notebooks for hawaii

Good Saturday morning everyone! Isn't it wonderful to read it is a weekend? Ahhh....

When we decided that we were going to take a trip this fall I knew it would be necessary to have a notebook to be able to journal each day as I have a horrible memory. While we've had to change the vacation destination a couple of times I still think I will need a notebook to keep track of everything we are sure to do.

I actually made two notebooks. A 4"x4" notebook for my purse or whatever bag we are traveling with (below) and a 6"x6" notebook to journal in at the end of the day (to the right). I'm even thinking with the 6"x6" journal that I will use one page per day and go ahead and add a picture from each place when we get home.

To make these notebooks I used my Bind it All along with the front/back pieces that came with my "kit" when I first got my BIA. I covered the front/back with cardstock from the retired Summer Days Simply Scrappin' Kit (SU!). I also used the die cut pieces that comes with the kit to decorate the outside of the notebook. I have to say this was really easy to do (I made both in just a couple of hours). I'm really pleased with the out come, too. Most importantly...I know I'll be able to journal my memories while I'm gone in bright and fun Hawaii style!

So, today....today I'm going to do some serious looking at my wardrobe to see what things I should for sure take with me to Hawaii. I just got a great pair of capri's yesterday and a couple of new shirts (on 60% off the lowest marked price clearance) a couple of weeks ago so I really think I'm good but I just want to be sure. I've done pretty good with my weight loss but had a horrible Friday so I need to jump back on that wagon today too...lol! Easy Saturday this week I guess, huh?

Alright...I hope you have enjoyed a little taste of my Hawaii but make sure you come back tomorrow for something completely different!

silly turkey

HAPPY FRIDAY!!! This week has seriously gone by FAST...zoom, zoom! Just a question...did you get everything done that you needed or wanted to? I tried but I think I'm perpetually behind. Ugh!

Anyway, I wan to share with you the first card that I made for the SNSS blog. This silly turkey just makes the cutest cards. I mean really...how could he not make you smile? The background is made with the Autumn Cuttlebug embossing folder and some Debbie Mumm paper that I got for my birthday. I added a couple of strips of ribbon that I got at the $1 spot at Target, colored the turkey to match and there you have it! What family member wouldn't like this card? I can't wait to send it along!

I don't know if any of you follow PaperTrey Ink and their new releases but this month they are starting a series of releases of templates called Timeless Templates which are made by Lauren Meader. Why am I mentioning this? Because I believe these templates will definitely make our gift giving easier. Please go HERE to check it out. Wanna know the best thing? The templates only cost $5 each, you download them on your computer (therefore you can use them as many times as you'd like), print them on your printer, each template includes an idea sheet with several idea for use, AND Lauren has done an amazing job with them! Go see Lauren's blog HERE. You'll see wonderful ideas and feel her passion for her product. PTI and Lauren are even offering the Stocking Stuffer template for FREE just so you can see the wonderful quality of the templates!! Yep, free!!! Now you want to go check it out don't you? And, yes...I downloaded the free template and bought the other two while ordering some more of the wonderful white PTI card stock. Go check it out!

So there you have it...my card and enabling for the day! I hope you will make today just a wonderful day!

bellaholic sketch challenge 1

Good Thursday morning friends! My goodness how this week has gone by quick! Did you see on my side bar that it is now less than two weeks until we head to Hawaii? Woohoo!

My friend, Sarah, is in charge of making the sketches for the new sketch challenge on Bellaholics Anonymous...the Yahoo group. Well, I just could not resist trying the first sketch as it looked sooo cute! Go HERE to see the sketch.

I wanted to make a birthday card for a friend who recently told me that her favorite color is dark blue and that she likes earthy colors. Yeah...I was having a hard time thinking of how to make a fun, cute birthday card out of that combo. I have used Cupcakahbella along with some patterned paper from one of my old 3 Little DReaMs kits for this card. I colored the Bella and the cupcake in blue's hoping it would make them look elegant and not so cutsie. For the corner piece I used a flower from K&Company. I'm not sure that this is the card I want to use for my friend so that is why I've posted it here. Plus I wanted to make sure everyone that frequents my blog sees this fun sketch!

I hope that you all have a fantastic Thursday and I'll see you tomorrow!

directions?

Good morning stampers! You know what today is right? Yep, Belli Challenge day. Are you looking forward to a fun challenge? Yeah? Well, don't look at my project then. Or wait...you could just ook at it and pretend it is teeny tiny instead. Today's Belli Challenge is to use clips...paper clips, mini library clips...something like that. Well, the card I was working on just didn't lend itself to a clip of any sort. Well, I guess I could have used a paper clip that SU! has but I was all out of those so...I used a giant binder clip and decorated it up. I love to make these for little gifties. The recipient can put a favorite picture or card in the top to show it off. I think it would be fun to put a Christmas greeting in this one.

This clip is decorated using SU!'s new Frosty Day designer paper, Cute and Curly stamp set with the punch, and some Kiwi Kiss ribbon. Not at all traditional Christmas colors but I think it is a fun blast to the past!

Now would you like to see what you really should do for the challenge? Okay...go see the blogs below for some wonderful examples of this challenge. Also, if you make something with a clippie type of thing make sure you post a link to it on Chris's blog (if you upload to SCS use CBC38) for a chance to win a little gift from her. Here are the links to those participating in the Belli Challenge this week...

Chris
Shelly
Debby
Courtney
Rochelle
Ceal

Hopefully I didn't forget everyone and hopefully you all can forgive me for not following the challenge exactly! I do hope, however, that you like my binder clip!

Wanna hear something kinda exciting...okay, very exciting? Korin asked me if I could fill in for Christi as the October Guest Designer on the Sweet N Sassy Stamps Blog! I, of course, said yes so...you can see my bio and first card HERE. The sad side of this is that my friend Christi is having a hard time right now as her husband's grandma (whom they are all very close with) is not doing well. Please visit Christi's blog HERE and leave her some love, k?

Well, I hope you have a great Wednesday! Go and be creative!

cbcc09

Alright, tell me...have you been holding your breath for the Created by Courtney Challenge? Okay, okay...exhale...it is here! This week we have a sketch challenge...I love those! You can go to Courtney's blog HERE to see the actual sketch and you can see my card to the right for my interpretation of the sketch. Ack...I forgot to tell you to check out the Challenge Chicks in my sidebar to see other wonderful creations!

Today I used a Whiff of Joy stamp for my main image. Is he not just adorable? Seriously! Say hi to Charlie with his snowman. Charlie is so cute! I used my COPIC markers, SU! designer paper, and snowflake stamp from Mailbox Greetings (PTI). I put a sentiment on the red portions that says 'sending winter wishes'. I probably should have cut the red scalloped portion down a little but I still think this is a cute card. The snow is from Cornish Heritage Farms and is called Faux Snow. I can't wait to play with it some more and have an idea or two with it. Hopefully I'll find the time to make those cards!

I am having terrible problems with my Internet tonight so this will be short but I want to make sure you come back tomorrow for the Belli Challenge. I know you'll want to participate in that one too!

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!

create a calendar...

Good Monday morning everyone! I hope you all had a super weekend and got everything done that you wanted...whether that be crafting, family, or house.

I wanted to show you one of my most favorite products from the SU! Holiday Mini. For $7.95 you can make this super cute, fun calendar for 2009. This calendar is very easy to put together as SU! provides you with all the materials you see here along with a wonderfully easy set of directions and pictures to follow. The calendar pages themselves go inside the sleeve you see to the right. It has the 2009 numbers on the outside for easy identification which will make it much easier to transfer birthday, anniversary, and other important dates from one year to the next. You also get the fun stickers that you see in the bottom picture to make your pages even more cute! I added just a couple of stamped images from the Holiday Happenings Bundle (Level 3 Hostess set) and I felt that it finished the pages nicely!

I'd like to suggest this fun kit to everyone so call your demo (or shoot me an e-mail) to order your own kit or kits as I can see myself giving this to three or four women in my life!

Just so you know the colors in this kit are as follows:

Bashful Blue
Riding Hood Red (my favorite 08/09 In Color)
Old Olive
Pumpkin Pie and
Chocolate Chip

It all just flows together SO nicely!

I have, what I hope to be, the cutest card for tomorrow's Created By Courtney Challenge so come on back to see it!

Have a great Monday!

birthday candy winner...

So? Are you all chomping at the bit to know who won my birthday blog candy? Okay...random.Todd chose the number for me this evening and the winner is GWEN! Her comment (via me since her dial up wouldn't bring up the comment page) is below...

Lorie said...

This comment is for my friend Gwen who can't get it to work. So, her favorite birthday memory is when her kids brought her breakfast in bed and had homemade gifts for her! Now she gets to talk with the grandkids! Thanks Gwen!

October 9, 2008 8:02:00 PM PDT

Congratulations Gwen! I'll e-mail you for your address. Thanks everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes and I'll see you all tomorrow!!

page plans week 26

Ahhh...it is Sunday! Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I love it for its slower pace, for the fact that I get to go to church, and for the fact that my family hangs around more on Sunday.

Sunday also means a new PAGE PLANS sketch! Go HERE to check it out. Wow...I know this sketch looks relatively no brainer but it was killing my brain...lol! Once I put it in my mind that I was making this for my grandpa and his wife (whom LOVE to get my handmade cards) it was a little easier to figure out what I wanted as far as sentiment goes. This is already set and ready to go in the mail on Monday so...I hope you all enjoy it!

General details are....SU!'s Autumn Vine DP, PTI's Mailbox Greetings stamp set, and the Page Plans sketch along with the autumn theme. Nestabilities and some chipboard were used as well.

I just finished some fun notebooks for Hawaii that I hope to show you guys soon. I also edited and have all my birthday card and the boys' sympathy cards all set to show you BUT those will be my posts for while I'm in Hawaii. I'm not sure if I'll get to post at all while gone as it is $10 a day for Internet at the hotel. DH is trying to talk me into taking the laptop but, really, doesn't that defeat the idea behind a vacation? I'm just really looking forward to spending time with Todd so....I don't know. Thoughts? What do you all think?

With that...I'm off for the day! Have a great day and root for the
Green Bay Packers today!