July Christmas Cards

Tracy's challenge to us for July was to create single layer Christmas cards. I had an idea before I left for DC and used a border CB folder on some white cardstock and then finished figuring out what to do with them when I got to Washington. Here is the end result:

I used two of my new SU sets and an oldy but goodie for the sentiment. I added a horizontal line using my scorpal and that was that! Easy peasy and I think they are pretty.

Headed for Massachusetts on the train tomorrow to join dh and have a visit with his family. Another adventure! I'll try to be back with a post from MA and hopefully I will be back into blog reading mode too! It has hardly stopped raining since I got here and I'm really hoping that MA is not too wet! We'll be looking at a possible new boat on Friday and I'll let you know how that goes.

thanks for visiting today!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Greetings from New Jersey!

Well, I made it to NJ! Got through my presentation (although I was so nervous I don't even remember what I said) and made all my connections out of DC. Was raining like crazy going into the Lincoln Tunnel, but when I came back out to go back through, everything was dry again. Gotta love the weather!

Yesterday was the debut of a new challenge on the Kaboodle Doodle challenge blog - use a digital image! Here's the card that I made with an image from Lily Boo (our challenge winner will get some wonderful Lily Boo stamps!)


I am slowly but surely getting a little bit caught up, but I'm still not able to get to all my fave blogs and leave a little love - I'll be back I promise!

Thanks for visiting today and be sure to check out all the wonderful creations by my fellow team members at Kaboodle Doodle!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Another game of tag!

Kim took our tag game to the Memories Always & Forever group this round. Here's the link to the big reveal and here's my card:

I was working with somewhat limited supplies, but I like how the card turned out. You find out what your favorite tools are when you don't have them (i.e. my beloved punches and my Big Shot!), but it's also lots of fun to see what you can come up with when you don't have them too.

Sorry to have been absent with my comments on all my fave blogs, but there is no way I could keep up with them this past week, so I'll just have to start at the beginning tomorrow!

Well, tomorrow morning is my presentation to the Law Librarian's conference and then I'm headed up for a quick visit with dad. DH is already in MA and I will join him on Thursday - can't wait! Family time is always a time to be treasured.

Thanks for visiting today.

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Checking in!

Greetings from Delaware! I rented a car and drove to DE from DC to visit my brother. I had planned to take a bus, but our clear headed Legal Assistant Angela said "Why don't you just rent a car and drive?" DUH! I just never think in terms of cars when I'm in DC but it worked out GREAT! I have had an adventure and will have another tomorrow morning when I try driving back to DC!

I have some things to share, but probably won't get a chance until tomorrow night when I'm back at the hotel. Sneaking a few minutes on my bro and sil's pc tonight before hitting the hay, but I'll be back on track in a day or two. Headed to NJ on Monday to see my folks and then on to MA on Thursday to hook up with DH and his family for some good old Portuguese food and fun.

Talk to you later! Thanks for visiting.

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Greetings from Washington, DC

It has been an extremely hectic few days! Wonderfully fun workshop on Saturday, great time boating with the grandkids on Sunday. Busting a little butt to get ready to travel on Monday and then traveling yesterday to DC. Finally could take a breath this morning and make a card! Hauled some supplies with me and thought I'd try this week's sketch challenge on SCS.

Here's my card:

Posting may be a bit sporadic for the next week or so as I work in the office here for a week. I'm going to visit my brother and sil in Delaware and hopefully take some pix of all the wonderful items that were donated to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition by my bloggy buddies and all the wonderful gals on the Lime Light design team. Then I'll be headed to NJ for a few days and then on to MA for a visit with dh's family. Stay tuned to see if I manage to survive!

Thanks for visiting.

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Some more All in the Family

I'm still making some samples for my workshop tomorrow with the All in the Family and related sets.




Since I won't be taking along my stamp room when I head east, I plan to work on learning more about digital scrapbooking and digital paper and image creation. We'll have to see how that goes. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for visiting today!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Workshop project

I'm working on some project ideas for upcoming workshops. Here's some of the cards I put together last night:




One of my hostesses wanted to make a card using the All in the Family stuff. This is my first time inking up my sets and it was lots of fun - so many possibilities! I also really love the Razzle Dazzle set and she wanted to do some heat embossing. This set really lends itself to some elegant choices using that technique.

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Better late than never ....

I had every intention of posting this morning, but ... the best laid plans, yada yada yada. We had a grand time last night. I was pretty wiped by the end of the evening, but oh so glad to have had the chance to stamp with my pals! They were sooooo helpful too - slogging all the stuff back up the stairs for me - you guys rule!

Here are our cards:

Diane

Carol

Carol - yeah she made two!

Sabrina - so sorry for the fuzzy pix, I guess I'm still learning this camera

Mine

It was sort of a limited supply challenge in that I couldn't haul too much downstairs so I just brought new stuff and some basics. Quiet Carol diligently sat working while the rest of us blabbed and blathered, so she got two cards made while we only got one. I had a great time though and I think the gals did too.

I'm in panic mode trying to get ready for my trip east - what to take, what not to take - YIKES! I know I will be knitting - airports, planes, busses and trains oh my! I know I will be making some jewelry - my absolute fave bead store is only blocks from my office in DC. I want to stamp, but I don't want to haul too much with me as I am taking all the stuff for the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition project (pix of that coming up this weekend). I have a couple of projects due while I'm gone and if I don't get them done before I leave, then those will have to be the priority items to take. It's a work in progress. I'll keep you posted - helpful hints and suggestions are MOST welcome.

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Playing with my new embossing folders

I told you I'd have a card for you today (my kaboodle challenge card doesn't count cause I already gave you a sneek peek at that) and here it is:


Very plain, nothing fancy, but I am having so much fun playing with my new embossing folders. Being out of commission for a week, it really is so nice to be able to sit at my desk and create something! I've had my new stuff since Friday, but just couldn't get it together until yesterday. This is pretty plain and simple, but I think that is pretty much my style anyway.

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

New Kaboodle Doodle Challenge

Linda, fellow dt member at Kaboodle Doodles, has set a challenge this time to use buttons and bows. Check out the challenge post and see what the rest of the team has made and check out that great prize! Here's the card I made for this challenge:


Recipe:
Stamps: Trendy Trees
Paper: Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Accessories and Tools: Dusty Durango and Crushed Curry ribbon, buttons from my stash, Word Window and Modern Label punches, Movers and Shapers die, and some cool punch needle yarn that I found in my stash that matches the Dusty Durango almost perfectly!

To get that scruffy edge around this photo, I used a technique I learned taking Jessica Sprague's online class Photo Editing: Frame-ups and Special Effects. If you have not ever checked out her website and the wonderful classes she offers, you should click here and pay her a visit. I have so many wonderful digitial tools (and toys) and her classes are helping me learn to make good use of them!

Thanks for visiting.

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Deal of the Week - July 13-20

This week's Summer Fun Deal of the Week from Stampin' Up! is for the Square Fire Rhinestone Brads - regular price $10.95 and this week only $6.99!



If you want to take advantage of this deal, just click on the 24 hour online shopping icon on the left side of my blog and place your order, or contact me and I will order it for you!

Thanks for visiting! I will be back later with a card - yes an actual card! I'm feeling much better and actually sat and made a card - felt sooooooo good to be back creating. The gals are coming over tonight and I think we're going to do a little limited supplies challenge using some of my new toys from the new catalog, so look for a post tomorrow sharing our creations.

There's a new challenge up on the Kaboodle Doodle Challenge blog, so be sure to go over and check it out and please play along! We're also looking for three more design team members, so check out the post on that as well.

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Win A Big Shot Die Pack from Stampin Addicts!

Stampin Addicts is having a wonderful giveaway. Click on the image above to see the post explaining it.

Check it out!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Some Kaboodle Doodle News

There's a new challenge premiering on the Kaboodle Doodle Challenge blog on Monday. Here's a little sneek peek of my entry:


We'll also be announcing the winner of the last challenge, so stop on by and check it out.

Sunday will also be an exciting day - I'm not going to spill the beans, but make sure you pay a visit and check out the exciting news!

Thanks for visiting and thanks for all your good thoughts and wishes - I am feeling better each day and hope to be back at work on Monday (at least for 1/2 day anyway)!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Meet the new Lime Light design team!

Well I am finally starting to feel human again and although I'm about a week late, I want to welcome all the new design team members to The Lime Light design team. I have been fortunate to be a part of this great team for the past year and was sooooooo gratified to be asked to become a part of it for another year. Here is the current design team for The Lime Light - click on the links and check out these very talented ladies' blogs:

Bonnie Rose: alifeunrehearsed2.blogspot.com
Crystal: http://www.scrapcandydesigns.blogspot.com/
Diana: dianasausomecreationsetc.blogspot.com
Gracie: everythingcricut.blogspot.com (Team Leader)
Joy: http://www.obsessedwithscrapbooking.com/ (Design Director)
Leah: paperblossoms.blogspot.com
Lisa R.: Blog Coming Soon
Lori: http://livelaughscrap-leedle.blogspot.com/
Lorraine: coldwaters2.blogspot.com (Consulting Ambassador)
Melanie: courtney-lane.blogspot.com
Peg: pegscraftingcorner.blogspot.com
Randi: randijc.blogspot.com
Ruth: ruelysicreativecards.blogspot.com (Quarterly Project Co-Director)
Sammye Jo: http://www.62cards.blogspot.com/
Sandra: t42originals.blogspot.com
Susan: suescricutandcrafts.blogspot.com (Training Director)
Tammy: ladybugandcompany.blogspot.com (Quarterly Task Co-Director)
Terry: inspire-a-tion.blogspot.com (Publicity Director)

To learn more about this wonderful group, click on the Lime Light icon on the right side of my blog or click on the link below.

I'll be back later with more - and hopefully some cards to show too! Moving a bit slow and needing to rest a bit between activities, but it gets better and easier each day!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Some recent treats from the mailman

I'm taking a few days off from crafting to recover from a case of pneumonia, but I wanted to share a couple of cards I got recently:

Here's one from Juanita:

Here's one from LeAnne:

Thank you so much for visiting. I'll be back in a couple of days and also back reading and commenting on all my favorite blogs. I have discovered that I need to clean up my google reader - I had over 800 new blog posts after only a couple of days - overwhelming! I marked everything as read and I'm starting over.

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Happy Independence Day!

If you live in the US, today is the day we celebrate our independence. Here's a card I made using the same technique I used on my June Christmas cards. I'm working on a tutorial (really I am!) and hope to post it next week.

I did not have an appropriate stamp for the sentiment, so I used some of my vast font collection to create a graphic and then colored it appropriately! It's good to use some of these tools I've been collecting for the past 20+ years!

The dp is from GinaK and I altered it a bit too as I wanted a brighter blue. The marvels of the digital age never cease to amaze me!

Hopefully, I will be on the boat today and so I'm going to try to post this as a scheduled post. Blogger has not been too friendly this week, so we'll just have to see if it behaves!

Thanks for visiting and Happy 4th to all my US buddies!

~chris

Edited to add: Has anyone else been having problems with Blogger not publishing posts when they are scheduled. When I checked my blog on Monday morning, I discovered that this post - scheduled for Saturday - had not yet posted. This is about the 4th time this has happened and I don't know if it's just me or if everyone else is having problems too.

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Monday night fun on Wednesday

My bff Sabrina came over on Wednesday night this week as Aaron was in town Monday and I was busy being mom. Here's the card we made:

It is so much fun to pull out all the dp stash and find out how it will work with the new in colors! I love this Bo Bunny paper and Sabrina matched it up with the Bermuda Bay and I think it looks great. I also got to use some of my new Oregon Raindrops from Pink Hedgehog!

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Deal of the Week

New from Stampin' Up! - Deal of the Week

Beginning July 1 and continuing through the month of July, Stampin' Up! is offering a new Deal of the Week each Monday at 10:00 AM (MT).

The first deal of the week, beginning July 1 at noon (MT) is ...




Item - #112091
Scallop Edge punch
Special Price - $10.99


Thanks for visiting today! If you want to take advantage of this week's special sale item, just click on the Shop Online graphic on the top left of my blog! Remember, if you want to book a new catalog party in August, you need to get in touch with me soon.

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

My very first digital scrapbook page

Alright, I've finally quit procrastinating and played around with some of my toys and made a digital scrapbook page! Yowza - not great, but it's a start!

These are pictures that dh took of the kids playing in the school yard across the street this weekend. Kael fights smiling for pictures normally, so this was cause for celebration!

Thanks for visiting. I am trying to get back on track after all the family stuff and get some stuff made! Hope to be back with that ....

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

Current Lime Light Task #9 - it's MY project!

Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis know that I am a very proud member of the Lime Light - a team of wonderful gals that make projects for donation to worthy causes. These can be things like our butterfly project where we made butterflies to donate to the Children's Holocaust Museum in Houston, or when we made items that could be donated to animal shelters to help them raise money to support the work they do, or when we helped one of our own by making cards that she could use in her work with at-risk youth. Click on the image and visit the website and check out some of the wonderful things this group has been involved in! This month's project is my project. Here is a basic description of the task that the Lime Light design team members will be tackling this month.

My idea centered around my amazing sister-in-law Cheryl who is a breast cancer survivor. Not only is she a survivor, she is also an awesome activist. She went to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition to help her get through this most difficult illness and she ended up working there. She works giving support to her fellow survivors. She is tireless in her efforts on behalf of this organization and I would like to help out. She and her fellow workers often send cards of encouragement to the folks they work with. She also has made note card sets to give to survivors so that they can send notes to their friends and family letting them know what’s happening through the course of their treatment. They use journals so that they can chronicle their personal journeys. Cheryl also holds monthly craft classes to keep them engaged and feeling good about themselves. They make all kinds of craft projects and in August they are working on scrapbook pages.

I would like to make cards that the counselors can send to the members of their survivor groups and note cards that the counselors can give to the survivors to send out themselves. I'd also like to make some decorated journals to be given to the survivors to use to chronicle their journey.

In addition, I am putting together some scrapbooking supplies, designer papers mostly and some ribbon and digital print items that they can use at the center to make scrapbook pages both during their August craft activity and later when they work one on one with them to create pages to remember their journey.

Here are some of the cards I have been making.







I have put general "thinking of you" and "get well" messages on the insides and on some I am leaving the inside blank with a flower or other stamped image so that the counselor can add a personal message.

Here is one of the note card sets that I have made as well as a picture of one of the cards:



This is a 6 x 8 journal and I have decorated the front. I am going to stamp some flowers here and there throughout the pages, but am leaving it mostly blank for the survivor to write and add pictures of their own.


Here is a link to the DBCC website where you can go and check out what they do:

http://www.debreastcancer.org/default.htm

This is a link to a video featuring my sister-in-law, Cheryl Doucette, talking about what this organization has meant to the survivors who go there:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/video/video.php?v=1179184598334

I am going east at the end of the month and will be hand delivering the items that the team sends to me and they will also be sending things directly to Cheryl at the center. I will be holding a workshop locally so that my local stamp camp gals can get in on the fun too.

Thanks for visiting today!

~chris

A Proud member of The Lime Light
Come visit us and see what we've been up to.
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles