I took a Break! :)

I took a very long break from blogging. It was a busy spring/summer and blogging just hasn't been in my plans. Now that fall is just around the corner and life seems a little bit more normal, maybe I can get back on track.

Now for the purpose of this post!! I've spent part of my summer canning. Jams. jellies, tomato juice, whatever was available for me to preserve! But along with fresh produce comes gnats and fruit flies. It seems like once they invade your house they're here to stay until cold weather. I read about this tip on Facebook and I didn't save it to my wall or pin it. But luckily it's easy enough to remember!

Here's how to get rid of gnats, or at least a lot of them without bug spray that can contaminate your food and it's cheap enough to do every day until they're gone.

Use a small dish and fill it about halfway with apple cider vinegar. Then add a few drops of Dawn \dish soap. Stir it in and sit it on the counter and wait! The vinegar draws them in and the dish soap weighs them down and drowns them. You'll probably want to change this out daily to get rid of the gnats that's accumulated.

This picture was made about an hour after I had sat my bowl out and more was buzzing around. This morning there was more in it and it looked pretty nasty. So I changed it out and started a new round!

What could it be??

Scrapbook Blessings has a reveal! I can't wait to see what it is on April 1st. What could it be? Hmmm, Just a few more days to wait! Hop on over to their blog and check them out!! http://scrapbookblessings.blogspot.com/2014/03/shhhhhi-got-top-secret-news.html

These week's awesome sketch!

This week's sketch over at Atlantic Hearts is great! I loved how quick and easy it was to make this anniversary card. And I'm loving the glitter paper that I used to bling it up!

Here's the sketch for the week-

I stuck pretty much to the original sketch because it was so pretty! Here's my take on it-

One of my most favorite cards from a sketch! Be sure and take a minute to check out the rest of the design team's work here http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/. And until next time- Happy Crafting y'all!!

This week's sketch take with the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!

Happy (almost) Spring! After the winter that we've had, I'm so ready for sunny, warm days and windows open with a breeze blowing through! This week's sketch had me thinking of the sun, so I decided to take a picture from last fall and make it a warm, sunny layout! Today was a perfect warm day and it fit the mood that I was in to make this page!

Here's the sketch for the week- doesn't it just scream out for a sunny layout or card?

And here's the sunny layout that I made for it. My granddaughter stayed with us a few days during Spirit week at school and this picture was made for Hats and Shades Day!

I love this picture and the layout! Thanks for popping in to take a look and be sure to check out everyone else over at http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/. Play along with us and post your creation! you might earn one of those cute Top 3 buttons!! Until next time, may warm breezes blow and inspire your creativity!

Baby Boy Card with the Atlantic Hearts

My niece and nephew just had their baby 2 weeks ago. It was several weeks early and had to stay in the hospital for all this time and they finally got to bring him home a few days ago. I can't wait to get to hold and snuggle him! So while I was waiting, I decided to make him a few handmade goodies. I made a glass block nightlight, onesie and a vinyl decorated pacifier. Then came the hard part- the card!! I struggle with card making- I don't know why, but it sure isn't my forte! Thank goodness for the Atlantic Hearts sketches, or I probably would never get a card complete!

Here's this week's sketch

And I just changed the flowers out for a silhouette of a baby, added some trim and some Prima small flowers and came up with this! Now I can't wait to give this to them too!!

Thanks for checking out my design and head on over to http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/ to see what everyone else came up with!! Until next time- Happy crafting!

Valentine's Day is just around the Corner!

Hi y'all! with Valentine's Day just around the corner, I decided to use this week's sketch from the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge to create this cute card!

I'm a dedicated coffee junkie! I love it all day long and one of the requisites of my scrap room when I redone it a couple of years ago was to have a Keurig. Now that's dedication! I don't have to leave my room to have a nice steaming cup!

I found this cute cut file in the Silhouette online image store and had to have it. I'm going to stick a gift card for some coffee in there and maybe give it to my honey. Or my good friend. I haven't decided yet!

Here's the sketch for this week-

And my take on it-

This was a really cute sketch and packs a lot of punch! Here's the link for the rest of the design team's work. Be sure to check it all out here- http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/. And until next time- Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Thank Goodness for sketches!

Another busy month! I'm not sure where the time is going, but it's moving right along! I had a wedding to decorate! My cousin got married over the weekend and I was in charge of most  of the decorations. 36 Mason jar candleholders, fixing the spot up where they would be married, and making centerpieces made for a very busy last couple of weeks. I got it all done and was ready to go- when I realized I didn't have a card made! Atlantic Hearts Challenge to the rescue! This week's sketch was perfect to put a card together quickly with time to spare!

Here's this week's sketch-

And I turned the sketch into this easy card. I made the flower with my Cameo and used a bit of pearl trim, a tag that I'd cut down, a die cut, some scrap paper, and chalked the edges. Here's my take on the sketch-

Try this sketch and check out all the design team's creations here at http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/. There's a design team call going on also! Link up your creation and try out for this wonderful team! Until next time......Stay scrappy my friends!

It's a New Year and a New Sketch!

Happy New Year! It's sure doesn't seem like a year has gone by. Thank Goodness the holidays are over and we're into the cold days of winter. It's been a heck of a winter so far and we're just into the 2nd week of January! Between ice storms, snowfalls, power outages, cutting fingers and flu outbreaks, I was glad to just get to sit down and create with this sketch! Here's this week's sketch!

And my creation with it- this is last year's snow pictures. I've still got to get this years! But since we didn't have very much snow last year, we had to take advantage of what little we did get!

Here's hoping this new year brings you lots of scrappy/crafty time and you get some inspiration from the sketches! If you want to see more of what the design team did with this sketch be sure to visit us at http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/

How to mass produce cards in a short time!!

Hi y'all!! It's toooo close to Christmas for me! I still have vinyl orders to get out, candy to make and cards to send! What???? I haven't sent my cards yet? Nope- I've been busy making glitter ornaments, trivets and decals for customers and my cards have taken a hit! This sketch this week is the perfect way to mass produce with amazing results! Using different pattern papers, different accents, each one is unique! Here's this week's sketch!

And here's one of the ones that I made with it!

So if you find yourself running out of time and need a quick card put together- try this sketch!! I used some Christmas paper and some pre made die cuts and popped the flower and die with the saying up with some pop dots, added a string of pearls and some Stickles and done! Quick easy and beautiful!

If you want to see what the rest of the talented design team came up with, be sure and head over here- http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/ and check out everyone's designs! There's also a new Design Team call going on right now! Submit your picture and try out. It's a lot of fun!!

Until next time- MERRY CHRISTMAS! Make new memories, new traditions and most importantly see the holidays through the eyes of a child. Focus on what's important and let go of everything else! The gifts and stress do not matter. The memories you make do!

Being Thankful.

We're getting ready to embark upon Thanksgiving week here and I have so much to be thankful for this year. Daddy's health has improved-Mom overcame another bypass surgery, this time with a huge aneurysm that that was fixed, my shoulder surgery was a success and many others too numerous to mention. But others that we're close to haven't been so lucky. We've got 2 funerals back to back this week, both of which came as a shock. Anytime a person passes is a horrible situation, but especially around the holidays.

I'm so glad that I got this layout based on the sketch finished before everything hit! It's been so hectic that I almost forgot to write it out on the blog and link it up!! So here it is- hope you enjoy it!!

This is the sketch that I used this week!  And here's the finished layout.

I hope that this year finds you blessed beyond measure and you never take a day for granted. I've realized that the older you get the more grateful you are for each and every day! Make the most of it and have a very blessed Holiday season!

Be sure to check out all the other designs here- http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/and until next time- Happy Crafting!!

Another Layout in the book- thanks to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!!

Another layout completed with the help of the sketch this week from the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge! I loved this one- it was just screaming to me to use a 5x7 picture that I had of my granddaughter! The sketch for the week was this-

I love this sketch. It has a great design for those of you, like me, that are more scrapbookers at heart than card makers. I love a card sketch that can go either way and this one does that! I can also see this as a base for the Christmas cards that I need to get started on!!

This is what I did with this-

I cut a chevron background with my Cameo and attached it to a cream colored stock, then cut a flower swag and pieced it together. A cute title cut, matted picture and a couple of buttons and this layout was finished and ready to go. The other thing that I did for some added oomph was to use Glossy Accents on the cuts. I have fallen in love with Glossy Accents and use it a lot to make a die cut have a wonderful enameled shine to it. I applied it to the title and then also to the flower swag and the shine and dimension that it gives to a simple cut makes it look like I went out and bought it. I wish that they sold it by the gallon, but a 2 oz bottle goes a long ways! I've used it now on several layout pieces and still have 2/3 of a bottle left. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the other design team members work at http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/. And if this sketch inspires you- get to crafting and link up your creation! We would love to see it!!

A month of ups and downs!

What a month! I was just looking at the date of my last post and it's almost been a month since I've written a post. I had to step out for the last design team post and the month that has been in between has been full of ups and downs. My granddaughter ran in the Princess Elberta pageant right after the last post, my Mom had an aortic anuerysm the next week and is still in the hospital recovering and last week I had shoulder surgery! One up- then 2 down and then this last weekend my daughter in law ran for the Mrs. Arkansas title so another up. I guess it's balancing itself out! :) I havent' got to craft very much this last month and it makes me very cranky to be away from my desk for very long!! This week's design team sketch was a perfect excuse to lock myself away in the scrap room and get my craft on!!

This is the sketch for this week!

And then I made a layout with it! I love this layout- I'm in a group on Facebook where I have to do 50 projects before I can buy anything new. It is really making me use some paper and things that I've forgotten about! My goal is to get 50 layouts made before I buy anything new. That's 2 albums and a start on a third!! Wish me luck!

If you are in love with this sketch the way I am then check out the rest of the design team's work at http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/ and be sure and play along! Leave a comment on their blog if you decide to play and this blog led you there! Until next time- ride the downs out, coast through the ups and have a lovely crafty fall!

A new Sketch!

This week's sketch just screamed to me to do a page for Addy's 5th birthday. The only thing that I've scrapped yet from her birthday was her birthday chickens. Yep my granddaughter wanted chickens for her birthday- thus the cake topper- Happy Birthday Chick! And this chick is 8 months behind on scrapping a page from her party!! So this week's sketch was perfect to showcase the fact that she's now 5!

Here's the sketch for the week-

 And here's the layout that I made with it-

Be sure and check out all the other great designs over at http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/. We have a great group of ladies that make some great things from these sketches! And be sure and play along each week!! It's a great way to get a page or a card made. Until next time- Happy Crafting and Happy Fall!

September is here with a new Design Team Challenge!

Wow- where did August go? One minute it was the 4th of July it seems and now it's almost time for me to put up fall decorations. I'm not really ready to yet- summer seemed too short this year! So for this week's design team sketch, I decided to stick with a summer theme and scrapbook my granddaughter playing in the sand at the lake. She's always more interested in the sand than the water I think!

Here's this week's sketch-

And here's my take on it!

For more designs, be sure and visit the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog and play along!! It's fun and you might to one of those pretty Top 3 badges for it! Here's the link-  http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/  Have a great week and be crafty!!

New Sketch for the Week!

My Mom called and asked me if I had any birthday cards "in stock". Luckily for her, I was working on this week's challenge and decided to turn it into a birthday card for her friend. I quickly switched colors. I was going for a brighter look- but my Mom is a muted, natural color lover! I put together the flowers out of a bunch of Primas that I had and then threw in some fabric ones. I really hope that her friend loves it. She's one of Mom's oldest friends from childhood, so I wanted it to be really special! Hope you enjoy it!!

This week's sketch-

And my take on it!

I really love flowers so I ended up following the sketch pretty closely this week! If you want to see the rest of the design teams work be sure and stop by http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/ and try this sketch out for yourself!! We'd love for you to link up with us!! And you might get one of those pretty badges like I have for the top three!

A challenge and an anniversary

Our anniversary is coming up on Friday, so I needed to be thinking about a card. I decided to use this week's sketch and kill 2 birds with one stone. Usually I'm the one that's waiting until the last minute to make a card for a special occasion. Not this time! I'm ahead of the game! Here's the sketch for the week-

And then here's the card that I made with it-

I love retro stuff and fell in love with this couple from the Silhouette store. I used some crystal Stickles to give the letters a little pop.
If you haven't already checked out this week's design team entries and the sketch for the week, be sure to go to http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/ and check it out! We would love to have you play along with us!

The end of another Month!

Seriously??? It is the end of July already! Where does the time go? This summer seems to be flying by, along with the whole year. Days are running together and speeding through, while I want time to stand still. You see, my granddaughter Addy starts to school in August. Boooooo! I've kept her when her Mom and Dad works since she was 8 months old. She's like my right arm and I don't know what I'll do when school rolls around and I don't have her here to keep me company every day. She's told me that "I will sit on the couch, watch TV and cry. Quite possible baby girl!

On to this week's sketch. My Mom actually went out and bought a card last week! Oh the horror!! I asked her if she didn't know that I MADE cards!? She has now asked for an assortment of different cards that she can send out, so when I saw this week's sketch I had a card in mind for it.

Here's the sketch-

And here's the card that I made with the sketch-

Come on over to the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and see what else everyone has come up with! Here's the link- http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/.  Have a great week everyone! Thanks for stopping by and checking out my work and Happy Crafting!!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch #13

Wow I can't believe that it's sketch 13 already! This week I decided to do a layout for my granddaughter's scrapbook with the sketch. I'm so behind on my books! I know that I can never catch up, but I need to put as many pages together as I can!! I loved this weeks sketch and the layout that I made with it!

This is the sketch for the week-

And here's what I did with it-

I'm still so very much in love with my Cameo! This is an amazing machine. I did everything once again with it. These layered flowers are my newest love! They look so hard to do, but I think it's one of the easiest cuts ever! I actually made these for a swap next month, but when I was putting my page together, I thought that these would be perfect with it. I guess I better start cutting again! I need to make 4 new flowers for the girls I'm swapping with!!

Have a great week and be sure to check out the Atlantic Hearts blog here and see what else the other design team members came up with! See ya next week!!  http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/

If it could go wrong....it did!

This is my second attempt for the week. I took my stuff camping to get some peace, quiet and relaxation. It all worked, until I got home. Getting there was a battle to start with. Planned arrival times got delayed and then when we were almost there a gallon of milk shot out of the refrigerator on a turn and split. Milk poured across the floor.....and it's carpet. When we got back my youngest son started tearing out the carpet and I guess that it turned loose termites. They were everywhere, so the youngest took out some spray and proceeded to spray everything, including my bag with my card for this week's design in it. I've scrambled around and came up with this for this week's sketch challenge!

The sketch-

And my take on it-

Hope you like this one! If you'd like to see more from the wonderful design team, head on over to http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/ Thanks for looking and have a great rest of the week!

Time Marches On

Time flies when you're having fun! And even if you're not having fun I think it flies also. We've had such a busy week that I lost track of days and the day before my sketch challenge for the week was due, I realized that I had got busy and let it slip up on me. I got preoccupied making a layout for my granddaughter's book that took lots longer than I had anticipated and yesterday flew past. I knew that I had to get busy with this week's sketch and I think that some of my better stuff comes when I don't over think my project too much! I love this weeks card that I made for the challenge. It's not what was planned in my head to do, but that one is still lurking just waiting for me to start.

Here's the sketch for this week-









Then here's my take on it. I'm really loving the Pooh saying and the character rubons that I pulled out of my stash. I've had them for awhile and couldn't decide what to do with them until today!

 

 If you want to see more of what the design team came up with this week, then check us out at http://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.ca/. Have a wonderful week and Happy Creating!!