Enjoy, Auntie~

Happy 90th Birthday, Aunt Mildred!

A friend of mine asked a group of us if we would make a birthday card for her auntie. She's turning 90 years young. Imagine what her aunt has seen in her 90 years; all the changes our world has seen, the good, the not so good, and everything in between. Boggles the mind.

So, still on on Cosmo Cricket, layering colored images ala Kim, and layout kick, I created this card for her this morning.

I used Kim's stamps again; Bloomin' Beautiful (now retired), Flower Vases (now retired), Ocean Friends (for the vase pebbles) and Scripty Words. Memento inks were still out, so you see Dandelion, Rose Bud, Lady Bug, Tangelo, Grape Jelly and Pear Tart. The vase is stamped in SU!'s Buckeroo Blue. I added a bit of sparkle by outlining the raised flowers, the vase, the pebbles and the sentiment with a Spica Clear Glitter pen. Orange mini brads, Striped Grosgrain, and a tiny rhinestone finish out her card. SU!'s Soft Sky is the base and Buckeroo Blue the skewed layer. Finished size is 6.25" x 4.5". I think hitting 90 deserves a bigger card!

After taking this picture, one of my OTT lights fizzled out, I tried to take close-ups of the glitter that you can't see in this picture, but they are just too dark. So I'm off momentarily to purchase a replacement bulb. But the glitter is such a perfect, subtle touch!

So, some of you who read my blog know that we have a small
garden in the backyard. Nothing big as we live on a city lot that isn't all that huge; nonetheless, I plant tomatoes, lettuce, snap peas, etc., depending on the season. Last Friday I planted 24 seedlings; chard, bibb lettuce and 2 types of romaine. Saturday I went out to have a looksie, and 1 plant was missing, knawed down to the nub....hmmm. Sunday, I go out, several more are gone. By Monday, even more are gone....all that remains is 5 green romaine and 5 red romaine. See those blank spaces in between the soaker hose? They were full of delicious seedlings! Looks like the midnight buffet is open. So frustrating! I'm sure they'll all be gone when the weekend is over. We haven't had stealers for years, but they are loving our grapefruits as well, leaving just the rind for us. We are guessing it's ..... ick ...rats...ick...coming from a neighbors yard. Could be opossums, too.

Anyway, makes me leary to plant our tomato plants next month! We might be building a wire cage to enclose the raised bed. But if it is rats, they are tricky and know how to get inside just about anything. Anyone have any advice?

V.~

Happy Birthday Fishes~

My younger brother's birthday celebration is this weekend, he's younger than me by a couple of years, but having a hard time with it this year. I thought, in the spirit of wanting to be younger, I would make him a fun card instead of the "man" cards we strive to make for the men in our lives.

I knew I wanted to use Ocean Friends (Kim Hughes for CHF) paired with the Cosmo Snorkel line, so that was my starting point. After I took the kids to school I pulled out the stamps and papers and got to "work." "Play" is more like it! What started as a square card evolved into a rectangular 4.5" x 6.25" card, it just worked best with the images I had stamped. Speaking of the images, I channeled Kim's way of stamping her images in different colors and overlapping them; I've admired that look for some time, but never have tried it. Let's just say, I'll be using this stamping technique more often; no masking or coloring is required, yet it creates such a fun look! Thanks Kim for all of your inspiration!! After the image panel was stamped and the new base cut, I putzed around with a layout. I decided to take Riley for her morning walk to clear my head so I could think more clearly. When I got back, this layout/tag is what resulted in clearing the fog during our walk.

A staggered layer, orange twill, brads, button and a sentiment flag round out the card.

V.~

Supplies~
Stamps: Ocean Fun, Quirkly Alpha (retired), Tag, You're It (Kim Hughes) for CHF
Ink: Memento by Tsukineko-Pear Tart, Summer Sky, Bahama Blue, Tangelo, Grape Jelly, Lady Bug and Desert Sand
Paper: SU! Soft Sky, Tango Tangerine, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White
Patterned Paper: Current from the Snorkel line by Cosmo Cricket
Other: Orange Twill (Taylored Expressions), Aqua Mini Brads (StarlitStudio), Green button, Distressing tool, dauber, Dimensional foam

Lounging with my Wonderful friends~

I wish I really was! Instead I am sitting here on the computer....:)
Joy and Cami, 2 friends of mine for a long time, launched Our Craft Lounge a bit ago. I miss both of them, we just didn't get that much time together when we were working girls at CHA. I wish we were lounging together today! This is a dual SCS challenge: the color challenge and sketch challenge.

Color Challenge
Sketch Challenge

Our Craft Lounge sets are available at the Our Craft Lounge site, eclectic Paperie's site, and many brick and mortar stores. This card uses 2 of the rubber, unmounted cling sets,Crafty Cling Whispy Patterns and Crafty Cling Whispy Blooms. Finished card is 5" x 5".

The flower background image was stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa and colored in with various Copic Markers before punching out with a 1 1/4" square punch. The punched squares were attached to a chocolate strip with dimensionals, then attached to the distressed pumpkin strip with dimensional foam. The white base was spritzed with a Summer Sun marker with the old defunct, but still perfectly usable, InkWorx Air tool. After spritzing, the completed image panel was adhered to the base. A bit of ribbon, a felt flower and the stamped sentiment from Whispy Blooms completes the card.

This card is already out in the postal system, Darlene, our carrier, just picked it up to deliver to one of my good friends to let them know I'm thinking of them today.

Oh, btw, I had a text message today from the birthday girl, she LOVED the Sweet 16 booklet from the post below.

V.~

Supplies:
Stamps: Whispy Patterns, Whispy Blooms byOur Craft Lounge
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa by Tsukineko, Versafine Vintage Sepia
Paper: Classic Crest Solar White by Neenah Papers, Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Chip by SU!
Other: Olive grosgrain by SU!, Orange felt flower by SU!, Yellow mini brad from StarlitStudio,
Distressing tool by Making Memories, Dimensional foam by SU!

Sweet 16th ~

Morgan asked me this morning if I could make one of her good friends something special for her 16th birthday (which is today, love the teen planning LOL). Mikaela and Morgan have been friends since, gosh, they were 4 years old and on their first soccer team together.

I racked my brain, I've made her a few gifts - frame, bandaid tin, take out box, etc. and she keeps them on a special shelf in her room. What to make......hmmmm.....what started as a journal type chipboard booklet to jot down 16th year events, morphed into a birthday book with 16 stamped pages inside; Morgan is going to have all their friends secretly sign the book and give it to the birthday girl.

I was inspired by this picture that a friend of mine shared with me. I have no idea where it came from, so if you know, please give a shout out so I can give credit where credit is due!

While I love the look of the manila book above, I didn't really have anything heavy enough in that color to use for a booklet. So I decided to use chipboard. Initially, I was going to use patterned paper to cover the entire book, but decided that naked chipboard would be a different twist than what I would generally do - I like it. I edged it with turquoise craft ink and roughed up the edges with scissors. To embellish, I used some long retired SU! papers combined with an SU! chipboard flower, buttons, brads, ribbons and a CHF butterfly stamped, cut out, and adhered to the book. The inside pages are stamped with various birthday sentiments and images, leaving enough room for birthday greetings from the gang. The whole thing is bound together with the Bind it All. The finished booklet is 2.75" x 6". I can't wait to hear if Morgan is successful being sneaky, they share 5 of 7 classes!

V.~

Fifth Ave Thanks and a Botanical Note~

One of my friends, a teacher at Brett's school, likes to have stampin' play dates every so often after school, when their contract day is over. She asked to play recently and it's coming up soon. It's a time to play, chat and decompress before going home. For that reason, I keep the cards quick and simple for them, no time consuming, convoluted, techniques; just great colors and clean designs....sort of what I am known for, right?!

These cards are both non-traditional sizes; a 3" x 3" notecard, and 4 Bar size note card (4-7/8" x 3-3/8") with stamped envelopes to match.

Hope they like 'em, I know I do!

V.~

Stamps:
SU! Fifth Avenue Floral, Thank You Kindly, SAB Botanical Blooms, Sweet Little Sentiments (hostess set)
Ink: SU! Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red
Paper: SU! Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Parisian Breeze Speciality
Other: Choc Chip grosgrain ribbon, Gold mini brad, Linen thread, Spiral punch, Distressing tool, Dimensionals

Saturday in the Park~

Saturday in the park
I think it was the Fourth of July
People dancing, people laughing
A man selling ice cream
Singing italian songs
Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And Ive been waiting such a long time
For Saturday

Love that old Chicago song! Anyway, this is made using Central Park, one of SU! new sets; I was drawn to it immediately, not really sure why. It's such a small and simple set, but it spoke to me, so I bought it. This project is a secret project, I needed to make a 3" x 3" card front using green and black, the pop of red is my addition, and the pop it needed. Oh, and it's for a guy, thus the clean, tailored look. The coordinating card obviously used the smaller card as a jumping point, just expanded a bit to make the simple birthday card.

Happy Saturday!
V.~

Supplies are:
Stamps: SU! Central Park, Really Retro, It's Your Birthday
Ink: SU! Always Artichoke, Versafine Onyx Black
Paper: SU! Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla, Basic Black
Patterned Paper: Remember the Moments - Jacob by Dream Street Papers, Christmas Cheer Mat Pad by K & Co.
Other: May Arts Black and Cream striped grosgrain, sewing machine, red mini brad, distressing tool, dimensionals

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

I wish I could pick everyone who left a comment, but the random generator picked:

Lori Mueller said...

Hi Val. . .I came across your blog shortly after you started blogging, but don't remember how I came to come across it. Probably through another blog that had you linked or via your SCS gallery. I LOVE checking out your blog on a (near) daily basis because I love the style of your cards and other gift ideas....so warm, crisp and clean (and simple). I believe that you are the little girl on the left. I didn't care for dolls, either, as a kid; therefore, I could care less how I was carrying it (mostly dragging it by its hair). The girl on the left has the doll upside down, which leads me to believe that little girl is 'you'. Thanks for the chance to win some GREAT blog candy!

Lori, please email me with your snail mail address so I can mail your package off to you! Also, permission for me to release your address to Scor-Pal so they can pop your Scor-Pal in the mail!

Oh, and which little girl am I? Why I am the giggly one on the left!

Thanks for playing!

V.~

Know When to Fold Em~

It's time again for one of Jami's Dirty Dozen/Dirty Dozen Alumni Challenges.
~Know When to Fold 'Em~

Challenge Focus: Cards/Poker/Games/Gambling/Luck - anything loosely related - just tell us how it relates.

Required Element: A card made with other than a standard fold (think joy fold, z-fold, tri-fold, accordion, hinge card, etc.)

Restricted Element: No buttons. (Yes we know buttons are *hot* right now.) No faux buttons, no real buttons.

After perusing my stamp collection, I discovered I didn't have a single image
for this challenge. So I opted to head the the LSS and picked up a pack of stickers
and a sheet patterned paper.
Challenge focus - check

I decided to make a shadow box card, I haven't done one for a while.
A great tutorial is found here: Shadow Box Card
Required Element - check

No buttons! No buttons! Jami? No buttons?
Restricted element - check

Other details:
Stamps: Playful Alphabet (Kim Hughes) by Cornish Heritage Farms
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black by Tsukineko
Stickers: Jackpot by Sandylion
Paper: Solar White by Neenah, Red and Blue (Bling so it's shiny!) by Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Remember the Moments - Jacob by Dream Street Papers
Other: Scor-Pal, Nestabilities dies, May Arts ribbon, Eyelets (ribbon tied through),
Dimensional foam

Be sure to check out the other gals over on SCS, using keyword: DCKW209

Blog candy is tonight, if you haven't entered, please see the post below!

V.~

A Walk Down Memory Lane and a .......Chance to Win~

This is one of my favorite pictures of my twin sister, Debbie, and me. It was taken many moons ago at my grandmother's house, I'm guessing we are around 2 years old, maybe a little younger? Stride Rite corrective shoes, matching dresses, and the rare
occasion I had a doll in my hand!
Sooo, which one of the little girls is me? Can you tell?

Now I hinted at blog candy earlier, and I finally got my act together to post the
goodies!

The winner will receive:

Distressed Grid Scrapblock™ by Cornish Heritage Farms
(A 6" x 6" unmounted, red rubber, background stamp)
Scrapblocks™ Paper Pack* by Cornish Heritage Farms*
1/8" Scor-Tape™ by Scor-Pal™
(the BEST double sided adhesive around!)
1/2" Scor-Tape™ by Scor-Pal™
(the BEST double sided adhesive around!)
Scor-Tool™ by Scor-Pal™
(for use with the Scor-Pal or use like a bone folder)
Scor-Pal CHA promotional bag

****I sent an email to the gracious Diana Crick, creator of the Scor-Pal, asking if I could include a Scor-Pal in the blog candy offering.*******

GUESS WHAT?!!!

The winner will be the owner of a brand new Scor-Pal! In addition, a roll of the 1/4" Scor-Tape!
(my most used size, and one I don't have a spare of!) It will be shipped straight from Scor-Pal, the other package will come from me. :)

Whoo Hoo, isn't Scor-Pal the BEST!!


Now, all I ask is for you to tell me why you visit my blog, how you discovered it, and your best guess as to which one of the little girls is me.

The winner will be chosen on Friday, February 20th, at 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Fine print:
* As I ship from my home using Click N Ship, winner must live in the United States.
* Only one entry per person, duplicates will be removed.
*Scrapblocks™ Paper Pack is a "second," I'm not sure where the defect is as I am
not able to figure it out!
*I will post the winning entry after randomly choosing the winning comment.
*Winner must contact me via my email address with 48 hours and provide their mailing address, or a new winner will be chosen.

V.~

The Tale of Three Buttons and the Meandering Road~

Once upon a time on an early Sunday morning a card needed to be made. The artist decided to use the Featured Stamper Challenge from a neighboring community for inspiration. In perusing the gallery filled with cards with lots of layers, big fat ribbons, brads, scallops and more, she found this card: Valentine Topiaries. With good intentions she began to create her version of card, intended for her mother-in-law for an upcoming birthday.

Switching tense, as I am just not a creative writer like some of the bloggers out there.....

I started with the Artsy Flowers (Shady Lane Studio) from CHF by stamping them onto Natural White by Neenah Paper using Timber Brown StazOn Ink. I quickly watercolored them with reinkers and a watercolor brush. Then I began to build the card around the image. I tried several combinations of green, scalloped edges, big fat ribbons and nothing seemed to work. My circular file was filling up too quickly, I didn't like anything I had created. Swithing gears, I put the inspiration picture away and took the meandering road to see where it would lead. Taking the idea from yesterday's card, I decided to toss the green striped patterned paper I was using and pulled out this luscious chocolate polka dotted paper from October Afternoon and tore off the bottom edge. This left room for a sentiment that I so desperately needed for this card. While the chocolate was luscious, it needed something else, so the Kiwi Kiss strip was added to help weight the image down. Ahhh, almost done, a few dimensionals to adhere the image to the card. DONE!

I took the card to Jay for his "approval." Not that I really need it, but after all, it is for his mom. He loved the card and knew his mom would, too. As I returned to my stamp counter to begin to clean up the mess I had created in this meandering road to completion, I noticed an imperfection; a thumbprint, vaguely imprinted on the lower left of the card, courtesy of my beloved.

ACCCKKK, I screamed in my head. How can I fix this? How can I incorporate something down there that looks like it was intended to be there all along?

Buttons to the rescue, three of them, to be exact. In the colors of the card. Sewn on with a few linen thread scraps. Whew, I did not want to start all over.

V.~

Stamps: Artsy Blooms (Shady Lane Studio) by CHF, On your Birthday by SU!
Ink: StazOn Timber Brown, Versafine Vintage Sepia
Paper: Marigold Morning, Kiwi Kiss by SU!, Suede Brown Dark by Prism, Natural White by Neenah Paper
Patterned Paper: October Afternoon
Other: Reinkers: Marigold Morning, Old Olive, Cool Caribbean by SU!, Watercolor brush, Edge distresser by Making Memories, Dimensionals

With Sympathy~

Today is Valentine's Day, the day of love, but in that day, sometimes sadness occurs. Jay's great aunt passed away after being in hospice for a very short time. He asked me to make a card to send in the mail today. Sympathy cards are one of the most difficult to create, not too, too somber, not too jazzy or busy, reflective is the mood I tried to create. Of course, it also depends on who the card is for and what I think it appropriate for that person, which can vary vastly. I chose to take a sample from the last SU! catalog as my starting point for the card I made today.

I generally make sympathy and wedding cards bigger than the traditional A2 that we tend to make here, not sure why, it just seems the occasion calls for them to be larger. So this card measures 4.5" x 6.25". I used a retired Designer Series Paper (no recollection whatsoever to its name), SU!'s Beautiful Borders stamp set, a flower from my stash complete with a button and linen thread, a bit of sanding of the stamped image tones it down, tearing and edge distressing to round out the card.

We are having a quiet day so far, 3 of us are still in our jammies, only the energized one is up and at 'em already. That would not be me. :)

Hope you're enjoying your day, do something in the name of love today!

V.~

p.s. Stay tuned later this week for a blog candy offering!

A Scrappy Valentine and a Note from Me ~

I just couldn't have Brett give his teacher an Iron Man valentine, no matter how hard I tried to be open about it. He gave the thumbs up to this little scrappy valentine for her instead. Scrappy how? Well, not scrappy as in scrapbook or full of fighting spirit, just scraps left out on my desk from making the boxes down below. Somehow I assembled one extra of the heart/bee/hive combination and it was just sitting there. I added a pink flag, stamped the sentiment, used an extra card base from making the elephant baby cards (down a couple posts), a few brads and dimensional foam and his teacher's valentine is in its envelope with all those Iron Man valentines and sweets. It's a wee card, measuring just 3.25 x 4.75.

On another note, for those of you who follow my blog, know that I've been doing design work for Cornish Heritage Farms for sometime, since June of 07 when I started on the Thomas Kinkade team. Eventually I was designing exclusively for several of the CHF lines: Kim Hughes, GM, Rummage Bin, Elvis, Thomas the Tank Engine, in addition to Thomas Kinkade. After careful and thoughtful consideration, I decided it was time say goodbye. It was a very difficult decision, but we parted on friendly terms and I will always cherish my time working with Liz, Richard, and the rest of the CHF gang. Friendships were formed that are part of my stamping journey, I am so grateful for the experience!

V.~

Supplies:
Stamps: The Birds and the Bees (Kim Hughes) for CHF
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, ColorBox Fluid Chalk Rouge
Paper: Neenah Solar White, Bazzill Aqua, SU! Pink Pirouette
Patterned Paper: We R Memory Keepers White Out
Other: Copic Markers, Cuttlebug and heart die, Pink mini brads, Dimensionals

Valentine Treat Boxes~

Nope, not for my son's class....this year he wanted store bought *gasp* valentines....that's okay, it's probably our last year for class exchanging and he wanted Iron Man valentines from the store. We lucked out and found them quite by accident at Dollar Tree, a box of 34 PLUS a poster for his room, for a buck! What a deal!

Anyway, I made a dozen treat boxes today ( first posted here ) to hand out to some friends and teachers at his school on Friday. Certainly not one for everyone, or the basket would need to be much larger, and I would need a bigger bag of candy. *grin*

Images are from The Birds and the Bees by Kim Hughes for CHF, Ink is Memento Tuxedo Black by Tsukineko, assorted Copics for coloring, Patterned Paper is We R Memory Keepers White Out, Aqua by Bazzill, Solar White by Neenah, Bazzill ribbon, White grosgrain, Silver cording, Cuttlebug and Heart die, a 1/6th hole punch, and dimensional foam finish off the supplies.

V.~

The Road Less Traveled~

This morning's project is a 6 x 6 page for inclusion in an inspiration book heading to a friend. As earth tones are her favorite color grouping, I decided to take that earth feel one more step by using images and papers that invoke a natural feel.

Yes, that is a Unity tree turned on its side to make a leaf. I thought the graphics were a good match for the paper. I didn't want anything too fine lined or too realistic looking, and this image from the Giggle set is the perfect fit.

The sentiment is from one of my favorite sentiment sets by Mona Lisa Moments for CHF, called Motivational centers.

Paper is Cosmo Cricket, Prism and Neenah.

Ink used is Versafine Vintage Sepia by Tsukineko

Nestabilities Label Die II, Brown mini brads, and Creative Impressions ribbon round out the page.

Well, we're off the the movies with Brett and his buddy, so I've got to scoot. Have a great Sunday.

V.~

Pink Elephants~

One of the teachers at my son's school is expecting her first baby, a little girl. Who wouldn't like some pink elephant thank you cards to send out?

Can you tell the scraps/stack are still out? Time to move past this batch of pretty papers for a while and put them away! I made this card and the coordinated thank you cards this morning, ready to package up and take to school this afternoon.

Top card is 4.75" square, thank you cards are 3.25" x 4.75".

Supplies are:
Stamps: Nursery Necessities and Thank You Kindly by SU!
Ink: Memento Rose Bud and Pear Tart by Tsunkineko
Paper: Whisper White and Pink Pirouette by SU!, Intense Kiwi by Prism
Patterned paper: Blossoms and Butterflies by Die Cuts with a View (time to put the stack away! LOL)
Other: Flower button by SU!, Distressing tool by Making Memories, Sewing Machine, Needle and thread, Dimensionals

V.~

Patterned Hearts~

No stamps were dirtied making this card. :) I still have the DCWV paper stack, Blossoms and Butterflies, on my counter and I needed to make Morgan's Valentine's Day card, so I quickly put together her card using the glittered plaid and polka dot paper, adding a strip of the leftover harlequin from the card I made for Brett the other day.

Another sentiment-less card, but to me, pink, glitter, and hearts is all this card needs. There isn't a need on the front for a sentiment, it is implied. The inside sentiment, yet to be finished, will be Valentiney in nature.

I've one more card to go, for my oldest, and then I'm done. How about you?

V.~

Supplies not listed above: SU! Pink Pirouette card stock, Cuttlebug and Cuttlebug Hearts die, Pink mini brads, Dimensional foam

I Love You THIS much!~

I played in today's Featured Stamper Challenge over at SCS and made a
Valentine's Day card for Brett.
I always incorporate his favorite color, orange, into all his cards. This little monster is from one of Kim Hughes sets, Lil Guy, from Cornish Heritage Farms. He looks like he saying "I love you this much!" especially with a heart punch out over his head!

Card Details:
Stamps: Lil Guy by Kim Hughes for Cornish Heritage Farms
Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia by Tsukineko
Paper: Classic Crest Natural White by Neenah, Purely Pomegranate and Pumpkin Pie by SU!
Patterned Paper: Die Cuts with a View
Other: Nestabilities Label Die, Pomegranate ribbon, Orange brads, Heart punch, Decorative Blade (Fiskar's ancient Rotary Trimmer), Piercing tool and Design Ruler, Dimensional foam
Copic Markers: YG25, YR12, B02, C1

Have a Super (Bowl) Sunday!

V.~