A quick happy birthday card

Good afternoon! It's been crazy this week here. You might remember my son had a double ear infection/bronchitis earlier this month, for which he rested and took antibiotics. Well...it's baaaack! Round two of antibiotics and the past three days home from school, and I think he's finally getting better and will be well enough to return to school tomorrow. (Let's hope so, I have had a "me" day planned for tomorrow since before he got sick with friends of mine stopping by for a visit!!)

Today is a very strange day here in NH. The air was oddly warm to start the day (it was 58 degrees when I brought my daughter to school, even she ended up stuffing her coat in her backpack as it was hot and stuffy in the car!) and the wind is whipping fiercely, causing us to lose power for a brief hour. I'm hoping that was it, but you just never know with winds like this. The sun is out, though, so it's time to re-take a bunch of pictures of projects I had taken on overcast days, as well as do a few design projects that are due today. Lots of work ahead of me, so let's get this card posted, shall we?

I used the new Stamp It Australia Unmounted Stamp Set Spring - Dreamy Daisies from Crafter's Companion for this pretty little card. I love this pretty, which I ended up coloring simply with Fruit Punch Stickles. I added Glossy Accents to the dragonfly's body, it looks fabulous up close! I thought the AC Amy Tangerine papers were perfect. As a fellow team member pointed out when she saw the card: both the paper and the stamp give off a sketch-y vibe. It's like they were made for each other! I thought the pop of pink was a nice addition to the blues and grays.

It might be hard to tell, but I tried to get a good shot of it...the hearts are coated with Glossy Accents, too! I glued the dragonfly body to the card directly, and then popped up the wings with adhesive foam circles :)

I am hoping to get a few more projects up today, but we'll see. It's hard with the little guy being sick :(  I hope you all have a fabulous day!

xoxo
Khristen

Crafter's Companion and CAS-ual Fridays, and a WINNER!

Good afternoon! Crafter's Companion is sponsoring the challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays this week and they are asking to see your CAS cards featuring marker somewhere on your project. Whether or not you have Spectrum Noir markers or not, head over and play along. The prize is two sets of Spectrum Noirs, the reds and pales.

I decided to play along, using only my Spectrum Noir markers on my Sheena - Silhouette Garden stamps. Talk about CAS...no papers or embellies, just my stamps and markers!

Super simple! I love the silhouette grass stamp, and the sentiment is perfect for just about any occasion, although I'll likely give this card to someone for their birthday. I colored the grass stamp with three shades of my SN's (LG1, LG2, and LG3), blending them with the lightest color after transferring the image to the paper. The sentiment was colored with BT5, and the sun is a combo of CT3, CT2, and CT1.

Head over to CAS-ual Fridays and play along!

Now...to announce the winner of the prize I offered up in December...I was supposed to do it yesterday, but it was a CRAZY day, and I kind of forgot! Ok...after randomly choosing, the winner is...

MamaKaraba!

Congratulations, you have 3 days to contact me, otherwise I'll have to draw another winner.

Come back tomorrow when I draw the winner of the True XOXO/If It's Groovy blog hop prize I offered. :) If you haven't entered, all comments entered prior to midnight tonight (1/26) will count! Head over and comment :)

xoxo

Khristen

DVC#49: Girls, Girls, Girls

Good morning! It's time for another challenge over at Dream Valley Challenges, and this month, we want to see your girly creations. Cards....layouts....jewelry....altered items...anything, as long as it looks girly! The design team was given images to use from our wonderful sponsor, Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps and More:

Check out the shop for a selection of digital images and papers for any project, and play along in our challenge for a chance to win 5 free digital images!

Moving right along, here's what I whipped up for this challenge:

I plan on giving this to Rileigh for Valentine's Day :) She'll love it! I used my 6X6 Christy Tomlinson SheArt paper, AC glitter tape, AC ribbon, AC sticker, Prim flowers, and a random fabric brad that I think is AC but I can't be certain. It's a kit leftover I've sworn I'd use up (I'm doing ok on my mission to use up my stash, but I can't help but buy new kits!! I'm addicted to Scraptastic!!) The doily came in my December Stocking Stuffer kit.

 I colored in the lovely Robyn's Fetish image with my Spectrum Noir markers, and added some Crystal Stickles to her wings.

 Of course, these pictures aren't the best, but that's what you get in New England during the winter. The day I shot these, the wind was whipping outside! Didn't want it to blow away!

I hope you get the chance to join in with us over at Dream Valley! You have until February 2 to play along. Don't forget to enter for my giveaways as well! I have two going on, one ending at midnight on January 24 and the other ending at midnight on January 26. Check them out before they end, and watch for more! I'm de-stashing and there are a lot of Crafter's Companion stamp sets (of course, only to make room for new ones!)

Have a crafty day, it's FREEZING here so I'll likely hibernate in the craft area all day long.

xoxo

Khristen

Giveaway Extended!

Good morning! I realize while I was elbow deep in embossing powder and vellum scraps that I neglected to choose a winner for my giveaway back in December. Then, I looked and saw only 2 people have entered!

So I am going to extend the deadline (which I've already gone past!) I have some new followers that I'd like to give a final chance to enter, so just head over to this post and leave a comment for a chance to win RANDOMNESS and a Hello Kitty Sizzix die. (I'll let you know that there are a couple of stamp sets, one being everyone's favorite, Popcorn the Bear!) I will draw a winner on Friday 1/25 (which *happens* to be my birthday!) You have until 8am that day to enter, a winner will be drawn @9am. Watch for the winner of the blog hop prize pack soon!

xoxo
Khristen

XOXO: Get Houndstoothy!

Yup. Houndstoothy. If you head over to the True XOXO blog, you'll see that's what we've done...switched from zebra print to houndstooth. Now, we want to see your creations using houndstooth. Layout? Sure! Card? No problem. Altered item? We love those, too.

I whipped up this page (and actually "whipped up" isn't really accurate, as that makes one think it took me no time at all. The hand stitching took forEVer, despite relying on my Sew Easy!)

There's a whole lotta My Mind's Eye - Lush going on here (houndstooth print paper, brads.) The edges of the houndstooth paper were distressed with my Heidi Swapp Edge Distresser, then I sanded the whole piece. MME for the background paper as well. Also represented: AC burlap, Maya Road AWESOME flower cut from ribbon (I just love the stuff. Don't know why I don't use it more!) AC Remarks and Thickers alphas. DMC floss, hand stitched after using my Sew Easy straight stitch. Boom. Super simple!

There it is! Head over to the XOXO blog to see what the other fabulous ladies did with houndstooth, and link up your houndstoothy creation for a shot at a much coveted GDT spot!

Hope you have a great day, I'll be dealing with snow all day. More specifically, the shoveling of it. Ugh. (Although I secretly love shoveling, I would rather get crafty today! The kids have school despite the weather!)

xoxo
Khristen

A Clean Floor = A Happy Me! (and a layout)

Isn't it amazing how one simple thing, like being able to clean the floors, can make you so happy? If the teenage version of me knew the adult version of me, I think she'd likely slap me upside the head!

After finishing up my "real" work yesterday, running some errands, and picking up the kids from school, I got to work cleaning the floors. FINALLY. I had attempted to do it a couple of weeks ago when I thought I was getting better, but ended up vacuuming the kitchen and passing out on the couch. My body just wasn't ready yet. But now they're all sparkly clean and I feel somewhat normal again! It kills me when the floors are dirty, and with all of the muddy/snowy boots coming in and out of the house, it was DIRTY!

Anywho, let's get to the layout! Like I said in a recent post, I went crazy making layouts while sick. I have days upon days worth of blog posts ahead of me :)

 I have made it my mission, a "resolution" if you will (I hate that word), to use up more of my stash this year. I think this takes care of that, dont you? So much going on here. Studio Calico State Fair and Basic Grid, inked with Old Paper TH Distress ink after being crumpled. Gorgeous red Thickers. October Afternoon 9 to 5 stickers. Random twine. Simple Stories Summer Fresh stickers and journal card.

 

Watch for another post tomorrow :) Have a great day, I'm hoping to get crafty between loads of laundry!

xoxo
Khristen

Another CHA Sneak Peek!

**If you are looking for the IIG/XOXO Blog Hop, click here.**

Good afternoon! Here's yet another sneak peek of Crafter's Companion's newest releases in their Stamp It Australia line. This time I used the new Set 67. I love this image so very much!

I started by spattering Yellow Daisy Glimmer Mist on the card base. Used some fun MME washi, MME Nostalgia patterned paper, Glitz Designs tulle, and an AC pearl brad. The edges of the image were inked up with a Tattered Rose TH Distress Ink pad, and I covered the butterfly with a layer of Ranger Glossy Accents. When it was all put together, I inked the edges of the card with the same Distress Ink pad.

There it is, the card I sent off to Crafter's Companion, currently on display at CHA! Watch for one more sneak peek later on this afternoon. I have made so very many layouts in the past couple of days, I think there will be blog posts daily for a couple of weeks! It feels good to be able to create so much (too bad it had to come with a doctor's order to rest!)

Hope you all are having a great Sunday!

xoxo
Khristen

Crafter's Companion CHA New Release #3!

I am on a roll today with these blog posts...

So I just finished watching Create and Craft TV's coverage of Crafter's Companion products live from CHA, and saw so many cards from so many of my fellow designers. It was really neat!

For my next sneak peek of the newest Stamp It Australia stamp sets being debuted at CHA this weekend, I thought I would use this beautiful easel card with drawers I whipped up for CC to display at their booth. I'll post a pic at the end of this post, and you tell me if you can see where it is :)

First, my card. I envision the drawers being filled with "a million little things," like M&Ms:

 I used old OA Farmhouse papers for the card. The base was made using my Ultimate Tool, and the instructions to make this easel card with drawers are included on the Advanced Techniques DVD.

 AC ribbon for the drawer pulls.

 The sentiment on the crocheted doily is from the Stamp It Australia Imagine collection, Stamp Set 60.  "For You" comes from the Stamp It Australia Imagine collection, Stamp Set 61. I stamped them with black Memento ink onto pearlescent cardstock. I then used blue embossing powder to assure the sentiment wouldn't smudge if it was touched.

 Pleated AC ribbon is so pretty!

 Each drawer has a different coordinating pattern on it :)

 More AC ribbon goodness!

This was a favorite of the four cards I sent Crafter's Companion, and I didn't want to let it go! So pretty! So...can you spot my card here at the CC CHA booth? Seeing it made me smile :)

Head to Crafter's Companion and check out all of the new Stamp It Australia - Imagine EZ mount stamp sets as well as the new Stamp It Australia - Imagine unmounted sets. They are all ready to purchase RIGHT NOW! What are you waiting for?!

xoxo

Khristen

Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog Inspiration Day!

**If you are looking for the IIG/XOXO Birthday Blog Hop, click here.**

Good morning (again...although now I guess it's afternoon. Oops.) Just got back from Rileigh's basketball game, and it looks like her team will be tough to beat this year! Good game, girls!

I wanted to come back and share the project I made for the Crafter's Companion's "Anything But A Card" challenge going on this month. Today was the US team's turn to show off some inspiring creations, and what do you know...I'm on that team!

I decided to take the box that contained the iPod Touch Andraia got for her birthday last year and turn it into something I could use to help manage the crafty clutter that accumulates on my desk each day. You know, those little leftover pieces that end up all over the place, including the floor, as I go through my creative processes. So here's how I did it:

I started by tracing the top of the box onto a piece of black cardstock, cut it out, and adhered to the top of the box. I also cut another piece in the same size to put on the inside of the bottom of the box. Afterwards I put a strip of black and white polka dot washi around the edge of the top, and using my fingernail, "cutting" around the recessed groove you see in this picture, peeling away the excess (this is to assure the box closes snugly and opens easily.)

 I used my Stamp It Australia - Overlapped Text stamp and white Memento ink on the top, stamping the left side side and then again on the right hand edge without re-inking to give it an interesting look.

 I added some circular alphabet stickers to the top, and a pink chevron washi tape strip on the bottom. Voila, it's a new little box to store all of those little pieces! Super easy, and I've saved another item from heading to the landfill :) (If you follow my blog, then you know I'm a HUGE repurposer.)

I hope you like it! Don't forget to head on over and see what "anything but a card" creations the rest of the team made, and check back each week as we have *four* teams full of inspiration to share their creations with you all month long. Make something using a Crafter's Companion product and link it up on our blog for a chance to win some great prizes, whether you are here in the US or elsewhere in the world :)

Watch for another couple of posts later today including another Crafter's Companion CHA new release sneak (scroll down if you missed the sneak I did earlier, it's directly after this post). I hope you all find time to get crafty today!

xoxo
Khristen

Crafter's Companion CHA Sneak #2

**IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE IIG/XOXO BLOG HOP, CLICK HERE.**

Good morning! CHA is in full swing, and I am here with another sneak peek at Crafter's Companion's newest additions to the Stamp It Australia line. There are 15 new sets (that's a lot) being released, and here is another card I made using one of the new sets. I love the butterflies in flight on this stamp!

So pretty, right? 

Ok, time for me to get ready for Rileigh's basketball game. I'll be posting another sneak peek later (mainly because I skipped out on my sneak yesterday) so watch for it, and have a wonderful day!

xoxo

Khristen

XOXO & If It's Groovy Birthday Blog Hop!

I know you've all been *dying* for this blog hop to start :) Well, it's here, it's here! True XOXO Scrapbooking has teamed up with If It's Groovy for a blog hop celebrating the 4th birthday of the If It's Groovy challenge blog! Happy birthday, IIG! We have a TON of inspiration for you all, so you'll want to grab a cup of coffee/tea/water/beer/wine and visit all of the blogs involved in the hop. There are loads of prizes up for grabs along the way, and you'll see some incredible layouts as an added bonus!

If you are just joining us, you'll want to head to If It's Groovy, where it all begins. If you have been hopping along in order and you're finally stopping here, HELLO! For those who might not know, I am a designer for True XOXO Scrapbooking and have been for just about two years now. It is a ridiculous amount of fun, and the team I work with is so incredibly inspiring. We are a challenge blog that gives a prompt each month for you to interpret and share with us for your chance at becoming an XOXO guest designer. Check us out if you haven't yet, we'd love for you to play along with us! In case you missed a stop along the way, here's the list of blogs in the order you should be hopping:

Representing January we have
Wendy - http://disneydarling07.blogspot.com/
Christa - http://dowhatyoulove-maxadriane.blogspot.com/2013/01/true-xoxo-blog-hop-january.html

Representing February we have
Michelle - http://scrapbookingsos.blogspot.com/
Michelle H -http://myanaloglife.blogspot.com/2013/01/true-xoxo-and-if-its-groovy-blog-hop.html

Representing March we have
Wendy - http://disneydarling07.blogspot.com/
Miae - http://makingscrapup.blogspot.com/2013/01/true-xoxo-and-if-its-groovy-blog-hop.html

Representing April we have
Heather - http://www.scrappingtheguys.blogspot.com/
Jaclyn - http://aptitude4paper.blogspot.com/

Representing May we have
Lindsey -http://lindseysscraps.blogspot.com/2013/01/creative-weekend-birthday-blog-hop.html
Deborah - http://ifitsgroovy.blogspot.com

Representing June we have
Brenda - http://granddivasscrappyplace.blogspot.com/
Khristen - **YOU ARE HERE**

Representing July we have
Jean - http://pagesintime.blogspot.com/
Tess -http://tessatmybest.blogspot.com/2013/01/if-its-groovy-birthday-blog-hop-true.html

Representing August we have
Rochelle - http://www.rochellespears.blogspot.com/
Faye -http://alittledashof.blogspot.com/2013/01/iig-wicked-awesome.html

Representing September we have
Kelly -http://creatingwithpaperandmore.blogspot.com/
Tiffany - http://bkfastattiffanys.blogspot.com/2013/01/true-xoxo-blog-hop.html

Representing October we have

Kelly -http://creatingwithpaperandmore.blogspot.com/

Alaina -http://gluedotsandglitter.blogspot.com/2013/01/if-its-groovy-calendar-blog-hop.html

Representing November we have

Heather - http://www.scrappingtheguys.blogspot.com/

Kimmy - http://lostinadreamofjosh.blogspot.com/2013/01/groovy-xoxo-blog-hop.html

Representing December we have
Deborah - http://ifitsgroovy.blogspot.com
Queen Kat - http://kateblue.blogspot.com/2013/01/its-groovy-blog-hop-celebration.html

For the hop, we were assigned a month of the year and asked to create a layout based on what that month means for us. I had June, and the first thing I could think of is how much I LOVE June! I am from NH, so June typically means the arrival of warm and sunny weather (although it has snowed in June in the past!), garden harvests, the end of school, swimming lessons, and cold treats to cool down, like ice cream and popsicles. When I came across pics of my son eating his very first popsicle, I knew it was meant to be!

I chose a sheet of Pink Paislee Prairie Hill, called Flight Pattern. I loved the pattern and the orange color. The entire collection is so summery (and it's not just the kite embellies, either!) I matted the photos on Studio Calico's Classic Calico - Basic Grid, using the other side of the paper for the strip on the left of the mat. Pink Paislee's Prairie Hill element stickers and chipboard pops decorate the page, and I used AC Forest Thickers for the title.

 In LOVE with those grid clouds! Must get MORE!

Ok, so get hopping! The next stop along the way is Jean for If It's Groovy, representing the month of July. Finish this hop until the end, there are fun prizes along the way....

Oh, that reminds me...I have a little prize for you! If you a) follow my blog, b) head over to my Facebook page and give Khristen's Craft Room a little likey-love, and c) leave a comment here on the blog telling me you've done it all, you'll have the chance to win this:

That's a bag full of die cuts I'm de-stashing (there's all sorts of awesomeness in there from manufacturers like Nikki Sivils, Pink Paislee, Basic Grey, Scenic Route, and more), a Sizzix Hello Kitty die, a Bild Malarna - Mimosa Angel with a Sheaf stamp, an unmounted River City Rubber Works Square Basket stamp, Heidi Swapp clear frame shapes stamp set, Making Memories - Flutter clear stamps, and an Imaginisce Snag 'Em - Born to Shop stamp. Also included are 10 random sheets of patterned paper I am de-stashing.  Good luck, and happy hopping! You have until the 13th to visit all the blogs and leave comments for your shot at winning prizes.

xoxo
Khristen

Crafter's Companion CHA Releases Sneak Peek!

Good morning!

Crafter's Companion is releasing the *best* sets yet , and I have sneak peeks to show you all weekend! The stamps are new to the Stamp It - Australia line and I am completely smitten...and I know you will be too! What I love most about Crafter's Companion is that their stamp sets cover a variety of styles. Whether you are looking for something cutesy or artsy, you'll find something you love guaranteed! The new sets would definitely fall into the latter category. I love them!

I will be showing off four different projects over the next four days, projects that will be featured at Crafter's Companion's booth at CHA. So exciting, I mailed them off on Monday morning. I wish I could have packed myself in the box to join them (but I think postage would have been a bit ridiculous.)

Here's the first sneak I have for you *insert drum roll here*

This features MME's Funday kraft line, which I got a 6X6 pad of in the middle of last year. It looked pretty lonely, so I dusted it off and got to work, pairing it with this fun, flourish-y sentiment, damask pattern stamp, doily, and TH Distress Black Soot Stickles. Of course, it needed some inking as well so a covered both stamp pieces with TH Old Paper Distress ink.

There's sneak peek number one! Just wait until the fourth day...you'll be wanting these sets for your very own! Don't forget to visit the other Crafter's Companion designers who are also showing off creations made with these new sets :)

Watch for another post today from me as well. I made a page for Rileigh's scrapbook and plan to share it later. First though, I have to do "real" work. Such a bummer...I just want to play with paper!

xoxo
Khristen