New Puppy at our house...Biscuit



Biscuit 9 weeks old

Biscuit is a yorkshire terrier who carries the golden yorky and the chocolate yorky genes.  She's 9 weeks old and the newest little girl at our house.  We are loving her to pieces.  My friend, Elaine, raises yorkies - they are all a part of the family and loved right from birth.  If you'd like to see some of her pups, you can go to her site.  http://www.nanasyorkies.com/  You will fall in love with their sweet faces.  She has a few yorkies available - and soon our Trixie's "shorkies" will be available.  She also has "morkies" and "labradorkies" coming.  Yes...."labradorkies"  Mom is a black lab and Dad is a parti-yorkie.  Can you believe it?   I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it too.  Can't wait to see what they will look like.

Okay - enough of my yorky obsession - on to the cricut creations.....

Missing in Action - but finally back!

I can't believe it's been so long since my last post.  But, things have been crazy around the Ross household.  December 17th brought our much awaited "shorky/yorkies".  My beautiful Trixie gave birth to 4 puppies.  3 little girls and 1 strapping little boy.  Trixie is a shitzu/yorky mix and the father, Rascal, is our resident male yorky...Pack Leader King!  Here is a picture of the tired mom right after delivery.

The puppies are growing fast and Trixie is a FANTASTIC mom.   We are also babysitting for my youngest son - his two yorkies, Murphy (The devil dog) and Pumpkin.  Both of them are rescue yorkies - and have very interesting personalities.  How blessed they were to find Brian and Stephanie for their forever homes.  In case you need a count - the yorkies at our house this holiday season is as follows:

Kodi - 16 years - rescue male

Murphy - 10 years - rescue male

Rascal - 6 years - dominant pack leader king

Pumpkin - 5 years - rescue female - silky

Trixie - 3 years - rescue female - shorky

Trixie's 4 pups

This gives us a grand total of 9 yorky type dogs in our house!  Needless to say, two packs coming together with the normal hustle and bustle of Christmas...I NEED A VACATION!!!!

My wonderful husband, Jim, over did himself at Christmas...I got a new cricut expression, a gypsy, 4 new cartridges and an assortment of mats, blades and adhesives.  Here is a man who knows how to make his wife a happy woman!!!  We were blessed to have our 3 year old granddaughter, Lexi, spend the night and have Christmas morning with us.  What a GREAT day we had.  Okay, there was a little over stimulation and melt down - but all-in-all, we had a great day.  Next year both Lexi and Anna will be here!

I've been playing with my new toys and hope to post something soon...meanwhile here are some puppy pics for those of you who are crazy for puppies! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ALL!



Stylish Blogger Award Winners

The eight bloggers I have chosen to award this to are:

1.  Linda, http://www.lindascreativity.blogspot.com/ My sister who started me on this paper crafting journey!
2.  Debbie, http://craftydeb-ddscrafts.blogspot.com/
3.  Shelley, http://heartstring-designs.blogspot.com/
4.  Daily Scrapper,  http://abusyplace.blogspot.com/
5.  Terry, http://cherishedtreasures-terry.blogspot.com/
6.  Dorcas, http://4craftyangels.blogspot.com/  ALWAYS, an inspiration to me.
7.  Karlee, http://www.karleekrafts.com/
8.  Ruthie, http://septemberninth.blogspot.com/

Ladies, you are an inspiration to me - and I can only hope to be as creative as you are.  Please accept this award from me.

Blog Award - Soooooo Excited!!!!!!

Theresa at "Juicy Creations",  http://juicycricutcards.blogspot.com/ , awarded me my very first Blog Award.   I am so excited and so very humbled that she found me and picked me for this award.  I'm very new to the blogging world, and have been using my blog to showcase my creative adventures into paper crafting - as well as my other creations.  Thank you Theresa for this wonderful award!

This award comes with a few rules:

1.  Thank the person who awarded you. 
2.  Share 8 Things About Yourself:
      1.  Being creative and creating feeds my soul, and fills me up, so that I can be who I am.
      2.  My family is most important in my life.
      3.  I am a dog lover and am passionate about yorkies!  (Kodi, 16 - Rascal, 6 and Trixie 2)
      4.  I chose to be a stay-at-home-Mom and now a stay-at-home-Nana.  Family comes first.
      5.  My two sons are my hero's and my greatest joy.
      6.  I love spending time alone with my hubby of 34 years - hunting, fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, kayaking - anything that we can do together.
      7.  My daughter-in-law, Stephanie is my bestest friend....we are passionate about quilting, crafting and cooking!  My favorite times are the days we spend together.
      8.  As I've slid down this banister called life - I'm very grateful for the splinters in my ..........- it's made me who I am and given me the life I have.  I'm truly blessed.

3.  Pay it Forward and award this to 8 bloggers you've recently discovered.

4.  Contact the winners and let them know.

I will be posting the award winners later, after I contact them.  Thank you again, Theresa, for choosing me as one of your award winning bloggers!!!

All Hearts Go Home for the Holidays....

How blessed I am to have these two little girls in my life.  My precious grandest daughters - Princess Lexi, 3 years and Princess Anna, 3 months.  These cousins are as close as sisters - sharing the bond their fathers, my sons, have had since they were children.  I was fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom and now I am blessed to be a stay-at-home Nana.  Is there anything more important, than helping to raise the next generation?  Lexi says it so well, when she wraps her arms around my neck and says, "I love you and I'm never going to let you go."  Families are Forever.....

This Thanksgiving, I'm so very thankful for my family.  My wonderful husband of 34 years.  My amazing sons who are my hero's.  My beautiful, Stephanie, who is more like a daughter to me than a daughter-in-law.  Those family members that are with us, those that have passed on and those that have yet to come into our lives...and on this holiday, as with all the others...All Hearts Go Home for the Holidays. 

May you all have a Thankful and Blessed Thanksgiving.

Another Mini Album - 2nd Post Today

I had so much fun making these mini albums.  One for Baby Anna and one for Lexi.  I used three sheets of 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 card stock.  Scored both directions at 4 1/4".  Then scored once on the diagonal.  Lay all three side by side with the diagonal fold going directly North and South.  I then layered the center 4 1/4" square over the first and last one and glued it down.  My whole squares of paper are cut at 4" and then the half squares are 4" squares cut in half on the diagonal.  Place a 12" ribbon under the last 4" square and glue down.  I used Hello Kitty Cartridge, cut at 3" for my embelishment.  I can't wait to fill these up with things for the girls...or I may give them to their mom's for Christmas, so they can fill them up themselves...A really fun project!

Mini Album from Toliet Paper Rolls...my first!

My first mini-album from toliet paper rolls.  I had more fun with this.  I used 7 empty rolls, which I ironed flat.  Then made long tags to fit in each one.  I made the tag pulls using "from my kitchen" cartridge - the tag feature and glued them to my tags, punched with a hole punch and added a ribbon pull.  This album is a book for my three year old granddaughter, Lexi.  Random things she has done at Nana and Papa's house this year.  From collecting and making maple syrup - her pet chicken rescue, "Tuesday" to eating peas in the garden with Papa....a memory for her to take with her.  I have lots of ideas to make the book better...but there is always next time. 

Country Life Cartridge Card - Thanks to Dorcas at 4 Crafty Angels!

This is my first project using my Country Life Cartridge that I won from Dorcas at 4 Crafty Angels Blog.  I was so excited to win this cartridge, as I have wanted it almost the moment I first saw it.  It is soooooo my life.  I know it's going to be one of my most used cartridges.   My three year old Grandest Daughter, Lexi and I were playing in the studio.  She made a horse card for her Daddy, and I made this card for my neighbors. 

We are blessed to have the most wonderful couple to move into the old farm across the road from us. A young couple who refer to us as their "fairy God-neighbors".  They are the same age as our oldest son - and we feel as though they are a member of the family.  Their totally organic farming philosphy and practices make them a joy to learn from.  They had just raised a pair of hogs for their freezer...I thought this card would give them a chuckle - and also give them something to use in their scrapbooking - and I enclosed a note instead of writing in the card.  The card was also attached to a bag of cookies that Lexi and I made.

I cut the hog/chicken at 3 1/2 inches and the layers went together so nicely.  I used some scraps from the scrap box, that just said "country" to me.

Thanks so much to Dorcas at 4 Crafty Angels for this wonderful cartridge...I'm still smiling that I won!!!!

Veteran's Day Thank-you Gift in honor of those who serve

Wild Card Cartridge Stars

My three year old Grandest-daughter, Lexi and I made chocolate chip cookies this morning.  She wanted to do something special for her Dad and her Uncle Brian, who were both soldiers, for Veteran's Day.  Her Dad was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and her Uncle Brian was an Airborne Engineer who spent a year in Iraq.  We got out the Wild Card cartridge and cut some stars - then added 1/2 inch red stripes to white cardstock that we folded over ziplock bags and filled with cookies.  Lexi's daddy, a deputy with the sheriff's dept...just stopped in to pick up his cookies, and Lexi gave him a big hug and said, "Thank you Daddy for being my hero."  I think that was a bigger gift than the cookies!!!

For all who serve, have served and will be serving our great nation, Thank You!

Embossed Christmas Card

My daughter-in-law was using my Cricut today - so I created a card without the using the cricut.  Now that was a challenge for me.  I used my cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder, some snowflake patterned paper - some buttons, a little bling and made this 4 x 5 card.  The snowflake paper I got in bulk from Paper Wishes.  The stamps were from Annie's Attic, stamp of the month club and called "A Patchwork Christmas".  Since I love quilting - this is a stamp set I will get a lot of use out of...and plan on using it for gift cards and quilt labels....I think.   

"EWE are so special" Card

Just for fun

My grandest daughter and I were coloring the other day when she asked me to please draw her a sheep.  Well, I am not the most talented artist when it comes to drawing - but I did my best and it sparked this idea for a card.  I cut out my drawing, mounted it on some black sparkly cardstock and then pop dotted it onto a background - added a ribbon and a sentiment that I printed out on my computer.  I'm sending this to my wonderfully talented younger sister, Linda (http://www.lindascreativity.blogspot.com/) to thank her for all her inspiration and for setting me upon this papercrafting journey.  I love her oodles - and she never fails to spark my own imagination!  Hope you all enjoy!!!

Fall Harvest Hanger

Happy Harvest Wall Hanger
Create a Critter Pumpkins

Three year old, Lexi, helped me design this little wall hanger.  I started out designing a card, but with lexi's suggestions and her layout, she made me see this as a wall hanger.   I'm not a fan of Halloween, but I do love celebrating the fall harvest.  We plant extensive gardens and I can and freeze all our veggies, sauces, soups, etc. So, for me the fall has always meant a warm and fuzzy feeling of bringing in the harvest, filling up the shelves with canned goods and knowing we will be taken care of this winter. 

I used the Create a Critter cartridge in making the pumpkins - made them at all different sizes and then Lexi and I used Peachy Keen face stamps for the pumpkin faces.  Pop dots and sponging with brown, really made this pumpkin patch "pop".  Pretty proud of my "Ross Patch" harvest!

Scrapbook Page - The Best Hubby in the World

My wonderful husband sensed that I was getting a little burned out and declared the first Saturday of October "Our" day.   No Grandbabies or projects.  He shopped and packed the truck and on Saturday morning, he packed me up as well.  We travelled to the North woods of Maine - Paper Company Land and road the dirt roads looking for partridge, as it was the opening day of bird season.  Well, everyone must have had the same idea.  The roads were full of hunters - so at noon time, he pulled over to an out of the way spot, off a rough dirt road and made lunch.

He cooked us potatoes, saurkraut, kielbaska and beans on the camp stove - even making me my green tea with lemon.  It was a perfect day - even though we only got one bird.  My yorkie Rascal and Shorky, Trixie really looked ridiculous in the wilds of the Maine woods...alll prim and pampered....but they had a good time too!  We did get a few laughs from fellow hunters who were there with their big bird dogs....

Fall Scrapbook Pages

Lexi and her Papa in the Leaves



A DVD of she and Papa in the leaves is included on her page.

 I had a few minutes before the girls got up from their naps, so I put together these two scrapbook pages for lexi's album.  She and her Papa have so much fun collecting eggs, picking vegetables and on this day, they were raking leaves just for the fun of it.  I got a great video of them, with Lexi singing.  How special this will be for her to see when she's about 15!!!

Pink Stamper Challenge - A gift for a Friend

Preserves Cartridge

Another Option - this one will be filled with instant hot cocoa!

The Pink Stamper had a wonderful challenge today.  Make something for someone and send it or give it to them.  Well, I love, love, love to recycle.  I had a bag full of these containers from "herb-ox" or store brand bullion cubes.  They are small containers but perfect for gift giving something small.  I used the perserves cartridge to make the lids @ 2 1/2".  Then wrapped paper around the body of the container, decorated it with ribbon and a label that says, "Just for You".  I added a bit of bling to the label, and a gingerbread girl button to the top.  I will fill these with M & M's or something similar, and give them away at Christmas time.  Perfect for that neighbor who stops by - the guy who plows the driveway - the mailman or the paper-person...A little something that says, "I care."   Hope you enjoy!

New Hat for Baby Anna

Anna at 2 months

Baby Anna is two months old now.  She's full of smiles and baby giggles - cooing and 'talking' up a storm.  I made quite a few of these hats for her, because they are just so darn cute and knit up so easy.  My granddaughter lexi says they are like princess hats, or so the four pom-poms on the top make it feel that way.  I think the technical term is 'jester hats' but, I'll let her think of them as princess hats.  If you're interested in the pattern, it can be found on http://www.bernat.com/ under their free pattern page.  They knit up very fast and are very easy!

Birthday Card - Create a Critter

Create a Critter Birthday Card

I created  a birthday card using just one cartridge and some bling.  I used various balloons from the Create a Critter Cartridge and some blue diamonds.  Happy Birthday was put on with pop dots to make it stand out.  Please let me know if you like it!

Crafting with Cristina - Challenge

Heartstrings Witchie-poo

I was sooooooooo fortunate to win this e-stamp in the halloween hop, from Heartstrings.  I have had so much fun playing with her.  The challenge with "Crafting with Cristina" was to make a Halloween card using black OR orange, but not both.  So here is my version.  I used pop dots for my witchie-poo, and placed her on  black dazzling paper.  This was part of a Christmas pack I bought last year...but had no use for the black.  It's perfect to show her off - on a bright yellow card.  I added some 'diamond' bling - and some green ribbon - and I know my Granddaughter, Lexi will love her to pieces. Can't wait for feedback - it really does help us grow!!!

Saturday Challenge with My Pink Stamper

Winter Card Fun

I had a lot of fun making this card for My Pink Stampers Saturday Challenge.  The Challenge was to make a winter card.  I've had the Stampin Up snowman stamp for a year now, and just have not had a chance to use it.  I dug it out today and added some colored pencil color - some blue diamond bling - and used up some scraps from the scrapbox.

There are a lot of people in my life who don't get out much in the winter.  They look forward to getting mail and I think this is the perfect card to start winter correspondence with.  The inside of the card says:

"SPLAT"  YOU'RE IT!

I used torn white paper to make a "snowball splat", so it looks like the snowball blew up on the inside of the card...If I had some confetti snowflakes, I would have put some in the card to come out when the person opened it.    This is a good pick-me-up for someone feeling the winter blah's....Hope you like it.

Halloween Canine Treats

Shorky - Yorky - Num Num - Treats
Create a Critter

I made these for the Canine Trick-or-Treaters that will be visiting our house.  I am a Yorky addict and our newest addition is a shitzu/yorky mix hybrid called a "shorky".   These homemade treats are made with all the favorite foods - and full of love.  The recipe is as follows:



3 TBL creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups of water (or broth)

1/2 cup of oil (or bacon fat)

2 teasp. canilla

2 medium eggs

1/2 cup of cornmeal

1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

Combine and  mix well.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.

Made by Momo - Tuesday Challenge

Tuesday Challenge Entry
Paper-Doll Dress-up cartridge

The challenge was to create a fall card using orange, yellow and green - and to include stitching or doodling.  I wanted to create a spooky misty fall evening - so I used tulle or netting that I stitched down to create a border of sorts on black card stock.  I added the haunted mansion in dark brown and chalked white around the edges, holding it in place with sequence to add sparkle and flash...a light in the window or a scary sparkle....then some green frog friends and orange pumpkins against a fence.  The yellow moon in the night sky is attached with pop dots for dimension.   I also distressed everything a bit, by rolling it and poking all the cuts....I think it works.  Thanks for taking a peek.



Creative Scraps Sunday Challenge

Sunday Challenge
Using Paper Dolls Dress-up Cartridge
Cricut

This is not only the challenge entry, but what I will be giving all the little ones for Halloween.  We live way back in the woods in Cornville, Maine.   Yes, there is a Cornville...LOL  The only Trick-or-Treaters we ever get, are family and adopted family.  Let me explain...Once I asked God to please give me more children...I had two boys, Michael and Brian - but I knew I wanted more children in my life.  Most of us know that God has a wonderful sense of humor...and instead of giving me more children of my own - he sent me others who needed me.  We have a large extended family of "kids" who have come and gone from our home and are now parents....these are the children of our adopted family who make it through the wilds of Cornville, Maine - up our driveway in the middle of the woods and yell, "trick or treat."  Since there is always an abundance of candy from everyone else, I try to make it a bit personal with a card made for each one.

I LOVE to use up and recycle - so I have used the containers from "crystal lite" (walmart brand) for the holders of the m&m's.  I picked out all the brown and orange for halloween - and will save the red and green for cards at Christmas - the blue and yellow are "bribery candy", when my grand-daughter successfully uses the potty!!!!

For this card, I used scraps of fall papers, the polk-a-dot embossing folder, inked with brown ink - and the paper doll dress-ups at 3 ".  Since these won't be going into envelopes, I like that the design spills off the confines of the card. 

A personal message inside completes the card.  I hope I've inspired you to get creative with your own Halloween traditions!!!

Anything Goes Challenge

Thinking of You Card
Using 'charms' from the "Straight from the Nest" cartridge

Inside of the card/unfolded

This was an "anything goes" challenge at My Pink Stamper.  The second challenge I have ever entered.  Hope you enjoy!

The Pink Stamper Challenge - My First!

Tri-Fold Card made with Stampin-Up stamp
and scraps of paper

My Pink Stamper has reached 5 million visitors - and this is my first challenge entry!

I made this card using Stampin Up's basket/bird stamp and colored it with colored pencils.

I used scraps from my scrap box and put this little 'Thinking of You" tri-fold card together.

The challenge called for "Using a Bird" in the design and as you can see there is a little blue

bird on the stamp.  Hope this inspires you!

Strawberry Celebrations!

Strawberry Card made with Cricut's

Preserves Cartridge

One of my favorite cartridges is the preserves cartridge.  I have been putting together a family cookbook and use this cartridge along with From My Kitchen to accent my recipes.  Also, like this card, it's a great way to share recipe's with friends - or to invite a friend for a strawberry celebration.  Strawberry shortcake, Strawberry Jam, Strawberry cheescake....mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!



Another card made with Preserves cartridge

















Come For Tea....Tea For Two Card

Here is a card with a feature I just loved!  "Steam"  I used a bit of tulle, cut about 1" to 1 1/2" wide.  Pushed it through the cups and taped down - around the tea pot and into the next cup.  Really adds texture to the card.  I used the Cricut "A Child's Year" cartridge.

Come for Tea Card Using Cricuts "A Child's Year" Cartridge





Inside view of "Come for Tea" Card.



Using "A Child's Year" cartridge for the Cricut, cut out the tea pot on page 67 at 2 1/2" , two cups at 1 1/4" and the tag for your tea bag (inside) at 2".  The card is made from a 10 x 5 1/2" card stock, folded in half.  The first layer is cut 5 1/4" x 4 3/4" - Second Layer is cut 4 1/4 x 5".  You will need 10" of 1/4" ribbon, 1" border punched piece 5 1/2" long - 1/2" word strip (I made mine in "word" on my computer), 12" piece of tulle cut 1" to 1 1/2" wide as desired.  I used a chocolate stamp pad to ink all my pieces. 

The inside of the card is layered with a 5 1/4" x 4 3/4 print piece and then a 4 1/4" x 5" solid piece.  The tea bag holder is from a template (You could also use the paper bag the tea bag comes in as a template).  I used a "miss you" stamp in chocolate brown to pull together the sentiments. 

Embellish the tea pot and cups in anyway you want.  Stickers, blink, odds and ends from your cricut stash....HAVE FUN!

Waiting for Baby

My youngest son, Brian and his beautiful wife, Stephanie are expecting their first child, a girl, named Anna. Anna's due date was July 18th and it has come and gone. The waiting continues...

Meanwhile, in anticipation of her birth, I have made her a book. I will fill it with photos and momento's of the days before her birth - and during her birth.

I've got my "Nana Bag" packed for the hospital. Note paper and pen, to take down all the details, camera with charged batteries for behind the scenes waiting room photos - and of course, knitting.

For now we wait....and wait....and jump at every phone call...and wait....

"Thinking of You" Card

This is a card I made with the Cricut and "A Walk In My Garden" cartridge. I used the "stair" technique for the card and then decorated each step with coordinating paper and cuts outs. I was able to slide in some photo's of our garden for the recipient to see.

Looking forward to making more cards like this - perhaps with recipe's for all the produce we are harvesting!

Buffy my little yorkie - losing a loved one

Buffy is a 1 1/2 year old golden yorkshire terrier. She makes me smile - fills my arms with something to cuddle and is the best nighttime snuggler. She is my "child", my confidant, my friend and she loves me unconditionally. On June 26th she was to deliver her first litter of pups, but instead of bringing new life in the world, Buffy died in my arms. Earlier in the week she had an emergency c-section - and both of her pups were born dead. She seemed to be recovering, but for reasons we don't know, she looked up at me one last time, wagged her tail and took one last breath. I held her and tried to get her breathing...begged her to come back to me - but she was gone. My arms are empty and my heart hurts...and in the night, I reach out for my bundle of fluff - and there is only air.