October's CJ Challenge

This month's CJ challenge was to make something for at least 2 people in the group and mail it to them. I couldn't make up my mind as to who I should pick, so I made one for everyone in the group. When I went to CE, I was really inspired with Tim Holtz Trunk Show. His stuff was so awesome, that I got inspired to do this little frame (he had done one similar at a past CE) and do some patching with his grungeboard paper. I inked every square with different color of distress inks, all of the embellishments are from Tim Holtz Idea-olgy line. Also added some rock candy distress stickles on the prima flowers.

It turned out really cute. As I was using the tokens, I knew that I had to give Patti the "Believe" token as this year is her word for the year. Everone else I wrapped them and randomly sent them. So I have no idea who got what. I ended up with "Artful". Such a cute little frame that I found at Michaels and here is the final project:


Hope everyone enjoys their little frame.

September's Challenge

Ok, so I'm way behind in posting my challenges, see this is what happens when I have no motivation do anything. But I did complete this challenge way before it was due, I finished it on Sept 18. September's challenge was to create something using the colors brown, orange and lime green. I must admit that orange and brown was no issue, it was the lime green that really go to me. But I finished the layout below.


I'll be posting more of my challenges next.

August CJ Challenge...

I totally forgot to post my August CJ challenge. This month was to create 3 cards with a given sentiment. I finished these before my trip to France. Also, tomorrow, I leave for Creative Escape. I'm really looking forward to get my creative mojo back.

Here are my cards, I used one of the newest lines from My Little Shoebox:

Long time coming...

So I know that I haven't updated my blog in a long while, but the reason is the same. Always busy trying to catch up on everything.

I have been busy keeping up at work. I'm leaving to France on July 29 and come back on August 9. It will be my last trip to Toulouse. I'm going to enjoy.

I also have been to 3 concerts in 5 days, crazy. NKOTB was on July 9, American Idol on July 12 and Coldplay on July 13. This Saturday I'm excited to be going to No Doubt. I have never seen them in concert and should be awesome. Paramore is opening for them. Funny story, I was supposed to be in France this week and therefore couldn't go to No Doubt, but my trip was moved. But I already had sold my lawn ticket, it cost me $30. So I was looking for lawn tickets so I can go but on Craigslist they are going for $70-75 in the lawn, which is sold out. So I went back to Live Nation (the ones that sell the tickets for the venue) and they still had seats available for $90. Yeah, I got seats for $20 more than the lawn where you have to get there early to get the best seats, because they are first come, first serve.

I just learned that I'm allergic to Chlorine. What gives, I went swimming a while a go and got a rash, it got better in a couple of days. Last weekend I went again and this time it got so bad that over the counter meds didn't help me. So I had to go to the doctor, granted the pool was over chlorinated, I'm on meds to help me and so far I'm doing better. But makes me not want to go swimming again.

I'm so sad and happy that Suzy has decided to close her store. I'm happy for her, she will be able to spend time with her family and adventure into other things. But I'm sad for me. I have loved doing this hobby and her store was very convenient for me, 5 minutes away from home so I can always take care of my fur baby and his insulin shots and come back and continue to crop. Now the closest store to me is 20 minutes away, not so easy to go home and come back and crop. So I have to really work on cleaning my stuff and organizing it so I can crop in the garage and I can have people over. I really enjoy this craft and feel sad that I won't be challenged in my monthly assignments for Garage Girl at the store. Also I won't be teaching so less challenges for me. I have really thought it and I know that I work best if I'm being challenged. I don't want to give up on this hobby I love it so much. So I have decided that I need to sign up to one design team. It will keep me challenged and will help me continue to enjoy this hobby. Which bring me to my July CJ challenge.

This month we had to work on the theme of "My Seven Wonders". At first it was hard to come up with all of them. But I then moved away from my family and friends and into what I enjoy in my life and so here is my challenge.


I love how it turned out. This is something similar to a class I taught last year. I love the colors and I can't wait to display it in my craft room/part of the garage.

Enjoy the rest of the week.

June CJ Challenge

This month's challenge was my idea, take 3 sheets of pattern paper, they can be double sided and use every little piece to create as many projects, layouts and cards. I ended up with 4 layous and 3 cards. My papers were 2 from Scenic Route Sonoma line and the other was from October Afternoon Daydream line. I have lots of fun with this, I can' believe all of these came out of 3 papers. So here is my work for the challenge.








I'll be back later to update on my mini vaca/birthday and plans for next month. For now enjoy the rest of the week.

CJ Challenge for May

Also, here is my CJ challenge for the month of May. This month's challenge was to use 10 items from your stash. Yeah, since my stash is huge, I had no trouble doing this. I took it even further and all of my items used in the Layout are from my stash. Most of them came from Kerry Lynn's kit club - Kenner Road.


Pattern paper is October Afternoon and My Minds Eyes. Cardstock is Bazzill. Letters: American Craft and My Little Shoebox.

I love the red, white and blue, it all came together perfect for the photo of my family on Mom's and myself US Citizenship day.

Friendship by the Sea...

This month's challenge was to use as many circles as you want. I have always enjoyed how Erin does a bunch of thin circles on her LOs so I sort of did that. I used Creative Imaginations paper that went perfect with the sunset photo of the group last year at the beach house. I also used the new Hambly overlay, Creative Cafe ruler paper, Maya Road chipboard word, some stickles and glimmer mist.



I also used the new binder border punch from EK Success. I had tons of fun doing this LO, I just got to figure out how to put it in my typewriter to journal.

I had a lot of fun yesterday at the Copic Certification. I'm now certified. Watch out, LOL. What I do know is that I need to practice a lot of my techniques to get bettter. And as with anything, I'm a shopaholic step one, now I "need" more cool tools to use my copics.

As I write this, my parents are in flight, my sister called me to let me know that they had left El Salvador. If you read this before 1 am tonight, pray for them to have a safe flight. I can't wait to see them.

Have a great day.

Live today as if there is no tomorrow...

Since I still don't know when I'm leaving to France, I decided to keep up with my obligations and try to finish early. With that I completed my March entry to the CJ Challenge. This month we had to use favorite quote or scripture. I decided to use a quote, "Live today as if there is no tomorrow", it really captures how I hope to live my life, hence the title of my blog.

Here is what I created:


It's a 12x12 Canvas. I used the K&Co Cut-n-Paste Paper line, I used the plain paper as my base and the glitter paper (same design) I cut it up and used pop dots to give me dimension. I also used pearls galore of all sizes. I cross-stitched over tulle and over some letters. Used some vintage music sheet, ribbon and lace. I glimmer mist the canvas with Vintage Pink, it worked so great with my colors. The chipboard letters were also glimmer misted with Olive Green. I love how it all came out. It's so shabby chic. I just love those colors, pink, green and ivory/pearl.

Enjoy.

February Challenge

This year I knew it was going to be a busy one so I didn't want to commit to something that if I can't complete it, then someone would be short my part. So I didn't want to do any more circle journals. I guess others were in the same boat as me in the group of Seasoned Circle Journal. There are 9 girls that are participating this year. Each month one person host the challenge and we are all to complete it by the 25th of the month. This month, Patti is hosting, who is also our den mother this year as Patty is taking a well deserved break from den mother duties.

This month challenge is to create something with green, blue and brown and with a red heart. Here is my take:


I decided to do a layout about my parents. I'm so lucky to have them in my life that who else can I celebrate about love than their love for eachother.

Here are the supplies I used:

My Little Shoebox
-Enjoy Life Line - Circle of Friends
-Red Lipstick Mini letters
-Cricket Sprinkle Glazed letters

American Crafts
-Character Line - Herald
-Craft Line - Elenore Battington
-Green Ribbon

Bazzill
-In Stitchz - Formal Flourish
-Parakeet Cardstock
-Parakeet Thread
-Red Flower

Hambly Lime Green Mini Graph Transparency
Fiskars Border Punch - Scallop Sentiment
Heart Doily
Bling

I cut out the center of the Circle of friends paper. Using the green graph transparency, layer all the other pattern papers and trim around to remove the excess. Using a sewing machine stich with read thread around the entire circle. All the pattern paper is scalloped using the Fiskars border punch. I used green thread (all 6 strands) and stitched with the pattern from In Stichz on the brown, Elenore Battington paper. For the flower medallion, I cut a 1"x12" parakeet cardstock. Fold every 1/4 of a inch. Adhere both ends together and a flower medallion is made.

I just love all the layers and textures in this layout. I'm so lucky to have so many people around me that influence my creativity. I learn from each of them

Enjoy.