Fab Friday #15/Cards for Crayton #3

Welcome to another Fab Friday Challenge!!! This week we're working on a sketch ...

Y'know how sometimes you just STARE and STARE at stuff and can't make anything happen??? That was me with this card ... TWO HOURS it took me!! (Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was working with a CLOCK image???)

And since this turned out to be kind of a "dude" card, I decided it will be third in my "Cards for Crayton" challenge.

Stamps: Clockworks, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper:  Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, First Edition DSP
Ink:  Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso
Accessories:  1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Argyle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Curly Label Punch, 7/16" Natural Ribbon Trim, Brad






So ... take a gander at the sketch ...








Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Check out the Fab blogs of my fellow Fab Friends:

Mindy Backes
Cindy Beach
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Amy O'Neill
Marla Reed
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

Have at it, friends!!

MDS Blog Hoppin' - Part TWO!

I am happy that I get to participate in an MDS Blog Hop with some of my friends one more time!! I am so inspired by every single one of them! Sooooo much talent!!

Since these pictures are fresh on my mind (and fresh out of my camera!), I decided to put a little page together in tribute to my awesome nephew, Crayton! (And y'all have been hearing about him ALL WEEK!)! Thanks for indulging me ...

I'm SOOO "on board" with the whole "banner" trend!! Flags and banners add SO much fun to anything!! I am also liking the "roughed-up" look (dare I say "vintage"??)! If I were to spill or splatter on actual PAPER or PHOTOS and not something DIGITAL, I'd probably have a meltdown!! But, for some reason, I LOVE doing it in MDS!! Go figure ...

And now CHECK OUT what everyone else on our little hop has done!

1. Amber Meadows 2. Jeanna Bohanon 3. Julie Leblanc 4. Rochelle Gould 5. Aly Schilling 6. Mandy Grant 7. Kimberly Van Diepen 8. Holly VanDyne 9. Erica Shaw 10. Cindy Schuster 11. Wendy Weixler - guest blogger!

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Artisan Wednesday Wow - 3/27/13

Spring is DEFINITELY in the air (or at LEAST in our thoughts, right??)!! If you have been following the hop you should have just come from the super-sharp-and-stylish Sarah Sagert!! She rocked it, AGAIN!! If not, keep clicking on the "keep clicking" button at the bottom of each blog post on the hop to work your way around ...

The flowers from the "Secret Garden" stamps/framelits combo are oh-so-lovely and fun to play with! I couldn't resist making a little secret garden of my own for this card ... wishful thinking, I guess!! But I HAVE seen a few things sprouting amongst the yards in my neighborhood, so I AM hopeful!!

Stamps: Secret Garden, Friendly Phrases
Paper: Whisper White, Lucky Limeade
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Pretty in Pink
Accessories: Secret Garden Framelits, Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon, Paper Piercing Pack Essentials, Dimensionals

Next stop?? The always-amazing-and-astronomical Amy Bollman! Check it out!!

Cards for Crayton #2

SO ... since I couldn't officially decide upon a theme around which to wrap the cards I am going to send to my nephew while he is gone for the next two years ("Follow the Butterflies" is what I called my quest when I did it for my own son!) ... I just decided to call it "Cards for Crayton" (which will make it MUCH easier than trying to find similar things for two whole years!). This is the SECOND of what I plan to be 104 cards that I will send to my nephew while he is serving his mission. I'm excited!!

Got the instructions for this one (although I have seen MANY similar types of cards), from the ever-amazing Jackie Topa. Check out the link HERE to see how to make one yourself!! (HINT-HINT ... Father's Day is not TOO far off, so this could give you somewhere to begin!!)

I am already having a Monday (oh, WAIT!! It IS Monday!)!! Gotta dash out the door ... have a great week, everyone!!

Stamps: NONE
Paper: Old Olive, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: NONE
Accessories: My Digital Studio (to make missionary name badge), Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Neutrals Basic Buttons, Simply Scored

Geometrically Speaking ...

(Disclaimer ... this is a blog post I wrote for Stampin' Up's blog ... I just decided to repost it on my own blog!!) Punches, punches and MORE punches! I’ve been collecting punches since I started papercrafting over 15 years ago. What started out as a small toolbox full of goodness has expanded to several drawers … and I am always happy to add to the collection!

Sometimes I forget, though, to go back to basics. Squares and circles … by cutting a mish-mash of all sizes of these most basic of shapes I am always happily surprised how easy it is to create something with them (especially the ever-challenging “dude” card!)!

One trick I like to use is creating a “frame” with graduated sizes of the same shape. First, cut the smaller of the two shapes (a 1” square, as pictured here). Next, position the larger of the two shapes just around the shape you already punched (I used the 1 ¼” Square Punch for my larger square). Easy peasy, right???

Stamps: Best of Birthdays
Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Lucky Limeade, Cajun Craze
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: 1 3/8" Square Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, 1" Square Punch, Natural Ribbon Trim, Linen Thread, Wide Oval Punch, Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder




In no time you will have a nice batch with which to create. I have also embossed random squares here and there to add some texture to my creation. The thing that takes the longest in making a card this way is adhering the little buggers down on the paper! But, all in all, this is a quick and easy way to make something for any age group or gender. Just switch up the colors or add some Designer Series Paper and you’re off and runnin’!




Which brings me to … CIRCLES!! Ohmygosh!! I LOVE circles and polka dots … how can they NOT make you happy when they are paired together??? See what I mean??? It’s easy to get carried away when happily punching along … but at least this way I’ll have extras when I want to make a similar card again, which is always a good thing!

Stamps: Itty Bitty Banners
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Real Red, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Polka Dot Parade DSP
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Create a Cupcake Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Bitty Banners Framelits

Happy Friday, friends!! Enjoy your weekend!

Artisan Wednesday Wow - 03/20/13

Happy Wednesday!! Didn't y'all just LOVE what Sarah Sagert had posted on her blog?? Uber-fantastique, that girl!!





This card takes a bit of an explanation. I realized when I was making it that (a) it wasn't a typical kinda card for me, and (b) I'm not sure if anyone else would be inspired by it BUT me. You see, I have a dear, sweet nephew ... I have always been particularly close to him. I started babysitting him when he was an infant. Seeing as he is only 5 months older than my own daughter, it was like having twins sometimes!! He and my daughter are more like siblings than cousins, and he seems more like a son than a nephew to me. A true blessing, to be sure.

He left Monday evening for Madrid, Spain. He is going to be serving as a church missionary for the next two years, so seeing him go was bittersweet. We are so very proud of the young man he has become and his willingness to serve people on the other side of the globe whom he doesn't even know. I couldn't bring myself to say "goodbye" ... which is what inspired this card. "Hasta Luego" ... not goodbye, just "see ya later!" I cried a LOT when I was making this card ... is that weird, or what?? Love that kid like he was one of my own. For those of you who have been following me for a long while, you may remember the "Follow the Butterflies" challenge I gave to MYSELF while my oldest son was similarly serving a mission in Germany. I sent him a card with some sorta different butterfly on it every week for two years (there's still a slide show and a link to an explanation on my sidebar about all that). I plan on sending my nephew a card every week while HE is gone. Not sure I am gonna choose a "theme" this time around, but I'm excited for the challenge!! So there ya have it!

Stamps: That's the Ticket, Rough Type (printed using MDS)
Paper:  Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White, First Edition DSP, Polka Dot Parade DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Read Red, Daffodil Delight
Accessories:  Ticket Builder Punch, Hearts Framelits, Basic Black Button, Linen Thread, Natural 7/16" Ribbon Trim, 3/4" Circle Punch

Up next?? Awesome-Amazing-Amy Bollman!!

Freakin' Springtastic!

Oh how I LOVE the Spring!! And it seems this year that winter has been going on FOR-EV-ER!! It's trying-trying-trying to warm up around here ... I hope it sticks sometime SOON! If you've been hopping around the tour, you would have just seen Patty Bennett's wonderful spring-y projects. She NEVER disappoints!


First of all ... NOTHING says spring to me more than tulips!! I absolutely ADORE them!! This card just kinda fell out of my fingertips ... as soon as I thought of tulips, this kinda just came to mind (this only happens to me ONCE in a while ... so I guess I'm gonna hafta wait for a while for it to happen again!!)!

Stamps: Itty Bitty Banners
Paper: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Real Read, Gumball Green, Polka Dot Parade DSP
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Window Frames Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing folder, Real Red Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Large Oval Punch, Small Heart Punch, Dimensionals

AMENDED FOR TULIP INSTRUCTIONS: OKAY, OKAY ... since I have been emailed, messaged and sent requests on the tulips, here's how ya do it!! I used the heart-shaped punch from the Bitty Punch Pack … then cut each heart down the middle (you will need three heart "halves" to make one tulip). The heart half on the top got trimmed just a tiny bit to round the edge that was originally the top center of the heart. That's pretty much it! The stems were just strips I cut, and the leaves were from the large oval punch. Cut the punch out; then re-insert the piece you just cut back into the punch and slide the edge just a little so that all you ended up punching is just a little bit from the side of the oval … does that make sense? Not hard at ALL!! It really took me very little time! Go make some tulips!!

And every once in a while I "CASE" myself ... this is a re-vamp of a card I did quite some time ago (I can't remember it exactly, but it kinda popped into my head when I was thinking about Spring). It's kinda fun to use Crystal Effects to "pop" images up. I just have a hard time being patient enough to wait for it to "harden" ...

Stamps: Field Flowers, Wonderful Words
Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive
Ink: Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Basic Black
Accessories: Postage Stamp Punch, Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Pearl Basics, Linen Thread

Now, it's time to hop on over to the super-fantastic Connie Babbert!! Check it out!!

Not Too Late to Sale-a-Brate!!

Hey and Happy Monday, friends!! What a CRAZY weekend!! Cooking, baking, creating ... and flood watch! Not to mention a big ol' family get-together yesterday!! (The flood was at my mom's condo building, not my house!! Thankfully, she was not too greatly affected!). I was finishing up my last project at about 11:20 p.m. last night (with a due-date of midnight, I barely made it!)! Some weekends are just like that ...

It WAS great having my two-(too?)-far-away college kids home for the weekend, as well as being with my closer-to-home college kid and the rest of our extended family. AWESOME!!

Wanted to remind everyone that it is NOT too late to jump in on the great deals for this year's Sale-a-Bration promotion (see brochure by CLICKING HERE!)! For every (ANY?) $50 ya spend, you can choose any one item from the brochure for stinkin' fa-REE!! That's right!! And who DOESN'T love FREE??? This card here was creating TWO of the "free" items available ... the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper AND the Vintage Verses Stamp Set. Don't miss out!! (If ya haven't noticed, I DO have a "Shop 24/7" button on the sidebar to the right ... just sayin' ...)

Stamps:  Vintage Verses
Paper:  Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Whisper White
Ink:  Pool Party, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories:  Scallop Trim Border Punch, Rich Razzleberry Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Rhinestone Basics

'Tis a Monday, so I'm headed out the door for a run and then off to work! I hope today's Monday goes MUCH better than the Monday I had at work last FRIDAY ...

Fab Friday #14

It's time to play with our Fab Friday Friends once again!! I really look forward to these every other Friday ... it's so great to get inspiration from so many talented people!

Stamps: Fabulous Florets, Petite Pairs
Paper:  Calypso Coral, Sahara Sand, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Pink Pirouette, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade
Accessories:  Ovals Framelits Collection, Bird Builder Punch (leaves), Decorative Label Punch, Houndstooth Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Calypso Coral Dotted Scallop Ribbon, Whisper White Baker's Twine





This week, we're playing with a GORGEOUS color combo, see?






Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Check out the Fab blogs of my fellow Fab Friends:

Mindy Backes
Cindy Beach
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Amy O'Neill
Marla Reed
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

Can't WAIT to see what all-y'all do with this one!!

MDS Blog Hoppin'!

I am sooooo excited to have been invited to join in with some of my friendies on their MDS Blog Hop!! Gives me at least ANOTHER excuse to play around with MDS (not like I NEED one!)

The theme this week is St. Patrick's Day, Easter or Spring ... and I hafta admit this layout kinda ran away from me before I knew what I was doing. I knew I wanted to highlight this picture of my oh-so-cool brother-in-law being OHSOCOOL!!! But I got lost in the "fun" of it and didn't really add any flowers ... but it IS outdoors ... and SPRING is starting to happen outside (at least I HOPE it is for most of ya!), so there ya have it!!

Go check out what the other blog hoppers have created!  Pretty amazing stuff!

1. Amber Meadows 2. Jeanna Bohanon 3. Julie Leblanc 4. Rochelle Gould 5. Aly Schilling 6. Mandy Grant 7. Kimberly Van Diepen 8. Holly VanDyne 9. Erica Shaw 10. Cindy Schuster 11. Wendy Weixler - guest blogger!

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