Shady Tree Studio Blog Hop

Hi friends! Guess what? Shady Tree Studio is about to release new stamps! Please check them out on Nancy's blog. The design team is having a blog hop to celebrate the new release. If you came here from Roxie's blog you are in the right place. If you are just stopping by, go to Nancy's blog and start there- that way you won't miss a thing! You can win some free stamps, so check out the rules because you'll need to leave some comments.


What do you think of this? I just love that little reindeer, the bow is a seperate stamp too- gives you even more options. I used a little big of masking on this with both the tree and deer. When I got done building my scene I colored it up with my copic markers. Next I covered all the images with glassy accents. My daughter loves this card. Her favorite part is the glassy accents. Its a little difficult to photograph but it gives the card a really cool look. The sentiment is stamped on the bottom in white ink and scored above and below with my scor pal.
One more view:

Thanks for coming by. Your next stop on the hop is Joanne. Off you go!

Shady Tree Studio Christmas in July (New Stamps!)

I've got new cards over at Shady Tree Studio! Come say hi!

Shady Tree Studio Christmas in July (more new stamps!)

I've got a post over at Shady Tree Studio today! Come see us!

Shady Tree Studio Christmas in July (New Stamps!)

Shhhhhh... my post day isn't until Wednesday but I have a little something I want to show you. Its made with brand new stamps from Shady Tree Studio!

Isn't that the cutest little snowman? Don't you just love his primitive style? Cute little buttons? This is a little tag I made using a die from Quickutz. All the stamps are from Shady Tree Studio and will be released on July 29th. Pretty simple construction here. Die cut the kraft paper. Then stamped it up with a variety of inks. Colored the snowman using copics and American Crafts slick writer in white. I added some buttons and a pretty ribbon to finish it off.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

My little guy, my baby, turns 8 today! Where has the time gone? We had a party yesterday where he ripped it up with all his little buddies. It was fun. We rented a ginormous waterslide. Totally worth the money. It entertained all the boys the whole time, and my daughter too! Here are a few pictures of the boy over the years:





And here he is today: He is 8!

You're too Kind

Almost no stamping on this one! I've got some double sided patterned paper, kraft cardstock, orange ribbon and one PTI sentiment stamp. A little bit of punching action and some rounded corners and its good to go. I love that paper, its Echo Park's Summer Days

Baby Shower Ensemble

Hi there blog friends! One of my college friends is expecting and had a baby shower last Saturday. I bought out the Carter's store and while I was there I saw this adorable bag. (Note I did NOT stamp on the bag- it came that way). I thought it was perfect and I could easily make a matching card and tag.

First up the tag. It features the little frog from PTI boy basics. I used one of the tag dies (can't remember which one- sorry.) Some ribbon to look like water and orange button for the sun.

Last we have the card. Same froggy. Sentiment from Baby button bits. Doodle bug button with PTI ribbon. A little copic and white pen work and we are good to go. Thanks for stopping by!

Shady Tree Studio's Christmas in July! (3)

Hello there blog friends. Its another post for Shady Tree Studio's Christmas in July. I also have another card up on the STS blog today. Click here for a peek.

Today's card features stamps from last year's set called, Just Believe. It also has a little sneak peek. The checkered border, isnt it divine? I stamped the tree first and then masked it off before stamping the border. This way the tree looks slightly in front of that border. I colored everything with my copics and called it good. Thanks for stopping in today.

Make It Monday: Edger Pockets

Hi there! Today I have a card for the Papertrey Ink Make It Monday challenge. You can find all the details here.

I have a ripe avocado card base. I made the pocket out of spring moss. I used the edger on both edges of the pocket. This is edger #1. I poked some holes with my paper piercer and sewed the pocket together with some twine. The pocket is stamped in avocado ink using stamps from Beyond Borders. I added some melon berry ribbon and buttons to finish it off.

The tag is made from Simple Chartreuse cardstock. Its stamped with stamps from Floral fusion. The white flower is from MM. Thanks for stopping by today! I will be back tomorrow with some new Shady Tree Studio.

A Tale of a Living Room Corner

Often I find myself drooling over freshly uploaded pictures of peoples' crafting rooms. I love looking at them, dreaming of the someday when I might get my own room to decorate and craft in and leave as messy as I want. I used to craft at the kitchen table. That had one major drawback. People always wanted to eat there, which meant cleaning up my mess and putting it all a way. Every. single. time. One day after drooling over internet crafting spaces I was sitting in my "formal" living room, when I got an idea. Why not use this space? No one used the formal living room because there was not a tv in there. No one really sat on the couches except for the cats. (And most of the time they were happier to scratch the couches instead of sit on them). So I thought, "Hey self, why not use that one tiny corner there. Its just one empty corner, no one will even notice." And so in the beginning it looked like this:

A tiny little gate leg table- which I could fold up when not in use. A little shelf on the wall. I took over the shelving unit on the side as well. A couple of things on the table top. No big deal. You hardly even notice such a thing.

When it was time to craft I would lift up the table side and spread out. I borrowed a dining room chair to sit on. Easy peasey. But then....

It started to look like this. All. The. Time. I started crafting on the floor because as you can see there was no room on the table! And I bet you can guess how often it got all cleaned up. You will also notice things started getting added to the wall. I needed more organizational space because frankly I had lots more stuff! Stuff started to sit on the floor and on the couch. Things were beginning to get out of control. Sooooo.....

I purchased this! Cute enough to be in the formal living room... look how pretty the top is. Nice neutral color. We had gotten a new wood floor and it went nicely with that as well. And the sides had cubbies... lots of extra room!
So you would think that by now I really wouldn't need anymore space... but you would be wrong because somehow I always needed one more little thing. Which brings us to today. The newest acquisition:

A ribbon shelf! A whole lovely shelf devoted to ribbon! Look room to grow as well! Built for me by my husband... and since he built it maybe he doesn't care that I am slowly taking over the entire living room.

And here is the final result... for now anyway...

Shady Tree Studio's Christmas in July! (2)

Good morning friends! I have another Shady Tree Studio card to share with you. It features the holly branch from last season's set Home for the Holidays. The sentiment is a sneak peak from a new set that will be released later this month. This is a pretty simple card. I am using a hero arts card base with some pieces of cardstock on the front. I stamped in black (I am using palette noir- I like Memento for copic coloring but I just dont feel it gives as crisp of an image-so I go back and forth, trying to decide which trade off to take). I colored with my copics. I added some scrunched ribbon at the side using score tape.

YOF minis

Good Morning friends! I have some YOF minis cards for you today. I showed the rose one a few days ago. This is a four card set. I planned on making some packaging for it but have yet to get around to that. It may be summer, but for some reason I am still busy!

All the cards have the same basic layout. White base, colored mat, copic colored flowers, scoring, and sentiment from the Sending You set (PTI).

I love the marigolds. They remind me of my mom.

Last but not least, the carnations. I don't have the big version of this. I thought it looked alot like the marigolds. I still think that.

Happy Holly Days

Hey there! I am posting over at Shady Tree Studios today. Come see!

Shady Tree Studio's Christmas in July!

Hello blog friends! Its been a wee bit since I have had something from Shady Tree Studio! But that changes today... Nancy at STS is kicking off a month long Christmas in July. We are featuring both sets from last Christmas and new stuff too! I have already made tons of samples and I think you are going to love the new offerings as well. Be sure to check out the Shady Tree Blog as well as the other DT members.
This card combines the old (the Cardinal) with the new (little bell). To get myself in the mood for Christmas I took out all of my STS Christmas stamps, pulled out some Christmas paper, went to my LSS and let myself buy a small selection of new paper. I am so bad at working off season. All my Christmas cards get done in November! LOL! Anyway, back to the card. I paper pieced the cardinal using paper from BoBunny. Its pieced on to some Kraft paper. The card its self is from the Hero Arts Hues collection. Sometimes I like having the card already folded and done, and bonus that its white inside. The ribbon is from a grab bag at the LSS, so I don't know the manufacturer.
Card Deets:
Stamps: Shady Tree Studios: Home From the Holidays (plus a peeky at something new!)
Paper: Hero Arts,Bo Bunny, PTI
Ink: Palette
Ribbon: Unknown

I'm Back!!

Hello there blog friends! I am back from my travels! What a whirlwind two weeks. I think its the most I have ever traveled at once. In my heart, I am a homebody so all that new stuff takes a toll on me after awhile. I missed my kiddos, hubby, and my markers! LOL! So I finally got a chance to get some pics of a card I made right before I left.
I used Year of the Flowers minis to make this. Its actually a part of a four card set. I will be showing off the others at a later date. I also have some Shady Tree Studio goodness just around the corner as well. You are going to like the new Christmas sets... they are oh so cute! I've already got a couple of the cards made. Thanks for stopping in!
Card Deets:
Stamps: PTI year of the flower mini
Paper: PTI
Ink: memento black
Other: copic markers, cosmo cricket pattern paper, scor pal, spellbinders scalloped squares.

Hey There Friends!

Hello and greetings from Moss Landing California. Today I am finishing up my last day at the Moss Landing Marine Institute.

That picture is not mine, as I don't have a helicopter to take pictures with. LOL! Its from CSU website. Anyhow, I just wanted you to see what a pretty place we have to learn in. We have been working with K-2 teachers to teach them new methods of teaching science and also adult level content in the field of marine biological sciences. I know I am a presenter here but I have also learned so much. Yesterday we were out at Point Pinos. As part of the grant they gave us all flip cameras. It was cool to capture some video of this awesome place but I hope it doesnt make the kiddos sea sick. Videographer, I am not. So today we head to the institute and then to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. And after that its home we go. So after two weeks on the road I will finally be home in my own bed! I miss my sweet little kiddos and my own pillow. After I get back we have a release for Shady Tree Studios coming. I think my stamps are waiting at my house! So hopefully I will have samples ASAP. Also STS is going to showcase a sweet little set from last year, so I will need to get on that as well. See you soon!