This card is the child of the Celebration paper pad I got the other day. One page had all these cutouts, and the bingo cards were a no-brainer. My mother is the world's biggest bingo queen, and I HAD to make her a card asap. (Ma, if you're reading this, sorry for the spoiler!) I couldn't think of a better way to use those cute little cards. I used some dimension squares (99 cent store score) to make them pop and the little flags were also cutout from that page. The ribbon ties on the sides were a last minute addition that I think is genius. HELLO? Yeah, I pretty much rule.
Yesterday, Sam got the second part to Elijah's birthday gift, part one was an Obey book, works by Shepherd Fairey; the gallery owner where he works got him this, signed:
Funny part about it is I picture Elijah looking like this when he's a little older, and if he were a skeleton, haha. Our boy is in his teens now, what a trip!! Plus he's on the Honor Society, so he's smart too. Last weekend, Elijah pitched for his team, The Rays, for the first time and his mom said he did real well. I am SO proud of Elijah!!
Today is gray and rainy again, I sure hope the sun comes out after the morning marine layer evaporates, and gives us some warmth...
XO
The two cards pictured at the top were made last night, but this one in red was from Sunday. I like the top ones very much, but not the red one. I guess you can't always have great outcomes. The apple card was a real surprise, because the idea came to me when I saw a rubber stamp of an apple core, but I didn't think it'd translate well enough to a die, but I think it did. The tree was a total whim, I just started cutting slim triangular branches and it went from there. I'm happy I got to use some of my stones, as I never get to, really. I hate how corny they can make a project look, so I'm really careful. The camera in glitter was from one of my clear stamps. It didn't really come out the way I wanted it to, and the paper, I think, is just sorta stale. Whatevs, can't always be right. It usually surprises me, though, that the cards that I don't always really like are sold first. Weird.
So, I went to Jo-Ann yesterday at lunch to get a new Xacto knife (I ended up getting a different brand WITH five blades for $2 something with a 40% off sale) and saw they had a Sizzix Mini in the caged-off sale rack for less than $6! I didn't have time to wait for a sales person to come and open it up to take a look, but I think I need to go and clean them out, if only for eBay sales. I need to check and see how their small dies are priced.... anyway, it's worth it to check out all corners of that store, they have so many good deals. I also got a paper pad called "Celebration" that has lots of birthday themed stuff, that's where the brown paper for "You're The Best" came from, not that it looks birthday-ey.
It's cold, rainy and gray here in L.A. today... :( I hate this kind of weather. I hope it will rain all day, then and be less ugly the rest of the week.
XO
Anabella came over this weekend on her way to a party... she had on a pretty dress, and her socks looked like maryjane shoes. Very cute.
Well, folks, I've begun my love affair with glitter and stamps! I got one of those Martha Stewart glitter kits with my 40% off coupon, and I was so pleased that it came with rub-on transfers. I have lots of wood mounted and clear stamps, but those transfers are NICE. It included six ultra fine glitters in assorted colors, a rubbing stick and four sheets of different sentiments and images. Score. I did have to purchase a glue pad and filler on the side, though, but that's for when I want to use glitter on my regular stamps. I have to say, I wasn't big on the stamping before, and I DETEST those corny cards that have stupid pictures of, like, a little girl rollerblading or something, and then rendered with color pencils. Can you say "old lady"? Yeah, but then I went and found some cooler stamps, some with fresh sentiments and cute images, so... yeah, I'm a die hard die cut shape fiend turned on to stamping, who knew? I also have to say that Hero Arts (heroarts.com) has some fckn AWESOME stamps. I must get the bicycle series, and maybe some of the background stuff. I just need to figure out how to incorporate more stamping into my cards and scrapbook. (ScrapbooK, singular since I just purchased my first one for my niece)
Well, here's what I did last night. It was a quiet night, after work Sam went to two art shows and I was in quiet all evening... I have to say, though, I should have gone to the art walk downtown, those are usually fun. Next year.
You can't really see the brilliance of the glitter in this photo, but it really sparkles. I like how the glitter kit had useable sentiments like the one on that card for Jennifer who is graduating tomorrow. So... yeah, I like this card.
Now, that sentiment was from one of my wood mounted stamps. I HAD to get that one when I saw it, how cute is that??? The only problem is that if you press too hard on the stamp and glue gets on any part other than where it's supposed to be, your mistake is shining in glitter.
That tag is pretty cute, I think... I just couldn't find the right paper to combine it with for a card. But, it's also good to have tags like this on deck for when I am ready. I need to get some "Happy Birthday", "Happy Anneversary" and tags like that together for real emergencies. Yesterday was Tim's birthday and I didn't have a card for him... I felt SO bad since I'm the damn card lady at work! I had to factory reset my phone recently, and lost all my phone numbers and appointments on my calendar. T-Mobile is a jerk I'd like to punch. Anyway, I am fully proud of those three projects and even though I think the cards are on the simple side, they are pretty good.
This weekend I will see Anabella on Sunday. Tonight I'm going to the gym after work, and then will continue on with some more projects I've got sketched. Tomorrow is all cleaning and I got everything for fettucini alfredo with chicken. MMMMM. I'm hungry for that now, actually.
xo
If I had a dollar for every time I felt like slapping somebody, I'd be rich. I'm super annoyed today, and need some SERIOUS relief. I'm going to attempt to slither out of this mood and really get into a better one. Okay...
So, I made another graduation card last night, and here it is:
I made this card last night for Nikki, one of our interns who is graduating this weekend. I had to have Sam teach me how to make a paper airplane, which was funny, but I finally got it! I seriously didn't GET it, and he told me it's not a girl thing, which I found very funny. :) Anyways, I think this is an appropriate sentiment for a young lady graduating from USC, about to head out into the world and find her way, don't you? I do. Um, I have two more cards to make, one for Whitney and one for Jennifer. Then our five graduates will be outta the way and I can get started on Father's Day, isn't that the next cockamamie holiday coming up? Shoot, I have to say it, I'm overwhelmed sometimes by the amount of freakin' holidays we're bombarded with! As a card slanger, I guess I shouldn't be annoyed, as I always sell out on those big card-giving whoppers, but sheesh! I guess if anyone does deserve a holiday, it IS my Daddy, so I'm all cool with that one.
It's almost time to go home now, so gotta run.
xo
Happy Mother's Day to my Mommy, my sister, a new Mommy and all my Mommy friends. You guys are all so amazing, have the toughest job out there and make it look easy. I am thankful for you ALL. :)
The cards I'm going to show in this post were ALL made last night; I had to take my butt to Michael's after work then rush home and get started, after visiting with my parent's friends for a bit. I was up late, but managed to get six done. I know these aren't my best work, but I was working against the clock, and trying hard not to look at Telly. Here's the rest:
I struggled with this one big-big (I'm still in Wolves of the Calla with my talk!). It's simplicity wasn't sitting right with me, but I had to let it go.
I should've gotten closer on this pic, but I think you get the gist. Not a whole lot going on, right? But these suckers take me forever to actually make! Plus with my whole name stamp on the back, it's a process.
I found those stamp letter stickers in my box of embellishments and the card sort of developed around those. I like to build off one thing sometimes, did it work? Maybe.... not sure here.
Now, this one came out of NOwhere, I mean I'm not even sure who I had in mind. I guess the paper just called to me and I built around IT. Gotta have something for everyone, right? I have a mom in mind now, but I think it'd be a little weird if I sent her a card... I could give it to Elijah to give to her next year, tho. :)
I love this card, just because I've always loved those window die cuts so much. I rarely get a chance to use them (have them in lotta colors), but this seemed appropriate. The butterfly could have been so much better, but I knew how tired I'd be if I kept myself up any longer... six cards in one night is a record for me. I need to start earlier next time, next holiday... which is???? Father's Day? Well, there's always some bs holiday it seems. Jeez.
Today is Friday and I cannot tell you (whoever you are, who am I talking to??) how happy I am about that. We were just RAGGED this morning, but woke up anyway. I drove Jeff to work today (my brother's Jeep) and was so aware of the fact that I HATE driving to work, HATE the freeway and HATE buying gas at that reDONKulous price. I mean, really?? I put in my last six bux and felt like taking the guy behind the register by the neck and punching him in the belly. It was that serious, folks. But honestly, the traffic in this city is just out of control. I forget about that living in such a crowded part of the city where it's easy to jump on a bus or train and forget about that.
Happy Mother's Day weekend, y'all! I'm going to sit here and hope that the sun decides to peek out and give us some. I'm outta here once the clock strikes 3, PEACE!!
xo
These two are copies of a design I made a week or two ago for Tim, here at work. I have been thinking about them, knowing that graduation season is here and that I'd be needing more. I was right. We're saying goodbye to two wonderful ladies here, Kate and Whitney. Kate's a USC girl and Whitney's a Loyola lady. How nice it must be to be so young, so on top of things and fresh in the world? I know I'm not 100 years old, but sometimes I feel like it. I guess I'll be a college girl soon, I'm so ready!! :)
So, tonight I'm going to have a Mother's Day card making marathon. I'll run by Michael's to pick up some blank cards & envelopes, rush home and begin. (Sam, pizza for dinner!) I have to take advantage of the fact that we all have mothers and most of us here have some serious amends to make to 'em, or some serious gratitude to show after it all! I doubt all of us here, busy as we are now, have gone out and gotten a card already... I hope.
This weekend my sweetie pie love bug Anabella will be in Fresno visiting her other grandparents, so I'll have to wait until Monday to see her unless her Mommy brings her by today at lunch to give me a kiss. My parent's best friends are in town for awhile (not sure how long), so they might be busy on Sunday anyway. We may celebrate on Monday, after they are back. I'm going to have to make sure those crazy kids don't get into too much trouble this weekend!
That's all. Gotta get some coffee in my cup, and I may walk down to the French bakery a block over and grab a chocolate croissant... mmmmm, they are SO good there, especially when they first come outta the oven. I'm such a pig lately. Oh, and I must say: Happy Cinco de Mayo! Translation: be careful on the streets of L.A. if you're in a car tonight, lotta drunkos driving. :)
xo
I haven't begun my Mother's Day cards because I'm OUT of cards. I must scoot over to Michael's tomorrow, no later. I have a great opportunity to sell a heap of them over here on Friday, right before Mother's Day and right after PAYday. Perrrrrrfect timing, don't blow it, Ang. :)
Anyway, this card is simple in it's design, and I like it that way. The leaves are cut from green cardstock, scored on my Cricut cutter thingy and I went over the scores with green colored pencil. Oh, and I inked the edges, does it even matter? You can barely tell. The greeting is stamped small, and I tried to barely ink the edges there to make it pop a bit more. I was watching "American Pickers" while I made this, so it took way longer than it should have. I've been SO tired this week, it's just crazy... no energy to speak of, and the heat makes it all worse. I had this nutty idea to walk over to CVS yesterday on my lunch break, and roasted like a chicken on the way. Dammit. I was so upset, I couldn't even concentrate on my book; which, I'm at the end of, the best part where the gunslingers confront the wolves who want to take the children of the Calla. I can't tell you how excited I am reading DK again, I'm getting all new things this time around. I need to go and buy a copy of Wizard and Glass since I can't find it at home, I KNOW I had them all, I must have lent it out. (But, that doesn't add up since NObody will listen to me and my DK rants)
Anywhoo, time for some PB&J (what am I, 10?)
xoxox
This weekend was really great, first of all I made this card you see above just because I had a beehive die cut and some bees. When I decided to add the flags, I needed a five letter word that went with such a theme: honey. I colored the outline of the hive with a tan marker, then went over it with a colored pencil, and hey, it didn't turn out like I thought it would, but it's okay. I think the rest of the card saves it. Those flowers are from the $1 embellishments I got at Jo-Ann. I also made Elijah a birthday card; our boy is becoming a man, the big 1-3!! Thirteen years old... I can barely believe it. He has blossomed into a very sweet young man, and I'm so proud of him. Besides becoming a part of the Rays baseball team, he has also become a member of the Honor Society, smart as a whip that one. :)
Yesterday I babysat my niece Anabella for a bit while my mom and sister went on an errand. She was a complete angel, and already I miss her so so much. Here's a pic:
I stripped her of her clothes, she had on a long sleeved onsie, and it was HOT as hell in my parents apartment. So, she had on nothin' but a diaper and a smile most of the day. She developed a bit of a rash, and as the day got hotter, her rash got worse, so I hope it's gone away once she got back to that cool ocean breeze she has at home. My little buggy is so happy and sweet, I couldn't be happier! By the way, she is trying very hard to keep her head held up on her own and is getting squirmier by the day. Ah, can't get enough of her.
Today we had a baby shower for one of our interns and her husband, and it went off quite well. Those ladies are the sweetest ever, and I'm sad we'll be losing them soon. This Friday we have a little party for Kate's going away... so it begins. Back to work... yay, Summer's here! :)
L.A.: don't get any ideas of a heat wave, now.
