It's a Groovy Time For Birthday Cake!

It's our birthday month so before letting it slip by us I would like to say THANKS for a wonderful 2 years and I hope you will help us celebrate today! We hope to go into a third year with more exciting challenges, prizes, stories and inspiration.


Go eat cake and think of us ;)
The Groovy Chicks

Happy Boxing Day(s)

In the USA where I live, Boxing Day is not known to all so I just would like to send out a Happy Boxing Day! I have learned that Monday is the actual celebration day since it fell on Sunday and now this allows for church by having it moved.

Here is a cute pic I took on Christmas to share with my version of Boxing Day ")

Thankful for You!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Here is a card I made to share today. I am giving it to my parents. We have a lot to be thankful for this year since my dad's health was so compromised for much of the year. Thank you to all of my online bloggy friends who took part in sharing prayers for his recovery! I am thankful for all of you!!!
Deb♥

Land of the Free, Because of the Brave- An Interview

Hey Everyone! Happy Veterans Day! I asked Lead Fiskateer Cheryl from Fiskars to have a chat with me. Although Cheryl represents Fiskars and the Fiskateers with their colors of orange and green, when I first online met her I knew she also had a passion for three other colors: Red White and Blue.; I know you will love her as much as I do when you read what she shares today in this interview :) Thanks to all of you for stopping by and now I bring you Cheryl...

Hi Cheryl, Thank You so much for agreeing to be my inspiration for the Land of the Free, Because of the Brave Blog Hop. Since I first met you there was one thing extremely apparent to me, one, that in your position as Lead Fiskateer that You are the "heart" of a wonderful community that stretches across our nation and many others. Secondly, You have a sense of American Pride that I find extremely endearing. I love this country and am so proud to be a citizen and I know you do too!

Hi Deb. First, I want to say thank you for the encouraging and loving words. I do love this country and the principles it was founded upon. I'm grateful I live here and can first hand (having lived overseas for six years) tell you that it is a wonderful and beautiful land!

Thank you!

Nation. To me that word means so much and I am absolutely honored when I see the Red, White and Blue American flags flying. Will you tell me what is is like for you?

I love seeing flags flying and patriotism displayed in a proud manner. The 'Grand Ol' Flag' has endured many a things and it's symbols of fifty states united, democracy and freedom stand tall. One thing that saddens me is when you see people in this land disgrace the flag. Our armed services have sacrificed for the symbol of 'Old Glory' and the freedoms the flag stands for! Long may she wave!

Have you or your family members served in our military? What branches?

My grandfather and several great uncles served in the Army, I have a brother in law that served almost thirty years in the Navy, my dad served in the Vietnam War in the Navy as well and my husband served as a Marine in Operation Desert Storm and Shield. I have several dear friends who also serve in different branches in the services. I'm so grateful that all of my family returned from their duties overseas. I'll never forget welcoming my husband home from the Persian Gulf. A memory of yellow, red, white and blue, tears, love, and pride engraved in my mind. We even had a military wedding . . .


















How did having family serving affect you and how you feel about being an American?

I grew up appreciating the sacrifice that those who serve in the armed forces provide for us as Americans. I also grew up with a respect of those that serve and the principles they serve for . . . this country, freedom, and more. I'm assuming that may be why I married my husband (partially).

I grew up in an area where there were two large Marine Corps bases (El Toro and Tustin) and the town was buzzing with young men and women who serve our country. Jet fighters would fly over our home and it reminded me of feeling protected. They have since been closed but it was such a big part of our history here in Southern California.
Again, I'm grateful for being an American . . . first hand I've seen what an impoverished country is like and experienced lack of freedom. While America today has some issues . . . I am grateful for freedom and the people in our nation from the farmer or cowboy to the NY business man or Amish family member.

In our hobby of crafting we preserve so much of our personal history with day-to-day activities, have you spent time also scrapbooking travels in your role as a Military Supportive Wife and friend? If so, what type of emotion was evoked by scrapbooking at times such as those as personal as being in places far from your loved ones? Did your crafting hobby help to subside during those times or allow for you to meet others sharing in this hobby?

When my husband was away in the Persian Gulf I didn't scrapbook however I have preserved memories of this time and my father's service in the Vietnam war since. I want my daughter to share in the pride and joy (although frightening at times) experienced when a loved one serves his/her country. I work in public service/law enforcement and still have the opportunity to serve our country and community and that also gives me a since of joy. I have also scrapped many of these memories and even shared my skills in scrapbooking to help fund raise for the military, our troops overseas and the community.

On Veterans Day as we honor those who have served in our military is there someone special that you would want to talk with us about? Pictures?

I'd love to share one of my favorite pictures with you of my dad and his best friend on a beach which was bombed days later. To this day they are still the best of friends. It's amazing the bond of serving together (especially in war) creates. My father had two daughters and so did Terry . . . both families (united by war basically) are close and have enjoyed sharing one in another's lives. I think this is the only photo we have of them in Vietnam and one we cherish!
















Do you have special ceremonies, parades, celebrations that you participate in on Veterans Day?

Each year at my daughters school they hold a Veterans Day parade. They ask relatives that have served in the armed services to join their school age family members and walk in the parade. It gives teachers, parents, spouses and other family members the opportunity to recognize these men and women for their sacrifice and service! It's a fun parade!
We also enjoy our annual Fourth of July parade here in Lake Forest. We've been attending for at least twenty years and enjoy all the patriotic festivities surrounding this event. It's a favorite every year and another opportunity to recognize those that have served past and present for our country. Our family also loves all things American . . . hot dogs, baseball and Apple pie :)








Thank you for taking time with me today. Many wishes for a Happy Veterans Day and Thank You for all that you do to be a concerned, loving, caring and giving citizen who truly shines with love of her country and what she stands for, Land of the Free, Because of the Brave.

From sea to shining sea, as citizens I am hoping you'll thank that man or woman who serves or has served our country. God bless America!

One last thing from Cheryl and that is a quote she loves by our 16th president...


America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
Abraham Lincoln

Happy Halloween Heather Style

Did you make your little goblins a handmade card this year? Here is some last-minute inspiration coming from Heather!
Deb♥

I made these cards last Halloween after buying these cute stamps at Archivers. I then used colored pencils to color them in.

Bewitching Projects Using Cricut

Here is a bewitching little treat from Natalie today!
Deb♥

This little Witch Gift Bag was cut out using the Cricut cartridge Plantin Schoolbook giftbag option. There are several shapes to choose from. I also used the little Witch cutout on the Celebrate with Flourish Lite Cartridge. I used a coordinating green ribbon to decorate the gift bag.
Depending on what size of Cricut you have and the cutting mat, you can make this little bag on a 6 x 12 or 12 x 12 format at almost any size.

Halloween Step Up Card

I recently made a Halloween card called a "Step Up" card and am sharing this today. I have to admit it was very challenging, but I am excited to give it to my daughter on Halloween this year! It has cuts in the middle of the card so peaks and valleys would be the technical term. I stamped little Halloween images from Fiskars stamps I have made by Heidi Grace and added real candy wrappers in the cauldron.
Be sure to Google "step up cards" and look for dimensions for making one of these cards and send me a shout if you have one to share :)

Happy Halloween Ghoulfriends!
Deb♥

Jen's Crafting for Girl Scouts

Trick or Treat Jen!
Deb♥



I love Halloween and as a special project I was recruited by one of the girl scout moms of my daughters troop to make these fun Halloween pins for her to give to all the girls as part of their Halloween present from her. They are ribbon flowers that I make by looping 4 inch pcs of ribbon and layering them together to make a flower.Then I stickled the felt circles I cut from felt and the orange flowers. Then I added glittered pumpkin stickers on top I found at the craft store. Lastly, I added a pin to the back to them. Happy Halloween crafting!!!

Twitching Witches

Did you watch Bewitched when it came on TV? Maybe you catch it late night on the repeats? I loved Bewitched! I loved that with a twitch of her nose that she could make things happen, usually for the better. What if it were that easy? Imagine how much we could accomplish in one day!!!

I made this Halloween-style layout to add to my All About Me book. This shows that I was watching TV as a child when times were much more simple then they are now. I don't want to lose sight of the small things like a woman who was unusually different having the ability to make her marriage work with her husband that she adored being unusual and different in his own ways too.

Now let's talk about Samantha's Momma! Endora, what a mother-in-law she was to "Durwood". I am not sure that there isn't a mother-on-law that at sometime would not mind turning her son-in-law into all the things she would do to him, lol!

Be sure to record something about the TV shows you liked as a child and like today :)
Deb♥

Head to the Craft Store

Treats and advice from Natalie, great combo!
Deb♥


I have never dressed up a candle before and always wanted to. I took this Halloween as an opportunity to do such and pulled a Yankee Pillar candle out of the closet. The scent is Harvest so it would work well for any Autumn holiday.

I saved up and bought the Cricut Lite Celebrate with Flourish cartridge from Wal-Mart and used my Cricut Expression to cut out the cute pumpkin pieces. I used a coordinating green ribbon and glued it to a piece of black cardstock that I had measured to fit around the base of the candle. I also used a pair of pattern scissors to add some flare to the cardstock base. I glued the pumpkin to the cardstock and used my fingers to mold the pumpkin into a shape that would fit the candle. Then I glued the pumpkin to the candle and glued the two ends of the cardstock together in the back using Scotch's quick dry glue.

The "Boo" was cut out using a third party cutting program and I embossed it in my Cuttlebug with Swiss dots. I used small glue dots to adhere it to the candle.

When using pillars it is important to first burn the candle when you really have some time to watch it and never let the wax melt over the edge of the candle or it will ruin the manner in which you want the candle to burn when it has been decorated. Once a pool of wax has melted to within 1/4 in of the edge blow it out. Repeat this every couple hours until some of the wax has evaporated enough and you have a nice lip around the edge of the candle!

Trick or Treat Jeannie!

Let's ring Jeannie's doorbell to learn more about what she made for us today!
Deb♥

If you have an occasion to give a Halloween card, I think my card with the PUMPKIN bag on the front would be so cute with a couple of goodies popping out the top.

This was one of the cards I received the supplies for after my mom passed away. Maybe I have mentioned, she was card maker EXTRAORDINAIRE. Funny thing about her, she thought she had no talents. This is just a duplicate of one of her EASY PEASY cards. To make this even more coincidental that I tell you of her...her nickname growing up was "PUNKIN." I kid you not.

The other card is a GROOVY and whimsical card. Oh, "PUNKIN" would have liked this one.

I just loved putting this one together with all the funky patterns an colors. Great card, don't think I be wearing these colors and patterns altogether anytime soon. Ha ha. There is your chuckle for the day!

Trick or Treat Time!

While web surfing at some of my favorite online websites I found a treat!!! Are you familiar with Design House Digital? Go there and sign up to be a member of their site and you can also sign up to receive a treat ") for Halloween!

Take a look here:

http://www.designhousedigital.com/jen-allyson/halloween-freebie

Halloween Heather is Back!

Heather is back with more Halloween fun!
:)
Deb♥

What a fun punch this is from EK Success! I punched the pumpkin face out of orange cardstock. I then used the Drippy Goo punch and then took some orange Stickles around the edges!!! Super cute, super easy! Pull out those punches and see what you can come up with!

A Sad Hallo-Whine

My youngest daughter and I were the sad and unhappy victims of Swine Flu last October :( If you were too let me send you my sympathies as that was so hard to get past! It caused us to not be able to go out Trick or Treating so I documented this with this layout showing how we were hallowhining and not halloweening. Hoping for a much better weekend coming up that's for sure!
Deb♥

Dressing Up Triplets

Seriously? Are these not THE cutest boys?
Deb♥





I made both of these layouts for a sketch challenge, and I absolutely love how they turned out! I loved the colors and the ribbons and the punched edges and the skull prima flowers! I used the Blackletter cricut cartridge for the titles and then inked them with Distress Inks!

Besides, what's not to love about 3 peas in a pod!! HEHE

Start Preparing Treats for The Little Ones

I have a bake sale coming and I am going to try this idea from Natalie...won't you?
Deb♥

A year ago I found this idea on a blog that I have long since forgotten the name of, but I kept the one I made and this year made a new, better example.

I used a bracket cutout from my Cricut Storybook cartridge, ran it through the Cuttlebug and embossed it. You can use any shape or design that you think coordinates. I then chalked the edges with white.

The "Boo" was cut out using a third party program with my Cricut and I chalked the bottom with black and the top with white for shadowing.

I also found a spiderweb file and cut it out. I put black glitter on the front of it and then put an orange glitter on every other leg of the web. I found an orange piece of confetti to put in the middle for more "bling"

I tied coordinating ribbon to a large yellow paper clip, glued the dried spider web to the paper clip using the Scotch quick dry glue.

You then fill a bag with goodies, staple the topper on and attach the paper clip and web to the top of that. You can glue the paper clip down to the topper if you choose to.

Halloween Minis!

Aren't these cuties Kelly has to pass out next weekend? Give it a try and be sure to let us know if you do :)
Deb♥


Eek! Monsters! These not so scary monsters were cut from a sheet by Reminisce. I think they are ADORABLE! I wrapped a piece of gum with the patterned papers (from Bo Bunny) and adhered that to a larger piece of cardstock (measures 2 3/4" x 3 3/4"). I used a regular circle and scalloped circle punch to give the monsters a "spot" to land on. I adapted this idea from a friend who had made some for Valentine's Day. My daughter just saw me posting these and has already put in her order for her classmates. Eek!

Tu Tu Cute for Halloween!

I created this lo using my favorite little Halloween punch of the season! It is small and wonderful. It came with a kitty punch too which I also used below. This is youngest daughter wearing her very hip Halloween jammies that were so cool that they came with a tutu! What more could a 6 year old dancer want? Candy?
Deb♥

Boo!

Using some of my favorite scrappy paper scraps, Fiskars Circle Lever Punch and my Cricut with Paper Doll Cartridge I printed these c-u-t-e SCARY ghosts! I made it into a banner to hang and with good strong Glue Dots I adhered the candies. It was a fun way to get into the Halloween mood :0

Boo!

Deb♥

What to do with 1 Set of Coordinating Papers?

I challenged myself to sit down with one set of papers all coming from the same collection and create. The only "rule" was that each would include the same line of papers and have one added color for interest. I came up with some unusual layouts that covered many different time frames from me as a teenager using pink

















to a layout of my kitty Zorro using torquoise.

















Many times I sit down while watching TV with no exact idea in mind of which picture will end up there. It works for me, what can I say?


I then thought I would use one of the papers but cut it out into a shape and use yellow as the color of choice. I had this picture sitting idly by for 3 years and now it has finally been put into my little dollbaby's album :)

Here is the same Dollbaby on her first Christmas as I used red with these papers


















































Now that you have seen what I did with an entire paper collection, I challenge you to do the same with the papers you have been hoarding :)




TFL!

Deb♥