On the Road Again

We're packing up and getting ready to head home tomorrow.  It's bittersweet because we had such a wonderful Christmas with our daughters, but the travelling weather looks decent so we figured we'd better head out.  I have a new Getting Cricky Simply Sunday post ready for January 1, so I hope you'll come back.

Have a wonderful New Year.  Thank you for making this crafting and blogging journey so amazing.  I appreciate your visits and the time you take to comment.  

See you in 2012!!!

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn 

The Best Christmas Gift

As I've shared, we are in Lubbock, Texas spending Christmas with our oldest daughter.  Our youngest, who lives in Champaign, IL hasn't been able to have Christmas with us for the last 3 years since she works in the hotel industry and has had to work.  She told us to expect a delivery between 12 and 1 today.  When the doorbell rang, it wasn't UPS, but OUR DAUGHTER!!!  She's had her airline ticket since Thanksgiving and kept the secret all this time.  Talk about a room full of tears!- our first white Christmas (yes, it's snowing in Lubbock), and our family together for the first time in 4 Christmases.

I hope your holiday is as special as ours will be. 

Oh, I did have a few final cards to share :).

Merry Christmas!

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn

Top Hat Tag

Copic Marker Scrapbooking has a fantastic new Dicken's Christmas release.  The digitial images were created by our amazing artist, Guy.  Click HERE to see some ideas by the design team.  You'll also find a free download.  To see all of our creations using Guy's images, visit our Copic Marker Scrapbooking Facebook page and click on the photo gallery.  All of the digital images are available HERE.

I used Guy's top hat to create this tag - it's a clue to the gift inside LOL!

Well, we're off to do our Christmas breakfast and dinner grocery shopping.

Have a wonderful day.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn

Snowlady - Penny Black Stamp

I  wanted to share this adorable image that I just couldn't pass up when I was at a local stamp store in Elk Grove.  It's by Penny Black and she was so much fun to color with Copics.  The sentiment is from

K Andrew Designs Winter Wishes set.  This set is so versitile - I used it for almost all of my holiday sentiments.

Isn't it the perfect sentiment for this stamped image?

You can see all of K Andrew Designs set HERE.

Don't forget that the 25 Days of Christmas Celebration is going on at Cooking with Cricut.  You'll find ideas for every month along with holiday ideas, so be sure to scroll through all of the posts.  The design team creations are amazing.  And, there are freebies being offered each day to download along with prizes offered by our wonderful sponsors.

I hope you're enjoying your holiday preparations.  It feels like Christmas here in Lubbock because it's 32 degrees out.  That's pretty cold for a California girl!!

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn



My Daughter's First Card

My daughter and I spent yesterday working on assembling our Christmas cards.  She had selected one of my previous designs for her cards, but after we finished, she decided to try a card on her own.  I think this is fantastic (proud mamma? You bet!)  She dug through the scraps and ribbons that I have on hand (remember, I've set up a temporary scraproom in her home) and here's the result:

Isn't this cute?  The tree is a combination of paper strips and ribbon. 

I'm sure you're all extremely busy this week before Christmas.  Don't forget to take a minute or two for yourself.  We are addressing cards and mailing today.  Then a little last minute gift wrapping.

I'll have a few more cards to post throughout the week so please stop by if you get a minute.  Tomorrow's card is an adorable Penny Black image with another sentiment by the wonderful Kristal of

K Andrew Designs. 

Hugs, Happy Crafting, and Happy Holidays,

Larelyn



Christmas Penguin

We're settled in our daughter's home in Lubbock, Texas where we'll spend Christmas and New Year's.  I even have a crafting space, which is a good thing since I needed to finish (oh, ok, I'll admit it - START ) my Christmas cards.  When you wait as long as I have to begin a project, simplicity takes over.

The paper is American Crafts, the ribbon loops from a Michael's spool, the penguin stamp is Hero Arts and the sentiment stamp is from the $1bin.  I just colored the penguin stamp with Copics and added a little bit of Stickles.

I hope you're enjoying your holiday preparations and celebrations.  We've never spent a Christmas away from home so this is a new (and, I hope, wonderful) experience.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn

Anything Goes at Delightful Challenges

This will be our final challenge of 2011 at Delightful Challenges.  Our theme is Anything Goes.  For my design, I selected an image from the Digital Delights by Louby Loo Candy Cane Accessory Set.  You can find the set HERE along with lots of other wonderful digital images and some terrific bargains as well (see the blinkie on my sidebar). You can see more of the design team's creations HERE.

I colored the image with Copic markers and then added accents using Liquid Applique, Stickles, and Glossy Enamel.  You can join in our final challenge of 2011 by linking your design HERE.

You'll be entered to win at $10.00 voucher from the Digital Delights by Louby Loo store.

Delightful Challenges and Digital Delights will be back with new image releases and challenges beginning in January, so be sure to check back.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn



Easy Cards, Tags, Gift Ideas

That's what you'll find over at Cooking with Cricut.

Our challenge this week was to design something quick and easy for holidays.  Mine is a super quick little gift that is perfect to have on hand for neighbors, teachers, coaches, or anyone to whom you want to say I was thinking of you this holiday.

Just add a few kisses to the inside of a whisk, wrap with transparent gift wrap, add a tag and bow and you're ready with a clever little gift.  My tag was cut from Jolly Holidays - easy peasy- with a computer generated sentiment.

Be sure to hop over to Cooking with Cricut for more ideas and to link up own design.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn

Rolling in Ribbon

Do you love ribbon?  Boy, I do.  Like paper, I just can't stop buying it.

This week at Fantabulous Cricut we're challenging you to design something with ribbon - woohoo!

Here's the tree from Art Philosophy.  This time I used the layer rather than the cut out and didn't add bling going for a more primitive feel.

The sentiment is from K Andrew Designs' Winter Wishes set.  You can find these wonderful stamps Here.

Be sure to visit Fantabulous Cricut to see more Rolling in Ribbon Inspiration and to link up your ribbon project.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn



A Fun Little Gift

I made these little gifts for the gals who take my Copic Marker class at our local scrapbook store.  It's funny how just this little gift made everyone smile and we had a great session.  I'm sure they went home and made more.

As you're reading this, we're on the road heading to Lubbock, Texas to spend the holidays with one of our daughters.  We have 3 dogs, a trailer with hubby's ATV and my 6 HEAVY boxes of crafting stuff, and a pickup full of presents, clothes, and everything else we figured we couldn't leave at home.  I hope we don't have to stop at a truck scale because I think we're way over weight.  I'm sure our gas mileage will be pathetic.

I'll be online after Monday, but I have posts scheduled for Monday and Wednesday so be sure to visit.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn



New Releases at Copic Marker Scrapbooking

The design team has been busy coloring the newest images being released at Copic Marker Scrapbooking.  You can see all of the design team inspirations HERE.  There's even a free download!

Here are three of the newest images:

Today is also Cooking with Cricut's 8th Day of Christmas celebration.  Be sure to stop by for some great Easter ideas.

Also, I have started my own Facebook page (Handmade from the Heart) sharing my designs and also links to other challenge blogs.  It's a work in progress, but I'd love to have you stop by and "like" my page. 

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn



The Sounds of the Season

It's design team day at Cooking with Cricut.  Challenge #63 is Sounds of the Season.  I used the Joys of the Season cartridge to create this card.

Please visit Cooking with Cricut to see what the other design team members have to share with you.  I'm sure you'll find lots of inspiration.  And, you can link up your design as well.  Let's see how you interpret the Sounds of the Season.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn



Let It Snow!

And that's just what it's doing in Lubbock, Texas.  My daughter was at a convention in Las Vegas and came home to her backyard with snow banked against the fence.  Oh, winter is on its way!!

Today's post features stamps from K Andrew Designs' Winter Wishes stamp set.  It's so easy to create the sentiment you want because most of the words are separate so you can mix and match.

The snowglobe is a die cut from Memory Box.  The snowy scene is one of its companion stamps.  I hand cut the banner for the KAndrew Designs stamps and added a baker's twine bow.  The snow in the globe is accented with Frosted Lace Stickles and three MS punched snowflakes finish the project.

If you're looking for a challenge, be sure to visit Getting Cricky for the new Simply Sunday challenge.  You have two weeks to link up your project.

Candy Cane Time

It's Day 5 of the 25 Days of Christmas at Cooking with Cricut.  Today we're featuring the traditional holiday treat - the candy cane!  I'm sharing one of the delightful digital images you can find at Paper Crafting World - Melin's Gingerbread House.  I've also used the candy cane and ribbon (with the tails cut off) from the Christmas Cheer cartridge.

Be sure to visit Cooking with Cricut to see the other inspirational ideas shared by my fellow design team members and to pick up your free cut file or digital image.  Remember, the freebies are available for 24 hours.  We'd also appreciate it you'd visit our wonderful sponsors.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn



Snowman Soup!

It's Day 2 of Cooking with Cricut's 25 Days of Christmas and one of my days to post. I thought I'd share the recipe for Snowman Soup.  This cute little snowman from the Snow Friends cartridge brings all the necessary ingredients:  hot chocolate mix, marshmallows, kisses, and a candy cane stir stick.

Wouldn't this be a fun little treat to give - just a little holiday "thinking of you."

Be sure to visit Cooking with Cricut to see more projects, download the freebies ((available for 24 hours), and find out more about our wonderul sponsors.  Did I say "freebies?"  YES!  There will be freebies each day as well as chances to win prizes from our sponsors.  Find out all the details by clicking HERE.

Happy Friday!!

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn