Holiday Card Catch-up {days 6, 7, 8}

What is it about the weekends that just makes it so darn difficult to find creative time?! I always go into the weekend with high hopes of spending several hours in the stUdio. Oh, well; it feels good to be caught up on my card-a-day's. So here they are:

Day 6 A little hand-made felt snowman sitting in a felt snowbank.
The snowflakes are heat embossed.

Day 7

I've had this snowmanfabric kicking around since my sister and I

went crazy one year with gifts in a jar topped with fabric covers.

I cut out the square and ironed it to a piece of Pellon fusible fleece

to give him a little quilted look. I sewed him to a mini card and frayed his edges.

The BG is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder,

and accented with some doodles with a Sakura glitter pen.

The checkerboard is also a piece of frayed fabric.

The snowman piece opens to reveal a photo and/or greeting.

Day 8

Taking a break with a simple, graphic card. Not too much going on here--perfect for mass-producing. I borrowed a color scheme from a card I made several years ago (Not Quite Navy, Ruby Red, More Mustard, and Old Olive). Just some punches, brads (with a smash of the hammer), and a stamped sentiment.

Well there you have it. Being caught up feels pretty good! Be back tomorrow with another one. Thanks for looking!

Holiday Cards Day 1

I've cooked up this kookie idea in my head that for the month of November I'll post a holiday card a day. Typically, I like to avoid this type of commitment-filled posting, because somehow it's nearly always destined for failure. Maybe it's the start of a new month on the start of a new week (I love when that happens!) that makes me feel like CraftySuperGirl, or maybe I'm just on the prowl for a handmade holiday card, too. Whatever it is, this may be a good way to test some out (and possibly inspire you to make a few of your own this year, too *wink*wink*). And I have a stash of cards to fall back on if I'm feeling a bit lazy on any given day.

We'll give it a whirl. So here's number one:



Aesthetic Factor: 5 (1=eh, 5=very pleasing)
Ease of Mass-Producing: 2 (1=impossible, 5=easy peasy)
Cost: Minimal
# of steps: approx. 15
Likelihood I'll be making 85+ of these: 30%

A quick search through the Splitcoast gallery yielded the inspiration for this one. The card itself is cut with the Sizzix Bigz Circle Scallop. The snowflakes are stamped in Versamark ink and accented with Stickles Crystal. One of the trees is pop-dotted for dimension, and both are accented with Stickles. The tops of the snowdrifts are glittered with Shimmerz. I punched the ornament top from a juice pouch using the SU! dog tag punch and threaded it with jute.

I love that this card could actually hang on recipients' trees. I would adhere a photo to the backside along with a greeting. This card doesn't open making it more cost-effective to produce. Hand trimming the trees, applying and drying the glitter, and creating the hanger makes this card a slow-going one.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! (Patterned Pines, Cold Play, Warm Words and Holiday Tag Team)
Paper: Stampin' Up! (Bashful Blue, Whisper White)
Ink: Stampin' Up! (Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip), Tsukineko (Versamark)
Glitter: Ranger (Stickles), Provocraft (Shimmerz)

Scrapbook Club Layout #3

Here is the third scrapbook club layout for the Sunny Day kit:

I used Dixie Pieces' September sketch challenge for this page. I turned the sketch on its side to accommodate my vertical 4x6 photo. The journaling strips are computer generated, the title is hand written and includes a chipboard heart that is not part of the kit. The page is accented with a hand-doodled frame.

Scrapbook Club Layouts

Here are two of the layouts for August's Scrapbook Club using the Sunny Day kit:

This DPS uses 2 4x6 photos, and then creates a collage using a combination of 2x2 and 2x4 photos in the center. You can be really flexible here depending on the number of photos you would like to use and the way you can crop them.

This page is a simple layout using 2 4x6 pictures and 1 smaller 2x3 (approx) one.

I have one more page to put together still, but it will be using this Dixie Pieces sketch which involves just one 4x6 photo:

Merry and Bright

I know it sounds crazy, but it's time to start thinking about handmade Christmas cards. Cathy over at Moxie Fab issued a challenge for a "fun and cute" card creation. Here's what I came up with:
She describes "fun & cute" as closely related to "clean and graphic." Given that, I went with a simply designed tree inspired by the one in SU!'s Merry and Bright set. Accented with a doodled trunk and polka dot branches, the tree is complete with a popped up star on top. A simple and "cute" sentiment finishes off the card. This little assignment will hopefully jump start the juices for our family holiday card this year. If you need some inspiration for your holiday cards check out the holiday galleries here.

1 color + 1 night = 2 layouts

I guess I was seeing red last night. Since my red stash was out for the "adorable YOU" page, I figured I might as well do a Valentine's page while I'm at it.

The frame around the collage was created with SU!'s Warm Words set and a black pen to join the words together.

The wire heart was made from a scrap of wire my son had cut off from a project he made yesterday. It was just laying on my desk destined for the circular file. From trash to treasure!

2 pages from fall

Here are two layouts I've managed to squeeze in this summer. I don't know why I think that I'll get more accomplished in the summer than during the school year, but somehow I always get this idea into my head.

paper: DCWV; felt flower: cut with Sizzix; chipboard numbers: Stampin' Up!

I used a bunch of *old* supplies on the above page; I don't even know most of the manufacturers. The oak leaf is an iron-on that I no doubt bought on clearance somewhere. Happy to say it has now found a home on a page!

No journaling on these yet. I'm trying to convince my husband to write his own journaling for the "32" page--don't think I'm going to have much luck {sigh}.

A card & a box

Splitcoast had a fantastically easy tutorial in their newlsetter just in time for the end of the school year. I made a few of these *pizza boxes* for the boys to give their teachers and bus drivers. They are so simple and fun, and sized perfectly for a gift card or piece of jewelry.

As I'm writing this, I am also thinking this could be the perfect home for a mini-album. Hmmm. . .

There are those beautiful sizzix butterflies again. I can't wait to create more projects with them!

The end of a school year means teacher gifts and graduations. My cousin graduated from college this year. Here's the card I made for her. I finally used the Forest Friends set. The owl is stamped on the label diecut from QuicKutz.

Monkey Face

A super quick and easy card (like ten minutes quick!). The idea for punching the monkey faces out came from Splitcoast. I've been getting a lot of mileage from the Cuttlebug embossing folders these days. They are so easy to use, and pack a punch on your card.

Another thing that simplifies the card making process when you're in a pinch for a quick card is a go-to color scheme. My go-to color schemes for kiddo cards are turquoise, orange, and bright green; olive, blue, and pumpkin (for boys); and rose, saffron, and chocolate for girls.

SU! Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore

SU! Stamp Set: Sock Monkey

Cuttlebug Embossing Folders: Happy Birthday, Spots and Dots

Scrapbook Club Layout #1

This month's meeting has completely crept up on me. This seems to be a recurring theme for me lately, hmmmm. Here is the first of 2 (or maybe 3) layouts for Monday's meeting. We will be using the same kit used in April--for me it was Hoppy Memories. This page features a photo collage in the center with strips of DSP and adhesive strips down the sides.

My photo collage includes 11 photos, and for those of you who like the exact measurements: 1- 4x6, 2- 3x6, 2- 3.5x3.5, 5- 2.5x2.5 (I have a punch for this), 1- 4.5x4.

I'm off to CKC tomorrow, but will post the other layout(s) ASAP.

Day 13: Great Big Smiles

I've fallen a bit behind with the 37 Days challenge over the holiday weekend. After everyone left from Easter last night, and the boys were nestled in bed, I retreated to my stUdio and managed to start a page before falling into bed exhausted. I finished it this morning while my littlest painted away at the table.

I used the colors in the baby outfit as inspiration for the color scheme for the page. The title was done with SU!'s exclusive "Billboard" Sizzlits Strip. I am really loving it, and $21.95 for upper, lower and symbols is a great value.

Scrapbook Club Layout #4

Here is the final layout for the "I Wish" SSK. This layout uses: 1 vertical 4x6, 1 horizontal 4x6, 3-3x3 photos, and 2-4x3 photos. This layout showcases 7 of our Christmas holiday traditions and uses the two sets of tiny square stickers to number both the photos and journaling. I'm not thrilled with the look of my title, but I am "embracing its imperfection."

Inspiration Saturday

I opened the new Target catalog this morning to find this little bit of inspiration:

A scrapbook layout just waiting to be created, right down to all those happy little colors: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise, Orchid Opulence. This is going straight into my Inspiration Notebook so I'll have it handy for my next layout--I'm thinking a birthday or carnival one.

The inspiration didn't stop there. I thumbed through the rest of the catalog to find these yummies:

1) Another great color scheme, and love those birdies!

2) Cutting this right out for a page title or accent for Easter 2007 layout (lucky for me I haven't done it yet!). A squirt of deacidification spray and it's good to go.

3) Another great color mix and how cute are those little monster guys?! Can you say paper piecing!

4) And lastly, another great layout plan.

I will be sure to post the projects that come out of this deliciousness.

Scrapbook Club Layout #3

For my Scrapbook Clubbers, here is the first of this month's 2 layouts for our meeting on the 16th. We will be using the "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit again.

This layout uses 4-4x6 photos. Two with a horizontal orientation, and two oriented vertically. The borders were inspired by a layout by Ali Edwards. I will post the second layout asap.

Color Challenge

Here is my card done with KWerner's Color Challenge. This is a great prompt to get the creativity flowing. Instead of a card, you could use the colors to create a scrapbook page or a painting, or any other project you can think of. And in addition to the colors in this Inspiration, I used the flower motif, as well.



And a close-up of the texture created with the Cuttlebug template:



I may add a little greeting word as a tag hanging from the flower's center (or maybe I won't).

Thanks for looking, here's The How-to:

1. Stamp the petals from SU! "Pick a Petal" set in light colored ink on Whisper White. Cut out, and flip over so only the white shows.
2. Use a paper piercer and mat to pierce the border of each petal.
3. Cut More Mustard to 5 1/4 x 10 1/2 and fold in half.
4. Cut Kiwi Kiss to 5" sq. and run through Big Shot with Cuttlebug "Stylized Flowers" embossing folder. Adhere to card base.
5. Punch Kiwi Kiss, Really Rust, and More Mustard with 7/8", 3/4", and 1/2" circle punches respectively. Glue together (I liked how the pieces looked when I haphazardly layered them so I kept the look by gluing them this way).
6. Use paper piercer to poke holes through circle piece and thread with Linen Thread.
7. Cut small scallop circle from Really Rust using Birds and Blooms Sizzlit and Big Shot. Adhere sewn circles to scallop with Dimensionals foam.
8. Adhere petals in flower arrangement on embossed Kiwi Kiss.
9. Adhere center with Dimensionals foam.

A few of my favorite things

When I get the new Stampin' Up! catalog I love to curl up in bed with a pack of post-it flags and mark my favorite things. Here are a few of the items that are flagged in my book for Spring-Summer 2009:

Pretty much the entire line of Retro Fresh coordinating products featuring these papers, stamps, rub-ons, and even stencils:

This cupcake Sizzlits set: I love cupcake art and I just saw this adorable project idea from the Scrap Girls newsletter that I could make using this cupcake:

This adorable Simply Scrappin' kit. Can't wait to make some cutie layouts for Scrapbook Club with this one:


And the first stamp set I will probably purchase: these trendy trees--LOVE these!!

I also really like this tree vinyl wall art piece. If I can figure out which wall to put it on, it's mine:

Cupcakes!

A cupcake card for my son's friend's birthday:

CASE'd from Split Coast.

Stampin' Up! Blowout Sale

Stampin' Up! is offering its first ever blowout sale on retired, retiring, and current items. Click here to view the items for sale. This sale ends on January 18th.

January ScrapClub Layout #1

Here is one of the layouts we will be doing for the new Scrapbooking Club in January.

This layout uses a lot of white space to help balance the weight and busy-ness of the photos-- lots of photos (6 on this one, but you could fit more depending on how you crop them). There's a spot for journaling. It was tempting to add more embellishments because the kit comes with so many, but I contained myself. There will be tons of extras for mini-albums, cards, and more layouts. If you would like to easily create 48 pages in '09, please email me.

New Scrapbooking Club

I am currently looking for 6 people to join my brand new scrapbooking club. Here's how it works: Every other month you will order the scrapbooking kit and a pack of 24 sheets of assorted 12x12 cardstock ($33.25 includes tax and s/h). We will use the contents of the kit to create two 2-page layouts each month (the kit is good for 4 2-page layouts, plus plenty of leftovers for more projects; and the pack of paper is great for creating more layouts for your album). Each person will be given a month in which she can choose hostess benefits (a free stamp set and $15 in SU! merchandise). We will meet monthly and layout ideas will be provided for you, just bring adhesive, trimmer, and your photos. Layouts will also be posted on this blog in case you can't make the meeting. This is an ideal class for the beginning scrapbooker or anyone who would love the sense of accomplishment that creating an entire 48 page album brings.

Please email me to join. I would like to start in January.