I love my Valentine

I made this sweet valentine for my husband.  I wanted something that was not too girly, but still looked like a valentine.  I hand stitched the heart that I freehand cut out.  The pattered paper needed a rougher edge, so I went and backstiched around my stitching.  This left a rugged feel to the card that I felt fits my hubby just perfect.

Paper:
Authentique
Free Bird
Journey

Kissing ball redux

Some projects turn out so pretty that it's fun to explore changing them up. I did a second kissing ball for a friend who requested a neutral color scheme with robin egg blue.

I just love how this one turned out too.

Ribbon- May Arts
Paper- Authentique foundation. Journey and Gathering.

Kissing Ball

The intern in the office loves to decorate her cubicle for holidays. I thought this would be a sweet gift that fits her personality.

Coasters

My dearest friend Heather and I craft while our hubbys watch football and our kids play. Yesterday, she decided to make some amazing coasters and asked if I'd play along. I'm always in for a project with Heather. The funny thing about Heather and I is that we are very much inside each other's head. I had been meaning to make coasters for about 6 months.

Of course the project started with a trip to buy tiles. While the tiles were needed, the trip was needed more. We each have spent the last full week stranded in our homes with our wonderful husbands and children, who turned out to be less wonderful in a large dose with no escape. It snowed, then iced, then snowed. On my street each day began with neighbors digging out their cars only to get stuck, spin out, and eventually giving up to return home. Except for the one set of neighbors we helped dig out three times because they had to work. The weather brought a stout dose of cabin fever, so the supply run was a welcome escape.

When we returned, we sat down and began the task of making the coasters, about halfway through, T, Heather's hubby, walked through and surveyed the scene.
"What are you making?"
"Coasters"
"You know that's paper, right?"
"Yes"
"It's gonna get wet"
"Yes"
"It's paper" (at this point he calls Greg in to survey the situation.)
"Greg, they're making coasters"
"Cool" (Greg has learned not to question our awesomeness.)
"It's gonna get wet, so are you gonna seal that or something?"
Heather quickly answers "We're sealing it"
"But you need spray or something"
"You mean this spray?" Heather points to the spray can on the table.
Meanwhile, the game does something interesting, and the boys wander back to the TV.

After we have a laugh at the boys, we continued on. The coasters turned out beautifully. Each set turned out to really represent our style. Heather's in the muted pink and and grey paper, and mine in the vibrant hot pink.

Snow Day!

I used Authentique Journey for this layout of Greg. I just love him grinning with the girls playing behind him in the snow.

My little one hated snow and cold, and could barely be drug outside by her older sister wildly professing her love for the winter scene. B would be out for a minute or two and then beg to go inside. A, however would be happiest staying outside until her fingers are completely numb.

Greg loves his little girls and indulge me by taking them out while I make the crew homemade hot cocoa. Our house is rarely calm and these brief moments in front of the fire with cocoa make me feel blessed. I love our crazy life, it makes the sweet moments so special.