Tuesday quickie post...

...since I'm supposed to be working and all.

Super easy cards today... the first one is from my stamp club night last month: 

 I love making cards with DCWV's 8x8 scalloped cardstock... it adds just the right amount of foof on an otherwise super-simple card.

Stamps:  Toot My Horn, Happy Thoughts

Paper:  DCWV, white Ultrasmooth & black cardstocks

Ink:  Noir & Moulin Rouge Palettes

Other:  Scor-Bug & Scor-Pal, Bone Scrapper's Floss, white ribbon, Glossy Accents, Pop Dots, buttons & black pen

And finally, a truly tiny-scrappy card:

I think it's about 2-1/2" square maybe?  Just the right size to drop in a bag or leave on a desk for a little pick-me-up.

Stamps:  Fleur Birdies, retired sentiment from Playful Pets

Paper:  scarlet & black cardstocks

Ink:  Palette Noir

Other:  unbleached muslin, rhinestone, MM trim, Smooch Spray, edge distresser

That's it!  Now back to the grindstone... ugh.

What do you think?

Happy Birthday, Amy K!!

Amy, in honor of this day, I have created this lover-ly card :)  So pretend, for a moment, that you opened your mailbox and lovingly ripped open a big fat envelope from me, ok?  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  I hope today is the best one yet!

Truth be told, my WOSFF (web-o-sphere friend forever) Laurie im'd me yesterday afternoon reminding me that it was Amy's birthday... after I kicked myself for forgetting, I said I'd love to hop along with the girls today :)

Disclaimer:  please excuse the poor picture quality...especially the colors!  You may want to click to enlarge, but it still might not help :)

By some strange coincidence, I managed to leave the dreaded office early & rushed around to create what you are seeing now... maybe I should work under pressure more often?  It looks WAY better in person... trust me.

Stamps:  Swooping Sentiments, Victorian Elements (The Angel Company)

Cardstock:  kraft (TAC), plum (Papertrey)

Ink:  VersaMark, Eggplant VersaMagic

Other:  linen texture plate (Papertrey), ribbon (Hobby Lobby),

rose trim (JoAnn's), pearls (unknown), Scor-Tape

Amy has such a fabulous style to cardmaking... simple but detailed.  It's hard to do, but she makes it look easy :)  So, this card may be a little more foofy, but I was trying to channel you, Amy!

For some more birthday card inspiration, check out these ladies:

Laurie

Jen

Sue Ann

Happy Birthday Blog-Hopping!

Another butterfly...

... gone vintage-y.  Sometimes I just love diggin' into my fabric & trim stash... it totally takes me back... back to WELL before I was born :)  This paper line does that for me, too, so why not put them together, right?

Stamps:  Life So Big

Paper:  Angelee SWIC, Angelee, brown, & white ultra smooth cardstocks, kraft packing paper

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  misc. lace & trim (JoAnn's), misc. & PTI buttons, EK Success edger punches, Extra Jumbo flower punch, tan & white Scrapper's Floss

Copics:  YR20, YR23, YR24,W2, V01, V06, V09, G12, G21, G24, G85

See the swirly purple paper?  That is actually one of the die-cut tags from the Angelee paper pack... 

oh-so-pretty :)  And did you know that you can get this butterfly stamp set for ONLY $3.95 with a $30 purchase?  It is a set of three... click HERE to see the whole set... good thru June!

Sorry for the short post, but I'm off to do class prep for tonight & tomorrow... More Mimi magic lid box... should be fun!  And thanks, Angelia, for making the champagne cuppie cakes... tastee!!  

What do you think?

A little scrappin'...

My mother-in-law needed a scrapbook page done.  Her nieces were creating a scrapbook for their parents' 40th wedding anniversary!!  {wow... that's all I'm sayin'... wow}  Bev enlisted my help in this little endeavor, since papercrafting is "my thing"  :)  And this is what I came up with:

 

I think it came out very pretty, for NOT having any FREAKIN' PHOTOS on it.  That's correct, my friends, this is a 12x12 scrapbook page without photos.  Bev wrote a wonderful little letter of memories and I printed it out in a dark brown ink on white paper... I then distressed and inked it to age it a bit.

 

I layered some old pink cotton pillowcase strips amidst some crocheted trim and patterned paper.  I borrowed my buddy Vicki's edger punches and then sanded the edges.  All cardstock has been sponged to add a little dimension.  Oh, and that big ol' pink felt embellishment... yeah, it's another Michael's $1 bin coaster... me likey.

 

Stamps:  Fanciful Vintage, Tag Tidbits ("love"), Edge Designs (tag flourish)

Paper:  Angelee SWIC & Angelee cardstocks

Ink:  Cognac & Burnt Umber Palettes

Other:  EK Success edger punches, MM pearl flowers, felt coaster, Brown Scrapper's Floss, buttons, Loopy Brads, ivory safety pin, MM felt heart, misc. trims & fabric

I think this last photo looks like a fabulous card, which I may be duplicating soon once I get my hands on those edger punches again :)

What do you think?

Spring... where are you?

{sigh}

The last couple of days have been sunny and warm, and now today:  blech.  Dreary.  Grey.  And it makes the backyard look EVEN worse than it is (which is pretty bad!).  SO, to help brighten things up in my world, I'm showing this card today :)

I've had the Scor-Bugged stamped panel in my I just might use this one day pile of schtuff, and look... I actually used it :)  I've got a few tags & panels that I had salvaged from a faux pas'd card front.

And just look at this bit of flowery goodness!  I have three boxes of Maya Road stick pins... they are fabulously beautiful!  I can't believe I paid full price... you know I hate doing that... but I'm thinking they're worth it :)  I am loving crocheted, fabric & vintage bits lately... don't ask... I have no idea.

Stamps:  Victorian Elements, Cuddly Critters, Seeds of Blessing
Paper:  Angelee, black & white UltraSmooth cardstocks
Ink:  Noir, Belle Rose, & Toile Pink Palettes
Other:  Crystal Lacquer, Copic markers, Scor-Bug, faux dew drop (Michael's), stick pin (Maya Road), crocheted flower (American Crafts?), paper flowers (Archiver's), Turquoise Stickles, grab bag ribbon (Hobby Lobby)

Once again, the Crystal Lacquer came out to play!  It really adds a nice finish to the ladybug... and I love it for attaching dew drops, too.

What do you think?

Vintage Granny...

A fellow Angel demo was kind enough to stamp a few of these images for me... they're kinda fun... really tall with super skinny legs.  They make me smile :)

This is a little on the vintage side, right?  I think the muted colors of the Angelee papers are perfect for this style.  Not to mention the subtle watercoloring of the image.

I also dug into my fabric stash again... but THIS little crocheted flower was not done by Mama... I can't remember the company name, but my buddy picked it up at a scrapbook store.

The stick pins were purchased from the SEI booth at CKC this past October... they had some AWESOME deals going on!  I got one each of all of their stick pins... too cute.

Stamps:  Hear the Angels
Paper:  Angelee SWIC, Angelee & White UltraSmooth cardsstocks
Ink:  Toile Pink & Noir Palettes
Colorant:  Aquacolor crayons w/ Niji waterbrush
Other:  glitter gel pen, Lavender Scrapper's Floss, Icicle Stickles, misc. trim, button & crocheted flower

What do you think?

Vintage Bookmark / Tag

I had stamped this lovely little flower image awhile back and it has been sitting on my to-do easel ever since.  It was a practice image for one of the samples I did for the new Serendipity, and I just couldn't let it go to waste :)  I colored the stamp with markers, spritz with water, and stamped.  I love this technique... the watercolor look without the watercolors!

Mama had crocheted a couple of these little flowers for me last summer and I am just now using one!  They are so cute and dainty.  I'm hoping she had time to make me some more while snowbirding in Texas :)  I got into my fabric & lace stash and of course more Scrapper's Floss... have I told you lately how much I LOVE Scrapper's Floss?

Stamps:  Watercolor Plants
Paper:  Kraft, Monochromatic Purples & Greens cardstocks
Ink:  Tombow markers, Burnt Umber Palette
Other:  Lilly Anna Hardware, EK Success border punch, fabric & trims, White Scrapper's Floss, Tim Holtz's Mini Attacher, button, crocheted flower from Mama :)
 
What do you think?

What's Moo?

Since it is so bright & sunny outside today, I thought I'd bring you a little shot of spring inside :)  Although, I guess this may look a little baby-ish...


The blue fabric?  Yeah, it's an old pillowcase :)

I LOVE this cow image from TAC... she is so cute!  I have had her colored in for a while now, and thought she would look really cute layered up with  bunch of fabric trims.  I once again grabbed that edger punch... I'm so diggin' it :)

Stamps:  An Udder Birthday

Paper:  Sophie BG (retired), Lilly Anna & White UltraSmooth cardstocks, and Mulberry Meadow cardstock (retired)

Ink:  Noir Palette

Colorant:  Prismacolors w/ mineral oil 


Other:  Stardust Stickles, Nesties, EK Success edger punch, misc. fabric & trims


What do you think?  Did it make you smile today?  :)
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Sweet Toodle Bunny

As promised, here is the sneak peek I told you about last time.  It's not a huge peek, but maybe a little something to "peak" your interest... get it... peek/peak... I know, I'm a nerd :)

The bunny is from the upcoming February Stamp of the Month:  Cuddly Critters.  There are two cute bears, another bunny, and four sentiments.

The large dotted circle is from the new Serendipity magalogue... from a set called Awesome Blossoms.  There are a bunch of bold graphic flowers, polka dots, and circles.  I LOVE how this dotted circle fits perfectly with my Nestie circle & scallop circle.

Stamps:  Cuddly Critters & Awesome Blossoms (coming soon!!), Sweet Thing (retired)
Paper:  Toodle Loo SWIC, Toodle Loo & White UltraSmooth cardstocks
Ink:  Reflection Blue & Noir Palettes
Colorant:  Prismacolors w/ mineral oil & blending stumps
Other:  Turquoise Scrapper's Floss, Nesties, misc. button, stick pin, lace & fabric

I dug through my fabric stash to find this swatch of dotted swiss and lavender lace.  This card lends itself to a baby or little girl card.  Too sweet.

Hopefully I'll get a few spare minutes to make a couple more with some of the other images.

What do you think?
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I'm supposed to be working...

... from home today, but I just can't seem to get started.  It is so cold & windy here... and the shining sun is just a tease.  As if to say, "it really isn't that cold out here"... what-e-v-e-r!  There is a big o' draft coming from my sliding glass door... NOT GOOD.  Well... enough griping... on to the fun stuff!

Another button tree.  And more of that swirly pink paper... yummy :)  That little birdie is just so cute... staring at the wintery swirls... freezin' her tail feathers off!  Or maybe I'm just reading that into it based on the aforementioned gust of wind blasting through my house ;)

Stamps:  Early Bird, Hello Snow (both retired TAC)
Paper:  Toodle Loo & Premium white cardstocks, Bo Bunny dp
Ink:  Noir Palette
Other:  White Scrapper's Floss, Icicle Stickles,Cloud scissors, foam tape, Copics, misc. buttons & fuzzy rick rack trim

So sorry I've been bad about posting, but my mojo has not been showing up lately.  I actually had to force myself to do this one!  Tonight should be fun, so maybe it will bring me back.


What do you think?


BTW... Carol claimed her prize, so NO MORE PRIZE DRAWINGS FOR YOU (to be said soup-nazi style)! 
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Something a little vintage...

Real quick post today...

Occasionally, I'll get into an old-school, vintage mode... though I'll give it a little mod twist.  Case in point... this butterfly card.  Fabric & buttons oh my :)

Stamps:  True Beauty
Paper:  Toodle Loo, Angelee, White UltraSmooth, & Mulberry Meadow (retired) cardstocks
Ink:  Burnt Umber & Noir Palettes
Other:  Prismacolors w/ mineral oil blending, Cloud scissors, BG ribbon, PTI & misc. buttons, twine, EK Success punch, circle punch & fabric doily

A few weeks ago, I had soaked a white doily in a strong tea bath for several hours to age it a bit.  This is a quarter of the doily, so I have more for later projects.  I keep fabric scraps & such in a huge glass canister next to my table... it's really fun to go rummaging through it once in a while :)


What do you think?
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Halloweenie Project Playlist on TAC's website...

Ok, so I haven't been posting much lately, right?  Well, part of the reason is because I was busy creating these lovelies:  http://www.theangelcompany.net/PromoProjectPlaylist.html !  Click on the Fall Into Fabulous title to see the stamp specials, and click on the individual photos (including the Boo-berry one) for a closer look at the projects :)


I had an absolute blast, and these stamp sets make me want to host a Halloweenie bash even more than before!  I LOVE how the two mummy things turned out... so much fun!  I think I'll be doing several of these projects to sell at my upcoming craft fair booth... most definitely.


Thanks for looking!  And if you have any questions on recipes, etc., just email me and ask!


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First, an apology... then the good stuff...

I'm usually pretty good about commenting back to bloggers that have been so kind as to do the same for me.  However, as of late, I have totally been shirking my duties!!  I won't go into to details, but it's been a little crazy around here!  I will try to get back into the swing of things next week or the week after... hopefully my projects at work will be done and gone by then!  So, please know that I really do appreciate all of your kind words!!

Now, onto the fun stuff.  Are these fabric witch boots NOT the COOLEST things ever?!  My friend and fellow TAC Angel, Angela, made them for me as part of an Art Share we were in together.  I cannot tell you how fabulous they really are, and the pictures do not do them justice.  Thanks so much Angela!  These babies will be displayed year-round... no way could I put them away in a box ;)

Angela is one talented lady, and though she has been having computer issues, please pop in a look at some of her past work... beautiful stuff!  I've been used to seeing her paper-crafted projects, and now the fabric work... I can only imagine what else she does!

What do you think?

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Brown Bag 4 U... Mojo Monday #98 & 365 Cards #160

It's been forever since I've had a chance to participate in the Mojo challenges, so I'm happy that I was able to come up with this little lovely last night. It's got a vintage feel AND it uses smaller bits from my pile-o-scraps... bonus! Go HERE to see the MOJO98 sketch! AND 365 Cards Day #160 calls for lace... yep I've got a two-fer!

Back-story: my sister, Debra, makes all of these awesome quilts. She has learned to use every bit of fabric from a cut, except for the salvage edges & little slivers that she ends up with because it wasn't trimmed straight at the store. Well, she saves these little gems for me & I've used one today. See the little 123 boxes... that's a salvage edge... cute, no?

Stamps: Watercolor Plants, Enjoy Nature (Hostess Level A)

Paper: Reece SWIC, Reece, basic brown & kraft cardstocks, paper sack

Ink: Burnt Umber Palette, Champagne Dazzle VersaMark

Other: Lemonade & misc. buttons, Circles and Extra & Super Jumbo Flower Punches, Chatterbox aqua trim, twine, fabric scrap, foam tape & Pop Dots

The paper sack is 6.5"x10" folded in half twice... this is not the gusset-style bag, but the flat sack kind. I glued the first fold (long edge) together... my intent was to create pockets on the end for tags, but the way my card was progressing, it really wanted to be a vertical layout, so bye-bye pockets :) I'll just keep it in mind next time.


What do you think?

Happy Owl-o-ween :)

Ok, so Jen is a total enabler. She sent me a link to a You-Tube video showing Martha's latest punches... as soon as I saw the web, I was hosed. So yesterday I went to THREE different Michaels stores in search... SCORE! And here's a bonus: I had 50% off coupons!!! Oh don't think I wouldn't have paid full price... I might have... I mean, I could only find one of the corner punches in stock anywhere! Yeah, I know... weird... plenty of the borders, but only one lonely corner punch... and it is all mine
{muhuwah ahh ahh ahh aaaaaaaaaahh}

Sooooooooo, guess I what I made last night... how's this for cuteness? I KNOW! Why else would I add the creepy little black spider confetti... had have just a teensie touch of that "uh, ewwww" ;)

I grabbed a chunk-o-cardstock out of my 'big scrap' scrap pile and started playing... I must say that I wish the two border webs were the same so that I could overlap them if needed when punching them out. I mean, I like the look of the subtle difference, but it kinda blows for when you need just one less web. But me still likey :)

I don't know if you can see it, but the two web corners and the mat are all one piece. I just had to get a little crafty with it since I did not have the correct size of cardstock with which to start. But if you go to the Aug. 3rd post on Chelsea's blog, she's done some measuring for us!!!

If I had this to do over, I would have switched out my sewing machine thread to black and stitched the swiss dot to the base i.l.o. staples... they are a little distracting. I also would have only done a couple of corners with the splatter stamp instead of all the borders. It's a little busy for me.

Stamps: Be Square, What a Hoot ("Owl"), Glitter Goblins ("oween"), So Splattered (retired), Holiday Cheer ("Happy")

Paper: White Ultrasmooth, basic black, & Lilly Anna cardstocks

Ink: Noir Palette

Other: Elizabeth Buttons & Blossoms, Black Scrapper's Floss, Prismacolors w/ mineral oil, Tombow gray marker, dotted swiss fabric, MM pink staples, MS web punches, misc. twill ribbon, spider confetti, Target thumbtack, black marker, foam tape

Good grief... I never think there is much on a card until I list the freakin' ingredients! And most of my "misc. ribbon" notes are because I have one on those huge Ribbon-eze thingies and I have no flippin' idea who made what :)

There it is... my creepy-cute pink Halloweenie card...

What do you think?

I'm kinda feelin' it, kinda not...

I didn't like how this first card turned out, but I loved the coloring on the pumpkin... so I'm just showing off the pumpkin :) The rest of the card shall never be seen again {evil winkie grin}.

This will go into the cards-that-may-never-be-sent pile, or perhaps the in-case-of-emergency-oops-I-forgot-another-freakin'-card pile.

This little punnkinn {as Mama used to say when I was little} is from Sunshiny Day. It was stamped with StazOn onto a very thick unbleached muslin & colored with Prismacolor pencils.

You can also catch a glimpse of Penelope designer paper and Ribbon.

That's it! And no begging for the rest of the card... I am not listening... laaa laaaa laaa laaa {hands over ears chanting in most childish manner} :)


Next up is one of my submissions for the catalogue designer call last summer... I used sketch #4 from page 11 of the current catalogue. I used the following stamps: Linear Sentiments, More Abundance, and All Occasion Circles. Papers: Rustic Chic designer paper, Bazzill Mono-Browns, and a chartreuse green cardstock from DCWV.

I tried to go outside my typical uber-structured look, and used skewed angles... AND no perfect strips or squares... scary, I know.


That's it for today kids. And for those of you who are in the Wichita, Kansas area and will be attending the Kansas Shrine Bowl game on Saturday... thank you for your support!!

What do you think?

Sketchy Challenge...

Time for another 365 Cards Challenge! This is for yesterday's Day 92 Super Sketchy Sunday. I didn't get as many challenges done last week as I wanted to, but alas... work gets in the way :)



This is a VERY simple card, but kinda homey-feeling. It reminds me of my Aunt Linda, who is always quilting and lives in an old stone farmhouse.


Stamps: Sweet Goodies, Script Background Paper: Bazzil Mono-Reds, DCWV brown, Kraft Ink: Belle Rose & Burnt Umber Palettes Other: Lemonade Blossoms & Buttons, Nesties, Brown Scrapper's Floss, old cotton fabric & trims, pink velvet ribbon



I inked up the background stamp and stamped-off once before stamping onto the card base. This just gives a hint of the stamp, but still has the right shade of pink :)



What do you think?