Paper Cuts

Hi everyone.  :)  I’ve switched away from the cutesy stuff for just a bit.  I have a stack of new rubber on my table that must be used.  I’m determined.  This Horse and Rider image by Cornish Heritage Farms was at the top of the pile.

Sending Love

I’ve not had much exposure to horses but I’ve always loved them.  They’re so beautiful.  And so I couldn’t resist this image. 

I kept the layout simple and decided to keep the color combo along those same lines.  I don’t often pair brown with black, but I think it works here.   The gingham paper is from “Grandma’s Christmas Soup” by Jillibean Soup.  This particular pattern is Can Beef Consomme’.  Isn’t that funny? 

I like a little thickness to my cards so the entire front panel (from the black up) is raised on dimensional boosters.

I’m off to get two kids ready for school.  They’re both complaining that they don’t want to go so I’m sure we’ll get our day off to a great start.  **eye roll** 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “Horse & Rider” (Saturday Evening Post), “Silhouette Blooms II” (Kim Hughes Collection)   Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa   Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate and Vintage Cream; Prism Black   Patterned Paper:  Jillibean Soup “Grandma’s Christmas Soup” Can Beef Consomme’   Accessories:  Copic markers (E000, R20, W00, W1, W3, W5, W7), Fiskars Apron Strings border punch, American Crafts brads, dimensional boosters.  Finished size 5” x 5”.

Happy birthday to my little guy…who isn’t so little any more. 

Look Who’s Turning 10

Last night we finished most of his homework so hopefully he won’t have to spend too much time on that tonight.  I have balloons tied to the chairs, and his birthday dinner planned:  Mini (tiny) muffin-sized meatloaves (with no ketchup), Pokemon macaroni and cheese, green beans and dessert, of course.  He didn’t pick the green beans but there has to be a vegetable in there somewhere, right?  (I won’t be surprised at all if Dad comes home with a take-out bag from somewhere.  He thinks anything other than a hamburger is a waste of ground beef.  And the Pokemon mac n’ cheese?  Let’s just say that’s not his favorite either.  But when HIS birthday rolls around in a couple weeks, HE can choose what HE wants.   Part of MY entertainment for the evening is seeing if he will eat.  lol.)

I still have gifts to wrap so I better get to it.  Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by! 

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “U R A Hoot!”, “Number Fun” and “Birthday Bash” (Kim Hughes Collection)   Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock: Prism Island Mist Dark   Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket “The Boyfriend” mini deck   Accessories: Copic markers (E31, E33, E35, YR20, YR23, BG05, YG93, R05, W1, W3, W5, W7), Karen Foster Thumb Tack brads.  Finished size 5 ½” x 5 ½”.

Hi everyone!  TGIM! 

As I’m sure you already know, this Saturday is World Card Making Day, a holiday created four years ago by the Paper Crafts team to bring people together through card making and to help kick off the busy card making season.  It’s a great day to get together with friends, make cards, (eat junk) and just have fun!  

Looking for some paper crafting inspiration?  Check out the Paper Crafts/CK Online Store where you’ll find the new Holiday Cards & More, Paper Crafting for Kids and much more creative goodness.  How about a coupon to save 25% off your order?  Simply use code ENVN-6FNC-HPYG at checkout.  The coupon is valid through October 12th.  

Would you like to participate in Paper Crafts’ World Card Making Day Blog Tour?  Add a link to your blog here.  (You may need to register to participate, but don’t worry.  It’s quick and easy.)

I have a super-quick card to share today.

Welcome Baby

My cards usually take hours…sometimes even days (sadly, I’m not kidding) but this one came together very quickly.  And I think it’s really cute (if I may say so).  I added a tiny dot to the elephant’s eye using a black 3-d glaze pen.  It adds just a touch more interest to the card, I think.

I hope you’re able to enjoy some crafting time on Saturday…or today…or tomorrow.  :) 

For even more inspiration, paper crafting news, celebrating and just plain ol’ fun, check out the World Card Making Day website, Cath’s Moxie Fab World and Paper Crafts Connection.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “Zooper Fun” and “Baby Love” (Kim Hughes Collection)  Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock:  Prism Crabapple Dark   Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey Lemonade paper pad   Accessories:  Zva Creative felt flower, button, jute string, black Sakura 3-d glaze pen.  Finished size 5 ½” x 4 ¼”.

Hi everyone.  :) 

I have a scrappy card to share today.  I literally used scraps for the whole thing (except the base).  I have a hard time tossing the smallest of scraps so once in a while, I challenge myself to use them.  (I haven’t forgotten that my friend, Lynette, challenged me to not use patterned paper.  I’ve actually made two attempts but they were both pitifully sad.  I’ll keep trying though.)

Create

On this card I’ve used a new set, Sew Special, designed by my friend, Julia.  She’s so very talented in so many ways.  The set is available today (here).

I had intended (and very much wanted to) stitch on this card, but my psychotic sewing machine decided to take a break.  I guess I’ll spend some time today trying to fix the darn thing.  I need to sew about 20 patches on a Brownie vest by Thursday and I am NOT doing it by hand.  I get so frustrated when things don’t work.  I don’t care HOW they work, I just want them TO work.

This image in the set brought back so many memories for me.  My grandmother had a machine very similar to this one.  I suppose she made alot of her own clothes or clothes for her children.  My mom used to make my clothes.  I think it scarred me for life…pants in a fake denim print with bananas in various degrees of peel…WTH was she thinking??  Lol.  (I tease her all the time about those pants so if she reads this, I know she’ll laugh and not be insulted.  I appreciate her efforts.  But bananas?  Mom, really?  I think they might have even had faces.)

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “Sew Special” (The Rummage Bin)   Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink Vintage Cream (base); Prism Natural Smooth   Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey Lemonade 6×6 paper pad  Accessories:  Piercing template/needle, Inkssentials white opaque pen, Basic Grey button, Papertrey Ink cream jute string, Prima lace trim.  Finished size 4 ¼” x 5 ½”.

TGIM!  :) 

So…curious about that shopping trip?  My husband ended up coming home from work earlier than anticipated so we had lunch together, then shopping.    Well, HE went shopping and left me in the car with the kids!  Oy.  It helped for a bit to have my daughter sit in the third row seat on the opposite side of the car (truck…whatever you want to call an SUV)…until she realized she could still touch the back of her brother’s head with her foot.  ”Get your stinking foot out of my hair!”  “I don’t have a stinky foot.  YOU have a stinky foot!”  “Well your whole BODY is stinky!”  “Mom, he said my whole body is stinky!”  “No, I meant her whole body is REALLY stinky!”  Etc., etc., etc. 

Was sitting in the car better than going into the store?  I’m not sure.  

What happened to the gift?  My son decided a gift card would be best.  Little did he know he sealed his fate of waiting in the car with his sister when he made that decision.   Lesson learned.

Happy Birthday-Super Simple

So what do you do with a gift card when you have no card to slip it in?  I had “gift card” and “card” on the list my husband carried into the store, but his thought was why in the world should he buy a card when I have stacks and stacks of them in my stamp room.  I’ll tell you why.  Because I don’t have anything for a ten-year old boy and a ten-year old boy couldn’t care less if a card is handmade or not so why waste my time or supplies?

So I had to put on my thinking cap.  I needed something quick.  And easy.

I try to keep on hand various sizes of gift bags.  Some are pretty small but just the right size for a gift card.  So I punched a bunch of stars from kraft cardstock and glued them to the front of the bag, clipping off the portions that hung over the edges.  The card is 2 1/2″ square.  So I think I used a 3 1/2″ strip of cardstock, total.  Super easy, super quick and I think it looks ok.  (?)  I’m sure my son’s friend only cared about what was inside anyway. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “Tag! You’re It!” (Kim Hughes Collection)   Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock:  Stampin’ Up Kraft   Accessories: Stampin’ Up Star punch, natural jute string, hole punch. 

As I mentioned yesterday, the summer swim season is over.  And we DID win our Divisional meet last weekend by a whopping 37 points! WOOHOO!  What a nail-biter…right down to the very end.  It was an absolutely fabulous meet! 

The President of our Board of Directors (who happens to also be our neighbor) asked me to make thank you cards for her to give to the Board and some others for their contributions this season.  I made 20 of these:

You’re Fintastic 1

I used Kim’s super-fun Ocean Friends set.  The fish was stamped on Stampin’ Up’s Ruby Red cardstock.  I used a white pen on the teeth and a black 3-d gel pen on the eyes.  Beneath the card is the coordinating envelope.

My daughter had a fantastic swim buddy– an older swimmer who offered support, encouragement and brought little gifts to the swim meets.   (She just happens to be the daughter of our neighbor/BOD President).  We wanted to give her a little thank you in return for all she did for Katie.  So I made this:

You’re Fintastic 2

I used a 1 3/8″ circle punch to cut out the partial circle and then adhered the fish in the scoop, popping him up on some dimensional boosters.

The inside held an iTunes gift card and a thank you note from my daughter.  I wish I’d taken the picture after she’d written her note.  It was adorable…misspellings and all. 

And while the supplies were out, I also made this one:

You’re Fintastic 3

So do I miss dragging my children out of bed every morning to be at the pool by 7:20 a.m.?  No.  Returning multiple times for additional practices?  No.  Will I miss going to the pep rallies every Friday night?  Um….no.  But I will miss the meets every weekend, even if we did have to get up at ridiculously early hours.  I really enjoyed watching the kids (mine and their friends).  But we went out with a bang and I’ll look forward to it starting all over again next summer…after a nice, long break. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “Ocean Friends” and “Tag!  You’re It!” (Kim Hughes Collection)   Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Antique Linen Distress  Cardstock:  Prism Black; Stampin’ Up! Naturals Ivory   Patterned Paper:  Cosmo Cricket Snorkel   Accessories:  American Crafts brads, Fiskars Rotary Trimmer/wave blade, Inkssentials white opaque pen, black Sakura 3-d gel pen, 1 3/8” circle punch, sewing machine, dimensional boosters.  All cards 5 ½” x 4 ¼” (or 4 ¼” x 5 ½”).

TGIM.  I’m not as chipper this morning as usual.  I’ve had a headache since yesterday and I was awoken this morning (5:34 a.m. to be exact) by a woodpecker pounding on something metal right over my bedroom window.  I must have a “Psychotic Birds Stop Here” sign on my house.  Remember the Cardinal that followed me around last year…and the year before… pecking non-stop on my windows?   (sigh)   Anyway…

My nephew’s birthday was yesterday.  I don’t have many stamps that work with a “teen boy” theme so this is what I came up with. 

Let’s Party

I used several Kim Hughes sets to create my scene along with Cosmo’s Mr. Campy paper.  I threw in a piece of Dutch Girl for the background.  The bluish-green is a pretty close match to one of the dots on the paper but of course I covered all of them so you can’t tell.

We bought my nephew a book from his Amazon list but wanted to give him a little extra something so I created a pocket on the inside to hold some money.  If I’d had more time, I would have added a brown matting to the pocket and a thin strip of brown paper across the top… like a teenage boy even cares…but I do. 

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you’ll come back tomorrow for the My Favorite Things blog hop at 10 p.m. (EST).  We have some fun new releases to share!  (And don’t forget to check out that Bubble Bin!  Have a great day!

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms “Bear Hugs,” “Birthday Bash,” “Summer Trees” and “U R A Hoot” (Kim Hughes Collection)   Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock:  Prism Suede Brown Dark, Natural Smooth   Patterned Paper:  Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy and Dutch Girl   Accessories:  Copic markers (E33, E35, E37, E43, E57, YG95, R29, W1), hemp, Sakura 3-d black gel pen (on bear’s eye and nose), pop dots, sewing machine. Finished size: 5 ½” x 5 ½”.

Yesterday was tons of fun.  My daughter did get in the lake even though it wasn’t clear like the swimming pool.  She drove a boat and also caught a fish.  My son spent lots of time trying to catch a fish too… with his hands.  He was unsuccessful.  (lol)  But it was a great day! 

Today is my 11th anniversary.  :)  This isn’t the card I made for my husband.  I just thought it was funny.  (I actually used a new My Favorite Things set that releases in a couple weeks so I can’t share that just yet.)

Been Through a Lot

The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this image was “Hmmm…he’s getting an earful.”  So I thought that sentiment went along with it pretty well.

I hope you’ll check back tomorrow for the Jiffy girls’ May ”Just For Fun” challenge.  We have a “little” (but big to us) announcement. 

Have a great day!   Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “Casual Conversation” (Saturday Evening Post), River City Rubber Works “Most of it was your fault”   Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Walnut Stain Distress   Cardstock:  Prism  Birchtone Medium and Dark, Natural Smooth   Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey Wisteria 6×6   Accessories:  Copic markers (E00, YR20, YG91, BV13, BV31, E43, E31, E000), corner rounder, Basic Grey brads, pop dots.  Finished size 5 ½” x 5 ½”.

My husband’s friend is turning 50 today and his wife has whipped up a little surprise party for him.  The party is at a lake so we’ll see if my children are interested in swimming/playing in water they can’t see through.  (My daughter’s first response was “Are you serious?” lol)

Look Who’s Turning 50

I love Kim’s owl for birthday cards.  I paper-pieced (and popped up) the poof on the hat, and paper-pieced the larger dots on the hat.  I tried coloring them but wasn’t satisfied with the color so my sure-fire way to get a match to the paper is to use the paper.

Thanks for stopping by!   Enjoy your day!   And don’t forget about Lindsey’s sale.  Code MEMDAY09 gets you 25% off everything at Jacksonbelle Embellishments through Monday.

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “U R A Hoot” and “Number Fun”  (Kim Hughes Collection)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black   Cardstock:  Prism Suede Brown Dark, Super Smooth White   Patterned Paper:  The Paper Loft Cosmic Fusion   Accessories:  Copic markers (E33, E35, E37, E29, YR23, C1, C3, C5, C7), brads, pop dots.  Finished size 5 ½” x 5 ½”.

Short and sweet…it’s an action-packed day here with haircuts, a winter swim banquet and a play (starring my nephew).  

Here’s the second card I made for Sunday.  This one is for my mom.  (Hopefully she won’t see it before then!)

Happy Mother’s Day

Once again, I used Silhouette Blooms I, huffing, distressing and stitching.  And, of course, I had to add a little heart charm to this one as well.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a WONDERFUL weekend! 

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms “Silhouette Blooms I” (Kim Hughes Collection), “Mother’s Day Centers” (Mona Lisa Moments)   Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Walnut Stain Distress   Cardstock:  Prism Crabapple Dark, Natural Smooth   Patterned Paper:  My Mind’s Eye Wild Asparagus   Accessories:  Stampin’ Up! markers in Bravo Burgundy, Always Artichoke and Chocolate Chip, ribbon, edge distresser, sewing machine.