Gracious Hostess

She's always got clean sheets on the bed, toys in the bin, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, a spot for a large dog and Lucky Charms for our breakfast of choice! She's always on top of things when we invade for a week or more and I couldn't appreciate more. Thanks Mom, for being a Gracious Hostess.

The super talented and super sweet blogger Jen has a really great tutorial up over at the May Arts Blog on Burnt Ribbon Flowers. I decided to try my hand with it and like the results. The colors of the card were inspired by The Play Date Cafe.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Natural White) SU
Stamp: (Mega Mixed Message) PTI
Ink: (Chestnut Roan Chalk) Colorbox
Embellishments: (Pewter Brads) SU, (Natural Burlap String) May Arts
Ribbon: (Offray)
Tools: (Flower Die) Cuttlebug

The Collection

 

Just a few clean and simple baby thank you cards I've made for the upcoming arrival of Baby Dot (no, he's not mine, but my sister's!). I gained inspiration for the layouts based on Tiff's Sketch here (instead of the three dots, I used made the whole background polka dots), and used all sorts of twine from different manufacturers for added interest, and because the Wee Memories Challenge reminded me to pull some out of my stash and actually use some!

 

The left side is the bright palette (brighter paper and brighter twine), the right side a bit more subdued.

I've also the pleasure of being honored with the Stylish Blogger Reward by both Julie E. (she's a sweetie and does the upmost fantastic things with handmade presentation items) and Lynnette (who makes fantastic cards and is an overall good cookie). Thank you ladies! I'm a rule breaker so I'm not going to follow all the rules but I think it is fun when I learn more about fellow bloggers, so here is a list of eight things you might not know about me...

1. I read most magazines from the last page to the first. Except for Papercrafts-then I page through first to see how many names I recognize. 

2. "The boys" made me a pink spinner bait last night to go along with my birthday present of a pink fishing rod and reel last October. I'm really, seriously forward to packing a lunch for the four of us and catching some fish-that is, when the ice on the lakes melt. I don't do ice fishing.

3. I live in a house with one bathroom and no dishwasher or basement, but it is HOME and I'm so very grateful to have a roof over my head and two little and one big boy to share it with.

4. A few days back I read an article that babies born this year will not know what landline phones, DVDs, newspapers or printed maps really are. These children will miss out on some fun stuff, and, it makes me feel old.

5. I recently discovered delectable tastes of pomegranate and clementines...and saddened to discover that they are only available in Central Wisconsin (at a price I can afford) during the Christmas season.

6. Young Riders (the 1980's cowboy show featuring The Pony Express) is my new favorite TV show. It is not only a classic, but a great excuse to have a "Date Night" frequently and in our own home. Thank you Netflix. 

7. Looking forward to seeing my son wrestle this weekend, hoping to see the joy on his face when they hand him a medal, and praying that he is strong enough to realize that winning isn't everything should he not receive one.

8. And lastly, been feeling in a crafty rut these past few days. I. need. to. escape. this. rut. I am also trying to expand my crafty ways, but keep coming back to clean and simple. Hope you don't get bored.

An Elephant Never Forgets

Getting organized has always been a difficult thing for me. I struggle with even remembering to be organized! I created this little frame to as a constant visual reminder to get organized!

I'm so excited to have been invited to do a feature over at Gauche Alchemy! I won a few of their Mixed Media Kits from the very talented Yvonne's blog, and they are so much fun to sort through and come up with something creative.

So please hop on over to the Gauche Alchemy Blog for a bit more details and check out their Mixed Media Kits here!

Remember, an elephant never forgets!

Cranberries & Cake

Cranberries, the glossy shiny gems of burgundy red become a focal point for her winter wedding decor. A few days before the big event, she convinced her future husband to trek through the long driveway of the marsh, full of snow, with her to pick up a crate of fresh berries to adorn their reception tables. Thousands of glorious, elegant, unmarred burgundy red beads held together by rustic, worn wooden slabs of wood...what a perfect couple.

Oh, the colors of Off the Wall Craftiness brought back so many tucked away memories of my very own wedding. I started by stamping a series of patterned circles from Schlosser Design's Circle-A-Thon repeatedly in burgundy shades of chalk ink onto kraft paper and then added white enamel accents (these are so awesome, by the way!).

I liked the design and concept so much that I decided to take on the Winter White Tuesday Trigger Challenge at Moxie Fab World, this time using the stamping-off technique of brown ink onto cream paper. White enamel accents were also added, although the photograph does not show it well.

Supplies:
Cranberry Celebrate:
Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI
Stamps: (Circle-A-Thon, Furnishing Fun) Schlosser Designs
Ink: (Chalk Ink) Colorbox
Other: (White Enamel Accents) Ranger
Tools: (Corner Chomper) WR Memory Keepers


Cream Celebrate:
Cardstock: (Ivory) Georgia Pacific
Stamps: (Circle-A-Thon, Furnishing Fun) Schlosser Designs
Ink: (Vintage Photo Distress) Ranger
Other: (White Enamel Accents) Ranger
Tools: (Corner Chomper) WR Memory Keepers

Vintage Snow

Vintage snow. It's the kind that comes with the first substantial snow fall of the winter. It's the snow that transforms into a glittery sheet of wonderful. It's the kind that remains untouched for three months by little boys, big dogs, snowplows or a wave of a warm weathered day. Yes, that's vintage snow.

I really wanted to play along with the first ever Lawnscaping Challenge and decided on a birthday card because I have yet to acquire the cute Lawn Fawn Critters in the Snow or Frosties set. I combined vintage with snow by pairing painted and stickled chipboard candles with lace and the cute sentiment from Sophie's Sentiments. I'm also really trying to use different supplies and try out different styles in this new year. The sketch for this layout came from Get Sketchy! Love the possibilities of it too! Thought I'd take a chance and brave the sub zero degree weather to photograph the card in some of the above said snow.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Natural White) SU
Stamps: (Sophie's Sentiments) LawnFawn
Ink:(Vintage Photo and Antique Linen Distress) Ranger
Other: (Anique Linen Distress and Frosted Lace Stickles) Ranger, (Lace), (Chipboard-thanks Natalie!), (Ivory Burlap String) May Arts

Shy Babies. Protective Mamas.

The three girls seemed as tiny as the baby rabbits they were about to discover nestled in the den underneath the tall grass at the edge of the lawn. They could only stand in awe as they viewed the bunnies on the day they finally found the den. Oh how the girls longed to hold and cuddle these tiny shy creatures- but they collectively remembered their father telling them to leave any wild baby alone, as the protective mama is always not far away...

I would like to invite you to participate in another sketch challenge with me, this time for TiffanyDoodles 7 on the 7th Challenge! I rotated rotated the sketch and kept it pretty simple by cutting out the Shy Bunny Digital Stamp after lightly coloring him. If you have time, check out all the other fabulous design team member's cards and link your card up!

Tiffany Richards
Cammy Wall
Collette Landwer
Donna Mikasa
Jeannie DeGruccio
Jill Foster
Jodi Ann Lee
Joy Taylor
Kim SchofieldLindsay Amrhein
Lisa Summerhays
Pattie Goldman
Peet Roeven
Shannon Neparko
Simone Naoum
Sue McRae
Willemien Katerberg

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Vintage Cream) PTI
Patterned Paper: (Restoration) Crate Paper
Stamp: (Sentiment from Mega Mixed Messages) PTI
Digital Image: (Shy Bunny) TiffanyDoodles
Ink: (Vintage Photo, Antique Linen Distress) Ranger, (Pretty in Pink Pigment) SU
Embellishments: (Natural Burlap String) May Arts

Sixth Grade Sunshine

 Taking on a dare, six or so of us sixth graders grabbed our sleeping bags and planted ourselves on the grass in front of the subdivision sign. They thought that we couldn't, and wouldn't, spend the night on this not-so-safe corner, but we did. And we saw the most beautiful sunrise ever...because we all might have been a little bit afraid to fall asleep...

Come play along with the Limelight Sketch for a chance to win a Nutmeg 6x12 Read-Set-Chip Alpha set! Also, try to incorporate some fabulous ribbon. I created my card by first dying a few lengths of white satin ribbon with pigment ink and water, attaching them to a cardbase and then stamping a silhouette image. Super fun, and the color options are endless!

Upload your cards to Mandy's blog by Sunday, January 9th. Please check out her post too, for links to other uber talented designers! Remember, everything is on sale at Limelight Papercrafts!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Georgia Pacific
Stamps: (Nature's Garden) CTMH, (Fillable Frames #2) PTI
Ink: (Onyx Black) Versamagic, (Earth Elements Pigment) SU
Other: (White Satin Ribbon) Offray, (Thread)

Carved Love

Do you remember the story of how a boy named Billy found the perfect names for his two new red bone coon hound pups carved in a tree? Old Dan and Little Ann. Where the Red Fern Grows has to be one of my all time favorite reads and Carved Love was inspired by that pivotal moment from the story. The birch wood grain stamp is certainly the feature in this set, although there are quite a few other interactive surprises too! This set is perfect for Valentine's Day, Deployment, Anniversaries, etc. ... the list goes on and on.

Courtney more creations on her blog featuring Carved Love-including fabulous cards from Paulina and Dana, and a chance to win this set on her blog! So I'd really enjoy hearing what you think of this set, please be sure to leave a comment! Are you as excited as I am of the releases this month?

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Natural White and Real Red) SU
Stamps: (Carved Love) Practicing Creativity Designs
Ink: (Onyx Black) Versamagic, (Watermark) Versamark
Embellishments: (Red Rhinestone) Michaels, (Puffy Embossing Powder) Ranger

Another Year

This month marks Practicing Creativity Design's one year in business! And what a fitting occasion for one of the new sets being released this month, Another Year.  Here's two samples, one featuring a shabby chic look (with antique embossing powder) and the other a clean and graphic design (with a vintage children's book image). 

Another year has come and gone, another tick mark etched in sand with a stick. As I get older, I am learning to appreciate each day and each birthday, for each day and each birthday brings something new-I only recently learned that sometimes I have to find it.

I love this set, and one stamp is just purely awesome in my opinion. It is a grid of the numbers 1-100 and is so versatile. You can customize your card to any age-any age! Here's a close-up of each card, featuring the number grid background. It was my intention to show you the versatility of this set, please let me know if I've accomplished that!

Please be sure to stop by Courtney's blog for an opportunity to win your very own set, and check out the blogs of Paulina and Dana as well! I'll be back tomorrow with a card featuring the second set being released this month.

Thank you for your visit and comments, I so very much appreciate each one!

Supplies Used:

Shabby Birthday:
Cardstock: (Naturals White) SU
Patterned Paper: (Light The Way from Life's Portrait) Webster's Pages
Stamp: (Another Year) Practicing Creativity Designs
Ink: (Vintage Photo Distress), (Versamark) 
Other: (Natural Burlap String) May Arts, (Orange Button) SU, (Antique Embossing Powder), (Glass Bead), (Copper Wire), (Silk Flower), (Copper Mini Safety Pin)
Tools: (Labels 1 Nestabilities) Spellbinders


Children's Birthday:
Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI
Stamp: (Another Year) Practicing Creativity Designs
Ink: (Onyx Black) Versafine, (Wild Honey Distress) Ranger
Other: (Vintage Children's Book), (Ruled Children's Paper), (Black Brads) SU
Tools: (Labels 4 Nestabilities) Spellbinders, (Cropodile) WR Memory Keepers

I {Heart} You

He's all rough and tumble, a bit of grumble. He comes home with mud caked all on his boots and jeans. He's scruffy in the face, and a little in his personality. He won't think of wearing anything pink and cringes at the thought of a button shirt and tie. But oh, oh, does he have a heart of gold and I love him to pieces. (You see, that's why I married him.)

Masculine cards are difficult to make, I agree--whether it be for a birthday, a congrats, or a lovely dovey valentine's cards for your mister--but this first ever set from Practicing Creativity Designs makes it super easy! I stamped a tone on tone background with the open argyle pattern, ink distressed the edges and then added my sentiment panel by threading some burlap string and adhering with tape.


For some more excellent inspiration using Key to My Heart and the other three word clues for this month's release, please stop by the blogs of Dana, Paulina and Courtney! Be sure to enter your phrase on Courtney's blog for a chance to win both sets being released this month! I {heart} both of them!


Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Natural White) SU, (Ivory) Georgia Pacific
Stamps: (Key to My Heart) Practicing Creativity Designs
Ink: (Vintage Photo and Antique Linen Distress) Ranger
Embellishments: (Epoxy Heart) Cloud 9, (Natural Burlap String) May Arts