Wizard of Oz Rough Draft #1

The Baby shower favors were finished and picked up today. WOOHOO!! Now I can focus on the Wizard of Oz Birthday Party. I haven't decided on my invitations yet. I have so many different designs I've fiddled with in my Gypsy. Here is the first one cut to life!

It is a rough draft. I have not finished doodling and I didn't even sponge it. If this one is the winner, I think I might go out and buy some emerald shimmer paper to build an Oz in that bare right side.  I had some in my basket at the LSS 2wks ago and then put it back...wishing now that I had it.  Just creating a few invites to look at and decide. Let me know what you think!

PS....

Just a little note about that little kitty cake posted in my Imagine Pink Wed post.  I also used my Imagine to cut out the kitty face on that little mini cake.  My sister just laughed at me while I was doing it.  She couldn't understand why I didn't just use a pair of scissors for such a simple task.  Scissors?????  Why use scissors when my Cricuts are so much more fun...He He!!!!

Imagine Pink Wednesday Challenge

Today's Imagine Pink Wednesday Challenge is to make something Yummy with the Imagine.  I took a quick 10 min break from my shower favors to whip this up and post it.  I made a page for my youngest daughter's baby book.  The top picture of this page is one of my most favorite pics I've ever taken!  It was her first taste ever of cake and you can see her little tongue licking the icing off her lip.  I think it is a priceless moment captured!

 I used the Nursery Rhymes Cart for this page.  I printed and cut the scallop rectangle with the same pattern  as the bib.  The solid cardstock and ribbon are Stampin' Up!  This page took me less time to make than it did to post it!  I also made her a scrapbook of her first Bday which is posted under my "Scrapbooking Getaway" post.  If you haven't already, please check it out!  Thanks for stopping by today!

Wizard of Oz Birthday Party

My daughter decided today she wanted a Wizard of Oz Birthday Party for her 5th Bday!!!  YEAH!!!!  I am so excited to start planning!  For anyone who knows me, I am the birthday queen!  I love party planning!  I am thrilled to have three little girls with birthdays scattered across the year so I can spend all year playing party planner!  Last year, she had a Hello Kitty party.  With 3 girls, HK is like another person who lives in our house!  She is everywhere!  Here were the invitations.  They were clean and simple!

We are going to have some tasty treats from some of our past parties like Rainbow Ice Cubes and Rainbow Jello! 

I'll continue to post pics as I get projects finished!  Stop back to see more!

Inspiration in the form of Preschool Valentines

Today MPS was asking what Inspired us today with posts from each of her DT members.  There are some amazing projects and if you haven't already, you need to check them out http://www.mypinkstamper.com/2011/01/love-is-in-air-my-pink-designers.html 
I decided I had to share my children's Valentines for this year.  We had a snow day last week, so the girls and I got started on their cards for their classmates.  As much as I would love to Cricut them, this year I decided to let them make their own cards (but I'm making their treat bags).   They are 3 and 4 so stamping and punching is easier than piecing little cuts of paper together.  They picked out a spider stamp from the retired Cute a Bug Stampin' Up! set.  (Salebration begins today...WOOHOO!)  I first had them stamp the hearts on the background from the retired SU Sprinkles set.  We stamped the Spiders on Whisper White and they colored in the hearts.  They then punched them with the scallop circle punch.  They did the same with the "I like you" heart inside the card (from SU Family Phrases set).
They could punch stuff all day if I let them and they are pretty good with lining them up to get the whole image!   They get a lot of practice because when I am really busy with a project, I will throw a bunch of scrap paper or recycle paper on the bed with a few punches and I let them go to town.  It keeps them busy and gives me time to work while the baby is napping! 
Back to the card.  The fancy lacey border punch on the front is Martha Stewart which is one punch I do not let them use.  First because it makes a terrible mess and second because MS punches are terrible quality punches.  This punch actual broke while we were working on these (you'll see the back rows are missing the red border).  I had to return it, again!  I am now on #3 for this punch and I am starting to think MS does not like Stampin' Up paper!  I am hoping I do not have to return this one.   The girls glued everything on and by this point they were done so I stamped the happy valentines day (SU teey tiny wishes) and we set them aside until I could return the punch/finish them. 

Today when we pulled them out to work on them again something my 3 year old said yesterday Inspired me to add one more thing to them!  Yesterday she was playing with her Barbies.  Her Mommy barbie was talking to a whole group of other barbies/pets/ponies. She said to the group in her Mommy Barbie voice "You'll live forever if you have Jesus in your heart"! I was so touched that this came from my 3 yr old who I thought never listens to me! I realized that I've been so busy with everything in life that I haven't been sharing the Lord with them everyday like I should. So now, just from hearing that come from her little heart, I am going to work harder on sharing! It inspired me today to have them stamp "Don't forget to pray" from My Pink Stampers Faithful Sayings set on each one of their Valentines for school.   Then my 4 year old and I were reading in her Cubbies(AWANA) book.   Her verse to memorize today is Psalm 31:14  ...I trust in You, O Lord... and after working on her verse, she wanted to use the "Trust in the Lord" stamp.  

We are so blessed that we were placed into this life in an area of the world where we get to celebrate Valentines Day and we have the fun little cards and trinkets.  During a holiday like Valentines Day it is sometimes forgetten how fortunate we are.  I think this is a great way for my family to give thanks for the holiday fun and to share the Lord with all 24 of their classmates!    

 Sorry for such a long post today.  I am a SAHM and a volunteer at my children's preschool so my adult interaction is limited.  I tend to talk too much whenever I get the chance!  Next time, I will simply type up a list for my recipe.  If you are still reading, I was happy to share with you our journey to completing our 2011 Valentine Cards.  Thanks for Reading!

My Pink Stamper Birthday Challenge

Today is My Pink Stamper Robyn's Birthday.  Her challenge for today is to make a Birthday themed project.  Here is the "Party Time" cupcake card I made for the challenge. 

The solid cardstock is SU

Background is called Sweet Shoppe

Oval Punch is SU

"Party Time!" Stamp is My Pink Stamper Pinkalicious set

SU Dazzling Diamonds on the Cupcake

The cupcake is actually a cloud cut from Create a Critter

and I accordian folded a scrap of black cardstock for the cup

I really would like the cupcake to be bigger on this card but my 5 mins of craft time is over (aka naptime is done).  Hopefully tonight I can redo the cupcake and also create the scrapbook page this Sweet Shoppe paper was originally purchased for! 

Happy Birthday Robyn!

Scrap Pile Cards

My bin of scrap papers is beginning to overflow, again!  I had it cleaned out pretty good before Christmas, but it is once again spilling out of it's space!  Time to make cards!  I have been busy the past two days working on simple cards to give away to friends in gift bags or to sell at Craft Shows.  Here are a few of my favs and I didn't even turn on my Cricut for any of them (all these creatures are leftovers from other projects).   TFL!!

A Huge Thanks!!!

I saw the cutest idea over at http://www.scrappin5littlecupcakes.blogspot.com/.  Cristi made a thank you card for her followers.  I thought that was awesome!  Thank you Cristi! 
I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your awesome and sweet comments!  I am  thrilled that people are viewing my work and that I actually have followers that like my work!!!!  Thank you so much!  Here is my Thank You card for each of you!   

I plan on hopping over to each one of your blogs to check them out!  I am finished with everything I can do for now on my Baby shower favors so hopefully I'll have some extra time today!  The only thing I have to do is stuff the bags.  I say that like it is nothing but I know it will take me an entire day to tediously stuff them, put the toppers on and tie the ribbons!  Since these have perishable items in them, I will wait until the day before they are to be picked up to stuff them.  Thankfully, there are only 30 bags.  Last time I had an order for favors with food items, they needed 50!  They also had chocolate in them and it was the middle of July...YIKES!!!   It took me 12 hours to get them all done!  Anyway, I'll have pictures soon!  Thanks again!

The Completed Card for Charlie

I just realized I posted the 1st picture I had taken of this card.  He looked kinda blah without his stiching!  Here is the completed card that I will be sending Charlie!  TFL!

Dance-A-Thon Card and Card for Charlie

I made a few cards before I worked on Baby Shower favors today.  These cards are for 2 very special kids.  The first one is for my niece who is participating in a Dance-A-Thon this weekend.  I wanted to send her a little $ to support her efforts in raising funds and didn't want to just send a check.  I wanted her to have something cute for herself to open and to tell her how proud we are of her for giving her time for someone else!

This second one if for Charlie.  My Pink Stamper had a post today about this special little boy who has a rare condition and is in need of some love and support.  Here is a link for more information on Angela's blog and an address to send cards.

www.cricutcraftsbyangela.blogspot.com

Stinkin' Cute Birthday Card

I have been working hard on my shower favors.  I was going to post some pics of my progress but I decided I will wait until after the shower.  I do not want to ruin the surprise for anyone who might be attending.  So I thought I would post the card my 4 year old made today for her BFF.  It turned out pretty cute!  She loves my cricut as much as I do.  She asks me all the time if she will be a "scrapper" when she grows up and I tell her that she is already a "scrapper".  She loves that!

We were thinking of getting her a Cuttlekids for her BDay this year but I have my reservations.  I have been debating wether it is worth investing in and I am wondering how well it works.  I would love it if anyone could give me any feedback!  Thanks!

My Pink Stamper's First Blog Hop

I had a blast tonight "hopping" along the My Pink Stamper's First Blog Hop!  Robyn's new Design Team is awesome!  They all had wonderful projects to share!  If you have the time "hop" on over to My Pink Stamper and check it out!  What made it even more fun is the challenge at the end.  Each Blog had a key word and at the end you put the words together to find the challenge!  Complete the challenge and link a project to her Hop so everyone can keep on hopping after finishing the challenge!  So much fun!  I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!  Here is my project that I created tonight!

The solid cardstock and ribbon is from Stampin' Up!

Soft Suede, Blushing Bride, Very Vanilla, Basic Black

Polka Dot Paper is Nana's Nursery from DCWV

Boy and Girl Bugs are from the Nursery Rhyme Cartridge

Stampin' Up! Scallop Oval and Oval Punches

Martha Stewarts Lacey Scallop Border Punch

Adhesives are Stampin' Dimensionals and ATG

Stampin' Up! Soft Suede Stamp Pad

MY PINK STAMPERS "Bugs & Kisses" stamp from her Buggy Punnies Stamp Set (LOVE IT)

I think that is everything (I'm terrible with recipes)!

A little addition...the baby played in the snow this week for the first time ever.  She LOVED IT but it really wore her out!  She didn't even make it into the house before she fell asleep!  Sweet Baby!  I can't wait to scrapbook the pics!! 

Baby Shower Favors

Sorry it has been a few days.  I am currently working on baby shower favors.  I have been able to stay pretty steady on shower favors this past year just by word of mouth.  I do not have pics to show you of the current favors but here is a picture of the favors for the last shower I did.  The Mom-to-Be for this shower loves her Michael Kors Handbags so for her prize favors I made a group of paper designer handbags.  Aren't they cute!  I had a hard time giving them away!  This current shower I am making puppy dog themed favors.  I hope to have some pics to share by tomorrow night!  Thanks for stopping by!  I am heading off to the My Pink Stamper Blog Hop (8 pm CST)! 

Diaper Cakes

My favorite gift to give a Mom-to-be are diapers.  I've been the Mom of a newborn 3 times, so I can tell you diapers are the most appreciated gift. It is one thing you can not get enough of.  When I go to a baby shower, I like to give diapers, but I do not like to give them in the standard plastic wrap or as I usually buy them, a cardboard box.  I like to give diaper cakes.  Usually when I tell people this they do not understand what I am talking about.  I get the wierd look of "you're giving someone a cake with diaper?  Does it smell?"  No, they do not smell because they are made with new diapers and it is not a real cake.  Diaper Cakes are diapers folded/rolled and stacked to look like a cake.  My first diaper cake I've ever made was for my very best friend in the world when she was expecting her first little princess a few years ago.   I did not make this one to look like a standard cake.  I was very ambitious not knowing what to expect.  I wanted this one to be amazing and special for my friend so I made my first diaper cake look like a castle!

My second cake I made later that year was for a boy.  This time I was not as ambitous and made a more standard looking diaper cake.  It was a Baseball themed cake and I think it also turned out pretty cute!

Check this out

Check out Narelle's blog Cricut Lovers Guide to Design Studio!  She created a Cricut Font List with Pictures and she's providing the download for free!  Make sure to leave her a comment for all her hard work and let her know I sent you!

http://myfaqcricutds.blogspot.com/2011/01/full-list-of-cricut-carts-with-fonts.html

Scrapbooking Getaway

This past weekend was great!  I just spent the weekend at a B&B with a small group of wonderfully talented ladies SCRAPBOOKING!  Yes, that is right.  We spent the enitre weekend scrapbooking.  No crying kids, no house to clean,  no hungry husbands.  Well they may have been hungry, but we were not home to feed them!  It was awesome!  I got two books done.  Friday I finished my 1 year olds 1st year book with her Birthday pics.  Saturday I made an entire book of my 3 year olds 3rd Birthday Party.  Sunday I worked on a few pages from the Knoebels Scrapbook.  Finishing 2 books made me feel like I really accomplished a lot!  I can't wait to go back next year!  I used the Olivia line from Basic Grey for the Baby's 1st Birthday and I used a line called Undersea Adventure (I forgot to look to see who makes this line).  Here are some of my pages.