What's Been Distracting Me...

Since I've been totally missing the last couple of months...here are a few snapshots of the sweet little guy who's been eating up all of my time.  Being a Mom is the most rewarding and overwhelming thing I have ever taken on, and having a husband stuck overseas for 6 months is an extra challenge.

Thank goodness for great friends and a strong internet connection :-)

  I really do love this little bug more than I ever thought possible....a total cliche, but the absolute truth!

(Every parent thinks their baby is the cutest, right?)

UnstampaBelles: Christmas

Hello everyone!  I've been VERY naughty lately and totally missed an entire month with the UnstampaBelles.  Yikes!  Things have been pretty crazy lately with Ciri deployed and my little guy needing lots and lots of time and energy.  Luckily, I've been able to travel to see friends and family quite a bit in the last two months and it looks like we have lots of fun trips ahead as well.  It really makes the time go quickly (hence missing all of November's challenge!!) to have people to see and places to be.

We are officially 1/3 of the way through this deployment and going strong!

To get myself a little more back on track, here is my card for the UnstampaBelles Challenge this month.  Since it's December (you're kidding, right?) We are showing off our Christmas works using, you guessed it, NO STAMPS :-)

For this card, I used die cuts for the J and Y and the O is actually a round Christmas sticker (from 2 years ago).  We went way back into the stash for that one :-)

Please swing on by the UnstampaBelles Challenge Blog and show us what you've got for Christmas!  We can't wait to see your creations and please remember, No Stamps :-)  Have fun and Merry Christmas!!!!

UnstampaBelles Challenge: Stitching

I can't believe it's October!!  Whoa...it will be the holidays before I can blink.  With hubby's deployment underway, I am really hoping the time cruises by as quickly as possible :-)

And since it's a new month, it's time for another fantastic challenge from the UnstampaBelles!  This month's challenge is to use Stitching in some way on your creation.  There is also a fantastic prize being offered from Blue Edge Crafts. Check it out!

or my take on this month's challenge, I used stitching in my banner as well as in the (pre-made) embellished cupcake sticker.  I also used a "celebrate" sticker for my sentiment.  

Please stop by the UnstampaBelles Challenge and show us your stitchy creation and remember...NO STAMPS :-)  Have fun!!!

Hearts Apart Photo Shoot

There is a really amazing organization called Hearts Apart, that offers free photo shoots for families with deploying members.  Since we had never had professional family pictures taken with our sweet little guy, I jumped at the opportunity.  Our photographer Becca, of Just Becca Photography in Goldsboro, was AMAZING.  So sweet and patient, even when our little man refused to give a smile.  I was shocked when she turned up with grinning photos of all of us.

I am dreading this next separation, but am thankful that we have such gorgeous photos to remind us of Daddy.  I've hung them up around the house, and Eli gets a HUGE grin when we walk past them and he can see himself and his Dad.  So cute :-)  Here are a few of my favs

Loving Daddy

Had to post these today :-)  We're getting ready for my husband's deployment very soon, so trying to get as many pictures of these two as I can!  Eli loves his daddy, and I never realized how much I loved my husband until I saw him as a dad :-)  Life is good!

UnstampaBelles: Using your Scraps

Hello!  This month, the ladies at the UnstampaBelles are showing us some really fun ways to use up pieces of your scraps or leftovers in your stash.  If you're like me, you have many little bits of paper that you can't seem to part with.  My scrap box is starting to take on a life of its own!!

For my little card, I reused the back part of a die cut piece of paper.  I actually used the stars on the colored side for the mobile in my little boy's room!  By using the blank white side, I was able to use little strips of colored paper to place behind it and create a new colored pattern.

Please stop by the UnstampaBelles Blog and check out what other fabulous creations the ladies have and to show us one of your own!!

UnstampaBelles: Paper Dress

This month, over at the UnstampaBelles Challenge, the ladies are showing us their takes on the Paper Dress challenge!  There are some really pretty and creative ideas, so please stop by and check them out :-)

My paper dress is made from page flags (from the office supply section at Target) and part of a paper flower that I cut apart.  My sentiment is a sticker since *remember* no stamps allowed :-)

So please stop on by the UnstampaBelles Challenge and show us your beautiful paper dresses!

Missing...

Our little guy is now two months old, which is so crazy to me!! I can't believe how much I love him and how much of my day is taken up by feeding and snuggling him :-) Yesterday I had time to vacuum or eat lunch, and I chose to vacuum. It's crazy!

I am going to try to squeeze more craft time in in the next month as well as start training for my first half marathon, so my blog should be bumping with activity very soon.

Yesterday was little Eli's two month vaccinations, so today is a little rough :-(. He's still smiling, but a bit feverish and wanting a lot of cuddle time, poor little guy.

For fun, here are a few family pics from this weekend.  He was not digging photo shoot day, but at least we are all in one frame at the same time, lol!

Practical Scrappers: Weddings

Today the ladies of Practical Scrappers are getting into the spirit of the summer season with a wedding feature!  Please stop by and see all the beautiful postings of layouts and cards.

Here is my little card for the week.  It's the bluebird of happiness surrounded by a bit of white lace.

Please stop by the Practical Scrappers blog to see what the other ladies have created!

Practical Scrappers: Bags

Over at Practical Scrappers, the ladies are showing us Ten Things to do with Bags!

My take on this week's challenge was to create a mini bag on a birthday card :-)

Please stop by to see what the other ladies have for you today!

ps- sorry these posts are so short...I have a very lovey newborn who seems to always be occupying one of my arms :-)  Love!!

Practical Scrappers: Ten Things Tuesday - Scallops

Scallops are very trendy right now, and I'm seeing them pop up in all sorts of design, including cards and layouts.  Since they seem to be all over the place, I had a hard time coming up with a new and creative way to tackle them for this week's Ten Things challenge at Practical Scrappers.

I decided to go way out on a limb and break out my art supplies.  In my stash, I rediscovered my oil pastels!! They're basically big, oily crayons that can be drawn with and then smeared, blended and manipulated on paper like oil paints.

Here's how my oil pastel scallops turned out!

They kind of remind me of peacock feathers and I love that they create a different effect from any of my other craft supplies.  I can see myself incorporating them into many other projects :-)

Please stop by the Practical Scrappers blog to see what other creative ways the ladies are using scallops in their designs!

UnstampaBelles: Case a Previous Design Team Creation

Hello everyone!  Are you ready for another fantastic challenge from the ladies at the UnstampaBelles challenge??

This is a fun one, because we all get to CASE (use as an inspiration) a paper project based on a previous example from the Design Team.   This was so fun to do and was also very difficult!  I love so many of the things my fellow designers have made, it was hard to choose just one to use as inspiration.

In the end, I picked one of my all time favorite cards by the fabulous Jan.  It's from our Christmas challenge, and I just loved the shape, texture and layers that she used.  I usually have trouble with circles, so I thought this would be a fun one to just go for it :-)

Here is Jan's gorgeous Christmas card:

And here is my CASE of it!

My sentiment is a rub-on :-)  Please swing by the UnstampaBelles and get in on the fun, and remember NO STAMPS :-)  Have fun and can't wait to see what you create!!

Our New Love

I've been a bit out of the action lately, and for a very good reason!  We had our little baby boy on May 25, 2013 at 6:31 pm. He came in at 7 pounds 7 oz and 21 1/2 inches long.  He's long and lean and has so much hair!!!

I will be checking in periodically now that we're home and settled :-)

Here are some pics of our new little guy, Elijah!

  

Snoozing with his Dad :-)

Practical Scrappers: Card Sketch

I love card sketches and find they give me a bit of a jumping off point if I'm feeling less than creative :-)  They're also fun because you can use them as a definitive map, or as a rough sketch.  The ladies at Practical Scrappers have been showing us fun card sketches every month and the May sketch is just as fun!

Here's my little take on it.

Hope this gets your creative juices flowing, and please stop by the Practical Scrappers Blog for more card sketch inspiration!!

Practical Scrappers: Ten Things Tuesday - Watercolors

This week over at the Practical Scrappers, the ladies are working Watercolors into their crafty projects.  Having a minor in Studio Art in college, I seem to have lots of paints and charcoals and other bits and bobs floating around in my stash.  I seem to forget about them while I'm in the midst of paper crafting, so this was a fun challenge to bring them back into the game :-)

For my card, I created the abstract, blue background by dropping concentrated, liquid watercolor paints onto a plastic sheet.  I then coated the paint with water and used a pin to stir the colors together. When I found a pattern I liked, I pressed the corners of my white card stock into the mixture. After it had dried, I used regular black ink and stamps over the top.  Turns out the paint wasn't totally dry when I stamped over it, but I actually like how it turned out.  Much more soft and "shabby" than what I normally create.  

So, if you have some watercolors hidden away in your stash, stop on by Practical Scrappers and get some inspirations and show us what you're creating too!!

Practical Scrappers: Ten Things Tuesday - Fabric

It's another beautiful Tuesday, so that means another Ten Things over at Practical Scrappers!  The ladies are giving us some fun and creative ways to incorporate fabric into our creations.

My take on this week's challenge was to use some leftover scraps from a maxi skirt project I undertook last week (really looking for anything to fit over my 9 month prego belly at this point!).  I still had the scraps on the craft table and found they were fun to pull and twist into different shapes.  Eureka!  It's a design moment :-)

After wrapping the fabric around the edge of the framed out section of the card, I filled the frame with clear plastic and adhered the little elephant with extra pop up tape.  He looks like he's floating and who doesn't love a little magic on a little boy's card :-)

I just found out another of my friends is having a little boy, so this is headed her way shortly :-)

Check out the other fun ways that the Practical Scrappers are using fabric over at their blog!

UnstampaBelles: Easel Cards

Hello my scrappy friends!  This month is a fun one over at the UnstampaBelles Challenge :-)  The ladies are working on Easel Cards, and since it is something I've never tried before, I had the adventure of learning something new!

I was a bit hesitant to give it a go, but after carefully measuring and following this tutorial, I was able to create something really cute in a short amount of time.  One of the things I really love, is that the card sits up to display itself while letting you add extra pops of color along the bottom.  So fun!

This one will be going out to my lovely Aunt, whose birthday is my baby's due date!!  Both are right around the corner...yikes!  :-)

So please stop on by the UnstampaBelles Challenge and show us you beautiful take on Easel Cards and see what the other fabulous ladies have created.  I promise, you won't be disappointed :-)

Practical Scrappers: Ten Things to Do with Burlap

Today the ladies of Practical Scrappers are getting creative with burlap!  If you've been on Pinterest lately, you'll see TONS of fun projects incorporating burlap and I even recently helped my aunt make burlap curtains for her greenhouse.  They turned out so cute!

For this project, I decided to give my burlap a bit of a modern twist.  I've seen it typically incorporated into shabby chic and rustic themes, so I thought it would be fun to see if we could make it a bit more pop :-)

By cutting the burlap into a chevron and backing it with other bright and bold patterns, I was able to make a more modern statement :-)

Please swing on by the Practical Scrappers blog to see what other fun ways the ladies are using burlap today!

Practical Scrappers: 10 Things to Do with Baker's Twine

It's Tuesday again, which means it's time for another 10 Things with the Practical Scrappers!   This week's challenge item is Baker's Twine.  This was a very hot item a while back, so I have a stash of many pretty colors laying around, as I'm sure you do too :-)

My take on the challenge was a pretty simple one.  I wrapped some cardstock to create an accent on this abstract card.  Easy peasy :-)

Please stop by the Practical Scrappers blog to see what create ways the ladies are using Baker's Twine!

Practical Scrappers: Funny Cards and Layouts

In honor of April Fool's Day, the ladies of Practical Scrappers are showing off some funny cards and layouts!  Please swing by for a chuckle :-)

I'm a HUGE fan of corny jokes, so this is my giggle for the day :-)

UnstampaBelles Challenge: Anything but a Card

The ladies over at the UnstampaBelles Challenge are REALLY challenging us this week!  Not only can you NOT use stamps of any kind, but you need to create something other than a card :-)  Since cards are my go-to...this was a challenge for me :-)

Luckily, I've been busy working on some baby stuff, and one of my project totally fit the bill!  I wanted to create my own mobile for our nursery, and I lucked out by finding the "bones" of a DIY mobile on Amazon.  The fun part was then to pick the papers to match my room and decide on a shape.  I went with stars this time, but the beauty of this mobile is that you can change them out whenever the mood strikes.  Genius!

These stars are from my Plaintin Schoolbook Cricut cartridge.

So, please stop by the Unstampabelles Challenge and show us your fabulous creation!!

Day at the Beach

Our new camera finally made it to us yesterday, so hubby and I immediately took it out to play.  It was a really pretty day today, so we swung by the beach and got some documentation of my Mega Belly :-)  Only 8 weeks to go until our little guy makes his appearance!

My hubby is such a talented photographer, I'm always in awe of the beautiful pictures he takes.  He even managed to make me look human sized :-)   Love him!