Monday, April 28, 2008

Cheers to You!

I made this card for my friend Carrie's birthday. She's a fun and spunky gal, so I wanted a card that matched her personality.

I was inspired by this card in the SCS gallery, and knew I wanted to use my Reason to Smile butterfly stamp. The colours in the PP (Linen Prints, I'm sad that it's retired, because I love it!) gave me the colours for the card.

The card is pretty easy, I just added lots of Stickles to give it lots of sparkle.

I cut a slit in the fold of the card to pull the ribbon through. It's adhered on the inside, but I left part unattached, so I could slip in a gift card.

Stamps: Reason to Smile, Lots of Thoughts, Simply Said
Paper: Cameo Coral, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Linen Prints DSP
Ink: Pink Passion, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava
Accessories: Scallop, 1 1/2" circle, and ticket corner punches, Chocolate Chip ribbon, Stickles

Saturday, April 26, 2008

First Christmas

It's been a while since I've done any scrapbooking, but I am trying to finish my mom's scrapbook (Chloe's first year) before Mother's Day, so I need to get the last few pages done!

Here's one from Chloe's first Christmas:I used my ATG on this layout for all the paper and photos, and it really is great! It's easy to apply, and sticks like the dickens. So much so, I had to redo one of the torn paper borders, because I tried to reposition it, and the paper wouldn't come apart!

I scraplifted this layout from a magazine: Scrapbook & Cards today. The layout was by Heather Verrier.

Paper: Memory Block
Ink: Real Red (dragged the edges of the journalling block)
Accessories: rub-ons (Kaiser, Making Memories), brads, buttons, and stickers (unknown)

Sunday, April 20, 2008

A new look for craft-o-rama!

I wanted to get away from the basic Blogger templates, and so I made a quick header using Adobe Photoshop, Rage Italic font, and The Golden Girls Flower Swirl element from the Flower Power digital kit. I sampled the colours from the flower element, and used them to customize the colours of my blog.

So, what do you think?

I'm sure I'll change it again, now that I know how easy it is!

Nature's Smile

This card is based on another SCS sketch challenge, SC167.

I love the colours in this card! The smaller Prima matches Cameo Coral perfectly, and the larger flower is close enough to Old Olive. I don't have Cameo Coral ink, so I just used Groovy Guava (to drag the edges of the CC panels). All the other edges are dragged in Old Olive.

The card base is stamped with Old Olive to give it a subtle pattern.

I punched the sentiment out with the word window punch, and then punched each end with the ticket corner punch.

Stamps: Vases in Vogue, Simply Said
Paper: Chocolate Chip and Cameo Coral cardstock, Linen Prints DSP
Ink: Old Olive, Groovy Guava
Accessories: word window and ticket corner punches, rhinestone brad (ice), flowers (Prima)

Thursday, April 17, 2008

A masculine card

This card is for a sketch challenge on SCS (SC172). I knew I wanted to do a masculine card, and decided to base it around the paisley patterned paper. The striped paper coordinates with the paisley, so that was an easy choice for the second panel. I decided the colours in the paper were closest to SU's Really Rust, Always Artichoke, and More Mustard, so used carstock to match. I don't have the Artichoke ink, so I substituted Old Olive.

I sponged/dragged all the paper edges to add to the vintage feel.

The new jumbo eyelets were perfect, unfortunately they're too big for my cropodile! Manually setting a huge eyelet isn't fun, but it's worth the pain :p

Finally, I was excited to use a couple of the "screw" brads that I found. Perfect for a Father's Day card, no?

Stamps: Lexicon of Love, Fresh Fillers
Paper: Always Artichoke, More Mustard, and Really Rust cardstock; patterned paper (Memory Block), vanilla cardstock (unknown)
Ink: Really Rust, Old Olive, More Mustard
Accessories: ticket corner punch, cropodile, jumbo eyelets (Karen Foster), "screw" brads (Forever in Time)
Techniques: sponging

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

We're all going to get cavities

Because there's even more blog candy to be found! Lim over at The voices in my head is offering some sweet goodies to celebrate her 2,000 hit (she's actually almost at 3,000 now!). Congrats Lim!

And there's even MORE at Sharing my Obsession, where Deborah has reached over 3,000 hits. Way to go!

Jen at i{heart}2stamp is celebrating 400,000 hits by giving away a sweet package.

Finally, hop on over to Fresh and Fun. If you can believe it, Beate has reached 1,600,000 hits. Yowza!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Flappers unite!

I made this card for the Flap Fold card challenge on SCS (TLC161) as well as the punches challenge on H!

I made it with someone in mind, but I don't want to say in case they're reading this blog :)

The card is very easy to make. I don't have a large circle cutter, so I traced the edge of a CD. If you're not steady with the scissors, then cut two straight lines to make a point instead of a half-circle.

I trimmed the length so it was 10.375" and then scored at 4.25" and 8.5" (measuring from the bottom). You can make it any size you'd like, just figure out how big you want your flap and go from there.

The original card used magnets to hold down the flap, but I used the edge of a brad.

I used the word window punch to show the "from the heart" sentiment but I think it's easier to just punch out the cardstock and layer it on top of the DSP. You don't get much for all the measuring to line it up!

I sponged the edges of most of the card, and for the 5-petal flower, I used the "rock and roll" technique. I inked the stamp with River Rock, and then kind of rolled the edges of the stamp in Old Olive, which gives a nice two-toned image.

Stamps: In the Spotlight, Vases in Vogue, Warm Words
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, and River Rock cardstock, Linen Prints DSP
Ink: Old Olive, River Rock
Accessories: 5-petal flower, ticket corner, word window, and 3/4" circle punches, small brads, 5/8 grosgrain ribbon; paper piercer (Making Memories), pebble brad (Kaiser), felt flower (unknown)
Techniques: rock and roll, sponging, paper piercing

I think this is my favourite card ever.

More blog candy!

Yowza, I can't believe how many craft blogs there are out there. Here's another one that's offering some yummy blog candy: Misty at Li'l Buck's Creations is celebrating her 10,000th visitor! Check out her blog, she's got some amazing cards and beautiful scrapbook pages!

Inkling of Love

For all the blog followers, here's another one to check out: Wendy Cassidy at Inkling of Love is having a blog candy giveaway!

I've only just stumbled upon her site (by way of Jill) and I am really enjoying her cards! Take a look, and be sure to leave a comment in the blog candy post :)

Saturday, April 12, 2008

A diaper for Baby

Chloe has been asking where 's diaper is. None of her dolls came with diapers, and her diapers are too big.

So, I borrowed my MIL's sewing machine, asked for a few pointers from some friends, and came up with a diaper. I used one of Chloe's old receiving blankets, and even added a doubler in the middle to be more realistic. I sewed on velcro tabs, to make it easy for her to put on and take off.
Here's the diaper cut out, with the doubler, ready to be sewed. That's the model on the left ;)
Here's Baby (yes, that's her name) wearing her new diaper!
Chloe thinks it's great.


I think it took 30-60 minutes. I'm not an experienced seamstress, but I'm really happy with how the diaper turned out! Now I'm going to make a couple more. One for Dolly, and one for Baby Emma :)

Thursday, April 10, 2008

I won a stamp set!

Heather from Stamp with Heather had a SU promotion that included a bunch of cool prizes (including a full set of SU markers!!!). I was lucky enough to win the new Tart and Tangy stamp set, which is just adorable!

I just love the cherries stamp :D

There's matching pp, which I've already bought, so once I receive the set from Heather, I'll be ready to create some fun spring/summer cards!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

This card is for the birds!

Haha, can you tell I'm in love with my new aviary stamp set?

Here's another card for the H! monochromatic challenge. Although it doesn't look to monochromatic to me, with all the black and white. Oh well!

I started with a white card base, and added red and black layers (the corners of which are punched with my ticket corner punch). I didn't have any red brads, so I used eyelets for each corner.

It's hard to see, but that's faux-stitching on the black layer. I used my paper piercer to create the holes, and then my Sakura white glaze pen to draw the "stitches". Some red ribbon wrapped around that, with red staples and a large red brad. Then a smaller layer of red, with more ticket corners and the edges dragged in red. White cardstock for the stamped bird/branch, with even more ticket corners (love that punch!) and red edges. I stamped the bird on the white paper, and then on red pp (which was some awful heart paper from one of those huge paper pads). I cut out the body of the bird from the red paper, and attached it to the white stamped image. I love how it looks watercoloured! Finally, a sentiment from the same set, and all popped up on top of the ribbon.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

The early bird catches the worm

My lss (local scrapbooking store) moved to a larger space, and had their grand re-opening on Saturday. My friend Carrie and I arrived about 10 minutes before they opened, and we were about 50th in line!

They had some pretty good specials, and it was nuts in there. I did manage to pick up quite a few things, all 40-50% off! My two favourite purchases are these two acrylic stamp sets, both are by Inkadinkado. I just LOVE the bird set! So much so, that I promptly got home, and made a card:

Can you tell that the owl is stamped on pp? I love the subtle effect! All pp, carstock, and ink is from SU. The stamps are from the two Inkadinkado sets above. The top half isn't pp, it's cardstock with a circle stamp. I edged all the paper (except the owl) in brown as well. And finally ordered some stamping sponges, as I can't get the right look with just dragging.

It's hard to tell, but the white images are embossed with clear powder. Oh, and I thought it would be good to put a dot of white (Sakura glaze pen) in each eye, but now I don't think I like it :(

Ooh, and I read a great little tip on SCS: use your stamp set rubber trimmings instead of dimensionals! You just pull the rubber off of the foam, pull the backing off the other side of the foam, and it's perfect! It's actually a wee bit higher than dimensionals, but I like it!

One thing I realized is that I'm not too handy with the SU white craft ink. That, or it doesn't work as well on acrylic stamps. It turned out "blotchy".

Anyway, the card was for anther H! challenge. This week the challenge was to create a monochromatic card, with black and white allowed for accents.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Sneak Peek at new Stampin' Up' Stuff!

All of this information comes from Linda Heller's blog, Where the Rubber Hits the Road.

I've found some spoilers! The new in colours, Pink Pirouette, Red Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss, Baha Breeze, and Pacific Point:

Just like I love the Groovy Guava/Wild Wasabi/Soft Sky combo, I can already see that I'll be buying Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss, and Baha Breeze. Sigh. Yes, they're very similar, but a deeper, brighter colour!

Yes, I'm a sucker.

There's also some new patterned paper:
And a few of the new stamp sets:

I LOVE the last two sets! Very organic and fresh looking.