milestone birthday cards for him

Summer programming coming your way the next few weeks...

First up some milestone birthday cards. 

For a friend who's not so keen on ending his 60s...

Ellen Hutson Bottles of Bubbly

and a friend looking forward to more biking in his 50s. Don't ya love the gold helium balloons trailing off the bike?!?

.Simon Says Stamp Bicycle die 

Have a great weekend!

valentines with scrap strips

I seem to find myself a theme when I make Valentines each year. I'm on a scrap strip adventure right now (avoiding the hard work of moving my craft room as I explained here) so that became my theme for this year.

Scrap strips, scrap cardstock and a glue stick. Made myself some "patterned paper" and then played with it.

Essentials by Ellen Nice of you stamp

Essentials by Ellen Folk Hearts die

Die cut a square of my "PP" with the love die and made cards with the negative and positive pieces. I'm entering the pink one into SSS Monday - Love is in the Air challenge.

Dienamics Love Centerpieces die

Then I rediscovered a flop card die (NBUS) so gave it a run in a card for DD. Used some 6x6 PP from my stash (which could last me 120 years). I'm hooking this Clean and Layered one up over at The Card Concept #168.

Dienamics Flop Card Heart die

Reverse Confetti Lovely Words die

SSS you die

Charlie and Paulchen Hohlsaumrahmen die

And while I had that heart die in my hand from the flop card heart die, I cut two of them and made this, personalized with the couple's initials. It's actually going to Americans who live in Germany so I'm joining in at Pinspirational February Challenge.

Dienamics Flop Card Heart die

Papertrey Bookprint Alpha die

 

having fun (avoiding the hard work)

Hi peeps. I'm in the midst of moving my craft room from my basement laundry room to a kid's bedroom. What a luxury. What a hard task! At least I'm making it difficult for myself. Should have purged first but I didn't. When it all gets too overwhelming, I submerge myself in some irrelevant little project. But man is it FUN!

Scrap paper strips. I am assuming we all have them or is it just me?

I've got a little bucket full of them. So I sat down with them, scrap cardstock and a glue stick. First I cut a large circle, and then a word from the circle...

STAMPlorations You Word die

STAMPlorations Art Marks 3 stamp

Then I cut multiple circles from what was leftover and created this card! Doesn't it look like a bunch of planets? Thought the sentiment was fitting.

STAMPlorations  Wonky Stitched Grid Texture die

Essentials by Ellen Nice of you stamp

I had more strips (of course) so I made more things (of course). With some of my manila tags and dies that haven't seen the light of day for a while. Guess that's one very good thing about moving/organizing your craft room ;) Figure I'll add a die cut initial on a vellum circle to these to use as gift or wine bottle tags.

And I'll be back with some Valentines made with, any guesses? Scrap strips of course.

I'll leave you with a shot of my current situation. It's still a work in progress. Moved into DD's old room. But now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have moved into DS's old room. It's a bit larger and has more light...

 

tag a la therese for day 3 of ellen hutson christmas tags

I actually look forward to this every year - Ellen Hutson's 12 Days of Christmas Tags - though sometimes my lack of planning ahead with holiday preparations gets in the way of crafting. Like in 2021. Dang.

But two birds with one stone... Got all my Christmas cookies baked with DD. I'm gifting neighbors cookies this year. DD recently moved into a new apartment and she's decided to gift her new neighbors with cookies too. So of course I offered to make some tags for her cellophane bags.

Enter Ellen's tag event. And Therese's bold and graphic Feliz Navidad tag. And exit stage left. 

Actually, I was inspired to use my new hexagon dies. And make a layered tag. And stamp a sentiment in a foreign language. But that's where the similarities end.

Meet my tags, a la Therese but more DD's style.

A couple close ups...

Action Deutschland Hexagon die

Alexandra Renke Waldtiere 1 die

Alexandra Renke 5 Tannenbaeume die

Klartext 13 mal Frohe Weihnachten stamp

Aldi patterned paper pack

I'm hooking up over at Just Add Ink too where they're looking for Christmas Gift Card Holders or Tags as well as at Happy Little Stampers AG with Die Cuts for December.

bunny's bottom's cold...

... so he decided to plant it in a cozy nest up in a tree this Easter!

Don't know about in your neck of the woods, but my folks in MI woke up to four inches of the white stuff two days ago. We have wind and precipitation comin' at ya from all directions. And we are going to hit the North Sea coast for a couple days R&R where there will likely be sand mixed in the whipping wind.  So yep. Happy Spring!

Couldn't resist revisiting this card. Some Ellen Hutson woodgrain CS. A Memory Box branch. An Impression Obsession bunny colored with just a touch of pink. And an embroidery floss nest.

Makes me happy. Hope you have a blessed Easter!

So many sweet challenges out there.
Addicted to CAS #60

CASology

AAA Cards Game #36

Curtain Call - Beginnings

tag a la maile b., sorta (Ellen Hutson, Artful Delight, PDC, SSS)

If you haven't jumped on, you should.  The chalkboard bandwagon, that is.  I jumped on, thanks to some motivation from Betsy V. here.  And boy is it fun.  But I twisted it into a tag based on Maile B.'s tag for Day 10 of 12 Tags with a Feminine Twist over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom.


Now maybe not everyone gets into chalkboards.  Created by me, on a card, I'm a fan.  But let me tell you, in my stint as a teacher, chalk became my number one enemy.  First off, there's never a good sized piece at the board.  Second, some kids take pleasure in throwing it across the room.  Third, no matter how often you rubs your hands to get the chalk dust off, you always end up with chalk dust on your clothes.  And when you're fighting dry, chapped hands in the winter it's the last thing you need.  Nuff said.

May I say, however, that making a card with this technique is FUN.  Inky fingers are OK.

At first glance you might not "see" Maile's tag.

But it's there - the BG stamped with white images, the washi strip, the pink/green sentiment panel, the white ribbon.  My additions - a touch of bling and a gift card pocket on the back.  Again.

Playing at the Cafe again:

And at Artful Delight:

And at Simon Says Stamp - What's Your Favorite? cuz I love me some heat embossing.
Have a wonderful week before Christmas.

Supplies for You better not pout:

Paper: manila tag, black paper Bringmann, book page

Stamps: 7 Gypsies

Ink :  Versamark, Adirondack pigment, white pencil

Tools:

Other:  embossing powder, twine, washi, ribbon, bling

dahoo doray tag a la ellen H. (Ellen Hutson, Catered Crop, Stamping Sensations, Craft Room)

OK, I'm dating myself here, but I grew up with the original red-and-green-cover copy of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  And the TV show (the animated version) only came on once a year.  So you planned your life accordingly.  Just sayin'.

Well, thanks Ellen Hutson for stirring up those wonderful memories.  Check out her tag on Day 12 of 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist over at The Classroom.  It's totally Whoville.  And all I could think of was the end of the movie when all the little Whos stand around the Christmas tree singing "Welcome, Christmas" while the narrator reads "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."  Yep.  I think it's a girl thing.  The guys probably remember hottie Martha May's line from the movie:

Martha May Whovier:   Did I have a crush on the Grinch? Of COURSE not. 
Cindy Lou Who:   Uh... I didn't ask you that. 

Enter my gnomes-turned-Whos.  And a crepe paper Who tree.

What did you do with your Friday evening?  With the exception of a couple interruptions, I spent mine making a tag!  I'd venture to say there isn't a technique I didn't use on this tag!

Heat embossing - BG, sentiment
Distress Inking - BG
Homemade PP - polka dots, banner
3D die cut and stitching- tree
Fussy cutting - gnomes
Selective inking - sentiment
Banner building - banner
Washi tape - tree trunk, star
Beads - heart (cuz you know the Grinch's heart grew two sizes that day!)

Other little tidbits... vintage pink yarn from MIL for the top of the tag, the teensy ornament from my bestest Hero Arts Christmas sentiment set cuz it looks so Whoville-y, the gnomes out of some funky PP from Aldi, the glitter CS hole reinforcer for sparkle. And I used a Penny Black BG stamp which I won in a Simon Says Stamp giveaway.  Thanks PB.  I kinda like the retro look of it.

Yeah that's what your life is like when you play at The Classroom.  And I won't mention that it took 84 photos shot at three different times (thanks to lousy weather) to get an OK photo.  TIP:  3D elements create shadows.  No matter where your light source is!  Oh well.

Put a gift card pocket on the back of this tag like I did here.  It's popular to give someone a bouquet as a gift in Germany and I think this special tag with a gift card hung on the bouquet will make for an extra special touch.

This is the HS CL343 clear stamp set I used for the sentiment and ornaments.  Ellen Hutson is having a contest where you can win some of the 2013 HA cuties.  Check it out here.

Let's hear it for Dr. Seuss's take on Christmas.  And Ellen Hutson's.  Warning:  I think there's one more tag in the making (special request from DD) but then I'm tagged out.

Joining the fun at:
Stamping Sensations - Treemendous
Craft Room Challenge - Make a Tag
Catered Crop - Tag, You're It

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies for welcome Christmas:

Paper: CS  American Crafts, Neenah, linen texture copy paper, crepe paper

Stamps: sky BG Penny Black, banner BG CHF, dots PTI, sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Distress Ink, Jenny Bowlin, Versamark

Tools:die Sizzix

Other:  twine, washi, bead, vintage yarn

tag a la sharon h. (Ellen Hutson, Color Q, Craft Room, Catered Crop)

If you love new techniques and have a bit of time you really should check out the 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom.  Ellen does a take on Tim Holtz's 12 Tags.  But there's lotsa pink!

My tag is inspired by Sharon H.'s tag on Day 1.  Hers is elegant and shiny and really girly.  Mine is... well mine.

I must thank this challenge for getting me to ink up my brayer (bought one awhile back - everyone has to have a brayer, right? - hadn't used it til now).  TIP:   Distress Inks are marvelous for lots of things.  Brayering is not one of them apparently.  Notice the spottiness to my BG.

I used the colors from Color Q #167:

Sorta.  Used DI Evergreen Bough cuz it's kinda green/gray for my BG.  Brayered it onto a Sizzix embossing plate and dry embossed the white CS.  See why I wouldn't recommend using DI for this???  Spritzed with copper Perfect Pearls mist to give it a little sheen.  Cut the top of the tag with a Spellbinders die for interest. TIP:  Don't do this if you plan to stitch around the edges.  Note the word "plan"...

Well the stitching happened cuz I decided to make this a gift-card-holder-tag (Ellen did this on her tag for Day 12 - Duh!  What a super idea!)  I had dry embossed a piece of red CS for the poinsettia petal strips and used the rest of it for interest on the front and a pocket on the back of the tag.

Got the idea for the poinsettia here at Basic Grey.  Obviously not mailable, but this is a tag.  It works.

Used two colors of green for the die cut snowflakes for the center of the bloom (and on the back pocket) and a cool brad too.  Mounted it on a die cut PTI green bloom for a bit more interest and "hold".  TIP:  Always have a bottle of Glossy Accents on hand.  It dries shiny (guess that's the point of "glossy" accents, eh?) but holds better than any other glue I know.

Whew, long post.  I'm joining the fun at:
Craft Room Challenge - Make a Tag
Catered Crop - Tag, You're It

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies for Merry Christmas:

Paper: CS TPC Studio, American Crafts

Stamps: sentiment 7 Gypsies

Ink : Distress Ink, Jenny Bowlin

Tools: brayer, dies - snowflakes Marianne Creatables, border Amuse, tag top Spellbinders, sewing machine, embossing plate Sizzix

Other:  pearl, sheer ribbon, glue dots, brad 

tag a la Kelly A. (Ellen Hutson, Cupcake Inspirations, YCU)

Take a ride on the good ship lollipop!  Check out Kelly A.'s tag at Ellen Hutson's Classroom on Day 8 and you'll see what I mean.  Wouldn't expect anything else from Lawn Fawn, would you?

Well I combined Kelly's sweet feeling tag with the inspiration photo from Cupcake Inspirations #190 - Frosting the Snowman.  No kidding:

Amazing.  I'll spend 1+ hour creating a tag but can't imagine putting so much work into cupcakes.  DS would devour these - all of them - in under five minutes...

Here's my creation.

Blue polka dot BG and snow.  White heat embossing and watercolors.  Bonbon colors and sweets.  LOVE Kelly's addition of a snowflake on the tag hole - definitely a trick to remember.

Also sneaking in one more entry at Young Crafter's Unite #16 - Happy Holidays.

Happy weekend.

Supplies for Merry Christmas:

Paper: CS DCWV, white linen texture printer paper

Stamps: snowman Alley Way Stamps, BG kars, American Crafts, sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Versamark, watercolors

Tools: circle punch

Other: Stickles, twine, eyelet, fun foam snowflake sticker

tag a la Jennifer M. (Ellen Hutson, CUYL, SSS, SS)

Give me Peacock Feathers and Broken China Distress Ink and an ink applicator and I'm a happy camper. That's what first came to mind when I saw Simon Says Stamp's challenge to use one of your Favorite Things (tool, product, stamp).  Add a couple of challenges to the mix and I'm a really happy camper.

On Day 4 Jennifer M. created a work of art over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom for the Feminine Twist on 12 Tags.  You should check out those mirrored pieces she used - now there's one thing I don't have in my stash.  I had to go with what I have.

So I took inspiration from Challenge Up Your Life's #84 colors

and Stamping Sensations "Treemendous" challenge and this is what I came up with.

You'll probably never see a reed bird perched on an evergreen bough anywhere but here!  Or lilac snowflakes!  But I've got the distress inked BG under a StazOn stamped piece of acetate (cool effect BTW, Jennifer), a bird, a branch and snowflakes.  Even used a "Joy" sentiment.  And if you look closely you might catch the Stickles on the flakes and birdie's head and the glitter CS for the bough.

And purple, lilac, teal and light blue?  Check.

And a tree?  How 'bout a branch - will that do?

Happy Friday, friends.

Supplies for JOY:

Paper: CS Neenah, glitter CS DCWV, recycled acetate, purple CS Papermania

Stamps: dots BG CHF, text (on bird and fllakes) 7 Gypsies, sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Distress Inks, Versacolor, StazOn

Tools: dies - bough Marianne Creatables, bird Memory Box, snowflakes Sizzix

Other: pearls, ribbon

tag a la Teri A. (Ellen Hutson, CFC, PDC, Ribbon Girl)

I've really enjoyed the Feminine Twist on 12 Tags of Christmas over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom.  Here is my first take on Teri Anderson's tag for Day 6.

Heat embossed the trees and fussy cut.  Created snowy hills.  Distress Inked tag for a fun pinky sky.  Attached trees and knotted bows.  Heat embossed sentiment.  Added pearly accents to hills and the sky.  Used washi and a fun foam snowflake at the top.

Also playing at the Cafe:

And CASual Fridays:

And The Ribbon Girl - Ho Ho Ho December challenge.

Thanks for visiting.

Supplies for winter wonderland:

Paper: manila tag, scraps

Stamps: tree Bella Blvd,  sentiment Prima

Ink : Distress Ink, Versamark

Tools:

Other: embossing powder Zing, twine, washi, pearl glue pen, foam sticker