Enter to WIN!!

I happened across this GREAT giveaway on LeeLou Blogs today...

She's giving away a BUNCH of stuff -- Including an I-Pod Touch!!  WOW!!  Head on over and enter your own self in the drawing -- If I don't win, I sure hope YOU do!!  :)  **CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND ENTER BY NOVEMBER 30th!!**

Blogger Award!! For ME??? :)

I would like to thank Gloria, Lisa, Paula, Kara and Lisa for awarding me this oh-so-sweet Stylish Blogger Award...  (obviously, this is not for 'clothing stylish' or I would definitely not be able to accept!!  LOL!)...  There are some 'rules' that go along with receiving this award:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this (Please visit  Gloria, Lisa, Paula, Kara and Lisa to check out their amazing projects!!)...
2. Share 8 things about yourself (hmmm...  With the 'gift of gab' do ya think I can do that???)
3. Pay it forward to 8 bloggers that you have recently discovered (This was a TOUGH decision!!  There are soooo many I'd LOVE to give it to!!)
4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards (I'd love for YOU to visit them and congratulate them on their award too...)

Please be sure to visit these ladies (whom I have recently discovered and have found to be very inspirational!!) and their amazingly creative blogs:
1.  Heather 
2.  Maria Elena
3.  Sandee
4.  Christy
5.  Jane
6.  Amanda
7.  Ashley
8.  Claire

Here are the 8 things I'd like to share:
1.  In my ideal world, my kiddos would never grow up and have to leave home.  In reality, I hope they know they can always come home...

2.  I wear my Rainbow flip-flops 365 days a year...  I'm not too proud to wear socks with them either (thus the reason I would not win the 'clothing stylish' award!)...

3.  When I pack The-Girl-Child's lunch, I seriously count the number of grapes, cran-raisins, almonds, animal cookies, etc. to make sure she has an even number...  always...  for real...  no matter what...  I will even cut things in equal, even pieces if necessary (and I used to make fun of my friend for cutting the crusts off pop-tarts for her daughter!!)...

4.  We just returned from a *whirlwind* trip to NEW YORK CITY (can I move there? I'd seriously live in an RV on Staten Island and take the ferry over every day!!  I mean, I could, like, park there for $7 a day and that would be AWESOME!)...  I can't WAIT to post some of the AMAZING pictures we took as well as some of the FANTASTIC stories I'd love to share!!  I hope you'll check back to see them!!

5.  When I am in the car alone, I will turn the radio up and sing at the top of my lungs -- And I will convince myself that I sound good!!  :)  (I've also been known to have conversations with myself in the car, but who doesn't do that???)

6.  The worst diet I've ever tried is the Twizzlers and Pepsi diet...  :)  Mostly I was just hopped up on caffeine and sugar...  (Those who know me personally can tell you that I do N-O-T need mood-enhancing products to make me any more hyper than I already am).

7.  I am a little OCD (hush now Christi, Chris, Beth, and Kathy!  Just let me believe that I'm only a *little* OCD!)...  For example, my scrapbook pages are very 'linear'...  I avoid putting too many shapes on one page.  I enjoy clean lines  (this does not transfer to housework though...  Housework can wait.  Scrapbooking cannot.).

8.  And the number one reason I could not win the 'clothing stylish' award (but am ecstatic that I can win a Stylish Blogger Award!!)...  My favorite outfit actually IS a matching velour jogging-suit...  Now please...  Admit that you have one too!!  :)

This was incredibly fun...  Thanks so much for stopping by!!  Please be sure to leave a comment and let me know you were here!!  Happy Thanksgiving!!

Christmas Card Class!!

Aah, Christmas!!  The best thing about the snowy season!!  It's time to gather up your glue sticks, adhesive pens, and tape runners and come on out to make some Christmas Cards with me!!  Check out what's in store...

Card #1 An Ornament With Swing :)
This delightful card features an ornament that hangs from the fir branch freely (try saying THAT three times!)... 

Card #2 A Happy Holiday Gingerbread Man (on a card inspired by Emilie)
This little guy looks yummy enough to eat -- but, alas, he is not so flavorful...  He is full of Christmas cheer though!!

Card #3 A Reindeer Caroling
Inspired by our friends at Stampin Up!, this reindeer can't wait to sing his way into your heart!!

Card #4 Purple Snowflakes
Glitter makes everything better!!  We're going old-school with this beautiful snowflake cut the way we used to do die-cuts...  On the Sizzix!!  :)  A little Sizzix embossing adds just the right touch to this card to celebrate snow...

Card #5 Do The Snowman Shake!!
Three fun snowmen all dressed for fun!!  These adorable guys will melt your heart while they wish you a Merry Christmas!!

Card #6 Anybody Seen The Cat???
Our sneaky little furry friend has a front row seat to seeing Santa...  Hanging out with the Christmas stockings is a surefire way to sneak a few treats!!  This little guy is wishing you a purrrrrrr-fect Christmas!!  :)

Card #7 Behold...  I bring you tidings of GREAT joy!!
A fun surprise awaits the recipient of this card...  Pull the ribbon and the angel reveals the great news!!

Card#8 The Reason For The Season...
Need I say more?  :)

I'd love for you to join me at one of the upcoming card classes...  Cost is just $12 when you pre-register and includes all the supplies to complete the above 8 cards (please bring your own adhesive -- glue stick, tape runner, liquid glue pen.  Scissors, pop dots, and a paper trimmer are optional to bring -- I will have a few on hand to share).  To RSVP, please email me: scrapbookingwithamy (at) gmail (dot) com.

For more information, or to let me know you were here, please leave a comment!!  Hope to see you on either Tuesday, November 16th (at the Fellowship Community Church in the Education Building from 6-8:30pm) or Wednesday, November 17th (at Pizza Joe's in the Party Room from 6-8:30pm).  Remember, kits are limited, so please RSVP to guarantee your spot.

Snowflake Card (Christmas Card Class) - Made By Momo Tuesday Challenge

So maybe I don't agree with the sentiment...  I don't really want it to snow!!  I'm kinda enjoying the sunny days right now!!  But...  I'm sure the snow is coming (we actually got a little on Saturday), and I'll have to embrace that snow with a shovel (although I'll probably embrace it like most 4-year-olds embrace having to eat asparagus...).

This is my entry for the Tuesday Challenge over at Made by Momo...  The challenge was to create a card with some kind of embossing (notice my embossed blue strip?  I used the Sizzix snowflake embossing folder for that).  My original intention was also to emboss the snowflake with embossing glitter...  But I could not find my embossing glitter (gasp!), so I settled for about half a bottle of silver stickles...

My sentiment is handwritten on a handmade tag (inked on the edges with SU! Perfect Plum) and tied to the card with some sheer white ribbon I found in a clearance bin (my weakness)...  Those little silver and white doo-dads on the ribbon are some white eyelets that I decided made perfect little accents for that ribbon!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask...  This card (or one similar to it) will be making an appearance at my Christmas Card Class (it's next week!!)...  In the class, participants will create 8 beautiful cards perfect for sending/giving to friends and loved ones for the holiday season.

I love reading your comments, so please let me know you were here...  Make it even more fun by letting me know what YOUR favorite season is (mine is SUMMER!!)...  Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day!!

Party Owl Night -- Jitterbuggin Challenge

My little owl is ready to dance the night away over the Jitterbuggin' Challenge -- Wise Guys!!  This adorable owl can be found on the Hoot 'N' Holler Cricut Cartridge (Owl #10) and is cut at 3.5"...  The sentiment is also from Hoot 'N' Holler and is cut at 3" (please forgive my glitter mishap -- I sorta forgot the Stickles were still wet when I started sticking everything together!!).  Since the challenge also required the use of a square and a circle, I mounted the sentiment on a 3.5" black square then on a 3.75" pink square.  The circles are from my Creative Memories Mini Circle Punch (3/4" and 1")...  Love the circles (and L-O-O-K...  I used circles on the same project as a square  -- see, Beth, I C-A-N do it!!  For the rest of you, I am a bit OCD about my circles and squares, but I digress)!!

Anyway...  I attached my owl to a spring so that he could jiggle and jive (this aspect is completely lost in a still picture, but I've been giggling like crazy with the little guy dancing on my desk over here)...  Oh my goodness, I'm just lovin' the owls!!  :)

Thanks for stopping by...  I love to read your comments, so please let me know you were here...  If you have any questions about my card (or any other projects), please let me know!!  If you'd like to see my other card creations and scrapbook layouts, please browse HERE...  Have a GREAT day!!

You Make Me Smile, Crocodile! -- M.A.G. Challenge

A new challenge blog!!  Yay!!  Please visit the M.A.G. Challenge Blog to see all the creations for this really neat challenge idea!!  Each week, the designers select just ONE page from ONE cartridge (and ya can't use any other pages/cartridges!!)...  Truly a challenge for me!!  I kept wanting to cut something from somewhere else.  I look forward to the next challenge!!

This week's challenge was to create a card/project using ONLY page 45 from the Create A Critter Cricut Cartridge...  I had originally planned to use all of the images, but I suddenly realized I couldn't also fit the little birdie on my card, so I'm saving that for another use. :)

My crocodile (he could also be an alligator, but he needs to be a crocodile on my card so that I can call the card 'You Make Me Smile, Crocodile'....  I tried it with alligator, but it just didn't rhyme)...  Now where was I?  OH, yeah!!  My crocodile was cut at 2", and I did cut all the layers (I offset the main layer - in black- so that he would have just a touch of a shadow).  I'm going to stick this in The-Girl-Child's lunchbox tomorrow, so it needed to have a splash of PINK!!  The 'Smile' was also cut at 2" and is accented with a few emerald green gems (bling!!).

I'd love to have you leave a comment after visiting -- If you have any questions, please feel free to ask...  New followers are always welcome -- I really enjoy sharing my newest creations with you...  Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day!!

Have A Merry Christmas Card - Throwback Thursday Challenge (My Creative Time)

 Yay! for Christmas Cards!!  :)  Here is my entry for the My Creative Time Throwback Thursday Challenge!  Christmas Theme...  The Challenge was to use the Celebrations Cricut Cartridge (GASP!! I do NOT have that one -- But I resisted the urge to purchase it...  for now) or an 'old' cartridge we do own instead...  So I used the Doodlecharms Cricut Cartridge. :)  These adorable snowmen can be found on the 'Border' feature (SO cute!). 

After dry embossing them with the D'Vine Cuttlebug folder and ink-chalking the edges, these snowy dudes were ready for their scarves (a ribbon find from Michael's after Christmas last year), some gunmetal Stickles for their buttons and eyes, and a handwritten sentiment on an EK Success triple tag punch...

This card (or a similar one) may be making an appearance in one of my upcoming Christmas Card Classes...  The next one is scheduled for Wednesday, November 17.  Participants get to create eight handmade cards in about two hours with just some scissors and adhesive!!  Be sure to check back to see all of my Christmas Cards over the next few weeks!!

I love to read your comments, so please leave one letting me know you were here!!  If you have any questions about this card or any of my other creations, please feel free to let me know.  Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day!!

I'm Thankful Today Because.... Remember When?

Remember When you made things like this in elementary school?  The idea was to trace your hand and cut it from that construction paper that always smelled like wet cardboard...  Then you'd get a collection of sparkly, feathery embellishments to glue on -- even though most of mine would end up glued to ME!!  Sometimes the art teacher would have some bravado idea of of letting us dip our hands in paint before smearing our fingers all over that construction paper -- or in my case, my face and clothes!!  Regardless, those mangled turkey pictures always ended up in a proud display on the refrigerator until the paint chips would flake to the floor and my dad would find glitter in his mashed potatoes...  At which point I am sure my mom would tuck them away as a treasure forever...

Anyway...  I hopped across a new challenge blog this week by the name of Just Inspirational Challenges...  I haven't had much of a chance to check out many of their past challenges, but this week's was to create any shaped card...  And since I was *just inspired* to create one of these throwback turkey cards, I thought I'd enter it over there. :)  Initially, this is the idea I had for creating a card for the Cricut Cardz Challenge #48 as well (their challenge was to create a Thanksgiving Card using the 'Card Feature' from any cartridge -- I used the Card Feature on A Child's Year Cricut Cartridge to make the hand card -- The feathers are from Creative Memories Cheerful Seasons Cricut Cartridge -- The beak, snood, and eye were all hand-cut -- I should mention that my plan was to glitterize him, but The-Girl-Child had borrowed my bag of stickles for a school project and 'forgot' to return them...  Therefore, I was unable to make this boy turkey look completely girly :)...  Brown chalking inks finished off the edges of the fingers and feathers, and the lettering was done with a black fine tip marker).  Despite the simplicity of the card, it also inspired quite a lot of thinking on my behalf...  My rant begins below, so if you're interested in exploring a small sampling of my silliness, I invite you to continue...

For several weeks now, I've been thinking about November...  It's such an important month...  It's the kick-off for the holiday season,  it's the month when people really travel to reconnect with family and loved ones, and it hosts a day just for celebrating why we're thankful!!

In addition to all of these great things about November, there are a few not-so-great things that I sometimes think about...  It's the first month of the season that I'm really cold (and I don't particularly like being cold!), the sun makes fewer appearances (and this makes me sad!), and other equally distressing things that I honestly don't want to give much thought to!!

Because of this, I decided I really wanted to dedicate each day in November to remembering why I'm thankful...  I thought perhaps I could do a scrapbook page or something each day -- anything to remind me why I'm so incredibly blessed!!  I invite you to take this challenge with me!!  As I complete my pages, I'll upload some of them here, so please come back and follow along.  I may keep a few of them private, but my goal is to be Thankful Everyday in November!!  :)

So here's day one (on November 2nd -- hee hee -- I'll explore my reason for why I'm thankful I didn't get to post day one until day two shortly)...

I'm ridiculously thankful that I have such wonderful parents.  My parents are the reason I am so close to my own children.  They are the reason that I've embraced being a mother and held on to the fleeting moments spent with now-teenage kiddos.  I never remember hearing either of my parents say "Oh, I can't wait til our kids are grown and out of the house," but I do remember feeling like I was always welcome back, like their home would always be my home (even with that Freddy-Cat of theirs!).  And that is always how I want my kids to feel...  Like my home will always be their home too.  I don't look forward to both of them being off to college next year...  But, I'll always look forward to seeing what their futures have in store for them.

I would absolutely LOVE for you to leave a comment telling me what you're most thankful for today!!  :)  Also, please be sure to hop on over to the Just Inspirational Challenge #18 and Cricut Cardz Challenge #48 to see what everyone else created too!!  Thanks so much for stopping by!!  Please come again soon!!

A Pair of Pears or Five... Photo Inspiration Challenge - Papercraft Star

This is my first entry for a challenge over at Papercraft Star (Challenge #19)...  This week's challenge was based on a Photo Inspiration.  Please take a moment to hop on over and check out the photo and other entries (PLUS: They have open voting until Monday Night at MIDNIGHT!!  I'd L-O-V-E to have your vote!! Thanks!!).  Maybe you'll even find that you would like to enter one of their challenges too (they list all of the challenges in advance so you always know what's next - So cool!!).

The inspiration that I took from the photo was mostly about the pears, but I was also inspired by the cool colors...  I really liked the idea of putting this butter color with the honeydew and artichoke colors...

I started with a 12x12 piece of purple paper from the Creative Memories Reminisce Tone-on-Tone Paper Pack...  I just love how the paper is already distressed-looking for me -- It works perfectly for so many layouts!  The two photo boxes are made with 4"x6" pieces in artichoke and mounted on butter that has been distressed with brown chalking ink (I love the chalking inks!  I used it on every die cut and photo box and the journaling box too!).  The ribbon is attached only on the back so that I can slide the perfect pictures right under...  The pear die cuts can all be found on the Preserves Cricut Cartridge, though I should mention that I mixed-and-matched the pieces of the three different pears on the cartridge to get the look I wanted.  My journal box began with a piece of honeydew cardstock measuring 2.5"x3" and is mounted on cement and artichoke cardstock.

I hope you enjoy my 12x12 Pear Layout...  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments.  I'd love for you to become a follower as I am really enjoying the opportunity to share what I've been working on.  As always, your comments are appreciated -- Even if it's just to let me know you've stopped by!! :)

Thanks for visiting, and have a GREAT day!!

Freddy is a Fraidy Cat!

 

Well...  There is no love lost between my mom's cat, Freddy, and I...  You see, I am a cat-lover!  The fact that Freddy is not the kindest of cats, and definitely does not return my affection, leaves me feeling a little perplexed!!  I mean, anyone with a cat will tell you that I will spend more time talking to their cat than the average visitor!!

Anyway, Freddy is like the 'extra' child in my mom's life...  Since I am the 'baby' of the family, I perhaps have certain feelings about him...  Cuz she seriously spoils the heck out of this cat!!  There's a pretty funny story about Freddy in his humble beginnings...  He was a stray who found his way onto the back porch of my mom's home...  And then into her heart...  But when she first brought him in, she named him...  SUSIE!!  We all thought HE was a SHE...  No wonder he had a little resentment!  But on his first trip to the vet, we certainly learned otherwise, and Susie came home as Freddy.

So I have created this layout especially for my wonderful mom...  And especially for the beloved Fraidy-Cat (that I often call him).  My plan was to add some pictures to it before I uploaded it here, but, alas, I did not get the photos printed yet...  So she will see it here first -- And maybe she'll decide to dress him up for Halloween and take pictures and add them herself...  After all, this is meant to be a Halloween layout that I created for the Papercutz Challenge #64 as well as the Paper Playtime Halloween Challenge.  Additionally, Made By Momo is having a sort of 'open call' for Halloween projects...  So, if you've got one, you may want to add yours to her blog as well!!  If you have a moment, please hop on over to these blogs to check out all of the great projects or enter your own projects!!

 (Clicking on any of the pictures will make them LARGER!!)

To create this layout, I started with 2 12x12 pages from Creative Memories Black & White Tone-On-Tone Paper.  I cuttlebugged 4 strips of 1x12 CM 'Apple' Cardstock with the 'Texture' folder (this takes patience as you have to run it through 3 times to texture the entire strip) to create the border strips across the top and bottom.  I used 2 4x6 'Apple' Cardstock pieces for the base of the cat die cuts (from the Paper Doll Dress Up Cricut Cartridge) and added a paper 'ribbon' strip to the edge of each (cuttlebugged with the Polka Dots folder).  My letters are cut at 2" using the font found on the Robotz Cricut Cartridge (base font and shadow font - CM Orange & Gold Cardstock), and, yes, I used my Gypsy to weld the shadow (this makes it easier to lay it out once it's cut).  I did not weld the base font as I wanted to ink the edges of the letters and distress the tops a bit.  Due to my Cuttlebug Addiction, I did run all of the base font letters through with the Polka Dots folder too...  I really do get such a kick out of those embossing folders...  If you have any questions, please be sure to leave me a message, and I'll be happy to get back to you. :)

 (Clicking on any of the pictures will make them LARGER!!)

I hope you enjoy my two-page Halloween layout...  I'd love to read your comments, so please take a moment to let me know you were here...  And, of course, I love having new followers too!!  :)

If you'd like to see what else I've been creating, please click HERE...  Thanks again for stopping by!!