January's Christmas card

After all the hubbub of Christmas died down, I decided that this year I'm going to work on making Christmas cards all year long. Usually I end up making most of my Christmas cards in October and November, when all the new holiday products are coming out and I'm starting to feel the Christmas spirit. I always manage to get my cards done, but that's really when I should be working on making gifts or other crafty projects. I figured if I make a few cards every month I should be able to have 50 or 60 done by the end of September, which is a big chunk of what I need. So here is my card for January:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Thick Very Vanilla, Old Olive card stock; silver and gold papers (retired); sheet music (recycled); Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper
Ink: Gold metallic paint pen (Sharpie)
Accessories: Joyful Noel dies (Corncord & 9th), gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Stitching Lines dies (Essentials by Ellen), Year of Cheer washi tape, linen thread, 4mm and 6mm cupped sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Dimensionals, Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter)

I made six cards with this design, and I really love the way they turned out. I bought this die set and the coordinating stamps in November, but I didn't have a chance to use them before Christmas, so I knew I wanted to use them for my first 2018 Christmas card. (I didn't use the stamps on the card front, but I did stamp one of the sentiments inside the card.) I die cut each letter from a different type of paper, mixing textures and patterns. On the Old Olive wreath I used a metallic paint pen to create gold "berries" and added a linen thread bow on the bottom.

I wanted to keep a simple background, so I used my gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen to flick gold spatter on a thick Very Vanilla card base. I adhered a strip of thin gold washi tape along the bottom of the card and added a strip of faux stitching above that. The finishing touch was three clear sequins, which add a little extra sparkle but don't detract from the focal image.

Now that I've got a start on my Christmas cards for this year I just have to keep it up! Thanks for stopping by!

September 2017 Paper Pumpkin: Alternate projects

It's finally here: the last of my projects from 2017. More specifically, it's a group of projects using the September 2017 Paper Pumpkin kit, Layered Leaves.

When I first opened the kit, I loved all the different pieces; I just didn't necessarily love them all together on the projects they had designed. So I used a few things here and a few things there and created a variety of different projects.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Kits: September 2017 Paper Pumpkin (Layered Leaves), Chalkboard Banner Simply Created
Accessories: Gold sequin trim
Other: 3" lettering stencil sheets (Deja View Stencils)


The first thing I did with the kit was stamp the large leaves and layer the leaf die cuts together. I set aside some to use on Thanksgiving cards, and I decided to use the rest to make a banner. I happened to have another old Stampin' Up! kit in my stash that was perfect: the Chalkboard Banner Simply Created kit.

I used letter stencils to spell the word "thankful" on the chalkboard banner pieces and then strung them on the twine, separating each banner with a cluster of leaves. I added a length of gold sequin trim with each group of leaves and used the mini yellow clothespins from the Paper Pumpkin kit to attach them to the twine.

I was sure that my cats would have this torn down in record time, especially with the gold pieces that shine when they catch the light. But so far, so good. It's still hanging in my bedroom, and while I've caught them sitting on my headboard and sniffing it once or twice, I haven't seen them do anything worse. At least not yet.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Kit: September 2017 Paper Pumpkin (Layered Leaves)
Paper: Cajun Craze card stock, gold foil (kit leftovers)
Accessories: Fall Leaves Swirl embossing folder (Darice), gold sequins (Craft Medley), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

I used the remaining leaf clusters from the kit for Thanksgiving cards. For the card bases, I embossed Cajun Craze card stock with a fun swirls and leaves texture and then rounded the corners. I added a stamped tag to each set of leaves, and adhered them near the upper right corner of the card.

I wanted to add a bit more gold, so I dug out some scraps of gold foil paper left over from another kit, cut a narrow strip and adhered it near the bottom of the card. Three god sequins add just a bit more sparkle and the perfect finishing touch.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Kit: September 2017 Paper Pumpkin (Layered Leaves)
Paper: Blushing Bride
Accessories: Hearts cutting dies (Little B), Subtles enamel dots, Calypso Coral baker's twine, mini Dimensionals

I wasn't sure at first what to do with the embossed 3" x 3" cards from the Paper Pumpkin kit, but since the envelopes had a pink watercolor look, I decided to save them for valentines. And since I'm making valentines for Meals on Wheels again this year, these were the perfect start.

I used some great heart dies I got for my birthday to create a heart outline with "stitched" detailing out of Blushing Bride card stock. (The set has separate dies for cutting out the hearts and adding the stitched lines, so you can get a variety of different looks depending on which dies you use.) I tied a baker's twine bow around one side of the heart and adhered it to one of the 3" x 3" card bases with mini Dimensionals. Then I added a small enamel heart on the card and then glued the inside of the die-cut heart on the front of the envelope. Eight quick valentines done and ready to go! (I actually made these cards a week or two ago, after the new year, so this is a good segue from the old into the new.)

The last item from the kit, the pillow boxes, I used for holiday treat packages. I shared those in one of my 12 Days of Christmas posts, and this post is already long, so I won't add the pictures again here.

So all together, I used this kit to make projects for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine's Day. Not too shabby! And next week I'll start sharing some new projects. As always, thanks for stopping by!

DIY chalkboard sign

I know this post was supposed to be about the projects I created with a Paper Pumpkin kit from last fall. But when I downloaded the photos on my camera, I discovered that I had one other project I hadn't shared: a wooden sign I made for my sister for Christmas.

One day in December while we were Christmas shopping, we saw these cute holiday chalkboard signs in a boutique. My sister really liked them but didn't buy one, so I decided to try to make one for Christmas.

I bought all the supplies -- wooden "slice," chalkboard paint, chalk set, and even the hanging hardware -- at Target. That was the easy part. The hard part was finding the time to make it! When I wasn't at work or trying to finish other gifts, my sister was home, which made it hard to create a secret present. I literally wrote out the "Noel" and wrapped it while she was in the shower on Christmas Eve. Good grief. (I had to add the hanger on the back after Christmas because it would have been hard to explain the hammering.)

I originally tried using paint for the design instead of chalk, but I didn't like the result, so I added another couple layers of chalkboard paint to cover it and started over. I didn't apply any sealant, so the design can be changed. It's not fancy, but it was an easy, fun project.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cats, cats, bird

I'm almost through clearing out all the old projects I haven't posted yet. Tonight I have a few cards to share, and then in my next post I'll show you the projects I made with a Paper Pumpkin kit from last fall. So, on with the show!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Basic Gray card stock; white card stock (Recollections); Neutrals Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack
Ink: Acrylic paint (unknown)
Accessories: FeLINE die (Penny Black), Large Stitched Rectangle Stackable dies (Lawn Fawn), Brick embossing folder (Taylored Expressions), Go Green sequins (Craft Medley), Coastal Cabana ruffled ribbon, gel printing plate (Gelli Arts), Dimensionals, Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter)

I made the focal images for these cards during play time at my Second Official October Craft Weekend (SOOCW). I used white card stock, acrylic paints and my gel printing plate in some combination to make the teal background piece and then I borrowed the die from my friend Lisa to cut out the adorable line of cats. I used the main image for the card on the left and the cut-out pieces to create the negative image for the card on the right. Two for one!

For both cards I matted the die cuts with gray card stock embossed with a brick texture. That seemed appropriate for these lounging felines. I used gray and white DSP for the backgrounds and embellished each card with a few sequins (and ruffled ribbon on the right-hand card).

Side note: I ended up really liking this cat die, so after figuring out who makes it, I added it to my wish list and got it for Christmas. Yippee!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Stitched Scenes (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Whisper White, Soft Sky, Old Olive, Basic Black card stock; glitter paper (Krazy Kreations)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Oxide Inks (Ranger)
Accessories: Meadow Borders dies (Lawn Fawn), Birds with Tree and Hot Air Balloon outline stickers (Krazy Kreations), clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, gel printing plate (Gelli Arts), Dimensionals

This card was another SOOCW creation. After experimenting with various acrylic paints and Distress Oxide inks, I had a whole stack of background panels ready to go. I used three of them with some outline stickers to make the bird, tree trunk and tree top for this card. (Apply the sticker to the paper and then trim around the sticker. The trickiest part was definitely the bird's tail.)

I arranged them -- along with glittery clouds and Old Olive die-cut grass -- on a layer of Soft Sky card stock to make this little scene. I mounted the panel on a Basic Black card base and added a banner with a stamped sentiment in the upper right corner.

Thanks for stopping by!

Colorful candles and a big balloon

I'm making progress in clearing out the old stamping projects, and tonight I'm sharing two birthday cards I made last fall.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Make a Wish stamp and die combo (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Pool Party, Real Red, Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight card stock; Oh My Stars kit (Bella Boulevard)
Ink: Pool Party, Real Red, Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Dimensionals

This card is similar to one I shared as part of the Taylored Expressions birthday sketch challenge. For this version, I cut back on the sparkle (I just have Wink of Stella painted on the candle flames), but I added more color. I love that bright patterned paper, but since it's a little busy, I didn't want to add a bunch of "competing" embellishments. In looking back, though, I think it needs "something." Maybe I should have embossed the Pool Party card base to add a little more texture.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Balloons (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Thick Whisper White card stock, white card stock (Recollections)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; violet and ultramarine Color Burst powders (Ken Oliver)
Accessories: Balloons dies (Simon Says Stamp), balloon punch, star sequins (Paper Pumpkin leftovers), white baker's twine, Dimensionals, Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter)

These colorful pieces were two of the backgrounds I made while experimenting with Color Burst powders during my Second Official October Craft Weekend. I love how vibrant the colors are! I wish I could remember specifically how I made them, but even if you followed the exact same steps, you wouldn't get the exact same results. So just play around with paper, water and the powders and see what happens!

Since the two pieces coordinate I decided to combine them on one card. I adhered the darker piece to a white card base and used a die to cut a large balloon out of the lighter piece. I stamped a large sentiment in the middle of the balloon, tied a white twine bow around the neck and adhered it to the base with Dimensionals. A few small gold star sequins add just a touch of sparkle.

After die cutting the balloon, I used a punch to make some smaller balloon shapes from the leftover card stock. I added the balloons inside the card to carry over some of the color from the front.

When I was trying to decide on placement for the small balloons, I couldn't quite get them to fit where I wanted them because I'd stamped the sentiment a bit too high. I decided to go ahead and glue the balloons where I wanted them, and then I just trimmed off the part of the balloon that hung off the edge. (That's a fun little trick to do with cloud die-cuts, too; you can even use the piece you cut off by gluing it to the opposite side of the card. Two for one!)










Thanks for stopping by!

Baptism times three

In October, we added three new members to our extended family: My youngest cousin had her first baby on the 18th, and the next day another cousin had twins. They were all baptized within a week of each other in November, so I fell back on my tried-and-true layout for religious cards:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Paper: Whisper White note cards and envelopes; Whisper White, Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz card stock
Accessories: Lattice die, Pinewood Planks embossing folder, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, pearls, clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Dimensionals

I've used the cross made with the Lattice die for a First Communion card and for another baptism card, but I have changed up the background each time. So I hope no one minded that these three cards were all basically the same!

I kept everything white on these cards except for the pop of color provided by the flowers. But white doesn't have to mean boring! The Pinewood Planks embossing folder makes a great textured background, and I added shimmer to the crosses with a clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen (it's hard to see the sparkle in this photo). I did want to give each card a little individuality, so I used different card stock for the punched flowers on each card. Definitely clean and simple, and I really like them.

Thanks for stopping by!

A set of Tranquil Tulips

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, so I was excited to see the Tranquil Tulips host set in the 2017-18 Stampin' Up! catalog. It was the perfect set to use to create a card set for my cousin's birthday last fall.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Tranquil Tulips
Paper: Thick Whisper White
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Daffodil Delight, Blushing Bride, Real Red, Melon Mambo, Fresh Fig, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Gold Deco Foil (Therm-o-web), Florence sequins (Close to My Heart), Sticky Strip

I like the layout and colors of these cards, but I do have a confession: After I was finished with the stamping, I realized I had messed up the flowers. Each flower is made with two separate stamps, one for the "back" of the flower and one for the "front." The stamps are made so that you can use the same color to stamp both images instead of having to use a light and a dark shade. I had forgotten that little tidbit, so when I stamped the flowers, I inked up the image for the "back" of the flower, stamped it first on scratch paper and then stamped it on my card base to get a lighter tone. As a result the backs of the flowers, especially the yellow and pink, are way too light. If I had just stamped directly on the card base, the image would have been naturally light enough to stamp the second image over it. Oh, well. They're still pretty tulips.

To add the gold strip along the bottom of the cards, I placed a piece of Sticky Strip adhesive all the way across the card. Then I peeled off the backing and added the Deco Foil over the exposed adhesive. Three sequins add another touch of gold to each card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pair of Pretty Petals cards

I'm back tonight with a quick post and more "clearing out the old." Here are two cards (from last summer!) featuring one of my favorite Designer Series Paper (DSP) packs, Pretty Petals.

Supplies all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Thick Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Calypso Coral card stock; Pretty Petals DSP Stack
Accessories: Punches: Starburst, Pansy, Petite Petals, 1-1/2" circle, 2" circle, 2-1/2" circle; metallic gold thread; clear faceted gems; gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen; champagne sequins (The Makery); Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter)

I really like the layout of this card (although if you tilt your head and squint your eyes, it looks like an out-of-proportion Mickey Mouse). I used lots of different circles and dots in the layers, paper and even the embellishments. The touches of gold in the splattered background and loops of thread add a little shine.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Thick Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Calypso Coral card stock; Pretty Petals DSP Stack
Accessories: Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon, delicate white doily, Bitty Butterfly punch, pearls, green sequins (Craft Medley  - Citrus assortment), Dimensionals

This layout is a great way to use DSP. It would be fun to make a whole set of these cards with each one using a different combination of coordinating patterns. For this card, I added a small cluster of embellishments in the lower right corner to create a focal area.

Thanks for stopping by!

Clearing out the old

In honor of the new year, I've decided to clear out the old. Photos of "old" cards to be specific. I have several photos that have been sitting in my cyber files for months, including several of the cards I made at my craft retreats last fall. I never got around to sharing them because there was always something I liked better or something more timely or [insert various excuse here]. So for the next week or so I'm going to focus on sharing those cards before I jump into creating new cards and goodies. So here goes.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Party with Cake
Paper: Green Galore, Whisper White card stock; recycled paper from a junk mail envelope (Current)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Project Life journaling pen
Accessories: Yellow paper flowers (Eyelet Outlet), Ice White Pearl Pen (Viva Decor), large glitter brad (American Crafts), clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen

The starting point for these two cards was the colorful floral paper. It was part of an envelope I received last summer containing a sales flyer or coupon from Current. (Current is a company that sells stationery, holiday, home and gift items. I used to order from them frequently before I started making cards. Picking up those packages in the college mail roomwas the best. I still order occasionally; they have awesome wrapping paper.) I loved the bright colors and didn't want to just toss it, so I cut apart the envelope and made these two cards.

I've loved doing stuff like this since I was a kid: making gift tags out of greeting cards (or vice versa), collecting paint and wallpaper samples at the home improvement stores to make collages, cutting old wrapping paper into tiny pieces to make mosaic pictures. I really enjoy doing it, but I think I never shared these cards because they didn't seem "fancy" enough. They're not really anything special, but I still love that paper, and they're bright and cheery, and I made them. So why not share them?

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Geo-Graphic (Paper Smooches)
Paper: Green Galore, Berry Burst card stock; recycled paper from a junk mail envelopes (Current)
Ink: Berry Burst
Accessories: Yellow paper flowers (Eyelet Outlet), neutrals brads, Large Polka Dot embossing folder, clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Ice White Pearl Pen (Viva Decor), Dimensionals

I went with a polka dot theme for this card, and I added plenty of Wink of Stella for a solid sparkle factor, although it's hard to see in the photo above. You can see it a bit better in the shot on the right. All the large embossed polka dots, as well as the smaller yellow flower, are coated with Wink of Stella. I don't know what I did before I found that amazing product!

So there are my first two "old" cards. I'll try to get more posted this weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Resolutions and intentions

Happy new year! Did you bring in the new year with a bang? I had a quiet New Year's Eve at home, watching TV, playing on the computer and enjoying holiday treats.

One thing I didn't really think about this year was resolutions. I usually don't make hard and fast resolutions, per se, because I never seem to be successful with them. I think people are unrealistic about new year's resolutions and try to make grand, sweeping changes all at once and then get frustrated and quit when something goes awry. Or maybe that's just me.

I prefer the idea of choosing a trait or idea to focus on throughout the year. Maybe it's health or nature or family or gratitude. Whatever you feel needs more attention in your life.

In my yoga class this afternoon, our teacher put out slips of paper with different words on them. We could choose a word (or several) to use as our intention during class and as something to be more mindful of in the new year. There were many good options, but I was drawn to the word brave. I am a worrier. I feel like I worry about everything, all the time, and it can be exhausting. It's hard to step out of my comfort zone and be brave when I'm so focused on what could go wrong. So while I don't know yet what brave looks like for me, I think it's a good choice for me in 2018.

Incidentally, we've done this exercise in yoga class in previous years, and I've saved my slips of paper. I got them out this afternoon to see what words I've collected. I have laughter, peace, friends, two slips with strength, and another brave. So I guess strength and bravery it is.

Do you have any new year's resolutions or intentions? Whether you do or not, I hope 2018 has great things in store for you. Thanks for stopping by!