markers - Copic Sketch

As always, thanks for stopping by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Four Legged Friends Layout

2011-02-26T07:36:00.004-05:00

This is a dilemma that most scrapbooking mamas probably wrestle with - scrapping photos that don't have their kids in them. This year, I'm trying to make an effort to scrap more photos with my husband and me (and extended family members & friends) in them.

My wonderful friend, Kristi, usually hosts a craft night at her house once a month. This time I took the opportunity to scrap some...ahem..."older" photos from my senior year photo session with my beloved dog, Sarah.

Details:
Cricut lite cartridge - Four Legged Friends
Patterned paper - DCWV - Rustic Stack
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Accessories - seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; fine tip marker - Sharpie; pastels - Stampin' Up!

Hope you have a relaxing Saturday in store!

Hugs,
Marcy

Art Blooms Handmade Journal

2011-02-18T06:38:00.003-05:00

Our ladies' Bible study group had a Valentine brunch yesterday, and everyone brought a small gift to exchange. I made a small journal/blank book to give.

I just love this new Art Blooms set from Crafty Secrets. The whimsical designs remind me of folk art and are open to a lot of different color schemes. I paired the stamped image with some Amy Butler paper from K&Company, coloring the image with Copic markers to match the paper. The inside pages are made from Gina K. Designs' Pure Luxury ivory cardstock, and the outside covers are made from Core'dinations Chocolate Box cardstock.

Each inside page is stamped with a small accent on the bottom right-hand corner, but other than that I left the book blank. It can be used as a sketch book, journal, note book, or mini-scrapbook.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you are experiencing some of the wonderful sunshine and warmer temps that we've been having here in Western PA the past couple of days - a rare mid-winter treat for sure!

Hugs,
Marcy

Classroom Valentine Treats

2011-02-14T10:32:00.005-05:00

This morning the kiddos went off to school with smiles and Valentine goodies for their teachers and classmates. Here is what we made this year:

Ronan's Kindergarten Class Valentines

Ronan helped decide what to make for his Valentines, and I did the crafting of them. With his dad's help, Ronan wrote his to - from messages on the back.

Shannon's Second-Grade Class Valentines

Shannon did the coloring on her Valentines. (Yes, I let her use my Copics, and she was very careful with them and did a wonderful job.) She colored each fish to match the classmate's favorite colors.

We used the Create A Critter Cricut cartridge to create the fishbowl, and the fish stamp is from the retired Stampin' Up! Toucan of My Love set.

Then I whipped up these cute and quick Hershey bar covers for the kids' teachers:

The monkeys are K&Company layered accents, and the glittered paper is from My Mind's Eye's Organic stack. The sentiment is from Toucan of My Love too.

Hope you get to spend some time with the ones you love today!

Hugs,
Marcy

A Birthday Declaration

2011-02-12T06:55:00.004-05:00

Last night my daughter and I made a new rule that all birthdays in our household will now be celebrated in no less than three days. :) This declaration was made because yesterday was my birthday, and my hubby had to be gone the vast majority of the day and evening due to school obligations. When I mentioned last night that I was sad that my birthday was almost over, Shannon came up with the idea of extending my birthday for the rest of the weekend. I like the way that girl thinks!

Here is a birthday card that I made for my hubby's cousin, another February birthday. Julie loves anything vintage and girlie, so I thought this image would be perfect for her.

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Childhood Images and Journal Notes booklet
Patterned Paper - K&Company
cardstock - Bazzill
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Dye & Wild Honey
Accessories - die cuts - K&Company; marker - Sharpie; seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; Pop Dots; sponge - Darice

Let the celebration continue!

Hugs,
Marcy

Be Still

2011-02-04T20:22:00.004-05:00

Simply being still in God's presence is something that we've been talking about and encouraging each other to do in the ladies' Bible study that I attend.

In a culture that is constantly moving, frantically communicating, and consistently overloading on media input, being still seems counterintuitive and certainly unproductive. Yet, being still in His presence puts all of that other stuff - that frenetic pace we feel we must maintain - into perspective. It's where that peace resides that we think we can obtain by our own means and methods - if only, if only we had more money, more time, more stuff, more influence, more...fill in the blank. Being still in His presence - that is the true longing of our hearts...and His.

Hugs,
Marcy

Live Your Bliss

2011-02-02T09:58:00.003-05:00

Lately I've been thinking about my gifts and talents and how God might want me to use those to bless others. The other day a friend said to me, "God is so creative!" I truly believe that He's blessed us with abilities to help others in ways that also help us feel fulfilled. We just have to be open to His leading.

I love how happy this little skunk is! I think once his woodland friends realize he means no harm they'll relax a bit too. In the meantime, he is certainly living his bliss, huh?

Details:
Stamps - High Hopes - Roasting Marshmallows; Papertrey Ink - Mixed Messages
Patterned Paper - DCWV - The Green Stack
Cardstock - Gina K. Designs - Pure Luxury Cardstock; Bazzill
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch; ribbon - Pebbles Inc.; leaf brads - unknown

Wishing you a blissful day!

Hugs,
Marcy

Vintage Valentines

2011-01-27T06:52:00.005-05:00

Don't you just love Valentine's Day? Everything about it is so cheerful and sweet. It certainly helps brighten up the sometimes dreary winters we experience here in Western PA. I especially love vintage Valentines and candy boxes. Here are a couple of vintage-inspired Valentine cards I made this week:

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Little Blessings Creative Scraps
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Classic Collection
Cardstock - Core'dinations - Chocolate Box
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Dye
Accessories - heart punches - Creative Memories; border punch - Martha Stewart; seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; Pop Dots; vintage button; embroidery floss - DMC

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Little Blessings Creative Scraps
Stamp - Crafty Secrets - Rose set
Cardstock - Bazzill
Ink - Adirondack Ink - Espresso; Memories Direct Ink Dauber - Orchid
Accessories - ribbon - The Little Pink Studio; Pop Dots; glitter glue - Stickles - Frosted Lace; butterfly - Cricut cartridge - Everyday Paper Dolls; adhesive rhinestones - Dollar Tree

Hope you have a blessed day!

Hugs,
Marcy

Thinking of You Today

2011-01-22T07:39:00.004-05:00

For the Crafty Secret's challenge on Splitcoast Stampers this week, Pammyjo asked us to make a card with just a base and an image layer. I love making one-layer cards because it really makes me think out my design and forces me to play with my stamps, paper, and ink in a different way. Here is my card:

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Birds and Blossoms Creative Scraps
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Fairyland (nest) & Best Buds Vintage Postcard set (small branch & sentiment); Heidi Grace (large branch)
Cardstock - Core'dinations - Whitewash Collection
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Dye
Embellishments - vintage buttons; ribbon - Michaels

It is snowy and VERY cold here today -2 degrees right now! (Not a big deal for my neighbor who grew up in Minnesota.) So I think we'll be hanging out at home today, crafting and eating comfort. I'm going to make some yummy cranberry muffins for breakfast and homemade mac-n-cheese for lunch, probably some crockpot chili for supper.

What are YOU up to today? Whatever it is - stay warm!

Hugs,
Marcy

Faux Tile Technique

2011-01-20T08:54:00.003-05:00

Michele Kovack's faux tile technique tutorial was featured on Splitcoast Stampers a couple of weeks ago, and I finally got a chance to try it out over the weekend.

I'm really pleased with how my card turned out. While the technique isn't that difficult (the hardest part for math-challenged me was figuring out what size to cut my image & squares), the results are pretty impressive. The most time-consuming part is waiting for the lacquer to dry. Michele used Ranger's Glossy Accents, which may have a quicker drying time than Sakura's 3-D Crystal Lacquer, which is what I used.

Details:
Stamps - House Mouse (image); Anita's (sentiment)
Cardstock - Gina K. Designs - Pure Luxury cardstock (natural); Core'dinations Vintage (green)
Patterned paper - Colorbok - Friendly Forest
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Wild Honey; Adirondack - Espresso
Accessories - Ribbon - Pebbles Inc.; 3-D Crystal Lacquer - Sakura

It's probably wishful thinking on my part to see any sun today, but I hope you get to at least breathe in a little fresh air!

Hugs,
Marcy

Country-Inspired Cards

2011-01-12T06:42:00.006-05:00

I recently received two new stamp sets from Crafty Secrets, Down on the Farm and Sunflower, and they are perfect for creating that homespun, shabby country look that is so popular now. Here are the cards I've made so far with these two sets:

The Vintage collection Core'dinations cardstock also adds to the rustic appeal of these cards. All coloring was done with Copic Sketch markers.

Hope you are staying warm & cozy today!

Hugs,
Marcy

An Afternoon at the Museum

2011-01-10T06:44:00.009-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we headed over to The Butler Institute of American Art, where a new exhibit of work from area artists opened. One of my mum's watercolor paintings was accepted in the show! We're so proud of her!

Mum and her painting.

Onion Bulbs, a still life in watercolor.

Nana & Shannon.

Our family enjoying the show. That's my handsome dad on the right. My handsome hubby was behind the camera all day, as evidenced at this mirror installation piece below.

If you happen to be near Youngstown, you should definitely make the effort to get to The Butler. It is a wonderful, family-friendly museum with an amazing and varied collection of pieces. I was especially excited to see Norman Rockwell's Abe Lincoln Railsplitter, Winslow Homer's Snap the Whip, Vonnoh's In Flanders Field: Where Soldiers Sleep and Poppies Grow - truly inspiring!

Wishing you a lovely Monday!

Hugs,
Marcy

Second Grade Layout

2011-01-06T08:43:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I am stubbornly reluctant to use scrapbooking supplies that are part of the same line together. Isn't that silly? As if it's not creative enough or something. I know I'm not the only scrapbooker that does this to herself either. Well, this year I am setting myself free of that notion, and, I daresay, I'll have more finished layouts at the end of the year to show for it - starting with this one, featuring my daughter's second grade school photo.

Details:
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Hopscotch
Cardstock - Darice
Alpha Stickers - K&Company - Hopscotch
Accessories - Ric-rac - Paper Wishes; staple - Swingline; paperclip - unknown

Hope you have a great day today! The weekend is just around the corner!

Hugs,
Marcy

School Days Layout

2011-01-04T09:41:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice New Year weekend. We had a lovely time ringing in the new year with friends. Yes, I actually stayed up until midnight! The kids felt so grown up watching the ball drop and sipping sparkling grape juice with their friends.

So here is my first papercrafting project of the new year - a layout of my son's kindergarten photo. I received this Core Impressions cardstock for Christmas, and it makes a wonderful background. I sanded it with a wide nail file to bring out the core color a bit.

Details:
Cardstock - Core Impressions - Jilly Bean Soup; Darice (red)
Patterned Paper - Karen Foster
Chipboard Elements - Fancy Pants - All Fall
Brads - Making Memories

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Blinging in the New Year!

2010-12-29T07:20:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone is having some nice holiday time with their loved ones this week! We had a lovely Christmas weekend with family. The kids have been very busy playing with their new games, LEGOs, crafty things, and reading their new books. It's a huge blessing that, even though I have to work this week, working from home means I still get to watch them play and eat lunch with them and hubby too.

My family is so sweet to spoil me with tons of crafting goodies every holiday. (Yes, I received Copic markers for my fifteenth wedding anniversary!) This Christmas was no exception, so I will have lots of new things to share with you here, including the patterned paper I used on today's card.

This week I'm hosting the last Crafty Secrets challenge for 2010. We are "blinging" in the New Year with all kinds of shiny, sparkly, glittery things on our projects. Here's my sample card:

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Seasonal Images booklet
Patterned Paper - DCWV - Natural Mat Stack
Glitter Glue - Stickles - Copper
Organza Ribbon - Paper Wishes
Vintage Button - courtesy of my antique dealer dad (Thanks, Dad!)

BTW, have you seen Crafty Secrets new Web site yet? It's not quite done yet, but you can already see that it's beautiful and much easier to navigate. Be sure to go over and take a look!

Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday!
Hugs,
Marcy

Christmas Critters

2010-12-23T07:00:00.007-05:00

One of the things I love about card making is finding just the right images to use for the card recipients. Here are some Christmas cards I made recently using images I think the recipients will love.

This card is for my daughter's second-grade teacher. This soft-spoken, wonderful lady is so sweet and so dedicated to her job. She has two pet bunnies at home, so I made her this soft, sweet bunny card.

Details:
Stamps - Stampin' Up! - Forest Friends (bunny)
Cricut cartridge - Winter Woodland (tree)
Patterned paper - Stampin' Up!
Cardstock - Gina K. Designs - Pure Luxury Cardstock (white); Bazzill (blue-green); Core'dinations (brown)
Accessories - glitter glue - Stickles (Stardust); adhesive half pearl - unknown

Here's a card for my best friend who loves her black lab. The image is from Mo's Digital Pencil. Maureen Manning is an amazing illustrator, and her whimsical images are pure joy to color!

Details:
Digistamp - Mo's Digital Pencil - Christmas Lab
Stamp - Papertrey Ink - Mixed Messages
Ink - Versafine black
Cardstock - Gina K Designs - Pure Luxury Cardstock (white); K&Company - Fresh Paint (red)
Patterned Paper - Provocraft
Markers - Copic Sketch

This next card is for my boss and her family. I'm always on the lookout for images that play on the name of our company, and this squirrel image from Mo's Digital Pencil is too sweet to resist.

Details:
Digistamp - Winter Delivery - Mo's Digital Pencil
Stamp - Stampin' Up! - Favorite Teddy Bear
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Cardstock - Darice (white); K&Company - Fresh Paint (red)
Ink - Stampin' Up! - Early Espresso
Ribbon - Paper Wishes
Markers - Copic Sketch

Thanks for taking time out of your Christmas preparations to stop by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Vintage Santas

2010-12-19T12:35:00.006-05:00

Growing up the daughter of an antique dealer/collector, it's no surprise that I have an affinity for most things vintage. I especially like using vintage images in my paper crafting, and these vintage Santa images from Crafty Secrets (check out their wonderful new Web site!) are particularly fun to use.

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Christmas Images & Journal Notes
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Art Studio set
Sticker - Cosmo Cricket - Just Your Holiday Type
Patterned Paper - DCWV - Recycled Stack
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Ink - Versafine; Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen
Accessories - glitter glue - Stickles (Platinum); 3-d Crystal Lacquer - Sakura; edge distresser - Tonic

Appropriately, this one was hand delivered to my Dad today!

Details:
Main Image & Calendar - Crafty Secrets - Seasonal Calendar Creative Scraps
Sticker - Cosmo Cricket - Just Your Holiday Type
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Cardstock - K&Company - Fresh Paint (red); Core'dinations
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen; SU! Cherry Cobbler
Accessories - glitter glue - Stickles (platinum & stardust); seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; vintage button (from my antique dealer Dad & his friends - thanks!); edge distresser - Tonic

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Christmas Images & Journal Notes
Patterned Paper - unknown
Cardstock - Core'dinations; K&Company
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen; ink daubers - Memories Direct (green & gold)
Accessories - holly punch - Martha Stewart; markers - Copic Sketch; white gel pen - Sakura; seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday!
Marcy

Medallion for Music Teacher

2010-12-16T08:34:00.004-05:00

In between nursing sick kiddos (they are both on the mend now), work, and all of the special events that happen this time of year, I've still managed to get some Christmas crafting done.

I made this paper medallion for my daughter's music teacher this morning, while Shannon was getting ready for school. I think these will be my go-to gift this year for all those special people I want to give a little something to along with their Christmas cards. Some will be Christmas-themed, and some (like this one) will be geared to the recipients' interests. For instructions on how to make these medallions, check out Lisa Zappa's fabulous blog, here.

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Birds & Botanicals Images & Journal Notes booklet
Patterned paper - K&Company - Life's Journey
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Altered Art set
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen
Accessories - Scor-Pal; seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; scalloped circle punch - Martha Stewart; eyelet - Making Memories; sponge - Darice

Hope you're able to slow down a little today and appreciate the season!

Hugs,
Marcy

A Little Birthday Goose

2010-12-10T12:55:00.005-05:00

Well, you've heard of Christmas goose - how about a little birthday goose?

On the Crafty Secrets member forum this week, Lori Lynn is challenging us to use musical elements on our projects. I love this quirky goose image from Crafty Secrets' Wacky Animals Creative Scraps. I think she's perfect for singing "Happy Birthday" to my mum, who has a pond full of ducks & geese at her house.

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Wacky Animals Creative Scraps
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Sweet Kids (sentiment)
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen & Tea Dye
Accessories - trim - Wrights; musical ribbon - unknown; vintage button; Pop Dots; glitter glue - Stickles (burgundy)

Wishing you a lovely, inspired weekend ahead!

Hugs,
Marcy

A Purrr-fect Birthday

2010-12-09T06:32:00.004-05:00

The Pink Stamper has a challenge this week to make Cricut birthday cards, which happens to coincide perfectly with my dear sister-in-law's birthday today! Hi, Megan! *waves* Hope you have a wonderful day! :)

Meg loves pink & cats, so that drove my inspiration for this card. The images are from the new Wal-Mart-exclusive Cricut Lite cartridge, Four-Legged Friends, which has so many great animal images on it and is perfect for pet lovers.

Sorry about the photo quality. We've been dumped on with lake-effect snow here in Western Pennsylvania, and the available light in the house is pretty dreary. IRL that ribbon is not red at all but the same burgundy as the cardstock.

I do love how the patterned paper looks like a linoleum tile floor!

Details:
Cricut Cartridge - Four-Legged Friends
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Patterned Paper - Chatterbox
Stamps - Word Stamp Kit - Magnetic Poetry
Ink - SU! Bravo Burgundy
Pearlescent Chalk - Pebbles Inc.
Ribbon - Offray

Thanks for coming by today! Stay warm!

Hugs,
Marcy

Northern Hearts Redwork Card

2010-12-08T09:02:00.003-05:00

I am so pleased to share this card with you this morning! Every year my husband asks me to create a simple Christmas card that he can hand out to all of his associates on various boards, committees, etc. on which he serves. This is the card I've designed for this year.

It is a CAS (clean and simple) design, using the Stampin' Up! Northern Hearts hostess set and a sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Mixed Messages set. I'll tell you what CAS card designs are not for the faint of heart. You have to be very confident in your stamping abilities because mistakes are easily noticeable and hard to cover up. The only thing I typically measure is the card front and some mat layers; otherwise, I eyeball everything. Measuring kind of takes some of the fun out of card making for me. For this design, I just ink up the stamps, take a deep breath, and start stamping!

Hope you're having a great day today, and thanks for spending part of it with me!

Hugs,
Marcy

A Santa Medallion & Christmas Mice

2010-12-06T10:32:00.005-05:00

It's been quite busy at our house during the last couple of weeks, but I did manage to squeeze in some crafty time this weekend.

I was so excited to try making these paper medallions that Lisa Zappa showed on her blog: http://shabbychickjunk.blogspot.com/2010/12/crafty-secrets-december-guest-designer.html
They looked much more complicated than they are and are so fun to make!

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Christmas & Journal Notes booklet
Patterned Paper - Stampin' Up!
Cardstock - Core'dinations & Bazzill
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen; SU! - Early Espresso
Glitter glue - Stickles

Here are a couple of Christmas cards I made for Shannon's violin & music teachers, using Crafty Secrets' Mouse Party set. Looks like these sweet mice are getting ready for their Christmas concert!

I hope in the busyness of the holidays that you are able to take some time and enjoy some quiet moments too!

Hugs,
Marcy

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T06:50:00.002-05:00

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! For all the many blessings God has provided, may we be truly thankful.

Marcy

Playing with Cricut & Gypsy

2010-11-24T06:43:00.006-05:00

Last month I was fortunate enough to have won a Gypsy courtesy of Provo Craft and Michele Kovack's wonderful blog. Michele is a consummate papercrafter, and her designs and attention to detail are always inspiring.

I really have enjoyed getting to know my Gypsy over the past few weeks, planning projects while waiting at parent pick up at school, and exploring the features on my cartridges. A few of the functions I like best about the Gypsy is the ability to work with several cartridges at once on the same project, the ability to search for images in the cartridge library (even ones you don't own), and the ability to see the exact measurements (height and width) of the images you are using.

This week, I am hosting the Crafty Secrets member forum at Splitcoast Stampers. We are playing with shapes this week - die cuts, punches, templates, stencils, etc. For my Let It Snow sample card, I cut various snowflakes on my Cricut Expression using the Winter Woodland cartridge.

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Christmas Images & Journal Notes booklet
Stamps - See D's - Flurries set
Ink - Memories Direct - Ink Dauber - Orchid
Cardstock - Bazzill & Core'dinations
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Snowflakes - Cricut Expression & Winter Woodland cartridge
Accessories - trim - Wrights; half pearls - unknown

I designed the card below on my Gypsy while waiting at parent pick up at my kids' school. I made several of these for my daughter as birthday thank yous for relatives. I love the simple, bold design on this with the bright colors and sweet little hedgie - as my dh said, "It's so very 'Shannon!'"

Details:
Hedgehog - Cricut Create a Critter cartridge
Sentiment - Cricut Winter Woodland cartridge
Cardstock - Bazzill (pink & blues); DCWV (red); Gina K. Designs (white)
Patterned paper - K&Company (Berry Sweet)
Accessories - brads - Making Memories; Pop Dots; pearlescent chalk - Pebbles Inc.

Thanks for stopping by today!
Marcy

Tree & Mouse

2010-11-13T18:27:00.004-05:00

I stopped chasing dust bunnies at my house long enough to play with this sweet, little mouse from Crafty Secrets' Mouse Party set. This week on the Crafty Secrets member forum on Splitcoast Stampers, Darlene challenged us to use lace on our projects. My daughter, Shannon, suggested I flip the lace with the scallops up, so that the mouse looks like he's sitting in the snow.

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Mouse Party
Cricut cartridge - Christmas (tree)
Patterned paper - DCWV - Berry Street Farmer's Market
Cardstock - Core'dinations; Gina K. Designs (natural)
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo & Tea Dye; SU! - Cherry Cobbler
Accessories - lace; Pop Dots; markers - Copic Sketch; paper fastener; tinsel glitter - Martha Stewart

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
Marcy

Christmas Crafting

2010-11-09T05:52:00.004-05:00

Although I don't want to skip Thanksgiving crafting altogether, I do know I need to start my handmade Christmas items sooner rather than later. So I've been squeezing in a few Christmas projects here and there in the midst of this beautiful autumn weather.

Here are a couple of projects I did this weekend:

Details:
Main Image: Crafty Secrets - Christmas Images & Journal Notes
Stamps: Crafty Secrets - Snowbunnies set (snowflake); Anna Griffin (sentiment)
Ink: Stampin' Up! - Cherry Cobbler & River Rock
Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up! - Deck the Halls
Cardstock: Core'dinations
Accessories: edge distresser - Tonic; branch punch - Martha Stewart; glitter glue - Stickles (Stardust & Burgundy)

A lunch bag gift card holder:

Details:
Main Image: Crafty Secrets - Seasonal Images booklet
Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Too Terrific Tags set
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Patterned Paper: SU! - Deck the Halls; DCWV - Rustic Stack
Cardstock: Core'dinations
Accessories: ribbon, brad, & eyelet - Making Memories

Wishing you all a lovely fall day!
Marcy

I love it when a project comes together!

2010-11-03T19:25:00.004-04:00

I am just so tickled with this project that I couldn't wait to share it with you!

I definitely needed some crafting therapy this week, and this project just makes me smile. It was so much fun to make - one of those rare flurry-of-activity crafting moments when I can't get the supplies in my hands fast enough. (I'm usually a very slow, methodical crafter.)

Details:
Santa on a Scooter image - Crafty Secrets - Christmas Images & Journal Notes booklet
Kids with Tree image - Crafty Secrets - Calendar Creative Scraps
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Snowbunnies (snowflake); See D's - Nightingale (flourishes)
Vintage flash cards (courtesy of my antique dealer dad - Thanks, Dad!)
Ink - SU! True Thyme & River Rock; Ranger Distress Ink - Fired Brick
Accessories - glitter glue - Stickles (Stardust); ribbon - Michaels; eyelets (Making Memories)

Thanks for stopping by today!
Marcy

Thinking of You Times Two

2010-10-27T17:53:00.005-04:00

This week is my turn to host the Crafty Secrets challenge over on Splitcoast Stampers and in the spirit of the Hope You Can Cling To campaign SCS is sponsoring I decided to go with a "thinking of you" challenge - with a twist.

We are making two cards/projects this week - one for a friend who could use a smile & one to send to patients at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. So the idea is to make the card for your friend, then before clearing off your workspace, use some of the same supplies to make a second card for HYCCT.

Here are the cards I made:

Details:
Main Image & Sentiment - Crafty Secrets - Vintage Photos Creative Scraps
Patterned Paper - K&Company (blue); DCWV - Rustic Stack (beige)
Cardstock - DCWV
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Dye
Accessories - rick-rack - Offray; embroidery floss - DMC; sponge - Darice; brad - unknown

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Little Blessings Creative Scraps
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - A Couple of Cuties (sentiment)
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Patterned Paper - K&Company (blue); DCWV - Rustic Stack (beige); pink script (unknown)
Cardstock - Bazzill (pink)
Accessories - corner punch - Fiskars; glitter glue - Stickles (Stardust); ribbon - unknown

Thank you for stopping by today!
Marcy

Greetings & Kind Thoughts

2010-10-23T19:39:00.002-04:00

Sending you all greetings & kind thoughts today!

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Birds & Blossoms Creative Scraps
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Cardstock - DCWV
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Best Buds Vintage Postcard Kit
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Forest Moss & Tattered Rose
Button - Jenni Bowlin
Ribbon - The Little Pink Studio
Embroidery Floss - DMC
Glitter Glue - Stickles - Stardust
Sponge - Darice

Turning Eight!

2010-10-18T12:52:00.005-04:00

Our dear girl turned eight this weekend during what could basically be called a three-day extravaganza. Lots of good times with family & friends. She cheerfully reminded us that she's now "half-way there!" to driving age. {insert bittersweet sigh here}

Hugs,
Marcy

Little Blessings

2010-10-12T16:12:00.005-04:00

Over the weekend I made a couple of cards using Crafty Secrets' new Little Blessings Creative Scraps. To me, these are the perfect blend of sweet images and uplifting sentiments. This is why I love to make cards. At a time when most communications are so, well, wired, making & sending handmade cards feels more personal, more heart to heart. To the recipient, I hope it is a little surprise, a little pause for breathing room, a little art & beauty added to his or her day.

This card is for a card shower that Darlene & her daughter are organizing for a friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer. If you would like to participate, I'm sure it would be greatly appreciated. Read more about it here on Darlene's blog.

Details:
Main image: Crafty Secrets - Little Blessings Creative Scraps
Patterned paper: K&Company - Life's Journey
Cardstock: Core'dinations - Nostalgia collection
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Brushed Corduroy
Accessories: ribbon - Basic Basic - Simply Satin; vintage button; crocheted flower - unknown; embroidery floss - DMC; sponge - Darice; corner punch - Fiskars

This card is for my daughter's 8th birthday. The image reminds me of card images & illustrations that were popular when I was a little girl in the seventies. So sweet!

Details:
Main image: Crafty Secrets - Little Blessings Creative Scraps
Stamps: Crafty Secrets: Fairyland (mushroom); Best Buds Vintage Postcard Kit (butterflies)
Patterned paper: K&Company
Cardstock: Stampin' Up!
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Forest Moss
Seam Tape Ribbon: Rebecca Sower Designs
Eyelets: Making Memories
Distressing tool: Tonic

Wishing you a lovely day!
Marcy

Saturday Shopping (on Sunday): Custom Crops

2010-10-10T18:00:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we spent the day doing what should be done on a beautiful, warm fall day in Western Pennsylvania. Our day was full of parade fun, hayrides, scarecrows, face painting & games, and yummy fall treats.

All that to say that I didn't get around to writing my Saturday Shopping post. Today I want to tell you about Custom Crops. For scrapbookers, cardmakers, and papercrafters, Custom Crops is practically a one-stop shop. They have a great selection: Cricut machines & cartridges, Flower Soft, Grungeboard, and even my all-time favorite stamps, Crafty Secrets. Custom Crops has particularly good prices on Cricut items. This is where I purchased my Expression and many of my cartridges. They frequently have sales and specials on shipping. I really appreciate that they post customer reviews of the products they carry.

Hope you've had a relaxing weekend, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

Marcy

Fall Thank You

2010-10-06T08:48:00.004-04:00

In the past week, a dear friend of mine & her daughter have treated Shannon to a trip to the apple orchard for cider & ginger muffins with cinnamon cream cheese filling (yes!) & a (very grown up) trip to the local coffee shop for scones & hot cocoa (with "lots of whipped cream, please!"). So I made this little thank you card for them:

Details:
Stamps - Stampin' Up! - Give Thanks; Heidi Grace (thank you)
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Wild Saffron
Cardstock - K&Company - Fresh Paint (red); Gina K Designs (natural); kraft - Value Pack cards
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Accessories - circle punch - SU!; leather twine - unknown; markers - Copic Sketch

Thank YOU for coming by today!
Marcy

You are Precious!

2010-10-05T18:26:00.005-04:00

During the month of October, Splitcoast Stampers is sponsoring Hope You Can Cling To, a card drive for breast cancer patients & their family members at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. There will be all kinds of challenges all month, including challenges in the member company forums. For this week's Crafty Secrets challenge, Lori Lynn challenged us to use pink on our cards. I used the new Poppy set from CS to make my card. We have real poppies in our yard every year that bloom this beautiful tea rose color.

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Poppy
Ink - SU! Cranberry Crisp; Ranger Distress Ink - Tattered Rose
Patterned Paper - K& Company
Cardstock - Core'dinations (deep red); Gina K Designs (natural)
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch; lace overlay border - Hambly Screen Prints; glitter glue - Stickles (chocolate & stardust); edge distresser - Tonic

Wishing you all a lovely day!
Marcy

Spy Party Preparations

2010-10-04T08:17:00.005-04:00

Shortly after Shannon's seventh birthday, maybe even before, she announced that she wanted to have a spy party to celebrate her eighth. After much thought, preparations are now well under way. The invitations were created over the weekend and are being hand-delivered with much excitement at school today.

I created the invitations in Word using various fonts and printed them in mirror image, so the recipients will have to hold them up in the mirror to read them. I tucked the invitations & directions in these 6 x 9" clasp envelopes from Wal-Mart and sealed them with this cute disguise stamp from High Hopes:

We've ordered or purchased all of the spy-type items for the goody bags: funny nose & glasses for disguises, top secret notebooks & pens, magnifying glasses, and flashlights. The games have been decided, and now I just have to gather some props and order a cake!

Thanks for stopping by today ~ your visits mean a lot to me!

Marcy

Saturday Shopping: Stubby Pencil Studio

2010-10-02T14:29:00.004-04:00

I spend a lot of my crafting time creating for & with my children, who are five and nearly eight years old, so today I want to share with you one of my favorite online stores for children's art & craft supplies: Stubby Pencil Studio.

This wonderful store offers a wide variety of eco-minded products for kids. Some of our favorite products can be found there: TRIMAX colored pencils, sturdy & whimsical sketchbooks, cards to color, and some of our all-time favorite stocking stuffers.

Pop into Stubby Pencil Studio sometime, pick something up for your kiddos, and maybe even treat yourself to something fun!

Have a happy Saturday!

Marcy

Just Hanging Around

2010-09-28T09:09:00.004-04:00

I'm hosting this week's Crafty Secrets member forum challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers, and I've chosen "Just Hanging Around" as the theme.

We're making things to hang around the house, around our necks, on presents, and on cards. I made this fall decoration as my challenge sample:

It went together very quickly.

Details:
Stamps: Crafty Secrets - Thanksgiving set
Main Image: Crafty Secrets - Seasonal Images booklet
DP: DCWV - Rustic Stack
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Accessories: chipboard - Vintage Postcard Kit - Crafty Secrets; ribbon - Offray; markers - Copic Sketch; clear glitter pen - Atyou Spica; copper glitter - Martha Stewart; eyelets - Making Memories; distressing tool - Tonic; sponge - Darice

Thanks for stopping by today!
Marcy

Saturday Shopping: The Little Pink Studio

2010-09-25T08:59:00.005-04:00

Finding quality crafting items online with reasonably quick & affordable shipping options is rarely an easy task, so I thought I'd start a blog series called Saturday Shopping to share my favorite online stores with you. With Christmas around the corner, I hope this helps you check some items off your shopping list!

The first shop I want to share with you is a gem of a place called The Little Pink Studio. The owner, Cerri, just revamped this fabulous online store and has added some great new inventory and features, like whimsical Crafting with Children items and an Inspiration Gallery. Cerri has impeccable taste in embellishments and stocks her store with scrumptious ribbons, gorgeous glitters, and funky vintage finds.

You can't help but be inspired when browsing her shop "shelves," and it's so tempting to say, "One of everything, please!" I recently ordered the Wild Things rubber stamp set for my daughter's stocking. I have a feeling I'll be borrowing it, though; it's too cute! Oh, and one more thing, she has gift certificates!

Here's a card I created this week, using ribbon from The Little Pink Studio:

Details:

Stamps: Crafty Secrets - Couple of Cuties (image); Sweet Kids (sentiment)
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo & Antique Linen
Patterned Paper: K&Company
Cardstock: Gina K Designs (ivory); K&Company (butter & pink)
Ribbon: The Little Pink Studio
Markers: Copic Sketch

Hope you have a great Saturday and happy shopping!

Marcy

Eat, Drink, & Be Scary!

2010-09-21T10:44:00.009-04:00

This is the time of year when it gets a little tricky to be a crafty blogger. I'm making things, but I can't always post them because they are gifts for Christmas & upcoming birthdays.

Well, here is a project that I can post. These are photos of a Halloween party Shannon went to with her classmates last year. I embellished the layout with images from Crafty Secrets' Halloween Images and Journal Notes booklet, added some glitter here and there, and voila! an easy-peasy, practically instant multi-photo layout!

Details:
Images & Journal Blocks - Crafty Secrets - Halloween Images & Journal Notes booklet
Stamps - See D's (spider webs)
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen & Black Soot
Patterned Paper - unknown
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Accessories - glitter glue - Stickles; ribbon - Offray; border punch - Martha Stewart

Here are some close ups of some of the embellies:

Witchin' you all a wonderful day!
Marcy

Inspirational Journal

2010-09-17T07:10:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I had a wonderful time having lunch out & shopping a bit with two of my dearest friends, Karin & Jeannie, celebrating Karin's belated birthday. I made this altered composition book/journal for her as gift, thinking she could use it for her Bible study notes. I love how this one turned out, so soft & shabby.

Details:
Paper - K&Company - Life's Journey (multi-floral); Anna Griffin (striped & pink floral)
Journaling Block - Anna Griffin
Stamps - Papertrey Ink - Everyday Blessings
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Tattered Rose & Antique Linen; Stampin' Up! - Cranberry Crisp
Ribbon - Basic Basic - Simply Satin
Binding Alteration - Gesso; Ranger Distress Crackle Paint (pink); Copic Sketch Marker - Dull Ivory
Fabric Sentiment Sticker - unknown

Wishing you a wonderful Friday!
Marcy

Bookmarks for Butterfly Experts

2010-09-13T16:56:00.004-04:00

My daughter's second-grade class has been studying the life cycle of the butterfly, so I made these bookmarks for them over the weekend. Shannon handed them out today, and they were a big hit.
Details:
Cricut Cartridge - Everyday Paper Dolls
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Hopscotch
Cardstock - Bazzil; Core'dinations; Darice
Ribbon - SU! (chocolate); Cosmo Cricket (red twill)
Markers - Copic Sketch (cheeks - Pale Cherry Pink); Sharpie (olive green)

Wishing you a lovely evening!
Marcy

Altered Composition Books for the Kids

2010-09-11T06:26:00.005-04:00

I had sooo much fun making these altered composition books for my kiddos.

For Shannon, a notebook to keep track of the chapter books that she's avidly reading:

Details:
Patterned Paper & Chipboard Elements: DCWV - Green Stack Recycled Collection
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Paper
Rub On Letters: Making Memories - Simply Stated Alphabet
Ribbon: Michaels - Basic Basic Ribbon

And for Ronan, a place to keep track of the tall tales he likes to make up:

Details:
Patterned Paper & Chipboard Elements: Basic Grey Archaic Collection
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Alphabet Stickers: Making Memories
Rub On Letter: Making Memories - Simply Stated Alphabet
Ribbon: unknown

I plan on spending a lot of time messing about in the craft room today. Hope you have a super day in store too, and thanks for spending part of it here!

Hugs,
Marcy

Back to School!

2010-09-03T13:00:00.005-04:00

It's been a busy week here in our household! The kiddos started school on Monday, and my dear hubby started teaching a new class on a new campus Tuesday. I haven't quite gotten used to the new routine yet. Those first few mornings were almost too quiet. I actually had trouble concentrating! :) This morning was quite productive, though, so I'm looking forward to settling into the new schedule.

Here are a couple of cards I made for the kids' teachers:
Details:
Stamps - Imaginisce - Show & Tell Collection
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Carolyn Gavin
Cardstock - Gina K. Designs (ivory); K&Company - Fresh Paint (red)
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch & Sharpie; Pop Dots

Details:
Stickers - Crafty Secrets - School Time
Patterned Paper - Stampin' Up!
Cardstock - DCWV
Accessories: border punch - Martha Stewart; ribbon - Foofala; Pop Dots

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Marcy

Altered Composition Book & Porch Project Sneak Peek

2010-08-23T07:21:00.007-04:00

Lately on Splitcoast Stampers there has been some buzz about the availability of cheap composition books at big box stores thanks to back-to-school sales. These notebooks are quick & easy to alter and perfect for journals, organizers, etc. The clever crafters at SCS have shown that there really is no end to the usefulness of these books.

I picked mine up at Wal-Mart for 25 cents each and altered mine to keep meeting notes and reminders. I used the Trend K&Company Scrap Pad to Go to alter it, which was great because it had all sorts of useful coordinating elements, like the tabs, frame, mini file folders, etc.

Back view:

I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of time here with my journal:

Yep! Remember that porch project we started last year?

We're coming down the homestretch now. Just some touch-up staining on the balusters, staining the ceiling, and some finishing touches here and there - and we're done! I'll definitely share some full-view photos with you when that happens. :)

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hugs,
Marcy

Holiday Head Start

2010-08-18T10:13:00.003-04:00

This year I am determined to get a head start on my holiday crafting. I always have a million ideas for homemade gifts and cards, then I run out of time and only create a fraction of them. I figure that even if I only make one or two things a week, I will still be way ahead of the game.

This week on the Crafty Secrets forum challenge on Splitcoast Stampers, Pammyjo challenged us to use paper bags for our projects. I cut down and folded a lunch sack to make this Christmas gift card holder. It was such fun and pretty quick to make!

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Seasonal Images booklet
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Sweet Kids (snowflakes); Papertrey Ink - Mixed Messages
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen; Stampin' Up! - River Rock
Patterned Paper & Tag - Basic Grey
Cardstock - K&Company (red); Neenah Paper (natural)
Accessories - ribbon & brad - Making Memories; embroidery floss - DMC; vintage button; edge distresser - Heidi Swapp

Last week for the Crafty Secrets member forum challenge, Darlene asked us to use blue on our projects. I used this adorable Thanksgiving image from CS's Seasonal images booklet.

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Seasonal Images booklet
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Thanksgiving set
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Cardstock - Core'dinations; Gina K. Designs (natural)
Markers - Copic Sketch
Accessories - ribbon - Paper Wishes; Pop Dots

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you a great day!

Hugs,
Marcy

Christmas in July

2010-07-30T08:19:00.004-04:00

This week I'm the host for the Crafty Secrets challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. It's been so hot and humid here lately that I thought it would be fun to escape the heat for a bit and celebrate Christmas in July!

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Seasonal Booklet
Stamps - sentiment - Anna Griffin
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Forest Moss & Antique Paper
DP - holly (unknown); crackle paper - Provocraft
Cardstock - unknown
Accessories - glitter - Stickles (gold); seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; Pop Dots

It's supposed to be cooler here today with lower humidity - yay! Hope you're staying cool too!

Marcy

What a Hoot!

2010-07-21T14:41:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I took Shannon to her classmate's birthday party at a local campground. The kids played and swam in the pool, and the parents got to chat and catch up almost uninterrupted. Since I work from home and have very little face-to-face adult interaction, I think I had as good a time as the kids!

Here is the card I made for the birthday girl, whose favorite color is blue:

Details:
Cricut Cartridge - Create a Critter
Patterned Paper - Wild Asparagus
Cardstock - Bazzill, Martha Stewart, DCWV
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo; Stazon - Forest Green; Palette Hybrid (blue)
Accessories - Pop Dots; brad - Making Memories; marker - Sharpie

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today!
Marcy

Best Birthday EVER!

2010-07-14T06:14:00.013-04:00

We traveled to Erie yesterday to celebrate Ronan's fifth birthday. Here is what we did:

Took a trip to Build-a-Bear, where Ronan made a Jedi Knight bear. Thanks for the gift certificate, Grandma!

Then we ate at Sara's at the entrance to Presque Isle...

because the sign said so! :)

And who can resist an anthropomorphic hot dog?

Next was a visit to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, which was really impressive, to see the dinosaur exhibit.

Then we were off to catch some waves on the beach at Lake Erie!

Finally, home again for one last surprise...

It's fun to be five!

Ronan's Five!

2010-07-13T06:47:00.007-04:00

Ronan is turning five today!

He asked to have a special family day today instead of a party, so we have lots of fun things planned. We celebrated with a cake last night. This year is all about Star Wars, so I made an R2-D2 cake. It turned out a little rougher than I'd hoped, but Ronan was thrilled with it.

Here is a layout that I *finally* did of Ronan's 4th birthday party. I had such fun making this!

Details:
Patterned paper: Sassafras - Monstrosity; DCWV - Grade School Stack (polka dots)
Monster & cloud stickers: Sassafras - Monstrosity
Rub ons & label sticker: October Afternoon - Night Light
Cardstock: Neenah Paper (black); Bazzill (yellow)
Brad: Oriental Trading
Number sticker: Making Memories
Glitter glue: Stickles - Black Diamond
Pen: Sharpie

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you have a happy day too!
Marcy

Proud to be American

2010-07-05T15:43:00.003-04:00

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! In the spirit of the holiday, I thought I would share a childhood photo and a card with you.

This photo is of my brothers and me (I was four years old) from the Halloween parade in 1976. It was the year of the bicentennial, so my mum went with the patriotic theme. She made all of our costumes then. I wish I could show you the whole photo, but the only copy I have is framed, and there is too much lens flare from the glass. We won first place that year, and this picture was taken for the local paper. Don't we look excited? ;)

Last week my hubby, the kiddos, and I took a three-day vacation to see some of the sights in the central part of Pennsylvania. It was such a neat trip, and I'll be sharing photos from it later on in the week. The second day we headed to Harrisburg to see the state capitol building. Our state representative was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to give us a tour, which was wonderful. The card below is for him:

Details:
Main Image: Crafty Secrets - Seasonal Booklet
Stamps: Stampin' Up - Noteworthy
Patterned Paper: Daisy D's (striped & red); Provocraft (speckled); Karen Foster (stars)
Cardstock: Neenah Paper
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen; Palette Hybrid (blue)

Thanks for coming to visit today!
Marcy

Happy Fourth of July!

2010-07-04T09:28:00.002-04:00

Wishing all of my US friends a Happy Fourth of July today! Hope you have a wonderful day in store full of friends, family, and a celebration in remembrance of the sacrifices made for the hard-won freedoms we enjoy every day.

Hugs,
Marcy

Ssssuper Day!

2010-06-27T15:43:00.004-04:00

We wrapped up VBS with a closing program & picnic this morning after our regular church service. Whew! The week went well overall with just a couple bumps in the road. I think the kids had fun, though, and learned a lot, and that's what really matters.

Now Shannon's off to a birthday-palooza, a combined party for four of her classmates! Here's one of the cards I made:

Details:
Cricut cartridges - Create a Critter and Base Camp (font)
Patterned paper - K&Company - Rough and Tumble
Cardstock - Martha Stewart (green & blue); Bazzill (orange & yellow); Georgia Pacific (white)
Accessories - font - Bookman Old Style; glitter glue - Stickles; brads - Making Memories; marker - Sharpie; googlie eyes - unknown

Hope your day is ssssuper too!

Easy Being Green

2010-06-24T06:15:00.006-04:00

Do you ever find yourself going through color phases when making cards? Not long ago I went through a peachy-pink phase, and I just noticed that my last few cards were green.

Here's the one I made for this week's Crafty Secrets challenge "De-stressing with Distressing" that I'm hosting:

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Art Studio set
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Patterned Paper - My Mind's Eye - Organic Stack; K&Company - Life's Journey
Accessories - edge distresser - Tonic; seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs

And here's the Father's Day card I made for my dear dad:

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Wacky Animals Creative Scraps
Stamp - Papertrey Ink - Pond Life (sentiment)
Ink - Stampin' Up! - True Thyme; Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Life's Journey
Cardstock - Bazzill (green); Neenah (natural)
Accessories - ribbon - Making Memories; bookplate - Stampin' Up!

Hope you have a wonderful day! I'm off to make rain sticks & Capuchin sock monkeys at VBS. :)

Just Because Cards

2010-06-19T11:59:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I like to make cards just because - because I'm thinking of someone, because I think an image will make someone smile, because the seasons are changing. And that's what's nice about handmade cards. They are that little something to brighten someone's day, to let them know that someone is thinking about them.

I made these cards as a part of two Crafty Secrets forum challenges at Splitcoast Stampers. The first one is for this week's challenge. Pammyjo asked us to use clips or clippings in our projects. I used a paperclip and a clipping from a dictionary entry.

Details:
Main Images: Crafty Secrets - Gardening Creative Scraps
Patterned Paper: K&Company - Berry Street Farmer's Market
Cardstock: BazzillInk: Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen
Accessories: vintage button; vintage paperclip; rick rack - Paper Wishes; embroidery floss - DMC

Last week Darlene challenged us to use something old, something new, or something borrowed on our projects. For this card, I used the new-to-me Crafty Secrets set, Message on a Bottle, and one of my older CS sets, Sweet Kids, for the sentiment.

Details:
Stamps: Crafty Secrets - Message on a Bottle and Sweet Kids
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo & Antique Linen; Stampin' Up! - Cranberry Crisp
Patterned Paper: K&Company - Life's Journey
Accessories: ribbon - The Little Pink Studio; markers - Copic Sketch

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
Hugs,
Marcy

Enjoy the Moment

2010-06-15T06:43:00.004-04:00

Hello all! I hope you are starting to enjoy some of the sweet moments that come with the summer season.

Right now we're getting ready for VBS at our church, and that is exhausting but exciting too. Ronan, in particular, has been talking about it for months. We finished decorated the church yesterday, and I just have to make a run to the craft store and trace some patterns, and we should be all set.

Here is a card I made as a thank you for Shannon's school administrator. He is a wonderful person and does an amazing job leading the staff in providing a Christian education for the students. I am consistently in wonder at the things these kiddos are able to learn & accomplish, and more than that, the love they demonstrate for God and each other is a powerful example of how Christ's church can be.

Details:
Stamp - Inky Antics
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Rough & Tumble
Cardstock - Martha Stewart (green); Gina K Designs (white); Bazzill (yellow)
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch; ribbon - Michaels

Hope you get to enjoy a special moment or two today!
Marcy

Catching Up on Crafty Secrets

2010-06-06T15:41:00.005-04:00

A couple of weeks ago Pammyjo over at Splitcoast Stampers' Crafty Secrets forum challenged us to use zig zags or rick rack on our cards. I made the card but never got it posted because our digital camera was MIA at the time. Here is the card I made:

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Sew Nice Creative Scraps
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Material Girl
Patterned paper - DCWV - Crafty StackInk - Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy
Accessories - felt rick rack - Offray; embroidery floss - DMC; vintage button

This week for the Crafty Secrets challenge, Lori Lynn asked us to use kraft cardstock or patterned paper on our projects. I used the same kraft-colored patterned paper as the card above for this card. It's interesting that it looks more pink on this card because of the pink in the image and the pinkish taupe ribbon:

Details:
Main Image - Crafty Secrets - Girlfriends Creative Scraps
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Altered Art & Mouse Party
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Tattered Rose & Vintage Photo
Patterned Paper - DCWV - Crafty Stack; Prima (polka dot)
Cardstock - Bazzill
Accessories - adhesive half pearls - unknown; marker (to alter pearls) - Copic Sketch; seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday!

Hugs,
Marcy

Snoopy Says "Thank You" & More Fun with Cricut

2010-06-04T06:56:00.007-04:00

Today is Shannon's last day as a first grader...sniff! The next time she heads to school it will be as a big second grader, with her little brother, a kindergartner, at her side, no less! Wow!

Here is the thank you card I made for her teacher. Seems like an odd teacher thank you, but this dear teacher likes to ride motorcycles with her hubby. We're including a gas card and a gift card for Dairy Queen, so she can enjoy a ride and ice cream treat with her dh.

Details:
Stamps - Snoopy on Motorcycle - Stampabilities; sentiment - Favorite Teddy Bear - SU!
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Soot Black; Stazon - Jet Black
Patterned Paper - K&Company
Cardstock - Bazzill (yellow); DCWV (orange); Gina K Designs (white)
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch; ribbon - Offray; scalloped circle punch - Martha Stewart; Pop Dots

Here is the finished work in progress that I showed you in my last post. Shannon's class had an Egyptian Feast in class last week. One of the other mums took a class photo and had it printed for me, and I made these layouts, using the My World Cricut cartridge, for each of the kids and their teacher.

Finally, here's another work in progress that Shannon and I are working on this summer, using the 50 States & Zooballoo cartridges:

Hope you have a wonderful day & relaxing weekend ahead!

Blessings,
Marcy

Fun with Cricut...and Tennis

2010-05-29T11:17:00.006-04:00

The kids and I have been having a blast with my Cricut Expression this week. Mostly because of the arrival of the adorable new Create a Critter cartridge. So many C-U-T-E images on this one!

Here's a card we made with Create a Critter for a classmate's pool party:

Close up:

Details:
Cricut cartridge - Create a CritterCardstock - Martha Stewart; Bazzill; Gina K. Designs
Ink - Palette Hybrid
Accessories - glitter glue - Stickles; embossing folder - Cuttlebug - Divine Swirls; white pen - Signo

Shannon's first-grade class has been studying Ancient Egypt all year. Here are some die cuts from the My World Cricut cartridge that are part of a surprise work in progress for her classmates:

So school is winding down for the year, and Shannon has a whole list of fun and (shhhh...) educational activities lined up for the summer. First on her list? Playing lots of tennis:

What kind of fun things do you have planned for the summer?

New Stamps from Crafty Secrets

2010-05-26T06:31:00.005-04:00

Crafty Secrets has released some wonderful new stamp sets recently that I've been playing with the past couple of weeks.

Here is a card I made for my dad's birthday with the Gree tings from Wonderland set. He always signs all of his notes to us, "Have fun!" so I thought this sentiment would be perfect.

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Greetings from Wonderland
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Patterned Paper - My Mind's Eye - Organic Collection
Cardstock - Gina K. Designs (natural); Martha Stewart (brown); Bazzill (green)
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch; scalloped circle punch - Martha Stewart; seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; Pop Dots

We're coming down to the last few days of school for the year, with lots of end-of-the-year activities & festivities to enjoy. So for this week's Crafty Secrets forum challenge over on Splitcoast Stampers, I chose School Spirit for the theme. Our projects are school-themed, inspired by school colors or subjects, and/or embellished with school supplies.

I made my sample card using the new Car Classics set.

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Car Classics
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Black Soot
Patterned Paper - K&Company - Wild Saffron
Cardstock - Gina K Designs (white); Bazzill (black)
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch; staples - Swingline; edge distressing tool - Tonic; Pop Dots

Thanks for taking the time for a visit! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old...

2010-05-13T09:25:00.009-04:00

one is silver and the other gold. This song from my days in Girl Scouts has been running through my head this week as I've been working on various projects for friends.

Appropriately, this week's Crafty Secrets challenge at Splitcoast Stampers, hosted by Darlene, centers around the theme of Friendship. I created the door hanger below using the Best Buds Postcard Kit from Crafty Secrets.

The little stamp set included in the kit is so adorable and worth the price of admission alone!

Details:
Main Image & Star Accent: Crafty Secrets - Best Buds Postcard Kit
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Dye
Accessories: bird sticker - Crafty Secrets - Family Matters sticker set; ribbon - The Little Pink Studio; glitter glue - Stickles; eyelets - Making Memories

Here is a card I made with some new Crafty Secrets products!

Main Image: Crafty Secrets - Sew Nice Creative Scraps
Stamps: Crafty Secrets - Material Girl
Patterned Paper: K&Company - Life's Journey
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Accessories: lace doily rub ons - Hambly Studio; seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; border punch - Martha Stewart; vintage buttons; embroidery floss - DMC

I made this card for our next-door neighbor's birthday. We share a fence line between our properties, and our families are always visiting over the backyard fence. So I thought it would be fun to make a card with my family peeking over a fence to wish her a happy birthday. :)

Details:
Stamps - Stampin' Up! - All in the Family; Fence - Oriental Trading
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Cardstock - Gina K. Designs (white); Martha Stewart (green)
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch & Sharpie; colored pencils - Prismacolors

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful day, my friends!

Thanks a Bunch & Sonshine!

2010-05-03T18:49:00.004-04:00

I was able to spend a little time in the craft room this weekend. This card is for a friend, just to thank her for her friendship:

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Bouquets of Joy set
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo; SU! - Cranberry Crisp
Cardstock - Gina K. Designs (natural); Bazzill (cranberry); Martha Stewart (blue)
Patterned Paper - DCWV - Crafty Stack
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch; seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; scalloped circle punch - Martha Stewart; glitter glue - Stickles

As you probably were well aware, Saturday was National Scrapbooking Day. Crafty Secrets celebrated all week with giveaways, freebies, and special blog posts from the design team. On the CS forum at Splitcoast Stampers, we had a challenge to use photos on our projects. The gallery is full of great projects. I made the layout above of my son, Ronan, for the challenge.

Details:
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey
Cardstock: K&Company
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo & Antique Linen
Title & Quote Tiles: Crafty Secrets - Boys Alphabet & More booklet
Accessories: ribbon - Offray; vintage buttons

Guess what just arrived at my door? A fresh loaf of homemade sunflower seed wheat bread from the neighbors. YUM! It's a thank you for passing down Shannon's old bike to their youngest daughter. Sounds like a great trade to me!

Wishing you all a lovely evening!

A Milestone and the Joy of Reading

2010-04-29T18:53:00.003-04:00

Did you hear it? A big sigh of relief coming from our household, as my dear hubby turned in his final assignments for the semester - his last semester of coursework for his PhD. Ahhhh! Three years of craziness have finally wound down. Granted, the next few years will hold their own kind of obligations and deadlines: book lists, dissertation, conferences, comprehensive exams, but the roller coaster ride of mid-terms and finals has come to a stop. Whew!

And now, on to the crafting!

I have been so excited this year to begin sharing some of my favorite chapter books from childhood with my daughter, Shannon, who is becoming an independent reader. The Narnia books, Paddington books, and Little House books are just a few of our favorites so far. I really enjoy seeing her discover these treasured stories for the first time.

One of her classmates, who also loves to read, is having a birthday this weekend. I contacted her mum for some book suggestions for gift ideas, and I made her this card with a bookmark pocket on the front, personalized with her initials:

Details:
Stamps - Crafty Secrets - Story of Me
Ink - Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Patterned paper - DCWV - Berry Street Farmers' Market
Cardstock - K&Company (red); Gina K. Designs (natural)
Accessories - markers - Copic Sketch; chipboard letters - Prima; embroidery floss - DMC; ribbon - Michaels; clear plastic - leftover packaging; eyelet - Making Memories

Thank you for taking time to stop by today!

What I Did Over Easter Break - a photo essay

2010-04-10T08:25:00.012-04:00

A trip to the zoo:

Lovely Easter morning service at church:

A visit with Nana's baby ducks:

Papercrafting? Not so much. But it was a nice, little break, and I'm planning to get back to the craft room today. :)

Hope you are all happy & well!

Making Birthday Art

2010-03-30T08:51:00.005-04:00

My brother, Jason, celebrated his 40th birthday last week, and the one gift he asked for was a painting from Shannon.

Jason and his wife, Megan, are so wonderful about supporting and appreciating the work of the many creative and artistic members of both sides of our families. They proudly display many original works of art in their home.

Shannon likes to work in acrylic on canvas. It's a great medium for kids' art because it's vibrant and gives great results. It's also very forgiving, if you want to change something, you can just wait until it's dry and paint over it. (Also, if after it's dry, your little brother accidentally drops a wet paintbrush right in the middle of it, you can wipe it off with a baby wipe. Don't ask me how I know this.)

So there you have Shannon's "A Hedgehog in a Meadow." She gave the hedgie a heart-shaped balloon, so Jason would remember that he got the painting for his birthday and that she loves him. Sweet, huh?

Bunnies, Wishes, & Blessings

2010-03-23T17:14:00.010-04:00

I love so many types of vintage images and illustrations, but I especially love Easter images and animals dressed up in clothes. When I was a little girl my grandmother had a puzzle with an illustration by Molly Brett. It was a winter scene with animals dressed in winter clothes and building snowmen, skating, etc. I can still picture some of the details in my head. I must have put that puzzle together a hundred times at least. So you can see why adore these vintage images from Crafty Secrets.
Here is the little Easter display of vintage candy boxes and animals that I have in our foyer:

The flocked ducks are from a large collection of flocked animals that I have that were produced by Kunstlerschutz in West Germany, later the company was called Wagner. The ducks on the right are the older Kunstlerschutz ones, while the brighter ones in the middle are Wagner.

Here are some more close ups:

My mum is getting some new baby ducks today, so hopefully I'll have some photos of real ducks to share with you soon!

I made this card for last week's Crafty Secrets challenge. Pammyjo asked us to stamp the ribbon we used on our projects. I used Stazon ink on seam tape ribbon and was thrilled with the results!

Details:
Main image: Crafty Secrets - Seasonal Booklet
Patterned paper: Webster's Pages
Cardstock: DCWV (blue); Stampin' Up! (brown)
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen; Stazon - Timber Brown
Accessories: seam tape ribbon - Rebecca Sower Designs; flower - Prima; brad - Making Memories; edge distresser - Heidi Swapp

And, this is the card I made for this week's Crafty Secrets challenge that I am hosting to use texture on our projects:

Details:
Main image: Crafty Secrets - Easter Creative Scraps
Patterned paper: Making Memories (pink); Chatterbox (striped)
Accessories: velveteen ribbon - Cosmo Cricket; stick pin - Maya Road; edge distresser - Heidi Swapp; distress crackle paint - Ranger; embossing powder - Ranger - Powder Puff

Hoping your day is full of sweet, little happy things too!