Holiday Card Workshop Day 1 and WOW Wednesday

I signed up to do an online card class after hearing about it on OWHtv and reading about it on Sandy Allnock blog. Since I need to start making my OWN Christmas cards I thought this would be fun and get some cards made. It's not too late to sign up and once you take the class you can go back anytime afterward to view the videos or down load PDF's. It's a win-win!

It's Day 3 of the class so I'm a bit behind. Not in viewing the instruction but in practicing my techniques by making my own.

It's also WOW Wednesday at Cat's Creations. You have a chance to win some blog candy if you leave me a comment and you get another chance if you link up your blog to Cat's Creations blog. Check out the others who have linked up. You won't be disappointed! I find great inspiration but visiting!

On to my blog...

Day 1 first class was taught by Kristina Werner. I didn't have the supplies she used but they do encourage you to use what you have on hand but supply a list of what they use. She made a 3x3 gift card. It was a lot harder for me than I thought. 3x3 is REALLY small! Kristina said these are great for gift cards.

She used a Lawn Fawn Winter Owl stamp set. I had this owl from Unity that I used. He was almost too big for this card! I colored him with my Copic Markers E53, E55 and E57. For his nose I used Y38. I thought it would be fun to add some googly eyes as I plan to give this cards to my granddaughters. I made my sentiment using my Just Rite Alpha stamps 15pt and 25pt. The word Christmas was a Unity stamp that said "Merry Christmas" and I only inked the word Christmas. To coordinate the stamped paper with the brown tones in my printed paper I used my blending tool and Tim Holtz distress ink "Antique Linen". I hand stitched the edge using We R  Memory Keepers "Seweasy Fancy Floss - grasshopper" (glitter tertiary).

She also showed how to make envelopes for these cards but I did not have the tool she used to do that. I may try to figure it out later.

The next class was taught by Jennifer McGuire. She gave some tips on making multiple stamped cards. This was way cool and easier than it looks.

The first step is to "mask off the area where the sentiment goes. I didn't have the Eclipse Masking sheets that Jennifer used so I used 1/2 inch trendy tape from Queen & Co and used two rows to get the proper width.

This is where the Fiskars Stamp Press I got from Cat's came in handy! There are two sizes and I have both but I prefer the smaller on and that's what I used for this card.

The orange circles are foam which hold the stamp press up until you want to stamp and then they give when you press down. Pretty cool concept.

This technique will only work with clear or cling foam stamps. My first card I stamped the images individually. To make the other cards place the stamps on the images with the same ink then place the stamp press over the top and press until the stamps cling to the press. Then ink the stamps and press on the paper. Do that step for each ink color used.

I used Tim Holtz Distress ink "Weathered Wood", "Tumbled Glass" and "Broken China" and snowflake stamps from Hero Arts that I also got from my LSS (Cat's).

I stamped the sentiment with a SU stamp. The hearts are from American Crafts Stamp Collection "Clear Stamp Blue Skies" and used TH Distress ink "Festive Berries". I also scored the sentiment paper to give it some interest.

Ok...I'm off to do my homework for Day 2 and watch Day 3's instruction. Have a good one!

Card Box Completed and Afternoon Fall Ride

The card box I am referring to is not the one I did for my mother. It's the one that inspired me to do one for my mother. The one I started as my own card box in a class two months ago!

Still not sure I'm all that happy with it but it's glued down now.

I also made a card for my granddaughter Remi.

This image is from Sliekje Digi Stamps. I just lover her images and they are free! Makes me like them even better! I colored with my Copic Markers then put glossy accents on the butterflies and on the kitty's eye.





I also made a card for my Dad's birthday.

I used a sketch# 122 from Catch The Bug Challenge Blog. If I read the challenge rules correctly I have to use a bugaboo stamp to enter their challenge so I am not entering this card. I liked the sketch though and wanted to give credit where it's do! The papers I used are Authentique and the image is from SU. I heat embossed "happy birthday" and added three gold brads on the other end of the sentiment.

Now on to my adventure! I had gone to ride. I took Kaidence with me. I went to the barn for Clyde's halter. I was leading him to the gate when he began to snort and be antsy. I started looking around as I knew something had alarmed him when I saw Kaidence sniffing at something in the road. Then I saw it....

I yelled at her to get away not realizing the snake was dead. I thought perhaps he was sunning himself on the pavement. I wondered by Kaidence hadn't disturbed him when she went to investigate. I lead Clyde to the trailer. To get there I had to lead Clyde by the snake (a safe distance away) snorting and prancing all the way! I tied him to the trailer and went to get a rake to either kill or move him. It was then I realized he was dead yet I saw no reason for him to be dead.

I picked him up and moved him off the road. When I laid him in a grassy area behind the truck I noticed a bit of blood on the underside of his mouth. The only thing I can figure is I must have run over him when I drove up.

The snake was on the road behind where Kaidence is standing.

Pretty fall day.

Kaidence got a work out but she loves to go with me.

After our ride. Something has his attention. He is still good looking for 22!

Have a good one!

Fall and Family

I finally got motivated to do some page layouts and just in time for WOW Wednesday at Cat's Creations. I found it rather ironic that these pics were taken October 24, 2011 exactly one year ago today!

This first layout I used Sketch Inspiration sketch# 341. Once again I am behind for doing a layout with each weeks sketch.

Here is my version of the sketch.

The  striped and floral papers are Bo Bunny. The orange dot is Echo Park. I inked the orange dot paper with Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Vintage Photo" to tone down the white dots. To make the scalloped edge I used a circle punch. The quote at the top and the journal tag are from a Bo Bunny paper. The letters for my title are American Craft "Thickers".

My next layout I used the current week's sketch #343

Although my pictures were not from the same day or event I wanted to showcase them across from one another so I used the same color scheme for this layout.

These pictures were taken at the Fort Worth Zoo. We came across this little area of hay and pumpkins and saw a perfect opportunity for a photo op!

Last blog I showed you a card I made for an autistic boy who will be having surgery on both his feet next month. His mom asked her readers if they would be willing to make cards she could give him during his recovery.  I decided to answer her call but it wasn't good enough to make just one card. I made three! I put them in the mail today. Here is the second of the three cards.

This is a colored digital image from Doodle Pantry. I just loved the sentiment. The set is called Baby Sea Turtle.  I used Bob Bunny papers and sketch B-17 from Operation Write Home bonus sketches.

The third card I made using another colored Doodle Pantry image "Quirky Alligator". For this card I used Echo Park papers and Operation Write Home bonus sketch B-13. I wished I had printed my image a bit smaller but I managed.

Okay...are you interested in some blog candy? All you have to do is show me some love by leaving a comment. Then go to Cat's Creations blog and visit others who have linked up and leave them some love. A commenter will be picked by random.org. You can also be eligible by linking up your own creation...get the details at Cat's Creations Blog.

Have a good one!

SALS #24, OWH Throwdown Color Challenge and One More

I did a little crafting over the weekend. I have not been entering any card challenges and would like to get back in the grove. I decided to go back to the first challenge site I ever entered at Seems A Little Sketchy. I like their sketches and the challenge gives you two weeks which I like. Here is Seems A Little Sketchy #24.

This is the card I want to enter in this challenge.

This cute little piggy is from Doodle Pantry. They have some adorable images and sentiments. They also have some pre-colored if you aren't into coloring. I have gotten some of both as sometimes I am in a hurry. This little piggy I did color with my copic markers.  I thought the sentiment was cute! I am sending this to a little boy who is having surgery next month. Hope it makes him smile. The papers are from Echo Park. Thanks to a reminder from my friend Allison I also want to enter this card in Doodle Pantry Challenge #28.



This next card I made for Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown Color Challenge. I have been trying to do their challenges so that I will keep making cards to send to them. I am such a believer and supporter of this organization. This weeks challenge is being sponsored by Doodle Pantry. The challenge was to make cards using black and white with a pop of red or green.

Here is my card.

I used embossing folders to texture the white cardstock pieces. I used a red pen to color a single heart and covered with glossy accents. I wasn't sure what to do with a sentiment when I remembered I had a sizzlets oval tag. I die cut the oval black & white and stamped with "I love you" which I believe is a unity stamp and attached with red ribbon.


Have a good one!

Pass the Book: Year Two

This post is LONG overdue. I've been meaning to do it for a while but just kept putting it off.

Back in June I was participating in a blog hop called What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday or WOYWW as the regulars call it. You take a picture of your workdesk, blog about it and link up to Julie's Stamping Ground who is the originator of this crazy yet fun weekly blog hop. It is interesting the creative things you will see if you take time to visit others work areas. I quit participating when my LSS Cat's Creations started doing a weekly blog hop on the same day as I wanted to participate there.

Anyway...while perusing the different workdesks around the world I came across a blog that was doing a drawing for a book called Scrapbooking Your Faith by Courtney Walsh. All I had to do to be eligible was to say I wanted the book. I never expected my name to be drawn. Boy was I surprised! Still not really sure what I had gotten myself into the person sending me the book corresponded with me through email. She lived in Australia!

It was after I received the book and went to the blog of the originator that I realized this was about "sharing" the book. Melissa is the owner of this book and you can read all about "Pass the Book"  here.

I have enjoyed this book and am now ready to "Pass it on" to someone else. If you are interested in this book please say so in a comment to this blog. If more than one is interested then I will have a drawing to determine who will get the book next.

Have a good one!

Gift Delivered and Received

Hello out there in blogger land! It's Wednesday and you know what that means...WOW Wednesday at Cat's Creations!

Like my friend and fellow co-worker Marilyn, I had hoped to have a page layout to blog about today but alas trying to recover from near pneumonia and finishing the gift I blogged about last week I just didn't get it done. Maybe next week.

The gift was an altered card box for my mother's birthday. I gave it to her on Sunday and she seemed thrilled even though her birthday was last month. She said it really is true that it doesn't matter as long as you are still remembered! I had wished her a happy birthday on her day. She had gone to her brother's in Kansas to visit so she wasn't even here. Now on to the remainder of the cards I made and gave to her. I used up some left over Christmas papers from other projects and was very pleased with my creations. I'm telling you, once you get the hang of it, card making is way easier than making page layouts! I do need to get back in a scrapbook frame of mind though as I am getting farther behind than I already was to begin with!

On to the cards....

I just loved how this one turned out even if my skill at heat embossing still needs some work. This paper is Authentique's Christmas collection from last year. The tassles I had in my stash and have no clue where I got them! The ornament shape is a punch. The words are Unity Stamps although they were not all from the same set. Using foam tape I popped the ornaments for some dimension.

This little stamp is Bo Bunny's Mistle Toe. I heat embossed it with gold and cut it out. I had some of the cord left from the tassels I used on the other card so used it to make a bow on this ornament. I used a border punch on the red card stock.

I was trying to figure out how to use up all the little pieces of this paper so I went to my favorite card sketch source, Operation Write Home. This was a bonus sketch and was actually intended for a 4.25 x 4.25 size card but I wanted to make the usual A2 (4.25 x 5.5) so using an embossing fold that I got from Cat's Creations I embossed one end of the background paper. I love my embossing folders! I also heat embossed the words on the red squares.

This card was way easy. The poinsettia background is from Little Yellow Bicycle. I glued it to the card base with glossy accents. I added bling to the center of the poinsettias. I stamped Merry Christmas with a stamp and heat embossed using the new Stampendous Vintage Olive embossing tinsel.

Leave me a comment....I like affirmation plus Cat's Creations is offering blog candy to a random commenter. Now be sure to hop on over to Cat's Creations blog  and link up your blog or gallery. Leave a comment there and visit others who have linked up. Be sure to leave them comments as well!

Have a good one!

Gift Project - WOW Wednesday

It's WOW Wednesday at Cat's Creations. This is a project I should have started long before I did. I had the wonderful idea but didn't put my plan in action in time to get it completed when I needed to. It is a VERY belated birthday gift!

This is a card box that I purchased at Cat's Creations. It was a plain solid brown. Wish I had thought to do a "before" picture. I altered it by using Bo Bunny's new Christmas collection called "Rejoice". It worked really well with the brown tones of the box. Cutting a tag from "Rejoice the Season" paper I popped it with chipboard to give it dimension. I also cut out the Noel and used at the top of the tag. I punched a hole and tied a bow using tule. Using the alpha stickers from this collection I wrote who the box is for.

Here is another view.

This is the card box opened with cards that I made inside along with envelopes.

With the left overs from covering the box I made some of the cards.

This one I utilized some of the stickers that came with the alphas.

This card was so easy because the paper was from the same sheet I got the tag for the card box. I just added some bling and ribbon to finish it off!

 This card was made out of some My Minds Eye Christmas papers from last year's collection left from a two page layout I did and some card stock.

Same here. The ornament is a stamp. I heat embossed with gold and cut it out adding ribbon and twine.

Now would you like a chance at some blog candy? Cat's Creations is offering blog candy to a random commenter or  participant. So be sure to leave me a comment and then go to Cat's Creations. Visit other blog participants and leave them comments! You just might get inspired too!

Hope you enjoyed my project and hope the recipient does too! Have a good one!

WOW Wednesday at Cat's Creations

It's WOW Wednesday over at Cat's Creations. This week I've been working on some Christmas cards. Not for me mind you although I need to do that. I got the bright idea to do this as a gift for someone. I'm not saying as they read my blog. I'm only a month late. Do you suppose they will mind?! I had good intentions and thought about this ahead of time. I just didn't get moving fast enough to get it done. Anyway, here's what I've been working on.

This is made from the new Authentique Christmas collection. I just LOVE this paper. It's a pretty simple card. I added some bling to some of the holly berries. The stamp is from Unity. I used Tim Holtz Distressed ink "Forest Moss" and added some bling to it as well.

Another simple card. This card I used from my left overs from making Christmas layouts. This paper is from My Mind's Eye. I'm typically a "traditional Christmas color" kind of gal but I really liked these colors together and it made for a fun card.  I made the ornament using a Tim Holtz Alterations diecut "Carved Ornaments". I love this die and have used it on several cards. There are some word dies that you can use with this but since I had words on the paper I went for a solid ornament. For some interest and dimension I used a Stamping Up embossing folder. I finished it off with some We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy Fancy Floss Flamingo, Grasshopper and mermaid.

Using up more left over Christmas papers from layouts, this card was made with Echo Park. Again I used the TH diecut this time with the word "Joy". I couldn't help but think of the Christmas Carol "Joy to the World" so using an embossing pen I wrote "to the world" on the ornament. I was really wishing I had a gold pen for that step but oh well.  I popped the ornament with some chipboard to give it some dimension then tied a bow with tule and attached to the card.


Now hop over to Cat's Creations for a little creative inspiration there just might be some blog candy in it for you!

Thanks for taking time to stop by and if you would be so kind...leave me some love!

Have a good one!

ODBDSLC124 Something Musical

I like Our Daily Bread Designs. They have great stamps. There is not a card I've ever seen on their blog that isn't anything less than phenomenal. I have always been a bit intimidated to ever enter one of their challenges. Not sure what made me change my mind but I have. I saw this challenge and thought I could do it. The challenge is "something musical".

Here is my card.

The music paper is from a Teresa Collins Christmas line from 2 yrs ago I think. The image is a stamp I purchased at my favorite LSS Cat's Creations. It's a La Blanche silicone stamp. The music paper was an off white. I stamped the image on white paper. Using Tim Holtz Distressed inkpad "Antique Linen" I inked the stamped image to blend with the background paper and matted in black. At a friend's suggestion I stamped the violin again, cut out and popped with foam tape. After the fact I decided to add a little color by using my Copic Markers. I wanted to put a sentiment but I didn't want to cover the script so I used vellum.  I heat embossed Happy Birthday using black embossing powder, inked the vellum with Antique Linen and attached with brads.

Thank you for taking a look. If you would be so kind to leave me a comment I would appreciate it.

Have a good one!

Christmas Carols

What's all the talk about Christmas?! Well, its not that far away. In fact today I saw just how close it is.

I don't know about you but this scared me! Something about seeing the exact number of days is a bit unnerving!

With that said I made a card for Clear It Out Blog Challenge. This is a two week challenge that ends tomorrow. The theme of this challenge is a project with a child image on it and to use whatever you already have on hand.

Here is my card.

This adorable little image is from Sliekje Digi Stamps. I just love her images and she graciously shares them for free. I colored with my Copic Markers. I wrote on the song book "Christmas Carols".  For the snow on the ground I used Stickles "Frosted Lace" and for the snowflakes I used Stickles "icicles". I had some Echo Park Christmas from last year's collection that I had used for a layout left and since these guys are singing I thought this paper worked great. I also fussy cut some of the musical notes and popped with foam tape for a little dimension. I didn't have the right color twine so I colored it with my Copic Markers to coordinate with the paper. Rather simple but I liked it once I was finished.

Kennedy came home with me after church. Once lunch was over she wanted to walk to the park down the street from us. It was cloudy and overcast and even though I knew there was a chance for rain I really didn't think we would get anymore after it rained the last two days. We had been playing at the park for about 30 minutes with some occasional sprinkles when the bottom fell out and we ran for the covered picnic table.

Kennedy wasn't happy about the rain interrupting our play time. I text Mommy and she rescued us! Before she got there Kennedy was having fun catching the raindrops in her hands.

She wanted to help me make taquitoes.

Today, she and Mommy came by my office. Vanessa had her dressed so cute I had to take a picture.

Have a good one!