Echo Park This & That Christmas!

Hi there!  My fabulous December DT kit at Memorable Seasons consists of Echo Park's This & That Christmas!  This collection is very much ME, because it's very traditional!  I love traditional when it comes to Christmas!  Here's what I've created so far!

I love this photo of my gorgeous girls in their Santa hats!  Sisters in Santa hats!  CUTE!!  What do you think of that photo mat?  I cut it with my Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge!  FUN!

This fabulous image was on the backside of one of the papers.  I love the tone on tone!  I decided to showcase it on a card!  Of course, I added a jingle bell!  Jingle bells make everything more fun, don't you think!?!

I love making Christmas cards, so I made another one!  The greetings piece is a piece of chipboard.  Love it!  Another jingle bell!  What can I say!?!

I love my December DT kit from Memorable Seasons!  What until you see what else I'll be showing you this week!  A layout that I just LOVE!  ♥

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Valentine - February Calendar

Now, I can't stop myself! I posted a Valentine yesterday, and here's another one! I'm still blaming Regina, because I just HAD TO use the new files from The Cutting Cafe'!! They're wonderful!


I used another one of the new Valentine sets that Regina just released! I just LOVE this February calendar! Isn't it wonderful? I printed the calendar image from Valentine Set One directly on a cut from my Cricut. I added heart and small circle rhinestones. I also added cool white ribbon that I just got yesterday on clearance from Michael's. This is a 6x6 card. You can click on the card to see it larger. I'm THRILLED with the way this turned out! Head on over to The Cutting Cafe' to purchase these brand new Valentine images! You'll be glad you did!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Softail Springer - Sketch Challenge

I have an awesome layout to share with you today!!



I issued the November Sketch Challenge at ScrapCity, and I created the above Softail Springer layout based on this amazing November PageMaps sketch! I really love the sketch, and I am thrilled with the way my page turned out! The November Challenges at ScrapCity are just fantastic!!

For my page, I used awesome EK Success Harley-Davidson products. The diamond plate background paper is embossed and very cool! I cut the title on my Cricut using the George cartridge. It was such a fun page to put together, and I just love that photo of Dave on his Harley! You can click on the photo to see it larger!

I have lots to do today! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and as always, thanks for stopping by!!

BBTB - Dreams Come True - Dress Challenge

This week's challenge over at Bitten By The Bug was to use the Belle's dress from the Dreams Come True cartridge. Thanks again to DeeDee for sending me the cut. Be sure to check out the amazing ways that all of the designers used the dress! You will be amazed at all of the creations!


I asked DeeDee to send me the dress in red, because it is my favorite color! I added red Stickles to the top layers of the dress. I added stardust pen to the edges of the black shadow. The card front is Cuttlebug embossed. The Bill Blass quote, "When in doubt wear red." was printed on my computer. I added a heart rhinestone and red sheer ribbon to finish the card off. You can click on the card to see it larger.

I took an unscheduled blogging break, and it was great NOT blogging for a while! However, I missed you all, and I hope to catch up with all of you soon. I hope you had a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Clown Challenge & Sketches! Recipe Challenge

I have two design team projects to show you today! First off, at Bitten By The Bug, we were challenged to use the clown on the Paper Dolls cartridge. I don't have that cartridge, so thank you AGAIN to the wonderful DeeDee for sending me the cut so that I could participate. Be sure to check out what the other BBTB designers created for this Paper Dolls clown challenge! They amaze me every single week!


This is my card. DeeDee cut his outfit on the cutest double-sided papers. I chalked some edges, pieced him together, added some personality to the face with chalk and googly eyes, and I finally added some orange Stickles. The "celebrate!" is a Stampin' Up stamp, and I mounted it on pop dots so that it looks like the clown is holding the sign. I added some ribbon, a trio of brads, and some doodling around the green card front. I'm not really into clowns, but I have to admit that this turned out pretty cute!

Next, this is my first week as a part of Tamara's Recipe Challenge Design Team at Sketches! {by Tamara}. We were challenged to use 3+ patterned papers, chipboard, and circles. I love it, and this is the page that I came up with!


I used some Karen Foster dog papers, plus a Basic grey patterned paper. I even stamped on yet another patterned paper. I used my Coluzzle to cut the circles on my page, and the "DOG" letters are Chip Chatter chipboard. I did some detail cutting for some accents and added lots of chalk ink distressing. I love the way this page turned out! Be sure to check out the cards AND layouts that were created for the scrapping Recipe Challenge 13! Awesome work!

Well, we survived the parade yesterday, and it was so HOT! I'll post a couple of photos tomorrow. It's going to be another hot and humid day today, so it's a good day for me to stay in and clean the house! I have lots to do plus plenty of laundry to take care of! I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Indie Art - Strawberry Challenge

Our challenge this week at Bitten By The Bug was so use the strawberry on the Indie Art cartridge. Once again, I don't have that cartridge, and once again, DeeDee came to my rescue, and she sent me the cut. Thanks DeeDee! Be sure to check out what the other designers created! They're all fantastic!


I really struggled with this challenge, because I couldn't think of a project to use a strawberry on! I thought of "berry sweet" and "thank you berry much", but that just didn't work for me. In the end, I pulled out my So Very Stampin' Up set, and created a "sweet" card. I used my swiss dots Cuttlebug embossing folder on the black card front. I created a threading water punch red border for the bottom of my card front. The "Announcing" journaling card is by 7 Gypsies. I tied it on with beautiful red sheer ribbon. The "you are" alphabet stickers are by Making Memories. I added a chalk inked red flower, a tag that I cut with my QuicKutz stamped with the word "sweet", and I sewed on a button. I then mounted the inked strawberry and added 3 red rhinestones as a finishing touch. I love the way this card turned out, but I still think the strawberry looks like an afterthought. This color combination is so appealing to me!

We have a busy Monday. The girls have marching band camp, marching band uniform fittings, and then they both have an eye doctor appointment. We'll be running around quite a bit. I hope you had a great weekend! Have a good Monday, and thanks for stopping by!

Forever Friends

This is a card I created for a design team entry. I'm sad to say, I did not make the design team.


The card base is white, the card front is black Cuttlebug embossed, and the pink layer was cut on my Cricut. The "forever friends" stamp is an Autumn Leaves circular sentiment. I cut both the circle and the circle mat with my Coluzzle. I added a couple of Primas with a Making Memories brad. The pink clip is Making Memories, and the last touch was white sheer ribbon. I really love this card!

I hope you're having a wonderful Saturday! Thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Tear Drop - Butterfly Challenge

Our challenge this week at the Bitten By The Bug site was to use the butterfly on the Tear Drop cartridge. I don't have that cartridge, so I want to thank fellow designer Carole for sending me the cut. Not only did she sent me a few butterflies to choose from, she also sent me the paper that I used for my card front! Thanks Carole! Be sure to check out the other butterfly creations! They're amazing!


So, like I mentioned, I got the butterflies and the patterned paper from Carole, so I just had to assemble this card!! I added gorgeous American Crafts ribbon, a Prima, and a wood button. I also chalked the butterflies, and I adhered just the center of the butterflies so that the wings could come off the card front. I love the soft colors of this card.

Have a great day everyone, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - George - # Challenge

This week's challenge over at Bitten By The Bug is to use the # sign on the George cartridge. Please be sure to check out what the design team created this week. You will be amazed at the creativity of this group! Regina also announced the four new designers to join the team. Congratulations ladies! So, here is my card for the George # challenge.


I made this card for my husband, because he is my #1 always! The papers, tag, and alphabet stickers are all Basic Grey. I love the masculine feel of these papers! The gorgeous ribbon is American Crafts. Easy card, but I really love it!

It's not as hot today, but it's super humid and it's raining. It's a good day to stay inside and craft! The girls have summer band, and then I have a couple of errands to run. I hope you all had a great weekend, have a fantastic Monday, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Paper Dolls - Cowgirl Hat Challenge

At Bitten By The Bug, we were challenged to use the cowgirl hat on the Paper Dolls cartridge. I do not have that cartridge, but once again DeeDee sent me the cut! Thanks DeeDee! She sent me a bunch of western cuts from the cartridge, and I ended up using the hat, the cow skull, and spurs on this card alone! Yeehaw!

I also want to let you know that BBTB has a new contest going on. Be sure to check it out!


I used some chalk on the cuts, and I added five brads to the hat's band. I had the blue bandanna paper in my scraps folder. The Lil' Buckaroo sticker is from Creative Imaginations. I added some twine around the card front. I love this card! These western cuts are awesome!

I hope you have a great day, and as always, thanks for stopping by!!

BBTB - George - Star Challenge

The challenge this week at the Bitten By The Bug site is to use the star cut that is available on the George cartridge. It's such a simple cut, but it has so many possibilities. You will be amazed at what the design team created, so be sure to check it out! Also, the very talented Regina is looking to add a couple more design team members to the team. Be sure to check that out too! It's so much FUN! Why not give it a try? Here's my card for this week's challenge.


I decided to use the stars on a graduation card for my nephew. I cut two stars and two shadows. I ran the stars through my Cuttlebug using the swiss dots embossing folder. The "you did it!" is also from a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The "Happy Graduation!" and "Reach For The Stars" are both stickers that I had in my stash. The photo corners are Heidi Swapp. My nephews high school colors are burgundy and gold, so I decided to add some burgundy to the card. The dotted ribbon is from Michael's.

I have lots to do today. I have a craft class at the library tomorrow, and I'm not completely prepared for it yet. I need to finish some cutting and get a lot of glue sticks! I'm so behind on blog hopping again, and I'm so sorry about that! I hope to catch up with everyone soon! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!!

Happy 4th of July & Hi Girlfriend Card

I want to wish all of my United States visitors a very Happy 4th of July! I love celebrating the 4th of July with my family. My girls are both marching in the annual parade, and when it gets dark, we go see the fireworks in the main park. We always have so much fun!

I wanted to share another card that I made for the Paper Crafts Gallery Idol. Once again, this card didn't get me a spot in the top 20, and it's my second favorite that I submitted. I really LOVE the way this card turned out!


I cut "Girlfriend" on my Cricut using Opposites Attract. I used Bo Bonny dotted paper. The card base is black, and I cut a part of the front of the card off so that I could add the threading water punched piece in pink to the bottom of the card. I love the way that turned out! I then put a gorgeous piece of velvet ric rac over the seam. I added a strip of pink ribbon to the top of the card for another border. I used two gorgeous silk Primas with Making Memories brads. The little tag is Making Memories, and I stamped "hi" on it with my Karen Foster snap stamps.


Here's another view of the card. I just think it's really bold and totally cute!

Well, I scheduled this post . . . how cool that we can do that! Have a wonderful Friday and an awesome weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Card Sketch #51

It's card sketch day on Sketches! {by Tamara}. Here is my card for Card Sketch #51. Be sure to link your card back to Tamara's blog if you create a card using her sketch!


The sketch was definitely patriotic, but I decided to challenge myself to create a card that wasn't patriotic. I really love the way this card turned out. I used Love, Elsie Toby paper. I really like the way the paper was already striped, so it worked well with the sketch. I cut the star and the star shadow on my Cricut. I cut "superstar" with my QuicKutz squeeze and my Zelda alphabet. I added Toby ribbon around the card front, popped up the star, and attached three light blue dew drops. Love it!

So, the painting of the girls' rooms continues. All of the prep work is done. We got the ceilings done and the primer on the walls. It's so much work! My husband did the ceilings, and we all did the walls. Today, hopefully, we'll get to the color!! I took the "before" photos, and the "after" photos will be so BOLD! I'll show you when we're all done. The girls are so excited. Of course, with their rooms completely empty, the rest of the house is a MESS! We put their mattresses on the floor in the family room, and that's where they're sleeping! FUN!

I'm very excited about the 4th of July! Can't wait! I'll be walking along with the girls' marching band. We chaperone and squirt the kids when they get too hot. Our village also does an amazing fireworks show. Love it! Have a fantastic day, and thanks for stopping by!

Card Sketch #49

It's card sketch day at Sketches! {by Tamara}. This is my card for Card Sketch #49. Be sure to stop by the site to take a look at the amazing cards this week. Also, if you make a card using the sketch, be sure to link it back to the Sketches! site. YOU could be a future guest designer.


I used some cute Bo Bunny dotted pink paper that I received as a RAK or a prize (sorry, I can't remember who sent it to me). Both the dark pink shadow layer and the dotted paper card front were cut using Base Camp on my Cricut. It looks like a very large postage stamp. I added a chipboard swirl that I got from Wendy at ScrapCity. I painted it pink with my Making Memories paint. I stamped the two-step butterfly with Stampin' Up stamps. The "enjoy" stamp is a $1 acrylic Michael's stamp. I added a few rhinestones, and that was it! I'm pleased with the way this card turned out.

I hope you all have a wonderful day. I'm behind on blog hopping, but I'm sure that will be the case for most of the summer. Thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Doodlecharms - Popsicle Challenge

Be sure to check out the Bitten By the Bug site this week, because there is a new contest going on! Our latest challenge over at BBTB was to use the popsicle on the Doodlecharms cartridge. How fun!


Here's my card for the challenge. I cut the popsicle at 5", and on the "flavor" layer (cherry!), I added a couple of layers of UTEE. It didn't photograph well, but it's super slick and shiny, and it looks wet! The penguin stamp is just perfect, don't you think? He's a cool dude, and so I created an appropriate sentiment on the computer! I added some raffia and a red button. The background paper I've had for a long time, and I think it's NRN Designs. I used colored pencils and gamsol on the penguin image. I have so much fun making this card, and I'm very happy with the way it turned out! What do you think?

Off to take my youngest to basketball intramurals, and then my oldest and I are going to run a couple of errands. My youngest and I are getting haircuts this afternoon, and then we'll be home to figure out the rest of the day. I had to take my van in yesterday because the "service engine soon" light would not go off, and the van was hesitant/chugging a little. It needed new spark plugs and a tune up, and it is now back at home. It's so strange NOT having a vehicle for one day. We didn't really NEED to go anywhere, but it's so strange knowing that you CAN'T go anywhere! I'm totally behind on blog hopping (again), but I will catch up with you all soon! Thanks for your continued wonderful comments, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Stretch Your Imagination - Grasshopper Challenge

Our Bitten By The Bug challenge this week was to use the grasshopper on the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge. I do not have that cartridge, but thanks to Carole for sending me this cut, I was still able to take part. Be sure to check out what the other design team members created for this grasshopper challenge!


I struggled with using the grasshopper! I didn't know WHAT to create, but I am "hoppy" with the end result! I used SEI Gertie's Garden papers. I designed the sentiment on my computer, and I cut out the sentiment and a scallop circle with my Nestabilities. I distressed a little with chalk ink, and I also added some dotted ribbon. Once again, I just had to add googly eyes!

Today is our first official day of summer vacation, and it's going to be very warm today. The girls and I are actually doing some work in the house (going through closets, straightening up, etc.), but I'm sure we'll find some time for FUN! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB Lucky & an update from my wonderful weekend!

This is going to be a LONG post today. If you make it to the end, I will be impressed! First off, I want to show you my Bitten By The Bug Lucky challenge. We were challenged to use the "Lucky" cut on the Alphalicious cartridge. Please be sure to check out what the other design team members created. You will be impressed! This is a scrapbook page that I created for the challenge.


I really love this photo of my husband and I, and I had it displayed in my scrapping area. I knew I wanted to do something with it, but I wasn't sure what. When we got the "Lucky" challenge, it all fell into place for me. I do feel like I am incredibly Lucky to be married to a man that I'm crazy about, and I do feel like I am very Lucky when it comes to love, so I scrapped this photo, and I will probably end up framing this page and hanging it in my scrapping area. This page is all Basic Grey Urban Couture. I cut the flower centers for my Primas with my Coluzzle from one of the patterned sheets. The brown felt piece in the lower left corner came from my wonderful blogging friend Kristy. I'm just thrilled with the way this page turned out!


I took my girls to the rubber stamp flea market on Saturday. I met my girlfriend Kathy there, and we had so much fun shopping! It was a gorgeous day! Here are my wonderful purchases. I got all of this for around $50. Clockwise from the upper left: Bitty Boos Too (I love Halloween!), Very Punny (she mounted the sentiments on the side of the stamps -- I love that!!), So Many Sayings (what a cool set!), Party Animals (CUTE!), Border Buddies, Noteworthy (unmounted!), and four loose stamps (checkered flag and race car will be used when I scrap any tailgating photos that my husband takes when he goes to see Nascar or Indy races). I just had to get the "Dave" stamp since it's my husband's name (it was just $1, and the lady selling it? It's her ex-husband!), and the skeleton stamp was found by my youngest and myself at the same time. She grabbed it, purchased it, but later sold it to me. Smart girl! She got her $1 back, and she knows she can use it at anytime! So, I got GREAT stuff, and I cannot wait to ink these stamps up!


Here are my daughters' purchases. My youngest got the stamps at the top. The SU set is called Burst Into Bloom. She loves Tweety, so she had to get that stamp AND Sylvester! The heart stamp was 10 cents! My oldest's only purchase was the heart with the sheet music inside. The "from my pad to yours" SU stamp was free when I made a purchase. FUN stuff!

So, I had an amazing weekend! On Friday, we rented movies, and I really enjoyed them all! We watched 27 Dresses and P.S. I Love You. On Saturday, I watched Gone, Baby Gone (VERY thought provoking!!) and Juno. My PICK would have to be 27 Dresses! I LOVED it! The "Bennie & The Jets" singing scene had me laughing out loud! I just might have to purchase this DVD for my home collection! CUTE!!

On Saturday, after the flea market, my girlfriend Kathy, my girls, and I all went out to lunch. We ate on a patio, and Kathy and I got sunburned on our arms! It was gorgeous outside, and I just didn't give thought to the sun. It was such a great day! When I got home, I was able to finish up my "Lucky" page, watch a couple of movies, and just hang out. My husband got out on his motorcycle for part of the day, and then in the evening went with a friend of his to see Tim McGraw (he thought the concert was just OK). It was a GREAT day!

On Sunday, we spent the entire day together as a family. We grocery shopped, came home, listened to music while we prepared lunch / dinner, we grilled, we talked, we laughed, we watched Spiderman 3, we baked cookies, we had cookies & ice cream, etc. It was just one of the BEST family days we've had in a long time!

On Monday, my oldest marched in our village's Memorial Day parade. I walked with the band as a chaperone. My husband, youngest, and Princess came to watch the parade. It was a very nice parade, and it was great to take the time to think about the meaning of Memorial Day. Later on Monday, my husband and girls rode their bikes to the main park, while I brought the van with Princess, lots of water, and all our tennis gear. We had a blast playing tennis. We're not very good, but we had fun anyway!

If you made it through this entire post, and read the entire thing, I applaud you! Whew! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I'll catch up with you all later today. I'm off to cut the grass, and we all know how much I love doing that! Thanks for stopping by!

Card Sketch #45

Thursday is card sketch day at Sketches! {by Tamara}, and this is my card for Card Sketch #45. Don't forget if you use Tamara's sketch, link it back to her site, and YOU could be the next Guest Designer on her blog!


I used a set of Michael's clear acrylic $1 stamps for this card. I stamped the "Live, Laugh, Love", created the flowers, and stamped the swirls on my card front with the stamp set. I cut the large brackets on my Cricut using Alphalicious. The strip on the left is navy cardstock border punched with my Fiskars threading water punch, and layered on top of it is a scrap of My Mind's Eye paper. I really LOVED the sketch this week, and I'm very happy with the way my card turned out!

I'm still so happy for David Cook, and I'll tell you why . . . American Idol is a show that is entertaining for my girls and I, but really, when you come down to it, it's a popularity contest. Every year, we don't really like the last two standing. Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Chris Daughtry have really gone on to great things after the show, but only two of them were actually winners. Chris Daughtry didn't even make it to the top three. He's by far my favorite American Idol ever! My girls and I listen to his CD all the time. Anyway, quite a few times, the show has "crowned" winners that didn't personally appeal to me. I didn't really care for Jordin Sparks, and don't even get me started on Taylor Hicks (I'm still stunned that he won). I hope I'm not offending anyone with all of my commentary here!

So, last night to have two very worthy talented people as the top two was so much fun! Both of the Davids can really sing! Incredible talent! I think either one of them winning would have been fantastic, but David Cook has been our favorite from the very beginning of the season, and we've been cheering him on the whole time. I was also incredibly impressed with the two-hour show last night! I loved it! Seal, Bryan Adams, Donna Summer, ZZ Top, One Republic, Graham Nash, George Michael . . . I enjoyed all of the performances very much! Congratulations again to David Cook! So exciting!

That's enough TV review and commentary from me, don't you think? It's going to be such a nice day today. I'm off to take a walk with Princess, and then I have some errands to run. I hope to stop at a garage sale too. I love garage sales! I hope you all have a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Happily Ever After - Owl Icon Challenge

Our most recent Bitten By The Bug Challenge was to use the owl icon that is on the Happily Ever After cartridge. I've used this cut before, and I love it, so I was happy to create with it again! Be sure to check out all of the other designer's creations on the Bitten By The Bug site. They're a hoot! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!!)


I cut my owl at 5" with Basic Grey Blush papers. She's on a 8.5 x 5.5 card. The card front is punched on the right side with my Fiskars threading water punch. The sentiment "Owl Always Love You!" was created on the computer, printed on a paper scrap, and I punched the top of the sentiment too. I used another sheet of Blush to create the border on the left side of the card. I threaded pink ribbon through one of the border punched holes, and tied it around the card front. Last, but not least, I added large googly eyes, one of Emily's gorgeous crocheted flowers, and a button for the flower center. I'm very pleased with how this card turned out. I love this owl!!

I hope you all have a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Joys of the Season - Wreath Challenge

Over at Bitten By The Bug Regina challenged us to use the wreath on the Joys of the Season cartridge. Well, I don't have that cartridge, but thanks to DeeDee, I was able to participate in the challenge. DeeDee sent me the wreath in the colors that I requested! Thanks DeeDee!! Be sure to check out what the other designers created for this wreath challenge! They're all amazing!

When she told us what the challenge was, I looked online to see what the cut looked like, and I thought it would make a GREAT frame! So, I picked out a photo to frame for my mom for Mother's Day, and I asked DeeDee to send me the cut in smoky shades of blue with a black shadow. I used a photo of my girls that I took in November. I just love the photo, and I knew my mom would love to display it as a wall hanging.


I chalked the layered lighter shades of blue a little bit. I added a Prima and one of Emily's crocheted flowers with a glitter Making Memories brad. This flower is actually hiding some of the background too. Because the opening is round, and the photo is rectangular, there was some background showing through. "Grandma's Girls" was done on the computer, and it's also hiding some of the background. I finally used some of the gorgeous Kaiser pearls that Kristy sent to me. I added four of them to the corners of the sentiment. I then set two large eyelets with my Cropadile Mr. Big Bite, and I added American Crafts ribbon so it could hang. My mom LOVED it!

I'll have my Mother's Day recap to share with you tomorrow. My husband and my girls spoiled me, and I loved it! Believe it or not, I didn't take one photo! I always like to get photos of me with my girls, and it just didn't happen! Oh well! It was an awesome day anyway!! I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!