30th Birthday

Happy Friday everyone.  And it is a Happy Birthday wish to one of my sister coworkers, Katie.  She turns the big 30 today but no worries.  It is not the end of the world.  I was asked to make a birthday card for her for the office to sign and present to her.  I was more than happy to do it.  I thought I would share it with you today since I think it turned out really cute.

I do not know why these little go go girls just make me smile. I also don't know why the theme to the Austin Powers movies was running through my head the entire time I was working on these.  Weird, huh?

 I wanted to make this card larger than I normally do so I started with a base card cut at 7" x10", scored at 5".  My color choice for this was Tempting Turquoise.  I then added a layer of Basic Black measuring 4 7/8" x 6 7/8" followed by a layer of Whisper White cut at 4 3/4" x 6 3/4".  All layers were adhered together with runner adhesive.  Next I cut pieces of Gumball Green, Elegant Eggplant and Melon Mambo measuring 2" x 3".  I placed each of these into the impression folder called Spots and Dots and ran them through the big shot.  They were attached to the card using a runner adhesive.  Finally I cut a strip of Basic Black 1 1/2" x 6".  I attached it to the bottom of the card front using the same runner adhesive.  I sprayed the entire front of the card using my champagne shimmer spray.  

I wanted to share a close up of each little girl with you.  So here they are and I will give you all the details of how to make them after the last one is shown.

I have made these little girls before so you may already know how to do them.  If not here is the recipe:

Hair - owl body from the owl builder punch

Bangs - 1/2 of a 1" circle

Headband - a 1" circle punched around a 3/4" circle hole, do this a little off to one side

Face - 3/4" circle

Arms, Legs, and Neck - 1" circle punched around a 3/4" circle; for this one you want to center it around it

Dress - vest from the owl builder punch

Shoes - heart from the owl builder punch cut in half

I used Blushing Bride (retired) and zebra striped card stock for these headbands, dresses and shoes.  I picked these up at one of the local craft stores.  I wanted the center girl to be different so I went with a pink glittered pattern for her and a black glittered for the other two.  I added a few rhinestones for each girls background to complete the look.

My sister came up with the greeting for the front of the card.  I used an alphabet set of Sizzlits for my big shot called Girls Are Weird to make the letters.  I actually got this set on clearance at a local craft store a few years ago and thought it was fun lettering.  I cut these out of Shimmer Silver card stock.  After all I made everything else sparkle and thought the letters should sparkle too.  They are attached with a liquid glue.

Again I wanted the sparkle to carry to the inside too.  I used the same set of letters and my big shot to cut each letter as well as the shadow for each letter.  I layered these together using a liquid glue and then attached them to the card using the same glue.  I used the same Shimmer Silver card stock for the letters and Basic Black for the shadows.  I wanted to keep the inside greeting simple and be sure to leave lots of room for people to sign.

I do hope Katie really likes her card.  I enjoyed making it and was pretty pleased about the outcome. I just love these little go go girls!! (Yes I know I said that earlier but it is really true!)

I can't believe it will be July already next week.  The summer is flying by.  I want to wish all of you a wonderful weekend.  Be safe and watch your little ones around the pools and such.  I will return on Monday with another share.  Not sure what it will be yet.  Maybe it will be more Peanuts characters or more go go girls or even something new.  I guess you will just have to come back to find out.  

Thanks for taking time to stop by today.  See you all next week!!! 

I Love Lucy (And It's Not the Red-Head This Time)

Okay now you are probably thinking I am talking about the television show.  While I am a huge fan of it and actually own the complete series and some of the Lucy dolls, this reference has nothing to do with that.  If you have been visiting for the past few days, you have seen me post different characters from the Peanuts cartoons.  My nickname growing up and even today is Lucy (mainly to my dad) so I have a fondness for the Lucy character in the Peanuts gang.  I never seemed to thing she was that bossy like everyone else seemed to think.  I thought she had a lot of spunk.  I could not have let this week go by without including her in this weeks cards.  So it is now time for you to see her card.

Isn't she cute?  I wanted to use bright colors for her so I started with a base card of Daffodil Delight cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I then added a layer of Tempting Turquoise cut at 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  For the top layer, I chose a piece of Whisper White Measuring 4" x 5 1/4".  Using my scallop flower punch from the itty bitty punch pack, I punched out flowers in Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise and Melon Mambo.  I scattered them on the piece of white and adhered them down using a liquid glue.  I then ran it through the big shot using the Fancy Fan impression folder.  I attached a piece of 1/4" Tempting Turquoise grosgrain ribbon to the lower part and tied a knot in the front.  All the layers were adhered together using a runner adhesive.  I even put a little runner adhesive onto the ribbon to make it stick.  

Now to the star herself (or should I call her the doctor?).  The colors of card stock I chose to use for her are Basic Black, Whisper White, Pacific Point and Blushing Bride (retired).   For the head, I used the owl builder punch cutting the feet and ears off the owl.  Her ears are a word window punch cut down to fit behind the head.  The bottom part of the hair is made using two small ovals (retired punch).  The bangs are also a retired small oval that I trimmed to get the wavy look.  Her neck, arms, and legs are all word windows.  For her body, I again used the owl builder punch (minus ears and feet).  I punched out a word window and cut off both ends to make her sleeves.  For the collar, I punched and edge of paper using the scallop oval punch and cut the piece down to the size I wanted.  The skirt is a large oval.  Her hands come from the boho blossom punch.  To make the socks, I punched a word window, cut off the ends, and then gave them a little wave.  Her shoes are made using the current small oval punch.  I punched 2 white and 2 black and trimmed them to how I wanted them to look.  They are layered together so her shoes are 2-toned.  All of the pieces are adhered together using a liquid glue.  The finished character is attached to the card using dimensionals.  

For my greeting, I used my Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and stamped it with Tempting Turquoise ink onto white card stock.  I punched it out using the retired small oval punch.  I then layered this onto a large oval which was then layered onto a scallop oval.  All ovals were attached using a runner adhesive and the finished product was attached using dimensionals.

I can say without a doubt this is the last Peanut character for the week.  Tomorrow I will share another card I made for a birthday.  I promise it is cute!!  I hope you stop by to see it.  Thanks for dropping by today!

A Perfect Boy's Card

It always seems to me that I never have enough male oriented cards on hand.  When I started making the Peanuts characters, I realized the opportunity to make cards for boys was great.  So today I want to share another character with you that I themed the card for a boy.  Let's get started.

It's Charlie Brown himself.  I started with a base card of Old Olive cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I added a layer of Basic Black cut at 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  I attached it with runner adhesive.  Next I chose the color of Cajun Craze and cut it to be 4" x 5 1/4".  I wanted to added something to the background of this card that would go along with the theme so I chose a football.  I used Soft Suede card stock to make these. I punched out 3/4" circles and then reinserted them into the punch and punched again.  This gave each circle the football shape.  I added the black marker lines to make the stitching to each ball and adhered them to the Cajun using runner adhesive.  Next I took this piece and ran it through my big shot using the Argyle impression folder.  You might remember I used this one on the Schroder card Monday.  However, I used the opposite side of the impression.  For some reason this texture just reminds me of boys.  I adhered the Cajun piece to the base using runner adhesive.  

To make my version of Charlie Brown I started by finding an image of him on the internet that I liked.  I used this as my guide for most of him.  Let's focus on the upper half right now.  The card stock colors used to make him are Blushing Bride (retired), Daffodil Delight, Basic Black, and Soft Suede.  The head was punched using a 1 3/4" circle.  For the ears, I punched out a word window and cut it in half.  That way the ears would be seen.  The neck is a word window.  For the shirt, I started with the wide oval punch and trimmed off the top and bottom.  Don't get rid of these pieces!  Keep at least one of them.  This little piece will be used to make the collar of the shirt.  Simply snip it in half and you now have a collar!!  The sleeves were made with the retired small oval punch.  I punched one only and cut it in half.  Although you can only see one arm I did make two.  I used the wide heart from the retired heart to heart punch for these.  They worked perfectly for bent arms.  The hands are the scalloped flower from the boho blossom punch trimmed to make them the way I want them.  The football is a 1 1/4" circle punched and then reinserted and punched again using the same punch to get the foot ball shape.  I drew the face and laces with a fine tip black marker. For the zigzag on his shirt, you can cut this free hand if you like.  I used the retired large star punch and punched just one point all the way across a piece of Basic Black, then turned the piece to the other side and repeated the punching.  

His shorts are a 1 1/4" square punch.  For the legs, I punched word windows to use for the legs and socks.  Then I used the small oval punch for the shoes.  Once the ovals were punched, I flattened one side of the sole of the shoes and trimmed the top to a shape I liked.  I added laces with the black marker.  All of the pieces assemble to make him are attached using a liquid glue.  I then attached the finished Charlie Brown to the card using dimensionals.  

I chose not to put a greeting on this one yet.  I thought I would wait to see who I want to give it to and what the occasion is.  I like the way he turned out.  I think it is pretty good for a first attempt.  

Sorry for the short post today but I seem to be a busy beaver this week.  I will be back tomorrow with another card to share with you.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Little Sister

It's Terrific Tuesday!!  What's so terrific about it you ask?  Well I have no idea but it is better to be positive than negative.

Yesterday I shared one of the Peanut's characters with you.  It was one I had seen made before but I changed a few of the punched used and made it my own.  Today I want to share another one with you.  I did a search on the internet for images of the characters in order to have a guide to use to help me with them.  This is the first one I made using that guide.  I have never seen her made before so if you have made her don't get all upset for not getting credit.  I really did this based on an image from the internet, not a punch art sample.  Ready?  Let's start!

Do you recognize her?  It's Charlie Brown's little sister, Sally!  But what do I always say?  Let's start at the beginning and work our way up.  

The base card is Melon Mambo cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  Next I added a layer of Elegant Eggplant measuring 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  It is attached using runner adhesive.  For my final layer, I started with a piece of Whisper White card stock cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  I took out scrap pieces of Melon Mambo, Elegant Eggplant and Daffodil Delight.  I punched out 1/2" , 3/4"  and 1" circles from these scraps and scattered them onto the white.  I attached them to it with a little runner adhesive and ran it through my big shot using the Fancy Fan impression folder.  I attached this to the card using runner adhesive.  Rhinestones were added to the background after the greeting and Sally had been placed.

For the greeting on this one, I chose to use my Curly Cute stamp set.  The greeting is stamped using Melon Mambo ink and cut out by hand.  Once cut, I sponged the edges of the greeting with Elegant Eggplant ink and adhered it to a scrap of Elegant Eggplant card stock.  I trimmed it out by hand being sure to leave an edge around the white.  I attached it to the top of the card using dimensionals.  

Now for the star of our card, Sally.  Here is the recipe I used for her:

Card stock used is Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Whisper White and Blushing Bride (retired)

Head - 1 3/8" circle

Ears, Arms, Legs, Socks, and Sleeves - word window punch trimmed as need for each

Hair - owl builder punch with the feet cut off and the small oval punch

Body - owl builder punch with the feet cut off

Skirt - large oval 

Hands - boho blossom

Shoes - small ovals trimmed to look like shoes

All punches used are current punches so you can get them to make your own Sally.  All pieces were adhered together using a liquid glue.  I then added black marker to the shoes, dress and hair as well as to the face.  I added some Dazzling Details glitter glue to the dress and Crystal Effects to the shoes.  I then took a yellow glitter glue I happen to have and added some to her hair.  She is attached to the card using dimensionals.

This is the inside saying.  I added it to the card yesterday too but did not take a photo of it.  It is a stamp I was given a few years ago.  It is not from Stampin' Up! but I like to use it quite a bit.  It is stamped using Melon Mambo ink and the edges sponged with Melon Mambo ink.  It is attached to the card using runner adhesive.

I hope you enjoyed my Sally.  Now I am not sure what I will do for tomorrow so you will just have to stop by to see what I come up with.  Thanks for dropping by today and keep crafting!!

One of Snoopy's Pals

Good Monday to everyone.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.   Friday I got to go to a farmers market on a real farm.  Usually we go to the one near our house at the park on Saturday's .  This weekend we knew we would not be able to go so when my husband came across this other one we took advantage of it and went.  It was so neat to get to walk among the crops and the owners were wonderful.

We also attended a 50th wedding anniversary party for my husband's aunt and uncle.  They are wonderful people.  I was so happy to celebrate with them.  They have had 50 years of wedding bliss and are still smitten with each other.  It is truly inspiring.

I also was able to get in some craft time.  My daughter is working on a project for school and needed to go to the craft store.  So she and I went.  Always a big mistake for me because I find so many cute things.  While there, my daughter came across a pack of stickers of the Peanuts characters.  While there were only 4 characters in the pack, she took a photo of it and challenged me to make a few.  So that is exactly what I did.

I started with a character I had seen the queen Ellen Kemper make once.  While some of the punches used are from her list, others are my own choosing and were used because I felt they were more appropriate.  Let's get started and see what you think of my version.

This is Schroder, you know the boy Lucy is so in love with.  Gee I hope I spelled his name right.  Anyway, let's start at the beginning and go from there.  

The base card is Gumball Green card stock cut at 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  Next I added a layer of Basic Black cut at 4 1/8" x 5 3/8",  It is adhered to the base with runner adhesive.  For the final layer, I chose to use Marina Mist card stock.  I started by cutting it to measure 4" x 5 1/4" and then ran it through my big shot using the new Argyle impression folder.  I love the look of this one.  I attached it with runner adhesive to the black.  Then I was ready to move on to my character.

Since I changed the recipe Ellen made just a little, I will go ahead and give you instructions here.  Ready?

Card stock colors used are Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green, Basic Black and Blushing Bride (retired).

Head - 1 3/8" circle

Hair - 1 3/8" circle trimmed to shape it

Ears, Neck, Arm, Leg, Sock and Shoe - word window punch; for the shoe, I punched the word window, reinserted it and punched again; ears are a whole window and other parts of body are trimmed as needed

Body - large oval

Sleeve and Pants - retired small oval, trimmed for each as needed

Hand - boho blossom punch

I drew the lines on his shirt and also drew the face on with black marker.  I chose to outline a few pieces just to enhance the look.  All pieces were attached together using liquid glue.  The finished character was adhered using dimensionals.

I used Real Red card stock to make the piano.  I cut a strip of it to a size I liked (no measuring was done for this).  I took a notch out of the bottom using my word window punch and then rounded the corners.  For the other side, just trim it to get a look you are happy with.  I used the horizontal slot punch (retired) for the legs but scraps of red work fine.  I added the details and outline the piano with black marker. All pieces of the piano were adhered using a liquid glue and attached it to the card with runner adhesive.

 Next I punched out some music notes with a punch I happen to have, glued them down with liquid adhesive and added crystal effects to them.

Last is the greeting.  I comes from the stamp set Perfect Punches.  I stamped it using Gumball Green ink onto Whisper White card stock.  It was then punched out with the wide oval punch and the edges were sponged using Marina Mist ink.  It is adhered to the card using dimensionals.  

This is a great card for a boy.  I needed to add a few of those to my collection so this will be a great one to have.  Of course the next character I chose to make is a girl.  You will have to come back tomorrow to see who it is.  Until then, thanks for stopping by today and keep creating!!

Another Happy Couple

Monday I shared a card with you that had Fred and Wilma Flintstone on it.  I thoroughly enjoyed making this one.  As I said before, I love the Flintstones cartoons and even visited Bedrock up near the Grand Canyon.  Anyway, when my husband got home from work, he loved the card too.  Then in true form for him, he said "now you need to make Betty and Barney Rubble".  Well, I decided to do just that.  I sat down with my computer and looked up images of them.  Once I had one I liked, I used it as a guide for making the faces.  So let me show you the finished (well almost finished) card.

The base card for this one is Cherry Cobbler cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I added a layer of Basic Black measuring 4" x 5 1/4" to that with runner adhesive.  I then used a piece of Whisper White cut at 3 3/4" x 5".  I grabbed a scrap of Cherry Cobbler and punched out several small hearts.  I scattered them onto the white and adhered them down with liquid glue.  Then I placed the piece inside one of the new impression folders called Fancy Fans and ran it through the big shot.  Once it was finished, I attached it using runner adhesive.  Lastly, I used a scrap of Glimmer Red card stock and cut 2 hearts out of it using the Hearts Collection framelits and my big shot.  They are also attached with runner adhesive.  

I will begin with Barney.  I basically used the same punches used to make Fred.  The only major change was using Daffodil Delight for his hair and I drew his eyes on.  Otherwise, I would suggest visiting Ellen Kemper's site for her directions on how to make Fred.  Here is the link:  http://blinkthinkink.blogspot.com/2010/03/yabba-dabba-doo.html

All of his pieces were assembled using a liquid glue.  While the instructions for making him may be the same as Fred's, I have not seen another punch art Barney Rubble out there.

Betty proved to be more of a challenge.  I have never seen her done by another crafter.  That does not mean it has not been done, just that I have not seen her.  So this is my own recipe of how to make it.  The colors of card stock I used are  Blushing Bride (retired) Marina Mist, Whisper White, Basic Black and Real Red.  Here is my recipe for her:

Head -- 1 3/8" circle, flattened a little on one side

Eyes --  1/4" and 1/8" circles

Mouth --  end of a small oval (retired)  and a 1/4" circle trimmed for the teeth

Hair -- small oval (retired) trimmed and a 1" circle trimmed

Bow -- smallest heart from the heart to heart punch (retired)

Neck --  Word Window

Necklace -- itty bitty punch pack circle punched around a 1/4" circle hole.  I opened one side of it and placed it around the neck.  You could use a 1/4" circle as your stone but I used a pearl this time.  

I drew her eyebrows and nose onto the face with a black marker.

Now I know fully well you can see the indentations on the faces of these characters. This happens sometimes when you are working with small pieces and trying to manipulate the items.  Don't let that stop you from using them.  Remember part of the charm of hand made cards is what you consider flaws or mistakes.  These are what make each card unique and special.  

For this particular card, I chose not to put a greeting on it yet.  I could see using this one for an anniversary card or a wedding card or a Valentine card or just an I love you card.  So since I am not sure which of these I will need it for I left a place open for the greeting and the inside empty for the message.  

Well, we made it through the week and I did not miss a day of crafting!!  I am so happy to be feeling better. I hope all of you are well and ready for a fun weekend.  Stay safe and don't get too hot.  They say we may get some rain here but I will believe it when I see it.  Anyway, thanks for dropping by today and I will see you all Monday!!

Garfield's Best Friend

I cannot believe it is already Thursday!  Where has the week gone?  It is so nice to finally be over my infection and to have finished taking all of the medication.  While the naps were nice, it was no fun to want to nap all day and have no energy to actually do anything.  I still have not caught up on all my chores yet.  With my daughter and husband working they do what they can but there is still a lot that they rely on me to do.  So I guess I had better get on with writing this so I can get back to the chores.

Yesterday I shared my sister's birthday card with you.  It had Garfield on it if you remember.  As I said before, I learned to make him from the punch queen Ellen Kemper and I linked you to her blog for the instructions.  On the page of instructions, you could see Garfield with one of his friends, Odie.  I love Odie.  I decided to stick to my plan and make him for you today.  Let me share with you the card I did.

As always let's work our way from the base up.  For my base card, I used a piece of So Saffron cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I folded it on the score line and then used my corner rounder punch to round each corner.  Next I added a 4 1/8" x 5 3/8" piece of Basic Black that I had also rounded the corners on.  For the final layer, I started with a piece of Wild Wasabi card stock cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  I ran it through my big shot using the Chevron impression folder.  Once impressed, it was sprayed with Champagne shimmer spray and then the corners of it were rounded.  All layers were attached together using a runner adhesive.  

The glitter dots in the background were made using Dazzling Details glitter glue.  I added them once I had placed Odie on the card.  I wanted to give a little more sparkle to him.  He always seems so happy!

My greeting on this card is from the new Itty Bitty Banners stamp set.  I stamped it onto Whisper White card stock using Wild Wasabi ink.  Once it was stamped, I used the new Bitty Banners framelits and my big shot to cut it out.  I edged it with my sponge and some So Saffron ink.  It is attached to the card using dimensionals.  

As I reminded you above, the design for Odie is from Ellen Kemper.  I recommend you visit her blog at http://blinkthinkink.blogspot.com/2010/04/panting-with-excitement.html to get the instructions on how to make him.  I want to be sure she gets the credit for her design.  

Here is the bottom half of him.  Again go to the link listed above to get the complete instructions on how to make him.  When you get there, you will see that she used a punch to make the drool drops that I do not have.  It is not a Stampin' Up! punch.  So to make mine I used one of the retired triple layer punches that punched out these little droplet shaped pieces.  I punched them from Marina Mist and use liquid glue to attach them to the card.  I added some glitter glue to them for shine.  

In case you would like to know, I used So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Whisper White and Basic Black card stock to make him.  All his pieces were adhered together using a liquid glue and the finished Odie was attached to the card using dimensionals.  Black marker made the eyes, line in the tongue and toes.  You could also add white get to the nose if you would like to do so.

Well that's all for today.  What will I make tomorrow?  I have a few ideas but do not want to commit to one right now.  I will have to see what turns out.  

Thanks for dropping by today.  I will see you all tomorrow.  Happy Punching!!!

Happy Birthday To My Sister!!!!

Yes today is my big sister's birthday.  No I will not share her age as it would give you a hint as to how old I could be!!  I want to send her wishes for happiness, laughter, success and peace on her special day and all through the year!!  She and I have been through a lot in the last 5 years with the loss of our mom and big brother.  Life has not been easy.  My wish for her would be for life to turn and go in the most positive direction she could ever hope to see.

While she had taken a few days off, she had to return to work today (on her actual birthday).  Those coworkers better be nice to her.  Anyway, we took her to dinner last night to celebrate and I gave her the card I made for her.  I was so glad to get to do that so I could share her card with you today!!  I made one of her favorite cartoon characters this year.  It is a cat who loves lasagna.  Ready to see him?  Let's get started.

It's Garfield!!!  Before I start with anything, I want to thank the punch queen Ellen Kemper for teaching me how to make him.  She is so wonderful at her craft.  I am so glad she is willing to share her art with everyone!!

The base card for this one is Marina Mist card stock cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I added a layer of Basic Black using runner adhesive.  This piece measures 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  For the top layer I decided to use Gumball Green card stock cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  First, I used the retired stamp set called Voila To Go and stamped food images using VersaMark ink onto the green.  I then heat embossed it using clear embossing powder.  Second, I ran the piece through my big shot using the new Chevron impression folder to get those crazy zigzag lines!  Last, I placed the piece in my color catcher and sprayed it using Champagne shimmer spray. Can you see the shimmer in the photo?   When it was dry, I attached it to the black using runner adhesive.  

The greeting I chose to use on this one comes from the retired stamp set called Outlined Occasions.  This was a sale-a-bration set.  I stamped it using Basic Black ink onto Whisper White card stock.  I used my Marina Mist and Gumball Green markers to color in the letters and confetti.  I cut it out free hand and then sponged the edges with Marina Mist and Gumball Green ink.  I attached it to the card using dimensionals.

Since this is Ellen's design, I would like to send you to her blog to get the instructions.  Here is the link:  http://blinkthinkink.blogspot.com/2010/04/fat-lazy-and-lovable.html.  You will get the instructions for making him and you will also see a picture of Odie.  I am going to try him for tomorrow.   I will tell you I used Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Whisper White and Melon Mambo for the colors of him.  All parts of him are assembled using liquid glue and the finished Garfield with tray was attached to the card with dimensionals.

The only part that was added by me is the tray.  I punched a large oval from Brushed Silver for the tray.  The dome was made from a 1 1/4" circle trimmed flat on one side and a standard hole punch for the top.  We will see the tray again inside the card.

Here is the bottom half of Garfield.  Again go to the link above and get all the instructions on how to make him.  I wanted to carry the theme to the inside of the card.  Celebrate can be for many different occasions but I knew it was for a birthday.  So designing the inside was kind of a no brainer for me.  Let me show you what I did.

As you can see I recreated Garfield and attached him to the bottom of the card.  I cut off any excess.  I also recreated the tray.  Then I took my wonderful cupcake builder punch and made the yummy cupcake you see on the tray.  I used Chocolate Chip for the bottom and scored it with my bone folder giving it the cupcake wrapper look.  I punched the top from Whisper White and the sprinkles are Marina Mist and Gumball Green.  I added the cherry on top from Real Red card stock.  This made choosing the inside saying a "piece of cake" (pun intended).   Garfield and the cupcake are attached using a liquid adhesive.  The saying is from the stamp set A Word For You.  I stamped it using Marina Mist ink onto Whisper White card stock and punched it out with the decorative label punch.  The edges were sponged using Gumball Green ink.  It is attached to the card with runner adhesive.  

Even though I have given you the link to Ellen's blog for the instructions, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  I will do my best to answer them.  

I hope you enjoyed seeing my sister's card today.  Again Happy Happy Happy Birthday to her!!!!  Thanks for dropping by today and I will see all of you tomorrow!

New Stamp Set

Welcome to Tuesday's blog everyone.  I hope you are all well and ready to stamp.  Today I wanted to share one of the new stamp sets with you called Road to Happiness.  It is in the new 2012-2013 Stampin' Up! catalog.  Do you remember the set called Loads of Love?  It had a cute little truck in it and all kinds of items to put in the bed of the truck.  When it retired at the end of May this year, I was truly sad to see it go.  It really is one of my favorite sets.  While I will continue to use it for my own cards, I can no longer use it for any classes.  Well, this set, Road to Happiness, is just as much fun.  Let me show you the card I made using it and let's see what you think.

I started with a base card of Pacific Point card stock cut at 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  I thought about adding a layer before the top one but decided not to so that the items on the top would shine.  I started with  a piece of Whisper White card stock measuring 4" x 5 1/4".  I used my pastels and chalked a background of the sky all over the piece.  Next I took a piece of Basic Black card stock.  I angled it on my paper trimmer and cut it at a diagonal.  I attached the black to the sky using runner adhesive.  Next I took a stencil of a tree that I happen to have and used my pastels once again to make the trees along the roadway.  I added white gel pen to the black as the stripes in the road.  It is attached to the card with the runner adhesive. 

The greeting used on this card comes from the Road to Happiness stamp set.  I stamped it using Pacific Point ink onto Whisper White card stock and punched it out using the modern label punch.  I used a sponge and edged it with Pacific Point.  Then I punched another modern label out of Pacific Point.  Using my runner adhesive, I offset the two labels and then attached them to the card using dimensionals.

I wanted to have more than one car on the road so I made 2.  I stamped the first car from the Road to Happiness stamp set onto Whisper White card stock using VersaMark ink.  I used Tangerine Tango embossing powder and heat embossed it.  Since I only needed the back end, I trimmed out the car, placed it on the road, and cut off the excess.  It is attached using dimensionals.

For the second car and the main one of the card, I again started by stamping it using VersaMark ink onto Whisper White card stock.  It was heat embossed using Tempting Turquoise ink and then cut out .  Directly on the card, I stamped the flowers that would fill the car.  I laid the car down and used my stamp-a-ma-jig to get the exact placement I wanted.  I stamped them using Basic Black ink and then used my Stampin' Up! markers to color them in.  Once that was done, I attached the car using dimensionals.  

The stamp set has flowers, balloons, presents, hearts and beach gear that can be stamped for the inside of the car.  There is also a bride and groom you can stamp in the front seat and cans to attach to the back.  It has several sayings in it also making it easy to use for different occasions.  I am hoping they might add an accessory set to this one next year!!

Well that's it for today.  I hope you all have a wonderful day.  Thanks for dropping by and I will see you tomorrow.

A Happy Couple

Hello everyone.  Welcome to Monday.  I am happy to say that while I am still taking medication and a little run down from my infection, I am feeling better and was actually able to get into my craft room and make a couple of cards this weekend.  One of them you will see on Thursday.  The other one is my share for today.

It was a pretty busy Saturday for me.  I tried to rest until late morning and then got up to attend my niece's baby shower.  It was so much fun to watch her open all her gifts.  My daughter and I made her a diaper wreath and had a present as well.  I think she received enough clothes to keep her son dressed nicely for a while.  It was a beautiful event and I was so glad I felt up to attending.  But when I got home I was ready for a nap.  Now if you have a husband like mine, they always want you to run errands with them.  He needed to go to the store and really wanted me to go.  Needless to say, no nap happened.  My sister came over and had dinner with us.  I was so glad to see her.  I had not seen her in a week!  I will say, I did sleep well that night.  I was exhausted!

Sunday I got to craft and rest.  I had a hard time coming up with a concept for a card I wanted to make.  I decided an anniversary card could be fun but what in in world would I put on it.  Don't you love cartoons?  I do and the concept for this card came from one of my favorites - The Flintstones!! I remembered that the punch queen herself Ellen Kemper had made these characters at one time.  I had taken notes and thought I should give them a try. Ready to see what I came up with?  Let's get started shall we.

Aren't they a handsome couple?  I grew up watching these cartoons and still watch them whenever they are on.  This card is not your standard size card.  I took a piece of Daffodil Delight and cut it to be 5 1/4" x 10 3/4". It is scored at 5 1/4" making it a square card.  I needed the size for the heart shape on the front.  Speaking of the heart, it is cut from Pacific Point card stock and run through the big shot using the Framelits Heart Collection.  It is the largest heart in the collection and the only scalloped one.  Next I placed this in an impression folder I got at a local craft store.  It came as part of a Valentine set so I do not have an actual name for it.  I sprayed the impressed heart with champagne shimmer spray and set it aside.  Using my Confetti stamp set, I stamped hearts all around the edges of the card with VersaMark ink and then heat embossed them using clear embossing powder.  The heart was attached with runner adhesive to the card.  I used the Hearts Collection again and cut 2 of the smallest size heart out of Glimmer Red.  They are attached with runner adhesive also.  

Here you can see those hearts better, both the heat embossed ones and the glimmer ones.  I turned to my Curly Cute stamp set for the greeting.  It is stamped using Pacific Point ink, trimmed out by hand and sponged on the edges with Daffodil Delight.  I attached it to  the card using dimensionals.  Now onto the stars of the card!

Let's start with Fred.  I do want to say that several of the punched used are now retired so please forgive me.  The colors of card stock used to make him were Basic Black, Whisper White, Crumb Cake and Blushing Bride (retired).  His face is the retired key tag punch.  If you do not own this one, you can get the same shape by cutting a rectangle and using a corner rounder punch to round the corners.  His chin/beard is a 1 3/8" circle punch trimmed flat on one side.  The hair is a small oval (retired) trimmed and a flower from the boho blossom punch.  For the nose, I used the wing from the bird builder punch.  The eyes and bow tie are from the retired heart to heart punch and a standard 1/4" circle punch.  Last, his neck is the modern label punch, trimmed of course.   All other features on his face were drawn on using a black marker and white gel was added to the eyes.  All pieces were attached to each other with a liquid glue and the finished Fred was attached using dimensionals.  Once he was securely on the card, I added Crystal Effects to his tie.  

Now for Wilma.  She is actually fairly easy to make.   The colored used for her were Real Red, Whisper White and Blushing Bride (retired).  For her face, I used the wide oval punch.  Her hair was created using 3 small ovals (retired) and one large oval.  I trimmed the two ovals on the sides flat to go against her face.  The large oval makes her bangs and the last small oval is the bun.  I punched the edge of another small oval to make her lips, then added a 1/4" circle, trimmed flat, for her teeth.  Her pearl necklace is make from the 1/2"  circle punch.  The rest of the features for her face and hair were made with a black marker.  I attached all piece together using a liquid glue.  I then added Dazzling Diamond glitter to the pearls.  Once that was complete, I attached Wilma to the card using dimensionals.  

For my inside greeting, I used the stamp set A Word For You.  I stamped it using Pacific Point ink onto Whisper White card stock.  I then used one of the hearts from the hearts framelits collection and cut it out.  I sponged the edges of it using Daffodil Delight ink and adhered it to the card with runner adhesive.  

The only thing I need to figure out now is who am I going to send this to.  Well I know whoever it is will love it.  

I am going to go get some rest now so that I will be ready to craft again tomorrow.  I appreciate all your understanding last week as well as your stopping by today.  Please come back tomorrow and see what I can make next!!!  See you then!

TGIF

Well unfortunately we are going to end the week the way we started.  No I am not having computer issues.  This time I am just plum worn out.  The infection I have has knocked the wind out of my sails.  I spend most of the day in bed and when I do get up I have no energy and go back to bed as soon as possible.  Hopefully this will be better soon.  The doctor said it would take 2 to 3 days for me to feel better.  Oh well.  Needless to say, I cannot concentrate on anything so crafting is out of the question. I miss my craft room a lot but know I would not be able to handle working on anything right now. Well I am off to bed once again.  I shall return Monday with a card to share (hopefully).  Thanks for all your understanding.  Have a wonderful weekend!!

Best Friends

Woo hoo!!  We made it to Thursday and I have a card to share with you.  It has been a crazy week.  Monday the computer doesn't work, Tuesday we welcomed a new baby to the family, and Wednesday found me in the doctor's office with an infection.  Luckily, I still got a card made for you and then went to rest as much as I could.

The card I made today has 2 friends on it that have been together for a long time.  No it's not the M&M guys.  These characters are right out of a comic strip.  I hope you are ready to see them!!

It's Woodstock and Snoopy.  They have always been friends for as long as I can remember.  Are you ready to start?  Let's get going.  I started with a base card of Midnight Muse.  It was cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  Next I added a layer of Basic Black cut at 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  I attached it to the base card using runner adhesive.  The top layer is a piece of Whisper White cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  I made the sky background was made using my pastels.  Once it was finished, I attached it to the black and base using runner adhesive.

Let's start with the dog house on this card.  I cut a rectangle of Whisper White to be 2 1/2" x 3 3/4".  I sponged the edges of it with Sahara Sand ink and stamped the greeting using Cherry Cobbler ink.  The greeting is from the stamp set Perfectly Penned.  Once the greeting was on, I used my score pal to make score lines every 1/4".  This was attached to the base card with runner adhesive. Next I took a piece of Cherry Cobbler card stock measuring 1 1/4" x 4".  I trimmed each side to make the slopes you see.  I did this free hand.  Once it was cut, I sponged the edges with Cherry Cobbler ink and made score lines at every 1/4" like the white.  I attached it to the dog house with runner adhesive

Now we will move onto the stars of the card.  Lets start with Woodstock.  He is made using Daffodil Delight card stock.  His tail, body, and foot are made with scraps of this color and cut free hand.  The toes were added with a fine tip black marker.  For the head, I used the small scallop flower from the Boho Blossom punch. I trimmed off the excess we did not need and drew the eye and mouth on for him.  He is really a simple little bird to make.  All his pieces are adhered together with a liquid glue and he is attached to the card with dimensionals.  

Snoopy takes a little more time to make.  I am sorry to say that part of him is made using retired punches.  His head and body are the retired butterfly punch.  For the body, one side of the butterfly is trimmed off.  His arms are scraps of white card stock and the hands are from the plus looking flower from the itty bitty punch pack.  His collar comes from the retired horizontal slot punch.  The ears were made with the small heart punch.  Trim one side off the make the thinner side.  His feet are 3/4" circles trimmed down, and last but not least his nose is a 1/4" circle punch with one side trimmed to be flat.  I drew on his eyes and mouth.  All pieces were adhered with a liquid glue.  He is attached to the card using dimensionals.  

The last piece to this card are the music notes.  I was lucky enough to have a punch to make these.  They are punched out of Basic Black card stock.  They are adhered to the card using liquid glue.  I then added Crystal Effects to the top of the notes giving them a shiny and puffy look.  

I left the inside of the card blank for now.  With the greeting of "Celebrate Today" you can use this card for several different occasions.  I will stamp or write inside of it when I am ready to send it.  

Well that is all for today.  I will be back once again tomorrow to share another card with you.  I wish you all a wonderful day.  Please come back to visit and remember to spend time doing something you love today!!

Short Post Today

Hi everyone.  Well I started this week with no post to share with you due to computer problems.  Today I once again have no post to share.  This time it is good news though.  My dear friend Felisha, who is like a sister to me, delivered a beautiful baby girl named Sloane yesterday morning.  She lives about 2 hours away from us and I spent all day yesterday traveling to see her, visiting and holding the baby , and traveling home.  I just did not have any time to craft.  So I will return tomorrow with another post to share with you.  Thanks for understanding.  See you all tomorrow.

Happy Tuesday

Hello everyone!!  I am so glad to be up and running again with my computer.  I missed being able to share a card with you yesterday.  As promised I am going to share the birthday card I made for our youngest daughter.  It is so hard for me to believe she is 20 years old.  Where does the time go?  She had a terrific weekend full of celebrating.  She was fortunate enough to spend time with her family and boyfriend and she loved all her gifts.

Making cards is always a challenge when it comes to my girls.  I always have lots of ideas but do not want to repeat one I have already made.  For the most part, I simply try to use new colors and new stamps and it always seems to work.  Anyway, let me show you her card for this year.

Every little girl always seems to have a favorite Disney princess and my daughters are no exception.  For my youngest it is Sleeping Beauty.  I started with a base card cut at 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  I chose to use Raspberry Ripple for this because it seemed to match her dress beautifully.  Next, I took a piece of Basic Black and cut it to measure 4" x 5 3/8".  I used the retired eyelet border punch and punched along the edge to make the border.  Once it was completed, I ran it through the big shot using the new Fancy Fan impression folder.  Unfortunately, you cannot really see it in this photo.  I attached it to the base card using runner adhesive.  I lined it up at the top of the base card to place it.  I then took a piece of Whisper White and cut it at 4" x 4 1/2".  I used my pastels to chalk the sky background.  Then I took a piece of Gumball Green card stock, tore a couple of strips off and adhered them to the white with runner adhesive.  I added Dazzling Diamond glitter to the edges of it.  

For the scene on the front of the card, I used a sticker set I picked up at a local craft store.  I used the 2 rose stickers and the Princess for the front and have 2 other sticker inside the card.  I think it is so cute that they included rose stickers since the fairies named her Rose. There is no shame in using a set like this to create a card.  They are usually nicely put together and add personality to whatever you are making.

Another of my daughter's favorite things are pearls.  She loves pearl necklaces.  So it seemed natural to me to add little pearls to the eyelet border.  You can sort of see the impression from the Fancy Fan impression folder on the black in this photo.  For the greeting, I turned to my Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  I stamped the greeting using Raspberry Ripple ink onto Whisper White.  I punched it out using the word window punch.  I then punched a modern label out of Basic Black.  I edged the white with the same ink and attached it to the modern label using runner adhesive.  I added a pearl to each end and attached it to the card using dimensionals.  

For the inside, I used a piece of Whisper White cut at 3 1/2" x 4 ".  I edged it using Raspberry Ripple ink.  Next I used the Word Play stamp set and stamped the "wish BIG" using the same ink.  I took my Basic Black ink pad and stamped the image of Sleeping Beauty onto the white.  The heart and flower are the 2 other stickers from the sticker set.  I added a rhinestone to 2 of the corners of the piece and a larger one to the "i" in wish.  Once I had given the black ink time to set, I used my colored pencils to color in Sleeping Beauty.  This stamp is from a set I picked up at a local craft store.  The set has some of the other princesses as well so I know I will use it a lot!!  

I will tell you our daughter loved her card.  She has an area in her room where she had Sleeping Beauty items she has collected over the years.  She added her card to her collection.  I am so pleased she likes it.

Well that's it for today.  Hopefully all the computer issues are over.  I am planning on being back tomorrow to share another card with you.  I hope you will all return to see what I come up with.  Until then, thanks for stopping by and happy stamping!!

Sad Monday

Hi everyone. Well my computer has been having a small issue this weekend and I was unable to use it. Of course you know what that meant - no typing of my blog could happen. I am typing this message using our tablet. My plan was to share my daughter's birthday card with you today. Unfortunately the tablet is difficult to load the photos to and I do not trust it to work right and make everything look nice. For some reason my first reaction to computer issues is to throw the computer against a wall.  Of course this does not fix a problem as I restrain from doing it and run to my husband for help.  My husband is fairly good at figuring out and solving the problems.  He has promised my computer will be read to use by Monday and I will once again be able to share my cards with you. I do so want you to see the cute birthday card she received.  Thanks for your understanding about this. See you all tomorrow!

New Products

Do you ever cook in shifts at your house?  Usually we don't but Wednesday night we did.  Now I wanted to have time to go through all my new goodies from SU! that night but it did not happen.  I prepared dinner for my husband and myself.  Our daughter was at work and did not think she would be home for dinner.  Guess what?  She was.  We had finished eating and had just finished the dishes by the time she arrived.  She informed me she was going to be fixing dinner for herself and her boyfriend.  Now she knows how to cook a few items and is not afraid to try more but often asks for guidance.  That night was no exception.  After going over what she wanted to fix, having her run to the store, giving her advise while cooking and taking time to visit with her boyfriend a little it was past my bedtime.  No opening of the box was to happen.

I got up Thursday with the full intention of going through the box and playing with the new stuff but I had another obstacle get in my way:  my elbow.  Yes my wonderful right elbow that has been stricken with bursitis flared up again.  It hurt to do anything including type on the computer.  I did open my SU! box and went through the items to be sure I received it all but decided I had better rest my arm so it would stop hurting.  Sadly this meant I would make no card for you today :( .  Instead I thought I would take some photos of the new products I received so that you could see them.  So let me share with you some of the fun things in the new catalog.

These are some of the new stamp sets in the catalog.  I am a big fan of the clear mount sets due to their ease of storage.  I also like being able to see where I am placing the stamp.  The top row from left to right is :  Sweet Essentials, Road To Happiness, and Christmas Deer.  When I saw the set Loads of Love was retiring I was so upset but knew there would be another cute one coming.  Road To Happiness is that set.  Christmas Deer jumped off the page at me and I knew I had to have it.  I loved Dasher and now this one is even more versatile.    

The bottom row contains the sets Reason to Smile and Itty Bitty Banners.  The Itty Bitty Banners set coordinates with the Bitty Banners Framelits.  They are really cute and I can see using them ofter.  The Reason to Smile set is pretty but if you want to order it wait until July.  There will be a promotion starting July 1st that will run the whole month featuring this set.  If you purchase $50 worth of products from the catalog, you can buy this set for only $5 (it's a $20.95 value).  That's a really good deal.  I hope you  take advantage of this offer next month.

I did get 2 wooden stamps also.  The cute ark with the animals is called Two by Two.  The tree is called Star Tree.  These are part of the single stamps offered by Stampin' Up!.  They only come in the wood so clear mount is not an option.  I cannot wait to use these.

I am really hoping you can see the details on this die.  This is another Large Sizzlits die to use with the Big Shot called Delicate Doilies.  You will be able to cut 3 different sizes and designs using this die.  You may need to use a shim to get the best cut.   I will cut these and share them on a card next week.

Also new for the Big Shot are 3 more impression folders.  From left to right they are Argyle, Chevron and Fancy Fan.  I use these folders all the time so when new ones come out I am sure to get them.  I will use these on cards soon so that you will be able to see the textures they create.

While many of the punches were retired this year, only 3 new ones were introduced in the catalog.  In this photo you can see 2 of them.  The one on the left is called Ticker Duo Builder.  The one on the right is the new Elegant Butterfly.  All new punches have coordinating stamp sets you can get to use them with.  I chose not to order these first time out.  After all I want something to look forward to getting.  

The last punch introduced is a set of 3 punches.  The set is called the Little Labels Punch Pack.  Again there is a stamp set in the catalog that will work well with this set.  I love getting the small punches.  There is so much you can do with these.  From using them with punch art to creating patterns on your cards, they really come in handy.  Of course being the punch art crazed person that I am, it is always important to me to get the new punches so that I can find excellent uses for them!!

The rest of my order was a few stamp pads that I needed to replace as well as card stock.  Nothing too exciting.  I will share new items with you as I get them in.  For now I want to work with these so you can see how they will work on cards.  

I wish all of you a wonderful weekend.  Our youngest daughter celebrates her 20th birthday this Sunday.  She is in for lots of fun!!  I will share her birthday card with you on Monday.

Thanks for stopping by to see the new products.  Hopefully my arm will settle down and I will be back to stamping, stamping, stamping.  See you all on Monday!!