Did I Say Something About a Quilted Box Top?

Well, here it is! This is Close To My Heart's My Creations™ Memory Keeper. I'm not sure how long its been in the catalog, but for quite some time, I haven't given it much notice. "Humph, a pizza box," I thought to myself. As it turns out, it's a beautiful box, 10 x 9-1/2 x 3-inches, very sturdy, and with the coolest magnetic flap closure.

There are 101 one things one could do with it, including using it as a keepsake box for any special occasion - Christmas, new baby, shower, wedding, etc. - for cards, photographs, little things you want to save. It would make a lovely gift by itself and an even better gift with a gift inside. I'll be ordering more, just to have them on hand.

For this one, I used the Amore paper, and as you can see, I didn't make it difficult. Had the color of the box not worked out with the paper I was using, I would have painted what shows with acrylic paint. For this one, I didn't think I had to. The patterned paper was glued on with Yes! paste. To ensure that they stayed stuck, I used Terrifically Tacky Tape on all of the layers that decorate the top. The only embellishments I used were self-adhesive, flat-backed pearls on the "quilt" and a couple of little metal photo corners on the flap. Undecided as to how I'm going to use it, I haven't decorated the inside of the box . . . yet. With so many ideas, I can't wait to do another one.

Materials & Tools: Close To My Heart My Creations Memory Keeper; Amore paper packet; Chocolate and Blush cardstock; Cocoa ink pad; Spring Blossoms Mini-Medley Accents Collection; Hero Arts 5mm flat-backed pearls; Sponge dauber; Yes! paste; 1-inch sponge brush; Terrifically Tacky Tape; Sanding block.

Between the "wanna do" and the "should do," the "wanna do" won out today. There's stuff in the box, too, which I will show you later or maybe tomorrow, depending on how ambitious I feel after dinner. I hope you're having a fun day, too. Thanks for stopping by!

Simple Saturday

I love happy endings. How 'bout you? I've read a couple of books recently that had strange twists at the end that left me wondering what, if there was one, the next chapter would hold. I was kind of bummed. After all the trials and tribulations the characters had been through, I would have been happier to have known that, in the end, they were okay. "Happily ever after" would have suited me just fine.

As for my "Simple Saturday" card, there's not much to explain. I wish I used textured white cardstock even though you wouldn't be able to see it just like you can't see that the heart was attached with foam mounting tape.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Tulip, and Black cardstock; Black and Tulip ink pads; Soul Mates stamp set; Cuttlebug w/Frills border embossing folder.

Later!

Stamp Simply ... or ...

Not at all! It seems like the Stamp Simply challenge on the No Time to Stamp? blog is the first one I catch every Friday. As you well know, stamping simply is no challenge for me. It's all I know! LOL. Usually, whatever I'm doing doesn't match up with the theme. This week, however, I finally got it together.

Before Christmas, I was inspired by this card on Lisa's blog, and this my the Valentine's Day version. The Cuttlebug die and embossing folder came with my Cuttlebug. The only thing I did that you can't see was mount the embossed piece to the card with foam mounting tape.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Tulip, and Black cardstock; Black/white gingham ribbon; Cuttlebug w/Postage Stamp die and folder and Swiss Dots folder.

I had more ambitious plans for this evening but had to clean up my corner first (so I could get into it). While I was straightening up, a couple of shelves on the bookcase that holds my paper kind of collapsed, which created a mess on top of the mess I already had. My quick repair job was, at best, temporary. My corner needs to be revamped, because as it is, an "Enter at Your Own Risk" sign would be appropriate. The way things are stacked up an avalanche could occur at any moment.

I have no specific plans for the weekend, just lots of stuff I want to do and a bunch of stuff I should do. We'll see how that plays out. Right now, I need to make a trip to the grocery store. I'm out of coffee, which is OK for now but won't be come morning. Thanks for taking the time to stop by to see what I've been up to! I hope yours is a great weekend - whatever you want it to be!

Pretty Paper Quilt

A few days ago, I saw this card showcasing new Basic Grey papers at the CHA convention and trade show on Debbie Olson's Thinking Inking blog and couldn't get it out of my head. Here' s my take on it minus the flowers and stamped sentiment. I decided to leave it a note card and say what I have to say on the inside. The patterned paper is from Basic Grey 6x6-inch Boxer pad, and while I didn't use any stamps, I did use a sponge dauber and some Desert Sand ink to distress the edges of my 1-inch squares. I'm afraid this paper quilting might be as addictive as those boxes of a few days ago was. Another thought - wouldn't a quilted square like this make a pretty top for one of those little boxes? Ah, so many ideas. So little time!

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Bamboo, and Outdoor Denim cardstock; Basic Grey Box 6x6-inch paper pad; Desert Sand Ink Pad; Hero Arts 5mm flat-back pearls; Sponge dauber; Sanding block.

Friends, it's darned near Friday again. January is almost over (which, if you live in the tundra, is not a bad thing). Hooray, to all of the above! Today was an OK day at work. I'm busy, which is good. Previously, I deemed the fact that there was only one of me kind of a lonely thing. Now, I call it job security. LOL. As I'm still in my work clothes and haven't even eaten supper yet, I'd better get my butt off the computer and check out what's in the refrigerator. I hope you had a good day and that your Friday is fantastic. As I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of sketches it brings, I can imagine I'll be back. 'Til then, take care and know that I appreciate you!

JustRite

First, about those JustRite stamps. My initial stamping session didn't go so well. I tried several different types of ink and couldn't get a good image using any of the stamps that had any kind of thick/wide surface. My initial response was, "Oh, crap." Was I doing something wrong, or did others have problems, too? The Internet has all the answers. A Google search for "seasoning JustRite stamps" lead me to this thread on a Splitcoast Stampers forum and Sharon Johnson's tutorial, "Conditioning JustRite Stamps" on the Splitcoast website. I was glad to find the tutorial.

In my last post, I told you I'd tell you what I purchased and why. First, I didn't buy a self-inking stamper, mostly because the mechanical aspect of it did not appeal to me. Instead I opted for the Harmony Classic Circle Stamper I. The same diameter (1-5/8") as the self-inker, it can be used with all of the same borders and centers as well as all of the font sizes. I also purchased the Harmony Rectangle Stamper Set for creating my own sentiments. To go with those "basics," I got the Small Letter Set, Three Border Set (Kitchen of, Library of, Desk of), 10 Designer Centers and Borders (a variety), and the Brayton Font, which I deemed to be the most versatile. I wanted enough variety so that I wouldn't immediately be wishing I had more. I should have known better, however. I do want just one more font, the Trompe Script.

With so much "conditioning" to do, I only had time for one very simple card, that I'm posting for no reason other than to prove that I eventually had a little success. Now that I know what I have to do, I'm going to love these stamps and because of their classic design, use them for years to come.

How's your week going? Mine has been kind of strange. Perhaps, it would be more appropriate to say that I've been kind of strange. I think I'm watching too much news and wondering who's right, who's wrong, and who knows what the heck he's talking about. I need to spend more time in my corner, which is what I hope to do in my free time in coming days. For tonight, however, I'd best catch some Zs. Take care, and as always, thanks for stopping.

Fittingly . . .

I made my first card using my new JustRite stamps for my mom. Mom, who has always given the most wonderful gifts, took what she called "the easy way" and gave everyone money for Christmas this year. I didn't blame her. If I had seven children, seven sons- and daughters-in-law, a dozen grandchildren (some with spouses/significant others), and three great-children, I wouldn't know where to start. Anyway, I wanted to do something special with my money. I thought of several practical things that I could use, and then I thought of the JustRite stamps I've wanted for so long but have been too practical to buy. I think Mom will approve. After all, were it not for her, I might not be crafty at all. Not only did she put up the messes I made cutting and pasting, she encouraged me and told me everything I did was beautiful - even when it wasn't. She still does.

My card is my take on this week's sketch challenge on the Our Creative Corner (OCC) blog. As soon as I saw the sketch, I had a vision and had to do it.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Garden Green, and New England Ivy cardstock; Black, Garden Green and New England Ivy ink pads; Butterfly Kiss and Nature Walk stamp sets; JustRite stamps; Gold mini brads; New England Ivy Designer Ribbon Rounds (retired); Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

I will more than likely be playing with these new stamps in coming days. Thanks to my wonderful mom, I have a nice start to what I'll call a "collection. In my next post, I'll tell you what I bought and why. Now, I'm off to play some more. It was an OK day. I hope yours was, too. I'll catch up with you when I get home from bowling tomorrow evening. Until then, take care!

Eureka!

The card's not much, and I'll take no offense if you're not impressed. However, check out that felt flower! When perusing a Stampin' Up catalog recently, I came across its cute felt flowers and

wondered if I could use my Cuttlebug flower dies to make them.

Last night, I grabbed a couple of pieces of felt at Wal-Mart and tonight answered my question. As Bob the Builder would say, "Yes, we can!" There is a little trick to it, however. Sandwiching the die and the felt between two B plates did not work. The cut was only partial -not satisfactory. I tried the C plate - a definite no go. So, I reverted back to the B plate, adding one sheet of cardstock under the die. Voila! It worked.

So excited I was to show you, I put together the easiest card I could think of. While I'm certain this has been probably been done before, I haven't seen it anywhere and thus feel like I might be showing/telling you something you haven't already seen or heard. I'm more apt to watch someone else do something a hundred times and then get up the courage to try it myself. No pioneer am I. LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Cranberry cardstock; Patterned paper from my stash; Black and Cranberry ink pads; Large Friendship Alphabet and Simple Stitches stamp sets; Holiday Craft Buttons; Red crochet cotton; Red and white felt; Cuttlebug w/Flowers dies.

After what seemed like a short weekend, Monday was Monday. I determined today that I am going to invest in some type of listening device, as in an iPod or simple CD player, to use at work. There is a lot going down these days, and I'm within earshot of way too many conversations that interrupt my thought process. That said, I'm going to go get a couple of things done before turning in early. I hope yours is a terrific Tuesday. I'll catch you again then. Thanks for stopping by!

Just One More . . .

Yes, I know. Three boxes in two days. Some would call me obsessed. LOL.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. It turned out I didn't have any 12-inch chipboard. I had some smaller pieces, however, and it dawned on me that I could cut a piece for the top, a piece for the bottom and another piece for the spine. I applied the paste to the chipboard pieces, one by one, and laid them on the 5-1/4 by 12-inch piece of patterned paper. I did the top and bottom pieces first. I also trimmed an 1/8th inch off the side of the spine piece to create a 1/16th-inch gap between the other two pieces. Doing so makes the cover easier to open all the way and actually improved the box. I'll be cutting separate pieces from now on.

As you can see, I didn't get carried away in decorating it. Because what I wanted to be my focal point flower was partially covered up by the sentiment, I cut another from a scrap, glued it to a piece of chipboard, cut it out, and mounted it over the other with foam mounting tape. Although you can't see it, I also added some white Fun Flock to the flower's center. OK. So, I can now fold an origami box without looking at the diagram - pretty good for an old gal! Seriously, while I can see myself making these boxes frequently, I'll move on to something else as not to bore you to tears.

Materials & Tools: Chipboard; Silhouette Level 2 paper packet; Black ink pad; Cling-mount sentiment stamp from Impression Obsession; Stampin' Up Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon; White Fun Flock; Sakura Quickie glue pen; Yes! paste; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Ovals set; 3M foam mounting tape.

Today was a good day even though I realized that cleaning before the little whirlwinds come over is kind of dumb. I haven't done my shopping yet so am going to make a trip to Wal-Mart and the grocery store when I'm done with this post.

Besides working every day and bowling on Wednesday evening, I don't have anything specific planned for the week. With three magazine articles due the first and second week of February, I'll have my work cut out for me at work. No writer's block, please! By Wednesday, the temperature is supposed to be up in the teens, which is something to look forward to . . . I guess! I hope your week is a good one. Take care, and as always, thanks for taking the time to visit my corner!

Sketch Challenges

I spent the evening last night making cards for the sketch challenges I try to participate in every week. I really enjoy them. Sometimes, they are easy, and other times, they are true challenges. This week, they were somewhere in the middle. No piece of cake. Not hair-pullers either. Just right.

This top card is my take on Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #52. I had a vision for this one. I think it worked out pretty well. I did substitute brads for buttons with thoughts that buttons were too casual for this card.

Materials & Tools: Vanilla Cream, Sorbet, Juniper, and Cocoa cardstock; Unforgettable Level 2 paper packet; Sorbet, Desert Sand, and Cocoa ink pads; Aspiration and Say it in Style stamp sets; Sorbet Designer Ribbon Rounds; Spring Blossom Mini Medley Accents; White Opal Liquid Pearls; Cuttlebug w/ Nestabilities Classic Ovals set; Fiskars Sunburst border punch; Sanding block.

This second card, for this week's Paper Craft Planet's sketch challenge, had me wishing I owned either a large heart stamp or the heart Nestabilities dies. Instead, I ended up proving to myself that I can still create a pattern the old-fashioned way and cut a pretty decent heart. This was truly a design-as-you-go card with me adding things here and there until I finally declared it "finished."

Materials & Tools: White Daisy Cardstock; Papertrey Ink Sorbet cardstock, ink pad, and Pink Collection patterned paper; Cling-mount sentiment stamp from Impression Obsession; Papertrey Ink Sorbet satin ribbon; CTMH Big Pinks paper flower; White Bitty Brads; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide & Mat; Fiskars Sunburst border punch; 1/2-inch circle punch; EK Success corner rounder.

My last card is my take on the A Sketch for You to Try challenge on Jen del Muro's I{heart}2stamp blog. Interestingly, one of the stamps in the Verve Stamps Abundance set is a near match for one of the designs on the Emporium paper - one that I cut off when trimming it. I thought that was kind of fun. One thing to note - Although I used Barn Red cardstock, I used Vineyard Berry ink to stamp the image. Barn Red ink appeared too brown on the Buttercup paper.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Barn Red, and Buttercup cardstock; Emporium Level 2 paper packet; Vineyard Berry and Cocoa ink pads; Verve Stamps Abundance and CTMH Say it in Style stamp sets; Sweet Leaf Designer Ribbon Rounds; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Piercing Tool.

If there's anymore stamping out of me today, it won't be until this evening. The morning is reserved for the chores I didn't do yesterday, and this afternoon, I'm going to enjoy my family. I hope you are having a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Origami Encore

As one with a relatively short attention span when it comes to craft projects, it's not often that I repeat something.

However, while cleaning up, I came across that left over piece of chipboard, and one thing led to another. Because the chipboard was too narrow to make a box the same size as the last one, I made a smaller one, discovering a 10x10-inch piece of patterned paper folds down into an origami box that is 3-1/2 inches square. I adjusted the dimensions for the chipboard cover accordingly.

It's still a nice-sized box - just the right size for a stack of 3x3-inch gift enclosure cards. As you can see, I used the Unforgettable paper packet, covering the inside of the cover to match the folded box this time. Using a large print for the outside, I planned ahead with regard to design placement. The only stamping was the round "friend" that I stamped with Juniper ink, heat set so the ink dried, cut out with a 13/16th-inch circle punch, and topped with a Circle Window Charm. It made the perfect center for the large flower in the upper left-hand corner. To finish it off, I accented the flowers with Diamond Stickles, which pick up the colors in the paper, and a little metal photo corner from the Spring Blossom Mini-Medley Accents Collection.

Materials & Tools: Chipboard; Unforgettable Level 2 paper packet; Juniper ink pad; Papertrey Ink Floral Frenzy stamp set; Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon; Circle Window Charms; Diamond Stickles; Spring Blossom Mini-Medley Accents; Yes! paste; Terrifically Tacky Tape.

My housework is not getting done. Oh, well . . . I'm having fun, which is something I can't say every day. Unless I impose a little self-discipline . . . later!

A Project!

I had fun this morning! After seeing this a origami box on a number of websites, I decided to give it a whirl. After a little search, I found the directions here on a Splitcoast Stampers forum.

The box, which is approximately 4-1/4 inches square, was folded from a 12x12-inch piece of patterned paper. A Pdf file showing how the paper is folded is available on the post. I printed it. I don't know about you, but I'm one that needs to see how something is done. Printed directions most likely wouldn't have cut it. What was amazing to me is how sturdy the paper box is.

When I saw the directions for the wrap-around base and cover, I didn't think I'd have a piece of chipboard that was 12-inches long. Low and behold, I came across several 12x9-3/4 inch sheets of heavy white chipboard in my stash that were perfect. Evidently, they are something I purchased at one time or another. Is that called foresight? LOL. After scoring the chipboard as directed it, I covered the front and back with patterned paper, using Yes! paste. Those of you who have followed this blog have heard me sing the praises of Yes! paste before. It's specifically for bookmaking. The paper sticks flat. Using it, I've never had to smooth out as much as a single air bubble.

Once the paste was dry, I attached my ribbon using Terrifically Tacky tape. I chose organdy ribbon for its ease and flexibility when it comes to tying and untying a bow. The next step was to attach the box, again with Terrifically Tacky tape.

I added the stamped image last, keeping it simple and kind of generic due to the fact that I don't, at this time, have a specific plan for the box. I'm proud to say that I am 100 percent thrilled with the results! Unlike some paper crafting projects, it looks like something - if you know what I mean. It would also make for a wonderful club project, which is my plan for next month - providing I can get my hands on enough chipboard. Fun!

Materials & Tools: Chipboard; Emporium Level 2 paper packet; Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Sweet Leaf Textured cardstock; Cocoa, Sweet Leaf, and Bamboo ink pads; Papertrey Ink Out on a Limb stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Antiqued Copper mini brads; Stampin' Up Photo Corner punch; Sponge dauber; Yes! paste; Terrifically Tacky Tape.

Marv just called me into the living room to watch a bald eagle circling above the trees, most likely looking for lunch. What a magnificent sight! The sky is perfectly clear and a beautiful shade of blue. It all looks better from the inside, however, as it is currently 11 below. Brrr! Now that I've done something fun, I'd better go do a little housework and perhaps venture out for a little shopping. I hope you're having a great day, too! Catch ya later!

Simple Saturday

Here's the same simple sketch done three ways.

For my first card, I used a 1-inch circle punch to cut four elements from one of the Emporium paper patterns and mounted them on 1-1/4 inch Cocoa circles, also cut with a punch. The Sweet Leaf background piece is textured cardstock.

Materials and Tools: Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Sweet Leaf Textured cardstock; Emporium Level 2 paper packet; Cocoa ink pad; Say it in Style stamp set; Sweet Leaf Design Ribbon Rounds; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide & Mat; EK Success Corner Rounder.




I used White Daisy Textured cardstock for my second card. The stamped hearts were cut out and mounted to the background with foam mounting tape.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy Textured cardstock; Tulip cardstock; Tulip ink pad; Key to My Heart and Say it in Style stamp sets; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide & Mat; EK Success corner rounder; 3M foam mounting tape.





My third card is another one that required minimal stamping.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Juniper cardstock; Key to My Heart paper packet; Creme Brule ink pad; Say it in Style stamp set; Hero Arts Art Flowers Summer; Spring Blossom Mini Medley Accents; EK Success corner rounder; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide & Mat.

With a forecast high of 6 below today and 10 below tomorrow, I'm going to be staying close to home this weekend. I don't anticipate being bored, however. If I run out of paper and ink, I've noticed that there are a few cupboards and drawers in my kitchen that could use straightening not to mention a utility closet that could avalanche at any moment. There's always something to do, especially when one is married to a man (bless his heart) who puts things where they fit opposed to where they belong. LOL. I hope yours is a good day. I'll catch you later!

I Can Emboss After All . . .

I think embossing is so pretty on patterned paper and decided to give it a whirl last night while cleaning up my mess and putting stuff away. My initial thought was to make a card for this week's Stamp Simply challenge on the No Time to Stamp? blog. The theme is week, however, is modern, so this card won't work. Its appearance, I think, is more on the old-fashioned side. It was simple - a 10-minute (or less) card - with no flying embossing powder.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Vineyard Berry, and Blush cardstock; That's Amore Level 2 paper packet; Vineyard Berry ink pad; VersaMark ink pad; Vineyard Berry embossing powder; Stampin' Up Inspired by Nature and CTMH Say it in Style stamp sets; Ribbon from my stash; Embossing gun.

Happy Friday! My plans for the weekend include continuing the little (big actually) organization project I started on Wednesday, doing a little stamping, catching up on some correspondence, and spending Sunday with my family - maybe evening cooking a special meal. What are you going to do? Whatever it is, I hope it's something you enjoy. That's what weekends are for! Later . . .

Live 'n Learn

Were I not such a faithful blogger, there most likely would not have been a card tonight. Talk about a calamity of errors. Before telling you about them, however, I'll give credit where credit is due.

My card was inspired by one by Jennifer Stevenson that appears in the March/April issue of Papercrafts. Pretty, isn't it?

Featured near the back of the magazine, this one didn't include directions (not that I would have read them anyway), just a photo of the card and the supplies list. My first mistake: I stamped the reeds first and heat set the ink with my embossing gun. That should have worked. Right? Not. After stamping the flowers with VersaMark, I poured on the white embossing powder, which stuck not only to the flowers but the reeds as well. Thinking the powder wouldn't be "stuck" stuck to the reeds, I attempted to blow it off - not a smart thing to do when the sheet holding the excess powder is laying underneath it. The embossing powder flew everywhere - on the stamp, the open VersaMark pad, my clothes, desk, etc. A colossal mess.

My next idea was to brush the misplaced powder off with a flat paintbrush. Had I had the patience for it, it might have worked even though I probably would have ended up removing powder from places where I wanted it. Card front #1 was gingerly tossed in the wastebasket. My second attempt was a piece of cake. I embossed the flowers first and then stamped the reeds, wiping the ink from the embossed flowers with a tissue. In my pre-blog days, I would have tossed by first try and then stayed away from my corner for a while.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Desert Sand, and Chocolate cardstock; Chocolate ink pad; VersaMark ink pad; White embossing powder; Stampin' Up Inspired by Nature stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Embossing gun.

After that long stamping saga, I'll keep the rest of this short. The little people are here again tonight, only because it didn't make any sense to take them home tonight only to return in the morning, particularly when it is supposed to be bitterly cold again. Daddy had supper with us and spent some time with them. Uncle Dusty was here, too, so it was a house full of boys . . . for about as long as I could stand it. LOL. Tomorrow is Friday. Hooray! It has been an interesting week at work. With the economy in the tank, a lot of people are getting nervous. Not me. Not now. Not yet. Hopefully, not at all. I hope you had a good day. I'm going to go finish cleaning up my embossing powder mess and hit the hay. Enjoy your Friday, and take care!

Hello!

How's everyone tonight? I'm much improved over last night after doing something smart today. I stayed home this morning! Yes, I burned a half a day of vacation, but I so needed it. I was so tired of coming home tired and not having enough energy to do something that I stayed home and cleaned my den, the room where I spend the majority of my waking hours that I'm here. There were stacks of stuff everywhere and disorderly ones at that. It was a depressing place to be. Although there is still much to be done, I got a good start, and it's so much better than it was. At this point in my life, I like small-space living. However, clutter needs to be kept under control, and to put it mildly, I'd gotten a little behind.

My card tonight was made with the pretty Emporium papers and another new stamp set, Bird Basics. I want to call it "Build-a-Bird," because the set consists of three bird bodies with an assortment of leg and feet, wings, tail feathers, and plumes. I kept my first bird pretty basic, the only notable characteristic being her wing, which was stamped on a separate scrap, cut out, and mounted with foam mounting tape.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Crystal Blue, and Cocoa cardstock; Emporium Level 2 paper packet; Buttercup, Vineyard Berry, Honey, and Bamboo ink pads; Honey marker; Bird Basics and Say it in Style stamp sets; My Legacy Writer; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Sponge dauber; Sanding block; 3M foam mounting tape.

I bowled tonight after work. We lost all four points, even though we all bowled well. The other team bowled better. It was a good time anyway. Bjorn and Mathias are staying here tonight and will be spending the next two days with Grandpa, because their daycare provider is taking a couple of days off. Mathias had preschool screening this afternoon. He did his parents proud, scoring well above what's "required." While I don't know what the current criteria are, I'm not surprised. Both he and his brother continually surprise me with what they know and how fast they soak it up. With that, I'm going to sign off, go check out some blogs, and call it a day - a good day! I hope yours was, too! Thanks for stopping. I'll talk to you again tomorrow night.

You Can Almost See the Sparkle ...

... but not quite darn it! I decided I wanted some sparkly cardstock, so I mixed some Pearl Ex with hairspray in a small spray bottle. I sprayed it on the Outdoor Denim and White cardstock, let it dry, and then ran it through the Cuttlebug using the Snowflake embossing folder. I also sprayed the punched heart and dried it with my heat gun. As for my image, I wasn't so brave. My little experiment worked. It just didn't photograph very well.

The card is my contribution to this week's Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge. The image is from a digital download by CC Designs that I colored with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol odorless mineral spirits.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Outdoor Denim, Citrus Leaf, and Bubblegum cardstock; Outdoor Denim ink pad; Black and Orange markers; CC Designs Digi Downloads Winter Bear and Bear Hugs stamp set; Outdoor Denim mini brads; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Cuttlebug/w Snowflakes embossing folder; Fiskars heart punch; My Legacy Writer.

I'm in a funk tonight. Midweek doldrums? Seasonal Affective Disorder? I don't know. Maybe I just need a good night's sleep. And, that's where I'm headed. I hope your day was a good one. I bowl and the little boys are staying with us tomorrow night, so most likely, I'll be late with my post. 'Til then, take care!

Better with a Friend

Here's my take on the Mojo Monday sketch. I had to make an adjustment or two to accommodate the stamps I used, but I think it turned out OK. The patterned paper is another new one, That's Amore, from CTMH's spring catalog. I was certain that I wouldn't like it from looking at it in the book. Then, I saw some amazing things made by some of the other consultants and realized I was wrong. The paper is beautiful.

Materials & Tools: Vanilla Cream, Chocolate, and Tulip cardstock; That's Amore paper packet; Chocolate, Tulip, and Bamboo ink pads; Flourishes Coffee with Friends stamp set; Acrylic discs from Michael's; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Sponge dauber.

Marv and I went out to dinner this evening. I ate too much and as a result am so tired, I can hardly hold my head up. Food does that to me, particularly heavy food like the American Legion's Monday night potato dumpling special - great stick-to-your-ribs food that provides the insulation (most likely in the form of fat) we need to live in this cold tundra.

Had I not enjoyed a telephone conversation with a friend (and I was drinking coffee on my end), I most likely would have passed out on the sofa - laid down for one of "I'm just going to close my eyes for a few minutes" type naps that are several hours long and throw normal sleep patterns off for days. I'm glad that didn't happen. I was busy at work today, the first couple of hours flying by so fast that it scared me. I anticipate that the rest of the week will be steady, too. That said, I'm off to bed. Thanks for stopping by! Later . . .

Have You Tried Google Reader?

Are you like me and follow a lot of blogs? Would you like to follow more but have a hard time keeping track of them? I did, until I discovered Google Reader, that is. Prior to signing up for this free program, I had all my favorite blogs saved to my favorites on Internet Explorer. To see if a blog had a new post, I had to check it every day, a very time consuming process.

The beauty of Google Reader is that it keeps track of updated blogs for you. While I have my entire subscription list, which enables me to reference a particular blog should I want to do so, the only blogs that appear for me to read every day are the ones with new posts. If you're like me, too, and are a little gun shy with regard to computer stuff, I thought this post on the Official Google Reader blog might be of interest to you.

It's very easy to set up (if I can do it, anyone can!). It's convenient. And for me, it's preferable to subscribing to or offering email subscriptions. The reason I never signed up for Feedblitz or one of the email subscription services is the fact that I sometimes post multiple times in one day. Who the heck, I asked myself, would want all those darned emails? I hope this makes sense and is useful information to someone.

With that, I hope yours is a great week. I'll talk to you again tomorrow night.

Club Projects

Here are my club cards for this month. The designs are simple. As I've said before, there is nothing that I could teach this talented group of stampers, who, over the years, have become some of my most cherished friends.

This first card is a Valentine made using stamps from both Moments in Time, January's stamp of the month set, and Key to My Heart, the stamp set that is part of this month's National Papercrafting Month promotion. My initial idea turned out to be a not-so-good one, so I stuck with the tried and true and used the same layout for the focal point image I used on the coaster calendar. A big fan of the red/black/white color combo, I like the card. If I'd been thinkin', however, I would have used the new Tulip red instead of Cranberry.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Cranberry cardstock; Black and Cranberry ink pads; Moments in Time and Key to My Heart stamp sets; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder; 3M foam mounting tape.

My second card requires little explanation, and my only comment is a repeat. I love these new stamps and papers!

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Unforgettable paper packet; Sorbet, Desert Sand, and Bamboo ink pads;Aspirations and Say it in Style stamp sets; Gold mini brads; 1/2-inch square punch; Sanding block.

I didn't get as much stamping done as I'd planned this weekend. I have, though, gotten a whole lot of sleep. I've been a real bum and don't feel one bit bad about it! After I get my stamp club stuff all organized, I suppose I should do a few domestic chores and run some errands in preparation of the week ahead. I understand that it's beautiful outside today, a balmy 21 degrees with no wind. Enjoy your day, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

P.S. Thank you for all your comments on my coaster calendar. The only aspect of it that wasn't simple was hunting around for the "right" stamps for each month. Otherwise, it was a piece of cake! Thanks, again!

Moments in Time

If I'd spent half as much time stamping as I've spent trying to put this photo collage together, I would be able to say I'd accomplished something so far today. LOL. Sometimes, I feel so inept. The collage photo is smaller than I would like it to be. However, at this point, I give up. You'll get the drift.

It's a coaster calendar made with January's Stamp of the Month set, Moments in Time. The design was somewhat inspired by Julee's "A Year in Verve" post on her Poetic Artistry blog. I used six 3-1/2 inch coasters and a variety of papers and stamps. While most are from Close To My Heart (both current and retired products), there's a little Verve here and a little Papertrey Ink there along with some Memory Box and Basic Grey papers.

All of the stamped circle elements (punched with 1 and 1-1/4 circle punches) were mounted with foam tape. Because I don't have a Bind-It-All, the calendar is held together with jump rings. It works. While the design is simple like all my designs are, the project, as a whole,
was more ambitious than my usual attempts. Fun, too. Because I'm tired of anything that has anything to do with winter, I'll show you a closeup of the June page. Because the materials were so many and varied, I'm not going to list them. If you have a question, please ask.

With stamp club projects to prepare for tomorrow evening, I'm going back to my corner. Perhaps, I should get dressed for the day, too. LOL. Actually it feels pretty good to be sitting around in my pajamas in the middle of the afternoon. Whatever you're doing, I hope you're having a great day. Later . . .

P.S. Double click on the collage photo if you want to see a larger version.

Nothin' to Do

That's not exactly true. Actually, I have a lot to do but nothing that requires much of a schedule, which, after a hectic week, is enough to have me practically jumping for joy.

I made this card last night after the little boys finally settled down from one very enjoyable party. The stamp I used was from the new Intrinsic Backgrounds set. The butterflies were punched from scraps from the Perfect Day paper packet.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Juniper cardstock; Colonial White pigment ink pad; Juniper ink pad; CTMH Intrinsic Backgrounds and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Sparkles; McGill tag punch; Sponge dauber.

This has been quite a week, with challenges on the home front and at work and deepfreeze weather to boot. All together, it was a bit overwhelming, which is why I'm so looking forward to a quiet weekend. I hope you're anticipating a pleasant weekend, too. If you're looking around the blogosphere, stop back. My plan is to stamp and then stamp some more, so most likely, I'll have lots to share. In the interim, take care!

Family Ties

Happy Thursday! Here's another Family Ties card, this one made with the adult set. I opted to make a card with the golfer first just cuz I think he's so darned cute. The sketch is another from Originals.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cocoa, Barn Red, and Ocean cardstock; Sarsaparilla paper packet; Black ink pad; Desert Sand, Bamboo, Breeze, Brown Bag, Baby Pink, and Tombow #850 Flesh markers; Silver gel pen; Family Ties-Adults and Happy Birthday stamp sets; Rustic Edge Anchors; Sponge dauber; Sanding block; 3M foam mounting tape.

About those family ties, we've got a little family party going on this evening to celebrate Bjorn's fifth birthday, which was Tuesday. It's just Cameron and the boys, Dustin and Miranda, and Marv's mom for supper and cake. The boys are spending the night and most likely, tomorrow morning with Grandpa, until it's time for Bjorn to go to school anyway. I took a couple of hours off from work this afternoon to help Grandpa with party preparations. It wasn't necessary though. He had everything under control!

For now, I'd best go. It's almost "showtime." After a busy week, I'm looking forward to Friday and the weekend. I've got stamping and more stamping on my agenda and am hoping to have some fun stuff to show you. Have a nice evening and good day tomorrow. Later . . .

A Long Day

I had better tell you about my card before expounding on my day just in case I don't have the energy to do both.

This is another of those cards that just kind of evolved - nothing like what I originally planned. Sometimes those are the best kind. I'm happy with the result. Looking at it, I don't think there is anything to say about it that you can't see. When it came to adding a little bling to my butterflies, I was happy to see that Close To My Heart has added some itty-bitty Sparkles to its new packaging.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Juniper, and Sorbet cardstock; Key to My Heart paper and stamp kit (National Papercrafting Month promo); Sorbet and Juniper stamp pads; Verve Stamps Beautiful You stamp set; Sparkles; Martha Stewart Butterfly punch; EK Success corner punch; Sponge dauber.

The writer's block I mentioned the other day took me right down to the wire with regard to the deadline for my 'difficult' writing assignment. Only a few times have I spent so many hours staring into a computer screen with absolutely nothing happening. I worried about it, too, and couldn't get to sleep last night, still staring at the clock at 2 a.m. When the alarm went off at 6, I told myself, "I have to do this." And with that and a bit of an adrenaline rush, I sat down at my computer and finally wrote my article. I finished it around 9:30 and emailed it to my supervisor to look over while I got ready to go to work. With a couple of very minor changes, it was done, and if I say so myself, it was good.

I worked the rest of the day and bowled tonight and was OK until I got home and walked through the door. Bedtime is imminent. When I have enough energy to feel anything, I'm going to feel good about the fact that I can still pull a rabbit out of my hat when the need arises. Right now, I just want to sleep. Thanks for stopping by. I'll catch you again tomorrow night. Between now and then, take care.