Practicing Creativity - it' almost time!

I am so excited to be a Guest Designer for Practicing Creativity Stamps this month. I first noticed these great stamps on Karen's blog. That led me to Courtney's blog and then to the Practicing Creativity store. Every month there is a new release and honestly, they are all great. This month is no exception. I can't reveal the goods yet but I'm here today with a little hint. If you hop on over to the design team blogs, maybe you will figure it out ;)

The hint: What's your favorite sequel?

I had to have a bit of a think on this one but decided that for me it's The Godfather Part II. One of the best sequels ever as far as I'm concerned.

So, until tomorrow...when I can start sharing, here are a few holiday cards I made with Practicing Creativity holiday stamps. First up, this card I made with Christmas Wonder. The holiday paper is Basic Grey Jovial. I made the ribbon from narrow strips of fabric folded in half and zig zag stitched:

This one features Retro Christmas (don't you love that script?!) The paper here is Kaiser Craft and embossing powder is Glitter Zing.

And lastly - just picked up this one - Everyday Prints. Love those blocky distressed letters.

I was feeling a little 'Ren & Stimpy' when I made this one!

So, why not stop by the designer's blogs and see if you can figure it out?! Here are some handy links:

Courtney Baker

Karen Baker

Paulina Nakamura

Dana W. Seymour

Amy Kolling

And stay tuned tomorrow for your first peek at set number 1!

Sunday At The Studio

This week at The Studio we got to work with a sketch - with a little twist - the page had to have a monochrome color scheme. Here's what I made:

I love to work with a sketch. It makes life so much easier when you don't have to worry about where to put the parts. You can compound the ease-factor if you throw in a club kit. Then you don't have to worry about what the parts are (besides photos, of course!) Most of the materials here are from a Studio Calico kit from a few months ago - with a couple of extra items thrown in for good measure. The layout tells the story of the day our friend came to pick up some cookies he ordered from me in his airplane. We met him at our local commuter airport. The kids got to sit in the cockpit and good fun was had by all. Oh, and it was the first time anyone ever picked up a cookie order by plane. Here's a close up: 

supplies: patterned cardstock: Basic Grey, Studio Calico, Girls Paperie; letters: Making Memories; frames: K & Co.; rub ons: Basic Grey; die cuts: Girls Paperie; stamp: Studio Calico; tab punch: McGill

To see the sketch and the fabulous work of the design team, and play along, click here.

Got a little happy 'Royal' mail this week. First up - Amanda knows I'm a little fascinated by the royal family. (I can trace this back to the wedding of Diana & Charles - I was 13 at the time and got up at the crack of dawn to watch.) With the announcement of the impending royal wedding she thought I might appreciate these little ditties:

How awesome is this? Vintage programs from the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. (Vintage + British Royals...you can't go wrong with this combo!) I am struck by the ceremony and level of detail that goes into these royal events. I am fascinated with this:

the family tree page of the royal family...cool stuff. Thank you Amanda!!!!

Also from Amanda - this time via her Scrap Rat shop - these:

2 of her newly-released, super cool stamps. I LOVE these and plan to use them today!!

Simple Things Sunday

Simple Things day - today it's the fresh batch of chocolate chip walnut cookies I baked on Friday. Love when the cookie jar is so full it doesn't close!

Want to play along - stop by Rebecca Cooper's blog for the details on this fun project.

Twisted Sketches #35

Time for a new card sketch from Anam at Twisted Sketches! This week's twist is "layers" - anyway, anywhow. Here's what I came up with (those stitches are the first ever with my new machine...)

materials: Cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper, letter stickers: Echo Park; stamp: Hero Arts; frame: K & Co; punches: EK Success, Stampin Up; flower: Queen & Co.; clip: Tim Holtz; string: Martha Stewart

You can see the sketch here and also check out the amazing and inspiring work of the design team. Also, have you seen this? Anam just released her iPhone app for scrapbookers - Sketches2Scrapbook. Think it's time for me to get an iPhone!!
 
And don't forget the Ella Thanksgiving sale - still going on. It's a great time to stock up on some bundles of eBooks! Like this awesome combo:

 And that's not all -if you purchase one of the super-fun bundles this weekend, leave a comment on this Ella blog post sharing which bundle you purchased. They will pick three random winners on Monday, November 29, who will get their purchase for FREE!

Today is going to be a little crazy. Need to bake my project for Julie's blog, make a few more cards, work out the kinks on the digital card, start a review for Scrap That and my dt work for Scrapper's Cove. Oh, yeah, and the Christmas decorating I promised to start with my kids....I'm off!
Have a great day!

Welcome to the holidays!

Ah, the holidays. The time of year where I notoriously over-extend myself. To add a little extra pressure to the mix this year, we are taking a week and heading to Disney right before Christmas. I will do my best to write blog posts in advance and maybe even blog from Disney.
So, on the crafty front.....

I was honored to be asked by my boss to design our annual holiday card. Suzan is a great designer and has pretty high standards, so I'm doing everything I can to turn out something worthy. Since I can't make 100 holiday cards (and envelopes) by hand by Monday, the card has to be designed digitally. This brainstorm launched me into a search for some digital stamps and other stuff that might be useful, not to mention a crash-course in Photoshop. Let me tell you, I have an all new appreciation for the digital and hybrid scrapbookers out there. Your tools are incredibly complex and the graphics available to you are astounding! In search of 'starbursts' I happened upon Designer Digitals and picked up this little number:

Exactly what I was looking for. Several hours (and numerous expletives) later, I figured out how to make them 'work'. Once it's finalized, I'll share the card with you.

I am so thrilled to be guest designing for Practicing Creativity Stamps in December!.

If you haven't seen Courtney's amazing stamps, you should definitely check them out.  I've been a fan (and collector) for several months now. Reveal of the December sets starts on Tuesday - so stay tuned!

This weekend will definitely be a crafty one. I need to get ahead on all the projects that will be due while I am away. I'll be working on my post for Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's blog. This promises to be a great series of holiday posts:

Making my Practicing Creativity projects. Working on the card layout for work. Making the 100 envelopes. So, are you braving the shops this weekend? Working on crafty projects? Decorating for the holidays? All of the above?

Oh, and be sure to check out the big Thanksgiving sale at Ella Publishing! They've got some cool bundles available!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A quick note to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be back tomorrow with an update and some craftiness! Have a wonderful day!

Made this turkey with my son - scrapbook paper scraps and glitter sure come in handy on projects like this!

Thankful in Monmouth

Blogging about a few things I'm thankful for today - Monmouth County, NJ style - over at The Real Jersey Shore blog. Stop by and tell me what you are thankful for in your neck of the woods!

Winner Day!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by for my blogiversary! I love reading all your comments :)
So, how bout' that winner!!

Hooray - comment # 20 belongs to:

~amy~ said...

WE are all glad that you decided to publish your blog live for all to see...I am continually inspired by your oh-so-lovely work!

November 20, 2010 10:07 AM

Congratulations Amy - send me an email (valfm66@yahoo.com) with your address and I'll pop those goodies in the mail!

Yesterday, I began the unexpected and exhausting move of my scrap space.

The untimely death of my sewing machine at that hands of my children made me realize I need to work in a more protected area of the house. I've resisted moving because I like being where they and hearing them play while I work. And up until now, they've show little to no interest in my 'stuff.' That has changed over the past few months and honestly, hearing the music of Super Mario over and over while I'm creating is hurting my brain. So, I spent yesterday essentially chopping my bedroom in half (it's a fairly large & unique attic space) and carving out a scrap space. It was a design challenge to say the least. It's not exactly what I had in mind for my 'scrap room' - and there will be challenges working up there - but it will do for now until I can take over my husband's office (don't tell him I said that ;) A few more trips to Ikea, a big paint job, and my vision will be complete.  I'll share details when it's all done!

 

Simple Things Sunday

My simple thing for this week:

Old wooden frames. I ordered these vintage looking frames from Pottery Barn over the summer. They were backordered for so long I totally forgot about them, until Wednesday, that is...when they showed up on my doorstep. I was ready to send them back because I had read a few bad reviews about them arriving broken. Well, that won't be happening. As soon as I pulled back the first piece of tissue paper I was in love. They are exactly what I wanted for the wall in my dining room. Simple, white and perfect. :)

 

You can play along too! Photograph one simple thing each week that makes you happy. The Simple Things challenge can be found on Rebecca Cooper's blog.
and...

Don't forget to enter my blogiversary giveaway here...you have until midnight tonight to win!

Sunday At The Studio

Is it just me or are the Sundays coming faster and faster as we get closer to the holidays?  This week at The Studio we had a fun challenge on a topic that I'm sure is on everyone's minds these days: shopping.

"Have you started (or finished) you Christmas shopping? This week your challenge is to scrapbook about shopping! Maybe you'll scrap your shopping list, pictures of your favourite purchases or journal about how much you detest heading to the supermarket. "

Here's what I came up with:

supplies: Patterned paper: Basic Grey, Making Memories; letter stickers: Making Memories; chipboard shapes, border sticker: Crate; sticker tab: October Afternoon; stamp: Studio Calico (Studio Calico Napa Valley kit with Montecito add-on)

I used to love it when I was younger (and had more disposable income) but now I detest going to the mall. Especially near the holidays. It's this time of year especially that I rely on the stacks and stacks of mail order catalogs that arrive in my mailbox daily. I know the internet will eventually do away with my 'glossy shopping center,' but for now, I love to sit down with a stack and a cup of coffee and a pad of post-it notes. 

The design team really outdid themselves this week! I think you will agree - just have a look here and play along. Crafter's Worshop is our sponsor this month.

This week coming up is nuts. I even had to make an excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the projects I need to work on amidst the day job and the holiday prep. To complicate things, my children were messing around near my desk last night and knocked my sewing machine onto the floor. I guess it hit at just the right angle because it's over for that thing. So, a new machine is in my immediate future. Trying to look on the positive side, which is I get to have a new machine. Having one during a week where I have to get things done makes me a little nervous. I will miss my reliable old friend. Anywho -I'll have lots of craftiness to share by the end of this week, including something pretty cool! Hope you all have a good week ahead - and for my American pals - hope your Thankgiving prep goes smoothly!

Oh....and don't forget - this is the last day to enter my blogiversary giveaway going on here.

Happy Sunday all!

The Blogiversary Giveaway!

The actual anniversary date of my blog is a little unclear to me. Is it the date I wrote the first post or the day I made the blog live? I wrote my first post on November 1. I know I blogged for several weeks before I had the nerve to make the blog live. Oh, well, it was November 2009 - I know that for sure!

So in honor of the 1 year birthday of my blog we must have a giveaway! I recently received a significant amount of swag for a few items that got published, and I'd love to share the wealth with my readers! In the mix this time: Some Tattered Angels butterfly chipboard and 2 Maya Road shaped chipboard mini albums:

Also in the pile - A generous helping of My Minds Eye...some of the Life Story Collection:

And...and some of the So Sophie collection papers: 

Just leave me a comment by Sunday at midnight and I'll pick a winner on Monday. Good luck!

I actually never planned to make the blog live (as I discussed here) but boy, am I glad I did. I've been blessed over the past year with amazing opportunities but the best part of all; I've met so many great people as a result of this little wordy place. Thank you so much for being a part of this experience with me!!

The Wednesday Extra

It's my week for the Wednesday Extra over at The Studio. I'm definitely starting to get in the holiday crafting mood as you can see from this project:

I learned to make these dimensional boxes when I was reviewing this item for Scrap That. I've since become a little obsessed with them. Not only are they great for making cute holiday ornaments that you can fill with treats and small gifts, but I discovered you could turn them pointy side down, run a string through them and hang them like a pennant.

Here are some detail photos:

If you feel like making 25 of them, you could have a pretty great pennant advent calendar.  I've put together a tutorial which you can link to from here, or on the sidebar. Let me know if you come up with any other clever ideas for these beauties and check out The Studio to see the ornament project.

The REAL Jersey Shore

Today's my first post over at The REAL Jersey Shore blog! In honor of my first post, thought I'd share a few of my fave photos of this great place I call home:

The Windmill, West End

Sandy Hook Lighthouse

Detail of steel beam from World Trade Center at 9-11 Memorial in Atlantic Highlands

Jenkinson's Pier - Point Pleasant 

on the boardwalk at Point Pleasant

on the LBI pier

The REAL Jersey Shore is the brainchild of Lauren Mattia. It all started with her YouTube videos to show people what it's really like to live on the Jersey Shore.  Due to the success of the video series, she started The REAL Jersey Shore blog to highlight talented, local artists' stories, tips and insight on the Jersey Shore and beyond. The blog is a way for YOU to experience our home as it really is.

I hope you will stop by often!

Simple Things Sunday

Here's my weekly photo for Rebecca Cooper's 'the Simple Things' project. I didn't set out to take this photo specifically for this project - it was in the mix with some photos I took when I was out yesterday with my daughter. We were touring a restored house from the 40's.

I love the simplicity of classic architecture. The tracery in those side lights just makes me swoon. This doorway opens out onto the Sandy Hook bay but in order to capture the details inside, I had to overexpose the outside. I shot the image in raw so I'm sure there is some Photoshop way to recover the view outside, I just haven't learned it yet. I have a 6 week Photoshop class on tap for January. I will fix it then, for sure.

Sunday At The Studio

Doesn't it seem like the Sundays keep coming faster and faster?! Time for a new challenge at The Studio - here's what Amanda asked us to do this week:

This week, we want you to think about how lucky you are! Do you consider yourself 'lucky'? What is your idea of luck? Create a project about YOU and what being lucky means in your eyes.

I'm not a lucky person when it comes to winning prizes, or lotteries. I don't gamble because I always loose. I think this is karma's way of balancing the fact that I am extremely lucky when it comes to my family: I am blessed with a great husband and 2 very happy and healthy children. I this respect - I've got all the luck in the world - and that is just fine with me!

supplies: Patterned paper: American Crafts, MME; stickers: Making Memories; butterflies: Studio Calico; letters: Jillbean Soup; tape: Tim Holtz; border stickers: Crate

I used the current Studio Calico kit for this page. I added a little Tim Holtz paper tape since I seem to be adding that to everything these days. I didn't journal at all because I think the picture, the date stamp and the title speak for themselves.
The design team over at The Studio is amazing. I could make a page about how lucky I am to get to work alongside them! This month, as always, they really put together some truly amazing pages. You can see their work here and link up your own page about your luck (or lack thereof) right on the sidebar. Our sponsor this month is Crafter's Workshop. I'm looking forward to seeing your pages!!

Twisted Sketches #033

Saturday means another fun sketch from Anam at Twisted Sketches. And the twist this week is 'brad.' I was feeling the holiday crafty mojo this week and finally got to use my new stamps from Practicing Creativity. (I foresee heavy use of these in the immediate future!)

 

To see the sketch and the design team's did with it - go here. I can't help but be inspired by their work! Anam picks a fave every week for a small prize, so why not link up?

TCB...

Taking care of business this morning - that's what Elvis used to say - that's what my old friend Ed used to say when we worked together - that is what this first post of the day is all about!

First order of biz...and I'm excited about this...I've been invited to blog over at my pal Lauren Mattia's awesome blog The Real Jersey Shore. Just to put you in a Jersey state-of-mind, here are a few of the pics I took yesterday on my photo adventure:

The view from Atlantic Highlands - that's NYC in the background..

Sandy Hook Lighthouse (my first time there, ever!)...

the famous Windmill - best hot dogs ever!

Many of you might be familiar with the tv program that depicts the 'real' lives of some people who come down to the shore for the summer. We, who actually live on or near the Jersey Shore, call these people "Bennies." They come from neighboring states. They clog our highways and crowd our boardwalks. Not complaining. They bring their $$ which fund the lives of NJ business owners for the other 9 months of the year. They are part of the Jersey Shore summer, but New Jersey, particularly the gorgeous shore area, is so much more than that tv program will ever reveal. Thanks to Lauren, her fantastic and funny YouTube video series, and now her cool blog - you can get the inside scoop on what it's really like here at the Jersey Shore.  So tune in on Tuesday for my first post! (I'll remind you ;)

Next order of biz...my scrappy pal Amanda, who owns the Scrap Rat Shop just released a line of stamps!

As if that is not great enough (because the stamps look very cool) she's giving some away on her blog. I'm in, are you?

Thanks to everyone that stopped by on the blog hop yesterday. Wow, those Ella Friends really made some amazing projects! This afternoon I'll have my Twisted Sketches card for this week. Tomorrow is The Studio Challenges day. Busy here on the blog. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Celebrating Friendships with Ella Best Friends

It's blog hop day with the Ella Publishing Friends.

In honor of our new friendships we are blogging today about just that: friendship! It's only been 2 months but it has been so nice to connect with these talented ladies and get to know them better. Honestly, I get a little star struck and shake my head sometimes in disbelief that I am even included on that list with them. I'm feeling very lucky. I'm hoping to travel to CHA this winter to meet some of them in person. I'll keep you posted on my plans.

So, today, everyone has put together a little something on the topic of friendship. I made this layout about my first friend ever..my big brother:

I used the Studio Calico kit from last month. (Finally! Everyone seems to love them but I've been totally struggling with those Sassafras papers!) The photos are of me and my big brother. My dad took them in 1969 - on our stoop in Brooklyn. (My Dad is an awesome photographer!) I've actually scrapped these photos before but thought the page was way too fussy and not true to my style. (I was trying to impress a manuf. for a DT call - decided I'm not going to do that anymore.) This is way better - these photos deserved the best possible effort, as they are some of my all time faves.

Now, I can't wait to see what the Ella friends have put together today! Why not have a look see...here are the links:

Brenda Johnston

Diana Chen

Donna Jannuzzi

Francine Clouden

Jenni Hufford

Jennifer Larson

Keshet Starr

Lee Currie

Mary Jo Johnston

May Flaum

Monika Wright

It's a perfect Fall day and now I'm off to take pictures for a few hours. Enjoy the day!!