out of the box creative...

2012-01-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR CREATIVE FRIENDS!!!

Hope you all are starting the new year out with a bang... and a table full of new scrappy supplies! This is my first post since the WINTER WONDERLAND ornament challenge and I have to admit that my tree is still up because I enjoy walking by and seeing all those fun pictures embellished! It was a fun challenge and I appreciate everyone's comments and emails!

So... it is officially 2012 which means so many things! I don't know if you are the "resolution" type {I tend to make them and then forget - just being honest!} but either way this new year is a fresh start. I would like to spend more time one on one time with my hubby & our girls, take better care of myself and capture more of our everyday moments with my camera!!!

Speaking of everyday moments... you know that pile of "Must Scrap These" photos... well, here are some fun, new layouts using the DESTINATIONS line using pictures from that pile.

STORYTIME LAYOUT:

This layout was 100% inspired by the picture. Our family loves to read and the idea of making a mini-3D book using foam board and the bright papers and cardstock stickers just made my heart happy! I made sure to create a bookmark made of ribbon because we wouldn't want to loose our place in the story! I used a few of the role-up flowers along with the flag banners for the leaves to add additional dimension to the layout. The journalling was done using the a few of the icons which were popped using Therm-o-web's 3D Zots and of course the Mini Alphas and Glitter Alphas. I love this layout on the TRIP OF A LIFETIME Circle Scallop paper!!!

Journalling using the MINI ALPHAS, fussy-cut icons and CARDSTOCK STICKERS

A close up of the handmade story book from foam board and DESTINATIONS papers

THIS GIRL LOVES SUNGLASSES LAYOUT:

Let me start by saying this photo makes me laugh hysterically! I know you don't know my oldest whom I call our Desert Darling, however she is so the opposite of what this picture shows. She is kind, she is friendly, she ALWAYS has a smile on her face... never a growly-bad-to-the-bone look. To say the least when it came time to edit pictures I knew I had to scrap this one!!! I used the "B" side of the JOURNEY paper as my backdrop and then layered a newly-punched "B" side of the HAPPY HOUR strip of paper to the right of the layout. I really liked the look of the turquoise diecut rolly flower undone so that was added in the upper right corner. I used the punch out clouds - My Little Shoebox is known for their clouds and personally I can't get enough of them - to round out that same corner. I layered the picture on white cardstock {TIP: if I don't have white cardstock handy, I go to my scrap pile and reach for the My Little Shoebox Circle Scallops since their "B" sides are white} and then again on the "B" side of the SOUVENIR paper. The SPARKLE GLITTER ALPHAS and MINI ALPHAS make up the title along with a hand-cut heart out of the polka dot journalling tag on the POSTCARD paper.

An upclose look at the homemade paper rose and journal tag

SWEET ADDISON LAYOUT:

For this layout I wanted to highlight the bright-happy red and pink combination of this line. The HAPPY HOUR and SIT BACK AND RELAX papers are so pretty when they are layered together and then there is a pop of the fun turquoise color! I hand-cut the journalling tag off the POSTCARD paper and then layered it with the photo and the "B" side of the HAPPY HOUR paper. I added a few of the flowers from the diecut sheet and then added a homemade role up flower using the "B" side of the SOUVENIR paper. Making the title was the fun part... I like to stretch myself sometimes and I was trying to come up with a way to use all the fun icons on the JOURNEY and POSTCARD papers.

A closer look at ADDISON spelled out using random pieces within the DESTINATIONS collection... do they look familiar???

Here is how I made the letters to spell out ADDISON:

A = made from the triangle flag on the diecut sheet

d = flipped the "parking" sign to make a lower-case "d"

I = turned the "do not enter" sign to make the "I"

S = fussy cut out 2 of the "U-turn" red arrows and then turned them over to use the "B" side and connected the arrows to make an "S"

O = fussy cut out the "60 mph" sign and then layered it with white cardstock to create a white border

N = fussy cut the letter "N" off of the "ONE WAY" sign on the POSTCARD paper

Thank you for stopping by today!

Wishing you and yours a very happy new year!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... TWENTY-FIVE

2011-12-25T11:49:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

On the 25th of December it is time to reveal my final ornament using the WINTER WONDERLAND collection from My Little Shoebox. I have had so much fun making all of these and appreciate your sweet comments and emails! For this ornament I used the #25 from the COUNTDOWN paper and embellished it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and Stickles. The journalling is the chorus from one of the Christmas songs the girls have been singing non-stop!

This picture was the last one taken of our family together in California. I look at this photo as the calm before the storm... and we have been so very blessed in all the ups and downs our family has experienced this year!

The poinsettia was made from the large flower punch from EK Success and then trimmed the petals to be a bit more pointy. Stickles and pearls were then added to make the flower sparkle!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Creative Cheers!!!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... TWENTYFOUR

2011-12-24T21:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

It is the 24th day of December and with so much yet to do this post will be kinda short. This ornament is really pink... pretty in pink!!! I love this rolly flower from the 3D Diecut sheet and with a little shimmer {courtesy of Martha Stewart's Glitter and Glossy Accents} this flower really sparkles!

This photo was taken this summer in NM. Our youngest daughter had just torn her favorite blanket and Grandma Helen was quick to mend her tears {and her blanket} with her love and a few stitches.

The flower was made using the EK Success Punch and then the journalling was done with PEPPERMINT Mini Alphas & CHERRY PIE Glitter Alphas. I distressed the petals with a burgandy-ish ink and then layered them with Glue Dots.

Thank you for stopping by and wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... TWENTYTHREE

2011-12-23T05:58:00.001-08:00

Good morning all!

The sun is shining, the girls are up and full of energy... and I am trying to keep up! Today is the 23rd of December which means only two more days before the real celebration begins. This ornament was made using the GUM DROP LANE & COUNTDOWN papers, the 3D Diecuts, PEPPERMINT Mini Alphas, SNOWFLAKE Glitter Alphas, Stickles, Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Buttons, Lace and Twine.

This picture was taken this summer in NM at my parents anniversary party. It was such a great time getting to see all those friendly faces that my parents have spent so much time with over the years. We are extremely blessed and spending time with one another is the true gift!!!

I love the stripes on the 3D Diecut flag so after distressing them I adhered them together {points pointing toward each other} and then secured the newly created "bow" with a button.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... 20, 21 & 22

2011-12-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so we have been busy again!

It is that time of year...

As I went to upload my photos on Monday I had taken so many of the girls recital, trip to ABQ, cooking making, etc. I just had too many pictures and my poor MAC couldn't handle it. Well, in all fairness to my sweet MAC {who I love so dearly!} it is my fault for having 25k+ pictures on iPhoto. Before you ask, yes they are all backed up... I just have a hard time parting with the visuals! Don't worry, I am working through and editing which is something I should have been doing from day one... but I am still learning! Now, onto the ornaments...

A little bit about 20:
The picture for this ornament shows what has become Wragge Family Tradition... After all the gifts are opened and the wrapping paper covers the floor, we round up all the loose pieces and then create a leaf-like pile with them and then have the girls lay in the wrapping paper to take a picture. I love this tradition... my husband not so much. Either way, the pictures always come out hysterical, the girls have so much fun jumping in the paper and eventually we clean up the wrapping paper mess!

The stickers for this line are so very much fun to play with!!!

A little bit about 21:
This ornament is STICKLES happy... I mean I covered this puppy in Stickles! They just add so much sparkle to the snow and it creates a fun textured look! I hand cut the heart for journalling and then used a rolly flower to embellish it. The Vintage Photo Distress Ink makes the border and defines the edges of the leaves.

This picture was taken this summer in Arizona. These two stick together like glue and the tender moment between them just made my heart melt. They truly love eachother - they are sisters - but they know what buttons to push and when!

A little bit about 22:
This is one of 38 ornaments I made for the teachers, women in our bible study and our Rams Kid's Camp teachers. They are a different take on last year's however they turned out nicely and made a wonderful gift paired with hot chocolate and marshmallows!

I saved one of the ornaments for myself, because I wanted to remember what I made this year for presents. It is always fun to go back and see what you have created before and to see how much you have grown creatively.

Thank you for joining me today!
Looking forward to seeing you next time... hopefully tomorrow!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... NINETEEN

2011-12-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

Good morning! Hope you are having a wonderful start to your week! Today's ornament was fun to create... very out-of-the-ordinary-color-pallet for me when it comes to Christmas {I was inspired by my dear friend - wink, wink!} so I challenged myself to stay in the blue! I used the darling WINTER FOLLY paper with all the snowflakes for the medallion and then wiggled my way with my circle punch to find an all blue spot on the SNOWFLAKE VALLEY paper which served as the anchoring center piece of the ornament. The alphas are non-other than MARSHMALLOW SPRINKLE GLAZED ALPHAS dusted with blue chalk to make them blend the blue and the white together. The snowflakes were made using different sized punches and then the silver glitter border was made with the help of Martha Stewarts Sterling glitter and Glossy Accents.

For the back side of the ornament, I decorated the #19 of the COUNTDOWN paper with Stickles and Glossy Accents and then adhered it to the center of the medallion. It is simple but brings together all the colors from the "B" side of the WINTER FOLLY PAPER.

Thank you for stopping by today!
Hope you have a wonderful day and looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!!!

Creative Cheers!

Winter wonderland Ornaments... 17 & 18

2011-12-18T21:37:00.001-08:00

Again, my apologies for missing yesterday... and barely making it by today! Yep, it's that time where your "to-do" list is getting so long I decided to stop putting things on it... or worse, put things on it that I already did just for the pure satisfaction of checking something off! I know, it's crazy... but it is what it is!

A little bit about #17:
This ornament was inspired by last year's creation using WINTER WONDERLAND papers. My dear friends Pattie and Rocio taught a group of us how to make these beautiful medallions and I must say that make pretty little ornaments in a pinch!

These pretty medallions were so very much fun to make and they were super easy!
{a great thing if you have to make 38 ornaments in 3 days... just saying!}

A little bit about #18:
The picture on this ornament was taken the day our first official weekend in Missouri. It was chilly {again, coming from CA anything below 70 is chilly!} and the girls were just itching to weather their new coats. Each morning they would wake up and check outside to see if it snowed. It hasn't yet, except for the "non-stick" kind but the point is they can't wait to get out there when it really snows! The Cardstock Sticker was perfect for this ornament... showing what the girls are anxiously waiting for!

For the COUNTDOWN side I used the Unity Stamps with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and Diamond Stickles to add to the ornament without a lot of bulk. The Glitter is always a great way to spice things up for the holidays!

Thank you for stopping by today!

Thank you for baring with me!

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... SIXTEEN

2011-12-16T06:53:00.000-08:00

Good morning! Hope you are having a wonderful day - remember, it's friday!!! This weekend will be jam packed with activities, holiday get-to-gethers and good food! It also means it is time to clean and the one area of the house that does not have to get swept into a big grey tub {shout out Davey!} is my scrap desk. This is the first time I can just leave my creative goodies out and when the time is right be able to pick up right where I left off. I am spoiled, this I know! So... for this ornament I wanted to highlight the fact that my desk is the center for all creating... and I feel truly blessed!

The border is a pretty vintage pink color from Martha Stewart's Glitter collection and courtesy of Glossy Accents it added that special touch to the border. The flower was made using the EK Success punch and the STARBURST paper.

The leaves of the flower are stamped with the Unity Stamp using the Vintage Photo Distress ink - the sweet little message pops through which starts to melt my heart a little!

The journalling on the back side reads "Nothing says "loves to scrap" like a messy desk" and it is true, the messier you are the more fun you are having. The GLITTER ALPHAS and the MINI ALPHAS added nice dimension to the ornament and it was fun to mix and match.

I love to create! In fact, I will fess up that after a long night of crafting, I half-heartedly scrubbed the adhesive/glitter mixture off of my hands and went to bed. Sure enough, the next morning I woke up and my hands were stuck together! Moral of the story... have fun, make a mess... just THOROUGHLY wash your hands before going to bed!

Thank you for stopping by and looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow!
Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... 14 & 15

2011-12-15T17:53:00.001-08:00

Dear Blog Readers,

Please forgive me for missing yesterday's post... honestly I have no excuse, just too plain busy! I have to say I was sorta proud of myself for making it this long {don't worry, I still have PLENTY more ornaments to show you because yes, our tree was virtually bare before this handy dandy little project!} without missing! Yes, the blog experienced "technical difficulties" last week however yesterday I just dropped the ball! I promise the ornaments are done, I have yet to photograph them. I thought about turning the Christmas lights on and trying to fake good lighting just to show you however the chances of waking up the munchkins is too great - it is almost like they can sense when the Christmas lights are on, it is that time of year!!! So... today will feature 14 & 15!!!

A little bit about 14...The picture for this ornament cracks me up! It was taken at the tree farm where we went to pick out our famous Charlie Brown Christmas tree {Tony still isn't over those looks he received from strangers for picking out the scrawny tree - it had character!!!} Anyways, Avery got a real "taste" of our little adventure!

The picture side of the ornament has a Martha Stewart Glitter border courtesy of Glossy Accents. The journalling side of the ornament was stamped with the Unity SNOWFLAKE stamp and then the #14 from the COUNTING DOWN paper was embellished with a little Glossy Accents.

A little bit about 15...Oh sweet Addison, this picture was taken on her first day of Kindergarten in California. A lot has happened since this photo was taken however it makes me smile seeing our first born take those big steps... uniform, special lunch box, memorizing bible verses, etc. It is amazing how quickly she is growing up - it seems like only yesterday she was a little toddler with red sparkler piggie tails!

To embellish the picture side of the ornament I used the Marvy Star Punch on the STARBURST paper and then distressed the stars using Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The #15 from the COUNTING DOWN paper is wrapped around both sides of the ornament and then distressed. I used the SNOWFLAKES Glitter Alphas to spell out "star." For the other side of the ornament I used the journalling stamp from Unity and stamped the whole tag. The STARBURST paper was punched with the 3in scallop punch and then trimmed to fit on the tag. The pretty blue snowflake rolly flower added a nice touch to this side of the ornament.

Thank you for stopping by today!
Hoping to see you all for #16!!!
Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... THIRTEEN

2011-12-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday!!!

Today has just flown by... literally! For today's ornament I turned to one thing that is 100%, guaranteed to get even Scrooge in the holiday spirit - MUSIC! There are too many songs to name {Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, Little Drummer Boy, etc...} So for the 13th ornament I chose the very warm, comforting lyrics of Silent Night. This is by far my favorite Christmas song... it is the one I really, really looked forward to hearing at our church's midnight service {plus there was the cool-let's-light-the-candles-oh-I-forgot-to-mention-I-am-a-bit-of-a-pyro!} Getting back to the WINTER WONDERLAND ornament... the song is a gift, therefore it seemed fitting to have this ornament be a present!

Simple, yet pretty because of the darling designs on the WINTER FOLLY paper. The silver ribbon from my stash-o-ribbons just added so much to this gift!

The poinsettia was created using the EK Success punch {trimmed the petals to be a bit more pointy} and the SNOW FLAKE VALLEY paper. The leaves were hand cut using the STARBURST paper, then distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The pearls were on an old princess dress of the girls and adhered with Glossy Accents!

Thank you for stopping by today and looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... TWELVE

2011-12-12T07:12:00.001-08:00

On the twelfth day of Christmas I created just for me...

A sweet little WINTER WONDERLAND ornament filled with giggles and glee!!!

I heart the SNOWFLAKE Stamp from Unity and for those of you following you are seeing it everywhere! It is so versatile and makes these ornaments pop! For this one, I distressed the cardstock tag with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, then stamped it using the Unity Stamp and the blue chalk. The flower was created using an EK Success Punch {trimmed the petals to be more pointy} and then edged them with a cranberry-like chalk. Again, wish I had the name of the chalk however between my constant use of them and my girls... well, their label is long gone! To highlight the COUNTING DOWN number 12 I used Diamond Stickles on the white border to make it sparkle!

For the other side of the ornament I chose this photo from our summer trip to the cabin. Grandma had so much fun having all the grandkids under one roof so they played, and played, and played their little hearts out! I was so happy to capture this sweet moment - this is why I take pictures! The flower is made from the same EK Success punch {without the petal trimming} and the pearl is from one of the girl's old princess dresses. For the ornament's title I chose the SNOWFLAKE Glitter Alphas from My Little Shoebox.

Thank you for visiting today!

Hope you have a happy Monday and looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... EIGHT

2011-12-07T22:33:00.001-08:00

Hello all! It is Thursday, December 8th and time for another WINTER WONDERLAND ornament! As some of you already know, I am a wee bit obsessed with every.single.color of MLS MINI ALPHAS! I find them inspiring and it fun trying to come up with new ways to play with these little gems! For this gift tag, I kept it pretty basic. I trimmed a semi-square out of the PEPPERMINT minis, covered it in Glossy Accents... waited for it to dry and then attached pretty red polka dot ribbon to make the present!

This is one of those photos that just melts my heart!

Yes, it is somewhat blurry because of course they wouldn't hold still...

I love it... blur and all!!!

I trimmed the number 8 off of the COUNTING DOWN paper and then layered it with one of the delicate snowflake cardstock stickers.

Sweet, simple... very meaningful!

Thanks for popping by today!

Tomorrow is another great ornament that is just flower-ific!!!

{p.s. do you like all my made up words???}

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... ELEVEN

2011-12-07T20:50:00.001-08:00

Happy Sunday everyone!

Today's WINTER WONDERLAND Ornament is a special one! I realize if it weren't for certain people in my life I would have never come to know and love this art of scrapbooking... and for that I will be forever grateful! This is a picture that was taken of my dearest friends Pattie and Linda this past August. They are two of the most genuine, caring, self-less people I know and when it comes to crafting... watch out because their talent is just as amazing as their love for others!

The ornament dons the ELEVEN tag from the COUNTING DOWN paper and I just lined it with Glossy Accents to add a little texture. I paired the tag with the diecut rolly flower and used a little red button as the center.

For Linda and Pattie... love you both & miss you dearly!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... TEN

2011-12-07T20:44:00.001-08:00

Greetings! So I am a little late in getting today's WINTER WONDERLAND post up! But all good things come to those who wait... right??? This ornament is a gem of a memory. This past spring I had the opportunity to go see GLEE in concert with friends and the music was AMAZING!

I used the UNITY Stamp with blue chalk {sorry, the chalk was so old the lable wore off!} and then distressed it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I traced the pretty red border with Glossy Accents and then used Marth Stewart's Glitter to really jazz it up!

For the other side of the ornament I used Glossy Accents for the border, then Martha Stewart's Glitter. For the glitter journaling, I used Sakura Quickie Glue to write out "may your holidays be..." and then sprinkled Sterling Martha Stewart Glitter and then I used My Little Shoebox SNOWFLAKE Glitter Alphas for the "GLEE."
I love the song Get Happy/Happy Times Are Here Again...

love love love Barbara & Judy...

love love love Rachel & Kurt!!!

This ornament makes my tree musically merry and bright!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Creative Cheers!!!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... NINE

2011-12-07T20:39:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday everyone!

Most of you probably already have your Christmas cards ordered, addressed and in the mail. Well, sadly I am not on the ball this year {expect mine sometime next year!} and I have a tendency to over-order because I have this fear of leaving someone out. To say the least we have quite a few and somehow they made it on our wild CA/MO journey. For the 9th ornament I used one of our leftover Christmas cards from a couple year's ago as the photo... see, I knew I would figure out a way to use all of those extras!!! I trimmed the PEPPERMINT Mini Alphas to spell out "Holiday Smiles" and added the red diecut rolly flower as the embellishment.

For the other side of the ornament I donned the COUNTING DOWN #9, cut the diecut flag banner in half to serve as the leaves and another rolly flower.

I embellished the rolly flower with pretty diamond stickles just to make them sparkle!

Thank you for stopping by!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... SEVEN

2011-12-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

It's the 7th of December...

The rush of the holidays is in full swing...

And as a result this is going to be a short & sweet WINTER WONDERLAND ornament post!!!

You already know the products, see HERE for a refresher.

The Martha Stewart Glitter really makes the 7 pop and I really enjoyed playing with the Unity Stamps that were made specifically for this collection!

This is one of my favorite photos from this summer...

There is just something about hangin' with Grandpa in the International tractor...

Avery had a ball... "again Gam-pa, AGAIN!!!"

Here is an up close shot of the diecut rolly flower...

The pretty flower needed some leaves so I cut them out by hand and then stamped them!

Love love love how they turned out!!!

Thanks for stopping by today...

Be sure to tune in tomorrow...

CREATIVE CHEERS!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... SIX

2011-12-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

It is the 6th of December and time for another tag ornament! As I look back on the previous ornaments I am noticing a trend... and you all know what fun products are sitting on my craft table!

When we found out we had to move {the second time this year AZ to CA} I was "advised" to pack up my scrappy stuff into 2 big plastic bins. Yep, only 2!!! Ask yourself, what would you pack in two bins??? Hmm.................. so I guess you could say that I grabbed what was on my table at the time and am doing my best to be resourceful!

List of my go-to's while working with WINTER WONDERLAND:

Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink from Ranger

Glossy Accents from Ranger

Stickles from Ranger

Sheet Music Stamp from Stampabilites

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist

Zots from Thermoweb

Glitter from Martha Stewart

Variety of Bakers Twine Colors

Punches

Buttons & Baubles

Lace, Ribbons & Trims

For this tag I used the red polka dot diecut flower paired with hand cut leaves from the GUM DROP LANE paper, the #6 tag and layered them on the STARBURST paper.

For the other side of the ornament I chose this picture of Avery & I. SNOWFLAKE GLITTER ALPHAS and PEPPERMINT MINI's make up the "quality time" journaling.

I so appreciate you stopping by today!

Tomorrow is the 7th of 25 ornaments and it is tractor-ific!!!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... FIVE

2011-12-05T09:37:00.001-08:00

Happy Monday!!! Today is day FIVE of my My Little Shoebox Winter Wonderland Ornament posts and with the chilly weather outside this one warms me right up! This is the famous Vaquero dish at one of my hometown favorites {thanks Dad!} and it is smothered in red and green chile. See the most frequently asked question in the state of New Mexico is "Red or Green?" meaning what kind of chile would you like with your meal and if you would like both you respond "CHRISTMAS!"

The other side of the ornament was made up of the Unity Tag Stamp from the Pretty Little Things collection on the GUM DROP LANE paper. The ink I used was Vintage Photo Distress Ink and the homemade flower embellishment was created with the EK Success punch on the SNOW FLAKE VALLEY paper.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Wishing you a super happy Monday and tune in tomorrow for day SIX!!!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... FOUR

2011-12-03T23:11:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe that it is December 4th...

And December 4th just happened to fall on a Sunday...

A gameday Sunday...

I promise I didn't plan this...

It was just one of those things that was meant to be...

For my Winter Wonderland Ornament number FOUR I was thinking of all the gifts our family has been blessed with, so of course it meant it was time to make a present. I loved opening those prewrapped box presents where the tops would just slide off but were wrapped to the nines with the same wrapping paper! There was just something about these types of presents that just got me as a kid! Silly I know, but it is those child-like memories that just warms the heart - especially when you are far from loved ones.

These are my dear friends who have traveled the same road that my husband and I have. They are amazing women who put their heart and soul into all that they do, whether it is a charity event or cooking for a loved one. They are real, they are God-fearing and some of the most loving people I have met in my life. Sadly, we are all in different parts of the country this year, it is remarkable how quickly things can change. I miss them everyday, especially Sundays! So for Rachel, Serah and Jamie... I love you all and miss you dearly!!!

Thank you for letting be a sap today...

Tomorrow is a non-sappy ornament - I PROMISE!!!

In fact... it's kinda SPICY!!!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... THREE

2011-12-03T07:51:00.001-08:00

As we continue on our WINTER WONDERLAND Ornament journey I feel the need to explain where the photos came from to create these Christmas decorations. I don't know about you but I am not the most organized when it comes to photos... in fact I should fess up that I have over 25K on my computer just waiting to be sifted through and edited. I will get to it... "in my spare time!" I do have a stack of "must scrap" photos that have already been printed and so that became my starting point. I love photos, I love the story they tell...

Now on for day THREE...

This photo was taken soon after our last road trip to California.

We were so blessed to have Papa Mike and Nana Lisa help us with the move!

For the ornament I used day THREE from the COUNTDOWN paper and then jazzed it up a bit with Diamond Stickles and Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The white flower was made using a tutorial that KRIS showed us on the My Little Shoebox Blog awhile back! This is one of those techniques that just sticks with you!

Thank you for stopping by and tune in tomorrow for a special "game day" number FOUR!!!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... TWO

2011-12-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Forgive me on being slightly tardy on getting the second ornament up today... to think it is only the second day of December and I am already late!!! Don't worry, I decided to ground myself to the basement and create more ornaments to make up for the lost hours... I kid, I kid!

So... onto Winter Wonderland Ornament #2!!! For this ornament I took another favorite photo {non-Christmas but still a favorite!!!} and decided to write down the first thing that came to my mind. These two little angels bring such joy to our family, only children are able to keep you on your toes and warm your heart all at the same time! I used a square scallop punch {it is so well loved that the brand name has worn off!} to make 2 pink squares using "B" side of COUNTING DOWN paper for the side of the ornament. I distressed, centered and layered the #2 on the front side of the COUNTING DOWN paper and then added one of the diecut flowers to the lower left corner. I trimmed the PEPPERMINT STICK mini alphas to serve as the center of the flower. For the tree, I took scraps from the STARBURST paper and cut them into triangles, then distressed and layered them. The button ornaments on the tree are from a random stash of odds and ends and the sheet music in the background is non-other-than my "go to" stamp from Stampabilities.

For the other side of the ornament I used an old eyelet {again, found in the stash} and Martha Stewarts Tourmaline Glitter for the polka dots. The ornament hangs from old lace found at an antique fair with dear friends, whenever I use it I think of them!!!
Thank you for stopping by today and again, look forward to tomorrow's #3 ornament! I promise not to be so very late!!!

Creative Cheers!

Winter Wonderland Ornaments... ONE

2011-12-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

Greetings! It has been pretty chilly outside these past few days so the girls and I have been hanging out indoors. The weather outside has really got me in the snowy-wintery-snowflake mood so I have been playing with the new My Little Shoebox WINTER WONDERLAND collection and it has brought so much creative joy to our craft table.

My daughters love to "scrap" with mommy and it is very entertaining watch them play with alpha stickers or punches! I am thankful we share a love of creating!!! One afternoon we decided to make a few ornaments since ours didn't make it in our last two moves which led to an idea... using the COUNTING DOWN paper, I trimmed each number and decided to create 25 tag-like ornaments. Each one is different, has it's own story, it's own picture... I LOVE THIS PROJECT! So... if you all will bare with me for the next 25 days, I would love to show you our 25 ornaments! Since today is December 1st, well here is the first ornament!

ONE: A special welcome to the world story

The photo was a 4x6 and sadly I didn't have a tag that would fit this picture so I was veryGREEN in that I used the cardboard from the leftover KIX cereal box! I trimmed it up to fit a 4x4 and stamped the backside with my go-to Stampabilities sheet music stamp. The ink was Vintage Photo Distress Ink {of course!} and then I used Diamond Stickles to add some sparkle to the COUNTING DOWN #1. For the "journalling" I used the PEPPERMINT STICK mini alphas from My Little Shoebox. The ornament hangs with some old lace I found at an antique market with my dear bay area friends {miss you all!!!}

Our little Avery was an early Christmas present and I was so very thankful that I had the stockings done early!!! This is my favorite photo of Avery that Christmas - I mean really, how many times can you say you actually FIT in your stocking???

To create the snowy border, I smudged some Glossy Accents along the sides and then sprinkled Martha Stewarts Crystal Fine Glitter. To make the poinsettia, I used the large EK Success flower punch and just trimmed the curved edges of two flowers to come to a point. The leaves are made from the square flag diecut cut in half, distressed and then layered. The pearls in the center are from an old dress up gown the girls wore plain out!

Here's to hoping you are nice and toasty as you create!!!

Creative Cheers!!!

MLS Thanksgiving Tag & WINNER!!!

2011-11-24T05:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

This is the time of year to which I list all the things I am thankful for... it's a looooooooong list!!! One of those things is the gift of creating, I love it! I have been so very blessed through this craft and recognize that every.single.day!!!

Another thing I am thankful for are the teachers at my girls' school! They are amazing and their ability to pour God's love into those little children is a gift. To say thank you for all that they do I picked up a few loaves of bread {Great Harvest Bread Company} and made these little tags to go with a yummy french toast recipe! The tags were SO stinking easy {I made 16 in less than an hour} and they turned out pretty cute!

I used the B sides from My Little Shoebox's PLAYTIME and PRETTY LITTLE THINGS collections along with a few punches, random paper clips, and random pieces of green ribbon. With the help of a little Vintage Photo Distress Ink and Thermoweb Zots... VIOLIA!!!

And now for the WINNER from Monday's blog hop... drum roll please:

Angie said...

Clever how you created the tree, way to use your products and think outside of the box. Thank you for the inspiration!

NOVEMBER 21, 2011 7:54 PM

CONGRATULATIONS! I have some yummy blog candy to be sent your way so please email me your address to outoftheboxcreative@yahoo.com and I will get your My Little Shoebox goodies out your way!

Happy Thanksgiving to all and Creative Cheers!!!

WINTER WONDERLAND BLOG HOP...

2011-11-21T05:14:00.001-08:00

Greetings! Today a few of us are featuring the new super cute line from My Little Shoebox called WINTER WONDERLAND!!! You should be joining me from the ever-so-talented KEELY YOWLER's blog, isn't her card SNOW fantastic?!?!?! If I am your first stop I suggest you start HERE to make sure you don't miss our on all the scrappy holiday cheer!

It was so very hard to choose which paper to start with since they are all full of bright fun winter colors. I ultimately had to do the eenie-meanie-mynee-mip-catch-the-Winter-Wonderland-by-the-paper-tip!!!

So I started with the Winter Folly paper and then turned to my stash of minis. I am a big fan of the minis, they provide such inspiration when thinking out of the box and the APPLES minis were just meant to be a Christmas tree for the center of this card. With the help of a little Flower Soft and Glossy Accents the rest of the card just came together!

SUPPLIES:

My Little Shoebox Winter Folly

My Little Shoebox Snow Flake Valley

My Little Shoebox Starburst

My Little Shoebox Mini Alphas - Apples

Idea-o-ogy Tiny Attacher

Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Ranger Gossy Accents

Yellow Twine

Flora Soft

EK Success circle punch

We so appreciate you joining us today for our Winter Wonderland Inspirational Card Hop! To say thank you there are a variety of scrappy candy being given away today! There will be two Winter Wonderland collections given away on the My Little Shoebox Blog to two random commenters. But that's not all, be sure to leave comments all along the hop because some us have special prizes to give away too!!! Prizes will be announced Tuesday, November 22nd!

Now keep on hoppin' and check out what dear, sweet SHEMAINE SMITH has created! Her heartfelt cards are just beautiful!

Creative Cheers!

Happy Halloween & Contest Winner...

2011-10-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

In our family Halloween is all about friendly costumes and the delicious candy. Skittles, M&M's, Reese's... chocolate or fruity, each itty bitty bit size piece provides the perfect balance of treat and sugar rush. There is one thing we are supposed to be on the lookout for... Snickers! They are my hubby's favorite and to keep him from eating them all at once, they spend the next week in the freezer. See, these are all the little things I want to remember when it comes time to scrap this year's Halloween photos.

I am so very thankful to be where we are, to finally be 90% settled and to have my very own craft table in the basement that is prepped and ready to create when the urge hits. To celebrate this simple fact I would like to share some lovely My Little Shoebox treats! I am hosting a contest and starting today, leave me a comment on my blog for a chance to win the ENTIRE collection of Trick or Treat! Then, check in next Monday because another beautiful My Little Shoebox collection will be featured and you guessed it... one lucky commenter will win the entire collection that is being featured! I promise this is all about treats, absolutely no tricks!

Now it is time to announce the lucky scrapper who will be taking home the My Little Shoebox Pretty Little Things collection along with the coordinating Unity Stamp! A winner was chosen at random {courtesy of my 5 year old daughter} from the comments on Friday's post featuring the fabulous Unity Stamp & My Little Shoebox blog hop...

Drumroll please...

Scrapycandy said...

some serious time went into this! So creative! Thank you!

OCTOBER 27, 2011 12:02 PM

Congratulations!!!

Please email me your address at outoftheboxcreative@yahoo.com to claim your fantastic prize!

Creative Cheers!

Hip Hoppin' with Unity Stamps and My Little Shoebox!!!

2011-10-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Welcome to a very inspiring blog hop that is featuring some of the most creative ladies on the planet! You all should be joining me from the super talented ANGIE BLOM... seriously, did you see what she created?!?!? That is just stamptastic! If I am your first stop, please make sure to start at the Unity Blog - you don't want to miss out on the eye candy!

Start here.... Unity Blog

Angie Blom

Nicole Wragge {you are here}

My Little Shoebox Blog ... end of the fabulous Blog Hop!!!

I was fortunate to work with the My Little Shoebox Pretty Little Things collection and the darling Unity Stamps to go with it!

So essentially...

PLUS

= Creative Happiness!!!

The papers are filled with bright colors and darling little designs! There are so many fun ways to create with My Little Shoebox, but when you add the high quality stamps from Unity... well possibilities are endless! This project was inspired by a wonderful piece of advice I received years ago from a wonderful woman who has walked in my shoes {only hers were CHANEL!} Life is crazy and if you live yours out of moving boxes you aren't really living... so BLOOM WHERE YOU PLANT!
SUPPLIES:
My Little Shoebox Pretty Little Things Collection
My Little Shoebox Mini Alphas in Limeade
Unity Stamps
Raspberry Flora Soft
Paper Source Gift Tags
3D Zots
7 Gypsies
Tim Holtz Hanger Clips
Ranger Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Chip Art Chipboard Alpha
Bazzill Large Flower
Fiskars Flower Punch
EK Success Mini Flower Punch
Glossy Accents
Ribbons
Tulle

Here is an up close picture of the tag featuring the I Love You stamp from Unity... These stamps are super easy to work with and with a touch of ink they come out nice and clean!

Thank you so much for hopping by... now it is time to continue the hop with the extremely creative CHRISTI SNOW! She has something special prepared just for you!!!

For those of you who love scrappy candy you have more than one chance to win... leave a comment here on my blog and one lucky commenter {chosen at random, announced on Monday} will win the ENTIRE Pretty Little Things Collection along with THIS STAMP!!!
And for another great prize, be sure to leave comments all along the blog hop and Unity will be announcing the blog hop winner on Unity's blog Monday, October 31st!

Creative Cheers!

so it's been awhile...

2011-10-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for not blogging sooner...

Our life was thrown a curve ball the beginning of September...

Now we are living in the beautiful state of Missouri...

The girls are in school...

Hubby is happy at work...

I am still unpacking...

{for the second time in one month}

To say the least there hasn't been much time to create...

But during all the flights/planning/organizing/moving my dear mother found time to create with the girls...

Here are two pictures of their creations!!!

Avery's Student of the Week Poster using Audrey:

Moving Calendar using Trick or Treat and Destinations:

My mom created this calendar to show the girls what was going to happen on which day so that they knew what was going on and where are their toys were going!

Now that we are somewhat settled I hope to break open my boxes of My Little Shoebox and get to creating! Thank you all for your love, patience and prayers!

Creative Cheers!

back to school with PLAYTIME...

2011-08-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I know, it's been awhile... so much has happened since my last post I don't even know where to start. So I figured since it is hours away from being September which means the itty bitty beginning of fall {my ALL time favorite season} and time for the kiddos to head back to school! Well in our house today marks a day of firsts... my desert darling starts kindergarten and my bay area beauty ventures out into the wide world of preschool! I am so very proud of both my girls and excited for what God has in store for them.

To help them take a bit of family along for their journey {I know they are only at school a few precious hours but roll with me} I started playing with the new PLAYTIME collection from My Little Shoebox.

A set of decorated building blocks, a great gift for a teacher to show your appreciation!

Here are up close shots of each block, loved working with this line!

A thank you card, because it is important to thank people in advance!

Gifts for the teachers... Erin introduced this idea to me a few years ago and these are filled with all the first week of school essentials! Emergen-C, gum, post-its, tissue, throat drops, and the ever-so-traditional apple!

An up close peek at the tags, they were so easy to use and these came together in a pinch!

Since I had such a great time playing with PLAYTIME it is time for one lucky person to take home the entire collection! Please leave me a comment here on the blog and I will choose the lucky winner on Friday! Hope you have a great first week of school!

Creative Cheers!

More with Audrey...

2011-08-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am a HUGE fan of the new collection from My Little Shoebox but apparently everyone else is too!! Be sure to check out the MY LITTLE SHOEBOX blog today because those of us who got to play with AUDREY are sharing some of the projects for CHA summer. I just love what the very talented Shemaine and Shelly created!!!

Birthday card for my sister...

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dave!!!

{Special THANKS to Kris Berc for her flower tutorial!!!}

Little 8x8 layout

Loved the apples so much in this line I made my own from the beautiful papers!

Also the dolls over at MOXIE'S FAB WORLD are having a special giveaway featuring none other than the AUDREY collection so be sure to leave a comment for her HERE before August 14th!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Creative Cheers!!!

Crafty Space & Audrey Winner...

2011-07-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Forgive me for not getting this up earlier... things have been a wee bit busy here! When things get crazy, I find comfort in cleaning/organizing/purging things... think of it as therapy with windex! Here is the result, happy to report about 80% complete...

Vintage little trinkets that have such sweet meaning...

One of my sources of inspiration... thanks Tim!

Yeah this picture insert the line from Wizard of Oz... "Pay no attention to what's behind the curtain" only there are no curtains, just boxes of more stuff to go through!

It is amazing how your {in this case my} best intentions keep making bigger messes, it took me 20 minutes to find my laptop!!! Note to self: if you are going to clean/organize/purge stuff in your crafty space make 3 piles not 20! Enough about my inability to organize or stay on task... what were we talking about?

Oh yeah... without any further adew, congratulations goes to:

Sandy Ang said...

It looks like such a pretty collection. And you sneak peaks are so enticing !

JULY 22, 2011 6:16 AM

Please email me at outoftheboxcreative@yahoo.com and I will get your prize out to you!

Creative Cheers!

Audrey Sneak Peek and Collection Giveaway...

2011-07-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Forgive me for being m.i.a. these past few weeks... just chalk it up to summer vacation, mt. st. laundry, kids being home all day, etc.! But, now it is time for the good stuff!!!

Allow me to properly introduce you!

Cheerful Crafters, please meet Audrey.

Audrey, please meet these highly talented Cheerful Crafters.

Isn't she pretty? I think she's divine and to think that each paper is named after movies starring the dear darling herself... Roman Holiday, Funny Face, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany's, My Fair Lady & Love in the Afternoon!

Here is a sneak of the mini album I made to highlight a special day I spent with my sister and mother in San Francisco! This line was PERFECT for the feel of our wonderful day together just us girls. I love the new diecut flowers - they are a total treat!

This is a sneak of a layout for my parent's 25th wedding anniversary! I was so incredibly inspired by the technique that KRIS shared with us that I wanted to use these gorgeous new papers to make flowers, lots and lots and lots of flowers! Thank you KRIS!!!

{sorry the photo is a bit rough but it was hard taking pictures at the beach - LOL!}

Because I drooled over this new line {seriously had to be careful not to get it on the papers!} I made sure to save some for one lucky winner! So, if you would like to win the entire brand-spanking-new Audrey collection then leave me a comment here on my blog! I will announce the lucky winner on Sunday!!!

Creative Cheers!!!

MLS Summer CHA Sneaks...

2011-06-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

On behalf of My Little Shoebox, may I introduce...

I can't wait to get my hands on this line!

Creative Cheers!

Inspiration from Page Maps...

2011-06-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

Today I wanted to highlight a special someone who has provided lots of inspiration during those times when you have mojo-no-mas. Surely you have heard of the ever-so-talented Becky Fleck, but when I discovered just how much she loves the game of football it made me adore her more! She is a football nut - in fact did you know that she sketches during games - BRILLIANT!!!

So, speaking of brilliant... this month Becky sent darling sketches to those of us on the MLS design team to run with and this was the amazing sketch she sent my way:

And here is my take...

It is hard to tell in the photo but there are watermarked sunflowers on the colorful Tutti Fruti paper. The petals were made using the Cherries Jubilee paper and have been Glimmer Misted with Tattered Angels Sun Sisters and distressed with Ranger's Vintage Photo ink {a staple in my crafting!} I loved this sketch and so appreciate this opportunity!

You can see the rest of the lovely creations from our extremely talented MLS design team using Becky's amazing sketches by clicking HERE!

Creative Cheers!

what's on your plate...

2011-06-07T20:08:00.001-07:00

Funny title huh? Well when you think about it all of us have pretty full plates... even at times Thanksgiving platters!!! As mentioned on the My Little Shoebox Blog HERE, I was at a lovely ladies luncheon where they had this dynamic guest speaker who asked all of us this very question - "What's On Your Plate?" It really made us all think and sadly I missed the rest of the lecture because I was busy planning out this layout!!!

I used a plain 'ol paper plate from our pizza dinner the night before and decided to My Little Shoebox it up!!!

This layout is full of Farmers Market love - diecuts, stickers and the triple alpha threat {chipboard, glazed & minis}!

The napkin was made using the Tutti Fruiti paper with a little help from Tattered Angels Chalkboard Glimmer Mist.

This is one of those layouts that I just loved creating... isn't that the reason we do this afterall? There are so many blessings that have come into my life because of this amazing craft to which I am thankful for EVERY SINGLE DAY! Now go on, go create something for you... and to help you get started, leave me a comment and one lucky winner will win their very own My Little Shoebox Triple Alpha Threat Prize pack!

Creative Cheers!

sunday share & the winner is...

2011-06-05T11:30:00.001-07:00

So it's time for another Sunday Share... and today I wanted to showcase Farmer's Market! As most of you know this might just be my favorite collection from My Little Shoebox's last release. The colors are bright and vibrant, making the possibilities endless! This layout focuses on a sweet picture of Addison's first Halloween. If you look closely you can see my mom hiding behind the bush - she is supporting Addison since she is all of 3 months old.

I am a sucker for pumpkins... I love them! They symbolize the holidays, they are colorful and they taste amazing in lattes! I was having one of those non-creative days when I started playing with the Farmer's Market stamps. I ended up stamping in hopes to get those creative juices flowing and forgot to ink the leaves... and then what used to be a pear quickly became layers of a pumpkin - Bippity Boppity Boo!

And the winner of the entire City By The Bay collection goes to....

Cynthia B. said...

LOL! Love Avery's expression! :D The whole page is pure cute, and WOW on using the mini-alphas for the fence!
I think you've used Garden Party, Farmer's Market, and those girl cutouts are from Cute as a Button?

JUNE 3, 2011 8:34 PM

Congrats Cynthia B! Please email me your address at outoftheboxcreative@yahoo.com and I will mail out your goodies!

Thanks again for stopping by!

Creative Cheers!

Mixin' it up with My Little Shoebox...

2011-06-03T07:29:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday!!!

Hope you all had a wonderful week and now it's time to celebrate the weekend with a My Little Shoebox Blog Hop {START HERE}. If you are joining me from the ever-so-talented Pattie Beltran - you are in the right place! I so heart the wall hanging she created, she has a knack for those itty-bitty details! For my little mix up I wanted reached into my My Little Shoebox stash and got craftin'! Here are my two beauties all dolled up in their favorite halloween costumes, Addison was all about ladybugs and Avery Lynn is just a stinker! Both of their expressions totally capture each of their personalities at the tender age of two! This is why it is important to scrap these moments!

The little ladybug's red dress was made from those darling tomatoes on the Farmer's Market Berkeley paper with a little tulle to fluff up her skirt. The sweet witch's broom was made from the Farmer's Market circle scallop.
I am a sucker for sunflowers so these little gems needed some extra love while fussy cutting them out but once they all had a date with the distresser and popped onto their vines they just added so much to this page.
And you know my feelings about these mini-alphas... I LOVE THEM! The idea of the girls trick- or-treating in my old neighborhood inspired this layout.
So in light of our little Mix Up - I would like to offer a challenge! Please leave me a comment with the names of three different collections featured on this layout and you will win the entire City By The Bay collection! Hint: I already gave you one!!! LOL!

Wishing you all good luck and now head on over to the vibrant and full of energy Keely Yowler !

Creative Cheers!

heartfelt blog hop winner & a sneak peek...

2011-05-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! I spent mine crafting with the girls and having lots of fun! Let's just say that my 2 year old learned a valuable lesson that Zot Dots belong on paper, not on your face. I so wish I would have had my camera but the memory was priceless!

The Heartfelt collection from My Little Shoebox is such a treat to work with and I just can't seem to get enough of it! Here is a little sneak into a present I made for a dear family member...

Speaking of Heartfelt... guess who is the lucky winner from my blog on Friday??? Drumroll please....

Suzy said...

Great page Nicole! Love the soft colors in this collection. Thanks for sharing :)
Suzanne suzyq28024@gmail.com

MAY 20, 2011 1:22 PM

Congratulations! Suzy, you will be hearing from me shortly so I can get your goodies out to you!

Creative Cheers!

My Little Shoebox Heartfelt Blog Hop...

2011-05-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Thank you for joining me from the fabulous Melinda Spinks blog - she is afterall the mastermind behind the gorgeous sketch being featured today! If you are just now joining me, I encourage you to start at the beginning of the hop HERE! The subject of our hop today is the lovely mid-release from My Little Shoebox called Heartfelt. I HEART THIS LINE! I am a total sucker for the vintage feel of things and then to have Helen's crafty spin on it just made me love this collection that much more! Seriously, take a look at these beauties!!!

So all of us here on the design team decided to take a stab at this awesome sketch and make it our own using these beautiful papers.

Here is my take...

I have wanted to scrap this photo for months, there is just something soft & sweet about my sister's expression. The romantic in me is wondering what sweet nothings Josh is whispering in her ear, I am sure is that ooey-gooey lovey stuff that chick flick movies are based on. Yep, that is the kind of love that these two share... I am so very happy for my beautiful sister!

Here is a close up of the butterfly...

Now, onto more Heartfelt scrappy goodness... please continue the hop by visiting my fellow desert beauty, the one and only Mrs. Norine Borys! Oh, be sure to leave a comment here and on the My Little Shoebox blog for a chance to win fabulous prizes!

Creative Cheers!

xoxo

The Everydaily...

2011-05-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

So the creative masters over at Write.Click.Scrapbook have chosen an amazing theme for the month of May... The Everydaily! To translate, it means those-itty-bitty-little-things-that-you-do-day-in-and-day-out-whether-you-are-sleep-deprived-or-in-major-need-of-a-Starbucks-fix-yet-these-things-never-make-it-onto-your-ever-growing-to-do-list. Ok, you got me... that is my definition of "everydaily" but the point is there none-the-less! This theme is perfect for this month especially because just yesterday I was thinking just how cool it would be to make a medallion flower out of my "to do" list instead of actually doing the things on my list. Am I am scrapper or what?

I highly encourage you to CLICK your heart on over to their site for a chance to win one of two prizes from My Little Shoebox! Wishing you all the best of luck!

Creative Cheers!

A Congrats & Challenge Reminder...

2011-05-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

Howdy happy crafters!!!

I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate two of the most amazing scrappers, my sweet friends Pattie & Rocio! Their work for My Little Shoebox was chosen for the spring issue of Scrapbook & Beyond magazine! Here is the issue so go get it!!!

Here is Pattie's layout using the Cute As A Button collection... I love her use of the chipboard letters, you know me I am a lumpy bumpy gal! Oh yeah, and the little girl in the layout is our sweet Addison with her friend Mari, they are so cute in their tutus!

Here is Rocio's layout using Summer Breeze.

Can we just take a moment to take in all the distressing... SWOON!

They are both beyond talented, graceful and humble... two of dearest friends a woman could ask for. I am so very proud of you ladies!!! CONGRATS GIRLS!!!

xoxoxo

Now, onto the contest... as mentioned here My Little Shoebox is having an awesome contest this month to promote the Farmer's Market collection. There is a very generous prize for one lucky crafter so for all the details CLICK HERE!

Personally, I can't get enough of the Farmer's Market collection! I am on my 8th layout and 4th card... and the ideas keep coming! Here is one of my favorite photos of my husband and my father-in-law.

{PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE RIDDLE}

I have been holding onto this photo for about a year now and when I saw the Farmer's Market colors and icons I just knew that this photo was meant to be scrapped!

So, I encourage you to pull out your My Little Shoebox and get crackin' on this challenge!

Creative Cheers!

My Little Shoebox Design Team Member...

2011-04-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

Screaming from the top of the crafty rooftops....

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I am so very honored, thankful and blessed to be a part of this amazing team for another term. As you all know, I super-big-grinch-once-his-heart-bursts-with-love-style HEART this company and all the fun itty bitty details that the paper, stickers, stamps and alphas provide!

Here are some of my favorite projects using My Little Shoebox...

a fresh from the farmer's market layout...

City by the Bay apron ~ total fav!

a mini book using City by the Bay...

loved how this line captured my trip perfectly!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Creative Cheers!

PS. Forgive me for being behind the ball... again! Sorry this is a day late, an embellishment short!

PPS. Clarification... I love the story of the Grinch and in no way, shape or form demonstrate Grinch-like behavior when he is stealing ornaments and candy canes from children.

Home Tweet Home..

2011-04-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

I have been so busy unpacking these last few days, I need a creative break... so I thought I should show some of my creations from CHA using fabulous Home Tweet Home collection from My Little Shoebox. You should know that I love music and sometimes I find that lyrics make the best titles for scrapbook pages! I had been listening to a TON of Jullian Edwards stuff while creating for CHA and when the song "Go Together" came on it was as if it was meant to go on this page!

Actually she has a few songs that fit this line quite nicely... "July & June" and "Songbird" are two of my other favorites! And for this darling senior she will spread her wings in a few weeks... isn't she just beautiful! Her sister is too... that post is a collection for another day!

The colors and the icons in this line are just so much fun to play with, especially this apple! When I first saw this line two things popped out for me, the branches and the apple. It was almost as if the apple sticker was just saying "please oh please cover me in Glossy Accents..."

I know, it is weird... you know you are a true crafter when the supplies start talking to you right? LOL!

Well, now it is time to get back to making AZ our Home Tweet Home!!!

Creative Cheers!

New MLS Challenge...

2011-04-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

And it's a good one!

So you have heard me gush over the Farmers Market collection right? The colors, the designs, the diecuts, the darling little veggies with oh so much personality... SWOON!!! If your beautiful eyes haven't seen this deliciousness on paper, here is a quick snap shot courtesy of My Little Shoebox.

NEW MY LITTLE SHOEBOX CHALLENGE:

We love our Farmer's Market collection so we'd love to see you create a project using our Farmer's Market collection for one or all three of the categories listed below.

Layout- Create a 12x12 layout of any theme with our Farmer's Market collection utilizing the paper, cardstock stickers, acrylic stamps, glitter letters or mini alphas.

Card- Create a card of any theme with our Farmer's Market collection utilizing the paper, cardstock stickers, acrylic stamps, glitter letters or mini alphas.

Stamping- Create a stamped project of your choice with our Farmer's Market acrylic stamps and coordinating collection.

Now that we've given you the challenge...it's time to find out what you can win!!

The winner of the layout category will win $50.00 in MLS product from a collection of their choice.

The card and stamped project winners will win $25.00 in MLS product from a collection of their choice!!

For a complete list of the rules, click here!

Wishing you all the best of luck!

Creative Cheers!

blooming decorations...

2011-04-14T11:37:00.001-07:00

Today was the Spring Teacher Appreciation Luncheon at my daughter's preschool and when I signed up for table decorations/flowers I had planned on just picking something up at the market... until the thought of making it a bit more personal was far more appealing. Taking the good-old-standby "how-to" make a paper rose and add leaves {one felt, the other saying "thank you"} with some Star Dust Stickles made for a nice touch!

I used the My Little Shoebox Garden Party papers with some leftover Creative Cafe polka dot felt, Glue Arts 3D Raise'n's, Vintage Photo Distress Ink and a "thank you" stamp from Inkadinkado... and a plate from my kitchen! LOL!

To make the blossoms bloom so big... I used my round kitchen plate to trace a hug circle onto the Garden Party papers and then cut in a coil-like pattern into the center. I used the assembly line method and made 21 leaves from the felt, cut 21 leaves from the paper, stamped 21 leaves, then traced all 21 circles, then cut all 21 circles, the coiled & wrapped all 21... you get the idea.

Twenty one roses later...

it was like I had my own My Little Shoebox garden!

One thing I loved about using the Garden Party papers was that both the A & B sides really added to the beauty of the roses.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Creative Cheers!

Silly Challenge & MLS Winner...

2011-04-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

I was rummaging through facebook and my friend Erin posted a fun challenge where you are supposed to stop, look to your right and post what you see. After completing her challenge I was all in a "challenge-y" mood! I took this challenge then morphed it into another challenge. I told myself: Make somethings using 5 things from whatever is in plain sight {no digging allowed!} and you only have 15min!!!

Ooooooh, the challenge thickens...

So, I grabbed the new Heartfelt collection from My Little Shoebox, vintage paper from Rusty Pickle, an old stack of used Thickers from long time ago, Melissa Frances Glitter Glass and some My Little Shoebox minis to stick on a $1 frame from our craft store.

Put it all together and what do you get?

A little frame for my little niece!

I was very pleased with the end result and I can't wait to get to dive deep into Heartfelt! Totally loving the vintage feel and the beautiful colors of this line... swoon!

And now... time for our lucky winner of the City By the Bay collection!!!

Paula said...

Palm Coast, Florida has a special place in my heart. It's not to small but not too big, if you know what I mean. And we are close to the beach! It's a great place to raise our 2 kids!

APRIL 8, 2011 6:59 PM

Paula, please send me an email with your address at outoftheboxcreative@yahoo.com and I will get your super fun prize in the mail ASAP!

Hope you all have a creative day!

xoxo

partying with Garden Party...

2011-04-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Hope you are having a great weekend! Here in AZ we spent most of it inside due to the bay area-like rain we were getting. My daughters were bummed until we decided to turn it into a movie-all-day day... which also translates to girls in one spot for long period of time yielding lots of time to "fussy-cut!" This is a new term for me... one I learned from a fellow DT member at CHA this year. It means taking the time to cut all the itty bitty details from a piece of scrap paper. So... as the girls watched a marathon of Barbie, Pocahontas, Tangled & Robin Hood I practiced my fussy-cutting skills.

At one point I had 40 tiny pretty pink flowers and had no idea what to do with them... until the party with Garden Party started during their nap time! YAHOO!!! Before I knew it, it was 830pm! To say the least it was a fun day of scrapping in my new space {more on that later!} and with my new Glue Glider from our generous friends over at Glue Arts. Here are some sneaks and then a card I created.

I know that it was rainy and gloomy outside but at my scrap table it was bright and shiny due to the pretty color palette of all the My Little Shoebox Garden Party papers!!! Be sure to check here tomorrow... I will be announcing the winner of the City By The Bay collection. Don't worry, there is still time. Just leave me a comment here!

Creative Cheers!

missing the bay...

2011-04-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

The Bay Area will always hold a special place in my heart...

the people we met

the opportunities we were blessed with

the sites we saw

the restaurants we stuffed our bellies with

the place where I was introduced to this craft that I love so very much!!!

For CHA Winter in LA the gals over at My Little Shoebox got together and we created aprons featuring the new collections and I was lucky enough to get to create one for the City By The Bay line. So with the help of my dear scrappy friends who know how to sew {I staple using the Tiny Attacher... thank you Tim Holtz!} this special City By The Bay apron came to life...

A close up of the bridge...

The very talented Pattie Beltran came up with a brilliant idea on how to construct the bridge and using the City By The Bay - Potrero Hill, Claudine Hellmuth's Sticky Back Canvas and a little extra bling from Tattered Angels Red Apple Glam... this bridge just sparkles!!!

The sun was made using the back side of the City By The Bay - Potrero Hill and was embellished with the new Sun Sisters and Marmalade Glimmer Mist. The Sticky Back Canvas clouds were done using Teal High Heel Glimmer Mist and the white mini alphas... these were so much fun to make and using the same technique here.

In honor of my love for the Bay Area, I would like to know a city that holds a special place in your heart...

Leave me a comment with your city and one lucky winner will take home the entire City By The Bay collection... STAMPS TOO!!!

The winner will be announced on Monday, April 11th!!!

Creative Cheers!

BIG MLS ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

2011-04-01T21:23:00.001-07:00

As some of you know I am not very good at keeping secrets...

especially when the news is BIG...

like SUPER-DUPER-BIG!!!

Today is the day... to let the cat out of the bag!!!

The announcement has been made on My Little Shoebox's blog here.

Humbled and honored to be on the same

Design Team as these extremely talented ladies:

Erin Yamabe

Pattie Beltran

Shemaine Smith

Kristine Berc

Shelly Berg

Norine Borys

Susan Dupre

Rocio Duran

Beckie Dryer

Linda Kretz

Pearl Liu

Zoe Nemburt

Rosangela "Ro" Philippsen

Melinda Spinks

Mandy Starner

Ilene Tell

Becky Williams

Keely Yowler

Looking forward to being blown away by all the crafty creations to come on this fabulous team!

what a day & Blog Hope Winner!!!

2011-04-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Greetings all!

Hope you are having a fabulous Friday, sorry this post is a wee bit later in the day than I originally planned. You know how that goes... you make a plan and then your day goes in a completely different direction... like spending 3 hours going 7 miles due to an unfortunate accident on the only freeway that gets you from point A to point B involving a semi hauling cattle through the curvy mountain range with two children taking turns melting down because they just want to go home... has that ever happened to you? If not, lie to me! Just kidding... I guess what I am trying to say is I am thankful to be back with my family, back to this lovely craft involving paper and glue and yes, we all said prayers for the poor cows on the way home!

Now for the good news...

the news that gets me all giddy...

announcing the winner of the bloghop!!!

Drum roll please....

CONGRATULATIONS ClarieTet!

ClaireTet said...

I love your Farmers Market layouts. Beautiful and fun!

MARCH 29, 2011 5:58 AM

Please send me your address to outoftheboxcreative@yahoo.com & I will send you your goodies ASAP!

Creative Cheers!

2010 MLS Design Team Blog Hop...

2011-03-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

Is it really the end of March already?

This past year I have learned so very much from the talented ladies on the My Little Shoebox design team and it has been so much fun working with them. So today we are all showing some of our favorite My Little Shoebox work so be sure to start here at the begining and thank you to those joining us from the extremely creative Melanie Stanczyk's blog. Have fun hippity hopping along!

Happy Birthday card for my dad...

Fun mini book for my sweet mother-in-law

I just love the My Little Shoebox stamps!

A sweet layout using a Farmer's Market. This is one of my favorite photos and it was just waiting for the perfect paper to just make it pop!

In honor of the blog hop today I am putting together a little My Little Shoebox goodie bag for one lucky person, so please leave me a comment and I will announce the lucky winner on April 1st, no joke! {GIGGLE!}

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Please keep hopping on to see the brilliant work of

Mrs. Pattie Beltran!

CREATIVE CHEERS!!!

scrappy love & the winners are...

2011-03-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

Still unpacking and to be honest I haven't been very efficient. It is hard to stay on task when the little ones need you or you start wandering down memory lane. We miss our friends and family in California but thankful we have these memories scrapped! These were two of my favorites from My Little Shoebox's summer release. The colors, the details... oh how I heart Green & Sunday Market!

Days like today make me thankful for being introduced to this wonderful craft!

Okay, enough of me being sappy let's get to what ya'll have been waiting for!!!!

Drum roll please....

Jill Sarginson said...oooooooooh Farmer's Market hands down! Thanks for the chance ... I have a 4 year old who loves princesses too .... :) {MARCH 10, 2011 4:21 PM}

Melissa D. said...It is a definite toss up between City by the Bay and Farmers Market. I don't think that I could decide if you made me! Glad that MLS posted your blog, I became a follower and also just submitted my DT application! Thanks for the fun! {MARCH 9, 2011 1:04 PM}

Congrats to Jill and Melissa!!!

Thank you so much for your comments!!!

Please send me your address to outoftheboxcreative@yahoo.com and I will get your prized out to you ASAP!

Enjoy your weekend!!!

I've been thinking...

2011-03-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

I know, dangerous huh?

I am thinking that one prize like this isn't enough...

TWO SOUNDS WAY BETTER!!!

So both of these kits need good homes therefore using a highly specified means of selection {my 4 year old will be in charge of the choosing and she likes princesses in case you were wondering!} one lucky winner will be taking home City By The Bay and the other lucky winner will get to play with Farmer's Market!!!

Each kit includes:

1 set of Diecuts

2 of each paper

2 Scallops

3 different color mini alphas

1 glazed alpha

1 set of Icon Stickers

Now hurry up and leave me a comment naming your favorite collection from My Little Shoebox's new release before the 10pm PST deadline tonight!!!

Good Luck & Creative Cheers!!!

PS. I will be sure to include the comments from this post in for the prizes!

My Little Shoebox Design Team Call...

2011-03-07T23:30:00.001-08:00

I know I am a little late to the party on this one... it something to do with moving, traveling, unpacking, not having internet... the list goes on and on but as my mother always says, better late than never but bring baked goods to smooth things over. Well, since we are in the blog-o-sphere and virtual banana bread isn't possible how about a prize instead? Leave me a post here on my blog simply saying which of the new lines from My Little Shoebox is your favorite and I will put together a lovely little sample of goodies as a giveaway!

If you are planning on submitting here are the itty-bitty details:

My Little Shoebox 2011 Design Team Call

My Little Shoebox is looking for talented, motivated, responsible designers who have time
to commit to design layouts and projects each month with our products and promote our
products online and at their local stores. We haven't set a specific number of designers for our
team. We welcome international submissions.
We are looking for:
1. Enthusiastic, creative people that love My Little Shoebox and are able to do monthly
assignments such as layouts, projects, and cards with our products.
2. You must post your work on 2 different galleries plus the MLS galleries
3. You must be able to commit to a 12 months term, which will be from
April 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012.
4. You must be at least 18 years of age.
5. You agree to release the rights of your designs to My Little Shoebox for display on the
company website, blog, and in company publications.
6. If needed, your designs may also be needed for display at trade shows.
7. In addition, as a design team member, you will be contributing twice per term to our
company newsletter and be required quarterly to make a photo or video highlighting a
technique for the blog.
8. You may be required to contribute to the company’s blog during your term.
9. International submissions welcome.
In return you will receive:
1. Packages filled with plenty of MLS products to design with.
2. Your picture and bio on the My Little Shoebox website
3. Your own personal gallery on the My Little Shoebox website.
To apply please send the following to dtcall@mylittleshoebox.com (please use your full name
as the subject):
1. Full name, address, phone number and email address
2. 2 layouts, 1 card and 1 project representing your best never before seen work using MLS
products (jpeg files no larger than 500 kb)
3. A link to your personal blog and to the online galleries or message boards that you post on.
4. Design teams that you currently are on.
5. Write a paragraph about yourself telling us why you think you'll be a good fit for the MLS
team.
6. If you've been published.
7. If you teach classes.
Submission deadline is March 10, 2011
Our design team members will be announced on March 31, 2011.
We thank you in advance for all of your work and appreciate your entry!

GOOD LUCK!!!

My Little Shoebox Mini Alpha Flower Tutorial...

2011-02-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

Greetings! Hope you all are having an incredibly creative day!!! For the past few weeks I have been in the creative-crunch-down mode, playing with all the bright new lines from My Little Shoebox and having an absolute ball!!! MLS has a special place in my heart because of the mini alphas that come in so many different colors... it's like candy without the calories!

SWOON!!!

To be honest I have my fair share of these little letters and one afternoon I was just playing around and using a variety of techniques from different classes I have taken over the past year, this little flower was born. I had fun just playing with my paper and my glue and thought it would be fun to make these as a gift for the girls going to CHA. Unexpectedly, the flowers were such a hit that a tutorial was requested!

MINI ALPHA FLOWER SUPPLIES:

1 full sheet of My Little Shoebox Mini Alphas {Red Lipstick}

6x6 inch square of Claudine Hellmuth's Sticky Back Canvas

Multi-Medium or Glossy Accents

Tattered Angels Glam {Rockin' on Sunshine}

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist {Candy Apple Red & Cherb Pink}

Large 3D Glue Dots

Scissors

Pencil

Non-Stick Craft Mat

STEPS:

1. Take your Sticky Back Canvas and Glimmer Mist it two different colors, set aside to dry.

2. Take the sheet of Mini Alphas and put them on your non-stick craft sheet letter side down. Chose a corner and start to peel back the entire back sheet, leaving the precut minis on the craft sheet.

It is best to go slow and if you run into trouble just backtrack your steps and then try going forward again.

3. Once you have the Mini Alphas face down on the craft sheet take your 6x6 newly colored Sticky Back Canvas and peel off the protected side. Place the sticky side onto the Mini Alphas, there will be some extra canvas on the sides that will need to be trimmed. Draw a spiral onto the Glimmer Misted side of the canvas.

4. Place the Mini Alphas letter side up and apply a nice layer of Multi-Medium or Glossy Accents, making sure to cover each and every letter.

Set aside to dry or use your heat tool to speed up the process.

5. Once the Mini Alphas are dry, using your scissors start cutting along the spiral leaving the center the size of a coin.

Place the newly cut spiral Mini Alpha side up and roll the canvas.

If you would like to add a little dimension, use your tiny attacher to hold a little pleat or two or three.

6. When you get the flower the way you like, place a 3D glue dot on the very bottom and then press the flower down to secure.

7. Using the Glam, apply the glitter to the tips of the flower and allow to dry.

VIOLA!!!

You can turn this flower into a ring, a broach, add it to a headband... you can do whatever you'd like with it!

PS. This could not have been possible without the brilliant creation of the Sticky Back Canvas! I was honored to have the one and only creator Claudine Hellmuth wear one of the rings during her demos at CHA! Thank you to Shelly and Pattie for helping to make it possible!

Now it is time to have fun and let your creativity run wild!!!

8 reasons...

2011-01-27T00:22:00.001-08:00

You know you are creating for CHA when...

1. you have modge-podged your eyebrow

2. your two year old has Razzleberry Mini Alphas from My Little Shoebox on her little rear end!

3. you got a manicure after your projects were done, only to have this great idea which in turn messed up your manicure...oops!

4. you have cut open a bottle of Glossy Accents to get the very last drop... three different times!

5. you gave up trying to sew and just used your tiny attacher instead!

6. after getting your hands all glammed up with some Glimmer Glam you wiped your hands on your butt only to have glitter hand prints for all to see - NICE!

7. you made your "to do" list on scraps of sticky back canvas...

8. your kitchen table has looked like this for the past two weeks!

Thank you in advance to my darling husband who is prepared to play, giggle and even do the girls hair over the next few days! I love you honey!!!

design mode...

2011-01-24T01:55:00.001-08:00

You know you are in full-speed-ahead design mode when you have to resort to this!!! All I can say is when inspiration hits, you go with it regardless of the obstacles...

I have to say, the new release from My Little Shoebox is going to blow your mind!!! Having this wonderful opportunity to create layouts and projects with this brand stinkin' new paper is AMAZING! The colors, the details and of course my favorite... the MINI's!!!

Here is a sneak of what my kitchen table looks like...

and yes, my hubby and girls have resorted to the kiddy table for all meals... can I just say that I have the best husband EVER!!!

Now go ahead... go make something!!!

Oh yeah, and one more thing, see the flower... an exciting tutorial is yet to come!!!

January Sketch...

2011-01-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I have been on yet another crafting hiatus due to the holidays, out-of-town company, spending much needed quality time with everyone and have just now had a chance to play with paper in glue! The creative juices are a flowing so everyone better watch out... only kidding!

The extremely talented and fellow My Little Shoebox Design Team member Aphra created this sketch for all of us to run with for the month.

I am really starting to get into sketches, especially when scrappin' in a pinch! So, after printing out her sketch and then setting the timer for 60minutes {my littlest was still napping} this is the end result...

We have a tradition in our family to save all the wrapping paper to only throw the girls in the mist of it and snap a photo for our "thank you" cards. I loved the way this years turned out so much that it deserved it's very own layout. Thank you Aphra!!!

A close up of the presents...

They were backed with My Little Shoebox diecuts and then "wrapped" with double sided ribbon

So... feeling inspired to make your own?

Ready?

Set?

CREATE!!!

ringing in the new year...

2010-12-31T17:01:00.001-08:00

I love the holidays for so many reasons...

it could be the music...

the food...

but most of all, I love spending time with the family!

Wishing you and yours a safe & happy new year!!!

PS. With the new year comes lots and lots of new creative collections from all our favorite designers!!!

I am getting excited, how about you!?!?!?

vintage ornaments...

2010-12-22T11:04:00.001-08:00

It is almost time to celebrate one of my favorite holidays, CHRISTMAS!

A couple weeks ago, our card group got together to eat, scrap and exchange gifts. These 12 ladies are some of the most generous women I have ever met in my life. They are kind, supportive, creative as all get out and love love love to spend quality time together. Two of these dear friends, Pattie & Rocio, planned out an evening of new techniques which resulted in fantastic Christmas presents. These two ladies are extremely talented and such a joy to be around. I took the techniques that they showed us and turned them into little ornaments using whatever Christmas stuff I had lying around {trust me, there is ALOT!}.

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

old music sheet paper cut into 1 1/2 inch strips

Fiskars circle scallop punch

Martha Stewart snowflake punch

red & white baker's twine

Crop-A-Dile

Tim Holtz photo strip

Tim Holtz tiny attacher

Glossy Accents

My Little Shoebox Chipboard letters

Thickers

Stickles

other random letters left over in the alpha box

There is just something about little vintage ornaments that make me smile!!!

After attending an amazing Christmas party for my husband on Sunday night, I was just so full of energy that I was wide awake. I made 20 of these little gems in a span of 2 1/2 hours... it is amazing what you can get done at 3am!

Wishing you and yours a very

Merry Christmas!!!

a scrappy share...

2010-11-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

With Christmas right around the corner it was time to pull out all those festive decorations and with that came holiday photos that were gently placed in the "put-here-so-I-won't-forget-to-scrap-them" pile... well, I forgot! I brushed it off {like the rest of the stuff I haven't gotten to yet} and decided to scrap them at an impromtu scrapdate! Scrapdates are fun because you get to chit chat about this, that and the other while being paperly "productive." I cherish this time, it means SO much to me!

So with a pinch here, a trim there... topped with MLS minis

then some buttons, brads, stickers from my stash...

and Viola!

I love my little candy canes!

Okay, getting back to the minis... from the previous post I challenged you bloghoppers to tell me your favorite minis and your favorite ways to use them. Since only two of you were up to the challenge, you BOTH win a MLS new release mins prize pack.

Lindy said...

Beautiful Nicole. I love mini's too. Probably have doubles of some in my stash. I use them on EVERYTHING. My favorite is probably red.

Have a wonderful holiday!

NOVEMBER 24, 2010 5:49 AM

jennyplace2 said...

Oh so pretty, I would have to say the black ones.
jennyplace26@gmail.com

NOVEMBER 24, 2010 5:58 AM

Please send me your addresses to outoftheboxcreative@yahoo.com.

xoxo

A & E...

2010-11-26T18:02:00.001-08:00

What can I say about these two lovely ladies...

It is hard to believe that these two sweethearts are now seniors... boy does time fly! Our families have become quite close over the last 5 years and it has been such a joy to have seen them grow into these respectable, balanced, smart young women. Their parents have done an amazing job raising them, supporting them, guiding them, instilling HIS love in them! I was honored and an itty-bit nervous when they asked me to take their senior photos. The girls picked the spot, their clothes and I picked the time... and we had a B A L L!

We laughed, giggled, walked through puddles, witnessed silly hikers, and braved one-way traffic all in hopes of getting some good shots. Well... happy to report there were more than a few! In two days I took more than 1500 shots and trying to sift through those beautiful faces to get the good ones was hard... only because they were ALL amazing! It is hard to say which are my favorites because one day I am all about the sweet smiles and others I love the fierceness... nonetheless, here are the ones I keep going back to... the ones I can't stop playing with!

Again, it was an honor to take these photos for you girls!

Love you both!!!

giving thanks...

2010-11-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

The food is prepped...

The oven schedule is set...

The Macy's Thanksgiving parade is on...

The girls are bouncing off the walls...

It is time to craft something...

How about a turkey???

Here is a tiny Thanksgiving creation courtesy of the new lines from My Little Shoebox.

The diecuts are from different lines and the sweet eyes are from the snails on GREEN.

Add a little glossy accents, string & bling and viola!

"Oh give thanks to the LORD for his is good, for his steadfast love endures forever."

Proverbs 107:1

There is so much to be thankful for... and on a day like today I truly truly feel blessed!

Here is to hoping you have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

minis and a sneak peek...

2010-11-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

I guess you could say I have been on a creative hiatus...

or just too busy to create...

Either way, I am way behind and to help stir up some creativity I pulled out all my My Little Shoebox goodies, spread them out on the kitchen table and just took in all the prettiness. The bright colors, the fun icons... but one part in particular stood out... the mini alphas! I might have a slight addiction because I think I have almost every color and I use them on EVERYTHING!!!

So, here is a little tribute to those who love the minis as much as I do.

Please leave me a comment here on my blog listing your favorite mini color & where you use them on your projects.

I will pick one winner at random on Sunday, November 28th that will win the following...

And because I picked up an extra latte yesterday, I was up late creating...

Creative Cheers!

sneak peek and the winner is...

2010-10-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

A little sneak peek into some other HOLLY JOLLY projects I am working on...

AND THE WINNER IS

......................................................................

Cynthia B. from TEXAS

Cynthia B. said...

Pure cuteness!! Love the details you've added - the cotton, the glitter, the mini alphas (adorable for your candy cane!).

OCTOBER 15, 2010 8:14 PM

Please email me your contact information at

outoftheboxcreative@yahoo.com so I can send out your prize!

CONGRATS!!!

My Little Shoebox Blog Hop Baby!!!

2010-10-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

There is just something to say about the creativity on this design team! I hope you are joining me from viewing the unmatchable talent of miss PATTIE'S blog, but if not let your eyes indulge in all the creative goodies by starting at the MY LITTLE SHOEBOX blog. There is a SPECTACULAR prize at the end so be sure to leave comments as you hippity hop along!

I had the privilege of working with the new HOLLY JOLLY line and let me tell you this paper is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO versatile! If you are like me you tend to plan out or sketch what you are in the mood for creating. Well, I had so many ideas it was tough to narrow it down so let's start with the simple teacher gift! I used the Bazzill Chipboard pieces, covered them with the brand spanking new HOLLY JOLLY line and here is what I came up with... a simple wall hanging!!!

sweet and simple...

used the scalloped paper, distressed, layered and with a little craft knife trim...

some stamp action using the Summer Breeze stamp along with some glossy accents...

stickles... a staple for every holiday project and I LOVE how it compliments this paper!!!

my favorite!!!

I love the My Little Shoebox minis... been known to buy them in BULK!

adhered them to the chipboard piece in alpha order,

used craft knife to trim,

smothered in glossy accents and let dry...

Since the holiday spirit is all about giving,

I will choose one HOLLY JOLLY BLOG HOPPER winner from

those comments left here on my blog!!!

The winner will be announced on Monday, October 18th!!!

Now... to continue on this scrapalicious journey,

head on over to MELANIE'S blog for some

My Little Shoebox fantastic-ness all her own!

Thank you so much for stopping by...

Carpe' Craftum!!!

it's beginning to look a lot like...

2010-10-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

CHRISTMAS!!!

My Little Shoebox has released it's first ever holiday line and it is adorable! From the snowmen to the houses to the snowflakes... and then there are the always beautiful "B" sides that just open up door after door of creativity! If you are a sucker for the holidays then this is going to be your new creative candy!!!

Sneak Peeks of HOLLY JOLLY

PS. Yes there was a little mixing of lines to make the tree...

again "B" sides ROCK!

Carpe Craft'um!!!

Summer Breeze & Blog Hop Winner...

2010-09-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

Question... How is it almost October???

Seeing as time is just flying by I took this new line from My Little Shoebox and tried to hold onto summer just a little longer!

In this layout I used the craft knife to cut the precious banner

and then used mini glue dots for a touch of dimension.

This flower has special meaning to me...

my dear friend Pattie showed me how to make these flowers

and now I am just looking for random ribbons and fabric to make more of these beauties!!!

Again, I am a sucker for dimension so taking the Chipboard Alphas

and mixing them up a little was super fun!

I {heart} photo booth photos... Avery does not!!!

The "B" sides of this line just stir up creativity and this one happened to remind me of the waves from Santa Cruz...

So the waves then become pockets for extra journal-ing treats!

Punches, tags, Glossy Accents... Oh My!!!

See... I even stuff within stuff!!!

I am totally on a pocket kick right now so thank you for baring with me!

This card came about by accident... I was playing with the precious die cuts and happened to "over cut" one of them and it landed by the Fiskars flower punch... SCORE!!!

The plastic was from the Chipboard Alpha packaging...

reduce, reuse & recycle

AND THE WINNER FROM MY BLOG FOR LAST FRIDAY'S BLOG HOP IS:

Jenn said...

that pumpkin is awesome! Fab layout!

SEPTEMBER 17, 2010 10:14 AM

CONGRATS!!!

Please email me your contact info at outoftheboxcreative@yahoo.com

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Carpe Craft'um

My Little Shoebox Blog Hop...

2010-09-17T07:16:00.001-07:00

WELCOME!!!

Hopefully you are joining me from the extremely talented in so many ways TAJ'sBlog...seriously her work is amazing!

To start at the beginning of the hop make sure to start at the

My Little Shoebox blog

This is my first official blog hop and let me tell you I am stoked!! It is such an honor to be on the creative train with these fantastic ladies!!!

CUTE AS A BUTTON meets my 'lil miss addison!!!

Using a few punches, Glimmer Mist, Ribbons, Bling just makes that Cute As A Button even cuter!!!

Be sure to leave a comment on each blog you hippity hop through for a chance to win a fantastic prize from the newest My Little Shoebox collection!

Thanks so much for stopping by... now it's time for you to hop on over my favorite out-of-the-box Aussie, KATHLEEN!!!

Creative Cheers!!!

BLOG HOP: Do you find yourself asking what is a blog hop??

It's where you will hop to each participating design team member blog. At the end of our DT members blog it will have a link to your next DT member... make sure to comment throughout the trail for a chance to win!!!

Simple Life meets Ryan Andrew...

2010-09-14T10:27:00.001-07:00

A dear friend of mine had her baby last May and since she was on the east coast there was a group of us who didn't get to "ooooo" and "ahhhhh" all over this precious bundle of joy. So... we came up with the idea of throwing her a Sip 'N See shower once she got back to town. The three hostesses got together, decided on a farm theme and planned out this fantastic occasion, with one mission... SPOIL them rotten!!! Luckily between the three of us hosting we had a talented chef, a party planner/Wonder Woman and one obsessed with paper and glue {me}! I was in charge of the invitations, guest book, a scrapbook, party favors and extra farm touches.

Baby Ryan's invitation...

HOW TO: MLS paper cut into 4x6, made up a template to cut out the pocket, distressed each piece of paper, used pop dots, & inserted printed tag with tied ribbon then attach Simple Life Sticker Icon.

Here is the welcome/guest book signing area... only with a crafty spin.

Instead of the traditional guest book I created little Well Wishes tags so the guests could write a personal message to the bouncy baby boy. These tags were distressed and stamped with the new My Little Shoebox stamps and tied with ribbons.

A close up of the special sunflower frame...

*please see my "1 hour project" post for how to make this!!!

Personalized M&M's

+ Tootsie Pop

+ Plastic Baggie

+ MLS decorated tag

+ Ribbon

= Party Favors!

Other pictures from the shower...

I want to co-host ALL baby showers with these lovely ladies!!!

And of course... our guest of honor and his BEAUTIFUL momma!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Creative Cheers!

1 hour project...

2010-09-13T22:44:00.001-07:00

When you are in a time crunch and need to create a gift ASAP this is one of my "GO TO" projects. This is what we are making today... simple and made with homemade hands!

Using the new collection from My Little Shoebox, the "B" sides of the Simple Life line are just so versatile and they just make my projects "POP."

SUPPLIES:

My Little Shoebox Simple Life papers

{Black Sheep, Farm Fresh & Country Road}

Glossy Accents

Thermoweb Adhesive

Fiskars Flower Punch

Mini Circle Punch

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Vintage Photo

Wooden Craft Frame

You are going to need about 40 flowers to complete the frame, give or take depending on the size of your frame but don't worry about making too many. It is better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it. Besides, the extras make nice homemade embellies for your cards and other layouts! I have found that the assembly-line process works the best... punch to your hearts content and then move on to the next punch! The brown circles are from the My Little Shoebox Farm Fresh paper.

To make the sunflowers, use the My Little Shoebox Country Road paper and you will need two punched flowers for every one sunflower. Again, punch your heart out... or if you aren't in a time crunch have the pint sized crafters help out! I have found giving the punches to the creative toddlers keeps them very busy as you create your masterpiece and they are contributing to the gift!

Using the Thermoweb dry adhesive, dab a little in the center of the flowers and set them to where they are slightly off to the side instead of having the petals align right on top of each other.

Use a little more of the adhesive and attach the brown circles.

It's inking time - YAHOO!! I am obsessed with Distress Ink... you can find it on 99.9% of my projects! The applicator totally helps give the petals this look but you can use what you are comfortable with. Distress the petals on all the flowers.
After the flowers are all punched, attached, centers attached and distressed... Distress the frame itself. I am a fan of the rustic, weathered look so the messier the better! The next step is to cut out the green background {My Little Shoebox Black Sheep} to the frame, I find it easiest to trace and then cut with scissors... then use the craft knife if the frame is super duper detailed. The nice thing is the flowers do a great job of covering those creative opportunities {a.k.a. mistakes}. Once the background is cut use your Glossy Accents to attach the paper to the frame. If you see bumps and aren't a "lumpy and bumpy" person, using a brayer will help iron them out.

Again, using Glossy Accents start adhering your flowers to the frame. It tends to work best if you start in one spot and work your way around. Remember that the petals will take up some of the photo space so keep that in mind as you are working your way around the frame. To get the overlapping petals just play with them, slide them together before you add them to the frame. Glossy Accents is a great product for this because it allows you a little time to figure out where exactly you want things to go. Once you get all your flowers on your frame, set aside to dry. *Side note, if you are a Glossy Accent addict like me, adding some to the centers of the flowers just make the whole frame jump out at ya!!! FYI - this will add to the drying time.

Here's a close up of the petals intertwined.

Hope you enjoyed this project, thanks for stopping by!

Creative Cheers!

crafting hiatus...

2010-08-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so it's been awhile... sorry! The month of August has just kicked me in pants, um where did summer go? This time of year is super exciting {once I embraced it!}... time for freshly sharpened pencils, new backpacks & lots of projects with the girls. I have been creating with MY LITTLE SHOEBOX but can't share just yet. However, I do have some sneak peeks...

MLS + Fiskars Punches + Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist = CREATIVE MASTERPIECES!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Creative Cheers!

Cute as a Button...

2010-07-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

So it is time for the ultimate event for crafters of all sorts... CHA! I was fortunate enough to design for the end-all-be-all expo using some of the new lines from My Little Shoebox. I HEART this line so much... I even created a little something extra because I was craving blueberry pie scrapping one night/early morning! I really enjoyed using all the new stuff, from the stamps to the scallop to the "B" sides... there are just sooooooooooooo many possibilities!

YUM!

Blueberry pie without the calories!

MLS + Creative Impressions + Glimmer Mist + TONS of Thermoweb

~CARD~

~PROJECT~

~LAYOUTS~

These are my buttons... aren't they cute!

MLS + Creative Impressions + Glimmer Mist + Thermoweb

MLS + Creative Impressions + SAKURA of America + Thermoweb

Thank you for stopping by!

Please venture over to the other MLS designers to see their goodies!

Happy creating!!!

MLS Sneak Peek Summer Breeze..

2010-07-09T07:49:00.001-07:00

Okay... get out those summer vacation pictures and start thinking about the ZILLION different ways to use this FABULOUS line!!! I am thinking pictures of the girls playing with the laundry basket, oh no wait the ones from that one time at the park, or the.... Yeah, I could keep going!!! Check out those glazed lower case alphas & precious "birdy birds" as my soon-to-be 4 year old would say!!! Happy creating!

ahhh... the simple life

2010-07-07T07:54:00.001-07:00

Is it possible to out-do cuteness?

Um... if it is then My Little Shoebox did so with this new line!

Check out those sheep... and that barn... and that fence!!! I heart this line, see I have a special connection because my husband's family owns a farm in the midwest and this is just perfect for all those pics of the girls running around playing with Grandma & Grandpa! And for those of you with no farm connection don't fret, there are so many possibilities with this line - just think fall weather, visits to the pumpkin patch... oh so many ideas using both the A or B sides!!!

Happy Creating!!!

a special thank you...

2010-07-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

If you are ever in the Phoenix area, please make a stop over in Mesa and check out this AMAZING scrap shoppe called Mystic Paper. This was my first time visiting and I walked out with a bag full of goodies, feeling beyond inspired and thankful for a new scrappy friend. See Jennifer co-owns this vintage paradise and she is just a delight. Hearing her story, the passion for paper... all of it just made my afternoon! Her design team is BEYOND talented, love the layout of the store and heart the fact that her classes just ROCK! Here is their website, I highly encourage a pop-over!!!

www.mysticpaper.com

Thank you Jennifer, your creativity is unmatchable!

Here are some of the goodies that I just couldn't live without!

October Afternoon

Tim Holtz Scissors {you can ALWAYS use an extra pair!}

Barn Door Distress Ink

German Glass

Stamp Blocks

My Little Shoebox Sneak Peek...

2010-07-05T09:08:00.001-07:00

They just keep 'um coming!

This is the new line called Harmony and it IS just that!!! Look at those cherry blossoms, trees and precious dolls! Oh... and don't forget about the "B" sides... check out that blue!!! I see some B-eautiful layouts using those B sides!!!

Sneak Peek Day three...

2010-07-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Here is another sneak peek into the new lines of My Little Shoebox! This one is called "Green" and it is so darling! I can't wait to use those trees and that wood paper... creative yummy-ness!