Core and Spellbinders!

Welcome to the Core'dinations and Spellbinders Blog swap!!! Are you ready for a week long blog swap filled with loads of inspiration? Well, you came to the right place. Spellbinders and Core'dinations have teamed up and created gorgeous projects just for you. But...a blog swap wouldn't be the same without give-a-ways, right?

Core’dinations will be giving away FOUR paper packs in total!!!

Here is how you can win:
1. Visit the Core’dinations blog and leave a comment every day, Monday the 26th through Friday the 30th. We will give away two packs to TWO lucky winners.
2. Like us on Facebook and comment to win a paper pack.
3. Visit the Core’dinations Designer’s blogs and leave a comment. We will be linking them up on the Core’dinations blog throughout the week and will choose one random designer’s blog to pick a winner.

Make sure you visit the Spellbinders blog for more details on how to win some of their awesome dies.

Sounds perfect, right?  Before you head to check out all the fun projects being posted, I wanted to share a card I created with a fun Spellbinders Impressabilities plate and of course a mix of some Core Essentials cardstock in the Brights range.

This background was embossed with the Spellbinders Impressabilities Pebbles template. I loved this pebbled texture for the background here because it reminded me of the look of icecubes... perfect to go with the lemonade theme!  Using the Cricut Just Because Cards cartridge, I cut the lemonade cup with a layer of acrylic to make it appear more like a drinking glass and adhered it to the cardstock with some glossy accents. And, I also used an actual drinking straw too!

I hope you enjoy the blog swap  and please be sure to check out the following Spellbinders links for more ideas and information:

Website: http://www.spellbinderspaperarts.com/Home.aspx
Blog: http://www.spellbinderspaperarts.com/Community/Blog.aspx
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Spellbinders

On the BasicGrey Blog Today!

Gosh I am busy today!  I had to put in a day at work and now that I'm home I'm flittering all around the house trying to be an over-achieving mutli-tasker, lol!  I'm trying to vacuum the floors and do some dusting so I can finally start putting out all the Fall decorations.  This could all be put off til the weekend, but truth be told, I just can't wait! Then I'm also working fast and furious on a Cricut project that I started earlier in the week.  I'd like to finish it up tonight to submit it to the latest Cricut magazine call which of course ends tonight.  And on top of that I need to start dinner and of course I HAD to come make a blog post too... not sure how well I'm pulling it all off! 

But onto the purpose of the blog post!  Today there are two neat things being shared over on the BasicGrey blog!  First of all, if you didn't already know, Core'dinations has partnered up with BasicGrey to bring some beautifully embossed cardstock designs, and if you go over to the BG blog, check them out and comment, you could be one of the two lucky winners to receive one of their 2 collection packs (Whimsy and Ornate) being sponsered by Core!   AND second, while you are there you can check out my layout which is featured  to show you how these two collections coordinate so well with one another and the BG collections!  And I'm just going to share my page here too because I also have some detail pix!  Now hurry, and get over to comment because there's not much time... deadline is midnight tonight, Sept. 14th!  Good luck!

SUPPLIES : [OUT OF PRINT] OUT-3327 Odds ‘n Ends, OUT-3315 Reprint, OUT-3316 Etchings, [BITTERSWEET] MET-1554 Glazed Brads, [MARJOLAINE] MRJ-2929 Sticker Alphabet.

BasicGrey Ornate Collection Core Impressions in both Antique Vanity and Aegan Cornbread, BasicGrey Whimsy collection Core Impressions with Simon Black Magic, Core’dinations Core Essentials, Cindy Loo Cricut cartridge.

It's a Holiday!

So glad to have an extra day to relax on this Labor Day, 2011!  I hope everyone is doing the same and enjoying one of the last days of Summer.  Not too much planned for the day here, and I kind of like it that way.  I've got some ribs slow cookin' in the crock pot and my mom and gram are coming a bit later to join me for supper... unfortunately the hubby has to work so he'll enjoy some leftovers later.  Other than that, I've got nothing else on tap except maybe some naps here and there :)

I did manage to squeeze in a little scrapping time over the weekend, although I didn't get nearly as much done as I had hoped I would.  Mostly I played around with my scraps of Bella Blvd.  And I do mean scraps!  I am using up every last morsel of the collections I've had in my stash, so I am ready to get my hands on some new... esp. their newest Fall collection, Finally Fall! What a scruptious looking line... afterall,I can never have enough Autumn stuff;) 
See,last week I had all intentions of trying to make these scraps of mine stretch enough to make a few newer layouts to use to enter into Bella Blvd.'s design team call, but they didn't get done.  I was able to create one more page and card though this weekend, so these are what I did.  So many cute things can be made with the Bella Blvd. lines, and I just love them all!

 

I especially love this combo that I used here with lots of green, aqua and a smidge of yellow... ohh and GRAY!!

And here's a Spring card that I put together too...

I think I probably have enough bits and pieces left now to make maybe 2 more cards... so we'll see! 

Thanks for dropping by, and have a terrific week, everyone! 

My Mind's Eye Blog Card and Layout Challenges #26!

I had to finally get in on one of the awesome challenges happening over on the My Mind's Eye blog! It's been awhile for me, and I really loved the sketch for the card this month because it uses tags, which I think is a super way of embellishing a card front! So here it is...

  Style, Beauty... You've Got It, Friend!

By the way, here's the sketch from Anam Stubbington...

Card Challenge #26-

And, some more details of the card...

I used a few different paper lines from MME, including Stella Rose, "vintage" Wild Asparagus and Life Stories.  The flocked brown alpha chipboard letters and decorative brads are from the MME Lush collection. Those awesome butterfly and flourish design tags were cut using the Cricut Picturesque cartridge,  and the dressform accent was from the Summer in Paris cartridge.  Aside from the sketch, I was also inspired to create this card from a challenge at the Nook to incorporate things that are typically considered "masculine" onto a feminine card, or vice-versa.  I chose to use masculine elements for a girly card, so I incorporated some conventional masculine patterns and colors such as plaid, woodgrain and brown tones.  I also punched a notebook paper edge and distressed it because to me, distressing feels more rugged and masculine. 

I also had a special photo and some MME  "the Spider's Web" papers set aside for quite awhile, so I finally took the opportunity and used the MME layout sketch #26 challenge to help me get this page scrapped.  Here's the layout sketch, again by Anam...

And this is what I did with the sketch...

 Our Wee Punkins

Again, I also used some fabulous Life Stories on here and then a bit of the So Sophie and Lush lines.  I loved the detail of the embroidered lace patterned paper from the Witch's Lace paper and fussy cut some of that design as well as some of the folksie pumpkins from the Pumpkin Patch paper (all from the Spider's Web collection).  All this fussy cutting was perfect for challenge # 12 at the Nook's weekend virtual crop! 

Well, that's all folks, but thanks so much for stopping in... hope you've enjoyed my projects as much as I've enjoyed creating them!

My Scrapbook Nook's A Midsummer Night's Virtual Crop!

Are you looking to get some scrapping in this weekend?  Cuz that's what I'm doing!

And the Nook's virtual online crop, "A Midsummer Night's Crop" is happening right now!

All the Nook designers have been busy putting up some wonderful and creative challenges to help get the creative juices flowing.  Here's the deets...

Drop in this weekend and enjoy some great challenges, straight from the Bard of Stratford on Avon!

The winner will be crowned with roses, lilies, hydrangeas, daisies, pussy willows and all manner of delightful blooms from Petaloo - to the tune of a $100 gift box!

Join us here: http://myscrapbooknook.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?26-Virtual-Crop-This-Weekend!

I feel like I've been scrappin' up a storm all day, but in all actuality, I feel like a storm has come through and caused a path of destruction... seriously my scrap spaces are a sight for sore eyes.  I've been making more messes today then getting anything else done.  I opened a cupboard to get out my stand of embossing powders and in the process knocked over a container of glitter which was partly opened.  ALL. OVER. THE. FLOOR!  Then I went to grab something off the counter and SLAM went the tilt bin of buttons (seperated by colors).  ALL. OVER. THE. FLOOR! Urghh... you get the picture?! Anyway, I've got one page finished so far to show for the day.  I really had hoped to have much more done, but tomorrow is always another day :)

So before I scoot off here to get back to the croppin' here is my page, which I am thrilled to have finished because I've been wanting to do this layout about my gram for awhile now. 

This is for the Challenge #1 which is basically to create a page using the provided sketch and to use photo/s of someone who inspires!   I used lots of My Mind's Eye products here and Core'dinations!  The flower, leaves and flourish are cut using the Cricut Picturesque cart... love that so much!

Thanks for stopping by and if by chance you do venture over to the Nook this weekend, you could even mention that you were cordially invited by ME ... and I could get some extra sweet points!  All you need to do my friends is confirm in the following crop thread that I invited you, and complete and upload at least one challenge for the crop...

http://myscrapbooknook.org/forum/showthread.php?5347-Breathe-life-into-a-stone-bring-a-friend-VC-points-involved 

Hope to see alot of my friends in attendance!  :)  Have a great scrappy weekend!

An August Core Colour Challenge and More!

Are you all ready to play along with another colorful challenge with Core? 

Here is the inspiration piece for this month from Pinterest that Debbie Standard pinned for us from the shepaperie.blogspot.com.

Isn’t it beautiful?

SIX gorgeous colours to play with…..

For the Colour Lover’s Challenge you must use a noticeable amount of Core’dinations Cardstock

on your project. And since we are technique junkies here…we wanna see some technique, too! Sanding…embossing…sky is the limit!

Link your submission to THIS post or post on our Facebook account by August 30th for a chance to win some fabulous Core’dinations Cardstock!!!

And here is what I did with the combination of all these delightful colors...

For my card I used several colors of Core Essentials and some fabulous WhiteWash which I fringe cut for added texture.  The stamps used are from the BasicGrey Marjolaine collection and I also created that super plaid edging with my favorite plaid EK Success border punch! And thank you, Ellen... for letting me use your favorite American Crafts Charcoal Pigment ink-pad for my stamping!  It really is a wonderful gray ink ;)

Next up, Core is also pleased to be partnering with Paper Trunk this month!  This is the first time I had the pleasure of creating with their pretty paper designs, and I must say that they are beautifully textured! 

Core'dinations is so excited to bring you some fun Paper Trunk projects over the next few weeks.

Make sure you head over to their blog today for some awesome inspiration, too!

Keep commenting on both the Core and Paper Trunk blogs and you just may win some cool prizes for yourselves! Just sayin'!  ;)

And here is a card that I made with Paper Trunk patterned paper and alpha stickers and some BasicGrey Core Impressions and Core Essential cardstock...

The chandelier embossing is from a Sissix folder... definitely a cool one to add to the ever growing collection of folders! 

In other goings-on here at home, must say it's been a very productive week since the hubs has been home on vacation!  We decided to stay home and get some projects done around the house so now the garage doors, the porch banisters/railings, the window shutters and both the front and side doors have all been re-painted now.  It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do!  But we still have plenty of rooms to paint inside and I don't even want to think about starting them now, lol!  Think we will wait till the weather cools down a bit.  After two days of sprucing up around the home we took the day and went to one of our favorite local amusement parks, Knoebel's!  We had a beautiful day of bright blue skies and we took my mom along too.  She hadn't been to the park in at least 15 years, so I was glad to see her enjoying the day there as well! Now tomorrow we may escape to Lancaster for the day... the QVC outlet is calling my name, lol!  Have another wonderful weekend, everyone!

Already August!

The months sure are flying by... especially these Summer months!  Can't believe it is already the beginning of August, but I'm not complaining of course because that only means my favorite time and season of the year is almost in sight!  I'm already starting to enjoy the Fall scents in the house... I can't resist, lol.  Over the weekend I was in Wal-Mart and ended up in the candle aisle (no surprise there).  They had a new item from their Better Homes collection, Scented Wax Cubes... their version of the Scentsy warmer bars! I guess they had them in the stores last Christmas season, but I missed them some how, and other Wal-Mart stores have carried them for months now, but it's the first I've seen them here at our closest WM. Let me just say they smell just as great and are much cheaper at $2.00 each! I got the Vanilla Caramel Spice to try and I'm in scent heaven because it makes the house smell just like Cinnabon!  Seriously, I keep getting cravings for sticky buns now :)  Yep, I will be stocking up on these, and they (Wal-Mart) better not go and discontinue these anytime soon like they did when I was in love with buying their wall plug-in scents they used to have that were like the Bath and Body Wall Flowers!

Since it is August now, I thought today I would show some of my past publications that were in the June/July issue of Cricut magazine.

 You know I love my Cricut and I love to share what I do with it... and I also can not say enough about the Cricut magazine!  It is my favorite publication and I can happily relay that I've had and will have some of my work featured in every single issue (regular and special issues) since the magazine has been in publication up to and through the January 2012 issue.  That's very exciting for me! 

Anyway, here's a look at what all I had featured in this particular issue (their final bimonthly, because starting with the August issue they are now MONTHLY)...

My "Lazy Days" card featured the Life is a Beach Cricut cart and the Echo Park's Sweet Summertime collection.

This next layout, I used BoBunny papers and cardstock along with a combination of the Don Juan,Stand and Salute and Wild Card cartridges to create the layered title words and stars...

(Don't forget you may click on the images to view them larger!)

And here's a layout where I got creative with embossing the diecuts... aren't those cute crabbies?

The Life is a Beach and From My Kitchen carts were used for this along with Kaiser papers.  The bottom border was created by using the negative cuts of the crab border to mask and mist with Glimmer Mist spray.

I do also have 2 more cards and another 1 page layout that were published in this issue as well, but I have seemed to lost my images on the computer, so I can't share those, but maybe later. 

For now though, I am about to go get busy in the kitchen.  I have been wanting to try to make those super yummy looking cake ball truffles that are all the rage now in the world of sugary confections!  Have you seen them?  If not, this is what I am talkin' about...

And, here's a recipe! They are really dense and truffle-like because you actually fold the frosting into the already baked cake pieces, making it both dense and moist.  You really can use your imagination and do any flavors or combination of flavors you'd like!  I just went and bought some candy melts today and I'm going to first try making some lemon cake truffles with cream cheese frosting, because that's all I have here at home right now.  I'm going to coat them with both white and dark chocolate though.  Ohh, you all... I just can't wait anymore, so I'm off... but I'll be sure to let you all know how they look and taste! :)   Good day everyone!

Friday To-Do list!

Yess, it is finally Friday!  And since I was supposed to work today but they called me and told me not to come in due to a low count kid day, well, that means I have more time to do other things here at home!  I just need to decide what all I should tackle first... there are many things I could easily put at the top of my to-do list! Painting for one!  Oh gosh, there are so many rooms in this house that we want to paint and the problem is, it's a big game of procrastination.  So I am thinking that removing the wall paper border down in our basement would be a perfect place for me to start this afternoon perhaps.  And I also believe it's a good day to start cleaning out some cupboards, closets and the hutch in our living room.  Then in between all that I guess I might as well do a few loads of laundry too!  I think that's a good start.  When the dh is home on vacation two weeks from now we plan to do some more painting, primarily the front door and the window shutters.  The door is white and the shutters are currently hunter green and we plan to re-paint them all a black/gray color.  Can't wait to see what it'll look like!

Before I move on to the to-do list though, I will share with you some of my latest cards that I made with Core'dinations cardstock.  They are all Summer related themes, so I hope you'll enjoy them!

This first card I used "A Child's Year" Cricut cartridge.  I love the nostalgic and silhouette imagery on this cart! 

For the sand and accenting on the starfish, I used Tim Holtz's Distressing powder in Frayed Burlap to give the perfect grainy effect with the Vintage and Core Essentials cardstock!

 

And this card was a fun and easy one to put together with coordinating products from SEI's "a FAIR day" collection.  I love the glittery accenting in this line paired up with Core Couture glitter cardstock.  I also used some Core Essentials spritzed with Glimmer Mist. 

And last... a card with some Core Essentials in the Pastels range.  Mmmm,some cotton candy would taste sooo good right now!  I cut the banners and cotton candy with the Cricut Carousel cartridge. 

And speaking of Core'dinations... I just had a great box delivered to me yesterday containing all the new releases of Core!  Girls, it all looks sooo wonderful... esp. that dreamy looking Tim Holtz Kraft Core line!  Ohh my, I can't wait to create with it all, so I guess I'd better write that down on my to-do list as well!    Think that's it for now.  But, I will be a busy girl for the rest of the day.  Time for me to crack the whip on myself!  Have a great weekend everyone :)

My Pink Stamper Design Team Submission {You Give Your Heart To Make a Difference!}

Good evening all my crafty bloggy friends!  Hope everyone is having a good week and that you all aren't melting away into puddles!  It's been very HOT here today and I believe I'm soon going to head on down to the basement and hide out in my craft room because it's sooo much cooler there!  But first, I needed to post about a card that I put together that I think is my new favorite.  Don't you love it when you create something that you yourself totally dig?  I love when that happens!  So, this card also happens to be my submission for the My Pink Stamper design team call which comes to a close tonight.  Yes, I am squeezing it in during the last lap, but I just had to give this one a go!  Afterall, if Cricut is involved I'm weak... I love my Cricut wayy too much, lol! 

To submit for this dt selection, we all had to follow the challenge to create a project using a favorite Cricut cartridge, and to incorporate the colors of brown, orange, green and turquoise, and other optional color of choice. The only other color in my card is white accenting of the sanded cardstock core and in the mini alpha sticker lettering.  Have to say, I like that combination of colors... earthy, yet cool. 

Guess maybe that's why I went with an Earth motif and woodgrain for my card's theme.  Give a Hoot is one of my very favorite Cricut cartridges and that's where I found the image for the heart shaped world diecut used on here.  I used a variety of Core'dinations cardstock, including the Glitter Core Couture in a turquoise shade for representing the Earth's water.  I tied some vintage crinkled seam binding in orange around the heart shape and attached the piece to my card base with dimensional foam squares.  Sticker alphas completed the card's sentiment.  Ohhh, that woodgrain piece... that is actually packaging (backing) from a set of alpha stickers that I bought from Target awhile back!  Yes, I even recycled on my earthy card! 

Card Supplies and Recipe:

•  Give a Hoot Cricut cartridge - Heart Earth - cut @ 4" from green Core Essentials cs), Heart Earth layer - cut @ 4" from turquoise glitter Core Couture cs).
•  Other cardstock, all by Core'dinations (Green Core Impressions BasicGrey Whimsy dot-line cs, orange Vintage Core cs, brown Core Impressions Cosmo Cricket criss-cross cs).
•  Woodgrain sticker packaging from Target.
•  My Little ShoeBox Mini Alphabet stickers in Sunrise orange.
•  Pink Paislee cardstock alphabets Whimsies in Pumpkin.
•  Trimtex vintage seam binding in orange.
•  Stampin' Up small scallop border punch.
•  Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Spiced Marmalade.
•  Recollections foam dimensional squares. 

Okay, that's my card!  Now I'll cross my fingers and hope for good news!  Thanks for stopping by! :)

Peachy Keen!!

Howdy!  If you haven’t seen the July Challenge at Core'dinations  make sure you check it out here. You have until July 27th to enter for the chance to win some fabulous Core goodies! Make sure you link us up on that post or link us on Facebook.

All you need to do is use this color palette as your inspiration. Again, there are more deets on the original post….

Anyway, here is the awesome inspiration photo for this fantastic color challenge which came from Pinterest!

Isn't it the perfect, delectable Summery feast for the eyes? 

And take a look at the colour combo that dt member Lydia Jackson devised through Colour Lovers to match up to the inpiration...

Such a terrific palette!  Anyway, I was inspired to create a card for this challenge, and I was happy to use these turquoise, peacock blue, and peachy colors together.  And the peaches in the photo looked soo yummy and fresh that I even decided to use a peach as my card's theme,

"You Are Sweet As A Peach"!

I used a variety of Core'dinations Core Essentials and Vintage cardstock and my peach image came from the Cricut "Just Because Cards" cartridge.  To make the peach more realistic, I inked the edges of the cuts with some Ranger inks and also did some light sanding to the outside edge.  The leaves were embossed with the Cuttlebug Herringbone folder and I used patterned paper and stickers from the "a FAIR day" sei line!

So now I hope that you too will be inspired to take on this fun colour challenge!  Remember, you have until July 27th, so hurry up and play along with us to win some delicious Core!

In other news, I was very saddened to learn of some heartbreaking news this morning that a fellow scrapbooking friend in our communities has passed away rather suddenly after her battle with breast cancer.  Her name was Chris Hertel and she was such a dear sweet soul who gave so much of herself.  She lived right here in PA, and although I've never met her in person (and we used to live rather close to one another, her in Greensburg, and I in Altoona)... we did communicate via message boards, emails and our blogs.  Chris also created some of her own digital designs and was kind enough to share them.  Her houndstooth print has been one of my favorites for quite sometime and I have downloaded and printed it so often for many of my projects.  In fact, earlier last week, I was pleasantly surprised to have one of my card designs using her houndstooth print, picked up for publication in the upcoming December issue of CARDS magazine!  I was so thrilled that it was a card using her design and I was eager to email her to tell her to be on the watch for it later, but I never got the chance.   Here's a link to another blog post of mine with another page that I created not too long ago.  I tell ya, I've used it a lot!  I will certainly miss her spunky spirit and friendship in our scrappy community!  She fought a good fight and all I can say is that the world was only a happier place with her in it!  I pray that her beautiful family will lean on one another and find much comfort, strength and peace!