STB - april 1 2024

We're up to April 2024 in my STB memory planner. Lots of photos. And more of that fun alpha stamp. 

Played with ephemera from a Simple Stories kit. And I think my favorite alpha stickers of all time are the little typewriter letters from Krim and Isa. They're ancient but such fun to work with. 

Photo flips. Vellum pockets. Doodled lines. And best of all, memories of a beautiful Easter Monday at Oma's house. Three cheers for Heidi Swapp and stopping the blur.

 

STB - march 18 2024

Happy 60th to me in this week of  March 2024 in my STB memory planner.

Fun that I'd picked up a Simple Stories kit of frames and ephemera and decided to make it work for this week's spread. Started with the large photo of me framed and worked backwards from there. It's so easy when all the things coordinate! Whoddathunk!

Photo pockets. Circle photos. Circle labels. STB stash. Lotsa ephemera And lotsa stamping!

It was one of those weeks. Fun cuz bday. Stressful cuz bday and the party prep that goes along with it. But this spread (which documents both) makes me smile.

th acorn nks

We celebrated Thanksgiving last Sunday since there is no Thanksgiving holiday in Germany. But for about 20 years we've been cooking the dinner and enjoying it with friends who either are American or who have spent time in America so that they really "get" it. There were 12 of us this year and I'm still enjoying the leftovers :)

I'd like to take this chance to wish all my American blog buddies a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with laughter and good eats. This one's for you.

Did some paper piecing with fall papers and one of my favorite MFT alpha dies. The papers are Simple Stories Harvest Lane. Substituted the acorn from Paper Smooches Falling for You for the "a". Kinda fun, eh?

Big hug to ya'll. Thanks for making me a happy blogger. And don't eat too much, at least not in one sitting ;)

I'm joining the fun at:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Thanks
AAA Cards - Thanksgiving

Catered Crop - a great challenge that is closing its doors with an Anything Goes

fall colors (AAA, Time Out, SSS, Make the Day Special)

Happy Fall, ya'll.

Inspired by a 6x6 pad from Simple Stories. Saw the label and decided to put it to use as the sentiment for my card. Next came the idea of mimicking the tree and leaves by using the PTI Mighty Oak and embossing it then applying some watercolors over the embossing. And because the "feel" of the card heads in the direction of warm and cozy... a couple buttons made an appearance too!

I'm playing (can you tell I'm in the challenge mode these days? ;):

AAA Cards - Fall colors

Time Out - #16 CASE Heather with a twist

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use Watercolors

Make the Day Special - Try a technique (I brought buttons back to life)

Hope you are enjoying a beautiful Fall if it's Fall where you are. I love this time of year. Thanks for coming by.

p.s. Did you see this post over at Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking? It's about using your tools wisely. They're featuring one of my cards that I really, really love:)

Supplies:

Paper:  Bringmann, PP Simple Stories

Stamps:PTI

Ink : Versamark, watercolors

Tools: rectangle die Lil Inker

Other: buttons, twine

change it up - king of the grill

Welcome back to "change it up" where I am sharing some reworking of cards to try to make them better. Here is specimen #2.

Started out as an entry for a submission call for PCS Cards for Him. For the outdoorsy kinda guy.

Thought I was being quite clever using the utensils from the Jane's Doodles stamp set It's a Guy Thing to create the grass for the grill to stand on and then the blue sky with the sentiment. The banner sentiment sticker up top, so-so. The touch of striped PP under it definitely helped. But not accepted for publication.  I later did this with the card...

morphing it into a Father's Day card. Added Glossy Accents to the grill (definite improvement) and a sentiment made from alpha stickers. More stripes down the left edge along with a strip of green to tie in with the "grass". But not a show-stopper.

I still like the first one better, I think. How about you?

BTW, I've scheduled these posts in advance. As you are reading this, I am probably hanging around outside Comerica Park where DS is at the Eminem concert with a cousin. And I can't wait to see what I will have learned from that experience!

Supplies for king of the grill:

Paper:  CS Bringmann, PP Simple Stories

Stamps: Jane's Doodles

Ink : Jenny Bowlin, Versafine

Tools: 

Other: alpha stickers Bo Bunny, Glossy Accents

right time. right place. (ATCAS, LIM)

Got your earplugs in?   I'm tootin' my own horn here today.  I am so incredibly happy to have five cards published in the special edition of Paper Crafts Magazine, Card Creations for Him.  I had a blast making cards for the submission call. But as the deal goes, I can only share one with you here... you really should check out this issue (and it's still paper!!!)  It's tough to make cards for guys, but this issue was created in an interesting way.

"Smart & Geeky, Casual & Playful, Hip & Urban, Rough & Tumble, and Classic & Refined" - pick your kinda guy and create for him, keeping his style in mind!

They're sharing samples from each of the categories over at the PC blog this week.  Did you see the clever take on "Classic & Refined" from Amy W.?  I have an anniversary and a retirement card in that section of the mag, too.

But I want to share my fave creation with you.   It's actually a 20th anniversary card for DH. (Unfortunately he didn't get it cuz it went to Utah!!!)  Anyhoo, any geocachers out there?

I'm not gonna explain it... I think you "get" it...
May I just say it's a great idea if you really want to make a card personal - whether wedding, anniversary, baby...  Agree? BTW, DH doesn't geocache.  I just love the "idea" behind the coordinates.

Let me just point you to this site for coordinates.
And to this great site for nautical knots (mine is the square knot).

I'm playing at Addicted to CAS where the theme for their first anniversary is, drum roll please, "Anniversary".  And at Less is More where the challenge #146 is to use PP in a CAS way.  Yep.

ETA:  Had this post scheduled for Wednesday but moved it up to today cuz I just saw over on the PC blog that Susan O. is plugging this very card!  Oh my, how exciting.  But apparently it's in the "Hip & Urban" category... Fine by me ;)))

Thanks for looking.

supplies for right time. right place:

Paper:  white Bringmann, red Am Crafts, PP Snap from Simple Stories, old map

Stamps: PC generated using Arial font

Ink : 

Tools: heart die Amuse Studio

Other: crochet thread, cork stickers Studio Calico

cheery smile (Moxie Fab, KIS)

Two reasons to be cheery.  First, the (NBUS) stickers I used for this were from an American Crafts collection packet I was lucky to win over at Paper Crafts Connection last spring.  Thanks PC! Second, using a package of stickers to create a card is something new and different for me and pretty darn easy!  Cool.

Now, the stickers are just dandy.  My brilliant idea to use the Studio Calico V-Pattern Mask and stamp through it... maybe not so dandy.  Oh well.  There is a certain touch of whimsy to it.

Stamped the BG.  Stamped the grass.  Adhered the stickers.  Added the chevron PP strip behind the panel and two tiny strips of color under the chalkboard sentiment sticker.  Happy summer.  In the middle of autumn ;)

Joining the fun at:
Moxie Fab World - Handmade Cards - Stickers and Tape
KIS - #25 Be Inspired (the sticker package with the colors and flowery theme "drove" my card)

Thanks for visiting.  Have a good week (it's back-to-school-after-a-great-fall-break time here).

Supplies smile:

Paper: cardbase Bringmann, PP Simple Stories

Stamps:"grass" Neat and Tangled

Ink:  Versafine, Hero Arts

Tools: mask Studio Calico

Other stickers American Crafts, sentiment sticker Pebbles

ready, set, splatter (Craft Stamper, SSS)

Splatters.  I used to wonder how people made the cool ones.  My fave are still the ones some scrapbookers pull off with black spray paint spilled out of the paint can cap.  But I'm not doin' that in the house.

So, there are the sprayed kind.  The dripped from the tube of the spray bottle kind.  The dripped from a wet paint brush kind.  Or the kind that happen when you bang the wet paint brush against your other hand - but they usually end up somewhere you didn't want 'em.  The ones you make with a stamp that nearly all the stamp companies have come out with in the past six months - but that's cheating, right?  Or you just squish your Distress Inked BG into the remaining ink droplets on your craft sheet (that you misted with some water).  That's how I got these red blotches.  Callin' 'em splatters.

There is a challenge over at Craft Stamper mag for cards using splatters - a featured technique in this month's issue.  Check it out.

My stamping was done with Crafty Secrets Cherubs set so I'm hooking up at Simon Says Stamp's challenge to use clear or rubber stamps.  Some heat embossing and fussy cutting.  Some woodgrain paper.  Enamel dots (LOVE those things). Voila.

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies love:

Paper: PP Ursus, Simple Stories

Stamps: Crafty Secrets

Ink:  Distress Ink, pigment ink 

Tools: scissors

Other: clear embossing powder, enamel dots MME