Congratulations ANGIE, you have won the mini-book that I created in the blog hop tutorial!!! This was so much fun, I definitely will doing some more giveaways in the near future.

Thanks again to everyone for playing!!!

Welcome to the Scraps of Color Creative Blog Hop! Join us for a weekend of fun, creativity and prizes! All weekend long you’ll have the chance to create fun projects, be inspired and win! Get your crafty mojo flowing…just follow the 1st SOC Creative Team Blog Hop

If you are here and following the blog hop then you are in the right place. However if you have just happened upon my blog and would like to join in the hop please start at the beginning of the hop here and work your way through each blog. Please leave blog love (comments) along the way and become a follower of the blogs you like so that you can be notified of their new creations and updates!

My project for the hop is “Family&Friends Mini Book” The purpose of the book is to store the mailing address of a few loved ones. It is the perfect size to fit in a bag or keep in the glove compartment as a reminder to send out that birthday or anniversary card! I’ve included the directions above just in case you would like to try the project. You can download the digi-kit over on the Scraps of Color Magazine website, just download the premiere issue (the kit is on page 20).

Also click the image below to download the cover page of the mini-book.

Leave a comment and you could win the Mini-Book featured in the project above!!
Remember that some of SOC Creative Team Members are offering blog candy and you never know where you’ll find it. So be sure to visit each participating blog. I’ve made it easy for you to follow, just click the appropriate link below. Thank you for joining us for the 1st SOC Creative Team Blog Hop!

Scraps of Color – http://www.scrapsofcolor.com
Karen Jiles – http://stampinakapalace.blogspot.com/
Rani Shah – http://www.scrapyoga.typepad.com/
Tiare Smith – http://classycoordinates.typepad.com/
Qadirah Gomez – http://crafty-whimsyone.blogspot.com/
Kenyatta Thomas – http://kenyattasbrownsugarbabiestalk.blogspot.com/
Lorie Moses – http://www.lorie-thepeddler.blogspot.com/
Samara Joseph – http://Honeys-child.blogspot.com/
Camille – http://camikanscrap.blogspot.com
Aysha Livingston – http://ayday.wordpress.com/ (YOU ARE HERE!!!)
Scraps of Color – http://scrapsofcolor.com

Nope, Luck is not just for the Irish. Regardless of whether or not you feel this is a holiday for you, I will grant you 10 ounces of luck just for reading this post. Click the picture and follow the link to my blog. If you leave a comment (on my blog…not FB), I’ll enter you into my blog candy drawing for tomorrow. Good Luck & Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

FYI: I will be giving away some blog candy tomorrow as part of the Scraps Of Color Creative Team Blog Hop!

This was my first attempt at creating a pop-up card with my Cricut and I am pleased with how it came out. I wanted to have the recipient’s name on the inside so I used Make The Cut software to design the cut file. There are three layers to the name to help add some dimension. All of the other elements on the card were cut by hand. The banner on the front was very easy to make. I cut little triangles out of scrap paper from an earlier project then glued a piece of embroidery floss to the back of each one to form a pennant banner. For the sun, I punched out a yellow circle, then used the Fiskars Bling Punch to create the rays. The title is from a labeling machine.

Thanks for looking!

I’ve been and remain on a constant quest for the most organized, functional, creativity inspiring Scrapbook Studio storage solutions. I aim to one day have a space that is airy & not cluttered, with lots of cabinet and counter space, and a huge desk or two. But until then, I work with what I have and celebrate the moments when I achieve organizational bliss…one section at a time.
This is my latest organizational quest, I finally found the perfect (for now, LOL!!) storage drawers for my chipboard alphas. In the past, I kept my alphas in a unit similar to this but I quickly realized that my drawers were too tight HEHE!! The ones that I settled on are the 3 drawer stackable system. I purchased ten units and stacked them together into 4 columns. They are organized into a drawer for each letter, one for numbers and one for symbols and punctuation. I used some glitter stickers from my stash to label each drawer.

This may seem like a simple solution but I searched high and low for just the right thing, I even considered building a drawer system but decided I wasn’t up for such a labor intensive project at the moment. A key to my decision was price of course! I do not believe in over spending on ANYTHING! By chance, I found these at Ollie’s Discount Store for $2.99ea (which is a nice savings from the Walmart or Target price of around $5.00ea). I realize the color isn’t that fancy, but maybe if I am so inclined I will get out the spray paint to color the frame a bright green. Hmmm, we shall see.

Recently Scraps of Color (SOC) launched its digital magazine, and I am on the design team! Yay!!!! I will be creating digital downloads for scrapbookers and crafters. The premiere issue launched earlier this month and it is choc-full of wonderful ideas and creative inspiration! This is the kit that I designed for the first issue. It’s called “Sealed With A Kiss” and it is exclusive to SOC. So if you are interested run over there, sign up for a free subscription and download your copy HERE. If you like my digi-kit (on page 20) and use it in a project I would love to know what you created!

This layout was created by Camille who is a talented scrapbooker and all around creative soul. (Click the photo to check out her blog)

Layout designed by Camille using paper from the SWAK digikit by Aysha Livingston

PSA: Digital scrapbooking is a wonderful way to express your creativity while being environmentally friendly. (Shout out to the folks that grew up in the 80s when Public Service Announcements during cartoons were a way of life.)

I went back and forth on this card, as well as the owl card (from my last post) on whether or not to use a pun. I wondered is it too sweet? too corny? too Lifetime Movie Network?? But then I realized that giving cards is meant to be sweet and yes even a little bit corny. Even the so-called sassy cards have a little geek in them. So I went forward with my punny cards.

I Love You A Whole Latte: I made this with the help of my Cricut E and Make The Cut. I found a wonderful svg file from The Lady Wolf’s Blog. The paper for the card was made with the DCWV Handmade Christmas Paper Stack. I even pulled out my old Fiskar’s paper crimper to add some texture to the band on the cup.

Once upon a time I ventured into the world of making custom handmade projects to sell, but experience has taught me that sometimes it is just not worth it. I much prefer to make things that satisfy my creative desires, and then do with the items as I please, whether that means giving them away or selling them. There is so much more freedom in doing it this way, rather than jumping through hoops to create that perfect custom birthday card, invitation or favor under the looming threat of a customer walking away because they can “get it for much cheaper at Walmart.”

Every now and then however, I will take on a special custom handmade project. Not sure what inspires me to do it but I suppose it has something to do with the alignment of the moon and stars. So, this week I went out of my box and made custom Valentine’s Day cards for someone. I am quite pleased with how they turned out and so was my customer. First try, no edits or do-overs, I love it when it works out like that!

This is the Owl Always Love You card. Oh, I cut the owl out by hand. Here is my video tutorial on it. It is my very first video tutorial.

Thanks for looking!

OK, so yesterday I was on my way home from work trying to beat the snow storm. It seemed to go from zero to sixty in a matter of minutes. The expressway was backed up and I decided to take a side road. (Which is normally a good idea in this weather because the roads that I drive are in a “high-end” neighborhood so they clear the roads better than even the main roads…but that’s another story).

Well, in the middle of the storm my driver’s side windshield wiper blade broke under the pressure of the snow. I called my BF to come and pick me up with a replacement blade but he ended up stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Pretty much every road, everywhere was a disaster zone, stalled cars and jackknifed trucks everywhere.

I tried to make my way home, with one wiper while looking out the passenger side to navigate the snow. HOT MESS!! I pulled over to clean off some of the snow, and not being able to see the lines or where the shoulder began I drove myself into a ditch!

While trying to dig myself out, a man in a huge pick-up truck came along and asked if I needed help. He couldn’t get me out of the spot but offered to give me a ride. With apprehension, I agreed to hop in the pick-up with a stranger named Bo. We spent over 2 hours driving around hitting dead ends and gridlocked traffic everywhere.

Eventually we made our way to a supermarket that was not too far from my friend’s house. Bo let me out and sent me on my way. He wouldn’t give me his address or email so I could send him a proper thank you, all he left me with were his kind words “May The Force Be With You!” So since, I have no idea who or where he is I say thank you BO!!! May God bless you for your kindness and I especially thank you for not being an axe-murderer!

BTW, about a half hour later I made it to my friend’s house. Then I waited another 4 hours until my BF finally made it there to pick me up. Almost two hours later we finally made it home at 2:00AM. FYI: The trip from my friend’s house to my house usually takes about 10 minutes.

What an ordeal! This morning we went out to retrieve my vehicle from the ditch. Shout out to my heros Steve & Bo and my shero Stacie!

Happy Friday! Nothing too deep today. I just wanted to share a layout that I believe to be super cute!! Thanks to the yummy baby in the pics.

Have a lovely creative weekend and please be safe!

Supplies by Crate Paper, Sketch by Classy Coordinates “Sketch A Day” 2010