HAPPY BIRTHDAY - DINNER CAKE 

I came across the idea of making a meat loaf and mashed potato cake on MARTHA'S website and when I was trying to figure out what to make for my youngest daughters birthday dinner I thought this would be perfect.  We didn't do a real birthday cake because her birthday fell on a school night.  This was decided only because sugar and set bed times do not go together with my girls.  My eldest daughter was looking at the cake with shock and horror, it was too funny!

CLOSE UP OF THE DINNER CAKE

(It was hard to get a good photo while trying to get this to the table without hurting anyone - the cake weighed in at well over 4 pounds)

LOVE IS IN THE AIR . . .

I am loving the new stamp sets that Stampin' UP! is coming out with.  I just got my newest order in on Monday and of course I had to go and play.  

JUST BUZZIN BY

LOVE BIRDS

LOVE YOU MUCH

LOVE BIRDS TREAT BOX ~ TOP VIEW

LOVE BIRDS TREAT BOX ~ SIDE VIEW

~SUPPLIES~

Stamp sets: JUST BUZZIN BY, LOVE YOU MUCH

Card Stock: PINK PIROUETTE, RIDING HOOD RED, ROSE RED and CHOCOLATE CHIP

Ink / Stampin' Write Markers: PINK PIROUETTE, RIDING HOOD RED, ROSE RED, OLD OLIVE, BLUSH BLOSSOM, REAL RED, CHOCOLATE CHIP

Accessories:  

DESIGNER SERIES PAPER ~ CANDY LANE

 TOP NOTE DIE

HEART TO HEART PUNCH

SPIRAL PUNCH

SCALLOPED CIRCLE PUNCH

1 1/4" SQUARE PUNCH

1 3/8" SQUARE PUNCH

 WORD WINDOW PUNCH

DESIGNER BUTTONS

BRADS

GROSGRAIN RIBBON: ROSE RED, PRETTY IN PINK, WHISPER WHITE and    CHOCOLATE CHIP.

MINI GLUE DOTS

STAMPIN' DIMENSIONALS

2-WAY GLUE PEN

STICKY STRIP

SNAIL

CRYSTAL EFFECTS

 CUTTER KIT

FILING CABINET = AWESOME M & M STORAGE

I found a really cool 3-D project on Toy's Haven

The blog has step by step instructions as well as photographs to use as guidelines for creating this awesome storage container.  

FRONT VIEW

 

SIDE VIEW

ANOTHER VIEW

THE INSIDE SUPPORT

The only thing I did differently is to actually add card stock supports to the inside flap instead of just using STICKY STRIP.

~SUPPLIES NEEDED~

CARD STOCK  - Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie

ACCESSORIES - 

Sweet Always Designer Series Paper

Sticky Strip

4 brads

1/2" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon

MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE STAMP SET

It's a dormant set, so it's not out in the catalog but it is still available.  I am excited to see what Stampin' UP! comes out with in their new catalog, hopefully more stamp sets like SUMMER BY THE SEA where I can play with the WATERCOLOR PENCILS, CRAYONS AND AQUA PAINTER more often.

My sister asked me to make a special card for her and this is what I created!

Supplies needed will be listed below.

PAPER PIERCED CREASE FOR THE LINEN THREAD

**I used the paper piercer to put three small holes in the crease of the card to help keep the LINEN THREAD looking clean.  I used the SNAIL to hold the thread in place on the inside of the card and then put a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"  CONFETTI WHITE CARD STOCK panel on the inside of the card to hide the thread. **

I USED A WHOLE SHEET OF WATERCOLOR PAPER

**I stamped the image three times using BLACK STAZ ON and then played around with the colors until I found what I liked.  The images on the page are the ones I decided against.**  

~SUPPLIES NEEDED~

STAMP SETS:

SUMMER BY THE SEA

A BEAUTIFUL THING

BOHO BACKGROUNDS

CARD STOCK:

CONFETTI WHITE

WHISPER WHITE

NIGHT OF NAVY

BORDERING BLUE

INKS / STAMPIN' WRITE MARKERS:

BASIC BLACK STAMPIN' WRITE MARKER

NIGHT OF NAVY

BASHFUL BLUE

BORDERING BLUE

OLD OLIVE

BLUSH BLOSSOM

CREAMY CARAMEL

TAKEN WITH TEAL

BASIC BLACK

STAZ ON BLACK

*WATERCOLOR PENCILS FOR THE HAIR*

ACCESSORIES:

LINEN THREAD

PAPER PIERCER

AQUA PAINTER

STAMPIN' DIMENSIONALS

SNAIL ~ ADHESIVE

MY CRAFT ROOM

**IT ROCKS**

MY DESK / WORK TABLE

It's made from two filing cabinets from the local supply store and a solid wood door from the local home improvement store.  It's nice and big!

CARD HANGER

**I found this in Argentina, I think it is meant to be used for hanging small laundry items when traveling but it works so much better as a way to display projects**

CARD STOCK FILED AWAY ALPHABETICALLY

**I got this idea from my friend Whitney R., what a great way to organize the CARD STOCK.  It's very easy to see what is running low before the next order goes out!**

STORAGE BINS UNDER DESK

**An old bookshelf fits perfectly under the desk and it houses all my scrap DESIGNER SERIES PAPER, templates, sample cards, glue, INK PADS, and tissue paper**

PRE-CUT CARD STOCK FOR CARDS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

**My friend Lisa C. uses this system in her card classes and it just rocks!  The first time I attended one of her classes and saw the CARD STOCK pre-cut like this, I ran home and created my own stockpile.**

LONG BOOK SHELF WITH CURRENT STAMP SETS, RIBBONS, PUNCHES & STAMPIN' WRITE MARKERS

**This was one of my first attempts at making a book shelf!  I made it almost five years ago and it is still holding up.  The back is made of peg board and that has been just awesome for organizing supplies.  I'm not sure if you can see the rack that the ribbon is on, it is made for pegboard organizers!**

STORAGE CORNER, WITH ORGANIZER FOR BUTTONS, BRADS & CLIPS

ADDITIONAL STORAGE!

**The armoire was too big to fit in the bedroom so "sadly" it had to go into the crafting room.**

AWESOME MADE IN THE U.S.A. STORAGE CUBE

** I have really been trying to purchase items made in the U.S.A. lately and can I say they are super hard to find!  While walking through Target, I was surprised to find that this storage cube was made in America.  The system is pretty cool, you can arrange the shelves four different ways.  You can purchase drawers that are as deep as two shelves.  I will definitely be getting more of these cubes.  The drawers I selected hold the 12 x 12 CARD STOCK and DESIGNER SERIES PAPER perfectly.

ALL OF MY RETIRED STAMP SETS

ANOTHER SHOT OF THE AWESOME DESK!

THE SWEETEST LETTER EVER!

My six year old wrote me this letter two days ago after I enrolled at the local Community College.  I will translate below.  :)

From Caitlin

To Mom

Happy first month

of the year

for Mommy getting

a chance to get

in college today

was the first 

meeting and tomorrow

is the second

But she is still

the best at this

stuff --> baking

being a great mom

with the rules figured

out and pet

owner having two

children  Thank you

mom for all the 

stuff you do to

make us happy

(a drawing of lips ~ for a kiss) I LOVE YOU

and of course she added lots of hugs and kisses with the X's and O's.

She, of course, melted my heart with this letter!

STATIONARY SET WITH PROTECTIVE COVER

**I saw this on a new blog I have been watching and decided that I would figure out how to make it.  It is toooooo cute.  I forgot to take photos of the cards that fit inside.  It holds six cards on one side and six envelopes on the other.  I used two pieces of 8 1/2" x 11" CHOCOLATE CHIP CARDSTOCK for the base pieces and then used the SUMMER HOME SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' KIT for coordinating pieces.  I recommend using STICKY STRIP for this project because its hold is super strong.**

COVER OF STATIONARY SET (DIMENSIONS)

INSIDE POCKET DIMENSIONS (TWO POCKETS ARE NEEDED)

**if you click on the photo it will enlarge and you can see the dimensions better**

INSIDE POCKET, SCORED AND CUT WITH STICKY STRIP APPLIED

BACKSIDE VIEW OF THE INSIDE POCKET

COVER (DECORATED)

INSIDE VIEW WITH POCKETS ATTACHED

PROTECTIVE COVER (DIMENSIONS)

INSIDE VIEW OF PROTECTIVE COVER

STATIONARY SET INSIDE COVER

STATIONARY SET COMPLETELY INSIDE COVER

This project wasn't too hard to make, it was time consuming the first time around because I was figuring out dimensions.  Now that I have them, it will be super easy to make.