Paper Secrets 13

Good morning and happy Saturday
here's my layout I did for the challenge over at PaperSecrets.  Each week we are given an assignment for a layout. I really don't care if I win the contest, it's just helping me to do more layouts that I should have done a long time ago (or some new ones in this case). If you participate and follow the guidelines you advance to the next week. We started with 27 and 10 moved onto last week again.  I will keep updating you as I go along. Who knows, I might not be able to participate one week and then I am out, but until then, I am scrapping my butt off, (they used a different word, but my blog is family friendly...hehehe
Here is the sketch:

I also used the Amazing You stamp set from Getting Cricky as my journaling.

This is what I needed to use for the challenge and 

what is in red is is what I used.

5+ brads/eyelets

mist 

flowers/leaves (silk leaves on tree)

bling (rhinestones between phrases)fabric/felt

border punch (butterfly wings and then used the itty bitty pieces for the flight path)

journaling embellishmentdry embossing

stamping (sentiments and peachy keen face)

ribbon/lace ( Summertime Fun ribbon)

Last of the vacation pictures:

the beginning our our paddle out.  

tiny waterfall area

Carl and the girls got up the waterfall in 2 tries.  

They did a great job for their first time.  

It may not look like much in the picture, but 

it can be a bit dangerous trying to get between the rocks.

now remember, everything we brought in  has to be brought back out.  

This is one of 4 portages and you take EVERYTHING 

out of your canoe and carry it to the other side including the canoe.  

Some of the portages are more treacherous 

than others, but its all worth the trip.

Kim and Phil did it in 2 tries also.

Really like this picture also.

Video of the little waterfall and surroundings

At least the cooler is a bit lighter on the way out.

Austyn and uncle Phil took one paddle together 

between portages.  Austyn said he did all the work!!!

Just the girls

We couldn't get the timer to work on the camera so I

will have to super impose myself into the picture somehow.

Hubby carrying the canoe...glad I don't have to do that.

Carl also carrying his canoe.  Just looks like too much work for me.

We've arrived.  Now unload the canoe one last

 time and head to civilization.

Showered and ready for a good meal at our

favorite restaurant in Ely, MN - The Boathouse.

So I hope you've enjoyed my trip to Boundary Waters with me.  We had a great time and I can't believe we've been home for a week already.  We are thinking of taking a boathouse cruise next year for our vacation.  Boundary Waters is a great adventure, but I'm getting old.  LOL  I think sitting on a boathouse for a week, swimming, fishing and just relaxing sounds good to me.

Thanks so much for visiting with me and I hope to see you tomorrow

 for another Simply Sunday Challenge at Getting Cricky.

Festive Fridays 8-11 and part of Day 4 pictures

Good morning and welcome to another edition of Festive Fridays. If you are new to us, sit back, grab a cup of coffee, relax and enjoy some wonderful Christmas Cards. Yes, I did say Christmas...Festive Fridays will be every other Friday with samples of Christmas cards. This way, you can be making your cards all year long and you will avoid the mad rush when you could be enjoying the Christmas Season. You should have just come from Amanda. If you stumbled upon this post you can go back to Terri and start at the beginning. There is also a complete list of the Festive Friday hop on the left sidebar under the Festive Fridays blinkie in case you get lost along the way.


Today I am showing a non-traditional color card.  I love experimenting with different mediums and ideas and this one just kinda fell together.  This wasn't how it was supposed to be, but I think it turned out pretty good.

This was super simple.  I used my E-Craft to cut the snowflakes with SCAL3.  Then I laid them onto white cardstock and used my ink to paper direct on top of them.  Some areas got darker than others, but I like how the white peaks through.  Then I took one of the snowflakes and popdotted it in the corner.  I also used a small snowflake stamp and stamped my background paper.  SUPER easy and kinda fun.

Now I know some of the girls are giving away blog candy, so please make sure you stop over and visit each one of them.

I hope you like my Festive Friday card and hope to see you back in two weeks for another Christmas card.  Now head on over to Angela and check out what she has for you.

Just a few vacation pictures and a video:

The morning tree...it's a bit breezy, but the wind is going

to be at our backs throughout the entire paddle back

to civilization.  It will be a beautiful trip home. 

Just a few sprinkles and it created this beautiful rainbow.

We watched a craw fish eat our last sunny.  Can you

see him munching on the tail?  I bet I sat and watched 

for at least a half an hour.  Unfortunately we didn't catch

anymore fish before heading out at 1 pm, so Mr. Crawfish

had lunch instead.

Here is a video of the entire camp.  I hope you enjoyed

Boundary Waters with me.  I know I had a great time.

Be sure to come back tomorrow to see our paddle out.  It was a beautiful trip.

Cupcake Toppers w/ Creative Paperclay and Day 3 of BWCA

Good morning,
I so apologize for not having my post up on Tuesday for my Creative Paperclay project.  Before I went on vacation I thought I had everything pre-posted, but clearly I was wrong.  Here is a quick idea for cupcake toppers using Creative paperclay.  As most of you know I am a designer over there and it's been such fun.  I never thought I'd love to experiment this much.  I knew I was pretty excited about getting selected for the team, but this has been beyond exciting.  The possibilities are endless.

I used my cookie cutters to cut out my Creative Paperclay.

Then I placed a toothpick between two layers of the Paperclay

and used a stylus to smooth out the edges.

If the paperclay dries too quickly, you can always

add a bit of water and do some more smoothing.

After the clay had completely dried, I painted both

the hearts and the toothpicks with acrylic paint.

and stamped this cute face from Peachy Keen's 

Everyday Characters.  She looks so happy.

Now, just think of all the holdiays that are coming up.  You could do Christmas trees, pumpkins, etc.  I hope I've inspired you to make some cupcake toppers and would love to see some of your own creations.  You can purchase Creative Paperclay here or you can even get it at Hobby Lobby or Michaels.

Here is another Heavy Picture post of our vacation:

The morning tree, clear blue skies

Brothers hanging out waiting for breakfast.

Pancakes cooking

Watching April eat pancakes, cuz she 

DOES NOT LIKE them

GIANT snapping Turtle...loves eating our dead fish

Austyn, Aunt Kim and hubby taking a canoe fishing trip.

No, it wasn't cold, but Austyn got pretty sunburned,

he's so fair skinned, that he wanted to stay covered.

Giant snapping turtle back for more dead fish.

I didn't filet today.  I thought I'd let the guys do it...

Austyn and Uncle Phil taking the fish guts to the other

side of the lake so the snapping turtle would leave us alone.

Video of the canoe paddle to drop off fish guts.

Using the water station.  This worked so well this year.

We would fill the jug up with water from the lake, 

nice and cold and then pump our water bottles full.

With past water filtration systems we've used the water

still tastes funny and we've always added vitamin packets

or kool aid packets, not this year.  If water can "taste" good

this year's water was FABULOUS.

Carl needed a nap...

I just loved this silhouette.  I want to blow this one up.

My turn to help cook since I didn't clean the fish.  

Fish, mac n cheese and grapes for supper.

Evening tree...

One last picture of the cousins before we turned in for the night.

I hope you come back tomorrow for our last day of Boundary Waters.  I will have a complete video of the tour of the camp, and some pictures of us paddling out.  Beautiful scenery and already missing the peace and quiet of God's Country.

Paper Box and Day 1 of BWCA

Good morning


I am starting this morning out with quite a few pictures of our trip.  These pictures are all about entering Boundary Waters and setting up camp so if you are not interested, scroll down to see my project for the day.

My nieces and brother in law

My oldest son and sister in law

The youngest.

It's tradition to stop at Subway before entering so that we all 

have a full belly before we get on the water.  You never know how 

long it's going to take to find "camp" and get set up.

Canoe on top of the car.  Those poor tires.  I secured my camera

in my waterproof container for the paddle in, so I don't have any pictures showing

the paddle in, but if you continue to come back you will see us coming out.

Setting up camp.  Yes, the hammock is already up and 

that is where the oldest son spent most of his time.  

He went to BW with a sprained ankle, but he did very well with it.

Designated firepit

Rugged terrain

Tenting site.

The walk way to the facilities.  No I will not show you

the hole in the ground in this segment.  hahaha

Beautiful evening sky.

The Tree...I will explain this in a future post.

NOW onto my project:

Amy over at Love to Crop is a fellow DTM  at Getting Cricky and she has some of the neatest tutorials and projects.  While I was on vacation she had a guest designer who made this super cute box card.  I couldn't wait to get home and try it and here is my take.  AND there is also a challenge going on and it will be open until 8/11, so hurry up and check out my box card and then go and make one yourself and enter the challenge.


You can also see a video tutorial as I needed this to complete it.  Once you watch the video it's as easy as pie.


I started off with 2 pieces of scrapbook paper that complimented each other.  I cannot believe I don't have any two sided paper left.  I used a spray tac and glued them together and let it completely dry.  Then I cut it down to 8.5 x 11 size.

For the belly band I used the left over strips of the papers and glued the flower pattern on top of the checkerboard paper.  I also used a strip to make the rosette.  I have this flower punch from Marvy Uchida and inked around the edges in purple.  Then I stamped the sentiment from the Positive Thoughts stamp set from Getting Cricky also in purple.  It just fit so perfectly inside this flower punch.

I also added a white border punch to the outside edges. 

Added a gift card inside and there is a perfect little gift.

This is the back side.  I just love how this coordinated so well.  So now I hope I've inspired you to make a card box and to join in the challenge over at Love to Crop!!!