RAKS From Denise's Craft Gathering...

Yesterday was our fun-filled craft gathering over at Denise's house. It was so much fun getting to know everyone and being that this was the first time meeting most of them, they made me feel so comfortable... kind of like seeing long, lost friends! I'm glad they enjoyed their make 'n take project that I did and Jenny also did a great make 'n take using embossing paste. Now I think we all need to go out and buy some of that paste... LOL! Sorry, I don't have a picture of the finished card that Jenny had us make (or should I say that Taelyn made for me... hehehe). I still need to put it together, but maybe someone will post a picture of their finished card.



This was in the grab bag that I pulled. Isn't it so fitting to get a punch? I know I will definitely put it to good use. Thank you to whoever brought this grab bag!



And these are all the goodies that I came home with! These ladies are so generous and CREATIVE! I have so much ideas floating in my head right now, I just don't know where to start! Thanks again ladies... looking forward to our next craft gathering!

OCS From Kris...

My OCS partner for November was Kris. She makes great cards just like the one she sent me! I love the image, I love the colors, I pretty much love everything about it! Sorry, I cut off the card cause I didn't want to post the message that she wrote. Thank you Kris for this beautiful card and thanks to Teri for organizing the OCS!

Make 'n Take For Denise's House...

Today is the day for our crafting get together at Denise's house. She asked for volunteers to do a make 'n take project and I volunteered! What was I thinking? I have never met most of these ladies before and I volunteered! Oh well, at least I know, or should I say I hope, that they will greet me with open arms... hehehe! Anyways, it was a tough decision on what to do for a project since they are all so creative. This is what I came up with... another recipe book. I decided to use these circle coasters that I bought a while back (but just never knew what to do with them). I think the hardest part of this project was trying to get the recipe to fit on the coaster, but at the same time be big enough to read... LOL! Anyways, I'm crossing my fingers that they will like my project... wish me luck!

One More Hello Kitty...

I just had to use my HK embosslits one more time... hehehe! These are some baby food containers that I decorated to give away at a get together that I'm going to this weekend. I tried to used a red and green color combo and filled them with some peppermint candy! My mom saw these and thought I was making them for my baby's 1st birthday favors. Sorry mom, I don't think I want to make 200+ of these containers.

Here Comes Hello Kitty...

I finally dug out my HK embosslits and decided to start making some things for Christmas since we all know that it will come really quick! If you haven't noticed by now, I try to keep my things "simple" especially when I'm making lots of them. Hope you get inspired to dig out your HK dies...

Thanksgiving Tags...

These are some tags that I made to go along with some handmade gifts for the teachers up at my daughter's school. They work so hard each day and I wanted them to know that we are thankful for having them in our lives! Happy Thanksgiving...

Happy Thanksgiving...

Just wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I am so blessed to have wonderful family and friends. To those of you who visit my blog... thank you for all your kind words! It has been a great journey in blogland and I am looking forward to finally meeting some of you this weekend... yay! Until then, eat lots of turkey and be thankful for what you have...

Birthday Surprise From Shirley...

Shirley surprised me with this beautiful birthday card, some stamped images, and a stamp too! I love the way she gives attention to details. You can't see it in this picture, but she layered the shirt and bag in the image... too cute! She even added a little butterfly pin to it. Shirley, thank you for being so thoughtful! I can definitely say that I've met some wonderful people through my blog! Please check out her site to see more of her wonderful cards!

Card for Shirley...

This card was created for Shirley, my birthday blog candy winner. I used the masking technique to create the clouds and the sun. I actually colored the shirt lavender, but when I added the crystal effects it turned a little "pinkish." Oh well, the colors still worked. Thanks to everyone who participated in my birthday blog candy giveaway!

Card for Michele...

I used the stamp that Michele gave me for my bday and made her this thank you card. I love this image and plan to put this stamp to good use for next year's Keiki Hula Competition. Thank you Michele!

Thank You Card For Michelle U...

Yes, it's another thank you card... hope you're not getting bored, but I do want to share with you the different cards I made for everyone. Just a few more.

This is the one that I made for Michelle U. This cute little image is one of the goodies that she gave me for my birthday. Here favorite colors are pink and brown so I definitely tried to incorporate that. It was funny because I wanted to make her a 5 x 5 card and then realized after the fact, that I didn't have an envelope to fit it in... LOL! Guess I should remember to check for envelopes before I start making a card...Hope you had a great weekend!

Thank You Card For Joni...

This is the thank you card that I made for Joni H. I used the image that she gave me for my birthday, Simply Said stamp set, and of course tried to incorporate her favorite color... blue. Thank you Joni! Have a great basketball season!

Thank You Card For Jacque...

Here is the thank you card that I put together for Jacque to thank her for my birthday gift. I've been meaning to use the large flowers from the pretties kit, but just had no idea on what to use it with. I think it "sort of" worked with the ladybug on it. Thanks again Jacque!

November OCS...

My OCS partner for this month is Kris. I love checking out her blog and you should too! She makes some really cute cards. I decided to make her a Thanksgiving card for the OCS because I received this cute little stamp from Michele and this was the perfect chance to use it. On the inside I made it into a pop up card so that I could include a punch art turkey. Kris, thanks for being my partner this month!

Thank You Card For Teri...

This card was created for Teri to thank her for the RAK she sent me along with the tags I won in her giveaway. I tried to incorporate some of the flowers that she gave me too. I hope that she liked the card. Teri, thank you again for being so thoughtful... it really made my day!

A New Local Blogger...

Just a quick post... wanted to invite everyone to check out my friend Jane's new blog Sunny Stampin' Smiles. She is a very creative stamper and I'm sure that you will enjoy seeing all her projects! I know that you will all welcome her to blogland just like you did for me! Happy stamping...

A Card For Kalli...

I made this card for my friend's daughter Kalli who performed in the Mulan play over the weekend. We took the family to watch the play and the girls really enjoyed it! Kalli was one of the ancestors and did such a great job! We are so proud of her! After the performance we congratulated her with this card which included a GC for Yogurtland! Way to go Kalli!

Our Holiday Stamp Camp...

Our Holiday Stamp Camp was held yesterday and it was another fun-filled day for our guests! This is a picture of the welcome sign that I created. Since it was "Holiday" themed, I wanted to make a gingerbread house. You might not be able to see it in the picture, but I scored lines on the house to make it look like bricks. I used the Tart & Tangy stamp set to decorate the house along with some punch art. I also wrapped buttons in saran wrap and tied it with dental floss to make the little candies.



These are the favors that I made for the stamp camp. 50 reindeers and 50 santas were on my to do list for a while, but once I sat down to start, it didn't take long to make them. I used the Petals-A-Plenty Textured Impressions Folder to design the triangle favor box along with some punch art.





These are the projects that our guests worked on and they were designed by Naoko, Jenn, Sonya, & Shelby. Jane also did a demo of the My Digital Studio. Even though I bought it a while ago, I still haven't had the chance to use it... or even open it! But now that I know how to use it, I guess it's time to sit down and try it out... no more excuses for me.

Birthday RAKS...

From Jacque...


From Michelle U...


From Joni H...


From Michele...

These are some of the great surprises that I received for my birthday this past weekend! I am so lucky to have met some of the most wonderful people through my blog. You have all been so kind and I thank each and every one of you for all the nice comments you leave me. I hope I have inspired you in some way or another... because you have all been an inspiration to me! Thanks again for all the birthday wishes...

Another Attempt At Boy Punch Art...

I tried another attempt at making a boy punch art. Seems to me I might need to stick to "girls" rather than "boys" cause they don't come out as cute or something. Anyways, I used the Top Note Die to make this gift card holder. The card itself was cut on the fold and then I used half of another piece for the inside pocket. Check back tomorrow for some great BRAKS that I received...

Build-A-Bear Cards...

My girls helped me to put these build-a-bear cards together this past weekend. It was really easy to do since my oldest loves to run things through the big shot. It's also a great way to use up your scraps! Have a great weekend!

Birthday Blog Candy Winner...

Good morning! Today is the day that I announce the winner of my birthday blog candy giveaway. And all these goodies go to:

Shirley N...
"Happy Birthday, Brenda! What great candy--the beautiful organizer and recipe book that you made, how great is that for the lucky winner!"

Congratulations Shirley N... please email me your address at sweetasagumdrop@gmail.com so that I can send you all your goodies. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Blog Candy Add On...

I finally had the chance to make a set of Christmas tags to add on to my blog candy giveaway. Scroll down to see what I'm giving away and enter if you haven't done so already! Last day to enter is Nov. 12th. I will announce the winner on my birthday... Nov. 13th! Thanks for stopping by...

A Surprise From Teri...

Just a quick post... I received all these wonderful goodies in the mail this past weekend and what a surprise it was! I won these set of tags that Teri was giving away. But being the sweet person that she is, she also sent me a little RAK in the envelope as well! Thank you Teri for the chance to win a set of your wonderful tags and for the additional goodies too!

Basketball Projects...

I made these for Joni who is celebrating her birthday today... Happy Birthday Joni! Since she is coaching a basketball team, I decided to use this set to make her a card and matching gift. It's a slider card on the front and a pop-up card on the inside. I also made her a cheerleader with a blue outfit since Joni's favorite color is blue... sorry, I think I might have over did the blue.



My daughter saw Joni's card sitting on the counter and loved it. She asked me to make them as the invites for her birthday party next month. I decided to compromise with my daughter and told her that I would stamp her invites. This is what I came up with. When you have to make 20+ invites, you would probably agree with me that "simple" is better.

Thanksgiving Punch Art Instructions...

Here are some Thanksgiving punch art instructions for you to create with. I've been busy working on some ongoing projects so I haven't had the chance to create with these yet... hopefully soon! Don't forget to scroll down and check out my Birthday Blog Candy Giveaway... ends Nov. 12th!

Blog Award From Joni...

Rules are to answer the question with one word, then pass it on to 5 bloggers who may not have received this award yet.

*Don't forget to scroll down to my Birthday Blog Candy Giveaway... ends Nov. 12th!

1. Where is your cell phone? bag

2. Your hair? brown

3. Your mother? helpful

4. Your father? fisherman

5. Your favorite food? ice cream

6. Your dream last night? kids

7. Your favorite drink? juice

8. Your dream/goal? happiness

9. What room are you in? kitchen

10. Your hobby? crafting

11. Your fear? geckos

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Disneyland

13. Where were you last night? home

14. Something you aren't? doctor

15. Muffins? banana

16. Wish list items? everything

17. Where did you grow up? Waipahu

18. Last thing you did? dishes

19. What are you wearing? clothes

20. Your TV? off

21. Your pets? many

22. Friends? thankful

23. Your life? good

24. Your mood? happy

25. Missing someone? yes

26. Vehicle? Pilot

27. Something you're not wearing? pajamas

28. Your favorite store? Target

29. Your favorite color? lavender

30. When was the last time you laughed? today

31. Last time you cried? saturday

32. Your best friend? hubby

33. One place that I want to go over and over? Vegas

34. Facebook? yes

35. Favorite place to eat? Sekiya's

Alrighty! Fun to do and it's neat to see how much in common most of us have! Now for the 5 bloggers who may not have received this award yet....I'm passing this on to Michelle, Kyoko, Linda, Enjoli, & Denise. Joni, thanks for sending this to me! I look forward to seeing everyone's answers!

Birthday Blog Candy Giveaway... (Closed)

Since my birthday is coming up this month, I decided that I would give this "blog candy" thing a try. This is my first blog candy giveaway, so please bear with me.

The winner of my birthday blog candy will get this Mini Desk Organizer Set and Recipe Book (both of these were posted on my blog last month & are pictured above). I will also add in some handmade Christmas gift tags as well as some other little goodies that will be a surprise to the lucky winner! I hope you give it a try... GOOD LUCK!

What you need to do:
1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. Link this post to your blog... if you don't have one, it's okay.
3. Become a follower if you're not one already.

The last day to participate in this blog candy giveaway is November 12th. I will announce the winner of the goodies on November 13, 2009. Thanks for stopping by!

Card Swaps & Treats From Our Meeting...

Meeting RAKS... thank you Lorinne, Michelle, & Shelby!


This is the jar I won from the meeting... thank you Jacque!


Card Swap theme was Thanksgiving cards. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make cards for this meeting, but I still received some great cards. I had to choose between making swaps or volunteering in my daughter's 1st grade class... I chose to volunteer. Sorry, family comes before crafting... next time I will definitely make swaps!

Created by Krista...


Created by Naoko...


Created by Lorinne...


Created by Jacque...


Created by Shelby...


This is the project that we did for our meeting. Joni taught us how to dye the flowers and ribbons. Thank you Joni!