it's sketch time...

It's Sunday and you know what time it is...

The digital image for this week was provided by KLM Digital Designs. I absolutely love this image! To check out other images and cards from the design team today hop on over to 365 Cards.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. With a few bumps in the road in our little world so far this weekend I am staying in for the next two days. My oldest was the monkey jumping on the bed, ended up falling off and I think you can guess what happened next.

Enjoy, be safe, and see you back here in a couple of days!

Andrea

absolutely fabulous...

It's project day over at Paper Garden Projects and I am here to bring you my little happy house created just for the occasion.

Supplies used include Sweet Chips Folding House from Crafty Secrets and Thrift Shop from October Afternoon. Enjoy the challenge and remember that if you submit a creation you are entered to win an adorable stamp. Good luck!

That brings me to the winner of the cupcake ornament gift set...Ginny! Please contact me with your address and I will send it off to you.

The next giveaway begins on Monday! Two items that I know you will LOVE.

One more card to share before I go for today...

Enjoy the holiday weekend and see you back here on Sunday!

Andrea

my little cupcake...

I have a sweet tooth, I can't deny it! Watching little ones dive into frosted cupcakes this weekend started me on the hunt for my own. So after many failed attempts to get my hands on just one little cupcake I improvised. I brought out my clay and got to work on this little ornament...

As promised I bring you giveaway #2...


All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by Thursday at 8:30 EST and I will randomly pick a winner. This sweet cupcake gift set could be yours!

I have other clay ornaments to come as I finish them and will be posted in my Etsy shop soon! I also have a few items that I am just completing and hope to have listed soon as well...

Be sure to enter to win the ornament gift set and check back on Thursday for a sneak peek at the Paper Garden Projects Friday Challenge and the winner of the drawing!

Wishing you all a great start to the week and see you back here in a couple of days!

Andrea

its all rearranged...

Although there is still clean up to be done, we are spending our Sunday rearranging our house. After a year of our little ones sharing a room we are exhausted from the nightly bedtime routine. They are best friends and boy do they enjoy spending every second together, but when the clock strikes eight it is time for the party to be shut down. Now I just hope a dividing wall between the beds will keep them sleeping when the lights go down....we will see!

So, on to posting my Sketchy Sunday Challenge for 365 Cards. This weeks sentiment stamp was brought to you by Ippity Stamps. There is a great price to be won so hop on over and check it out!

The winner of the Nikki Sivils Giveaway.... CONGRATS Lynette! I will be sending off your goodies this week. My next giveaway will be posted tomorrow and will end on Thursday. You won't want to miss it.

One last card for today and then back to work. My "boss" just caught me on here so I should be going now :)
Have a super day and hope you are enjoying a bit of sunshine where you are today.

Andrea

enjoy...

I need a moment to breathe. The continuing line of questioning from the little ones, long list of chores, and bunches of scrapping supplies all around me. Some days it seems like life has control of me instead of me sitting in the driver's seat. It just takes a moment to realize that it is ok to stop and take a breath, sit out for a day and relax, and don't forget to enjoy it all at my own pace. Ahhh...what a day. But, it is time to jump back in and enjoy another fun filled day remembering that brief time outs are required to keep our engines running.

So after a day of watching several romantic comedies (my favorite) and feeling rested it is time to share...

I had fun with MelJen's Designs this week and have three projects to share. Always remember that you can alter these images to any size and crop as you wish. They are so adorable and versatile.

Using Garden Welcome Sign and Teddy Cookie.

Using Garden Bird House.

Using Little Fire Hydrant and Darling Dalmation.

It is your turn to join in the challenge. Enjoy creating and best of luck!

I promised...a GIVEAWAY! I love giveaways, and because of that I am going to be having three giveaways over the next few weeks. Check back often as you could be the winner. I have something special for the next two giveaways that I personally handmade and would love for one of you to receive :)

Giveaway:
You could win 3 pockets of stickers, 1 package of craft flags, 1 package of bread(less) tags, and 4 sets of burlap buttons from Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker. Just leave a comment here and I will choose a winner by Saturday, May 22nd at 8:30 EST.

Two more projects before I go. I love making little pillows. Whether they be used in your craft room as a pincushion or inspiration I love them! The first one I made just the other day and the second one was published in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of Simply Handmade.

Ok, enough for now. I am long overdue for getting back on schedule here. Hope you all are enjoying your day! I will be back tomorrow with a few new projects and great prices in my Etsy shop will be popping up just around the corner :)

Until then my friends...lots of hugs!

Andrea

bloom...

As I mentioned I am not good at keeping flowers blooming in our garden. I could be on 24 hour a day bug watch and still not find the tiny insects that are eating away at my beautiful flowers. So I scaled down, got a couple of shrubs for the garden, and potted flowers for my little men. Thankfully I always have luck getting paper flowers to last, which brings me to the tutorial for today.
Head on over to Couture Cardstock to see how I created the paper scallop border (as shown above), the supply list, and the completed project. All of the layouts and cards posted on the blog have been absolutely amazing!

Tomorrow stop by for a visit to see some new creations using MelJen's Designs, Couture Cardstock, and Nikki Sivils all together. Also, the GIVEAWAY is coming! I have a great Nikki package ready to be given away to one luck winner. Stay tuned....

Andrea

isn't she lovely...

I have two boys. Love them and wouldn't trade my life for anything. But when it comes to paper crafting I long to work with anything pink. This week I created a card that is truely girly. Thanks to Some Odd Girl and their adorable digital stamp, Mae Posies, I had a great time creating this card for the Sketchy Sunday Challenge over at 365 Cards.
Don't forget to scroll to my previous post where there is a challenge waiting for you from Paper Garden Projects.

Also, to bring you two projects which were recently posted on Nikki Sivils blog (for a complete supply list and tips head on over to her blog)...

Enjoy all of the challenges and see you back here on Tuesday for a fabulous Nikki giveaway!

Andrea

lets walk...

Welcome to the Paper Garden Projects Lads, Dads and Grads Garden Walk!
Take a stroll through the blogs of all the Paper Gardeners and enjoy some friendly inspiration. This month we are focusing on the all the men, boys and graduates out there.

While you visit, subscribe to each Gardener's blog and take note of each designer's name and their special garden walk word in their blog post. Once you finish your garden tour, send an E-mail to custserv@papergardenprojects.com with the list of designers and their garden walk word.

Everyone who sends the correct list of designers and words will be entered in a random drawing to win a prize. You need to send an e-mail to the address above; please don't leave your list as a comment. You have until midnight (EST) on Tuesday, May18 to send your list.

And the prize? How about these cute little lads form Eat Cake Graphics:
So enjoy the garden tour (feel free to bring along a lad, Dad or Grad!). Here is the garden tour guide list:

Cathy
Amber
Tangii
Tricia
Linda
Erin
Andrea (You are here)
Alyssa

Enjoy the inspiring projects and now to share mine.
My word: OUT

Have a wonderful day!

Andrea

it stinks...

The reconstruction of our bathroom is underway and boy does it stink! Although I want to flee I am unable to with workers in and out. So what can me and my little man do? We are tucked away in my craft room trying to keep busy. Hopefully this is the last day.

Beginning Friday I have someone coming to redo our patio/garden area (it is a MESS!). I do not have a green thumb, there is no way I can do it alone, and it is getting a little too hot outside for me to work (love the air conditioning what can I say). So after a few days of trying to figure out a garden design I am stumped. I can whip together paper in a way that makes it look interesting, but for some reason I cannot line up plants and stone in a way that it doesn't look like a pile of "stuff". It can't get any worse than it is right now, that is for sure.

So as I do best, and avoiding a few projects here and there, I bring a few cards that I created while locked away.

Don't ask me why I "picked" strawberries to go on this inspirational card. Something about the shades of pink were so soothing and beautiful. Dig to the bottom of your scrap piles, embellishment drawers and baskets to find something new to use on your project today. It is amazing how many little items you may have forgotten you had.
I have been finding ribbon in my drawers lately that I never thought I would use and so excited I have. It is a great touch to any card and by using a variety of color you can mix and match so easily.
Now to make my rounds in the house and hope that the smell has gone away, at least a little. I will be back here on Friday for a few new items, sneak peeks, and challenge reminders. So many fun challenges and prizes to be had in the next few weeks!

Enjoy your day!

Andrea

i feel like this today...

See the owl above? That is me today. When I saw this in my stash of goodies it called to me. A million things on the list of to-dos, but not much motivation to head in one direction and get things done. Toys, crafts, clothes, dirt, and more dirt (from our garden) we are on project overload. Where does all of this "stuff" come from? We are usually very good about cleaning out the unwanted from our home on a regular basis, but somehow it multiplies. If only I were on top of it each and every day...but there are more important things to do like play with the kids and make a card, right?

So after a long and fun weekend I felt I deserved a day to put those projects aside, pull up to my craft table and start working away.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Paper Garden Projects has a great selection of scrapbooking supplies. I have fallen in love with the stamp set from Fiskars All Around Quotes stamp set. This quote is one I have been trying to live by for the past year. Something that may seem out of reach is really possible if you just believe in yourself enough to make it happen.

Before I go rush around the house checking on all my in-progress projects, I leave you with two reminders:

1. Don't forget to stop by Paper Garden Projects for their blog hop (as stated below). We would love to see your talent and remember that you could win a special prize!
2. A Friendly Reminder...

Scrapstreet.com magazine is always looking for talented people and creative projects to publish in each issue. I am currently in search of altered art (i.e. gifts, mini albums, tags) to publish in the August, September, and October issues. If you have a project you think would be a good fit for the magazine please contact me at andrea@scrapstreet.com. I would love to see your projects and possibly use them in an upcoming issue.

Current UTurn Call - Let it Shine: From rhinestones to glitter, bring a little sparkle to your altered art.

Hoping your Monday was enjoyable!

Andrea

the housewife...

Happy Mother's Day to all of my friends out there who so deserve a day to be celebrated! Bringing you a card which was created for the Sketchy Sunday Challenge over at 365 Cards.

Digital image provided by Digital Doodles (1920 Vintage Dress).

Hope your day is filled with love!

Andrea

A Friendly Reminder...

Scrapstreet.com magazine is always looking for talented people and creative projects to publish in each issue. I am currently in search of altered art (i.e. gifts, mini albums, tags) to publish in the August, September, and October issues. If you have a project you think would be a good fit for the magazine please contact me at andrea@scrapstreet.com. I would love to see your projects and possibly use them in an upcoming issue.

Current UTurn Call - Let it Shine: From rhinestones to glitter, bring a little sparkle to your altered art.

relax. be happy. celebrate.

When I came across the Fiskars stamp set (All Around Quotes) from Paper Garden Projects I knew that this would be my favorite stamp: "if you want to be happy, be." Simple and true.

Before I sign off for today, just a little reminder:

Scrapstreet.com magazine is always looking for talented people and creative projects to publish in each issue. I am currently in search of altered art (i.e. gifts, mini albums, tags) to publish in the August, September, and October issues. If you have a project you think would be a good fit for the magazine please contact me at andrea@scrapstreet.com. I would love to see your projects and possibly use them in an upcoming issue.

Current UTurn Call - Let it Shine: From rhinestones to glitter, bring a little sparkle to your altered art.

I know there is lots of talent out there to be shown off. I would love to have the opportunity to write about yours.

Wishing everyone a very happy Mother's Day this weekend. Hoping it is filled with laughter, love, and so much joy! I am so thankful for both my mother and mother-in-law for all of the love and support I receive, even from 3,000 miles away.

Andrea

Hello Friend...

Mini golf, lunch with friends, and dippin' in the pool makes for a splendid day...yes indeed! Not only did my mind need the break, but my little man needed one on one time with his momma.

So, now that I am relaxed and there is a napping boy in the background, it is time to get back to work and share the MelJen's Designs Thursday Challenge card.

I used the Happy Little Whale image from MelJen's Designs and a fabulous cardstock I just discovered from Couture Cardstock, blending paper. Perfect for printable images!

Hope you have many moments that make you smile today!

Andrea

My little friends

Challenge Thursday is almost here for MelJen's Designs. So many cute cards to be shared and a wonderful new collection of digital stamps to come. Although there are no sneak peeks to share today, I bring you two cards that I created using last week's release. So adorable and fun to play with.

I used both the Little Fish and Lots O Love Octopus image.

Now to actually start my day and begin the cleaning that is desparately needed! I wish I had the desire to clean more often, but passing my craft room on a regular basis makes this a challenge.

Wishing you all a splendid Wednesday.

Andrea

Flowers Anyone

I wanted to pop in quickly to share a "little" project with you using Couture Cardstock. I completed my first tutorial for their blog and it is currently live. Here is a sneak peek of the project.
To see more visit head on over and take a look for a step by step guide. There are many more tutorials from the talented team to come.

I will be back on Thursday with a few special projects to share!

Hope your day is filled with happiness.

Andrea

Cherish

It's warm. Ok, a little too warm here for me today. It is difficult to watch a group of six year olds running up in down a soccer field with 90 degree weather closing in on us. They managed, had fun and in the end were victorious. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest never prepared me for days like this. Still trying to condition myself to being a sun soaking Floridian.

Today I bring you another wonderful Sketchy Sunday Challenge from 365 Cards.

Don't forget to check out all of the wonderful cards brought to you by the talented Design Team. Always inspirational!

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday. Now to find a pool and jump right in!

Andrea