Happy Birthday TO YOU

Well, it's been a while since I've posted but I am still thinking about and working on different projects. My latest project was a simple birthday card for my FIL.

Just a little about my life before the details about the card. School started on August 14th with the kiddos. I'm having a great time teaching Spanish to the little ones and the method I am using keeps us moving and happy. On a second note, I started my semester at college. I have two Master's classes this semester and will graduate in the spring. I am so thrilled. I am enjoying the classes this semester. One is Contemporary World History and the second is Theories and Introduction to Translation. They are both actually really good classes. Plaid Leaf Purses, my business, is going fantastic as well. Life is good!

Okay, now onto the birthday card...
Supplies: DCWV card base, My Mind's Eye patterned paper, Bazzill card stock, SU Crystal Effects, SU Chocolate Chip stamp pad, Heidi Swapp stamp, Technique Tuesday stamps, Diamond Stickles, random ribbon, Making Memories brads

I used the blue card base and just put a piece of My Mind's Eye patterned paper on it with a piece of ribbon tied onto the left side. I stamped "happy birthday" onto Bazzill cardstock with SU Chocolate Chip stamping pad then stickled over both words. I added a row of brads on top of the "happy" block and put Crystal Effects on the brads...thought it turned out neat. I matted "birthday" and then put a small piece of Bazzill with "TO YOU" stamped on with Technique Tuesday Main Street alphabet letters. I think that's it! See, it's easy :).

Thank You

Well, I start work on Monday officially and the kids will be at school on Tuesday. I am finally getting somewhat excited about it. I don't know how the year will go because I am still roaming the building with my cart and now there is a portable outside. Good thing I'm flexible! I am thinking of designing an all-terrain cart though with windshield wipers, chains on the wheels, and all-terrain wheels....just joking! Anyway, it'll be okay because I love my job enough that it won't matter.

I did get into my card supplies again but it's rare these days as I volunteered to make a pair of pants for my sister-in-law. She's had the same pair for a long time and absolutely loves them. I ripped the seams all apart and used those pants as a pattern. I got the red pair done last night and was so thrilled that they look like pants!

Here are pants that I made. They don't look at good laying out flat but I'm proud of my first item of clothing!


You see, when I was in high school, I took industrial arts which I loved. However, I did not take home economics because I didn't think that I needed it...what in the world was I thinking???? Now, I have a business where I sit down at a sewing machine and I have had to teach myself everything. My aunt has been incredibly helpful though!

Anyway, here's the card that I made for my mother-in-law for such a fun trip to Lexington. We really had a blast!



I used the black, red, and white color scheme again...seems popular for me these days. I used the Montage stamp from Michael's again but did something a bit different. I colored the vases in red and black but then mounted them by hand to a piece of Bazzill black cardstock and sewed around the edge with red. I stickled the stems of the flowers. I distressed the edges with Brick Red Distressing Ink and doodled around the edges. I stamped "thank you" on the card with a Technique Tuesday stamp and added some layered rick rack along the bottom.

39.75 Hours in a Day????

Is it possible to talk with someone to extend the number of hours in a day? I saw a scrapbook layout in Scrapbook, Etc., I think that had a page about someone's schedule and it added up to more than 24 hours. She then was deciding between her husband and her dog to help out with her daily work. Anyway, I feel like that sometimes. I wish I had time right now to make a bunch of cards but my purse business, and I'm sure I've said this many times, is keeping me terribly busy. It's really a good thing because that means that my business is doing well. I actually find sewing pretty rewarding and relaxing. I also feel the same about my other hobbies. It's just the working and schooling that gets in the way! Speaking of which, school begins again next Monday for teachers and our kiddos will come on Tuesday. I'm excited to be teaching Spanish to elementary kids again this year but sometimes I wish I were teaching high school again because I could see them every day and it just felt like it was sometimes more productive to teach them than the little ones. Guess I can't have everything! College will begin again on August 20th and that means that I will start being Speedy Gonzalez on the way to class. Even worse, my classes begin at 4:00 so I have to be out of the building by 2:45...that is the time that I leave my last room. I sure wish I could just get a little mini-jet and jet all over the place....in my wildest dreams.

Anyway, here's hoping for some time to make cards soon.

Best Wishes

I have been using a lot of bright colors lately so I figured I wouldn't change that now! This morning I finished the "Best Wishes" card with that stamp from Technique Tuesdays. I really like their acrylic stamps because the stamped image is so sharp. Anyway, I started with a black Bazzill cardstock as the card base. I put a sheet of striped My Mind's Eye paper on the card and distressed the edges with my Heidi Swapp edge distressor which I also used for the frame around the flower vases. I colored the flowers and vases with my Stampin' Up markers. The stamp was from Michaels and it was stamped in black. I added a few faux rhinestones on the vases and then little tiny blue buttons on the corners. I used Crystal Effects on all of the flowers to give it a little shine. I love the organza dotted ribbon! The black dotted ribbon was accented with a little piece of green felt rick rack from Joann Fabrics. What a happy card!


Here's a closer look at the flowers.

I love ribbon!


In my life, I will be starting school again on August 13th and the students will start the 14th. Every year it is so hard to go back after having the summer off and being able to stamp and scrap. I have also been very busy making purses and I am almost caught up on my orders. The summer has been great!

Red, Black, and White

I made a card using only black, white, and red last night and had such a great time figuring out how to color in the stamp. I ended up accenting parts of the lady with red and then Crystal Effects by Stampin' Up. I started with a piece of black cardstock that I folded in half for the card. The stamped image is black with red accent and Crystal Effects. I added a row of Hancock Fabrics lacy ribbon along the right. I put a strip of red rick rack along the bottom with faux rhinestones along the rick rack. I like how it turned out because it could be for a lot of situations.


I love rick rack!

Here's a close up of the lady. I'm not sure that you can see the Crystal Effects or not.