Unity Obsession Taken A Step Further

Some of you may know that I've been obsessed with Unity Stamps for some time now! So when I saw the announcement about {ippity} my wheels started turning!

I have been doing craft fairs in my "spare time" and since I am already involved with that, I thought adding {ippity} to my craft table would be FUN!
As with everything else in my life, I decided on the spur of the moment to become an {ippity chick}! I've been bored lately with the crafts I've been doing for the fairs and the idea of being part of this was beyond exciting to me! Why not put my beads aside and take my love of scrapbooking and papercrafting to my craft fair friends! So that is how {ippity} became a part of my life and I am looking forward to sharing it with all of you!

Visit my {ippity} blog to check out the product and visit again soon for some layouts and projects using {ippity} products!!!
xx, Nora Anne

NOTE: I am still working on my banner, my computer skills are a little lacking!

Yay!!! I did it!

It only took me an hour and a half while I should have been cleaning my house, but I was able to get my blog background uploaded right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy, it doesn't take much!
Have a nice day.
xx, Nora Anne

Blog Background

I finally uploaded my adorable (if I do say so myself!!) blog background that I purchased MONTHS ago from house of three.

I have to do some research online though, maybe some type of "Blogging for Dummies" to figure out how to make it all line up better. My text is not sitting right and it looks awkward. So, I think tomorrow I will work on that if I have the time! If anyone has any tips they can offer, I am open to suggestions, tutorials, or just someone to do it for me...LOL! I am not very computer savvy when it comes to that type of thing and I am nervouse I am going to delete my whole blog by accident!!!

Have a happy Sunday :) Nora Anne

Hello Blogger World!

How have you all been?! I feel so out of the loop and am looking so forward to getting back into the swing of things for the New Year! Santa brought me a wireless router, so now I can get back to one of my favorite past times, bloghopping! My home computer is in my third floor loft (used to be craft room, now JUNK room, soon to be craft room again **fingers crossed that I keep up with my resolution!**)

I stopped going up there because I missed my husband and son when I was hibernating on the computer. Now I can sit on the couch, hang out with them, blog hop and not be subjected to the history channel and the rest of the utterly boring shows my husband LOVES to watch (all at the same time, his channel surfing drives me NUTTY!) But now, I can drown all of that out while I play online!!! YIPPEE!!!!

In the meantime, here are some cards and stuff that I have made and not shared recently :)

All of these cards were made with stamps I got from One Little Spark, they carry the CUTEST supplies :) ! ! !

SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL and I'll "see" ya soon!!!!!

Hugs, Nora Anne

Huge Giveaway

WOW! Check out this giveaway I came across by Melissa! She left a comment on the Scrapbook Cafe blog for the Scrapbook Expo ticket giveaway, so when I went to check out her blog I was very surprised and delighted to see this awesome giveaway she is doing! I would just LOVE to win that Zutter Dream Kutz! :)
Have a happy Saturday!
xx, Nora Anne

It's been so long............

I am still here but haven't posted in SO long! My sister Colleen and I have been working like madwomen trying to get the shop organized and make it "our own"! We are having a great time but it's a lot of work so I haven't had much time at all for my Etsy shop or my own personal blog. No complaints though, I couldn't love it MORE! Here are two new arrivals we had today :) Pink Paislee's Twilight and Amber Road, it was just like Christmas when that Fed Ex man arrived!

And I finally hung up my print from RVA today :) It makes me smile :)

xx, Nora Anne

Red Velvet Art and Some News!

This print by Elsie Flanagan says it all!!!!!

So much so that I HAD to order it in celebration of my "new life"! Some of you know I took a layoff from my insurance job last month after almost 10 years due to the office relocating. I wasn't upset about it, it seemed like the right time in my life for a change. I didn't know how many changes would be going on until a week ago when I walked into my local scrapbook store, the Scrapbook Cafe, to say goodbye to the owner who is moving to England.

We got to talking and when I told her I wasn't working the wheels started turning for both of us! I left there 2 hours later and went straight to my sister's to discuss my "dream" with her. We were in the car within an hour and back there to talk to Angela. That was last Monday. Today I was there organizing the store and moving things around and if things go as planned, I will be a partner in this store very soon.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!!!!! Never in a million years did I think I would be doing something that I love so much and have a true passion for as "work", as my JOB! I should know for sure in the next few weeks, but was too excited not to share!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my news...I couldn't be happier right now :) Keep your fingers crossed!
xx, Nora Anne

***Edited to say, I hope Elsie doesn't mind me sharing her print here. I was too excited to think of that when I wrote this!***

A Mini Makeover

for my bathroom, not for me! LOL! Although, I could seriously use one right now! Feeling a little blah about my appearance these days, I really need to get back into a healthier lifestyle including more veggies, fruit and exercise for sure. I do feel like I am getting a little bit of mojo back though, which is good. I am feeling motivated to get things done around the house. I went to Target today and bought a new shower curtain, shower curtain hooks and a rug. Eventually we want to gut this bathroom and re-do it completely. It is small so it won't be a huge project, but for now I just felt like I needed to brighten it up a bit. So, brighten it up, I did, with some stripes and polka dots! It's a little juvenile looking maybe, but it's bright and cheery for the summer and was only an investment of about $35.00. When my son saw it, it put a smile on his face too, so that means it is a success!

On to something crafty! I made this card using the Always Remember stamp set I recently got from my Close To My Heart consultant.

I used DP from Pink Paislee and my Swiss Dots Embossing Folder that I LOVE! I use this one all the time! The flowers are from Michaels in the floral department.

Thanks for stopping by!
xx, Nora Anne

Victoria Case Beefcake & Some Modern Sugar Blvd.

A few more cards to share.....

I made these for co-workers prior to leaving my job last month. This first card uses Victoria Case's "Beefcake" digital image. When I saw this I knew I had to make a card for a guy I worked with because the image reminded me so much of him (yes I was lucky enough to work with someone that looked like this and was SUPER nice at the same time, which made him even more attractive!) Okay so he didn't look exactly like this, but close enough, maybe better!

The background image on this one is from Charmed Cards & Crafts and of course the "Beefcake" digi image is from the talented Victoria Case! I had so much fun making this card! The sentiment and name of the bar are kind of a joke that we had with this young cutie we worked with!

For the next two I used the Belly Mama digi stamp from Modern Sugar Blvd. This has to be one of my FAVORITES!!! I just love it :) and all of the men in my office had a crush on her when they saw these cards, too funny! They thought she was very sexy! For both cards I used paper from "Just Chillin" a Making Memories 8 x 8 paper pad that I got at Michael's. I made the brunette card first, then I RUSHED a few days later to do the blonde. I did a much better job coloring the brunette, I think. I still have a lot to learn with Copics!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer so far!

Hugs! Nora Anne

Happy Father's Day and Some Cards I've Made

Happy Father's Day to all you Daddies out there! Here in New Jersey we saw the sun for a short time today, but the rain is back! Since my office moved and I took a voluntary layoff 3 weeks ago, it has not stopped raining. If I was stuck in an office wearing an uncomfortable suit, pantyhose and high heels, I'm sure the sun would be shining, ha! But that's okay, although I haven't accomplished much around my house in the way of cleaning and organizing, I have made the time for some cardmaking! Here are a few recent ones to share :) Thanks for looking!

The first one is made with the Sugar Nellie Daydreamer stamp from Funky Kits. I used Stampin Up cardstock and DP along with my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder (love this one!!!)

On the second card I used a Memory Box perched chick stamp! Too cute :) I paperpieced the bird and branches and then mounted it on to Kraft cardstock from Stampin' Up that was cut with my scalloped oval Nestabilities.

The red and black card was made with the I Love To Shop Digi Stamp from Modern Sugar Blvd.

I've been having some fun with several of their stamps recently! I'll post some more later!

The last card is Lily at the Beach from Pink Cat Studio. I love these little cuties, I just bought the Sporty Billy set too, but haven't had a chance to play with them yet! I was turned on to Pink Cat Studio from following Lauren Meader's blog. She is a designer for them and I had never heard of them until I discovered her blog.

So that's all for now! I have some more to share later but must get going now and take care of my little 3 year old! He is so excited to be 3 now! He is doing great with potty training and is so proud to be a "big boy"! It's so much fun but sad for me too to see my baby growing up so quickly! TREASURE EVERY MOMENT! ! ! !

Are You YARTING?!!

Yard + Art = YART!

Make sure you check out Etsy's Second Annual Yart Sale going on until this Sunday! I have a special Yart Sale Shoppe Section where all items are marked at 50% off. Here is a sample of some items I have listed :)

There are so many GREAT talented artists on Etsy, and many of them are participating in the Yart Sale this year, so stop on over and check em all out!

Hello Blog World! There's A Yart Sale Coming To Town!

Wow! It's been ages since I blogged. Life has been crazy, but I am settling in to my new life as a "temporary" SAHM! I am officially unemployed as of 5/29/09 and am loving it! A lot has been going on, my sister has been having some pretty scary health issues, so the timing has been great as far as me not working because I have been able to help her out in the past week much more than I would have if I was working.

So, I decided to participate in the Second Annual YART SALE sponsored by Team ESST~Wednesday, June 10th-Sunday June 14th. I will have a selection of items in my "Yart Sale Shoppe" on sale for 50% off. This is my first time participating in anything like this on Etsy so I am pretty excited :) Make sure you stop by and see me over at Etsy.

Happy Mother's Day

A great day to all of you! I'm not sure about where you are, but the weather is absolutely gorgeous here and it has definitely raised my spirits! My husband and son are making me breakfast while I "speak" and the sun is shining and I feel yummy inside :)
HAPPY MOTHER's DAY to everyone out there in blogland!

Sassy Adult Humor

This is the name of the new section I added to my Etsy shop. The Victoria Case pin-up digital images are just too brilliant not to share! So I decided to make some cards with a "naughty" spin since the images themselves are very sexy ;)

I also made one using the Kawaii cherry stamp from My Cute Stamps. I hope nobody finds these cards offensive :)

On another note, I would like to wish everyone out there a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY. It's terrible to say since my son is not even three yet, but Mother's Day for me is a day that I dread rather than look forward to. In August my mom will be gone two years. Someday I hope I won't feel this way, but for now this day is not about me. I guess I am too new at being a mother that I still feel the day is not about me but always about my own mom. And without her, it's a day of sadness because I don't have her to hug and snuggle and kiss. Although I am 38 years old, up until the day she died, I would still crawl in bed with her and snuggle and feel like her little girl. I only hope that I can give my son the gift of being a mommy half as wonderful as she was.

I love you Mommy and miss you!

Someone is going to hit the lottery...

on May 1st!!!!! Debbie is giving away the farm on her blog to celebrate her blogoversary, so make sure you stop by and check it out! What an awesome prize with all of the nesties and Copics too!

Check out this Blog Candy!!!!

To celebrate her "blogoversary", Bev is giving away this awesome prize to one lucky winner on April 23rd...stop by and CHECK IT OUT!!!!!

A Beautiful Weekend and A Blog Award!

The weather could not have been better on Saturday! My sister was here for the weekend and we had such a great time hanging out on the beach and relaxing! Today was a bit chillier, but it was still pretty nice. My husband and I took Luke to the aquarium and the boardwalk, he loved it :)

I came home and did a little blog hopping and found an award from the talented Allie! Thank you so much !

And now it is my turn to pass along the award!

Here are the rules:

1. The winner may put the logo onto their blog

2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.

3. Nominate 10 blogs

4. Put links to their blogs.

5. Leave a message for the nominees.

So, here goes:

Kristine

JunieJo

The Tiny Fig

Mercy

Melissa

Emma

Making Lemonade

Liz

Etsy Owls

Jen

My Cute Stamps Giveaway

Go check out the My Cute Stamps blog to get in on a chance to win this adorable Easter stamp set in honor of a visit from the Easter Bunny :)

I really love all of their stamps, they are just too cute! I guess if I have to pick a favorite, it would be Sweet Kawaii, since this was the first set I discovered from My Cute Stamps and this is the one that got me hooked!

I just love all of the little faces on the sweet treats! I've only used the cherry stamp so far, but I can definitely see myself using these over and over! Don't forget to pop on over their for a chance to win your own Jelly Beans set! You won't be disappointed!

Spring Is In the Air!

It's a beautiful day today and after all of the rain, it finally feels like Spring! Easter is just a week away, I better get working on Luke's basket! He is so excited, the Easter bunny is coming to his daycare tomorrow for an egg hunt...I hope the weather is nice! In honor of the upcoming holiday, here is a card I made using another digital image by Victoria Case. This little bunny is just so cute :)

In another news, I have lost 10 pounds. I stopped doing the flat belly diet and am just doing my own thing. I kind of fell off the wagon recently, but am ready to hop back on!!!!

On the job front, my office is definitely moving, probably June 1st and I am most likely not going. I am waiting for an answer back on a severance package, as soon as I find that out, I can make my decision. I have been there for 9 years so it's kind of weird to think I might be leaving. But I am also secretly a little excited :) Stay tuned...............

I Do Not "Heart" Mondays

Wow, it's been awhile! First, I would like to congratulate all of the finalists in the Inky Impressions DT call. There is some HUGE talent out there! I would not have wanted to be the one to narrow it down :) Secondly, I would like to say that I FINALLY finished my two circle journals that I have shamefully had for WAY TOO LONG and they will be headed to Oklahoma for a stop at Allie's house before they make it back to their rightful owners. When did I become such a procrastinator? They took me all of an hour and I stressed over not doing them for months, I MUST STOP DOING THAT kind of stuff to myself! and to the girls at Memorable Seasons, I am sorry for being such a slacker :) Please forgive me!

In real life, I found out that my department is being transferred to our corporate office which would mean a commute for me of anywhere between an hour to an hour and 45 minutes with traffic. After working at this company for nine years, it feels like my second home and I was devastated to get this news. So, it is time for me to start hunting for something else. I have a few ideas floating around in my head, I just have to digest it all! I just can't be that far away from my son and be away from him for that long every day. I already miss out on so much being a FT working mommy. So, we'll see what the future holds!

I have been working on a new line of cards for my Etsy shop, sassy adult humor is the theme with a cutesy twist to it :) Here is a sneak peek, I hope to have some uploaded in there within the next week.

Can anyone guess the theme of this card?!?! LOL!

Here are some other cards I made this weekend for my Etsy shop. I sold three of them right away to a loyal customer and friend :) who inspires me to keep it up when I am feeling "mojo-less" due to her wonderful compliments!!!

Thanks for stopping by. TGIt's not Monday for much longer :) I vote for a 2 day work week!

Inky Impressions 1st DT Call

By the time I saw the post for the DT call at Inky Impressions, it was already past the deadline. But today I saw that it was extended so I am going to give it a whirl :)

Here are my two cards for the call. The first one is a Penny Black wood mounted stamp and the second is a Victoria Case Art Designs Rubber Stamp. For some reason, I picked two elephant images, not sure why! I just like these 2 cards I guess, anyway...wish me luck! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

xo, Nora Anne :)

Some New Cards, Kelly Goree and A Weight Loss Update!

I went to a quick crop at the Scrapbook Cafe on Saturday night, I was there from about 5:30-9:30. I made some cards that I've been wanting to make for my cousins and my sister's friend.

Kelly Goree from Basic Grey was there this weekend teaching classes so I had the opportunity to meet her and chat with her. She was so nice and is super talented! I'm bummed that I was unable to take her classes but it was cool to meet her and hear a little about her job with Basic Grey.

I also made two cards for my Etsy shop.

This one was made with 2 digital images from All That Scraps. Isn't she such a cute little bunny?!

And this one was made with a stamp I got from One Little Spark.

I also picked up my kit to make my Design Team projects for the Scrapbook Cafe tonight, so I have to start brainstorming some ideas for that!

On to my weight loss update! It has officially been one week and one day and I have lost 8.5 pounds so far! And that is without even exercising. I am hoping the weather will mellow out so I can start walking at lunch time again. To be honest, I haven't really been following the Flat Belly Diet. I followed it to a "T" for the first 4 days, but haven't really had time to read the whole book so I have just been cutting out carbs, eating a lot of veggies and drinking lots of water. It's unbelievable how much better I feel in such a short time! and my clothes are already fitting better...WOOHOO!!!!! I'll keep you posted :)

xo, Nora Anne

Saturday Night Challenge & The Flat Belly Diet!

Hello Friends! It's been awhile...Busy days, busy days! filled with Corn Flakes, Fruit Smoothies, Lactaid Milk, Chicken, Green Beans, I could go on & on! So, I started the flat belly diet this week, 5 days in, I feel great and the kicker, I lost 6 pounds so far! Woohoo! This is just the jumpstart I needed. I was eating so horribly and feeling awful and in just 5 days, it's incredible at how much better I feel! I will keep you posted!
On to the crafty stuff! This week's Saturday Night Challenge was to make a card or layout using layers. I got a little carried away and made three!

This one is a Pink Petticoat digital image...too cute! The paper is WeRMemoryKeepers and I colored that cute little elephant with my Copic Markers.

For this next one, I started by cutting my scalloped card out with my Sizzix Big Shot, punched some layered edges with my Martha Stewart punch. The stamps are Studio G from the $1.00 section at Michael's, colored with my Copic Markers, of course! and distressed edges. Add the flowers and brad, and Voila!

And last, but not least is another adorable digital image by Victoria Case.

It doesn't really look like much in the way of layers, but all of the patterend paper pieces are layers cut from a patterned paper by Elsie Flanagan...love her! Then there are also the layers behind the gamer boy image. I colored him in with my Copics markers.

Well, thanks for stopping by!

xx, Nora Anne

Design Team!!! and Two New Cards

I was so excited to get an email yesterday letting me know that I was selected as one of the new Design Team Members at my local scrapbook store, The Scrapbook Cafe!!!! I have been a customer there for several years and am so happy to be selected for their DT! My first project will be a layout about me that will be displayed in the store, so I have to get working on that :) YAY!
On another note, here are two new cards I made for a great Etsy customer and a new friend! Isn't the internet great? You get to connect with people all over the country and the world!


Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are having a great week.
:) Nora Anne

Cleaning Out My Craft Room & Saturday Night Challenge Cards

My craft room is getting OUT OF CONTROL! One of my goals for the New Year is to SIMPLIFY my life! I am a self-proclaimed pack rat and am trying to change that! I can't stand the clutter that it causes and am working hard on changing my ways. I went through some of my old stamps that I have either NEVER used or used once 5 years ago! I listed some for sale on Split Coast Stampers, so check it out!

I made two cards, both of which qualify for this weeks Saturday Night Challenge. In honor of Shelia's birthday, the challenge is to use her favorite color-purple-in either a card or layout. I also have a February birthday and since the birthstone is Amethyst, purple has always been one of my favorite colors too :)

Thanks for looking! Have a great Monday!