A Way Late Birthday...

In the race to get my example cards done for the senior card club flyer, I had to come up with one for my aunt who's birthday was way back in April...oops!  I haven't done real well this year getting anyone's card to them on time...I have really good intentions and its not like I forget...I just can't seem to get it together and life/time seems to blow right past me.  Anyway, this is obviously very similar to the Cranberry/Moonstruck card scraplifted from Katy Lyn that I posted earlier.  I tried to girly this one up though. 

Cardstock: Blush and White Daisy

Stamps:  Birthday Celebration (retired), Nursery Bash (confetti; retired), and Card Chatter-Birthday

Ink:  Blush, Sunset, and Black

Other:  Crop-a-Dial Corner Punch, Stickles, and Zig pen

Card Club for Seniors...

So, I've been trying to find painting classes in the Valley that my grandmother and I could do together.  Mostly just as an excuse to spend some creative time with her.  She's an amazing painter and I keep hoping some of that artistic vibe will rub off on me!!  Anyway, I haven't had much luck finding any classes close enough, so, I decided to start a card class at the Senior Center and ask her to be my assistant instead.  My thinking was that this way, she'll get some social time, I get a little creative time with her, and best of all, I get to give back to the community in a small way.  Well, it was a great idea in theory, but, now I'm SO nervous.  I'm not sure what to expect from the ladies that attend, if I get any to come at all!!  Normally when I do a scrapbooking party, we stick to one project and I have an idea of what skill level to expect.  This is definitely out of my comfort zone, so, we'll see how it goes...here's what I come up with for the first class...

The first card is loosely based on Mojo Monday Sketch #195 posted on June 13th.  This one was the toughest for me and I especially don't love the inside.  I think I'm going to improve it by swapping out the ribbon for some white ricrac I just picked up this weekend.  Part of my plan for this card club was to take the opportunity to use up my ridiculous stash and not buy anything additional, but, this ribbon just has to be upgraded!

   

Paper:  More to Adore

Cardstock:  Chocolate, Blush, Hollyhock, and Colonial White

Stamps:  Say it in Style

Other:  Nestibilities Circle and Scalloped Circle dies, EKSuccess Corner Rounder, Martha Stewart Corner Punch (on the inside), Wild Card Cricut Cartridge, Hollyhock Brad, Stickles, and Casa Collection Ribbon

The next one was totally and completely scraplifted from fellow consultant Katy Lin.  You can see her amazing cards here.  I don't have the stamp sets she used, but, compromised by using this old retired set called Birthday Celebration.  I also don't know how she gets such clean border lines, I'm going to have to keep practicing I guess!  Be sure and tell Katy congratulations when you stop by her blog...she just got married this past weekend!!  You should take a look at the invitations and decorations she made for the wedding, absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

Cardstock:  Cranberry and White Daisy

Stamps:  Birthday Celebration (retired), Nursery Bash (confetti; retired), and Card Chatter-Birthday

Ink:  Cranberry, Moonstruck, and Black

Other:  Crop-a-Dial Corner Punch and Zig pen

The last card is similar to the one I made for all the grandmothers in our family for Mother's Day which you can see here and also the one that inspired them both that Bryan at Scrap Guy posted here.  This time however, I took a cue from Bryan and cut the flowers and leaves using my Cricut instead of hand cutting stamped images.  Wow, SO much easier and SO much cleaner looking!!  I noticed the August issue of Scrapbooks Etc. has one of these cards featured on the front cover...they've been around for years, but, are apparently making a come back!  Who knew I was on top of a trend! ;O)  If you're interested in making your own flower pot pocket cards, you can find the directions here on the Splitcoast Stampers website.

Paper: Key To My Heart, Boom-Di-Ada, and Animal Cookies Creative Basics

Cardstock:  Tulip, Craft, and Colonial White

Stamps: Say It in Style and Flutter

Ink:  Creme Brulee, Tulip, and Cocoa (for shading)

Other:  Adhesive Gems (dollar bins at Michaels), Martha Stewart border punch, Twill Ribbon, and Cricut Cartridges (Wild Card, Accent Essentials, Designer Calendar, and Plantin Schoolbook)

I'm hoping to start the card club out slow by giving them a little taste of some simple paper crafting and stamping tools.  I'll have everything cut and ready to assemble when they arrive, so this time it will be mostly just gluing with minimal stamping and maybe using some punches.  If they're up to card making every month, I'll incorporate a new technique each time we meet.  Anyway, any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!  The club won't meet until the end of July, but, I'll be sure to share with you how it goes!!

Celebrate with Heart 2 Heart and Clean and Simple...

I haven't played along with a Heart 2 Heart challenge in FOREVER!  When I saw this week's color combo challenge, I just couldn't resisist...I think I'm getting this in just in the last minute though!  The color challenge is below, I chose Twighlight as my blue and used this weeks Clean and Simple Stamping Sketch #147. 

    

I just love this color combo, it would be great with fall pictures.  I love Barn Red, but, never think to use it on my own.  I also never remember to use my background stamps, but, I was inspired by Vicki Wizniuk's entry in the Heart 2 Heart challenge which you can see here.  She's amazing with the background stamps and it always seems to add that certain touch that makes her cards.  I'm going to try and remember to incorporate the stamps as often as possible too!!  

Paper:  Tinkerin' and Boom-Di-Ada

Cardstock:  Barn Red, Twighlight, Bamboo, and Colonial White

Ink:  Bamboo, Twighlight, and Cocoa

Stamps:  Simple Beauty, Say it in Style, and Universal Backgrounds

Other:  EKSuccess border punch and corner rounder, Stickles, Bamboo brads, Crop-a-Dial Big Bite hole punch, Plantin Schoolbook Cricut Cartridge (flowers), and Twill Ribbon

Enjoy The Ride...

I apologize for this card being posted without any explanation!!  Blogger crashed right in the middle of it, but, for whatever reason, the pictures still posted.  So frustrating!!

Anyway, I have seen other bloggers using the Clean and Simple Stamping sketches for quite some time and was finally able to check out their blog for myself.  It's not my typical style, but, I just fell in love with their sketches!!  This is my first card using their blog as inspiration, but, I know it won't be my last!! ;O)

Paper:  Paper Loft-Cosmic

Cardstock:  Olive, Kraft, and White Daisy

Stamps: Horizon, Happy Birthday, Enjoy Life, and Vintage USA 

Ink:  Olive, Outdoor Denim, and Cocoa

Other:  CTMH Rubons and EK Success Corner Rounder

Happy Father's Day!

I feel like I haven't done anything crafty in FOREVER!!  We had amazing weather the last week of May when my son was out of school and I got to spend it all at home.  Unfortunately, I felt obligated to work in the yard until every muscle in my body hurt and I had blisters everywhere!!!  I spent the next week trying to recover from that and then got hit with a cold that knocked me on my rear!!  I'm still not 100%, but, I am much better.  

Anyway, thanks to the help of a "Thank You" card by Kimberly Crawford published in the May/June 2011 Paper Crafts magazine (which I noticed she also posted on her blog here), I was able to come up with my Father's Day cards for this year.

I wanted either "Happy" or "Father's" day in the stars...but, I couldn't make it work with so many letters regardless of how big the card was.  I don't know how Kimberly got "Thank" in stars on hers...the magazine says its the same size as my card 5.5"x4.25"!!  All I can figure is that her letters are super small.  Anyway, I loved the colors and all the layering, so I went with it anyway.

Hope you all have a wonderful day spoiling the dad's in your lives!!  I'm off to make my husband filled pancakes for breakfast...he's the best dad I've ever known! ;O)

Paper:  Martha Stewart Valentine (not really named...Red with White polka dots)

Cardstock:  Craft, Cranberry, Black, and Colonial White

Ink:  Tsukineko Memento Black Tuxedo and Rich Cocoa, Cocoa, Bamboo, and Cranberry

Stamps:  Say it In Style, Wish Upon a Star, Universal Backgrounds, Small Friendship Alpha, and Pennant Alpha 

Other:  Spellbinders (circles), Cricut Plantin Schoolbook Cartridge (Stars), Black embossing powder and brads from JoAnn Essentials, and hemp.

Sassy Lil' Sketches...Those Eyes

I've had these pictures printed for a couple of months now and intended to use a Sketchy Thursdays sketch to scrap them.  But, it just wasn't doing it for me, that's when I came across this sketch from Sassy Lil' Sketches.  It was perfect and so was this kit from CTMH for National Scrapbooking Month called You and Me!  I SO LOVE these colors!  

I love these pictures too.  I took these while he was getting ready for his bath.  I don't know what it is about the light in that bathroom in the evening, but, it really makes his eyes stand out.  I used Photoshop to do some Selective/Spot Resolution for his eyes and made the rest of the photo sepia tones.  I think its probably more obvious in person.

All this little boy has to do is look at me with those big brown eyes and it makes it nearly impossible (note I said nearly!) for me to be mad at him!! ;O)

Paper:  You and Me Kit
Cardstock:  Cocoa and Colonial White
Stamps: You and Me, Charm Uppercase Alpha, and Take a Picture (camera) 
Ink:  Cocoa, Olive, and Bamboo
Other:  Irresistables Chip Board from You and Me Kit, Mocha Opaques adhesive pearls, Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Film Strip Ribbon and Tissue Tape, Zig Pen, and Photoshop CS5

Lasting Memories...Chill Out

The challenge this week at Lasting Memories is to use the sketch below and to be sure to incorporate circles.  Circles are SO hard for me!  It's the engineer in me, I like right angles! ;O)  So, I kind of cheated and used Photoshop to manipulate my picture.  I made a circle around Owen and left that portion in color and then used the Hue/Saturation level to take the background of the photo down to almost black and white.  I think it would have been more profound had I reduced the size of the photo and therefore the colored portion and left more black and white background.  But, I kind of like the results anyway and I learned a lot in the process. So, it was a win-win I think! ;O)  I need to get back to my online courses and get a better handle on Photoshop.  

I combined the basics of the Lasting Memories sketch with some elements of the "On with the Show" sketch in CTMH's latest book Magic.  I LOVE when you can take the best of two sketches and make it even better (or at least I hope its even better)!

I didn't have any paper that was especially ideal for this photo and I'm trying to use up my ridiculous stash before I spend any more money.  But, I didn't want to lose Owen's rosy cheeks by making the whole photo Sepia or B&W.  So, instead, I attempted to grunge up the Aspen paper with lots of Cocoa ink to tie-in his brown coat.  Hopefully, it was enough to do the trick!

Paper:  Aspen (retired)
Cardstock:  Bamboo and Colonial White

Ink: Cocoa and Twighlight
Stamps:  Winter Reflections (retired) and Journaling Jots
Other:  Snowflake Ribbon (by the yard from LSS not sure what brand), CTMH Irresistables Chip Board Alpha, Maya Road (small) and CTMH (large) chip board snowflakes, Recollections adhesive pearls, Delta Creative Ceramcoat acrylic paint (comes in CTMH distressing kit), Martha Stewart glitter, Zig Pen, and Photoshop CS5

Pagemaps...My Everything

I was over at Pagemaps.com this week to check out Becky Fleck's latest sketches and was SUPER excited to see that she's started a challenge blog!!  As an engineer, I LOVE deadlines! ;O)  Her blog challenge this month just happens to be the sketch I'd been eyeing on her website, so, what more did I need to get motivated! ;O)  I always love all the layering Becky puts into her layouts.  I have trouble with that when I'm on my own.

I absolutely love this photo Dave took of himself with Owen.  They truly are my everything, I'm lucky to have such amazing guys in my life!

Paper:  Reminisce Unwritten and Boom-Di-Ada (retired)
Cardstock:  Colonial White and Craft
Stamps:  You and Me (May Scrapbook Kit from CTMH)
Ink:  Barn Red
Other:  EKSuccess border punches, Making Memories Embroidery Floss, Clear Buttons and Liquid Glass, Designer Calendar and Plantin Schoolbook Cricut Cartridges, Funky Ribbon by the yard from LSS, and Zig Pen

Inspired Blueprints Meets Lasting Memories....Easter

So, my kiddo has been recovering from a cold that knocked him on his rear this week and I took advantage of the situation to do nothing but goof off!  The house is a disaster and he's not done much other than watch t.v., but, I did get two layouts done! ;O)  

The first one is a combined challenge.  Lasting Memories has a photo inspiration challenge this week.  I'm so excited to finally be able to participate in one of their challenges and submit my layout on time!  The colors of their photo were perfect for this paper by Best Creations Inc. and tulips always mean Easter/spring to me, so, this was an easy one!

I hadn't played with an Inspired Blueprints sketch in a while, but, came across this one from way back in February and knew it would be perfect.

I try really hard not to get caught up in the trends of the here and now because they seem to date your layouts faster.  I was really good with the whole pennant craze until Close to My Heart came out with this stamp set...how cute are my little alphabet flags! ;O)  Sorry about this photo, I can't seem to get a good one of this layout for some reason!

Paper: Best Creation Inc Bunny Love line
Cardstock:  Sunkiss Yellow, Citrus Leaf, Sky, and White Daisy
Ink: Sky
Stamps: Pennant Alpha and Eastertime (texture on basket)
Other: Recollections Pearls, Stickles, Martha Stewart border and butterfly punch, Cricut Stretch Your Imagination (basket) and Plantin Schoolbook (grass) cartridges, and Zig Pen

Happy Mother's Day...A Little Late! ;O)

So, every year, I try to find a card that's not just your average card to make for Mother's Day.  Last year I did a tri-fold card that you can see here and the year prior I did a criss-cross card which you can view here.  (Forgive the formatting of my older posts, when I redid my blog design, it messed up all the older posts.)  This year, I was reminded by Bryan of Scrap Guy's PaperCrafting Adventure of the flower pot card that was all the rage a year or so ago.  His is super cute and clean using the Cricut to cut his flowers.  But, I decided to make things difficult on myself and cut all the flowers out by hand!!  Brilliant decision on my part...I had 6 of these to make!  These are all I accomplished on my scrapbooking weekend, but, I think it was worth it.  

They were lots of fun and I think they turned out pretty cute...although, this wasn't a stellar example...I'm not sure why the flowers are all off to one side and I moved the butterflies up to the top of the big flower before I mailed them off.  But, hopefully, you get the picture! ;O)

If you'd like to try making your own flower pot pocket card, you can find the tutorial here on SplitcoastStampers website.  This would be a great one to stick a gift card to the back side of the insert!

Paper:  Boom-di-ada (butterfly punch)

Cardstock:  Colonial White and Craft

Stamps:  Cottage Floral, Flutter, Promise of Spring (foliage) and Simple Beauty (sentiment

Ink:  Sunset, Hollyhock, Blush, Honey, and Cocoa (shading on pot and sentiment)

Other:  Hollyhock Twill ribbon, Sparkles from Recollections, Martha Stewart Border and Butterfly punches, Recollections Sparkles, Twine from my stash, and Blue Moon Bead

Happy 90th!

My grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday this weekend.  I'm so proud of her!  She still lives on her own and is as feisty as ever.  I wanted to make her an extra special card and fell in love with one that Betsy Veldman had published in Paper Crafts Special How To Issue...Winter 2011 Stamp It! Techniques magazine on page 54.  I tried to find a picture of Betsy's card online without any luck and I'm not sure scanning the magazine photo would technically be legal.  So, I guess, you'll just have to take my word for it that they're similar...besides, I probably wouldn't want to have mine right beside hers! ;O)  

I wish I had made the chip board flower a different color now, but, all in all, I was happy with the results.  This was way outside my box, so, it was a lot of fun to try!

I've got a sick kiddo at home today, so, I'm hoping to sneak in some scrapbooking time while he's resting.  It is after all National Scrapbooking Month! ;O)

Paper:  Emporium, Tickled Pink, and Best Friends Forever (all retired)

Cardstock:  Colonial White

Ink:  Hollyhock, Blush, Goldrush, Sweet Leaf, Olive, Sky, and Sunset

Stamps: Tickled Pink, Smiles, Friendship Blessings, Heartthrob, Cottage Floral, and Say It in Style

Other:  Recollections sparkles, CTMH Just Blooms Summer Posies, Twinkle Brad, and Dimensional Elements Flower, Favorite Findings Button (JoAnns), EKSuccess Corner Rounder, and Crop a Dile Corner Chomper