Tags: Not just for gifts anymore!

I'm making an effort to space out my card posts so they're not bombarding my blog all at once.  Today's cards were actually made about a week ago, but who wants to look at a post with a ton of cards all at once?!  :)  

Once again, I'm using paper that practically makes the cards themselves!  This time it was a sheet of tags that begged to be purchased!  I was thinking in the store how cute they would look with little twine bows, popped at an angle on a solid background-just like a present in the mailbox!!  These took a little fussy cutting and punching to make them just right, but still a super easy card!

I also pulled out the embossing folders again for a little fun and texture!

Can I just say how much I love these cute plaid designs with the twine?!

Going a little nontraditional with the embossing! I 

love how these patterns coordinate with the tags!

I'm feeling a bit like an innovator with these cards!  Tags: not just for gifts anymore!  Oh, how I've missed creating and posting on my blog...

Who knows? Maybe I'm inspiring others to think outside of the box (pun intended-where else would you put a tag?) and be a little creative with their supplies too!

 

Give a girl the right paper...

Another day of Christmas card making and once again finding super easy ways to get those cards finished in time to mail them out!  I'm well on my way now!

As I was thinking of a title for this post, I thought about how perfect certain papers are.  Sometimes I can see a paper and immediately know what to do with it.  They can make scrapbook pages as easy as matting a photo and adding it to a gorgeous background.  Some can be the inspiration for a perfect 3D or repurposing project.  And others just scream "Buy me and I'll make really cute cards really fast!"  I love it when paper talks to me!!

Over the summer, I was in our LSS and came across just this kind of paper.  There were fun, vintage images already in 3x4 rectangles just waiting to be cut apart.  I also found some coordinating red and green paper to finish them off perfectly.  Then I promptly brought them home and forgot about them.  My recent cleaning reminded me of them and I got busy.  Some of the images were so great, I didn't even mat them.  I just grabbed some embossing folders to add a little texture and tada! Instant cards!!

I felt just like Cinderella with the right pair of shoes...or maybe Dorothy with her ruby slippers... either way-it just proves that if you give a girl the right item, she can get things done!

Aren't those images just the best?!  I'm almost positive these were Simple Stories, but since I tossed the end strips I can't be 100% sure.  

Well, I'm back to work this week and going to do my best to carve out some creative time, so hopefully I'll have a few scrapbook pages in the future.  I do have more cards to share, but they'll have to wait for another day!

 

Belated Easter Greetings

Hello! I am so glad you visited today!  I'm a bit behind on sharing my Easter cards, but this whole working from home/remote learning/everyone's home thing has me a bit loopy!  While I don't like the reason, I am counting my blessings that both of my girls are home and actually seem to enjoy being here with their mother!  They have both recently rediscovered that they enjoy baking, gardening, and spending time outdoors.  My oldest has even started a little side hustle doing custom embroidery on sneakers.  She updated an old pair of Cons with a ton of pretty little daisies, and suddenly two of her friends wanted their own sneakers personalized.  It's been a nice past time for her and helps her de-stress from trying to do college lab classes online...

But I digress... Because we're all sheltering in place, I thought sending Easter cards would be a little way to let family know I was thinking about them and maybe brighten their day just a little.  They were super easy (seems to be my 'go to' design lately) with the gorgeous Cottontail paper from Authentique!  I just added a little embossed cardstock, ribbon, and a base, and taadaa!!

Don't you just love those gorgeous vintage Easter images?! So sweet!  Well, I have about 5 projects in the works right now, and they're not getting finished while I'm on here.  Thanks so much for hopping in (see what I did there?!) for a visit!

Card Recipes:  Authentique Cottontail, very vanilla, blushing bride, certainly celery, baked brown sugar, Accessories: square lattice and fancy fan embossing folders, assorted ribbons from stash

Scrappy Christmas Cards

Hello! Just a quick post with some Christmas cards I created from a pile of scraps.  I decided since so many of the scraps were pretty small, I would go with a quilted theme.  I'm not sure what you would call these particular quilt patterns, crazy??  No matter what you call them, they used up quite a bit of the smaller pieces of some very old Christmas DSP.  There are still a few bigger pieces left, but I think they'll have to wait for another day (maybe a scrapbook layout).

I pieced and glued my scraps onto a 4 x 5 1/4 piece of copy paper, ran the whole thing through the embossing folder and finished my card.  Not too difficult other than trying to find the right placement for the scraps...  I also managed to use the negative cut of a top note die that has been in my stash for a loooong time.  So glad it has a home now!

School and DD2 have been keeping me quite busy and I really need to get more Christmas cards made if they're going to be ready in time!  Wish me luck and thanks so much for stopping by!! Have a wonderful day!

Card Recipes:  Paper-real red, very vanilla, Merry Moments dsp, Ink-chocolate chip, Stamp Set-Joyous Celebrations, Accessories-oval and scallop oval punch, hexagon punch, top note die, square lattice folder

Hello Hydrangeas! and We have winners!

I have somehow managed to lose a week of my life somewhere...so if you happen to see a last week with my name on it, please let me know! ;)

I am a few days late posting the winners of my Blogiversary give away, and since I had three lovely ladies comment on that post, I am sending out three care packages!  I already have Heather's address, but if Lynn and Margy can email me, I'll get those in the mail this week!  Thanks so much for you wonderful comments too, ladies!

I've been trying to spend some time reacquainting myself with some of my all time favorite stamps and giving them a little inky love once again.  If I had to make a list of my favorites, Because I Care would be in the top 5.  It is such a beautifully detailed stamp and since I love live hydrangea blooms, it only makes sense that this is a well loved stamp.  This was also a great time to pull out some older DSP and a huge bag of whisper white scraps!  I would love to say that my supply of both are much smaller now, but we all know that would be a lie... Scraps tend to multiply like rabbits when I'm not watching!

I inked the stamp with markers to have the two colors in one stamping, matted it a few times, and attached it to a lattice embossed base.  A quick stamping of the sentiment on a strip of whisper white and a simple punch, and my cards were complete.

As much as I hate to part with any of my stamps, I really need to do some purging, and there are quite a few that I haven't used in ages and likely won't miss if they aren't here taking up space.  Of course,  Because I Care is in no danger of being in that category any time soon! Wish me luck in my cleaning/downsizing!  Thanks so much for visiting and have a wonderful day!

Card Recipe: Stamp Sets-Because I Care, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Ink-wild wasabi, marina mist, perfect plum, pretty in pink, Paper-whisper white, pretty in pink, marina mist, perfect plum, Patterns Love DSP, Paisley Petals DSP, Subtles Patterns Stack, Accessories-classic label punch, square lattice folder

Happy birthday, Old Soul...

Hello! I am so glad you stopped by!  I have something a bit special to share with you today!  February is one of those months that has a ton of family birthdays in it.  I managed to have most of the cards completed over the holidays, but saved one for later.  I always seem to put off making my kids cards to the very last minute (maybe trying to slow the aging process?), and while this card was finished in time for her big day, it was a bit of a race to get it completed. This may not seem like a 'go to' choice for a college student, but then again DD#1 is no average girl!  I used FOUR stamp sets to create this card! That may be a new record for me!

The truck image is from Country Livin' and I had to add the sweet pup from Beautiful Ride to the back! 

The cat and flower pot are from Sitting Here and the sentiment is from Perfect Pairings.

I probably spent more time on this one card than I did on the other cards combined!  It was so much fun to incorporate everything DD loves on one card.  She is a bit of an old soul, enjoying everything vintage, and LOVES fat fender trucks.  Her love of them is slightly surpassed by her love of animals and gardening, so I think I've managed to get things covered with this one card!

Mushy Mom Moment:  As I was coloring this card, I spent a lot of time thinking about her and how our move had affected her.  She is a country girl to the core, and when our dreams of building in the country were dashed, she took it every bit as hard as her mother.  The move to our new home was exciting in the fact that she would have her own room and I would finally have my craft studio, but we were both sad that we would no longer have 2 acres to call home (even if it meant being crammed in a small mobile home...).  We held onto the fact that we could still spend time in the country and even camp out on the land when we wanted a break.  Unfortunately, the 'powers that be' changed those plans for us and we no longer had the chance to buy the land for ourselves.  We love our new home very much and it has been an adventure to work together to make this place ours, but there is still that yearning for wide open spaces in our hearts.  She recently announced that when she graduates, she is going to save her money and buy a small farm.  She's even invited me to come visit whenever I like to help tend to her chickens and baby goats!  I am so proud of her acceptance of the present and her dreams for the future.  I know that whatever direction she chooses to go, it will be with all of her heart and she will enjoy every moment of the journey.  What more can a parent want for her child...

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope I didn't bore you too much with my ramblings! Have a terrific rest of the week!

Card Recipe: Paper-whisper white, soft suede, kraft, Ink-memento tuxedo black, soft suede, assorted markers and colored pencils, Stamp Sets-Country Livin', Sitting Here, Beautiful Ride, Perfect Pairings, Accessories- Studio Calico wood veneer stars, ovals collection framelits, square lattice embossing folder, linen thread, lace tape (from stash)

A little play time

Hello! We have finally made it to our fall break at school and I couldn't be happier!  It seems like since we've moved, I find so many other things that require my time and I have little time to be creative...  But now I have an entire week off of school and I'm determined to get some things accomplished in my studio!  The past two days have been spent doing laundry and catching up with neglected projects, and, now my focus is on working in the studio.  This will include a bit of cleaning, reorganizing, and maybe even a trip to find more storage pieces! So excited!!

This afternoon, I was able to sneak a little time to make some cards for my stash.  My organizers are pretty empty and there are birthdays and anniversaries just around the corner.  I decided to focus on anniversary today and pulled up a design I pinned a very long time ago.  It was actually a quilt block design, but I love altering those to make some cute quilt like cards!  Click here to see the original design.

I used 1" squares of whisper white and rich razzleberry from the Sycamore Street dsp.  Some were kept whole, while others were cut diagonally to make triangles.  Personally, I find that it's easier to glue my squares/triangles to a piece of copy paper and then run that through an embossing folder.  I'm not sure how else to keep the pieces together...  

I decided to mix things up a bit.  I did the first one with the sentiment stamped on the side and decided that I didn't care for that as much as I originally planned.  So the next one was stamped under the quilted piece.  I also changed the patterned paper behind the quilting. I'm not sure which I like better.  I think the multi colored piece makes the heart stand out more.

Well, I really don't have much more to share today, but I am so glad you stopped by!  I'm going to try to be super productive this week and hopefully will have more to share with you in the near future!  Have a wonderful day!

Card Recipe:  Paper-rich razzleberry, whisper white, Sycamore Street dsp, Ink-memento tuxedo black, Stamp Set-Wonderful Words, Accessories-big shot, square lattice embossing folder

Sending out Valentines

Hello! As many already know, I was just a little behind at Christmas time and didn't get many cards made, and had to resort to (gasp!) store bought cards.  While I'm not going to beat myself up over this, I did want to send out some sort of handmade cards to a few people who always enjoy receiving them from me.  Valentines seemed to be the perfect solution and who wouldn't like to get a sweet card in the mail just like you did when you were a kid?  I only made three different kinds of cards and most of them were like the first one shown.  

There is something so cozy and sweet about a card that mimics a quilt. I thought the papers from Love Blossoms dsp worked so well for this and my trusty square lattice embossing folder makes a great 'quilted' design.  We will not discuss how many little squares I cut or how long it took me to fiddle with the patterns until I got them where I wanted them...

This one was a special card made for my best friend's son, who is crazy about both of my girls.  This was especially for him from them.  We thought he would love the monsters and the manly colors on this one! And who doesn't love wiggle eyes???

I made a couple of this design using the super pretty blushing bride glimmer paper.  It is a very basic design, but the glittery hearts really dressed it up!

I hope you enjoyed my Valentines and I would like to suggest that you make a few special cards to brighten up someone's day.  It is a little gesture that can have a tremendous impact.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Card Recipes: Paper-Love Blossoms dsp stack, garden green, whisper white, crumb cake, rose red, blushing bride, blushing bride glimmer paper, Stamp Sets-Teeny Tiny Wishes, Make a Monster (ret), Gift Givers (ret), Ink-rose red, blushing bride, memento tuxedo black, Accessories-square lattice embossing folder, small scallop circle punch, 3/4" circle punch, word window punch, modern label punch, speech bubble punch, large heart punch, various wiggle eyes

Early Christmas Cards

Well, hello! It has been so long since I've posted, I almost forgot how!!  I am finally getting around to making a few more Christmas cards.  We won't discuss how many more I need to make before I'm finished...  We'll just focus on the fact that as of right now, I'm ahead of the game! Hey... It's not Christmas yet, so I must be early, right?!

I had a little crafty time the other day and had initially planned to play with the box full of goodies from the Holiday catalog.  However, as I looked through my Pinterest board, I found the sweetest quilt-like card and had to make a few.  I had originally pinned this about two years ago and am finally getting around to making it!  You can see the original, made by Sandy, here.  I changed mine up just a little bit, but the overall design is the same.

 

I scraped together enough scraps from my almost depleted Ski Slope dsp.  There is such a small amount left that I'm feeling this pulling challenge to finish it off this year.  We'll see how that goes!  I used the triangle shape on the banner punch to make my 'quilt' pieces and then glued them to a piece of copy paper.  Then I trimmed the paper and ran it through the square lattice e.f..  The white background was embossed with the snow burst e.f.  I used Teeny Tiny Wishes for the Merry Christmas and Deck the Halls is from the new Happy Scenes.  A little distressing with chocolate chip ink and a few candy dots and we're done!

I am hoping to back here soon with more Christmas cards and maybe even a scrapbook page or two.  Wish me luck and have a fantastic day!  Thanks so much for visiting!!

A sneak peek, spring/summer cleaning, and lots of rambling...

Hello and welcome to my blog! I am so excited to have some new followers and hope that you get either inspiration, insight, or something to make you smile when you visit!!

I am in a 'bunny trails' kind of mood today, so I will share my cards (a sneak peek of my ABAC project for Sunday) first-just in case you don't want to wander the trails with me!

Challenge number 20 at Anything But a Card Challenges  is "Dust Off Your OLD Supplies". For this challenge we are having a bit of a spring cleaning theme. Go "Dust off your older supplies" for this challenge - and make something... ANYTHING GOES! Use up those paper scraps, break out tools that haven't seen the light of day, finish up one of those U.F.O's {unfinished objects}... or how about those hoarded stickers - we all have a stash. The theme is open so the possibilities are endless.... just remember create anything except a card... this is going to be FUN!!!

Now how easy is this?! Well... When your crafting space looks as horrific as mine, first you actually have to do spring cleaning (or for those of us who love to procrastinate, summer cleaning) to find most of your supplies and the table. I really wish I was exaggerating, but I'm not!  It's been a very crazy month! So after spending the morning finding my table (and several started projects), I knew what I would be doing for our challenge.  I am part of week 2 of the design team and usually finish my project Friday night or Saturday morning and rush to get it photographed, but this week it is ready to go by Wednesday afternoon!  I am sharing the cards today because I can't show the other part yet, and the blog is anything BUT a card...  Can't be flaunting any cards on Sunday, so the cards become the sneak peek for the main piece.

I spent most of the afternoon working on the cards for a very special friend from our  church.  She is one of the most caring and selfless people I know.  She made meals for my parents when Dad had his stroke, and still occasionally drops off goodies for them.  She has also been a wonderful mentor.  Last week, she stopped by to drop off some asparagus from their garden since she knows my oldest DD loves asparagus.  She handed me two HUGE bags of fresh asparagus, enough for many meals, and refused to accept any payment for it. "It will be a relief to get it out of the house." is all she says.  Well, if I have learned little else from the crafting community, one of the joys of crafting is passing on our creations to others.  Plus, I know she won't be able to turn down a handmade just for her gift! Pretty sneaky, right?  So I made a set of 8 greeting cards for her.

Now if you're still on the trail with me, I'm moving on to dusting off supplies.  I decided that while I was in cleaning mode, I would go through my DSP and clean that up too. OH MY!  We will not discuss just how much retired paper I have that can't be used for classes, not to mention the non SU things...  So I decided my summer crafting goal would include using up some of that paper.  I found a lone sheet of the paper above and have no clue which set it came from but I do know it was from a loooooong time ago. I managed to use almost the whole sheet for the 8 cards! Woo! Hoo! 1 page down, 4 million to go...  I also dusted off my daisies die which hasn't bonded with my Big Shot in ages. They were so happy to be together again!

I have really been slacking in the commenting and visiting of blogs lately.  Mom has been in the hospital twice this month with heart issues.  While her condition is not life threatening, it does sap all of her energy and messes with her heart rate.  They switched her to a new med this time so we are crossing fingers and praying that this one gets the job done.  I'm just thankful that I wasn't working this last time and could commit to being there for her and Dad.  Makes things a little less stressful!

Well, this is the end of today's bunny trail and post. If you made it all the way to the end, I applaud your tolerance! Hopefully Sunday will bring some less distracted blogging!  Have a wonderful rest of the week and I hope you don't have to clean before you do your happy crafting!

Card Recipes: Cardstock-wild wasabi, bashful blue, pumpkin pie, whisper white, old DSP, Stamp Sets-Word Play, Loving Thoughts, Ink-pacific point, bashful blue (sponged on daisy), Accessories-daisies 2 die, boho blossom punch, 2 1/2" circle punch, perfect polka dots & square lattice EF, non SU circle framelits, brights buttons, white bakers twine, bashful blue brad

Color Me Beautiful inspired

Well, if you happened to see my post yesterday, you know that I was taking full advantage of my first day of fall break.  I did manage to spend a good part of the day in my jammies.  It was rainy and chilly so the weather was perfect for this.  I did several loads of laundry, blog stalked and started getting caught up on my emails, and most importantly, I crafted!  I even managed to tidy up my crafting space a little bit before starting, not that you can tell anymore! Teehee!

I managed to get a few scrapbook pages completed for upcoming DT projects and found some time to play with the colors from this weeks challenge at Color Me Beautiful.  I already had the paper on my table, so it wasn't too difficult to get started!  After pulling out a variety of DSP patterns, I knew I wanted to make a quilt card...um...make that two!

Such an easy way to play with all of the colors and now I have two more birthday cards for my stash! Well, I have quite a busy day planned-bridal shower and a family reunion, so there won't be much crafting today, but there's still two more days left of my fall break!! Woo! Hoo!

Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

Card Recipe:  Cardstock-river rock, soft suede, Comfort Cafe DSP, Brights and Subtles collection DSP stacks, Floral District DSP, Stamp Set-Curly Cute, Ink-soft suede, Accessories-square lattice folder, big shot

Challenge #2 at Color Me Beautiful!

Hello all! I am so far behind today, I think I passed myself twice trying to catch up!! I had every intention of having this post scheduled for first thing this morning, but ended up going out to eat with family last night and then completely forgot.

But anyway, my creation today is for the DT at Color Me Beautiful.  I actually did not have to make a card for this week since I'm on the second team, but the colors were just too pretty not to use, so here I am!  Take a look at the lovely inspiration photo...

and the list of colors...

and finally... My card!

 

I loved the gorgeous flowers in the photo and thought the wildflowers image from Just Believe would work to recreate them. Using markers to color the image made it easy to pull 3 of the 5 colors into my card. While I still think it might need a little something, I have yet to decide what it is and will just have to see what I come up with later.  There's a good chance it will grow on me too!

So if you think you might like to join me in the challenge, head over to the blog and check out the other design team members' lovely creations and get the details.  Remember, you do NOT have to use all 5 colors to qualify!  I was so happy to see a blogging buddy link up during last week's challenge and hope many more will join this week!!

Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-Always Artichoke, More Mustard, Very Vanilla, Raspberry Ripple, Ink- Always Artichoke, Raspberry Ripple, Calypso Coral, Stamp Set- Just Believe, Accessories-square lattice folder, word window punch, modern label punch, Victoria crochet trim

Flashback Friday with Cottage Wall

Hello! I had every intention of creating this post earlier, and just as I was winding down my MDS session for the evening, I realized I had not posted my Flashback Friday. So now here I sit at 1:30 in the morning creating my post! So if I get to rambling or talking foolishness, you know what's up!

This week, I decided to use an old Page Maps sketch that had lots of squares on it.  I thought this would make for a clean and simple card, plus use up some of the retired DSP that is crowding my paper hopper!  I decided at the last minute to give it a quilted look and used my square lattice embossing folder.  Then I just added a few brads and I think it turned out pretty good!

My oldest DD even gave it her approval, although it does have a lot of purple in it, so it might just be the color talking...

I took the easy way out with the squares and used my punch. I know... it's probably not much faster than the trimmer, but I do love that I can line up the pattern when I use a punch.  Not to mention that it validates my purchasing yet another punch... 'Yes, Dear...  I really do need ALL of them!'

My Flashback items are the Cottage Wall DSP (ret) and pale plum cardstock (also retired).

Well, I am heading off to bed! Thanks for stopping in!  Hope you have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-pale plum, old olive, Cottage Wall DSP, Ink-rich razzleberry, Stamp Set-Fabulous Phrases, Accessories-1 1/4" square punch, brights brads, square lattice embossing folder, big shot, paper piercing set

Flash Back Friday- Buttons

Two weeks in a row for posting my stash creations!!! This week, I dug out a container of themed buttons that I have had around for ages.  I think I bought them from QVC when I first started scrapbooking over 10 years ago...

I was looking through the variety and came across the football themed set.  My DH LOVES football and I still needed a birthday card for him, so out came the helmet and 3 football buttons.

DH is a Colts fan (yes...still...even with all of the changes)  In keeping with the flash back theme, I pulled out my brilliant blue cardstock and ink. Both are retired from SU, but I love the 'basic blue' color so much that I had a little extra stuck back.  It also worked well for the team colors.  I also used an old sketch.  I'm not sure where it was from, but I liked it...  Even the birthday sentiment is retired!  The only current items used were the whisper white cardstock and the embossing folder!

Well, that's it for me today! Hope you have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Paper-whisper white, brilliant blue, Stamp Set- Birthday Wish, Ink-brilliant blue, Extras-square lattice embossing folder, football buttons from stash

Blossom Builders Birthday

I was looking for something a little different to create for my stamp club and came across the blossom builders set in the Occasions mini.  I have to admit that I completely overlooked these until a fellow demonstrator did a tictac holder at one of our team meetings.  They are so awesome! All you have to do is punch them out and glue them down! And there is a solid color on one side and a print on the other.  Plus there are those fantastic pink rhinestones too! So I used the card in the mini (changed very little!) as one of my projects.  This was a really easy card to put together and the ladies loved the flowers!

While there are banner strips in the kit, I used very vanilla paper and snipped the ends. The sentiment is from Party This Way which is on the retiring list : (   I also used a circle as the base of my flower.

Card Recipe:  Cardstock-baja breeze, very vanilla, lucky limeade, Ink-baja breeze, Stamp Set-Party This Way, Accessories-Blossom Builders, word window punch, 1 3/4 circle punch, square lattice folder

The Only Quilting You Will Ever See From Me...

Don't adjust your computer screen... Yes, this is the 3rd crafty post from me this week!! And yes, you did see the word QUILT on my blog!

My regular followers are very aware of my love/hate relationship with sewing and also my very talented Mom and sister who do make quilts and other lovely sewn projects.  But don't worry! You will not be subjected to my horrendous sewing machine skills.  Instead, I have a paper quilt card to share.  The Friday Mashup has a challenge this week to use a quilting technique on your project, or use something you've forgotten (sitting in your stash forever), or 'mash it up' and do both.  I chose the first part of the challenge for my card.

This is not the first paper quilting project I have done.  Several years ago, I made a scrapbook page with lots of teeny, tiny squares and triangles and by the time I was done, the page was beautiful, but I was wiped out!  Trying to place all of those pieces and working from the center out was really a challenge.  This time around, I had a light bulb moment.  I was not using fabric, so I didn't have to put it together like a quilter would.  I cut a scrap piece of paper the size of my quilt block and started in the top left corner.  Then when I was done, I simply trimmed the edges, dry embossed,  and adhered it to my card front. Much easier and I actually enjoyed myself!!  So much so, that I am making two sets of these as a gift for my Mom and sister.  Won't they be surprised to receive quilts from me?!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-very vanilla, lucky limeade, pool party, Everyday Enchantment DSP, Ink-poppy parade, Stamp Set-Curly Cute, Extras-square lattice embossing folder, A GOOD TRIMMER

Grease is the word

Well, as promised here is the second manly card I created this week.  I starting out with the plan of CASEing Amanda, and somehow ended up here instead! This card really looks nothing like Amanda's, and I do have intentions of still CASEing her!! 

I recently received the stamp set, Party This Way, FREE! Yep, you read that correctly! This is also one of the Sale-a-bration stamp sets!  (There is still time to take advantage of the fabulous FREEBIES from this catalog!) Anyway...I was thinking one of the balloons would be a good backing for the sentiment.  As I stamped, fussy cut, and tried different positioning, the card took on a life of it's own.  The strips of paper moved to the side, the base was embossed, and one balloon turned into 3!  The only thing that remained from my original idea was the sentiment label!

I did make one mistake on this card. I asked DH his opinion... (What was I thinking?!) His response was that it 'looked good' but how did I make it look like it was greasy. Greasy... So from here on out, I do not 'distress' or 'grunge' a guy card; I 'grease' it!!

I'm getting ready for yet another busy weekend with little time for crafting, but there's only one more week until spring break begins! Woo! Hoo!  I am hoping to get a lot of scrapbooking done during that time! Of course, spring cleaning will have to be squeezed in there somewhere too...boo!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Card Recipe: Card stock-crumb cake, real red, bashful blue, Ink-real red, bashful blue, Stamp Set-Party This Way, Accessories- square lattice folder, modern label punch

Celebrate with Sale-a-bration!

Celebrate good times. Come on! It's a celebration!

OK, now that I've put Kool and the Gang in your head for the day, on with the post!  Just wanted to remind everyone that you have less than a month to take advantage of the sale-a-bration deals.  There are lots of wonderful exclusive products and even a good selection of things from the regular catalog that can be yours for FREE with a qualifying purchase!!  If you would like to see everything that is available, see the catalog link on my side bar.

This is one of the cards from my February club meetings.  We used three things from the sale-a-bration catalog on this card. The DSP is Everyday Enchantment, the stamp set is Outlined Occasions, and even the pool party card base and lucky limeade layer are part of the 2011-2013 In Color card stock collection.

After a crazy and insane end of the month, I think I am getting a breather for a day or two!  Things are still busy, but a normal kind of busy, not the hands on my head, running through the hall, wailing "Calgon, take me away!"  kind of busy I've had.  Now if only I can get Mr. Internet Connection to play nice, and find a way to redeem the 'get out of laundry free' coupon from Lisa M!  It doesn't seem to be valid at my house!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day and thanks for stopping in!

Card Recipe:  Card stock-pool party, lucky limeade, very vanilla, Everyday Enchantment DSP, Ink and Markers-soft suede, lucky limeade, pool party, poppy parade, Stamp Set-Outlined Occasions, Accessories-square lattice folder

Be My Valentine

Ever look at a piece of patterned paper and think 'Wait a minute...There's a card in there...'?  That is pretty much what happened with this card.  I was looking for some red sparkly paper for a different project and came across this paper.  It's a retired paper from SU and I actually forgot I had some left.  As soon as I saw the pattern, I had a pretty good idea what my card would look like.  I remember seeing somewhere that someone made an envelope with hearts spilling out, but wouldn't you know, I didn't save or pin that one (a million others, yes...)  So if this was your original idea, please let me know.  The basic design and layout, other than the heart envelope, is from my little ol' head.

**UPDATE- While reorganizing my pinterest card pins, I came across the original card and wanted to give credit where it's due.   Darlene Design is the website where you can see the inspiration piece!

This was not CAS or QAS (quick and simple) and I made 4 of these!  I do not have an envelope die (gasp!), so I used a template that I had from ages ago.  Then I got busy punching, and punching, and punching, and embossing, and glittering, and you get the picture.  I'm slightly obsessive when it comes to putting patterns together, so the hardest part for me was arranging the hearts into a design that I thought looked just right.  I really like the way it turned out!

When I finished this card both of my DD came over and exclaimed "We want to make these for our Valentines!" Ummm.... I DON'T THINK SO!!!!  So now I'm trying to find a more basic way to recreate this so they can make duplicates for their friends.  Plus, I'm not so sure the boys in my youngest DD's class will appreciate this very girly card!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-pretty in pink, real red, very vanilla, Sending Love DSP (ret), Ink-pretty in pink, real red, chocolate chip (distressed edge of envelope), Stamp Sets-Fabulous Phrases, Just Believe, Punches-heart to heart, modern label, word window, Accessories-very vanilla seam binding, basic pearls, square lattice folder, snow burst folder, dazzling details

A Sneak Peek!

I've been playing with some NEW goodies from Stampin' UP!  Most of them will be available on January 4th with the release of the Occasions Mini.  The fabulous paper I used will be available during Sale-a-bration which begins January 24th.
As soon as I saw the labels framelits and coordinating stamp set, I knew these would be two of my first purchases!!  Then I realized there was a sentiment stamp set that would also work with these... Needless to say, it was just like Christmas morning when that box arrived on my doorstep.  I really love vintage and if it also happens to be a little shabby, all the better!  Both of the cards I made are going to be mailed, so I took it easy on the embellishments, but I am thinking of making another card adding the crochet trim and some pearls.

 Isn't the DSP gorgeous? It's called Everyday Enchantment and could be yours for FREE with a $50 order placed on or after the 24th!

Well, today I head back to work. I love my job, but it has been so nice being able to stay up late and sleep in every day since Christmas!  It will be nice to get the kids back into a routine again.  They have forgotten how to do their chores since Christmas break...

Card Recipe: Cardstock- pool party, soft suede, very vanilla, everyday enchantment DSP, Ink-soft suede, pool party marker, Stamp Sets-Apothecary Art, Loving Thoughts, Accessories-pastels, scallop trim border punch, square lattice embossing folder, labels collection framelits