another upcycled notebook

Guess I forgot to share this journal that I upcycled.  Started with a relatively plain Aldi special and added a quote and some felt flowers to personalize it.  Kinda like this one and this one.

And this is what it looked like when it went out the door...

Thanks for visiting today.  Next week I'll be sharing a "Parade of Rejects".  Come back for a look!

Supplies Journal something wonderful:

Paper: notecard

Stamps: sentiment PC generated

Ink: 

Tools: border punch EKS, die PTI

Other: journal Aldi, letter sticker and twine Making Memories, felt & buttons Sew Sweet, bling

over the edge again (SSS)

I liked the result of the patriotic stars card and this one with he-man bling so much, I made a couple more.  I think the design works well for a kid's birthday...

Does it look kinda Superman-y?  That's the theme of the gift BFF's little one is getting for his bday and this card is for him.  Or how about for a graduation card, using the graduate's school colors...

TIP:  Only use your mask to ink two or three stars.  If you use it for more the ink will seep through the Post-it note leaving fuzzy edges.  Look closely at the birthday card and you'll see what I mean.  Oops.  Now you know why the he-man bling made an appearance ;)

I'm joining the Anything Goes fun at Simon Says Stamp this week.  Don't they have the greatest line of stamps and dies?

Have a nice weekend.

Supplies :

Paper: Bringmann

Stamps: Birthday sentiment Clear and Simple Stamps, Congrats The Craft's Meow

Ink: Distress Ink, Versafine

Tools:star and square die Sizzix, scissors

Other: Post-It, makeup sponge, sequins

RIP Teddy

If you're looking for cheerful, you should leave now.

These are our two pets.  Yesterday, Teddy, the floppy-eared sweetie was hit by a car and died.  I was the driver.  It was a tragic accident, but as bad as you feel right now, I'm feeling a thousand times worse.  The past 24 hours have been very weepy in our house.

I needed to make a "sorry" card.  I'm sorry it happened.  I'm sorry she's gone.  I'm sorry her pal is now alone.  I'm SOOO sorry for DD... Teddy was her bunny.  I'm sorry that try as I may I simply can't find any moral to this story...

I needed to get some "green stuff" onto the card.  That's what we call it when there are veggie or fruit peelings to be fed to the rabbits.  I plucked two of these lovelies and ran them through my Big Shot with an embossing mat onto CS.  Some polka dots cuz Teddy would have liked polka dots. And a sentiment that says it all.

I know... she was just a rabbit.  I know.  But it still hurts.  And I am sharing this here because if there should be any moral to this story, never ever forget that small objects don't necessarily show up in your side or rearview mirrors.  And the object might not be just a rabbit.

patriotic birthday take two (CASOS)

Here's another patriotic birthday card for ya.  More masking and distress inking.  This time with some he-man bling (flat sequins) thrown in for fun.

BFF's DH has a July 3rd birthday.  So why have I never made him a patriotic card before?!?!?

Playing the One-Layer Wonder challenge at

Thanks for looking.

Supplies it's your birthday:

Paper: Bringmann

Stamps: fireworks Fancy Pants, sentiment American Crafts

Ink: Distress Ink, Versafine

Tools:star and square die Sizzix, scissors

Other: Post-It, makeup sponge

the midas touch (PTI)

Calendars.  Great inventions.  Blog readers, even better.  Had I not seen the post about the Papertrey June Blog Hop I would have been late to the party.  Again.

Nuff said.  Here's my golden contribution.

TIP:  In case gold embossing isn't midas enough for ya, sprinkle some glitter on top of the embossing powder before you add the heat.  Check out the closeup photo.  Quite the cool effect.

Thanks for hopping by.

Supplies happily ever after:

Paper: Bringmann

Stamps: Rosie Posie, Love Lives Here PTI

Ink: Versamark, Versamagic, Amuse Versafine

Tools: die PTI, corner rounder EKS

Other: gold embossing powder and glitter

patriotic birthday take one (CFC, CASOS)

Must admit I don't usually make patriotic cards.  Not really a need for 'em here in Germany - at least not red, white and blue ones ;)  But two cards in blogland  and two challenges inspired me. There's a card out there somewhere (sorry I can't find it again) that paired red and blue Distress Inks which I had never thought of doing!  And this card from Barb M. employs a clever technique that adds so much to one-layer cards.

So DH will be getting this soon (actually works well considering our approaching trip to the USA).

Don't look too closely or you'll see a wonky and slightly smeared sentiment... Wida M., any cures for that?Just love the colors together and the effect achieved by trimming out the edge.

I'm parking at CFC #106 and CAS on Sunday One-Layer.

I'll be back tomorrow with this card's cousin.  Couldn't get enough of the color combo!  And just keep watching...next week I'll be starting my Parade of Rejects - publication wannabees that weren't!

Supplies happy birthday:

Paper: Bringmann

Stamps: sentiment PTI

Ink: Distress Ink, Versafine

Tools:star die Sizzix, scissors

Other: Post-It, makeup sponge

it's spring (CBS)

Sharing a card I made with Clearly Besotted Stamps.  Loved this beauty by Debby H.  Inspired me to make this card to welcome Spring when it finally arrived this year.  Thought maybe it would come in handy next year if winter decides to be long again.

I went with the alcohol inked acetate for my jar.  And some smudged-with-paint woodgrain PP.  Combined two sentiments from the set for this specific message.

There's a new challenge at Clearly Besotted.  The theme is Anything Goes.  Great stamps.  Check it out.

Supplies it's spring:

Paper: Bringmann, Ursus

Stamps: Clearly Besotted

Ink: Hero Arts

Tools:scissors

Other: recycled acetate, doily, paint

twine away (Twinery, KIS)

Quick post here... deadline approaches and I'm squeakin' in.  It's Anything Goes over at the Twinery.

I've been wanting to try this with twine, kinda like with sequins as in this card, so here goes.

Glued twine onto CS to fill the negative die cut heart and used some at the top of the tag.  Can't see my white embossed sentiment too well in the photo.  Added some fringed washi to the tag and (Kelly G. are you listening?) used two pieces of PP from my stash.  You may recall I cut my 12x12s up into 6x6s in hopes of using it more since it's now more accessible.  It worked!  These cool pink/black PPs are from Bella Blvd.  Um ... it says 2008 on it!  Did I just admit that? Shame on me.

Joining the fun at Keep It Simple #16 - Negative Die Cuts.

Again, happy weekend to ya.

Supplies Happy Anniversary:

Paper: Bella Blvd,

Stamps: sentiment Hero Arts

Ink: Versamark

Tools: heart die Sizzix, tag die Hero Arts

Other: twine, washi, white embossing powder

go organic (PDCC, AEIU)

When I saw the inspiration at Play Date Cafe with its organic shapes I immediately thought of the craft foam stamp I'd made for this card.  Yeah, it got used again!

And the sponsor at PDC is none other than Avery Elle.  Great stamps.  Big wish list.  So I headed over to see what their challenge is this month and lo and behold...

Um Nina, think you could have fit a few more elements on that sketch maybe?!?!?!?  Now I know tags on cards are all the rage but I had to incorporate my vines.  So this is what I did with that sketch.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by today.

Supplies way to go:

Paper: Bringmann,

Stamps: Avery Elle

Ink: Versafine, Aladine, Clearsnap

Tools: vine die PTI, circle die Sizzix

Other: craft foam, enamel dots MME, foam adhesive

wonder (WPlus9, Cloud9)

WONDER.  A noun - as in "star of wonder".  A verb - as in "I wonder if DS will break curfew tonight"?  A word I find strong enough to stand on its own and carry a powerful message.  As in this card I submitted for the Holiday Cards issue of Paper Crafts which I guess wasn't carrying a powerful enough message (I know, I know, white on white...)  but I share it with you.

And "wonder" - as in the name of the wonder-full book whose 313 pages I spent last night reading.  If you like books you don't want to put down , books that make you laugh out loud and cry out loud, books about human kindness (can you tell I watched Obama's Berlin speech this afternoon - tricolonic repetition?!?!?)  - if so, meet Wonder.

So, with wonder on the brain, and the book (borrowed from a gardener friend of mine) to pass on to another gal to read, I created a bookmark to insert in it before passing it on.  Meet the bookmark.

Know where I'm going with this?  To the WPlus9 Mood Board #14 and the Cloud9 Anything Goes June Blog Hop.  Thanks for visiting today.

May I leave you with this from Wonder,  which is actually from The Little Bird:
"Shall we make a new rule of life... always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?"

Supplies wonder:

Paper: Neenah, chevron PP Pebbles, pink PP Ursus

Stamps: WPlus9

Ink: Hero Arts

Tools: tag die #1 PTI, alphas Memory Box

Other: crochet thread, beads, lace trim

the places you'll go (CFC, SSS)

Any other Dr. Seuss fans out there?  Took the "Oh the places you'll go" and ran with it.

image credit

Actually created a graduation card inspired by this idea - graphic and rainbow.  Cool.  Just add Dr. Seuss and I'm happy :)  Picked an interesting font for the PC generated sentiment, a plane from a stamp set which sometimes looks like it's flying upside down and Adirondack colors for the contrails.   TIP: I stamped the contrails using a strip from the red rubber "frame" from a sheet of rubber stamps I had to cut out myself.

Playing at CASual Fridays - #105 Mapquest  Check out all the fabby cards the DT came up with over there.  And at Simon Says Stamp where the theme is Transport.

Happy weekend.

Supplies you'll go places:

Paper: Bringmann, printer paper

Stamps: plane Artemio

Ink: Adirondacks

Tools:

Other: PC

polka dots for dad (Cloud9, ABNH)

My Dad can handle the fact that his Father's Day card has polka dots on it.  He knows me!  He'll think it's cool that I used this vintage stamp.  Kinda looks like him when he was a lad.  He was/is a handsome guy -  actually did some modelling back in the 50s for the J.L. Hudson Company store in Detroit if any of you remember that wonderful store.  I used to go visit Santa there in their wonderful fantasyland... but I digress.

Here's his card.  Gotta go get it into the mail.

I was having a play with some new paints from Paper Artsy.  Fresco chalk, they're called.  You can stamp on 'em no problemo!  Even on acetate.  The image is stamped with Stazon on the front of an acetate tag.  I painted the back of the tag and stamped polka dots on it with paints.  Love how they show through subtly.  Notice the paints on the paper tag?  The creme and blue are Fresco.  The brown standard acrylic.  See how smooth the Fresco colors are.  Fun, fun, fun.

Joining the fun here.

And here cuz it's the last big hurrah, themed Anything Goes .  Lucky me, I got to guest design with the lovely ladies this month.  You can see my card here.

Appreciate your visit, friends.

Supplies Dad:

Paper: Bringmann, recycled acetate

Stamps: image a la carte, polka dots KARS, sentiment from Fish More WPlus9

Ink: Memento, StazOn

Tools:  die MFT, paint brush

Other: Fresco paints, masking tape

june cloud9 blog hop (Cloud9, ABNH, SSS)

I'm a lucky girl.  Get to join the lovely ladies over at Cloud9 as guest designer for this month's blog hop.  Maybe I'm a jinx too, because this is unfortunately the last Cloud9 blog hop :(

Because it's the last hop, the theme is Anything Goes.  You won't be surprised to see that I've gone fishing.  Again.

Inspired by these double patterns, I stamped, masked and stamped again (on PP even) to create the focal image and then added some summery PPs too.  I ran my cardbase through my Big Shot using a piece of a plastic potato sack to create a debossed pattern mimicking the fish net!  TIP:  Two spritzer from a mini mister before embossing help get a good pattern on the CS but don't warp it.

A sentiment stamped two-tone and a few enamel dots (yep, I've jumped on the wagon) and voila!

Join the last hurrah fun.  Check out the design teams cards and then make a card using WPlus9 product and link it up.  There's a prize to be had.  And when the fun's over at Cloud9, check out the Monday Mood Boards over at Dawn W.'s WPlus9 blog.

Thanks for visiting.

p.s.  I'm also hooking this man-card up at A Blog Named Hero Challenge #25 and Simon Says Stamp Masculine/Father's Day.

Supplies enjoy your retirement:

Paper: CS Bringmann, PP American Crafts

Stamps: WPlus9, BG CHF

Ink: Jenny Bowlin, Versafine

Tools: fish dies WPlus9 (for masking)

Other: potato sack, enamel dots MME

inspired by the mess on my desk (ATCAS, CAS(E)

Hi.  This card of mine just happened.  Cuz I have about 4 different piles on my ironing board (I lied in my post title) and since I just finished ironing about 10 of DD's shirts, a tablecloth and some recycled packing paper (yes, you heard correctly) I of course had to move those piles to get to the actual ironing board.

And...I  had just spent a little time over at Darnell K.'s playhouse (virtually, that is) and she was musing over the reasons why we make cards.  To play challenges?  To use up product?  Check out her post.  You'll be LOL at your desk, trust me.

Well, this strip of neon paper with circles punched out of it fell off my pile in the move process.  Ta da - Addicted to CAS has a challenge theme "Circles."  May I say a card was born.

So go with that and add some circles embossed to the card front.  Then use up a negative die cut also living in the pile (see, I just can't throw this stuff away) and a wood veneer bird I had painted yellow.  Why?  Just because.  (He, at least, had found his way back to his pals in the little drawer where my wood veneers live.)

I also had the cool feather sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch #31 in my brain, although my tree dictated that I kinda sorta had to mess with the sketch a bit.  Oh well.

Cuz I had no idea for an appropriate sentiment/use for this card, I gave it an XOXO sentiment in a heart.  Actually just tried to convince DS to give it to his girlfriend for her bday, suggesting he write something nice in it so she can save it and think about him again in 25 years when she finds it in her keepsake box... No deal.  He 's not giving her anything - what kind of kid have I raised?

Well, here it is for your viewing pleasure ;)

Thanks for coming by.

Supplies XOXO:

Paper: Bringmann, neon ?

Stamps: sentiment Clear and Simple Stamps

Ink: Versafine

Tools:  embossing folder Craft Concepts, die Simon Says Stamp, heart punch

Other: wood veneer Studio Calico

black, white and bold (CFC, Creative Friday)

Lotsa white.  Black.  Bold colors.  Graphic.  MASKed.  Hmmm... anyone come to mind?

Alles Gute nachträglich zum Geburtstag, Ardyth!

So, you surely know this by now, but just in case you've been under a rock the one-and-only Darnell K. is hosting a party for Ardyth P.R.'s birthday.  In case you don't know Darnell (must be a really big rock you've been under) she is one heckuva party hostess.  And Ardyth is one heckuva card designer.  Lotsa white.  Usually black too.  Usually centered.  Often circles.  Often masked. And always bright colors.  Like this card I chose to CASE.

Don't you just love it when cards are punny or engage-brain-before-looking-at-this?  Ardyth's cards often are. Which is why I went with the "4u" as part of my sediment (that's Darnell-speak, BTW). The off-center design and artsy fartsy "happy"?  Well, that was pure me.

What are you waiting for?  Pick a card.  CASE it and join the party!

I'm also joining the parties at:
CASual Fridays - CFC103 Congratulations
Creative Friday - One-layer card

Supplies happy 4u:

Paper: Bringmann

Stamps: sentiment PTI

Ink: Versafine and Adirondacks

Tools: diamond die Lifestyle Crafts, alpha die Memory Box

Other: masking paper

sympathetic reject (ABNH, SSS)

Made by a local cardmaker.  Moi.  Intended for submission.  Rejected by a local editor.  Moi.  But that means a new blog post.  Check it out.

I was aiming for masculine and sympathy.  Wanted to use markers in blues and greens for the BG. Colored the stamp, misted, stamped, misted again, stamped again.  Had two panels.  That's where things got difficult.

This was my original design idea.  Nestle sentiment in with butterfly.  Butterfly stamped in gray on vellum.  OK, but the stinker went and warped on me overnight.  Might have been the extra misting for the second generation stamping???  No amount of foam adhesive was going to win the battle. Hmmm.

This was the first stamping, darker colors, see?  But then I got the crazy idea to kiss the solid butterfly stamp and stamp it onto vellum.  Didn't really like the result, but then I saw the inked area on the envelope pattern BG stamp and wondered what that would look like.  So I stamped.  In a sub-optimal place.  (Let's hear it for the advantages of clear stamps over rubber ones!)  And then put the sentiment below.

I do like the butterfly effect with the dark colors, but should probably have angled it to the right and then nestled the sentiment in more to the left.  Yes, we live and we learn.

Happy day to ya'll.  We actually have sunshine - yippie!  - although the Rhine is flooding many an area. Keeping our fingers crossed.

I'm playing at:
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
A Blog Named Hero - Masculine

Supplies with sympathy:

Paper: Bringmann, vellum

Stamps: shadow and envelope BG Hero Arts, butterfly and sentiment Skipping Stones Design

Ink: Versafine and markers

Tools: scissors

Other: 

just playing (SSS)

Playing around with PTI Rosie Posie I made a tag for my neighbor's birthday present - garden stakes.  Have a look.

It's raining (still) and the present is out in the car, so you're just getting the tag, not the whole shebang ;) Happy weekend.

Joining the masses at Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes.  They're so great to give away such fabulous prizes week after week.  Consider it a cardmaker's lottery.

Supplies tag:

Paper: tag

Stamps: PTI, chicken wire BG WMS, fabric BG Hero Arts

Ink: Distress Inks, 

Tools: die PTI

Other: watered down gold acrylic paint