Wednesday, December 29, 2010

xmas card and thank you notes

this year, i decided to do a fairly simple card (left) and only do the amount i thought i'd actually need (20). last year, i made close to 50 cards and had 10+ left over. i did not want leftovers this year! i figured if i needed more, i'd just make them as i needed them. well, i ended up not needing more than twenty and since i didn't over do it, i had scraps left over for thank you notes (right). some family sent gifts and/or money and i wanted to be sure they got a thank you from us this year. i can't say that i've really been good at thank you notes in the past, but i thought i'd turn over a new leaf:) sorry for the lackluster photo, i can't seem to find my good flash!

supplies:
pattern paper: making memories
texture folder: basic grey by sizzix
cardstock: bazzill
ink: colorbox, versamark
embossing powder: ranger
ornament die: quickutz
stamps: the paper co.
rubon: pebbles
mini staples: tim holtz
other: various ribbon, twine

p.s. be sure to look out for 14 days of valentine's coming in february! go here to see last years cards!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

halloween card

although i just recently shared my halloween card from last year, i'm here early sharing this year's card. look at me, the early bird. what?!?!

supplies:

cardstock: bazzill
pattern paper: making memories, my mind's eye
button: making memories
mini staples: tim holtz
ink: colorbox, tim holtz, versamark
embossing powder: ranger
stamp: inkadinkado
other: twine

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

halloween decorations

i love halloween. i love the season it's in. i love the smells, the candy, the colors and the decorations! the banner is from last year, but i don't think i ever got around to sharing it. the rosette thingy i just made tonight. super easy to make and came together in a jiffy.

banner:


supplies:

chipboard pennant shapes: jenni bowlin
pattern paper, embellishments, string: making memories
cardstock: bazzill
diecut machine: slice

rosette:


supplies:

pattern paper: making memories
ink: colorbox, tim holtz
cardstock: bazzill
skull illustration: the graphics fairy
diecut machine: silhouette
other: twine

what are you making for halloween?

Saturday, May 22, 2010

ink storage

i just wanted to stop in and share something nifty.
i love vintage stuff. pretty much anything with a little nostalgic character will catch my eye. and i've always wanted a reason to have one of those old wooden coke/pepsi crates until the other day... i had an eureka! moment:)
frankly, i got tired of my ink drawer becoming so full that i could barely get it open. i store my inks, acrylic blocks, chalks and other small stamping related items in one drawer and it constantly gets stuck because new things move in, but nothing ever moves out. i always see coke crates at the flea market and remembered seeing this one that was divided... what a great thing for inks! luckily, the next weekend we went back to the flea market, it was still there!
i didn't even have to drill any holes in the crate... i just screwed some screws in the wall and they catch on the bottom slats of the crate! genius! the sections are even big enough to hold the larger ink pads that stampin' up has (not that i own a lot of them:). so now my drawer opens and is organized and my ink pads are out where i can see them. double score!
it's the little things, you know?

Saturday, May 15, 2010

in a dress

truth be told, i rarely ever scrapbook. i think the permanence of the gluing down of photos makes me a little uneasy. plus, my tastes change so much... what if i don't like this in 5 years? but, i've recently changed my mind. i like it now & my family will enjoy what i'm creating... so what's the big hold-up?!?!
i am promising myself that i will document these things, these times i am sharing with my children, because before you know it, they'll be older and not so nice;) i am finding that it's a little like creative therapy for me.
here's to preserving my life's story with paper and glue.



supplies used:
cardstock: bazzill
pp & sticker: cosmo cricket
ribbon: may arts
letters: american crafts, cosmo cricket
diecut machine: silhouette
font: ck_peaches (can't seem to find a link for this font... sorry!)

Monday, March 22, 2010

halloween card

so here i am sharing another oldie but goodie. i really liked the making memories spook alley line that came out this past fall. such cute little ghosties!

supplies used:
cardstock: paper reflections, bazzill
pp, lace, felt ghost, rhinestones: making memories
ink: stazon, colorbox
border punch: ek success
stamp: hero arts
acrylic tag: apple pie memories

Sunday, March 21, 2010

true friendship

i whipped this card up tonight after falling completely in love with the dress form stamp by unity. lovelovelove it!

supplies used:
cardstock: papertrey, paper reflections
pp: 7 gypsies
stamps: unity stamp co., stamper's anonymous/tim holtz
ink: versamark, colorbox
embossing powder: american crafts
border die: ellison/tim holtz
other: ribbon, shell buttons, twine

lily's dress


lil's dress.
we made an xl, which was sized 18-24 months by the pattern's directions (lily is 17 months) and it was WAY huge. so i made a medium a couple days later and it fits perfectly. darn her for being so small! haha. she looks super cute, but i just might be biased:)
next on our sewing agenda, this pattern by simplicity. and in cute cherry print fabric! can't wait!

Monday, March 8, 2010

mccall's m5353

my mother (who hasn't sewn in quite a while) and myself will attempt to make lily one of these little rompers today. i am soooo excited!
i am also itching to make a pillowcase dress that i saw featured in the june/july issue of simply handmade. i want to head to some thrift stores and scope out some really cute vintage pillowcases. lily will be the cutest thing this spring/summer! ack!
i will post photos as soon as i can! oh, and wish us luck! hahaha:)

Sunday, March 7, 2010

happy birthday

so this card is actually new... i had some time earlier to get crafty and seized the opportunity.
i based it a little on one of the sketches in the most recent paper crafts magazine. you can see the sketch here toward the bottom of the page. i didn't include the half-circle element because i wanted the focus to be more on the ribbon. i seriously bought the ribbon because i liked the color and the width. i just so happened to have paper that was similar enough to match it:)

supplies:
cardstock: bazzill
pattern paper: my mind's eye, collage press
ribbon: american crafts
ink: versamark, colorbox
embossing powder: american crafts
stamp: ki memories

Saturday, March 6, 2010

happy thanksgiving

i wanted to start sharing some of my older cards with you all, so i have to go back a bit and you'll have to bare with me. it's now march and i'm showing you a thanksgiving card. hahaha. better late than never?

supplies:
cardstock: bazzill
stamps: basic grey, tpc
ink: versamark, colorbox
embossing powder: american crafts
other: twine, watercolors

Sunday, February 28, 2010

ckc & babies

ckc was just in town this past weekend. i had a blast, totally. it's like being a kid again and waking up on christmas morning... i was giddy like no other. i love going to the vendor fair... you get to see so much stuff! it is truly inpiring. and not to mention, hard to be good there and not spend your whole life's savings! hahaha!
i took two classes; one on friday morning before i went into work (i know, hardcore, right? haha) with my sister, called "top techniques for tantalizing cards", hosted by technique tuesday and then the paper crafts card swap with my mom that night.
the technique tuesday class was a lot of fun. we made 5 cards and even got a set of their clear stamps and a small ink pad. i like the stamp set we used... very versatile for every day cards. definitely something i will use over and over again. i was introduced to their "technique tiles" which are like chipboard shapes except they are cream colored instead of the kraft/brown color of most chipboard shapes. the appeal of their technique tiles being cream colored is that you can just ink them to add color... instead of having to paint them, etc. and wait for them to dry. and since you can ink them a color you are stamping with, they will definitely match your project to a t! very, very cool!
the card swap was also a blast. i've never done one and i must say that they are just too much fun! we made 4 cards, which were very cute and gave me lot of ideas . after going through the cards we swapped the ones we made prior to the class with the other ladies. so we all came home with 20 handmade cards. i love the idea of this. i almost wish i could put together a swap here locally. hmmm, that's something to think about:)
so onto the "babies" part of this post. my younger sister is having a baby! we are all definitely excited. friday we all went to her ultrasound appointment and found out that she is going to have... a BOY! yay! now we can start shopping! hahaha. so friday was a majorly good day.
i wish i had pictures to share, but i was lazy at the convention... well, i was probably just more absorbed in all the pretties!
did you go to ckc here in louisville? or somewhere else recently? what did you think? leave me a comment!

also, i almost forgot to mention that i entered the card contest ckc hosts... i didn't win (total bummer), but a friend from work, deanne, did! she won second place! they are supposed to post the winners online and i'll be sure to post a link once they do! wooo-whooo, deanne!!!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

day 14: ten things i love about you



for the last day, i decided to not do a card, but this little tin of "10 things i love about you" with the "you" being my husband:) i had a good time putting it all together, so i hope you enjoy it!

1. he always puts our family first.











2. he is very inventive. (and the little gears on this one really move!)










3. he's a pretty funny guy:)











4. he is a great father (and step-father!)











5. i think he's pretty cute!











6. he can cook (i.e. he makes me eggs benedict on special occasions:)










7. he is caring











8. he likes my cards











9. he is, ummm, well, i think he's sexy:)











10. he loves me!

day 13: love you very much

i apologize for the delay... i wasn't feeling very well last night and when i went to take photos of the card i noticed my camera's battery was dead. i knew then there was no way my post was going to make it for day 13. i was exhausted and retreated to bed while the battery charged. so, here it is on day 14, so you'll have to forgive me:)

supplies:
cardstock: paper reflections
pattern paper: making memories
dies: spellbinders
ink: colorbox
marker: zig
rub-ons: american crafts

Friday, February 12, 2010

day 12: dotted heart

we are nearing the end of 14 days of valentine's. i have two more projects in the works and then we will call it quits for now. i am going to share some past cards with you once valentine's day is over, so keep a look out for more new stuff!

supplies:
cardstock: paper reflections
pattern paper: making memories
ink: colorbox
die cut machine: silhouette
embossing folder: cuttlebug
marker: zig
other: ribbon, vellum


valentine link of the day: cute vintage cards on lea's blog here!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

day 11: happy valentine's day

it's getting late here and i haven't watch grey's so i'm just going to get to today's card and call it a night:) see you guys tomorrow!

supplies:
cardstock: bazzill
pattern paper and stickers: making memories
ribbon: basic grey
ink: colorbox
other: pinking shears

valentine link of the day: drool!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

day 10: luv u


i went in to work today to these lovely flowers on my desk. it seems that my husband sneakily ordered these for me as i had no idea. i check our accounts nearly every day, so i had no clue that he was cooking something like this up for me. i've never had flowers sent to my place of employment before, so this really floored me. i immediately called him at work to thank him and let him know he made my week. i wasn't really expecting anything from him because of the "agreement" we came to about vday and this was a nice surprise. however, he claims that these "aren't for valentine's day, but just because i love you". awww, swoon:)
it really kind of made me see that making all of these cards for him has been worthwhile. even so, if he hadn't sent me the flowers, i would think the same thing. he deserves the attention.


now onto today's card. i was inspired by the layout of dawn mcvey's card here and tried it out with a little of my own flair. really, any thing that dawn puts on her blog is inspiring. her and the other papertrey gals are truly a talented bunch. i've even made some of the "poofy vintage print button flowers" dawn posted a how-to video about in this post... they make a really cute embellishment!

supplies:
cardstock: bazzill
pattern paper and cupid sticker: making memories
stamps: target, hero arts
border punch: fiskars
ink: colorbox, versamark

valentine link of the day: today's link isn't valentine related, but more so just a crafty goodness link that should get your creative juices flowing... check out nichole heady's blog here and see what great new stuff papertrey is releasing this year!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

day 9: hugs & kisses

so here we are, day 9 of 14. i can say this has been a lot of fun... more so because i've gotten to give my husband some personal attention every day. even if i'm not around when he finds his card, i know he is reminded of my love for him. and that's what this has been all about:)

supplies:
cardstock: paper reflections
pattern paper: making memories
stamps: hero arts
ink: versamark
embossing powder: american crafts
other: ribbon, watercolor pencils

valentine link of the day: some cute, simple valentine's here by wendy bretz.

Monday, February 8, 2010

day 8: xoxo

this is probably one of my favorite cards i've done so far and yet, it is so simple. i've seen the heart of flowers done on scrapbooking pages, etc. and thought i'd give it a go on a card. i think it turned out well!


supplies:
cardstock: paper reflections
pattern paper: making memories
flowers: kaiser craft
pearls: mark richards
stamps: target
ink: colorbox
other: ribbon

valentine link of the day: some great vday freebies on my friend michelle's blog!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

day 7: kiss (cps card sketch)

today's card was inspired by the sketch on the cps blog. it was nice to have a layout suggested and then all i had to do was fill in the details. kind of like coloring in a line-drawing in a coloring book; the idea is laid out for you, you just have to fill in all the pretties:) i've never really used a card sketch before and i will have to say i will do it again, for sure!

supplies:
cardstock: paper reflections, bazzill
pattern paper, stick pin, bird sticker, kiss ticket sticker: making memories
border punch: fiskars
ink: colorbox
other: ribbon

valentine link of the day: LOTS of cute vday stuff on etsy!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

day 6: happy vday tag

i can't say that this is my favorite card... i went in with an idea and even then, sometimes your ideas don't pan out. oh well. this has been a lot of fun to do and share with an audience (if anyone is reading this). but nonetheless, i think my blog will get some much need attention following the conclusion of 14 days of valentines.
i hope you all are having fun as well:)

supplies:
cardstock: bazzill, paper reflections
pattern paper and tag: making memories
flowers: prima
pearls: mark richards
border punch: fiskars
other: lace

valentine link of the day: lots of valentine ideas from martha stewart

Friday, February 5, 2010

day 5: heart strings


my husband always puts our family first. we've been married for a year and a half now, and he still says "whatever you want, dear". some people say that i need to soak it up because that won't last forever. but somehow, i think it will. now, will it last to our 50th anniversary? we'll just have to see;) nevertheless, he still pulls on my heart strings.

supplies:
cardstock: bazzill, paper reflections
pattern paper: making memories
pearls: mark richards
chipboard hearts: basic grey
ink: colorbox
markers: copic
other: twine

valentine link of the day: laura vegas and making memories

Thursday, February 4, 2010

day 4: i love you more...


honestly, i was ready for valentine's day a month ago. once we started getting in new vday lines at work, i was inspired to start making cards. i've even made quite a few cards for my little monsters (brendan, 8 and lily, 15 months). they all deserve a little gushy attention. so the cards are just a little reminder that mom loves them dearly.
now onto today's card.

supplies:
cardstock: bazzill
pattern paper: making memories
pearls: mark richards
ribbon: may arts
ink: colorbox

valentine link of the day: debbie marcinkiewicz has some very cute vday ideas here and here:)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

day 3: be mine


we're moving right along with the 14 days of valentine's. day three has some vintage inspired goodness to share. i just love doilies on stuff. why don't we use doilies anymore? maybe our grandma's know better than we do. hehehe.

supplies:
scored card: papertrey ink.
pattern paper: making memories
stamp: hero arts
flowers: making memories
ink: versamark
embossing powder: american crafts
other: ribbon, doily

valentine link of the day: some super cute valentine svg/dxf cut files from my crafty life

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

day 2: be my valentine


what made me want to start these cards is the fact that this year, my husband and i opted out of buying each other fancy gifts for valentine's day. but i couldn't just leave it at that... i had to do something. a couple of weeks ago i thought about doing a card a day from the 1st of february til valentine's day. he should get the picture, right? :)

supplies:
cardstock: bazzill, paper reflections
pattern paper: making memories
mini paper clips: tim holtz
chipboard heart: basic grey
markers: copic
stamp: stampabilities
ink: versamark, colorbox
embossing powder: american crafts
other: staples, twine

valentine link of the day: valentine's blocks by loni leah

Monday, February 1, 2010

day 1: lucky in love



i wanted to show that you can easily "lift" an idea from any magazine you see out there. the original card was in the jan/feb '10 paper crafts magazine. in fact, it was on the cover! i loved the idea of this card... i mean, who doesn't have 5 packs of playing cards around that are missing one or two? to the right is my "lifted" version.
very simple and easy to put together.

supplies:
cardstock: bazzill, paper reflections
stamp: stampabilities
letter stickers: sticko
stick pin: fancy pants
crochet flower: making memories
ink: colorbox, versamark
embossing powder: ranger
other: playing card, twine


valentine link of the day: melissa phillips and her 14 days of february


Sunday, January 31, 2010

14 days of valentine's

i haven't blogged in quite some time, but what would be better than 14 days of valentines to get me back into the blogosphere???

stay tuned, for tomorrow will start the gushy goodness- 14 handmade cards and links to others i love.

enjoy!