More cards to come

Really....I have been crafting....I think my camera "ate" some of my cards. I'll try again later.

Oh, if you've always wanted to buy the Martha Stewart craft line but eeked at the price....Michaels is now accepting their 40% coupon for the line - and is even putting some stuff onsale.

For a sweet baby....

Here is one of my new fav. designs...it's so simple and streamlined. Here I've used some of my old stash of Creative Impressions ribbon, a CTMH button, and images are from A Muse. So sweet...this is going to a friend who just had a baby...boy - of course!

A dog leash, tote and some embroidered tea towels

Here are some of the lastest things that have come from my sewing machine. I am so excited to be finally getting my new stash of fabric. Tomorrow morning! Yipee!

The leash idea came from Anna Maria Horner, the tote bag pattern is from Simple Sewing by Lotta Jasndotter, the embroidered tea towels are well...all mine.

Brithday Card for CJ

My littlest and onlyest is 4. Wow! Here is a card that I made for her. CS is bazzil, patterned paper is some japanese paper, stamps are A Muse and PSX.

Also, to go with her *cars* themed birthday party, a stash of thankyou cards that were so quick. Diecut is Quickutz, stamp is CTMH, paper is Sandylion cut into 3x3 and cards are 4x4.

Piston cups

So we just had a CARS ( Disney) themed birthday party and I made some piston cups for the kids to decorate after their obstacle course. They turned out pretty neat. Just 2 sizes of cups, gold spray paint. Some wings and a place to put their names. Spelling out that it's a Piston Cup probably helps too. Still - for a cheap activities and ties to the theme, low time preparation, you can't beat it.

Nap blanket

This is the "nap blanket" that I made from Courtney. Originally, I was just going to take the pink Japanese terry cloth fabric and turn it into a blanket, but it was too hard to match the pinkiness and then it was thin. My husband said her blanket should be cozy. So, after 2 more trips to 2 different fabric stores, I had all the materials and trim. I like how it turned out...it's hard to see but I did embroider 3 differents designs of hearts and her name. This was my first time embroidering and I can see why people enjoy it so much. It's so instantaneous. I still have a bit of that hedgehog fabric left and just ordered more. It's just sooo cute!

At the moment, my daughter also wants to be an action hero - so the blanket is also a cape.

A different style for me.

It's kind of collagy, a bit vintagy, and artsy too...definetly, not the cutesy that I usually do...but I like it. What do you think? I also finally got around to using some UK stamps that I friend gave me in the summer. There's a lot going on, stamping, stitching, layering, piecing. I've used quite a bit of a lot. Stamps are from Crafty Individuals, The Old Island Stamp Company and Judikins. Ink from Tim Holtz and CTMH; patterned paper is from Autumn Leaves, and old old French/English dictionary. Flower is from Heidi Swapp; and button is from CTMH.

It's been a while

Here are some cards made last night using all CTMH materials. Enjoy! To punch the popsicle stick, I used a Crop a dile and "FALL" is printed on a die using Quickutz.
The first card with Summertime, I borrowed the design from SU catty.

Birdies in August

I was browsing the newest SU catalog and found a few card layouts that I liked. This is an annual thing for me, browsing the SU catty and dog earing what I like, want and wish for. Usually, I get around to buying what I want, but hardly ever do I lift the layout that I like...so this week, I sat down and went for it. It was a lot more time consuming for me than I thought. Lifing a card is not the same as lifting a scrap page. Anyways, here is what I came up. Stamps are A Muse and Hero Arts, rest of materials are CTMH except for CS which is bashful blue by SU. Oh, and flower was from a Jenni Bowlin kit - can't remember who the maker is.

Happy Anniversary card

Ja and I celeberated our 8th wedding anniversary last weekend. Wow! How time does fly. For his card, I pulled out some of my artsy style stamps. I've used the clear stampington stamp set. Paper is Stemma - LOVE it. I'm going to cover some notebooks with it one day. I've stiched around the flower and backed a bit of Cranberry CS. I've used versafine black ink for the images. There is also the queen bird stamped in gold. The image is from Autumn Leaves clear set. I love how the card turned out - so many textures and not a lot of layers to it. It still sits on hubby's desk table.

July CTMH team meeting card

Here is what we made last Monday. It's a bit of Christmas in July. I have always wanted to do a Christmas in July...but here is as close as it gets. Maybe next year...or Christmas in August?

All items are CTMH. Colours are: twilight and chocolate CS. Ink is Chocolate, Cocoa, Black and Holiday red. Also used fun flock, 3D foam, sassy strands and eyelets. It's a pull out / hidden pocket type card. dimensions of cocoa CS is 3 x 6 - perfect for maximing 12x12 CS. This style of card also looks fab square.

Handmade name tags

These were really easy to make. A bit time consuming with all the steps and a bit of a ribbon hog. Good thing I had rolls of it and am not particularly attached the ribbon.

The base of the name tags are made from chip board. They are wall papered with Autumn Leaves papers, the back of the chip board is backed with an envelope then covered with cardstock. I painted and edged the front of the chipboard with some Delta art paint - which I have to say that I prefer over the Making Memories brand. Then stamped with the upcoming Close To My Heart August stamp of the month - gorgeous circle text background stamps with birds - and who doesn't love birds these days! Used the crop a dile to punch holes and strung about a metre of various printed and grosgrain ribbon. Tadah! Now repeat 35 times.

These are all for an upcoming weekend retreat...hope everyone likes them. Seems a shame to just sharpie your name on the front....Ill probably used my friend's suggestion and brings some alpha CTMH fonts and get them to stamp their names. Sorry I don't have a picture of the back - not very exciting though.

Just changing the paper

Sometimes a simple card is best...and this one is as simple as it gets. I've made a few of these just switching out the paper and the center image - but keeping the sentiment the same. Everything is from Close To My Heart. I've used Uptown Girls, Life's Delight stamp sets and the Let's Play papers.


Here are a few more altered items that I've made for gifties.

Busy night

It's been a busy night. I'm off on a scrapbooking retreat in Ingersoll ( sp?) this weekend and am getting some stuff ready. Since, I'm not down to the crunch, I also made this card using the upcoming CTMH August SOM ( stamp of the month). It is an amazing stamp set and I can't wait to make more with it. You will need one of our largest blocks though to use all the circle sentiments / images. It's pretty easy to keep the shape as a circle, just let the image "fall" by itself - don't try to force it into a circle.

All supplies by Close To My Heart, except for green CS - which is left over from an Autumn Leaves paper pad...but citrus leaf would be the closest. You can just make it out, but I've also clear embossed the bird - to give it a subtle effect. Colours used: Citrus Leaf, Heavenly Blue, Crystal Blue

Mini-Class - pocket card

I'm not sure I'm 100% thrilled with this card, but it is late. I really like the design sketch, courtesy of A Muse. I paper pierced some of the bits of the image using some old Chatterbox paper - I liked how that turned out.

It's not over...the challenges

OK - I thought they were over...but guess not. This time, the challenge is to use 9 stamps...I had to be a bit creative here....realizing that I don't have many A Muse background stamps makes it more difficult - maybe I'll win some. Try your luck at http://amuseapalooza.typepad.com/.

Here's my entry.

I also made a bunch of quickie cards earlier this morning...and I'll try to post them later.

Final Amuse Challenge - anything but a card

I'd bought these plaques from Winners (TGmaxx) eons ago and finally got around to altering one. When I was at a friend's house a couple of weeks ago, she had this saying in her window sill, it made me wish to have one too...and now I do. It was really difficult to photograph and I've realized that I am not a very good "stager". It's a lot nicer in real life.

and a close up.

What I've used: CS from Autumn Leaves, inks from Close To My Heart, die Cut font: Quickutz, stamps: A Muse, paint: making memories, modge podge. flower bling: Close To My Heart.

A Muse : Challenge 9 - Ribbon Fun!

Here are cards for the latest A Muse challenge where you have to use ribbon. I've used my stash of CTMH ribbon - some organdy and some designer in blush colour.

I've seen this card or variation of it a few times now and have been dying to try it.


This one is a spin off of a wrapped present. I like the simplicity of the design. Never mind that it's just bit of ribbon left over. Waste not right?

little birdie card

I made this b-day card for my husband's granny in the UK. I'm pretty sure it's not her type of card - but I love how it turned out I love the birds ( hero arts), the punches ( scallop giga and mega marvy clever), I love the stitching around the edges and the whole piece of it. The other stamnps that I used are Autumn Leaves, and A Muse. Cardstock is from a cheap Autumn Leaves paper pad that I got from Michaels - one of the foof a las ( I think).


I've also just finished a birthday album gift. I've recently really got into the whole Simple Scrapbooks idea...and so I decided that I would gift an essentially pre-made scrapbook album. My MIL is visiting her mom ( granny) in the UK, and it's her birthday so I thought I would share the whole scrapping thing with them and make it a "craft kit". I'm going to pack the album, instructions, journaling pen, adhesive for the pics - and hope that they go through some photos and create this " let me tell you about the time" scrapbook. How fun and easy can that be?


What I've used: all paper is from Autumn Leaves paper pad. I've used making memories tiny stickers ( luv them), American Crafts rubons ( not that fun to use - luv the font - too bad), stamps CTMH alphafont. Ink, CTMH. Ribbon - own stash.

I totally lifted the design and idea of this scrapbook from Becky Higgins and Lisa Bearnson's Our Family Scrapbooks. Makes it all simpler - and I'm so into that these days.

5 from 1

Here is what I will be sharing with my CTMH team tomorrow night. It's a 5 in 1 cutting instruction and design using the cute Purr.fect B1273 set. Using only 1 sheet of 12x12 pre-printed CS from the Adorable kit ( or from consultant bulk) - you can use this design to create, recreate these designs. I've also used, blush ribbon, blush, cocoa ink, some brads, some of the new Connection Club rewards embellies, silver wire, a sponge, stipple brush, scallop scissors and a few punches. Very quick and doable to whip this off.

Another A Muse Challenge

This time the challenge is for "silly" card, so after really thinking and thinking for days, here is what I have come up with. Happy it's raining cats and dogs day. Love all my new A Muse stamps too.

What I've used: Heidi Swapp tape, CS: SU bashful blue, ink: SU bashful blue, CTMH citrus leaf, Memories black ink. Giga Marvy scallop circle punch, fiskars tiny tiny tiny hole punch.

Here are some cards that I made for a friend's for an upcoming special birthday. I used a gorgeous paper from my stash, it's embossed, stamps: SU, ink is CTMH, ribbon is from an old chatterbox kit.

For this card, patterned paper is Heidi Grace, CS and ink is CTMH, stamp is CTMH, floral is Prima.

and one that was a quickie for a little boy's 2nds birthday. Stamps are Memory Box and fontwerks. Ink is CTMH.

More coming...next week

There is more to come....I promise. I've been working on some cute cards and have a new big stash of A Muse and CTMH stamps, plus I might just get around to making my yoga mat bag soon.

AP - A Muse "scene" challenge

Here is the scene that I came up with. Colour are CTMH, grey flannel, black, honey and desert sand, images are A Muse.

CTMH projects

Here is what we did last night at make & take part of meeting. So much fun!

The paper bag card is great to slip in a gift certificate, tickets or an extra note or card. Colours are outdoor denim, and honey. All materials are CTMH except for paper bag. On the first "t" we did a faux mask technique ( or that is what I am calling it) and the second "t" is kiss and stamp. For the faux mask, you choose a solid block type of stamp (stamp A) and ink on in a lighter colour, and then take a contrast or second colour and use a high contrast detail stamp (stamp B) to stamp on your solid stamp (stamp A). Then "huff" on your stamp and stamp on your CS. For kiss and stamp you do the same thing except you don't pick a second colour of ink - you stamp with the detail stamp withough any ink - after each stamping with stamp B, you stamp off.

In the above example, the "t" is stamp A and the flower from Alfresco is stamp B.

Instructions from the box are from Nicole Heady's blog. You can get instructions from here http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2007/05/1.html

She's got some great ideas. Colours we used were outdoor denim, barn red, and honey ink colours. CS is

Kids birthday cards

Here are some cards that I made LATE.




For the Dora card, cardstock is from CTMH, patterned paper is Nickoldeon paper, stamps: Fontwerks, Penny Lane and CTMH. sticker is Nickoldeon, ink is CTMH.
For the ladybird card, cardstock is from Bazzill, die cut is Revolution, Cardstock is CTMH, stamps are CTMH, ink is from CTMH, ribbon is from stash.

Tote

I am really a purse girl. My daughter on the other hand is turning out to be a shoe gal. In any case, here is a cute tote that I managed to sew together as the "wrapping" for my SIL's baby shower gift. I used my Revolution Blossum letter to die cut "TWINS" in fabric, but as this was a last minute decision to make the bag, it doesn't really stand out. Maybe next version. Fabric is some Laura Ashley fabric that I'd picked up eons ago while there were still Laura Ashley shops in Canada and the soft white fabric is that super soft chenille type fabric that is slowly cropping up in all babywear. It's sooooo soft!

Seriously, this is a quick tote to make - less than 2 hours - especially if you don't press, iron, do the righ seam allowances or really pull through and double knot your threads. But, who is really looking that carefully, it's one less bag to go in the dump.

Entry #2

Here is my second go at it.

What I've used: stamps: A Muse art stamps, Stazon black, cardstock: Close to My Heart, patterned paper: scenic route, punch: marvy uschida

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA challenge - entry #1

As a result of waking up before 6AM, I started blog reading and stamp shopping way to early. I landed into one of my favorite cute wood stamp company called A Muse Art Stamps. Lucky for my wallet, I hadn't really found a good stamp shop that carried them since moving back to Ontario...so I had to be a bit creative with my use of punches and my little selection of A Muse stamps. Hope they are OK.




What I've used: Stamps: A Muse art stamps, ink: Close To My Heart, Ranger, Stazon, Cardstock: Close To My Heart, punch: Whale of a Punch

Twins card

I was inspired by all the card blogs to start making cards again - and to even try to make them just for no reason...or for the joy of making a card. I'm not sure if I can get there as I've given away so many of my cards. For me, my cards are not my babies yet, I love them, admire them, and usually wish that I'd made two of them, but I think that with this blog keeping a record of my card making - it will be enough for me. Which, in a way is a good thing - I already save almost all the cards I get - whereever will I store my art cards?

Here is a card that I've made for my SIL who is expecting twins. I'm going to the baby shower on Sunday. I used Stiletto quickutz font (almost killed me putting on the 2 dots), Heide Grace paper and some safety pin concho thingys that I'd bought a while ago. I really like the paper and it nearly killed me cutting into it. Inside, I used the sans serif CTMH alphafont set. Gotta love clear!

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

from Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook

modifications
-used frozen blueberries - 2 cups
-made into mini muffins
-used organic cane sugar, organic flour
-super sized them