Sweet Stuff

Happy New Year everyone! I am in the mood for love/heart cards.....teehehehehe....I enjoy making heart cards very much. I had fun with this card using the Crate Paper Kiss Kiss embellishments, there are sooo many options in this package...luv! All of the goodies on my card came from the pack, the "sweet stuff" sentiment is from a My Mind's Eye alpha set I had from last year. I played along with the Lunchtime Monday Sketch.

Lunchtime Monday: sketch/TSSC347

Sister Act: anything goes

Let's Celebrate

Let's Celebrate, that seems to be what we all want to do going into a New Year...celebrate! I thought these challenges are perfect for a celebration....totally luv the JUGS inspiration photo....a pink, grey, and a little bling party...YAY. I used the Sketch Saturday sketch and today's SCS CAS challenge, Welcome The New Year! I have used the awesome Simon Says Stamp set called Sparkle & Shine. A few stars and clear gems completes my card...sparkle & shine!

JUGS: inspiration photo/JUGS273

SCS Challenge CAS305..welcome the new year, CAS

Show CASe your style: SYSC5/die cut

Sketch Saturday: sketch/#341

Mojo Monday/MOJO378-Celebrate

Be sure to stop by the Verve Shop and get in on the 40% off sale..WOW...ALL stamps and dies are on SALE! I had a blast with today's card, but you know I luv tall & skinny week, they are such fun cards to make...darlin! I have also played along with Cure For The Monday Blues, I adore the colorful inspiration photo. I used all the colors and different shaped cookies for my card, using lots of patterns and colors...awesome. Be sure to play along with us at Mojo Monday, it is the last sketch of 2014, can you believe it? Have a great week...sparkle & shine!

Cure For The Monday Blues: photo/#37
Mojo Monday: sketch/MOJO378

WINNERS

I want to thank all who stopped by and commented for the chance at winning one of the gifts I am giving away. I cannot thank you all enough for sharing your blessings, it was heartwarming to read so many awesome ways we are all blessed; thank you! I do have giveaways from time to time so stop back by often and see what is going on. Also, I shared our kitchen refashion photos in this post, if you would like to take a peek. The winners to my Christmas giveaway are as follows

Leslie from CA Scrapper Gift #1-random goodies

Heather from Houses Built of Cards Gift #2-random goodies

Brenda from Friends Craftin With Friends Gift #3 -$25 Simon Says Stamp GC

happy hello! my friend

I am playing along with As You See it and Case(E) this Sketch, the idea of a white on white card is sooo fun and to add to the fun a 10 minute time limit...eeeccckkkk. I have to say that really intimidates me...lol...I did get all of my card elements out first, but I made the time frame by a minute..whew! White comes in so many shades/tints that it makes for a awesome look when completed. I used a Heidi Swapp heart and added glitter paper behind the word cut out. A Pink Paislee trim piece that can be colored, but I left it white, gorgeous texture and design. A few gems, paint splatter and my card is complete....sparkle & shine!

As You See It: shads of white and 10 min. time limit
CAS(E) this Sketch: sketch/CTS104

Kitchen Refashion and Thank You

Be sure to enter my Christmas giveaway here!

Just so you know in advance, this is a super long post! I am sharing long awaited photos from our kitchen refashion! We are soooo blessed to have had friends who are knowledgable in construction, have tools, and a giving heart! This is truly the perfect gift, we where going to paint the cabinets and do a few upgrades; but my dream quickly became reality....THANK YOU to all who have helped make this possible! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Let me share the card details, I played along with SCS Inspiration challenge today and Freshly Made Sketches. I have used the Simon Says Stamp set Sparkle & Shine...LUV...*grin*

Freshly Made Sketches: sketch/FM167
SCS Challenge: IC473...photo

We went with an IKEA kitchen, it is definitely DIY; we had the 213 boxes delivered to our home because we are 2 1/2 hours away from the nearest IKEA. This processes also took about 6 or 7 trips to the store....we could have ordered online for the returns and exchanges but opted to make the trip because we like to go and shop...lol. We have a tri level home...nothing fancy, we had a family room downstairs and a living room we passed through to go to the rest of the house. It has been my dream to make this an open floor plan so that we gather with friends and family near the kitchen.

This is the view from the front door.

The coffee bar.....my favorite part...LUV! The sweet boxwood wreath came from the Etsy shop, QueenBeeWreath...tell her I sent you!

This is the old look, sorry for the mess but I did not take photos until after we had started.

I had a super small U shaped kitchen, even though we did not change the size or shape of this area, it is much nicer and seems bigger. The refrigerator used to be to the left across from the dishwasher....super small.

Here is a photo of the old, again excuse the mess; we where getting started.

I went with industrial items, entryway here. Coat rack, a chippy painted box for shoes, gloves, or shopping bags. The slim line polka dotted mirror...LUV....it is from IKEA. The amazing canvas growth chart, came from this Etsy shop, KimsSister...tell her I sent you!

You can see our hardwood floors here, five inch wide cafe oak...WOW...they are gorgeous...they really make the room. We got them from a local manufacture, picked them up at the factory...save us a lot of money. I used lots of numbers, got the stencil number from this Etsy shop, LucyLews...the est. Kline stencil came from the same shop...tell her I sent you and yes, I LUV Etsy!

I wanted a movable island; found this piece of furniture at TJMaxx, painted it, distressed it with Annie Sloans, and the hubs added wheels, side handles, and a drop leaf stained wood top. You can see the metal bar stools and the drop leaf in the first photo. Bar stools came from Target.

A box of biscotti and iced blue snowflake sugar cookies adorn it for Christmas. The box was red(Target, last year) and I wanted it to match my kitchen, so I painted it and added washi tape...luv the outcome! A rubbermaid plastic container fits perfectly inside so the goodies stay fresh. I can pull them out and add to plate when company comes over. Here are the recipes....Cranberry Brown Butter Biscotti Recipe...this is the best biscotti! 

These are the best sugar cookies too, can make them all year and use any shape you want for the season....these were a big hit!

Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup suagr

 1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp orange rind, grated

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 to 3 tblsp milk

Icing

3 3/4 cup 10x sugar

1 stick butter

3 to 4 tblsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla 

I wanted open shelving over the coffee bar, I have added some of my favorite things, the white globe is gorgeous...it came from TJMaxx. The sifter was a gift, the tiny joy sign came from the Etsy shop ColorMixedTogether....tell her I sent you!

The coffee bar...LUV....coffee, homemade dark chocolate cocoa, wassil, sea salt(for making salted caramel coffee), and a tin of goodies to tempt you. IKEA has drawer organizer...amazing, I can line up the kcups for easy picking!

Of course, new stocking where in line for the new room, these came from the Etsy shop YardsAndYards.....tell her I sent you!

And, lastly but certainly not least is the IKEA pull out drawer storage, no more reaching back into cabinets.....the bestess idea evah! I did not show it in a photo, but I have a 8x8 baking dish that stands on its side and the drawer closes....WOW!

There are still a few things I want to do, need more seating and decor, but I am waiting on the PERFECT pieces! Thanks for looking and commenting, be sure to enter my Christmas giveaway here; I want to share my blessings with YOU!

And, YES feel free to pin and share; that is the best part, sharing with others!

Simon Says Stamp-Anything Goes

Be sure to check out the Simon Says Stamp Store!

Welcome to Wednesday and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge....Merry Christmas Eve, I hope your Christmas is merry & bright and filled is with lots of love, laughter, and joy!

This weeks challenge is Anything Goes and the design team are using goodies from DoCrafts...s many amazing supplies, check'em out!

This week we are giving away not one, but two $50 vouchers to Simon Says Stamp ...you have two weeks to play along. We will return with a new challenge on Wednesday January 7, 2015, a great way to start the new year!

Enter My Christmas Giveaway Here, A Simon Says Stamp Gift Card is one of the Gifts!

I have used the DoCrafts Quilting embossing folder and it is only $3.99, what a great deal! I have also used the gorgeous pink shimmer bling from DoCrafts. I so luv creating freestyle collage cards, adding so many different elements. I have used the gorgeous paper pad from Pink Paislee called Bella Rouge. I cannot wait to see what you create this week, have fun....sparkle & shine!

Let's Go Shopping!

Christmas Giveaway

Merry Christmas

ETA: I am touched by all of you sharing your blessings, it really warms my heart...thank you!

Merry Christmas friends, it would not be Christmas if I did not have a giveaway! I consider myself very blessed and enjoy very much giving to others. I will giveaway three gifts to random winers, including a Simon Says Stamp gift card. All you need to do is leave a comment and share one of your many blessings with us. Also, leave a way for me to contact you. I will try very hard to reach the winners, if I cannot I will pick another winner. You have until Saturday, December 27 at 6:00PM EST time to enter. I will announce the winners on Sunday, December 27 at 6:00PM EST. The gifts will be distributed evenly with both packages having stamps, sequins, chipboard, tags, and dies(I always add more than what is in photo)included in two of them. The third gift will be a $25 Gift card to Simon Says Stamp. I will need to have your name and email for the GC....sparkle & shine!

Mojo Monday/MOJO377-Thoughts & Prayers

Enter My Christmas Giveaway Here

I had such fun with today's Mojo Monday sketch, I need to make a few cards for a basket donation I am giving to my church. I used the colors from The Color Throwdown, I was so intimated at first..lol. But, once I started pulling all of the elements out I really like the color combo. I have used the awesome sentiment stamp from the Verve set Inspire Hope. Hope your Christmas week is an awesome celebration with family and friends....sparkle & shine!

Color Throwdown: colors/CTD323
Mojo Monday: sketch/MOJO377

Winter Wishes

I have played along with Retro Sketches and Card Concept, using the Winnie and Walter set called Big Bold Seasons. I have used a Bazzil chipboard snowflake for the focal point, I covered it with the amazing Tim Holtz Pumice Stone glitter, I adore this color and the shimmer of the TH glitter! I had a blast with this winter glittery snowflake card, I hope to have lots more to share with you over the next two weeks....I do not go back to work until Monday, January 5...YAY....sparkle & shine!

Card Concept: colors/#25...freestyle collage
Retro Sketches: sketch/RS146

Happy Winter Days

hi and happy weekend before Christmas, I am playing along with the Monday Lunchtime Sketch and today's SCS IC472. Today's IC472 is a packaging board from Pinterest...total luv...I am such a dupe when it comes to packaging, gets me every time! I was inspired by the tea cans below, my colors for sure. I used a mix of the patterns with my patterned paper and a lot of bling, luv those silver tins! This gorgeous sentiment stamp is from Lil' Inker, check out all the links below to get yours today, hope you have a super duper week, only five more days until Christmas *grin*....sparkle & shine!

Monday Lunchtime: sketch/TSSC345
SCS Challenge: IC472