Easter Wreath

Happy Sunday!

I haven't been posting much.  I haven't been crafting much!  I've been focusing on work and family and doing some home organization projects when I've had the energy.  Mostly, though, I've been binge watching youtube videos and vlogs.  Very productive!

I did get some crafty inspiration from Shelly  and made this wreath for Easter using Doodlebug papers from my stash.  

 I used a 12 inch foam wreath (50% off at Joann) and my trusty 30 year old glue gun.  It went together pretty quickly.  If I were to make another one, I would be more careful to keep the rows straight.  They got a bit wonky, but I've gotten compliments on the "spiral" effect, so there you go!

Here is the link to Shelly's video and she gives credit to the original source.

Have a great day!

Finally! A Card!

Hello!
I've been MIA for a while.  All my new Christmas goodies have been patiently waiting for me to have the time/energy/desire to get back to my little crafty space and make something.  

I picked up some MFT stamps and dies for Christmas.  Here is one that I have always thought was so cute.

Here is another.
Not much difference, really, just a different sentiment.

My daughter left her copic markers here when she went back to college this fall. I decided to give them a try on these simple images.

It felt good to actually make something again!

Have a good day!

Merry Christmas with Penny Black

Hello, again!

 

Here is another card I made using stamps from my stash; a Penny Black set called Mimi & Friends. 

             

This time I used a combination of Zig markers  and Prismacolor pencils to color the image.  The sentiment is from the Paper Smooches set, Merry Motifs, and is embossed in silver.  I brushed here and there with my clear Wink of Stella pen and added a tiny bit of Glossy Accents to the bear's nose for that 'I'm a toy' effect. I popped up the front panel with foam tape and added a strip of silver glitter paper and some patterned paper on the card base.  A few SU rhinestones, again from my stash, and the card was finished! 

Just a happy, little Christmas card!

Have a great day!

Thinking of You

Happy Friday!

I'm finally feeling a bit more Christmassy!

Here is a card I made last weekend using Paper Smooches Promenade set and my Zig markers.  It has that "I'll have a blue Christmas without you..." kind of feel, doesn't it? 

I masked the wreath and stamped the lamp post, then water colored.  A little bit of diamond glitter goes a long way and helps to make this wintry scene a bit more sparkly.

The focal panel is die cut with SSS stitched square die and the sentiment is an oldie by Stamping Up.  
Simple but poignant, I thought. :)

I am enjoying experimenting with these Zig Markers (Santa may, or may, not be bringing me the set of 60!!!)

Have a great day!

I Love Fall

Have you seen this video on Kathy's blog?  As soon as I did, I knew I had to case her card!  I went straight to Starbucks and got a pumpkin spice latte ( I have to admit, I like the old recipe better), and drank it on my way home so I could create this card.

I used an older MFT  stamp called Happy Harvest for the image and a Lawn Fawn sentiment from Into the Woods.  I actually made this card a while ago, but never posted it. I haven't sent it yet, either.  I can't seem to let it go.  


Have a great day!
 

Happy Birthday Card

Happy Sunday!  
Finally a chill in the air.  Love it!

Here is a card I made for a good friend.  
 

 


I used the SSS Hello, Friend stamp set that I absolutely fell in love with when I saw it on a blog.  I am having SO much fun coloring the doodley flowers!  I used my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers in deep, November colors.  I've been using Bristol paper and having lots of success blending and water coloring!!

 I added the Lawn Fawn happy birthday sentiment and the cute, little Lawn Fawn skunk, because, well, sometimes birthdays at our age just stink!  
Lame, I know.

I'm entering this in the Lawnscaping Thinking of You challenge.  

Have a great day!

Welcome, Autumn!

Happy Saturday!

Our weather lately has been absolutely wonderful; beautiful blue skies, vibrant fall colors, and unseasonably warm temperatures for the last few weeks!  I am thoroughly enjoying it.  I know as a card maker I should be starting Christmas cards and projects, but I hate to rush the season.  I've been making a lot of "wreathe" cards, using a circle as a focal point and stamping images around them.  I've also been doing a lot of coloring!

Here is a card for the Paper Smooches challenge for November using the PS set Autumn Groves stamp set and Prismacolor pencils. I used the leaf and acorn stamps, coloring the outline stamps with pencils and gold embossing the solid leaf image (the challenge is to use gold on your card).  

I brushed clear Wink of Stella over a few of the leaves and the pumpkin top and added some sequins for a bit more shine.  The card base is die cut and popped up for more dimension.

Stop by the PS blog to see the other entries.  I am always so inspired!

Have a great day!

Halloweenie Treat Boxes

I'm taking a break from cleaning (just mopped the kitchen floor and I'm waiting for it to dry...) to post my latest little project.  
I've been in a 3D mood lately and have been scoring, folding, snipping, and gluing all kinds of little things.  

This little folded box is super easy and will hold homemade toffee for my coworkers later this month:

I followed the tutorial HERE and used some Halloween paper from my stash.  For the tag, I used the Paper Smooches set, Falling for You, for the image.  The sentiment is from the PS set, Halloweenies.  I stamped some pumpkin colored splotches of ink and, so the little guy had something to hang onto, I wrapped the tag with some Doodlebug twine.  
All of these materials were from my stash.  I've been trying to resist the urge to buy new product, but boy oh boy, is it hard!  I caved yesterday and ordered a couple of things.  Sometimes you just gotta treat yourself!!


Have a great day!

Coloring Practice

I recently purchased a set of twelve Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens.  I've been so impressed by the vibrant color that I've seen on blogs and on youtube videos.  Just gorgeous!!  

It was a beautiful weekend here in PA and I took some time to sit on my back porch and practice coloring this Paper Smooches scarecrow from the stamp set Autumn Groves.

I've got a ways to go, but it was fun trying different coloring techniques.  The two on the left are both using the same exact colors.  However, I used a brush and added water to the center scarecrow. Interesting variety!!

And because it was just too beautiful not to share, here is a pic of a local roadside stand.  Perfect October day!!

Have a great day! 

Teeny Tiny Kiss Boxes

Such a cozy Fall day!!

I'm thankful for time inside this chilly Saturday.  
I saw this tutorial by Jeanette Cobb and had to try it out.  

 It is a little folded box that ties at the top and is just big enough for one Hershey's Kiss.  How cute is that?? 

A very easy envelope punch board project!  I used Doodlebug 6 by 6 paper and the happy acorn stamp from Lawn Fawn's Into the Woods set colored quickly with Spectrum Noir markers and Prismacolor pencils.  The thank you sentiment was one of those little freebies from Avery Elle that they include when you place an order.  Perfect for this!  That was stamped over a woodgrain background from Stampin Up.  I added some yellow SU seambinding ribbon and that was that.  All of these items were in my stash except for the chocolates.  Bought those this morning.

Here is a close up of the happy, little acorn fellow:

The little box is so small and cute!  The pics don't really do it justice.  I love mini things!

Anyway, these are going to a few colleagues of mine that deserve a thank you.

Enjoy your day!

My Happy Place

I am a lover of books!  
Since I was a little girl, my happiest memories are of visiting our public library, choosing a pile of books, then curling up to read away the afternoon.  
As a second grade teacher, my greatest pleasure comes from sharing books with my students and watching them develop a love of reading.  So I guess that is what inspired this card.

   I combined stamps from two Paper Smooches sets, Smarty Pants and Get Outta Town.  I stamped a bunch of books, colored them with Prismacolor pencils and fussy cut them out so that I could stack them up.  I also used alcohol markers in shades of gray to create a shadow to ground the stacks.  

It is a simple design, but it makes me happy!!

I'm entering this in the SPARKS Anything Goes Challenge for this week.  I really enjoy seeing what others create.  Be sure to check it out!

Have a great day!

SPARKS Thank You Card

Happy Saturday!!

First challenge entry in a long time!  Nothing like the last minute though.  This week it's a Picture Perfect Challenge on the Paper Smooches SPARKS blog.  

Here is the inspiration photo:

 

And here is my take on it:

 

First, I used the Squared Die from Paper Smooches on  plain white cardstock.  I trimmed here and there to create the box pattern.  Then, I watercolored the splotches using my Zig Clean Color Brush Tip pens.  Last, I used the Paper Smooches Thanks Word Die for the sentiment on black card stock.  Simple design, big impact!

Make sure you check out the other entries on the challenge blog!  Always great inspiration!!

Have a great day!

When In Doubt...CASE IT

I haven't posted since July.  
I really haven't been crafting this summer.  Lots of swimming, visiting, eating, reading, gardening, but no card-making.  
So I'm trying to get back in the swing of things.  

Whenever I am lacking motivation or mojo (or both...) I give myself a kickstart by case-ing something I fell in love with by another designer.  This time it was this card by Julia Altermann.
I absolutely love her work.  Her videos are always informative and she has a great sense of humor, too.  She's lots of fun to learn from! 
If you do not already follow her blog or subscribe to her youtube channel, hurry up and do it!!

Here is my version of her delightful card: 

 I really need to invest in better lighting.  I keep saying that....
Anyway, I followed her video tutorial, but colored with Prismacolors.  I used an old  Recollections stamp set for the monsters and two SU sets, Perfect Blend and Gorgeous Grunge for the coffee splatters.

This card is headed down to my daughter at college in Philadelphia along with a Starbucks gift card and a few other goodies.

Thank you, Julia, for your inspiration!!!  

Have a great day!

Hi, Friend

 Whew!  It's a hot one!  I hate to spend time indoors during the summer months, but the humidity today is a killer!  I'm enjoying the air conditioning and spending time doing crafty stuff.

I made this card for a friend who just adopted a kitty.  I'm just a little jealous!  I've been toying with the idea of doing the same.  I just hate to upset our old Sunny cat.  Anyway, I can enjoy visiting with her new, little fur baby for now.

Here is the card:

I was inspired by this sketch:

I paper pieced the image using Doodlebug papers, then colored and shaded with Prismacolor pencils.
The square frame and rectangle card front are cut from SSS dies.  The image and sentiment are also from the SSS sets, You Are Pawsome and Furry Cat and Box.

This is my first time playing along with the Freshly Made Sketches challenge.  Check out the other entries here!

Enjoy your day!

I'd Pick You!

Hello!
I've been thoroughly enjoying summer!  It's great to have time to read, catch up with friends, or just be lazy!

A very good friend of mine treated me to a belated birthday lunch the other day and I wanted to send a thank you.  

It was the first time I colored the stamp (Stamping Bella) and I'm happy with the results.  I used my Prismacolor pencils and a few alcohol markers to shade the images.  Problem was, I adhered it to the card base BACKWARDS!!!  Ahhhhhhhhhh!!  Anyway, I am sending it off as is.  She's such a good friend she'll get a laugh out of it and know the sentiment was heartfelt!

Enjoy your day!

Hello, Sunshine!

A quick post to share this cute little card:

I water colored a loose background (much more vibrant in real life...) and stitched a wobbly line at the bottom to give the image something to slide along.  The image is Stacey Yakula's Tucker from Purple Onion Designs and the sentiment is from Stacey's The Sweetest Day collection as well.  I used Prismacolor pencils to color the image.  


The rain has stopped and I'm heading outdoors to pull some weeds.
Have a great day!

Graduation Watercolor

Happy Summer!

Two of my nephews graduated from high school this June.  
Here is the card I made for my nephew, Dashiell.  
The Tim Holtz stamp is older, but it reminded me of him.  Not sure why.  

I "smooshed" distress inks onto water color paper, die cut the borders and popped it up with foam tape.  The image is stamped in black Versafine and embossed with clear powder.  A fairly simple technique, but I like the graphic imagery.

Off to do summery things...
Enjoy your day!

Sunday Layout and a Card.

Happy Sunday!  

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth.  Just super busy and, as I have said before, that translates into being super tired.

I just completed my first 12 by 12 Project Life layout!  It is composed of a bunch of pictures taken over the winter months.  
Click on the photo to see an enlarged pic.

I tried printing from my computer on the journaling cards and it worked pretty well.  I am trying to overlook the grammar typo and the fact that the print is just slightly crooked.  Other than that, I am pretty happy with it.  It was definitely fun.  

Looking forward to my next layout!

Also, here is a card I made for a friend.  

The lighting is pretty poor on this. Sorry.  The stamp is from Penny Black and I colored with Prismacolors.  The sentiment is from Purple Onion Designs.  I kept the layout very flat for mailing. Just a simple, pretty, cheerful little card.  Hopefully it cheered her up!  

It is an absolutely beautiful spring day.  I am heading out to clean up my flower beds and soak in some sunshine!

Have a great day!
Mary

Project Life Without Rules

Well, I had a nice morning out all by myself.  

Stopped in two of our local craft stores before picking Rose up at the train station.  
I hit up the clearance racks at both places.  

Here is what I got:

I got an album for under 10 dollars and everything else was 40% off or more! Whoopee!!

I've already decided that the only way this is going to work for me - the only way this is going to be fun - is for me to not follow any rules at all.  I'm not going to commit to any time frames or method of documenting our year. 

I will try to make it more or less chronological, but I want the freedom of creating inserts or theme pages as I go. 

I will share a  layout from time to time as well as little, crafty PL projects I try.

Have a good day!

Pocket Scrapbooking...Do I dare???

Happy Friday!
Happy Spring!
 
I've been very busy at work, which translates to exhausted at home.  And that translates to not much crafting going on.  But, it's Spring Break and I've spent this rainy Friday catching up on some scrapbooking.  I'm about halfway through Christmas, 2014.

I have played around with scrapbooking in the past few years, mostly mini albums.  I am starting to think I would like to commit more seriously to documenting more of our everyday life.

I am working on a Simple Stories Snap Album, not holding myself to any rigid schedule and allowing myself the freedom to dabble. It's fun.  I've been watching a lot of process videos and have enjoyed seeing the creativity and styles out there.  I think I need to try a 12 X 12 album to tell a more continuous, cohesive story.  So I'm off to my local craft store tomorrow morning to pick up an album, page protectors and a few crafting goodies (I've got a list). 

I know I won't be able to do a picture a day, or even a weekly layout.  Any kind of expectation like that just makes me anxious and robs my crafty time of it's joy.  But I will post from time to time so I have a record of this part of my creative journey here on the blog.