Make it in Minutes

I thought it would be fun to feature quick and easy cards and projects that take only minutes to make, but look like you spent more time making them.

I purchased the Gatefold Jacket Scroll Dies and I am so happy I did! I used cardstock that I purchased from Michaels for the outside of the card which was too light weight. I would recommend using a heavier cardstock or lining the sides. See video below for directions.

I used Anna griffin card stock for the inside concentric rectangles and love that the dies came with them. I used temporary glue on one side of my latch, but Anna Griffin developed a different technique in her video below. The flowers and label are from my Anna stash.



Have a wonderful day!

Simply Organized!

Welcome to Simply Organized! Every week or so I showcase blogs, websites or posts that provide innovative approaches to organizing and designing your craft space as well as other areas in your home.



I am a huge Marie Kondo fan and love her video on how to organize your scarf collection. I hang all my scarves and I can’t wait to try her method.

Please click here if you are not able to see the above video.

I would love to click my fingers and have every room in my house totally organized. When I get frustrated regarding how long it is taking me to get organized, I remember this quote. “Organizing is a journey, not a destination.”

I hope you are having a wonderful journey!

Perfection...

I made this card for my niece and her husband to celebrate their new home. I used an Anna Griffin kit and made this while on vacation.

When I looked at the finished card, I realized that the flower sticker was upside down. I was upset that this simple card was not perfect. As a crafter, I tend to place a great deal of emphasis on perfection.

I found this amazing quote and wrote it on a sticky note, which is displayed on my computer. “Don’t Let the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good.”

My goal for this week is to try and let go of some of my perfectionist tendencies. I would love to know how you feel about perfectionism and crafting. Please share any tips you have in the comments or send me an email.

Have a wonderful day!

Simply Organized!

Welcome to Simply Organized! Every week or so I showcase blogs, websites or posts that provide innovative approaches to organizing and designing your craft space as well as other areas in your home.

Our life is pretty hectic at the moment so I am extremely grateful for this post by Leanne. I plan to implement several of the 33 Ways to Simplify Your Life.

I love her two minute rule and her advice to let some things go. I have a tendency to say yes to everything and end up being overbooked and overwhelmed. If you can relate to feeling overwhelmed at times, this post is for you.

As always I would love to hear your thoughts.

Coastal Vacation - California Redwoods

Hello all, here are the last of my husband Bill's pictures from our summer coastal vacation. Before visiting my sister, we went to see the northern California redwoods, near Crescent City, California.  If you haven't seen them, yet, I highly recommend making a trip to see these quiet giants.

This tree is called "Big Tree" and is located in the Big Tree Wayside in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Big Tree is one of the very tallest at 304 feet. (92.6m) Think 30 story building. The base of the tree is 20 feet across and would fill a two car garage. It's age is estimated to be 1,500 years old. We managed to capture other tourists in the photo!

The forest floor is frequently covered with gardens of ferns. The bigger trees in the picture are probably 10ft or (3m) wide or more.

This photo was taken in the Simpson Grove which is part of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park near Crescent City.  Many of the groves in the park are named after generous donors of the past.

Our home is in a very dry climate so we really enjoy the abundance of ferns.

This picture was taken on Cal Barrel Road in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. I left the pickup in the picture for scale.

I hope you enjoyed these photos and stop by later this week for a new project.

Fab Five

Welcome to Fab Five. For those of you that are new to this blog, every week I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I try to never miss a Brand of the Month post from Simon Says Stamp! This month they are featuring Tim Holtz. Wow!

I can’t wait to try this unusual one pot peach basil chicken from How Sweet Eats. Yum!

On July 16th Anna will be on HSN promoting lots of new products including this purse die set.

This die set is on my must buy list!

I can’t wait!

This card designed by Laura Bassen makes me smile. It is truly too cute for words.

Lori Whitlock posted a detailed tutorial on how to purchase and download one of her SVG files to your computer to use with your Silhouette or Cricut. Check it out if you are thinking of purchasing one of her beautiful files.

Thanks for visiting and have a fabulous Fab Five Day!

Coastal Vacation - Shore Acres State Park

I'm continuing today with more summer vacation pictures by my husband Bill. He got up for some early morning light and went to Shore Acres State Park near Coos Bay, Oregon. The park features a beautiful flower garden that was started by one of the founding families of North Bend Oregon around the turn of the last century.  Unfortunately, hot dry weather in the weeks before had taken a toll on the flower gardens, but some parts were still blooming.

One of the features of Shore Acres State Park is a Japanese garden.

In spite of the dry weather, the Calla Lilies were in full bloom.

Small flowers in the shadows were blooming nicely.

Irises bloomed on the far side of the pond.

Water Lilies were blooming on the pond as well.

Ferns and horse tails in a nearby gully created lush gardens.

Thanks Bill for these amazing photos!

Thanks for visiting and stop by later for more of Bill's pics of the California Redwoods.

Coastal Vacation - Beaches

My husband and I had been looking forward to our summer vacation for months and just got back!  We visited the southern Oregon coast, California Redwoods, and my family. Bill will be sharing a few of his pictures while I catch up on my job and new projects.

The sky at Bandon Beach was amazing along with the sea stacks along the shore.

Bandon Beach was so beautiful!

Bandon Beach along with perfect weather.

Amazing rugged shoreline at Shore Acres State Park, Coos Bay Oregon

Shore Acres State Park

Low tide at Shore Acres State Park.

Umpqua River Light House, built in 1894.

Thanks for visiting! Drop in and check out Bill's Shore Acres Flower Garden pictures and photos of the California Redwoods.

Fab Five

Welcome to Fab Five. For those of you that are new to this blog, every week I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy.

I am so excited about the new Cricut Infusible Ink products and I can’t wait to buy them.

I love this Father’s Day card by Aimee.

A special thanks to my sister for sending me this link. Kari’s card is so adorable!

I can’t wait to make these cute petal topped boxes.



Love the video too!

As you know, I never miss a color layering card tutorial from Yana!



She makes it look so easy!

Thanks for visiting and have a fabulous Fab Five Day!

Seasonal Color Analysis….

I am recovering from a nasty virus and I have not been able to work on any new projects. However, in the meantime, I thought you might like to see another video from one of my favorite fashion bloggers.

I love this informative video from Audrey Coyne. If you want to learn more about color analysis, be sure to check out this informative video.



Please click here if you are not seeing the above video.

Thanks for watching and have a wonderful day!

Simply Organized!

Welcome to Simply Organized! Every week or so I showcase blogs, websites or posts that provide innovative approaches to organizing and designing your craft space as well as other areas in your home.

This is part three of a four post series from I Heart Organizing.

I love her labeling techniques! Wow!

Click here for part two and here for part one.

I hope you are having a wonderful day!