Rosebud Designs

Papertrey Ink GSS submissions...

2009-02-17T10:19:00.007-06:00

I finally found the time and energy to participate in the GSS contest once again this month..I had taken some time off due to being so sick from my pregnancy..Now, that I have turned the corner and feel "normal" again I can actually stay up after I put the kids to bed and work on some cards!!

The first card I submitted uses the rabbit from Bitty Baby Blessings. I just love this set and was feeling a Spring mood even though I still have about 2 1/2 more months of winter here in Wisconsin!!

The second card I made uses a few different stamps from a couple of PTI sets. The branch is from Out on a Limb; the flowers are from Honey Bees; leaf is from Wedding Day and the sentiment is from Spiral Bouquet.

The last two cards I created once again use Bitty Baby Blessings..This is one of my favorite sets to turn to and I also have been thinking baby because of my pregnancy!!

Thanks so much for looking!!

Bridget

CPS102

2009-02-10T15:53:00.004-06:00

Here is my card for this week's sketch over at cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com! I had this little dress that I had made awhile back and wanted to try and incorporate it into this sketch..The sentiments are from Bitty Baby Blessings from PTI. Thanks for looking!!

Bridget

Friends 'Til the End Challenge

2009-02-09T10:50:00.006-06:00

Another fun challenge from Nichole and the gang from PTI!! How cool are those kits?? I'm definitely going to have to go ahead and get one of those..I think that is a very reasonable price for all that you get!! Just love it!! Well, here is my friend card for the challenge..I had these small square letters that I have been dying to use and thought hey, why not spell friend?!? I saw my guide lines set that I haven't used much of realized that the letters fit perfectly inside the squares. So, after a few tries of getting my guide lines straight..(takes some practice..LOL) I placed the letters into the squares and also used one of the stamps from the set to create a little pattern. I then finished the card off with a button and hemp string.. Very simple but unique..just like the friend I'm giving it to!! Thanks for looking and good luck!!

Bridget Rose

It's in the Bag Challenge

2009-02-05T15:42:00.005-06:00

What a fun little challenge Nichole has in store for us!! Love that cute little bag and love that gift certificate even more!!! I created this small purse to carry little Valentine treats in....it would make great party favors or cute little gifts for teachers!! I chose to fill mine up with yummy, delicious peanut m&m's!! My favorite!! The little purse is made out of cardstock and stamped with the Love sentiment from the Mixed Messages set. The small heart stamp is from the My Punny Valentine set!! Next time I'm going to use some adorable patterned paper to spice it up a bit..this was my first go at this and went a more simple route!! Thanks for looking!! Good luck to all of you!! Bridget Rose

Honorable mention...PTI

2008-10-31T13:45:00.004-05:00

I was so excited to see my card up on the honorable mentions on Nichole's blog..it is always a thrill and makes me want to keep stamping!!! I purchased the Made of Snow set and just fell in love with it.. As I was brainstorming I thought the accessories would probably go with other stamps from my PTI sets.. So, I started playing around and was excited to see that the accessories fit with many of the little animal stamps I have accumulated!! The little sheep is by far one of my favorite stamps from Nichole's sets.. I just love the simplicity of the image and the darling legs and face. It's such a cozy little design that I thought it would go perfect with the sentiment and the scarf and hat!! Thanks for looking!!

Bridget

September PTI Blog Hop!!

2008-09-25T14:08:00.018-05:00

Magnetic Snowman Kit!!

As a teacher I am always trying to come up with fun little projects to make for kids!! I remember as a child receiving little gifts and it just made you feel so special. Well, I decided to create a "mini" magnetic snowman traveling kit!! This little kit can be used on the refrigerator, any magnetic surface or even by itself! There are so many wonderful magnetic supplies out there that this project is so simple to create for the little ones in your life!

I started this project off by creating the card first. The important thing about my card was that it would have an inside pocket to hold my "magnet board". So, when I scored my card I made sure to leave an inch at the bottom when I folded it over. I then just folded the remaining inch up and inward to form the pocket. I used two small glue dots on both sides to keep it closed. For the outside of the card I used my new set from PTI Made of Snow. What a versatile set that can be used all winter long! I just love it. I stamped each part of the snowman along with his accessories and cut each individual piece out. I then just "built" my snowman using glue dots and dimensionals to add some depth. I used a small piece of tape to cover his nose when I stamped the eyes and mouth. I then just colored the nose with a orange marker and re-stamped the face. As for the inside of my card, I stamped the middle sized snowflake from last years set, Snowflake Serenade in red and green ink. I then stamped the sentiment, "Snowmen fall from heaven unassembled". I thought this fit perfect with the theme of my project. Next, I had to create my "magnet board". This is for when the recipient does not have a magnetic surface in front of them..(if they were at a restaurant or church). I bought some magnetic paper from Hobby Lobby. It has paper on one side and the magnetic surface on the other. The paper side acts as a magnet and it is so nice because you can run it through your printer for other projects. It also runs through my Cuttlebug perfectly(love that little green machine) with the nestabilities die-cuts. So, I chose the size I wanted, cut it out and decorated it. It slid perfectly in the inside pocket of my card.

The next step in my project was to create my snowman pieces! I first stamped the snowman body and cut it out. I then cut out small arms from brown card stock and placed onto the snowman. I then ran the smallest circle nestie I own through my Cuttlebug to create the faces of my snowman. It was a perfect fit. It was then time to cut out the individual pieces so I first stamped each scarf image with different colored inks and cut those out. I cut between the inside of the scarf to add more movement to them. I then stamped the hat images along with the mitten images and cut those out as well. Once I had all my snowman pieces I took my Crop-a-dile and used the smallest punch to punch out tiny magnetic circles from my magnetic paper. I then just placed those onto the backs of my snowman and accessories with glue dots.

Now, I needed a place to store my little snowman pieces and decided on the small square tin. I love the size of this tin and they work great for little kids! My snowman along with all his accessories fit great in the tin. I took my crop-a-dile and punched two holes on each side to create my ribbon handle.

So, there you have it!! I fun little gift that can be used over and over again by little hands! Thanks for looking!!!

Bridget

September PTI release party

2008-09-15T07:59:00.007-05:00

Hi!! Well, another release party has come and gone..It was so fun last night to see new faces, as well as the regulars on the forum!! It has to be so neat for Nichole to see all these people coming to her site to see her work!! So cool and I'm always so jealous..what an experience for her! The best part of it is that she is still so humble and gracious to her customers!!

This month was all about Halloween for me.. I just love the Spooky Sweets set! Lots of different ways to go with it..I love the old, Halloween vintage feel of these stamps. My first entry is my hanging spider card! I used my square nesties to cut out a large square from my card base. I then just went down in size and layered two more nestie squares that would fit inside the first square I cute. I then stamped and cut out my spiders and threaded some sewing thread for the web. I then took a small glue dot and placed it on the inside, front upper flap and placed my spiders on there. Because the thread is so fine, I just took my crop-a-dile and punched out 3 tiny dots that I used to place over the thread and glue dot. This worked perfectly and blended in nicely with the card. I had the largest spider hold onto the sentiment and I like how his little legs overlap the paper. I then just finished the card off with the sentiment in the lower right corner. Very easy and fun card to create.

My second entry was my hanging coffin basket. I love giving my kids little gifts to open up now and then, especially around holidays. Well, I decided to create this small coffin to hang on their doors for Halloween. It is a template that I created and would be happy to share with anyone who is interested! I first stamped my images onto the black CS and then cut out my template. I punched 2 small holes on the side of the coffin and threaded my ribbon in to form my loop. I used the sentiment "Open if you dare" and placed that on top of the coffin with a small brad. I used a photo frame hinge to keep the lid closed. It works perfectly for this project. I then just filled my coffin up with Halloween candy and trinkets and its ready to be hung!! I can't wait to surprise my kids with these Halloween morning! I've made these in the past as party favors for a Halloween party. You can add the child's name onto them with a clear label.

My third entry was my creepy kitchen recipes box. This was really fun to create and I think would make a great gift for a teacher, mom or anyone who enjoys making and baking food!! I first surfed the net and found fun, unique, different and healthy Halloween recipes. I printed them off from my computer and made little recipes cards that would fit inside a small gable box. I then decorated the outside of the gable box in Halloween fashion. I then took the sentiment "Creepy Kitchen Collection" and masked off the word "Collection" I then printed off the word Recipes from my computer and stamped "Creepy Kitchen" above it. I am planning on giving this to my sister-in-law who is a teacher/mom a few weeks before Halloween..that way she can start testing out the different recipes!!

My fourth entry was my candy corn card. I had this delicious candy corn paper that I was drawn to but no candy corn card. So, I looked through my stamp sets and saw one of the party hats from the It's a Celebration set. I just masked off the different sections and stamped them onto white paper. I cut them out and used dimensionals when I placed them onto my card. I like how they look like you can just reach out and eat one. I stamped the sentiment directly onto the card itself and framed it with two brads.

Thanks so much for taking the time to look!! Can't wait to see all the entries for this month..so much inspiration just waiting to be tried!!

Bridget

Blog Hop

2008-08-25T17:21:00.013-05:00

What a fun challenge this month!! I love taking different objects and altering them into fun things!! I have to admit I struggled a bit with this one because I kept picturing Nichole's adorable licorice case..so my mind kept wanting to wander to Halloween and candy..However, once I looked through all my stamp sets the label stamps kept popping out to me for some reason..I then looked at my Halloween sets that just arrived today..(YIPPEE) and saw the word Boo..Right then..a BOO-BOO kit came to mind..Pretty simple but a fun little gift to give to young children or to even have around your home..

I took the label stamps from Spooky Sweets and Limitless labels to use as my band-aid holders. I took a piece of card stock, scored it at 1 inch lengthwise and then stamped the labels along the bottom of the fold. I then cut out each label making sure to not cut the bottom by the fold. Once you turn it over you will see the small pocket formed. Place a small dot of glue on each side to hold in place and slide band-aid in.

I used the Polka Dot Basics set to keep with the polka dot theme from the labels and stamped this pattern on the cover of my case, as well as in the inside. I created a small pocket for my band-aids on the inside cover. This helps to keep the band-aids in place without them sliding all over the place. I used the sentiment "Boo" from Spooky Sweets and also used the sentiment from Spooky Sweets II "Creepy Kitchen Collection" by taping off everything but the word "Kit" from Kitchen.

I'm so excited to see what everyone else has come up with!! Thanks for looking!!!

Bridget

Bitty Baby Blessings..

2008-08-16T10:20:00.005-05:00

Well, I'm officially an aunt for the 5th time and am so thrilled!! Alivia Grace was born on Aug. 14th!! She is just adorable and I am so happy for her parents..they are so excited to have her here!! I was in the baby mood so made a few cards using the Bitty Baby Blessings set from PTI. I have made this card once before but with different colors so thought I would change it up a bit.. I just love the little elephant in this set, along with the tiny baby face..I created the basket by punching out a small circle and then just cutting the top center half out for the baby to fit in to. I love the colors of this card and the simplicity of the design..It would make a great baby boy shower card..

The second creation I did was to make a small baby wash theme set. The little duck in this set works great with this theme. I took a small gable box and filled it with washcloths, little baby soap and shampoo and a tiny toy duck. I created the card using the the Bitty Baby Blessings patterned paper to coordinate with the box. The colors are a bit different for a baby but I thought it would be a nice change from the typical blue or pink or even green...I just love the small gable boxes too..they are the perfect size for all types of small gifts...so cute!!Thanks for looking..

Bridget

Happy Birthday Sammy!!

2008-07-13T20:59:00.006-05:00

Well, my little guy is turning 3..oh my goodness where does the time go..I can't believe he will be 3 years old..it makes me so sad..it feels like just yesterday I brought him home from the hospital. Three years seems so short but it just amazes me how much they grow and change within that time!! What a miracle and I'm soooo blessed he is healthy and happy!! It was time for invitations, which I just LOVE creating!!! This year we decided on a Safari theme..I love the jungle theme, the colors, animals and really there are so many possibilities to creating cards with this theme.

I decided on creating a pocket card similar to the baby shower invitation I had created awhile back. I love, love kraft paper so started with that as my pocket base. I cut two pieces, the back piece being about an inch and half longer than the front piece. I placed a piece of patterned paper with palm trees on the inside of the lid and on the longer piece. I then sewed along the sides and the bottom, leaving the top portion open so my invitation could slide in and out of it. I then cut out a palm tree from card stock and distressed it a bit to give it a jungle feel. I placed the trunk of the palm tree onto the bottom portion of the card and the palms onto the top portion of the card..that way the card would still open up. I then stamped grass along the bottom and placed the palm tree onto the kraft card stock. I then used my jungle theme cuttlebug die cuts and cut out the little monkey..isn't he adorable?? I used a glue dot to adhere him to the back of one of the palms.. I then just printed "Sam's Safari Headquarters" onto paper and cut it out with scalloped scissors..I layered with a darker piece of card stock and placed created a sign.

Now for the actual invitation I just printed out the information onto cream card stock. I placed this over a piece of brown card stock and distressed the edges of the brown by using my scissors to the edge..I don't have a "special" tool for this but have found that running one blade from my scissors along the edges works just as well. I then die cut a lion, elephant and monkey and placed them onto the invitation. I used my It's a Celebration set from PTI and stamped and cut out small party hats by using the little flags that go with the birthday banner..I just love those little hats.. and there you have it!! Happy Birthday Sammer Jammer!!!

I've been tagged!!

2008-07-09T21:27:00.004-05:00

I had such a wonderful surprise this morning when I read my mail!! I received an email from Charlene Monroe explaining that she had tagged my blog!! What fun is that..there is actually someone out there who looks at my blog..Thanks so much Charlene!!! Please check her blog out at A Stamp a Day..she has some adorable cards and is very talented!!! Well, it looks like I have some rules to follow..first, I must share 7 random facts about myself..oh boy, this is going to be tough..

1. When I was 22 months old I had a small bump on my forehead that would not go away so my parents brought me to the famous Mayo Clinic. The doctors determined I had a small hemangioma on the inside of my forehead. Now, this was in 1980 when plastic surgery wasn't very popular and especially on tiny toddlers..but thankfully the doctors recommended my parents to a plastic surgeon who removed the bump. Instead of cutting my forehead where I would have a huge scar today,(this is kinda gross) they cut from ear to ear, pulled the skin forward and got the bump out. So, now I have the coolest scar on my head that goes from ear to ear!! Crazy, I know!!

2. I love, love, love cheese and mashed potatoes

3. I'm married to an identical twin and luckily have never gotten them confused...and our doctor told us since they both have the same DNA that our children and my brother-in-law's(the twin)children will be considered half brother/half sisters..interesting..

4. I secretly wish I was an ESPN broadcaster..I love sports and would love being able to be right in the action all the time.

5. My husband is a funeral director along with his dad and twin brother

6. I have 3 younger brothers who have protected me my whole life..I feel so safe knowing they are in my life.

7. My daughter Nora was born at exactly midnight...she came out and we all looked up at the large clock and everything was pointed at exactly midnight...the computers and the doctors didn't know what day to give her as her birthday..they had to call to find out what day it would be..the doctors eventually decided on the following day...

Ok..now I must choose 7 blogs to tag..there are so many wonderful, unique and inspiring bloggers out there..this is going to be hard...

1. Julie- My little scrap shop

2. Chris- Chris' Corner

3. Jacki- The Card Castle

4. Lori- Inking aloud

5. Maria- Maria's craft room

6. Kacey- All in a Day's Work

7. Monique- Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust

Hopefully, you girls haven't been tagged before and if you have I'm sooo sorry..but if not..have fun!!! Thanks, Bridget

Birthday gift bags

2008-07-09T21:08:00.005-05:00

I recently created some birthday favor bags for my niece's 4th birthday party. I had so much fun creating these and they were so simple to do. I went to Hobby Lobby and bought the small canvas tote bags which are very reasonably priced.. I think you really get your money's worth by buying these totes compared to using the typical plastic favor bags that end up getting thrown away. I wanted each child to have a different bag and so I just went through all my stamp sets to find different images. I started by stamping each child's name onto a bag and then stamped the image I chose. I then made sure to use my heat gun to set the ink..you really have to be careful not to overdo the heating process or your bag can turn brown. Another tip I have found useful is to have your stain remover spray for your laundry close by..if for some reason you get some ink onto the cloth that you do not want I immediately spray a q-tip with the remover along with some water and quickly wipe over the area you do not want..it should remove the ink right away...it really does work!! These bags were so simple and inexpensive and a fun party favor that hopefully the guests will use over and over again!! Thanks for looking! Bridget ***Side note..Hi Melissa..I used Palette Hybrid Ink..it works great for projects like these..just make sure to heat set it for a few seconds to really set the ink into the cloth..they can then be washed and will not fade!! Super simple and easy!!

Another PTI Release has come and gone...

2008-06-14T22:22:00.008-05:00

I can't believe it is already the 15th of June..seriously, where is this summer going..please slow down...Well, I've been busy chatting in the PTI forum tonight for the big release..the new stamp sets are great and I'm having a really hard time deciding on which to purchase..I wish I could get them all..Now that the GSS entries are in, I can share some of my projects with you.. I didn't have a very creative month so didn't share as many projects as I would have liked to...This first card was created using the new Bitty Baby Blessings set..what an adorable little set Nichole created. I used the new Lavender Moon cardstock along with the Bitty Baby Blessings Patterned paper and Lemon Tart cardstock.(all from Papertrey) I stamped the little elephant with my Noir Black Palette Ink and then colored him in with my pastels. I then used the smallest circle nestie and cut out the top center to create a basket.. I then just placed another circle behind it to create a 3d look to the basket. I stamped the little baby face and cut that out and put inside the basket. She fit perfectly inside.. I then just placed my basket handle on to the elephant trunk and used the sentiment "Special Delivery"...

My second card was created by using the Honey Bee set. What a fun little set to use. I just love the sentiments that go along with this set. I created the base of my card by using white PTI cardstock, the smaller flower patterned paper from Bitty Baby Blessings, along with Lavender Moon cardstock. I stamped the grass design onto a strip of white cardstock and placed a few of the flower designs onto the grass. I then placed a few orange brads inside the flowers for the centers and cut out two small bees.. I placed those onto the paper with dimensionals. I used the sentiment "bee happy". This is a very simple card but I think it would make some one's day if they received it in the mail...

The third card I again used the Honey Bee set. I used Lavender Moon cardstock as my base and used a scalloped circle nestie to cut out a circle onto the paper. I then cut out two smaller scalloped circles to fit "inside" the larger circle. I stamped the flying bee onto Spring Moss cardstock and he just looked like he should be carrying something so I stamped a bouquet of flowers for him to hold. I tied the bouquet with a small ribbon and used the sentiment "thank you". Looking back at the card now I wish I would have added a small eye onto his face to give him more of a personality..I think it would have added to the image. That is one thing that I have noticed when posting my cards.. I'm able to step back and really look at the card and see how I can improve it or change it.. I have been amazed how you miss little details when working on projects but once finished and you really take a look at your work you find things to improve on. I try not to over analyze though because I tend to be a bit picky and end up ruining the card!!

The fourth card was just fun to make..I just kinda went for it without much thought. I love creating background paper for my cards and when I saw the crown and sentiment "Queen Bee" I knew I had to make a card using those images.. So, I took the small honeycomb design and repeated that all over the Lemon Tart cardstock in Lemon Tart Ink...I love using the matching ink onto the cardstock..it isn't so overpowering of the paper and it adds some depth. I then stamped the crown and sentiment onto the paper. I stamped the large Queen Bee onto the same honeycomb background paper and used my circle and scalloped circle nesties to cut out. I had some black velvet ribbon leftover from a project I had done awhile ago and thought it to be fitting for a queen..I like what it adds to the card. My mom will definitely be getting this card!!!

The fifth and final card I created used the Honey Bee set again.. I really like the simple little flowers in this set. They are just the perfect size to create a little garden that I do not have to tend to..lol. I incorporated each of the sizes, as well as all the purple palette inks that I own. I then stamped a few of the tiny bee images throughout the flowers. I used the sentiment "bee happy". I just love that sentiment b/c I truly believe in being happy!!

Well, as you can see not a whole lot of out-of-box projects this month, which is OK.. I had fun just sitting back and using the stamps in a more traditional way. There's always next month!!!Thanks for looking...

Bridget

Mojo Monday Week #41

2008-06-09T15:36:00.008-05:00

Well, I'm so excited today!! I came across this wonderful blog by Julee Tilman!! She is a stamper/graphic designer/stamp designer and has started her own stamping company Verve Visuals...Well, every Monday she shares a sketch for us stamping gals/guys to try out!! I always feel I need a bit of a creative jump start on Mondays so this is what I've always needed!! I'm really looking forward to creating on Mondays now with the Mojo Sketches!!! Here is sketch #41..

I looked through some of my scrap paper and found this adorable polka dot baby paper that I just love...I'm in love with the color brown with blue or pink..so sweet!! If you look back at my past posts many of my creations use these color combos. Anyway, I started with a PTI scored white card and used the polka dot paper as my first layer, then the lighter blue paper for the larger square and PTI white card stock for my smaller square..I distressed the outer edges of the blue paper to give it a "fuzzy" look similar to the little baby sweater..I also distressed the white square with Burnt Umber ink to give it a bit of depth..I stamped the small baby sweater from Stampendous onto the white square..I then re-stamped the image on a separate piece of white paper and colored it in using soft pastels. I really like how the pastels made the sweater look fuzzy and cozy! I then cut it out, leaving behind the hanger..I placed it over the original stamped image with a dimensional..I like how the pastels made the sweater look cozy and fuzzy and I also like how the sweater is over the hanger..it gives it more of a 3 dimensional look. The sentiment is from PTI's Bitty Baby Blessings set. I used my corner rounder punch to create the scalloped edge and went back through and punched small holes in each scallop. I like how you can see the blue paper through the holes...I finished the card with a light blue/brown polka dot layered ribbon and 3 brown brads. Very simple but I hope that the new mommy I am giving it to enjoys it!! Thanks for looking!!

Bridget

May Papertrey Blog Hop!!!

2008-05-28T15:06:00.021-05:00

I'm so excited to be participating in my second Blog Hop with Papertrey Ink!! What a great opportunity for us crafters to share our work and ideas using Papertrey Ink products!! I have to admit, I was a bit stuck on this month's blog hop challenge..and once again, I didn't create a card...I was planning on it but this time around my ideas kept growing and growing and I finally came up with my project. I'm not sure if you are like me but many, many times I start creating one thing and end up with a totally different idea than I had initially started with..I'll do one thing with my project and all of a sudden an idea pops into my head and I go with that...This time around I ended up creating "BABY BINGO" cards for a baby shower... I started by cutting 12 3 3/4 X 3 inch squares from the Lavendar Moon and Sweet Blush Papertrey Card Stock. I then placed a square lengthwise and scored every 3/4 of an inch so I had a total of 4 scored lines. I then turned the square vertical and I started scoring my lines starting from the bottom of the first score line I made when it was lengthwise.(You do this so you have a place to stamp your sentiment "Baby Bingo" without having scored lines there.) You will score every 3/4 of an inch moving vertically with a total of 3 scored lines. You should now have a 4x4 grid with a 3/4th of an inch opening at the top. I then took my Polka Dot set and stamped the middle sized polka dot just on the top. I stamped out "Baby Bingo" using the sentiments from Bitty Baby Blessings. I just used the sentiments "Good Things come in Multiples" and "Baby makes three". I used scotch tape to cover up the letters I did not want to use and was able to spell out "Baby Bingo". Hope that makes sense!! I then just took the tiny stamps from Bitty Baby Blessings and randomly placed them in the squares I had created....Make sure each card you create is different from the others...I finished the Bingo Card by placing it on to a piece of Papertrey Kraft paper and using two small white brads on the top. I repeated these steps with all 12 squares so I ended up with 12 Bingo Cards. I have a paper punch of baby feet that I decided to use as my game pieces, so I punched out several of the feet in both colors I had used. I then punched out several small circles from the Kraft paper and stamped the tiny images I had used on the Bingo Cards onto them. Now you are ready to play Baby Bingo!! Before you play, place a few bowls full of the punched baby feet(or any game piece you decide to use) around the room. Place the circle pieces into a bowl or bag and have the new mommy pick out the pieces and call out the image. You can play by having whoever fills up the whole card first wins, diagonals, corners, etc. It really is up to you...There you have it.. A quick and easy project that utilizes score lines in a fun way!! I think this would be such a fun little game to introduce at a baby shower..the images are just too cute for words!! Thanks for looking!!! Bridget Rose

More GSS Entries...

2008-05-16T09:33:00.011-05:00

I'm back to share more of my cards that I submitted for the GSS over at Papertrey Ink... I just love the Garden of Life set..the flowers are so whimsical and sweet. There are so many different ways to play with these flowers by layering and changing up colors! Well, I have a little niece who just loves flowers so I decided to create a small and fun little gift for her using this set. She loves to play the matching game so I thought why not make one for her. I took a piece of PTI's white cardstock(the best)..it works great for this little project because it is so thick. I then took a piece of patterned paper and used double sided tape to place on one side of the white paper. I then just cut 12 2x2 squares. Next, I took a flower image from Garden of Life and stamped that on 2 of the squares so I had a pair. I continued this with the rest of the squares so I had a total of 6 pairs. I took one of the small square tins from PTI, used my crop-a-dile and punched two small holes on each side for a ribbon handle. If you do not own a crop-a-dile, put it onto your wish list...they are so worth the 30.00..and just keep an eye out for a Michael's coupon..you can get it for super cheap then. For the outside of the tin I used the sentiment "perfect match" from Favor it Weddings..I thought that coordinated well with this little gift. I also created a small 2x2 birthday card to coordinate with this gift. I placed it on top of the squares and then put them into the tin.. they fit perfectly inside it. I think she will really get a kick out of this and I love how she can carry it with her..to church, restaurants or anyplace to keep her occupied and I know her parents will love that too!!! My next entry once again uses Garden of Life...As you know I love roses and everything about them..The name Rose runs in my family and my daughter and I both have it as a middle name..So, it means a great deal to me.. Well, I just started playing around with this stamp and ended up creating this card..it is a pretty simple card but that is what I love about it.. I stamped the roses onto Kraft paper and cut them out and placed with dimensionals..I sewed a piece of Sunrise Cardstock to Kraft paper using a simple stitch and placed this over my patterned paper. I used the stems from Garden of Life and the leaves from Spiral Bouquet. The vase is just a cut out from my leftover patterned paper. I used the sentiment "All things grow with love" but only used the "with love"..I just love that saying!! Because I didn't have much space for words it fit perfect for this card. This third card was created using the Pond Life set. I took a piece of PTI white cardstock and stamped the water, the fish, bubbles, splashes and tall leaves. I then took the longer cattail pieces and created my fishing pole by manipulating it how I wanted it to go. Isn't that the best thing ever about clear stamps?? They are just so versatile!! I placed this onto brown cardstock. I then took a piece of Spring Moss Cardstock from PTI and continued stamping the tall leaves as well as my fishing pole.. I like how this turned out..I feel like the white cardstock is a little scene that is popping out of a bigger picture...and the sentiment "thinking of you" is fitting for a fisherman's day out on the water!! Thanks for looking!!! Bridget

Just so excited!!!

2008-05-15T17:47:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it..I won GSS over at Papertrey Ink for best use of Garden of Life!! I didn't think I would have a chance this month and was keeping my fingers crossed for a honorable mention..My husband and I got into bed last night and as I tried to get to sleep I just started getting so curious to who may have won..there were sooo many amazing and unique cards this past month..Nichole has a very tough job!! Well, I jumped out of bed, scared my husband half to death and turned on the computer(which is in our bedroom)..he just started laughing because he knows how crazy I am about Papertrey Ink..yes, I do have a problem!!! I opened up the gallery pics and saw one of my cards..I thought it just happened to be in the thumbnail spot for the Gueststar Stamper submissions..then, I looked a little closer and saw that it was in the winners..I couldn't believe I had won..I screamed and this time Brian about peed his pants..I started jumping up and down and he is so funny because he got out of bed and jumped around with me..I'm not kidding..if our neighbors would have seen us they would probably have called the cops on us..too funny..we quickly quieted down once we heard Nora yelling "mom"...Of course, I checked ten times to make sure I was reading it correctly before I went to bed and then once I did get to bed I laid there too excited to sleep!!! This is such an honor coming from Nichole and I really appreciate and LOVE Papertrey Ink!! What an awesome company!!! The winning card is actually the one I posted first yesterday...I saw this bedding in the Land of Nod catalog and decided to try and recreate my own version using Papertrey Ink stamps..so that is what I did and I'm so excited that I won!!!Thanks for looking!! Bridget

Papertrey Ink Gueststar Stamper

2008-05-14T20:22:00.008-05:00

Hello..now that the 14th has finally arrived I can share some of my projects that I submitted for the GSS over at Papertrey Ink!! I loved the stamp sets from this past month but just didn't have the time to submit a lot of work for the contest... The first card I submitted was inspired by a baby quilt I saw in the Land of Nod catalog...I receive so many baby catalogs in the mail and this is where I find much of my inspirations..color combinations, patterns, themes..it really helps when you are having a creative block...I used the Garden of Life set for my card to create my "patterned paper" and the sentiment is also from the same set. My camera picked up the glare from my flower embellishments..they are not that shiny in real life(sorry).. I really enjoy creating my own "patterned paper" with the PTI stamps...the possibilities are endless!! My second submission was a bit outside the box...that is another reason I love using clear stamps, especially from PTI..the stamps come in pieces so you can always find other ways to use them besides their main purpose.. When I first say the sentiment from "May your dreams take flight" I immediately thought of a little bird ready to take flight..I do not own a bird stamp so I thought I would just create my own...For this card I used several of my PTI sets..The tree branch is from Take a Bough and the leaves and berries are from Out on a Limb. I created my little birdie by using the larger leaf stamp from Pond life for his body, I used the smaller, skinner leaf stamp from Pond Life for his front wing, I used only the one side of the double leaf lily flower stamp from Pond life for his back wing...His head is the flower center stamp from Garden of Life, his little legs are from the cattails from Pond Life, his little beak is the turtle's tail from Pond Life and his eyes are from the bubbles from Pond Life(I used the larger open circle and the smaller closed circle from each bubble "set". Some tips on replicating his tummy..make sure to use a darker color for wings and head or you see the body through the wings otherwise, mask off half of the body where the wings go so that part of the stamp does not get ink on it.. My third submission was once again an out of the box card..I saw this flower stamp in my Garden of Life set and for some reason lollipops popped into my head..So, that is what I created..I stamped and cut out the flower and then took a small plastic snack baggie and placed it over the flower..I twisted the baggy and then cut it and tied it off with a ribbon..the lollipop sticks were created by stamping the stem from Garden of life and cutting them out. I used the sentiment how sweet it is from It's a Celebration..Next time I do this I'm going to try and recreate the original colorful lollipops that you would get at the fair...I loved those!!! Thanks for looking..I'll be back later to post more submissions!! Bridget

I'm still here...

2008-05-09T15:36:00.004-05:00

I haven't been the best blogger here lately..sorry!! I have been busy with a little project on the side and haven't had time to create for fun and post on my blog..I actually was creating some cards to share with a shop owner here in town to see if she would be interested in selling some of my cards. So, for the past few weeks I have been busy creating, creating and creating!! I had the meeting yesterday and it went fairly well.. she seemed interested in some of my cards and wants me to create Christmas cards that she will sell during that time. I was a bit confused about waiting until Christmas until I realized that shop owners have to think that far in advance for their stores. She will be going to market here in a few days to purchase Christmas items..crazy..so, I'm really looking forward to having the opportunity to create cards and share them with others..hopefully, I can create some magical, one of a kind cards that people will be drawn to! We will see and I will keep you posted!! I was organizing my crafting area(kitchen table..ahh..I need my own space..my husband is planning on creating a little nook for me in the basement soon!!) and I can across the My Punny Valentine set..I just love that stamp set!! Well, I saw the little sheep..one of my favorites and decided to create simple, fun and trendy baby cards that I would have on hand to give..I have several friends and family having babies right now and thought it would be much easier to mass produce this baby card by changing up the colors..blue/brown for boy and pink/brown for girl.. I love Kraft paper so used that as my base card..I then used my rounder punch to create a scalloped edge along the bottom..I did a very small amount of distressing with brown ink around the edge of the card..it just gives it a more cozy feel. I then punched a medium sized scalloped oval onto the base color and also punched out a larger sized scalloped oval from cream vellum for the body of the sheep. I stamped the head and legs onto Kraft paper, cut out and placed using dimensionals. What new mom wouldn't love getting this little card...and I just love the color combo along with the polka dots! Too fun!!

Thanks for looking!!

Patterned Paper

2008-04-22T11:05:00.002-05:00

HI! I was checking out Nichole's blog this morning and she had created a little "challenge" for us to try out. She made the most beautiful card by creating her own patterned paper by using the Polka Dot Basics set along with the new Pond Life set..you can see it here... She wanted us to create our own patterned paper by layering it over another background pattern. I am always looking around for inspirations, ideas and color combinations in my daily life. I have found the best place to find these are in all the catalogs I get daily in the mail. They are great to look at because they show the "in" colors, as well as the "in" patterns and prints of the season.. It is so fun to see a new color and pattern set in a catalog and then turn it into a card. Well, I did find some inspiration from the new Land of Nod catalog..They have the best prints and colors that I just fall in love with every time I see the catalog!! There are several bedding sets in this catalog that reminded me a lot of the new stamp set Garden of Life. So, that is where I started today with this card. I used Spring Moss Cardstock(my favorite) and stamped the solid polka dots from the Polka Dots Basic set in Seascape Palette Ink. I know Nichole had used this set also with her patterned paper..it's just such a useful set to use with cards..it really adds a lot to them. I then took one of the flowers from Garden of Life and stamped it over every other polka dot as the centers of my flower using Lavender Sachet Ink. I really like how the layering turned out. I then wanted to add something unique to the actual flowers, so I took a piece of cream colored vellum and cut 3 small scalloped circles with my Nestabilities . I stamped the same flower image in Lavender Sachet onto the vellum and placed those on the 3 center flowers on the cardstock. I then stamped the stems with Jardin Moss Ink and cut and placed those. I wanted to keep the focal point rather simple because of the craziness of the patterned paper. For my sentiment, I cut a strip of lavender cardstock and scalloped the edges and also cut a smaller strip of Spring Moss where I placed the sentiment. I finished this strip off with 2 silver squared brads. I love these colors together and have to admit it looks much better in person. I'm still learning the ropes on taking pictures of my cards!! Thanks for looking!!

April Papertrey Ink Submissions...

2008-04-17T14:43:00.007-05:00

I thought I would share a few of my creations I did for the April Gueststar stamper contest over at Papertrey Ink!! I had so much fun creating this month and just fell in love with each of the stamp sets I had purchased..I just wish I could afford all of them..There isn't one that I don't like..they are all amazing..I just wish I could get my husband to read this..Mother's Day is coming up here and a new stamp set would make a wonderful gift...LOL!! Anyway, the first card I created I used the flower image from Boxes, Bags and Tags..I stamped the larger flower and cut out the smaller flower to give some depth to the card. I used the stem image from the Spiral Bouquet set and I really like the simplicity of it. I created the flower pot from PTI cardstock and stamped and embossed the sentiment from the Birthday Basics set. One thing I love about this set is that many of the sayings can be used for other cards besides Birthday. There are some really heartwarming sentiments. I also incorporated the new PTI patterned paper and grosgrain ribbon. Both of those products are so nice to use.

The second card I would like to share is a Birthday Giftcard I created using the stamps from It's a Celebration. I love the party hats in this set but for this particular card, they seemed a bit big. So, I noticed when I turned the small banner flags upside down, they looked just like little party hats. I used my scalloped square cuttlebug die-cut, as well as my Marvy small circle punch. I also used the star stamp from this set but masked the little star so I just had the one bigger star to use. I used my small two punch for my ribbon and created this "envelope" card. Once you open the card, I stamped a Birthday sentiment from Birthday Basics in the center. I then just take my giftcard and place two small dimensionals on the back of the giftcard. I then place it over the sentiment I stamped. What I have found useful when doing this is to really push the dimensionals onto the back of the giftcard so they will stick to the giftcard and not the paper once removed from the card. I just love the pop that these colors give..a great "boy" combination.

The final creation I would like to share with you is this birthday boy combo set!! As I said earlier, I just love the adorable party hats in It's a Celebration. So, I decided to create a birthday theme around the hats. I first created a card and matching tag that would accompany the present. I cut out the small party hats and attached string to the bottoms. I just love that little detail because it really makes them look like party hats. Who doesn't remember squeezing their little chin under those things..OUCH!! I took one of the small glassine bags from PTI and filled it with green m&m's and created a placecard that would have each child's name on them. I also took one of the small square tins to give as a party favor. I didn't include the picture here but I took 4 mini snicker bars and white labels. I stamped the white labels with one of the simple label stamps from Limitless Labels and in the center stamped a small party hat. They looked really cute around the mini snickers and fit nicely inside the tin. My son will be turning 3 here in July and I may actually use this as his theme..if only I can get him away from Choo-Choo Trains..that's going to be tricky!! LOL.. Thanks for looking!!!

Wedding Cake Favor!!!

2008-04-15T09:35:00.010-05:00

Oh my goodness..I'm soooo excited!! I was chosen as one of the winners this month for Papertrey Ink's Gueststar Stamper!! I can't believe it and am just so excited!! Thank you so much Nichole..this means so much to me!! I had so much fun creating this cake and to get to share it with others is just a blessing!!! I'm getting to do something that I love and I'm just so happy I found the Papertrey Ink company!! They are awesome!!!

I just love the pink patterned paper from PTI and that is what I used for each cake layer...the paper is just the right weight and is just adorable.. I also cut strips from another pattern to use as my ribbon base on each layer. I then used the flower stamps from Boxes, Bags and Tags to embellish my cake..there are just so many ways to change up this cake and "decorate" it. What I love about this easy favor is that you have the option of using all 3 boxes to fill or just using the largest bottom layer. Thanks again Nichole!! My cheeks hurt from smiling so much!!!

Jen Sketch!!

2008-04-14T15:58:00.005-05:00

I was so excited this morning..I got a very nice comment from Jen Del Muro on my blog..I just love her work and it was so nice of her to come over to my blog and take a peek..well, I stopped over at her blog once again this morning and saw one of her sketches..I thought I would give it a try.. I had bought some cute patterned paper from Paper Studio that I used as my color scheme..I was thinking "boy" birthday for some reason so that is what I went for. I haven't had a chance to use the cute little jungle animals from the Stampendous set I just bought so thought I would incorporate those, as well. I just love that little giraffe..so cute.. I masked off his ears a bit so I could stamp a party hat on his hat. The party hat stamp is actually from the It's a Celebration set from PTI..it is one of the small banners..I just flipped it over and used it as a hat instead...I went through and stamped a small star in each of the circles on the patterned paper.. and placed clear circular pebbles randomly on a few of the circles..I just love those pebbles..they are just a unique little detail... I felt like a needed a band of some sort to tie it all together..(hopefully, it didn't add too much).. It was pretty funny because about 6 years ago, when I was in college I worked at a Michael's..I had a great discount and would basically spend my paycheck every week on everything in the store..well, I was really into the decorative scissors at the time and bought every kind..I was looking through them this morning and found this particular style that I used on the bottom portion of my sentiment... I thought it coordinated well with the giraffe's spots... thanks for the fun sketch Jen!!!

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Supplies

Patterned Paper: Paper Studio

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics

Clear Stamps: (Giraffe)Stampendous; (Sentiment, exclamation, party hat, star) Papertrey Ink

Ink: Palette Hybrid Inks

Accents: Clear circular pebbles; orange brads; decorative scissors; edge distressor

Happy Birthday Dad, Brothers, Father-in-law

2008-04-07T15:57:00.005-05:00

I was on my daily blog trip this morning when I came across Lisa Johnson's blog and her amazing "man card"(that cracks me up)!! She is so talented and creative..I just love her work..It isn't over the top and she always uses the best color combos!! I can only wish to create at her level...Anyway, she gave a little challenge to see our "man cards" so I thought I would give it a try!!! As soon as the kids were down for their naps I went to work.. I had this great Paper Studio patterned paper that I used..It just seems to be more masculine with a bit of softness to it. I distressed the sides of the paper with scissors to make it a bit more rugged. I stamped the presents from It's a Celebration (PTI) and cut them out. I used dimensionals behind the presents and glue dots behind the ribbon.. I also used the tag stamp from this set, cut it out and placed it on the paper with a small brad. I really love this tag stamp and have found so many useful ways to use it on cards and gifts...Both of the sentiments are from Birthday Basics (PTI).. I'll definitely hang on to this until one of the men in my life have a birthday..not for a few more months..thanks for the ideas Lisa!!!

Welcome Baby!!

2008-04-03T21:00:00.004-05:00

I dragged my kids to Hobby Lobby once again this week..I just can't get enough of it..I need to get my fix in..pathetic, I know!! If you can believe it..I broke down and bought stamps that are NOT Papertrey... I saw the cutest baby set from Stampendous..and because I have several family members and friends having babies..I definitely needed to buy it!! At least that is what I told my husband!! I just love the designs in this set and look forward to stamping them on onesies..they make fun little gifts to give!!! I only had about 30 mins today to create a card and decided to try out the card sketch over at splitcoaststampers...it's so much fun to create your card and then to look through all the other designs...so much inspiration and creativity..it amazes me how we all follow the same sketch, yet no two cards are exactly alike..God really is amazing...he gave each of us the gift to share our souls with one another!!!

Present time!!

2008-04-01T12:49:00.009-05:00

I wanted to share a quick card with you that I made for my sister-in-law's birthday..nothing spectacular, just fun!! I used the new sets: It's a Celebration and Birthday Basics. I also incorporated the new PTI cardstock from this past month. The cardstock color is Sweet Blush and the paper is such high quality. I really enjoy crafting with it..It's almost too nice to even use!! For this card I stamped the present on sweet blush cardstock and cut it out. I then used a dimensional to give the present some depth. I like how the polka dotted paper flows with the polka dots on the present.. I also just love the sentiment.."Wishing you a beautiful year of promises fulfilled, joys discovered, and dreams come true"...she is expecting her first baby this August and thought this fit perfect!!

Papertrey Blog Hop!!!

2008-03-25T17:03:00.023-05:00

Hi..I'm so excited to participate in the first Papertrey Blog Hop!! This is going to be so much fun and I'm really looking forward to seeing all the creations!! We are so lucky Nichole has given us this awesome opportunity to network with people who love what we love...Papertrey Ink!!! Have fun!!! If you like my project please vote at http://www.papertreyink.com/bloghop.html

My project::: Ribbon basket!! As soon as I read the challenge I immediately thought..a basket..I have made these in the past but with paper and thought it would be fun to try with ribbon!!! As I looked through my new stamp sets from PTI..I noticed the sentiment "love blooms" from the Favor it Weddings set...I thought it would be fun to create a small basket that could hold flowers for small centerpieces or favors for a bridal shower...

Materials needed:

*1 strip of cardstock 3 1/4 X 12

preferably a lighter color..you will not see this because it gets covered with patterned paper. This is what you glue your ribbon to in order to keep it sturdy..

*5 12 inch strips of Papertrey Ink ribbon Classic Grosgrain Berry Sorbet(5/8 inch)

*12 7 inch strips of Papertrey Ink Ribbon Classic Grosgrain Sweet Blush(5/8 inch)

*Glue Dots

*Scissors

*stamps and ink

*patterened paper/matching cardstock

The first step is to weave your ribbon into the "basket"..this is very simple and just requires a few steps...First take a 7 inch strip and place vertically..then take a glue dot and place right in the middle of this strip. Take a 12 inch strip and place it on the glue dot going vertically..see picture.

(2)The next step is to turn this piece over to the back side...here, place a glue dot on the vertical strip again this time right above the strip you just put on..one on top and one on bottom..see picture.

(3)Next, flip it over again to the side you started with and repeat the steps you just did in step 2. See picture..

(4)The next steps require the weaving..this is very simple, especially once you get the hang of it...I have numbered each of the horizontal strips..this will help you see where to start.

Before you start weaving go back to the vertical strip on the left side. From that strip move over 1/4 inch and place a glue dot on the number 1, 3 and 5 strip. See picture.

Then, lift up the number 2 and 4 strip and place the 7 inch strip underneath those strips and pull over towards your glue dots. Place the strip on top of the glue dots and make sure to align the strips so they are flush with one another.

You will then switch to the number 2 and 4 strips..move over to the left..place your glue dots over 1/4 inch from the strip you just put on, placing them on the 2 and 4 strip. Then take another 7 inch strip lift up the number 1, 3 and 5 strips, slide the ribbon under towards your glue dots and place the strip.

Now, you will switch back to placing your glue dots on the number 1, 3 and 5 strips. Take your 7 inch strip and lift up the number 2 and 4 strip, slide the 7 inch strip over and place on to the glue dots..

You will repeat these steps switching back and forth until you reach the end. Here is the end result...

Now, take the 3 1/4 inch strip of cardstock that we cut at the beginning. Place tacky tape around the edges and place your ribbon on top.

Flip over the whole piece and pick one side to glue down the ribbon onto the backside.

You will then take your patterned paper and glue a strip over the ribbon you just glued down. I used the flower pattern from the 6X6 Pink Patterned paper..I had to cut 2 strips to fit it on..there is a crease but this will eventually get covered up by the handle. If you have left over ribbon on the sides, just glue those over the side..they will not be seen once you form the basket.

Now it is time to create the basket itself. Place glue on one side of the ribbon and fold it into the basket. See picture.

Next we make the bottom of the basket..You will have the extra ribbon there..the ribbon strips help the bottom have something to hold onto when you glue them together. Cut those strips so they are about a 1/2 inch long..trace the bottom onto cardstock and cut out 2 circles..Glue one circle in the inside of your basket and glue the other circle on the bottom.

Now, we create the handle and the label that goes around the basket. Cut 2 1 1/2 inch strips out of cardstock (your choice of color). I stamped ribbon and placed it on the center of both of the cardstock strips and gave them scalloped edges. I took one strip and placed tacky tape on both ends and then placed inside the basket to form the handle. I also stamped the sentiment "Love blooms" and placed that on the center ribbon with dimensionals.

I filled up a small tupperware with water and it fit perfect in the bottom of my basket. I filled the basket with Gerber Daisies(my favorite) and there you have a fun, unique bridal shower centerpiece or favor that your guests can bring home with them!!

Little One...

2008-03-24T11:24:00.006-05:00

I was so excited when my cousin and aunt asked me to make baby invitations for a shower they were giving for a friend of theirs. I love having a "job" to do..I love creating something from scratch and being able to share it with others!! It really is so much fun and I wish I could do it everyday!! The new mom is having a little boy and I immediately thought of the little sheep from the My Punny Valentine set from Papertrey...I just love that little sheep and think it is fitting for a little boy...I absolutely love the colors brown and blue together and decided to go with that color scheme..As a crafter, especially a card maker you are always looking around for inspiration and ideas..I happened to be buying some clothes from Gap and used one of my giftcards from Christmas..well, I looked down at the little holder my card was in and thought that would make a cute holder for my invite. It's so funny where you can get inspiration from... I decided to use Kraft paper for the sturdiness, as well as for a more natural look. I punched the bodies of my sheep with my small scallop punch using the blue paper. I stamped the head and legs of my sheep on Kraft paper and cut them out..making sure to leave a little brown around the stamped image. I then stamped out a larger scallop out of cream vellum and glued this behind the punched out blue paper..this was the body of my sheep. I wanted to keep the polka dot theme throughout the invite, so I also placed the polka dot paper behind the vellum. I glued the head and legs onto the blue paper. I then stamped the sentiment "little one" underneath the sheep and did a bit of distressing around the blue edges. I sewed both sides and the bottom of the card making sure to keep the top open for my invitation. I used the smaller polka dot stamp from the Polka Dot set from PTI and stamped the top of the card... To create the opening and closing of the card holder, I used my cuttlebug to punch out several small circles and used brads to hold them in place. It is a very simple way to fasten cards and I like the look of it... Instead of using hemp string(I found it to be too thick) I used a smaller version of yarn that I found at Michael's and it worked perfect.. As for the invitation itself, I just used the polka dot paper and printed the information on vellum and used ribbon to secure it to the paper. It is very simple but I think the ribbon gives it just the right amount of embellishing..I didn't want to over do it...Well, that's it!! I really hope they enjoy them..I sure had fun creating them!!

More Snow...blah..

2008-03-17T20:24:00.008-05:00

It was somewhat of a depressing day today..I woke up to it snowing outside..I'm sooo sick of the snow..I thought I wouldn't have to see it until next year but I should have known...it does this every year to us Midwesterners..just when we think it is going to get warm, it goes and snows on us. Please Spring, I know you are out there somewhere!!! And, I didn't make honorable mention again this month..I was really hoping to but not a big deal..there were some really neat entries and I'm sure it is impossible for Nichole to pick only 10...I'll just keep trying and who knows..maybe win gueststar stamper!!! That would be crazy... I'm looking forward to my new stamp sets arriving.. I broke down today and ordered a bit more..Brian is going to kill me.. I had to get the new colored cardstock in Sweet Blush and Berry Sorbet..Love those names.. I created a few cards today while the kids were napping. I used the Women of Life set..I really enjoy this set and think Melissa did a great job on designing it. I just love the flower pattern and the versatility of changing up the centers. The first card is a thank you for my mother-in-law. I love cutting out the stamped flowers and stacking them on top of one another. I think it really adds an uniqueness to the card. I also clear embossed the flower image to the background. I love how it picks up light at different angles. I also included the sentiment, "To the world you may just be one person, but to one person you may be the world" inside the card. I just love that saying and thought it was fitting for this thank you card. The second card I created was a birthday card for my sister-in-law. This time around I used the large flower set and placed jewels as my centers. I had to try out my new crop-a-dile and put in the purple eyelets...(it was a bit confusing at first and it seemed to take some of the paint off my eyelets..has this ever happened to anyone else??? any suggestions would be great!!!) As I'm looking at both my cards I noticed I was in a purple mood..it has to be the weather and the fact that I'm drawn to purple and green!! Thanks for looking!!

Pink and Brown

2008-03-15T11:26:00.007-05:00

I love the color combo pink and brown..I seem to use it quite a bit in my projects. I had created this babydoll dress once before as a shower invitation using vellum paper..once I saw the new Polka Dot set from PTI, I knew I wanted to use it on the dress. This time around I made it into a card rather than just two-sided so I was able to put a sentiment inside as well. I also created the buttons on the dress by stamping them and then using my piercer to put two tiny holes. This turned out pretty cute because when the card is closed you can see enough pink through the holes to make them look like real buttons from afar. I also created a smaller version of the dress and used it as a gift tag. I just love baby girl dresses and every time I see this card I want to go and put Nora in a dress..(with cute tights!!:)...

Grammy Portrait Boxes

2008-03-14T16:03:00.010-05:00

My children are soooo lucky..they have 2 wonderful, caring and high-spirited Grammys that spoil( I mean take REALLY good care) of them!! They love their grandchildren so much and also help me out a ton! I don't know what we would do without them. I'm always giving them lots and lots of pictures of Sam and Nora..and they only have so much room on the refrigerator..Well, I had purchased a few of the egg boxes from PTI..they are just adorable!! As I was brainstorming for my gueststar stamper creations I came up with the idea of a portrait box!! These little boxes work great because they hold a 4X6 picture perfectly and a lot of them. So, I decided to create a "brag" portrait box for the Grandmas..that way they can store ALL the pictures I give them and show them off whenever they want to. I used the new set Women of Life(such a beautiful and fun set to work with) to decorate my box. I stamped the large flower, cut it out and then punched out the centers. I then found pictures of Sam and Nora's faces that would fit inside the centers. I just punched their faces out as well and glued the flower to the picture. I ended up creating a bouquet of flowers for the top of my box.. For my sentiment I printed out "We love you bunches" on my computer and stamped "Grandma" from the stamp Grandmother by altering it a bit. I then stamped the flower design around the sides of the box..this was a bit hard because I did not have a solid surface behind it.. I just used my other hand and pushed back as hard as I could.. it ended up turning out better than I thought. I also stamped this same design on a piece of cardstock that I placed at the bottom of my box.. so, once all the pictures are removed you get a bit of a surprise!! I am planning on filling these up with new pictures of the kids and giving them to the Grammy's for Mother's Day..what an easy, affordable and straight from the heart kinda gift!! I know they will love it!!

Busy..busy..busy

2008-03-10T23:09:00.007-05:00

I have not been a very good blogger here the last few weeks..I just wish I had more time..life goes by soo fast, especially with two little ones to take care of! But I wouldn't change it for the world. I have been able to do some stamping and creating lately but not nearly as much as I would like. We are so close to the 15th here.. I have been trying to get some projects into Nichole for gueststar stamper over at Papertrey Ink...Her company is really taking off and it seems that each month the competition gets harder and harder..I definitely do not fit into the caliber of creations she has been receiving lately..but I do like the challenge and also have to give myself some credit..I just started this cardmaking stuff a few months ago..it will take practice, time, supplies, knowledge and I know I will get there someday..that is how passionate I am about this hobby.. I just know something good will come out of all of this!!! Anyway, as soon as the 15th rolls around and I finish googling all over the cool projects Nichole picks for honorable mentions I will post my projects.. Until then thanks for taking the time to read!!

Happy Birthday Sweetie Pie...

2008-02-26T17:27:00.003-06:00

My little niece Gracie will be turning 1 in a few days...I just can't believe it!! It seems like yesterday when my brother called me from Colorado to share the most exciting news..she had finally arrived..safe and healthy! She is the most adorable, cutest, loving little baby girl..I just wish they lived closer to us..I know Nora and her will be great friends when they get a bit older.. they are only 4 months apart!! I created this little card for her using once again my Papertrey Ink stamps. I love the sheep in the My Punny Valentine set. I just get a warm and fuzzy baby feeling whenever I use it..It is so whimsical and classic for a little one!! I decided to use the sentiment Happy Birthday Sweetie Pie!! I just love that saying for a little girl..she definitely is a little sweetie pie! I stamped the image and then cut it out.. I like cutting out my stamped designs but leaving just a smidge of the original paper around the ink to add a bit of dimension.. I hope she has a wonderful 1st birthday and many, many more to come!!! Love you Gracie!

You make everything bloom!!

2008-02-18T08:55:00.011-06:00

My mom is my best friend in the whole world.. I don't know what I would do without her in my life...She has always been there for me and I can rely on her for support. I love her very much and wish she lived closer...Last night I was thinking about her and thought I would create a little card to just let her know how much she means to me!! I love patterned paper...I'm the one that literally spends hours looking at every piece at the store and holds up the lines at Michaels because they scan each individual piece of paper..(sorry!!) I have always loved cutting up my paper and using the designs within them on my creations. I did that with this card for my mom.. The flowers, the base strip and the flower stems are all from patterned paper I had. I then heat embossed the centers of my flowers with clear powder just to give it a bit of dimension. I also used dimensionals on my flowers to have them pop out a bit. I used the sentiment "You make everything Bloom" from the PTI set Spirial Bouquet. I also heat embossed this..I love the look it gives..so fresh!! I love you MOM!!

Just Because

2008-02-17T20:20:00.010-06:00

I created this little gift for my mom and dad and thought I would share it with you... The other day I was switching around the pictures on my refrigerator and came up with an idea... I own the Mixed Messages stamp set from PTI and within that set Nichole has included several small sentiments. Well, I thought why not make my own magnets...it was so easy to do and I think it would be fun to give as small gifts..who doesn't like cute little magnets for their refrigerators, filing cabinets at work or any place magnets will stick!!! I was so excited because it was the first time using my new cuttlebug...the only cuts I own at the moment are 4 nesting squares so that is what I decided to use as my shape. I first cut out 6 squares with my patterned paper using the largest square diecut. I then went a size smaller and cut out 6 more squares using my solid cardstock. I then stamped each of the solid squares with one of the sentiments from the set. I then pierced small holes around each of the scallops and added brads to each corner. I was so excited about this next step because it worked so well. I was able to run my magnetic paper through my cuttlebug to cut out the magnets for the back of my squares. I used the smaller square magnet and it really looked clean. I repeated the steps but this time used the smaller two squares from my diecuts so I had a smaller magnet. I love the tins that PTI sells and this worked great to store my magnets in. I decorated the tin with the patterned paper and hemp ribbon. I also cut out the larger square and stamped Just Because as the name of my gift and placed it on the top of the tin. I thought it was fitting for this gift for my parents. So simple yet clean and detailed enough to give as gifts...

Tulips...

2008-02-13T17:26:00.004-06:00

Even though it is only the middle of February I'm wishing for Spring..the pathetic thing is that it probably won't feel like Spring here in Wisconsin until the middle of April..if we are lucky..YAAA!! I can do it, I can do it!! Anyway, I'm always looking for inspiration for my creations and was going through Nora's clothes the other day and found this adorable tulip dress...I thought I have to make this into a card!! I looked through all my stamp sets from PTI and knew right away that the small leaf stamp from the Out on a Limb set would work great...So, I got to work.. I first traced my stems with pencil and then did some faux stitching.. First time doing it as you can tell..but hey, the only way to get better at something is to practice...(If you have any suggestions on ways to execute faux stiching please share it with me!) I then stamped my tulips onto the stems...I colored the inside of the tulips with my 3-d paint pens.. I really liked how that turned out..it added some dimension to the flowers. I then took the larger 3 leaved stamp from the same set and colored only one leaf to form my small leaves below the flower and on the stems. I finished the design off by stamping the grass from the set My Punny Valentine. I added the sentiment Easter Wishes and finished off with some ribbons and jeweled brads!! Come on Spring!!

Polka Dots...

2008-02-11T08:56:00.001-06:00

I am sooo excited..I just checked out Nichole's blog this morning and she is debuting one of her new stamp sets...POLKA DOTS!! My absolute favorite..it is so funny because yesterday I created a card around polka dots..I'm really drawn to them right now!!! This set looks so neat..she has 6 different polka dot backgrounds to choose from!! I will definitely be buying this set on the 15th and about a hundred other things..oh, my husband is not going to be happy... One of my to do's on my wish list is to create a personal crafting space just for me...I have been doing all my crafting at the kitchen table and countertops..I have all my supplies and paper in boxes and on the floor in my bedroom.. so, I will run from one room to the next trying the find the "right paper, embellishment, supply or ribbon". I can't do it like this anymore..I'm forgetting what I have and I truly feel like my creativity is suffering because of it.. So, I will be moving to the basement today!! Once the kids are asleep I'm going to start creating my own little nook in one of the bedrooms down there..I should have done it a long time ago but I do like being close to my babies when they are sleeping. Now that they are a bit older and sleep for longer periods of time I feel more comfortable going down there and working!! Now, if only I had the money to buy all the cool organizing tools out there..I would die to have Nichole's space..it is so organized..I told my husband I will only do a little at a time..before you know it it will be done!! I will definitely post a picture once it is completed!!! Wish me luck... I have included a picture of the polka dot card I created yesterday..the color is a bit different..it is not pink..it is a creamy off white color..(sorry).. I used my scalloped circle punch to create the flowers..I had the raised circular pebble stickers left over from my Christmas card so just placed those on paper and cut around them to form the centers of the flowers..it just adds a bit of dimension. I used the sentiment from the Out on a Limb set by Martin Luther..What a wonderful quote that really does make you appreciate your surroundings!!

Baby news!!

2008-02-07T09:41:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited!! My brother-in-law Andy and his wife Shonda are expecting their first baby!! I know they have wanted this for awhile and we are just so happy for them!!! It is so funny because all our family and friends are pregnant now..we were the first out of all our friends to have babies and now that I'm done for a bit all my girlfriends are having babies..There is nothing like being pregnant for the first time..so many firsts and lots of unknowns..that is what makes it so special and scary!!! If they only knew what was ahead of them...I can't even explain it to them so I just sit back and watch...I don't think you really realize what a miracle this little person is until you are holding them in your arms for the first time...oh.. and once you have the baby..no sleep and no sleep and no sleep...but it is soooo worth it...I'm really looking forward to meeting all these new little ones!! I wanted to share with you a baby shower card I did for my cousin Emily..I just love girly stuff and love baby dresses... I came up with the dress template and printed the information onto the vellum paper..I then secured it to the card by the ribbon..I also created a smaller version of the dress to use as a placecard for each person at the shower.. I also had cut out several different patterned dresses and we hung them up throughout the house using ribbon and small clothespins..it really turned out cute.

Something fun to try...

2008-02-05T21:48:00.000-06:00

I created this thank you card today that I would like to share with you..it was so fun to create and definitely is a bit unique...

I used the sentiment Thanks so much from the PTI set Out on a Limb..I stamped it in black across the paper and repeated this three more times so I had a total of 4 lines. I then stamped this same sentiment in red on a separate piece of paper exactly as I had stamped the black. This is a bit time consuming because I really had to make sure to follow the black pattern as close as possible. I then took my small square punch and randomly punched out 6 squares from the red pattern making sure to remember where they were in the pattern. I then placed each red square over the same black pattern using dimensionals. It really adds depth to my card and is definitely something a bit unique... I just love the contrasting colors of red and black..it always dresses up a card to the classy level!! Just thought I would share a little technique with you!!

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Supplies: Cardstock: Prism red, white, black

Stamps: Papertrey Ink/Out on a Limb

Embellishments: Velvet ribbon/hobby lobby; brads and jewels/Paper studio

Other: Small scalloped scissors; dimensionals; glue dots

Excitment brewing over at Nichole's blog

2008-02-04T08:31:00.000-06:00

WOW..so exciting.. I was gone over the weekend with my husband celebrating my 30th birthday so didn't have time to check Nichole's blog..Of course as soon as we walked into the door last night I kissed and hugged and kissed and hugged Sam and Nora and then ran into the computer and checked out the blog..Wow..lots of neat things happening over there... New stamp designers, new design team members, new and fresh ideas..I'm just ecstatic( and a bit jealous..I wish I could be apart of that wonderful team...) I know, I know I have a ways to go to even be considered a gueststar stamper.. I can't get ahead of myself here and actually this is making me want to work even harder at my creations and to really start stepping up my game here. I know I can do it..it will take time and much practice...What I have to keep reminding myself is that this is a hobby..something I love to do the other things will follow if meant to be!! I was up all night thinking of one of my projects for Nichole..So, I'm anxious to get started..The funny thing is I come up with a core idea and then just can't get that out of my head..and many times the idea is sooo far-fetched it's almost impossible to create but that is how I then come up with my paper creations..I just love it..

Thank you cards

2008-01-30T14:10:00.000-06:00

I received some wonderful gifts for my 30th birthday and wanted to get my thank you cards out to everyone. One of my favorite color combos is soft pink and green..Two of my favorite colors. I decided to keep it very simple and sweet and created this card...it was so simple to make and easy to mass produce. Once it was finished I felt it had a Hawaiian feel..it could have been the hemp used as the ribbon or the fact that it has been 40 below zero here the last 5 days..help me.. I'm also really into polka dots these days..they are so fun and can be used to really dress a card up or make it more playful...It is definitely a classic design that works for many projects. The sentiment I chose is from the Mixed Messages set from PTI. Hope you like it!!

Supplies..Supplies

2008-01-27T20:44:00.001-06:00

I'm so excited!! I received a couple of gift cards to Micheal's to stock up on supplies!! I dragged the whole family there on Saturday evening and shopped my little heart out! I was throwing everything into my cart that I saw and let's just say it was everything I saw..then aisle 6 and what do I see with my spying eye??? A Cuttlebug!! YAAA... I have always wanted one and have read about Nichole using hers for many projects so back went most of the supplies I had thrown into my cart and in went the Cuttlebug!! Now, I just need to start stocking up on the Spellbinder Nestibilities at PTI!! I cannot wait to try cutting and embossing with those..they look like an excellent product!! This cardmaking hobby of mine definitely is not cheap but like I tell my husband..life is too short and this makes me happy!!

I have some great ideas for this coming month to send to PTI!! I'm hoping for another honorable mention if not a gueststar appearance..We'll just have to see..fingers crossed!!! I created a couple of cards over the weekend that I would like to share with you...the first is a card I made using the sheep set from My Punny Valentine and the second is a Welcome Baby card created by using the Mixed Messages set..(which I just love)...

Countdown to Valentine's Day S.W.A.K challenge!!

2008-01-25T10:47:00.001-06:00

I just loved the little heart template that Lisa Johnson created to go along with PTI's new heart tins!! I'm waiting for mine to arrive in the mail here..fingers crossed!! Although I was not part of the challenge I thought I would do one for fun!! My brain was swimming with ideas last night while I was running back and forth to get different paper, supplies and embellishments for my creation..there is nothing more exciting than coming up with your ideas..I just love it.. Not sure about you but I'm definitely a talk-to-myself-out loud kinda person.. My husband thinks I'm crazy that's for sure.. I've even caught myself talking to my cards!!LOL! Anyway, once I got the kids to bed I got to work.. Every year since I have met my husband I have given him "love tickets" at Valentine's Day..Usually things like 1 ticket to sleep in; 1 ticket for a night at the movies; 1 ticket for a massage(of course, his favorite!!) and so on.. Well, I thought this year my tickets could be the hearts!! What an easier and adorable way to use them.. and once I receive my tin hearts that is where they will be stored.. So, I cut out 14 hearts from a beautiful patterned paper..I tried to keep it a bit masculine..I then stamped the sentiment Be Mine from the Limitless Label set from PTI to put on the outside of my heart..I then put a piece of cardstock inside the heart to form an envelope for my "ticket". I then punched a small heart in the front of the card so you could see the cardstock through it. This is where I placed my numbers for my countdown to Valentines.. I then cut small strips of cardstock and wrote out each of my "tickets"..Some examples, Walk by moonlight; Dinner and a movie; Body massage; Sleep as late as you want and so on...this is great because YOU can do whatever you want to do... I folded them once in half and tied a small ribbon around them. I then just placed them inside my little envelope in the heart. Now, once I receive my small tin I will place my hearts in order starting with the number 14 and make my way down to number 1..Then each day he will open up a new heart to read the "ticket". I wanted to make my number 1 ticket more special so I wrote on the ticket "Look on kitchen table" Here is where my bigger tin comes into play.. I will fill it with Hershey truffles(his favorite) along with Minnesota Gopher Basketball tickets!! He is going to just love it!!! So, I thought this little Valentine creation would be fun for both of us..it will keep our romance alive(sorta..with a 2 and 1 year old that is almost impossible) and get us through most of the month of February(the winters here just kill me)!! I'm looking forward to February 1st for when I can give it to him and hoping my tins get here today so I can finish!!! Thanks again for the template Lisa!! I just love your work!!! And, please keep me in mind for the next time around!!

Make a Wish!!

2008-01-19T20:47:00.000-06:00

Well, I will be celebrating a big milestone in my life on Tuesday..Yes..I will be turning the big 3 0!!! YAAA!! That is a bit scary for me..where has the time gone?? It feels like I just celebrated my 20th birthday...still in college, living a crazy and carefree life and now here I am ten years later married with two beautiful babies..The saying that time goes by faster the older you get is definitely true.. I have to be positive with the whole thing and I'm actually looking forward to my thirties..watching my children grow into little people, hopefully adding more little people into the world, spending time with my husband and family and continuing my passion of creating cards!! So, I thought it would be fitting to leave you a card I made titled "Make a Wish". I have my wish all planned out and ready for when I blow out all 30 candles on Tuesday..and no, I can't tell you what it is or it won't come true!!!

Honorable Mention!!!

2008-01-17T08:41:00.000-06:00

I'm just soooo excited!! I received Honorable Mention again this month from Nichole Heady and Papertrey...This is such an honor!! I'm just so suprised because the women I am mentioned with are soooo talented...Nichole is a sweetheart for even considering my work..it just makes me want to try even harder!! I worked soo hard to come up with another project that she would enjoy and she actually did!! So cool!!!! She chose my basket that I created and I'm just so happy!! It was so funny because I checked her blog last night before bed to see if she had posted anything and there were the Honorable Mentions...As I scrolled down the page my heart was beating a mile a minute..One after another my hopes slowly dwindled away and all of a sudden I saw my name...the last one..YAAA.. I just started screaming and jumping up and down!! I just get sooo excited...You can definitely tell I'm an amateur at this stuff..all the other mentions have professional pictures and their signature watermarks..my picture is rather blah and doesn't do justice to my basket..but my husband promised to help me this next month so I'm definitely taking him up on it!! Nichole is doing a really cool thing this month by allowing us..the customers to vote on which Honorable Mention we like the best...Well, I haven't received any votes yet but hey..I can't get too cocky here!! LOL!! Thanks again Nichole..you made my month once again!!!

Basket made with love

2008-01-10T15:19:00.000-06:00

Now that I'm a mom one of my favorite times of the day is right before falling asleep. I have just checked on my babies and they are peacefully sleeping..(best feeling in the whole world) I crawl into my bed, sink my head into my pillow and find my cozy position...I say my prayers and then the ideas just start flowing..I try and think of ways to alter my cards and to come up with something completely new! I eventually fall asleep and dream of my ideas.. Once I awake in the morning I find my journal, jot down my fresh ideas and then look forward to the time I can try them out!! Well, one of my bedtime ideas came to me the other night.. One of the stamp sets from Papertrey Ink that I received from my brother Ben for Christmas(thanks Ben.. love you) is called My Punny Valentine.. some of the stamps included in this set are strawberries with a small twist..they look like hearts!! For some reason I kept thinking of a basket full of strawberries..So, the next day I starting playing around with paper and made an adorable basket out of long, thin strips of paper..it was actually fairly simple and easy to make! The great thing about it is that it can be made to any size that you would like..I think it really turned out cute and it can be used for so many different projects/themes..I'm really looking forward to Easter..so many ideas... Once the basket was complete I stamped ribbon with the smaller strawberry stamp to go along my handle. I then added ribbon around the basket that held my sentiment..Love you Berry Much!! I knew I had to fill my basket with "strawberries" and found the yummy Strawberry and Creme Lifesavers. If you are familiar with Nichole Heady's creations she is known for her label designs...She takes white mailing labels and creates stamps to fill in the area..she then uses those to cover different candies..so, in this case I used her small strawberry stamp to go along with one of her label stamps from her new stamp set Limitless Labels. I cut it out to fit around the lifesaver..It couldn't have worked out more perfect.. And now I have a basket full of "strawberries" made with love!!

Cheers!

2008-01-03T15:28:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!! Wow..I can't believe it is 2008! That is definitely crazy...where does the time go?? I know..lots of hugs and kisses and oh yeah, diapers!!! I'm looking forward to another great year full of excitement!! Now that I have found my new passion I have set some goals for myself for the coming year....1) Find a wonderful design team 2) Get at least 2-3 items published 3) Receive honorable mention/guest star stamper on Nichole Heady's blog 4) Sell some of my work in a local store here in town 5)Continue to LOVE what I'm doing at the end of the year!! There you have it.. I know those are some big goals but definitely doable as long as I put my heart and soul into my work!! I was so excited today..my husband Brian was off of work so I piled everyone into the car and we drove to Michael's Craft Store.. I put a movie on in the car for the kids and had Brian drive around while I shopped by MYSELF!! It was sooo exciting because I was able to actually shop for my supplies without chasing around two toddlers and didn't have to leave the store with 2 packs of Thomas the Train stickers that cost 6 dollars!! YEAH!!! I picked out some new ink, glitter, glue, paper..lots of cool paper.. I was in the Valentine mood so lots of pinks, reds and real girly prints.. Just beautiful! And of course..my favorite..ribbon!! One of the reasons for my shopping excursion goes along with one of my goals..to sell some of my work in a local store...Well, my mother-in-law did a bit of a sales pitch for me at a store here in our downtown that sells beautiful women clothing and jewelry. They just opened a new section in the store where they sell unique gifts. The manager of the store would like to see some of my cards and would be willing to sell some in her store if she likes them.. YAAA..pressure..it makes me so nervous but this is what I want.. what can I lose??? Nothing! Just a great opportunity!! So, we will see!! I may be crossing off one of my goals here shortly!! Wish me luck!! I hope you all had a great New Years and Cheers!!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T14:31:00.000-06:00

Hope you all had a great Christmas filled with joy and yummy food!! We had a wonderful Christmas this year and Santa was definitely good to all of us! There is nothing better than being with family and this year I really realized how BLESSED we all are. We are all healthy and happy and are pretty lucky to have the things we have. It is a good time to reflect on all our gifts and to find ways to help others that may need a bit more. In the coming year I definitely would like to start giving back...because I love card making so much and working with children I thought it may be fun to call up to the children's hospital here in town and see if I would be able to come up and help some of the kids make cards! Wouldn't that be fun? Please stay tuned to see how it all turns out... What is something you could do to warm some one's heart this year? Just some food for thought!! I saw the wreath on my door and thought it would be fun to recreate..so, here it is using the small leaf stamp from the Take a Bough set. I will leave you with the sentiment...Season's Greetings!!

Oh my goodness..Oh my gracious!!!

2007-12-15T11:17:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it.. I received honorable mention this morning on Nichole Heady's blog!!! That is sooooooo exciting for me.. I worked sooo hard this past month trying to come up with a card that would impress Nichole and she actually picked one of mine!! OH MY GOSH!! Thanks so much Nichole..you don't know how much this means to me.. For all of you stay at home mommas you know how life is.. the best in the whole world yet it can get a bit mundane..I started falling into the trap of what else is out there for me..I know I'm a good mom and I know I'm soooo lucky and blessed to get to be with my kids everyday but there are moments I feel I should be doing more with this life of mine!! Well, finding Nichole's blog has really lit a fire in me and I have found a passion that I just love..card making!! I've only just begun and have a really good feeling about the future! Life is definitely short..you need to believe in something and for me... that is my babies and stamping!!! Here is my card that made honorable mention at nicholeheady.typepad.com...

Christmas Spirit

2007-12-04T08:38:00.001-06:00

I can't believe three more weeks until Christmas Eve!! WOW! Where does the time go? I feel like I was just putting up my decorations last year..life is too fast.. I'm particularly excited for Christmas this year..I want to decorate..I want to see all the lights on houses and I just can't get enough of the music..especially the classics. It's different this year because of my babies..we all know it is such a magical time for children and as adults we miss that time(at least I do). Well, now I get to replay that magic and have a big part in creating it! What fun! There is nothing better than seeing the joy and pure wonder in my children's eyes when I turn on the Christmas tree lights every evening! As I see the sparkle in their eyes it reminds me of the old Christmas saying "Believe". This year they have helped me to believe; to believe in love, to believe in joy and to believe in each other. Now that is a gift!!

I created my card once again using Papertrey Stamps. I used the Spirial Bouquet set to spell "Believe" and used the Take a Bough set to create my snowman!

Goosebumps!

2007-11-26T20:58:00.000-06:00

All of this stamping business is new to me..I had never really gotten into the stamping thing until now.. and boy, am I hooked!! A few weeks ago I was surfing the net on inspirations for cards and came across Nichole Heady's blog..I was unfamiliar with the whole blog scene but something about Nichole's website drew me in..she is an amazing writer and wow..what ideas!! It was so inspiring and I sat at my computer for almost 2 hours reading through her entire blog!! I then realized she had started a company with two women called Papertrey Ink! What a neat story and it truly shows that life is full of surprises. I fell instantly in love with her stamps and all that goes with it! I immediately ordered my first set..Take a Bough.. I was anxious for it to arrive and checked everyday for the package..Finally, it came!! YAAA!! I opened it up and it was so fun to transfer my new stamps onto the CD case..I loved the smell of the new stamps..it seriously gave me goosebumps..The funny thing..I forgot to order ink..So, here I was with brand spankin' new stamps but no ink..It was close to bath time for my kids..so into the bath they went..down for bed and it was close to 9 pm..I had to run to Walmart for a few things and out of pure luck walked by their scrap booking section..I never knew it existed!! And there it was..ink..I had to get it..I didn't even know if it was the right kind..When I got home I just started stamping and since then I haven't stopped..It is so addicting and refreshing!! I think I found my calling..However, I have a long way to go..the cards I have seen out there are just amazing! Hopefully, someday I can reach that caliber of creativity!! So, tonight I will leave you with one of my very first cards I stamped using Papertrey Ink Stamps from the Take a Bough set!

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas

2007-11-25T20:56:00.000-06:00

Ever since I can remember I have always enjoyed crafting of some sort! I love buying my supplies...paper, new markers, stamps, ink, embellishments..you name it, I love it! I have always enjoyed scrap booking and creating cards but it wasn't until my first baby was born that I started getting into making cards. It all started with Sam's first birthday party.. The theme..Frogs! I had a blast creating his card and it was fun to send off to family! There is nothing better than coming up with an idea and creating your cards! I lay awake at night thinking "OK..blue or green ribbon? right or left corner?" It goes on and on in my little brain of mine that many times I just have to get up and either right down my ideas or actually create it!! Call me crazy.. I know! I thought it would be fun to share some of my ideas with you.. and hopefully inspire at least one person out there in this big world. And I'm hoping to get inspirations from all of you.. Wish me luck in my new blogging experience!!