Back To Reality...

...well, the kids are at least. It was rough getting back into the swing of homework and NO video games:) That's a big wake up call for my son. But, I was really proud of how he came home and got all his work done. He also got his first A+ on this test that he takes every week and usually gets like a 97% on. It has been his goal for the year. I'm so proud of him! Ok, moving on from "proud mommy moments".
I took a few hours yesterday of all alone, uninterrupted , just doin' my own thing time to do some creating. It was soooo nice and quiet here:) One of the cards that I'm going to show was almost finished so that didn't take me long. Do you ever just have to walk away from a project? Seriously, if I'm struggling with something, I find that if I leave it for an hour or even day or two helps. I come back to it refreshed. I do this A LOT! This first card though is for the OCC challenge this week. Head on over and check it out.

I hope you won't be sick of this paper because my next card uses it too:D I just really love the softness of the colors. They seem to calm me. After the holidays don't we all need some serenity? Ohhhh YEAH! Here are the deets: I used Perfect Plum (even though it looks like Elegant Eggplant) as my base. Now I don't normally fold my cards this way because I find that if someone wants to display them they end up s..l..o..w..l..y sinking until they look like they've done the splits. The way to still make a "horizontal" card is to cut your base at 4 1/4"X 11" and fold so that it then opens like a book. So much better. But this specific piece was in my scrap pile already folded. So, I'm using it up. Sorry for my ramblings today. I used a strip of that gorgeous DP and stitched it to the base. Inside you can see I used some off white CS to cover the stitches and finish the card. Next I used this cute Ric Rac and some fabric glue to adhere it. The sentiment is from All Year Cheer and is stamped in Bashful Blue onto DCVW textured off white CS. I don't care for how that part turned out but using white was too "in your face". This is all layered on Perfect Plum and then Cert. Celery CS. I stamped the heart from the set Always onto glossy cardstock with versamark and embossed with white EP. I then just took the perfect plum, bashful blue and cert celery ink and sponged it on using circular motions to blend them together. I LOVE this look. That is a filigree brad with a blue ICE RHINESTONE that will soon be discontinued. AHHH gotta get more!

Now here is the funny part....see that tiny vanilla satin ribbon. Guess where I got it? FROM MY SWEATER! You know how they have those strips inside to keep clothing on the hanger? Well, I cut mine off and lightbulb. It only took me 2 days to find a use for it too. How's that for recycling? That kind of stuff makes me sooo giddy. I'm strange I know, but strangely happy is ok with me.

Here is a close up of that ribbon:D










Now onto the next card.....

I made my daughter a chipboard box for Christmas. It is not good enough to share, but I had this slightly smaller piece of 4x4 DP left over. I layered it onto a blue patterned paper from my stash and zigzag stitched. This was adhered to a 4 1/4" square card made of Lavendar Lace cardstock. I cut out a circle of that same textured off white cardstock from above and then stamped it with the Linen Background stamp in Sahara Sand. I also paper pierced it. The "U" ( from All About U) is stamped with craft Cert. Celery ink and then outlined with stickles. That heart is from some clearanced chipboard I got and is covered with Crystal Effects and then dipped in the fine cosmo glitter. The "U" and heart are both adhered with dimensionals.

Well, thanks for stopping in today. Check back tomorrow for a few more things I have to share. See you then!