"Pieces of eight! pieces of eight! pieces of eight!"

This is the cry of  Long John Silver's parrot, Cap'n Flint in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Today I was creating my own treasure box of sorts to house the little stuff that I keep saving to scrap into my layouts. My pieces of eight might include ticket stubs, pins, travel brochures, postcards, or any "treasure" that I come across. The possiblities are endless!!

This started off as a red and white checkerboard recipe box with an orange chicken sitting in a brown basket on the top. I painted it with a sponge so I could texture it as I painted. Then I cut down and attached the lovely papers that I had been storing in my paper stash to use for "something special". (I seem to be gravitating toward this colors lately). I added some letters and embellishments. Finally I laquered the letters to make them POP! I am very happy with the results. 


This box can be used to complete two separate challenges this week. See the caption below the photos for more details on them. 

 

Scrapping the Moments: March Mini Album Challenge

Challenge Masters: March Altered Challenge

Until next time...

Busy Working Girl Today

I am far from "Hardly Working" today. I just returned from the grocery store with the final two ingredients I needed for my Mardi Gras spread for dinner on Tuesday night. I have to work that evening,( poo!!), but will still be fixing traditional sausage red beans and rice with corn bread and King Cake for dessert. YUMMY!! So my job today is to get that King Cake done.

I spent part of yesterday cruising through the Operation Write Home March Bunny Hop looking at wonderful cards and projects made with spring and the overseas troops in mind. I found many inspirational ideas that I bookmarked and hope to incorporate into my creations this month. The ladies of the hop did a great job and their effort was appreciated here in my home.

I managed to complete a card and a layout this weekend in between not feeling so well. The layout was for Scrapping The Moments for a layout tag which will be published at the end of the month. Once it is published I will include it here. I felt it came out great since the primary photo was actually ME, a subject I seldom scrap.

The card I completed was this weeks challenge at Hambo Stamps. Their Hoedown has been great. With each card I complete to their standards, I receive a free digi image to use on my projects. As long as I participate, I get a new image. This weeks image was this cute little lion with two phrases. We were to use him, one phrase and stripes for a manly card. This was my first attempt at using hemp string and staples on a card. I had seen them used on a layout and just fell in love with these embellishments. I am hoping to use them again on more layouts based on my hubby and other male family members. I think it really adds some dimension to the project.

Hambo Stamps: In Like a Lion

Well, gotta go check that rising yeast.

Until next time...

Christmas Bustle

This is the challenge from The Moments tonight. We received directions to make this our own. We had two hours to make a layout, photograph our work and post it on the site.

These are my results:

 

What you are missing out on is the posting story. Normally I would have just posted this into the challenge link on their site. However, with 7 minutes to go the program told me my file was too large. Unfortunately I am still new at this "posting" stuff and did not know HOW to make my file smaller without taking away the integrity of the photo. So I decided to just leave a note on the link stating I would post it in the gallery.  Well, don't you know I typed the wrong password a couple of times trying to do that, so it locked me out. The only choice I had with less than a minute left to go was to post it here and link it back.

After the deadline I was able to finally list it in their gallery and someone else linked it to the challenge for me. I decided to name the gallery image "Friday Night Panic, oops I mean, FUN". I can't believe how flustered I get when trying to do these things!! LOL!!

Until next time...

Let's do that one more time....

I was feeling bad for that bird card on the last post. The colors just weren't where I wanted them to be and the lighting in the shot was not great. So I woke up the morning and did him again. Much more playful colors and I left his "hair" feathers on this time.

Hambo Hoedown: You're my Hero

Okay, now I feel better.

Until next time.......

The end of the month is here already

The past couple of days I have been working hard to find time to finish up some challenges and layouts across the web. This is the first opportunity I have had to post a few to share. There were many more challenges that I wanted to take advantage of, but I ran out of time. I am anxious for the first day of the month tomorrow and to begin working on some new things. Enjoy....

 Scrap That Tune (Vogue, by Madonna): Challenge Masters

 Scrap The Scraps: Scrapping the Moments

 Hybrid Challenge: Challenge Masters

 Digital Scrapbook Elements: Digital Scrapbook Experts

 Stamping Challenge: Challenge Masters 
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge: Embossing 
Critter Sketch Challenge: Sentiment 

Delightful Challenges: Use your scraps
Do You Stack Up: anything goes challenge 

 

Blademaster Challenge: Challenge Masters 

February Scraplift Challenge: Scrapping The Moments 

I Need A Hero: Hambo Stamps Hoedown

 Until next time...

 

A New Place to Play

My hubby and I have been married almost 2 years now. When we married we moved away from our home in Florida and combined two and a half homes full of furniture, pots, pans, one teenager and an incredible amount of STUFF into one small three bedroom condo here in beautiful Fort Mill. Our home has been great. We have been lucky enough to  have our extra guest room as well as a sun room on the west side of our house. I have always had my crafting elements in the guest room and our office has been the sun room. This weekend my husband and I decided to swap the rooms, moving the office equipment into the guest room and allowing me to spread out into the sun room.

The weather today was glorious; sunny, 74 degrees with a 15 mph breeze blowing in from the west. I opened the windows, pulled out my scrapping stuff and got busy. Thank you so much honey for giving up this great spot. The wind chimes blowing and the birds chirping have been very inspiring today after some really cold weather this winter. Even though I realize it is still February I am hoping the nice weather is here to stay.

Off to do some grocery shopping. Enjoy today's creations.

Challenge Masters

 Card Challenge: Monochromatic Card using scraps

Working on a calendar scrapbook kit. This is the cover.

I skipped ahead to Feb since I just received it.

Until next time....

It's A Ho Hum Day

I was so looking forward to my days off this week. I had TONS of layouts and cards to work on. I had blueprints in my head. But lo and behold the mind was willing, the body was otherwise involved. I am happy to say that I did manage to get a couple of plans out of my head. And after I post a couple here I will be working on some more.

Hambo Stamps free image this week is this cute little pelican, which I seem to keep calling a seagull, even though I KNOW the difference between the two. I colored and cut out about 12 of them of various sizes and will be using them to make a few more cards for Operation Write Home. I am posting the first one here to the Hambo site so that I can get the new free image next week.

 

Hambo Stamps Challenge

Use a Hambo stamp and the colors blue, brown and tan to create a beach scene.

I am also using this card for Delightful Challenges - Animals

I have been waiting for a good piece of paper to do this layout. And lucky me, this pack of paper at Michael's Arts and Crafts was on clearance. It is by Gartner and is labeled as a Cruise Voyage packet. The nautical stuff is just perfect for our little pelican.

Challenge Masters  February Color Challenge

Scrappin' The Moments  Feb 15th Recipe Challenge

Now I just need to take a cruise to use the rest of this pad up. Hey Honey.....

Until next time...

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!!!!

Let The Good Times Roll!!!  Hambo Stamps had an assignment last week, which I did, but did not follow all the directions. So I missed out on the free image this week. I am trying to get back into the loop and hope this will do the trick. I am working on various projects today, but am anticipating my Mardi Gras celebration I will be throwing for my family in a couple of weeks. I can't wait for the food and mostly the KING CAKE!!

A Hambo Stamp with Hearts!!

Hambo Stamps

Until next time...

Happy Valentine's Day to All!!

Additional Project for Today

Over on Challenge Masters there is an altered project to do that I thought looked fun. DD wanted a special something this Valentine's Day for her BF. I put them together and here's what I came up with:

And to think, it started off as an insert from a cardboard box. There are other challenges going on on Challenge Masters. Head on over and check them out.

Until next time...

A page about me

I work on many separate scrapbooks. There are three that are chronological covering the past three years. There is a special mini album I am working on that is a gift for a friend. And then there is the Book Of Me. Today my entry is for the latter. In my book there is a page of my favorites from last summer. Today I add a page of not my favorites entitled BLAH! (LOL!!)

For my family and friends you will note that I added that green creature, but could not bear to have him totally up front. It gives me the creeps just looking at it!!

Until next time...

Football... the day after

I am not a big fan of pro football. I do watch the Superbowl for the hubbub and the advertisements. But I do enjoy a good college game. My favorite team has always been LSU for many reasons no matter whether they are having a good season or not. I yell and scream at the coach and/or the quarterback through the tv, armchair coaching their decisions, but I am still loyal to the brand. I spotted a challenge on Hambo Stamps this week and decided to give it a try. Geaux Tigers!!!

Football Girl w/Bear 

Digital Football Paper, Bow, Sentiment 

Until next time...

Anything goes....

Recently I had a friend come over and we spent the day creating for our families for Valentine's Day. And while I was busy doing that, I also put together some cards to donate to OWH. Here are some I am using for a couple of challenges for websites this week.

Papertake Weekly Challenge: Anything Goes + Flowers

Little Claire's Designs: Anything goes!

And yes, yes, I realize the following cards are Christmas cards, but they are red and that makes them fit into some of the other challenge categories. I am using them so that the ones I made for my family for Valentine's Day will remain a surprise to them. And since my family get links to this website .... no peeking Mike and Coley!!

Moving Along With The Times: Red

Do You Stack Up: Red Hot

And here's another Christmas card, just for good measure. I ran out of time to make cards this past year, but I have resolved to make them throughout the year, so I don't get too far behind again. This will be number one and two for Christmas 2011.

Until next time...