A smile is the key....

....that fits the lock of everyone's heart!

I have really been trying to stay on top of my card making needs and actually use the cards that I make. I needed a little "thinking of you" card for one of my friends so I sat down to get one done. After it was all said and done, it really would have made a cute Christmas card had I just switched out the focal image and sentiment. The paper is from Scenic Route and is a couple of years old, but it is still some of my favorite! I am so proud of myself...I have been using up so much paper from my stash and I rarely even visit any scrapbook stores! I can't even imagine how long it would actually take me to "run out", though.

All of the stamps that I used on this card are from Papertrey Ink. They include: Everyday Treats, Heart Prints and Heart Prints Sentiments. I used the coordinating die with Everyday Treats and the coordinating punch with the heart. Can I tell you how much I love punches and dies? It is so fast and easy to get layers and details without taking up so much time and effort! I also added some ribbon from May Arts and some baker's twine which is also from PTI.

After I tied the ribbon, I thought it seemed a bit naked, so I added a tiny key to give it a little something extra. It also fits in nicely with the sentiment. Another thing that I love doing with the heart image is to add a button which has been threaded with an X....like cross my heart! I know, I know....I am a goof!

Like I mentioned before, this card looks like it could be a Christmas card, I may just have to work these papers into a Christmas design! Thanks for fluttering by!

Merry and Bright *SFYTT*

It's official...my first Christmas card of the season! I hope everyone had a beautiful and happy Thanksgiving! I love this time of year...lots of family and friends, happiness and fun! Speaking of family, my Mom gave me "Greeting Card Kids" from SU! for my birthday and this is the first time I have used it on a card. I stamped the sweet little school kids, colored them and then never finished anything with them. The next image to use was the Halloween girl, which by the way is adorable, and I was too busy! No excuses now....I inked her up right away and colored her with copic markers. She looks so cute in her vintage finery pulling her tiny tree. The sentiment is from "To you and yours" and is also from SU! All of the sentiments from that set are some of my favorites.

The circle was cut and embossed using Nestabilities and my cuttlebug. I gave it a vintage touch by sponging the edges with Vintage Photo distress ink by Ranger. Of course it wouldn't be complete without a sprinkling of tinsel glitter as well. I made an accordion medallion layered on a scallop circle for some extra color and depth. The snowflake was punched using a Martha Stewart punch. If anyone can point me in the direction of a fabulous snowflake die, I would love to know. Thanks!

The finishing touches include some of the re-purposed tickets, ribbon, buttons and of course, a jingle bell! I had a ball with this sketch! I hope you all find some time to play along!

You won't want to miss the other designers!
Jen Del Muro and Stephanie
Amy Rohl
Susan Liles
Amy Sheffer
Leigh O' Brien,
Jenn Diercks,
Amber Hight
Megan Lock
Sony Christoph
Jodi Collins
CAROLE
Thanks for fluttering by!
P.S. My Mom, my sister and I are taking Emma to see Ballet West perform The Nutcracker today. I am giddy with excitement! I can't wait to watch Emma as she soaks it all in and experiences the magic! I think it is the perfect way to start off the holiday season!

And the Winner is.....

DEBORAH SAARANEN!!!!! Yay! If you want to email me your mailing adress @ kellyrory1@msn.com I will get your goodies out to you! I had such a fun time reading all of your fun comments! The snow itself wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but the temperatures have been soooooooo cold! Thanks for all of your well wishes, too! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I will be back tomorrow with a new SFYTT! Thanks for fluttering by!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love celebrating the end of fall, being with friends and family and of course, the food! Speaking of which, I need to make this short because I have pies to make and rolls to get ready. We are headed to my Mom's this year for Thanksgiving and I wanted to bring a card with some of the fall photos I took of my kids. I sent a card to my in-laws as well.

I have mentioned before that I wanted to play catch up on all of the SFYTT and I think this is the last sketch that I needed to use. It was one that I was the most intimidated by, but in the end it was really fun and the ideas came easily. I was inpspired to use "Lovely as a Tree" as a few of you mentioned that it would be one of your must have sets if you could only pick one. Keep the comments coming until midnight tonight, MST! I also paired it with "Holidays and Wishes" for the sentiment.

Everything is very straightforward in this one. Simple and easy and great for when you are in a hurry! The thing that I love most about Jen's SFYTT is that I end up by using my stamps and supplies in different ways. I never would have used these particular images in this way! Thanks for fluttering by and enjoy your Thanksgiving!

A few of my {favorite} things...

Well it isn't any secret that banners are one of my favorite things! The other day I was visiting Amy's Blog and came across this post. I will admit that I was intrigued. I went straight to work creating a winter banner that would incoporate many of the lyrics from the song. I have been a huge "Sound of Music" fan for most of my life. My sister and I would watch it over and over and over when we were young and we would sing the songs on long car trips. I'm sorry, Mom! I only know now how easily ones nerves can be shot when driving with noisy children. Anway, the point I was trying to make is how dear to my heart this song is.

I wanted to incorporate the lyrics onto the banner, so at the top of each panel I printed out a part of the song and in most cases decorated it accordingly. It was fun digging through my stash of buttons and things to find things that would be fitting. These are the types of projects that I love using things that I had previously been hoarding because I will use the banner again and again. This will actually be perfect in my studio since the paper matches the curtains perfectly as you can see in the photos.

I have come way more than full circle with my banners. I now have at least one for each season/ holiday and in some cases, more than one. I just can't stop!

My daughter went to her friend's birthday party in October and came home with a sack full of these little tickets. I asked her if I could have them and she was more than willing to give them to me. I knew that I could re-purpose them in my crafts. She was thrilled to see them show up here!

Needless to say, I had a lot of fun putting this together! I am a little late for the challenge that MFT put out, but I am glad that I was inspired! Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. My blog candy will close at 12:oo a.m MST on Thanksgiving. Feel free to leave comments until then. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your comments.

Blizzard Blog Candy!!!

What is blizzard blog candy you ask? Well...let me tell you. The blizzard is upon us here in Utah! It has been freezing cold and windy all day and now the snow has come; fast and furious! I am stuck here at home, my camera won't upload the photos I took of my project I have been working on so what could be better than some blog candy? Now...of course I can't actually photograph what is up for grabs, because let's face it, what would be the point if I can't get them off of my camera? LOL! Let's just say some fun stamping goodies could be yours if luck is with you. I will randomly pick a number and whichever comment coincides with that number will be the winner! yay! So let's get going! Simply tell me which stamp set you would absolutely HAVE to have if you were stuck home in a blizzard and only had one to use! Easy Peasy! I have only one stipulation; I will only ship to the U.S. Sorry! Thanks for fluttering by!

Cute and Cuddly *SFYTT*

Happy Saturday everyone! I am so glad to be back participating in this week's SFYTT! I took a little break; a needed break, but it made me realize how much I enjoy each week's new sketch. Jen is absolutely amazing and I feel like some of my best work has come from using her great sketches. So thanks Jen!
I have been in baby mode lately and I needed one more card for a cute gal in the neighborhood who just had her new baby boy. I have had her gift for a while now, so it is about time I got around to the card! Since I only used one design of pattern paper{and you all KNOW how much I love pattern paper}, I decided to create my own by using background stamps & my cuttlebug to add some texture.

For as much as I love Baby Button Bits, I have never used the teddy bear image. I have tried, but I don't think it has ever actually made it onto a card. I decided to paper piece him rather than use markers to color him. Because the image shows some stitching lines, I thought I would bring in some real stitching and sew along the edges of the focal piece as well as some zig zag stitching at the bottom.

The sketch called for a straight layer at the bottom, but I liked the idea of using the sentiment as a tag instead. The sentiment is also from Baby Button Bits. I am glad I am back this week using this fabulous sketch. I hope you all have a chance to play along. Let's see what the other gals have been up to:

Jen Del Muro and Stephanie
Amy Rohl
Susan Liles
Amy Sheffer
Leigh O' Brien,
Jenn Diercks,
Amber Hight
Megan Lock
Sony Christoph
Jodi Collins
CAROLE
Thanks for fluttering by!

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!

Autumn Blessings

Autumn is one of my absolute favorite seasons! I love the crisp air, the beautiful leaves; everything!! I realized that I haven't really made many seasonal cards lately, so I decided to make a card inpspired by some photos that I took of Rowan on Friday. I really like the unexpected color combination as well.

I started out by using "Botanicals" from SU! and the two sentiments are from this set. Botanicals is one of my favorite sets for so many reason. I chose to make one of the smaller stamps the focal point. Because it is so small, I decided to use it twice to give it a bigger impact. They are colored with copic and prismacolor markers. I was really thrilled to find a brown button that said the word "somewhere" on it because it reminded me of the song that says "somewhere...thinking of you". My mind has drawn a blank as to which exact song it is, but I keep singing that part in my mind.

The rest is pretty straightforward, but I hope you are all enjoying this time of year as much as I am. Before I go, I must share with you my muse! Isn't he the best kind of inspiration! He is so wonderful and yummy and juicy and yes....I could just eat him up! He is such a delight! Can you believe that he will be ten months old on the 20th? Time has a way of slipping by so quickly! I am trying to cherish every minute of him!

Thanks for fluttering by!

Sweet Little One SFYTT

I am slowly but surely catching up on all of the SFYTT that I have missed. This one is actually from October 30th, which I think I said the last one that I posted was from! Boy, was I behind! I had mentioned yesterday that I would probably be making a new baby card to match the other sewing projects that I have been working on and sure enough, I did! I just couldn't resist! When you have stamps as perfect as these, it is a must! I thought I was okay not having ALL of the dies to match this set, but after working with it yesterday, I have come to realize that I DO!!! LOL! I only have the #1 set, but I will be asking for the others for Christmas! I photographed the card on top of the bib, so that you could see my inspiration!

I combined quite a few sets for this card as well as a few Cuttlebug embossing folders. I started out by using the Polka Dot Parade paper and all of the coordinating cardstock. I really love the blue in the fabric, so I added that into the card design using ribbon and buttons. I followed the sketch to a cetain degree, but went ahead adding a few things here and there that weren't included on the original sketch. For the focal image I used Everyday Treats and the coordinating die. I also used one of the flower sets from Beautiful Blooms II. I included the link at the beginning of my post.

The sentiment is from "Holidays and Wishes" and circle image is from "Circle of Friendship" which are both reitred SU! sets. I am having fun using some of my older SU! sets that I had forgotten about. I actually donated a huge box of stamps to the local thrift store that I have had out in the garage. I hope that others are enjoying them now, too. I did end up by pulling a few out before I took them. They were ones that I had previously tried to sell at our garage sale a few years ago. I am so glad no one else bought them.

I added some of the same ric-rac that I used on the quilt to really tie things together. I am much more pleased with this card, than the one I made the other day. It will be the perfect finishing touch to all of the projects I have been working on. You can check them out here. Thanks for fluttering by!

Autumn Banner for a Birthday!

For as much as I like making banners, I have never made one as a gift until now. I decided to make my Mom an Autumn banner for her birthday. When I made this card, I mentioned that I used the paper for another project. I couldn't share the project until I gave the banner to my mom since she visits my blog regularly! HI MOM!!!! Anyway, we finally had her birthday party last Saturday. We used her fire pit that we had borrowed for the Halloween party and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. We waited until it got dark and then my husband told scarey stories. It was a fun night! Anway...I can finally share the banner here.


I didn't reinvent the wheel, but rather used the same elements that I used on the one I made myself last year, which you can see here. I really love this paper from Graphic 45. They never fail to impress. All of their designs work nicely when I am going for a vintage look.

The letters are shimmer chipboard letters from Making Memories and I have used different colors on many of my banners. It was hard to get a good photo of the banner straight on, because the light wasn't the best at the time and I was in a hurry.

As I mentioned in my last post, I wanted to create some handmade items for my friend who is adopting a baby girl.

I went to the sewing store on Tuesday and came home with some beautiful fabric. Here is a little glimpse into what I have been working on. You can see the finished project here.

I mentioned in my post on Thimbles and Thread that when my creative well runs dry, it is always helpful for me to switch mediums. It definitely did the trick; not only do I want to keep sewing, but it made me want to make a new card to match the quilt. Don't be surprised if a new baby card shows up in the next little bit!

Super Late *SFYTT*

I am sure you all have wondered if I have dropped off the face of the earth! I really didn't mean to be away so long, but time has a way of slipping by rather quickly these days! Halloween is over and that means my son's Halloween party is over and life is returning back to normal....or at least as normal as it gets around here! In my last post, I promised my SFYTT card, which never quite made it in a timely fashion. I had actually made a 3-D item using the sketch, but since I just posted a box, I decided to make something different altogether!

One of the gals in the neighborhood is finally getting a baby! I couldn't be more thrilled for her as she has waited years for a baby! The birth mother is due any day now and so I thought I would get a jump start on things and buy her gift and get a card made. I used the sketch from October 30th, so it is not this week's! I hope that makes sense. I am behind and as for now, I am sitting out on the SFYTT!

I colored the top of the cupcake with copic markers and then added tinsel glitter from Martha Stewart. the cupcake liner was paper pieced using the same polka dotted paper that I used on the card. I added some liquid pearls to each of the polka dots for some dimension. The "baby" panel on the side was not included in the original sketch, but for some reason the top of the card seemed too naked for me.

I am hoping to make a few "handmade" items for her as well. If I get to those, I will post them. Life is getting a little crazier as baby Rowan is crawling all over the place and getting into anything and everything he can get his hands on....or mouth! Ughh! LOL! Thanks for fluttering by and thanks for sticking with me even through my serious times of flakiness and tardiness!