Guess who loves snow?

We had lots of snow this week and lots of changes of plans because of it. So while we are sad to miss seeing our dear friends, the kids at least enjoyed playing in (and eating) the snow.

Exciting news!

I have been asked to be on the design team at The Mosy Scrapper for the next four months! Christa runs a truly lovely board - incredibly warm and friendly, and it is a real joy to work with her and the TMS DT!

Coordinates Collections December Blog Hop

Coordinates Collection challenged its readers to create a LO with some sparkle in it this month, and no one likes bling as much as my lovely daughter. So since I have been procrastinating about scrapping the photos from her birthday party, I figured this was a good time to pull them out and get them on a sparkly layout. There is a LOT of sparkle on this page - the Pink Paislee glitter alphas, the Prima bling swirl, the black rhinestone frame around the number 6, and the Stickles sprinkles on the cupcake!

Have a great day!

Deb

Late Chanukah post...

Better late than never - I just got a chance to sit down and edit some of my photos from the beginning of the month! Jeff took this picture of me and the kids lighting the menorah:

It's hard to believe Chanukah has already come and gone!

Butterflies, butterflies

Ok, butterflies aren't the usual December motif, but when Just Imagine/Kreaxions sent me this awesome new butterfly die , I had to play with it! This is a flat metal die, compatible with most die-cut systems - I used it with my Spellbinder Wizard and it worked beautifully. I have seen several versions of these butterfly collages and always wanted to make one, so I pulled out several sheets of Basic Gray and Pink Paislee and went to town cutting butterflies. I layered them on this Basic Gray paper until I was happy with the arrangement and then embellished with whatever bling and buttons I had on my desk.

Have a great day,

Deb

Happy Birthday Jeff!!!

December already? Where does the time go? Today is my husband's birthday - happy birthday sweetheart. I hope your day is filled with love and surprises.

Looking for a few gifts?

My friend Christa makes BEAUTIFUL beaded jewelry. She is having an outrageous Cyber Monday sale today in her Etsy shop, Doohickies & Such - go check it out!

Have a great day,

Deb

Paper Pumpkins

These are really easy to make - cut or punch 8-10 same-sized circles and fold them all in half, right sides in. Adhere to one another, leaving the ends free. Roll a piece of paper to make the stem, place in the center of the folded circles and adhere the circle chain closed. Ta-dah! Pumpkins! (or, next September, apples for the teachers!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Deb

Rainbows!

This week's color challenge at Simply Scrapping Crafts was to use a rainbow palette. It really had me stumped until I decided to just make a rainbow (yes, I know, but sometimes the obvious solutions are the hardest to find). I love the happy, bright result! I think this may be one of my go-to solutions for a quick card. Plus, it's a great way to revisit scraps.

Have a wonderful day,

Deb

My little crafter

My daughter loves to craft, so I felt really lucky when I met Sara, of Sara Jane's Studio. Sara is a wonderful artist with a passion for teaching, and she is terrific and patient with kids (and grown-ups too, for that matter!). Sara has a monthly card class, and allows me to bring Gabi. This month I had to go to a class during the week while Gabi was in school, so Sara sent me home with Gabi's materials. We had a fun (and glittery) crafting session at home, and Gabi loves her art so much that she plans on framing them and keeping them in her room.

Have a great day,

Deb

A banner day!

I had to take my Halloween banner down last week. Isn't it amazing how quickly seasonal decorations go from cool to passe? So I decided to make a new one for Thanksgiving! I used my *awesome* Kreaxions circle cutter (yes, I know I gush, but seriously, if you cut circles this is the best $9.99 you'll ever spend. Go buy one. Get some extra blades, too - you'll be using this a lot) to whip out 24 circles in no time.

The banner is made by punching each patterned paper circle with Kreaxions punch 915 and then adhering down to a cardstock circle of the same size. The top row of circles is smaller than the bottom row. The papers are from last year's DCWV autumn stack, and the alphas are Cosmo Cricket .

Thanks for stopping by!!

Deb

Giving Thanks

For the last few years, I have tried to take take in November to stop regularly and give thanks - before the holiday tornado sweeps through and everything else is forgotten. Last year I decided to create a small thankful journal where I could write a little something, or add a picture of what I was thankful for. Jeff added some entries too, and I am hoping that as the kids get older they can participate. Here is the one I made this year:

It's being featured today on the Crop Chocolate Crop!

Have a great day,

Deb

First ever Crop Chocolate online crop!!!

Trying to figure out what to do with yourself this weekend now that the harvest festivals are over, all your leaves are raked, and it's too early to start cooking for Thanksgiving? Come play at Crop Chocolate for a 48 hour online crop November 6 and 7, 2010!

All you need to participate in the Online Crop and to be eligible for the prizes is to have an active CC account with a valid e-mail address. It will be part shopping, part crafting, part challenges, and completely fun! Come play to win some prizes, complete some projects (layouts, cards, altered items--you know finally use up some of you stash), and have some fun! There will also be some fun mini-games and activities going on under the Sweet Talk section of the website throughout the weekend, so make sure to stop by Sweet Talk and check them out too.

Can't make it for the whole weekend? No worries! The main challenges will be posted beginning on Saturday November 6th at 10:00 AM on the main page and it will alternate a challenge, then a SWEET deal, then another challenge, etc. If you miss a challenge on the main page they are always accessible under the "past deals" section of the website. The deadline for the submission of projects to be considered for prizes for the challenges is MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8th, 2010 11:59 PM MST (CC time) unless an earlier deadline is stated. That is approximately 24 hours after the crop ends. The challenges will be posted between 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM on Saturday Nov 6th and 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM on Sunday Nov 7th.

The Pirate and the Princess

We had a fun Halloween, trick-or-treating with new friends for the first time in our neighborhood as well as going back to our old neighborhood to scare (I mean say hello to) old friends.

Here are "crazy candy smiles:"

And the most harrowing moment of the evening (don't worry, like all good fairy tales, it all turned out in the end and they lived happily ever after.)

Have a great day!

Deb

You've been booed!

Check out the Glue Arts blog if you want to be booed too!

Fall greetings....

I am a total sucker for all things autumnal. I just love the fall colors, so I now find myself with two large paper packs I bought last year (on clearance, mind you) full of fall papers. And because I'm also trying really hard to use my stash before it all collapses on my head in a tragic scrapbooking accident, I need to use them.

So I made some three-layer cards! The papers are MAMBI and DCWV, and some of them are pretty thin, so they lend themselves to layering like this. I used my awesome Kreaxions 4-in-1 punches to punch the edges, and although that gives a pretty dressy result that could certainly stand on its own, I embellished further with some Making Memories Autumn Splendor leaves and glitter stems.

Thanks for stopping by!

Deb

Blog Hop Winners!!!

Thank you to everyone who particiapted in the Kreaxions Blog Hop! Don't forget to hop back through and find out if you won at each DT blog!

The Kreaxions punch winner is #26:

~jan said...
Love how you backed the punched paper with the orange-it really makes it pop!
October 23, 2010 5:38 PM




And the blog follower winner is #14:

Kelly Massman said...
GREAT projects! I'm already following you! :-)
October 23, 2010 12:44 PM


Ladies, I've sent you emails! Please send me your addresses so we can get your prizes out to you!

Have a great Monday,

Deb

Just Imagine Kreaxions Blog Hop!!!!

To join the fun simply start at the Just Imagine blog and you're on your way!! Each of our wonderful design team members will be giving away a different prize on their blog - to be entered into the drawings leave a comment on each blog. We'll be giving away a grand prize too!! You'll be automatically entered into the grand prize drawing by commenting on each blog - and if you "Like" us on Facebook and/or become a follower of the Just Imagine Crafts blog you'll get an extra entry!!

Just Imagine Blog


Stacy


Bev



Sarah


Deborah<------- YOU'RE HERE!!!!

Ellen


Gini


Steph


Rebecca


Melissa

So far you've probably seen lots of awesome projects from the rest of the team, and you've just hopped over here from Sarah! Please make sure you've left some love on each blog in order to be eligible to win all these amazing prizes!

My Halloween projects is a mini-album I made for my friend Maria so she could keep pictures of her son's costumes over the years in one place. I used Kreaxions 4-in-1 punch #918 along the edge of each page to give the album continuity, and I backed the black cardstock with orange to make the punched images pop. The border stickers are from K and Co, and the album is a Zutter Cover-All.

I am giving away the Kreaxions punch I used on this project - 918. To be entered in the drawing, please leave me a comment on this blog post by tomorrow, October 24 at 9 pm EST. We'll announce all our prize winners on Monday.

Want another chance to win some scrappy goodness? Become a follower of my blog and post a separate comment telling me you did (or that you already follow), and I'll draw a random winner for a prize pack!


So from here, hop over to Ellen's blog, eat a little candy, and enjoy the hop! Don't forget to comment along the way...and Happy Halloween!

Have a spooky day,

Deb

The Fine Print: In order to be eligible for any of the prizes you need to be a resident of the US or Canada (sorry)

ALL Simply Scrapping Blog Hop Winners posted!!!!

We at Simply Scrapping Crafts would like to thank you for making our very first Blog Hop such a smashing success! We had so much fun creating our projects for you and hope that they inspire you to create ones of your own and share them with us!

As you know, we had some prizes "hidden" on certain blogs. Here is our master winners list:

Barb's Boys...prize hidden on Deb's blog

Julie M....prize hidden on Georgia's blog

Lisa (Purple Place) AND Trina...there were 2 prizes hidden on Theresa's blog

Andrea6760...prize hidden on Rona's blog

Helen...prize hidden on Amy's blog

Terry G (T)...prize hidden on Emily's blog

Denise...prize hidden on Clare's blog

Roxann...prize hidden on Pryn's blog

Again, we would like to thank you for your participation and look forward to bringing you many more hops in the future :) Please do not be a stranger and stop back anytime you would like! We would love to have you :)

Simply Scrapping Blog Hop Winner!!!!

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:27
Timestamp: 2010-10-17 18:22:57 UTC



Barb's Boys said...
That banner is just awesome-love the paper line you used!
October 16, 2010 12:11 PM



Barb's Boys, PM me with your address so I can send you some happy scrappy mail!

BOO!

Welcome to Simply Scrapping Crafts First Annual Haunted Hallow Hop!

We have quite a line-up for you today filled with lots of tricks and treats! Now what would trick or treating be without candy? Eye candy that is! Our DT has been busy at work in Dr. Jekyll's lab creating just the right formula to inspire your hauntingly sweet projects this year. Be sure to comment all of the blogs along the way because we have "hidden" some extra special treats along the way. There is no way to tell where we have them stashed, so be sure not to miss out! Some of our hop hosts are giving an extra entry for becoming a follower. Who doesn't appreciate more chances to win right?

All winners will be announced on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 via the DT blogs and also in the hop room at SSC, which can easily be accessed here . You have until 11:59PM EST tonight, October 16, 2010 to comment for your chance to win. All you need to do is click on each link and leave a comment as you hop along to the end of the list.

Are you ready for a frightfully wicked Haunted Hallow Hop? Let's get to hoppin'!

• Deb <------ You are here!!
• Maureen
• Georgia
• Theresa
• Nikki
• Rona
• Colleen
• Amy
• Emily
• Clare
• Pryn

Today, I want to share a Halloween garland I made. Because Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (come on, how many purely candy-based holidays are there??), I always have more Halloween-based crafting stuff than I can realistically use on layouts of my childrens' costumes. So, I decided to use up lots of bits and pieces of papers, embellishments, and ribbon to make this garland.

All of the sections started out as rectangles. If you cut them all the same size, your garland will stay in proportion. I layered patterned paper, cut just a half and inch smaller in both height and width, over the black carstock. I used patterned paper from a single line (this is actually from a fall -themed paper stack) so that all my colors would work together, but this would also be cool with mixed papers. I used my stash of Martha Stewart ribbon to decorate and string the garland together, and various embellies, including the LYB clears, to finish it.

Here are some close-ups:

Decorative scissors add texture to the edges.

This shape was made by using a circle punch on the corners of a rectangle .

The letters are mounted on scalloped circles punched from the same paper line for additional contrast.

Now for the treat: leave me a comment to be entered to win an awesome scrappy treat. Want another entry? Become a follower of my blog and leave me a second comment telling me you did so. You have until midnight tonight, October 16! And remember, leave comments on all the DT's blogs for more chances to win!

Thanks for hopping by! Your next stop is Maureen

It's a pink and flowery kinda day...

I don't know why I was in the mood to create something so, well, girly. Maybe because my 6-year old daughter loves everything pink and pretty. Anyway, Kreaxions 4-in-1 punch 903 and my trusty Kreaxions circle cutter created the oval frame. The flowers and leaves are Kreaxions punches, too!

Have a great day!

Deb

Six.

I cannot believe you are 6 today. That sounds so big and so little at the same time. I hope every one of your wishes comes true. Happy birthday, my darling girl.

A very cupcake birthday

We had Gabi's birthday party yesterday at Treat Cupcake Bar - a big thank you to Marie at Treat for making it such a fun time! The girls started by decorating their own cupcakes boxes. Then Marie taught them how to make decorations out of fondant, and they created polka dots, balloons, and squiggles. The, out came bowls of pink, purple, and blue frosting, along with mini M&Ms, Gummi Bears, sprinkles, and oreos, and each girl decorated 6 cupcakes. It was a delicious afternoon that had all the parents wishing they could play too!

Have a great Monday!

-Deb

Coming soon -- Simply Scrapping Halloween Blog Hop!!!!

Join me on October 16th for an awesome blog hop with my Simply Scrapping DT pals!! There will be lots of inspiration and prizes, so stay tuned.

Crazy Jam Lady

You've heard of crazy cat ladies? Well, I'm the crazy jam lady. Since moving last year I have become kind of obsessed with living a little closer to the Earth, including being more aware of seasons and where our food comes from. So now I try to capture some of the fruits of summer by making jams to last us all winter.

This layout is based on a sketch from Your Scrapbook Stash; I played with Glimmer Mist, some papers and stickers from Echo Park's A Walk in the Park line, and my trusty Kreaxions 903 punch. And a bunch of flowers, buttons, and tags from my stash.

YSS Blog Hop!

One of my favorite online stores, Your Scrapbook Stash, is having blog hop this week - check it out!

First day of School

Ok, I'm a little late getting this posted, since the kids went back Tuesday, but better late than never, right? Gabi is a kindergartener this year (gulp!), and Noah is very excited to be a big kid in his classroom. They have slipped right back into their school routines and love being back at Riverbend Montessori. Gabi even assigned herself homework the other night!

Woohoo!! Blog hop!

What a wonderful weekend...

We said goodbye this morning to our dear friends, Mary, Lisa, and Meryl, who traveled to spend the last weekend of the summer with us. Hurricane Earl brought a slight hiccup to our plans to spend the whole time on the Cape, but we made it down Saturday morning and had a wonderful visit with dear friends. What a lovely way to wrap up our vacation.

Plimouth Plantation

We visited Plimouth Plantation yesterday - I was concerned that the kids were too young, but they really enjoyed it. Noah befriended (yes, big surprise) one of the actors, who taught him about muskets and fire-building, both of which are undoubtedly essential skills for a four-year-old boy.




We also went to see the Mayflower II. That's Jeff on the ladder!


Gabi and Noah were enlisted by one of the actors the empty the chamber pots onboard (they had water in them...I think). Apparently this used to be the responsibility of the youngest child in the house, so Noah enthusiatically volunteered.

Visiting Miss Liberty

Last weekend we visited my sister in New York to celebrate her graduation from culinary school. The kids have been obsessed with "Miss Liverty" since watching An American Tail, so we had purchased tickets months ago for the ferry ride and monument. Need I say it ended up being the first rainy day of the entire summer? Despite the iffy weather, it was a great trip, and the kids loved seeing their aunt and the adventure of New York.

Picking up Cassie

As you may know, we lost our wonderful dog of 15 years, Jessie, last May. We recently adopted Cassie from a wonderful organization calledAlmost Home Rescue. She is as different from Jessie as, well, cats and dogs, but has quickly become a part of the family.

Here are pictures from her pickup day.

This layout is made using American Crafts cardstock, Doodlebug buttons, a Jillibian journaling spot, and Kreaxions 4-in-1 punch 903.

Psst - check it out....

My Just Imagine DT pal Sarah Mullanix has created these adorable embellishments and journaling spots, and the crazy girl is actually giving them away!! Check out her blog to enter to win!