Home Owner...

We closed on the house yesterday!!  YAY!!!  I'm super excited to be a first time home owner!  Everything seemed to work out better then planned (other then getting a rental truck and movers)!!!  We paid less in closing costs then we thought we would and we found renters for the apt, so we don't have to pay a full months rent!  WOOHOO! 

On a sad note, I think I slept wrong or something, bc my shoulder/neck is killing me.  It hurt so bad yesterday that I really couldn't function.  I was supposed to help the hubby get started on moving stuff, but I just had to take a sleeping pill and motrin and go to sleep.  It's a little better this morning.  I was able to pack up some more things.  Like my Cricut (booohooo) and the rest of my craft room.  :(  So I won't be able to post much, if anything, for a few more days.  At least until I can get my room set up.  Perhaps that's the first room I'll work on....then I can procrastinate on unpacking the rest of the house....*insert evil laugh*  JK!  My hubby would die if I didn't get it all done. 

Anywho...just wanted to through that out there, so that you all would know what's up.  Have a good weekend!!!

The Best Things in Life...

Hey ya'll!  I just wanted to share a quick card that I just made.  I've been wanting to use this stamp an finally got the chance to do it.  It's called Seaside Sketches from SU.  This stamp (and a few more) were given to me by a friend of mine.  I don't really like rubber stamps.  I can't see what I'm doing.  I got started on the clear stamps and I'm in love with those.  However....I really like this one.  I guess it just reminds me of my sisters....and I miss them!!! 

This card is being entered into the CPS Sketch Challenge for this week.

Here's what I came up with.... 

Recipe:

~Paper is from SU.  I don't know the name of it.  I purchased it loose from someone over a year ago. 

~The ribbon is from CTMH.

~Ink is Cocoa from CTMH.

~The card is 4.25x5.5 inches. 

Hope you all enjoy!

NOW I NEED TO GET TO PACKING. WE CLOSE FRIDAY!!! 

Thank You So Much Card...

Hey ya'll!  So yesterday I tried this new technique with embossing.  I used embossing powder to get the rustic shiny look on my card and then embossed it with my cuttlebug.....it's like double embossing.  Blows your mind, doesn't it?  Haha!  I got this technique from Paula at More Than Favors.  She posted it on the Pink By Design message board.  If you are not a part of that community, you should go check it out ----> HERE.  It's a lot of fun and there is typically a lot going on.  You can post your own projects and chat with others in the craft world.  Everybody feeds off each other and it's awesome!

My design comes from the Peachy Keen Stamp Sketch Challenge.  I liked this sketch, bc it was simple and I still managed to make something I love! 

Here's what I did.....

I cut out my pieces for the card first.  I made sure I had all my sizes the way that I wanted them.  I then took the front piece of card stock and embossed it with Copper embossting powder.  Then I ran it through the Cuttlebug with the Distressed Stripes folder.  When I did this, you could hear it crack, but apparently that is normal.  Then I went over it with a sander and it started to tear.  at first it irritated me, but then I realized that I could put it together on the card and it just added even more character to the card.  I loved it!

Everything on this card is from CTMH except the embossing powder, ribbon and the Cuttlebug folder.  The paper pack I used is called Passages.  The stamp is from a set called Thank You.  The ink color is Barn Red. 

This is a great technique if you don't already have metalic papers (and I don't)!  It was fun and simple to do.  I hope you all try it!  Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

Band-Aid Anyone...

Hey ya'll!  I have something different to show you today.  I can't remember where I saw this done...so sorry to whoever did it...but someone had taken an old icing container and turned it into a paperclip container.  It was so cute!  I wanted to try something similar and it took me "forever" to come up with this.....

A BAND-AID CONTAINER!!!





How fun is that? My hubby had random brands stuffed into one box and then I had a separate box somewhere....so I just combined them all into this cute container. 

RECIPE:

1. Pick out your paper. (this part took me a while)

2. Measure around the cup. (about 10.5 inches)

3. Cut the paper for the cup. 

    -The dark teal piece is cut at 10.5x3.25 inches.

    -The pattern paper is cut at 10.5x2 inches.

4. Secure paper to cup. (i used my ATG tape gun)

5. Decorate! 

    -I used font from Birthday Cakes cartridge - cut at 1.5" in height using my Gypsy.  I layerd the letters with brown paper and green cardstock.  I ran the green letters through my Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots folder.

    -I cut out bandaids using the Everyday Pop-Up Cards cartridge.  I cut 2 bandaids at 1.5 inches and 1 at 2 inches (this one went on the top).

6. The lid...You can choose to leave this as is, or you can decorate it.  The blue didn't match and it was bothering me.  So I chose to decorate it.  I couldn't get the tape to stick to the lid very well, so I had to use a combo of glue and tape.  I glued the lid down to the paper and cut around it for the larger circle.  I was having issues with measurements and didn't want to waste paper.  Then I cut a 5" circle out of pattern paper and another dark teal one at 2".  Then secured the large bandaid to the lid with 3D tape.  I also took ribbon and glued it around the rim of the lid. 

I know that's a lot of info, but it was fun for me to make!  Hope you enjoy!

Polar Bear Christmas Card...

Hello again ya'll!  I told ya'll I was in the zone!!!  Hehe!  I have another Christmas card for ya'll.  This will be submitted into the CPS #227 Challenge.  It's a sketch challenge...so check out their blog and enter! 

RECIPE:
This is a standard 4.25x5.5 inch card.
White & Juniper card stock (base) are from CTMH.
Buttons are from CTMH.
Ribbon is from CTMH.
Markers are from CTMH (New England Ivy - faux stitching) & Copic (dark red, rose mist & pea green).
Pattern paper is from Recollections collection - Bright and Jolly.
Polar Bear stamp is from Michael's dollar bin.
Black ink is from CTMH.

HAVE A FABULOUS SUNDAY, YA'LL!!!

Winter Wishes card...

I'm starting to get my mojo back!  We are so close to closing on this house and I'm friggin READY!  Pray that everything works out.  We're still waiting to hear back on the appraisal.  I just hope they got busy on Friday and didn't call my hubby back for that reason and not bc it was bad news!  :(  Worried!

Anyway....Making the MPS card has helped me get motivated again and anxious to make stuff...I say stuff, bc I have some cool projects that I'm attempting and hope they turn out nice enough to post! 

This card is a Christmas card.  I'm not really in the mood for Christmas right now, but this paper is so cute.  I got it 1/2 price at Michael's.  It's one of the 180 sheet packs from Recollections.  It's called Bright and Jolly.  There are 60 different designs and they are ALL so cute!!! 

This card is 4.25x5.5 inches.  The base card stock is Juniper from CTMH.  I used my Your Story trimmer to get the scalloped edges.  The paper is from the Recollections - Bright and Jolly paper pad.  The lil' snow man stamp was in the $1 bin at Michael's (can't remember the brand).  The ink is from CTMH - Black & Juniper.  I inked around the edges of the snowman image in Juniper.  I used Copic markers to color in the snowman's accessories.  The ribbon is from ebay and the red and white mini-buttons are from CTMH.  The green mini-button is from Walmart. 

Pretty simple and fairly easy.  Hope you all enjoy!

MPS Design Team Call...

My Pink Stamper is doing another design team call to serve for the months of August through January!!!  I am SOOOOO excited and I just love Robyn!  She is so sweet and her blog is completely awesome!  It's full of helpful idea for your Cricut projects.  In case some of you haven't heard of her, she also has her own line of stamps.  Go check out her blog at My Pink Stamper.

Here are the rules for the design team submission...

*You will need to have a blog that you regularly post on for at least 3 months.*You cannot already be serving on a DT that has product that is a conflict of interest (most DTs are just fine as long as they do not sell product that is similar to My Pink Stamper Original Cricut Stamps idea)*Your project must be made just for this challenge*Post a pic on your blog with a full recipe along with what the challenge is about*This needs to be a new project that you make just for this challenge*Only one entry per person, please*You do not need to be a professional but you must have a love for the craft! :)
Challenge: Make a card, scrapbook page, or other Cricut project with your favorite Cricut cartridge using the following colors......
OrangeTurquoise GreenBrown(other optional color of your choice)...mine was white.

RECIPE:

-I used 5.5x5.5 inch white card stock as my base.

-I took a piece of 5-3/8 x5.5 inch brown card stock and used a Martha Stewart Ribbon Loops punch and punched the bottom edge of that card stock.

-I then used SU pattern paper cut at 4.75x4.75 inches and positioned it on top of the brown card stock.

-The green pattern paper is from SU and cut at 2x5.5 inches. 

-I used Mandarin colored twine and wrapped it around the green pattern paper. 

-I cut an elephant from the Everyday Pop-up Cards cartridge at 3.08 inches in height using my gypsy.  I used SU light blue card stock and pattern paper.

-I used Crystal stickles for it's tusk.

-I used MPS More Punny-licious stamp set for "Tons of Fun" and stamped it on a tag from CTMH. 

-I also used an embellishment in the top right from CTMH. 

Thanks for viewing and I hope you enjoy!

Teresa Collins on My Craft Channel...

Teresa Collins shares her love and the passion of paper crafting and scrapbooking mixed into the artistic flair of home decor. Teresa's chic style has taken the crafting world by storm. Watch as she shares her "secrets" to creating in simple, inexpensive ways to decorate your home, and life through crafting. Teresa will showcase beautiful and stylish projects that features a collaboration of decorating, crafting and paper projects that bring the most exciting aspects of scrapbooking to new meaning to your creative life.

About Teresa Collins

Who am I? I am passionate . . . I love what I do. I strive to create and design craft and scrapbook products with timeless style and chic appeal. I strive to be different and to do things with a unique twist. I create to tell a story and make it easier to document life in an artistic way. I love to create boutique style projects for book scrapbooking and home decor.

I love sharing my love of journaling, interior design, trying new crafty techniques, taking photos . . . and capturing "life." As the owner and designer of Teresa Collins Designs, I am busy designing the latest and greatest in the scrapbook industry. It is a PASSION and one that I love!

I am a girly girl!!! I love gems pink and black, and funky jewelry and home decor projects. I can be found traveling around the world and share my passion and love for all things chic, creative and trend setting... I have been on HSN, QVC, DIY Network and I am a regular guest on Channel 4's Good Things Utah and Craft TV online network. My work, articles and products have been published in all of the major publications.

 

Please go check out My Craft Channel for more details about Teresa and the fun events they have going on... and also for your chance to win a E2!

 

Also go visit the Cricut Blog for a chance to win all 3 of Teresa Collins' cartridges!

Stacy Julian - Founder of Big Picture Scrapbooking...

Stacy Julian is going to be a part of My Craft Channel starting this fall.  For more information about Stacy, visit My Craft Channel Blog.

ABOUT STACY

Stacy Julian is a recognized leader in the scrapbooking industry and the visionary founder of Big Picture Scrapbooking (BPS). Launched in November 2005, BPS is the first dedicated online scrapbooking education program with members around the world. Offering a wide range of convenient on-demand projects and progressive multi-week courses, what differentiates BPS is Julian's liberating philosophy and simple step-by-step thematic approach that unlocks a person's creativity and helps them to easily create stories out of life's special moments.

A passionate and sought-after speaker, trainer and author, Julian regularly presents across the nation and abroad, including Japan, Australia and Europe. Author of four books, her recent title Photo Freedom is sold at local craft stores, CreatingKeepsakes.com and Amazon.com. She also has a popular blog and strong Twitter following. Her television appearances include the Discovery Channel's Home Matters and the PBS series More than Memories. Simple Scrapbooks Magazine, where Julian was the founding editor, has been mentioned in The Chicago Tribune and Woman's Day as a leading consumer publication for the scrapbooking industry. Julian lives in Spokane, Washington and is a proud wife and energetic mother of five.

Christmas In July....

Hey ya'll! 
OMGoodness!  My life has been a very big mess lately!  Nothing really bad, just so crazy busy that I don't even know what day is what.  We've been on the hunt for a house since I got back on June 26th.  I mean...I've been looking everyday since that day.  We found one that we wanted and when we went to go write up an offer, we found out it already had a contract on it.  So I started looking again....We finally found THE ONE and put an offer in for it on Saturday and it was accepted.  YAY!  So now we're in the big process of getting the loan official and getting inspections set up and all that crazy mess that comes a long with buying a home.  :(  That part I don't like!  But anyway.......


I managed to find some time to make a cute card today.  I'm not 100% sure what I think of it.  I mean, I think it's cute, but I feel like something's missing....Let me know what you thing.  I need to get a jump start on Christmas cards since I know 2 family memebers (at least) will be purchasing packs. 

This card was actually made yesterday.  I couldn't get my stinkin computer to load the pictures.  Grrr....But here it is nonetheless.  ENJOY!

Purple Pumpkin Giveaway and MIA....

Sorry I've been MIA for a few weeks.  I lost my job on the 6th (messed up story) and I had some family come visit me on June 6-16th.  It was my aunt and her two kids.  I couldn't have 2 minutes to myself and was super busy entertaining them.  We did a little crafting, a lot of pool time and I starting teaching my 11 year old cousin how to scrapbook.  I had a lot of fun with them, but not so much time to craft.  When they left on the 16th, I went with them.  Another cousin graduated from bootcamp that weekend.  My grandmother threw a party for him and it was a big gathering.  Also, two of my sisters that live in CO were in GA for a couple weeks.  So, we all got to hang out.  It was nice!  

For now I wanted to post about a giveaway that Purple Pumpkin is doing.  They have 1-4th place winners with cash prizes to use in their store!  I have not had the privilage of purchasing any of their products just yet.  I keep forgetting when they do their sales.  But I'm DYING to get my hands on some awesome accessories!!!