Happy Day

A graduation card for my first baby boy.  I cannot believe he is graduating from college.  As a parent, I want the sense of accomplishment to overwhelm the feeling of my heart being compressed in my chest.

Gina K products helped a lot with this card.  The graduation hats are Lawn Fawn, as is the sentiment inside the card.  The foiling is from Gina K as well as the double stitched circle die.  The card stock and the unstitched circle die are from Stampin' Up.

I must ponder what words of wisdom should go inside.  

A Lawn Fawn afternoon

Inspired By This Pin

Inspired By This Pin

Kim's stash was VERY helpful in the making of these cards.  If it's Lawn Fawn, she's got it!

Loving this find for dimensional cards

My buddy Kim, as well as some online crafters, have a love-hate relationship with shaker and wheel cards.  These cards require the making of a "sandwich" that is usually created with foam mounting tape or craft foam.  The foam can look kind of icky on a card you invest a lot of time making.  Enter this product that Kim found in Florida:

Game changer.

Here is a card we made today with the Lawn Fawn Reveal Wheel.**

Check. It. Out.  Yes, the wheel still turns quite easily.  But no more horrific looking tape.  This can be used for a multitude of cards: shaker, reveal wheel, water color mounting...the possibilities are endless.  It was, surprisingly, not available through Amazon, but WalMart and Target supplied it.

This card was inspired by this pin.

**NOTE: The Lawn Fawn Reveal Wheel has its good moments and its bad.  There is an impression it leaves, especially on card stock, that requires a lot of care (and occasional curse words).  Here is a picture we took of the impression, which happened several times and most usually when we used cardstock.  It works better on patterned paper.  You must be cautious how you position the die through the die-cutting machine, and even then, there are inconsistencies.  Just wanted to be sure you knew before buying.  We have contacted Lawn Fawn about this flaw.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Simon Says Stamp

Stampin' Up

Lawn Fawn

Gina K

For the husband ;)

More Mandala Cards

Kim and I got together so she could finally break in her Gina K Wreath Builder templates.  She did great!  Here's my slightly remixed version of a Pinterest-inspired card.

Truth be told, I took it one stamp too far and the center was wonky, so I ended up cutting it out and putting a heat-embossed sentiment beneath it.  The inspiration card used a dark pink, which I neither had nor wanted to use, so Kim chose SU! Wisteria Wonder, which was delightful.  I started with a little Lawn Fawn Hippo ink, but moved to Wisteria Wonder as well.  We also used Gina K's Amalgam Black.  The sentiment it by the talented Dawn McVey for Papertrey Ink.  The mandala was made with Mandala Maker stamps from Gina K.  I believe the base is Wisteria Wonder...or it's close enough that it looks good.

The inside sentiment uses Lawn Fawn Hippo ink and a Papertrey sentiment.  Kim and I both decided that sympathy cards are some that are always low in our stash, so that is what we decided upon.

Not a huge fan of this card, but I'll show it anyway.  I was going for this color combo.  I feel like it was a near miss. I am not sure I am loving Gina K's black embossing powder, but it could have been user-end error.  The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp.

My MISTI and my SU! inks and my wreath builder were not getting along, so this card took forever.  I needed to start the images a little closer to the center, which you live and learn with the wreath builder.  I used SU! Pear Pizzaz at first, then changed to an Ali Edwards ink because I think my ink pad needed a refresher.  I just could not get a solid image, and with the repetition required, that adds a lot more time to the project, not to mention that if your paper moves in the slightest and you have to reink, you're done.  

It's the Time of the Season for Weddings

First wedding card of the season! (I feel like Santa in The Polar Express, "First gift of Christmas!") I used Lawn Fawn's Bicycle Built for You stamps and die cuts.  Background is Bazill Orange Peel with some watercoloring. Pieces were colored with Copics and have just a touch of Wink of Stella.   Interesting card to piece together for sure!

And now it is July!

I did not realize how long it had been since I posted things on this blog.  I have been making things, and I am more in process mode than ready to share mode.  Let's start with some cards:

I made this card for a friend who had to say goodbye to her beloved dog. I used some of my crafty friend's stash, so I am not sure of all manufacturers. I do know the sentiment is from Taylored Expressions and the embossing folder is from Darice.

This card is for a wedding shower.  It was hard to get the color in a photo.  It is a dark purple.  The embossing folder used is from The Paper Studio.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up!, as is the ribbon, attached with Tim Holtz's tiny attacher. I used a Spellbinders die to mount the sentiment.

I mounted the card on craft cardstock and stamped a Simon Says Stamp sentiment on the inside.

Next up in crafty-land, a new class!  I enrolled in Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life 2.0.  I made some of my absolute favorite all-time pages during the first iteration of this class back in 2008.  This one is 4 weeks instead of 12, is still based on the principles of design, and contains Cathy's fabulousness.

The first layout focuses on symmetrical balance. We were charged with scrapbooking the passage of time. Here is my shot at it.

I used some of Ali's Tough and Old/New Story Kits as well as some SEI and Lawn Fawn papers. I know those acrylic hearts are from Ali, but I will be darned if I can find the kit they were in! 

Cathy provided us with the cut file and the general sketch. She actually had her journaling in the bottom left square and had patterned paper where I have my journaling. She was not using the large circles, but rather thinner banners, so the journaling would fit.

She has another sketch that is asymmetrical that I will be trying out this weekend also. I think it will document Max starting Tae Kwon Do.

Happy Father's Day

This installment of Father's Day cards was inspired by the pin found here: http://pin.it/tP9YiK8

Lawn Fawn patterned paper was used as well as the Happy Everything set.  The fence was embossed with the Stampin Up Wood embossing folder.  All else was pieced together using the original as a guide.  

The card suits my husband to a T.

Summer Fun!

I feel like I am truly enjoying the month of June this year.  I lovingly call it the "Friday of Summer," but sometimes the Friday of Summer flies by.  It's usually due to preparing for a crazy July or filling June with lots of stuff.  We are prepping our firstborn for college, but, honestly, that has been slow and steady as well.

This week was full of some fun cardmaking, dabbled with some scrapbooking that is not-quite-ready for photo ops just yet.

First, some cards among friends.  Our friend, Mama Kate, is moving to Florida.  So we threw her a shoebox swap to celebrate her presence in our lives.  We tried to make a card that captured the moment or captured Kate.  I think we did a great job.  Some of these cards are not "finished," as we wanted to save them for moments when we needed them.  For example, on the US card, one could color in two states from which people are separated.  For the flower card, we left the stitched oval blank to be able to choose the appropriate sentiment.

Tonight, I had some fun stamping with Lawn Fawn.  A friend of mine is going on a trip to Australia with her family as part of her son's band trip.  I felt the need for a card, of course.  I borrowed Kim's Critters from Down Under set as well as some Pinspiration from this crafter.  I also used a bit of the Bon Voyage set.

I used two Spellbinders' dies (rectangles and squares) to create the Polaroid frame.  The black frame is hand-drawn.  I loved using the woodgrain background rather than patterned paper for this one.  I think it really let the image stand out.

Loved mixing Stampin' Up! linen thread with Lawn Fawn's baker's twine.

I cut out the individual pieces with die cuts and colored them with Copics.  For the background, I sponged some Distress Inks on white cardstock.  The kookaburra is popped up.

I tried several different ways to incorporate the boomerang because I thought it was adorable.  Finally snuck it in after my sentiment inside the card.

All in all, it's been a very creative week so far!

A couple of cards

Today, I got to crank out a couple of cards with my buddy, Kim.

Card number one, an anniversary card for my hubs.

I have seen several cards like this on Pinterest, and thought I would try my hand at it.  I used my Silhouette with Impact font.  I searched on the web for a site to count the days (no, I did not sit and count the days...).  I used some newly purchased Starform heart stickers.  The cutout letters are done with Lawn Fawn patterned paper.  I used Bazzill kraft paper and black cardstock for the card, as well as a white gel pen for the border.

Card #2 is for a friend who lost a beloved pet.  

We used a couple of Simon Says Stamp sets for this one.  The cat was from You Are Pawsome. The "Always Remembered" sentiment, as well as a few sentiments on the inside, were from the Pawprints on Our Hearts set.  We used some SU! linen thread, some Basic Grey grunge paper, and some Bazzill kraft cardstock.

Administrative Professionals Day and a Shower

This little gem I made for one of our secretaries for Administrative Professionals Day.  The card base is from Lawn Fawn, the bakers twine is from my stash.  The stamp set is from Technique Tuesday.  I added a close up so you could see the Wink of Stella on the metal.  All other coloring is done with Copics.

This card is soooo much fun.  This is for a friend's shower.  We will be giving her a card to a home improvement center, and it's from several of her co-workers.  I thought we could each sign on a tool.  The tools come out of the pockets, except the hammer, which is pretty secure in its position.   The template is actually a Father's Day idea from this crafter.  I used some Copics to color, as well as Lawn Fawn stamps to personalize.  My printer and some cardstock helped with the rest.

Stay cool!

This card is for a friend currently battling breast cancer.  She mentioned the other day that she had to beat this so she could get in some pool time this summer.  My kinda gal!  We decided to send her a little pick-me-up, and I was asked to make a card for it.  We are going with a summery, sunshiny theme.  I thought this was fun.

Stamp set: Cool by Technique Tuesday
White craft ink by Hero Arts
White gel pen
Copics
Lawn Fawn Stitched Journaling Card die
Stampin' Up! cardstock
Michaels cardstock
Glossy Accents

Inside:

From the Kelly Purkey I'm Sorry set.

Joy to the World

One more card to share for tonight.  This card is more Lawn Fawn than anything else.  The "Joy" die comes from Lawn Fawn, and I used parts of the Wish You Were Here set to gather the "to the world" part of the sentiment.  The background patterned paper is from Lawn Fawn's Sweater Weather collection (thanks, Santa Kim!).  The ribbon is from Stampin' Up!  I seem to be addicted to kraft cardstock this season, so much so that I am running low. It's the new white. I write over the sentiment with a silver Gelly Roll pen to make it sparkle.  I just might start grading with Gelly Roll pens.  They are so smooth and dry quickly!

Holiday Cards

Many a reveler knows the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas."  Few realize that, in the church, the Christmas season lasts about that long.  So, Happy Christmas Season to all.  I have been making cards one by one this year, thinking I would start in October, yet here I am after Christmas Day making and sending holiday spirit.  Before Christmas, for a teacher, is not the time to squeeze in crafting.

I have cranked out 4 cards tonight, this one being unlike some others I have posted.  It's a combination of Lawn Fawn and Stampin' Up.  I colored the quatre foil with Copics and stamped them with some American Crafts pigment ink.  I used my Stampin' Up punch to punch them out and my Stampin' Up embossing folder for the background.

Happy Christmas!

This one is for the 17 year old.  Just a quick, simple card to stash the cash that's been sent from various relatives.  I love the Lawn Fawn cardstock, and I have a craft envelope to fit.  I just love the Wplus9 set.  It's a keeper!  Now if the house would settle, Santa could do his magic and we can all settle down for a nice winter's nap!

Mojo: On

Yeah!  I had some craft mojo tonight, and -BAM-!  Two cards.

This one's for a buddy who loves penguins.  It uses Finley's ABCs, Critters in the Arctic, and Winter Penguin from Lawn Fawn.  I also used some Glossy Accents ad Wink of Stella clear glitter brush pen.  This pin inspired this card.

This card was inspired by a card I had seen at some point...in a video... maybe Jennifer McGuire or an online card class?  Anyway, I used masking to create it (yes, all except the hat is one layer!).  It uses Critters in the Arctic and a star stamp from a Stampin' Up set.  Tim Holts and Stampin' Up inks were used on the background.  Some Glossy accents assisted with the ice.  This is for a friend whose birthday is today, and we are gathering for a "going away/birthday" party tomorrow.

Joyful Wishes

This card was inspired by this pin, using Lawn Fawn's Joy to the Woods:

Since the rectangular opening I had was quite a bit smaller than the original, I used less ornaments and only the cardinal.  I used some Copics and the Wink of Stella glitter pen, as well as the Stitched Hillside Borders for the hills.  Christmas card 1: done!

Lawn Fawn On the Mend

Alas, a recovery card was needed for a friend in the last part of her pregnancy.  Not really a "get well" moment, so I thought "speedy recovery" would work best.  Those who have been pregnant know that blood pressure does what it wants to do, and there's no "getting well" about it.  You just have to wait it out and hope your body behaves itself to incubate that little one properly.

I used Lawn Fawn's On the Mend, which is becoming quite a go to stamp set for me.  As simple as this card looks, there was much ripping and cutting.  Sometimes one can try too hard for a card to look clean and simple, yes?  That turtle, for example, was cut out not once, but twice.  I would love to say I did it to add dimension, but that would be a lie.  :)  Needed a bit more "pop" so I added the yellow and green dot things (I never know what to call them).

In all, good fun and the creative part of my brain is happy.  Here's to a safe two months for my friend.

Forgot to post!

Here is a pet-owner sympathy CASE that I forgot to post from this summer.  Made for my pal who was missing her best buddy.

And here is my "Pinspiration:"  

A Crafty Labor Day

My first holiday of the school year.  Yes, I have school-related things to do.  But first, I must craft!

Project Life, Week 2.  Keeping things simple is my theme.  I am very happy for products from We R Memory Keepers, Heidi Swapp, Project Life, Versa Mark, and Lawn Fawn that helped with the creation of this spread.  I can't recall the maker of the apple and "School Rocks" images, as I just recently went on an organization spree and cut off the identifying info.  I do know it was a 12 x 12 piece of paper with lots of options.  The grid paper was the back of the clocks paper that I used in last week's spread.  Great, heavy patterned paper.  Not sure about the cloud patterned paper, either.  Part of my scraps.

And now, a card!

I have Lawn Fawn, Stampin' Up, VersaMark, and Copic to thank for this little cutie.  Sadly, it's for a friend who is battling breast cancer (have I mentioned lately how much I hate cancer?).  I tried to get a bit of the inside, where the sentiment reads "wishing you a speedy recovery."  The vase was cut out, paper pieced, and colored with Copics and Blendabilites.  I then popped it up on Dimensionals.