Tiny Miracle Gift Card Holder

Thanks for all the sweet get well wishes. I'm not quite there yet but almost. Doc said the coughing and blowing would last awhile...kinda like a beached whale? At any rate, I do feel like playing with paper and ink again and that's a good thing.

I love making gift card holders! They're simple and a much nicer way to give someone a check or gift card.





To make one, simply take a half sheet (4x1/4" x 5-1/2") sheet of CS. In this case, I used Neenah Classic Solar White (for strength) then I trimmed off 1/2" at the bottom. I wanted to use my Martha Stewart scalloped edge punch but it wouldn't go through the Neenah cardstock so I took a 1" scrap of SU's white as it's a bit thinner and punches easily and attached it to the lower edge of my Neenah White using my glue gun. (love that thing!)





I covered everything using Papertrey's Spring Moss Dotted Paper cut to fit right up to the top edge of my scalloped piece (make sure you use lots of tape so the paper doesn't pop up) then I used my trusty Scor-Pal, laid my paper horizontally, and scored at 2-1/2" and 6". To create the pocket, place a strip of redline or Scor-Tape along each bottom edge and seal.



Time to embellish away. The sentiment was from a $1 set at Michael's cut with the Spellbinders smallest rectangle die. The sticky strip pearls are Michael's as well. To close everything up, I used a Basic Grey magnet.



Thanks for visiting. Have a wonderful day!

Stamps: Michael's $1

Paper: Neenah Classic Solar White, Papertrey Spring Moss

Accessories: Scor-Pal, Scor-Tape, punch, sticky pearls, PTI ribbon, Spellbinders Rectangle die.

Push, Pull, Slider, Gift Card for David

I'm coming out of the bronchitis fog. Haven't been "in bed, the light hurts my eyes, I have a fever, I need a doctor" sick in awhile. Antibiotics are a good thing.

I was wondering, does coughing until your stomach hurts count as a single or multiple crunches and I used to lose a pound or two when I didn't eat but does being 59 mean that's over?

At any rate, when I started coming to, I realized our grandson's birthday was looming and I hadn't bought a present, made a card, nada. Not good.

I wanted something special and interactive so I went looking through my stamps for Billy from Pink Cat Studio. There are some blinkies on the right side bar to take you there. Now Billy was too small for what I wanted to do, so I took him and his skate board to my printer and enlarged them 150%. I then took that copy and copied it again onto some Neenah Classic Solar white.

Don't you just love that DP? It's from the Crate Paper Zoom Collection. Perfect for little boys! The colors are muted and rich at the same time.

Billy's clothes and skate board are paperpieced. I colored the rest of Billy with Prismacolor markers, cut everything out, and popped them up on dimensionals. The circles were made with Spellbinders circle dies and JustRite Stampers. The background was on the circle image was stamped off with SU's Itty Bitty Backgrounds and dotted with SU markers in matching colors. I sponged everything in SU Chocolate Chip for some added depth and I added some stickles to the wheels for some sparkle. The number 4 is from Autumn Leaves. I stamped it onto my mirror image stamp, then onto the paper so I could get the side I wanted. I cut it out and adhered it with Tombo Mono Multi.

The right side of the card pulls out a bit more for writing and are you ready for this cool part? The left side got a Target gift card attached to it! It slid in and out perfectly!! I told you I was late so took the card and my tape gun with me to Target, attached the gift card in the parking lot and took it straight to the post office so that's why there's no photo of the gift card attached.

Now that I have the mechanics of this card figured out...(my brain is still filled with snot, I mean mucous...doesn't sound any better but can't think of a nice word) so it probably took longer than it should have. I found the tutorial on SCS a bit unclear but found a great video here . Dawn does a nice job of explaining just how to do it.

Thanks for stopping by. Your comments are appreciated!



Stamps: Pink Cat Studio - Billy, SU Itty Bitty Bkgrd., JustRite Stampers, Autumn LeavesPaper: Crate Paper Zoom Collection, Neenah Classic Solar WhiteAccessories: Copier, plastic bag, SU Tab punch, dimensionals, Scor-Tape, Mono-Multi

SC230- Love in Black Orchid

Hey, how do you like my new blog? I'm so excited! A special thank you to Hilary at Simply Yours Designs for being so patient with me.

This card is for the SC230 on SCS. I used the Black Orchid paper pack from SEI for all but the base card and the white piece under the butterfly. I used Neenah Classic Solar White for those. The Black Orchid paper pack has gorgeous textured, foil, embossed and plain papers. Makes matching a no brainer. The little "buttons" are SEI as well.

Thanks for visiting...I just got back from the doctors and have an acute case of Bronchitis. Think maybe breathing those indoor/outdoor carpet glue/mineral sprits may have been a contributing factor. I'm off to rest and drink hot liquids so please bear with me if I don't post for a couple of days.


Blessings and Happy Stamping!







Paper: Neenah Classic Solar White, SEI Black Orchid
Stamps: PTI Wedding Day
Accessories: Spellbinders Butterfly, Cuttlebug, SEI stick ons, sponge, bling (Michael's)

TLC224- Carpobrutus edulis

How's that for name? For this challenge (SCS TLC224 Technique Challenge) we were to choose an image, copy it with the printer onto a transparency in grayscale, then color it from the back side. The flower image I chose was brighter and lighter than my rendition but the lighter colors wouldn't show up on the transparency. I would have to say this is one of the more difficult challenges I've attempted.

I used Prismacolor alcohol markers (similar to Copics) and though they dry fast, the ink still slid around on the transparency. I used an acetate from Papertrey ink. I will definitely try this technique again, perhaps with a different type of transparency to see if there's a difference.

I noticed that the smaller, less complicated images used by a few of the other stampers gave a better result...will try again later.

Give it a try and see what you can do!

Tea Time Digi Chick Style

Well, got unstuck from the floor, did some internet research on how best to remove that awful glue from the floor (see previous post if you missed the excitement), sent DH to the store to buy two 4" scrapers and we got to work. Much easier than using a long handled scraper. Still took us all day, but it's done...today he begins the tile work. Pray for us.

I grabbed a few minutes last night (and this a.m.) to put together another quick Digi Chick Funky bag and used my leftover scrap (about 3-1/2" square) for a card to go with it.

The DP is from Martha Stewart's fall pack, the teapot, sentiment and buttons are from Papertrey Ink (Time for Tea), leaf punch and border punch - Martha Stewart, ribbon - Michael's, in is Tsuekinedo Brilliance Chocolate. It gives the teapot a lovely shimmer. I filled my bag with Snapple Honey Apple tea bags....yummy!

Thanks for stopping by...back to the laundry room!

Charlene

And so it Begins...the Ugly

I told you we were beginning the tear out of the laundry room...it has begun. The room is now 21 years old including the Maytags that just won't die. We thought, when we bought the house 6 years ago, they would be the first thing to go but hey...they just keep working. They will be donated to a charity when we get ready to put in the new ones. So you'll know what I'm doing instead of cardmaking, I thought I'd give you a peek.

Can you say 1980's mauve? I mean they loved that color but it's time to go...notice the floor? Stay tuned. There's a story coming.

Upper cabinets down and DH taking out the sink. What you can't see is that he has a walking cast on his left leg. He's a trooper...so far.

And here, boys and girls, is where the story turns ugly....very, very ugly. That purple stuff on the floor is indoor/outdoor carpet. Been on that floor for nigh on 21 years, it has, but that glue, well it's a fresh as the day it was put on...oh yeah, nice and tacky.

We read on the internet that mineral spirits would soften the glue so it would scrape right up. Well, it softened up alright. Remember I told you my DH is wearing a walking cast? The other foot sported a Croc shoe. Both rubber, both made to hold you securely to the ground...yesiree ladies and gentlemen...you see, when my DH stepped onto that glue, that rubber held fast. Neither foot would move. That boy wasn't going anywhere. Now then, I found the situation rather hilarious and wanted to take a picture . He, on the other hand, failed to see the humor in it. He was "madder'n a snake" and threatened me with all sorts of bodily harm if I went for that camera.

I finally had to mix some TSP and liquid detergent and wet down the floor so that the mineral spirits would neutralize....at least temporarily so the poor guy could move. He's thinking the EPA should outlaw that glue and the guy who invented it...and indoor/outdoor carpet..bad stuff, very bad stuff.

He had a meeting today but we'll be back at it tomorrow....He went to buy some hand scrapers...um, I'll keep you posted. It can only get better from here.....right?

Blessings (we need them!)
Charlene

Head on over here http://confessionsofacountrygirl.wordpress.com/ and show her some comment love...She's got some good sounding recipes, too.

3d11 Digi Chick Bag

Isn't this little bag just precious? Tammy Hershberger at Stamp Happy
and Kelleigh from the Digi Chick made it available last month but I just got a chance to play with it. So easy, just print out on CS or DP assemble and embellish away.

I used Crate Paper (Samantha, I think) to print out my Funky bag. I cut a strip from the striped sheet in the package, flipped it to the red side and punch with the Martha Stewart scalloped lace border punch. I found the pretty blue ribbon at Tuesday Morning. A real find on an old fashioned spool with 5 more gorgeous ribbons to go with it. The buttons came from JoAnn's . I tied them with cream twine from Papertrey Ink. I adhered the border and ribbon with Scor-Tape and the buttons with Crystal Effects.

The bag is held closed with a velcro button. The flower treatment is simply one of the floral images from the Crate Paper that I cut out. I used a pearl stick pin from Michael's and added some of the same blue ribbon and a few beads. I stuck the pin through the image to draw it up a bit, then adhered it with dimensionals.

Pray for us...we got the cabinets out easy peasy from the laundry room...
the indoor/outdoor carpet is another issue. Photos to come...if I can get my feet unstuck from the floor!

Charlene

Sunflowers all Year Long

I thought I'd never want to do another calendar after those 150 but this size was easy and since I was only making 1 and it was for a special little girl to give to her teacher, it was pure joy.

My neighbor, Gillian, needed a gift for her teacher who loves sunflowers. I knew I didn't have a sunflower stamp but I remembered I'd been hoarding this piece of Bo Bunny sunflower paper so construction was quick and easy. I got the calendar case at http://www.calendar-case.com/. If you go looking, this is what they call their CD calendar case. I love these because there's a ledge to hold the calendar in place.

I cut the DP, mounted it on Brocade Blue CS, then matted the calendar and quotes and adhered them. I glued a piece of the DP to some lightweight chipboard with Mono-Multi, then cut out two of the sunflowers which I adhered with dimensionals.

I think you can see the ledge a bit easier in this photo. I tied a piece of blue gingham ribbon around it for gift giving. There's even room for Gillian to write her teacher a note on the back. Judging from the smile on Gillian's face, I think she liked it.

I hope you do, too!

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene

I always check out the clearance aisle at Michael's (shoot, I check out clearance everywhere...who am I kidding?!) :-)On one of my forays, I found this set of K&Co. note cards...That's 6 cards, 6 classy envelopes, 6 envelope seals, and a sheet of rub-ons for....drumroll....$2!!! At $.33 each, that's what I call a deal.

I decided not to use the rub-ons, so I'll save those for another day.The pink and green textured strips are Bazzill CS from my scrap drawer...ditto the ovals and ribbon. I just used my Spellbinders Oval dies, stamped them using Stampin Up's Elegant Thank you with Tim Holtz Distress Walnut ink, sprinkled on some clear embossing powder, sponged the edges and glued them on. Don't overlook those card kits (especially if they're on clearance!) when you need multiples in a hurry.

Thank YOU for visiting...I appreciate you and your comments.

Charlene

Someone's NOT Happy

This is Chloe. Chloe is our 3 year old (going on 6 months!) Goldendoodle. Chloe is NOT happy with me. I had to mop the floor. I mean, there's only so much doggy drool on the hardwood I can stand and I was at critical mass.

Chloe does not care if the floor is wet. She just wants to BE where I am...I mean in the exact spot where I am standing or in very close proximity. Now try mopping a floor with a 45 lb. dog attached to your side. I know, I know....I did it with kids on my hip but they grew up and live in houses of their own. This "happy dancing" puppy will be with us for a long time. (Will explain happy dancing later)

I ordered her to her "place"...and she went dutifully, but this is the look I got when she got there...Now just how much guilt is one mother (I just actually called myself my dog's mother...geesh!) supposed to handle?

I'll be back with some stamping later...we start on the laundry tear out tomorrow...any guesses where Chloe will be?

Blessings,
Charlene

IC182/WT219 - Kaleidoscope of Color

I finally found a work around to uploading my images on blogger. It's a great service but when it's down....it's so frustrating!

While trying to dredge up some Mojo, I went to SCS to see what the Inspiration Challenge for Saturday was. What a super cool challenge. We were to find a book cover and use it as our inspiration piece. I immediately drawn to this cover with all of that beautiful color. I probably never would have combined all these colors without that inspiration. WT219 (Ways to Use it) asked us to find ways to use a single stamp over and over....or in this case, and over, and over, and over...... ;-)

I used Papertrey's Text Boxed for the background and image panels. The colors are: Real Red, Pink Passion, Tango Tangerine, and Green Galore. To bring in the blue on the boys shirts I matted the background on Bashful Blue and used black as my neutral. Card is 5-1/4" x 5-1/4". I used the Ribbon Blossom technique...I actually realized I forgot to add the green to the ribbon blossom at the last minute so dug through my stash for this piece of fuzzy stuff to add to it.

It makes me happy to look at it. Hope you enjoy it and give this challenge a try. There are millions of book covers to inspire you. :-)

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene

A Wedding on the Beach

Please forgive the background! I was so anxious to use my new photobox, I totally forgot to put the background in there...UGH!

This project is a wedding day survival kit I made for bridal shower gift. The lovely couple have planned a wedding on the beach in June. Doesn't it sound divine?

I took a new 1 gallon paint can (Lowes) and removed the handles. My DH then drilled larger holes where the old handles were attached. The rope is knotted on the inside of the can. I used the Luxury DP from DCDW and attached it with Scor-Tape. The rope and shells were attached using hot glue.

I printed their names and the date with my computer then cut it out with the Label die from Spellbinders. Inside, is a scroll that describes the contents of the can plus a poem I wrote. There is everything in there from a First Aid kit to deodorant, to ...CHOCOLATE...about 40 items. They're in travel sizes so they can be taken on the honeymoon as well.

Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy your comments. You never know when I may pick someone from a random post for some blog candy! (wink)

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene

150 Teacher Gifts!

Here are some samples of the Teacher Gifts we made for the teachers and staff of the school where our church is meeting temporarily. The clear calendar cases are 4 x 6. Thankfully, our church has a machine that can cut entire packs of paper at once so I didn't have to cut the DP or the calendars.



Many thanks to CAT at SplitcoastStampers for the calendar template. Our campus coordinator thought it would be nice to run the calendars from June of '09 to June of
2010, basically the school year. She then found quotes that related to teachers and teaching and made them to fit the same "tear-off" template size. There is a quote for each new month. We didn't do any stamping because there were so many to do. We bought stickers and tags, then I embellished each one so that no two were alike.

It made a really nice presentation in the clear cases and is something we thought they could keep on their desks.

Love to know what you think.

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene

Edited to add: You can find the calendar cases here: www.calendar-case.com

Birthday Cards in the Mail

Thought I'd share a few of the handmade cards I received for my birthday in addition to the one from my DH. This beauty is from my friend, Marybeth. I didn't measure it but I think it's about 8" high. I love the chipboard flowers and the beautifully colored image. I think she used some kind of tissue paper for the checked background.

The next card is from Janet. I just love the sweet cupcakes and the sparkly DP she used!

This one is from Karen. She used a Cuttlebugged birthday cake image as her focal point, vellum for the sentiment and threaded the ribbon through eyelets. Love that happy DP, too!

And finally, a gorgeous card from my dear friend, Patty. I love the Swiss dot background, the happy colors, her ribbon treatment, the pearls in the center of the flowers. It's just beautiful.

I still have a few shadows as I'm learning to use my new Photo Box to take my pictures. I'm using my Ott lights instead of the lights they sell with some of them because I read those are not strong enough. Got mine on ebay for 19.99 and free (fast!) shipping.

Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene

Stamping Out Alzheimer's and Candy

It sure feels nice to be talking with you again. I hope you noticed the Stamping Out Alzheimer's button on the right side bar. You can go here to find out all the details. While I don't have anyone in my family who has suffered with this awful disease, I can only imagine the heartbreak associated with it. Please consider donating if you are able. 100% of the monies collected will be donated to the Alzheimer's Foundation.

I have some blog candy to give away to inspire you. Now that summer is here, I think this set of stamps will be great addition to someone's collection. It comes with a red ink pad and an acrylic stamping block so you can get stamping right away.

To enter, visit the SOA site, then come back here and tell me what you like best about it. I will draw a winner using a random number selector on Friday, May 29th.

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene

He did it again!

Sorry for the long absence...I had a ton of teacher gifts to make...150 to be exact and some issues with my bp going too low which makes my brain not work too well. Considering my age, any added complications mean my brain isn't working at all. At any rate, I'm doing better, seeing the doctor this week and hope to get in my stamping room this evening.

Check back tomorrow as I will have some Candy to celebrate. :-)

At any rate, I had a birthday this month. My DH asked if he could use my room to make a card. I pointed him to my scrap drawer, my Scor-Pal, Cuttlebug and ribbon and look what he did...in 30 minutes!! It would take me an hour to think up a design, another 30 minutes gathering supplies and another hour fussing with everything.

I'm thinking I may have some serious competition here...or perhaps he won't mind spending $$ on stamping supplies now??

Thanks for being patient.

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene

Mojo Monday #84...um, make that a Saturday Picnic!

I offered to make some invitations for our Bible Study dinner group. Two couples pair up every few months and plan a "gourmet" dinner (see our turn here and here.

This month's couples have decided to have a picnic and bike ride to the beach. How fun is that?!! We can't wait. The two couples plan the menu, send everyone a recipe then we all show up with our goodies and have fun.

I saw this Mojo Monday sketch and decided my Whipper Snapper BBQ chef would be perfect for the invites. If you check the link you'll notice I didn't put my brads down the side...just didn't work with this guy. (You know how men are! :-)

I printed the red & white striped paper on my printer from a freebie download on Vintage Glam Weddings...a great site not only for brides but ideas for money saving that can be used for any type of party or event. I knew this cool paper would come in handy some day. I stitched the red and white to a piece of black before adhering it.

The base cardstock is SU Ballet Blue. The SU Brilliant Blue rectangle is versamarked and clear heat embossed using one of the designs from SU's Little Pieces set. The sentiment is computer generated. I stamped the dots using Papertrey Ink's Circles and Borders in SU Real Red. I mounted the sentiment on Real Red then the black scallop then popped up the bottom of the scallop on dimensionals.

Don't you just love that little chef?! He's so much fun to color! The Whipper Snapper stamps have colored images on the tops so you have some place to start. I used my Prismacolor markers and colorless blender to color him. I'm still working on getting skin tones right...need more colors. His chef's hat is cut out using the "out of the box" method. There's a great tutorial here on SplitcoastStampers. I used Crystal Effects on the edges of his hat as well as the tops of his shoes.

All the invites are complete and delivered.

Happy Derby Day, Everybody. I have a post here of a card I made for Derby Day last year. Didn't have a chance to do one this year but I think this lady might be cute for Mother's Day...what do you think?

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene

Sweet Baby Cakes

I just ADORE babies! I think my two grandchildren are the only ones we're going to have, so I get all excited when someone tells me they know someone who's going to have one. I immediately offer to make them something. Lately, I've been hooked on little gift sets. Isn't that tiny bib the cutest? It's made with the largest scalloped circle Nestibility from Papertrey White CS. It has a nice weight. (All supplies are PTI unless otherwise noted.) I cut another scalloped circle from PTI's Sweet Blush DP and layered it every so slightly just above the scallops. The neckline is cut with the 1-3/8" SU circle punched placed about 1/2 way into the top crease.

If you click on the picture, you can see that I added tiny pearls all around the edge after I sponged it. I inserted the ribbon by making slits in the fold, and taping the ribbon to the inside. They make the inside look cute too! Those little flowers came from JoAnn Fabrics. The butterflies are all punched with the Martha Stewart butterfly punch in Sweet Blush, layered with another butterfly punched from a really old SU swirled vellum, the edges are sponged and then I added three tiny pearls for the bodies.

The little Bun in the Oven is a Timeless Template. The sentiment on the oven is from SU's Nursery Necessities (best baby set they've had I think). I sponged all the edges, used the remaining flowers for burners and added more pearl accents...I left the door slightly ajar so you could see how the box opens if you're unfamiliar with it. There is a clear vellum window accented with more butterflies. See my little sock "cupcake"? I finally made one I'm happy with. Takes a bit of practice to get it just right but it's not hard.

The little gift bag is simply a white lunch bag cut down about 2-1/2 inches. I punched the handle with the SU oval punch. Covered first in Sweet Blush then DP. The ribbon wraps around the entire bag, through the handle and ties in front. I cut one of the flowers from a scrap of the DP and placed it on the tag along with another butterfly.

Thanks for stopping by...

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene

Tim Holtz once again

So sorry for the long absence!  We switched IP carriers and the new one did something to our computer to cause it to crash...completely.  Nothing like a blue screen to raise your blood pressure...thankfully, we have Carbonite online backup.  We just signed up a few weeks ago...thank goodness!

I love this Tim Holtz set so much, I decided to do another card using the car instead of the truck this time.  I used the same color combo as before (Baha Breeze, Chocolate Chip Parisian Breeze Specialty and white.  I stamped the car and sentiment in Tim Holtz Distress Walnut ink.  While I was playing, I tried swiping the car with the pad to see the result...  see the car on the bottom?  Same ink, but swiping rubbed off some of the ink leaving cool lines and a lighter shade of the walnut. 

The car on the top was stamped in the normal press on method.   These stamps have really great details and textures on them.  I like both images but decided to use the darker one on my card.    I used my little Janome Sew mini to meander the stitching around the edges...it was quite fun to deliberately make wavy stitches. I'm usually stressing out trying to get my stitching straight! I used my SU distressing tool to distress all the edges and then sponged them in walnut ink.   I'm loving those big SU pewter eyelets too.  Gives the the card a more masculine feel.

  I wish I had thought to take a picture of the inside as there is a really cool sentiment that I placed off to the side beside strips of the DP....they say the mind is the first thing to go......

It's nice to be back...I have another baby project coming.  I can't wait though for a photo box...my lighting is terrible!

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene

Flowering Birthday Notes

Don't you just love red and black together?  I know I do.  When I first set up housekeeping, those were my colors.  Red plates, black placemats, even a red and black kitchen table and chairs..um, that would be back when they were chrome and plastic...yep, I'm old!  I've since transitioned into more earthy colors with pops of black, but I still add a bit of red in when I can.  I didn't realize even realize that until I started thinking about it just now.  Isn't it funny how our minds work?

At any rate, today is my friend Renee's birthday....Happy Birthday, Renee!!  I know she likes red so that was my starting point.  I have this package of black and white papers from Making Memories in an 8 x* size which meant no piecing on my box (Timeless Templates).  The stamps are Papertrey's Women of Life, the CS is Papertrey black,  Poppy Red and white.  I like the heavier weight for box construction especially.  The notes are resume paper cut into fourths.  The message on the notes are stamped with JustriteStampers Brayton font...oh how I wish there were more vowels in those sets.  I had to go back and stamp the final E separately and there are about 50 notes in there!! 

The flowers on the notebox were cut out, layered and popped up on dimensionals.  I made the leaves with those cute flowers you can find in the wedding department at Michael's.  A real deal!!  I colored a couple with my SU Certainly Celery marker, cut them apart, then glued them under the popped up flowers.  Those cute black and white flowers are paper Primas from PTI with brads from the Target $ spot.  Those are button at the base of the flower panel.  I left them without stitching because they have 4 holes that look like flowers and the red CS shows through.  Sorry for the shadowy photo...it's almost birthday time so I'm hoping my DH remembers my photo box....some major hinting may be in order!  Those white dots were added with a Sakura gel pen.  Thanks for visiting!  As always, I appreciate you and your thoughts.

Blessings and Happy Stamping,

Charlene