cmh Designs

Friendly Reminder ...

2011-02-06T23:08:00.000-05:00

Just a note to remind you that I've moved to luxcrafts.blogspot.com. Hope to see you there :)

Moving Out ...

2011-01-06T17:43:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, y'all! I've MOVED my blog to http://luxcrafts.blogspot.com. I sure hope you'll visit me there and update your reader/subscriptions. See ya there!

December Bee Blocks

2010-12-31T09:00:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year's Eve y'all! I am back today to share the rest of my December Bee Blocks with you. I really enjoy the virtual quilting bees that I am participating in via Flickr. I have definitely tried out some blocks that I never would have otherwise and have enjoyed the challenge and inspiration. :-)

First up, is the PBee&J swap that I am in ... I made this wonky house block for Corley. This is a block I wouldn't have tried on my own, but I am glad I did!

In this swap, we also make a signature block. She asked for a 5" square, and I chose to make it a mini house.

I also made two more wonky-style blocks for December. This time, they were log cabins and for the do.Good Stitches bee, which is a charity bee. Anna, our quilter this month, asked for white, aqua/turquoise and white blocks. I hope my colors are on target and will blend well with the others.

And the second block ...

Well, that is all for now! :-) Have a great New Year's Eve everyone! See you tomorrow :)

4th Quarter Bee Blocks

2010-12-30T20:25:00.000-05:00

Hi again! I was so excited to start sewing for fun today ... with absolutely no letter shirt orders on the books! :-) I am working on quilting a large quilt for a friend and I will share that soon, but I also had some time to get caught up on some bee blocks for a few swaps.

For now, I will share the blocks I made for the 3 x 6 - 4th quarter swap. I was in beehive 9 for this one. Basically, you make 6 of the same block in different color ways. I chose to do a pinwheel block.

Here's one in aqua, green and white ...

Pink, orange and yellow ...

Red, aqua and white ...

This one with black, red, white, and gray ...

Gray, red and white ...

And purple, gray and white ...

I hope all my fellow stitchers love their blocks! :-)

Back tomorrow with some more bee blocks to close out December & 2010!

Stay warm!

2010-12-27T21:52:00.000-05:00

The snowstorm of 2010 left us with this ...

For the most part, beautiful ... minus the 3 hours of no power. But at least it was a short period without electricity ... especially since this is perfect weather for using our new Keurig coffee maker! :-)

Hope you are all staying warm!

White Christmas!

2010-12-26T16:55:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas! We had a nice day visiting with my mister's family in the morning and then heading to my parents' home in the afternoon. We got home just before all the snow settled in ... we now have about 5 inches or so. I will try and post a few pictures of that tomorrow. :-) For now, I will leave you with a picture of our Christmas tree ...

Take care and talk with you soon! :-)

Paper Crafts Mag

2010-12-14T21:44:00.000-05:00

Hi! Can you believe Christmas is less than two weeks away? Good grief do I have a lot of projects left to finish! A few more shirts, a quilt, a few other projects, and more ... better get back to work!

I did want to share some news ... the PaperCrafts Jan/Feb 2011 issue is out and I have a fun shaped card in it ... you can even download my template from the PC website! Here's the magazine you'll be looking for at the store ...

It's blisteringly cold here and we may get a little white stuff on Thursday ... which I would love, but then we'd have to make up the day next Wednesday instead of having a 2 day week. I think I'd rather just get the school days over with! ha!

Thanks so much for stopping by! :-)

Scrappy Cards

2010-12-10T17:38:00.000-05:00

Hi and happy Friday! We have one more "handmade holiday" post this week and this one combines my love of paper AND fabric! Yippee!

Check out my tutorial post for this card and comment tonight if you want a chance to win our samples from the week! :-)

Hi

2010-12-09T22:13:00.000-05:00

Hiya! Happy *almost* Friday y'all! It has been a long week of meetings and grading and decorating and more, so I am definitely looking forward to this weekend ... even though there's no college football that we have a stake in! :-)

I wanted to share a card I made several weeks ago ... one that I really love. It's the colors I think that I like so much about it and I think its just stinkin' cute. Maybe that's why I haven't mailed it to anyone yet! haha This was pretty easy ... slap a tag from a tag book down, add some letter stickers and a flower, button and some felt leaves. Cute huh? Love that zig zag paper!

Speaking of cards ... giving some away with today's project on the Sew Lux blog. Hope to see you over there too! :-)

Also, if you're shopping online and NOT using ebates, you're just plain crazy! They give you cash back on your purchases AND list the coupon codes for just about every store I've ever wanted to shop online at.

Have a great Friday y'all! :-)

Giveaway Alert

2010-12-08T17:13:00.000-05:00

Just stopping in to share that we're continuing our Handmade Holiday series on the Sew Lux blog. Today we've got a tutorial on some quick & easy coasters - perfect gift to add with some pretty mugs and some tea! You can also win the coaster set we've shared!

I will be back tomorrow with a card for you!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Cards & More

2010-12-07T20:01:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to stop in and share a set of cards I made a few weeks ago for a friend's birthday. I used a few pieces of paper from a 6x6 Basic Grey paper pad and mixed and matched them into these 3.5 x 5.5 cards.

I did decided to "rough 'em up" with some tea dye ink and I think it worked well with the paper combination. I kept the sentiments pretty generic so she could use them for any number of occasions. I am planning to go on a card set making blitz here in a few days to prepare some sets for Christmas gifts ... I will be sure to share them here after I've given them away. :-)

Speaking of Christmas gifts ... I have a fun, quick gift I idea for today's Handmade Holiday post on the Sew Lux blog. Here's a sneak peek ...

Now run over to the blog and see how you can whip one up for yourself! :-)

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Handmade Holiday

2010-12-06T20:06:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday y'all! Today kicks off our Handmade Holiday week on the Sew Lux blog. Check out our quilted fabric ornaments and comment for a chance to win one! :-)

See ya back here tomorrow with some cards!

Thanks for stopping by!

do Good Stitches November Block

2010-12-01T22:25:00.002-05:00

Hi! Just checking in and sharing my November do.Good.Stitches block. Rachel hosted this month and sent us each an embroidered animal and asked us to use a specific color ... mine was butter yellow. Hope I got the shade right! :-)

This block took me a LOT longer to make than I thought it would. (So did deciding on a design. Which I finally decided and just went on ahead and improv-ed it.) I was then too scared to trim it after all that, so I will let her do that. Hope she doesn't mind. :-) Here's the block ...

Here's a closer view of the block. I think it turned out pretty cute. I hope it will look great with all the others she is putting together! :-)

Edited to Add: I designed this block as I went along. I had intended to do all hexies, but wanted to use bigger hexies to do that. The embroidery piece limited the size, so I ended up added borders instead of doing hexies for the whole block. :-)

I am still working on getting the Sew Lux Blog ready for the "Handmade Holiday" series that will kick off this weekend ... so be on the lookout for some quick and fun projects!

See you soon!

Exciting!

2010-11-30T00:25:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share some exciting news with you! I have two cards featured in the Paper Crafts Card Creations: Favorite Occasions Vol. 2!

I was thrilled this summer to find out that a two of my cards were accepted for publication and even more thrilled to get a copy of the magazine in the mail! Super fun, I tell ya! :-) There are some great ideas in this edition for all kinds of cards ... you should definitely get a copy. You can learn more about this issue at the Paper Crafts Connection blog.

I also wanted to share that I have a new blog for Sew Lux Fabric. It's a work in progress ... but will be all pretty and ready to go for our Handmade Holiday series which kicks off this weekend with projects, samples, giveaways and more! I'd love it if you followed the blog and/or added it to your Google Reader!

Thanks so much for stopping by! :-)

Birthday Wishes

2010-11-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

Hiya! Just stopping in to share a birthday card with you. I love pink and green and so this card is a fav! :-)I let the patterned paper do all the work on this one and just stamped the sentiment in the corner. I added a strip of coordinating green houndstooth (love this print on paper and fabric) and some ribbon. Easy peasy but still very pretty!

Hope you are having a fabulous day! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Giga Guidelines (PTI)
Paper: Sultry (Basic Grey); Hibiscus Burst card stock (PTI)
Other: grosgrain (PTI)

Sew Thankful

2010-11-26T00:21:00.005-05:00

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday with family. :)

This year, I am thankful for many things ... including the opportunity to start a fabric business with my mom. It's something we've dreamed about for a long time and this year, we took the plunge!

Our Thanksgiving Sale: Save 10% on your entire purchase with coupon code "thankful" and free shipping on orders of $75 or more through the weekend - shop our site or Etsy store.

We've got a few new fabrics in and have several new bundles mixed up ... just in time to get started on some holiday sewing! Here's one of them ....
And here's one of our new fabrics ... I'm a girl who can't resist a good black & white polka dot fabric! Check out our other new dots, houndstooths and bundles today!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

November 31 Deals

2010-11-21T00:02:00.002-05:00

Hi y'all! Hope you're having a great weekend. Both our football teams won today, so it was a good day here at my house! :-)

Just wanted to share the current Thirty-One customer special since there's a few days left in November to take advantage of it. For EVERY $31 you spend in November, you can get a free zipper pouch (retail $12) in one of the 5 prints shown (Peacock Paisley, Paparazzi Dot, Boho Patchwork Paisley, Onyx Medallion, or Floral Fanfare; additional $6 to monogram each item).
These bags are so great for a lot of things ... they are pretty big, too! Almost the size of a full sheet of 8/5 x 11 paper. Great for school supplies, cosmetics, craft projects in progress (I tote card sets to assemble downstairs in these as well as my hexagons that I'm stitching together), keeping larger bags and suitcases organized, etc. Great for teachers and coworkers too!

Note that the special is for every $31 you spend ... so if your order is more than $31, just add one of these to your cart - for free! If your order is $62 or more, add two for free, etc.

If you're interested in placing an order, just head over to my website where you can view the catalog and order online. Or feel free to email me for a paper copy of the catalog or to place your order! This special runs through November 30th. All orders placed by December 13th will arrive in time for Christmas. :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings & Smiles Girly!

2010-11-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

Hi again! Just sharing another stack of cards that went out to sweet, long-time friend the other day. She does in fact make me smile, she is a blessing, and she does rock! All perfect sentiments for her and for her to have on hand to send to others. Hope she likes this color scheme!Can't wait to finish sewing all these t-shirts so I can start crafting up a storm for the holidays ... not only do I have big plans ... I have a BIG stash of paper and fabric all waiting to be cut into! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Sew Nice

2010-11-16T09:50:00.000-05:00

Hi again! Just dropping in to share a cute little sewing theme card I whipped up the other day. I took a well-deserved daycation from my sewing machine on Veterans Day ... and made some cards ... about sewing! Go figure.(Note: please excuse the poor photo ... took this late at night.)
Anyway, I made four of these really quickly using an assembly-line style production. Die cut all the labels, stamped the machines, stamped the sentiments, cut the background paper, glued it all together and added some ribbon. That paper is "sew fun" and I made 2 with this color way and two with the papers flip flopped.

I am finding that I really enjoy the 3.5 x 5 cards lately ... they are just cute ... and I think my design layout looked better on this size than a larger 4.25 x 5.5 card for this one. A few of our Sew Lux customers may just get one of these in with their order ;-)

That's all for now! Thanks "sew much" for stopping by! :-)

Paper Reverie

2010-11-15T20:36:00.003-05:00

Hiya and happy Monday, y'all! Hope your week is off to a great start. :-)

This past weekend I took some time to paper craft after a long week of sewing under some pretty serious deadlines. I decided to make a couple of quick card sets to mail off to some friends I had been thinking of lately. Here's one of the sets (excuse my Bernina in the background).
I used some paper and embellishments from the Paper Reverie collection in the Sienne colorway that I got from a recent Studio Calico kit. I added some tea stained twill and some twine along with some Fine Linen card stock and put together these four cards. Here's a closer look at one of them. I *think* these got where they are going today, so I hope my sweet friend likes them. :-)

Off to work on a few more shirts ... hope to finally be done with my orders by Thanksgiving so I can get on to creating for fun and hawking some fabric. :)

Speaking of fabric, we have all of our "custom bundles" (sets of coordinating fat quarters and half yards) for 20% off - prices are already reduced on our Sew Lux Etsy store or you can use the coupon code "welcome" on our main site.

This set is from the Tea Garden collection ... pretty, huh?!
Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Thanks Veterans

2010-11-11T13:42:00.002-05:00

Just dropping in to say thank you to all those who have served and are currently serving our great country! Which wouldn't be so great without all the freedoms you protect for us. So, again, thank you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Bee Blocks

2010-11-03T22:30:00.003-04:00

Hi again! Just stopping in quickly ... taking a break from letter shirts ... to share my blocks for a virtual quilting bee I am in. These were for Liz, who hosted in October. She sent some fun Christmas-themed fabrics and asked for a wonky log cabin or square-in-a-square. Here are my blocks ...For this bee, we are also sending signature blocks. Never made one of these, so I hope mine will work out ok. I took some leftovers and appliqued a tree on it and then added some wonky-ish borders. Here it is stacked on top of the folded blocks ready to be shipped off.
I have several more bee blocks to share, but will wait until a later post ... back to work! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Congratulations

2010-11-02T21:42:00.002-04:00

Hiya! Wow ... the days are just slipping by me like crazy! It's been a total whirlwind closing down one business and starting the other. In fact, we got some new fabric in from Free Spirit today that I hope to get added to our store tomorrow ... Innocent Crush and more! Yay! Such pretty threads :)

I wanted to share a card ... finally! I made this one some time ago for a pub call, but it didn't get chosen. I still love it anyway and know exactly who will get it when the time comes. :-)I made the "ring" with 2 circle punches and then added a Prima flower center for the diamond. I had some fushia May Arts silk ribbon that is lovely to work with and I added it to create some stripes in the background. This turned out to be a really modern-looking card and I love it.

Well, I better get back to work. 119 shirts left to go! And many are due in the next week ... yikes!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you were all able to exercise your right to vote today :-)

More Fabric

2010-10-26T22:41:00.002-04:00

Hi again! Just dropping in to share that the "official" Sew Lux site - Sewluxfabric.com - is now up and running. All our fabrics have been added and I am so excited! If you know anyone looking for fabric, please send them our way. :) We'll be adding more collections in the next few weeks :-)This fabric is from the Fandango line. It's pretty stuff and "fandango" is just fun to say :-)

Hope you are all having a great week :-)

Got Fabric?

2010-10-25T22:33:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! Been busy here takin' care of business. Literally! We just got our first bolts of fabric in today, so I've been adding them to our Etsy store. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will also have our stand alone site up and running. If you're looking for some beautiful fabric, check us out. We'll be adding more lines to our product offering over the next several weeks. :-)

Have a great week! :-)

Still Around and Updates

2010-10-10T20:33:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! I am still around! I've been pretty busy finishing orders for my business, getting ready to open my new venture with my mom and just all the rest of life ... work, laundry, etc. I have several crafty things that I need to share here and will start working on some posts for you ... so stop by again soon! :-)

In the meantime, I wanted to share a fun wall hanging that my mom made for the Sew Lux Etsy store.
I also wanted to share my new favorite website - Ebates. Let me tell you, I have saved a lot of money using this site ... they give you all the coupon codes and you get a portion of your purchase credited back to you. Yesterday, I used it to help me find slipcovers for our new-to-us couches and I got them nearly 50% off with free shipping plus 4% back! Check it out and give it a go - its super easy!

Baby Shower Decorating

2010-09-26T16:49:00.005-04:00

Hi and happy Sunday! The weather has cooled down to the low 80s here - thank goodness! I am so over 90+ degree heat. :-)

I wanted to share one of my favorite projects from the baby shower I hosted a few weekends ago. I have been stitching letters on shirts for a long time now ... and I thought it would be fun to make a garland with a set of onesies. Here's how it turned out ...
I drew some letters and cut them out of brown polka dot fabric. I had an extra one and cut out a heart shape around an owl since we had an owl theme. I strung some grosgrain ribbon up and pinned them along. It was really cute. Unfortunately, it was rainy that day and I didn't have great light for the photos!

I also added these to the Sew Lux shop. :-)

That's all for now ... off to our favorite little Mexican restaurant. Yum!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Friday & Another Quilt

2010-09-24T17:53:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday, friends! :-) I am so glad its Friday ... been a long week. It is homecoming this week, so all the kids have been dressing crazy for spirit week and we had a pep rally at the end of the day today. All fun, but it made for an extra exhausting week. :-) I plan to stay holed up in my craft room for most of the weekend with some college football in the background. :-)

The quilt I shared yesterday sold today! Woo hoo! So, I thought I'd share another one that I made and we have listed in the shop. This one has got some lovely red, pink, brown and a little yellow in some girly prints - including some lady bugs and butterflies from the Flutterby collection by Tula Pink. A little bit of a modern twist on the pattern I used for this one.

I hope you are all having a great end of the week / start to the weekend! :-) I will share some baby shower decorating and projects for you this weekend. See ya soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Been awhile ...

2010-09-23T20:31:00.004-04:00

Hiya! Been a little bit since my last post ... hosted a baby shower, graded a bagillion papers, been working on the last of the tshirts and finished a few quilts for the shop. Here's one of them ...
Those of you that love paper will recognize the fabric - its from Basic Grey's Sultry line. Love that BG and Moda have teamed up! :-) This quilt is for sale in the Sew Lux Etsy shop along with a few others that I got posted tonight! :-)

Back soon with more of all the projects I've been messing with! Thanks for stopping by!

Many Thanks

2010-09-08T17:12:00.002-04:00

Hey y'all! Thanks for all the comments and encouragement on the new Sew Lux venture. I really appreciate it! :-)

Today, I've got another scrappy thank you card to share with you. I really like the colors in this one ... seems kind of beachy-like as far as the colors go. And I am having a good time making the 4-1/4" square cards again. I love this size because it still fits in a regular envelope. :-)I cut a square of the background paper and then added some scrap strips. I stamped the sentiment and added some rhinestones underneath to give it a little somethin' somethin'. Of course, some grosgrain ... my favorite type of ribbon. :-)

Hope you are all having a great week! I'll check in again with you soon ... Thanks for stopping by. :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Fillable Frames #1 (PTI)
Ink: Enchanted Evening (PTI)
Paper: Vintage Cream (PTI); Giving Floral from Family Ties Collection (MME); Daydream from 365 Degrees Collection (Pink Paisley); Best of Friends from Quite Contrary Collection (MME)
Other: Simply Chartreuse ribbon (PTI); rhinestones (KaiserCraft)

Lemonade ...

2010-09-06T21:12:00.004-04:00

Hey y'all! Hope you've enjoyed the holiday weekend! We've had great weather here and I am going to enjoy the shortened work week! :-)

Not too long ago, I mentioned that there was a new business in my future. About a month ago, my mom was forced to say goodbye to her job of 32 years. We've since decided to try and take those lemons and turn them into lemonade! So, I introduce to you ... drum roll, please ...

Sew Lux Fabric & Gifts

My mom and I have been sewing and quilting folk for quite some time. We've often discussed the dream of having a quilt shop. So, we've been busy sewing and getting our ducks in a row to start one up on the World Wide Web. So far, we've got several quilts ready to go, several on the way, and many more products in the works. We also hope to start our fabric portion of the store sometime in October. For now, we've got some finished goods ready to go. Here's a few peeks at 'em ...

Birdy Baby Quilt

Elephant Baby Quilt

Check out our new Sew Lux Etsy store! :-) I hope you won't mind my sharing here when we have new things ready in the shop :-)

Have a great week, y'all! Thanks for stopping by!

Quilts

2010-09-05T20:04:00.002-04:00

Hey there! Enjoyed a day in my craft room after I cleaned it up yesterday. Today, I made a baby quilt start to finish (minus the binding), quilted two other quilts and added some binding to another quilt. Here's the stack of quilts to be finished off with binding ....These will soon all be for sale ... more on my new business venture soon! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Ebates

2010-09-04T21:41:00.003-04:00

One more quick post tonight to share my new favorite site with you all ... Ebates!
If you shop online, you really need to sign up and start at Ebates before shopping. Not only does the site offer you coupon codes for many stores, you also get cash back from purchases made by way of entering your favorite stores' sites through Ebates. Easy. Yesterday, I saved 25% on my order at Gap and then earned 10% back through Ebates. Check it out and start saving some money. :-)

Many Thanks

2010-09-04T20:56:00.002-04:00

Hey y'all! :-) Sorry its been a few days ... being back at work is some work, let me tell ya! :-) Last night I decided to try and whip up some scrappy cards and I was able to make a few relatively quickly. I've been trying to cut and score an extra card base when I am making a card and keeping those handy, which I find helps when I want to make something but don't have a lot of time or want to drag all my stuff out. Here's one of the ones I made ...I really like this cutie square card. The bright colors just seem fun. I did cut into a new sheet of paper for the background, but otherwise used scraps or precut stuff. I distressed all the edges with ink and a distresser tool as well.

Here's a question ... how do you all attach your buttons? I find that when I take the time to actually stitch them to the paper I like it much better than just using a glue dot or some sticky tape.

So far, I am enjoying the holiday weekend. I stopped at Joann's today to get a few quilting supplies and met my mom there. They have terrible service, but its really the only big box sewing store and so sometimes its unavoidable. But having my mom to chat with during all the waiting around made it more bearable. We also had lunch together and then I came home and decided to overhaul my sewing room/craft disaster/office. So far its better ... needs a little more work, but is definitely a million times better than it was this afternoon! I am also enjoying some football too! :-)

Well that is it for me for now. Hope you are all having a relaxing weekend thus far. Talk to you soon! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Fillable Frames #1 (PTI)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!), Chai (PTI)
Paper: Vintage Cream (PTI); Giving Floral from So Sophie Family Ties Collection (My Minds Eye), Daydream from 365 Degrees Collection (Pink Paislee); paper flower from Seamstress Bouquet Paper Whimsies collection (Sassafras)
Other: Simply Chartreuse ribbon, Sweet Blush button, twine (PTI)

Baby Shower Invitation

2010-08-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hiya! Yesterday I mentioned that I made some baby shower invitations that I would share today. Let me just say, I had a hard time coming up with a design and color scheme, etc. I finally settled on this fun paper from We R Memory Keepers and incorporated an owl stamp because the mama-to-be is lovin' her some owls lately. :-) I barely squeezed out enough invites with the amount of paper that I had and the green horizontal strip was replaced with the orange version on a few of them. But here it is ... I think its really fun for a party to welcome a boy. Thankfully, the Scattered Showers & Scattered Showers Additions stamp sets included the words I needed for the front. I printed the invite specifics, cut to 4" square, rounded the corners and glued on the inside, which I think turned out nice.

I mocked up the first one and then cut all the pieces and put them together assembly line style. I think this is the best way to create a bunch of cards that are all the same and/or very similar.

What do you think? Hope she likes them! :-)

Thanks for stopping by again today - I am going to try and be a better blogger this month! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Fox & Friends (SU!); Scattered Showers & Scattered Showers Additions (PTI)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!); Chai, Chamomile (PTI)
Paper: Kiwi Kiss (SU!); Vintage Cream (PTI); patterned paper from 72 & Sunny collection (We R Memory Keepers)
Other: twine, button (PTI); ribbon (SU!); foam tape (Scotch)

Thank You

2010-08-30T16:47:00.002-04:00

Hey y'all and happy Monday! I hope your Monday was better than mine ... it was just like a chain of events today that made the day a little off-kilter. It started with me backing out of the garage and watching my cup go tumbling off of the roof of my car. Nice. Nothing was too terrible or unbearable, but it was definitely one annoyance after another today. Anyway ...

I wanted to share one of the cards I made the other day ... I made a set of four of these as some baby gift thank yous for my friend whose shower I attended. She's got a Beatrix Potter theme going on and this vintage-y looking paper made think it would be a fun choice. A pretty simple layout and lots of ink distressing. Hope she likes them and enjoys using them. :-) I also made some baby shower invitations ... which I struggled with making due to lack of inspiration. BUT I am thrilled with what I ended up with ... super cute and included an owl, which the mama-to-be is obsessed with right now. I will be back to share that with you tomorrow. :-)

That's about it for now. Thanks so much for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Giga Guidelines (PTI)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!); Chai, Chamomile (PTI)
Paper: Dark Chocolate, Spring Rain, Spring Rain Polka Dot paper (PTI); cream paper - Clara (Melissa Frances); Puppydogs & Pigtails from Lullaby Lane collection (Websters Pages)
Other: Taffeta ribbon (SU!)

Baby Shower

2010-08-28T17:57:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! I survived the first week of school and have been enjoying the weekend so far. I went to a baby shower yesterday, which was a lot of fun. Of course, I had to make a card ...

I used some PTI paper and a paper doilie for the background. I have seen a lot of doilies around and had been hoarding a package of them for awhile. :-) I also stamped a stork image and colored it with some Copics and added that panel on foam tape. I spelled babe with some BG letter stickers from a recent Studio Calico kit. (Sorry for the crappy photo ... was in a hurry to get to the shower!)

I also packaged up a lot of baby goodies in a Thirty-One tote. This one is called the Organizing Utility Tote and is less than $30 even after adding an initial or monogram to it! It actually has 7 outside pockets (2 shown filled here) and holds a lot of stuff. I had their last name initial added to the bag and also had a matching insulated Small Lunch Tote with a few bottles inside tucked into the larger bag along with some cute outfits, of course! It was a hit!
There's still 2 days left to take advanatage of the August Special which is $1 embroidery on all items (normally $6 per item). Feel free to check out the catalog and shop online or email me if you have any questions!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Amuse
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Chai, Chamomile (PTI); Copic markers
Paper: White, Kraft, Green Boutique patterned paper (PTI)
Other: Doilie (Wilton); New Leaf grosgrain (PTI)

You're Sew Nice

2010-08-25T20:10:00.002-04:00

Hey y'all! It's been a pretty big (and long) week already and its only the end of Wednesday ... so far this week I have survived my 30th birthday, open house/meet the teacher night and today the first day of school ... including all 102 of my students among my three classes. Just two more days until the weekend!

Since I had a birthday, I have a bunch of thank you notes to write and distribute to some pretty sweet folks. Here's one I made the other night from my scrap pile. I love the colors and patterns, but I think my design is a wee bit off balance. But hopefully the recipient won't really care too much about that! :-)
Got another good bow on this one. ;-) A few of you have asked me about maybe doing a bow tutorial. But being a teacher, I learned a long time ago that there's no need to reinvent the wheel if you don't have to. Here's one that I like and learned from created by Dawn. Give it a go, girls! :-)

Alright ... I'm off to relax! Talk atchya soon! :-)

Supplies Used:
(Coming Soon)

Cuteness

2010-08-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

Hey y'all! Just stopping in today to share some totes that arrived yesterday for a few of my Thirty-One customers. I wanted to share this photo since it shows several of the embroidery styles. These are definitely some of the cutest lunch bags on the market!During the month of August, all embroidery is just $1 per item - a $5 savings over the normal $6/item charge. So each of these insulated beauties is only $15 with your name or initials! Try to beat that deal, my friends! :-) And because of the embroidery special, you are basically getting this for 25% off regular retail. Pick up one for yourself or a friend or grab a few to tuck Christmas gifts in later and forget about last minute wrapping and taping! The embroidery sale ends August 31st - a week from today.

If you have any questions, feel free to visit my Thirty-One website or drop me an email. It's so easy to order one online or you can send me your order via email. :-)

Wedding Day

2010-08-23T21:41:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! Sorry its been awhile since my last post. I started back to work and while some people think teachers have it made getting out of work in the afternoon and off (I mean kind of unemployed) in the summer, its really a lot of work! Had open house tonight, which went well and I met about 50 of the 100 students I will see this semester ... I have one day left before my room is filled with teenagers.

Anyway ... this past weekend I helped a college friend celebrate her wedding and this was the card I made for her and her man.Its really simple and I used the corner of a pretty paper to get that bouquet on the card without doing any coloring! I added a bow, a sentiment, and some pearls and kept it simple and sweet otherwise. Hope they liked it. :-) I also made all of their invitations and their programs and hopefully I will get around to sharing those soon.

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Year of Flowers: Roses (PTI)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!); Chai, Chamomile (PTI)
Paper: White (PTI); Adobe (Bazzill); "In Due Time" from Lullaby Lane collection (Webster's Pages)
Other: Vintage Cream grosgrain (PTI); pearls (KaiserCraft); foam tape (Scotch)

Winner and Quilt Update

2010-08-17T22:24:00.003-04:00

Hey y'all! Random.org picked #4 and #6 ... so Hayden and Nadine please email me (see sidebar) and so I can get your info to send your prize! :-)

Didn't get to make anything new yet this week, but I will leave you with this photo of some of the virtual quilting bee blocks I have gotten back so far ...... I know I am going to LOVE this quilt for a long time once its finished! :-)

See ya later alligators! :-)

Dear Bernina

2010-08-15T23:03:00.004-04:00

Hey y'all! Hope you had a lovely weekend! I have *one* day off before its back to work for me. Sad. I was just getting to some fun stuff! :-) I did finish my 70 t-shirts ... I am dragging the 31 pound box to the post office in the morning. Praise the Lord to be finished with those! :-) Which brings me to my letter to my Bernina (my sewing machine) ...

Dear Bernina,
You've been such a hard worker over the past couple of years. We spend most of our time together working on work and today we worked for fun. It was good. We should quilt and create for fun more often ... see you tomorrow! :-)
Chrissy

Ok ... so I think I just showed y'all my corny side. But I see the thing is, I recently decided to call it quits on my t-shirt business to make time for other (and more important) things. And while it was a really tough decision, I finally got over my anxiety about it and am excited. Excited to have time to sew and work on things for fun. For others. For the most important people to me. In all likelihood, I will be back in a slightly different business pretty soon - but this time with my mom. Unfortunately, she now has a lot more time on her hands, but hopefully this will be an opportunity instead of a negative thing. More on that new business later once I know more details and get some plans worked out. :-)

After putting in some long hours on those shirts, I made a couple of fun things today ... This is my first attempt at a tag quilt thing. Y'all mommas know what this is. :-) Sorry for the blurry photo. I will try to get a better one. I got this awesome panel the other day and thought it would be great for one of these. Of course, I have a serious amount of ribbon laying around so I picked some different grosgrains that went along with the color scheme. The back is a tone-on-tone lime green. I have 3 more panels ... thinking of making a few more to maybe throw up in the Etsy shop.

Next up is a peek at a quilt top I made today. I am *almost* finished with the top. I need about 30 more minutes with it. I am loving it so far. It's going to be a baby/kid quilt, but I am not sure if I will be ready to sell or give this one away (more likely sell since all my friends are having boys!) any time soon. May just want to look at it for awhile! I really need to stop hoarding my fabric! It's more fun to use it. :-) Glad that I will *hopefully* be sewing more for fun in the coming months!

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to comment for my blog candy (see previous post) ... ends tomorrow! :-)

Hey Friend & A Give-Away

2010-08-12T19:32:00.004-04:00

Hey y'all! Sorry to disappear on you for a week! Lots of things going on ... some I can share and some I won't ... but most of my time this past week has either been hanging with family or working on 70 letter shirts for a customer of mine. I should be done tomorrow. I. Hope. :-)

I wanted to share a friend card I made awhile back for a pub call. (I haven't made a new card in like 2 weeks! I have GOT to finish that t-shirt order! LOL) Here she is ...
She's cute, huh? I colored the girls clothes to match the American Crafts paper. A pretty simple layout and a great bow, if I do say so myself. :-) I will have to hunt down the supplies on this one ... but I know its a Unity stamp, American Crafts patterned paper and everything else is PTI.

Now for the giveaway part ... Every girl loves a great bag, right?! Well, I sure do... There is no doubt about it. I "know" someone who is turning 30 in a week or so and wanted to do a little giveaway. So, here's what is up for grabs. I am gonna give away a one of these Mini Zipper Pouches from Thirty-One. You can have your choice of fabric and monogram. And I am going to include a mini Satin Hands Hand Cream from Mary Kay. (If you craft as much as I do, you probably need some of this awesome stuff!) :-)Just 'cuz I am feeling nice, I am going to be picking TWO winners. Here's the details: Leave a comment on this post telling me your best birthday gift ever by Monday, August 16th at 9 PM. Two winners will be drawn at random. Winners will be announced here on the blog on or before Wednesday, August 18th. Winners have until August 20th to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen.

That's all for now ... the sewing machine is calling me! Thanks for stopping by! :-)

i {heart} you

2010-08-05T17:02:00.003-04:00

Hiya! Is it hot enough out there?! Goodness gracious. I don't know about where some of y'all live, but its been in the upper 90's here and that is just gross. Anyway!

Yesterday was my 3rd wedding anniversary! So crazy that we've hit three years already. My mister has been out of town for a few days and so it was especially nice to get him back yesterday! I have a hard time making cards for him ... maybe its something about liking to use ribbons and pinks and stuff ... but I thought I'd share a Valentine's Day card that I had made for a call.
Some cute paper on this one ... that I had actually gotten for free - even better! :-) I used this card as a sketch ... really like this layout a lot. I covered a chipboard heart with red polka dotted paper and sanded the edges a bit. Otherwise, its a pretty quick and easy card to make. :-)

Well, I am headed to the kitchen to scare up something for dinner! Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Key to My Heart (Practicing Creativity)
Ink: Pure Poppy, Chamomile (PTI)
Paper: Vintage Cream (PTI); Blooming Love, Rock & Roll Heart, Heart of the Matter all from Love Me Do line (My Mind's Eye)
Other: ribbon (PTI); chipboard heart (Darice); corner rounder punch (EK Success)

Hi

2010-08-03T21:23:00.003-04:00

Hi there! I hope you've all had a great day! :-) I wanted to stop in today to share a card I made awhile back using the 2 Sketches 4 You sketch #54. This was also for a publication call but didn't get picked up ... so I can share it here with you. :-)These chipboard letters are so fun ... kind of western-looking. And I love that tea-stained twill that I picked up awhile go. I used a really thin mat of the pink paper behind the letters to help them stand out a little bit. I'm all about the colors on this card.

Some of my quilting bee gals have gotten their fabric already and I am so excited to see what they do with it to create some blocks for me. I will be sure to keep you posted as they come back to me. :-)

Well, that's all for now. Off to work on some cards I will be needing this week. See ya tomorrow!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics II (PTI)
Ink: Antique Linen (Ranger)
Paper: Vintage Cream (PTI); All Dressed Up & Lah Dee Dee from Ooh La La collection (My Mind's Eye)
Other: High Noon chipboard letter stickers (Cosmo Cricket); tea-stained twill; button, twine (PTI)

New & Awesome

2010-08-02T12:22:00.003-04:00

Hey y'all and Happy Monday! Just stopping in to share some Thirty-One news ...

Our new fall/winter catalog came out yesterday! I love the new catalog - great new products, updated classics, and beautiful new fabrics! And during the month of August, you can embroider your name, phrase, or monogram on any of our embroiderable products for just ONE DOLLAR! This is an awesome deal as embroidery is usually $6 per item. What a great time to try Thirty-One or share the products with your friends! (Or even get started on your holiday shopping a little early!)Some of my favorite products include the Thermal Tote (an awesome lunch bag!), the City Skirt Purse, and the Utility Totes. Check them out and view the catalog at my Thirty-One website. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment below.

See ya tomorrow! :-)

Happy Birthday

2010-07-30T22:17:00.002-04:00

Hiya! Hope you are all ready for the weekend because it's here! We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday tonight and then tomorrow I am helping to host a bridal shower. Gonna be a busy weekend for this girl! I did want to share the birthday card that I gave to my mother-in-law, though ... here it is ...
I really like this one and made it originally for a color challenge for a magazine call (it didn't get chosen). I got those pretty pink flowers by misting some white ones with some Maya Mist. A great tip for maximizing your supplies - buy plain and dye them with inks and mists. :-)

Well, I gotta run and finish some stuff for tomorrow! I am making favors, which I will be sure to share with you all later! :-)

See ya soon!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Enjoy the Ride (PTI)
Ink: Rich Cocoa (Memento), Chai, Chamomile (PTI)
Paper: Melon Berry, Lemon Tart (PTI), CE Katydid CrissCross (Coredinations)
Other: hydrangea blooms (craft supply), Carnation Pink mist (Maya Road), pearls (BG Opaline), buttons, twine, ribbon (PTI)

Everything I love and something new ...

2010-07-29T16:06:00.003-04:00

Hey y'all! I don't know about you, but this week has definitely gotten away from me. Geez. And only about 2-1/2 weeks left of freedom before its back to work. But, I am hoping to make some good use of that time ... and today I did something just for fun! (I should try that concept out more often! lol)

I joined a virtual quilting bee the other day and offered to host first - in August. This will be my first bee, but I am stoked. In thinking about what pattern to ask my fellow quilters to use, I wanted to do something I hadn't before ... enter the Spiderweb block. I love the look of these and decided it was just the thing ... but wanted to try a tutorial first before I went asking others to do it too! So, I tried out this awesome tutorial and here's the result ... my first spidey block!This block has a few small errors in that some seams didn't align quite right, but pretty darn good for my first attempt at a new block. And this block has everything I love ... black & whites, dots, more dots, pinks and greens, and a few snipets of some past quilt projects mixed in as well as a the last smidgens of some fabrics that I had shoved in my scrap basket. It was fun to think about the folks I have made quilts for as I put this together and remembered the projects I used the various fabrics for.

Here's a few in-progress shots for you ... the back of the block pieces prior to trimming them down. I was as stingy as I could be with my scrap strips without being too close to call.
Here's the front of them too ... see that little piece of black & white stripe and the Java Blue on those corners ... yeah, that's it for those fabrics! Gone with a capital G.
And ... drumroll please ... the fabric I plan to cut up and send to my bee buddies. Let me say, I know its going to turn out amazing. But I am sort of terrified ... I saw this fabric online before it was available and HAD to have it. And when it came out, I promptly got all these fat quarters ... in the summer of 2009. They've been staring at me from the shelf across from my machine ever since ....
I think its finally time to put them to good use! :-) Be gentle fellow quilters ... I {heart} these :-)

That's all I've got for now ... busy preparing for a bridal shower this weekend and some other projects. See y'all soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Shabby & Vintage & Inspired

2010-07-26T16:44:00.003-04:00

Hi and Happy Monday y'all! I am checking in today to share a card I made for the Paper Crafts Inspired Style Challenge (create a project inspired by a vintage typewriter) and I am combining it with the Moxie Fab Shabby & Vintage challenge. Here's what I came up with ... What do ya think? I think she turned out pretty! :-) I stamped the typewriter and sentiment gray ink and then used some collage-y type paper from The Girls Paperie. Its like a cheater quilt fabric, but paper and the colors in it are so lovely. I did a lot of ink distressing on the edges and then added some ribbon, a button, and some pearls for good measure.

I am off to a get ready for a meeting this evening ... hope you are having a wonderful start to your week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Typeset (Studio Calico); FYI (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Going Gray (Stampin' Up!); Chai, Chamomile (PTI)
Paper: Pink Pirouette (Stampin' Up!); Vintage Cream, Hibiscus Burst (PTI); patterned paper "Vintage Patchwork" from Paper Girl collection (The Girls' Paperie)
Other: Sweet Blush satin ribbon, New Leaf vintage button, twine (PTI); adhesive pearls (e. by Prima); foam tape

Thirty-One Special & News

2010-07-25T23:25:00.004-04:00

Hello again! Just wanted to update you on the latest with my Thirty-One business. This month, there's a great special where you can get this cute little bag - the Littles Carry All - for just $5 with free embroidery when you spend $31 dollars. Read the complete sales flyer here. This little tote has a pocket on the back and four of them fit into the Square Utility Tote and six will fit into the Large Utility Tote. A great way to stay organized!

(Crafty people - think Copic markers, scissors and other tools, completed cards, clear stamp sets ... wink, wink!)

Also, the current catalog is headed out the door ... I will be working from the new catalog beginning August 1st - I will post an update then with a link and a great special in August as well. A few products and fabrics are retiring, please let me know if you have any questions about whether or not an item will be returning. All orders from this Spring/Summer catalog must be in no later than July 31st.

If you're interested in placing an order, you can email me (link in sidebar) or order online. I can also help you get started with your own Thirty-One business as well!

Have a great week! :-)

Same but Different

2010-07-25T15:35:00.002-04:00

Hey y'all! Been a busy week wrapping up some projects and attending a conference. But I am back and thought I'd share a few cards I made while making this card for my recent swap. I just changed up the color schemes a bit but everything else is the same.

Here's pink and green ...
And here's blue and pink ...I like both variations, but I think I like the original best! :-)

I have to run and tackle a few things but will return tomorrow with some crafty goodness. See ya then!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Pinwheel Challenge

2010-07-21T15:18:00.002-04:00

Hi! Hope you are all having a great week ... I can't believe this week is almost over. I have less than a month left of summer break and I am definitely in denial about that! LOL

The CARDS Magazine blog issued a challenge to make a card with pinwheels. (You can see there challenge here on this post.) I don't think I have made any pinwheels since I was a kid, so I thought "why not?!" I made a pretty clean and simple card ... I had bigger, more complex plans in my mind, but that didn't happen. I used the Dotty Biscotti paper from PTI and since its not double-sided, I stuck two pieces together. In retrospect, I suggest using double-sided paper since it will be easy to bend and would probably stay bent better. Start with a square and cut from each corner point into the center. Then fold every other point in to the center and secure.

Well, I am off to take care of a few things around here. Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: Signature Greetings; TypeSet (background stamp) from StudioCalico
Ink: Chamomile; SU! Basic Brown
Paper: Vintage Cream, Raspberry Fizz, Dotty Biscotti patterned paper
Other: button, twine, foam tape

Crazy for Hexagons

2010-07-21T15:11:00.002-04:00

I must be crazy ...

The other night while going through some new entries in my Google Reader (which, by the way, if you read blogs and are not using Google Reader, you're probably driving yourself nuts checking them all ... go sign up!) ... I came upon a hexagon project. And that led me to here, to TexasFreckles.com and some great tutorials.

So, I got to cutting scraps and made a few ... we'll see if this hand piecing lasts longer than a few weeks! :-) But I do love how scrappy this might turn out.
Oh yeah ... this will be a little quilt ... not a "go big or go home" type of project. LOL I will keep you updated! :-)

Wishing You Sunshine

2010-07-19T14:59:00.002-04:00

Hi! Happy Monday y'all! I am getting back into the swing of things here and taking care of some projects and chores that needed to be completed. I thought I'd share another scrap card that I made a few weeks ago. I used some leftover paper from the pregnancy journal I made for my friend. I stamped the sentiment and then masked it so I could stamp the sun shape around it. The little flower border was from the edge of the paper - where it tells the manufacturer, etc. I just couldn't throw it out! :-) A pretty simple and quick-to-make card.

Well, I better run and take care of a few more things so I can get to what I really want to do ... play around with fabric and paper! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Scattered Showers (PTI), sun shape stamp (Studio Calico)
Ink: Rich Cocoa (Memento); Chai (PTI)
Paper: Kraft (PTI), Cherry Hill Avenue -Abode Collection (American Crafts)
Other: ribbon, twine, button (PTI)

Vacation Recap

2010-07-18T18:16:00.005-04:00

Hi y'all! I hope you've all had a great weekend. :-) I had a busy week last week and thought I'd share some of the fun with you all. On Wednesday, we headed up to New Jersey to see some family before attending a wedding on Saturday. We went a few days early so that we could go into NYC for a day ... and so Thursday we got up and took the bus into the city, rode the subway to Battery Park, where we caught a ferry back to the NJ side to visit the one and only Carlo's Bake Shop from the TLC Show Cake Boss. We got to Hoboken about 11 am and it was about a 1/2 mile walk to Washington Street from the ferry docks. We were shocked to find out that there was an hour wait outside just to get into the bakery! But we stuck it out and when we finally got to the front of the line, we got a number and headed into the madness!

Occasionally, you'll see a massive crowd in the store on the show ... well, its all us tourists mobbing the place! LOL This photo captures about half of the store ... its not very big and it was pretty much elbow-to-elbow in there. You can see the stairwell that they run up and down in the back of the photo if you look close. A few minutes later they called my number and I hustled to try and figure out what I wanted.

I only got a few things to try since we would be running around the city all day. Of course, I couldn't pass up the fresh-filled cannolis. And I split that cream puff with the mister and it was pretty good too! But before we had our treats, we stopped at Rome Pizza for a fresh pizza pie before we headed back to NYC. It was definitely some good pizza! (We had smelled it on our way to the Bake Shop!)

So, we headed back across on the ferry to NYC, where we jumped on another ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Here's my mister with the Lady Liberty.

We took another ferry ride back to the city ... here we are with NYC in the background. The ferry ride is a short 10 minutes, but it did seem like we spent 1/2 the day on a boat! LOL

We did some more walking and saw Wall Street and then walked part of the Brooklyn Bridge before catching the subway back to Times Square. It was typical Times Square all lit up with lots of hustle and bustle.

We had dinner at the Hard Rock and caught the bus back to NJ. It was a great day - much better than our day trip two days before New Years when it was like 10 degrees outside!

Saturday, we went to my aunt's wedding which was on the water. We took the opportunity for a photo op in the garden area outside.

My aunt and uncle are big into boating and nautical-themed things, so the wedding was casual, which was a nice change. A few things that I loved from the wedding ... the lobster cookies ...

The fun cupcakes with edible shells, sea horses, etc. ...

And her gorgeous bouquet of sterling roses, orchids, and hydrangeas! And, of course, the bling! Loved this bouquet!

Well, that's all for now. I did save a lot of memorabilia stuff from the trip to give a mini scrapbook a go ... I will be sure to share when I get around to that! :-)

Thanks for stopping by ... I will be back with some crafty stuff tomorrow. See ya then!

More Sew Lovely

2010-07-13T23:59:00.003-04:00

Hey y'all! Just stopping in to share a card I made the other day while I had all my fun teal papers and ribbons out. This is another card using the Lawn Fawn Sew Lovely set. Since I am an avid sewer, it was a set that I couldn't pass up. Hero Arts recently put out some fun sewing sets that I can't wait to ink up. :-) I stamped the image and then colored it with Copics. I really need to try paper piecing this dress form. Maybe even piecing it with fabric scraps! I also did another double bow with my seam binding ribbon - the ribbon is so light weight that it doesn't make it too bulky like a grosgrain would.

That's all for now! Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Sew Lovely (Lawn Fawn)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Chai, Chamomile (PTI); Copic markers
Paper: White, Vintage Cream, Aqua Mist (PTI); patterned paper (October Afternoon Thrift Shop collection)
Other: seam binding, foam tape

Card Style Fun & Cute Challenge

2010-07-12T16:29:00.003-04:00

Hiya! Happy Monday! This week will be busy for me, but I am looking forward to it.

Have you seen the new Paper Crafts magazine? Its called Card Style and I can't wait to get a copy of it to flip through. This week, Cath of Moxie Fab is hosting some challenges and today is cards that are "Fun & Cute" ... well, I think this counts!
This card was made with mostly scraps from my scrap bucket. And I love the bright color scheme I've got going on. Who doesn't like polka dots and cupcakes?! :-)

Check out the challenge and all the details here and play along!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Cupcake Collection
Ink: PTI Raspberry Fizz
Paper: PTI White, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest; Bitty Dots Summer Sunrise patterned paper; Raspberry Fizz Mix (dots) patterned paper
Other: Cupcake Sticker from Me & My Big Ideas Ellen-Cupcakes scrapbook kit; PTI Orange Zest grosgrain; KasierCraft rhinestones
Tools: circle punches (EK Success)

Card Patterns #71

2010-07-09T17:36:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday! Been a busy day baking, visiting, and now home to take care of a few things and projects before the weekend. :-)

I did want to share a card I made for the Card Patterns Sketch #71 the other night. You can check out the sketch here. And here's my card ...
I used the super cute "Sew Lovely" set from Lawn Fawn Stamps. I kept it a clean and simple version of the sketch and I know just who to send this to ...

Thanks for stopping by - see ya tomorrow!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Sew Lovely (Lawn Fawn Stamps)
Ink: Ripe Avocado, Berry Sorbet (PTI), Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper: White (PTI), Kiwi Kiss (SU!), Sugary Sweet from Sweet Marmalade Collection (Sassafras Lass)
Other: foam tape

A Monochromatic Note

2010-07-08T12:35:00.004-04:00

Hi again - this is my second post for today (scroll down to see my interpretation of this week's CPS sketch challenge). Last Friday, Paige put up a challenge on the CARDS Blog for monochromatic cards. Here's my interpretation ... I hadn't used my seam binding in awhile and I really love this Peacock color ... so I went on a hunt for some papers that went well with it and settled on this paper from October Afternoon. I really heart the Thrift Shop line papers. I especially love that that dot paper is the reverse of the doily paper - what a fun combo!

Anywho ... for the sentiment I used the label from SU!'s Great Friend and then added the sentiment and little flourishes from PTI's Take Note. I did stamp off first on the flourishes to get a lighter shade of the Ocean Tides ink ... sometimes I will do that when I don't have exactly the right color ink for what I really want.

Well that is all for now ... back to working on some projects!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: SU! Great Friend; PTI Take Note
Ink: PTI Ocean Tides, Chai, Chamomile
Paper: PTI Aqua Mist, Vintage Cream; October Afternoon Thrift Shop (Collector's Item, Needs Paint)
Other: Peacock seam binding; foam tape; corner rounder punch

CPS174

2010-07-08T12:28:00.001-04:00

Happy Thursday, y'all! I wanted to share the card I made for this week's CPS sketch challenge. Here's the original post with the sketch. For this one, I kept it pretty simple, but I really like how it came together ... and it was super quick since the bird and "sweet" frame were from a little pack of cardstock embellishments that I picked up at Target several weeks ago. I am glad I finally put some of them to use!I thought the colors in the frame worked well with this colorway of the Dotty Biscotti paper and I think it adds a bit of a modern feel with the more vintage-y bird.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Paper: PTI Kraft, Dotty Biscotti patterned paper
Ink: PTI Chai, Chamomile
Embellishments: PTI Vintage Cream grosgrain; K&Co Serendipity die cuts (bird and sentiment)
Other: foam tape

Owl Card Set

2010-07-07T21:02:00.002-04:00

Hiya! Is the summer flying by or what?! Maybe I better not think about how I will be back in the classroom before I know it ... I still have a lot of projects I want to work on!

Speaking of projects, my BFF loves some owls and I found this paper awhile back that was too cute to pass up. I whipped up a quick set of 6 thank you notes for her complete with a stamped envelope. :-)
She loved them and I hope she enjoys sending them out as much as I enjoyed making them. Pretty easy ... lots of layers and quick to mass produce. The thin ribbon is easy to mail too - good thing since I am sure she'll be using a lot of postage in the coming months. :-)

That's all for now ... off to work on some sketch challenges. :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Fox & Friends (SU!); sentiment from Baby Wishes (Amuse)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!), Antique Linen (Ranger Distress). Simply Chartreuse (PTI)
Paper: Dark Chocolate, White (PTI); Owls All Around from Fern Collection (Adorn It)
Other: Ribbon (craft store)

July Swap Cards Part 2

2010-07-06T17:27:00.002-04:00

Hi y'all! Hope you all had a Happy Fourth of July weekend! :-)

I'm back today to share the second card I made for the July Papertrey swap that I am in. I had started with something else in mind, but scrapped it completely and came up with this. Much better! :-)
I used some Green Boutique paper on this one and let it do all the work. Love the polka dots in this set. :-) I stamped the light and sentiment from On My Couch and colored it with Copics and also added some glitter to the lampshade. I did swipe my light gray Copic around the edge of the white square just to give it a little something.

Well that's it for now! Off to finish a few other projects so that I can get started on more!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: On My Couch
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic markers
Paper: White, Hawaiian Shores, Green Boutique patterned paper
Other: New Leaf twill; glitter; foam tape

July Swap Cards Part 1

2010-07-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

Hiya! Happy Saturday folks! I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend thus far. Looking forward to a our annual picnic on my parents' deck tomorrow ... food and some pool time and the weather has cooled off a bit (well, like mid-80s) and has been lovely!

Today, I am sharing one of my swap cards for my PTI swap on Splitcoaststampers. This card was inspired by one of Betsy's cards from this post. Here's my take on it ...Turns out that I couldn't decide if I liked it better on kraft or purple card stock, so I did half and half! :-) I think I am leaning towards the kraft, but neither of these pictures are amazing ... but in person both ways is great. Here's a closer picture of the glitter in the center of the flowers. (You can click on the photos to enlarge them.) Well that is all for now ... off to enjoy spending some time with family and friends and hopefully some crafting later tonight! Have a great day everyone! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: Year of Flowers: Violets
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa; Chamomile; Copic markers
Paper: White, Kraft, Aqua Mist, Plum Pudding, Dotty Biscotti patterned paper
Other: Aqua Mist grosgrain; glue pen; Stampendous glitter

Zoology Baby Quilt

2010-07-02T07:30:00.000-04:00

Hello there and happy Friday! This time last week I was deciding to whip out a quilt before lunch with a friend (and new mom!) on Saturday. Anyone else out there procrastinate? I can procrastinate with the best of them. In fact, if I don't have a deadline its hard for me to get things done.

Anywho ... I hemmed and hawed and finally decided to go for it about 3:30 in the afternoon. I cut fabric for three of these and finished an entire one - handstitched binding and all - by about 10:00 PM. Here it is ...
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this fabric. Its stinkin' cute. And boy appropriate. Its about 32" x 34". The color is a little better in the photo below ...
I am SO glad I took a chance on that striped binding. I really love how it turned out and am so glad I can cut and press a fold straight or that would have been a BIG disaster. LOL

This photo shows the binding and backing. I used that same focal print on the back and did an all-over stippling to quilt it up. I don't pre-wash anything so when I wash it and everything shrinks a bit it has the best bubbly texture.
Finally, I also made a little burp cloth to match using some leftovers. Note: pre-wash the cloth diapers first next time. (They shrink ALOT more than the fabric.) Despite being a little imperfect in the end, I figured it was still cute enough to get spit up on.
Well there you have it! :-) Hope to make a few more of these to put up in my Etsy shop in the next couple of weeks! I will keep you posted on that!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

The Big Project Part 4

2010-07-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hello again! Today's I am sharing the last of the pregnancy journal album ... the final "trimester" and welcome baby page ...

7 Months Page ... 8 Months page ...
9 Months page ... (lovin' this color combo)
And finally ... the "welcome" page ... I thought this would be a good place to include a first family photo and the basics of the wee one.And just in case you hadn't had your fill on baby projects from me this week ... I will show you another "quilt-in-a-evening" gift I made last week. So cute ... see you soon! :-)

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used:
7 Months Page
Paper: Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride "Are We There Yet", October Afternoon Fly A Kite "Fireflies", PTI Kraft, White, American Crafts Rocky Road
Accessories: PTI Dark Chocolate grosgrain; Making Memories Oliver chipboard number

8 Months Page
Paper: Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride "Are We There Yet", Peebles Tree House "Sunset", PTI Kraft, White, SU! Really Rust
Accessories: PTI Ocean Tides grosgrain; Cosmo Cricket High Noon chipboard number sticker

9 Months Page
Paper: American Crafts Abode "Cherry Hill Avenue", My Mind's Eye Lush "Brown Houndstooth", PTI White, Kraft; SU! Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: PTI Simply Chartreuse grosgrain; American Crafts Nutmeg number sticker

Welcome Page
Paper: Pebbles Tree House "Sunset", My Mind's Eye Lush "Brown Houndstooth", PTI White, Kraft; American Crafts Rocky Road
Accessories: PTI Dark Chocolate grosgrain; Basic Grey "Green at Heart" chipboard sticker letters, Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie rubons ("precious one")

All Pages:
PTI Faux Ribbon stamp set; Distress Antique Linen Ink; SU! Curly Label Punch; sewing machine

The Big Project: Part 3

2010-06-30T21:02:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! Back again today to share a few more pages from the album I created.

Here's "4 months" ...
Love that numbered paper from Cosmo Cricket's Joy Ride line and all the fun colors in it.

Here's the "5 months" page ...
And here's the "6 months" page ...
I will be back tomorrow with the final three pages and then I will have some fun cards to share! See ya then!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used:
4 Months Page
Paper: Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride "Are We There Yet", Pebbles Tree House "Sunset", PTI Kraft, White, SU! Really Rust
Accessories: PTI Simply Ocean Tides grosgrain; Cosmo Cricket High Noon chipboard number sticker

5 Months Page
Paper: October Afternoon Fly a Kite "Fireflies", My Mind's Eye Lush "Brown Houndstooth", PTI Kraft, White, Bazzill "Lagoon"
Accessories: PTI Chartreuse grosgrain; Making Memories Oliver chipboard number

6 Months Page
Paper: American Crafts Abode "Cherry Hill Avenue", My Minds Eye Lush "Brown Houndstooth", Bazzill "Lagoon", PTI White, Kraft
Accessories: PTI Dark Chocolate grosgrain; American Crafts Nutmeg number sticker

All Pages:
PTI Faux Ribbon stamp set; Distress Antique Linen Ink; SU! Curly Label Punch; sewing machine

The Big Project Part 2

2010-06-29T10:15:00.003-04:00

Happy Tuesday! Back today to share the "first trimester" of the baby story journal I made. Each page has a rectangle of patterned paper to mount a photo on and then a spot to journal a little something. It also has a little piece of white card stock sewn along an edge to record a date.

1 Month page ...
2 Months page ... I really love this color combo!3 Months page ...Back tomorrow with more! :-)

Supplies Used:
1 Month Page
Paper: Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride "Are We There Yet", Pebbles Tree House "Sunset", PTI Kraft, White, American Crafts Rocky Road
Accessories: PTI Simply Chartreuse grosgrain; American Crafts Regards chip board letter sticker

2 Months Page
Paper: October Afternoon Fly a Kite "Fireflies", My Mind's Eye Lush "Brown Houndstooth", Pebbles Tree House "Sunset" (reverse is that pretty jade!), PTI Kraft, White, Bazzill "Lagoon"
Accessories: PTI Ocean Tides grosgrain; Cosmo Cricket High Noon chipboard number sticker

3 Months Page
Paper: American Crafts Abode "Cherry Hill Avenue", American Crafts "Rocky Road", PTI White, Kraft
Accessories: PTI Dark Chocolate grosgrain; American Crafts Nutmeg number sticker

All Pages:
PTI Faux Ribbon stamp set; Distress Antique Linen Ink; SU! Curly Label Punch; sewing machine

The Big Project

2010-06-28T22:37:00.005-04:00

Hey y'all! (That makes me feel like Paula Dean to start off with "Hey y'all! LOL) Anyway ... I am finally checking in to post some pictures of the big project I worked on a week or so ago. I was really excited about this one and while I am still excited about how it turned out, I wish I had had more forethought about what to include ... because ... well, (1) I am not pregnant and haven't had a baby yet and (2) I just haven't scrapped a lot! So while I would do it a bit different now, I am excited to share my first big mini album project with you all ... a pregnancy journal mini album for my BFF!

This is the little cover I made for the album. My BFF is preggers (not me ... my BFF! haha) and she loves her some owls right now. And she's having a boy. Have I ever mentioned that I like pink?! What's up with everyone having a boy - I don't collect boy paper and fabric! LOL Anyway ... I used some cutie owl fabric and lined it with dots and used the dots as little ties ... all a pattern off the fly.
Here's the front of the book ... I will share a couple of pages a day so I can tell you more about what I used on each page, etc. But I started with some notepad backer paper and cut them in half to make 8.5 x 5.5 sheets. I used a few different papers thoughout the book ... some of which are on the front here. I hand wrote the couple's name and the year on the front. (She's due in October.) And then on the back of the album, I stamped my "handmade by" schtuff and then added a little extra love. You can see here that I have an envelope on the back of each page to stuff little notes, prayers and extra photos in. (Note: its likely that all these pages will get mounted on a scrap page ... because as you'll see tomorrow I didn't anticipate that my self-proclaimed noncrafty friend would want to go to town journaling. That is not to say she doesn't like the album, because she loved it ... but I will start asking what my friends might want in the future instead of going for a total surprise element!) But anyway ... I thought it was a great idea in theory!
Well, I am off to bed ... you'll have to come back tomorrow to see the first couple of pages!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Notepad backer chipboard sheets (Thecraftypc.com)
Paper: Lush Brown Houndstooth (reverse side used - My Minds Eye), Fly A Kite Fireflies (reverse side (green dots) - October Afternoon), Lagoon textured (Bazzill)
Ink: Distress Antique Linen
Sticker Letters: Holly Doodle (Pink Paislee),
Ribbon: Dark Chocolate, Ocean Tides grosgrain

Another Scrap Card

2010-06-27T11:52:00.003-04:00

Hi folks! Back today with another card I made from my scrap pile! :-) This one uses an image I colored and stitched ribbon to quite some time ago. And therefore, the card came together really fast. The yellow paper was another scrap from a big project (just need to edit some photos so I can share it) and I just mounted them on Enchanted Evening card stock to tie in the ribbon. In hindsight, I should have also backed the focal image with the blue too. But its still pretty cute for like 3 minutes!
Well, I am headed to my parents' house to take a dip in their pool. Its been blazing hot here lately! So until tomorrow ...

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: Vintage Picnic
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, Ranger Distress Antique Linen
Paper: White, Kraft, Enchanted Evening; October Afternoon Fly a Kite: Dandelions
Accessories: Enchanted Evening grosgrain

Just a Note

2010-06-25T09:53:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday y'all! Checking in with a cute card I made from my scrap basket! I even had that flower laying around from awhile ago! :-)
I have been trying to do better about making some extra card bases as I go along so that when I want to make something but am short on time, it goes together a lot faster. This was the case with this card. I had the base and added the teal paper and the patterned paper - both from a project I will show this weekend - and the flower was something I had laying around too. This one is on the way to a fellow crafter! :-)

Well off to run some errands and try to stay cool in this almost 100-degree heat!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Take Note
Ink: Ranger Distress Antique Linen, Memento Rich Cocoa
Paper: PTI Aqua Mist; patterned paper (have to try and look these up! :-)
Accessories: PTI Dark Chocolate grosgrain, Aqua Mist button; twine, old book

Thirty-One Here 'N Gone Sale

2010-06-24T14:21:00.004-04:00

Just popping in to share some exciting sale news! The Here 'N Gone Sale runs today through Saturday - a Thermal Tote for just $5! These totes retail for $14 so even with personalization ($6 per item), it is STILL cheaper than the regular price. There are three great styles to choose from - Multi Dot or Brown in the larger size or the Navy Breeze in the small lunch tote. Please email me (link in the side bar) to advantage of this awesome deal as I must enter your order by midnight Saturday night to take advantage of this sale.

Also, if anyone is interested in becoming part of my team, June 30th is the last day to sign up and take advantage of the $99 rebate on your kit purchase offer. How often do you get the opportunity to start a business and earn your investment back in 30 days?! If interested, please email me. (To view image larger, try this link.)

Remember, you can view the complete catalog on my Thirty-One Independent Consultant Website at any time.

Sweet 16

2010-06-23T15:03:00.002-04:00

Hi! Hope your week is rolling along smoothly. I have quite a few things I still hope to accomplish this week, but have managed to knock a few things off my list so far. Being on vacation is such hard work! :-)

I wanted to share a birthday card I made for our niece, who recently turned 16. I kept it simple since she's not a pink frills kind of girl. :-) I stamped the bug in Aqua Mist and I really like the Hawaiian Shores ribbon with Aqua Mist. Very nice together. The ribbon is a little different from the paper, so I don't think I'd pair the paper with it.

Well, its back to my to-do list ... see ya tomorrow! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: Enjoy the Ride
Ink: Aqua Mist; Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic Markers; Distress Antique Linen
Paper: Kraft, White, Bitty Box - Aqua Mist
Accessories: Hawaiian Shores grograin

You're a Classic

2010-06-22T16:49:00.001-04:00

Hi all! Just stopping in to share the card I made for my dad for Father's Day. This was really simple and quick to make and green! :-)
Studio Calico sends really cool advertisements for upcoming promotions with their kits and I have been saving many of them. I saved one advertising a kit pool and cut out the car from it for this card. Pretty neat, huh? I made the road with some black card stock and a white pen and used some letter stickers for the sentiment. I did stamp a "dad" sentiment from a Unity kit on the inside, but forgot to take a photo.

Off to visit with some family ... talk to you tomorrow! :-)

Supplies Used:
Ink: Ranger Distress Antique Linen
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, True Black; Car from Studio Calico ad
Accessories: October Afternoon Mini Market Ledger letter stickers; foam tape, white gel pen

Giveaway Winner!

2010-06-21T13:54:00.004-04:00

The winner of the giveaway is commenter #9, Robyn W!

Congrats, Robyn! Please email me (link in sidebar) by Friday 6/25 to claim your prize.

I also wanted to say thanks to the rest of all you sweet commenters so I have a little something for each of you - if you know I don't have your address, please email it to me by Friday so I can get a little something headed your way! :-)

Back later with a card. :-)

Quick Card Kit

2010-06-19T12:20:00.006-04:00

Hi all! Hope the weekend is off to a great start. I wanted to share a quick and easy 3.5 x 5" card set that I made yesterday. I kept it simple and now have a gift on hand for someone. Here's the finished product, including the little box I made for the set.
Here's all eight cards in the set - 4 thank yous and 4 hellos. These went together really fast with an assembly line process. I cut all the card bases and then all the label shapes. I punched a hole in all the labels and added the brads. Then stamp and adhere. Easy!Here's a few up close and personal. :-)That's all for now. I spent most of yesterday afternoon working on a little scrapbook for a friend. I will take pictures today and share once I have presented it to her - which I can hardly wait to do! :-)

Don't forget to comment for my giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Fillable Frames #1
Ink: PTI Fresh Snow, Enchanted Evening
Paper: PTI Kraft, Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain and SU! Kiwi Kiss
Other: PTI Mat Stack 1 label die; K&Company Blue Awning flower brads, SU! Old Olive ribbon

Giveaway Time!

2010-06-16T17:36:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! I am just about to break through 15,000 visits ... which while maybe isn't a lot to some, I think its pretty amazing to me! :-) I wanted to do a giveaway to thank you for visiting and sharing in my crafting journey.

Leave a comment telling me your favorite way to organize your stuff - whether that is paper, stamps or fabric or coupons or whatever to be entered to win this cute little organizer tote from my Thirty-One business. The winner will receive this tote in the fabric pattern and monogram of their choice as well as a few fun crafty items to put in it!Please enter your comment by noon on Sunday to be included when I choose a winner at random.

Thanks for stopping by!

2 Sketches 4 You #54

2010-06-15T22:01:00.003-04:00

Hiya! I had big plans to craft most of the day and that is just what I did. One of the cards I made was for the 2 Sketches 4 You challenge this week. I hope to do a lot more sketches this summer. :-)

You can see the original sketch here. I did turn it on its side to accommodate the sentiment. Here's my card...I am loving this paper ... pretty much all of the Ooh La La paper line from My Mind's Eye is super fab. I started with the green dotted paper and layered the opposite side with the big, bright damask. The little pink strips are from another paper in the line.

I stamped the "happy" and "summer" sentiments from the Studio Calico set and mounted them on some more of the pink paper. Then a little Hawaiian Shores ribbon and some rhinestones. Love it!

Well that is all for now ... off to watch some of my favorite guilty pleasure shows on MTV! See ya tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Studio Calico "Sentiments"
Ink: PTI Hawaiian Shores
Paper: PTI Hawaiian Shores, Vintage Cream; My Mind's Eye Ooh La La - Just Lovely & All Dressed Up
Accessories: PTI Hawaiian Shores ribbon; Kaisercraft Rhinestones

Congratulations

2010-06-14T20:28:00.003-04:00

It's officially summer break for this teacher! Today my husband asked me what it was like to wake up and know that I don't have to go to work and not have anything that "has" to get done that day. Um ... its nice! :-)

Sorry its been so long since I stopped in here. I did get a chance to whip up a couple of congratulations cards for some of my mentee teachers last week. I had one finish her first year and another finish her 3rd year (and graduating from the beginning teacher program) and both either got married or are getting married this summer. Lots of things to celebrate for these young women this past school year. I made two of these cards and included a little zipper pouch with their new monograms on them as a little gift for each of them. I think they were more excited about the monogrammed pouch than my handmade card! ;-) The cards are pretty simple ... some Bo Bunny patterned paper - the dotted paper is the reverse of the floral side. And some Aqua Mist paper ribbon. Very easy, but still fun and young, just like the recipients! :-)

Well, I do have some things on my agenda for tomorrow ... all crafty things just for fun.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Enjoy the Ride
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip; PTI Chai
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, Aqua Mist card stock; Bo Bunny "Kitchen Spice" paper
Accessories: PTI Aqua Mist grosgrain; foam tape

Sew Lovely

2010-06-09T22:33:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! Sorry its been awhile since my last post ... last week got away from me. :-)

This is my last week at work until the next school year. Busy cleaning, calculating, and filing etc. But it has been nice to slow down a bit at work and get to know some coworkers better since this was my first year at this school. I learned that several of the women in my department enjoy sewing as much as I do and I wish I had started getting to know them better sooner! The other night I decided to break out my Sew Lovely stamp set that I finally broke down and ordered and whip up a couple quick sets of cards for two of them. Here's the packaged ensemble...
I made a little pocket with some Soft Stone paper and I just tucked the cards in the pocket. Two light pink and two hot pink in each pocket. Then I tied a fun fabric scrap around it to dress it up a bit. (I should have been sewing for real, so I didn't have a lot of time to get really crazy with the decorating. And it was late, so my pictures aren't all that super - sorry!)

Here's a picture of the cards that went in. They all had different ribbons, but the same layout and concept. These are very easy to assembly line produce. Just cut everything, stamp everything, color everything ... well, you get the idea. I think its safe to say that they liked them :-)

Well, its off to bed. See y'all back here on the blog soon. Two more days and I am free (for the most part) to craft my summer away!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Sew Lovely
Ink: SU! Going Gray; Copics
Paper: PTI White, Smokey Shadow, Raspberry Fizz, Soft Stone; SU! Pink Pirouette
Accessories: PTI Raspberry Fizz ribbons; sewing machine; fabric scrap

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger

2010-05-28T20:38:00.005-04:00

Hiya! I am sooo excited today - I survived the last teaching day at work and summer is now so close I can taste it! hehe

Anywho, I saw this Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger post earlier this week and I LOVED the version that Betsy made. Here's the original card that we are all supposed to base our project off of ...
You really must go check out the full post and the one Betsy made too. (Did I mention that I loved it?!) For me, this card has a 9-patch thing going on (maybe its all the quilts I am dreaming of making over the summer ...) so I decided to bust out my felt again and stitch with it. Here's my version of this week's Tuesday Trigger ...I really love how this turned out. I must share that felt wiggles when you stitch it so my 9-patch is a bit wonky. But it sort of adds a little homemade charm so me and my OCD can deal with it this time. ;-) I cut some 1" felt squares, tacked them down (should have done more than tacked!) and stitched across them all. Then I selected a few buttons, threaded them and adhered those on top of the felt blocks. The little sentiment is popped up on foam tape too. And I like the little apron punched border peeking out the side.

Well, hope you enjoyed my take on the challenge. Thanks for stopping by and have a great holiday weekend! :-)

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: Top Ten Additions
Ink: Chai; SU! Chocolate Chip
Paper: Kraft, Berry Sorbet, Lemon Tart
Accessories: Dark Chocolate felt, Lemon Tart grosgrain & buttons, Berry Sorbet buttons, jute twine, foam tape; Apron Lace border punch

Thank You

2010-05-27T21:57:00.002-04:00

Hi all! Thanks so much for all the sweet comments on my felt cards for the PTI blog hop. I had so much fun making that little quilt! :)

I made this thank you card last weekend using some lovely K&Co paper. I love the vintage feel of the paper and the pinks and grays in the color scheme on it. For this card, I just cut an extra flower to layer with foam tape. I added a little glitter too in the center and curled the edges of the flower up a bit. Well I am off to bed to rest up for the last teaching day before exams. And after some of the shenanigans I had to deal with today, I need the rest! Thank goodness for the long weekend ahead :)

Back tomorrow with another feltastic card ... see ya then! Thanks for stopping by :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Delightful Dahlia
Ink: SU! Going Gray, Vintage Cream; PTI Chai
Paper: PTI Smokey Shadow; K & Company
Accessories: glitter; seam binding; tea-stained twill

Papertrey May Blog Hop Challenge

2010-05-25T17:26:00.005-04:00

Hi all! It's been a few months since I got to participate in the monthly blog hop, but I am so glad to join everyone this month. For this round, Nichole challenged us to use our fabulous PTI felt. Here's a few projects I made for this fun challenge ...

First up, a sympathy/thinking of you type card. I have some friends who are going through a challenging time right now so I made this with them in mind. Those of you who follow my blog know I do some quilting here and there, so I decided it would be fun to make a little felt quilt for my card.
To create the quilt, I started with the eyelet die and some chartreuse and raspberry felt. Once I cut a border strip of each, I trimmed them to get little felt doughnuts. (Keep the "holes" ... you'll see why in a minute!) Next up, stack your little doughnuts on a piece of white felt and stitch them down in a tic-tac-toe kind of way. Then trim the white felt with pinking shears and add a background layer of chartreuse. And then you have a clean and simple card with great impact. :-) Honestly, I want to make a bunch more of these little mini doughnut quilts! :-)

Now, I mentioned saving those doughnut holes ... well, let's use them for a flower center! Just stitch them in place and its super cute. Here I stitched the chartreuse holes on a white felt flower and layered it on a paper flower, adding some freehand-cut felt leaves. Super fun, right?!
This is a bitty little card - just under 3.5 x 5 in size but I think that just adds to the cuteness.

Well, that's all I've got for you today. I sure hope you "felt" welcome while here at my blog! :-) Thanks so much for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Sending You Comfort:
Stamps: Quilters Sampler Sentiments
Ink: Raspberry Fizz
Paper: White
Accessories: Simply Chartreuse ribbon & felt; White and Raspberry Fizz felt; sewing machine/thread

Hello:
Stamps: Fillable Frames #1
Ink: Fresh Snow
Paper: White, Raspberry Fizz
Accessories: Simply Chartreuse ribbon & felt; White and Raspberry Fizz felt; thread

Thrift Shop Thank You

2010-05-24T20:41:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday! Only 4 more teaching days left in the school year. Hooray! I know that some of you moms out there are dreading summer break, but as a teacher, I can hardly wait! LOL

Anywho, I made a few cards over the weekend, including this one:
And let me just say ... this October Afternoon Thrift Shop paper is simply to die for. I wish it was fabric because I would buy lots of it. I kept it simply and stamped the sentiment on a journaling tag. Other than that it was two layers of coordinating prints, so avocado ribbon and some apron lace border punching. Easy peasy.

That's all I've got for you now. I will be back tomorrow with some feltastic cards for the PTI blog hop! See you then :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Giga Guidelines
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip; PTI Chai, Chamomile
Paper: PTI Ripe Avocado; October Afternoon Thrift Shop patterned paper + journaling tag
Accessories: PTI Ripe Avocado stitched ribbon; apron lace border punch

Congratulations!

2010-05-20T19:30:00.003-04:00

Hey friends! I just wanted to pop in real quick and share a card that I made for a friend of mine who is getting married soon. This is a shower/bachelorette night card and I love the pink and the crown on this one. :-) I started with this pink princess-y paper from Melissa Frances. And all I did was stamp some argyle on the bottom, a sentiment on a crown, add some ribbon and pearls. Viola! I did cut a piece of white to go on the inside and stamped "So happy for you" on it. Super cute ... better in real life, I think.

Speaking of super cute and better in real life ... last week I mentioned that I joined the Thirty-One team as an Independent Consultant. Today, I got my kit of sample products and let me just say, it is all really great stuff! Better than I imagined and I am even more excited about this opportunity now! I know that sounds cheesy and all, but really, if you were even sort of interested, you should give the products a try! I am even offering free embroidery on your first order through the end of June. Please email me for details.

(p.s. I know you don't come here for sales pitches! I promise not to bombard you with them! :-)

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Enjoy the Ride, A Little Argyle
Ink: Palette Noir
Paper: PTI True Black, White (inside); Melissa Frances Whitney paper (crowns)
Accessories: PTI Raspberry Fizz grosgrain; KaiserCraft pearls

Ippity Blog Hop

2010-05-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday! Popping in today to share a card I made for this week's Ippity blog hop. A friend of mine recently bought and moved into a new house. So, I needed a card to send along with a little housewarming gift. I decided to use the Devoted set for this project. This stamp set is really cute and I love all the scriptures that are included in it. The overall card concept is pretty simple - and aside from the hills and the house popped up on foam tape its mostly one layer. Hope my friend and her husband enjoy this happy mail!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Enjoy the rest of the blog hop!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Devoted by Ippity (Shop for it from Banu!)
Ink: PTI Spring Moss, Chai, Chamomile; SU! Chocolate Chip; Copics
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, Ripe Avocado, Melon Berry

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-05-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

So this past week my mom had a birthday. I will not say which number ... but is somewhere near a highway speed limit! LOL

Anywho ... I made her this pretty card with bird paper because (1) my dad has been calling her the "Birdwoman" for many years (apparently she used to have quite a nose) and (2) she loves her some birds. She has a ton of birdhouses and feeders in her backyard and she even feeds her bluebirds worms every evening. We can sit about 5 feet from the feeder and all the birds - bluebirds, cardinals, chicadees, titmice, goldfinches and hummingbirds - swarm around and visit the various feeders. She loves it. And I love her. :-)
Off today to enjoy some birdwatching and maybe a game of Scrabble on the deck. Later!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Enjoy the Ride
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip; PTI Chai, Chamomile
Paper: PTI Kraft; American Crafts Botanique "Wanda" (birds); October Afternoon Thrift Shop (dots)
Accessories: wrinkled ribbon from Memarie; gold pearls from e. by Prima; hydrangea blooms from craft supply

My New Adventure

2010-05-14T21:51:00.005-04:00

TGIF y'all! Back tonight with an announcement ...

I don't know about you, but I am always on the lookout for great, affordable products ... both for myself and gifting to others. And who doesn't either love or know someone that loves a great bag with a monogram? This week decided to take the plunge and become an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One Gifts to share with friends and family what this great company has to offer.

Feel free to visit my site.

If you have any questions, want to place an order, or host a party (if local or an online catalog party if not) just let me know!

Blue one!

2010-05-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Anyone else been playing more punch bug games in the car with all the VW commercials on TV lately? Well, we sure have. And my mister has an unfair advantage. He does surveillance for his job all the time... so he's way better at observing stuff than me. And I totally don't drive well while looking all over the place for VWs, so I guess I'll continue losing our game! LOL Anywho ... here's a super cute "blue one!"
One of my girlfriends from college had a baby several weeks ago and I am getting together a little care package to send to her. I decided to break out this Enjoy the Ride set and make a card. This is not my normal color scheme, but am happy with it now that its all together. I used Hawaiian Shores for the base and car. And then some Bitty Dot paper and Pure Poppy card stock. I was really proud of my bow tying on this one after struggling with several on some other cards I made yesterday. Am I the only one that fiddles with the ribbon longer than anything else on the card?! LOL

Well, I plan to make some fun gifts to go along with this one ... I'll share them with you when I get them all done.

Happy Friday y'all!

Supplies Used (all PTI):
Stamps: Enjoy the Ride
Ink: Palette Noir, Hawaiian Shores; Copics
Paper: White, Pure Poppy, Hawaiian Shores; Bitty Dot Basics True Black
Accessories: white grosgrain; foam tape

CPS 166

2010-05-13T18:28:00.004-04:00

Hey yall! I can see Friday from here and am so glad! School is *almost* over ... just 11 more class days until my students start exams and then its all downhill from there! Woot! Woot! Summertime here I come. :-)

Well, its been a busy few weeks and I haven't done a sketch in like ... um ... forever. But I decided today to just craft for fun when I got home from work for a bit. And I cranked out some pretty sweet cards. Here's my take on sketch 166 from the CPS blog.So, this card is 4 x 6 and I used Kiwi Kiss for the base. Love this color. Its vintage or modern depending on what you pair it with and I love it. The rest is all stuff from various Studio Calico kits. The text paper is by October Afternoon and I think that any of the papers in their Thrift Shop line are just too die for. I want them all in fabric! :-) The bird paper is from American Crafts and kind of worked with the color scheme. This sketch was pretty easy which made things pretty quick and easy once I got my thoughts together. :-)

I tried out this button row technique ... something that I see Betsy do all the time (and love). And I'm so glad I did. Looking forward to giving it a go again. Another new thing ... no stamps! Nope. Not a one used on this card!

Ok, that's all for now! I will be back tomorrow with a cute baby card. See ya then!

Supplies Used:
Card stock: SU! Kiwi Kiss
Patterned Paper: October Afternoon "Great Find" from Thrift Shop line; American Crafts "Wanda" from Botanique line
Other: PTI Enchanted Evening grosgrain, Pure Poppy buttons, twine; October Afternoon Mini Market Ledger letter stickers

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T16:09:00.002-04:00

Hey y'all! The weather is so nice here today and after we took my mom out to lunch we sat on her back deck and watched her birds fly around from her feeders to their nests. It was nice and relaxing. I hope you all got to spend some quality time with your family today.

I made a card for my mom. Here's how it turned out ... I really love how this one came together. I didn't stamp much, just the sentiment! The flower I cut from a 12x12 sheet that I had and I added it on some brown with foam tape to help make it pop off the background paper. And I used some Copics to color the pearls brown since I didn't think the ivory ones really did the job. She loved it!

Well, its back to working on some things around here. Hope you are all enjoying this Sunday. :-) Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Delightful Dahlia (sentiment)
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa; PTI Chai, Chamomile
Paper: Patterned paper: EK Success; K&Company; SU! Soft Suede; coral card stock (? I think I got this at Archivers at some point)
Accessories: KaiserCraft pearls (colored with Copics); foam tape; wrinkled seam binding

Fun with Thickers Stickers

2010-05-08T22:56:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! It was a busy week last week trying to get caught up after my trip to Louisville. I am still behind on some stuff, but *had* to stop and make some cards for Mother's Day. We'll start with this one ... My bestie is expecting her first child later this year and I've known for awhile but just hadn't made a card yet. (Gasp!) Seemed that this weekend was an appropriate time to congratulate her. I stamped the pregnant girl on white to make a background and then added some super fun vinyl letter stickers. I should really stop hoarding my Thickers stickers! I kept it really simple, but love how fun this is. And since she's having a boy I won't be able to use pink on everything for long! LOL

That's all for now. Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Amuse - Baby Wishes
Ink: Memento - Rich Cocoa
Paper: PTI White, Hawaiian Shores; SU! Pink Pirouette
Ribbon: PTI Raspberry Fizz swiss dot satin

Run for the Roses

2010-05-01T17:00:00.004-04:00

Hello all! I had the opportunity to visit Louisville last weekend and into this week for a national DECA conference with one of my students. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Churchill Downs on Saturday for opening day. We got there pretty early and saw the first four races ... and then came the rain! LOL But it was a really neat experience. And I had a great time watching and betting on the races! :-)

Here's some pictures of the famed Churchill Downs. This first one is of the grandstand before the crowds flowed in. And here's one of the track prior to the races ...And here's one of some horses making their way to the starting gate on the other side of the track. And in honor of the Kentucky Derby today, I made a card inspired by the "Run for the Roses" theme of the race. I used some pretty toile paper and added some roses from some awesome ribbon by Webster's Pages. I cut the roses out from the ribbon and placed them on separately.Here's a closer view of the roses and sentiment. I definiteily need to get this ribbon in some other colors ... like pink! :-) That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Giga Guidelines
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa; Ranger Distress Ink Antique Linen
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy; toile patterned paper - EK Success
Accessories: flower ribbon by Websters Pages; champagne satin ribbon from craft supply; tea stained twill by Melissa Phillips; pearls by KaiserCraft

Clickabella!

2010-04-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

Quick post today .... I wanted to share a card I made several weeks ago and sent off to a fellow card maker and blogger. She loves Bella stamps and obviously is online to chat with her stamping friends! :-) So I thought this card was perfect to thank her for her sweet comments and online friendship.I kept the layout simple and used some Copics to color it all in. Pretty basic, but I think she enjoyed getting this card in the mail ... which was the whole goal! :-)

Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Stamping Bella "Clickabella"
Ink: Memento; Copics
Paper: SU! Rose Red, White; PTI Spring Rain
Ribbon: PTI Sweet Blush grosgrain

Friends til the end

2010-04-25T11:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Sunday folks! :-) I wanted to stop in and share a card that I made for some of my girlfriends. (I made several of these in an assembly line fashion.) I started with some pretty sweet paper from Sassafras and then added some lavender and pomegrante and I just love how the color combo turned out. So warm and pretty. Just like my friends! :)
I did do a lot of distressing with ink on this one ... and its so pretty in real life. That big honkin pearl is super fun ... so glad I found those at Archiver's last weekend. Although, these will definitely go in a bubble mailer to head to their recipients.

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Friends til the End
Ink: SU! Purely Pomegranate; PTI Chai; Copics
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, Kraft, Lavendar Moon; SU! Purely Pomegranate; Sassafras patterned paper
Accessories: apron lace punch; pearls (Mark Richards); ribbon (Taylored Expressions)

Grateful for you

2010-04-22T23:44:00.002-04:00

Hiya! Just popping in to share a card that I made as a follow up to the mother-daughter tea I participated in last weekend. I made several of these ... one for each daughter to send to her mom. Aren't these tea pot sticker embellishments just the cutest?I kept them nice and simple, but I really love that pink and green color scheme. So pretty (and preppy, too)! :-)

Gotta run! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Friends Til the End
Ink: PTI Raspberry Fizz
Paper: PTI Hibiscus Burst; SU! Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette
Other: Teapot sticker (threw away the package -sorry!); SU! Certainly Celery ribbon; Offray ribbon (white)

Dear Friend

2010-04-20T22:36:00.003-04:00

Hiya! I made several cards over the past weekend and today I am sharing one of the favorites that I made ... I *really* love this wrinkled seam binding ribbon that I made. It started white and I dyed it this really nice plum color. I can't wait to dye some more of this soon. It's really prettier in real life. I have a few other colors in mind to try dying too. :-) Speaking of dying things ... I also colored the pearls on the butterfly bodies with a Copic marker since I didn't have any brown ones in my stash.

I had been wanting a butterfly stamp for awhile and I picked this one up from Studio Calico. I colored them to go with the ribbon I made and I added a sentiment from the Delightful Dahlia set. I think it turned out really pretty and can't wait to send it to my bestie. But I may just stare at it for awhile first! LOL

Anywho ... lots to do this week! Getting ready to attend a national DECA conference with one of my students so there's packing, orders to finish for my letter shirt business, and of course 4 days of lesson plans and copies to make. Ugh. But hopefully it will all be well worth it.

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Butterfly - Studio Calico; Delightful Dahlia (sentiment) - PTI
Ink: Rich Cocoa - Memento; Chai - PTI; Copics
Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI; Just the Edge border strips - Bazzil; patterned paper - K & Company
Other: Pearls - KaiserCraft; foam tape; Hand dyed seam binding (by me! :-)

Ippity Blog Hop

2010-04-19T07:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! Today I am joining the fun in the Unity Ippity Blog Hop. You can learn more about Ippity Stamps here or just visit my friend Banu and order some. :-)

This card was all about using some scraps. I had a few pieces of this yellow paper left over from another project and they were a perfect fit for a card front. I added a little distressing with some ink and then some peacock crinkled seam binding that I made and vintage-fied the other day. A few buttons that I called it done. :-)Thanks so much for stopping by! :-) Happy hopping!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Unity Ippity - Because of You
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Ranger Distress Ink Antique Linen
Paper: PTI Kraft, Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate; patterned paper by Sassafras
Other: PTI Vintage buttons; twine; crinkled seam binding (my me!)

Tea Time

2010-04-18T17:01:00.002-04:00

Hi! I just wanted to stop in and share the favors I made for my sorority's mother-daughter tea yesterday. I found this cute tea cup fabric and decided to make some coasters. Here's how those turned out...I love the colors in this fabric. So fun! To package everything up, I included a coaster, a few assorted tea bags, and some chocolates in a large glassine bag. And then wrapped a piece of paper around the package followed by some ribbon and a tag. Here's a couple of them ...I really love that teal paper with the pomegranate ribbon. And here's a closer view of the tags I made. I used the Warm Happiness set for the sentiment and the tea cup and tea bag from Everyday Classics. Well that's all for now. I have a lot to do today to get ready for the week. Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Warm Happiness, Everyday Classics
Ink: PTI Chai; SU! Bermuda Bay, Purely Pomegranate
Paper: PTI White; SU! Bermuda Bay designer paper
Other: Ribbon and twine (craft store); glassine bags (PTI)

Circus Circus!

2010-04-17T16:26:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Hope your Saturday is going great. I have enjoyed a fun day with my mom and some sorority sisters and their moms. More about that in a later post. But the weather is gorgeous and I made a visit to Archivers today! :-)

I wanted to stop in and share the quilt I "whipped up" last weekend that I mentioned yesterday. Seeing as how I waited until the last minute ... 6:30 the night before the 1:30 pm shower ... I kept the pattern super simple and quick & easy to piece. Here's the finished quilt ...It's a 30 x 35" quilt ... a great size for a little one. I used some circus prints from Felicity Miller that I got from Fabritopia for an amazing deal last summer. I added some Michael Miller polka dots, which I wasn't sure about at first, but am so glad that I did. I had *just enough* for these strips and the binding. I think I had like 8" of binding to spare. A close call! Here's a closer view of the focus fabric. You can see below that I used the same blue circus fabric on the back. Super fun print. And this was one of my better binding jobs ... the corners turned out great. And fortunately the all-over-stippling was quick to do given my time crunch. :-)
And even though I was down to the wire, it was worth it since it was a hit and I hear the big brother is trying to claim it as his own! :-) I plan to make some more this summer in various fabrics and color schemes to use up some of my enormous inventory of fabrics and make a little money to buy more fabric! :-)

Thanks so much for stopping by! I will be back tomorrow with more of my latest creative adventures!

Boy oh Boy!

2010-04-16T21:37:00.002-04:00

Hiya! Sorry to be gone a few days ... been busy catching up on some letter shirt orders. But I did get crafty a little bit in between shirts. One of my good friends from college is expecting her second little boy and there was a shower in her honor last weekend. Of course, I had to make a card! :-) Here's what I came up with ...I started with the super fun argyle stamps from Practicing Creativity. (Who knew I'd be able to use a love-themed stamp set for a baby boy shower card!?) The little rocking horse and sentiment are from Amuse's Baby Wishes set. Such fun little images in that set.

I also made a quilt ... I decided about 6:30 the night before to whip one up. A little risky on my part, but it was worth it and I did finish just in the nick of time! I will share it in a post later this week. Its really cute if I do say so myself.

Well, its been a long week and I am dying to ink up some stamps and make some projects, so I will sign off and be back tomorrow! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Key to My Heart (Practicing Creativity); Baby Wishes (Amuse)
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip; PTI Hawaiian Shores, Chai; Copic markers
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate, Kraft
Other: Satin ribbon (Offray)