A Disappearing Act

Did you notice that I pulled a disappearing act of sorts on my blog? I'm not even really sure what I was doing...but apparently it wasn't blogging! So today I tried to be inspired to make something. I tried a couple of different challenges -- sketches, Basic Grey, and so on. I finally found something that sparked a little bit of creativity. It was the Finding Inspiration in a Layout Challenge from Moxie Fab. Here's what I came up with:

I was inspired by the layout of the patterned paper in the middle and in the leaves with buttons on the corner of the layout.
Supplies Used: Patterned Paper (Basic Grey Nook and Pantry), Rubber Stamps (Unity Burberry Tree, Lizzie Anne Designs Sketched Sentiments), Buttons (SEI), Border Punch (Fiskars Apron Lace)  Pin It Now!

More "Spring Cleaning" Cards

Okay, I hope you're not too tired of these scrap cards, because here are a few more! These are all really simple and it was nice to use up my scraps and things from my stash. And now I have a good amount of cards ready for mailing on a moment's notice!

 

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Using Up My Stash!

I went through my stash and decided it was time to use it up! No more hoarding it for the "special" project. If I own it, I'm using it! And one of those things that I tend to buy and never use are cute journaling cards. Please don't even ask when the last time I scrapbooked was, because I don't know! So, I used a few of them on some cards.

 

  

 

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A Really Hard Sketch!

Okay, I have to tell you up front, this sketch was really hard for this CAS lovin' girl! So when you see this card, it will still look CAS to you, but it really was anything BUT simple! I used the caardvarks sketch.

I used My Mind's Eye paper from the Where the Heart Is collection, and the sentiment is from Lizzie Anne, Sketched Sentiments. The border punch is Apron Lace from Fiskars.

I hope you are all having a great weekend. It is SO cold here, I can't wait until the end of next week when we might warm up to the 30's. It's a heat wave, baby!

Stay warm!

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Welcome Twenty-Ten!

Well, it's 2010! Amazing, huh? I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and rang in the New Year right! I know I did -- sound asleep in my bed! Yep, I'm a wild woman, I know. :) I made this first card before I left for vacation, but didn't get a chance to post it. I followed the Limelight Sketch #37, and even though it's too late to enter it, I thought you liked to see anyway, right? I used the star from the Unity set a pocket full of... and the sentiment is from Lizzie Anne's set Sketched Sentiments.

This second card I made for my niece. I bought her some Hello Kitty stuff for Christmas and she told me that she LOVES Hello Kitty, but has never watched her on TV and she really wants to. So of course, Aunt Katy has to take care of that. So I bought her a DVD and plan on sending it to her with this card. I have never made an acetate card before, but I think it's cute! Hard to photograph though...

P.S. On my last post, about losing my blog design, I was asked by a few people how to make a copy of your blog so that you don't lose it. Here's some simple instructions:
To back up your blog you can do one of two things:

Go to the edit html tab under layout and download the full template.

Or you can copy and paste all your html into a notepad document. It has to be Notepad because it doesn't convert the html like other word processing programs.

Hope that helps! :)
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Liar, Liar!

Remember that I said you would get a short break from Christmas cards. Well, I lied. But not on purpose. I never did get those birthday cards done (thank goodness for a stash, right!). But I did get 2 more cards done for some challenges. The first one is the Etsy-Inspired challenge. I'm really bad at remembering to do this one, but every once in awhile, I'm on the ball! I was inspired by this piece here in the Barefoot Weaver store.
Supplies Used: Tiny Trinity (Unity), Christmas Blessings (TE), Winter Wonderland PP (LAD), Vintage Christmas Flowersoft, Kaisercraft Rhinestones, Threading Water Border Punch (Fiskars)

And this card is for the Card Patterns sketch. I'm not sure that I got it posted on time. I had it done last week and just now had a chance to post it.
Supplies Used: Christmas Verses (ODBD), Kraft CS (Gina K), Mistletoe PP (Making Memores), Threading Water Border Punch (Fiskars), American Crafts ribbon

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Coloring - UGH!

I have been following the Caardvarks blog for about a year now, and finally decided to participate in a challenge. Why this challenge, I'm not sure. Because if you know me, you know that coloring is not my thing!! But what I liked about this challenge is that you could use "whatever" to color with -- markers, pencils, paper piecing, etc... So, I'm hoping that this qualifies for the challenge - I used Flower Soft (love this stuff) and markers to color my Christmas topiary! What do you think?

Supplies Used: Christmas Vintage Flower Soft, Winter Wonderland PP (LAD), Christmas Blessings (Taylored Expressions), Simple Life (Unity Stamp Co.)

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To Polka Or Not...THAT Is the Question

I made this card for the Lizzie Anne sketch #104. Last night when I went to bed I hated the polka dot ribbon. This morning when I woke up, I was kind of liking it! That could be tired eyes, though. So what do you think, ditch the dots or leave 'em?

Supplies Used: Dreaming of Dots (LAD), Girl Friday PP (Cosmo Cricket), Very Vanilla CS (SU!), Chocolate Chip (SU!) and Angel Pink (Memento) Ink, Ribbon (American Crafts), Mello Yellow Shimmerz

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#91

Nope, not my 91st Christmas card, more like my 13th. I better get in gear, huh! But it is the Taylored Expressions Sketch #91. I'm happy with how this card turned out, and of course, love the stitching! I also added Shimmerz to the whole card so it's a little sparkly, just hard to see in the image.

Supplies Used: Christmas Blessings (Taylored Expressions), Winter Wonderland pp (LAD), My Mind's Eye definition card, American Crafts Ribbon, Jillibean Soup journaling sprout, various cardstock, Pixie Dust Shimmerz

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Tag #6,348 and a Challenge Card

Have you ever made a project over and over and over and over....Well, that's what I did with this tag. I cut out about 6,000 scalloped circles and I finally ended up with this tag. Not my favorite, but definitely my favorite out of all the ones I attempted. This is for the LAD Sketch #102 challenge.

Supplies Used: SU! Cardstock, Dreaming of Dots (LAD), Window Punch, Sweet Pea FlowerSoft, Scallop Nesties, Bliss Blue Classic SU! Ink, Night of Navy Versamark Ink, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder

This card is for the Stamping Sisters Challenge to make a card about when God is "unseen." I made this as an encouragement card to remind a friend that God is there. I absolutely love the sentiment. I think I need to make a wall hanging with this on it.

Supplies Used: Lift Up Our Hands (Our Daily Bread Designs), Earth Love (Cosmo Cricket), Threading Water Border punch (Fiskars), Rhinestones (Kaisercraft), Ribbon (American Crafts), SU! Cardstock, Rich Cocoa (Memento Ink)

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O Christmas Cards, O Christmas Cards...

...you're images are so lovely.

O Christmas cards, O Christmas cards
I am so happy to get you done EARLY!

Okay...it sorta rhymes. But seriously, I have about 11 Christmas cards done already, that's amazing! Only about 4o more to go. whoo-hoo!! I made this card for the Basic Grey color challenge to use blue, green, and red. The Basic Grey elements on my card are the ribbon and the heart chipboard.Supplies Used: FourSquare and Christmas Critters (Cornish Heritage Farms),Trinity Trio (Unity Stamp Co), EK Success Notebook Paper Edger, Winter Wonderland LAD Paper, Basic Grey Chipboard and Ribbon, Kaisercraft Rhinestones
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Jackpot! Score! Walking on Sunshine!

Call it whatever you want, but I got some major loot tonight at the used stamp sale at Stampers Ink in Shawnee, KS. A big thank you to whoever it was who sold these stamps so nice and cheap especially for me! These sets are all in good condition, with most of them looking like they have never even been used! There was soooooo much more there that I could have bought, but I had to stick to a reasonable budget.

Here's a quick run-down of what I got (and I've included the original retail price just because I'm curious)!
Cornish Heritage Farms:
Christmas Critters ($16.99)
Twink the Owl ($4.89)
Manger Scene ($7.29)
Grid Paper Background ($11.99)
FourSquare (I can't find this online or a price for it)

Lizzie Anne Designs:
Sketched Sentiments ($19.99)

Stampin' Up:
Journaling Fun (Retired...going on ebay for between $7-$10)

PSX Stamps:
With Great Love (I couldn't find this one online either)

So the grand total of my stamps would have been: $68.15 (not including the two I couldn't find a price for)

My price: ?!? I'm not telling! hehe But it was less :)
Thanks for enjoying my super finds with me and I can't wait to show you what I make! And if you're wondering about the goal I set for myself, where I couldn't buy anything until I made 50 projects...Well...I decided since these were USED stamps and I said I couldn't buy anything NEW, I could get away with it. Hush. Let me live in denial and just enjoy my stamps. :)

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Friends with Flair Wish

If you could make one wish, what would it be? For me to get another card done and join in with the Friends with Flair hop for a change? Awww, that's so sweet of you to say. And your wish has come true! It's about time, huh?! Well anyway, here's my card. Not my best work, but I'm in need of getting birthday cards made!

Supplies Used: Unity Stamps Wish, Kraft cardstock, Lizzie Anne Designs pp, Top Note die, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder, Bamboo Leaves Memento ink, Antique Linen Distress ink, Stickles, Mellow Moss Shimmerz

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The Card Hokey Pokey

Okay so I wrote a song for this post, but it was stupid. I'm going to spare you. This time. But seriously, have you ever laid stuff and moved it all around so much it feels like the hokey pokey (you know, you put your right foot in, you put your right foot out...) Well that is what this card was like! I moved stuff around so much it felt like I made at least 10 cards...but I didn't it was just one! Well anyway, this card is the the Lizzie Anne Designs Sketch #100. View the sketch and the info here. I wanted to make a Christmas card but don't have any LAD Christmas stamps, so I used what I had and "made it work." (Project Runway anyone?) I have a great idea for one, but it didn't fit with this sketch, so you will see that later.Supplies Used: In the Treetop, Dreaming of Dots (LAD), LAD pp, Core'dinations Vintage and SU Kraft cardstock, SEI button, Rich Cocoa Memento ink, twill and ribbon (unknown)

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Simply Jesus

This is my new Taylored Expressions kit that I just got in the mail. I love the sentiments. They are absolutely perfect and capture the TRUE meaning of Christmas -- simply Jesus. Love it. And I can't wait to make millions (okay maybe not quite...) of Christmas cards with this beautiful set!

You may be wondering why my cards look similar to each other lately (same paper, ribbon, stamps, etc...) Well, it's kind of a personal challenge. When I use a piece of paper, instead of putting half of it into the scrap pile, never to see it again, I am trying to use it up. Which means more cards! And I now have another challenge -- to make 50 projects before I buy anything new! Yikes! My friends Martha and Rachel are challenging themselves to do 100! I have to start small though...and it's hard because I heard there's a good sale at Michael's this week. Oh and guess what? I'm going to a used stamp sale this weekend in Kansas City. So I better make 50 projects and QUICK!! So here's my second card, using the same patterned paper as the card above. I love how cute and sparkly this turned out! And the sentiment is again, just perfect! May your Christmas be a time to reflect on the simplicity of His birth and the magnitude of His purpose. It says it perfectly.Finished card size is sqaure, 4 1/4" inches
And here's a close up of the shimmerz, can you see it??
{Click to enlarge pictures to see the shimmery goodness}

Supplies Used: Christmas Blessings (Taylored Expressions), Lizzie Anne Designs PP, Kaisercraft Rhinestones, Tuxedo Black and Lady Bug Memento ink, Scor-bug, Big Lots craft ribbon, Fiskars Eyelet Lace Border Punch, Pixie Dust Shimmerz

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Reaching Out, Expanding, Growing

NO! I am not talking about my stomach! (But okay, yes it is doing that daily~I love food!) I'm talking about my collection of rubber stamps! I recently tried out a new (to me) company called Lizzie Anne Designs. Check out the cards I made. SO CUTE! Quality rubber stamps, cute images, what more could you ask for?!
This first card is also for the Limelight Sketch Challenge:
Supplies Used: In the Treetop (LAD stamps), Earth Love paper and chipboard, American Crafts and DCWV Ribbon, Rich Cocoa Memento Ink, Mello Yello Shimmerz

Supplies Used: In the Treetop (LAD Stamps), Earth Love DP, Wintergreen Shimmerz, Rich Cocoa and Bamboo Leaves Memento Ink, Chocolate Chip SU Ink, DCWV Ribbon
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