i heart scrapbooking

Out with the old...

2012-01-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

...in with the new. I apologize to all the followers of this blog - I have not posted here in over a year! For that reason, and the fact that I'm going in a bit of a different "crafty" direction, I will not be continuing this blog. But don't you worry - I've started a new one! Come check it out at www.paperyummies.blogspot.com. I just created it today, so I've only posted a welcome message, but I promise lots of paper yummies to come! Thanks, and I hope to see you all at the new blog.

The Twelve Cards of Christmas: Card 4

2010-12-12T21:44:00.000-08:00

I hope everybody had a great weekend. Here is card 4 in my "Twelve Cards of Christmas" series. Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock is Recollections (kraft), Georgia Pacific (white), and Bazzill (dark green Dotted Swiss); stamps are Sandylion (bicycle), KI Memories (tree and mittens), and I can't remember who made the merry Christmas stamp; ink is Tsukineko (Versafine Onyx black); images colored using Prismacolor markers; brads are Bazzill; ribbon is Creative Cafe; scallop border punch is EK Success; twine is Darice; white gel pen is Signo Uniball; sewing machine is Janome Sew Mini; thread is Singer; button is from Michael's

The Twelve Cards of Christmas: Card 3

2010-12-10T22:18:00.000-08:00

Welcome, everybody! Here is the third card in my "Twelve Cards of Christmas" series. Enjoy!

Supplies: cardstock is Recollections; stamps are Hero Arts (reindeer and background) and Walmart ("warm wishes"); die-cut window is Nestabilities; inks are Joann (white), Tsukineko (Versafine Onyx black), and Clearsnap (Colorbox Scarlet red); ribbon is Creative Cafe; button is Michael's; reindeer colored in Prismacolor markers; glitter glue is Stickles by Ranger (Xmas Red on reindeer nose and sentiment, Frosted Lace on window); corner rounder is We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.

The Twelve Cards of Christmas: Card 2

2010-12-09T22:57:00.000-08:00

Here is the second card in my "Twelve Cards of Christmas" series. Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock is Recollections (kraft) and Georgia Pacific (white), Plaid background stamp is Hero Arts, Santa and Merry Christmas stamps are Craftsmart for Michael's ($1 bin), inks are Tsukineko (Versamark for background and Versafine Onyx Black for Santa), patterned paper is Anna Griffin, die cut is Nestabilities Labels 13, image is colored using Prismacolor markers, glitter glue is Stickles by Ranger (Diamond color), Liquid Pearls by Ranger on hat trim, corner rounder is We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.

The Twelve Cards of Christmas: Card 1

2010-12-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, everybody! Here is the first of my "Twelve Cards of Christmas" series. Hope you enjoy!

Supplies: cardstock is Recollections (kraft) and Georgia Pacific (white), stamps are Hero Arts (merry christmas) and Studio G by Hampton Art (Santa's clothesline), ink is Tsukineko (Versafine Onyx Black), ribbon is Creative Cafe, images colored using Prismacolor markers, corner rounder is We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, glitter glue is Stickles by Ranger (Frosted Lace and Goldenrod)

Happy Cyber Monday!

2010-11-29T20:57:00.000-08:00

I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I've been outta touch with blogging lately, but I'll be back in the swing of things soon. I'm designing a card class to teach at my LSS, so I'll be posting the cards here soon. It's "The 12 Cards of Christmas". If you're here locally and are interested in the class(es), they're next week, December 6, 8, and 10 at Pages In Progress. I'll be doing 4 different cards each session. Sign up for one, two, or all three. I'd love to have you! And if you're not in the Tucson area, well just stay tuned... I'll be back to posting really soon!

Happy Halloween card (and a challenge)

2010-10-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

Well the weather here in southern Arizona is finally cooling off...and you know what that means!?! Halloween is coming! YAY! I absolutely LOVE all things Halloween! Well, I challenged myself to make a Halloween card without using any black...and here it is. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. If any of you are so inclined, I'd love to see your take on a Halloween card using no black. Leave me a link in the comments, and I'll come check it out. Thanks for looking!
Supplies: kraft cardstock is Recollections, white cardstock (for stamped image) is Georgia Pacific, patterned papers are My Mind's Eye, image stamp is Stampin Up! ("Greeting Card Kids" set), colored with Prismacolor markers, sentiment stamp is The Paper Company Studio ("Jeepers Creepers" set), ink is Memento Rich Cocoa by Tsukineko, border punch is EK Success, corner rounder is We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, tulle is from Joann, twine is Darice, and the machine stitching was done with the Janome Sew Mini and Singer thread.
Close-up of stitching/tulle/sentiment:

Congratulations card

2010-09-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hello, everybody! I don't know how the weather is where you are, but even here in hot ol' Arizona, you can feel a change in the air the past couple of days. Now don't get me wrong, we don't have a "fall" season here so I can't say that autumn is nearing, but when I mowed the lawn yesterday, it wasn't ridiculously hot! YAY! Anyway, I just love the colors in this line from My Mind's Eye So Sophie "Graceful" collection. They are so rich and warm, and have a lovely autumnal feeling to them. I can pretend right???

Supplies: Bazzill Chiffon cardstock, Creative Imaginations Corrugated Paper (Kraft), My Mind's Eye So Sophie "Graceful" patterned papers, Marvy square punch, EK Success scallop punch, American Crafts stamp, Tsukineko ink (Rich Cocoa), Darice hemp cording, machine stitching.
Another view. Each square is attached with a pop dot for more dimension. And if you were wondering about punching the corrugated paper, it was pretty easy with this punch, but I think I would avoid a more intricate border pattern. The paper is pretty thick, so a bigger, simpler pattern works best.

Thanks for looking!

It's been too long

2010-09-02T09:55:00.001-07:00

When I saw this giraffe stamp from Technique Tuesday, I immediately knew I wanted to use it on an A10 card. So, I added it to this card as part of my "Strictly Business" class for August. I really like the way it turned out. The finished size is 8.5" x 4". Thanks for looking!
Supplies: Brown cardstock is Bazzill, patterned papers are Bo Bunny and Jillibean Soup, stamps are Technique Tuesday, ink is Tsukineko, border punches are Martha Stewart and Fiskars, ribbons are Creative Imaginations, thread is Singer (machine stitching).
Another view:

i'm sorry card

2010-08-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here is another card from my August "Strictly Business" card class. I really like shaped papers, but don't often get to use them on cards. I thought an A10 card (finished size is 9x4) would finally allow me to use those cute shaped papers, like this one from My Mind's Eye. Thanks for looking!
Supplies: Kraft and brown cardstocks are Bazzill, patterned paper is My Mind's Eye, flower punch and circle punch are Marvy, brads are Bazzill, ink (around edges) is Tim Holtz Distress in Antique Linen, Cricut Simply Sweet for sentiment, machine stitching

tweet tweet

2010-08-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

I hope everybody had a great weekend! Here is one of the cards I taught in my August "Strictly Business" card class. I recently learned how to sew, and now I'm outta control!! I'm sewing on everything I can get my hands on. So...you may notice that every project from now on will probably have some amount of sewing on it. While it did make kitting my class a bit of a chore, I think it was worth it. I think the gals in my class appreciated that it was all done for them. Anyway, the finished size of this card is 8.5" x 4". Isn't it tweet?
Supplies: patterned paper is American Crafts, cardstocks are Bazzill and American Crafts, stamp is CraftSmart (Michael's $1 bin), ink is Versafine Onyx, Prismacolor markers, circle punch is Marvy, ribbon is Creative Imaginations, Nestabilities Labels 6 and Petite Scalloped Circles, words are computer generated, stick pin is Dritz, "embossed" grid done with Scor-Pal, and machine stitching with Singer thread

Here is a close-up of the "embossed" grid. I used my Scor-Pal to score horizontal and vertical lines every 1/2". The "tweet tweet" was computer generated, and I cut the tag shape freehand. Thanks for looking!

u r sweet

2010-08-18T22:10:00.001-07:00

Hi, everybody! Here is a card I made and taught in my "Strictly Business" class. The overall size is 9x4. Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock is Georgia Pacific, patterned papers are My Mind's Eye, ribbon is Bazzill, border punches are EK Success and Martha Stewart, die cut label is Nestabilities, die cut strawberry is Cricut Indie Art, stamps are KI Memories, ink is Staz-On, glitter on strawberry is Stickles by Ranger.

Wishing you were here

2010-08-08T16:19:00.001-07:00

Here is another card I made as part of my "Strictly Business" card class. This card is 8.5" tall and 4" wide, and fits in a regular business-size envelope (hence the name of my class :)). I think it turned out pretty darn cute. I especially love the detail on this American Crafts stamp. Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstocks are Bazzill, patterned papers are October Afternoon, stamp is American Crafts, ink is Memories (cherry red), border punch is EK Success, corner rounder is WRMK Corner Chomper, ribbon is Bo Bunny, embossing folder is Cuttlebug (Moroccan screen), stick pins are Dritz, and red glitter glue is Stickles by Ranger.

Here's a close-up of the American Crafts stamp. I stamped it on the yellow patterned paper by October Afternoon, and then trimmed around it using Cutterbee scissors. Then I used Xmas Red Stickles on the word "YOU".

And here are my stick pins. They were originally a pearly red, but I added Stickles to them for a glittery effect.

Play all day (mosaic layout)

2010-07-24T19:02:00.001-07:00

Here is another photo mosaic layout I did recently. I just loved these pictures of Jaxon (my LSS owner's grandson) and all his Geo-Trax, and I thought they'd make a great mosaic layout. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. Thanks for looking!

Supplies: Kraft cardstock by Bazzill, patterned paper by Queen & Co., gingham brads by Making Memories, and Core'dinations cardstock for the title (I ran a strip through my Dymo punch label maker)
Sorry that first picture is kinda blurry. Here's a closer/clearer one:

Have a dino-mite birthday (CPS sketch 174)

2010-07-10T01:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's my second time playing along with a sketch from Card Positioning Systems, and I'm really enjoying myself. Here is my card for sketch 174, which you can see here. This sketch was a great challenge for this linear brain of mine...I never skew or offset anything, so it was great to have a reason to do so. Thanks for looking!
The kraft cardstock is Recollections, all patterned papers are KI Memories, border punches are EK Success, dinosaur stamp is Prima stamped with Staz-On Timber Brown ink, glitter glue is Stickles by Ranger, ribbon is Basic Basic from Michael's, handwriting was done with American Crafts Memory Markers, stick pin is Dritz and the stopper on the tip is an earring back, machine stitched thread is Singer, and I used Prismacolor markers to color the dinosaur's scales and limbs.

Close-up of bow and pin:

Another view:

hello sweet baby

2010-07-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a baby card I made as part of a class I'm teaching called "Strictly Business", which features cards that fit in a business-size envelope (or A10). The stamp is by Technique Tuesday and reads "hello sweet baby: the world is a bit brighter now that you are here". The elephant die cut is from the Cricut Holiday Cakes cartridge. Cardstocks are Bazzill and Georgia Pacific, patterned paper is My Mind's Eye Lush Collection, ink is Staz-On Jet Black, buttons are Creative Imaginations, floss is DMC, scallop border punch is EK Success, ribbon is American Crafts, flocking on the elephant's ear is Fun Flock by Stampendous and is adhered with Glossy Accents by Ranger, corner rounder is We-R-Memory Keepers Corner Chomper. Thanks for looking!

***Edited to add the measurements*** This card measures 9 inches long by 4 inches wide, so the base cardstock was cut at 9 x 8 and folded in half. Thanks to Victoria for the comment :)

Thinking of you

2010-06-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hello, everybody! Here is a card I made using a sketch from Card Positioning Systems. I've never really used card sketches, but have been eyeballing their sketches for awhile now. After seeing all the great sketches and what the fabulous designers do with them, I decided to take a shot at it. For this card, I used last week's sketch (number 172, which you can see here). I changed a couple of the elements up a little bit, but I think it still works for the sketch. This card measures 9 inches tall x 4 inches wide, and fits in a standard business size (A10) envelope.

Here's a close-up of the Versamark background. If you've never used Versamark, you should! LOL...it's a watermark ink, so it just makes a very subtle background, but it adds some visual interest without adding a distracting color. It's also very slow-drying, so it's great to use with embossing powders.

And here's a close-up of the cute little "hi" stamp. Oh yeah...by the way...this stamp is the one I used with the Versamark for the yellow background. I love how the word "hi" didn't show up using the Versamark and made my little stamp that much more versatile. YAY!!! :)

Here are the deets (details...yes, I know I'm a nerd...lol) : cardstocks are Bazzill, patterned paper is The Girls' Paperie, stamps are KI Memories, inks are Versamark (for creating the background on the yellow cardstock) and Staz-On Timber Brown, the dark blue strip was cut at the bottom using Nestabilities Labels 9 and embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots, notebook border punch (sorry, don't know the real name) is EK Success, ribbon is Bazzill, hemp cord is Darice, corner rounder is We-R-Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, and the brown pen for the little accent dots is American Crafts.

Thanks for looking!

{azaleas} photo mosaic layout

2010-06-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Here is another photo mosaic layout (as promised). I used these great pictures my mom took when my parents visited our relatives in Oklahoma this past April. I just love these pictures of the beautiful azaleas in bloom and all the lush greenery. I used Bazzill cardstock in Kraft and Raven. For the title, I used white chipboard Thickers by American Crafts, but glitzed them up a bit with some Frosted Lace Stickles glitter glue by Ranger.
Here is a close-up. I don't know if you can see the glitter all that well, but it sure does look pretty in real life :)

Thanks for looking! And again, you can click on any picture to enlarge it.

The great outdoors

2010-05-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hello, everybody! I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything in the last couple of months. Things have been kinda crazy around here, but I've recently completed a few projects and will be posting them in the next few days. Thanks for being patient with me. Hopefully you'll enjoy these projects. I've been on a photo mosaic kick, and it's really helped me get some pictures down on paper. This first one is called "The great outdoors" and I used some pictures I took here in southern Arizona. I used Bazzill cardstock for the base, the black squares, and the title. The title was cut using the Cricut Expression and the "Opposites Attract" cartridge. Thanks for looking!

"Delightful little things" shadowbox

2010-02-24T09:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've never done a project quite like this one before, but I must say, I am quite pleased with how it turned out. And guess what...I actually put MY pictures in it, and I'm KEEPING it!!! That's huge for me, since most of what I make I give to other people. I don't even have a scrapbook of my own pictures, but I've made plenty for others. Anyway, here is a shadowbox that I made into a piece of "scrapbook-related home decor." The box itself has an overall size of 11" x 14", and is divided into 12 compartments. It came with glass, but I removed it. Here is a little peek...

The inspiration for my title came from one of the stamps I used on it. The set is from Technique Tuesday, and it is just fantastic. So many stamps are geared towards card-making, but this set is awesome for scrapbooking. And I got SO MUCH use out of it. Here is my inspiration: "Memories are delightful little things"

And here is my finished product, minus pictures. ***I will be teaching this project as a class at my LSS, Pages In Progress, on Saturday, March 13, 2010. Space is very limited (10 seats), so if you're in Tucson or the surrounding areas and want to take this class, please contact the store. Cost is $45, and it includes the shadowbox. Everything will come pre-cut, stamped, punched, embossed, etc. All you need to do is assemble and add your pictures.*** Sorry for the shameless plug... anyway, here is the shadowbox completely decorated, minus pictures. (You can click on the picture to enlarge it and see more detail)

Here are my pictures of my beautiful boys. The actual shadowbox is not shown in the next two pictures.

Thanks for looking! And again, if you are in southern Arizona and would like to take this class, please contact Pages In Progress. Reserve your seat early! :)

My new rubber stamp shelf...I'm in love!!!!

2009-11-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

For awhile now, I've been looking for a new way to store all my rubber stamps so that they are easily accessible and don't take up a lot of wall space. I think I've done it, and I can proudly say I did it ALL BY MYSELF!!! Here is a picture of the finished product, followed by a step-by-step picture tutorial for anybody else who might like to try it. Click on any picture to make it larger. Thanks for looking!

Here is the "naked" shelf, which I purchased from Michael's. The normal price is $49.99 (a little steep, I know), but with all the coupons out there, I know none of us ever buy anything at full price. :)

Here's the label on top of the shelf, to help you identify the correct one:

For my first step, I used a level and a pencil to extend a line even with the top of the first shelf:

I then continued that line around to the side of the shelf, across the back, and around to the other side of the same shelf:

I measured the distance between the top of the first shelf and the top of the entire unit, and figured out the number of tray inserts I could fit in this space. Each tray insert is about 1.25", and I used 1/4" dowels as my supports. Once again using my level and a pencil, I drew horizontal lines showing where each row would be. I flipped my level and made vertical lines representing how far apart the front and rear dowels would be:

I continued the horizontal lines across the back:

I made the same markings on the other side:

I drilled holes for my dowels where the vertical and horizontal lines intersect, except at the level of each existing shelf. Even though there are staple marks showing where each existing shelf is, I still penciled in the word "shelf" to remind myself not to drill holes there:

I used a 1/4" drill bit and drilled holes in the appropriate places:

I used these dowels, also purchased at Michael's. They are 1/4" x 12", and they come 10 to a pack, for $1.99:

I inserted my dowels through one side of the unit into the corresponding hole on the opposite side:

I wanted a "shabby chic" look, so I decided to crackle paint my shelf. I used DecoArt crackle medium and Apple Barrel paint (Satin Cream color), also from Michael's.

Here's the finished crackle:

I used fabric from Hancock's Fabric, along with pom-poms by Offray and a sheet of scalloped Bazzill cardstock to dress up my shelf. The fabric was 18" x 21" and cost $1.99. I bought two pieces, one for each side of my unit. The spool of pom-poms I already had, and I found them on clearance at Walmart for $2.00. The scalloped Bazzill also came from my stash, and I distressed it slightly by dry-brushing the acrylic paint on it.

I pleated the fabric and adhered it the the shelf with my ATG. I also adhered the paper and pom-poms with my ATG:

I loaded my stamps into the trays , divided into themes. The "trays" are actually clear acrylic box frames that I purchased at Michael's and Target. They are 8" x 10". Neither store had the quantity I needed in that size, plus I had a gift card for Target, so I actually got 9 trays for free.:) The cost for these trays are $2.99 at Michael's and $3.19 at Target. I made sure to use one of Michaels' "20% off your entire purchase" coupons. If you do decide to make one of these units, you may be tempted, as I was, to use the 8.5" x 11" frames for your trays. They don't fit in the shelf! On average, I was able to fit about 17 stamps in each tray, depending on the size and arrangement. I chose this particular tray to photograph because it shows a lot of different sized stamps:

I loaded all my trays into my new stamp shelf. I was able to fit 22:
And here's my (almost) finished product. I haven't yet decided how I'm going to label each shelf. I want to do something cuter than using my label maker, I just haven't thought of the right solution. I'm also planning on putting an 8" x 10" piece of paper at the bottom of each tray and stamping each stamp in the proper place. So when a stamp is missing, I know which one it is :

I'd love to hear what you think! Also feel free to ask questions if I left something out. Thanks for looking!

A birthday tip...have your cake and eat it too

2009-11-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a cute little card I made using up some paper scraps I had after making an altered project. I also found in my stash a sheet of vintage birthday stickers by Pebbles Inc., and thought this little sticker was perfect for my card. Kraft paper for the card base is Bazzill, and the patterned papers are from a JoAnn alterable kit. Ribbon is from my stash, the border punch along the bottom is Fiskars Apron Lace, and although it is hard to see in these pics, I used a Martha Stewart punch along the bottom of the pale pink patterned paper.

Another view:

Fiskars Apron Lace border punch:

Pumpkin streusel bread...mmm...

2009-11-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

I found these cute little loaf pans at Michael's, and immediately knew I wanted to make pumpkin streusel bread for Halloween gifts. They cost $1.00, are oven- and dishwasher-safe, and Michael's usually carries them in different colors and themes. I also got the clear bags at Michael's, and it just so happened that their credit card machines were down, so everybody in the store got 20% off their entire purchase for paying cash. YAY! Anyway, I used this recipe. And the recipe made enough for 4 of these mini loaves, with plenty of streusel to top each one. I realize there are only 3 loaves in these pics, and you may be wondering about the 4th one...let me just say, it was delicious ;). For the tags, I used a Studio G $1 stamp on patterned paper by DCWV. I used Stickles glitter glue on the word "boo". Ribbons are Making Memories, and I secured the tags to the ribbons with silver brads. I thought they turned out really cute!

Another view:

Orange tag, close up:

Green tag, close up:

Purple tag, close up:

Here is what the cream colored pan looks like:

Here's what the black pan looks like:

A view of all three loaves:

BOO

2009-11-04T09:12:00.000-08:00

I know it's a few days late, but here's a Halloween card I made. I love the idea of the Sweet Treat cups from Stampin Up!, but I don't have any. So when Nilda on the Cricut MB thought of using Wilton candy molds, I knew I had to try it. I found a Halloween set at Michael's that had skulls and spiderwebs, and I used the spiderweb mold on this card. The card base is Bazzill Bling, the patterned papers are American Crafts, chipboard letters are American Crafts, fibers are from my stash, scallop punch (under fibers) is EK Success, black pen is Sakura Gelly Roll, and the mold is filled with M&Ms.

Here's a close-up of my "orange widow" spider:

Close-up of the curled corners of the spider paper:

Close-up of chipboard letter stickers:

I'm over the moon for you

2009-09-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Here is another card I made using the adorable stamp set from Sandylion (scroll down a few posts to see the set). I wanted to make a boyish card for my husband, so I picked the rocket ship stamp. I really liked the color scheme and pattern of this SEI paper (even though it's a Christmas line and it's kinda old). The blue pattern at the bottom of the card is the back side of the top pattern. The green polka dot strip is Three Bugs in a Rug. The cardstock for the base is Bazzill, and the cardstock that the stamped image is on is Georgia Pacific. I colored in the ship using Prismacolor markers, and accented using Black Diamond Stickles. I used a Heidi Swapp distresser on the edges of the papers, and the holes along the bottom are an EK Success border punch. The ribbon used for the rocket's vapor trail is Making Memories, along with the plastic glittered brackets and star sticker. The lined paper on which I wrote my sentiment is simple notebook paper that I cut down, leaving the messy "notebook" edge, and inked with Tim Holtz distress ink. The black pen I used for the sentiment is a Sakura Gelly Roll pen. Thanks for looking!

Here's a close-up of the rocket ship, colored with Prismacolor markers and accented with Black Diamond Stickles. I used thin pop-dots underneath to give it just a bit of dimension:

Here's a close-up of the notebook paper, plastic glitter stickers, and ribbon:

sweet baby boy card

2009-09-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

So, a few posts back (titled "i'm not lion"), I showed a set of Sandylion stamps that are just too cute. I said I had made some more cards using other stamps in that set, and that I would post pics later. Well...later has arrived. This card uses the monkey stamp, and I LOVE HIM! I stamped him onto white Georgia Pacific cardstock using Black Staz-On ink, and then colored him in with Prismacolor markers. I stamped him again onto the striped paper, and cut out only the belly part (which I thought would be cute as a bib), and paper-pieced the "bib" onto the monkey. I then cut around the image with my Cutterbee scissors. The striped paper is by Three Bugs in a Rug, the blue dotted paper is Bo Bunny, and the kraft colored cardstock is Bazzill. The loopy punch is Martha Stewart, and the large scalloped punch along the bottom is EK Success. I used some letter stamps by KI Memories to stamp the word "sweet" in white ink, then I covered the letters with white Fun Flock by Stampendous, using Glossy Accents as my adhesive for the flocking. Ribbons are by American Crafts and Offray, and they are stapled to the card. Pearls are from Kaiser Craft, and the brown pen for the dots is American Crafts. Isn't he SWEET???

Here you can kinda see where I layered the "bib" using a pop dot to make it stand out a bit.

Here's a close-up of the Fun Flock. For those who've never used flocking, it's basically the same concept as using glitter, but instead of a sparkly look, it gives you a fuzzy look and feel. You can see the fuzziness here:

I'm nuts about you

2009-09-15T00:31:00.001-07:00

I bought a bunch of scalloped Bazzill cardstock last year sometime, and have never used it (it got lost in the stash)...until now! It was a lot of fun to use on this card. It already had the holes in it too, so I triple-stitched them with white floss. The base cardstock is also Bazzill, and the white cardstock that the squirrel is on is Georgia Pacific. The patterned papers are Three Bugs in a Rug. The squirrel stamp is by Recollections, and stamped with Staz-On Timber Brown ink. I colored it in with Prismacolor markers. The ribbon is Offray, and the brown pen I used on the sentiment is American Crafts. Finished size is 4.5" x 6". Thanks for looking!
Here's a close-up of my squirrel. I stamped him (a pink squirrel can be a boy, right?) on Georgia Pacific cardstock, and then cut him out using my Cutterbee scissors. If you don't have a pair yet, GET ONE! They are sharp to the very tip, and therefore great for making small, detailed cuts. Anyway, I then adhered the squirrel to another piece of Georgia Pacific cardstock, cut at 2" x 2". I rounded the corners with a Marvy punch.

And here's just another view:

Blog candy on Amy's blog

2009-09-06T18:28:00.001-07:00

Hey, girls! I was just visiting Amy's blog (www.scrappingmommy.com), and she is having a fantastic blog candy giveaway. Here's what you get if you're the winner:
Prima papers
Cricut Home Decor cartridge
Sakura Glaze pens
Glitter glue
So jump on over to her blog and check it out!

i'm not lion...

2009-08-30T00:21:00.001-07:00

I bought the cutest set of Sandylion stamps a few months ago, and just recently used them for the first time. Now usually, I'm not the biggest fan of Sandylion products, but this set from Michael's was just too cute to pass up. Here's what the set looks like, and for this card I used the adorable lion up near the top. I have also made cards using the monkey and rocket ship, and will post those later.
Now, my father-in-law just had surgery, so I made him a get well card. First, I stamped the lion onto white Georgia Pacific cardstock using Timber Brown Staz-On ink. Then I colored him in with Prismacolor markers that matched the background paper I used. The patterned papers are Cosmo Cricket, and the cardstock for the base is Bazzill. The bottom zig-zag border punch is EK Success, and the two scalloped patterns are Martha Stewart border punches. Stick pins are Dritz, and I used earring backs to cap the points. I used my Marvy Uchida corner rounder on the top corners of the card and patterned papers. Ribbon is from my stash, and the brown pen is American Crafts. I wrote the words "i'm not lion..." on the front of the card...

...and here's the inside of the card. It reads "...i hope you feel better soon".

Here's a close-up of the cute little guy:

Another view:

hello card

2009-08-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

Here is the first card I've ever SEWN on! YAY!!! I'm so excited - been wanting to sew on cards/layouts for so long. The thing is...I SUCK at sewing. I just cannot sew a straight line to save my life. So when the sewing on this card actually came out somewhat straight, I was thrilled. Anyway...the cardstock is Bazzill, patterned paper is Scenic Route, the border punch is EK Success, brads are Making Memories, and the letter stickers and felt heart are American Crafts. The green paper is the back side of the patterned paper, and I distressed and sanded the edges. Thanks for looking!
Here's a close-up of the heart, letters, and brads:

Welcome baby

2009-08-27T11:23:00.001-07:00

Here is a cute baby card I made, using Coredinations cardstock for the first time. Gotta say, I love it! The kraft cardstock and green cardstock are Bazzill. Pink cardstock is Coredinations (from the whitewash collection), patterned paper is Three Bugs in a Rug. The chipboard elephant is KI Memories. The white cardstock behind the elephant is Georgia Pacific, and it's cut with Provo Craft scalloped scissors. The green oval is a punch, and I pierced holes around it. Border punches used on the bottom are Martha Stewart, Fiskars, and EK Success. The ribbon is from Michael's $1 bin. The white rub-on letters are American Crafts. Thanks for looking!
Here is a close-up of the elephant. I used foam tape behind the green oval to pop it up.

Love you with a cherry on top

2009-08-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a card I made where I wanted to use Fun Flock on a large monogram stamp. The pattern you see on the large "u" is part of a monogram stamp by KI Memories. I stamped it onto red Bazzill cardstock using Versamark ink (it's a watermark ink) so that I could see the pattern but it wouldn't change the color of the paper. I scissor-cut around the u pattern. Next, working in small areas (maybe an inch or so), I put Glossy Accents over the Versamark ink, following the pattern of the stamp (the dot pattern you see on the u). I topped the Glossy Accents with red Fun Flock to give it a fuzzy look and feel. Card base is Georgia Pacific cardstock, patterned papers are Dream Street. Colored cardstock is Bazzill. Border punches are EK Success. Ribbon is Offray, pins are Dritz. Red pen is Sakura.
Here's a close-up of the "u" with Glossy Accents and Fun Flock:

Another close-up:

Wedding invitation samples

2009-08-23T20:30:00.001-07:00

So, one of the guys I work with is getting married next August, and I'm making their wedding invitations. So I made up a little display to give them some ideas of what I can do. This is a 12x12 piece of kraft colored cardstock. I stamped their names with KI Memories stamps using black Staz-On ink and Joann's white pigment. I went over the ink with Black Diamond Stickles and Frosted Lace Stickles. Below that, I put a little swatch of the 3 colors they will be using, which are dark purple, white, and pear green. Below the swatches are strips of matching ribbons. To the right are some cute font samples (all free downloads from http://www.kevinandamanda.com/). On the bottom are some border strips I punched that can be used on invitations, programs, favors, etc. The punches are by Martha Stewart and Fiskars.To the right, I stamped a little wedding cake (KI Memories) in white ink and topped it with more Frosted Lace Stickles. The cake stand is a Cuttlebug die, and I drew the heart on top of the cake with a purple Gelly Roll pen.
This first sample is very simple, and could be used as invitation or a program. Both pieces are AccuCuts dies, and I rounded the corners of the green piece. I don't know if it shows up in the picture, but I embossed a row of dots at the top and bottom using a Cuttlebug border embossing folder. I don't know the exact measurements, but it fits in a business size envelope.

The next sample features a purple base with white cardstock on top. I punched a strip of green paper with a Martha Stewart punch, and put some purple ribbon above that. Finished size is 5"x7".

The third sample is another AccuCuts die, cut out of the green paper. It has a white cardstock piece on the inside, and is wrapped with a purple strip that I punched with a Martha Stewart edge punch. I topped it off with some green polka-dot ribbon. Finished size is 5"x7".

Here's a picture of everything I made to give to them. I think everything turned out pretty darn cute, and they really liked it too.

New blog header/background

2009-07-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

So I don't really have any new projects to show, because all my paper crafting supplies are packed up in boxes. Wah, wah, wah... But the reason for that is I am getting a new scrapbooking room!!! YAY FOR ME!!! It's just coming along a little slower than I'd hoped. But I felt like I needed to do something to my blog.
Well... I did my hair and makeup like a 1940s pin-up girl, and took some pics of myself for my DH while he was out of town one weekend. I thought it turned out pretty cute for not knowing how to put makeup on...LOL! I had to go out and buy the makeup before I could take the pics, because I had NONE and am so clueless about makeup in the first place. But since this is about the only picture ever taken of me that I actually like, I thought I'd put it on my blog. Then I added a new background to match (background from www.thecutestblogontheblock.com). What do you girls think of my new blog makeover?

February Cuttlebug card class

2009-03-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right. These are the cards from my February card class "I heart Cuttlebug cards." I'm just a little behind on my blogging...again {sheepish grin}. Anyway, I think these cards came out pretty darn cute, and I think all the ladies in the class enjoyed learning new ways to use the Cuttlebug.

On this first card, I wanted to show the gals to think outside the "you can only emboss paper" box. We embossed acetate (report covers from Office Max), and placed it over a white card base. On this card, we used the Perfectly Paisley embossing folder, as well as a Cuttlebug die. The die is from the Halloween sign cut/emboss combo set. The green polka dot paper is from 3 Bugs in a Rug, and we added a stamp from Hero Arts. We topped it off with some pink grosgrain ribbon, and voila!
Here's a close-up of the Halloween sign die and the stamp (stamped with Staz-On ink):

This card (which I think is too cute!) was inspired by SusieB from the Cricut website (check out her awesome Cuttlebug gallery by clicking her link on my sidebar). On this card, I wanted to show my students how to paper-piece using the Cuttlebug. The "medallion" that the little sheep is stamped on was from a Splitcoaststampers.com tutorial. You can make one yourself with any border/edge punch (this one is Martha Stewart). I took a 3-inch square piece of white cardstock and used the border punch one time on each side of the square. Then I just backed this piece with a 3-inch square piece of green gingham paper by American Crafts. I stamped the little sheep (which is a Studio G stamp) with Staz-On ink in the center of the "medallion", and colored him (or her?) in with Prismacolor markers. Then I stamped him again on a scrap piece of white cardstock, and ran it through the Cuttlebug (using the Tiny Bubbles embossing folder). Out of the embossed piece, I cut out all his "woolly parts" (hee hee) and pieced them on top of the colored-in image on the "medallion". The yellow border is also punched with the same Martha punch, and embossed with one of the Cuttlebug border embossing folders.

Here's a close-up of his fluffy embossed body and tuft of wool on his head. Isn't he the cutest???

On this next card, I wanted to show the ladies how, if you emboss on a white-core paper and use a sanding block, the white core will show through. The patterned paper is American Crafts, and the pink is the back side of the dotted paper. I cut out a pink circle using the Fiskars circle cutter, then embossed the pink side with the ice cream cone folder from the "Birthday Jelly" set. I used the argyle embossing folder on Bazzill cardstock for the background, because it reminded me of a waffle cone. I pleated some white ribbon on either side of the ice cream cone, and stapled over the pleats to give the ribbon a little more visual interest.

Here is a close-up of the argyle embossing and the patterned paper, which I also sanded around the edges to reveal the white core. I used a brown pen to make small dots around the edge of the pink layered piece:

And here's a close-up of the sanded ice cream cone and the pleated/stapled ribbon:

Last, but certainly not least, I wanted to show the ladies that you can emboss chipboard, and also show them how to emboss on paper that is larger than the embossing folder. The frame and it's center are both chipboard, with the outer piece of the frame being covered with patterned paper by 3 Bugs in a Rug. The center of the frame was embossed, and then I went over the raised part with some white ink by Making Memories.

To emboss a piece of paper that is larger than the embossing folder, I used my Scor-Pal to score 2 parallel lines across the middle of my card. Then I aligned the side of the Swiss Dots embossing folder with the top score line, and ran the paper and folder through the Cuttlebug. Then I did the same thing on the bottom half of the card. I finished it off with some ribbon by American Crafts. Here it is:

Here's a close-up of the chipboard frame and embossing:

A few Cuttlebug cards

2009-02-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

So, my mother-in-law got a Cuttlebug a few months ago, and I've been wanting to get together and play Cuttlebugs! Well, we finally got to do just that! The boys went out shooting, and we made some adorable cards. Then we went to Carrabba's for dinner...mmm...Carrabba's...my favorite...(drooling)...
...um, back to the cards. On this one, I used the Swiss Dots A2 embossing folder, and the cute little elephant is from one of my MIL's sets. I used my Scor-Pal to score the lines between which I stamped my sentiment and put ribbon. Purely by coincidence, I had pre-cut a bunch of 2" x 2" squares to use with the smaller embossing folders, and after we had embossed the elephant, I saw this scalloped chipboard frame and wondered if they'd fit together. They fit perfectly! And as luck would have it, I had 2 of them, so we could each use one on our cards. The frame is Making Memories (last year's Valentine line), and the stamp is Studio G. Ribbon was from her stash.
Here's a close-up of the little elephant and the frame. I don't know if you can see it or not, but I took a Prismacolor marker (cool grey 10%) and went over the lines of the elephant. I used a little Frosted Lace Stickles on the flower.

Here is another card I made. I used the Swiss Dots on the upper half of the card, and Perfectly Paisley on the bottom half. The stamp is Studio G, and the embellishments are Making Memories (again, last year's Valentine line). I also used my Scor-Pal and embroidery floss.

Here's a close-up of the embossing and a chipboard corner embellishment.

This next card turned out cuter than I thought it was going to. I really wasn't pleased with it as I was making it, but it's growing on me. The frog is from one of the smaller sets that my MIL has, and the background is the Tiny Bubbles A2 folder. The bookplate is Making Memories (you guessed it, last year's Valentine line), and the LOVE stamp is Studio G. The "u" stamp is Hero Arts, and they were colored with Prismacolor markers. The pearly brads were from my stash, and the ribbon was from my MIL's.

Last, but not least, I made this "you're so sweet" card. I scored a line with my Scor-Pal, and embossed the upper portion with the Swiss Dots folder. Below the score line, I used a Martha Stewart border punch, and filled in the larger holes with Fruit Punch Stickles. The black and white chipboard frame and the plastic embellishment inside it are by Making Memories (you know which line). The plastic embellishment was actually a flower with a pink center. I stamped the "you're so sweet" using a Studio G stamp and Staz-On ink, and then place the flower behind the chipboard frame. I trimmed the flower petals that stuck out past the frame.

Here's a close-up of the chipboard frame, the plastic flower embellishment, and the stamp.

Thanks for looking!

Attached at the heart

2009-02-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

So, I've never really been one to use sketches or pagemaps or anything like that, but I thought I'd give it a try. This was for a sketch challenge over at www.splitcoaststampers.com. Specifically, it was SC211 that was posted on 01/14/09. I left out a couple of elements on the sketch, but I think it turned out cute. I was trying to use up some scraps, and I was able to do that. The patterned paper is American Crafts, stamp is Studio G in Timber Brown Staz-On ink, colored with Prismacolor markers. The border punch is Martha Stewart. I also used my Cuttlebug for embossing, and embroidery floss from my stash. Thanks for looking!

How sweet!

2009-02-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a fun little card I made as a thank you for Christmas presents. My brother and SIL gave me some Bella stamps, and my parents gave me Prismacolor markers. I thought I would show my appreciation by making cards using the gifts they gave me. Patterned paper is My Mind's Eye, and the light green is the back side of the pattern. The other solid papers are the back sides of some American Crafts patterned papers. The edge punch is Martha Stewart. I also used a metal-rimmed tag, embroidery floss, and buttons from my stash.
Here's a close-up of a "how sweet" stamp by Studio G.

Close-up of "Cupacakeabella". Love her!

l o v e wordbook (Cricut Expression 201 project)

2009-02-02T11:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, as promised to the students in my class...here are the page-by-page pictures of the word book we made in the Cricut Expression 201 classes on January 23 and 25. For those of you who are seeing this for the first time, this is a word book that spells out "love." I really like the look of the premade word books that are out there, but altering them is not always that much fun. So, I designed a word book that incorporates the Cricut Expression. For the base of the book, I used chipboard that was cut with a paper trimmer. The book is 6" tall, and there are five pages. The page widths are 2", 4", 6", 8", and 10". The patterned paper that covers the chipboard was also cut with a paper trimmer in the same sizes. The remainder of the cuts you see were cut using the Cricut Expression machine and the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge. The patterned papers are American Crafts, and the cardstock and brads are Bazzill. Ribbon is May Arts, "xoxo" stamp is Studio G, and the two corner stamps are Heidi Swapp. All were stamped with black Staz-On. The binder rings are from OfficeMax.

Here is a picture of the back side of the cover and the "L" page.

Here is the back side of the "L" and the "O" page.

Here we have the back side of the "O" and the "V" page, showing one of the corner stamps.

And here is the back of the "V" page, showing the other corner stamp, and the "E" page.

This was a fun little project to design and teach. Please feel free to post any questions about the book or cut sizes. Thanks for looking!

My new favorite layout!!!

2008-11-07T23:44:00.000-08:00

So, a few days ago, one of the gals on the Cricut website posted a link to Tami Potter's site (http://www.tamipotter.com/). She mentioned that she had taken Tami's class at a CKC and enjoyed it. I checked out Tami's site, and she does fantastic things with photo mosaics. Her work was completely different than anything I've ever done, and I found myself inspired by her. Then I looked at her blog, and fell IN LOVE with her "Howl-o-scream" layout. Maybe I'm just a sucker for all things Halloween, but I found myself going back to this layout over and over. Well, my SIL had just emailed some pics of my BIL and their kids, and they were absolutely perfect for this type of layout. I decided to give it a go, even though I didn't have Tami's special gridded paper. ***I am SO proud of this layout!!!*** I just keep looking at it over and over, like I did with Tami's. I thought it turned out so great. I used 3 warm fall colors of Bazzill cardstock, some acetate, acrylic letters, and Stickles. That's all!! Okay, less talky, more showy...here it is:

Here is a close-up of the kids grasshopper hunting:

Here's my BIL and their handsome son in the beautiful aspen trees:

And here's a close-up of their daughter - she's a cutie-pie:

I die-cut these letters out of acetate (transparency sheet/report cover) using the AccuCut. I put Goldenrod Stickles all over the back of each letter, and when they dried, I adhered them to the cardstock with my ATG.

The word splendor was computer generated and printed onto the gold Bazzill. Then I took a couple of self-adhesive acrylic letters I had in my stash, and stuck 'em on. I covered them with Cinnamon Stickles.

Again, acetate letters with Stickles on the back side. This is a much better picture than the one above, it shows a more true color.

"Hoppy holidays" spring card

2008-11-07T22:34:00.000-08:00

In my most recent card class, I taught various types of pop-up cards. I knew I wanted to include a "spring" card, the name of which has nothing to do with the season, and everything to do with the fact that when you take these babies out of their envelopes, the top part "springs" upward. I wasn't sure what I wanted to put on my card...until I found this cutie-patootie frog. He's part of a very cute set by Hero Arts, but I immediately knew he was the one for my card. I used Bo Bunny Double Dot papers in red and green, plain white cardstock, Staz-On black ink, Stickles, ribbon, computer-generated text, Rain Dots, and the word window punch from Stampin' Up! I cut the white circle behind the froggy with my Cricut Expression and the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge. I cut the red scalloped circle using the Mini Monograms cartridge. I also tried my hand at paper piercing. It was my first time doing both paper piecing and paper piercing. I think I like them both...

Here's the card:

Here is a close-up of the adorable little froggy. I love him! I stamped him onto the green double dot and onto the red double dot, then paper-pieced the red scarf onto the green frog. I then used Black Diamond Stickles on his eyes and on the black dots on the scarf:

Close-up of the "hoppy holidays". I printed the computer-generated words onto the red double dot paper, then used the word window punch. I used two little red Rain Dots on each word.

Here's a close-up of my first attempt at paper piercing. Not too shabby... :)

Blue Christmas

2008-11-07T21:47:00.001-08:00

Another card that I taught in my pop-up card class was this free-standing pop-up. I am so in love with this style of card, and it is surprisingly easy to make. I used Bo Bunny Double Dot paper and plain white cardstock, which I embossed with the Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder. I also cut a large snowflake for the base, using a Cuttlebug die. Stamp is by Hero Arts, stamped with black Staz-On ink. I used Frosted Lace Stickles around the stamped image and on the snowflake die. I used some fun blue "eyelashes" on the front of the card. Enjoy!

Another view:

Here is what the card looks like when it's folded and ready for mailing:

Here is a close-up of the snowflake and the eyelashes. To make the snowflake more substantial, I first adhered my white cardstock onto a piece of thin chipboard, then I used the Cuttlebug die. That way I didn't have to worry about cutting out the cardstock and the chipboard separately and trying to match them up and adhere them after they were cut. I put a thin layer of Frosted Lace Stickles over the snowflake. I adhered it to the card so that it would stand up as the base folded down. I used Glossy Accents as my adhesive:

Here is a close-up of the embossing and the stamped image. I used Frosted Lace Stickles around the edge of the blue cardstock:

"Love the Fall" sliding pop-up card

2008-11-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

Here is another one of the cards I taught in my pop-up card class. This is a sliding pop-up card. The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye, the cardstock is Bazzill, the tree was cut from the Stretch Your Imagination Cricut cartridge, the "love the fall" stamp is Studio G (and was sent to me by my wonderful Cricut secret sister, sugarbbmom!), and the little leaf stamp is by Autumn Leaves, quite appropriately. Both stamps used Colorbox Cat's Eye chalk ink in dark brown. I outlined the tree and the fall stamp with cinnamon Stickles, and used crystal Stickles on the leaves of the tree. I tied a piece of raffia under the tree trunk. Here's the card lying flat, ready for mailing:

Here's the card with the slider pulled out, "popping up" the tree, and revealing the window where you could write your message:

Here is another look at the tree popped up:

And here is a blurry, but close-up, picture of the lovely stamp. I just love all the detail of this Studio G! You can also see the thin line of cinnamon Stickles surrounding the stamped image:

Best witches

2008-09-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Stephanie, who loves Halloween like I do, just got a new job! So I made her this card and sour cream container to "witch" her good luck! The sentiments are computer-generated (Bewitched font), and I printed onto the ribbon. I really love this trick, and should do it more often. The black patterned paper is by 3 Bugs In A Rug, orange paper is Lasting Impressions, witch stamp is Studio G (wooden), image is stamped with black Staz-On and colored in with Stickles. The black and white star and the orange frame around the witch are Making Memories Glitter Stickers (Spellbound collection). I used my Fiskars Threading Water punch on the card, and my paper crimper to close the sour cream container (which contained mini Reese's cups...mmm...). Here's the set:
The card by itself:
Another view:
Close-up of ribbon on sour cream container.

Happy Halloween pop-up

2008-09-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

So, I love Halloween, and I can't get enough of it right now. I'd been wanting to make a free-standing pop-up card ever since I saw one of Dawn Griffith's YouTube tutorials. They are so easy, but produce such a great result! One of my Cricut secret sisters sent me this cute spider stamp, and I was so excited to get to use it. I embossed the background with the Cuttlebug spider web embossing folder. I made sure to use a white-core paper; when I embossed it, I placed a piece of carbon paper on top of the orange paper inside the embossing folder. The black carbon transferred onto the orange paper, then I sanded all the raised parts to reveal the white core. Papers are Making Memories, spider stamp is Stampendous, happy halloween stamp is Studio G, ribbon is American Crafts, white gel pen for doodle dots, Staz-on black ink.

Here's what it looks like closed and ready for mailing:
Here it is free-standing:
Close-up of the happy halloween stamp:

SWEET envelope album...this may be my favorite project EVER!!!!

2008-09-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with this project! This is a minibook I created using envelopes adhered to one another in an accordian fashion. I created this envelope album for my Cricut Expression 201 class at Pages In Progress. Everything you see (minus the ribbon, of course) was cut with the Expression. All cuts are from the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge, except the word SWEET on the front cover, which is from Storybook (thanks, Lorena!) The double-sided patterned paper is the "Color Me Pink" line from 3 Bugs In A Rug. The colored cardstock is Bazzill (colors are Red Hot and Parakeet), and the white is just the Georgia-Pacific cardstock that you can buy by the ream at Wal-Mart. The white pen is Marvy's Gel Excel. I used my Scor-Pal for scoring all the envelopes. Leave me a comment with your email if you'd like a cut list with sizes. Here is a picture of the front cover:
Close-up of front cover:
Here is the front of the envelope album all stretched out:
Here is the back of the album, showing how the top flap (the smaller of the two flaps) is attached to the envelope above it:
Here is the first page under the front cover. Each page has a rectangle on the front of the envelope for a picture or journaling. The corners of this rectangle must be rounded with a punch (or by using a cartridge with a rounded rectangle on it). For my class, I try to keep all the cuts on one cartridge, since I know that people who have the Expression will have Plantin Schoolbook. Inside each envelope is a larger rectangle for a picture:
Second inside page:

Third inside page:
Fourth inside page:
Fifth inside page:
Sixth, and last, page:

Berry happy birthday

2008-09-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a card I made for a berry special lady on her birthday. I got to use one of my new Cuttlebug border embossing folders, and I love it! I also got to use my first Stampin Up! stamp ever (Tart & Tangy). The embossed scalloped circle around the stamp is also Cuttlebug. The sentiment is computer-generated (font: Boopie). I also used my Scor-Pal, ribbon from my stash, a Rain Dot, and Le-Plume markers.
Here is a close-up of the stamp and embossing.

Love 2 travel

2008-07-31T23:04:00.001-07:00

Here is a mini-book that I taught today in my "I love Cricut Expression 201" class. All cuts from chipboard, patterned paper, and cardstock were made with the Cricut Expression and the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge. Patterned travel paper is Love, Elsie (by KI Memories), cardstock is Bazzill. I love this paper and the colors, and I think it turned out really well. Here is the front cover:
Here are the inner pages:

More Halloween cards...YAY!

2008-07-25T13:30:00.001-07:00

Well, my friend Stephanie came over again, and we made some more Halloween cards. Here are mine. I finally got to use the Grungeboard and the Tim Holtz Distressed crackle paint I've had for months. I used the crackle paint on the Grungeboard skull. I love the way it turned out. Patterned paper is Making Memories, and the glitter cardstock is DCWV. I free-hand stitched with black floss at the top and bottom of the glitter cardstock. Ribbon is from my stash.
Here's a close-up of the Grungeboard with the crackle paint on it. The thicker the application, the better the results.

Here's the second card. Patterned paper is Around the Block. Spider stamp is Heidi Grace, and is covered with Black Diamond Stickles. Glitter cardstock is punched with the Fiskars Threading Water punch. The sentiment was done with the Dymo label maker. Ribbon is from my stash.
Here's a close-up of the Stickled spider:

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

I had some paper left over from my patriotic iris folding card, so I thought I'd make a very simple card using the scraps. I printed out some free clip art of Uncle Sam onto white cardstock. "I want you" was also computer-generated (font is Anderson Thunderbirds Are Go!)
Again, patterned paper is Luxe, and red cardstock is Bazzill. Uncle Sam and the words are both adhered with pop dots.

Here is the inside (same font in red). I hope everybody had a safe and happy Fourth of July!

I know it's only July...

2008-07-02T00:48:00.000-07:00

...but I'm getting so excited for Halloween already. So tonight, my friend and fellow Halloween enthusiast, Stephanie came over to make some Halloween cards. It was so much fun, despite the Stickles "incident". LOL Anyway, here's the first card. Patterned paper and tag are Making Memories, chipboard "h" is Cloud 9. Pin is Heidi Grace. Threading water punch along the bottom. Happy Halloween stamp is Hero Arts, stamped with Staz-On.
Here's the second one. Patterned paper is Making Memories (of course, it's the same paper as on the first card). Black scalloped circle is Bazzill, cut with Cricut Mini-Monograms. This originally had a stamped image on the other side of it, but it fell prey to the Stickles "incident" and had to be cut out. But it worked out well. Stephanie still got to use her stamped image, and I got to salvage the scallop. I like the final result. Letters are fun foam. Happy early Halloween!

A cherry hello (Seriously, LOVE this one!)

2008-06-23T00:55:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I love this card! I so wish I could claim it as a Kim original, but I can't. I give full credit to Dawn Griffith (SU demo) for the technique, but of course I used different paper and a different stamp set, since I have no SU stuff. Check out her video tutorials on YouTube, or link to her blog on the right. She's fantastic! This is like a card and an envelope all smooshed into one. Of course, if you were going to mail it to somebody, it would need a real envelope. I found that a lighter weight paper (not cardstock) works best on this card, and I'm absolutely in love with every part of it! You probably can't see it in the pics, but the cherries are covered with Glossy Accents. This card screams summer get-together to me!

Here is the card with the top flap open.

Here is the left flap of the "envelope", which bears the sentiment "a cherry hello". I love this stamp set so hard!

Here is the inside of the card, revealing some more cute little cherries, and a place to write your message. Patterned paper is Making Memories, stamp set is Stampendous, Berrylicious cardstock from Bazzill, white cardstock is bulk, stamped with Staz-On, colored using the magic colored pencil technique (MCPT, aka Gamsol magic), Glossy Accents on big cherries. Thanks for looking!

"You are special to me" kickstand card

2008-06-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

I love kickstand cards - they're simple, but different. For this card, I used a clear Hero Arts stamp that reads "you are special to me" all on one line. I cut the stamp in between each word, and stacked them on the acrylic block to make them fit on my kickstand. Try your own kickstand card by checking out the tutorial at http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ - there are a lot of very different ideas.

Here is a pic of the card standing up, resting on the "kickstand". Patterned paper is Basic Grey, cardstock is Bazzill, Staz-On for stamp, Colorbox for edges, scallop is an AccuCuts die. Thanks for looking!

Hang in there!

2008-06-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a great little double flap card that I taught in my "I Heart Cards" class for June. I used this fun little monkey from the Hero Arts clear set, Playful Animals. He's too cute!

Here's the card with the top flap open, revealing the sentiment on the second flap.

Here is the card with both flaps open. Patterned paper is Rusty Pickle, cardstock is Bazzill, ribbon is Bo Bunny, ink is Staz-On. Thanks for looking!

Hoo loves you?

2008-06-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

I love this little owl from Hero Arts - she's another one in the Playful Animals set. This is a very simple "flap" card, in that only the part under the owl "opens" to reveal the hand-written sentiment "hoo loves you?" I taught this card in my "I Heart Cards" class for June. Cardstock is Bazzill, ribbon is Bo Bunny, pearls are Hero Arts, brown dots using American Crafts Memory Markers, owl colored using the magic colored pencil technique (aka Gamsol magic). Thanks for looking!

Celebrate Freedom

2008-06-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

For my iris folding class for June, I thought I would try something new, and make some cards to fit into business-size envelopes (A10, I believe?). When I saw these new papers from Simply Luxe at my LSS, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. The ladies in the class definitely loved this card, and are making more on their own. The stars were cut with the George and Basic Shapes Cricut cartridge. Cardstock is Bazzill, white pen is American Crafts Ultimate Gel Pen, black pen is American Crafts Memory Markers, dots made with Liquid Pearls, stamp is Stampendous. Ribbon from stash, and a touch of Stickles on the stamped image, which is adhered with pop dots.

Better late than never! I thought that would be the perfect sentiment for this adorable snail from the Walk in my Garden Cricut cartridge. I used him in my iris folding class to make a belated birthday card, and I really love the way he turned out. He would also be perfect for a baby boy card. All of the patterned papers are Imaginisce, cardstock is Bazzill, head and tail were embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss dots, brown journaling pen for dots is American Crafts, sentiment is computer generated. Ribbon and button are from my stash.

And last, but not least, here is a cute little vase that I iris folded using purple papers from Doodlebug. There just aren't that many purple papers out there, so when I saw these at my LSS, I knew I had to incorporate them into one of my classes. The vase and the flower are both from the Walk in my Garden Cricut cartridge. I used ribbon for the stem (and for the bow on the vase, of course) and filled in the center of the flower with Liquid Pearls. White cardstock is Bazzill. I think this card needs yet a little more embellishment before I give it to somebody special, but I like it so far! Thanks for looking!

Unforgettable (flip album)

2008-06-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Ack! I'm so behind in my blogging, but I'm hoping to catch up soon! Anyway, here is a cute little flip album that I taught in my Cricut 201 class at my LSS back in May. It was a lot of fun, and the ladies loved it! All cuts were made with the George and Basic Shapes cartridge. "Unforgettable" is a rub-on by Art Warehouse, all patterned paper is American Crafts, cardstock is Bazzill, white journaling pen is American Crafts Ultimate Gel Pen, ribbon is Bo Bunny. I haven't finished adding my pics yet, but I'm using pics from the cruise that my mom, sister and I took together. Here is a pic of the book open. Thanks for looking!

Fun in the sun

2008-05-07T00:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight I taught my "I Heart Cricut 101" class for the month of May. Again, I used Terri's beautiful grandson for my layout. Patterned paper is Imaginisce, cardstock is Bazzill, ribbon is Bo Bunny, and the white dots on "in the" were made using the American Crafts Ultimate gel pen. All Cricut cuts are from the George and Basic Shapes cartridge.

I flocked in public...

2008-05-07T00:35:00.000-07:00

...and taught others how to do it, too! That's right! Today, I taught "I Heart Fun Flock" at Pages In Progress. I had previously conducted a bunch of trials using various adhesives, and I found that I preferred the look and dimension of Fun Flock on top of Glossy Accents. So today, we made this cute little trifold card and used red Fun Flock to fill in the lady bugs. Stamp is by Stampendous, as is the Fun Flock. Cardstock is Bazzill, and the scalloped circle was cut from the Mini Monograms cartridge. I used the American Crafts Ultimate Gel Pen for the little white dots.

The second project was a simple but very cute card using flocked chipboard letters.

I cut the letters out using AccuCuts dies, and painted them with white acrylic paint. We then flocked the chipboard letters using white Fun Flock over Glossy Accents. Cardstock is Bazzill, scalloped border is the Fiskars Threading Water punch.

You're one in a melon...

2008-05-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

I really love iris folding, and I love using my Cricut to cut out the apertures to fill in. This month, I designed 3 cute cards (if I must say so myself!) for my "I Heart Iris Folding" class at my LSS. So there I was, thinking I was so clever for coming up with the cute little melon sentiment, and one of the ladies in the class tells me she has a stamp at home that says the same thing. Thanks for bursting my bubble, Chris! Anyway, the patterned paper is Scenic Route, and the cardstock is Bazzill. The scalloped border was done using the Fiskars Threading Water punch. Buttons are from Lasting Impressions. The sentiment is hand-written. The watermelon is from the Doodlecharms cartridge.

The second card we made is using this cute sunflower from the Walk In My Garden cartridge. Patterned paper is Reminisce, and the cardstock is Bazzill. Sentiment is stamped using Provo Craft clear alphabet stamps and black Staz-On.

The third, but my favorite, card I designed is this yummy cupcake. I used the Doodlecharms cartridge for the cupcake, but had to cut the candle off and trace just the cupcake and cut it by hand. Pink gingham paper is Creative Imaginations. Brown cardstock is Lasting Impressions, and was run through a paper crimper. White cardstock was embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots. Stamp is Studio G. Thanks for looking!

Sweet things

2008-05-06T23:35:00.000-07:00

Monkey Bread

Cake Balls

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Buckeye Balls

Chocolate Scotcheroos

I love sweet things! For my "I Heart Cricut 201" class for April, I designed a little recipe book that has 5 recipes for sweet things. I thought this book would make a great gift for a girlfriend, Mother's Day, a bridal shower, or any occasion. All cuts were made with the George and Basic Shapes cartridge, with the exception of the word "SWEET", which is from All Mixed Up. Patterned paper is We R Memory Keepers, cardstock is Bazzill, used Bind-It-All for ribbon holes. Enjoy!

You're only young once...

2008-04-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

...but you can be immature for a lifetime. That is, at least, according to this cute ole' gal! I LOVE HER!!! I've been wanting to use this stamp on something, and she worked herself into my "I Heart Cards" class for April and frankly, stole the show. I love belt buckle cards, and this stamp lent itself to one beautifully. The image and the sentiment are actually one stamp, but I cut them apart to use separately. I colored her in using the magic colored pencil technique (aka Prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits - big thanks to SusieB for introducing me to that!!!) The scalloped circle is a punch (2.5"), and I dotted the scallops with an American Crafts memory marker (fine tip). Paper is My Mind's Eye, stamp is Inkadinkado, and I used a small oval punch (punched several times in small increments), to create the "buckle" through which the belt slides.

You're a hoot!

2008-04-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

I've been eyeballing this polka dot paper from Basic Grey (can't go wrong with Basic Grey, that's for sure!), and I've also been wanting to use this cute owl stamp from Inkadinkado. Well, I paired them up, and I love the result! I used them to create this window card for my "I Heart Cards" class this month. I used a large circle punch (2.5") to create the window for the bird, and a small circle punch (maybe 5/8 or 3/4"?) to create the long window at the bottom. To do this, punch several times in very small increments (think nail clippings...eww...) until you reach the desired length. The sentiment was computer generated (honey script), and the cardstock is Bazzill.

Happy Birthday

2008-04-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

This is a waterfall card that I tought in my "I Heart Cards" class for April. It is so named because, as you pull the tab on the bottom, each of the squares with stamped images flip up and over, like a waterfall. When the tab is pulled out all the way, it reveals the message "Happy Birthday". Patterned paper is SEI (orange is back side), cardstock is Bazzill, stamps are part of a clear happy birthday set by Kelly Panacci for Sandylion, pull tab is an AccuCuts die.

thinking of you

2008-04-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here is another cute little criss-cross card that I taught in my April "I Heart Cards" class at Pages In Progress. Patterned paper is SEI, cardstock is Bazzill, stamp is part of a clear set by Kelly Panacci for Sandylion.

Makin' a SPLASH

2008-04-21T23:47:00.001-07:00

Summer is a comin'! Again, I needed pictures for my layout, so I got Terri, the owner of Pages In Progress, to let me use her precious grandson. This was the layout for my I Heart Cricut 101 class for April, and the ladies loved it! All cuts are from George and Basic Shapes. Patterned paper is SEI and the cardstock is Bazzill (color Lakeshore). For the bubbles, I cut various size circles and traced around them with my American Crafts Ultimate Gel Pen (thanks to Robinn for RAKing that to me!). Then I filled them in with Glossy Accents. Love that stuff!

LOVE you

2008-04-21T23:41:00.001-07:00

I made a plea to my wonderful message board friends at the Cricut site for a picture of a kiddo to use in my layout. Several answered the call, and I decided to use Stephanie Castro's beautiful daughter in this layout for my I Heart Cricut 101 class for March. Thanks again, Stephanie! All cuts are from the George and Basic Shapes cartridge. Patterned paper is Piggy Tales. The little journaling hearts say "your eyes", "your smile", "your spirit".

10 things I love about you

2008-04-21T23:28:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to make a cute little tag book for my I Heart Cricut 201 class for February, and since it's not really "Valentine-y", I taught it again for my March class. Most of the cuts are from George and Basic shapes, with the exception of the scalloped circle (Mini-Monograms) and the letter "u" (Alphalicious). Patterned paper is We R Memory Keepers. I made this for my DH, and he loved it...

100% BOY

2008-04-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

Here is another very simple layout that I taught in my I Heart Cricut 101 class at Pages In Progress. This layout is from the February class, and again features my cute little nephew. Patterned paper is Deja Views. All cuts were made with the George and Basic Shapes cartridge. The square is a journaling pocket that holds a star-shaped tag that says "You looked so cute in your birthday suit!"

SWEET

2008-04-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a very simple layout I taught in my I Heart Cricut 101 class back in January. All the cuts were made with the George and Basic Shapes cartridge. The negative cut of the word "SWEET" was backed with clear packing tape (sticky-side up), and sprinkled with Diamond Dust. Paper is Cosmo Cricket. As we have no children, I'm always using other people's kids for my layouts. These are my adorable niece and nephew. Aren't they SWEET???

Just for you

2008-03-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

I made this criss-cross card for a class that I taught at Pages In Progress. I love this patterned paper from SEI's Ally's Wonderland collection. Cardstock is Bazzill, stamp is from a Hero Arts clear set, and file folder tab is an AccuCuts die. For a tutorial on criss-cross cards, visit www.splitcoaststampers.com

My Love Bug

2008-03-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

For this card, I wanted to create a big version of this cute little ladybug stamp by Autumn Leaves. Here is the card closed, showing the stamp.

I used my Cricut machine and the George and Basic Shapes cartridge to piece together the big "love bug." If I must say so myself, I think it comes pretty darn close! Here is a close-up of the big version.

Here's the card open for display, showing the stamps and the big bug together. Cardstock is Bazzill, patterned paper is Chatterbox.