Made myself a little gift for my birthday...

Well, I've reached a milestone birthday today. Yes, I'm the big 4-0 now! Honestly, I don't feel any different than I did yesterday... lol

I received a book for my birthday from my BFF, and my family and I are heading out for a little vacation, so I thought I'd bring my book. Because I don't tend to read a whole pile (well, anything other than scrapbooking magazines and such) and don't have any bookmarks for myself, I thought I'd make one that I'd enjoy looking at evertime I open my book. I think it turned out pretty cute!

I think I might have to make some as back-to-school gifts for my son and my friends' kids when I get back.

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted): Twitterpated stamp set that comes in the WOTG kit, Classmate Alphabet stamp set; Twitterpated B&Ts; Sorbet, Crystal Blue, Sweet Leaf, Chocolate and Topiary inks; White Daisy cardstock; Sorbet ribbon; Clear Embossing Powder; Nestabilities Labels One die (Spellbinders); Sewing machine stitching with white thread (Kenmore).

Birthday card for Lloyd (FIL) using Mojo Monday 100 Teresa sketch

This Saturday is my Father-in-law's birthday, so I made this card for him using the Mojo Monday turns 100 sketch by Teresa.

I knew I wanted to try the faux leather (wallets) I've seen, but I don't have any UTEE, so I gave it a shot with 2 coats of Clear Embossing Powder. It worked okay; the second photo kinda pics up the light to show it better, although you might have to click on it to get a better view.

I used my Nestabilites for the oval by cutting it out and using the scrap piece as a mask.

Happy Birthday, Lloyd! (...and many more...)

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted): Intrinsic Backgrounds and Happy Birthday stamp sets; Angler stamp set (SU); Crystal Blue, Star Spangled Blue, Bamboo and White Daisy cardstock; Chocolate Chip cardstock (SU); Chocolate, Crystal Blue, Star Spangled Blue and Moonstruck inks; Chocolate Chip ink (SU); Antiqued Copper brads; Natural Hemp; Clear Detail embossing powder; Cornice edge punch (Martha Stewart); Nestabilities Classic Oval Large die (Spellbinders); make-up sponges (other).

Joy Forever card set with flip top gift box

Well, I'm still waiting for my order with the new Fall product from CTMH. So I am doing my best to use my "old" stuff up. I made this set while crafting at my BFFs yesterday. I saw a flip top box somewhere while blurfing on the weekend, and then I drew up a template (I use this term very loosely, as it is a messy pencil sketch without actual step-by-step instructions) on Monday and I created a box like this one, using Tinkerin' B&Ts and the Gear-Up stamp set, but I haven't completed the cards yet, so it's not ready for posting. I sat that project aside yesterday, I guess because I was in a different kind of mood; I wanted to play with pink.

I left the cards blank so they can be used for many different purposes. I used Wishes: Delightful Dots pattern, and I really like how they turned out. The picture looks like the small Hollyhock circle doesn't match the stamped flower and ribbon, but in person it does.

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted): Joy Forever and Circle Around stamp sets; Notebook and Silhouette B&Ts; Black, Colonial White and Hollyhock cardstock; Black, Hollyhock and Desert Sand inks; Circle Coluzzle; Hollyhock twill; Black mini brads; Prisma Glitter and glue pen; 1 1/2" and 1" circle punches (EK Success); Scallop edge punch (SU); Wishes; foam tape (other).

My September 10th HAS (Humble Artist Swap) cards...

It's actually Humble Artist Group swap, but I don't want to call us HAGs, so I left out the G for group. lol

For this round, I was the one to come up with the September guidelines. These were my guidelines:

· Choose card size/shape
· Choose color combo
· Random stamp CS and use 2 more B&Ts (minimum)
· Use a minimum of 5 layers
· Use 3 brads plus at least 1 other embellishment of your choice

· Most importantly, let’s have fun!

I finished my cards last week and popped them in the mail this morning. I'll be away for a bit and don't want to miss the mailing deadline. Plus I used the CTMH September Stamp of the Month, so the earlier the gals get my cards, the better for showing their customers and getting more sales, right? ;)

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted): Treasures, and Argyle Backgrounds stamp sets; Perfect Day and Notebook B&Ts; Cocoa and Colonial White cardstock; Cocoa, Desert Sand, Juniper and Twilight inks; Natural Hemp, Clear button, Antiqued Copper brads; Prisma glitter; Cornice edge punch (MS), 2" circle punch (Fiskars); Coluzzle circle template; Stitching and foam tape (other).

Boo... Halloween pizza box with 3x3 cards

Aren't 3x3 cards just so adorable? I love making them. I came across the Pizza Box template on Dawn's blog">. And I adjusted the size to 5 1/2" x 10" to be able to fit the envelopes in with the cards. (Dawn's measurements were 5 1/4" x 9 1/2".)

Cardstock: 5 1/2" x 10"
My scoring: on 5 1/2" side: 1" in from both sides; on 10" side: 1", 4 1/2", 5 1/2", and 9".
Fishished box size = 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 1".

I also found an awesome video tutorial on how to make the ribbon handle using a binder clip, on Lauren's blog.

I have a purpose for this gifty, but I don't want to give it away in case the viewer(s) happen to look at my blog...

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted): Boo-tiful, Happy Haunting, and Intrinsic Background stamp sets; Black, Olive and Smokey Plum cardstock; Enchanted B&T; Black and Autumn Terracotta inks; White gel pen (Uniball Signo); Black Journaling pen (SU); White pencil crayon (Prisma Premier); Autumn Terracotta buttons, Black waxy flax, Black floss, Olive grossgrain, Silver brads, Black mini brads, Clear embossing powder; Picket fence punch (MS), Word Window punch (SU), 1 3/4" circle punch (EK Success), 2" circle punch (Fiskars), small hole punch (Fiskars); Binder clip sm. and foam tape (other).

Super Mario Halloween layout

I wanted to make a 2 page layout to enter in our local Fall Fair and this is what I came up with. Inspiration for the layout design came from 2 different single page layouts created by Jamie Harder.

Cole wanted to be Mario for Halloween a couple of years back, and the pics are of him wearing the costume I created. I tend to have a hard time scrapping with primary colors, so I tried to make it look cartoonish or comic bookish. (Hopefully it comes off that way.) I used a lot of different things on this layout and I know I'd miss something if I tried doing a supplies list, so if you have any questions, please just ask. :)

Wish me luck, and TFL!

Well, I picked up my 4 different projects/layouts this afternoon that I entered in the Fall Fair, and I placed 1st for 3 of them and 2nd for the 4th. This layout was one of my 1st place entries. How cool is that?! I'm pretty stoked! :)

Around the Block in pink... (another sneaky peek)

This not so little house stamp set is just so cute! Did I mention that before??? Here's a card I made using the November SOTM set called Around the Block. I just shortened the house for this 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card. It's hard to tell in the photo, but I put glitter on the scalloped part of the roof and on the flowers of the curtains.

Supplies (all CTMH unless otherwise noted): Around the Block, and From Me to You stamp sets; That's Amore B&Ts; Chocolate, Colonial White, and Buttercup cardstock; Black, Tulip, Blush, Chocolate, and Juniper inks; Blending pen; White gel pen (SU); Tulip brads; Pink with white dots grosgrain; Prisma Glitter; Glue pen; Scallop edge punch (SU); Piercing tool; Mat pack (SU); 1 1/8" and 1 1/4" circle punches (EK Success); Foam tape (other).

Playing house... (a sneaky peek)

Hey all! I received my new Fall/Winter Idea Books and SOTMs that will be coming available this Fall/Winter. I just had to play... this is created using the SOTM for November, called Around the Block. It's so whimsical and cute. I could even see it used for spooky Halloween layouts, or cover the roof with Liquid Applique and a little glitter for snow and use it for Winter ideas... fun!

I have a Workshop Club going right now and it's mostly made up of people from the occasional workshops I've held in the past. I got (them) in the habit of giving away a door prize, so now they all look forward to the draw. I totally forgot about it last time, so I owe one of them a gifty. I used to give away duplicate stamp sets I had on hand, but I'm pretty much out of those right now, so they will have to settle for some hand-made gifties. This project is going in the door-prize gifty pile... lol.

I got the idea for this note holder from Rebecca from this blog post. You should go check out her awesome work. I really love her most recent post of a gift for the Teacher! Cute!!!

I had the notepads I used from quite a while ago, with plans to make something with them that never materialized. I don't even remember what the project was exactly, but it was something along these lines with a holder for them. Rebecca's post inspired me to doing something with them... well, at least one of them. They were 8" x 5" lined notepads that I purchased at Staples and had them cut them in half for me for a small fee, giving me a bunch of notepads measuring 8" x 2.5".

I grabbed the Boom-Di-Ada papers for this project mostly because they were sitting out from the other day and thought the colorful papers would be fun to use. I was getting a little worried that it was going to be way too busy, but in the end I think it all works. ;)

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted): Around the Block, Thank You, Soul Mates, and Summer Sweetness stamp sets; Boom-Di-Ada level 2 paper pack; Olive, Hollyhock, Colonial White, Buttercup, and Black cardstock; Black and Crystal Blue inks; Water brush; White gel pen, and Black journal pen (SU); Black brads; 1 1/2" circle punch (EK Success); Threading Water edge punch (Fiskars); Foam tape, Velcro dot, lined notepad, and Sticky notes (other).

Buttons, buttons... who's got the buttons???

My card theme today is buttons! I saw an adorable stamp set on the Papertray Ink website, where you stamp the image and use buttons on the main part of the image. Too adorable! I did figure I could make most of them (although not all of the images) with a simple journaling pen. So these are the ones I chose to create: the cherries, the bird, and the trees, using my journaling pen and stamp sets I have.






Supplies (all CTMH unless otherwise noted): Instrinsic Backgrounds, Fringed Phrases, Solo 3, Cottage Floral stamp, and Soul Mates stamp sets; White Daisy, Black, Garden Green, Crystal Blue, and Chocolate cardstock; Chocolate, Garden Green, Black, and Topiary inks; Holiday Red, Crystal Blue, and Sweet Leaf buttons; Silhouette polka-dot B&T; White Daisy ricrac, and Chocolate grosgrain; Red grosgrain (Walmart); Googlie eye (dollar store); Black Journaling pen (SU); White Daisy flower brads, and ribbon slide; Color Ready Alphabet Hodge Podge; Prisma Glitter; Antique Copper mini brads; Fancy photo corner punch (EK Success); Nestabilities scallop circle dies (Spellbinders), foam tape (other).

Plant Smiles card with flower soft (Mojo Monday 98)

I thought I'd play today with the new Mojo Monday sketch for the week. This is the card I made using the sketch.

To make the patterned paper, I used the green polka-dot paper from CTMH Boom-Di-Ada Level 2 paper pack and stamped over it with CTMH Damask Tiles stamp set in black ink.


Supplies (all CTMH unless otherwise noted): Damask Tiles stamp set, Treasure Life stamp set, green polka-dot paper from Boom-Di Ada, White Daisy and Black cardstock, Black and Garden Green inks, Black dashed ribbon, White Daisy Mini-medleys metal tag, White Daisy brads, Paper piercer, Flower Soft - Heather (I got mine from Stamping Bella), Nestabilities square and scallop circle dies (Spellbinders), Scallop edge punch (SU), Black butterfly rub-on (SU), Black floss (DMC).