Sassy Girl Scraps

Quick cards from leftovers

Quick use of your paper scraps & other christmas leftovers! 

The sketch included with these cards was adapted from a 12x12 sketch that I used to create a layout about our christmas decorations (I will post this later).

Tip: Use an embossed look on your scraps to breathe new life into them.

 Here is one of the many I made:

 

I was also inspired by my wonderful kids when they decided as part of the countdown to Christmas to decorate their room with hand cut snowflakes.  I embossed leftover gold tissue paper (Psst: $1 gets you a whole lot of this and it is typically gold one side and silver on the other).

 

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I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.  ~Charles Dickens

A quick update

Hello all.  I've had a lot of recent inquiries as to when I was going to update my blog.  Well here you go. 

With December being a few days away, yes I will start posting projects, sketches, & cards again.  I can not and will not commit to any time frame or amout of each.

For those of you who know me well thank you for all your love and support over the past 9 months while I dealt with alot of personal issues.  It has meant the world to me.

For my friends from distances away a quickie update as to what I have been up to.  I took that time frame of silence to heal and find the love of the craft that left me while I was feeling broken.  I also took that time to just be with my family.

Both my kids played sports for the first time with T-Ball for both, football, & cheerleading.  They are both actively involved with scouting and I took the opportunity to co-lead my daughter's brownie troop.  Both my daughter and I are taking separate dance classes.  We planned, participated in, celebrated my youngest sister's wedding.  We are actively supporting our church which is on the verge of closure.

We dealt with my husband's 4 month long illness and my pain from a work injury that has never healed.  With this new year coming we anticipate more changes.  I will be going to the pain clinic for regular management of pain and we will work hard to have our family & friends encompassed with our love.

I took the past 3 months off from actively creating anything and focused on refinding my passion for creating.  I have to tell you my notebook is full of sketches and projects....I can't wait to share this with you.

Talk to you real soon............

Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.  ~Jacques Prévert

Playing with packaging!

I am a self admitted hoarder, I'll save anything I think I can use later...including packaging products.  I was given a set of Jolee's stickers "cowboy" themed from a friend as a gift so I decided to make a few "manly" cards, but with the idea of using some hoarded product up.

Here's the packaging I used:

The wrapping from a item from a shipped item, a piece of an envelope from a shipped item, & a prima flower holder.  Here's a few of the cards I made:

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  Courage is being scared to death - and saddling up anyway. -- John Wayne

Quick Spring Cards

Yesterday in between laundry, dishes, & general picking up I whipped up a set of quick "Spring" cards.  It took a little longer than I liked to make 12 cards, but I liked the results.  I made 4 "Thanks" cards and 4  large "blank", 4 small "blank" cards mostly from old supplies & scraps. Here is what they look like:

 

They are very basic.... 

1. Run the 12 cards through Cuttlebug to emboss the background

2. Cut 4 pieces of yellow felt ribbon, 4 pieces of 1/2" width pp, 4 pieces of 1 1/2" pp.

3. Cut & emboss spellbinders labels for 8 small labels & 4 large labels

4. Punch butterflies from coordinating paper scraps

5. Add pearls to butterflies & old prima flowers (I used Paper Studio strips of pearls).

6. On "Thanks" cards only I used a glue pad with rubber "thanks" and flocked.

I intentionally left the larger labels and 4 smaller labels blank so that I could add phrases/words/images later as I sent them.  Some ideas would be "thinking of you", "thank you", a stamped & embossed bird or bunny....

No need for fancy cards or spending hours making them!  I loved the way they turned out and it took only 1 hour to make all 12 cards.

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The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven -
All's right with the world!
~Robert Browning

Cards.....

Cards, it is always theraputic to sit and make up a bunch of cards to send & share.  My friend Paula asked for some new cards so she could give them away at her candle parties, so I started some easy cards using my cuttlebug for her.

This is the "Thank you" cards:

I made a dozen of these and started some spring ones too.

I also went to SST this week to check out the new arrivals & pick up a few supplies and ran across these HERO ARTS dolls stamps and thought it would be fun to play with them while I worked on my other cards.  Of course as always I left there with a little extra inspiration, she gave me a sheet of the new Prima umbrella collection "Raincoat" which worked perfectly with one of the little dolls.  Here is the card I made using some of the paper and the stamped image:

Going green....

Not that this is new.  People who know me well know I believe in reusing, recycling, and recreating.  Wheter it be an empty coffee can, a gift box, or old card, I like to create when I can so nothing is wasted and I can save a little green in the process.

So today I stopped at Stampin' & Scrappin' Time to get some fresh tidbits for my photo frame project and found a little extra inspiration.  As I collected items [some for the project I had half started and some new stuff for later] the salesperson took the time to ask me what I was working on.  When I explained it to her, she had a few ideas of her own and ended offering up some wonderful little freebies to help me along. 

Along with a freshly stamped Bombshell Stamp girl, Bombshell Stamps , a few pieces from MM & Gauche Alchemy .  I was able to create this little door decor from a recylced Prima flowers package:

She gave me that cute little card, the top button, the lime rickey paper on here!  It just turned out fabulous and my husband thought it was better then my photo frame I had just finished .

{She gave me a few other goodies including 2 felt die cut Shammrocks that I plan to use on a LO too}.

You gotta love that push of inspriration!!!  Thanks again Stampin' & Scrappin Time!

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May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
~Irish Blessing

Fun A to Z style!

In December, my friend Nicole blogged about a fun idea: using the alphabet for a year's worth of fun, inspiration, education, more. Read about it here:   http://madebynicole.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-big-idea-you-must-play-too.html

It sounded like super fun so I am playing along.  I have taken so many pictures and the best part it has helped keep the kids active & happy!  I took the approach with kids of focusing on favorite: items (toys), foods, books, movies, & activities that started with each letter.

Here is a glimpse of what we have been up to with A & B:

"A"

 

Food was definately Apples!  We made apple pie, apple cake, applesauce, apple-cinnamon pancakes, apple betty, apple stuffing, & more.

Movie: "Alvin & the chipmunks", the "Aristocats" at home & I took them to see Alvin & the Chipmunks "Squeakquel".

Books: We read a story everyday from the "Animals Stories" from Disney.

Items: Kolby chose: alligator (stuffed animal) & airplane, an arrow (for his toy bow & arrow); Kendra chose: aqua sand (toy), & an angel.

Activities included: arguing (had to include that one it's a daily occurence), animal names game (naming an animal for each letter in the alphabet -- used later too!), & alphabet activites (I used this website: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/abc.shtml). 

I really emphasized that "A" is for alphabet and that what were learning about as well as having fun this year!

"B"

Food: Definately Blueberries & Bananas!  We had on our menu: Blueberry cheescake, Banana bread, banana split cakes, banana pancakes, blueberry pancakes, buttermilk french toast, broiled scallops, broccoli salad, black bean salad, blueberry smoothies, more!

Movies: Bedtime stories, Babe, the Bee movie.

Books: Bunches of "Barbie" books (Barbie in the Diamond Castle, Nutcracker, three musketeers, etc.) & bunches of Biscuit books (Biscuit goes to school, to the park, etc.)

Activities: Bendaroo's,  bead jewelry, braiding hair, baking, baseball (on the Wii), boxing (on the Wii), & a trip to Build-A-Bear!

Items: Kendra -- Barbie, bendaroo's, beads; Kolby -- Buzz lightyear, baseball, & books :O)

We are so excited and are gearing up for "C".

Some of the ideas we have:

First on the menu: chilli, chocolate chip cookies, cocoa.  Activities: will be coffee/cocoa time, cutting with cricut, cooking;  Movies: Charlie & the chocolate factory; Books: Cat in the hat; Items: Computer& card games.  I'm sure will be adding to the list everyday.

This is going to be a great year filled with fun & adventure!!!!

Christmas preparations

Hello all...

Well Christmas day is fast approaching and we have been very busy....creating, decorating, wrapping, baking, etc........

As promised here is my shadow box that I made (after I dropped it!)  I used a embellishment box from MM Fa la la line that I was hoarding from last year to create it.  I've had the front side hanging on my bedroom door as a decoration since making it a few weeks ago and we have been steadily added pictures to the little books I made to go inside the back.  I personally think it will be a nice momento of this year's Christmas season.

Also, the kids loved my desk calendar's so much they decided that they would love to make one for their teachers so we have been working on them.  I used the calendar pdf provided by Crafty Secrets: http://www.craftysecrets.com/images/pattern%20pics/2010%20calendar.pdf and a bunch of old craft supplies for the calendars which will hopefully by ready by tomorrow.

Kendra working on her calendar:

 KOLBY WORKING ON HIS CALENDAR FOR HIS TEACHER:

Have a great week!

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 It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.  ~W.T. Ellis

Hello everyone! I know I have been a little absent as of late, as we all know life can sometimes interfere with well intentioned plans.

Sadly no one showed any interest in renewing the Scrap Artist of the Month or of the new design team. Although, I've had many e-mails and requests wondering where in the world the sketches and artists are, I am at this time scrapping both of those ideas.

As a super busy mom, I will say that I am only comitted hence forward with posting projects, LO's, cards, & sketches as I please and find the time.

I know those of you who knew the challenges I have faced in the past few months and continue to face will understand that the most. For everyone else, I can only say that this blog was created with the hopes of helping and sharing and I will continue both.

Blessings and joy to you all....

Sept. week 4 sketch and LO.

Hello ladies, hope everyone is well and enjoying the coming of fall. 

Due to a family emergency this week I wasn't able to communicate with the Artist this week.  I have a sketch and LO for you though to get you in the mood for Halloween.

And the LO:

I have to thank Jenn for inspiring me to try out a 8 1/2 by 11 LO, it was fun to tinker with  my original design and make it look new:

All papers, journinaling spot skull, & chipboard: Basic Grey Eerie.  Doodlebug rub-on stitching. Foam alpha stamps ?  "2" Cricut with gel pen dots & black & green Bazzill cardstock.

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Hold on, man.  We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title.  ~From Scooby-Doo