Little Thanks

Besides cleaning up after Christmas, I have been cutting materials for my January card class. I had a lot of scraps left, so I decided to make 3 x 3 thank you cards.  I am going to make more of these for birthdays, so I can use them with gift bags.  They are so little and cute!

This gave me the idea to have my club members make a bunch of these too!  We can use the scraps from my scrap drawers and I might still have more scraps left.  I don't throw much away regarding paper.  In fact, when I get overwhelmed by my scraps, I put them into bags and give them to my club members.  I hope they can use them this way too.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Cupcake Challenge

For some reason, I have been into challenges lately.  There are many times I see challenges and think....Oh, that would be fun to do, then never get around to it.  I have been making time for the challenges and having fun with them.  Sparkles Christmas card challenge this week is inspired by chocolate cupcakes with light blue frosting and white snowflakes.  I knew I wanted to use a snowman for my card and remembered I still had some pieces of the Aspen paper by CTMH left.  I love brown in any color combination.

Check out my snowman.  I went to my paper pieces drawer first and saw I had a white piece that was crumbled.  I love that paper technique for snowmen, because they are not smooth.  Well, at least ours aren't.  I used my nesties to cute him out and mat him with scallops.  I watercolored my image with my ink pads and waterbrush.

Hope you are enjoying the holidays!

Materials used

Stamps: Bundled Up (retired CTMH); Say It In Style (CTMH)

Paper: Aspen Level 2 (CTMH); white glitter paper (DCWV); chocolate cs (CTMH)

Ink: Timber Brown (StazOn); crystal blue, creme brulee, outdoor denim, bamboo (CTMH); white daisy pigment ink (CTMH)

Accessories: snowflake punch (SU); oval punch and oval scallop punch (SU); twilight designer ribbon (CTMH); blue crystals (Mark Richards); felt flowers (American Crafts), bigger brad (CTMH); small circle nestabilities, small scallop circle nestabilities, large scallop circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); waterbrush (CTMH); concave punch (EK Success)

Techniques: crumbled paper, waterbrush painting

Have a Happy New Year!

Planet Sketch - sk122609

Lori is the host this week for the card sketch at Paper Craft Planet.  It is a cute one!  Now that Christmas is over, I am going to start concentrating a little on Valentine's Day cards.  Go to Paper Craft Planet under Photos to see Lori's sketch challenge.  Once you make a card, upload it to your gallery and tag it sk122609.  Lori will grab it and upload it to the sketch folder for everyone to see.

Materials used

Stamps: Love You Much (Stampin' Up!)

Paper: That's Amore (CTMH), blush, vanilla cream, baby pink, and white daisy cs (CTMH)

Ink: tulip ink, tulip, blush and sweet leaf markers

Accessories: baby pink grosgrain ribbon, flower button (garage sale), Heart Blocks embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Take time to create!

Happy Holidays!

This is the picture we took this year to put in our Christmas cards.  Each year, we try to think of a new theme.  This is for my boys, since they love to play Lego Star Wars on their Wii.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday!

Going to the mailbox....

is one of my favorite things about Christmas.  I love, love, love the handmade cards I get.  Here are the ones I have received so far from my friends.  Thanks, ladies!  Inky hugs!

Happy Holidays!

Kiss Holder

Here is another project I made at my friend, Kim's house.  We used a tag die for the Big Shot.  I think I am going to have to get this one.  I can see making Valentine's Day treats with like this.  We put the chocolate kisses in small cello bags and slid them in the treat holder when we were done.  So cute and easy!

We used a retired SU set for the image.  I don't remember the name of it.  I am loving this chocolate paper, especially with red.

Happy Holidays!

JOY

I went to my friends again last week and created this beautiful JOY card.  I have this stamp set Delightful Decorations by Stampin' Up! and the matching punch.  Love my punches!  I love, love, love the chocolate with the red and green.  Beautiful!  Kim (my friend) said she saw this on someone's blog, but didn't remember who.  Thank you someone!  Love your card!

Happy Holidays!

Sparkle's Creations Challenges

Last year, I used Maria Bell's Christmas Stampin' All Year Long for challenges and motivations to make Christmas throughout the year.  I will continue to visit Maria's site for inspiration in 2010.  In addition, I found Sparkle's blog where she has a Christmas card challenge every Sunday.  My cards today were inspired by here last challenge of using red and blue.  My red is vineyard berry and my blues are dutch blue and outdoor denim.  These colors are from the CTMH color palette.

I used watercolor paper for a change and used my ink pads and water brush.

Sparkle makes the suggestion to create two cards of the same design.  I thought I was making these two exactly alike.  Then I realized I glued my snowman image on the opposite ends of the pattern paper.  Ha Ha!  I didn't realize this until it was too late to remove the image easily.  Oh, well!  I like both of them, but my favorite is the one on the right.  I like the vineyard berry pattern paper on the bottom better for some reason.

Materials used

Stamps: Holiday Lineup (SU), Great Greetings (SU - retired)

Paper: Deck the Halls and Just Chillin' (CTMH - retired), outdoor denim  and white daisy cs (CTMH), watercolor paper (Archivers)

Ink: dutch blue, black, orange, grey flannel, and vineyard berry (CTMH), jet black (StazOn)

Accessories: blue ric rac (Archivers), white pearls (Mark Richards), crocheted flower (DZ Doodles), outdoor denim button (CTMH), colonial white waxy flax

Techniques: water brush coloring, liquid applique, flower soft
Punches: small oval and oval scallop (SU)

Happy Holidays!

Kim Got It All

Okay!  Just from the title of this post you would know that I had to have this digital stamp by DZ Doodles.  When I was looking at the new images Diane added to her store, I ran across this one named "Kim Got It All".  When I told my boys that was the name of this image, they didn't believe me.  I had to got to DZ Doodles and show them.  Then they smiled!  Isn't this a cute image?  I remember seeing those HUGE stockings at the store when I was little.  I think every kid wants one of those.

I am usually embarassed about how many copics I use to color an image, but here it goes!

I wanted the stocking to sparkle, but the glue I used didn't work with me.  So ignore the globs of glitter.  I wanted it lightly dusted, but the glitter did something else.  Lesson learned.  Oh, well!  I went with it and still made my card.  This card is 5 x 5.  I have been using lone pieces from my CTMH stash that are retired.  It is fun to mix and match.

I need practice coloring red images, so that is my goal for next year.  Reds and blacks scare me....Help, Diane!  I have been looking for videos to help me with this and I ran across this basic coloring video with Marianne Walker (Copic Guru) by Archivers.  Check this out!

Materials used

Stamps: Kim Got It All (DZ Doodles)

Paper: Deck the Halls (CTMH), key lime and white daisy cs (CTMH), red pattern paper (CMTH), white solar crest (Neenah)

Ink: copics (see pic), kiwi (CTMH)

Accessories: rub-on letters (CTMH), polka dot ribbon (Michaels), cranberry waxy flax (CTMH), bling flowers (Paper Studio), chipboard (CTMH), Label Four Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Happy Holidays!

Starting Early

I started making my Christmas cards really early last year.  I think I started in February.  Well, I was really good making one a week for about five months and then I got sidetracked.  I don't even remember what made me stop making them.  I decided to start even earlier this year with these two reindeers from DZ Doodles.  Diane has this first reindeer named Comical Reindeer 1 on sale for $2.50.  Wow!  That is a great price!

I was lucky again this week, when I visited Diane.  She gave me these two images already colored (prisma pencils) and asked me to make cards with them.  OH, YAY!  I can do that!  I haven't played with these yet and love the opportunity of making cards with premade images.  Quick and Easy!

See his hat!   I put liquid applique all over the top of the hat.  It reminds me of those big wool hats.  I loved how that turned out.

Same card design for this one.  He has a Santa hat instead.  Aren't these the cutest?

Materials used

Stamps: Comical Reindeer 1 (DZ Doodles), Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU), Sassy Sparkles Jumbo Wheel (SU)

Paper: bamboo, chocolate and colonial white cs (CTMH), Perfect Day pattern (CTMH), Deck the Halls (CTMH), Shimmery White cs (SU), Yellow Glitter cs (DCWV)

Ink: tulip and chocolate (CTMH)

Accessories: Snowflake embossing folder (Cuttlebug), red bling (Paper Studio), snowflakes (Dress It Up), small star punch (SU), modern label punch (SU), word window punch (SU), white hemp (CTMH), 1/16" punch (EK Success), concave punch (EK Success), prisma pencils

Techniques:  liquid applique (CTMH)

Happy Holidays!

Sweetheart Bear

I have been busy this week with PTA, since we have our Holiday Shop for the kids.  Today, I will be at Tate's school all day, because I am in charge of the shop today.  I only worked the Holiday Shop in the morning yesterday, so I could get some errands done.  I love it when I have images colored for these busy times.  I can make a card faster and take time to create.

My friend, Diane (DZ Doodles) created this image called Sweetheart Bear for her tutorial on fun flock here.  If you haven't seen this tutorial on her site, which was also featured in one of the Paper Craft Planet newsletters, you really should.  The bears she made with the fun flock are FABULOUS!  She was so gracious to give me one of her finished images to make a card.  Thanks, Diane!  I love it!

Here is a close up of the bear on my card.  See the texture....so cute!

I decorated the inside of this card, because I just couldn't leave it blank.  The Sweetheart Bear deserves a pretty place for the message.

Once the holidays are over, we will be thinking about Valentine's Day.  This is a perfect image for your Valentine's Day cards.  Don't forget that Diane has a sale right now on many of her images.  She will be retiring some at the end of the year, so check out what she has before they are gone.

Materials used

Stamps: Sweetheart Bear (DZ Doodles)

Paper: That's Amore (CTMH), desert sand cs CTMH), vanilla cream cs (CTMH)

Ink: Diane used her prisma pencils to color her bear

Accessories: arch lattice punch (Martha Stewart), scallop border punch (SU), pink brads (Paper Studio), pink button (CTMH), vanilla cream waxy flax (CTMH), pink liquid pearls (Ranger), Heart Block embossing folder (Cuttlebug), Nostalgiques (Rebecca Sower Designs)

Techniques: Fun Flock

Have fun creating!

Holiday Gift Card

When Paper Craft Planet was running the 12 Days of Christmas, Jen Tapler hosted the 11th day with a gift card I knew I had to make.  Her card is more detailed than mine with the coloring on her belly band.  Love it, Jen!  I needed to make six of them quickly, so I just stamped my sentiment and sponged the edge.  This little card holder is perfect for the gift cards we are giving this year.

I used the Evensong pattern paper and colonial white cs by CTMH, kraft cardstock by Stampin' Up! and pewter brads from Paper Studio.  Oh, I almost forgot I used a corner rounder by EK Success.  If you need gift card holders, check out Jen's post for measurements.  Thanks, Jen!

Take time to create!

Flower Soft Scavenger Hunt

Today Paper Craft Planet has a really fun game to play. The Super Novas all got together and played with the new Flower Soft Snow Globe CD. I'm so excited to share my projects with you.... and you can play along and win a prize by participating in a scavenger hunt! Keep reading for instructions on how you can win!

The Flower Soft Snow Globes and Other Fun Projects CD is an awesome kit that comes with everything you need to make fantastic cards, ornaments, etc.  I had fun playing with the kit.  I made a card and an ornament for our tree.

This card is like a shaker card, because I decorated the 3D image with flower soft and left extra flower soft in the globe.  When you shake it, it looks like it is snowing.  Cute!

Here is one side of my ornament.  It is 3D too!

Here is the other side.  I printed the images on my printer and cut them out.  They have the 3D images ready for you to stack.  Love it!

The scavenger hunt is sponsored by Flower Soft! You could win a GENEROUS prize if you play our game...

"Flower Soft makes your stamps look real,
that's why it has such a huge appeal.
You can use it on flowers or snow,
it's great for trees and plants, you know.
You can win some if you can link
the Snow Globe CD - you can do it, I think!"


You could win the same prize pack the Super Novas used to create all these beautiful projects! Package includes the Snow Globe CD, oval aperture cards and envelopes and display globes!

Check out what the Super Novas made!

Adela Rossol
Lynn Mercurio
Wendy Price
Jen Tapler
Erika Martin
Lori Tecler
Jessica Fick
Sankari Wegman
Susanna Boyd
Amy Park

Find the product on the Flower Soft website that fits the clue and you could be our winner! Leave a comment on Paper Craft Planet with your answer. We will pick a random winner for all the CORRECT entries on December 14th.




Happy Hunting!

School Rules

Here is the last layout I got done last weekend.  It is for Tanner's PreK pictures this year.  Don't ask me if I have last year's pics in the scrapbook?  This is another layout I bought at Michaels a long time ago.  I love all the details of the layout and how easy it was for me to add my pictures.  Sometimes it is good to get your pictures in the scrapbooks.  If you can find an easy way once in a while, take advantage of that.

We have decided not to send Tanner to preschool after December.  I visited the other day and saw that he isn't learning anything he doesn't already know and his social skills are great.  I am going to continue to teach him what he needs to know for kindergarten, so he is ready next year.  Tanner's concern was that he gets art class.  I laughed and said with all of my art supplies....NO PROBLEM!

Happy Scrapping!

Merry Christmas

Here is another layout I finished this week for my archive of layouts.  In fact, this is the latest layout I created. These pictures are from 2008 Christmas at my parents house.  These are all of my nieces and nephews minus one.  The oldest, Nic, was working.  He was the only one out of college with a job in 2008.  Of course, my two boys are in the picture too.

My boys love going to my parents, because their two cousins Ben and Quinn are close to the same age.  It is nice that the last four grandkids are all boys.  They play well together.

Materials used

Stamps: Delightful Decorations (SU), Cobblestone Alphabet (CTMH)

Paper: Evensong Level 2 paper pack (CTMH)

Ink: new england ivy and cranberry (CTMH)

Accessories: big snowflake punch (SU), new england ivy buttons (CTMH), colonial white waxy flax (CTMH), new england ivy designer ribbon, small spirals and bigger brads (CTMH),  File Tab 2 1/4 x 3/4 punch (McGill), 3/4 circle punch (EK Success), cranberry grosgrain ribbon

Guess what?  No school for my boys again on Thursday!  They love it!  That is three days now.  We got about a foot of snow, big winds and very cold temps.  I think the low tonight is -4.  Of course, they love playing outside in it...hee hee!

I wanted to tell you about a new "thing" I learned about Blogger from my friend, Jeanne.  I didn't know Blogger had an updated editor until she wrote about it on her blog.  Here is the link, if you have Blogger.  You might want to update your editor, if you haven't done so already.

Take time to create!

Trick or Treat

Yes, I am sharing a Halloween layout I did over the weekend. I know it is Christmas time, but this is another layout that was totally put together just waiting for a picture. I don't even remember when I got this one. I used to go crop at a Creative Memories night when I first started scrapping and they would have layouts for us to buy and put together.

I needed one like this for my picture from 2008 Halloween, because I was a BAD scrapper that year and forgot to take pictures. I didn't remember until my boys were out of their costumes eating their candy. Luckily, my neighbor, Ross always took a picture of Tate and Tanner when they stopped by their house. So this is the only picture I got in 2008. When I saw this one page layout that needed a big picture, I knew what I picture I would use. See...it is good to keep layouts unfinished for a while. Hee Hee! At least, that is my excuse this time.

Update...the boys didn't have school Tuesday and school is canceled for Wednesday too! I guess I am going to have to figure out what to do with the PTA event. I really don't mind. I love it when they boys are home. A special bonus is my DH has Wednesday off too, so it will feel like Saturday. I love Saturdays, because I will get to sleep late. YAY!

Happy Scrapping!

Gobble til you Wobble

Remember when I cleaned my craft room? I found a bunch of layouts I either purchased or put together a long time ago that I have not used. Yesterday, I decided to choose a few layouts and get them finished.

The first one I chose is below. A Thanksgiving layout I purchased from Michaels. I don't even remember how long I have had this one. I went to my picture archives and found my pictures from this year. You know, I think this is the one holiday I scrap every year. I don't know why, but I seem to be up to date. Don't ask me about Christmas!

I finished four layouts yesterday, so it will be a scrapping week this week. I have a busy one starting on Tuesday through Friday. Of course, the boys are excited because we might get a snow storm that is supposed to start Tuesday at noon. They are hoping for no school on Wednesday. Normally, I would be too. Not this week though, because we have a big PTA event planned next Wednesday. If they don't go to school this Wednesday, the winter singing program will be moved to the 16th. That messes up my PTA plans and I don't know when I would reschedule it.

Enough babbling! Hope you have a great day!

Happy Scrapping!