Hi all! This is another page that I made while I was in Vegas a couple weekends ago. :)

@ the slc airport - Pattered paper: Scenic Route; felt and chipboard letters: American Crafts; ribbon: Love Elsie; Pretty in Pink craft ink: Stampin' Up!

Sorry, all! In a hurry this morning! Video should be pretty self explanatory. :)

Just saw this over at YouTube. Apparently, the little girl has only seen Star Wars once and it was over the course of 3 days in little bits here and there.

SO CUTE!

Another page for my 8x8 scrapbook journal, this time featuring the girls I work with. We actually have one more on our team now (hey Venessa!) but, believe it or not, this is the only picture I have of any of us. I better remedy that so I can scrapbook a page with all of us. :)

Product Design - Grid patterned paper: Scenic Route; "I love art" patterned paper: Love Elsie; chipboard letters: American Crafts.

Hi all! Just another 8x8 page for my scrapbook journal. :)

Hi all! I'm back from Vegas and am suffering from the world's worst cold. Apparently, this year's cold and flu season is awful and I can fully attest to this. Ick! I stayed home from work on Tuesday, and worked only half a day yesterday. And I just got over that stupid sinus infection!

Anyhow, I had a visit to my dentist this morning and am now wearing my first set of Invisalign trays. This will be an interesting process, that much I can say. I get to wear 19 trays on my top teeth, and 16 trays on my bottom teeth.

For those who aren't aware of Invisalign, it's an alternate to traditional metal braces. Not only is it a nearly invisible process, but instead having your braces tightened each month, you simply replace your trays every two weeks. Each new set of trays has a slight difference so it gradually moves your teeth and straightens them out. So, that means I'll be in the trays for 9-1/2 months. Not bad!

(Sorry, no before pictures... I hate looking at "teeth only" photos, so I refused to take one of myself.)

My dentist put six attachments (little tooth-colored nodes) on my teeth to help the trays stay put, and overall it hasn't been too bad. I only notice the attachments when I'm not wearing the trays. And the only time I take the trays out is when I eat. In fact, there's no eating or drinking anything (other than water) while wearing the trays. So you could say that I'm on the "Invisalign Diet." Certainly helps with mid-afternoon snacking. :)

I've wanted to straighten my teeth for a long time now and thankfully my employer added adult orthodontia to our dental plan this year. By no means does it cover the entire cost of Invisalign, but it covered enough to make it worth it to me. If you're thinking about Invisalign, it's worth a trip to your dentist/orthodontist... at least to get a cost estimate so you can start saving up. Invisalign does cost more than traditional braces. :)

Don't ask how much I paid... I'm still in denial.

Anyhow, slight discomfort today. I took an ibuprofen to help with the pain and that seems to help. One of the hygienists at my dentist office this morning suggested that I put new trays in at night and then take an ibuprofen. That way, I'll sleep through most of the discomfort that inevitably follows putting new trays on. Good to note for later, but for now, I'll have to live through the "first day pain."

Oh, and I'm talking with a lisp, which is a constant source of entertainment for the girls as work. I'm told that will go away soon, though. Unfortunately, my name has an 's' in it... I can't even pronounce my own name without it sounding funny! :)

Hi all! This week's card was actually made last week! Right now, I'm actually in Las Vegas so I had to film the MACM video early. :)

Of all the occasions that need a card, I think birthdays are the most common. I always like to have different types of birthday cards on hand just in case I need them. This card could be for just about anyone, but with the bright colors I might lean more toward giving it to child.

This video also shows how to mount stamps and a few tips on creating "window" cards with multiple punches. I also do a bit of watercolor painting with Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Wonder Crayons. As I mention in the video, there are many other ways of using the crayons--this is just one way. :)

Anyway, enjoy the video and I'll catch up with you when I get back in town. Thanks, ya'll!

Just kidding about the "I won't be around all weekend." I just can't unplug!

BTW, we totally sound like we're on crack in this video. Apologies. Really. Oh, and yes, I really did type DYI instead of DIY. :)

This video initially was for my sister's kids. She took a cue from the AT&T commercials they've been playing, and brought along a stuffed animal to send pics and vids back to the children so they feel like they're a part of the trip. But then, we got excited exploring the suite and totally forgot that this video was for kids. ;) Not that there's anything bad in it, but... Anyway, here it is.

Hey kids!

I'm going to be MIA (missing in action) for a few days while I galavant around Las Vegas this weekend. It's an all girls scrapbook weekend with my sisters, mom, aunt, and cousins. :)

Until then, enjoy your weekend. I'll be back on Monday for another MACM.

Rock- A-By Baby - Ivory card stock: Scenic Route; Nursery Necessities stamp set, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, and So Saffron inks; light blue gingham ribbon: Stampin' Up!.

Is is just me, or does the video "flicker" all throughout it? Weird. YouTube's on crack today. Sorry guys. I'll try to upload it again tonight to get it to look better. In the meantime, try not to have any adverse reactions to the flickering.

Baby Girl Card - Ivory card stock and patterned paper: Scenic Route; Nursery Necessities stamp set, Pretty in Pink ink, circle punches, and Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon: Stampin' Up!

Do NOT wear two new pairs of shoes two days in a row.

I also wanted to let you all know that all supplies and music used in my videos are listed in the rolling credits at the end of every video. I've had a few questions recently, so I thought I'd tell you all to check the video credits. You might find what you need listed there. :) Happy crafting, all!
Kristina

P.S. I've got two bonus videos for ya'll this week. :) I'll post the first one tomorrow and follow it up with the second part on Friday.

Hi all!

For this week's video I wanted to do something SO super easy that anyone could do it. I mean, if you know how to cut paper and sprinkle some glitter, you're all set for this card!

When I saw the Making Memories Ready-to-Glitter stickers, I knew I had to try them out. They're similar to Stampin' Up!'s Sticky Cuts Letters, only smaller which makes them perfect for cards. :)

Anyhow, my only complaint is that it's hard to remove the backing on them. Not NEARLY as hard as using Martha's Double-Sided Alphabet Sticker Roll. Now, that was a disaster. You mean they sell these things? I bought some a while back and practically wanted to throw them across the room. Although, I did do one project with them.

Anyhow, enjoy the card!

[VIDEO DELETED] - Sorry, kids--I was getting weird and disturbing emails from sickos with foot fetishes... Thought I better just delete the video. Not worth it, ya know?

Okay, so what girl doesn't LOVE shoes?! Two of the pairs I show in the video can't be found online, but here are some links to the other ones (of course, they were MUCH less expensive at DSW Shoes than anywhere else I found online):

Steven Madden, Diane (sorry, couldn't find these online)
Madden Girl, Eddiie (but in red, not brown)
Bobbi Blu, Amberlie
Rocket Dog, Angel-Love (sorry, couldn't find these online)

And the fashion girl I listen to on the radio, Alicia Richmond, can be found at Chic on a Shoestring.

Hi all! Just some quick photos of my card club projects for this month.

Super easy cards with a little teeny tiny bag thrown in.

I got the bag idea from Annie, who is an avid Martha Stewart fan and pointed me in the direction of the the template over at marthastewart.com. I adapted the template to be used with patterned paper. Just transfered the measurements and there we go!

Anyhow, enjoy!

Bag - All supplies from Stampin' Up! Cerise Designer Series Paper; Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon. Pattern for bag from marthastewart.com

Thank You - Perfect Timing stamp set, Soft Sky ink, Soft Sky, Old Olive, and So Saffron card stock, Scallop Circle punch: Stampin' Up!; patterned paper: Scenic Route; ribbon: American Crafts.

Friend - Chocolate Chip and Pretty in Pink card stock, Regal Rose wide grosgrain ribbon, Carte Postale and Fundamental Phrases stamp sets, Close to Cocoa and Regal Rose inks, metal edged tag, corner rounder punch: Stampin' Up!; patterned paper: Basic Grey.

Hi all!

My card club is tomorrow night so I've been designing the cards, but other than that, not much is happening. I do want to direct ya'll over to Erica's blog for a cool project using some products from Stampin' Up!'s Occasions Mini Catalog and the new Pockets & Pieces. Awesome hostess gift alert!

Also, mama got a pretty nice tax return (oh yeah!) and has been throwing down some cash on things that I've been eyeing for a while now. So Sephora's sending me a Clarisonic. Anyone have one of these? I don't feel like my makeup is completely washed off after I clean my face, and I've heard awesome things about the Clarisonic so I thought I'd give it a try. Plus they have a full 60-day return policy. I'll let you know how it goes.

In other random bits of news, what's up with the Utah primary polls that require you to say which party you're voting for before you're even given a ballot? And what if you want to vote for a Republican candidate, but don't want to register as a Republican voter? Hello? Stupid. Shouldn't it be that you just walk in, get a ballot and vote? With no questions asked. Without having to tell the workers at the precinct which party you're voting for. You shouldn't be asked out in the open who you're voting for when there are twenty people behind you waiting to vote, too.

I'm sad to say I didn't make it out to vote yesterday, but people I know had similar experiences yesterday. Tell me, do other parts of the country have ridiculous primary voting requirements?

UPDATE: There are some really great explanations in the comments section about closed primaries. Thanks for all your input and info. I think I understand it more clearly now. :)

I guess my issue isn't with the fact that you can only vote within your party. My issue is with the way the voting is handled in general. Living in a state that is overwhelmingly Republican, it can be a bit intimidating declaring yourself anything against the majority--especially for first time voters. After one of my co-workers told the poll workers she needed the Democratic ballot, someone said, "Another one? What's happening to this place?"

What?! Who wants to face those type of comments or dirty looks (as one of the commenters experienced) because of their party affiliation?

Personally, I believe that because voting is nearly all electronic now, that there should be some sort of preliminary/opening question on the computer you're using that first asks you (not in front of everyone, but after you're in the booth) which party you'd like to vote for. THEN it brings up the names of those running within your party. You pick your candidate and then you're done. The ONLY thing they should verbally ask you is, "Are you affiliated with either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party? Yes or No." If you're not, then you can register to one or the other right there before you vote.

Just my opinion. Basically I have a problem with rude people--whether it's while I'm voting or while I'm driving down the street. In every imaginable situation, rude people bug me.

I'll hop off my soap box now.

Discuss.

Hi all!

I'm still obsessing a little bit over Accents & Elements kits, so the card for this week's video uses another kit. :) These really are awesome kits... But enough of that. I'm sure you're all sick of me going on and on about them.

This week's card took 17 minutes, but only because I couldn't decide what to do! It took a bit longer because I didn't really have a plan before I set out to make the card. Sometimes I'll have a glimpse of an idea, but other times like when I made this video, I have NO idea. Anyway, I'm sure if I cut out all the indecisiveness, it would have taken me about 7 minutes. :)

Something to note about the video: I have a typo in it about half way through when I use the felt flower. The Flower Fusion Accents & Elements kit is actually $14.95 US. Sorry 'bout the confusion. I really should upload a new version of this video, but I didn't want to make ya'll wait until tonight to get the new MACM.

Hi all!

I'm still caught in my Valentines-Guava-Cocoa phase! I used nearly the same supplies for this card that I use for this week's MACM, but I just couldn't resist! I loved it too much!

I've had a lot of questions about Accents & Elements--apparently, many of you aren't familiar with them! :) Just let me tell you that the Accents & Elements kits are awesome and worth the time to look into. If you're familiar at all with Stampin' Up!'s Simply Scrappin' Kits, A&E kits are essentially just the die-cut pre-printed adhesives that come in the scrapbooking kits. They're awesome! A&E kits work great for cards.

I've been eyeing one of the A&E kits and I can't wait to create something with it. I might have to use it for next week's MACM!

Anyhow, I hope everyone has an awesome weekend. I'm planning to do a bit of baking, and then update some of the items in the columns here at my blog. :)

What are you up to this weekend?

Love Love Love - Forever in My Heart stamp set; Dotted wheel; Close to Cocoa, Groovy Guava, and Blush Blossom card stock; Close to Cocoa and Groovy Guava ink; clear button; thread.