DESIGNER GARDEN WINDOW BOX & CARD - BONUS PROJECT AT CRAFT PROJECT CENTRAL

Make a lovely flower garden window box to brighten up your space with fun patterned flowers that will last! No need to water! These bright and fun blossoms will never wilt. You could also gift this bunch of flowers to someone special with the matching card. Don’t need a window box? The flowers would still make a lovely bouquet in a vase for the perfect gift!

This is such a strikingly pretty ensemble!  It was designed by Amanda and is the BONUS project this month at Craft Project Central.  Qualifying for the bonus tutorial is easy . . . just subscribe to two or more months in a row, put the Craft Project Central badge on your blog, or refer a friend to the site.  When your friend subscribes, just let us know!

3x3 CARD HOLDER - TUTORIAL

Way back in November 2006, I shared this 3x3 note card holder showing an alternative way to use the die-cut box from Stampin' Up!'s Fancy Favor Box XL die.  Through the years, I have had a lot of requests for a pattern and/or instructional information; however, I have been unable to locate it.  Of course, having changed computers a few times in the past nine years hasn't been helpful in locating any type of information about this project.  As a matter of fact, I haven't even been able to locate the actual project!  After giving it some thought, I decided to use the die to cut a box and back my way into the altered box, which I did, but I created a step-by-step photo tutorial showing how to make a similar card holder without the die since it's no longer offered by Stampin' Up.  Here goes!

Cut your designer paper or card stock at 5-1/4" x 11-1/2".  Score it horizontally at 1, 4-1/4, 6-1/4, and 9-1/2 inches; score vertically at 2". Cut between the scored 2" sections, and remove the 1" x 2" portion on the end.

Use a pencil and ruler to mark the paper for cutting the slanted opening, working on the opposite end of the 1" flap.  Make a pencil mark at the center (1") at the top of both of the 2" scored sections.  Now this gets tricky to explain . . . my ruler in the photo is measuring 1" up from the bottom flaps, and my pencil is pointing to the mark that I have made on the scored line.  You want to make a pencil mark on both of the scored lines of that 3-1/4" panel that is 1" up from the bottom flaps.  Clear as mud?  The next photo will make more sense of this.

With the pencil and ruler, connect all of the pencil points, and then use scissors to cut out that section.

Your paper should now look like the one in the photo above.

It's time to assemble the box.  Fold on all of the scored lines, and then fold that 3-1/4" flap upward as shown in the photo since it will be the last flap that you adhere to complete the closure of the box bottom.

Place adhesive on the 1" x 3-1/4" flap, and then fold the other end of the paper onto it.

You'll notice that the flap that I folded up earlier is still folded upward.  It needs to be the last one that you adhere so the box front will have a pretty finished edge.  Now . . . I began closing the bottom of the box (card holder) with the two small flaps, but I later decided that I should have brought that bottom flap up first so that the two small flaps would be sandwiched between the two long ones so that the inside bottom of the card holder would look better.  However you decide to close yours will be okay because you can always cover the inside bottom with a piece of card stock, which will add more stability anyway.

And finally . . . the finished card holder, still naked and empty, but ready to be decorated and filled.  I hope this tutorial is helpful to you, especially those who have (through the years) asked for it.

"VENETIAN ROMANCE" GIFT SET

A perfect gift for a special person.  Never forget a birthday or anniversary again!!  This Card Reminder Box will help you keep track of all those important dates that you want to remember.  Just fill in the calendar pages with dates and drop the cards for the event behind!  When it’s time to send a card, it’s ready for you!

Such a handy gift, indeed!  This pretty ensemble was designed by Sharon, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

PATRIOTIC "MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY" CARD

Yesterday, I was excited to create something patriotic for today's MISM project since it's Memorial Day, and I gladly dug out Stampin' Up!'s retired Godspeed stamp set.  Even though Memorial Day is a day to honor the men and women who have died while serving, I still wanted to use these two images for my card.  The soldier writing a letter to his family is one of my favorites, but it's not one that I often have the need/occasion to use.

Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Midnight Muse, and Naturals Ivory card stock, Hello Honey ribbon, linen thread, and Neutrals Candy Dots.

And I'll leave you with an excerpt from Kelly Strong's "Freedom Isn't Free" poem:

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

BLENDABILITIES & "GROUNDING" THOSE LOVELY "VIVID VASES"

Yes, I'm still coloring with Stampin' Up!'s Blendabilities alcohol markers.  I truly don't mean to come across as conceited, but I love how colorful this card turned out, the shading is to my liking, and I think the mix of colors definitely does wonders for that pretty Vivid Vases image.  They're quite vivid, don't you think?  What's new (for me) is to use the Blendabilities markers to "ground" the stamped and colored image which, IMHO, is a real enhancement to the finished project.  There's just something about giving those pretty vases somewhere to sit, plus grounding an image presents the opportunity to introduce yet another area of color to the project.  Personally, I love it.  Now, it's highly possible that my next grounding experiment will turn out horrible, so I can't say just yet that I will frequently apply this technique.  Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include Coastal Cabana card stock and thick twine, Ovals Collection Framelits, Tangelo Twist card stock, Tiny Wave rotary cutting blade (even though you can't see the pretty cut edge on the Blackberry Bliss card stock), and you probably can't tell that I used Blackberry Bliss card stock because it looks black in the photo.  :-( 

PATRIOTIC CARD SET WITH WINDOW BOX

This set of patriotic notecards is great for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or celebrating the heroes in our armed forces any day. It includes eight cards with matching lined envelopes and a coordinated box with a window and themed gift tag.

This festive ensemble was designed by the talented Yapha Mason, and you can find her tutorial at Craft Project Central.

NEW BLENDABILITIES, OLD STAMPS, AND A TOUCH OF ADD

Yesterday was a busy, busy cleaning day.  Actually, it was more of a picking up and clearing out day and, while I was swapping the winter bedding for something light, I discovered about 25 retired stamp sets stacked neatly in a chair.  By the way, when I went into the bedroom, I wasn't there to begin the long process of rearranging clothes (winter clothes swapping places with summer clothes), changing bedding, dusting, vacuuming, etc.  I had gone in there to put on a cooler shirt, but I couldn't reach it with the summer clothes at the back of the closet and a blocked path.  As I carried some of the stamp sets to the stamp room, I said to Chad, "Look what I found!"  I told him that I had actually begun the process of cleaning up the stamp room but got side-tracked when I went to the bedroom for a cooler shirt, and he looked at me like I was crazy and said, "And yet you still have on the long sleeves."  Obviously, I needed some kind of pill yesterday, but I was on a roll (or perhaps a loopy rollercoaster).  Anyway, the stamp sets had become a fixture in my bedroom.  I have no idea why they were in there, but anything that stays in one place for too long in this house is what we call a fixture--something that is clearly out of place, within sight, and yet forgotten.  After my work was done, I was itching to play with the Stampin' Blendabilities Markers and, of course, the retired stamp sets that were suddenly like new ones.  The tulip image is from Nice & Easy Notes, and the sentiment is from Swirls & Curls Verses.  Just look at how smoothly those markers colored the image!  I. l♥ve. them.

Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include Blackberry Bliss and Hello Honey ribbon, Tiny Wave rotary blade, Ovals Collection Framelits, and So Saffron, Mossy Meadow, Blackberry Bliss, and Whisper White card stock.  To round the two corners, I used the new Project Life Corner Rounder punch, and it worked like a dream through both layers of card stock--loved that!

MY CLEVER MOTHER'S DAY CARD

Yes, I know that Mother's Day has come and gone, but I wanted to share the clever card that my son made for me.  My guys always find the neatest cards with fun folds or something interactive, but I told them that I wanted them to get in the stamp room and make my Mother's Day card this year. My husband cleverly took a card from the project display area (a card that I had made) and added ribbon--in a non-permanent way--that had his written sentiment. ;-) My son, on the other hand, looked through the stamp sets and chose (from the very bottom shelf) Stampin' Up!'s retired Set Sail and one of my most-used and loved card stock colors, Soft Sky.  Early Espresso ink was already out (because I use it oh, so often), so that's what he used to stamp the front of the oversized card.  The really clever part of his design was on the inside:

He used the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set to stamp the sentiments in calendar order, checking off the ones that had already passed and circling the Mother's Day sentiment.  On the left side of the card, his note read, "Re-use this card for all remaining events."  I love it, and I really appreciated that he not only made a card, but he put thought into it as well. This would be a perfect card for a man to give during the course of a year, but he would have to remember to retrieve the card after each calendar event so he'll be ready for the next one. 

"SWALLOWTAIL" DREAM PILLOW SET

This Swallowtail Dream Pillow Set is a fun way to use your stamps on velvet!  This set features a velvet dream pillow with a coordinating tag and matching gift card.  What a wonderful gift for a special friend!

Isn't this a gorgeous gift idea?  Michelle Wecksler designed this project for Craft Project Central, which is where you will find her step-by-step instructions.  Did you know that it's not too late to subscribe to this month's awesome Craft Project Central tutorials?  When you subscribe, you have until April 2015 to access this month's tutorials!

SURPRISE BOX

A “Surprise Box” is a fun way to cheer up anyone who is having a rough day, to entertain the kiddos if they’re having a “sick day” and are tired of being in bed, or to keep them entertained during a long car trip.  It’s easy to change the contents, so you can use the box over and over.  Each time it’s opened will be a new adventure.

I can't imagine that anything has been left out of this project!  The designer, Buffy Cooper, seems to have thought of everything, and you can find her complete tutorial at Craft Project Central.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY" . . . AND THE WINNER OF THE CRAFT PROJECT CENTRAL SUBSCRIPTION

Today's MISM project features Stampin' Up!'s Blended Bloom stamp and Old Olive and Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blendabilities Markers.  I am thoroughly enjoying coloring with these new markers!  This card also features two cuts that were created with my Mother's Day gift from my husband and son . . . a Brother Scan N Cut.  This electonic cutter's claim to fame is exactly as its name implies, meaning that the machine will cut just about anything that it can scan.  One of my first tests was to stamp the floral image, scan it into the machine, and then cut it from Very Vanilla card stock.  Rather than cut on the outer lines, I elected to have a thin border around the image, and I'm glad I did that because it helps the image stand out against the designer paper.  My second SnC image is the sentiment, which I set up using WordArt in Microsoft Publisher, printed onto copier paper, scanned into the machine, and then cut from black card stock.  It looks pretty sharp, huh?

When it came time to create a MISM project, it seemed like a good idea to put the stamped and cut image to use.  After it was colored, I tied a Linen Thread bow and placed it in the center of the flower, and then worked on the Modern Medley designer paper--roughing the edges and sponging Old Olive ink on both pieces.  After they were adhered to the Very Vanilla card, I placed the sentiment and then adhered the flower.  I don't know that there are any green flowers in nature, and I'm not sure what prompted me to go for green, but I do like this card.

And now . . . the WINNER of the one-month Craft Project Central subscription, selected by random.org . . . JERIA, who left this comment regarding my project featured HERE, 

"These are great cards. Love the colors."

Jeria, please contact me at randari at hotmail dot com so we can get your subscription started.  Many thanks to all who took the time to leave a comment!  I will have another subscription to give away next month, so be sure to come back to my blog often so you can try again.  ;-)

TEACUP CARDS FOR AUNT BETTY

It's rare for aunt Betty to call me, but I got a call from her last week.  She wasted no time letting me know that she wanted a set of six teacup-shaped cards like the one she saw at my grandmother's house recently.  In the fast-talking conversation, she asked how much a set of cards would cost because she would pay me but, fortunately, I didn't get a chance to tell her what I would normally charge to make and assemble all of the required cuts.  I wouldn't let her pay me, of course, but I know she would faint if I had thrown a dollar figure into the conversation.  On Friday, I dedicated a few hours to making this set of cards for her.

I used the Silhouette (and Amanda McGee's cut file) to cut the pieces for the cards, and I added an extra layer (just a smidge smaller than the cup shape) to adhere inside the card for a clean message section and to also add extra stability to each card.  By the time I was finished, the process seemed less and less taxing, but these cute cup cards are so worth the time!  I even made two cards for my own use!

"SOHO SUBWAY" K-CUP HOLDER

This pretty box will hold three K-cups and is a perfect gift for any coffee lover!  These boxes go together quickly, so you can make several for gifts, vendor shows or it also makes a great class!  The coordinating buckle-card adds just the right touch to this ensemble.

It seems that almost everyone uses K-cups, and you will enjoy how easy it is to make this gift!  Laurie designed it, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.  

"BENDY" MOTHER'S DAY CARD

I forgot to take a photo of the Mother's Day card that I sent to my mother (before mailing it), so I wasn't able to share this card last week.  It's known as a "bendy" card, and it was designed by birdscards.com.  Actually, if you visit her site, you can see that the card folds flat for mailing but has two tabs on the right that slip into two slits on the left to create the bend and stand-out sentiment.  It's really a great design!  Best of all, it's a free download that I cut with the Silhouette Cameo.  The only thing that I added to the design was the background for the sentiment, which is actually a folding piece of heavy designer paper that gave me a space to write but also provided a pretty backdrop for the large opening on the card front. 

In the second photo (above), you can see that the card opens to the left, and that extra sentiment panel opens to the right but then stays out of the way to let the sentiment have the stage.

VELLUM GIFT BAG & CARD

Nothing makes a better impression than a hand-made gift bag. Make this elegant gift bag and fill it with some yummy treats or a special gift. It is perfect for any occasion, from birthdays to weddings.   Great for a stamp camp, or as a class project.

This is such a visually-appealing project!  It was designed by Monika Davis, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.  Have you subscribed to this month's tutorials?  If not, what are you waiting for?

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Some time ago when Stampin' Up! had reduced pricing for My Digital Studio projects, I used a trifold card template to design several sets of note cards.  This trifold template is my most favorite, and I have to say that having pretty note cards ready to use is awesome!  As I was starting to clean up the stamp room last Thursday and listening to music, there was a song that reminded me of my cousin, Teresa.  Her name has come up before in a blog post or two.  We were friends and partners in crime all through school and when I think about those days now, I don't have memories of anything bad--no regrets, no embarrassment to speak of (or that I'm willing to speak of)--there's just one word to sum it all up . . . carefree.  I think everyone deserves to take a trip through their memories and recall moments that were truly carefree.  I hope they can.  Anyway, Teresa and I spent a lot of time going nowhere and doing nothing, whether it was on foot, bicycles or . . . a little later . . . in a car.  And I mean that we were in. the. car.  We would go to ballgames, but just to see who was in the stands.  We went to the library to work on a report (back when kids had to go to libraries for research), but we'd often just turn around and leave.  Sometimes we would even leave school a little early.  ;-)  During our Junior year, we were on the Yearbook staff.  Many times when we were supposed to be out selling ad space, we would pull into the parking lot of a business, try to agree on which one of us would prospect the sale, but then end up leaving to just drive around.  In the late '70s, that's what teens did . . . rode around in cars, listening to 8-tracks.  The music that plays as my memories replay is usually The Oak Ridge Boys ("Elvira" - we could really butcher that song), Kenny Rogers & Dottie West, and ALWAYS Fleetwood Mac.  And so I pulled out one of my printed trifold cards because I wanted to let Teresa know that I was thinking of her and am thankful for the great times we had back in the day.  To decorate my card, I placed strips of washi tape on a piece of card stock and then cut it with the Blossom punch.  The stamped sentiment is from A Dozen Thoughts stamp set.

As you can see, the second and third panels of the trifold are decorated with lines for writing a message and also a blank space with decorative pennants at the top.  Having note cards like this on hand is definitely something that I would recommend for anyone who has Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio software.  You never know when a song will come on and prompt you to write a little note to someone.

CREATING PRETTY CARDS - SKETCH CHALLENGE #35

If you visit my blog often, then you know that Craft Project Central has a new sketch each month and YOU are invited (encouraged, really) to accept the challenge to create and share a card.  For every 10 cards that are shared HERE, there will be a lucky winner of a FREE one-month subscription to the awesome tutorials on the site.  I had a lot of fun with this month's sketch:

Stampin' Up! products featured on my card include:

Stamp Sets:  Traveler (sneak peek), World Map, Shop Around (jumbo wheel), Hip Notes

Card Stock:  Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Old Olive

Ink:  Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso

Punches:  Scallop Border

Sizzix:  Chevron embossing folder

Accessories:  Large Rhinestone Jewel, Crumb Cake seam binding, Essentials Wooden Elements, 

So, are you ready to accept the challenge?  It's really easy . . . just follow the sketch to create a card, post it to your blog, and then link to it HERE.

 

"SKETCHED BIRTHDAY" CARD SET

The project that I designed for Craft Project Central this month is featured today, and following is the introduction that I wrote for it:  Birthday cards are needed all year long, and this ensemble includes four cards featuring fun polka dots and a handy decorated box to hold them.  The box will hold four cards and four envelopes, or you might prefer to fill the box with two sets of cards.  Perfect for a class, this project would also be a well-received and useful gift.

Stampin' Up!'s Sketched Birthday stamp set is quite nice, and I grew more and more fond of it the more that I worked with it.  It's especially nice when everything you need is in that one set.  Would you like to win a FREE subscription to Craft Project Central this month?  One lucky person will win a FREE one-month subscription.  To be entered in the drawing, just leave a comment on THIS post on Craft Project Central's site where you see my project photo.  I will draw the winning name and announce it with my "Make-It-Snappy-Monday" blog post on Monday, May 19th.

"BLENDED BLOOM" MOTHER'S DAY CARDS

It's not that I didn't know Mother's Day was fast approaching, so there's no excuse for having to stay up until 3:30 a.m. finishing starting special cards that needed to get in the mail ASAP.  I used Stampin' Up!'s Blended Bloom stamp and Blendabilities for two of the cards.  The first one was colored with Cherry Cobbler markers (I'm having a hard time not calling the Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities my favorite), and I kept the overall card design really simple.  I'll be honest . . . it takes a while to color all of the petals on the stamped image, and yet I don't seem to care about that because it's ridiculously EASY to end up with all of those shades and shadows.  Even though I used Cherry Cobbler markers, I thought that my finished flower looked best on Real Red card stock, and I think that's So Saffron card stock that I used for the sentiment strip, although it may be Hello Honey, one of the new In Colors.  For my second card (same design), I used the Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Blendabilities Markers.   BTW, the whitish highlights were created with the Color Lifter.

Forgive the photos . . . it's impossible to mimic daylight at three-my-eyes-are-falling a.m., and yet the camera has no trouble picking up tiny little places where a marker forgot to go.  It seems that mistakes and oversights just shine in any light.  I didn't dare walk my finished cards to the mailbox that late at night--didn't want to encounter a snake, coyote, or other scurrying animal--but I hopped out of bed a few hours later and got them to the box before the mailman came.  Whew!

"FRESH PRINTS" PLACE SETTING

This Fresh Prints place setting is a great way to brighten up your table!  This place setting features a wipe-able placemat, place card, coordinating napkin ring, and a sweet treat envelope to finish your meal!  Use this place setting as a gift, for a party, or to just brighten up your morning meal!

Wouldn't it be nice for a cheery setting such as this to greet you for breakfast?  Michelle Wecksler designed this ensemble, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

BLENDABILITIES & "SO VERY GRATEFUL"

I still can't put the Stampin' Blendabilities Markers down.  I've had Stampin' Up!'s So Very Grateful stamp set for a while and haven't done much with it, but it screams to be colored with the Blendabilities!  Can you tell from the photo just how yummy these markers are???  If you're not a demo and have to wait a wee bit longer to order the markers, my only advice is to save your $$$ because you will want them.  If you are a demo, well . . . you already know that it's too late to save any $$$, and all that matters is that you have these markers!  Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include Whisper White card stock, Framed Tulips embossing folder (sadly, it's retiring), Ovals Collection Framelits, and Rich Razzleberry card stock.

♥ BUTTERY BLENDABILITIES ♥

If you follow a lot of Stampin' Up! demo blogs, you have surely already heard about one of Stampin' Up!'s newest products . . . Stampin' Blendabilities Markers.  They will be available for purchase from the new catalog, but my preorder arrived today . . . along with ALL of the Blendabilities.  I had said that I wouldn't purchase all that were available, but then it was just too hard to decide on one set and I knew that I would wish that I had all of them.  I could hardly wait to start coloring!  While I still have a lot to learn, I think this row of vases and flowers turned out quite well.  You'll notice what looks like an ill-blended green on the left of each vase, and let me assure you that it's not the result of faulty markers--that was all my doing.  I wanted to add an aged appearance to the vases and laid a thin line of the lightest Old Olive color on top of the Coastal Cabana-colored vases.

I am in love with the Blendabilities markers and, for the first time in my life, I'm looking for images to color.  What do I love about these markers?  For one thing, each set has three coordinating colors (light, medium, and dark) that are meant to be layered and blended.  This takes a lot of guesswork out of coloring.  I have a lot of Copic and Prismacolor alcohol markers and have tried to work with them off and on for a few years.  Late last year, I finally put them up because I didn't enjoy having  to figure out what blends with what, although I could have paid for classes to learn the best way to use them.  I suppose coloring just isn't that important to me--I just want coloring to be fun instead of work.  I love that the markers, even if you decide to not take the time to do a lot of blending, color with ease--they are so smooth!  I love that the tips seem quite durable but, at the same time, I've been mindful to not put pressure on them.  Most of all, I love that the Stampin' Blendabilities Markers come in colors that coordinate with the colors that I use all the time.  It's fun to look at a project that I colored and actually see blending and shading that was nearly effortless.  Did Stampin' Up! do a good thing with these markers?  Absolutely!  Are you going to want them?  Oh yes, you will.  Additional Stampin' Up! products used to complete my card include Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Vivid Vases stamp set, black Memento ink, Hello Honey, Whisper White, and Pool Party card stock, and Hello Honey (one of the new In Color colors) Stitched Satin Ribbon, which is a dream to work with.  So what do you think?  Did I do a decent job with these delicious new markers?
ETA:  For all of my marker trials, I used Stampin' Up!'s Whisper White card stock and "built" the color layers from dark to light.  When adding layers and layers of color, there's a tendency for the ink to move outside of the image lines because it's being moved a lot; however, this is less likely to happen if you take your time--don't rush when adding colors, and try to avoid moving color toward the stamped image lines.  The Color Lifter will help clean up ink that has moved outside the lines.  When using it with dark colors, you may need to use it several times, giving it a chance to work (and dry) each time.  BTW, I think Stampin' Up!'s Color Lifter works better than other alcohol blenders that I've tried!

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM project was created with supplies and scraps that were scattered on my desk.  When I realized that I hadn't already scheduled a MISM post for today, it was a "Yikes!" moment.  And then, as I was carefully shoveling a clear spot on my desk, I decided that I would up the challenge of making a snappy card (literally in a snap) by only using items that were already lying around.  So, my brand new Whisper White craft ink pad was used to ink that little circle image from Stampin' Up!'s Eye-Catching Ikat stamp set, which was randomly stamped all over a layer of Midnight Muse card stock, which was adhered to the Summer Starfruit card.  On a scrap of Whisper White card stock, I used Midnight Muse ink to stamp the sentiment from Vivid Vases--another new product that arrived last week and was waiting to be used.  To the bottom of the sentiment layer, I added a strip of Summer Starfruit that was cut with one of my favorite punches--the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border.  It always adds just a little flash of goodness!  The finishing touch was the taffeta ribbon that I looped and folded into shape, tied with Linen Thread, and then adhered to the card with Glue Dots.  Voila!  A snappy card all ready to go!  BTW, if you haven't purchased or considered Eye-Catching Ikat, you should take another look at it HERE.  At first glance, it may not look that exciting, but . . . WOW! . . . that mix of images can grant hours of creative indulgence!  That's it for the commercial.  Have a great week!

PROUD OF MY GRAD!

Get ready for that special graduation celebration with this display for guests to leave a special message for the graduate. The So Proud of You tasseled garland, draped along an everyday yardstick, will inspire your guests to add a message on one of the handmade note cards. The ‘Memories’ and ‘Wishes’ labeled jars will hold those messages for the grad!

This is one of those projects that graduates can enjoy for many years; actually, some grads might enjoy (appreciate) the Memories and Wishes years from now.  Julie Beltramo designed this project, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

MR. & MRS. TOWELS

Sharing today a card that I made for my grandmother to give with her gift to my niece and her husband.  The "towels" were designed using My Digital Studio and printed onto Very Vanilla card stock.  After embossing the top part of the towels with the Square Lattice embossing folder and using Fringe Scissors on the bottom, I decided to use Sweet Sorbet DSP, which has a white background.  Oops!  Brushed Silver card stock was used to create the towel bar, which was adorned on each end with embossed and punched hearts.  Using MDS to design and print a portion of a card design is a quick and easy way to create a card!

LONG ENVELOPE MINI ALBUM & CARD

This mini album, which was made with the Envelope Punch Board, has three two-page layouts.  It also has three pull-out pages that can be used for journaling or more pictures.  Along with the matching card, this would make a wonderful gift for any occasion.  It would also make a great scrapbooking class.

Isn't this a neat and useful project?  It was designed and created by the talented Christy Fulk, and her tutorial is available at Craft Project Central.