Operation Sunshine

This year my daughter started Grade 2!!!  No longer my baby girl and turning into a little lady.  Unfortunately the cattiness of little girls has begun along with the hurt feelings.  It's a whole new learning experience filled with growing and my hope that there's something positive to learn from it all. The goal of this project is for my daughter to give the girls in her classroom a book mark that would remind them what she appreciates most about them....spread a little sunshine.  A way of showing appreciation for their individuality even if she doesn't always agree with them. 

The idea for this project comes from something my daughter's preschool teachers made for her.  Each child made a picture and told each classmate which virtue (patient, kind, friendly, compassionate, etc) they saw most in them.  Those pictures were collected and then the teacher made a laminated book out of them.  I still catch T. looking at her book.  It's her feel good book.  And how good would it feel to get a genuine positive remark from someone you thought didn't like you or appreciate you?

Elements used in this are pretty simple...my only goal besides using up scraps was to create unique bookmarks, not one is the same.  Different buttons, ribbon, and stamp placement.  The pictures still aren't the greatest but I have to get batter lamps for my quickly put together light box.  It will all have to do for now.

Hope you see feel a little sunshine in your life today.  Have a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday Stella

Here's a quick card I made this afternoon for the current Wee Memories challenge to use pink.  They've got some of my Favourite SEI paper up for grabs.  I also need a girls birthday card for my friend's daughter's 3rd birthday.  Normally I use the star punches for boy cards but I thought I would give it a go and make those stars girly.  The stars were randomly attached and with varying dimension. You'll be able to see that better in the bottom picture.  I also used the pattern tracer to the top and bottom of the card. I really like the craft and pink together.

Anyhow I hope you have a fabulous weekend.  I'm hoping to take off to Kelowna in the morning.  We were suppose to head down today but my mom ended up sick and didn't get as much done around her house as she wanted to before we arrive.  Hopefully we will be able to get there tomorrow and the kids will be able to help plant her garden. They love planting the veggies and flowers.

Steps:

1) Make A2 card from CS

2) Punch out small and large stars in random designer paper

3) Attach those stars randomly using foam tape and glue stick

4) Stamp sentiment

5) Use pattern tracer on top and bottom of card.

Elements

Paper:  Kraft cs, Very Vanilla, close to cocoa, Pink Pirouette, pattern paper (Bo Bunny, SU!, Chatterbox), parchment paper

Ink: Close to Cocoa

Accessories:  Small and large star punch (SU!), pattern tracer, foam tape

Stamps: Delightful Dahlia (PTI)

Happy Bird-day

I've got some exciting news to share and I hope you don't mind. I made the top 5 at CAS-tastic challenge blog for this card.  My friend who gave me that PCD set should be very proud that her gift inspired a project that turned to gold :)  Not surprising though because every time she's called a winner it has reached the top.  I keep hoping she'll forsee me winning the lottery or even better, selling my house. 

Anyhow the first card I want to share with you is this card I made for the Viva la Verve challenge based on this sketch and craft room picture for inspiration.  I threw in the bird to meet the requirements for the current Off The Wall Challenge.  This weeks sponsor is Eyelet Outlet who is giving away $30 worth of brads you should pop over and see the cute owl brads Kim used for her sample...so cute!

I decided to dip into the remnants of my Twitterpatted stash. It's been a while since I used it and I will be very sad when it's all gone. Very simple card and nothing fancy. I really like that blue in the craft room picture and then the stripes of the paper reminded me of all the colours of paper on the shelves and the magazine rack.  Bright, cheerful, and organized just the way I want my new craft room to be.

Steps:

1) Cut 6.5" x 3.25" card out of cs

2) Trim cs to fit face of card and adhere

3) Trim cs and punch border; adhere to card

4) Stamp sentiment

5) Trim cloud paper and adhere

6) Trim animal print paper and mat to cs; adhere to card

7) Rub bird on to white paper; punch with 1 3/8" circle punch

8) Punch scallop circle and attach circle with bird; adhere to card with foam tape.

Elements:

Paper: Whisper White, Ridinghood Red, Bermuda Bay, Twitterpatted (Imaginisce)

Ink: Basic Black

Accessories: 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, scallop border punch, rub-on (Imaginisce)

Stamps: Picture This (SU!)

Forever Sisters

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Hope you had wonderful Easter weekend among family and friends.  We had a very relaxing weekend around here.  On Sunday we went for an Egg hunt at the wildlife park with my dad and then we went to dh's parents place for a wonderful meal. My grandma, uncle and cousin dropped by for a visit as well.  This weekend I also managed to get my fair share of cards done and I've done up a few for the new Embellish Magazine publication call.  I'm going to finally risk rejection and submit a couple for publication. This is a big stepping stone for me.

Anyhow, here's a card that I made for the current Cinema Saturday challenge: Sense and Sensibility.  The added challenge was to create a CAS card....something I really don't do often enough.  Off to the Clean and Simple sketch blog I went and then rummaged through my paper.  I tried something with the Look Up set from Practicing Creativity that I've been meaning to do since I got it.  I stamped and cut the medium sized balloon image to make flower petals.  What do you think?  Pretty handy since I have only a couple of flower sets.  Ideally I wanted the card to POP with an orange background but then I decided to leave the colours soft and gentle like the cinematography in the movie.  This card makes me laugh because it's a pretty way of telling my sister that she drives me crazy but I love her anyhow.

Sense and Sensibility is one of my favourites and I can so relate to it.  Just call me Elinor, the older more sensible of the sisters and my younger sister could very easily pass as Marianne.  My sister is often dramatic and sensitive.  We are so opposite that many times we can have a hard time understanding each other and it doesn't help matters that I've had 8 more years of life experiences than she has.  And it's funny how the things that often annoy me, I usually admire about her the most.  I came across this sisterly quote and had to laugh.  I don't think you need a sister to understand that fine line between affection and annoyance.  Anyone who has ever loved can probably understand that....but, for me, having siblings made me understand it sooner :)

I'm posting a couple of samples of other things you can do with the Look Up set...just in case you haven't thought of about these options or you have but haven't gotten around to trying it out yourself to see how it looks.  The flowers are made of the smaller balloons and the stars are made from the banner flags.  I have to say this is one of the most versatile sets I own.  I can think of more things to do with this little set than I can with a pile of wood mounted stamp sets I own.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a fabulously awesome day!

Paper: Lemon Tart (PTI), Whisper White, Old Olive dsp

Ink: Bashful Blue

Stamps: Look Up (Practicing creativity)

Accessories:  Lemon tart button (PTI), large corner rounder punch, blue rhinestones, linen thread, computer and printer.

Sugar and Spice

Wow, I've managed to combine three challenges for this one and I managed to make a birthday card for my daughters friend.  It's going to be her first sleepover.  I'm okay with it and she's totally cool with it.  We're use to her spending the night at her grandparents and it's also nice knowing that her aunt lives just down the street just in case she doesn't want to sleep at her friends for the whole night.  You never know right?

Anyhow, I hope it doesn't bother you that I've smudged the photo of my daughter and her friend.  I know it's less esthetically pleasing to the eye but I'm not entirely comfy about posting pictures of my kids and I'm certainly not comfortable posting pictures of other peoples kids.  So I hope you can get past that element to enjoy all the others.  

Now down to business.  It all started with seeing the current challenge and sponsor over at Everything But The Kitchen Sink.  The challenge was to use string and the sponsor is The DigiChick.  I had just been talking (aka emailing) my new blog friend Karen B. about using digital.  She gave it a try and I hadn't so I thought what a perfect opportunity for me to try.  As I was browsing DigiChick's $2 tuesday specials I came across Sugar and Spice paper and elements packs.  Fabulous!!! Now I actually had something to work with the current Cinema Saturday presentation of Julie and Julia something to do with cooking.

I know you're probably thinking why a birthday card? But like Sugar and Spice my daughter and her friend are also a dynamic duo.  And like most little girls they both have lots of sugar and spice in their personalities.  One has more sugar and the other has even more spice.  

The last part of my challenge puzzle was to pick a sketch and what better sketch to use than Karen Sweet Sunday Sketch.  So everything is digital except for the linen thread, buttons and Sage Shadow cs in the background.  The focus panel was cut, distressed and inked with Soft Suede. I cut out the flower and did the same distressing and inking.  I can really see how handy these digital files can be when when working with photos or wanting to reuse the same embellishments.  Oh yeah and if you run out of your favourite dp....just print some more.  I know it will be a lot more handy when I can figure out how to layer on photoshop but for today's work I think it was all worth.  The only drawback is the learning curve and I'm not sure I have enough time to devote to it.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you've been inspired.  Have a fabulous week.

Playing with Ribbon

On Friday I got my order from Practicing Creativity and I was surprised with some bonus pink ribbon. Now normally I don't work with the wide stuff and you might be able to tell by the fact that my bow isn't perfect but it was really nice to be able to practice and I think all in all it came out pretty good.  The ribbon is amazing and of course with it's pinkness I was inspired to make a baby girl card.  It's just a really simple layout with some ribbon detail.

Next I have a card that I made with some of that gorgeous turquoise linen ribbon.  I love it!  It's so soft and flexible.  I was going to make a bow but I decided to try something different.  I made 'clouds' with it by weaving it in and out of three 1/8" holes. I cut the ends and then purposely frayed them.  

I kept wanting to cut them shorter and shorter but then I was reminded of a lesson a learned in Kindergarden.  When I was five we were suppose to make these caterpillars by cutting circles (free hand) out of different coloured paper.  Well I got frustrated because my circles weren't perfect and I kept cutting and cutting hoping to turn out that perfect circle and I was left with the tiniest caterpillar in the class.  Lesson learned:  sometimes you need to stop even if it's not perfect or you'll have nothing left.  So the truth is that all the important lessons we learn in life were in fact learned in Kindergarden.

Anyhow, on with the card.  This is a 4 x 4 card I made using scraps to place in my daughter's lunch for a bit of a pick me up when she needs it.  The Basic Grey Lemonade paper is cheerful and the hot air balloon is magical.  I'm going through a bit of a hot air balloon craze...how about you, what your favourite "It" item right now?

Little Bundle

Paper: Chatterbox dp, Kraft (SU!), Very vanilla

Ink: Close to Cocoa

Accessories:  Pink May Arts ribbon (Practicing Creativity), certainly celery grosgrain ribbon, scallop circle punch, EK success border punch,

Stamps:  Punches Three (SU!)

Sky's the Limit

Paper: Lemonade dp (BG), Whisper White

Ink:  Close to cocoa, Purely Pomegranate

Accessories:  Blue Linen MayArts Ribbon (Practicing Creativity), scallop border punch (SU!)

Stamps:  Look Up (Practicing Creativity)

Ode to Maile ~ PTI Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my humble yet passionate blog :)  This is my first ever PTI blog hop post so I am a little nervous and excited! I like meeting new friends with the same love for paper and hope you will leave a constructive comment for me. This months challenge was to recreate a project made by one of the several wonderful and talented PTI design team members.  I chose Maile Belles.  I've been following her blog since I started my blog this past summer. At the time she only had 28 followers and she wasn't apart of any design team. She's come a long way in such a short time.  Congrats Maile!!!  I have always admired her graceful style, her french knots and I have been awed by what she can do with a stamp! Just call her the Grace Kelly of stamping.

During the  PTI anniversary celebrations and February's stamp unveiling she showed off a really cute crafty kit with a matching card to give to a friend. I really loved the concept, mainly because I would love to be given such a gift and love things to be 'matchy'. I decided to recreate it as a gift for my six year old daughter.  She loves to do crafty things so I thought wouldn't it be great for her to have her own little kit to make Valentines cards next year?  It's got everything I think I little girl would want; beads, buttons, felt, flowers, stamps, ribbon, and paper! (Pictured at the top)

The challenging part of this project, I found, was not to mimic Maile's style too closely and to put in my own touches. I think I did that using one of my favourite bright colours (Red) and adding some pattern paper to my card.  Maile doesn't use a lot of designer paper, mainly because she's so good at stamping her own designs.  But me, I like to collect all kinds of paper.  If I'm inspired by it, I buy it!  I have boxes of it and would feel guilty if I didn't use it.

Some hand stitching was added to the top of the border punched edge for another personal touch. I also took the time to decorate the inside, incorporating the polkadots and taking the opportunity to tell my lovely little girl how much I love her.  For a closer look just click on the pictures. I hope that I've done justice to Maile's inspiration and made her proud :)

Thanks so much for popping by and helping me to share my passion 4 paper!  Be sure to check out the rest of the PTI design team.  They all have their own unique style and I'm so thankful to have been introduced to them this past September!  I also have a list of inspiring blogs on my sidebar.  Happy crafting!

Paper:  Real Red, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Sending Love dsp
Ink: Choclate Chip, Real Red
Accessories:  Making memories paper flowers, Pure Poppy buttons (PTI), Pink cord buttons, linen thread, pink cotton floss, red rhinestones, scallop trim border punch, ticket corner punch, large corner rounder punch.
Stamps (All PTI):  Mixed messages (LOVE), Everyday button bits (All things grow), Signature Greetings, Polka dot basics.

Girls Rock

Get ready for another post with lots of pictures. Not very good ones but pictures nonetheless  I decided to make a box full of girls cards to with the boy box that I made for my friends birthday.

This was my chance to use up more of my Twitterpatted collection.  The SU! colours that worked really well with this paper were Riding Hood Red or Ruby Red, Groovy Guava, Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, and Close to Cocoa.

If you have any questions about the stamps used please feel free to email me.

You Make Me Smile

Paper: Tangerine Tango, Close to Cocoa

Ink: Tempting Turquoise craft ink

Accessories:  Sewing machine, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches.  Clear embossing powder, circle scissors.

For this card I wish my sentiment was better positioned.

Button Bouquets
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze, Old Olive, Ridding Hood Red
Ink: Old Olive, Close to Cocoa, Groovy Guava

Apple Trees


This is one of my favourites.  The layout isn't wonderful but I like the red french knots in the button wholes to create apple trees. Otherwise this card is pretty straight forward.

Happy Birthday Chickadee

Another one of Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketches.   The circle was given a faux layer by inking the edges with Ruby Red.  The rhinestone bird was part of the twitterpated collection I just added a larger rhinestone to the eye.  Looking back I should have added stitching to the background panel.

Paper: Ridinghood Red, Groovy Guava
Ink: Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie

Thanks for taking a peak at my latest project.  Sweet Sunday everyone.