Day 2--Jump on Christmas Cards

There are some really lovely Christmas lines out there lately and I want so many of them that I could go broke buying all of them.

I tried to be choosy. I was drawn to the classic beauty of the Making Memories "Mistletoe", and the cardinals were a clincher for me.

Every year, my husband's family exchanges ornaments for Christmas. It is a game that we play when we are together for Christmas. My inlaws live up in northern Minnesota where there are beautiful cardinals visiting their bird feeders while we eat dinner, so that cardinal ornaments are ALWAYS hits. So naturally, the MM cardinal paper draws me in.

For my second selection, I chose with my love of color and cute factor. First up we have Cosmo Cricket's Holly Jolly. Who could NOT love this cute sweet line. I fell in love with it when I took their Winter minibook class here in MN, at the ScrapBook Shop of St. Paul in September, and I knew that I would be including this in my card making mania that I get into every Christmas. I love the cute whimsical patterns and then the song paper is something that I love for any card.

Every year, when I get started Christmas cards, I get stuck (on) making them and I have to break the cycle with a layout or two but I just love making them and sending them out....so worth the time and energy to do it! So tomorrow, I wanted to talk about cardmaking on a budget. Love and hugs! Lara

Day 1--Cards

Ok everyone, I am trying to challenge myself to blogging more so I am going to try and do it 4 times this week, if possible/if not more. So here goes.

So my obsession lately is cards. I recently started entering a card swap at my local LSS and it has gotten me into making cards, assembly line style, so that I can share with the others that join in the swap. It has boosted my talent for finding a design that I have enough supplies for, as well as a card that I can easily assemble more than one at a time. It seems hard sometimes, but I have found that I use more scraps, from the same paper and that I will use what I cut up.

I also find that I am using my punches more and that alone, is nice for me, since I bought these things and there is no sense in having them sit on the shelf. My favorites right now are the scallop one from Stampin' Up and the Upper Crest from Fiskars. I am also using my Slice more and more. I mean, who has enough of the same (or similar) journaling spots? I got rid of my circle and square punches at a LSS garage sale, so I am using the slice for that too. The nice thing about the Slice is that it makes designs in 1/2 inch increments, which makes for easy layering/matting of objects that I want to emphasize.


Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket; rickrack: FancyPants; Button: American Crafts; Cardstock: Die Cuts With a View.


Patterned paper: K and Company, Foof-a-la; Journaling spot: K and Company; Stamps: Stampin' Up; Ribbon: craft supply; Gel Pens: Target; Ink: Stampin' Up.

So here I am on a card making binge. Tomorrow I will show you why I get stuck making cards. Once I start Christmas cards,(and I HAVE started them) I cannot stop. See you then. Love and Hugs! Lara

Cosmo Cricket loved it!

It was a fluke really. I have been in love with everything Cosmo Cricket lately...see one of my earlier posts. I even signed up for a minibook class at the Scrapbook Shop this last week, taught by the one and only Julie and Lindsay from Cosmo Cricket. The mini book was just adorable and Jolly By Golly is such an adorable line that screams...HELLO, I am here, come and get me! Such cute stuff.

So on to my title! As a favor to my dear, sweet friend, Rhonda, who happens to be the owner of the Scrapbook Shop, I brought in some layouts and a minibook made up in my favorite muse...Cosmo Cricket. I did not make these layouts JUST for the store or just because they were coming...I frequently bring new layouts in to the store for displays of newer products.

Well, the minibook, seen below (and the cover, above), is the book I did with Cosmo's Earth Love. While I was taking the class, Rhonda showed it to Lindsay and Julie and they loved it. Lindsay wanted to take it with him, and Julie, wise and sweet, said no, but asked to photograph it. They want to post it on their blog. I said of course they could post it. I did not want to let it go...I really love it and want it to stay with me...well, after it gets its share of viewing at the Shop. So here it is. I just have to say...that I love this little thing and that Going Up North is the best!

So, needless to say, I am super excited about it. TFL. Love and Hugs! Lara

Where has the summer gone?

Whoa! I looked at the calendar today while I was getting groceries and I was just amazed...August is almost 1/2 gone. Even though my kids do not start school until the day after Labor Day, it seems like the summer has just spun away from me. I look back and it has been so fun so far...but going too fast...only too soon I will be coming home in the dark and ready to crawl in my flannel jammies at 5pm. But it should be a great rest of the summer and the fall is always pretty nice in MN.

We are going up north next weekend. I am taking both kids and Holli's friend and Ian's girlfriend up for the weekend. Wonder how that will be hanging out with a bunch of teenagers for the weekend? They are all behaved well though so I do not have much to worry about there...I hope to take them all to Lake Itasca to see the beginnings of the Mississippi River...Neither friend coming along has been there!
(On a Scrappy note, I found some NEW Earth Love by Cosmo Cricket at a local LSS and I snapped up a few goodies from them and made a CUTE chipboard mini album with it, about--you guessed it--Up North, that I will share after the weekend up North!)

Dave is staying home because he is not sure if his back can tolerate the 4 hr drive. I feel for him! His bulging discs are a real concern and he is on bed rest for 2 more weeks. He said the doctor said that if he has no improvement in 2 weeks on Steriods, then they are looking at surgery. I am like, what? I totally asked him if I could come to the next doctor appt. I need to know what the next steps are as Dave has a hard time with all the medical speak...or maybe he is just making it sound not-so-bad for my sake. Not sure. I will definitely be there though so I can hear things with my own ears.

As for my layouts...I went through the longest scrappy drought in a long time...almost a month without doing ANYTHING. I went to a crop and put together some good little layouts that fueled my scrappy happiness. I pulled out some older October Afternoon for 2 of them and some Collage Press for the Sweetie Pie one...along with my favorite little Sassafras paper...I only have a little snippet of that deer/groundhog paper left and I love it so much, I will be looking for a little bit more! TFL! Have a great week! Love and Hugs! Lara