Due to recent spam activity, I will be moderating my comments

from now on. Sorry but I hate spammers so this way I can control it. Have a great day! They are predicting a "snow mix" for us tomorrow. AGAIN??????

Prom dress shopping

Is it that time already? The prom is April 26th this year and its time to start looking for prom dresses. We take a drive to Matthews and when I saw the parking lot, it was so crowded, I took the last parking spot. We went in and the lady working there said to look around and then stand in line and they would "get to us" when they could. I should've known this was not a good sign at all. We looked around for 5 minutes, then turned around and left. Emily is pretty sure she wants a short dress and we saw alot of long dresses so I'm not sure we will go back or not. We then headed to the mall down the street and that place was packed also. She found 3 new bathing suits at Victoria Secret and I found a new bra. I have never bought a bra at VS before - I got home, put it on and I heard this sqeaking noise. Was that my new bra squeaking???? Very odd but I do like how it feels. LOL I will keep you posted on the prom dress shopping ... I'm sure we will go back one day after school when it is less busy.

Explosion Box ...

I have been wanting to try one of these for quite awhile but didn't think I could do it. I found one on You tube, made it but it wasn't what I wanted. I found the one that Ellie had made me last year and decided to copy hers. It was super easy and I wrote down the directions (since I have no idea how to do a video tutorial) and will share them here:


First, you need 3 sheets of 2-sided 12x12 patterned paper that all coordinate with each other. These are by Little Yellow Bicycle. You will also need 1 12x12 sheet for the lid (which I totally forgot about the lid when I bought these sheets).

Before cutting your paper, decide which paper you want layered where. For the bottom sheet, you will leave that at 12 x12 and you will score at 4" on all 4 sides. You will cut on the score lines on the top right, bottom right, bottom left, top left (every other outside square - see photo above). Next, cut the 2nd sheet 11 1/2" x 11 1/2" and score at 4" on all 4 sides. Cut out each corner square after scoring (see below). For the 3rd sheet which will be your top layer, cut that to 11"x11" and score at 4" on all 4 sides. Again, cut out each corner square (see below). EDIT - A big thank you to Mary H who told me to score at 4" on all 4 sides. That works MUCH easier than the way I was doing it and it all folds perfectly!! I was trying to line up all the score lines on each page and you want to fold each one. THANKS MARY!!!!!


Round all corners and glue just the middle part to each other. To make your lid, cut a piece of paper 7 1/8" x 7 1/8", score at 1 1/2" on all 4 sides. Cut every other corner (see below). Add red line tape to each flap and tuck inside of lid. I tried using just my tape runner but found that it wasn't strong enough so you need something strong like the red line tape.



I hope this helped those of you who want to try to make an explosion box. It was very easy and it went together pretty quick. Of course, I haven't filled it with photos yet so that will take some time. I am making this for someone and they read this blog so I will have to show you the completed box after I give it to them (in a few months).

If you think airbrushing is just for cards, think again ...

Almost anything can be airbrushed. My friend Jackie sent me this website and after I read all the things she said could be airbrushed, a lightbulb went off in my head. I made this card using this flower (which is airbrushed and made out of a coffee filter of all things!). I got the idea from Sherry Cheever's blog and since I don't own any distress inks I thought why not try airbrushing the coffee filters with my Copic markers and it worked beautifully. I also decided to try my Stampin Up scallop circle punch and that worked great too. I folded 1 coffee filter in half and then half again like Sherry did and that gave me 4 petals to work with once I punched them out. I sprayed them AFTER I punched it out and then added a brad in the middle. I also used my new Stampin Up border punch at the bottom of this card (I'm not even sure what the proper name is for it) and I got that punch free with a $50 order. I also airbrushed the little ribbon. It was white to start out with and so I wanted it to match so I airbrushed it with my Copic marker. Stamp is by Stamping Bella. I also used Dazzling Diamonds on the flower. How can I not have tried this glitter after all the years I have been using Stampin Up? OMG - I love that stuff!!

My scalloped tree

I found this tutorial on YouTube how to make a scalloped tree and decided to try it. Isn't it cute? :)

Stamp by Amuse

Stampin Up scallop circle punch
Melon Mambo paper

Brushed the clouds on with ink and scallop circle cut out

Happy Valentine's Day!!

What do you have planned? I had planned on going to the stamp show in Columbia, SC this weekend. That is, until the snow came !! All of our snow is melted but I have no idea about Columbia, I have to wonder if they cancelled the stamp show so I am not going to drive 2 hours to find out. More snow is possibly headed our way tomorrow too. When is Spring????

Here we go again!!!

More snow came our way last night. It started about 5 pm (just as the weather girl predicted) and it snowed alot of the night. We got about 4". So to date, I think this makes 10" total. That's ALOT for us in the Carolinas!! We had Emily's open house today at Pembroke and it was rescheduled. I was soooo looking forward to it too. Oh well. Hopefully we will be able to go when they reschedule it in a few weeks. Here are some photos I took this morning. I actually saw the snow "glistening" as it was blowing in the wind. Isn't there a Christmas song that says that very same thing? I have never seen "glistening snow" before (I am from FL after all!). As soon as Nicholas gets up, we're gonna go s-l-e-d-d-i-n-g!!!!

Its time again for the next circle journal ...

This one is a summer theme and the one I have now is: My Summertime Childhood Memories. This is what I did and I like how it came out.

Some digital images from Hambo Stamps

You can find them here

I made some 3x3 Valentines this year for some friends ...

I found this cute free digital Valentine image here and all of you have to do is join the Mo's Digital Pencil group at Paper Craft Planet. Now who should I send this cute card to? LOL

Happy Superbowl Sunday!!!

Wanna see my Superbowl menu?

Chicken wings * Fried cheese sticks * Meatballs in crockpot * Mini crab cakes * Boiled shrimp *

Key Lime Pie * Oatmeal raisin cookies (this is a tradition "Nicholas says")

I think that's PLENTY for us. Charlie's brother is coming over to watch the game with us so I hope to stamp while the guys watch football!!

More ATC's and school on Saturday

Believe it or not, the kids have school today - yes, its Saturday but they are making up a snow day from last week. If we didn't do it today, we would've probably had to go during spring break so this is better I think. Emily gets out at 10:30 and Nicholas gets out at 12:30 so its not even a full day.

Emily has decided she wants to drop her Leadership class (she does not need the credit to graduate anyway) which she has 2nd period and she can stay at the elementary school longer each day. She said the little girls in the class just love to play with her long hair!! HA HA

Wildlife ATC's

I had a hard time coming up with this theme but I decided I had to use my new Stampin Up set I just got since it has a raccoon and a squirrel. I saw this card at Splitcoast so I decided to try that on an ATC. I used my Martha Stewart scissors and cut out the sun with my circle punch. I had these tree brads lying around so I added that and then I used some MS teeny tiny beads to the heart the raccoon is holding onto. I like how it came out!!!

We can finally see most of the grass now ... YEAH!!

Just in time for another ice/snow storm headed our way this weekend. HA!! I made my mom a few more cards for her office.

Stamps by Stampin Up, TAC, Cornish Heritage Farms, Memory Box

The snow is beginning to melt...

We've had 2 days off school due to ice more than anything but they go back today. Make up days are THIS Saturday and Feb 15th which was a teacher workday. I think they will just go 1/2 day on Saturday so they will be done by 12. My mom wanted some cards for her work so I made these get well cards yesterday. I love this dog stamp by Whipper Snapper. I paper pieced the "bandaid" over his eye.