March Page 1

It's the end of October and I'm still up to 11 calendar pages! But yeay for that! So, here's the March page for you-

Supplies:

MDS - long retired!

And YES, our biggest snow storm of the year dumped in early March. We got 13 inches that day, and every street higher than us up the hill got two more inches than the street before! 

Cozy Winter

When the Holiday Mini came out, I loved this bundle. I didn't get it right away and I have seen tons of ideas online and had many more of my own ideas too- so of course then I had to get it! I really do love it and can't wait to make more cards with it. It really is so versatile and I can think of many occasions I could use this set!

This is the final card for my upcoming class. I love the Buffalo Check background and today's card I think has a cozy, flannely feel to it. This is a pretty close CASE of THIS card on Pinterest, but I wanted to use blue for more cold, winteryness. And, I actually made two versions because I couldn't pick which tree I preferred, haha! So I glued down one, and set the other on top, and will let class attendees decide which one they want!

Supplies:
Stamps: Winter Woods
Ink: Early Espresso
Paper: Very Vanilla & Bermuda Bay card stock
Accessories: Vanilla Bakers Twine, Big Shot, Circle Dies, Dimensionals

If you want, here's a fun little video Stampin' Up! put together showing some ideas you can do with the bundle. It's a keeper!

An Autumn Card

I finally managed to get a card class put together for October- right before the month ends! This is one of the cards we'll make! One of my friends who attends my classes is in need of thank you cards, so I'm providing alternative greetings, but this is the one that comes with this stamp set.
I used a sketch from Sketch Saturday for the layout, tho I did move the greeting.

Supplies:
Stamps: Colorful Seasons
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Fresh Fig
Paper: Pumpkin Pie & Very Vanilla card stocks
Accessories: Linen Thread, Big Shot, Woodland Embossing Folder, Dimensionals

And here's a tip- I love the look of the wrapped twine, but I hate wasting the stuff on the back. So! I trim the threads I want and tape them to the back like this:

February Page 1

Happy Monday to you! Well, I now have 11 calendar pages done, so here's the second one for you- just in case you're looking for ideas for a similar project!
Again, super simple, just some pictures from our lives this past February. The point is always the photographs so the rest ends up pretty basic. That's not a bad thing, and it makes it faster to put together too, haha!

Supplies:
MDS- long retired!

Christmas Lights

I'm still working on putting together my upcoming classes, so I have all my Christmas-y stamp sets sitting in front of me... When I saw this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches, I thought this would be a fun idea. I don't know if this will be in my classes or not, but I rather like this simple card! What do you think?

Supplies:
Stamps: Making Spirits Bright
Ink: Memento Black, Crushed Curry, Crushed Curry marker, Real Red marker, Coastal Cabana marker
Paper: Coastal Cabana, Real Red & Whisper White card stocks

I need in the neighborhood of 100 Christmas cards to mail out so even tho there's still Halloween and Thanksgiving yet to happen, I need to get going on these too!

October 2018 Paper Pumpkin!

My newest Paper Pumpkin kit came this week so I took a little time to put it together. To be honest, it is not a kit I would have purchased. Feathers really aren't my thing. Also, I don't send out "get well" cards... But I decided to put the whole thing together anyway, and use the "thinking of you" greeting. I do use those cards. So!

This is how they were designed to be made, four of each design.

This is how I put these bigger ones together. They're a little bigger than a standard sized card.

Annnd I didn't care for the white feathery overlay on these littler cards, so I cut it off. It was a tri-fold design, you open the feather side, then the purple side, then read the inside of the card. Now it's just a standard shape. Also, these are a little smaller than a standard sized card.

And here is the entire kit put together! (unusual for me...)

AND here are all the leftovers!! So much potential for more cards or even scrapbooking with the leaves and feathers!
tho after I took the pic and put everything away I realized that was not the sheet of Dimensionals that came with this kit, but it was a sheet I had already taken from so I used it first. 

 And bonus- check out how cute the lining of the envelopes are!

So! I put the entire kit together, I photographed it all, and I was still a mom to a toddler and it took me exactly two hours to do all of that. Not my favorite kit, but I definitely can't complain about the time, and the supplies, AND that I now have eight more Thinking Of You cards, ready to go!

First Calendar Page (so far)

haha....! Yep, 'tis the season for calendar making!
This is the gift we give our parents (and some times a few others) for Christmas, and after last-minute feverishly cramming the last two years, I put it in my calendar to start working on this year's calendars in October. And I have gotten the first seven pages done! Yeay! So here's the first page for you. So far, each month has pictures all taken from that same month- so January of 2019 they'll see pics taken in January of 2018.

Supplies:
MDS- long retired.

Birthday Cards

I have a decent stash of cards, but I am super lacking in birthday cards for men. But we had a birthday coming up so I needed to make a few cards! First I played with new {current} supplies, and then I pulled out some old stuff.

I haven't used this cute typewriter for a guy yet, but I think it works great! I didn't realize just how very clean and simple I kept this card until I went to photograph it, but I thought the Festive Farmhouse DP worked well for a "wall" behind the "desk".

Supplies:

Stamps: PS You're The Best

Ink: Memento Black, Night of Navy, Dark Night of Navy Stampin' Blends, Color Lifter Stampin' Blends

Paper: Gray Granite, Whisper White card stocks, Festive Farmhouse DP

Accessories: White Baker's Twine, Dimensionals

I don't know how old this birthday themed paper is, but trust me, it's old. The last time I used the coordinating stamp set was 2014, apparently. And the stamps are from a 2015 Paper Pumpkin kit. Yeay for using stash! 

Supplies:
Stamps: March 2015 Paper Pumpkin
Ink: Night of Navy
Paper: So Saffron, & Night of Navy card stocks, Patio Party DP

Buffalo Check & Flowers

I need to mail out a good stack of cards, so I may as well make some new ones! Also, I really want to play with my new Buffalo Check background more! haha.... This time I thought I'd pair it with my favorite flowers from the Love What You Do stamp set, and I couldn't pick a color, so I did two.

First I used Soft Suede.

Supplies:

Stamps: Love What You Do, Buffalo Check

Ink: Soft Suede, Crushed Curry

Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White card stocks

Accessories: Burlap Ribbon, Dimensionals

 And then I did some Blackberry Bliss!

Supplies:
Stamps: Love What You Do, Buffalo Check
Ink: Blackberry Bliss
Paper: Very Vanilla & Blackberry Bliss card stock
Accessories: Burlap Ribbon, Dimensionals

I know exactly where both cards are going and I don't have a favorite! ha! Do you have a preference?

Bright Christmas!

Hello again, and happy Monday! I hope you had a minute to be creative over the weekend, whether you were able to participate in World Card Making Day or not. And, I'm happy to say I have something stamped to share with you today!

Check out this very bright and fun Christmas card, using brand new stamps and punch from the Holiday Mini! I really love Christmas lights and I really happen to love the font used in this set, so of course I was going to get this bundle!
And for my first card, I used the color challenge found on the Inky Friends blog! Funny enough, when I was planning out my upcoming card classes, I had written down to maybe stick with a red, green and yellow color scheme for this set, so this challenge was perfect!

Supplies:
Stamps: Making Christmas Bright
Ink: Poppy Parade (marker), Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate
Paper: Granny Apple Green, Poppy Parade, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight & Smoky Slate card stocks
Accessories: Christmas Bulb Builder punch, Mini Dimensionals

This will also be part of an upcoming class- hopefully I can get that scheduled in the next day or two!

World Card Making Day 3

To wrap up my posts for World Card Making Day, I have this straightforward but sweet Christmas card! This card will definitely be part of my upcoming classes. I've had this stamp set three Christmas's now (counting the one that is in 11 weeks...!!!) and I have never, ever inked this bear! Obviously it was high time to do that!! And the colors of this beautiful plaid from the Festive Farmhouse DP were the perfect combo for a cuddly teddy bear! The layout was inspired by the Fall to Layout #91 sketch, buuut I sort of feel like I got a little lost... What do you think?

Supplies:
Stamps: Cookie Cutter Christmas
Ink: Gray Granite, Cherry Cobbler, Memento Black
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla card stocks, Festive Farmhouse DP
Accessories: Cookie Cutter Builder Punch, Cherry Cobbler stitched ribbon, Dimensionals

In case you didn't catch that, we will be making this card at an upcoming class. My life has been more than a little crazy lately...wildfires, evacuation, flood watch...a little water getting in to my basement...! sick kiddos... on top of all the regular things. I had hoped to hold my October class already but this is the first card I've designed for it, so obviously that hasn't happened yet, haha... But if I possibly can manage it, there will be an October and November class to help you (and me!) get ready for mailing out Christmas cards!

World Card Making Day 2

Here is a second card to inspire you today- using the same stamp set as before but going for a rather different look. Earlier I have a crisp card, now I have a distressed, comfy card. In the last 6 weeks, we've suddenly lost my cousin, and a dear friend. This card will be going to one of the family members. I thought a cozy look would be a good thing to receive in the mail and I hope I'm right. Also, again, I love this font.

I took a great deal of inspiration from THIS beautiful card to make mine. I inked up my fabulous new Buffalo Check background stamp with Night of Navy and flipped it rubber side up. I used a panel of Gray Granite card stock, laid on the stamp, and rubbed my fingers across it to get it fully inked. Then I stuck the corner in the palm of my hand and rubbed the paper back and forth til it was nicely "roughed up". I did the same to the corners of the vanilla piece too. I think it works great with the background stamp, and again, I hope it's a little like a hug in the mail.

Supplies:
Stamps: Wishing You Well, Buffalo Check
Ink: Night of Navy, Gray Granite
Paper: Night of Navy, Gray Granite & Very Vanilla card stocks
Accessories: Linen Thread

Have you mailed any cards lately? I actually need to get about five cards in the mail right about now, but this is a good start...!

World Card Making Day!

has arrived!! I am not crafting today, lol.... I have too much going on today. almost every time it is World Card Making Day, actually... but I still have some things to share with you, because I DID get to craft last night!! YEAY!

First up- this beautiful autumny card. I really love every sample I see using this stamp set and I wish I had time to play with all the color combos I think of. I also looove this new embossing folder and I was so excited to get to play with it finally. I didn't buy the Galvanized Metallic Paper (yet?) but I thought it would look just as stunning with any of our foil papers- and it does! it's just a little tricky to photograph....

Supplies:
Stamps: Wishing You Well
Ink: Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Mossy Meadow
Paper: Very Vanilla & Crushed Curry card stocks, Copper Foil DP
Accessories: Tin Tile Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Dimensionals

I think this card just might make its way into an upcoming class, and I definitely have someone in mind to send it to later. Are you making anything today? Well, check back, because I have a few more cards to share with you and inspire your creating on World Card Making Day!

We Create Halloween Blog Hop

I know I say this every month, but I cannot wrap my head around the fact that October has arrived! I didn't even know we were close to October! In many ways September flew by and it was also one of the longest months of my life.... but here we are! A new month and a new blog hop!

October always means Halloween to me, and while it isn't my favorite holiday, I do love the things that come with it, like pumpkin patches and baking with apples and cooler temperatures and falling leaves! Fall is my favorite time of year, and I wish it lasted longer!

Having said all that, as much as I do love the new Halloween products, I don't own them... So, I had to get creative with my Halloween project... I went more with the leaves idea and colors, and I made this, and I was really happy with it... 

Supplies:

Stamps: Lovely As A Tree

Ink: Memento Black, So Saffron, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze

Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Whisper White & Daffodil Delight card stocks

Accessories: Black Glittered Organdy Ribbon, Twinkle Builder Punch, Sponges, Glue Dots

but then you know what?  I guess my brain turned on, haha... because you don't see stars and sunsets at the same time!! What was I thinking?!

So! I had to whip up another card!! Thaaat's exactly the kind of week I've been having, so hopefully this new Monday and new month go just a little bit calmer...! 

This card looks more like a spooky Halloween night to me, haha! Perfect for staying in with a fun Halloween movie! My personal favorite is It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Lovely As A Tree

Ink: Memento Black, Pacific Point, Night of Navy, Fresh Fig, Blackberry Bliss

Paper: Night of Navy, Basic Black & Whisper White card stocks 

Accessories: Black Glittered Organdy Ribbon, Metallic Sequins, Glue Dots 

Also, these cards qualify for the Create Your Own Background challenge at TGIF Challenges! It's been a while since I sponged a background like this, or sponged anything really, but I love how both turned out! 

Now hop on over and see what Cheryl has made for you. Then hop all the way thru, and leave us your thoughts! Everyone loves comments!