Happy Birthday!

Today is Meg's birthday! Have a delightful day. I know she's already seen this, but for the rest of you:

A letterpress birthday card is a happy (and girly!) birthday card! The chair and sentiment are inked up in purple, topped by some silver tinselly stuff. This is one bulky fiber, so it doesn't wrap around (that would've looked goofy!). Instead, it's held pretty securely in place with scor-tape. Hope it survived the trip!  The upper half is actually inked in a custom-blended charcoal color, though it ended up looking pretty much like black once it dried -- oops!  That design wraps onto the back:

I don't think I've ever made a card with such a pretty back :)

Meg, I hope you have an absolutely delightful birthday! Everyone else -- well, have absolutely delightful un-birthdays!!

Color Cue 7

Hey there!
Happy Friday! My school year has kicked off, and it's pretty good so far -- nice students who seem ready to go. Can't ask for more!  But that's not what you're here for, of course. How about a card? I decided to participate in a challenge that's new for me -- the WPlus9 Color Cue Challenge.  Their stamps are really cute, though I don't have any of them...yet!  Here are the colors:

And here's what I came up with:

Made use of some newer stamps -- Stampin' Up's Party this Way and Rough Type alphabet. I stamped the banner image in Aqua Mist once on PTI Vintage Cream and once on October Afternoon dp from the Thrift Shop collection (love that gingham!), then added the letters in riding hood red. I punched holes in the corners, then threaded my little banner onto some twine, popping up each flag along the way and tying the whole thing off on a couple of Making Memories glitter brads. The "you" on the side is from one of PTI's Fillable Frames sets -- 6, I think? A little twiney bow on the top of a Lemon Tart base, and this card is done!

I think I'll hang onto this card and surprise the husband with it one day. Hope you like it! I'm off to enjoy my weekend -- I hope you do, too! 

Oh dear...

Oh, post-CHA madness is upon me. I went shopping at Scrappy Chic. Here's what I got:

Booooo, Cosmo Cricket! No fair releasing all your new lines at ONCE! I showed remarkable restraint, seeing how many goodies I could've gotten. Only one crafting kit (Togetherness, which is my fave), some mini decks, a couple individual sheets, and some accessories (including new Tiny Type, which I use the heck out of).

Also:

Just a couple Jillibean goodies -- those dang letter stickers, which are so cute but hard to see, and the embroidery floss/baker's twine hybrid. Both of these come in several colors/patterns, in case you were wondering.

Allllsssso....

KaiserCraft has a couple new lines that are really cute, but I made a beeline for the stamps. These are really versatile for cards and pages, and I think I'll get lots of use out of them. Plus, the quality's really quite good for such inexpensive stamps.

Um, also...

My Mind's Eye's Lost and Found collection deserves some kind of award. All four series in the collection are just lovely. This is Portobello Road, and I really only grabbed a couple things -- there's way more available. The banner and "celebrate" have glitter on them...it's pretty, but now I leave a trail of glitter wherever I go, including on our bed, which is where I took these photos :) Those buttons and fibers are really pretty, no?

FINALLY...(oy, I'm off buying for awhile):

From the same collection, MORE STAMPS! Love the style, the versatility -- I'm really trying to stamp more on my layouts...don't know why it's so hard to cross over! -- and once again, remarkable quality for $6 sets. They aren't goofy and squishy like some of the other accessory stamps I've seen and tried to use. Yes, I check these things before I buy :)

Ok then, now it's time to play! I already broke into the Cosmo goodies for the layout in the post below...time to put it all into action now!

Besides playing, gotta get the last couple handouts ready for the start of classes tomorrow. Wish me luck!  What fun things are you up to today?  Have fun!

Hope Mom's not reading this...

Hey folks! I have a layout to share today (finally! It's been awhile).

I stopped by Scrappy Chic yesterday, because I knew they'd gotten a bunch of new goodies in. Oh boy, am I in trouble! So much fun new stuff! And so much more on the way! And so many exclamations in one paragraph!!!  (If you wanna know what else I scooped up, let me know -- that's a whole other post!)

Anyway, Chris needed some back-to-school themed layouts for an in-store display, so here's what I came up with:

So, that's my mom. She's adorable...but she hates this school picture (hence the post title). The title makes sense if you read the journaling, but maybe it makes sense anyway :) You should be able to click for a larger image if the type is too tiny.

I used the brand-spankin' new Cosmo Cricket Togetherness line on this one. I did break down and buy the whole Crafting kit, but here I just used the mini-deck and chip stickers. I went for a retro quilty feel that I hope fits with the era of the photo. Oh, and I'm proud of myself -- that photo started as a very well-loved wallet size image, and I scanned it and used my Picasa skillz to retouch the worst bits. Looks pretty good now, but still well-loved.

Let's see, what else? Oh, the alpha stickers are Jillibean Soup. They're kinda annoying, because the whole sticker sheet is printed, not just the letters -- so they're borderless (good), but near-impossible to see on the sheet (bad). I liked the font and print too much to pass them up, though. The sort-of baker's twine in the chip buttons is also Jillibean. It has the look of baker's twine, but it seems to be made of embroidery floss instead. I dig. A little (ok, a LOT) of machine stitching rounds it all out.

Do you like it? I do! But I know one mom who won't...oh, well!

Before I go, voting has opened for the team challenge I posted about earlier. You can go HERE to vote -- just look for a project in each category from Creative Critters!! Mine is in the last bunch, but all 4 of us created some awesome goodies!

The Ultimate Summer Challenge!

Hey folks -

Well, it's my last weekend of freedom before classes begin, and how am I spending it? Stamping, for one! I was fortunate enough to be asked to join with the super talented Emily, Meg and Donna for a team challenge at the PaperWorks blog:  the Ultimate Summer Challenge! (Go see their fabulous entries if you get a sec.) We're Team Creative Critters!

I had the 4th and final challenge: Technique.  I needed to make my own designer paper -- fun! Who doesn't love that? So, here's what I did:

I started with this:

Ooh, very exciting. Tissue paper...from my latest online order, no less. It's all scrunchy, but not very designer just yet. Here's what happened next:

Now it's scrunchy and grey! But that's not all -- check it:

Can you see how sparkly it is? I sprayed my tissue with two different Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists -- Charcoal chalk, which is sparkly enough on its own, but then I went over it with Marshmallow, which really upped the glimmer factor and gave it a nice mottled look.

Wanna see why grey and crinkly makes sense? Here you go:

It's an elephant! Ha. I made elephant skin (only shimmery -- too bad real elephants don't shimmer!). This digi image was graciously provided by Chi Chi Memories for losers like me who don't have any Paper Works stamps. He and his pal are watercolored, then layered up with some cardstock strips, October Afternoon paper, trims, and of course my "elephant skin." Oh, I used spray adhesive to get the tissue onto the card and preserve some of its crinkle-ness. I'm happy with the results. If you are too, starting tomorrow you can go vote for the Creative Critters projects over at the PaperWorks blog.  I think we rocked all four challenges!

OK, off to a Dream Cruise party. Here's to freedom!!

A quick post...

...and a happy birthday!

Not to me, though: to my husband! This day marks the beginning of the one month and 5 days that we're the same age. Then, I get old again ;)

Used some paper from Basic Grey's Obscure line -- an oldie but a goodie. It was just too white, so I hit it with some brown Glimmer Mist. The focal point is die-cut from cardboard (very manly), inked and stamped with PTI's Say it with Style. Speaking of oldies -- see that big ol' grommet? Remember them? I dug out my old Making Memories tools for setting them, couldn't remember how, gave up and used a 1/2" circle punch and a screwdriver instead. Inventive!  The die (and the inked-up tissue tape) are Tim Holtz. Card is 9 by about 3 inches.

Well, we're off for some birthday-fun outings. Hope you're having a lovely day!

CAS80: Proud Guest Designer!!

Hey there, stamp land!

This week, it's my honor to be the guest designer for the Clean and Simple challenge over on Splitcoast Stampers. This week, it's a sketch challenge, based on this lovely card from DT member Emily.

I actually made a few cards based on hers, so let's get on with it, shall we?

First, my favorite:

Spooky! I broke out one of my new SU sets -- Wicked Cool. The little witchy legs and the sentiment are two separate stamps. I used an oldie but a goodie punch -- who can resist something called Drippy Goo? I wanted it to look like the goo was dripping right on my focal point. That dp is from last year's Basic Grey Halloween pad. The ribbon is PTI's Simply Chartreuse. Oh, and the stockings? Here:

Shiny! I colored them in first with a marker, then went over it with a glitter pen. Delish.

And now for the other two --

I think this layout is pretty cute -- the dp border is punched with a new EK punch, and I love the jumbo scallop-big dot combo. That little jack-o-lantern face is a cheapo dollar stamp, though, and I just couldn't get it to stamp very well. Oh well -- that's the kind of thing non-stampers never notice :)

And finally:

This one is probably truest to Emily's original card. The web at the top is from Wicked Cool, and the sentiment at the bottom is from PTI's Halloween Tags 2009 set. The border is created with more punched BG paper and a strip of Making Memories word stickers and bling.

My favorite bit is the button, though -- I gave it 8 twine legs. Dorky? yep. But I like it!

Anywho, be sure to check out the CAS challenge on SCS today.

Happy stamping, and thanks for stopping by.

I guess it's about time...

This month's Scrappy Chic DT kit is all about fall. Since it's supposed to be 90 today, that feels a little silly!  But crafters are always looking ahead....

Anywho, here are my goodies:

The stuff on the left is one of like a squillion new lines from Reminisce. Ok, there were six, not a squillion. But still. Each of us got one of the new lines, plus a coordinating sticker pack. I was actually rooting through a bunch of boxes to pick out stuff for everyone -- stuff is coming in fast and furious these days -- faster than any normal human can get it out onto the shelves! In the middle, two new, yummy ribbons from May Arts -- olive silk and brown leaves. On the right, we have Imaginisce's new Apple Cider line. Super-cute, very high-quality paper. Also fall, though!  Here's a close-up:

It has lovely glossy details. Yum. Oh, and one good thing about being a new scrapper is that I still have photos from last Thanksgiving to use with these. I love being smart by accident. :)

My fellow DT members are also getting some goodies from a third line -- Sassafras's Indie Girl. I didn't give myself any, though...because I already have the whole line. I'm no good at delaying gratification!

I had to pick up a few things for myself too, of course! First, some too-cute-to-pass-up stickers to match the line above:

They're fabric. Love the texture!  Also got a few new goodies just for me:

Spooky.  New Tattered Angels -- their Mistables crepe ribbon and two new shimmery thingies. The Glaze (brown stuff) has a nice, subtle glimmer and a more opaque consistency than the usual mists -- and a nail polish-like applicator built in. Handy. The Chalkboard mist (I got it in Charcoal) is as shimmery as the usual stuff, but the color really does have a chalk-like finish. How something can be chalky and shimmery at the same time, I don't know. Magic!  Oh, and I just had to pick up that stamp from Inkadinkado. Not only am I kinda low on Halloween stamps, this particular one looks like a wine label. Though I'm a beer girl, I'm from a family of winos -- Halloween cards are gonna be a snap this year!

Can't wait for more of the CHA goodies to show up at the store! So much fun stuff on the way.

Later.

OLW15 -- Unexpected Colors

Hey there!

Ok, so I was going to show off my DT kit goodies in this post...but I'm holding off another day, because I managed to get Susan's One-Layer Wednesday challenge card done instead.  She asked participants to, in her words, "violate the stereotypes" of color (if you click the link, you'll see her super-cute pink and lime Christmas card!).

Here's mine:

So...I know. "Congrats" doesn't lend itself to any particular colors, so what's the big deal with a purple and orange card? Oh, but it's a BABY congrats card. Nary a pastel, a pink, or a blue in sight. Not even the so-called "neutral" yellow or green! This will go to the next one of bunches of friends who seem to be getting preggo these days. Must be something in the water.

Technique stuff: This was inspired by a card I saw in the new issue of Papercrafts -- the artist used the same A to Z background stamp, but with a masked apple instead of this little butterfly. Speaking of which, the butterfly is plain by nature (SU's Butterfly Accent), but I kissed it on a Hero Arts Doily stamp  and then stamped the doily bit instead. Nifty! Some razzleberry marker dots mark the border a bit better. I wanted the Tangerine Tango sentiment (from Papertrey's Say it with Style) to look like it was part of the block, so I used a stamp positioner -- with a clear stamp, yes -- to make sure it was just right. A little bling on the butterfly body, and I called it good!

Well, I'm off to a roller derby fundraiser tonight, and a high school reunion tomorrow (Gasp! 15 years already?).  I've also been working on some CAS ditties -- I'm the guest designer for this week's CAS challenge on Splitcoast. My fave so far is a Halloween card -- too early? Hope not! Wish me luck!!

Trick or Treat... and a chance to enable

Hello readers!

I have a little more Halloween goodness for you today:

First, I must say -- Meg, you totally enabled me on this one! She was checking out some new Cuttlebug folders and mentioned -- just mentioned -- that she liked the Sentimentals set. That was all it took, apparently, because it magically found its way into my hands last time I was at Scrappy Chic. And now here it is. I embossed the bg with one of the folders, then hit the highlights with some orange Distress crackle paint. The crackle bit of it is quite subtle, but I love the effect! I didn't want to hide too much of it, so I went with a simple sentiment (from Making Memories -- their Spook Alley set from a year or two ago [ps: not the best quality stamps ever, unfortunately]), and some grungy dots from Tim Holtz's Bitty Grunge set. A quick button/twine combo and I called it a day.

Now, your chance to enable (or not). Here:

I got PTI's Just the Ticket set, but not the matching die. Instead, I wanted to use one I already had -- a Sizzix/Tim Holtz die. However, the die I have is a bit larger, scale-wise. The borders are a bit wider than I'd like. For comparison, you can see some samples using the Papertrey die here.  So: should I drop an extra 7 or 8 bucks for the Papertrey version instead? Are two ticket dies too many for one crafty chick? I look forward to your opinions!!

Enjoy your day! I'll show off my latest Scrappy Chic DT kit next time.

I'm baaaack!

Hey there people!
Here's where I've been:

This photo makes it all look so backwoods-y, no? Where I really was: a big, air-conditioned, fully-stocked camper in a wi-fi-enabled campground that just happened to have lots of pretty trees. My kind of camping! Maybe I'll save a few stories for later, like the one about the trophy. But for now, a card:

This one makes me chuckle! Today is our pal Mark's 40th birthday, and this card's for him. It gave me a great reason to break out my newest (to me) Papertrey set, Friendship Jar, along with the matching dies. The jar is stamped in black, along with the "40" (more on that in a minute), while the lid is cut from glossy cs and stamped in grey for a little contrast. The "pickle juice" is kiwi kiss. The label is die-cut from acetate and stamped in staz-on black along with the sentiment. I adhered it using my old-skool Xyron sticker maker (after a bit of dusting, anyway) -- the all-over adhesive becomes invisible. See?

Just shiny goodness. The "table" is kraft, stamped with some woodgrain in crumb cake ink and bead-board-ified with another Cuttlebug folder from the Retro Kitchen set. A little ink around the edges, some Martha baker's twine, and I called it good. Oh, that "40" -- here's where it's from:

Even older-skool. I have a few boxes of these in various sizes -- they were hand-me-downs that are handy indeed.

Now I have a go-to birthday card! Hooray!

I hope you're having a lovely day. Go make something!

More Marty thank-yous

Hey y'all -
Sorry, I just watched Friday Night Lights. I always feel a little Texan after that. Anyway, here are the last couple of thank-you cards Marty sent out this week. First:

This little ditty went to my mom, who was Marty's "handler" in the car last week when Andrew had to work. It was also for this week's Color Challenge on Splitcoast. All that ink that looks black in the photo is actually early espresso -- a lovely dark, dark brown that I had a heck of a time photographing! The cat is an old Judikins stamp; the rest is Papertrey, including that cute die cut notebook page! What a fun die, and it cuts like a dream.

Next:

More Papertrey -- this time, for a friend who was super-encouraging on Facebook. Lots of pinks and greys here. Both of these cards are 3.5x5 -- a fun little size!

Ok, time for bed. We're heading up north for the weekend, so I probably won't post anything. I might check in from time to time -- the campground has wi-fi. Very modern!

By the way, do other states have an "up north," or is that just a Michigan thing?

When I come back, I have a very fun little birthday card to show you. Hooray!  Have a great weekend!

a little letterpress

Hello people!

Once upon a time, thanks to a supremely thoughtful husband, I took a class in traditional letterpress printing, using a vintage platen press, metal type, and wonderfully stinky, sticky ink. Amazing. (If you're interested in the real deal, try to come to MI for a letterpress class at the amazing Hollander's in Ann Arbor - that's where mine was. Plus, it's a super-fun paper store.)

Bringing home a letterpress is not the most practical thing ever. The thing weighs hundreds of pounds and makes a big old mess. Plus, hello? $$$!  Instead, I invested way less dough in the L Letterpress awhile ago, and I love it. It gives really great results, works in the Big Shot I already have, and though it's still a little messy, it isn't paint-thinner-messy. However, I haven't given it as much attention as it deserves. Ah, but that's changing. Check it:

This was the anniversary card I made for Andrew earlier this week. I laid out the green stuff first, ran it through, then laid out the text and ran it in black. Simple! I liked the layout so much I used it again here:

Instead of a card, this one's a postcard, and I made two of them for more Marty thank yous. Letterpress is kinda like old-school xeroxing -- I did the green on all three first, then the black on all three, just changing out the plastic plates.

Here's a closeup of the texture -- gives a better sense of the letterpressiness of it all:

Nice. So far I've mostly used the card blanks made by Lifestyle, but I've sampled it on watercolor paper, bristol board, and regular cardstock. They all look good, but this stuff yields the best impression with the least work. If you're interested in more details or how-tos, just let me know! Maybe I could try my hand at step-outs or a tutorial or something.

Before I go -- this year, I earned three anniversary sets from Papertrey. Besides indicating that I have a bit of an addiction, it also means I have three of the same thing. I'm considering selling the other two on the Buy-Sell-Trade forum on SCS, unless any of you, dear readers, would like one. You can see the images included here, and I'm quite negotiation-friendly on the price. For you. Not for strangers! Let me know if you're interested.

Let's see...

What can I show you today?

You see, I've made a bunch of cards recently, but for once, they're for actual humans -- and while I don't really think my non-stamping friends and family spend time on my blog, I'll hold off on some cards just in case!

But I can show you this:

This was my attempt at trying to be shabby chic. I can't quite bring myself to create a card with a dozen layers, this version works for me. I ran the Pear Pizzaz layer through the Big Shot with the square lattice folder, then crumpled it up a bit and inked the edges. The birdie is from a new SU hostess set that matches their punches. Very handy! I like the kraft-colored satin ribbon and little tag, but I could do without the staples. Too sloppy for me. Oh well!

Speaking of hostess sets:

I stamped the hydrangea from Because I Care on woodgrain paper and did some very quick coloring with markers. The main layer is Basic Grey, and the trim is from my stash. Can't have too many crocheted trims!

And finally:

A super-quick and simple card made with the Basic Grey leftovers. Two quick stamps - sentiment from Mega Mixed messages (pti), branchy bird from a Cavallini set I picked up at Anthropologie (though the link is to Amazon - easier to find!). A bit of tiny bling, and I called it a day.

Well, I called it a day awhile ago -- these cards have been sitting around for awhile, waiting for me to get un-lazy enough to take photos!

I (gasp) went into school today to start getting syllabi and such ready. School starts for us on the 26th. I mean, I love my job and all, but summer seems so endless in May.... Sigh.

On to craftier pursuits!  Don't forget to vote (U.S. folks, anyway)!

Witchy Goodness

Hi folks -

I have a quick card for you! Actually, I have a few cards, but two of them have not yet reached their recipients, so I should hold off in case either person gets curious :)

So here you go:

This was really a super-quick card. The main panel is from Graphic 45's innovative Halloween in Wonderland collection. So fun, that one. I just added details -- some black paint and white pearl ink around the edges, some glitter cardstock as a little border and some faux brads, and some Dymo-like letter stickers from KI. Here's a closeup of the bottom:

Witchy, indeed. Those faux brads are topped with some Crackle Effects, though it didn't crackle in such a small space.  Nary a stamp to be seen -- rare for me, I know. There is a sentiment on the inside, but it wasn't pretty enough to photograph. Dropped this off at Scrappy Chic today. It's almost time to put together the August kits, but I'm trying to hold off until some CHA goodies show up!

As a sidenote, today just happens to be our 7th anniversary. We decided that Marty was a good (and expensive!) anniversary gift this year.  Here's a pic of Andrew with the little cat (who is feeling just fine, by the way - no updates yet):

She's a daddy's girl. Happy anniversary, wonderful hubby!

Hope you all have a wonderful day.