What do you mean it's not a VALENTINE?

Alrighty without further Adoooooooo, I will just go ahead and share the photos of this amazing card. At the rate I am going, I will never figure out my PhotoShop and I will never be able to get that glare off of the ribbon. On Monday, I had the best IDEA, I was going to wait until the sun came up and just re-take the photos......... Yeaaaaaaaaaa, NOT.... Completely forgot that I had already given it to the co-worker that ordered it.

For the most part, I cased the concept of cutting out the flowers in this manner from Melanie Muenchinger's tutorial in January. She uploaded several tutorials using the stamps, "A Year of Flowers" that she designed and I just had to have them. I cannot wait to make another card just like this one but I am going to change the colors to lavender. Officially, I am not a roses kind of person but I love Sterling Roses.

The base of this card is Always Artichoke and opens at the bottom. For the complete tutorial on the roses please check out Melanies blog here. I did change mine up a bit and actually mounted it to a card base rather than leaving it the same way that she does. I didn't like being able to see where I had cut them out from. If you look closely you can see the "Dew" on the roses, I used glossy accents to that effect. The two roses in the middle are both 3 dimensional but the larger of the two is mounted on foam squares. At the bottom I added a piece of Berry Sorbet cardstock that I had punched with the scallop edge punch (SU) and then I used the small hole punch to add the holes. It looked boring so I laced a piece of ribbon through them and adhered it on the underside of the card base. The roses, stems and leaves are colored using Copics.

I hate to be such a party pooper but I am unbelievably beat. I am working this week, finishing up numberous Valentine gifts (yea can't wait to share them), And my husband is leaving for a few months. He was supposed to have left today but it got pushed back until tomorrow and now we have heard that it will be Friday. Saying goodbye is always hard and feeling like we are doing it over and over is emotionally draining for myself, him and the kids. We will be "Celebrating" our 20th Wedding Anniversary next Wednesday - APART!!!!!!!! He has been so good to me because I know he feels like he is responsible but I don't blame him. He bought me the Green Apple colored Kitchen Aide and today he delivered a flower arrangement to my classroom. I will take a photo of the rose that is in this arrangement because it is kinda of tye dyeish looking!!!
Anyhow, lots going on and a bit bummed about some of it but bear with me I have lots to projects to share.

Thanks for stopping by and listening.........

Digital meets Stamps for a lil Rock n Roll

Sooooo Long SWEEEEEEET 16 ------- HeLLo I wanna Party ALL NIGHT LonG

I was asked to create a birthday card for a co-worker's daughter who is into Guitars, Rock n Roll, Punk, Grunge, (you get the idea)..... Anyhow, this is an area that our stamping industry seems to be lacking, at least my stamp collection anyway. My great friend Jen Tapler just happens to be a Guru in the Digital/Hybrid community. I asked her a few questions and followed some of the links for companies that she designs for. The Digichick website has so many kits to choose from but I ended up choosing the one titled Let's Rock by JanaM .

Purchasing and downloading was super simple. Basically all I did was to open files in my Photoshop CS3, re-size, print and cut them out or cut the images down. I would love to know how to get all fancy but I kept putting this card off until the morning of my deadline. I ad already purchased the kit but I just couldn't figure out what I was going to do much less come up with a design...........

I printed out the Card cover and the inside. After cutting them to fit, I had left over scraps of cardstock so I traced around some chipboard numbers and adhered the paper on top and inked the edges. I printed out a smaller version of the Guitar with wings, cut it out and mounted it on my tall foam squares. I added some bling in the centers of the little stars of the guitar. For the tag, I stamped a sentiment from PTI's Piece of Cake stamp set and heat embossed it in black, inked the edges and adhered it onto a piece of red cs. I rounded the corners of the tag, punched the small ovals, and attached it with ribbon. I set black eyelets in each of the four corners and of course inked the edges......

The inside of the card was printed and the edges inked and smudged. I added a fun party sticker, punched a coordinating circle, stamped U ROCK and heat embossed in black. The little t-shirt was stamped on a seperate piece of paper and heat embossed in black and I added the sentiment Happy Birthday. The t-shirt stamps are from GinaK Designs but designed by Melanie Muenchinger and comes with some really fun sentiments made for the t-shirts. I am loving this new stamp set!! I stamped the T-shirt on the envelope that I custom made to fit this card. The finished card measures 5 1/2" x 5 1/2". I also used the Miss U Rock on the back of the card where I placed my signature.

I am off to bed. I hope my Dabbling into the Digital scene inspires you to check it out but just for the record, the Valentine Digi Kit from PCP is a ready to print kind of thing. You do not need Photo Shop in order to use it. Thanks for stopping by, see ya'll tomorrow.

Old St. Nick

Happy Monday Everyone...

This was a special request card that I created for a co-worker. I was thrilled to be given the challenge of creating a Vintage/Victorian Santa card for a dear friend of his. (Don't you just love a man that thinks outside the box and doesn't run out and grab an unoriginal, last minute, store bought card????)) No that isn't a jab at anyone, believe me, my DH knows not to make me an after thought. Quit the contrary since two of my best clients are men.

Thank you Mr. B and Mr. W for trusting me to create gifts/cards for the special people in your lives.

Back to the card----------- I printed out the Santa and started cutting him out and decided that I liked the way he looked when only partially cut out. I also did not adhere the tree part to the card in order to give it a more 3 dimensional look. I inked the edged of the Santa and the post card then distressed them using the side of my scissors. Since he is tied up with a ribbon, I used the sentiment "Friends are the true gift of the season". I stamped that on an oval tag that coordinated with the striped trim then added a holly stamp and completed the look by coloring in the leaves and using red stickles for the berries. I just love when you open a card and there is more than just a sentiment. The finished card measured 5 1/2 square so I created a custom envelope. Presentation is EVERYTHING!!!

That is it for me today. Since I am not subbing anymore this week, I plan on spending my time in my "craft room". Stop back in soon, hopefully I will have some Christmas gifts created that I can share.

Love is in the air

I sure Hope I am not the only one who has just stuffed themselves silly.  I feel like a stuffed turkey.  What a wonderful day.  Thanksgiving has always been a very sentimental and special holiday for me.  As a child, my entire family would get together.  I don't necessarily remember us saying all of the things we were thankful for but coming from such a large family and having EVERYONE in one place was so much fun.  Dave's family also does the same so imagine our surprise the first time we spent Thanksgiving away from home.  I had cooked all day, even made a relish tray, THEN we sat down and the TEARS started pouring when I realized that it was JUST US.............  

After that lonely experience, I make sure that we surround ourselves with our surrogate family (aka FRIENDS).  Today we combined our meal with that of several other families and all of the single/unaccompanied sailors that we knew.  I believe there were around 27 total. We had 2 hams, 2 turkeys, 12 pies, 3 different stuffings, relish trays, and the list goes on and on.   My son talks all year about his 2 favorite meals, Thanksgiving and Christmas so I hope he grows up with happy memories of not just the blessings of family but also the blessings of having close friends.  I am so thankful to have a day set aside to remind us of all the blessings that we have and the opportunity to let those that we love know how special they are.  I will share one of my little secrets.  Each night I fall asleep going through a list of things that I am thankful for.  I never run out of things to list, nor do I have to search or think of things and I never actually finish my list before falling asleep.......:o)

This brings me to today's card.  My friend/colleague asked me to create an amazing Anniversary card for his wife.  I was honored to be entrusted with such a special project.  It took me a full 24 hours to really get an inspiring design to come together in my head.  I sat down a couple of times and ended up with Christmas cards.  However, once I finally started getting ideas, this card just poured out of me and came together easily. His wife is the elementary music teacher and I believe the heart with the music paper is my favorite part of the entire card.  I created the heart templates using the computer which I then used as templates to cut out the heart chipboard.  I held the script paper over a candle and burned the edges to give it a more vintage/antique look.  The pewter "LOVE" script was originally a wine bottle charm. I removed the little chain and hooks.  The inside was lined with a cream cotton paper that I had printed "Happy Anniversary Sweetheart" using a fancy font and Swirly Flourishes under the sentiment. The finished card measures 6"x6".  Bet you can figure out that I had a dilemma when it came to the envelope.  

I am a firm believe that presentation is everything. PaperTrey Ink ships their stamp sets in wonderful clear boxes that could easily be discarded since the stamps are actually stored in CD cases. YEA Right........ I don't throw anything out that can be altered. The card fit perfectly into the box so I covered it with a coordinating velvet, striped paper, wrapped it with a wide cross grain ribbon.  I also tied a bit of black tulle around the bow for a little more appeal.  I used a scalloped circle punch for the closure.  I stamped it and adhered it with Velcro.  

I may just have to make another one of these cards to keep.  It would look amazing framed in a shadow box!!!!  

Happy Anniversary Tony and Lynn...........................

Graduation in November??

Amongst the rush for Christmas cards, I received a special request for a Graduation card. It was nice to have something to focus on besides snowflakes and santas. Typical for me to find a way to incorporate ribbon and polka dots ;o) I snapped a photo of the inside to show the shadowing around the cap and NO this was not for Santa Clause!!

The card base was 8"x8" basic black cardstock with the Bo Bunny polka dots cut slightly smaller. A pretty straight forward card so no need to go into any more specifics.

I am heading out the door to go to WORK (my favorite) and would hate to miss getting to ride the school bus. Thanks for checking on me, I will be back later with more SNOWFLAKES, Yeaaaaaaa
Hugs

Celebrate the Season

Happy Tuesday everyone ;o) I am so happy to have been able to get into my little "craft room" and complete a few creations. I think you will notice a trend over this week. Snowflakes were all the "rage" in Justine's world......

I was given a special order for Christmas cards. She was specific in that she wanted snowflakes but did not care for blue. Have ya ever noticed how MOST snowflake cards are BLUE?? This was the first one that I put together and it popped out of my head and into a design exactly as I had envisioned. Don't ya just LOVE LoVe when that happens?

I'm not sure that the photo actually does this card justice. First I stamped the chocolate snowlakes then the white ones. I then sprinkled a clear sparkly embossing powder, heat set and was suprised that a teeny amount of the embossing powder had adhered to the chocolate snowflakes. Not really enough to emboss but they are ever so sparkly. The large snowflake is out of the PaperTrey Ink 2008 Holiday Tags sets. My new favorite set, I think you'll be seeing it alot. I just stamped it in dark chocolate, punched it with the blue scallop circle by Marvy with a red one adhered behind it. Glued a little rhinestone in the center for some bling. The sentiment at the bottom is also from the holiday tag set.

Well that is all for today or I am going to be late for work. Yea still working. hrmph!!! I am planning our family cruise that we will be taking in April so work is looking pretty good right about now. Thanks for stopping by................

Fun little 3x3" boxed cards

I am so addicted to making these little boxed sets so I thought I would share another one with you. They really only take a few minutes to make and I have come up with so many different combinations. I keep reaching for the same stamp set (Fun & Fast Notes - SU), but I am trying to think outside the box. I have done a few where I water colored in the little images but I'm not as impressed with my coloring as I would like to be, so not gonna force you to look at those. My next set is going to be a Christmas set. That thought just came to me so good luck trying to make sense out of anything I may say past this point. My head is going crazy with ideas. ARGHHHHH, I want to move past these.

Last night my husband and I had a big "Date" and went to dinner with Lamberte Frescobaldi. He is the VP of the world Famous winery/vineyards FRESCOBALDI. His wine is one of the top 5 in the WORLD!!! Dinner was amazing, started of with Anti-pasta, champagne in a wonderful OLD wine cellar. I did not want to leave that room.

Dinner consisted of, I believe, 6 or 7 courses and each was served with a different wine from his reserve. We really enjoyed getting to talk "motorcycles" with him (I know, you would think we would talk VINO, but why? He does that for a living). Anyhow, he rides a Ducati in his free time and also enjoys motocross. Good thing we know our table manners, take a look at all of those glasses!!! That wasn't even all of them because they wouldn't all fit at our place settings. I'm sure I looked like a total dork taking a photo of the table!!

Senor' Frescobaldi got a kick out of the Hawaiian Shaka, which I am notorious for doing, hey it's better than flashing the bird or the Italian Cornuto (ya gotta research that one on your own) Check him out doing the Shaka!!! Too cute............

I do want to thank My sweet husband for being our designated driver. I believe he ended up with about an hour and a half to sleep before having to leave for the airport at 4am...... I know he has only been home a few weeks but duty calls..... I took the day to rest, relax and soak up a little sun while washing my SUV. I'll be back tomorrow with some fun projects to share. Enjoy your Saturday...........................

Boxed Spring Garden

Happy World Card Making Day =o)

The official day was yesterday but Everyday is Card Making Day in my World.......

This has been the busiest Sunday. Strange kind of busy too.  One of the bajillion odd things that I did today was to "Change the Spark Plugs" on my SUV........ I know Weird, but I absolutely LOVE to work on cars.  I had to scrub my hands like crazy afterwards so as to not make finger prints on my cardstock.  Sunday is always my change the sheets day. Actually, I strip the beds, wash the sheets and put them right back on. I detest folding and putting away sheets.

I re-potted several trees and plants, changed the wood chips in the landscaping, cut the grass, made cards, took a long walk with my daughter, uploaded and edited photos, made dinner, watched a movie with the family...... Doesn't sound like much now =0(

Before I resigned, a coworker asked me to create a set of 12 cards with a gift box that he could give to his niece.   These are the cards that I created, not just once but twice.  I didn't care for the first set. They were boring.  I love that they all coordinate but are not exactly the same.  

I used Polka Dot basics (PTI) on the card base and the wide scalloped strips.  The center green and pink strips were pierced using the sewing machine without thread.  I scored them using a stylus and the center of the cutter ridge on my paper cutter.  The polka dot, die cut flowers were cut using my Cricut and the the stamped flowers were stamped and then cut out.  For the flower stems, I used scraps of left over cardstock.

I purchased the box in February at the Navy Exchange and now wish that I had purchased more.  For all of the scalloped edges, I used my Cutterpede paper cutter.  I didn't snap a photo but I had also made a really cute yellow embossed gift card with a ribbon tied around the center and a little tag attached with a gold safety pin.  

I will be back to post the photos of my "Craft Room/Workshop" in the morning.  I am spending way too much time correcting typos. Must be from all that manual labor today. Enjoy your Sunday.

........................................................................

paper: whisper white, certainly celery, wild wasabi, always artichoke, positively pink, yo yo yellow, pacific point (SU), Ella butter blossom (BoBunny), Berry Sweet (K&Co)

ink: yo yo yellow, so saffron, positively pink, pacific point, wild wasabi (SU)

stamps: Stitched exotics, friendship blossoms (SU), Polka Dot Basics, Just Hatched (PTI),

misc: Ribbon-bella kids(Making Memories), sweet blush ribbon (PTI), framed brads (Deja Views), Rhinestones, silk flowers (?), buttons, linen thread (SU)

tools: cricut and cuttlebug, filigree embossing folder (provo craft), cutterpede(EK Success), Sewing Machine, flower punch, ribbon punch(SU), circle and oval scallop punches(marvy uchida)

Reach for the Stars

I am glad that this day is finally over and that I am finally getting a chance to sit down. I was finally given a key to my room and able to begin setting it up. That is my favorite part about starting the new year. Unfortunately it is not nearly as much fun setting up a classroom for high school and middle school students. They're not really into the typical cutesy, apple, first day of school motif decor that I seem to have an abundance of.  

This card has actually been several different styles before I settled on this.  Settle is the key word.  I cannot seem re-create the idea that is in my head.  It began life as a baby card.  After I had already adhered layers and embellishments I pulled them off.  Nothing is spacing out correctly. I put the stars and the swirly things in odd locations  so everything appears to be just splattered about.  I did use some pretty cool techniques though.  The silver stars were created by pressing a piece of whisper white cardstock into the versamark pad, then coating it with sterling silver embossing powder and melting it with a heat gun.  It will look like a silver square or rectangle. Next I used the large star punch from SU and punched out a star.  The little stars and swirls were stamped and embossed.  

 Eventually I ended up with a baby card and tomorrow I will show you what I did with the items that I removed from this card.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great evening. 

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E*O*D by Adam Frederick

Wanted to share a fabulous card that was NOT created by ME!!!!!!!!

This card was created by my son. He created this for his daddy before he went on deployment.  We sent it to a company to have it put onto a pillow case so that David would be able to take it with him while away.  David makes his bed everyday so that his pillow case is on display.

If you don't already know, E O D stands for Explosive Ordnance Disposal!!!!!  That is what my husband does for the US Navy.  

I thought his design so clever that I used it to create note cards and wanted to share it with all of you...................

Custom order!!!

As promised, I am uploading the photos of the custom order I created today. I was a little apprehensive when she mentioned incorporating the COMSTA logo or anything that had to do with satelites or communications.  I was thrilled to accept the challenge and think that I didn't do too bad. I would love to hear your comments.

I think I will do much better with keeping up and adding new images if I do not preoccupy myself with the necessity to list all of the supplies used..  If there is some etiquette that I am supposed to follow, I hope that someone will enlighten me rather than be offended.

Please don't hesitate to contact me via email: littlebombs@yahoo.com or call 624-0283 (Sig)  918-919-0339 (stateside) if you would like to place an order.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by, I am having so much fun uploading the photos and filling you in on my world.

Hugs,

Justine