Happy Holidays

Hi all, well Christmas is done. Yahoo. My living room looks like Game Stop threw up in it. Let me just say, life is Very good as a teen. I made 200 Cannolli's, 200 Anise Cookies, 250 Rum balls, 1 sausage casserole and 5 cookie tins.......Crafting, ya right, okay. Thanks to CVS.com for the awesome calendars that they printed. Unfortunately they came out so well, I have to print 5 more due to demand. I Did a huge image swap at Magnolia-licious's yahoo group, mind you, over 200 spots and, I wrapped all my own gifts. Let's just say this, my household, will be skiing on New Year's Eve (5 min. away) celebrating every holiday from Christmas to Kwanzaa (Yup, I can do that still being politically correct :) . It helps to have a multiracial home. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, lowering stress levels, and will come up with a goal or two for the New Year. If not a glass of really good Eggnog might help. This home wishes your home nothing less than happiness, health and good fortune for 2011. Maybe this odd year will be good to you. Happy Holidays & Bless All. Carpe Diem, Carlotta

Tis the Season

Hi all, took a few weeks off as I started a new job which I absolutely love, and started a new home based business with The Pampered Chef. It only made sense since I love to cook and my kitchen gizmos need serious updating. I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. We all have so many things to be thankful for even though at times these "things" are perceived as small or insignificant. Our families, friends, health all mean so much. Even the pesky pooch. Yes, I do love my "she devil" Cloe. I pick on her so much but animals give nothing but love so much of the time. I think i'll let her have some table scraps after the Turkey dinner. Oh, I also wanted to say thank you to Suzanne Dean and Marti Wills for publishing my little Shabby Chic Sepia Tilda card in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Through the Craftroom Door. It's so weird to see your own work in print.

Busy, Busy, Busy. That's what you all have been lately, judging from all the wonderful images i've received for the HUGE Magnolia-licious holiday image swap. I closed it at 226 spots. That's going to make a lot of Cards. I'll be chaperoning the middle school dance tonight. Hee-Hee-Hee. Imagine that, Curtiss actually wants me around still. Not for much longer so i've been told. I'll be posting my tissue box cover soon. I just loved this project. Not to mention I have a cold and have been looking at many tissue boxes lately. Before the dance i'll be doing food prep for next week. There will be 11 of us here for Thanksgiving Dinner, maybe the guys will finally do the dishes without being asked? We'll see. Have a nice weekend. Carpe Diem!

Carlotta

www.pamperedchef.biz/carlotta

Autumn Splendor

Wow, how I so love this time of the year. Even though it's aweful rainy here, the leaves are almost approaching their peak foliage. This week I will post a few pictures of the area. It's just beautiful. But with all this rain lately, I hate to think it's going to be a rainy Halloween AGAIN!!! Ugh! Quick slap, okay, so I just wanted to share another favorite fall recipe with you. It's yes, from Kraft and Philidephia Cream Cheese, Yup you guessed it: Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake. I also love pumpkin pie and bread. Yum, Yum. Click on the images to enlarge & print. I love to share. The Kraft food website has really awesome recipes too!

I will be posting an informational sheet soon for all you photography buff's out there. You can capture some gorgeous pix this time of the year so I thought a few tips from a pro might be welcomed. Nick Kelsh is great! He remind's us not to forget the simple everyday, not just the special occasions. Make every day a special occasion. Hope you all are surviving the week. I will be starting to post a favorite photo weekly as food for thought and for inspiration. Everyone is invited to submit photos however, if It is extra special or has monetary value please remember to place your watermark. I think this will be fun. Carpe Diem,

Carlotta

Halloween, pumpkins, cider, oh my

Bewiching Tilda

Copic recipe: YR01,12,15,20,68. E0,000,11,13,15,31,35. R20(cheeks), V01,05,06,09 (dress & ruffle). G09,20,21(leggings), BV000, C00,02,03,04,05,07, Black100 (Shoes and Hat), Uniball Signo white pen and at you Spica pens 0,06,07.

Well friends, yesterday I overdid it, stayed up way too late and finish this Tilda with pumpkins card. Finished size is 5 1/4 by 5 1/4. I am going to give to my son for Halloween with a gift card tucked inside. Only because I know he'll let me keep her. (I'm so bad). The card looks pretty simple but has many different techniques. I cut and embossed with the nestabilities die, then after masking Tilda I airbrushed the background with 3 colored Copics. Then I stamped the words over that with the Halloween Collage stamp by The Memory box using SU Almost Amthyst ink. Orange peel Stickles applied to the embossed recessed edge. Whew.....Coloring Tilda was fun, a little challenging was her hat though. This was my first real attempt with black/blacks. I am going to attempt a black and white dress on a very classy rubbernecker stamp soon. I applied Stampin up Crystal effects to the pumpkins. The pumpkins were the most fun to color for me. There is Stickles along all her ruffles (Grape Ice). The MaryJanes even have little green rhinestone closures. Then I decided to spray the leaves with Tattered Angels glimmermist which is awesome. You can go nuts with glimmer mist on flowers, leaves, paper, everything. You can find out more about glimmer mist on their website http://www.mytatteredangels.com or look back at my older posts in July/Aug where I show you how to make your own. The Flower is from Prisma. The sentiment on the inside is from When Autumn Comes 2006 by Technique Tuesday. Any guess on the patterened paper? This really was a fun and relaxing card. Maybe tonight i'll do a Christmas card to get me in the mood. I'm making a pumpkin bread for cousin Kerri's baby shower tomorrow and maybe an apple pie. (I bought the apples anyways). I'm trying to be a little more domestic this week end, because on Monday i'm off to the rat race in Boston. Won't be home until late. Welcome to all the New Magnolia-licious members and Thanks to all who stop by. Carpe Diem!

Carlotta

Apple Cider At Dunkin Donuts?

OMG I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. Wow how time flies. I got a slap of reality yesterday when I drove through Dunkin Donuts for my morning cup of Joe. They are now serving Hot Apple Cider! Yes, I splurged and got a medium and was it good. The summer of 2010 is gone I guess. Here in New England there is a distinct feel of Fall in the air. Soon the fireplaces and woodstoves will be in use. Apple picking and leaf peeping will pre-occupy the weekends, and before you know it.....The snow will fly. I like to think of this house as a winter loving house, so we won't mind so much. We all ski, skate, snowboard, you name it. I think of it as a sport as well to watch people try and drive in the fluffy white stuff. It's quite entertaining if I don't say so. Well have I got a few scrapbook pages to get caught up on. Let's see, Arizona, Camping, Fishing trips, the new NH family camp. NYC, The new twins, baby showers x2.....Face it, i'll be old and grey before I get caught up! I'd like to share a recent card with you that I sent out for my August mingle, for Magnolia-licious group. I think she's one of my favorites to date. This card could be used for several occasions or as an invitation.

Recipe: CopicsB12,24,41, BG45, E00,000,11, 13, 25, 31, 50, R20, 100. The Paper is Tim Holtz, tags are Martha Stewart, Swirl bling from Jolee's, Liquid pearls in petal pink. Flowers from Prima, Colored cardstock from stampin up. Scrap of adhesive paper ribbon.

I also found this video by Jennifer MaGuire very informative and seasonal so I thought I'd share it with you all. I haven't posted lately as I found a new personal direction with the Ultimate fit-camp program in my area. It is somewhat similar to Cross-fit training. I'm trying to get my healthier body back one squat at a time :) They are a great group and have helped me strive toward some new and not so new fitness goals. I'll keep my fingers crossed and the ipod charged. At least i'm back to the good ol' run/walk regularly. That's better than last year. We spend so much time taking care of everyone else that I think women forget about themselves sometimes. Well, i'm glad I found me again. I'm not very good when i'm lost. Have a great weekend. I'm going to work on images for my swap that i'm hosting over at Splitcoast Stampers. The New/Open first fall-winter holiday image swap. There are soooo many cute images that have already come in and i'm looking forward to more. Carpe Diem!

Carlotta

Still Holy, Hot, Moley

Ok friends, its been a while now since my last post and it's still hotter than H--. I hate to say it, i'm ready to think snow, just to cool myself off. Yesterday I took 4 showers in an attempt to "get cool" but just ended up sweating some more. How disgusting! Since I returned from Arizona life has been nothing short of a whirl wind, not to mention my computer froze and started acting weird. This is very unusual considering I use an Apple computer not PC. Cost 40 bucks for the tech support to talk me through the fix. Uuugghhhh. Curtiss is now officially as tall as me. Here we go....I guess we're really in the teenage years. Lacrosse has been done for a while. Curtiss went to the UMass Amherst boys lacrosse camp during the hottest week of the summer (of course he did). Hockey starts Labor Day (Oh Joy) and I started Ultimate fitcamp/bootcamp in an effort to drop some pounds. Let me tell you, I couldn't even lift up my purse after my first session last monday evening. But, it is exactly what I needed, to get my butt kicked by someone almost 20 years younger than myself. Later I will post some fun photos from our summer travels. Floating down the lazy river was quite relaxing i'd have to say. It took us 3.5 hrs to float about 2 miles. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer no matter how hot it is. Make the most of every day.

Carpe Diem,

Carlotta :)

July 14th!! Holy Hot Moley

Oh the Red Rock of Sedona, How beautiful and unique

Well, as some of you are aware June & July to this point have been quite a whirl-wind for me. With school being out, two weeks vacation and going to Phoenix, Arizona, OMG! I absolutely loved Sedona and the Grand Canyon. It truly is a Wonder of our World! 113 degrees in Phoenix. I never thought this little New Englander would EVER see a temp like that. Let me tell you though, it wasn't half as bad as the humid 90's here near Boston. The Desert Flowers are beautiful! My only regret was not being able to take Curtiss and Randy. I attended the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners national conference and couldn't swing it schedule wise. They would have enjoyed the golfing alone!

I have been busy with swaps over at www.splitcoaststampers.com. What a wonderful website for any newbies out there. Techniques and galleries galore. I have been the gallivanting traveller in my house this summer so far, so the pictures are mostly of me and the scenery. I am working on a travel related card, but thought the video above does a nice job showing an alternative to a standard scrapbook page. I love it! You can never have too many albums. Oh, can I also give a huge hug and shout out to Susana's Custom Art and Card Design over at http://www.SCACD.com. Susana's service is incredible. I ordered on Sunday and mailman delivers Wednesday. That's Cali to Mass. OMG! Also if you get a chance go over and check out Clear and Simple Stamps at http://www.clearandsimplestamps.com. They have some nice sets. As the dog days of summer approach we all know cooking gets less and less. But entertaining is more often, so I thought I'd share a quick cool appetizer with you from my favorites from Kraft. It's their recipe for BLT dip.

BLT DIP

1pkg(8oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup shredded or chopped romaine lettuce

2 plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped

4 slices Bacon, crisply cooked, drained & crumbled

Spread cream cheese onto bottom of a 9-in" pie plate

Top with lettuce & tomatoes; sprinkle with bacon

Serve with Wheat Thins snack crackers or your favorite and serve with assorted cut up veggies.

Enjoy! Makes 2 cups or 16 servings, 2Tbsps. each Yum, yum, delicious.

I have blog candy that I will give away to one lucky winner on September 30 th. With school well back under way. 3 Copic markers of your choice and one Magnolia or Elisabeth Bell stamp of your choice. To enter just leave a summertime/ travel card/layout or recipe card with Mr. Linkie at the end of my blog page with your email/web address and picture of your card/layout linked. I would also like to know your fav summertime family tradition in the comments section. I love summer but hate humidity (Copics do too). Have a great week.

Carpe Diem,

Carlotta

In the swing of Summer

Hi all, well, just a couple of new cards today, along with a new reference page for masking. Seems to me if you want to make a scene or combine images from different companies than you're gonna need to know how to mask.

When I first started stamping I did a bunch of image swaps, and it just didn't occur to me that just because I didn't have the actual stamp from many of the images I received that I could mask the images. I could've masked the images I received and combined them with the stamps I already owned. All you need to do is photocopy on your printer the image, cut out the copier image, apply a small piece of removable tape and voila!! You have a mask for an image of a rubber-stamp that you don't own. Save it, someday you'll own it. Trust me if you like the image, eventually you'll buy it. That's our addiction right????

My Edwin card is actually the gift card holder tutorial from split coast stampers. Very easy to do. This is my father's Day card this year. I am going to enclose a photo of Curtiss the boy as well for Dear hubby. My Ballerina Tilda is a gate card which I just love to make. My DP's actually came from prior card kit swaps as did the images. A big thanks shout out to Shannon Wyman for the striped paper and craft cardstock. Now just to figure out which giftcard to put it, Lowes, Home Depot.......(Michael's if it were truly my choice) :) Have a great week all. Deadline is June 30th for my school's out cutesy image swap over at Splitcoast stampers. Hope to see you all there. Stay cool this week end, it's supposed to be in the 80's in MA. this weekend. Yahoo!!!!! See you soon, Carpe Diem, Carlotta

It's tough to see unless you double click the photo but I used liquid glass over the rose and bottom's of Edwins boots. A little stickles here and there. That's about it for bling. I didn't want it girlie Since it is to my husband from his son. I was very pleased with his jeans and shirt. I hate harsh lines in my coloring and did okay with this one.

Tilda features embossing, stickles, gold jelly roll pen for the tiara, airbrushing for the sentiment. We all know I love that darned Airbrush system.

Scraproom organization and summer hydration :)

Happy Thursday all. I can't believe I'm cleaning the ol' scraproom again. This is never ending.It's because I bought so many cute stamps at the Heirloom show last Saturday. They're everywhere. But one good thing has come from all of this.....I found an AWESOME unmounted rubber-stamp storage system called StorRite, from Rubber Stamp Concepts. Awesome. I placed a photo at the end of this posting and you can find out more about them at www.RubberStampConcepts.com. OMG It's great. Although I have more than 3 Storage sheets per binder. I don't mind that it's a little heavy. So what.

I also have a wonderful and cute video up on how to use Nestabilities with the Cuttlebug. It is helpful for those newbies out there. Lastly, with the warm weather among us, many of you will become week-end hostess warriors so I'd like to share a Sangria style summer cocktail recipe with you. It's a white wine switch on a classic dog-days refresher. The fruit makes you feel like you're doing something healthy for your body, but the rest of it, well, its cold, really smooth and icy. After a while, you might not feel much of anything! It goes great with tortilla chips and salsa. Enjoy with friends or just drink the darn pitcher yourself! Enjoy & Carpe Diem!

Carlotta's Cheery Crop Chiller:

1. 750ml bottle dry white wine, such as chardonnay (or your fav)

1. 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate

1/2 cup light rum

1/2 cup orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec or Grand Marnier

1. 15.25oz can pineapple tidbits in natural juice

1. lg apple, diced (approx. 1 1/4 cup)

2 cups chilled lemon lime soda

Strawberries, lemon or orange slices for garnish if you desire.

In a one gallon pitcher, combine the wine, frozen lemonade concentrate, rum, orate liqueur and pineapple tidbits and add to the sangria. Stir well and refrigerate, covered at least two hours.

Just before serving, stir in the soda. Serve over ice in classes, garnished with the strawberries and orange slices. Usually serves 8 (I warn you, you'll need way more than this for 8 people. Double the batch :) Carlotta.

TGIF

What a long week! I'm glad it's Friday. I will be posting a Magnolia Birthday Bash week three challenge card here this evening. I loved Chris's sketch. You can view it at www.Magnoliabirthdaybash.blogspot.com in the week #3 challenge. I also wanted to invite anyone who would like to join in on my School's out image swap over at Splitcoast stampers.com. Under the forums go to swaps, once allowed in it's titled: New & Open Summer- Schools out Image Swap- Everyone Invited.

It's sunny in the high 70's here. No rain, which means no stamping or scrapping at the moment. Hopefully after dinner. Enjoy your weather, Carpe Diem,

Carlotta

Summer begins

Hi all, just a short post today. Going to the parade and maybe some golfing. My first tutorial video is done and on you tube. It demonstrates how to mount unmounted rubberstamps. I am posting it here on iheartscrapbookingink as well for anyone who needs it. Hope you enjoy. Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy the time spent with family and friends. We never have enough quality time. Carpe Diem, Carlotta

Well, I think I did it

Okay, I used my JVC cam corder and actually made a video. I am in the process of posting it to youtube. Since I have received several emails regarding mounting of unmounted stamps I thought it was about time. It is uploading on youtube as we speak. Apporox. 2 more hours. Just enough time for a piece of peach pie. I don't know who made it, but I think i'll wait until Monday and ask. Tomorrow starts a new Magnolia-licious birthday challenge. Good luck to you all. I'll be interested in knowing how many BINGO winners we have. Stay tuned....Carpe Diem,

Carlotta

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Thursday! It's almost Memorial Day! the official start of summer. Yahoo. So I decided to add a new componenet to my blog. My favorite video of the week. I spend too much wasted time looking for things on the internet instead of creating so I thought I'd share some of my finds with you. The only bugaboo I have with this blog style and video is sometimes you hear double voices. If you only click once on the arrow it will play correctly. Double Click and it brings you to youtube. Nope I'm not crazy yet. If this happens while you are listening just close out the you tube video and this blog video will keep playing. I love this small pizza box. This is what I use for gift card holders. I have also put small jewelry pieces in as well.

I am working on several projects as most of you know, but my favorite Is a cute Ballarina Tilda for a challenge. I will post as soon as I color her hair. Today is kind of a gloomy day here in MA. looks and feels like rain. So weird after such a beautiful day yesterday. I got my order from Cindy yesterday which included new nestabilities and my long awaited, very most favorite Magnolia.... kissing Tilda. She is so cute, she is the one sitting with Edwin at the MBB button on the top right of my blog. I think i'm going to use her under mistletoe for my Christmas cards. I can't believe I said that.....Maybe I am crazy but I do love....Christmas. Anyway, enjoy the video. Carpe Diem,

Carlotta

Traditions- High School Proms

Okay, so let me start out by saying Thank you to Viviane Casale for a lovely Magnolia card I received tonight. All the way from Brazil! I love looking at the postage stamps from different countries. Most of which I dream about visiting. Learning the language, cultures and customs of different countries really fascinates me. Often times, when on vacation I live behind the lense of a camera. I am my family's storyteller. I don't mind, since there are sooooo many stories!

I also love to quilt which is a form of story telling. It is also rich in tradition. From the patterns to the textiles used. Here in the U.S. we observe sooooo many traditions.

As I was doing my usual errands this past Saturday I noticed a yard full of teenagers dressed in formal attire posing for pictures. Ah, it's May, that time of year that most high school Juniors and Seniors are buzzing with excitement around their Prom. I am not at this age yet with Curtiss but I wonder is this a familiar tradition in other countries? This is the preable to graduation for high school seniors. The prom queen and her court are such a beautiful site! I just wonder if this is an American tradition or not. Oh, to be young again.......Here I go dreaming again. Tomorrow it's supposed to hit high 80's.....Yahoo. Happy summer, right on time for the Memorial Day week-end cook outs! Happy Monday to all! Carpe Diem,

Carlotta

Let there be cake

Okay, It's Magnolia-licious's 2nd birthday party and I haven't seen any cake? What's a birthday without a little cake. Therefore, I thought I'd share one of my all time favorite Strawberry No-Bake Cheesecake recipes. This recipe would be great at a potluck, baby shower or picnic.

Ingred: 2c Graham cracker crumbs, 6Tbsp. melted margarine, 1c sugar, divided, 4pkgs (8oz) Phillidelphia Neufchatel cheese, 1/3 less fat than cream cheese, softened, 1/2 c.strawberry preserves, 1pkg. (16oz. frozen strawberries, thawed and drained. 1 tub(8oz) cool whip lite topping thawed.

Mix graham crumbs, margarine and 1/4 cup of the sugar; press firmly onto bottom of a 13x9 in.pan. Refrigerate while preping the filling. Beat the Neufchatel cheese and remaining 3/4cup sugar in a lg. bowl with electric mixer on med. speed until well blended. Add preserves; mix until blended. Stir in strawberries. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spoon over crust; cover. Refrigerate 4hrs or until firm. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

If you would rather use fresh strawberries: Place 2 cups fresh strawberries in a sm. bowl with an additional 2 Tbs. sugar; mash with fork. Add to Neufchatel cheese mixture; continue as directed.

I can't be to blame if you eat way too much of this. Not my problem. Then all you can do is make a cup of tea. Get ready to relax with some good ol' fashioned coloring and block everyone else out. Hope you enjoy your day! Carpe Diem, Carlotta

May Showers will bring June flowers I guess

Okay so what's new? More rain of course. (To be followed by sunshine all through the weekend. UUGGHH... I need a little glimmer so, I decided to create a new instructional file on how to make your own glimmer mist with stuff you might have hanging around the house. It's cheap and easy. It was either that or post a fav no bake cheesecake recipe (only to land on our hips). I still might do that tonight :) I'm stuck on the cake thing as I've been cought up in the Magnolia-licious birthday celebration. The Yahoo group is turning 2! Gee folks with kids, remember the terrible 2's? What a whirlwind. I think we the Mods at Magnolialicious have a wonderful, exciting and creative year in store for everyone. With such a large group and so much creativity, your cardmaking, scrapbooking and papercrafting skills can only bloom and grow. As most of you know, I love all things bling so I thought Shimmer mist appropriate for a tutorial.

How to make your own Shimmer Mist:

Ingredients: Stampin Up Shimmer paint or similar (it is not in the catalog any more but it is still available), Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, item # 116806, $5.95 (gold - only one with glitter)

hand sanitizer, I purchased Walgreens brand hand sanitizer. It comes in individual packs for around $1.69 or packs of 5 for $4.99. You could use any brand you want, just be sure that the active ingredient is alcohol. In the Walgreen's brand the active ingredient is: Ethyl Alcohol 62%. I've used rite aide brand liquid as well with good results.

an eye dropper (medicine dropper), plastic cup, water.

If you choose another brand of hand sanitizer you will also need to purchase a mini mister of some sort such as from Ranger (pictured above).

Directions:

Unscrew the top of the hand sanitizer and pour out a small amount (This will not be used)

Drop in 5-7 drops of shimmer paint (I love the champagne color) into the hand sanitizer. Screw lid back on. Shake extremely well before misting. If there is paint showing on the bottom of the hand sanitizer bottle, you need to shake it some more.

Put water in the plastic cup and clean the eye dropper so that all the shimmer paint is removed. You might have to do this a few times.

When spraying with the mist use some type of container or box with sides to it, to prevent the mist from spraying on things other than your project.

When spraying, it is okay to see water spots or paper rolling. The spots will dry and fade, plus the paper returns to its normal shape as it dries. Don’t over saturate though. Allow time for your items to dry thoroughly before using. It does dry quickly.

When you make up your Shimmer Mist, be sure to take a marker and label your container so there is NO DOUBT as to what is in it! If someone would accidentally use this on their hands, they will be one twinkling person. I store my shimmer mist separately from the regular hand sanitizer and store the container vertically NOT horizontally.

USES: You can use on cardstock, silk flowers, paper flowers, ect. Knock your socks off

Hope you Enjoy. Carpe Diem!

Carlotta

May 4- Birthday Time

Hi all. Happy early Cinco De Mayo. I can't believe it, my 42nd birthday is coming up quick. No big gifts this year. We just found out we need to replace the furnace! Uugghhhh. First the fridge then the furnace, what next? Well I just have to remember it could always be worse. At least we are all well. Curtiss survived Nature's classroom much better than I did. But, was he exhausted when he got home. OMG. They worked them morning till night. For my birthday and Mother's day I think I will plant two rose bushes and some annuals. DH has the yard and landscaping looking great. Now we just need some color. Our family continues to grow as well. Several cousins are expecting. One couple with twins on the horizon! Man I've got to get crackin on my Tilda with baby and Pregnant Tilda stamps. Cards, tags and boxes to make. Oh my! I've only got one baby card done so far but I've got a couple months :) I think this one is cute. Have a great week. Carpe Diem! Carlotta

Copics:R04,20,81,85c1,CB,E00,000,11,13,35

YR02,04,12,23,Y02,21,atyou Spica Blossom

White inkessentials pen. DP Daisy D's,Michele Ackerman

Flowers Prisma, ribbon: stash, sentiment Studio G

Paper Neenah 120, Ink Memento TB

Hope you enjoy this sweet Tilda

April 29- Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Okay, i'm not sure who at this point came up with the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder", but he was soooooo right. My son Curtiss has been away at Nature's Classroom since Mon. with no contact with home. OMG, good for him, bad for me. He is 12 and really my bestest buddy. He is known as "mini-me" to all who know him. To not hear from him is KILLING me. However, I'm happier today since recieving both a package of maggies and a pack of Sugar Nellie stamps. The Sugarnellie stamps are so......difficult to get. I suggest: www.sugarnelle.com to get them. Otherwise it's a crap shoot. Carlotta

iheartscrapbookingink: April 26-Heartstrings

iheartscrapbookingink: April 26-Heartstrings

April 26-Heartstrings

Happy Monday everyone. Although today I am a little blue. I dropped off my sweetpea at school today only to have him leave for Nature's classroom. Yes, a whole week without Curtiss. I'm going to go nuts. I thought it would be good practice for the dreaded day he leaves for college, wrong. I miss him already and it's only been 2 hours. UUgghhh, I guess I am a softie.

Despite having dirty hands and no fingernails left from cleaning the flowerbeds I did manage to finish Straight through the heart Tilda in time for the challange. I hope you like it. I decided to make it suitable for an engagement or wedding card rather than another Valentine (have about 20 already). Cutting her out was a bit of a challenge but not impossible. This was a fun one to make because I was determined to use red, white and black! So romantic. Sorry I can be a bit corney in that way. I have to add as well a BIG Thank You to all of you who have left comments on this post today. All I can do is think of C and smile. Only 4 more days to go I guess. Oh, I will be redesigning this blog soon. Time for a change.

Have a great week, Carpe Diem!

Carlotta

Card Recipe: Copics :E00,13,25,29,31,33,35,53,59, R20,22,27,29, Y13,32,BG05(eye), C5, CB0, Red atyou spica, 0.35 multiliner and uniball signo white gel pen, Memento ink of course, Bazzil cardstock, Neenah white, Scrap DP's, Ranger Distress crackle paint and stickles. Cuttlebug and embossing folder, Black velvet ribbon, flowers Magnolia and Creative imaginations. Pearls are from Recollections.

April 24- Definately Spring

Tilda Springtime Scene

Well, since we are a week away from May i'll say it...It's finally spring! As with any part of the country the weather in New England can be quite unpredictable in the spring time. We haven't had too much rain thank goodness. Today it should hit upper 60's. Good for yard work and planting of the flowers. I finished a scene card last night that will be mailed out to a new friend as a thank you. I apolagize for not listing the Copics I used as I was trying to be good and clean up right away. You know, the OCD thing (I obviously did't have enough chocolate while I was working!) I did use 15-20 along with the clear atyou Spica on Tilda's shoes. The DP is Pinecone Press, CS- Bazzill, Flowers- Magnolia & Prima, Embossing powder- Ranger, Distress Ink- Ranger, Pearls- Recollections & The Robin's nest, Sentiment- Close to my Heart. Hope you enjoy.

Besides yardwork today also have to watch Curtiss's 3 on 3 hockey game and go to a birthday party. We already did his packing for Nature's classroom, one chore done. Yahoo! More time for crafting! I will be going to a farewell Crop next Sat. for a local scrapbook store that closed it's doors in March. I'll start packing for that I guess. Have a great weekend all!

Carpe Diem,

Carlotta

Wens April 21,2010- Addictions

Hi all! So can I just say I truely have spring fever now. 60's and sunny, what more could you ask for in New England in April? Went golfing yesterday with Curtiss and a little friend of his, the weather was perfect but I couldn't get into it. I was too busy thinking about my card in process. There are several awesome April challenges out there with lots of talented addicts. Yes, I say addict because these little Maggies are just so darned cute. I love using my Copics anyways so I guess 1 +1= addict. I too love the House-Mouse Designs stamps as well, but wood mounted, so I don't spend $$ as easily. I hope that there aren't any programs out there to help change stamp/marker/color addiction. I bet there is probably crafter's anonymous. No thanks, not interested. Will post my newest scene card featuring Tilda with a Sunflower late tomorrow. You know, these 14hour shifts are for the birds... (Night owls to be exact). Happy stampin.

Carpe Diem,

Carlotta

April 13, 2010 Firsts- Springtime Tilda

Hi everyone, happy Tuesday. It's nice and sunny here in MA. Took Curtiss golfing yesterday evening, first round of the season. It was nice to just take in the fresh air, and enjoy my son's company. I know it won't be long until it's "Uncool to hang out with mom. It took a little bit but here's my first card using a Magnolia stamp. I'm so excited! I think I will send her out to spread some cheer this weekend as it is supposed to rain.
I figured out how to use the Spellbinders dies in the Revolution machine as I have long been a QuicKutz and Cricuit girl. I just love the Nestabilities though. They are easy to organize and store. (Back to that organization thing again). I really need more hours in a day! "Just to play" of course. My goal with summer coming will be to complete one card and on scrapbook layout per week until school starts again in the fall. I know that without goals and timelines, I get very little done.
Another first about this card is that I actually broke down and used my bowdabra for the first time! I can't believe all the peripherals that have accumulated over the years! I don't think I would ever withstand a move with all this stuff! I guess it could be worse, it could be shoes :)
I lined the inside of the card with DP from Basic Grey from the Sugar rush collection. Everyone will soon see just how crazy I am for Basic Grey paper! The new Tim Holtz line is my runner up. Love it, love it, love it! Hope you have a wonderful start to your spring. With the flowers come the birds, butterflies and barbeques! Bring em' on ski season is over!

The Copic color combination used for the dress: B28, B26, B24, and B21. I also used RV17 for airbrushed edges, Skin: E000, E00, E11, RV21. Waterfall stickles, Prima flowers, The Robin's Nest Dots and Recollections Pearl stickers. Cardstock: Bazzill and DP: Basic Grey

Carpe Diem,
Carlotta

April 7-Maybe it is Spring

Happy Wensday all. Hope everyone had a lovely Easter. I broke down and told Curtiss that I was the Easter Bunny! OMG, the kids grow so fast. I know, I know he already knew, but it is still fun to pretend. Maybe that's why I have so many wonderful Springtime memories from my own childhood. Playing softball and neighborhood wide hide and go seek. It seems to me that kids don't have enough play time these days. Much like adults. I continue to make playtime for myself. Went to a Crop Saturday and enjoyed the company of Michele, Anita and Tanya. I completed a few layouts in anticipation of my Easter pictures.

I am working on my first Tilda card which is simply adorable! I have posted Tilda above and hope to post the completed card tonight. Thank you Suzanne Dean for your wonderful online lessons. It was money WELL spent.

Carpe Diem...Carlotta

March 27, Winter Again?

Well, it is March right? Outside it's 24 degrees. At least no rain. Well I survived my trip to Long Island for the Copic Certification Course. Oh what fun! I met some wonderful and talented ladies! Hi Anna, Bonnie, Suzanne and Debbie! I purchased a sketch book, more Copics and now practice, practice, practice. Even though I've enjoyed using the makers before attending the course, I didn't realize how much more they can do. I'm hooked on the Airbrush system. I also joined the Magnolia-licious yahoo group. What fun! The stamps are adorable! Will post art soon. Have a wonderful day, wherever the day takes you. Carlotta

March 16: Is it Spring yet?

Happy St. Patricks Day a bit early. I am so trying to get into spring thing but Mother Nature is so not complying. Here in Massachusetts we've had many days of rain, torrential downpours and flooding. At this point I'll take snow, at least it's pretty and doesn't flood the basement. I have today off and continue my purging and organizing. Although I did splurge and buy a Bamboo tablet to hopefully help my photo editing speed up a bit. Hopefully I will post my first technique class next week as I will be going to the Copic certification class. As is well documented, I love all things copic! Have a great Tuesday. Carlotta

March 14: Time

I finally did it! Day one of my very own blog. It was not as labor intensive as I thought it would be. At least I have done SOMETHING productive on such a rainy, blah day. Well now, let me take a moment to introduce myself. Carlotta Vachon. I am a 40 something scrapbooker, photographer, cardmaker, quilter and computer lover. Lover of all things Chocolate.
Massachusetts is where I call home. A lovely piece of land where Cloe (Our yellow lab) can freely run. My son is involved in several sports including hockey and lacrosse. Needless to say my weekends are usually jam packed with little time for me. This blog is what I will refer to as "my" time. Time to connect with those who love to keep their memories. To those who know what a Brad is. (not the one married to Angelina). Time is something everyone I know, could use more of. I have often said that I could get so many more layouts done if I could just find all of my embellishments when I need them. Therefore, I would like the focus of today's post to be on organization.
How organized are we really? Do you organize your cardstock, patterned papers, embellishments, tools and ribbons? or Do you just neatly pile "old" vs "new"? Several thoughts immediately come to mind. Mostly where to begin. I don't recommend emptying the closet or chest of drawers first. What I have found that works well is to isolate one group of scrapbooking ingredients such as my tools and organized just the one grouping. Taking inventory first, PURGING the unused/unwanted items and then considering what type of container to store in (Creative free reign). I love soft storage such as bags and binders. Hard plastic boxes and containers tend to take up too much space. Anyone who has seen my "studio" remembers it as a nursery for one tiny baby. To say the least, it's a bit more than a closet! Lastly, I label everything! The best purchase I've made this year is a new Brother P-touch. Brother even has a really cool pink tape. Those of you who love pink need to check out Robyn at my www.mypinkstamper.com. She's a whoot, you'll lover her!
Another site to help with creative storage ideas is the crafty storage blog. See sidebar. The more organized we are the more layouts we finish. Just give yourself ample time. Some items will need much more time than others (clear stamp storage). On that note.....Happy Sorting. Carlotta