CABINET + CHALK COUTURE = PRETTY FACELIFT!!!

Not stamping related, but I wanted to share a photo of my pantry-style cabinet that got a facelift about two months ago.  When I moved the cabinet across the room, its plain white doors screamed for something visually appealing.  I must admit that I was a bit intimidated to begin the project, but I was also excited for a subtle change.  The first photo shows the beginning of the process, and the finished project is shown in the second photo.

To decorate the cabinet doors, I used Chalk Couture's Modern Floral Chalk Transfer and Fawn Couture Ink.  I could easily have used Chalkology Paste for this project, but I thought the ink would be easier and quicker since it's much more fluid than paste.  While the ink was, indeed, a dream to use, the drying time took 3 to 4 days.  This really slowed the process, even though I started at the bottom of the cabinet and then moved to the top.  Getting the mid section completed and then doing a couple of touch-ups is what took longer since I was waiting for ink to dry.  All in all, that process took a little more than a week.  I've been looking at the cabinet every day for at least a month, and I still love it!  ANY of Chalk Couture's transfers could be used to give so many surfaces a facelift!  If you would like to see all of the awesome Chalk Couture products, please visit my website HERE.

THANK YOU CARD . . . MAY PAPER PUMPKIN

The May Paper Pumpkin kit is so beautiful!  So beautiful, in fact, that I ordered a refill as soon as I completed (all 12 of) the cards.  Not only were the cards and envelopes a real treat (with partially pre-printed designs), the kit also included metal bird trinkets, twine, and a richly colored velvet ribbon--not to mention the wonderful stamp set!  This was the first card made from the kit contents:

In the photo, you get a glimpse of the printing/pattern on both the card and the coordinating envelope.  If you're wondering about the size of the cards, they're approximately 3-1/2" x 5" and meet the USPS minimum size requirement which makes them perfectly suitable for mailing.  The card pictured above is proof since it has already been received by a sweet demo friend.

Following are more photos of the completed cards:

They're just lovely, don't you agree?

FUN "CHIP BAG" PACKAGING

Mother's Day was celebrated yesterday at my sister's house.  My mother had a couple of extra gifts from me but, to her, my sister, and niece, I gave a gift of some of my favorite household products . . . Method Glass + Surface Cleaner (Waterfall scent) and Walnut Scrubber Sponge from Grove Collaborative and, from Bath & Body Works, Kitchen Lemon foaming hand soap.  I don't know exactly how much they appreciated receiving cleaning products (LOL), but I do know that cleaning is something that we can't erase from our lives and shouldn't it be as pleasant as possible?  

Pictured below are their gift bags, which feature the chalk tags that I shared in this blog post.  

A really fun project that was packed away in each bag was the "chip bag" packaging for the walnut scrubber sponge.  It was soooooooooo easy to make!  I created the design using Microsoft Publisher (which I don't believe has been available for years, but I still love and use), and then the design was printed onto regular white copy/printer paper.  One of the fonts that I used is one that I often enjoy--it's my son's handwriting.  We both created a font of our handwriting years ago online, but mine got lost in one of the computer upgrades through the years.  Anyway . . . here are photos of the chip bag packaging:

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, I hope you're enjoying this Memorial Day holiday--and keep in mind the reason for it.  I recently read this quote and find it very fitting . . . 

"WHO KEPT THE FAITH AND FOUGHT THE FIGHT; 

THE GLORY THEIRS, THE DUTY OURS."

"SPRINGTIME STROLL" FLIP-FLAP THANK YOU CARD

My mother does so many nice things for me, and I recently wanted to send a thank you card to her.  I didn't want it to be just another card that opens like any other card.  Nooooooooo.  I wanted the card to be something interesting and (maybe) a little fun.  I also wanted to use Stampin' Up!'s soon-to-be-retired Springtime Stroll (hostess) stamp set.  I loved this set the first time I saw it and have had it for quite a while, but I don't believe I had ever used it.  That was about to change.  This being strawberry season and all, what better time to start coloring berries?  The other thing that I will say about this card is that the interior flip-flaps are just too fun and provided the perfect palette to showcase some of the cute images in the stamp set.  Pictures are more fun than words, so here you go:

Of course, there had to be a coordinating envelope:

While I was having fun with the stamps and flip-flap card, I decided to make a Mother's Day version for my friend, Laura.  The front of the card was like my mother's but, this time--as you will see, I lined the interior with designer paper and did some stamping on the inside of the flip-flap panels.

Although my cards were smaller than the usual A2, a flip-flap card could most certainly be whatever size you want.  Just like my love for square cards, I sometimes get a wild hair and want to make a sweet little morsel that's just a wee bit miniature.  😜

MOTHER'S DAY CHALKABLE CHIP TAGS--AND A GIVEAWAY!!!

We haven't actually celebrated Mother's Day yet.  Our family will soon gather at my sister's house to celebrate mothers, graduates, and my great-nephew's birthday  This is an expensive month, so feel free to shop with me at either Stampin' Up! or Chalk Couture.  😊  

I'm looking forward to the family gathering at my sister's house!  She has a brand new updated kitchen that I'm anxious to see, but I know it will make me want to come home and rip mine apart.  I may or may not have already had visions of doing that.

What I want to share today are the Chalkable Chip tags that I decorated with Chalkology Paste and three Chalk Transfers . . . Your Life Your Story, Sweet Spring, and Beach Day.  The Sweet Spring transfer was one of the recent Club Couture transfers, so it's not available for purchase.  Didn't these tags turn out cute?

The pineapple looks a totally different color in the bottom photo, and that's because the lighting picked up the Shimmer Gold Chalkology Paste that I used.  

Some time ago, I purchased quite a handful of Chalkable Chips because they are so quick to decorate, and I love using them for gift tags.  The thing about receiving one of these tags is that it can then hang from a drawer or door knob, the corner of a tall cabinet or dresser mirror, or a magnet could be placed on the back of it!  I suppose it could also adorn a gift bag for someone else!  There are two chalkboard sides to the chips, which means twice the surface to decorate . . . bonus for me!

I hope my mother, sister, and niece won't mind getting a peek at their gift tag . . . they just won't know who is getting which one.  ;-)

GIVEAWAY!!!  Would you like the chance to have a decorated Chalkable Chip tag sent to you?  All you need to do to get in the drawing is leave a comment.  Next Tuesday, May 21st, I will draw the name of one winner who will receive a chalkboard tag.  OR . . . anyone who places an online order this month at my Chalk Couture store will receive a decorated tag--or undecorated--your choice.

Stay tuned later this month for a gift packaging project that was so stinkin' easy . . . and clever.  I just completed it today, and I want so badly to go ahead and share it but don't want to spoil the surprise for the mothers in my family.  It's not anything elaborate--it's just too clever and too simple to be believed.  

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

MOTHER'S DAY ORCHID

Today we celebrate mothers.  When I was making a stack of cards to send to special mothers that I know, I kept wondering what I would make for my own sweet mother.  Although I had no exact ideas, I figured her card would be something with dimension, texture, sparkles, and that it might be a little over the top.  I guess you could say that my card had all of that--just not in a fancy sense.

I'm not sure where I came across this card, but the sentiment was just too cute.  It called to me, and I loved that it gave me another reason to use the Varied Vases stamp set.  I enjoyed the little bit of watercoloring and had no trouble appreciating the simplicity of this card design.  The picture quality is quite awful, and I hope you can get past that to see that this really did turn out to be a lovely card.

To all mothers, it's your day . . . have a happy one!

BIRTHDAY POCKET CARD

Today is my cousin's birthday, and this is the pocket card that I made for her:

This card also features Stampin' Up!'s gorgeous Share What You Love designer paper, Rich Razzleberry velvet ribbon, circle and Starburst punches, glimmer paper, and sentiment from Perennial Birthday stamp set.  

"OH SNAP!"

Yesterday, we celebrated Easter, my daddy's birthday, and my nephew's birthday.  Since my nephew enjoys film photography, I thought Chalk Couture's Oh Snap! chalk transfer (February 2019 Club Couture) would be perfect for a chalkboard and wooden base to include with his gift!

My son, who also has a keen interest in photography (both digital and film), used some of his equipment and effects to stage and shoot this photograph.  When I asked him to take a photo, I thought it would just be a photo, so this blew me away!

The chalkboard project probably took all of 5 minutes to create, and that includes drying time.  

If you are interested in learning more about Chalk Couture products or if I can be of assistance, please let me know.  You can view all available products HERE.

MY EASTER/SPRING CREATIONS

I don't know what it is about holidays.  They come around every year, but some of them sneak up on me.  That happened with Easter.  I had been busy working in my stamp room, moving some furniture from one side to the other and filling a lot of garbage bags, when it dawned on me that it was time to put Easter cards in the mail if I planned to send any.  As is usual when time is of the essence, I didn't have any idea what kind of card to make, so I started looking at my stamp sets.  It was Lawn Fawn's How You Bean? set that screamed "use me!".  Coloring the candy was so much fun, and the process went quicker than you might think once I was happy with the selected colors.  

When the cards were finished, I knew that the jelly beans didn't really capture the spirit of Easter so I stamped "Happy Spring" on the front and "Happy Easter" on the inside.  Soooooo . . . my Easter cards weren't at all what I might have designed if I had worked on them earlier, but I think they still brightened the day of those who received them.

But then, in keeping with the true spirit of Easter, I saw an adorable cross-shaped Hershey's nugget holder that Birgit Seidler created, and I just had to make a few.  She speaks German, and I don't.  She measures in cm, and I don't.  Fortunately, this was an easy enough project to figure out, and aren't these little gems adorable???

I cut two strips of cardstock at 1" x 8.5" for each cross.  The strips were scored at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 inches from one end, and then at 1.25" from the other end.  After folding into shape, I adhered two strips together at the top.  

For the three pinched "joints", I started with the left, then the right, and then adhered the left and right at the center which created the three triangle shapes at the top part of the cross.  

Lastly, I glued the bottom two pieces together.

I chose Stampin' Up!'s Gorgeous Grape, Pineapple Punch, and Grapefruit Grove cardstock for my crosses, and I used strips of Gingham Gala designer paper to wrap the Hershey's nugget candy.  I used one of the Bitty Blooms punches and the Butterfly Duet punch to decorate the crosses, as well as Baker's Twine.  The sentiment is from His Grace stamp set.

And then . . . I decided to make a box for some of the nugget crosses . . .

Thank you for visiting my blog today!  I wish YOU a Happy Easter and a Happy Spring! 

"GRACEFUL GARDEN" FUN FOLD

Sharing today a fun fold card that I made recently.  I don't know if there's a name for this card style, but it is definitely an easy one to make.  I even decorated a coordinating envelope, although the color doesn't show up very well.

It's a fun one, right?