No Mojo!

I am beginning to think I've lost my mojo.  With just a two short weeks until my first Operation Write Home event, I can't seem to force myself into my craft room.  I've been battling a migraine on and off for about 2 weeks now and I think it's just zapped all my energy.

Also, tonight is the first Grief Share session and I'm kind of apprehensive about going...don't like to cry in public and I don't think there is any way to get around that tonight.  I'm going to give it a try though and we'll see how it goes.

There is a long weekend coming up...maybe my mojo will return by Friday?

I MUST CRAFT!!!

I have not felt well all week...and in turn have only spent ONE hour in my scrappy crafty room since last weekend!!!  (I actually went home last night and went to bed...at 6:30...that is NOT normal)  This is unacceptable and I am so ready to get something made! (Well, and get my house cleaned up 'cause I haven't felt like doing any of that either all week).

On the agenda for this weekend...100+ card kits for OWH, playing with my new CTMH items that came in this week and finish organizing my scrap room after last weekends rearranging.  Friends will be over on Sunday to help with the OWH weekend goal, so that will be REALLY helpful!  Hope to have lots of cards to post on Monday!

Ho Hum...

I thought I would spend several hours in the craft room tonight, but I only managed one (1!) hour...I am just too tired to not take myself to bed.  Oh well...pieces for 23 more cards are cut...just need the bases, stamp all the images and make up the sample...it will have to wait until tomorrow night. :(

Hurricane Irene...

Ok, I know this sounds really bad...but I was really hoping we would have a false alarm hurricane day this coming Friday!  I would never wish destruction of property or harm to anyone due to a storm...but a false alarm that would grant us a "just in case" day off would be totally welcome!!!  But it doesn't look like Irene is going to cooperate with me on that one this week.  Bummer.

Since it now looks like it's gaining speed and headed for the Carolina's, possibly a Category 3 by landfall, I will now wish that it fizzles out all together...or keeps moving east.

Scrap Room

On Friday, I had an idea of some minor changes I could make to my scrap room to make it more functional for me...I was just itching to get out of work and go home to see if it would all work out!!  Well, it did and I'm loving it.  I'll have to post some pictures once it's all cleaned up.  There are still some items that I need to find a home for...but honestly, it's really just some surplus stuff I need to use up! (Shocking, I know).  The set up will be more functional for me when I'm scrappin' alone...and roomier for when I have guest over.  I'm still figuring out how to maximize some of my shelving space and then I have several more drawers to make labels for.  Baby steps...

My sister and I cleared enough space to work on OWH cards on Saturday, so there can't be THAT much work left to do, right?  (See pictures in previous blog for the cards we completed).

I am also trying to clean things out for a yard sale sometime after September 17th and working on making space for a new credenza my sister is passing on to me...so the rest of my house looks like I just moved in...LOL  Oh well, the vision is there and I know it will all look fabulous when it's done!  It's amazing the things I've collected just over the past 2 years since the last yard sale!

Samples of the Kits Prepared this Weekend...

I'm way to tired to comment on all of these pictures, but here are the sample cards my sister and I assembled this weekend and a few my friend Lea helped me with last weekend.  The kits contain 6-24 of the same card with the sample included to show party goers how they are supposed to look.  Enjoy! (Maybe I'll be able to add some details in the next day or two).

Some of these cards were inspired by designs I saw in magazines or on other crafter's blogs.  I love how you can take a design you see and it ends up looking totally different with your own papers and supplies you have on hand.

The card I saw that inspired this card was from another CTMH Consultant.  She used more of a red color & used pearls on the tips of the flowers.  For OWH, I'm trying to keep cards mail friendly & this card still was cute without them.  Super cute and these colors were Fall friendly as well!

Ready for the WEEKEND!

If you know me, you know I LOVE the weekend.  This weekend will be filled with many crafty hours working on kits for an upcoming OWH card making party.  The focus this weekend will be on kids cards...mostly birthday or any occassion.  This causes me to step outside my comfort zone.  I can do girly cards all day long, but it's the boy cards that take forever to dream up.  I've been scouring various blogs looking for inspiration...wish me luck!  What do YOU have on your crafting agenda this weekend?

Pinwheels...Yes, there are more!

These are the rest of the pinwheel samples for some OWH kits (for now...I'm sure there will be more along the way).  I really like how they turned out, even though my pictures are not as good as I would like.  The ones with embossed backgrounds have no sentiment on them, so they can be used for any occasion.  Enjoy!

These first two are both made with CTMH Magnifique paper. The colors are more true on the 2nd card than the 1st. "You make me Smile" is a Papertrey Ink stamp. The buttons and floss are from my stash & everything else is CTMH.

The next two are made with the Sweetheart paper from CTMH. The brads in the center are from my stash.

The next two are made with paper from the Emporium line by CTMH.  I used paper flowers and pearls for the center of the pinwheels, everything else is CTMH.

The next two are made with CTMH's Caboodle papers.  They are bright and cheery!  The brad on the first one is from my stash, but everything else is CTMH.

This last group of two is from the Lucky paper line by CTMH.  They are more masculine papers, so I'm hoping they have a "manly" appeal.  Everything is CTMH.

And this last pinwheel was made with some paper in my stash that I think I bought at the dollar spot in Target.  Everything here is from my stash except the stamp I used.

All the borders on these cards were done with Fiskar border punches and all the embossing was done on my Cuttlebug using Cuttlebug embossing folders.  I like the variety of colors in this group & I hope the OWH recipients like them too!

Wow...2 post in 1 day!!

Here are a few of the birthday card kits that are prepped for the Sept. 17th party!



This next card is the same design, but we used pearlescent paper & embossed it with the same folder.  Still kind of shiny and really cute! 

This is the 3rd card with the same Cricut cut...just different pattern.  For some texture, we ran the "bow" through the divine swirls cuttlebug embossing folder.  The stamp is from Papertrey Ink.  Simple, yet still cute! 



This is my favorite of the 3 gift boxes.  This metallic paper was sold at WalMart a few years back...I would love to find some more of it.  It embossed beautifully and really is just as shiny in person! :)



And of course...I have to have a birthday pinwheel!  This is Pansy Purple cardstock from CTMH paired with some pattern paper from DCWV for the pinwheel and a simple gold star brad in the center.



Card Kits, Card Kits, and More Card Kits

With a little over four weeks (YIKES!) before our Operation Write Home card party, I was once again busy in the craft room working on card kits this weekend.  Here are the sample cards for the kits that were completed. (Well, most of them, I still have some photos to take!)

Birthday Card - Used patterned paper from DCWV and all cardstock is CTMH.  The cupcake is from the new Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge by CTMH and it has a coordinating stamp.  The cupcake "wrapper" is embossed with the cuttlebug.  The "celebrate" stamp is also CTMH.  Used Petal, Tulip & Taffy cardstock.

This is a blank Pinwheel card using papers from CTMH's Veranda line.  I used a wooden button in the center of the pinwheel and embossed the Juniper background cardstock with tehe cuttlebug.



This is another pinwheel made with the Veranda papers by CTMH.  I used a different cardstock background and used a stamp that says "There is always something for which to be thankful".  I used a border punch by Fiskars on the background cardstock.



This Winter themed card is a mix of paper from DCWV, CTMH & The Paper Co.  The tag was cut out on the Cricut using "Very Merry Tags".  My friend Lea patiently stitched up the laces on the skates with pink embroidery floss and added a cute pink rhinestone.

Christmas Pinwheel using CTMH Jingle papers and Tulip carstock background embossed with the cuttlebug.  It's hard to see in the photo, but I used a snowflake brad in the center of the pinwheel.  Super cute, super fast, super easy!

That's all for now...I have more cards to share, but I'll have to do a separate post for those.  (And yes, there will be more pinwheels!)  LOL

I am still working away on kits for the upcoming OWH card party!  These cards are super easy and pretty flat.  All the papers are from the "Veranda" line by Close To My Heart (CTMH) and the brown frame stamp is also CTMH.  The sentiment stamps are by Papertrey Ink (I just love the font they use on them!)

In the middle photo, you can see all the pieces that go into this kit.  Enjoy!

Christmas Cards for Operation Write Home





I thought I would share some Christmas cards I've put together for my upcoming OWH card party.  These are the sample cards for the kits I've prepared...there will be a total of 15 of each card after they are assembled.

I love the simplicity and clean lines of the first card.  If you can't see all the colors in the paper, there is pink, burgundy and several different shades of green.  This card is really flat, which is good for mailing.



The next four cards all use the same "sketch".  I saw this sketch on someone's blog (I'm so bad at keeping track of that stuff) and on her version of the sketch, she used the same stamp I have!  So of course, I just had to CASE it!  The original design had some stitching on it, but I kept it clean and simple for the OWH card party.  This card is also really flat.

"Noel" with a Colonial White card base.  All paper, ink and stamps are CTMH.  The patterened paper is from the Mistletoe paper line.  Colors featured are Cranberry & New England Ivy.





"Noel" with a kraft card base.  The stamp and Colonial White paper is CTMH, the kraft card base is Papertrey Ink and the patterned paper and blue cardstock is DCWV.  I used Lagoon for the ink color.

"Noel" with a green card base.  All paper is DCWV except the card base, I'm not sure where I picked that up from.  The stamp is CTMH & I used Vineyard Berry ink.



"Noel" with a grey card base.  All paper is DCWV excep the card base, I'm not sure where I picked that up from.  The stamp is CTMH & I used Watermelon ink.



I have a few more Christmas cards I'm working on and several more designs I'm trying to figure out. I hope to post many more before our Card Party on September 17th!