Merry Christmas

Not much crafting going on.  My Christmas playlist is playing my favorite songs. Decorations are up and the kitchen is ready for baking.  Can't wait for family to arrive so I'm praying for traveling grace for all to arrive safe to their destinations.  

Mini tree 

Main tree

New toy for my children.  Yes I must admit it brings out the child in me.

The REAL reason for the season!

Added attractions

Here's wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas remembering the perfect gift of all 'Jesus'.

I’ve been nominated for the Creative Blogger Award!

What an honor when someone thinks enough of you to highlight your craft. Thank you La-Vie at C’est La-Vie Designs Unlimited, LC for nominating me for the Creative Blogger Award.  I remember connecting with her during a blog hop and we've been following each other every since. La-Vie  thinks outside the box with her creativity.  I like that she often shares a tutorial and provide tips with her crafting. 

This Creative Blogger Award entitles the recipient to join a group of very talented people and share their personal thoughts and secrets about their creative endeavors.  Hopefully you will learn something new about each blogger and find some inspiration along the way.

What am I currently working on? 

Christmas corsages for the holiday!

and Christmas specialty wreaths.  This one is a 'Spirit' wreath.

What is my signature style?

I can’t say that I have a signature style.  It just depends.  It can be fun, colorful and playful OR sophisticated and elegant.

How do I become inspired and stay inspired?

Usually I become inspired with a conversation, challenge or when seasons change.  I’m always playing or organizing in the craft room.  Using my scraps is my favorite.  Typically December is hard to keep my blog updated because of the parties and fellowships.  You better believe I’m creating something crafty to take to an event though.

How does my creative process work?

Mini albums are my favorite and I love interactive pages.  Altering items is another favorite. Once I see the vision I just start pulling items from the scrap room and I lay everything out on a table and once I process it, it’s a go!

Creative Blogger Nominees:

Now it’s my time to Pay It Forward.  I would like to nominate Mary Joyce and Emonie.

Mary Joyce is my Scrapbooking Sister that I met at Scraps of Color.  She is the heart of the blog.  Her style is Afrocentric and I love her creations.  I’ve often called her Ms. Hallmark.  Mary Joyce writes most of her sentiments to reflect the images she uses.  It’s a perfect combination.  She has a Big HeART and is noted for sending Random Acts of Kindness all year round. 

Emonie  is my Embellishment Queen.  I love the way she uses embellishments whether they are on a page or card.  She is known for documenting her life.  Emonie is versatile with  her crafts and is always creating something cute including sewing on her pages. You have got to check out her blog and Etsy shop.

Thank you again LaVie for nominating me for this sweet Award.  Fellow Crafters, I hope you follow our blogs and be inspired.

Keep it Together During the Christmas Season

Had a little fun with this Design Team project for Scraps of Color E:Spire.  I've got a lot on my plate.  It's the Holiday Season and Christmas is just around the corner.  With only so many hours in the day and deadlines to meet I had to get a system to stay on track.  I made these refrigerator magnets to keep in view.  They are Robert Jackson's digital images.

Keep it Together This Christmas Holiday Season.  Plan Ahead. 

No Need to Be Stressed

Mema's Crafts Celebrate the Holidays

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but it continues on to Christmas.  Hope you join us at Mema's Crafts as we Celebrate the Holidays.  When you make your projects and cards for the holidays, link them at our December Challenge.  We have two themes:  "Celebrate the Holidays" and "Cold Winter Days".  Our sponsors are Bugaboo and Stitchy Bear. I was going to make a tag, but I had requests for Christmas ornaments for the tree.  This is Girlz Christmas Present by Bugaboo.

This image was perfect for my activity books for the children.  This is Criss Cross image to the left by Stitchy Bear and you can find it here.  The answers to the puzzle is to the right.

Entering in the following challenges:

All Crafts Challenge - Anything but a card

Craft-Dee Bowz - Must use a bow

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Butterfly Kisses

I would like to share my Design Team post for Scraps of Color Espire with you.  I altered a large paper mache mail box from Hobby Lobby.  My soror Vanecia Kimbrow was in mind after sharing an amazing testimony of Living with Lupus featured in Southern Soul magazine - October 2014 edition.  She's a vibrant young lady and busy as a bee,  although she evolves like a butterfly.  That was the inspiration behind the mailbox. Of course purple is the color ribbon for Lupus. Maybe she'll put all of her happy mail in it while she continues to be encouraged and "Keep it Moving".

Recipe Ingredients:
Die Cut with a View - Floral Foliage stack
Deco Art Regal Purple - acrylic paint
QuicKutz - Butterfly Die cut
Martha Stewart - Butterfly punches
Fiskars - paper trimmer
Hancock Fabrics lace
Michael's- feathers
Prima - bling
Spare Part - Flowers
Recollections - Purple shimmer mist, Orchid stickles, flowers

Love you Vanecia!  

Entering in the following challenges:

Word Art Wednesday - #157 Anything Goes Uplifting

Altered Electics - Anything Goes

Pamper U

Come on over to Mema's Crafts for our Anything Goes challenge for November.  The Stamping Chef is our sponsor this month and I am featuring The Big Dipper.   It's nothing like a quick shower, but sometimes you need to stop, slow down and relax with a nice bubble bath.  Come on and join us in winning two prizes with three entries.  Get your entry in early.  Now how cool is that!

Entering in the following challenges:

Diva's by Design - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes

Sunshine Mail Anything Goes

Time to put a smile on a child's face.  Well how about four children?  Stitchy Bear is such a generous sponsor with providing four digital images.  I created cards with each image using watercolor pencils.  Aren't these images totally adorable?!  I made it easy for you and added the link under each image so you can go straight to it.

Butterfly Love

 My Wish Fur You

 Dirty Work Girl

 Dirty Work Boy

Thanks


Entering in the following challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - Challenge # 156 Uplifting Sentiment
Sister Act #81 Anything Goes
Crafters Cafe Blog - #88 Things with Wings

PJ Loves to Play

I am so enjoying my nephew and creating layouts for his album.  This is Patrick Junior at seven months.  Oh  how they grow up.  I'm using C'est Magnifique October sketch for this layout.  I wanted to use a masculine approach on this layout using a little distressing, and fun templates with modeling paste and mists.  I used Fiskars crimper tool on the upper left side to give a little texture to the paper.  See sketch below.

   

Entering in the following challenges:
C'est Magnifique - October sketch

Pink Sunday

Just wanted to make a quick post and share the gift bags I made for our six Breast Cancer Survivors at church today.  We had a high time praising God for his goodness and mercy.  I finally finished Me and My Big Ideas Mambi paper pad I've had for at least 3 years!  Julie Nutting Doll Taylor was used on each bag.  I changed her hair up on a few.

Close ups

Sheet music from my church programs used for the butterflies and flowers.

Recipe ingredients:
Me and My Big Ideas Mambi paper pad
Stickles- Diamond
Hancock fabrics - tulle
Martha Stewart butterfly
Tim Holtz ticket and flower punch
Sizzix leaf die cut
Doily - From my mothers stash

Entering in the following challenges:

Word Art Wednesday -  Uplifting sentiment

613 Avenue - Challenge #95 Anything Goes with Gift Bag

Use Your Stuff - Challenge #159 Doily 

Sunshine Mail & the Winner of SOC Blog Hop

Sunshine Mail coming to some sweet girls at the foundation.  This is 'Stephanie Brings Surprises'.  I printed nine images and they all have different colored outfits.  It's so easy to send several in one large envelope. You don't need individual envelopes.  The foundation hand delivers them.  They prefer that you not send get well, birthday, religious or holiday.  No loose glitter or confetti.  Make sure you sign the inside with your first name and state. How sweet is that?!  My design is by Card Map.  I needed something quick and easy.

 Entering in the following challenges:

Craft your Passion Hope/Love/Encouragement theme

Dragonfly Dreams - Mainly Pink. 

Thank you   for being our sponsor.

Come on over and join us at  here by creating a card for a child!



Now for the winner of ............................
It's Dainty Diva.  Email me at pj_scrapbooks@yahoo.com

Scraps of Color Blog Hop

It's here and I'm thrilled with excitement to be apart of such a great Sistahood with a couple of gents!  It wasn't hard to determine what I would share this month since I've been 'counting down'.  I joined SOC in 2009 and have had the pleasure to meet so many wonderful Sistahs in person.  To countdown the event I thought I would (you guessed it) alter a cookie sheet to a magnetic calendar. Attached to the clip on the bottom right is a card I made during FNC (Friday Night Challenge).  FNC is how I got to meet so many amazing sistahs.  Gotta LOVE this place...We Celebrate Life!

Supplies:
DCWV The Celebration Stack
Quickutz cork
Hobby Lobby Clips and Magnets
Sizzix pocket die cut
Tim Holtz  Rosette die
Spellbinder die
Creative Memories circle punch
EK Success edge punch
Robert Jackson digital image

 Showing you all of my embellishments that I've added to the board.  The possibilities are endless!

 

Now to the EXCITEMENT!!!  This is the order of the Blog Hop.  Make sure you start at the SOC Blog first to have an opportunity to win the grand prize.  My prize is a $10 gift card from Michaels.  You do not have to be a follower, but I would love it if you did.  It's easy peasy, just leave a comment. 

Blog Hop Order

SOC Blog: http://scrapsofcolorespire.blogspot.com/  START HERE!

Kate blue: http://kateblue.blogspot.com/

Candy: http://stampcandy.net/

Princess: http://www.papercraftingparadise.blogspot.com/  YOU ARE HERE!

Tiare: http://www.tiaresmith.com/

Kerry: http://kerryscoolcreations.blogspot.com/

Debra: http://www.cdebbiscrap.blogspot.com/

Cheryl: http://www.onecraftyncpeach.blogspot.com/

Da Shawnna: http://creativedaze.dashawnna.com/

Kimberly B: http://mypolkadottedbliss.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the journey as we Celebrate Turnt Up for 10!

My Traveling Gift

I completed my traveling gift for Sweet Sister Shirley at Scraps of Color during the Labor Day holiday so I wouldn't hold the train up. The Anticipation  has been stressful with all the waiting, because I am number 11 out of 18.  I'm excited to share it with you since it was delivered to her this afternoon. First the Traveling Gift is like a Random Acts of Kindness challenge.  There is a list of  participants and you send something you made to the next person on the list. When I found out I had Shirley's name I immediately thought of a mini album, because she gave me a bookmark that she shared with her family.  Shirley's family reunion was in Memphis and we connected during her visit (yeah) after I left Crop for Teal, which benefits Ovarian Cancer sponsored by Leisa Callahan.  It was such a pleasure meeting Shirley.  (Warning:  Photo overload)

Cover.  All contents from C'est Magnifique kit accept the title and wire on the fence

The mini was handmade with cardboard and cardstock.  Chipboard words from Studio Calico.

Both are pocket pages for photos and journaling.

Interactive pages on both sides.

Tim Holtz cluster of tickets to hold interactive insert for more photos on the left.

The page on the right above opens with die cuts to journal.

This is the back using Tim Holtz birdcage die cut and some doily from my mother's collection.

All inserts from the mini

Speaking of Crop for Teal, the majority of the products used in making the mini album came from a C'est Magnifique kit I won from a sketch challenge.  You should check her kits out.  They are loaded with yummy goodies.  That's my reason for the photo overload.  I had to let you see all the lovely papers and embellishments.  Love the firm cardstock papers by Maja Design 'Walking in the Forest'.  I must give a shout out to the generous Deonna Riegler.  She even brought her store to us.  I was also excited to WIN one of her three kits from the Silent Auction!  Her smile is as big as her heart.Thanks again Deonna.

This is what I created from the sketch using a few of her products including the Glitz tiny roller doodle I won for being one of the first to stand and holler "Fight Ovarian Cancer".

The fabric on the base (in the center) was given at Hilton's 2013 Crop for a Cause.  They wanted to see how we would use it.  As you can see it definitely came in handy.  I can't wait until Mary Joyce host this challenge again!

I also have another kit that I won for the Silent Auction!  Envisioning another mini album in the making......