Winter Wonderland

I am having a horrible horrible time coming up with a design for my christmas cards this year. Some of the ones I've posted I've liked, but haven't loved. I also haven't had a lot of time, and I'm cutting it short. I'm not going to have much time to make the bazillion cards that I need to , and actually get them out in the mail on time.

I decided to try two more designs. They are fairly simple. The first one is a modification of a design that I saw in Martha Stewarts latest mag. Its just a simple little serene winter scene.



I also decided to try my hand at paper quilling. I'm not really happy with the results but its more my lack of ability when it comes to the quilling then anything. I just need some practice.

I'm hoping to figure out what the heck I'm going to be doing in the next couple of days. Maybe one of these will be coming to your mailbox soon :)

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let it Snow

Let it Snow, not really. I have no interest in there being snow now or anytime in the near future (or the future at all for that matter), but the two christmas cards I made this week have a bit of a snow theme so I figured it fit.

I decided to break out the old cricut. I have had this thing for two years. I begged my Mom to buy it for me for my birthday and I've hardly ever used it. I figured now was as good a time as any.

I went shopping at Michael's (oh how I detest the fact that I even stepped foot in this store) because I needed some glue. I browsed and found some really cool paper. Recollections has some neat new collections. I really liked their Mom's Diner collection and I thought their Salt paper from that collection would be perfect fora wintery themed card. I decided to pair that paper with a little polar bear I had cut out using my Joyful Expressions cartridge for my cricut. I also used my MS punch to create the little hills of snow.

I think it turned out pretty good. My husband said he likes this card the best out of all the ones I've made so far for the holidays. The one problem I'm having though is getting the sparkles to stick on the polar bear. I've tried a few different glues, my next thing is trying a spray on adhesive if I can find it anywhere. Excuse the horrible stamping job I did with the "peace" stamp. The card is just a prototype.






The second card was just a quick little try to see how things would work. It turned out alright. I'm not exceptionally thrilled with it. But it was quick to make. I am particpating in a card exchange that has about 20 people in it, so this might be the one I make for that exchange, just because it was super easy to do. I dont' want to spend hours agonizing over cards that a bunch of strangers are going to receive.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

I can't believe that its not even Halloween yet and I'm busy thinking about Christmas cards. I figure I probably have about 50 to make, so mid as well start early. I wanted to go simple this year. After looking at a few of Emily's christmas cards over at Art From The Heart I thought I'm going to go super simple and do white cardstock. I also decided I was going to do solid colours (this of course might change if I found the right paper). The last requirement was to avoid the colour combos of Red and Green. I wanted to go with something different.

I initially tried out some cutesy cards with little polar bears and penguins and the like, but didn't really like how they looked. So I went out and I bought myself some new stamps from TPC Studios called Christmas Glamour. So far these are the two cards of come up with






Once again I apologize for the cruddy pictures and the even cruddier lighting in my house. The top one I made the snowflake with one of the ornament stamps. I stamped four major points using the entire stamp and the other four using the bottom half of the stamp. I also decided to go for a little big of a different colour for christmas and I used purple.

The bottom one if of course more traditional. I think it turned out really well. I like the simplicity of it. I like the red on white, and I like the sparkle that I used to frame out the ornament.

I have a few more cards that I'm going to try out making before I decide which one(s) I'm going to use as my cards this year.

Happy Anniversary

If you remember my last post I said that I was giving up on the sketch challenges that dot the papercrafting blogosphere and I was going out on my own and was going to use the sketches in my book the Joy of Cardmaking. I'm on the road to fulfilling my plan.

I went through the book and decided to start off with this sketch (excuse my awesome computer generated sketch making abilities). This is sketch on pg 168 of the book, that they've called Mother in Pink (they made a mother's day card as their example).

I chose this sketch because I needed to make an 6th anniversary card for my husband. So I wanted something simple that I wasn't going to go crazy girly with, but something that allowed me a little leeway to be creative.

And here is the result....................

I think it turned out really well. I chose a red colour scheme because of the whole "love" theme I had going on with it being an Anniversary card. I also figured red was a pretty neutral colour in terms of being masculine/feminine. I had a hard time picking a stamp to use. I decided on a Verve stamp from a set that I'd had lying around for a while and that I'd never used. I'd purchased it with the intent to use it for Valentine's Day but it worked just as well for this occassion.

The little twirly curly metal piece that I used is actually a paper clip. I have had a box of these silly things sitting around in my craft cart for a long long time. Every previous time I'd tried to use them they just never looked right and then I saw a sample card using them in this way and thought, ah ha this is perfect. I think it looks really neat.

Anyway I'm happy with the card. My husband thought it was great, which is all that really matters.

Paper: Ivory, Ruby Jewel (Paper Company); Vintage Tee (Basic Grey)

Stamps: Hundred Hearts (Verve)

Ink: Cranberry (Colourbox)

Other: Mini Silver Brads (Making Memories); Paper Clip (Staples); Wrights Ribbon

A New Strategy

I've been thinking about how to get myself motivated to actually enjoy my little card making hobby. I thought that doing sketches from places like Mojo Monday would help me, but I've found they've done the exact opposite. I've become overly critical of my cards because they just seem to be ho hum in comparison to some of the other cards that people post when they are particpating in the sketch challenges.

SO I pulled out a book that my husband had given me for Christmas last year. The Joy of Cardmaking. Its published by Paper Crafts. It has about 80 sketches in it. So I'm going to try to do a sketch a week (or maybe every second week - it really depends on whether or not my 3 year old decides she can have quite time). I'll post the sketch, and my card that I've made.

Maybe it will inspire someone else to be creative, maybe not. But I'm hoping it gets my creative juices flowing again.

Going to the Chapel........

We are headed to another wedding this upcoming weekend. It will be kind of fun because this weekend is also my 6 wedding anniversary. My husband has been given explicit instructions that he must, upon penalty of death, ensure that they play our wedding song during the dance portion of the evening ;p

Anyway so a card is needed. I thought about making another card using my baroque motifs stamps, but I've been using those a lot lately. I decided I'd try a heart card. I usually find anything with hearts on it uber cheeseball, so I needed some good inspiration. I found a card similar to the one I decided to make on splitcoaststampers, and off I went.

The bride has chosen blue and brown as her wedding colours, so I decided once again I'd use her colour scheme to make the card. I started out using brown as the dominant colour but it just looked way too harsh, so I switched it up to blue. The heart stamp I used also looked a little plain jane-ish so I jazzed it up a little bit with sparkles, because heck what bride doesn't appreciate a little sparkle on her day. Finished it off with some brown ribbon and a big old brad. I thihnk it turned out pretty good.

Paper: Recollections cardstock ( I can't remember what exactly the colour is, and once I chuck the packaging that info is long gone)
Ink: Bashful Blue (SU)
Stamps: Bold Heart (Rubber Stampede), Baroque Motifs (SU)
Other: Celebrate It Basic Brown Ribbon, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine glitter, SU Circle Brad

Mojo 105

I didn't think I was going to particpate in the Mojo sketch this week. I looked at in on Monday and thought its way too involved and I don't have time to figure things out. Changed my mind though.

I had initially thought I was going to do a great little card for a birthday with my new Pink Cat Studio Fairy Friends stamps. I had the whole thing laid out and decided I didn't want to use the little fairy frog stamp I had all set to go. So then it was a big change in plans. I decided to just do a blank card with my Inkadinkado Patterned Bug stamps. I have only really used the butterfly stamp in my set, but decided to go the dragonfly route because it just fit in the square on the card better.

I also decided to be lazy and use my self adhesive papers (well mostly - the whole card isn't that paper), and after cutting out circles with my little manual circle cutter for ages, it finally dawned on me that I do have a cricut (a rarely used one) and that it would do the job of cutting out circles quite nicely.

So here's the card I came up with. I think its alright. Nothing fantastic to write home about, but it'll do.

Paper: DCWV Posies Glitte Print

Stamps: Inkadinkado Patterned Bugs

Ink: SU Green Galore

Other: Martha Stewart Glitter Turquoise & Sterling; Ribbon: Dashes Dots & Checks & Sugar and Spice

Starting to wonder.....

if I kind of suck at this card making thing. I've been doing it for a while and I dunno I feel like I've hit a plateau or something. I make some cards and think they are going to be fabulous, then they turn out not so fabulous. I participate in sketches and think I've made awesome cards - I made a what I thought was a great one for this week's mojo challenge - then I go and look at the other ones posted, and my card isn't that great (I haven't posted it yet because my battery in my camera is dead). I just think I don't really have a creative bone in the old body.

Mojo Week 104

Couldn't come up with a title this week, so its just Mojo 104. I have a whole load of cards to make for upcoming events, but decided to do a birthday card this week. I have a friend whose birthday is next week. So I thought this is the perfect time to get it done.

I have really come to love my American Crafts Gidday paper. I don't have much of it, and I didn't really like it when I first got it, but now that I've made a few cards with it, I've decided its pretty versatile, and it makes for a great background for birthday invites. Its pretty festive and fun, and it has lots of great colours in it. Anyway not much explanation as to how things were done. Other than I couldn't figure out anything to put in the big circle, so I just went with overlaying a the main colours I decided to use to match the motif of the paper.

Paper: Bazill Basics Mudpie, American Crafts Gidday, Recollections Pink Cardstock

Ink: Colourbox Dragonfly, Martha Stewart Evergreen, Peony, Cornflower Meadow & Snapdragon

Stamps: Pink Cat Studios Sweet Treats, Inkadinkado Birthday Cupcakes

Other: Recollections Silver Circle Brads

Stamps, Stamps and More Stamps

I cannot help myself. Its not like I need more stamps. I have at least a hundred of them. I just love the new these new Itty Bitty Halloween stamps and the Fairy Friend stamps from Pink Cat Studios. I had to have them. Who knows how much I will use them (i have never made a halloween card in my life) but they were just too cute to pass up. I can't wait until they arrive

Renovations

I'm kind of bored with my boring blog template. I'm searching for a new one. So if things look a little weird for the next little while its because I'm just trying some things out.

Let them eat cake!

This coming Saturday we are attending the wedding of one of my husband's MBA classmates. It should be a great time, a bit of a reunion of sorts for the husband. The invitation we got was a beautifully hand stamped and embossed Navy Blue and Silver. Just gorgeous. The bride and groom asked that they not be given presents but that they be given a donation to their favourite charity. So to go along with our donation I decided to make them a great invite (or at least what I think is great).

I decided to use their colour scheme and make their invite blue and silver. The cake was really easy to make. I just cut out rectangles of white card stock in graduated sizes for ther layers. I used the ribbon to hide the seams. I stamped each of the layers of cake with the edge of big Baroque Motifs SU stamp. I used the little silver beads to add a little something that I thought it needed. I decided to also add the ribbon to the outline of the entire card because I just didn't like the blue edges on their own. I did screw up a little on the one length of ribbon and the cut, but it was too minor for me to bother fixing it.

I'm really happy with the way this one turned out. I hope the bride and groom enjoy it.

Paper: Canson Indigo Blue, The Paper Company White Cardstock

Stamps: Stampin Up Baroque Motifs

Ink: Encore Ultimate Metallic Silver

Ribbon: Holiday Trim It Up

Stamping & Smiling: My first sketch

This is my very first Stamps & Smiles sketch. I read the blog frequently but just never had the time to do one. Then I saw this and I thought OOOH I have the perfect card. I revived a card I made a month or two ago for this sketch. I love making this card and thought it was prefect for this sketch




So I tweaked my old design just a little bit. To add to the awesome butterflies I made using the Martha Stewart Butterfly punches, I add a little piece of green ribbon and a nice little flower with a sparkly stickle in the middle, because really what girl doesn't like a little sparkle. I also thought I would use a sentiment that was more than just a simple thank you. I think this card turned out really well.

Paper: Recollections White Card Stock, Provocrafts paper

Stamps: Just Like You (SU)

Ink: Garden Green (SU), Orchid (Colourbox)

Paper Everywhere

I'm so very very excited. Last week a woman that I know through various people told me that she is a wholesaler for American Crafts. As soon as I heard my little heart started racing thinking of all the wonderfully wonderful awesomeness that is American Crafts paper. This awesome lady offered to order me some paper. I cannot wait until it comes in. It will be American Crafts paper overload. YIPEE!

Squares Everywhere - Mojo 100; Day 7

When I looked at the Mojo sketch this morning, I thought "wow that's a lot of cutting and gluing" and I thought I'm not going to bother, but I changed my mind. I didn't follow the sketch exactly, I decided to make a square card, so with a square card, I needed to make the little squares the same number across as down. So my card isn't quite the sketch.




I think this turned out fairly well. I can't believe I did two mojo sketches two days in a row, but I can't believe I made two cards in a row that I'm happy with. I still suck at colouring, but I will get better with practice, and today was a crap day to take pictures with natural lighting. Its pretty gloomy outside.

Paper: Making Memories: Small Pink Dots, Brooke Paisley; The Paper Company: Peppermint

Stamps: Pink Cat Studios Enchanted Lily

Ink: Coloubox Black; Martha Stewart Markers: Peony, Glade, Snapdragon

Back in the Swing - Mojo Turns 100 Day 6

We were away on holidays for a little while. Wait let me rephrase that. We took a trip. Travelling with two toddlers is not a holiday, its just a change in location. Anyway since we were away there was no time to play with all my crafty stuff. Now we have been home for a while, and well I need to get some cards made.

My sisters birthday is coming up in about two weeks. She is also a cardmaker (or was, she hasn't done it for a long time). She's the one who got me into the whole mess ;p. So when I make her cards, they better be good ones.

I missed most of the week for the Mojo sketches, but thought I would give this one a try.




I'm finally really proud of a mojo sketch that I completed. I love the card that I ended up with. I've been waiting for just the right occassion to use my awesome American Crafts paper. This seemed perfect. I love the way the card turned out. I like the colour combo that I used. I like the stamps that I selected, and I actually didn't do too bad a job on the stamping or the colouring (my colouring techniques leave a lot to be desired.

Here's the final product.

Stamps: Inkadinkado Birthday Cupcakes

Ink: Colourbox Black, Martha Stewart Markers: Cornflower Blue, Pomegranate, Peony

Paper: The Paper Co: White & Pink Cardstock; American Crafts Everyday G'Day; Bazzil Basics Mudpie

Ribbon: Offrey Brown

Glitter: Martha Stewart

A lot of effort, for a little payoff

A couple of weeks ago my Mom asked me to make birthday invitations for my Grandma's upcoming 90th birthday. I said sure. What a mistake. I hated every second of making these cards. I hated the colour choices that my Grandma gave me to work with. It was Pink, Blue and Lavender. I opted to skip the blue because it just didn't go.

Then I showed my Grandma a mock up of the card from one I had done earlier that was similar on my Blog. She then snooped around a bit and found a card she liked better. One that was far more complicated to make. I opted to ignore her because I just didn't have the time to make them. So I went for the simpler design. What I got was a big old "I thought you were making the other ones".

I was also supposed to get some help making them from my little sister. Never happened. She went to the East Coast for a wedding and an In Law visit, so I had no help. Well unless you count my husband. He tried. He helped a little, but trying to show him how to use the SU scallop punch was a lot more difficult then you think it would be for an engineer.

None the less, the invites are done.

I don't think I'll ever be happy (Mojo 98)

I have the hardest time doing Mojo Monday sketches. I don't know what it is. I look at them and think, oooh this one is going to be great, I have the perfect idea. And that perfect idea just never really works out. We are going to a birthday party on Sunday for one of my daughter's little friends. I recently purchased the Enchanted Lily fairy stamps from Pink Cat Studios, so I thought Woo hoo a chance to use them, what little girl doesn't love fairies. I found the perfect paper, the perfect everything. Only problem, my card didn't turn out so perfect. The one aspect I do like, the bow. I tied a decent bow ;p

Fluttering By

I have been wanting to make this card for ages. Everytime I go to the store I look at Martha Stewart Punches, specifically the butterfly punches and I think "I need to get those". I finally caved and bought them. I had a 50% off coupon so I figured why not. I'm so happy with this card. I love it.

Ink: Dark Peony (Colourbox), Everygreen (Martha Stewart)

Stamps: Just Like You & Short & Sweet (SU)

Other: Martha Stewart Butterfly punches

Mojo 97

Its another double your pleasure, double my posts kind of day :) I haven't done a mojo sketch for a while. Decided to neglect my kids for a while today (not really they were napping) and do a sketch.



I started out thinking I was going to do a birthday card for an upcoming 3 year olds birthday party that my kidlet is attending, but then couldn't find the right paper combo to go with the stamp that I wanted to use. So I decided to just do a random blank card that could be used for any occasion. I bought some verve stamps a while ago and haven't had the chance to use them so I decided to try to find one today that would fit the bill. I really liked the saying from the Beautiful You set. I also have a million butterfly stamps that I rarely use. I have no idea where the butterfly that I used came from, but I have a feeling its from an Inkadinkado (I was right, I just looked it up) set that I bought many moons ago. I also decided that some sparkle was good, so I put little dots of silver sparkle on the butterfly (you can't really see it in the picture)

Anyway, without further ado, here's my card.

Paper: I have no idea, its random scraps. I've been in a use up all my scraps kind of mood lately (see the last two posts in my blog :) )

Ink: Lavendar Lace (SU), Dragonfly Black (colourbox)

Stamps: Patterned Bugs (Inkadinkado), Beautiful You (Verve)

Pink Is the Word

I'm attending a bridal shower in a week. A "Pink" shower. Everyone has been asked to wear pink, and I'm assuming all the decorations will be pink (however its odd since the colours for the wedding are not anywhere close to pink). So I tried my best to make a "Pink" card.

I have seen this card made a gazillion times over and thought it was cute, and I finally had the occassion to make it, so I did. I just used some scraps of paper that I had left over from other projects (that seems to be my thing right now, using scraps of paper). I think it turned out quite nicely. I like the way the dress turned out and I finally managed to tie a decent bow :)

No stamps or ink on this baby :)

Up Up And Away........

We are attending the first birthday party of a friend's son on Saturday. I had totally forgotten about it until about an hour ago and needed to come up with a quick card. I wanted to make something fun, but not too busy, and not too involved in terms of paper/layers that sort of thing. So I turned to splitcoaststampers.com for an idea. I have no orignality in me, so this is something I saw on there. For the life of me I can't find it again so I can't give the originator any props, I wish I could.

So here it is, a little monkey being carried away by balloons. I decided to cut out a little window in the card to place a balloon with a number one. On the inside it says "You're 1". Everything used was pretty much just random scraps of cardstock that I have had left over from other projects. I had originally stamped the monkey and cut it out so that it would stand out, but decided it would look better if I just stamped him directly on the cardstock itself. I think it turned out alright.

Here Comes the Sun

Just writing the title of this post did weird things to me. I associated the Beatles song with the birth of my first daughter. Made me all weepy and sentimental. I'm a fool.

On with what I am here to do, talk about cards :)

I mentioned in a previous post about a card exchange. I needed to make two sets of cards. I did the first set. For the second I decided I wanted something with a little more whimsy. I wanted to use my Just Beachy SU stamp set, because I haven't had the chance to use it yet, even though I've had it for a couple of months.

I had a hard time finding paper that I thought would be "Beachy" or "Sunny". This was the first card that I made. I thought the Orange and Pink paisley and stripes looked great together. What I didn't like was the orange cardstock I used, nor did I like the orange ribbon. So back to the drawing board.



Second attempt was much better. I like the blue, yellow's and greens together. I think it screams happy summer sunny fun. I like the way the blue polka dotted paper sort of makes a nice blue sky backdrop for the sun, and the stripped paper reminds me of beach towels. So this is the design I'm going with for my second card for my exchange.

Stamps: Just Beachy (SU)

Paper: Playful Blues (Martha Stewart)

Ink: Apricot Appeal, Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Close to Cocoa (SU)

Ribbon: Dashes, Dots & Checks

Need Ideas for a 90th Birthday

I have been charged with making invitations for my Grandma's 90th brithday party. I have to come up with a simple design because I need to make about 60 of them, and I don't have a tonne of time. The other problem, my grandma has picked out colours that do not match at all. I'm the queen of monotone cards. I love it when colours on cards are from one colour family. What the heck am I supposed to do with Lavender, Pink and Indigo GAH!

Any suggestions for stamp sets to use? Cricut Cartridges (I have a cricut but its totally neglected I hardly use it - this would be the perfect time to pull it out)?

I also need suggestions for what to put on the inside of the card other than the deets regarding date and place.

Any help would be much appreciated

Signed,

The girl who really has no creative bones in her body :)

A Card for Every Occassion

I decided on a card exchange card design. Well one anyway. The organizers have decided that we are going to make two sets of cards, so now I have to come up with another one.

Anyway, here it is:

I think its simple and elegant and can be used for pretty much any occassion. Heck I think you could use it for Christmas if it really came down to it.

I think the other design I need to do should be a little bit more whimsical. I want to use my SU Just Beachy stamp set, but I can't come up with anything good.

ETA: I just got the best comment ever. The three year old sees the card and says "Oh wow Mom I really like that card you made. I really love the big red flower you put on there" :)

Paper: Anna Griffin (no colour listed on the paper, its the red stuff)

Ink: Cranberry (Colourbox), Black (StazOn)

Stamps: Baroque Motifs (SU)

Well Holy Cow - Two posts in one day

Today quiet time has actually been quiet. So I found myself with about two hours of free time. YAHOO!

I'm part of a card exchange that a group of ladies from a message board community that I've been a part of for about five years, are doing. There are 9 particpants. So what you have to do is create 8 cards. You send them off to the organizer, then when she has received everyone's cards, she packages up one of each and sends them back to you. So each person particpating gets back in return 8 unique cards.

So I'm trying out a few things to see what I want to do for the exchange. Its a blank card exchange. So we can't put any sentiments on it at all. So this is sample number one. I like this card. I like the colours. I like that its simple. I think it could be used for a number of occassions, and I think that if someone wanted to, they could easily add or stamp their own sentiment on the front




Paper: Anna Griffen
Stamp: Baroque Motifs (SU)
Ink: Pretty In Pink (SU)

Back At It (Mojo 94)

So after a long hiatius from cardmaking I'm back, and I've clearly lost all skill when it comes to making cards. Here's my attempt at Mojo Monday 94

I decided to use my new Pink Cat Studios Sweet Treats stamps. I thought I would do a good job. I picked out lovely co-ordinated paper that I thought screamed Soda Fountain/Ice Cream store. I had some awesome ribbon that I had been waiting to use for a year or so but never found the occassion. Then I actually got to work on the stamping and colouring. Yeah I suck. Well my black ink sucks that's for sure. Its the one colour I think I haven't bought in the last two weeks, and well I should have. It started bleeding like mad the second I put the crystal effects on the Sundae glass. I also only have cruddy Martha Stewart markers to colour with. So not the best stamped images for a card. Colouring and cutting out stamped images is also difficult when you have a 3 year old tugging at your arm, bumping into you, demanding everything under the sun, you know typical 3 year old stuff. Someday I will find the time to make a card without the kiddies around. It might actually turn out good.

Anyway here it is.

Paper: The Paper Co: Peppermint & Tinted Dawn

Making Memories: Pink Splatter, Pink Small Dots, Raspberry Small Dots

Stamps: Pink Cat Studios: Sweet Treats

Ribbon: Fruit Punch

(ETA: GAH why is blogger sucking so much. It won't let me change font sizes, and it won't let me post the mojo sketch)

More Stuff

I can't stop. Just ordered some more stamp sets. This should be it for a while. Good thing the husband doesn't get the mail, otherwise I would probably have some splaning to do.

I ordered three sets from Verve: Forever in our hearts, Hundred Hearts and Beautiful You, and one little stamp, their whimsy tree.

Now I just have to find time to actually sit down and make some cards.

I also need to buy markers. I gotta wait at least a month though. I've clearly spent way too much already.

Some new junk for my craft trunk

Bit the bullet and bought some new stuff today. Thanks to Chelle I bought the entire colour line from SU of their inks, but not the full pads, just the ink spots. I'm looking forward to trying out all the new colours that I'm going to have to play with. I haven't really used too many SU inks, but hopefully they will serve their purpose and work out well for me.

I also bought some new stamp sets from Pink Cat Studios. I bought Sweet Treats, because Emily made a card with one of the stamps a while ago and I liked the way it looked, and I bought the Fairies set as well. I have no idea what I'm going to use to actually colour these stamps, because I can't decide if I want to go the route of copics or not, but for now I guess I'll just use my water colour pencils.

I also bought the Birthday Cupcake set of stamps from Inkadinkado. I'm not sold on the whole clear stamps/acrylic block thing yet, but I'm willing to give it a try. I've got a couple of older sets of the clear stamps that I don't use often, but we'll so how it goes with these ones.

I'm still looking for a good all around sentiments set. I have found in the last little while that I've needed to make a few "with sympathy" type cards, but I don't have any sentiments for that. I can find sets that offer loads of stamps for that "occassion", but I want something that also has other sentiments for other occassions, like a few thank you's, best wishes that sort of thing.

I'll be back

Someday soon. I have had zero time to make any cards, but I have signed myself up to do a card exchange, so I'm going to have to sit down and find the time to make at least 10 cards in the next little while.

I'm itching to buy some new stuff too. I need to replace pretty much all of my inks. I desperately want some copics (but I don't know if its in the budget right now), and I'm trying to find some fun new stamps that I will use more often then not, but I haven't really found anything that has jumped out yet.

So if you're reading, what inks do you like (brand and/or colours)?, Any stamp sets I should look at?

ETA: I really like some pink cat studio stamps, but do tell, how do you mount them and on what?

No Time

I'm trying my darndest to find time to make cards. Its not happening though. I managed to make 1/2 a card last week for Mojo Monday. I shall attempt to finish it and do a new one for this week sometime. I'm currently int he middle of Princess Birthday Party hell. My daughter's birthday party is on Sunday. I foolishly told everyone who was attending that I would make princess dresses for the girls and knight costumes for the boys. So I've been sewing like a madwoman the last two weeks to get these done, which leaves little time for cards. Doesn't help that the husband hasn't been around to help with bedtimes either the last two weeks, as he's busy with work.

I need about 27 hours a day.

Procrastination (Mojo 86)

I have a serious problem with procrastination. I have had it my entire life. I try my best to do things in such ways so that I don't procrastinate, but the nasty habit always manages to creep back into my life. And of course there is always the excuses that come along. My excuse right now is I'm tired. Whenever I get a few moments to myself all I feel like doing is sitting. My kids are crazy right now, and they just suck the energy right out of me.


When I started this blog I promised myself I would post at least once a week by doing the mojo sketch, and I knew that if I was going to keep up with the once a week promise I'd have to be on top of the mojo sketch at the beginning of the week. This week, I procrastinated. I almost decided to just forget about it. Thank goodness I also have a strong guilt reflex and I felt guilty about not keeping up with my own self inflicted promise. So yesterday even though I felt like not doing anything other than staring at the grass growing (and yes we just put down a load of seed and laid new sod so I can in fact watch new grass grow if I felt like it) I dragged myself to the basement to make my card.


I'm fairly happy with it. I could not for the life of me get the ink that I chose to use to give me decent coverage on the stamps that I chose to use, but meh whatever. It gives it the antique look (ha, that's what I'm telling myself anyway.

I tried something different with my picture takign since the lighting in my house is horrible. Someday I will take a better picture (how's that for procrastination)

Stamps: Just Like You (SU)

Ink: Cranberry (Colourbox)

Paper: Play (Fancy Pants Designs); Indigo (Canson); some random cheap yellow paper from michaels

Issues (Mojo #85)

I am apparently having issues orienting cards. I did this one upside down (that's why the picture looks a little wonky) Oops!



Its my Mom's birthday today so I thought I'd make her a birthday card even though I already have a million other birthday cards lying around. I figured I'd try something different with my paper selections. I like things to be very matchy matchy. So even though this card ended up being pretty matchyin terms of colours, I went outside of my comfort zone in terms of matching patterns. Everything is different.

STAMPS: Wagon Full of Fun (SU), Birthday Wish (SU). INK: Warm Red (Colourbox) PAPER: Maddi Norr Stipe, Maddi Pasley (Making Memories); Petite Sunrise Posies (DCWV)

April Showers Bring May Flowers

I was at the library on the weekend and saw these in Parents magazine, so I decided it would be a fun little craft for kid #1 and I to do for my Mom's birthday this weekend (and well it also can double as a Mother's Day gift I suppose)

I think they worked out pretty good. I just used up some scrap pieces of paper that I had lying around, some buttons and pipe cleaners

Mom Mojo Part II (Mojo Monday #84)

Since I have two Moms to make mother's day cards for I figured I'd use this weeks sketch to make a second card for my Mother In Law






I'm not happy with this at all. I messed it up. I like the colours, but I didn't have ribbon that matched so I had to improvise, I had a kid bugging the crap out of me while I attempted to make it and once I was finished I realized that I actually made the card backwards and because of the paper and adhesive I foolishly used I couldn't take it apart and reverse it so the card opened the right way. Oh well, such is life.




Paper: Woodland Classic (Martha Stewart), Indigo (Canson), Some random self adhesive paper
Stamps & Ink: Bitty Basics (SU), Seaglass (Colourbox)

Mom Mojo (#83)

I'm pretty sick of pink and girly since I've been working on the #1 kids birthday invites. So I decided to do something that had zero pink elements or really too many girly elements as well. I couldn't get away from girly entirely because well I made a mother's day card, so its got one little flower

Paper: Indigo Blue (Canson), Woodland Classic (Martha Stewart) and some random self adhesive paper

Cricut Beyond Basics Cartridge

Filigree Brads (SU)

Princess Party Invites

My daughter is turning 3 in a little while and we've decided to do the whole kiddie brithday party thing this year. She's in a bit of a Princess OCD phase in her life, so of course we are doing a Princess themed party. She helped me pick out all the paper for her invitation. I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Paper: Tinted Dawn & Peppermint (The Paper Company); Tinted Medallions & Light Wallpaper (GCD Studios)

Stamps: Perfect Princess (SU)

Ink: Dark Peony (Colourbox)

Other Stuff: Recollections Rhinestone Stickers

Cupcake Camp

So nothing to do with paper, stamping or ink.

I attended a cupcake camp on Sunday. A friend of mine hosted this little shindig. It was loads of fun. The premise is everyone invited makes some kind of tasty little cupcake. You bring enough so that everyone can sample a small little morsel at the party and then everyone that has attended gets to take one (or more) of each of the cupcakes home.

It was loads of fun, I had a great time, and man I tasted some really good cupcakes