TCPTUES127 and SFYTT card

 This card was brought to you by insomnia. Seriously, I could NOT sleep last night (I even took a sleeping pill & STILL could not sleep-can you BELIEVE that?? SO annoying!) so, I came down and started to craft. Around midnight, my sweet hubby came down and told me I must be "sleep-carding" lol! Ok, so here's the scoop, the color challenge over at Dancing in Pajamas is to use teal, olive and eggplant all together. I decided to "double- dip" this challenge & also use the sketch over at I (heart) 2 stamp. These papers are from My Mind's Eye.

The glittery tag rim is from Making Memories, and the glitter photo corner is Martha Stewart Crafts. The glitter button and rhinestone brad are American Crafts. The flower is Prima. I was going to use a layered flower, where the pinwheel is, but it was just too fussy. Then I thought a pinwheel would go better with the fun and happy feel of this card. For the cake, I took my TCP cake stamp & I stamped it 3 times. I colored each cake with Copics and then cut out all the cakes (on the bottom one I included the pedestal, on the top one, included the candles) and then layered them all up with dimensionals. Detail shot here.

I like this card, I guess I do alright even if I am "sleep-carding!" have a super afternoon! :)
-Noelle

Craft Room Organization Ideas

I've been doing lots of reorganization in the craft room lately. I share an 11 foot square room with my home office, so it's tiny & cramped.  I know, it's not as bad as not having any space at all. I feel lucky to have a place to work:) However, what I'm getting at is organization is KEY. Everyone who walks in my flont door can see this room. There is no door on it. I can post more photos of my workspace another day, but here's some cool storage solutions in the meantime... I used to be an interior designer & as such, I like things to be pretty, even my craft room, which is often a mess.

This first idea is from my sweet cousin, April. She uses these shoe things all over her house, SOOOO brilliant! I don't have a closet or a door even, in my craft room, there's just an opening to walk in. BUT there is a nearby coat closet, so that is where I hung this shoe organizer for my punches, they fit perfectly! This was so inexpensive, 7.99 at Target & now I won't have to be continually digging through a bin full of punches, I can see them all (and I do mean ALL-I'm a little embarrassed to show you my overly LARGE collection of punches, lol;)

 

 This next solution is in the Oct. issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine, page 14. It suggests using a closet rod (again- no closet in here...) But I found that mounting a curtain rod underneath my bottom storage shelf does the trick! The only tip, if you are using a curtain rod instead of a closet rod- choose one that has brackets that completely circle the rod, otherwise it will fall off! Also, measure the hangers to know how far out the rod should be from the wall. The other cool thing about this solution is, I can hang anything up in these bags! These are themed paper & embellishment bags (one bag is Halloween, one is Birthday, etc...), but I could do ribbon, or alphabet stickers, or anything really! :)

These ribbon topiaries I made a couple years ago- this is an original idea of mine. I made these cute little topiaries with foam balls & die cut flowers. The dowels are a perfect spot to hold spools of ribbon. The ball is removable, so you can replace the spools. Cute and functional! My FAVORITE!  

Well, I gotta fly, I hope to be back soon with some fun challenge cards! Have a stellar day! -Noelle

Appletini Card (2s4y- Kelly's sketch & MFT Make a Scene Challenges)

Hi! My family was so pleased with their homemade dinner, that the  hubby & the BOYS are doing the dishes tonight! Yeah! And Mommy gets to play;) This is for the EXTRA sketch over at 2s4y, the design team member does a sketch every week as well AND it's for My Favorite Things, which is where this set is from, as well as the ribbon. Ok- tons of paper pieceing, some embellishments (do you, or do you not LOVE the rhinestone "ornaments"- I love them, and they were really easy.) I wrote my sons' and hubby's name on her "nice list," OR maybe it's the naughty list, there are some days I wonder....;) Solid cardstock is from SU! Patterned paper is My Mind's Eye. I LOVE this card, but it was alot of work, so I will likely not make any more, or, if I do, dial down the paper piecing, cutting out those teensy tiny slippers was TOUGH!

The boys have a 3 day weekend, and I plan to stay home more or less the next 2 days. I will be cleaning, but hope to treat myself with some blog time/craft therapy:) Hope to see you SOON!! -Noelle

Vampire Card for 2s4y

Hi! I am SOOOOOOOO happy to finally be getting a post done this week. Last week was beyond crazy & this week I seem to be catching up from last week. Here's a cute little vampire card for ya today, it's for Laura's sketch over at 2s4y. Here's the sketch. What struck me about this was all the white space in the lower left hand corner. So, I used a patterned paper instead to keep the space there "blank."

I'm including two pics today, my camera was acting weird & I couldn't get the colors quite right on these. Most everything on this card is new SU! This paper is flocked, so fun!! The ribbons are striped:My Favorite Things, and plain:Offray. I colored my little vampire guy with Copics, and I am sad you cant see his cute pinkish cheeks here, but, like I said, the photos, oh well:( There is a glittery black piece behind the bat which is embossed in black on black. I hand cut the sentiment and distressed it. The card base is Cherry Cobbler red, I was trying to pull in the red from his cape.

It looks like 2s4y is going to be looking for new team members from their winners, eeeeekkk! I am still green at blogging, but I'm going to give it my all- I LOVE that blog! :)

Gotta fly, going to actually COOK for my family tonight, poor guys have been fending for themselves & eating lots of frozen food as of late :( I'm making my great-aunt Tat's FAMOUS pan fried catfish! mmmmmm, it's so good. My great-aunt Tat invented the recipe because her husband (great-uncle Roy) was a really good fisherman, and where he lived in Iowa, catfish was the fish you caught. Anyway, my kids love this famous family recipe & I'm making a salad, and some couscous as well. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. My schedule is not SO busy these next few days, so my plan is to be back SOON with some more fun challenges for you. Have a stellar day!! -Noelle

CCMC 116 Schoolkids Card

I am SO desperate for some "craft therapy" this week, that I'm forfeiting sleep to get it! Seriously I don't know why I even think I can go a week without "playing." ;) I read in college (I have my BFA in Theater) that the difference between an artist and a hobbyist is who "drives the bus," if you drive your creativity, you are a hobbyist. If it drives you, artist. By that definition, I'm an artist. Once I get something in my head, I can't get it out (or rest, or focus on anything else hardly!) until I've made it, or painted it, sewn it, directed it or.... well, whatever the project is I've created in my head really. That being said, it's late so I'll keep this short and sweet. This is for the sketch challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary. Check it out, it's a great sketch!

supply list: patterned papers, sticker from October Afternoon; stamp (Greeting Card Kids) twine, red button, corner punch, notebook edge punch & solid cardstock from SU!; cloud die from MFT; Cuttlebug embossing folder; puzzle die from Sizzix; pencil from Target, button from my jar 'o buttons;)

Sayonara, I REALLY need some sleep! Big day tomorrow, I will fill you in later!!

xoxox-Noelle

2s4y Dotty Dinosaur boy

Ok, can I just tell you how IN LOVE I am with this stamp set?? Too cute, I am TOTALLY crazed this week & I just really wanted to find 5 minutes to get this done, soooooo..... I made time;) Ok, I really am busy, so quickly.... this is for the 2s4y sketch challenge Kazan's Sketch 61. Go check it out. This is that new set & cloud die from My Favorite Things. The solid cardstock, Top Note die, red ribbon, red button & twine are SU! The taupe dotted paper is My Mind's Eye. The red dotted paper is October Afternoon. The black button is from my random stash...... I think that's it, have a super day!!!! :) -Noelle

Happy Birthday Evan!!!!!

 

Happy birthday to my youngest son, Evan, today!!! It's hard to believe that 3 years ago today we welcomed this little cutie into our world and he completed our family. What a wonderful journey it has been so far:)

I have lots of pics of his birthday party stuff that I made. First off this card is made with the CUTEST stamp set from My Favorite Things. It's called "Little Loveosaurus." I have seen some other bloggers use this set, and I had to use it because Evan's nickname is "little monster beast." There couldn't be a MORE perfect stamp to use for his birthday card! For the letters of his name, I just inked up the specific letters I wanted on another stamp from this set, which reads "Rawr means I love you." So just inked up the e, v, a and n letters on that with a pen and punched them out with a small circle punch. Paper and epoxy circles are K and Company. Solid cardstock is SU! Not sure on ribbon brand, but it's from Hobby Lobby.

I love you, my little angel!!!

 Here's some things I made for his party today. Not a big party, just a few of his little preschool buds coming over after school today for coloring, playdoh, and lunch. I made all these goodies with the "Elmo's Party" Cricut Cartridge.

I gotta fly, finish getting ready for the party, and then the BIG event I Chair for our PTO is on Friday. Hoping to get back to having more blogging time next week! Have a great day!!!



He likes this banner so much I'm going to hang it in his room after the party, I stamped the letters onto the big white letters with SU retired set "crayon fun alphabet."





Elmo party bags









I made the cupcake toppers with punches and shaped confetti.



pop-up invitations