Scraps From My Heart

I love the rich, bright colors on this page. I finished this page over a week ago, but I have let it sit because I thought I might make changes on it. I really like how the pictures are the main focus on this page and the they pretty much take up the entire page. I haven’t been digital scrapbooking much lately, but I miss it, so I should work on some pages. We are leaving in a few days to go on a vacation to Montana and Alberta, Canada. I’m really excited! Montana is the state I would LOVE to live in someday, so it will be so fun to go back there again and drink in all of the sights! (And it will be fun to scrapbook later on!) Supplies: Brads: Brand New Day kit from Little Dreamer Designs Font: Freebooter Script, Capture It

It’s a pretty great week when you get to start it out like this, friends! I’ve got a very cool Moxie Monday for you, and I hope it makes you feel all happified inside like it does me! The Season collection from Crate Paper is definitely one of my favorites from Summer CHA. I absolutely adore the color palette, I love the texture it achieves, the bold motifs make me giddy, and I’m in awe of how cartoon-y it looks without feeling childish. It has a wonky flair that makes it absolutely irresistible. OK–and the theme–season? How great is that! Don’t you wish you would have thought of that? I know I do! What a great approach to a paper line! Check it: Friendly Cloudy Shower Love Winter Spring Summer Fall And my absolute favorite piece from the collection: Rainbow And friends, I’m telling you, if the papers aren’t enough joy, take a look at these funky embellishments: Brads Rubons Chipboard Embellishments You likey? Tell me all about it! Leave me a comment by midnight MDT on Sunday, September 6 and I’ll draw 2 lucky winners to receive the papers from this collection. Remember, our international winners will receive a year’s subscription to Paper Crafts instead. Life is best when it’s Seasoned, ~Cath PS There are so many of you adding your links to last week’s Stretch Your Style Challenges in celebration of the release of our moxie fab special issue Holiday Cards & More, Volume 4 ! I’m busting my buttons, friends! Keep ‘em coming! You still have plenty of time–the entries aren’t due until a week from today at midnight MDT–which is Labor Day here in the states! Woot!

Here’s another Moxie Fab Challenge. This one is Classy & Elegant. I have really enjoyed participating in these challenges. I think my favorite part of this card is the two tied ribbons at the bottom. I LOVE satin ribbon! Guess what? We signed papers to buy a new house today. Yippee! We won’t be living it until November. We are really excited!! There isn’t a ‘loft’ for my stamp room, but there is a room I have in mind for stamping. I can’t wait! Supplies: Stamp: Snow Swirled (SU) Patterned paper: Taste of Textiles (SU-this is no longer available), Bella Bleu (SU) Cardstock: Whisper White (SU) Ink: Silver Other: pearls, white satin ribbon (SU)

I’m having so much fun playing along with the Moxie Fab challenges! I’m liking it even more than color challenges. For this challenge she asked that the style would be vintage and shabby chic. She described shabby chic as using layering, a soft style, using ribbon, lace, inking and/or distressing. She also described it as being comfortable. I liked that. Vintage was described as soft, worn, and comfortable. Right away I saw these colors together. It was like my mind could begin to see what I wanted to create, so I got started right away. I wanted to sew on the card, but since I don’t have a sewing machine right now (it’s in a box somewhere in ‘la-la land’) I decided to cheat by using my white gel pen. And then I folded the edges of the kraft paper. I like how that looks! The only vintage stamp I had was the santa Christmas stamp. I stamped the snowflakes onto the Kraft using Sahara Sand. Some of the snowflakes were stamped off the paper once or twice first before stamping directly onto the Kraft paper. I just had so much fun creating this card. I like the style challenge because it leaves so much room for creativity! What I used: Stamps: Christmas Punch Ink: Real Red, Sahara Sand, Close to Cocoa (sponged) (SU) Cardstock: Aqua Mist (PTI), Kraft, Very Vanilla, Close to Cocoa (SU) Other: Ribbon (PTI), white gel pen, eyelet scallop punch (SU), circle scallop punch, 1-3/4″ circle punch

Yesterday was Rob and my 15 year wedding anniversary. 15 years.  FIFTEEN.  That seems like a lot to me.   I still like him and everything!  Anyway, I saw this stamp (Stick Love, by Wordsworth) in Archiver’s and I HAD to buy it.  It just is so funny and sweet and it screamed “anniversary”, “wedding”, “Valentine’s Day” — in fact, it cooed at me from the shelf…. “Susanna, you NEED to buy me!”  So I did. I love how it turned out.  I had so much fun with these images that I actually made two cards.  He’s only getting one… I’m saving the the other one in my box of cards that never actually get mailed. Best of the Blogosphere lists. Remember these lovely little boxes don’t show up in Google Reader, so if you can’t see them, click on over to my site and they will magically appear. (When you see the boxes, there is a small “read more” in the bottom, right hand corner… click it and you can see the list with pictures as a web page!) The Shout Out List (my favorite CARDS OF THE WEEK): The cards and projects that earned some extra love and attention this week. The best of the best. You people ROCK MY WORLD Halloween: Teacher: Card Sets: Wedding: Invitations: Friendship: Wrap it Up: Favors (Party favors…): Thank You: Birthday: Gift Ideas: Baby: Boxes: The Best of the Blogosphere : In my travels through Blogland, I discover a lot of projects, cards, scrapbook pages, tips, templates and tutorials that are all worth sharing. I want my friends to see the things out there that are special, inspirational, worth some extra notice. This list is everything I think is worth sharing… better read it… you could be on the list! Please remember that my site is powered by YOU. Please comment here if you’d like me to read your blog or if you have seen some amazing blog art that I’m missing! Thanks!

It’s Fah-ri-day! Woot! I’m glad it’s Friday but sad that it’s the last day of Holiday Cards & More Week, friends. How ’bout you? We’ve tried on 5 different styles this week and today’s style–while it doesn’t really count as a “style” per se–is definitely a stylish technique. There are 119 holiday projects with a stamped element on them (maybe more, my eyes started getting bleary on about page 129 of my counting.) From sentiments to backgrounds to focal points, you can stamp your way right into the holidays! If you’re an avid stamper, a casual dally-er, or a beginning stamper straight off the turnip truck, now’s your chance to enter our challenge. Take these super stamped cards as your inspiration: Wishes for Your Christmas Card by Dawn McVey , p. 67 Moxie Fab Alert: Now this would definitely qualify as an advanced stamping project. Check out the intricate background Dawn has created entirely with stamps ! This is moxie fabeautiful! Think Snow Card by Maren Benedict , p. 32 Moxie Fab Alert: I love how Maren has created this snowy background by overstamping the snowflakes in different values of color. And speaking of color–isn’t this palette different? I super like! Fa La La Card by Angie Hagist , p. 30 Moxie Fab Alert: This owl in his Christmas finery is off-the-charts cute! Fa-La-La indeed! Ready to start stamping? Great! Here’s how to enter the challenge: Create a stamped holiday card, gift wrap, ornament, home decor item, or paper crafted gift. Your project can have one stamped element or many, just be sure that something on your project is stamped. Upload a photo of your project to your blog, come back here and post the URL to your project (not your blog) in the Mr. Linky box below. Post a link to the Moxie Fab World in your blog’s text to encourage your readers to see the other projects that have been linked. If you don’t have a blog, go to this Flickr gallery, upload your photo, and post the URL to your project (not the group) in the Mr. Linky box below. Just for fun, upload your project to the World Card Making Day Website by clicking here . Your holiday card will become part of the worldwide celebration of the joy of making handmade cards just in time for the holiday card making season! Not only that, but it will also become eligible to win a few contests we’ve got up our sleeves! Accomplish this task by midnight MDT on Monday, September 7 (that’s Labor Day). 2 winning entries will be showcased on this blog on Wednesday, September 9 and will receive these four stamp sets from Papertrey Ink : Sign Language , Made of Snow , Believe , and Snowflake Serenade Once you’ve done all that, submit your stamped holiday card to our Stamp It! Cards call for submission currently going on by clicking here . Then, stamp up some more stampy creations for other holidays and occasions and submit those too! Phew! What a week! I hope you’ve had fun exploring styles and applying them to your holiday projects, friends. For more, Holiday Cards & More, Volume 4, is waiting with ways to inspire you–and everyone on your list! But wait! There is one last way to extend your fun in Holiday Cards & More Week, friends. Kelly has a Freebie Friday on Paper Crafts Connection that you won’t want to miss, so pay her a visit and leave her a comment to win something—well, moxie fab! Warm with holiday cheer, ~Cath PS I seriously CAN’T WAIT to see what you come up with in this and the other four challenges ! Have fun!

Last night I was blog-hopping and I hopped upon Moxie Fab’s blog and saw that she was having a challenge . I have seen others post about her challenges before, so I was interested. For this challenge she wants a holiday creation with something clean, graphic (actually, I am wrong…I’m getting the challenges confused) , cutsey, and fun. I wanted to get started on this last night, but I knew I was too tired to create. I did look through my stamps to see if I even had any stamps that would be classified as ‘cute’. And I did! So I set some things aside to remind me to make a card for this challenge. I had fun playing this morning. Want to join me in this challenge? Is it fun and cutsey? What do you think? I love these colors together! Guess what? After this card, I only have a few inches left of my raspberry fizz satin ribbon. *frown* Such a fun color! It was so much fun making this card. I really felt like I was getting out of my box. I love it! Supplies: Stamps: Christmas Punch (SU), Polka Dot Basics (PTI), Snow Swirled (SU) Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Craft Whisper White (SU) Cardstock: Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss (SU), Aqua Mist (PTI) Other: Raspberry Fizz ribbon (PTI), Only Orange marker, Tempting Turquoise marker (SU), Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU)

Inspiration for creating is everywhere. I see it all of the time now. I think I look at the world differently now since I started digital scrapbooking. Just the other day we were at the movie theater and I was looking at this movie promo. I saw all of the details that went into creating the poster. I love looking at the world around me that way now; it’s fun! Yesterday, I was looking at Joyce Meyer’s website and I saw this book cover and I was immediately inspired to create a page. Here is my creation: I think my journaling is hilarious because it’s so ‘to the point’. It’s like I was just stating facts. Inspiration is all around!! Be inspired by something today…whether it’s a book cover, a movie poster, whatever. It’s all around!

Oh my goodness but aren’t we having a TON O’ FUN in the Moxie Fab World this week? I’m absolutely loving using Mr. Linky to click onto your blogs/galleries to see your projects. So fun and exciting! (Don’t forget to link back to the Moxie Fab World so your readers can see the other projects…and maybe even enter themselves!) Is it hard to believe that we still have two more style challenges left to go in Holiday Cards & More Week ? I mean, what more could there be? With clean and graphic , vintage and shabby chic , and fun and cute already explored, I guess that leaves classy and elegant with one mystery style left to go… The cool thing is, Holiday Cards & More, Volume 4 , has 164 pages of holiday projects from cards to gifts to ornaments to home decor to gift wrap in every style under the sun . Whatever your style, there’s plenty to choose from. AND, now that you’re s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g your holiday style by creating projects for all the challenges this week–well, I’d say we just blew the door wide open on all the stylish possibilities! Now friends, I’m going to glitz out on you here . For today we’re talking about the style classy and elegant. Think tuxedo. Think evening gown. Think Oscar night. Patent leather, sequins, shiny stuff, up-dos, and manicures. Polished. That’s it. This look is polished. My friend Anabelle O’Malley has this look down to a “t”: Winter Wonderland Frame, p. 133 Moxie Fab Alert: The classy and elegant look has a bit o’ the glamour in it. Notice the elegant background papers with their layered, complicated, yet clean-lined patterns. The contrasting colors (pink and green) are rich and warm. The rhinestones, pearls, and glittered accents add to the elegance, while the satin ribbon adds some traditional class. Check out the classy and elegant in these two beautifully moxie fab projects: Green Star Candle Wrap by Tristann Graves Moxie Fab Alert: Again, there is a classically patterned paper in the background, the colors are rich, the ribbon is conservative and stately, the pattern inside the star is elegant, while the pearl accents provide just the right classy touch. Elegant Happy New Year Card by Debbie Seyer Moxie Fab Alert: This card has an excellent balance of class and elegance. It has clean lines, an elegant stamped pattern, a classic treatment of text, a refined color palette, and the crocheted trim adds a nice bit of texture to the mix. You know the drill. If this is your style, then you are in your element. If not, then scoop up some courage, get out of your box, and launch yourself out of your comfort zone. It’s time to put on the Ritz! Here’s how: Create a classy and elegant holiday card, gift wrap, ornament, home decor item, or paper crafted gift. Upload a photo of your project to your blog, come back here and post the URL to your project (not your blog) in the Mr. Linky box below. Post a link to the Moxie Fab World in your blog’s text to encourage your readers to see the other projects that have been linked. If you don’t have a blog, go to this Flickr gallery, upload your photo, and post the URL to your project (not the group) in the Mr. Linky box below. Just for fun, upload your project to the World Card Making Day Website by clicking here . Your holiday card will become part of the worldwide celebration of the joy of making handmade cards just in time for the holiday card making season! Not only that, but it will also become eligible to win a few contests we’ve got up our sleeves! Accomplish this task by midnight MDT on Monday, September 7 (that’s Labor Day). 2 winning entries will be showcased on this blog on Wednesday, September 9 and will receive the papers from the Mistletoe & Co. collection from Pink Paislee : Sing along with me now, If you’re blue and you don’t know where to go to Why don’t you go where fashion sits, Puttin’ on the Ritz. Glitzin’ out, ~Cath PS If you haven’t had enough of me yet, I’ve got a sneak peek of some moxie fab ornaments from Holiday Cards & More over on Paper Crafts Connection — plus I’m giving away some Cornish Heritage Farm stamps–so click on over!

This isn’t my favorite-favorite card, but I like it. I made it a few days ago. Guess what? It’s sunny today! Whoohoo! I just took some pictures of a couple of cards I made yesterday. Love that sunshine! Supplies: Stamp: Country Morning (SU) Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White (SU), turquoise (PTI–whatever color that is) Patterned Paper: Basic Grey Lemonade Other: Basic Grey Lemonade button, yellow ribbon (PTI), Crystal Effects, SU markers, Eyelet Punch (SU)