Tropical Summer

I actually got to spent my weekend up at our family condo at Bear Lake (which is on the Utah/Idaho border). I totally LOVE it up there ... it is soooo hard to come home when you would MUCH rather be lounging around, enjoying the weather, snacking, hot-tubbing, sunbathing, reading, napping, playing games and generally doing NOTHING!! One of my favorite places to be ...

And what better to toast the official start of summer than a delicious drink with a little umbrella in it, right?? I really think this set is so adorable! I'm kinda sad it didn't make the new catty ... sigh ...

Hope you all have a terrific week!!

Stamps: Tropical Party, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Melon Mambo, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Movers and Shapers Die, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder, Melon Mambo Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Curly Label Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Ice Rhinestone Brad, Dimensionals

"All-in-One" Favor Boxes

A few months ago when I was at my niece's wedding luncheon I was given a little favor box that I found too cute to resist. Being the craft geek that I am, I came home, tore it apart and figured out how to make one of my very own. I posted the results of my adventure HERE.

I also posted it in my gallery over on SCS. Not long thereafter, Beate (the Queen of the Tutorial!) asked me if I would like to do a tutorial for the resource page over on SCS. HECK YES!!! So, on Wednesday this week the results of my labors showed up (there are step-by-step photos/instructions, a video tutorial and a template you can print out):

"All-in-One" Favor Box Tutorial

Stamps: Elements of Style, Vintage Vogue
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Folder, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Scalloped Rectangle Clearlits Die, Whisper White Satin/Organza Ribbon, 1/2" Pearl, 1" and 1/4" Circle Punches, Dimensionals

Here is another little sample I made showing what happens if you use double-sided patterned paper, as opposed to just plain ol' cardstock. Stinkin' cute, right??

Stamps: NONE
Paper: Night & Day DSP
Ink: NONE
Accessories: All-in-One Favor Box Template, Heart Embosslits Die, Clear Rhinestone Sticker, Heart to Heart Punch, black/white gingham ribbon

BUT WAIT!! There's MORE!! Here is a link to an SVG FILE that you can use to cut this baby out with your CRICUT!! That's right!!! WAHOOOOO!!!

ALL-IN-ONE FAVOR BOX SVG FILE

Yes, yes ... I know ... YOU LOVE ME!!!

Dad

Once a cardmaker, always a cardmaker, right?? As I was going through boxes, drawers, closets and dressers a few months back while I was helping my mom move 40+ years' worth of stuff, I came across several little treasures. This card was one of them. I actually remember making this at church one year when I was a little girl ... the teachers in charge had all of us kids create this cute little fedora card for our dads for Father's Day. What a sweet memory for me ...




I actually remember tracing all these lines on the inside of the hat ... I wanted to make mine different and a little more special than all of the others ... cute, eh?



Which leads me to the cards I made this year for Father's Day. I wanted to keep them rather clean and simple ... and masculine, of course. I have been making Father's Day cards for quite a while and feel as though I have "used" up all my manly-man stamps (which is a clear sign that I need to buy MORE of them, right??) I made this first one for my own darling husband ... aren't the circles just DA BOMB? I cut them with my Cricut using an image I found on Kelly Purkey's blog HERE. Coolio ... love the 3D effect it adds ...

Stamps: Well Scripted
Paper: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Sweet Pea dsp
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Cricut (to cut circles), Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder, Wide Oval Punch, Deep Chocolate Polka Dot Satin Ribbon (PTI), Corner Rounder

This is the one I did for my father in law ... I pulled out some old designer patterned paper for these next two. I was still looking for that clean, manly-man look (my father-in-law was pretty impressed with this for some reason ... which is very cool because he has impeccable taste!).

And this last one is the one I did for my own dear dad ... I have found that I have been missing some of the simplest things about him ... his laugh ... how he could whistle (he was AWESOME at that! A truly lost art, in my opinion.) It is so nice that the cemetery is only a couple of minutes from my house so I can visit him as often as I like ...

Stamps: Well Sripted
Paper: Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Manchester dsp
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder, 1 3/8" Chocolate Chip Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, 1/4" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Wide Oval Punch, Small Star Punch, Top Note Die, Paper Piercing Tool, Circle Cutter, Antique Brads

Le Freak ... Say Chic!!

Freak Out!! (Okay, this totally proves that I am a child from the 70's!!) It's time again to show a little bit of what the Control Freaks have been doing lately (and you should have just come from the splendiforous blog of JanTink ... this time with the fun goodies we got when we put in a pre-order from the new and soon-to-be-released SU 2010-2011 catalog. (And let me tell ya, this is one of the BESTEST catalogs I have seen in a loooonnnng time!!)

I am love-love-loving all the new colors ... the are all BEAUTIMOUS, and I think that EVERYTHING goes with Early Espresso (it's my new standby - I'm sure I will still use a lot of Chocolate Chip, but I'm leaning to the Espresso, for now!) I created this flower using my large oval punch and the new FABOO Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Folder. WOWZA!! I totally LOVE this baby!! And all the ribbon ... and I do mean ALL the ribbon! Wonderful!!!

Stamps: Friends Never Fade, Because I Care (sentiment)
Paper: Blushing Bride, Early Espresso, Whisper White
Ink: Blushing Bride, Early Espresso
Accessories: 1 3/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Large Oval Punch, Modern Label Punch, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Folder, Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon, 1/2 Pearl (Pretties Kit), Dimensionals

A little while back I went to visit one of my BFF's in Minnesota (hey, Kathy!!). Since I live in the craft MECCA of the UNIVERSE (aka Salt Lake City), I wasn't expecting a whole lot when Kathy wanted to take me to her fave local craft store .... WRONG!!! OHMYGOSH!!! I don't think there was ANYthing they didn't have (if I recall correctly the name of the store was Crafts Direct). Anywho ... I found these FUNFUNFUN 10"-tall "test tubes" that were just begging to be filled with wild, colorful goodies (aka Jelly Bellies). The best part is that they were only $1 each (I bought FOUR!). This was a quick and simple gift idea ... for when your lovely son/daughter comes home and tells you they are invited to a party and need to bring a gift ... in less than an hour!!! Sheesh!! (Lucky for me that hasn't happened to me THIS week, so I may save this for some such occasion, unless of course I eat all the jellybeans first ... in which case I can always buy MORE, right???)

Stamps: Perfect Punches, Artistic Etchings
Paper: Peach Parfait, Whisper White
Ink: Marina Mist, Peach Parfait
Accessories: 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Scallop Square Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Marina Mist Taffeta Ribbon

That's all for this time, friends. But guess WHAT?? The Tour de Freaks is FAB this time around, so there is MORE for you to see ... hop on over to the blog of Ilina Crouse and see what I mean ...

Man's Best Friend

I {{{heart}}} my doggie ... she is a little bitty ol' toy poodle named Daisy (four years old). She is the sweetest, snuggliest doggie I have ever had.

As I was the challenge hostess for todays Free for All challenge on SCS (F4A17), I decided to do something as an ode to my fur baby ... the challenge is to make a card that reflects one of your bestest non-human friends. Dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, bunnies ... any ol' thing will do.

What I really need me is a CUTE toy poodle stamp (not one that looks like a frou-frou dog!)! I settled for a little Scotty dog instead for this one ...

Stamps: Dogs by Inkadinkado
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Night and Day dsp, Pattern Pack III dsp
Ink: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Circle Cutter, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, black/white gingham ribbon, 1 1/4" and 1" circle punches, linen thread, black brad, dimensionals, sewing machine

One Layer Wonder

One layer cards are NOT easy for me (which is probably why I never do 'em!!)! However, my good friend, Holly McMillen (aka "Toy" on SCS) is the TLC challenge hostess, and that is what she challenged us to do this week for TLC277 ... create a one-layer card. Thinkthinkthink ...

To be honest I cheated (a little), but it was not intentional. I was thinking I was good enough to stamp my sentiment freehand, WITHOUT using my stamp-a-ma-jig. I wasn't ... so I was stuck with a half-decent card with a VERY crooked sentiment. No good. So, I just stamped the sentiment again on another piece of cardstock and punched it out. Simple as that ... but if ya close one eye and squint out of the other it ALMOST looks like it is one layer, anyway! I call that close enough! (and I used it as an excuse to use a bunch of the new SU goodies I got as part of my catalog preorder ... LOVIN' it all!)

TTFN!

Stamps: Friends Never Fade, Because I Care
Paper: Whisper White
Ink: Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Folder, Large Oval Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, Marina Mist Taffeta Ribbon

Remembering Dad ...

While I was doing my 10-day blitz of UnAward Winning Projects, Memorial Day came and went. It just so happens that the one-year mark of my dad's passing also fell on that weekend (May 30). I took some lovely yellow flowers and a card to my dad to mark the occasion. I feel so fortunate to live a few short minutes' drive from where he is buried. I drive by often. Sometimes it is just to drive by, others I get out of the car and stay for a little visit.

This card is a pretty close "direct case" of one done by my friend Jenn Diercks. I very rarely (almost NEVER) case cards anymore, at least not very closely. I may get an idea, technique or layout from someone, but I usually twist it all around and make it my own. I loved Jenn's card so much, however, that I didn't change a whole lot on it. It just seemed the PERFECT thing for my dad and Memorial Day. See?

Jenn's Awesome Card

So that is that. I know it's kinda weird, but making cards for my dad helps me to feel closer to him somehow. Love you, Dad!

Stamps: Rough Edges Alphabet
Paper: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Real Red, Crumb Cake (formerly known as "Kraft"), Pattern Pack III
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories: Small Star Punch, Large Star Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Playground Button, Linen Thread, Corner Rounder Punch, Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon, Scor-Buddy, small rhinestone stickers, circle cutter

How COOL is THIS???

I'm so proud of me!! Lookie what I did!!

I got this lovely new MacBook Pro over Memorial Day weekend. Hooray!!! But even BETTER is how beautimous it looks on the OUTSDIE because of some time and patience with a Stampin' Up image from Elements of Style, Sure Cuts Alot and my Cricut machine ...

Using a jpg of the swirly/flowery image from Elements of Style, I created a cut file in Sure Cuts Alot and then cut it out using my Cricut and some black, white and vanilla-ish vinyl. Pretty danged cool, eh? (My oldest DS said, "Aw, Mom! You ruined a perfectly good MacBook! It's a flowery and girly!" Well ... DUH!! So am I!!!!)

As you read this I am down in Southern Utah hiking, playing games and relaxing with my girls from church (mentioned them earlier this week). There are over 20 of us all enjoying a little fun in the sun at the moment ... I will share a pic or two when I return.

Happy Friday everyone!!

Stamps: Image from Elements of Style
Accessories: Sure Cuts Alot, Cricut, Graphically Speaking Cricut Cartridge (for sentiment and butterfly)

The Wells Fargo Wagon AKA the UPS TRUCK!!

Love, love, LOVE UPS!! That brown truck is just one of my favorite sites, especially when there's somein' special inside just for ME!! (Now I sound like Winthrop from "The Music Man" singing "Wells Fargo Wagon!!"). Monday I received my SU catalog perorder. WaHOOOOO!! I am totally LOVING all the new cardstock colors. They are just, well, YUMMY!! They all look so purdiful together ... AND I swear that Early Espresso goes with EVERYTHING!! ('cept maybe Chocolate Chip!) I am gonna be needing me more of EVERY color soon!! (I only ordered the packages of assorted colors, which only has four sheets of each new color, so I KNOW I'm gonna have to place another order really soon!)

I made these cards for "my" girls ... at church my "job" is being in charge of the teenage girls - age 12-18. I love them. They are the most wonderful, terrific bunch of young ladies .... a true blessing in my life. Each year as June approaches I start to get a bit sad as I realize that many of my group will be graduating and moving on to greener pastures. I wonder HOW we are going to survive with the huge hole that they leave when they go ... somehow we always manage, but I never stop feeling like the girls are still "mine" ... it's so fun to see them on occasion. It is as if no time has passed at all. Smiles, hugs, laughter, more hugs ... it's fun going to their weddings and hearing of their successes ...

This year I will be losing FIVE of my girls ... sigh ... and knowing how I feel about butterflies, you shouldn't be surprised that I made grad cards for them with butterflies on 'em (that "Beautiful Wings" embosslits die is pretty much my fave!). I bought them each a little sterling silver butterfly charm necklace and made these cards to go with. Don't all these colors look, well, YUMMY together??? I watch these girls grow from little caterpillars and emerge as beautiful butterflies by the time they graduate, so .... you get the idea.

Have a wonderful day!!

Stamps: Friends Never Fade, Happy Grad
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, Whisper White
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Marina, Mist, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, Early Espresso
Accessories: Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 1/8" Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon, Photo Corners Punch

The End - Parade of UnAward Winning Artisan Projects

So, here we are at THE END ... the Piece de Resistance ... the project I spent more than 20 hours and more money than I wish to admit on ....


When my friend Cheryl (hey, girl!!) and I were brainstorming about what I could POSSIBLY do for a 3D/altered project for my Artisan Award entry we were bouncing all kinds of ideas off of one another ... it's always nice to have more than one brain at work at a time. One thing led to another and then it just hit me ... a COOKBOOK. I said to Cheryl, "No-no-no ... that's a great idea, but there is NO WAY I'm gonna do that much work!" Famous last words ... as soon as the idea was hatched I KNEW that I was not going to be satisfied with anything less ...

Here is my hybrid MDS/tactile cookbook. I'm SO proud of how this turned out!! (And sooo sad that I just pretty much gave it away!).

In all actuality, I had recipes planned to make up 30 pages (there was a whole section on slowcooking in there, too!). I did 6 pages of recipes for each category ... salads, soups, main dishes and desserts.


The hardest, most painstaking part of this baby was actually typing the recipe cards. Since I created those in MDS, the way these are set up require you to type each line on each card separately, since each line is its own text box. And every time I clicked on one it would move ... just a tiny bit ... which would require me to move it back!!

It took me what felt like EONS to get those darn cards typed up. But I am particularly happy with the quilt on the front cover. I love sewing on paper ... and I was really pleased with the outcome on this.

The tabs on the recipe cards are tactile ... meaning that they are punched from real cardstock with real brads. There is a "space" punched out on the recipe card template in MDS that you can fill in with whatever you want. I decided to add a little three-dimensionality to it. The paper on the cover is actual paper from the Sweet Pea dsp kit. All of the paper on the backgrounds inside the book were printed out on my computer using MDS.

I also used MDS to create the word "favorite" for the little oval punch out on the front cover. With some clever punching and masking in the program I was able to mask off the rest of the definition from the favorite stamp ("Define Your Life").

Ever wonder what creative genius looks like at work??? This is it, baby!!! This is what my lovely craft room looked like after finishing the last of my Artisan projects. AAAAAAACCKKKK!!! "A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind ..."

Thankyouthankyouthankyou for allowing me to share my projects with you. And as many thanks for your votes of confidence and encouragement. I really did put my heart and soul into all of these ...

... as did Jan. Here is her final SUPERB project:

Jan's Final Hurrah

Paper: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper (actual paper on cover – paper generated by MDS on inside)
Ink: Pumpkin Pie Craft, Rose Red Craft, Chocolate Chip Craft
Accessories: On Board 8 ½” x 8 ½” Album, My Digital Studio, Go Go Boots Alphabet Medium Sizzlits Dies, Little Leaves Sizzlits Die, Modern Label Punch, Trio Flower Punch, Round Tab Punch, Large Oval Punch, Small Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, ½” Circle Punch, Small Heart Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, On Board So Tweet, Chocolate Chip 1” Double Stitched Ribbon, Chocolate Chip 5/8” Grosgrain Ribbon, Old Olive 5/8” Grosgrain Ribbon, Pumpkin Pie ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon, Bermuda Bay Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Pumpkin Pie Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Apricot Appeal ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon, Whisper White ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon, Chocolate Chip ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon, Silver Brads, Paper Piercing Tool/Mat Pack, Clear Embossing Powder, Sewing Machine
(DO YA THINK I USED ENOUGH SUPPLIES FOR THIS, OR WHAT??!??)

Almost Done ... Parade of UnAward Winning Artisan Projects

Well-well-well, I just have to say (again!) a great big thank you to those of you who have been coming back day after day to see what I submitted for the SU Artisan Award contest. It's been really fun being able to share things that I put so much of myself in, and your comments have helped take the sting out of not winning! Hugs to ya!!

I threw this framed art together as my very last project ... I really struggled with it, as I started out with a multi-holed mat in this frame, and just could NOT get it to work ... taking the mat out and putting everything in one "hole" made it much easier!!

I only have ONE more thing to share ... and it is the thing that I am most proud of. I got the idea and tried to talk myself out of it, as I knew it would take a LOT of time. But once I had the idea in my head, I knew I would settle for nothing less ... stay tuned ...

Don't forget to go see what Jan made ... her 3D/altered projects are so good it almost HURTS!! She rocks, that's for sure!!

Jan's Incredible Altered Art

Stamps: Great Friend, Cheep Talk
Paper: Ballet Blue, Barely Banana, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Whisper White, Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper
Ink: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Ballet Blue, So Saffron
Accessories: Simple Letters Alphabet Bigz Die, Heart to Heart Punch, 1 ¾” Circle Punch, 1 3/8” Circle Punch, ¾” Circle Punch, ½” Circle Punch, 5-Petal Flower Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Rose Red ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon, Certainly Celery ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon, Pretty in Pink ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon, Old Olive ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon, Sherbet Designer Buttons, Playground Designer Buttons, Two-Step Bird with Branch Punch, Pop-Up Glue Dots
Frame from Hobby Lobby

My FAVE Layout - Day 8 - Parade of UnAward Winning Artisan Projects

Isn't this picture of my darling daughter just the CA-YOOT-EST thing EVER?? I swear I will never forgot how adorable she was that day for as long as I live!!

My parents had just returned from a trip to Atlanta. Since it wasn't too long after the Olympics there my mom said that there was a LOT of "Americana' stuff for sale just about everywhere. She saw this little bubble suit and just HAD to get it for her! We had gone to the Pioneer Day Parade that day (Pioneer Day in Utah is a bigger deal than the 4th of July ... parades, fireworks - you name it, we got it!!).

I just LOOOVE this picture of my girl ... she is just the epitome of "sugar and spice and everything nice!"

Jan's last layout is DA BOMB, baby!! Blew my doors CLEAN off! See?

Jan's Layout Extraordinaire

We are down to our 3D/altered projects after this ... just two more ... can't wait to share those, either!!

Stamps: Extreme Elements
Paper: Night of Navy, Real Red, Summer Sun, Whisper White, Patterns Pack III
Ink: Night of Navy, Summer Sun
Accessories: Serif Essentials Alphabet Bigz Die, Billboard Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, 1 3/8” Square Punch, 1 ¼” Square Punch, Large Star Punch, Star Punch, Clear Buttons, Summer Sun Corduroy Buttons, Linen Thread, Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Pop-Up Glue Dots

Already? Day 7 - Parade of UnAward Winning Artisan Projects

This was actually a redo of a scrapbook layout. I had done another one - COMPLETELY different - an 8 1/2" x 11" layout from a couple of Christmases ago. Was NOT satisfied with it ... so, at the last moment, I decided to create something altogether different.

I took the photos for this with my lovely Canon Rebel XTi camera (which I STILL don't know how to property use!). I think I need to take some classes ... but I was VERY happy with how these turned out. Had it not been for this little "contest" I would probably never have scrapbooked this page. I am more into scrapbooking PEOPLE. But I was very pleased with how this came out (especially the fact that I actually sewed pretty straight lines and turned the corners so sharply! Yay for me!!)!

Tomorrow I will be sharing my most FAVORITEST layout of all ... actually it is one of my most favoritist EVER!! (Mostly because I have always LOVED the photo in it ... one of the best I have EVER taken - probably because it is someone I love who just looked so dang cute at the time!) Curious now, aren't ya??? You'll just hafta come back tomorrow and see for yourself!!

And don't forget Jan!! Her layout is MAHvelous!! Lookie:

Jan's FANtastic Layout!

See ya tomorrow!!

Stamps: Lovely Letters, Vintage Vogue
Paper: Garden Green and Cameo Coral 12x12 Textured Cardstock, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ink: Cameo Coral, Garden Green
Accessories: Scallop Border Punch, 1” Circle Punch, Whisper White Satin/Organza Ribbon, Fleurettes II Flowers, Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad, Sewing Machine, Pop-Up Glue Dots