A Year in Review 2016 Edition

   Goodbye to 2016. This year you have taught to always be grateful for the small things in life that can be easily overlooked, like contact lenses. This year I restarted my Etsy shop in January, February I had to say goodbye to my best friend, my buttercup of a dog and April I also had another eye surgery. I found out this year when I am stress I create so I had a lot of projects to go through to make this top 12 list. 

January's favorite project. This is my favorite because it has one big photo. 

February's favorite project. I love this page I created for the Shimelle guest spot that I had in May. 

 March's favorite project. 

April's favorite project. What is not to love about upcycling the jean skirt with lace. 

May's favorite project. My favorite card that I created for a custom order that I did for Clear Choice Custom Lasik.  

 June's favorite project. I just love explosion box cards.  

 July's favorite project. I created this for a magazine call, which I got published for. in the winter issue of Creative Scrapbooker. 

August's favorite project.  I just love the simplicity of this page. 

 September's favorite project. I finally got some of those terracotta pots to good use. 

October's favorite project.  This was my first scrapbook page that I did in months. I was happy to find out that I didn't lose my touch. 

November's favorite project. I reworked a old dog toy that I use to sell. A lot of people seemed to like it. 

December's favorite project. This leather handbag was my first time working with leather. I made it for my Mom. I love how it came out since i had no pattern.  

Here to another year, I am hoping 2017 will bring new and exciting things. Also, a lot of new projects. 

Busy

   Hello, readers, I am just popping in to say I am still here. I have been super busy working on my Etsy shop and holiday cooking. 
I am just want to say you might want to pick up the Winter issue of Creative Scrapbooker magazine, I might be in there. You can pick up a copy at Joann's and Barnes and Noble.  I am so excited since it is my first time in a printed magazine. 

These are the cards that are in the issue. 

Sending Hugs Card

I am sharing today another project that I made last week. It is for the Where Creativity Meets C9 current challenge has to do with Sparkle and Shine. 

Here is what I came up. I used sequins for sparkle and heat embossing powder as a shiny element. 

 Supplies: cardstock (the Paper Studio), pattern paper (My Mind's Eye and Crate Paper), journaling card (Project Life), stamps (Concord & 9th), ink (Tsukineko and Close to My Heart), embossing powder (Gel-a-tins), watercolor pencil and crayon (Faber-Castell), doily (Doodlebug Designs), Tools (Heat embossing gun and MISTI) and sequins (SpiegleMom Scraps) 

 Inside of the card. 

A 36 Year Old Story

   Last week, I took a little me time and did work in my studio instead of stitching up the last of pet bow ties that were piled onto my table. I ended up using a sketch from the Creative Scrapbooker Nov. sketch challenge. 

I ended up scrapping my parents wedding anniversary. 

Supplies: cardstock (The Paper Studio and Bazzill Basics), pattern paper (Echo Park Paper Co., Carta Bella and Crate Paper), stickers (Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye, Studio Calico and American Crafts), chipboard (Crate Paper), tags (Studio Calico and Elle's Studio), doily (Doodlebug Designs), embellishments (Crate Paper), texture paste (Shimmerz).

   Lately, I have been loving chipboard pieces so when I saw the Maggie Holmes one on clearance at Hobby Lobby and couple of months ago I was sure to snag them. 

   These tags were something I got last year during the Black Friday sale at Studio Calico. 

   On the top of this page, I slipped a journaling card behind the main pattern paper for some journaling. 

World KC Day

   Today was the first time keratoconus has own day to give more awareness to this rare eye disease that no cure has been found or what even causes it. Having this has taught me how to never take small things for granted. I am amazed at all the beauty every day holds and that sight is very precious.
I am happy that collagen crosslinking is FDA approve now and I hope the kind I had done (epi-on) will be in the future.  

   I know my case is not as bad as others but it is still trying on days when I take out my contact lenses out too early but I am grateful what this journey has taught me. This thing has made me more of my own advocate personally and professionally, which I don't ever want to use as an excuse to hide behind.

   Since getting my new soft contact lenses I have been testing them out. I love looking from my bedroom window at the woods watching birds and planes going by. Now, when I look at the moon I don't see five images but two which I am still very grateful for. Last week, I had tears come to my eyes when I looked at Christmas lights. They looked like the shape of their bulb instead of the typical bohek effect that I have grown use to.
  
   I am not letting this rare eye disease live my life for me. KC I have kicked you to the back seat, enjoy the ride and watch what this girl is going to achieve. 

Here is a pic from 7.11.15 during the first cxl surgery. 

   This is me after the second cxl surgery on 4.02.16. 

Cards from WCMD

   Over the weekend I realized that I have never shared my World Card Making Day cards that I did back in Oct. I played along with challenges from Studio Calico and Sketch~N~Scraps. I am about to share with you 9 cards that I did that day. I loved how they all came out. If you like them and would like to have them head over to my Etsy shop. 

 Supplies: cardstock (Canvas Home Basics), pattern paper (Photo Play Paper), washi tape (The Paper Studio), stickers (SRM Stickers and Photo Play Paper), punches (EK Success), die cut (The Paper Studio), doily (Sunny-side Bakery) and SpiegleMom Scraps) 

 Supplies: cardstock (Canvas Home Basics), pattern paper (Echo Paper), washi tape (We R Memory Keepers), rub-on (American Crafts), punches (EK Success) stamp (?), ink (Tsukineko), chipboard (Simple Stories), and paperclip (Pink Paislee)

 Supplies: cardstock (Canvas Home Basics), pattern paper (My Mind's Eye), journaling card (Simple Stories), stamp (Studio Calico), embossing powder (American Crafts), embossing powder (Versa Mark), sequins (SpielgleMom Scraps), die cuts (SpielgleMom Scraps and Simple Stories), punches (EK Success), doily (Doodlebug Designs), and heat gun. 

  Supplies: cardstock (Canvas Home Basics), stamps (Studio Calico), embossing powder (Gel-a-tin), inks (Close to My Heart and Umbrella Crafts), stamping tool (MISTI), watercolor crayons (Faber-Castell), and punches (EK Success)

 Supplies: cardstock (Canvas Home Basics), pattern paper (Crate Paper), chipboard (Crate Paper), die cuts (SpiegleMom Scraps), doily (DoodleBug Designs)m sequins (SpiegleMom Scraps), stickers (My Mind's Eye)m and punch (EK Success).

 Supplies: cardstock (Canvas Home Basics), stamps (Studio Calico), embossing powder (American Crafts), ink (Umbrella Crafts and Versa Ink), stamping tool (MISTI), washi tape (My Mind's Eye), enamel dots (My Mind's Eye) and punches (EK Success)

 Supplies: cardstock (Canvas Home Basics), transparency (Webster's Pages), pattern paper (Webster's Pages)stamp (Studio Calico), die cut (The Paper Studio), ink (Close to My Heart) and punches (EK Success)

 Supplies: cardstock (Canvas Home Basics and American Crafts), pattern paper (American Crafts and Studio Calico), stickers (My Mind's Eye, SRM Stickers, and Studio Calico), doily (Doodlebug Designs), sequins (SpeigleMom Scraps), chipboard (Crate Paper and Um Wow Studio), and punch (EK success)

Supplies: cardstock (Canvas Home Basics), pattern paper (Echo Park), sequins (Studio Calico), burlap string (Maya Arts), stamp (Karen Foster), ink (Tsukineko), doily (Doodlebug Designs), markers (Spectrum Noir), punches (EK Success) and rub-on (American Crafts).

Changing of Seasons

   Last night, I actually sat down and scrapbooked. I haven't done any in over 2 months, that was when I ran out of design team assignments. Even though I stepped away for awhile I was still creating cards and doing some sewing. 

   When I saw this sketch from My Creative Scrapbook , I knew I wanted to use one of the fall photos that I took in the past week. 

   Here is my take on the sketch. 

 Supplies: cardstock (The Paper Studio and Bazzil Basics), pattern paper (American Crafts and Echo Park Paper Co.), stickers (American Crafts and Basic Grey), twine (May Arts), sequins (SpiegelMom Scraps), cork (SpiegelMom Scraps),chipboard (Crate Paper), wood veneer (American Crafts), pearl dots (Eyelet Outlet), journaling card (Project Life), stencil (Stencil Girl), texture paste (Shimmerz), doily (Doodlebug Designs), corner punch (Fiskars), electronic die cutter, cartridge and software (Cricut), paperclip (Pink Paislee) and pen (Project Life)

   This was the first time in about 5 months that I have used my Cricut. I think I need to change the blade in it. 

I am still loving the scatter of sequins and pearls. I hope in a few years I won't look back and think it is like the bad sticker sneeze that happened before I got into this hobby.

 I did two different journaling on this page. I want the left side of the card to be more private so I made sure when I was writing it that it would be hidden under the photo. The right side of the card the journaling is visible so I just wrote about why the photo was taken.  

Me Update

   I thought it has been long over do on a progress report of what I have been up to.

• I am still working hard on my Etsy shop. I just redid over 120 listings tags and titles. It looks like it is paying off since I am getting picked up in searches more often.
• I am officially done with the eye doctor for this year unless I have a problem. I am now in soft contact lenses. All I can say is I am in love with them and I am taking in all the views that I can. It feels like I am seeing for the first time. 
• I am finally learning to shoot in manual mode on my camera. I am enjoying walking around the town taking fall photos. 

This is a photo that I took Sunday at the historical village. 

• I am still freezing the last of the fall goodies I have been buying at the farmer's market.
• Last but not least, I am looking into doing my first craft show. It would be next year sometime in the summer. If you know me I am a big planner so I know I will have to plan for this months in advance to make sure I have enough products to last the 8 hours it runs. 

That is what my life has been this past couple of weeks. I am hoping to end the year on a high note since the year started on the lowest note possible. 

Super Cute Card Share

   Hi, everyone. I am still here. The only reason I haven't been blogging is that blogger seems super slow so I have lost interst in posting and moved onto other computer work. 

   I recently bought the cute hugs set from Concord and 9th. I have to say that bear is what sold me on this set. I ended up creating this card for a new challenge site called, Where Creativity Meets C9. 

Supplies: cardsock (The Paper Studio), stamps (Concord and 9th), stamping ink (Tsukineko), sequins (SpiegleMom Scraps), embossing pad (VersaMark), embossing powder (American Crafts), punches (EK Success), stampin tool (MISTI), and watercolor crayon (Faber-Castell)

   The cheelnge was watercolor theme so I broke out the gelatos. I love working with those. 

   The bear I heat emboss so the watercoloring didn't bleed. Also, when I was heat embossing the bear I took the heat gun and burned the edges of the white cardstock panel. 

   This is the inside of the card.