Saturday, November 28, 2009

Cole's Birthday

It's Cole's birthday today. My baby is 24. He's on his way to his home from Disney World.  They had a great time and I'm glad.  Cole will deploy with the Army in January.  His wife is going to school full-time so I'm glad she will have some activities to keep her busy during his long deployment.

It's been a long day today waiting for Tom to come home from China.  He's on the last leg of his flight now.
So, I kept busy trying to finish up my Christmas cards which I need to get in the mail on Monday if they are to make it home from Italy before Christmas.










This is me as an Elf last year and Tom and I as elves.




http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/DyjNCKWwmyxoRi7q?cmpid=ey_fb_self


Friday, November 27, 2009

It's NOT Thanksgiving

I woke up this morning and the first thing I thought was, "It's Friday and it's not Thanksgiving anymore."  I didn't cry or anything yesterday, but I was keenly aware that it was Thanksgiving at home and my kids were getting together with family and friends, and my family were all getting together and celebrating..... I'm in Italy, Tom's in China and we're not celebrating anything.  We're just being.  I couldn't even create the way I wanted to.  I was sad.  Then the power went out for two hours, so I couldn't create, I couldn't talk to anyone on Skype and after I talked to Tom for a 1/2 hour on my cell, it was dead.  So, I went in the bedroom where I could work on my laptop on someone else's internet and I looked around on facebook and played a game on the computer, then I designed a bit on DS.  These are the cards I came up with:




Sending you an E card via Snail Mail



Deer Christmas


This last one is a Slider Card.  I had never tried one before, but I got one from a bank in the mail, so I took it apart to see how they made it.  Then I designed it in DS and cut it.  This was more about learning the construction of the card than the actual decorating.  So I just used scraps that I had left over from another project.  Inside it has a pocket for a gift card or something.  I put some tea in there. There is a window in the card where you can see the words Merry Christmas.  When you slide the card out it says
Enjoy Everyday, Merry Christmas. 








The actual greeting for the card says:
It's Christmas in the Heart
that puts Christmas in the air.


That was my thanksgiving day and I'm glad it is over. 
Now I get to clean and get ready for Tom to come home.


Onward and upward,

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Wednesday before Thanksgiving

I am pretty proud of this card today.  I'm going to enter it in two different contests.  One at Practical Scrappers for the Stitching contest and one at Cricut Cardz Challenge for the Pink/Green and White challenge.  It took a long time to put all those branches together.  I started yesterday and finally finished today.  It has a lot of popping to make the depth, but a lot of branches to cover up the popping.  The branches are cut with a MS punch and the ornament cut at 3 inches from Joys of the Season.  Added the pink ribbon and the charm, some stickles and bling.  Paper is some I found at Tuesday Morning. The word Joy is cut from Joys of the Season Shrinky Dink plastic, colored and shrunk. Stitched on my pixie craft sewing machine.








Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Tuesday - Scrapping

So, I've been scrapbooking to change my mind up a bit from the cards I've been doing.  It's much messier to me than cardmaking.  Longer lengths of ribbon, cutting pictures, placing moving, replacing, resizing. Cards are pretty much one size.  So these are a couple of pages I have done working on Ellis' scrapbook.


This was a tribute to the team that Logan and Tom support.  I am a cowboy fan....lifelong, so it has always been a grudge fest in our house twice a year and in competition for division.  I support that my son has supported his dad and his team.






Monday, November 23, 2009

They are giving away a Gypsy!!

Yes they are giving away a Gypsy at The Gypsy Spot.  Custom Crops for donated a brand new Gypsy (retail value 299.99)..wow.   Since I LOVE Custom Crops and order nearly all my card making stuff from them, I'm glad to support this spot and I hope to win a Gypsy!!!!  Click on the links to visit : Custom Crops   and Custom Crops Videos.


Just another Monday

It's foggy outside today.  Can't even see the mountains. The temperature is staying steady at around 50 so it's not too cold, but not too warm. Even steven.

I worked on some cards today and I also skipped school.  The mailman left me a note in Italian and after I translated it, I realized I needed to be here to get a package, so I skipped.  I want to go back to Italian school, but I also don't want to go. It's a catch 22 thing.  I will go to school on Wednesday though.  Back to school and homework and studying.

Here's what I worked on:







 I scraplifted this last one from Jeannie Phillips over at A Place For My Cards.  I can never ever make a card that looks as beautiful as hers.  I should stop trying to copy her and just get my own style, but I just really love her style.  Anyway, I've been using my cricut to cut shrinky dinks and I love it.  The bird on this card is a shrinky dink.  I'm almost finished with my Christmas cards now.  Just a few more to go.

We are thankful every day, but it is Thanksgiving week and my favorite holiday of the year. It is the time we are just grateful.  No gifts, no pressures, just being grateful and sharing food with each other.  Since we won't have one this year, I am really missing my favorite holiday.

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High; to declare Thy loving-kindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness by night... For Thou, O Lord, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done, I will sing for joy at the work of Thy hands. How great are Thy works, O Lord! " -Psalm 92:1, 4-5
Onward and Upward

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Needed to Laugh

Tom is in China this weekend and I needed to laugh, so I started looking around at jokes on the internet.  It's funny to laugh by yourself.  When your laughter echoes off the walls it can be even funnier or oh.. so sad. But, when I saw this stamp that said "stamp naked."  I had to do this card.






So, I got one Christmas card and this one done.  Tom took the good camera with him to China so I had to use the point and shoot which doesn't take clear pictures on the "flower" setting, but you get the idea.
Tom will get to see the Great Wall while he is in China.  I'm so excited for him. Someday, I will get to go.  For now, I get to craft until I am exhausted from gluing things.  It's a good life. :0)


Saturday, November 21, 2009

A Saturday in November

Tom has left for China and I am getting ready to decorate my home for Christmas.  Since we don't have a Thanksgiving day over here, I don't have to wait until after Thanksgiving to enjoy the Christmas stuff.  Everyone around here already has their stuff up anyway.  Tom got my Christmas stuff out before he left this morning and told me to have fun. :0)

I took all my paper scraps and before I threw them away, I cut off all the strips of paper and I've made a paper chain to go around my living room and hang snowflakes from.  Since we only have a 1.5 foot Christmas tree there is no need to take up room for a tree, I can just fill the room with paper decorations... right up my alley!

I made a couple of cards this week and I haven't had time to post.  When Tom is home, there are lots more things to do, more cooking, more laundry, more everything, so I didn't get to work on cards as much as I normally do.  I don't mind that.  It is very nice to have him home!









This last one is a work in progress.  I dreamed about it the other night and got up that morning and cut it out.  Now, I need to finish it and I have some ideas of what I want to do.  We'll see how the final one comes out and if it is worth posting.

Onward and Upward,

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme


Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMamaand Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year? 

Wii & Wii Fit
Cricut Expression
Plane Tickets
Tour of Venice, Italy
Spend time with Husband

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? 

A quilt my BFF made for me

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle? 

Cake Decorating

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child? 

Walking baby doll

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year? 

Video Games

6. What is your favorite holiday food? 

Cookies

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays? 

Cards, Cookies, jewelry

8. What is your favorite holiday movie? 

Elf, The Christmas Story (tie)

9. Favorite holiday song? 

Christmas Time is Here

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
 

Looking at all the Christmas lights

Send TodaysMama a link to your post via email (info@todaysmama.com) with “Wish List Meme” in the subject line. You can even tag a few friends to participate in the meme. (Spread that holiday cheer!) 



Here is Today's Card.  Donna Mundinger had a similar card on the Cricut Message Boards.  You can see her card HERE and she is giving away the cut file too!






Monday, November 16, 2009

Moody Monday

 I am in a Monday mood.  You would think that getting to be home and just get to take care of a small apartment, craft all day, take walks and LIVE in Italy, I would have absolutely nothing to be "moody" about, but I am.  I've tried all day to figure out what it is, but I think it is just that I have a lot of people on my mind who are going through hard things.

I got an Italian Bible yesterday and I have been looking up and reading scriptures that I know. It's a very cool way to learn more of the language.

I got these two cards done today. The first card, the ruler, measure of a man.  I dreamed about doing.  It did not turn out like I envisioned it so, I won't be entering it in any contests.  The second one I did with my new Walk in the Garden cartridge.  It's an old cartridge as far as cricut is concerned but I waited until I could afford to get something I wanted and not just something I needed.  I am a huge FLOWER fan, so this cartridge is right up my alley of cuteness.



  Inside says, "Hope you're back in the "pink" again soon."


Hope your Monday was not as moody as mine. Have a great week!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Giggle A Little

It's Friday, the 13th!  I have always had great days on these "scary" appearances.  I think we need to fear Monday, the 13th more! Ugh.  Last night I entered this card in a contest at this blog: CricutCardzChallenge
I wrote this poem to go with the card (my son Austin, helped me with the last line).

I made this card to send to some sick kids.  I made two of them and they took all day because of the many many layers for each animal.  Then I wrote this poem to go with it:

The giraffe said, "I am tall, that makes me the best."
The lion said, "I am king, I'm better than the rest."
The kangaroo bounced around, "I am better than you."
The chicken clucked, 'I lay eggs, what else can you do?"
The elephant began spouting, "I am very strong."
The camel said, "I'm the best, I believe you are wrong."
The goat began to giggle, "Now, I must confess,
we are each our best, in our uniqueness."
by Penny Light










I am looking forward to the weekend with Tom.  We are really enjoying being around each other.  Every marriage goes through those ups and downs where you aren't in sync and then you are.  We have been in sync a lot since we got back from the U.S.  Our bikes being stolen this week made us really talk to each other about our experiences here in Italy.  We couldn't believe we were feeling exactly the same way and hadn't talked about it. I have the best husband in the world!  That started me on the animals each thinking they were the best and how we are all "the best" for someone.

Onward and Upward,

Monday, November 9, 2009

Manic Monday

Someone stole my bicycle AGAIN.  I'm so upset that I'm crying this morning. It's hard enough to be a foreigner in this country and to have my only transportation stolen twice is making me crazy.  So, I had to create something that would make me smile.  I did these two cards.

First I chopped up the pregnant woman from New Arrival cartridge and made her not pregnant, then I cut her legs off so I could make it look like she was whimsically riding in the cart. The cart is from My World, the lettering from Storybook and Lyrical Letters.








Made this twilight card for my daughter-in- law.  The author said the broken ribbon (from the cover of Eclipse) is meant to mean the choices that Bella has to make and that we all have to make.



This OCD remark is just funny.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Super Saturday

Tom came home last night!  I'm so happy!  I made a Twilight card for my daughter-in-law, but I don't want to post it until I mail it to her. Then I made this Lemon card and with the left overs from the tree the other day, I made a little tree and trike card.

**UPDATE** My lemons card was mentioned in the Provocraft Cricut Newsletter.  I'm so excited!  I am coming along in my card making skills and that was such a boost to my ego.  Especially since I have had such a bad week.  Here is the link to that newsletter. Cricut Chirp Newsletter

Praise God in all things.  He knows how to lift you up!





Thursday, November 5, 2009

First Thursday in November

I finished 3 cards today.  Two of them aren't worth posting, but this one is one I worked really hard on and has a lot of layers.  It is memorable of how it looks outside today on the first Thursday of November.






Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Christmas Crazy

While I was in Sweden, I worked on my Christmas cards.  Here are some of the varieties that I made.  I got about 15 cards done while I was there.  No distractions, just working on cards and walking around Sweden. What a joyous week it was.  I really had such a great time that I didn't want to come home.  It was so beautiful there!










I'm particularly proud of this snowflake wreath.  I did this one at home today (Not in Sweden)  Again something I don't normally do; work with Vellum. On this one I cut the vellum in a scallop shape, cut the same scallop shape in the card front and made the snowflakes in different sizes around the opening.  The snowflake on the inside can be seen through the vellum.  I fixed the jewel of the snowflake inside (in the middle) after I took the picture and realized it was crooked.  I might do another one of these, it was easier than it looks.
.  


 







These are some of the pictures I took while walking around in Malmo, Sweden.  It was so beautiful.












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