Loving Woodgrain & Oreos!

Quick post today: Card + Painting I found this picture of a painting I sold a while back and it makes me want to break out the canvas and paints again and make a collage or two. Maybe soon...

Cards & A Sewing Machine!

A few quick cards & a new favorite thing:

This card just uses some DCWV and some K & Co. 3D stickers, with a little pop of twill tape and a Heidi Swapp ornament frame sticker! I'm loving the woodgrain look! =)
Quick & Simple GCD Studios Card - I love their specialty papers - glitter, shimmer, flocking, transparencies...ahh, lovely! This card was just cutting out some of their glittered patterned paper...makes for a quick card that looks like it took awhile! The inside is flocked with a little greeting and the flowers on the front are pop-dotted!

So happy my Nanny gave me this lovely sewing machine...been sewing up a storm! More soon!

Itty Bitty Hairbows

Hello! I am pretty proud of these little cuties...I bought a bag of teeny hair clips at Hobby Lobby for like $1 and used GCD Studios adhesive ribbon to spice 'em up...aren't they cute??
I'll post a tutorial soon. =) Amber

100th Post!

So today is happy for a lot of reasons...one of them being it's my 100th blog post!!

Another reason for delight: I purchased this lovely little item at an Estate Sale and I'm pretty excited about it!! =)

On the agenda for today: cleaning, workout video, and the last remnants of schoolwork!

Check back tomorrow for some crafty projects! Amber

GCD Studios Giveaway

If you run over to the GCD Studios blog, they are having a giveaway, one for leaving a comment, and one for signing up for their followers list!

This is what you could win:

So go HERE now!

P.S. Blog posting will return to its (semi) regular routine tomorrow! Happy Monday! =)

Tidbits & Shopping Lists

Alllllmoooossssttt done with school (for two weeks, at least)..just gotta get past this week of finals (Tuesday night + Wednesday night + Thursday morning/afternoon + Saturday + term paper...then I'm DONE!) Ahhh.

So, a few happy, random thoughts (then I'll be M.I.A. for the next few days)

1. This week K-Mart is doing a double your coupons deal (up to $2). If you are a coupon-clipper (like me!!), this is a really good deal...especially since around here we don't have stores that double coupons!

2. I have been doing this workout video a few times a week...it is serious. Helps with the energy levels though, and it's not crazy aerobics or weird, difficult coordination moves (the klutz in me can't handle all that fancy stuff!)

3. Loving this line available at Michaels...especially the wood grain alphabet and the die-cut border stickers!! So cute!

4. I love Crock-Pots. Right now I can't take a hour to cook every night and Mr. Crock-Pot has been my handy friend. Here's a super easy recipe that I LOVE and so does Adam.

Pulled Pork:
(1) 2 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin (You can get two of these for about $12 at Sam's)
(1) bottle honey barbeque sauce
(1) tbsp. lemon juice
(1) tsp. brown sugar.

- Put the tenderloin in the crockpot and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 10-12 hours.
- Discard cooking liquid, then shred pork with two forks.
- Mix in barbeque sauce, lemon juice and brown sugar and cook for 1 hour on high or 2 hours on low.
- Serve on hamburger buns. YUM!!

Be back in a few days!! Amber

Happy Birthday Melissa!!

Happy Birthday to my dear, dear friend Melissa!! When most people still saw me as a kid, you took me under your wing, befriended me, loved me, and listened to a lot of "interesting" stories (ha!). I remember the first time Bryan brought you over to my parent's house and how I decided mentally that I "approved" of you. =) So glad you "approved" of me too, and stuck by me through thick and thin: including you getting married, having two kids and me getting married (and being absolutely crazy ABOUT your kids.)

I am thankful to God, not only for you and our many years of wonderful friendship, but also for letting me be a part of these two munchkins' lives...I love you all (even Bryan! =D) very, very much!!

Happy Birthday!!

Randomness.

I am SO sick of group projects. And editing papers in Word into the wee hours of the morning. And powerpoints. And practicing presentations. And stress over finals. EEEE. Sick of it, I tell you. I feel like I haven't sat down and had quality time with Adam in forever...and tonight he's headed off to the Father-Son Campout so.

You know what that means! Study party at my house! Mountain Dew, typed notes, comfy pajamas, and deep dark eye circles for Me, Myself and I. Can there be anything more miserable?? =P

Obviously, nothin crafty going on in these parts. Pretty pictures though. Happy Weekending!

GCD Studios Layouts

Here's a couple layouts I did for GCD Studios...I am really loving their stuff! Some fun things to note: I trimmed out the medallion shape from their pattern paper and cut the little cupcakes from GCD's great adhesive ribbon. To get a 3D and frou-frou tulle border, just tape as you ruffle up the tulle along the backside and pop up with pop-dots.

Happy, Wonderful Girl Paper: Animal Fanatic Collection #155, Bright Skies Collection #247 Chipboard: Ravishing Reds (Chipboard Tag: Happy) Caribbean Blues (Chipboard Tag: Wonderful, Chipboard Letters )Ribbon: Carnival Ride Ribbon (Cupcakes) Adhesive: Scotch Font: Minya Nouvelle Other: Tulle

Thank You, God Paper: Paris Nights Collection Pad (Die Cut #475, Small Scalloped Circle Die-Cut, Heart from #474) Chipboard: Shades of Black (Thank) Stickers: Black Glitter (#21) Adhesive: Scotch Other: Thread

Amber

Coffee Filter Flowers for Mother's Day

I hope I haven't posted about this already (if I have forgive me!) but this is how you can make fun, giant, coffee filter flowers.

What you need:

Washable Crayola Markers (bright colors work best)

Coffee Filters (the round, ruffly edge kind)

Paper Towels

A half-full glass of water

Paper Plates

Cheap Latex Gloves

White/Green Floral Stems (the wire kind, about 99 cents a pack)

1. Smooth and fold the coffee filter into fourths.

2. Color on both sides of the fourth firmly, keeping in mind that you can have eclectic designs (coloring in different places on both sides) or a pattern (by coloring the same pattern on both sides). Color heavily so that the ink sinks through to the center (open the coffee filter to check and make sure the color is bleeding through!)

3. When finished, gently place in water so that about 2/3 of the filter is submerged. The water should trickle up to the top, if not, gently poke down until the entire filter is wet and the colors have swirled.

4. Using the gloves, pull out the colorful coffee filter and gently open. Blot with a paper towel and lay on a paper plate to dry. You'll need fresh water each time you dunk. =)

5. Once you get three of four of these done and dried out, take the floral wire and poke it through the center of the layered coffee filters. Make a ring or knot at the top to look like a stamen, then twist the layers and the floral wire around the bottom to hold it in place. Use a little floral tape to really secure them (Scotch tape could work too!) Voila. Giant Paper Posies for mom!

MIA...

...Sorry about that. I've been going CRAZY with finals preparations, group projects, and term papers. It's almost over and I am SO ready to be done (at least for this semester!) I did take last Saturday "off" and just relaxed...dug into my new supply of GCD Studios goodies and I have made some cute, fun stuff. (Pictures coming SOON!)

On another, kindof crazy note, it hailed at my house yesterday for about 15 minutes...chunks of giant ice balls (really!). I saved some in the freezer for Adam to see and he threw them out after inspecting them. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture.

So, that's about all folks. =) Here's a few pictures of the two amazing cuties since (did I mention there was rather wretched weather yesterday and it hailed??) I haven't been able to get any decent crafty pictures yet.

Happy Tuesday! Amber

Goodies & A Card

My GCD Package came yesterday night! I was SO excited. It had this sweet little note on the top and had bright blue & yellow ribbon tied around it with lots of yummy candy nestled around (Jolly Ranchers & Starbursts & Smarties...yum!!)
I am SO excited to work for this team. The design team co-ordinator, Heidi, is so very nice (and fun!!)

Also, I made this quick little card (I actually made a little co-ordinating gift set, but forgot to take a picture of the whole thing!) on Wednesday for Adam's cousin, Katie, who just had her second baby today! Congratulations, Katie!

GCD Studios creations coming soon! =)

Handmade Presents

...are my favoritest thing to make. Sometimes a little more work, but usually much more thoughtful. This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time (ever since I first saw these sweet Martha Stewart Heart Boxes), but I recently found some and made this little gift ensemble for my sister-in-law, Megan. I almost wanted to keep it. (Just kidding) (Kindof.) ;)

I painted the box pink (it's a mix of like five different colors), used some Heidi Swapp chipboard letters, these lovely poppy 3D flowers (from Michaels), some Making Memories ribbon, and a little swatch of white fleece.

Happy Thursday! Amber