MPS Father's Day Challenge

It's a good thing there are a lot of fathers in my life:  my father, my father-in-law, and of coarse my wonderful husband.  I've been participating in all these "Father" challenges and now have a number of Father's Day cards.  Once again it has reminded me that most of the papercrafting supplies that I own lean towards the girly.  But I went digging through my stash of paper and found a folder of 8 1/2" x 11" (that tells you how old it is right there) decorative paper that must be at least 10 years old.  It was just what I needed for all these outdoorsy men in my family!  This card was made using the Simply Sweet Cricut cartridge.

Market Day Follow-Up

I was somewhat amazed this morning when I went with my daughter to school to help her set up her little booth in the gymnasium so she could participate in Market Day.  You would be surprised how many people own those miniature theater popcorn poppers!  My daughter's fears were confirmed in that most of the items for sale were food:  popcorn, soda, chocolate, candy, and then the more creative Killer Krispies (gourmet rice krispy treats), and decorate your own cupcake booths.  But there was also a good assortment of adorable homemade magnets, flower headbands, flower clips, and tie-dye items.

The Capri-Sun items were a hit - we should have made more.  She sold out within 5 minutes!  The parents were asked to leave before they were able to start their buying and selling, but apparently she had a line as soon as the selling began.  She made over $2000, sold out, and then had the rest of the time to buy, buy buy!  And she did!  I got a phone call when school was out asking for me to pick her up because she was having trouble carrying all her loot!

I don't know that the experience translates well into the real world with the inflated cost of items, but it was a fun experience for her.  Last year we sold Capri Sun purses at the annual town summer carnival, or should I say, we tried.  For those of you not familiar with the culture in Utah, it's a pretty crafty place.  The trouble with selling handmade items is most of the people who walk by your booth are there shopping for ideas more than anything else.  We may give it one more try though, now that we have expanded our repertoire!

It's amazing what you can make out of garbage!

My daughter will be participating in something at her school this week called Market Day.  They have been earning "money" for the past month or so at school, and if they earned at least $1000 they would be able to participate.  However, in order to participate they also have to have something to sell.  My daughter decided that she wanted to sell Capri Sun items.  I think they are supposed to be learning math skills, economics (red blooded capitalism), business sense, but I'm not sure they have achieved that purpose when it's the mothers that end up making or buying the stuff that the kids sell.  Well, I guess I have to take some responsibility for that too. 

It's been interesting to learn all the things you can make out of Capri Sun packets!  We have made purses, bags, lunch bags, pencil cases, wallets, and cell phone cases (not pictured).  My daughter already has girls making orders!  It's too bad that she won't be making real money from selling these because my sewing machine is a little worse for the wear from making these.  That's a good lesson for her to learn, isn't it?  She needs to learn how to compensate her seamstress!

Just a quick card that I made for a birthday party that my daughter will be attending this weekend.  I have to say, I'm really loving my DCWV stacks these days.  The background paper on this card came from the Nana's Kids Paper Stack.  Is is SO easy to make a cute card when you have cute paper, and a great image from your trusty Cricut.  The cake and the number 9 comes from the Sweet Treats cartridge - still my favorite.

MPS Color Challenge - and really, it was!

This one was definitely a challenge.  You want to give me three colors that I would never think to put together in a million years?  They would have to be brown, green and yellow.  But once again I have learned that it is all about having the right shades to work together.  This card isn't terribly inventive, I admit.  But hey, considering that I've been sick I think it turned out pretty well.

Checking in

I just wanted to let you know that I'm still here - barely.  I have pneumonia.  So, not only does it stink to be sick, but you have to hear the circumstances.

Last week was my long awaited trip with my husband to NYC.  A couple of days before we left, I'm starting to think I'm coming down with something.  The day before we leave, I know I'm coming down with something.  The day we arrive, I'm not feeling the greatest, but it's tolerable and we go to Serendipity for dinner and frozen hot chocolate.  Yum!

The next morning, I'm starting to feel seriously yucky, but we had planned on going to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, so we decide to go anyway.  I sweat profusely most of the time and spend far too much time (if you know what I mean) inside of one of the filthiest bathrooms I have ever seen.  That evening we go to see The Addams Family on Broadway, after I just about pass out from the climb to our seats!  Good show though.  How could I miss the opportunity to see both Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth - Broadway icons - in a show together!

The next day I am supposed to be working alongside my husband, but he is good enough to give me the day to try and feel better before the big day when he really needs my help.  So I'm in NYC, one of my favorite cities in the world, and I spend the day in bed.  Although I did manage to make a quick trip to FAO Schwartz to buy the most seriously adorable toy monster for my 3 year old.

The next day I somehow managed, through answered prayers, to work all day, on my feet most of the time, without keeling over.  But I get to see my husband doing what he does best and am very proud of him.

Fly home.

Go to the doctor to find out that I have pneumonia.  Oh!  That would explain why I have been feeling so lousy for the past, oh, 6 days!  I'm sorry, I know this must be incredibly boring to read.  But I need some sympathy!  I was SO looking forward to this trip with my husband, and our whole first day he kept turning to me and saying, "I'm so glad you're here with me!"  He was very sweet about the whole thing, but let's just say we're both feeling a little ripped off. 

And the icing on the cake is, the children are all sick too.

MPS NSD Challenge #12 - Critter-licious

I have been wanting to make a poodle card ever since I got this cartridge!

MPS NSD Challenge #10 - May Day

I have to have at least a little bit of scrapbooking for National Scrapbook Day, right?

MPS NSD Challenge #8 - Love My Color

Please pardon my thumb - I needed to hold this one closed so that you could see what was stamped through the "window".  I love how this card turned out.  The challenge was to make a project that was monochromatic, and my first thought was white.  What a perfect way to make a wedding card!

I think this may be me done for the day.  My children are climbing the walls!  I'll try and do some more tomorrow.  It has been so fun!  Thanks for looking!

MPS NSD Challenge #7 - Hey Dad!

MPS NSD Challenge #6 - Kids Craft, Too

Well, this one was easy.  My daughter came in while I was posting previously, and said, "I'm bored!"  So I told her to go make something on the Cricut.  "Really?  And you'll post it on your blog too?"  I sure will!

MPS NSD Challenge #5 - Teacher Appreciation Days

Can I just tell you how much I am loving the Create a Critter cartridge!  And all the new cartridges for that matter (not that I have them all).  Provo Craft has just packed so much stuff on to these carts.

MPS NSD Challenge #4 - I Like You the Least

OK, so I skipped one.  You'll see why below.

I have a color in my collection that I don't know why I bought it.  Actually, I do.  It was while I was still demonstrating for SU and I was trying to expand my repertoire and appeal to more of my customers' tastes.  You will find that most of my projects involve "cool" colors - those are the colors I wear, those are the colors I like to work with.  I have a really hard time with "warm" tones.  I do use them occasionally, as you will see in my Challenge #1 post below.  It's a stretch for me though.  And this Old Olive color I really struggle with.  I just don't like it, and I can't believe that it is one of the colors that SU chose to keep with this big color re-org they just did.  Mind you, when I got the Preserves cartridge and saw the grapes, I immediately though of putting Old Olive and purple together.

And here is what has been happening while I've been working on these challenges:

My poor little boy is getting tortured by his sisters!

**Oops- So I guess I misunderstood that one.  I could have sworn there was a "least favorite color" option.  Oh well, Preserves is probably my least used cartridge right now too.  It's still pretty new, and although I was uber excited when it was released, I haven't used it as much as I thought I would.  I'll probably use it more during harvest season when I'm canning.

MPS NSD Challenge #2 - Getting Scrappy

I have 2 girls that LOVE to play in my crafting supplies, so there are always lots of scraps to be had - usually laying all over my desk.  I made this cupcake using scraps, one of which even had cuts in it - just not deep enough to have used the shape.  Miraculously the Cricut cut in an area where the grooves would be covered up by the layer.

Happy National Scrapbook Day! MPS Challenge #1

In celebration of National Scrapbook Day I am participating in the challenges that Robyn at My Pink Stamper will be posting throughout the day.  How many I complete is left to be seen.  Considering how long it took me to do the first one, it may not be many!

Here's my card for Challenge #1