Once Upon a Time Blog Hop

If you are here for the A Year of Card Techniques - (March) Inlaid Diecutting... please go HERE! (or... scroll down and check out all my posts for the day! I'm kinda great!)

Welcome to the
Once Upon a Time Blog Hop!

We are so delighted you are joining us in a land far, far away!! We will be showcasing projects featuring only the finest princesses in the land! So come be inspired by our magical talents!
Connie Can Crop is the first stop in this hop. This is a one day blog hop and we appreciate your leaving a comment for all of these amazing crafters.

We have an awesome sponsor for this hop!

One lucky winner will win a $20 gift card to shop their awesome files in their shop! Be sure to check out their shop online HERE. AND! Visit them on Facebook HERE. AND! Follow their blog HERE for freebies and inspiration!

What do you need to do to win? Easy... become a follower of each of the fabulous blogs in this hop and leave each of them a comment, letting them know what you like best about their projects.
You will have until 10 pm Sunday to finish the hop and leave your comments. The WINNER will be announced on Wednesday 3/16/16 at Connie Can Crop.

Be sure to follow everyone and leave a comment along the way!

So, between you and me... Haven't you ever wanted a do-over? I know I have... And going back through my scrapbooks, I see things coming off the page (old crappy glue or adhesive... You know what I mean... before we knew there was better?), definitely dysfunctional style... That "what the hex was I thinking when I put that page together???? and other scrapbooking woes. Whelpers... ME TOO!!!! So this two-page layout from a quincenera was crying, "HELP ME... PLEASE!" I don't believe it was an actual "please" but more of a demand. And so... I obliged.

You can't really see it... but I added a Wink of Stella on the white borders and scrolls... Glamming it up and making it all even gaudier than it already was...

Here's a better view. This is interactive. (You can't see it and the pics came out WAY to blurry to even bother posting, because you might wonder if some of my pics were taken by a child, but the picture frame [and photo] are a mini-accordion album and fold out to reveal many more photos.) What can I say? I try to make the most out of a page!

This is Aurora... But I made her a tad darker... to be more like the Quince Princess (the Birthday Girl!) and her doll. I just couldn't make curly hair to fit... so sue me.

A bit more detailed view... I just love Stickles!

And here's a whole 'nother page (the right side) completed. This was a long time ago... but I believe after my mini-maintenance, the pages will last a lot longer. Thank goodness I discovered better GLUE!

 

Sometimes, you just have to take a little breather and fix a couple of things... Life lasts much longer this way and breathing is easier, Don'tchya think?

 

Just a note... And oh my! Let me tell you how much easier this all was since the FIRST time I created it... Cricut has come such a long way! And the cutting is even better than ever!!!! Makes me maybe wanna "fix" some more things!!!!

 

Up next is Veronica! (Isn't that just a royal-sounding name? I think so!)

Here's our line up in case you get lost or need to find your way back to another land...

Connie- http://conniecancrop.blogspot.com

Pam - http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com

Janet- http://janetscreativeworld.blogspot.com

Alicia- http://goldengoddessdesigns.blogspot.com

Kim - http://katydidcards.com

Miranda - www.nanasscrapspot.com 

Angela - http://www.crazy3monkeys.blogspot.com

Tricia - http://mysticalcardcreations.blogspot.com

Beth~ http://thecraftyscrapyard.blogspot.com

Sarah ~ www.sarahbiswabic.blogspot.com

Ashley - http://marinewifesscrappinlife.blogspot.com

Holli- http://sunflowerholli.blogspot.com

Lisa - http://lisaslittlerascals.blogspot.com

Veronica- http://vickyscrappingpassion.blogspot.com

Charmagne- Sanurascraps.blogspot.com

Sewing Machine Day (Paper Hoarders DT Post)

I know that YOU know today is Friday - the 13th, but in my world, there is no such thing as a bad-luck-day, so... now that you've got that into your head... moving on!

Over at Paper Hoarders, we're celebrating the invention of the sewing machine, because it was "invented" sometime around this time (maybe in France, after the first "working" model in England?) somewhere in the 1830's. (Wikipedia and other sources seem to lack in the fine details, so again... moving on...) So, we were to utilize stitching in our project.

But guess what? This time, I didn't make a layout. I didn't make a card. "Gasp!" you say? I know, huh!

I made a 6x6" mini album for my daughter. We were going to Disneyland, and she wanted an autograph album... little did I know that she actually wanted to stand in ALL OF THE CHARACTER LINES for hours... EEK!

I did some other "firsts", too. I actually used my BIA (Bind-It-All) machine, by Zutter. Um... I've had it for quite some time, and was kind of afraid of it. So, I just let it sit in my collection. But hey... I pulled it out and read through... and tried it. The pages are a little uneven, so I'll have to figure that out at a later date, but it was good for now.

The inside cover(s) were "finished". A larger piece of cardstock (red) was cut at the corners and folded over chipboard (AKA: cereal box - I am a frugal and recycling mama afterall...), then a smaller piece of cardstock (light gray) was adhered to cover the tabs. Woohoo!

As for the design, whelpers, we were going to Disneyland. and so. a little bit of Disney needed to be added. The Mickey Ears and Disney AND 2012 were cut from Mickey & Friends Font with the Cricut, then stitched (from the underside so that I could semi-follow a line I drew without screwing up the front...), then adhered to the front cover. I had to make sure I glue down the little pieces that fit in the letters and numbers, too, as then it didn't quite look so authentic.

Many, many pages were put in, some light pink (for the girls) and some light green (for the boys) and some yellow (for ?). (Side note: Marissa helped a little... did ya catch that?) She seemed to think we had to get all the pages signed, but... Mom (me) had an ultimate goal... to make this her Disneyland trip album. (hahaha! Multi-purpose!!! Woohoo!)

And so... now we just have to print photos, and deco the pages (I didn't want them deco'd or glittered just in case we lost it or it got icked-up during the day). But all in all, she had a wonderful day, and she was a happy camper!

She even got to meet wait in line for over an hour for her favorite princess, Rapunzel (from Tangled).

So now... if you'd like to see more stitches and our wonderful DT's other projects, please visit Miss Tanya at  her wonderful blog, where we're ALL shown. Woohoo! Have yourself a wonderful day, while I rest my poor feet.

She'll Build Her OWN Float!

Southern California is going through some cold, tough weather. If you've read or follow my blog (HELLO! to my 18 Followers, and THANK YOU!), you know most of us can't handle "inclement" weather. Yeah... we can't handle the C.O.L.D., either. At least... I can't.

I've lived in cold climates before. I've endured the snow. Getting up to shovel snow at 6:30 am is NOT my choice of a lifestyle. uh... yeah. I've endured the cold. Shorts and flip-flops are not options. uh... no. And so... I moved back to my beloved Southern California lifestyle, where I can go visit these climates, if I want to, and when I want to. And that works for me.

But waking up to 30F weather, is a little chilly. I'm not sure how low it got last night, or how low it's getting tonight, but when my 5-year-old is asking if we're going to the "Parade" this year (2011 Rose Parade) and camping out... my answer is a firm, "NO!" You see, if you want good seats, you need to camp out. And that begins tomorrow morning at the crack of Dawn. It is COLD! And, you can't layout tents at all. Sleeping bags, mattresses and the warm stuff (including fire pits) can't break out until later in the day/evening. Heck, you can't even "move" into a real spot until around noon. And so.... you sit there and freeze.

Don't get me wrong. It was a wonderful experience, and it's a lot of fun. But... this year, with a congested cough and these freezing temperatures? Uh, NOT gonna happen!

Call me a wimp... I don't care. I am going to sleep as late as I want to, in my nice warm bed, and watch from the comfort of my warm home. And if I miss it... first of all... it plays all flippin' day! And if I miss that, HECK! I already set the TiVo to record it (and TWO different channels!).

Anywho... back to the 5yo... She is in good spirits! And so... with a lot of my collection of Christmas popcorn tins, and some of the everyday ones (they make excellent inexpensive storage, ya know!), She put together 10!. She covered them with decorative blankets, added pillows, and then!

She placed her Barbies and Disney Princesses and Horses and Little toys on TOP of the float, so they can wave, "HI!" to all the people.

Her stables and animals needed to be included, too. And she has the Nutcracker Army standing guard.

At one point, she had all of the Princesses' arms (well... once each) up, waving the Princess Wave. And she hides behind the float (her secret hiding place, because YOU know! the people that control the floats hide, too!)

(See Rapunzel up there, in her TALL tower?) Awesome... just awesome... and creative, too! That's my girl!

OMG! I finally made 2!

Pages, that is... It has taken me a couple of months to get back into it. I began by making cards. Thanks to Amanda (of Scrapbook BINGO!), she has motivated me to create something. I really want to win a Cricut Christmas Solutions Cartridge, so I'm doing ALL of the challenges she asks for. This last challenge was for a layout (not a card) that use 3 Cricut Cartridges. So... Here is goes!

I've had this layout "planned" for quite a while, just never executed. It may be a little "gaudy" or pink for some of you, and the colors are totally not my style, but I was trying to get the true vibe of the Quincenera (15th Birthday Party [Coming Out] of a girl). This is the two-page layout.

I had so many pics, I had to do accordion photos. Then, since (duh me!) I put the accordions on the left-hand page, they tend to fall down when closing the album, so... I had to ribbon them up with a tie.

Marissa kissed a lot of people that night. So, I got a little "Kiss Me" action going on. I created this heart using the Coluzzle templates with my own twist. I folded the cardstock, then cut, folded and cut, etc., allowing a total of three hearts that one folds over the other.

One of the 3 Carts I used was "Happily Ever After". The frames of the two accordion albums, as well as the Spanish version of Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) were created using this cartridge. I love the way the oval frame surrounds the doll (muneca) and makes it appear to be a mirrored image.

Another was "Opposites Attract". With this cart, I made the letters that spelled out "Michelle's Quince" and "[15]". I sponged the fluorescent pink letters with a dark pink to make it blend a little more (but with a little bit of pop) with the layout.

The final cart used was "George and Basic Shapes". "The Princess & Marissa" was made from this. I left the title alone in a light pink shade. I thought it looked pretty good.

And of course... I had to use Stickles. I Stickled the crown and the necklace of Aurora in Diamond" and used Cotton Candy for the flourishes surrounding the one title and around the folding heart album.

Thanks, Amanda for pushing us to get our things done! Gotta go clean up my mess... Toodles for now! lisa

YAHOO!!! Who knew? and another ALERT!!!

For a bit of the morning, I have been trying to access my Yahoo account. It is "freezing" anytime I click on an e-mail. I assumed it was my computer. However, I am able to log in here and type this... as we speak! (LOL!)

For those of you who are nearby, or who would like to support my swimming kids, or even our team... SHOUT OUTS! are due today. Also, so are team/program sponsors to ensure publication in this Saturday's meet Program. If you are interested in giving an encouraging note to anyone on the team, or placing a business ad, please contact me by leaving a comment below or e-mailing me at info@mvaq.com. We appreciate any and all sponsorship and look forward to working with you.

Another DEAL ALERT! Tomorrow - April 9th, Walgreen's is developing one roll of film (per household) for FREE!!!! Yes... for those of you who still use the old 35mm (or still have some rolls stashed somewhere - I know I do...) you can get one roll developed for free... tomorrow only.
Since Marissa was slightly sick, and we stayed home from the pool last night... I played with my new Happily Ever After Cricut cartridge last night. It took me a while, but I think I've got it figured out. After hours of frustration, I realized I was actually doing something wrong... yes... ME! I couldn't believe it either! lol! But I did create my own version of Aurora (Sleeping Beauty). She is more Hispanic looking with dark hair, eyes, and skin... I thought it would be pretty cool to do a layout of a Quincenera (15th Birthday) with this being the "Princess." I still have to finish her by chalking and putting her in the layout and adding "sparkle", but I thought I'd show my "in-process" mode...

Oh yeah! Stacy has a high-school swim meet today... wish her luck! I'll be walking there... (Divine Intervention - lol!)

That's all I got for now... I'm going to run bot-checks and ad-aware (mal) so maybe Yahoo can get "un-stuck." Toodles for now! lisa

The Blues and the Princess Ghost

I cannot seem to get rid of this horrible headache or fluttery/cramping stomach. Yuck! I've tried taking a nap, but Marissa insists I "watch" her.

That means I watch her do EVERYTHING! From Play-doh to playing with her friends (she has every single stuffed animal lined up on the couch), she is non-stop. She keeps coming and asking, "Are you happy?" If I say anything about a headache or hurting, that is how she responds, by asking those 3 words, and running over to lift my chin up in her hands, while looking into my eyes. How precious that a child this size (she'll be 3 on Sunday...) can have so much compassion and caring, although she might not understand things, is beyond me.

She thinks that if I go to sleep or bury my head, that I'm not happy and she does everything in her power to make me feel alright. So I have the sickie blues...

She comes to me with her Disney Princess blanket draped over her, saying, "Boo... Boo..." Isn't Halloween long over? Well, she seems to think she can scare these blues out of me. Of course, I never tell her that I'm not happy. I am happy; I just don't feel good. But, alas, she is not understanding of this, and so... I have the Princess Ghost trying to scare the bejeezes out of me. It is funny, though. I see all of these princesses, Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and Belle (Beauty and the Beast) with a splendid castle hanging down to the ground. She cannot see out of the blanket and puts her hands in front of her trying to feel her way. She trips unexpectedly (to her) on the dragging blanket and giggles. "Boo... Boo..."

No, I'm not unhappy. I'm very happy. My child is glowing with love, and it makes me smile... even though I don't really feel like doing it. I just want to take a nap... But instead, I think I'll finish making my chicken soup... Toodles for now! lisa