Creepin' by with a Halloween Hi!

Happy Halloween!!!

Are you ready for ONE more preview at The Greeting Farm before the big release day?!? He's CREEPY but not Halloween creepy, he's too cute to be scary... Welcome to the farm....

Creeper Saturday

Isn't he totally ROCKIN'?!?! He is very stylish rockin' his kicks in green, but don't let his smirk TRICK you!! Saturday is surely a TREAT to have... AND he is ONE of TWO Creepers being released TOMORROW!

Be sure to head on over to the TGF blog to take a peek at the Farmer's creations... You just might see Creeper Sunday creepin' around the farm too!

Creeper Saturday and Sunday, along with Matilda and Holiday Anya will be available November 1st at The Greeting Farm, so set those alarms and mark those calendars because this new release is absolutely a TREAT, no tricks!

Don't forget to join us tomorrow, release day, all day on SCS for random chitter chatter, some prizes, and FUN!

Also, Guest Designer contest going on now through November 10^th, first round will be posted during our first 'virtual stamp event' on our SCS forum on November 11^th. We do hope YOU can join us!!

ALL clear sets are stocked and ready to make their way home to you with your November stamp purchases! Have you made your wish list yet?!? Be sure to stop back tomorrow for RELEASE DAY! See you then!!

Something WILD is SPROUTing on the FARM!

Hi again!

I'm back with another preview today from The Greeting Farm!

We couldn't help but notice a new little someone “sprouting” up this November...and we have a sweet sneak preview for you today!

Introducing...

WILD SPROUT MATILDA!

Matilda is sassy, sweet, and everything in between and will be released on NOVEMBER 1^st, so grab your wish lists and check them twice!

When i saw this sassy cutie i just knew she would be great with these fun and colorful papers from American Crafts Day Dreams line... don't you think?! Matilda is definitely fun, cute and strutting her SASS all over the farm!

In addition to all of the FUN going on around the Farm this coming week, The Greeting Farm would like to invite you to come and hang out with us on Release Day for FUN chatter throughout the day on our SCS Forum and hopefully we'll run into each other live at some point!

Last but not least, and you'll hear more about this on RELEASE day too, mark your calendars for November 11th- our first live “virtual stamp event' on our SCS forum with a themed challenge, prizes, and our very first customer hostess of the evening. This is something we are planning on doing once a month so if there are any potential hostesses out there, stay tuned!!!

For now, be sure to visit the TGF BLOG for more details on how you can WIN WS Matilda today and thanks for coming by!

I'm gonna have a SPLENDID time on the FARM...

THE GREETING FARM that is!!

YEP, yep, the secret is finally out!! i'm GUEST-ing on the FARM alongside with the FANTASTIC Farmers all through November!! Wooohoooo! Ooooh, if you could have only heard the squeals when Jessica asked if i wanted to spend some time on the farm!! i'd truly be crazy if i said NO! you know me, I LOVE THE GREETING FARM!! and i have a whole collection of stamps to prove it! hehehe! luckily she asked via email because if she was standing in front of me we both would have fallen to the ground with my enormous HUG and screams of DELIGHT!! i'm VERY excited to be FARM and my kick off starts with some PREVIEWS that begin TODAY!!!

We hope you've enjoyed the 5 clear stamp sets released at the beginning of the month and hope you'll join us for some more fun and chatter on November 1^st when The Greeting Farm brings you another character-packed release!

That's right! We're back this month with some brand-spankin' new additions to our very beloved line of TGF characters and we are covering ALL the bases this month! We've got a new Sprout, TWO new Creepers, and an Anya that will have you at HELLO, believe me!

….so, WELCOME to the newest little sweetie on the Farm...

Holiday Anya

Isn't she beautiful? We just adore her and are thinkin' you might too...(wink ;)

i just SUPER ADORE her!!! of all Holiday images on the farm, i do believe she is my FAVE!!! perhaps she is ready for the winter ball?! or that was the first thing i thought of when i saw her!! went with a non-traditional color scheme for my preview today... something about the colors are bold and BEAUTIFUL... very simple layout, as i wanted her to standout... what do you think?!? don't you just want to ADD her to YOUR collection?!

Holiday Anya is the first of FOUR single, rubber stamp previews so stay tuned tomorrow for more...but for now, visit our blogs because ONE of us has Holiday Anya hidden and up for grabs! You never know WHO will win her...it might be you!

Don't forget to visit the FARMERS too and stop in at THE GREETING FARM as well... =)

Jessica
Denice
Becca
Tracey
Kim
Carisa
TGF Blog

Thanks for stopping by today and see you tomorrow with someone else sprouting up on the Farm!!

Embellish it!

Wow-wee!! the weekend flew by super fast! maybe it was all the lack of sleep i've had... hehehe.... i think i can rest up a bit before the next event... oh wait! my blog will be busy this week and you don't want to miss out on a few surprises i have been hushing about.... =D

Monday, Monday!! you know what that means.... Challenge #54 at Lollipop Crafts and we want you to EMBELLISH IT!!! that's right! you MUST USE 3 DIFFERENT embellies on your creations this week.... go and get all the deets on this week's challenge on the LC blog and check out what the wonderful DT have for you to be inspired by...
this week's challenge is sponsored by INKED TREASURES and they've got some CUTIE animal images in their store... go check them out, make your wishlist and then play our challenge for a chance to win a spectacular prize!!! we always have a top 3 too... time for my creation....
can you guess the 3 embellies on my creation?!?! if not read on so you can find out.... what i've created is a notepad cover... using a DP from the Chloe line by 3bugsinarug, i cutout the sheet to frame out the flowers... then i used Fairy Chloe (the original red rubber) from The Greeting Farm... she matched this paper, looks like she's sprinkling some magic on the flowers... found my stash of seam binding that i tied together with a button.... and added rhinestones to the DP flower middles... voila!! simple creation that is eye catching! so did you find my 3 embellies?!?

well i'd really love to stay and chit-chat, but i'm soooooo tired from my late night rushes in preparation for yesterday's craft fair that i really need to catch up on some ZZZZs.... still got lots to do for this week too so stay tuned!! Thanks for dropping in and please head on over to the LC blog and check out the fabulous creations for you there!! until next time.... toodles!!

Fall Harvest Festival

Hey everyone!! Just a quick reminder for those on Maui... come check us out tomorrow at

The Fall Harvest Festival

at Haku Baldwin in Makawao

Sunday, October 23rd

9 am - 3 pm

A family fun day with rides and games for the kids, arts and crafts, food booths, vendors, farmer's market and more...

Back by popularity, post it holders and notepads! Also available, checkbook covers, debit card holders, memo/paper holders, paper totes and more... New designs include note pad cover w/pen, paper mache note/picture holders w/clips, and Halloween goodies... Selection is very limited so come early!! We hope to see you there!!

Move over stamps, HK time to shine!

Aloha Friday!!! yay!! well, i'm happy to report that i'm almost 100% better.... still a little stuffy, weak but i can't let that hold me down... lots of prepping for the craft fair this sunday, which means tonight will be a late night.... as long as i can last that is... thanks everyone for the get well wishes!!! your comments really brightened the days!!

back in stock and ready to be snatched up by customers! HK notepads....
just a few pictures of the finished ones i did last night (or i should really say this morning)... lots of new fun papers being used.... these notepads are really tedius work.... the HK's are actually... all are cut with the sizzix dies and YES i do cut out each and every whisker for each and every one that i make... so of course that takes some time... 6 notepads in a day is quite an accomplishment for me.... LOL... the challenge is trying to get different layouts... with the notepad being small and the HK's kinda on the bigger side, it's been hard... guess i could if i didn't use so much DP... hehehe!
and a few more... i have a bunch more to make and will be sharing that soon... gonna take a blogging break (from posting) for the weekend but i couldn't leave you stranded on this friday and was glad i had something done to share with you... so i'm hoping these will spark some mojo in you to get crafty over the weekend!

yesterday i tore up my craft room looking for ONE stamp!! boy did i make a mess in there... eek!! dreaded cleaning up but it had to be done and look who came to my rescue....my lil' monkey!! he was so cute dragging the broom up and down the hallway... =D he must have been saying "Mommy i'll help you clean your craft room, i'll sweep everything out the door and turn it into my playroom!" LOL.... oh thank goodness he can't talk yet! so after he was done i turned around and saw DD2 "flying" on the broom... all i hear is "Mommy look, i'm flying!" LOL.... too bad i was not near my camera to catch the silly moment... it was so funny!

enough blabbing for today.... i had a late start on this post and now need to catch up life! have a great weekend everyone, THANK YOU for stopping by and i'll be back on Monday with a creation for Lollipop Crafts!!

November SSS Sign-ups!

Hello, HELLO!!!! It's that time of the month again!! Sign-ups for November Secret Sister Swap begins today! A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has been participating and making this a fun swap! i hear numerous good things about the swap from the sisters who beam with glee when receiving their surprise! I truly hope you all are enjoying this!!

November is a month a giving THANKS although we should be doing that daily... and i surely GIVE THANKS to all the swap supporters, for without you, this swap would have never been a success! so for this month, let's go with a theme of THANKS! a simple sentiment will do or even written within your note to you SS... anyway you feel will reflect THANKS, go ahead and create it!!

quick blurb about the rules for this 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 October 29th...

I have been contacted before this post by some of my awesome swappers who have been participating every month... if your name is listed below, that means you have already informed me to sign you up for November and you do not have to comment or email unless status has changed. Thank you for your continued support!!

Karen, Kim, Shirl, Amy and Charleen

PREVIOUS PLAYERS, just leave a comment on this post (or email me) so i know you want to play along this month... NEW PLAYERS, please email me at krisnal5868athotmaildotcom 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, sign-up and let's have some FUN!!!

Also, December marks the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Secret Sister Swap's debut which for the month of December i call Secret Santa Swap! I would like to make this one a special swap with a twist in honor of the ONE YEAR mark and would LOVE to hear your ideas on how you would like to proceed with December's swap... email me, comment here, share your ideas...

**Please note that swap info is sent out by the 2nd day of the swap month. If you miss the sign up deadline, it doesn't hurt to shoot me an email and ask if you can still play. There may be a chance i'm still sorting through the players and can add you in...

A very FUN day with Joy!

Happy Hump Day!!! yes, i'm still under the weather... can't seem to kick this cold fast enough... i'm still feeling a little blah blah and hope that it GOES AWAY soon!! =) atleast i can still smile... hehehe! i am glad that the cold waited to visit me after this past saturday or else i wouldn't have been able to enjoy my small time with Joy and everyone at BFC... see!!
Joy, i can now post this on my wall and tell everyone i know a local celebrity!! hehehe!

anyway, so i atleast see Joy once sometimes twice a year, whenever she can come and visit Maui for the BFC Craft Fairs... this year i've gotten to see her twice so far... but it seems every time we get to see each other we are super busy with our craft things that we can't get a picture together or just simply forget to.... this time we got a chance to do just that! as mentioned before, i had the privilege of helping BFC Kahului celebrate their 60th Anniversary here with a make n' take and demo and i was luckily enough to have my table next to Joy's... we both were super busy with our crafts but at the end of the day we were able to take this pix together!! i had so much fun, got to chat with Joy before the day started and met some awesome customers of BFC who stopped by my table to do my make n take and watch my demo... time flies by so fast when you're having fun and before i knew it Joy was heading home! Hope you had a safe trip back Joy!!!

look at this CUTE bag i got from Joy!! yummmmy cupcakes, i love cupcakes!!! inside was a GREAT and yummy surprise too!! sorry no pix, i've been nibbling on the sweet treat and i think i have a few left... =D it was sooo ono!! yum-yum Cookie Corner Nibblers!! Thank you Joy for the goodies!! i have to hide this bag from my kiddies, they've got their eyes on this...
here is one of the make n' takes Joy was doing at her table... DD1 was able to make one with Aunty Joy.... so cute yah!! too bad my girls missed out on the limited edition bag Aunty Joy made too, they arrived late from their weekend activities, but if you didn't see the bag Joy had as her other make n' take, go check out her blog because it is reallllly BEAUTIFUL!...

Thank you so much Joy for a great time!! Hope to see you again in November!! and once again, Happy 60th Anniversary Ben Franklin Crafts Hawaii!!!

The world is a rainbow....

Hey all!! Thank you SO SO much for all the get well wishes!! it means so much to me! =D i'm still a little under the weather with a stuffy nosy, but my head is clear and i've gotten as much rest as i was allowed.... wish it could have been a little more, but mommy duties await...

anywho, my blog was super busy last week with lots of sharing and i didn't get a chance to post my journal page for Week 12 of he-Art Journaling with The Greeting Farm.... Week 12 - Watercolor Wonder, the assignment was to create a page with watercolors or similar mediums or create a watery effect.... my choice was to use good old fashion watercolors... they kind you buy for the kiddes school supply list... hehehe!
and here is my page.... raise your hand if you remember this song!! i have the tune in my head but i can't remember all the words... haha! maybe my eldest will sing it to me... or you if you know the words... =D my image choice was Virgo, from Sweet November's Astrology Girls line created by my talented friend Amy Young... Virgo is my FAVE from that release, although she isn't my sign... i did color her up with the watercolors, which was a challenge because i used the dinky paint brush it came with i couldn't really detail the lines... but i love the end product anyway! everything except the clouds and words are painted using the watercolors... i applied the clouds using white acrylic paint for a deeper resemblance and the words were penned in with a calligraphy pen...

i actually used the first 2 lines of the song, i do remember a few more (i think) and added just a little blurb of how i feel about that song... WE are the colors the make up the rainbow and the world is that rainbow... makes sense right?!

okie dokes... short little stop in today... gonna try and rest up again... soup, orange juice, and water is all on my diet list... haha! Thank you plenty for all the well wishes again and i'll be back soon with more sharings... Ciao for now!!

Party Like a ROCKSTAR!

{{Please scroll down to view Lollipop Crafts Challenge #53. Thank you!!}}

Back again!! today is a VERY special day for my little sister!! yes, my "little" sister... i remember having to tag her along with me when she was about DD2's age... taking her to the mall when i would go hang out with friends, picking her up from school, taking her shopping and all that good stuff... my little sister and I are many years apart (no i'm not going to give away my age, LOL) just know that is more than the norm... and today she turns the big SWEET 16!!!! gosh i feel really old.... hahaha!!! ok, maybe i'll feel even older when she hits the big 2-1... LOL.... easy now, i can wait for that!

in honor of her special day i created this very special card for her....
basing my creation on the Monday Fun-Day challenge at TGF's FFCB which was to use BLACK, WHITE and ONE other color, i went with purple, since that is my sis' FAVE color... deciding what image to use for her, i had Creeper Abbey on my wishlist and was lucky enough to purchase her from TGF a few weeks ago... Creeper Abbey reminds me so much of my sister so it wasn't a matter of wanting this stamp, it turned into a NEED... hehe... a little about why this image... my sis won't call herself being in the 'gothic' stages in her life because she doesn't really dress on what you would picture a gothic person to look like... but she does put on some heavy eye liner, dresses funky (converse shoes a must) and yes she does have purple streaks in her hair (her bangs).... now you know why i colored the image the way i did... it's a reflection of her... =D i pulled out some K&Co halloween papers (this year's line) for the black and white BG and the polka dot purple circles... i also took a lighter shade of purple CS, embossed it with Cuttlebug's swirls folder and punched smaller circles... distressed the edges of the image lightly with Memento Grape Jelly ink and layered that onto a lacey oval SB... the sentiment is from a clear stamp line but i apologize because i can't remember which one... need something to be added in the top left hand corner and dew drops fit perfectly... hope my sister likes this card!! Happy Sweet 16 Jess!!! We love you!!! =D

well, i THANK YOU again for stopping by and checking out my creation!! hope i inspired you in some way to get crafty today!! until next time.... toodles!

No sentiment!

Hello, Hello!!! Happy Monday!! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! i surely did!! had a blast at the 60th Anniversary Celebration for Ben Franklin Crafts Hawaii in Kahului this past saturday, hanging out with Joy and doing make n' takes and demos with everyone... awesome to see the customer support come out and support a local business and i must have done something right with my demo because when it was my turn to go shopping, i noticed that the punch i was demo-ing was out of stock (and the rack was full the day before)! all in all it was a wonderful celebration and i was extremely happy to be a part of it!! Cheers to many more BFC!!! but now i think after all the late nights and fun, i'm finally catching the "bug".... hope it doesn't stay too long! there is still so much prep work for the upcoming craft fair this coming weekend and i'm afraid to say i'm under the weather, blah...

onto some more good news... new challenge at Lollipop Crafts and this week for Challenge #53 we want you to create a CARD with NO SENTIMENT!! easy right?! this is a specific challenge now, must be a CARD and have NO SENTIMENT on it... we all could use some all around occasion cards... just want to take a moment and THANK everyone that comes out to join our weekly challenges... the teams strive to offer you the best and most fun challenges and we just love seeing the support from our players and supporters... so THANK YOU very much!!

Our fabulous sponsor this week is Robyn's Fetish, offering cute designs for any occasion and they are offering up a wonderful prize!! Check out all the details on the LC blog... there will also be a spotlight on this company on Thursday on the LC blog with some yummy eye candy from the T Team... don't miss out on that!

this is my creation for this week's challenge... as much as possible i like to include a sentiment so this was very much a "challenge" for me... haha! i'm starting to get around to using release #2 of Sister Stamps and on my card today i'm featuring Yoko... these images are so so so ADORABLE.... haven't heard about this new line yet?? check out their blog here! you will fall in love with these cuties! as i was saying, i'm working on release #2 and they are already gearing up for release #4!! can you tell me i'm so behind time?! hehe... being a procrastinator AND feeling under the weather, i was extremely stumped on what to do for the challenge... taking it very simple, i used a piece of yuzen paper and some pretty brown and gold shimmery paper which i embossed half of the brown paper with SU!'s square lattice folder for texture... the printed yuzen paper covers the other half... i used some twine to accent the DP side of the card and secured the ends together by tying a bow with a little pink button... from the picture you can see a shadow from the crane... that's because i actually popped the crane out with pop-up dots... a little 3D effect... do you like?!

rules on how to go about playing with us can be found on the LC blog... catch a glimpse at the prize for this challenge, get the deets on the challenge, fall in love with the NO SENTIMENT creations from the A Team and be inspired to create and link up with us!! Thank you for dropping by!! i'll be back a later today with a special birthday card!! see you soon!

Hop along with some CUPCAKES!!

Welcome to the CUPCAKES BLOG HOP!!! Here you may enjoy all the cupcakes you want, eat it all up and not feel guilty about the calories being added! Who said you couldn't have your cupcake and eat it too?! YOU CAN!! hehe!! Today's hop is all about CUPCAKES!! in any form, color, shape and size... You don't know what you'll find on the blogs so make sure you visit each of us! It's going to be a SWEEEEEEET hop, without the calories!!

If you have hopped on to my blog from Tanya's blog, you are on the right track! If you've hopped on my blog by chance or out of order, please start your Cupcake adventures at the very beginning on Berenice's blog... She is hosting this hop and you may want to gather up the details on her blog about today's hop, AND you don't want to miss out on ANY of the SWEETS being shared with you today, so PLEASE start at the beginning... It is an honor to be apart of this blog hop with Berenice and all her wonderful friends! Thank you Berenice for hosting the show!!

Just in case, here is the order list of blogs you'll need to be hopping on....

Berenice
Laura
Dena
Theresa
Julie
Tanya
Kris <-- You are here
Lisa
Sheila
Martha
Jen
Amy
Jamie

Are you ready for my sweet piece of the cupcake?!? let's go....

I made a matching card and notepad... i've been saving this piece of cupcake paper just for today... well, because it fit the theme PERFECTLY...
This is my first try at a recessed window card... i've been seeing some many wonderful creations with this technique and wanted to try it too... you can get the instructions here... i'm a bit in the trial and error process and i didn't base my card on the exact instructions but it's the same concept.... my image choice for the blog hop is CC Designs Cupcake Brigitta, colored in copics and cut out with nesties using the out of box technique and paired with Studio G's clear stamp "hey there, cupcake." sentiment... i accidently cut the front layer a little bigger than suppose to but i fixed it up by adding strips of punched borders... can't see it in the pix but i added Diamond stickles to her wings and Glossy Accents to the frosting part of her cupcakes... and i also embossed a layer of CS (behind the image) with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots folder...
The inside... with a scrap piece of DP matching the front of the card, i added to give the inside a burst of color too...
And this is the matching notepad with pen holder.... another new thing i've tried out!

Hope you like my cupcake creations and i hope it has sparked a creative boom for you to get crafty!! Time for you to hop on over to Lisa's blog and see what she has whipped up to share with you! Enjoy the rest of the hop and THANKS for coming by!!

Fun flowers...

It's ALOHA Friday!! what are your plans for the weekend??? as you know from yesterday's post, i'm gearing up for the big 60th Celebration at Ben Franklin Crafts Kahului tomorrow... Don't forget, the celebration is from 10am-2pm at the Kahului store located at the Queen Kaahumanu Center!

here is my demo part of the day... hoping i'll get to it, i don't really have a set schedule, i basically go with the flow, so hoping that this can be squeezed in some time before the festivities end...
a month or so ago i purchased this Carnation Dimensional Flower Punch by EK Success... i thought the cover of the packaging was really cool and what better way to make those hadnmade flowers than with a tool like this! well, like i said, i bought this a month or so ago and only now have i opened it up to use... haha!! did i hear someone say HOARDER??? yah, that's me... i'm glad i opened it though... it's really fun to use... i'm still learning how to shape my flowers but all in all it's been fun... psst, can you see my camera reflection??? LOL

wanted to tell you a little about the flowers i sampled... first off, you can use any 12x12 sheet of paper... double sided, one sided, printed or plain... it is up to your preference... you could use the the 11" side of regular 8.5x11 paper too, i haven't tried it but i'm sure you could... i wouldn't really recommend using any size less than 11" since you are rolling the flower in whole-ness... ok so here goes... the first flower (pink), i used double sided DP and punched out 2 strips, layered them on each other and formed my flower... see how full it is with 2 strips? this one i used a brad for the center.... the brad part doesn't go all the way to the back of the flower, so you'll have to glue or tape the top piece to the flower...

second flower (blue) i only used one strip of 12x12 solid CS... see the fullness difference from the first? again, it's by your preference, and it just comes down to how full you want your flower to look..

third flower (red/white) again, 12x12 strips of solid CS... i didn't add a center and i didn't fold down a few petals in the middle... it gives it that "still in bloom" look...

last flower (dots) used 2 strips of DP... same as the first except i added a button for the center...

you can be creative as you want to be with these flower punches... you could even use those scraps you've been wondering what to do with... the creative approach is endless... kinda wish i opened this new toy a little earlier... i could have trial and error more... guess there's still some time to do that right?! but these are so fun i'm thinking of getting maybe the daisy one... =D

okie dokie... that is all i have for you today... i hope you have an awesome friday and a fantastic weekend ahead... DON'T FORGET that tomorrow is the CUPCAKE BLOG HOP... click on the badge on the right side bar and it will take you to the beginning of the hop! until then, THANKS for taking a few minutes to catch up with me!! i enjoy reading your encouraging comments!!

Lollipop! Lollipop!

Hellllo Thursday! why did you have to come by so fast?!? hehe... being busy, i'm surprised i haven't lost track of the days yet... time yes, but the days.... i still get an A+ on that... =D

Ben Franklin Crafts 60th Anniversary Celebration here on Maui at the Kahului Store is this Saturday from 10am - 2 pm... from the advertisements i've seen, it sounds like it's gonna be a FUN FUN FUN day!! so if you live on the island or are here for a visit, don't forget to stop by the store... rumor has it that an iPad2 is up for grabs?!? =D

i was asked again if i had time to help out and what did i say?!?! OF COURSE!!! (as if the staff doesn't see me enough, LOL)! so i'm sharing my make n' take that i'll be doing that day...
wanted to stick with the celebration theme AND have it easy for the kids (or kids at heart) to make n' take home... after fiddling with a few ideas i got some inspiration from the Lollipop Covers found here on the BFC website... i just changed it up a bit to fit the theme... if clicked on the link to take a look at the inspiration, you'll notice that instead of making the cover (bottom) my main focus, i added an image to the stick instead...

after making these samples, i made some mental notes that these favors would be great as table deco or to list seating arrangements and more... really, you can actually do a lot with this simple project... by changing the papers you could have a baby theme, wedding shower, basically anything... personalize it anyway you want... but for my make n' take, what you see, is what you're gonna make! =D

so if you're in town for the day, stop by the store, check out all the haps and come by my table and say Hi! i'll let you make one too!! hehehe!

Mahalo for visiting with me today... i'll be back tomorrow with the demo i'll be doing at the celebration as well! ta-ta!!

just a note...

Hey, hey!! well, in the weeks to come you'll be seeing a lot of creations i've been working on for some craft fairs coming up as i add the final touches... it's been a whirlpool in my craft room... many projects going on all at once and piles and piles of mess... hehehe! once the craft fairs are done my little space will need some major re-organizing... =D this is where i wish i had some magic dust...

my BFF sent me this really cute note holder paper mache box she found at a craft fair in hopes that i could case it some how... and well, i finally got around to doing it...
really simple and as you see here, got to use a lot of scraps... inside the box i added some small paper and binder clips and you can add a picture or not where i have the "just a note" piece... really small to fit next to your computer or just to add color to your desk/space... all you do is cut your paper scraps to fit around the paper mache box... cover a large binder clip with coordinating or the same DP... add some kind of embellishment and on mine i add a ribbon to the binder clip so pictures/notes don't slip all the way down...
also cased the mini post it note holder that was include with my RAK... again, got to play with scraps... =D that's always a plus... based these little matchbook post its wiht white (or in that one case, black) CS and used the same DPs as the holders above... with the feeling that these will be thrown away once all the post its are used up i simly added a "hello" sentiment by Hero Arts rather than dress these babies up...

i got a chance to package all of them, sans the "just a note" shown in the top photo because it didn't quite fit in the packagin i bought... hehe...

if you're looking for a simple gift for that someone in your office or know someone that would like to use this at home or just looking for a gift, hit me up... these are available for sale or you can come check it out at any of the upcoming crafts fairs we are doing this season... visit the Krisp Krafts blog for event details...

alrighty... got a busy weekend ahead of me and i'm still in the midst of preparations... there's a CUPCAKE Blog Hop happening on Saturday and i'll be sharing some things i'll be doing for Ben Franklin Crafts 60th Anniversary celebration on Maui, also this Saturday... Stay tuned for more creations!! and as always, THANK YOU for spending some time with me!!

Happy Birthday Kim!!!

Happy birthday to you... happy birthday to YOU... HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear KIM! Happy Birthday to YOU!!!! and many more......

so you've guessed it right! Today is my partner in crime's (aka co-owner of Lollipop Crafts) special day!! i'm very sure you all know her, seen her creations, admire her work and the like, so why not help me WISH HER THE BEST DAY EVER!!! head on over to her blog and show her some love... =D
on my card for Kim, i used Kimono Kaylee, from Some Odd Girl.... oooh, i'm addicted to these lovelies... and i NEEDED this image to be available in my collection... hehe! i splurged a bit on Imaginisce Garden Party papers because it's so hard to find pretty asian themed papers these days to match a lot of my asian theme images... glad i did because it went well with Kimono Kaylee...

i always admire Kim's pink and blue color combos on her creations so i CASE-d her a bit on this one... used the sketch challenge at Some Odd Girl Stamp blog... i just flipped it a bit to fit my vision =D... the "Happy Birthday" sentiment is from Stampettes and the large sakura (cherry blossom) flowers are from Mari and Me... ooh, and the border punch is a new toy i bought over the weekend (got a good deal)... i think it was called MS seashell border?!? i may be wrong and the box is long gone, ripped up and in the trash... LOL.... just a hint of embellies was added too to finish off the card...

i hope you like it Kim!! and even more so, i HOPE you have a VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY!!!! you deserve it girly!! CHEERS to you, wishing you a wonderful day!! =D

Thanks for popping in friends!! please go and wish Kim a Happy Birthday too! and stop by the LC blog to see all the other beautiful creations from the team in honor of this special occasion!!

Hoot! Hoot!!

Yes, i'm HOOTIN'! Thank you sweet friends for your well wishes on Friday... happy to report that pulling my wisdom tooth went well... better than expected.... and the weekend wasn't filled with too much pain.... Yippeeee!! like my usual weekend plans, i was able to craft, craft, craft! not as long as i wanted to but atleast the pain was tolerable to even do some crafting... how was your weekend?! hope it was as fabulous as you are!

Challenge time at Lollipop Crafts... Challenge #52 - Critters! we want you to give some love to your critter images, papers, embellies, etc... get all the details on the LC blog and check out the creations from the awesome T Team!

We have a new sponsor this week... ok not really new here but it's none other than our wonderful DT1 alumni, Barbara and her company Little Miss Muffet Stamps!! a GREAT prize is at stakes, so come play along with us this week... you'll definitely want to stop by LC on Thursday for sneak peeks at what's available in her store... can't wait? go check out Little Miss Muffet Stamps now!!

time for my creation... whoo will you find?
a CUTESY owl (it is considered a critter right?)! i think i'm almost done with my halloween creations... in fact, i think this was the last of it... don't be surprised if you do see another halloween creation pop before the big day... anywhoo... went with a simple card creation this week.... used some old Bo Bunny halloween scraps from last year sans the orange strip which is K&Co's new line... on one of my many craft shopping adventures i took a walk through the halloween aisles and saw these CUTE felt owls... not knowing if i'd really use them i bought them anyway... they were too cute not to add to my overflowing craft supplies... and looky, i used it!! i'm so proud... LOL... anyway, simple layout, the papers are really busy and full of color... the sentiment is from Hero Arts and if you look closely i added 2 dew drops too... easy peasy! think if i didn't fuss too much on what to create and how to design the card, this could have been made in less than 10 minutes...

so give some love to your all your things critter and join us this week! need inspirations, just visit the Lollipop Girls on the LC blog, they have some WONDERFUL inspirations for you!

time for me to hoot on out of here... hope to be sharing with you again soon... it's been one heck of a mess in my craft room lately.... =D that's a good thing though! a hui ho... until we meet again!

We are like flowers....

Hello there... Awww, thanks for the sweet comments yesterday! i hope to be back in my normal mood to craft soon... today i head out to get my wisdom pulled (ack, the pain) so i just know i'm gonna be so out of it to craft today... hope the dr. gives me some strong pain pills to atleast make me sane enough to craft a bit... =D but i'm guessing i can only have one or the other.... you all know me by now, pain and all, i'll find a way...

sharing my week 11 journal page with you... week 11 of he-Art Journaling with The Greeting Farm, the assignment was to BLOOM AND GROW... use the concept of growth... maybe i took this assignment in a different manner but i do enjoy my concept... take a look...
for my background i punched out some word bubbles with my Marvy Uchida (blue) punch... and cut off the little tail... did this with a few and then pasted it down onto my once white CS... then i rubbed my blue ink pad directly onto the CS swiping it back and forth to create my sky... pretty light outcome but i like the not-so-norm look of it... peeled off the word bubbles and that formed my clouds which i traced to enhance what it was with a darker blue ink pad and a q-tip... stash of green paper scraps that i tore up the edges and distressed made up my grassy area... used my flower pot spellbinder again this time using 2 to form a pocket.... by cutting a flower pot one size below this one made it easy to create a pull out that is then used as my journal card... but before that, i adhered a bunch of flowers and leaves to it... found a stash of K&Co cute critters that i knew i wanted to use and really thought that the different sizes could indicate growth since they are big and small... the "Bloom" is stickers from Studio G which is inexpensive as well... while going through my book of stamps, i came across this cutie Baby Bunny Daffodil from Sweet November Stamps (by Amy) and knew he would be perfect to add to the page... see he made some new friends already...
and here is the journal card pulled out from the pot... i focused on Bloom with so much reasons on why i chose this... in the end, i came up with the fact that we are like flowers... we bloom and shine in our own ways, in color or in black and white... with our own unique characteristics... and we bloom in our own seasons... we may look the same, belong to the same family but we are not identical... in life, it's really how you choose to bloom yourself... we all start off as a bud, shy, still finding our sun to help us unravel our petals... and as a result, we find the sun's path to unfold the beauty wrapped up inside... some do it through crafting, some through writing, some through pictures, but we ALL bloom in one way or antoher and that's what makes us unique... Love is the greatest nutrient to helps us grow and bloom... and friends are the extra love that helps us stay beautiful inside and out...

i dedicate this page to the endless friendships i've made.... for you ALL have helped me bloom a passion for crafting and helped to spread my petals... i may not be beautiful on the outside, but i sure did bloom beauty deep inside... the heart, in the center of the flower... Thanks for your endless encouragement and support friends... i have found the light to help me grow daily... =D Muah!!

i'm hoping the pain doesn't last long so i can craft and come back to share with you.... in the meantime, have a spectacular weekend and i'll be back soon!!

Spotlighting on more TREATS!

Wow! i've been really slacking on posting huh?! been a bit under the weather the last few days and then been crunching some deadlines... crafting has been slow too.... tired and feeling blah is a big part of that... i have some sharings for the rest of the week though... =D

today we shine the light on Lollipop Crafts Sponsor of the week.... MELJEN'S DESIGNS...
Hop on over to Lollipop Crafts blog to pick up the deets on this wonderful company and check out all the inspiring creations using Meljen's Designs adorable images by the T Team...

here's my super sweet treats featuring 2 of Meljen's cutesy images....
I used "Happy Fall" and "Cute Little Candy Corn" digis to make these super easy treats... i really lucked out... because Fall and Halloween are in full gear, i was able to find some candy corn and mellowcreme pumpkins to complete this... i have to admit, i'm not a real big fan of these sweet treats, but i'm sure others are...
close up of the Happy Fall Badge....
and a close up of the Cute Little Candy Corn.... pretty easy treats huh?! i did a different version of this last year for girls day which you can see here.... of course you can make these for any occassion... i like it because it's simple, pretty fast depending on detailing and fun to give out...

there is still time to join us in our Halloween challenge this week and try your luck at winning a great prize from Meljen's... so hurry on over to LC and link up your creations!

Thanks for visiting with me today... if you've been following my Make a Child Smile drive here, i've posted a pix of a doll Aunty sent to me... it's the same ones she's busy sewing... toodles for now, i'll be back tomorrow with my journal page... =D

Spooky fun treat totes!

Guess you can say i survived the weekend and the endless hours at the fair!! am glad it only comes once a year though... i'm exhausted! hoping you had a great weekend too!

Lollipop Crafts Challenge #51 - Halloween... yup, it's Monday and time for a new challenge... this week we are giving you a head start on those Halloween projects that you may be procrastinating on (i know i usually do, hehe)... create a card/project with a Halloween theme and link it up... be sure to get all the deets on how to play along with us this week from the LC blog, and while you're there, soak in all the Spook-tastic creations by the Lollipop Girls... i'm sure they'll inspire you to join us...


our fabulous sponsor for this challenge is Meljen's Designs... and they do have some CUTE Halloween images for you to use on your creations... go check them out! a wonderful prize is up for grabs for one lucky random player... so don't forget to link your projects... and now i take you to my creations...

revisted an easy treat bag/tote... made these for DD1's hula sisters... total of 19 but they all couldn't fit in the pix... love making these, because there isn't much measuring and cutting... sorry i don't have instrux on them... i bascially CASEd one i received as a RAK... but you can use a 12x12 sheet cut down to 4x12, smaller or bigger depending on what you want... i went with 4x12 as it gives enough room to stuff with lots of goodies...

anyone else like me that stocks up on holiday paper for use the next year?? the DP is from K&Co last year's Halloween line... i find it easier to stock up on holiday papers while i have a chance in efforts to work on projects ahead of time and in case i can't find them when needed... yah, wishful thinking... haven't touched them until now... haha! since the DP is thin and wrinkles easily, i used AC CS to line the top and bottom and to form the base... this gives the bag some sturdiness... instead of doing 2 handles like i did on previous ones, i went with just one handle...

the totes are filled with non-edible goodies-pencil, stickers, activity pad, bracelets, spider rings, oh and a lollipop, the only edible thing for now... i'm trying not to buy the edibles too early... i have a 40lb little mouse that visits my craft room often and likes to sneak some yummies... =D here's a close up of the bottom strip... used the EK Success spider web border punch... i just love this.... was trying to look for small spiders to add on, but no luck...
this is the little tags i created and tied to the handles to make it look like a little key chain or bag chain... whatever they are called... LOL... i used my eyelet circle nestie, worked out great cause i didn't have to punch any holes for the ribbon... used the "trick or treat" sentiment from TGF's Spooktacular set, Dandelion Designs spider web stamp layered on top some DP scraps from a previous project and then layered onto the nestie... simple... DD1 can then write her name on the back...

so what will YOU be creating this Halloween?!? we would LOVE to see your creations so link them up with InLinkz on LC's blog...

time for me to grab my broom and fly on outta here... OMG, did i just admit i'm a witch?! LOL.... i meant to say spread my wings.... i'm a fairy remember... haha!! thanks for flying by today... i hope your stop here put a spell on you to make some magic and play along... =D

Make a child SMILE this Christmas!

As of 10/31, we have 201 cards turned in. (WOWZA - insert HAPPY dance) Card collection is now CLOSED. THANK YOU with ALL MY HEART to everyone that has participated!!! Please check back for a very special post....

Do you remember how happy you were to receive a gift on Christmas morning? Or that very first greeting card? Or even the excitement you felt when Santa left that special gift under the tree? I'm absolutely sure we all remember those happy moments... Especially knowing that Santa brought you a gift... Well, let's play Santa this year and here's a little bit of how YOU can do that...

My Aunty in California does a really sweet gesture each year with the members of Aktion Club... (Aktion club members are developmentally disabled but very high functioning...) she sews 100+ dolls for the club to pass out to the children at Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, California (pix above)... once she's done sewing, the members of the Aktion Club helps her stuff them up... then they get it ready to be passed out at the hospital... isn't it such a wonderful joyous moment to see/put a smile on a childs face?!? i think so...

I'm asking for YOUR help in my good deed adventure, you can make it your good deed this year too... as my Aunty sews her goal of 150 dolls this year i want to match her goal with a goal of 150 cards to go along with these dolls... BUT, i can't accomplish this alone, SO i am asking you, my wonderful heart giving blogging sisters and friends, to help me match this goal and put an extra smile on a child's face this Christmas...

There are a few rules to go about with this request:

1. All cards must be a size of 4x4 (NO envelopes need to be sent with your cards)

2. NO glitter of any type (loose, on paper, stickles, etc) or loose embellies on the cards (this is a request from the hospital). *Paper is included in the "NO" because there is bits that fall or can be rubbed off. If adding embellies, PLEASE make sure they are secured to your card.

3. Try not to be so gender specific on your cards as we don't know how many boys or girls will be participating in this event.

4. You may use any stamps/images, sentiments, etc. Stick with the holiday theme vs. get well, etc. as we don't know the conditions of the patients.

5. Simple cards are OK, in fact they are encouraged. Use up your scraps. It doesn't matter how dressed up your cards are, the children will be overwhelmed with just receiving them.

6. Leave the inside blank but please sign/stamp your name on the back of the cards.

7. All cards must be sent to me BEFORE November 1st to ensure i can get it to my Aunt in time

Aunty will package the cards along with the dolls to make it a little present and take them to the hospital... Help us make another child smile this year...


Here are some samples i made to show you how simple you can make your cards.... my cards were made with scraps from last year and feature image designs from (L-R) Mari and Me and the last 3, Dandelion Designs... sentiments are mainly from Hero Arts... some feature embossing detail using folders by Cuttlebug...

i'm not asking for you to make 25, 50, etc... if you can just send me 1, you will make a difference. if this is something you would like to do, please email me and let me know and i will give you my address.... i already have one participant who has whipped up 16 cards!! (THANKS TO MY BFF for helping me!!) Will you help too??? If you want to help me spread the word on your blogs as well, please do so... the more cards we receive the better!!

Thank you in advance for your support!!!

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about this... this is my first year participating with my Aunt and if highly successful, this maybe something i'd like to conitnue every year...