Thank GOD it's Monday! Not.

Happy birthday, Lily!  My bf's niece turns 9 on Thursday, so we sang to her yesterday and gave her this card (and another, older one).  She rides horses, so it's quite fitting.  I am in love with my Vagabond, and now that I have a few embossing folders and some dies to use with it, it's even more fun.  So, I used the tiny dots folder to emboss the white cardstock that the horsey is standing on, and the patterned paper's edges were inked in glue and then dipped in brown glitter.  It's really subtle, but I think in person it pops more.  The grass was an afterthought, and now that I look at this card, I realize I should've added a little carrot for the horse -- rats!  Next time.

I have been trying to get more stuff to go with my Vagabond and use it more, so this weekend, I raided a Michael's sale and (with my 40% off coupon) got myself a Nestibilities (scalloped circles).  I brought it home and ran one through my Vag, but nothing happened!  I was SO confused, so I read the directions (durrrh) and found out that I'd need an extra shim, or whatever they're called, an adaptor shim (sounds like a tranny).  So, after I cursed Tim  Holtz, I decided I wasn't going to go out and buy another part, but I'd make it on my own.  I gathered all my cardboard (backs from paper pads, etc) and cut them into the shape of the shim, and made it the exact thickness of it, as well.  After gluing all the pieces together, I ran it through again and it worked!  SO, the moral of the story is: don't buy it if you can make it, ya big dummy!  I outsmarted old TH, and it feels pretty good.

Here's another card I made recently:

It's not such a great pic, but you get it, right?  I used my scallops cutter (Fiskars, I think, it's only broken down once) and then cut out each individual scallop to make little tags.  I used some yellow & white baker's twine to hang them on and that's it.  I think this is a good one to duplicate for Valentine's Day, coming up.  I need to supply the office with tasteful handmade cards. ;)

I made this sympathy card for a co-worker who just lost her brother... so sorry, Vilma! :(

I LOVE the paper on this card... it's double-sided, and the black newsprint banner is the backside.  I used my die to cut the little placard and inked the sentiment with individual letters.  These butterflies are from a LONG time ago... I've held onto these suckers for years, I'm sure.  Finally, I've used the last ones!  It's tough to make a sympathy card, you must be sincere, not too flashy or bright, but not so depressing that the point of the card is missed.  I think I shoudn't have used black on it, but next time I'll know that going in. 

That's all for now, folks.  I'm going to work on Valentine's cards this week, until the 14th and will post them as I go. :)

XO

Mama's back!

Here's something I made in about five minutes the other day.  I already had the yellow background and patterned paper ready to go (probably from an earlier project, abandoned).  I took one look at it and slapped it on a card, then saw the word "sweet" in my desktop paper stash and glued that on.  The icecream joined the party seconds later after I remembered I had that same green... and there you have it!  I like it.  I do think I need to make more of these types of cards, smaller, simple and not too complicated.

This little card here took a bit longer, but not much.  It began with a new embossing folder I got at Joann the other day.  By the way, those things are like $4, what a deal!  I embossed the front panel of this window card and then filled the window with those cute elephants.  Once I realized I had some similar green handy for the sides, I rememberd that I also had buttons too!  It came together quite effortlessly, and I was done with two cards in less than a half hour.  How awesome are those embossed dots?!  Love it, love my Vagabond.

Now, this is the corkboard in the hallway of my office - I decorated it last week to cheer the place up.  I used my Cricut (Plantin Schoolbook & Create A Critter) and listed all the programs in our building.  I think it's pretty darn cute. 

This day is CRAWLING by, and I'm so tired I can barely type... that's all for today, folks.  Let's try it again tomorrow.

XO

All I got today...

My baby girl has teeth!  I look at this photo and it just makes me so happy, I couldn't resist. :) 

Back to the grind

My holiday away from work was long!  I had a whole 12 days off, and I have to admit, I am ready to be back at work... it just got to be way too lazy a time!  I enjoyed it, though, and here are a few cards I made:

I got a new Sizzix Vagabond for Christmas (thanks, T!) and this is the first card that I actually got to use my embosser with -- I think it's nice!  I had to buy an embossing folder and a die, and I love it.  I can't wait to try out some more. 

I made this card for a friend who had her birthday on New Year's Eve... actually the wife of a friend.  Uhhh, anyway... I am getting a little obsessed with the stitched border lately, I've gotta be careful not to play it out.  I love this paper, though, with the little bikes!  The thing is, she got a bike for her birthday, a pink one, so this was quite fitting.

I just had to use my Sew Easy tool to try these flags, but I'm not sure I got the colors right.  I should have done the top line in brown or tan or something, but hey, I like it still.  I feel it is a bit of a simpleton, but that's okay. :)

Now, this was the first time I got to use a die in my Vagabond... I love that little die!  I sat for about an hour trying to find the right layout for this card, it was a challenge.  I like the weaving idea, but I think next time I'll do skinnier pieces of paper and see what happens.  I love all the new paper I'm finding at the scrapbook store down the street, and even though it's overpriced, it really is nice and inspiring.  I can't wait to get my Studio Calico sets every month!  Hopefully that'll begin soon. 

I am happy to be back at work, I have missed my co-workers, strangely enough.  I came back to a clean office, an empty voicemail and neat piles of phone messages... I am so appreciative of these folks! 

:)

For Big Daddy

This is a card I made for my boyfriend's father... I did NOT think of this message, and am a little worried he's going to get a bad, smartass first impression of me!  He had better tell him it wasn't my idea! :)  So, how funny are those little pics?  The washboard & tub, the potbelly stove?  How freakin' funny is it that I have a Cricut cartridge that makes that?  Yep, I'm a farmer.  I can hear chickens in the morning (on weekends, they don't get up as early as ME during the week), and I milk the cows, aren't you jealous?  Just kidding about the cows.  So, here's the inside:

I am quite pleased with this card, and I loved the idea.  I also made a Christmas card for him, and here it is:

I am in LOVE with this card... I like it more each time I look at it.  I made a border with the Sew Easy tool, and stitched the holes with a light brown & white string.  I used my Winter Frolic Cricut cartridge for the candy border and sentiment.  The tree came from an eBay purchase years ago.  See how long I hang onto little pieces of paper?  Sheesh.  The background paper came from this new scrapbook store I found in the Howard Hughes mall, The Bridge... it's a little store with cute stuff, if a bit overpriced. 

I have been working on our new website, and it should be up at the start of the New Year, I'm pretty excited to see how things will turn out!  If I am working in a sweatshop, I'll need help, and I have my eye on somebody now.... ;)

That's all for now.
XO

Happy Holidays!

Well, I finally began Mom's holiday cards... I have been SERIOUSLY putting that off.  And why?  I'll tell you: I've had a block.  A card-maker's-block... it's been diagnosed as "treatable", or so they say.  We'll see.  Honestly, though, I used to have a surplus of ideas, I'd have two or three notebooks with sketches in them, ideas for sentiments, color combination ideas and layout plans... I don't know what happened!  I think it may be that I've just slowed down on it altogether, and so it's all slowed down.  I've gotta remedy that, and quick because we are getting my website going soon and I will be selling these puppies.  That's right, after I've thought about it for years, T has taken the initiative to get the ball rolling... wish us luck!

So, for the cards you see above, I began with the die cut.  I decided I wanted something colorful and festive, so the darn partridge in a pear tree is what you have.  I cut out the phrase that went with another die cut set and made it 2'... those babies weren't easy to take off my sticky Cricut mat, let me tell you!  I had to toss about three of them because they ripped.  It may be time for me to get one of those spatulas they sell that I always thought were a pointless ripoff.  Anyway, I used four different green patterned papers for the background, and did you notice that I didn't mat it over solid cardstock?!  For a 20 card order, this is what you get.  I used some dimension dots to raise the sun shape a bit and stapled the heart over it for some extra color.  I'll have used many different border on the bottoms of each card, all in non-traditional Christmas colors, what the heck do you THINK?!  I'm liking it...

As for my own holiday cards, I don't know what I'll do... I will probably just buy some, I don't have the time to make my own!  I am looking forward to my monthly Studio Calico kits to start coming... that will be inspiration for me, I'm sure. 

I will have cable tv tonight... I will have cable tv tonight... I will have cable tv tonight... (if I keep saying it, I might believe it, it might actually happen!)  Wish us luck, that the cable guy doesn't piss T off.  ;)

 

Inspired!!!

Not my design, I found this after I Googled "stitched cards", how beautiful is that?  I have been thinking about how I can incorporate something like this into my cards, after I did a border with my Sew Easy thing on that last snowman card, and I have SO many ideas.  I would love a sewing machine, both for my cards and so I can make little clothes, but I think I can do this with a pencil and needle!  Still, I think I'll get one soon.  Those cards above have inspired me and I want to try something different...  I like how adding stitching brings texture to the card, but what worries me is the weight, will it be too heavy to send?  I guess that's secondary when you have such a pretty card.  Must get Mom's card order done THIS weekend.

I have no new work to share, but feel like I have neglected my blog lately... I had my head in the clouds for a minute, but I am back. ;)  I hope to have some pretty stuff to share on Monday... HAPPY FRIDAY, woohoo!