Children's Birthdays and My First Copics

I took the Copic plunge last week and found a very simple stamp set on sale at Michaels.  I figured it would be a good 1st try of using the Copics and not challenge me into never trying them again.  I have used Prisma Pencils in the past and am comfortable with the blending process used with those type of Pencils. I was very much hoping that the worst of my learning curve was behind me. 

It was.  I felt very comfortable using and blending with the Copics.  I have watched several tutorials on youtube (search for Copic tutorial) and found it a pretty easy transition.  Now, I need to take the next step and go for something that requires a bit more skill and more than 4 colors and a blender!

The nice thing about simple stamps and Copics is that they make wonderful focals for Children's cards.  Since I seem to have an abundance of Grandchildren, I am always in need of Birthday cards.  Ta Daaaaa!

Card Number 1

And here is number 2.  Both simple and sweet. just like my perfectly behaved Grandchildren (insert sarcasm icon here)

So, what do you think?  Pretty basic but I was more concerned with using the Copics than the intracacies of the card.

All cardstock, ink and ribbon by Papertreyink
Stamps by Recollections
Scallop punch by Fiskars

Ted's Challenge

I'm a boxaholic.  I know it and can't help it.  Show me a new box template and I'm there... I'm all over it like white on rice.  So, a fellow PTI'er has a little box challenge going on his blog.  See here: Ted's blog challenge
Now how fortuitous is it that Lauren Meader's new web  site is offering a FREE box template here: Lauren's Web Site

So, new template, holiday's over, I'm itching to use pink again... a match made in heaven!  Time for some Valentine treat boxes!  It is a simple box, kind of reminds me of a card deck box but so fun to do your own colors and embellies!

I tucked the lid into the heart embellishment but it will also tuck into the box itself.

The neatest part of all.... I got it as an SVG file so I cut it on my Cricut!  From someone that can not cut a straight one inch line, I am definitely in heaven now!

Supplies:

PP and card stock: PTI

Stamps: PTI

Ribbon: Offray from Joanns

Heart Punch: Marvy Uchida

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop time.

Our challenge this month was to gain inspiration from something related to the recent holidays.  I decided to be inspired by my own work!  I just love the Home Made templates and wound up making 5 of them.  I still have 3 on my living room table, complete with a few trees and assorted Holiday type statues.  Everyone commented on these cute little houses and my grandchildren loved playing with them, continually re-arranging their placement.  Future housing developers, perhaps?

Here they are.

We have a very active Welcome Committee in my neighborhood and I thought I would create a "Welcome" card for whomever our next newest neighbors will be.  I know I would have been thrilled to receive a homemade card along with all the goodies and information I did receive when I moved in 5 years ago.   Using my Houses for inspiration, I came up with this:

 

I am madly in love with Terracotta Tile with Lemon Tart and Vintage Cream papers from PTI.  Just a tiny splash of Spring Moss in the "leaves".  Stamping ink is Terracotta Tile for the window and sentiment and Summer Sunrise for the curtains.  Stamps are Home Made, Polka Dot Basics 2 and Text Style II.  Buttons and ribbon are Terracotta Tile.  It is very rare that I make a card that is purely from one company but this was an easy match.  The Martha Stewart punch is the lone outlier!  This was so fun.

I hope you enjoy it, too!

Homemade for co-worker

One of my co-workers just loved the little houses made with Lauren Meader and Nichole Heady's Home Made products from PTI.  That is all it took for me to decide what her Christmas gift would be!  This is a hard year for her as her mother, withwhom she was very close, died at this time last year.  This has been a rough year for all of us in the lab and hers was compounded by her mother's death.

I sure hope this will bring a needed smile.  Just in case, I also filled it up with Reese Mini Peanut Butter cups wrapped in holiday colors.  Hey, chocolate works.

Here is the front:

And here is the back:

All card stock is from PTI and the pattern paper is from my stash (I never keep track of PP, I have too much).  Velvet ribbon is from Joanns and glitter domes from Paperwishes.com.  The leaves for the wreath and under the windows is from the Martha Stewart punch that is getting quite a work out lately.

Well, off to finish up another house... yes, I am addicted to making these.  I can complete one in less than 2 hours once I have made up my mind what colors I'm using!  The color decisions take the longest.

Everyone, have a Happiest of Holidays and a safe and healthy New Year.

I am having so much fun with the PTI Home Made template.  Here is my growing village!  Don't they just look cute and like I am some expert crafter!  Ha!  They really are easy, especially after the first one.  Very short learning curve.

Lily Comes Home

Saturday, November 28th 2009, Lily finally came home from Children's Hospital after an almost 4 month stay.  She will be on oxygen for a few weeks to months until her lungs finish maturing and my daughter will keep her NG tube in until the doctor is satisfied that she is taking in enough nutrition on her own but since she eats quite well when Mom is feeding her, we thing that will come out for good by the end of the week.  She is starting to get baby chubby, cute and loves being rocked and talked to.  The noise at home doesn't bother her in the least and she seems to really be drawn to her brothers voice and face which is good because her brother isn't a bit quiet around her.

So, without further ado, a short clip of Lily!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30HRZCXPSTQ

Homemade Template Time

I love Lauren Meader's template creating ability.  She can work paper into 3D like no other gal I've seen.  This is a task that is supposed to be more difficult for females than males but she proves the scale is a sliding one.  She really outdid herself with the PTI release this month on Nov. 15th.  On Nov. 20th (today), she announced she was leaving PTI and entering into business for herself.  I will certainly remain a loyal customer of both Lauren and PTI.

My first picture is using Enchanted Evening and craft PTI papers.  I found the cute, small scale silver beads at Walmart and the snowflake popping out the chimney is an oldie from EK Success punch.  The stamp set is the new PTI Homemade and is unbelievably cute with several window and door stamps to choose from. Ribbon is from old stash of Offray's sheer line.  Offray doesn't even list the name on the ribbon!  Oh well, I try.

The second one is CASEd from Nichole's blog here.  I found the MS punch at Walmart for $9.00 and couldn't resist copying the garland look.  I used Srping Moss and New Leaf, I think.  I really need to separate and label my paper colors so I can make sure I list things correctly.  Old habits die hard.  I never posted any of my stuff before so never really kept an account of what was what.  Friends that received my cards never asked if it was New Leaf or Ripe Avacado! ;-)

I do love the way it came out.  I popped the windows and doors on this one and decorated all 4 sides, at least a little.  I like how popping the elements gives them more depth.  The garland is adorable and very easy with a punch.  I even made a small wreath for the side with some glitter domes from Paperwishes.com.  Michaels has the Christams Village items on sale this week, 30% off and I'm going to pick up some evergreen trees, maybe a deer or kids and make my own little village.  Of course, I'll need to include a synogogue and a Hannukah House!  Fun stuff!

Well, have any of you PTI fans made one yet?  What do you think?

CASE'd from Lauren's Blog..

I CASE'd Laurens Family Tree!
I was very impressed with Lauren Meader's family tree project (here) and the sweet story that went with it but I really had no intention of doing one.  Then I went to Joann's last Sunday and went down the floral isle (which I never do). Next thing I know, there is that wire "tree" frame right in front of me for a whopping $2.79.  I thought, what the heck... I'll buy one and maybe, just maybe make one, too.  So, now, three days later, I not only started it, I finished it.  I'm not entirely pleased with it.  I need to make sure the pictures quit turning funny.  I need to tack them down a bit better.  I have a larger family than Lauren's so I have more pictures but I think I still need a few more embellies to balance it, yet, I don't want it to get overly busy.  I wish I had made all the bows the same, too.  Still, overall, I certainly don't hate it. I just want it to be a bit better.

So, what do you think?  If anyone has suggestions, please feel free.  I am so very open to critism and won't be offended, I'll be appreciative!  Honest!

I wish I could find that wonderful red/hot pink bird that Lauren used, too.  This was the best I could do but I am still on the lookout!  This really will be changed at some point.

 

 I love the Gingerbread Boy. I had to give him a scarf.  Hey, it's cold in Colorado!

Card Sets

For Christmas gifts this year, I plan on making some card sets for friends that enjoy my cards.  I do believe they will be suprised and pleased with them.  Who doesn't need a Thank You card?  I am so loving the Take Note set from PTI and it is so easy to make a special looking card with it.

All cardstock, stamps and ribbon is PTI.  Pattern paper is a half sheet I had hanging around for a while.

I even embellied some of the dots with the clear bubble stickers from PTI.

Here is the inside:

So, what do you think?

Wall Art for Jack

I bought these letters for decorating Jack's room a little bit ago.  Finally, I got around to painting and decorating them.  I bought an inexpensive 6 pack of acrylic paint that had the primary colors, green, black and white.  I knew I was going to do his letters in the basic colors so I completed it first.  I have letters for Lily, too, which I will have to blend the colors to get the pink, purple and lavender that I want.

I have a ton of stickers and still tend to pick up a pack or 2 when on sale.  Using stickers and a few match box cars and 1 stop sign from his train set, I decorated them.  I think they will be cute as can be on his wall, as well as helping him learn his name.  The hard part is getting him to leave them alone.  The cars are NOT to be played with.  Since he is 4 yo now, I think he has enough self restraint to do so.

Finished the Set

I wanted to finish up my re-purposing of the acrylic box that my PTI stamps came in.  I now have a matching pen!  Though the pictures show some Christmas cards inside, (it will eventually hold Thank You Notes) they are standard A2 cards and I wanted to see how they would fit.  Unless they are excessively over embellished, they will easily fit 4 cards and envelopes, more if you stuff it a bit.  I then had extra room at the top half of the box.  I cut a piece of patterned paper to fit the width (6 1/8th ") and 3" wide.and scored 2 times at 1" and 2" (even thirds).  I then folded it and placed in top to be my divider and pen holder. 

The pen is an RSVP by Pentel purchased at any office supply store.  I cut a strip of paper 3" long and 7/8" wide.  I then removed the ink assembly from the pen and used it to gently roll the paper until it was able to be inserted into the pen.  Cute and very easy.  Hope you enjoy the pictures!

November? Already?

Decided to get busy with some serious cardmaking. All cardstock and ink is PTI and the pattern paper is a single sheet (bought at M's) but the stamps are from SU or other acrylics that I don't even remember buying, much less from who!  I think I am falling in love with the old fashion look.  I especially like adding the little flowers and pearl strands, picked up at M's for cheap!  Can you say coupons!

She's getting so big!  Lily now weighs over 5lbs 4ozs and will come home as soon as she can take all her meals by breast and bottle.  WOW, that should be soon.  Her cheeks are getting so fat!  We have no idea where they come from but they sure are cute.  She looks like she has the mumps and her nasal cannula has to be taped in place or it rides up into her eyes.  Chubby cheeker Lily!

Today, she got to visit with her brother as Jack can only visit one day a month because it is flu season.  Since today is Halloween, Chandra and Nate took Jack down to Denver to visit his sister, show her his costume and see Lily wearing her flower headband with green onsie (she was a Lily flower... get it?)  Since I had to work, I will have to enjoy all of it in pictures :-(

What to do with leftovers!

PTI stamps come in the nicest little acetate boxes. I am just unable to throw them away and decided that they would make a lovely container for a gift of homemade cards (can you say recycle?) .  What do you think?

I also made a matching notepad holder since we can never have too many of these and it is just so darned cute.  I am making these for all my lab pals and hope they enjoy a new, darling and totally cute way to keep their "brains" in their pockets.

Stamp set Take Note by Papertreyink

pattern paper unknown

ink and ribbon by Papertrey ink

PTI goodies arrived and I am loving them.  

Of course, cards were made and fun was had....
I do have to thank several of the design team at Papertreyink for their inspiration.  I totally CASED a card by Lisa Johnson and Melissa Philips.  Their whole team is such an inspiration to me.  If you can't quite see what I purchased in stamps they are the Text Style II, the Giga Guidelines and Take Note.  I plan on using all of them quite a bit and will post them here for your viewing pleasure.
   I do plan on listing the "ingredients" in my cards eventually. The current problem is that I have so much that I do not remember where it was purchased nor what company it is from. This is especially a problem with my patterned paper!

Next, a few Christmas Cards. 

Thanks for looking!

All cardstock by Papertreyink

All patterned paper by Papertreyink

Pointsetta stamp unknown

Tree by Stampin Up

Peace by Stampabilities

Ink and ribbon by Papertreyink except white ribbon by Michaels.

Time to organize!

I am a horrible procrastinator.  For some reason, I just perform better under pressure so I tend to put things off as long as I can... often unconciously.  I have finally gotten around to re-doing my craft space.  WOW, is that inspiring.  Going through your long lost stash, finding bling and embellies that you have forgotten not only when you bought it but even where you bought it.  Looking at stickers that were "must haves" and now you go "huh?" So, being all newly inspired, I am quite a ways into the new space.  It has some more to go but that is OK.  It is wonderful to sit down, know where and what I have and the space to do it.  Why did it take me so long?.... because I am a procrastinator.

Here is a look at what my space had morphed into.  Thank goodness I ran out of tables!

Wait!

There is one more table!

Here was my workstation:

And now?  Ta Da!

And I still have more to complete... shelves on the opposite wall and more of the modular units to purchase and assemble. (One at a time from Michael's at 40% off) Wo0t

End of September

I can't believe it is the last day of September!  Boy, did it swoosh on by.  My Granddaughter had her corrective eye surgery today and it went very well.  It is so very scary thinking of a 3 lb premature baby (1lb 12 oz at birth)  that just got off the ventilator last week having to go back on the vent for eye surgery.  She came through this like a trooper as she has all her other issues and setbacks. She is already off the vent and back to her nasal cannula. She will be 9 weeks old on Friday!  Of course, since she was 15 weeks early, they still count her age in gestational weeks meaning she is at 34 weeks.  Her discharge will be around her 40th gestational week (ie. her original due date) as long as there are no other setbacks.  We don't even allow for that type of thinking now.  Her outlook is excellent and we sticking to it!

I have 2 cards today.  One is for my (other) Granddaughter's birthday in November... she will be 6 (going on 25) and the other is "Just Because" because you never know when you might need a card... well, just because.

 

Just a quick little note today.  I bought a Kodak Zi6 video recorder... yeah, some tutorials may be coming in the future.  The batteries are charging as I type and next I am off to install the software.  Give me some time, I promise you will see CARDS!
Here is another card from my stash...

Have a great day!

Of course there is a learning curve...

I never seem to get things right the first time.  I uploaded 5 pictures.  I saw it show 5 pictures in the upload window.  So, where are the 5 pictures?  I only see one.  Hmmmmm..

I'll just add one this time so I won't feel like a failure.

I love Halloween, don't you?

It's a brand new day!

I am blogging!  Oh my, I have finally decided to post my cards and share my thoughts.  I have enjoyed so many other's blogs that I think my time has come.  I hope to share a lot of ideas with you and encourage you to leave me comments and criticisms.  It's OK.  We never learn to get better if someone doesn't tell us we can be better.

I'll start with some of my cards currently in my collection, just waiting for the right occasion (except for sympathy cards, I never like that occasion).  I hope you enjoy them!

Besides working on cards, I hope to get better at taking pictures of them.  I have much to learn.