let earth receive her king!

It has been a very busy pre-holiday season for me! I've been crafting like crazy getting ready for a craft fair, and I've been coming up with projects for three (three!!!) Stamp Camps! I have my traditional Christmas Stamp Camp, complete with Christmas music, Christmas cookies, the Cocomotion full of frothy hot chocolate, and ten Christmas projects. I've got one for my co-workers featuring nine cards and a sock snowman filled with rice. And I'm doing a special mini camp for some friends in their home. A first for me, so I'm getting excited!

My friend sent me a link to a card that she loved. 

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2463311

I loved it too! So I set to work figuring out how to pull it off. Imagine my surprise, and frustration, when I discovered that there was no "recipe" online for the punch art. Gasp!!! Unbelievable that no one has taken the time to write it up. Punch art is not my forte, so for a few days, I just let the idea of doing this card die. But I really do love it. And I didn't want to disappoint my friend. So I dug in for a day (literally) of playing with my punches. Here is the result!

I'm so very proud of myself for figuring out how to make this card happen! It's something that I could never do for my traditional Stamp Camp because of the enormous time involved in cutting the card kit. But for a smaller, in home session, it's perfect! I can't wait to gather with my friend's group of ladies to put this together. 

My sample is sitting on my mantle right now. Every time I walk by it I smile inside. Not only am I psyched that "I made that!", but it's a great reminder for me of why our family celebrates Christmas. It's not about the buying of gifts, the making of cards, the baking of cookies, or the hustle and bustle. It's all about the humongous love that God has for us. About his willingness to send his one and only son to the earth to live among us, Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus came to us as a baby, and would die for us as a sacrifice for our sin. I'm so incredibly thankful. Joy to the world, indeed!

Happy stamping!

getting older

I'm always looking for paper to jot down something. A phone number. A grocery list. A scheduling reminder. A to-do list. And pretty little things make me smile. So I combined my practical need for paper, and my aesthetic need for beauty, into one sweet little covered note pad. 

Now I can leave one of these by the phone, and have a little eye candy around, hiding all the details that my aging brain can no longer hold by itself. 

I have just six of these, all with different designs, for sale at the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar on 11/8/14, from 10:00-3:00, at the RCS Middle School. Come on out for it!

Happy stamping!

ho ho ho!

A Of all of the items that I made for the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar, this has got to be my favorite! It's the swirls on Santa's beard that just puts it over the top for me. So super cute! It is hinged with a brad so that it swings open to reveal a gift card.

Gift cards are such a practical gift to give at the holidays. Putting one into a handmade holder makes it feel personal too! I've got a dozen of them made up to sell at the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar. Hope to see you there on November 8th between 10:00 and 3:00 at the RCS Middle School!

Happy stamping!

mini sweet treats

Some things just make me happy inside. Snail mail with a hand written address. Freshly washed sheets, still warm from the dryer. Days when there is no bickering between my girls. These things cause little bubbles of joy inside that put a smile on my face.

And these little cuties do the same thing! Every time I see them, I grin from ear to ear. Rudolph hides snack sized Hershy bars. And Santa's coat conceals snack sized Kit Kats!

Now that they are all finished, I can enjoy them. But putting them together required tweezers. And tiny dots of glue. And precision. Ugh!!! Any craft that requires a pair of tweezers can drive me nuts! 

But the end results were sure worth all the frustration, and sticky fingers, and the fact that, for days, I was finding tiny black circles all over the floor. 

But look how sweet they look all ready for the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar! I'd make a bunch of them again, in a heartbeat!

Happy stamping!

it's what they want

I am the mother of two teenaged girls. When they were little, Christmas gift buying was so very easy! A couple of Barbies, some frilly dresses, Polly Pocket sets, and a game, and I was done! Fast forward ten years and who knows what to get them?! They want big ticket items, like laptops and musical instruments. I can't even dream of picking out clothes for them, because apparently, Mom had no fashion sense. When relatives ask me what they want for Christmas, I always answer, "Gift cards!" 

Of course they say, "But that's so impersonal." I take those teens to the mall and see how much fun they have spending those gift cards! There's nothing impersonal about it! They know whose hard earned cash they are spending, and they are grateful! And careful. They turn into bargain hunters when armed with a gift card. 

But still, I know I feel like I'm taking the easy way out when giving a gift card. So I make adorable gift card holders! This one features Rudolph on the front, and a pocket for the card on the back. 

I think that these will fly right off of my table at the RC PTO Holiday Bazaar!

Happy stamping!

didn't know note taking could be cute

Oh the joys of chipboard coaster crafting! So many ways to use them! I decided to make Post It Note clip boards. The binder clips hold a pad of Post It Notes and can easily be removed when the pad has dwindled down to nothing and needs to be replaced. 

I have one of these sitting by my computer, and it comes in handy for jotting down notes. I use it every day!

They are ready for the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar that I am doing on 11/8/14 at the RCS Middle School from 10:00-3:00. If you are in the area, I'd love to see you there!

Happy stamping!

melts in your mouth...

A candy cane shaped tube of M&M's just screams Christmas to me. As kids, my brother and I usually found them in our stockings. Or we got them from Grandma. Red and green treats of sweet, candy coated chocolate! Yum. 

I decided to make my own version for a holiday bazaar. Smaller in size, and adorable, they don't take up quite as much space in a stocking. 

A little candy trivia for you: M&M'S are currently produced in 25 different colors available through special order on their website. I'm partial to teal! 

Happy stamping!

taste the sensation

Did you know the the very first version of the York Peppermint Pattie was not soft in the center? It wasn't! Who knew? The original version was produced in York, Pennsylvania by the York Cone Company, starting in 1940. That pattie was firm and crisp in the center. It was what separated it from it's competitors, which were all soft in the center. Just a little candy trivia for you. 

Peppermint Patties have always made me think of Christmas. Maybe it's because they are minty, like a candy cane. I decided to dress the miniatures up for Christmas, and package them in green and red. 

So that the patrons of the RCS PTO Holiday Bazaar would know that they were the real deal, and not some icky imitation, I left their back sides naked so the label could be seen. There's nothing like a chocolatey, minty snack in the middle of a hectic, holiday shopping day to pick you up!

Happy stamping!

a humongous heart

Although I am my parent's firstborn, they had a baby before I came into the world. His name was Niki. I loved to cover him up with a blanket and read my favorite books to him. He let me snuggle up and nap with him. I told him all my most precious secrets, and he always patiently listened to my troubles. I knew that he wouldn't tell a soul. We grew up together as the best of friends! And he was a Siberian Husky. Niki was my parent's first baby. Growing up with a dog was the best experience! I was a dog lover from the day I came home from the hospital. My girls are also dog lovers. Our dog, Remy, does not lack for love. Or treats! He is highly motivated by food. Just the word, "Treat!" has him running back into the house, makes him drool, and cock his head to the side in the way that all dog owners melt for. 

I've been going crazy prepping for a craft sale. I've been making stocking stuffers filled with treats for good little boys and girls. But I couldn't leave out man's best friends!

Skinny little cellophane bags filled with Remy's favorite kibble! Now Fido's stocking can have a cute little package filled with yumminess! 

If dogs wag their tails with their hearts, Remy's heart must me huge! His entire body shakes from the force of his wagging tail! Dogs are family to us, so a Christmas treat for dogs was a no  brainer for me. 

Happy stamping!

chipboard coaster frames

I recently discovered the versatility of blank chipboard coasters. And I have been having a blast exploring the creative possibilities. I'm getting ready to do a craft fair and have been trying some new projects. My favorite, by far, has been my chipboard coaster, wallet sized, school photo frames!

They have a magnet on the back, and are designed so that it's easy to switch out the photo each year. 

I posted about them on facebook, and have sold 10 of them already! So psyched to see how they sell at the craft fair. 

Happy stamping!

too good to give away

Having spent a long weekend at Wells Beach in Maine, I was itching to pullout some ocean inspired stamps to create a birthday card. I have used By the Tide more than any other stamp set I own! It's so very versatile! 

I also pulled out my water color paper for this project. I knew that I wanted to soften up the coral stamp a bit, and water color paper and an Aqua Painter were the perfect tools to achieve that look. I used markers to color in the seahorse and then stamp it. Still, something wasn't quite right, so I added a script stamp with stamped off Island Indigo ink to create a subtle background with the feel of water. A little paper piercing around the greeting added a touch of texture. This card is one of my very favorites! It's going to be hard to give this one away!

Happy stamping!

at last

I have drooled over Lovely As a Tree for years now. But for some reason, I never bought it. I earned a free stamp set and now I finally own it! When it arrived, I could not wait to use it! And for some reason, the image that was calling out to me was the large maple tree. At least in my mind it's a maple. And for some reason, the season just had to be fall. My favorite season. I know summer is preferred by most people, but summer is just plain too hot for me. I'll take the crisp air and gorgeous colors of fall any day over the humidity and heat of summer. 

I used black StazOn ink for the tree image. I stamped it onto water color paper and then used the Scallop Tag Punch and made a tag. Then I got to work with my AquaPen. I started with Cherry Cobbler. Added a bit of Pumpkin Pie and Crushed Curry. A tree wouldn't feel right to me without a bit of Old Olive. And the trunk is done with Soft Suede. Then I pulled a little of the trunk's color down and painted the ground and finished that with Old Olive. A wash of Soft Sky finished the background. 

Texture was the next element I wanted, so of course I put my embossing folders to work. Woodgrain and Square Lattice. Gorgeous Grunge provided some visual interest. And I popped up the greeting twice with Stampin' Dimensionals. And voila! My first card with a stamp set I have admired from afar for so many years. 

Happy stamping!

manly-man

There are a few men in my life who deserve a good birthday card. Unfortunately, when I buy stamps, they tend to be flowery and sweet. And although a few men appreciate a bouquet of flowers, most don't. Masculine birthday cards often stump me. Short of using dark colors, I've got nothin'. Which is why I'm kinda excited about the stamp set, Perfect Blend. It's marketed with the friendship sentiment, "coffee & friends are the perfect blend", but I decided to skip that and use the birthday greeting from Petite Pairs. And voila! A masculine birthday card that doesn't feature dark navy and tools.

I roughed things up a bit with a distressing tool to give the card some texture, and I popped up the coffee cup and greeting for some depth. See? Masculine cards aren't so scary.

Happy stamping!

celebrating mom

What do you give the woman who has everything? Something handmade from the heart, of course! Well, I guess that my Mom doesn't have everything, but after years of giving her quilting supplies, I needed to change things up for Mother's Day. 

My Mom is special. As I'm sure yours is. But, this year, my family has come to rely on her like we never have before. With three of us working, and only two cars, she has become indespensable to us as a taxi. She has become a confidant to our moody teens. As always, she is our personal tailor. I often come home to find a few BJ's staples on my kitchen counter. The list of what she does goes on and on. Generous is the word that describes her best. She is precious to all of us!

Here is the gift I'll be giving her this Mother's Day. 

I am in love with how it turned out! I'm not crazy about my handwriting, so I considered using some of my favorite fonts. But in the end, I wanted this project to be very personal, and so I featured our handwriting throughout the project. 

I didn't have just the right patterned paper, so I decided to stamp my own! Mom's favorite color is yellow, so it was an easy choice for this project. 

I highlighted important words by using pink marker on Whisper White card stock to remind Mom of what she means to us. 

Both of our girls came up with a list of words that describe their Gram. I plugged them into an online word search generator, and then stamped the grid and highlighted the words. 

Please don't ask me how long it took me to come up with a method for stamping a neat grid! And don't ask me how many times I had to crumple up my work and start over! It's totally embarrassing. I WILL tell you how I did it! Someone should take advantage of my hopeless mistakes. ; ) With a pencil, I lightly drew lines, horizontally and vertically, 1/4" apart, to create boxes for each letter. Ten letters fit vertically on my paper, so the grid is 10 letters by 10 letters. Then I stamped the letters in the boxes. In hindsight, it seems logical, but you wouldn't believe how many ways I tried, and failed. 

I think that this Mother's Day is going to be pretty wonderful for my Mom. As a quilter, she really appreciates a handmade gift. She's why I'm so crafty! 

Happy Mother's Day, and happy  stamping!

an ode to grads

I don't think that I have ever made a graduation card. That is, until today, when I whipped one up in the colors of our school district, green and gold! My oldest daughter is a junior, but she has many senior friends, so I have been thinking about graduates lately. 

It's such an exciting time! But it's also full of stress. I remember when I was a senior, with the weight of the world on my shoulders, the expectations of my parents, my peers, myself. It felt like every decision was life or death. Should I attempt the SAT again? How many colleges should I apply to? What should I choose as my major? A local campus, or one far away from home? How many classes should I take? 

The reality was, I really didn't know what I wanted out of life when I was 18 years old. I had a hard enough time deciding what to wear every day! Looking back, I have come to realize that all those little decisions didn't need to feel so huge. My life has taking turns that I never could have expected. I've walked down roads that I never could have anticipated. I stumbled into what I believe I was born to do. I work with preschoolers. I wish that when I was 18, I knew what I know now. I could've enjoyed being a senior bit more. 

So as June approaches, my heart goes out to all those seniors who are biting their nails, waiting for that college acceptance letter. I wish I could tell them to take a deep breath, and enjoy the ride. I'm glad that I finally did.

Happy stamping!

copy cat

Ever since I saw this card on Pinterest, I have been dying to get Stampin' Up's Pleasant Poppies stamp!

http://hlkdownstairsdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/04/pleasant-poppies.html

I finally got around to purchasing the stamp and just had to make my own version. Granted, I only changed up the greeting, ribbon type and mat color, but it's still a bit different!

I can see myself using this stamp in so many ways! Embossing it with embossing powder makes coloring it in so easy!

The embossing helps to contain the color inside the lines, so even if you are a messy artist, like I am, the results are gorgeous! I was surprised that the Crumb Cake card stock took the color so well! And the white outline really makes the color pop off of the page!

Happy stamping!

it's the little things

Stamping can be such a fun thing to do! And sometimes, not so much. Like when you've been staring at an image and know that it's not quite right, but can't, for the life of you, figure out what is making you uneasy. And so it was with this card. I needed a masculine, thank you card. I had finished stamping and coloring in the goose image from Wetlands. But it just looked flat and boring. Lifeless and bland. I couldn't figure out exactly why is wasn't sitting right with me. 

First, I tried walking away from the project for a bit. Sometimes that works wonders! But not this time. No new ideas were flooding my brain. Next I sat down with Pinterest, hoping for a little shot of creative inspiration. Even Pinterest failed me. Gasp! Unheard of! 

I was ready to ditch the silly goose and start from scratch. So I picked up my stamp binder. Every time I get a new stamp set, I grab my binder filled with copy paper, and I stamp all the images from the set into it. I add the stamp set's title, how many stamps are in the set, and what type of set it is; clear or wood mounted. I was flipping through the pages looking for a different, masculine focal point for the card. 

And they I saw Gorgeous Grunge! My new favorite stamp set! It is SO versatile! There is a simple little stamp that has lightly sketched parallel lines. And I instantly knew what my goose needed! He was just floating on a Whisper White page! He needed to be grounded. So I grabbed my Soft Sky ink pad and stamped a sky all around him in the background. Somehow, that tiny, subtle detail changed everything for me! I fell in love with the goose, slapped him to my card front, and smiled. 

Happy stamping!

big girl crafting panties required

Oh happy day! I am in love with this sweet, spring project! It's totally decorative and has no purpose, other than to make me smile! And smile I do, every time I walk by this little beauty.  

Admittedly, making this was a bit futzy. Please don't ask me how many times I let a few choice words fly while making it. (I blush.) But having made one, and worked out the kinks, I can't wait to make another!

In fact, I love this cutie so much, I decided to use it as a 3D project for my upcoming Stamp Camp! I know that the ladies will fall in love with it, just as I have. 

I hope that they bring their A crafting game, and wear their big girl crafting panties. Maybe then only a few explicatives will fly! ; ) 

And if you happen to be attending Stamp Camp, don't forget to bring the secret ingredient! The 4 1/4" circular lid from a canister of Progresso bread crumbs! 

Happy stamping!

simple texture

I've been dying to try this technique for quite some time. I just couldn't figure out which stamp set would work well with it. Betsy's Blossom turned out to be the one! 

First I stamped some flowers and leaves in the corners of a Whisper White rectangle. Then I ran that through the Big Shot in the Honeycomb Embossing Folder. 

I love the amazing texture and the fact that the card took me ten minutes to create!

Happy stamping!

CASE (copy and share everything)

I totally stole this card. The design, the stamp set, just about everything! But here's a link to the original.

http://dostamping.typepad.com/dostamping_with_dawn/2012/05/stampinup-apothecary-arts-double-fold-gate-card.html

I love the double gate fold, the way the Apothecary Art stamp is the perfect size for the design. I love that the image is stamped in Old Olive, and just by using blender pens and markers, the flowers have such depth. I love that the card looks complicated, but it's actually very simple and quick to make. I only had a little bit of time to craft today, so this knock off certainly fit the bill! And it's another Stamp Camp Project in the bag!

Happy stamping!