Four Ways Friday #31 - Springtime Vintage Designer Fabric (SNEAK PEEK!)

This week's Four Ways Friday is a sneak peek of the Springtime Vintage Designer Fabric that will be available beginning January 4th in the Occasions mini catalog!  I don't know about you, but I shied away from using fabric on cards since I thought I needed a sewing machine...not to mention the ability to sew a straight line...in order to use fabric on paper projects.  But you don't!!!!  This week I've decided to show you 4 ways to use the fabric on your cards and other paper projects without needing a sewing machine!!!!

You can use fabric as a background on your cards and paper projects!!!!!  Don't you just LOVE the added texture?!!!!!!  I just tore a piece of the fabric into a square and then adhered it to the card using sticky strip (snail does not work well with the fabric - you need to use a stronger adhesive and sticky strip does the trick)!  Then you can build your card on top of the fabric.  Dimensionals work great for adding layers.  I also used a few mini glue dots - they don't seem to adhere as well, so you might just want to use small pieces of sticky strip to ensure your pieces stay put!  The buttons are from the subtles designer buttons and I added a few punched flowers using the itty bitty shapes punch pack.  I love adding the pearl jewels to the centers of these tiny flowers!  I am also forever in love with the decorative label punch!  Here I punched 2 labels, embossed one in the Big Shot and then layered it on top of a darker label that I had cut into 2 halves.

Ooh - can you see the gorgeous embossing around the edge of this card?!  That's from using the new Framed Tulips embossing folder!  Notice the torn piece of ribbon?  It's not ribbon at all - it's the fabric!!!!  Here I tore a piece of the fabric and then gathered it on the card stock using sticky strip.  So easy, and it adds such a wonderful, textured touch to the card.  The greeting is from the On Your Birthday stamp set (I used the same set for the greeting on the first card too!).

For card #3 I used the fabric in the same way I would use a piece of ribbon.  Here I tore a length of the fabric (I LOVE the frayed look) and then wrapped it around the card and knotted it.  If you turn the fabric while you are tying the knot, you can get the printed side of the fabric to show on both ends of your bow.

Don't forget that you can also die cut your fabric!!!!!  Here I used the Daisies #2 die and another pattern from the Springtime Vintage designer fabric.  I die cut 2 of the medium daisies and 2 of the small daisies.  I didn't use any glue.  I just sandwiched the fabric flowers in between a punched circle of baja breeze card stock on the bottom and then 2 smaller punched circles on the top (baja breeze and pear pizazz).  A rhinestone brad holds it all together!  I hope you've enjoyed these 4 ways to use your fabric.  Fabric adds a great new texture and feel to your cards and paper projects - give it a try!!!!  Happy New Year everyone!!!!  May the coming year be filled with creative exploration, joy, health and prosperity!!!!!

Top Note Treat Topper

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Make Your Sweet Gifts Extra Special!

Baking sweet treats is one of the special things to do this time of year.  I can't take credit for these yummy pretzel creations.  Elizabeth made them the other day...and I tasted them and they are yummy!  Some pretzels topped with Hershey hugs and then, once heated, the melted hug is topped with an M&M.  Sweet & salty...what more could you ask for?! :)  We needed a quick and cute way to decorate them and here's what we came up with.  A top note die cut of Whisper White card stock, scored and folded in half.  Then we stamped the top note with the flourish image from the Baroque Motifs stamp set using Garden Green ink.  The Thanks stamp is from the Perfect Punches stamp set - stamped once in Garden Green and once in Cherry Cobbler.  We cut around the oval greeting from the Garden Green image and popped it up in the middle of the Cherry Cobbler image using a dimensional.  The Old Olive backing was punched using the Decorative Label punch.  A piece of Night of Navy 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon and a small piece of hemp twine finish the look.  The topper is attached to the treat bag using a few mini glue dots on each side.  Taking the time to stamp a handmade topper makes your sweet gifts extra special!

Birthday Bakery Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  See The World Through Someone Else's Eyes

I went an enjoyed a play date at my friend Elizabeth's the other day!  I love getting together with her to play with new product!  It inspires me!  When I walked into her craft room and started looking at some of her latest creations I came across this adorable card and fell in love!!!!!  I can't tell you how many times I passed by p. 10 of the Idea Book & Catalog and didn't give this Birthday Bakery hostess set a second look.  I'm not sure why I wasn't interested in it - it just never caught my eye...until today!  Until I was able to see the stamp set through Elizabeth's eyes and see this adorable creation she made from it!  I think that happens quite a bit in life - that we see something in a new way because someone else is passionate about it or enjoys it so much that their passion and excitement becomes contagious!  Thank you Elizabeth for helping me see something in a totally new way! :)

Fun Foam Magnets

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Identify What You Liked About Today And Build On It Tomorrow!

What did you like about today?  Did you eat one healthy snack?  Did you spend a half hour creating?  Did you tell someone you love how much you appreciate them?  Did you talk on the phone with someone without multi-tasking?  Whatever you did today that you liked, consider how you can build on it tomorrow!  I feel the same way about my art.  The other day I made magnets out of card stock and chipboard and really enjoyed it.  Today I found myself wondering how I could build on the idea.  Specifically, as I walked the dog I wondered "how can I make the magnets more durable - especially in the kitchen?"  Fun Foam came to mind!  So today I decided to make a gift for a friend building on my experience from the other day and these fun foam magnets were the result!

I die cut the thin fun foam pieces with the Big Shot and used hot glue to adhere everything together.  I even snuck a piece of ribbon in between the layers :)  You can't see the back of the magnet, but one little tip I have for you is to cut a 3/4" circle from plain copy paper and adhere it to the back of your magnet.  This helps prevent the magnets from scratching surfaces or leaving black residue on surfaces.  Here is a picture of the full magnet set (the last name of my friend) and a close up of one of the magnets.  I hope you like them!

Heart Woven Basket

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Cleaning Can Lead To Creating!

What a disaster my craft table was this morning!!!!!  Piles of paper, ink, punches, glitter...you get the picture!  So, I decided to do a bit of straightening...and that turned into creating - once I was able to see the table top :)  Sometimes sitting down to clean can lead you straight to creating.  Just touching your supplies and sorting through what you have may inspire you to start crafting - even when you feel your creative energy has been turned off.  So go sort and clean...who knows what will happen!
(I have to admit that I am hiding what I made in the craft room today since I am thinking about submitting it for publication at some point and the publication requires that the item not be posted anywhere if you submit it...so, let me share with you an item I made awhile back that didn't get published)...I made this woven heart basket as a submission for a magazine.  Since I haven't heard anything for a few months, I'm assuming that enough time has gone by to figure they didn't want to publish it so now I can show it to you!!!!!  I wove together 2 colors of pink card stock after stamping them with the Bella Toile background stamp.  If you google "paper weaving" or "paper basket weaving," I'm sure you can find a template to weave your own basket!  I attached a braided satin ribbon handle with hot glue and linked the inside of the basket with gold waffle paper.  Some glitter around the edge, along with a greeting and antique brad finish the basket.  Some treats in a small cello bag are the perfect insert!  I hope you like it!

Die Cut Magnets

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Cookie Dough Is Not An Ingredient!

I was watching tv the other night and a Pillsbury commercial came on.  The commercial claimed that you could bake cookies with just 3 ingredients and my ears perked up....until I heard what they meant by 3 ingredients...cookie dough, icing and sprinkles!  Since when is "cookie dough" (let alone icing and sprinkles) an ingredient????  What I really wonder is how many ingredients are ACTUALLY in those cookies that Pillsbury is claiming can be made with just 3 ingredients...I might have to go to the store and start counting.  I bet that I'll need 2 columns - one column for the ingredients on the labels of the cookie dough, icing and sprinkles that I can actually pronounce and one column for all of the ingredients I can't pronounce!  No Pillsbury, I likely can't make a cookie from 3 real ingredients, but I can say that whatever I do make with real ingredients will be a lot healthier for me and the ones that I love than the cookies you are selling :) (Okay, I'll get off of my soap box now...but I reserve the right to get back on it at a later date :)
Four Ways Friday will return next Friday.  For today I wanted to share with you a fun gift that I am giving to my friend Emily for her birthday.  Each of these is a refrigerator magnet!  I had thought about spraying them with an acrylic sealer, but since I hadn't tested the ribbon with the sealer, I didn't want to take the chance.  I'll have to try the sealer out another time and see how that works since I think it would make the magnets keep their pretty look for a lot longer.  The letters were die cut from the piece of white chipboard that comes with the Stampin' Up! designer series paper (don't throw that chipboard out - you can definitely use it!).  I then used Tombo Mono multi adhesive to adhere the fine silver glitter and then covered the glittered letters with Crystal Effects and let them dry.  I used mini glue dots to adhere all of the little ribbon loops.  Here is a close up of one of the magnets...I hope you like them!

2011 CD Calendar Continued!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Whatever You Have Is Exactly What You Need To Produce Your Best Work

Today's lesson, like yesterday's, comes from the book Art & Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland.  I've realized that there are many ways that I avoid the risk that art making involves.  I tell myself that I need to straighten/clean/organize the craft room before I can create.  Or I tell myself that I need to run out or jump on-line to purchase that special, amazing art tool/item/product that is going to finally change everything and make everything that I create worthy of the walls of the National Gallery of Art!  What I need to keep reminding myself is that whatever I have is exactly what I need to produce my best work - whatever my craft room looks like, whatever tools I'm using, whatever I'm feeling like at the moment, is exactly what I need to create my best work at that time.  I think about artists who drew pictures on the walls of caves and those who found whatever tools they could use to express the art inside of them during the Holocaust.  The need to create, is exactly that, a need - and everything necessary to fulfill that need is right there with you.  All you need to do is take the risk to let that art out!
Today I'm sharing the remaining half of the year from my 2011 CD calendar with you (you can see the first 6 months in yesterday's blog post).  Enjoy!

2011 CD Calendar

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  To Require Perfection Is To Invite Paralysis

Today's lesson comes from the book Art & Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orlando (I highly recommend it!).  When making a handcrafted project, it can be easy to fall into the trap of trying to be "perfect."  Trying to make your work look like it was created by a finely adjusted technological marvel that can apply ink evenly to every spot on a rubber stamp and can apply even and consistent pressure to make the exact impression every time....let alone come up with the perfect, harmonious design elements that elicit ooh's and ahh's from anyone who views the final project!  Well, I don't know about you, but whenever I start trying to achieve anything close to "perfection," I find myself stiffening up, stamping like a whirling dervish with vertigo and, at the worst, walking out of the craft room altogether, totally deflated!  It's time to recognize that requiring perfection from ourselves in inviting paralysis.  If, instead, we can approach our craft with a heart filled with love and a playful spirit, no matter what we create, we will grow and change in the process.  I wish you many moments of playfulness as you create!!!!
Today's project is my yearly calendar.  This year I decided to do a CD case calendar.  I created the template for the months in Pages on my Mac and then printed them off onto Whisper White card stock cut to 4 3/4" x 4 3/4".  This is the perfect size to slide into the opened CD case.  I used current Stampin' Up! stamp sets to stamp all of the months.  Once I stamp all of the months, I wrap them together in this card stock holder that can sit on the back of the CD case once it is opened on a desk/tabletop.

I will share half of the year with you today and the other half tomorrow! :)

Don't forget that you can use hearts to make great shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day!  Try it freehand, or use your stamp-a-ma-jig if you want to be a bit more precise (but watch out for trying to be perfect!).  I drew the stems freehand.

Elizabeth Anniversary Card

Today's Question From The Craft Room:  What Does It Take To Be Married For 41 Years?

Today's card is for the 41st wedding anniversary of a couple who lives down the street.  As I made the card I began to wonder, what does it take to be married for 41 years?  I guess it is a question I could ask them and I'm also interested in my own answer to the question.  What I think the ingredients must be to sustain a loving relationship for that length of time.  I believe it would take unconditional love - loving someone when they act in ways you appreciate and still loving them in those times when they act in ways that you wish they wouldn't.  It also must take some selflessness - a recognition that the person you are in relationship with, like you, has needs and wants and goals and aspirations and sometimes that means that both of you make sacrifices to support each other in pursuing and achieving goals.  I also believe it takes a lot of laughter - the ability to not take life or each other so seriously.  Patience must have something to do with it too - the ability to persevere when things aren't exactly as each of you would like.  I'm sure I'll spend more time pondering the essential ingredients - but for now, that's my recipe.  What do you think?
Today's card was my first use of the Elizabeth stamp and I fell in love immediately! :)  I stamped the image with Chocolate Chip ink onto Confetti card stock and it immediately looked elegant!  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to center the greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes in the center of the oval in Early Espresso ink.  I added some dazzling diamonds with my 2-way glue pen and place a few pearl jewels around the image.  I used the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers set to stamp the "41" in Soft Suede ink on Very Vanilla card stock and punched it out with a 1/2" circle punch.  I sponged the edges and added a bit of crochet thread and a tiny pearl and then popped it up on 1/2 of a dimensional.  I hope you like it!

Four Ways Friday #30 - Silhouette Sentiments

This week's Four Ways Friday uses the Silhouette Sentiments hostess stamp set.

For this first card I stamped the flower image using 2 different colors and decorated both the central panel and the envelope.  I love how the floral image can be used to create wonderful backgrounds!

I decided to take the background idea a little further for this second card and stamped the image in 3 different colors - some lighter, some darker.  I also sponged the background with 2 different shades of green.

Heat embossing became the focus for this third card.  I still used one of the floral images to create a background, but this time I stamped it multiple times across the bottom of the Old Olive panel using VersaMark and then heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I heat embossed the envelope to match.

For this last card I decided to use this beautiful flower image and have it be the focal point of the card.  I used my markers to color the image and then stamped it onto Whisper White card stock and punched it out with a circle punch.  this card measures 3"x 6".  Thanks for stopping by for this week's Four Ways Friday!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!!!!

More Monsters!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  What If It All Disappeared?

I'm wondering if asking questions for my lessons is really more significant than making statements - as I realize that sometimes I don't really have answers - just more questions.  Today, as I heard from someone about a news story regarding a man committing suicide, I wonder if the suicide had anything to do with the man losing everything that he had - or at least feeling like he had lost it all.  And, I wonder, what if everything I had disappeared?  I can imagine the things being replaced.  It's more difficult for me to consider the void that is left when those you love disappear.  And what about those times when we aren't there for ourselves?  When we, in effect, disappear into a dark or sad place?  As I sit here pondering these questions, I recognize that there have been times in my life where things, people, and I have disappeared.  When I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through another minute, let alone another day.  But here I sit - having gotten through...and that makes me think that if it did all disappear, I would survive.  That somewhere I would find the strength to move forward - to continue.  It is my hope that we can all find this strength when we need it.  And, when we are having trouble finding it within ourselves, to reach out to those who can help us find the strength when we need it most.  It never does all disappear - it is just hidden from our view and we need to be willing to search deeply for the strength we all have inside.
Today's card was another opportunity to Make A Monster! :)  I added some blue google eyes and some flowers from the Eastern Bloom stamp set.  I can't look at these little monsters without smiling and I love thinking that whoever gets this little 3x3 note will smile too :)

Make A Monster!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Watch Out For The Jump You Make To Conclusions

On my trip I met a great woman - funny, happy, full of energy!  She was quite heavy and one of the other people on the trip actually commented to me about what the woman was eating for dinner...more specifically she said something like, "Why is she eating that?!"  I might have even thought the same question to myself if I had not already learned a bit about her story - and for this I am sorry.  It can be so easy to jump to conclusions as you observe those around you.  We need to recognize when we are doing it and ask ourselves what assumptions we are making.  It turns out that this amazing woman had arrived at this lovely beach location having lost 60 lbs!!!!!  It was incredibly inspiring!!!!!  She also told me about walking a 5K race and deciding that next year she wants to do the race again...except this time she wants to run the race!!!!!!  Talk about amazing energy!!!!!!  I need to remember this story every time I find myself judging someone I do not know - or even those that I do.  Rather than judge, I need to open myself up to their story - their perspective.  I may even encounter amazing inspiration that I might have missed if my judgment got in the way.
I decided to make a little love note today with the Make A Monster stamp set!  This set is so playful and it reminds me of coloring as a child.  How cool that you can build these monsters from scratch - bodies, eyes, mouth...it's all up to you!  I have a feeling another monster may get created for tomorrow...Frankenstein here I come :)

Rest & Relaxation

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Unplug!

My week away was perfect.  I only logged on to a computer one time!  It was so nice to unplug and just relax.  No schedule, no meetings, no pressing appointments.  Just the sand, the sun, the waves.  I even fell in love with a hammock during the trip - the gentle breeze and sway.  Sometimes we just need to unplug from everything - the cell phones, the computers, the same old routines.  I did not read a newspaper or look at the news.  I did not wear a watch.  I barely wore shoes!  So peaceful.  Now as I return to my life at home I hope that I can maintain some of the habits I developed while away.  I also hope to maintain this sense of peace and ease...wish me luck :)

Taking A Break For The Week

Hi!!!!  Thanks for stopping by!  I have decided to take a week off from blogging for a bit of R&R :)  I hope you have a week filled with creativity, laughter and love!  May your creative muse pay you a visit every day.  May your inner critic take a hike for at least a week.  May you be kind to yourself and your creative explorations.  Take deep breaths and take notice of all the beauty that surrounds you.  Have a wonderful week!  I look forward to returning with a renewed spirit!!!!! :)

Four Ways Friday #29 - Solid Stripes

This week's Four Ways Friday uses the single stamp Solid Stripes.

For this first card I used the Solid Stripes stamp as a background element for the greeting.  I stamped the stripes at half strength using Crumb Cake ink onto Very Vanilla card stock.

 

For this second card I decided to use more of the stripes and do a tone-on-tone effect.  I stamped the stripes onto Real Red card stock using Real Red ink.  This piece formed the perfect backdrop for the butterfly and pansy.

For this thank you card I punched out a circle from scrap paper and used it to mask off a portion of the base card before stamping with the Solid Stripes stamp in River Rock ink.  I then stamped the greeting into the center and surrounded the greeting with punched flowers.

This final card is 6 inches in length.  I masked most of the card and stamped along the edge using Basic Gray ink.  I stamped repeatedly to stripe the entire edge of the card.  I hope you've enjoyed seeing a few different ways to play with the Solid Stripes stamp.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!!!!

Create With The Time You Do Have!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Create With The Time You Do Have!

It can be so easy to come up with every excuse in the book for why you can't create - I don't have the right supplies; I'm not talented enough; My muse has left the room...and, one of my all time favorites...I don't have time!  Well I'm here to tell you you DO have time.  In the time it has taken you to read these few sentences, you could have engaged in a creative act!  I got home tonight and I was ready for bed - tired, no motivation.  Yet I had not created today and so my day felt unfinished.  I knew I didn't want to stay up late so I went into the craft room with very low expectations.  Now I'm not saying that what I created is worthy of a second glance.  What I am saying is that I did it!  I left the excuses behind and I did what I need to do every day - engage in an act of creation - no matter what the outcome.  Creating fulfills me.  It is who I am.  Create with the time you DO have rather than focus on what it is you don't have.
Today's card is the collision of card stock, smooch ink, black satin ribbon, rhinestone jewels, Three Little Words, Season of Joy and Thank You Kindly.  It is the collision of my need to create with the limit of time before bed.  Now I can sleep....

2-Step Owl Punch Thank U Card!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Give Someone A Helping Hand

Our close friend Matt recently received an amazing helping hand from one of his longtime friends.  His friend donated one of his kidneys to him!  I am humbled by this act of unconditional love and kindness.  We each may not be in a position to help someone in this way.  Yet we are each capable of lending someone a helping hand in our own way.  For now, we have been helping Matt and his family by walking their amazing dog.  It's a small gesture on our part and they can't stop saying thank you.  For us it is such a small thing since we walk Buddy anyway - so our walk is just extended by a few extra blocks to pick up and drop off their dog.  The impact for them, however, seems to be huge and we all end up feeling great as a result.  What can you do today to give someone a helping hand?
Today's card was a thank you card to one of my friends and customers :)  I love, love, love the 2-Step Owl punch and this card was so much fun to make - I just want to keep piling these owls on top of each other!  Wouldn't 3 look cute together? :)  (ooh - I wonder if I could make an adorable growth chart just by stacking these owls one on top of the other???  That would be toooooo cute!).  The greeting is from Cute By The Inch, stamped in Peach Parfait.  Just a few little touches give the card a personal touch - the googley eyes on the top owl and the little button and crochet thread in the corner.  I hope you like it!

Cake Pops!!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes The Kitchen Can Be Your Craft Room!!!!

I am not responsible if you go to Bakerella's website and decide you have to go racing into the kitchen to make cake pops!  Really, it's not my fault!  Or maybe I should just provide a warning...Warning!  If you visit Bakerella's website you will be overcome with an immediate urge to run into the kitchen and make cake pops!  Proceed at your own risk! :)  I had a ton of fun making these...well, maybe the first batch wasn't a ton of fun...they came out VERY sweet!  The recipe calls for a full container of frosting and for the 2nd batch I decided that 1/2 of a container was quite enough.  Today, recognize that your creativity is not confined to one room or one media.  You ARE creativity and your creative urge goes with you into all aspects of your life...even into the kitchen!  Enjoy! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

May you have a day filled with gratitude for all that life provides.  May you take this feeling of gratitude with you into every day you are given.  May you find something to be grateful for every day.  Enjoy this very special day.  Thank you for sharing your time with me!

Updated Friends Fur-ever Belated Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Breathe New Life Into Something You've Put Away!

Today's card may look slightly familiar....I made this belated birthday card months ago...minus the dog, the ground and the balloon.  Yesterday a friend came over and wanted to purchase a belated birthday card.  The plain card was all that I had for a belated birthday, but when she saw another card that had this small dog on it she said, "Oh, the person I'm giving the card to has a dog exactly like that!"  So, a quick bit of stamping and ta-da!  We breathed new life into something that had sat for months, waiting to be discovered and loved :)  What can you breathe new life into today?????

Friends Fur-ever Sorry

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Say You're Sorry
The adventures with Buddy the dog continue...He seems to be a connoisseur of overgrown grass and there is one particular yard where he likes to stop and act like a cow and munch on the grass.  I had him on his leash and allowed him to walk up into the yard a bit (still holding onto his leash), when I heard a knocking on the window.  There stood a woman, in a robe, motioning for us to get off the yard.  I tried to make a "munching" motion with my hand - just so she didn't think he was doing his business in her yard - and we walked away.  I was embarrassed and a bit angry since Buddy wasn't doing any harm.  At the same time I realized that not everyone loves dogs like I do and it was, after all, her grass and her yard.  So then I decided that an apology might be a nice way to make things feel better.  I really didn't want to walk by her house in the mornings wondering if she was looking out the window, annoyed, every time she saw us.  So I came home and made this quick little card and put it in an envelope that said "a note for you" on the outside.  On my way to the grocery store I dropped it in her mailbox.  It was signed "Buddy & Michelle."  I don't know how she felt about the note or if it changed her feelings towards us - I hope so.  What I do know is that it made Buddy and I feel better - at least we said we were sorry.
It's no surprise that I love the Friends Fur-ever stamp set!  I combined the images with the greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  I find it easiest to cut out images like the dog and bones using a hobby blade - it's much quicker than trying to maneuver scissors.  The dog dish is simple to cut out with scissors.  I hope you like it!

Owl Punch Penguin Christmas Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Be Willing To Go Under And Over Fences!

Buddy and I took our morning walk today and I decided to let him off leash when we got to one of our favorite spots at the edge of the park.  The minute he was "free" he went running along a fence that closes off a lot that is for sale.  There is a tree in the corner of the lot and he could see a squirrel at the base of the tree.  The fence was no match for Buddy - that 78 lb. dog wiggled his way under the fence and made a beeline for that tree!  The squirrel didn't sit around and wait - he skedaddled up the tree!  Then Buddy decided to go to the adjacent property and come back to me by jumping over their 3-foot fence!  It's amazing what he will do to go after what he wants!  It makes me wonder what I'm willing to do to go after what I want.  Am I willing to go under and over fences and do whatever I can to pursue my desires and dreams?  Are you?
Today's card is one of the cards we will be making at my upcoming holiday stamp-a-stack.  I LOVE the 2-way owl punch - you can make so many adorable things with it!  This penguin was so simple and I paired it with the Santa hat from the Sock Monkey Accessories stamp set and added a touch of chunky white glitter.  The greeting is from the retired Christmas Punch stamp set.  I had to add some luscious ribbon.  That penguin just makes me smile :)  I hope you like it!

Four Ways Friday #28 - Peaceful Season (Hostess)

For this week's Four Ways Friday I used the Peaceful Season hostess stamp set from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

For this first card I used a greeting from Peaceful Season along with the Dasher stamp (I LOVE Dasher!).  I stamped Dasher in Early Espresso onto Very Vanilla cs and then sponged the edges and spritzed the card stock with Soft Suede ink.  I mounted it on a layer of Early Espresso cs.  The card base is Crumb Cake cs and I added a strip of the neutrals designer paper.  The greeting is stamped in Basic Black and I finished the look with a knotted piece of hemp twine.

This small gift card was a snap to make!  I inked up the holly leaf image using Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler markers and stamped the image onto a Bashful Blue card base.  The greeting words are from the Fundamental Phrases stamp set.  I added a little spritz of Always Artichoke to complete this small card.

For this card I decided to have some fun with small circle punches!  I cut out a triangle from Whisper White cs and covered it with a variety of circles in Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery and Perfect Plum.  I added a touch of dazzling diamonds glitter and a few rhinestones and then sponged the edges with Old Olive ink.  The trunk is a piece of textured Soft Suede cs.  The greeting was heat embossed with white embossing powder on Chocolate chip cs.  I tore a piece of Whisper White cs to create the snowy ground and made the snow sparkle with a dash of dazzling diamonds!

Making tags is always fun and easy and now is a great time to stock up on tags for the upcoming gift-giving season!  I hand-cut the tag from Very Vanilla cs and created the hole protector by punching a 1/2" circle inside of a 3/4" circle from Bravo Burgundy cs.  I stamped the bird in Bravo Burgundy at half strength.  The floral image is from the Baroque Motifs stamp set and I stamped it at full strength and then again in Basic Gray at 1/3 strength.  The greeting (to/from) was stamped in Basic Gray.  I sponged the edges with Bravo Burgundy and a little Basic Gray and couldn't resist giving the tag a spritz with my Basic Gray marker and the color spritzer tool.  A few pearl jewels and a piece of Very Vanilla satin ribbon finish the look!  Thanks for stopping by for this week's Four Ways Friday!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!!!!

Lovely As A Tree Christmas Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Slow Down And Take Notice

As I post this card today, I realize that I was inspired by a number of cards that I saw while doing some of my daily blog hopping.  However, although the images and ideas stuck in my head, the places where I saw them did not and I did not write the places down.  I know I saw one card that used this Petals A Plenty embossing folder with glitter and the Lovely As A Tree stamp set and it definitely inspired this card!  If you have seen the card I'm referring to, please let me know - I'd love to name the person who inspired me to make this card!  What I do realize is that I need to slow down a bit and take notice of things - like those that inspire me.  I also want to slow down a minute, here, now, to thank you for continuing to visit my blog and for continuing to give me a reason to keep posting!  Have a beautiful day...and don't forget to slow down and take notice of what's around you :)

Remnant Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Consider Your Remnants!
Yesterday I made a card with scrap strips and this was the "remnant" that remained after punching out the strips with the decorative label punch...

After I walked by this remnant for the second or third time, it began to occur to me that it was quite bright and fun...and might make a wonderful focal point for another card!  So, I added a strip or two more and cut around the scrap copy-weight paper and then popped the whole thing up on dimensionals and stamped the greeting from Sincere Salutations in Early Espresso and...ta da!  A new card was born from the remnants!  Here is a close-up of the popped up part...

The next time you are about to throw away your remnants, give them a second look...they may just be waiting for you to notice them :)