Local Fever....

Midweek!! woohooo!! looking forward to the 3 day weekend... i'm hoping it's filled with craft time... hehe...

quick sharing today on some cards i made last week into the weekend.... the cards featured here today may be purchased at Island Paperie in Kahului... i'm starting to get a good feel going back to my roots and playing with some "local" images... guess once i stepped out of my comfort zone, things just came right along... today i'm showcasing one of Island Paperie's stamp sets called Nesting Lauae... it's a very versatile set to use and i'll show you a way i've used it...
first card up is pretty simple... i stamped the Lauae on white CS making use of the nesting sizes and kinda of creating my own patterned paper... this was the first attempt at using the stamps... i then embossed the base CS stock (green) with swiss dots and added a Mahalo sentiment from TGF's Anya says set... took some brown CS and embossed it with SU!'s square lattice folder... to cover up the cuts i wrapped raffia around the card layer and added a leaf shaped button... just like the pineapple one a few days ago....
didn't want to waste the paper scraps from the Hula Anya card i made last week so i did something similar to the card above this one without the embossing.... and a hint of blue... i'm guessing this could go for a guy or girl... don't you think??
then i really didn't what to throw away these circle scraps and made this card... LOL... i just LOVE DCWV's Green Tea Stack... can't you tell?! hehehe! sentiment is from Stampendous and i added some twine and some rhinestones... some of the papers have a shine to them which makes it nice...

there you have it... a showcase on Island Paperie's stamp set and some easy cards you can whip up in no time AND use scraps on... =D that's always a plus in my book! Check out Island Paperie's website for more local/hawaiian themed products and i'll be back soon with more cards that are available for purchase there! Thanks for coming by!! Hugs!

For my Poppy....

Happy wonderful Tuesday everyone!! hope you all are fine and dandy and the week so far has been a pleasure for you....

picked up some inspiration again from The Sweet Stop, with their sketch #123... over the weekend i was asked to create a very special card with a theme... i was really excited to even have been asked but screeching inside cause i had no idea what to do... i had the papers that i needed to use, just no direction of how to put the card together... so thankfully, The Sweet Stop put out an awesome sketch to use for the challenge this week... and well, here's my interpretation...
the theme for the card was poppy.... i had a stash of this Poppies in Bloom DP by Autumn Leaves (all of the DP used on this creation) that was so fitting... then it was choosing the right image.... being that i made this for a guy to give to someone, Hello Ian, from TGF, whom has not seen ink from me yet, called out... ahhh, moment filled with such perfection.... originally Ian is holding a sunflower (or so that's what i think it is) but to keep with the poppy theme, i cut out a poppy from the DP to fit over the original flower.... voila! make it work! had a stash of coordinating die cut poppy flowers too which i added one to the bow... can't really see the border punch in the background but it's MS Iron Gate border punch that i found at Ross' for $5!!! what a steal! sentiment is from Hero Arts....

i hope he likes this card and i hope his "Poppy" likes it too!! If you haven't heard about the Sweet Stop yet, go and check them out... you'll find their sketches fun and eye candy very inspiring... who knows, you might just want to play along too!

thanks for sharing a moment with me... i sure hope i've inspired you in some way to get crafty!!

Recycle it!

{ETA: added a pix of the pillow box i used....}

Hey there!! Happy Monday to you... hope you all had a wonderful weekend! and to those on the east coast that may be or have been affected by the storm, prayers are with all....

Thanks for all the well wishes for the little man... he's still under the weather but 90% better than before the weekend.... i do hope he kicks this really soon.... when he's miserable it's just the saddest feeling in the world... BUT, he still smiles!

Monday brings to you a new challenge at Lollipop Crafts! Lollipop girl Agnes is hosting challenge #46 this week and she wants you to RECYCLE! create a card/project using a recycable item... for example, ribbon from a present, a coffee jar, baby food container, button from a shirt.... you catch the drift right?! you may not notice but we all recycle in one way or another whether it be highly visible or very descreet... obvious recycling would be aluminum and plastic down to the smaller gestures like saving the ribbon off a present... gosh, i am wondering how my fellow crafters recycle things for crafting.... are you like me and save everything?!? hehe
my card is pretty simple today... i had many ideas in my head for this week's challenge but was not able to execute it as my plans sorta fell through... nonetheless i looked to something easy and fun... NO this is not DP.... but it's so beautiful it could be... or that is what i made from it... this pretty colorful paper was once a glossy pillow box with yummy chocolate dipped cookies (all gone) from a sweet friend who sent a RAK my way about a month ago... i saved the box knowing i would use it for something one day... and well i did... the colors are gorgeous and i didn't want to throw it away... so i used it as i would DP and made a quick and easy birthday card.... eek! don't mind the flash spot.... LOL...

lifted this pix from the site (Big Island Candies) where my goodies were from... just wanted to show that i wasn't joking and i really did use the pillow box for my card... LOL... i have the ribbon in my stash too...

hop on over to LC and see what other recycled projects the Lollipop Girls have to share with you today... get the inspiration and join us!! it's easy really.... if you're not a follower of that blog already, before sure you do so you don't miss a sweet thang! Lot going on over there this week!

be back tomorrow with more creations that i was able to finish last week and over the weekend... thanks for coming by... =D

A special hula dance for you....

It's Aloha Friday everyone!! and the weekend couldn't have come at a better time... with a sick little boy in the house and mommy on the end of crying because she feels so sad, the weekend is very much needed... although it doesn't mean i don't have mommy duties, it does mean daddy's home... =D

today's card is a fabulous share for this Aloha Friday and i'm hoping it will give you a relaxed feel to the start of your weekend.... meet TGF's hula Anya...

dancing in the moonlight with lots of aloha.... she's not a new stamp, actually an older one that i just love, love, LOVE... she definitely makes my top 10... i mean 20.... is that fair?! LOL... the papers are all from the DCWV Green Tea Stack.... i'm trying to hoard this as much as i can because i just love the prints and colors.... this is my kinda color chart... hehe... realistically, we do not have any blue plumerias in Hawaii, but it gave a nice touch to the image... i bought a bunch of Hawaiian themed mango wood buttons at the local fabric store and have been putting them to use this week... this one is the shape of a pineapple that i secured to the card with raffia... a hint of glitter in the flowers and some half pearls on the top left hand corner for accent.... and the Mahalo sentiment is from a local company called Stampettes....

anyway, i really miss playing in challenges and i do try to when i can... i guess i need a push every now and then... it's different when you are creating to just play and when you have to create to fulfill orders... but i managed to fit in 3 different challenges into this one card... first up is the color combo... ATS challenge this week is to use earth tones - blue, brown and moss green... i really lucked out because blue is my FAVE color and i just LOVE the color combo... 2nd is TGF's FFCB WOW challenge - Boy colors.... i'm very sure this fits into the boy color spectrum... and last but not least, Sketch 122 with a twist at The Sweet Stop.... i've been following the blog for about a month or so, but never had the courage to join in and play... until now... the sketches there are awesome... and the inspirations, gorgeous.... ever get stumped on a layout, check them out...

kay, i think i took up enough of your time... =D i do send you plenty Mahalo for sharing a part of your day with me and wish you a wonderful weekend... i'll be back on monday with a new challenge creation for Lollipop Crafts (unless i get a chance to sneak some post time during the weekend... a hui ho, until we meet again!!

Thinking of you....

Spotlight Thursday at Lollipop Crafts on Digital Delights!!
Thank you to our generous sponsor this week, Digital Delights!! Check out the LC blog for a spotlight on this company... and see what the Lollipop Girls have to share with you... i have to tell you that there are so many CUTE images that can be bought in this store, but you have to visit them to see for yourself... want a little tast of the cuteness?!

my card features Farm Girl Polly... she was so fun to work with and she is just as adorable as can be.... i love the colors i used on her... not a combo i would normally use but it worked great with the Hello Lucious Basic Grey papers... even used my MS Scallop 3 Dot border punch that i rarely use... the sentiment is from a Hero Arts mini set... and i kept the embellishment simple with adding some dew drops... you can't tell from this picture but i layered part of her her and bows by using pop-up dots... even i was amazed that you can't tell from the pix...
so i took a pix showing you that i did give the image a little pop....

there is still time to join in on the Masculine challenge this week... details are on the LC blog... you have to admit, masculine cards are indeed a challenge... it's easier to make girly cards... so why not get some inspiration and play the challenge...

A simple and quick Thank you!

Hi there!! quickly stopping in on this Wednesday to share a simple and quick Thank you card.... my lil' one isn't feeling the greatest with a slight fever so it's mommy and baby time until he falls asleep... but i had to whip up a thank you card first...
used a freebie from Meljen's Designs (i think this one is only available if your a PCP member, but i can't remember for sure).... this teddy is really cute that i just had to use it... used some of my scrap Doodlebug Funfetti DP with some rick rack ribbon and a few dew drops... oh and bits of stickles glitter on the image... voila! love the burst of colors... very happy thank you card!

signing off now... join me tomorrow for a spotlight creation on Lollipop Crafts sponsor of the week Digital Delights... i'll see you soon then.... <--- (someone's been watching Dear John, LOL)

He-Art Journaling Weeks 4 and 5...

Hiya there! what a wonderful Tuesday this day is turning out to be... although still super hot, it's overcast and there's a relaxed feel in the air... not for me though... some light house chores, laundry and paying the bills are on the "to-do" list... some rain would be nice... we need it... and some craft time cause I NEED IT!....

so last week i noticed i failed to share with you my journal page for Week 4 of He-Art Journaling with the Greeting Farm... Week 4's theme was "the girl in me" and we had to draw a girl image... and i mean actually draw.... now this was very hard for me because i can't draw for ----... not even if money depended on it... LOL... so luckily, stick figures were included as drawing...
hahahaha! don't laugh at me but laugh with me.... HAHAHAHA!!! how you like them stickies?! LOL.... my best drawing!! hubby said i didn't even try, maybe i didn't but hey, when you're stumped and know that you can't draw you just do whatever you can... or that's what i told myself... anyway... little "portrait" of me and my girls... and to make it a fun page i added some of our favorite things using stickers... not bad for stick figures yah?! hehe!

then i take you to Week 5 - Pieces of Me... this week we were to use layering and paper piecing techniques and this is what i did...

i'm trying my hardest to use scraps and i found some pretty big pieces of scrap to use this week... i matted my page with different DPs (all belong to the same line though) and then added my layers ... i titled this page "Friends are...." because of the quote i used around the image... and because it's a "friend" page, i left some room to add pictures and blurbs about friendship at a later time...
here is a close up of my "layered" flowers for the layer portion of the assignment.... i used the HK flower sizzlit die to cut flowers using the coordinating DP scraps and secured the layers together with mini brads... i crumbled the paper too to give it a textured/old look... and i'll tell you why in a bit....
TGF's Fleur Anya is my fave image when it comes to friends, flowers and the like because you have to admit she is just so adorable.... she represents my "paper piecing" portion as i paper pieced her dress and flowers in her hair... "tried" to do black hair coloring this time which i will say needs a little more practice... LOL....

ok so the textured/old flowers.... around the image there's a quote that i just love... "friends are flowers that never fade ~ Proverbs".... doesn't it go together perfectly?! i thought so... and i couldn't be more happy with the pair... paper flowers won't fade...

i'm loving the way this page turned out... and really happy i'm actually early in completing the assignment... i'm usually one that is uploading hours before deadline.... LOL... hope you like my pages too and hoping it's inspired you to take up some journaling... want more inspiration, head on over to TGF's gallery and check out what the other "students" have been creating....

Thanks for dropping by!! i'm crossing my fingers i'll have something finished to share with you tomorrow... toodles!!

Not girly, but MASCULINE!

oh man that's a hard thing to do..... hehe! monday brings you another challenge at Lollipop Crafts!! and if you're masculine challenged like me, this week's challenge will or atleast should, boost your mojo....

Lollipop Girl Alanna is challenging you to get MASCULINE this week with challenge #45.... put away all those girly things and bring out your bold masculine papers and embellies and get crafting.... i'm sure you have to make a birthday card for that special guy in your life or you may need a head start on next year's birthdays.... either way, we are telling you to set the glitters, diamonds and pearls aside and bring out those manly gadgets... or are you like me and have a limited stash??? LOL, i a m really stumped when it comes to cards or creations for guys... so this was a big challenge for me...

Digital Delights are our fabulous sponsor this week... Yes, they are new to our sponsor list but you'll love the cutie images in store.... go and check them out and tell them Lollipop Crafts sent you their way!! One lucky random winner will receive a great prize.... wanna know what it is? check out the challenge post on the LC blog for details on how to play and what prize is at stake to win!
did i make the challenge or what?! i'm telling you, it's so hard for me to make masculine creations... but i just knew what image to use to help me with my accomplishment... this handsome dude from TGF's My Guy set.... aahhh! he's such a hottie... hehe (blush).... frankly, i was pleased that during one of my shopping trips to Ross' i was able to snag a paper pack that was geared to guys.... pulling out the papers from the pack i chose to work with 3 different pieces... no intentions on doing so, but i realized after putting the card together that i used my alma mater colors... maroon and blue!! woohoo, double whammy! ok i had to add that in... tempted to add happy birthday but instead i looked through TGF's Anya Says set and pulled out a few words to put together... "Keep Rockin'" and "Superstar" perfectly matching the DP.... hehe... hmmm, someone didn't put away all her girly things.... LOL....

i'm also submitting this into TGF's FFCB Farm Fresh Friday challenge - Buttons... since i added buttons on this creation... =D

oh so i asked the hubs, "does this card look masculine/guyish to you?" his reply, "well, it's metro!" can someone tell me what he meant???? LOL.... i was not pleased with his definition.... haha!

hop on over to LC and check out what masculine creations the Lollipop Girls have to share with you too.... thanks for stopping in!! hope i've inspired you to play along with us this week or get crafty!!

September Secret Sister Swap sign-ups

Time of the month once again!!! LOL... um yahhh...

September SSS sign ups starts today.... Thank you to all who have continued this swap! i hope you are enjoying everything... =D

September marks the changing of seasons and that means it's FALL... when i think of fall, i think changing colors of the trees and lots of leaves falling to the ground (although color changing leaves doesn't really happen in Hawaii)... we actually go from green to brown, LOL.... so why not add a theme for this month.... Let's do a color theme... MUST USE ONE of the following colors on your creations: RED, ORANGE or BROWN. I don't just mean on your images, but incorporate it in your papers, embellies, etc... you must use one of these colors or if you prefer, 2 or all... up to you, but AT LEAST one... and you can do other color combos if you want with any of the above too!

here's some deets on my swap: *please take note of some changes in red*

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... can't get creative? no problem, you are free to sub in a RAK too!

2. I kindly ask that you please send out your swaps before month's end. Please take into consideration snail mail timing. If you cannot mail your swap before the end of the month, you are given until the 5th day of the following month to do so. This will allow some time for your Secret Sister to receive it. If nothing has been received within 10 days past the end of the month, i will not include you in future sign ups. Please friends, let's play fair.

This is a commitment i ask that you follow through with. sign ups will be open until August 29th... PREVIOUS PLAYERS, just leave a comment on this post (or email me) so i know you want to play along... NEW PLAYERS, please email me at krisnal5868hotmaildotcom with the subject "Secret Sister Swap" and the following info: FULL NAME, ADDRESS, BLOG URL (if you have one) and BEST EMAIL for contact.

Sign up and have some fun!!

Aloha....

Looking at the time it is technically Sunday, so HAPPY Sunday!!! even if i am posting this in the wee early AM,,,, hehe... i was a bit occupied yesterday and failed to prepost this creation,,, (slap on the hands) so if you want to scold me now, go ahead, i'm bracing myself for it... =D i know you wouldn't though... i need some "down" time right?!?

had a fun filled day yesterday... Hubby took us to eat at my FAVE restaurant on the west side... and then treated the kiddies to a ride on the Sugar Cane Train... oh yes, it was a family day well spent... literally! LOL...

i spent the last 4 hours staring at the things on my desk waiting for it to come together by itself... yup, it's a crafter's block moment... didn't get much done.... arrrgh! now i'm sneakin' in to post this creation before hitting dreamland... i think that's what i need to refuel Ms. Creativity...
simply said with some Aloha.... my super sweet BFF sent me a package of goodies and inside was this wonderful CC Designs stamp, Welcome Brigitta, that's been on my wishlist since it's release.... Thanks BFF, me LOVES this so much!! i received this a few weeks ago, but kept it aside (with the urgency and temptation of wanting to ink it up) until after the party was well over with.... so this past week i finally got to use her along with the weekly ATS challenge which is a fun sketch.... i wanted her to stand out so i picked a color found within the DPs and that color was orange.... purple and orange??? not a bad mix... hehe... the Aloha sentiment is from TGF's Anya Says set which goes great with this image... or so i think.... i'm so sorry but i have no idea what the DP line is called... i just know i bought a bunch when it went on clearance and i failed to scribble down the deets.... so bad!! went with a 5x7 card so that the sketch could clearly been seen without hiding the papers so much... combined some punched flowers with some primas and rhinestone middles... then added a few dew drops here and there... simple and clean.... do you likey?!?

that's all i have to share with you for now... will pop back in later with sign ups for September's SSS and if all goes planned this coming week, i have a few more sharings... i just remembered i haven't shared my journal page for last week... i'm not so thrilled with it but i'll share that soon... just trying to work out the postings so i'm not overposting... LOL.... have a fantastic Sunday and come again soon!!

1000 sheets of paper... the giveaway

my dear and AWESOME paper-holic friend Amy, of A thousand sheets of paper, is celebrating something HUGE!!! oh i mean stacked! no i mean HUGE and STACKED!! yup that's a better description... =D I'm very very sure you all know Amy... she is known for awesome creations that include altered images and she is the sweet creator of Sweet November Stamps... but if you know Amy like i do, she LOVES paper!!! hello, it's in her name! hehe... Amy has this goal each year to keep track of how many DIFFERENT pieces of paper she cuts into and well, this is what 1000 sheets of paper looks like....
she is at it again with a very GENEROUS giveaway... this is one blog candy that you DO NOT want to miss... head on over to her blog now and check it out!! it's a jaw dropping type of post so don't say i didn't warn you before hand.... hehe....

Happy "belated" Blogaversary Amy and CONGRATS on hitting your 1000th paper milestone!! Cheers to many more.... =D Hugs!!!

**had a detour today and i'll share my creation that was suppose to be posted today in a bit....**

Oh, right! the CAKE!

Happy Aloha Friday peeps!! for many of you in Hawaii, today marks a holiday... yep Admissions Day... the day we became the 50th State! so why are we still treated as if we are in the boondocks?!? LOL... anyway, what are you all up to for the weekend?! me, maybe a little shopping, i'm in need of a pedi and hopefully some craft time while the kiddies hit the pool... we'll see... weather is pretty nice today... hoping it stays like that for the weekend....

i'm finally revealing the wonderful birthday cake Keenan had for his 1st birthday party.... are you all drooling in wonder?!? tadduh!
isn't it so kiddie and cute?!?! courtesy of Broke Da Mouth Cookie Company.... yum, yum, yum! it fit the party theme to the fullest.... yes this is the Queen Emma cake that is 4 layers of cake, guava, passion fruit and coconut and in between the cake layers yummy whipped filling in coordinating flavors... yummy goodness... mmmmmm!!! i love the way he did the decorations... and how he made the coconut topping look like sand.... and the lettering is written in chocolate...... oooooh sugar rush! come to think of it, i should have given the baker some fishing poles too... that would have been cute...
well someone surely enjoyed the cake.... he was ready to dive right into the cake before we even sang Happy Birthday.... LOL.... my uncle has the pictures of him eating his first piece of this cake, so i'll have to share it later, but he liked it... and this time he wasn't as messy... hehe!

short post today as i'm going to start my adventures.... i'll be back later with a card creation for a challenge.... WOW, can you believe i played in a challenge?!? LOL...

have a wonderful Friday and come check back later.... probably late tonight or tomorrow.... =D

Dragonfly

What's up Thursday!! you came by too fast.... LOL... hello friends.... how are you all doing?!? THANK YOU SO MUCH for the sweet comments this week... i assure you that i am getting the rest i need... somewhat... ;D schedule is still crazy as ever but i did pen in (not pencil) SLEEP! hehe! don't know for how much longer though... i've got some things pending that i just know will come up soon... for now, i'm enjoying a sorta stress-free week... kinda... =D

spotlight thursday at Lollipop Crafts and we are shining the light on our FAB sponsor ROBYN'S FETISH.... wonderful designs to fit any occassion and i hear they are having a back to school sale!! you might wanna check them out!
my card features one of their cute designs called "It's a dragonfly day".... thought it would make a perfect birthday card... i used some colorful Doodlebug paper and embossed some yellow CS with my swiss dots embossing folder and added some polka dot ribbon... the sentiment is from Hero Arts that i fitted to the large spellbinder double ended tag and secured it to the card with some brads... and some stickles on the dragonfly wings, a dab on the flower petals and the leaves.... quick and easy...

want more eye candy to thrench your sugar rush?! head on over to Lollipop Crafts and check out what my sweet sisters have created to share with you.... and if you haven't already, join in our recipe challenge for this week! you could be ONE lucky winner to receive a fantastic prize from Robyn's Fetish!

join me tomorrow for a slice of virtual cake!!!

Beach box...

Happy Humpday!!! is it just me or are the days just flying by super fast?! feels like the week has just started!!

so i've been trying to catch up on some sleep... been going to bed a bit earlier than the previous months.... by an hour or two.... but i still feel so drained and my lack of energy is really beginning to bother me.... today however is a much better day and i've FINALLY touched my craft supplies.... ooh it feels so good.... LOL...

i have Keenan's money box to share with you today... i was really stumped when my hanai dad didn't actually make what i wanted, which was a treasure box.... i was so set on it, but with his busy schedule it wasn't possible... finding out days before the party i felt the stress being tacked on... what was i going to create in just days before the party?!? i was on the last thread of just crying.... on a quick trip to BFC to see what my options were, Trina, my sweet sweet friend there, offered to complete the money box for me... BLESS her kindness because she really saved me!! with just 3 days before the party and her already busy schedule, she managed to add on making the box... and here it is....
since i bought so much of the beach themed painted wood thingys i gave her some to use on the box... which was perfect with what she had in mind.... plus it matched my frames... isn't it CUTE?!? i just LOVE it! btw, i still have it intacted... hehe.... that crab has to be my fave.... it's just so crabby! LOL...
here's the top of the box.... i love the way she added the bubbles to the fish... can't really see it but i think she used glossy accents for the bubbles, or something to that effect....
one side of the box.... ahhh, could i just put out a beach chair and lounge??? maybe with a coconut drink?!?
the other side of the box...

the box came out really really cute and we got lots of awesome comments about it.... simple, to the theme and CUTE!! Keenan LOVES it too... after removing his birthday cards he decided to use it as a playground... he just loves to play inside it... and if the slit is positioned right to where he can see someone, it's a peek-a-boo zone... hehe!

THANK YOU SO MUCH TRINA for the wonderful creation!!! i was, and still am, super stoked that you were able to create it for me!!! Muah!!

mahalo for the awesome comments yesterday... the fish and poles were the highlight of the party decorations... as some of you may know, hubby loves fishing and those table deco was one way to incorporate what he likes with the theme of the party.... i don't think he'll ever do the poles again though! LOL, it was A LOT of work....

stop in tomorrow for a spotlight on Lollipop Crafts sponsor of the week, Robyn's Fetish... and i'll be back with a piece of CAKE on Friday... yes, i'm saving the SWEETNESS for last... hehe!

Party decorations....

Back again on this beautiful Tuesday..... Thanks to those who left comments yesterday about the whole party planning biz.... although i don't think it's the right timing for me to do it right now, i wouldn't mind doing it on a smaller level... you know, the simple things like favors or table deco.... i am honestly not ready to take on party planning as a whole gig.... hehe! we'll see, things change.... =D

alright, so more party sharings for your viewing eyes.... be prepared because it's another long post....
these were my centerpieces.... did not exactly come out how i planned it too, but with limited time i had to make it work... for one, we couldn't get Keenan to do his hand prints.... he just didn't like the paint on his hands... weird for a boy but oh well... he was not going to do hand prints on every centerpiece so i ended up having to make copies of the best set... which was this one... i should have ordered the collage prints a little bigger but didn't (slipped my mind) and just made do with what i ordered.... then i used these painted wood deco i got from BFC to add to the "theme".... pretty plain if you ask me.... i wanted a bit more color... but everyoone semmed to like it, so ok!
this was the table fillers... i found this idea on the BFC website (here) and some of my crafty friends like Joy U. and Enjoli had their versions as well which inspired me to try it.... used the accucut candy wrapper die at BFC since i bought my paper from there... cut out about a 100, didn't use them all since some was trial and error... i used the double arch MS border punch for the scales which i adhered using spray glue and a 1' and 3/4' circle punches for the eyes.... used fishing line to close 3 of the 4 flaps to form the head... and the last flap is to resemble the mouth... the tail of the fish was closed using crochete yarn and the fish were stuffed with li hing mui drops... not to heavy and took up most of the filling space...

hubby then created fishing poles using jewelry wire... wanna see the fishing poles closer, click the pix to enlarge... for the base we used recycled items like coffee jars and glass cups... filled with sand, covered with some cellophane and glued on some seashells... this i must say, was a highlight of the party... everyone was in awe on the amount of detailing hubby and i did to make this happen.... it felt really good to receive the compliments... and to my dear hubby for all the yelling to get the poles done, i LOVE you for doing the poles for me!!! You did a MARVELOUS job on them! oh and then of course he stringed fishing wire through the poles so we could hang the fish....

here's the banner made by my awesome Uncle (who happens to be one of Keenan's godparents)... it turned out sooooo darn CUTE!!! and can you believe that it's done using markers?!? no joke... it's not paint, it's not spray paint, but good ol' fashion markers!!! and i don't think it was copics either! hehe.... amazing detailing and very kiddish which i wanted... perfect for the celebration.... this is definitely a keepsake and i'm hoping my Aunty can turn it into a blanket.... =D

so i only have a few more pictures to share with you in the days to come... my other uncle took some pictures of everything else and as soon as i get that on a cd form him, i'll be able to share those pixs with you.... going through the pixs that i took, i failed to take a lot of pictures of other things.... =( like my candy bar and sign in table.... so i'm hoping he captured some.... oh yah, so the candy bar was a huge success... everyone loved the idea (guess it hasn't really been done here on maui)... we just went to costco and picked up loads of bulk candy to display and be taken... and there was some left for me to stash too!! yay!! LOL.... i need a sugar rush every now and then...

that's it from me today... thanks again for sharing some time with me... i still haven't found the energy to craft but i'm hoping i will soon... still haven't finished cleaning my mess... hehe! see you soon!!

Phew, i'm surprised i made it through....

Well hello there!! i know i missed a posting day (Friday) but it was SO crazy running around with last minute things that day that i just couldn't get on here.... this week i'll be highlighting some party sharings, if you don't mind... =D too many pixs to share on just one post!

the party was a success... our hard work really paid off as we received many wonderful compliments on everything! some called me crazy for doing all that i did, but hey, it's my last "baby" and he only turns 1 once right?! all in all, we got lots of great compliments on the table deco, my candy bar, the banner, the sign in book, the food and most of all the most AWESOME cake the baker has ever made for me... it really topped my wedding cake and DD2's 1st birthday cake(which he did both too).... it was so cool we didn't even want to cut it... LOL... i'm gonna tease you guys on that and not share it just yet.... hehe... because i can... =D the kids had fun as i set up a coloring and name tag station... they were swarmed around the table creating... (you know i needed something crafty)... thank you to my sister and hanai sister for manning that station...

some of our guest even talked to me about party planning as a biz... but i go through so much stress with my own parties do i really want to take on someone's elses?! LOL... i actually have one lined up for next year and maybe volunteered to do one next month... something always comes up! but i love what i do and if it will put a smile on someone's face, why the heck not! hehe!

am very thankful that it's over now, no more worrying about this and that... can i finally concentrate on the holidays?!? or am i pushing myself a tad bit too much right now?!? can i finally find a decent time to sleep?!? LOL... hahaha, probably not!!

today's sharing is a keepsake... i decided to do my own sign in/guest book since i have a Cinch now... i waited to the very last minute to get this going for fear that i'd mess it up... guess what?? i did... LOL... thank goodness it was only the back cover... alright, let's go, lots of pixs...
here's the cover.... THANK YOU BRENDA for making all the critters and sandcastle and sun for the book!! it's so cute i really had a hard time adding them to this book... but i did because it was meant to be.... Thank you Bren!! Love yah girl!!

Brenda made the sandcastle and crab shown on the cover... isn't it CUTE?!?
now we take a look inside.... here are the sun and fish that Brenda also created... you'll see a few more in here as we go along (i didn't use it all, have to save for the other pages).... left the birthday page sorta plain hoping i can cut up some pictures from the party to add around...
about me page and sign in sheets.... just a little story about my son... birth date, weight, height, etc.
this one is a "recipe" for Keenan... listing the parents, grandparents, great grandparents, godparents, his ethnicity, etc.
pictures!!! a MUST!! lots of my fave pictures have been added to this book....
another one...
and another one...
last page in the book.... see the critters again?! =D there are more pictures to actually go in here... but i was so afraid that it would get ruined that i held back on adding more... my intentions now that the party is over is to get these pages laminated, add a few more with the pictures i wanted to add and some from the party and then rebind together... then we can go back and look through it over and over again.....

hey if you've survived this post, THANKS! hehe... that's what happens when i miss posting days... i'll be back tomorrow with another sharing from the party... THANK YOU for stopping by today and for all the wonderful birthday wishes to my lil' one... he had a splashing time!

go and check out this week's new challenge at Lollipop Crafts too... some sweet eye candy for you there....

Recipe for Creativity

Happy Happy MONDAY!!!

Time for another FUN challenge at Lollipop Crafts! Lollipop Girl Zulma is challenging you with a recipe for Challenge #44... here's the recipe: USE the colors brown, green and ivory, 1(one) designer paper AND include a handmade flower(s) on your card/project.... can you do it?!? i KNOW you can!! =D

Robyn's Fetish is our wonderful sponsor for this challenge week and offering a sweet prize for one lucky random winner... get all the deets on this week's challenge and how to play along on the LC blog... prize info is also available...

i'm so sorry i don't have a creation for the challenge today!! =( i was just crazy busy with the party that i had no time to create freely or even ahead... now that the party is over i can get back into a normal routine.. or so i'm hoping... i really miss my craft supplies.... hehe! guess i better clean up my mess first and hope that Ms. Creativity is still "hangin" from the festivities... LOL....

be back shortly to share what i was suppose to post on Friday! oops, i'm only a few days late! LOL... go and check out what the other sweet Lollipop girls whipped up for your viewing pleasures on the LC blog... and don't forget to play along!!!

Gratuity should always be added...

{Long post... making up for yesterday, LOL}

Hello, hello!!! i can't believe it's Thursday already... i have 2 more days before the party... the stress has calmed a bit, although not completly gone... i am almost done with all of my things but very sketchy on what others were "assigned"... i'm very eager to show you some table deco, but a part of it isn't complete yet, leaving me with nothing to put together... soon! hopefully soon!

Week 3 of He-Art Journaling with TGF... i'm sure you've been seeing some awesome pages around blogland from those who are taking the class... i hear it has been inspiring others to take the plunge and try it out too... it's a very fun way to keep a "journal" and best with no rules... Week 3's theme is GRATITUDE... so many ideas flew through my head, but my challenge was putting it down on the paper... and so this is what i came up with....
no painting this week.... tempted but decided to go back to my roots and stamp.... i used 3 different "Thank you" stamps... 2 of which come from TGF sets... "Why, thank you" from the Sweet Message set and "thanks so much" from the Butterfly Wishes set.... the other stamp is an oldie and i can't remember from where.... i searched the web to see if any gratitude quotes popped out to me and there were a few... but i choose 2 that had a lot of meaning.... oh i can't forget that i added butterflies... =D
TGF's Angel Anya was a #1 pick to go with one of the quotes i used... and of course you know why she is in blue!! ;)
the pink heart has one of the quotes i found.... please excuse my horrible handwriting.... LOL... the smaller hearts are just sayings that i always use when ever possible.. whether it's for myself or what i'm teaching my children...
ok, i really, really LOVE this quote.... from the moment i read it i just knew i wanted to use it.... the first image that came to mind was Angel Anya.... because she is praying... how perfect was that match!... if you go back and look at my spread (1st picture) you'll see that i angled the words differently... my intention was to make it look like light rays... yah, it was better pictured in my head than executed.... hehe!

i'm happy with this layout... on the simplier side, but does it really matter?!? if you are a part of this class or just joining in the bug, i hope you all are having as much fun with this "new" thing as i am... =D

now onto so yummy!!

here's Keenan's 1st birthday cake that we had to celebrate his special day on Tuesday... he loves cars and chose this design himself... it was this or Elmo and he was set on this... LOL.... safeway's cakes are always yummy if you customize it just right... my fave is chocolate cake with strawbery mousse filling and whip cream icing... they don't do the strawberry mousse anymore so i had to sub with custard filling, which is yummy too....
here is the little one endulging in his first piece of cake ever.... he didn't like the texture of it between and in his hands, so in the end we had to feed the cake to him... LOL.... yes, he was a complete mess... but that's ok, he was allowed to be this time.... ;D

next week i'll share pictures of his party birthday cake... it's a Queen Emma from a local bakery that is SO huge... some of you might remember my birthday cake from last year with all the layers of tropical flavor... yep it's going to be that same one on a grander scale... hehe.... for now, you'll just have to picture a full sheet of cake in a beach/ocean theme with the wonderful island flavors of guava, lilikoi (passion fruit) and coconut!! yum, yum, YUM!!!

we are on the topic of gratitude and i want to THANK everyone for sharing in on my sharings each time i post, and for coming by and leaving such wonderful messages... for the endless support and encouragement.... and most of all, the friendship... it's definitely a bond of sisterhood!! i LOVE you all for having a special place in my heart and my life and want you to know that yes, i am THANKFUL for you!! =D

and Keenan would like to send out big bear hugs and THANK YOUS for all the blessings and birthday comments too!! he enjoyed his special day... mommy was a little sad that the year has flown by so soon, but still happy and grateful that the year brought much more happy memories.... =D

come here tomorrow and check out a keepsake creation... probably be the last posting until next week.... let me get through the party first... hehe!! til tomorrow, have a beautiful blessed day and don't forget to GIVE THANKS to someone!

It's a VERY special day!

Hi there!!! it is a very special day today and i'm celebrating a very special someone!!!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY KEENAN!!!

Wishing you the best 1st birthday ever lil' man! Here's to many more happy celebrations for you... Mommy LOVES you sooooo much!!!

Yes! it has been a ONE-derful year!! one year ago, on 08.09.10, my little prince was born... today, he is one happy little boy that will melt your heart with his smile... in celebration of his birthday i made this card for him....

made him this easel card using Oliver from TGF's OA Happy Day set and paired the image with Three Bugs in a Rug's Dawson line (love the cutesy dinosaurs)... also used Dawson themed chipboard stickers (dino and stars) to add a little more RAWWR to the card (i did an emergency run to the craft store for it, LOL)... computer generated my "happy 1st birthday" sentiment and then finally added some tiny buttons...
here is the inside... took a sheet of the Dawson paper and trimmed it to fit this little scene... tried to replicate the sun, so i did an off set (by the tree) using a yellow button, which also holds my card top up... there's a hidden message that's viewable when you first open the card, can you see a hint of it... looks kinda cool IRL, sorta like a cloud... hehe! hoping the little one likes it and it doesn't end up in his mouth! LOL...

hmm, and this card fits perfectly into a few challenges this week...

1. ATS - Anything goes....

2. TGF FFCB - Farm Fresh Friday Throwback #3

well, i'm off to celebrate! THANK YOU for visiting often and leaving your wonderful comments! i've still got so much more things to do before his big party this weekend and i'm crossing my fingers i don't go overkill on myself... HAHAHA! but today/tonight is the most special celebration... his actual birthday and his very first taste of chocolate CAKE! yum! can't wait to snap some pixs.... Happy 1st Birthday my lil' man!!! soon! =D

Mellow Yellow

It's Monday and i would normally consider this day of the week as Monday blues... but in today's case, it is very inappropriate for my creation.... hehe!! time for another wonderful challenge at Lollipop Crafts!!

Challenge #43 is hosted by Tammy and she wants you to go MONOCHROMATIC! use ONE color in various shades.... this does exclude skin tones if you want (i think, haha)... so pull out your fave color in different shades and get CRAFT HAPPY!!!
we have a new and exciting sponsor for the challenge this week... STITCHY BEAR DIGITAL STAMPS!! Oh my!! you are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE the many different images (from many different creators) in this store... check them out! an awesome prize is up for grabs for one lucky random winner! prize info and challenge rules may be found on the LC blog.... link your creations to the LC blog by Saturday, 8pm PST for a chance to win...

yes, my fave color is blue but i went a little "mellow" for the challenge... i never did an all yellow creation before so this was indeed fun! i used Stitchy Stamps Butterfly Love image for today's card in many shades of YELLOW.... even her lips are yellow! click on the pix to enlarge so you can see it... i LOVE the way this came out.... monochromatic creations are always a pleasure to see... even the sentiment is stamped in yellow! =D now i've got that darn song stuck in my head.... "they call me mellow yellow...." LOL... thank goodness i was able to snag some yellow DP from the craft store to go with my yellow bling bling and pearls, ribbon and flower... there is also a hint of yellow stickles on the image... what do you think of my yellow approach?!?

don't forget to check out what my Lollipop sisters have waiting for you and see what COLOR they're playing with... once you've gotten the inspiration, come out and join us in this fun challenge!

Thank you for your heartfelt comments and for spending a few minutes with me... please come back tomorrow for a day that i didn't want to come so soon, but it is and i'm just both HAPPY and a little SAD.... sweet crafting until then.....