Welcome Home

Now that I have had a time to catch my breath, I wanted to share with you a card and gift that I received from fellow crafter and friend Laura at scrapaddict4life.blogspot.com .

She sent this to me just prior to Thanksgiving and I wanted to wait and post it when I had time to give it justice. Don't you just love this card? Laura has appeared as guest designer on the websites and blogs of a lot of companies and you can see why.

As you may know I moved over the summer and Laura made this sweet mini for me. Don't know what paper she used--she will let me know and I will post it here (the Echo Park Life is Good collection--love me some EP Paper!!!).

The cover is acrylic and she expertly covered it with this luscious paper line.

These are two of the inside pages.

I love the great detail work that she put into the pages.

The color combinations are fantastic and again that attention to detail .

I thought this paper was fabulous especially with the numbers and then the journaling to go with it. Again, FABULOUS!!!!

 These are the final two pages of this sweet mini album.

I love how she incorporated the twine. The color is just perfect.

And this is the back of the house mini. 

I cannot say thank you enough to Laura. She is a very talented crafter and extremely creative. Thank you Laura for thinking of me and creating this spectacular mini to commemorate my new home.

Until then.

Christmas Lights

Well, on Christmas Eve I found myself out running errands late into the evening. On one of my shortcuts through the neighborhood, I came across this magnificently decorated home.

This is what I saw as I drove up to the stop sign. This home sits on the corner. As I drove past I was able to get a view of the side.

 All I had was my camera phone and I got busy snapping photos, attempting to drive and avoid other cars. We were all being looky loos. I went to the cul de sac turned around came back and was able to see the decked out deck and backyard. 

 

Can we all say professionally done? I don't think I would have attempted to put up lights were I one of their neighbors. Many of the houses were beautifully adorned, but the white and clearness of this home just caught my eye.

This is the final view I got as we drove away.

Absolutely love that blue sky and it is the one I tried to capture on my Christmas cards. There is nothing like the real thing.

Here's to a happy and prosperous New Year!!!

Until then.

2011 Christmas Card Reveal

Teasing Time is OVER!!! It is finally here--- the 2011 Christmas Card Reveal. It took a bit of doing but I was able to pull it off and get them into the mail in a timely manner.

 

This is just a small sample of the outside of the cards. As you can see each panel is a bit different. I initially wanted the panels to cover the entire front. Since this is a 6x6 card it was going to be increments of 1/4 inches. So I took what was left over and used it on the other cards but adjusted them so that they sat towards the bottom of the card leaving room for those gorgeous pearls on top. Therefore, not a lot of scraps. I used them . lol Here is another one.

Ok, now I get to admit to my error. On a couple of my musical ones, I glued the insides so that it was upside down. I used the "It's Christmas Time" to cover the print. tee-hee. I think it is more noticeable on this one. Will most likely try to do the same by covering the 'fine'. I was able to lift up the middle piece but I used the Scotch quick dry adhesive on the side panels and once down it was down. So had to improvise.

Hey, we can't all be perfect and I am first in that line. lol. So ready for the inside? Well, here it is. All of my inking punching and paper piecing came out to be this.

 

Can we say labor of love? That is certainly what this one was. I will use all of that valuable real estate on the back of the card to write and mat my handwritten message. 

I think they turned out well and will definitely do something super simple for next year. Every now and again I do love to go with the flow. 

Terri asked what punches I used. Here is a pic. 

They are all MS border punches: gingerbread, holly and ivy, pine needles, skyland snowflake, and presents.

Ok. So I snapped a few pictures. Here is another view.

When you untie the ribbon and open the card the steps move forward and sits beautifully. Every side is decorated. Now that I have had a chance to see T!m's Lamppost die, I definitely want it. This one is an Inkadinkado stamp colored in with Sakura glaze gel pens.

Oh, the ribbon is Anna Griffin...gorgeous.

Thanks for coming back to have a final peek at my 2011 Cards.

Until then.

2011 Christmas Cards Teaser 4

It's almost time to begin the ten day countdown to Christmas. Hope you are ready!!! Could not resist one more teaser before the final reveal. I am sure you will be able to put two and two together to come up with the finished project. So, here goes. This is the stamp set that I used to create santa, his sleigh, and his reindeer. I stamped him over the moon into the darkened sky. 

I added some snow dots and some of the Martha Stewart chunky glitter for a snowy effect to the base of the house.

These are my completed paper pieced friends. They are from the Joys of the Season's Cart--the Carolers and the Girl with Presents. Again, paper piecing is not my thing, but I think they turned out pretty well. What do you think?

 

This will be the outside of card. I decided to use as little ornamentation as possible. 

 

Now, just trying to decide on what to put on the cover and how to close the card. Have a couple of options up my sleeve.

 

Someone asked about left over scraps that I have. As you can see, I maximize all of my paper to the fullest. If it means altering the design a bit, that is what I do so that I don't end up with a lot of scraps. 

Come back in a day or so and I should have the finished card posted. Thanks for stopping by and always remember to get inky in the Name of Love.

Until then.

2011 Christmas Cards Teaser 3

Have you cried, 'Uncle"? I know enough with the teasing already. Wanted to pop in and quickly give you something to drool over. This cute little house almost drove me to the nut house. I mean how many can you put together before you go batty? I am still counting but the wings are getting in the way. lol

I must admit that these cards are a labor of love. I am only making 12 of them. Yup, anymore than that, I would be having a miserable Christmas season. The card just kept morphing and taking on a mind of its own. I kept trying to follow my muse, but finally had to stuff him in a closet until I regained my sanity. Maybe one more teaser before the final card.

Check back to see. Ummm...did I mention this house is only 3.50 inches? Yeah. Until then.

2011 Christmas Cards Teaser 2

Just cannot resist teasing you a bit more. So what did the white piece of paper turn into? This lovely backdrop for my cards. The yellow sticky was punched from a one inch circle.

I used Adirondack Stonewashed and Distress Ink Chipped Sapphire to get the color depth. Kinda like it. Used some stickles for my drops of precipitation. lol. The layers are punched, embossed and inked using the Ballerina paper pad.
 
This one was my original and thought the sky much too light to be night time thus the addition of the Chipped Sapphire. Huge difference. 

Also nixed the glitter snow. Too chunky. Hope I can find my flower soft to sprinkle some on my bottom step and the ...ooops. About to give away too much. Check back later for that. lol


 

This cute little guy is part of a pair (Joys of the Season) and will occupy a step on this stepper card. Off to do some more paper piecing. Let me just say that PP is not my forte. Aaarrggghhh. 

 
Getting my fingers inky...is. Until then.

2011 Christmas Card Teaser

Hello everyone and welcome to the wonderful, mind boggling, giddy season known as Christmas. I have been busily working on my Christmas cards and neglecting my poor blog. What do you think of these colors? They are from the Recollections Ballerina paper pad.

Wanted to let you know that I am still active and creating. So, to whet your appetite I will post some of the papers and items made for my Christmas Cards this year.  

Keep checking back to note my progress and give shoves as needed. Tee-hee. Mmmm. Wonder what this is going to turn into? While I am steadily getting my fingers inky, I hope you are too. Until then.

Just a Few More

Just a few more of the cards from my Vee-dio. I had a blast making these and hope they give you a bit of inspiration for your card making and scrapbooking endeavors.

Remember to keep thinking and inking in the name of LOVE.

Until then.

Officially Fall

There is nothing like a leaf covered lawn to signal the arrival of fall. As my son and I sat on our deck, we truly realized the meaning of fall as many of the trees in our yard shared their bounty with us by falling to the ground. 

After awhile I asked him to get the push broom to clear the deck while I prepared lunch. He came to the kitchen door to tell me that  it was a losing battle. He said, "Mom, that tree is fighting against me." As soon as he had one half cleared, the other became covered again.  I made him keep going anyway. 

I got an awesome Fiskars rake at Tuesday Morning along with one of the leaf collection thingy...it is GREAT. If I can find some pics I will post them. Makes raking and bagging leaves a breeze.

The next day we filled about 5 bags of leaves and called it a day. The wind and rain has since brought more leaves our way. The lawn is now a jeweled splendor of nature's hues. I just love it. Here are a couple of more variations of the cards I made in my YT Vee-dio.

Keep inking in the name of love.

Until then.

Falling Into Fall

Happy Fall EVERYONE!!!! I know it has been awhile, but I have posted some vids on my YouTube channel so be sure to check them out: The Couture Crafter.

On to some of the cards I shared in my latest Vee-dio. This way you will get a chance to see them up close. The stamp is an Inkadinkado cling and the leaf punch is from EK Success. The embossing is the CB folder Musical Flourish. (i think)

These were done solely by using distress inks as the medium. If you see a bit of sparkliness, that is from my Sakura stardust pens. Love those.

The one leaf on this one was covered with some of the Martha Stewart clear glitter. Really like it as an accent. As always, thanks for stopping by and keep inking.

Until then.

Slimline Cards

Hello Friends,
I know it has been a long time between posts, but I have been active. I recently moved and finally have my own dedicated craftroom. In my excitement the majority of my time has been spent in there painting, decorating and organizing. If you want to check on my progress please visit my YouTube Channel and take the journey with me. In the meantime here are some of the cards I created using the bases from the Slimline video. I simply added a sentiment and a few other embellishments.

These were sent with a thank you gift for the ladies in my Yahoo group who entered the June challenge which was to use an embossing technique that I shared in some previous Vee-dios. The entries were great and provided me with more ideas and scraplifting opportunities.

Wanted to find something to share so you all would not think that I had fallen from the face of the Earth. I made some great progress on my room today and hope to finish by the weekend. Stay tuned.


Until then.

Masculine Thank You

Hello everyone. I have been busy these past few days. Closing out school and getting ready for summer takes so much out of me. I still have school things in my trunk...I will get them out one day. lol

With that said, my son selected a Pet Smart gift card for his teacher for the end of the year appreciation. Of course, I had to make a thank you card and this is what I created.

He wrote his own personal message on the inside. I really like the way it turned out. I attempted to create the look of several layers of print without adding bulk. I used a variety of Distress Stains and then over stamped with a script font. I jazzed up the bottom with the Martha Stewart Cherish border punch and inked all of the edges with Vintage Photo. The ribbon is American Crafts. Hope you enjoy it and that it gives you ideas for crafting your own slimline cards.

This creation has definitely been inked with a lot of love. One thing led to another and I created several others along this same line and wanted to see how much I could make each unique. Will share those in another post.


Until then.

Fulfilling Your Dreams

So many of you have emailed me thanking me for the Bob Proctor videos I have sent you. I'm so glad you're enjoying them and today I have one more for you...
This one is a little different though... 

Here's the scoop:
Bob's just made some updates to Six Minutes to Success and he'd like to offer you a preview membership before he officially releases it. 

Six Minutes to Success is a way for you to get videos just like the ones I've been sending you Every-day, and use them to massively increase the results in every area of your life. He giving you access for just $1 USD. Really? Yes, one buck to change your future and put you on the road to success. You have nothing to lose--except $1 and the chance to totally revamp your life.

He shares all the details for you in this video: This one is so powerful it has a warning label on it.
Click here to learn how to achieve your dreams

Until then,
Veronica

P.S. There are only a limited number of preview memberships available. If you want one you should get it here today:
Fulfilling My Dreams

TNT```This one will blow you away

Hello everyone,
Well, so many people wrote in after Friday's video that Bob figured he'd send you *another* one today.

This video is about you, and you can see it here:
Video about Me!!!

In this video he covers:

• The one thing that stops 95% of people from reaching their goals
• The process to massively increase the results in every area of your life
• What is dictating your bank account, relationships, appearance and opportunities.
• The missing piece between good intentions and incredible results.

This video is critical for your success!
I want to be successful!!!!
Take a look and apply the lessons to achieve success.
Until then.

P.S. This is the same info that helped an Olympic gold medalist. Pretty cool. Help me Too!!!

Paradigms

Just what are they and how do they impact/control our lives? 

In the last video, Bob Proctor talked about two bicycle mechanics, the Wright brothers, and how they introduced us to a new kingdom.

They were two ordinary guys who did what people had been trying centuries to do, get a motored object in the air. 

They didn't know HOW to do what they did, they just know that they were going to do it. That thinking is what has made it possible for us to fly anywhere in the world today.

I'm sure you have big ideas and great things you want to accomplish, and haven't yet made it happen because you don't know how or where to start.

Good news is, you don't have to know how.
In this brand new video, Bob lets you inside his head and tells you exactly how to get past this huge objection.


Tune in to Bob's newest video as he shares what is holding us back from success and what to do about it. 

I love his teachings; they are simple and easy to apply. 

Don't miss out on your chance to reshape your Paradigms and thereby change your Life!

Until then.

Achieving Success

Hi Blogger,
If you landed here today, you are in for a super treat.  Without knowing it, this could be the best day ever for you. On my YouTube channel I share a lot of crafting and scrap-booking techniques with viewers. By far this is the most important video I'll share with you that I did not create. If you feel like you are stuck in any area of your life you really need to watch Total Success Techniques.
This is presented by none other than the awesome Bob Proctor. I have watched, read, and learned from Bob for many years now. When I put his advice into action, I can see the results. Bob explains what the secret to life is and how to specifically achieve your goals. If you feel you already know what it is, see how yours stacks up against what one of the greatest teachers on success has to say by watching Bob's Video.

No Charge :)

Vee

P.S. If you've ever bought a personal-success product or book, only to have it gather dust on your shelf, this will really help you. I have seen a number of people teach these principles but to date this rates as the #1 Vee's Pick.

CropChocolate Design Team June Layout

This month's theme is 'All About Me'. I needed that since this is the one person I rarely focus on in my pages. Here is my take shown on this two page layout. I decided to go with the musical notes and took liberty with the ME.

All papers and alphas are from Fancy Pants.  The music notes are Recollections and the flowers --I can't recall.

This is the base paper used and I tried to mimic the lines of a staff although they get buried under the photos. I used the Martha Stewart Crown border punch.

Next, I added the photos after matting them to white card embossed with the TH Music Texture Fade Folder.

Both of the larger photos are cards with space underneath for hidden journaling and/or personal photos. I die cut the center and turned it around and glued it back into place to add a decorative element. The butterflies and leaves are from Mrs. Elizabeth's line. One opens to the left and the other to the right.

The remaining elements were added. The 'All About' are Making Memories flat sticker alphas and I matted them to black to bring them out a bit. Wanted to use my white Thickers but had packed them away. 

These are photos of me over the years. Many taken at school and I never know quite what to do with the leftovers. Well, here they are!!! There are more small ones that will go inside the card...So how many looks can one person have? If you are judging by me....MANY!!! I love changing my look. The most recent photo is the one under the word Smart. It was taken in Feb/March of this year.


Thanks for stopping by. Remember to keep inking in the name of LOVE.
Until then.