HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY

February Secret Sister Swap to Charleen

2012-02-17T18:06:00.003-10:00

Wow, I can't believe I have so much to post practically everyday for the past week or so. I think this is my last Valentine's Day card.

I was Charleen's secret sister for this month. The theme was to make something with hearts. If you look closely, you'll see the hearts between "SWAK" and I also added a beaded stick pin that has a shiny red heart? Can you see it? I'm having a blast making a bunch of these pins. Almost as much fun as making cards. LOL

"Popcorn the Bear" stamp by Crafter's Companion was inked up with Copic markers. I wrote in "For You" on the tag. The S.W.A.K. stamp is by Studio G. Also, used Spellbinder dies, Distress Ink, DP by Bo Bunny, flowers by Wild Orchid, Prima, and Mulberry Bear, leaf punch by Martha Stewart and EK, pearls by Kaiser Craft, and the gold circle embellie (don't know what it's called) is from Hand-to-Hand Crafts store in Hilo.

Hope you all enjoy the long weekend doing what you love most.....crafting.

Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!

January Anything Goes Swap to Jo

2012-02-16T17:18:00.002-10:00

Happy Thursday!!! Hope your week is whizzing by as we head into a LONG weekend. YAY!!!

Before February is over, I want to share this cheery and flowery card I made for my January card swap partner, Jo over in England. Oh dear, I think the postal service must be short-handed as it too 5 weeks to get to her. I'm just happy she received it.

When I saw the flower pot Spellbinder dies at Island Scrapbooking (IS), I knew I had to add it to my collection. It comes in various sizes....so cool yah? And me being a lover of dots, couldn't resist the DP by Reminisce, also from IS. Ohh, and rummaged thru my DPs and found a coordinating stripe DP by Stampin' Up. To add focus on the "smiley flowers" I added the circle and large scallop die cuts by Spellbinder.

Other supplies: Flower punch by Marvy, Distress Ink, leaf punch by Martha Stewart, smile stickers (sorry, I tossed the label), bee brad by Eyelit Outlet, ribbon by Offray, and black Dew Drops (RAK).

If you're interested in joining he swap, click here for the deets on Shirl's blog.

Thanks for stopping by and have a happy and crafy evening.

A Sweet Award from Leanne and Sweet

2012-02-15T18:28:00.009-10:00

Woo-hoo, I received a double dose of sweetness that my blog got a Liebster Blog Award from two amazing friends I met in blogland. You made my day Leanne and Sweet.
Here's the to-do list of any Liebster award recipient:
A short introduction about Liebster Blog Award: 'Liebster' is German for 'dearest'. The award is a 'share-the-love' arrangement, given to inspirational bloggers with less than 200 followers
1) Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog
2) Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
3) Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
4) Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserves to be noticed.
5) Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog

A million thanks to my blog friends Leanne from Finding my Groove and Sweet from Sweetland Paper Treats. They are two AMAZING, I mean REEEEAAALLLY AMAZING and SO CREATIVE. Hugs to you both.

It wasn't easy but here are my 5 picks for this award.

1) Colleen 4hawaiianmonkeys.blogspot.com
2) Tammi tropicaldreams-17.blogspot.com
3) Linda lifeofagirliegirl.blogspot.com
4) Rachel loveandsushi.blogspot.com
5) Jo mycraftingcorner-jo.blogspot.com

Hop over to their blogs and see their awesome creations. You'll be inspired.

Thanks again Leanne and Sweet. I really appreciate it.

Big Hugs,
Karen

February Secret Sister Swap from Amy

2012-02-14T17:17:00.004-10:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY PEEPS!!! Hope your day is a SWEET one. Hubby surprised me with the Girl's Day Stamp set by Dandelion Designs and a gift card. Woo-hoo.

Today, I so excited to share this super sweet card I received from Amy Young. She was my secret sister in Kris' Secret Sister Swap. Oh, as soon as I picked up my mail from the post office and saw her name on the envelope, I was thrilled to the max. She's a Stamping Queen for sure. Check out this adorable card she made. I love all the sparkle too. Don't ya think the image is cute?
Here's a close-up.

And some sweet embellies...... pretty crocheted flowers, hearts, and ribbon.

THANKS A MILLION AMY. I LOVE 'EM ALL!!!! I'm having so much fun doing swaps. Click here if you'd like to check out the deets on Kris' blog.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all. XOXO

"XOXO" from Keitaro

2012-02-13T16:49:00.004-10:00

Did everyone survive Monday? Hey, long weekend coming up. YAY!!!

Here's Keitaro by Sister Stamps sending you hugs, kisses, and some love. I inked this cutie up with Copics and wrote in "xoxo's" in the string of hearts he's holding. The washi paper is another from Japan. When you don't have a stamp for the words you want it's great to print them off the computer as I did with "I love you."

Quickie post today as I have 2 huge loads of laundry waiting to be folded or ironed. Ugh. I'd rather be crafting. LOL
Other supplies: Circle, scallop, and heart dies by Spellbinder, corner accent by Sizzix, Distress Ink, Dew Drops, Ribbon (no name), and button (RAK).

Thanks for visiting.....I really appreciate it. Have a great day / evening and HAPPY CRAFTING.

Favors for Annual Installation Dinner

2012-02-12T11:00:00.010-10:00

Happy Sunday Peeps! Hope you're all having a fab weekend and getting in a LOT of crafting time.

Yesterday was a great day as I went to the doc to get my cholesterol blood test result and was thrilled and surprised that it's down to 134. Woo-hoo, that's great news especially since it was up to about 249 a few years ago. Although I'm taking a low-dose med., I guess it also helps to try an eat healthy....no chicken skin, no egg yolks, read the nutrition labels, etc. My hubby thinks eating scrambled egg whites is "gross." LOL, ha-ha-ha. I still cheat a little once in a while though. :-)

The FCE (Family and Community Education) club that I recently left was so sweet and invited me to their annual Installation Dinner at Nihon Restaurant which was last night. Everyone brought a $10.00 grab bag and some prizes for some FUN games. And also shared some goodies / favors with each other.

There's a lot of pix to share from last night (plus I have a couple of Valentine's Day cards) so I decided to post them throughout the week. Otherwise, this post would be too L-O-N-G. Today, I'll share the favor I made using the Sizzix "Box Shaker" die.

Here are the leaves and flowers punched out. The leaf punch is by Punch Bunch and I distressed the edges of each leaf a bit. Can you see that???? The red flowers are from a Marvy punch and the yellow ones by EK. Hey, I thought I sold that punch for the yellow flowers so I bought another only to find my original punch hiding in the corner of my organizer. Oh well, now I have a back-up. LOL

I inked up Fairy Princess by TGF with Copics and gave their wings some sparkle with Stickles.

And here they are ready to affix to the box. If you enlarge the photo, you may be able to see that I lifted the petals of the yellow flowers to give it dimension. I also ran carpet thread in the button holes using carpet thread. These itty bitty buttons were purchased at Walmart.

This is the container of YUMMY individually-wrapped cookies from Costco.

Since 4 cookies in the individual plastic wrap wouldn't fit into the box, I removed them and put them in the 3" x 3" plastic "Ziploc" type bag and thank goodness it fit perfectly. You can't see it but there is a clear plastic taped to the back of the window opening which I cut using my Spellbinder die. Ohhh, I thought it was gonna crack my Hot Shot cutting pad as it's a bit thick. Eeee yikes. The Clear Plastic Sheets is by Paper Accents.

And WALA, here are the finished favors with the sheer-dotted ribbon (no brand name) to keep the flap closed. WHEW!!! When I first started making these, I didn't realize how much time it would take. Talk about craft-burnout...hee-hee, but I was HAPPY with the results.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend and thank you for popping in for a visit. Hugs!!!

Love is for Sharing

2012-02-09T21:02:00.007-10:00

Happy Day Peeps! Valentine's Day is just around the corner and I'm entering this Precious Moments card in three challenges. How FUN!! This image is from a set I got at a garage sale and it's definitely a "keeper." A true oldie but goodie.

I love dots and couldn't resist the hot pink DP by Bo Bunny which I got at Island Scrapbooking. And there's more dots on the heart using my Cuttlebug embossing folder. The image was inked up with Copics and butterflies added using the Martha Stewart punches. I'm hooked on flowers and accented this card with flowers by Prima and Wild Orchid. Do you see the beaded stick pin? I think it's soooo cool. A dear friend sent me a set as a RAK a while ago and I think this one goes perfect with this card. In fact, I loe them so much, I ended up making a whole BUNCH of 'em too.

On with the challenges I'm entering:
Lollipop Crafts - Challenge #66 - "Make a Valentine's Day Card"
Wild Orchid Challenge - Week 42 - "Love Is"
Creative Inspirations - Challenge #149 - "Lots of Love"

Other supplies: Spellbinder dies, leaf punch by EK, Distress Ink, and pearls by Kaiser Crafts.

Thanks for visiting and HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY!!!

Have a Purr-fect Day

2012-02-07T22:04:00.004-10:00

Hey Peeps. Have you heard??? Kim posted a sketch on her blog so we can all enter our cards and play along. She may even throw in a prize or two. Woo-hoo. The deadline is 2/29 so ink up your images and join in the fun. Click here for the deets on her blog. A new sketch will be posted on the first of each month. Thanks Kim!!!!

Here's my entry that I eagerly made tonight. How fun!!!

Supplies: Image by Penny Black, DP by Dilly Dally, Doodlebug, and Bo Bunny, Spellbinder dies, Copic markers, punch by EK, "Adorable" rub-on by American Crafts, Button embellies by Sassafras, and Dew Drops.

Thanks for stopping by and have a happy crafty day/evening.

"Valentine's Send a Hug" Card Drive

2012-02-06T16:58:00.007-10:00

Helloooooo Peeps. Happy Monday! I'm sharing a card I made over the weekend to send to Jen as she and her ministry have a handmade card drive to brighten the day of "locked up youths" for Valentine's Day. Hop over to her blog here for the deets and join in on this great cause.

This image is by Penny Black, one of my fave stamps. I just love this fuzzy cat. And I couldn't resist using the leave die cuts and flower I recently received from Dora. She's so sweet.

Other supplies: DP by Making Memories, "With Love" stamp by Stampin' Up, Copics, Spellbinderdies, Distress Ink, Heart punch by Martha Stewart, ribbon (no name), heart sticker by Sticko, and Ric Rak.

Thanks for visiting and have a relaxing and crafty day / evening.

Baby Shower Invitations

2012-02-05T12:39:00.009-10:00

Hello Peeps! Hope you're enjoying the weekend. Is anyone watching the Super Bowl today? Just 30 minutes from kickoff so I'll try to get this posted quick then get the grinds out before our son and his girlfriend arrive to for big game. He gets off work in a couple of minutes and I bet he's been looking at his wristwatch a million times throughout his shift. LOL.

Just want to share the inspiration I experienced when I attended our cousin's wife's funeral yesterday. In January 1999, at the age of 38, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and fought with an unbelievable positive outlook on life and tremendous perseverance through adversity. She did not allow cancer to run her life and touched the lives of many, including those facing the same challenges as she. We all face various challenges throughout our lives and I was so touched by her strength and courage. A scholarship was also set up in her name. What a wonderful tribute to her. So please get your mammogram ladies and take care of yourselves.

On with the invitations. Using my Sizzix "Card, A2 flap" die, I made some invitations for a baby shower. Keeping it "neutral" since it wasn't definite if the mother-to-be would have a girl or boy, I used a few different CS from my K & Company stack. The bear image is an oldie but goodie from my stash which I thought was perfect in size and just the fact the the bear was holding an umbrella fits the baby "shower" event.

Here's a yellow one with green dots....

...and one with multi-colored dots....

....and stripes...

...and larger dots....

Here's a peek inside....

and here's all 12 of them.

Other supplies: Spellbinder dies, Copic Markers, Distress Ink, and punch by EK.

Oh, it's almost time for kick off. I better get out the grinds. Which team are you football fans cheering for? We have Giant fans in our household.

Have a happy Super Bowl Sunday and thanks for popping in for a visit.

January Anything Goes Swap from Jo

2012-02-04T08:03:00.002-10:00

Happy Saturday Peeps. Hope you all have fun and a lot of crafting time.

Here's another happy mail I received. This one is from Jo who was my January Card Swap partner. Isn't this pretty and cheerful? I love the scalloped edges 2-tone color combo. Thanks Jo.

I'll post the card I made for her after she receives it. I'm just crossing my fingers that it didn't get lost in the mail as I sent it the first week in January. I guess going to England takes a while.

Jo also sent me some cool die cuts and embellies. Perfect for Valentine's Day. In fact, I already used one of the buttons. Check out Jo's awesome blog here for some inspiration.

If you'd like to join in this fun swap, click here for the deets on Shirl's blog. Thanks for coordinating Shirl.

Thanks for stopping by and have a sunshiny weekend.

Happy Mail from Dora

2012-02-02T17:11:00.006-10:00

Hi there Peeps. Hope your week is going well.

I want to share another happy mail I received the other day. This is from Dora. Have you seen her blog? OMG, she is amazingly talented. I really admire her creativity and asked her about some leaves she used on one of her posts (not the one below) as I haven't seen them here in Hawaii. She so kindly cut some for me from her die PLUS added some extras from her other dies. I was so thrilled when I received them in the mail. It sure put a BIG smile on my face. Woo-hoo.

Below is the sweet card she enclosed with the die cuts. Isn't it precious?

Here's a pix of the die cuts. Those in the foreground are the ones I asked her about. I think they're ALL so awesome.

Check out Dora's blog here and you will surely BE INSPIRED!!! THANKS A MILLION DORA.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a crafty day / evening. Toodle-loo.

January Secret Sister Swap from Joy

2012-01-31T17:21:00.009-10:00

Hi Friends! Boy, when I went to the post office yesterday, I got a few happy mail. OH JOY.....literally. Check this Treat Holder that Joy (Joy of Crafting) made for me. It's 2-sided and each side has 3 pockets that fit clear plastic tube so perfectly. This would make a great gift or party favors. I couldn't help but case it out. :-) Oh, that candy looks so yummy and will satisfy my sweet-tooth after lunch and dinner. I'm licking my chops now.

Here's the back view with more yummy treats.

Joy also enclosed a pkg. of 12 binder clips labeled January thru December. That's so neat. I've never seen these before. THANK YOU JOY!!!!

If you'd like to join in this fun swap, click here for the deets on Kris' blog.

Thanks you poppin' in for a visit. Have a happy and crafty day.

Basket of Love

2012-01-27T17:45:00.003-10:00

Woo-hoo, YAY, the weekend is here. Hoping to get some crafting in for sure. How 'bout you?
Here's a card I sent to my craft pal who's been working very hard. I hope it put a big smile on her face.

Penny Black stamps are one of my faves for sure. Do you see that little heart charm hanging from the bow? I recycled it from a bracelet. Guess you can say I'm going "green."

Short post today as my "to do" list is quite long. I better attack it before it attacks me. LOL.

Supplies: Copic markers, Spellbinder dies, DP by Durham Enterprise, flowers by Prima and Wild Orchid, paper doily by Little Yellow Bicycle, flower punch by EK, leaf punches by Martha Stewart and EK, edge punch by Stampin Up, Distress Ink, pearls by Kaiser Crafts, and ribbon.

Thanks for visiting my blog and hope you all have a FUN, RELAXING, and most of all CRAFTY weekend.

A Card for Abbi

2012-01-23T22:02:00.007-10:00

Today I want to share a card I made for Abbi. She is an 11 year old girl from Germany whose mother is a good friend of Danni's. Precious Abbi is suffering from severe seizures and may need to undergo surgery. Please see Danni's blog for details on her card drive. Scroll to her 1/16 post. Let's spread some aloha.

Coincidentally, this card meets the theme the Lollipop Crafts and Wild Orchid challenges this week so I thought I'd enter this special easel card.

And here's a peek with the top folded up to form an easel.

Supplies: Bear image by Penny Black, Copic Markers, flowers by Wild Orchid, Prima, and Mulberry Bear, leaf punches by Punch Bunch and Martha Stewart, paper doily, and "Love" sticker embellishment by K & Co.

Thank you very much for visiting and have a WONDERFUL and CRAFTY day.

Miyako Loves You

2012-01-21T17:06:00.002-10:00

Hi All,
Hope you're all enjoying your weekend and getting some crafting in. I started this shaker card featuring Miyako from Sister Stamps Release #5 last night and just finished it. YAY!!! She's such a sweetie don't ya think? Of course, Miyako being Japanese, I wanted to give this card an Asian theme so I used another washi paper I got in Japan. Boy, they sell 'em in large sheets so cutting them is a bit of a challenge but I managed. Also, HAD TO add some cherry blossoms (from Wild Orchid).

Other supplies:
Copic Markers
Spellbinder dies
Micro beads by Martha Stewart
Leaf punch by Martha Stewart
Heart confetti by Sulyn Industries
Ribbon by Offray
Button sticker by Sticko
Clear Plastic Sheet by Paper Accent
Double stick mounting tape by Scotch

Thanks for popping in. I always appreciate your visits.

Have a Scrap Happy Day

Cute Yoshimi

2012-01-18T22:31:00.004-10:00

Hi Peeps!!! I just finished my card featuring Yoshimi from Sister Stamps Release #5. Isn't she a cutie? I'm so tempted to add a yellow bow and maybe some flowers but since I'm entering this card in the Lollipop Crafts Challenge #63, I need to refrain from doing so as the theme for this week's challenge is "no embellishments." Ohh, that IS a challenge. LOL . Since Girl's Day is coming up, I thought I'd choose a theme with an Asian flair using washi paper that I bought in Japan. I also embossed the red background with the Cuttlebug embossing folder. The "Happy Girl's Day" stamp is by Dandelion Designs. I think I'll give this to my mom.

If you'd like to enter one of your creations, click here for the deets. It's fun!!!

Other supplies: Copic Markers, Spellbinder dies, punch by EK, and Distress Ink.

Thanks for stopping by and HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY!!!

January Secret Sister Swap to Kathy

2012-01-14T14:31:00.000-10:00

Hello Blogging Friends,
Hope you're all enjoying the weekend. It's "Football Saturday" at our home with a whole lotta noise going on. One son can't even sit down to watch. LOL. This morning I ran my usual errands and also picked up my Sister Stamps Release #5. Oh, they are so cute and I can't wait to ink them up.

I want to share this flap card I made for Kathy as I was her Secret Sister for this month. The theme was "Anything Goes." The die is by Sizzix which I got recently and LOVE IT!!! Can't get any easier than this. Just one piece that needs to be folded and decorated. For the front, I inked up this cute bear image by Hook, Lines & Inkers (an oldie but goodie) with Copic markers and surrounded him with flowers by Wild Orchid and Mulberry Bear. Of course, I "had to" add my little pooch by Dandelion Designs. I really like this DP by Prima Marketing because the design is not too busy. Got it at Island Scrapbooking. Other supplies: lace and fern punches by Martha Stewart, Spellbinder dies, grass stamp by Viva Las Vegasstamps, and pointed leaf punch by Punch Bunch.

I decided to put a pocket inside and tuck in a packet of carnation flower seeds. I'm glad Kathy likes the card. She said she'll plant the seeds in her garden. :-) Other supplies for the inside are: brads, edge punch by Friskar, and alphabets which my son gave me for Christmas the other year. OMG, I swear there were thousands of these itty-bitty alphabets that I took me several hours to sort by size. Well worth the time though. Now they're organized. YAY!!!

And here's a pix of the seed packet removed from the pocket.

Would you like to join in this very fun swap? Click here for the deets on Kris' blog.

Thank you for visiting and HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY!!!!

"My Sweetie"

2012-01-10T21:45:00.000-10:00

I've been seeing a lot of awesome Valentine's Day cards while blog hopping and love is definitely in the air.

I got this cute DP by Bo Bunny at Island Scrapbooking a few weeks ago. Just couldn't resist it.
The Precious Moments image is an "oldie but goodie" that I'll keep forever. Sweet yah? They just never get "old." OK, can you tell, I'll REALLY hooked on stitching my cards. I just wish I didn't have to haul it out of the closet everytime I need to use it. I need a craft room real bad for sure.....dream on.

To give my card more dimension, I used pop dots under the pink piece but I don't think it's very noticable in the pix. Woo-hoo, sure had a lot of fun making this card.

I'm entering this card in the Wild Orchids Challenge "Anything Goes." How fun!!!!

Other supplies: Spellbinder die (Label Eighteen), leaf punch by Punch Bunch, Flowers by Wild Orchids, butterfly punch by EK, "My Sweetie" sticker by K & Co., pearls by Kaiser Crafts, Distress Ink, ribbon, and charm (sorry, I tossed the label).

Thanks again for stopping by. Have a Scrap Happy Day and a crafty one too.

"My Valentine"

2012-01-08T19:42:00.000-10:00

Hi Peeps. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend and had time to craft. Today was "Football Sunday" again at our house. OMG, if you could hear all the noise my hubby and sons made your eyes would probably pop. LOL, they get SOOOOO INVOLVED. Sometimes I think it's more fun watching / listening to them than the game.

Thank you for your comments and prayers regarding our eldest son who caught a nasty "bug" the other week. He'll just fine now. Ohhh, but when he came over today, he showed me his hands and I could see where the "blisters" were as the skin was peeled off. Yikes!!! Thank goodness they're just about healed.

Last night I started on this card and oh boy, I was sure spinning my wheels on this one. After trying this and that, this and that, over and over again, I FINALLY put it together. I think my mojo was in outer space.

I showed it to my son today and he said he wants to give it to his girlfriend especially since they have 2 cats. He asked that I color "Eli" (male) gray with stripes and "Ripley" (female) brown with stripes. I asked him to look for a "love" sentiment on the web so I could print and apply it on the inside.

Yay, Lollipop Crafts is back with Challenge #62-Anything New Goes. I'm entering this card with the two cutie cats which is "new" stamp I got recently. Click here for the deets.

Supplies: Cat image by Penny Black, Stripe DP byDoodle Bug, Red DP (sorry, I used scraps), Spellbinder dies, Copic Markers, Distress Ink, Flowers by Prima, Leaf punch by EK, "My Valentine" stamp by Studio G, lace by Simplicity (Walmart), ribbon by Offray, corner punch by Marvy, heart stickers by Sticko, butterfly punch by Martha Stewart, and pearls by Kaiser Crafts.

New Year's Eve, I cooked and cooked, and cooked. And I can't believe I made cone sushi for the first time. I had lunch with my friend Faye the day after Christmas and she gave me some that she made. Ohhhhhh, they were sooooo delicious, I had to ask for the recipe. OMG, talk about "labor of love." This recipe is very time-consuming BUT worth every bite. Nowadays, cone sushi doesn't have much added to the rice as when I was a kid. This has a LOT of stuff inside.
Here's a pix. Are you craving some sushi now?

Thanks for popping in for a visit. Hope you all have a WONDERFUL and crafty week.

Celebration Favor

2012-01-04T18:47:00.000-10:00

Hi Peeps!!! Hope you all enjoyed the holidays. I'm glad I "survived." LOL.

Recently, we had litle family dinner at the Imiloa Sky Garden Restaurant in Hilo to celebrate my hubby's birthday and son's graduation. If you ever visit Hilo, this restaurant is a must if you love Prime Rib and Salt and Pepper Shrimp. Everything else from the buffet is yummy too. They even think of people like me by keeping several pieces of well-done slices of Prime Rib in a covered / heated dish. Oh btw, Prime Rib is served on Fridays and Sundays. Are you getting hungry?

I made some favors using a stamp that signifies good luck.

Here's a peek inside. It fits 3 mini Kit Kats perfectly.

And here's five of them. I didn't make one for myself....no need. :-)

Unfortunately, our eldest son and girlfriend couldn't make it. He caught this nasty and icky flu with full-on body ache, headache, fever, and chills. THEN these little bumps started appearing on his nose, hands, and feet. YIKES!!!! In all my years, I've NEVER heard of anything like this. Doc told him that's the type of flu that's going around and it's a virus so he had to just let it run its course. How thoughtful of him to stay home so he wouldn't "share" this "thing" with us. And his girlfriend is very sweet and chose to take care of him. Now that's true love. Otherwise, he'd be eating with a bunch of "blue" people because we'd be holding our breath to avoid catching that "bug." LOL.

Truthfully, we were sad they couldn't make it because it was supposed to be a celebration for her too as she also graduated from college. That's OK though, my cousins from L.A. will be visiting next week so we'll go out then.

Supplies: Box Shaker die by Sizzix, good luck stamp by Mari and Me, Spellbinder dies, Copic Markers, Edge Punch by EK, Washi paper from Japan, Satin Ribbon by Offray, and Distress Ink.

Take care, keep healthy, and thank you VERY MUCH for stopping by.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU

2011-12-30T23:15:00.001-10:00

As 2011 comes to an end, I'll remember the fun journey I've been thru blogland. Making new friends who share the same passion, being so inspired by other amazing bloggers while blog hopping, and reading sweet comments from all of you who visit my blog just made my year a fun-filled and fabulous one. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Here's a card for all of you with wishes for a bright, safe, healthy, and very prosperous New Year. The "firecracker" image is by Sister Stamps. Cute yah?

Other supplies: Branch die by Sizzix, flowers by Gakken which I bought in Japan, Copics, DP by DCWV, Distress Ink, Spellbinder dies, and "go" yen (a nickel) from Japan.

Well, I better hit the sack now. Need to wake up early to cook, cook, cook.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2012 "Lion Dancers" Calendar

2011-12-26T17:23:00.000-10:00

Hope you all had a SUPER Christmas and Santa was good to you. We enjoyed a nice little family dinner and I'm so lucky that the boys helped cook. The eldest and his girlfriend grilled some Leg of Lamb, our other son grilled some steak, cooked Spicy Tofu with Noodles, baked Lemon Lucious Pie, and mini Cream Puffs. I made Won Bok Salad, Korean Chicken, mini Spring Rolls....oh and the rice. Hee-hee.

Oh boy....what a FAB day!!!! Did anyone grab some bargains at the After-Christmas sales today? I sure did. Up at 6:00 and out by 7:00. Got some Xmas wrapping paper at 50% off so I'm ready for next year. YAY!!! Also, got some BARGAINS at Ben Franklin Crafts and Island Scrapbooking. WHAT A SCORE!!! WOO-HOO!!!!

Enjoyed lunch with my friend Faye today. We were both craving noodles (of course...my favorite) and had the Special Mein Soup at 1-Plus-1 Cafe. They make DA BEST. Ummmm, I could go for another bowl right now.

I wanna share my very first "hanging" calendar featuring the "Lion Dancers" image by Sister Stamps. I inked it up with Copics, cut out the image, then applied it to a red CS cut with my Spellbinder die. The red circle was then affixed to the black scalloped piece. Here's how this idea came to be. The December month somehow tore off so I though, hey, why not make a hanging calendar. Something a little different. How do you like the washi paper? It's from Tokyu (not Tokyo) Hands in Japan.

Here's a closer look at the image. The red circle was embossed using an oriental design by Cuttlebug.

And here's the bottom section.

Other supplies used: Edge punch by Stampin Up, ribbon, and dowel. Our son's girlfriend loved the calendar so I gave it to her. She was all smiles. :-)

Thanks for stopping by and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

One Last Christmas Card.....I think....I hope

2011-12-24T16:42:00.001-10:00

Oh brother, just when I think I'm done with everything, I realized I'm short one card for one of our sons. So I just whipped this card out a few minutes ago. Whew!!! I hope that's it because I've already put all of my Christmas stamps and embellies away.

Anyhoo, this was a fun card to make. I already had the snowman image by TGF stamped so it was just perfect to make a card with it. I rummaged thru my collection of Christmas DP and pulled out this Christmas tree "Smirk" paper by Kyla May. OK, so why not add a Christmas tree button to my Happy Holidays image too.....make it at Christmas tree theme. Sounds good!
I finished it off by distressing the edge around the snowman, used my edge punch and Happy Holidays sentiment by Stampin' Up, applied a red-dotted ribbon by American Crafts, and of course, can't forget the Spellbinder dies. And wa-la......done!

Thanks for popping in for a visit and have a very Merry Christmas!!!! I'll be back very soon with a New Year's post. Keep warm and be safe. Oh, speaking about keeping warm, it was soooo cold last night I couldn't even craft because my fingers felt like ice. I spoke to my neighbor today and he said it was 50 degree F last night. OMG, that's much too cold for me. I'd NEVER survive on the east coast for sure. Toodles till next time.

December C.A.T.S and Chinese Pretzels

2011-12-23T18:57:00.001-10:00

Happy Christmas Eve Eve Peeps!!! Can't believe the big day is just around the corner. A few last minutes things popped up over the past few days. You know how that goes. Got those squared away. Whew. I'll be glad when we can sit down and enjoy our family Christmas dinner.....THEN hit the stores on Monday for some after-Christmas sales. Woo-hooooooooooooooo!!! That's probably the best part....for me anyway. I LOVE DEALS.

Have you seen that Hyundai commercial with the little girl singing Feliz Navidad with her dad? Oh, that is my fave commercial. She's soooo cute singing with her heart and soul. If that commercial comes on while I'm busy doing something, I always stop and run to the TV to watch it.

And did you watch X Factor last night? YAY, my fave won. Go Melanie!!!!

I want to share this sweet card I received from Mimi who was my December partner for C.A.T.S. (Card and Tag Swap). What a cute image and so perfectly colored. Love the DP too and rhinestone bling.

And here's the matching tag. Cute yah? I love the layout and embellies LOTS. THANKS MIMI!!! Check out her blog for some inspiring creations.

Oh shoots....another senior moment. I forgot to post a picture of the sparkling Christmas brads and embellies. Trust me, they are CUTE. I'll save them for my 2012 Christmas cards. THANKS AGAIN MIMI!!!

And here's a pix of the Chinese Pretzels I made the other night for gifts. Thought I'd share a pix for Colleen. Check out her inspiring blog too. She has her house so festively decorated.

Thanks so much for stopping by. HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS with your family and friends.

Star Christmas Card

2011-12-21T21:43:00.000-10:00

Edited on 12/22: I added the 3rd paragraph.....something I almost forgot to share.

Ohhh, only 3 more days till Christmas? Are you ready? I just got thru making some Chinese Pretzels for gifts and my son is eyeballing them.

Do you have young children or grandchildren? As a child, I gotta say, Christmas was quite boring. When we had our sons (3 of 'em) I had to make it EXCITING and FUN. Soooooo, I'd give them a "Treasure Hunt." Each son would be given a note at the same time. One note might say, "Look under mom's pillow." Another "Look in the dryer." The other, "Look under the dinner table." They'd scramble around only to find more notes (about 8) telling them to look different places. Oh how fun to see their joy and excitement. FINALLY, they'd find a gift and ripped off the wrapping to find something that was on their wish list. Oh, those were Kodak moments to see them jumping for joy.

One year, they "thought" they opened all of their presents and I told them gently, "Sorry boys, no Treasure Hunt this year," and they were fine. We ate breakfast, THEN, I asked them, "Are you ready for a Treasure Hunt?" They froze for a moment looking at me and each other, and happily replied, "YAH!!! YAH!!! YAH!!!!" And the hunt began. This particular year was exceptionally exciting because I told them they had to open the gift they found "at the same time." The reason is, they wanted a Playstation system that year. One opened the system, another the controls, and the third opened a game. WOW, TALK ABOUT JOY AND EXCITEMENT. I'll always treasure those happy moments.

I also did this for Easter. If you try this, please be sure not to hide a note or the gift near anything breakable. Yikes.

Here's a card I made from one of the embossed stars that Jeri sent me. OMG, I didn't see her for years and she found me while blog hopping. How cool is that? I was so surprised when I got an email from her. She wanted me to help her create something with it. Oh boy, I tried a few times buy my mojo was malfunctioning probably from holiday overload. LOL Anyhoo, here's what came up with....finally. I love the distressed effect so I thought I'd do it to the star and green background. If you zoom in, you'll see that I embossed the green CS with a pine embossing folder from the "Bird & Reindeer" set by Sizzix.

The images and sentiment are by Pink Cat Studio colored with Copics and Stickles applied to the round "Merry Christmas" sentiment. The stripe DP is by Making Memories. Embellies are a must so I added a peppermint candy by Darice to the center of the sentiment at the top, a candy cane by Dress It Up to the little girl at the bottom, and pearls (for buttons) by Kaiser Craft.

Jeri, thanks for the stars! Hey, did you know we are related (calabash) in two different ways?

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS. Be safe and keep warm.

Thanks for stopping by.

"Yuki" Ornament Card & Mochi Pounding Pix

2011-12-19T22:17:00.000-10:00

Hope you're all enjoying some nice and sunshiny days. OMG, we've been having rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, and more rain. And it's supposed to be worse tomorrow. Good grief.

Here's an ornament card I made for Linda for the December Secret Sister Swap. The "ornament" is made using a Spellbinder die. How fun! I placed the top on the fold to create this card then inked "Yuki" by Sister Stamps with Copics. The red cherry blossom is from Wild Orchids, small lavendar flowers by Mulberry Bear, large leaf punch by McGill, and small leaf punch by Punch Bunch. To give the leaves more definition I distressed the edges. I LOVE embossing folders and used dots by Cuttlebug on the green trim, then used an EK edge punch.
Here's a peek inside the card.

The sentiment is by Dandelion Design. Don't you think it goes perfectly with Yuki hugging her toy-filled Christmas stocking?

Now on to mochi pounding. Cely requested pictures and here they are. I wish I took more. Shucks.

The day before mochi pounding, we wash then soak a 5 lb. bag of mochi rice in water. The following day, the rice is steamed in a wood fired steamer until it's soft. Then it's transferred into a large stone bowl for pounding. Then several of the guys, each with a long stick, will poke at the same time to soften it more. Now it's ready to be "pounded" which is a 2-person operation.

Well, here I am getting ready to pound with my hubby.

We need to have good timing so we don't end up hitting the other person's "hammer." Also, a good aim is a must so we don't hit the side of the "bowl." If that happens (and I did it before), the "hammer" ends up with splinters. Yikes. Who wants to eat mochi with wood splinters? LOL. Good thing they always have extra hammers.

The men folks do most of the pounding but as each family's mochi is pounded, the members of that family get in a few "hits."

After the mochi is pounded several times, someone will turn the mochi by hand. Oh, and we need to be careful not to pound his hand too.....dangerous job. LOL :-)

Once the mochi is pounded, it gets transferred to a long table that is sprinkle with "katakuriko" so the mochi won't stick to table and our hands. The ladies then make kazari or ko mochi.

Okie dokie, that's Mochi Pounding 101. :-)

Nighty night and thank you for visiting. Have a great week.

Winner of my Merry Christmas Candy

2011-12-19T03:00:00.000-10:00

12/19/11 - Hi Peeps, just wanted to let you know that I received an email from Colleen. Congrats to her. Hope you all have a safe, warm, and Merry Christmas.

Hope you all had a great weekend. We went "mochi pounding" yesterday and had lots of fun seeing and chatting with our relatives.

The winner of my Merry Christmas Candy is COLLEEN whose name was randomly pulled by my son. Please send me an email by Wednesday, 12/21/11 at 9:00 p.m. (Hawaii Standard Time). If not, another name will be drawn.

Colleen said...
Thank you so much for a chance to win some fun and very generous blog candy. What you are giving away is looks super yummy. I espcially love the HK stickers. :) One thing on my list for my News Year's Resolution is to loose some weight.

Thank you all for visiting my blog and hope you all have a WONDERFUL and SAFE holiday season.

Hugs,
Karen

"Tweet" Christmas

2011-12-16T21:58:00.000-10:00

Quick post as I need to hit the sack and wake up early tomorrow.

Also, my candy is posted below this post.

Here's a card I made for Mimi who was my December C.A.T.S. (Card and Tag Swap) partner.
Silly me, I was trying to be "efficient" (yah right) and mailed the card to her earlier this month without the tag. OMG, when I realized it, I emailed her quickly to let her know. She's so sweet and told me not to worry. But I did get it to her about a week later.

I'm entering this card in the Lollipop Craft Challenge #61 "Happy Holidays." Gee, it's been a while since I last entered a challenge. If you'd like to enter, click here for the deets.

And here's the tag.

Supplies for the card:
Image by Penny Black, Snowflake embossing folder by Darice, DP by Crate paper and Stampin' Up, Spellbinder dies, Holly embellies by Dress It Up, Copics, Distress Ink, Button, Pearls by Kaiser Crafts, Carpet thread, and Poinsettia embellies (?....sorry, I tossed the label).

Supplies for tag: Spellbinder dies "Label Eleven," snowflake embossing folder by Darice, edge punch by EK, "To / From" stamp by Magenta, poinsettia and Xmas tree embellies by Dress It Up, ribbon by Offray, and Distress Ink.

Thanks for stopping by and HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

Merry Christmas Candy

2011-12-11T16:05:00.000-10:00

This candy is now closed. Thank you.

Happy Holidays Peeps. Hope you're all enjoying the spirit of Christmas. I sure am. My cards are done and will be mailed tomorrow. And I'm just about done with my shopping. What a relief.
BIG SIGH.

Since Christmas is a season of giving, I'd like to give you a chance to win more candy. I'm just thankful to all of you who visit my blog.

The lucky winner by random drawing will receive the following:

-Wave Flourish by EK Success
-"Messages" cling stamp set by Hero Arts
-"Special Little Person" stamp set by S.W.A.L.K.
-"Little Flower Circle" stamp by Hero Arts
-Mini cloud punch by Punch Bunch (great for little scenes)
-Mini Happy Birthday cling set by Studio G
-"Happy Birthday" Japanese character stamp by Stampettes
-Hello Kitty stickers by Sanrio (got it in Japan)

Here are the super easy-peasy rules:

1) You must be a follower of my blog.
2) You must leave a comment by answering this question. "What is one thing on your New Year's Resolutions list?
3) Please DO NOT post this candy on your blog, if you have one.
4) One entry per person please. Thank you.

Deadline to enter is Sunday, 12/18/11 at 10:00 p.m. (Hawaii Standard Time). The winner by random drawing will be posted on 12/19/11.

Hope you all have a warm and safe holiday season.

Good luck and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

December Secret Sister Swap

2011-12-11T16:01:00.000-10:00

Hellooooo Peeps! Hope you all had a great day. Our boss took us to Pescatore today for lunch and ummmm, the Chicken Marsala was "deeelicious." They say it's a "local favorite" so I tried it. That was topped off with a slice of Chocolate Truffle Cake. Oh boy, I practically rolled outa there. LOL

Today, I want to share this pretty card I received from Linda who was my Secret Sister for this month. I love all the sparkle on her card. Coincidentally, we were paired off and I was her Secret Sister too and she received my card the same day I received hers (yesterday). She's new in blogland so please welcome her and see her awesome cards at http://lifeofagirliegirl.blogspot.com/ She also became my 100th follower....a milestone for me. YAY!!! Made my day!

Here's a matching tag with dangling snowflakes. What a clever idea. Thanks Linda!!!!

If you'd like to join in this fun swap, click here for the deets on Kris' blog.

I'll post the card I sent to her in a few days. Until then, happy crafting and thanks for stopping by.

Setsuna Delivers Christmas Gifts

2011-12-11T16:00:00.000-10:00

I've had Setsuna by Sister Stamps inked up with Copics for a few weeks now and finally had time to finish this card. Of course, since he's delivering gifts, I needed to place him near a Christmas tree. This tree is from my Spellbinder Shapabilities "Nested Pine Trees" set which I just got at Island Scrapbooking last weekend. I love it. The brown brick wall background was made using a Sizzix embossing folder.

Other supplies used:
Distress Ink
"Happy Holidays" sentiment by TGF
Ribbon Banner by Spellbinder
Present embellies by Dress It Up
Peppermint candy embellie by Darice
Stickles

Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a GREAT week.

WINNER of my BLOGAVERSARY CANDY-Round 2

2011-12-09T01:00:00.000-10:00

Hope you're all warm and getting in some crafting. I'm freezing here....yup, in Hawaii.....burrrr!

CONGRATS to CYNDI. You are the lucky winner of my Blogaversary Candy - Round 2. Please send me an email posted on my sidebar before Saturday, 12/10/11 at 9:00 p.m. (HST). If not, another name will be drawn.

Cyndi said...
Congrats on your blogaversary! i have a lot on my wish list...copic refills, 6 x 6 paper, greeting farm stamps, dies, punches, etc. :) I want all the new stuff! It's crazy!

Thanks a million to all of you for visiting my blog. Hope you all HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY!!!

Hugs,
Karen

BLOGAVERSARY CANDY - Round 2

2011-11-30T17:31:00.001-10:00

This candy is now closed. Thank you .

This post will remain at the top until the deadline of this candy. Please scroll down to view newer posts. Thank you. :-)

Hi Peeps!!! Hope you're all having a fabulous week.

Are you ready for Round 2 of my 2-year blogaversary celebration? Okie dokie, here are the deets......

1) You must be a follower of my blog.
2) One entry per person please.....thank you.
3) Leave a comment telling me what craft item(s) is/are on your Christmas wish list.
4) Please DO NOT post this candy on your blog, if you have one.

Deadline is Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 10:00 p.m. (Hawaii Standard Time). The winner will be announced on 12/9/11.

I want to spice it up a bit so if I reach 110 followers BEFORE the deadline of this candy, I will post one more candy after the winner of this one is announced.

Here's a list of goodies the lucky winner will receive:
"Furry Embrace" stamp by Penny Black
Oriental girl stamp by Stampettes
"Thinking of You" clear mini stamp set by Studio G
"Congrats" clear mini stamp set by Studio G
"Seasons Greetings" clear mini stamp set by Studio G
"Dear Santa, I've been (naughty / good)" clear mini stamp set by Studio G
Sugarplums Holiday Emma by CC Designs
Glitter buttons by Elements
Snoopy Christmas House demensional stickers by EK Success

Thanks a million for visiting and good luck.

Hugs,
Karen

Mimi's Back

2011-11-30T17:27:00.000-10:00

And here's one more card with sweet Mimi from the "Mimi's Christmas" set by Penny Black. Isn't she adorable? Of course, I "had to" use my snowflake embossing folder by Darice again ....my fave. The holly punch is by Martha Stewart with berries punched from my "regular" hold puncher. I inked Mimi with Copics.
Other supplies: Ribbon Banner and Eyelit Circle by Spellbinder, "Merry Christmas" by Penny Black.

And here are 6 more. I'm so happy to say I'm almost done with my Christmas cards and have most of them ready for mailing. Wooo-hoooo, YAH!!!

Thanks for popping in for a visit. Have a GREAT crafty day!

Kiyoko Playing with Sparklers

2011-11-30T17:25:00.000-10:00

Hope you're all enjoying the weekend. I had a fab Saturday going to a couple of craft fairs in Hilo. Jenny's was the first and of course I got there 15 minutes before the start time. Hee-hee, that's me. Well, we go to the same hairdresser and since Debbie can't go to any craft fairs because she has to work, I asked if she wanted me to get something for her. She was so excited and asked for 4 Hello Kitty calendars (the long ones). I wanted to make sure I got those for her before they sold out and got pretty much first crack at them. BOY, FOR A SMALL FAIR, THEY SURE HAD AN ABUNDANCE OF AWESOME HANDMADE CRAFTS. WOW!!!

Today, I want to share this New Year's card featuring Kiyoko. What a cutie playing with her sparklers. I got the "tori gate" stamp by Megawa at Stamps 'n Memories last month. You know how sometimes you see a stamp and just know you gotta have it? Well, that was the case with this one because I thought it would be perfect for an Asian theme / scene. I added patches of grass (stamp from Viva Las Vegasstamps), cloud stickers (sorry no label on my pkg.), and of course that cute little pooch (by Dandelion Designs) to create a scene. Kiyoko and the cherry blossom branch are adhered with Pop-Dots to give it demension. The cherry blossom branch is a sticker by Mind Wave, Inc. that I got in Japan

Other supplies: Distress ink lightly applied (blue for the sky and green for the grass) and Copics.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you all HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY.

Hugs,
Karen

Dressing Up Shimo-san

2011-11-30T17:20:00.000-10:00

Happy Wednesday Peeps!

I just can't get enough of this snowflake embossing folder by Darice. See I told 'ya, you'd be seeing more of it and I still have one more to post with this embossing folder later....maybe next week. It's so perfect with this CUTE image of Shimo-san by Sister Stamps.

Other supplies: Banner die by Spellbinder, "Happy Holidays" by TGF, and Copics.

Here's the inside. The sentiment is by Hero Arts, snowflake punch by Marvy, and glitter cardstock by DCWV.

Woo-hoo, and here's seven of 'em. I had a blast making these.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a super-duper fabulous day!!!

Karen

WINNER of my Blog Candy - Round 1

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-10:00

Hello Peeps,
First of all, a great big hug to all of you for visiting my blog. It's been a FUN, FUN, FUN 2 years since I started my blog and I've been soooo inspired by many of you. THANK YOU!!!

Also, hop on back as I will be posting another candy very, very soon.....Round 2.

Wooo-hoooo, the lucky winner of my blog candy is LEANNE POE. Please send me an email by 9:00 p.m. on Friday, 12/2/11 (Hawaii Standard Time). If not, another name will be drawn.

Leanne said...
Happy Blogaversary Karen! Doesn't the time just fly by so fast?! Well it's been wonderful to come by and see your beautiful creations. I think the best present I have ever received was handmade cards made by my co-workers. That was really touching and very unexpected. o and this past bday my friends and family surprised me with a really awesome gift card. have a great week!

THANKS AGAIN TO ALL YOU!!!

Hugs,
Karen

SWEET CANDY TO CELEBRATE MY BLOGAVERSARY

2011-11-20T10:38:00.000-10:00

This candy is now closed. Please stop by tomorrow, 11/30/11 to see who the lucky winner is.
Thank you VERY MUCH for visiting my blog.

LITTLE NOTE: This post will remain at the top. Please scroll down to see my new posts. Thank you very much.

Has it been 2 years already? How time flies when you're having FUN!!! It's been an awesome journey for me filled with so much inspiration from visitors and fellow bloggers from here in Hawaii and afar. Your sweet comments also make my day. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

To celebrate my 2nd blogaversary I'd like to give you a chance to win some yummy candy. You'll have a chance to win the following: Flowers from Wild Orchids, a set of clear stamps for various occasions by Hero Arts, "Exotic Blossom" stamp by Hero Arts, Christmas penguins stamp by Dandelion Designs, 2 Hello Kitty paper clips and a set of Hello Kitty stickers by Sanrio I got from Japan, Disney stickers by EK Success, stamp with image of a cute gal with shopping packages by Dandelion Designs, and "let's go shopping" stamp also by Dandelion Designs.

I made it SUPER EASY and you don't need to have a blog to enter. Simply do the following:

- Be a follower of my blog (if you are not a follower already)
- Leave a comment on this post telling me what was the best gift you ever received for any
occasion.
- One entry per person please. Thank you.
- Please DO NOT post this candy on your blog if you have one.

EASY PEASY HUH?

Enter now as the deadline is TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011 at 10:00 P.M. HAWAII STANDARD TIME. The winner will be posted on Wednesday, 11/30/11.

Mark your calendars peeps because AFTER the winner is announced, I'll be posting another candy.

GOOD LUCK and thank you again for visiting my blog. Hope you all HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY.

Hugs,
Karen (aka KI)

Here Comes Mimi

2011-11-20T10:36:00.000-10:00

Helloooo Peeps!!! Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving and got to fill your tummy with LOTS of yummy food. Are you all ready for Black Friday???? Better put on your running shoes and good luck blazing thru the stores. Hope you get a steal of a deal on all your purchases.

I want to share another Christmas card featuring Mimi by Penny Black. I think she's such a cutie pie. When I started cutting around the branch, I didn't quite like the white border but you know what, after cutting around the entire branch, I LOVED it because it looks like snow. That image is from the "Magic of Christmas" set by Hero Arts.

Of course, I used my snowflake embossing folder again by Darice. My fave for sure.....and you'll be seeing more of it soon. :-)

Here's a peek at all six of 'em.

Other supplies used: Copics, "Happy Holidays" sentiment by Penny Black, Spellbinder dies, Stickles, and ribbon from Walmart.

Thanks for stopping by. HAPPY BLACK FRIDAY!!! Be safe and go get 'em.

"Yuki's" Christmas

2011-11-20T10:35:00.000-10:00

Hey Peeps! Hope you're all enjoying the weekend. Are you ready for Black Friday? I sure am.

A few days after I got my October release of Sister Stamps holiday images, I whipped up some circle cards featuring Yuki. Oh, I think she is such a cutie hugging her Christmas stocking full of goodies. At first while deciding on my layout, I used a solid green to trim the border but found that to be too plain. When I tried this stripe DP by DCWV and thought that was perfect. On most of the cards I made for this Christmas, I used the snowflake embossing folder by Darice. I love it!!!!

Here's a peek inside. The sentiment is by Art Impressions.

Since I made several of these cards, I inked up Yuki all at once with Copics.

And prepped the cards and insides like an assembly line.

And here's the seven cards.

Other products used: Spellbinder dies and Stickles.

Back from Japan

2011-11-18T07:27:00.001-10:00

Helloooo Peeps! We just returned from Japan a few days ago and I can finally share some pix with you. It's been crazy busy since we got back. This was my very first trip to Japan and my hubby's 4th. We stayed at the Hotel Metropolitan in Ikebukuro in Tokyo.

I was warned that there'd be LOTS of people but OMG it seemed more like millions. On the night we arrived, we decided to go to Seibu, a huge multi-level store at the train station. Not knowing when "pauhana" (end of the work day) time was, we got to the train station at about 6:45 pm. WOWZER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There was a MASSIVE AND UNBELIEVABLE number of "men in black" in their black suits and women in a constant flow scrambling thru the station. A couple of guys were full-on sprinting. I told my hubby they look like an army of human ants. LOL. Yikes! I hung on to my hubby's arm so tight so we wouldn't get separated. I must've cut some blood circulation in his arm. LOL. What an experience.

We did soooooooo much walking that by the 3rd day, I needed to take Aleve for my sore left knee. We just had to cut out the night time walking which put my legs over the edge. About the 3rd day, we caught the train to Ueno as we were headed to Asakusa. After getting off the train, hubby said, "Oh, I think we can walk to Asakusa. It's not too far from here." YEAH RIGHT. No way Jose. I told him, "We're catching a cab." WHOA, that was quite far. If we walked it, my legs would've fallen off, plus we'd probably get lost too.

Speaking of getting lost, we had to ask for directions so many times and shared some Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts (tetra packs, those little triangular pkgs.) to whoever helped us. Boy, were they happy. One security guard continued thanking us as we walked away. When we were about 40 feet away, I could still hear him. I turned around and he kept bowing and saying, "ARIGATO GO ZAI MASU." I smiled and waived to him. Glad we could spread some aloha. :-)

Shortly after getting out of the cab, a guy approaches us and "sold" us a ride on the rickshaw. HOW FUN!!! But poor guy, he was perspiring. Good thing we took the shortest ride. And here we are with the Hawaiian "shaka".....

OK this next picture doesn't look too appetizing but at Nakamise Dori we both ate the pumpkin age-manju. Jenny, you weren't kidding. That stuff was so good that after we made our round shopping and munching on other goodies, we went back and bought one of each of the other types and took them back to our hotel to eat though it's better to eat them fresh. They were all yummy though I didn't really care for the cherry and this other one with green specks. Don't know what that one was.

That's me in front of the temple. This is the largest temple I've ever seen. ENORMOUS!!!

One morning, my hubby looked out of our hotel window and saw snow-capped Mt.Fuji. Isn't that awesome? We heard it's rare to have a clear day and see the mountain. We were very lucky.

Hubby loves to watch Ultimate Japan. On this show he was introduced to the Matsuzaka Beef. Being a meat eater, he wanted to go to Satou Restaurant in Kichijoji that was featured on the show. Here's the owner showing him his steak before it was cooked. I had the sliced Sirloin steak that was $10.00. You don't want to know how much my hubby's meal costed. I almost fell off my seat.

Here's a shot of my hubby's meal. Looks ono yah?

There was a 7-11 near our hotel which we went to everyday. We had to try the ice creams we don't have here in Hawaii. Ummmmm, they were deeeeelicious!!!!

Lookie here. These were almost too cute and nice to eat. They were from the bakery in our hotel.

This last pix was taken as we were riding on the bus heading back to Narita Airport to return to Honolulu.

Hope you enjoyed the pix. I'll be posting my blogaversary candy within the next few days. I need to get my act together first.

Thanks for stopping by and HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY.

My November Secret Sister Swap to Gail

2011-11-13T04:00:00.000-10:00

Hello Peeps. Hope you're all enjoying your long weekend and crafting, crafting, and crafting.

When I found out that I was Gail's secret sister for November, I must admit that I felt quite intimidated because she sent me such an awesome swap as we partners for the October C.A.T.S. (Card and Tag Swap).

Well, the November swap for the Secret Sister Swap calls for "thanks." Hey, this was actually PERFECT because I got to create this card for her to thank her for the cool swap she sent me. It's the first time I used my new Scallop 3-D Pop Up die by Sizzix.

I'll start by sharing the inside of the card. I'm still hooked on my Fair Princess stamp set by TGF so I "had to" add these cuties to the garden scene.

Here's a close-up of the top half.

And the bottom half.

Here's the front of the card. Sorry, it's not a very good pix and I had already mailed it so I couldn't take another.

I having a blast with the swaps. If you'd like to join in the fun, click here for deets on C.A.T.S. (Joy's blog) and here for the Secret Sister Swap (Kris' blog).

Other supplies used:

Stripe DP by Stampin' Up; Copics; Ribbon Banner, circle, and large scallop dies by Spellbinder; "I absolutely love it" stamp by Stampin' Up; "Sending Smiles" stamp by Hero Arts; "Thanks" stamp by I think Hero Arts (sorry, it's not noted on the stamp); Grass and butterfly punch by Martha Stewart; Decorative Swirl by Sizzix; Stickles; pearls and rhinestones by Kaiser Craft

As always, thanks for stopping by. HAPPY CRAFTING!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNY

2011-11-10T08:00:00.000-10:00

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Jenny,
Happy Birthday to you.

See, I can sing in writing. You sure don't want to hear me sing in person. LOL.

Today is very a special day because it's Jenny's birthday. I'm sure you all know her as she and her sister Denise are the creators of Sister Stamps. Please hop over to her blogs and leave her some birthday love.

I said it before and I'll say it again because I really mean it. She's been a true inspiration to me and continues to be with her incredible talent and creations. THANK YOU AGAIN JENNY for introducing me to stamping. I'm having a blast and enjoying the journey. I'm hooked as hooked can be. If there's a cure, don't tell me 'kay. :-)

Just want to share the card I made for her featuring Kiyomi with a bold red background cut with my Spellbinder die and colorful washi paper by Intelligence.

I also gave her some goodies in this fry box by Sizzix.

Other products used: Copics, Happy Birthday stamp by Viva Las Vegasstamps, butterfly punch by Martha Stewart, and rhinestones by Hero Arts.

Jenny, hope you have a FAB birthday!!!

Hugs,
KI

Mimi Delivering Presents

2011-11-07T04:00:00.000-10:00

Hi Peeps,
Hope you all had a great weekend. Do you feel Christmas in the air? I sure do and want to share this next batch of cards I made featuring Mimi by Penny Black. She's such a cutie don't 'ya think? You'll notice on this card and a couple of upcoming posts, I'm enjoying my new snowflake embossing folder by Darice which I got at Ben Franklin Crafts recently. Just love the deep and crisp impressions.

Other products used are: pine branch and pine cone stamps by Stampin' Up, Copics, Stickles, Spellbinder dies, and sentiment by Lawn Fawn.

And here are six of 'em.....one for my collection. :-)

Thanks for popping in. Come again and hope you have a super-duper day. Hugs

NOVEMBER C.A.T.S.

2011-11-03T21:10:00.000-10:00

Woo hoo, it's the weekend and craft fair season begins. There's a few here in Hilo so I gotta check 'em out.

I got an early start on my swap and mailed it a few days ago so I think my partner received it yesterday or today.

This month's swap calls for bling/rhinstones. Using one of my fave new stamp set "Fairy Princess" by TGF, I thought I'd use glitter paper by Doodlebug to add more "bling." Got both at Island Scrapbooking.

I love to use flowers whenever I can so of course I had to embellish this card with flowers from Wild Orchid.

Other supplies for the card: Lace punch by Martha Stewart, Copics, Spellbinder dies, sentiment by TGF "Fairy Princess" set, Stickles, Distress Ink, butterfly punch by Marvy, leaf punch by Punch Bunch, and rhinestones by Kaiser Crafts.

Here's the matching tag I made for my partner. Same supplies as the card with ribbon from Walmart.

And here's a close-up.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all Have A Scrap Happy Day. Hugs!

Awesome Swap from My October Secret Sis Leanne

2011-11-02T20:52:00.000-10:00

Happy Hump Day Friends,
Extending the Halloween fun today by sharing this CUTE card I received from my October Secret Sister Leanne. I was surprised when I opened the envelope because I remember seeing this awesome card posted on her blog. I commented saying, "...guarantee her secret sister would love it." And it was ME. Oh, it just made my day. I'm definitely keeping this in my collection and "not sharing." LOL. THANK YOU LEANNE!!!

If you 'd like to join in this fun swap, check out Kris' blog here.

She also included some cool DP, Halloween stickers, and Dew Drops. I'm ready for Halloween 2012 now. :-)

October C.A.T.S. from Gail

2011-10-27T21:24:00.000-10:00

WOW, I must share this awesome swap I received from my C.A.T.S. (Card and Tag Swap) partner Gail. When I opened the envelope I was in total awe. First up, she created this Frankenstein slider card. The black CS is embossed with a spider web design....cool.

When I pulled the tab, up went Frankenstein and the Halloween sentiment appeared. Neat!

Gail also made this folded tag. Can you see the embossed webs. They're so deep and crisp.

She cleverly included two tea bags inside. Awesome! Hmm, which one should I drink first??? They both look "deelish."

And Gail topped it off with some stickers and a neat tag.

THANK YOU GAIL. I know you put your heart into your creations and you made my day!!!

Rolling Out the Christmas Cards

2011-10-24T18:55:00.001-10:00

I'm so excited to share with you today my very first of several Christmas card designs that will be sent to family and friends this holiday season. In past years, I made a whole bunch of one design. This year, I just couldn't decide on "just one" so I thought I'd create a few of several different designs.

Aren't these penguins cute and cozy in the sparking snow? It's from Penny Black's "Mimi's Christmas" set. The white glitter paper (snow) is by Doodlebug from Island Scrapbooking. The blue background is embossed with the snowflake embossing folder by Darice from Ben Franklin Crafts. Why not add more shimmer....so I added the sparking tree. I topped it off with twine by Jillibean, snowflake buttons (shank removed) by Dress It Up, "Keep Cozy" stamp by TGF in a "Grommet tag" by Spellbinder.

It's been a while since I last entered a challenge. Thought I'd enter this card in the Lollipop Crafts Challenge #54 "Embellish It" that requires 3 embellies. If you'd like to join in the fun, click here for the deets.

Here's a peek at the inside. Sentiment is by Hero Arts.

And here are the 6 cards I made.....of course, one is for my collection. :-)

Thanks for stopping by and HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY!!! :-)

C.A.T.S. Swap for October

2011-10-21T16:37:00.000-10:00

WOOOO-HOOOO, TGIF.....sigh. I can relax my brain this weekend. New program at work did a job on my brain cells. LOL.

I want to share this card I made for Gail, my October C.A.T.S. (Card and Tag Swap) partner. I'm not really into Halloween so I don't have a big collection of Halloween stamps. So I tried to make do with some oldies but goodies. First of all, I created a background with spider webs and distressed the edges. Since my stamps were tiny, I thought I'd sorta create a scene inside a circle then cut a piece off the bottom.

How do you like my "broken" fence? The only fence punch I have is the one by Martha Stewart. I wanted it to look old and scary so I cut off parts of it. Looks kinda creepy huh?

Hey, did you notice I zig-zagged the edge of the orange CS? If you read one of my previous posts, I mentioned that my junky old Pfaff was "going" and I couldn't do any zig-zag stitches on that machine because the thread kept cutting. Well, I finally brought in my mom's Viking (thought it was a Singer) only to find that the foot petal and cord for the outlet were missing. OMG, where in the world could it be???? I hunted for them with no luck then called Discount Fabric Warehouse but the cord is no longer available. And the foot petal cost about $95. YIKES!!! But that wouldn't do me any good without the cord. I hope hubby didn't dump it. I'll have to continue my search. :-)

Anyhoo, I decided to try my the zig-zag on my Pfaff again with a different color thread AND IT WORKED. I guess the other thread must've been "junk." Anyway, for now, I'm a happy camper knowing that at least I can use my oldie machine for that stitch. :-) :-) :-)

Other supplies for the card: Large webs, bats, and cat stamps by Hero Arts, grass punch by Martha Stewart, distress ink, Spellbinder dies, small webs and Halloween stamps (no name on stamps).

Here's the tag...

Supplies for the tag: Stamp (no name), word punch by Stampin' Up with a piece cut off, Copics, "To / From" stamp by Magenta, buttons from Walmart, carpet thread, distress ink, sheer ribbon (no name), and orange/yellow ribbon by Offray.

If you'd like to join in the fun swapping and making new friends who share the same interest, click here to see the deets from Joy's blog.

Hope you all have a fun, relaxing, and most of all crafting weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

October Secret Sister Swap

2011-10-18T19:03:00.000-10:00

Woo-hoo, tomorrow is Hump Day. Can't wait for the weekend to craft. I've been keeping busy making an assortment of Christmas cards to send to family and friends. Will start posting them in a week or so.

Today, I want to share this Halloween card I made for Brandi. I was her Secret Sister for the September swap.

I got Halloween Birgitta at Island Scrapbooking a couple of weeks ago. Thought I'd make brown grass so it wouldn't look too "alive." After all, it is for Halloween. LOL

If you'd like to join in the fun swap, click here to see the deets on Kris' blog.

Other supplies: Copics, Spellbinder dies, pumpkin stamp by Impressive Stamps, flowers by Prima, Distress Ink, grass punch by Martha Stewart, and rhinestone by Element.

Happy crafting and thank you for stopping by. :-)

Make a Child Smile

2011-10-13T19:46:00.001-10:00

Today I'd like to share some Christmas themed cards I made for the children at Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, CA. Kris is helping her aunty fulfill her need for cards to give to the children with a doll. Isn't that a sweet idea? If you'd like to make a difference and help in this wonderful and heart warming cause, please click here to hop onto Kris' blog, then click on "Make a Child SMILE card drive" at the top to see the deets.

And here's more....

.....and more.....

...and more...

Here's all that I sent to Kris and I hope it'll put a big smile on the children's faces.

Supplies used: DP by DCWV, Smirk, Imaginisce / images and sentiments: Dandelion Designs / The Greet Farms, Pink Cat Studio / Gingerbread man - Sizzix embosslits / Copics

Thanks to stopping by and HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY!!!

Hugs,

Karen :-)

Sweet Card from Danni

2011-10-12T21:47:00.000-10:00

Hello, hello Peeps. Hope you're all getting a lot of crafting going on.

Over the weekend I received "happy mail" from Danni. She was my Secret Sister for September and sent me a this super duper cute thank you card. Oh how I totally LOVE the image from the Loli and Poppy Collection. THANK YOU DANNI, you made my day. I have it on my craft desk and keep admiring it.

If you'd like to join in the fun swap, click here to hop onto Kris' blog for the deets.

A Fun Day at Island Scrapbooking

2011-10-08T21:58:00.000-10:00

Hey Peeps, hope you're all enjoying the LONG weekend. I hopped over to Island Scrapbooking this morning for their 8 anniversary celebration. Michele had a birthday card contest and here's the tri-fold card I entered featuring Cupcake Birgitta by CC Design. Since Birgitta is in a sitting position, I had to place her on "something." At first, I just had a brown piece of paper. That didn't look quite right so I rummaged thru my embossing folders and found one with a brick wall design by Sizzix. Ohhhh, perfect. Gee, I think I had that for about a year and this is the first time I used it. :-)
Here's what it looks like on the inside.

And here's a close up of the brick wall.

Other supplies used for the tri-fold card: Spellbinder dies, Copics, Happy Birthday stamp by Hero Arts, sentiment by Amy R stamps, DP by Reminisce, and red cardstock (Cherry Splash) from Island Scrapbooking. This cardstock is thick and very nice.

Here's a little gift I made for Michele to congratulate her on celebrating 8 years of her successful business. Of course I filled it with Kit Kats, her favorite.

Supplies used for the box: Sizzix "Carry All Box", Spellbinder dies, "Fairy Princess" by TGF, Copics, and pearls by Kaiser Crafts, and Stickles.

And finally, oohhhh, check this out. Jenny had a make 'n take. Isn't this cute?

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the rest of the long weekend. Happy crafting!!!

Hugs,

Karen

Playful Yoko

2011-10-03T22:23:00.000-10:00

Yay, I'm so happy I got to craft this evening. It's been crazy this past week and I think I was getting withdrawals from crafting. LOL

Finally got to ink up Yoko by Sister Stamps. Though I wanted to whip a quickie card just to get "something" posted since it's been a while, I decided to distress the edges of each piece while watching Hawaii Five-O. Ohhh, I just love the effect. I also hauled my sewing machine out from the closet......I find that such a chore....LOL. I really wanted to use zig-zag stitches but the thread kept cutting....ahhhh. So until I can get my mom's spare out from the shed, it'll be just straight stitches for now. :-) Other Supplies: Embossing folder by Cuttlebug, Copics, punch by Martha Stewart, doily, DP by Dilly Dally, leaf punch by EK, fern-like leaf punch by Punch Bunch, flowers by Wild Orchids, distress ink, grass stamp by Viva Las Vegasstamps, and pearls by Kaiser Crafts.

Hello Kitty Calendars

2011-09-27T17:17:00.000-10:00

Hello Peeps!!!

Here are some calendars I made to enclose with my Christmas cards this year. I enjoy giving a "little something" along with the card. Since my cousin requested another magnetic calendar, I whipped these up using assorted washi paper.

Alrighty, quick post today. Need to attack the "to do" list which is long.

Thank you very much for popping in. Hope you Have a Scrap Happy Day.

Hugs,

Karen :-)

Dancing Miyono

2011-09-22T16:55:00.000-10:00

Woo hooooo, one more day till the weekend. Hope you're all having a fantastic week!

I got to ink up Miyono last night. Doesn't she look like she's dancing? Let's just pretend she's at the Bon Dance. :-) Hmmm, maybe I'll use THIS layout for the Christmas cards I'll be sending to family and friends. See, I knew this would happen, I keep changing my mind. Soon I'll have to really have to decide and start getting my pieces cut. I have to make "only" about 45. Yikes!

Here's a partial side view. Nice and simple.

Supplies: "Miyono" by Sister Stamps Release #2, Copics, Spellbinder dies, washi paper, cherry blossom and buds by Wild Orchids, roses by Prima, leaf punches by Punch Bunch, and Distress Ink.

Thanks for hopping onto my blog for a visit. HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY!!! :-)

Have a Purrfect Day

2011-09-19T16:53:00.000-10:00

My son's girlfriend recently celebrated her birthday. They have 2 cats, Eli and Ripley. Being a cat lover, I thought I'd make her a "kitty" card.

I better make this a quickie post so I can get a bunch of things done before Hawaii Five-O. It was such a LONG wait for the new season to start. I can't wait to see what'll happen.

Supplies: Stamp and sentiment by Penny Black, DP by Echo Park, Spellbinder dies, Copics, Distress Ink, butterfly punch by Martha Stewart, pearls by Hero Arts, and paw stickers.

Thanks for popping in!

Awesome Swaps

2011-09-18T12:19:00.001-10:00

Are you all enjoying your weekend? I've been keeping busy the past several days making mini magnetic 2012 calendars which I'll enclose with my Christmas cards. Hmmm, but I'm contemplating whether I should post them before or after I mail my Christmas cards. :-)

Are you like me.....love space and having things organized (though that's not always how things are)? Well, this morning, I attempted to put this huge container of Whey (a protein powder) away into my kitchen cabinet that my son left on the counter. Well, I definitely needed more space in the cabinet, and wouldn't you know......the next thing I knew, just about everything came out of the cabinets such as some unused pots and pans that were boxed, and I ended up doing a major reorganization. It wasn't on my "to do" list but it sure feels GOOD to have things organized. YAY!!!!!

I want to share pix of some totally awesome swaps I received recently. First up is a "watermelon" themed card, tag, and envelope from Grace who was my C.A.T.S. (Card and Tag Swap) partner for August. Don't you think they're "yummily" cute? Makes me wish I bought a watermelon at the market yesterday.

And she was sooooo generous and enclosed these awesome RAKS. Thanks Grace. :-)

Next up is a pretty card and matching tag from Denise who was my C.A.T.S. partner for this month. I have that flower stamp set from Stampin' Up too. I love how stamped them on various colored CS and accented them with pearls. You know, I've seen this punch at Ben Franklin several times but really wanted to see something created with it first. Now, I must definitely add it to my wish list. Pretty huh?

She also included a Happy Birthday cupcake clear stamp set. I was really thrilled because I sold my Hero Arts set at the last Island Scrapbooking garage sale then thought, hmmmm, maybe I should've hung on to it a bit longer. So this made my day. Thanks Denise. :-)

If you'd like to join in the fun, click here to see the deets on Joy's blog. Thru the end of September, you can sign up for October, November, and December.

Lastly, Shirl was my Secret Sister for September coordinated by Kris. She sent me a checkbook cover and matching tag. Super sweet!!!

I love the mini stamp sets she so generously included too. Check them out.....aren't they cool?

Thank you Shirl. :-) If you'd like to sign up for this fun swap, click here to see the deets on Kris' blog.

Hope to get some major craft production accomplished today. Crossing my fingers.

Thank you for stopping by and hope you all HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY!!!

Hugs,

Karen

September Secret Sister Swap

2011-09-13T21:04:00.001-10:00

Hey there, hope you all had a fantastic day.

My secret sister for September was Danni and here's the card I made for her. I inked up "Lucy and Kitty" by Sarah Kay, an image I used on a previous post quite some time ago. But I just LOVE Sarah Kay stamps so I thought I'd ink this one up again. It's one of my favorites. I did a lot of distressing on just about all the pieces including the flower and ribbon for a bit of a vintage finish.

If you'd like to join in this fun swap, click here for the deets on Kris' blog.

Other supplies:
Spellbinder dies
Copics
Embossing folder
Sentiment by Hero Arts
Paw punch by EK
Flowers by Prima
Leaf punches by McGill and Punch Bunch
Corrugated paper
Distress Ink
Pearls by Queen & Co.
Ribbon

Alrighty, hope you all have a great tomorrow and thank you VERY MUCH for stopping by.

Sweet Ayako

2011-09-09T16:41:00.000-10:00

Just inked up Ayako (1 of 4 new images from Sister Stamps - Release #2) the other day and finished this card last night. Isn't she sweet? I'm totally loving the washi paper too. This one is from Island Scrapbooking. Put the two together and it's just perfect for an Asian theme. My friend Marcia gave me a card with a pocket a while ago and I thought it would be perfect to feature Ayako.

The hole for the pocket is made by using the word punch by Stampin' Up. I needed to mark the backside of the lavendar cardstock and punch it twice to get the width that I wanted.
Pull the tab and out comes a card that you can write your message on. BTW, the characters mean "Arigato", thank you in Japanese. It's by Mari & Me.

Hmmm, maybe I'll use this idea to make my Christmas cards to send to family and friends. I only need to make 45. Yikes. But I'm still getting wishy-washy. Ha-ha.

Other supplies used:

Copics

Tab punch by Stampin' Up

Thanks for popping in for a visit. Hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend.

Happy Nobu

2011-09-06T22:43:00.001-10:00

Whew, I finally got my hands on one of my new Sister Stamps which I picked up this past weekend at Island Scrapbooking. Thought I'd start with Nobu because I envisioned him playing outdoors, next to a big tree, and some rocks which are stamps I recently bought at the Island Scrapbooking garage sale. Again, whoever sold them, THANK YOU!!! I love 'em LOTS. I'm actually having fun creating "scenes." Adding patches of grass seems to give it a 3D look. Gotta admit, coloring black hair is a challenge but I was quite happy with how this one turned out. Not quite there yet, but getting the hang of it.

Supplies:
"Nobu" - Sister Stamps
Tree and tall patch of grass - Patchwork Pals
Rocks - Hero Arts
Short blade grass - Viva Las Vegasstamps
Copics
Chalk
Bird - Stampin' Up (I think)
Butterfly punch - Martha Stewart
Sun - Hero Arts
Cloud stickers
Distress ink

Thanks for stopping by and HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY!!!

"You're a Tweet Heart"

2011-09-04T07:06:00.001-10:00

Happy Sunday Peeps!!! Hope you're all enjoying the nice LONG weekend.

Being in a family with all boys, they transformed me into a UH football fanatic. We've been anxiously waiting for football season to start. Also, we plan a little menu for each game. Yesterday the boys and my son's girlfriend made a chili dip with Nachos, Mac & Cheese, and Fried Chicken. Thank goodness because I ran my usual weekend errands with 16 stops (record-breaking) but did get to make a pot of Bird Nest Soup and a large bowl of tossed salad.

OMG, the 2nd half was a nail-biter but we're all so happy that the Warriors pulled off a winning game against Colorado. Whew....wipe off the sweat. LOL. Our house is very noisy during football season.....mostly my hubby. Oh he gets so "involved." Ha-ha.

I want to share this card that I made for my September C.A.T.S. partner Denise. We needed to make a card using flowers. Coincidentally, I was just about done with this card when I received Joy's email, so I just added the flower embellies and was able to send it out in a jiffy. :-)

Here's a matching tag.

Supplies: Bird, tree trunk, squirrel, branch, tree, bird house, and sentiment stamps are from a set I got at the Island Scrapbooking garage sale and I think it's a Stampin' Up set. Hope that's right. The pooch is by Dandelion Design (my fave doggie stamp as it reminds me of our pooch, Buddy). Flower embellies, copies, fence and grass punch by Martha Stewart, DP by K & Co., and heart-shaped confetti by Sulyn Industries.

Alrighty ladies, thanks a "mil" for stopping by. HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY.

Country Girl - Sugar

2011-08-30T17:09:00.000-10:00

Are any of you football fans? Over the weekend my sons got together all eager and gung ho to do their Fantasy Football picks. Each with their computers and the others on the league logged on, they were half way thru when the power went out. OMG, they were like "WHAT???? THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!!!!!" Well, it was well over 3 hours before the power was restored. They ended up with players being automatically picked for them. Oh boy, talk about timing. :-)

This week's Lollipop Challenge #46 is called "Recycle It." Hmmmm, that's a good one. I got Country Girl "Sugar" at the Island Scrapbooking garage sale so she is being recycled. Thank you to whoever sold it. :-) If you'd like to enter the challenge, you still have time. Click here for details.

Other supplies:
DP - Echo Park Paper Co.
Spellbinder dies
Copic markers
Scallop Trim Border punch - Stampin' Up
Distress Ink
Leaf punch - EK
Ribbon
Flowers - Wild Orchids, Prima, Mulberry Bear
Butterfly punch - Martha Stewart
Pearls - Hero Arts
Lavendar pearls - Kaiser Crafts

Thanks you for hopping over to visit my blog. Have a Scrap Happy Day. :-)

Sweet Thing

2011-08-27T21:17:00.000-10:00

Hey, hey bloggers. Hope you're all having an awesome weekend.

I'm really getting hooked on stitching and distressing. Since I no longer have an interest in sewing clothes, I sure love to sew on my card pieces. Probably because I can finish it in minutes rather than hours. Ha-ha. Gosh, I think my sewing is about 24 years old and that clunker is still going. Mom gave me hers too so if mine ever "kicks the bucket", at least I have a back-up. Yay.

"Sweet Thing" stamp is by Penny Black. Isn't she sweet holding her yummy cupcake? The corner punch is by MS which I punched and cut so its inverted on the card. Does that make sense? :-)
Other supplies:
Happy Birthday stamp - Viva Las Vegasstamps
DP - Stampin' Up and Echo Park Paper Co.
Embossing folder - Cuttlebug
Copic
Distress Ink
Spellbinder dies
Twine - Jillibean
Dew Drops
Pears - Hero Arts

Thanks for stopping by and hope you HAVE A SCRAPPY DAY!!!!

Just for You

2011-08-23T18:40:00.000-10:00

Hello All,
Every night, I "read" before I sleep. Read meaning my craft magazines....LOL. I came across this circle card in one of the Paper Crafts issues and just had to try it. Oh, soooo simple. Now that the holidays are coming around, I'm trying to decide on a design for my Christmas cards to send to friends and family. I knew this would happen....at first I chose to make easel cards. But now that I made this circle card, I may choose that. Wait till tomorrow, it'll probably be something else.....ha-ha. :-)

Here's the sentiment on the inside.

Supplies: DP by Echo Park Paper Co., embossing folder by Cuttlebug, Spellbinder dies, edge punch by Stampin' Up, leaf punch by McGill, flower by Prima, ribbon by Offray, "Just for You" sentiment by Hero Arts, Pearls by Kaiser Craft, Inside sentiment by Stampin' Up, and butterfly punch by Martha Stewart.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you all have a crafty day / evening. :-)

Friends

2011-08-20T07:20:00.000-10:00

Hi Crafty Bloggers! Are you all enjoying the long weekend? Hubby and I made a "Costco run" yesterday. For those of you who don't live on the Big Island, that's about a 100 mile drive to the one and only Costco here on our island. Sure hoping that a warehouse store will open one day in my lifetime on our end of the island. But it was a nice drive on a beautiful day.

Grace was my August C.A.T.S. (Cards and Tag Swap) partner. I made this Zig Zag Fold cards for her using the Friends clear stamp set by Dandelion Design and DP by Dilly Dally (floral and plaid), and Doodlebug (cherries). I've had this punch by EK for quite some time and thought it's small design would be perfect to accent the edges. The card was topped off with a dragonfly bling by Jolee's. Oh yah, after I took this pix, I realized it was supposed to use ribbon on the card.....DUH, so I added it to the front panel, mailed it, then realized I forgot to take the "updated" pix. Must be having senior moments. Anyhoo, I hope Grace likes the card and tag. :-)
Here a pix of the tag from the same Friends set. The grass and butterfly punches are by MS, little cloud punch by Punch Bunch, and ribbon by Offray.

Thanks for stopping by.

July Secret Sister Swap

2011-08-17T16:52:00.000-10:00

Oh, lookie here. Isn't this the cutest calendar? I got this a few weeks ago from Cyndi and TOTALLY love it. She was my July Secret Sister. Sorry, I'm a bit late in posting. Of course, as soon as I opened the pkg., I'm like 'WOW, HOW CUTE!!!!" Now it's time to stick it onto our 'fridge. THANKS CYNDI.

Here are more goodies Cyndi shared with me. Love the mesh brads, stamp, bling, and awesome HK card. Oh, feels like Christmas. :-)

A "Kiyomi" Caddy

2011-08-13T18:26:00.000-10:00

Happy Saturday Peeps!!! Hoping you all enjoyed some sunshine today. We sure got our share of rain. That's OK, no need to water the yard. :-)

A few weeks ago, I got this Sizzix caddy die from J's Knicknacks. Oh, it's so super easy to assemble....no need instructions. LOL. There were a couple of flowers and little stem with leaves but for this project I chose not to use them so the focus would be on Kiyomi.

The red dotted DP is by Doodlebug. I'm unsure of the pink DP though. Both are from Island Scrapbooking. I thought the size of the caddy was perfect for Kiyomi chasing after the butterfly
in the grass (punch by Martha Stewart).

I made three caddies and filled them with a Hello Kitty pen and Post Its from Las Vegas to share with Michele at Island Scrapbooking, Jenny, and my hairdresser. This was quick and simple.

Thanks for stopping by and HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY.

Aloha from Beautiful Hawaii

2011-08-10T18:51:00.001-10:00

Happy Hump Day All!! Just two more days till the weekend. Who's counting?

Oh, I'm so excited about this card. This is my first Hawaii themed card. Here's Welcome Birgitta by CC Designs holding her pretty plumeria lei. I wanted to surround her with some tropical flowers and leaves so I started by punching a bunch of flowers that resembles the plumeria. It's an "oldie but goodie" punch by EK. I then distressed the edges to give it a 2-toned blended look just like the real flower. The monstera leaves (the two big ones) are from a clear leaf stamp set by Hero Arts.

You know what....I think I do have an addiction to leaves. Aside from this stamp set, I decided to count how many leaf punches I have in my stash. OMG, I have 9, plus 3 dies. What's up with that? Is there a name for such an addiction?

Exception....see those four pretty leaves on the left side? They're not from my stash of punches. I got them from Island Scrapbooking (IS). Pretty huh? I think they're laser cut. Is that right Michele? The word "Aloha" is also laser cut from IS. Michele used glitter paper. Love the sparkle.

I'm entering this card in the Lollipop Crafts Challenge #43. This weeks challenge is "monochromatic." At first, I was like "Huh?" But after reading about it, I thought that was a terrific idea. All you need to do is use varying shades of the same color. How easy is that? If you'd like to join in on the fun, click here for the details. BTW, the dark pink background actually has stripes in two different shades. Hope you can see them.

Other supplies used: DP by K & Co., Copics, Spellbinder die, edge punch by Stampin' Up, grass stamp by Viva Las Vegasstamps, other 2 leaf punches (one in Birgitta's hair) by Punch Bunch (from J's Knicknacks), embossing powder, and Glitter Dome (flower centers) also from J's Knicknacks.

Thank you for stopping by and hope you all HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY. Aloooooha! :-)

Hanging Birdhouse

2011-08-08T21:38:00.000-10:00

Hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was spent hemming a bunch of tops I got in Vegas that were a bit too long. Also, tons of ironing ..... again. Like the saying goes, "A woman's work is never done." But I got to do some crafting....yay and finished this card tonight.

I found this birdhouse stamp by CC Design at Island Scrapbooking so cute, it was a "must have."
The birds are from a stamp by Inkadinkado that I got at a garage sale and when I bought it, I really had no idea how I'd use it. But I think it's perfect for this card.

I'm not sure if you can see the glitter on the center of the flowers but they are called Glitter Dome which I recently bought at J's Knicknacks on Oahu.
Other supplies:
DP - DCWV
Copics
Spellbinder die
Distress Ink
Flower punch - EK
Branch - Sizzix

July C.A.T.S. Swap

2011-08-06T20:24:00.000-10:00

Hi Peeps. Hope you're all enjoying the weekend. It's so nice to be back into my weekend routine again. Of course that means shopping at Ben Franklin and Island Scrapbooking. Got to pre-order Sister Stamps today. Can't wait to get my hands on them. "Only" four more weeks to go before I pick them up. LOL. :-)

I'm glad to say I received the refund from Bell Trans today so I can put that behind me now. Yay!

I want to share the card and tag I received from Elena who was my July C.A.T.S. partner. I was in awe by her triangular tri-fold card. The "rule" for July was to create a card and tag with red, white, and blue and she created this very sweet and patriotic card. Cute huh?

Below is the inside of the card which she cleverly added a pocket and inserted a set of clear stamps. How neat is that? I love it.

Here's the matching tag. I really like how she cut a white and red border.....good idea. I'll keep that in mind.

Thanks Elena!!!!

If you're interested in joining in on the fun, check out Joy's blog for details.

Hope you all Have a Scrap Happy Day crafting.

Pretty Floral Thank You Card

2011-08-02T21:58:00.001-10:00

Thanks for your comments regarding my vacation mishap regarding the shuttle ride back to McCarran Airport in Vegas. Just an FYI, I called Bell Trans and spoke to the Gen. Mgr. who will be sending me a reimbursement check very soon. Thank goodness, now I can concentrate on crafting. LOL.

BTW, have any of you seen the Beatles show in Vegas (in the Miracle Mile Shopping Mall next to Planet Hollywood?) If not, I would highly recommend it. When my hubby first suggested it, I really thought it wouldn't be so great as I couldn't imagine a group being as talented as they were. Boy was I wrong. I TOTALLY ENJOYED IT.

After doing TONS of laundry, I finally got to do some crafting tonight. Actually, I started making card before leaving for Vegas but just didn't have enough time to finish till tonight. It's a good thing though because I got to use one of my new leaf punches that I got from J's Knicknacks on Oahu.

The pretty flower by Prima is from my BFF who recently sent me a WHOLE BUNCH. Check 'em out. WOW!!!! Super sweet HAPPY MAIL.

Other supplies:

DP by Stampin' Up
Thanks So Much stamp by Hero Arts from Ben Franklin.
Border punch by EK from Ben Franklin.
Distress Ink from Island Scrapbooking
Ribbon from Walmart

Oh, just remembered that Target just opened in Hilo the other week. Gotta check it out this weekend.

Alrighty, thank you for stopping by and Have a Scrap Happy Day.

Back from Vacation

2011-07-31T22:43:00.001-10:00

Hi Peeps, just returned last night from a 1-week vacation to Oahu and Las Vegas with my family, son's girlfriend, and MIL. Being that I'm not a gambler, one of the highlights of this trip for me was going to J's Knicknacks on Oahu for the very first time. I was sooooo excited and felt like I was in craft heaven. Gee, I made several rounds in the store to make sure I didn't miss anything. Ha-ha. Got to chat with Cliff, such a nice guy. I was hoping to meet Cheryl but couldn't "schedule" a set time since we were on the go and the others wanted to shop at Pearlridge, etc. My hubby was the driver. I must have this "thing" for leaves because I ended up buying several leaf punches. Sure got some SUPER GREAT deals by donating some canned good. Here's what I bought. Can't wait to play with my new toys.

Meet the family....
L to R: Me, my MIL, Kent (our youngest son), Lara (Jason's girlfriend), Jason (eldest son), and Bryson (middle son.) This photo was taken in Planet Hollywood where we stayed. Holy moly, that casino is HUGE. I kept getting lost. Someone should invent a casino GPS for people like me. LOL.

Here's my hubby and me. Photo also taken in Planet Hollywood.

I just HAVE TO share the next 2 pictures with you. One day we caught the monorail and headed to Imperial Palace. The boys wanted to eat at Hash House. Kent ordered the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich and his was the first to come. When we set eyes on his dish, our eyes popped and we all said in unison, "HOOOOOOO!!!!" The portions were ENORMOUS. Check it out. That round thing on top is the bun. LOL.

So he piled the meat between the two buns and here he is taking his first bite. MAN VS FOOD.

Kent was the luckiest on this trip. The very first thing he played was the penny machine. On his very first try, he maxed out and won $122.00. The first night he played War and won about $500 and spent it on much needed shirts, pants, etc. At the end of the trip he was up about $600. Everyone else "ate it." For me, my other "highlight" was shopping for some t-tops. I'm happy I got about 20 so now I can add them to my Las Vegas "wardrobe." LOL

Overall it was a nice vacation....BUT I'd like to share an incident with you so you won't have the same experience we had with the shuttle.

Upon arrival at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, we went to the Bell Trans counter to purchase a round trip ticket to Planet Hollywood and back. The gal said her machine was broken so we had to pay cash. She gave us two identical tickets and wrote on both "7 persons, $45.50, (and her initials)." No receipt was received since the machine was out of order. She said all we need to do is present one ticket to get to Planet Hollywood and the other to return to the airport. OK, we got on the shuttle to PH with no problems. The driver did not ask for a receipt.

The day before our return flight, we called to arrange pick up. The dispatcher said the driver would pick us up at 3:30 p.m. but to be waiting at 3:15. We got to the pick up location at 3:00.

At 3:35 the driver had not arrived. My hubby called Bell Trans. The recording said to allow 1o minutes after the specified pick up time. He hung up and waited. At 3:45, still not shuttle. He called again and the dispatcher said the driver was at Treasure Island and would arrive shortly. He came at 3:50 AND asked for a receipt. He explained the situation but the driver said he had to call his supervisor. He also said if we didn't have a receipt, he would have to pay for the ride. It took about 10 minutes before the sup. came on the phone. The driver asked my hubby to explain the situation. After 5 to 10 seconds, the call was disconnected.

By now, we're really upset, worried about getting to the airport on time thru the afternoon traffic, and making the flight. We said, "Forget it", took the ticket, and hauled all of our 7 luggages to the taxi area. Then ended up catching a limo to the airport as we didn't want to pay for 2 or 3 cabs which would've costed more than the limo. Now the hassle to get reimbursed.

I honestly don't mean to complain, but wanted to share this to prevent this from possibly happening to you.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you all have a WONDERFUL week.

A Warm Hello

2011-07-27T23:26:00.000-10:00

My mom recently sent me some crafty things she made along with these foam flowers. I checked my bin that was hiding on my upper shelf and found this flourish die by Sizzix which I must've had for a couple of year. Gee, I think it's time to put it to use. Hmmm, I wonder what else is hiding.

Supplies: Stripe embossing folder by Stampin' Up which I just got last week. I love stripes. Also, Spellbinder dies, "A Warm Hello" stamp and rhinestones by Hero Arts, Bumblebee brad by Eyelit Outlet.

Hope you all HAVE A SCRAP HAPPY DAY!!!

Pretty Orchid

2011-07-24T23:22:00.000-10:00

Here's a card I made for my mom, something simple, just like her. She loves orchids so I think thi s would be perfect. I can't believe I cut out the image as it's quite intricate.....don't think I'll do that again with this image.....LOL.

Supplies: Orchid stamp by Stampendous, Copics, Spellbinder dies, DP by K & Company, embossing folder by Cuttlebug, and Dew Drops.

Thanks for stopping by.

"You Are Special"

2011-07-21T21:17:00.000-10:00

Hope you're all having a great day.

I think my mojo is slowly coming back to life....LOL. I've been skimming thru my magazines for ideas and tweaked this one from Paper Crafts.

Supplies: DP by K & Co., "You Are Special" stamp by Hook, Line & Inkers (an oldie but goodie), Flower stamp and punch by Stampin' Up, Leaf punch by EK, doggie stamp by Dandelion Designs, Distress Ink, Copics, and twine.

"Just for You"

2011-07-19T22:12:00.001-10:00

I think my mojo is malfunctioning so I'm posting this flap card I made a couple of months ago. Nice to have some hidden extras stored for moments like this. LOL.

The cute little bear image is by Dandelion Designs. This has got to be one of the fastest images I've colored because it's really tiny. :-)

Here's a pic of the inside. This flower image is also by Dandelion Designs.

Other supplies used: Spellbinder dies, DP by Stampin' Up, "Just for You" stamp by Hero Arts, Copics, and pearls by Kaiser Crafts.

Have a fantastic day and thanks for stopping by.

Happy Birthday to my Cat Lover Friend

2011-07-17T10:19:00.001-10:00

Hey there, hope you're all enjoying your weekend. Yesterday, I ran my usual errands. Also, got to go to Island Scrapbooking and did a make 'n take by Jenny (Sister Stamps). The "arigato" card is the same one on her blog with cute Kiyomi and butterflies. I had to get a new heating gun too at Ben Franklin for embossing since mine broke last weekend. Gee, I must've over worked it as I always emboss my images to give it that nice shiny effect.

Here's a card I just finished for my friend. She's a cat-lover so I tried to use whatever I had that's related to cats. The image is by Penny Black. To give it a bit of a 3-D effect, I used my
X-Acto knife to cut a tiny hole above the kitty's paw, then inserted the rose bud stems. They are by Wild Orchid. The edge is distressed with "Spun Sugar" by Distress Ink. I created a strap using my "paw" punch by EK, then taped the "paw" ribbon over it. You can't really see the actual paw, but my friend will see the full design when she looks in the back of the strap. I found the ribbon at Walmart. I had that metal piece that reads 'Cats leave paw prints in our hearts' for quite some time and thought it would be perfect for this card though I can't remember where I got it from.
Here's the inside of the tri-fold card. This image is also by Penny Black. The sentiment is from Viva Las Vegasstamps. Have you been there before? It's hard to find but that little store had hundreds (if not thousands) of stamps. You gotta allow a lot of time to browse thru every one.

And here's the removable strap.

Other supplies used were Copic markers, grass stamp, DP by Bella Press from Island Scrapbooking, and Spellbinder dies.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoy your Sunday and have a fabulous week.

Kiyomi with the "Shaker"

2011-07-14T17:51:00.000-10:00

Hey All, hope you had a great day! Just putting up a quick post as I have a "ton" of laundry to fold and iron....oh joy.

I joined CATS (Cards and Tag Swap) for the first time and we had to make a card and tag using red, white, and blue. Here's the shaker card I made for my partner, Elena. Hope she likes it.

And here's the tag.

Supplies: "Kiyomi" stamp by Sister Stamps, clear plastic sheets by Paper Accents, Spellbinder dies, Copic markers, border punch by Friskars, embossing folder by Cutlebug, confetti by Paper Art, microbeads by Martha Stewart, rhinestones, buttons and rhinestone lace (from Walmart), and carpet thread.

Duty calls....hope you all have a fun and crafty evening. Thanks for stopping by.

Mei Li Ringing in 2012

2011-07-12T19:53:00.000-10:00

Hee-hee, OK, I know I'm jumping the gun here with my 2012 calendar creations. But I'm having fun and me being me, I LOVE getting a head start on things.....especially when I need to make a lot. I'm still trying to decide on my Christmas card design.....think, think, think.

Last night, I created an easel calendar. Thought this would make a nice desk decor too with smiling Mei Li by Sister Stamps. Here's a slight side-view.

And here's a close up.

Other supplies: Copic markers, Spellbinder dies, DP by Bella Press, Distress Ink, Calendar by AIP / Vippie, Flowers by Wild Orchids, leaf punch by EK, and pop-up-dots.

Happy Hump Day all and thank you very much for stopping by. :-)

Hana Hou (Encore) ..... Kiyomi

2011-07-10T19:26:00.000-10:00

Hi All....did you have a crafty weekend? I can't seem to get enough of my new Sister Stamps. I love to enclose a "little something" with my Christmas cards so today, I created my first 2012 calendar "gift."

As you can see, I'm getting hooked on washi paper and LOVE this bold yet bright print which I got at Ben Franklin a few months ago. I'm so happy Island Scrapbooking got their calendars in too so I can get a head start on my little "gifts."

By now, I'm sure many of you know this little girl is Kiyomi of the new Sister Stamps line that just debuted on 7/1/11. She's such a cutie.

Here's a bit of a side view.

Other supplies used: Spellbinder dies, Copic markers, 2012 calendar by AIP (or Vippie), and rhinestones.

Hope you all have a great week and thank you for stopping by.

A Flower for Linda

2011-07-08T21:36:00.001-10:00

Hooray, it's Friday!!! I'm hoping to get some crafting done this weekend. Hope you'll be able to also.

Coincidentally, Linda was my Secret Sister for June and I'm hers for July. The theme for this month is "flower" so I thought it'd be perfect to use my new Flower 3-D Flip Up die by Sizzix which I got at Ben Franklin recently. I must admit that I had several "HUH???" moments trying to figure out the instructions that were enclosed. Luckily, a website was noted on the instructions which I hopped onto and WOW, the tutorial was excellent. If you happen to have a die and can't understand the instructions or perhaps missing instructions for a die you may have inherited from someone, you must visit http://karenburniston.typepad.com/ There's a bunch of tutorials on that site. GREAT DISCOVERY!!!

Here's the fun part....when you pull the stem down, the flower opens up. Isn't that cute?

Other supplies: grass and butterfly punches by Martha Stewart, blue dotted DP by K & Company, "thank you" stamp by Stampendous, flower and snail puffy stickers by Sticko, pearls by Kaiser Craft and smile stickers in the center of the flowers....sorry, I tossed the pkg. so I'm not sure of the brand.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a Scrap Happy weekend. :-)

June Secret Sister Swap

2011-07-07T21:36:00.000-10:00

Hi All, wow, the week is flying by so quickly...yay!

I want to share this pretty card I received from my Secret Sister Linda for June. Isn't it sweet? Plus, it's in one of my favorite colors.

She also went the extra mile with the inside. Don't you just love the border punch?

Thanks Linda.....I LOVE the card.

Happy Crafting everyone!

A Warm Welcome for Mei Li

2011-07-05T20:49:00.000-10:00

Hello All,
Hope you all enjoyed the long weekend with friends, family, and good eats. Did anyone see the fireworks show?

I'm still feeling the buzz with the new Sister Stamps line. Did you get yours yet? Oh, they're so cute and such happy little girls. I've been blog hopping, checking Facebook, and saw some totally awesome "jaw-dropping" creations. I don't know how many times I said, "WOW!"

Thought I'd create an easel card to feature Mei Li. The washi paper is by Paper Intelligence. Ohh, I'm really getting hooked on washi paper lately too.

Other supplies used were Copics, border punch by Martha Stewart, Spellbinder dies, embossing folder by Cuttlebug, laser cut "Thank You" from Island Scrapbooking, dew drops, Distress Ink, leaf punch by McGill, gold pearl spiral from Hand to Hand Crafts in Hilo, word punch, sentiment stamp by Stampin' Up, roses by Prima, and cherry blossom by Wild Orchids.

Jenny, I'm ready for the next release. Hee-hee.

Happy Crafting All!

Welcome Mei Lin

2011-07-03T21:33:00.000-10:00

Hey Peeps. ..how's your long weekend going? Hope you're all getting some craft time in.

Aside from household chores (a woman's work is never done), I managed to bake some Banana Bread and finish my card featuring Mei Lin from the new and HOT Sister Stamps line.

As mentioned in one of my previous post, I'm really getting addicted to distressing. Just love the effect.

I'm entering this card in the Stamp and Create blog too. This month's challenge calls for ribbon and bows. Click here for details.

Other supplies: DP by K & Co., Copics, Spellbinder dies, "Pointed Flower" and leaf punch by EK, Distress Ink, grosgrain ribbon, Cherry Blossom by Wild Orchids, pink flowers from Mulberry Bear, Dew Drops, and rhinestones in Mei Lin's hair and in the center of the pinwheel. Can you see them? :-)

Alrighty, now to create something to welcome Mei Li.

Thanks a bundle for stopping by and happy crafting.

Dancing "Kiyomi"

2011-07-02T16:16:00.001-10:00

Happy Saturday All,
YAY, today was a very exciting day for me because I got to pick up my Sister Stamps at Island Scrapbooking.....got there just after the door opened.

Several nights ago, I started making this card so all I needed to do when I got my stamps was to ink up Kiyomi and place her onto the card. So here's my first card.

It's Obon Dance season now so I thought I'd take Kiyomi dancing. Isn't she sweet?

The stamps come mounted and the rubber is deep cut which I love. Also, the size is PERFECT.

I'm entering this card in the Lollipop Crafts "Special Summer Challenge" where "anything goes." If you'd like to join in on the fun, you have till July 30, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. (PST) to submit your entry. Click here for the details.

Also entered this card in Crazy 4 Challenges C4C94. This challenge requires a Center Step Card. Click here for the details.

Other supplies I used: Washi paper by Paper Intelligence, Embossing folder by Cuttlebug, cherry blossom and stamen punches by Punch Bunch, Chochin (lantern) stamp by Hero Arts, Copics, Pop Dots, Ribbon, and "Kiyomi" printed on the computer.

Can't wait to create something with Mei Lin and Mei Li.

Thanks for stopping by.

"Boing"......goes the grasshopper

2011-06-30T21:01:00.000-10:00

Hey Peeps, bet you won't be able to sleep tonight thinking about picking up your Sister Stamps tomorrow. Well, I don't live exactly in town so I need to wait another extra day. Ohhh, the excitement is brewing.

The sun finally came out today so I'm happy I got to go walking....need to exercise since I sit on my b_ _ _ all day.

This triangular tri-fold card was really easy to make. I found the tutorial on Scor-pals website.
The DP is by Stampin' Up (pretty yah?), cat stamp by Hero Arts (I think....can't find it now), Copics, and ribbon from Walmart. Simple huh? And only a few "ingredients."

When you untie the bow, it opens up and you can write your message on the inside. The blue flower is a cut out from the DP and I leaf punch is by EK.

Okie dokie, glad it's Friday tomorrow....start of the L-O-N-G weekend. YAY!!! Have a good one.

Hello Kitty Card Set

2011-06-28T20:33:00.000-10:00

Hey Peeps, did you order your Sister Stamps yet? I think they're gonna sell like HOTcakes. Click here to see the first release and deets on this sizzling HOT new line.

Hop over to Debi's for 3 chances to win individual Sister Stamps stamps with other goodies. Also, you can enter a chance to win the entire set on Sister Stamps blog. You have until June 30....that's tomorrow.

About a week or so ago, I made this HK purse for my dear friend. The template is from a cereal bar box with part of it cut off. It fits 6 cards and envelopes perfectly. It's similar to a prior post though the strap is different on this one.

Tucked inside is a set of HK cards. Each has a different image. Here's one of them....

And here are the rest.

Alrighty, hope you're all having a crafty week.

Only 4 more days before I pick up my Sister Stamps. Feels like 4 months. LOL. :-)

A Flower for You and Cards for OWH

2011-06-26T16:52:00.000-10:00

Hi Peeps,
Hope you all had a GREAT weekend! I'm so happy. I went to the doc yesterday to get my blood test results for my cholesterol. I couldn't believe it when he it's 150. Woo-hoo, skip, jump, cartwheels. This is great because at one point a couple of years ago, it was up to 249. Sure scared the heck out of me. Been eating a LOT of fresh veggies and fruits.

Anyhoo, got to ink up a Sarah Kay digi this weekend and made 6 cards using the same image. I'm really getting hooked on distressing. For this card, I distressed the butterfly and leaves...just love the effect.

Other supplies used were Copics, Spellbinder dies, DP by DCWV, "Friends" stamp by Lockhart Stamp (got it at a garage sale), leaf punch by EK, roses by Prima, cherry blossom by Wild Orchid, butterfly punch by Martha Stewart, pearls by e. and embossing powder.

The following cards are for Operation Write Home (OWH) using the same image. Since there are guidelines to follow such as no small embellies that may fall off, I kept them simple.

The "Thinking of You" stamp is by Stampin Up.

Alrighty, hope you have a WONDERFUL week. Only 6 more days before I pick up my Sister Stamps stamps. I'm READY. LOL.

Farewell Card

2011-06-23T21:15:00.001-10:00

My dear attorney friend on Oahu is leaving so I thought I'd send her a farewell card. This image of Bouquet Birgitta reminds me of her because she's very, very, sweet.'

While at Island Scrapbooking the other weekend, I was looking for "something" that Birgitta could sit on. When I saw this stone wall stamp by CC Designs, I had to get it. Neat yah? Actually, I was planning to use another Birgitta stamp but since Bouquet Birgitta had matching flowers, I decided to use her instead.

Then there's that cute little pooch who reminds me of our Buddy. Had to add him in.
Here's a peek inside the card.

Other supplies for front of card: Doggie stamp by Dandelion Designs, border and grass punch by Martha Stewart, DP by DCWV, "Just for You" stamp by Hero Arts, Spellbinder die, buttons.

Inside: Sticker by Sticko, sentiment by Hooks, Line & Inkers (an oldie by goodie).

HAPPY FRIDAY.....YAY!!!!

SISTER STAMPS - HOT NEW LINE

2011-06-22T16:58:00.001-10:00

Hey Peeps,
Check out these sweet, cute, precious, darling, and adorable stamps. Wanna add them to your collection? Click here for details. My friend Jenny and her sister, Denise are debuting their first release on their new line of stamps.

I can't wait to get my hands on them and start pumping out some cards, etc.

Asian Thank You Card

2011-06-20T17:20:00.001-10:00

I've been eyeing this DP stack by S.E.I. for quite some time at Ben Franklin and finally couldn't resist so with the last 40% off coupon they offered, I bought it. They had the 12" x 12" and
6" x 6 1/2". I chose the smaller stack, otherwise the design was much too large for cards. This design is my favorite and there wasn't much I needed to add. Making a card can't get much simpler that this. I think I'll send this one to my Mom.

Other supplies: "Thinking of You" stamp by Stampin' Up, Distress Ink, Ribbon with gold trim, button, and carpet thread.

Four more days till the weekend.....who's counting?

Have a great week.

With Deepest Sympathy

2011-06-19T20:53:00.000-10:00

Hope you all had a great weekend that included time to craft.

I ended up spending a couple of hours reorganizing my craft area. It was "tornado-struck" again. Guess I was procrastinating making a card today since I had to make a sympathy card. Like many of you, it's the hardest kind to make because it's never a happy event.

Our friend lost her husband a week ago. He was only 62...so young. I thought using my crane image would be nice since it signifies strength.

I lined the inside with vellum paper. Also, taped the vellum to the card with a special double-sided tape so it would show through. It's by Scotch. The image was inked with Brilliance and it took about 30 minutes to dry in our "damp" environment.

The crane stamp is by Curtis' Collection, "With Sympathy" and the sentiment inside are by Hero Arts, Distress Ink, and gold embossing powder by Stamp n Stuff.

Hope you all have a super great week. :-)

Popcorn Anyone?

2011-06-17T21:03:00.000-10:00

Taking a little break from Brigitta for a bit to enjoy some popcorn. Ummm, crunch, crunch.
This stamp is from the Magnolia line....doesn't it look yummy? I made it for my June Secret Sister Swap. Hope Jayne is enjoying her little treat.
When you untie the bow and pull the ribbon up, out comes the pkg. of popcorn.

Other Supplies: DP by Colorbox (Walmart), Spellbinder dies, Copic markers, "Treat Yourself" image by Stampendous, ribbon, rhinestones.

Enjoy your weekend and hope it's a crafty one.

Goodies from "Flat Leilani"

2011-06-17T20:43:00.000-10:00

Hey Peeps, happy Friday.

Wanted to share the goodies I was so lucky to win from Ben Franklin's "Flat Leilani" giveaway.
Thanks Joy for the super great "toys." Included in the pkg. was a couple of items from the Smash line which Joy said is one of the hottest new things crafters are searching for. They just got some in so if you're looking for them, better dash over to BF before the sell out.

"I Love You" cards for Operation Write Home (OWH)

2011-06-14T18:43:00.001-10:00

Gee, is it only Tuesday today? Feels like it should be Wednesday. :-) Hope you're all have a great week!

Yay....I finally finished this batch of cards for OWH. There should actually be 10 cards but I messed up on one. It was really minor but since my son noticed the little spot, I thought I'd save it as my sample. Shucks.

I love CC Design stamps. They're so cute and fun to color... though I gotta admit, this was quite a bit....no wonder it took me so long. LOL. Hope our troops will enjoy the cards.

Supplies: "Fall Birgitta" stamp by CC Designs, Copic markers, Spellbinder dies, puncy by Fiskars, "I Love You" stamp by ??? (sorry, tossed the pkg.), embossing folders by Cuttlebug and Sizzix, DP by DCWV and Stampin' Up, Distress Ink, and flourescent pink embossing powder by Zing.

Envelope Card with Sweet Pixie Birgitta

2011-06-11T21:17:00.000-10:00

Hope you're all enjoying the nice L-O-N-G weekend with time to craft.

I recently saw a tutorial for this card on Whiff of Joy and had to try it. Oh, it was so easy and fun.

The card insert has a matching sunflower which I just stamped, colored, and cut out from the Sweet Pixie Birgitta stamp as shown on the front of the card.

Other supplies used were: DP by Stampin' Up, Copic markers, Distress Ink, lace punch by Fiskars, flowers by Prima, tab and leaf punch by McGill.

Happy Sunday and thank you for stopping by. :-)

Happy Birthday Card

2011-06-08T21:21:00.000-10:00

Hooray, one more work day, then it's a LONG weekend. Can't wait!!!

Super quick post as I need to "attack" the pile of clothes waiting to be ironed. Blah. Here's a card I made for my friend / co-worker.

Supplies: Emma by CC Designs, DP by Stampin' Up, Spellbinder Dies, Copic markers, Happy Birthday stamp by Hero Arts, Medallion Punch by Martha Stewart, Leaf punch by EK, Flower by Prima, and Brad.

Kimono Girls

2011-06-05T18:03:00.000-10:00

Happy Sunday!!! Hope you all had a great weekend.

Can you believe we had snow on Mauna Kea yesterday.....in June???? What's happening????

I want to share a card I made for Kris using much of the goodies I won from Jenny's candy. I'm really loving the washi paper. I've never used it till recently. Thanks Jenny....and for telling me I can iron them. :-)

Here are the "ingredients" for this card:
Washi paper
Images by My Little Shoe Box
Cherry Blossom and stamen punch by Punch Bunch
Spellbinder dies
Word window punch by Stampin' Up
Leaf punch by EK
Copic markers
Pearls by Kaiser Craft

Enjoy your evening and hope you all have a fabulous week!!! :-)