January Wrap Up

Here we are on the last day of January already . . . one month closer to spring and just two weeks before Valentine's Day. It was a holiday I loved when I was a kid. With a crafty, imaginitative, and oh-so-patient Mom (in addition to a little ingenuity of my own), I always came up with the coolest Valentine's box, and in those days, Valentine's Day cards were punch-outs from a book, which was probably my first experience with perforated paper. Some years, we made Valentines from scratch, using red construction paper, pretty heart-shaped paper doilies, scraps of fabric and lace - whatever was on hand. Conversation hearts were the candy of choice, most likely because they were only available for a short while prior to the holiday. I probably liked them, too, because they had words on them.

My little heart tin is from Papertrey Ink. I covered it with paper from the More to Adore paper packet. To adhere my paper to the tin, I placed horizontal strips of Terrifically Tacky Tape at one-inch intervals all around the tin. To cover the top, I traced it and cut out and sanded a Chocolate heart. While I was at it, I cut the same heart out of Blush paper for my matching card. Three of the four flowers I used to decorate the tin and card were painted with Blush-tinted Create-A-Shade paint. Large brown brads and a large, clear Sparkle created centers for my flowers. The sentiment on my card - "Where your treasure is, there too will be your heart" - is from the Treasures of the Heart stamp set. I completed my card with a length of brown ribbon from the Chocolate Designer Ribbon Rounds collection and thought as I was tying my bow that making Valentine's Day cards and gifts is still fun . . . after all these years.

Doubly Inspired

This card was inspired by Jeanne who was inspired by Julie. Originally, I was inspired by Julie, too. However, my first attempt at this card yesterday morning is lining the bottom of the wastebasket in Kathi's Corner. It wasn't until I saw Jeanne's card today that I decided to give this card one more try. Here is the card that inspired us both. Jeanne's blog, Creative Bliss, and Julie's blog, Poetic Artistry, are both listed in my "Blogs That Inspire" list.

You will note that all of the cards are different. Julie used Stampin' Up's Blue Bayou paper. Jeanne used CTMH's Grey Wool, and I tried Twilight, which I have determined is probably not a very close match to Blue Bayou, which appears to be more grey and muted. Grey Wool was a better choice and what I started out with yesterday. Like Jeanne, I chose gingham ribbon although I don't think mine is as wide as hers. Ribbon was part of what gave me fits on my first attempt. I don't know sometimes how a person can have so much stuff and so frequently not have the right thing. All three of my hearts were cut out with the Cricut (George and Basic Shapes cartridge) at 2-1/2 and 2 inches. All three were embossed with the Adorable Background stamp set and white embossing powder. I used a sponge dauber to ink the two white hearts, one obviously more than the other. The sentiment (from the Stampendous Holiday Words set) were stamped on a piece punched with my Stampin' Up Word Window punch. Two tiny red Sparkles anchor (or appear to) the sentiment and add a touch of bling.

So, that's the story of this card. Thank you to Julie and Jeanne for the inspiration. Looking at my card with only dim lights on in the room, it looks pretty good. At 54, I look better when the lights are low, too!

With this card, I'm calling it a night. I think I overdid it today, as my normally sweet husband asked me about four times, "Bloggin' again?" The kids got plenty of attention, but I guess he doesn't think he got his share. Maybe it was the fact that he made all of the meals today . . . Regardless, I'd better save an idea or two for tomorrow anyway. Until then, take care, and thanks for stopping. It's nice to have people with which to share one's obsession.

Primary (Colors) Valentine

Here's my Valentine's Day card for Mathias. I thought a pocket card would be perfect for the Checklist stamp set. The colors - Cranberry, Moonstruck, Clover Meadow, and Sunflower - are not your typical Valentine's Day hues but just right for a little boy who is still learning his colors. The card is made with paper from the retired Naturals collection. The stamp is one from the Made By Me set. The small words on the tag are from Holiday Words by Stampendous. I made a pocket card before Christmas. The dimensions and scoring instructions can be found here. The patterned paper is from the Route 66 paper packet, and the tab at the top of the insert card was punched with the Round Tab punch by Stampin' Up. The only other thing I can think of is that I used Terrifically Tacky Tape on the sides of the pocket. It's by far the best tape I've found to use when I want assurance that what I stick stays stuck. Looking at my card in the photo, I believe I need to add a red button to the outside flap to finish it.

I think Mathias will like his card. For now, I've got to go get the little monkey into his pajamas, oversee the tooth brushing process, read a book or two, say prayers, and share a dozen or so hugs and kisses! Later!!

Love U

This card was inspired by a messy desk. With the exception of the Solo U stamp all of the elements were right in front of me, either waiting to be used or put away. I cut the Cranberry oval frame using my Creative Memories cutting system. I then stamped it with my favorite stamp from the Adorable Backgrounds set using VersaMark and embossed it with white embossing powder. I layered the Cranberry frame on a Black frame and mounted it on my card base. The pattern on the U was created using the Stamp Kissing Technique, "kissing" the inked up stamp with the same background stamp. I glued the letter to my card using a glue stick for all-over coverage. The Love stamp, stamped with Black ink, is from the Technique Tuesday set I mentioned in my last post.

I believe I'm tired enough to go to bed now. According to weather.com, it's 18 below with a forecast low of 17 below. Go figure. However, it's supposed to start warming up tomorrow and be 30 above by Monday. While that isn't exactly bikini weather, it will be welcome.

Forever Love

Greetings from Kathi's infirmary! I've been under the weather. My day started out with a giant headache, which I thought a couple of aspirin would take care of. I emailed work and said I'd be a couple of hours late. It never happened. I managed to get dressed, but every time I went to put some makeup on, I realized I didn't feel well enough to go to work. Finally, I gave up and went to bed, waking up feeling better this evening.

My card was inspired by one I saw on the Bits & Pieces blog. I love the color combination. The colors I used are Twilight, White Daisy, Black, and Garnet for the heart. I embossed the white band with my Cuttlebug using the Textile Texture A2 embossing folder. I paper-pierced the edges of the Twilight and Black pieces, which makes the embossed piece appear to be raised (very cool). To cut the 2-1/2 inch heart, I used my Cricut - George and Basic Shapes cartridge. I stamped the heart with VersaMark and embossed with white embossing powder. The edges of the heart and paper-covered chipboard piece were sanded with an emery board. The tiny tag on the heart was cut with a punch and distressed with Bamboo ink. I punched a 1/16th inch hole in the top of the tag and ran a piece of Chocolate Waxy Flax through it which I tied it into a small bow. The words - Forever stamped in Black and Love stamped with Garnet - are from the Words We Love set by Technique Tuesday. Pewter brads, attaching the chipboard piece and bordering a portion of the heart, finish the card. I can either use it for Valentine's Day or save it for a wedding.

With my post complete, I think I'll go lay down again. I have a press release hitting the wire at 8 a.m. EST tomorrow morning, and I'd really like to go in early. Thanks for stopping!

Distressed!

If ever a post had an appropriate title, it's this one. I sat down in Kathi's corner early last night with the best of intentions. The first thing I did was manage to stab myself in the foot with my Coluzzle knife. Evidently, I dropped it "just right." It didn't hurt . . . much, but there sure was a lot of blood for a blade so small. From there, it was just one thing after another. I tried to sand a piece of what I thought was Vineyard Berry cardstock. "What the heck is wrong with this paper?," I asked myself, before realizing I had some contraband cardstock that didn't have a white core in my little bag of scraps, leftovers from wedding invitations I made last year. A few minutes later my tape runner ran out of adhesive. "Impossible," I told myself, before it dawned on me that I'd made a scrapbook layout the day before. After a few more little things, like miscalculations in cutting my paper, etc., I had a couple of completed cards, photographed and ready to be "blogged" at 7:15.

That's went the world of technology let me down. I still don't know what the problem was, if it was my connection, my computer, or the Internet itself. There were times when I could get my Google homepage up but couldn't go anywhere from there. Other times it was just dead. Thinking that I'd blogged by computer to death I did everything I could think of to "fix" it, running a virus scan, disk cleaner, rebooting, restoring, etc., etc., etc.

I walked away a couple of times. I made another card; I thoroughly cleaned the bathroom; I straightened up my closet and Kathi's corner, intermittently returning to my troublesome computer. This went on until midnight when I finally gave up and went to bed, more "distressed" than my cards.

The cards, by the way, were made with the Vintage Valentine stamp set. The colors are Vineyard Berry, Colonial White, and Desert Sand. I distressed them with a Bamboo ink pad with hopes of creating a vintage look. What you can't see in the photograph is that the stamp on the card that is supposed to look like an old envelope was stamped and cut out using a postage-edge scissors. The focal image on the card to the right was mounted with foam tape to give it a little added dimension.

On the bright side of things, I'm up early. My computer appears to be working fine. I'll go to work early and get done early today. My bathroom is squeaky clean. I won't have to dig for anything in my closet, and I'll sit down later in a very neat Kathi's Corner. Oh yeah, I'm going to call my Internet provider to see if there were any "problems" last night so that I can determine if I need to start looking for a new provider or a new computer.

Something Different

It's different for me, anyway. I've been seeing a few of these heart pocket cards out in the bloggersphere and thought I'd try one. The template is compliments of Denise, who posted on Splitcoast Stampers. It can be found here. My card is made with papers from the More to Adore paper packet. There isn't a whole lot to explain with the exception that I used Blush cardstock to back the brown patterned paper and punch my corner accents and distressed Colonial White, cut with a deckle-edge scissor, to back the heart. I wasn't certain what I was going to put in the pocket until I caught sight of the sticker in the My Stickease packet. I backed it with Blush cardstock and added a scrap of ribbon to the corner. Just right and easy. One can't beat that!

In the continuing saga that is my life, Marv did not tell me to turn the CD player down, because I never got around to turning it on. I left the door open, too. I tolerate his television. He puts up with my tapping away on this keyboard. I suppose I'll have to give him my heart pocket card, too. The sentiment on the tag reads, "Love is not blind; it sees more, not less; but because it sees more, it is willing to see less." So true . . .

Sidetracked . . . yet again

Anyone who comes around my blog knows I don't always do what I say I'm gonna. It has nothing to do with reliability (I don't think). I rather think its more about creativity. Rarely do I use stamps to make one card without thinking of something else I could do with them. The stamps are laying there, and one thing just usually kind of leads to another. I also didn't want to start anything new tonight, because I didn't want to take the chance that I'd get carried away and stay up too late. I've certain done that before.

Now, as for my cards, the long and lean, 8 by 3-1/2 inch, card was inspired by a challenge on Pammie's blog. I embossed the heart (from All My Love) with red embossing powder. The background stamp is from the Adorable Backgrounds set again. The sentiment is from the December Stamp of the Month set, In My Heart. Instead of the brads, I could have used three red Sparkles. They're still "new" enough, however, that I forget I have them.

The card that I call my "White on White" card is a favorite to make for weddings. It's also a quickie. All you do is emboss the Adorable Background stamp on a square of white cardstock with white embossing powder, mount it on a piece of black cardstock, and then mount it on your white card base. The sentiment is stamped in black, and an organdy bow completes the card. Colonial White (ivory) cardstock and ribbon works, too. It's simple, very pretty, and quite elegant for a 10-minute card. Everything is put away in Kathi's Corner with the exception of the Eastertime set, which is waiting for tomorrow's stamping endeavors. I'll talk to you again then!

Monday, Monday

Here's another Valentine's Day card. I'm relatively conventional when it comes to Valentine's Day colors and stick mostly with reds or pinks, and thus, the colors I chose for this card were Cranberry, White Daisy, and Black. Stamps used were from the All My Love and Adorable Backgrounds sets. The striped patterned paper is from CTMH's long-retired Contemporary Christmas paper packet.

Because my stamp club meets this weekend, I really should be making some samples using the January Stamp of the Month, Eastertime. I'm having a hard time, however, putting one holiday in front of the other. I guess I do more than just think chronologically.

I'll have to say that making my card in an area that's slightly more organized today than it was yesterday was quite pleasant. I actually used some scraps to make this card and think that unless I get extremely lazy, my new system of storing my paper is going to work out well for me. Right now, I think I'll go take out the Eastertime set and see if I can't put a card or two together before it's time to call it a day. Enjoy your evening.

What's Next?

I was thinking Valentine's Day was next until, that is, I checked out holidayinsights.com. By the looks of things, there's something to "observe" every day of January, and while I haven't checked it out, February, too, I'm sure. Darn, I'm going to miss Festival of Sleep Day on the 3rd, because I have to work. The 3rd is also Humiliation Day. If that one's observed, it won't be intentional. I might have enjoyed Male Watcher's Day on the 8th when I was younger, and with regard to Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day on the 11th, I will celebrate that one, provided I can find a puddle. It's not likely, however, in the tundra of northern Minnesota in January. The 21st is National Hugging Day as well as Squirrel Appreciation Day. The 24th is Beer Can Appreciation Day (just the can?), and the 25th is Opposite Day. Opposite what? I will observe National Cornchip Day on the 29th. My co-workers give me a hard time regularly about the bag of Fritos I eat almost morning before 9 a.m. I tell them it's just like eating cereal without the milk and with salt instead of sugar. It is, isn't it? Some of these holidays are "national" although if you click on National Kazoo Day you will note that a national holiday requires an act of Congress, and there is no evidence to prove that this is an actual national holiday. I certainly hope not. There's got to be more important things for our legislators to worry about than declaring weird holidays. For the first time in a long time, I wish I had a newspaper column right now. I think I could have had some fun with this subject. Actually, I already did, but all you really came here for was to see a card, wasn't it?

As close as I can tell, Valentine's Day is the next cardmaking holiday, and I made this one for my honey, the guy that was snoring instead of giving me a little New Year's smooth at midnight. "You should have woke me up," he told me this afternoon. Yea, right! Like I wanted to start the New Year out listening to the grumblings of a grouchy bear.

Getting back to the card, the colors are Baby Pink, Blush, White Daisy, and New England Ivy. The rose is from the Cherish stamp set and the sentiment from Vintage Valentine's Day. There's nothing different in the way of design with the exception of taking my X-acto knife to the rose image and creating a little extra room for my sentiment so that I didn't have to cover up part of the rose. It adds a little dimension to the design, too. I added a couple of silver brads to the sentiment to finish it off and mounted it with regular adhesive on the left side and a thin piece of foam mounting tape on the left side.

Like I haven't said enough already, this is it for now. When I moved all my Bigger Brads and miscellaneous mini brads into one accessory case, I realized that I don't know how to operate my new label maker. Drats! That means I will actually have to look at the instruction manual, which means I'll have to locate my bifocals. The bear (all mellowed out this afternoon) wants to take me out for supper, too. Evidently, he doesn't want to cook. Later . . . maybe.

A Little Pretty Paper

Ah! Little did I know that all it would take was a little pretty paper to inspire me. I went back to my desk to straighten up and was putting my Everlasting paper packet away when I caught sight of the Cranberry flowered paper. It reminds me of an old-fashioned wallpaper print. The card colors are Cranberry, Desert Sand, and Bamboo. I sanded all of the cardstock edges and distressed the Bamboo pieces, the patterned paper, and the natural twill ribbon with my Bamboo ink pad. The stamped images are mounted with foam tape. I even came up with my own sketch, although I'm sure it's something I saw somewhere once upon a time. While In My Heart will most likely never be my "cup of tea" when it comes to favorite stamp sets, I'm feeling better about it and my mojo. Tomorrow!

My Mojo Is Missing

I love Close To My Heart's Stamp of the Month program. However, every few months I end up with a stamp set that is difficult for me to promote, because it's not my style. January's In My Heart is one of those sets. I thought and thought, stamped and stamped, and threw one piece of cardstock after another into the wastebasket. I tried different color combinations. I heat embossed. I tried dry embossing. I got out the glitter and ended up with nothing more than a mess.

It wasn't just this stamp set today either. I saw a cute snowflake card on someone else's blog and couldn't even manage to stamplift it. After several attempts, I gave up on that card, too. There's no magic in Kathi's Corner today. My mojo is missing. The three cards I'm posting are pretty darned blah even though I like the red/white color combo.

For more (better) ideas, check out CTMH's website. The brown/pink color combination is awesome, as are the cards in the additional artwork. I especially like the Love card. Desert Sand, Cranberry, Outdoor Denim and Sweet Leaf are not colors I would have thought to use together with this stamp set. The results, however, are stunning. Perhaps a good night's sleep will be the cure for my creatively crunch. I hope so. Like I said, I think the SOTM program is great. I realize, too, that while nearly all of the stamp sets have broad appeal, not every set is going to appeal to every stamper. You never know, too, I may just wake up tomorrow morning, park my backside in Kathi's Corner, and be inspired to create something awesome with In My Heart. We'll see . . .