Craft Project Central

As a Guest Designer for Craft Project Central this month, I will have the opportunity to share some really AMAZING projects with you from some really FANTASTIC artists.

This is the first ... an adorable Father's Day "shirt" card and gift bag created by Julie Edmonds. I LOVE this combo. Sooo adorable. To get the instructions, just hop on over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to June ... you won't be sorry!!

I'm sooo excited!! Got to "preorder" some stuff that will be in the new SU catalog in July ... put the order in June 1 at 12:29 a.m. (our first chance to get a "sneak peek") and guess what??? My order will be here TODAY!!! Ahhhhh .... sometimes I just LOVE that I live right across town from Stampin' Up HQ ... I didn't even have to expedite shipping!!

Have a great day, everyone!!

Ahhh, to Be 17 ...

... okay, maybe not!! I loved being a teenager in so many ways, but am grateful that we only have to go through that ONCE!! This is an MDS page I did of my daughter. I took this photo on her 17th birthday last week. She saw these sunglasses and just HAD to have 'em!! Cute, eh?

And another fun piece of news? I was asked to be a Guest Designer for Craft Project Central (there is a link in my sidebar to the left under the "Stampin' Up" label). It's a great site with a lot of wonderful ideas that are SUO (Stampin' Up Only). FUN!! Stay tuned this month, as I'm going to be linking to some AMAZING stuff done by other CPC designers ...

My Dad, My Hero ...

It has been two years ago today. It's difficult to believe that the time has gone so quickly. And the second anniversary of my dad's passing just so happens to fall on Memorial Day. Quite fitting ...

I have to also say a heartfelt thank you to so many of you who have sent me support and well wishes since his passing. You have no idea how much they have meant to me and how much your comments have given me encouragement and strength. You are all the BEST!!

I am fortunate that I only live a couple of minutes below the cemetery. It gives me the opportunity to visit Dad more often than just on Memorial Day.

I am also very grateful for all the men and women who have given so much of themselves to defend our freedoms. And to the families who support them. Today is YOUR day!!

Stamps: Tiny Tags
Paper: Night of Navy, Crumb Cake, Real Red, Whisper White
Ink: Night of Navy, Real Red
Accessories: Cricut Stand and Salute, Distressed Stripes Embossing Folder, Rhinestone Embellishment, Marina Mist Taffeta Ribbon, Star Eyelet/Brad, Linen Thread

Row, Row, Row Your Boat ...

It seems that everything crafty comes in waves (bwahahaha!! Waves??? I am sooo punny!!) I have had many a discussion within fellow crafty people over the years and we have often wondered where the big Secret Meeting is?? You know, the one where all the different crafting companies and head wizards get together and decide what colors/trends are gonna be popular NEXT??? It is sooo weird how they all seem to come out with stuff simultaneously ... and it's all the same stuff!!! (Like, remember a couple of years ago when Sock Monkey made a go at it?) (Okay ... so this is NOT a Sock Monkey, but he IS cute!!)

Anywho ... it seems one of the big trends lately is nautical. Which is okie dokie with me, since I am LOVIN' it!! I was inspired to make this card by one of my fellow Dirty Dozen friends (and brilliant stampers, by the way), Bridget Finlay. And I WOULD post a link to her creation, but many of you won't be able to see it ... unless, of course, you are a Fan Club member over on SCS because it was in her Dirty Dozen gallery last month. TOTALLY loved it!! I ended buying this wave die from My Favorite Things because of it, actually. Suffice it to say, her card was BRILLIANT!!! (Okay, okay ... I'm posting a link here ... but if you can't see it and really NEED to, then you'll hafta get a Fan Club membership over on SCS ... which is a GOOD thing!!)

Bridget's Favorite

This was also created for one of the VSN challenges last weekend on SCS. The challenge was to use a boat image of some sort. Which totally made me happy since I got to use that wave die!!

Soooo stoked for the long weekend ... it's Memorial Day here in the US of A ... time for us to reflect and be grateful for all of those who have served our country ... sooo grateful for them!!! I am gonna go take some flowers to my Dad's grave this weekend - he was a former Marine. Hats off to ya, Dad!!

Now ... I just need to go find something GOOD to barbeque!!

Stamps: Nursery Necessities, Create a Cupcake
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Patterned DSP, Sweet Slumber DSP
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Not Quite Navy
Accessories: 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Circle Scissor, 1" Circle Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Baja Breeze Button, Word Window Punch, Wave Die (MFT), Pop-Up Glue Dots

Criss-Cross Revisited

I have always loved criss-cross cards. One of the challenges during VSN this past weekend was to make one. After looking at a few of them I realized it had never even OCCURRED to me to make a vertical one. I have always made them horizontally ... wow!! How fun is this???

I have recently pulled out some of my Papertrey stamps, too. I have a whole BOX full of 'em ... which has been gathering dust as of late. I really like this Honeybees set ...

It is supposed to be sunny with a high of 72 degrees today ... YAY!!! It has been rainingrainingraining for what seems like ETERNITY!!! Sooooo glad that sun is paying us a visit!

Stamps: Honeybees (Papertrey)
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, Whisper White
Ink: Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Basic Black
Accessories: Large and Small Oval Punches, Assorted SU Brads (retired), Pink Gingham Ribbon, Pop-Up Glue Dots

For My Darling Daughter ...

It is amazingly difficult for me to believe that my baby ... my youngest ... my only girl ... is turning 17 today!! Where on EARTH did all those years go??? I am happy to watch her grow up and am excited for the adventures awaiting her in the years ahead. On the other hand, I am sad that my little baby ... my snuggler ... my climber ... my explorer ... is not so much a baby any more!!

I made this card for her birthday. I was inspired to make it as part of VSN over on SCS this past weekend. Didn't get to play NEARLY as much this time as I did last time ... but the color combo laid out in this challenge was just too-too tempting. Just had to take a stab at it!!

So .... happy birthday, my dear-darling daughter. Looking forward to many adventures ahead with you ... love you much!!

Stamps: Beautiful Blooms (Papertrey)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Cool Caribbean, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Sweet Slumber DSP
Ink: Cool Caribbean, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: 1/2" Circle Punch, 1/4" Circle Punch, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Whisper White Satin/Organza Ribbon, Dimensionals

Let's Freak It For the Boys!!!

Isn't Jan AMAZING (as always!)?? If you have been following our Blog Tour, you should have just come from the fabulous creations of JanTink. I am in LOVE with the cute little Pick Tin ...

You KNOW how I struggle with "dude" cards ... you've heard me mention it here LOTS lately. So I really WAS glad that our theme this month was Father's Day/masculine cards. It's always good for us to stretch ourselves, right??? And this one really IS a stretch ... since I don't play golf, and my father-in-law doesn't play golf ... however, my dad WAS an avid golfer, so I did this one as an ode to him. I'm sure he woulda LOVED it!!

Which brings me to these golf balls (a perfect match for the previous card, eh?) ... because of the lack of golfers in the fam, I had to go to my BFF Becky. Her husband is a golfing MANIAC!! I called her and said, "You wouldn't happen to have a box of golf balls anywhere, would ya?" Her answer? "Yep! Come on over!" Whew!!! Once I got going on this I knew I was gonna HAVE to have some golf tees ... so, instead of bugging Becky again, I just ran to the local "Golfs 'R Us" store (JK!!) and got me some tees. Actually, we have a pretty good store close by where you can find just about anything, so I was saved ...

Stamps: On the Green, All Holidays
Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Real Red, Whisper White, Patterns DSP
Ink: Real Red, Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Linen Thread, 3/4" x 15/16" Oval Punch, Photo Corners Punch, Paper Piercing Tool/Mat, Bitty Buttons, Bitty Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Dimensionals

This final card is also perfect for a sports fanatic. I musta really had my dad on my mind while I was creating, 'cause he was ALSO an avid football/basketball fan. So, here's to you, Dad ... love you ... miss you!!! Play a round with all my uncles (Dave, Dick, Dan, Dale and Huck) ... you guys would surely make a golfing "Dream Team" ... and in Heaven the fareways are endlessly green and there are NO sandtraps!!!

Stamps: Slam Dunk, Touch Down, All Holidays
Paper: Early Espresso, Tangerine Tango, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Curly Label Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder, Linen Thread, Dimensionals

Go check out Lisa Martz's creations ... they're to TIE for!!! (Bwahahaha!!!)

Love Me Some Gingham ...

I have recently allowed myself to go back through some of my retired stuff and use it (you've heard me talk about this on here before). Like, just because it is RETIRED it is no longer USABLE? It doesn't exist? Really??? What universe are we living in, anyway! Sheesh!!! I have two HUGE Rubbermaid-type containers FULL of luscious old cardstock (and I KNOW it is ALL lucscious, 'cause I have impeccable taste!).

Soooo ... I have recently re-discovered SU's Sweet Slumber DSP. I am SOOOOO in love with the gingham-patterned stuff!! L-O-V-E it!!! That, coupled with the new Fabulous Florets stamp set (which I also love!) and the retired but oh-so-wonderful Well Scripted stamp set (how the heck that thing didn't make it into the big catty is anyone's guess!) makes this card a mishmash of old and new ... I got some REALLY old, some not-quite-as-old and some really new stuff going on with this-here card ... and it makes me happy anyway you slice it. (This was also for CC323 on SCS - Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose and Very Vanilla.)

Now, if I could just scare the snow away again (yes, it DID snow just a little bit up the street from my house today... didn't stick long, but it is freakin' the MIDDLE of MAY for crying out loud!!)!!

Stamps: Fabulous Florets, Well Scripted
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose, Very Vanilla, Sweet Slumber DSP
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose
Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Rich Razzleberry Taffeta Ribbon, Pearl Stickers, Pop-Up Glue Dots

Blue Satin Shoes!!!

Can you say AWESOME??? I amaze myself once in a while ... I got me this new polka-dot dress for Mother's Day. Brought it home and decided I needed some shoes to go with it. Since I was a little out of funds (due to the dress ... and a couple of others I bought!), I was trying to come up with something to wear with it ... (and this picture looks SOOO posed ... 'cause it WAS!)

Then I got to thinking .... "I wonder if airbrushing with a Copic marker would work on satin shoes?" You see, I had these white satin shoes sitting in the closet .... waaaaayyyyyy in the back .... in a box. They've been sitting there for 14 stinkin' years since I wore them at my brother's wedding.

Sooo.... I went and bought the closest-color Copic marker I could find. Then, I FB'd (that's "Facebooked" for you non-conformists) my good friend, Marianne Walker. She is the Copic QUEEN!! She literally is. She works for Copic. She is the one who TRAINED me with my Copics. I asked her if she thought it would work. Her answer was a resounding "YES!!" So, I just jumped in with airbrush in hand ...

Here is how they looked halfway done. I was getting pretty giddy at about this point. SOOOOO happy when things turn out even BETTER than you thought they would!!




Aren't these FABULOUS?? I had sooo many compliments on them when I wore this combo to church last Sunday!! I was soooo happy!!

After all, what girl DOESN'T love her a new pair of shoes??? Especially when they only cost about $4 (the cost of the marker ... on SALE with a COUPON, no less!!)!! Color me HAPPY!!

Another "Bird Day" Card

I bought the "Tickled Pink" stamp set about 100 years ago ... do any of you remember it? It is a realllllyyy old SU one with pink flamingos ... I have always LOVED that set!! And I have made really good use of this "Happy Bird Day" sentiment over the years, as I have had MANY different stamp sets with birds in 'em ...

Anywho ... I was looking through some stuff on my Cricut "Life's a Beach" cartridge the other day and kept coming back to this stinkin' ca-YOOT pelican. He just makes me happy. So, with no particular idea in mind, I decided to cut him out and make a card with him. Easy enough ...

I can hear a bird singing out my window this morning. This despite the fact that it has been raining here for DAYS (since last weekend), and promises to rain more today. Sigh ... at least it's not SNOWING!!

Hugs to all!!

Stamps: Tickled Pink
Paper: Early Espresso, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: Early Espresso, Old Olive
Accessories: Cricut Life's a Beach Cartridge, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Spellbinders Long Scalloped Rectangle Nestabilities, Linen Thread, Brown Gingham Ribbon, Cuttlebug Bird Call Embossing Folder