Ripe for the pick’n

 

Hi everyone!! So happy I could finally have a little time stop in and say something. I have been so busy with school (both the kids and I started) I have not done any crafting at all. (boo)I know, I really do feel the insanity that comes along with not having time for my creative outlet. It feels like I am either doing homework or helping the kids with theirs. In addition the expense of college books really can add up. I am very savvy at getting good deals on my books but it’s ridiculous. I am reading so much these days, I finally broke down and bought an Ott Lite. Never thought I’d care so much about a good lamp, or that I’d be spending so much one either! lol

So enough of my venting, I want to show you what the kids & did one day while they were on vacay.. We went to a u-pick it farm. The kids loved it. We picked raspberries, strawberries, carrots, and peppers. We had a blast, there was even a little petting zoo and a fun farm show where the farmers talked about the animals and their needs. The kids also got to feed some of the animals. They had a great time but also said how exhausted they were from working all day in the fields. LOL Have a great day and hope to see you around soon.

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This is a must make for moms

Of kids who have really long summer vacations, and love to fill their days with good ol fashion sibling squabbles! Seems like my kids have hit the prime age for bickering and fighting. My daughter is 11, my son is 6. They are at it non-stop these days.  One day while at grandma’s house, they really went at it. So she witnessed the situation first hand. She saw the frustration on my face and made a suggestion.

She said the only thing that really motivates kids these days is money. (That’s no lie, my kids do a pretty good job at collecting/saving/spending it.) She said I should take away money each time they fight. Determine the amount of money by the severity of the fight. So I tried it, starting with a quarter & for the really bad squabs a buck. I would have never believed it but since then some days have been down right pleasant from sun up to down.  Three cheers for grandma, after all these years she still knows how to set the youngin’s straight. I thought the coin collected from this should have a proper holding place. So here it is folks, our very first “Bickering Jar”

 The lil guy represents Joshua pitching a fit.

And this cute lil grump below is my Tyla 

I wanted to add a variety of kids with attitudes, so I added these two to the bunch. 

And here is a top view. That’s right folks, If you bicker or holler it’ll cost you some green. (or silver)

I still have to figure out what we should do with the money inside. There is about $8.00 but slowly and most recently very slowly growing. My son suggested in his own words if we “get caught being good” can we earn it back? Just not sure exactly if that will work. I thought maybe if they are really good I could use the money to treat them to something nice or maybe split it 50/50  give it back to them at the end of each quarter. But would that be defeating the purpose, treating them with money I took away for being naughty? A good friend humorously suggested I use the money to hire a babysitter, and treat myself to a spa day. I’m sure I’d be waiting a long time for that to happen. If you have any idea’s on what should be done with the loot let me know, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Thanks for stopping by~Angela

Materials Used: recycled cookie tin, Score-tape, SU DSP, Laser printer, Digi images are Mo Manning’s at digitalpenciltoo.com, colored with copics. Ink is mixed printer ink along with SU. And a thick coat of mod podge to keep preserve it and keep it in tack.

 

 

Oh Baby! My first diaper cake.

Seems like so many people I know are having babies. It’s not that uncommon with a family as big as mine. Even though I am done having my babies I am sure to get a baby fix at least twice a year, if not more. So this cake is for Baby Gavin, my cousin Gabe’s son. He was born Friday the 16th and is such a cutie. The new parents were delighted with the cake and card. It also gave me a shot at practicing for an even bigger cake that I plan need to make for my girlfriend Juliza’s shower in August.

  This cake consists of 100 size 1 pampers brand diapers.  I swirled the diapers instead of the familiar roll and rubber band style. I think this way(shown) preserves the diapers better. Also it looks cleaner, in my opinion. To do this type of cake; I swirled the diapers around a big soup can (design on band faced in) which was placed in the middle of a big pizza pan. I rubber banded about 6 of them at a time, then removed each rubber band as I added a new layer. I did this till the fullness I desired was achieved. After the layer was complete I removed the soup can and filled the center with fun bath toys. You can use blankets or other baby supplies. Bottom layer = 50 diapers, Middle = 35, Top = 15

I topped it off  with a card featuring Bella holding a baby. Here’s a closer look at the card. Stamp can be found at stamping bella. I used some retired SU DSP. I colored the image with copics &  baubles with E49.

So what do  you think? At the very least,  I hope I inspired you to try something new. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with something different to share.  Thanks for sticking around, I know my blog post aren’t consistent but hopefully as we get settled in they will be more frequent. ~Angela

SuperMario Mania

As promised, I’m back to share the creative side of Joshua’s 6th birthday party. My little guy is so obsessed with anything super Mario bros, so it was no big surprise to me, that he wanted a Mario bros party.  For his invites I used paint shop pro and some web images and put this together

I made about 18 Yoshi Loot bags, these Mario & Luigi hats. I handed out Mario mustaches at the door. (ignore the silly girls posing in the photo, Eloise, me, & barbara. The three primas)Thanks to Coolpartyblog.com for the free temps.

   

We played Pin the mustache on Mario and Yoshi’s Egg toss. For this I made big poster’s. I took the images to my local Rhino Graphics and had them printed super Large, adhered them to some foam board. EZ-PZ! Here is the Yoshi’s egg toss one.

I could not find a theme related piñata, so I bought a regular piñata with balloons on it. Cut and paste a left over mario image and boom, done!

The cake was a bit of a dilemma.. Because this is some what a unique theme I could not just order a cake from a local bakery. I ordered a plain cake. Then ordered a cake topper on e-bay. Toppers are made of 100% frosting. The idea is to peel and stick. But lucky me, we are so close to the beach, we have lots of humidity. This made the design stick to the contact sheet. I had to use a blow dryer to dry it out but at the same time be careful not to melt the design. Eeek! It tore a little but not too noticeable.

So I cheated, everything was not handmade.. I guess this was a semi-handmade party. in coordination with  some of my handmade decorations I used birthdaypartyexpress.com. Had to cut myself some slack, I only had 2 weeks to plan this gig.  They had the banner up top, table wear and balloons. The Banner now hangs in his room. We went with Italian food, you know Mario loves him some pasta & pizza! With the help of family we made spaghetti & meatballs, garlic bread, green salad and ordered in a few pizza’s. All in all it was a great day. The Birthday boy enjoyed himself thoroughly, and that’s what counts. I am slowly learning to give myself a break here and there. I guess you really can have your cake and eat it too.                                      Till the next time ~ Angela

California means:

Busy like it was before we ever left. Forget slow paced Arizona  because it’s nothing but the fast lane here. Keep running or you will be consumed. You obviously can’t be two places at one time, or can you? (Hermione’s time capsule would sure come in handy right now)  Decisions and choices that you are lucky enough to have. Oceans and beaches to rest at when life gets a little too hectic & you need a quick escape. Familiar faces that brighten up your day. Green grass and a cool ocean breeze. Bike rides and 5 mile runs with nothing but scenic beauty that cradles you within.

 

Moving back home has been wonderfully stressful. we have been busy beyond explanation. I haven’t picked up my copics in weeks and I must say I’m a bit of a wreck over it. Time will help us settle in and hopefully I will be able to blog at least once a week. Sorry to those who were trying to view the video I made. I can’t seem to figure out the Picasa movie software. I will attach some photos to this post  so you can see the graduation pics. I hope to be back soon to show you some of the cool pics from Joshua’s b-day party. Have a blessed day and thanks for stopping by. ~Angela

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Congrats Kindergarten Class of 2010

Hi Family and Friends.. Just a short post to show you today's graduation pictures. There really are no words to express this wonderful feeling of accomplishment I feel today. Seeing my baby graduate from kindergarten is a true bitter sweet moment. And although he is the true graduate, I feel that I too, have graduated. I saw first hand how much he has learned in a year and how truly independent he is. I was fortunate to spend the year volunteering in his class. I had a wonderful time getting to know Mrs. Meyer and the other volunteers, Judy, Carole, & Patti. Thank you ladies for your friendship and company. And to the parents who always greeted me with a smile and conversation I will miss you too. I was also able to get to know and love all the kids in this class. You are all such a joy to be around and I am going to miss each and every one of you so much. It's the end but also a new beginning. I look forward to keeping in touch with so many of you. Be sure to turn up your volume, sit back and enjoy watching our beautiful kids!

Burtonesque Dolls Challenge #3

Here is my submission for the 3rd challenge.

The Challenge requested the use of Black flowers and Skulls.

I used SU Rockbilly DSP and I dyed a prima flower and white satin ribbon black using copic ink. The image is Sugar Nellie’s “just a girl” colored in with copic markers. I pierced the border with my SU matpack. A button and some bling. There is also a ribbon buckle on the bottom, kind of hard to see.

Sadly this will most likely be my last challenge for a while. I was not going to join in this weeks challenge but I had a very rough day yesterday and needed to go to my happy place. (my craft desk) Plus with the move, all my crafting stuff is getting packed up today and I probably won’t see it for a while. Sniff-Sniff…  Don’t worry I am putting those boxes in a special place and as soon as I have time and space I will be back to show you more! See ya around soon~Angela

Yummy Cake and B-day wishes

I wanted to take a minute to say hello to everyone. I’ve been so busy packing like a mad women & cleaning, but it’s all worth it! I am so happy to be returning home soon :)

Today’s card is for Celia, My Mother In Law. She is a super special lady and very close to my heart. 

My favorite colors are browns with pinks and sometimes soft blues. ingredients: SU choc chip & Paper stack. Misc Ribbon, Nestites scallops and Circles, MS lace border, and Close to my heart stamp set which  was a gift :) I added Glossy accents on the candles. Image is colored with copic markers. Here’s a closer look.

Hope you liked today’s card. I will be back soon with my submission for The Burtonesque Doll Challenge #3. Have a wonderful day ya’ll ~ Angela 

A Beautiful Nightmare

Here is my submission for the second Burtonesque Dolls Challenge.

Burton Chicks. Really simple; create a card, page layout, or project with a doll, heroine, or chick that you know would belong in a Tim Burton film! Make her crazy, fun, cute, wild, but most importantly make her suitable for a Burton film!

I got a little carried away, but it was SOO much fun to make. It’s my rendition of Tim Burton & coraline meet Sugar Nellie. I know Burton was not the creator of Coraline but both movies shared a producer in common named Henry Selick.  so here it is:

This is on a 6X 6 Easel Card. Tim Burton’s Famous Black Spiral Cliff with yellow moon is popped up on dimensionals.

And a closer look at the stars of today’s card. See the button eye’s? look at the snakes in her hair. I personalized it by adding  Burtonesque on her shirt, for the dolls! Kitty’s got some bling!

 

Also added is Coraline’s famous flower garden. If you go to Youtube and search Spiral flowers there are plenty tutorials to teach you how to make these flowers.  A closer look:

One more pic for Tami at school adventures, she’s been wanting to see the profile of an easel card. Here you go..

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. I know it’s a totally different side of my creativity then you are used to seeing, but I have to please myself too ;) Oh, & don’t worry, I won’t be sending great aunt Elisa a card like this for her birthday!  These are strictly for me~Angela

Burtonesque Dolls Challenge

So Today I was blog hopping, I came across this REALLY cool one. I was so excited because it seems to consist of everything I was searching for.  I needed an outlet to express what I like. I was getting so caught up in buying stamps to make cards that matched everyone else’s taste, not so much my own.

So how appropriate is this?? this is the sites first challenge as well as my own! Yup that’s correct, I  have NEVER entered a blog challenge. So today is the first of many great things to come. The Challenge is requesting Stripes. I think it’s pretty stripy.. And it’s got my humor written all over it! 

Thanks for Stopping by ~ Angela

Happy Mother’s Day

Hi Friends! Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms and moms-to-be. I did not ask for anything except to be with my family. My husband and kids Took me out to have Sushi yesterday and today they bought some wonderful things for a great breakfast. My favorite breakfast treats are croissants. They are not the healthiest choice but I can’t deny myself the yummy goodness! I had two.

I helped prepare breakfast with my hubby. My daughter said I shouldn’t be helping in the kitchen but to me that’s what a mom does. We don’t stop being a mom because it’s a special day. Of course it’s nice to take it easy but this Mother’s day like many others I will be doing what I love best. Taking care of my family. That means doing Laundry, cooking and cleaning. I feel blessed to have a family to take care of.

Mom’s of every kind are thought of and admired today. In addition to my birth mom, I am also thinking of Elsa my step-mom. I am so glad to have her in my life and I love her very much. The card featured today is for her. She loves carrousel horses.  I was lucky enough to have this image stamped for me from one of my on-line swap buddies! Thanks Jan.

What’s Used:

Stamp by: Whimsy Stamps,& SU All Holidays. Colored with copics,  DSP SU Sweet Pea Paper stack, SU Ribbon in pretty in pink and Stock Ribbon, Bella baubles, Hat Pin and bling rhinestones. White Gel Pen.

I distressed the paper. Top is pierced using SU Mat Pack. Lots of Stickles. Here’s a closer look I was hoping to get a better photo of the shimmer but this was the best I could get.

I hope you liked my card for today. Have a good day and be kind to yourself  :) I have a date with my kids to play Sorry right now so I have to get going. Thanks for Stopping by ~Angela

Look Ma, no training wheels

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Ok, so today is going to be one of those proud bragging  mommy posts. My son Joshua had been telling me for weeks that he does not like the sound of his training wheels hitting the floor when he rides his bike.  When I asked the hubby to remove them, he said he did not think the lil guy was ready. I knew he was, I’d take him for rides and could tell he mostly only used them for turns and stops. So today my son refused to go for our walk before dinner, saying he does not like his bike anymore. What’s a mom to do? I break out the hubby’s tool box,  search for the thing that loosens bolts..a wrench? (don’t know what it’s called but this chick knows how to use one) and I get to work. The training wheels are off and I take him down the drive way. So scared to let go, but as soon as I do the lil dude takes off. Whew who!!!  I prepared him for an accident, told him it would surely happen and might hurt, even had the peroxide handy, But I never needed it. When he stopped he pulled over to the side let his leg down and brakes like a pro. My neighbors who were watching, all swore we put on a show for them.. I mean who rides a bike for the first time with no training wheels and no falls? It could happen but I haven’t seen it.  In fact I remember my first fall, yes it hurt that bad. I know I probably stole the hubby’s thunder as this all went down, But I never thought he’d be riding so independently so soon. I thought of it as a mere practice round.

I was not that one who taught our first born to ride her bike, as it took her many times of practice rounds. It was ultimately her cousin Natalie who taught her and got to see her on that first ride. I was a full time working mom at that time. I also never got to see Tyla or Joshua’s first steps, because again I was busy making those benji’s. So I feel this was just the thing I needed to see before heading back home and getting back into career mode. I tell ya, It was the Perfect Mother’s Day gift and I am so blessed to be living the beautiful life I have. It’s these small things that bring me to my knees every night to thank the good lord for allowing me to stick around and witness it. I’m sorry if I sound like a religious sentimental fool but I do have so much to be thankful for. I had a really tough 2009, I had some health issue’s that no one would think a young healthy woman like myself would experience. I am still not 100% out of the woods but god is seeing me through it. and I am so happy to be here & sharing my special moments with you.  Thank you for stopping by. ~Angela

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Thoughts and Prayers

Hi Everyone. I hope your May is off the a great start. Saying I have been busy is a complete understatement. I am purging all the things we don’t need. You’d think after only being in this house for 2 years it’d be an easy move, that’s just not the case here. My kids love STUFF, all kinds of stuff! Especially stuff that has a bunch of little itty bitty pieces. And things that no longer fit them that they just can’t part with,  because as soon as I say let’s donate it, I see my daughter in boots 2 sizes too small for her saying “see mom, they fit, I still wear them”  But she never wore them when they actually did fit her, and that’s the funny thing!

Now it’s my job to go through it all and I have been making trips to the goodwill daily. Thank goodness this is all happening while the kids are at school. (sigh) I really dislike moving, and all my friends are suddenly disappearing .. Hmm! Maybe I could disappear too.

Ok, so onto today’s card. It was made using SU thought’s and prayers stamp set. Bella Birds DSP. Background cardstock is SU Chocolate chip with Stock satin ribbon to match. Ink is SU Close to Cocoa which I am going to miss because they are retiring it, pretty in pink and bashful blue.  MS lace punch and Kaiser pearls. I hope you enjoyed my card today. I’ll be posting something new soon.  ~Angela

What!! No social network?

Yes, you heard me correct. I deleted my on-line profiles from Facebook & Myspace.  I was using these sites to keep in touch and connect with family and friends while here in Arizona. But I guess I sort of grew tired of them, I wanted more privacy and to not be easily tracked down by just anyone.  As contradictive as this sounds (because I still have this blog) But I also grew tired of constantly being asked to be someone’s farm neighbor or invited for coffee with someone in Cafe world. I never got into playing those games and I am certainly not saying anything bad about the people who do play them, they just are not for me.  The spare time I do have is spent with my family and at my craft table.  My free time is limited and I want to spend it doing what I love best. Creating and sharing with people who are interested in what I have to share and say.

So with that, today’s card is definitely for the birds. If you can’t beat them, go find something else to do!

Ingredients:

SU DSP Flock together

SU Ribbon SO Saffron

Bella Baubles, Memento ink, Copic Markers,

Stamps: MFT  hanging with my peeps

I look forward to seeing you more and spending more time on my blog,  See ya ~Angela

Under the Sea and back near there too!

Hello! I’m so happy to be back, I have to admit that was a bit longer then a cat nap. More like a long power nap. Which is just what I needed.  As it turns out we are moving back home, to California. In CA we lived near the Channel Islands, and we are moving back to our same house. I miss the salty smell of the ocean, the fresh produce at the farmers markets, but most of all, I miss my family and friends back home! As for Arizona, I did enjoy the tranquility of this little 5 light town.  And there will be much more to miss once we are gone. You know the saying:

“ don’t know what you got till it’s gone?”  So anyway in the midst of all our packing my Aunt Diane called to let me know she is going to be a grandma for the first time ever and she is super excited. She asked if I could make the invitations for the baby shower. All though I am super busy I just can’t say No to my Auntie. She is doing an Under the Sea themed shower and it’s a boy.  Here is what I came up with.

I just love the way they came out. Thanks to my daughter Tyla who helped me color in the images, She is a prisma & gamsol queen. We were able to finish these up and continue with our packing in no time.

Here is what we used:

Stamps by Our Craft Lounge: Bubbles

Making Memories DSP

Stock Grosgrain ribbon

Memento Ink

SU Tempting turquoise to ink around the edges

Spellbinders Labels eight

Prisma Colored pencils

Baby oil - instead of Odorless mineral spirits (since my daughter was helping I did not want harmful fumes around her)

Stickles in Icicle to add some shimmer on the star

 

I’m glad you stopped by and hopefully I will be back soon with something new  to show you ~ Angela

Taking a blog Cat Nap

I just want to let everyone know I will not be blogging for a bit. I have things that require my full attention & as much as I love blogging I simply won’t have the time. Thanks for understanding ~ Angela

By the way, anyone want this adorable cat named Coby? J/K this is my daughter’s cat and she would kill me if I gave him away.

Easter Bunny and Friend

Wow wow wow, I can’t believe we are already in April! How time flies when we’re having fun. I just finished making my kids Easter baskets and I had these two fun creations to add. This is not something I created on my own I got the idea from http://dreamcreateandshare.blogspot.com

But are they not just too cute?  Boy and Girl, perfect for my 2.

 

I had to improvise as I did not have all the same tools Tammy used but I think they turned out A-OK none the less. If you are interested in trying to make this duo hop over to her blog, she’s got some fabulous creations.

 

 

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday and we’ll be seeing you around. ~Angela

Hello Sunshine and thanks a bunch!

Hi All. It seems so long since I posted a project. I have been keeping busy with the kids. This was the first week back to school so it’s always a challenge to get back in the swing of things. But I’m back, and I have something super cute to show you! Look at this card & container set I made. The container is altered from a recycled Oatmeal container. I tell ya, I don’t throw away anything that can be reused or recreated into something crafty. I just have to hide it or my kids will put it in the recycle bin. 

INGREDIENTS:

Lady bug and Friends “Hello Sunshine” stamp.

Tuxedo Black Memento ink & Copic markers

Score-tape (sookwang)

Pink satin ribbon, Nestabilities long rectangle

Handmade background Designer paper on the canister by stamping “kindness” from my favorite SU “Define your life”  in Sepia ink on barely banana card stock.

Basic Grey DP in two Scoops. Which again, was another thing that was recycled in this project. I had a bunch of scraps and I love this DP so I scattered all the strips on top of my handmade DP. Everything is held in place and sealed with mod podge.

Kaiser pearls, icicle stickles, 1- Prima flower, & bella baubles. Here is a view from the top.

I hope you enjoyed my project and as always if you have any questions please feel free to send me an e-mail or comment. Have a fantastic day and see you soon. ~ Angela

Play date at Rotary Park

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Hi and happy Thursday to you all. My back has been improving with each day, thank you for all your well wishes. Yesterday Ty & Josh had a play date with our friends Charlie and Payton. We met up with them at Rotary Park in Bullhead City. It’s a great park because it has access to the Colorado River. So much fun to allow the kids to play at the park and then cool down in the river. Since my back is still a little sore, I only allowed them to get their feet wet. Plus the river is wicked cold and has a strong under current.

Here is one of my Favorite pictures of the day.

You can see how sunny it was by the reflection on the water. Not sure if you can tell, but Josh recently lost his 2 bottom teeth. He was so happy when the tooth fairy came. He wondered if maybe it was “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson that delivered his loot. I could tell you this much, If “The rock” were in our house Mommy would have stood up all night to catch a glimpse of him ;) hee hee

we are going to enjoy the rest of what’s left of spring break. They start school on Monday. Yeah, you can say things are a little backwards here. But enjoying the time off none the less. Hope you have a great day and see ya around. ~ Angela

PS. I am in search of a new camera, the one I have now is a Canon Powershot SD300, I want more of a professional grade. If you love your camera and would recommend it, let me know what have have.

Lucky to have you, friend!

Hi Guys.. Today’s post will be short. I threw out my back yesterday :( I was bending in an awkward position , while helping my lil boy in the shower. I heard a quiet pop and then enough pain to bring me to my knee’s. I am doing ok and trying to walk it out but sitting and typing on the computer seems to agitate the muscles. I guess I will have to work harder on strengthening my core muscles. 

I wanted to wish you all a Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

This lil Cutie is another E. Bell design. Can’t get enough of these guardian angels from WOJ.

I was able to try out some of my new toys. The background stamp is SU Tres Chic. I also used Define Your Life from SU.  See Below.

Lucky Me, Tom’s nice Auntie gave me this set. Thanks Rachel!

 

Here’s a close up of Melinda Blowing kisses I used heat and stick with dazzling diamonds on her wings and Hearts. Glossy accents on her bracelet. Colored in Image with my Copics.

I hope you enjoyed my creation for St. Patrick’s Day. I really am lucky to have you as a blog friend. And thank you for all your wonderful comments!  Have a wonderful day and don’t forget to wear green. ~Angela