Category Archives: Birthdays

The envelopes are the best part

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Today’s project is brought to you by the Letter E…for Envelope!

I’ve seen a number of projects recently where the crafter ran the envelope flap through the Big Shot with an embossing folder.  I finally gave it a try, and I have to tell you it’s really easy and a real wow:

Elegant Bouquet Envelope

I’ll try to get some photos of my technique.  I only embossed the back flap, and it was simple to line it up in the Impressions folder and run it through the Big Shot.  The trick is to put the folder through sideways, sending the body of the envelope through the Big Shot first (and outside of the folder).  I know, sorry, I’m visual too – I’ll set up my Very Sophisticated Photographic Equipment (point-and-shoot) and take some photos for you.

Here’s the rest of the project:

Beautiful Wings note cards

  • Baroque Border Stampin’ Around Wheel
  • Always Artichoke Classic ink cartridge
  • Whisper White and Lovely Lilac, Almost Amethyst, Sage Shadow, Bashful Blue and Brocade Blue card stock
  • Big Shot and Beautiful Wings Embosslit
  • Tombo Multi-purpose Adhesive; Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint
  • Envelope:  Elegant Bouquet Impressions Folder

These go together really quickly and only use a quarter sheet of cardstock  each of color and Whisper White for the note card.  I have a stash of “extra” butterflies made with the Beautiful Wings Embosslit – it cuts five at a time, and if you only need the little itty bitty one, you have four left over.  The smaller ones make fun confetti, but this is the largest one and it’s almost perfect.  It will be really perfect when the new 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog merchandise is available and a Certain Product can be added…but I’ll have to save that news for later.

All spritzed up and nowhere to go

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Someone may have to pry the Smooch Spritz out of my hands…I think I’ve become dangerous.  A definite case of  “More is More”, and I’m not convinced it’s a good thing:

All Smooched up and nowhere to go

  • Vintage Vogue and Medallion Stamp sets; Very Vintage Wheel
  • Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo and Close to Cocoa card stock
  • Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo and Close to Cocoa Classic ink pads; Whisper White Craft ink pad
  • Melon Mambo Stampin’ Write marker, Vanilla Smooch Spritz
  • Scallop Trim Border punch, Rhinestone brad, Whisper White taffeta ribbon
  • 1/4″ circle punch and a teeny scrap of DSP – I think from SAB but don’t quote me

A couple of days ago I went on a rant about challenges that wouldn’t cooperate.  This card uses the survivors from that challenge – a lot of pieces went into the round file (trash) in my craft room.  I have to admit, my concept was good but it just wouldn’t tolerate being forced into a sketch that I disliked.  You can see I’m still playing with the same colors I used yesterday for the Inkspiration Challenge – it’s getting pretty girly around here.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll go Rasta for a change!

Sweet home for a cardinal

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Cardinals are nest builders, not house dwellers, but if your imagination can tolerate a little stretching  I think you’ll enjoy this:

Stampin' Up! milk carton die Two Step Bird punch Bird House

  • Vintage Vogue and I {Heart Hearts} stamp sets
  • Naturals White, Soft Suede, Real Red, Mellow Moss, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie and Always Artichoke card stock
  • Real Red, Soft Suede and Always Artichoke Classic ink pads
  • Black Stampin’ Write Journaler and White Gel pen
  • Big Shot and Bigz L Milk Carton die
  • Two Step Bird, Heart to Heart and Scallop Edge punches
  • Stampin Sponges, Sponge Daubers, Tombo adhesive and Stampin’ Dimensionals

I need to send you to see two special ladies to thank them for their part in this project.  The first is the Amazing Kim Bolzenthal, who generously sent me a RAK of pre-cut milk cartons.  If you know Kim at all, you’ll know she is a thoughtful, giving person who has a passion for stamping and stampers.  Please leave her a comment and tell her how fabulous she is!

The second person I’d like you to visit is Marie whose charming Goldfinch Birdhouses were my direct inspiration for this project.  I loved her concept and tweaked it just a little to suit my purposes, but she’s the genius behind the design and she deserves the credit.  Please leave her a comment and let her know how brilliant she is!

The cardinal and the little heart are both attached with Stampin’ Dimensionals, but the heart is so small I snipped off a little piece from the strip around the edge of the dimensionals.

Here’s the 411 on the cardinal’s face:  It’s a pain in the, um, tailfeathers but I think it makes a big difference.  After you punch the bird’s body in Real Red, go back and insert a right angle corner of black cardstock into the face portion of the punch at the beak.  The farther in you insert that black corner, the bigger your mask will be.  Punch it and set it someplace you can find it, because it’s not very big.  Do the same thing with a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock, but only insert that corner in to the point where it makes a tiny diamond shape with the beak.  Punch this very carefully, because as soon as you punch it is so small it will disappear into the litter on your workspace.  Take a pair of tweezers (yep, I really did that) and use a teeny tiny dot of Tombo to put the Pumpkin Pie beak on the Black mask.  Use a tiny dot of Tombo to attach the mask to the cardinal’s face and use a white gel pen to add an eye.

Go ahead – give it a try – you can do it!

A Special Birthday

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It’s not every day you turn 16.

Today is my son’s 16th birthday.  I remember it very clearly – he was 11 days late, and our entire household was anxiously waiting for him to make up his mind.  Turned out he was worth the wait.

Our host daughter was up VERY early and prepared a special surprise for him in the hallway outside his room:

Balloon Banner: Matt Happy Birthday

She leaves the house at 6:30am to catch the bus, so she was at this very early.  He thought it was pretty cool.

Here’s one of the cards he’ll be receiving later today:

Happy #16 Matt

  • Vintage Labels (SAB) and Short Order (retired) stamp sets
  • Chocolate Chip and Bermuda Bay Classic ink pads
  • Very Vanilla card stock
  • Welcome Neighbor and Sweet Pea Designer Series papers; retired DSP
  • Chocolate Chip ribbon, Curly Label punch, linen thread and a Fresh Favorites button

Matt’s a wonderful kid, though at 16 I guess he’s not really a kid any more.  He passed me up a long time ago and is very close to seeing eye-to-eye with his dad.  He’s smart and has a wicked sense of humor, and he keeps us on our toes.  He’s also very thoughtful (uh oh, I’ll be in trouble for that one) and we love him whole big bunches.

Happy Birthday, Matthew.

Same colors, same sketch, new look

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Different stamps and a quarter turn from yesterday yield a completely different card:

Silly Sock Monkey

  • Sock Monkey and Itty Bitty Backgrounds stamp sets
  • Barely Banana, Basic Gray, and Very Vanilla Cardstock; Dusty Durango Designer Series Paper (level I hostess)
  • Barely Banana and Dusty Durango Classic Ink Refills and the Aquapainter
  • Basic Gray Classic ink pad and Stampin’ Write markers;  Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint
  • Trio Flower punch; Stamp-a-ma-jig;  Stampin’ Dimensionals

Watercolor is an on-again, off-again technique for me and in my opinion it’s a little off right now.  Doesn’t stop me, but makes me a little bit crazy.  Or perhaps I’m just crazier than usual.

I wanted to see what happened when I used the same colors (even papers) and sketch for two cards. Looking at today’s card compared with yesterday’s,  I like the difference and enjoy the stretch.  Challenges really make me work, and even when I’m not thrilled with the results I always learn something new.

Dasher in the Holiday Lounge – MojoMonday113

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I am SO excited I’m going to have to disable the Caps button on my keyboard so I don’t just shout this entire post!  (Perhaps I’ll disable the exclamation mark, too.)  This is such a late post for me today…all day I’ve tried to get to the Mojo Monday sketch, and all day there have been other things that got in the way.  I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to do, and Heaven help me, when I finally sat down to put it together it was even better than I imagined!  (OK.  Breathe here.)

So, what do YOU think??Mojo Monday 113 Dasher in the Holiday Lounge

  • Dasher and Holiday Best (Hostess Level I) Stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Taken with Teal, Brushed Gold, Sahara Sand and Ruby Red cardstock; Holiday Lounge Designer Series Paper
  • Encore Gold Pad; Taken with Teal and Ruby Red Stampin’ Write Markers
  • Whisper White taffeta ribbon; Piercing tool and template; Stampin’ Dimensionals; Clear Detail embossing powder and heat tool

I’ve had so much trouble with the Mojo Monday sketches in the past…this makes me really, really happy.  I hope you like it too.

Deal of the Week, Week 3

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What a great deal this week!  Oh, and Boy Howdy, am I glad to be home.  When we moved to Maui almost 20 years ago I quickly realized this was where I was meant to be.  I am a tropical flower with a temperature comfort zone of about 6 degrees – 77 to 83.  The fall colors are gorgeous, but you sure have to wear a lot of stuff to get out and see them.

DEALS_OF_THE_WEEK

DOTW_week3

This week’s deal is well timed to allow you – and me – to stock up on embellishments before the holidays.  When your card needs that extra oomph, these are the goodies to reach for.  But hurry – these little gems are only Deals until Monday, October 26 at 9:50am Mountain Time – that’s 5:50 am HST!

To shop, click HERE

More soft thoughts…

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I liked the colors and overall look of yesterday’s card so well that I revisited the same general concept.  I incorporated a sketch challenge from SCS and added Mellow Moss to the Pretty in Pink/Soft Suede combination.  The end result is a card with a similar feeling but a unique look of its own.

I really enjoy the challenge of creating different looks from the same basic supplies.  I like stretching my perspective – it keeps things exciting.

Floral Thoughts_crop

  • Thought and Prayers stamp set, En Francais and Linen (retired) background stamps
  • Pretty in Pink and Sahara Sand Classic Ink
  • Soft Suede, Mellow Moss  and Pretty in Pink Stampin’ Write Markers
  • Soft Suede,  Mellow Moss and Naturals White cardstock and some very old Designer Series Paper
  • Kraft taffeta ribbon (it’s not nearly as yellow-hued in real life)
  • Vintage brads
  • Piercing tool & mat pack (to position brads), Stampin’ Sponges

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Banana

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Did I mention that Crystal makes an absolutely divine banana cake?  Some of you who were at our class on Saturday obviously think so, because I’ve had multiple requests for the recipe.  Without further ado…

Crystal’s Best Ever Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 box instant banana cream pudding
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup mashed bananas (3 – 4 bananas)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Combine all ingredients and pour into pan.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

This recipe got me thinking about chocolate and bananas, which is a very dangerous thing for me to be doing.  To remove myself from the kitchen, I headed for the Chocolate Chip and Barely Banana cardstock and ink.  (Yes, I know, it’s a very cheesy connection.)  Of course, with all this food on the mind I immediately pulled down my Crazy for Cupcakes stamps.  However, this was NOT a “before you know it the card was done” kind of creation.  I did a lot of fussing and fiddling which does not show in the final product, but the one thing that does show is my Amazing Discovery for Today:

Chocolate Chip with Champagne Mist Shimmer paint

Chocolate Chip with Champagne Mist Shimmer paint

Can you see the shimmer?  It’s hard, I know, but imagine a gorgeous bronzed look with a little sparkle.  This is equal parts Chocolate Chip Classic ink refill and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint.  When I mixed it together I couldn’t believe my eyes.  I used my Aquapainter to brush it on.  Of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone – I seldom can – so I tried the same combination using Barely Banana Classic ink refill.  You be the judge:

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Banana cupcakes

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Banana cupcakes

  • Very Vanilla, Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip and Naturals Ivory cardstock
  • Retired Designer Series Paper
  • Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral, Barely Banana, and Sahara Sand Classic ink
  • Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint
  • Texture Jumbo Stampin’ Wheel (run through the Sahara Sand ink pad)
  • Versamark ink, Clear Embossing Powder and Heat Tool
  • Chocolate Chip Stampin’ Write Marker
  • Big Shot and Stampin’ Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plate
  • Double rectangle punch and Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon

My faithful but not very sophisticated little point-and-push does not do justice to these colors.  You will have to use your imagination to appreciate how glorious this is!

Somehow, the entire thing reminds me of an ice cream parlor.  This is not the best thing for someone who needs to stay out of the kitchen and away from the chocolate chips and bananas (oh, all right, it’s just the chocolate chips.  we knew that.)  Hope you enjoyed the card.  I’m going for a long walk!

Daffodils to bring a smile

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Buzzin by Daffodils Ikebana style
Buzzin by Daffodils Ikebana style

We took Sara to the airport last night…she’s headed back to Boston.  I know she’s ready and I know she’ll be happy but it was still a sad good-bye.  Even though we’ll see her in October.  Even though she’s been home all summer.  Especially because she’s been home all summer!  I’m gonna miss that girl…

To cheer myself up, I went looking for flowers – and not just any flowers – I needed Daffodils.  So what if they’re out of season!  Daffodils are the cheeriest flowers I could think of and that’s what the doctor ordered.  I borrowed a concept from InkingAddict and used the ornament from Delightful Decorations to make a vase.  My stems didn’t line up so instead of a nice narrow necked vase I used the small oval punch to make mine more of a bowl.  Think Ikebana.  OK, Ikebana without the style.  I call it creative license.

  • Just Buzzin’ By stamp set
  • Delightful Decorations tamp set
  • Ornament Punch
  • Small Oval Punch
  • Whisper White, Bermuda Breeze, and Barely Banana cardstock
  • Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper
  • Soft Suede polka dotted ribbon
  • Soft Suede, Barely Banana and Bermuda Breeze Classic ink
  • Aquapainter and Stampin’ Dimensionals (gotta love ’em!)