Little Acorns

 Can I be honest? I think we've been friends long enough, right? Okay, here goes; I am REALLY burned out on teacher cards! LOL! I made so much stuff for Teacher Appreciation Week, I really got a good dose of it! I am ready for summer, sunshine, no homework and fun, fun, fun!!!!! I have been counting down the days and now it is finally here! So...I made my daughter's teacher a very simple card. I checked out this week's mojo monday sketch and was thrilled to see it fit the bill perfectly.  It was supposed to be tall and skinny, but I had already cut the base and floral layer, so it is a standard size. Oh yeah...before I forget, I made a baby ensemble that you can check out here if you are interested!

 I love, love, love this quote and knew I wanted to use it for the card. Because of the sketch, I knew I would want the tree to be die-cut, but the tree that is included in this set doesn't have a coordinating die or at least, I don't have it if they do. So....I used "Trendy Tree Tops" for the tree and trunk.

 I kept all of the details simple as well and even used the white hearts from the tree when I diecut it...twice because I accidentally used a dirty piece of paper. I did take the extra time to die-cut a red felt heart to go inside the tree as well as a tiny bird from one of the other dies in the set. These are the little details that really can make a difference, though.

I stamped another sentiment on the inside and called it good. I got her teacher an Olive Garden gift card that I will tuck inside. Easy Peasy and I am sure she will like it! Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. I have a little birthday ensemble to share with you soon!

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

 Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend and an enjoyable Mother's Day! I know I did! I don't think I changed a single diaper!  My cute kids made me some fun stuff and my husband got me just what I wanted! I always get spoiled at my mom's house and my In-law's house, so after all of that kindness, I thought some thanks were in order! I quickly cleaned off my desk from the Mother's Day projects I was working on and looked at this week's Mojo Monday sketch. It was perfect because while I was cleaning up I spied this cute kite image (that I have never used) and really wanted to use it. Once I saw the sketch, I could envision exactly how I wanted it!

 I wanted something fresh and springy so I used an old pattern paper pad from SU! with all of these fun papers with the exception of the green. That was a scrap left over from my other projects. Since I was making four, I got into "mass production" mode which turns out is so much tidier and controlled for me. I don't have near the mess I usually have.

The kite was stamped with Pure Poppy ink, cut and then I adhered the kite string with clear tape on the back. I also wanted the string to come directly from the point of the kite, so I dabbed a little Tombow Mono multi glue to keep it down. I also added some glossy accents to the kite for some shine.

 I manipulated the string in the pattern that I liked and then tacked it down with the two ribbons and once where the string intersects on the loop. Hopefully that will keep it where it needs to be. I also diecut some felt ric-rac and stitched it down with my sewing machine. I really love little details like that.

On the inside, I chose to use a cheery sentiment; Thank you just didn't seem like enough.  I really had a lot of fun making these cards and hopefully they will bring some sunshine into the lives of those who get them! Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. You may have noticed that I have been doing a ton more blogging than usual. I won't be doing it every day like I did during Teacher Appreciation Week, but you can expect to see me pop in twice a week or so.

Count Your Blessings!

I needed to make a few "Thinking of You" cards to send out this week, so I decided to head over to the Mojo Monday Blog to see this week's sketch. I have to make the most of my time when Rowan is napping, so I decided to take the hard part out and start with a sketch. I have been so spoiled with all of Jen's SFYTT, I get lazy these days. I also decided to make two identical cards to really simplify things.

The layout was simple and perfect for what I needed. I had already laid out some paper and stamps the other day when I thought I might have time to stamp, but that didn't happen. I got to work right away and of course, the coloring took most of the time. I colored the images using Copic markers. I took all of my color cues from the paper that I used, which is from an older K & Co. slab that I love.

The buttons, stamps and twine are all from Papertrey Ink as well as the cream cardstock. I used my nestabilities to cut and emboss the circle. All of the edges were sponged using Vintage Photo distress Ink by Ranger. The card was feeling a little naked to me, so I added some scallops to the top and bottom of the tilted layer.

Now all I have to do is get them address and mailed, which for these will require a trip to the postoffice so they can be hand-cancelled since they have buttons. I also need to take poor little Emma to the dentist today to have a "pulpectomy" or something like that. It basically is a child's root canal. Poor thing. I don't know how you go from no cavities to that. OH well......

She actually loves the dentist and hopefully things will go well so that it stays that way. She is awfully excited to get "laughing gas" which she hasn't had before. Speaking of my kids, I took some more photos of all of them on Saturday. The leaves were just too pretty to not take advantage of.

Perfect timing....Rowan just woke up from his nap and I need to get him changed and fed so that we can make the appointment. Thanks for fluttering by!

Mojo Violets

I was thrilled when Brandi emailed me and asked if I would like to use some of the ribbon and paper she sells in her ebay store MyLittleRibbonShop. Of course I said Yes!!! Me and Ribbon are a match made in heaven! LOL! She sent me some fabulous ribbon and some paper and other goodies. I put it to good use today on this card that *sort of* fits with this week's Mojo Monday sketch. I started off with good intentions of following it, but my design choices made me have to add something here and there. I am sure you all know what I am saying! Right?

She sent me some yummy paper from Cosmo Cricket. I think I may be mixing lines, but I liked the combo, so I went with it.


I thought the little Violet cupcake image that I picked up from Ellen was the perfect fit for the focal image. It was sitting on the shelf begging to be inked. I used a combination of Copic and Prismacolor markers to color it. The sentiment is from Papertreyink's "Heart Prints Sentiments". I had to have that set as soon as it was released and I am so glad I purchased it. It has been so versatile.

I sponged all of the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink for a vintage feel. The bottom was scalloped with the scallop edge punch by SU! It has been a bit neglected as of late, since I have been using my Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edge Punch which seems like it is almost ready to give up on me!

Thanks, Brandi, for all of the fun goodies. I can't wait to use more! Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. I will be back tomorrow with one of Jen's new SFYTT!

Supplies:

Stamps: Violet Cupcake by Lockhart Stamp Co., Heart Prints Sentiments by PTI

Ink: Palette Noir, Copic and Prismacolor markers, Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Paper: Vintage Cream by PTI, Cosmo Cricket

Accessories: Button from my stash, glue dots, linen thread by SU!, ribbon by May arts available at my little ribbon shop, scallop edge punch by SU!, sponge, foam squares

Here for You...24-7

If you could see my stamping desk, you would be amazed that this card even exists! LOL! I almost took a picture for you to witness the horror, but decided against it! I decided that I would combine a couple of challenges today; this week's mojo monday sketch challenge and today's color challenge on SCS. I thought this week's sketch looked like fun and the layout worked well for many stamp sets that I have, but decided to pull out the "Friends 24-7" set that I love. I haven't used it in a while so I thought it would be a nice fit.

I started out by stamping the flower image with black ink and then coloring it with re-inkers and a blender pen. Mine are almost dry now, so I think a new pack is in order. There is nothing better than coloring with a new blender pen. I first colored the flowers completely with Pink Pirouette and then added Riding Hood Red on top. The leaves were colored with Certainly Celery and then a little highlighting with So Saffron.

My first thought was to use Bella Rose DSP, but decided on Candy Lane since it was already out in my horrific mess. I thought it looked cute with this image, too! I matted each piece except the base piece onto Riding Hood Red cardstock for contrast. Once I had the card all put together, I spritzed the focal piece and circle image with the Color Spritzer Tool and my Chocolate Chip marker.

I finished the design off with a bit of piercing at the top and then added three vintage brads to the side as the sketch had. I added some crystal effects to the flowers for some shine. This card will be headed directly into the donation pile!

As for my personal life, we finally got my son's birthday party plans figured out. He decided on a bowling party which should be super fun. Now I just need to get the invitations figured out and put together. I don't have a bowling stamp, so I will be getting creative! Also, this is the last day of my guest designer position for Verve Stamps! I have had so much fun! I will be participating in the project parade, so I will have a project upcoming! I will be working on that today and hopefully getting it all photographed, etc! Thanks for fluttering by!


Friends 24-7 Stamp Set
Paper:Candy Lane DSP, White, Riding Hood Red Cardstock
Ink: Black, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Circle Punches, scallop punch, vintage brads, riding hood red taffeta ribbon, paper piercer and mat pack, scissors, crystal effects, blender pen

Simply Happy

I absolutely fell in love with the color challenge colors for today! They are happy colors! I thought the butterflies from "Flight of the Butterfly" would look great in the colors, so that is where I started. I also wanted to try this week's Mojo Monday sketch challenge and this set seemed to work nicely with it. My proportions are a tad off, but I don't think the stamping police need to get involved! LOL! As promised, here is another birthday design, which I think works nicely for an adult woman or little girl.

I kept everything clean and simple, not many bells and whistles, which is completely opposite of how I am in the mood to create! I really did want to *add* more, but couldn't find the right thing. Now that I am looking at it, it probably could use a little piercing around the focal image, but oh well! This is a SUO card that I think would be perfect for a workshop or stamp-a-stack, especially since the buttons were bought in bulk. The hardest part was deciding which DSP to use, which I settled on some Kiwi dots from the Rockabilly collection and the pink from a hostess DSP pack. I thought the two patterns worked nicely together. There really isn't much more to say about it...it is pretty straightforward.

We had a cold-front move in, so the spring like weather has come and gone and we are back to coats. I guess it is supposed to snow again tomorrow. My daffodils and hyacinths have finally bloomed and my tulips are ready to make an appearance in the next week or two.

Stay tuned this week for some vintage designs. I really need to get on the ball to get some more cards for the donation pile! Thanks for fluttering by!

Supplies:

Flight of the Butterfly Stamp Set, Fundamental Phrases Stamp Set

Ink: Basic Black, Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink

Paper: Naturals White, Ultrasmooth White, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Rockabilly DSP, Prints Pattern Pretty in Pink DSP

Accessories: Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, Button Bouquet, Crochet Thread, Dimensionals

Smile

Yesterday at church I found out that our youth group will be doing a fundraiser and they need donations; I gladly signed up to donate some handmade cards. I guess each donation will be auctioned off at a special dinner. So...this card along with all the others I make between now and then will be going into a special pile for the event.

I played along in this week's mojo Monday sketch challenge which you can see here. I didn't participate last week, so I thought it was the perfect way to get my creative juices flowing. I thought it was a super fun sketch!

I chose to use my Flower Patch pattern paper from Making Memories. I thought it paired nicely with the new "Miracles Blossom" stamp set from Verve. I love coloring the flowers from this set, cutting them out and then popping them up with foam squares. I did the same with the flower pot. The sentiment is from the older "All About You" set that I can't seem to get enough of! The images were stamped with Palette Noir and then colored with Copic and Prismacolor makers. I added some diamond stickles to the tulips for some sparkle.

I thought that this layout was calling for some zig-zag stitches so I added a few of those on the main panel and on the horizontal strips. I already had some pink thread in my machine from a sweater I was repairing, so it worked out perfectly. The sketch called for a rounded bottom, which I did by adding a couple of silk flowers I picked up at Hobby Lobby a week or so ago. I keep pulling them out to add to my designs, but they haven't been the *right touch* until today. Some of the other *touches* to this card are because they are covering crooked or smudged areas! LOL! What is a girl to do? I wasn't about to start over!

All in all, I am pleased with the results and I think it captured the *feel* I was going for; Soft, Springy with a touch of vintage!

Thanks for fluttering by!

Stamps: Miracles Blossom and All About You by Verve Stamps
Ink: Palette Noir, Copic and Prismacolor markers, Vintage Photo Distress Ink by Ranger
Paper: PTI White, Flower Patch by Making Memories
Accessories: Sewing Machine and Thread, Silk Flowers by The Paper Studio, Ribbon from Michael's, Linen thread by SU!, foam squares, buttons from my stash, glue dots, sponge

Mojo Celebrations

I hope you are enjoying the matchbox tutorial. I have stayed away so that those of you who were interested would have a chance to see it. If you are still interested, you can check it out here. For today's card, I used the Mojo Monday sketch. I love it! Yesterday I needed to head to Staples to get some ink cartridges for my printer and Hobby Lobby is on the way so of course I needed to make a stop. I came home with some fun goodies, including this yummy paper from My Mind's Eye. I also picked up a few copic markers so that I could finally color this darling Hydrangea image from Lockhart Stamp Co. that I picked up at Ellen Hutson's store. I went to color it the other day and had really horrible purple choices, so I needed to fix that! LOL!

The focal image was stamped with Palette Noir ink and then colored with copic and prismacolor markers. I added a bit of Lavender glitter to give it some shine and dimension. I created the label with my Nestabilities Label 1 dies. I added some machine stitching, sponging, ribbon, buttons and ribbon! Of course I *had* to add the lace border using the Doily Lace Edge Punch from Martha Stewart.

Thanks, Julee, for anther fantastic sketch! It is one of my favorite challenges of the week! In fact, this is the only challenge I have done this week and we are already half way through! Let's see if I can get my act together and get some more done!

I got all of my cards packaged up that I will be giving to a friend in my neighborhood. The stash included nearly 20 cards. Some of them were hard to add to the stash because they are some of my recent favorites. She will be getting most everything that I have posted since this post. So...that means that all of my cards from this post on, will be going in another stash for a lucky recipient. Today's card is for my friend's birthday on March 2nd. She loves purple, so I hope she will like it! Thanks for fluttering by!

Stamps: Hydrangea from Lockhart Stamp Co., Circle of Friends by Stampin' Up!, Mixed Messages by Papertrey, Ink.

Ink: Palette Noir, Vintage Photo Distress Ink by Ranger, Copic and Prismacolor markers
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, My Mind's Eye, Ultrasmooth Vanilla by Stampin' Up!
Accessories: Buttons, 1 inch circle punch, ribbon, fern punch and doily lace punch by Martha Stewart, Sewing Machine and Thread, glue dots, lavendar glitter, sponge

Mojo Cupcakes

Thank you so much for all of your positive response to yesterday's post. I will *definitely* be posting a tutorial! I decided that since it was already Thursday and I haven't even done this week's Mojo Monday Sketch, that I had better get on it! I also combined it with today's WT challenge over at SCS. That one was easy peasy; use stripes! It seems like I always use stripes so it wasn't hard at all! It also worked nicely with the cupcake wrapper on the cupcake image. Also, the cupcake frosting looks like it is floating above the base because of the angle I took the photo. In real life it looks just right! LOL!

I fell in love with this set called "Cupcake Affair" from Verve. As I popped over to get the link, I noticed that they are having a sale! Woohoo! The thing I love about this set is that the cupcakes have line art and bold images, so if you feel like coloring you can, but if not you can just use the solid image! Very cute set! I also really like the sentiment. You can use if for a birthday or just to cheer someone up!

I paired the image with some paper from My Mind's Eye. I thought the colors were perfect for a cupcake card. I also added some Diamond Stickles to the cupcake frosting, flowers and edges of the card. I thought the card needed a little something more, so I added a button duo threaded with linen thread and attached with glue dots! The sentiment was punched using the large oval punch from SU! I sponged all of the edges of the white cardstock with Antique Linen Distress Ink for a soft look. Thanks for fluttering by!

Stamps: Cupcake Affair by Verve Stamps

Ink: Palette Noir, Antique Linen distress ink by Ranger, Copic and Prismacolor markers

Paper: My Mind's Eye, PTI White

Accessories: Linen Thread, Buttons from my stash, nestabilities dies, large oval punch, sponge, diamond stickles, ribbon by offray

Mojo Thanks!

I have decided that if I am going to participate in all of the challenges that I enjoy, I am going to need to combine them on occasion. Since I never got the energy to stamp yesterday, I decided to comine today's Color Challenge from SCS and this week's Mojo Monday sketch. I really liked the springy colors and it gave me an excuse to use the one image from "Friends 24-7" that I haven't used yet. I hope you aren't getting sick of this set, because it is one of my new faves. I thought this card really showed the versatility that this set has. I also paired it with the "Friendly Words" Jumbo wheel (surprise, surprise)!

I used a blender pen to color the image using Old Olive, Kiwi Kiss, Pink Pirouette and Perfect Plum. I used the "Bella Toile" BG stamp using Pink Pirouette ink on Pink Pirouette cardstock. I used a button from the Button Bouquet assortment, using linen thread to thread it. I secured it with a glue dot. I tied a simple bow of white taffeta ribbon and added some piercing to finish it off. There was a time when *every* card I made had piercing on it somewhere. I rarely pierce and more, so I thought it was time to add a little.

This card is *almost* SUO. I used PTI white and foam squares, but those things could be swapped out easily to make this 100% SUO.

Since being sick, I got a little behind on Valentine's projects. I will probably be posting only Valentine's designs for the rest of the week. I have things I would like to make for my kid's teachers and such. Thanks for fluttering by!

Stamps: Friends {24-7}, Friendly Words jumbo Wheel , Bella Toile BG
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Perfect Plum, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive
Cardstock: PTI White, Perfect Plum, Kiwi Kiss, Pink Pirouette
Accessories: Paper Piercer and Mat pack, sponge, brayer, white taffeta ribbon, button bouquet, linen thread, foam squares, blender pen, crystal effects

Mojo Songbirds

Well it is Monday again and you know what that means; Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge! I took the weekend off from stamping so it felt good to sit down and make a card. My desk and surrounding floor is an absolute mess, but sometimes I find creativity in the mess! I love having things neat and orderly, but the messier things get in the creative process, the more the ideas flow! At least that is how it is for me! If I already have an idea, then I need things to be tidy.

I headed over to the MojoMondayblog to see this week's sketch! It is a fun one! I knew I wanted to use this new paper I got over the weekend called "Flower Patch" from Making Memories. My Mom and I stopped at my favorite Scrapbook Store after the bridal shower and I went crazy on ribbon! I did pick up some envelopes, paper and Kaiser flowers, too, but the majority was luscious ribbon! After I got the base of the card ready, I needed some stamps. I couldn't decide right away, but settled on using theSongbirds stamp set from TJ Designs, a division of TweetyJillPublications. I have been so fortunate over the years to have many of my projects featured in her Idea Books. Over Christmas I was feverishly working on quite a few new designs that will be featured in her upcoming releases! I will be so excited to see them in print~! I put my heart and soul into them!

This card will be going in my stash that I have set aside to surprise someone with! Thanks for fluttering by!



P.S. Did you see my Audrey Award on my sidebar! How fun is that? Also, if you would like to subscribe to my blog, you can click on the feedblitz counter on the side. I had some technical difficulties over the weekend and had to delete my other widget.

Stamps: Sonbirds by TJ Designs

Ink: Soft Sky, Vintage Photo Distress InkPaper: Flower Patch by Making Memories, PTI White

Accessories: 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 inch circle punches, scallop circle punch, ribbon by May Arts, Flower by Kaiser, Button from The Paper Studio, Linen Thread, Glue Dots, Foam squares, Scallop edge punch, sponge, sewing machine and thread, butterfly punch and diamond gem sticker from Martha Stewart Crafts

The Dazzling Diamond Devil

Last night while I was making dinner my son came up from downstairs and said, "Mom, why is there glitter all over the floor and couches? My mind was reeling. I had no idea why there would be glitter all over. I know I like to add it to a lot of my cards, but I don't go *that* crazy! I ran downstairs to see a horrifying sight. My daugther had *completely* dusted my entire basement, including my stamp area, with Dazzling Diamonds. My basement was sparkling! I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry, so I yelled...LOUD! LOL! Most of the places had more than a *dusting* but rather piles. My keyboard had it dumped down in all of the keys, my drawers in my desk that had been left open had a generous amount sprinkled in them, the carpet, the tile, my clip-it up, etc. I don't think I need to go on...I am sure you get the picture. My daugther knew how mad I was at her; she promptly placed herself on the naughty step and began crying. My husband rushed down and took over the cleaning details and asked me to finish dinner. We sat and ate while I grilled my daughter about why she did it. She just cried and said she didn't know. This is absolutely the naughtiest thing she has ever done. The weird part is that she *never* gets into my stuff. She asks before getting anything. I calmed down and went down and finished the tedious task. Let's just say my basement will be sparkling for some time. Once I had calmed down, it really did seem funny. The funniest part was when I went down to discover it, Mary Poppins was singing "Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!" on the TV. Maybe it was the song that inspired my daughter to add *spoonfulls* of glitter all over! I asked her where the container was and she said she had put it back. I checked and sure enough she had put it back but left a large pile in there, too. Now...here is the part that make me scratch my head. The jar still had 1/4 to 1/2 of it left. I used to say at my SU! workshops that your glitter and embossing powders would last a life-time unless your kids got into them. Apparantly they will last a life time even if they do! LOL!

So....you may be wondering what this card has to do with any of this. I wasn't the nicest mom last night and my daughter really is a cutie, so I made her this "Honey the Pooh" card for her. That is what she calls Winnie the Pooh. I keep telling her that it isn't "Honey the Pooh" , but she keeps calling him that. I followed this week's mojo monday sketch challenge that you can check out Here. I traded in the small square for the circle. I used my new "hundred hearts" set fromVerve and the Pooh image is from an old foam mounted set I got back in 1999 before my son was born. I threw away the flimsy packaging it came in, so I don't have any info. Sorry. I colored the image with prismacolor and copic markers, cut it out and mounted it onto a scallop circle. I used my nestablities to create the focal piece using various sizes. I stamped another black heart under the pink heart, but I didn't like it so I added a button over the top!

I kept the details to a minimum since it will probably end up in the trash. I just wanted my daughter to know how much I Love her, despite yesterday's antics! Thanks for fluttering by!

Stamps: Hundred Hearts by Verve

Winnie the Pooh (unkown)

Ink: Palette Noir, Berry Sorbet from PTI, copic and prismacolor markers

Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, My Mind's Eye

Accessories: Nestabilities, scallop circle punch, sewing machine and thread, button from my stash, linen thread, glue dots, foam squares, satin ribbon

Mojo Monday-To You from Me

Yesterday I made dinner for all of my husband's side of the family. I was super busy getting everything prepped and cooked. I wanted to find a moment to stamp, but that never happened. My kids are off-track for 3 weeks, so since I didn't have to get them ready for school this morning, I stamped intstead! I decided to follow the mojo monday sketch challenge for this week. You can check it out here: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaz7JWnq5TNdxSY1MYA7Q4JuqsxbzpV0B64QxuBTXXeFp9wDfgsX_RnueBbpmVJ9AaDIYdT3jbd6QfykCCDFvUKoj3mFP-f9Advo1IzADqBJzHonZpVRwxK29bo3fNwm9FUoNeHri83IBE/s1600-h/Mojo70Sketch.gif I used my precious Parisian Summer DSP before it officially retires in a few hours! LOL!

I also used "Garden Silhouettes" for the main panel. I like that it is long and fits the rectangle panel nicely. I used my SU! markers to color the image and then stamped it. I also added a few pearl gem stickers for the flower centers and the corners. Everything is sponged with So Saffron Ink and a sponge. I also did a little sewing on the main panel with a straight stitch and a zig-zag stitch on the horizontal polka dot panel. I aboslutely love the color of thread that I have in my machine right now. It goes with everything. I bought it to sew up my son's football pants and have used it for my cards ever since.

I also did a bit of distressing on the main focal image and the outside edge. This was a fun sketch to use and I may make another one sometime this week with it.

I will be delivering my friend's birthday present today, so this is the last card that will be added to her collection. I hope she likes them. I will probably head to the mall later today to pick up a little something extra to go with it. Thanks for fluttering by!

Stamps: Best Yet, Garden Silhouettes (hostess set-retired)Ink: Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Mellow Moss, Sahara Sand, Basic BrownPaper: Parisian Summer DSP, So Saffron, PTI Vintage Cream, Ultrasmooth Vanilla ( for Martha Stewart lace edge punch)Accessories: Pearl Gem stickers by Martha Stewart, Doily Lace Edge Punch by Martha Stewart, Sewing Machine and thread, foam squares, martha stewart ribbon, Marvy Circle Punch, Marvy Scallop circle punch, crop-a-dile, cuttlebug, nestabilities labels 1 die, sponge

RAK: Dawn Easton (treasureoiler) sent me this *gorgeous* card along with her blog candy that I won! Aren't I lucky?