Next In The Series

Hello and Welcome! Hope you are having a great day!

This is the next card in a card kit Thank You series I have been working on. In my December 28th post, I explained how I am trying to use some of the card kits I have had stored away for some time now.

I really like the patterns and colors in this card! A bit of a Spring look feels good on these cold Winter days. The card base is from a My Mind's Eye kit. I ran the front through my paper crimper to give a little texture to the stock. I added a strip of ribbon to the front to highlight the sentiment. The sentiment and embellishments, which are raised on dimensionals, are also from the kit. The stash is slowly dwindling so check back again for the next card in the series!

Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

A Series of Thanks!

Hello Friends! Good Monday morning to you! Hope your week starts well!

It's that time when we start to make resolutions for the New Year! I only make one resolution each year...that is to make no resolutions! Past experience has proven to me I always end up disappointed when I try to resolve something for the coming year. I do, however, set goals for myself. It's such a good feeling when you meet that goal and even exceed it sometimes. One of my goals recently is to try and use up as much of my "stash" as I can (without touching the treasured pieces, of course...lol). I have numerous sets of My Mind's Eye card kits. I thought the thank you cards I need to make would be a perfect use for these kits. So, today I would like to start a series of thank you cards that I have made using these products.

This card uses the card base from the kit. I love this color combo! I then used my Labels Four Nesties to to cut the mattes. The sentiment layer is also edged with Colorbox chalk ink Icy Blue. A very simple card but with some interest. I think it would be perfect for a masculine thank you card or one for a family. What do you think?

In future posts I will share some of the other kits and embellishments I have used, so, stay tuned! It has been fun even though I sometimes feel like I am "cheating" using these kits. You know how it is...if you don't agonize over it, how can it be original?!?! How can you say it is hand made?!?! Well, I am overcoming that in an effort to reach my goal! What are your feelings about card kits?

So glad you could visit today! I hope you will come back often! I look forward to your comments and opinions so let me hear from you if you have the time!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

So Much To Be Thankful For

Greetings everyone! I hope your Christmas Day was a blessed one for all of you. The blessings certainly flowed for our family!! I got to talk to my family in Germany and got a chance to visit with family close by. We had a wonderful lunch and some good laughs. I must have been a fairly good girl this year because I was also blessed with some very nice gifts! I now have a giftcard for Starbucks...woohoo!....and I have to brag about my new crockpot! It is the type that has a locking lid so you can transport it safely and without a mess!! It is perfect as I take food twice a month to our church for fellowship dinner. My dear friends know me so well! I also got dinner and a chance to see the Living Christmas Tree production. How wonderful to spend an evening reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas! The production was huge and very well done. The costumes and the music brought so much life to the scenes. Truly awe inspiring!

With so many blessings, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to family and friends for making this holiday even more special! So, I have started to make some thank you cards to show my appreciation. This card started with a white card base that I embossed with the CB folder Floral Fantasy and then rounded the corners. The pink layer is card stock and the corners are punched with a Fiskars corner punch. I used my Nesties to cut the scallop circle and stamped the sentiment with a stamp from Inkadinkadoos "Just Saying" set. I added dots and dashes to the card with a Creative Memories marker. The card came out a little "busier" than I had planned but I still like the look of it. Now to get busy with the rest of the cards and get them sent out!!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I am so grateful for each visit and hope you find some inspiration to take away with you!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Wishing Everyone A Blessed Christmas

Happy 101st Birthday Aunt Ethel!

Hello Friends! It was a busy weekend but we had a family milestone reached again! My Great Aunt had her 101st birthday! We are all amazed and thrilled that she gets around as she does and still knows most of us. She still works her word find puzzles everyday, too!

It was a wonderful celebration with family and friends! We all enjoyed the cake and ice cream! But no one as much as Aunt Ethel! The picture shows her in all her Christmas finery right down to the birthday crown!

If you think about all the changes she has seen in her years, it is mind boggling. She saw cars driven for the first time, the first telephones, the beginning of radio and television just to mention a few. It was a hoot to watch when she used a microwave oven the first time! She taught elementary school for almost forty years so you can imagine the changes she saw as the curriculum changed! Wow! We are so proud of her and so fortunate to have shared her stories and tales!

Thanks for letting me share a little about this very special lady. My hope now is that the "gene pool" trickles down a few generations!! I am now living in the house she was born in and I feel the presence of each of them here every day! It is wonderful to be one of seven generations to share the experience!

I hope each of you has a blessed Christmas and gets a chance to be with family and friends this holiday!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

A Merry Little Christmas

Hello Friends! Have you missed me? I have certainly missed all of you! It has been a hectic time with holiday festivities and filling craft orders! Hopefully, I am all caught up now and can get back to doing what I love... sharing my craft fun with you!

I have a card to share today that took on a life of its own. I was using some holly leaves on a package and then several fell into a circle shape on my desk. The next thing I knew I had a wreath of holly leaves and the idea for this card. The leaves were punched with a MS holly punch from textured cardstock, I formed a wreath "base" by punching a 1 1/4" circle and then punching a 2" circle around the smaller one. I glued a series of leaves to the base. I then glued another series over and between the first ones. The berries are 1/8" circles punched and the bow is a foam sticker. I added crystal Deco writer to the leaves for a little extra dimension and texture. I used dimensionals to attach the wreath to the card base.

The card base is white stock with a red panel adhered to the inside right. I used a MS border punch on the outside edge. I also added the Deco glitter paint along the edge. The sentiment is stamped on white stock, cut with deco scissors and matted to a red rectangle with dimensionals.

I am really pleased with the look of this card! And I was thrilled to be able to use some of my many craft punches. Too often they sit by the wayside, but a crafter MUST have her tools, right?!?!? I knew you'd agree!!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! It is always so nice to hear from each of you! I hope to be a lot more faithful to my blog in the future! It has been a challenging time but one of great joy for me as we approach this blessed holiday. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and pray that you will each find your own peace this wonderful time of year!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Post It Pads w/ Mini Pens

Greetings everyone! We are having a mixed bag with weather these days! First rain, then snow and ice, a lot of rain, and now gale force winds! Whew! It's enough to make you go hmmmmm! You can hear tree branches snapping in this wind but so far no visible trees down and we still have power. Woohoo!

I have some post it pad holders to share with you today . I love these as they have a place for the pen attached. This is another idea that came from Dawn and you can see her video here.

I made several of these with different papers and stock. The two pictured are examples of a holiday cover and an all occasion cover. I love the versatility of the all occasion card stock. With the theme family and friends, it can be used in so many ways. Rather than cover up the wording on this cover, I added brads to the prominent O's for a little extra accent. The holiday cover has words for a winter wonderland. Since snow was the prominent word on this one, I added a snowflake. These pads are easy to make and fun to give. You just have to be sure to measure the thickness of your pads for each one, as different suppliers have more or less paper in them. The thicker ones may require you to adjust the cover folds a little so the front lays flat. The mini pens I got from Staples. I really found a bargain there as they were on clearance on line. And with a $50 order, Staples delivers for free, usually the next day. Can't beat that!!

Be sure to give these s try! Teachers, including Sunday School teachers, are always needing post its! My Mom loves these for her shopping lists! So many ways you can use them and they fit nicely in a purse or organizer! They can be refilled, too, by removing the last page of paper on the new pad and pressing it into place! That's always a plus!

I am off to fill holiday orders! The teacher survival kits have been a biggy this year as have the jumbo clip bookmarks! We also have the Christmas party for the Seniors group at church this Saturday so lots to do! And I still have boxes to ship to my daughter and her family in Germany! Oh my! I better get at it!

Hope you all have a wonderful day and you get a chance to drop by again soon! I've got some hot chocolate and some cranberry oatmeal cookies just waiting!!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Jumbo Paperclip Bookmark

Hello! Welcome to Bountiful Blessings!

Just a simple little goodie to share today! I made several of these jumbo paperclips for a craft fair and to give out to friends.

I found the clips at Walmart in the office supply section. I punched two 2" scallop circles from white card stock. On one, I added a 3D snowflake sticker (I also found at Walmart in craft section). You could use any image or sentiment here. I joined the circles over the "open" end of the clip with glue dots. You can embellish further with ribbon but I chose to keep it simple. Glitter is beautiful but tends to make a mess for the recipient. Jewel brads and buttons are also very pretty. I packaged them in cello envelopes and added a printed topper which I stamped with snowflakes.

Quick, easy and beautiful! Gotta love it!

Have a wonderful day and I look forward to your return visit!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Over the Top Award

I want to thank Monica from Giddy Greetings for this award! Monica is an awesome crafter and maintains not one, not two, but three blog sites! Be sure to stop by and visit and then leave some love!

Here are the rules I have to follow to accept this award:

Answer the following questions using single word answers. Then pass the award to 5 other people. ( I'm a Southern girl! One word answers are like asking the wind to stop blowing but I will try!)

Your cell phone? None

Your hair? Curly

Your mother? Beautiful

Your father? Heaven

Favorite food? Potato

Your dream last night? Short

Your favorite drink? Coffee

Your dream/goal? Singer

What room are you in? Office

Your hobby? Paper

Your fear? Fire

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here

Where were you last night? Home

Something you aren't? Skinny

Muffins? Strawberry

Wish list item? Floors

Where did you grow up? TN

Last thing you did? This

What are you wearing? PJ's

Your TV? Huge

Your pets? Lots

Friends? Precious

Your mood? Zany

Missing someone? Dad

Vehicle? None

Something you're not wearing? Socks

Your favorite store? Kroger

Your favorite color? Green

When was the last time you laughed? Now

Last time you cried? Yesterday

Your best friend? Wonderful

One place that you go to over and over? Bathroom

Face book? Nope

Favorite place to eat? Couch

This was a lot easier than I thought it would be! Maybe I can hush after one word!!!

The five wonderful bloggers whom I have chosen to pass this on to:

Carrie
Kelly
Lynn
Gina
Cheryl

This is a fun award and I am honored to have been chosen by Monica! Thanks so much!
Have a wonderful day and hurry back! My zany mood may last an hour or a few days...who
knows?!?!?

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Front Fold Gift Card Holder

Hello blogging friends!

I have another gift card holder to share with you! This one folds under a front flap and can also be for any occasion. I went with the Christmas theme and plan to use this one for a friend. You can view a video tutorial of this holder over at Dawn's Stamping Studio.

I started with white card stock and then added the Christmas paper. The present on the front is a chipboard piece adhered with dimensionals. The inside slot, punched with a word window punch, is shown beside the front of the holder. These come together very quickly and add a very nice touch to a gift card or money gift. You could even slide movie tickets into it!

Hope you have enjoyed seeing this version and you will come back soon! Have super weekend!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Holiday Wallet

Hello and Welcome!

I wanted to dress up the usual gift card this year so I decided to go with some paper wallets for the male members of the family. The instructions for these has been around forever but Dannie Graves has an excellent video on this wallet that you can view here I started with black card stock and embossed the outer piece with the Argyle CB folder. It looks like worn leather IRL. Then I attached the inner pieces with double sided tape only on the outer edges. (Gosh, I love my ATG gun!) Sticky tape is also great for this project! I then rounded the corners of the outside piece. You can also pierce the outer piece all the way around and "connect the dots" to make really nice faux stitching. Once you have all the pieces cut out and placed in order, it is a simple wallet to put together. Just be sure to attach the OUTSIDE corners first! I made several and used warm rich colors to simulate the leather. I like this one especially because you can put in a gift card or cash (or check or MO or...oh you get the drift) or both. These are perfect for those gifts that need to be sent in the mail! I stamped the Holiday Wishes on white stock and cut out with deco scissors. I adhered it to the wallet with tape again as I wanted to keep it flat as possible for mailing. I have sold these at craft fairs and people are amazed how much like a real wallet it is.

Now that the grandkids are older and have almost EVERYTHING one could wish for, I decided a gift card or cash was in order. This project let me put in "Grandma's touch" and still make them happy! Bless their hearts!!

If you have any questions about this project or any other one on my blog, please email me. I would love to help if I can.

Have a wonderful week and stop by when you get the chance! I have several little gift items I will be sharing in the coming days. Just remember to take time for you and to be sure to reflect on the real reason for the season!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

My First Transcontinental Award

Greetings to all!

I am once again humbled and honored to receive a blog award. This award came to me from Crafty Sue. Sue is in Italy and shares wonderful projects on her blog in both English and Italian. I have learned a great deal and been inspired by Sue's creativity. To the best of my knowledge this award is for the" blog with beautiful eyes".
This award originated from http://li-katuki.blogspot.com/. We are to include this phrase" Nenhum olhar è mais puro do que uma criança...." which means "The eyes of a child are the purest". Isn't that beautiful? And the precious face on this award just has to make you smile! Here are the instructions for this award:

1. Post the sentence : Nenhum olhar è mais puro do que uma criança....
2. Post the award.
3. Mention the blog that gave birth to this award: "Arte da Li" http://li-katuki.blogspot.com/
4. Mention and thank the blog that gave you this award and post their blog link.
5. Pass it on to 10 blogs and leave a comment on their blogs to let them know they've been awarded.

Since I know no Italian blogs other than Sue's, I am going to offer this award to those of you who would like to share it. You can copy from my blog or Sue's.

Thank you so much, Sue, for this award and for blessing me with your caring and inspiration! You help to make this blogging experience so much richer! Dio ti benedica.

Hope you all will come back and visit again soon!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Christmas Nail Ornament

Hello Friends! Happy Monday!

Today I would like to share with you an ornament that I have made the past few years for friends and family. It is a printed poem and nail. The poem I print in multiple copies on white card stock. It prints with its own border so I just have to cut out. The nails used are masonry nails which you can get at Home Depot. There are several sizes and I chose to go with the large ones this year. I cut two slits in the stock and slipped the nail in. I then punched two holes in the top corners and added eyelets. This size nail is fairly heavy so I wanted to be sure the paper would not tear. I used craft wire to form the hanger and added two tiny red bows. You can also just use ribbon for a hanger if you chose. I can't provide a link to the poem page I print but if you would like a copy, email me and I will try to send the poem to you and you can use your print works of choice to make multiple copies in the size you want. Be sure to enlarge the pic so you can read the whole poem. It is a beautiful reminder of what the Christmas season is really about.

Hope everyone has a fantastic week! A busy one for me as the holiday festivities are beginning and there is lots of cooking to do! Combine that with the cards still to make and you have a bit of a frenzy! And I love every minute of it! Hope you will come by often and leave a comment or suggestion. It always makes my day to hear from friends!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Thankful Days !!

Hello Everyone! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was truly blessed as we gathered with dear friends and shared a delicious buffet feast! For those who could still move, we cleared the table and brought out the sales flyers! There were five pounds of those things in our local paper! Five pounds!! Imagine the trees we could have saved! But, being the people we are, we succumbed to the urge to shop! We made our lists and then made plans for Black Friday! We left at 4:30 AM the next morning and shopped til we dropped! Literally! We found a few bargains, but mostly just enjoyed ourselves looking and watching. There are going to be some very happy children come Christmas morning if what we saw is an indication!

I hope each of you had a fun relaxing time (once the food was served) and were able to be with ones you love for this very special holiday!

Even though we get caught up in the hooplah of the business world, we still take the time to share what we are thankful for. I am most thankful for my Savior who died for me that I may have eternal life. I am also thankful for the eyesight I have been left with. I so enjoy my crafting and cooking and seeing all those I love and hold dear. Which leads to my gratitude for each of you! You make my world such a better place with your love, support and inspiration! Each day is enriched by your thoughts, comments and suggestions! God bless you!

Now it's time to say goodbye to all our company....wait! That's a song, isn't it?!?! Sorry Mickey! Now it's time to concentrate on my favorite time of year. I love everything about the Christmas season! I love celebrating the birth of our Lord and the giving spirit we all share! I pray that each of you knows the beauty and peace of this holiday all year through!!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Happy Thanksgiving to All

Myspace Graphics, Thanksgiving Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Altered Mini Composition Book

Hello and Happy Monday!

Today's project is a simple but fun way to welcome the Christmas season! It is a mini composition notebook that I altered with holiday papers. I started by measuring the front and back surfaces of the book. I have found that even the same company may not always have the same size books or pads. Each manufacturer has its own measurements. I cut the covers from holiday patterned paper and adhered it to the book with double sided tape. You could also use a liquid glue or gluestick. I like the tape because there is no drying time and it has a strong hold. I then measured a piece for the spine and adhered that as well. This was a contrasting piece cut from another pattern. I added a snowflake foam die cut to make the cover a little more festive yet keep the adornments simple so this could be carried in a purse or backpack without worrying about pulling off all the accents. I also included a mini gel pen that I purchased from Staples. Super simple but a great little gift for a friend or student and a great stocking stuffer!

Thanks for stopping in today and I hope each of you has a wonderful week and blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

He's Checking His List Designing DIVAS Challenge

Greetings Everyone! Are you as glad as I am it's Friday? It's been a busy but fun week!

Today I have a card made for the Designing DIVAS Challenge. The challenge was to use a page from a book on your project. I went straight to the telephone book! Seeing the list of names made me think of Santa and his list. So, after some searching on line, I found this Santa image.
It worked perfectly for what I had in mind.

I started with a white card base and adhered the phone book page to that. Then I stamped the background with a "gifts" stamp. I layered the red card stock and then the black. The Santa was cut out three times and stacked with dimensionals for a 3D effect. I punched the tag and inked the edges with Real Red. The sentiment I printed. The Ho Ho Ho was stamped with another stamp. I glittered Santa's hat trim, beard and other trims with crystal glitter. I also glittered the outer edges of the card. It was close work, but I think I got all the DIVAS names on the list. If I missed someone. I apologize. I just couldn't write any smaller!!

Hope you have enjoyed this fun card. It brings out all the happy memories when I see Santa. I'm just hoping I don't get coal this year!!

Have a great weekend everyone and come back soon!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Altered Desk Set

Hello and Welcome!

With Christmas fast approaching, I wanted to get ahead with some gift sets. This desk set includes a Jr. Legal Pad, Bookclip, Binderclip, and Matching Pen.

I used burgundy card stock for the base of the pad cover and layered patterned paper. I added the ribbon before I adhered the paper. I used the scallop punches for the bookclip and a jumbo paper clip. I adhered the patterned paper to the binder clip and used the RSVP pen so I could add matching paper to the barrel.

I hope to make several of these sets as gifts. They are fairly simple and make a nice gift for friends and coworkers. I think my sister-in-law has her eye on this one!

Hope you are all having a good week and not getting too busy to enjoy the season!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Happy Brrrr..thday!! Designing DIVAS Challenge

Hello Friends! Aaaah! It's so good to be back home again! No, I haven't left my house, but I did leave my blog for a while. Now, I feel like I have returned from a business trip! LOL!

Today I am playing catch up with some challenges and this is one we were asked to do in our Designing DIVAS Blog Group. We were to make a birthday card with a winter theme. I couldn't think of anything that says winter more than snowflakes!

I started with some blue cardstock for the base. I then layered it with white and cut the edges with deco scissors ( I am waiting for my scallop border punch to arrive!! ) Next is the patterned paper layer. I used my MS doily lace border punch for this one. The center snowflake is actually a 3D sticker I found at Walmart! I am not one to use stickers very much but these are awesome! Very well crafted! I continued the border theme on the inside of the card and used a sentiment stamp for the message.

It feels so good to be playing with paper and creating again!! Now if I can just get caught up on the challenges I have missed, I'll be a real "happy camper"! No wait a minute... Make that a real "Happy Crafter"!!

Thanks for your visit today and I hope you will come back again soon. I'll keep the coffee hot and the light on for you! Oh, if you go by a bakery blog on your way here, pick up a couple of treats, will you?!?!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Thank You Sue!

I have been honored by Sue Daly with this blog award! Thank you so much Sue! You can view her blog here. This award was especially humbling since my blog has suffered some neglect the last couple of weeks! I am now even more inspired and encouraged to get back to the fun I have with my blog and my blog friends!

I am to pass this award along to 15 newly discovered bloggers. I'm afraid I can't make that many but I do have several I would like to share this award with.

1. Karen - http://felinecreative.blogspot.com
2. Lynn - http://creativecraftsbylynn.blogspot.com
3. Marilyn - http://onestampingfool.blogspot.com
4. Nancy - http://creationsbyNancyJ.blogspot.com
5. lcamacho123 - http://sendajoyfulcard.blogspot.com/

These ladies have started a blog group for new bloggers and I am so happy for them!

Thanks to everyone for being such great friends and making this blog experience such fun and so rewarding! And a big thank you, too, goes to Darlene!! You rock, Lady!!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Teacher Survival Kit

Hello Everyone! Well, I am living proof there is life after a craft show! You plan, prepare and plan some more and in a day, it's all done! Whew! It's definitely a learning experience!

The show I participated in was not a huge success for me in sales but I did enjoy the creative process. And, now I have plenty of gifts for friends! LOL!

One of the items I sold is this Teacher Survival Kit. A fun little goodie for those who work so hard. I made sure to include lots of chocolate for those energy spurts needed and to soothe those frazzled nerves!

This is a pillow box door hanger that I made from patterned card stock. Since the CS was white on one side, I folded over the hanger back to keep the pattern showing. I printed the contents of the kit on the computer and adhered that piece to the back of the box. The snowflake was cut with Nesties, glittered and adhered with double sided tape. I had some issues with the contents being too much for the box and putting excess pressure on the box seam so next time I do these I will shorten the list.

I will have other items to show in the days ahead. Like I said before, this was a learning experience and I have a much better idea now of what to include in any future shows.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! I hope to get some rest and enjoy some non-assembly line crafting! It will be nice to relax and just go clean and simple for a while!

Thanks for stopping by and come back soon. I have missed my blog and my blogging friends while I was in "show mode". Now it's back to my normal craziness!

Blessings to you all,
Vicki

Holiday Notepad

Hello and Welcome! I have been busy working on projects to sell at a craft fair in a few weeks. Time is slipping away but I am having a good time crafting!

One of the items I came across this week made me want to take a break from the craft fair items and try this notepad cover. It fits a jr. legal pad.

I got the instructions for this cover here. Just scroll down to post #2. It is all made from a reblessed 2 pocket folder. Those of you who know me well, know how excited I was to find this! Since my folder was rather on the wild side, I made a few adjustments to the original instructions. I completely covered my surfaces with ice green card stock. I then made a spine cover from some Christmas holly card stock. For the front I punched three ornaments with the SU ornament punch. The red one is dotted with green glitter pen to give it some sparkle. These are attached to the cover with dimensionals. I used narrow gold ribbon for the hangers and bows. I also covered the top of the pad inside with this decorative paper. This folder opens right to left, but you also have a folder that opens left to right with these instructions. Perfect for a left-handed person!

Hope you have enjoyed your visit here today! Feel free to look around and let me know what you think. And do come by often! There's no telling what I may post next!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Sweet Dreamers Challenge A Blessing Is Born

Hello Everyone! We are doing the Happy Dance with the Sweet Dreamers as one of our own has given birth to a baby girl! It's so exciting! Welcome Lilah Marie!
The card I made for the occasion was a labor of joy! Pun intended!

I used a white card stock base and then layered the pink stock that was stamped with a flourish stamp. I also dry embossed this layer with the D'vine Swirl folder and cut the corners with a deco punch. The black layer was stamped with an image from PSX and cut out with a Labels Four Nestie. I used deco scissors to make a white layer in between. The black layer was also sponged with craft white ink. The sentiment I printed on a ribbon tag cut with Nesties. I threaded white organdy ribbon and attached it to the card with dimensionals. I then punched two small holes at the top of the black layer and inserted the white ribbon again for a bow.

It is so much fun to be creative when you have such a blessed occasion to celebrate! Now we want to see pics of the little one!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in our celebration! Hope you will come back often!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Fall Fun!!

Hello and Welcome!
I wanted to share some of the goodies with you that were made for our Senior group at church. We had such an awesome time with music and fellowship!
We had these favors at each place setting.

The candy corn favor was made by cutting out the shape and then cutting color pieces for the front. The colors and spiritual reference on the back was printed with Print Shop on the computer and then cut to fit the shape. I put the candy corn in small zip bags and then layed it between the two pieces on a bottom piece.

The Happy Fall Y'all bag was printed from Alenka's Printables. I printed them on copy paper to make them easier to fold. Inside I put a zip bag with a Fun Fall Mix which consisted of dry roasted peanuts and the brown candy corn. Eaten together, it tastes just like a Payday candy bar. Some other names for the mix are Turkey Treats or Gobbler Goop!

I also made each one a pillow box door hanger and filled it with assorted candies and the single serve pouches of decaffinated coffee. These were made so they could "pass it forward" if they wished to. The hanger could be used again to leave a little something on someone's door. They are perfect for the nursing facilities and for those seniors that can't get around very well.

I also wanted to share some pics of our fellowship hall after it was set up for the dinner. We used multi-colored tablecloths in Fall colors and used Fall decorations for the centers. Each place setting had a napkin folded with cutlery inserted in the fold and the favors. When you serve buffet style, it is just easier to have the table set up so you aren't juggling plates, silverware and cups. We also had corn shocks in the corners with decorative ribbon, straw brooms decorated with Fall flowers and leaves falling from the ceiling. We took silk leaves, knotted them with fishing line in different lengths and then wrapped the other end around a toothpick. The toothpick was placed under the ceiling tiles at the joints. It looked like the leaves really were falling.
And the colors made the room look wonderful.

Hope you may have been inspired to try one of our decorations. It is so much fun and makes folks feel really special. We'll be doing the room decor again for Christmas and I will try to share those with you once we have things set up.

Thanks for the visit! Come on back soon!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

From One Friend to Another

Awww! I'm so honored to have been given this award by Linda from Payne Holler Cards. Linda does such awesome work and has been such an inspiration and blessing to me!

I am supposed to tell five things about myself with this award:
1. I love winter weather so I am looking forward to the next few months!
2. I am a terrible housekeeper! Clutter is my friend! And creative clutter is a dear friend!!
3. I eat potato chips ON my bologna sandwich! Saves time!
4. I love to see people laugh and have a good time, even if they are laughing at me! (oh wait, they are laughing with me, right?)
5. I cry a lot... happy, sad, emotional, and worst of all when I am mad! Then I cry more cause I am mad that I cry when I'm mad...it's hopeless!!

Now I would like to share this award with some friends who are always encouraging and supportive and true blessings to me:

Kathy
Karli
Michelle
Maria
Monica

Thanks for visiting today and I hope the rest of your week goes well!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Spice Cake Pumpkin

Hello everyone! Hope your week is going well!

I want to share with you today a pic of the cake I made for our Senior group function at church. Many there thought it was a fake and only for decoration! But it was a ready to eat cake.

I baked two bundt cakes and stacked them tops together. This was a spice cake pumpkin. I made the orange frosting and used the design on the cake to add texture to the pumpkin. The bottom border is English ivy leaves. The top is a combination of silk leaves and a real pumpkin stem. The stem makes all the difference! I have to admit that I got a pretty strange look from the produce guy when I asked for just the stem! He had a big grin and cut a stem for me. I explained I needed it for a pumpkin shape cake and he seemed relieved!

The cakes can be made well ahead and frozen if necessary. The frosting will last up to a month if kept tightly covered and refrigerated. I store all my frosting in zip lock bags and freeze any leftovers for the last minute cupcakes or cookies.

It was fun to see the reactions to this cake and one lady even winced when I went to cut it! The double cake makes for nice big slices so you may need a bigger plate than regular dessert size or flip one layer over the other when you plate it. You could also carve a face into the cake if you need a jack-o-lantern.

Thanks for stopping by today and letting me share some of the fun stuff I get to do besides paper crafting. Hope you will come back often!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

It's Friday Already?!?!?

Hello! It is going to be a reading post today as I am rushing around this week. Just wanted to let everyone know I'm still here!

It has been a very active time for our church. First we had "Old Timers Day". It's a fun time when we all dress up in ol' timey outfits and celebrate all the folks who have gone on before us. We gather for fellowship and a feast after church. We have to specify to bring a covered dish with food in it or we have a couple of empty bowls sitting on the table! We have had some really good recipes come out of these dinners!

On Wednesday, I cooked our bimonthly fellowship dinner. The meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans went over really well on a chilly night. Of course, the German Chocolate cake wasn't turned down either!

This Saturday we have our KeenAgers Fall gathering. These are our Seniors and they are an awesome group of folks! It's that covered dish thing again and we eat like kings! (Hey, we're Southern folk and our favorite thing to do is Meet, Greet, and Eat!) We also try to have some table favors for everyone. So, I have been busy making candy corn treats, Fall Fun Mix bags, and pillow box door hangers filled with goodies. I love every minute of it!

I am also getting ready for a craft fair in November. I hope to have some pics to post soon of some of the items I hope to sell. For now, the challenges and card making will have to wait a bit!

I appreciate you stopping by and listening to my ramblings! I am busy but still blessed and I am so thankful for the friends and family that share this time with me! Come back when you can, check the labels list if you like and take away what you can use! It's no fun to be a crafter if you can't share your ideas with friends!

Be sure to take time for yourselves and get out and enjoy some Fall color! We only have it for a short time so we need to grab the fun while we can! Hope each of you is well and Happy Fall Y'all!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Blog Candy Winner!

After much shaking and stirring, we have a winner for the Thank You blog candy! Congratulations, Lynn! Your name was drawn and you will be receiving a "goodie box" soon! I just need you to email me with a mailing address. Thank you to all who commented and made my little milestone so much sweeter! Blessings to you all!

Vicki

A Glittery Happy Thanksgiving

Welcome! Have you gotten into the feeling of Fall yet? I certainly have! The cooler temperatures, the leaves changing color and pumpkins everywhere...
How could you help but know Autumn's blessings for us all? It was this feeling of changing seasons and the Fall beauty all around that inspired the card I have to share with you today!

I started with a Kraft card base and then stamped a background of acorns, leaves, corn and trees. I ran the card through the Cuttlebug with the Forest Branches folder. I also used Kraft stock for the sentiment image. I stamped it with SU craft ink and clear embossed it. Then it was cut out with Nesties. I stamped an acorn "frame" around the image. Next I colored with Prismas. Then the real fun began! I added a wide green satin ribbon across the bottom and proceeded to play with the glitter! I stopped myself just in time as I outlined the inner and outer frames. The final touches are glitter leaf brads and a gold/black button. Whatta you think? Too much?
Is there ever too much?!?

Thanks so much for dropping by today! Hope you had a little fun looking around and maybe even got a little inspiration! It is always such a joy to have you visit! Get out and enjoy the beauty when you can! Winter could be here before we even get the leaves raked!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Designing DIVAS Challenge

Good Morning !

I have a project to share with you today that was made for a challenge with the Designing DIVAS at SCS. We were asked to make a Christmas tree box ornament. This was a real treat for me! I love making 3D projects!

I used patterned card stock for the tree. The swirls that formed the pattern just called out for embossing powder so I used my embossing pen to trace the swirls. I then heat set the gold powder. The picture doesn't show the shimmer nearly enough but it's there. For the flower I used a daisy punch and punched two red and one gold flower. I edged the red petals with gold marker. Next, I layered the pieces and secured them with a gold brad. The hanging loop was made with gold cording.

I hope to make several of these to fill and hang on the tree this year. Always nice to have a little something to give people who visit and they can choose one right from the tree. We have always used candy canes for this before but I think the tree boxes will be a nice touch this year.

Thanks for stopping by today! Come back when you can and stay a while. I'll put the coffee on!

Oh, and don't forget to stop by the Thank You post and leave a comment so you can be in the prize drawing!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Sweet Dreamers Challenge Cute As A Bug

Hello and welcome!

It's time for another Sweet Dreamers Challenge and this week we were to include a bug or bugs in our project! I had these die cut dragonflies and thought they would work perfectly. The real challenge was to find a background for them! I decided to go with a Stampendous set- The Flower Garden, I love the different elements of this set and was able to use several on this card. The bird bath is my favorite. I stamped the cental image and then filled in with the grass and flowers. Next I used pearl chalks to color the background. The sentiment stamp is also from this set. I cut it out with a scalloped oval punch and then layered it onto a blush pink paper. The edges are sponged with Brilliance silver and jade inks. Had to have a little bling so I added the crochet flower with a rhinestone brad. The dragonflies took flight on glue dots. I love the colors in this card; and, although it may look a little more Spring than Fall, I enjoyed a break from the oranges and browns.

Hope you are having a wonderful week so far! It's been a busy one for me. Be sure to check out the previous post to this one so you can enter for the blog candy! And take a look at the other Dreamers challenge projects while you are here! They are listed on the sidebar! Sweet Dreams to all!

Blessings to you,
Vicki