Wishful Thinkin' ...

See this flower??? It's the hope that Spring will come ... eventually (and I know it's a little early to be wishing it here already!!) Since I have been in California the past few days I have been enjoying the sunshine and warmer temperatures. And it's GREEN here!! Oh man, do I love how alive everything looks!!

I am headed back over to Disneyland today with my sister in law (she flew in last night just to come to Disneyland with me ... how COOL is THAT??)!

Stamps: For All You Do
Paper: Lucky Limeade, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Berry Blossom DSP
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Stripes Textured Impressions Folder, Daisies #2 Bigz Die, Wide (Large) Oval Punch, In Color Polka Dot Brad, Calypso Coral Ruffled Ribbon, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Pearl Stickers

Chocolate Cake???

What on EARTH does this post have to do with chocolate cake, you ask??? Well .... I was the Free for All challenge hostess over on Splitcoast last Friday. I was wracking my brain trying to come up with an idea. Did a little Google-ing (don'tcha just LOVE Google??). After much research (okay, well maybe not THAT much) I discovered that Friday was National Chocolate Cake Day!! What??? They have a HOLIDAY for that???? AWESOME!!
Anyway ... back to my card ... the challenge was to use Chocolate Chip (aka brown) and Crumb Cake (aka Kraft) somewhere in your creation. Hence, "Chocolate Cake" cards were the order of the day. So there ya have it!

I am sitting in a hotel room with some of my Besties (YAY!!) about a block from Disneyland (where I spend a good chunk of my day yesterday!). We are all talking, laughing and typing (gotta check your email and do your blog update, right??). We're all getting ready to head over to the Convention Center for CHA in a couple of hours (Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show). Sooooo fun!! It's where we get to see what all the crafty vendors are planning to be releasing for sale over the next six months!! CRAFTY HEAVEN!!! Such a fun day ahead!!

TTFN!!

Stamps: Fabulous Phrases
Paper: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green DSP, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Fun Flowers Bigz Die, 5-Petal Flower Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Word Window Punch, Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Folder, Pear Pizzazz Pleated Satin Ribbon, Corner Rounder, Pearl Basics, Whisper White Baker's Twine, So Saffron (Subtles) Button

Can You Tell?

Can you tell from this photo that the young man in the picture is my son??!!? He is the one of my kids that looks the most like me (and since everyone is always telling me how good lookin' he is, I take that as a compliment!)! Jan and I have been having SOOO much fun making samples and videos for "Tink & Bell's Digital Scrapbook Club"! We are loving all the positive feedback, and we're feeling really happy with what we have done so far! The whole purpose of this club was to get people jazzed about MDS ... AND to get them to actually take the darn disc out of the box (or at least PLAY a bit with the program). So far, so good!

I had a GREAT time creating the "braided" ribbon trim around the large circle. It's stuff like this that really makes doing the digital crafting thing fun for me!

In looking at this photo I realized that I have a LOT of recent photos with just me and my oldest son in them (Devan); and I have a LOT of recent pictures of me with my daughter (Amelia). What I DON'T have are a lot of recent pictures of me and my boy-in-the-middle, Garrett.!! MUST remedy that the next few times Garrett and I are in the same room!!)!

Getting ready and MUI-excited to head out to CHA for the weekend!! I think my favorite part of the whole event is hanging out with all of my crafty friends (and taking photos with them so that I can prove to my kids, yet again, that all my internet friends really DO exist!!

Ta-ta and have a lovely Friday!

Inspired by Belleek Pottery

So ... I soooooo loved the Technique Lover's Challenge over on SCS this week. It's basically a challenge that many of us have done before. That is, inking up an embossing folder before running it through your embossing machine with cardstock in it. The point of this challenge, however, was to create a light-neutral-monochromatic-type of look (that's a LOT of words!!).

I tried River Rock, Sahara Sand and Crumb Cake ink on this before finally settling on the Crumb Cake. It turned out a bit darker than I had planned, but I still like the outcome anyway!!

My brain feels like mushy oatmeal!! I am in the process of switching our accounting software at work from an entirely Windows-based program to an entirely Mac-based program. I feel like I need to just open up the top of my head and let someone with more knowledge about what I am doing just pour the info in! (I keep hearing "I'm a Little Teapot" in my head now!!) Hopefully I will do better with it at work today than I did on Monday and yesterday ... onward and upward!!

Speaking of which ... I am CHA-Anaheim bound this weekend (and y'all KNOW that means a trip to DISNEYLAND in there somewhere!)! The rest of the fam is staying home with the dog ... I will take LOTS of pictures for them, though. And I may even be persuaded to bring them home a goodie or something!! Can't WAIT to hang out with my super-cool crafty friends!! GOOD TIMES!!

Stamps: Sincere Salutations
Paper: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Ink: Crumb Cake
Accessories: Large Heart Punch, Boho Blossom Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Bird Builder Punch, Victoria Crochet Trim, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Folder, Striped Textured Impressions Folder, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Pearl Basics

Heart Wreath Class!!

Okay ... because I am totally and certifiably crazy ... I am offering a class to make the heart wreath I posted for the Control Freaks Blog Tour (I am going to be cutting out scalloped circles forEVER!!)!

If you'd like to join me (and live close enough to come!), please RSVP ASAP!! (There are only 10 slots available, so act FAST!!)
Saturday, February 4, 2012
10:00 a.m.
$25 (includes all supplies, precut and ready to assemble)

FUNFUNFUN!

Don't Go Freakin' My Heart ...

... you couldn't if you tried!! Welcome to this month's Control Freak's Blog Tour!! If you have been traveling around the tour already, then you should've just arrived from the blog of my BFF, JanTink! She is really making me want that Sweet Cake stamp set!! (and I swore I wasn't gonna get it!!) Our theme this month is "Love Is In the Air" ... and it most certainly is with the Freaks!!

I am SOOOO in love with this wreath (is it bad to love something you make??)!! I used the Scallop Circle #2 die and cut about a GAZILLION of them out of red felt. Then I folded each circle into quarters and put a straight pin through the bottom of the folded piece and stuck it into the wreath form. It was really easy and didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would!!

Stamps: NONE!!
Paper: NONE!!
Ink: NONE!!
Accessories: Styrofoam Wreath Form, 1 yd. Red Felt, Scallop Circles #2 Bigz Die, Real Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Straight Pins

I used the Designer Cuts Card Set to make this clean and simple kinda card (which, I have to say, is NOT easy for me!). I cut the front of the card off of itself and trimmed it down to fit on the front of the Basic Black cardstock here. There's really not a lot going on with this, but I like it all the same (the little bit of glittery red coming through the laser cut heart looks really pretty in real life, I must say!).

Stamps: Fabulous Phrases
Paper: Designer Cuts Card Set, Basic Black, Real Red Glitter Paper,
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Small Oval Punch, Heart to Heart Punch, 5/8" Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

And here is a bit of a non-traditional color combo for a Valentine (trying to step outta the box a bit!). This is one of those cards that starts off looking MUCH MO' DIFFERENT in your head! Too bad we can't just send the image in our heads to our wireless printers, eh?

Stamps: Tiny Tags
Paper: Calypso Coral, Basic Black, Whisper White, Sweet Shop Designer Series Paper, Domestic Goddess Designer Series Paper
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Heart to Heart Punch, Fashionable Hearts Embosslits Die, Rhinestone Basics, Everyday Enchantment Calypso Coral Ribbon (from the upcoming SAB catalog), Dimensionals

Now go check out what Yvette Ashe has to show you (and let me tell ya, the heart-shaped potholders she created are suh-WEET!!)

Dinkin' Around With MDS ...

There are SOOO many downloads available from SU for My Digital Studio. The catalog just keeps gettin' biggah and biggah!!! I have been printing out the pages so that I can have my own hard copy to peruse. I FINALLY put all the pages in a binder. And I FINALLY made this fun page to slide into the outside front cover ... I've been having waaayyyy too much fun with MDS lately!

AND DON'T FORGET!!! If you haven't signed up to be a part of Tink & Bell's Digital Scrapbooking Club, it's never too late!! Click on the graphic below for details ...



And stay tuned for later this week (the evening of the 19th) ... Control Freaks are busy making some AWESOME things to inspire you for Valentine's Day. You won't wanna miss it!!

Love you ...

Made this card for my teenage daughter ... with all the nagging that goes on when you have a teenager in the house, it is nice to remind them once in a while that you love them. Just sayin' ...

Stamps: Tiny Tags
Paper: Crumb Cake, Concord Crush, Whisper White, Sweet Shop DSP (LOVE this stuff!)
Ink: Concord Crush
Accessories: Scallop Border Punch, Tiny Tag Punch, Wisteria Wonder Ruffled Ribbon, Zva Creative Pearl Flourish, MFT Rolled Roses Die, Pearl Basics, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, White Felt

AND DON'T FORGET!!! If you haven't signed up to be a part of Tink & Bell's Digital Scrapbooking Club, it's never too late!! We launch TOMORROW!! Click on the graphic below for details ...

Punch Art Giraffe for Jacob

A while back I saw the ca-YOOT-est punch art giraffe on Pinterest (my new favorite addiction/guilty pleasure). Sadly, I never followed the link to who made it, so I can't give credit where credit is due (if it was YOU, let me know and I'll give you proper kudos!) ...

But I hafta say that I LOVE THIS LITTLE GUY!! (I added knobbly knees to mine!). Love it when you can make something kinda stinkin' adorable out of PUNCHES!! This is for my little cousin, Jacob ... he turned 3 this week ... I miss my babies being little!! I honestly have NO IDEA where the time went!! Sigh ...

Stamps: Up, Up & Away
Paper: Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Whisper White, Basic Black, Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Domestic Goddess DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Tasteful Trim Bigz Die, Large Oval Punch, Small Oval Punch (retired), 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, 1/4" Circle Punch (Retired), Itty Bitty Circle Punch, Double Circle Punch (Retired), Word Window Punch, Sponge, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Soft Suede 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon

Don't forget to take a peek at Tink & Bell's Digital Scrapbooking Club!!!! We launch next Monday ... soooo excited!!

Tink & Bell's Digital Scrapbooking Club!!!

Without further adieu (and a day later than I had promised), I am sooooo excited to FINALLY announce:



YAY!! HOORAY!! APPLAUSE!! JOY!! HAPPINESS!!

Jan (the infamous JanTink for those of you who are wondering!) and I have been working on this FOREVER and are happy to announce our collaborative effort ... an AWESOME digital scrapbooking club!! We will officially be launching the Club on Monday, January 16, 2012 (that's next Monday, friends!). We have soooo many fantasmical and wonderful things and ideas we can't WAIT to share with all y'all ...

Memberships are available in two different terms: 1-year membership and 6-month. The cost is only $45 for 1-year membership and $25 for 6-month membership.



CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT!!



And just in case y'all think I FORGOT how to make a CARD ... here is my first birthday card of the year. I STILL struggle with the whole "Dude Card" thing ... but my uncle was really excited to receive this, so it pretty much made my day!

Stamps: Countryside, Vintage Labels
Paper: Sahara Sand, Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso, Watercolor, Not Quite Navy Patterned DSP
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Marina Mist, Always Artichoke, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Basic Gray, Black Stazon
Accessories: Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder, Circle Scissor, 1 3/8" and 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Photo Corners Punch, Paper Piercing Tool/Mat, Linen Thread, Neutrals Button

2012 MDS Family Calendar - Part 3

As promised, here are the last four pages of my 2012 Family Calendar. I love it when you get that sense of accomplishment after you've made something that you feel has turned out close to what you had envisioned!! Technology has made this project so easy and fun ... we've come a long way, baby!!

SEPTEMBER - This month contains several more pictures taken during our family's "apple-pressing day" in Alpine (with another Heather-Summers-inspired layout). We had a hard time finding a day that would work this year in October, so we were pushed to November ... it was c-c-c-COLD!! Doesn't matter, though ... we enjoyed ourselves, anyway!


OCTOBER - These were pictures I took at our Thanksgiving Day feast!! (Notice my nephews' "Novembeards"??) My cute niece, Melissa, looks soooo adorably pregnant ... hard to believe she still had FOUR weeks to go by the looks of that baby bump!! (Not sure what I woulda done with the inspiration I grabbed from Heather Summers' creations ... I was feeling stale and she breathed some new life into me!!)

NOVEMBER - The Weixlers are an extremely musical bunch. Every year on the second Sunday in December we have a family music program. It is such a wonderful event ... and everyone brings LOTS of delicious goodies (I traditionally bring caramel popcorn ... which my husband reminds me makes a MESS to clean up afterwords, but I don't care as everyone gobbles it up!)





DECEMBER - More singing, a Christmas Nativity, family and FOOD on Christmas Eve ... I am so blessed to have such an amazing family ...






In answer to another question I received about my calendars ... I DO bind my own. I decided several years back that it would be cheaper to just bite the bullet and buy a binding machine, as the cost of binding these babies at Kinko's was getting a little ridiculous ... my binding machine paid for itself by the second time I used it!! I purchased it online from Digital Finishing Group. Here is a link to the machine I have:

*** Link removed due to malware warning ... sorry! ***

Sadly, they don't have pricing listed, so you have to call for a quote. I seem to recall paying something like $120 (it was for sure less than $150!). Not sure what their prices are like now, but this has been a very trusty little machine ... haven't had a moment's trouble with it. It is very reliable.

EXCITING NEWS!!! I have a REALLY AWESOME announcement to share with y'all tomorrow, so be sure to come back ... the only hint I can give you is that my BFF JanTink and I have put our heads together (which could be dangerous, RIGHT??)

2012 MDS Family Calendar - Part 2

Here are the next four months for my 2012 Family Calendar. I am always surprised at how quickly I can put things together in MDS ... which, I have to say, is kinda embarrassing since I just wanted to NOT LIKE MDS when I first heard in announced at Convention a couple of years ago. I have enjoyed playing with it soooo much!! I am still really into "tactile" scrapbooking, but for creating calendars and cookbooks it is a DREAM!!

MAY - An Ode to Amelia ... LOVE the picture of my daughter standing on the rocks on the shores of Bear Lake!! The picture of she and I was taken at arms' length while we were doing the 52-mile ride around the lake on our bikes!! Sooo long and tiring, but so much satisfaction when we FINISHED!! And the picture of Amelia and her dad in the airplane is actually her favorite ...



JUNE - Can you say ORANGE??? This is more fun at Bear Lake ... can't even COUNT the HOURS and HOURS we have spent on the large expanse of lawn behind our family condo there playing croquet ... it wouldn't be a Weixler Summer without it!!





JULY - Disneyland Memories ... we soooo enjoyed our trip to Disneyland this past fall. I couldn't have done a calendar WITHOUT it!! (and who DOESN'T love Mickey Mouse?? If you DON'T, don't tell me ... I don't wanna know!!)





AUGUST - Another page inspired by Heather Summers ... one of our MOST FUNNEST family traditions is pressing apples into juice in the fall. It's a TON of work, but as my grandmother used to say "many hands make light work" ... and tons of happy, smiling memories, too!



I was asked to share one of the actual "calendar" pages with you, so here it is ... I actually create these in WordPerfect (I am a diehard-never-change-to-Word Girl!). I do it this way mostly because it is always the way I have done it and it works for me ... so why change, right??

And ALSO because I have been asked (which I KNEW I would be, but was too lazy to get off my backside when I was typing up my post yesterday to check!) ... the printer I ended up with was an HP Photosmart 7510. I actually bought a Brother printer first (can't really remember which one, but it was AWFUL!). I ended up taking it back (my regular sales guy was not there the day I brought the Brother ... the guy who helped me seemed kinda clueless, so I'm not sure why I took his advice!). My regular Staples Dude (whom I have known for years ... thanks, Jimmy!) was there when I returned the Brother and was VERY helpful and knowledgeable. I really liked this printer because I saw absolutely NO banding when I printed (the little "lines" you get with every printer head pass), and I made it through all the calendars on the starter cartridges and one set of XL cartridges, which is pretty much incredible! The colors are rich and vibrant ... they look very clean and professional!

2012 MDS Family Calendar - Part 1

Years and years and YEARS ago I started buying calendars for my husband's family and writing all of the family birthdays and anniversaries on them. I started buying calendars from Current (remember them??), but I found more economically-priced calendars and started doing that ... and as the family grew it took me more and more time to write in all those events on every single calendar.

So, what's a girl to do?? Make her own calendars, of course!! I have made more of these than I can count over the years (one of the most fun of which included pictures from my husband's and his siblings' childhood). I have really enjoyed making them over the years. And the calendars for the past few years have been made using MDS. I think this year's has been my favorite so far! I FINALLY found a printer I like (and let me tell ya, that was NO easy task!), and I am SUPER pleased with how well they printed out!! (I am up to making 14 calendars with over 100 events on them).

So, I'm going to share the pages I made with you ... The picture above is for January ... don'tha just LOVE the picture of my daughter toasting me and the camera??





FEBRUARY - This is probably one of my favorite pages ... I just love all that yellow (this layout was inspired by the ever-talented Heather Summers).









MARCH - We took these pictures when we were up at a church youth conference over the summer. I realized I had NO pictures of my husband with his sister ... ever ... so I TOOK one!!






APRIL - Here are some more pictures from our big family New Year's Eve party. We eat a LOT of food and play a LOT of games!! Good times!!

I have a bunch more to show ya, so stay tuned over the next few days to see!! :)