Celebrating 50,000+ blog hits with BLOG CANDY!!!

I can't believe how fast my little blog has hit 50,000+ views!  So as a big THANK YOU I am offering BLOG CANDY!  All you have to do to be entered into the drawing is leave a comment on this post saying what you like to do with your family!

Tonight, Monday night, is our Family night.  I made some Sugar Cookie dough and I will, after a short spiritual lesson, only about 5 - 10 minutes (very little people with very short attention spans!) let the kids decorate cookies with icing and sprinkles.  Here's the recipe I use!  Remember I have 5 kids that will be eating them!  Plus, I don't cook it all at once!  I refrigerate the rest for another day. 

Sugar Cookies

8 cups flour
6 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/3 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
4 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Beat butter and shortening for 30 seconds; add sugar and beat till fluffy.  Adds eggs, milk, vanilla; beat well.  Add dry ingredients to mixture.  Cover and chill at least 3 hours. 

I just use my medium Pampered Chef scoop and place them on a Stone bar pan.  I have two pans and cook a total of 24 at a time.  They will probably ALL get eaten tonight!

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.  I take them out even if they look not quite done.  By the time they have set and are cooled they are PERFECT!  We like ours soft and chewy! 

Here's the giveaway!

I will pick the winner using Random.org this weekend and post it Sunday night.

Thanks for checking in and all your supposrt!

Good luck!

Have a great crafting day!

Craft 'til You Drop!

Sadly, I didn't get much crafting time this weekend; however, I did work on one of my New Year's Resolutions which was to declutter my house and get it more organized.  I got rid of almost 2 garbage bags stuffed full of shredded papers and trash and 1 bag and a small box off to Goodwill!  Yeah!

Here's my littlest crafter!  She did get some crafting done!  So much she dropped with crayon still in hand!

Craft 'til You Drop!

Thanks so much for checking in today!

I didn't notice it this week, but I reached and passed 50,000 views of my blog!

So be sure and check back soon because to celebrate and say Thank You I have some blog candy to share with you!

I hope to get it posted by Monday night, but sometimes my kids have different ideas as to when I can get things posted! 

Have a great crafting day!

Spread Your Wings - Straight from the Nest

It was recently recommended for me to take a look at a pretty new challenge blog:  Jitterbuggin' Challenge.  Thank you Nana Donna!!  I think I will be putting this on my Challenges! Challenges! list.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention!  Monthly prizes!  I'm still new to this blog so not sure of all the stipulations but going to keep checking it out!

The challenge was to use Brown, ONLY brown, and one accent color.  I hadn't had a chance to use my Straight from the Nest cartridge; so I decided to take this opportunity to play.  I really like this owl especially with the different embossing folders and sponging.  I hope you like it too!

Here's what I came up with:

Owl was cut from Straight from the Nest cartridge using Gypsy at 3" high.

Recipe:
Card Base: SU Chocolate Chip 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" (folded)
Card front:   Peach Parfait 4" X 5 1/4"  
Other Cardstock / Paper:    SU Peach Parfait DP, Creamy Caramel, Confetti Cream
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Stamps:  PTI Butterfly Dreams (sentiment)
Accessories:  Ribbon from scrap bin, white gel pen, Cuttlebug & D'vine Swirls and SU Square Lattice (one of my fav's) embossing folders, Cricut, Gypsy and Straight from the Nest Cartridge

Thanks so much for visiting me while I am

Hiding in My Craft Room!

Have a great crafting day!

Snowman Challenge - Cricut Cardz

Here's a quick card I did for one of my favorite challenges:  Cricut Cardz Challenge #58.  The challenge was to use your Cricut and create a project using a Snowman. 

 Snowman cut using Gypsy at 3.5" high from Hello Kitty Greetings

Isn't she cute in pink?

Recipe:

Card Base: SU  Pink Passion 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" (folded)

Card front:  Pretty in Pink 4" X 5 1/4"  

Other Cardstock / Paper:  Pretty in Pink DP, Chocolate Chip, White, Black, Orange

Ink: Pink Passion

Stamps:  PTI  Fillable Frames #9 (sentiment)

Accessories:  Cuttlebug & SU embossing folder, Ribbon from scraps, SU oval punches, Square gem brads, and Cricut, Gypsy, & Hello Kitty Greeting

Thanks so much for visiting me while I am

Hiding in My Craft Room!

Have a great crafting day!

My Little Chicklet

We, my daughter and I, had so much fun this Saturday at the annual Scrap with your Chicklet day.  It is really a day focused on the "little" scrappers.  There are projects for them to make, gift bags, a free table with donated papers, stickers and stuff, and snacks!  Needless to say between playing with my Chicklet, taking care of the baby, eating snacks, and just visiting I didn't get much done.  However, I had a GREAT time and that is what matters, right?  And a BIG shout out to my hubby who took care of our 5, 4, and 2 year old children!

Yes!  She loves me!

But not as much as I love her!

Valentine's Day - Crop Chocolate

I'm so excited CropChocolate.com just changed their design team, "Chocolatiers", to a monthly assignment instead of just quarterly!  YEAH!!  This month's challenge is to create Valentine's Day card or project.  I used the Making Memories kit "Paperie Rouge" or at least some of it!  Actually very little of it!  Also this GREAT ribbon I keep using came from Cropchocolate.com:  Fancy Pants "All Fall" Gingham ribbon.  I stamped the Blush Blossom cardstock using BasicGrey bitsy stamps "lotus/ b2".  Also from cropchocolate.com!!  Be sure and check them out!  They have great daily deals and free shipping if you spend $60.  And different than other daily deals sites they let you put items in your cart and save up for a period of time. 

Here's what I came up with: 

Recipe:

Card Base: SU Regal Rose 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" (folded)
Card front:  SU Cherry Cobbler 4" X 5 1/4", Blush Blossom 3 3/4" X 5" stamped with Regal Rose
Other Cardstock / Paper:  MM Paperie Rouge "spiral journaling book"
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Regal Rose
Stamps:  SU Teeny Tiny Wishes, BasicGrey lotus/ b2
Accessories:  Spellbinders Nestibilitiess (the heart image I made), Stickles Christmas Red, Fancy Pants Gingham Ribbon "All Fall", MM dimensional stickers Paperie Rouge, MM brad combo, Cuttlebug & SU embossing folder

Thanks so much for visiting me while I am

Hiding in My Craft Room!

Tomorrow I am going to a yearly crafting day at a local church with my 6 year old daughter!
It's called Chicklette day!
I've got my Cricut packed up and hope to get some fun things created, however, I will be playing with my "Chicklette" most of the time!

Have a great crafting weekend!

Cheater Wedding Card

I hope everyone had a great three day weekend!  We did!  We went to Yuma to my niece's wedding reception.  We were unable to attend the wedding in San Diego due to my husband's work schedule and new baby!  She was married 01/11/11!  How cool is that for a wedding date!


Anyway, I made a VERY quick card Friday morning before we left and hurried and took a picture to post when we got back.  I call it a cheater card!  All it is is white card stock layered, corners punched with SU Ticket Corner punch, ran through my Cuttlebug using D'vine Swirl embossing folder, and popped up with dimensionals.  Then I used a package of Jolee's "Wedding Cake" to embellish!  Remember those?  I stamped inside the sentiment Jolee sticker with PTI True Black using PTI Fillable Frames #4.

Oh, and I used SU Silver cord!  Voila!  Super easy, yet elegant wedding card!

The gorgeous happy couple!

Latter-Day Saint San Diego Temple

Thanks so much for checking in today!

Have a great crafting day!

your're fin-tastic! - Create a Critter

I know I haven't been around the blogging or cyber world lately, but my schedule has been so messed up since the baby came.  It takes me all day to get anything done.  I work for a few minutes then have to feed a baby, work for a few minutes then have to get a drink, fix a meal, do some laundry, wipe a bottom, pick up some toys, change a diaper, do some dishes, wipe a face or nose, work for a few minutes, break up a fight, read a kid a book, work for a few minutes, chase kids around the house (they love that), change a diaper, feed the baby again, work for a few more minutes and hopefully then it is finished! 

Then here I am late at night taking pictures and posting!  All the kids are asleep even the baby's sleeping but will be awake soon for another feeding!

Today's card is for two challenges!  Yes, if I want to do even a few of the challenge I like I am going to have to double up!  Here's a link to a post of the challenges I like:  Challenges!  Challenges!

One challenge is Splitcoast Stamper's color challenge:  CC305:  Pretty Cherry Melon and the other over on The Paper Players which was just to make a Valentine's Day card.  Who doesn't need at least one or two of those?  So a perfect opportunity and reason to get one done.  AND the color challenge was perfect too!

Here's what I came up with:

 Fin-tastic Fish is cut from Create a Critter Cartridge at 2 1/2".

Recipe:

Card Base: SU  Cherry Cobbler 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" (folded)
Card front:  Pretty in Pink 4" X 5 1/4"   
Other Cardstock / Paper:  SU Melon Mambo, Patterned Paper SU Sending Love Specialty on clearance!
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, PTI True Black
Stamps:  SU Toucan of My Love
Accessories:  Bottons from Oriental Trading Co., Cricut & Create a Critter Cartridge, Cuttlebug & Tiny Bubbles embossing folder, SU punches, fancy pants All Fall Gingham Ribbon

Thanks so much for visiting me while I am

Hiding in My Craft Room a few minutes at a time!

Have a great crafting day!

Valentine's Day Card

Trying to get back into the swing of things one challenge at a time!  I made this card using this week's color combo challenge on Splitcoast Stampers:  CC304:  Poppy Parade, White, & Silver.  Perfect colors to get a Valentime's Day card done. 

Here's what I came up with!  I think it's pretty cute, but the picture doesn't do it justice.  You can't see the sparkle of the silver or the sentiment that reads, "happy valentine's day".  But it's a little crooked so that's okay!

Hearts cut from Cricut Lite Twinkle Toes Cartridge at 3".

Recipe:

Card Base: White 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" (folded)
Card front:  SU Poppy Parade 3 3/4" X 5", Silver paper from Target 4" X 5 1/4", Black 4 1/8" X 5 3/8"
Ink: PTI True Black
Stamps:  SU 1998 Set Nice Mice, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Accessories:  Cuttlebug & SU embossing folder, Ribbon from Dollar Tree!, Cricut & Twinkle Toes Lite Cartridge, Prismacolor pencils, Rhinestones

Thanks so much for visiting me while I am

Hiding in My Craft Room!

Have a great crafting day!

Happy Birthday Bash

My six year old has a birthday party to go to this Saturday and thought I better get to it.  I decided to use some of the paper from my makingmemories kit "animal crackers jack" from Cropchocolate.com, another submission for my Chocolatier assignment.  WOOHOO!! 

Also, I decided to use the MojoMonday sketch challenge.  Not only is it the first of the month, but the first of the YEAR!!  Get your mojo on!!!  OH, and it is CONTEST week with PRIZES!!  So check it out, get your mojo on, and maybe win a prize!  How can it get any better than that?

Here's what I came up with:

Elephant and layers were cut at 3".

Recipe:
Card Base: SU Blue Bayou  4 1/4" X 5 1/2" (folded)
Card front:  Kiwi Kiss 4" X 5 1/4", DP from MM kit  3 3/4" X 5"
Other Cardstock / Paper:  Pretty in Pink (tongue),  More Mustard
Ink: SU Blue Bayou
Stamps:  PTI Polka Dot Basics 
Accessories:  Creatology Wiggle Eyes, Cricut & Birthday Bash Cartridge, makingmeories Scrapbook kit "animal crackers jack", makingmemories ribbon

Thanks so much for visiting me while I am

Hiding in My Craft Room!

Have a great crafting day!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great day yesterday as we started a brand new year!  2011!  WOW!!  I can't believe how fast last year flew by!  Tomorrow if you're like me your kids will start back to school, and I'm hoping to get back into my routines and schedule but with the new baby that might be a challenge.  I'm sure my schedule will have to be tweaked to say the least!

I am just so excited to start a new year, too start fresh, wipe the slate, begin again!!!

I sat down a couple of days ago and thought about last year:  things I was happy about, things I would like to change or at least not repeat, and things I have learned from and could do either again or better.  In my thinking I wrote down a few goals or New Year's Resolutions.  I will share some here.  I actually wrote down 15.  These are not in any particular order.

1.  Scrapbook more memories
2.  Cook more often and better.  Eat healthier.
3.  Have better FHE's (Family Home Evenings).  In my church we are recommended to spend Monday nights with our family and have a little lesson, activity, and of course a treat!  One of my goals is to have ours be better, more spiritually based and less off the cuff.  Which on occasion is fine but I want them to be mostly more planned and prepared.
4.  Do more Video Tutorials.  I have so many youtube followers with requests and I have videos planned.
5.  Spend more quality time with my husband.  I think we do pretty good as a family, but sometimes our relationship gets put at the bottom of the list! 
6.  Write more in my journal.  I started years ago writing a Gratitude journal.  Every night all I do is right at least 5 things I am thankful for for that day.  Some days I can come up with 10 easily and some days I have to get real creative and say something like breathing to just come up with the 5! 
7.  Get my house less cluttered and more organized.
8.  Just be a better me!  I have this broken down and a little more specific, but you don't want to know THAT much about my faults, do you? LOL!

Thanks so much for checking in today!

I hope that through out this year my little blog will bring you inspiration and a smile! 

Have a great Crafting day!