Winter Wonderland...

Isn't it funny how you can go up to your scrapping room with the intention of making a very specific card, and you come down an hour later having made two cards that were nothing like the one you originally had in your head?

WINTER WONDERLAND

This card was made using a technique I learned at my last Saturday Morning Club.  I love the effect it gives the background of the card.

You take a white piece of matte card stock (this is very important, since you get a different effect with glossy paper).  Versamark the design you want on the background - I used two different types of snowflake stamps - and then emboss with white, or iridescent ice or whatever color tickles your fancy.  I used both white and iridescent ice for a duel effect.  Then you take a sponge and the ink colors of your choice, and stamp all around the page.  The ink will not stick to the embossed surfaces, leaving them white or clear.  Rub the excess ink of the embossed parts with a paper towel and you have a beautiful textural effect.

I plan on using this technique many a time in the future.  Thanks Julie!

I will save the card for another post.  I also hope to finish the card I originally went upstairs to complete.  When it is done, I will post it.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland....

Sparkling Memories.....

Ok, NOW it is time for Christmas... And winter/Christmas memories are my favorite ones!

Hubby and I are heading out to get our Christmas Tree today.

When I was a little girl, there were two Christmas traditions that I remember enjoying, and that I want to continue with my husband and and future offspring we may produce.  The first was going to a tree farm and picking out the perfect tree to put in our living room.

It couldn't be too tall (we had a low ceiling and Dad had to be able to reach the top) and it had to have a good width.  The branches had to be sturdy enough to hold my grandmother's homemade clay ornaments - which are now mine, by the way!  We would have the workers cut it down for us, then we would strap it to the roof of the car and bring it home.  Dad would set it up on the tree stand, Mom would vacuum up the fallen needles and the cat would try to get in the way as much as possible.  Then we would put on a Christmas CD, make a snack, and decorate!

THE SPARKLE OF SNOW
This card is simple (which, at this point, should be my middle name - no wait, I like "Joy", I think I will keep it) and inspiring at the same time.  It instantly invokes memories of bundling up and building snowmen, watching the snow fall out your window and grabbing your sleigh.

This card is so simple, I want to make 100 of them and send them out as my Christmas cards next year!  Take a rubber roller (called a brayer) and cover it in Versamark.  Then cover the paper with "iridescent ice" (StampinUp) and heat until you get a nice shine.  Add cute wintery creature and sentiment.  Tada!

What is your favorite Christmas memory?  Share it with the group!

Happy Holidays!

Autumn harvest...

Today I am thankful for:
Having somewhere to go when you find yourself alone.

Thanksgiving day is right around the corner.  And my Hubby is on his way to Texas.

In a moment of insanity, I made a promise to my husband that, for his 30th birthday, he could got to a Miami Dolphins football game.  The game that occurred closest to his birthday.

The next time I make him another promise - if ever! - I will be a little more restrictive.

It happened that the Dolphins were playing on Thanksgiving, in Dallas TX.

I didn't have enough time to take off of work, so I am sitting home alone.  Luckily, for the rest of the week, family and friends have stepped in to house me in my time of loneliness.

AUTUMN HARVEST
I am going to plug Creative Memories for a minute...

The scarecrow is from one of their new 2011 Cricut Cartridges and the fence is a double shot of a new paper cutter tool they are showcasing. I made this as part of a make&take at the last crop I attending.

And now it is a card!

Oh, and one more thing...

!!!!!HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

Be thankful!

Today I am thankful for:
My husband.

If you have followed my blog from the beginning, you are aware that my husband is anything but romantic.  Which is fine with me.  The sappy stuff, getting roses at work, shouting his love from the mountain tops, all that makes me a little uncomfortable and, frankly, embarrassed.  The sweetest thing my Husband has ever said to me was "There is a tiny small red spot on my black heart, just for you."

Well, today he said the second sweetest thing he has ever said to me.  We were cleaning the basement (thanks to Hurricane Irene, the mold got a little out of hand).  I wasn't wearing my mask, like I should have been.  Hubby asks me why I wasn't wearing it, to which I replied that I didn't like how it felt.  He says, "Put it on.  I don't want anything to happen to you."

I almost fainted! :)  Isn't that so sweet????

BE THANKFUL
I am always looking for something that isn't a traditional card.  Thanks to Deneen, a new scrapbooking friend I met at a crop, I have a new idea to use in future projects.  I know tags are not anything new, but I haven't worked with them before.  I was never very interested, until she did this project with us.

I could make these tags all day.  They are simple (my motto!) and colorful.  They trasport me instantly to a field of trees, where the leaves are turning such beautiful colors and falling slowly to the ground.

These tags are big enough that you could have a pretty design on the front and have plenty of room to write a nice note on the back.  Think place cards for your Thanksgiving feast, tied around the napkin or a peice of silverware.

You are the sweetest thing...

Thankful thoughts....

Today, I am thankful for:
Family and friends who are there when I need them.



The Motivation Fairy has struck again.  When I felt down and out, she was there to pick me up, shake me down, and say "Get crafting!"

BUCKLE CARD
In the instructions (found here), they put their buckle on the outside and tucked it in.  I think it looks cuter under, sticking out.  But that's just me, you do whatever floats your boat!

It's hard to see in the picture, but the yellow paper is actually stamped with a slightly darker yellow ink.  The tone-on-tone gives it another layer of dimension.

Short and sweet, that is how this blog goes...

Please excuse me while I take a moment to rant...

It is November.

October has Halloween, December has Christmas.  So what does November have?

If you answered "fall", stop reading, turn off your computer and TV, and go study your calendar.

Thanksgiving seems to be a forgotten holiday.  I don't mean that we forget to celebrate it - no, no, fine readers.  We celebrate Thanksgiving until we unbutton our pants and fall asleep on the couch in front of the televised football game.  Plates and plates of mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and (of course) turkey dance in our dreams for days and days. 

What I mean is that Thanksgiving does not get the attention it deserves.  Sure, you pay attention to it a few days before, as you are buying and preparing food, making arrangements for whose home at which you will be gluttening, checking the TV schedule to make sure the Parade is on at the same time it is every year.  But come Black Friday, when the dishes are done and you are burning off all the extra calories playing elbow wars with the people at the mall, Thanksgiving becomes a distant memory.  Christmas trees are being bought, Christmas music is being played on the radio, and Christmas cards are being tossed in the mailbox.

Now, it wouldn't be so bad if we took the BEGINNING of November to celebrate Thanksgiving.  But we can't even seem to manage that!  The beginning of November is spent planning out your Christmas list, writing out Christmas cards, and thinking about the tinsel and the lights.

On my Blog, Thanksgiving is going to get the attention it deserves.  While everyone is working on Christmas projects, or their generic "fall" themed projects, I will be dedicating the whole month - even after Black Friday - to Thanksgiving.  Be prepared for turkey, thankful thoughts, and more orange and brown than you will ever need to see for the rest of your life.

End rant.... 

Butterfly Award!

I am the honored recipient of a Butterfly Award!  Thank you, Lynne!

Here are the rules of the award:
1) Post a link to the person who awarded you.
2) Answer 12 questions about myself.
3) Pass the award along to 10 bloggers.

Some fun facts about Erin:
1. Favorite Color: Red
2. Favorite Song: Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar
3. Favorite dessert: Red Velvet Cake
4. Biggest pet peeve: stupidity
5. Favorite Pet: bunny!
6. Black or white: white
7. Biggest fear: losing the people I love
8. Best feature: my imagination
9. Everyday attitude: stock up on some good karma
10. Your idea of perfection: a warm meal, a comfy bed and someone to share them with
11. Guilty pleasure: anything chocolate
12. When I am upset, I: cry

Now to pass on the love!
1. Michelle @ http://peanutbutterandjellydesigns.blogspot.com/
2. Elaine @ http://www.expressionsbyelaine.blogspot.com/
3. Vicki @ http://mawmawsthoughts.blogspot.com/
4. Eva @ http://evasscrapsncards.blogspot.com/
5. Heather @ http://blessed2cre8.blogspot.com/
6. Susan @ http://susanascorner.blogspot.com/
7. Ellen @ http://thepaperjungle.blogspot.com/
8. Linda @ http://lindaplusthree.blogspot.com/
9. Gaylynn @ http://blog.neatthings-boutique.com/
10. Christy @ http://christybladehandmade.blogspot.com/

Love is a battlefield...