Simple Things In Life

Surprises are great!

2011-09-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

Our former next door neighbors are "bunking" with us this week unexpectedly. Mike's Dad died and they flew up from Miami for the funeral. I have hustled around to get set up for them and I knew there was a reason my crafting/guestroom finally got cleaned up last week. They will be here until Monday so it will be great to spend time with them and also for them to see other friends since they have not been back to Michigan in 5 years. We are hoping to go to the cider mill on Saturday.Cider yum!
Happy crafting!

My friend

2011-09-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Gini is downsizing her stuff and gave me this great storage unit for my crafting area. I decided to fill it with my "go-to items". This way I won't have to go hunting for them as they get hidden in my crafting frenzy moments.I put my Cuttlebug boards right on top so I can condense the tool. I put all of my folders, and dies for it on the shelving unit together in a box. It started out that way but it didn't last long as I worked on projects.Here is my "new unit "all filled up.My Spellbinders are in a hanging basket next to it, easy to find quickly.
My next project is tackling the paper shelves. I know it will be easier to find the exact paper when it is properly sorted again but it isn't a fun job for me.
Happy crafting and thanks again Gini.

Guess Who!

2011-09-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to work with the Cricut Storybook cartridge today. This cute owl was the result. It was cut at 4inches and using each of the layers, and scrap paper plus a sentiment from the Hampton Arts "Who loves You?"stamp set became a card. The base is from a set of pre-cut cards from Michael's in the Dollar section.It was inked around the edges with DI Stormy Sky. The owl was enhanced with Zig Markers,and attached to the card folder with Pop Dots to give him some room for his wings and is sitting on a freehand branch I crushed a little after cutting it out to give it a bark like feeling. This will be a Halloween card for some special little friends.
Happy crafting!

I have been

2011-09-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

busy, busy. I had an order for sympathy cards so I have been working on that plus trying to finish up my reorganizing of my work area. I rediscovered the many sheets of designer papers that I have and really want to use up.I plan to bring some of them to our next paper crafting meeting at church to share with others.I have a new card posting to share tomorrow. Now since it is starting to turn to fall like weather, I will be able to spend more time with my card making instead of my gardening and other outside projects. I did get some needed work done this week like reworking the flower beds near the front door, which was on my to do list all summer long.
Hope you get to have some time for crafting this weekend too!

Pumpkins in the cornfield -part 2

2011-09-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

The second card from the same set of stamps is this one.The sweet scarecrow and the tumbling leaves went so well together. I water colored the scarecrow after stamping with Memento sepia ink, and then edged the card using DI Pumice Stone .The ribbon is unknown but is so shimmery, and was just enough for this card. This is going off to a friend as a thinking of you card.
Happy Crafting!

While cleaning,

2011-09-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

I rediscovered an uncut sheet set of stamps from Firecracker Designs by Pamela. I had picked up a few sets before she closed last year and was happy to find some new autumn stamps in my stash which didn't get ruined in our basement flood . They were in a plastic shoebox tucked away safely on my shelf where I kept my acrylic paint. I cut out just 2 of the stamps from the sheet but will certainly be making more cards with the other images soon.
The sentiment was stamped with Mementos Tuxedo Black, and the circle was edged with DI Antique Linen.The pumpkins were stamped on some shimmer scraps and Zig Markers were used for some embellishment. The ribbon is American Crafts Dk. Green. The plaid paper is unknown from the scrap box, and the edges were distressed with a scissor blade.The folder is Bazzill Brown.
Happy Crafting!

Make a Wish

2011-09-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

I have been a cleaning whirlwind in my craft area this week in my spare time. It was a disaster and sorely needed attention. Now between this ,that and work, I finally had time to make some cards.
Today's card was made using Quic Kutz Santa's Workshop set of dies. I got it at a swap a while ago and tucked it safely away... and rediscovered it during cleaning. The set includes a variety of circles and other shapes. The card included a flower made using some Sizzix flower dies, and a shape pre-stamped with make a wish from a swap , it will be used as an emergency card for the autumn season. I had premade the flower and sprayed it with Glimmer Mist Sunflower for a hint of a shimmer. The background cardstock has torn edges using Coordinations paper. The folder is a Bazzill brown while the brad is from Making Memories. The twist ribbon is from Berwin Offray(after Christmas sale last year).Pull out those older items and have fun crafting!

Funky Fold Two

2011-09-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

I made another card using the same technique and a stamp from the GinaK Design set (Warm & Cozy Christmas)which was colored with Zig Markers. After rereading my previous sketchy directions, I decided to instead send you right to the creator of the process at the end of my post today. Here is my card today. I like the punched snowflakes enhanced with Stickles to added to the card. The punch is a Mc Gill.The paper and ribbon are from the scrap box.My friend Gini asked me at our church coffee hour hour to replicate the card pattern for her,so I tried to demonstrate it with no tools like a a bone folder, cutter, ruler, glue stick, etc. It was a challenge but I think it was sure better than the partial directions I included in my last post. Here is the original site again:http://wickedwonderfulcreations.blogspot.com.
Happy Crafting!

Something unique

2011-09-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

I found a new kind of funky folded card on wickedwonderfulcreations.blogspot.com. It used a piece of pattern paper 11"x11" folded in half on the diagonal. Next score on both sides of the triangle on the long sides at 3" and 5.5". Turn it 90 degrees and score it at the peak 3 1/2" on both sides of the triangle peak. Using a bone folder, press all of the score marks sharply. There will be an excess tiny triangle on each side of the peak flap, using scissor cut it off. Reopen the paper and using adhesive glue it together. Stamp a small image, color it and add it to the closure for the card formed by the small triangle on one end of the card. I know her directions are more detailed than mine so for more help check the site out . My image is from Unity(hello my friend).It was stamped in Mementos Tuxedo Black and colored with Zig Markers. A ribbon finishes the card . The sentiment is hidden inside. Hope you check out the site and try something different yourself.

Hi There

2011-09-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins are turning up in the grocery stores , a sure sign that fall is on the way. I have been seeing costumes and the shelves and shelves of candies too for the visitors who will soon be touring the neighborhoods. I have some young friends to make cards for in the coming weeks but here is the first one. The card includes a cluster of vintage stamps, including a Stampendous small checked frame(I love the uneven frame -so perfect for Halloween time),a SU pumpkin from an old set, and the Hi There is from a Verve Set-Happy Hello. They were all stamped with Memories sepia and the image was colored with Zig markers. Diamond Stickles was added to give a little glow to the pumpkin , while the scrap of unknown ribbon tied it together.
Have a great weekend. I'm happy to have some time to work on some cards!

Why ?

2011-08-24T17:09:00.001-07:00

After all of the repairs needed from our flood in the basement were completed, I looked around the house and decided to remove the vintage kitchen wallpaper and instead to paint it after it was done. I haven't tackled something like that alone in ages and I have gotten bogged down in my process. The rummage sale, plus my nanny job responsibilities have delayed my progress but like a turtle ,a slow and steady pace is my motto.
My card making has really on a slow pace recently but I need to pop a thinking of you card into the morning mail, so I took some time to work on it. Here's a new one with a vintage CTMH from a recent swap sale.It was stamped with Mementos Tuxedo Black and water colored. I have collected so many swatches for kitchen paint choices, so I decided to use the excluded items in card making .Just a touch of ribbon and then it was mounted on a green pre-folded card. I hope she likes it!
If you are in the path of the hurricane on the way, please stay safe. Growing up in NY/NJ area, I experienced several hurricanes and they are not fun.

It's Over

2011-08-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Our church rummage sale is over and we were so blessed to raise almost $2,000 for our mission projects through the year. I'm tired but we all worked so hard to have a good sale. We even found a group willing to pick up the unsold items today so we could tidy up to get ready for church in the morning.
Happy Crafting.

Hello my Friend!

2011-08-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

I found this Unity Itty Bitty Stamp recently and I love the combination of fonts on it. I combined it with a Inque vintage swirl (Monarch),a flower I made using a Nellies die fastened with a brad after being Glimmer Misted. I used the ribbon gathering technique from Niki Estes blog to complete my tag card. I used Distress Inks Antique Linen and Tea Dye to age my tag and some Jilly Bean twine through the hole on the tag. All set for a last minute card to pop into the mail.
Happy Crafting !

Busy

2011-08-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

that is the word for it. I am the co-chair of the church rummage sale and it is coming up on Thursday-Saturday this week. Our group has opened more boxes and trash bags filled with donations than we expected this week.I can get you a good price on lots of t-shirts, jeans and evening gowns. too Each year there seems to be a sort of "donation theme". What I mean is , more and more of certain things. This year, is Christmas ornaments, lights, and yet more lights. Judy, in charge of the holiday item section, even starts to groan when one of says... look what's in this one Judy.We have received so many sets of lights that it fills a 7 foot table completely. We are a great source for bud vases too. We must have gotten in 75 of them . Too bad we aren't holding any wedding showers soon, we could supply centerpieces easily with the mounds of silk flowers up for the sale too. We are raising money for our church food pantry so here's hoping it will be a big success.
I'll be back with some new cards after the rush is over!

Picture time

2011-08-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

Our weekend adventure in camping was fun. We had alternating rain-or drizzle then sun, non -stop heat ,and apparently we were visiting in the cicada world area. They sang us to sleep and that was all one could hear at our campsite in the afternoon and during the night. The mosquitoes were not friendly but our DIL came prepared with Burt's Bees insect repellent which help fend them off. Here is a photo of Erik (one of our sons)in his tent.I like the photo of the lily pads in the lake that I took on Sunday during on our walk around more of the park we visited too.When we went swimming in Eagle Lake , the trout were swimming around the people enjoying the lake. I had never experienced swimming with fish before(they were about 10 inches long).
Happy summertime all!

Away time

2011-08-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

We are actually going away for the weekend to spend time together with the entire family. We are going camping for the first time since the guys were young . Now to many people that isn't anything special but Bob and I are more B&B people .So we will be off for our adventure soon to Battle Creek to a state park with our 2 sons and DIL. It is just for two days but should be fun. Since the weather is so humid , we are hoping to go to a lake in the area. I promise a photo when we get back.
Happy weekend all!

Garage Sale Finds

2011-08-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

I ran errands today and stopped at a local garage sale today and found a Making Memories 27 piece Distressing Kit brand new in the box $2.00( on their website it runs $29.99). I have had that on my wish list forever. I also found some cute sets of SU Furnished with love-unmounted /new but vintage sweet designs and sentiments(-Have a chairful day -$2.00) and Listens with the Heart(another unmounted one but vintage for $1.00).I guess it is time to start to replace all those loved stamps I lost in my basement flood. These are older unused in mint condition things but new to me and inexpensive which makes them fun to try out!
One never know what turns up at a garage sale. Check out the ones in your area too.
Happy crafting!

My soul finds rest

2011-08-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

in God alone.This verse from Psalm 62:1-2,is perfect for a thinking of you card. My cousin is having surgery in the morning .I thought this would lift her spirits. The sentiment is from ODBD Scripture Collection 4, while the flourish is an oldie from Inque. Both are stamped with Memories Sepia. The lace border is from my stash of ribbons. The flower is from Spellbinders Flower Creations 3, and after cutting the paper in my Cuttlebug, was Glimmer Misted with Sunflower. The brad is from Making Memories.The design paper is from Sassafras Lass mini pack(Mix and Mend).
Happy Crafting!

Mini Gift Card

2011-07-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

I just love clean and simple styling. I noticed this sketch #FTL151 on the clean and simple site(cleanandsimplestamping.blogspot.com)and decided to try it out.It is a perfect size for a gift enclosure card and I will be needing one in a few days. I hunted in the scrap box again and found everything I needed in the paper department right away. I used my Martha Stewart Score tool to follow the directions on their site. Next I cut the sections out using my Fiskars cutter.I also used a Martha Stewart edger to create a lacy treatment. The sentiment(stamped with Mementos-Tuxedo Black) is from an Inkadinkado set by Dawn Houser (from a Big Lots sale only $2.00 recently.)I plan to make many of these cards to have for last minute gifts. Check out the site for the details.
Happy Crafting!

Summer Angel

2011-07-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ages ago, I bought these seasonal stamps from Grubbies. The one used on this card is Summer. I used the old scrap box again to find both the sage and plum papers pieces and the background paper is BG. The image was stamped with Mementos Tuxedo Black and the angel was colored with Zig markers.The small hearts around the angel have a touch of Stickles Star Dust. The 3 flowers were from the scrap box as were the brads.The ribbon is from Michaels.Another birthday card ready to mail in the morning.
Happy Crafting.

Oh well!

2011-07-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

My migraine headaches are back again. We are expecting rain tonight and hopefully I will be feeling better soon after the storm passes. (at least I can hope that to be the case)

Embossing Folder Fun

2011-07-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

On Creations by Christina(creationswithchristina@yahoo.com) today she shared a super easy project. She ran a white CS panel through her CB in an embossing folder after measuring off sections to create a panel. After embossing , she added Thickers to spell out a word after inking them separately to change the color before gluing the letters on the panel. To finish the card, she added an designer brad for an accent. I changed my word to hello(inked it first with DI Stormy Sky then gluing it onto the panel), and added a small flower with a brad from my stash. I liked the results and also got my Thickers(mine are Venus font) on sale at Big Lots($2.00). Just love those sales!
Happy Crafting!

Ahh Borders

2011-07-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

I went to the clearance sale at Borders last night. Lots of people were in the check out lines but the store was still stocked well. I was hoping to find a copy of Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine. It is from England and pricy here in the states at $10.00.They do include extras and I was able to get the issue 93 that included 7 acrylic stamps-Fairies of the Seasons. It also includes free papers to download(with their code) by Sarah Williams of Flutter Bee Designs. I even got 40%off and used a gift card. Now I have some new images to try out. This image is the first one I tried. The image was stamped with Mementos Tuxedo Black and colored with Prismacolor Pencils. The background papers were downloaded from their website. The ribbon is from the scrap box and the snowflake punch is from Martha Stewart. StarDust Stickles were applied to the snowflake for a bit of bling. Another Christmas card to go into the stash.
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On a sad note, I was shocked to see the awful events which happened in Norway. My family is Norwegian American and I visited there with my parents. My prayers are with the families . Some friends of ours currently live in Oslo and I heard from them today and they are safe .

A friendship worth keeping

2011-07-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

It is a birthday week for several dear friends. I made this card to get into the mail in the morning. The MFT Pure Innocence stamp used one of my favorites. My cousin Peggy is also a special friend and the last few months have been challenging for her. This card is to remind her I'm thinking of her. Happy Birthday Lady!I used scraps from my box and the general idea from AmyR's posting today.The sentiment was attached with pop dots. I added a "gem" to enhance the "magic wand".The ink is Mementos Tuxedo Black and the image was water colored.The wings and hearts were enhanced with Stickles Star Dust.(Sorry the image is a bit blurry-my camera is acting up again)
Wishing you a great day!

Birthday Rhubarb

2011-07-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

I am a fan of Sweet n Sassy Stamps. Korin, the owner/illustrator has a new little bear in her digi line. He is cute and I decided to make him into a birthday card. I used scraps from the box , my CM hexagon punches, embossing folder, watercolor paint to paint him, and an oldie SU sentiment stamp to create this card. His embellishment, a red rose tied with sheer ribbon attached with a glue dot. After arranging the variety of hexagons in a rainbow fashion, the card was run through my CB in a QuicKutz Polka Dots folder. It is off in the mail tomorrow to send to a friend for her birthday.
Have a great day!

Nature gives...

2011-07-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

The flowers in my garden are growing so well and it inspired me to make this CAS card using a variety of stamps,one from Unity,while the verse is from Verve . The dotted paper is from the scrap box and the card stock is White Bazzill. The ink used was Memories Sepia and the card was edged with DI Spun Sugar. The center of each of the the flowers was enhanced with a dot of Stickles Peeled Paint.The sheer ribbon is SU Ivory.The flower is unknown from the stash. Another card for emergencies is ready.
Have a great day today!

Without a little rain...

2011-07-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

This card includes stamps from Elzabells , a great company unfortunately no longer in business. I had forgotten I had it in my stash. The set , A brighter tomorrow, has great sentiments and a rainbow and clouds too.I water colored the rainbow and edged the clouds with light blue watercolor . The ribbon is from my stash and I cut a slot to feed the ribbon through to hold it onto the white cardstock covered with a scrap of Basic Grey.The ink used was Mementos Tuxedo Black.
Wishing you sunny days!

Hello Friend

2011-07-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

This card is going out to surprise a friend. I used some collage scraps, a MS butterfly punch and a Verve stamp from the set Happy Hello.The sentiment was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black.The folder is from Halcraft and has a matching envelope. It was fun to have time to make some cards today.
Wishing you a great day today!

Gift Card Folder

2011-07-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

I pulled out my QuicKutz Anime birds die to make a quick card. Using kraft paper for a base, I cut out the larger bird with my CB and Basic Grey scraps. The smaller bird went on the inside to decorate the pocket to hold the gift card. Just a bit of glue to put it together and a sentiment from Hampton Arts stamped in Distress Ink Dusty Concord and a sage ribbon tie and a quick gift was ready for the mail.
Happy Crafting to all.

Happy 4th of July to all!

2011-07-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

I felt the need to create a card to celebrate the birthday of the USA. We are lucky to live here and give thanks to family members and those who sacrificed to keep us free. My card today uses stamps from two companies. The star stamps are from Verve(Polka Stars) and the girl is from Magnolia(a stamped image gift). The paper is from the scrap box and the folder is Bazzill Beige.She was water colored while the stars were stamped with Distress Ink Faded Jeans, Barn Door, and Stormy Sky.The twine is unknown . The card is being sent off to a special friend in the military in the morning.
Enjoy the holiday and blue skies.

At last

2011-06-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

I had the time to make a card. It was a thank you card for a friend who has truly been there with all of the ups and downs for us during the past few weeks. The stamps used are from Unity and the inks used on the Bazzill white cardstock were Distress Inks Bundled Sage and Antique Linen. The corners were edged with the CM corner rounder. The ribbon bow is SU ivory sheer.
As this week is our VBS and I am the lead toddler teacher, it will be another busy week ahead. This is the first year we will be offering a toddler class. Our curriculum offered their program plans for the little ones on line and so a friend Michelle and I are working on making sure the children will have fun. It should be quite an adventure as it is being held from 5:30-8:30pm. First we have supper and then the fun begins and it is all free to the families. Have a great week ahead!

Finally...

2011-06-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

we are nearly done with the cleanup. This has been the longest month in our world. Today we had the furnace repair people here. They rebuilt our furnace (and aside from the bill ,you don't want to know about the amount),we should be warm again in the winter time-Yeah! We have been slowly trying to get back to "normal". We are planning on painting the basement over the 4th of July. Our son Erik has been chipping off the old textured bumpy plaster so we can have smooth walls. We would never have gotten done all the work finished if he hadn't been helping us every step of the way.
In the midst of the mess, my cousin Conrad died. Since we could not go to NJ for the funeral, I made cards and sent them to each member of the family and their own families. That is about all of my recent card making activities. I hope to get to card making soon.

Progress is slow

2011-05-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

The basement is stripped of flooring and walls back to the original cement . The drying fans are still running. Our neighbor works for a plumbing supply and got us the special part for the hot water heater. Bob managed to get it back together after a tricky fix but now we have to wait until the morning for it to work(with our fingers crossed).Thanks John!Still no washer or dryer and the furnace is still drying out. Thursday night is a town Q&A meeting to discuss the flood and who is actually responsible for the sewerage spill. It should be a lively meeting.

Words of Kindness

2011-05-30T03:42:00.000-07:00

After spending 12 hours Saturday emptying the wet basement things with my family from the flood damage, we called friends and took nice warm showers there. What a joy!

As we worked, we soon realized the scope of the mess and hired a company to sanitize and strip the basement to avoid black mold etc.They worked for hours and left these giant sucking fans to run with the dehumifiers ( it sounds like airplane engines) moving the air around for several days in the basement & kitchen . Hopefully that will do the trick . Thanks to them for their expert work and kindnesses.Our block looked like Ghostbusters with all of the haz /mat clothing at everyone's home.

I called my brother who lives away from us to let him know about the flood. He is autistic and sometimes says the most profound things. He told me"As long as the television is safe,you will be okay". He loves the television so I took it as a big hug from him. Thanks Ken.

Mother Nature

2011-05-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

and her never ending torrents of rain in our area of SE Michigan ; storms combined with a pumping station 90 miles away going off line equals more like 20 inches of sewage water in our basement. What a mess and it is the first time in 24 years in our home to have this kind of disaster. As we are blessed today with actually finding a utility pump in a Home Depot only 20 miles away ,we are now pumping ourselves out as this is being written. We are unsure about the status of the furnace, water heater, dryer,washer(just repaired by my husband for$ 250.00 a week ago)let alone all of those special heirlooms-Lionel Trains, my doll collection, Christmas items, our tree, and so many cartons of children's books (I was getting ready to donate to a school from my teaching days), and even my wedding gown and so many keepsakes. AAK... but as Bob said ,it is only things. Our photo albums were upstairs as was my special Norwegian costume from childhood. We have our health, each other and will work through this "inconvenient glitch in our lives". Our thoughts and prayers go out to those many people impacted more seriously due to weather conditions in recent days all over our country.
I am not expecting to be blogging for a while but I hope to have time soon again for papercrafting.

Busy, busy

2011-05-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

I am taking some family time and will be back in a few days. I am also thinking of the terrible tornados traveling through our country and the impact on the lives of so many people. Stay safe on your travels with the Memorial holiday weekend quickly approaching.Happy crafting to all.

Request

2011-05-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

I had a request for a military card from a church friend. I found this great set (So Far Away) at Firecracker Designs by Pamela before they closed last year. I had made several cards before to send to church members serving in the military. This time the card is going to a female proudly serving our country.I made it a bit softer but remembering the postal restrictions, added no flowers nor brads. I hope her Grandmom likes it tomorrow. The sentiment inside...You are not forgotten! Thanks to all who serve our country proudly.

Pinwheels

2011-05-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

I have been seeing pinwheels on many blogs and tried this one myself. These directions came from -www .barbstamp.com-(Easy Peasy Pinwheel Card). To make this design, cut 2- 2 5/8"squares. Next from two different designer papers, cut 4 -1 1/4" squares(I used my old CM punch for this). Take the larger squares, turn them 90 degrees and glue together on top of each one. Placing the squares fitting into the corners of each of the points lightly glue them on the top. Add a brad to finish it off, in the center of the pinwheel. add to the front of a card using glue dots as the piece is a bit layered. I added a rectangle to act as a "handle" and placed my sentiment there. I will be making a bunch of them to continue to use up my scraps.
Happy Crafting!

Aah Daisies

2011-05-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a bunch of daisies to boost anyone's spirits. When we were dating in college, my guy bought me daisies. As the years have passed with the typical ups and downs, he still gets me daisies but Shasta or Gerber ones now. I pulled out this stored away SU Decorative Daisies set and thought it would be perfect to use for a thinking of you card. I double stamped each of the flowers with VersaColor inks,then added 3d dots to the second set on the top of the first layer of flowers. The vase was free handed using some vintage paper which looks like a spatter glazed vase .I had a bit of matching ribbon to add a bow . The sentiment is from Sweet n Sassy I'd pick You(#1071). The cardstock was edged with Distress Ink-Mustard Seed.
I had posted but lost a couple of postings with the Blogger issues recently. I'm glad that is over.
Happy Crafting.

New Stamps

2011-05-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

This is the first card made with one of the new stamps (Stampavie-Gillian Roberts-Baking a treat)I bought last week at the Novi,Michigan Mega Meet. I thought she was so happy with her buddy bear keeping her company . The images were stamped with Mementos Tuxedo black and water colored. StarDust Stickles were added to both the bow and chef hat on the bear. The folder is from Cuttlebug, and the sentiment is from Sweet n Sassy.The ribbon is unknown and I water colored the Prima flower to match her shirt.
Happy Crafting!

Wishing all

2011-05-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

a beautiful day especially to all of the Moms . It was a gorgeous day today. Our Mom/Daughter dinner event on Friday night was a big hit. We had over 85 in attendance and a hat contest with prizes along with a crazy fashion show. I was Ms. Stamps during the parade of wardrobe and created an outfit for myself with stamping items pinned all over it.
The food was great and the husbands waited on the tables and best of all did all of the dishes and cleaned up the church kitchen!!! After the dinner, I sold a bunch of my cards in the boutique area with all of the money going towards our mission work projects. These were the two most popular cards . The papers were from my trusty scrap box , I'm still working on that pile of papers. The card on the left includes a PTI Fillable Frame #10 shape that I bought from another crafter recently. That sentiment is from Sweet n Sassy.

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On Saturday, it was the big Mega Meet in our area for papercrafters. I went with some church friends. It's a girl's day out for us and we have fun checking out all the new things available from different companies in their booths. I did buy a few new stamps...but I went with a limited budget plan and my trusty lists so I wouldn't be too tempted. I made a splurge at the QVC outlet scrap booking booth and bought a Cosmo Cricket kit with 9,000 piece kit, originally $60.00 for $10.00. It includes 2 8x8 albums, frames, magnets, and all sorts of projects, included materials to create cards. I found out that all of us in our group did too. On the way home in the car, we decided we should have a project day to create gifts for the holiday bazaar from the kits. There were two different one kits to choose from there along with a smaller kit for $5.00. Since it was the last day of the show, several booths offered discounts on their remaining stock which was terrific . There were many make & take demos too. A great but busy weekend for us all!

Some cards are

2011-05-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

hard to make. I recently found out a friend is facing a serious health issue with the possiblity of mere months ahead of him . How to make a thinking of you card, not sad but thoughful. I pulled out an old stamp from JKDesign-Faith. It was stamped with Mementos Sepia ink, and roughly torn around the edge. The DP is double sided and from American Crafts-Junior Touchdown.I trimmed it and then folded the corners. Using Dark Green Twine, the corners were sewn and knotted. It was mounted on a Bazzill white card. The inside was stamped with a PSX Keeping you in thoughts and prayers. Thinking of you buddy!

I'm busy getting ready

2011-04-28T19:24:00.001-07:00

for the boutique at our Mother/Daughter Dinner at church. The ladies always look forward to seeing the items available, and the husbands who wait on tables and wash the dishes there try to find a gift for their ladies too. All the money goes to our mission projects so it is great cause. I'll take a picture of the items I made before the event.
Happy Crafting!

You're on my mind

2011-04-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

I noticed the sketch challenge on the Verve Stamp blog. I really liked the sketch and it was simplier than I first thought. I changed it a bit and put my sentiment beneath my bow level. I used the Heartfelt Phrases set from Verve and once again I checked out my trust scrap box for papers. The pink rick rack I used on the card was a gift as was the vintage looking pale pink flower. The butterfly was punched from scrap box papers using a Martha Stewart punch. The edges were inked with Distress Ink for a vintage look. The sentiment was inked with Memento Tuxedo black. Verve has a contest which ends 4/28 if you complete four cards from their 4 sketches and post them on vervestamps.splitcoaststampers.com with a nice prize for a lucky crafter.
Happy Crafting!

Photo Time

2011-04-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

Our oldest son stopped by on his way back home from a trip and a quick dinner with us and we got a new photo of the 4 of us. Tracy was not with him since her sister was visiting her out in Kalamazoo from Ohio for the weekend. Just me and my guys! Happy Easter to all.

I saw these sweet

2011-04-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

mini baskets on catswhiskerstutorials.blogspot.com and decided to make some for Easter . I just love the many scraps in my carton and made use of some very vintage paper on this project. The purple plaid paper is from HOTP and looks great combined with two different shades of purple as the basis of the basket. The pattern calls for 6x6inch squares to start so I used a 8x11 paper sheet and created the handle with the leftover scrap. I used two different edgers on the handles-Martha Stewart and a Fiskars . I really wished the companies marked the tool with it's name because I really do not remember that information. The pink striped paper is newer-2010 Pitter Patter from MM -one of my surprises found at Monday Morning (25 sheet double sided pack for 1.99). The coordinating brads hold it together and are are from Recollections.I plan to put some "grass " in the bottom with some treats for dessert .
Happy Crafting!

I tried

2011-04-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

out my Inky Antics Carrot Bunny Honey POP set. I won it from Jackie and it is unique with a 3D surprise. I made a first card following her directions and know I will be making lots more. papers from the scrap box . The images were stamped with Mementos Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock and the bunny had a bit of detailing with a Prismacolor Rose Decor pencil. The ribbon is unknown but lime green to act as grass for him on the front of the card.The inside of the card is the surprise part by using the Honeycomb Pad to create a 3D effect.There are several other choices of sets with a variety of images.
*******
Around here...we are counting the days until the Great Lakes Mega Meet ,in Novi, MI on May 7th. I will be seeing Jackie and many more companies also like ODBD . I plan on going with friends and we will have a fun "Girls Day Out" for ourselves.I have been saving my spare change for months.

Visiting a friend

2011-04-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

today to stuff the plastic eggs for the egg hunt at church. After we were finished, she said I could check out her stamp drawers so I went through them quickly. One of them from Stamp-N-Doodle (1992) was a cute monster which reminded me of Where the Wild Things Are book. I made several stamped images of this one and others for a change in my stamp images options and brought it home to play with for fun. I thought this would be a perfect little birthday card and more items from the scrap box were used . I will get through the scrap box pile eventually.The image was water colored and inked with Mementos Tuxedo Black.
Happy Crafting!

I noticed

2011-04-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

a sweet rabbit on the Cardmaking & Papercraft blog. They have free extensions from the magazine to download. In issue 90 Color Clinic, they offer the rabbit for coloring practice. I water colored the print, cut it with a die from Nestibilities Labels 3 on the Cuttlebug,and edged it with Dusty Concord Distress Ink. Next,I added a bar of vanilla scrap paper with organdy ribbon bows from discontinued SU ribbons. It was mounted on some lilac Bazzill card stock. It speaks of spring to me...now if only our weather would cooperate.
Happy Crafting!

Christmas Best Wishes

2011-04-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

I think I needed a break from bunnies. I got the idea to start my Christmas card stash. I read a few Christmas through the year blogs and using more from my scrap box, used a collage style to make this card. It used scraps from BG Olivia pad and the mottled paper piece is completely unknown to me. Both the green ribbon and sentiment are from SU and the LSS swap recently. The card stock is Bazzill Beige except for the sentiment piece which was white. Everything was edged in Distress Ink Antique Linen. I guess since it is snowing outside in SE Michigan on April 18th, a Christmas card was appropriate for the day.
Happy Crafting!

It's wonderful finding

2011-04-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

something that is just right for a gift. Becca Feeken on her blog, Amazing Paper Grace yesterday(14th of April) had something that really attracted me . It was a Potpourri Holder made from a 12x12 sheet of paper. I tried to replicate it with my supplies at hand . I like how it turned out although I haven't quite completed the inside of the holder yet .Following the directions in her tutorial on the blog,(amazingpapergrace.com/potpourri-holder) off I went to try it out. I used 1 sheet of ivory Bazzill, which was sponged with Distress Ink Tea Dye all over on both sides to give the folder an antique appearance. Next I cut a scrap of K&Company paper to glue on the front but added Offray Enhance ribbon first to act as a closure. The shaped panel was cut with a Spellbinders Lattice die while the sentiment is from ODBD Scripture Collection 4 and inked with Memories Sepia on a piece of pale gold scrap paper. The dimensional stickers are from Michaels with the flowers are from my stash. The MS punched butterfly is from the Glimmer Mist scraps from the other day that I prepared. It had 2 pockets inside that I edged with Fiskars edge punches. I plan to add some bath salts or potpourri packets inside but I haven't made a shopping trip for that yet. Thank you Becca for your inspiration.
Happy Crafting!

My new order

2011-04-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

from Lifestyle Crafts- Nested Scallop Heart set came in today and I picked it up. I ordered it at the open house a few weeks back at the local SSS. Here is my first card. I sprayed Glimmer Mist on wax paper and created something new with some white card stock using my 3 colors, Sunflower, Jazz Blue, and Tattered Rose. After waiting, patiently for it to dry,using the 2 smaller dies and decorated dried paper , it was run through the Cuttlebug . Pop Dots separated the layers. I continued by adding a small circle from my bag of extra punched shapes cut with CM punch. The final punch was my spring favorite-Martha Stewart's butterfly with a scrap from the new sprayed paper scrap. The card stock was Bazzill Kraft. The ribbon is unknown. The sentiment is from Stampendous.I like the soft colors combined in the card.
Happy Crafting!

Small Thing

2011-04-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten the Greeting Farm set-AO Buddies I have and had not yet used the boy from the set. I decided to try something different with layers. I thought this would be great for a birthday card . The image was stamped in Memories black, and water colored. All of the papers are from the scrap carton and unknown. The brads are Making Memories.I like the unevenness of the layers on the square card .It seems perfect for a little boy's birthday card.
Happy Crafting!

Spring Sweetness

2011-04-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

I just love this Magnolia Tilda cutie and her Bunny stamped with Memories black ink and water colored. This card combines pieces of Basic Grey scraps, plus pieces from Stampin' Up older papers . Just love that scrap box and I am determined to use it up this year. At this time, I have a full copy paper case box for holding my scraps so I have a long way to go to achieve my purging goal...The papers were all edged with Distress Ink Tea Dye. The die cut flower was from a swap and the brad is from Making Memories.

Party Time

2011-04-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today was the party for my little friend after church.The children had so much fun and unfortunately, the mom who took photos for me had my camera on movie mode instead of photo so the 20 pictures she took I can't post. If I get a couple of photos from someone else, I will post one. The girls created their own party hats just right for a proper English tea and modeled them.

Princess Time

2011-04-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine is having a Princess Tea Party for her sweet 4 year old. I am making place cards for each of the "princesses "in attendance. It is fun creating something special for her. The family has had to deal with some difficult medical times for her Dad and they are blessed that he is doing okay. I am looking forward to helping her celebrate her birthday. I will post photos of the event and my place cards soon.
Happy crafting!

Hi Again

2011-04-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to feel better . I have had one thing after another but... I have been working on cards while I was away. Here are two different ones. Life 's True Happiness card combines a WeR stamp and an Inky Antics sentiment. Zig markers were used to color the branches and flowers directly on the stamp before printing ,while the verse was stamped in Distress Ink Bundled Sage. The white Bazzill panel was edged with DI Shabby Shutters. I used Provo Crafts scissors to trim around the edge of the panel also and added on some Rock Candy Distressed Stickles on the flowers. The ribbon is Mays sheer dotted green. The other card has a sentiment from Clear Dollar Stamps on the collage card. The ribbon is from Michaels and each of the pieces were edged with DI Tea Dye. The butterflies were cut with MS punch.
Wishing you sunshine days!

The butterfly counts

2011-03-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

Another of my Easter cards is this one using papers from last years DCWV Flower Shower pack. The glitter papers were perfect for this reverse butterfly strip technique. Two sheets of glitter were punched with the MS butterfly punch. I used 2 of the green ones as accents and the deep purple butterflies were placed into the holes on the green strip. The sentiment is from Sweet n Sassy Stamps stamped in Tuxedo Black and edged with Dusty Concord Distress Ink after being punched out with a CM 1 1/2"square punch. The ribbon is Offray Enhance.

Oops..

2011-03-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

I hurt myself in a fall and my shoulder is really painful. I went to the doctor and now I have to go to physical therapy. Tomorrow is the first session so hopefully I will know more then.
I made a little boy birthday card for a friend's son. He is 4 and always says "I don't want to eat , I'll just have cake ". This is a great fit, with no bows, or "messy stuff". I bought him a book on bugs for his gift. I thought he might notice the ladybugs in the CC Design image. It was stamped with Momentos Tuxedo Black, and water colored. The sentiment is from SU Afterthoughts.I applied Antique Linen Distress Ink around the edges after it was corner rounded. The green plaid DP was from the scrapbox.
Happy Crafting!

Free Demo time

2011-03-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

at my LSS last night for Lifestyle Crafts(QuicKutz new name).It was a demonstration of their new Letterpress products. We all got a chance to try it our using their Epic machine. It is very nice and would be great for mass producing stationery like invitations but nothing I would need now. We did get a freebie for coming,Icing RubOns. I haven't tried that before so that was nice. I did splurge on a new embossing folder Polka Dots. These are larger dots than the minidots on the Sizzix folder and I like the look. It is the A2 size right for card making and was 30% off. There were drawings for free dies, plus someone there was lucky and won $200.00 of free QuicKutz items so it was fun to help her shop for her goodies. Still other people won collections of dies. One lady won duplicates dies and offered me to choose one. I picked the treasure box die-it is 2 pieces which when cut and assembled looks like a flat treasure box. I plan to make coupons with the die cut for VBS for the children who learn their scripture verse each day to use in our treasure box area. I'm sure it will work into my cardmaking also . I'll get a card posted tomorrow I made with the new folder.
Happy Crafting!

There are two

2011-03-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

cards today that I have ready. They are both images from LOTV (Lili of the Valley )stamps. I thought I had used up all of my pre-stamped images from a image swap but I found a few more. I just love the little sweetie(Rosie Posey) with the flowers. While sorting papers, I found this pack of MM Hul-La-Ba-Loo paper. I thought it waould work well with the flower wrap Rosie is holding. I had a roll of Celebrate-it Basic Narrows ribbon from Michael's Hunter Sheer Dots and the card quickly went together.Rosie was colored with Zig markers. Sage vellum was the first layer after the Bazzill Chocolate Folder. Sheer White ribbon is next. The 3 bows are made from the ribbons on the card. The second card is Spring Bunny. The folder Bazzill Sage was run through the CB using a CB Windowpane folder(Oh My Crafts). The image was edged with Distress Ink Bundled Sage after using a corner rounder on it. It was water colored. The sentiment was from Inky Antics, and also corner rounder and inked. The ribbon(Offray Enhance) was knotted and a flower(after having DI Spun Sugar applied) was attached with a glue dot and a MM yellow green brad in the center.
Happy crafting!

Torn paper

2011-03-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

was one of the first techniques of card making I tried. I haven't used it often on a card but for this scripture verse from Unity Stamps(Devoted), I thought it would be good. The pale gray CS was first sponged with Distress Ink Forest Moss. Next, the center of the paper was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black. The Bazzill Peach folder was corner rounded and Versamark stamped with a stamp from CTMH Adorning Corners set. Lilac dotted ribbon(unknown) was glued underneath the sentiment panel. The flowers from Recollection were Glimmer Misted with silver and attached with glue dots. Finally Glimmer Mist was also added to the ribbon to add another touch of bling. I had a request for a glittery card for Easter with spring-like coloring and I am hoping this is enough glitter for her.

Happy Crafting.

My house

2011-03-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

A second card created from the Unity stamp set Devoted is this one. I love the verse from Joshua 24:15 -"As for me and my house..we will serve the Lord". I used a touch of the blue vintage trim to act as clouds watching over the cozy house. The images were stamped with Tuxedo Black and water colored. I made grass by using a small brush to create a stipple effect beneath the house.The sentiment was lightly inked around the edge with Distress Ink Antique Linen. The vanilla folder is mat finished from a craft show ages ago.

Feeling better...

2011-03-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

again those migraines hit me for a few days... I'm really getting tired of these flareups again.
Anyhow, I'm happy with this card I made. The sentiment is from a Unity set-Devoted I bought used from another card maker. I has 4 scripture verses and 4 images included. What a great set. This card is going off to a friend in Monday's mail. I pulled out my Glimmer Mist and created some MS punched butterflies but also lightly misted the card itself . The butterflies were treated to a bit of bling with Stickles -Cotton Candy,Yellow, and Star Dust.The tag was first distressed with a varied of inks and then the sentiment was added in Tuxedo Black. The brad in the tag hole was also enhanced with Cotton Candy Glimmer Mist. It was finished up with a bow made with Michael's glittery sheer teal ribbon.
Happy crafting!

Beautiful in His Time

2011-03-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

This Hanglar image print was included in one of my birthday cards. She is sweet and I thought she would look great as a St. Patrick 's card for a friend. This is one of my favorite sentiments and I thought it would be perfect. The lacy lilac ribbon is vintage from an estate sale. The paper is unknown from the scrap box. The image was water colored and the flower was glimmer misted to match the ribbon. The brads are unknown.The corners were rounded with a punch. If you celebrate the day, an early Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!

Just great

2011-03-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

gifts that is for my birthday. I got 4 Distressed Inks, a magazine, refills for my ATG , and my son Erik made me a bowmaker from the directions on Amazing Paper Grace(created by Becca). Such thoughtful gifts and not a dish towel in sight(ha!-in our family ...when in doubt...buy Mom new dish towels).On Saturday, I actually used the last of my GC from Christmas and found Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine. It's from England and comes each time with some sort of a bonus. This time is is a set of Bentley Bear stamps(Feb issue). It's pricy at $9.99 in the US but with the stamps a great splurge.
To make the card, I used the car stamp from the group of stamps. It was inked with Memories Black, and edged with Distress Ink Forest Moss. I watercolored the image and created a tag ,then added some scraps of paper from Inque(it's old). A scrap of ribbon and a brad finished it off. I'm all set for the next emergency card for a guy or boy.
Happy Crafting!

Birthday Birthday

2011-03-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

I decided to take a few days off to get ready for changing my craft room back into a guest room. My birthday was this week and family will be visiting from out of town. I am still trying to figure out how to do this more smoothly but also trying to be more careful about putting everything back after a stamping frenzy..I got such nice treats from the family . I'll share next time I post.
I am thinking today of everyone impacted by the Tsunami .

I get by with a little help..

2011-03-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

I just love the song from John Lennon and when I found it in a SU set I had to get it. Of course it was a while back, but I was sorting through one of my stamp drawers and rediscovered it once more. I need to send a Thinking of you card out in the morning. I picked up this BG sequin cluster at the swap and thought it would be perfect for my card. A little scrap box raiding and it was nearly done. The sentiment was stamped with Memento Tuxedo black and edged with Distress Ink Dusty Concord. It was mounted with Glue Dots. The lilac Offray ribbon tied it all together.
Happy Crafting!

Celebrate Important Days!

2011-03-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

At our paper crafting group at church meeting tonight, we made a page to share an important time in our lives. I decided to make my page about the joy we felt at the wedding of our son Andy and his wife Tracy. This special photo of Bob and I has been waiting for something more than a mere frame. Our leader tonight found these beautiful flowers and we all got a portion of them to do as we wished. She also cut out the word celebrate on the Cricut. I liked it just as it is but I think I will add the date later too. What a special day that was in the life of our family.

Another Challenge

2011-03-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

I noticed a new challenge from one of my favorite blogs-Stampin' Sisters in Christ. I decided to try it out. The challenge required the use of a stamped image of a flower.The vintage SU image was stamped with Memories Sepia ink and water colored. After cutting it out with a Spellbinders Scalloped Square, it was edged with Distress Ink Bundled Sage.It was next propped up with Glue Dots to give it some emphasis. The sentiment from PSX was stamped on paper from the scrap box.Finally a touch of striped ribbon finishes it off.
I made this a "thinking of you" card for a friend at church . It is so important to let friends know how special they are and most of all to be there for them when they are dealing with difficult times.
Happy Crafting!

Inching along...

2011-03-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

Another set I had forgotten was this one from Sweet n Sassy- Gone Buggy. I bought it to make cards for some young friends but of course... forgot all about it. It is a CAS (Clean & Simple ) and I picked out the cute caterpillar. It reminds me of one of my favorite childrens books ,Eric Carle -The Very Hungry Caterpillar.The set comes with several sayings and 3 different bugs. I decided to glam her up with glittery antenna and feet. Just some lime green ribbon and a bit of water coloring and a birthday card is complete. Happy Weekend!

Birthday Cards Time

2011-03-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

I know many people with a March birthday. This is one of the cards I made for my March friends. This cutie for LOV was stamped with Momento Tuxedo black ink and water colored. The sentiment is from Fiskars Squarely Sentimental.The strip across the lower part of the card, was scored and folded reopened and stretched out to created a border (DP from the scrap box). The MS lace border punch was used as was the EK Success mini-tag punch. Distress Ink (Brushed Corduroy) was added to create a vintage feel on the image and sentiment areas. Finally a Celebrated It flower was added to the tag along with an unknown brad.
Happy Crafting!

Believe card

2011-03-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

I made another Confirmation card in this design using the same color BG papers just in a bit simplier style on a vanilla Bazzill folder. I did use more Stickles on the word Believe (stamped in Tuxedo Black of course) to make it stand out along with bling on the butterfly body.The corners of the card were rounded on the lower section. I am enjoying making each card unique just like each of the young people in the class.
Happy Crafting!

I won

2011-03-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

a set of Kitchen Sink Stamps-Pretty Petals set from Melissa. Thanks a bunch. It arrived today so I have a new set to try out!I hadn't seen any of their stamps before but I will be checking out their website.

Confirmation cards

2011-02-28T17:40:00.001-08:00

My son co-teaches the youth class at church who are preparing for their confirmation in the spring. I decided to make each of them a special card to celebrate the event . This is one of them and the sentiment is from Clear Dollar Stamps and stamped with Mementos Tuxedo Black ink. The DP is from Basic Grey Eva, and Green at Heart packs. The CM curve cutter was perfect for the airy effect I was intending. The butterflies were cut with a MS butterfly punch. The Distress Stickles is Peeled Paint added on the bodies of the butterflies.I will be making a matching bookmark for each person.
Happy Crafting!

See the miracles in each day!

2011-02-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

I saw the SFYTT challenge on "Flutter by atomicbutterfly" web site. It caught my eye and I pulled out my BG mini paper stacks for inspiration. The designs were great for a card and following the pattern, I came up with my spin on it. I used papers from Kioshi, and Eva along with Bazzill Vanilla .The ribbon was from May. The Miracles stamp is from Sweet n Sassy and stamped with Mementos Tuxedo Black.The butterflies were a MS punch and some Rock Candy Stickles were added on the center for a touch of bling. All of the pieces were Distressed Ink Brushed Corduroy. I really haven't tried a challenge in a long time but this was a lot of fun.

Punches

2011-02-25T20:53:00.000-08:00

I had forgotten the flower punches I got last year and enjoyed working with them on this card. It is a thinking of you card for a friend. Sometimes plans don't work out exactly in the time frame you want so it is always good to remember to "hold on to your dreams". The flowers were cut from Sizzix dies in three colors while the leaves were punched with a Punch a Bunch .The leaves were finger creased to make them 3 D . The bowl was cut freehand with a touch of stem from a Zig Marker. Scrapper's Floss Pastel Pink provided the hint of a bow.
Happy Crafting!

More exploring unknowns

2011-02-24T16:51:00.000-08:00

One of the packs of papers from the LSS yard sale I bought was this one for only 30cents. It included Imagination Project papers and half sheets of mystery papers.While looking through the package, one of the patterns caught my eye and I decided to try to make my version of the design pattern with punches. I used one of my Karl Bunch flowers, and a Martha Stewart border lace along with the Cropadile to cut the centers for the flowers. I used scraps from the box in lavender and deep purple plus Bazzill Spring Green for the panel. The ribbon is unknown from the ribbon jar. The card is Bazzill Vanilla. The pieced panel is attached with pop dots.I left the front plain so I could have it for any occasion. I made several of these for my card "stash" . Pull out your vintage punches and try something different. I'm glad I did.
Happy crafting!

Happy Anniversary

2011-02-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

I have a list of wedding anniversaries coming up soon so I thought this one would be a CAS card worth repeating. Cream Bazzill cardstock along with a scrap of chocolate brown paper and a great pink paper medallion cut with the Cricut Storybook cartridge, I made at a friend's house recently .The chocolate MM brad ties it together. The Happy Anniversary sentiment is from an oldie- H&M Stamp set and stamped in CTMH Chocolate ink.I hope to get a bunch of cards done so I will be all set as those pop up before long.
Happy Crafting!

Best Wishes

2011-02-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

Two of the stamp sets I bought at the LSS Yard Sale were Stampendous Typewriter Wishes and Bo Bunny Aloha. This is one of the first ideas that popped into my head and I just felt like playing around without a plan . Nearly everything which contributed to the card was from the sale and the total cost for everything was under $5.00. The ribbon-Grateful Stripes from KI Memories,the SU ink pad Nearly Navy,the CM paper cutter used to make the corner for the flower, the corner rounder, and the tan marker to color the flower along with the 2 stamp sets. I know that I will be happy with these small purchases and if I want to do so I can turn around and sell them at the next yard sale.
Happy Adventures in Crafting!

Just because I care,

2011-02-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

Part of one of my previous yard sale finds was this SU set-Best Yet. I found this pack of American Crafts Botanique/Elanor papers this time around. It is a double sided paper with touches of metallic on some of the flowers. As I am in need of a sympathy card, this will work out great. Taking a half sheet of cardstock, I tore the edge on both the cardstock and the DP . Scraps were then cut to double mat the sentiment which was stamped in Mementos Tuxedo Black ink.A small double flower and a MM brad completed the front for a CAS card. Sometimes just a few words are best at the time of a death in a family.
Happy crafting!

Shopping, shopping

2011-02-20T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I found some great buys at the yard sale.Unused Bo Bunny,Sassafras Lass,3Bugs in a Rug,Anna Griffin stamps sets, a gridded block, CM punch,brand new Bazzill packs for $2.00 ,K&Company Designer Pad/$1.00 and more. I even got a original Sizzix red machine for my friend's preschool program for $8.00(the one they had for prep work had been dropped and it broke). Lots to see and choose from at the sale. I had a list from friends and also looked for their requested items.Now I have lots of new items to create with and got a lot for my money. Next... time to play with my new items!
Happy Crafting!

Tomorrow...

2011-02-19T18:12:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the year... the "yard sale" at my LSS store. I can't wait to see the treasures and wonderful buys. Their email said there are 100 sellers this time round! Someone's discards are always another person's finds. I'll share what I see this time around tomorrow!

My nasty migraines

2011-02-18T20:38:00.000-08:00

are back this week. I hate the changes in the weather when it is so drastic even if a touch of spring warmth is wonderful in February.My headaches started up again and all I want to do is to sleep until they lessen. Today is really windy and the wind seemed to clear my head when I went out.
Tomorrow we will be going to a surprise party for a friend, so I had to get going on his birthday card. He is a proud veteran so I planned a card to honor his service. I'll post it in the morning, since the Stickles are taking forever to dry.I want to add some Crafter's Floss to the card to complete it. I never put the finishing touches until the Stickles dry. I have had several ruined cards by being impatient and not taking the extra time with a card.
Cards Details:
Cardstock; Bazzill-Kraft, White
Stamps:CTMH-Celebration
Inks:Distress Ink-Faded Jeans,Worn Lipstick
Stickles:Waterfall,Silver
Crafter's Floss: Gold

Happy Crafting.

My Lovebug

2011-02-14T17:08:00.000-08:00

My husband and I met back in college ages ago.Even back then, I was making cards.Before my stamping times, I made a comic type little girl which I used on everyone's cards. He saved each one I made him and later even his parents expected a homemade card from me for birthdays. As life happens, my card making days slowly stopped as the children arrived. I returned to creating cards a number of years ago and enjoy it . Finding those stamps recently that I had carefully tucked away, made me remember those ones bought for a special occasion or person. At the last swap I went to, I spotted this CTMH Love Bug set. It was a steal at $1.00 and I thought my husband would like it. You see as newlyweds we had a beige VW bug(very 1970's). Here it is Valentine's Day and I was right. He loved it.
I made a pocket card with a bookmark, as he likes to read with Love Bug stamped on the tag and small Lady Bugs crawling around the edges. I also think he liked the bag of Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nuts for a gift I included as a gift.
Card Details:
Inks: Distress Ink-Brushed Corduroy,Barn Door
Tag:MACO #5
Happy Crafting and a Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Back to cleaning

2011-02-12T19:37:00.000-08:00

I've been missing for a few days because I am still working on reorganizing the crafting area. In a box in the closet, I found another set which had never been inked -EK Success Nostalgiques/Words from the Heart. It has a heart and 7 special word stamps in the set. Now to do a project with it. Blessings, Dreams and Memories are my favorite of the word stamps. I plan to work on it tomorrow after church and dinner. I had a super busy week but next week isn't so scheduled ...yet.

Cherish life's moments

2011-02-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

Using more of the vintage trims from my scrap box,this card is going to be an anniversary card. The flowers were from a swap with a matching brad included to create the flower. The DP scrap papers I combined works well with the raspberry Bazzill paper punched heart, and a loop of sheer green ribbon on the beige Bazzill folder. The sentiment from Hero Arts is one I really like and was inked with Mementos Tuxedo Black.
Happy Crafting!

New Cards

2011-02-07T12:32:00.001-08:00

I have been busy working on several cards. Here are 2 of them. I needed a card for someone who is seriously ill. In this situation, sometimes fewer words is the best choice for a sentiment. Using unknown scraps from earlier projects, this one came together quickly. I used one of my CM punch sets. The set includes 2 sizes of square punches and with dual sided paper a snap. After gluing the 2 squares together, the edge of the strip was distressed using a scissor. The PSX stamp sentiment worked well and the kraft card stock folder displays the design well. There are restrictions for the person's medical care and no glitter, or flowers even silk ones are permitted in the room.I think this will remind my friend how much I care.
The second card is -Cherish Life's Moments. This sentiment from Hero Arts is combined with a part of Paper Trey Ink's 4th anniversary tags. It is a free gift for subscribers and downloaded from their site. The Bazzill Grass Green folder was combined with a piece of bias fabric tape I sprayed with Tattered Rose Glimmer Mist. After drying, I opened the piece , glued it down on the CS ,then added a piece of satin Wyla ribbon on the top. The PTI tag was watercolored, then punched out with a Marvy circle punch.The sentiment was stamped with Mementos Tuxedo Black each card Another CAS card was completed and being sent off tomorrow for an anniversary greeting.
Happy Crafting!

Love Card

2011-02-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

This CC Designs Emma looks all set for Valentine's Day.She was stamped with Mementos Tuxedo Black and watercolored.The Love stamp from Scrappy Cat was Stickled after being stamped for a touch of bling. She is sitting on a Fiskars loop punch .The Happy Valentine's Day heart stamp is from Studio G and inked with both Sepia and Cranberry Memories inks.
Card Details:
Cardstock:Bazzill-Cranberry,White,Cocoa
Stickles:Diamond
Punch: CM Heart
Flowers:CelebrateIT (Michaels)
Brad:Heart- Recollections/Michaels
Happy Crafting!

Valentine Sweetie

2011-01-31T17:28:00.000-08:00

My last stamp print of this cute Hanglar stamp was used on this card. I received a few copies of it in a image swap a while back and kept it for a bit.I wish I had some Hanglar stamps of my own. They are not sold in the US yet and come from Sweden.
Card Details:
Cardstock : Bazzill Pink,White
Stamp:Happy Valentine's Day-Studio G
Inks:Adirondack-Cranberry,Distress Ink-Antique Linen (edging)and on the heart,The Sizzix Swirl Folder was inked with DI Brushed Corduroy before cardstock was embossed.
Stickles:Distress Rock Candy(accents on her hair and flowers on the shoes)
Watercolored image.
Ribbon:May Sheer White Glimmer
Happy Crafting!

An order for...

2011-01-29T17:36:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day has me puzzled. A friend wanted a Star War type theme card but his lady doesn't like Star Wars. She does like robots and polka dots...maybe different but okay. I played around with all sorts of ideas. Any suggestions?

Beautiful Trim

2011-01-25T19:43:00.000-08:00

I was able to get some vintage trims at an estate sale during the fall only to tuck them away "safely" . We all know what that means.. but recently it popped up during my sorting in my craft boxes. I put this piece to the side to use for Valentine's Day cards. I hope the photo shows its woven detail off nicely. The card folder was embossed with Tim Holtz Alterations Texture Fades Burlap Folder and inked with Barn Door Distress Ink. The image was from a swap, I believe it is a Whiff of Joy image, and water colored. The" With Love" is an oldie stamp from PSX.The backing papers were from my scrapbox.
Happy Crafting!

Chocolate...

2011-01-24T18:07:00.000-08:00

This cute set was the last one from Firecracker Designs by Pamela that I got before she closed the shop. My whole family is crazy for chocolate but unfortunately...I'm allergic to it! So I bought the set to make all sorts of surprises for them. This quick CAS gift card will be part of an anniversary gift for our son and his wife.
The Card Details:
Cardstock: Bazzill White
Designer Paper:Basic Grey Lemonade
Ink:Memories-Sepia, Distress Ink-Brushed Corduroy(edging)
Twine:Jillibean Soup
Punch:CM Hearts
Markers: Zig

He did it!

2011-01-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

Our son graduated with his BS in Accountancy from Walsh College today. We had a small gathering and here is a family photo of all of us with the happy graduate. Go Erik!

Daisy Fun

2011-01-19T19:11:00.001-08:00

My time with the Daisy (pre-Brownie)group went well and the girls (and 2 brothers) had fun. They were very proud of their bookmarks they made for the patients at the VA Hospital. Here is a photo of them proudly holding their cookie pouches.Thanks for letting me visit everyone!

Hi There

2011-01-18T18:13:00.000-08:00

I have been busy with some family things but am back again. I am teaching /sharing card making with a Daisy Troop tomorrow after school. One of the Daisy girls was in my church school class a few years ago. When I did my make and take at the church bazaar in November, Ally and her Mom had fun and I was asked to come and demo with the girls. I have been prepping packets to make life easier for my new friends. I am planning on cookie pouches, a card and then a service project- Book Marks for the VA Hospital. I think that will be enough for them. I precut papers but I'm bringing my Sizzix Sidekick so they can try out some tools along with scissors, punches,and the usual items glue and special ribbons. I'll try to take a photo or two if I can. Until tomorrow, Happy crafting!

Angels to watch over us...

2011-01-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I need another sympathy card. I thought this set from H&M Stamps(now closed) would be good for this card. The card with a Kraft folder was accented with a handmade flower created by punching out 6 scalloped circles, then sprayed with Glimmer Mist Tattered Rose. After drying, the circles were crumpled before being gathered and fastened with a green MM brad.American Ribbon was used for the stem. The sentiment was stamped with Mementos Tuxedo Black.I will be sending the card in a bubble wrap envelope to maintain the flower.

Try a Digi

2011-01-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

stamp that is... I noticed a new digital stamp at stretchnbubbles.blogspot.com that I liked . Each week they have a new stamp at a reduced price.I had no problems resizing it and printing it.
I have a friend having her new baby soon and thought this would make a cute little boy card. After water coloring the image, I cut it out along with the piece of swiss cheese(included with the image) and added it to a piece of designer paper from my scrapbox. I just added" it's a boy" along with the"hi" from my stash of mini sayings and a touch of gold Stickles on the candle. The folder is a half sheet of Bazzill white card stock.Sorry that the photo turned out so light, I think my camera needs recharging again.
Happy Crafting!

The Giveaway survey results:

2011-01-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

These were the answers from the question-
What is your favorite item used in paper crafting?
Scissors-8
Stamps-5
Markers-1
Paper cutter-1
Nestibilities and other dies-1
Die Cutter Machine(Big Shot)-1
No answer-1

Just a fun survey but my question demonstrated that scissors are a favorite around the world with paper crafters.
Now as to the winner, the surprises will be heading on a plane ride to...Yvonne Russell in Australia. Congratulations and please contact me by Wednesday 12 January to arrange for the shipping information. If I don't hear from you by then ,I will try again for a new winner. Thanks to everyone who entered and I hope to have another giveaway in March. Happy crafting to everyone!

Just a reminder

2011-01-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning is the deadline for My First Giveaway. I will be drawing a name after 2pmEST. Thanks for those who joined in the fun and good luck to all!
The Drawing is now closed. Thanks for entering.