I've been on a birthday card kick!

Okay, here's yet another birthday card. A lot of people were born this time of year in my family.

Today's card mixes white, black, pink, and olive green. I wasn't sure at first of the color combinations but I really think it turned out well.







Supplies:
American Craft patterned paper
Bazzill Scalloped card stock
Bazzill pink and white cardstock
Walmart faux rhinestones
Rhonna Ferrar buttons
Black ribbon from ribbon stash
Heidi Swapp and Making Memories rub-ons
Technique Tuesday Williamsburg alphabet stamps
Heidi Swapp edge distresser

Card basics:
Cut black scalloped cardstock in half and then fold so that you have a 6" by 6" card. Cut a piece of pink cardstock then layer that with a piece of white cardstock that has been distressed with the Heidi Swapp distresser. Adhere patterned paper to that. Add rhinestones to tips of flowers. Add three buttons (I used one of each of pink, green, and white) to the corner. Tie ribbon into a pretty bow on top of the patterned paper and slip a piece of pink cardstock under the ribbon with either a rub-on or stamped "birthday". Use Making Memories "happy" on the right top part of the patterned paper. Doodle a few black dots on different parts of the card.

I ended up with two very similiar versions but it doesn't seem as if I can ever to the same thing twice. Let me know which one you like better.

Another Happy Birthday

Yea!!! I'm posting something else I've made. I feel as though they are few and far between but I'm making time for things. I actually had this birthday card done for over a week but couldn't post it because it was for my mom and she hadn't received it yet.

I'm trying to work on the presentation of my cards so I used some hints from some other blogs that I have seen. The base of this card is half of a sheet of the Bazzill black scalloped paper with a square of Sassafras black dotted paper on top. I used Heidi Swapp black chipboard letters for "happy" and stamped "birthday" with half of the Heidi Swapp "Happy Birthday" stamp. I distressed the edges of the Sassafras paper with Brick Red distressing ink. I put red rhinestones in each corner and added a cute ribbon and used a button that I bought from Hancock Fabrics. I just bought a shank remover and love it! It took the shank off of the back of the button perfectly so it laid down flat...either that or it was beginner's luck!



My favorite details...

Life Happens

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post and it's because life happens. I am so busy with working full time as a teacher, taking Spanish Master's classes full time, and sewing for my purse business. Sometimes, I wish I were two people and could just tell each one what to do. I know I just have to take one thing at a time but sometimes I just want to do what I want to do and pretend I don't have obligations lol. Oh well, I get it all done and really enjoy everything I do. Well, I even get some time to make cards and scrapbook. I have another project in process right now but can't show it yet. I'm glad it's the weekend...I can get caught up on some work. I know everyone's lives are busy and we all need to take time to slow down sometimes and do what we want to do.

Sewing notions

It was so nice to have today off from work and college...to know that I don't have to be anywhere at any specific time. Today, Hancock Fabric's had an awesome sale on sewing notions so I knew that I would have to go. I stocked up on zippers, thread, and other things for my purse business but also bought one of those little tomatoes. The kind, that when I was a little girl and played with my grandma's tomato, I always wondered why she stabbed a tomato with needles. My mom has one too and I finally decided that I needed a tomato to stab with needles. I just wanted to share my tomato! It really is easier to get to the needles.


On a similar note, I am really enjoying the purse making business and I can't believe how it has taken off. I'm sure I sound like a broken record but it's true. I just love sewing now, especially now that I know what to do. I feel important because I have a business account, I can buy wholesale, I have business cards, and it's just such a wonderful feeling. If any of my customers are reading this, thank you so much! If you aren't a customer yet, what are you thinking? Hehehe, but really go check out my purse site.

It's a Boy

My cousin and her husband had their baby boy last week and I wanted to make them a card. I wasn't able to go to the baby shower where they made her a scrapbook so I had a nifty idea. I made a 6 X 12 card that she can unfold and use as a scrapbook page and maybe put the baby's picture in the top half....inventive, eh?

Anyway, for the card details. I think I couldn't have put anything else on the card!
Supplies:
DCWV cardstock
DCWV Glitter Stack
white rick rack
green fuzzy rick rack
Martha Stewart twill tape
Random hemp-like twine
Wal-Mart faux rhinestones
New Arrivals Cricut cartridge for train and "It's a Boy"
Hancock Fabric orange buttons
Diamond Stickles
Crystal Effects
Queen & Co. brads

So, after reading through an exhausting supply list, here's how I made the card. I knew I was going to make a train because I love the one on New Arrivals. I cut the base out in green, then used the neat DCWV glitter paper to add on top. I added Crystal Effects to the smoke coming out of the stack and added Queen & Co. brads to the top of the smokestack. I rickracked all three parts of the train. I connected the train pieces with some green beading string that I bought at Wal-Mart. I added big rhinestones to the wheels. The bottom is lined with Martha Stewart twill tape topped with fuzzy rick rack and three cute orange buttons from Hancock Fabric's. I stickled and popped the word "Boy" and cut out the phrase with New Arrivals.

It felt so good to use my Cricut again as I haven't used it in a while. It really is an amazing machine!

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.

Snappy Birthday

I got my Crab & Company set out again and went to town. The little stamps are so cute and so is the crab. I love the saying "Snappy Birthday" so I went with a little birthday card using red, orange, and white. I colored everything with Stampin' Up markers and had such a relaxing time coloring! The crab is in Real Red and the gift, hat, and cake are in Real Red, Yoyo Yellow, and Only Orange. I stickled the dots on the small items with red and then also stickled the saying. I put some eyelets around the matted saying. I used my Cuttlebug as the background and put red and orange stickles in the little holes. I found some awesome organza dotted red ribbon and tied a little ribbon the side. I added a few red dots for color on the matted crab on the right side. I also put the little starfish along the side with the saying. I overlapped the crab on the ribbon and think it looks cute!

Perfectly Purple

I made a card last night using a Dolly Mama stamp I found at Michael's. The saying on her purse says: "It's official. I've become my mother." I used two shades of purple when I colored with my Stampin' Up markers. It's an extremely simple card. I punched three snaps in the corner. I stamped the circles from All in a Row, a Stampin' Up set, onto the bottom and added a thin white rick rack in the center. I added purple dots all around the card and a few dots on the stamped image. That's all folks!



Close up of the Dolly Mama in all of her purple glory


It was a very simple card to make.

Neglect of the Blog...

I have neglected my blog for the past few days because of sewing all the time for a big order that I have to get out tomorrow morning. I have one more thing to do tonight and I will feel so relieved. I am thrilled that my business is going well and I want to expand to other kinds of purses and accessories! My goal this week will be to get at least three cards done and to get ready to scrapbook something...I don't even know what yet :).

Thanks to everyone who keeps checking and I promise to post some work this week!