Crafty Secrets DT New Product Challenge!

Good morning, my friends!

Time for another challenge for the Crafty Secrets Design Team, and this one was very open and extremely fun for me!

Sandy Redburn, the amazingly talented owner of Crafty Secrets, and her staff, have been working so hard on new products…there are so many new ones coming out, with more on the way…and our challenge was simply to use some of them today—not too hard, is it?!

I went a little crazy, though….I was so happy to be home and crafting in my own space that I made four projects for the challenge….and had so much fun doing it!

I focused on the new “Halloween” Creative Scraps this time.  These are fabulous!  Here they are:

Aren’t they great?!  So many images, printed on both sides…here’s my first card:

LOVE this vintage owl with his winking eye…so fun!  I used various pieces of the Creative Scraps for this one…the owl, the “Treat” bingo card, and the scallop edging on the top and bottom…if you look closely, you can see all the wonderful detail…so cool!

Next…

This is one of my favorite images in the set—love this sweet red-headed witch—I used a bit of the scrap set border on the card here, on the top and bottom of the houndstooth dp…again, so much wonderful detail!

Next, a fun little tag…

I love these little Dolly Dingle kids…always have!  I cut out another pair of them to pop them up a bit,

added a “Costume Party” ticket from the scraps, a crazy bunch of ribbon and some pom-pom trim…fun!

And lastly, this one…

Again, so many fun elements to play with in the Creative Scraps!  Love the alphabet tags spelling out “Halloween”!  I sparkled up the watch with Dazzling Diamonds, but it’s hard to see it in the picture…

…and such a sweet little witch…a little bit of glow in the jack-o-lantern’s face and the kitty’s eyes…!

Well, that’s it for another Crafty Secrets’ challenge!  I hope you’ll go and check out the Crafty Secrets’ blog for more new item information, and please go and visit the rest of the Design Team today…I know they’ll have LOTS of wonderful inspiration for you!

Crafty Secrets Blog

Vicki Chrisman, Team Leader

Pam Hooten

Marisa Grosson

Linda Duke

Michele Kovack

Melissa Phillips

Flo from France

Deborah March

Have a wonderful day, and I’ll see you soon with something new!

Julie

LiveJournal Tags: Crafty Secrets,Halloween

Home Again…Family Moments & Wish You Were Here!

 

                                  (an older card I made….home!)

Good morning, dear friends!

Oh, my!  I’m home at last!!!  Can’t tell you what a wonderful, family-filled three weeks it’s been…I’ve loved every single moment…but there’s something so beautiful about finally arriving home, isn’t there?!

I really missed my husband yesterday, as I drove 13+ hours …my two daughters who traveled with me aren’t drivers yet, so it was a bit of a L.O.N.G. day!

Just a couple of things to share with you today, no new cards to show…just finished 6 new cards for Splitcoast’s Dirty Dozen gallery that I posted EARLY (middle of the night) before I left my parents’ house…and I’ve got a couple of things in the works for Monday morning’s Crafty Secrets’ Design Team challenge, so more’s coming!

Wanted to show you what was waiting for me when I arrived home…

Our “Wish You Were Here!” postcard swap, hosted by the amazing Elizabeth of “Creative Breathing” had arrived while I was on vacation…fabulous vintage cards from across the country…and even Scotland jumped into the mix!

Elizabeth is so thoughtful…she included a wonderful packet of vintage California postcards for me, along with other sweet greeting card images from days gone by…

…and an adorable card she made for me…A Vintage Chic.  Thank-you Elizabeth, but your thoughtful touches, sweet gifts, and for hosting another fun swap!

I can’t wait to share with you some of my amazing finds from my trip…My Mom took me to one of her favorite haunts…an incredible little antique shop---literally jam-packed with the most amazing finds!  (Just had a request for the shop’s name…”Cat’s Cradle” on Center St. in old town Provo, Utah)

The owner is passionate about everything, and has a love for paper ephemera, as well…and had packages put together of wonderful assortments of images & things for fabulous prices!  Needless to say, I made a few visits to his shop, and came home with some beauties!  Can’t wait to scan them and share them with you!

Just wanted to leave you with a few photos from our second day of vacation.

We went for my parents’ 50th anniversary, as you may remember…I’ll share more about that later.  One of the best things about gathering EVERY single soul in our family together for a couple of days was the photo shoot we did one night…can’t wait for the photographer’s proofs!  Here’s just a couple that were shot with my little camera…

Just a few of my parents’ 16 grandsons…aren’t they handsome?  Just hamming it up against a beautiful stone wall…

All 6 of the granddaughters…3 of which are my daughters….all beautiful, wonderful girls…

…an in-between the shots moment of my parents with all 6 of us kids…one brother seems to have stepped out here…!

I love this shot of my husband Roger and our nephew, Spencer…

My Dad and me…

…and my dear, sweet Mom…thanks Mom & Dad for EVERYTHING!  Love and miss you!

Well, that’s all for today!  I’ll be back on Monday with something new…

 

Julie

LiveJournal Tags: Crafty Secrets,Creative Breathing,Travel Postcard Swap,Family Photos

Summer Fun and Vintage Beauties...

Good morning, everyone!

Still at my parents' house in Utah...still surrounded by oh, so many family members from around the country...still having a marvelous time!

...Still not having much time to visit you all, and I'm so sorry about that!  Will get back to normal when I get home, but I'll sure miss being here!

A few things to share with you today, then we're all off on another adventure!  I'll be more pictures than words today...but, as they say, a picture's worth a thousand words, right?!

So here we go!

First, a couple of cards I've sneakily made in a few stolen moments in my Mom's craft room...

I love this lacy card!  The sweet garden image is from Crafty Secrets' "Garden" Creative Scraps.  I used a Martha Stewart punch for the eyelet lace border, some pink buttons, pink grosgrain and black & white gingham ribbon, LOTS of platinum Stickles everywhere, and a smattering of Dazzling Diamonds on the image.

Next...

These images are also Crafty Secrets--the beautiful vintage lady is from their "Divine" image booklet, and the garden collage behind it is from their "Garden" Creative Scraps.  Some lovely chocolate satin ribbon from PTI, a luscious Prima flower, some beautiful crystal rhinestones from Moms' stash...

...Dazzling Diamonds, of course, and a bit more platinum Stickles.  Can't get enough of those little items!

And now for a bit of what I've been doing here...

First, my VERY favorite place to eat when I'm in the Salt Lake area...

The Red Iguana....ahhhh...what can I say?!  A fabulously quirky restaurant on the outside...tons of Mexican kitschiness on the inside...

Here's Mom with the menu...I always think I'm going to order something new when I return there (sadly, only once a year!)...but it ALWAYS comes down to this simply amazing dish...

Enchiladas Poblanas!  They make the most amazing sauce--I can't describe it!  I've duplicated it the best that I can, but...cheese enchiladas, the sauce, sour cream, avacados....simple and divine!

This place has been featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", which tells you something!

Another favorite stop when I'm here...Gardner Village...

Gorgeous shops, gorgeous surroundings...

...a beautiful day!

And last of all....cupshakes!  Just a milkshake with a cupcake (and frosting!) added to the mix...Fantastically fantastic!!!

Here's my sister-in-law, Malinda, my college daughter, Chelsea, my sister, Becky, and my sister-in-law, Karen....I warned them I'd be posting this photo, so they thought they'd pose in  retro-ish happy housewife ways...thanks, girls!


Family time is magic time...hope you're all busy making magic memories with your families...

Well, that's it for this addition of my summer vacation...I'll be back soon with something new!