A Special Friend...

Hallelujah! It's Friday!
Today is my day to post at the 2 Cute blog. I chose to work with the Best Friends Owl digi stamp and this is my project... Love how this card turned out! Of course, it was meant to be springy and fresh with flowers on the tree limb and light colored paper, but as usual, my project had a mind of it's own! To see my supply list, click here.

On a personal note...
It's been a hectic week... Elan got badly burned on Tuesday night. He placed his hand on the stove on a scalding hot burner. His little hand has awful burns covering his palm and finger tips. He saw the doctor yesterday and has it dressed and bandaged until we go back on Saturday. Elan is so brave... I am almost certain I was more afraid of what the doctor was going to do than he was! He has his hand and wrist wrapped and looks like a cast- he thinks it's super cool! He's on the mend and I will be able to rest easy, at least until we go back on Saturday...

Hope you have a good weekend planned! Do something crafty!

Sweet Shares...

Hey, y'all! Thought I would share a few sweet things today.
This is a layout I did a couple of weeks ago. This is one of my favorite pictures of the kids together. It was taken this past November in the leaves and I remember listening to the kids play. They were having so much fun together and I felt a happy love... that's what I will think about when I look at this LO and photo of them together.A couple of weekends ago, we celebrated Mac and Elan's birthday. We had a party with just family as Elan turned 3 and Mac reached 7. Elan is Mac's little shadow, he adores everything he does. When asking Elan a question, he waits to answer the same as Mac. These pictures were taken before and during their "happy birthday" song. Elan didn't leave Mac's shoulder until the ice cream cake was served!

Those pictures warm my heart and they were too cute not to share!

Stay warm... it cold and gloomy here...

Blog Candy Giveaway!

Click HERE to visit Vanessa's blog to try and win this awesome blog giveaway! Actually, I hope I win, but hey, we can all give it a shot! I luh-hu-hu-ve Nesties!

A Birthday Card

Hello and {happy} Monday!
The month of February, we celebrate a ton of birthdays... just this weekend was my sis-in-law and one of my nephew's turned one. This is a birthday card I made for my brother last week. The saying is originally from a card a saw by Becky Olsen in the Paper Crafts magazine, Card Creations: from start to finish. The card she made was on page 45 and was also the inspiration for my design.
This is the front...This is the front and the inside next to each other... If you don't have the new Paper Crafts mag, I highly recommend it! Tons of inspiration!
Have a good day!

This is 2 Cute!

Happy Friday! Woo-hoo! Today is my post day at 2 Cute Rubber Stamps. I chose to use the Happy Birthday Penguin and came up with this:

A closer look to see the glittery goodness...This was actually intended to be a boy card, but my mojo gravitated toward pink... so there you have it! Visit the 2 Cute blog to see a list of supplies, and while you're there, check out our fist challenge! You get a FREE digi stamp to create with!

Happy Birthday, Mac!

From the instant he was born, he has looked exactly like his daddy. Mac was a whole month early, but weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces. He was a fussy baby with colic and didn't sleep much until he was about 6 months old. He walked late, at 18 months, and never said much of anything until he was 2- but since then, hasn't stopped talking!

Mac has never been anything but sweet, sensitive, smart and patient with his siblings (especially his little shadow, Elan). He is a fantastic big brother! He has a kind heart and a bit of a worried soul... he is way ahead of his time! He's a deep thinker and asks lots of questions. I know he will go so far in life and be something great!

Happy Birthday, sweet boy! I love you so much and I am so proud of you! You have grown up so fast in the past year, and I love that you know I want keep you little in my heart forever.

WINNER!

Drum roll please.... the winner of the buttons and brooch:

True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 64 Result: 29 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Crafty Angi!!!

*please contact me via email at Profumo@bellsouth.net by Monday, February 22

so I can get your prize to you!*

Challenge!

Hey there! Head over to 2 Cute Rubber Stamps blog, today is our first challenge! You get a FREE digi (it's super cute!) and you have 2 weeks to complete a project! This is the project I made for the challenge:

I chose to make a jotter/journal. Using the free digi (happy crab), I printed out twice so I could paper piece that cute red polka dot paper on him!

The back of the jotter:

I hope you can find the time to participate in our first challenge at 2 Cute! I'd love to see what you can create with the free crabby image!

I'm also submitting this project to The Pink Elephant. Their challenge this week is ribbon!

GIVEAWAY! woo-hoo!

Are you anxious to see what the giveaway is? Well, here it is! I made this brooch this afternoon and chose theses 3 buttons to give to one lucky, crafty girl! How cute would that pin be on a black beret or beanie? I don't know about you, but I don't leave the house without a hat in this miserable weather! And I have these cute felt pins on all of them! The buttons are so fresh and bright for spring... which I am eagerly awaiting...

So, if you want to win, see how in the post directly below this one! I will randomly chose a winner tomorrow.

Handmade Buttons + GIVEAWAY!!

As promised... pictures of handmade buttons! My friend, Elizabeth (my bestest scrappin' buddy and oldest friend) came over last Friday and showed Anna and I how to make clay buttons. It was super fun! I love the thought of being able to make my own buttons for brooches, cards and scrapbook layouts. Here's a sampling of some we made together...
My creations:

Elizabeth's creations:


The pictures didn't turn out very good, but you get the idea! It's so "glarey bright" since we have a million inches of snow out there, (and it's still snowing!!!) so it was hard to get a good pic! But don't you love 'em?

So, I haven't done a GIVEAWAY in a while. Now is the time! How's about some cute handmade buttons AND a craft using a button or two? I'm doin' some stitching since I'm stuck inside from the snow and the Olympics are on at night, so I promise you will love the Giveaway Goods!

How do you win? Here's how:

*Follow this blogaroo. Click "Follow" on the right.

And, for 2 more chances:

*Leave a comment.

*Post this Giveaway on your blog and leave me a comment that you have done so.

I will choose a random winner on Thursday, February 18 (Mac's birthday). So good luck, spread the word and share some love.

My Boys

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Thought I'd drop in quickly to share a layout I did at the crop last weekend. I love this photo of my boys that I took in Hilton Head last summer...

A closer look...

I used random things on this page, some from a Studio Calico kit, Prima papers, Little Yellow Bicycle cloud transparencies, AC foam thickers, scalloped paper frame, ribbon and a pretty pin.

It's snowing, again. I'm sooooo over the snow and we are suppose to get 8-10 inches tonight. If my kids don't go to school this week, I just might have to commit myself. I'm going to have to send Stephen for a latte...

Button pictures tomorrow! Yay!

Dreaming Ladybugs...

Happy Friday!
Today is my day to post over at the 2 Cute blog and this is my project... dreaming ladybugs!
I'm also using this card for the challenge over at The Pink Elephant- mushy, gushy Valentines. I love this little saying, "I sleep with a smile because I see you in my dreams," perfect for anytime you want to send your sweetie a little "pick-me-up!" Not just for Valentine's Day, think anniversary, or stick in a bag when your hubby leaves town!
A closer look...

The card base is actually grey, but shows up darker in the picture. I used some new paper from Little Yellow Bicycle, plaid on one side, hearts on the other. The red polka dot is from my stash (it's super old) and folded to pleat the paper. I attached two buttons at the ends and attached my heart with foam tape to make it pop. The edges are inked in charcoal chalk ink and the ladybugs are colored with my Copics.

I used the sleepy ladybug stamp from 2 Cute, but used the digi image. I flipped one of the two so they would be facing each other. Digi images are cool like that- so versatile!

My best craft buddy, Elizabeth, came over yesterday and showed Anna and I how to make clay buttons! We sat at the kitchen table for 4-5 hours creating some unique beauties- can't wait to show you!

Enjoy your weekend, and hope you get some craft time in!

Beautiful Soul

Happy Thursday!
Here is a layout I did this past weekend while I was scrappin' with the girls. I have had these "ghost letters" from Heidi Swapp forever, and I finally had the perfect thing to use them on...
And a closer look...

This is one of my favorite pictures of Anna. She had just turned 5 and we were at a park on a pretty fall day. She is the feistiest, most creative, giving, funny, beautiful soul you will ever meet! She can also throw a mean punch or killer glance your way. She's a chip off the 'ole block...

A Valentine Puzzle...

Are you puzzled on what to send your nieces, nephews or "little friends" for Valentine's Day? Look no further, I have got you covered! As I was cleaning out my stash over the weekend, I came across some cute, white puzzle cards. I know they are like 10 years old, but I also know Michael's still carries them. Anyway, I got them out and started stamping...
I used a harlequin stamp, inked in pink, and the sentiment and hearts are inked in poppy red. Then, with a fine point Sharpie, I wrote around the edges. Then, I broke the pieces apart, and packaged them with a little note and some confetti. Tied with a ribbon and voile! A cute Valentine for anyone over the age of 4.
I believe the puzzles are sold at Michael's in packs of 3-4 for around $5.

We had another snow day today. My dryer has been running non-stop (I'm afraid it's going to blow up) and seriously, how much hot chocolate can a kid drink in a day? I have made 9 cups in the past 7 hours. Although, it's kinda nice to be forced to stay home... I finished all my Valentine projects and caught up on the laundry. We are having the boys birthday party this weekend, so the favors have been made and the menu planned.

Hope you can stay warm and find a moment to create!

Color Palette Challenge

Nichole Heady, owner of Papertrey Ink (and creative genius I might add...) is having their anniversary celebration this month with all kinds of fun challenges and prizes to be won! Today, the challenge was to create a project using your favorite color combination, and had a choice between 12 combos. I chose the colors above and came up with this card:

Another Valentine (I need lots!). The image is from The Inside of A Black Apple and I love it's vintage charm. The paper lace is from a package I just received. Cardstock is PTI and the flower was made with round and scallop punches- punched and then crumpled. Vintage button and twine are from my stash. I stamped a harlequin design on the aqua mist paper, but it's hard to tell. The sentiment is also PTI. I cut around the heart to do something "a little different" but regret my choice. A closer look...

We are snowed in... again. The kids love it, but I can't help thinking that they will be in school until June making up all the snow days. Ugh...

Snow pics for your viewing pleasure (I wish I were at the beach...)
May you think warm thoughts wherever you are...

Giveaway at 2 Cute!

Can you believe all the stamping cuteness around the 2Cute Design Team blog last week?!
Amazing!!!
This DT is loaded with talent!!!!
We are gearing up for another giveaway!!!
Here is how you are eligible:

1. You MUST be a follower of 2Cute Design Team blog!
2. Visit Heidi's RATE MY STAMP page and leave a comment on one of the sketches that you would love to see as a stamp!!!
3. Go to the 2Cute Design Team blog, tell us which sketch you liked best!

Easy as can be, and YOU have a say in what you'd like to see!!!!
Winner will get a FREE CLING CUSHION STAMP!
Yes, FREE cuteness :)
You have one week to enter and spread the word on your blogs! We will have the winner on Valetine Sunday's post!!!
So, Follow, Rate, Comment and... WIN!

GOOD LUCK!

Cuttlebug Challenge!

Hello everybody! I started looking for some "new to me" challenge sites and a found a couple that I'm going to try out. The first one is the Cuttlebug Challenge. Since I love my new Cuttlebug and all, I thought this challenge site would suite me perfectly! The challenge was to create a LO or card using Glimmer Mist, a mask, and an embossing folder. This was definitely a challenge for me. It was hard to incorporate all three things into one card, but I did it and I love the result!

Challenges are a good way for me to really stretch my creativity and branch out to try something new. Who would have known that I love the masked look with Glimmer Mist- so easy, fun and unique! Try a new challenge and see what you come up with...

Enjoy!

To The Moon and Back!

Happy Friday! Today is my day to post over at the 2 Cute blog and this is the card I made. I sometimes find it difficult to make cute boy cards, but this rocket ship stamp made creating a little easier! This is for Mac, and the inside reads, "To the moon and back!" I used my Cuttlebug swiss dot folder for the moon and pressed chipboard stars into silver ink for a little shimmer! I jazzed up the rocket ship with brads and used my Copics to color in. To get your very own rocket ship stamp, visit here.
Have a great weekend! I know I will... I get to start it off by scrappin' with the girls tonight!

My Baby...

My little Elan turns three today... 3. It's a big boy number. I want him to stay 2, and truth be told, he wants to stay 2, too! I told him this morning, "Happy Birthday! You're so big, and 3 years old today!" He responded with, "I don't want to be 3, I want to be 2." Well, okay... let's just pretend you're two forever...

Elan and I had a rough start. He was this perfect little bundle, born 3 weeks early on a very cold, snowy day. He was big enough (8 lbs. 11 oz., 24 in. long) and was a great eater. However, he never slept and he never stopped crying, unless I was holding him. He was attached to my hip or in a baby sling for the first year of his life.

Now, going a whole year with little sleep and lots of crying is enough to make anyone go completely mad. I had tried it all: chiropractic care, herbal medicine, reading books, Internet research, medicine, medical tests, and on and on... no one could figure out what the problem was with the little guy. Then, I had a nervous breakdown right after his first birthday. Seriously, I went off the deep end... I had lost it. I was ready to quit. I wanted to run away. I tried being patient, understanding and loving and it just wasn't enough. I had been defeated, and lost my spirit. I was in a dark place and I wasn't a good mother or a good wife at that time. I needed help.

My mom, she is a savior. She could see it, sense it, there was a problem and she knew it. She took Elan for a couple days to give me a break and try to sort through my anger and resentment toward him. Let me tell you, it took a lot longer than a few days, but it was a start. I talked to a metaphysical counselor and she really helped me understand Elan and where he was coming from. I got in touch with his spiritual side as well as my own. I took it one day at a time and things were looking a bit brighter...

I started talking to Elan like an adult. At night, when it was quiet and I was rocking him, I would tell him how much I loved him. I would assure him that he belonged in this family and it wouldn't be the same without him. I tried to help him understand that he was needed here, to be with me, and that sometimes change is hard. You see, I believe Elan was content in Heaven. He wasn't ready to come to us yet (from the spirit world) and he was mad. He was angry and afraid and feared abandonment. Once I learned and understood this, I became at ease and at peace with him and our relationship. From there, our bond grew stronger, and we became happy. He started sleeping, laughing, and we enjoyed our time together... we fell in love
Now, he is a normal mama's boy. All boy, but loves his mama. He'd rather go to Target with me than have a play date and he only wants me when he is hurt, sick, tired or just needs a cuddle. He is so sweet and three came so fast...

Yes, we had a rough start, but that time was so short (looking back), compared to all the wonderful years we have ahead. I have learned so much from my third born, sweet Elan. Happy birthday, I love you so much!

*I shared this story because there are so many moms out there that think they have to be perfect. Moms that think anger and depression are things to be ashamed of- they aren't. You just have to work through it in a way that works for you.