oh where to start?!

so i have a lot of cards to post... i don't know how i got so busy with life so that i haven't been posting!

first of all, i got to create some cards with my friend Paulina last Saturday... which was AMAZING (as was the time before!), and i made this set of cards that *could* be used for Valentine's or just everyday, "i love you" type cards. i found an older stamp that my mom used to use for Valentine's cards back when she used to stamp (SOooo long ago...) i just couldn't resist the "kisses" stamp... too perfect, right? i also used DeNami Design stamps (the swirl and the "sending you love") which are a blast to work with... anything that i can think to use, they have. i may be having the pleasure of helping DeNami Design with a stamping show sometime in March... and i'm stoked. i loved the last show i went to (and my first one), and i found out i'm a pretty good saleslady :) not too pushy, but just the right amount of suggestion.

also, while i've been looking through blogs and papers, i've realized that gray is a perfect neutral color to use for card bases... and since i had a whole bunch of gray that i wasn't using, i decided to cut it up for another card set (FYI i'm going to get rid of these cards somehow... our church is having an auction to raise $$ for our mission team, and i'm going to donate some card sets to the auction) i LOVE the resulting bold card--it's ribbon i bought from Costco (best double sided stuff i've seen EVER!), black velvet floral patterned paper, yellow cardstock, a chipboard flower, and of course some bling :) not my normal combo, but i LOVE the result, don't you?




so, in addition to this card, i had prepared more gray for some square cards... again, i'm thinking "SET" here. so i made the following cards using the same general idea and the same general materials: pink die cut flower paper, assorted buttons, red grosgrain ribbon (varied sizes), glitter, swirl stamps from Jo-Ann's, elsie patterned paper, textured cardstock, small punch out letters, Fiskars border punch, embroidery floss, flowers and brads from ???, and who knows what else. anyway, i like some of these more than others, but i'm planning on adding to the collection, so i'm sure i'll make something i just can bear to give away :)






here they are all together :)



by the way, i made the above cards (even the big pink ribbon one... sort of loosely followed it) using the new sketch from Laura over at 2sketches4you. i honestly couldn't decide which card i liked best, so i thought it best to post all of them. 2sketches4you is one of my favorite blogs to check out with so much great talent/ inspiration, and ALWAYS fabulous sketches :) you definitely need to check them out! i may even try out the sketch again (there's a bonus one this week--yay!) and post later... we'll see :)

for now, happy viewing! good night, and good luck!

tiled valentines

i made these cards the other day using some elsie paper that has fun square patterns all over one side, and then red background with white polka dot stripes down the other... i thought it would be perfect to cut apart and piece onto a card--everything was already "matched" so making these was SUPER easy. i could have put all the squares onto one card, and made it into a general purpose type of card, but i decided to stamp out a Valentine's sentiment using my $1 alpha stamps from Michael's, and by using a small acrylic heart i got in a "thank you" sentiment set from Jo-Ann's. i added dimension by using some 3D tape on the circle shape, so it pops a little. :)

anyway, i thought the big button was fun too... so here you go--super quick and easy Valentine's day cards that you could even give to a guy! i think i'll be making more of these to give to some swimmers i'll be visiting around Valentine's day at my alma mater, Grove City College.

sock monkeys & 2sketches4you Kazan's #18

wow, what a week! i wish it was the weekend so i could have more time to create, but somehow i've managed to make a few cards despite grading (*GAG*), school, library, FINALLY getting my car washed, and laundry. it shouldn't be so busy... i had Monday off!

i got to see the movie, Gran Torino, with my friend Paulina... it was good and we had some great quality time. if you're going to see the movie, expect Clint Eastwood's character to be vulgar and racist (you can kinda get the gist from the movie trailer over at www.imdb.com)

anyway, while i was creating with Paulina the other day, i was showing off some really cute paper from K&Co. it's double sided, and adorable. i really love the pages with the sock monkeys and the buttons--so great. well, i decided to bust out some new moves for Kazan's sketch over at 2s4u... which turned out to be a good thing. i covered cardstock with some really bright paper and glittered the edges; i also cut out the monkeys individually; added white dots to outline the paper; used my favorite yellow button (has built in bling... aka glitter around the rim); layered my flowers and topped them with a star brad doused in glitter; tied out the brightest green ribbon in the world onto the card, and also finished the inside of the card to match the front.
i'm sorry it's not the greatest picture, i'm going to try again tomorrow... we've been having a TON of really dense fog all day for a couple of days. almost depressing (even though fog is my favorite weather condition... don't ask me why, it just is.)


i am still trying to come up with a "punny" saying to put on the inside... something about monkeying around? or about your love knocks my socks off? any suggestions?



i hope these bright colors make your day a little happier--i know i'm super excited to give this card to someone special!

crazy crafting!

i had so much fun with Paulina on Saturday... she invited me over for a crafting session, and i have to say that my whole week was quite unbearable because i was looking forward to creating and good times. i was not disappointed in the least bit either! we watched 2 movies, listened to music, snacked, talked, laughed, and even made some cards in the process! i'm almost amazed looking back at all the other things we're doing that we DID get anything made :)

on this first one i was able to use some awesome ribbon that my brother Lincoln gave me for Christmas... it's actually a whole strand of these leather flowers stuck together--all you do is snip off how many you want, push a brad through the center, and VOILA! he bought them at Jo-Ann's, and he even picked them out HIMSELF! (way to go Link!)



well, i had a chance to try out some adorable new stamps from DeNami Design, and they are so "tweet"! i have a santa chickie and a normal chickie already, but it was GREAT to be able to bust out a Valentine's chickie. like i said, ADORABLE!






i made some regular sized cards, some mini's and some with glitter, some without, some with ribbon, some with lace, but they were all fun! i got bring some scraps home because i'm still finishing up some creations (can you believe i stayed till 11:30pm! we crafted for about 8+ hours!)



anyway, i had a blast, and Paulina and i are planning on crafting again... i can't wait! thanks for looking, and for all your "tweet" comments :)

color inspiration #38

so i've been busy scrapping/ stamping/ card making with Paulina all day, and it has been a BLAST! i can't say how much i enjoy creating with her... it's just one of those times when you get to have the pleasure of seeing something beautiful get created right before your eyes...

so here's the first card i made, such a cutie! with DeNami Desgin stamps, and some beautiful colors from KWerners blog. you should check them both out... they're great for inspiration :) enjoy, and TFL!

many many mini cards

so i've been very busy this week, even though it may not seem like it. i have been making a TON of mini cards to give to family, friends, and co-workers for Valentine's Day. they're quickie cards, but they still require assembly, so it's sometimes slower going than i expect. overall, though, i'm quite pleased with the effect. i know that many of the cards i make are simple, because as my mom reminds me, "not everyone is going to cherish your cards like you do... they may keep it on a dresser for a while, and then just throw it out!" i keep telling myself that when i get to urge to get really fancy. i love making beautiful cards, don't get me wrong--i just have to be careful who i give my really beautiful cards to so that i make sure it's someone who will appreciate them.

i'll be posting some other cards later that i made with Paulina the other day--we had a blast stamping for 7+ hrs as we watched movies, listened to music, and had some good food. her whole family spoils me rotten :) no complaints here, though. i really love the stamps i got to use (and GLITTER that i rarely get out because of the messy i always seem to make), so you'll have to check back to sneak a peek of some more Valentine's i made.

anyway, i hope you enjoy, and aren't cramming too many LOVEly cards for Valentine's until the last minute ;)

color inspiration #37 by kristina werner

going back to school this week to teach went better than i expected, but my body is still adjusting to eating lunch at 10:30am, getting up 4 hours earlier than i did over break, and of course, trying to get to bed on time...
well, this being the case, i slept in LATE this morning--i woke up after 10am. but the good news is that i'm refreshed, and i'm done with my thank you cards (except for a few that need the actual "thank you" note that goes inside)!
i had already mass produced some cards for relatives, but my grandmother, Nana, came out to Seattle for the holidays, so i decided to make her a very special "thank you" card. plus, she had already seen the previous ones. i went to Kristina Werner's blog that you can find here, and i made my card using this color inspiration challenge:


i'm pretty sure Nana will like it--she'll practically just love the fact that i'm writing her a handwritten note.





anyway, i'm quite proud of myself for entering more than one challenge in the same week! if i find more time later on in the school year, i'll be sure to stop by and give my take on the wonderful color inspirations. make sure to check out other inspired layouts and cards!
happy saturday :)

2 sketches 4 you, bonus sketch!

so this is the first time that i've been able to make and post a bonus sketch over at the 2sketches4you site. what great designers! i had a really fun time making this card--the chickie stamp is from DeNami Design, and i use this cute little guy ALL the time... i was watching the Florida Gators win the National Championships last night as i was putting it all together... maybe that's why i put another touch of orange in this Valentine's card (or maybe just cause i love orange...)

after i played with kazan's sketch #17 the other day on this post, i kept on going with the same idea, and i think i may actually be able to give all my friends and family handmade valentine's cards this year! w00t! i love making cards with pinks and reds... they're fabulous colors :)




here's one last card i finished today after school... i SO look forward to coming home and having time at least to partially create something, if not a whole card/ layout. again, i'll probably give this as a valentine... i should stop posting pictures else i'll have spoiled the surprise!

precursor to 2s4u cards...

today's word of the day in Miss Larsen's 8th grade English class (mine) was...

"precursor"

a noun meaning: something or someone that comes earlier/ before.

i helped the kids understand the word by drawing pictures and timelines and discussing which came first--the candle, or lightbulbs? so therefore we discussed "which one is the precursor?"

so i present to you: my precursor post to the 2s4u challenge. i pretty much made these cards last night or the previous days... i bought a BUNCH of scrapbook stuff so i wanted to get going right away. most of them are the same general idea--punch, layer, stamp, stick, attach, etc...

you can't tell, but this card has a vellum bottom, and on the inside you can see a green, blue, and brown plaid pattern. the way i took the photo didn't really show that off...
i was using up tons of scraps... somehow they all worked out. most of the ribbon in these cards comes from wrappings from Christmas presents. i heard the constant reminder from family... "SAVE THE RIBBON FOR GINNY!" teehee :)
and now here's a close-up of the above card...
not my favorite card ever, but eh...

joey liked these last two the best out of this batch:
he said, "i like simple. sometimes simple is better..."

hope you enjoy, and TFL!