A layout... why not!

I think I'll just share a layout today that's not for any challenges (except for the Club Creating Keepsakes One Hour Challenge last week). I have another layout I need to post, but I haven't taken a picture of it yet and uploaded it to my compter. So, I might double post today...

The challenge was to use a card on your layout. So, I got this gingerbread Christmas card and got to work!

I'm so proud of myself- I came up with the design of this layout all on my own. I had been thinking about it for a while, and I just hadn't gotten it on a layout yet. I used some of my awesome October Afternoon "Holiday Style" papers and Flower Sack (what OA calls a pack of diecuts). I love this line-- and the better part is that I got the rest of the line for Christmas from my parents! Yippee! I only had 3 papers that I received from my October Afternoon Santa Sack before then. (When I was making this layout, I only had the 3 pages and my diecuts to use)

I'm really into bordering my layouts with twine- I am getting tired of sewing on every single layout. When I flip back through my albums, all that I see is stitching everywhere.
(Now, I'll see twine, right?!)

To incorporate my card into the layout, I cut a couple of the gingerbread men out with my Cricut and flowed them in with the diecuts.

Hope you have a GREAT Thursday!! We're going to Oklahoma and Missouri tomorrow to be with family out there for Christmas, so I guess I'll see you in 2012!

Merry Christmas!!

Hope you're having a WONDERFUL Christmas today!

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas and share with you my Christmas cards I made for my friends this year. I only make like 10 or so cards that are the same. I bought an American Crafts Dear Lizzy paper pad at TJMaxx back in the spring for only $2! I used that on my cards. I loved the blossoms and snowflakes in the papers, so I fussy cut them out and pop dotted them on my cards. What frustrates me is that I was going to add a "Merry Christmas!" sentiment in the left bottom corner of each card, but I had already sealed a few of them before I remembered it! Oh well! It really would have filled up the white space on the card, but they're gone now! :P

This is my favorite of the cards.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! May God bless you and your family this coming new year! Remember- JESUS is the reason for the season!

Challenges, Challenges, and more Challenges

I am home from church right now staying with my little sister because she's sick, and so I thought I'd post 3 projects I made this weekend for 3 separate challenges!

I got to use some of my awesome OA Santa Sack on this card!! I used the Farmhouse Flower Sack diecuts. They're sooo pretty (I love that line- and the Flower Sack is the only thing I have from the line. :( )

This next card is for the Pretty Little Studio "Think Outside the Box" challenge to use this picture to make a project! I thought I'd make a nice simple card that looked like a present with kraft, white, and red.

And last, my glittery Christmas tag! This tag is for the Fabulous Friday challenge over at Frosted Designs to use glitter on a project. I usually HATE glitter, but I had some Fairy Dust "Pralines and Cream" glitter from Clearsnap (Donna Salzaar). It's GREAT and it doesn't stick on your hands like regular glitter does.

Have a fabulous Sunday!

Pretty Little Studio Challenge Cards

When I got home from work today, I thought about doing some scrappy challenges, and the Pretty Little Studio challenges came to mind.

This first card is for the challenge to use this lovely picture for inspiration.

I used the colors, snowflakes, and circles on my card.

And then this next card is for the challenge to use this week's sketch on a project.

I used some great Jillibean Soup "Dutch Mustard" papers and embellishments. I bought some goodies from their Black Friday sale and I'm LOVIN' it!! This is the first time I've ever had a lot of JBS product to use. I used the mini papers on this particular card. My card's simple, but I kinda like simple! :)

Handmade Holiday Blog Hop

Hi! Welcome to my stop on the blog hop! I'm very excited about sharing my holiday project with you, so let's get started!! :)

First, if you didn't come from Laura's blog, then go back to Amanda's blog and start there.

Ok- now my project! I found the cutest little wooden boxes at Dollar Tree (of all places!) and I thought they looked a lot like mini printer's trays! I bought several of them and decided to make some gifts out of them! I painted the box with 2 coats of off-white (and I mixed some brown and white together for a couple of them just because that's all we had on-hand) and then put a coat of gold Stickles only on the surface wood pieces- not too much.

Then I decorated each little box with some paper from The Girls' Paperie and embellies I could find around my scraproom. The chipboard letters are some Tim Holtz Grungeboard letters that I colored with a black permanent marker and then coated with black Stickles.

I thought at first that I would display these little beuts on photo stands, but I tried that and I didn't like it. So I just tied some ribbon to the rings that were already attached to the wooden boxes! The best part about these gifts is that they don't have to be exactly the same!

Number 1

Number 2 

Number 3 

Thanks for stopping by! Sorry, I didn't orgainze a giveaway this time, but I'd love for you to comment here and tell me what you think of my little projects before you go to the next stop- Melissa's blog.

Diecut Christmas Tag

I made a project for the Fabulous Friday challenge over at Frosted Designs! The challenge was to use die-cuts on a card, layout, or project. Well, I immediately thought of a Cricut cartridge that I have called "Very Merry Tags." It's super cute (someone gave it to me for my birthday LAST year!) and I just haven't gotten around to using it a lot!
Now I can say I've made one good tag with it! :P Just for fun, here are the images on the cartridge:

I was thinking of doing a snowflake tag and layering several white snowflakes, but I saw this little cardinal birdie so I used that instead. If you look closely in the second picture, I used some awesome Stampin' Up resist paper. It's basically got a design clear embossed on it... really pretty paper. So elegant.