Surprise Birthday Party Scrapbook

Back in September, my sister-in-law, the Hubster's aunt, and I planned a surprise birthday party for my mother-in-law.  My MIL is a very behind the scenes kind of gal, so making much to do of her birthday was not her cup of tea.  But we decided that since this year was a special year, a special birthday party was in order.

After all the planning in secret, and trying to pull this off with out her suspecting a thing, the party was a big success.  It was a little rocky to begin with...  they were about 20 minutes late...  and this was the ONE TIME she decided to come in through the side gate through the back yard instead of coming through the front door.  So even though we were trying to pull a fast one on her, she was the one who got us in the end.

My MIL loves to travel and she also loves antiques, so the party had a vintage travel theme.  I gathered up old pictures from family members to make 12 x 12 displays as decorations around the party.  At the very end of the party, I collected up all the sheets to make a scrapbook of this very special birthday.

I had hoped to have the scrapbook done in time for it to be a Christmas present...  buuuuuut....  time kinda got away from me.  So here we are, completing the first week of the new year, and I was finally able to sit down and hammer it out.

Paper: Gartner (Bon Voyage Collection), 29th Street Market, and Core'Dinations

Edging: Vintage Photo Distressing Ink and Antique Linen Distressing Ink

Monogram: Gold Embossing Powder from Stamp n Stuff



2011 Wrap Up

Halloween has come and gone, on Thanksgiving we feasted, Christmas hustle and bustle has passed, and tonight we ring in the New Year.

2011 has been a year of blessings and blessing in disguise.  We welcomed a little fur baby into our family.  We've weathered some relationship roller coasters. Grew in our friendships and embraced new opportunities.  I am so thankful for the blessing that God has given us this year, as well as the challenges that He put in our lives to give us the opportunities to grow and to be better people.

This was my first full year of being wifey with the Hubster actually home and not deployed.  I am grateful for the full year that I got to spend developing my marriage, keeping a home, and learning new things about myself and my husband.

I look forward to the changes next year will bring.  Lots of Auntie opportunities next year that I am so excited to embrace. Excited and nervous to progress through this stage in my life.  I can't wait to see the life that happens with my family and friends this next year. 

I hope you all get to spend the last moments of 2011 with people you love and get to start 2012 off to a great new beginning. Happy New Years!

Christmas Treats!

This year, I was able to have a treat making day with the Hubster's family.  It was super fun to get all the girlies together to make some Christmas treats.

First on the treat docket was Rocky Road Pieces (sorry... all the pics of those were blurry).  But it's peanuts and marshmallows covered in chocolate and formed into little mounds or balls of deliciousness.

Next on the docket, homemade Carmel Corn (recipe thanks to Mrs. DeLo!!)

And finally, Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Mmmm.  yummm  :]

Ta-Daaaaa!!! Crafter's block solved!

So right after I posted my last entry, the ideas started flooding in.  I had the faux stitched cacus and beanie, and I knew I wanted to use that some how. 

The purple paper is from Recollections Snowy Days paper pad

White rectangle cut using Spellbinders Nestabilities Wonky Recangles and embossed with D'vine Swirl and inked with ColorBox chalk ink

Cactus cut at 4" from Destinations cart

Beanie cut at 1" from Gingerbread cart

Merry Christmas stamp from Fiskars Holiday Hooplah and embossed with Stamp Stuff Winter Wonderland embossing powder

Red 3/8" ribbon from my stash

Card, cactus, and beanie faux stitched with white gel pen

And my favorite part...  Penguins jumping rope using Christmas lights stamp on the inside!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!



Crafters Block

So, I got this card order, and I'm totally stumped.  I've been thinking about this for a few weeks, and it is just not coming out like how I have it in my brain...  Doing Christmas in the Desert should be super easy...  right?  Well, apparently, WRONG. 

Embossing snowflakes onto Christmas plaid was a no-go. 

Picture framed cactus was less than exciting. 

Candycane striped cactus is cute...? 

I'm sure to most people, these ideas look fine, but we are our own worst critic!  And I am just not proud enough of this product to put my name on it...  Any one ever feel the same?  I'm cuttin close to the deadline...  and I'm just tryin to get past this crafters block...

Die cuts?

More ribbon?

Gold embossing?

Craft punches...???

Maybe too many options is a bad thing.

...Hmph...

Brads, Velum, and Stamps, oh my!

Here's a set I made to accompany a gift set of books.  I wanted to make a card for the gift, then included matching note cards for each of the books so I could include a special message.

As usual, I fell in love with this turquoise paper, so I didn't want to cover it up.  I had a stack of 3 inch velum strips left over from a project so I thought that would be perfect for this paper. I'd never stamped on top of velum before, so I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out.  I stamped the fuschia hearts then stamped the black words on top of the pink.  It turned out so cool!

I used scraps of the turquoise pattern paper on top of strips of turquiose paper to create continuity on the note cards.  I added distressing to the edges of the card as well as all the strips.  The Distressing Ink used on these cards are Antiqued Linen and Tea Dye.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!  It's definitely cold and rainy here, so I'll be bundling up for all my errands...

Holiday Boutique

This past weekend was the "big" debut for S. Elle Designs.  I joined up with Hayley from Smiling Circus for a Holiday Boutique in Irvine.  We were both excited, nervous, and tired, seeing as this was our first event ever for the both of us, and we had only two weeks to prepare.  I brought all my wreaths and 13 sets of cards.  Smiling Circus has mostly sewn items but also embelished vintage windows.  Sewn items included bibs, lovie blankets, flower clips, and coffee cozies. 

The Hubster came to help us set up our booth and helped us arrange the layout since we didn't have any time to prep that ahead of time.  He was also a great, big, huge help on transporting everything from the car into the venue, since neither of us had a fancy wheely cart.  

Hayley had an awesome vintage-y bookshelf to display my sample cards.  You can also see this awesome window that everyone just had to get their hands on.

Funny story about the wreaths... Since it was such short notice, and I didn't want to spend a ton of money and time looking for a display easel, I had no idea how to showcase the wreaths.  So I scoped out Target in the hopes that I would find some inexpensive or clearance shelving when I walked down the laundry aisle.  And then the light blub went off!  A handwash drying rack.  PERFECT!  Thankfully I already had the rack, so I was all set.  Just needed some shower hooks and I was golden.   And I think it turned out pretty nifty.

In this one, you can see the wreaths as well as the windows from Smiling Circus.  These two windows have hooks added to them.  One of them also has glass etched leaves.



We were pretty bummed with the turn out of the event.  Based on information from past years, there wasn't a good turnout this year.  There were lots of lookers and touchers, but hardly any buyers. All in all, it was an interesting experience.  I think I'll do another boutique or craft fair again... just with much, much more notice next time...