Flaky Friends -- We all have them . . .

Being a serious stamper we all have stamp sets we like and we use here and there but the rest of the time they are put away for another time. This month I have started my Christmas cards and decided this card was a must to make one -- don't we all have a computer file of photos of cards/projects we have seen on here and there and we save the photo for later inspiration? Some cards/projects get made up, others we use parts of, and then there is a card like this one that is too cute not to make up and right away.

This card was inspired by "Christmas Snow People" by Roberta on Splitcoast. Her card is really cute and I tried to copy it as it is but I did not have the size black ribbon she used so I had to substitute my red ribbon for her black. Thanks to Roberta for the inspiration to use totally different colours for a Christmas card and to use a cute stamp set not used in awhile - - -  here is my version of Roberta's cute card:

I took a photo on the lighter score board so you can see the details but here it is also on a black background:

I usually do not make white cards but since I have been able to buy the 110# weight white card stock at Mike's I am making more white cards. I will give directions of how I made my card with my measurements. To begin with I cut and scored my 110# white card stock base. Set that aside.

For the snowman piece I stamped them on a piece of white/GP (lighter weight @ 65#) that measures 3 1/4" wide by 3" high.  I used black StazOn ink since I would be using markers to colour the details on the stamp. Once the snowmen were stamped I cut a piece of Mike's black card stock 3 1/2" wide by 3 1/4" high. Set that aside. Using a red, a yellow/gold, black, blue, and orange markers I coloured the stamped image -- this is very easy to do even if you are not one to colour your images. Once the image was coloured I then sponged the edges of the stamped piece using black ink. Then mounted the snowman piece onto the black card stock using the ATG:

For the embossed piece behind the snowmen piece I used the Swiss Dots embossing folder and embossed a piece of white/GP (lighter weight white) using the Cuttlebug. Then I cut that to 3" wide by 4 1/2" long. Cut a piece of the Mike's black card stock to 3 1/4" wide by 4 3/4" long. Again used the ATG to put the embossed piece onto the black card stock.

Used red ribbon to tie around the bottom of the embossed piece. Clipped the ends of the ribbon and put a glue dot behind the knot to hold the ribbon in place. Using the ATG I added adhesive to the back of the embossed piece and put that onto the white card stock base, turning it at a slight angle. Then I used the ATG and added adhesive just behind my stamped snowmen -- no adhesive is on the far edges of that piece as it is placed on top of the embossed piece on the card front and I did not want the edges to stick to the card front but the snowman piece to only adhere to the embossed piece:

For the "25" for December 25 I used my Slice machine and the Wedding program and cut out a 2 and a 5 from scrap red card stock. Used a larger and a smaller oval punch for the black and white ovals behind the "25".  Put the numbers on the ovals using a glue pen. To put the ovals/numbers piece on the card front I used pop dots which give that piece some dimension.

Easy card once you have the measurements of your pieces and thanks to Roberta for pushing me out of the red and green Christmas theme --- TFL and YOLO

Folded Tree Christmas Card

Used the Sizzix circle die which is 3 5/8" wide. Cut out one circle using double sided card stock. Using the paper trimmer I cut that circle in half and folded 1/2 of the circle into this tree. I took the 1/2 circle to the score board with the straight edge at the top of the score board. Scored this straight down on the left top side at 1". Then began to fold the tree into my folded tree --- key to making this tree is to be sure your folds are sharp so use your bone folder on all folds:

Once you make your first fold on your scored line then fold that back to the fold line and keep folding until you have 3 folds and that is your tree shape:

As you can see I folded both sides of my circle that I had cut in half to show what it looks like with the double sided card stock with one side up and the opposite side up --- here is a closer photo of the tree on the card:

Once my tree was folded I added a gold star to the top that was made using a M Stewart star punch.  For the card I cut and scored a cream piece of card stock for the card stock base. Cute a holiday printed card stock for the card front. Using a 1 1/2" wide piece of cream card stock for the front of the card and stamped the Merry Christmas DeNami Design stamp using red ink -- this is one of the stamps from my recent find on Craigs List.

Using my new Mini Scallop die from MFTstamps.com I cut the scallops at the top and bottom of the 2 1/8" piece of red card stock that is under the greeting piece. Put the green card stock on the card front and then put the greeting/scallop piece on that. Using pop dots I added my folded tree. Tucked a brown tree trunk under the tree and then added two red crystals to the greeting.

The folded trees are easy to do once you have your first score line on there and just use a bone folder to make all your folds sharp. TFL and YOLO

Wreath for July 4th Card

Card stock base is navy blue, white is GP, and the front of the card is SU Crumb Cake. Used my new Close To My Heart stamp set Remarkable Wreath to make the wreath for this patriotic card.

I stamped the wreath base stamp on the Crumb Cake card stock using SU Close to Cocoa ink. Then I used the berries stamp and stamped that on top of the stamped wreath using SU Real Red ink. Then I stamped the berries stamp on top of the red berries using SU Brilliant Blue ink. Since I wanted the berries to be red, white, and blue I knew if I used white ink to stamp the berries stamp that it would not work and have the berries be white if they were over the red and blue. So instead of using ink I used a White Out correction pen by Bic to make my white dots for the white berries:

Remember if you should use a white out pen to allow a little time for that to dry before you handle your piece. For the greeting "Happy Fourth of July" I used a stamp from Northwoods Rubber Stamps and I used a marker for that and the 'huff' method so that I would only use the words on the stamp. Here is what the actual stamp looks like:

I just wanted to use the words on the stamps and not the fireworks. Once I had the greeting stamped on the card front I used the SU Brilliant Blue and stamped the bow stamp from this stamp set onto my wreath and added a clear crystal from the stash for some sparkle on the bow.

This card would also look good on a red card stock base with a red bow on the wreath for July 4th.

This is a really nice stamp set and the set comes with a berries stamp, a flower stamp, a leaves stamp as well as worded banner stamps so it is very versatile and worth the money. Lots of use ahead for this set for sure. TFL and YOLO

Wreath for July 4th --

Been busy working and sewing --- here is the 4th of July Pillows wreath I made --- now back to the craft room today as Nascar is on so DH and puppy will be busy with that -- happy me.... TFL

We read about it all the time . . .

How many times do we hear about an elderly couple who had been married forever and one of them passes away and then hours or just days away their spouse also passes?

If you have read my blog recently you know a great neighbor of mine when I lived in NY recently passed away. John was a great guy, the neighbor anyone would want, and he was married to Joyce. Joyce was a "girly girl" -- always had her hair done every week, dressed well, and she and John were bananas about each other --- they raised eight kids together and in their final years they raised a furry daughter, Miss Marcie. Miss Marcie passed away a couple of years ago with John passing less than two weeks ago. I just received word that his beloved wife, Joyce has also passed away, ten days after John, and I am sure John and Miss Marcie were waiting for her to arrive. . .

Since Joyce liked all girl colours here is the sympathy card I made to remember her:

Card is on a card stock base of black and the white is GP. I used the Swiss Dots embossing folder for the white embossed card front. Cut the greeting label out using the Spellbinders Labels 10. Used a rose stamp from Inkadinkado that I inked with VersaMark ink. Then used shimmer chalks and chalked that. Using a stamp from the Stampin Up stamp set Thoughts and Prayers I stamped the greeting at the bottom of the flower. Added a pink ribbon bow with a glue dot to the flower stem.

Here is a closer photo to show the shimmer of the chalks on the card front. May John, Joyce, and Miss Marcie rest in peace together as the family they always were. TFL

A Stenciled Hello Card

Another card using the distressed inks with a stencil and mask. I had taken a class with Daphne much earlier in the year using distressed inks and now that I have all the information and tips Daphne shared with us I wanted to make more cards using what I learned. This card is also inspired by Daphne and I want to send a BIG thank you to Cheryl for the stencil and mask I used for this card.

Card stock base is pink, with a piece of green for the card front. Cut and scored the card base and front green piece and set those aside. I used 110 lb weight white card stock from Mikes for the white piece. I cut it to the size I would need for my card front. Then I used the Brilliant Peony Stencil from Memory Box for the flower and the mask is their Garden Bloom Stencil. Here is a list of the distressed inks I used for the flowers:

Squeezed Lemon
Spiced Marmalade
Spun Sugar

For the script stamp:

Brushed Corduroy

For the stems/leaves:

Shabby Shutters
Peeled Paint

For the flowers I used the Squeezed Lemon and over that I added Spiced Marmalade and the pink on the outside is Spun Sugar. With distressed inks -- two tips --- have baby wipes ready for use and also -- remember you can add colour but not take it away. Light touch is the key to this ---- and with this stencil I "pounced" the applicator rather than the normal circular motion you would use if not using a stencil. By pouncing the applicator you will not tear your stencil:

 Once I had the flowers done I then added the stems/leaves. Using a script stamp from Hero Arts I inked that with distressed ink Brushed Corduroy. Stamped it off onto scrap card stock and then stamped it onto the stenciled piece. Sponged the edges of this piece using the Shabby Shutters ink. Added a pink ribbon and tied that into a knot. For the greeting I used a stamp from SU Teeny Tiny Wishes --- the stamp reads "hello baby" but I only inked the "hello" of the stamp and stamped it onto scrap white card stock. Using the Spellbinders Simply Charmed die set I cut the greeting tag out. Sponged the edges of that with the Shabby Shutters ink. Put this under the ribbon using a glue dot:

Easy card to put together once you decide your ink colours -- always remember to start with the lighter colours and then go to the darker colours as you work. There is no right or wrong using the distressed inks and stencils -- quite easy to do and it makes a big impact on your card front. TFL and YOLO

The cards we hate to make . . .

When I lived in my old house in NY I had the best neighbor ever, John. Well, with a heavy heart I had to make a Sympathy card for John's family as he passed away this weekend. John was retired from Eastman
Kodak and he loved woodworking and working on his project boat in the garage. Left behind is his wife of many years, who became blind in her later years, and their adult children.

To make a simple black and white sympathy card is not John --- this is the guy that would use his snowblower to clean the driveway of an elderly widow across the street so she could get in and out of her driveway.  In our snowy winters he would use his snowblower and make paths in the backyard for his dog, Miss Marcie, so she could get around in the deep snows. He also would then make a path across his front yard with the snowblower for the mailman to get from his house to others. In the spring he would make birdhouses and they all hung from his trees in his yard. He nursed a sickly looking Japanese Maple tree back to health and to this day it is quite sizable. He had a few rose bushes and he also tended to them.

John never complained about anything and just enjoyed life --- he was the neighbor that would pick up your mail if you were out of town, the neighbor that would run out in the rain if the UPS guy left your package by your side door, the neighbor that would help you when you put up a fence, planted a tree, re-roofed your house, and anything else to help you out.

Here is my card to remember John and black and white is not John --- I had to use a layout I have used for a card before as thinking of a new format was not working --- I used the SU stamp set Thoughts and Prayers for the tree/flowers stamp and the "Sharing in your Sorrow" is from the Gina K Designs stamp set Stately Flowers #2 that I just got at the customer garage sale @ Betty's.  Used markers and the huff method for the tree/flowers stamp and then used a small scallop punch for the blue flowers. Added clear crystals from the stash as is the ribbon. Embossed border is a folder by SU.

TFL and lucky me to have known John for the years I did. I miss him already and will miss all the email forwards he sent me. YOLO

Parts department - - -

Body parts for the Bunny Bopsie Pops -- they hold Tootsie Pops -- here is a photo of the punches I used to make the bunnies:



The metal die is the third smallest die in the Spellbinders Eggs die set and that is the bunny body --- so here are the bunnies on the Bopsie Pop holders:

Once the bunnies were on the holders I used the corner rounder punch and decided to round the corners since the bunnies are already ovals:

These holders hold the regular Tootsie Pop lollipops. To make the holders:

Cut out all bunny parts --- egg oval for the body, two longer ovals for the ears, two smaller ovals for the feet, and I used a 3/8" circle punch for the pink circle on the bunny feet. I sponged the edges of all these pieces with a light gray. Using a Qtip from the dollar store I used pink chalk for the ears. Used a pink marker for the toes on the feet. Put the bunny together using small glue dots. For the nose I used scrap pink card stock and punched out a small heart and sponged the edges of that with light pink. Make a line for the bunny mouth using a black marker and put the pink heart for the nose over that black mouth line using a glue dot. Then make two small circles with a black marker for the bunny eyes.

The holders:

Cut your card stock 8" x 2" -- score it with the long side at the top of the score board -- score it at 3 1/2' and again at 4 1/2". Use your corner round punch for the corners. Crease your scored lines using your bone folder. Make two pencil dots near the top of the holder for your ribbon to go through. I used a small circle punch to make those two holes. Once the holder is made put the bunny on the front of the holder while the holder was flat using large glue dots. Put a glue dot at the top of the Tootsie Pop and put that in the center of your holder with the Tootsie Pop upside down. Tie the holder closed using ribbon around the Tootsie Pop stick and make a bow or a knot. These are free standing and make cute favors or table markers.

For the other project to go with the Bunny Bopsie Pops I made Matchbook Holders that hold Fun Size M&Ms and for my holders I am using the Fun Size Mini M&Ms. Here are the holders:

The Matchbook Holders you can get 4 out of a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" --- cut it every 2 3/4" for your holders with the 11" side at the top of the trimmer. Score this at: 3/4", again at 4 1/2" and again at 5". Use the bone folder to crease the score lines. By doing this you will see which is the front flap of your holder --- this is important as my printed egg card stock has a directional pattern and you don't want your design to be upside down on the front of your holder. My printed papers for the front flaps are all cut at: 2 1/2" wide by 3 1/4" long. I put the printed card stocks on the front of the holders while it was flat, after I made the creased scored lines.

A tip for the M&Ms Fun Size bag --- shake the M&Ms to one end of the bag --- then fold the end flap to the back of the bag -- then put this in your holder, with the folded end behind your 3/4" scored line and then staple it to the holder --- by folding the bag to the back the M&Ms will not flop all over when the recipient opens the holder. ALSO -- when you staple this staple closer to the fold on your holder than the straight edge as you need to be able to tuck in your holder front --- this is explained better in these photos:

Used the "Happy Easter" stamp from the Stampin Up stamp set Teeny Tiny Wishes and stamped it all over white/GP card stock in different ink colours. Then cut out the greetings using the Simply Charmeed banners die set from Spellbinders and tied a greeting on the front flap of all my holders --- the ribbons are only around the front flap of the holders --- so when the recipient opens the holder they will see the ribbon from the inside of the holder. Here are more photos of the Bunny Bopsie Pops and the Easter Matchbook Holders:

Just enough chocolate treats for the Easter holiday --- TFL and YOLO

More Easter Cards

Busy week and have not had time to post the other Easter cards I made. This card has a card stock base of a lavendar, white is GP, and the bunny print is from Hobby Lobby. Doily is from the dollar store and I used punches for the greeting and lavender circle behind it. Used the Stampin Up Petal Punch for the flowers and the sprigs are made using a M Stewart punch. Added crystals from the stash.

Card on a card stock base from Close To My Heart, white is GP, and the print is Sapna. The "happy easter" printed card stock is from Hobby Lobby and it came in a clearance pack of card stock from Hobby Lobby. I wanted to use the egg shaped die to cut this piece out but with it being a printed card stock it would be too thin. So I cut a piece of this larger then the die is. Using the ATG I ran adhesive all over the back and put that onto a piece of white/GP card stock. Then put the egg shaped die on top of it and cut that out in the Cuttlebug. For the bunny I used a die from Impression Obsession and cut that out of flocked card stock. The flocked card stock would be flimsy so I also cut a bunny out of scrap kraft card stock. Ran a glue pen over the kraft bunny and then put the flocked bunny on top of that. Put the card pieces together and then once the egg was on the floral print I put the bunny on that using pop dots. Wanted to bring the greens of the floral card stock to the bunny so used a M Stewart bow punch and punched out a bow from green checked card stock.

The above photo shows the bunny is raised off the print using pop dots.

Bunnies in the grass -- similar to a Make N Take card we made with Mandy @ Betty's.

The above card is a window card and I used an oval die to cut out the oval and then a larger oval die to cut out the checked 'frame' for the oval. Used the SU Petal Punch for the flowers and again the sprigs punch from M Stewart. Once I had the flowers on the sprigs I spritzed them with Pearl Shimmer Mist for a little sparkle:

Again cut out a flocked bunny and a kraft bunny and put those together using the glue pen. For the bow on this bunny I wanted it to look like it was in the back of the bunny so using scissors I cut a small piece of the pink card stock to look as if it is tied around the bunny neck and then into the bow:

Added a pink crystal to the center of the bow.

This card is on a pink card stock base, white is GP, and the floral print is from Sapna. The printed card stock has a border along one side of the page so I used that border to work on this card. Doily is from the dollar store and I used circle dies for the circles. I used two M Stewart butterfly punches for the butterflies and I used a crimper on one of the butterflies and an embossing folder on another. Added pearls to the butterflies. TFL and YOLO

Blessed Easter Card

Card stock on a base of SU Mellow Moss, white is GP, and the dotted card stock is from Hobby Lobby. Used the new Blessed Easter stamp for the tulips piece. I inked the tulips/leaves only on the stamp using StazOn black and stamped that onto SU glossy white card stock. Used the old method -- blender pens and the stamp pad lid -- to colour the tulips and the leaves.

Once that was set I cut it out with the Cuttlebug using the Spellbinders Ovals die set. Then using the Lacey Ovals die set from Spellbinders I cut out an oval from SU Pixie Pink card stock scrap. I did not want to use the larger Lacey Ovals die as I just wanted a small amount of the Lacey Oval to show behind the tulips piece so I used a small die. Put the tulips onto the Lacey Ovals piece using the ATG.  Put these on the card front using large glue dots.

For the greeting I used the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set from SU and cut that out using the SU Bitty Banners die set. Once that was cut out I tucked it behind the tulips piece and put a glue dot behind that to hold it on the card front.

Added a sheer bow made with ribbon from the stash. Easy card to put together and the tulips from the Blessed Easter stamp set will get a lot of use I am sure --- :0)   TFL and YOLO

Easter Spring Basket

Card is on a card stock base of SU Pixie Pink, white is GP, and the green checked is from Hobby Lobby. Had recently placed an order from diesrus.com and this Spring Basket die was one of the dies I had ordered. It is by "die-namites" and using waxed paper I cut out the white basket. The basket was cut out of 110 lb white card stock from Mikes. All other colours used for the basket are from scraps.

For the greeting I used the Happy Easter stamp from the SU Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set. Cut the greeting piece out using a die from the Spellbinders die set Simply Charmed. The pink crystals for the bow and greeting banner are from the stash.

Here is the die:

To get all the small pieces for my basket -- the eggs, ribbon bow, ribbon woven into the basket, and the flowers I just cut out this die in different colours and put it all together on the card front. Used a glue pen for the small pieces for the basket. Simple to do and this is a very nice die that all my pieces fell right out of the die since I used waxed paper. TFL and YOLO

Woven Easter Basket

This is the Woven Basket die set from MFTstamps.com. If you should want to make this a free standing basket to hold treats you need the Trapezoid Treat Box die also from MFT:



I have used these dies in the past for a basket on a card front, treat holder basket, and I masked out the woven part of the die and used a small hearts border embossing folder for the red Valentine treat holder:

For the Woven Easter Basket I am posting today I used the two die sets but wanted to change the front of the basket so it would look like a woven Easter basket. 

Using kraft card stock from Mikes I cut strips of 1/4" wide x 11". Then used a light brown ink and sponged the edges of the strips. Wove them together into a square piece. Using the basket die as a pattern I put that die on top of the woven strips (on the backside) and traced the basket die using a pencil. Once that was done I put red sticky tape on the inside of the pencil lines and then cut out the pattern piece - - as you can see in this photo I have enough woven strips to make two baskets:

The reason for the red sticky tape to be on this piece before I cut it out was to be sure to hold the woven strips together. Once the woven basket front was cut out I cut out the other pieces for the basket --- a basket front, back, and two Trapezoid Treat Box pieces for the insert inside the basket. So I had the four pieces for the basket/insert as well as the woven piece.

Before I put things together I used a decorative punch for the pink across the basket front and I also used the accessory dies that come with the basket and cut out a bow using the pink card stock. Using a Marvy scalloped circle punch and punched that out. Then stamped and punched out a Petite Petals flower on scrap white/GP card stock. Then used the Trio Flower punch I punched out a pink flower. Using the bone folder I curled the edges of these three punched pieces. Layered them together using glue dots and put a pink crystal in the center of that. Put these on top of the bow I had cut out using a glue dot. Set this aside.

Assembled the basket/insert using red sticky tape. Using the ATG I added adhesive to the backside of my woven piece and put that on the basket front. Using the ATG I put the decorative punched pink piece across the top of the basket and put the flower/bow pieces on using a glue dot.

Here is the woven basket:

A closer photo of the woven front:

And a closer photo of the flowers/bow piece:

Filled the basket with pink paper shred from the dollar store and that awaits treats for the Easter holiday. Another look for the MFT basket die set. TFL and YOLO