Bug Day!

Today I have a happy and bright birthday card for a sweet little kiddo. I used a long retired stamp set, but I thought it was fun with this still-new DP. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Bugs & Kisses (2006)
Ink: Berry Burst, Pumpkin pie, Lemon Lime Twist, Balmy Blue
Paper: Full of Life DP, Berry Burst & Whisper White card stocks

And, I almost never stamp the inside, but the words are so cute in this stamp set so I did! ha! 

I hope you're getting some crafting time! 

Bug Day!

Since I keep playing with retired products..... haha!
Today I have a birthday card for a young boy. Can you guess his favorite colors? I used the Fusion sketch for the design of the card, and a very old stamp set and three minutes later I was ready to mail it out! YEAY! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Bugs & Kisses (retired! 2006!)
Ink: Poppy Parade, Pacific Point, Balmy Blue, Misty Moonlight, Real Red
Paper: Balmy Blue, Poppy Parade, Basic White card stock

"pre-made" thank yous...

One of the things I am doing with my kids this year is for them to send many more thank you notes. I made up a selection of 'pre-made' notes for them to write something short on, but still get thank-you's sent on time, and still be able to show appreciation for people, and get to stick something in the mailbox just from them! :) Can't beat that!

Thankful Jar

What are you thankful for? We have started a little Thankful Jar in our family. It was intended to be a countdown to Thanksgiving, but I received it late, and besides, I think it should continue thru the entire holiday season. So each morning my kids are taking turns drawing out a slip of paper with a reminder of something we are thankful for, and a way to express their gratitude. Today's selection said "I am thankful for my cousins! Write a letter to one of your cousins!" ...only problem is my kids have a LOT of cousins. In fact, a good number of who they consider their cousins are actually the children of their first cousins. :) LOTS to choose from! They each chose three cousins to make a card for....and look how fun it was!

But....their choices left out a little one whose older siblings would get mail...and I didn't want her feelings hurt! So I threw together a Thankful card for her! It is extremely simple, but hey, she's a very small girl!

Here are the three cards my son did. He wrote and filled the insides. Yeay for cousins!

Workshop Page

This was a fun project! I wanted to feature this stamp set because of the Button Special this month. (If you spend $35 on the "Growing Up" section, -by Monday- you earn a free package of buttons!) I went with a tag, to start. Then I showed adding a tag to a scrapbook page, and kept the page simple!

I think its adorable, but perhaps its the bias to the baby, who isn't such a baby anymore, haha!

Supplies: Stamps: Bugs & Kisses Ink: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue Paper: Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Close to Cocoa card stocks Accessories: Twill Tape, Fresh Fav I Buttons, SS Brads, Mat Pack

Double the Bugs!

Ok, a couple quick blog candy pointers (and a new DT call!) and then on with today's projects! lol! Go HERE for Ila's blog candy and go HERE for and HERE blog candy, info on a new site and a DT call...!!! I wonder if I honestly have time...because I am VERY interested...!!! Seriously, joining that scrapbook goal group was the best thing for me! Check my page stats at the bottom of the side bar! I am so excited! I am getting pages done!!! YEAY! I printed off these pictures for both my kids' books, so you get to see double! lol! Supplies: Stamps: Bugs & Kisses Ink: Real Red, Certainly Celery Paper: Certainly Celery, Real Red, Whisper White card stocks Accessories: Red Hemp, Double circle punch Supplies: Stamps: Bugs & Kisses Ink: Tangerine Tango, Bashful Blue Paper: Bashful Blue, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White card stocks

Scrapbooking!!!

Truly, this is my love in the craft world. I have been scrapbooking for almost half my life! haha! So this weekend I think I literally stole some time to get some scrapping done. I completed 3 12x12 pages and have most of an 8x11 spread. I need to go to my moms' and borrow a punch to finish it! (Good thing its Thanksgiving this week!) So here are the three that are done: This was so quick to whip together! I think 12x12 may end up my favorite size. I think you can do more kinds of layouts.
Supplies: Stamps: Taffy Alphabet, Spooky Skyline jumbo wheel (retired?) Ink: Basic Black Paper: Basic Black, Lavender Lace, Pumpkin Pie card stocks Accessories: Black buttons This one definitely looks like more work than I usually put in. I tried to trim all the photos to the same size, but that didn't QUITE happen....I don't know what I did wrong! LOL! Soo, to cover it up, I did a sort of latticey-quilty look with the gingham ribbon. I think its a fun touch and I think its unique... and a close up... Supplies: Stamps: ABC Upper & Lower Alphabets, Haunting jumbo wheel, Tag Time (retired) Ink: Lovely Lilac, Only Orange Paper: Always Artichoke, Only Orange & Whisper White card stocks Accessories: Black Gingham Ribbon This page has been half done for about a week, so I finally glued it down...I think its really cute!

Supplies: Stamps: Bugs & Kisses, Taffy Alphabet Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Brocade Blue Paper: Close to Cocoa, Brocade Blue, Only Orange & Very Vanilla card stocks Anyway, lovin the part about getting back to scrapping! woohoo!!

Tangerine Bugs!

Today's card comes from Jen's Saturday Sketch. All week I've thought about it and wanted to put bugs in those circles. I was also thinking about Beate's Inspiration Challenge and these colors stood out to me. Soo last night when I decided to make a card for my son's lunchbox, I threw this together!

Supplies:

Stamps: Bugs & Kisses

Ink: Tangerine Tango

Paper: Tangerine Tango, Close to Cocoa, So Saffron, Whisper White card stocks

Accessories: 1 3/8 inch circle punch

Saturday Sketches!

If you checked my SCS gallery since Saturday morning you already saw this one. But I had to post it here too because I just love how it turned out! This follows Lauren's Saturday Sketch. Initially I thought I wouldn't do it because of the circle. I don't have any EASY circle cutting system, just that thing by Making Memories and I can't ever figure out how big the circle is going to be. Its just luck of the draw. But the rest of the card looked fairly simple so I thought I'd try it again...

Then, I wanted the focal point to be really great so I could keep the rest of the card basic. I still have this Lovely As A Tree set I'm borrowing from my mom and I thought I could do something fun for autumn with it. So here's today's version of emboss-resist. its on Vanilla card stock, rather than glossy, so I knew it would end up at least a little different. First I stamped the trees in Chocolate Chip ink. Then, (without a Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, or any other way of lining it up perfectly, LOL!) I stamped it again with Versamark ink and clear embossed it. Even without a way of lining it up, it turned out ok because it looks like the first frost of the season! Woohoo! Then I sponged over it with More Mustard, Really Rust and Old Olive inks. Very autumnal.

Oh, I also edged the circle in Chocolate Chip ink to make it more defined. I wasn't even going to try to make a larger circle...!

Supplies: Stamps: Lovely As A Tree, Fresh Cuts ~ Ink: Chocolate Chip, Versamark, More Mustard, Really Rust, Old Olive ~ Paper: Really Rust, Old Olive, Very Vanilla card stocks ~ Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon, Making Memories cutter

The next Saturday Sketch comes from Jen, and I added in the OCC Saturday challenge, which was to use chipboard. I never have much luck with chipboard! I bought it all excited to use it and my ideas just don't' work out that well. Usually it seems out of place. But here's this attempt! lol! Also, I made the focal point round instead of square, and then the button accent is square instead of round...wonder if that still counts? hee hee!

Here you can see the chipboard layer...

Supplies: Stamps: Bugs & Kisses ~ Ink: Rose Red ~ Paper: Rose Red & Whisper White card stocks ~ Accessories: Fresh Favorite Buttons, Fairy Tale Ribbon Originals (retired), On Board Accents & Elements chipboard (retired), Silver Cord (retired!), Stamping Sponges

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Some of you didn't think yesterday's injury stories were bad enough. So here's another one! *wink*

Last night I thought I'd make some lemon bars because they are yummy and we needed something yummy. So, you bake the crust for 8 mins at 350* and then pour in the lemon filling and put it back in the oven to bake longer. Well, being the "super-genius" that I am (Wile E Coyote, for anyone who didn't watch Saturday Morning Cartoons...) I pulled the pan out using hot pads, set it on the stove, poured in the filling and then picked the pan back up WITHOUT HOT PADS. So yes, I slightly burned all fingertips and my thumbs! OWWW!

Is that good enough for ya?! haha!

Now, you may wonder how I am typing today if that is the case... (I do pre-type many of my posts and I don't think I'll be stamping today...) First of all, I let go pretty quickly. LOL! But also, my mother gave us this great stuff they use a lot at her work:

So in case you wondered, YES it works and YES its worth buying! my thumbs and pointer fingers are still tender, but I'm good! So if you have super-genius's in your house, you better get some! It works for sunburns too.

More Catch-Up Sketches!

First this one from Lauren's blog, nearly a week ago! I'm not going to even point out all the issues, I'll just say this was my third try and this is as good as it gets! Apparently I DO shut down at night and my stamping just doesn't work out when its too late! Darnit... LOL! I do like the card, just wish it turned out a bit nicer. I cut it down to a 4x4 to make it more manageable and the base is Always Artichoke. I used Rose Red Prints designer paper for the bottom stripes as well as the back square. That is actually from the same sheet too- love that double sided-ness! Then I topped it with a Very Vanilla square. I stamped the dragonfly from Bugs & Kisses and I colored him with my Rose Red and Always Artichoke markers. Then I used one line from Boho Backgrounds for the greeting at the top. My row of buttons all match! Then, I saw this color challenge on Jen's blog and I had to try it. I picked the retired Cranberry Crisp for the dark red shade, and Soft Sky, (which is about to retire!) for the sky blue color. Love it, love it! I used my Daisy Crazy set and scattered little daisies with Versamark ink on the Soft Sky base. I have the wide Old Olive grosgrain ribbon topped with the fabulous Cranberry Crisp stitched grosgrain ribbon going down the side of the card. A tip? I use two mini glue dots to hold the ribbon in place on the front and then scotch tape on the back or the inside to hold the ends of ribbon down. No complaints yet! Anyway, the flowers are stamped with Old Olive and Cranberry inks, right on the Soft Sky card stock. I swiped the edges of that piece in Olive ink and matted it onto Cranberry card stock, and pierced down the side of that. This one turned out much better than the first. Guess which one I made first? LOL!