small smackerels

on second thought

2012-03-10T08:41:00.000-05:00

I was trying out a few things and made a card then I decided I wasn't done. Ever do that? You find something not quite right or perhaps lacking? Well here is the original card

And here's the updated version
I'm still deciding if I'm happy or not LOL
I used Papertrey Ink's Heart-2-Heart #1 mini stamp set and their Spiral Notebook Die. The papers are My Mind's Eye Lost & Found and that addition in the right hand corner is a stamp from the Fresh Vintage Stamp Set from StampinUp (I think its a Sellabration set).

Oh I've been meaning to mention a few good books I've read lately: The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings (yes, the book from which the George Clooney movie was adapted), The Litigators by John Grisham, and the book I finished yesterday (actually I couldn't stop until I finished - that kind of book) called Defending Jacob by William Landay. Anybody have a book they'd like to share - I need a new one!
Alrighty - this weekend is short enough as it is with it being Daylight Savings Time (waaah) so I'm off to get going for the day. Have a wonderful weekend!

Hello

2012-03-08T17:32:00.001-05:00

Yes I've been a little busy. We went away over the weekend to see family and ever since we returned I've been playing catch-up.
Here's a little card I made with a Papertrey Ink set called Sweet Spring which also has a coordinating die (ms. die-a-lot here) for the label - making it so easy to put together a card dontcha know (now I wish they'd come up with a die for that oval in the middle of the label. now that would be cool...) I colored the flowers and butterfly with some copics, stamped the green background using the single flower stamp in versamark and I used an embossing folder in the center bottom section.

Cupcakes x3

2012-02-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'd been wanting to make some birthday cards - girly ones with cupcakes and I finally got a few minutes and came up with these three. I used papers from a Basic Grey 6x6 paper pad I had (I love those things alot - so now I need to use them up!) Green at Heart. The cupcakes and sentiment are from Papertrey Ink Cupcake collection. I also used some dies from Papertrey as well: Cupcake Collection, Double-Ended Banner, and Mat Stack 3 and Mat Stack 3 Layerz. Oh yeah - to make the "frosting" I stamped it using the Glue Pad and covered it in Diamond Dust glitter. It looks very cute in person I gotta say. Okay - that's all for today - have a good one!

You're so sweet

2012-02-27T16:31:00.000-05:00

I did this card maybe a week or so ago - had plans to maybe make another and perhaps stitch a little straighter this time LOL but you know it's not driving me absolutely crazy so I think I'll leave it be. I used a few Papertrey Ink stamps and dies: Flower Fusion #12 for the flower, Polka Dot Basics for the background, Cupcake Collection for the sentiment and the Rickrack Border Die and the Flower Fusion #12 die. Have a good one!

a card and a cookie (tag)

2012-02-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Okay so here's a card that went with the cookies mentioned previously. Used Papertrey's Celebrations stamp set. Such a versatile set. Oh and of course the die to cut out that frame. And a little stitching going round the edge to finish it off. And a few brads.

Then of course I decided to make a tag for the gift of cookies. I got to thinking as I was cutting out said cookies that I might be able to make a "paper cookie" using my round scalloped Nestabilities dies.. and a little Glossy Accents to resemble jam. When I had that assembled I decided to brown the cookies LOL a bit with some Antique Linen Distress ink. Then I created the tag to display the cookie - using a bit of that paper I'd embossed with hearts from the previous tag. Add a little of that My Minds Eye Lost & Found paper and a bit of my handwriting (cookies make you..... Happy is on the paper). I think she'll enjoy the tag but not as much as the real cookies!

My first ever Blog Hop Challenge - PTI

2012-02-25T17:01:00.001-05:00

ok so i decided to have a fun afternoon (translation:- making a card with some new stamps :-)) and since they're having a blog hop challenge over at Papertrey Ink it seemed like a good starting off point! The challenge is to create an interactive card and here's what I came up with.
I used the Movers & Shakers Sentiments as well as the Zipper Die, the Double-Ended Banner Die, Limitless layers Circle Collection, Mat Stack #3 die, oh and the Border Basics Medallions. I was going for a masculine card so I used Black, Fine Linen and Kraft cardstocks and inks.
Okay now I must actually go do some un-fun things. Thanks for looking!

Cooking up Cookies and Cards

2012-02-25T01:43:00.002-05:00

Did some baking and some card making during the last week. The cookie making definitely dominated at the beginning of the week.
Here's a pic after many hours of rolling, chilling, cutting, chilling, baking. Oh - they are Linzer cookies. An amazing recipe found years ago by my sister in a magazine. It comes from a chef that worked at the White House. We made these cookies for Christmas and they have always been a family favorite. But because they are labor intensive I'd given up making them at Christmas. For the last couple of years I've made them for my Mom (the number 1 fan of these cookies) for her birthday.

Now for years I'd made these cookies with a scalloped round cookie cutter. And yes, they are a sandwich cookie. And the topper cookie has a hole cut into it. For years I used a decorating tip - pressing it into the cookie and pulling out that center piece - it was a bit of insanity but I didn't have a very small round cookie cutter to cut out that center piece. Quite by accident I came upon this Wilton Cookie Cutter set in a store at Christmas time - I practically did a happy dance in the store - knowing I would be able to easily cut out that center hole!

So on Monday of this week I made the Linzer cookie and put it in the fridge to chill. On Tuesday, I rolled, chilled, cut, chilled, and baked the cookies. Then on Tuesday night I assembled all the cookies. In between the sandwich is raspberry jam spread onto the bottom cookie. You place the topper on then add a small amount of jam in the hole.
I was doing all this ahead of time as I needed the jam to set up so I could pack the cookies up and mail them off to my Mom - who is visiting my sister - and get them to her in time for her birthday which is Sunday. Wednesday night I packed up these delectable little treats and mailed them off on Thursday.
The new cookie cutter is slightly smaller then my original cutter so I made approximately 8 dozen Linzers. Do the math kids - 8x12x2 - yeah.. i cut out close to 200 of these rascals. But trust me when I say they are some pretty ridiculous cookies and my mom - she deserves something special. I'll be back to share a few cards tomorrow.

I turned my back for just a second

2012-02-18T12:00:00.002-05:00

well first - don't the colors just make you think spring?
That's what I thought at least.. I was in a store looking at some new kitchen towels and I saw this and thought - how springy! And considering my bulbs are shooting up and - horrors - I'm beginning to see flowers forming... remember it's February and this shouldn't be happening and of course we're being promised a little snow tomorrow......sigh...
Regardless, some days are cold but others are decidedly not - and I'm thinking spring is just around the corner (if only in my mind).

So this patterned piece is, in reality

a countertop drying mat. I buy coordinating towels (in a solid color) and also pick up this mat. I always am using my towels on the countertop to dry the various and sundry things that don't go into the dishwasher so I figure this will be quite handy instead of said towels. It's a nice thick mat but folds easily and I'm thinking I'll be happily drying this and that over the coming months and feeling quite springy 'round my kitchen.
I get home and put it on my counter. Then I wash a few of the cat bowls and put them on top of the mat as well as the coffee maker filter holder (is that what you call that thang?) and go about the rest of my afternoon.

What do I find when I go back to this spot later in the day?
Apparently, my little Westley finds it a great spot for surveying all that is his LOL!
I immediately think - yegods.... now there is cat hair all over this mat I was drying dishes on. And then I just started to laugh my head off. Westley goes where he wants (usually in close proximity to where I am ;-)) and is so darned cute I could not be mad. I did remove him but won't be surprised to find him back there again.
Hope you're having a good day!

8th Annual Valentine Rakarama

2012-02-14T17:14:00.002-05:00

So this year's edition I actually started last year.
Really!
I was ahead of the game then - I'd stamped all the fortune cookies and colored them with Copics and cut them out. I had the Martha Stewart 6x6 Valentine paper pad and the cute "for my friend" ribbon. And I was thinking I'm gonna have these all done in no time flat - just the assembly was left.
And then there was a tragic event in my family and my rakarama was the last thing on my mind. But when things settled down, I packed away those little fortune cookies, ribbon and paper and thought I'm gonna make these next year. And here we are. I think it was a few Rakarama's ago that I decided to make each one different - perhaps using some of the same ingredients but changing it up on each Valentine. It allows me to challenge and entertain myself :-)! Making them all the same - well it's just not near as fun. I used the fortune cookie, ribbon, and stitching on every valentine. The Martha Stewart paper pad had a number of different patterned papers, some double sided which gave me a few more opportunities to make something different. And of course I did use some additional stamps in the backgrounds: Purple Onion Designs and Papertrey Ink stamps. And Versamark ink, clear and other embossing powders. It was a good old time for me. And I hope the recipients like their cards.
I wish there were a little easier way of displaying these cards to follow - perhaps it is just beyond my blogger capabilities. I did fool around a little with one of those mosaic makers but I just finally said enough messin around. On with the posting.

I hope you all are having a wonderful Valentine's Day. And now I must run to my oven where there is a ridiculously decadent chocolate something baking that needs my attention.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

to you all
and yes I'm going to be posting the 8th Annual Valentine Rakarama cards hopefully a little later today :-)

Valentine tags

2012-02-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

so by now you must realize - I love Valentine's Day. Love sending Valentine's, love making them. Don't know quite why - maybe I just like saying to family and friends I'm thinking of them?
Well I decided I needed to make a couple of tags for a few crafty friends. We all have a 6x6 pad of My Minds Eye Lost & Found papers and a bunch of tags that need decorating. I used a Cuttlebug Embossing folder and a Sizzix Heart die. The "February" stamp is from POD's Calendar Months Set. And I stitched around the tag on my sewing machine (which wasn't entirely sure it was like all those layers but we made it through ;-)) Hope you're enjoying all my Valentine's. I have some more coming up

Conversation Hearts Valentines

2012-02-11T16:00:00.001-05:00

When I was a little girl, probably just around the time the photo in my blog header was taken, I have a very clear memory of getting a box of conversation heart candies. I remember my Mom and I taking a bus (back in the day when no one drove - we lived in NY :-)) to see her obstetrician (my little sister :-)) and perhaps my mom got the little box of candies for me as a bribe? Maybe cos I was bein so good :-) Whatever the case, I have loved those little candies ever since.

So when I see a coversation heart stamp - it's mine! In this case, the hearts are part of the PTI Friendship Jar: Spring Fillers stamp set.

Here's what that particular stamp looks like - no conversation - just hearts. In the set there are little individual phrases you can add yourself which is rather nice - so you can pick and choose. We love choice! But there is the problem of actually stamping all those little phrases onto the hearts.

Here's how I solved that particular dilemma as I had 10 of these cards to make. I just put the block on top of the stamped heart image and then placed the little phrases in position so then I was ready to go. I colored the "blue" hearts with a Prismacolor pencil and used the MCPT technique. And the "pink" hearts were colored with a Copic marker.

The rest of the cards came together pretty quickly. I used rectangle Nestabilities to cut the window and emboss around it. I cut the Nestabilities double ended tags and stamped with a Purple Onion Design sentiment and tied it up with some ribbon.
Here's a couple more shots of the finished cards

Workin on Valentines

2012-02-10T17:45:00.001-05:00

I'm working on Valentines for the family today and saw some great sketches over at Papertrey Ink's blog and thought that might help :-) I used a few stamps from the Friendship Jar Spring Fillers set and the Background Basics: Gingham set. I didn't have any buttons that worked so I used a Sizzix button die and I think it worked ok. The little kiss is colored using a silver Prismacolor pencil. The piece of cardstock under the gingham is actually grey and ties in the silver kiss but it isn't photographing well. Regardless I'm pleased. One down... and a whole bunch more to go LOL Have a good one!

Sympathy Card

2012-02-07T16:35:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately, I needed a sympathy card.
They are always a tough card to make, don't you think?
I used the PTI With Sympathy set - it has really lovely sentiments for such an occasion. I also thought I'd like to do some embossing instead of choosing some patterned paper. The embossing would be subtle and the emphasis could stay on the sentiment. I chose a little Cuttlebug embossing folder I really like and would do the trick. I made the base card then embossed the image 3 times across a strip of green cardstock and added that to the base. I used my Nestabilities ovals to cut out the sentiment and mat it. It's simple but I like the way it turned out. okay....
Now I'm off to get this in the mail - thanks for stopping by.

Sending My Best

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

As you can see I've been able to get some card making in of late :-) I'm beginning to feel like my old card-making self! Today's is sort of a little hello card - sending my best - I like that sentiment, don't you? Anyway, I used two Papertrey Ink sets: Year of Flowers and Mat Stack 3 Collection. I guess you can say I've been hoarding a few large scraps of some Bazzill cardstock - Crimson (probably my all-time favorite color - not even sure they make it anymore) and thought it would go nicely with the flowers. I put the card together and thought it needed something - I decided to draw in that white line (using a Gelly Roll white pen) - I think that did the trick to finish it off. I wish I could've taken a better photo - with a bit more contrast. I would've scanned it but my scanner is being most uncooperative of late. Oh yes - one last thing - I colored the image using colored pencils. Have a wonderful day!

balloon birthday

2012-01-28T16:46:00.000-05:00

We went to birthday party today for my nephew's son (yes, I'm a grand aunt :-)) who is turning 1 year old on Tuesday - so i needed a boy birthday card. Makes me think of primary colors ya know? Anyway I had a bit of the striped paper I used on a birthday card for one of my nephews in December (yes I have many nephews ranging in age from 35 to 6). So I thought I'd used that along with a Papertrey Ink set, Tiny Treats: Birthday. There are so many adorable stamps in this set but I finally chose the balloons cos it seemed to work well with the striped paper. I stamped the large green and white polka dot image with versamark and used white embossing powder. I colored the little balloons with colored pencils and a few markers. I am really looking forward to making a bunch of cards with this set - it has sooo many images for just about anyone on my list.

Sending a Big Thank You

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

So I needed a Thank You card. I used a new Papertrey Ink set: Celebrations. And PTI also has just the nicest dies that coordinate with stamp sets - makes putting together a card so stinkin easy! I had a Basic Grey Wisteria paper pad calling out to me so I used that along with some cardstock. Then i threw in some stitching and poof - thank you card done. Actually while I was at it, I made two :-)

Butterfly Birthday

2012-01-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

So i needed a birthday card for a friend. Something a little collagey, purple and maybe a little shabby chic. I had some lovely diecuts and papers from K&Company - yeah that'll work. Needed to pull it together so a little ink (to a flourishy stamp). ok.
Then I wanted to use a bit of a Noteblock stamp from Purple Onion Designs - the "make a wish" part. Oh and I wanted to stamp that Make a Wish on a piece of acetate so I wouldn't be covering up all the pretty paper underneath. Eek - all that means "masking". Well, she IS a special friend LOL. I don't mask for just anyone. In retrospect I shoulda found a larger piece of acetate so it covered the entire bottom half but I'm ok with it. Oh yes, I even pulled out my sewing machine and did a little stitching.

snow day

2012-01-21T17:23:00.001-05:00

well a wee bit of snow and what seems like more ice than anything. at least on the driveway. Anyhow I took this as my cue (excuse) to have a little day off. No purging, no usual cleaning - regular day off duties (although we did venture out to the grocery store just to get it out of the way). So what did I do? No, I didn't make anything. (gasp) I probably shoulda given it a try but I just wasn't in the mood. What I was in the mood for was reading. So I did. Read a book I started last night. No One You Know by Michelle Richmond. Very good read. On my Nook (which I love quite a bit). Hope you are having an enjoyable day, snow or otherwise.

A little excursion

2012-01-16T17:51:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday nite we went here... no we didn't see an opera. Do you know where this is?


Ah this may give you a clue.... a rather large bust of John F. Kennedy .. Yes! The Kennedy Center in DC

We went to see Billy Elliot-The Musical. It was wonderful

nothing else for today. still working away at "the purge". Did not get much done today - I really need to ignore the phone but every time it rang it was one of those calls I haaaad to take. Tomorrow I swear I'm letting the machine get it.

The Great Craft Room Purge 2012

2012-01-14T13:17:00.002-05:00

i have to date this purge because,, as we all know, this happens juuuuuuuust about this time every year. I am trying to be a bit more ruthless this time round. I'm just at my wits end with the mess. I can't even think in this clutter. So wish me well. I've thrown out 3 bags of trash so far.

happy hello

2012-01-13T12:49:00.000-05:00

well clearly not my best effort but i'm posting regardless. this is what often happens. i start with elements i love and the result isn't what i hoped for. I was trying to use that heart stamp, which i love but hasn't gotten any love from me. Do you have stamps you've bought and never used? or stamps you love, used them a few times, and they are now sitting unloved, uninked? Well i'm gonna try and rectify that in 2012. if i'm not using them then i have to consider finding them a new home cos they're taking up valuable real estate!

Since I'm on a roll

2012-01-07T18:23:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd just check in...
Last night we watched The Help - such a good movie. I really loved the book - was one of my "beach" books this past summer. Right now I'm reading In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. It's really quite good. I'd read another of his books The Devil in the White City - also a good one. Neither are light reading but fascinating and worth the time in my opinion :-)
Wondering if anyone is watching the Project Runway All-Stars? I only saw part of it the other night and am planning on watching the rest tonight.
Ok... gotta run !

Religious Conversion

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

So I needed a card - thinking of you kinda card. But I needed it kinda quick. Get it done Tracy - no obsessing allowed.
If you know me, this is practically a foreign language - no obsessing? I mean it's like another religion.

But I think I may be ready to convert!

I did not allow myself time to think.. much. And of course the first card you see here is my 2nd thought. (already a sinner... )
But actually here's how it went. I took my favorite "thinking of you" stamp (StampinUp long since retired I'm sure) and decided I'd go with Versamark and white embossing powder on that paper I already had out of my drawing table. I stamped twice and pulled out the heat tool (amazing I could even find the thing its been so long since I embossed). I pulled out my Nestabilities and quickly (really!) chose the oval ... cut cut. Hey let's add the white scallop to that I said. Approximately 5minutes have elapsed (seriously.. a new world record!)

I figured why not go with that other paper - the patterned one - also still on my drawing table. Cut that twice (I'm already making one card why not go for two). So now I'm thinking I have everything cut - I'll go make dinner (I know... the family really enjoys food in the evening so why fight it?) and come back and assemble.
So I return to the drawing table and start thinking.
This thinking thing is what always gets me into trouble.
What would some kraft cardstock look like with that blue. I'm thinking good...
So I decide to make one card with a card base that's kraft and instead of ribbon I'll make some faux ribbon with the leftover kraft cardstock. Cut cut. Tape tape.
One card done.
I then turn to the other pieces and decide to go with the original plan - pull out some white grosgrain (which is a bit smooshed in this scan but you can imagine right?) Cut Cut. Tape tape. 2nd card done.
Total elapsed time probably about 10 minutes.
Really! I think I'm a total convert.
Have a wonderful day kids!

Outta this world

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

One of my nephews is having a birthday on Sunday so I made him a card (to go with the gift that I sent a month ago - hey you gotta take advantage of the free shipping when you can right?).
I used a Papertrey Ink stamp set, prismacolors to color most of the little rocket (yeah- they have metallic prismacolors) - also used a Copic and a StampinUp marker. The little stars as well as the rocket and flame were cut using the coordinating die from Papertrey (I love those coordinating dies!). Decided those stars needed something so I added Ranger Glossy Accents to give them a little shine and dimension. The sentiment is also from the same PTI stamp set but I personalized it with my nephew's name using Purple Onion Designs Garamouche Small. Have a wonderful day - I'm hoping it's a little warmer day than yesterday!

A thank you

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

I needed to make a thank you note for a very special person. I decided I'd use these tulips from the PTI stamp set "Friendship Jar Spring Fillers" - coloring them with my prismacolors. And I also used the PTI jar die to cut the jar out of some transparency film i had hanging around. I cut the little label using the Nestablilities label die #8 and hand wrote my "thank you" using a Pitt Pen. I don't think the scan is really doing it justice but I am happy with the result. I did toy with the idea of a little stitching around the top portion but ultimately decided I'd better leave well enough alone.
Have a wonderful day!
PTI MIM#47 - Colored Pencils #30

Paper Cookies

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

okay so it's an illustration of a cookie. A gingerbread man to be exact. I did two of these for some special friends - it's a little recipe card (around 5x7 so I guess it's not so little).
I used a Pitt Pen for all the lettering and the outlining. And prismacolors to color things in.

And I did one slightly different for Geri (of Geri's Gingerbread fame.... my sister). It's frosted ;-) The background didn't scan well - it's a light green just for the record. I'll post some non-Christmas related items soon.....

I baked

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

a lot - did you? I did a round of cookies for home and another round for our 2nd Christmas celebration with my husbands family. Here's a pic before I closed the box on the sugar cookies. Of course I had to decorate them. It wouldn't be Christmas without painted sugar cookies. If you look closely you can see a snowman peeking out from underneath a layer of trees and stars. When my kids were little they'd help me decorate them but nowadays I get to paint them all by myself. I love using the gold dust (and lemon extract) to paint the stars. Back oh say maybe 20 years ago that gold dust was hard to find locally. We didn't have such things when I was a kid but we did have food coloring. My mom would sit us down at a table filled with cookies, gave us painbrushes and we'd go to town painting away!
Hope you're enjoying 2012 so far while i recap the end of my 2011.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

it's been a little while but i've been busy as I'm sure you all have been!Over the next few days I thought I'd show you a little of what i've been up to. First up - a birthday card for my nephew at the beginning of December. I really like the combo of red and blue and i love Papertrey Ink's stamps and dies. A fast and easy card - i forgot to take a pic of the envelope but I used another plane to decorate it.

a little thank you

2011-11-12T16:42:00.003-05:00

hey there...
thought i'd post a little thank you card i made today. I don't get many opps to make anything these days so I thought i'd share. I have a lovely wonderful friend, Mary who brought me a gift of bread 2 weeks ago (actually she does this every halloween - its bread that's orange and round - with a jack o'lantern face drawn on it - i think i posted about this another year). Anyway I wanted to send her a thank you. The bread came in a bag that I just loved. It had this image you see here (brown with wheat) and I thought why not cut it out and use it for her card. I stitched on the image to some cardstock and stamped the many thanks from a tag in my stash. voila.. card :-)
I have to run now... hope to be back in the not tooooo distant future!

Deja Vu

2011-08-09T15:00:00.004-05:00

Again I'm posting a card after a long absence - this card was made a few weeks ago for a family member and I just have not had time to post it (or anything else) and I haven't made a thing since.
It's just the way things are right now. Between work and home I don't have a lot of free time to make stuff.
I do make things to eat :-) but that benefits everyone and I gotta do that anyway so I'm whipping up all manner of culinary delights LOL. But paper delights? not so much.

It's funny just looking at this card - I'd bought that Tim Holtz mini-rosette die and knew I'd have zero time to play with it. I did manage to make this card with it. So that's something right? :-)

Till next time....

so out of practice

2011-06-07T14:03:00.003-05:00

yes thats what i said - I'm outta practice!
I had to make a card for my F-i-l's birthday which is Friday and i sat down to make a card yesterday and pulled out a few things I thought would work. Now of course the masculine card is always difficult LOL - i mean seriously - we girls like to buy cute stamps and flower stamps and while I occasionally pick up something more masculine those stamps don't dominate my collection, kwim? Well, I think I stared at the stamps for like a half hour - nothing was coming to me. I finally managed to crank out the card you're seeing here. He won't care what it looks like or know its not my best - but gosh - it kills me to send something I don't really love. make sense? I do like it but not in love with it....
Anyway, things in my life have changed a good bit in the last month - it seems its the year of changes for me... sigh. (I'm hoping things improve soon cos they can't get much worse LOL.) However I'm trying to embrace the changes - and making a vow I will set aside time to make something each day. Make a card or work on my scrapbooks (I started this on Sunday and got a number of photos and memorabilia stuck down on Sunday LOL... now gotta go back and get that pesky journaling done!). I have a very bad habit of putting my needs (like making things) at the bottom of the list - hence not a happy T.
And more practice will hopefully welcome in the return of my cardmakin mojo!
Oh - on the card I used a Stampin Up! set called Classic Backgrounds - stamped the background in Versamark and clear EP'd. I stamped the star with Chocolate Chip SU! ink then covered it in Versamark then clear EP'd. I used a star punch to cut out the star then used some pop dots to pop it up. The sentiment (from Papertrey Ink set - Enjoy the Ride) stamped in Versamark (i swear it IS my favorite ink!) and used white EP.
Now I need to get after that aforementioned journaling (and maybe play with the Tim Holtz Mini Paper Rosette die I recently acquired... interesting to use with a cuttlebug... )

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T11:43:00.003-05:00

wanted to try using this adorable little chick from Purple Onion Designs for my card (for my mom). Colored the cage and the bird with copics and the sentiment is from StampinUp! (long retired but a nice one).
Hope you're all enjoying your Mother's Day. I am - both my little chicks are home :-) having picked up my daughter from college yesterday.

Happy Birthday Banner

2011-05-04T08:00:00.006-05:00

I got some A-dorable new stamps from Purple Onion Designs - the Build-A-Banner set - you can see all the new stamps here. I had a couple of special people (i needed to make cards for) in mind when I got them.
Today is my niece-in-law's birthday - and here's the card. I should mention it's a folding card - 3 panels - seemed to work when one is going to have a big old banner across the whole darned card! I wanted to take a picture of it but it was too dark (AND late) when i finished gluing it all down so you'll have to imagine okay?
I used some Hippie Chick paper from SEI (yes it's double-sided). I colored the banner pieces using prismacolors. I added embroidery floss and some flower brads to finish it off. I think she'll like it :-)
Edited to add: I totally forgot to mention that I used versamark to stamp on the letters - Alpha stamps are Purple Onion Designs Garamouche Small - then used clear embossing powder; followed by coloring the banner pieces with prismacolor pencils - then I used the MCPT technique - voila - white letters!) i really must stop trying to write up these posts when I'm tired..... oy!

Orange you sweet!

2011-04-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

i recently purchased some Purple Onion Designs stamps and couldn't wait to put them to use! These stamps are from the Citrus set - sooo cute!
The scan isnt the best - and there is some kind of spot on the orange that isn't there in real life (i have no idea what happened there) but i think you get the idea. I stamped the background in versamark and used white embossing powder. I stamped the sentiment on a piece of white cardstock I embossed using my Scor-Pal (i just trimmed the end with my scissor to create the little flag-like edge). I stamped the half orange on some cardstock and then i colored it with prismacolor pencils and used the mcpt technique. Finally, I used Glossy Accents from Ranger to coat the half orange. I haven't been as pleased with a card I've made in a long time. Hope you're all having a good week!

mr & mrs

2011-04-26T08:00:00.003-05:00

my son went to a wedding this past saturday and mentioned he needed a card. that's all i needed to hear :-) i probably could've spent a little more time but it did the trick. i used nestabilites and a stampin up set Together Forever as well as the coordinating wheel (for the background).
have a good one!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

Here are some Easter cards I made using the same set as yesterday - Friendship Jar: Spring Fillers from Papertrey Ink. I also used Background Basics: Gingham and some Memory Box papers, Nestabilities, and my prismacolor pencils.

Oh I almost forgot - I made a few cards for my sister's kids. Little cards using stamps from the Papertrey set which I colored with copics for the background as well as the egg and chick image i colored with pencils.
Happy Easter everyone!

you've got mail

2011-04-23T10:47:00.003-05:00

so i mentioned i've been making some cards. here's one i made using a set from Papertrey Ink" Friendship Jar - Spring Fillers It's a great set - very versatile (and i love versatile). i had some ribbon, cardstock and a piece of patterned paper i thought worked well.
i'll be back with some more cards tomorrow

I love a book

2011-04-05T16:53:00.002-05:00

and if you love books - OLD books in particular - and you like to sketch, journal - heck even keep lists ( i love lists) you will absolutely LOVE ex libris anonymous
As it was my darling daughter's birthday yesterday (i cannot believe she is 20 years old!) I bought one of these as a sketchbook for her (she's an art student and goes thru a lot of sketchbooks!). When it arrived I have to admit I had to force myself to wrap it up - I wanted to keep it for me! LOL They take the old book and spiral bind the covers, adding blank pages - but they retain some of the original pages, illustrations etc (you can read more about it on their website) - it is so wonderful! I think I will be buying one (maybe more) for myself very soon.
Obviously I have been absent from the blog for a few months. It has been a tough couple of months and I feel most fortunate to have some very special friends and my wonderful family who lent emotional support - thanks so very much!. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. I even made a couple of cards (gasp!) Hopefully I'll share something soon.

Jingle Belles 05

2011-02-02T15:30:00.004-05:00

This week the challenge on Jingle Belles was to make a card based on a sketch (click and you can check it out). Nice and simple - just my speed in general and this week. Used some Basic Grey paper, a SU! stamp (retired) and some cute little Prima poinsettia flowers that I found on sale at Michael's. In general I'm trying to stay away from purchasing anything but these babies were marked down quite a bit (from 6.99 to 2.99 and I had a gift card!) And I made use of my Top Note die yet again - but the stitching is machine (which seems obvious as its not quite so perfect... but I thought I'd make that clear). Oh and a couple of yellow brads I had laying around. I'm loving this Jingle Belles challenge every week - if you're not playing - think about it !

the extended birthday

2011-01-29T13:24:00.003-05:00

which is another way of saying - belated birthday.... sounds nicer though doesn't it? well we always say round here when the cards (and presents if we're lucky) keep arriving after the birthday - that it's been "extended". Don't know bout you but i like to extend my birthday celebration as long as i can - i mean isn't it nice to feel special for a few days? sure.. :-) anyway i'd gotten a little bogged down with having a wicked cold, working and a number of other things and hadn't gotten a card out to one of the nicest girls i know. So i made her this belated birthday card. I drew a piece of cake and the words, stamped on some forks, and used a ricrac die i got from papertrey (i love ricrac). It's a little wacky but I like it - I hope she does too.

Jingle Belles 04

2011-01-25T22:38:00.003-05:00

the challenge this week - to use colors: Pink, Dark Pink and Lime Green - and possibly use papers that aren't necessarily Christmas. I looked thru my stash and found some old KI Memories paper - one of which was called "Summer" :-) I used my Stampinup Top Note die and also a Christmas tree die, threw in a few gems, and punched some of the striped paper with a star punch and used some holographic EP to make it sparkle a little. Not totally thrilled with my results but i kinda like it. If you haven't joined in the Jingle Belles challenge yet - give it a try - it's a lot of fun and hey - I've got 4 cards already!

Jingle Belles 03

2011-01-19T14:52:00.003-05:00

I'm barely making it in under the wire on this one. The challenge was to use acrylic paint. I use it, but not a lot. So it would be a challenge. I found a stamp I thought I'd like to use (it hasn't seen much use so why not?) It's a Stampington stamp called Berries on Music. I stamped it with Versamark and used a clear EP on some dark olive cardstock. I watered down some celery green acrylic paint and painted that on - the EP resisting the paint. The fact that I painted my cardstock isn't apparent - but trust me when I say the original cardstock color is somewhere between the EP'd image and the resulting bg color. I used some red glitter glue to highlight the berries and a gold paint pen around the edge of the cardstock. I took a piece of Basic Grey Wassail striped paper and brushed on some watered down Cream acrylic paint on the right edge and then machine stitched that on. And finally I added a K&Co sticker to finish it off.
I hope next week's challenge isn't quite so challenging! LOL Have a good week!

Jingle Belles 02

2011-01-11T17:30:00.002-05:00

Okay here's my entry for this week - we had to use inchies or twinchies. I opted for a round version of an inchie :-)
I used some great Christmas stickers i had hanging around - isn't that Santa a hoot? the candy canes are also stickers. I used a cuttlebug embossing folder on the red cardstock bg (the embossing folder has the same swirl pattern as Santa's coat) and swirly blue bg paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Jolly by Golly Mini-Deck. And the stamp - Purple Onion Designs - but of course :-) I used versamark and some holographic ep - hard to see here but it has a nice bit o'sparkle. Oh yeah - some Basic Grey snippets i had laying around are what i used to make the candy cane like corners.

Jingle Belles

2011-01-05T17:11:00.005-05:00

yes... i know its been a while. i'm posting now to tell you about a fun challenge blog called Jingle Belles. The premise is making one Christmas Card every week so by the time it's December you've got a nice pile of Christmas cards all ready for sending! Sounded good to me - i did not get my cards out this year (and worse yet I bought them! that's how bad things got round here - you heard it right girls.. i bought cards. Eek. with all the fun card making materials i've got here it's almost a sin!) Anyway the challenge for the first week was Something Old Something new.
Everything on this card - with the exception of the Top Note die (which arrived yesterday LOL) -is old... and although its not my favorite creation I was happy to get to use up some stuff AND get a Christmas card made!
I know it's been months since I've posted. That should tell you something. I haven't been making anything. Life has been too busy. That's why this challenge, every week, is something I'm really looking forward to. I'll get my cards made, a little at a time, and I'll get myself back into MAKING THINGS - which is what I love. Why don't you join us over at Jingle Belles?

a birthday card

2010-06-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

for my husband. Doesn't look very birthday does it? No matter - i'm feeling good about this one. it has components he will love. A map, screws (or a reasonable facsimile) and a bit of nature.
I had seen a card I believe in the Papertrey gallery - had a dragon fly on it and it got me thinking. I have a Quickutz die of a dragon fly. I also had some map scrapbook paper that had colors that would go nicely. And then there was that new Papertrey impression plate - Woodgrain -I was dying to try. I used the plate on a piece of kraft cardstock and then inked it up with some brown ink. I really liked the effect. I cut the shape (behind the dragon fly) with nestabilities, stamped in with a Purple Onion Designs Late 1800s script background stamp then sponged around with some Tim Holtz Distress inks (antique linen and tea dye). Those screws are Making Memories eyelets I bought years ago. Even when I bought them I knew they were destined to go on something husband-related :-) I'll be giving him this card on his birthday next Sunday when we're on our little vacation. I think I'll be sharing a pic or two from the trip so stay tuned.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T14:33:00.003-05:00

so not a very ornate or fabulous card but my husband will say it's beautiful (whether i'd spent hours or not). and i'm just a little pooped out. no ideas a-comin
I've gotta wrap a few presents, do a few loads of laundry and start on dinner so i'll post another birthday card tomorrow. Hope it's a wonderful day for you and yours ~

another princess and some tulips

2010-06-10T09:12:00.002-05:00

i said i'd post another card with that little birthday princess so here you go. there is something very therapeutic about paper piecing I think. cutting out that little dress and gluing it down, know what i mean?
here's another card with a tulip stamp i love but haven't used near enough.
well i hate to post and run but i must!

birthday boy

2010-06-07T16:59:00.003-05:00

I'm a little ahead of the game here - creating a birthday card for my son when his birthday isn't until the end of the month. Yeah me! But DH and I won't be home then (eek - first time I won't be with my son for his birthday) - we'll be a little vacation - by ourselves. The timing was dictated by DH's job - he's attending a conference and I'll be flying down to join him. More on that soon. Anyway I think we'll be having a little birthday party early for our son - hence the card making now while I had a little time. Actually, we'll be celebrating DH's birthday while we're away (as his birthday is the day after our son's) so that card is next up :-)
So here's the card for son. When I saw the Enjoy the Ride stamp set by Papertrey Ink I knew I'd be getting it. Son is a car guy. A car guy to the extreme. His vehicle gets more attention than some children in this world (which truly is a sad statement yet true. He loves his car.)
Anyhow, I am so pleased how the card turned out. The stamps stamp so well - and I'm not a big fan of the clear stamp but Papertrey's are really wonderful. You get a really crisp image. Oh - I can't forget to mention I also purchased the car die (to cut out the car). And with the clear stamp it was so easy to position for stamping. To make the card, I found some scrap striped paper - I believe it was SEI. The background blue was also a scrap - the flip side of a patterned piece of Basic Grey. I ran out of the dark brown ribbon I used so I found some taupe-y colored grosgrain and made a 2nd card (nice to have an extra card on hand right?)
that's all for now. I'll be back soon - hopefully with a birthday card for the husband!

happy birthday princess

2010-05-21T07:49:00.003-05:00

On a day off last week, i went to a stamp store with my friend June and new friend Deanna (hey June and Deanna!). I could not resist this stamp - knowing I needed to make a card for my niece for her 2nd birthday (which was yesterday). I also picked up the 6x6 Basic Grey Green at Heart paper pad - the paper is so pretty and I thought it would pair nicely with the stamp. I paper pieced her little dress and colored the rest with prismacolor pencils.
It's funny but I've had my prismacolor pencils for forever and I haven't added any new colors in probably 10 years. I'd always looked in any store that carries them (I buy by the pencil - not sets) but stopped looking when i never saw any new colors. When we were shopping I was so surprised to see a bunch of colors I'd never seen before. (so of course I bought a few). Needless to say I've been a coloring fool whenever I've had a moment.
Anyway ..... I found the little jewels (I added to the scallop border) in my stash as well as the little brads. (finding the brads - well that's a little story in itself. A few months ago I decided to do a little cleaning up in my room here. I needed some more room so I decided to dispense with some storage containers - those hardware store type containers where you can divide up all your nails and screws etc into little drawers? - i had two of those which were huge and all my brads, buttons, eyelets were separated by colors and type into a bazillion little drawers. I decided if I needed something I'd just have to search through the 6 jars I dumped them into. So when I made this card I knew exactly where to find the brads - but I had to sift through a lotta brads to find 'em. But in the end I still like the jars.)
I'll probably be posting some more versions of this little princess - she's been stamped a few times and is sporting different dresses :-)

long time no see

2010-05-17T08:53:00.003-05:00

it's been a while. I haven't had a lot of time to make anything but I did manage to make some Mother's Day cards (for my Mom and my sisters) so I thought I'd post them today.
The stamp is from Character Constructions and I've been wanting this stamp since I first saw it two years ago. I finally indulged myself.
I'll be posting a birthday card in a few days made with some new stamps I picked up on a little shopping trip with my friend June (Hi June!)

spring thinking

2010-03-13T17:06:00.003-05:00

i'm thinking spring.
actually i've been thinking spring for a few weeks now - probably started whilst shoveling all that snow! LOL
anyway, as i've mentioned on other occasions, I belong to a little group online. Same group I send all those valentines to. We did a little tag swap/mingle and the theme was "spring". I decided to join in and here's what I made (not the best scan i'm sorry to say). I hand cut the little cardstock border - do you see the little loop on the right hand side? well that's where I punched a hole and added ribbon. The flowers and leaves are Quickutz and the alphas are Sizzix Funky Brush. There's also a cuttlebug swiss dot embossed background there too. For something so seemingly simple I fooled with this off and on for days. (ridiculous huh? well i couldn't decided if I'd use just one color for the flowers or not - actually it looked ok either way - the edge going to using 2 colors as you see above.) I'm in love with these colors - particularly the turquoise. I guess my tag really has more of an aqua... but hey its only a few shades away. Close enough for me. Interestingly enough, I just read Turquoise is Pantone's color of the year. I enjoy looking at the Pantone website. Have I ever mentioned I got to visit Pantone years ago? Long ago, in another lifetime - I was living in New Jersey and my employer had Pantone as a client. I had to visit there to meet up with some of their employees. Oh I wanted to just stay and hang out there... way cool.
Onward. I need to get back to scanning negatives of old photos. My current Suzy Scrapbooker project.

7th Annual Valentine Rakarama

2010-02-14T08:00:00.003-05:00

It's time again for the valentine rakarama. This year I was pondering what to make and having no ideas. I was in Joann's at the beginning of January - and they had little trees with hearts on them. Ding! I remembered i had a very cute Purple Onion Designs tree branch stamp as well as some hearts from POD - a card is born.
I set about making my card background from paper i had around (i believe that's some old basic grey you see on the left side of the card) - some plain cardstock on the bottom right and the top right was made using the beauteous Purple Onion damask stamp.
I stitched all the backgrounds and got a little sidetracked - thinking wouldn't this be a pretty quilt?
I decided I'd dress up that largest heart by decorating it with a sparkly pen. As far as the little lines i drew for the hearts to "hang" from - well who knew it would be so hard to draw a straight line? well, i did.... but i did it anyway. some were more successful than others. I cut the circles with my nestabilities and finished off the card with a hand written sentiment and a bow. Here's a pic of them all done - wow that's a lotta little bows huh?
So what else have I been doing - besides making valentines? Working, shoveling, watching some Project Runway and the Bachelor (great accompaniment when you're decorating wee hearts and tying bows). Friday night we drove to see my daughter perform in a play. Long drive there and back but it was totally worth it! She was amazing (but i knew that already...)
Happy Valentine's Day kids!

valentines for family

2010-02-13T08:36:00.006-05:00

I started all my valentines a month ago. I knew I wanted to do cards for my family and then another bunch of cards for the online group i belong to (- my 7th annual Valentine rakarama - I'll post pics of those tomorrow.) I'd been to stamp camp in early January and broke down and ordered the adorable Stampin Up! set Sweetheart, the heart shaped treat cups and the heart punch. Just too cute - I decided to practice "make do" another day LOL! I got the clear mount version of the stamps - they're still red rubber but not mounted on wood - repositionable on clear blocks. I love them. They store in what amounts to an elongated cd case (makes me want to unmount a lot of stamps and get more of those cd cases - i'd free up a ton of space here in my little room here - but not a project i'm going to get involved in right now!) My StampinUp! demo had used m&m's to fill the treat cups - and I did the same for some of my cards. But I had a number of recipients who don't eat milk chocolate. I began to search for dark chocolate Valentine m&m's and ya know what? Even the dark chocolate ones contain milk chocolate (not going to work for my vegan recipients.) So in these pics you'll see I filled some with teeny cinnamon candy hearts and conversation hearts. (by the way, they've ruined the conversation hearts - they're now fruit flavored - blech. The whole nostalgia moment I get from eating them was destroyed when i popped one in my mouth....). Ok that's all for today my dears. I'll post some more valentines tomorrow!

quick post

2010-01-31T14:05:00.004-05:00

yeah, i know i've been a bad blogger. I am trying to get over the guilt LOL. I just decided when i got a minute I'd jump on here and post a card. I've been busy with work and trying to make some valentine's (the yearly rakarama is coming up you know) and get back to scrapbooking - which had gone by the wayside entirely over the last year pretty much. More on that another day. But I did make a birthday card for my friend Michele. Yes, all the stamps are from Purple Onion Designs (naturellement!). I'd been wanting to use the damask background stamp since I'd gotten it - and stamping it on a paper bag might seem odd but I liked the look. I used a little scrap of Basic Grey and some purple cardstock and stitched it all on my machine. Oh and I colored the hand using some prismacolor pencils. So there you have it. We had some snow yesterday - advertised as a dusting but it ended up being a few inches. We did some fast shoveling this morning and got some shopping done afterward so this afternoon I'm thinking I'll try and work on the aforementioned scrapbooking. Have a wonderful Sunday!

all is calm, all is bright

2009-12-27T13:14:00.004-05:00

Christmas can feel like a storm (and of course we can get a storm during Christmas time - like 20 inches of snowstorm... which can play havoc with ones plans... but i digress) therefore after Christmas we can have the calm. Today is that .... lovely, peaceful... calm. It's beautiful outside and peacefully calm inside. Everyone is taking it easy after several weeks of non-stop activity and I for one am grateful. And tired. My craft room here is lookin a little like a tornado went through it. So I'm hoping to get a little order restore in here. The mess makes me feel a little crazy. And I don't know about you, when things are organized, I feel better all over :-)

I did manage to make some quickie gifts for three coworkers on Christmas Eve Eve -Wednesday night (I have literally hundreds of coworkers every day at work but these 3 are in my department and I wanted to give them just a little something - no big deal). I'd been making Christmas cookies for the past week (in any spare moment I could steal) so that seemed like an easy choice. The first pic shows all three together and the second pic is just a closeup of one. Not the best pics I know but hey - i took them! LOL The paper is Basic Grey and the gingerbread boy is from Purple Onion Designs. He's just so darned cute! The tag and top piece are cut with nestabilites. I tied some ribbon around it and said DONE! They looked cute and everyone loved it - can't ask for more right? Best part was when I went to make something on the fly I had everything I needed.

I'm still seriously catching up so I'm off. Hope to post again before the New Year!

Christmas Tags - a few more

2009-12-18T10:51:00.005-05:00

i was wrapping up gifts this morning for niece, nephews and one grand niece (eek that makes me sound old doesn't it... i like to put a different spin on it... I'm a grand Aunt :-)) Anyway here are a couple of the tags. The stamps are Purple Onion Designs - are they not the cutest gingerbread boys and snowmen?

ok - gotta get ready for work. Have a wonderful day!

Christmas tree tag

2009-12-17T00:24:00.003-05:00

i've been absent - i know. between work and christmas shopping there hasn't been a lot of time. (i do believe i hear your nodding in agreement...). But one day I did make this tag which i think turned out really nicely. So i'm sharing. :-) That's that Chatterbox plaid paper which I love, a little distress ink going arond the edges, some German scrap i picked up at least a year ago (maybe longer); the trees along the bottom are some foam stamps from Making Memories, and the main Christmas trees stamp and border stamp are from that same Cornish Heritage Farms (The Rummage Bin) stamp set I used previously on a card (the hot chocolate one if you'll recall).

Anyway i hope your holiday preparations are coming together. hopefully i'll be back posting soon.

Christmas Card #11 - Oh by golly.....

2009-12-01T12:02:00.003-05:00

and yes, the inside does say "have a holly jolly christmas this year!" courtesy of a cute sentiment stamp by Purple Onion Designs! The "HoHoHo" is also by POD - great stamps, huh?

Those adorable snowmen are from the 6x6 Jolly by Golly Cosmo Cricket pad. The embossed background is a Cuttlebug embossing folder and the snowflake is from Quickutz - glittered up with some glitter i believe i bought at Walmart (who knows when!) The background paper - is a patterned cardstock by Memory Box i bought a while back from Ellen Hutson - and when i received my order they tucked in that ribbon you see on the card - as a thank you - isn't that lovely? I've bought from Ellen Hutson a few times just for that reason - wonderful customer service. Oh yeah - the tag is from Nestabilities - from the Double Ended tag set - i just trimmed off the bottom "end" and covered it up with the snowflake.

Well - off to fold laundry! have a great day kids!

Christmas Card #10 - And now for something completely different!

2009-11-30T16:44:00.003-05:00

perhaps it should be my "Monty Python" Christmas Card.....

I wanted to try using some stamps from Purple Onion Designs - specifically the music background and my 2nd favorite alphas, Garamouche (2nd only to Lizziebelle, naturellement). I stamped the background with some Distress Ink in Tea Dye. Then I stamped the alphas (and a circle stamp) in versamark and clear embossed it. Then I used a sponge to rubon the StampinUp! Old Olive ink.

This was my fun little experiment and I kinda like it. I do have plans to give it another go - just slightly different. I'm hoping to have a chance to play with that tonight and I'll post my results.

Christmas Card #9

2009-11-29T12:06:00.004-05:00

i tried posting this a minute ago and it disappeared.... spooky

anyway what i posted was my happiness at how this making individual christmas cards has been going. I'm using stuff up, using stuff i have, it's not boring (as making 100 of the same cards can be).

I used some Making Memories Foam Stamps (they no longer sell) - stamped the tree in Versamark on some polka dotted Making Memories cardstock (also no longer available... mores the pity), clear embossed the tree and cut it out. I glued on some thin silver cording from StampinUp! and added the star brad. I also had a scrap of this Making Memories metal border - perfect instead of a piece of ribbon. Hopefully I'll get to another card before I have to go to work. Have a lovely day all!

Christmas Card #8

2009-11-26T00:11:00.003-05:00

here's another version with that cute stocking stamp - this one's starring Frankie, my black cat. I scored the background cardstock with a Scor-pal and used a piece of stash Christmas paper from a few years ago - it's still great paper (this Make Do thing is working out fine). I colored the image with primacolors and mineral spirits again.

Oh and I used a white gel pen to accentuate the white dots and trim.

Happy Thanksgiving kids!

Christmas Card #7

2009-11-24T09:51:00.005-05:00

The weather is looking a bit more Thanksgiving around the burg - coldish and rainy. But those Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly papers are still making me feel happy! I only used a small piece of it in this card but I think it makes a nice contribution. The stamp is from Lockhart Stamp Co. and I'd bought it back in September when I was buying myself a few birthday gifts :-) It's a cute stamp isn't it? and gives me plenty of coloring opportunities. I colored it with prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits. That's the swiss dot embossing folder from Cuttlebug you see in the background. I made the embossed pattern on the pale aqua background using my Scor-pal (it may be hard to see in the photo). I'd picked out a satin deep burgundy ribbon but then I unearthed a roll of this wider ribbon from the depths of my ribbon box. I liked the wider ribbon better so I went with it. The color in the photo is a little off but it really looks lovely in person. Okay kids - that's all for today. Hopefully I'll have another CC posted this week.

Christmas Card #6 Pink Winter Wishes

2009-11-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

i'm not a fan of pink. I don't dislike it either but it's never been my favorite color. But every once in a while i find something pink i love - like this Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly paper - i love the whole pad of paper. It's so cute and happy. So it deserves to be on a cute and happy card. I saw a cute card by Debbie Olsen using some of the same paper so I thought I'd give it a try.

I used two different Cuttlebug embossing folders (Snowflakes and D'vine Swirl), a retired StampinUp! set called Frosty (for the snowman), a Nestability tag (ribbon tag trio) and a cute little sentiment from Purple Onion Designs Merriness set. I paper pieced the scarf and hat.

Now back to more card making!!!!

Have a fun day :-)

Christmas Card 4 & 5 and a wee kitty thank you

2009-11-21T09:17:00.006-05:00

Have you been following Kristina Werner's Holiday Card series? Every week day for the past 3 weeks she has posted videos of Christmas cards she is making- very fun! I'm a big fan of her cards. I was looking at this one from Day 11 Although I'm not a fan of the paper she used I liked the design and thought it might work nicely for a card using some holiday patterned paper I had in my stash. As I mentioned I'm trying to Make Do... use what I have. I'm sure I'd originally planned to use all this paper for scrapbook pages but by the time that happens I'm also completely sure I'll see more lovely paper that will work just as well... right? There is always something new and pretty coming out!Okay so you've seen that card with the Christmas tree paper she made... here's my version with some Basic Grey Fruitcake Vintage ornaments paper. The purplish/pinkish ornament seems very un-Tracy huh? well if you look close you'll see that same color in the paper. You should know that that ornament shape was cut in every color of the rainbow (ok... every color that was in the paper) but no color seemed to work until I tried the purple/pink cardstock. Any traditional color like red or green just left the ornament lost (i think the blue would've worked but i had no color that really matched... which is of course very Tracy :-) it had to match or at least be in the neighborhood). Now onward to card#5 - this one uses some Basic Grey Wassail 6x6 paper (in my stash) as well as some K&Co Christmas Cheer Phrases & Tags Chipbox Chipboard (say that 3x fast). I've had these in my stash since last year - I'm sure I got them with a coupon and equally sure I thought I'd use them last year for cards but that didn't happen LOL The gold ribbon on both cards was adhered with Tombow Mono Multi glue - that works very nicely for really thin ribbon.

And now onto the wee kitty thank you. Last weekend we went up to New Jersey for my nephew's engagement party. Exhausting weekend but a lovely party. Everyone went except, of course, the kitties. (they're not travelers... at all) We had our little neighbor watch them - she's such a sweet 10 year old girl - she feeds, litters them but I also know she plays a good bit with them so I don't feel too guilty leaving them - they don't lack for attention with her around. So here's the little thank you card I made for her - starring Frankie and Spencer. (no I didn't pick out their names. They came with them!)
So that's all for me now. I've gotta figure out my Thanksgiving shopping list.

Christmas Card #3

2009-11-08T09:00:00.003-05:00

i'm going to say right upfront, before i forget - inspiration for the card comes from this card by Debbie Olson (whose blog i just love to look at - she does some amazing and wonderful things with cardstock, paper, stamps and pens... whew!) Now you'll note that her card is from a year ago - but when i see something i like i make a mental note (maybe that's what's slowing my brain down?... all those mental post its! lol). The stamp is from a set from Cornish Heritage farms called Winter Vintage Signage. I finally bought it back in September - its got a bunch of cute stamps in the set and I'm determined to use them all. But the one that I decided to try here is the Hot Chocolate & Marshmallow one. I wasn't keen on the price or the pitcher in the stamp so I decided i'd do a little editing - ala Debbie Olson. I inked/stamped the Hot Chocolate portion then went back and did the same with the & Marshmallows part - leaving enough room for the replacement mug - a Quickutz die shape. I cut the oval with a nestabilities die then used my Tim Holtz antique linen and a little Tea Dye to get the look I wanted. The paper is Chatterbox and the eyelets are Making Memories. I'm pleased to say aside from the stamps everything else I had already - use it up and MAKE DO :-) I think it has a Christmas-y look - whaddyathink? That's all for today kids.

Christmas Card #2

2009-11-07T08:04:00.005-05:00

I really am happy I bought the coordinating punch for that StampinUp! Delightful Decorations. Isn't that ornament such a pretty shape? Makes me think of all the old fashioned ornaments kwim?

Ok so I was fooling around with ideas and grabbed a piece of cardstock I'd stamped in Versamark with a SU! Canvas stamp - just for the color of the cardstock mind you. I wanted a green background. I pulled out my SU! Peaceful Wishes set and used the stamp - its a piece of evergreen - and stamped with more Versamark but this time I threw on some clear embossing powder. That canvas background had been stamped in Versamark perhaps a week prior - who knew it would still have a little sticking power! I had to play with scraping the EP off a few times and reapply - finally I decided to go for it- and I used the heat gun. Some of the canvas embossed but you know I kinda like it - little more texture and not too distracting. Serendipity! I was feeling a little stupid when I tried to emboss on top of THAT with the sentiment in silver EP- this did not work - don't try it kids :-) But I'm still in that MAKE DO mode so I cut off that portion (at the bottom) and stamped the sentiment on the red background as you see here.

Next - the ornament. I'd already punched out the ornament from a scrap of red cardstock (that had been embossed with the Cuttlebug ep folder - Swiss Dots). I didn't like the top part of the ornament in red - I wanted it to look like the real deal. I found some of that Making Memories sheet metal in my "collection" and used the punch again - voila - metal topper. And I found some wire and made my own hanger. (if you click on the pic you'll see what I'm talking about - little metal section at the top of the ornament with a wire hanger).

I may make a few of these cards. I swear the only hard part was tying that wee bow and getting it on there

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2009-11-06T08:29:00.004-05:00

so I bought some new Christmas stamps a while back - well, perhaps September. and i thought i had better get a move on with the Christmas cards right? I mean it's November. I had grand ideas last year - bought a cute stamp set, worked on those cards for at least a month - but it was such an involved card I never finished making all of them. I did mail out a few to family members but that's it.

Practically against my religion you know what i mean? - to not send out cards.

So i'm going to try my best.

In year's past I've always made one design and mass produced. This year I believe I'll be making whatever suits my fancy. I couldn't decide on one stamp or set. I kept seeing things I liked. Quelle surprise.

so here's a first attempt. i think i'd prefer a skinnier ribbon but i don't have one i can lay my hands on at the moment so i'm going with it! (this will probably be my new years resolution - making do - i think it'll be a good one!)

oh - its a cuttlebug embossing folder, an ornament shaped StampinUp! punch, and the stamp (that's embossed with white ep) is from a StampinUp! set called Delightful Decorations

have a good day kids!

thank yous and the women

2009-11-04T00:28:00.003-05:00

Got a lovely new stampinup wheel and had to use it right away on a thank you card. I made several subsequent thank yous i'll post soon but this here was my first attempt. I am in love with this wheel. lovely typography. graphic appeal. i know i'll be using it to death. And being as it's the season of thanks - heck maybe i'll even make napkin rings for the thanksgiving table.
on a side note - dh and i have been watching a number of movies of late on hbo (we don't subscribe normally but there was some deal .... it came with some configuration of our FIOS.. but i digress). One day i saw "The Women" was on - i'd wanted see if this version did justice to the original movie - one of my old movie favorites. Have you seen the original? With Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer and the amazing Rosalind Russell? If not - you really must. There is no one like Rosalind Russell (another RR favorite - Auntie Mame... a must see). Anyway - the new version - well I enjoyed it. But sometimes, with all the updates - well it loses something in the translation. But it was certainly entertaining. Another movie we decided to try - "The Changeling" with Angelina Jolie - if you haven't seen that one - please do. Really wonderful. Gotta run!

sparkly halloween

2009-10-28T13:55:00.005-05:00

so i said i was glittering things.

so here are a few examples. I used some Martha glitter and a glue pad (which definitely seems to work better than the stampinup heat and stick powder... just my opinion of course)

the last picture gives you a close up of the glitter on ribbon. I stamped on the ribbon using Purple Onion Designs Halloween Border Tapes

I think they came out pretty cute. No great art just cute cards :-) Now I just gotta get them in the mail....

have a good one!

quick check in

2009-10-26T07:37:00.001-05:00

nothing to post yet and i'm on my way out to work.
but... i was wondering... is there something in glitter that's... addictive?
i've been a glittering fool lately.
hoping to post something later.
have a great day!

beautiful fall

2009-10-22T22:52:00.006-05:00

The title of this post could mean I fell down (in a very gracious way -oh but of course....) and went boom... but no. I am truly referring to the beauty that is taking place outdoors.

Fall is my favorite season. Hands down. When I was out running some errands today - I was thinking how lucky I was to have off on this spectacular day. The temperature was in the low 70's (particularly welcome after a run of rainy days last week that felt like winter -temps in the 40's!) and the sun was shining. But what struck me were the fall colors. The trees are just gorgeous. The most amazing reds, golds, oranges.

Oddly enough my good friend June had a post on her blog this morning called Create something beautiful for fall (it's a challenge on another blog). And as I was driving along past some beautiful trees, I thought about the card she created and the sentiment on the card. When I got home I decided I wanted to try and use that sentiment and also try a technique recently shown on Splitcoaststampers called acrylic smash. I don't know about smash but i definitely used a transparency and painted on some acrylics! I found a leaf stamp in an old Stampin Up! set called Botanicals. I stamped that leaf in two rows of three (knowing I'd probably like to make 2 cards while I was at it) in StazOn Black. I painted the acrylic paint on the back of the transparency then glued it onto some kraft cardstock. I printed out that beautiful sentiment onto some cardstock and then aged it with some Tim Holtz antique linen. I added the cardstock button (cut from a sizzix die from StampinUp!) and tied it with some twine. Then I pulled out my sewing machine (which hasn't seen any action in forever - which is obvious - I could not get the tension right to save my life but I'm over that!) I decided to fool around with a little Bronze pearl ex here there and everywhere on the 2nd version you see here. It looks much better in real life, trust me.

Anyway I enjoyed making something a little different. Hope you all have a wonderful Friday - go out and enjoy the beautiful Fall!

a little thank you a little halloween a little birthday = Big Post :-)

2009-10-19T09:56:00.007-05:00

i'm sorta jumpin around these days with the card making. It's not like I don't have a bunch of cards in my stash - but dontcha know it - for the particular people I'm sending these cards to I wanted to make a card just for them.

Okay. who am I kidding. This is my whole problem. I can't just make a bunch of cards and then send them to people on my list randomly. I have to make a card for that particular person for that particular occasion. And seriously... I'm not that particular LOL It's sorta like my shopping habits for birthdays and Christmas - gotta buy just the right gift for that particular person (and if I don't do that then I have to get a gift card for them from the store they would most likely wanna shop at.... are you following my crazy?... sigh)

I needed a birthday card for my sister - she likes purple and green. So I used the Wisteria Basic Grey papers. Stamped my favorite little cupcake stamp on some of that wonderful white cardstock by Papertrey Ink - it takes ink so nicely - and it's wonderful to use with Copics (which is how i colored it in) and it really works well with Nestabilities (i used labels 2). You'll notice i threw some glitter on those cupcake flowers... made them look like those edible candy flowers. I used a rubon from Quickutz for the sentiment ( i wanted something tiny so it didn't detract from the pretty cuppy-cake) and I used a Martha punch for the border at the top. Finally i found a ribbon that would go nicely. All in all I am quite happy with this card and I think she will love it too.

Next up...

I needed a thank you card - it's not a flowery time of year (we're not including mums ok?) but I was feeling flowery - truth be told i spied scraps of this paper and that i had some flowers that would match nicely - done. I think the stamp is Hero Arts and that's a Nestability (labels 8) and a scrap of rick-rack and a white gel pen.

Then I got an itch to make a Halloween card - having seen so many already in my blog travelling. The witch stamp is Purple Onion Designs as are the bats (clear embossed), the buttons and spider web paper are Making Memories and there's some satin black ribbon on there as well as black embroidery floss. I cut the circle with Nestabilities and sponged around the edge with a combo of Tim Holtz tea stain and antique linen as well as an Opalite Golden Mist stamp pad (it looks better IRL). For this particular card - I'll admit I wanted to make a Halloween card more than I had a particular recipient in mind (but I've got a few people who would like it :-))

Ok... that's all for now. I really need to get moving. A day off, my college girl home (she's still sleeping... ah youth) and a ton of errands to run... ttyl

Cake Time

2009-10-16T07:44:00.005-05:00

ok.. so not the best picture but what can i say.. i'd rather make stuff than take pictures of the same.

It's a card for my friend Annie who may remember this picture of the girl eating cake :-)

We had a lot of fun making cards using this picture. For example the card below :

She is a cute little girl and who can't relate to that cake?

So for her birthday card I decided to use that image again. I also used a new Quickutz embossing folder, a felt flower with a button and one of my favorite Purple Onion Designs Noteblock stamps (stamped in Versamark and clear embossed).

ok... i gotta get to work. Have a great day!

birthday cupcake

2009-10-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

I mentioned previously I'd picked up a few things since my birthday

One was this cupcake stamp from Lockhart Stamps. Another thing was a Scor-Pal (hence the scoring in the background of this card). I'd gotten a Scor-it and initially I liked it alright. But the adjustable feature with the Scor-it - I think it just bugged me having to move it back and forth, and it didn't seem quite accurate. I don't know. (maybe operator error? quite possibly). I just never was quite in love with the thing - and it was heavy.

I kept seeing things made with the Scor-Pal and I resisted for almost 2 years - feeling it was almost like another die cut system. (I've got Quickutz, Zipemate and the Cuttlebug ok?) In otherwords, there is always something better, cooler, whatever on the horizon. Ugh. I thought I don't need another thing to score with do I? Obviously I decided I did. And honestly I really am loving this Scor-Pal. It's accurate, allows me to just score without thinking about the measurement and it's light (weighs very little). So all in all it was a good purchase.

This card - colored with Copics (I'm going slow with my collection of these. I like them but I still think I love my prismacolor pencils more.) I stamped the image i believe it was three times - colored and cut them out and layered them with foam dots. The tag and shape behind the cupcake are both nestabilities. I printed out the sentiment - I'm finding I never have quite the sentiment I want. (the words or how it fits in my scheme.) This has been an ongoing thing for me. I have looked over my collection of stamps and I have a ton of images and alphabets but my sentiments are woefully lacking. I've got some good ones but in general it seems I pick images over sentiments when I buy.

Does anyone have some good recommendations for sentiment sets? or should I continue to print out stuff from my computer?

(I'm posting this on Thursday while I'm at work. Hopefully I'll post something else before the weekend)

cool dog

2009-10-07T07:56:00.006-05:00

well he is the coolest dog isn't he?

i was going to put a caption

"future so bright, i gotta wear shades"

but i thought better of it.

these are supposed to be fun for the daughter

not annoying yaknow?

anyway i found cool dog on some piece of junk mail and he practically barked out to me to cut him out.

Daughter loves dogs just like him and then of course there were the orange tinted glasses (orange being dd's favorite color). I took my StampinUp Pumpkin Pie inkpad and colored up the background then slapped down the dog. I finished off the whole thing with some glue (yes, the exploding variety - see previous post "time 4 cake" if you're looking at your computer screen and thinking "Tracy's finally lost her marbles") . I added a little superfine glitter to the glue and voila... Postcard from Home.

and now for a little music.... check it out

oh and one final thing

Happy Birthday June from the Birthday Queen

a quarter of a century

2009-10-06T07:04:00.002-05:00

sounds like a long time doesn't it?

regardless, i wanted to make a card but wasn't coming up with anything. I saw a sketch online (for Verve stamps - as it happens I don't own any but no matter). Not sure I'm thrilled with what I came up with that's ok. He won't mind. And it helped me make something completely different - for me.

Have a wonderful day ~

time 4 cake

2009-10-05T09:29:00.004-05:00

my dear and most talented friend Barbara celebrated a birthday last week. I wanted to make her something - perhaps a card - or something like a card. I wasn't quite sure. I do what I normally do - start pulling out supplies, stamps, embellishments - looking for a little inspiration. I think you know what I mean - something that sparks the idea. I wasn't finding anything to get me going. I decided to check my email (stall-a-rama). I'd signed up to get the newsletter from the Vintage Workshop a long time ago - I get them all the time but don't really shop there. However, this time I thought perhaps I'd find that inspiration I was looking for - as Barbara likes vintage (dontcha Barbara?) And indeed, I found this clock. And I was off and running.

The creative process is a funny thing. I had the clock and then I played with different items for 2 days off and on - adding things, taking them away, rearranging. Something was still missing and then it occurred to me I needed something to make that clock jump off the page (actually it wasn't a page it was a bingo card that I eventually completely covered over - but it was a real sturdy bingo card -perfect weight for holding all that I kept adding). I pulled out some glitter! I think that did the trick. The top photo allows you to see the dimension of it and the bottom photo here i think shows off the color better. It does look better in person - for sure.

The vintage wallpaper is from my friend Donna. Yes, that's grungeboard inthe background (that stuff is a lot of fun - try some if you haven't already - it takes acrylic paint so nicely and its so flexible - not like you'd expect just looking at it); the chipboard letters are Making Memories and the glitter is Martha Stewart.

Oh I forgot to mention - i had pulled out this white glue - Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive - to put it together. It had been a while since I'd used it and the tip had gotten clogged. I declogged it - i thought. Still wasnt dispensing glue. I declogged again and replaced the top. And I squeezed just a little too hard - SQUUOOOOOOSH.... white glue EVERYWHERE.. I am happy to report it washes out of shirts, pants, carpets etc etc very nicely. Thought you'd like to know ;-)

That's all for today

bird with chemistry

2009-09-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

so you've been noticing i've got a dictionary i've been pulling pages out of to create some postcards from home, right? i found this one page i thought the daughter might like - with the chemical elements. it has sortofa graphic appeal to me. And then i got something in the mail - i can't even remember what it was - that had this sweet little bird on it. for some reason i decided they'd look good together. i slapped that dictionary page down, then trimmed that bird from the page he was on and added him on top of that page. I took a little tim holtz distress ink in linen, then tea dye, and finished the whole thing off with some ultra-thick embossing powder - then cracked it. i'm rather pleased with the outcome.

i ended up mounting the whole thing on a card base - that UTE powder - well it kinda warps a bit - at least for me :-)

so i figured it was safer to send to my daughter as a card in an envelope - than to hope it would go thru the postal service as a postcard.

that's all for today. i've got something fun to post - at least i think so - but i've gotta wait til it's reached its destination :-) - don't wanna spoil the suprise.

a few more postcards

2009-09-29T10:32:00.005-05:00

been workin, doin stuff around the house, and trying to make stuff in between. I bought some new things (birthday money :-)) which i'll try and show as i go. Also been playing with stamps and such for christmas cards. (i'm thinking i'm makin batches of different cards this year - instead of one christmas card... we'll see what actually happens LOL)

in the meantime, i'll post a couple more postcards from home. Have a good one ~

Doing a happy aunt dance

2009-09-22T10:50:00.003-05:00

My nephew called me yesterday (well actually Sunday but we played phone tag for a day) to tell me he and his long time girlfriend are engaged.
This wasn't entirely surprising - he'd told me a few months back they were talking about it and had gone ring shopping. But still - hearing it is finally official - and hearing how he asked her - well it just made me so happy and ... yes I got all teary :-)
This kid has a most special place in my heart. He's my first nephew (i have 16), my sister's child... and he is just the best nephew you could ever hope to have. I love him like he's one of my own.
His fiance - well this girl is a doll. We loved her the minute we met her - she just fit right in - kwim? She's funny and sweet and well we just love her.
Anyway... I wanted to send him and his fiance a card. They love getting my cards - and of course those are the people you enjoy sending them to! I used the Stampinup set "Together Forever" (i may have to use it for a wedding card in a little over a year from now!); nestabilities and some grosgrain ribbon. I must get a decent scissor just for ribbons (I've been saying this for forever - i'm doing it in the next few days! Enough is enough - I've ruined enough ribbon for heavenssake! I really wanted a slanted cut on those ribbon tails... but this will have to do!) Oh... I'd like to say this aqua-ish cardstock is really a much lovelier shade - very pale and looks really great with the black... it just isn't showing up so good here. Also there is a little shmutz on the scan... its not on the card.... i'm just sayin. Oh yeah - and I printed off the "You're Engaged" on my printer then cut it out....
Have a great day kids!

Postcards from Home Returns

2009-09-21T05:55:00.007-05:00

I mentioned previously I'd started sending my daughter postcards. I'd sent my son postcards randomly over say the last 2 yrs he was at college. I thought she might enjoy the same thing. I, of course, enjoy doing it. The postcards aren't works of art. They are more "playtime": whatever i feel like doing at the time - stamps i feel like stamping, pencils i want to draw/color with etc... i have a little canvas and i can fill it with whatever suits my fancy at that given moment in time.

Daughter is at art school - she understands the need for stretching one's creative wings. She also appreciates my love of making things. And i think she knows these postcards serve 2 purposes (at least) - I get to make things + i get to send her my love. (i certainly email all the time but there is nothing like getting real mail at college!)

So, without further ta-doo... I am posting a few postcards I've already sent. Believe it or not, I've actually got a small stack I've made and haven't mailed yet. (i'm ahead of the game... who knew!)

Oh -I think i mentioned before - but if i didn't - I mailed the first postcard with a hole punch and one of those metal rings - so she could punch the postcards as they arrive - they'll all be together and she can save them that way.

You've noticed I'm doing a little gluing on these postcards (dictionary pages, things i find in the mail, tags from the dry cleaner.... as well as stamping, embossing; using ink, watercolor crayons, stamps, prismacolor pencils... yeah... everything goes this time). Have a wonderful day!

poppystamps

2009-09-16T07:54:00.003-05:00

i mentioned yesterday i got a few new stamps.

i would have gotten a few more of the PoppyStamps if they had them. They're cute and different from what i've seen lately. And I love anything i can color in.

Anyhow, I picked up Peggy Polkadot and made a little card. I used some Basic Grey Wisteria (had that paper for so long!), a quickutz dragonfly die, a nestablilities die; and i used prismas and copics to color in Peggy.

well i'm off to see what else i can make.... have a good one...

more birthday

2009-09-15T10:57:00.006-05:00

so i still haven't started my new job - Friday is my first day. So with a few more days to myself I decided to #1 - buy a few new stamps :-) and #2 make a few cards.

Yesterday i visited a local stamp store. Bought a few stamps. I'd seen these PoppyStamps online and they had a few in the store yesterday.

I indulged :-)

Bought the large kitty stamp and decided it would be a good choice to use on a card for my nephew - (he has 2 cats of his own) his birthday is the end of this week . I fooled around with some copics on the cat but decided i liked my prismas this time to color the kitty. But he lacked the proper festive-wear, if you will. So I cut him out a party hat. Yeah... that'll put this kitty in the party mode.

The cardstock is Lasting Impressions; the "celebrate" is Hero Arts I believe. I had the ribbon in my stash.

Let's see - I also made some thank you cards over the weekend:

I'd wanted to make some thank you's and also wanted to try using some stamps I hadn't really used (at least successfully). So I went on Splitcoast Stampers and took a look around. I really wish i could remember the name of the person who made the card that got me started - but suffice it to say she stamped with white craft ink onto a dark blue cardstock - i loved how hers came out. I thought i'd try that and then create cards of my own using that stamped sheet of cardstock.

Okay... that's all for today kids. I'll have to upload some "postcards from home" in the next few days. Til then, be good!

Happy Labor Day weekend kids

2009-09-05T12:47:00.003-05:00

yes.. it has been a while

and a lot has happened in the past, what? 7 months since I last posted anything.

Between work, having 2 kids graduate (1 college, 1 high school), leaving aforementioned job, beginning a new one, shipping one child off to college... well I haven't lacked for things to do. I said I started a new job - I did some training for the new one and am waiting to actually start... so I've had a few glorious days to do whatever came to mind.

I've started sending postcards to my new college girl (and she's enjoying them). So I'll be posting those soon I spose. (I even sent her a hole punch and one of those metal rings - so she can save them).

The other day I was in the Walmart and saw these cute K&Company birthday hat embellishments and thought they'd make cute, easy cards. I haven't made cards in - how long... sheesh ... I don't even know. So I cut up some paper and ran it through the Cuttlebug with an embossing folder; cut up some cardstock and ran some of it through my Cuttlebug with some Nestabilities - voila... cards! They came out kinda cute and I was feelin more like the old me :-)

Oh i should mention I made one card not pictured here for a friend - Happy Birthday Michele

I'd like to say I'll be posting more often - but I'm just not sure quite yet how much free time I'll be getting. But I will say I'm gonna try :-)

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T11:38:00.003-05:00

yes, it's been ages since i've posted. yes, i've been makin stuff but i've had zero time to blog. actually i don't have much time right now so i'm gonna make this short and sweet.

I made my valentines for some dear friends this past week. I'd been planning on making them for a month. Bought a new stamp. Stamped it probably 30 times, testing out coloring options etc. When all was said and done i just wasn't happy with the ideas I had for that particular card. I was pondering what to do. I started going thru my supplies, looking for something completely different (i believe it was a scalloped edged scissor ) and I found this package of heart shaped doilies I'd bought years ago. I'd set them aside to make Valentines one day. We used to make Valentines with doilies when i was a kid and when i saw them in the store I bought them with that intention.

Well, finding the doilies set me off in an entirely different direction for my Valentines this year. I trashed the idea of using that new stamp - it just wasn't working. And isn't that often the way things work? You have one idea in your head and sometimes... often... you end up in an entirely different place.

So I'll be putting away that new stamp. One year, I'll come across it and it will be used. I have a lot of stuff in my craft room like that. I'd bought the patterned paper you see in this valentine for my Christmas cards. (I made a bunch of Christmas cards... but they are being saved for next year ... yeah that's the way life's been for a few months... just totally crazy and out of control busy).

Details on the card: patterned paper is Basic Grey; I used a Martha punch to make the borders; the bird stamp is from Character Constructions.

It's pretty simple but you know... I like it.

Hope to talk to you all again soon!

Happy Valentine's Day!

more halloween

2008-10-24T20:36:00.002-05:00

I know... another Halloween card but hey I'm running out of time - and i've got a lot of cute Halloween stamps.
Seems every year I find some new stamps, buy them - sure that I'll make cards and then...I run out of time. This year I'm determined to use 'em!
And i think i really like these Purple Onion Designs Halloween Border Tapes. There are two different sentiments - the one here "Happy Hallowen" and the "Trick or Treat".
I'm also trying to use what I have - in terms of paper and cardstock. I have tons of cardstock scraps - every color of the rainbow - nicely filed in my cardstock scrap files (organized by color of course). And I have tons of patterned paper (also arranged by color and, in this case, by holiday.) so I just went to the stash and found this Creative Imaginations paper (by Debbie Mumm). Ran the orange cardstock through the Cuttlebug with the swiss dot embossing folder. Throw in some tape to put it all together and I was done. Easy but cute card!
(yes ... i broke down and bought the Cuttlebug. It was 50% off and I said "SOLD". I was using my Cuttlebug embossing folders with my zipemate - it worked ok but it was getting more and more difficult. And these days I'm over anything that gives me a struggle. And I gotta tell you - that Cuttlebug just makes it soooooo easy. Runs that embossing folder right on thru with not a speck of resistance. That's what I'm talkin about.) I will make a few more of this card as I've got a bit more of that paper.
This is a bad precedent to set - 2 posts in one day but I'm doing it. I have to go into work tomorrow (Saturday... blasphemy) and I've got an eye doctor appointment after that - finally doing something I need (I'm bad at that but I'm workin on it). Talk to you soon!

another halloween card -- eek!

2008-10-24T06:47:00.002-05:00

okay here's the Purple Onion Noteblock for Halloween with a background using the Purple Onion Damask stamp (in versamark and clear embossed). I was fooling around last nite with stamps - listening to Dirty Sexy Money online (very amusing program - perfect accompaniment whilst stamping- not serious and you don't have to pay too close attention ;-)).

anywho... and although i'm not completely satisfied with this (i couldn't find just the right ribbon and buttons didn't look right at all) i'm happy enough. It was a very relaxing exercise. I'm only sorry I didn't get any more cards made.

gotta run.... have a good day all

2008-10-22T01:11:00.004-05:00

here are a few birthday cards i've made recently

Alittle funky for me i guess but i kinda like them. Every once in a while you gotta try something different right?

i really love the new noteblock stamps by Purple Onion Designs - can't wait to try out some others!

playing with some new stamps

2008-10-12T14:33:00.004-05:00

i got some new Purple Onion Designs stamps - you can see them here

i made a few birthday cards but i also got a chance to start on some halloween cards. it's my first one so far but i kinda like it.

i've got a few more ideas - hopefully i'll get to make them during the week (i'm gonna try!). i'll post the birthday ones soon too.

hope you all are makin stuff too! talk to you soon!

the birthday queen

2008-10-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

says

Happy Birthday June!

Lots of cake, ice cream and presents for you on your day!

Happy Anniversary....

2008-10-06T07:00:00.009-05:00

hard to believe - 24 years. But then of course I look at the photo and i think ... uh yeah... that was a few years ago.

I know its been a while. The last few weeks have been extremely hectic. I've felt a little too crazed to be blogging. I did have some time here and there to make a few cards so i'll post them here now while i've got another few moments.

thought i'd start out with the anniversary card for my husband. I had some text paper (probably 7Gypsies but i really can't recall whose it is) that I aged with Distress Antique Linen ink. I cut the oval with my Nestabilities; all the stamps are from Purple Onion Designs (see a link on your right). Oh the white paper I stamped on for the "chapter 24" is from PapertreyInk and its just the most wonderful, thick white cardstock i've ever stamped on... you need it!

Here's the calendar page for August/September i had mentioned previously. I made myself a calendar for work - i needed the current month plus the next month (and i couldn't find anything I liked). I made pages through the end of the year and put them in a 5x7 acrylic frame. The empty portion on the right is taken up by a post-it note pad i affix to the acrylic frame (put on your imagination caps for me kids... imagine it). I used some Basic Grey paper i had hanging around and stamped the calendar months with stamps from Purple Onion Designs (i will make next years calendar when Michele at Purple Onion puts out the 2009 calendar stamps!)

Let's see what else - I made these two thank you's for my dear friends June and Mary who were so sweet to me on my birthday recently. They met me at a nearby place to eat - set up a little birthday celebration for me. June gave me these wonderful stamps - I love them June!

I love the stamps so much I used them again to make this birthday card for Barbara - well i should say the typewriter image is from the set June gave me. I also used a sentiment on the inside of the card. Here you see the image, to which i added the "hb"(for happy birthday) and a sentiment from a stamp set by Club Scrap (i believe). Some KI Memories text paper and i used my little punch from SU! to create the scallop and a corner rounder from Creative Memories as well as some thick black grosgrain ribbon - i think it was from Walmart.

Here's the card I made for my nephew for his most recent birthday. I used a Paisley Cuttleburg embossing folder in the blue background; Paisley stamps from Purple Onion Designs in the kraft colored background (stamped with Versamark); circles cut with Nestabilities and the cake is made from dies from Quickutz; and a few DCWV brads that were just the perfect color to match the blue cardstock (i love when that happens). The adorable sentiment is from The Cat's Pajamas and given to me for my birthday from Mary.

I think i could post one more but I gotta run.

Happy Birthday Michelle!

2008-09-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Birthday Queen needed to dust off her birthday wand this month - she's been a little lax keepin up with her birthday duties of late, dontchaknow.

A big Happy Birthday to Michelle!!!

Hope it's an extra special day and the beginning of a wonderful year miss!

thinking of you

2008-08-30T08:11:00.003-05:00

I really am... thinking of you all.
I have been among the missing - well at least in blog-land.
And a bit at home -when I think about it.
I went back to work - full time. I haven't worked full time in a long time. I've worked part time for many years. Mostly during the day when my kids were at school.
Since the store closed a year and a half ago, I'd been looking for another job. I had a few detours along the way as most of you know. My mom had a set back a year ago which required that I set aside my search for a bit.
Regardless, I started my job mid July and its been crazy around here ever since. My son is back at college and my daughter begins her senior year in high school. I've had a few car issues over the last six weeks too. (it's as if the car knew i started this job i swear!). Just getting used to the new schedule hasn't been too hard (although come Tuesday, adding daughter's schedule in should be a trip) but making myself go to bed at a reasonable hour has taken some getting used to! You all know I tended to stay up too late LOL! No more of that anymore. And of course there are the weekends which are even shorter than before. Not enough hours in a day and certainly not in the weekends!
One weekend I was able to get in a little visit with my friend June - Hi June! We went to Angela's Happy Stamper - for a little girl time. I had no idea that they were having a special event that day - crazy luck! We received a goodie bag when we walked in the door - a nice little bag filled with this and that. We shopped for a bit - it was busy but not outrageous and we were able to find some things we needed (needed is operative word in this sentence since neither June nor I need anything LOL). I picked up the apples stamp you see in the card here. I wish it scanned up better - i was really pleased how the coloring came out - i used a mix of Prismacolor and Copic markers (dont get me started on those Copics - i swore i wouldn't get started with those and now I'm goin straight to hell is all I can say. I've picked up a few...... i reallllllly like them). I made the card for my nephew and his girlfriend who came to visit a few weekends ago. I also used a Purple Onion Designs sentiment - the "thinking of you" - I just love it.
I also made a cute little calendar for my desk at work using the Purple Onion Designs Vintage Calendar Stamps (individual months) - but i just realized I forgot to scan in any of the pages! I'm gonna bring it home one night this week and do that cos it came out cute, was easy to do, and I think you'd all like it. I was needing a calendar with the current month and next month on it. I was going to run over to Staples and pick one up and then thought - why? I can make a much prettier calendar - and exactly what I want - all by myself.
Anyway, I digress as usual. I want to thank those of you who emailed me -wondering if all was okay. We're all good here in the burg. Just a little tired and working on adjusting. I will close out this little blog entry with this. I rediscovered a few things over the past 6 weeks:

I can actually go to bed before midnight!
It's amazing how much you can get done in a lunch hour
I can make it through the day without a nap (who knew!)
Its really nice knowing you have friends who are thinkin boutcha. (i knew that before - i just got a nice reaffirmation)
I need to make things - the few things I was able to make - well it just made me happy! I may not make as much stuff, but I'll keep makin things whenever I can fit it in. And I will be fitting it in.

A little beach

2008-07-08T08:30:00.006-05:00

a quick post here to show some recent cards.
I stamped, with versamark, the shells (from a retired StampinUp! set) and clear embossed. I colored the shells with white Caran D'ache watercolor crayon and then used a water pen to make a wash out of that crayon. I like the effect of the white on the kraft colored stock. I cut out the sand dollar with a quickutz die. I'm not really crazy about how this card scanned up but trust me it does not curl up like that along the bottom of the mat for the sand dollar.

Here's a similar card - I'd stamped a whole sheet of that shell so I was going to use it! This time I used a seahorse brass embossing plate and ran it through my zipemate and was happy to discover that works! Then I stamped a little sentiment from Purple Onion Designs.

I had to take a photo of the seahorse card because that seahorse was just not scanning at all.
Okay - gotta run here.
Enjoy your day all!

sorry its been so long

2008-07-07T08:43:00.002-05:00

things have been quite busy. all last week was crazy. partly due to the holiday, part because of events around here and partly because we'd be going away over the holiday weekend.

I'm tired.

We drove up to Massachusetts on Friday - took us around 10.5 hours (including a little detour in Connecticut to take a look at one of the places we used to live). Saturday we went to the wedding of our eldest niece. A really lovely wedding.

Then back on the road on Sunday at 8:45. We arrived home close to 12 hours later (including another side trip to see our other 2 former residences in Connecticut... 16 years changes things!)

I did a few loads of laundry last nite and watched a little television; did a little web surfing then to bed.

I think its going to take a few days to recover LOL. But this morning I had to make a thank you to our little neighbor who took care of our kitties. Nothing fancy - and believe me this looks sooo much better in person (it doesnt glow in person like it does here ... oy!). I need to drop this off at her house this morning and get a few errands out of the way.

Happy Birthday Lauren

2008-06-30T06:00:00.002-05:00

The birthday queen wants to shout out to one of her favorite bloggers (and fellow Jersey-Carvel-and-Cake-Lovin-Girl) Lauren . I'm posting this in hopes the mailman was speedy (like Mr. Feely) and delivered this card today - i hate to ruin your surprise Lauren but just in case - you'll see it here first! I hand cut the cake out of some scrap cardstock I'd drawn on. (Lauren is fond of cutting and gluing - now arentcha Lauren?) I had some cute polka dot DCWV paper and I found a nice slice of Making Memories paper (the ruled pp at the top) that I stamped on - those alpha stamps are my favorite Purple Onion Designs Alpha (outside of Lizziebelle, of course ;-)) Garamouche.

Anyway, for those of you who haven't read Lauren's blog - do yourself a favor - and check it out. Not only does she make the most fabulous stuff - you will roll laughing every day. She's just TOO MUCH! And that's a good thing!

some shop cards

2008-06-29T09:19:00.006-05:00

I was in the mood the other night to glue. I hauled out my quickutz binder and handtool and decided on this bee die and off to work I went. I made a bunch o'bees. I knew I had some of this yellow gingham Making Memories paper hanging around (from the day 1 at least) - its a good basic paper isn't it? i knew i'd use it one day - and that day had arrived. The sentiment is computer printed - i just didnt have a stamp sentiment large enough so there you are.

I had a little black gingham ribbon but knew I didn't have enough for the six cards I'd planned to make. Hauled out the 2 boxes of ribbon I've got and found some self-adhesive stitched black ribbon i think worked out quite nicely. i did a little piercing around one of the circles and decided I didn't want to do that on all of them - just didnt have the concentration that was required to make them nice and evely spaced that night.

these next ones are kinda simple - that's the way it seems to go. i make some elaborate cards (or, for me, they're elaborate) then i want to make something very plain. This one makes me think of Neopolitan Ice Cream (ya think?) Anyway the right most panel scanned up bluish when, in fact, its the same tan color as the center circle (and the tan stripe - whatsupwiththat?)

I have a bunch more cards to share but I'll save those for another day. I need to get going - it may be Sunday- but that seems, sometimes, like my busiest day of the week.

Birthday-ville

2008-06-27T15:22:00.001-05:00

or birthday city or whatever you want to call it - that's what is goin on around here. My husband and my sons birthday - yesterday and today. So the week has been occupied with that. Yesterday our A/C decided to quit - just in the main part of the house (the upstairs and the rec room basement area was ok - the basement is always cool even without the A/C) - only put a slight damper on our birthday festivities. Good call made by the birthday boy yesterday to ask for Carvel Ice Cream Cake! Ice cream always tastes especially good in hot weather dontcha think? Anyway, I made the son this card.

I've been making a lot of cards the last few days - the coffee shop is in need of replenishment, right June? I'll be posting those in the next few days.

Fortunately I was able to get the A/C guy out here today and I am now sitting in Cools-ville. Which is ever such a nice place to be!

I need to make this quick here - I should be getting ready - we're going out for a little birthday celebration. It will be just my husband and myself. Son has his second job to go to and the daughter is off on her adventure. I have to admit its strange not having her around - and son not joining in on the birthday for his Dad (last nite sorta made up for it but still....). I guess we're entering that new phase huh? In some ways its disconcerting - and in other ways its kinda nice. It's not like its happened all at once of course. Your kids slowly move on to the next stages - little by little they are doing their own stuff. I guess why I'm thinking of it is because of the birthdays. Before my daughter left, she - who I never thought of as sentimental - mentioned she'd be missing the boys birthdays for the first time ever.

Oh well. Have a good one!

i like choices - don't you?

2008-06-23T23:08:00.004-05:00

i bought this stamp a while ago - and natch - i haven't used it yet. (it was screaming to me - "use me" so i finally relented). I was in need of more cards for the coffee shop so I figured why not give this one a try. The card I came up with looks somewhat masculine - dontcha think? I may even make another for one of the boys (husband and son) birthdays this week.

The stamp in Inkadinkadoo. I used Ancient Page Ink to stamp the image on a piece of white cardstock I'd aged with Tim Holtz Distress Ink (yes, it was Antique Linen... my favorite). I used the Distress Ink again, here and there on the patterned paper and edges. And yes, that's more of that Basic Grey patterned paper (i really think they should bring back that line -Vagabond - great masculine lookin' paper), some brown grosgrain ribbon and one of those circle clips.

Lately, I seem to forget to mention movies and shows we've been renting or watching. But this weekend we rented the 2nd and 3rd DVD's of Weeds - Season 3. I absolutely love that program. It's not for everyone (and def not for the kids) but we are amused here. Ok... enough for tonite. I think I'll have a few more things to post over the next couple o'days. talk to you soon!