World Card Making Day?!?

Well, yes this is my second post in 2 days hehe but I had to say something about one "holiday" that I am going to make absolutely sure gets on my calendar every year...World Card Making Day!!! Yep, that's today and I only found that out from Facebook this afternoon. I was so thrilled to find out that there's a special day for all of us die hard card makers (and some non-scrapbookers) that I thought I'd post a card I made in honor of this special day.

This little card is a treat for me because I got to use my new Cuttlebug Quilling kit. I saw a demo online for that snazzy little gizmo and it definitely looked like a must have. And before you say it, I am NOT a hoarder hehehehe!! I am however a sucker for crafty innovations :) My thought was to create a cheery Thank You card that could be used for any time of year. The problem is... I love this card so much I know I'm going to have issues giving it away. Oh, and a quick note... if you try to mail the cards where you've affixed your quilled flowers, you will most likely need a padded envelope. This is to preserve the shape of the flowers when being processed at the post office.

So this card is a 6" x 6" square which opens from the bottom instead of from the right as the previous cards I've done. I used loose sheets of cardstock that I've acquired through the years. I mixed and matched the paper to create some texture but I wanted to make sure the color scheme stayed on the warm side. I cut a 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" square of the polka dot paper and adhered it to the card base. I then cut a 5" x 5" square of plain yellow cardstock and lastly I cut a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square of that cute fruit printed paper and layered both on top of the polka dot printed paper. I cut the letters out using chocolate brown cardstock and my Making Memories Slice machine (basic shapes). I used my super cool sticky dots to secure the letters to the card.

Rummaging around for some cute details to make the card pop, I found some lacy trim in the bottom of my notions box. I thought that would add a country feel to the card. I used double sided tape and two awesome straight pins I had laying around, to secure the lacy trim to the top of the card. Adding my quilled (rose/carnation) flower from my Cuttlebug Quilling kit, and a small tag that I found in a Martha Stewart tag package I had on hand, were among the final touches. When I was done I thought to myself "ahhhh I need glitter!!!". Grabbing my trusty Stickles and a little daisy stamp, I created the finishing touches to this little gem. I'm working up the courage to give this card away... stay tuned to find out if I actually do LOL

Sweet Treat of a Card & Apple Season

Another Friday night... I have a head cold bleh.  I've been resting in bed so much that I'm just sick of the site of that darn thing and I'm ready to get the creative juices flowing again.  October 1st is coming up woo hoo!!!  I'm hoping to feel good enough to make a trip to Target to get a bunch of candy for my harvesty bowls at work.  I like to have fun sized candy on hand at the office to give to the mail carrier, UPS, FedEx, etc.  Not to mention a nice afternoon hit of my favorite addiction (besides all things crafty) CHOCOLATE yummmmmmy. 

For this entry, I thought I'd include two designs I recently worked on.  The first is a Halloween card with an homage to candy corn mmmm (Yes, I am one of the few that like those things hehe) and the second is a tribute to the Apple Harvest Season.  Last year I went with my Mama on an apple pickin' adventure to Riley's Farm in Oak Glen, CA.  For those of you that haven't been, it's definitely a good time.  We dipped candles, churned butter, hiked a little bit, ate a lot of good stuff and of course picked a basket of apples to take home.  The air is so crisp and clean up there.  The fields are expansive and have the sweet smell of wet grass and wild flowers.  There's berry fields, pumpkin fields, pear orchards, apple orchards, hay rides... it's amazing.  It's a bit of a drive from Los Angeles... but well worth it.  Oh and make sure to pre order your apple pies before you get there because they sell fast and they are HUGE with yummy buttery crust.  I'm hoping to organize another trip this month. 

This is my homage to candy corn hehehe!  That sweet yummy treat that's made from Honey of all things (I just learned that last year if you can believe it)  Deliciously sweet and sort of chewy.  I guess I love them so much because they remind me of my childhood.  I am however a traditionalist, and I only like the original flavor.  I don't like the fancy schmancy green apple, or caramel apple flavored candy corns.  No thanks, I'll pass.

This is another 5" x 5" square card with a chocolate brown card stock I got in a paper pack from Target.  Actually, all the paper used to make this card came from the Target paper pack except the striped paper.  That paper was an old scrap I have been holding on to, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it in a fun and interesting way.  I used my Making Memories Slice machine to cut out the two frames for this card.  I used my Cuttlebug to emboss both frames to give them texture.  The bow is my signature touch of course.  And there's my favorite little tree stamp.  The candy corns were from a stamp that I found at the front register area of Michael's Arts and Crafts and bought for $1... yep that's right folks.. $1.  Such a bargain!  I used this magical glue pen that I got from the gals at Sparkle 'n Sprinkle to color in the candy corns and apply my Martha Stewart glitters to make them pop. 

Oh side note - If you haven't checked out Sparkle 'n Sprinkle, you NEED to.  They have opened my eyes to a whole new world of glitters, embossing powders, flocking, stamps and adhesives!  Fantastical products... and inventive new ways to use adhesives.  Pioneers in their field, I am a dedicated customer :) 

Okay enough gushing back to the card.  I used another $1 stamp from Michael's for the Trick or Treat font and applied white embossing powder to it.  I heated the powder with my heat tool and the effect was perfect - stark (just how I had imagined) against the purple.  Lastly I used a small Fiskars punch to cut the spiders out and apply my Sparkle 'n Sprinkle brushable glue to each creep crawly.  I then added my Sparkle 'n Sprinkle Black Ice glitter which gave them a perfect glossy, glittery effect.  I love this card, and I hope you do too.

This precious autumn harvest card was a joy to work on.  The leaves came out crunchy in the end, just like the real thing.  This is a 6" x 6" square card on chocolate brown card stock found in my paper pack from Target.  I found this sweet apple patterned paper in my loose stack that I got from a monthly scrapbooking club I used to belong to.  I cut that paper into a 5" x 5" square and used my teeny tiny glue dots to adhere the paper to my card.  To jazz up the apples on the paper I outlined each apple and then colored them in with my Sparkle 'n Sprinkle handy dandy glue pen.  I then applied my Ala Mode glitter to the paper and let it dry.  This produced those irresistably glittery apples that make you want to grab one and take a big bite.  After the paper dried, I cut a 4" x 4" square of light taupe cardstock and applied that to the card.  Then I cut a 3" x 3" white square of cardstock which I used as my center to apply my rubber stamp to.  The rubber stamp came from Stampin' Up.  I'm not sure which set it came in because I bought a bunch of loose used stamps on eBay, but I liked the sentiment which coincides with the fall and Thanksgiving season.  The leaves were so fun to make.  I ended up making a bunch and saving them for future use.  I used my Making Memories Slice to cut the leaves at 1".  I then pulled out my Sparkle 'n Sprinkle brushable glue and brushed each leaf.  I applied the glitter from my Ala Mode glitter pack and let dry.  The final result was perfect - Vibrant and Crunchy fall leaves... The Autumn Splendor and Ribbon were the perfect finishing touches.  It's apple season folks!  Time to go frolic in the fields with your friends and family.

Trick or Treat

It's Friday yay!!  It's a cold and gray

day here with a few sprinkles and a bit of thunder.  A great opportunity for a crafty indoor day.  For my next card I decided to create a fanciful card that reminds me of my childhood and trick or treating around the neighborhood.  I've always loved those memories shared with my best friends and my cousins.  Racing home after school and restlessly pleading for the sun to set so we can get started on our adventures.  My favorite memory of Halloween was when I saved up all my birthday money to buy a real ballerina outfit for the occasion.  I must've had about $32 in my pocket and I swore I was rich!  My mom took me to a dance store and helped me pick out a leotard, tutu and even shoes.  I came home with the whole outfit (including a sparkly tiara) and I felt like a million bucks.  I have to say I'm sure my mom helped me get everything because I even had shoes to match. 

I can remember that Halloween night it had rained, and I was soooo worried that we wouldn't get to go out and trick or treat.  My mom did my hair and even let me wear red lipstick - I was so glamorous.  Leaving the house, bathed in pink, tiara in tact.. I was just beaming.  It was a big moment for me to be a "real ballerina" for one whimsical night.  I can't seem to remember how much time we spent outside, or how much candy I got, but I do remember that was a magical night for me.  Glitter, tu tu and a tiara...this little girls fantasy come true.

Here's a cute little card I had such fun making.  I love to add ribbons to my cards, I personally feel it's the perfect finishing touch to my designs.  I also secretly love the idea of a bow signifying a sort of a gift in the form of a card when you just can't send a present to everyone on your correspondence list (man that could get pricey!)

This is the Tri Shutter Halloween card.  I like this design because it allows me to hang my friendly spider from her web (aww Charlotte's Web, do you remember that book?  made me cry so hard as a child)

My inspiration for this card came from this video on YouTube.  I was looking for something out of the ordinary and thanks to Mary in the video, this card was a big hit. Check her out here, and subscribe to her channel because this crafty gal is great!  http://www.youtube.com/watchv=MyhbAt3voWU&list=FLvu9MjIiqUVDErzxsUPlh1A&index=3

I used the same dimensions as Mary to construct this card.  I just swapped out the bones for my sweet "Charlotte".  I cut the spider from my Cricut Mini Monsters Cartridge.  I used this nifty rubber stamp I got from Michael's Arts and Crafts but I'm not sure of the brand because it was a cling type rubber stamp and who knows where the packaging for the stamp is now.  The rest of the card was patterned paper and of course this fishing line for "Charlotte's" web.  Gosh it was suuuuch a task to get her to stay on her web!  I ended up using clear tape, but I know there's got to be a better way!  Feel free to give pointers on that because my goodness it took forever!!! 

I hope this little card makes you smile.  Thanks again to Mary who helped me create it.

Yippee for all things Fall

The past week and a half have been so busy around here... whew!  I am finally able to sit down, with a cup of coffee of course, and share with you my crafty creations.  For as long as I can remember I have loved this time of year.  It's not just because my birthday is in October, but I think the whole season makes me feel just... cozy.  It's not quite October yet but my plans are to go down to the garage and pull out my harvest decorations, and get to work re-decorating my home and office very soon.  I love the earthy tones of the season and of course the smell and taste of my favorite autum dishes.  Don't tell anyone but I am anxiously awaiting the release of the Pumpkin Pie Flavor of frozen yogurt at Yogurtland yuuuummy!! Anyway, in the spirit of the season I have created a cute little card I thought you might like to see.  I'm a bit too old to go trick or treating myself, but I still love to take part in the whimsy and enchantment of that festive evening. 

This little card is simple (I know), but I enjoyed sending them out to all my friends.  It was really easy to construct and that's useful if you're doing mass mailings to all your loved ones. 

I used plain black cardstock as the base of my 5" x 5" card.  I personally like the larger square shaped cards.  I think they're more substantial or "less skimpy" hehehe.  (If you know me, you know nothing about me is skimpy lol)  Keep in mind that the larger sized cards do cost more to mail... just a handy tidbit of info for ya.

I used my beloved Cricut Expression to cut out the card from the Stretch Your Imagination Cricut Cartridge (using the card function) After that I used my scoring board to fold neatly in half.  I then used this really cool striped paper that I found in a paper pack I bought at one of my all time favorite stores (Target).  Using the same Cricut Cartridge, I selected the card frame function to cut the falling leaves out.  I used rubber cement to afix the frame to the card (this was before I got my hands on some awesome adhesives I'll talk about later) and lastly I applied a small square of transparent "Vellum" type paper behind the fall tree to give a frosty moonlit night kind of feel.  I like this card because it's simple but still cute.  I hope you enjoy.



Fall - My Favorite Time of Year

Here were are past the middle of September and I am anxiously awaiting the end of the Summer Season.  Don't get me wrong, I do love summer (Ocean Breezes, Watermelon, the Ice Cream Man, Long Evenings, etc) but I absolutely LOVE the fall (and not just because my birthday is in October lol)  I am a big fan of turning the clocks back and chilly fall nights, cuddling with loved ones watching a movie, halloween treats, giving thanks with my family on Thanksgiving, the smell of allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.  A treat for the senses and a feast for the eyes - rich/warm color schemes, smells that take me back to mom's kitchen when we carved pumpkins and roasted the seeds.  These glorious colors are everywhere and remind me of my childhood and playing amongst the crunchy fall leaves.  Deep reds, golden yellows and oranges, cocoa colored browns.  It's the time of season that I cherish the most because the focus changes to Family Time.  Closeness, Togetherness, Gratitude for what we have all experienced together during the year and Love for one another.  Since this is my first real post on this blog, I'd like to say that I'm thankful this year for the opportunities that have come my way, and the friends I've met along the way.  I have created a couple cards that I will be posting this week showcasing the spirit of this new season.  I hope you enjoy!