sweet mojo

Here's a little insight into my floopy thought process... When I saw this week's Mojo Monday sketch, I thought, "aww, what a sweet card that would make! Sweet, sweet, something sweet... chocolate, chocolate covered cherries (no clue as to why I thought of those), oh hey - the cherries will be ready to pick in a few months... cherries! I have a cherry stamp!" Can't image where my son gets the ADD from... SQUIRREL!

And so here we are.   :} 
It is a pretty sweet card, isn't it?! The Riding Hood Red card base measures 4-1/4" square (closed). Can you believe I ended up raiding three DSPs (Twitterpated, Summer Smooches, Regals Stack) for those little strips?  *** Tip: I doubled up the Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine before tying it around the 4" square Lucky Limeade card stock so that my bow would stand out more - cute!!

I used Lucky Limeade and Riding Hood Red Markers to ink the cherry stamp (Button Buddies), which I die cut using a Labels Collection Framelit. Two Riding Hood Red buttons (from my vault, of course) are adhered over the fruit with Mini Glue Dots - mega cute!! For my greeting, I used a Basic Black Marker to ink the words on a stamp in the Storybook Friends stamp set.  Happy, happy, happy  :}   
I think pretty much everything I used, except the stamp for my greeting and the Framelit, is retiring. Remember, retiring accessories (DSP, embellishments, ribbon, stamp wheels, card stock) are available only while supplies last. You can shop for your favorites here, before they are all gone. Oh, and several goodies are on sale!  Have a SWEET day!! 

what to do with all these embellishments?

When it's time for accessories to retire, I start looking at my stash of embellishments and think of all the ways I can use them up. 

How about using a whole bunch on one card??? All these brads were perfect for a birthday card - they remind me of candy dots or bits of confetti. 

After stamping my greeting (Sassy Salutations) in Marina Mist ink onto a 4-1/2 x 3" layer of Whisper White card stock, I used the Paper-Piercing Tool and the Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack to create two parallel rows of holes so my brads would be aligned. That layer is then attached with Dimensionals to a Notecard. 

So what do you think? Any other ideas for me to use up my stash?  :} 

saying farewell to favorites

While I do get super excited when a new Stampin' Up! catalog is about to start, sometimes it's hard to say goodbye to some of my favorite retiring products. The Build a Blossom stamp set and Blossom Petals punch are two coordinating goodies I'm having trouble letting go of. They will most likely make their way into my "vault."  :} 

I like how you can make a special, elegant flower that's sure to cheer anyone up! The stamp set has both flower and leaf images that fit perfectly in the punch. 

When assembling the flower, I like to punch out a scrap circle to have a base for adhering the petals. 
One of my favorite flowers to make with these goodies is a poinsettia. It looks nice on cards, scrapbook pages, and gifts!

And buried in my computer files was a video tutorial I made a while ago showing you how easy this is to make! 

Don't you just want to make some right now!!  ;)  I love how amazing the flowers turn out. Make a few for your friends and they will think you are the craftiest person they ever met.  :}  

Be to to shop for all of your favorite retiring goodies before they are all gone!

happy 2nd birthday, Olive Jane

Today is my sweet little niece's 2nd birthday! I'm looking forward to celebrating with her tomorrow at her big birthday bash. Of course Aunt Jenn made coordinating tags and a special birthday card!  :} 

I chose Pretty in Pink (a retiring color), Pear Pizzazz (a returning color), and Basic Gray for my colors. The birthday cake (Make a Wish stamp set) looks so pretty after die-cutting with a Labels Collection Framelit, and adhering some Basic Pearls. 

Having the age number on birthday cards for little ones is just too cute, so I stamped and fussy-cut a number 2 (from the Memorable Moments stamp set), and adhered that to a Pear Pizzazz 7/8" Scallop Circle. Technically, the Baker's Twine is Lucky Limeade and not Pear Pizzazz, but I'm hoping Olive won't notice that subtle difference.   ;) 

Birthday gifts should have tags that coordinate with the card, right??? It was super easy to make the coordinating tags by using the same colors and DSP (Twitterpated), as well as incorporating some of the same design elements. 

I die cut the top edge of the tag with a Labels Collection Framelit.  *** Tip: if you want to use a Framelit to create a decorative edge, turn the handle on your Big Shot just enough so that only the portion you want trimmed gets cut, then turn the handle the other way to back up the platform. 
I used the same embossing folder on the card and tags. *** Tip: use the embossing folder after die-cutting or your texture will get smooshed. The Memorable Moments stamp set has that nice stitched image to fit perfectly in the Famelit, and I like the font of the greetings in this stamp set. I added a stamped number 2 (Number It) to the tags as well, and I used the same embellishments (Basic Pearls) on both projects. 

I can't wait to give Olive a great big hug and watch her open all the presents. Two is a fun age at gift opening time, since they now know exactly what those bags and boxes are all about! 

the return of Soft Sky

It will be a few days before I get my goodies from the "new Cattie pre-order," but I'm too darn excited about some of the colors that are retuning. Sooooo, I got into my vault (aka "paper-crafting stuff I'm hoarding"). I pulled some Soft Sky card stock, retired ribbon, and retired DSP from my vault, and paired them with this week's Mojo Monday sketch to create this pretty card- 

I might be getting a little obsessed with the Papillon Potpourri stamp set, but it's so pretty, and has punches that coordinate! Technically it's Groovy Guava in that retired DSP, but I think it works nicely with Calypso Coral on this card. I'm so happy Calypso Coral is moving into our "core" colors!

To add a subtle look of four "boxes," I added score lines an inch apart on the Whisper White card stock.   **Tip: Before adhering punched butterflies (or flowers) to your project, curl the edges up slightly to add more interest. 

So how do you start playing with these fun new colors like Soft Sky if you don't have a vault of retired goodies??? All you need is a good color combination! Here's what Soft Sky looks like when paired with Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi- 

Love this color combo!! I see a lot of "boy" cards in my crafting future using these colors. 
FYI - those Pumpkin Pie brads are on the "chopping block." The retiring accessories are available only while supplies last, so be sure to shop now before all the good stuff is gone!   ;) 

goodbye, auf wiedersehen, ciao, adieu, adios, shalom...

I love the flurry of excitement this time of year... stamps and accessories retiring to make room for new goodies. So many creative ideas are running through my head right now! Today's cards highlight one of the retiring DSPs. 

While I am sad to see the Twitterpated DSP go, I am even more excited to get my hands on the new DSP in the upcoming Catalog! Plus, two of the colors (Pear Pizzazz and Blushing Bride) in the DSP are taking their place in our "core" color collections as part of the Color Refresh - yay!!  

Be sure to shop for your favorites before they are gone!! 

 

sympathy cards for family

I'll be back in a few days... my husband's grandfather passed away Thursday morning. 

stamp sets: So Sorry, Everything Eleanor 
ribbon: 7/8" Natural Cotton, 5/8" Crochet Trim, Linen Thread

The crumb Cake card stock layer gets it's pretty design from the Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder. I used a stamping sponge to rub a little Whisper White Craft ink over the raised areas.

If you have a minute, I would be so thankful if you could include my family in your prayers. Thank you.

Thanks a Million

Well, after yesterday's post, it's time for something a little more normal.   ;) 

How about a simple "thank you" card? I love surprising people with a random act of kindness, and the teachers at the boys' school were due for a treat. I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I am so blessed that my boys attend one of the best schools around. The staff is fabulous! So I took in a pretty "thank you" card and left it in the teacher's lounge with some yummy goodness. Inside I wrote a message about sharing something from our old home with our new home.   :}

The Summer Smooches DSP and Bright Blossoms stamp set are so cute together. I chose my greeting from the Word Play stamp set to compliment my crisp, clean design. 
Isn't that Printed Brad through the Button cute? Somewhere... somewhere, in my craft stash are some craft pliers, but since I couldn't find them, I borrowed the manly garage pliers and squeezed the "legs" of the brad to a narrower width so I could thread them into the button holes. I simply poked two holes into the card stock for the brad "legs" to go through. 

For all of the teachers who read through my fabulous and amazing blog posts (wink, wink)... wouldn't you love to find this waiting for you in the teacher's lounge on a Monday morning? I loved the reaction from one of the teachers who said she'd never heard of Kringle, because neither had I until we moved to Wisconsin thirteen years ago. Now, after moving again, I know my tastebuds will miss it (not my waistline!). 
I might just have to plan a visit with some friends soon... I'm getting hungry.   ;)

Sitting on a cornflake... coo coo ca choo

Soooooo, today's card... it would be easier to say "don't ask," but I know someone will... 
This all started because Aaron brought home the most adorable project ever.  He made it at school while working on the letter Ww. As a Mom, I instantly thought, "this is a keeper for the scrapbook!" As a former kindergarten teacher I instantly thought "I have to save this in my letter Ww file." As a paper-crafter, I instantly thought "punch art!" Good grief!! 
But, seriously... who do you send a punch-art-Walrus card to??? I wanted to make this little guy so much I started to think of all sorts of stupid things (have a walrussy birthday???). Which led to thinking "I am crazy. Wait, wait wait... I am the Walrus... I have an 'I am' stamp (from last year's Convention)... yes! I will send this to my friend who is a Beatles fan." Although I'm pretty sure she's not a huge fan of this particular song - talk about "out there."

So there you have it... the reason for why you would make a punch art walrus other than for a ZOO scrapbook page. Yup, I am about as crazy as the song.   :}

It did turn out super cute though! I used an Oval Framelit to create the curved top of his head. I just ran the Chocolate Chip card stock about a third of the way through the Big Shot so it only trimmed the one end. A smaller Oval Framelit made the "snout?" out of River Rock card stock. I Spritzed the oval with a Chocolate Chip Marker and sponged the edges with River Rock ink. 

I used the Owl Builder punch to create the eyes, and the Small Oval punch to make the nose. For the tusks, I used the Petite Pennants punch to punch out two Very Vanilla triangles, and trimmed up each long side to make them thinner. 

Want to see the project that inspired all this silliness?

Adorable, right???  :}

Come to think of it, perhaps today's post was just "destined to be." After all, I did substitute teach today. ***Shout-out to Harristown Elementary as one of the nicest school buildings to sub in!  Aaaaand, the only stamp on today's card is from a Convention stamp set, and I registered for Convention 2013 today. Maybe, just maybe, I'm not so crazy after all... coo coo ca choo!

from YUCK to WOW - the evolution of a card sketch

Today has been very productive - yay! Got some laundry done and my grocery shopping finished. (One thing that frustrates me with our new location - having to go to 2 grocery stores to get the things we need, and even then, doing without several things I was used to getting in a larger community.) Then, I had some crafting time with my sister-in-law - double yay!! She worked on birthday party decorations for my sweet little niece, and I worked on cards. 
To get me going, I started with the Mojo Monday sketch 289. Right away I knew it was going to be a challenge for me... it's kind of a "busy" sketch. I'm going to share the first card I made from the sketch, just so you know that I don't love everything I make. In fact, when I finished, I said "this might be one of the ugliest cards I ever made!" My sis-in-law is so sweet and tried to say nice things like, "well, it's bright... maybe it's just the paper." Ummm, yeah... 

The idea I had in my head did not translate well into card stock and paper.   :(   As a joke, my sis-in-law is sooooo getting this in the mail on some random day! I think the message inside will say something along the lines of "I made this just for you to show you how much I care..."

One thing I think turned out well was using two colors for the brad trios. I'll have to remember that for later.

I wasn't going to let this sketch beat me, and I had another triangle of Summer Smooches DSP left, so I started over and made a pretty awesome card, that I am quite pleased with!   :}

Love, love, LOVE, LOVE this color combo- Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, and Rich Razzleberry. It's so striking together! I eliminated the square from the sketch and let the bow from the Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine stand in for the small flower... aaaahh - much better. 

I used one of the Single Stamps for the focal point - the Basic Label stamp fits perfectly in one of the Apothecary Accents Framelits. Then, using the Stamp-a-ma-Jig, I stamped my sentiment (Forever with You) to the left of center, leaving room for the tiny DSP strip and flower to overlap. 
Isn't that flower pretty??? I made it by punching out 7 scallop circles from Rich Razzleberry card stock, which are held together with a brad (can you believe there are 9 brads on this card???). Starting with the top layer, I spritzed some water, and scrunched it up around the brad. I repeated the process, working my way down through the layers one at a time.
Looking at the finished card, I think it's one of the prettiest cards I ever made. So have you ever experienced a YUCK card - something that turned out completely different from your idea? Were you able to fix it? I'd love to hear your story!  :)

clean and simple - part 3

Ok, my last "clean and simple" card... for a little while, anyway.  ;) 

This card using CAS Sketch 236 was super fun to make. Three different patterns from the More Amore DSP got to play! To a Notecard, I adhered a layer of Sahara Sand card stock and then a layer of DSP. Instead of stamping some sort of circular image, I Snipped a scallop circle image out of a sheet from the More Amore DSP, and stamped one of the hearts from the Hearts a Flutter stamp set in Primrose Petals ink. 

The Hearts a Flutter Framelits made quick work of cutting out my stamped banner, stamped heart, and a "heart of hearts" from the DSP. 
I decided to omit the greeting, since the background I chose is rather busy. I stamped the greeting I wanted - for my Mom - inside the card, which might surprise her since I don't usually stamp inside my cards... too much to say! 
Which makes me curious... do you usually stamp inside your cards? If you do, all of them or only for certain occasions? Just wondering...

clean and simple - part 2

While I had the Notecards out and was stamping quick and easy cards, I went ahead and stamped a few other designs, including this card inspired by the Clean & Simple sketch #235: 

Isn't that just darling?? And it was super easy to make!  
I inked the vase image (Button Buddies) using Island Indigo and Lucky Limeade markers. Then I adhered the image and a small strip of Tea for Two DSP to a layer of So Saffron card stock. After stamping my greeting (Teeny Tiny Wishes) in Lucky Limeade ink onto Certainly Celery card stock, I folded that strip under, tied on some Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine, and attached the whole piece to a pre-cut, pre-scored Notecard (love these things!). For the final step, I attached some Buttons - easy peasy!

clean and simple - part 1

Sometimes life just gets crazy busy, doesn't it??? You want to create, but you just don't have time to get all the supplies out... or the energy to put them away! That's when it's time for a card with a simple design, that's quick and easy to create. 

I was blog surfing the other day, and visited one of my favorites - Clean & Simple Stamping. Most of their sketches can be turned into a card in only a few minutes, without trashing your craft space! This is my version of their simple card sketch #234.
When I want quick and easy cards, I start with the Notecards. They are pre-cut and scored, so that saves time. Plus they are a smaller size, so you can finish quickly. 
After adding a layer of Floral District DSP, I stamped my greeting in Island Indigo. From the Button Buddies stamp set, I stamped the flower image in Rich Razzleberry ink, punched it out, and attached it with Dimesionals.  **Note: images that coordinate with punches save time.   :}
Using a Circle punch, I made a "leaf" to slip behind the flower. And a simple Button adds the finishing touch. Now all I have to do is write my message and address the envelope (which came with the Notecards, and saves me the time of searching for one!).

I've got Mojo, yes I do... I've got Mojo, how 'bout you?

You know when you get in a crafting groove and it just feels so awesome you can't stop??? I LOVE that feeling! And I love a good sketch that just "speaks" to me. This week's Mojo Monday sketch really grabbed my attention - I liked it so much I have both a card and a digi scrapbook page to share today!  Yahoo!!

My first Mojo Monday project was this card for a family friend who fell and broke his hip. I thought the bright colors in the Summer Smooches DSP might cheer him up a bit.

For my focal point, I stamped the vase-of-flowers image in Lucky Limeade ink, punched it out with the 1-3/4" Circle punch, and adhered it to the Lucky Limeade Scallop Circle. After cleaning my stamp, I stamped the image again in Island Indigo so I could snip out the vase and adhere it over the Lucky Limeade vase. The circle-flowers on the stamped image were a little small (in my humble opinion), so I used an eye from the Owl punch and a Circle punch (Itty Bitty Shapes pack) to create Real Red and Tangerine Tango card stock flowers. 

Now, as I said, this card sketch really, really "spoke" to me... so I used it to digi-scrap (My Digital Studio) a funny picture of my son, Aaron.  **Warning - you might need your sunglasses! It's pretty bright!  :P  

My husband's Aunt bought the boys new swim trunks and goggles for Easter. Aaron slipped the goggles on right away and went to play outside. He looked so stinkin' funny running around in nice clothes while wearing those neon-yellow goggles.  

Seriously, if you can still see after looking at this neon background, you are smiling now, aren't you??? Gotta love little boys! 
So how did I get that crazy color that matches the goggles??? I used one of my favorite features in My Digital Studio - the color picker tool. Stay tuned next week for more deets on that.  ;) 

Thanks for dropping in today! I'd love to hear what you think about the card or the digital scrapbook page - feel free to leave me a little comment. Have a fabulous day!!  :}

can I get some digi love?

I love waking up on Tuesday mornings and creeping down to my computer to see what the newest digital downloads are! Today's downloads are cute - LOVE the digi papers in the "Because I Love You Swatchbook Template." I can't wait to make some projects with them!

For the past few months I have been babysitting the cutest little boy in the afternoons. One Saturday, his Mom and I took him to the park. I had my camera with me and tried to sneak in a few photos. It's hard to get a good picture of a running toddler, but two pics turned out really nice. Soooooo, I made a digital scrapbook page for her. 

Want to know something really, really awesome??? Most of the digi supplies on this page came from the FREE digital downloads! That's right - the freebies Stampin' Up! offers us from time to time. I just had to "think outside the box" a little to use them.  For example, the grassy look at the bottom of the page is from the March Wallpaper digi embellishment. And my "LOVE you forever" title is from the Pocket Cards download. 
To get some of the elements I wanted to use, I created new (separate) projects with the Greeting Card and Pocket Cards templates. Then I imported them (an additional page) into this scrapbook project. After that I just copied the elements I wanted, and pasted them onto this page. 
Here's the part where I need some digi love...
I'm entering this scrapbook page into a little contest from mydigitalstudio.net and I need all the likes and comments I can get!! Could you pretty please help me out? All you have to do is Click Here to visit my sample, then click the "thumbs up" and leave me a comment.
To say thanks in advance, I created a simple "page" with all of the freebie item numbers for you.  :}  Enjoy!

a Fun pink Flower... and LAST day for FREE shipping

It occurred to me the other day that it's been a while since I used the Fun Flowers Bigz Die - gasp!! So I had to fix that situation right away. 

I used the Raining Flowers stamp set to stamp with Pretty in Pink ink onto the same color card stock. After tying some grosgrain ribbon onto a strip of Tea for Two DSP, the real fun began.   :}   

Using the Big Shot, I cut two layers of Regal Rose card stock on the Fun Flowers Bigz Die. To make the flowers soft and pretty, I spritzed them with a little water, crumbled them up, and then opened them and arranged the petals to have a slight curve. After the flowers were dry, I sponged some Regal Rose ink around the edges. A 3/4" Lucky Limeade Circle, and a pink button threaded with Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine make a simple flower center. 

*** Don't forget that today is the last day to get FREE SHIPPING from Stampin' Up! - no minimum; no limit!!!!  Shop now for everything you need to make fabulous Spring projects. ***

a pink princess card

I have two boys, so I don't create a whole lot of "girlie-girl" projects. I tend to overdo it with the pink when I'm making something for a little girl... just can't help myself! Today's card is very pink, but I toned it down a little bit by adding a layer of Brushed Silver card stock (dry embossed). 

I made this card for one of my neighbors to send to her niece. My neighbor, Fatima, has a sister who recently gave birth to twins. This has created the usual older-sibling tension for Fatima's niece, Amira. So I suggested that a pretty, girlie card would give Amira (who is affectionately called "princess") a little extra attention and cheer her up. I started with the You Rule stamp set, added lots of Regal Rose and Pretty in Pink, and finished with some bling to create the perfect card for a nice little girl. 

A fancy card needs extra special details. I used the Scallop Trim Border punch to create a delicate edge. Then I used the Scallop Trim Corner punch to create a pretty little ending on my 1/2" wide greeting strip. 

After adding some Rhinestones and Large Rhinestones, I spritzed the whole card liberally with my mixture of Frost White Shimmer Paint in rubbing alcohol. It only shows up a tiny bit in the photo, but trust me, it's super sparkly! I'm sure Amira will love it.   :}  

***** Need some pretty embellishments in your crafting stash? Get them now with FREE SHIPPING! The free shipping offer from Stampin' Up! only lasts through tomorrow, so don't delay. Be sure to check out my stampin' Rewards Spot to see what you can earn with your online order! ***** 

FREE shipping on all of your scrapbook supplies!

It's been a while since I shared a "taditional" scrapbook page, so I have a pretty SPRING scrapbook layout to share with you today! 

The 12x12 pages are Certainly Celery card stock, and the three stamped chevron images that are stamped directly onto the pages in Lucky Limeade ink are from the Oh, Hello stamp set. All of the DSP on this two-page layout is from the Tea for Two package... I love how it all coordinates!
Remember in yesterday's post I said my card was inspired by a scrapbook page? Well, check out the title of this page! This is what gave me the idea for the card.  :}   

supplies used for the banner: 

Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon

Tea for Two DSP 

Crumb Cake, Calypso Coral, Early Espresso, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, and Very Vanilla card stock

stamp sets: Hearts a Flutter, Occasions Alphabet, and Oh, Hello

Framelits: Hearts a Flutter

punches: 1-3/4" Circle, Petite Pennants, Petite Curly Label

more supplies used on this page: 

Labels Collection Framelits 

Elegant Butterfly and Bitty Butterfly punches

Vellum card stock

Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine

Soooo, now that you want to scrapbook some of your Spring photos, how about getting FREE shipping on those supplies???  Yahoo!!! 

Remember, some of the colors I used on my scrapbook layout are retiring, so shop now before they're gone! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Happy shopping!  :}