Flutter by atomicbutterfly

With Gratitude

2013-05-21T09:11:00.000-06:00

I needed to make 6 thank you cards for a fun reason the other day, which I will tell you about at the end. I have been just a little bit obsessed with the "frame" series of stamps and diecuts from PTI lately. I have used them on quite a few projects and these were no exception.

I am also obsessed with felt rolled flowers as well. Thank goodness for My Favorite Things and their fabulous dies. I was trying to keep things simple since I was making six and all in all they look simple, but they ended up taking more time than I had thought. The sentiment stamp is not from the same frame set as the actual frame. I mixed and matched and I can't remember which frame # they are.

Again, my photos are horrible and I don't know how to fix it. So...I will get started with my story. First of all, I forgot to announce here that we are expecting another BOY! I will admit that I was hoping for a girl SO BAD!!!! Everyone knew it, too. So, when we found out we were expecting a boy one of my sweet friends threw a surprise "3 Amigos" Fiesta. Now, really I will have 4 Amigos, but since the last three are boys, she went with that, which I think is super cute! The guests were supposed to bring gifts for me and not for baby. It was a fun night to chat and laugh! So...I needed thank you cards! There you have it! Thanks for fluttering by!

Bloom Banner

2013-05-14T10:37:00.000-06:00

I made a banner exactly like this one for my Mom for Mother's Day! I liked it so well, I sat down yesterday and made one for myself. I have a bench directly below the banner which is now empty, but I will hopefully have time today to "shop" my home to get things to decorate it.

I know that you are probably sick of me talking about how my photos look, but if you look at my blog title photo and then scroll down to the post photo, you can totally see the difference. The two photos are exactly the same! If anyone knows how I can get this fixed, please let me know! It would be greatly appreciated!!!!
I used some butterfly die-cuts from PTI as well as the coordinating stamp set "Butterfly Dreams" for this banner. You all know how much I love using black butterflies! LOL! Each accordion medallion has some stardust stickles added to the edges for some sparkle and shine.

When letter doesn't completely cover the center of the accordion medallion, I am always looking for a fitting way to cover it up. In this case, I used some rolled felt flowers, which went nicely with the "bloom" theme.

The chipboard letters I used for this banner are from "The Paper Studio" found at Hobby Lobby. They were bare, so I used some SU! craft ink and a sponge dauber to turn them green. I also didn't have a spare "O" on hand since I made one for my mom, so I just turned a Q into and O! I find myself needing to do that a lot!

I made a large felt flower for either end of the banner. This is a detail that I did not add to my Mom's banner, but I will ask her if she wants me to make some for her. I am only "slightly" obsessed with all of the great 3-D flower dies that "My Favorite Things" carries! I only wish I would have bought them sooner! LOL! Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. I posted a baby ensemble HERE if you are interested!

My heart is always with you....Mom!

2013-05-10T05:00:00.000-06:00

I decided to get a head start on the two Mother's Day cards that I need. I have been using this set quite a bit lately for some different projects that I have been working on and I knew that I could make it work for a Mother's Day design as well. I absolutely adore the little house image and coordinating die. Just the sentiment alone would never give it away that it is for a Mom, so I added the die-cut letters using a felt rolled rose as the "o". I thought it was super cute if I do say so myself. I added a little pearl to the center. I think Mother's Day and pearls just go hand in hand. The letters were die-cut using pattern paper, adhered to a second sheet of white cardstock that had also been die-cut and then I added glossy accents to the top.

I haven't really been getting too fancy with my layouts...I am thinking I need to participate in some sketch challenges a little more often. They always help me to get out of my rut. Once I had the house die-cut and stamped, I added it to a circle with the grass and flowers all stamped out. You can't tell from the photo, but there is a little dot of stardust stickles in the center of each flower.

I also stamped a little sentiment on the inside of the card, but I didn't photograph it. The final touch was some ribbon with the butterfly attached. I added some more pearls to the butterfly. Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. I hope my mom doesn't stop by here before Sunday!

Here comes baby in the baby carriage!

2013-05-09T05:00:00.000-06:00

ETA: The baby carriage is from the Papertrey Ink set "Bitty Baby Blessings" and it also has a coordinating die.I have been working on two baby gifts this week and I was sick of sewing, so I sat down to make the coordinating cards. I made two identical cards, but obviously just photographed the one. I happened to have a Mojo Monday sketch all printed out and waiting for me to try, so I used it. I used some super old SU! paper for this design because it coordinated nicely with the fabrics I am using. It's always nice to use up old stuff!

I die-cut the carriage and then paper pieced the striped paper. Once that was done, I colored the rest of the image using my Copic markers. I added some glossy accents to the bottom striped part of the carriage. The finishing touch was to add some adhesive pearls to the handle and hinge. I wanted to keep it sweet and feminine.

I made some rolled roses that I die-cut out of felt as well as the ric-rac at the bottom. I had alot of fun putting these cards together and hopefully I will get the rest of the items made for the gift ensemble. I have to have both of them done by Friday. Thanks for fluttering by!

Reverse Confetti Release Blog Hop

2013-05-08T10:08:00.002-06:00

Can you believe it’s finally here?!! It’s the day you’ve all been waiting for—REVERSE CONFETTI’S VERY FIRST Release Day is today! To get things started, we invite YOU to hop along with the Confetti Crew and a few other talented stampers that are helping us launch this fabulous new stamp company! You can check it out HERE

The hop started over on the Reverse Confetti blog, and you should have made it here from Dawn's blog. It would be worth your while to start at the beginning of the hop, so you don’t miss a thing. We have tons of inspiration for you to see using Reverse Confetti’s first 4 brand new stamp sets! The whole list of hoppers can be found HERE

I hope you’ve enjoyed hopping with us today. Be sure and hop with us on the 8th of EVERY MONTH for more REVERSE CONFETTI inspiration! Now it’s time to hop on over to Laurie's blog. If you get lost along the way, you can find the hop order and list of all the participating designers over on the Reverse Confetti blog. Celebrate the creative side of you! Thanks for fluttering by!

Dream In Color Sneak Peek

2013-05-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hello and Welcome! I was super excited when Jen asked me to be a part of launching her new stamp company "Reverse Confetti! You can check it out HERE. You can see all of the other designer who are helping to launch this set!I am excited to share two projects that I made using one of the new sets called "Dream In Color"! It is a great, versatile set and perfect for anyone who loves to use COLOR!!! I will admit that when I first received the set and it didn't have any "pictures"...I was worried! Those worries were quickly put to rest as soon as my mind started churning idea after idea and then I couldn't stop! That is why I decided to share two projects with you today, rather than just one! I must be excited...all of my sentences have ended with exclamation points! LOL!

First of all, I am in love with this quote. It is great....so versatile and so true. I channeled my inner hippie for this one. I didn't intend for it to head in such a hippie direction, but that is where it ended up and I don't mind at all. Both of my projects today incorporate butterflies. I guess I just link color, rainbows and butterflies together. The main inspiration for this particular design came from "Gossip Girl". Go figure, right? Anyway...Serena's head board in the show had a cluster of butterflies flying away from a circle. I have been wanting to incorporate this into a design for years, but never did it....until now! I think the task seemed a little daunting to have to use so many butterflies, but in the end it was quite gratifying and not hard at all. The hardest part was that my punch was on the fritz and I got an abdominal workout while trying to punch! Hopefully the baby didn't mind! LOL!

Once I was finished adhering all of the butterflies, it still didn't have quite the impact I was aiming for so I got out my old color spritzing tool...which I have been using alot lately, by the way....and sprayed ink in all of the different colors over those particular butterflies. I then added some stickles to the middle of some of the butterflies. I love adding gems, but I would have had to use quite a few and you all know, there's a hoarder in me....deep down!!!! Well...maybe not that deep! It still gave it the sparkle and shine I was after. I stamped the word color on the side strip of pattern paper. I also added some stickles here. I guess I am not a hippie after all.

For my next project, I decided to go in a "safer" direction...at least safe for me. I stayed true to the design elements that I use a lot. During my "brainstorming" I had this idea to stamp onto a butterfly, but also have the same image underneath. I didn't know how well this would work and not have it look too off kilter. I was really pleased with the results. I did end up adding some distress ink the the edges of the butterfly to make it stand out a little bit more.

I also added some stickles to every other letter starting with the letter c. I colored the letters using Copic markers and then used my color spritzing tool to add even more color. I told you I have been using it a lot lately. I found all of the pattern papers at Hobby Lobby and are a mix...they weren't part of a collection. The felt border at the top was stitched in place using a sewing machine for some added interest. I broke up the sentiment into three parts. I really like this sentiment! This truly is a really fun stamp set to work with.

We have a little something for YOU! Leave a comment on my post today for your chance to win a $25 Gift Certificate to REVERSE CONFETTI! You have until 1 pm EST on May 7th to leave a comment. (Only one comment per blog per day, please!). The winner will be randomly chosen from all the DT blogs and Sneak Peeks for May 5-7th and announced on the Reverse Confetti blog at 5 pm EST on May 7th. Good Luck!!

Wishing you rainbows and sunshine!

2013-05-03T11:20:00.003-06:00

I still haven't figured out why my photos look so blurry and washed out on Blogger. So sorry! It is frustrating me SOOOOOOmuch!!!! This isn't how they look when I am editing them!!!!My sweet niece is celebrating her 8th birthday tomorrow! I knew I wanted to incorporate a "rainbow" theme into her card, so "Up, Up and Away" was the perfect stamp set to start with. I have never actually used the rainbow image from this set, so it was fun to get it inky. Because the rainbow only had four stripes, I knew that I would need to incorporate the rest of the colors of the rainbow using the hot air balloons. These darling images are some of my favorite to work with and I have been using them quite a bit lately.

Of course they needed to have some Diamond Stickles to really make them sparkle. I also added some to the clouds for some fun dimension and shine. The felt border at the top, the number eight and the rolled rose were all die-cut using felt. I liked the eyelet border at the top because I thought that it looked like a whole bunch of 8s on their sides! LOL!

She isn't super girly so I didn't want to add too much pink or too many flowers, but no girl can resist a little sparkle now and then, right? I had to add some rhinestone gems for some extra detail! I hope she likes it...I enjoyed making it! Thanks for fluttering by!

"You are wonderful" & "Plant a seed"

2013-04-30T12:59:00.000-06:00

I am in charge of the door prize at our PTA meetings. I have been a slacker and haven't done it the last two months! I decided to make the one for our meeting tomorrow, plus the two I missed. The one for tomorrow is further down and these are the other two. I really love using this pillow box die from PTI. It is just the right size for favors or little gifts and even better for gift cards!

These little boxes were die-cut using some old SU! paper that I have had, but worked nicely with the color scheme I was going for. I actually made the other box (the one further down) first, so I wanted to tie the colors all together. I made the rolled roses using a My Favorite Things die-cut. I am obsessed with these! I also added some punched butterflies for some added interest. I love the little quote and I think it works well to give to someone who volunteers their time and efforts with the PTA.

I was really struggling to get a good photo of this box. The light is funky today and I am too impatient to wait for the "right" light and I need to give it away tomorrow. I tried to take a few more pictures so you could see each of the different aspects. The box is a simple open-ended box with a cello bag filled with chocolate and a coordinating tag. When I first got this stamp set last year I was in love and then when they made the coordinating dies I was even more thrilled. I haven't used it since last fall, but with Spring in full bloom, I was itching to use it!

For the tag, I used the gardening gloves and tool, and another rolled rose. I told you I was obsessed. I really like this quote and I thought it was especially fitting to give to someone in the PTA. I added some sparkle using Diamond Stickles, one of my favorites!

Here is a little better view of the front of the box, not perfect, but better. I used the seed packet die-cut that coordinates with this stamp set. Again, another rolled rose with a gem in the center. I had a lot of fun putting these boxes together. I hope the ladies like them! We find out what we are having on Thursday! I am so excited! I will share with you when I find out! Thanks for fluttering by!

Sweet Little "Bunny"

2013-04-25T06:30:00.000-06:00

I spent the afternoon working on a little baby girl gift ensemble that my sister asked me to make for a co-worker of hers. She only asked me to make some shoes, but I couldn't help making a matching bib and headband. Once I was done with that, I thought she might like a card to go with it as well. She really likes buying Hallmark cards, so maybe she won't use it, but I had fun making it. If she doesn't need it, I will happily add it to my stash. You can check out the baby ensemble HERE.

This little bunny is the ultimate "paper pieced" creation I have made in a while. Each section is pieced with a different pattern. I couldn't resist adding some pink "flower soft" flocking to the tail and nose. Once I was done getting it all pieced, I added some glossy accents to the ear portion for some extra dimension and shine. The flowers were made using some of my recently purchased 3-D rolled flower die cuts from My Favorite Things. I have added them to a few projects recently, but nothing that I can show you right now. I was also thrilled to use this button! Do you ever have buttons that have words on them that you pick out, but the words aren't fitting for the card? I liked how this one fit with the baby card.

My last addition, which turned out to be a regret was the die-cut felt ric-rac. I sewed it on CROOKED!!!!! GRRRR! Do you know how mad I was? I was all done and decided that it needed a bit of stitching! I usually sew quite straight, but not today! Thanks for fluttering by!

Secretary "Thanks"

2013-04-24T10:35:00.004-06:00

Just a quick little post to share with you today! Yesterday I glanced at the calendar as I was passing by and noticed that today is "Administrative Professionals Day" or in other words; Secretaries! I decided to whip something up for my daughter to give to the school secretaries today. I used the PTI pillow box die, apple die and frame die. I can't live without my dies! They make life so easy! Part of me really didn't want to go for a traditional school theme, but use flowers or something instead, but in the end I realized that I have such few chances to use the "school" stuff that I should go with that! The apples were stamped with Pure Poppy ink and the leaves in Simply Chartreuse. I chose black for the frame to kind of give it a "Mary Engelbreit" feel. I chose three ribbons because I couldn't choose just one. I made six, so there was two of each ribbon.

I really like the "Teach and Inspire" stamp set because there are sentiments in there that aren't just for the teacher, like this one for example. I put a package of cinnamon trident gum in each pillow box to coordinate with the colors. Just something quick, but I hope that you enjoyed them! Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. Something funny....when my son saw the pillow boxes without the tags, he asked why I made something for the school secretaries out of empty toilet paper rolls! LOL!

Enjoy the Ride!

2013-04-18T12:29:00.001-06:00

Emma is off to a birthday party, but before she went I needed to make a card! Yes...I know I have a nice stash to pick from...finally, but I wanted to make one to match the gift bag we put the gift in! It was so cute and I loved the color combo. I had time, so I got to work. I have decided that I will only use the cards in my stash if I don't have time to make one. I have loved the PTI set "Everyday Button Bits" since it came out, but I have never used the bike image! Shame on me! I have wanted to, but it never "worked out". The gift bag had a really cute bike on the front, almost exactly like this one; it was perfect. I love it when I have the "perfect" stamp!

I did struggle trying to find the right buttons for the wheels. I was too caught up in finding two that matched. I ended up using two "specialty" buttons that were both feminine and fun! I really like the one in the front; it seems like it was made to go. I was originally planning on using the "Enjoy the Ride" sentiment that comes with the "Everyday Button Bits" set, but as I looked at the sentiments included in this new birthday set, I realized that this one would be perfect!!!!

The birthday girl is ten today, so I die-cut the numbers out of pattern paper and added some glossy accents to make them shine. I added a flower and trimmed the sentiment to fit over the numbers. The bottom panel is embossed using a cuttlebug embossing folder for some extra dimension and texture. The final touch was a piece of felt ric-rac that I die-cut as well. I am happy with the end result and hope that the birthday girl likes it, too! Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. I still have the last card in my card set to share with you.

{From little acorns...} teacher gift

2013-04-08T11:06:00.004-06:00

Before I start, I just have to mention that I have already done more blog posts this year than I did in ALL of 2012. That is really sad! I am glad to be back blogging again! Okay...enough with that. I know that the end of the school year isn't for a few more months, but I know it will sneak up on me faster than I can blink. I decided to get started early. I actually may give this to Emma's teacher when she goes back on track (we have year round school). I usually make all kinds of fun seasonal things to give to my kid's teachers, but she hasn't gotten anything handmade all year!

I fell in love with this teacher set from PTI when it came out and purchased it immediately. It has been sitting unopened since. I was glad to get it out and start playing with it. I actually used a lot of images from the set. I tried to lay it out in a way that I could use a lot, but not get too cluttery. All of the paper is old Scenic Route paper that I have loved using in the past. I only had a few scraps left, so I put it to good use.

The banner piece that says "begins" was stamped separately and then cut out and adhered using foam squares. I applied some glossy accents to it as well as the pencil. The apple images were giving me trouble...my Pure Poppy inkpad must need some ink refill on it, but they are out at PTI. I decided in the end that it just kind of makes it look like the "shine" on the apple. Right? Or am I just trying to make myself feel better?

The box is one of my favorite to make. I have been using this same template for years. It closes with velcro dots, so the recipient doesn't have to "un-do" anything.

It must be my pregnancy hormones or something, because every time I read this quote, I cry! Go figure! I guess I just think how much our little ones need us and good teachers. I had fun creating this little ensemble and has inspired me to get going on little gifts for the principal, librarian, etc. Thanks for fluttering by!

Lily of the Valley "Thank You"

2013-04-05T08:51:00.001-06:00

Before I show you the last card design in the set, I decided to show you the quick little box I made yesterday for a friend. We had the opportunity to take our girls to the dress rehearsal of Ballet West's upcoming performance of the ballet "Jewels". She drove so I wanted to give her a little "thank you".

When I was shopping for paper for my card sets, I came across this beautiful paper from Graphic 45. I was going to incorporate it into a card, but it never happened. I had really been itching to use it and it worked very nicely on this box. The papers are from the Secret Garden collection and perfect for Spring!

There isn't any actual stamping on this project, even though I would love to take credit for coloring the beautiful image. I did add some diamond stickles all around the border as well as on the flowers. I also made a tiny felt rosette to add with the cluster of buttons on the bottom. I die-cut so much felt ricrac while I was making my cards, that I had quite a bit of felt left over so I thought I would put it to good use and make a rosette. The center pearl is just an adhesive one that fit perfectly.

Whenever I give little gifts like this, the recipient is always wary of "ruining" it by undoing the bow. I have learned to make things simple by attaching the ribbon to the inside of the box top and then tying the bow on top. I attached the main image to the top as well, that way she only needs to slide the lid off. You can see what I mean in the photo below. On a side note, I took some time the other day to revisit my earliest blog posts. Not only was it fun to take a stroll down memory lane, but I realized that I no longer use some of my favorite sets. I decided to venture to my storage under the stairs and find some of them. Hopefully I won't bore you with using old SU! sets, but I love them. Thanks for fluttering by!

Sweet Little Baby

2013-04-03T15:10:00.004-06:00

Well, they're done! I have all of the cards made, packaged and delivered to my friend! I am feeling really good about my accomplishment; and the best part of all of it....I have 20 cards of my OWN all ready to go! Do you know how long it has been since I have had such a large stash of cards to pick from? Well...it's been a while! I will admit that I was really losing steam toward the end. I had intentionally left the baby cards until the end because they are some of my favorite to make. Big mistake....I just wanted to be done!

As you can see, I didn't make the boy and girl design exactly the same. I made the girl one with a little more detail. That's just kindof how girls are, huh? Simple boys...complicated girls. Anyway...I used the coordinating die cuts with this stamp set as I have with every other card. Die-cuts to the rescue! I just recently bought this set even though it is an older PTI set. I have always wanted it, but never ended up by getting it. I can't tell you how many times it has been in my "cart" but always gets removed.

The papers for both cards are from a super old My Mind's Eye slab that I got on clearance years ago at Hobby Lobby. I don't know what I will do when the papers are all gone! I hadn't printed out any more sketches, so I just used a simple design. The little elephant was diecut out of white, but then I paper pieced it with coordinating paper so that I didn't have to color it.

The baby boy card is pretty simple, but I think it is cute. I used copic markers to color the sailboat since it was small. I was tempted to paper piece this as well, but I think the pattern would have been lost in the small spaces.

A little tag, wool diecut ric-rac and buttons finish off the design. I can't believe I am done! I will share the last design with you later. It is the simplest of the bunch, but I had better share it anyway. I hope you all had a good Easter. Thanks for fluttering by!

Absolutely Fabulous!

2013-03-30T08:40:00.001-06:00

Absolutely Fabulous....or should I say "Shabb-ulous"? I love how these shabby chic cards came out. I fell in love with the paper, but thought I would be making baby cards with it instead. I love it when something unexpected comes together. As you can see, I made the two cards with two different sentiments. While I love the Absolutely Fabulous sentiment, I thought I needed a plain old thank you card, too.

I received my Rosie Posie and Rosie Posie II stamp sets and coordinating dies from PTI a few days ago and couldn't wait to put them to use. I have always liked the Rosie Posie set, but with the companion set they just came out with, it became a "must-have".

I got to work getting all of the flowers and leaves die-cut and stamped. I had so much fun doing that, I felt like I should be done, but that was just the beginning. I was really struggling with the layout; the flowers looked so pretty, but they weren't looking that way on the card. Who knew that a little piece of Kraft cardstock would come to the rescue? It set them off perfectly against the green background.

I was determined to add some buttons, but fiddled and fiddled and nothing was working. I finally decided just to add them to the bottom. I think they work there nicely. Also, I decided to add some Diamond stickles to the flowers and leaves as well. In the end, I thought they ended up looking like a pre-made dimensional sticker from K & Company.

You can see the different sentiment here. I hope she likes the cards and finds them useful in her set. I am currently done with the wedding card, the boy baby card, so all I have left is the baby girl design. I can't believe I did it...and I made more cards than I was originally planning on. I must admit, however, that I am a little bit "carded" out. At least with making cards that fit within a certain theme. I have been itching to make some Easter cards, some spring cards, etc. but with Easter being tomorrow, that will have to wait until next year. Thanks for fluttering by!

Sending Birthday Wishes

2013-03-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

I had a lot of fun creating these birthday cards. I had mentioned in my last post that I had better get a juvenile girl birthday card made, so I got right to it. I asked my 9 year old daughter if she would be happy giving this card to one of her friends; she nodded excitedly so I guess it is a hit! I hope that a tween or teenage girl would be happy with it also.

It is a fun mix of PTI stamps that ended up by working well together. I used Butterfly Dreams, Postmark, Everyday button bits,& Just the Ticket. I loved all of the colors in the paper! So bright and cheery and birthday-ish! The papers are all from Hobby Lobby.

I die-cut the tickets using the same yellow paper that I used in my last post. I was happy it worked well since I didn't buy any paper to "go" with the polka dots. I bought the pink, but it was for a different project, yet it worked well, too. The butterflies were also die-cut and the flower is a Martha Stewart punch. I used buttons to bring in some more color and detail. The finishing touch is some machine stitching. I am glad that I left my machine out, because it is getting put to good use. I didn't end up by putting any ribbon on it either. What is the world coming to. This is the 2nd design from the set that didn't use ribbon. I must not be right in the head. LOL! Anyway...I have two more designs all made up and ready to show you. I still need to work on the last card which will be a baby design and then I am DONE!!!!! Thanks for fluttering by!!!

Get Well Soon

2013-03-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

No card set would be complete without a Get Well card. I fell in love with these papers when I went to the craft store to pick up some more foam squares. I had to have it since I knew it would go perfectly with "Tea For Two" which is one of my all time favorite stamp sets. Again, I used a Mojo Monday sketch. I strayed a bit by adding the circle image on the side, but I just had to include it!

The yellowish/ greenish paper was not part of the collection,but I needed another pattern and it worked so nicely. The tea papers are from Creative Imagination and the Yellow stuff is from Bo Bunny. I really like the color combo; it's a little unexpected!

I used the tea pot die-cut which made things so much easier. Before they had it, I used to cut the tea pot out and it took forever, especially inside the handle. Yay for die-cuts! In fact, all of my cards that I have made for this set have used the coordinating die-cuts. It makes things so nice!

I only have three designs left, so I am thinking I need a baby design, of course, a wedding card and sympathy. I don't know which order they will come in, so stay tuned! I am also thinking I may need to dd a juvenile girl birthday design, since I made one for a boy. We shall see! Thanks for fluttering by!

Thinking of You

2013-03-26T11:26:00.001-06:00

As promised, here is design #5 and that means I am more than half-way done. I had hoped to make 9 designs X 2 for a total of 18 cards. I think I can do it! I decided to switch gears and go for a vintage design. I fell in love with these Graphic 45 papers I saw when I went to pick up some more foam squares. Is it any surprise that I came home with new paper? It reminded me of a card I made a year or more ago, so I used the same elements. You can see the card here. It is one of my favorite cards that I have ever made. Of course this particular sketch required fewer bells and whistles and I wanted to keep the integrity of the design, so I kept it simple.

Again, I used a Mojo Monday sketch. This one is a little bit older. I printed it out in the hopes of using it when it was new, but it sat and sat and sat. I was glad to put it to good use. This card is "different" if you know what I mean. I don't know if it would appeal to everyone, but I think it has its place in her set. I really have a "thing" for the black butterflies. I guess I am weird.

All of the circles were either punched or die-cut which made it easy. I used to constantly have to use my Coluzzle; does any one remember that thing? I am so glad to have die-cuts. My cuttlebug has been getting a serious workout these last few days! The flower was also punched. It is a Martha Stewart punch and is one of my favorites. The sentiment is from the "Autumn Abundance" set from PTI, but I use it all the time.

As I mentioned before, I really wanted to keep the minimal integrity of the sketch, so I refrained from using ribbon. It was hard, but I did it. I wanted to add some fiber of some sort, so I did some machine stitching up the side and along the top on the other card. You can see that in the top photo. I finished my next design so I am confident that I will make my deadline! Thanks for fluttering by!

Up, up and away...it's your Birthday!

2013-03-25T08:36:00.000-06:00

Here is design #4! I am really on a roll! I decided I better get a few masculine cards in the set before I got too far and didn't end up with any! LOL! I am really feeling good about my progress. I have already completed my next set as well. We will be having some tiling done next week, so I want to be finished before that begins. I decided to maximize my time by printing off some sketches. What I did was,I went to the Mojo Monday blog and found sketches that inspired me and then I printed them off. I decided which stamps and theme I would use for each card to help even more. I was finding that each set was taking me way longer than it needed to, simply because I was fiddling with layout, etc. too much. These cards came together a lot quicker because of my strategy. I don't remember which sketch number this is but I am wanting to say 278? I know that it was relatively recent.

I also decided to use two different sentiments to really maximize my time. I knew that this design could work well for both an older male as well as a little boy. You can see the two sentiments in the top photo. The "up, up and away" sentiment is from the "Little Hot Rod" set from PTI and the "Happy Birthday" sentiment is from "Father Knows Best" also from PTI.

This airplane is one of my favorites to use. I bought the coordinating die a while ago, but this is the first time I have used it. Can I just say LOVE?!!!! One of my favorite things to do with this little airplane is to paper piece the body of the plane. I like to use pattern paper and then apply some glossy accents to give it a shiny look. I used a cuttlebug embossing folder for the main background which really gave it some texture and dimension. I used to use them all the time, but haven't for a while so it was nice to get them out again. I did stray a bit from the sketch and added the sentiments and banner flags to the side. I chose a copper brad to attach the sentiment to bring some more orange to the design. I really like orange, but it can take over if you aren't careful. I didn't use any ribbon on this design, but the fiber from the wool felt die-cut rick rack fulfills that need, I guess.

I had a lot of fun working on this design. It is relatively simple, but I think it works nicely for a manly/boyish card. I will be sharing my next design soon so stay tuned! Thanks for fluttering by!

Hello You!

2013-03-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here is the third design that I have been working on! I am in the middle of design #4 and feeling like I am on track to get them all done! I found this paper at Hobby Lobby the other day and knew it would make a great card. I didn't have a firm idea about how I would use it, but I knew it could be cute. I've had this card that I was supposed to send out a long time ago just lying around, so I decided to use the same layout and everything. I changed the sentiment, though. I did post it on my blog, but it was so long ago and the papers really change the feel that I decided I would still post this one.

I thought the "Trendy Trees" stamp set and coordinating die worked nicely with the papers. Out of the bunch, I decided to show you this particular card, because I like the button that I found to use. I only had one, so the rest just have round buttons, but this one is super cute. This card is mostly about the paper since there is so little stamping.

As you can see from this detail shot that I really struggle lining up this particular image with it's coordinating die. I almost didn't use it for that reason alone. I did however end up by liking some of the white showing through to give it some extra detail. They all aren't this bad, but I had to show you this one because of the button! LOL! I chose the sentiment because I thought it would be versatile, just like the one on my last post. I want the recipient to get the most out of her card set and feel like it meets her needs.

Again, I am really struggling with my photos looking nice on blogger. They look so much nicer before I get them uploaded. I really don't know how to fix it. Any ideas? They just look super washed out. Anyway, thanks for fluttering by! The next card will be something masculine, so stay tuned!

You make life so sweet!

2013-03-22T19:10:00.000-06:00

As promised, here is the second design in the set I am making for my friend. To be honest, they are taking much longer than expected. The deadline to have them done is fast approaching. At this point, I need to make one design a day X 4 to get them done in time. I finished these up today, but made another set as well. What a relief! For this card, I used the strawberry set and coordinating sentiment set, but for the life of me I can't remember the name. I told you I am awful! I used the largest image and coordinating flower die to make a big impact without needing a lot of layers, etc. The coloring took a while, but once that was done, everything came together quickly.

I decided on the sentiment because it seemed really generic; it could be used for a birthday, thinking of you, or thank you. Hopefully she will find it just as versatile.

The flowers were die cut and then popped up with foam squares for some extra dimension. I added some glossy accents to each flower and then again in the lightest part of each strawberry. I think it adds just the right touch. The ribbon label was die cut using a nestabilities die that I love! I have used it a lot in the past, but it hasn't been used much recently. It was good to get it back in the rotation. I found this fun pink lace at the sewing store the other day, so I thought I would use it. That's about it! Thanks for fluttering by! P.S. I posted a fun little springy sewing project here if you are interested!

Since it's your Birthday!

2013-03-21T18:39:00.001-06:00

One of my friends asked me to make a set of cards for her to give as a going away present to one of her co-workers. She told me that her co-worker loves cards and thought it would make a nice going away present. I was honored that she asked me. This is the first card in the set. I will be sharing them with you as I get them done. I am making a total of four cards of each design. I will give her two and keep two for myself. My stash of cards is non-existent, really. It will be nice to have something to grab when I am in a hurry!

I found the papers at Hobby Lobby. They were actually some in the 8 1/2 by 11 section, which I rarely even look at, but these caught my eye. The red polka dot paper is from a Stampin' Up! 6 by 6 pad I have had for years, but I really like the pop of red. I chose to use on of my new PTI sets that I think is called "Stylish Sentiments". It just came out last month. The sentiment is the only stamping on the card, but anything else would have made it too busy. I was already questioning the butterflies, but in the end, I like them.

As you can see, I chose two different ribbons. I haven't decided if I will give her one of each or keep the red together and the blue together. I will probably give her one of each, because the ribbon, even thought it is subtle, changes the feel of the card.

The music paper was die-cut using nestabilities. The butterflies are a Martha Stewart punch with adhesive pearls in the middle. I used PTI buttons to frame the sentiment and the ribbon is SU! The lace is from May Arts. I hope you enjoy my first card in the series! Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. Thanks for your sweet comments about my announcement. And yes...it is baby #5!

P.S.S. I also posted another baby ensemble here if you are interested!

Sweet Little Baby and an announcement!!!

2013-03-15T17:18:00.001-06:00

I just finished up the baby boy ensemble today that I was telling you about in my last post. I really like the way everything turned out and I hope the new mommy likes it, too. Rowan gave me his stamp of approval while I was making everything saying how much he wanted one! I thought that was cute! I guess it helps that it had cars on it! When I have been out shopping for all of the girl things I have been making, I noticed that the fabric store had a lot of cute new boy fabrics as well. I always struggle to find really cute boy fabric, so I was thrilled to see this. The card and tag were all inspired by the cute fabrics. If you want to see the things I made for the gift you can see them here .

I know that I am crazy, but I purchased the "Little Hot Rod" stamp set from PTI just because of this gift set. I knew that with three boys, I would use it alot anyway. I have a ton of nephews, too and my little ones will get invited to tons of birthday parties in the upcoming years so I thought it was a good investment. I was bummed to see that the coordinating dies were out of stock, but I will buy those as soon as they become available.

I chose the color scheme based on the fabric, of course. I used pure poppy, spring moss and ocean tides. I really should have used simply chartreuse, but after I had it stamped with spring moss, I wasn't going to start over. This was the third time I had stamped it anyway because of smudging issues. I combined "Star Prints, Just the Ticket and Postmark" as well. I forgot how much I enjoy using my classy brass stencil for the piercing around the star. You will probably be seeing more of that in the future. I added some diamond stickles to the headlights of each car for some extra detail.

Once I was done, I wasn't ready to be done, so I whipped up a quick little tag for the basket. Super quick, but it helps tie it all together!

As far as my announcement goes....I guess it is fitting that I have been posting all of this baby stuff because we are expecting a baby in September!!!!! We are so excited!!! I will keep you tuned in as to whether we are having a boy or a girl! Thanks for fluttering by!

Cutie Patootie!

2013-03-11T12:27:00.003-06:00

As you may have noticed from my some of my earlier posts, I have been working on a lot of baby gifts. I usually am making them totally last minute and usually the day of the baby shower. This one was no exception and unfortunately that means the card is the last thing to get thrown together. As you can see, the card is very simple, but there are a few details that I liked, so I thought I would share. If you want to view the entire gift ensemble, you can see it here I am very limited in my baby sets, which I just remedied by buying a couple more from PTI.

I usually end up by using "baby button bits". I wanted to keep the card within the color scheme of the gift ensemble, but I didn't have the "right" paper. I quickly took some of the fabric that I was working with and copied it on my printer. It was easy, fast and perfect to bring the whole thing together. I also made a little fabric flower that I used in my sewing to add to the card as well to make it all coordinate.

Even though I had to throw the card together last minute, I think it looks cute with all of the things that I made. So...if you are ever in a bind for cute paper, but you have great fabric, just copy it!!! I have been doing this for years, especially back when Rockwell was a baby. I wanted the paper to coordinate in his scrapbooks with his clothes, so I just copied his actual clothes. Crazy, but fun! Thanks for fluttering by!

Ticket to Celebrate

2013-03-09T21:48:00.001-07:00

Attention Bloggers: Are you finding that your photos don't look as nice once they have been posted? My originals look SO much better. As you can see from the little "post mark" on the card, I made this back in October. Yes, Yes...I know I am a little behind. I am glad now that I had the sense to take pictures so that I can get it posted. I mentioned before that even though I wasn't blogging, I have still been crafty!!! I ordered this little $5 set from PTI when it came out and knew I wanted to use it "bigger". I have always loved making cards with a scene within a scene, if that makes sense. This set was perfect for that. I did use other sets to use in conjunction with it and I think they compliment the design.

I first decided on the color scheme which matched the gift, surprise, surprise!! I tried to give each square some depth and dimension and still be cohesive with each other. Now that I am looking at it with fresh eyes, I can see things that I would have added, but this ship has sailed.... a long time ago! LOL!

In the end, I think she really liked her card and it felt good to get crafty! Not much more to say! Thanks for fluttering by!