3 for 3…Cards

I am 3 for 3 in making 1 card a month so far this year--yay!  

My goddaughter turned 21 this weekend (I know, was I like 2 when she was born?--ha ha ha), so I set out to make her a card.

I was going for the Vegas-y feel…and what better way than using the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada" sign!  I got the cut from Silhouette Online.  I used Arial font for the words: 'Funding', 'for', 'Las Vegas', and 'Nicole'--all bold except for 'for'.  The "Fabulous" I found online and thought it was perfect, then I realized the F is different after I had finished the card :(  I outlined the "Funding" with a silver pen and added some bling.

Paper piecing is hard work!!!  I got glue all over the place.  I even used a Martha Stewart ballpoint-tip glue pen and I still had trouble.  I guess practice makes perfect :D

Thanks for looking! 

Birthday Card

I made a birthday card :)

The "Happy Birthday!" stamp is from Brown Pigeon, but it doesn't seem to be available online anymore.  I bought it at the SF Bizarre in December.

The "postage stamp" card was made using the Sentimentals cartridge in CCR.

Thank you for looking. 

My new Toy--Silhouette Cameo

This past Thanksgiving, I won a Silhouette Cameo from Paper Crafts Magazine.  I mean what are the odds!!!  I was so excited.

Then I waited and waited and waited.  I had thought (and hoped) that my husband and kids had intercepted the package and were going to wrap it for Christmas--no such luck.  Then I thought it was a joke or worse, it was delivered to the wrong house! 

Then finally on December 30, I heard UPS drop something at the door (not even with a knock) and I opened the door and the clouds parted and the angels sung...ha ha ha...ok, that was just in my crazy head.

It was finally here!!

For Christmas, I had asked for a Gift Certificate to Silhouette America (not Silhouette Online not sure why they have to have two separate entities that aren't interchangable, but that is the way it is) so I could buy the Designer Edition of the software when it went on sale (it was 40% off on Black Friday, but I wanted the machine in my hands before I got the software)--I am cheap and need to use a coupon!  Anyway, this past weekend, because of CHA, there were a few 30% off coupon out there...I went back and forth whether I should buy it...or wait to see if maybe I could get it for 40% off...yeah I know!!!  I finally got it along with a teal cover and some canvas paper.  Less my certificate, I only paid 60 cents :D

And last weekend, Joann's had a 32 cent shipping sale and the fabric blade was 40% off...so I scored that for cheap too!

Have I used it yet?...YES!!!  I've cut 3 items. 

I had gotten a clear iPhone case in October and I still hadn't put any decorative paper inside, so I found this free cut from Get Silvered Craft and made pretty cover for my phone.

Then I cut this coffee cup (I bought the cut right after Black Friday when the files were 50 cents a piece!).  I've made crocheted coffee cozies in the past and want an easy way to cut a "coffee cup" to put the cozy on. 

(sorry the green stripes clash with the blue cozy)

Then I found this SVG New Year's file from SVGcuts.com and made a card for my crafty aunt.

Ok, seriously, I have a cheapness problem ha ha ha.  I am all about the free cuts.  The machine came with a $10 download card and I've only spent $2 on clearance cuts.  Did you know every Tuesday, not only do they have a free cut to download, but they have different cuts on clearance...EVERY WEEK!!!!  But if you have time and search the web there are a lot of similar cuts that are free. 

I really hope to use the machine often.

My only negative right now is that the mat is super sticky!  I had read to rub a cotton shirt on it to make it less sticky, but I didn't listen and the gold paper I used was kinda thin and really hard to take off.

World Cardmaking Day (Halloween)

Today is World Cardmaking Day.  I didn't have time to make any today, but I thought I would share the Halloween cards I've made over the past 3 years.

These were on my Etsy shop that is currently closed.

These two were mailed out to my daughter and aunt this season.

And these three were mailed out a few years ago to my nieces, nephew, and aunt (2 of which were probably toss away too soon!).

Every year, I swear I will not buy any more Halloween paper.  And every year, I usually pick up a pack at Michaels on clearance :D  

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month...

(yes, I changed my blog background to pink)

Earlier this year, my best friend called to tell me that her mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer.  I was stunned.  Luckily, she was able to "only" have to have two lumpectomies and went through some radiation treatments.  She was cleared earlier this summer (yay!).

I had made this card for her after searching Pinterest.

I used my Cricut.  I welded 2 hearts together to make the card base (can't really see the flesh colored base here).  Then I used the Life is a Beach cartridge to cut out the bikini top.  (I had to trim the bikini top a bit to fit the heart.)  I cut 2 rectangle pieces from kraft paper and ran it through the Big Shot with the Swiss dot embossing folder then rounded the corners and bent it like a band-aid.

I kinda wanted to lift her spirits...although my husband said it might make her sad.  I haven't talked to her since, but my friend said she liked the card.  That is always a touchy part of having to go through any health related issue.  I know I use humor to get me through hard times...this card wasn't humorous, but I can't even imagine the difficult time some people have dealing with the unknown.

Take care of those girls, girls!!!

Birthday Card

Last week, I finished this card for my Goddaughter (I had to wait to until I gave it to her to post this).

I used my newest stamps and die cuts from The Stamps of Life that I bought at the Scrapbook Expo.

It is a pretty basic card.  I used the Cupcake die and stamp, the "happy birthday" stamp from the princess stamp set, washi tape (from the Target set), and a kraft base card that I cut using a Cricut cartridge -Life's a Party.  The paper used for the cupcake is from some older Basic Grey collections-Lollipop Shoppe-Fruit Punch & Blush-Be Mine. 

This is the first time I tried heat embossing on Kraft paper.  I wouldn't recommend heat embossing Kraft paper...unless I was doing it wrong (which is entirely possible), because it smelled like it was just burning the paper.

Gift Card Holder via Pinterest

Every year, I give out gift cards for Christmas.  Not because it is easy (I mean fighting the mall traffic and standing in those crowded lines isn't easy!), but because it allows the recipient to choose a gift they truly like/want and not have to either return the gift or give it to goodwill.

Normally I just wrap the gift card by placing it in a cute box or bag.  This year, I thought I could make some cards!  So off to Pinterest I went and found lots of ideas.

This idea came from Inking Idaho.

I used white card stock as the base.  Then I dug into my Christmas paper stash and everything else I used are papers/stickers from the Holiday Slab by Rob & Bob Studio (back from 2006!!!).  I rounded all the edges because I am currently into that look.

Here is a peek inside--this is not the gift card that will be accompanying this card--just the only one I had on hand.

Dimensions of the card:

White Card Base- 6.5 x 5

Striped paper-6 x 4.5

Green solid-5.5 x 4

Burgundy/Pink-4.75 x 3.75 (made from the Cricut Elegant Edges Cartridge) Here is the link

Plaid paper-5.75 x 3.75 (made from the Cricut Elegant Edges Cartridge)  This time I only put paper in 1/2 the size of the cut so that the paper fit--you can always just trace and cut the plaid paper without the Cricut machine though. 

One down...(I haven't even started shopping yet--shhhh!)

Happy World Card Making Day!

In order to celebrate World Card Making Day, I wanted to make a Halloween card.

I was happy with only completing one card, but while looking through my Basic Grey papers, I found a Basic Grey card making kit I bought a while ago at Ross.

Now I have 8 kit cards to go to in a pinch.

Birthday Card

For my Goddaughter's 18th Birthday I made this card using Bazzill Basic Bling Cardstock in lipstick as the base, DCWV All Dressed Up matstack for the patterned paper,

then I added some rhinestones,  

some ribbon and a heart charm.

(btw I was like 3 when she was born hahaha...can't believe she is all grown up!) 

First Christmas Card of the Season

Supply List: 

Kraft Paper-The Paper Company 25 pack

Cream/Green paper-Making Memories Mistletoe sprial journaling book

Chipboard tree & star-Fancy Pants Designs Happy Holidays Printed Chipboard Shapes

White Pen-Gelly Roll

Background Blue/snowflakes-Love Elsie Noel recipe book

All these products have been sitting in my stash for a while, so they are hard to find online--I had to substitude the kraft paper brand.

Now I have to figure out if I am going to try to sell it or send it to someone.

Greetings...

I took a break from crocheting and had every intention to make Mother's Day cards, but instead, I made these:

This is a small 3 x 3 card (no envelop).  Nothing fancy at all, but still cute.  There is some ink on the raised dots, but it was a very light color that you can't even see it.

Supplies:  Paper~Kraft Cardstock (The Paper Company) and Brown (Bazzil Basics), Ribbon~Hemp Cording, Embossing~Swiss Dots used with Sizzix Big Kick Machine, Ink~Caramel Paper Stain (All My Memories-Ranger), Other (heart)~ George & Basic Shapes cartridge (Cricut)

I also made this 4.5 x 6.5 card for any occasion from some old Rusty Pickle paper that I have had for a while.

Supplies: Paper~ Pirate Princess Alvilda & Grace O'Malley (Rusty Pickle) and miscellaneous white cardstock, Embossing~Swiss Dots used with Sizzix Big Kick Machine, Ink~Baby Pink (Close to My Heart), Other~PreScored Card

This 6.5 x 4.5 Thank You card is my favorite of the bunch.  I am totally digging the Kraft Paper.

Paper~Kraft Cardstock (The Paper Company) and Miscellaneous Yellow/Orange Cardstock, Embossing~D'vine Swirl used with Sizzix Big Kick Machine, Stamp~(Thank you) Friendship Blessings (Close to My Heart), Ink~Caramel & Chocolate Paper Stain (All My Memories-Ranger), Other~ Rebecca Sowers tag

Ok, I have been trying really hard not to buy anything scrapbook/card making related including any new yummy papers.  So I got all this stuff from my stash and as I am trying to add all the links to the stuff, I realize most of the stuff I used is really really old.  Rusty Pickle is no longer in business :(  I don't think All My Memories makes ink anymore (unless I am not remember the correct ink off the top of my head :p) (ok, I doubled checked the ink was All My Memories through Ranger Industries--so I am thinking since they are putting out Tim Holtz Distressed Inks, they no longer sell "paper stain")...and this tag...

I have no idea how long I have had it, but I know it has been years and years and years...maybe since I first started in 2003!  I had to "borrow" this picture from someone on eBay selling this one (shhh!).  I was lucky to even find it since I forgot to take a picture before I altered the tag.  As you can tell, I took the flower off, then inked the tag to make it stand out a bit more and to be able to stand the tag vertical (see the lettering?  It made me want to use it horizontally instead).

Maybe there is some hope and I will someday use all my supplies--ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.  Ok, maybe not.

**how do Jennifer McGuire and all the "celebrities" get so great pictures of their cards!  I tried fixing my white balance (although I am using my P&S which still sucks!)...I wish they were truer colors.

Paper not yarn...

I have been blogging much about my newest obession.  But one of my original obsessions, involved paper, not yarn.

I made this card on 12/29/09, but I could not share it until I gave it away.  Even though I made it in December, I knew exactly who it was going to on 02/22/10.  To my Auntie Renee:

Papers used: Slab 6 (by ProvoCraft--from 2005!), punch used: pop-up Butterfly Edge Punch (by Martha Stewart ), Cutter (flowers & font): Cricut (Basic Shapes/George)

Someday, I will have to share my piles of paper because I used pattern papers from 2005, but I have been shopping non-stop for papers for 7 years now!

Cards from Scraps

Today I was working on getting my daughter's scrapbook from her DC trip (that she took last spring) together and I had some scraps left over.  I could not toss them and I really didn't want to store them, so I made these cards

The "Happy Birthday", "Thank you", "Thinking of you", and "Celebrate" were free stickers from Creating Keepsakes at one time or another.  The papers are Basic Grey-Color Me Silly-Grow & Enjoy.  I may or may not put them up for sale.  Otherwise, they will come in handy (like on Friday when I didn't have time to make a card and made the hubby just give the birthday boy the giftcard--ghetto style :p)