Slacker....

So I know it's been a while since I've posted. I'd love to be posting on a more regular basis but there just isn't time right now so until then here is a bunch of images depicting my "spare" time.

This was for a friends nursery so normally the background would be a wall and ceiling, not a dresser :).
This one is for two card challenges: Moxie Fab World tuesday trigger and Mojo monday 228 sketch. The next photo unfortunately shows my sloppy handy-work but I'm just so pleased that my camera picked up so much detail. It's been out of commission a while so I'm excited to have it back and working properly, finally.

I really have done other projects, I'm just lacking photos of them. I'll try to do better. Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday "cake"

Well, it's sort of a cake. And certainly tasted delicious. The butterflies you see were cut with my bigshot. Then I stamped them using the Scattered Showers set and the essential glue pad paired with fine silver glitter. Considering the stamp wasn't intended for butterflies, I think it looks amazing. Or maybe that's just the glitter talking :).

falling behind...

Things have been a little busy lately. Well, really busy. And the next few weeks are only supposed to be busier. With fun stuff though, so I can't complain. So the first project I want to share with you was finished a few weeks ago, it's so darling. It's almost sad that I'm only using it to hold my keys. Pictures would probably be more appropriate.

The saying is an old Jewish greeting, or at least that's what I read, and it seemed a fitting reminder as I headed out the door to play taxi and run errands. All the fabulous green and blue buttons are from papertrey ink. Which is honestly the best button deal I've seen anywhere. So if you love buttons but hate paying a fortune for them, visit papertrey. If you know of a better one, I'd love to hear, but until then this is where I go for them.

The next card is for sketch challenge 274 at Splitcoaststampers. I got to use copics to color the balloon, it was so much fun. The downside, now I want more copics, lol! After coloring the balloon and cutting it out I then used Crystal effects from stampin' Up to give it a shiny and 3-d texture.
In this shot you can better see the dimesion added by the crystal effects (aka glassy glaze).

If you are wondering what that thing on the right is, it's a bookmark. Whoever came up with this is genius. I found the tutorial over at Splitcoast. And here's a shot of the bookmark:
Sorry that last one is a little blurry.

Lastly I'd like to share with you a card I made using a photo I'd taken years ago, rub-ons and some jolee's boutique stickers. Anyway, that's all for today, thanks for stopping by!!

Comfy Sweats and Crepe Paper Roses

You know things are bad when upon entering your closet you find that every single pair of comfy sweats (or lounge pants if you prefer) are dirty. I'll confess and share with you that I own 3 such pairs of pants. Maybe that's alot, maybe not. I don't usually make a habit of asking people how many they own.



Come to think of it, I've never asked anyone. So here's your chance to confess with me, how many do you own? But that's getting off subject.

So, what would cause me to get through all three pairs so quickly without even one pair making it through the clean laundry cycle? The answer is: a husband with bronchitis and a sinus infection, a 22-month old with the same cold and an ear infection, and an 8 yr. old with also the same cold and allergies to boot! iAy carumba!!! Is that bad or what? And just when everyone is starting to get better, I(aka mom) get sick. Life sucks, and then.... you get better, :) or mostly anyway.

So now you know why I needed more than 3 pairs of lounge pants to make it through comfortably. What you are probably wondering is what crepe paper roses have to do with anything. Well, not much truth be told. Except this project I made last Monday amidst the turmoil. It turned out so beautifully that it's hard to believe anyone was sick at my house.


I love the boldness of color combined with the softness of roses, ribbon, and lace. It is full of contradiction and yet belongs together, don't you think? And it's actually very easy to make once you get past the crepe paper roses. I'd been seeing them in quite a few places and was dieing to try it. I found two tutorials (try saying that 10 times fast ), both excellent. Thank you Danielle and Shelly; I love your blogs, so very inspiring. I wonder, how many comfy sweats do they own???

It's hard to believe that anyone you look up to could possibly own comfy sweats, but kuuumm on, they're still human right. Everyone should own at least one, right?

Thanks for stopping by peeps, I hope that even if you're not wearing your comfy pants you're still comfy and cozy.

Desiree

Paper Crafts Magazine...

...is one of my favorite magazines. And not just because I recently won a contest of theirs. Mostly it's because there magazine is full of fabulous projects with tons of variety. They also have a blog, well two blogs really, with more ideas and more chances to win. And not just contests but sweepstakes too, sometimes if you're extremely lucky, you can win something just by commenting on their blog. Actually that happens frequently...I haven't won any of those yet but how lucky can one person be right. So I'm uploading this card for their olympics of stamping contest.
I made this last Christmas but I wasn't ready to part with it just yet, that happens from time to time. Hope you like it too, and if you'd like to enter you have until tonight at midnight! Good luck!

Babies Galore

I love making baby projects, and for the next couple months there are enough babies being born (that I know anyway) to keep me very busy. This particular baby project is for a friend. She is having her first girl!!! And she loves the color purple...purple everything. So hopefully she'll like this.

The papers are from DCWV, the flower is a prima, the ribbon and floss are just something I found at the craft store, everything else is Stampin' Up! Even the saying is ("A baby is a gift from above- bringing joy down to earth, filling hearts full of love.") from Stampin' Up! only I generated it from my computer. The sentiment on the card is from PaperTrey Ink which says "baby is stirring." I think it goes perfectly with the butterflies, don't you? I've got at least 3 more baby projects to make, so if you've got any good ideas I'd love to hear them. Thanks for stopping by!

Create

I absolutely love this video. I don't know how many people I've heard say they aren't the creative type, and I wondered was that possible? I grew up thinking I wasn't creative, or good at that kind of thing. But I liked doing it and just always kept it very simple. And a few years later I realized, "wow, I'm kinda good at this." Truthfully I believe that anyone can be creative, especially once they find a medium they enjoy. And start simple. Then keep adding to that. Following that pattern I believe there is nothing you can't accomplish. So the next time someone says, "I'm not any good at that creative stuff," just tell them to keep trying, and keep it simple. As long as they enjoy it, the rest will follow.

Create

morphic bugs

Sounds gross doesn't it. Bugs is a difficult word to work with. Whenever I hear the word "bug" I think of my least favorite bug, a cockroach. Makes me squeamish just thinking about it. But hopefully this card will not have that affect on you.

The stamp set for the butterfly is from inkadinkadoo called morphic bugs. And the background behind the butterflies is done with post-it notes to make the rectangle. Then using a sponge I brushed summer sun on first, then cameo coral, and finally real red. When sponging it's always best to start with your lightest colors first and progressively get darker. Finally I removed the post-it notes and stamped the butterflies stamp. I even went as far as to decorate the inside, something I rarely do, but the scraps were just sitting there waiting to be used.
Sorry the pic is a little blurry. Anyway it was a fun card to make and thanks for stopping by, have a great day!

A journal...

It all started for a friend. I love making a gift with someone in mind. Unfortunately I lost my nerve to give this to her. You know how you can stare at a project for too long and the longer you stare the more you hate it. So I didn't give it to her. And now weeks later...it's actually kinda cute. Moral of the story, don't stare at your work too long, but if you do remember you are your worst critic. Same thing happened again today, I was really antsy to give it, and sure enough I had nothing to worry about, she loved it.

Here is the journal:

Here is the gift I gave today:

The paper of the box I did myself, you can learn how using this fun technique. It's called the shaving cream technique and it is so fun! Thanks for stopping by!

Desiree, the Secret Keeper

I have been keeping a secret for way too long. And it wasn't an easy secret to keep. I was allowed to share it with a very few people, or I would have gone crazy, but now....



I can tell the world.



Are you ready?????












I won!!!!!
It was the best news I've ever received in an email. If you get a chance pick up the latest Papercrafts mag. You'll be floored by the many talented ladies out there. I was stunned to see my work (pg 87) among them. I've had this goal for a while to be published, and this wasn't the first time I've tried. I thought after doing it once I wouldn't feel the need or desire to do it again. But I have to say, it was way too much fun not to try again and again and again....

But enough of that I 'd like to share a card I did yesterday. For those of you who craft on a regular basis every once in a while there is a magical crafting experience. Where everything just comes together, with very little thought or effort, it just flows. I love it when that happens. Yesterday was like that. Unfortunately, I've really built up this card now, it's actually very simple. Almost plain in it's simplicity, but it works. It would be a great way to encourage a friend through a difficult time in her life.


So thanks for stopping by and sharing in my exciting news! Have a fabulous day!

Oldie but goodie

I made this card, sometime last year an never took the time to upload it so I'm sharing it with you today. The sketch, I got from somewhere, I wish I could remember. Sketches are not my thing so often I go to Splitcoast stampers sketch challenges or mojo monday challenges or magazines I have. All great places to look for one you like. The designer paper is from SU, called night and day, a great collection to have works for everything from holidays to thank-you notes. Anyway, I hope it inspires you to make one yourself, thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

2 quick ones

I'm in shock, I completed two cards in one evening! For some that's not a big deal, but for me, wow. The reason is because I kept it very simple, and also used a sketch for my inspiration.
This sketch came from my last issue of PaperCrafts. And the cake sticker is a jolee's boutique, I believe. It's sorta nice when your focal image is already done for you, certainly saves time.
This one I just really wanted to make that little flower. So fun and easy, here's a great tutorial on how to make these. Anyway, two fun little cards, thanks for stopping by!

a little behind but here they are

I've really gotten out of the habit of posting my creations, but I'm trying to get back on track. Here are a few I've done recently.


I used rub-ons for the sentiment on this one. It would have been a nightmare with stamps. On this one my favorite part is the sentiment as well. I was able to sort of curve around the letters so that they look almost like clouds themselves.
And this is my first mojo monday sketch. It was fun though more difficult than I first anticipated. I tied my bow just as Dawn McVey does, with one end going up and the other down, I really like how it turned out. For a recipe on these cards please see my splitcoast gallery. Thanks for stopping by!

A birthday bookmark

This card is a variation of the detachable bookmark card found on splitcoast. Here's the link: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/bookmarkcard/
A great idea for a birthday card especially if you want to include a bookstore gift card. I haven't colored in a long time so this was lots of fun.

YOU DID WHAT????

I know for some (those who don't know me well) it's hard to believe, but I (quiet and a little shy Desiree) rode the bull. It wasn't a dare, or a bet, just something I wanted to try. And you know what, it was really fun, I wanna try it again. Now for you die hard rodeo fans, it was not a real bull, I can be daring but not crazy. Unfortunately it cost $3 just to ride it once or I'd have tried again. Truth be told it didn't take long for me to fall off, maybe that's why I want to try it again. You know, show that bull who's boss. :) Next on my list of things I want to try is kareoke. You know with complete strangers listening and everything. And a friend's living room does not count. Here's a pic of me on the bull:

I look like I know what I'm doing huh?! Not scared a bit. That's because it hadn't started yet, that bull was just calm as can be. Here's me holding on for dear life!!!

And though I sort of slid off rather than falling off, it still hurt...ouch! Seriously that bull is goin' down!!

Happy Birthday DD1!

DD1, if you're wondering is my eldest daughter, she just celebrated her birthday. It went really, really well and she had a great time. So here is the card I made for her.



Lots of glitter and plenty of pink. Though, sadly, she's growing out of pink. The flower is actually part of a barrette that detaches from the card.

She loved it, even if it was pink. I hope to do something similar for her baptism, we'll see. Thanks for stopping by!

Home Sweet Home...Finally

We took our chances and tried to buy a short sale. Not a good idea. Thankfully, we are now settled in a new build. A bit further out than we planned, but it feels like home and we love it.

This is a picture of the front door, I love the tile medallion in the floor.


This is the kitchen, and my youngest trying to find her bellybutton. She luuuuves belly buttons. Mostly hers but if she spies yours she can't help but squeal in delight and run after it! I think it's hilarious but her sister completely disagrees.
The linen, closet. It's magnificent. I also love the doors in this house, the sort of bead board detail in them.

The study doors, aren't they pretty! My toddler likes them too, she likes to show her love by banging on them with whatever is handy, arrgh.
The end. (aren't they cute!)

A challenge

I did it, really and truly. It's been at least over a year since I've participated in a Splitcoast challenge. I hope to do more in the future but, we'll see. Here's the sketch:

As usual I made some changes, I try to stick to it, but it's so hard to stay in the lines :) I believe creating should be fun and challenging. So I did what I wanted and here's what I got:
To see the recipe for this card and others click on my Splitcoast icon at the right. What I loved most about this card was the designer paper, oh I love it!!!!! It's not SU, as usual it's from a company called scrapwithinreach. Anyway, thanks for looking, and have a great day!

A gift for ????

So I can't say who this one is for, she might see this but at least I can share it with you. Well sort of, only the packaging,...my reasoning? Well, if I open it up I can promise it won't look as good as it does now. But to make it up to you I will show you the contents of another gift for someone special.

Isn't it beautiful. The flower is from the pretties kit, have I said before how much I love the pretties kit, particularly these flowers that I can color to match any project. I'm worried SU will discontinue them before I'm ready to part with them. That's usually the case, change is something I like to take nice and slow. Anyway, the flower is popped up on a mini card that just slides through the ribbon on the box. I love it when something decorative is functional too. So here's a picture of everything inside:

After finishing this project I'm totally stuck on red, brown, and yellow together. It's such an interesting combination. This first card is so so simple, I had planned on doing more but I loved it so much just the way it was that I left it. Why mess with a good thing ya' know.

This next one is also fairly simple, no coloring anyway. Just a bunch of layering
What I like about this card is all the color in one spot. Like wearing a neutral colored dress with a fabulous handbag. Unless of course you're like me and always carrying a back breaking diaper bag, lol, so stylish! This one was just fun to color, and I liked the hardware that went so well with the focal point. This next one is the busiest of them all, but I think it works. My favorite part was the ribbon with the button attached.
And last but certainly not least:
This is actually the card that started it all, and I love everything about it. The coloring wasn't exactly fun but I'm happy with the outcome and that's important too. I hope you liked what you saw and thanks for stopping by!

For Sale

We finally did it. Our house is on the market. And talk about a roller coaster. We had about ten showings last weekend and even an offer. We thought we were well on our way to having it sold when unexpectedly the almost buyer changed his mind. BUMMER!!!!! His reason, just got cold feet. So we're gearing up for another weekend of showings. Here's some more pictures of the house, like promised.

Here is the living room, recognize the circles on the glass. They're from the Stampin' Up decor elements. My eldest daughter said the blue curtains seem sort of juvenile, like a baby boys room. I see her point but I don't care, I like it! Besides it matches the painting on the opposite wall, sorry no pic.

The kitchen, I absolutely love all the red. And the chandelier, and especially the red chairs. People probably think that's weird, having red chairs but they go so well in this kitchen. So if you couldn't tell my favorite colors are blue and red.

This is the office. Technically it's a formal dining room, but we needed an office. The artwork is mine, it was inspired by a trip to the disneyland hotel, I think it's called california grand. It has a very arts and craft feel and is very inspiring.

And lastly our bedroom. This room is so huge it actually serves as my craft room too, which is added incentive to keep it clean so I can sleep peacefully. So that's it, if you know anyone looking for a home send them our way!