BARN BOX

VINTAJ NATURAL BRASS HAS MONTHLY CONTESTS FOR JEWELRY & OTHER CRAFT CREATIONS.  THIS MONTH'S  THEME WAS BARN WOOD, SO I CHOSE TO MAKE A RUSTIC BOX FOR ALL MY FARM PHOTOGRAPHS!

THE BOX IS SIMPLE, FROM A GARAGE SALE, AND WOODEN. APPARENTLY IT WAS AN OLD SOUVENIR OR POSSIBLY HAD SALMON IN IT.

I MIXED UP ACRYLIC PAINT TO MATCH MY BARN WOOD PAPER.  I ONLY PAINTED WHAT MIGHT SHOW.

THEN I TRIMMED THE PAPER TO FIT THE SIDES & TOP.  SPONGE INKING THE EDGES OF THE CUT PAPER WAS KEY, OTHERWISE THE WHITE CORE OF THE PAPER WOULD SHOW.

I DECOUPAGED THE PAPERS ON, WHICH IS TRICKY TO GET PERFECTLY FLAT WITHOUT BUBBLES UNDER THE PAPER.  I WISH I COULD DO IT AS WELL AS MY SISTER, SHE'S A WIZARD WITH MODGE PODGE!!

I DECORATED THE BOX WITH VINTAJ BRASS PIECES, HEMP, RIBBON, FLOWERS, AN OLD BIRD IMAGE & SOME CARDSTOCK THAT I CUT ON MY CRICUT.  I STAMPED A PATTERN ON THE DIE CUTS WITH A CLOSE TO MY HEART BRAND STAMP CALLED INTRINSIC BACKGROUNDS.

YOU CAN VISIT THE VINTAJ WEBSITE AND BLOG TO SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE & GET IDEAS!  VINTAJ

THE VOTING FOR THIS CHALLENGE STARTS ON JUNE 6TH & RUNS UNTIL THE 10TH.

BABY CARDS

I know of two baby girls that were born recently, so I wanted to be prepared with some cute cards.  The gifts have been bought & I hope to get the packages all set this week. 

They are simple cards, but making the cute little safety pins was so fun!  The "New Arrival" Cricut cartridge has many adorable shapes & phrases.  I cut the pins out of thick silver paper, then did some layering. 

Thanks for looking, have a great Memorial Day!

WP challenge

I'm entering twice in the Webster's Pages monthly challenge, so next year I'll have my 2 Mother's Day cards all done!

This was my very first experience with Glubers.  They are essentially a giant glue dot.  They trick is to make a knot, have that be the center, then coil twisted wide ribbon around to make a flower.  I chose to use some WP netting. 

When I first heard of these, I was not interested.  But once I understood what they were, I was intrigued to try it!  The card I made is simple & bright.  I only added a star burst, leaves, brad & gems.  Do you see the faint "happiness" on the side?  I just wanted to add it to this cheerful scheme.

The tone on tone phrase is CTMH ocean cardstock, ink & acrylic stamp.  The paper is a petite Sweet Season from Webster's Pages.  The leaves are cut from WP also.  I used some 3d pop up dots & a sliver of paper on them.

Yet another card

I've been on a card making binge.  So for Unity's challenge #31, I inked up an unused flower stamp.  It was pretty simple, until I took a tiny scalloped scissors to the edge of the petals!

What a difference that made!!! The image actually had scalloped petal edges, but on such a small flower I couldn't possibly hand cut that jagged edge.  Problem solved.

Next I framed a lovely lady die cut from K&Co with an assortment of Unity flowers.  How pretty is she?  It looks like a coffee emblem to me.  But she went so well with the Que Sera Sera line of paper.  I dabbed copper stickles on the flowers, sponge inked the edge of my background & used 3D dots behind her.

Using a punch from Martha Stewart, I inked, folded, and inked some more!

It really added distinction to the leaves, when they otherwise might have been unnoticeable.

The Unity stamp words were side by side in a frame.  I chose to ink only one at a time with a marker, so I could stack them.  I also did 2nd generation, which just means I stamped on a scrap paper...then on my cardstock.  The result was just the right color tone & aged look that I needed. 

I encourage readers to enter the ALL THINGS UNITY ATU challenges.  Why not create & possibly be rewarded!?

Company Drawing

I want to spread the word how AWESOME the company Stay True To God (STTG) is!!! STTG  Each month they draw names off their guest book list.  In April, I was was drawn & won $25 free products of my choice.  That included free shipping as well!!!  When part of my order arrived, I was so excited!!!  Here are a few items that I chose!

I whipped out a page from the paper I got.  The Paper Loft brand is very soft & earthy.  I paired it up with a touch of color, so the red half is Jenni Bowlin paper.

That is my "LITTLE BAKER MAN".  He loves to bake and be a part of every step! 

I used some vintage ribbon on this page, glitter Thickers, Cosmo Cricut letters (tiny & chipboard), a few CTMH button brads & green adhesive pearls. 

Hand cutting a photograph with a distracting background can really make a page "pop".  Thanks for looking, now please hop on over to Stay True To God!

Unity card

I made a card for the latest Unity challenge.  This one is All Things Unity (ATU) #31, stamp not used.  So I broke out my cute sewing stamp from the Material Girl set.

A unique tip, that I'd like to share, is to cut a scallop circle punch on two sides for a cute word frame.  It still has 3 scallops on each side, giving a normally square paper a little more style.

The paper is Cosmo Cricut, I chalk inked the edges with a golden yellow.  The tiny letter stickers are also C.C.  I used black Stazon for a dark clear stamped image.

Noodle Mess

Silly title, I know.  But it was one of those moments, that I was mad & laughed at the same time.  It had to be recorded.  My son took a box out of our corner spinning cupboard, then spilled macaroni noodles all over the carpet.  The "busted" face that I got on camera was priceless.

The other photo is of him picking up his mess.  He looks so innocent in that one.

I made the letters on my Cricut, created the arrow, and used Webster's Pages papers.  The spiral paper clips are CTMH.



Split Coast Unity challenge

I'm trying to squeeze in one more challenge.  I didn't hear about it until a few days ago & was scrambling to get an entry done.  It's All Things Unity ATU "Tweet Tweet", with a killer prize!  100 free stamps, let me say that again *100* FREE STAMPS.  Wow, in my dreams!  It's worth a shot.

I started the page with some CTMH Clover cardstock & ink, for a tone on tone background.  Once stamped, I used my Cricut to out a nice scallped square.  I sponge inked the edges of the shape.

As I added the background plaid & a few primary scraps, the page got VERY colorful.  I was just matching things to his bible.  This photo is precious to me, he was so proud that day!

The tag was also from the "Material Girl" stamp set, and worked great for recording the facts.  I cut the bird using the Heritage cartridge on my Cricut.  The red leather letters are Thickers.  A few red buttons finished me off.  Thanks for looking at my work.  Don't forget to browse through all the Tweet challenge entries, they're very inspiring!



Texture Challenge

All Things Unity ATU has a contest called "Get Felt Up".  It involves Unity Stamps & any product with texture.  I decided to scrap my boy's Christmas photo. It's hard to work on such a theme in May, but I have lots of winter things to catch up on. 

I'm new to Unity, and now testing the waters of stamping on scrapbook pages with it.   I dove right in with the red pattern stamped on white cardstock!  Using my only set called "Material Girl", I stamped some flowers. 

The edges were sponged with Spring Iris CTMH ink pad.  Delphinium Blue Flower Soft was added to the inner portion of my blooms.   I made a starbust punch of red cardstock & added stickles to that.  Red gem brads secured it all together.  The white leaves were found at Ben Franklin in the wedding section!  I think they're used in veils or on cakes.

My sister mailed me some red glitter ribbon, that I wondered if I'd EVER use.  It worked into this layout perfectly.  I love using flowers, glitter & gems on boy pages...whenever I feel like it.  You only live once, right?  Use what makes YOU happy!  That's my motto. 

Product list:
Paper-Making Memories "Love Story"
Chipboard- Autumn Leaves "A Rhonna Christmas"
gem word- Me & My BIG Ideas
2010 number stickers-Making Memories "mini shimmer alpha"
white cardstock-CTMH
edge punch-EK

MINIS

ONCE I STARTED, I COULDN'T STOP!  I MADE A GOOD SIZED STACK OF MINI'S!  TODAY I'M SHOWING TWO THAT I CUT OUT OF A SOME BOBUNNY. IT'S OLD, THE STACK WAS A BONUS FOR GOING TO SCRAPFEST 2009!

I'M ON A STREAKING USING MY NEW UNITY STAMPS.  THIS 3X3 CARD HAS BLACK PATENT CARDSTOCK THAT I BUY IN A 8X11 SIZE AT CHERI'S FLOWER BASKET.
CHERI'S
I USE THAT BLACK CARDSTOCK *ALL* THE TIME.  IT'S SUPER SHINY & LOOKS SO FANCY!

THE MAGIC MESH MADE A SWEET BACKGROUND.  FLOSS WAS TIED INTO THE BUTTON FOR A CUTE-SIE LOOK.

 CHECK OUT THE BACKGROUND...I STAMPED IT!  I CAN TELL I'M ONLY GONNA USE THAT STAMP, A MILLION TIME!!! 

THE LITTLE FLOWERS WERE STAMPED & HAND CUT.  BLACK GEMS ADDED SUBTLE SPARKLE.  THE PHRASE IS ACTUALLY A STICKER.

Unity challenge

After much procrastination, I've purchased my first Unity brand stamp set.  It's called Material Girl.  I figure with my mom being a quilter, it would come in handy for cards. 

A challenge is just what I need to get started with my new set.  For the All Things Unity (ATU) Trifecta challenge, there are a few rules.  You must make a 3x3 creation, with 3 types of embellishments, for Birthday or Anniversary. 

 I'm linking up to their post at:  ATU trifecta

I used the giant tag as a background pattern on this tiny card.  I'm already loving that stamp because I know I'll use it to journal on scrapbook pages.

The color combinations is kind of unusual.  I started with Indian Corn Blue cardstock & ink from Close To My Heart (CTMH).   The adorable flower tag is CTMH, with a K&Co glitter flower sticker.  The white spiral paper clip is CTMH & I slapped on an old button from my stash.  I love using floss in buttons.  The strip of mustard colored patterned paper is from my DCWV pet stack.

Mother's Day

I was so busy making graduation cards & trying to stay on top of things.  I almost forgot to make a Mother's Day card.  So at 6am, still half asleep and groggy, I started to create.

This card is on CTMH carstock (taffy) and has a Webster's Pages petite paper cut down for a background.

I stamped the message one letter at a time, which is hard to keep straight!  But I love those fancy little letters from my sister, they're from Michael's.  I added stickles for a pleasant shimmer.

The flower was made with a scallop circle punch back, out of vellum.  Then I cut a circle out of W.P.'s netting.  I hand cut two flower shapes out of a different W.P. petite paper.  Can you see the shapes in white?

The top layer to the flower was punched out.  A decorative brad secured all the layers of my unique flower.  More stickles were added & the whole flower was attached with a glue dot.



Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy blog readers!  Enjoy this special day!



More grad cards

I received an unexpected invitation to another graduation, so I thought I'd better start stockpiling! The local school colors are blue & silver, so I chose to do a few in blue.  This card number stamps have a two step process that allows for pale colored background patterns.  I chose sky & moonstone inks from Close To My Heart.  That is also the brand of the acrylic stamp set.

 A few blue staples, edge punch, some sponge inking & a pale background stamp helped me whip out this quick card.

The second card is even simpler!  I love the preprinted vellum sayings, this one is especially cute.

I added the year in number stickers for a personalized touch.  The best part of these cards, is the way I make 2 out of each 12x12 cardstock.  The first one is a simple 7 7/8 x8 1/2 piece.  The remaining paper is L shaped, then folded into a long narrow, side opening card with a money pocket! A little trimming and taping of folds is required. 

Grad cards

For some reason we have lots of graduations to attend this year.  I haven't got an invite yet, but know of at least seven!  I started by making a few with my new edge punch.

The saying below is so appropriate, it's a rub-on from Close To My Heart.

Then I used some Webster's Pages 6x6 vellum on a couple girl cards.  The only way to stamp on that, is with Stazon ink.  I did have to touch it up with a black gel ink pen too. 

I love that the vellum said "image" & "live your dreams"!

I was so glad I got the black flowers at Hobby Lobby with my mom & sister last week.  I've been looking for black & brown for a while! 

I love doing the long cards for graduations.  You can buy the envelops anywhere & they give you a different shape that is fun to work on.  Plus it just seems like a better size to fit money or a check in. 

I did some embossing on two.  The glossy texture adds a little flair to my basic designs.

I hope I've inspired some of you to get crackin' on those graduation cards now!