What's Happening....

Hey y'all! I know it's been a long time since I have been around this ole blog! And I have a lot of catching up to do!!
First, I want to share a gift bag that I recently made & embellished with flair from The Crafty Pickle. By the way, the shop had reopened so you can find all your flair button needs and more there!! And lots of new products have ben added!

 

I added the hearts flair button to the top of the fabric rosette and love the way this simple but sweet gift bag turned out!

 

While it's not a Christmas gift bag, it will be perfect to present to my daughter with a small gift or gift card for her 13th birthday next week! I am at a loss for words as we embrace on teenagehood. I can't believe Leah has reached this stage already!! I must say, for the most part, we are pretty lucky-she's a great kid!

 

Speaking of Christmas & he holidays, are you ready?! I am almost done shopping, however, have not done much in the way of decorating. We hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the family here this year so we were pretty busy preparing for that. Now I seem to have lost all motivation to get ready for Christmas! Hoping I find it soon!!! We did have a special guest arrive on December first:

Ty was so excited to see "Countdown" when he got home from school the other day! He had been asking when he would arrive for weeks!! The Season is upon us!

Make it a great one!

~Stephanie

  

 

  

Sweet Birthday Card

Hey y'all!
I am going to keep this post short as I am not feeling well today. My whole weekend was spent laying around the house trying to beat a very nasty cold! YUCK!

I have a card to share that is up on The Crafty Pickle blog today.
 
My sweet friend from high school (yep, we've been friends a LONG time!) had a birthday a week ago and I made her this card:



It's a pretty simple card, using scrap papers from  my stash, some rumpled ribbon, foam alphas and this very cute elephant flair button! She adores elephants and when I first saw this button from TCP, she came to mind!



Isn't the flair button the cutest?! I just love it and hope she enjoys this sweet card as well.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope it's a crafty one for you!
~Stephanie

Happy Birthday (A Couple Days Late)

Hey y'all! It's Monday again-man they come around fast!
My kids now only have 1 Monday of school left!! This year flew by!
May 30 was my husband's 44th birthday. We went to the school carnival & then went out to dinner with the family that night.
I made him this card:

I used all papers from my stash.

 

 

The chipboard frame & mustache are older pieces from Crate Paper. I lightly distressed the background paper with my distress inks & then added some black ink.

 

I hope he enjoyed this card as much as I enjoyed making it for him!

 

Thanks for stopping by tonight.

Have a good one!

~Stephanie

 

Use It Up Tuesday (on Wednesday!)

Hey friends!! I know I am a day late sharing my UIUT post but yesterday was busy around here!

My daughter made the middle school gymnastics team & they FINALLY got to compete in their first meet yesterday evening! 3 meets were canceled due to snow & missed school days! What a way to start an already short season. But last's night meet was a tri-meet that lasted for 3 hours!!! The girls did great (even though their team came in third) & all worked well together & were fabulous supporters for each other. It's so great to see Leah as a part of a team & bonding with some new friends. She only competes in beam, & while she was so nervous, she placed third last night! We were so proud of her!!  

So, on to my layout! Last Monday night I attended my once a month scrap club (with a group of friends that I always look forward to seeing) & we began this page. I had to finish it up at home & this is what I created:

 

The papers were supplied by a friend in our group (I think they are from recollections?). I added some gold mist splatters to the white cardstock & placed some white tissue paper behind my photo.

 

I pulled out some older embellishments from my stash & started layering & adding!! The "party" chippie is from a pack of birthday-themed chipboard & is so old that I can not remember  the manufacturer! The silver doily is from Studio calico. I bent the edges of the banner pieces to give the page more dimension.

 

The flowers are from Prima & are, again, so old!! The date sticker is from Jenni Bowlin (a classic).

 

The cork tags above are from Scrapbook Circle & the flair is from Heidi Swapp. I placed a 9 (AC Thickers) on top of the star to note my daughter's ninth birthday. Her wish was to go to Great Wolf Lodge, so we took her best friend & my sister, brother-in-law & nephew went with us. It was a fun weekend getaway & she said it was "the best birthday ever"! That made it all worthwhile, even the fact that we got sick when we arrived home! Sweet memories were made for sure.

 

   

Thanks for visiting y'all!

Stay scrappy....

~Stephanie  

 

 

 

 

 

 

He's 8?!

That can't possibly be right! This little guy had another birthday yesterday & my heart did a small flip.

I think because he is my baby, every birthday we celebrate with him is bittersweet. He is growing up too quickly! Faster than I honestly like!!

 I mean really, where did this BABY go?!!?!

 

                                    
 Or this sweet little 3 year-old who loved nothing more than cuddling with his puppy? (He still loves to cuddle with his doggy. They've just both gotten much bigger!)

He begged us to get him out of school early since we do on Leah's birthday every year. We obliged & took him & her to lunch & then to see Paddington Bear. We came home & he opened presents from us &  then Mom-Mom came over with her gifts for him. He was thrilled to get a lot of Nerf guns (his request) & an Orioles hat! His aunt & uncle & cousin came by after dinner for a visit & brought more gifts (lucky boy)!

(Be still my  heart....)

He is a sweet & loving boy who also has a rough edge  & loves to be outside playing with friends. He can be a grump at times (like when he has to be woken up in the morning) but is mostly happy & easy going. Give him a baseball bat or football & he couldn't be happier. He likes to do his own thing & follow his own lead which I am so proud of. He is a kind-hearted & good friend.
He is my son & I love him with all my  heart, despite the fact that  he won't listen & continues to grow up!!! I couldn't be prouder of who is turning out to be. Love him!

Hope your Saturday has been a good one.
~Stephanie     


 

Happy 8th Birthday-The Crafty Pickle

Hey y'all! Hope your Thursday is going well. We had some ice & schools were closed yesterday so I am playing catch-up today!
Tomorrow is Ty's 8th birthday so I made him a card. I wanted to keep it somewhat simple since he is a boy & doesn't appreciate frills!

   I started with the slate blue cardstock & added the plaid paper on top. This was in my scraps box from long ago!

I used the "Happy Birthday" flair from The Crafty Pickle. It is from their Birthday button flair set. The set includes 4 flat-backed buttons that are perfect for birthday crafting!

 

 The sequins on my card is also from The Crafty Pickle. It is the winter sequins mix. I just love the little snowflakes! The cardstock snowflake was punched with my Marvy punch.
Taniesa has a bunch of new flair & sequins in the shop! Be sure to stop by & stock up!! These cold, snowy winter days are the perfect time to craft!

Take care,
~Stephanie

Use It Up Tuesday-Bella Blvd

Hey y'all! Hope you are staying warm in your neck of the woods. It's a cold & blustery day here. Another good one for staying in and crafting! 

One of my (many) resolutions this year is to use up scrap supplies that I have been hoarding. I love new & pretty products, but what's the point of buying them if I never use them?! So I am going to test out a new installment on my blog called "Use It Up Tuesday". I will try to post a new project a few times a month using older products. 
So today I am posting my first "Use It Up' post! I created with Bella Blvd's Lucky Stars . This is such a fun collection, perfect for creating layouts of kids &  their many activities!! 

I began my layout with this sketch from My Creative Sketches

The orange cardstock really helps these fun papers pop off the page!

My son had his 4th birthday party at a local Childrens' Museum & the kids had a blast with the parachute.

I distressed the edges of the patterned papers  to give it a rough fell, like little boys had gotten a hold of it! Ha ha!

My alphas are also from Bella Blvd. I added in some colored sequins & two flair buttons from The Crafty Pickle . The wood veneer banner is also a hoarded item, from Pink Paislee.

 

The die cut heart & "what a wonderful day" tag are from Elle's Studio. I added a chipboard beanie hat (this reminded me of little boys) from UmWow Studio.

 

 

        My journaling is tucked inside of the glassine bag. I embellished it with feathers & a wood heart from Studio Calico, a fussy cut star from the Bella Blvd collection & a mini clothespin from Crate Paper. I don't always like for my journaling to show, so these bags tucked away on a page make the best solution! 

It's so hard to believe that these photos are almost 4 years old! Ty turns 8 on Friday!! I am in disbelief & a bit sad that that little guy is gone. : (  But I enjoy his antics & zest everyday! 

Thanks for stopping by! Stay warm!!
~Stephanie
      

Can't Believe She Is 12!!!

Today is Leah's 12th birthday! I can not wrap my head around this fact. All day I have been staring at her wondering where my "little" girl went! It seems like just yesterday that she was a sassy, head-strong three year-old that I never thought I would survive parenting! Fortunately, we all did survive those tumultuous years & she is one of the best things (along with her her brother) that have ever happened in my life.
Yes, the road was extremely hard at times & yes, I was very guilty of praying  that the bad times would pass quickly, against the advice of elders who told me not to wish it away. It was all worth it though, for today, Leah is one of the most caring, tender-hearted people I know. She is smart, kind, empathetic, a good friend & an all-around great girl.
We took her & Ty out of school early, as we do every year, (even though she is now in middle school!) & went out to lunch. Then, as is our tradition, we went downtown to visit Santa. We came home & she opened her presents from us, her Mom-Mom & her best friend!
I'd say she had a good day & we are excited to see what she accomplishes in her 12th year!! She is so very loved!

Have a wonderful night, y'all!
~Stephanie
    

5 & 12

Hey y'all! Hope this Tuesday finds you well & (if you're in the US), getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday! It's such a great time for being with family & giving thanks for all that we are fortunate enough to  have. And then, it's time to gear up for Christmas! While I love the season & am really excited, we have some birthdays to celebrate first! My nephew has a birthday in November & my youngest nephew's birthday
is on December 12. Leah's birthday is December 10 & she will be 12 this year! Holy-time is flying!!!
So before I dive head first into the Christmas season, I made some birthday cards. Both feature flair & sequins from The Crafty Pickle.

I used the Birthday button flair set & the Winter Sequins mix for both of my cards. 

For my second card, I started with sketch #111 from Cardabilities and made Leah's birthday card

I love the shimmer of this "Happy Birthday" flair! It's great for a 12 year-old girl!!

be sure to visit The Crafty Pickle shop to see these products, and more! 

Now that these birthday cards are behind me, I can make more Christmas projects!! 

Have a good one!

~Stephanie

Supplies: 

cardstock-Bazzil

patterned paper-7Dots Studios

flower badge-Crate Paper

feathers-miscellaneous

chippie numbers-AC Thickers

ribbon-Lovebug Creations

balloon punch-Martha Stewart   

   

Where Does the Time Go?!

Can you believe it's October 1st already?!!?! I can not, nor can I believe that my sweet niece, Jordan turned 18 yesterday!! And she pointed out to my sister that this will be the last birthday that she celebrates at home! Whaaaa?! Please, someone stop the clock from ticking!
Here is the birthday card I made her. I used this sketch from Cardabilities
   

I used the diamond paper from Studio Calico on top of my cardstock & added some border stickers (from Crate Paper & Studio Calico). Then I added my doily, letting it reach beyond the edge & trimming the excess.  A tag & some label stickers (all from Crate), adorned the doily. The wood veneer hearts are also from Studio Calico. The floral sticker is from Crate & the pom pom trim is from Fancy Pants. The numbers are vinyl Thickers. 

 The pretty ribbon for my bow is from Lovebug Creations. Unfortunately, the store closed in September!! Heartbreaking!

I hope Jo enjoys this card as much as I enjoyed making it for her!!

Have a fabulous night y'all! 

~Stephanie 

  

And More Birthdays....

Hey y'all! I quickly want to share some cards I made last week & just realized I did not post here.
So my sweet & dear friend turned 40 last Friday, & since she lives out of state, I was not able to celebrate with her. Bummer! I did however make her a pretty card & I hope it brings her a smile!!

Everything I used here is from Studio Calico, with the exception of the rumple ribbon. That is from Lovebug Creations in the color Jaded. 

I love how the silver doily, wood veneer numbers & the pastel feathers blend together. The look is muted but also sophisticated. Happy 40th birthday, Laura!!!

The next card I made is for Ty's best friend who turns 10 on Saturday! 

I used the fun glitter dot cardstock that I recently picked up at Hobby lobby. And I raided my stash to finish off this card! (I love when I can do that & use up older items.) The "oh boy" & "smile" circles were punched from a piece of paper from Pink Paislee's Hey Kid collection. I popped them up to give them a little more dimension against the dot paper. The "celebrate" & circle strip are older stickers from Cosmo Cricket. 

I think I have mentioned before that I hold on to everything, & for me, there is such a feeling of accomplishment when I can use my older products!

Thanks for visiting today. Make it a crafty one!!

~Stephanie    

*I am linking up to Paper Issues "Anything Goes" linky party.

Tuesday with LBC

Hey y'all & happy September! Whoa, did I just say 'September"?! How did that happen so fast? The summer is officially over & my kids went back to school today (I want to share more on that later). As sad as we are to see the summer end, fall is an exciting time with lots of fun activities happening! And LOTS of birthday around here too!!

Today is one of my friend's birthday & my sister's is next week. I made a couple more cards to share today featuring Lovebug Creations' rumple ribbon.

I used Icy Sky on both cards, which is now retired, but you can find many fabulous colors in the store. 

  

This hexagon paper is one of my all time favorites from My Mind's Eye. It's from their Follow Your Heart collection.  The 'happy birthday' sentiment is a rub-on from Prima.

 For this card, I cut out a few of the hexagons & placed two on my cardstock. The other was popped up on this craft envelope from Kaiser Craft. I thought this would be the perfect spot to slip in a gift card!

  I thought the wooden buttons were the perfect touch to top the pretty bows!
And now two birthday cards are in the bag!!

Thanks for stopping by today. Stay crafty!
~Stephanie