OPERATION WRITE HOME

I've been busy making cards... Valentine cards that is.  Why you say?  because I've found a great way to support our troops abroad.  It's called Operation Write Home their email address is:  http://operationwritehome.org/

I've been making Valentine cards because it takes time to get cards over to the troops, then for them to pick them up and write to their loved ones and send them back in time for the holiday.  Valentine holiday that is!  So get your sweet tooth, xoxoxo, and sweetie stamps ready and start making cards for troops today!

Here are some of the cards I'll be sending over.

Fall Project - Magnetic Display

Hi everyone, hope autumn is treating you well.  I've been busy with family and friends, but wanted to take a moment to share a quick project i put together.  This is the "Magnetic Display" from Creative Memories.  It is a picture frame that is a blank magnetic canvas (opening is 13.5 x 13.5).  There are different frame types ranging from a sleek black or white frame to rustic ornamental one.  I just love mine and use it as a calendar and there are pre-made additions you can purchase.  Anyway, if you want to check them out here is the link:http://www.mycmsite.com/sites/laurasmith450/Content/Shop/Catalog.aspx?pr=BrowseCategory&s=/Hierarchy/Gift%20Ideas/Photo%20Displays%20and%20Decorations&dpr=Search&ds=display

My fall project took about ten minutes to put up, It is ideal for celebrating today's accomplishments like a school award, cute pics of the pumpkin patch, etc.  I didn't have any pictures handy, so I put my quilled leaves down the sides to add interest and some bling for fall.  Hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful day!

the border at the bottom was punched from Creative Memories "Border Maker System" which has a ton of different cartridges for different patterns.    Here is the link for that too:  http://www.mycmsite.com/sites/laurasmith450/Content/Shop/Catalog.aspx?search=border%20maker

"Shape Card Sunday" Button Up For Fall

Hi my crafty friends!  Today I wanted to create a shape card... I don't do that very often and Sara over at Live Love and Scrap has a challenge on Sunday's to make a shape card:

"Shape Card Sunday" Button Up For Fall

I decided to do a Fall themed challenge and call it "Button Up For Fall" =) SO, just make a Fall themed shape card/tag/project and just make sure it has a button somewhere on it...easy right!!! Hope you can play along and get some inspiration from each other!!!  Here is her link:  http://www.liveloveandscrap.blogspot.com/2012/10/shape-card-sunday-button-up-for-fall.html

 I had lots of fun making this card.  Thanks Sara for the challenge to do a shape card.  I used the "Speaking of Fall" cricut cartridge... This is supposed to be the letter B.  I welded the shadow together in my Gypsy to make the card base and then added the layers like normal.

Today's Cards

So today I wanted to finish a couple of projects I had started a little earlier.  These are Christmas cards that I have quilled parts of them but the quilling isn't the whole project.  I think it's a little harder to incorporate stamping, quilling and card making together sometimes.  Today I was in the mood for warm tones, so this is how they turned out:

Have a great day everyone!

"BUTTONS AND BOO'S"

Cardz TV Challenge #16

"BUTTONS AND BOO'S!'" Create a card, layout or craft project for Halloween using BUTTONS!  

I have some really cute Halloween paper from Cloud 9 titled "Seasonal" that I picked up from Jo-Ann's the other day and just had to make a card with it... of course I had to quill a little bat onto the front since I've become addicted to quilling now :-)  hope you enjoy!  

Have a great Friday everyone and here are the details of card challenge:

You have until noon EST, Thursday, October 11th , to post your name and a link to your card, LO or craft below using Inlinkz.   I'll announce the winner on Monday, October 15th, and the winner, picked by random.org, will receive a set of Cardz TV Stamps!

"SSSooo SSSpooky!" Cricut Cardz Challenge #117

Challenge#117: “SSSooo SSSpooky!” Make an S-fold card for Halloween using any cartridge(s) and any colors you’d like.

Mary and her design team are at it again....they come up with the greatest challenges!  I just had to make a "S-fold" card for this one!

Ok here is my card... the front is from the Pooh Font Set cartridge, and the cape and mask is from the Paperdoll Dress Up cartridge.  The paper is from the Cloud 9 "Seasonal" 12x12 mat stack, I picked up from Jo-Ann's.

Darn!  I forgot the button's Mary ~ sorry, maybe next time.

I was on Stamp TV's site today and there was a challenge i wanted to try... "keeping it simple" sounded good.  I was surprised it was hard to do, because we get caught up in adding elements to our cards and before you know it, there is too much to look at.  Sooooo today i thought it would be good to get back to "simple".

Here's my card:

Here's the challenge:

http://stamptv.ning.com/forum/topics/live-chat-challenge-9-let-s-make-it-simple

Live Chat Challenge #9!! -- Let's Make it Simple!!

• Posted by Cat, GKD DT/Moderator on September 26, 2012 at 2:00pm in Current Challenges
• Send Message   View Discussions

Hey y'all!!  Welcome to another Live Chat challenge hosted my ME?   Aren't you just thrilled?!  :D  I know you are...haha! 

Ok, believe it or not, gonna take it easy on you for this challenge!  Let's make it simple by doing a CAS creation!  CAS stands for 'Clean And Simple'!!  Lots of open space needs to be on your creation! 

You need to have your creation uploaded to the gallery no later than Oct 2nd (O.M.G!! It's OCTOBER??)8PM CST with the tag STVLIVECHAT9

Cardz TV Challenge #116

Challenge#116: “Creature Feature"

Make a card for Halloween using the card feature from any cartridge, and using any colors you’d like.

Ok so my Card was made from the Pagoda Cartridge (the panda cutout) and I used the Elmo & Friends Holiday for the Pumpkin.  I found some paper that made me think of Mary and I tried to add some purple buttons on the front for Mary but I just couldn't ~ The paper was pretty busy and the buttons competed with the Panda's eyes.  Sorry Mary, maybe next time lol.

1.   The front of the card is held closed by the panda's hands holding the pumpkin.

2.  I thought it would be cute to add a little sentiment in here although there really wasn't room.  I added an embossed "Boo" to the back of the pumpkin.

3.  Attached another card to the first one (the back of card one to the front of card two) to make the extra pages and add stability.  The orange "Halloween" cardstock is from the DCWV Bewitched matstak in the size of 4.5x6.5

 4.  View from above.  You can see I should have used a heavier cardstock on the front, it is a little weak.  If I had known how it was going to turn out I could have planned ahead, but this was a build as you go kinda card.

 5.   A peek-a-boo of all pages.

 6.  semi-closed look

Thanks Mary for challenging us to stretch our imagination, I had a blast and came up with a cute card I will send out for Halloween. Laura

Challenge#116: “Creature Feature"

Make a card for Halloween using the card feature from any cartridge, and using any colors you’d like.

Post your name and a link to your card in Mr Linky by noon EST, Tuesday, September 25th. We'll use random.org to pick a winner for a fun prize! We can't wait to see what you create for this challenge!

Our awesome Cricut Cardz Challenge Design Team has given us some wonderful spooky inspiration for this challenge! Be sure to visit and  follow their blogs, and leave them some comment love! 

Fall Cards

Hi everyone~ hope your week is going well!  I put together a couple of cards that I wanted to share with you.  I've been asked to make more cards that have been quilled.  So here they are...

Back to School

So many of us have children going back to school.  I for one just dropped my daughter off at high school.  Wow how the time flies.  I took a couple of quick pics - cause she's too cool to pose now for those cute little pics!

I can't help but reflect on the years gone by and it reinforces how I want to make sure that these memories are not forgotten.  I will take just a few moments today to jot down a couple of things that I don't want to forget, so when i go to scrapbook it I will have those memories forever.

Digital or Traditional scrapbooking is all about saving those moments, so we can share them with friends and family.  Most importantly (for me) is to be able to pass these memories down to the next generation.

Hug your family and love them while they are at home because all too soon they will be grown up with their own families... and that's a whole new chapter in our lives!

Here she is at 1-1/2 - seems like only yesterday-

p.s. my son will drive himself to college later this month and that just blows my mind completely! 

Cardz TV Stamp - Challenge #14

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

Cardz TV Stamps Design Team Challenge #14

"Happy Holidays ~ Pick One!"

Create a card, Layout or craft project For ANY holiday you'd like (YES, birthdays can be considered as a holiday!), using any colors you'd like.

Ok, so i created a couple of cute halloween cards for the challenge.... hope you enjoy the cards. If you like what you see join my blog for more updates on creative memories and cards!

Cardz TV Stamps Design Team Challenge #14 "Happy Holidays ~ Pick One!"

Hi guys! 

Welcome to Cardz TV Stamps Design Team Challenge #14! I can't wait to show you what the amazing, super talented Cardz TV Stamps Design Team has created for your inspiration! Also, you asked for more time to create a project for our challenges, so you'll now have a week to enter! 

Card Projects Fall 2012

Ok I've been wanting to get a slideshow of my completed cards uploaded to share with everyone.  This is a work in progress... so if i get it wrong please comment below and let me know what you use for your slideshows.

I went to Kizoa for their free slideshow and the link is:  a.com/slideshow/d3176314k5980310o1/card-projects-fall-2012

I will try to convert this to a video and post it on YouTube soon.  Ahhh the digital era. :-)

CREATIVE MEMORIES

END OF SUMMER SALE

from Aug. 20th - Aug. 27th

Let’s send summer out in style with a sensational sale!  Nearly everything in our catalog is on sale now through  10 p.m. CST on Aug. 27 – at savings up to 40 percent off! Check out my website for further information and details on this great sale.  http://www.mycmsite.com/sites/laurasmith450

 

40% off

• Album Refills (all sizes of Pages, Page Protectors and

Side-Loading Sleeves)

• 12x12 Paper, Cardstock Packs, and Stack Packs

• StoryBook Creator 4.0 and StoryBook Creator 4.0

upgrade (includes DVD and download versions)

• Wall Print Posters (including product credits)

30% off

• Albums (including 12x12, 8x8, and Album Sets)

• Custom Albums (including product credits)

• Digital Artwork Downloads and CDs

20% off

• Power Palette Systems and Sets

• Specialty Paper and Embellishments (12x12 Additions,

Specialty Paper Packs, Scrapbook Kits, Album Accents

and Storyboxes, Paper Embellishments, Embellishment

Packs, Decorative Stickers, Title and ABC Stickers,

Vellum Expressions, Card Sets and TalkingTag™ Memory

Labels)

• Displays and Display Accents

• Trimmers, Makers, Adhesives, Pens, Cutting Systems and

Stamper System

• Simply Said Books

• Photo and Fine Stationery Cards Paper (including

product credits)

10% off

• PicFolio® Albums

• Quick Albums

• Organizers

• Cricut Cartridges

• Photo Gifts and Calendars (including product credits)

• Custom Album Pages (including product credits)

• Page Prints (including product credits)

*Hardcover and softcover StoryBooks, Photo Prints and new

Sept/Oct products are not included in the sale.

Stamp TV - Free For All Friday - CASE the DT!!

Here's my card for this challenge... fun simple quick.  I love that!

link to stamp tv's site:  http://stamptv.ning.com/forum/topics/free-for-all-friday-case-the-dt-3

rules of the game...Hey ya'll!!  Welcome to this month's installment of CASE the DT!!  Up next in line for this challenge is Illustrator and Stamper extraordinaire Tami Mayberry!!  Here is Tami's gallery link below:

Tami's rocking gallery!

This is how this works...I will give you one of the DT's names, along with a link to their gallery here on StampTV and you can choose ANY card of theirs to CASE. Just tell us which card, either by giving us the title of the card you CASEd or the link to the actual card of the DT member we are doing that week. There are a few simple rules to this and they are:

1. You need to change 2 or more things on the card. Colors, image used, add more bling, take away bling, etc....

2. You will need to provide the title of the card or a link to the card that you CASEd.

3. Have fun!! :D

And remember, you do NOT have to show the actual card of Tami's you CASEd, just the title or a link to it in the description area of the photo you upload! Most importantly, you must CASE TAMI!!  Not Gina or any other DT!

Ok, your turn now!   Here is the small print:

 Please create and upload a new project for this challenge and it can only be entered into this challenge here on StampTV to be eligible for a prize. However, you can use it for challenges outside of StampTV. If you use Gina K. Designs stamps, your name will go into the drawing twice for that awesome prize package!!

Be sure and have your project uploaded to our gallery here on StampTV using the tag STVFRICT22 by 8PM CST Thursday, Aug 23rd!

Here is a link to the gallery for this challenge:

STVFRICT22

Camping Photos

I wanted to share a couple of pics of our camping trip.  We were on a river which my hubby and friend had to kayak down, don't worry they looked up all the important info before leaving and even scoped out the rapids first, nothing bigger than a class II on a fast river... ok with that said we also went on a beautiful hike to a waterfall and had to share that too.  Enjoy your weekend everyone!