December 31, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Laura's Sketch 16

Here's my last card and blog entry for 2008 based on Laura's 2S4Y card sketch--

I made this card that I'm saving for my husband for Valentine's Day--

I used ivory linen cardstock, navy blue cardstock and kraft cardstock (scored with my new Scor-It my parents gave me for Christmas), "I Love You" stamped sentiment (studio g), painted die cut hearts (Sizzix), brads (the Paper Studio), and hemp cord. I didn't have any brads that matched the cards, so I painted them. We'll see how that holds up. Hopefully, I'll be back with a card for Katie's bonus sketch. I already have an idea for a birthday card for my son. I just need to find the time to make it. Thanks for looking!

December 24, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Kazan's Sketch 16

I was fortunate to have today off from work, so this morning (when I should have been wrapping gifts) I finished up my card for this week's 2 Sketches 4 You challenge based on Kazan's sketch--
One of my crafting goals for the new year is to try and make more masculine cards. I have a husband, a son, a dad, and two brothers so I'm always in need of cards for guys. I start off with good intentions, but I also end up adding silk flowers or ribbons or other non-masculine embellishments. Here's my card for the challenge--
I used ivory linen cardstock, a scrap of textured green cardstock, striped patterend paper (My Mind's Eye) and painted die cut stars (Sizzix) all distressed with brown ink. I stamped the "make a wish" sentiment ($1 Michael's letter stamp set) and tied the tags to the stars with some hemp cord. I proudly showed it to my husband thinking he would really like it. He wanted to know why it was "dirty," but he did like the "lassos." He also didn't understand the "make a wish" birthday sentiment. Oh, well. At least I tried! Thanks for looking, and I wish you all a wonderful and safe Christmas.

December 16, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Laura's Sketch 15

Life is starting to get so busy with Christmas just a little over a week away, but I took some time this morning to make a card for 2 Sketches for You. Laura offered this fun sketch for inspiration--I'm tired of making Christmas cards, and it is so bitterly cold here that I decided to make this bright, spring-like birthday card--

I used a green pre-made card (DCWV), a light orange card cut up to use for cardstock (Target clearance), patterned paper (Provo Craft Slab), flower stamp (Kolette Hall) with watercolor pencils, die cut tag (Sizzix) with "Happy Birthday" sentiment (Stampin' Up), eyelets (Making Memories), and ribbon from my stash. Thanks for looking!

December 11, 2008

2S4Y Kazan's Sketch 15 & Heidi's Bonus Sketch

This week I was able to complete two cards for the sketches at 2 Sketches 4 You--one for Kazan's sketch--


And one for Heidi's bonus sketch--


I used blank cards I bought on clearance at Target. The car patterned paper is Sandylion, and the other patterned papers and cardstock are scraps from my stash--I can't remember who makes them. Kazan's card has a Stampin Up "Happy Birthday" sentiment and Making Memories eyelets. Heidi's card has embossed cardstock (Cuttlebug), Sizzix die cut letters, and a button my from stash. Thanks for looking!

December 3, 2008

My Christmas Cards

I finally finished this year's Christmas cards, and they're almost ready to mail out. I like making a photo card of my little one to show how much he's grown. These cards were very economical until it came to the photo. I ordered 60 prints in glossy and disliked them so much I reordered 60 more prints in matte. I'll know for next year! The cardstock was from the clearance section at Archiver's. I had to use two different shades of blue because there wasn't enough of one color. The patterned papers are from an old Provo Craft slab (I think it's Provo Craft), and I was surprised how well they matched the cardstock I bought. I like the nontraditional Christmas colors. It took FOREVER to get a cute pic of my son. He's almost two and won't sit still for anything! I like the way everything coordinates--including the brown cardstock and ribbon that matches his hair. I even bought him a new shirt to match the cards (on clearance, of course). I stamped the inside with some new $1 holiday sentiment stamps from Michael's. One more holiday task completed! Thanks for looking!

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Laura's Sketch 14

This morning I had a chance to make my card for this week's 2 Sketches 4 You challenge based on Laura's sketch--
I used leftover cardstock and paper from my Christmas cards to make this--

I used textured blue cardstock (Archiver's clearance), brown cardstock with embossing highlighted with blue ink and border punch (Making Memories/Cuttlebug/Archival Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue/Martha Stewart punch), swirl patterned paper (Provo Craft slab?), "Congratulations" stamp in brown ink (Kolette Hall/StazOn Timber), and buttons and ribbon from my stash. Thanks for looking!

November 26, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Kazan's Sketch 14 & Being Thankful

This is a short work week for me, and it's the start of my four day weekend! I finished up my 2 Sketches 4 You card earlier today before I had to go to work. Here is Kazan's lovely sketch--I'm totally in Christmas card mode, so here's yet another holiday card based on her sketch--

Even though I don't need anymore crafting tools, I just bought a Cuttlebug because I couldn't pass up the 50% sale at Michael's. I have a Sizzix and a Cricut, but I love the embossing with the Cuttlebug. It is so much fun! I didn't use any patterned paper on this card which is pretty unusual for me. I embossed navy blue and silver cardstock with the Cuttlebug scroll embossing folder. I highlighted the blue cardstock with some silver ink. I used a Martha Stewart border punch, and the snowflake is a Sizziz die cut. I stamped "warm wishes" (Plaid All Night Media) in navy blue ink and finished with some blue and silver ribbon and silver craft wire that I tried to bend into scrolls.

Kazan shared her Thankful List, and I would also like to share the five things I'm most thankful for. I'm sure they're the same things so many others are thankful for, but I feel truly blessed each and every day.
  1. My family--My wonderful husband and son, my parents, my brothers, and my husband's family. We're blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful and caring people.
  2. My friends--Our lives get busier and we don't see each other or talk as much as we'd like, but my friends are always there when I need them most. They accept me for who I am.
  3. My job--With the state of the economy, I am blessed to have a job I enjoy (most days, anyway). I can pay my bills. My family has health insurance. My work is appreciated.
  4. My home--It isn't fancy, and it's usually pretty cluttered. But it's warm, and it's ours.
  5. My crafting--I love having hobbies I enjoy and that give me a little break from my hectic life. I love being creative. I love the internet and online communities that connect me to other creative people around the world who continually inspire me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 25, 2008

Caardvarks Corny Challenge

I missed out on the last Caardvarks challenge because I couldn't come up with a chocolate-themed card. The current challenge is to make a card based on this photo--


I used the photo as inspiration for the colors, textures, and layout of my card.


I used mostly scraps to make my card which is a huge bonus. The cardstock is Making Memories, and the corrugated cardstock is some really old Paper Reflections. The squares are scraps of different colored and textured cardstock, and I inked all the edges with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The stamp is Kolette Hall (another $1 Michael's bargain). The raffia, hemp cord, and buttons are from my stash.

I like the idea of using a photo for inspiration, and I had a lot of fun with this challenge. All of the cards are now being uploaded to the Caardvarks Flickr Gallery, and I love being able to leave comments about each card. The prize for this challenge is a Guest Designer spot, so I hope my card is a winner! Thanks for looking!

November 19, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Laura's Sketch 13

I immediately loved Laura's sketch this week over at 2 Sketches 4 You. It has a nice, basic design but has so many possibilities--

I made yet another Christmas card using patterned papers from the new American Crafts Christmas pack. I really did not need any more paper, but I couldn't let my 50% off coupon go to waste!

I like the how the polka dots are repeated throughout the card. I used dark green cardstock (The Paper Company), red cardstock (Making Memories), patterned paper (American Crafts), "joy" stamp (Vap! Scrap $1 Michael's stamp), green ink (StazOn), ribbon and buttons from my stash, and machine stitching to complete the card. Thanks for looking!

November 12, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Kazan's Sketch 13

Another week and another sketch challenge at 2 Sketches 4 You. Here is Kazan's sketch--

I don't know why I had so much trouble again this week. I think sometimes there's just too many possibilities! After an unproductive try on Monday evening, I came up with this card last night, and I love the way it turned out.

I used textured brown cardstock (Die Cuts With a View) and ivory linen cardstock and paper (wedding leftovers). The burgundy cardstock is leftover from another project. I stamped the ivory paper with a script stamp (Stampabilities). I used the same stamp on the ivory wired ribbon (more wedding leftovers) and added a button from my stash. I stamped a flourish ($1 Michael's stamp) under the ribbon and stamped a "Noel" sentiment (Brother Sister Design Studios). The holly and berries is a Sizzix die cut and I distressed all the edges with some brown ink. I like the shabby/vintage look it has. Thanks for looking!

November 5, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Laura's Sketch 12

Another week and another great sketch challenge over at 2 Sketches 4 You. Mondays are always a little bit better since a new sketch is revealed. This week Laura offers this lovely sketch--
I made another Christmas card, and I am loving this color combination.

I used textured burgundy cardstock and an Archiver's silver flat card. I used my new Martha Stewart punch to make a scalloped edge on the silver card. The patterned paper is from a really old Provo Craft slab, and I like the non-traditional green for a Christmas card. The ornaments are a Sizzix die cut. I used a Sandylion stamp to make the swirls and embellished with some silver embossing powder. The ribbon is more leftover wired ribbon from my stash--I love that I can make beautiful bows with the wired ribbon. I stamped "joy" using individual letter stamps. Thanks for looking!

November 1, 2008

Caardvarks Monogram Card #2

I finished a second card for the Caardvarks "Initial Reaction" challenge. I made this monogram-themed card--
I used textured sage green cardstock (Archiver's), patterned paper (Provo Craft Holiday Slab), and a "Joy to the World" stamp (Stampabilities) in StazOn olive green ink. I cut the "J" using my Cricut then did a lot of zig zag stitching with my sewing machine. I like the way it turned out and made an extra card to donate to Mission Soldier Support which will provide blank, handmade holiday cards to soldiers serving overseas. You can read more about it at Captured Time Books blog, and I'll be blogging about it soon when I finish all my cards. Thanks for looking!

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Kazan's Sketch 12

I finished my card for this week's 2S4Y challenge late last night after a fun evening of trick-or-treating with my son. (If you want to see some totally adorable pictures, check out my previous post.) Here is Kazan's inspiration sketch--

I always get a little worried when I see those flourishes on the sketches since I'm not usually a flourish kind of girl. Here's my card based on the sketch--

I used red and white cardstock (Making Memories), striped patterned paper (Provo Craft Holiday Slab), and white rik rak (American Crafts). I spelled out the sentiment with a tiny alphabet set from the $1 bin a Michael's, and it's stamped with StazOn Blazing Red. I made the candycane by cutting it out from some cardboard (rescued from the trash at work) and wrapping it in some red boucle yarn to make the stripes. Some zig zag machine stitching completes the card. It's very red, white, and stripey. Thanks for looking!

October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!

One of the great things about having a child is the excitement surrounding the holidays. I'm the excited one. My son it still too young to realize what is going on. I've been waiting for Halloween so he could wear his costume trick-or-treating. I made him this Elmo costume because it would be nice and warm, but it was an unseasonably warm October day here in Omaha. I love this furry, silky fleece even though it's not fun to cut (huge mess) or sew with, but it makes the cutest costumes. The best part is the hat, and I've decided making costumes is one of my favorite Mom jobs. My mom always made us great costumes, and as the oldest I was lucky to always have a new costume. My poor brothers always had to wear hand-me-downs which is why I never got to be a princess. Anyway, here's the Elmo costume with a better view of the hat. Hope everyone had a happy Halloween!

October 28, 2008

Caardvarks Initial Reaction Challenge

The current challenge at Caardvarks is to make a monogram-themed card. I had a few ideas for this challenge, and here's my first card--


I used my Cricut machine to draw the "S" on cardboard using these neat little markers I purchased. You replace the blade with the marker and can draw the designs. I decided to do that so I didn't destroy my blade trying to cut cardboard. I cut the "S" out by hand and spraypainted it with regular old silver spraypaint then added some ribbons. The snowflakes are $1 Michael's stamps from last year and are stamped in white ink (although it looks kind of silver/gray on the black cardstock). The "Let is Snow" sentiment is Stampabilities. I have another idea for a monogrammed Christmas card I hope to complete, but I wanted to get this one posted before I lost track of time and missed the deadline. Thanks for looking!

October 26, 2008

My Little Scarecrow

So I finally completed one Halloween costume. I made my son a scarecrow costume to wear to daycare because I was worried something might happen to the Elmo costume I was making for trick-or-treating. It was supposed to be a simple costume, but I turn everything into a major production. I bought a pair of denim overalls at Goodwill and sewed on some patches of homespun fabric. I put raffia in all the pockets--

I made this cute little hat to complete the outfit. He's not a huge fan of wearing hats, so I don't know that he'll actually keep it on.

I puchased a shirt at Target, but I didn't sew anything to it because I had to pay full price. And I never pay full price. He'll have it wear it after Halloween, too. I think he looks pretty cute, but I'm biased!


October 23, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Laura's Sketch 11

It's my day off and finally naptime, so I had a chance to make my card for this week's 2S4Y challenge. Here is Laura's lovely sketch--


Much like last week, my first attempt didn't work out so well. I don't know what I'll do with all these half-made cards lying around! Here's my second attempt which actually went together pretty quickly.

I used brown cardstock (Making Memories), patterned paper (Making Memories mat pack--clearance bargain at Target), ivory linen cardstock and ivory ribbon (leftovers from my wedding four years ago), and "Miss You" stamp (Rubber Stampede) and script stamp (Stampabilities) in brown ink. I inked the edges of everything but need some work on my inking--it's a little splotchy. Maybe a cotton ball isn't the best thing to use! If I made this card again, I'd make the square larger because it looks out of proportion with my sentiment tag. I really like the wired ribbon because it's easy to work with and actually stays where it's supposed to. I didn't even attempt to make a pop-up card. I'm lucky to get a regular card finished. Now to try and make a few more cards before the little one wakes up. Thanks for looking!

October 19, 2008

An Enjoyable Weekend & a Fancy New Blog

After a stressful day at work on Friday, I was looking forward to having the weekend off and just relaxing. Now that my son is almost two years old, I've finally come to terms with the fact that I won't ever get as much accomplished as I did before he was born. And that's okay. He's growing up way too fast to worry about how many projects I've completed or how clean my house is. Saturday finally brought a Husker win. On Sunday, my son and I went to the fabric store to buy felt for his scarecrow costume. I hope to finish it this week and will post pictures. He's getting over his cold and feeling better, so it was an enjoyable outing. We visited Grandma and Papa, got a haircut, and just enjoyed the last of the beautiful weather. I also updated my boring blog. After looking at ALL the free backgrounds at The Cutest Blog on the Block and trying out more than one, I finally decided on this one. My big accomplishment this weekend was completing my application for the 2 Sketches 4 You Winter Design Team. I'm not expecting to get a spot on the Design Team, but I'm proud of myself for applying.

October 16, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Kazan's Sketch 11

I don't know if it's the cold I've got or the cold medicine I've been taking, but I totally had a creative block trying to make my card for this week's sketch challenge at 2 Sketches 4 You. Kazan provided this great sketch for inspiration--

I made three attempts and ended up using my first card. I'm still not thrilled with the end result, but it's done!

I used some leftover red cardstock, patterned paper (Provo Craft), and a "thank you" sentiment ($1 Michael's stamp) stamped in black. The stamped hearts are part of another $1 Michael's rubber stamp. I colored just the heart with black marker and stamped it. I used a Sizzix die to cut two hearts from red polka dot fabric then zig-zag stitched them together with some batting in between. Thanks for looking!

October 14, 2008

Caardvarks Score! Challenge

After missing out on the last few Caardvarks challenges, I wanted to make sure I made a card in time for the current challenge. The challenge is to make a card incorporating a scoring technique. I used a butter knife and ruler to score strips of patterned paper then folded the paper along the score lines to make pleats. I really like the way it turned out, but it's not very practical! You can't really mail the card since the pleats would get crushed. I used textured blue cardstock, patterned paper (My Mind's Eye), "thank you so much" sentiment (Hampton Arts) stamped in brown, and blue ribbon from my stash. I've added the Scor-It Board to my Christmas wish list, so hopefully I'll be the owner of one soon. Thanks for looking!

October 8, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Laura's Sketch 10

I had the morning to myself today since my husband took my son into daycare early. Even though I was tempted to go back to bed at 6:30am, I figured I was up so I'd make the most of my free time. I was able to clean both bathrooms (including the floors), wash a load of laundry, and drink three cups of coffee which is probably 2&1/2 cups too many. I was also able to make my card for this week's sketch challenge at 2 Sketches 4 You.


I used textured blue cardstock (Archiver's, maybe?), holiday patterned paper (Provo Craft), "happy holidays" sentiment (Katie & co $1 Michael's stamp), crimped die cut stars (Sizzix die and Fiskars crimper), ribbon from my stash, and zig zag stitching with my trusty Bernina.

On another note, my giveaway on the EtsyGreetings blog starts today! Just stop by the blog and leave a comment about my Etsy shop to be entered to win one of my handmade cards.

October 3, 2008

2S4Y Weekly Sketch--Kazan's Sketch 10

After not participating the last two weeks, I was determined to get a card made for this week's challenge. I figured I would have time this morning since my son would be at daycare, and I didn't have to work until this afternoon. Then my son woke up with another case of pinkeye--so no daycare and some phone calls to find an alternative sitter for this afternoon. During naptime I still managed to make up a quick card using supplies I already had. Maybe it's better to work under pressure! I used Making Memories brown cardstock, and all the patterned papers are from a My Mind's Eye slab. The sentiment is a new $1 Michael's stamp I treated myself to. The colors are really bright, but I like the way it turned out. Now my son is off to Grandma's, and I'm off to work. Thanks for looking!

Parrot Hat

My latest completed project is this adorable parrot hat I made for an alchemy request. It's made of furry polyester fleece. I swore I would never use this kind of fabric again after making my son's Halloween costume last year, but it's so darn cute I couldn't resist. If you're willing to put up with the mess, it's worth it. This is the first non-card item I've sold on Etsy, so I'm pretty happy about that. Hopefully it's the first of many!

September 29, 2008

EtsyGreetings Blog Giveaway

I'll be sponsoring a giveaway on Wednesday, October 8 over at the EtsyGreetings Blog. Stop by the blog, and you can win this lovely birthday card--

Just leave a comment about my Etsy shop--your favorite item in my shop or any comment. I'm open to constructive criticism, too! Thanks for playing!

September 12, 2008

2 Sketches 4 You--Laura's Sketch 8

This week has been so busy, I didn't think I'd get a card done in time! Instead of cleaning the house this morning, I decided my time would be better spent making my card based on Laura's sketch--I made this cute little baby card--
The patterned paper is from a Provo Craft Slab I've had at least four or five years. I made the elephant out of gray felt using a foam stamp for the pattern. I sewed around the edge with a zig zag stitch (had some problems on the tail) and also did some zig zag stitching on the paper. The "congratulations" stamp is a $1 Michael's stamp. The picture isn't very good because it's so cloudy today, but I wanted to get my card posted before I head off to work. Thanks for looking!

September 10, 2008

Crochet Trivet

Because I don't have enough projects lined up and spend too much time "researching" on the internet, I decided to try making a potholder/trivet out of thrifted sheets. I found several examples and instructions for crocheted fabric rag rugs on the internet and thought the idea would work well on a smaller scale. I bought a flat queen and twin sheet at Goodwill. They're kind of ugly, but I figured the colors would work in my kitchen.


I tried crocheting a strip, but I hated the way it looked with all the exposed raw edges, threads, and wrong side of the fabric showing. So with what should have been a fairly simple project, I decided to make it a major production by cutting wider strips, sewing all my strips together with a bias seam, using my Clover bias tape maker to make double fold fabric tape, and rolling it into a huge ball of fabric.



I started out ironing the folded fabric. It took way too long, but would probably work pretty well with a crafting buddy to help. I decided to just roll the folded fabric into a ball as I pulled it through the tape maker. That worked well unless I pulled too much fabric through at once. The pin held the fabric in place. Otherwise, the whole ball started unraveling. At this point, my husband thought I was completely nuts having spent much of my day off working on this. He really thought I was nuts when I told him my plans for my huge fabric ball. But like any good husband, he just walked away from the crafting madness.

Now I could finally begin crocheting! The first two rows were a pain in the butt, but after I got going it wasn't too bad. I wanted a trivet bigger than the typical potholder--something that would work well under a cookie sheet or baking pan. Currently we use up most of our potholder supply making one big potholder for these larger items. It crocheted up pretty fast. I was able to make this trivet during the first half of last Saturday's Nebraska game. My husband is pretty supportive of the things I make and often has suggestions to make my projects better. This is one item that he was truly impressed with and was very excited when he got to keep it since much of my crafting ends up as gifts for somebody else. I think I'll try this again and make some for my sister in law and mother in law for Christmas. The next projects will be made of fabric I like since there's too much time invested in the prep using fabric that's just okay. Thanks for looking and any comments/suggestions are always appreciated!