*no adhesive* challenge!

another challenge at My Sketch World!

beauty birthday

made this for My Sketch World's Use Your Stash Challenge using Lucy's sketch for November

i carry your heart with me

The June gallery for the Fan Club at Splitcoaststampers was full of "Winged Things" and it was so fun!!

This was one of those pages where the ideas just came together so fluidly, and I love the result.  I hope you enjoy it, too, and maybe find some inspiration!

Here is my write-up from my gallery in June:

Whenever I find an excuse to scrapbook some more baby photos, I jump at it! LOL I just love remembering back to that time when their little breath would just barely whisper on my cheek, when their little necks smelled like maple syrup, when I was too sleep-deprived to remember the colic for too long! :)

This page is built around this lovely quote from an e.e. cummings poem, which I actually saw in a kids' catalog as a plaque for a baby's room. And thought, hmmm, that would make an excellent sentiment on a layout! (It turns out that the whole poem is actually more of a love poem for couples rather than babies, but this part is still beautiful for babies!)

Some nice and simple stamping with yummy stamps from Inka Stamps and Oxford Impressions (I've already confessed to the bird obsession that I'm going through!). I printed the quote onto the cardstock (did I mention that I'm also obsessing over Gina K.'s amazing cardstock, too?) before stitching it to the base page.

I am so pleased with the way this turned out. Very much how I wanted it, and I hope you can feel the feeling that I was going for.

 

Supply list:

Stamps: Inka Stamps large bird, small bird, small nest; Oxford Impressions bird feet (The Bird’s Nest collection)

Paper: Stampin’ Up! Urban Oasis dsp; Basic Grey Periphery (bird pp); Gina K. Pure Luxury white cs

Ink: Stampin’ Up! Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray, Creamy Caramel classic inks

Accessories: Prima Marketing aqua ribbon; Basic Grey Periphery plaid ribbon; Making Memories glitter brad; Zva Creative bling; misc. embroidery floss

Thank you so much for stopping in!!

getting thankful

It's time to Get Your Craft On again at Today's Creative Blog!!

Kim mentioned that she'd like to see a Thanksgiving table setting.....  Well, I can't give a table setting today, but I can share these placecards from 2 Thanksgivings ago!

They were made from various scraps and embellishments, stamps and photos.  Very quick and fun to make!  (no rules!)  Here is a link to my original gallery posting back in '07 at Splitcoaststampers, if you'd like.

If you have links to place cards that you've made, I'd love to see them!!  Please leave a comment!

Supplies used:

(left to right, front to back, in the main photo)

1. Fussy Cutting from MME Bohemia II Backyard Collection pp and transparency embellishment; Bazzill cardstock.
2. Stamped same InkspirationsMN bird stamp on chipboard and felt, then combined; Fancy Pants True collection die-cut; Bazzill cardstock.
3. Fussy Cutting from MME Daily Dose Family Tree Card; Fancy Pants True collection die-cut; Bazzill cardstock.
4. Fussy Cutting from MME Bohemia II Backyard Collection transparency; felt flowers from etsy shop; Bazzill cardstock.
5. Made patterned paper and matching chipboard embellishment with InkspirationsMN stamp; Colorbox ink; gem from MME Bohemia collection; Bazzill cardstock.
6. Stamped cardstock with InkspirationsMN stamp; added AC chipboard leaves; VenusArt handspun yarn from etsy; misc. sequins; Bazzill cardstock.
7. Stamped cardstock with InkspirationsMN stamp; cutout photo; Fancy Pants True collection die-cut; misc. ribbon; MME Bohemia pp; Bazzill cardstock.
8. Stamped cardstock with InkspirationsMN stamp; cutout photo; added felt and fabric leaves; Fancy Pants True collection die-cut; Bazzill cardstock.
9. Fussy Cutting from MME Bohemia II Backyard pp; Fancy Pants True collection die-cut; Making Memories ribbon; Bazzill cardstock.

Thank you for stopping in!

once upon a time

 
Another from my part of the May Splitcoaststampers Dirty Dozen gallery:

I wanted to make a page remembering this time of so much excitement with joining the Dirty Dozen, and the Build-a-Fairytale seemed like the fitting thing to do :)

I created my base with my usual layering, distressing and sewing. Then I added the green "grassy" part by ruffling up the scalloped cardstock in strips. Then I layered the different die-cut pieces and attached them with different foam squares and such for different depths. Then I added some bling and the journaling, and that was pretty much it :)

Stamps: SU Once Upon a Time
Paper: SU Build-a-Fairytale die-cuts; SU Chocolate Chip DSP; Creative Memories cardstock
Ink: Staz-on Black
Accessories: Ranger Stickles; Doodlebug and Kaisercraft rhinestones; misc. trims and lace

I know it's probably tiresome to see all of these from past months, but I hope you'll be patient as I add my favorites from my Dirty Dozen galleries :)

Thanks for visiting, and Happy Halloween!!

tcb's (get your craft on!}

Today is Get Your Craft On! day at Today's Creative Blog!!

A totally fun day to ooh and ahh over crafty goodness :)

Here's my crafty goodness for, hopefully, oohing and ahhing:

A Marie Antoinette paper cone, from my part of the May Dirty Dozen gallery at Splitcoaststampers.

Easy enough instructions:

1.  Twist pretty paper like this one from Prima and secure with some super-sticky redline tape.  (No template required, but don't expect perfection.  The imperfection in the cone here is actually charming.)

2.  Embellish with pretty ribbons or lace like this Prima lime.

3.  Adhere some pretty bling (like this from Prima or some from Zva).

3. Pin a pretty flower (yup, from Prima!).

4.  Cut out a pretty stamped image like this one of Marie from Oxford Impressions and attach with a sticky foam dot.

5.  Add some lace and a pretty chandelier crystal to the bottom.

6.  Use a hole punch to tie a pretty ribbon on top.

7.  I also added a pretty little pom-pom to the bottom, and another stamped image with another pretty chandelier crystal to the top.

And it's kinda pretty, dontcha think?  :)

I'm making these for Christmas gifts this year.  But shhhh, don't tell my family.

Thanks for visiting :)

edited to add:

It's also DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land!!

Even more crafty goodness!!

{flutter by}

 Happy Friday!

I am actually working on current creations, but I need to figure out a good way to take photos of projects now that we're back to living in gray-ville.  So, here's another project from May's Dirty Dozen Gallery at Splitcoaststampers.

We began adding tutorials that were for Fan Club members only a month or so after this, but I had taken these photos for this project before I realized that I had no way to really show it at the time!  So, here's an easy-peasy little tutorial bonus :)

 For the sparkly butterfly,

start with Maya Road or other chipboard butterflies, some glitter and something like Stampin' Up!'s Crystal Effects.

It's pretty self-explanatory, so I 'm not going to walk through it :)

For the papered butterfly,

start with a chipboard butterfly, some patterned paper scraps, sharp scissors, emery board or file, glue and a marker.

Trace the butterfly onto the reverse-side of the patterned paper.

Cut out the shape with scissors, but don't worry about getting it perfect.  Anywhere close is fine :)

Cover the chipboard with a thin layer of glue.

Place the paper right side up onto the chipboard and let the glue dry for a while.

File the paper's edges as best you can, using a skinny file to get into the details of the shape.  Turning it over while you file helps to get the edges nice and spiffy.

This is the skinniest file from the Basic Grey Precision File Set.  Definitely a worthwhile tool!

The last step is to go over the edge with a coordinating marker.  It makes it pop just that little bit.

There you go!  Two fun butterflies to adorn your page.  Of course, you can do this with any chipboard shapes that you like, even alphabet letters.

And, also from the May gallery, for good measure, a card made to match!  (Looking back now, I should have done a little tutorial on coloring the flowers from the Stampin' Up! Pretties Kit.  But there are other ones out there, so no big loss!)

This was done with the sketch inspiration for the month, replacing the ovals of the sketch with flowers behind the top layer.  A very pouffy card, but I like how it turned out!

Thanks for visiting!  Please let me know if you like seeing these projects from earlier this year, or if you'd rather just see new stuff :)

simply enchanting

This is the first project that I created for Splitcoaststampers back in May.  It was a very girly-girl gallery, totally FUN and full of inspiration!

I mostly used the Sweet Nothings Simply Scrappin' kit from Stampin' Up!  The papers and die-cuts came with the cardstock that I used to layer everything.  (Now, usually I'm not a huge fan of these kits, but these colors and prints were too cute to resist.  I believe that it's retired now, though.)  The Prima flowers and pearls coordinated perfectly with it, and the wide ribbons are just so yummy!

Here's a tip for creating your own title word with stamps:

For the stamped title, I stamped the SU Chocolate Chip ink onto the SU Pink Pirouette textured cardstock, and then filled in a little bit with a marker. (The textured cardstock makes it difficult to get a crisp image.)  Then the letters are carefully and way-too-slowly cut out with very sharp, pointy scissors.  I couldn't figure out a great way to cut out the center of the "p", so I stamped the letter onto the patterned paper that would match up with the background, and paper-pieced it into the center. Make sense? Not rocket science, but it made the title look much better :)

 

And here's a card that I created with the materials that were left on the table:

out with a bang?

Well, not entirely :(

Tonight's Dirty Dozen Gallery reveal at Splitcoaststampers is my last of my six months.  I wanted to go out with a bang and create all these awesome projects, but it just hasn't happened with our move and all.  I did create some things that I'm pretty happy with, though, so please check it out (if you're a Fan Club member).  The rest of the DD has posted fantastic things, too, so it's definitely a good time to be a Fan Club member!

And, if you're not a Fan Club member, you'll still be able to see what I've been working on these last six months.  Starting this weekend, I'll start posting some of my earlier DD projects and steps to create them.  I hope you'll check back!

{hope charm}

my blog has been so quiet these last months, I'm very grateful for those of you that stick with me and still check in :)

we're settling into our newest home after another cross-country move, but I wanted to post pictures of the charm that I made for the Creating Hope Project.  please donate if you can :)

winged things!!

That's the theme for this month's Dirty Dozen gallery at Splitcoaststampers.com!

(It's only available to Fan Club Members, so be sure to check out the details for joining.)

This month, any Fan Club Member who plays along with the Dirty Dozen Challenges has a chance to enter a drawing for a full year's subscription to Cards magazine!!

"Fly" on over and play!  (get it, "fly")

Here's a sneak peek at a tutorial that I did for this month, a "behind the scenes" look at my process:

we will never forget

saying a prayer of peace and gratitude today, remembering those that have given their lives for our country, for our freedom, and for our ideals....

won't you join me?