A Little Bit of Spring

Hey folks! I have a card for you today. It is one of those kind that you make and it works out just as you planned it and you love it when it's finished. It just makes me happy. Wanna see it?

And I stamped on the inside too...

And then I wasn't sick of those funny monkeys yet so I decided to decorate the envelope too...

Do you remember that I didn't like the Changito monkeys at first? Well, I guess I got over it! These monkeys today are from the Changito Spring set by Stampendous. There are tons of adorable images in this set. That little frog just makes me laugh.

I colored with Copics and accented with a little bit of Ranger Glossy Accents. You might notice that I got a little bit of feathering on the envelope images. The card image is stamped on SU Whisper White with Memento Tuxedo Black. The card interior is GA Pacific White. Both of those yielded great results. However, Office Depot store brand invitation envelopes leave a little to be desired for stamping.

It has to be a quick post today since we are heading out on an overnight trip with the kids. It is their spring break so we want to so something fun. I hope you like today's card. Thanks for stopping by!

Papers- 3 Bugs in a Rug Enchanting Savannah; SU Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Soft Sky; DCWV green CS. Stamps- Stampendous Changito Spring; Sandylion Clear Borders. Inks- SU Blue Bayou; Memento Tuxedo Black. Tools- EK Daisy Chain edge punch. Embellishments- Favorite Findings buttons- pink; La Mode buttons- blue; DMC #6170 pearl cotton; Ranger Glossy Accents. Pens- Sakura clear Stardust; Copics (R24, R22, R81, YR31, E43, E44, B52, YG17, YG23.

Wow, Is She Ever Coming Back?

Hi guys! Did you think I left and never came back? Can you ever forgive me? I have been so busy getting my new Stampin' Up! business off the ground that I just haven't had time for my "therapy" cards. Ya know...the cards that I make for my much needed relaxation therapy. Haha! Anywho, I stopped by today with an Easter card I made a while back. It is listed in my Etsy shop as well. Wanna see?

As you may know if you stop by here more than once, I ADORE the Sugarplum images. Emma with her little basket is just too precious so she was my first choice for cute Easter cards this year. She is accented by the new Basic Grey line called Kioshi. I have to admit that the whole collection of papers did nothing for me when I saw it in a magazine weeks ago. When i saw it in my local Archiver's, I almost didn't recognize it! The colors are so much prettier in person. I think it is hard to get a feel for the scale of the patterns when you see it in an ad too. Anyway, I like how they work here. Emma is printed on a pale taupe card stock from Hobby Lobby. Stark white just didn't give me the right feel with that Basic Grey.

I have to run for now. I am judging a math tournament for my son's math club tonight so I have some things to get done before the start of Spring Break Friday morning. Oy! It is here already! They will be out of school before I know it! Have a great Easter weekend if I don't make it back before then. Happy Spring!

Papers- Basic Grey Kioshi Sayuri; Bazzill Jetstream CS; DCWV CS. Stamps- ATS digi image Easter Basket Emma; Stampendous happy easter. Inks- Tim Holtz Distress milled lavender & pumice stone. Tools- Sizzix lg floral flourishes emb folder; SU scallop border punch; sanding block; marvy clever lever 2.5" circ punch; EK paper shaper leaf punch; SU mat pack and piercer. Embellishments- MM 5th Ave brads; misc buttons; crochet flowers; DMC #3042 pearl cotton. Pens- Copics (YG13, YG11, E02, E31, E33, E35, W5, V01, V000, V12, B52, B91. SU- Sahara Sand marker.

Bug or Windshield?

We all have to remember that sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield. We all have those days where we get to be the smushed bug having the worst day ever and others it may be our turn to do the smushing. Right? Well, this philosophy is behind today's card. I think I have used the stamp set by Clear Dollar Stamps called Sometimes You're the Bug and its companion set called Bugs and Kisses. It is favorite of mine for several reasons. How about we take a look and I will explain.

And the inside of the card...
I have loved this set from the first time I saw it on the CDS site. I saved my pennies and bought it as soon as I could. The set that goes along with it is even more fun. It provides so many additional options like more license plates and even a string of cans to use for a" just married" theme. And as you may know, for me to like a set, it has to be fun to color. It passes that test too!

I was recently lucky enough to have a customer find my Etsy shop and order several of my "bug" cards so I decided to replenish my supply with the design above. The sentiment and image seem to make a popular combo and I have sold lots of these cards. Who wouldn't like to get such a cute card in the mail?

I want to draw your attention to a component of the card other than just the image. Notice that adorable button? Well, it is a bit of a folly for me considering its cost but I LOVED it. I splurged and bought 4 of them so I could use it on a few copies of the same card design. That button was $.75 which doesn't seem like a lot but when you consider the cost of all the materials used on an A2 card, a button that is so pricey really drives up the overhead for my shop. Oh well! It works beautifully and it matched so perfectly. I got it at JoAnn's by the way. They have a whole series of clear/painted buttons that have that artsy, handmade look.

I think that will do it for me today. I still have a few things to tackle so I bid you farewell and wish you a terrific day. Do something fun!

Papers- Paper Studio cool small flowers. Stamps- CDS Bugs & Kisses and Sometimes You're the Bug. Inks- Memento Tuxedo Black; SU gable green classic. Tools- SB ribbon tag trio die & long classic scalloped rectangle-lg. Embellishments- purple ribbon (Michael's); 1/8in white satin ribbon (Offray); La Mode buttons. Pens- Copic (110, C3, C5, C7, YG23, YG25, B0000, RV29, spica silver); Zig (pure black).

I Still Ruff You

Hey there, folks! As you might have noticed, I took a little break. Getting ready for Valentine's Day and a few large orders in my Etsy shop have kept me very busy. I am back with a cute card and some pretty big news (for me anyway) so I hope it was worth the wait. First, the card. It is one last one before the "big day" on Sunday. I think it is going to be a Valentine for my hubby and then I can remove the inner sentiment and sell it as an all occasion love card throughout the year. Wanna see?

And a look at the inside...

When I saw the dog stamp in the store, I immediately put it in my basket because it was just flippin adorable. That long "hot dog" body just cracked me up. He very quickly ended up on a card too. There aren't very many images that are really wide and not very tall so this one lent itself to a different kind of arrangement. I really had fun working with it.

The paper I used is an old one from my stash. I have had it for a long time. I decided to pull out a stitch border stamp and let me tell you how much I LOVE the white glaze pen that I used to darken up the stamped lines as well as make faux stitching around the circle. That is the greatest pen! It will be my go-to opaque white pen. As far as the rest of my materials, I will finish up with a supply list below. How about my news?

Well, after much thought, I have decided to become a Stampin Up demonstrator. I know that more people are walking away from this title than are embracing it but it is something I have wanted to do for a while and the few barriers that were in front of me have been addressed. I am VERY excited about this decision. I have always loved their products and order as many as my wallet can handle so it was a natural progression to arrive at this decision. I will still blog often but my content will change a little. I hope that you will continue to stop by here often for inspiration and creative motivation. My plan for the future is to bring you fresh new ways to use the products that many of us already know and love. So, I hope I have your interest as well as your support and I look forward to sharing my new path with you here. Wish me luck!

My fingers are tired so I am going to finish up with my supply list and a sincere wish for a fabulous Valentine's Day weekend. We are getting some snowy goodness down here in the sunny south so I plan to enjoy every minute of it with my family. Happy Valentine's Day!

Papers- Bo Bunny Wild Berry Red Dot; Imagination Project Woof; lt blue CS from DCWV spring matstack 2009; dk blue CS from Hobby Lobby. Stamps- Penny Black Romantic Dog; HOTP stamped stitches; Hero Arts Little Valentine's Day. Inks- Memento Tuxedo Black; Colorbox frost white. Tools- EK deco scallop edger; Marvy clever lever 2.5in circle punch; SU word window punch; WRMK corner chomper; piercer & mat; ANM mini bone punch. Embellishments- JHB #23090 bone buttons; ribbon fx wine taffeta ribbon; MM stitches in teal;. Pens- Copic (R81, E33, B0000); Zig (coffee, kiwi, spice, aubergine); SU (brocade blue); Spica ( sky blue, lavender); Sakura white glaze pen. Sketch- Tammy Fielder 5-9-09. Font- 18pt kids.

Hey Love Muffin!

Hi guys! Can you believe it is almost February?????? This first month of the year just flew by and I have a feeling it isn't going to slow down. In just a couple months, it will be time for spring sports and then school to get out and we will fly through summer. Before we know it, it will be time to make Christmas cards again! So, before we post those Christmas creations, how about another Valentine?

This one uses a new Hero Arts cupcake image and a new EK border punch. I think to use this stamp next time, I will stamp it on the color of choice for the top of the cupcake and go from there. I don't care for the marker lines left when coloring large areas. It was even using a couple Copics! I do need to re-ink it though.

I have to run. Just ask if you want to know about my supplies!

Blog Candy Winner!

Hello! I just picked the winner of the drawing by placing the 3 "contestants" in a hat and drawing one out. It certainly wasn't the turn out I hoped for but I wanted to be fair none the less. The winner is gocanucksgo who said:

gocanucksgo said...

Hi! Brand new follower here and i'm glad I found your blog when I did lol. Happy blogaversary!!

I think my favourite post of yours would have to be April 17 "Something New". I really enjoy when people show off their altered stuff. I never do that sort of stuff (although I would love to start) so i'm always impressed when people show them =) I also love how you embellish things (there was one card where you attached real keys and another card with cute bunny brads) and that you put stuff in the inside of some of your cards! I'm too lazy to do that lol. Keep up the fantastic work. I can't wait to see what you come up with next =)

January 28, 2010 12:05 AM

Please email me with your name and address so I can send your goodies. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Tagapalooza 2.0...As Promised

Hi folks! I know today is almost over but I just didn't get here earlier like I had hoped. I hope you still want to see some tags though! So, without further ado...

Tag Set #1-

This set is for Valentine's day, obviously. I made a similar set last year that sold very quickly so when I came across the striped paper in my scrap box, I decided to bring it back for another round on Etsy. The black panel is embossed on the Cuttlebug and that heart is a really old (discontinued) heart embossing folder by Sizzix. The tie is a multi colored fiber.

Next set...

I love paisley and every time I happen to notice my paisley Cuttlebug dies, I want to use them for something. This color combo was one I made note of in my inspiration journal so I gave it a try here. My hub was not a fan LOL. He said they were too busy but I like them. I know they are not for everyone's taste. I included a white panel on the back because many of my Etsy customers request a spot for text on my tag sets.

Moving right along...


This is another set made of a scrap that tickled my fancy. Since it is getting to that point in the year with no big holidays (for card giving), I decided it was time to build up my stash of birthday items. I try to that in the slow months so that when Christmas and Halloween roll around, I have enough birthday goodies made ahead. These were cut on the Cricut...the gift boxes anyway. You might be able to see in the photo but just in case you can't, they are booklet style tags that are blank inside.

And my final set for today, since Blogger is starting to stumble on all these photos I have embedded here, is another Valentine's set.



I sell a lot of this type for holiday treat bags or to folks who give multiples of the same small gift to several people...as in an office situation. The heart is from a Cricut cartridge and the lettering is a Sizzlit font. I cut the paper buttons from a Sizzlit die as well. I wanted the button to lay relatively flat here so I "sewed" them on with tiny strips of paper. I like the look! The stripe paper is an older Doodlebug print.

Well guys, I think that is it for me tonight. Sorry again about getting here so late. I hope you enjoyed a little change of pace from my endless parade of cards. Sometimes, it is fun to make something different. I tend to get in ruts. Don't forget about the blog candy drawing tomorrow night. I will select a winner at 8pm and then post by 9pm. My supply list for these tags would be huge so just ask me if you have any questions about what I used. Have a wonderful night!

BLOG CANDY!

Hi guys! Just like I promised, I have a chance for you to win a few treats in honor of my 1 year anniversary here. I started blogging last year on January 29th which is this Friday. I want to mark this day with a little fun. So, this is how it works. Leave me a comment between now and 8pm Friday, the 29th, telling me your favorite card of mine posted over the last year. You can either describe it, tell me the day I posted it, or link to it in your comment. If you're feeling especially nice, I would love to know what you liked about it but that isn't necessary to win. I will then draw one lucky winner from the people who left comments. I have not decided how I will draw the number but I will reveal that info when I post the winner. (It will depend on how many entries there are.) I will post the winner by 9pm that night. So, are you ready to see what you can win???????

Ta-Da!...

This little pile of goodies has a $29.00 value since my anniversary is on the 29th. The contents are as follows:

-1 Autumn Leaves Stampology To Do List clear stamp set
-3 rolls of assorted ribbons (3/8in orange, 3/8in green with white dot, & 3/8in aqua grosgrain)
-1 Autumn Leaves Stampology ink pad in Onyx (perfect for clear stamps)
-1 pkg of self adhesive round, 3mm clear gemstones because we all need bling!
-1 4x4 inch textured cardstock scrap pad in bright solids for those fun spring & summer projects

Does that sound fun? I tried to choose a few basics that scrampers of all skill levels could use and enjoy. I hope it excites you and you are inclined to leave me lots and lots of comments. So post away. I'll be waiting!

Tomorrow, I have several new sets of tags to show you. I guess I could say it is Tagapalooza 2.0. LOL! So drop by and take a look when you stop in to leave a comment for the drawing on Friday. Buh Bye!

Winter is Better When...

Hello! I'm back today with a card that was a lot of fun to make. I needed a break from the red and pink of Valentine's Day so I played with a little bit of winter stuff. We are almost out of time for winter "toys" so I guess we better make the most of it while we can, huh? So, take a look and then I will tell you more about it.

And here is a photo of the inside. It is blank of sentiment but I embellished with a few snowflakes and scraps of the stripe paper used on the front.

The image is from My Favorite Things. I have loved it for a long time and once they made it available as a digi image, I nabbed it for my ever growing digi-library. It is called "A Scarf for Three." Precious, huh? The sentiment came from a Stampendous stamp but I resized it to make it fit better into this arrangement.

The papers are from a BoBunny collection (Alyssa) and I think the color scheme works well for winter even though is what promoted as a spring feature. I don't typically think black and snow flakes together but it works here IMO.

I want to mention one more thing and then I am off to work on my messy house. How about I just blurt it out... BLOG CANDY! Want some? Well, my one year anniversary here is coming up this Friday and I want to celebrate! I have put together a fun little pile of goodies for some lucky reader and I can't wait to give it away. I will post a photo of the "candy" on Wednesday, the 27th, and then start the drawing on Friday the 29th, which is the "big" day. I can't believe it has been a whole year already! It has just flown for me because I have so much fun posting here and sharing my creations. Thank you for dropping in and "listening." :)

Well, I think it is about that time for me. My grungy house is calling me and the voice is soon to be a whine if I don't make some cleaning headway. Have a wonderful day and I will be back soon with more about how you can win some blog candy for your own. Bye!

Papers- Bo Bunny Tutu Dot & Alissa Spunky. Stamps- MFT Scarf for 3 digi image. Tools- Spellbinder Ribbon Tag Trios #2; CB 2x2 snowflake die. Embellishments- ribbon fx (Hobby Lobby) 5/8in lime w/ black dot grosgrain ribbon. Pens- Copics (RV21, RV11, YG17, B52, BG10, YR02, B0000, silver spica. Font- Andrew Script 16pt.

Hugs and Hisses

Hi guys! I have the cutest thing to show you. Today's card includes a digital image that I just came across last night while surfing the web and I immediately bought it (and a few others) to use today. I think they are all simply adorable. Let's see what you think!

And the inside...

I never dreamed I would be saying, "Aren't those snakes cute?" but here I am, doing just that. They are called Snakes Alive and are available as a digital image at Hambo Stamps. I have used Hambo stuff before and have been very pleased. They email you the digital order within 12 hours of payment so you have it to play with right away. The sentiment was something I thought of myself and printed on my computer. I think it works well here if I do say so myself. ;)

My printer is out of ink so it looks like I will be old school stamping until I can run up to Office Depot for another cartridge. That's ok though because I have plenty of toys on my desk. I think I will do just that tonight. My Grey's Anatomy will be on soon and I am going to get my jammies on in a minute. My supply list is below. Y'all have a fantastic night!

Papers- Pink Paislee Cupd Collection Bullseye; Bazzill Parakeet CS; Paper Co Choc Truffle CS. Stamps- Heidi Grace clear borders; Hambo Stamps Snakes Alive dig image. Inks- Memento Rich Cocoa. Tools- SU scalloped circle punch; EK (1 3/8 & 1 1/2 in) circle punches; Fiskars apron lace edge punch. Embellishments- Favorite Findings heart buttons; DMC # 3871 pearl cotton. Pens- Prisma (dk olive green); Copic (YG95, YG63, E79, E44, B0000, R27); Zig (chocolate). Sketch- Mojo Monday #121. Font- Cheri 24pt.

All You Need is LOVE

Hello my friends! I can't believe it is already Wednesday night. Where has the week gone? I know where my week has gone. It sped past me while I sat at my scrap desk working on custom orders. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE custom orders in my Etsy shop and both of my customers were dreams to work with but since I am just a teensy bit obsessive, I tend to get a little short sighted while I am working. All I can think about is what I have left to do and I completely flip out as I get more and more behind. But I bet you didn't stop in for a run down of my personality disorders, right?

So, a card...today's card. I love it a lot. I used a few tools and materials that are either new to me or new on the scramping scene. I'll show you the card and explain further. Take a look!

Ta Da! I hope you like it. I am oh, so pleased with the final result. I was a little iffy as it came together and I changed things back and forth several times but all of a sudden, it just clicked for me. My print papers are the new Basic Grey Sugar Rush. That luscious periwinkle card stock that matches the print perfectly is none other than Stampin Up's Almost Amethyst. Sometimes, I will be stumped on a matching CS and an SU color will end up being just the thing I need. I should remember that more often and save myself some trouble, I guess. Old or new, they often have a match for those funky papers. The main image is also from Stampin Up. It is from last year and it is part of the Big on Spring set.

Please notice the little pink index tab at the top of the red panel. It is chipboard covered in paper. For one, I never use chipboard on cards. I often get it out and it just never makes the final cut. So, using it here is very new for me too. You know what else? I used a new gadget to cover it. It is a little sanding tool that I picked up at a LSS and it is handy dandy! I am sorry to say that I don't know who makes it but I will show you a picture below and maybe someone reading can shed some light on it for us.


The way it works is you simply trim the overhanging edges of cover paper by sanding it off. You get a nice edge and it even gets in all the curves and crannies of small pieces like letters. I have had it a little while but never used it and now I am hooked. The last new item I want to mention is the short, stamped sentiment. It is from Hampton Arts and it is new for Valentine's Day. The whole thing reads, "all you need is love" but I left off the love part since I wanted to feature it below.

I want to mention one more thing about the card and then I am off to make dinner for my family. The middle of the o in love has the word "you" in it when stamped as is but I trimmed it out. The polka dot middle is another Sugar Rush coordinate. I used a little more of that print on the inside of the card (not pictured) just as a decoration to spruce up the blank interior a little.

Well guys, that's it for me. I will try to be back in less time than this past week. I have so many things I want to show you and the "season of love" is a relatively short one so I better hustle. Also, my blog-iversary is coming up on the 29th of January and I want to give away a little blog candy to celebrate. Lots of things coming up so pop back in soon. Ciao!

Papers- Basic Grey Sugar Rush Gummy Bears & Big Cherry; SU Almost Amethyst; Xerox ivory CS. Stamps- SU Big on Spring; Hampton Arts Need is Love. Inks- Memento Tuxedo Black. Tools- WRMK corner chomper; Sandpaper trimming tool; Sizzlit heart die. Embellishments- Michael's Dots & Dashes ribbon; Paper Studio chipboard index tab. Pens- Copics YR15, YG11, B63, R85. Sketch- Based on Mojo Monday #122 with minor changes.

Girlfriends Rock

Hi guys! I haven't had the stamping time I would have hoped for lately so I have pulled out an older creation that never made it here when I finished it. I am happy to say that I have been working on a custom order for a girl that found me on Etsy. I was thrilled to get her message stating that she had ordered from me before and now wanted me to make her some thank you tags for her own Etsy shop. Yay! I love my repeat customers! So, as soon as I finish her large order, I will be back in force. After all, there are way too many Valentine's Day and spring cards to be made right now!

Anyway, back to today's card. It is one of those old standbys that some of us make from time to time. It doesn't involve anything new, fancy, or intricate. I pulled out a paper combo that I loved and went from there. I used a really cute stamp by Penny Black and some of those dreamy Penny Lane papers by MME. Now that I mention that paper, if you have a Hobby Lobby near you, they have introduced an economy line of MME papers that are printed on regular weight paper (versus card stock weight) and only on one side. It makes them oh so much cheaper and with the great sales at HL, you can get them for a steal.

So, how about a photo? Here ya go!

As I often do, I printed (Font: CAC One Seventy 20pt) the sentiment in Word because I wanted a sentiment that I don't have a stamp for in my vast jumble of little wood blocks. The image and the sentiment are stamped/printed on Neenah Classic Crest Natural White. The sketch came from the Verve Challenges for their October Release week (VSOCT09B). It seems that I type that tidbit of info quite a bit lately. I made so many cards that week and the sketches were just fabulous. The ribbon is a May Arts grosgrain and I colored the image with my Copics.

I want you to have a great weekend and I hope to see you back next week after I finish that Etsy order. I will have lots of new things to show here so please drop by. And while you're at it, I would love to see a comment about what you think of my posts now and then. I recently changed the settings regarding comments so I hope to have made the process easier. Buh-bye!

A Big, Bold Birthday Card

Howdy gals! Happy Wednesday! I am back with a birthday card that is just full of colors. I haven't been making many "non-seasonal" cards lately and my stash of birthday and thank you cards is getting a little slim. I decided one was a must make for today. So without further ado...

And then an inside shot...

First, I have to apologize for the photo quality. As I have mentioned, I struggle to get good close up shots inside my home due to lighting issues. Everything turns out grainy or yellow. Well, today, I didn't get outside early enough and the sun was a little low to properly light my project here. The 2nd photo is especially poor. Sorry!

On to the card! I used some really old scraps from some papers (by sei) that I still love. I have a new pile of print scraps on my floor as we speak. I recently pulled them out because I had planned to make some tags with the limited quantities of each print. These are leftovers from various projects and rarely do I leave enough to make another card when I put them away. These above were used to decorate recipe tins for a long ago Etsy order so there were bigger pieces left over than I typically have. I had just enough to make 4 new birthday cards. Whoever gets these better like a rainbow of colors though! LOL!

My stamp is a Tara Reed image that I found in my local Hobby Lobby. It has a companion stamp of a strip of lit birthday candles. It is the same size as the gift image above. The pewter embellishments are also "older" and made by Making Memories. They have been in my stash a while so today, I decided the time had come to say goodbye. I colored the image with a combo of Copics and a few Prisma markers. Their creme marker is just to die for. I have yet to figure out which Copic compares.

I hope your day is a great one. Stop back by later in the week because I have a few new projects that are almost finished and ready to show you here. I will hurry one or 2 through to post them for you. Sound good? Well, alrighty then! Bye for now!

Love You Tons

Hi guys! I hope your weekend was a good one. Since ours started off with a snow day, ours kept to a leisurely pace which I loved. Today, it is back to the grind and my normal hustle & bustle. I want to show you my card and then I am off to errands and cleaning.

Today's card is a valentine. I didn't add a message with the actual words, "Happy Valentine's Day" but I will offer it as an option when I list it in my shop. I have found that most of the cards I carry for Valentine's Day will sell later in the year if they don't have any mention of the holiday. Offering the sentiment during February seems to suffice. So, you want to see it? I am quite happy with my results. ;)

And here is a shot from an angle to better showcase the layers...

Here are the deets: My sketch is straight from a lovely card by Kim Teasdale, which you can see here. The adorable little mouse image is from Heather Ellis. Several of her images are available at MFT but this particular one is available in Heather's shop on Etsy, right here. I am just loving her work lately. I have used several in the last few weeks. The papers are Bo Bunny and are from the new collection called Love Bandit. I just love them all! You will be seeing them again. The sentiment is a Studio G image from the dollar bin at my Michael's. And one last thing I want to mention before I run...notice the dots around my image...on the brown scalloped circle panel? Well, those were made with my new white Sakura Gel Glaze pen. Oh my gosh! If you want a really good, opaque, white pen, go buy this one. I got mine at Archiver's but they have them in JoAnn's too. I don't know if it really shows well enough in my photo but the dots are slightly raised and very shiny IRL. This is the best white ink I have ever used. Seriously! I have struggled with numerous white pens that either quit writing or just don't show up very well on dark paper. Well, the search is over! I have a new stand-by white ink.

Well folks, I am off. I mentioned all the major points for my supplies above so I am going to skip a formal list for today. If you have further questions, you know the drill...just ask. Have a wonderful day and happy crafting!

BRRRRR...In More Ways Than One

Hello! I'm a little later than usual but I promise I have a good reason. For one, I didn't have a card made because with my busy week (which included a sick child), I didn't get one made in time to have it photographed and ready to go in time to post here for yesterday. And the other reason is that we have had such bad weather that once my card was finished, it was too dark and cloudy to get a good photo. So tonight, out in the 16 degree evening, my hubby held a flashlight on my card, right outside our front door, so I could get a photo and not miss another day of blogging. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me? LOL! If you can, you can see my card and find out what I mean by my title up there. The "BRRRR" sums up my card and also describes the weather we are having in my supposedly Sunny South. We wimpy GA folks just aren't used to this cold snowy stuff! Maybe today's card will warm things up though. Take a look...

And then the inside is below. Please pardon the bowed look in the stand. With the wind blowing, the card just wouldn't stand straight when folded open.

This was one of those cards that involved a few detours before I arrived at the finished product. I changed the papers, the sketch, and the stamped image. Oy. Some days, it is a wonder I ever finish a project. That cute little monkey is another Changito image. Yep, one of the very same that I used to scorn. And that snowflake? I used my new Spellbinder Create-A-Flake die set. I just love those things! I will be sad when the time to use snowflakes is over. Maybe I will catch up on snow themed scrap pages!

My sketch for this card came from the SFYTT courtesy of Jen Del Muro. It was posted on the 19th of December...just a few weeks ago. At that point in the month, I was hurrying with Christmas preparations but it was such a cute sketch, I didn't want to miss it. I'll be filing this one away in my sketch book. It was a lot of fun to work on.

Well folks, this will do it for me. It was a very long day of snow, kids & hub home from school and work, washing wet clothes, and making endless cups of cocoa. I am pooped! Maybe I will get a little more scrap time in tomorrow. I sure hope so. Good night!

Papers-DCWV Holiday Collection Winter Matstack 2009. Stamps- Stampendous Changito Cocoa. Tools- Spellbinders Create-A-Flake One dies; Marvy Clever lever 3in circle punch; WRMK Corner Chomper. Embellishments- Favorite Findings buttons; DMC #6170 pearl cotton. Pens- Copics B04, R81, G21, E44, E42, B91, B97. Sketch- SFYTT 12-19-09. Font- Cool Dots 20pt (front) & Carnation 24pt (inside.)

Love Owls

Good Morning! How about a Valentine's day card? I assume you aren't here for the recipes and discussion of current world events, right? I hope not! Today's card uses another one of those motifs that I wasn't particularly fond of but they grew on me. I am talking about OWLS!

Everywhere you look in the scramping world, there are owls. Owls in trees, owls at birthday parties, owls doing just about everything. Well, they have not been my favorite images but this little twosome was really cute to me so I used them. Now, this card gave me fits. I must have come back to this project 4 different times. I could not make this card work just right. I tried several different arrangements and must have changed my card stock accents 10 times. I finally made it work so that it pleased me enough to finish it and sell it/give it/hoard it. I hope it is well received on the Big Day next month.

On one of those many stamping days I had over Winter Break, I was lucky enough to team up with my #1 buddy and spend a day playing crafty games...the adult version of a playdate. LOL! She was kind enough to let me borrow a new punch that she will be selling for SU in the coming months. It isn't even available for purchase yet (as far as I know.) It is called the Scallop Trim Border Edge Punch and will be available in the Occasions Mini catalog. I hope I have that right! Check with your own demo if you need details. I am not an SU demo myself...I only play one on TV. HaHa!

I will list the rest of my supplies below. This card will be listed in my Etsy shop by the end of the week if you are interested in owning it for yourself. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Papers- Fancy Pants Vintage Valentine "Will You?" DP. Stamps- Hero Arts Heart Owls. Inks- Memento Tuxedo Black. Tools- SU Scallop Trim Border Punch; piercer & mat. Embellishments- Favorite Findings mini nature buttons; MM stitches (tan & deep plum); Pebbles "I Love You" rub-ons; paper studio metal heart clipss; Inkssentials Glossy Accents. Pens- Copics R39, RV95, R02, YG95, G99, YG91.

After Christmas Thank You Notes

Howdy! I have a question for you. Have you written your thank you notes yet? Do you even write thank you notes? Do your kids (if you have them)? Do you get thank you notes for gifts you send? Just for the record...I DO send thank you notes and I make my children do so too. I worry that it is becoming a lost art though. I just don't get very many thank you notes these days. I am not talking about the informal gift exchanges that take place among friends and you thank them in person. I am talking about the situatiuons that require an actual acknowledgement of a gift...those times when the giver is not present for a gift to be opened.Oh well, all these questions bring me to my card for the day. Since I do send thank you notes, especially after the holidays, I usually make a few styles and sell what I don't use personally. You wanna see one? Take a look...

Here's a detail shot so you can get a better look at the embellishments:

And finally, the inside of my card...

I had a lot of fun with this card. I tried layering my snowflakes kinda like the Spellbinder Create-A-Flake dies and I like how it looks. I have since ordered the snowflake dies and they are fabulous. I think they would even make nice tree ornaments.

My image is a digi image from All That Scraps called Winter Bear. I ordered it last year and couldn't wait to use it again this year. The teddy bear reminds me of a monkey. He has the cutest face! My sketch is from Sketch Saturday #65 posted originally on 8-26-09. My outer sentiment is stamped. I know I have been printing my sentiments a lot lately but this one is done the old fashioned way. However, I did finish the inside of the card with a printed message. I feel like printing my own in a font/color of my choice often makes the card though.

If you have any questions about this card or others, I will always answer emails about my work. The supply list is below and should fill in the gaps for you though. Have a great day!

Papers- Kaiser Fun in the Sun Frisbee; misc CS by DCWV. Stamps- ATS winter bear digistamp; Hero Arts Small Greetings. Inks- SU real red classic. Tools- MS lattice edge punch; EK 6 petal flower punches; QK Rev snowflakes & flourishes dies; EK circle punches; MS snowflake punch; CB snowflake die (2x2); Marvy mini snowflake punch. Embellishments- MM stitches (ocean); Fav Findings buttons. Pens- Copics R85, RV29, YR68, Y17, B16, B000, E44. Sketch- Sketch Saturday #65. Font- Abadi MT Condensed 16pt.

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone! I hope your new year is off to a fabulous start! I also hope that your holidays, whatever you may choose to celebrate at your house, were filled with love and fun. Here at our house, we very much enjoyed having Daddy home from work for 17 days in a row. My kids will be back in school tomorrow but my hubby had to be back at the grindstone today. I felt so bad last night as he scurried around getting his lunch made and his work bag packed. I wanted him home today too! I got to play at my scrap desk A LOT while he watched the endless football games on TV over the last couple weeks. I will certainly miss our lazy winter vacation days. ;)

So, how about a card? I have a few to show you this week since I got so much stamping time in while on vacation. Today's card is a slightly new direction for me. Despite the image's wild popularity lately, I don't typically care for them. What are "they" you ask? Robots! Take a look...

And the inside of my card...


I decided that since Valentine cards were about to be in demand in my Etsy shop, I better get started on a stash to sell. This card works well as a Valentine or just a lovey-dovey greeting for the rest of the year. The image is a digi stamp from My Favorite Things. I mentioned that I don't usually care for robots. I just don't if we are being totally honest. However, these little sweethearts caught my eye as did their "buddy" over at MFT. I have one more robot image that I bought so I will use him soon too. I just think they are so cute! I couldn't wait to put them in a card so I started this one as soon as the Christmas stuff all over my desk was put away. I am pretty happy with my results.

You may recognize my sketch from Splitcoast Stampers. It is #SC260 from a week or so ago. I actually got to play along while it was posted for the week! I still haven't added this one to my gallery yet though. I am way behind on that front. One goal at a time, right? LOL! I printed my sentiment in a font called LCD20pt. I decided it was a perfect look for the little robots. The background paper was just right too. I have seen it many times at my LSS but when it showed up in the clearance bin, I grabbed it to use here. I tried my hand at making a gear shape with freehand cutting and the attempt was just horrible so the light blue shape behind the image was made by punching a 2 inch circle and then using a standard hole punch to remove little half circles all the way around. I would have loved to own an inverted scallop Spellbinder die but no such luck! For a little texture, I added some Glossy Accents to the buttons and "lights" on my couple. IRL, it gives those spots a little contrast but the photo doesn't show it very well.

Well then...I think I better get back to my stay at home vacationers. Why is it that kids home from school must eat 12 times in 8 hours but they can make it all day at school with only lunch and a snack? If you figure that one out, please tell me the answer. Until then, I am off to feed the younguns. My supply list is below. Have a wonderful day and stay warm. Happy, Happy New Year to you and yours!


Papers- TPC STudio Blips & Beeps Gear Grid; Colorbok Pearlescent CS. Stamps- MFT Robot2 digistamp. Tools- 1/4in hole punch; BB Swiss Dots & Frills Border templates; SU word window & photo corner punches; EK and Marvy circle punches. Embellishments- Favorite Findings buttons; DMC rayon floss (S5200); Hero Arts smooth clear gemstones; Inkssentials Glossy Accents. Pens- Copics C1, C3, C5, C7, R27, R39, R22, G21, B14, 0. Font- LCD 20pt. Sketch- SC260.

Please note: I decided a new look was in order for the new year and my upcoming blog-iversary. Please let me know what you think of the change. I would love to get a little feedback on the colors and their readability. Please be honest. Your opinion matters to me! :) -KRS