Yep…still here. Barely.

Well, tonight, out of necessity, I made the time to make some cards!!  One is a belated birthday card for my father, and the other is for my godson/nephew.  I also made one for my MIL, but on the chance she checks out this blog, I won’t post it until AFTER her birthday.

I’m busier than I’ve ever been before in my life.  I wish that was an overstatement. I miss my crafting friends and my crafting time, but at least I am happy professionally (something new).

I’ll be here when I can!

This card (for my dad) reuses some “junk” mail.  I say this as I don’t mean ANY disrespect to the organization that keeps sending me these paper Tibetan prayer flags.  I just don’t have use for a lot of them, so I’ve decided to incorporate them into some craft projects.  Here I’ve used two “flags” against BasicGrey Marrakech line paper with a letterpress tag from Paper Source.  I also inked/distressed the edges of one of the flags with “Dark Moss” Chalk Ink (ColorBox).

This card uses double sided cardstock (#NT104-Far Out) from The Paper Loft, a letterpress tag (Paper Source), Hero Arts “Printers Type Alphabet” lettering stamps,  “Penguin with Presents” stamp from Savvy Stamps and I embossed with “Rainbow Sparkle Lite” ep and Color box brown pigment ink.

Sunday Scrappin’: June 14, 2009

Join us over at Sunday Scrappin’, won’t you?

TA-DAs:

• This week’s challenge was to let Christine’s work inspire us.  I liked this layout, and while mine doesn’t really look like her’s, her LO inspired me to use circles for the first time, and the ribbon at the bottom is en homage to her LO as well. It is another LO for my Childhood Album.  It is a tribute to the house in which I grew up.

MATERIALS: PPs: Martha Stewart; Textured Paper: Martha Stewart; Rub-on Alphas: Anna Griffin; Journaling Sheer: Maya Road; Paper circles: Crate Paper; Photo Corners: Jolee’s Boutique/EK Success; Ribbon: American Crafts & Michael’s.

• I’m also working on a series of “scrapwork quilt” cards in an attempt to use up my paper scraps.

Most of the papers are Marrakech (Basic Grey), Paper Source, and Amy Butler Designer Mat scraps.  I hand-etched the gold foil ribbon to give it some texture. The decorative ribbon tape is Martha Stewart and the brads are from Queen & Co.

• I participated in this week’s Creative Therapy.
• And I made a Father’s Day Card for my dad–his name is Bob, so I altered a vintage Bingo card and each square has an image that has some meaning or significance to my dad.  His initials are RVG, so that’s why those are in there!

• And finally, I made one other card, but I can’t show it just in case its recipient happens to look at this blog anytime soon.

TO-DOs:

• Sunday Scrappin’ Challenge for this coming week: Think about your favorite color. Now, think about what’s on the opposite side of the color wheel… and use those two colors in your project! Hmm…that means I’ll be working with red and green.  Christmas in June I guess!!
• A couple of other secret projects…

Catching up!!

Well, I’ve been super duper busy with professional obligations and doing the calligraphy for my friend’s wedding invitations, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t done some crafting!
In the middle of a crazy week I took time out to do my annual layout for a friend’s daughter’s birthday—she’s two!!

MATERIALS: “Baguette” double sided pp (American Crafts); “Dapper” alphas (All My Memories Couture Monogram alphabet); “Far Out” pp (Now & Then Collection–The Paper Loft); Marrakech pp (Basic Grey); pp from Target; 3-D butterfly stickers (“Spring Fling” line from Making Memories); laser cut bee stickers (Mrs. Grossman’s); #574 “Pretty Pink” Cardstock stickers (Doodlebug Designs–Double Takes); rub-ons (Anna Griffin)

And I got started on some thank you cards for the people who sponsored me for a music charity walk!

MATERIALS: PPs include “Musical Notes” (Design Originals), “Music Notes” (Boxer Scrapbook Productions), Hambly, #034 “Floral Garden” (g.c.d studios), “#051 “Floral Pinwheels”–Cosette Collection (g.c.d. studios); Maya Rd rub ons (“Scroll”, “Cubicle” and “Noah” alphabet); Anna Griffin rub ons; Martha Stewart decorative tape, “Scallop Sentiment” border punch (Fiskars); Coluzzle nested circle template; rub on alphas (EK Success); and a lot of stash materials.

Easter Cards and Earth Day Scrap Challenge

If you want details, you can browse the individual cards here or here.

But here is the sum of my cards for Easter 2009:

And since it is April, the month of Earth Day (22nd)…I have pledged not to buy any scrapbooking material this month and to use my stash as much as possible.  I’m thinking of having the pledge run from April 22 to May 22.  Anybody else interested??

Sunday Scrappin’ 3/15

Come join us over at Sunday Scrappin’ the weekly meme for paper crafters.

TA-DAs for this week:

Actually, it was pretty darn good…two cards and a layout!

NEW BABY CARD (Sunday Scrappin’ “use pastels” challenge):

Patterned Paper is  Heidi Grace for Fiskars “Baby Boy/Buggy”; scrap of gold ribbon, blue brads from Frills (Textured Trios-Spring) from Queen & Co.

BIRTHDAY CARD for ALICE (my niece)

White cardstock, covered in “Blossoms on Chocolate/Pinwheel” double-sided PP from Paper Source (#23908); ribbon and brads (lavender/green set) from Making Memories (#27199); Cosmo Cricket – Hello Sunshine Collection – 12×24 Die Cut Button Fashions – Alphabet

OREGON, 2005

I’m finally going through my old photos and starting to get them in scrapbooks…these are from a trip/conference to Eugene, OR (these bridges aren’t in Eugene, but nearby).  As it often is in the PacNW, it was a grey and drizzly day, but still very beautiful.  I wanted to use muted colors that would complement the photos.  I might go back and add some journaling, but we’ll see. PP: Making Memories Travel Collection; Cardstock stickers: Scrapworks Magpie Collection.

TO-DOs:

I don’t plan on getting much accomplished this week since I’ll be in Denver, CO.  However, I WILL take lots of photos to scrapbook (maybe in another four years or so…LOL).

Valentines and Birthday Cards

VALENTINE for my Valentine (All PP is from Paper Source; Rub-on transfer from DaisyDs (17723-Paint Hearts/Circles)

BIRTHDAY CARD W/ HANDMADE ENVELOPE:

PP is Hambly (Grandma’s Wallpaper); Rub-On (Anna Griffin); stickers (Doodlebug Design’s “Double Takes”); envelope made out of Scrap in Style’s MOD sheet (Life in Style Collection: “Non Conformist_Free Spirit”).

Halloween Cards–Finally!

I’ve been saying for years that I’m going to make halloween cards…I’ve had all these materials for about three years and it is the first time I’ve used them!
MATERIALS (for all three Halloween cards: orange and black card stock; orange label (Paper Source); Halloween Punch set (witch, cat, & jack o’lantern); Halloween ribbon (Michael’s); Gelly Roll white pen (Sakura); jack o’lantern mini stamp (Mini All Stars II from All Night Media); spooky tree, bats sticker (Paperchase); ghost stickers (Mrs. Grossman’s).

I used the witch punch-outs from one card on another card.

Like a fine wine

Ok, so the pictures are terrible because I had to take them late at night when I made the card (so they could go out first thing the next morning).  So please use your imagination to try to picture the card in natural light.  Thanks!

outside

inside

This was a birthday card for my dad, who is quite the wine connoisseur.  I used two foil tops from wine bottles as embellishments (the inside one is from a very good bottle that he gave me and he will probably recognize it).

MATERIALS:  Faux-vintage catalog cardstock (source unknown), orange cardstock, letterpress tag (Paper Source), printer’s block letter stamps (Hero Arts), gold metallic ribbon, foil wine tops

Cranes, Links & Cards, oh my!

CRANES

Cranes

...and more cranes.

These 200 cranes are going to Judy Dunn, a Massachusetts artist who is the thought, skill, and talent behind The Crane Project. I’ve been hoarding these cranes for four years. They were made for my wedding by myself, my wedding party, and guests from all over the country. If you don’t know the Japanese tradition of 1000 cranes, you can read about it here. There were close to 1000, but at some point, I really had to trim down my origami crane collection. It was also a time of cleansing and reflection. At any rate, cranes represent peace (among other things) and my husband and I can’t think of a more meaningful home for our cranes than with Judy’s project. While my cranes are slightly different than her specifications, she felt she might be able to incorporate them into the project. In the meantime, if you have some waxed paper, time, and five minutes here and there, please consider folding some cranes for Judy. Help people understand the cost of war in a really visceral way. I’ve featured The Crane Project in my new FEATURED LINKS section in the sidebar.

And speaking of LINKS, I have a new page (see tab above) called “LINKS YOU MIGHT ENJOY.” I’ve cut back on the number of links in my sidebar to avoid clutter. My separate links page includes places in my feed reader, or blogs I occasionally visit. My sidebar includes websites and links of real-life artist/crafter friends, as well as “virtual” friends (those people who comment here on a regular basis or have linked to me). I’ve also included some online boutiques and places to purchase supplies, as well as challenge blogs I follow. I also have highlighted eco-crafting as that is an area I both support and endeavor to join. If you have shown me the love by linking to my blog and I have failed to recognize it by linking to you in the sidebar, please let me know!

Lastly, if you are sick of my prose, here are two CARDS I made today. I was feeling clean and minimalist. The second card meets the Sunday Scrappin’ challenge to try a new fold. I’ll post about that on Sunday.

MATERIALS: stretchy plastic ribbon (Maya Road), Noah Rub-ons (Maya Road), Rhonna Farrer Swirls V:I clear stamps (Autumn Leaves); khaki card (Paper Source); black pigment ink (ColorBox); “Ancestry Floral 151239″ dimensional stickers (Marcella by K).

MATERIALS: light apricot card stock, “Scrapbookers Sonata—black and silver” (Hambly); Noah rub-ons (Maya Road); “Ancestry Floral” dimensional sticker (Marcella by K)

Sunday Scrappin’ #40

Well, this has definitely been a big TA-DA week! I think my craft productivity is proportional to my stress levels. Hmm. I hope you have a few moments…this could take awhile. Please join us in the weekly installments of Sunday Scrappin! Next week’s challenge is:

Try a new fold. Whether you’re a scrapbooker or a card maker, there are many folded paper creations that can enhance your projects.

TA-DAs this past week:

• This was a little card I included in a care package I sent to a friend. She loves Trader Joe’s, but they don’t have one where she lives (the HORROR!), so occasionally I try to send her some items. Her son loves the apple bars!

MATERIALS: paper from Scrapworks (Love in Bloom line) from RAK I received; Maya Road Cubicle Rubons (RUB 631) and Scroll Rubons (RUB 625); stamp is 113E Clown Bear (All Night Media); Barbara Trombley’s art glitter–Spring Opaque PeeWee Kit.

• NEXT: I did a recipe card, for last week’s Sunday Scrappin’ Challenge, which was “FOOD.” I collage all the recipes I cut out from Real Simple Magazine:

• I also madeover my blog with a brand new homemade header.

• I made a pregnancy journal for a good friend
• a scrapbook page for a challenge
• 2 layouts for my wedding album!

TO-DOs for next week:

• 2 more layouts for wedding album

• Anything else that suits my fancy.