Three great inspirations collide

I have combined a great frosted card black from ShortCuts, a sketch challenge by Carla over at Lil' Scrappers and a fantastic idea from Lisa using old magnets. First ran my cardstock, pattern side down, through my Xyon. This allowed me to then adhere the paper to the back of the front side of the card. I then used my circle punches on some old magnets. I then used my craft knife to cut a circle out of the cardstock the size of the magnet adhered to the inside of the card. The other magnet is adhered to the back of my Making Memories chipboard piece.

More ShortCuts product samples

Ok so I am totally in love the with latest ShortCuts product - clear and frosted card bases. Here are a couple more samples.

Pssst......

I want to let you in on an exciting new product being launched this month at ShortCuts. Clear and Frosted Card Blanks. They are awsome! I have never been able to find a clear acetate that I liked working with, that was heavy enough and that wasn't riddled with finger prints. I have made a few samples to share. You can also checkt out ShortCuts for some beautiful samples made by Carla.

This first card I made last night for my husband and features the Frosted Card Blank. I know it's kind of hard to see the sentiment, but it says "Psst...." He was so sweet yesterday and brought me home a scoop of ice cream! I just had to remind him that I loved him. The card is based on the bonus sketch at 2Sketches4You. This cute little card features the Clear Card Blank. The rubon, sentiment and owl are all on the front of the card. The stripped paper is adhered to the inside front and the green adhered to the back.

September Sketch

I'm trying my hand at sketching and have discovered that it's not as easy as it looks. It may have something to with the fact that I am very much a beginner when it comes to Photoshop. Here is my debut sketch along with a sample. It think it turned out really well. I hope you give it a try!

If you like my sketch, and give it a try, please comment with a link to your creation. Thanks!

Cardstock: 80# Courgar White, Pink & Tan; Ink: Versafine (Black), Bic Mark it (Color Collection), Stampin Up! (Creamy Caramel); Stamps: Stamping Bella (JavaBella), Papertrey (Mixed Messages); Tools: Spellbinders (Circle Nestabilities), Fiskars Border Punch(Threading Water), Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Houndstooth); Other: Ribbon, Flower, Brad, 3D Foam Tape.

September SheetLoad

The September issue of SheetLoad is ready to download. It has some special features, so go check it out!!

SheetLoad Sneak Peak

In just a few short days the newest issue of SheetLoad of Cards will be ready for download. I have to say that I l-o-v-e-d the stamps from this months sponsor! They are awsome!!!

"HOPE"fully you can figure out who our sponsor is for September! :)

Papertrey Blog Hop

OMG! I am jumping for joy in my seat..... I was selected as one of the winners of last nights blog hop for Papertrey Ink! There were so many great projects I just so honored to have been selected. YEAH!!!!

Blog Hop & 2Sketches4U

Ok so I'm killing two birds with one stone. I have completed the project below for the Papertrey blog hop - creating a project using a CD case. I took the cover off the case and then put it back on in the reverse. This created a standing frame. I used today's sketch at 2Sketches4U for the layout.

I really love how the frame turned out!

Cardstock: 80# White Cougar; Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Garden of Life); Ink: Papertrey Ink (Lemon Tart, Sunrise Yellow), Versafine (Black); Other: American Crafts (Ric Rack), 3-D Foam Tape.

SheetLoad Shout Out!

Have you been to SheetLoad this month? Both the August Monthly & Mini are out. If you like the card below go check it out so you too can make a SheetLoad of Cards!

First day of school & a little something I whipped up

So crafting time has been very limited lately because we were preparing for our first day of school. Hooray!!! Oh to remember the new clothes and new pair of shoes for the first day of school. My mom always took a picture of us on the first day and I have continue that tradition. I have taken the picture in front of the front door and it's amazing to see the change from year to year.

Douglas is a 6th grader; boy he's really grown up and it seems like yesterday it was his first day of kindergarten! Reanne a Kindergartner, I can't believe it. Today was the first full day of school and it was like she's been going to school for months. What a milestone for her (and me).

Here's a little something I whipped up for a co-workers birthday. It's a really simple card but I love the way it turned out! I used my Nestabilities Petite Circle and Garden of Life stamps by Papertrey. The center of the flower was done by using a sponge dauber and pouncing it several times until I got the desired saturation.

SheetLoad of Cards - Free Monthly eZine: Show Us Your SheetLoad and Win - August

Pictured above is the Grand Prize.

SheetLoad of Cards - Free Monthly eZine: Show Us Your SheetLoad and Win - August There's some great loot up for grabs at Sheetload. Just use the August sketch for your chance to win!!! Alicia is offering up the covetted Threading Water punch by Fiskars!

August Sheetload

Just a quick reminder to go to SheetLoad tomorrow to get the August issue. The sneak peaks look fabulous!!!

Graduation Card

So as I prepare for 4 days in fabulous Tampa, FL to attend my brother's graduation party I took the opportunity to play with my new Nestabilities & Quickutz font. I LOVE THEM BOTH!!!! I simply embossed the card with the largest square die in a dark silver cardstock and cut the letters out of a lighter silver. I then used foam tape to adhere to the card front. The finished size is 5.5"x5.5". Now I'm off to pack my clothes!

2 Sketches 4 You

Here's my take on this weeks sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You. At first I wasn't so sure about this sketch, but I think this turned out really cute! The cherries, Quickutz, are raised with pop dots and I used a glaze pen for the center of the white flowers. Did you also get the sentiment? "Cheri"sh ;)

CTMH White Daisy - Chalkboard Technique

So have I mentioned how much I LOVE the CTMH White Daisy ink pad? So here's a card I made this weekend using the "Chalkboard" technique.

The "Chalkboard" technique: ink your stamp in CTMH White Daisy and stamp your image. While the ink is still wet dab your chalk over the image. On other blogs I saw it suggested swipping a Swiffer cloth once complete to wipe away any extra chalk on your card stock or spray with a krylon type sealer. This turned out really well!

Also sharing a cute make & take from Lil' Scrappers. It's a mini album made out of coasters. Where you see the popsicles in the inside unties to reveal places for journaling & pictures.

It's finally done!!!!

So I promised Reanne a big girl room for her 5th birthday. I found the bedding at Bed Bath & Beyond and the rest was history. I am tickled pink... literally, about how this room turned out. (I think I want to move in). Thanks to my SIL for the dresser and her sister for the bed and night stand. Couple of time savers I used. I purchase the Target brand closet organizers for the area between the window & the closet. They fit perfectly. I painted photo boxes for storage in the cubes and used a shoe organizer on the back of the door for all those stuffed animals. I am so glad this is done and just love how it turned out. Almost wish I was 5 again........ If the slide show doesn't load, click on View All Images to view.

Close to my Heart

Ok when I find a great product I've got to shout it from the roof tops. Are you ready? ..... I have found THE perfect white ink pad - Close to my Heart White Daisy. It is fantastic!!! It has great coverage, i can't say enough how great it is. So after I tried Melissa's white ink pad, I had her pull out the other colors she had. let's just say I was able to walk away with the stamp of the month for free!!! So in honor of all things Close to my Heart I made this card tonight. The stamps featured are from With Love, the June stamp of the month. I colored in the flower buds with a Sakura Glaze pen. Go check out this great stamp set, the FANTASTIC White Daisy ink pad and other great products at Melissa Machado CTMH Independent Consultant website. (Be sure to check out the July issue of SheetLoad for Melissa's July special!)

July SheetLoad

Be sure to download this months SheetLoad. It's Christmas in July...which helped me get a jump start on all my cards.

July SheetLoad Sneek Peak

Here's my sneak peaks at July's issue..... Be sure to check out SheetLoad by midnight June 30th for the chance to win some fantastic not-yet-releasted ShortCuts product.

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Scrapping Julie! She'll be receiving a Gift Card Folder Holder Sampler Pack. I was with Alicia last night as she packaged up all her product! You will love it!! I used random.org to generate the winning post.

Blog candy instructions

yeah I have my first comment, but now realize that I should have given additional instructions. When you leave a comment please be sure to provide your email address so I can contact you if you are a winner. Thanks!!!!

ShortCuts

So the genius behind SheetLoad has come up with a sister site, ShortCuts. Their mission is to help paper crafters, of all levels make the most of their time. ShortCuts will help you create stunning papercrafts by using pre-made "blanks" of those items we usually have to make by hand. Your time can be spent decorating, instead of fabricating. Ok so now for the good part....my first blog candy!!!!! Here's your chance to win a ShortCuts Gift Card Holder Folder Sampler Pack! This package contains one (1) of each of the four (4) colors we currently offer; white, cream, black & kraft. These handy blanks will allow you to create a wonderful presentation for a gift card (or other items, as you will see later this week) in a short amount of time. Spend your time decorating, not fabricating! *The sampler pack will be shipped with the product folded in half. This allows for lower shipping costs and does not affect the quality of the product. Here's what you need to do to qualify leave a comment here on my blog with a use for the Gift Card Holder. **Please be sure to provide your email address so I can contact you if you win. I will use random interger generator to select the winner on Sunday. Good luck!

Catching up on some crafting!!

You'd think that summer time would be a slower paced time of year allowing you to relax and craft anytime you wanted.....wrong! It seems that we are busier than ever going here and there. Last weekend I was able to take a few hours and bust out a few cards. I decided that I needed to use only the piles of scraps around me. I had a great time and was able to create a few quick cards. Nichole Heady demonstrated this technique, however I used a patterned paper instead of stamping the design. I love love the card turned out.

I fell in love with this paper when I saw it and the stripes in the card above are the back side!

Ok the penguins from Imaginisce are just about the cutest thing I have seen this summer and I had to have them. I'm still playing around with them, but was able to create a quick birthday card. This card is going to serve as inspiration for hopefully my first sketch for SheetLoad. I punch out the heart for another project and the cardstock left over was the perfect size for a card. Below is a close up so you can see the punch out a little better.

SheetLoad Announcements

There is so much going on over at SheetLoad!!! The first exciting news is the addition of a "sister blog", ShortCuts, to learn about a product that'll be launching in early July. There is also a chance to win it before you can buy it! So go check it out!! Next, there's also two great blog candies, so be sure to read all the details to qualify. And I've saved the best for last.... help me welcome two new additions to the SheetLoad Artist Team - Ann Seleshanko and Nicole Anderson and the announcement of SheetLoad Mini!! Ann and Nicole will be responsible for sketches AND samples in our new eZine - SheetLoad Mini. Beginning in July, SheetLoad of Cards will be putting out a mini mid-month edition. Each issue will give feature a new sketch, cutting diagrams and samples. It will be skinnier than a standard SheetLoad issue, but we think you will find it just as useful. After Ann and Nicole debut their first issue, a special episode of "Meet the Artists" will help you get to know each artist a little better.

Teacher Thank You

I just love it when my son's teacher has a favorite candy! It makes is soooo easy to give it as a gift at the end of the year. This year it was Tootsie Rolls. You can purchase the jar at Wal-mart of Target. Then decorate the lid and tie a ribbon around the neck. I reused a gift bag and decorated the front to match the jar lid with chipboard brackets, flowers and sticker letters. The sentiment on the jar lid is by Papertrey Ink and says, "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." I thought this very appropriate for a teacher!

Shout Out to Sheet Load

Ok, so I'm a bit behind.... sorry! Go check out this month's Sheetload. Be sure to use the link at this Sheetload post as the original download had incorrect dimensions. This month's issue is fun because you have a reason to break out all those $1 stamps that you "had" to have!

June SheetLoad Sneak Peak

Ok it's that time again! I am really excited for June's SheetLoad. Here's a little teaser for you. Be sure to visit SheetLoad as there is some blog candy! Good Luck!!

Share a SheetLoad

This month's Share a SheetLoad is CardsforHeros.org. I get a little choked up just thinking about it as my brother is in the Air Force. Even though he is not deployed, and even when he is he's never close to the action, I am always teary eyed. My prayers go out to our service men & women! This is a great way for us crafters to give a little love to them. The purpose of Cards for Heroes is to... "Help a hero keep in touch with home" Cardsforheroes.org provides handmade cards for deployed service-men and -women to write home on, and as well supplies cards for other organizations who support wounded warriors with care packages.The organization receives cards from across the United States and beyond. As of May 5, 2008 they have provided 23, 108 cards to the troops. One lucky crafter will even be featured at CardsforHeros.org website!!! Please visit SheetLoad for the details!

Favorite Mom Memory

So over at Papertrey Ink (you know my new favorite stamp company) is having a contest for their forum members. I am about 99% sure I won't win but I entered anyway. They want to know your favorite memory of your mom. Here's my entry. My favorite memory of my mom was from a Spring Break trip when I was about 12. My mom's friend, her son, my brother, me and my mom all piled in the car for a "day trip" to the Sand Dunes in south west Colorado. We were going to go sledding on the sand dunes. When we arrived, to our dismay, the sand dunes were drench in water from a night fall of rain; so no sledding for us. My mom and her friend were not to be defeated and whipped out the map to see what was close by for us to do, because after all it was Spring Break! They decided on Taos, New Mexico. We went to see the pueblo's and the different artist's galleries at the pueblo. After that we had dinner. By this time the kids were exhausted. I told my mom we should just stay the night and drive home tomorrow. She responded with, "Well then it wouldn't be a day trip!" So we drove home. I'll never forget our Spring Break adventures. Thanks MOM!

So what do you think?

So what do you think of my new header? This is my first attempt at using digital elements and I think I did not too bad. It really helped that the elements I found at Shabby Princess were so easy to use. I think I prefer paper and scissors, but I may dabble a little more into the digital realm.

May SheetLoad of Cards

Ok.... so I'm a few days late, but I can't help it. It was my birthday over the weekend, which in my book is just like a national holiday! :)

Go check it out! There are great new features in this month's issue. (Just click on the image below to go to the SheetLoad website to download the May issue.)

SheetLoad Sneak Peak

So here is a sneak peak at one of my cards for the May issue of SheetLoad of Cards. This month features the FABULOUS stamps from Stamping Bella!!!!

Simplicity

So I mentioned to a friend the other day that I had a blog where I posted things that I created and she wondered how I had time to create things, let alone post them to a blog. Well, by the amout of creating and posting I've done lately I would say I have no time.

This month on Paper Crafters Anonymous I participated in a weekly mailing and sent this card to my partner. I was inspired by the simplicity in some of the recent cards on Nichole's blog. The colored cardstock, ink & stamps are all by Papertrey Ink.

Enjoy!

April Sheet Load of Cards

Go check out this month's issue of Sheet Load of Cards. There are some great samples and an extra bonus for those who want to purchase from Stampin Up demonstrator Lisa McDowell. So go check it out!

A year come and gone

So it just dawned on me today to look and see just how long i've been bloggin..... And to my surprise it was a year on Feb 2. So I missed my first blogiversary! So much has happened. I'm still not very consistent in my posts, but it's a new year and i'll try better. ;) Thank you to those who visit to see what's new (i think there's only one of you - wink).

SheetLoad Blog Candy #2

So the celebration continues..... go check out SheetLoad and enter to win today's blog candy a super cool card album!

Inspiration from Nichole

So I have been frequenting Nichole Heady's blog and was inspired to make the following creations. The transparency card is way cool so you have to check out her blog for the tutorial. Thanks for visiting!

Just say no....

To patterned paper. Today's challenge at Caardvarks is just say no to pattern paper, so I'm throwing my hat in. I used StampinUp! cardstock and ink, Papertrey Women of Life stamp set, Sentiment is Studio G, eyelets are WeRMemory Keepers, Ribbon is Joann, Glitter is Hero Arts, I used a American Crafts white pen for the dots & an EK Succcess Scalloped corner punch with the guide removed for the scalloped, scalloped border.

Here piggy piggy piggy.....

So not only is my son's school celebrating National Pig Day, but one of my e-friends Ivanka is a big collector. So in honor of both I created my ode to pig card. I got all inspiration from a new card maker to me and boy is her stuff great!!! Go checke her stuff out at http://www.inmystamproom.com/ Thanks for the inspiration Lindsay!!!

SheetLoad of Cards - Free Monthly eZine: March Blog Candy #1 - Studio G Stamps - Sponsored by SheetLoad of Cards

SheetLoad of Cards - Free Monthly eZine: March Blog Candy #1 - Studio G Stamps - Sponsored by SheetLoad of Cards Check out SheetLoad this month. It's a 15,000 hits celebration you don't want to miss!!!!