scraps and ink

Advent Calendar

2008-11-24T21:18:00.000-08:00

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!

Goin' Out of Town

2008-10-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

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!

My New Toy

2008-09-22T12:53:00.001-07:00

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

Words to Live By

2008-09-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

"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

Fashionista Card

2008-09-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

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!

Jump Start on Halloween

2008-09-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

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.

Sketch Book

2008-08-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Caardvarks Music Theme Challenge

2008-08-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

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!

Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #30

2008-08-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Vintage Card

2008-08-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

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!

Hoppy Birthday

2008-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Simple

2008-08-17T15:07:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

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!

Smile Card

2008-08-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Hello!

2008-08-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

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!

Eat, Live and Be Merry!

2008-08-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

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.

Coffee

2008-08-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

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.

Happy Friday!

2008-08-08T19:12:00.001-07:00

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!

Birthday Card

2008-08-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

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!

Creating Outside My Box

2008-08-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

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!

Teapots

2008-08-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

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.

Some New Cards

2008-07-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

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.

Wedding Card

2008-07-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

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!!

Altered Can

2008-07-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

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!

Exercise Journal

2008-07-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

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!

New Card

2008-07-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

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!

Award Nomination!

2008-07-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-12T19:12:00.001-07:00

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.

Summer Time

2008-07-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

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.

Quickutz Critter Cards

2008-07-08T17:27:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've used any Quickutz dies on a card, project or layout. I forgot how much fun they are to play with! I think this frog and turtle are retired now but they are just too darn cute and I need to find more excuses to use them! I made a couple of really simple cards with them using scraps (of course). My box of scraps grows by the day and I won't throw a paper away unless it's less than 1" square otherwise it's good for inchies! Anyway, On the turtle card, I used some green Stickles on his shell and a googlie eye. The hello sentiment is from Inkadinkado and the ladybug is from Amuse. I stamped the hello using Stampin' Up Real Red ink and the ladybug has a coating of diamond glaze to make her shiny. The turtle and ladybug are also popped up on dimensionals. The frog card has oval and scallped oval Nestabilities dies, the butterfly and hey there! sentiment is from the new Hero Arts Sparkle Clear Love That set. Both of these cards are pretty small, only measuring 4" X 3.5". Thanks for looking!

Mini Gift Cards

2008-07-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

I made these little cards for gift boxes and bags and they don't measure any more than 2"X3.5". I used some $1 stamps from Michael's colored in with Copics and lots of little scraps. I punched a hole in the corner or top center so they'd be ready to attach to packages with gift ribbon!

Rectangular Card

2008-07-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

I bought a pack of these Amuse elongated rectangle cards w/envies a while back and just now found a use for one! I made another birthday card and used my oval Nestabilities (love 'em, absolutely one of the best inventions ever) and the cupcake stamps are one of the $1 Michael's clear sets. The sentiment is Amuse and the cupcakes are colored in with Copic markers and the sprinkles have Stickles on them and I used some Diamond Glaze on the cherries. I bought a Crop-O-Dile Big Bite with my 50% off Michael's coupon over the weekend (I couldn't resist a bargain like that) and I was already able to use it to for the ribbin at the top of the oval!

Some New Cards

2008-07-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

I made a few new cards over the holiday weekend using some new stamps and some I haven't used in a long time. The girl on the Vespa card is made with Amuse stamps for both the image and the sentiment and the scallop frame is Pink.Sugar.Pop which I think is Pink Paisley now. The blue pp is from a K&Co stack and the striped background is an old scrap of Doodlebug pp. I colored the image in with Copic markers and there is a little touch of icy blue Stickles on the exhaust puffs. The second card with the doggie also uses Amuse stamps for the dog and the sentiment and the frame is 7Gypsies. I stamped the green dot background with the backgrounder stamp from the Stampin' Up Polka Dots & Paisley set. The pp is an old Chatterbox scrap. I have a box full of scraps so I always try to use those up first on any cards or small projects I make!

Ice Cream Sundaes

2008-07-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

Since one of my greatest weaknesses in life is ice cream, I thought I'd make a birthday card inspired by a neopolitan sundae :) I made this little 4x4 card with a Niki Tescher clear stamp set from Michael's colored in with Copics, Nestabilities, leftover We R Memory Keepers Diner Drive Thru scraps and some Robin's Nest jewels. The cherry on the sundae is topped with Stickles and I put a little Diamond Glaze on the hot fudge for shine!

Lots of Birthdays

2008-06-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

There have been lots of birthdays to make cards for these last couple of months. It seems like there will be a whole lot all together and then no birthdays for months and months! I just need the slightest bit of an excuse to make someone a b-day card and I'm happy :) I made the blooms with the Cricut Doodlecharms cartridge and then hand sewed the stems and petal details with embroidery floss and little buttons. I made the dragonfly with the Doodlecharms cartridge also and added some stitching to his wings. The sentiment is from Gina K Designs.

Gettin' Creative Again

2008-06-26T19:57:00.001-07:00

I've had a creative dry spell lately but have been working on a few cards. This is one I made using Gina K Designs stamps, my fav Rob and Bob Super Slab pp and Copics. That sundae makes me crave some frozen yogurt!

What I've Been Up To

2008-06-02T14:03:00.001-07:00

I haven't been doing too much creating lately since I've been busy with another hobby: running. I am in the best shape of my life and owe it to running, strength training and core workouts. To quote Jeff Corwin, "Running is like my fetish, my addiction. It's always present. I'm constantly thinking about my next run." By no means am I ready for a marathon or even a half marathon but the more miles I log, the closer I get to achieving more of my personal goals.

Taylor's Cupcake Card Sketch Challenge #10

2008-04-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

I seem to be on a purple kick lately. I don't use use that color in my projects or wear the color but recently I've been feeling drawn toward it. I even wore a lilac color blouse today! So with that in mind, I made this card using the Rob and Bob slab (surprise) using Taylor's cupcake card sketch for inspiration. The image stamp is one of the $1 clear stamps from Michael's and colored in with my Copic markers. The sentiment is PaperTrey Ink. I cut out the scalloped square using my Cricut Mini Monograms cartridge.

Bella

2008-04-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

I love all the different Bella Stamps and had a really hard time deciding which ones to order. In the end, I chose this Cupcakebella and the Dogwalkbella. They are a blast to color in with Copics. I paired this image up with a sentiment from PaperTrey Ink and more paper from my Rob and Bob slab and the cherry on the cupcake was highlighted with a dab of red Stickles.

MFT

2008-04-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

I love all the different stamp sets from My Favorite Things, especially this one called Hot Stuff. I colored the images in with my Copic markers and the paper is from We R Memory Keepers. I had a few pieces of their Diner Drive Thru pp laying around and thought that it could really brighten up the card. It's so bright and cheery I think, perfect for a thank you card! I even got some use out of an old Fiskars corner punch where the coffee cups are, I just punched the corners of the narrow rectangle and voila it's like a little decorative piece!

Birthday Card

2008-04-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

I used one of my favorite AMuse stamps to make this card and more Rob and Bob pp. The sentiment is also AMuse and the little flowers are Quickutz. I used my Copic markers to color in the image and put a dab of crystal Stickles in the center of each doodad flower.

Summer

2008-04-12T15:20:00.001-07:00

The last few days have been in the 80's or higher and I thought I better start dusting off the sandals and tank tops! I made this card using a set from My Favorite Things and new K&Co. pp. I used my Fabulous Finds Cricut cartridge for the bookplate and it's hard to tell in the photo but her hat, the seagull and shells are all adhered to the card with dimensionals.

Card Making Saturday

2008-04-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

Since the hubby is working a 24 hr shift today, I decided to sit down and get some more cards done. I had some images stamped and colored that just never made their way onto a card so I wanted to clear those out of the way first. I made this one with a $1 clear stamp set from Michael's and the sentiment is from PaperTrey Ink. I used Rob and Bob pp, rectangle nestabilities, and the oval bookplate was created with the Fabulous Finds cartridge on my Cricut.

SCS Card Sketch #124

2008-04-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

Here's another card I made using a card sketch from Splitcoast Stampers. I used another stamp from my $1 Michael's clear stamp set, Rob and Bob pp, Copics, and my rectangle Nestabilities.

SCS Card Sketch #49

2008-04-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

I made this card using a Splitcoast Stampers card sketch. The pp is Rob and Bob and the stamped image and sentiment is from a Michael's $1 clear stamp set. What a deal! I picked up 5 different $1 sets and they're so tiny and cute! The image here was colored in with Copics.

Taylor's Cupcake Card Sketch Challenge #9

2008-03-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

I made this card for Taylor's card sketch challenge. I used a bunch of pp scraps for my little Quickutz bonbons and the sentiment is from PaperTrey Ink. I used my paper piercer to make little holes around the circles and some crystal Stickles to the icing on the bonbons. TFL!

Thanks a Bunch

2008-03-28T23:39:00.000-07:00

I love this Lockhart mason jar and wildflowers stamp! It was a blast to color, the hard part was deciding which colors to use. I decided on matching the colors as close as possible to the Basic Grey background paper. TFL!

Summer Inspired

2008-03-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

I love this Lockhart chair stamp and with the recent warm weather in SoCal, I got inspired to create something with a summer feel. This image reminds me of sitting around on a late summer afternoon with a large glass of iced tea and a book at my side.

The stamp is from Lockhart, the sentiment is from Savvy Stamps, the patterned paper is My Mind's Eye, and the coloring was done with Copics and I even used my Quickutz die for the small bookplate. Thanks for looking!

Sometimes I Surprise Myself!

2008-03-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

Do you ever sit back and look at a card or project after you've made it and say to yourself, "wow, I did that? That's pretty darn cute!" Well, tonight I sat down and made this little thank you card not thinking it would turn out that great but once I started laying the papers out and got coloring, it turned out cute (atleast I think so :)). The blossom vase is Memory Box and the sentiment is from A Muse. The bookplated was cut out on my Cricut using the Fabulous Finds cartridge. I colored in the image with my Copic markers and the paper is all from the Rob and Bob Superslab that I got atleast a year ago and I'm just now getting into! I even got to use a striped sticker that came with the paper pack and I just trimmed it down to size. I never seem to use sticker embellishments anymore so I was kinda breaking out of my box! The stamped image was also mounted with dimensionals. I thought it would be cool to show the goodies I used and which Copic sketch markers I enlisted as well.

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter with their family and friends!

Pocket Sized Mini Book

2008-03-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

I made this little pocket size mini book with some chipboard, scraps, an A Muse stamp colored in with Copics and my Zutter. I'm always looking for a scrap of paper in my purse to scribble a note on and figured this would be the perfect size for notes.

Some More Inchies

2008-03-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

I've been making inchies here and there in between easter cards. Here's a few more I did with some scraps and magazine clippings.

Chrome Dome

2008-03-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

I made this card with this cutie robot stamp! Isn't he adorable?

Easter Cards

2008-03-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

Here's the rest of the Easter cards I made today using stamps from My Favorite Things.

Seattle

2008-03-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

My husband and I love the Pacific Northwest and hope to call Seattle home one day. We have our fingers crossed that a potential relocation could be in the cards for us even though we'll be leaving our family and friends behind. When we talk about picking up and starting fresh somewhere else, it's both scary and exciting at the same time. The two of us were born and raised in southern California and people think we're crazy to want to go move to where it's cold and rainy (we might actually see the change of the seasons!) Even if things don't work out, we still have plenty of memories of dreaming of a different life somewhere else...

Easter Cards

2008-03-16T21:35:00.001-07:00

I made some Easter cards over the weekend. I love these little A Muse stamps! (The sentiment is from Savvy Stamps) I picked up these little cuties when I was in Seattle last weekend and they're so fun to color in with Copics!

My First Inchies!

2008-03-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Alright, I have to admit that I didn't know what an Inchie was until a week ago. I stumbled upon Collage Contessa's blog (http://collagecontessa.blogspot.com) and found out what these little altered cuties were. So I was on a little mission to make a few of my own with scrap papers, stamps, found art and words in magazines, 1"x1" chipboard pieces and some mod podge. Here are my first attempts at Inchies. I am officially hooked!

More Cards

2008-03-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

I made a few cards before jetting off to Seattle this past weekend.

Supplies
Top-SEI pp, Savvy Stamps, ultrafine glitter, Copic markers
Middle-Paper Source and PaperTrey stamps, Colorbox Chalk Ink, misc paper scraps
Bottom-My Favorite Things stamps, DCWV pp, Copic markers, Cricut Mini Monograms cartridge for the scalloped circles

Some New Cards

2008-03-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

I made this card before heading to Seattle this past weekend. I used the Hot Stuff set from My Favorite Things and colored the images in with my Copic markers. I used all odds and ends of scrap papers for the card.

Hedgies

2008-03-05T21:06:00.001-08:00

I love these little Penny Black hedgehogs! I colored these guys in with my Copics and used some KI Memories scraps and a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Cupcakes=Yum!

2008-03-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

I love cupcakes and all of the new little cupcake stamp sets and papers that are out right now! For this little card I used a Lockhart stamp that I colored in with my Copics and then stamped around it using one of the Borders and Corners stamps from PaperTrey. The cardstock and ticket corner punch is from Stampin Up. TFL!

Stamps for Charity

2008-03-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

I got this adorable stamp set from Gina K Designs called How Sweet it is and have really been enjoying coloring them in with my Copics! As an added bonus, $7 from each stamp set sold will go to The American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. It's great to stamp just for fun and to know that your purchase goes to a great cause!

Supplies:
Stamps: Gina K Designs How Sweet It Is
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
PP: Provo Craft and unknown stripe
Ribbon: Lil Davis Designs
Other: Copic Markers

Hello

2008-03-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

This is the first time I've attempted to make an acetate card. I have a few sheets of acetate that I got from my LSS and I trimmed it down to make a 4"x4" card. I've slowly been going through a box of scraps and using up supplies that I hoarded long ago. I cut the ladybug at 1" on my Cricut using the Doodlecharms cartridge (I love that little guy!)

Under the Weather

2008-03-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

I was feeling a bit under the weather today so I stayed home and used a little bit of the time to finish up a few cards I started but never finished. I tend to stamp the images, color them and then wait for an idea to strike me for the card layout. Today I got on a roll and finished up a few ;)

Supplies from top to bottom:
#1
Stamps: My Favorite Things Icing on the Cake
Ink: Stampin Up! Blue Bayou
PP: Provo Craft
Brads and eyelets: Making Memories
Other: Stickles and Diamond Glaze

#2
Stamp: Michael's
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Dies: Nestabilities
Embossing folder: Cuttlebug
Other: Ribbon and Copic markers

#3
Stamps: The Cat's Pajamas and Making Memories (happiness sentiment)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
PP: Unknown Brocade
Brads: Making Memories
Other: Office supply vellum and Copic markers

More Stamping Fun

2008-02-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

I colored this Lockhart stamp in with my Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol. I really like how it turned out so I'm anxious to see how it will look colored in with Copics.
Patterned paper: SEI and Chatterbox
Stamps: Lockhart
Other: American Crafts ribbon and brads, Copic markers, Bazzill cardstock, Brilliance ink, Making Memories flowers

My First Bella

2008-02-17T18:21:00.000-08:00

I just got my order of Stamping Bellas and this is my first card using Dogwalkabella. She was so fun to color in with my Copics!
Cardstock: Bazzill and Stampin' Up
Stamps: Stampin' Up, Paper Trey Ink, Stamping Bella
Other: ribbon, Copic markers, Brilliance ink, unknown pp scrap

Cuckoo

2008-02-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

I started making Valentine cards the other night and here is one of my latest. I love the love themed A Muse stamps! I used my Prismacolor pencils to color in the clock and mounted it with a dimensional. The "cuckoo for you" was also mounted on dimensionals to make it pop.

One More

2008-01-29T21:29:00.000-08:00

Here's another quick card I made using the A Muse bicycle stamp, some stickles, my Prismacolor pencils, and some scraps. The awning I drew myself and popped up with dimensionals.

Cupcakes

2008-01-29T21:17:00.000-08:00

I picked up this cute little cupcake stamp over the weekend and threw a quick card together.

Supplies: Lockhart Stamp Co. cupcakes, SEI and Bazzill scraps, Heidi Grace flower, MM rhinestone brad, Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol

Mischief

2008-01-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

This is Emma. From looking at her in this picture, you'd think she was sweet, shy, well-behaved and calm. WRONG! I took this photo last night when she was relaxing after a hard day of tearing up paper bags, magazines, shoes, quilts, and a metal curtain rod. She's going to be 10 months old at the end of this month, but you'd never know it given her almost daily path of destruction.

Another SU Card

2008-01-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

I made this card using the SU Like it a Latte set, some scraps and a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

More Cards

2008-01-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

A couple more cards using the SU Very Punny set and some scraps and a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Back in Action

2008-01-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

I've been absent lately due to work travel, the holidays, etc etc. It's no excuse but here I am again to try to update my blog regularly. I've been creating but not taking any photos hardly so it's one of my resoluions for this year.
This is a little quickie card I made using the SU Very Punny stamps that I bought on ebay, a Cuttlebug embossing folder and some scraps. No matter how many scraps I use (and I make a conscious effort to use up scraps first), I don't seem to be making a dent in my stash!

Iced Tea

2007-08-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone that knows me, knows that iced tea is my favorite beverage of all time. Last weekend when I went to Starbucks, I picked up this little assorted pack of Tazo iced teas. OMG! All the flavors are delicious. So I've found a new necessity for when I'm scrapping/stamping...some Tazo tea and a little background music by Dave Matthews Band :)

Boo!

2007-08-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

I got started on making Halloween cards today and on this one I used my new SU Batty for You stamps (they're all sooo cute), foam stamps, acrylic paint and some Stickles. For the background I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder with Lasting Impressions cardstock that I sanded to expose some of the white. This kind of paper is great for embossing!

Another Christmas Card

2007-08-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

I made this one tonight too with more Basic Grey Blitzen scraps and sewed around the stamped image. I stamped the image with Staz On and used Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol to fill in the image. I used the CB Snowflake embossing folder again and finished it off with some ribbon.

Stamping Again!

2007-08-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

I made this card tonight with my new Big on Christmas Stampin Up set. These stamps are too cute! I stamped in Staz On and colored in the image with Prismacolor pencils. The ornament even got a little bling with my Christmas Red and Platinum Stickles. I used some Basic Grey Blitzen paper from this past Christmas and the Cuttlebug Snowflake embossing folder.

Vintage Chipboard Book

2007-08-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

I made this little chipboard book not too long ago. I've been into making cards and mini books lately and haven't really done any 12x12 layouts. I think part of my slump has to do with the fact that I can actually finish more cards and mini books than I can full scrapbooks of 12x12 pages.

Got the Stamping Bug

2007-08-21T17:42:00.000-07:00

I met with a Stampin' Up demonstrator for the first time last week and got to play with all kinds of goodies. I am now officially hooked on stamping. I even dusted off my old Prismacolor pencils so I can get those out of retirement! Here's my first "official" card using mostly stamps.

Caardvarks 1-2-3 Challenge

2007-08-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

I'll admit that I didn't think this would be that hard when I read the challenge. Once it came time for me to actually make a card using only 1 embellishment, 2 pp, and 3 flowers, I realized how hard it was!

Supply list: Bazzill cs, SEI pp, Michael's stamp, Staz-On ink, May Arts ribbon, Colorbox Chalk ink, Zots.

Beautiful

2007-08-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

I recently attended a three day seminar in Marietta, GA and it was such a world away from Southern California. I've never visited the south before and it was truly a beautiful city. There are less cars on the road, less congestion, less commercialization and more homes, GREEN trees everywhere. I didn't even notice the 90 plus degree weather and humidity because it was all so pretty. Even the hum of the crickets in the evenings was beautiful. Of course, I also stumbled upon a little rubber stamp/scrapbook store there too so how could I resist? I even managed to bring home a couple of antiques :)

4th of July Album

2007-08-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

I put this 5x7 chipboard album together pretty quickly and finally had a chance to use those clear Heidi Swapp letters that I've been saving for a special occasion!

More Cards

2007-08-14T17:15:00.001-07:00

A few more cards I made over the weekend with lots of scraps.

Supply list top to bottom: #1-Basic Grey and MME pp, Cricut Doodlecharms cartridge, Purple Onion Designs stamp, Stickles. #2-Kaleidoscope pp, Cricut Doodlecharms cartridge, craft suppy button and embroidery floss. #3-Basic Grey, SEI and Carolee's pp, Bazzill cs, Quickutz Bon Bon die, Bazzill chipboard circle, May Arts Ribbon, Making Memories stamp. #4-MME and Imaginisce pp, Cricut Doodlecharms cartridge, 7 Gypsies and Purple Onion Designs stamps, Colorbox Chalk, Stickles glitter glue.

Smile Card

2007-08-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

Supply list: Basic Grey and unknown pp, Bazzill cs, MM brads, Cricut Doodlecharms cartridge, Diamond Glaze, Purple Onion Designs stamp.

Thank You Card

2007-08-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

Supply list: Kaleidoscope pp, Cricut Doodlecharms and Mini Monograms cartridges, Purple Onion Designs stamp, Colorbox Chalk.

Card Making Frenzy

2007-08-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

I guess that you could say I was busy with the card making this weekend. While my husband was busy with the guy installing our new garage door, I was holed up in my room making cards. I got to use my new Cricut Doodlebug cartridge that I got and even played with some stamps and Stickles!

My Beasts

2007-08-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

These are our beasts Owen (left) and Emma (right). They are undeniably cute and make me laugh all the time. You should see these two chase eachother, they're like lightning and when they play, there's plenty of good-natured snarling and biting going on.

Rolling out the blog

2007-08-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

Ok. I've tried this before and was not successful at dedicating myself to regular blogging so here I am determined to maintain this and make it part of my routine. Wish me luck.