Need Coffee!

Aloha friends!  Super excited for this year's Fall Coffee Lovers Bloghop!!  Amy and friends make this an amazing hop, so if you're new, come join the fun by posting a coffee, tea or cocoa themed project!

This is always an exciting time of year for me with the upcoming holiday season which kickstarts with Halloween in this household!

I used the super fun Hero Arts Kelly's Monster Stamp and Cut and colored with copics.  I used the speech bubble and filled with coffee beans from Hero Arts Kelly's Coffee and Donuts (one of my favorite coffee themed stamps). I thought it would be fun to have the bats flying around with coffee cups.  I'm thinkin' I might like bats more if they brought me coffee...lol.  All the stamps were purchased at a2z Scrapbooking and you can use this code NICKI15 for 15% off your purchase of $25 or more! 

Everything was layered on some Doodlebug Designs pattern paper.  I've joined the gals over at a2z Scrapbooking so check them out as well!

Hope you all have a fabulous time with the hop!  Mahalo for stopping by!!

Have a Mocha-chino and Cocoa-licious Holiday!

Oh yeah!  It's that time of year again for the 

Love this time of year with the cooler weather, festivities and sippin' cocoa!

Today's card wishes you all a very mocha-chino and cocoa-licious holiday!

I took some Doodlebug Design North Pole pattern paper and die cut a rectangle to create a window for a shaker.  On my card front I stamped out that sweet Darcie's Heart and Home sentiment

and masked off a part of the penguin to make him look like he's popping out of the sentiment.

Of course he needed a little hot cocoa in his hands so I stamped out the to go cup.  Everything was colored in with colored pencils and I reluctantly used those fun shaker bits gifted by my sweet friend

Annette Allen from My Clever Creations!

A closeup...

I hope to be back with more so stay tuned for a giveaway!

Mahalo for stopping by!!

Lawn Fawn and Simon Says Stamp Flikr Collab

Thanks to the lovely

Vanessa at

Butterfly Reflections Ink

I quickly received my order of the

newest Lawn Fawn release!

I've been dying to play and wanted to enter the latest collab using kraft!

On to my card....

Lawn Fawn Happy Birthday Border die, Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles,
Lawn Fawn Party Balloons die, Simon Says Stamp Only Have Eyes for You,
copic markers, Doodlebug Design Color in Kraft paper, googly eyes, vellum


I was super happy with Lawn Fawn's birthday border die!
Such a fun look... especially die cut in a rainbow of colors!!
That sweet Simon Says Stamp alien just needed googly eyes
and some balloons to complete this card.

MAHALO for stopping by!!

Aloha Friday Challenge for Kitty Bee Designs

Happy Aloha Friday!

Love is in the air and there's still time to enter 

Kitty Bee Designs

Aloha Friday Challenge: Valentine's/Love

Today we're using a digi from 

Love her drawings...they totally live up to their  name!

2 Cute Ink Owl Love digi, Hero Arts CL 585, Doodlebug Designs Polka Vellum paper,

Simon Says Stamp Stitched circles amd rectamgle die,

Lawn Fawn Hearts die, Lawn Fawn Louie's ABCs die,

 heart confetti from Japan, copics

I did a tone on tone background stamping on the kraft cardstock,

then layered the vellum and die cuts on top.

I got these cool confetti hearts from a good friend that

 brought them back from Japan.

That's it for me today!  I hope you'll join us!!

Mahalo for stopping by!

Graduation Time with Kitty Bee Designs

Yesterday my niece in Guam texted it was her last day of her senior year!  Where did the time go?!  How did I get old enough to have a niece graduating from high school?!?  We are so proud of the woman she has become...smart, loving and with a kind spirit.  This is how I still see her...

These are my adorable nieces and nephews almost 10 years ago at my wedding!  Amber on the far left is the first of these kiddos to graduate.  This is how she has grown...

I can't really say that she's grown, as in height... I don't think she even makes 5 feet (LOL) but it's so hard to believe she's moving on to another chapter in her life.

So with this in mind I made a graduation card using the little mouse from Kitty Bee Designs.  I chose the mouse because of how little my niece is and of course its cuteness...just like her!

I used Doodlebug Design Cap and Gown pattern paper and the Doodlebug Design sequins. Then white heat embossed the Stamps of Life sentiment from the tv2stamp set.  The star die cut is Lawn Fawn's Star Stackables die.

I was inspired by the latest Retro Sketches

I appreciate you stopping by to check out my creation!  Stay tuned for more!!

Picking Up the Pieces Monday Vol. 19: Happy Birthday to my Mom!

My mom's birthday marks the start of 3 generations of birthdays celebrated in one week!  My mom is an AMAZING seamstress and has been a little down in the dumps since her Bernina sewing machine broke down.  Apparently it needs a new mother board (some fancy way of saying it's gonna be expensive...lol). Our family pulled together and we're finally going to be able to fix it for her.  She was super excited when she found it!

Mom's birthday 3/30, Jubilee's birthday 4/4 and Me 4/5!  Poor hubby...lol

I put together this fun little card...

Doodlbebug Design Take Note Pattern Paper, Doodlebug/Hampton Arts Nifty Notions Stamp and Dies, 

Doodlebug Design twine, Lawn Fawn Riley's ABCs

I used this week's Freshly Made Sketches

Mahalo for stopping by!!

Trying Something New

Hello there!  I've been admiring the challenge called The Card Concept since its beginning, and finally made myself try a new style.  I admire that the challenge explains and shows examples of the various card styles and then encourages you to try one out.

Here's a snippet...

Can you guess which style I tried?  I'm hoping it's not too far off...remember this is my first go at this...haha!


So without further ado I've decided to try the freestyle collage...

Avery Elle Simply Labels and die, Avery Elle Laurels, Avery Elle Icon Fill in the Blank die, Tim Holtz Bubble Stencil, Doodlebug BonBon Twine, Doodlebug Sprinkles in Lily White, Memento ink in Rich Cocoa, Bamboo Leaves and Pear Tart, white embossing powder

So keeping to the theme colors I stamped out the Avery Elle label and die cut.  Then, stenciled the background after I white, heat embossed the laurels for a little "leafy" sprout among the die cut flowers.  I believe the flowers are actually an asterisk shape, but doubled them up to create whimsical blooms.  I used a sponge dauber around the laurels with a touch of brown for a little more detail.

This will also be entered in the

I actually liked how it all came together pretty quickly with having a theme color in mind.  Maybe that's the trick when doing freestyle collage!  

That's it for me!  Happy Hump Day and mahalo for stopping by!!!

Picking Up the Pieces Vol. 1 and Craft Room Makeover!

Aloha gang!  Welcome to the first edition of Picking Up the Pieces Monday in which I will be sharing every Monday my most favorite technique of paper piecing.  I've been enjoying The Holiday Card Workshop from Online Card Class and wanted to share some things I've learned.  My card today is using pattern paper from Doodlebug Design's North Pole 6x6 paper pad.  I LOVE 6x6 pads because they are perfectly scaled patterns for card making.

Avery Elle Holiday Fill in the Blank w/ dies, Avery Elle Sequins, Doodlebug Design Pattern Paper North Pole, American Crafts Rouge CS, Timeless Twine Christmas Twist, Memento Ink in Cottage Ivy

 

The technique to use on the 2nd day of class was die cut inlays which allows your card to have a pretty smooth surface.  For my tree I wanted a little dimension and used some Avery Elle Evergreen Blend sequins and Kraft Blend for the stump.  I added some Timeless Twine in Christmas Twist to continue with my traditional color card and there ya go...a fun and festive card!

Challenges I would like to enter this card in...
Avery Elle I Love You Challenge
Curtain Call: CAS-ual Christmas
CAS-ual Fridays: CFC 120

 

So on to my craft room makeover.  Here is the before (I dreaded showing this!)...

In my defense I know where everything is! 
Here is where my hubby works miracles...

Wow right?!  I recently got happy mail for my first ever publication in Paper Crafts Magazine that will debut in March!  As a surprise gift, my hubby said it was time for me to get organized and he purchased a few things from Stamp-n-Storage.  I HIGHLY recommend their products as they are reasonably priced, shipped quickly all the way here, and truly make a difference in organizing everything!

The finished room...

It took me a few days to adjust where everything was but I absolutely LOVE it.  Mahalo hubby!!!  Everything has a place, but I'll confess my desk needs a little tidying up...again.  Recently the hubby added this fun decor using some inexpensive frames and adding his own sheet metal from the hardware store that were only $1!

I can finally have guests in my craft room...lol!  If anyone is ever on Oahu I would love to meet up and craft together!

Mahalo for stopping by and letting me share...have a great day and week!