A Sweet Post'n'Go

Sharing a sweet little something I put together using some oldies...but goodies!

Hope you're having a sweet day!

Gift Giving #2...From the Big Box #2

Oh my goodness...I'm so getting into the holiday spirit...and I want to give a little something to just about everyone I see!  Nope...no "Bah Humbug!" from me this year...no hint of the Mr. Grinch.  Speaking of that guy, though, I'm looking forward to our annual Grinch night...watching the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and enjoying a Grinch float.  It's coming soon...and I can't wait.  But I digress.

I have something fun to share today...something that fits the gift giving rules (to the 'nth degree, I think) and begins with a fun find at the big box!

We drink TONS of hot chocolate in the winter...and while I usually make my own mix, I was thrilled when I came across a MEGA container at  my Sam's Club.  There's enough sweet goodness in one can to make almost 90 cups of chocolatey goodness...and super cheap, too, at less than $8!  I couldn't resist putting together some hot chocolate pouches to have on hand...each has mix for three cups of hot cocoa, mini marsmallows and a fun candy cane for crushing or stirring. 

Here's the single...

and here's the group shot.

So sorry about the photography...my lights don't work...my camera AND my computer are acting up.  They're actually very much brighter in real life.  Sigh.  Despite the goober photography I think this packaging is my absolute favorite of everything I've done this year...I so love it when what I'm imaging actually happens in my hands, and that's what happened here.  The pouch is October Afternoon's Silent Night paper cut using this Accucut die.  (I truly cannot make enough of these bags!)  Inside is a medium, flat cello with hot chocolate mix.  On the outside...a small, flat cello for the marshmallows...that I thought would be fun to actually use as part of the packaging...cause they're just so darned cute!  I used some Papertrey Ink ribbon to tie it all together and then added a fun Reverse Confetti tag.  Finally...a corduroy button (retired from SU!) that I've had in my stash forever.  I think the corduroy is perfect...all festive and wintery and just the right touch of texture...I knew I'd find the perfect use for them eventually.  

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I hope you're finding your own holiday spirit! 

So Simple - From the Big Box #1

I'm not often a true lover of the big box store...I much prefer handmade or homemade.  Unfortunately, this preference often gets me into a pickle...mostly with myself...as each year I have many grand ideas to make - from scratch - delightful little treats and gifts for everyone...and yes, literally for everyone.  Uh...yeah...it never happens.  So this year I decided to give myself a break and to embrace my local Sam's Club...to make him my holiday partner.

It's always important for me to stay close to my gift giving and So Simple rules - described here and here - and I am thrilled that at Sam's I was able to do that and to find a few...more than perfect...goodies that fit the bill.  I'm now well stocked to easily whip up a treat or gift for literally anyone...from our insurance man to my favorite drive through teller.  I'll be sharing the fun over the next few days...beginning today... with sparking cider.

I love sparkling cider...we always have at least one bottle on hand to assist in any celebration...or to make a meal a little special.  I think it's the perfect little gift ...and a three-pack cost less than $6.00!  Add a bottle tag and some ribbon...and it's more than special!  

A close-up of the tag...using Papertrey Ink's 2013 Holiday tags, a tiny touch of felt and a pearl...

 

and finally...the group.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Clips and A Cozy

Every once in awhile we meet someone who immediately finds their way into more than our heart...and into our very soul.  I have been lucky enough to meet a few of those "soul" friends...who've always seemed to show up just when I needed them...and whose special place in my own soul never grows smaller, despite how far the distance or how long the time apart.

A few years ago I met just such a person...much younger than I...but in many ways we are very much alike.  We love the same things...we find the same things important...and we so enjoy any time we can find together.  I truly didn't know it at the time, but I needed her...and I have learned more from her than I could ever have imagined.  When she moved several hours away...I wasn't worried... I knew that we'd keep in touch...and I was right.  I'm hoping to see her later this week...and I wanted to do a little something special for her.  I'm thrilled that she'll be bringing her beautiful little daughter, too...and of course, I can't leave her out!  And so...for a wonderful mom and a just as wonderful daughter...

clips...

 and a cozy!

 Papertrey Ink (PTI) offers AMAZING dies for these great barrette covers and a coffee cozy...truly making it easy peasy to whip up something absolutely adorable...and they're fun, to boot!  Seriously, who could ask for more?  PTI dies are also available for the barette packaging, and the fun little envelope is one of my new Accucut dies.  Oh, and I'm so excited that I finally got to cut into the OA Silent Night paper that I picked up at StarLitStudio.  (Cindy at StarLit is AWESOME!)

My friend is currently expecting baby #4, and I'm not sure whether or not she's drinking coffee, so I filled her cup with Muddy Buddies...or Puppy Chow...and some holiday M&M's.  If she's holding off on the coffee until the new little bundle of joy arrives, I know that she does enjoy her cuppa Joe, and I think she'll love this cozy.  I think she'll also love the mom and daughter matching thing going on! 

Now...fingers crossed that the snow and ice forecast for this weekend stays away!

Thanks for visiting...and God Bless!

Grateful, Again

Yesterday was amazing.  The weather...and the work.  I was hanging laundry on the line...looking around at the wonder that is our little corner of the world.  The green grass...the laying hens (or the "ladies" as my grandson calls them)...the breeze...the incredibly blue sky.  I spied a bunny running the alongside the garden fence, and the birds kept me company in song.  Already that morning I had finished freezing this season's rhubarb crop...ready for yummy, summer desserts and for strawberry-rhubarb jam closer to the holidays.

I am grateful...for many things...and for many people.

I couldn't resist making my way to the studio to put together some fun cards to let a few important people in our lives know just how grateful we are for them...something that I know we don't do enough.

Here's my favorite:

Grateful, too, that you stopped in today!

It's Fall for the Papertrey Princesses

Hello!  I'm popping in this evening to post my card for the latest Papertrey Princesses challenge.  Lauren challenged the group to make something with a fall theme...and it wasn't hard to get right to it using these Harvest Lane papers by Simple Stories.  They're amazing...perfect for fall...and I can't get enough of them. 

 

This card also meets a couple of goals I've set for myself...to stop requiring that pesky old thing called perfection in just about everything I do...and to actually use some of the nearly 6,000 pins that I've collected on Pinterest!  So...the slightly wrinkled ribbon...no biggie...or so I've told myself.  It's a pretty big step for me to actual post this less than perfect project...typically I would have chucked the entire piece of ribbon...opting instead to cut a smooth, brand new piece.  See...I CAN do it!  As for that second goal, the card sketch is something I pinned a couple of weeks ago.  

Thanks for visiting!

Blessings... 

Hey There!

If you're a regular visitor to this little blog I know you know it...that posting here can be...okay is...well, inconsistent...at best. 

Why...the inconsistency...the vision that is so distant from the reality...to continue or to say goodbye?  

What...do I have to give...what little bit can I bring right back to myself...for myself, to tuck away with the other things that truly bring me joy?

Should I maintain the status quo...continue at all...or do it different?

Interestingly, the answer...to all of these questions...has been right under my nose the whole time...right here...on this...the blog.

Right in my profile is part of the answer...Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple. ~ Dr. Seuss....and the rest of it...right on the blog banner...the things that I'm most passionate about...the things that bring me the most peace...joy...kraft. food. family. farm.  

The answer simple and the answer is yes...I do want to continue...with a reality so much closer to my vision for this little space that I call my own...with consistency...and most importantly with passion...not passion about blogging itself...but passion. about the things that are my joy.  That's what I have to share...for both of us. 

I also have a card to share...

I love this DP from Crate Paper...I love everything about it...especially the the soft blue flowers that are almost hidden...and so perfect with Papertrey Ink's aqua mist ribbon.  Oh...and have you ever pulled out an oldie but goodie from your craft stash and wondered why you haven't used it before and now you want to use it on everything?  I know that's a run on sentence but it's how I'm feeling about Stampin' Up's antique brads.  I've had them forever and have just fallen in love with them.  Trust me...you'll see them again...and now, I must order more!  

Blessings...

Papertrey Princesses Challenge: Mostly White and an Embossed Panel

Good morning!  I am grateful today...grateful for many things, but mostly because it has cooled down a bit here in Northern Illinois.  The nighttime temps are perfect for turning off the air and opening the windows...it's such a better, more restful way to sleep!  More importantly though...we've had some RAIN!  I don't know that it's enough to help the damage done to this year's crops...and I doubt that it is...but we'll take every little drop we can get.
I have CAS card today...another Papertrey Princesses challenge...this time from Lee, who challenged us to add an embossed panel on our card and to try to use mostly white.  

 I need a card to welcome a new, sweet little boy into the world...and I think this fits the bill perfectly.  Thanks, Lee for a great challenge...and thanks to YOU for visiting today.
Have a super day!

Papertrey Ink July Blog Hop

I was thrilled this morning to be able to put together something for this month's Blog Hop over at PTI...

 ...and here's the fabulous inspiration.  So sweet and summery!

Summer around here  is truly all about the farm...the animals, the gardens, the flowers...and I couldn't resist using this challenge as a way to show my love for every bit of it.

This card was so much fun to make...mostly because it came out EXACTLY the way I envisioned it would.  I love it when that happens!
Thanks so much for visiting, and have a great day!

A New Papertrey Princesses Challenge

I'm honored to once again post a Papertrey Princesses challenge! The Princesses are a group of talented (and patient) crafters who take turns posting a fun, new challenge every two weeks.  The challenge is typically posted on a Thursday...so I'm late - as usual...but better late than never, right?  So...let's get started!
For a what seems like forever I've had little time to craft or to post here, and one reason is that by necessity I've had to once again relocate my craft room.  While I very much dislike...and maybe even hate...the moving process, I do have to admit that it forces me to take stock of the supplies that I hoard...I mean have...and to think long and hard about whether they're something that I use...or truly just love...enough to keep.  For this challenge I thought it would be fun to use some of the things that I decided to keep...to remind myself of why I really do LOVE them!  Here's what I put together...a sweet tag...and oh what fun it was!

 First up...metal!  For a while I used a little metal on almost every project...most often a brad or an eyelet.  In fact, when I first started paper crafting I was told that if a project seemed to need a little something to add some metal.  I have always adored these large eyelets and used them on almost everything I made.  I also used a couple of matching brads on this tag.  Next up is the Nestabilities. I remember clearly when I bought my first set from PTI.  These little beauties have been such good crafting friends...and it was fun to pull them out and layer up!  I also used the little Nestabilites tag for the sentiment...I just couldn't resist!
Now, the punches...oh my...the punches.  There are so many, many punches, and while I don't use them nearly as often as I used to I know that the minute I let go of even one it's going to be just the one I need as the final touch...and I can't have that now, can I?  Finally, there's the scraps.  I just can't seem to loosen my grasp on even one tiny piece of beautiful patterned paper...it's a sickness, I tell you...but they're so handy to have around for a tag...or a layer...or for any one of a hundred other little projects.

So, my fellow Princesses...your challenge is to pull out an oldie...or two or three...anything that is collecting dust but that you can't seem to say goodbye to...and create any project of your choosing.  I look forward to seeing your work!

Monday with Melis...Challenge #3

A new to me style...a cupcake or something sweet...buttons...a background stamp...that was the mission.

Hmmm...okay...here it is.

A new to me style...check.  This clean and graphic thing...not sure that I'm comfortable with it for me, but I've loved it from others.
Something sweet...check.  I took a little creative liberty with the something sweet thing...and what's sweeter than bubble gum?
Buttons...check.  Okay...one button, but it's still a check.
A background stamp...check.

Mission accomplished!

Monday with Melis...Challenge #2

I've traveled such a rocky road for months and months...it seemed like everything fun had disappeared...including finding even an extra minute to get into the studio...and oh, how I've missed it!
My first real work in literally months was to step up to a new challenge from Melissa Phillips on the Papertrey Ink forum...with this piece from Danielle Flanders as inspiration.  Fabulous, isn't it?

I typically struggle with inspiration photos...but this one came so easy!  I loved the soft, plaid background...and the flowers...and the placing of the elements, including how the large focal point sits at an angle...MAGICAL!
Here's what it inspired in me...

Part of the reason that I've been unable to get crafty is because I've had to once again "relocate" my studio.  While I've dreaded that process...and it's seemed to drag on forever...it's been useful to help me prioritize and organize.  I also found myself falling in love all over again with some things that I hadn't seen in a while...like this Stampin' Up! paper...I really do remember ordering it and LOVING it from the get to...the colors and the texture...AWESOME!  For this challenge I paired it with PTI stamps and dies...and a little bit of twine...and I think it'll be a perfect presentation for a special someone on Mother's Day...or if I can't wait that long, maybe even a little earlier!
Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a great evening!

Papertrey Princesses Challenge - Nontraditional Colors

Good morning!  Sorry for the tardiness of my posting this challenge...and I don't have a real excuse...just that what I truly need to do in my life gets in the way of what I want to do sometimes...okay, times.   Either way, I hope you enjoy have fun with this!
There's been some discussion on the PTI forum about using nontraditional colors for Christmas cards and projects.  Typically, I'm a pretty traditional gal...but the discussion and some awesome PTI design team projects has gotten me trying to think outside the box...not to mention outside my comfort zone.  So...I thought it would be fun for this challenge to use some nontraditional colors for fall projects...and here's what I've come up.
First, a clean and simple card using a kraft base and a few die cuts in red, green and blue...the sentiment on a double ended banner...and a button as the finishing touch.

I just couldn't let the other leaves from the die cut go to waste...so I put together another card...off white base...red, blue and green leaves...a strip of brown with a woodgrain impression anchoring twine and a button...and a sentiment perfect for a friend I've been needing to keep in touch with. 

 

Thanks for stopping by, and have a super day!

PDCC94 - Hanging Out...Again

Seriously...I simply cannot get enough of PTI's Hanging Out stamp set and die.  AMAZING...a crafty masterpiece!  I've used it again...this time little boys...and to play along at the Play Date Cafe...Challenge 94...Fudge, Goldenrod and Teal. 



Perfect little boy fare, me thinks...and here's my contribution.

Thanks for stopping by...and have a GREAT day!

Halloween Fun Sneak Peek

I thought it would be fun to share one of the cards that we'll be making in the upcoming Halloween Fun In the Classroom.  The sketch...totally CASEd from Nichole Heady's blog...is fast becoming one of my favorites. I love to throw in a little unexpected color...like this PTI Aqua Mist...in the midst of a fall-ish-Halloween card...so fun!  Doesn't the little swirly (from PTI Half and Half stamp set and dies) above the jack-o-lantern make him look a little scary...or confused...or that he's having a bad hair day?  Either way...gotta love him!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great evening!

Thinking of You

Popping in this morning to share a card that I made last night...no rhyme or reason...no challenge...kind out of my element using lighter colors...but I'm kinda liking it.  I used PTI's Larger than Life stamp set and dies...for the first time.  LOVE them...can't wait to use them again!  The sentiment is from PTI's Healing Touch Sentiments set.  If you don't have it, run...don't walk...to get your hands on it.  Perfection!

Now I'm off to make zucchini and banana muffins and get a TON of laundry done.  Thanks for stopping by...have a GREAT day!

ETA:  Forgot to give credit where credit is due...totally CASEd this card from the new SU! catalog...lots to CASE in there!  :)

My First PDCC

Play Date Cafe Challenge 93, that is...Watermelon, Sorbet and Lime...colors that are VERY out of my comfort zone, but I gave it a shot!  Here's the challenge post...and what a great design team!  So creative and talented!

Actually, it's grown on me...it's one of those cards that really does look better in real life...and there's a bonus - it's perfect for a wedding card that I need to get into the mail this week.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Sunday!

One to Send...Another Princesses Challenge

Popping in this morning to share another Papertrey Princesses challenge...this one from Leah who challenged us to make a card that we would send out within a week.  While I love making cards...and other gifties...I definitely have a hard time getting them into the hands...and hopefully hearts...of those they are intended for.  I was so up for this challenge!
A friend of the family had their first baby this week...a precious little girl...and what better card is there to make than one to celebrate a new little life?  I couldn't resist CASEing a card made by Betsy Veldman and using PTI's new Hanging Out stamp set and dies...TO. DIE. FOR.  Seriously, folks!

I had been hoarding some Cosmo Cricket Little Girls paper, and I talked myself into cutting into it...I was not disappointed!  These little jumpers and t-shirts and onesies are ADORABLE...they look like something you could pick up at Gymboree, don't they? 

I've wanted for awhile to make a little gifty scrapbook that Nichole Heady had on her blog a while ago...an easy way for parents to document their baby's first year milestones.  This was the perfect opportunity to do that...so, of course, I had to make a tag that matched the gift...I cut the tag with a coaster, so it's strong enough to stay on the book for all times!  If this little girl is going to be anything like my kids, though, it won't last forever...their baby books are well loved (uh...kinda destroyed)...but I don't mind...we spent many hours talking about how special they are and how many people loved them.  

I didn't get a chance to photograph the inside of the album, but it was easy peasy to put together...I'll definitely be making more of them!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a SUPER Saturday!

Hot or Cold?

Good morning!  I'm finally able to get back to this little blog...I've been out of commission, or I should say that our internet service has been out of commission...for more than 2 1/2 weeks!!  Crazy, and soooooo frustrating...but we're back on.  Yay! 
We've also had family in town for a long visit...good to see everyone...but good to get back into the swing of things, to our normal routine. 
I've been VERY out of the loop with my challenge group...Papertrey Princesses...on the PTI forum, and I'm happy that getting back to normal has given me some time to catch up with a couple of challenge projects.  Princess Vanessa challenged us to use only "hot" (red, orange, yellow, pink) or "cold" (blue, green, grey) colors on a card.  Using primarily cold colors are kind of out of my comfort zone...but here's mine...

I couldn't resist using PTI's new Sweet as Can Be stamp set and dies...truly cool!  I had so much fun with this challenge...couldn't resist doing the same card in some "hot" colors...

And here they are...together...hot and cold!

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!

Post'n'Go - Get Well

Back with another Post'n'Go to share this bright and cheerful get well card. 

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!