Friday, August 13, 2010
Embellish Challenge: quirky, cutesy, clean
Thursday, July 15, 2010
cupcakes galore :D

well, that's it for today. i think i'm going to make some time in the studio today to post some cards based off of sketches... i want to try my hand at the 2sketches4you sketch this week! :DSunday, May 23, 2010
blue/green/glitter/fairy/cupcake/undersea/lovely-type cards


Wednesday, April 7, 2010
2S4Y Laura's #49
i'm loving sleeping in and taking things easy... getting work done around the house, and cleaning up my craft space only to get it all messed up again :) nothing beats that, huh? spring break ROCKS!

here i got to play with Laura's sketch from 2sketches4you. LOVE their sketches, LOVE the participants :D hope you get a chance to play along too...
here we go.

i used papers exclusively from Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love line... so fun to just pull out the coordinating papers and play :D

i also stamped the bee using a DoodleFactory stamp, and then part of the sentiment has some mini-alpha stamping ($1 bin from M's) and also some Making Memories alpha stickers ...all very earthy, don't you think? i distressed and inked the edges to give it all a rustic feel.
i just LOVE that 'bug me' sentiment... something about me and PUNS just makes me smile :D
anyway, thanks for stopping by, and i hope your week is fun and relaxing!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
happy zomBee day
well, i have a friend who caught drift of this 'stamp altering' to make the images zombie-esque, and he asked for a set to give to his friends for his 'special' occasions (like birthdays).
and i'm happy to oblige :D especially when using DoodleFactory stamps from Starving Artists.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
a love note
so, the simple cards have been my friends lately--slap a little patterned paper, ribbon, and a few heart stickers, and we're good! the red card above has a stamped image from Impress Rubber Stamps, and the one below (the cute mailbox) comes from DoodleFactory Country set... i thought i'd convert it for Valentine's day :D
do you notice anything funny about the card above? i was a little upset with myself for the mistake, but it was so cute (and i don't have anymore scraps to recreate it) that i thought i'd show you anyway.hope your 'over the hump' day went well--i think i'm off to get a haircut... my ends are in need of some attention :D don't you just love the "post haircut" feeling? i love running my fingers through--something i've enjoyed every time :)
anyway, i'll pop in later, but have a lovely day!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
love is in the air
this first one is a bitty 3x3--made from scraps (again! can't believe i'm getting these used up, yay!) and a DeNami Design glitter and button too!super simple stuff... but so cute :D
i have a little birdie here i picked up from Michael's in the $1 bin--SO CUTE, don't you think? i went for "fun" with this card, and i love the little bit of coloring and glitter that i added to the wing and breast of this chickie!
here's the full card view--sorry for the poor picture, something wonky happened in between shots... hmm, have to check that out later.
and lastly, i'm using another DoodleFactory stamp which i LOVE ...so appropriate for so many occasions, don't you think? also, this paper has flocking on it, and it is AMAZING... this piece looks great with the brown polka dot ribbon and pink gem & cardstock combo i have. what do you think?
okay, and lastly, i have this card featuring some yummy Amy Butler paper and a row of tiny pearls. also, see that little DeNami "love you" sentiment? so great!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Brazil favorites + some craftiness too
that girl is so good to me. speaking of good... we had an amazing chat and dinner the other day (at Panera! love!)--the very first day back to work from vacation for both of us. i think it literally may have saved me from breakdown! love you Paulina :D
but, since the goal was to use up some scraps, i put some pieces through a punch, some got stamped on, distressed, punched again, chopped in little tiny pieces, etc :)
all of these have Valentine's themes... and there are more to come--so bear with me :D
the first card i made combines a few things--DeNami Design sentiment, DoodleFactory birdie image, ribbon from Michael's, pillow heart stickers from MM, some swirl stamps, fabric pins from Wal-mart, and some Bazzill dotted cardstock. the patterned paper is from me & my big ideas i think?
he turned out so cute, right? i normally wouldn't put the big circle right in the middle of the card, but since it was left over from a Cricut cut, i figured i'd try to use it up.next up i have some DCWV paper from the green stack, a stamped image from Impress, more pillow stickers, Michael's ribbon, lace from Jo-ann's, MM staples in pink, a pink square cut from my Cricut, and some pearls to boot :D i love that tree image--it actually goes with the pattern in the background... kind of an environmental Valentine, right?
ooo! on this next one i have some lovely texture! DCWV has some velvet silhoutte sheets in one of their stacks, and i just LOVE it! also, the red/ white polka dot is actually leftover Christmas cardstock paper, there's lots of punching on this one--the scalloped square, and both hearts are punched out. i had a TON of fun making the little kraft embellies with the hearts, buttons, and pearls. sooo fun!
so here's what i did... i got some patterned paper with text on it, punched the little heart, inked up the edges with pink, and stuck some pearls on top. then, i punched the big heart, inked it up, and attached it to the kraft square with a 1/8" punch + red eyelet using my new Big Bite! i also inked the edges of the square and layered a button beneath the square.okay, off i go to sleep and school tomorrow... this week will NOT end soon enough :/ we just came back from break and i need another one! what about you? do you feel like you rested up over your vacation time, or were you running around like me?
well, thanks for stopping by, see you soon!
Monday, November 16, 2009
brighten your day <3
i made ten cards last night.WAIT A MINUTE!?
i made TEN cards last night? (oh wait, i guess i did...)
hehe. they were sooo much fun to make. i used about six different supplies that i switched up to give each one a different look. i've got to say that the paper that i used was fantastic, it totally gives everything a special "interest" or detail to the card.
so i used: bling (all shapes, sizes, colors), corner punch and circle punch, buttons from DeNami Design (tuttifrutti pack :D), ribbon (satin, grosgrain, stitched), 3 sheets of 6x6 "sweet marmalade" paper from Sassafras, and some stamps (cupcake from DoodleFactory, a juggling dog from Poppy Stamps, and some sentiments from Stampin' Up).
all the cards are 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" and they've got similar, BRIGHT color schemes :D just my type of cards... i figured since two of my brothers, Lincoln and Joey are jugglers, i could definitely use these for them or just for cheering up, or birthdays!
that cupcake and the icecream on the first card are making me hungry--yummy stuff, right?
what a cute little dog, right? he's called Juggling Rex, and he appears on other images as well... i have some snowballs that i think i'll use for "winter themed" cards :D
here's a close up of him--i left off the top part, and just added 5 "balls" for him to juggle. my brother Lincoln is the most talented juggler in the family, and he's able to juggle 5 balls while riding a unicycle. and no, he's not a clown, but he is funny.
just fun stuff, right?
this card above i kept super simple, but i just love that sentiment, "just because i care." i might be sending this or another one like it to my pastor--he is so caring and faithful. he shared his heart yesterday during the sermon, and i was so grateful for that, and for him. i think he deserves to know, don't you?
ooh, again, simple. but who doesn't love gathered ribbon? sorry the lighting on this card is so distorted--it was hard to keep the yellow cardstock yellow and the kelly green ribbon green at the same time. it's just a fun 80's ish card :D
i think i'm getting better at tying bows! look at that fabulous yellow satin stuff... *sigh* heaven!
hehe, and here we are again, with that lovely patterned paper--so glad i have a whole stack of it! (and btw, Kristina Werner is giving a whole stack away in her craft room cleanup giveaway. you have until TONIGHT (11/16) to comment on her blog HERE. check it out!)this last card has to be one of my favorites--seriously, it's so stinkin cute! i love the duckies, and the button, with that ribbon... and *sigh* just about everything on it is amazing. i was definitely on a roll last night! hooray for productivity :D
thanks for looking, have a lovely Monday!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
I.N.S.A.N.E. (cards + NaNoWriMo)
oh my goodness. it's been forever since i posted last! so so so sorry :/ it's been ridiculously busy this week--i made cards on wednesday, but didn't get to taking pictures/ posting until today. yesterday was my mom's birthday, my last swim meet coaching for the season, and this whole week was chock full of things to do (clean the house, wrap the presents, go to work, etc etc)anyway, i decided it was about time i get on the ball, and i'm super excited to share some of these cards with you. unfortunately, some are kinda old (as in--i'm behind in posting). i'm going to be putting a "schedule" together of my weekly activities so i can organize my time better. i'm a list person--do so many more things when i go to check them off a list. speaking of why i need to make lists...
i have to tell you--i'm doing something CRAZY. like literally I.N.S.A.N.E. i am participating in NaNoWriMo. it's crazy. here's a little info about it.
okay, so you realize i'm crazy, right? 50,000 words?! and i teach! and i craft?! o.m.goodness. i can't believe it. i am LITERALLY insane. and am in need of support. so please! encouragement would be awesome. and maybe i'll be brave enough to share some of what i write.National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.
Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.
Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.
As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.
you can follow me on twitter as ginnygurl if you're interested in seeing what i'm stressing about next :D / :S should be interesting no matter what.
okay, and on to the cards... the first one (at the top) was made using two stamps and lots of punches/ paper. i used the DoodleFactory gingerbread man stamp. there are actually two sides to the stamp--one where the little guy is happy, the other where he's sad... so cute. i used the DeNami Design "Merry Christmas" sentiment... i just love how swirly the script is--perfect for all sorts of things.
okay, and here we go with a "bird cage card." the transparency is from Hambly, and then i used a new technique *yay* of glitter tape along with some red DeNami glitter. hmmm, and that ribbon, pom pom trim are fab too, eh? i like the fall colors here.
and that cute fall leaf brad? YEAH! i love it. i used it on my mom's bday card that i'll share later. oh! and last year when i went to CK Seattle i got some of these "calendar pockets"? that i have never used... but seeing as Christmas is coming up, i thought they would be a perfect countdown part for cards... and for birthdays... and anything, really.
so so so in love with satin ribbon right now. and i love the look of layered flowers, don't you? i used MME glitter paper for the card--anything with a vintage feel has been catching my attention lately... hmm, wonder why?
okay, this next card has a similar color scheme cause i couldn't bear to NOT use it again... i borrowed a flower idea i saw on a blog the other day. now i can't remember where i saw it, but it was where you cut a square piece of paper and folded it and eventually rounded some corners, and VOILA! a flower shape. yeah, i didn't do it exactly like it was explained, but the brown part of the flower was a perfect backdrop to make the embellie stand out, don't ya think?
that "always adorable" chippie piece is from K&Co. how do they always have the CUTEST products? i could spend the majority of my $$ getting stuff they release... *sigh*
okay, and lastly, here's a SUPER fun card i made at the stamp party last weekend... the group i went with turned out being bigger than i thought--so lots of fun was had! i seriously could NOT resist these adorable snowballs... they're like bling, but for Christmas! how cute are they with this snowman... looks like he's about to throw them at someone, huh? hehe.
all the stamps i used were from the Impress store. the way it works for the stamp night is you pay $20 for pizza, drinks (yay for martinis this time around) and unlimited use of stamps and ink pads. you also get entered for door prizes and get 10% off all purchases :D so yeah, i had a lot of fun, and it was so great to relax and create with my girl friends.well, hope you enjoy, and look back soon... i have a blog-o-versary coming up :D
oh, i have a question. what do you think of my new blog header? the title, GinnyLou Studio, is actually the name of my Etsy shop that is somewhat neglected as of late. i like the colors, but would love your input as well... so be honest!

whew, so thanks for reading to the end! take care, and don't forget to comment--i love seeing what you have to say! :)
Saturday, September 12, 2009
no matter what... & ABC's
a while ago i made this Fathers Day card for my dad. we were having a family picnic on Father's Day, and i wasn't able to take a picture of it, so here i am posting this WAAAY later than planned. i really like the color scheme for this "masculine" card, even though some parts of it could be considered girly. American Crafts, DoodleFactory, and Bazzill were my main products used.**i know i haven't been posting regularly lately, but i've been super busy with the 1st week of school and teaching and coaching, etc... i'm definitely not used to this pace yet, and am still settling in. thanks for bearing with me!**
here you see i made a belly band for this card... i used my Cricut to cut out the "Happy Father's Day" that fits perfectly behind my band. i did a lot of distressing and sanding around edges of everything, to give it a more guy feel.
here's how the card opens at first: "no matter..." i wrote a bunch of funny little things my Dad does, like shrinking clothes in the laundry, and not delivering phone messages. i love him all the same, though :D
and here's the full card opened completely. overall, there are quite a few layers on this card, and it was a good thing i had thought of a way to close it up, otherwise it would be spilling out, hehe!


he really liked this card, and actually showed it off at the picnic we were at... so glad he liked it. now he's got in in his office along with some other cards i've made for him over the years. so funny to see what you made before and compare it to your style/ sense now.
Anyway, in other news, I’ve been tagged by Celia @ The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia to participate in a fun meme, and since she’s my sister, and it looks like fun, I think I’ll play along. Plus, don’t you want to know more about me? :D
- Link to the person who tagged you
- Share your ABC’s
- Tag three people at the end by linking to their blogs
- Let the three tagged people know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website
- Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag
Available or married? Available! But totally willing to change that ;D
Best Friend? Cecelia, my sister. *grin*
Cake or Pie? Cake. For sure, ah, I love chocolate, and spice, and carrot… and doesn’t cheesecake technically count as cake?
Drink of choice? Water, or Diet Coke with a lemon OR lime. Either works.
Essential item for every day use? Gum, or my car. I practically live in my car… I drive about 45 minutes to school, and 45 minutes back every day. I spend so much time in my car, and everything in it is essential (like the chap stick, the comfy seats, the CDs, the speed at which it goes…)
Favorite color? Red, black, pink, and blue. My second favorite color is orange, green, and yellow. I also look really good in purple.
Google? Yes. Frequently. The maps are better than MapQuest, and well, it’s Google.
Hometown? Seattle, Washington.
Indulgences? Pretty patterns… especially on paper. Although I’ve been known to covet some items from Ikea catalogs every now and then. I also love movies, FOOD, and traveling.
January or February? February. Valentine’s Day, and it’s not right after the holidays when you don’t want to go back to school…
Kids and their names? I want them someday, and have ideas regarding names, but currently, no children… unless you count my “kids” at school… which I don’t really want to do.
Life would not be complete without? God, family, friends.
Marriage date? Not married, yet ;)
Number of siblings? I’m the second born of 5. One older sister, three younger brothers. My sister Cecelia is only 16 months older than me at 25, and my brother Peter is 16 months younger than me. Then there's Lincoln and Joey. My mom was brave, and had 5 kids within 6 years… I L-O-V-E my siblings.
Oranges or apples? Apples for sure! Fuji are my favorite!
Phobias and fears? I hate heights, but more than that, I hate the edges that usually accompany them.
Quote for the day? “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” --Dory, from Finding Nemo
Reason to smile? Hmm, FAMILY, pretty paper, good music, yummy food, FRIENDS, and finding money in pockets when you didn’t expect it.
Season? I think Winter’s great… I LOVE Christmas--definitely my favorite part of the year. But I absolutely cannot knock having the summer vacation (even though this summer wasn’t much “vacation”) as a teacher.
Tag 3 people?
Heidi at Van Laar Designs
Dad at The Garden Handyman
Amy at Tsuruta Designs
…not sure if they’ll actually do this, but who knows? I always like to hear about real people and their lives.
Unknown fact about me? I went to the National Championships in college for water polo (3 out of 4 years!).
Vegetable you hate? Lima beans, cooked spinach, beets, and sometimes I really hate eggplant. It’s the texture.
Worst habit? Staying up way too late. Especially on school nights.
X-rays you’ve had? Dental, fingers, toes, ankle, etc…
Your fave food? I like pizza, but if I had to live off of one food (made in a variety of ways) for the rest of my life, it would be POTATOES! Mashed potatoes, hash browns, French fries, potato salad, baked potatoes, home fries, tater tots, jojos, steak fries… I love it all.
Zodiac sign? Dunno, my birthday is May 1st.
thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend :D











