Monday, November 24, 2008

Advent Calendar





Wow, it's been a loooong time since I've posted anything here. I guess time just got away from me. I decided tonight that I must remedy this blogging dry spell and come out and post something, anything! When I was little, my Grandpa Tony would bring me an advent calendar every single year. I always looked forward to what would be behind the little doors. Some years, they were calendars with all different molded chocolate shapes and some years there were little plastic charms behind each door. Gosh I miss him and those calendars. I think what I miss most is the memory of him and how he remembered how much I enjoyed them and brought me one every year without me ever having to ask. I decided to make my own advent calendar this year. There are no chocolates or toys inside these little pockets, but it's a way for me to keep my memories alive during the Christmas season.

I used a 12"x12" piece of canvas that I painted in red acrylic Making Memories paint and then coated with a layer of glossy Mod Podge. Next, I made the little pockets 2"x2" and created 1/4" tabs to be folded under on three sides to make an envelope (I used my new Scor-Pal for this). Then I punched a circle in the top of each envelope. I used Bazzill cardstock that I matched to this KI Memories holiday paper that I think I've been saving for about 3 Christmases now! I don't know what I was so panicked for, I still ended up with alot of paper leftover :) I used a combination of Quickutz dies and shapes cut from my Cricut Doodlecharms and Christmas Cheer cartridges. I used QK Tangerine type on the "to" and QK Jolly on the "christmas". I used dimensional foam pieces to make the "Christmas" pop and also added some Stardust Stickles to add glitz. For the "Countdown" title, I cut out QK Katie type and then used the rhomboid shape on the Cricut George and Basic Shapes cartridge. I inked around all the edges and then put a coat of glossy Mod Podge. I had some very thin craft wire that I cut into 3" pieces and twisted around a pen to created the swirls and added some beads from my craft supply. I adhered one end of the wire to the back of the letters and then adhered the other end to the back of the canvas. I just used some heavy duty tape since you can't see the backside anyway. I just used some May Arts ribbon that I punched through the canvas with my Crop-o-dile and placed another bead and knotted the end of the ribbon.

Thanks for looking and for being patient with me since I've been extremely lazy in the blogging department!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Goin' Out of Town


I'll be heading off to New Orleans for a few days. I've never been there before, but I'm going for a conference so I'll have some evenings and a couple afternoons to explore the city. It's been so hot and humid here the last few days and I think it was just preparation for the weather I'll be experiencing in the south! See ya soon!

Monday, September 22, 2008

My New Toy



This is my new toy I got yesterday for cross-training and an eventual triathlon, a Felt FW40 road bike. I brought her home last night so I haven't had a chance to ride her yet, I've just been ooohing and aaahing over her and can't wait to take her out for a test spin tonight! I've also been training for this: Pasadena Marathon I'm only doing the 1/2 marathon and I managed to get my hubby to sign up with me too! He's afraid that he'll get left behind, but I reassured him that I won't be leaving him in the dust and we'll be great at motivating eachother throughout the course. This is the first year that Pasadena is hosting a marathon so I thought it would be a great experience and it's close to home to boot. On a different note, I've been doing some cardmaking but have been too lazy to take photos and upload them! After I work out, I eat dinner then poop out around 9:30pm and then it's just too late to do anything productive. If I didn't have to sleep, I could get so much more done

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Words to Live By

"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up." - Dean Karnazes, runner and author of Ultramarathon Man

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Fashionista Card


I made this everyday card for a fashionista. The stamps are from Michael's $1 bin and I stamped them onto scrap pieces of paper and then cut them out and used dimensional foam dots to pop them up. The ribbon is also from Michael's and I cut the scalloped squares using my Cricut Mini Monograms cartridge (it sure comes in handy!) and I used a Creative Memories dual square punch for the image and matte. The little yellow jewels are Robin's Nest Dew Drops. I made the little dots around the perimeter of the card with a Sharpie white poster paint pen. TFL!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Jump Start on Halloween





I'm reminded that Halloween is just around the corner when I can go to my local Walmart or Target and see aisles and aisles of Halloween candy! I'm not sure who decided to pack Swedish Fish in mini bags for my consumption, but they need to hide them from me! And with the assorted Hershey's Miniatures, I am in candy heaven :) Yum... Anyhoo, I decided to get started on some Halloween cards since I think I only made two last year! I made these 5in X 5in cards using the Stampin' Up Batty for You set and Sandy Lion and BoBunny papers.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Sketch Book


I bought this little 3.5"x5" sketch book some time ago and have been slowly adding card sketches to it. I decided to alter it with all K&Co pp scraps. I cut the scallop part with my scallop edge scissors and the letters are QK Studio Skinni Mini.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Caardvarks Music Theme Challenge





I created two cards for the Caardvarks music theme card challenge because I had two different ideas floating around in my head! The top card is inspired by that song, Rock Steady by Gwen Stefani and I made using Pink Paislee stamps that I stamped in Brilliance Graphite Black on Bazzill cs and then I cut out the components of each skull and popped them up on dimensionals. I free handed and cut out the arrow, traced it in white gel pen and also handcut the scallops at the bottom of the card. I even used some very old Making Memories rub-on letters and Quickutz Abigail. The pp is Cherry Arte. I made the bottom card using Chatterbox, American Crafts, and Scenic Route pp. The stamp is from Pink Paislee (formerly Pink.Sugar.Pop). The letter stickers are Basic Grey and the letter rubons are TLC Quik Letters. The red rhinestone is from a bag of assorted rhinestones that I bought. Thanks for looking!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #30


This is my entry for Taylor's weekly sketch challenge. I decided to get a jumpstart on some Christmas cards so I used an Elzybells stamp that I colored in with Copic markers. I added some lime green Stickles to the tree and some dimensional snow writer stuff for the girls' hat, collars and gloves. The border stamp is from 7gypsies and stamped in Brilliance Graphite Black. The pp is from a holiday DCWV stack. The sugar coated brads are from Doodlebug and the ribbon is from Michael's. Thanks for looking!

Chipboard Date Book





I've been slowly trying to break out of my "normal" creating box and trying different styles. I made this dates to remember book with bright colors in mind and lots of little elements. The book measures 3.5"x8" and I cut it out of chipboard. I used American Crafts, Rusty Pickle, My Mind's Eye and K&Co pp. I made the scalloped rectangle on the cover using my Provo Craft scallop scissors that I haven't touched in years! The dates type is QK Fiesta (I love that type!) and in the lower right corner is a green Hambly screenprint. The little letter stickers are Provo Craft. I hand cut some flowers from a sheet of Me & My Big ideas paper and popped them up on dimensionals. I used my Cricut Mini Monograms cartridge to create the scalloped tabs for the pages and just used Microsoft Word to make the monthly date lists where I can keep track of birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Vintage Card


I handcut the trees on this larger 5x7 card and used K&Co pp. The border punch is from Martha Stewart and I cut the border into segments so that I could pop the section in front of the trees up on dimensionals. The corner punch in the upper right corner is Marvy and the thanks type is QK Zoe. Thanks for looking!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Hoppy Birthday


My dad and I both love frogs so for his birthday this weekend I made him this card with the Cuttlebug frog die. I glued little googlie eyes on the frog to make him look more playful :) The paper is DCWV and I embossed the paper behind the frog with a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The letters were cut out of QK Moxie and Calvin.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Simple


I lifted the design for the card from a manufacturer's blog, I just can't remember which one! Anyway, I used some new pp from a Me & My Big Ideas stack, the stamp is A Muse and I cut out the scallop part and used a circle punch to create the embellishments plus some cord and eyelets. It's a little too simple looking for me, but I figured I can always make another with more "stuff" on it later!

Shabby Chic Card


This is my first attempt at a shabby chic type of card. I used a bunch of mismatched scraps and sewed around parts of the card. I cut the brackets out after tracing them off of a chipboard piece (I tend to use the chipboard pieces as templates instead of actually USING them, just like the scallops at the bottom of the card!). I used an art paragraph text stamp from Purple Onion Designs to stamp over the paper flowers and then sewed them on with embroidery floss and buttons. The sentiment is QK Lucy. Thanks for looking!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Smile Card




This card was fun to make because of its size and the colors and elements I chose to use. It's only 4"X7" but the fun part was putting all the little details together. I punched out a circle in the bottom right corner and layered some scraps in there with a little flower. I covered a chipboard frame in cardstock and layered it over another scrap. The font is Sizzlits Tina Thinks You're Cute. I cut out the fluorish in the same color as the cardstock background to create a different look and then wanted it to pop out a little more so I used some Lime Green Stickles on it. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out since I didn't really pre-plan the design, it just kinda came to me as I started matching up the scrap papers.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Hello!


I've been trying to use up my large pile of scraps so I've been mixing and matching some crazy patterned papers to come up with what I think is a cute combination. I used all scraps on this hello card. The hello sentiment is QK Bright and the brackets are also QK. I used the paisley Cuttlebug embossing folder for the solid black background. The hello is filled with Stardust Stickles. Thanks for looking!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Eat, Live and Be Merry!


I made this card with an Art Impressions stamp that I colored in with Twinkling H2Os after I heat embossed the image in black. I handwrote the "eat, live and be" part and the "merry" is the Sizzlit font Tina Thinks You're Cute. It's hard to tell in the photo but the windows of the cafe are filled in with Prisma Ultra Fine Glitter.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Coffee


There is nothing in the world like a cup of coffee in the morning. On a weekday, I will fill a big Starbucks tumbler full of my favorite Starbucks or Peet's Coffee blend (sometimes Folger's if I'm rationing the good stuff) and bring it to work. On the weekend, I like to get up early, get showered and have a big mug full of the yummy stuff and surf the internet while my husband is still asleep. Lucky for me he's not much of a coffee drinker so I have it all to myself. Recently though he's taken a liking to the iced coffees I've been making. Uh-oh!! That's ok, whatever keeps him awake while he's studying! I made this little 4X4 card in honor of the simple goodness of coffee. The diecut is Sizzix and the little rhinestones are Hero Arts. I embossed the pink circle with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder and then used my Big Bite to punch holes around the circumference so I could lace some coffee bean colored ribbon around the image.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Happy Friday!



Geez...this week really dragged by and I'm so happy it's Friday. Plus, tonight is the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. I can't wait! For the next two weeks, I will be glued to the tv watching all I can :) This time I have a dvr so I won't miss anything!

I made this little Hi card using A Muse stamps for the bird and birdcage. The "hi" is Quickutz Fiesta (such a fun font!). Because I didn't want to use the only swirly chipboard fluorish I had, I just traced it onto some orange paper and cut it out and embellished it with some Stickles :) I made the card a peek-a-boo flap on the front to reveal the sentiment inside (stamp from Michael's). Thanks for looking and happy Friday!

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Birthday Card



I made this card with a Whipper Snapper stamp that I embossed in black and colored in with Twinkling H2Os (gosh, I love those watercolors!). I used alot of scraps for all the colors and the mini gifts are a Quickutz die. All this coloring with markers and watercolors makes me remember all the fun I had when I was kid and I got to color to my heart's desire!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Creating Outside My Box


For me, this card is totally outside of my usual box, but I'm very pleased with it! The heart with wings stamped image is from Pink.Sugar.Pop and I embossed the outline in black then colored the wings in with Twinkling H2Os. The heart itself was embossed in red Judykins glitter and then cut out and popped up on dimensionals. I also used the Quickutz fonts Paige and Emily for the lettering and the bracket die. The diamonds were cut on my Cricut with the George cartridge and I punched small circles for the center and topped them with some heart shaped sequins that I've had for years (about 20 to be exact!) The striped pp is KI Memories. Thanks for looking!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Teapots



This Whipper Snapper stamp was so much fun to color! I used Twinkling H2Os to color it in and the outline of the image is embossed in black. I just love how the embossing makes the image pop. The background pp is K&Co and the "hi" is Quickutz Mademoiselle. I made the scallops at the bottom of the card just by using my circle punch.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Some New Cards



I went to the Riverside Stamp/Scrapbook Expo this past Sunday, met up with Naomi, got some great ideas and bought a bunch of stuff :) One of the ideas I loved and played with at home was embossing! I haven't embossed anything since I first started scrapbooking so I forgot how much fun it could be and how pretty an image can come out. On both of these cards I embossed the image in black and then colored them in with Twinkling H2Os which are really great to work with. The top card is a Whipper Snapper stamp for the main image and the tab is part of the Stampin' Up Party Punch set. I used Nestabilities for the scalloped rectangle. The bottom card is a Northwoods image and the pp is K&Co.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Wedding Card


I made this card for a couple friends who got married this weekend. The stamp is a $1 find from Michael's and colored with Copics and the background is embossed using the Cuttlebug. I used some old Anna Griffin pp I had for the strip with a strip of vellum over the top. The speckled pp in the background is unknown. Well, I'm off to the Riverside Stamp/Scrapbook Expo. Let's see what kinda trouble I can get myself into!!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Altered Can





I was going to toss this almond can and then thought better of it and decided to alter it instead! I used the new Hero Arts clear stamps for the birdies and birdhouses and the background paper is Basic Grey Blush. I made the scallops with the circle cutter and then added Hero Arts clear sparkles to the centers. I cut the hilly grass freehand and then just used some green ink to highlight it a little. I sewed the flowers with buttons on the lid and added some more sparkles there too. All of the images are on dimensionals so that they really pop from the can. I coated the whole can with a light layer of glossy mod podge to give it a more finished look. This can was alot of fun to make! I've got an cylindrical powder drink mix container that I want to alter next!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Exercise Journal


I started keeping track of my workouts in this composition book back in March but I never got around to altering the cover. Tonight I decided to jazz this journal up a bit since it has become such an important part of my life. In it, I log my running miles and keep track of the other core and strength/resistance training that has become a significant part of my life. I stamped "exercise" using Making Memories foam stamps and acrylic paint. Remember when those stamps were brand new and all the rage?! Well, I still love 'em and will use them wherever I can! I used Quickutz Emily for "journal". The background dot pp is SEI and the other pp are some unknown scraps. I used glossy mod podge over the top of the cover to protect it a little from wear and tear. Thanks for looking!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

New Card


I just got the Quickutz Rockstar alphabet this weekend and I was itching to use it on a card. This card looked better in my head but I figured I'd post it anyway. The grey background is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and I made the scallops with circles. I've never done that before and I like how that part came out! The diecut letters are QK Rockstar and Studio SkinniMini and the striped pp is KI Memories that I ration like crazy because I absolutely love their paper. I think my white gel pen writing came out pretty ugly this time. I don't know why that happens but when I do it on a scratch paper, it looks great and then when I do it on the actual card it doesn't look right. Oh, well! Thanks for looking anyway!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Award Nomination!


I was surprised and extremely flattered when Naomi nominated me for this award! She is an extremely talented individual whose cards always bring a smile to my face and are always bright, bold and very cute!

Here are the rules:

1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

So, here is my list of nominees:

1) Stampin Pretty Her cards are so beautiful, from the design to the colors she uses, they're all gorgeous!

2) My Creative Treasury Kandis Smith has some serious talent. Everytime I look at her blog I'm inspired by something new. She has a fresh way of making cards and totally thinking outside of the box with how she uses her embellishments.

3) StarLit Studio When I first learned about Copic markers, this is where I looked to learn how to properly use them and how to create an attractive image! I have a loooong way to go to get as good as Cindy but her work is a great inspiration.

4) Jen's Stampin Spot Jen's cards are so adorable and she colors them so beautifully!

5) Stampin' with Markie's Mom Faith's cards are beautifully detailed without being too ornate. I love how she makes those dots on her cards!

6) i {heart} 2 stamp Jen does so much to maximize the cuteness of embossing on her cards. I'm always stumped as to what and where to use the embossing folders and she always finds a way to make the embossing look so cute!

7) Inspirations Amanda's recipes that she posts are not only delicious but her cards are wonderful too!

Owl Love


I love all the new owl stamps I've been seeing everywhere. This little guy and the tree and sentiment are from a new clear Hero Arts set. The pp is a KI Memories scrap, the image was stamped in Stampin' Up Purely Pomegranate and then I colored in the leaves with a lime green Copic marker.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Summer Time


I made this little chipboard scalloped circle using some of the $1 Michael's stamps for the images and colored them with Copics and the letters are Image Tree stamped with Stampin Up Purely Pomegranate ink. I painted the chipboard circle with some acrylic paint and then added some Stickles over the top to make it sparkle. The background paper is this really cool textured paper that I had a swatch of.