Lightning McQueen/Cars Birthday Party: KA-CHOW!

Hey there! I wanted to share a few pics from Ev's recent birthday party. He is FIVE now, I just can't believe that my baby is 5. 

We actually have had quite the week with our little 5 year old... he went to bed as healthy as a horse on Monday night, then woke us up Tuesday morning at 145am totally gasping for air. He was so breathless and losing color fast, and after the 911 operator heard him breathing, we ended up taking our first ever ambulance ride to the hospital. Not an experience that I ever care to repeat, but I have to say that the First Responders/firefighters in our little community were so amazing and kind. We are so blessed here, so many incredible friends too. One who came over to sleep on our couch at 2am so hubby could join Evan and I at the hospital, and another who brought an amazing homemade lasagne meal over the next evening. I have been moved to tears so many times this week. My mom came up and helped me with kid-sitting and cooking and cleaning. So many people prayed for us.... we are just so blessed. God is so good and He had a close eye on my baby Monday night! It turned out to be croup. I had no clue it can come on that fast! Evan had had it to that extreme before, so I knew that it could be that severe, but no clue that it could get that bad that fast. 3 rounds of steroids and 2 x-rays later (to rule out any other possibilities) we got to come home. HOME looks pretty amazing after a hospital visit with your little one. Sure with 3 boys, we have been there several times before, and will likely be there again! But no fun that's for sure.

Anyway, Ev is a kid that just becomes fixated on one thing at a time, and right now that thing is Lightning McQueen and the whole Cars gang. He knows the names of every single car. He is on a quest to find himself a die cast Chick Hicks and Darrell Cartrip. He is going to be Lightning for Halloween. he even convinced the majority of his pre-k class to vote on naming the class fish "Lightning McQueen." LOL! 

So, OF COURSE, his birthday party had to be Cars, there just wasn't another choice! I didn't make as much of the party decorations as I like to do. Knowing how much Ev loves Cars, my Dad's wife had bought Cars birthday decorations to celebrate my DAD's birthday when we were out there. Heehee, I am sure Dad really loved that! ;) haha! Anyway, we brought home some plates, napkins, and a big "Happy Birthday" banner home from Dad's birthday to start us off. Cars is such a popular theme right now that Party City, and even Target had all the party stuff, and I was even able to order a Cars cake from our local Safeway.  

I did manage to make the centerpieces, and the thank you notes. We didn't do invitations this year, I did a facebook message instead. It's a good thing, too. Because I was THRILLED to get this Cars Cricut Cartridge on clearance for only 17$. But was bummed to learn that each car has like 15 layers! Holy smokes, just making these 3 took hours.

And in case you don't know the name of every car... the green/purple one on the left is Wingo, and the little forklift is Guido. ;)

I DID manage to make the thank you notes! This "Team McQueen" was on the cartridge too. My hubby, my other boys, and myself have certainly felt very much like "Team McQueen" these last weeks! A friend asked if it looked like Lightning McQueen threw up in our house? Yes, it kind of does! LOL. But Ev is so cute about it, he cracks me up! :) Here's the cards. I "stole" a few small Lightning stickers from Ev's 40,000 Cars stickers for the front of the cards. ;) 

I gave Ev the choice between the circles embossing folder and the stars. he picked circles, and after I started using it, I realized that was a great choice, since they look a lot like tires. 

We also had a Cars piñata and Cars game....

I made some pretzel pops with this Race Car Pretzel Mold and some red Candy melts. they were really easy! I recommend them for even those who don't have good cake decorating skills, like myself! Just melt and pour. Besides who doesn't like candy covered pretzels? Salty and sweet, YUM! :)

In my opinion, a party just isn't a party without a few helium balloons. truly I think I buy them more for myself! I love them! 

And, that sweet 5 year old who LOVED his party and all his (mostly Cars) presents. :) I love birthday parties! 

Add caption

Well, I am really excited because I'm going on a crop this weekend! So I will have lots of fun things to show you next week. Sorry I have been so sporadic. I'm getting in a good groove of returning comments, but it's usually only once or twice a week that I do so. I'm NOT ignoring you and will get back to you ASAP! :) Love you, blog friends! 

Noelle

supply list: assorted solid paper: generic; Cars Cricut Cartridge; Xyron laminating cartridge; Cuttlebug embossing folder; red glitter gems: Recollections; banner die: PTI; scoring board for medallions: Martha Stewart Crafts; pretzel mold and candy melts: Wilton

Pumpkin Patch Scrapbook Layout (CQC156)

Hey folks! It's FALL, and here is a very pretty, warm, FALL, ColourQ palette for you today! check it:  Rich Razzleberry, Dusty Durango, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede, and White. I did a scrapbook layout of our trip to the pumpkin patch last year! The photos fit well with the fall-ish colors and Ian was wearing burgundy colored pants, so that pulled in the purple shade in the palette nicely:)

I just loved these colors, but when I went to pull out my Autumn and Halloween themed papers/embellishments, nothing was quite right... all the Halloween things had black accents or black as the neutral instead of the Suede color. Many of them had orange and purple, but also added green.... I was kind of wanting a more Fall page, and less of a Halloween page, anyway.... Nothing was quite right, and then I spied this Pumpkin Flourish Edger Punch that I'd won in one of my Spotted Canary prize packages, and never actually used. It's a bit hard to see here, but I punched it from a white card stock that had a very subtle glimmer sheen to it. Then I pulled out my markers in the challenge colors and colored the pumpkins in the Pumpkin Pie color, the flourishes got colored Razzleberry, the leaves were colored Dusty Durango, and the pumpkin stems were colored with the Suede marker. Then I added a few gems. I really felt that they turned out perfect with the color challenge, and that is a really pretty punch. I really like it, I bet I will use it more now! :)

I had some new letters in the Suede color that had a woodgrain printed on them. I found some woodgrain paper in my SU! stash that had the orange, brown and rust shades in it, too. Creating two border strips at the top of both pages was a snap with the DSP and the pumpkins I'd punched and colored. The final touch were some of these fun, glittery flourishes. I ended up using the whole pack on these pages, they are really fun! 

I only cropped 2 photos and left all the rest in the original size. Found a journaling block in the Durango color, added that, and then wrote on it with the Suede marker. At the very end I found these stickers from 2 different Jolee's packs, the wagon was PERFECT except for the fact that the hubcaps were red.... a few orange gems covered that up nicely, and then it gelled really well with those glitzy orange flourishes, too:)

All in all, I'm happy where the layout ended up! The photos are still the main focus, and the colors are used well, with just a few cute (but not too distracting or bulky) elements. I hope you like it too! Please come play at ColourQ this week! I'd love to see what YOU will do with these pretty, warm colors! 

have a wonderful day! 

hugs, Noelle

supply list: punch: EK Success; stickers and glitter flourishes/gems: Jolee's; patterned paper: stamping' Up!; solid card stock; Stampin' Up!; journaling block: Creative memories; letters: American Crafts

DUST IT OFF!: A punch that I won & wasn't quite sure if it was "my thing" or not looks great when punched in white and colored with multiple markers! Who says punches have to be boring? :) 

Ribbon organization (aka my first EVER Craft Storage Ideas.com post!) :)

Hi folks! Today my first ever post for Craft Storage Ideas.com is live! Please check it out, it's all about how I reorganized my mess of ribbons and fibers! See you soon with some more fun projects! :)
hugs, Noelle

Bewitching... (CQC155 TCPTUES225)

Hey folks! Time for another ColourQ challenge! This palette (and photo!) reminded me so much of the colors from my wedding, 16 years ago:) I also managed to squeeze in another challenge by using this darling sketch from The Cat's Pajamas blog, so cute! Here's the deets:

Even though my first inclination was to go with a floral.... I kind of figured everyone would do that.... When I saw this (uninked) sweet little Witchy stamp set from TCP in my bin, I thought it might be fun to do a soft, sweet Halloween card... this cute little witch was just the ticket! 

I spent a lot of time paper piecing and coloring little Samantha (really, there's never been another show like Bewitched, don't you agree? I really enjoyed the movie that came out with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell a few years ago, too!) I did decide to make her face green like the Wicked Witch of the West, even though she's too cute to be wicked! But I gave her pink cheeks, for some cuteness factor :) I used the Pale Plum color for her outfit and hat. 

I used the circus border CutUps from TCP for the scalloped part on the sketch. I added a couple different kind of gems, and didn't stop there... found some cute white heart brads in my stash, they made a sweet accent on the ribbon. Then I thought I really *should* stop.... BUT instead pulled out the Frosted Lace Stickles to add some texture to her outfit and the flowers on the top panel. Hope that wasn't too overboard! 

And so goes my first Halloween card for this year. I hope you like it! Please come and play with these colors for ColourQ challenge this week, I'd love to see what you will do with this pretty, feminine palette. 

have a great one! Noelle

supply list: stamps: TCP; die: TCP; papers: SU!; Frosted Lace Stickles; gems; ribbon

DUST IT OFF!: Those heart brads are ancient, I honestly forgot I had them, they were stashed away with several other odd bits and pieces of embellishment. I think I bought them for Valentine's Day cards, but they sure make a sweet touch for a Halloween card, too! 

It's A Rainbow Banner kinda day :)

Howdy folks! This weekend in September is always kinda nutty for me. My littlest man had his b-day party yesterday and the older boys last race of the summer is always the day after that. Plus I've had a virus all week (ick!) Thanks to my sweet hubby I gave into a 3 HOUR nap yesterday afternoon, and then had a full night's sleep. So, I'm still a little gravelly, but feeling much much better! Also, just getting used to several hours a day of drop off and pickup for the boys. This 3 kids/3 schools/3 cities thing is NUTS! So glad it's only the one year, and that I've got carpool to help me out with one kiddo.... Seriously, I do know I don't have real problems, just worn out from the daily grind! ;) 

But I was so CRAVING some crafty time, some challenge time, some ME time! :) This is for two challenges; the one over at Paper Players

and I really didn't want to miss out on sweet Lynn's  Rainbow Challenge at JUGS! I just *puffy heart* Lynn, she is such a doll :) Great challenge, too! I LOVE rainbows! :)

I had seen this awesome card in a past issue of Paper Crafts Mag. I can't find it now, but it was my inspiration for this one. As soon as I have time to dig it up, will link back up here! :)

Went with the traditional ROYGBIV rainbow, just 'cause that's the way I roll, chickadees.... :)

I had just the banners and the sentiment on my white panel.... just couldn't leave it at that. I have a sort of sickness about embellishments! *sigh* But I think the buttons added a nice finishing touch! The colors are SU! Top to bottom: real red, tangerine tango, daffodil delight, garden green, pacific point, brilliant blue, elegant eggplant.

and that's all for me today! Just 2 more things to go to today! LOL, then I'll be home free for Monday! I'll have a new CQC post for you on Tuesday, and then my first article over at Craft Storage Ideas goes live on Thursday! Can't wait to share that with you:) 

Have a stellar evening! 

xo, Noelle

supply list: card stock: Stampin' Up!; die: papertrey ink; stamp: Lil' Inker

Cousin Fun scrapbook page (CQC154)

Hi all! here's the pretty, "fall-ish" palette for ColourQ this week!

These were a bit of a challenge for me, especially to scrap them. Anytime I see pink on one of my "scrap" weeks, I tend to freak out a little (ok, a lot!) Because no matter how crafty and creative my brain is, pink is a *girl* color to me, and I have three BOYS. Lol. ;) And most of the photos I scrap are of, you got it, my boys!  But I found these pics from late 2010 of Evan and my cousin's cute kids. While my big boys were in school, we had taken the little ones to a "little kid" fun place. Evan & my cousin's son, Drew, were born only 5 days apart! It was really fun to be pregnant at the same time as my cousin. As I've said before, the only problem is that we live too far away from each other! :) But my "niece" (I just call her that even though she is my cousin's daughter, my second cousin? I never understood how that worked!) was wearing a shirt in these pics that was very similar to the challenge colors, so that's why I went with these pics.

Made up my own layout on this one, using papers in the challenge colors in big strips/banners along the bottom of the page. I decided on a large circle for the title, and I stamped it with a "little kid" image, a tricycle. I tried to give the page a bit of a vintage vibe, because these colors kind of scream vintage to me. I also found a really old burgundy colored file folder in my super-old stash, and that made a cute place for my journaling to land.

Well, that is all for me today! I hope you will come play with us at ColourQ, I'd love to see what you will come up with! :)

supply list: papers: Stampin' Up!, K&Comapny, and Bazzill textured white card stock; stamps: Unity; stickers: K&Company, Recollections; file folder: Rusty Pickle; journaling card: Creative Memories; gems: K&Company

DUST IT OFF! That file folder has to be pushing 10 years old, I think, and that package hadn't even been opened! some old DPs on here too. 

Santa Stamps (JB12:19)

Hi there! Sorry to have been so absent this last week! Still getting into the groove of the school year, I guess. My oldest started middle school this year, and going from 15 minutes a night to 3 hours a night of homework has been a bit of a stress on us all! But I have been missing my blog and crafty time:) I am working on my first article for Craft Storage Ideas also. I am so excited I got that gig, and all the other ladies seem really nice, I can't wait to get started!

I am WAY behind on Christmas cards for the year... I might actually *gasp* have to send out photo cards? Yikes, I know. I've got to at least try and catch up! ;) I thought I'd give the current Jingle Belles challenge (to "go postal") a shot. I didn't think I would have any trouble finding postage themed Christmas items in my stash, but I didn't have a single one! I used my TCP postage stamp die and coordinating stamp set, and that worked out well, I think.

On the bottom, I cut a decorative edge strip from a card making pad. I added a banner stamped with the sentiment and a twine bow with a vintage look gem. Not a super "mailman-friendly" card with that gem, but it was just to pretty to pass up! The striped twine reminded me of a package tied with twine.

Well, that is all for me today! I will see you Tuesday with my latest page for the ColourQ!

Big hugs and have a great week,
Noelle

supply list: paper: Reminisce and K&Company; dies: TCP and PTI; stamps: TCP and SU!; gem: K&Company

Big announcement!

Hi there! I am super excited to share my big announcement that I've been sitting on for a few days. :) I am going to be part of the Contributor Team over at Craft Storage Ideas! I will be contributing tips, articles, and lots of ideas around 3x a month over there. I really feel that this is the perfect fit for me, as I am totally hooked on organization in general! ;) So, I hope you can come check us out, and learn new ways to stash YOUR stash! 

Big hugs!

Noelle

You have to kiss a lot of fish before you find your prince! (CQC153)

Hey folks! I hope all is well with you, I've got my 3rd and final kid going back to school today! Honestly, I'm really ready to get in a good groove, though getting up so much earlier has really been wearing me down! LOL ;) I am hoping that now that they're all "back" it will be easier for me to create, blog, submit, and go out for DTs, etc. It seems I've been doing a lot of stamp shopping, but not very much creating! Guess now that I will (hopefully) have more time, I will have lots of fun new things to use! And even though it's still crazy hot here, I am ready for Fall as well! Got my decorations up over the weekend, and burning yummy smelling candles at every opportunity. :)

This card is for this week's ColourQ 153! Love this feminine palette:

So, back to my shopping obsession! Ever since the triathlon relay I participated in in June, my cousin has been teasing me and calling me "Ariel." Which in itself is hilarious because I really do NOT look very pretty with my goggles, cap, and nose clip! Ha! But the more I thought about it (and the more I realize that no matter whatcha do, one will be teased unmercifully in this family!) I kind of liked it! I really do LOVE the pool far more than the bike or the running part of triathlon, so I guess I'll take my mermaid and go with it! I decided some mermaid stamps would be fun. I knew I'd seen Jenny Peterson make some adorable mermaid cards with KK stamps, so that's where I went. My first ever Kraftin' Kimmie order! So, I ordered Nerissa I but when I opened the package, cute mermaid Marina was in the package instead... well, it only took about one second to decide that I'd like to keep her and I'll just have to order Nerissa next time! :) I also ordered another mermaid set, which was called "Sea Jewels" (no longer available) it had this sentiment in there, plus 6 other sentiments, and 3 smaller mermaids, so I'll have enough mermaids to keep me busy for a while! Of course, I couldn't stop there (I *told* you I've been shopping a lot lately!) and I also got: Noelle (for obvious reasons!), Sarah Shopper, Mandy, and Carole. These stamps are just too cute! :)

So, I couldn't wait any longer to play with my new toys, and thought I could make this palette work for a mermaid card. I made this card for my friend Juliana. She is coming out this Fall and I can't wait! She is one of those people that no matter how long it's been since we've seen each other, it's like it's been no time at all. We were roommates through most of college, were in school together, worked together, and were in plays together.... But yet every night when we got home we would STILL stay up too late talking! So much so that we were often late to our early Shakespeare literature class! Fortunately we had an very cool professor that accepted bribes of coffee and muffins. ;) Julie is a girly girl, and I knew she would love this pretty mermaid! 

So, I stamped Marina, colored her with Copics, and fussy cut her out. Same with her fish friend. I added Stickles for some glitz. The circle she is on top of, was a multi-layer Copic project. I colored the circle with a medium shade of teal (BG72). Then I dotted the circle with the colorless blender, and then again with a lighter teal (BG10). I repeated these two steps several times, I was trying to get a watery look. Finally, I die cut a wave and used it as a mask to spritz some homemade spray ink over, it's harder to see in the pictures than in person. 

I had done all this before picking my DPs for this card. I was so happy to realize that I had recently bought this K&Company 12" paper pad with this coral colored shell print. The other DP is Stampin' Up! and I used my wave die from TCP to create a border strip to adhere that to. 

I had a lot of fun with this card! These colors are so fabulous, I hope that you will come play with us at the ColourQ this week! Wonder what YOU will come up with! :)

big hugs, Noelle

supply list: stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie; dies: Spellbinders and The Cat's Pajamas; markers: Copic; decorative papers: K&Company and SU!; solid cardstock: SU! Stickles; glitter gem: Pebbles