Shimmery goodness and Blog Candy!

Hey Peeps! Go on over to the Shimmerz bolg (http://shimmerzpaints.blogspot.com/) and check out the blog candy they are giving away there. Your chance to check it out ends on 11:59 p.m. on October 31st! I have tried Shimmerz (but don't own any yet...boo-hoo!) and they are fab!!! Maybe now is my chance to win some! (and you too!)

Thankful.

Well, Peeps...I know it is a bit early for Thanksgiving...but I am not into Halloween. Yeah...we do the "cutting of the pumpkins" for the kiddos and they dress up and go out trick-or-treating. However, I am not into the Halloween decorations and definitely NOT into Halloween cards. Nothing wrong with all that...I just don't do it. So while I skipped Halloween, I did do this Thanksgiving card. The details? Well, the paper is Bo-Bunny, the stamps are Prickley Pear, and the coloring? Prismacolor pencils. The image is stamped in brown ink and then colored in.

Life is still zooming me by here at the Gem House. Since we school at home, trying to decide about school pictures for our kiddos is always a chore. In the last several years, our Virtual Academy does have a nationwide studio (LifeTouch) take photos of our kids. However, the COST is significant! So me being frugal, (translate that to "CHEAP"!!!!) I decided that we could take our own. Well, 150 shots later....we have done that. We have been experiencing some awesome fall days and on Monday afternoon (since DH doesn't work on Mondays) went and shot a few photos. We also set up the tripod and got a couple of family shots. Most turned out okay. However, that is mostly speculation, since they are still all on the memory card! We also shot a few photos of the pumpkin carving experience at the Gem House. That happened last night. So when I do get them off the memory card...I will be back to post a couple of them. Just what kind of exciting life do we lead?! hee-hee.

The sky is falling!

Okay...maybe it is only the leaves in our backyard. However, it seems that fall is finally here! Beautiful autumn days with nice breezes and falling leaves. Here in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, we are seeing more oranges and reds (vibrant colors) than we typically do.

The card above doesn't have those fall colors...it is much more subtle. I used Twinkling H2O's to color in the leaves on the card. The stamp is a background stamp from Prickley Pear. The tag at the left is from Prickley Pear also. It's a clear transparency and I colored the backside with Twinkling H2O's. They work well, but I found you want them to be more pastey (don't add much water) and you will still want to work in layers...building up layer on layer of colors. It is still a very subtle process. The base of the card is a paper from Basic Grey.

Anyway...besides doing school with the kiddos, we are all about enjoying the fall day. Our kiddos have been out "raking" leaves. Mostly they have been puting them in a big pile so they can jump in and mess them up again. Aahhh...the joys of childhood. Anyway...I hope you all can take time and enjoy the days of fall. Have a great week, Peeps!

Pop your top!

While looking through Paper Crafts Magazine recently, I noticed that Kim Kesti made the cutest little Matryoshka Doll gift card holder. I however, didn't actually think about making it until I realized that I could do the same thing with a different subject. My DS LOVES penguins....so it was one of the firsts things that popped into my little brain. I tried to download the template off their website, but it wasn't posted yet. However, not one to give up easily...after several "versions", I came up with my own. Here is a picture of the penguin with his head popped off. The gift card is hidden inside! You just pull his head off and that secret is hidden inside. (kinda' like brains. Or not.) The possibilities are endless. You could make him wearing a Santa hat and holding holly. He could hold a small Christmas tree. The penguin could be made out of patterned paper also.

I used my Nestabilities to cut two circles for his belly out of black cardtock. (You will want to adhere them carefully together around the outside edges, leaving a space for the gift card to slide in.)Then I also cut a smaller circle out of white for the contrasting part of his belly. I will admit that I drew the head, (which is two pieces stuck together with adhesive around the edges) the feet, the flippers and the beak, freehand. I also used my Chestnut Roan Cateye ink around the edges of feet and beak, white ink around the penguin body and pink ink around the edge of his white belly. The gift you can make out of any little scrap. The bow was a Cuttlebug die of a flower that I cut in half.

I will admit that I tinkered with several versions before getting one I was happy with. I also want to try making a snowman and a santa gift card holder. If you come up with one I would love to see it!!! Just leave a comment and put your blog or a link to it so I can rush over and see it! I hope you are inspired by this little project.

I must tell you that I am entrenched in working on Christmas gifts now. I knew if I didn't start early that I would never get done. I work on them as I have time...thus it is a painfully slow process! LOL! Every time I go to Archiver's I see more and more things that I think would make great gifts. Hopefully, you will be seeing some of those posted here in the near future!

Thanks for checking in and seeing what is new! If you have any inspiring projects, don't hesitate to leave me a link! Have a rockin' good week, Peeps! Oh...and if the election isn't enough to scare ya'...here is another fact: Only NINE more Saturdays until Christmas.

Wow. Time flies.

One thing I have realized Peeps, is that the older I get, the faster time goes. Truthfully, I haven't felt well for a couple of days. I got the "stuff" that has been going around. And I can't just crawl into bed and stay there for days. I have school to do with two kiddos and work to go to at night. I also have a long list of things that I need to get done. And that list is still looming in front of me. Projects to complete for Prickley Pear design team, Christmas gifts...things that I just want to do. I need to get online and post photos here at my blog (AKA dump tank) and also get pics ordered from Shutterfly. The only day I had to do some of that this week was Sunday. Guess what? I felt like a piece of gum someone had stuck to the bottom of their shoe. ugh.

So, here I am whining about it. I need more hours in the day. (okay...more money and more beauty would be fun too!! hee-hee.) But since I am not God and can't extend the day...well...I am doing the best I can. ;D) So bear with me out there, okay? I know that what I have posted is mostly pictures of projects, but I do want to post other things too. I have been a bit afraid about posting too much personal stuff. However, since it is my blog...I guess I am in charge!!!

So, here it goes. Here is a pre-Halloween photo of my two kiddos dressed in their Halloween costumes. My mom made the costumes. I will take an "official" photo at Halloween when they are all decked out with their candy "catchers"/bags/bowls.

My son LOVES penguins. We don't know why...but he has quite a collection going. We have noticed that he loves any stuffed animal with black/white color combo and contrast. Because of that, my mom made him a penguin outfit for Halloween, and well, my daughter got one too. She doesn't seem to mind!!

Okay...it's time for me to trundle off to get ready for work. Oh, and take a detour to fold some laundry! Have a great week, Peeps!!

Fun little project.

Well Peeps, I did spend the whole afternoon scrapping, stamping and cardmaking yesterday. I did so much, in fact, that I had a cramp in my shoulder for an hour. (insert violins and sniffles here.) However, I didn't get photos taken. So that will be a job for this afternoon. I will whip out that camera and snap a few shots!

However, this is a little project I did for my submission for the Bind It All design team. I didn't make the team, but sure had fun trying. (insert more sniffles and violins. Oh....and please hand me a kleenex.) Okay. Anywhoooo..... I covered four rectangles and the bottom in lovely floral paper by American Crafts. I then used the BIA to punch the rectangles around three sides of each piece and all four sides of the bottom. (that you can't see in this photo.) I lashed the pieces together, doing the bottom piece last. I then had an open topped box. I used my Goosebumps 4x8 alpha plate (from Quikutz) to die cut the letters and ran them through the Xyron "X" to put the adhesive on them. (If any of you work with small embellishments or die cuts or ribbon, the X is a must!!! It puts an even coating of adhesive on the back of anything that will fit in the 1 inch mouth of the machine.) After all that, I added a few floral embellishments and the pen/pencil holder was ready to use!

Okay, Peeps. Hope that was an inspiring little project. Maybe you know someone who could use a gift like that for the holidays. The size could be changed and it could make a great candy holder. Peppermints or peppermints sticks for Christmas (it would look FAB in green and red) or covered with beautiful autumn paper for butterscotch candy for Thanksgiving. It would also make a cute open-topped gift box for a special "someone". Enjoy your fall weather and have a great week!

The best plans...

Sometimes get changed. Sorry, Peeps...I know I haven't posted in a while. I keep thinking that I am going to scrapbook or make cards or rubber stamp. Ha. I have so many things going on right now. I am hoping that I will get to sit down and play today. Maybe. Hopefully.

Please be patient with me! I want to create something fabulous. And to be truthful, last Sunday (and that was a million years ago!!) I worked on a gift I will be giving at Christmas. I knew it would take from now until Christmas to get it done! However, I obviously can't show you photos of that. Ho-hum. Maybe I will pull out all the stops and post a winter/christmas card that I have an idea for! (Oh yeah!) So, I will be back soon with a little "inspiration" to spice up your scrapping/cardmaking projects!