A Better Mousetrap

It's the second week of Summer Break and things have been busy.  I did go in to school for two mornings and worked with my principal on some planning for next year.  The rest of my time has been spent on healing the knee (which is feeling better, thank you!) working on projects, reading, and Father's Day. I hope all the Dads out there had a great day.  Ours was a busy one.  We had a houseful - the kids, their girl/boyfriends, the dog, a four-year-old...you get the picture!  Be sure to see what I gave my hubby HERE.  It's really cool!

The project I want to share with you today has been on my Pinterest board for awhile!  You can click here to see the original.  Here is how I created mine:

I started by removing everything but the large metal spring.  If you look at the one on the right, I sanded it a bit, because, originally, I was just going to paint it.  After painting, I could still see the imprint of the brand, etc.   soooooo, I got out the scrapbook paper and the Mod Podge.  It covered it beautifully!  THe only thing left to do was embellish, add a magnet to the back, and add a note!  

The result?  A Better Mousetrap - aka - note holder - perfect for the fridge!

And, can I tell you, that spring will hold just about anything. Keep in mind, it's designed to kill a mouse.  Disclaimer: No critters were harmed in the making of the project!  My keys were no problem.  Just make sure you use a strong magnet!

I plan to make a few more, and I'm going to try covering the entire base with paper.  I may have to update you when I make that one!  In the meantime, give it a try.  I'd love to see/hear how yours turns out!

The Pick-A-Palooza

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day!  I just wanted to write a quick post to share what I got my hubby this year...

If you have a guitar player in your house, this is the perfect gift.  It makes guitar picks out of old gift cards and credit cards.  I had originally seen this on Pinterest, but it was one of those "suspicious links", so I didn't go any further.  After I thought about it, I went to my favorite place to shop.  That's right, Amazon - and there it was!  

Now, I do not represent Amazon or Pick-A-Palooza, but I will tell you this, HE LOVED IT!  When he shared it on Facebook, all of his friends went nuts!  One friend even ordered one for herself.

If you need a gift for the guitar player who has everything, I highly recommend it!

Have a great week!

Triptic

My Time To Craft has a new challenge for you - A Tryptic. What's a Tritpic, you may ask?  It's a card (or image) in three parts.  Since it's summer and I love watermelon, I created this card:

I have had this stamp set for years and it is one of my favorites!  I stamped the image with black ink and sponged the color on.  I think the gingham background says "Picnic". 

Please stop by My Time To Craft to see the rest of the beautiful creations.  The Design Team hopes you'll be inspired to join us on this one!  

Have a great weekend - maybe have some watermelon! ;)

Book #2: Where the Heart Is

If you're looking for a "light, summer read" this is the book for you.  It's about a pregnant 17-year old girl who is abandoned by her boyfriend at a Walmart during a cross-country trip.  (I know, it sounds hokey, right?) She is left to her own devices to find her way in the world and along the way she meets some wonderful people who become her friends.

  

Although much of the plot is predictable, it tells the story of a young girl learning many lessons as she grows from a teenage girl into a young woman.  It also brings meaning to the quote, "Friends are the Family You Choose".  

I enjoyed the book, and I think you will too. No big mysteries or plot twists, just a nice story.  Grab a copy and take it to the beach!

Now, you may be wondering how I've managed to polish-off 2 books in a week.  After all, I only published my Summer Bucket List a week ago today. Welllllll, do you remember the part of the list that said 'lose 10 pounds'?  I decided to start a Cardio program on Monday.  My knee didn't like it.  I've been spending quite a bit of time sitting in the recliner icing and elevating.  Getting old is not for wimps!  

I'll keep you posted... ;)

Wednesday Wisdom #2

'nuff said!

Happy Wednesday, All!

Chicken Tortilla Soup - Easiest Ever!

Hi Peeps!  I'm sure you can tell I'm on Summer Vacation because I'm back again with another post!  I made this for dinner last night and it is one of my hubby's favorites.  I'm 99.9% sure I found this recipe on Pinterest, but when I went to look for it there, it was nowhere to be found!   guess I'll have to pin it, but, please, if you know where it's from,  let me know so I can credit that cook!

Doesn't that look yummy?

Here's the recipe:

Add the following to the crockpot:

1 package of boneless chicken breast - I add mine frozen

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of water

1 jar of salsa - 24 oz.

Cook on high for 5-6 hours.

Use a spoon and fork to break up the chicken so it's shredded/falling apart.

Add some cumin and garlic powder - I don't measure, just shake some in 'till it feels right!

Simmer on low until you are ready to eat.

Serve with tortilla chips and cheese on top - I used jalepeno cheese.

You can also garnish with diced red onion and/or avacado.

It doesn't get any easier than that!

So, tell me, what's for dinner tonight????

Book #1: The Great Gatsby

I just finished my first book on my Bucket List of 8 for the summer.  After seeing the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, I knew I had to read the book.  This is not typical for me.  Usually, I won't see the movie before I read the book.  I will tell you this, the movie storyline stayed very close to the book.

Let me just say that both were fantastic!  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story, this is a novel written about a group of wealthy New Yorkers during the Jazz Age.  There are so many things to tell you about all of the characters, but I don't want to spoil anything if you haven't yet read it! In my opinion, it's a tragedy, I loved it, and I highly recommend it!

Be sure to stop back for my Summer Bucket List Updates and have a great week!

Alice..

...or a fairy tale!  Alice in Wonderland is such a facinating story and I've always been intrigued by the tags that say "eat me" or "drink me".  So that was my focus!

I stamped the teacup and background using a stamp set that I've had for awhile. The string that is attached to the tag is from a real teabag -  Be sure to see the rest of the DT's work at My Time To Craft and join us in this challenge!

We are under a heat warning this weekend (108 today), so I'll be spending my time indoors.  It's the perfect opportunity to get started on my Bucket List!

Have a great weekend all!

On the First Day of Summer Vacation...

...I created my Summer Bucket List!

Making a list of things I want to accomplish over the summer is something I always do.  This year, I am writing it down here, for a couple of reasons.  First, it holds me accountable.  Since you're reading it, I'm sure you'll want to know about the progress I'm making.  Second, This ties in beautifully with the new look at November Rose!

So, here we go:

2013 Summer Bucket List

1. Lose 10 pounds.  There, I said it!  This is something I really need to do! I'm carrying around this extra weight and it's not good for me.  I'd really like to lose more, but I figured 10 pounds was a great start.  Wish me luck - I'm gonna' need it!!!  Especially since a friend of mine just posted on Facebook that today is National Donut Day and I can get a free donut at Dunkin Donuts!  Gotta love friends!
2. Create one new thing from Pinterest each week for a total of 10 projects.  Since I'm going back to work mid-August, that should be about right! 
3. Complete 10 scrapbook pages.  If you follow me, you know I'm an avid paper-crafter.  My scrapbooking tends to get lost in the shuffle.  So once again, it's about accountability!  
4. Attend CK Convention.  If you recall, my friend and I were there last year and had a blast.  Time for round 2 - you'll want to check in to see the antics this year!  Remember the "Feeding Frenzy"??
5. Read 8 new books.  I was going to say ten, but that might be a bit ambitious!  After all, I'm going to be busy!!!  
6. Take a trip.  We're thinking about the mountains, to get away from the desert heat!

So, there it is!  My Summer Bucket List has been made public.  I hope you'll stop back to see my progress.  It's going to be fun!

Wednesday Wisdom #1

Yes, today is the last day of school!

Did You Notice?

The other day, I mentioned some changes coming to November Rose.  Well, I got started on it today.  Just a few, hopefully subtle changes.  I adjusted some widths and colors and then some fonts. Fancied them up a bit, without making them difficult to read.  Some fonts are beautiful, but they can really make reading a chore.  I hope I didn't do that!  Let me know if the text of my posts should be larger - I'm going back and forth on that one!

Now that those things are taken care of, I will begin work on the REAL changes. Since the beginning this blog has been a venue to showcase and share my paper creations, with a few other things thrown in occasionally.  It is now time for those "other things" to play a bigger part. Here are a few things you'll see:

• Wednesday Wisdom - Join me every Wednesday for a quote, funny remark, and/or picture.
• Pinterest Posts - Since I am hopelessly addicted to Pinterest, my goal is to try a new pin every week.  You never know what it might be!
• Household Projects - This will include everything from gardening to refinishing and repurposing.
• Daily Life - These posts will be about life experiences - conversations, observations, and anything else that may happen.

I hope you'll join me in this new adventure in blogging and share with me your thoughts and observations in your comments.

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you'll be back soon!

Make a Bookmark

Welcome back, friends!  I can't believe it's June already - just a few days of school left and then the summer is all mine!  I'm going to be making a few changes here, at November Rose.  I hope you'll stop back soon and let me know what you think of them...

Now, on to this week's challenge:  Make a bookmark.

This bookmark was made entirely with things from my stash:  black cardstock as the base, a flourish stamped on Kraft, and a few flowers attached with a brad.  Corner-round the edges, add a little ribbon, and you are done!

Be sure to hop over to My Time To Craft to see more beautiful bookmarks made by the rest of the Design Team.  Then, we hope you'll make one of your own to share with us! 

Sketch Time!

Before I begin this post, I hope you'll click HERE to read about how you can help the tornado victims in Oklahoma.  Thank you, in advance for your support!

Today, My Time To Craft is giving you a sketch to inspire you!

Love this sketch!

Here is my interpretation:

I used some papers from My Minds Eye, with some cuts from the Cricut Artiste, and a few embellishments from Close To My Heart.

I hope you'll stop over at My Time To Craft to be inspired by the rest of the Design Team!

Tornado Relief

I hope you'll join me in supporting the victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes with this   adorable stamp from Close To My Heart.  CTMH is making this stamp available early from the upcoming Autumn/Winter 2013 Ideas Book for $2.95.  100% of the profits from the sales of this stamp from May 23 to June 30 will be donated to the American Red Cross to aid tornado victims in Oklahoma.  

I think I'll order a few - how about you?  Just Click HERE and click on Special Promotions to order yours.  Thank you for your support!

Christmas in May

The temperature is in the 90's and I'm thinking about Christmas?  Funny, Huh?  Well, I decided it was a good time to make some tags.  If you're like me, you just can't have too many tags laying around at Christmas time!

This is one of my favorite stamp sets. You can quickly make a set of tags for all of your gifts. After I stamped, I used my corner-rounder on the white cardstock before mounting them on colored cardstock.  Add a little Bakers' Twine and you're done!   It's hard to believe I've already started on my Christmas projects!  Thank you My Time To Craft!

Stop by My Time To Craft to see the work by the rest of the Design Team, then get a start on one of your Christmas projects and share it with us!  

The Inside

That's right! Since we always spend time looking at the outside of cards, we thought it was time to focus on the inside!  I decided to make a Diamond Fold card because it makes an interesting 'inside'.  

I made it with the For Always papers with a sentiment from 4 My Friend (D1510) stamp set. Both are from Close To My Heart.  If you'd like directions for making this card, they are available at Split Coast Stampers.

Make sure you head over to My Time To Craft to see what the rest of the Design Team has created.

And, just in case you were curious about the outside...

Wishing all the Moms a very Happy Mother's Day!


Linking to Frosted Designs.

Main Focus? The Sentiment!

Sentiments are so important, but they are not often the main focus of a card.  Well, they are this week!  
Using the new Chantilly papers, the Thanks stamp( A1125), Sparkles Flourish(Z1708), and a couple of more embellies, I ended up with this card:

I am just loving these papers!  As alway, you can get yours by clicking my SHOP link at the top of my blog.

Now, how about you head over to My Time To Craft for some inspiration from the rest of the Design Team?  We'd love to have you join us this week!

Linking to Make It Monday.

Use Kraft

There is something about Kraft paper.  I just love the natural look of it and it reminds me of the days when bags were made of plain brown paper instead of plastic!

Today's challenge at My Time To Craft is to use Kraft in your project.  I created this simple card, doing just that:

I heat-embossed the flower and sentiment, used a Martha Stewart punch to create the lace border, and added a white bow. I just love the simplicity of this card.  The best part?  Anyone can do it!

Be sure to stop by My Time To Craft to see the work of the rest of the Design Team, then break out your Kraft paper and create something for us!

Have a great weekend!

linking to Make It Monday.

Gift Box

It's Springtime and that can mean 'gift-giving time' for lots of people. Today, I want to show you how easy it is to create a beautiful gift box using the Artise Cricut Cartridge from Close To My Heart.
I cut this box at 4 inches using the Chantilly papers - also from Close To My Heart.

After scoring all the fold lines, the box went together easily - no adhesive required!

How about that bow?  That was also cut from the Artise Cricut Cartridge and attached with a matching brad. If you ask me, it doesn't get any easier than that! You are now ready to fill the box with goodies - maybe a piece of jewelry, cash, or chocolate!  

I hope you've enjoyed this little 'how-to'.  If you don't have this amazing cartridge or the beautiful Chantilly papers, you can get yours by clicking here.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for a new card idea.

Have a fabulous Friday!

Linking to Make It Monday.

Stitching

It can be real or faux. I had some paper and a stamp set that had faux stitching and decided to use it. I love the vivid colors! 

The paper is retired, but the stamp set (Just For You B1398) is available from Close To My Heart.  Click here to get yours!  The sentiment is from: 4 My Friend (D1510).  

I hope you'll check out the My Time To Craft blog challenge and all of the beautiful creations from the Design Team!

Linking to Make It Monday and Heart 2 Heart.

Up in the Sky

It's a bird, it's a plane....or a bumble bee, helicopter, butterfly...or a 

Hot Air Balloon!

Anything you find in the sky qualifies for this challenge.  Just be sure it's the main focus of your project.  This card was made entirely with Close To My Heart products.  The hot air balloons and clouds were cut using the Cricut Artiste cartridge using Chantilly papers.  Remember, this cartridge, and paper is available Here.  Or you can click the Shop link at the top of my blog.

Don't forget to visit My Time To Craft to see what the rest of the Design Team has created for you!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Linking to Make It Monday.

CAS

Clean and Simple...one of my favorites! I'm a firm believer in the "less is more" theory and this week, that's the challenge at My Time To Craft!
I have to be honest, my first attempt at this challenge wasn't 'Clean and Simple' enough - hard to believe, huh? I had a great card and then I read the criteria:  No layers and minimal embellishments - preferably none. Silly me, not checking the details before creating... So, I went back to the craft table and came up with this:

I really do love how this card came out.  The other one is very pretty too, I'll have to post it another time.  

Black ink was the basis of this card.  I made a straight-line border all the way around the ednge of the card, then just 'wiggled' a line back and forth over it.  The rose was stamped and then I used chalks to add some color.  That's it - Clean and Simple!

I hope you are inspired to join us in this challenge - hop on over to see what the rest of the Design Team created!

Linking to Make It Monday.

Use a Book or Newspaper

My Time To Craft has a new challenge for you!  That's right - use a book or newspaper.  I decided to use newspaper, but I wanted a different twist - so, I folded!  Here's what I made:

Newspaper is not something I would normally think of using on a card, so this was a little "outside of my box".  Overall, I'm pretty happy with the result.

How about you give it a try?  Then head over to My Time To Craft and link up your project!

 We'll be looking for you!

The Eagles

Last night, My husband and I had the opportunity to see the Eagles at the MGM Garden Arena.  I have always been a huge fan of this band, but had never seen them live.  It was a fabulous concert!  Joe Walsh definitely "owned" the night, but the entire concert was great.

Yes, I was a teenager again and I knew the words to all the songs...

What a fabulous way to begin my Spring Break!

Gothic

Let me just say, "This is totally outside of my box!"  The theme this week at My Time To Craft is 'Gothic".  You'll never call me a quitter, but, I'm not sure how I feel about this one:

I added the bow to 'soften' the card a bit.  Be sure to  visit My Time To Craft to see the rest of the creations from our Design Team!

On another note - it's Spring Break and I am SO ready for it!!!

Have a great weekend!

Bunnies

Spring is in the air and that means....Bunnies!  That's the challenge at My Time To Craft this week.  

Yes, they are Easter Peeps - who doesn't love them??  After stamping each one on colored cardstock, I cut them out and mounted them to the light blue cardstock. I don't know if you can see it, but the yellow one is popped with foam tape.  I fancy-cut the grass and added some pom pom fringe.  Yes, we're ready for Easter!

Be sure to visit My Time To Craft for other "bunny" ideas - and submit one of your own!  

Linking to Make It Monday & Tuesday Alchemy.

Food and/or Drink...

...and I chose cherries!  I've been digging through lots of scraps that are stashed in my Craft Room.  Here is the result:

This paper was a favorite a couple of years ago and it's still a favorite of mine!  I added some Bakers Twine and small brads for the cherries.  Be sure to see what the talented ladies over at My Time To Craft have created for you!  

Embossing

You get to choose the type of embossing in this challenge.  I pulled out one of my embossing folders and my "Bug" to create this card:

Once again, I used things from my stash to create one.  The flower is two pieces connected with foam tape.  I embellished it with a beautiful sparkely brad!  You can click on the picture to see the details.

Be sure to stop over at My Time To Craft to see what the Design Team has created for you! I hope you'll be inspired and join us in this challenge!

Linking to Make It Monday.

Song Inspired...

...is the theme for this week's challenge at My Time To Craft.  I just love this scrapbook page:

Can you guess the song?  

This is a photo of my husband as a little boy.  The first time I saw it, I knew it had to be scrapbooked!  In addition to the sanded cardstock, cowboy boot, and hat, I love the burlap bow!  Now, can we talk about that adorable little boy?????

Be sure to stop over at My Time To Craft to see the rest of the Design Team inspiration. You won't be disappointed!

The song?  Mama, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys - but, you knew that. Didn't you?

Have a great weekend!

Men Only

That's it for this week - create somethng that is for a man.  I created this:

Nothing says "Man" like a mustache and some cash!  

The inside says, " A Little Stash for You".

This card was made entirely with the Cricut Artiste Cartridge.

Be sure to stop by My Time To Craft to see what the fabulous Design Team has created for you.  Then get into your crafting space and make  something to share with us!

Have a great weekend - it's a 3-day one for me.  Can't wait!!