Feel Better Soon

Life sure has gotten hectic for me lately, and it's all good, but it's a lot.  When I can, I squeeze in crafty time in my new play space and lose myself for a little while.  I want to share a recent creation with you:

I just love beautiful floral stickers, the 3-dimensional kind (like K & Co.'s).  This bouquet and the little bee came from the same pack, and really help "make" the card.  The embossed background is made with a Spellbinders Impressabilities plate, then lightly washed with white craft ink to help bring out the contrast of raised areas.

This is short and sweet, so I can go check some more things off my To-Do list now.  Thanks so much for coming by!



Stamps: Heartfelt Phrases - Verve
Paper: Going Gray, Mellow Moss - SU; pale gray speckled
Ink: Pumice Stone - Ranger; Whisper White - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko
Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug; green lace - Webster's Pages
Other: stickers - K & Co.; corner rounder punch - EK Success; Amira Flourish die - Memory Box; pearls; Flourish Impressabilities embossing plate - Spellbinders
Dimensions: 4.25" x 5.5"

Birthday Balloon

Hello everyone!  It's a busy week, but I carved out a little time to play in the current City Crafter challenge.  You need to use clouds, and a particular color scheme (see below).  It took me a day to think it out, and another to put this together.  At first, I had a rough go with this, but am pretty pleased with the result:

The inspiration photo / colors from City Crafter

I used a pretty balloon from The Sky's The Limit and some fun dotty clouds from Springtime Beauty II, both from Inspired By Stamping.

Love this dainty script on the sentiment, which is from Flowers Bloom.  It can be suited to many different occasions....I am using this for a birthday card.

I wanted you to see the shine I put on this balloon, which is paper-pieced.  Got worried for a little bit, because the paper had buckled and warped when I applied the glossy accents adhesive.  It all settled back down once it dried.

Thanks to those of you who took a virtual tour of  my craft studio.  I am happy as a clam with it, that little space to call my own.  :-)

Have a wonderful day!



Stamps: Flowers Bloom, Springtime Beauty II, The Sky's The Limit - Inspired By Stamping
Paper: white, sage cardstock; light pink patterned paper
Ink: black, baja blue, light tan
Other: circle, scalloped circle, banner dies; curlicue embossing folder; glossy accents; gems
Dimensions: 4.25" x 5.5"

Whoo Hoo Wednesday - Hugs & Kisses

For Easter this year, I planned to bring a box of Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses to my relatives’ house as a little gift.  I thought it would be best to dress it up to suit the occasion, and thus a Whoo Hoo Wednesday tutorial was born!

I started by gathering some punched blossoms and several die cut shapes:

Using some foam dimensional stickers, I layered the die cuts like this, and subtly inked the edges of each one:

Using white craft glue, I applied the punched blossoms in a random fashion:

To add more dimension (and beauty), I glued a Pink Flower and two little Leaves to the center.

I stamped a tag and sentiment using Creative Tags, added white twine and hung it from the flower so it can be detached easily.

I used just a small amount of clear double-sided tape to attach it to the box:

Here is the finished box topper.  When the candy is gone and the box is empty, this could be displayed on a small easel, or with magnets attached on the back so it can decorate your refrigerator or office cubicle. 

Thanks for checking out my tutorial today!

Come Tour My Crafting Studio!

You are cordially invited to tour my new craft studio in the attic.

Just click HERE to visit!

Simple Sympathy

Just popping in with a quick sympathy card, made weeks ago, to help fill up my stash.  Of course, we never relish needing one of these, but it is a necessity sometimes.

The damask panel was stamped using a Recollections set with no name.  (that bugs me.  how can a company not name their set??)  Just matted it with black, added a black ribbon and a sentiment from Inspired By Stamping.

I've got my girl home from school for lunch, so have to dash and feed her!

Thanks for coming by today.  :-)



Stamps: damask - Recollections; Big Notes III - Inspired By Stamping
Paper: ivory - CTMH; Crumb Cake, Basic Black - SU
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko
Fibers: black grosgrain ribbon
Dimensions: 4.25" x 5.5"

On A CAS Roll...

I enjoyed the quick process of yesterday's hydrangea card so much, I decided to do several more versions.  Humor me, won't you?  ;-)

A congrats card using two Inspired By Stamping stamps - Vintage Backgrounds and Big Notes III, and a butterfly sticker:

Some Mother's Day cards using K & Co. die cut stickers, that same IBS Vintage Background, and a Stampin' Up! sentiment:

I'm off to clean my kitchen floor with a new mop.  Not many people can get excited about new cleaning tools and supplies, but I do!



Stamps: Vintage Background, Big Notes III - Inspired By Stamping; mother's day sentiment - SU
Paper: white - PTI; Bordering Blue - SU
Ink: London Fog Memento, Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko
Other: pearls; flower stickers - K & Co.; butterfly sticker - DCWV
Dimensions: 4.25" x 5.5"

Birthday Hydrangea

It's been much too long since I played at CAS-ual Fridays.  Their challenge this week looks fun -- it's a Birthday Bash, because owner Michele is having a birthday soon.  Enjoy your special day, Michele!  This one's dedicated to you.

I used a gorgeous Vintage Background stamp from Inspired By Stamping as a mat for my hydrangea sticker, and the sentiment is from Big Wishes II.  Love, love, love this big sentiment set.  I made a special request to owner Joanna Munster for more big sentiments, and she listened!  Thank you, Joanna, for being attentive to customers' wishes.  :-)

Hope you enjoy your weekend, everyone.  Thanks so much for visiting today!



Stamps: Vintage Background, Big Wishes II - Inspired By Stamping

Chair-ish Today

I'm bringing you another 'just because' card that I made weeks ago.  I LOVE this Damask Chair set by Stampendous, which is new to me (at a discount from Michael's; even better!).

Adding some Glossy Accents to the fabric portions of the chair made them really pop.  It reminds me of vinyl coverings on upholstered seating.  I've never been a fan of that practice, but to each his own!

Today I edited the photos of my craft studio.  There are quite a few!  When I get my post ready, be warned that it's going to be a long one.  I want to give you a proper tour!  :-)

Have a wonderful day,



Stamps: Damask Chair - Stampendous; ruler - Paper Girl - Girls' Paperie; sentiment - Strawberries - Flourishes
Paper: white - PTI; Early Espresso - SU; Lost & Found Union Square - My Mind's Eye
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko
Fibers: crochet trim - Hero Arts
Other: Glossy Accents - Ranger; pearls
Dimensions: 4.25" x 5.5"

Birthday Hugs

Hope you all don't mind if I share another project that I made weeks and weeks ago.  This is something I made 'just because', with no particular person in mind.  

What better gift to give on a birthday than a hug?  (...maybe something a little crafty might be nice, too....)  This is an Inspired By Stamping sentiment.

Sigh.  Isn't this flower so pretty?  It's from Webster's Pages.  Last summer I bought their $25 clearance kit and this was in it.  It comes with the pearl, so you KNOW I love that!

I'll pop back in soon with another old-but-never-posted creation!



Dimensions: 4.5" x 6"
Stamps: Old Letter - Hero Arts; Little Phrases II - Inspired By Stamping
Paper: Garden Party - DCWV; Vintage Cream, White - PTI
Ink: Crumb Cake - SU
Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug
Other: Amira Flourish, Estate Fence dies - Memory Box; flower - Webster's Pages; white doily die cut, tag punch - Martha Stewart; Labels Ten die - Spellbinders

A Pair of Sympathy Cards

Goodness, how the time is flying by!  Life with these kiddos of mine has been keeping me mighty busy lately.    I am finding time to craft here and there, but not as much time to blog.  So today, I'm giving you a twofer of sympathy cards.  ;-)

First one is easy peasy.  A pale pink card base, a strip of patterned paper, sentiment and a pretty die cut (I did add some Liquid Pearls to it, though).  Done!

This one's not much more complicated, but I stamped my own patterned paper using Stampin' Up! and Anna Griffin, with a Hero Arts sentiment thrown in.

A trio of buttons adorn the bottom corner.  Can you see them?

Oh!  Today I took pictures of my new craft studio in the attic.  It'll take me a few days to get the pictures edited to show you.  Can't wait for you to see it!




Card #1:
Stamps: With Sympathy - Hero Arts
Paper: pale pink cardstock; Flora & Fauna - K & Co.
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko
Other: Flower die cut - Que Sera Sera - K & Co.; White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger
Dimensions: 4.25" x 5.5"

Card #2:

Stamps: Old French Script - SU; tulip, corners - Anna Griffin; With Sympathy - Hero Arts
Paper: Basic Black, Crumb Cake - SU; white - PTI
Ink: Crumb Cake - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko
Fibers: white twine - SU
Other: buttons
Dimensions: 4.25" x 5.5"

Gate Fold Butterfly Card

Monday again!  I want to show you a card I made months ago but never posted.  I did my very first EVER gate-fold card!  It wasn't difficult at all.  I am a big baby when it comes to trying different kinds of folds.  This was easy, though.

I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Took the kids rock climbing last night with our church youths.  One had fun, one did not.  We're proud of both for trying something new.  I'd like to give it a go myself sometime!

Hope your weekend was a good one.  Have a wonderful day!



Dimensions: 4.25" x 5.5"
Stamps: Just Because, Flowers Bloom - Inspired By Stamping
Paper: True Thyme, Very Vanilla - SU; Mariposa Stack - DCWV
Ink: Antique Linen - Ranger; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko
Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions
Other: champagne pearls - Want2Scrap; Floral Ovals die - Spellbinders; Copic markers

Black Tie Wedding

Happy weekend, everyone!  We've got lots going on today and tomorrow, so I'm making this post really quick.

A friend requested a wedding card from me, and this is one I made.  She ultimately did not choose this, so it will go into the shop for sale.  I was highly-inspired by a card I found on Pinterest.  I changed the subtle color panel from yellow to red, and swapped out the sentiment.

Here's hoping your weekend is filled with wonderful things...



Dimensions: 4.25" x 5.5"
Stamps:  Love Story - Verve
Paper: white - PTI; black flocked pattern, Cherry Cobbler - SU
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko
Fibers: white satin ribbon - Michael's
Other: pearls; pearl brad, corner rounder punch - SU