Boo banner

When the My Creations Banner came out, I thought it was THE cutest thing.  . . .
but then I couldn't figure out WHAT the heck to do with it.
(don't you hate it when that happens!?)

But I got inspired when I started playing with my stash of Mischief paper, and felt goodies.

I had a HORRIBLE time trying to photograph this crazy thing, so please bear with my picture.  I'll try to get some better pictures soon. 

I covered each of the pennants with patterned paper, and distressed the heck out of the edges!  I used the felt shapes, and trimmed some of the cool little labels from the patterned paper (and inked the edges of them.)  The letters are from the Friendship Alphabet. (love that stamp set!)

I added some black ribbon to the ends, and used the links that come with the banner set to attach the pennants together.

Now, for my next mission. . . .should I tell you? (Maybe I should surprise you. . .)

No, I'll let you in on my secret.  My next mission, is to create ANOTHER banner, on the back side.  That way, I will have a reversible banner! Halloween, and then flip it for Thanksgiving (or Christmas. . .I haven't decided which!)

I'll be SURE to share it as soon as I have a plan, and make it happen!

Have a GREAT weekend!  We are going to be recovering after Bryce's first week of school, and celebrating Tanner's second birthday! Oh, yes . . .humor me for a moment, and I'll share Mr. B's back-to-school photo!

Cute as can be, right!!!??

Happy weekend!

xoxo

a little more spooooky!

A little more spooooky Halloween goodness for you today! (I warned you last week!) I used the August stamps on these two cards, along with other matching goodies from the catalog.  (See previous post for more info on this fun Halloween stamp set!)

On both of these cards I used a while colored pencil to highlight my images.  The sentiment on this first card, as well as the stripe are from the new patterned papers - I LOVE that CTMH has jumped on board and added that little strip to the edge of their patterned papers!

On this second card, I used the felt frame from the Workshops on the Go kit, but you can also get it in the Midnight Felt Shapes sheet.  I stamped the witch's head inside the frame, and added some other witchy goodies, and again added the highlights in white colored pencil.  I was sort of going for a "witch's house scene" although I'm not sure I totally pulled it off! LOL!

Next week. . .home decor project! It's all done, i just need to photograph it for you! Have a terrific weekend, and a fabulous week! Make sure you snag this August stamp set before it's TOO LATE! September is RIGHT around the corner!

BOO!

I don't know about you, but we are pretty dang ready for AUTUMN around here. 

And playing with Halloween stamps and paper only makes it worse.  Or better. I'm not sure what it does, but it is certainly making me THINK about fall weather and festivities!

For the next few weeks, I'm going to be sharing some projects centered around the new paper pack, Mischief, and this month's Stamp of the Month, called Wicked.  

I am not a HUGE Halloween person.  I love pumpkins, and kids dressed up in cute costumes.  And I certainly love candy! But I'm not so much into the spooky stuff. That all being said, I really LOVE this stamp set! The cat is stinkin' adorable, and I love that honeycomb pattern.  At first, I wasn't sure what to do with it, but i think it made the perfect little background for my sentiment! (It would be a great journaling spot too - and you can stamp it repeatedly to make a background!)

So there you have it! I think the card is pretty self-explanatory.  I inked the edges of everything.  And the paper I stamped the witchy woman onto, has the fence along the bottom edge - it worked perfectly.  (And did you notice the tiny jewels I added to her shoes!?) 

I'll be back next week with a few more cards (and maybe a home decor project later this month) to get you all ready for FALL!!!  

all new goodies!!!!

Well I just returned home from a week of playing with BRAND NEW GOODIES!  Today's card features NEW NEW NEW, . . .new Roxie patterned paper (you are going to LOVE the new thicker cardstock weight patterned paper!) Also a new stamp set, and this image was cut out with the NEW Cricut cartridge! (you can see the new Close To My Heart Cricut cartridge, and the coordinating stamps HERE).  I have all of the new paper with me at home now, as well as the new August Stamp of the Month, and I will have lots more to share in the coming weeks!

Pair-a-Phrase - double stamp set !

This card was created using the Pair-A-Phrase stamp set and Elemental paper pack.

Created by Laura Williams

August 15-September 31 you can earn this special DOUBLE stamp set - both sets are Size D - when you place an order of $75 or more.  If you place that order between August 15 and August 31 you can also purchase the August Stamp of the Month for $5.00 and receive an additional SPECIAL stamp set for free.  Talk about a big bang for your buck!

August SOM - Wicked
Free stamp set with the purchaqse of SOM A Typeface

Flower Pot

One of the new-to-me sets that I got recently is Flower Pot.   I had fun coloring little flowers, and doing a lot of paper-piecing with this set.  The flower pots are really easy to work with, no matter how you want to color them! It's a really fun set to play with! 

On this second card, I paper-pieced the flower pot with patterned paper, which I LOVE.  I also added tiny Opaques to the flowers' centers.

I have to keep this post short and sweet today, because tomorrow we are heading up to North Carolina to meet my parents!!!!! I have a MILLION things to do!!!! I know my mom has NEW PRODUCT to play with when I arrive though, so we'll try to whip up some goodies to share with you next time. See you next week! Thanks for stopping by!
xoxo

RETIRING JULY 31

The following items are not included in the new Autumn/Winter Idea Book. This means they can not be ordered after July 31. Please note additional information as you look through this list. If you see something you can’t live without, contact me asap to place your order before the items are sold out or no longer available.


• Bliss Level 1 -- X7132A pg 12
• Bliss Level 2 -- X7132B pg 12
• Bliss stickease -- X7132C pg 12

• Miracle L1 -- X7133A pg 16
• Miracle L2 -- X7133B pg 16
• Miracle stickease -- X7133C pg 16

• Sweetheart L1 -- X7134A pg 20
• Sweetheart L2 -- X7134B pg 20
• Sweetheart stickease -- X7132C pg 20

• Wings L1 -- X7135A pg 24
• Wings L2 -- X7135B pg 24
• Wings stickease -- X7135C pg 24

• Magnifique L1 -- X7127A pg 38
• Magnifique L2 -- X7127B pg 38
• Magnifique stickease -- X7127C pg 38

• Olivia L1 -- X7128A pg 38
• Olivia L2 -- X7128B pg 38
• Olivia stickease -- X7128C pg 38

• Hooligans L1 -- X7129A pg 39
• Hooligans L2 -- X7129B pg 39
• Hooligans stickease -- X7129C pg 39

• Mistletoe L1 -- X7130A pg 39
• Mistletoe L2 -- X7130B pg 39
• Mistletoe stickease -- X7130C pg 39

• Sweetheart WOTG -- G1017 pg 41
• Lucky WOTG -- G1018 pg 41
• Sophia WOTG -- G1019 pg 41
• Bliss WOTG -- G1020 pg 42
• Fanfare WOTG -- G1021 pg 42
• Mayberry WOTG -- G1022 pg 42
• Miracle WOTG -- G1023 pg 43
Wings WOTG -- G1016 pg 43

• 1” x 1 ½” block -- Y1001 pg 45
• 1” x 6 ½” block -- Y1005 pg 45
• 2” x 11” block -- Y1007 pg 45
• 2 ½” x 2 ½” block -- Y1004 pg 45
• 4 ½” x 6 ½” block -- Y1011 pg 45
• My Acrylix block starter kit -- Y1500 pg 114

• Envelope flats – 2 ½” x 3 ½” -- Z1021 pg 114
• Envelope flats – 3” x 3” -- Z1022 pg 114
• Envelope flats – 3” x 4 ¾” -- Z1023 pg 114
• Envelope flats – 4” x 4” -- Z1024 pg 114
• Envelope flats – 4 ½” x 4 ½” -- Z1244 pg 114
• Envelope flats – 5” x 5” -- Z1025 pg 114
• Envelope flats – 5” x 7” -- Z1026 pg 114
• Envelope flats – 5 ½” x 4 3/4 ” -- Z1027 pg 114
• Envelope flats – 6” x 6” -- Z1028 pg 114
• Envelope flats – 8” x 3 ½” -- Z1029 pg 114

• Designer ribbon – cranberry -- Z1209 pg 115
• Designer ribbon – buttercup -- Z1154 pg 115
• Designer ribbon – sweet leaf -- Z1125 pg 115

• Sophia L2 Journaling Spots -- Z1357 pg 116
• Mini Medley Accents – Pear -- Z1339 pg 117
• Mini Medley Accents – Lagoon -- Z1340 pg 117
• Mini Medley Accents – Outdoor Denim -- Z1277 pg 117
• Top Coats – Framed In -- Z1211 pg 118
• Rub Ons – Across the Board -- Z1231 pg 118
• Rub Ons – Primavera -- Z1265 pg 118

• Dimensional Elements – Villa -- Z1390 pg 118
• Dimensional Elements – Miracle -- Z1354 pg 118
• Dimensional Elements – Booksmart -- Z1223 pg 119
• Dimensional Elements – Borders -- Z1156 pg 119
• Dimensional Elements – Framed Fun -- Z1140 pg 119
• Dimensional Elements – Plain Chipboard -- Z1164 pg 119
• Dimensional Elements – Stars -- Z1312 pg 119
• ALL Dimensional Elements Monograms – A through Z -- pg 119 (new DE alphabets in fall book – similar but new sizes and shapes)

 3” x 3” Mini Album -- Z1166 pg 120 (ALREADY SOLD OUT)
• My Creations 3 ring binder -- Z1141 pg 120
• Kraft Color Ready Borders -- Z1377 pg 120
• Red Eye Pen -- 3501 pg 121
• Embossing Powders – Clear -- Z671 pg 121
• Embossing Powders – Heavenly Blue -- Z647 pg 121
• Embossing Powders – Pansy Purple -- Z664 pg 121
• Embossing Powders – Silver Pearl -- Z678 pg 121
• Block Buddy Set -- Z1289 pg 121
• Pivot Point Stapler -- Z1009 pg 122
• Texture Tools – Foam Tools -- Z1090 pg 122
• Fun Flock -- Z263
• My Accents Organizer -- Z183 pg 123 (SOLD OUT)
• My Accents Block Organizer -- Z185 pg 123
• Euro Personal Paper Trimmer -- Z338 pg 123
• Euro Replacement Blades -- Z339 pg 123
• Euro Replacement Blade/Scoring -- Z340 pg 123

The individual packs of 24 sheets of one color of cardstock have been changed in the new book. There are 15 colors you can continue to buy in packs of 24. With the new book, you can buy a pack with 3 shades (example: Light Red & Pink Shade Pack which includes Blush, Hollyhock, and Tulip).

NEED BULK for Holiday cards? Don’t delay!
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Grey Flannel -- 5573 pg 124
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Grey Wool -- 5571 pg 124
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Brown Bag -- X5644 pg 124
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Parchment -- X5645 pg 124
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Amethyst -- X5631 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Baby Pink -- 1299 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Heavenly Blue -- 1285 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Key Lime -- 1235 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sunkiss Yellow -- 1240 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Taffy -- X5630 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Juniper -- X5752 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Lilac Mist -- 1295 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sorbet -- X5751 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Spring Iris -- 1296 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Tulip -- X5753 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Gypsy -- X5757 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Holiday Red -- 1274 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sunny Yellow -- 1225 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sunset -- X5758 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Topiary -- X5635 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Cotton Candy -- X5760 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Dutch Blue -- 1241 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Lagoon -- X5762 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Pear -- X5764 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sky -- X5761 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Autumn Terracotta -- 1270 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Barn Red -- X5637 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – New England Ivy -- 1282 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Pansy Purple -- 5590 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sunflower -- 1242 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Garden Green -- 1244 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Goldrush -- 1243 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Hollyhock -- 1246 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Indian Corn Blue -- 1284 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Vineyard Berry -- 1248 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Buttercup -- 1271 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Garnet -- X5638 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Moonstruck -- 1293 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Ponderosa Pine -- 1276 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Smokey Plum -- 1291 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Blush -- X5640 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Crystal Blue -- 1292 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Honey -- X5668 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Petal -- X5667 pg 125
• Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Twilight -- X5666 pg 125

The combo packs below are retired only because our seasonal color palatts have been rearranged. The 12 colors in each season have changed, but we still have all the same 60 colors.
• 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Antique -- X5686 pg 124
• 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Timeless -- X5700 pg 124
• 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Harmony -- X5682 pg 125
• 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Blossom -- X5756 pg 125
• 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Carnival -- X5765 pg 125
• 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Celebration -- X5766 pg 125
• 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Harvest -- X5684 pg 125
• 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Garden -- X5698 pg 125
• 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Classic -- X5685 pg 125
• 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Cozy -- X5800 pg 125
• 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Antique -- X5691 pg 124
• 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Timeless -- X5705 pg 124
• 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Harmony -- X5687 pg 125
• 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Blossom -- X5755 pg 125
• 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Carnival -- X5767 pg 125
• 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Celebration -- X5768 pg 125
 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Harvest -- X5689 pg 125
• 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Garden -- X5703 pg 125
• 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Classic -- X5690 pg 125
 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Cozy -- X5801 pg 125

• Stamp Pad set – Antique -- Z1564 pg 124
• Stamp Pad set – Timeless -- Z1569 pg 124
• Stamp Pad set – Harmony -- Z1560 pg 125
• Stamp Pad set – Blossom -- Z1570 pg 125
• Stamp Pad set – Carnival -- Z1573 pg 125
• Stamp Pad set – Celebration -- Z1574 pg 125
• Stamp Pad set – Harvest -- Z1562 pg 125
• Stamp Pad set – Garden -- Z1567 pg 125
• Stamp Pad set – Classic -- Z1563 pg 125
• Stamp Pad set – Cozy -- Z1600 pg 125

• Marker set – Antique -- Z1554 pg 124
• Marker set – Timeless -- Z1559 pg 124
• Marker set – Harmony -- Z1550 pg 125
• Marker set – Blossom -- Z1571 pg 125
• Marker set – Carnival -- Z1572 pg 125
• Marker set – Celebration -- Z1575 pg 125
• Marker set – Harvest -- Z1552 pg 125
• Marker set – Garden -- Z1557 pg 125
• Marker set – Classic -- Z1553 pg 125
• Marker set – Cozy -- Z1610 pg 125

• Textured Cardstock – White Daisy -- X5671 pg 124

NEW Autumn/Winter Idea Book 2001

I have the new book in my hands!  WOW oh WOW it's exciting to see all the new product, changes, and fantastic artwork.  One of the BEST things EVER is the new LOWER prices on all our stamp sets!  Yes you heard me right!!!!  Our stamp sets are now $6.95 to $29.95.  (Were $7.95 to $34.95).

Another exciting new product - our very own Cricut cartridge!!!  We offer the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection that includes the cartridge, (3) D-size stamp sets and (3) Dimensional Elements.  These all work together and you can use your Cricut to cut out the images.  Throughout the Idea Book you'll see stamp images with red lines around them.  All those images can be cut with the new Cricut cartridge! 

Also, I am so excited that in the new book all our stamp images are shown ACTUAL size!!!!  Lots more to share so stay tuned!

The new book is "Live" August 1.

thank you squares

Happy Friday! I'd like to share a card with you today that I had THE best time making! I am on a roll with combining my CTMH stamps and the CPS sketches - this is my card for this week's sketch, #226.  I used one of my VERY favorite stamp sets.  (I say that a lot, don't I?)  Thank You has sentiments of every shape and size.  Seriously, you NEED this set in your stash if you create a lot of thank you cards! I stamped the "thanks" squares in Pear, Outdoor Denim, and Sunflower and adhered them to white cardstock using foam tape.  Then I stamped the circle "thank you" in Pear ink, layered everything up with some large circles and TA-DA!

tailor-made

I broke out another new-to-me stamp set this week . .. it's called Tailor-Made, and it has the cutest little sewing images! I have been cranking out cards for the Card Positioning Systems blog, and this is another one.  It's based on this week's sketch, #225.

After I stamped the images in Bamboo ink, I used a brown colored pencil to trace over parts of them, adding some little shadows and depth.  I like the way it turned out! And I just LOVE the measuring tape.  I think it's my favorite stamp in the set!

Have a great weekend!

Life is Good!

Hello, hello! I created this card based on this week's sketch at Card Positioning Systems (in fact, you can see this card over there too!) It's a clean and simple sketch, and it was a lot of fun to create with! If you are feeling stumped for some inspiration, I highly recommend the CPS blog.  Another fun challenge blog I like is The Playdate Cafe - all of their challenges are COLOR based (but not specific to any one manufacturer) and it's a totally fun way to get motivated!

Okay - so on this card, I used this fun color combo: Sunflower, Lagoon, and Pear.  I used the Treetops stamp set, along with the cloud from Over the Rainbow.

I hope you have a FABULOUS 4th of July weekend! We are off to the beach and the pool with family, now that Tanner is (just at this very second) waking up from his nap. SO, I suppose I better go rescue my little one, and pack up our towels and swimsuits!  See you next week!
xoxox

lagoon and white

A perfect card for summer weddings, or maybe even a graduation.  I love the Lagoon and White together!  I  used a stamp from Salutation Seals, stamped in Lagoon ink.  The ribbon is just Offray ribbon from JoAnn's.  To create the corners, just stick the corner of your cardstock into a small circle punch, with the corner pointed toward the center of the circle.  (Try it on a scrap piece first, to see how large of a corner you'd like!)

two for the price of one!

Sorry to trick you. . .no, there's no two-for-one deal going on, on stamps. . . .but do i have TWO cards to share with you today!  When the current catalog came out, I was SUPER EXCITED about this stamp set.  It's called Retro Tech, and it has very cool vintage looking images of phones, a television, record player, camera, etc.   I have been making some SUPER SIMPLE, clean and graphic cards with these stamps.  And I love them!  They are so quick and easy, I thought I'd better share two of them today!

On this first card, I cut some squares of cardstock (great way to use up scraps!) to create the bottom border.  And i stuck a rhinestone jewel over the camera flash.

I stamped the records in Cotton Candy, Pear, and (shhhh.. . .) Breeze (I keep trying not to use that color anymore, since it's gone, but I just can't help myself! WHY oh WHY they discontinued it, I have no idea. Sniff, sob. Gulp. Okay, I'm done now.)

Sometimes I get so bogged down trying to create an intricate masterpiece, that it is refreshing to just stamp something quick, simple, and to the point. No layers, no busyness - just a crisp clean image.

Have a fabulous week! I am off now to create a Father's Day card with my little men.  I won't be stamping on it, but if you want a sneak peek. . . .check out this link.  If you have a technology geek in your house, you might want to try it too!!! (It's ADORABLE!)

happiness is. . .a snazzy color combo!

A few weeks ago I made a similar card, (which you can see  HERE.) When I'm feeling stuck, and I don't know where to start on a project, sometimes I steal my own ideas.  So that's exactly what I did.  I loved the card I did a few weeks ago, so I just copied it using different paper, colors, and stamps.  

I used Sky, Sorbet, and Sunflower together on this card.  I think it's a really fun summery color combination.  I came up with it, because the stamp pads happened to be stacked next to each other, and I thought, "Oooh, that would be nice together!" And then I came up with a few other color combos to try, that same way.  (So I have a head start, the next time I sit down to create!)

The stamps are both from the Paper Lantern stamp set. (Swooon, I love that stamp set!) 

To create the card, I simply cut a bunch of  Sunflower and Sorbet strips, layered them onto a block of Sky cardstock, matted it with Sorbet, and adhered it to my Sky colored card base.  And then I added my sentiment and lantern. Super fun, and easy to do.  (My favorite things!)

Friday is FINALLY the last day of school.  (I swear, this has been the LONGEST week ever, even for ME!)  We're all looking forward to the lazy days of summer vacation! And I don't have a Kindergartener anymore!!! First grade!? YIKES!

Have a great weekend!!!!

XOXO

wishing you sunshine!

This 8x4 card was created with the Splendid Day stamp set, along with Miracle papers.  And the puffy cloud is from Over the Rainbow (you know, the stamp set I use - oh- every other day!) 

I have been working away on some cards to share with you in the upcoming weeks, and my trusty Close To My Heart consultant, (and fabulous mommy that she is) is about to send me a batch of new-to-me stamps to play with.  Hooray!!!!!  Nothing helps me accomplish  projects like NEW STAMPS to play with!

I hope your weekend has been FABULOUS! I'll be back in a few days with a card I did last night, and I really have to say, I love the way it turned out! My teaser is. . . .it uses no patterned paper.  But it LOOKS like it does.  And it's a fun new summery color palette! Okay - enough said! See you soon!

XOXO

Laura,

happy polka-dotty hearts!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  I hope your weekend is off to a GREAT start! We've already been to the beach on Thursday afternoon, and tonight (although he doesn't know it yet) the hubby will be cooking hamburgers and corn on the cob, on the grill for dinner!  Bryce only has two more weeks of school, and then I will have to figure out what the heck to do with him all summer long!!!!!

Today I'd like to share a sweet pink card with you.  It could certainly be a Valentine, but I think it would work for any other day of the year too.  I used Sweetheart papers, along with the coordinating Affection stamp set.

I stamped the hearts in Cotton Candy ink, and I stamped the stem in black - but second generation (meaning, i stamped it once on a piece of scrap paper, and then onto my white cardstock.  I used a piece of white ribbon from my stash, and used the Fiskars Threading Water punch for my scallops.

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a safe and relaxing weekend!
XOXO

Teachers Rule

Well, Mr. B is in the final countdown of Kindergarten.  I think we're down to 14 school days left. (Gulp!)

I thought it was a good time to come up with a teacher card idea, for end of the year thank-yous.  I used In The Month of August, along with Fanfare patterned paper.  The cardstock is Sky, and Pacifica.

This card is completely scraplifted from one of my favorite cardmakers, Julie Campbell.  I am so thankful that we have become friends online, and worked together from time to time.  She recently achieved one of her DREAMS, becoming one of the newest Go To Gals at Paper Crafts magazine! I was over the MOON thrilled for her!  The card I created is based on one of her cards featured in Paper Crafts Card Style special issue that came out last year.  (It's on page 21, if you happen to have the issue at home!)  Julie's card featured a bubble gum machine in the circle, and lots of repeating circles throughout the card.  And I LOVED the way she put the pearls along her rounded corner.  So THANK YOU, sweet Julie, for the fabulous inspiration!! Getting ideas from other cardmakers is a great way to become a more accomplished cardmaker, copying ideas from those you admire.  Plus it can be a great motivation to get some projects DONE!!! If you post your work online, just be sure to give credit where credit is due!

If you'd like to scraplift my card that I scraplifted from Julie, LOL, post it online and leave a link in the comments! I'd love to see what you create! :)

Card Ideas

The birdhouse card was inspired by a card sent to me by Karen Pederson. Karen created her card using the stamp set from the Mayberry WOTG.  My colors, papers, and basic format are the same as Karen's card, but I made some minor adjustments. Sharing ideas can inspire a lot of creativity! I always need that inspiration! (C1445 Bless  This Nest, Mayberry Paper Pack).


The second card is something I have used over and over but with different papers and ink colors. I LOVE THAT STAMP SET, A Little Of Everything!!! It's a great way to use paper scraps too.  (D1408 A Little Of Everything, Mayberry Paper Pack).

Chairs to YOU!! (and me!)

It's almost MAY!!! And do you remember what that means???? A new stamp of the month - it's one of my VERY favorite stamp sets.  I made this card AGES ago, and I've been waiting and waiting to share it, until it got closer to MAY.  (I didn't want to taunt you TOO much, before you could get this stamp set into your inky hands!)

I will admit, I REALLY wanted to cut out all those little areas in between the chair decorations.  But I just couldn't do it.  So I'm pretending I totally wanted it that way, and just rolling with it.  (We have to do that sometimes - just roll with it.)

I paired a little ribbon from my stash with the Watermelon and Kraft chair.  I am loving the color combination! (And I'm OBSESSED with Kraft, in case you hadn't noticed yet!)

So - chairs to YOU. . .it's the weekend!
chairs to ME. . .it's my birthday!
chairs to ME. . . it's my anniversary!
chairs to Prince William and Kate . . .they chose to get married on MY special day!
chairs to the astronauts about to take off this afternoon . . .it's a momentous day all over the world!

xoxo

pinwheels spinwheels. . .

Happy almost-Easter!!!!  This past weekend, we had an un-birthday party (it's a long story) at The Little Gym, where the boys have both taken gymnastics classes for pretty much their whole little lives!  I was trying to decide what fun thing I could decorate cupcakes with, since we didn't really have a theme, and there would be boys and girls of all ages there.  I decided on these cute little SUPER easy pinwheels.  I used Animal Crackers paper (which we are all sad isn't available anymore) but you could use any of Close To My Heart's two sided papers to create this fun project.

Simply cut a 3x3 square. Gently crease the paper from corner to corner on both sides, to find the center point.  Then cut from each corner to ALMOST the middle, being careful not to cut the whole thing up into triangles! Then pull one side of each section down towards the center.  Use your piercing tool to poke a hole (make sure to go through each layer) and stick a brad in the center.  I hot glued the pinwheels to short kabob sticks, and stuck them in the cupcakes.  I really should have done a tutorial to share with you, but if you google it. . .I promise you'll find a lot of them, if you need more help.

Totally un-paper related but equally fun, are the rainbow cupcakes.  These are quickly becoming a kid-party tradition in our household.  Use yellow or white cake mix, prepare it as directed.  Then divide it into separate bowls - however many colors you want, and just add food coloring to each dish.  Blend it until you have the colors as you like them.  Then just spoon each color into your cake pan.  If you're doing a regular size cake, just distribute the spoonfuls evenly.  If doing cupcakes, just do a small (really small) scoop of each color.  After they bake, they look sort of tie-died.  You can try to smooth out the layers and make them truly rainbow-like, but I sort of like the splotchiness of it!

 I also used a new-to-me frosting recipe for these cupcakes.  Wilton's Fluffy Boiled Frosting.  It came out pretty nice! Not as super-sweet as buttercream, and there's no butter or shortening in it. (So it's fat free! Does that count as healthy??? Perhaps not so much!)  It is the consistency of marshmallow fluff.  Pretty fun stuff!

I totally forgot to take a picture, but we also made favors.  We made rice krispie treats with Froot Loops in them.  (Here's the recipe I used!) I wrapped each individually in plastic wrap, and then wrapped a 1 inch band of patterned paper around it, finishing it off with some baker's twine.  It coordinated with the pinwheels, and it was pretty adorable!

The pinwheel cupcake toppers would be perfect for Easter!!!  I bet a tray of pinwheel cupcakes would be a fabulous centerpiece!

HAPPY EASTER!