Bright, Bold and Beautiful

It's been fun, but it's time to move on, so visit my NEW BLOG!

2009-06-03T22:24:00.002-04:00

Please visit my new blog, That's SO Martha! There you will see my explanation for moving on! Thanks for stopping by, I will leave this blog open to share my old creations!

http://thatssomartha.blogspot.com/

It doesn't get much easier than this!

2009-05-08T20:36:00.004-04:00

I made a couple of Mother's Day cards today (and a miss you card) that were quick and easy. I used Stampin' Up's new printed window sheets. The first one ended up a toned down purple & gold (Arrr!) and I sent it to my grandmother. I adhered the window sheet to a piece of textured cardstock, under the sentiment tag, with a couple of small pieces of sticky strip. Nothing special about the sentiment tag, just used a scallop punch, couple of brads, sponged the edges of the white for depth.

On the Thank You For Being You card, inside it reads Happy Mother's Day, I adhered this one to a sage colored textured cardstock, behind the sentiment. I used my scallop circle punch and some Crystal Effects for a little fun along the scalloped edges.
The Missing You card is for a mom who I mailed it to, I miss seeing her, she has been a special part of my life. I also mailed a couple of other surprises with it. On that one I used my scallop oval punch with vellum, a regular oval punch, and a couple of brads. I included a sweet sentiment about friendship inside.

Lastly, a quick project that I've been procrastinating on, some hair bow hanger things for my girls. I bought the letters from somewhere a while back, and the ribbon yards, and on the bottom I sewed on these tiny little frames from Maya Road. They have been in my craft stash for quite some time and I think they look kinda cool on these. On the 'V' I did a DTP (direct to paper) technique using craft ink (a pigment type ink, more like paint). Note: The "P" in DTP is not paper in this case, it's the letter.
These all (cards and hangers) took me maybe a total of an hour or so to work on. It doesn't get much easier than this! Hope everyone has a great weekend, gets lots of rest and sunshine, and time with family and friends!

yummy popsicles for a birthday invite...

2009-05-02T21:17:00.003-04:00

I can't believe that our younger daughter will be having a birthday, it just seems like she was born not that long ago. I'm so glad one of the girls has a birthday during the warm weather, and as you can see, I'm taking full advantage. I saw this idea on Splitcoaststampers and thought it was the perfect birthday invite. I did several versions.

Details of what I used/did: I thought the Tart & Tangy stamp set from Stampin' Up was so cute, so I used 2 of the 4 stamps from it. I used my JustRite stamper to stamp the word ONE on the front, and one of my oval punches and my new scalloped oval punch (also SU) that I now LOVE!
I used vellum for the scalloped oval and for the inside of the card, which I ran through the printer with the details of the party (some details covered up for obvious reasons). I used a single eyelet to hold the vellum on, because I have tried many types of adhesive for vellum on cardstock, and I've found none that don't show through, not even the vellum adhesive.
I used Crystal Effects (SU) to make the popsicle drip by the bite (punched with SU scallop circle punch). To stick on the popsicle stick, I used sticky strip adhesive.

Can't wait to deliver these invites, and for the party! Thanks for stopping by!

Surprise birthday card for a friend!

2009-04-19T20:19:00.002-04:00

I surprised my friend Sarah with a card and a hanging Fuchsia plant and this card, which I made for her last night. The image comes from Long Time Friend (SU!) and normally I would watercolor it, but my Stazon Ink Pads had to all get thrown out from age/dryness. So last night I broke out my husband's Prismacolor pencils! They're awesome colored pencils, and worked really well on the smooth surface of the Very Vanilla cardstock. I paired up the image with So Saffron and Old Olive cardstock. The sentiment comes from Happy Harmony (SU!) and I thought this butterfly was a cute addition.

Sorry I've been so slack in creating. I'm actually working on a sewing project, a jacket for me to wear to work. In the process, I'm planning to make a cute accessory to go with it, and I'll share when it's done!

Have a wonderful week!

Last month we had our 10 year anniversary...

2009-04-04T21:00:00.003-04:00

So on March 20th, Nate and I had our 10 year wedding anniversary, and yes I made him a card, though simple. I used some blue, brown and olive papers to match the patterned paper from a paper pack that I liked, and a spiral clip. I printed the sentiment on the computer. It's hard to see the card, this pic was taken with my phone. It came from a Watermark song called Made For You (I *heart* Watermark music). Here are the lyrics to the chorus:

Remember I promised forever
Life brings change
But my promise is the same
And through these years we've been together
Life has made us grow
But through it all I know
No matter what may come
My heart was made for you forever

That night we went out to the emerge art gallery downtown and painted pottery. Nate's pottery has always come out amazingly beautiful (his is above). No matter how he mixes colors or how crazy it may look before it's fired and glazed, it's a piece of art when it's done. Mine is just scraping by average, look below... but it does look nice above the kitchen cabinets blending in with the other pottery in our collection. I'll stick to other types of creativity most of the time.
So although he will never admit his amazing creativity, my husband is a true artist. I'm just good at paper and glue, or sewing a pattern. Happy springtime, until we meet again.

Thought of God

2009-03-25T20:16:00.003-04:00

I just love babies, and I realized Sunday, as I was surrounded by 4 pregnant friends, that I needed to add to my baby card supply QUICKLY! So here is a sweet baby girl card. I just love my girls, they inspire me. I hope to inspire them, too! Babies are such a blessing!

I used a new knit flower from Stampin' Up, with an aged gold brad in the center, colors of paper were blush blossom, close to cocoa, and whisper white. Inks used were pretty in pink (Houndstooth background) and close to cocoa (Wordsworth sentiment stamp). I distressed all of the paper edges. Added a little brown ribbon to pull it all together!
For my facebook friends, I'm hoping to add a baby pic today. Thanks for stopping by!

Baby Blessings everywhere!

2009-03-18T20:38:00.003-04:00

It seems like lately someone around me is having a baby, or is sharing the news of a baby to come! What a blessing! I love being a mommy, there's really nothing like it.

This card was mostly inspired by the felt flowers that I recently purchased from Stampin' Up. The colors are definitely in right now, I combined the large brown flower with the small blue one and tacked them together with an antique copper brad. Striped paper and a scalloped edge on the right side, backed with some chocolate chip paper. I love this bunny from A New Little Someone by Stampin Up, which I watercolored using Blue Bayou, Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, and Barely Banana. The "baby blessings" stamp from Wordsworth is one that I tend to go back to again and again, because that's exactly what I think babies are!

Thanks for coming to look! I need to make an anniversary card for my husband before Friday!

Smile!

2009-03-03T21:17:00.002-05:00

In celebration of spring which is almost here... we think... I created a spring-inspired card. I used a sketch from Taylor's blog, and did it the weekend of her challenge, but just finally took a picture of it and blogged it. I love my smile stamp from Wordsworth.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll try not to wait another 3 weeks before I post again!

Mini Domino Jewelry

2009-02-04T20:23:00.003-05:00

I did these before Christmas but just never posted the pic. I just think this set is adorable with paisley print in pink green and white, and so girly! Hope you like...

Masculine Birthday Card

2009-01-16T21:45:00.003-05:00

I got a new mini paper pack from BASICGREY at Michaels the other day, they had it in the clearance area. I just loved the papers in it, so I had to splurge! I made this masculine birthday card, and wanted the paper to be the main focal point because it's so great! I did add a Tim Holtz distressable frame in Olive and a birthday sentiment from Verses stamps. I also had the green snaps from a LONG time ago. I really love the dimension of this card, although not practicle for postal mail. This card just has a tropical jungle feel to it, don't you think?

I've been listing some items on ebay today, so please check my listings out. Today I did mostly craft items, I'll be adding more soon, too, so check back frequently! I'll also be adding maternity clothes and Usborne books. Please send friends my way if you think they could use 'em! Have a great holiday weekend!

Eat Your Peas!

2009-01-14T21:09:00.003-05:00

My aunt sent me an Eat Your Peas book for my birthday last fall and I LOVED it! I just kept going back to look at it occasionally. One day, I thought it would be great to use each of the pages on a card front to make a birthday card. I'm showing these pictures with permission from Gently Spoken. I asked permission because their images are copyrighted, but I wanted to share these inspiring images with you. Pages and pages of unique expressions. I'm certain that I'll be doing other Eat Your Peas cards, and I think I'll be using this idea for creating and donating cards to our Home Health & Hospice- their wish list includes cards. Please follow any of the links to check out how Eat Your Peas can inspire and encourage you!
I used Stickles on many of the cards, just to add a bit of sparkle to enhance the images. On the card up top, I also added some adhesive-backed jewels to the centers of the flowers. Thanks to those of you who've asked about me. Christmas and New Year's were nice, we went back to my mom's after New Year's to celebrate her 60th, and then the baby got sick with a bad cold, and then my 4 year old and I did- I'm trying to recover now. I'm hoping to be back in full swing soon, and I have new stuff to share already!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

It was so cool to hear our 'almost' 4 year old talk about why we celebrate Christmas, both last night and this morning. Last night as we unloaded the car from our travels and got ready for her to go to bed, Nate quizzed her on why we celebrate Christmas and why we have presents. Also, before opening any Christmas gifts this morning, we sat on the couch with the Christmas lights on, Nate opened up the book of Luke and read the story as it was told. We had a simple but wonderful time celebrating the birth of Jesus- a glorious present from God, and (of course) had a great time opening gifts, too! Tonight after dinner, we got in the car and drove around looking at Christmas lights. This is how Christmas should be.

Have a blessed Christmas night!

Monogrammed Card

2008-12-14T22:13:00.004-05:00

I got the JustRite Curlz Monogram Stamper and have been pondering on what to do first with it. The other day I was browsing the $1 bins at Michaels and found these pretty white embossed square cards (it came with 8 in the pack!). Can you see the beautiful embossing down the center? All I did was add my monogram backed with a scalloped circle. I thought these would make nice thank you notes and won't take too much of my time. Something like this would also make a great wedding shower gift.

Today I put in the crockpot:
3 Cut sweet potatoes in large pieces (halved or quartered depending on size of sweet potato)
1/2 onion, quartered
1 Pork tenderloin (lay on top of veggies)
1 packed Sodium free beef bouillon powder, sprinkled across pork
3-4 spoonfuls of jarred pesto on top of pork (the traditional kind with basil, garlic, pine nuts)
olive oil drizzled in
1/2 cup water or so

Put it on high for 5-6 hours. I served it with a spinach salad and raspberry vinagrette dressing. It was a fantastic meal, so I thought I'd share. The baby got steamed spinach and sweet potatoes so it was kinda like she was eating the same meal as us. ;)

Have a great week!

Jewelry! And More Jewelry!

2008-12-10T23:09:00.003-05:00

I was excited to have some TIME today! Yes, it's true. Just me and my craft room. For a couple of hours. Oh, I finished and mailed my Christmas cards today, too!

I got out the glass tags and wooden dominoes that I've been hoarding. I figured people may want stocking stuffers or small gifts for people on their list. Or someone may want to splurge and get something for herself! So here are my creations that were completed today. I have many more to come, so keep looking soon! If these don't sell locally soon, I'll be posting them to my Etsy store. I hope you enjoy looking at my creations. Please let me know if you'd like to make a purchase!

Just learned to digiscrap...

2008-12-08T20:45:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to share that I finally learned to digiscrap. It is FUN but the demo version of Adobe Illustrator is almost over. I made a 12x12 digiscrap page of the girls, and my new blog banner. I'm pooped, my pager for work has gone off at 3am daily since Friday, so I'm just saying a quick hi!

Hope your Thanksgiving was great!

2008-11-29T21:09:00.003-05:00

Well, the hustle and bustle of Christmas has arrived. Are you prepared? My calendar is filling up with parties, lunches, and more. I'm not sure if I'm really ready, but I'd like to think I'm getting there. I made this ornament after being inspired by Taylor's tutorial. WOW, it was so easy and I simply used scrap papers that were sitting there longing to be used. I'm sure I'll be making more of these simple ornaments.

I also thought I'd share with you one last VERY simple Christmas card that I made. I kept thinking it needed more. I'm sure it does need more, I'm just not sure what. So I think I'll just send it to someone who may not care it's homemade. LOL. Basically, I used my silver Encore ink pad to stamp the poinsettias, then used my square punch to create a rectangle window. I then stamped my sentiment inside the window. I placed an acetate sheet behind the window using mini glue dots. The only other thing I did was spray the silver ink with cheap non-aerosol hair spray, b/c it will never dry- it will smear if you don't spray it.

Lastly, I want to share with you that I have decided to open an Etsy store. Please browse my stuff and share the link with others. It's www.kellyalbright.etsy.com. I'll try to add more as I can. Thanks for taking the time to look!

Do you remember shrinky dinks?

2008-11-18T21:10:00.003-05:00

Today I want to share a site that has an easy way to make beautiful homemade jewelry. It uses shrink plastic, the same stuff that we called shrinky dinks as kids. I've got some from prior projects, so maybe I'll give a project like this a try soon. Have a great night.

Shrink Plastic Jewelry Instructions.

P.S. 2 big things happened with the baby today, her first tooth has come through AND she is now suddenly rolling everywhere! Happy and sad, I am so excited but I want her to stay little!

Make a custom gift box!

2008-11-17T22:00:00.006-05:00

Ok, it's really simple, anyone can do it! I have some personalized notecards for a gift for someone I know ;) for Christmas. I know this person loves and appreciates handcrafted things that I make. So I decided to make a simple, but very special, gift box!

Basically the note cards and envies were 5x6x1" so I made two pieces of cardstock 7x8x1" (the length and width add 1" to each side for creating the 1" depth). Clear as mud? Score at the 1" markings and trim 1 side of each of the small corner squares. Add some adhesive (I like Sticky Strip for boxes). Fold at the score lines and adhese the corner squares to the sides, and you have a box. Voila!
I used my poinsettia flower stamp from Stamps by Impression and made several images of it on watercolor paper using several shades of watercolor crayons and spritzes of water. I cut out 2 and a half of them and layered them. It is easy to curl the petals of flowers when your paper is moist. When it dries it hardens. I used a doodad from Collected Objects for Creative Minds for the center of the flower. I adhered it together with Pop-Up Glue Dots.
The velvet paper I did the iron stamping (iron the velvet to the rubber for about 10 seconds). It makes such an elegant image! I just love how this box turned out, and I'm certain that the recipient will, too!

This particular size box would work for handcrafted cards! Below are a couple of mini pics on how the box is made if you are a visual person. Have a great week! :)

Mini lunch bags for sketch challenges...

2008-11-15T22:27:00.007-05:00

I need to work on wrapping some small gifts, I have a personalized notepad in one, and personalized post-its and pen in the other. I have these cute mini lunch bags by Martha Stewart that are perfect for quick wrapping a small gift.

The first one (top) is Beate's sketch (WSC66) and I didn't stay true to the sketch but tried my best. First, I was going off memory from early this morning, plus my bag was so small after deciding what I'd use for the main "rectangle" focal point. So I moved my little jewels, which are from Collected Objects for Creative Minds, which I purchased from Stampington & Co a few years ago. The rectangles are frames by Tim Holtz in the Salsa color package, the green fit right into the red. I just added ribbon, ric rac, and a scalloped tag.
This other bag I did for Taylor's sketch (TECC42) and pulled out of the unused archives some Stampin' Up Metal Edge Tags. I punched some scrap cardstocks, again used a Tim Holtz red frame, but this time I put a simple stamped candy cane from Stampin' Up's Merry Minis.

Yay! I'm so excited about Christmas this year. I'm excited that I can actually make stuff for people this year. Last year I was pregnant (very sick and always sleepy) and not functional. So this year I'm pumped up! Happy weekend!

Fabulous Flapjack Mix for gifts...

2008-11-14T21:12:00.005-05:00

<---First, have you seen my poll? Take a moment to respond!

Ok, now that that part is over, let me tell you about the fabulous flapjacks, they have oatmeal, cinnamon, wheat, brown sugar... they're so hearty and yummy! I found the gift mix idea from a Gooseberry Patch Merry Mixes booklet many years ago, and I tried it (they call it Fantabulous Flapjack Mix). It was love at first bite. We added blueberries before cooking them up. I gave the mix as gifts that year, and had requests for it the next year! We even keep a big French canning jar full of this prepared mix in the pantry, for when the urge to make pancakes comes. I have already started preparing this mix for gifts this year, and wanted to share some ideas for presentation.

The picture up top is my favorite. I found the bucket/tote in the Target dollar spot. The snowflakes are already stitched on and are so cute! I put the bag of mix in it, a perfect fit, added some shiny red confetti-like filler, a wooden spoon with a bow, and created this tag (close up on the left). I used a snowflake eyelet that my aunt gave me a while back. I used the Snowflakes stamp set from Stampin' Up stamped in turquoise, and some Stickles to make it sparkle a bit. I stamped Merry Christmas and the bottom of my big Sizzix die cut tag I scalloped using the scallop punch. I hung it with a little silver cording. Voila! I *LOVE* red and turquoise for Christmas colors!

This little bag tote was also at Target and came with the mittens and snowflakes! For this one I added some tissue (and of course a wooden spoon) and a tag.

Lastly, (below) I sewed up a little bag with some plaid fabric I had in my stash. It's a Flapjack in a Sack! It only took about 1 minute to whip this thing together with my serger, and I trimmed the top with my pinking shears.

Twill tape and ric rac to tie the sack shut, and a tag I made hanging on the spoon with linen thread and a clip. This was such an easy project and look how cute it came out! One recipe makes enough for 4 gifts!

Christmas is 6 weeks away! Get busy!

2008-11-12T22:00:00.009-05:00

Ok, so today I was setting an appointment for 6 weeks out and realized that's the week of Christmas! Yikes! Are you ready? Need some ideas? Need some inexpensive gifts? I think I can help. Maybe... Above is a simple way for me to wrap up my calendar creations (here, here and here). For teachers, I've added in a simple teacher magnet with the calendar. The tag I created using my Sizzix die cut, scallop punch, scissors, ribbon, silver cord, and a sentiment from Stampin' Up!

A little tip for you: If you're using tissue as your wrapping paper, and it's not long enough to reach around the entire gift, tie your ribbon around the gift itself instead of above it! I did it here b/c the white wouldn't reach.

Here is a little something I did up for a simple yummy gift. I call it Lunch in a Crunch. I had a stamp custom made for the tag:

I thought the expression Lunch in a Crunch was catchy, and that people would appreciate a lunch on the go, in between meetings...
often times in this busy world we get caught up and forget to eat, well not me, but a lot of people I know do!

So, here are 2 of my original creations for Lunch in a Crunch:

I have 2 original soup in a mug mixes, potato soup and vegetable soup. I had business cards made with instructions. I am selling these (without the mugs) in my Etsy store. I have tested these and they are yummy!

Tip for do-it-yourselfers: You can find mix ideas online and in cookbooks, but PLEASE TEST THEM before you give them as gifts. I made that my rule a long time ago, and it has paid off. I have encountered a number of not so great results in the process, and am thankful for not giving them as gifts. My mixes above are very customized by me, original creations.

Another tip: People don't want to have to add much, if anything. My soup mixes above are "add water and microwave". The fewer the number of ingredients that the recipient has to add, the more likely they will use their gift! It's a FACT!

Ok, last idea for the night. You've probably seen it in the stores, it's so easy to do yourself. Hot cocoa mix. I made the tag with some stamps by Stampin' Up! and simple ribbon and cord to tie it up. Have a fantastic night!

Many ways to use a single image...

2008-11-07T22:43:00.005-05:00

This afternoon I stopped by the Christmas show at the Convention Center, where the Christmas shopping frenzy began for lots of people. I was pleasantly surprised to find a stamp maker as a vendor! The man in business is just as sweet as he can be, and loves his stamps! His company is Stamps by Impression, and he has over 2000 stamps on his website. I bought a couple with the girls' names on them, and a ballet stamp (art coming soon). But my biggest excitement was something I wasn't even planning to get originally, but I'm so glad I did! It is this poinsettia!

The image above as well as the first one below were started the same, using watercolor crayons (coloring multiple shades directly on the rubber), a spritz of water onto the rubber, stamp on watercolor paper, and my spray tool spritzing some caramel and green ink. Oh, and also my Frosted Lace Stickles for sparkle. I decided to make the first card a torn window and age it with some sponging. The second I went much simpler, but thought this was still nice, just a little different personality.
This next one you may have to click on to get a better look. I ironed a piece of velveteen paper onto the rubber. It embosses the velvet. I chose to keep this simple to let the velvet stand out. It's kinda rustic and elegant together.
Lastly, I went for a sparkly, more monochromatic look with caramel, vanilla, and a bit of khaki green? I tied in the caramel color with copper brads, and I used Star Dust Stickles for some sparkle. The background stamp is the old holiday print background from Stampin' Up. My lighting has gotten bad in my craft room, so my pictures are seemingly getting worse and worse. I wish you could see these in person!
I'm going to be selling some things, if you're local and want to see, let me know. I have creations as well as stamps. If you're not local, let me know and I can send you a list and any pics by request.

More ideas hopefully to share this weekend!

Mmmm...banana bread! (but not all for me)

2008-11-02T21:39:00.004-05:00

Ok, so maybe I had to open one up to make sure it came out good. ;) Today I baked a double batch of my famous Banana Bread- but I baked it in 8 wide mouth pint sized canning jars. They baked for the same length of time as a regular loaf.
Tips:

Make sure that you grease the insides of the jars well.
After filling the jar 1/2 full with batter, wipe the rims REALLY well.
Wipe the rims again immediately after removing the jar from the oven.
Immediately place the lid and screw on the ring after wiping the rim.
Downside: These do not keep like regular canned foods. I will be freezing them until it's time to hand them out. They're only good out for about a week in a jar.

I used leftover PAPER- that's right, PAPER! It looks deceptively like the old fabric way of covering the top. I cut an 8x8 square of paper and pressed it over the cooled jar. Hang a cute tag on the bow. I also cut out circles to label the tops with the name of the bread.

Birthday card and more 2009 calendars for Christmas!

2008-11-01T22:29:00.005-04:00

My team lead at work asked me to make a girly birthday card for her mom. I liked being able to use Beate's weekend sketch challenge (WSC54) for this card. My favorite color this time of year is chocolate brown and I love the Houndstooth background stamp from Stampin' Up. It's so cozy this time of year, like a good sweater. I used a scrap of Tres Jolie paper by My Mind's Eye, which I sponged around the edges in light pink ink to better match my "Blush" paper by Basic Grey behind it. I used my new Stampin' Up scallop edge punch for the scallop border. The sentiment was from Warmest Regards by Stampin' Up. Accessories: ribbon, hardware, Prima flowers and pink rhinestone. I stamped a sentiment on the left inside corner (below) along with a pink flourish from Carte Postale, both stamps are from Stampin' Up.
I completed 4 more calendars today, so below are some pictures to see. Not much different in approach this time, though I used my Sizzix and a couple of circle punches for the April flowers.
Papers for these calendars are from Stampin' Up and Basic Grey. Stamp sets used were Serene Sunflower, Inspired by Nature, Best Blossom, and A Tree For All Seasons, all from Stampin' Up. I used Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Marigold and Sahara Sand ink colors. The clips were from Making Memories which I found at Michaels. These calendars will make fantastic teacher gifts (since we now have 5 "school" teachers for our 2 girls, plus a ballet teacher...) as well as friend/coworker/neighbor gifts.

More gift ideas coming soon- watch for new posts soon!

Blog Candy Winner

2008-10-30T20:34:00.002-04:00

The winner, based on the below information from Random.org, is Ida from Walla Walla, Washington! Ida, please contact me by email with your address!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2008-10-31 00:34:05 UTC

Have a great night!

Beate's sketch challenge and just using new papers...

2008-10-26T18:35:00.003-04:00

I love weekends when I can just sit down and create, not for a purpose, but just for whatever. So last night I took advantage (and stayed up late) to make a few non-purpose cards, just to create. The cards above are fun, I used my new Basic Grey "Blush" papers from the local scrapbook store. I cut out the shapes to paste to my red petal cards that I've got tons of leftovers from Stampin' Up. On the red sides I stamped some Flourishes stamps by Autumn Leaves in brown ink. I distressed the edges using my distressing tool. Oh happy day stamp is by Wordsworth. The pink rhinestone just polished off the rough edges and made it fun for me.

I also had fun creating this card for Beate's weekend sketch challenge (WSC63) and just decided to do a masculine card. This card, as I was making it, reminded me of shoe polish and military. Don't ask why, except inking the edges and the color, I guess. My Friend is a cardstock sticker from Daisy D's and I squashed a bottle cap and stuck it on. I used brads that look like screws. I love these. I enjoy doing masculine cards every so often.

We had quite a weekend, Friday night we took our older daughter to see the play "The Jungle Book" which was SO much fun, yesterday we went to another birthday party, and today our church had a fall festival. Nate and I are exhausted.

Don't forget about my blog candy, if you haven't commented to that post yet, be sure to do so before Thursday! Have a great week!

Woo Hoo, lots to share and blog candy giveaway!

2008-10-25T08:58:00.007-04:00

I did LOTS of Christmas cards and am giving away blog candy next week. But first, let me share a card I did for the Splitcoaststampers Limited supplies challenge called "'Leaf' it to me, baby!" which was a challenge to do a card using leaf images. Part 2 of the challenge is to do a pink card in honor of breast cancer awareness month. So here is my card:

I used a variety of scrap papers and ribbons. Additionally I used some thin fibrous pink paper and my Sizzix leaf die cut. I sponged some cocoa ink around the edges to age it a little. I also distressed the rectangle and circle edges and sponged a little brown on the circle, too. I thought this could be an encouraging card for a friend.

So I was checking out Taylor's blog and found a great challenge this week so I decided to integrate it into some Christmas cards. The picture above is specifically for her sketch. I also did several variations just for variety. These Christmas cards are quite contemporary. I stopped by the local scrapbook store and found these cool papers, by Luxe and BoBunny that coordinate well. I also used natural white cardstock, Stampin' Up's Build-A-Brad, some ribbons and buttons and hemp twine. I really enjoyed making these cards. I made 6 in all, and only used [less than] 2 sheets of the designer papers. I switched up some of the sketch to do the other 4 cards- check them out:

So what do you think about these cards? Too contemporary for Christmas? Well, some people on my Christmas list are more contemporary than others. I personally LOVE them. I thought these papers were the coolest for Christmas. So I decided I would give some away as blog candy!

One of each sheet, plus 2 sheets of natural white cardstock, 6 build-a-brads, and ribbons. Use them as you please! Just leave a comment on this blog entry and you're eligible to win. On Thursday, October 30th, I'll use the random number generator online to pick a winner! This is a special thanks to my blog readers!

More cool calendars and 5 Easy Christmas Cards

2008-10-23T20:23:00.004-04:00

Ok, so the calendars I did over the weekend, and I'm just getting around to sharing. But last night I was so excited to knock out 5, yes 5, Christmas cards- and still went to bed around 10! I used scraps from last year's designer series papers for 4 of them, so I feel good about less $ spending, too! When I was planning my original calendar project (see previous post), I bought the mini clips from Stampin' Up. Well, they should have been called "teeny tiny" clips because there was no way I was going to fit 12 sheets of cardstock (one for each month) in a clip. So this random thought of putting them to use came to me last night. And they almost make my punched circles look like little ornaments.

Below, I used Christ is Born again, this time for the center of the flower I added some adhesive-backed jewels. The letters were stamped in Versamark, then red, for shadowing, and then I used my Sakura Glaze pen to accent the swooping of the script. The background of the green card is stamped in Celery using the Paisley background, also a Stampin' Up stamp. This card is much nicer in person. I just couldn't get a good pic of it. The scalloped red cardstock came from an old SU card kit. I have a bunch of them.

Here are the 2 calendars I did last weekend, one for my ECU fans out there! Go Pirates! These are a little different than the other calendars. This time I did a sturdy "pocket" and stamped images at the tops of the pages. I have a bunch of pirate stamps that I have used for making other pirate memorabilia in the past, such as marble coasters and such. Oh, and by the way, all of my calendars are magnetic so far! These 2 have a strip of magnet tape on the back. The others that I shared have a magnet on the back of the clip.

Here is the other, more grunge looking. I used old scrap cardstock that I LOVE. I stamped the year on a leftover piece (the back side of the paisley print) and clipped it on with one of those teeny tiny clips I mentioned earlier. Each month has a different inspirational message.

I'm nearing 4000 visits to my blog, so in the excitement of the milestone, I'll be having some blog candy soon. Keep your peepers peeled for details!

Cards and Calendars for Christmas!

2008-10-14T21:20:00.007-04:00

I made 3 of these Christmas Cards, using the textured cardstock. I stamped the flower in vanilla and sprayed Pearl Ex hair spray for the background. I used gold cardstock and heat embossed the sentiment in gold. I polished it off with some vanilla ribbon, and voila! 3 more cards done! (But lots more to go...)

I have completed 8 calendars for Christmas already! I love this idea from Stampin' Up's catalog, just have some kinks to work out before I make more. I did mine a bit differently, I formatted mine to fit 4 on a sheet of cardstock (quarter sheet size), so that I could save 1 piece of paper per person,which in large quantities can save me quite a bit of money. I really do love the long skinny version, but price is a factor this day and age.

I used 2 different sets of Stampin' Up designer series paper- Urban Garden and Green Tea, and combined my favorites from the two to make my calendars.

January February and March are shown here. January was as simple as cutting my paper and sticking it on. February I used Serene Sunflower with Old Olive ink and got a 2 tone monochromatic look by stamping off some of the ink to get lighter shades some of the time. I cut out flowers from the designer series paper for March. In person those flowers are incredibly dimensional!

For April, again cut and paste, this time simple stripes. May I used my new set Inspired by Nature and the new In Color 'Baja Breeze'. Another cut and paste for June, and half the year is done.

July was just a random thought- I think I should re-think. I used random cardstock stickers that I had from old simply scrappin and other kits, just pulled out things that matched in color. So all of the July pages for each of the 8 calendars are unique. For August I pulled out Best Blossom which I unsuccessfully tried to sell. Must've been meant to be.

October and December, cut and paste, November was stamped using Autumn Leaf Prints and Going Gray ink. I have to tell you, this appears to be a quick project, but it was quite time consuming. I think if/when I do more it will take less time, but I probably put a good 10 hours into this project. I will do it again, but make some changes for next time.

Bosses Day is Thursday

2008-10-14T20:43:00.004-04:00

My team is taking out our team lead out for breakfast tomorrow (a day early). I made a card for my team to give to our team lead, as well as a card for our manager (see below), who has 3 teams under him. They are both 1/2 sheets of cardstock (a full sheet scored and folded in half) so they are big enough for everyone to sign. That will give you perspective on how big they really are.

I really love how the the first one came out. The pic just doesn't do justice, I guess my lighting was off. I really loved the colors in it the most, the silver and basic gray, along with the aqua and a splash of glitter!

Stamps: Inspired by Nature (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Aqua, silver Sizzix paper (it comes scrunched like it's seen in pic), natural white, and Stampin' Up's Urban Garden.
Accessories: Sticky Cuts Letters, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, and ribbons, all from Stampin' Up!

The next one is really more masculine for our manager, who is a man obviously. We work in IT, so we all support computers. I know Computer Quips wasn't a very popular set, but I really loved it. I guess it takes a computer nerd to like the set.

Stamps: Computer Quips by Stampin' Up!
Paper: Buckaroo Blue, watercolor paper, and scrap from Urban Garden designer series paper (the same stems from the flowers in the scrap from the card above!) all from Stampin' Up!
Technique: Watercoloring

Can't wait to share my calendars!

I Love Autumn!

2008-10-03T21:35:00.003-04:00

I love fall, and I loved Taylor's Cupcake Challenge (TECC36) this week. I took the opportunity to enjoy my favorite season and my favorite color family (Earth Elements). Amanda, if you see this, I thought of you with this sentiment. I'm praying about your job situation.

Stamps: Autumn Leaf Prints, Refuge and Strength, Houndstooth (background)
Paper: Not Quite Navy, More Mustard, Very Vanilla, Natural
Ink: Not Quite Navy, More Mustard, Summer Sun, Pumpkin, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel
Technique: Distress, Aging, Spritzing

Tomorrow I'm baking cookies with my older daughter and we're all going to a birthday party. I'm planning to show you our gift to the birthday girl, as I'm getting a teensy bit creative with this one. Have a great weekend!

Quick Cards to Share

2008-10-01T21:57:00.002-04:00

I want to quickly share before I go to bed. These are almost all products from Stampin' Up! Some of them are retired. I love the With Gratitude set from this autumn card. I think slide mounts are so fun on cards and can really highlight an image well. The Build a Brad kit is so fun and so easy (see tag on Christmas card below). Ok, off to bed. I began working on some calendar gifts for Christmas, I will share soon.

Simple, No Layer Christmas Cards, Part 1

2008-09-22T21:09:00.003-04:00

I got my new set from Stampin' Up! It's called Christ Is Born and I love the elegance of this set. And it's easy to get caught up in thinking of all the fancy things you can do with this set, all the layers and stuff. But in my brainstorming about not overdoing it this year, I decided to try out some simple, no layer cards. I have done some in the past (see my SCS gallery) and have loved them.
Green Card:
Stamps: Linen background, Christ is Born
Paper: Certainly Celery
Ink: Going Grey, White craft, Real Red
Accessories: Real Red grosgrain ribbon
Grey Card:
Stamps: Linen background, Christ is Born
Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Going Grey, Bravo Burgundy
Accessories: Stickles (Frosted Lace)

Although it's incredibly hard to see, I stamped the poinsettia in grey, then traced the outline in Stickles. Also the linen background is hard to see in the pic, so here's a closeup.

I'm planning to do a lot more no layer cards (see future posts) donate my cards to the Hospice here, for families to use for thank you's and notes (thank you and note cards are on their wish list). Also more Christmas cards to come, including some heat embossing with this set!

Equestrian Birthday Party!

2008-09-13T09:00:00.002-04:00

For Taylor's Cupcake Challenge this week (TECC33), I decided to make a card for a birthday party that we're going to tomorrow at a stable. I think there's a chance that the girls (and boys?) will be riding a pony at the party. So for the gift and the card theme, I stuck with the equine. I pulled out the Creative Memories Oval Cutting System to get the perfect frame for the horse. At the last minute, I added a ribbon going horizontal under the vertical one to make it look more like a wrapped present.

Stamps: Bareback, Sanded, and Button Bear (for Happy Birthday sentiment), all from Stampin' Up!
Paper: Certainly Celery, Close to Cocoa, Pixie Pink, and Whisper White all from Stampin' Up!
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery
Technique: DTP
Accessories: Ribbon

Enjoy your weekend! My new Christmas stamps have arrived to town, I hope to pick them up and play with them soon! Keep your peepers peeled for new creations soon...

Beate's Weekend Sketch

2008-09-12T21:54:00.003-04:00

Things are busy these days, and I'm tired. Weekends come and go so fast, and my family is the priority for me. But I am upstairs foregoing a little sleep to make a card for tonight.

That being said, I am excited to share my creation that is for Beate's weekend sketch challenge. I made a fun card that I decided would not be for anything specific, yet. I am sure I'll use it sometime, though!

Stamps: Cows by MissyBDesigns, Jesus Loves You by Wordsworth, Mixed Bouquet and Canvas by Stampin' Up!
Paper: Certainly Celery, Blush Blossom, watercolor paper and old Designer Series Paper all by Stampin' Up!
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Bashful Blue, Bliss Blue, Mellow Moss, Certainly Celery, Creamy Caramel all by Stampin' Up!
Accessories: velvet ribbon, copper brad, Prima flower
Techniques: DTP (direct to paper), distress, watercolor

I may be back again this weekend, I need to make a birthday card for a 4 year old birthday party this Sunday. Taylor's sketch is calling out my name!

Taylor's Cupcake Challenge #31 and Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #55

2008-08-30T15:57:00.003-04:00

I'm really excited that I had time to do both of these challenges last night.

I loved Taylor's sketch (TECC#31), so making a card came easy to me. I pulled out some old BoBunny papers from my scrap file. I used Ruby Red and Old Olive papers and the old Mixed Greetings stamp set from Stampin' Up, along with an old clip from their hodgepodge hardware. I'm not sure where the ribbon came from, but it was perfect!

Beate's sketch (WSC55) was a bit more of a challenge, but I like it. Again, scrap papers from my file, I think they were also old BoBunny papers. I used Buckaroo Blue cardstock and With Gratitude stamp set from Stampin' Up. The leaf was stamped using Color Box chalk pads first, then layered True Thyme ink on top for depth. I also used my spritzer with caramel and banana markers on the leaf. The smile sentiment came from Wordsworth. I love pulling buttons out of my button jar, and these 3 coordinated well with the colors.

I got word today that my new stuff from Stampin' Up has come in, so I can't wait to get going on my Christmas cards and other things soon. Off to hang out with the girls, have a great weekend!

Taylor's Cupcake Challenge #30, late!

2008-08-29T19:26:00.003-04:00

I really liked the sketch on Taylor's TECC#30 last Friday, so even though I didn't complete it by her deadline, I wanted to share that I did, in fact, do the challenge. All products used in the challenge were by Stampin' Up, retired or otherwise. Stamp set: Like it a Latte. (Thanks on envelope is from Heartfelt Thanks.) Colors: Olive, Burgundy, Coral. I used the "out of the box" technique for the top of the steam. I made 4 of these and will be using them for birthday thank-you's to my family. I'm hoping to mail them out tomorrow if I get them written.

Off to see the new challenge...

Valentine's Day- Candy Bar Pouch

2008-08-23T17:50:00.004-04:00

I saw this on Splitcoaststampers during the winter months. At the time I had 3 other girls on my team at work (now there's one more). I whipped these up for each of them, trying to customize to their personalities at least a little bit. Instructions for this project are available on their site for the Hershey bar size, I made it bigger for these big Dove bars. Basically you just pull the ribbon/bow and it pulls the candy bar right out.

I used some Daisy D's floral paper for the one on the left (above) along with pink and purple cardstock. I used an old All Year Cheer set by Stampin' Up! for the Happy Valentine's Day sentiment and I sponged the circle's edges and the floral paper using purple ink. The bottom of the pouches were crimped. The left one has pink taffeta ribbon. The one on the right was done with old Stampin' Up! Valentine's papers. You can barely see, but I stamped some hearts across the pink cardstock above the crimped edge and above the XO paper. Much cuter in person.

This was also done in purple. I inked up the cardboard flower, I heat embossed the sentiment in white. I used 2 random designer papers (one is from Stampin' Up!, the other is just an old scrap), the green ribbon was taffeta, and I used the stitched purple ribbon to coordinate with the cardstock. I had fun doing these, and my coworkers thought they were a cute surprise!

Thanks for looking!

Starting back simple...

2008-08-17T13:58:00.005-04:00

I am trying to get back upstairs to do more crafting. My time is almost non-existent now with 2 kids. But I had a rare opportunity last night, and opted to fore go some sleep time to do a couple of things. Taylor is having "Cupcake Challenge #29" and so I decided to start with it. I broke out some stuff I bought a long time ago and hadn't really done much of anything with. Stamp set is Carte Postale by Stampin' Up! and it's coordinating scrapbook papers, combined with Basic Grey cardstock.

I also used grey and pale plum inks for the Merci circles. These were simple to do with my circle punches and I instantly was able to write out 2 more thank you notes for baby gifts!

Next I have the window and flowers from Stampin' Up!'s new set called Window Dressing. I got to use it at the catalog premiere party that my friend Heather hosted. I stamped the images and then took it home, along with the new In Color cardstock in Pacific Point which is very nice. I added some Basic Grey cardstock for matting. The images were watercolored with Earth Elements colors, including Not Quite Navy, which was very close to the new color.

As I said, I was keeping things simple to start back. Thanks for coming to check it out.
P.S. I have some pics from a simple Valentine craft that I made for my 3 coworkers. I'll post soon.

It's a Girl, and she's here now!

2008-07-08T21:14:00.008-04:00

Last time I posted I was in my first trimester of pregnancy. Well, I have a beautiful baby girl who was born on Mother's Day, now I am the very proud mom of 2 beautiful girls.

I am posting some pics of the baby's nursery, which we did, me and my wonderful husband, who helped a lot with the execution of the ideas.

I saw the idea for the walls in the background of a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. I changed it to be light pink on top, dark pink on the bottom, and chunky dots along the line (one third of the way from the floor, a typical chair rail level). We absolutely love it. We tried creating a jumbo foam stamp but it was not a good idea, so I quickly got out my old Stampin' Up! transparency sheets and cut approximately a 6" circle out to use as a stencil. We used spray adhesive, dried it some for temporary adhesion, and stuck it to the wall, leaving an inch or two in between each. I love the corner, my husband was able to wrap the dots at the corners. He did almost ALL of the painting. Oh, and there's a glimpse of the flower peg hangers that we got at Michael's for $1 each and spraypainted brown. I then simply ModPodge'd cardstock circles to the centers.

This is an old hamper that's been re-done in the light pink wall paint. I found the fabric at the local fabric store and sewed the hamper based on measurements from the one that originally hung on the frame. I used ribbon to tie it to the frame.

The lamp above was covered in the same fabric and trimmed in that ribbon. Credit to my husband for doing the lampshade work! Below is some wall art I created- matted them with more of the fabric, and used Stampin' Up! Sticky Cuts Letters with pink glitter (the flowers are included in the Sticky Cuts). I trimmed with ribbon and used textured and non-textured papers.

Hope these projects inspire you in some way. Will try to post more frequently.

Sorry for my long absence!!! I'm okay, I promise.

2007-11-18T20:31:00.000-05:00

So, I've been tagged by Tobi Crawford, I thought I'd share the latest scoop by answering the questions, so here it goes...

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger (see above), and also post these rules on your blog.
2. Share seven facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag seven (or as many as you can find who HAVEN'T done this) people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

OK, here are my 7 facts:

As I was trying to recover from mild pneumonia and severe allergies, I learned that I am PREGNANT! I'm 12 weeks along today. SURPRISE to all of us. So part of my excuse for the extended absence from blogging is that I'm SICK and tired.
I love to SING! I sing an acoustic worship service at my church every Sunday, it's just me and the worship leader and his guitar. I rotate on the full praise team (a full band with about 4 singers) every few months.
I left a career in banking this year (after 10 years) for a career in healthcare. I'm still working in Information Systems, so I'm sort of a computer geek, but not completely. I'm learning some cool programming this year that helps with creating complex reports.
I used to have a side business making funky pocketbooks. Just when I was at the brink of BIG success/profit, I gave it up.
Before my pneumonia/pregnancy sicknesses, I was working out at the gym about 5 days a week. Now I'm not working out at all. I am ready to be back to myself- this same thing happened with my first pregnancy and all I could do once the nausea finally went away was a pre-natal yoga video.
My dream career would be interior design. I just can't take a huge cut in pay to pursue it.
There is a Broadway musical coming to our city (which is a big deal for here) that is called "Ring of Fire: The Legend of Johnny Cash" and I REALLY want to get tickets to go see it in January.

So there you have it... 7 random things.. I tag these people:
Ivy
Julie

Pneumonia...

2007-10-19T20:34:00.000-04:00

So for the last 2 weeks I've had uncontrolled coughing fits, and was told after week one that it's allergy-induced asthma. When another week went by with very little relief (and lots of meds) I decided to go back. It progressed into a mild pneumonia. :( I've never had it before but I can tell you that I'm exhausted and ready to get well. I'd like to be back to my old self again, not ready to crash in the bed every waking moment.

So, say a little prayer for me to get well. I'm hoping the antibiotics (just took the 2nd of 5 pills tonight) start to help soon. Maybe I can be back to stamping soon...

At a loss...

2007-10-08T20:42:00.000-04:00

I'm at a loss... I bought a stamp set for Christmas cards this year, and am just not completely inspired by it yet. Yes, I've shown you a couple of cards with it, but it just hasn't "done it" for me yet, at least not enough to say "that's it!". And so, here I am in October, yet to have a stack of Christmas cards. I need some inspiration. Maybe the Christmas spirit hasn't hit me yet.

My husband is out of town this week, so I'm parenting our 2 yr old alone. I don't like it, and I have to give a lot of credit to single parents out there- I really don't know how you do it! I definitely love having my husband around to help!

We made a pretty autumn card at stamp camp last week, I thought I'd share it with you. I LOVE eggplant and olive together, and the kraft cardstock doesn't get used enough at my house. So when I saw this card, I LOVED it! It's really quite simple, but it works! I think the wheel is called Leaves Awash from Stampin' Up! Also used linen thread and a teeny oval tag. I haven't decided what to put on the tag yet.

Enjoy your week. If my daughter hasn't completely worn me out, maybe I'll be inspired and energized enough to stamp one night. Until then...

Perfect time for a challenge

2007-09-25T20:57:00.001-04:00

Today I was asked to make a birthday card for a man who works with computers, so I decided to use the color combo challenge on SCS to try to make the card. I love the end result, although I was afraid of the color combo- bashful blue, old olive and more mustard. I watercolored the computer with the cake stamped inside (stamps from Computer Quips) using my Watercolor Wonder Crayons. I tried to make the screen have a grid like look, similar to the background, which was done with the Rough Texture wheel and DTP technique.
I distressed the edges of the blue, olive textured, and watercolor paper, and lifted them up with some pop-up glue dots for a little more dimension. Ribbon was from SU, it is now retired. Sentiment from Warmest Regards.

My Christmas card tonight is done with Old Olive textured, rounded the corners. The scalloped oval is a Daisy D's die cut. I added some SU ribbon and cut out the tree from Wondrous Gift, which was embossed in winter white on patterned paper, then used Crystal Stickles and a button for the top. The button was inspired by Julia at Belle Papier.

See you soon...

yes, I'm still alive...

2007-09-21T21:29:00.000-04:00

I've been exhausted in the evenings all week, and last weekend was packed full of family fun. My daughter (2 1/2), rode a pony twice for the first time at our annual church festival last Sunday. This was a major feat for her- a girl who has had NIGHTMARES about horses being in the house (?) and many a night was scared to go to bed! I didn't get a picture, but she had this cute little grin on her face while riding, and her daddy and I stood back while the owner of the "pony" (actually a miniature horse) guided her. It was so cool to watch her do it! We encouraged her while she waited in line, reminding her that princesses ride on ponies! That night, I pulled a brand new Barbie nightgown (her first nightgown) out that was very princess-y and had Barbie wearing a crown with Pegasus, which we told her was a princess and her pony.

Anyways, my new job has kept me busy along with family life and trying to stay in shape, so I didn't feel up to much of anything this week at night. Tonight I decided to share a couple of cards, however. The one up top is for Beate's sketch this week, WSC20. I really had a tough time with it, don't know if I'm just tired, or what. But I've been wanting to use this designer paper from My Mind's Eye, called Friend's Paisley, it's part of the C'est La Vie collection. The red you see is the reverse side. I paired it up last week with Old Olive textured paper, thought it was perfect! Then tonight I pulled together the Not Quite Navy textured, some chipboard from SU's Ginormous Pieces (inked up in Olive and Celery) and dotted with a glaze pen. Oh, and I used a little Saffron paper to mat the paisley paper. Lastly, I used just a small piece of ribbon from SU that is so cute. There's no sentiment right now. I may or may not add one depending on what I decide to use this card for.

Next is this Christmas card. I need to do my cards, Christmas will be here before we know it. I used a Fabriano Mediovalis card, heat embossed the tree from Wondrous Gift in Winter White, inked with a sponge some Olive ink, cut out the star using the star stamp as my outline. I used Frosted Lace Stickles on the tree and star, which you can see up close here:

I only have a few cards done for Christmas this year, so I need to get on the ball. I'm waiting for my new set from the SU Holiday Mini before I kick it into full gear. Until next time, happy stamping!

My newest designs in glass tag jewelry...

2007-09-13T20:36:00.000-04:00

I finally came up with a design that I'm IN LOVE with for these glass tags, purchased from Stampington & Company and now the colors (or lack of color) that I need in the glass tags are not available any more. :( But I will be seeking help in getting more of the CLEAR and pale colored glass tags and circles. I've enjoyed the ones I have had and creating with them is loads of fun. (See my red one in a recent Christmas ornament card post.) If you have any and would like to share them with me, please contact me. The first one (above) I used Autumn Leaf Prints, thought this would be the perfect fall addition to my wardrobe. It's fairly large in size, about 1.5" by 3", and was a very pale peach color when I started working with it, as you can see if you look at the bottom right or top left corners.

Above is 3 bare trees from Lovely as a Tree. I love the abstract look of this, it's exactly what I was going for. I had been pondering on this theme of designs for a few weeks or so. I'm not willing to share exactly how I made them at this point. But I would love your feedback! Below are two that I did with the oak leaves from the same stamp set. The green one is actually a small pale green glass circle tag that had a light shimmer to it. The other one, slightly larger in size, was clear glass when I started with it (as was the one with the trees).

Thanks for looking and for sharing your constructive feedback about my work.

I've been hard at work at my new job, which I'm loving so much! Every day is just getting better and better. I'm more relaxed in the morning, which allows my daughter time to get ready at her pace and not have to battle as much to get out the door. Praise the Lord!

...More VSN Day 2

2007-09-08T21:48:00.000-04:00

The challenge here was to use the same stamp for the background as the main image. Though very subtle, I did using the bold flower from Petal Prints.

On the Mustard cardstock, I stamped the flower with Mustard ink, also stamped the Weathered stamp in Cocoa and used the DTP and distressing techniques on the edges.

This fantastic sentiment is from Verses. I love it, it can be used for so many purposes. I often send out cards to let people know I'm praying for them, so this stamp is great for that. It is stamped on vanilla cardstock with a chocolate chip layered behind, both pieces distressed. I also added some speckles with Itty Bitty Backgrounds.

For the main flower I used Colorbox Petal Points Chalk Pads in Earth tones. It was stamped on vanilla and cut out, petals are curled out a tad bit, and stuck on with a Pop Up Glue Dot for dimension.

Sept '07 VSN- Day 2!

2007-09-08T17:19:00.001-04:00

I was able to do a couple of challenges earlier today before taking my daughter to her friend's birthday party. The first challenge is a texture challenge, to use as many as possible. Bear with me, as some of my textures must be seen with the eyes and not felt with the hands, whereas others are touchy-feely!

I started by embossing a Karen Foster adhesive backed metal sheet (in gold). I distressed the edges of all of my cardstock, a great and easy way to add texture to a card! I also added moss green velvet ribbon from SU. The deep olive green slide mount is also slightly textured, and the fact that it is raised is (to me) another texture. The watercolor paper is also textured.

I used the stamp set Autumn Leaf Prints and rolled the leaves in different Earth Elements inks to signify the changing of seasons. I spritzed with water to slightly bleed the ink, then once mostly dry, spritzed some brown ink for effect. For the sentiment and teeny leaves, I used Refuge & Strength. I actually LOVE this card, it's very different, and I don't normally love flashy stuff, but the idea of so many textures really is what makes it so great to me.

This next card was an easy one for me, the challenge was to do a card for a baby or expectant mom. I have so many friends who are expecting right now, that the issue for me is not WHAT to make, but WHICH friend will be the recipient?

Starting with my "Side Saddle" designer paper, I selected red and Cool Caribbean papers to brighten it up! The scalloped rectangle and tag are from old die cut Petal Cards from Stampin' Up! I watercolored the girl with my Watercolor Crayons. I used Pop-Up Glue Dots to make her and the tag "pop."

I'm hoping to do more challenges tonight. Ta Ta for now!

September '07 VSN Weekend! Day 1...

2007-09-07T22:06:00.000-04:00

So I decided to play tonight, despite a horrible migraine which is making my eyes water. Here is my first project, I made the 2-4-6-8 box (well, really I did a variation called 2-5-7-10, LOL).

Paper: Textured Pumpkin Pie, Designer paper is "Prairie Dot" by Flair Designs, Choc Chip and white.
Stamps: Carved & Candlelit, All Year Cheer
Ink: Old Olive, Choc Chip, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Ribbon

For the next project, I decided to RAK a lady named Tracey, who has lost her husband in Afghanistan. This card is made with the following:

Paper: Perfect Plum, designer paper by Anna Griffin
Stamps: Sentiment from Wordsworth, inside (matching font) reads "My Thoughts Are With You", Mixed Bouquet
Ink: Elegant Eggplant
Accessories: Ribbon, Crystal Brad in pale plum.

The colors match much better in person, I couldn't get the lighting right.

Challenge time!

2007-09-07T15:25:00.001-04:00

This card was made for Beate's sketch challenge WSC18. I like the sketch, although it was a bit challenging for me. I needed a birthday card, and just happened to have a chipboard B leftover from last night's monogram Christmas ornament (see yesterday's post). So that's how it all began.

Here's what I used:
Stamps: Studio G birthday set from Michael's $1 Clear stamp sets.
Paper: Crate Paper's Cowgirl Collection in "Side Saddle" for main card and reversed for matte; Karen Foster's Burlap; "Bright Floral" by My Mind's Eye (B); shimmer white from SU.
Accessories: SU ribbon, crystal brads in blue, Heidi Grace adhesive leather nameplate, chipboard.
Ink: Ruby Red, StazOn in Timber Brown.

I also participated in the Limited Supplies Challenge for today on Splitcoaststampers. I ended up doing a no layers card for this sympathy card.

Here's what I used:
Stamps: Art of Life, Canvas, scripture sentiment by Wordsworth
Paper: Bordering Blue from SU.
Accessories: none!
Ink: Going Gray, Basic Black

Lastly, I did the challenge to do a card with pocket(s) in some form or fashion. I decided to do another birthday card with a bookmark inside.

Here's what I used:
Stamps: Studio G stamps from Michael's $1 Clear Stamp Set bin; Warmest Regards from SU.
Paper: Rose Red, Kaleidescope designer paper, textured Not Quite Navy.
Accessories: sewing machine, Prima's, Stickles (Frosted Lace), snap eyelet, SU ribbon.
Ink: Not Quite Navy.

I'm planning on hanging out on Splitcoaststampers some this weekend for VSN (virtual stamp night) for many more challenges, so keep your peepers peeled! And if you have time, join in the fun!

Christmas Ideas

2007-09-06T21:43:00.001-04:00

As Christmas quietly sneaks up on us, I occasionally think about what to make this year. I haven't done much yet (at all). But for yesterday's sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers, which I got around to making tonight, the inevitable is upon me. I need to make some things before the realization of the Holiday season is here. Not that I won't make other things, but it's time to buckle down and get crackin' on this holiday preparation!

Last weekend I purchased some papers at my local scrapbook store, this one is called "Bright Floral" from the Tres Jolie collection by My Mind's Eye. Tonight I thought it was perfect for a Christmas card, even though I didn't necessarily purchase it with that in mind. It's a textured cardstock and it's really beautiful. I added even more texture with the Cuttlebug embossing folder called "Textile" and added a little cocoa ink to bring out that texture a bit. The green ribbon, which I also LOVE, is from Stampin' Up! It has some stretch to it and is so cute and actually is quite thick. I wish it could be purchased individually- I think I'd buy a lot of it.

The glass tag will serve as an ornament once the recipient pulls it off the card (which I will kindly leave instructions inside the card). I purchased the plain red glass tag from Stampington & Company and have made many things with these FANTASTIC glass tags. If you look at the picture of me, my necklace pendant is one of them designed with wire and a crystal. For this ornament on the card, I stamped a snowflake in white StazOn and then embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. It really sparkles! For more ideas on what I have done with these glass tags, you can always click on the link and browse my Splitcoaststampers gallery anytime.

One more note of interest on this card is the Merry Christmas. It is hard to see without the close-up shot that I stamped the words twice. Once with black ink, second with gold Pearl Ex stamp pad, it really added a simple classy look to the card and carried some additional sparkle across the card from the ornament down. See my picture below:

I decided to try something new tonight that popped in my head a week or two ago. I have so much chipboard around here, I thought I could put it to good use for Christmas time. I had this scalloped square from Stampin' Up's Ginormous Pieces, So I took the same designer paper from above and cut it slightly larger than the square. I used ModPodge to glue it on. I took my Sizzix and, turned on the diagonal, punched out the letter B (Fun Serif font), and then took a craft knife and cut the paper close to the scallop edge. I sanded the edges of the scallop to clean up my cut marks. I punched a hole in the top corner with my Fiskar's hand held 1/8" punch. I took some shimmer white paper and used the same embossing folder as above to emboss it. I cut slightly larger than my square. I mounted the chipboard back to it, including the middle dots of the B. Added some taffeta ribbon, a Prima and an adhesive crystal. Voila, easy monogram Christmas ornament! The pictures are okay tonight, but I think these projects are really pretty in person!

I hope you enjoyed these projects, I'm hoping to have more to share very soon! A chapter in my life has ended today, as I left one full time job and I'm preparing to begin a new one on Monday, much closer to home and just a better situation all around. And so I reflect on a scripture that I specifically remember focusing on back in November from 2 Corinthians: "8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." God has really blessed me. Thanks for visiting my blog today.

2007-08-31T21:33:00.000-04:00

This was created for Beate's sketch challenge, WSC17.
I just got this new paisley paper by My Mind's Eye at my local scrapbook store today. I paired it up with Buckaroo Blue, Creamy Caramel, and a Daisy D's "Attic Flower" with a button in the center. The sentiment came from SU's Love Matters set. I also used Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Hardware, hemp twine, distressing tool and a sponge.

Autumn around the corner...

2007-08-31T16:48:00.001-04:00

September will be upon us tomorrow! My favorite time of the year is fall. Leaves changing colors, cooler and less humid temperatures... and breaking out the warmer clothes, which partly inspired this first card.

On Splitcoaststampers today there was a challenge for autumn. This "tent card" is for Challenge 3. I did Houndstooth print on Elegant Eggplant, like a warm sweater! Stamped Autumn Leaf Prints in various shades of Earth Elements colors plus Eggplant, on watercolor paper, spritzed with water for a slight bleed of ink, then used my air tool to spray some chocolate chip speckles. Sewed the Really Rust textured cardstock on my machine. The word blessings is from Wordsworth. Ribbon and hardware are from SU.

I combined challenges 1 and 2 in this next card. Create a scene with 3 or more stamps, and use an animal not normally intended for autumn/halloween themes.

On Pumpkin Pie cardstock, I layered a strip of "Prairie Dot" paper by Flair Designs, and a Prima with a green crystal brad in the center. For the scene, I used Monkey Business, Carved & Candlelit, and Spring Garden (grass). I used a sponge dauber and a torn sponge for the sky in Buckaroo Blue and Bashful Blue, and the other colors used were Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, and Chocolate Chip. I masked the pumpkin to get the monkey behind it.

Thanks for looking, see you again later!

Hello friends!

2007-08-30T21:38:00.001-04:00

I made this card for today's sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers. I used Happy Harmony in real red, chocolate chip and mellow moss ink colors for the flowers behind a slide mount that is a metallic aged gold color. The create joy stamp is from Wordsworth. I used the following papers: SU More Mustard, Whisper White and Real Red, Daisy D's and Kaleidoscope designer papers. Both ribbons from SU, ladybug came from a friend, and I distressed it with my SU distressing tool, a sponge with Chocolate Chip ink and DTP Technique.

I'm really excited to have a long weekend coming up. We're going to host a cookout on Labor Day so I'm hoping for great weather! This summer has been incredibly hot and humid here and not much rain at all. I'd love to hear what others are planning for the Labor Day weekend!

I'm still here!

2007-08-26T21:27:00.000-04:00

Hello friends, yes, I'm still alive. I had a huge response to my ebay listings that closed last week, so I've spent the week shipping stuff to people. Another thing you may not know about me is that I commute an hour each way to work and have a young child, so my evenings are limited. BUT, I've just this past week accepted a position here in my very own city, so I'm getting 2 hrs of each day of my life back very soon. Only 8 more "driving" days! Woo Hoo! I start my new job on Sept 10th and am so excited! I made this card for someone in my family. I got some really great birthday gifts this past weekend while visiting family out of town... So I'm going to be making some thank you cards this week.

This one is made with SU Buckaroo Blue, retired Designer Series (Spring Showers) paper, Kaleidescope paper, new SU ribbons and the Happy Harmony stamp set. Very simple for my limited time.

Yippie-Cow-Yay!

2007-08-19T20:46:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday! Tomorrow is my birthday!

Tonight I participated in the "Featured Stamper" Challenge on Splitcoaststampers. Melissa had a great card here for another challenge, so I chose that card to CASE with modifications. Cow was from "Happy Cows" by Missy B Designs. Yippie is from Wordsworth. I used some retired DS paper from Stampin' Up, and embossing folder from Cuttlebug, oval punches from SU, gold brads, and brown grosgrain ribbon.

And now my needs according to Google- searched "Kelly needs" and here's the top 10 (my comments are in parentheses):

Kelly needs a quivering antenna. (Cable seems to work just fine for my TV.)
Kelly needs to go to court. (It was all a setup- I promise I didn’t do it!)
Kelly needs a little guidance. (Well, maybe.)
Kelly needs to know what she did wrong. (Exactly how I felt at work the other day! What did I do wrong? As it turns out, nothing. Thank goodness!)
Kelly needs to go! (Where? Will someone just tell me where? It’s like trying to decide on a place for dinner!)
Kelly needs to stop! (Yes, until we decide where I’m going.)
Kelly needs a new job. (Exactly!)
Kelly needs to be part of a loving, committed marriage. (Um, honey, is there something I need to know?)
Kelly needs modesty. (I’ll have to disagree on this one, but I do find it funny!)
Kelly needs to lose weight. (Maybe just some re-direction? LOL)

Lots to Talk About!

2007-08-17T21:53:00.000-04:00

First let me share that I did this card for WT126 on Splitcoaststampers. It's the Ways to Use It Challenge, to use the distressing tool. All Supplies this time are Stampin' Up! Stamps used: Artfully Asian and Warmest Regard. Cardstock: Cocoa (textured), Artichoke, Eggplant, and Caramel.

Next, I want to share with you the winner of my challenge, Cheryl (cakvd). I will be contacting her about sending her package! Check out her blog here if you get a chance: Engineered Expressions.

Lots of people are looking behind some of my cards (see some of my older posts) and commenting on my ribbon jars. Here is a picture of them:

I have some other ribbon storage for large spools, but here's where most of my ribbon is stored, on a shelf directly over my work space. Patterned ribbons are in the middle jar. Then as you can see I have split all solid colors into 2 color families for the other jars. By the way, these are called "Cracker Jars" and I purchased them at Target within the last year or so, in the kitchen supply area. They're a pretty good size and so fun to look at!

I have been adding lots of stamping stuff to eBay which is why I'm now playing catch-up on my blog. So head on over here and see what I've got for sale. I'll be adding more over the weekend, I have about a dozen more full stamp sets left to list.

I'll post again with some more cool info this weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Blue Bayou Color Combo Challenge

2007-08-14T21:26:00.002-04:00

I took the color challenge on today (see Splitcoaststampers). I used Touch of Nature by Stampin' Up! along with Flourishes by Autumn Leaves and the sentiment is from Wordsworth. I didn't have the new Blue Bayou color so I substituted Teal. Craft white ink for the flourishes, Sahara Sand ink on Sahara Sand cardstock. Watercolor paper for the flowers, which I curled outward for effect, I simply watercolored Teal ink. Accented the card with Star Dust Stickles and Crystal brads.

Please don't forget my challenge, 2 more days to submit your entry. See Saturday's post for details!

I completed some challenges, and a challenge reminder for YOU!

2007-08-12T14:26:00.000-04:00

Hello to all! Don't forget my giveaway challenge, see Saturday's post, you have until Thursday to complete the challenge and report back to me!

I worked on a couple of challenges yesterday and wanted to share. This first card is Beate's weekend sketch challenge, I have a slight variation on it, but it mostly fits the sketch. My photography skills cause the color of the watercolor area to look off, but in real life it matches.

I used Serene Sunflower from Stampin' Up! with Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, and the cute diagonal stripes from Kaleidoscope. I pierced around the card with a paper piercer, The rectangles are all sewn on with my sewing machine, wavy stitching was intentional. I did the sunflowers in Rose Red, Regal Rose, and True Thyme on some Fabriano Medioevalis watercolor paper and spritzed with water. The little flowers were punched with my SU! Spring Flower Bouquet punch and added a yellow crystal brad in the center. Celebrate is from Fancy Flexible Phrases. I moved the flower circle up just enough to add that in, hence my skewing from the original sketch a teeny bit.

The next card I did was an inspiration challenge on Splitcoaststampers. The inspiration was a rug from LL Bean (see the thumbnail on the left for the rug I chose). I used flowers from Looks Like Spring and Sheltering Tree, and the leaf sprig from Refuge & Strength. I chose the colors Buckaroo Blue and Bordering Blue, and used white craft and Colorbox Chalk Pads for stamping colors. I added a silver organdy ribbon and a simple Hodgepodge Hardware frame to display a simple Thank You.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend, and I look forward to you sharing your work for my giveaway challenge!

Finally! Internet is back at home! And my first GIVEAWAY!

2007-08-11T11:24:00.000-04:00

Our internet service provider failed us and a LOT of other customers this week. THREE nights without service! I was really suffering withdrawals! I was so upset about the loss of connectivity, that I even lost some inspiration to stamp! BUT...

I was able to do a few cards. This first one took time to inspire me. I worked at it one night, then put it down, then went back and toiled over it again... here is the end result:

Old Olive paper paired up with this great paper from BoBunny. Tied a knot with this white grosgrain ribbon (5/8"), I used Fresh Fruit from Stampin' Up!, one of my all time favorite sets. I used the pineapple as the pattern in the background. I used the apple with Versamark and Stampin' Up! pastels. I also added a few Stickles to the shine of the apple. I punched a square on another BoBunny paper for the tag and threaded double linen thread tied around the ribbon. The "blessings to you" stamp is a cute little stamp from Wordsworth, also a favorite of mine! After all the time finally coming up with this card, I'm fairly pleased.

This next card was inspired by Friday's Limited Supplies Challenge to make a summer card. I pulled out my Nature Prints and Cheesecloth sets from Stampin' Up! Also used an ocean themed sentiment from Verses. I used Cool Caribbean cardstock, Craft White ink, Olive, Caramel, and Moss classic inks, and Colorbox Petal Point Chalk Pad Lime green color (turtle). I sponged some of the ink, and used my Color Spritzer, too. To polish it off, I used Crystal Effects on the turtle. A great card with NO layers and no extra embellishments.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY: In the first card I told you that I used one of my all-time favorite stamp sets! Show me your all-time favorite stamp set, dust it off and create something special! Use some current stuff with it if you like, just show me what you've got! All I ask is that you don't show me something you've already made prior to reading my post.

Just add it to your gallery or blog, then leave me a comment on this post to tell me where I can see it! I will choose at random one participant to win. The prize includes alterables! Tim Holtz Metal Disks, Adhesive Backed Library Pockets, Acrylic Tags from Krystal Kraft, and Chipboard Flowers from Stampin' Up! Also throwing in some blue, purple and pink Primas! So, hurry up, what are you waiting for? Get to stamping!

Thought for Today:

2007-08-08T20:46:00.000-04:00

I have no new projects to share tonight, but I read this quote today and thought I'd share:

“Try, try, try, and keep on trying is the rule that must be followed to become an expert in anything."

W. Clement Stone

I found this to be interesting and so true, including with art. This man seemed to live a very interesting life, if you'd like to read more, go here. I'm tired tonight, so I'll leave you with that.

Simple, No Layers Cards

2007-08-06T20:57:00.001-04:00

I have a really hard time with cards like this. Not that they're hard to do, but I'm one of those who wants to keep adding more.

So I put off Julie's DTGD challenge off for a while. But I've revisited the challenge. And here is my result. Simple, cute, yet very special.

I wanted to show you close up to see the adhesive crystals in the center of the flowers. And the elegant Fabriano Medioevalis card, which I purchased from StarlitStudio. I used black craft ink for the stems and sentiment, which made it a little bolder.

Simple designs can make such a bold statement sometimes, if done right. So that is the end result of my simple, no layers card.

Shhh! Don't tell Jennifer!

2007-08-05T21:29:00.000-04:00

Jennifer is such a great friend to have. She loves to come over after our girls are asleep and hang out in my craft room to talk and scrap, we have each other's families over for dinner on lots of random nights, and she's always willing to help me out when I'm in need! Well, on those dinner nights, she never minds being a guinea pig! And many times, she's asking me for recipes! So I've decided to give her a VERY belated birthday gift. I'm making this recipe binder for her and am planning to fill a bunch of recipes in it that I know she loves (and has been asking for). So don't tell Jennifer ;) if you see her. This is not complete yet, but here's the basic idea of it.

I used papers and Voila from Stampin' Up!, Flourishes stamps from Autumn Leaves using white StazOn, Primas (which I Mod Podged on the tops for stabilization), ribbon, brads, large eyelets, binder clips and a Boho Chic metal frame from Making Memories. The outside cover was used by sticking the papers to both sides of a thin chipboard cut to 7.5x7" and then Mod Podge all over. I trimmed Stampin' Up! 6x6" page protectors and made new holes to lessen the width. Tabs made with the Round Tab punch by SU! Threw in a library pocket and figured she could use that to keep grocery list or whatever inside.
Here is a peek inside:

Soooo, remember, if you see her, DON'T TELL! ;) I don't want her to know yet.

My FIRST Post!

2007-08-04T22:08:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you- I am SO excited to start a blog, I don't really know where to begin. I've been contemplating this for quite some time. Well after much thought, here it is! Mission completion! (Any Little Einsteins moms out there?) I thought I'd add my newest creation to start...

Did you dare to get dirty? I had a blast last week during Splitcoaststampers DTGD challenge week! I had a few Dirty Dozen challenges outstanding that I wanted to complete- I was already dreary eyed at work as it was, so staying up even later was out of the question.

This tag card was Yvette's challenge. I haven't ever made a tag card before, so this is a first for me. I pulled out Heartfelt Thanks for this challenge, and used papers from BoBunny and Daisy D's, which I thought coordinated really well, even though the papers are SO different. I also used Stampin' Up!'s Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Crisp, and True Thyme colors. My absolute favorite techniques include distressing and aging with DTP and sponging inks. The triangular brown piece is a "Boho Chic" metal accessory from Making Memories. I left the center blank so I can leave a personal note to the recipient of this thank you card.