An Anniversary, ramblings and a card!

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I've posted here on my blog. I was taking a little hiatus away from Blogger catching up with family life and projects. I'll have more to post soon, so no worries there! I have lots of fun projects to share with you and really can't wait! :-)

I wanted to take a moment to wish my parents a very happy 41st wedding anniversary! My parents are the most amazing couple EVER. They both migrated to the United States from the Philippines back in the early 1970's with college/masters degrees under their belts. They were educated and anxious to work, yet couldn't land a job in their field because no one back then would hire applicants with foreign degrees. My Dad, with his masters degree in electrical engineering, had to settle for a job as a janitor at a local High School to make "ends meet." My Mom, with her Bachelors degree in Nursing, thankfully was able to land a job at a local hospital as a nurse through a Nursing program. My older brother (only 13 months my senior), myself and my parents lived with my Mom's aunt until years later, Stanford University hired my Dad for what he was meant to do -- he was finally hired as an electrical engineer and got the salary his degree deserved during those times. My parents struggled to be where they are now. They provided for the their children as best they could when times were tough. And when times were good, they spoiled us with things they could have never even imagined having when they were children themselves. My parents would tell my brothers and I about their childhood in the Philippines, and how toys were a luxury. They played games using bottle caps, rubber bands and coconut husks. My brothers and I appreciate our upbringing and everything our parents have done to help us become successful in our careers, as well as help shape the individuals we are now...

With this, I'd like to say again -- Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. I love you with all my heart! (** sob **)

Okay.... had to step away to gather myself. hehe! I get super emotional when it comes to family because they mean the world to me. :-)

So let's talk about this card I made for my parents! :-)

(Front)

(Inside)

I created this card using some of my fav MFT products. The stamp set I used is "Inspired by Love." And let me tell you, I LOVE the "Inspired By" line by MFT! :-) I had a great time not only creating this card especially for my parents, but OMG, the new Layered Labels die ROCKS! It is so versatile! You'll see that I "snuck in" the Die-namics from the Polka Dot Stamp & Die set (fits perfectly!) and then layered a heart from the Hearts a Plenty Die-namics. I used MFT's new Mini Rolled Roses Die-namics and the Rolled Flower Die-namics. LOVE the rose and flower dies from MFT! :-) The little leaves were cut out using the Flower Trio & Leaf Trio die. I lined a strip of designer paper (from the K&Co Wild Saffron collection) on both sides using the Dainty Lace Border (cut out using MFT's Hot Fudge cardstock), layered on a strip of the GORGEOUS brown trim I got in a RAK from my scrappy friend Cindy (thanks Cynthialoowho!!) and tied some twine around fastened with a bow.

On the inside of the card, I included the other 2 pieces of the Layered Labels die (can't waste good things hehe!) and lined the strip of designer paper with the new Dainty Lace Border, cut out using MFT's Hot Fudge cardstock. I used my Perfect Pearls in "Gold Pearl" to create the faux beads. I love how it all came together! :-)

Here's a little pic of my parents. This was taken today at Famous Dave's, where we celebrated their big day! Aren't they the cutest ever?! 41 years of marriage and still madly in LOVE! :-)

Hope you enjoyed my share for today! Have a GREAT week and thanks for peeping by! :-)

MFT Blog - Hop and Shop!

Wow, what an amazing week of MFT teasers! Hope you all enjoyed the wonderful, GORGEOUS creations the MFT design team had to share with you! All the new stamp sets and dies are available for purchase NOW - click HERE to check 'em out!

If you came directly from the amazing Christina's Blog, you're on the right track. If you just stumbled across this post, then you'll want to start at Kim's Blog so you don't miss out on any of the MFT blog hop details and goodness! While you're hopping along, be sure to leave some love and comment on the way... there will be a PRIZE for a lucky winner -- but you have to leave a comment at each stop to increase your chance of winning! :-)

Before I share my first project with you, just a reminder to scroll past my 2nd project for the information you need to continue on your "hopping" journey! :-)

First up, I want to share a super fun tag I created using the new "Inspired By Music" stamp set, which is part of the "Inspired By" collection by MFT. Oh how I LOVE vintage-grunge, and this stamp set has vintage written all over it! :-) This stamp set is so fun, I almost used EVERY stamp on the set for this tag! hehe!

The 2nd project I wanted to share with you all is this card I made. I stamped the violin from the stamp set onto Blending Card by X-press It using Memento ink, then colored it up with my Copic markers. The Tim Holtz Music sheet paper went perfectly with the "Inspired By Music" stamp set from MFT's "Inspired By" Collection. I used the new "Dainty Lace Border" on either side of the black and cream ribbon trim and layered the sentiment from the stamp set using the "Rounded banner Trio" Die-namics. Super fun!!

Inside the card, I layered more of the Tim Holtz music sheet paper and trimmed it with MFT's new "Dainty Lace Border" in black cardstock. I stamped the music chord and sentiment and adhered black Prima pearls for the notes - love it! hehe! :-) The "glittery" note on the corner is stamped with 2-way glue on a petal cut out in black cardstock using the "Perfect Petal Trio" Die-namics, then I sprinkled smokey gold glitter on it. I like how it stands apart from the rest of the elements to give the inside of the card some interest. :-)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! It is now my pleasure to pass you along to the next person on the hop -- CAROLE. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us today -- her work is AMAZING and you'll see what I mean when you hop on over to her blog.

Enjoy!

"Inspired By Music" Tag products used:

-"Inspired by Music" MFT stamp set ; "Clearly Sentimental about You" MFT stamp set

- 3 1/2" x 7 1/4" Shipping tag

-MFT Die-namics: "Rolled Rose", "Perfect Petal Trio", "Mini Rolled Roses", "Banner Strip Die & Stamp Set

-Versamark water ink, Ranger Distress ink, Lindy Stamp Gang Starburst Stains, iamroses skeleton leaves, Prima pearls and lace

-Graphic 45 punch-out alphas "4U"

Check out my video tutorial HERE showing how I put the initial elements of this tag together.

"Inspired by Music" Card products used:

-"Inspired by Music" MFT stamp set

-Die-namics: "Mini Rolled Roses", "Dainty Lace Border", "Perfect Petal Trio", "Rounded Banner Trio"

-Blending cardstock by X-press it

-Maya Road ribbon, black seam binding, kraft cardstock, black cardstock, Copic marker, music note clip, black Prima pearls, Martha Stewart glitter, Versafine black ink

TGF cards & some Ramblings

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to share a few cards I made today for some of my scrappy friends! :-) I had a bunch of fun breakin' out with my TGF stamps, which I haven't done in a while. hehe! I'm just loving all the MFT goodness I've been working on. :-) In fact, I'll be back later on this evening for more MFT fun in celebration of tonight's MFT release party and blog hop. Whoot whoot! Can't wait! :-)

I created my first card using TGF's "Cherry Cheeky Pie." OMG this little gal is so adorable! I had a ton of fun coloring her in with my Copic markers & At You Spica Glitter pens. I'm so excited to take my first Copic class with Bona later this month. I've been dying to get into one to simply learn the basics! What you see now is what I've learned through trial n' error, YouTube and from my fellow MFT design team gals (Whoa they all ROCK their Copics!!) :-)

I used my circle Spellbinder die to cut her out and layered her onto MFT's Decorative Doily die, love that die!! The sentiment is from MFT's "Clearly Sentimental About Food" stamp set. LOVE it! And so appropriate with this image! hehe! :-) The roses are from iamroses.com, the black ruffle lace from my local LSS and the beaded trim is from A Treasure Nest. Oh, and the stitching... yes ladies... I did it my hand!!! Paper pierced using my Tim Holtz ruler and stitched with embroidery floss. Impressed yet? hehehe!!! OMG, I seriously impressed myself! LOL!

For my second card, I used another image set from TGF, but I totally forgot the name of it and it's no longer available on their website that I can see (sorry!) But OMG, is she not super cute?! I love her! hehe! Love the sentiment "Pamper Yourself" from the same stamp collection. :-) I colored her in with my Copic markers and cut her out using one of my Spellbinders dies (layered) and I distress around the edges using a technique I show on one of my videos HERE. I created another MFT rolled rose in grungeboard using Lindy Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays. I have a tutorial on how to create this flower HERE. The floral die cut along the left side of the card is cut out using MFT's Die-namics Flower Border die. I also incorporated a couple of small Prima rose buds & Prima leaves colored up with Lindy Stamp Gang Sprays. On the inside of the card, I just cut out the designer paper (Prima Fairy Flora) using MFT's Jumbo Scallop die and layered a piece of brown cardstock that I punched using one of my scallop SU! punches. I colored the candle with my Copic markers and adhered that to the inside along with a sentiment from the TGF stamp set.

So those are my cards for today! Pretty OK for someone who doesn't create cards that often eh? Hehe!! Soon, ladies soon... I have 2 mini albums and an altered project in the works and can't wait to share them with you!! But seriously, my ultimate goal is to figure out at least 1 of my 3 sewing machines! I "SEW" want to learn how to stitch on my cards, mini albums and other projects! hehe! :-)

Anywho, thanks for stopping by and check back later for more MFT release fun! :-)

hugs!

MFT: "Frosty Fun" Gift card holder

Welcome to the 4th MFT Teaser day! Be sure to drop by Kim's blog to check out all the wonderful creations from the other MFT design team members. What wonderful talent they've all got! :-) We have another day of teasers tomorrow before the January release, so stick around!

Today, MFT is featuring 2 new stamp sets - "Inspired by Music" and "Frosty Fun." I am in love with the "Inspired by" collection - so classic, yet vintage. The collection is so versatile no matter what your style of scrappin'. :-)

My project today is using MFT's "Frosty Fun" stamp set, which will be available with the January 4th release. She is so super adorable! I had a great time coloring her up with my Copic markers and giving her hat and skates a little bit of shimmer with some fine glitter. I used MFT's "Jumbo Scallop" Die-namics die to cut out My Favorite Felt in white and create a snowy landscape for this adorable little girl to skate on. And then I thought, hmmmm... let's add some more glitter to the landscape LOL!!! So fun! :-) I added a layered snowflake (created using MFT's "Let it Snowflake" Die-namics die) to the closure with a rhinestone brad. As the last touch, I added 3 "bling" snowflakes to accent the front of the gift card holder. :-)

On the inside, I used MFT's "Textile Rectangle" Die-namics and added more snowflakes (LOVE them snowflakes, hehe!) I cut out some white cardstock using the new "Dainty Lace Border" Die-namics and adhered it to look like hanging snow. :-) The sentiment is from the "Frosty Fun" stamp set.

Here are the details about the upcoming release on January 4th at 10 PM EST:

• The MFT release is on January 4th at 10 PM EST. You can attend the release party from 8-10 PM EST here in the forum for fun, games, and prizes! All the new sets and dies will be available on January 4th at 10 PM EST.
• The guest designer contest is ON! Check out the forumfor details on how YOU can win over $100 in stamp sets and play along with the DT for a month.
• If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, please click on over to Kim's blog NOW! Be sure to leave comments as you go for a chance to win one of 2 stamp sets being given away daily, just for leaving a comment. :) Be sure to check Kim's blog every day for the winners.

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Click HERE to view a video of this project.

MFT: "Ladybug" Altered Frame

It's MFT Teaser time and let me tell you... MFT has a great collection of stamp sets and Die-namics in this month's release, so you don't want to miss out!

Today, we are featuring adorable additions to the Pure Innocence collection: Pure Innocence "Because You are Special", "Ladybug", "Carnation", "World's Best Doctor" and "Peek-a-Boo."

For today's project, I'm sharing a wooden frame I altered. The stamp set I'm using is the Pure Innocence "Ladybug." Isn't she just ADORABLE?! I colored her in with my Copic markers and used some vintage medium grade glass glitter to accent her hat and black spots. I love the extra "bling" it gives her, LOL! I also used some craft wire and black beads to create her antennae. I'm just in love with her! :-)

I incorporated some of MFT's newest dies into the altered frame. The Die-namics dies are so versatile, who wouldn't love them?! :-) I trimmed the pearl white lace with MFT's "Dainty Lace Border." The sentiment is mounted onto the new "Lace Doily" and the lace trim is accented on either side with the new felt roses made with My Favorite Felt and MFT's new "Mini Rolled Roses" Die-namics die. The large red felt rose was made using MFT's original "Rolled Rose" Die-namics Die. I'm so addicted to making these gorgeous rolled roses, you will probably be seeing them in a bunch of future projects of mine! tee hee! :-)

Here are the details about the upcoming release on January 4th at 10 PM EST:

• The MFT release is on January 4th at 10 PM EST. You can attend the release party from 8-10 PM EST here in the forum for fun, games, and prizes! All the new sets and dies will be available on January 4th at 10 PM EST.
• The guest designer contest is ON! Check out the forum for details on how YOU can win over $100 in stamp sets and play along with the DT for a month.
• If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, please click on over to Kim's blog NOW! Be sure to leave comments as you go for a chance to win one of 2 stamp sets being given away daily, just for leaving a comment. :) Be sure to check Kim's blog every day for the winners.

Thanks for popping by!

Here's a peek at some of the MFT Die-namics I used for this project...

Click HERE to watch a YouTube video detailing how I created the altered frame. I also share a brief tutorial at the end of this video on how to create a mini felt rose using the Die-namics "Mini Rolled Roses" die.

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone! Just a quick post today to wish my subbies, friends & family alike, a very Happy and safe New Year. Enjoy the time with those that are special in your lives and create more memories to scrap and cherish! :-)

Big "2011" hugs to you all!

CHEERS!

~Arlene

MFT: 8x8 "Sweet 39" Cupcake Layout

Yep, this past October I turned 39! Egad! Where does the time go?? It seems like only yesterday I was graduating high school and getting ready to face the world! LOL! Oh well, I'm just blessed and thankful to say, that I've had a fulfilling 39 years and I look forward to the next 39 years! hehe!

My husband made my 39th quite memorable. We spent the weekend at Santana Row at a super chic-nice hotel called Hotel Valencia. Italian architecture, stone walls... beautiful! Not to mention the service and the breakfast was AMAZING! But for dinner, hubby took me to this Asian Fusion restaurant called "STRAITS." It's "the" place to go if you go to Santana Row. LOVE it, been there a few times before, but it was my choice to go there again. hehe! You HAVE to try their Lemon grass beef... to DIE for! LOL!!! Anywhoooo... I digress! haha! So after dinner, we walked around and found Kara's cupcakes. We had gone to a Kara's cupcakes in Napa before, so I KNEW I had to have one of their cupcakes again! These are the best I've ever tasted and I don't feel so guilty eating their light and fluffy cupcakes! hehe! So hubbs buys some cupcakes for us and when we got back to the hotel room, he popped a candle on one of them and sang Happy Birthday to me. Awwwweeeee! So, it was one of the most memorable moments of the weekend, I had to scrap it! :-)

Now on to the layout... LOL! I used a mod podge of Basic Grey papers (Nook & Pantry & Porcelan) and a bunch of fun products by My Favorite Things. The Sprinkles on Top Jolinne stamp set is just too adorable. I LOVE the Jolinne collection, she is so fun to paper piece! :-) I also incorporated some of the MFT Die-namics dies on this layout. The dies include the "Rolled Flower", "Rolled Rose", "Little Open Scallop Strip" and "Flower Trio & Leaf trio." I also used My Favorite Felt in Banana Split to cut out the Rolled Rose - super fun to do and it comes out so pretty!

Here are a few pictures of the final project, but be sure to check out my vid HERE for a closer look at how it all came together. :-)

Thanks for stopping by!