Happy Halloween

Its Halloween!  And like Target, Kohls, and Walmart I have already moved on!  I have moved on so far that I am done with Christmas and on to Valentine's day!   Hehe!  Not really my Christmas cards are barely even started.  I made nothing for Halloween this year.  My kid is off track and the other one is in jr. high.   Not even a token offering for the teachers at school.  Ah well.  Here's a love card for you though.  Just patterned paper circles, bling, and a WMS sentiment.  Hope you like!

Mitten Love

Hi there friends!  I have a Christmas card or Holiday card for you today.  I used stamps from The Cat's Pajamas.  Stamped in momento black and colored with copic marker.  I embossed using spellbinders rectangles.  Added some stickles in diamond and called it done. 

I hope all of you on the East Coast are staying safe and dry.  Its a beautiful day here in California.  Supposed to get up to 79 today.  My son is off track (year round school) so today (I have Mondays off) we will be having a little mommy and son time.  Going to finally go get some Halloween pumpkins, see if we can find our Halloween lights, look for some little stuffed pets he collects at the store, and then it will be time to pick up my jr. higher from school.    After that its off and running for the rest of the week.  Thanks for stopping by!

Sunflowers on Red

Good Morning friends!  Its another of those Papercrafts rejects.  I love this card.  I thought they would love it too- wrong!  Ah well.  Anyway here it is.  Papertrey Ink's supersized Autumn Abundance.  It has another name- something like sunflowers.... again too lazy to go look. Dark chocolate ink, copic coloring, patterned paper from some little company whose name escapes me but its not one of the big dogs.  Anyway there you have it- completely useless information!   Thanks for stopping in.  Those of you who left me comments yesterday- thank you they made my day.  I still don't know what I am doing with the blog- I have learned not make rash decisions- but I thank you for reading it, or at least looking at the pictures.  :)

Hello Birds

Have a little card for you today featuring Hero Arts stamps (sorry no clue of the set- too lazy to go look).  The Hello sentiment is from PTI Fillable frames.  Assorted patterned paper from stash.  White gel pen, black copic liner.  Thats about it!  Thanks for stopping in.  I know the updates have been sporadic.  I am toying with the idea of no longer blogging.  I hate that I can't keep it up like I used to but I have so much going on this always goes to the back burner.  Anyway... until next time.

Notebook Gift Ensemble

Card I made for my principal for Boss's Day.  I used PTI's Frame It and Acorn Abundance.  Inks are Limeade, Canyon Clay, Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate (old version), Kraft
 
Gift Set Wrapped in a glassine bag.  I added a tag and some twine to finish it off.  A little bling on the tag as well.
 
Close up of notebook
 
Interior Notebook
 
Notebook and tag detail.  I love the little stamp on the back.  That is from a Hero Arts set that I picked up on clearance at my LSS.  I have used it many times in the last few days!  Thanks for stopping in today!

Cute Little Rejects

Yeah, rejected again.  Paper Crafts better be careful or I might develop a complex!  LOL.  Today I have some adorable Lawn Fawn rejects.  I personally love them and will be putting them on my mantle this year. 

 

I used Lawn Fawn's Sweet Christmas set to whip up these little gingerbread houses and gingerbread men.  Everyone got the 3D treatment.  I made my own little template for the house.  It took a lot of futzing around but it was worth it.  The faces of the house, gingers, and tree are all colored with copics.

  

Mama and baby Ginger

 

Thanks for stopping in today! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Papercrafts Rejects

I submitted 12 cards to the last round.  All rejected- boohoo.  The good news is I have some blog fodder now.  First up is a Thanksgiving card.  Seriously, do people really give Thanksgiving cards?  I know I don't.  I made it because I thought it might narrow my odds!  LOL!  Didn't work!  What will I do with it now?  Maybe I will send it to my mom.  Would love to her see her face when she opened it thinking, "What the heck, who sends their mom a Thanksgiving card?".  Anyway, here it is:

I used Echo Park papers, PTI cardstock, dark chocolate ink and some hero arts bling.  I love the script on the sentiment even if I do find the occasion kind of funny.  The stamp set is Falling Acorns from PTI.  They have dies but I don't have them.  My acorns are hand cut.  Thanks for coming by today!

Christmas Kitty

Hey there blog friends!  Good morning to you and happy weekend!  I have another Christmas card for you today.  Another CAS card that is easy to mail.  I used Cat's Pajamas stamps, stickles, PTI paper, and little copic coloring.

 

Naughty or Nice?

Hello friends!  I have a card for you today!  A simple one layer Christmas Card.  I used stamps from The Cat's Pajamas.  I think this is a retiring set because it was on clearance at my LSS and I think it is on sale from TCP. Anyway super simple construction:  line up the penguins and stamp in black.  Stamp the sentiment underneath.  Color the penguins hats with copic.  Add bling to hats and stickles to belly.

Shady Tree Studio Cardinal

Hello friends!  Two days in a row, crazy huh?  Anyway I am back with one of my most favorite stamps from Shady Tree Studio.  I just love this cardinal.  He is so fun to color.  The best part is you can still buy him.  Even though STS is no longer selling off of their blog, Nancy's gorgeous artwork has been picked up by Inky Antics.  He is part of the Perching Birds set!  You can order directly from Inky Antics or you can get them at your LSS.
My Cardinal was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with copics.  I mounted him on some Echo Park paper.  I stamped a sentiment from Waltzinmouse on some vellum and then added some red buttons.

Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Party! "Falling for You"

Hello Friends! Its the 17th of the month which means its time for the Waltzingmouse Blog Party.  You can find all the details here.  The theme is fall and I have the perfect WMS set for fall.  Its one of my all time favorites- Teeny Trees.  Here I used the largest tree trunk paired with the tiny maple leaf.  I stamped the tree and sentiment in palette dark chocolate.  I stamped the leaves in a variety of versamagic chalk inks.  I used my copic liner to make the stitching lines and the leaf trail.  I hope you like it!

Gift Set

Good Morning Friends!  I have a quick little share with you today.  Horrid pictures!  Sorry!  Took them with my iphone the other day.  I tried to edit them a bit but really I never intended to post them, LOL!

This is a set I made for my mom to give her friend.  I printed the sentiment on with my computer and then stamped the rest using PTI's Year of the Flowers Mini's and some echo park paper.

Close up!

Matching lined envies to finish it off!  Its post and run cause I got work!  Thanks for stopping by!

Rosemary for Rememberance

As always on this day, I remember September 11, 2001.  I spend some time thinking of those who sacrificed everything, of those who were taken too soon, and of those who are still sacrificing today.  As my children grow older and they see the specials on the news, the documentaries, and the memorials I hope I am giving them an adequate lesson on the history of this today.  I hope that we as a nation never forget what happened and also never forget how we all came together in the aftermath. I hope you will join me in reflection as we take some time from our busy lives to remember.

Cake in a Cup!

Hello friends I have some cute packaging for you today!  I originally got this idea from Pinterest.  I pinned it from this site:  Bird on a Cake. 
Basically what you do is make some cupcakes.  When they cool plop them into a clear 9 ounce cup and frost them.  I used a big 1M tip and some swirly pink frosting.  After they are frosted then you cut some cellophane to cover the cup.  Tie on a pretty ribbon.  Make some tags.  I used PTI's stamps.  Two different sets.  The cake is Tiny Treats: Valentine.  The circle and just for you are from another set that I can't remember the name of.  The black paper is PTI.  The pink papers are from a variety of makers.

A close up of the tag.  I used some stickles and glossy accents on each one.
 
Here are some with silver ribbons.  I ran through three full rolls of ribbon to make 24 of these.  I gave them away to my coworkers on the first day of school.

Just For You

Good Morning Friends!  Another card to share with you using Waltzingmouse and Papertrey Ink.  Copic coloring on the image and patterned paper from a supplier I cannot recall. Its post and run today cause I gotta get to work!!

Birthday Sunflowers

Hey there friends!  Bet you thought I had dropped of the face of the Earth, huh?  I have thought about my sad little blog so many times over the last few weeks but just couldn't get the oomph to go take some pictures, edit them, and fix it all up.  I have been creating.  I haven't been taking photos.  But a few days ago I finally did and this is what I have for you today:

Copic colored card using PTI's Autumn Abundance and Waltzingmouse Stamp's Compact Sentiments.  Just a little aside about the WMS set-  It is the best sentiment set I own.  I LOVE the font, I love how bold it is and I love the sizes.  Excellent set- check it out!  Anyway papers are fairly new and I believe are by Cosmo Cricket.  The die cut is Spellbinders Lacy Circles.   As for the coloring I kind of cheated and copied Debbie Olson's color scheme from this post.  I just went out and looked at it again, and I used a totally different green combo for the leaves but the vase is totally based off of hers.  Anyway elsewhere on her blog she has a totally stepped out tutorial if you are new to copics.

Well I would like to promise you that I will be posting again in earnest but I go back to work tomorrow to start a new school year and I have no idea how long it will take me to get back into the swing of things so I'll I can say is I will TRY to get back into the regularly scheduled postings!  As always thanks for stopping by!

Gratitude!

Hi there!  I have a new card for you today.  I am kind of in love with it!

I used PTI's ad sense and circle stamps.  I have a new leaf base with ad sense die cuts.  The inks are blueberry sky and new leaf.  The white frame is drawn with a t square and gel pen.  Its that simple.

Can I talk to you a minute about gratitude?  I just have to say I am feeling so grateful today!  Why?  Because my latest Donor's Choose project just got funded- mostly by my friends and family- but also by total strangers who are trusting me with their hard earned cash.  In case you dont know Donor's choose is a non profit that matches teachers in need with donors.  You submit a project, go shopping (online) for the supplies and then you wait and hope people will pick you.  When you get funded all your supplies are shipped to your school.  You use them, take pictures, and have the kids write thank you letters.  Its simple, its amazing, and its so worth while.  I have a link to the page in my side bar.  I don't have any projects up right now but hundreds of other hard working teachers do.  Check it out if you have the chance.  You can donate as little as 5 dollars.

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #111

Hi Friends!  Long time, no write!  Its been busy here the last couple of weeks!  I have a few pictures and stories for you but first I wanted to check in with my take on the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge! You can find all the details for the challenge here.

My 17th wedding anniversary is tomorrow and I needed a little something for the hubby. I used a couple of different sets on this card.  The background is from Heirloom Patterns.  The tree and wee birds are from Teeny Trees.  The heart is from Lil Buddies (I think...), and the sentiments are from Compact Family and Compact Sentiments.  I used a variety of inks from a wide variety of manufactures.  Ribbon from my stash, twine from May Arts.  That's it for the card making portion.  Below is a little update on the goings on around here:

Edit:  Just clarify... the bride below is NOT me.  That is my husband's cousin and we went to her wedding in S. Ca.  You can see us dressed in our wedding finery in the pics following.
We have been in and out of town and all over for the past two weeks.  We were at a wedding in Southern California where my husbands cousin got married.

The bride and her dad.

My little darlings.

Me and the hubby.

Both my kids had birthdays and we celebrated with a pool party at the local pool.


I cleaned out and reorganized my closet!  Oh it was such a pig stye!  I am too embarrassed to show the before pics!



I recovered all the dining room chairs.  The kids ripped one and of course no matching fabric on hand I had to redo them all.  I do like the way they turned out.

Before

After! So anyway its been busy around here!  My daughter started jr. high this week and my son will be back in school on Monday.  The count down for me has started as well and I have been spending time down at my job getting ready for the new year to start up.  Thanks as always for coming by.  I know its annoying when the posts don't update every day!  I'm going to try to do better!

Using Up the Old

Good Morning Friends!  I have a couple more cards for you from the set I made the other day.  I love that I was able to clear out a huge batch of patterned paper and older cardstock to get these made.  Not only that I was able to incorporate the matching chipboard stickers that I paid a good sum for and then never used.  A couple of tips: gather your old pp and your matching embellies before you start so you can see what you have to work with.  Add in anything else that might go well.  I picked out some coordinating ribbon and some matching PTI cardstock.  Look in your stamp collection to see what might go well for envies and sentiments.
 
On this card you can see the big chipboard sticker is my focal point.  Unfortunately the middle of the sticker has some silly word on it that I would have never added to a card, not in a million years.  So I went and found a punch to match the size of the center circle.  I punched a piece of coordinating paper and I stamped it with a sentiment I do like.  Then I just glued it right over the top!  And now its exactly as I wanted it.


 Below is another card where I did the same thing.  I cut a square to cover up the old (and ridiculous) sentiment and then added a new one with my stamps.  Fun and frugal!

Flip Box Tutorial

Hello friends! I put together a little photo tutorial of yesterday's box. Please email me or ask in the comments if you have questions. Writing a tutorial is not something I have done a whole lot of so forgive me if I lead you astray! Each picture has directions on it so feel free to enlarge.
Now we start the lid.  My pictures here are not as good and I made some mistakes so be sure to read the captions.
 

The caption above is full of typos!  Sorry!  It should say that the middle flaps should be shorter while the top ones need to be 2.5 inches.  I cut it wrong.  I had to throw it out and start anew.  Technically you could glue it that way and it would work but it looks nicer if the top flaps are a full 2.5 inches.
 
 This is the box with the patterned paper added in.
 This is the finished box.  All the little details are what make it so much fun.