I need some warmth!

It’s been a cold couple of weeks here in Jackson, CA, and I’m sure throughout the country.  If I were daring, I’d post a picture of the attire I’ve been wearing lately—sweats with long-johns underneath, my husband’s thick t-shirt, followed by hoodie, followed by flannel, followed by lap quilt.  Did I mention my Amador County slippers—Ariat Fat Baby boots with slipper socks, so the cold can’t penetrate to my toes.  If that happens, I will be trapped on the couch for sure.  I’m a sight and not an attractive one.  We had two full snow days here in our school district, but the snow never got to my front door—just the biting cold that accompanies it which makes me feel like we got jipped this year.  Oh well—the winter’s not over yet Puxatony Phil!  If I weren’t such a penny pincher, I’d use the wall heater, but that’s not going to happen.  To all of you East Coast gals, I must sound like a whiny baby, but hey, 25 degrees when you’re not used to it is COLD.  To help beat the cold, I thought I’d scrap some summer pictures.  It didn’t help much, but my eyes liked playing with the hybrid Cosmo Cricket goodness that will arrive at jessicasprague.com VERY SOON!

Summertime 2010 (You Make Me Smile) Supplies (jessicasprague.com)

Hello Sunshine Candy Candy and Papers by Cosmo Cricket--COMING SOON!
Carnivale Photo Booth Frames by Kitschy Digitals

Other supplies used:  Cricut Sweet Treats Cartridge, sewing machine, buttons, and embroidery floss.

The Road Ahead Supplies (jessicasprague.com)

Template 1.10 by Jessica Sprague
Mini Wanted Collection by Cosmo Cricket
Wanderlust Mini Kit by In The Making Designs

Other supplies used:  Cricut Sweet Treats Cartridge, sewing machine, buttons, and embroidery floss.

100 Days Supplies (jessicasprague.com)

Two-Page Template+ 12 by Jessica Sprague
For the Record Element and Paper Pack 1 by Echo Park COMING SOON!

Other supplies used:  Cricut Sweet Treats and Give A Hoot cartridges, sewing machine, buttons, and embroidery floss.

The Sweetest Day Supplies (jessicasprague.com)

Template 1.08 by Jessica Sprague
Jack's World Paper Pack, Jack's World Elements, & Jack's World Candy Candy by Cosmo Cricket

Other supplies used:  Cricut Lacy Labels, Sizzix Tim Holtz Rosette Die, sewing machine, buttons, and embroidery floss.

The scrapbooking didn’t help heat the house, but it warmed our hearts—stay warm out there!

Happy Turkey Week!

And what a happy week it is—the kids are off, it’s wet and rainy here, and lots of goodies to play with from jessicasprague.com.  Inspiration really IS everywhere right now. 

Here are some projects I’ve been working on through the month of November.

In the past, I’ve created a few of these cozies for my daughter and friends using traditional fabric following this very fine tutorial from The House on Hill Road blog.  Great tutorial.  This time, I decided to print some Cosmo Cricket Early Bird Candy Candy and Early Bird Paper onto some Fabric Stick.  I then cut out the pattern, attached it to some felt by stitching, and then followed the above tutorial.  This one is for ME!

Early Bird Coffee Cozy Supplies List

Early Bird Candy Candy and Early Bird Paper Pack by Cosmo Cricket at jessicasprague.com.

Other supplies used:  Fabric Stick, red felt sheets, fusible fleece, sewing machine thread, button, and felt flower.  

For the above I got to use the Sentimental Cricut Cartridge with DesignStudio software to design the pattern for the card.  I’m still loving the software.  If you have a Cricut and don’t have the software, trust me, you should get it.

Merry Christmas Card Supplies

Merry Christmas Patterned Paper Pack Kit 1 and  Merry Christmas Element Pack Kit 1 by Echo Park and jessicasprague.com.

Other supplies used:  Cricut Sentimental cartridge; Cuttlebug D'vine Swirls embossing folder; Making Memories Ribbon; snowflake brad, unknown; Embroidery thread and sewing machine

Jackson, CA, doesn’t get much snow—maybe a couple of times each wintery season—but that’s about it.  Last December, the snow actually stuck for about four days.  Two of those days were snow days for the kids from school.  I took the above pictures of our little ones enjoying their winter wonderland—even our pom-chi pup, Dixie, got caught in the action.  You can barely see her next to Gwen making angels in the snow.  I hope it happens again this year.  We also took those few days and decorated the inside of our house for Christmas, made cookies and drank hot chocolate, and just enjoyed the magic of the snow and the spontaneity of it all--TOGETHER.

December Brrrr Layout

Everybody Loves Christmas Element Pack and Everybody Loves Christmas Paper Pack #1 by Echo Park at jessicasprague.com.

Other supplies used:  Cricut Give-A-Hoot & Winter Wonderland Cartridges; CTMH cardstock; buttons/embroidery floss

Do your little ones ever express this giddy emotion from time to time? Well, ALL of mine do.  In fact, it’s part of the genes because I do it, too.  I’m tickled, no giddy, that I captured it finally for at least one of my children.  For the above layout, I included the definition of the word “Giddy” under the chipboard Cricut cut of the word.  I love matching a picture to its definition.

Giddy Layout

jessicasprague.com supplies: 

Daisy Jane Flowers, Daisy Jane Paper Bits, and Daisy Jane Solids by Carina Gardner.

Mask Me Photo Masks and Warm Wuv and Soft Hugs Elements by liv.e designs.

November Collection Journaling Snippets by Creativity by Crystal.

Other supplies:  Cricut Cindy Loo Cartridge; misc. craft buttons and sequins; Making Memories brads; embroidery floss and sewing machine; CTMH bamboo cardstock

I hope that you have had a chance to sign up for Jessica's FREE class, Inspiration Everywhere. Class begins in one week, so spread the word.  Click below for more information.

Black Friday starts the store-wide 20% off sale at jessicasprague.com.  Starting November 26th until December 31st, everything on the site will be 20% off, including self-paced classes. Also, with a $20 purchase during the sale, you will receive a special collaboration kit created just for you by the jessicasprague.com design team at no additional charge.

I hope you all have a loving Thanksgiving with your family and friends.  Here’s to cooking way too much, eating way too much, and spending way too much on Black Friday!  Be SAFE out there.

A New, Creative Adventure

Last week, I held my breath, took the plunge, and submitted some projects below to a Creative Team Call put out by the Jessica Sprague (JessicaSprague.com).  If you’ve been scrapbooking for a while and use Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, you probably know the name.  Jessica Sprague has been a leader in the digital and hybrid scrapbooking education for the past few years and is responsible for any success I’ve accomplished in using these two programs to create my projects.  She also writes a monthly column for Creating Keepsakes and special digital scrapbooking issues, which I own all of and will continue to purchase when new ones become available.  These issues have been a constant resource for me over the years.  She also teaches live classes around the country.  Her website features classes, forums, a fun-loving, sharing community, and digital products from brilliant designers that I can’t wait to get my hands on—yes—hands!  I can’t wait to print these papers/elements out and introduce them to my scrapbook room, home, friends, relatives—well you get the picture.  I’m beyond thrilled for my new adventure and hope you come back often to see what I’ve done with these new goodies.

(I used Give-A-Hoot, Street Signs, Winter Woodland Cricut Cartridges, DesignStudio, and the basic black Cricut Pen with Digital Papers to make the above layout.  Also, incorporated my Singer Futura-250 for the embroidery stitches)

(The above is a picture of my new Kindle Case I made to hold the Kindle I got for my birthday—Thanks Kids!.  I used the custom shape tool (the grid) in Photoshop Elements to insert various digital patterned papers, printed it onto Fabric Stick, and used a combination of a couple of tutorials from The Sometimes Crafter and One Pearl Button to help me put it all together.)

(There’s that Fabric Stick again.  I printed a dingbat font (Crowns and Coronets from Fontspace) image on some Fabric Stick and made a pillow; printed the same image on some white cardstock and adhered it to chipboard, cut other chipboard pieces to the same size, covered with black cardstock, which I then binded using a Bind-It-All, to make a photo book for a coffee table; printed the same image again, onto white cardstock, and adhered it to black coasters and sealed it with outdoor modpodge to make coordinating coasters).