BUSY BUSY BUSY

It feels like I haven't posted in years but I have a good reason. At Christmas I am always consumed with activities that I hold dear. I bake cookies for all our neighbors and friends and last year we added the units that my husband oversees in his job at BAMC. This year we baked over 2400 cookies ALL FROM SCRATCH. We also volunteer for the childrens Christmas party at the hospital and we have the annual holiday ball to attend. As if that weren't enough I was bound and determined that all the cards we sent out (80 plus) would be made by me. TA DA mission accomplished. The cookies were baked, parties attended, cards handmade and sent, and all presents wrappped by December 23rd. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I work my fingers to the bone but I LOVE IT all. Not bad for a months work. We also celebrate Three Kings Day in January so onward to the New Year we go. This year has been one filled with blessings and trials but we are so fortunate to have those blessings far outweigh the trials. I am looking forward to creating new and beautiful things in the coming year and seeing everyone out there do the same. Wishing you all peace, love, joy and creativity in the coming year.

Cheers Girls!!

This is a little card that I made up to send out to my friends who love cocktail time. It was made in their honor. Cheers to all of you and the best of all things wonderful during the holiday season. I love this time of year and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we are going to this season.

Snowflake Case

This one I totally cased from Papertrey. I saw it and fell in love with it. Isn't it gorgeous!!

Snowflake Serenade

This card was made with the Snowflake Serenade set from Papertrey Ink. Do you love this or what!!! The background is embossed with the snowflake cuttlebug folder. There are also some stickles on the snowflake and Peace.

Merry Texas Christmas

This is one of our Christmas cards that we'll be sending out this year. The inside says

Merry Christmas Ya'll!!!

These are more sets I made for customers... Hopefully they'll love them and keep the orders coming.. I love making these and get such a feeling of accomplishment when I see all those sets completed. FUN FUN FUN...

Close Up Shots

These photos are close up shots of the earlier overall shot. Keep watch for more close ups. These notebooks are the 5x8 size covered with printed paper from the paper store. The post it note holders are covered in either solid or printed paper and decorated with scalloped punches and some stamping. The bugget boxes hold 4 nuggets, they are wrapped with ribbon or raffia and a stamped tag is tied on to them.

Dia de los Reyes

These were made as a special request for my Aunt who lives in Puerto Rico. We celebrate both Christmas and Three Kings Day ( January 6th) in our family.

CRAZY BUSY!!

This is what has kept me so busy for the last week that I haven't had time to post. They are a decorated notepad, pen, post it note holder and a decorated chocolate nugget box. All are gift wrapped in cellophane and ready for those quick holiday gifts... I am working on a few more still but wanted to post these before I sent them off in the mail. Keep watching for the close up shots. I know this one is really hard to see.

Nugget Tin

Here's another nugget tin. Makes a FAB teachers or secret santa gift.

Packaged Set

This is one of the sets all packaged and ready to go..

Triangle Coaster Box

Here's a fresh take on those fav coasters... I cut the coasters in half and used three halves to make the sides and once they were tied together I traced to bottom onto another coaster and cut to size, hot glue sealed it into place. Then I filled it will halloween goodies for my niece. I plan on wrapping it in cellophane and sending it to her this week.

Gift Sets

This is one of many sets I made for my mom and my aunt to give as gifts for the holidays.... Keep watch for more pictures. Each set contains a covered notepad, pen, post it holder and a nugget box. They are all gift wrapped and ready to go in a cellophane package. LMK what ya'll think.

Nuggets On Sale

Hey all just wanted to pass on a little tip. Walgreens has Hershey Nugget packages on sale 2 for $2 with a coupon they provide in the store. Happy Hunting!!

Yummy Treats

These yummy looking treats are what awaits the little ghouls and goblins that haunt our doorstep in Halloween. I used the spolly sweets set from Papertrey and printed paper I found @ Mike's. The solid orange paper has spider webs stamped on it in Graphite black. The stamp is one I have had for years.

This is another winter set. There are several epoxy stickers. The PP is from last years Christmas pack from DCWV The cardstock is pale blue and red from CM. The snowman stamp is SU! The quote stamp is from Mike's$1 spot as is the happy holidays and checkered ribbon. Enjoy and Happy Stamping.

Victorian Christmas

I love this set. It just feels like old fashioned christmas to me. I Love the paper, the Holly Paper is from the paper store, the other printed papers are Anna Griffith, The cardstock is cream and cranberryCM cardstock. The images in the punched shapes are 3-d stickers. Thanks for checking them out.

Searching

Our oldest son was teasing our youngest(pictured here). He placed his baby on the top shelf of my desk. As you can see Georgie got as far as he could then just stood there waiting for his baby to fall. I just love this picture. Georgie is CRAZY for that baby, I call it his doggie crack. He would wait for hours to get it. He will literally lay near where you put it for hours.

Halloween bookmarks

I made these bookmarks for my niece and her friends. I thought it was a cute little something for her to share with them.

Candy Cone

I made this and the Halloween nugget

tin posted earlier for the oldest daughter

of a friend @ our church. I wanted

something a little different for her

than for her younger sister.

Bag Tag

I made this for my niece. Just a tag to make her backpack

stand out in the crowd when she is searching for it. I got my

inspiration from my good friend Dawn. You can link to her

blog from my list on the side.

Halloween Coaster Box

I made this for the daughter of a friend @ our church. I think

she is just going to flip for it.

Winter Wonder

Although I am not a lover of the cold, I do love snowmen. Unfortunately for me (a hawaii baby) they haven't figured out how to have snow in 70 degree weather. This set is inspired by my love of how snow looks!! HA HA HA!

Rejoice

I am trying out my new stamps for the holidays. I love Christmas and a large part of our celebrations center around our religion. So we try and also have cards that reflect this.

Christmas Elegance

More photos from my Christmas elegance collection! *wink wink*. I just love how these are turning out. You should know by now I will put sparkles on anything that will stand still. Good thing my sons can sit still for a second huh? Enjoy.. LMK what you think.

Tasty Gift

Here are two holiday tins that I put together. They are so quick and easy to do. It takes only a few minutes to do and they make the perfect little gift for a sunday school teacher, teacher or secretary. I filled mine with Hershey Truffles or some equally delicious goody. It makes a delicious treat for someone special.

Elegant Holiday

With these I was going for a more elegant touch to the regular christmas cards. I added the red to punch it up and add drama.

• Stamps: Clear Acylics purchase at HL, Stampendous set, Various Holiday images purchased @Mike's
• Ink: Platinum, Silver, Red (Versamark Chalks and Brillance)
• Printed Paper: Purchased @ LSS

Halloween Nuggets

This is my first attempt at altering one of these tins. I am now addicted to them. They are so much fun to do!!!

• Stamps: SpookySweets (papertrey)
• Ink: SU! Pumpkin Pie, Black
• Paper: Martha Stewart, CM
• Embell: Spider, K & Co.
• Adhesive: Pop Dots, Sticky Tape

Cosmo Paper

I just love this making memories paper. It's from the cosmopolitan collection. The chipboard accents I found in the wal-mart craft dept. I also used my scalloped punches, silk flowers, cuttlebug embossing folders and SU! Stamps. The little phrases in the bottoms of the cards were typed into my computer using a CK fonts and printed on very vanilla cardstock then punched out with my slot and scalloped punches. Hope you like it!!

Baby Thank You Notes

This is a set that was made per a customers request for baby boy thank you notes. She was very pleased with them.

Alternate Set

This is a set that I made as an alternative for my customer. I always try to make at least one extra set when they order two or more so that they have a choice. This one wasn't one of the chosen. AAWW!!! Hopefully they'll find a home someday.

These cards were made for a friend. Each card contains a Bible verse of encouragement or inspiration. She wanted them for a sick friend. All the Bible verses were typed on my computer and printed on cardstock. Then punched out. There's some primas and Mike's ribbon. The printed paper is from my LSS. Stamps were SU and ink was Close to Cocoa.

Teacher Thank You Set

This set was made for a customer who wanted a little variety. I used various printed papers from my LSS. Stamps used were from Papertrey, Mike's $1 Spot and of course the Bellas. Special tools were my Scalloped punches and my SU slot punch. The little sayings were one's I typed up on my computer and and printed on Papertrey cardstock.

How cute is he!!!

This is Georgie. He is our youngest son. He is so small and has springs for feet so he can get anywhere. He is just a doll and I love him! I found him on my bed like this When I got out of the shower the other morning. Thought I would share his cuteness with you. Have a blessed day.

Custom Notecards

These are personalized notecards created for several of my customers. They really love these. I love to give these as gifts also. I think a set makes a really nice gift for anyone from a teenage girl to a grandma. The printed papers are SU and Making Memories Cosmopolitan collection. The CS is CM, papertrey, and LSS. I used the large scalloped rectangle punch and my cricut to make the monogram. Stamps are SU and papertrey.

Christmas in August

I can't believe that there are 4 short months til Christmas. I am trying to get a jump on things and be ahead of the game. So I have started making sets of Christmas Cards. Let me know what you think. The CS is CM, SU and LSS. Printed Paper LSS. Stamps SU, Stamping Bella, Michaels, LSS. The large santa is a sizzix diecut. The tiny tags I made on my computer and printed on papertrey CS and cut out with scalloped and slot punches. There are also touches of glitter and primas sprinkled in these sets. The Santa got his dimension from puffy paint. I love the splashes of glitter on his beard. It helps it to stand out more.

How time flies..

I can't believe it!!! My oldest is 16 years old. ( had him when I was 12 HA HA) My goodness I feel like life flies by and I can just hang on and barely keep up. I most feel like this when I look at my sons. I can't tell you how many times I thought man I can wait until the terrible twos are over and then the trying three's, flabbergasting fours ect.. you get my drift. Now I find myself wondering when the moody teen years will pass. But it hit me the other day... in just two short years this child of mine will be; according to our laws; a man and old enough to lay down his life for our country and I find myself wishing for those terrible two and trying three's just to be able to hold on to him and keep him safe. My husband has a few years until retirement and I can't imagine the fear that will grip me if one of my sons joins the military. You spend so many years (their whole life) protecting them and keeping them out of harms way then you have to let them go out into the world to make their way. Don't get me wrong the Army has been good to us. It's given us a great life. I am so proud of my husband and all Soldier's and I know that they are all someone's baby. But the thought of MY babies making that same sacrifice strikes fear in my core. My husband always said he fought in the hope that our sons would never have to, unfortunately like many generations before ours this is not going to be the reality. So hang on ladies.. We are raising the next generation of leaders. Hopefully they will do better than we did and bring peace to our troubled world.

Wedding thank yous

These are one of three sets that I made for my mom whose friend has a daughter getting married. Her colors are lavender and chocolate. My mom wanted some thank you notes to give as part of her gift. I made them in sets of six with envelopes in one of the papertrey clear boxes. Hopefully she loves them. The printed paper is from my LSS and the CS is CM, SU and LSS. Tools were scalloped punches Stamps were SU and papertrey.

Thank You

I made this as a thank you to a friend who has been helping me put myself out there. She was the one who convinced me that my cards we a product people would be interested. She is a lifelong friend and has always been there for me. I feel so very lucky that she and I are friends.. The paper is LSS the image is stamping bella. The saying is papertrey. Hand colored with ZIG markers.

I'm back

Hey ya'll,

I'm back!! Between card orders and celebrating my 37th birthday things have been crazy. My birthday was a blast and I am dying to get the bellas I got for my birthday inked up. Hopefully this week will find me a few spare moments to do some stamping for me. I am so thankful to be where I am in my life and for the family that I have supporting me. I am so not worrying about the number but am too busy counting how many blessings have been bestowed upon me. HOW LUCKY I AM!!!! Wishing you all a very blessed day..

Much Aloha,

Michelle

My Favorite

I think that this has to be one of my favorites. I just love these bright summery colors and the paisley is an even bigger bonus. If you haven't guessed it already I am a total girly girl.

Another set

I made this set for another customer. I have so much fun playing with color and images while making these.