Chocolate pencils

As a nice little addition to the girls’ teachers’ schultuten, I made these cute pencils I saw in Creating Keepsakes magazine.

It’s our way of saying “thank you” for a great start to school.  The inside is a tube of rolos chocolate caramels, which are actually becoming pretty hard to find.  Thanks, 7-11! 

Jimmy Buffett 2010!!

Look what I spied with my little eye at a BUFFETT show!!  There are crafty people every where and some of them even know how to party. 


Lots of cars had fins, but this one was the best by far.  It was completely covered in bottle caps.
 
I hope who ever created this uber cool fin already had the caps and didn’t “take one for the team” just to have enough for a perfectly patterned car fin.  I couldn’t get close enough to see what their brand of choice was, but we’re going to assume it was Land Shark.

Of course, my crafty little brain kicked into overdrive.   I think we are going to forego a car fin (seriously, they were all over the place) and instead create a bikini for our Ford F-150.  That’s the plan anyway.

I’m a huge sucker for a big man in coconut shells, but as of this post, I’ve not been able to get Rich interested.

My two sisters and brother-in-law stress-tested our yard swing, and then there’s this little beauty…

Jon’s sweet throw-back ghetto blaster with an iPod dock.  Gotta love ebay!  Between this toy and our Redskin football field beer pong table, we were quite popular…especially with cops!

Buffett, 2011~  You know you want to come!!  (Now go back up and appreciate my crafted Land Shark Beer cap earrings…whatchachow!!)

Stardust calendar cube

It’s almost bath time for my ankle-biters, so I’ll keep this short.  My recent posts include a Woodgrove corkboard and Stardust baby shower favors.  I combined the two this time and made a Woodgrove High School themed calendar cube for the librarian, Wanda Meyers-Hines.  (Love her!)
The CTMH Stardust paper pack leant itself to this project because the school colors are blue and green.  Well, actually navy and green, but close enough.  I was inspired by a colleague Rebecca Colletti who created one similar using Topstitch papers.  One of these days I’ll actually make something we get to keep!  : )

Stardust Baby Shower

Putting on a baby shower for our friend Jenn’s twin boys was a team event.  I was in charge of the favors, banner, and various food.  Since she decorated the nursery in blues and greens, I knew I was going to use Close to My Heart’s Stardust paper pack.
Favors:
I wrapped Hershey nuggets in coordinating paper and tucked them in clear bags.  Then just decorated the cardstock with CTMH’s new birthday banner stamp set and the “Believe in Your Dreams” stamp set that coordinates with the Stardust paper. 

Because “twins” wouldn’t fit across the top, I popped up every other letter so that I could more easily tuck them behind each other.

They may be baby boys, but I added just a tad prisma glitter and sparkles that aren’t showing up.
Here’s the banner:
It’s my first and I gave it a shot.  The triangles are 5” across at the top and 9” long.  If I were to do it again, I’d make them 6” across and 8” long.


I got the idea to use cupcakes papers on the banner from a scrapbook store in Virginia Beach.  You can’t really see it, but I sprayed each one with aerosol adhesive and sprinkled fine glitter.  It added a nice touch.

Woodgrove Wolverines corkboard

It seems the girls and I are always crafting, but we rarely make things for Rich.  Granted, he’s a guy, and would rather admire our work from afar.  He’s so excited about being a charter faculty member of the new Woodgrove High School that I wanted to show some support by making him this corkboard for his classroom. 

If it were mine, it would also have ribbon, buttons, tiles, or gems around the border. But again, his favorite flavor is “plain,” and I have to respect that.  (He also politely refused my offer of curtains for his windows which KILLS me.) 
The first football game is this Friday night!  Go, Wolverines!!  : )

Album Club- starting up in Sept.

Complete a 12 page consultant quality 12 x 12 album in just 6 evenings! Here’s how…
WHO: 6 person minimum (you and 5 friends)
WHEN: At your house or mine, meeting once every other month  for 12 months or every month for 6
COST: For the first month, you just purchase the album ($24.95 + shipping and tax)- I’ll cover the cost of all 12 page protectors and the first 2 layouts, for a total of 4 pages. At the next 5 meetings, we’ll create 2 layouts (4 pgs.) for $15 per meeting. If for whatever reason you can’t attend that month, I’ll assemble the layouts for you and hold them until the next month for an additional $5.
BENEFITS:
· You’re not stuck with leftovers you never intend to use
· You’re not required to make minimum purchases
· Everything is designed, pre-cut and ready to go
· It’s scheduled craft time for you!
· I use all the latest techniques and trends, which you could pay $50-100 for as classes at retail stores
· The layouts and themes are customized to you and your friends’ interests
· You have a completed album in record time and right around $100- a steal!
** You do not have to live locally to participate. I can send you the kit with everything you need with the exception of the stamp set and I’ll even split the extra shipping with you.
Here’s a layout we did in another club just to show you what to expect.

Let me know if you’re interested, and TFL!!

Thriller Card

This is the card my team will be making-n-taking at our Team Fancy meeting this weekend.  It’s using CTMH’s Sept. stamp-of-the-month stamp set “Thriller.”  I was absolutely stoked about the shout-out to Michael Jackson.

Cool lil’ tidbit:  I’m featured in the sample art for this stamp set in the new Fall/Winter 2010  idea book.  I’m the pirate on the right with my sister in the middle and my mom on the left.  Pretty cool to see your face in the catalog, even if it is snarl…

I based  Thriller on the card below that  my friend Amy posted on her blog.  She’s a wicked awesome artist and would love for you to stop by. 


Thriller card supplies:
6x12” white cardstock
Thriller stamp set- CTMH D1442
6x4” Lagoon cardstock
6x2” striped B&T paper from Hooligan paper pack
black ink
black embossing powder
embossing ink pad
Black grosgrain ribbon
distresser and sponge
5 x 1 1/4” Pear cardstock
5x2” Haha B&T paper from Hooligan
3” purple swirly B&T paper from Hooligan
3 1/4” circle black cardstock
white paper for stamping
3D foam squares to pop up the skull
Licorice opaques
black stickles optional

Notes:
1.  You can pretty much follow the sketch t0 piece together the card, but I will say this- distress the pieces, THEN ink them.  CTMH cardstock has a white core, so we want to turn it black with ink AFTER distressing.
2.  You’ll actually be embossing the skull image twice, once for the purple background, and once to cut out the skull and pop it up.
If you have any questions, leave me a comment!  : )