Happy Mail Day!

I went to go down my stairs to check the mail today and found a box in front of the door (I guess they don't knock to let you know you have a package unless they need a sigy). I recieved my altered can (part of a swap) from Yolie! She also included a few goodies inside~what a wonderful surprise! I always sign up and send mine out and forget that I'm getting one in return :D

Then I walked down to my mailbox to find a creative card from Grandma Carol (my husband's grandmother) and a package from a blogging friend in Spain (I am in the US, so that is really exciting!!!). She included lots of fun stuff. As I type I'm thinking I might have to do a post to show off her card and all the fun stuff I received today. (and the best part-no bills!)

Thanks, gals! You made my day and make me really, really want to get crafting! I have to finish cleaning, but soon I will get to play!

OK, pictures, as I hinted at:
Some digi stamps that Ileena printed for me to play with and some flowers (cut from the Cricut, although I'm not sure what cartridge).
Here is a bookmark and the card she sent with the package. You should click on the photo to see it up close, so many awesome details!And the altered can Yolie made me:
She knows I love purple!
And butterflies!
And the surprise she left on the inside!
:D

Bouquet

My maids of honor and I decided we would do the bouquets (for 5 bridesmaids and myself), boutonnieres (for 5 groomsmen, groom, 3 ring bearers, pastor, 2 dads, 5 grandfathers) and the corsages (2 mothers, 4 grandmothers and one sister). Quite an undertaking, I tell you! After a couple hours of shopping and three nights working for five hours, we were done!

The lovely lady holding a bridesmaids' bouquet in the above photo is Savanna, a life-long friend.
The equally lovely lady 'hiding' behind my bouquet is my wonderful friend, Heather. It is hard to see, but I also added some stickels to the dots randomly in the large circle.
The ribbon running along the bottom of the pages (gold) and the ribbon used in the bow are leftovers from our bouquets. The purple is Offray brand 1/2 inch and the gold is Big Lots Holiday Gold Wired Ribbon. Fun Fact: The Easter Lillys in the bouquets were white and the gals colored them with fabric spray paint (they said it was fun~I wasn't there).
You can't have flowers without butterflies! The butterfly and the scalloped circles are from the Stamping Cricut Cartridge. The Cala Lily digi stamps (there are 3 total) are from Shell at Silly Shells Digital Creations (she has loads of free digis!)
The sentiment that worked so nicely with our creating of bouquets is from Ann at Sentimental Sundays. I colored it with pastels and added some stickles. Below you can see the lily again.
The sketch for this layout can be found at Creative Scrapbook Divas (I entered this in a challenge there). It really pushed me to be percise (all the photo sizes were designated), and to be creative in adding the details (hence the lilies, rather than the dots).

Other Challenges:
Anything Goes-the letter B-B is for Bouquet!
Connie and Mary-anything that glitters
One Stop Craft Challenge-Anything Goes
MamiDoodles-anything but a card
Little Paper Shop-Buttons and Bows
Flutterby Wednesday-Anything goes+fairy or butterfly
Creative Inspirations- Glitter, Glamor, Girly
Crafty Creations-Fables and Fairytales-getting ready for a fairytale wedding :)

Whew! That was a lot!

Grouchy Gretchen Glitters

I love Grumpy Gretchen and all her attitude. You can get this stamp and Gretchen in many other outfits at the Digis With Attitude Store here. The ribbon is from my stash, the flower in the left corner are modified die cuts (not sure the brand). The tag and frame also came with the flowers, again, not sure what brand. The background paper is The Paper Studio. I wanted to include a close up of the image, because it is so cute!
The two flowers that are the same are from Stef aka Glitterbabe, and can be found here (along with several other cute freebies). The middle flower is one of Linda's at Back to Paper. The brads are some I've had awhile, from Joann's I believe. I used stickles to glitter it up!
This picture is meant to showcase the gold ring and button in the corner. One of the challenges was to use a non traditional craft item, so I searched my apartment and came up with an earring I picked up at a garage sale. (I typically use clip ones to accent a necklace, shoe or hairpin.) This one had a post, so a couple nail poundings later, it became my accent.
Challenges:
Glitterbabe Challenge- Glitter+Glitterbabe Image+Anything Goes
Digital Tuesday- Non craft Item + digi
Digi Doodle Shop- anything goes+digi image
One Stop Craft Challenge- anything goes
Papertake Weekly- add some sparkle

Guest Post

A good friend of my husband and mine came over to craft with me. Being our best man, I know him well and it was interesting to see him in this 'new light'. He was making a card for his girlfriend's birthday and I laughed at how everything had to by just right, down to the last 1/16th of an inch. While he was here I discovered I had won Glitterbabe's challenge and got really excited. He asked me to enter his card in one or two to see if it would win.

Here is the front, he used Amanda Blu papers (all). The brads are Doodlebug Design Inc. The bubbled frame is from the Jubilee Cricut cartridge (it is actually cut out of the black, showing through to a piece that was adhered to the back of the black). The Swirls and Butterfly are from the Stamping Cricut cartridge.
A close up:
The inside. He wrote two parallel poems for her and this is a picture of them, aren't they sweet? I didn't talk to her after he gave her it, but I assume she liked it, cause I think it's pretty nifty :)
Challenges:

Papertake Weekly- add some sparkle (the blue paper has lots of glitter, seen best in 1st image)
2 Sisters Challenge- anything goes

Engagement Layout

A year later, I am finally getting around to scrapping the day my wonderful husband and I got engaged. I forgot how long it takes to make a scrapbook page, as I haven't done this in such a long time. . . but rather than seeing this as a started project, I am viewing this as a double layout completed (so that I feel less intimidated by the largeness of the project at hand).
The leaves that I embossed (shown below) are Autumn Leaves brand (also on a frame and corresponding piece on the second page of layout).
The leaves are from the Stamping cricut cartridge and the lettering is from the Jubilee cartridge.


Both the brown plaid ribbon and the red are from my stash-sorry the labels are no longer on them!Challenges:

For Fun Challenge-red, brown, creme (there are a few other colors, but those 3 are def there) I think it is my first time playing with them :)
Glitterbabes-frame it+glitter (embossing+ring=bling)
Stampin Royalty-ribbons (brown and red)
2 Sisters-anything goes
Digi With Attitude!-Bling it On (ring+embossing)
and a new one for me My Creative Time- polka dots

MyGrafico- embossing

Scrapbooking

I was just thinking and I haven't made a scrapbook in 3 1/2 years! Starting on my wedding pictures Friday night. I hope I can be creative enough!

Wow, Wow, Wowsers!

What wonderful candy The Stamping Boutique has! Their design team always has stunning cards and great challenges as well, so you should become a follower if you aren't already. The rules are simple, leave a comment, if you are a follower you get an extra entry and if you become a follower (to earn extra entries and see gorgeous cards), let me know by commenting here so that I can get an extra entry as well.

Was trying to put the picture of the goodies in, but looks like 5pm Wed Oct 20th (blogger Maintenance) is 10:45am here... sorry bout that. But you should still be able to hop over and get a chance at the goodies!