POP-UP "THANK YOU" CARD

Just wanted to post a card that I made today for my parents.

"COACH" SATCHEL PURSE

This project is supposed to mimic a Coach purse, and I suppose it does. It wasn't a very fun project, so I'll probably not make another one. I used the Cricut to cut all of the pieces, and then I stamped the body of the purse with "Baroque Motifs" and used a white gel pen for the faux stitching. I like the shape and size of this purse, but getting it scored and folded can be a bit tricky. It's not perfect, but it's a little "eye candy" for the day!

SPRINGY SPRING "PRAYING FOR YOU" CARD

It's been a few days since I've posted anything, and that's because I didn't do any stamping over the weekend. Remember a few posts back when I mentioned that my husband was in Lebanon for a week? He had gone to visit his father, who was in the hospital. Friday evening, two days after my husband got home, his father passed away. He had actually been doing better, so it was a shock when he took a turn for the worse. Obviously, my husband's very sad and probably still a bit "homesick," too. So . . . tonight is the first time I've stamped since last Thursday or Friday, and I thought a "praying for you" card was most appropriate. For this card, I used the "Delicate Dots" Sale-a-Bration paper, "Thoughts & Prayers" stamp set, Beautiful Butterflies die, Boho Blossoms punch, Coluzzle, Stampin' Dimensionals, 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, and rhinestone brads. The layered butterflies aren't just for decoration--they serve as a "pull" to reveal the action of this card. Pretty cool, huh?

OWL CARD

A few minutes ago, it occurred to me that I needed to send a "hello" card to my grandmother. I don't know if I've sent a card since Christmas. I've talked to her and seen her, of course, but it's always fun to open the mailbox and find cheery mail! I have such a mess on my desk (stamps, paper, card stock, and all the trimmings), so I decided to use the Cricut and the oh-so-fun "Wild Card" cartridge to make this card. I think mamaw will enjoy it, even though Hooey is sporting a hippie look with his grosgrain bandana. ;-)

"FLOCK TOGETHER" STATIONERY PURSE

No matter how you try to plan every little thing for the first attempt at a project, it never fails that a really good (sometimes more practical) idea comes along . . . after the really strong glue has dried. Who knew that I wouldn't like the card stock handles?? I was using someone else's instructions for the purse and, at the time, the card stock handles looked nice in the picture but, on my purse, they seemed so bulky and awkward! So, I carefully peeled them off and used ribbon, which seems much softer and more appropriate, don't you think? The designer paper used is from the brand new "Flock Together" collection. Other SU products used include Tempting Turquoise, Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, and Barely Banana card stock, Sizzix "Bird w/Leaves & Flower" die, Big Shot, Pewter Jumbo brads, Crop-a-Dile, Scallop Edge punch, and 5/8" So Saffron Grosgrain ribbon (free SAB product). I don't have the cards made for this purse--yet, but I will definitely schedule a class for this stationery purse and a set of coordinating cards! This would make a great gift!!

"CHEEP TALK" & MY BLONDE MOMENT

This is my first real creation with "Cheep Talk" which I just received on Friday. What a fun little stamp set this is! I LOVE it even more than I thought I would!!!! Being that I just used it for the first time tonight, it didn't occur to me to use markers to color the branch and leaves--DUH!--so I had to stamp the leafy portion of the stamp onto Always Artichoke card stock and cut out those tiny leaves to place on the card. Hated that! The scalloped eyelet square was created with SU's Eyelet Border punch, as was the strip of designer paper that I used to make the flower (thanks for that idea, Laura). Pretty cool, huh? Speaking of "cheep" talk, wanna hear about my blonde moment? I felt so stupid! My husband is in Lebanon, but he gave me a phone number where I could reach him. I tried twice yesterday and again today, but I kept getting these two guys who seemed to really enjoy playing with the dumb foreigner who has suddenly decided to start calling them! I think they have even been waiting for my calls! So aggravating!!!!!!!! Finally, I asked Chadrick to IM his dad and ask that he call me. A little while later, my BIL called to give me the number to call my husband. It was the same number that I had been calling! He had just talked to my husband by calling that number, so I decided to try again. This time, I very carefully looked at each number and followed my finger on the phone's keypad. YIKES! The last number of the country code is 1, but my finger went to press 7! I'm so used to the position of the 1 being on the bottom left of a calculator and my finger instinctively went down there to press 1, but I was dialing 7 instead. OMG!!!!! While the phone was ringing, I checked online to find the 967 country code and learned that I have been calling YEMEN!!!!!!!! My husband got a kick out of that and said if he was ever in Yemen, he'd give my regards to my new boyfriends. LOL!

"TULIPE" DIE

No tricking here . . . just a superdeeduper EASY card! Well . . . three of them, actually. Two of these were made for a swap (no peeking, Laura and Kathryn!), and the third one is for me. This "Tulipe" die is one that Sizzix created exclusively for SU, and it is so gorgeous!!!!!!! On my cards, I just let the die cut the design from the card stock, but the cut-out pieces can be used to "self-place" the pieces with as much spacing as you want which makes it a very suitable die for home decor projects! I want to try this one with fabric sometime. Can't you just picture it on a pillow or a wall-hanging? I have some Swarovski crystals that would be perfect to decorate it and maybe give it a beaded trim. I'll have to wait until my sister is here so she can . . . well . . . do most of the work since she sews and I don't. She'll be so thrilled with my plan! ;-)

TURNING TRICKS

Not that kind of tricks . . . tricks with dies. Actually, I don't know if there's a real term for altering the finished cut that a die creates, but I call it "tricking." This afternoon, I worked with the Scallop Envelope die and came up with two tricks . . . one was a wider envelope which will hold a credit or gift card, and one was a longer envelope. I'm really excited about the longer envy!!! If you click on the picture, a larger one should open so you can see the finished projects better. Once again, I used retired designer paper since I wasn't sure how many times I'd have to work on these cuts. All of the papers pictured here are from the "Recollections" series. I loved this paper--reminds me of vintage wallcovering. The layered flowers on the long envelope were cut from SU's "Birds & Blooms" Sizzlits dies. Didn't they layer nicely?

MORE "DIE TRICKING"

I'm beginning to feel guilty about the fun I'm having today! I decided that if it was possible to "trick" the pillow box die to cut a longer pillow box, and if I could "trick" the Box #2 die to cut a taller box, then would I be able to "trick" the Scallop Bag die to cut a wider bag? Oh yes, it's possible! Check it out!! This bag is double the size that the die was intended to cut, and ain't it sweet????? For this bag, I used the "Delicate Dots" designer paper, So Saffron ribbon, Eyelet Border punch (how do you like my neat ribbon slider), and the "Polka Dot Punches" stamp set. Don't expect anymore pictures today. I've got to fill up the dryer and then go spend some Kohl's bucks!

SUCCESS, AT LAST!!!

So I've tried to make one of these accordion flowers a time or two, but had no luck and seemed to need at least one more hand. Argh! Using retired designer paper, I decided to try one more time and achieved success! No one told me that this flower is one of those "once you get it, you know you've got it" kind of projects, but it's very much like that! Wanna make one? Start with a 1" x 11" strip of designer paper (not card stock) and score at 1/4" intervals. Accordion fold (mountain, valley, mountain, valley, etc.) the score lines. Have fun trying to hold onto it! LOL! When you finish, you need to have a "mountain" fold on one end, and a "valley" fold on the other end. If needed, cut from one end so you'll have them the way they need to be. Adhere the mountain and valley ends together to form a circle. Now comes the part that once you get it, you'll know you've got it . . . gently "smoosh" the circle into the center of itself (that sounds so intellectually confusing, huh) so that it flattens out, forming a flower that looks like mine! I used Sticky Strip to adhere the flower to the paper and then a glue dot secured the flat-back pearl in place. It would be a good idea to go ahead and have your Sticky Strip in place and ready for your flower--or use your third and fourth hands for that!

EXPANDED "BOX #2"

Yesterday, I got a fun order from SU that included the Sizzix Box #2 die. It seems to me that the die could have a more catchy name, but it is what it is . . . box #2. And I am showing you today TWO box sizes that the die can make! This is so awesome!!!!! The little green box is the size that the die is intended to make, but I made the larger box by "z" folding my card stock before running the die through the Big Shot! Goodness, what a difference! For the larger box, I used Parisian Breeze specialty paper, Close to Cocoa and Baja Breeze card stock, "Birds & Branches" decorative strip die, and SU's new Eyelet Border punch. The 3/4" Circle punch was used to create the semi-circle that makes opening the box easier. Products used to create the smaller box include Kiwi Kiss and Chocolate Chip card stock, Delicate Dots designer paper (FREE Sale-a-Bration product), "Cheep Talk" stamp set, and So Saffron ribbon (FREE ribbon bundle from Sale-a-Bration). Two of the best products you can select from Sale-a-Bration are the ribbon bundle and the designer paper because they are so useful! Did you know that the "Delicate Dots" designer paper comes with 16 sheets of paper--four sheets of each 2-sided paper!!!

"SERENE SPRING" SYMPATHY

I made this card for the wife/family of the Boy Scout leader that Chadrick had several years ago. His name was Richard, and he was such a nice man--very involved and seemed to really want the boys to be their best and become the best young men they could be. I can't say that I "really" knew him, but I always liked and respected the man he seemed to be. The least I could do was make a special card for his family. This card features Flower Soft for a 3D floral effect, and I can honestly--and happily--say that it's my best application of Flower Soft yet! I used Watercolor Wonder Crayons and a Blender Pen to color the image.

MILK CARTON & CARRIER

Just a quick share . . . the project that's taken me two days to complete. It wasn't a difficult project, but I had to find a kind soul who would share a Cricut cut file. And I found her! My "milk cartons" are actually 2,4,6,8 boxes, but they work okay. I just wish I'd made them a little taller. The only thing I'd like to do is dress up the top of the carrier, but I just can't think about that right now. SU products used include the Eyelet Border, Scallop Circle, 1-3/8" Circle, 1-1/4" Circle, and 1-3/4" Circle punches, "Darling Dots" stamp set, and ribbon.

SCALLOP ENVELOPE PURSE

One of the best feelings that a paper crafter gets is when she/he discovers alternate uses for products they buy. For instance, you purchase a Sizzix Scallop Envelope die and might wonder how many scallop envelopes you'll make. Well, this is the second or third project that I have found that can be made with that one die. Of course, you can cut scallop envelopes all day long, but you can also create a scalloped edge box and now this scalloped edge purse with that one die! How cool is that???? I love this little purse, and it was lickety-split-quick to make! Just cut two envelopes, trim the bottom flaps to 1", cut a 1" x 11" handle, and you're done! Don't forget to add the embossed flower to the front! I used SU's "Simple Flower" Embosslits for that! BTW, the paper I used on this project is SU's retired "Green Tea." Sometimes I make a mess when I try a project for the first time, so I started this one with retired paper. It just stands to reason that this one would end up perfect on the first try. Ha!

WHICH IS BETTER?

For this project, I used the Cricut to not only cut the milk carton but to also DRAW the black accent (from the "Accent Essentials" cartridge) onto the card stock! How stinkin' cool is that?????? I've had the Cricut Colors (markers) ever since I bought my machine over a year ago, but I've never had the nerve to try them until Sunday. Of course, now I think I "need" more colors! Since the black images were all lined up in a row, I stamped the red "bursts" to try to break up the overall design and add a splash of color to the white space. The flowers were also cut with the Cricut (using the "Walk in my Garden" cartridge), and I used one of SU's new clear rhinestone brads for the center. I need your help, though. When I was getting ready to take a picture of this project, I picked up the white swirly accent (cut with the Big Shot and Sizzix Decorative Accents #2 die) that was just laying there, but I can't decide if it's a good addition to the box. What do you think? Should I adhere the accent permanently or leave it off?

"LOVE YOU MUCH" CRAYON BOX

My husband is leaving the country tomorrow to go visit his family, and it occurred to me a little while ago that he wouldn't be here for Valentine's Day. Yikes! I wasn't sure what I could throw together at the last minute, but I pulled out my Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge and selected this Crayon Box that I cut with the Cricut. I used stamps from SU's "Love You Much" stamp set to decorate it. You can just barely see the love birds that I stamped on the heart-shaped acetate window, but I didn't want to untie the ribbon for another picture. This little package is neatly tucked away in the suitcase now, ready to be discovered with a card when he unpacks. He'll be traveling for 24 hours . . . yes . . . 24 long hours, but at least he'll have a little treat to open in a few days. As I was finding the perfect spot for this treat, I was reminded that when my son was little and my husband had to travel, Chadrick would always sneak one of his army men in the suitcase--one that wasn't hanging from the ficus tree in the living room or left to die in the bathtub. Those little men have seen more of the world than I ever will! It was kind of like a Flat Stanley (I think that's what that character in the book is called--the concept is even in a TV commercial). I guess my husband is destined to always find some kind of stow-away from home when he leaves town.

"SIMPLE FLOWER" EMBOSSLITS DIE

Are these flowers cute or what???? I love the detailing on them! They were cut and embossed with the use of SU's "Simple Flower" Sizzix Embosslits die. The embossing on the green layer was accomplished with one of SU's brand new Texturz plates and, of course, the Eyelet Border punch is to thank for the pretty edging. Notice the rhinestone brads? They're clear . . . and new!

"PARISIAN BREEZE" PILLOW BOX

It's hard to see the eyelet border detail on this project, but the strip of designer paper that's
on top of the scalloped white layer was edged with SU's new Eyelet Border punch. Other SU products used to create this project include felt flowers, clear circle rhinestone brad, 1/4" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Sizzix Pillow Box die, Big Shot, and Parisian Breeze textured designer paper. Put this paper on your wish list (or your next order)--it's awesome!

"PARISIAN BREEZE" TEXTURED PAPER

Can't you just see the texture on this designer paper? It's absolutely stunning, and I love the weight of this new paper! It actually feels like card stock, which means it could be a good selection for boxes and other gift projects! "Parisian Breeze" is the first pack of SU's new paper that I have ordered, and now I wish I had ordered more. Notice the flower? It was made from SU's new "Simple Flower" Embosslits die and, of course, the card itself was created with SU's "Top Note" die. I have room for a couple more participants in my Designer Paper Club, so let me know if you're interested! Each participant will get one 6x6 sheet of every designer paper that SU sells, with the exception of the Patterns series.

BIG SHOT 3D PROJECT

These boxes were made for a swap at a demo meeting that I attended last night. Products used to create the boxes include Sizzix Scallop Box die, Scallop Circle Punch, 1/4" Bashful Blue Grosgrain ribbon, Sizzix Birds & Branches die, and Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, and Bashful Blue card stock.

NEW STUFF IS SO MUCH FUN!!!!

I won't even make you guess which new products I used in the making of this card. (1) Bigz XL Movers & Shapers Curly Label Die - cut and scored the card and cut the curly label window. Notice the perforation around the window? Looks pretty, huh? Movers & Shapers dies come with a separate die (in this case, the Curly Label, that can be positioned, by magnet, anywhere inside a 4.25" x 5.5" cut-out section on the die that represents the front of the card. Can you say COOL BEANS???? (2) Texturz Plates - It's hard to tell from the picture, but the vanilla layer (the one with the felt flowers) has dots embossed all over it. (3) Eyelet Border Punch - What can I say that the picture doesn't already say . . . this punch creates a very pretty/elegant accent for any project! (4) Flower Designer Brad - These brads come in four colors and are a very nice size! Of course, the four colors coordinate with other SU products.