Last two Christmas cards

Here are the other two cards I made for Christmas.

This one is made using digital papers by Crystal Wilkerson. I printed them on shimmery cardstock. The stamp is from SU and it's stamped with Brilliance Rocket Red Gold ink and punched with a punch from SU. The heart punch, ribbon, blue paper and vanilla card base are also from SU.


This one is from the Very Merry Tags cricut cartridge. I used a cuttlebug embossing folder, digital paper from Jerri Ingalls, cardstocks from SU, Bazzill and Lasting impressions, shimmery vellum, SU border punch (from an upcoming catalog) and ribbon from SU.

Fox & Friends baby card

This is made with a new set from the upcoming Occasions mini. I pretty much cased this card from Jennifer McGuire. I made it for a family member who recently had a baby girl. In real life the lion's mane matches the darker pink paper-not sure why it doesn't here. I use my old DRebel to take card pics and it's not the greatest camera anymore.



stamps: SU Fox & Friends
cardstock: SU and PTI
embossing folder: swiss dots
ink: SU
circle and scallop punch: SU
border punch: Martha Stewart

Card holders

First of all this card was NOT made by me. It was made by a lady in my upline named Gail Beezley. Isn't it cute?? It is all glittery and the embossed background is so neat. So anyway I was trying to think of a better way to display our cards. Usually I use poster tape and tape them all to my front door. Really wasteful-that poster tape is expensive. And they couldn't be rearranged if we got more cards. So the other day this idea popped into my head. I don't know if I saw it somewhere and was subliminally channeling that or what. If so and you know where I might have seen it, please let me know so I can give credit. For the card holders I took ordinary clothespins and covered them on one side with patterned paper and put a magnet on the other side. I used paper cut to about 3/8" x 2-7/8" and glued it on with Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue. Then I took these magnetic business card blanks I had leftover from another project and cut them into about 1/4" strips and stuck them to the other side of the clothespin (they are self adhesive). Clipped the card into the clothespin and stuck it to our front door. Our door is steel-this wouldn't work with a non-steel door.

Two Christmas cards-and a sketch challenge

I'm posting only two of my cards right now. The other two cards I did are going to people who read my blog-so I'll post them later.

This one is made with a digital stamp that I found here. I used the same background as the freebie but changed the color and then put the image on top and then printed it. I colored it with copic markers. I tried shading and all that but the colors looked so light (pink instead of red, for example) so I just colored it solid. The markers I used (forgot to take a picture) are C5, G07, G17, R17 and Y38. I printed the image on shimmery cardstock but you can't tell from the picture. It's shimmery though. I used some Stampin' Flock on the white parts of the hat. Cardstock and patterned paper are from Stampin' Up and the Christmas Greetings stamp is from..I think Hero Arts. Embossing folder from Cuttlebug. For this card I used Aly's sketch shown here, turned on its side. I didn't have room for the 3 dots so I left them out. I didn't want to make square cars since I don't have enough envelopes that size and shape.



the sketch:


This next one was made using a digital kit by Crystal Wilkerson. I printed the patterned papers onto some cardstock and then cut them up just as I would regular patterned paper. The tree and sentiment were printed on shimmery cardstock. I cut the tree out and glued it to the oval (which is SU vanilla cardstock). I also used nestabilities and my SU scallop border punch. Kraft cardstock is from Stampin' Up. I used stickles at the top of the tree.

Shaped card and a sketch card

These are the last two cards I made on World Card Making Day. The first one was for a shaped card challenge. I found this file on this blog and I thought I did everything right but it didn't cut quite right. I used SCAL and it was the first time I'd actually made something with it so I was completely clueless. So I changed it so that it was welded at the shoulders to make a folded card and somehow the parts cut out smaller than they were supposed to but I used it anyway-I thought it still looked ok.


paper is Bazzill
stamp is hero arts
prisma colored pencils
stickles and liquid pearls (also my first time using liquid pearls-and it's pretty obvious)

The next one was for a sketch challenge. Other than the greeting there's no stamping on it at all.


papers: DCWAV
stamp, ink, ribbon, corner punch: SU
dew drops colored with copics (they get sticky when you use copics on them so I guess I'll have to buy a bunch of colors)
sewing

Snowglobe Ornament

I don't remember where I got the idea for this-I think at split coast or maybe from a blog. But the other day when we were shopping at Hobby Lobby, I saw some soap molds and suddenly remembered that I wanted to try it. The idea didn't originally use soap molds but I thought they would work-so I bought them. They are just your standard bar shaped mold-there is a pic down below.

So here's what I did-I cut out the house, trees and snowman using my cricut. The house and trees were made with the Christmas Cheer cartridge and the snowman was done with the Snow Friends cartridge. That snowman was cut at 3/4" (real dial size) to give an idea of how little he is. The house was cut at 1-1/2" and the trees at 1" and 1-1/4". I cut around the soap mold leaving about 1/4" of the backing plastic. I then cut the background paper (SU soft sky designer series paper) the same size and shape. I used some shimmery white cardstock to make the background snow-I just cut it freehand, glued it on, and trimmed to the same shape as the background. I used pop dots to attach the house, the snowman (after adding detail with copic markers) and one tree and tombow mono multi adhesive for the other trees. The snow inside the globe was made using this "make your own flower soft" tutorial. I mixed in some glitter too but it's not really very glittery so next time I'll use more. I used an anti static bag on the inside of the mold but it looked dusty so I sort of wiped most of it out.

I put sticky strip all around the flat outer part of the soap mold. Then I added the fake snow. I removed the sticky strip backing and then attached the background w/ the house, trees and snowman.

I didn't have any green lace so I took some white lace and used water and reinkers and dyed it. I used SU gable green first but it was too light so I added some green galore reinker. I dried it with my heat gun. I used sticky strip to attach the lace to the edges of the globe. Then I used tacky glue to attach the pearl strand. (btw I've had this lace and pearls for about 15 yrs. Finally I remembered to use it on something!) I made a double loop bow using my bow easy and stuck it to the top with a glue dot. Then I just used diamond glaze to glue the ribbon hanger to the back. I used a lot of different adhesives on this.

So anyway I thought it came out pretty cool. Here's a picture of the soap molds (this is a stock picture from online-I didn't take a picture of the packaging)

Doodlebug flowers and critter card

This was for a bingo challenge. We got a bingo card and had to pick any line across, down or diagonally. So I made this and below the pics are the requirements and materials I used.


use 2 or more pp: my mind's eye
use at least 3 flowers: doodlebug friends stamp set (I think)
use red: SU cardstock
use at least 3 buttons: oriental trading
use glitter: stickles
also used twinkling h2os
ek success edge punch


This next one was for a critter challenge While cleaning out my room I found these cutouts that I don't even remember ever buying. I have a lot of that kind of stuff (the kind I don't remember). I got the sketch from a Joy of Cardmaking book.


cardstock and pp: SU
brads: bazzill
embossing folder: cuttlebug
cutout image: we r memory keepers
punch: fiskars

More WCMD cards

I'm posting more than one today

This one was for a red and yellow color challenge. I don't usually use red and yellow together that much so it really was a challenge. I think this is a bit busy but I was happy to finally use this set.

Everything except the spica pens (for the red dots), the die, and the sun punch are from SU. The sun punch is from EK Success and the die (for the shape behind the flower) is nestabilities.

This one was for a sketch challenge. It's a belated birthday card for my nephew-it is not easy to make teen boy cards and I have NO teen boy stamps! So I used a digital image.

copics used:

digital stamp from birdscards, papers from SU (white cardstock is from PTI), copic markers, stickles (on the snow), snowflake punch from carl, spica pens (to color the snowflakes), wave punch from ek success, computer font.

Foal card

I was late doing Aly's Sunday Challenge but even though the deadline had passed, I wanted to get it done. I have been cleaning up my room and finding things I never knew I had, like this cute foal stamp from (I think) Impression Obsession. Or maybe it's from Biblical Impressions. Anyway one of them or maybe somewhere else. So anyway I decided to use it on this card. I didn't put anything in the lower right like the sketch shows because I didn't want to put another bow there and I want to stamp a sentiment whenever I decide who to give it to and why. I feel like this is a little unbalanced-I should have lowered that far left panel some. I still might.

ink: SU
cardstock: PTI
paper and flower/button cutouts: sassafras lass
ribbon: american crafts
nestabilities
copics (I only used them for the foal's muzzle and the grass so I didn't bother to take pics. I used YG03 and E00)

the sketch:

Build a Roo

Another card from WCMD. This one was a copic challenge-I just had to use copics. I used a sketch from an old Joy of Cardmaking magazine.


colors (I missed the yellow one that I used for the words-I think it was Y02):


stamps, cardstock, patterned paper, corner punch, and pink ribbon: Stampin' Up
Nestabilities
brown ribbon: unknown
copic markers
stickles (in the corners-it's hard to see)
I don't have a Bow-Easy so I used a hair pick to make the bow-it's hard to see it too but it's there. It came out ok-I think a real Bow-Easy would be easier.

Before and after

I'm very lucky to have my own craft room. It's a decent sized room, too, with a big window and everything. However I've always kind of had this mix of cheap ugly shelves and desks and stuff. Over the past couple of years I have been slowly changing some of my stuff over to better stuff. My hubby built me a nice work table which I love (click here to see some of it). I switched my ugly green yard sale sewing machine desk to a nicer one that we made together. Now I got rid of the ugly gray metal utility shelves I was using (hey-they were cheap-only about $10 each) and replaced it with jetmax cubes from Michaels. Here are the before and after pics. Warning-these before pics are downright scary. There was no easy to way to store things on these shelves and I was using my old highsmith cardboard storage which was falling apart.




and after:


The round boxes on top are from Hobby Lobby-I covered them with wrapping paper and put some of my fabric in them. The white boxes are large storage boxes from Walmart. The colorful drawers are Fira chests from Ikea (I don't have an Ikea-a friend got these and sent them to me). The pink and white baskets are from Michaels. The smaller cubes (far right of the 2nd picture) on top of the file cabinet (which holds most of my bazzill cardstock. Well some of it) are from Big Lots-only $10 each. The vertical storage cubes hold my 12 x 12 patterned paper, which is organized by company and put in craft keepers, and also they hold my quilting books and magazines (I keep my scrap/stamp books and magazines in a different shelf unit which I will post later). That junk on the left side of the cubes is just that-junk. I'm going to make a little narrow shelf for that spot which will hold more books and/or magazines.

closeup of the label holders (which I printed on the computer and stuck to chipboard)


my cricut storage (2 drawers but they aren't both full):


and my unmounted stamp storage (I have 12 drawers of these-but they aren't all full):


It's still a mess-it always will be because I have way too much stuff. But it's definitely better and I can find things more easily. I'll post more pics as I get it all cleaned up and presentable.

Smile!

This was for a WCMD sketch challenge. I LOVE this line from October Afternoon.


markers:


supplies: october afternoon stamp, sticker and patterned papers, SU and Gina K cardstock, memento ink, copic markers, ribbon, nestabilities

World Card Making Day

For WCMD I am doing the challenges at A Walk Down Memory Lane. There are a LOT of them-nine. I did eight so far but I'm going to space out the posts because I may not make more cards for a while. I'm exhausted. So anyway here's the first one I did-it was for a recipe challenge. I had to use the following: 1 ribbon, 1 flower, 1 button, 2 pattern papers, 2 word sentiment like Happy Birthday, 3 brads, 3 circles. I'm not overly thrilled with this card but it's better than the first one I came up with (which was all this stuff, just arranged differently). Maybe I don't work well with all those rules.



1 ribbon-unknown
1 flower-prima (I actually stacked two-don't tell on me)
1 button-oriental trading
2 pattern papers-imaginisce
2 word sentiment like Happy Birthday-stampin' up
3 brads-queen & co
3 circles-circle circus stamp set (SU)
I also used Stampin' Up ink and circle punches

Basket Full of Fun and a new sketch challenge blog!

First of all one of the girls on my SCS blog group has a young daughter who has decided to start her own sketch challenge blog! What a great endeavor. So her site is Aly's Sunday Challenge and here is my card for her first sketch. I used my cricut and some DCWAV, SU and Bazzill papers plus a Martha Steward border punch and a Making Memories flower. I think the button is from Bazzill.

Here is the sketch:


And here is another sketch challenge from Beate's blog (I can't seem to link just to the sketch challenge post). I used a stamp from SU plus SU papers, corner punch and felt flowers. I also used copic markers, pearls, nestabilities, a brad from Oriental Trading, and a border punch from EK Success.

and the colors I used:


the sketch:

Just Celebrate

This was made from the Mojo Monday sketch. I pretty much followed it exactly. I'm not back in the groove yet so I have to copy. lol



I am going to *try* to put the marker colors on the cards where I use copics. No promises though. I just happened to remember this time.




Ink: Memento Black
Patterned Paper: 3 Bugs in a Rug Celebrate
Ribbon: Unknown (I tried to recolor the yellow stripe with markers because it was too bright. It bled a little but I still think it looks better this way. It was really light and bright before)
Circle Nestabilities
Sewing Machine
Copic Markers

New additions

Check out our new babies!!
Lola (who belongs to Sammy and Jake):


Shadow (who belongs to Jenny):


both together


They are so cute and friendly (so far). They're both girls-they will hopefully always get along and will be spayed at around 6 mos. They are mini lops and are from the same litter. We originally planned to get a girl and a boy but it proved to be a big pain in the neck to divide the kennel to keep them separated so we got two girls instead. We've been preparing for these girls for a long time-building a hutch and putting together the kennel, and then reinforcing the kennel with layers of chicken wire and hardware cloth to keep critters out (and in). We designed our own hutch which is a double with removable walls and doors that double as ramps. It was a lot of work (the kids and I did most of the work on it) and I am covered with the scratches and cuts to prove it. Worth it though-these girls are so cute and sweet. We have had them for 3 days now and considering how long our hermit crabs lasted (or didn't last) I'm nervous but hopefully we're doing everything right.

Pick a Petal

I decided to just grab a set without looking and make myself make a card with it. I don't think I've even used this set yet. I remember when it first came out and everyone loved it and thought it was the neatest idea. So I bought it too and there it sat in my pile, never to be used. Until now. I am not sure about the inking on this but without it, it looked really...busier. By the way that white border is part of the pattern on the paper. I cut two pieces from the same page, one of which had that border. You can't see it on the picture but the paper is really glittery. I actually made this card a few days ago but waited to post it since I've been lazy getting stuff made and figured I better space it out.


Patterned Paper: Die Cuts with a View Sweet Stack
Ribbon: Imaginisce
Brad: Unknown (it was a freebie from an order I placed somewhere)

Petal Pizazz

I've really been slacking off lately. We've had a few birthdays plus dance recital coming up so it's been really busy here. Plus my room is still a mess-it is really not fun cleaning that up. So anyway I made this quickie tonight from this sketch.



Patterned Paper: Imaginisce
Gems: Amuse and Prima
Sewing
Border Punch: Martha Stewart

Gorjuss girl-first one

I got these Gorjuss girl stamps in the mail-eight of them! So I wanted to make a card with one. Even though my coloring is still not quite there (the skin is too dark and I always forget to do that light source thing) I thought she came out pretty cute. I didn't want to keep messing with it too much or else I'm sure I'd ruin it. I used this sketch from Taylored Expressions.



stamps: gorjuss girl from sugar nellie
patterned paper: imaginisce
copic markers
ink: memento
nestabilities
cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder
handmade crocheted flowers
jewels: prima and amuse (not impressed with the amuse jewels)
sewing
stickles (on the little skull barrette)
scallop punch
sewing

Egg baskets

I found out about 10 minutes before we left for the in-laws' house that the kids were planning to take Grandma and Grandpa some decorated eggs and wanted something cute to put them in. Gee thanks for the last minute notice! So anyway I used my baskets and blooms die and my cricut to make these-I had trouble making the baskets round even though I did it like this blog post said to. Grandma and Grandpa liked them anyway.



Cardstock
Patterned papers
Cricut cartridge: Doodlecharms
Bigz die
chalk
Easter grass stolen from the kids' baskets.

Two Scoops

The other day I was looking at Jen Muraoka's blog and one of her sidebar buttons caught my eye. It was a link to theTwo Scoops Rice Designs blog and from there I found their store site. I had been looking for a while for cute Japanese themed food stamps because I grew up on that food and thought it would be cute to make cards with it. So I went over to the store site and found the cutest stamps! I got two Christmas ones and this 2 scoops ice cream stamp (there were a ton more that I wanted but I have to wait). They came within just a few days and I just had to use one right away. I used the mojo monday sketch shown here to make this card.

supplies:
2 scoops ice cream stamp from two scoops rice designs
memento ink
copic markers
paper trey ink white cardstock
stampin up so saffron, gable green and close to cocoa cardstock
KI memories garden patterned paper and ribbon

note: I made the links so they'll open up in a new window. I thought I would make links like this for other sites and for links within my own blogs I would not make them open in a new window. If it bugs anyone that the links open in a new window let me know and I will cease and desist.

Gift...

edit-Krista got her goodies (and loves them-yay!) so I can post the pictures now. Links will now open in the same window-just click the back button to come back to the post.

I am not going to post the actual pictures of this project in this blog entry because my friend Krista reads my blog and I don't want to spoil her gift. However, I haven't posted in a while so I did want to get it put up right away. So I'm posting links to it and everyone BUT Krista can click on the links to see it. Krista, if you're reading this only click on the links if you want to spoil your entire birthday. hehe. All links will open in a new window.