Reflecting on 2010...

Wow-wee!!! Last day of 2010! 2010 has been a year of many new adventures, blessings, miracles and some sadness... all in all in brought many memories and many friendships i'll NEVER forget...

So what happened in 2010?!?

In January we found out we were blessed with another child! yes, another lovable baby to add to our family... March made me another year younger.... LOL... I closed the doors to the office i've worked in for almost 3 years in April... brought a little sadness to me but it did mean i got to spend more time with my kiddies.... and my boss' were the most wonderful people to work for and we do keep in touch and visit often.... August was full of lots of excitement... partnered with my good friend Kim, we started our challenge blog Lollipop Crafts... my biggest miracle ever was the birth of my baby boy! preemie but he fought to become stronger and today he is a lovable lil' boy who's smile just melts your heart! Mr. Personality is what i call him... =D the rest of the year just flew by... tried to get back into crafting as much as i could... but with anther pair of little feet in the house, it was impossible to accomplish everything... super mom could only do so much with out putting herself down... LOL...

and here i am today... counting all my blessings... thankful for the year of adventures... thankful for all the friends i've made... thankful to be thankful for life.... and well, i have to leave this year with a little reflection of some of my fave projects.... so here it goes...

Hope you enjoyed my little showcase!!

Wishing you all a very safe, healthy and blessed HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

January Secret Sister Swap Info

I sure hope you all had a WONDERFUL Christmas!! It really came and went... can't believe we'll be in 2011 soon!! We enjoyed Christmas with family and friends... nice and relaxing despite the ugly rainy weather... all in all, it was a joyful celebration and everyone enjoyed their gifts!!

Now it's onto cleaning the house for the new year!! i've already started to rearrange my craft area (don't know why since it'll be a mess again!) haha!

Okay, so here's the players for January's Secret Sister swap...

1. Shanikulani
2. Cyndi
3. Colleen
4. Kim Y.
5. Mimi

If i missed anyone, cannot participate or if you still want to sign up, please email me BY WEDNESDAY, 12/29 so i can get the secret sister info to you in a timely manner.

Alright, time for more cleaning (yes, i am aware it is 12AM my time)... LOL... but it has to be done... hope to be back soon with some sharings... Santa bought me a new laptop (Thanks hubby!) and i'm still trying to organize and put my programs on it and load pixs so i can "function"... hehe! ta-ta for now.... remember to smile today! it's a brand new day!!

Merry Christmas 2010!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!! May you rejoice the season with your loved ones!!

From my family to yours!

Challenge #21 - Fancy Folds

Hello!! Wow, we're at the last few days before Christmas... Are you all ready? or are there some last minute shoppers like me!!! hehe! I can't believe how fast time has flown by! i think i've procrastinated too long... yikes, now i'm really rushing to buy last minute gifts and wrap them and the whole works.... i'm not normally this late in everything, but with a new baby in the house, i didn't expect to get anything at all done... LOL! Anyway, today marks the last challenge of the year 2010 at Lollipop Crafts so head over there now and catch the latest on this week's challenge and an announcement about a holiday break!

Lollipop Girl Kim is hosting this week and it's a "FANCY" challenge.... Challenge #21 - Fancy Folds... She wants to see you fancy fold yours cards... for example, you could do a tri-fold, easel, side step, etc.... as long as it's not just a simple card... check out the details on the Lollipop Crafts blog as this challenge has been extended beyond the normal week... and the last challenge of the year wouldn't be complete without a sponsor and a prize! Wags n' Whiskers is sponsoring a FANTASTIC prize this week!! you don't want to miss out on a chance at this prize so we do hope you come and play along....

Here's my card to get your mojo going....

i chose to do an easel card for this week's challenge using Angel Anya from TGF along with the Saturday Sketch at CA&F... i love using Angel Anya around Christmas time because she is the perfect Angel to send holiday wishes and i just loved the sketch... anyway, i intentionally pulled out Christmas papers to make a Christmas card, then remembered i had to make a card for an upcoming birthday... so i turned it into a Merry Birthday card... hehe! please excuse my horrible photos... i'm finding it so hard to find the perfect lighting... it's getting better but not 100%....

Come out and join us if you have some time in between celebrating the holidays... go and check out what the rest of the Lollipop Girls have to share with you too....

sorry for the post and run again... i'm still not feeling 100% better and we're trying to spend as much time with family as we can... hope i get better (100% better) before Christmas! well, i'll try and get more postings up this week, but no promises... for now.... toodles and have a beautiful day!!

Secret Sister Swap - January Sign-ups

{{January Sign-up is now closed}}
It's time to sign-up for January's Secret Sister Swap!! December's swap is well on it's way and i can't wait to see what this month's players have given/received! =D Thanks to all of you who have participated in the swap's debut!!

You have until December 26th at midnight HST to sign-up... Here's a little about the swap:

1. You can swap anything you think is appropriate. Such as cards, 3d projects, gift tags, altered items, etc. You are not restricted to just a card for each swap... for example, you can do a card this month and gift tags next month, etc... be creative and use your talents! Many of you do not limit yourself to cards, there are some that do awesome jewelry, altered items and so on, so this is the swap to make something special and surprise someone...

2. I kindly ask that you please send out your swaps before month's end. If you can't send it by the end of the month, please let me know so i can inform your partner.

3. The most important of all, HAVE FUN! We all love surprises!!!

Leave a comment on this post if you would like to join in. Participants from last month, just comment here if you would like to join in again. Any new players that would like to join in the fun, please email me at krisnal5868 at hotmail dot com with the subject "Secret Sister Swap" (so i don't miss your email) with the following info: Full name, Address and Blog URL (if you have one).

Let's have another month of fun surprises!!

Christmas Tags

Oh my, is it Monday again?! I'm seriously losing track of the days and dates.... LOL... I trust the weekend was well for all of you... i wish i could say the same for me.... but it seems that i still haven't shaken off this cold (blah) and i'm still trying to wear my super mom cape (struggling)... i really can't tell you how i do it all, because i ask myself the same question and i can't answer it!! LOL.... boy have i had some good and bads this weekend.... the bad thing, i have no idea what is wrong with my printer, so i couldn't (and still can't) print anything... =( we didn't win anything at the DH's Christmas party, but it was a wonderful night anyway.... and the good thing, we won some tickets to Bruno Mars' concert this coming weekend at another Christmas party!!! Wooohooo!! so who wants to buy a pair of tickets???? LOL, NOT!!! i'm so hoping to get rid of this cold so we can go... =D





Anywho, it's time for another fun challenge over at Lollipop Crafts, hosted by ME (yay, LOL).... Challenge #20 - Christmas Tags.... that's right, let me see you create some special tags for those special gifts that you'll be giving away this Christmas... We are sponsored this week by Fairy Knoll and the prize is wonderful.... here's some simple yet pleasing tags i've created...

almost everything on these tags are new toys i've gotten to play with... i've just recently bought this tag punch too... the holly berry border is a new stamp, and the holly berry leaves at the top is a new punch too... unfortunately, i cannot find my to and from stamps at the moment so i left it blank for now.... hmmm where did i put them??? if anyone finds it let me know... LOL guess that's what happens when your craft space is a MESS... hehe! the sentiment is from Hero Arts and i added rhinestones as berries to the MS holly berry punch and candy cane stickles to the berries in the border stamp.... easy peasy....

so come on out and join us this week... it's a perfect challenge to have as we count down the days to Christmas.... hop on over to the LC blog and get the full details on the challenge and how to play along... i'm so behind on getting my things out... it's going to be a busy week! so for now i have to say.... Ta-ta!!! =D

Sweet Christmas Gifts!

Happy Friday!!! OMGoodness, i've been MIA for far too long.... 2 of my biggest projects are now complete so i think i'll have a little more free time to post and share.... =D oh it feels so good to have some pressure/stress relieved.... phew! and to top it off, the 2 lil' ones have a slight cold... =( no fun! and last night DD1 said she felt sick... oh did i mention i caught it too! yup, i tried to be strong, but i couldn't fight it... i'm feeling a little better with cough drops... =D just a little congested...

anyway, here's one of the big projects i've been working on... took me 2 1/2 days to complete... record time... LOL... anyway, this fit perfect for a challenge over at ATS - Gift Ideas!

Since this is for a bunch of 2nd graders who really don't care what the packaging looks like but what's inside, i decided to keep this year's Christmas goodies a little simple.... yet a little girly since DD1 is all about girly!
i saw this simple treat holder at a craft fair last month and thought it was so cute and so simple to make... so i did my own measurements and recreated these little treats... you can actually make these for any occasion by changing up the papers and images... on this one i used CC Designs Santa Emma from last year's release... she's a total cutie so i just had to use her.... of course she's dressed in pink! one of DD1's favorite colors...

here's a close up... simple treat, a pencil and a candy cane.... then i thought about it, they could actually use the treat holder as a bookmark afterwards... more than likely they won't, but it was a good thought... LOL

weekend is here and i'm excited the DH is flying home tonight!! too bad it's in the midst of a storm... i pray he comes home safely... busy weekend ahead with 2 Christmas parties to attend, last minute Christmas shopping and whatever other obstacles come my way.... i hope i can sneak in some craft time too... probably not but i still hope! =D Hope you all have a fantastic weekend no matter where you are or what you will be doing!! keep on smiling! be back soon!!

Welcome Winter

Wow is it December already?! =D Happy Monday everyone!! Hope you all had a WONDERFUL weekend!! It's a new week and there's a new challenge at Lollipop Crafts!! Challenge #19 - Welcome Winter given by Lollipop Gal Diane.... She wants to see all your winter creations!!



We are sponosored this week by Meljen's Designs... Cute images from this company so you'll want to play along!

Here's my winter card using the freebie snowman from Meljen's...

This lil' guy is perfect to greet winter in all it's form... isn't he a cutie!! Love it! I paired him with the lovely new MS Christmas papers... I absolutely love the glitters on the mitten paper... and I found the right stamp to go with the theme....

Hop on over to Lollipop Crafts and get all the deets on the challenge this week and check out what the Lollipop Girls have for you... Once you get inspired, come out and play with us!

Have a cozy day!! Happy Winter!

Blog Candy Winner......

Hey!!! Popping in really quick to annouce the winner of my blog candy yumies!! and the winner is............... MIMI! congrats Mimi!! Please email me your info at krisnal5868 at hotmail dot com so i can get your prize to you!!

Thank you to everyone for playing along!! It was so touching to read about all the things you are thankful for this year!! may we all be blessed with the goodness of THANKS!! oh and i LOVED all your Christmas wishlists!! I do hope Santa brings you all that you wish for!!

Come back tomorrow for another challenge with Lollipop Crafts!! Until then, get crafty!! Hugs!

Hello Kitty Favors

Hello, Hello!!! OMGosh, it seems like FOREVER since i've last posted... i have to admit, the last 2 weeks has been CRAZY!! ok, ok, it still is crazy... but with Thanksgiving now out of the way, i can concentrate on Christmas... =D

btw, did you get a chance to hop along with TGF on Tuesday?!?! one word = AMAZING!!! Really, all of the participants out did themselves with major creativity... need inspirations for those Christmas goodies, get your buns over there now!! Totally fab creations!! i was absolutely blown away!!

my sweet lil' girl will be turning 3 tomorrow and we're having a kiddie party for on Saturday... so i've been busy busy (amongst everything else) trying to get her favors done... and that's what i'm sharing with you today... =D
remember how i said i just had to get my hands on that french fry box from sizzix??? well i did!! see, see!! LOL... this was perfect to create DD2's favors with because her FAVORITE food/snack is french fries! i used white CS as my base and then used up the other HK origami paper (from the pack i used for the invites) to cover the front and sides... i really wanted to get a picture of her with HK but she's still afraid because HK is so big, so this picture of her with the mask on had to do... i think it's cute anyway! the french fry boxes are filled with all sorts of yummies... HK pencil, HK hard candy, HK tattoos, HK marshmallows and a ring pop... i did 3 different favors... one for the kiddies (they'll also be getting a zhu zhu pet - DD's favorite toy) one for the older kiddies (they get the yan yans) and one for the really big kiddies (the adults) that has cheese and crackers, chocolates, lychee candy and a marshmallow... man i hope they likes these because i really worked my buns off to finish them in time.... =D

i can't say that i'll be posting regulary except for the weekly challenges at Lollipop Crafts... i'm in stress mode trying to finish everything with deadlines... and i just found out one of my deadlines got pushed up 2 weeks early and now i need to complete that by next saturday... ooooh i feel the pressure.... so i had to stop everything else and get working on completing that before any of the bigger projects... yikes! can i do it?!? Santa, i've been really good this year... could you please leave some sanity under my tree? LOL.... Have a fabulous day everyone!! i'll try and be back soon!! hehe!

TGF's Hoppin' into the Holidays Blog Hop!

It's time, it's time! for the wonderful TGF Hoppin' into the Holidays Blog Hop... If you happened to come to my blog first or by chance, please head on over to the TGF blog to get all the details on this hop and start from the beginning... you SERIOUSLY don't want to miss out on anything! If you made it here from the list, WELCOME!!! Are you ready for more Christmas goodies?!? I hope so... Now, I don't expect you to read all that you see posted... Feel free to just take a look at the creations... LOL... (and you can always double click on the image to see a bigger pix)

First up is my creations for the "Let it Snow" theme...
Here's a shaker card with all the snowy goodies... The DSP is from the MS collection and the ribbon is from American Crafts... This card is paired with a shaker ornament... it's actually a shadow box ornament that I covered with acetate for that snowy shaker effect... Because this has a bit more space, I added some mini pompoms too... the inside is lined with DSP by MS... If you know me then you know I LOVE snowflakes (something Hawaii doesn't have) so these creations would have not been complete without them... =D

Secondly, this next creation is for the "Holiday Treats" theme....
Who doesn't LOVE some yummies for the holidays right?! This little treat is perfect to give anyone, but if you know someone who loves to bake, then this would surely sweeten up their Christmas... Bought a pack of whisks that I stuffed a mix of hershey kisses candies in... attached a pretty bow with a card tag... and voila!! Inside the card reads "whisk-ing you a sweet Christmas!" I'm surely "whisk"-ing you all a sweet Christmas!
I just wanted to show you a close up of the whisk in this picture above... =D

Last, but not the least, for the Santa Baby theme... A Santa "Baby" gift set...

Here I stamped a kraft gift bag with Santa Ian and the "ho ho ho" and "merry xmas" sentiments also... Then I stamped a onesie and diaper cloth with Santa Ian and colored it in with copics... It's my son's 1st Christmas so this was perfect to create... On the onesie, I did stamp "My First Christmas"... =D

Not going to take up anymore of your time... Hope you've enjoyed visiting my blog and checking out my creations for this hoppin' hop! Now head back to the TGF blog and get on your way to the next blog! Tis' the season to be jolly, so SMILE!! =D

Today a reader, Tomorrow a leader....

Hello there!!! I'm back for another fun challenge at Lollipop Crafts!! Challenge #18 brought to you by Barbara is READING... oh what a fun challenge!! Hop on over to the LC blog and get the full details on what she wants you to create this week!

My 7 yr. old daughter is reading chapter books so I thought today's creation was very appropriate... I chose to do a bookmark and here it is being shared with you....
I used Rosie with Book from La La Land Crafts... very perfect for this challenge.... and I added the quote "Today a reader, Tomorrow a leader." to inspire my daughter to keep her head in the books... and she loves buttons so i added a few of those too... a simple project that put a smile on her face!

What will you create for this week's challenge???

Sorry for the post and run! I have uber piles of deadlines to meet and stuff half done... back to the craft room I go.... Have a marvelous day!!

SSS Info...

Hi Friends!!! I'm sorry i've been a bit MIA this week... with the holidays rolling in faster than i can keep up, i had to take care of some personal issues, family matters, cooking, party prepping and taking care of my Grandma who seems to be sick again.... so crafting had to take the back burner and simmer on low this week... But i do have some things to share in the next days to come...

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and for those who went shopping on Black Friday, hope you all were safe and found your good deals!! Yes, i did do it this year and boy was it CRAZY!!!!

Secret Santa Swaps are now closed. Thank you to all of you who are giving my swap a try!! I truly appreciate it... here's a list of those that want to play...

Kim Y.
Jenny
Colleen
Jenny V.
Shanikulani*
Berenice
Mimi
North Shore Craft Girl*

*Ladies, please email me your info (Full name, address, blog) by Tuesday the 30th. Thank you!!

If anyone else wants to join in, last chance for December sign ups, please email me your info at krisnal5868 at hotmail dot com by Tuesday 11/30, so i can send out info to your Santas in a timely matter...

no crafty posts from me for the rest of the weekend =(... be sure to come back on Monday for another Lollipop Crafts challenge! So until then.... Have a beautiful rest of the weekend and i'll see you soon!! Hugs!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Just stopping in to wish you all a very Happy and Thankful Thanksgiving! Let us be thankful for all the good we have been blessed with as well as the bad... for the bad taught us to learn from mistakes, believe in miracles and think positive and hope!! May today be filled with much more joy than yesterday!! From my family to yours.... Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Christmas over at Lollipop Crafts

Well, well, well.... I guess it's Monday again huh! Where is ALL the time going?!? It's just passing by TOO fast....

Alright, since it's Monday, time for another challenge over at Lollipop Crafts! Lollipop Girl Alanna is hosting this week's Challenge #17 - CHRISTMAS!! Yes, yes... she is helping to get you in the mood to get those Christmas CARDS done... so whip out your supplies and make a Christmas card and join us over at Lollipop Crafts!! We do have a fabulous prize this week NOT only for a random winner, but also for the Top 3, kindly sponsored by Limited Runs... Oh do they have some cutesy digis.... Thank you so much Limited Runs for your sponsorship!! The Lollipop Girls also got to fancy some digis and here's one i've used this week!

Snowman on a Cupcake!! Isn't he so deliciously yummy?! The awesome thing about my cards this week, i made them smaller than normal so i could use up some scraps! It worked out perfectly... some ribbon and dew drops and you have a quick and easy Christmas card... Love when i can take advantage of those moments!!

So now that you've seen my creation for this week, hop on over to the Lollipop Crafts blog and check out what the Lollipop Girls have for you today... All the details on how to play along can also be found on the blog so hurry and go now...

Before i let you go, just want to let you that there are some links above my postings if you want to join in any of that... there is still time... so until next time... Have a "sweetly frosted" day!!

Thanksgiving & Christmas Blog Candy!!

**THIS CANDY IS CLOSED**
Well, the time has come for some blog candy!!! There's a lot for me to be THANKFUL for this year!!! so i'm sharing a little CANDY in celebration of Thanksgiving and Christmas!!! Want a chance at playing??? Here's how....

1. Must be a follower (because I am THANKFUL for all the friends I have met through my blogging adventures who have shown unconditional love and support!)

2. Comment on this post. You have until 11:59PM, HST on December 4th for an entry. Winner will be announced on December 5th.

3. Optional: Answer these if you want to... 1. What are you THANKFUL for this year? 2. What's on your Christmas List?

**I am thankful for my wonderful family. For the miracle birth of my son. For every day i wake up to. For ALL my friends, old and new. AND MUCH MORE! The Thank you list is endless....

***Christmas List: too much to list, LOL =D but if i had to pick a few it would be, the Cinch, more copics, some new clothes since the ones i have now are getting a little big, hehe and WORLD PEACE (yes, i was watching Miss Congeniality!)

Have fun and I hope you'll play along! Good Luck to all!!!! =D

Eew! What the HECK was i thinking.....

Oh gosh! Thursday already??? Sorry for the slack in posting.... i'm trying to cross off as much as i can from my "to do" list.... eek! it seems to be growing rather than getting smaller... but hey, that's my life! LOL... i guess it doesn't complete me if the day isn't crazy...

well i do have a sharing for you today.... are you surprised? LOL, i am.... TGF has a contest going on called "Ugly Sweater Inspired" and it was the perfect challenge to use up some scraps and just be silly... so i call this masterpiece the "Christmas mix-up"....
yup, i pulled up some scrap DP from my scrap pile and got crafting... didn't even put a dent in the pile but it was fun not having to match everything... found the ribbons in my ribbon scraps, and it has never been touched so i figure, why not add it on... added some buttons and bling too... i had to laugh when my DDs said, "Mommy, what in the sky is that?" LOL... so i asked, don't you think it's pretty? well i got no yes or no answer but a comment to the words of "i can do a much prettier job!" LOL, if they only knew....

there's still time to play in TGF's challenge... so why not fancy some ugly-ness and join in the fun! it's LOTS of fun!!

couple of things before i let you go.... still time to sign up in my Secret Santa Swap! click here to go to the post and get the deets.... and tomorrow.... a BLOG CANDY giveaway.... Thank you for taking the time to come and visit.... hope i can inspire you to hit your craft area and create, create, create!! Have a wonderful day until next time....

Secret Santa Swap Sign up....

**SWAP IS NOW CLOSED!! THANK YOU!!**

Hey friends!! Thank you so much for the feedback on my idea of doing a Secret Santa Swap!!! i have agreed to start it, so let's get the sign ups going for December... here's a little about the swap first!


1. You can swap anything you think is appropriate. Such as cards, 3d projects, gift tags, altered items, etc. You are not restricted to just a card for each swap... for example, you can do a card this month and gift tags next month, etc... be creative and use your talents! Many of you do not limit yourself to cards, there are some that do awesome jewelry, altered items and so on, so this is the swap to make something special and surprise someone...


2. I kindly ask that you please send out your swaps before month's end. If you can't send it by the end of the month, please let me know so i can inform your partner.

3. I know some of you like to give RAKs out of the kindness in your heart, but please DO NOT feel obligated that you have to... I don't want anyone to feel like it's required because it isn't... Please note, all that you receive/swap comes from the heart!!!


4. I may throw in themes every now and then to get your creativity going, but otherwise, the swap is open to anything you want to create.


5. The most important of all, HAVE FUN! We all love surprises!!!


So, if you think you can adhere to my mini rules, sign up now! Because I am debuting this swap in December, let's do a CHRISTMAS theme.... anything Christmas... Comment here and let me know you want to play along... Also, because this is a brand new swap, please email me at krisnal5868 at hotmail dot com with the subject "Secret Santa Swap" (so i don't miss your email) and the following info: Full name, Address and Blog URL if you have one... Sign ups will close on November 26th... Please spread the word to your friends and have them join us in my first ever Secret Santa Swap! Yay!!!

A Thank you and some blog wins....

Happy Tuesday sharing some Happy Mail!!! =D before i get started, don't forget to check out this post here and give me your feedback... i'm narrowing down my decision, and so far it's a go... but i'm not saying so yet! hehe...

Wanted to share with you a few happy things i received in the mail over the weekend! I'm so thankful for the greatness these ladies have shared with me! take a look....

this here is from Brenda!! she recently won my blog candy and sent me this Thank you card and stamp... when she emailed me her mailing info i asked if she could do me a huge favor and create a crab for me using her punch art... she is truly the PUNCH QUEEN!!! anyway, that lil' crab on the card is what she created for me.... Thank you so much Brenda, for the goodies!! I hope you enjoyed yours!!!
i was uberly stunned when i saw that i had won Jenny's blog candy... this is all the goodies that was part of her giveaway... lots of yummies that includes stamps, flowers, eyelets, buttons and pearl and rhinestones!! WOW, i don't even know what to start playing with first! Thank you so much Jenny!! i LOVE the card you included too!! Jenny has some beautiful wall calendars and cards that she puts together, so check out her blog when you have a chance....
this bunch of yummies was a secret blog candy from my CBF (craft blogging friend) for life, Lynn!! (hehe, Lynn i had to bite your words, that was so classic, i love it!) i was lucky enough to be one of her winners!! Yummies included stamps, stationery, a HK pen and measuring spoons that i so so LOVE and much more!! Thank you Lynn for the wonderful sweetness you sent my way!! I actually started my blog because of Lynn... i always checkout the BFC website for projects and so forth and that's how i found Lynn's Craft Blog... She has lots of inspirational post and she shares a lot of new things that comes to the stores... so after a while of following her blog anonymously, i decided to create my own! Thanks again Lynn for giving me the push to start my own, just by having your blog there for sharing!! =D

Well, that's all the greatness i have to share with you today!! hope you enjoyed today's post, even if it wasn't a crafty one... and a BIG THANK YOU to these wonderful ladies for all their kindness!!! be back soon!

It's SO girly!

It's Monday!! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are ready for a new week!! I surely enjoyed my weekend as yesterday was a very special day for my son!! He was baptized in the presence of God and witnessed by family and friends!! YAY!!! Love you my lil' man!!

Now it's back to reality and working on my next big project which is DD2's birthday in 3 weeks... i can't believe the days are just passing by so fast!

Thank you to all that played along with us last week! Making birthday creations are always fun!! Are you ready?? It's time for a new challenge at Lolllipop Crafts with hostess for this week, Peggy!!

Fairy Knoll is sponsoring us this week and you can catch some info on this sponsor tomorrow on the Lollipop Crafts blog... but be sure to check out Lollipop Crafts today to get all the details on Challenge #16 - Very Girly... Yes, Peggy wants to see you make a creation for a girl with all the girly goodies!!! See what the prize is and take a peek at what the DT has for you... It surely is GIRLY over there... =D This is what I have for you today!

I used the Dancing Glamour Girl from Fairy Knoll's... Isn't she pretty?? The sentiment "Move to the beat of your own drum" is also from Fairy Knoll's... I fun flocked the bottom of her dress (yes, i thought that was really girly) and added pearls and rhinestones with a flower... Hope i did Peggy's challenge justice...

Again, I have to apologize for the blury, out of focus pictures, etc... I am still trying to get the hang of my new camera and all it's features, LOL... Naiive I tell you! haha!

Hope you'll join us this week with all things girly! Be sure to link up on the Lollipop Crafts blog!

Check back soon as i believe i have come to a decision about the Secret Santa Swap! For now, take care and smile!!!

Help me make a decision....

Hiya friends, fans, fellow bloggers.... basically all of you!! =D Hope your Saturday (or weekend in general) is going fairly well! i've got a quick thing i wanted to get your feedback about... it's something fun and i've been wanting to pull it together for a long time now, but just never got the chance to really think it through (and time if i may add)... now i'm ready to pursue it, but want to hear your thoughts about it... if it's even worth pursuing... so here goes...


now i know there are alot of swaps out there... cards, projects, RAKs, ATC, etc... and maybe that's why i haven't really brought this up... but i do want to start a swap and i want to do it "Secret Santa" style... so, i would call this "Secret Santa Swap" (SSSh) it would be a monthly card swap except, you won't know who has your name until you receive your card! you won't be paired with someone like most swaps, i would give you a name and that's who you will send your card to, but that person won't have your name... does that make sense?! hehe! i'm not sure if there's a swap that does this already, or atleast i haven't seen one like it, so i'd really like to give it a try...

i think it would be super fun... the excitement of waiting to see who your secret Santa is can be very exciting (like a child's excitement on Christmas day) and thrilling once your Santa is revealed... BUT i can't do this without your help... SO if you think you'd be interested in doing this type of swap, let me know on this post... i'll read through your feedback and put some thought into it and let you know what the outcome will be... please, help me make a decision... with enough answers from you, i'll try my best to make the decision and just maybe, we can debut this swap next month... just in time for Christmas!! and PLEASE don't worry if this doesn't interest you, you can say so here... no feelings hurt or anything like that, right now i'm just trying to get opinions from you!! =D feel free to ask any questions too!!

Happy Birthday Sweet November!

Fabulous Friday is finally here!!! Looking forward to a busy weekend full of cleaning and celebrating!! =D so before all of that starts, i wanna sneak in and share with you a card i made for the ATS Birthday challenge this week! Challenge is Birthday in celebration of Amy Young's birthday designing for ATS... Amy's design line is called Sweet November and she has some cute and fun images! i thought it was perfect to use one of her first designs for this challenge... here is Chanter Heartsong... sweetly celebrating!! the sentiment is from CC Designs Pixie Birthdays set that i carefully used several memento inks on to make it colorful... well, it's a colorful card all around as it's such a great way to celebrate!! (yikes, sorry for the bad picture, i'm still learning my camera) can't really see it, but the dots at the end of her dress has some stickles and the top of the cupcake does too!!

alright, i have to bounce on out of here!! will try and visit you during the weekend and maybe try and get some sharings on my blog too... no promises, but i'll sure try!! if not, i'll see you back here on Monday!! Have a fantastic weekend!!! Hugs!

Lollipop Crafts - Thursday Inspiration!

Hey, Hey!!! sneaking in a quick post for you all today!!! i have to admit that the last 2 days i've hit a crafter's block and i think my mojo is on vacation... i sit at my desk but nothing gets done! LOL... Mojo come back please, i'll pay you overtime!!! haha!

okay i'm being silly! anyway, just wanted to remind you to come and join us at Lollipop Crafts for this week's challenge - BIRTHDAY THEME!! we all need birthday cards, so why not put one together and play along?! a fantastic prize is being offered..... (hint, hint)

here's something i put together for a friend's daughter's 1st birthday....
the Tutu Sweet image from Meljen's reminded me of her daughter and really, i just LOVE using it... it's versatile for any occasion... so make a wish and join us!!! Have a great day!!

Hello Kitty invites you....

okay! amongst a busy weekend (which was fun) and finishing up some projects, i managed to get the DH to help me rearrange my craft space on Sunday and move my heavy desk to the opposite wall... =D something i've been wanting to do for a long time but dredded the amount of work to do so... but it's done! yay! craft room is still a mess as i slowly put things away, but really i just want to play... hehe!

anyway, here's one of the big projects i was working on this weekend... DD2's birthday invitations... i was so super happy when she chose Hello Kitty as her theme!
i know i could have taken the easy way out and buy premade invites, but it's just not the same... so i did work my booty off cutting out the HK and then cutting it again with the different colors, and then finally assembling it all... Thank goodness i only had to do 20... i hope she learns to appreciate me one day... ha! the BG is origami paper that i purchased at the sanrio store... it comes in 5 sheets of 4 different designs... i originally was going to mix it up so i didn't have to buy 4 packs of this paper just for one design, but she only wanted this one for her invites... so i gave in... i think i'll use the other designs for her favors... =D another big project to accomplish... tried to keep it really simple as i don't think anyone will keep the invite... i usually keep one to add to her album... a little keepsake for when they are older....

guess it's time to hit the craft desk again and try to put more things away! honestly, i only mess it up again... hehe! Thanks for stopping by for my quick sharing!! i'll see you soon then...

Blog Candy Giveaway!!!

Hey Friends!!! My friend Brenda of Sweet as a Gumdrop will be celebrating her birthday soon!! and in celebration, she is giving away some SWEET CANDY!!! Go and check out her blog for all the details and while you're there, check out her AWESOME creations!!!

It's has been such a pleasure to have met you in blogland Brenda!! Wishing you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY and many more to come! May all your birthday wishes come true!! Hugs!!

Celebrating the Holidays!

{2nd post today. Please scroll down for my Lollipop Crafts challenge post. Thank you!!}

Wow, i still can't believe how fast the weekend went by.... there were so many things and challenges i wanted to play along with, but time just wasn't there! i had a bigger project i had to finish (i'll share that later in the week with you) that consisted of cut, cut and paste and then assemble... =D but it's done and i'm a bit relieved!

i did manage, however, to finish my double challenge entry for ATS... i just love the challenges and try to play along as much as i can... this week they're having a double challenge... you can either play in one or both... i decided to play in both... first challenge was a theme of "Be Grateful", perfect for giving Thanks as we head into Thanksgiving... and the second was "Christmas" without using red or green... tough, but doable right?! here's what i came up with...
this here is for the "Be Grateful" challenge... my image is masked using Autumn Anya from TGF and CC Designs Swiss field fence... i initially just had the "Happy Thanksgiving" sentiment and then decided to stamp "Thanks for all you do" too... Thanksgiving is a great time to express how thankful you are for people in your life....

i LOVE playing with blue for Christmas... so this is my take on the "Christmas" challenge... blue and snowflakes are a fantastic combo for me... i used CC Designs laying Nora for this one... LOL, i know my layout looks a little funny, but i was trying to vision Nora laying somewhere and looking out the window... didn't come out as planned, but thought it was cute anyway! and then as soon as this card was done, i noticed the line on her ankle... don't know what happened, but i guess you can picture it as an ankle bracelet... hehe! sorry, there wasn't anything i could do about fixing that as the whole card was already done... =(

well, trying to craft away today in between caring for my children and doing chores... oh and playing and learning how to use my new camera!! Santa is good to me this year!! except, my new camera wasn't from my Santa Baby (DH), it's actually from my aunty whom is a 2nd mom to me!! =D Thank you Aunty!! Love you! Thanks again for coming by today!! i appreciate all the loving comments you leave me! it keeps me going when times are tough!! Have a beautiful day and wonderful week!! Be back shortly!!!

Lollipop Crafts Birthday Challenge

Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday... Happy Birthday to you!

Hello Monday!!! Wow, the weekend went by so fast!! guess that's what happens when you're having fun right! Had lovely family time going to a party, doing some shopping and going to a craft fair... and the best of it all, it was done with family!! =D okay and the 2nd best thing that has happened is that i FINALLY got a new CAMERA!!! Wooohoooo! score! and i'm so loving it!

yah, yah... enough rambling right?! hehe... well, today over at Lollipop Crafts, we have a challenge that is asking you to celebrate... Kim is our hostess this week for Challenge #15 and she wants you to celebrate with a BIRTHDAY theme!! That's right, get creative with birthday wishes and join us!

We have Stamp and Create sponsoring this week with a FANTABULOUS prize!! seriously, you don't want to miss this one!! so head on over to Lollipop Crafts and check out the deets... and while you're there, check out the DTs birthday creationstoo... take a look at mine since you're here...
this challenge came at the most wonderful time as one of my friends will be celebrating her birthday soon! here i used Fleur Anya from TGF (one of my FAVE, Anya stamps)! but did you know that you can also get TGF products from Stamp and Create?! yup, you can! anyway, before i go my copics i've done lots of paper piecing... i love the way it turns out and it gives paper patterns to the image... however, i stopped doing it for a while after getting my copics because i was coloring more and paper piecing does take a little longer than just coloring... every now and then i like to revisit paper piecing... so that's what's been done here! paper pieced her dress and flowers.... then i added yellow rhinestones to the flower middles... found this cute frills ribbon in my stash and thought it'd be perfect to bring out the hints of orange in her dress... hehe, and i had to add those star buttons too! i hope my friend likes this card!! what do you think of my creation?!? (p.s. i took the pix with my new camera!!! i LOVE how the colors are bold and the quality is much better!!)

want more inspiration?? go to the Lollipop Crafts blog now and take a look around!! i'm so sure something will tickle your fancy!! Have a beautiful day!!!

Clutch it! says the Owl....

Aloha Friday is finally here!!! and my DH will be home soon!! yippee!!

Hope you all had a wonderful week and now you're ready for the weekend!!! i've been super busy this week jumping from project to project and well, i'm about to show another project that i jumped right to....

i purchased a Clutch kit from Joy U.... she made these FABULOUS clutches for Halloween and then decided to make kits for those interested in making one... so if you're interested in getting your own kit with instructions to make more, head on over to her blog for her contact information... she's selling them for $5 each and it includes everything you need to try out your very first one...

as soon as it came in, i just knew i had to put it together... i pushed all my projects aside and assembled mine... i used the burlap embossing folder by Tim Holtz... i liked the way it textured the clutch... looks like some kind of faux animal skin... but don't ask me which one... LOL... Thanks Joy for the awesome kit... i will surely be using the instructions for the upcoming holidays!! don't forget, if you want your hands on one of these clutches, contact Joy!!

here's a party favor from another friend, whose name is also Joy... remember i said i won her anniversary giveaway, this cute owl favor and memo pads were also in my package!! if you were one of her virtual guests helping her celebrate the Joy of Crafting's anniversary, then you got one of these cuties too! isn't it just so so cute?! all the yummies are gone now, but this friendly owl still sits on my desk... he watches over me as i craft... hehe! Thank you Joy!!!

i've been seeing lots of wonderful creations using this french fry box, and i just had to get my hands on this die... i did find one, and it's on it's way to me... hope i get it soon... it will be perfect for me to whip up some favors for my DD2's upcoming birthday!!

alright, that's all i have to share with you today... i'm looking forward to the weekend... there's a craft fair on Sunday i'm eagerly waiting to go to, the first big one for the holiday season... some sale shopping, hula practice and a party... woohoo! Enjoy the rest of this Aloha friday!! Hugs!!

For a sweet little one....

Hey friends!!! Just a quick stop in for a sharing and a reminder...

Challenge #14 - Embossing over at Lollipop Crafts is open until Saturday... so if you haven't already, come and join us.... We are sponsored this week by Meljen's Designs and they are giving away a fabulous prize.... i created this card here using Turtle's Friend from Meljen's for a dear friend who is awaiting her new bundle of joy... i hope she liked the card =D... the papers are really boyish (as my friend is having a boy) so i thought it was perfect to use....

well, i took a day off of crafting and now i feel so behind on things... yikes! i need to get my mojo back!! want more inspiration to get your mojo going??? check out Lollipop Crafts Thursday Inspirations now!!

gottah get going... need to mess up my desk again!! hehehe! Thanks for visiting today... will be back to share more soon!!

I''m the boss?! or is it EM"BOSS"?

Hiya, Hiya!!! Happy November Everyone!! hope you all had fun with your Halloween festivities yesterday... we had a wonderful evening with good company (our besties) with a little bbq and some trick-or-treating.... =D now i'm ready for things to get back to normal (no such thing, ha!)...

there's a NEW challenge over at Lollipop Crafts and it's my week to host! Challenge #14 - Embossing.... bring out your embossing stencils, folders, texture plates, heat gun and powders, whatever it is, whether dry or heat, but i want you to overpower your creations and EM"BOSS" them.... hehehe!

We have Meljen's Designs sponsoring us this week and they are giving away a GREAT prize... Really, come out and play along... it's an easy peasy challenge... here's my creation this week...
i did a little bit of both dry and heat embossing... the sentiment is heat embossed and then i took the liberty of embossing the bottom nestie layer with my Swiss Dots folder and if you look closely underneath the sentiment, it's embossed too (i can't remember what set, but it's from Cuttlebug)... i do love sunflowers, so this "Sunflower Buggies" image from Meljen's was perfect for me.... simple and clean on this one, but lots of color for the eye, LOL...

Hop on over to Lollipop Crafts and get the deets on this challenge... and while there, you can check out what the Lollipop Girls have to share with you too! remember, there's a prize at stake so you have to link up your creations by the deadline... don't want to keep you any longer so go now! hope to see you playing along this week! Have a great day!

Halloween Winner!

Happy Halloween!!!

Wishing you all a very safe and FUN-filled Halloween!!!

Thank you to all who have participated in my blog candy giveaway!! I had so much fun reading what you all would dress up as! Really, it would be an awesome Halloween party if we could all get together!! =D

DH did the honors of pulling a name.... (sorry he did not want to be photographed) yes, i did it the old fashion way of writing all the names on pieces of paper, shaking it all up and pulling a name.... and the name that DH pulled was............. FAIRY BRENDA!!!! Congrats girl!!! Please email me your info so i can get your SURPRISE bag out to you! oh did i mention you have to send me a picture of yourself dressed as a fairy, before i send you your prize??? LOL, i'm kidding girl! Congrats!!!

i have to share something funny a friend shared with me... not really a joke but a saying... "Child comes home from trick-or-treating and Mom and child goes through the candy to take out the ones not good for the child. Child says, Funny how all the candies that aren't good for me is Mom's favorite!" totally classic! i think i would do something like that, LOL!

well, i'm off to finishing up the last of things around my house... a little baking and some light cooking for this evening's festivities... can't wait to get my kiddies into their costumes... i have an asian princess, a bumble bee and a ghost.... i think my ghost is cuter than Casper.... hehe! so have tons of fun and i'll be back tomorrow for a bossy challenge!

A Bride and her Besties!

Oh happy day! oh happy day.... yah, i'm singing it, in my head! =D Hiya! i'm back AGAIN, with another creation... i created this card for a challenge over at CA&F... Whatcha Tootin' about Wednesday hosted by Kim and she wants to see your double side step cards... now, i had tons of fun making Christmas cards using the step templates but i had even MORE FUN creating this one... take a lookie....
excuse my horrible photo, my lighting is really bad... argh!

it's Kissy Anya and her best friends!!! okay, i have to admit that this wasn't my original vision... i actually wanted to use the Kissy couple with a maid of honor and best man... however, i can't draw to save myself so it was a bit difficult to transform my Autumn Ian into a tux... so i had to make do with what i've got... i might have to bug TGF to create a prom Ian or something... hehe... honestly, i think this came out better than my original idea... =D light bulb moment, LOL... Miss Anya Love set was perfect for this celebration... and yes, i did do a little swapping... can you tell??? hehe.... i did a little paper piecing with the girls dresses too, do you see it?! these stamps can be purchased at TGF, if you don't already have them... my sentiment is a mixture of stamps... i used the "forever" from the cake topper set and added the "friends" sentiment from one of my hero arts collection... i couldn't find one that best described this moment... anyway, i wanted to embellish more but i knew i'd get carried away, so i left it as is, which i think came out pretty nice regardless the lack of embellies... what do you think of this???

Thanks for stopping in today and listening to my ramblings... it's waaaay early in the morning right now and i've got so much ideas running through my brain... i might have to go back into the craft room and unleash.... hmmmm.... sleep or create? LOL.... take a wild guess! oh, AND don't forget, you have until midnight tonight to enter my Halloween Candy... toodles for now friends! Have a fabulous day!!!

Halloween Candy!!!

**BLOG CANDY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED!**

Hey there! and a HAPPY "early" HALLOWEEN!!! like my post title? of course you do! who doesn't LOVE some CANDY!!!!

Well, i'm celebrating my WIN from the Joy of Crafting's anniversary celebration!! my name was pulled as one of 3 lucky winners! "THANK YOU so much Joy for all the goodies!!! and another CONGRATS on JOC's Anniversay!!!"

I got my prize in the mail with a bonus prize to share with a friend! the contest was to leave a comment about a special friend i've met through blogging and that's who i would get to share the bonus prize with... i couldn't just choose one because all of my friends here are very special to me! SO, i am going to randomnly pull a name (from entries on this post) to share a SURPRISE BAG OF CANDY with!!! WOOHOO! it is a surprise bag so i'm not showing you what's inside.... hehe....
here's what you have to do....

1. Must be a follower of my blog as of today (10/27).

2. Leave a comment on THIS post and answer this question: If you could be anyone or any thing for Halloween, who or what would it be? "i'd be a princess! LOL, oh wait, i think i have that title with my hubby already, haha..." **question is optional just to make things interesting, hehe**

3. Comment must be entered by Midnight on October 3oth. Lucky winner will be chosen and announced on Sunday, October 31st.

simple right?! can't wait to read about what you would be for Halloween! Have fun! and THANK YOU for supporting my blog and just being in my life!!! Happy Commenting!

Last minute packaging...

Hello Friday!!! so happy it's Friday, but i'm not sure why! LOL... hubby made a surprise come home yesterday just in time for DD1's harvest night at school!! it was a sweet surprise and i'm so HAPPY!!! kiddies were excited to see Daddy as well... =D

there's a challenge happening over at ATS, and it's "Last minute Halloween packaging"... okay, i am sooooo last minute in packaging some goodies for DD1's A+ program, thankfully i saw the challenge, cause it helped me to remember i needed to finish this by today!... i was actually trying to look for a witch's cauldron but like i said, i was last minute and couldn't find one... so browsing our Long's store, i found this jar and thought to myself, "yah, i can do something with this!" so here is what i came up with....
i used the halloween release, SN Baby Trick or Treat Pumpkin (designed by Amy Y.) and Swiss Pixies Halloween Scene from CC Designs.... i just LOVE that baby pumpkin!!! isn't he just adorable?!

here is the completed wrapping...

and here is a close up of the tag.... here i used Swiss Pixies Birgitta, also from CC Designs.... because the purple color is dark, i outlined the spiderwebs with a white opaque pen... then i used glossy accents on her boots, witch's hat and cuffs of her dress.... she is just the cutest lil' witch in town! she sits upon an oval nestie, matted on a scallop oval... the back is also matted with a white oval for a Halloween message to her A+ leader....

hope they like it! the program is runned mainly by high school students so i'm sure a sweet tooth will make the end of their day... =D

got some errands to do today, with a visit to my FAVE craft store.... Thanks for coming to visit today and i'll be back soon! Have a happy and smile-filled Friday!!

Christmas Cards pt2 - the completion

How's it going friends?! *yawn* as of 2am today, i have proudly completed a cutomer's order waaaaay ahead of scheduled! i have to thank my very late into early morning nights for the production... hehe! yes, for my friends that knew from when i first started, i'm doing my semi all nighters again... semi only because i'm usually going to bed at 3:30-4 in the AM... right after lil' man's first waking, instead of those usual 7-8am or even later... LOL... but i can usually function on 4 hours of sleep... sometimes lil' man is nice and will give me 5-6... =D

today i'm showing you the last of the Christmas order... probably won't see any Christmas postings like this for a while, maybe just one or 2 here and there (i should really start on mine)... here we go (click on pictures to make bigger, sorry pixs are a little blurry)....

i really hope the customer likes these... she trusted my creativity, and i trusted myself... LOL... i actually like the way they all turned out... all different in one way or another...

OMGosh! i just have to share this before i let you go... Saturday, we had a little get together with my bestie and her family and carved pumpkins... and i usually screen my calls... so my phone rings with a number i didn't recognize and hubby tells me to just answer... so i did... and thankfully i did because i won this from the Sanrio store....

it was their Halloween gift basket giveaway... =D i was totally stoked and shocked as i never win things like that... took DD1 to the Sanrio store on Thursday for her awesome report card and the sales rep said to enter the drawing, so i said yah, why not!! Wow!! so i've already claimed dibs on the cute HK stuffed animal, DD1 claimed all the stationery items and DD2 claimed the basket!! a little something for each of us girls! =D ain't it just cute?!

okie dokie... i'm super excited to start playing with some new stamps... Christmas things are off to the side for now... and well, i'll be back to share with you again! Huggies until then....