Birthday boy

Gosh I have missed this little blog of mine.

I have been so busy with LIFE but also preparing for a big show I have in October

I feel tired and creatively depleted...but still going strong...{wink}

So today we celebrated my sons 19th birthday...gosh

I can't believe he is growing up even more so I can't

believe after the year we have had that he made it to 19.

I am grateful that he is safe, sane and beginning his "GROWING UP"

He is the main reason I am who I am.

I grew up quick having him at such a young age...I had to.

Through trial and error and lots of help - we grew up TOGETHER.

anyway, enough mush

at 19 - birthdays aren't as grand as when you are younger...

we had cake, he got lots of money and fun cards and a homemade cake from MOM

I even made him a card

a bit on the childish side

but cute...

here it is.

Happily I have been making some really cool Halloween cards.

So please come back tomorrow for more crafty goodness.

sleep tight

xo

tina

hello friend

enough said...

I have been super busy making lots of goodies for a show I am doing in Claremont this October...the VILLAGE VENTURE,

I am so excited about it and plan to top last years SALES>>>

I have so much going on right now and thinking about it makes me

DIZZY.

I have halloween skulls, pumpkins and glitter and boxes of stuff laying all around my house...

I really should shame myself into cleaning up a bit by sharing a photo of the mess.

I will be back later with SUCH photos...I am feeling quite closterphobic with it all...

So my dear friends please bare with me and come back soon..

xo

tina

Tim & Anna

I was completely and totally inspired by Tim HOLTZ and Anna GRIFFIN with this

here card. I used a Tim style layering effect with 4 different stamps on this white CS then

inked it up with distress inks to fill in the white spaces...added a rusty

paper clip (tim-ish) and used Anna griffon papers as the background and the

Mat behind the main image...and used velvet-y ribbon (anna-ish)

I wasn't sure what kind of

sentiment should go with this card...so I added a small pre-made senitment

that reads "CHANGE IS GOOD"

Which in the realm of MY life - is so fitting and would really work for anyone's life...

right no matter how good life is at the moment...

change is good...especially when you are moving forward!

Happy to say that this card works for several challenges

(hopefully I am not to late to play along with these-this time)

flutterby wednesday - butterflies & buttons

365 cards - 4 stamps on your card

cute card thursday - tweet & flutter

glitterbabes challenge - anything goes

sweet dreams friends..

xo

tina

Jersey Style

A friend of mine asked me to make her daughter an autograph book...

she picked the colors and once done I felt it had some real

JERSEY STYLE...

zebra and hot pink

yeah baby!

Here is a shot of the entire album

came out nice and juicy (thick)

added a couple of photo pages...

this black and pink page is for a photo of Nylea

the white pages are for the autographs...

there are pockets for some more photos or more autographs...

I love it

She liked it too...

yeah!!!

that's really all that matters - wouldn't you agree?

O.k. Well I hope you had a great weekend..

I sure did...

sweet dreams

xo

tina

Don't get Me Wrong

There are days when

 the MOJO just flies right out of my head...

I have lots of excuses actually...

kids, deadlines, orders, KIDS

well one kid in particular really...

This little pretty boy

Don't let that sweet little smile fool you...

yes he is loveable

yes he makes me laugh

yes he gives the best wet kisses

yes he gives me great hugs

BUT

what happens when the love becomes attachment?

when his laughs turn to shouts and cries

when the wet kisses go from 1 to 150 in an hour

when the hugs become touches (like hands on arms, hands on head, hands on leg -his hands my body parts)...

For me the NON touchy feely type of girl...It can drive me nuts.

Let me clarify...I DO hug and KISS my kids lots actually - just not CONSTANTLY...so to

have this little guy attached to my hip well can be too much at times...

The times when he is really engrossed with me I tend to get distracted and make

to much going on with this one

things like this card here.

It was suppose to be a Christmas card...so I stamped a NON-christmas flower and thought why not color it Christmasey red and green and attach that to a very busy card base - Oh and why not attach a ribbon to the top to hide the sentiment...yeah that sounds good...

argh!!!

Dont' get me Wrong - I love my boy

but sometimes he strips me of my MOJO

 luckily its never gone for long

Well enough said...I hope you have an uninteruupted day of crafting pleasures...

xo

tina

Kissable Christmas

Cutest little pair of penguins - wouldn't you say?

These cuties are by PINK CAT STUDIO

which happens to be our sponsor this week over on the CSAYL blog.

So this week we were to use a border perhaps made by a Cricut or other die cut machine

While the border on the envelope is NOT die cut the entire card and

envelope IS cut using my CRICUT...courtesy of my dear Hubby...

I used flower soft on the white fluff of the hats of the Penguins...

adds a little texture. Cute dontch'a think?

O.k. so you really should play this week...the prize is 5 digi images from

PINK CAT STUDIO

pretty great prize if you ask me...

Ok well I hope you have a VERY producitve weekend....

xo

tina

Cricut Special

Remember I told you my hubby cut me a bunch of these great

little 3 fold cards with my cricut? So here is my 2nd take on these cool little cards.

Again, though I turned it into another mini scrapbook...I think I am just wired that way.

This time I made it into a birthday card/mini photo prop.

The lined paper could be used for perhaps a sweet birthday wish...

I used my favorite cosmo cricket paper AGAIN...

I kept the inside simple because I was hoping the photos would

be the focus...I like this alot...I think the colors are my favorite part

The image is from Squigglefly - it was actually for Valentines Day but I cut the cupcake out.

clever eh? heehee - I'm learning the trick s of the trade...I have a long way to go but I'm finding my groove...

This cool little diddy works in the following challenges:

fantabulous cricut: use buttons

diecut dreams: sweet girl using a digi image

Im exhausted - sending you sweet dreams

xo

tina

FALL please

Aren't you ready for fall??

I know I am.

I decided to try making a fall door hanger - more kid like.To fill with yummy treats.

I chose this image by My Grafico (cute eh?)

I was really digging the image but I think the papers weren't the best choice.

I used papers by Cosmo Cricket - I think the gray totally over powers the front

what do you think?

Well back to the old drawing board....

I think its good that I can see the faults in my work...makes

me try harder next time right?

BTW: this candy holder works for the following challenges:

incy wincy designs - fall colors

all sorts - autumn colors

paper play - autumn

stamping scrapping - anything goes

crafting with deedees - treat container

 wow thats a bunch of challenges.

Well, I hope your day is spectacular.

xo

tina

Schools Cool

Gotta love these papers by Sassafrass Lass...

I have to tell you a secret.

I have a cricut expression and about 10 cartridges that I bought to use with this baby.

I NEVER use it.SICK i know.

Well last night I took it out and had my sweet hubby get to using it.

I have the cards and more cartridge...and this was one of the choices...

It is a 3 fold card and matching envelope...it reminded me of a

mini scrapbook and since I love those so much

I thought it was perfect.

I made it for

"THE FIRST DAY of SCHOOL"

I thought it would be super cool to add some photos of the kids

all dressed up and ready to go to school...and wouldn't that be a really neat gift

to send to grandma (who lives far away) or a favorite aunt & uncle.

I made my hubby cut a bunch of these out because I can see so many possibilities.

This just so happens to work for these challenges:

creative card crew: back to school

scrap-creations 1 - childrens theme

my time to craft - jewelled

DO you have a tool or tools that you don't use as often as you should?

Love to hear about it.

xo

tina

Christmas Card Friday

As usual I didn't follow directions for this weeks card upload over

on the CSAYL blog...so my card is not part of the DT members showcase

this week. But I did make one and here it is...

We used stamps by InStyle and I got this cute little Christmas Tree chick...

Oh yeah - did't use Brads either...but used pearls...such a bad student I am.

Anyway be sure to stop by the CSAYL blog and check out the DT cards...

also be sure to check out the INsTyle store and pick up some fun images...

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

xo

tina

Save my Page Please

I have seen these book marks being made on blogs for awhile now

and got the tutorial off of Splitcoast stampers and tried my hand at these.

Guess What? Love them!

Imagine the possibilities...

I want to try some other cool stamped images and some funky papers...

I think these would make great gifts tucked into books and given to friends...

What say you?

BTW-these are super easy to make.

I know my colors are rather odd but I was trying this out for certain challenges...

My book mark works for the following challenges:

TUESDAY TAGGERS: book theme

ARTFUL INKABLES : distress it

DESIGN DOLLIES: green gray white color challenge

ATS BLOG: corner book mark challenge

Fun stuff...

xo

tina

Coffee Please

Boy do I need a Coffee Break...

hahaaa

I just tried a Toffee Frappacino...yummy but I much prefer MOCHA

o.k. moving on....

I decided to do a

DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

set of cards...

per STAMPER'S SAMPLER'S definition of the above

You take one stamp set/one stamp and make several DIFFERENT cards

with that set or stamp

So I took this very cool COFFEE themed stamp set

(can't remember the stamp company)

and used fun papers by CRATE paper and created this like minded set

of Coffee themed cards.

I am even thinking about sending this into Stamper's Sampler

I think...wouldn't that be neat.

Anyway, I thought I would share this fun idea and see if you might try it.

Well, It's almost 10 p.m. and I gotta go nite nite...

Sleep well my wonderful blogging buddies.

xo

tina

Things that make me happy

Having all my kids home with me

Knowing that my oldest boy is coming home

and that he is jump starting his life and career beginning Sept 16th

at ITT - college to be an IT tech - yeah

Glad to have air conditioning in this ridiculous heat wave - 106' at 5 p.m.

Happy to have a husband who I truly love to be around...

What is making you happy right now?

xo

tina

Easy Peasy Gift set

O.k. so now talk about easy gift idea...

this is it. You gotta love quick and endless possibilities as

descriptions of what you could do with this idea.

This weeks challenge over at the csayl blog was to create a

Tag gift Holder

(we have the tutorial listed on the blog for you to play along.)

It was simple and I can picture this being turned into a

birthday card tag holder, a gift card holder or perhaps

a honey I OWE you holder....

This is the inside of the tag holder

Hey how about some fun photos of your kids to be sent to grandma

so many ideas.

Please take the time and visit the CSAYL blog and see what the other DT members have created and why not play along...you really could use this idea

for any occasion...

I hope you have a crafty filled weekend...I have lots do  and lots to share

thanks for visiting

xo

tina

Good grief

Do you ever feel like life is just whizzin' by you?

Gosh lately life has been moving so fast...

I find I don't have time to finish the things I set out to do...

So today I am sharing another one of my

explosion boxes...this is a new one using the fun lovey dovey paper

by Cosmo Cricket...

I also made these handmade flowers - cute eh?

I have seen them on various layouts and different blogs and tried my hand

at it and - WOW not hard at all...works just like they look...

Cut out a circle

cut a strip inside the circle - like your mom used to peel

an apple...in a long coil shape...then just start twisting...

add a glue dot to the bottom and place

suprisingly they don't unravel - I only used one glue dot....

Here is the inside - aren't these papers the cutest.

Love the blue, yellow and red together...super country cute.

This is what the boxes look like all loaded up with photos...

They make great gifts and look super cool on your coffee table...

just sayin'

Im listing a bunch of these tonight and tomorrow in my ebay shop...

thanks for visiting

Big Hugs

tina