Where 'O Where...

Spring has really been on my mind lately..and I thought it was coming soon. The grass was peeking through in large spots in our yard, but then... another storm hit us last night! We had several inches of snow again and a late start to school! ICK! I really need to get out, get some fresh warm air, hear the birds, and feel the sun on me! I tell ya, the winters here are sooo very long. Maybe I need to get some tanning sessions or something. ha I'm so jealous of all of you who are sweating right now! :) One thing I do have to look forward to is that my mom is coming to visit me SOON! I miss her so much...can't wait! I just hope the weather cooperates for her to get here!

So, with me longing to get outside, I can't help but make more of these little birdhouse cards and tons of butterfly things! I'm so addicted to anything with butterflies on it lately! This little birdhouse card was made with the card kit from Right at Home. I think there are still a few kits left, if I'm not mistaken. Papers are the new Scenic Route "Providence" line.And below: the butterfly card was created for this month's contest over at Scenic Route's website! I got a wild hair to enter a contest. hehe What I did was use the negative of the butterfly chipboard and painted it white and stitched with red stitching along the edges. I backed it with some more of the new Scenic Route "Providence" papers and added a Scenic Route sentiment.

I'm not sure if they'll like the "shabbiness" of it..but I guess we'll see! :) Thanks for stopping by today. I'm finally on the mend and feeling creative once again. When the virus hit me last week, my creativity went right out the door, I didn't think I was going to feel like scrapping ever again. lol Don't forget to check out my new card kit which will be revealed in 2 weeks at CMK! You must be a member to get a kit each month (visit the link for more info). I think you are going to LOVE these! Lisa put together the first kit for me and it's so much FUN!

Hugs
~Danielle~

Just wanted to say...

Happy Easter!

I have all my desserts baked, eggs boiled for dying (we are going to do it at Grandma's house this year), niece and nephew's Easter baskets are ready...I think I'm almost ready for tomorrow. I thought of this little carrot card last night, so I had to make one for my niece's basket! (I don't think my 14 year old nephew would appreciate it stuck in his basket..ha) Oh, and can't forget the camera! Have a joyful Easter day tomorrow! Hugs, Danielle

Happy Good Friday!

Easter is almost here! Do you have fun plans for Easter? Our tradition includes an outdoor egg hunt with our in-laws and all of my husband's cousins, (my kids' 2nd cousins), so the kids are excited as always. This year all my egg hunt photos are going to include hats, gloves, snow boots and the like as we still have LOTS of snow and actually it snowed again last night! Phooey! No cute little Easter dresses for us this year.

I've been feeling under the weather the last few days with quite a sore throat, hopefully it will go away soon. And poor Kati has had a temperature too. I'm sooooo ready for Spring and no more colds or being cooped up inside!

I have some exciting news to share with you all! If you are interested in purchasing an exciting new monthly card kit from me, I am no longer at Treasured Scrapbooking...my year was up there and I have more things coming my way, which I'll be able to share soon....but one exciting thing has happened along the way lately that I can share! I will have a monthly card kit available at Create My Keepsake! The first one is going to be available April 15th, however it is going to be on a "membership basis". So if you are interested, head on over to CMK today! The memberships are up and ready and they are limited. Members receive discounts, ability to pick and choose which monthly kits you want to purchase, and other benefits as well! I promise you won't be disappointed! You will also love the awards program. Points are earned for purchases, and they add up fast which equals free stuff for you! I love CMK because they always have the newest things (and I have to buy on-line since we don't have a local scrapbooking store here anymore). The card kits will come with instructions and photos for 4 cards!

I've been playing around with my photos lately trying to figure out these "actions". I think I could get quickly addicted to these! I purchased one from Photoblast called "vignette". Love how it frames the photo and takes out the ugly green carpet! LOL
To Emka: Yes, I am originally from Rapid!! It's a small world, eh? I couldn't figure out how to get ahold of you from your post on my blog!

And just really quick I'd like to give a shout out to my dad...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dad!! He is 57 today! Miss you soooo much and love you!!!
Have a Happy Easter, everyone! =)
~Danielle~

Prima Hybrid BLOG Party!

Let's party! To welcome the new Prima Hybrid girls to the team, we wanted to host another blog party and offer you lots of freebies! So please help me welcome:

Laura Kannady
Patricia Komara
Teresa Victor
Monika Martinson

To honor them, each of us are offering some kind of freebie on our blog! Here is mine, it’s a digital template that you can download:

And here is the free download link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/fkltpt

If you are unsure how to add your patterned paper to these templates, visit HERE for a tutorial! Below is a sample of how you can use this template. It's so easy in Photoshop to add your layers to the shapes. By following the tutorial above, you drag your papers over to the shapes and when you click control-alt-G, it automatically cuts your paper to that shape! This is the first one I've ever done, and it was a blast! Certainly easier than I thought it would be.

And...since I'm mostly a traditional scrapper, I had to add some dimension with more butterflies, stitching, button and glittery chipboard letters! (Click on photos to see them larger.) Papers used here are all Kim Christensen's from Prima Hybrid! (So Fresh kit and the blue is from the Thrift Chic kit)

Here are the other PH ladies' blogs, so
be sure to grab their freebies too:

Cindy www.AnAlteredState.blogspot.com
Melinda http://myscrapcorner.blogspot.com
Andrea www.andreagourley.blogspot.com
Jess http://scrapbookideas.wordpress.com/
Cathy http://paper-cat.blogspot.com
Teresa http://www.teresavictor.com/perspectives
Di http://www.dihickman.blogspot.com
Amy http://alb52.typepad.com
Indah http://inskidahv.wordpress.com
Julie Ann http://jshahin.blogspot.com
Monika http://monma.blogspot.com/
Jamie http://twogirlsdesigned.blogspot.com
Kristin http://wyowoman.blogspot.com
Angel http://angeltown.typepad.com/
Patty D http://scrapbookdimensions.com/blog/?p=265#more-265
Patty K http://plkomara.blogspot.com/
{Laura will post in the PH Forum}

Thanks for visiting me today!

A tag and few pics of me...

I've been tagged by a few ladies, so I thought I better pop in here and share my 7 random facts about me and share a few photos while I'm here! I am one who never gets in the pics, always the one taking the pics, so today I decided to get out my camera and just GO for it! I've been very inspired by Kate who always has such terrific photos of herself. Love how she is so honest about herself too. I'd love for my girls to have more photos of me. So maybe..just maybe I'll get around to scrapping these...

OK, here are my 7 random facts:

1. I am 36 and have gray hairs already!

2. I have 2 college degrees: Speech Pathology/Audiology and a teaching certificate.

3. I am short.

4. I don't have a favorite movie, because I don't like to watch them over and over.

5. Totally addicted to Mountain Dew. I quit drinking it when I was pregnant, and then started back up after Kati was born. I can't help it!

6. I lived in South Dakota for 30 years. I've been to Mt. Rushmore hundreds of times! lol

7. I love to play cards! When we get together with relatives, we always play!

Well, that was really hard for me. :) Hope you didn't fall asleep reading that! I think everyone I know has been tagged. LOL So if you want to answer these 7 random tag facts, feel free!

Come back tomorrow for my free sketch for the Prima Hybrid blog party! All the PH girls will be offering sketches/templates for you. Should be fun!
~Danielle~

Scenic Route goodness!

OK, if you haven't checked out the new Scenic Route- Providence goodies, you are missing out! I have to admit when I first saw the peeks on-line, the colors didn't look too vibrant, but after seeing it in person, I'm in love! Scenic Route never lets you down! These papers are all double-sided with more beautiful patterns on the back. I love that, because it really gives me twice the options when I'm creating. Here is the newest card kit available at Right at Home with these gorgeous papers! This is available for pre-order purchase at the site and will ship around March 22. It comes with instructions and patterns for 5 cards and includes some Creative Cafe goodies along with several gorgeous ribbons....

Here is one card I made entirely with things from the kit! Even the embroidery floss is included! (except "your" which I stamped with my alphabet stamps, but you could easily use your computer to print it on your tag also)

Get your kit HERE today before they are gone! (Price is with shipping included, or HERE for pick up in store.)

So Kind of You card: This was made for the next sketch over at Sketch This: Cards, sketch #44. I used some cute Pink Paislee polkadot papers (Office Lingo collection) with a Pink Paislee journaling stamp and sticker letters in teal. A friend of mine sent me this cute butterfly felt from a craft store in the Netherlands..thanks, Nancy! Loving the bright, springy colors lately!

(Will be in Paper Trends Aug/Sept. 2008)

Check out the other amazing cards that these girls came up with over at Sketch This! I had a wonderful day yesterday...hope you did too. I received a VERY cool e-mail!! Eeek! Can't wait to share. Well, I'm off to run some more errands for today and work on some Prima stuff when I get back...stay tuned to my blog this weekend! We are having another BLOG PARTY with lots of free templates/sketches for you to honor/welcome the new Prima Hybrid girls to the team! :)
~Danielle~

How Time Flies!

Oopsie! How times flies...I meant to post these a couple of days ago! These were made with the newest kit from Inspire Me Card Kits, and I just love it! The ribbons are just to die for. I love Making Memories, it's one of my favorite manufacturers! You Make Me Smile layout: a pic that I just adore of my little Kati from last summer! I created butterflies from the photo corners and die cuts in the kit and cut the white hearts from the paper...Thanks card: I used the ribbon wrap that the ribbon came on to create a card with! The thanks rub on fit perfectly in the little indent...

Congratulations card: Love, love this chipboard! I wish I had more!

Hugs & Kisses purse card: would be really cute with a little bag filled with a gift card and some candies stapled inside!

And here is a little birdhouse card that I made for Prima Hybrid. Love this little digi kit by Nancy Kubo called Little Dreamland. Can't wait to make more things with it. You can read the tutorial on how to make this card HERE.

(Will be in Paper Trends Aug/Sept 2008 issue.)

I appreciate you stopping by today! Have a wonderful day! Remember: smiles are one size fits all (what my aunt always says...ha) ~Danielle~

One Cute Chick...

Sometimes I feel as if I'm a little "layout challenged" and that is why I don't do them all that often...but once in awhile, it just all seems to come together! For this one, I started with a simple design and then it just evolved into this:
This is my daughter, Taylor, last summer at the school playground one day..we love to go there once in awhile and play on all the big jungle gyms and stuff...she will rarely hold still long enough for a photo, but she did this day for some reason! LOL My journaling says, "What a heartbreaker you are going to be some day!" The boys are already after her in their own little 2nd grade ways....eeek! Luckily she wants nothing to do with them yet! =)

In the top corner, I drew a flower similar to the gorgeous flowers in the Pink Paislee "Spring Fling" paper and hand stitched the design with brown thread....
I used the chick stamp from the Retro Spring collection (Pink Paislee) and stamped with brown ink, then I used chalk around the edges to add dimension. I cut the scalloped die cut frame down to fit around my photo and journaling and used the leftovers to journal on....

And on this card, I scanned one of the journaling stamps from the Needful Things stamp set (Pink Paislee also!) and enlarged it a bit. I printed it onto patterned paper and folded for my card base. Did a little hand stitching on the die cut! I love making cards with unique shapes to them...try this technique...it's really fun! Link me up to your creations, I'd love to see them. =)

(Will be published in Cards Magazine, Sept. 2008 issue.)
Thanks for visiting me today! I'll be back tomorrow with more creations!~Danielle~