Friends Of The Libraries! Volunteers Rock!

I just want to give a shout out to my friend Donna and all of her volunteers at the Friends of the Libraries of Woodbridge.  These volunteers ROCK.  I hope they have a banner book sale this year and make lots and lots of money!!!  These are the favors I made for the team of volunteers that come to help the "Friends" at the sale.  I hope they all enjoy this years little book.  I had a major blast making these but my most favorite part was the bookshelf itself.  Now for my crafty friends I have to tell you all the chipboard for the bookshelf was cut with my cricut using SCAL. The sides and shelves are all three layers of chipboard glued together (using the new xyron of course) and then painted and inked.  I just loved making the bookshelf and it reminded me how much I loved model making when I was younger.  I know it came out great because Paul asked me what was my next chipboard project.  The little books are Tic Tac holders. The paper is home printed digi paper from Stampin Up called Elegant Soiree. The center paper(kinda looks like pages) is my fave K& Company (oh no that's the end of it). I am sure I will find a work around for next year!  I will have to wait to make my next chipboard project because all the Lindt bunnies are talking to me and telling me that I need to get the Easter favors done for this coming Thursday.  Again, I just want to thank Donna for allowing me to contribute to the Friends and the fabulous job that they do. I am already thinking about next years favors.

Thanks for visiting and remember if you are in Woodbridge the last week of April please stop by the Woodbridge main Library to check out their sale.
Lysa

WOW! I WON!!

Look what came to play in my craftroom!  I am so excited!  Craftcritique had offered up this oh so cool xyron 9 inch adhesive runner as a prize for entering a tutorial for any project you have made.  So I posted the diaper cake video from 2007.  AND I won!!  It was so exciting watching the voting for over a week.  Everyone here was glued to the website.  I must say there were so many neat projects and entries.  I voted for Valita's heart couple.  Paul and I have actually made the heart punch couple from her tutorial.  Valita does amazing things. What I love so much about her art is that she shows you how to use punches you own in a different way.  People please the woman can make flowers out of the stampin up owl punch.  Now that is an artist!  I entered my diaper cake video.  To be honest it is the only tutorial I have.  I would love to make more videos and more tutorials.  Maybe I will now.  I just wanted to thank everyone who voted for my video and give a special shout out to my daughter Samantha, and my best girl Nadine, my hubs Pauly and my friend Jason for their constant support, friendship and for putting up with my twisted self.  Thanks again to everyone and to craftcritique too.  I just can't wait to play with xyron runner.  I am blessed to have so many people around me who continually inspire me to keep on crafting.  THANKS TO EVERYONE .....Now go make yourself a diaper cake or CALL ME and I'll make one for ya!

If This Is The Spring Bucket List, Then, Why Are The Snowmen Still On The Mantle?

I am siting here at the computer and I can't believe that I can hear hail hitting the aluminum siding on the back of the house.  This would not normally have an effect on me except for the fact that it is March 23rd!! and it has been snowing and hailing on and off all day long.  I just sat down and took pen to hand to make a list of my needed crafty mojo for the next few weeks.  I have some fun and much needed crafty goodness knocking at my door.

FIRST AND FOREMOST is Donna B's. friends of the library favors.  You may remember them from last year.  This is a large group of dedicated volunteers that hold a large book sale in our community.  They use their proceeds to fund many outstanding programs for the children in our community as well as assist our local libraries to maintain their collection of books as well as maintain the atmosphere of the building itself.  Today we are all so digital and even with all the convenience of a kindle or other digi reader you and I both know that nothing beats the feel and smell and hands on love of a real book.  I am happy and honored to contribute to my friend Donna's endeavor. And I have a plan. OK, So I don't really have a plan but I am thinking something in the shape of a book (like last year) but this time no candy.  Stay tuned to see what I come up with.

THE BUNNIES ARE COMING!! so true to form I scoped out the Lindt bunnies at Walgreens and A.C. Moore.  I have a plan.  OK, So I don't really have a plan but I am thinking something along the lines of a itty -bitty basket this year.  All I know is once the bunnies land - the swimming pool is only a breath and a heartbeat away.

A SPRING/SUMMER RE-PURPOSE, REUSE, RECYCLE PROJECT - I have two or three things that I would like Rory and I to try this year.  If you remember last year we tried some capri sun juice projects.  This year I was thinking I would like to try something with plastic soda bottles and maybe something with newspapers.  And yes, I have a plan.  OK, So I don't really have a plan but I am thinking something along the lines of seed planters? maybe? not sure!!!  Only time will tell how this pans out.

THIS MUCH I CAN TELL YOU even if it is snowing this week-end and we get 10 inches, the snowmen are coming down off the mantel and going up in the attic!! For sure, Putting away the snowmen is at the top of my Spring Bucket List!!!
Thanks for visiting,
Lysa

St. Patricks Day Is Upon Us

After St. Valentine's and before Easter a favorite holiday in this house (and in this town too!) is St. Pat's!  Next Sunday is parade day here in Woodbridge and it is major fun.  Now keep in mind we have someone named Rory who lives here so you know there will be wear'n of the green for sure.  And I can't wait for dinner on parade day as well.  Lots and lots of corned beef and cabbage. Yum, I can't wait!!! In the meantime some quick crafty fun and a few decorations around the house make for a festive weekend.  As you can see Rory and I made some paper cutouts (modified from cricut celebrate with flourishes) that we hung on our tree that usually sports our family pictures. A few pots of gold completes our little scene.
Enjoy the season as spring is upon us and the warm weather is on its way.
Thanks visiting,
Lysa

Time To Look Back

So now I find myself in somewhat of a crossroad.  I had wanted to use this blog as a diary of craft projects. The treat favors that I make throughout the year.  The Halloween treats, the Easter treats, Christmas and Valentine's as well.  I think I mostly wanted to catalog the things that I have made so that family and friends could see what I was doing at any given moment in time.  I had no intention to be a business or even make vids of techniques.  I simply needed a digital format to post what I was doing at any given moment.  So as I was stumbling through the internet I came across a familiar name in the crafting industry.  Understand this is not someone I have ever met but a someone I have enjoyed watching and have learned tips and tricks from over the years.  Her name is Sandi Genovese.  I will so put her in a class with Carol Duvall and believe me she is in good company.  Back in the day when I was a stay at home Mom these were my crafty gurus that really made me not just a happy crafter but a super crafty PTA Mom.  I shared everything I learned from these gals. I am not just a better crafter but a fuller more experienced person because of what I have learned from them. Please know these are just two names in the industry that have taught me and brought me to where I am today.  OK enough of the mushy stuff. Sandi has a new internet show and it is fab.  Here is the link www.scrapbookshowgram.com
So while watching her technique vids I come across this rolodex project.  It was love at first sight.  Sandi was using a address rolodex to catalog a year.  I so fell in love with this project of hers that I was laying in bed at night thinking how I could put my own personal spin on this cool project.  Really it was pure inspiration. You all should go check out what this artist did with a rolodex.  OK, back to me. So here is the thing. I am a Nonna, yes the Grandmother. So somehow in the past seven years I have taken 4 yes 4 thousand pictures of my granddaughter. Oh my that's 4,000!!! YES I have printed many, they are pretty much everywhere!  In the house, at the job, wallet, car, nightstand, etc.  you know they are everywhere. but now I want some form of a quick reference of my favs.  Enter Sandi's great idea.  So I spent about 3 weeks looking for a vintage rolodex file and came up with the "Rolodex V file"  I began by cutting the dividers and labeling them by year with vinyl writing that I cut with my cricut using MTC.  I haven't stopped talking about this project at work and I even left  message for Sandi on her blog telling her how excited and inspired I was.  So this week I really got started and I am loving the journey of selecting and printing all these great pics of Rory.  Jumping from 2003 to present, viewing, picking and choosing all the great pictures and watching her grow from birth to present day has been awesome.  I tell you this because I am so into this project that I just may be blowing off a lot of my normal crafting and I will probably be posting some pics here and there as well.  Did I mention that I bought the Stampin Up Sizzix die so that cutting the pics has been a breeze.  I am using Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 to make the mini digi scrapbook cards.  I hope you all follow as I dive feet first into this awesome project that will most likely take me a year to complete.  Here are my first pics.  Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Lysa

2011 Valentine Treats

Avon had lip balms for Valentine's day on sale so I bought 2 dozen of them.  I made enough of these so that I could have treats for the girls at my job and Samantha could have enough for the girls at her job. Each little fold over has a lip balm and 2 pieces of  Dove chocolate inside. I liked this quick and easy treat fold over.  I used bazzill textured cardstock as the foundation and the patterned paper is from Targets dollar bin.  I used Sure Cuts Alot to cut these so I made them all in just a couple of hours.  I bought a digi Valentine stamp set from Stampin Up  and used Digital Scapbook Artist to print them. I cut them out with a Nestabilities die.  Super quick and easy and I can't wait to hand them out tomorrow.  Enjoy the rest of the week-end, Thanks for stopping by.
Lysa

Look At What Rory and I Made Today!

Valentine's Day is Monday so today was the day for Rory and I to finish her Valentine's for school.  Let's just hope that it does not snow on Sunday night so that there will be school on Monday!  We did a great job with these Valentine's.  This year we used pencils and this project came together quickly,  We used paper from the dollar bin at Target and modified a Cricut Hello Kitty file.  So sorry Provocraft, I love you guys but sometimes you just need to change up a file.  We also got the pencils at Target.  We had a great time making these and Rory is so excited to hand them out to her friends.  Tomorrow I will post my Valentine's that I will be bringing to work.  Thanks for visiting!
Lysa

February, Already!!

Oh my,
I am simply lost in this winter.  There is so much snow here in Jersey this year and I am just a summer girl.  I come home from work each day sit at the computer and just zone.  I tell myself I will work on Valentines, I will work on Valentines and lo and behold after three weeks of chanting it to myself I really did make them.  So to start off here is a pic from 2009.  I hope to post last year and this year over the next couple of days.  I hope you all did something crafty for the ones you hold close.

Thanks for visiting,
Lysa

OMG, The Flu!

Hi Everyone,
I have been MIA for almost a month due to the flu.  Yes, The flu! I never knew the flu could be as devastating as this.  I spent six days in the hospital.  I have missed 20 or so days of work.  This was an awful life changing experience.  I never finished my Christmas crafty goodies, but I do have  pictures of the few that I did finish.  I thought I would post the pics of these and then move on toward Valentine's Day.  Many blessing and good wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy New Year and a super crafty 2011. 
Lysa

NOW, This Is Christmas Crafty Goodness!

Hi Everyone,
This is the stuff my crafty dreams are made of.  I found this little tote bag at Walgreen's for $5.99 and had a $2.00 coupon. I just loved this little tote but I knew I had some fun stuff in the craftspace that would bump it up a bit.  I had a left over feather boa from a Halloween costume and some jingle bells as well as a white plastic buckle. Also hanging around in the fabric stash is an old black velvet dress that had seen better days.  In my sewing basket was a magnetic purse closure. Wow I had a bunch of cool stuff to add to this tote bag.    I started by cutting off the not so nice black buttons.  I saved them of course!! I hot glued the feather boa right over the white fur so it looks nice and full. I added the magnetic closure so that it was not just an open tote bag. (I was really impressed that this little bag for $5.99 came with a zipper pocket!)  I used gold embossing powder on the white plastic buckle.  I used the bells to cinch the bag up a bit.  I spent about 1-1/2 hours on this tote bag and only took about 20 stitches to sew down the bottom insert that came with the bag but was not secured.  Everything else was glued.  I just love it and I bet I will be carrying it on Christmas eve.  I hope you like it too.  Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.
Lysa

The first 2010 Christmas Crafty Goodie

Hi All,
Even with the busy weekend when all the decorating was done, Rory and I had time to make at least 1 quick craft on Sunday night.  We decided that Magic Reindeer Food would be the favor she would give to her friends this year.  I love this craft but I just can't get on board with the glitter in the recipe.  I keep thinking that one of the little ones will want to take a taste.  So our recipe is as follows:
oatmeal, Wilton white crystal sugar, Wilton red crystal sugar, Wilton cinnamon drops (aka: Rudolph spares), and powdered cinnamon.  Rory had a blast mixing up the batch and asked so many questions as to why reindeer like each of the ingredients. This is a great kid craft.  I have also used granola mixed with oats too.  The rabbits and birds will eat it up.  I know the glitter looks a bit better but I just can't bring myself to use it.  Wilton makes an edible glitter but it is very pricey.  I think its $5.99 for a small vile.  The tag art is from an old Microsoft picture it CD and the tag was cut with my most favorite Stampin Up punches.
The standard reindeer poem is on the back of the tag.  It reads:

Sprinkle on the lawn at night,
The moon will make it sparkle bright,
As Santa's Reindeer fly and roam,
This food will guide them to your home!

I hope you like what Rory and I created for our first project of the season.  My favorite part was watching her mix up the batch.  So cute to see a young'n with wide eyes at Christmas and I believe this reindeer food was not the only magic in the air    in  our home on Sunday night.  Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy the Christmas crafty season!
Lysa

WOW! Look At The Pretty Ribbon

                                                                Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I rarely take advantage of black Friday shopping deals.  I am more the cyber Monday type.  But, this year the Hubby got me up and out not just on Friday but Saturday too!  Joann's had this $24.95 ribbon ladder on sale for $7.99.  I loved it.  And Paul made it even better.  He bought me 2 and took one apart, flipped it and put the 2 back together to create one big boy ribbon ladder.  It is actually facing backward and mounted to the wall.(don't you just love our circa 1950's paneling?) Now I can remove the row and move the current season shades to the lower easy reach area.  I can now even see my ribbon inventory and stop over buying!(ok, so that is so not going to happen.)  I just love it.  The holiday weekend went so fast.  The house is totally decorated and we are in full Christmas mode.  I have started my favors and also did a quick craft with Rory.  Now the crafty fun can begin as the house is in order.
Thanks for visiting,
Lysa

GOT BIRD?

Hi Everyone,
November? November?  I am not getting a warm fuzzy feeling about November! Today is November 21st!
What's up with that?  Paul and I went to the market today for the Thanksgiving run. OMG!, we were in ShopRite for 2 hours.  And yes, we now GOT BIRD!!!  And shrimp too!  The fridge is packed.  I have been going strong with all the holiday prep and I only have a 2 day work week ahead of me.  The ole' homestead is in order, and I am so ready to cook on Thursday.  In the meantime I have been crafting (when not cleaning or working) I am not ready to post pics of this years treats but here is my "little treat by the front door" from last year.  I will tell you that this year Mr. Moose will be holding Magic Raindeer Food.   These little boxes from last year have one Rocher chocolate candy in each little mini cupcake box.  The candy looked just like a little cupcake in this box.  I think I made about 90 of them and brought them everywhere I went.  I hope you like them. and I hope you like my Moose too!  Best wishes to all for a Happy Happy Thanksgiving.  And let the season begin!!!!
Lysa

The Last Weeks of The Year! We All Need to Get Crafty!

                                                                                
Hi Everyone,
I have been so busy the first few days of November.  Fall is a busy time for this family. And now we are heading into the last eight weeks of the year.  I have been driving my family crazy, and sending them on a cleaning binge.  I am in full holiday mode.  I have been spending less time in the craftspace and spending more "quality" time with the vacuum cleaner.(so sad). I was able to get a head start on this years candy favor for the Christmas season and can't wait to post a picture. But they are not ready yet.  So here is a simple triangle box from the past.  This box was from 2007.  It was simple, but why I liked it was that it was also an ornament.  I was surprised when I saw that people had saved it and hung it on their tree the following year.  It made me smile to see the little box was packed away with other family treasures and kept for another year.  I have made many ornament through the years, some fabric, some wood, but when I see paper survive I really like it. Can you believe I have a quilled snowflake that I made back around 1984. I laugh to myself each year when it gets hung on the tree. I hope to post this years treat container soon. In the meantime I wish for you all to find your Christmas 2010 crafty mojo and get crafting.  The holiday clock is ticking.  Thanks for visiting!
Lysa

Happy November Everyone!

Hi Everyone,

Wow it seems like I was floating in the pool just yesterday,  Now its November 1st!  Halloween is behind us and the holiday season is just around the bend.  I took a trip to the craft store this weekend and picked up all my Christmas papers for the season and I love them all.  I really love the K and Co. Susan Winget paper stack I got.  This paper will make great treat boxes.  I had already purchased my Stampin Up cardstock but added a digi download of their Deck the Hall series.  I haven't set my mind to what box favor I will be making this year.  I hope to get going this weekend.  In the meantime I thought I'd post a picture of last years cocoa packet favor.  I made so many of these.  This was a true case of designing the favor around the paper.  What happened was ... I print the inside of my holiday cards every year.  Well, last year in my haste I missed a typo.  I had run about 35 or so of the cards through the printer when I realized that I had messed up.  I was so bummed out.  I kept thinking of the cost of the cards. And I loved these snowman cards that I had found at Walgreens.  I thought for sure I would not be able to find another 2 boxes.  Paul was a dear (as always) and ran to Walgreens and was able to replace them.  I think he only had to go to 2 stores.
Ok, well with the cards reprinted I just could not throw away the other cards.  So I trimmed off the front and used them as a belly band around the cocoa packet favor.  I love how they turned out.  I rarely use blues at Christmas as I prefer the greens and deep reds so it was nice to step outside of my comfort zone and work with these colors. I really enjoyed all the silver ink too. I am looking forward to the holiday crafting 2010 season and hope to post some nice ideas. Thanks for visiting.
Lysa

And In The End ....

Hi All,
Halloween 2010 is coming to an end.  I know, I know its only October 26th. But I am officially done with my Halloween crafting for 2010.  I so enjoyed this years crafty bounty.  I got to use so many new products.  I am loving my new Imagine cricut. I am really loving my Epiphany shape studio.  I used my Stamp'in Up digi papers that I downloaded and boy are they fab.  And I have to mention MME. LOVE THE PAPER!! I used my new pink ATG adhesive gun. I just loved all the new products that I was so lucky to get to play with.  I have to give a shout out to the Hubs for all of it.  Here's to you Paul, You be the man!!!  Thanks for all of it!!  I am taking off my normal fall vacation days to enjoy my grand daughter's Halloween parade and to celebrate my birthday and Halloween.  But I just had to post a picture of my last minute sour cream containers that are filled with Hersey kisses.  I of course just needed that last little favor.  I told you guys in an earlier post if you need a quickie these work great.  My paper is cut at 41/4 X 51/2, rolled into a tube, filled and crimped at opposite directions on the end. And yes I printed the paper, on both sides so the inside is printed too.  I used American Crafts white textured cardstock.  I like it best for printing digi paper and to me it works the best in the Imagine.  Some might think its a waste of ink but for me its all about the detail. Wishing all of you a Happy Happy Halloween and see you soon with some Christmas Craftyness. Thanks for visiting,
Lysa

Friend, Good ....

Hi All,
Please someone, anyone ... I need a Halloween intervention. I can't stop.  I am in papercrafty Halloween heaven.  I needed just one more little boxy treat holder and I went back a couple of years and I remembered this stink'in cute Frankie box that I had learned to make from Angie Kennedy over at Chic n Scratch.  Gotta love this little box and Frankie's droopy eyes too! Check out her blog and vids. She is amazing.  Please somebody stop me, I need to get going on Christmas.  Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and enjoy the fall. Thanks for visiting!
Lysa

Hi All!

Hi All,
I have not fallen off the earth!  I am in the throws of Halloween, Work, and Family.  So just a quick post to say Hi! and How are ya?  I did the Imagine update and all is Goooooooooood! Darn, I love that machine. Provocraft seems to really be striving to help everyone.  Many people are posting that Provo released to soon.  People keep saying that they want a machine that is complete prior to the release.  No, It does not work that way anymore.  Want to hear about my iphone updates?  To me the  Imagine was ready for release, and now we grow with it.  Everything in tech today works like that.  I don't mind the updating (gives me and Huey time together) I have been playing with the Imagine for about a month and I think that Provo brought a great printer/plotter combo unit to market at an affordable price.  I hope you out there who did buy it hang in there.  I think the updates coming down the pike will be worth the wait. OK enough about the Imagine,  I am happily finishing up this years Halloween crafty goodies and I have been dreaming of Christmas already.  Hope this post finds everyone happy, healthy and enjoying the fall season.  Hope to post some pics soon. Enjoy Halloween 2010! Thanks for visiting.
Lysa

Halloween Banner

Hi All,
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!  I have yet another Halloween 2010 decoration that I made.  It's a banner and it is so long that I just could not get a great picture of it.  But I did my best and I have to tell you it looks great in person.  The papers I used are My Minds Eye and American Crafts. I had this long piece of black ribbon from a holiday candy box in my ribbon stash and the die cuts are from Cricut Happy Hauntings and October 31st.  I used the expression to cut them as no printing was involved.  Really the pictures don't do it justice and I sure love it.  Have a great day and thanks for visiting.
Lysa

Tic...Tac...Boo!

Hi All, I am so in Halloween Mojo 2010, that I can hardly contain myself.  Work, home, laundry seems to be interrupting my flow.  It has been a few exciting weeks around here with the Imagine arriving and birthdays and the season change in general.  Do I dare tell you that the pool is still open?!  I was treated (by my dear dear hubby) to many early birthday presents this year.  One of which was the Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio.  People I LOVE this thing.  Simply put it is a 1/2 inch punch with pre-fabricated epoxy domes.  So when I got it I had to come up with something really fun to do with it. So enter my magnetic Tic Tac Boo!  I recycled a tin that I had laying around.  I was so lazy that I painted it with black Stazon (which by the way worked great)  I used cast a spell and old olive stampin up paper to decorate it and the die cuts were from Cricut's Happy Haunting cartridge.  I used my Imagine to cut them out. I used the Shape Studio to make the tic tac toe pieces and my regular printer with my Scrapbook artist 2 software to make the board and inside tag shape.  The magnet was punched with the Shape Studio and it was a recycle fridge magnet from the local pizza place that came in the mail.  I totally love this project because I used so many different supplies.  That's what crafting is to me. USING the things you have.  Not to get to corny but I would really like to thank all the manufacturers I just mentioned because I feel that the quality of all the products were 100% .  I felt my creative juices flowing and not one of the products let me down. I guess I should mention too that I used my all time favorite Xyron 2" adhesive runner and my 2 way Zig glue pen as well.  Normally, I try not to make wishes, and when I do I try to wish for good health for family, world peace, happiness for all, but I have to say right now if I had a wish it would be to have hour after hour of hands on time to play with all these fantastic craft supplies. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope your Halloween 2010 brings you some crafty mojo as well.   Lysa