*******
"When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul or brings joy,
care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life."
Jean Shinoda Bolen
*******

September 13, 2013

Embossed Squares

I'm not sure whose original design idea this is, but I saw a similar card at a stamping party.  The squares are embossed with clear embossing power twice.  The photo does not show it, but the squares are very glossy.  I did notice that I needed to use bright paper before embossing because the embossing powder dulled the colors.  I cut the squares after all the embossing was done and cooled.


Supplies:
A2 Card Base - More Mustard, SU
Very Vanilla CS, SU
Elegant Eggplant CS, SU
DSP - Autumn Harvest, My Digital Studio, SU
Pretty Petites stamp set, SU
Fall Season stamp set, unknown (leaf)
Petite Curly Label punch, SU
Clear Embossing Powder
VersaMark Embossing ink pad
More Mustard ink pad, SU
Elegant Eggplant ink pad, SU
Cream/Gold 1/8" satin ribbon, Michael's

September 12, 2013

Vellum Flowers

I saw this card on LeeAnn Greff's blog and had to try it.  I changed out the colors a bit.



I'm not sure how she colored her flowers, so this is how I made the flowers: I embossed the flowers in white on white vellum.  Next, I colored the back of the flowers (just the centers) using SU markers. Starting in the center and using a water brush, I drew the colors to the edge of the flowers.  Next, I die cut the flowers.  I used double-sided tape in just the middle of the flowers.  I figured out I needed to use alot less water for the back of the flowers because the vellum curled easily.

I stamped the leaves and sentiment before embossing the white cardstock.  I also used Sharpie markers to color the pearls for the flower centers.

Supplies:
A2 Card Base - Rich Razzleberry, SU
White Cardstock
White Vellum
Secret Garden stamp set, SU
Secret Garden framelits, SU
Kind & Caring Thoughts stamp set (sentiment), SU
Rich Razzleberry, Marina Mist & Summer Sun markers, SU
Water brush
Small Pearls, Want 2 Stamp
Sharpie Markers
Tuxedo Black ink pad, Momento
Certainly Celery ink pad, SU
Swiss Dots embossing folder, ProvoCraft

September 11, 2013

Ghost Stamping

I saw a video for ghost stamping on Darlene Devries' blog and knew I just had to make it in purple.  Below is a link to her YouTube video for creating this card.

Click here to learn how to ghost stamp

Supplies:
A2 Card base - White CS
Black CS, Michael's
Crumb Cake CS, SU
Secret Garden stamp set, SU
Wetlands stamp set (sentiment), SU
Whisper White Craft ink pad, SU
Dusty Concord Distress ink pad, TH/Ranger
Always Artichoke ink pad, SU
Thin black marker, Sharpie
White marker (flower centers), GellyRoll

September 10, 2013

Thinking of You

This is a simple and quick card using the
Field Flowers stamp set from Stampin' Up.


Supplies:
A2 Card Base - Very Vanilla, SU
Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Certainly Celery, SU
Field Flowers & Wetlands (sentiment) stamp sets (SU)
Rich Razzleberry Satin Ribbon (SU)
Cloud Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

September 9, 2013

We Miss You Abby

8-year-old Abby, our Miniature Schnauzer, recently lost her year-long battle with diabetes.  I didn't realize this could happen and it was unexpected.  Abby was always full of life and personality.  I decided I wanted a scrapbook page and I created this page as an 8"x8" in SU's My Digital Studio.  It was hard to choose pictures for the page since Abby was a ham for any camera.


We miss you sweet girl!

March 4, 2013

Wedding
On to the Kids!

There are so many kids in the wedding and attending the wedding that I decided they needed something to take home with them, too!  I didn't use the wedding colors for these party favors, but I think I made enough!  The pillow boxes are for the teenagers, and the milk cartons are for the little kids.


Milk Cartons:  These milk cartons are not made with a die. Click HERE for the video for construction of the 2-part origami-folded milk carton boxes - they're fairly easy and so much fun to make! 

I used white copy paper for the bottoms of the milk cartons (these are made in 4 parts and the copy paper was plenty thick once folded) and a variety of decorative paper (DCWV) for the milk carton tops. I used the rounded tab punch from SU for the name tags.

Pillow Boxes:  The pillow boxes were made using the blackout feature on the Cricut Wedding Solutions cartridge & I inked the edges with distress ink that coordinated with the paper.  I used the new Petite Curly Label punch from SU for the name tags.

 For the pillow boxes, I used white cardstock (Michael's) and a variety of decorative paper (DCWV).

March 3, 2013

Wedding Favors

My step-daughter is getting married and won't be having a reception, so no printed napkins or anything for the wedding guests to take home with them.  I decided to make just a little something for each guest. 

These are the rosette magnets and boxes I made for my dear step-daughter & future step-son:


The wedding colors are royal blue and white, so I printed the sentiment with my MS Word program using the WordArt, and the "A Gift for You" was also printed using MS Word. The banners were actually hand cut to form around the WordArt. I made sure "A Gift for You" fit inside one of the stamps in SU's Four Frames stamp set, then I punched out the stamped image with the coordinating punch. I inked everything with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink, including the hearts on the rosette (cut with the Cricut and Wedding Solutions cartridge).  The rosette is the larger of the two on the Mini Rosettes Decorative Strip Die (Tim Holtz/Sizzix).




March 2, 2013

Briefcase

Needing something to hold an ornament and card for our grandsons at Christmas, I designed and created briefcases for them.  Here is just one of them:


Supplies:

Night of Navy, Cajon Craze, Marina Mist CS (SU)
Decorative Paper (unknown)
Night of Navy marker for stitching (SU)
Brads for handles (JoAnn's)
White Crochet Thread for tag
Tag Punch (EKSuccess)
1-1/4" Square Punch (SU)
Fastener Tab for closure (TomBow)

March 1, 2013

Purses

With 13 grandkids, I'm always trying to come up with new ideas for a little extra surprise.  We give each of the grandkids a gift card at Christmas and the last two years, an ornament for each of them.  This year, I was working on something to put a card and ornament in for each of them.  This sure saves me gift wrapping time!  Tomorrow I will post the briefcases I designed and create for the grandsons.

These are the purses I designed and created for each of the girls:


I used a variety of cardstock and decorative paper.  Some of the purses have rosette flowers and some have flowers using the Tim Holtz/Sizzix Movers and Shapers Tattered Flowers die.  I like the Movers and Shapers dies because the images are smaller than those on the on the Bigz dies.

Supplies:

White & Daffodil Delight Cardstock (Michael's and SU)
Paper (DCWV)
Ink (for edges & flowers) (SU)
Mini Rosette Die (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Tatter Flowers Movers & Shapers Die (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
1" White Satin Ribbon (Offray)
3/4" Sheer White Ribbon (Offray)
Buttons (from my stash)
Paper flower centers: Candi Dots
Stickles glitter glue (Ranger)
Border Punch (EKSuccess)
Brads (handles) (JoAnn's)
Fastener Tab for closure (TomBow)

February 28, 2013

Party Favors
Boxes & Rosette Magnets

Although recovery from my back surgery is not going as planned (does it ever?), I have been able to get into my craft room for some fun. 

The minister's wife asked for help and I said yes!  She has a daughter's wedding in a few months, a Women's Ministry meeting in April, and a girls' group luncheon in May, all requiring "something!"  Wedding invitations: Done!  Party favors for dinner: Done!  Next project: 35 mini albums for the girls.

Below are the little boxes and rosette magnets I made as party favors (100 of each!).  Original box designed by Carin Curtis.  I stamped and hand cut 300 cowboy boots to fit into the theme of the meeting.  Details are below the pictures. (Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures.)


Supplies:
Kraft & Cream cardstock (Michael's)
Early Espresso cardstock (SU)
Genuine Country stamp set (CTMH) (box border)
Cowboy boot stamp (Ann-ticipations)
Rosette (Mini) Decorative Strip Die (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Espresso ink pad (Ranger)
Raffia (Good Times)
Magnets (Darice)

HERE IS A LINK FOR THE BOX CONSTRUCTION.