HUGE Give-A-Way for Scrappers (and Card Makers, too!)

Heck! For any type of crafter!

Danielle is an awesome paper crafter (scrapper and everything inclusive). She is... (get ready for the drum roll...) giving away a CRICUT EXPRESSSION!!!!! Can you believe it? But, there is a catch! She wants to get to 600 comments. (We are below 200 on 02/03/09.) So... let's help her (and us!). Please go to her blog and leave a comment. AND do me a favor (por favor!)... I have another friend who is trying to win the other prize, so... please let Danielle know (in the same comment) that "Captain Scrappy" (my friend, Jenn!) sent you.

Good luck to you all! Go back everyday!!! The more comments, the closer one of us gets to getting the Big Bug! Woohoo! Toodles for now! lisa

BLOG CANDY ALERT!!!

Thanks to Christina (Been There, Done That, Have the Layout!), more blog candy is up for grabs. She has a whole boatload of stuff to celebrate!

First of all, her work is excellent. Secondly, her self-portrait is pretty hot (so all you fellas out there need to take a look, too!). She had her 6-month blogaversary, has had over 3,000 hits (much more than mine! lol!), and has hit the over 200 comment mark (again... much more than mine! lol!). What does she do to be so great? Whelp folks, go on over there and check it out. You will find a great card maker, scrapper, crafter, and friend (also a member of Scrapbook BINGO!).

Leave a comment for her and you will be entered into a drawing for a wonderful package (includes glitter stacks, ribbon, stamps, etc.)! But you gotta go see to enter... So... just click the link next to her name, and you will be taken there. Toodles for now! lisa

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

More Cards and a Little Bit of Happenings...

You'd think by now I'd be doing more layouts... Nope! Got some more cards done this week. I belong to a card club and hadn't sent the ones from November or December, or the Christmas cards I signed up to do. So... I put a simple gift in pre-made Christmas cards and made the November and December cards, plus all of the previous belated birthday cards (from August on, in my group), and all of the February Birthday cards. I am so caught up now!

Now... I can begin working on more layouts.

I will be printing picks from Walgreens, as they currently have a special of "print 50 for $5.00. Not too bad... They are quick and easy. But if you know me... I have to have them sent to me (instead of 1-hour photo), as I much prefer the matte finish. I can do so much more with it - add chalks, erase around, ink better, etc. Where a gloss picks up fingerprints WAY too easy for my taste and repels a lot of the things I like to do to photos.

So... here's a little bit of what's been goin' on here. I've been "stripping" a day bed. I intend to deep white-wash it to blend with the room, but am still working on it. There is a solvent that is "safe" for the environment (orange gel stuff - YUCK!). Unfortunately, it doesn't work very well. So... here's a little bit of me in my "stripping" clothes! Yeah!

I found some pretty vellum and striped paper on Monday and had to make a card with it. So, here is my "masculine" card. The sentiment is George with the Cricut and is chalked then distress-inked in pond green.

Marissa had a birthday (or two...). She should have had 3 by the time Super Bowl Sunday KickOff hits... We did a cake with Daddy, before he went to work; then... we had some friends over. Marissa wanted a BIG HUGE cookie with M&M's for that... Sunday will be Princess cupcakes (from Hello Cupcake!) with a little adjustments here and there. She will also have a princess-type party with Scene Setters (thank you, Karen!). She'll love it.

I also made this card (today) for the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog. We were supposed to create a card based off a sketch, and here is my take on it. Although the entries had to be posted by yesterday (so much for my anti-procrastination campaign...), I still went ahead and did it, just so I kept up with them. It's a little corny and says, "a little bubbly?"... It's intended for my friend after she gives birth to her (now) overdue daughter #2. The circles are punches, then either reversed inked or inked after dry embossing with the Cuttlebug. The sentiment is stamped in silver then heat embossed with a holographic glitter. Uh... I was a little off in my stamping, as I miscalculated the spacing and so the "l" and "y" of the bubbly is WAY off. But... I still think it looked cute.

I then tried to distress it and can't figure out how all of you get it to look just right without leaving lines or the paper curling up (and ink running!) when you spritz it with water. So... anyone out there? HELP me! (Just leave a comment or e-mail me. I am always looking for tips and tricks. Thanks for everything. I'm tired and gotta go to bed... Toodles for now! lisa

Insomnia Strikes Again!

Yikes!!! I am officialing a meet in the morning (this morning) and I can't sleep! So... I changed my template. It took quite a while, as I'm fairly new to this whole thing without using one found on Blogger. But, I did it. I played with the colors in the fonts and stuff, too.

Please give your honest opinions and maybe some suggestions, too... PLEASE?!? Any other help will do.

I am still looking to do my title banner with something a little more me... but, you know... BABYSTEPS all the way! Hey!

And in case you don't check out my weight loss blog... I have now lost 10 pounds!!! Yay me! Whelp folks... I really should try harder to get some sleep, so here I go. Toodles for now! lisa

State of CA "I Owe You" Rumor

NEWSFLASH! It was merely a rumor (you know how those fly... we all watch Desperate Housewives) that the State of California will be administering "IOU"s for those with a tax refund for the year 2008. It was previously spread that we didn't know when we would get our money back.

Here we go. Misinterpretation state wide. The State Controller issued a statement on January 16, stating that there would be a "30-day delay" on all refunds processed February 1st and after. Please see the article: State Controller announces delay for tax refunds for further information.

In other words... don't spread rumors! Many people (myself included) were extremely hot about this situation. Although I usually research claims (especially those that would infuriate me...), I failed to do so this time. Hope this makes your weekend. Have a great one! Toodles for now! lisa

Tips and Quips... for the Midweek

I didn't do anything really creative today except make chicken soup and homemade rolls. I have been diligently exercising, writing in my weightloss blog, and cleaning out my garden areas, getting ready for springtime (yes, it comes quite early here in Southern California!). So, maybe I have been neglecting you all here, but hey! I've been scrolling and reading for ideas... so I thought I'd give you all a little sumpin' sumpin' to tide you over in the midweek.

Thanks to Jenn at Scrapbook Bingo! She found this incredible site for all of you who like to do challenges. The Daily Dare boasts "Take the Challenge... We Dare You..." and compiles a list (with links) of all of the creative blogs posting challenges every day, so you don't have to do a search or scroll of your faves. You also (as Jenn says) don't have to remember which ones do challenges, or what day they do them, as TDD does it for you! btw... if you don't like to "check" blogs so much, they also have a e-mail sign up via Feedblitz, which I highly recommend. Thanks again, Jenn (love the rhyming!!!). Also, please don't forget to check out Jenn's blog, too! She is ultra creative.

Another tip was provided by Doreen (also of Scrapbook Bingo! fame...). Have you tried super duper hard to find Dew Drops, Skittles, or other type of mini "glass" (actually epoxy) gems only to find they have been discontinued or prices uber-raised? Look no further... you can make your own with clear hot glue and (if you want to color them...) alcohol inks! The directions are simple and easy, and you can find them here. Much more inexpensive than the hard-to-find storebought ones, they can be sized to whatever you wish and colored however you wish, as well! Woohoo! (In the photos... The "Robin's Nest" drops are purchased. The light blue ones are homemade!) Thanks, Doreen for the site, and thank you Lindsay Weirich (The Frugal Crafter) for the tidbit. Your blog (and creations) ROCK!

Ok, folks, that's all I got today. It has been busy for me, since I'm trying to stay busy and spend less time-O on the computer (lol... don't we all have that problem?). And with teenagers' activities and an almost 4-year-old... you know how it goes. So... Toodles for now! lisa