Pinwheel Bouquets and Paper Egg Wreaths

Good Afternoon!

This is my second post of the day. I want to post it so I won't forget to do it!  In addition to cards I've been creating more and more crafts. The idea for this bouquet of pinwheels is from the April 2011 issue of Scrapbooks Etc. magazine. I've told you previously that although the focus of this magazine is scrapbooking, I have a subscription to it. I learn new techniques and ideas for cards and crafts each time a new issue arrives.

I used a Sizzix pinwheel die to cut the pinwheels. The yummy papers I used are from K and Company's Citronella collection. Last summer I shared many cards that I created from that same collection.

I love to create holiday and seasonal paper crafted wreaths. Here's the one I made for this Easter. I used an AccuCut egg die to cut the 2 different sizes of eggs. I hot glue gunned them to a wreath form and tied baby ric rac to some of them.

It was school vacation week here in Massachusetts. I had a week filled with friends, fun, and yummy lunches. Many of my friends are teachers or work in schools so they had the week off which means it was a good week to get together.


I remembered to take pictures on just one of those fun days. Amy, Angela, Martha, and Kathy each created an Easter wreath. Peggy worked on St. Patrick's Day cards for her nieces and nephews. All of us think it's fun to paper craft, talk and eat together.

Amy



Amy and Angela



Martha



Kathy



Peggy


Can't wait to get together again to do some more crafting!

Have a nice night!
Carol

Denami Color Challenge #6

Hello Everyone!



I created today's card for the Denami Designs Color Challenge #6. For this challenge participants were asked to create a card that uses the colors navy, lime, and white and at least one Denami stamp.

I decided to use the small side-view sheep #C71, the mini grass #B87, and the small Happy Easter #F160 stamps on my card. I chose a blank navy blue card and lime green tag for my layering paper. I ran the lime tag through a Cuttlebug D'vine Swirls embossing folder and used a Martha Stewart edger punch to embellish one side of it. The embossed swirls make me think of the way sheep's wool is often illustrated in children's books. I added a strip of white tag behind the punched dots to draw more attention to them.


I stamped a sheep on each of four white 1.25" squares. Then I masked each sheep and stamped grass onto those same squares. I stamped 4 additional sheep, ran them through a Cuttlebug Small Dots embossing folder, and fussy cut them before I used foam tape to layer them on top of the other sheep. I mounted each white square onto a 1.5" navy square and ran those squares through the Cuttlebug D'vine Swirls embossing folder.


I stamped "Happy Easter" onto a scrap of white tag and mounted it onto a piece of navy tag. I added some tiny lime green brads to either side of the text.


I decided the card needed some bling so I added some navy and lime dimensional stickers to it.


The card "feels" like Easter to me. The colors make me think of the patent leather shoes, straw hats and white gloves I wore on Easter many years ago.


Have a great day!
Carol

St. Patrick's Day cards

Good Morning!

Recently a few friends asked me to create some St. Patrick's Day cards. When I looked through my collection I discovered that I didn't have even one St. Patrick's Day stamp. Not a shamrock, a pot of gold, or even the words, "Happy St. Patrick's Day"!  Although I have placed multiple stamp orders in the past month or so I never even thought of that holiday.



I drove to one of my favorite specialty stores and didn't find any St. Patrick's Day stamps in stock. I asked the woman at the desk if I had overlooked them and was told that they hadn't gotten any yet. Okay, now what?


I purchased a set of Hero Arts "Celebrate Every Day" clear stamps and that gave me the text that I wanted. I drove home and sat staring at my "wall of stamps". Suddenly I had an idea. I grabbed a Martha Stewart heart paper punch and punched out 3 green hearts. I ran them through my Cuttlebug Dots embossing folder and scored them in the middle to give them a little texture. Added a scrap of paper for a stem and I had a shamrock! If I added a 4th heart I could have created a 4 leaf clover.


Then I took my new medium round bowl stamp from DeNami Design, stamped it once on green tag and once on black tag and by adding a few embellishments I had pots of gold.


I found some St. Patrick's Day paper in my "green" paper drawer and some ribbon I liked in my ribbon stash.

Without further ado...here's my first card. The "gold pieces" are rhinestones from my bling container.

Here's my second card. I ran the layering paper through a Cuttlebug Argyle embossing folder. The layering paper has a variety of St. Patrick's Day related words on it. If you tip the paper back and forth you can see and read the words. It's kind of magical.  (You can click on the picture to enlarge it and then you might be able to make out some of the words.  
The "rainbow" was created with some very cool flat rhinestones. The shamrock is a Favorite Findings button. The text was cut from a piece of patterned paper.


Having some friends over today and tomorrow to paper craft!


Have a great day!
Carol

Shamrocks and Butterflies

Good Morning Everyone!

A few weeks ago I shared this photograph of the hearts I made after I learned about them from Audrey Yeager's "Heart Garland Tutorial" on the SEI blog.  Those hearts were so easy to put together that I decided to use them to create other seasonal decorations.

I used some Marzipan paper from SEI's Christmas Mint collection to create this shamrock. I created 3 hearts to make the shamrock. For the center heart instead of having a 6" inch strip as the 4th strip I used a 12" one and then trimmed it after I assembled the shamrock.

This butterfly was created with some Butter Creams paper from SEI's Christmas Mint collection. I created 2 hearts to make the butterfly. I cut a 12" strip of paper that is 1/2" wide to make the anntennae. I wrapped each end of the strip around a pencil to curl it and then attached it to the butterfly.

By the way the Christmas Mint assortment pack is on clearance on the Shopsei shopping site. 

If you put 4 hearts together you could create a 4 leaf clover. Put 5 hearts together and you'll have a flower!

Thanks Audrey! Thanks SEI!

Enjoy!

Have a great day!

Carol

Hoppy the Bunny

Happy Saturday Everyone!

I am so excited to announce that I won the Impression Obsession drawing after I submitted a cupcake card into their It's a Cupcake Kind of Day challenge. I won a gift certificate to their online store and cannot wait to choose my new stamps. Be sure to start following their blog and pay attention to the challenges so that you can submit cards too. When you win you get to add a blinking widget to your blog.


I have been busy creating cards and paper crafts for St. Patrick's Day, Spring, Easter, and Mother's Day. There's still snow outside, but there's spring everywhere you look inside my house.

The blank card I used for this card is hot pink not red like the camera made it look. I stamped the Tree for All Seasons from Stamps by Judith onto the layering paper and then ran the paper through my newest Cuttlebug embossing folder.  Then I punched out lots of baskets and eggs from a Martha Stewart Easter basket/eggs punch that I purchased last year after Easter. When you punch you get one basket and 4 eggs. I set most of the baskets aside to use on other cards, but I cut the handle off of one basket to create a stand for the tree. I punched out a chick from another Martha Stewart punch and put it "in the stand". After I studied the picture I added a tiny black rhinestone to the chick for an eye. I used mini glue dots to attach all of those tiny eggs to the tree. Suggestion...Put the eggs on the strip of mini dots and then pull them off of the paper one at a time as you put them on the card.

Hoppy the Bunny from A Muse Artstamps is doing the Bunny Hop with his friends.  Hoppy is on sale on their web site for just $2.00!  You don't want to miss out on a bargain like that one!  I stamped Hoppy over and over again across the card and then used my watercolor pencils to color in each bunny. I'm not sure that you can see it in the picture, but I tapped a pink American Crafts glitter marker onto each bunny's nose. Used mini glue dots to attach each tiny pompom cottontail. The butterfly is from a Fiskars hand punch and the flowers are too. I used my Martha Stewart fringing scissors to cut the grass.


That's all I have time to share today, but I'll be back again soon with more ideas for you. Please remember that all bloggers love comments. Please send some to my blog instead of to my e-mail.  Thank you in advance for taking the time to comment.
 
Have a great day!
Carol
 

It's a Cupcake Kind of Day

Hi Everyone!



To view today's card please visit Shirley's blog at http://www.impression-obsession.com/ and read her post for "It's a Cupcake Kind of Day". I had so much fun creating cards for that challenge.

The cupcake was created with an Impression Obsession "Sweet Toppings" rubber stamp and the text was created with an Impression Obsession
"You're Sweet" rubber stamp. The papers are from the American Crafts Abode collection.

I used White Enamel Accents from Ranger for the vanilla frosting and vanilla cake. I used a marker to color the chocolate frosting and chocolate cake and then added Glossy Accents from Ranger to them. Also put Glossy Accents on the cherries. There's a bit of green jewelry wire on the cherries for their stems. Sprinkled Doodlebug confetti on the frosting while it was still wet. Ran the muffin wrappers through a crimper to make them look realistic. That doesn't show so well in the photograph. The shiny frosting makes the cupcakes look good enough to eat! The cupcakes are added to the layering paper with dimensional tape.

Be sure to visit the Impression Obsession's Design Team's blogs to see their amazing cards for It's a Cupcake Kind of Day!

Have a great night!
Carol

Happy Day After Valentine's Day to You

Hi Everyone!

Happy Day After Valentine's Day! I hope that your holiday was as special as mine was. My children continue to amaze me. I did a teacher training from 3 PM to 5 PM yesterday and didn't arrive home until close to 6:30. Robbie was working and I offered to take Marie out to dinner, but she chose to cook our dinner. She cooked a yummy spiral ham, potatoes, and carrots. Then she went a step further and made whoopie pies and mini cherry cheesecakes from scratch. Rob arrived home in time for dessert. He commented that he thinks the real Marie was abducted by aliens!


Marie made this valentine. 


Marie worked feverishly at creating a valentine for me. She found the world map that she needed on Google images. She used stickers and rhinestones to embellish her card. The inside of the card reads, "Mi Madre, Happy Valentine's Day! Maybe later we can skip and hold hands. Love, Marie". "We can skip and hold hands" is a line from Gilmore Girls. Marie and I have watched every episode of that show together over and over again.


Rob chose to create his valentine for me on the computer. He asked if I'd show him how to use my Scor-Pal to create creases to help fold cardstock. He found the image that he wanted for his card in Google images. His card made all of his laugh because Marie is truly a choco-holic and can sniff it out when it's in the house.











The cards I am sharing with you today were created with papers from Cosmo Cricket's "DeLovely" Mini Deck. I LOVE the bright colors that Cosmo Cricket used to create this line. I turned to Paper Crafts "Go to Sketches" special issue magazine for inspiration for the cards. Both cards were completely inspired by two of Teri Anderson's sketches. I paper punched the flowers and circles on both cards. I only adhered the centers of the flowers to the layering papers so that I could bend their petals and raise them slightly off the cards. The text on the first card was stamped with an Impression Obsession wooden stamp. The text on the second card was stamped with a Northwoods wooden stamp.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hope you have a great night!
Carol
 

 



Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am sure that you are familiar with the expression "the apple doesn't fall from the tree". I can share this picture with you because I know that Marie doesn't follow my blog. She was in her room creating valentine mailboxes for the residents at the nursing home where she works when I snapped this photograph of her. She made mailboxes for days. She scooped up every juice carton and tissue box that Gayle saved for me along with all of the ones I have been saving too.

Those of you who don't know me personally are probably wondering why on earth I would save such things. I am an early childhood educator who trains other early childhood teachers. I create games and other learning tools out of recycled materials and share those ideas with teachers in my trainings.


Robbie and Marie have grown up watching me create dragons out of egg cartons and mailboxes from milk cartons and now Marie does many of those activities for and with the nursing home residents. I had to share the photograph because I know that those of you who know Marie are laughing right now. Yes, after all those years of head-butting, Marie and I have become more and more alike. She crafts. She cooks. She bakes and she drinks tea!

Here's the valentine I made for Robbie. Some of you know from previous posts that Robbie and I share some "owl" memories so more often than not I make him an owl card. He bought me a set of "Wise Owls" clear stamps from PaperTrey Ink for Mother's Day last year and loves when I use them. Of all the people in my world Rob pays the most attention to my cards and critiques them for me.


The branch on the card is from PaperTrey Ink's "Take a Bough" set. I use that branch over and over again on all sorts of cards. I love the font that was used on the "Owl always love you" stamp from Stampendous. It embossed beautifully. The letters are nicely raised on the card.

Last week I created several "Get well" cards and I was disappointed when I realized I had sent them off before I photographed them. Happily I still have this one to share with you. The paper is from a 6" x 6" Adhesive Paper Prints stack from dcwv. The bed and pill bottles were created with clear stamps from the "Take It EZ" clear stamp set from Woodware USA. "Get Well Soon" was stamped with a stamp from Impression Obsession. For some reason each time I look at this card I think of Beatrix Potter. The colors must be similar to colors she used in one of her books or maybe the bed looks like a bed from one of her books.

I love the idea for this card, but I don't love the vase I free cut for it. I'll probably end up pulling it off and making a slightly smaller one. Layering papers are from American Crafts. Text was stamped with a Northwoods wooden rubber stamp.


I have some baking to do right now and a workshop later so it's time for me to sign off for today.
 
 
 
Have a great day!
Carol

Birthday Lanterns

Good morning!



Valentine's Day is 5 days away, but I have decided it's time for me to move on from that "love"ly holiday. Although I haven't exhausted my ideas or materials for valentine cards and crafts, I've created all of the valentines I need for me to send and for others to purchase.


My house is still decorated for Valentine's Day and there are still valentine treats to bake, but I am in the process of transforming my "Own Little Corner" to get ready for Spring, Easter, and Mother's Day creations. I've rearranged my stamps so that the ones I have for those occasions are front and center. My ribbon organizer is mainly filled with pastel ribbons. Rotating materials makes me more aware of what I have and also makes me aware of what I "need". Note to self... I DON'T need any more Easter or spring themed paper punches.


I rotate my materials frequently, but I clean this corner CONSTANTLY! Why is dust so attracted to computer monitors? Add embossing powders, glitter, adhesives and tiny scraps of paper to the work area and there's even more of a need to clean.


Last night's class for the Lexington Community Education program was so much fun. I met the nicest people who created adorable wreaths and sweet cards. It's fun to share ideas and techniques and to see how others approach their projects.

I made this birthday card a few days ago. The lanterns were created with 2 wooden (from a set of 3) lantern stamps from Hero Arts. I used my Tuxedo Black Memento ink pad to stamp the images onto some scraps of pink, green, and yellow vellum. I colored the images with my Marvy Twinklette markers. I fussy cut the lanterns and punched a tiny hole in the top of each of them before I threaded some gold cord through them.


I ran a piece of white tag through a dotted Cuttlebug embossing folder before I attached it to a blank card. The lanterns are adhered to the layering paper with dimensional foam tape. I touched the tip of a few markers to some of the dots on the tag to make them look like confetti falling through the air. "Birthdays are the best" was stamped with a PaperTrey Ink clear stamp from their Blooming Buttons set. I deliberately "curled" the stamp a little before I attached it to a clear block.


Have a great day!
Carol

More Valentines!

Good Morning Everyone!

I cannot believe that I haven't posted for 5 days.  I guess I was too busy creating cards to notice! 

Most of you have seen "Riley" cards in other posts.  Riley is Jeanne's adorable little dog who NEVER stops barking.  Since the  "puppy with heart" stamp from Serendipity stamps reminds me of Riley I use it over and over again when I am creating cards for Jeanne.  This card will be Jeanne's valentine this year.  I found the ribbon in my stash and thought the words on it suited Riley's relationship with Jeanne perfectly.

Marie has become my tea drinking buddy.  She's a coffee drinker in the AM, but a tea drinker after dinner.  Every night she makes each of us a cup of tea with a splash of milk and Splenda.  This card will be Marie's valentine.  
The background papers are from the American Crafts "Abode" collection.  The "big cup" is a Hero Arts cling stamp.  The text was created with an
A Muse Artstamps.  

As you know I LOVE everything about SEI.  I follow their blog on a daily basis.  It's through their blog that I learn about their products.  It's through their blog that I become inspired on ways to use their products.  It's through their blog that I learn wonderfully creative ideas and techniques.  Last week I read Audrey Yeager's "Heart Garland Tutorial" and immediately sat down and created some of those hearts.  I hung mine from pegs on my favorite display shelves that MaryBeth gave me several years ago.  I am hoping to make more of them so I can hang some in my bay window.  Valentine's Day is coming fast, but happily the hearts are quick and easy to create.

My "Chickie with a heart balloon" valentines received such a positive response that I made more of them.  This card uses the same sketch I used last week, but I changed the layering paper and love this card even more.  The layering paper is from the American Crafts "Abode" collection.  We are going to make this exact card in my paper crafting class tonight for Lexington Community Education.  The chickie stamp is one of the many chickie stamps that Denami Designs creates for us. 

I am planning to spend the day cooking.  My schedule is happily becoming packed with teacher trainings and classes so I want to fill my freezer with meals we can grab. 

Have a great day!
Carol

Paper Pieced Birthday Cards

Hi Everyone!



I spent the day cooking, baking, and creating cards. I was in the mood to do some paper piecing and decided to make some birthday cards.


Paper piecing is easy and fun to do. You just need a pair of small sharp scissors and some patterns. You can find a variety of free paper piecing patterns on the Scrapbooks, ETC. web site. The patterns for the cake and cupcake are from "Birthday Paper-Piecing Patterns" in the Events section and the dog pattern is from "Animals Paper-Piecing Patterns" in the Animals & Nature section.

The patterned papers I used on today's three cards are from the American Crafts awesome "Abode" collection. I ran the white tag on this card through a Cuttlebug Spots & Dots embossing folder and then used a Martha Stewart Scallop Dot edger punch to embellish one side of it. "Make a Wish" was stamped with A Country Welcome wooden stamp. Before I adhered the assembled cake to the layering paper I put dimensional tape on it so that it would "pop" off the card.

The "Happy Birthday" text on this card was created with a Heartfelt Creations wooden stamp. I ran the "muffin wrapper" through one of my paper crimpers before I assembled the cupcake.

I used Martha Stewart's Zig Zag edger punch to embellish the white tag on this card. "Have a doggone great day!" was stamped with an Inky Antics stamp. I adhered dimensional tape behind the message and the dog's face. The dog's eyes are created with small black brads and the heart nose was punched from a small heart punch.  The tag on the dog's collar is a brad. 



Have a great night!
Carol