Wild about You

Every now and then I like to make my hubby a card to show him how thankful I am for all he does for our family. Sometimes I just want to tell him how much I love him. Howard and Laura brought me some goodies back from CHA in January since I was unable to make it. One of the items I found in my bag was the Slice Jungle design card. :) Here's a card I made for Rocky using that design card...

I started by making my card base, which is 4x8. Then I cut the piece of white American Crafts cardstock then emobossed it with my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. I added a strip of kraft along the bottom that I had run through a paper crimper. The ape and leaves and 'wild' were cut using the Jungle design card and I added some Making Memories mini alphas to complete my sentiment. The ape was covered with Soft Nut Brown Flower Soft. I added two scallop strips that were edged with the Martha Stewart Scallop w/2 dots punch. To finish off the card I wrapped some twine around the crimped piece. All pieces were inked with Mocha Mama chalk ink by Quick Quotes. Rocky got a kick out of this card.

Well, things are moving right along with the new house. Rocky has been bustin' his rump painting, texturing and laying tile. They laid 16x16 slate rock in the second bathroom on the floor and up the wall with a 4 foot wainscoat. They went ahead and added it up the side of the vanity and re-covered the top with it. It looks amazing! Then we had to find a new sink and we wanted something nice to follow the rustic feel so this is what I found...

Isn't it gorgeous??? I LOVE this sink! We found it online at www.coppersinksdirect.com. It is hammered copper with a dark patina. The retail price is $640!!! GASP! But, {lucky me} this sink is on clearance for a whopping $99 with FREE SHIPPING!!! Hello new sink! Now I'm off to find some new lighting to finish out that room! Once we get the room all done I'll upload some pics!

Thanks for stopping by! I'm headed to Mancheser, NH super early Wednesday with Scrap-Mart for the CK convention. If you're in the area stop by and say hi! If not, I'm sure we're headed to a convention near you soon! I'll share more when I return (sorry, I'm not taking my laptop with me :( ).

Katie

Random notes...

My friend and fellow DT member for Scrap-Mart tagged me this week to play along in a blog game that's pretty much sharing random facts about myself. So, here goes...

Ten Things that make {ME} Happy!

1. The color PINK! By far my favorite color.

2. Mexican food. I grew up in South Texas and ate what most know as "Tex Mex" on a regular basis. I love making homemade flour tortillas and sopping up enchilada sauce, queso or guacamole with them!

3. The Internet. I know, crazy. But seriously, I have met so many wonderful friends and learned an unquantifiable amount of information thanks to the internet.

4. My papercrafting hobby. I love to scrapbook and make cards but I also enjoy creating altered projects. There's something about the freedom of creativity and ending up with something that I love and that puts a smile on the face of a loved one.

5. Cooking. I LOVE to cook. I scour the internet all the time for new recipes to try.

6. Our new house. We've waited a LONG time to find the "one" for us. We are so thankful that we finally have it.

7. Music. I listen to lots of different types of music but classic country is my fav.

8. My iphone. Didn't want one when they came out. Waited forever to get it. Don't know what I'd do without it. (Sad, I know.)

9. Spring! This is by far my favorite time of year. I get to wear my favorite shoe...the flip flop and sport new sunglasses! Ahhh!

10. Shopping. I like to shop whether it be for groceries or clothes. I love to browse and scour and find great deals.

Now, please don't think I'm weird for not listing my family or kids or hubby. For me, they go without saying! They are number one on my list everyday!

5 pieces of trivia about myself:

1. I was in the United States Navy for 2 years 6 months and 14 days.

2. I put Miracle Whip on my hot dog. (drives people crazy!)

3. I have no food or medicine allergies.

4. I am terrified of snakes.

5. The Giraffe is my favorite animal at the zoo.

See, totally random. Did you learn anything about me?! LOL! Now I get to pick 5 people to share like I did. Here are my choices:

Shar

Michelle Granger

Rae Barthel

Amber Bradley Winward

Heidi

Well, there you have it. I hope you guys play along and readers, be sure to check them out! Those are some seriously talented crafty ladies! Thanks for stoppin' by. I'll see you again soon!

Katie

Changes are headed my way...

Well, lots of changes are taking place in the Piotrowski household. We bought a new house...FINALLY!! We have been looking for a while now and a little over a year ago we lost a house the day before closing (due to owner/title issues). We are so very thankful to have come across this house. Our realtor and lender were amazing and there's NO way we could've got what we did without them. Here's a pic of the house from just outside the front fence...

It sits on one acre and the front yard is fenced (GREAT for Lola, my new Schnauzer...she comes home when we move so pics of her to come later). There's four bedrooms (the office is actually converted to be the fourth) and two bathrooms along with TONS of cabinet space AND a walk-in pantry in the kitchen. Can you say HEAVEN?! LOL! We are beyond excited and sooooo ready to begin this next chapter in our lives.

The house is about 20 miles Northwest of town and about 30 miles from our current home. The kids will switch schools next year but will finish out where they are this year. I have given my notice at my current place of employment and will travel more with Scrap-Mart to give me more time home with the kids. I'm thrilled that I will be able to spend the summer with them.

Walnut Creek State Park is about half a mile from the house as is Keystone Lake. And the school has a nice playground that is walking distance from the house. That is GREAT for the kids!

Before I go, here's a quick layout I did of Cody. His little sister took a picture of him jumping off the dresser onto her toddler bed. Can you say BUSTED???

Isn't that funny? He had the biggest grin on his face. Little did he know he was totally caught in the act. LOL! I used some yummy new Jillibean Soup for this layout.

Well, I'm going to run. It's story time then bedtime for the little ones and we have painting to do tomorrow. Thanks for stoppin' by and for letting me share our exciting news with you! I'll be back soon with more crafty goodness!

Katie

Copic Certified

Have you noticed the new button on the right of my blog??? Yep, it's true! I attended the Copic Certification in St. Louis last weekend and I am now a Certified Designer! The class is technique based and while I *thought* I knew how to color, I was not prepared for all I could do with these markers. We learned many new techniques and even got to play with the airbrush system. It's much easier than you might think. Actually, the airbrushing is easier that the coloring. lol Here's a card I made before I attended the class...

I stamped the image from the Rock the Farm set by The Greeting Farm then colored it in with my Copics. After coloring the image I used my Spellbinders Oval Nestabilities to cut it out. The patterned papers are from the Sassafras Lass Cherry Delicious Wee Bundle. The sentiment was stamped from the JustRite 1 5/8" Seeds of Kindness Borders and Centers set then cut with Labels One Nesties. All edges were distress then I added a touch of Stanpin' Up Real Red ribbon.

In other news, I will be working in the Scrap-Mart booth at the Manchester, NH convention at the end of the month so if you're attending, stop by the booth and say hi! I'd love to meet you!

Thanks for stoppin' by! I'll be back soon with more paper goodies!

Katie

Whew! What a month!

Sometimes, time just gets away from you. February was such a rush. Came and went like a flash of light. While I didn't accomplish much blogging in February, I did accomplish lots of crafty stuff. My scrap job lands me lots of new product and I've recently dug into my stash to use some goodies I've been hoarding. Here's a layout I made last week with some goodies I bought last June at the GASC Arlington show! Gasp!

I used Piggy Tales patterned paper, Quick Quotes chalk ink for the edges, some dollar stamps from M's, I think, and Scenic Route chipboard and rub-ons. The layout came together rather quickly.

I have also been playing with my Copic markers. I created this girly card which was inspired by Scrap-Mart design team member Eva.

I started this card by cutting a scallop circle card base with my Petite Scallop Circle Nestabilities then I layered a plain Circle to the top. I stamped the image using Unity's new Girl of the Moment set then colored it with my Copic markers. The sweater and shoes are covered with Eyeliner Black Sparkly Fluff by Our Craft Lounge. That stuff is sooooo fun! I cut a Labels One from some Teresa Collins paper, also purchased in Arlington last June, before I added the image to the card front. I stamped the sentiment then cut it out using my Spellbinders Double End Tags then airbrushed over it with my Copic Airbrush system before removing it from the die. I finished it off with a bit of ribbon and a bow.

I just got another HUGE box of all new goodies from Scrap-Mart so stay tuned for more new projects. I won't even try to lay on any excuses for not blogging. I can't say I haven't had the time becuase the fact is I haven't MADE the time. But, I WILL be back Monday with some more fun to share with you. Thanks for stoppin' by! See you soon!

Katie

Pics, a shout out and a giveaway!

Geez! Time is flying already! In less than a week my baby girl will turn 4! How did that happen? Already? I am so thankful that I was able to stay home with both Cody and Shelby for their infant and toddler years. And even now that I'm working, my job (and boss) are very giving and flexible. I couldn't ask for a better situation (thanks Angela!).

Last week we had some crazy winter weather that was everything from just bitter cold to wet and icy to SNOW! Personally, I don't mind any of it. So I have to stay inside for a few days? So what?! Drives most people crazy but I think it's beautiful. I was awestruck at some of the icicles and I couldn't resist heading out to take some photos.

These are just a few that I shot!

If you didn't notice, classes have resumed at The Scrappin' Pad. It's too late to get in on February's class but I will be posting info on March's very soon. If you're not in the area but are still interested in a kit, email me at I'll get you taken care of.

And in other scrappy news, the new Scrap-Mart.com blog is up and running. The new design team has settled in and is doing a fabulous job. We are making few changes to the way we do things. First of all, we are moving from our Monday-Wednesday-Friday posting to DAILY posts! Yep, that's right a full daily dose of inspiration! And, insted of having only sketch challenges, it will now rotate out and every Friday one of our designers will have a unique challenge for you to participate in. And, for every challenge you participate in, you will get your name entered into a drawing for a random monthly prize! How cool is that?! Stop by and see us and if you happen to link to our blog, be sure to email me at katie@scrap-mart.com so I can add your blog to our friends list!

I'd also like to give a shout out to my friend, Rae Barthel. Rae just announced that she was chosen to join the Nikki Sivils design team! How exciting! A huge congrats to you, Rae! You are very deserving of that spot! To read her announcement and see her beautiful submissions click HERE.

And, one last thing before I go. SMDT member Jenn recently had her blog done by The Posh Box. Well, I saw on Jenn's blog that The Posh Box is giving away not one, but two blog designs! How exciting! She has lots of different templates to choose from and it is super affordable! Click HERE to read the info and enter for the giveaway!

Well, I'd better run and finish getting ready for work! I've procrastinated long enough this morning. hehehe Have a great day and I'll be back soon with cute Valentine project!

Katie

Hey Slice lovers....

LOOK!!!!



Isn't that the greatest thing???!!! I sooooooo can't wait to get my hands on that! And, did you notice the can of Slice Spray Adhesive next to her??? Uh huh. Yep. They've managed to outdo themselves again! Love Making Memories!

Stop by the Scrap-Mart.com blog to see more product reveals from companies such as Sizzix, Spellbinders and more!

To pre-order any of the brand new goodies, click HERE. If you have any questions, email me at katie@scrap-mart.com.

Thanks for stoppin' by! I'll be back later this week with a project made using my new Sizzix Big Shot Pro machine and dies!

Katie