Well this is the 2nd year that I have hostessed the Bellaholics Anonymous Calendar Swap. Each person make calendar pages for 4 months and then we throw all the extra's in a big pile and reassemble all the calendars. I normally end up contributing 2 spots and then I bind them and give them a front and a back. This is this years calendar. Later I'll post my month contributions. This year we made 44 calendars! Up a few from last year. I think the biggest challenge is making these cute and simple. I can't do anything elaborate or very time consuming since I have to make 44 of them. I'm rather pleased with this year's covers, I hope everyone else likes them too! The circle on the cover is a monogram using my JustRite Special Occassions set. The part where you see the words is the back cover (the front cover is 9" long and the back cover is 10 1/2" long), it says "Life, Live like you mean it".
Have you ever had one of those projects where you worked so long and so hard on something and you are abosultely inlove with the end result, and then the recipient says "Oh, that's nice"? This is that project. I made this Stationery Box and altered Candle for my Mother in Law's birthday. Now mind you these stationery boxes are pretty quick and easy to make, but I spent hours coming up with the card, and the note cards, etc. I really loved the way it turned out. I got the directions for the box from Jackie Topa's blog and then just had a great time decorating it, etc. Because my cards and note cards are so bulky I could only fit 4 of each into the little cubbies. The main image on the cards was colored in using my "Homemade In Colors" markers (click on the Tutorial catagory on the left sidebar to see how to make your own set of these). Below is a picture of the contents, the cirlce thing-y's in the corner are envelope seals. This was so much fun I think I will make some more for some family Christmas presents!
Supplies (all supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Bloomin Beautiful, Say it with Scallops, "From the Desk of" and Special Occassions font by JustRite Stamps, "B" monogram and border by PTI
Paper: Bella Blossoms DSP, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss cardstocks
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Stampin' Up! markers, Pink Tafetta ribbon, dimensionals, Ticket punch, Chocolate Chip 5/8" ribbon, Riding Hood Red stripped ribbon, circle punches, scallop circle punch, Nestabilities (tags and circles), Swiss Dots cuttlebug folder, Button Bouquet buttons.
Happy Friday!!! Happy Friday means Happy Bloggers' Challenge day! Woo hoo! Todays' challenge was to use Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Tango Tangerine and Close to Cocoa. I was very excited to be getting my challenge card done early (yesterday), until I finished and realized I didn't like it, so I made another one! Above is my 2nd attempt, I like this one. I've attached my "reject" card below.
Supplies (all supplies are Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Jollies Time of the Year
Ink: Basic Black and Bashful Blue
Paper: Bashfull Blue, Close to Cocoa and Whisper White cardstocks, Frosty Day DSP
Accessories: Rhinestone Brads, Silver cording, copic markers, spica glitter pen in clear, Black Sakura glaze pen, Scallop circle punch, circle punch
Happy Friday!!! I am so excited to be stamping again and participating in the Bloggers' Challenges! This week's challenge was an Inspiration Challenge, IC's are quickly becoming my favorite types of challenges!! :) Thanks Lisa! You can see the Inspiration piece below. A friend of mine had a really bad week this past week, so when I was looking through my stamps trying to figure out which stamps to use for the challenge, I knew this set would make for a perfect card for her! Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again! Have a wonderful weekend! 
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I just love all the cooking, all the family time, all the play time!! I know I am late getting these up, but I really wanted to share them because I really like how they both turned out. I used Harvest Home stamp set for both and my Basic Gray Mellow mat pack for both. This card I did a little paper piecing, for the pumpkins I used paper from the Autumn Vines DSP by Stampin' Up!, and then just used Whisper White cs for the stems. 
This card turned out even better than my original plan (I just love when that happens). Not sure if you can tell from the picture, but I used the Pumpkins Cuttlebug folder on the Pumpkin Pie rectangle. The "buttons" are wood buttons that I colored with my copics. I also dug out my Metallic Rub-Ons from Gina K Designs to "ink" the edges of the white cardstock. Love this stuff!!! I love it even more, I am sure, when I learn how to use it, lol!
This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY- nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement . Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers.Deliver this award to 8 bloggers who may then pass it on. I hope you’ll accept this award from me because of our friendship and the inspiration you all give me. I received this super cute & charming award from Susan. Thanks, Susan!
I have pre cut, etc. a small handful of each of the Christmas card kits/add-ons (click on the picture on the left sidebar for details). Due to the Holiday "time crunch" once I run out of what has been precut, I will not be selling any more. So, order yours now, these kits are going fast! To order your kit(s) email me today at tccrain@socal.rr.com. Have a wonderful day! Later today I'll post some Thanksgiving cards and tomorrow is Bloggers' Challenge day!!! 
I always feel so honored and get a "warm & fuzzy" when someone sends me one of these awards. I never think that anyone really looks at my blog very often and so I am so surprised and honored to know when someone is not only reading it, but comes back for more! I got this award from Susan (Stampin Tink), you've gotta check out her blog...not only are her cards, etc. wonderful, but her blog is super cute too! It seems like "life" is just taking over and swipping my "creative time"...thanks Susan for the little nudge I needed to get back on track!
Finally!!! I finally got to stamp, I finally got to post and I finally got to play with some of the goodies I've gotten lately from a few different friends! (Wait until you see the cupcake card tomorrow using my cupcake from Shannon & Lisa). Talk about multi-tasking...this is a Birthday card for my Chemo patient (I am a Chemo card angel), this is my paper piecing entry for MFT Stamps What's Up Wednesday Challenge and the SplitCoast Sketch Challenge 199...whew, that was a mouthfull :)
Happy Weenie Day!! Someone told me that today and I couldn't stop laughing!! Hehehehe. Happy Friday too!!! and of course Happy Blogger's Challenge Day!!!! Woo hoo! Today's challenge was an easy one...Halloween! Luck for me it was so easy, cause I am sooooo far behind and buried in everything I needed an easy thing! Besides I got lots of cool stuff for Halloween cards and have not really used any of it (insert super sad face here!). Well here is a card I made to send to my Mommy & Daddy. I made the card the other night and had to get it in the next day's mail so it would get there in time...had I had more time I would have changed a thing or two...like making either the jars or the spider dimensional. Oh well...I still liked the way it turned out. I stamped the web in black and then went over it with my clear Spica pen, the spider is embossed with black and I used my Stampin Up! Color Spritzer on the white background so it wasn't so plain. 
I made these little goodie bags for some of the neighborhood kids and the kid's of my co-workers. Quick and easy, but I was determined to make something with the Eat, Drink and Be Scary set that I just had to have because it was so super cute!!! I am so bummed the I didn't get more time to make Halloween goodies!! The hat is stamped with black on white and then matted on black and popped up with dimensionals.
Happy Bloggers Challenge Day, a day late! :) This week Lisa challenged us to use Really Rust, Riding Hood Red and Old Olive. I really didn't think I was going to be able to get a card done this week, but then an idea came to me and I was determined!! Sorry I am late!! 
I signed up for a Big Shot Christmas card swap. It seems like everyone is using the Top Note die, so I was determined to choose a different one. This is what I came up with using the Scalloped Envelope, I think I rather like this card. I had to make 15 of them and of course I had to fall in love with an idea before realizing what a ton of paper it was going to use, lol. Well I hope my fellow swappers like my card, I am always worried people are going to get my card in a swap and say "what on earth was she thinking????" Hope you are having a wonderful weekend, thanks for stopping by!
I have a 'card pal' who had a really rough week last week, so my first thought was "Ok, what can I do to make this next week a little better?". While we were at Target getting Halloween costumes today, I left the boys with hubby and went searching for something that said "pamper me". I found this jar candle which smelled really good and looked perfect for altering! A little PTI ribbon and some Guidelines paper (also from PTI), a few rub-ons from Stampin' Up and Voila! Hocus Pocus, a candle that smells wonderfully and looks pretty! That should put a smile on her face! Next I went to a little Boutique type store in the same little area and found the yummiest Rose smelling Bath Gel, a Rose smelling soap cake and some really great lip balm/gel stuff, yup Rose smelling (did I tell ya she loves Roses?). That should do it! I just love how a little paper and some ribbons can really take some ordinary things and make them 'just so'. I had made the card a while ago, but it sure was perfect for the occassion! I don't think my 'card pal' reads my blog but if she see's this...Lisa this is for you, I hope it brings a smile to your heart. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful week!!
Woo hoo, game on!! This is the first 'inspiration challenge' I have ever done and all I can say is bring 'em on! These are a blast!!!!!! Now let me apologize for being so late! I won't get into why, but I would like to say that things are much better and thank goodness for answered prayers!! Now back to the fun stuff... I have to say I even love this card! :) Here is
the inspiration piece...very cute, eh? As soon as I saw this I knew I had to ink up my Guide Lines set from PTI. I think I spent more time playing than actually making the card! Can I also just say that I LOVE the Riding Hood Red color from Stampin Up! What a yummy shade of red. 
