Pretty Birthday

This is for the MFT sketch challenge. I am waiting for some new MFT stamps to come so I might do one more card with this sketch if they come in the next couple of days. Can I tell you what a good time I am having today stamping. My stamp room is trashed and I don't even care:)

I am feeling like I want to give something away, in the next day or two I am going to post some blog bling, just for fun. It is some Valentine goodies I picked up. I hope you will come back and ckeck it out! Thanks for stopping by!

Laura~

Hoppy Birthday

I am still playing around with some fun challenges a few girls over at SCS issued. This is for my nephew, another one, who's birtday is in a couple of weeks. He will be 8. The challenges this covers are 5+ layers, a lonely stamp, and buttons. While I spent a little time on this card, I think everything is pretty self explanatory!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a safe and happy New Year!

Laura~

Time Spent

I found a thread over at SCS were some of the girls are doing a little weekend challenge. One of the challenges is to do a one layer card, eeeeccchhh. I have done only one previously and wasn't thrilled with it, but this one I like, it makes me smile. I colored the buttlerfly and the sentiment with my blender pen and ink pads and added a few rhinestones.

Thanks for stopping by!

Laura~

Friendship

I have to admit I am enjoying making some cards today that aren't Christmas related. This is for My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge at SCS. I used the heart from Boho Blossoms set. I stamped it with Versamark on Vellum CS and then embossed it with white EP. I also ran a piece of Vellum CS through my Cuttlebug with a textile folder.

Have a wonderful day! Laura~

Easy Cards

I needed a get well card for a man and a fun birthday card for my nephew. I really wanted to keep these simple and I think I did that.

The cake on the birthday card was in a package of three that I picked up on clearance at Target. This card went together really quick!

For the get well card, I used the Office Emphemera set from SU!. I like how it looks like a vintage post card. This is a RAK for WonkaIsMyCat's dad, who is in the hospital.

I am not going to post full recipes for these cards, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Thanks for stopping by!

Laura~

Card Box

I have a few things to share today. The first is this card box that I made for Christmas gifts. I made about 12 total. I sold a few right before Christmas and the rest were gifts, which is why I couldn't post the photo before, I didn't want my family and friends to know! I got the unfinished wooden boxes from Michaels. I painted them with craft paint and then used an antiquing medium to give it an aged look. The letter stamps are from Autumn Leaves (I got the set on clearance at Target awhile back) I adhered the paper with decoupage and then added another coat to the entire box. Inside the box I included printed cardstock to keep track of birthday's and anniversaries for each month. Each box also included a small stack of handmade cards. They were a big hit!

Thanks for stopping by!

Laura~

Friendship

This is for a My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge on SCS. The DP is from My Mind's Eye. I embossed the flower with white ep on burgandy cardstock. I stamped By Definition onto vellum CS and layered that onto bashful blue cs. The ribbon is from Mike's. Hope all your holiday preparations are going well. I am going to do a little baking later today, other than that I am pretty much ready. If I don't get to post again before Christmas, I hope that you have a beautiful and peaceful Christmas with your loved ones. Hugs, Laura~

Gift Bags

These bags are for the girls in our office. I also get to post them for the Way to Use it Challenge. I got the bags at Target on clearance, woohoo! I kept them fairly simple and could easily do quite a few if necessary. I colored the snowmen with a blender pen and ink spots. Easy peasy!

Recipe~ Stamps: Festive Favorite, Circle of Frienship. Paper: Figgy Pudding from Basic Grey, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue. Ink: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Close to Cocoa. Other: Snowflake rhinestone (Michael's), Cirlcle punches. ribbon

Goodie Thank You

Hi there! This is for today's sketch challenge, what a fun sketch. Can you tell this is my favorite challenge! This card is for the wife of an employee at our company who every year bakes us the most fabulous tray of goodies for Christmas. I just counted at least 10 different items all more wonderful than the next! This is a pretty striaghtforward card. I used my giant Making Memories brads and colored the flowers with classic ink pads and a blender pen. For the piercing I lightly penciled a line and just followed along with the piercer.

Recipe~ Stamps: Doodle That, Short & Sweet. Paper: DP from Wild Asparagus, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Real Red. Ink: Real Red, Burgandy, Artichoke, Black, More Mustard, So Saffron. Other: Making Memory Big Brads, paper piercer.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Laura~

Altered Note Book

Well hello! I needed a really quick thank you/Christmas gift for wonderful girl who helped by daughter during her first Irish Step Dancing Competition. My daughter was so incredibly nervous, I thought she might get sick (she did a few hours after the competition) and this 13 year old talked to my daughter and danced with her in the hallway until she felt better. My daughter ended up getting a third place trophy in one of her 4 competitions. Whew!

So what do you do for a 13 yr old. Well, as it so happens the dirty girls over at SCS have focused their attention on just that this month!! I altered a composition book for her, hopefully she will like the paper my daughter and I chose for her. Please let me apologize for the quality of this picture. I wanted to show the cute tabs and it was dark already outside and we HAD to go! I took one quick picture before I wrapped it up and left for dance class. I am getting stressed out just thinking about it again. The oval in the frame says Dance.

Recipe~ Paper: DP I believe is from Jo's (I've had it for awhile), River Rock. Ink: Choc Chip for distressing. Other: Basic Grey rub0on stitches, Funky Vintage Tags & Shapes and Fabulous Flowers from Making Memories, Heart Brads, Making Memories Vintage Brad, K & Co. oval (Dance)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope everything is going well with your holiday preparations.

Laura~

Celebrate Snowman

Hi! I am so happy to be posting again. Here's my card for this week's sketch challenge. I used the same paper from last week, cause I love it and I love to see how cards look with the same papers different layout. The brads were silver and I used my Alcohol Inks to color them. Everything else is pretty straight forward.

Recipe~ Stamps: It's Snow Time, Fancy Flexible Phrases. Paper: DP My Mind's Eye, Choc. Chip, Watercolor, Misc. marbly card stock (I've had it forever). Ink: Basic Black, Choc Chip, Bordering Blue, Ruby Red. Other: Snowflake Brads, Sewing Machine, Hodge Podge, Alcohol Ink.

Thanks for stopping by, Laura ~

Warm Winter Wishes

Hi there, here is my card for the sketch challenge this week. The gorgeous DP is from My Mind's Eye. I stamped the snowman on watercolor paper and colored him using a blender pen and ink pads and a sponge dauber. I then cut out his hat for some dimension. I stiched around the edge of the snowman and around the DP with a zigzag stitch that I don't think you can see. The crystal snowflakes are some that I got from Michael's last year.

I am going out of town for a few days with my daughter who is dancing in her first Irish Step Dancing competition, called a Feiss. She is really nervous...I will let you know when we get back on Sunday how she did. I am a little nervous too!

Recipe: Stamps: It's Snow Time. Paper: DP My Mind's Eye (Falling Frost), Choc. Chip, River Rock, Vanilla, Watercolor, Vellum. Ink: Choc Chip, Close to Cocoa, Gable Green. Other: Snowflake Rhinestones, ribbon, sewing machine.

Provencal Tile

I loved today's try a new technique! I have really been wanting to try stamping on tile and today was the day. I didn't have any Staz-on in the colors I wanted so I use regular SU ink I am hoping with the clear coat of sealant all will be well. Keep your fingers crossed.

Recipe~ Stamps: Carte Postale, Inkadinkado (butterfly and small french script). Ink: Choc chip, Close to Cocoa, Sahara Sand, Old Olive, Baroque Burgandy.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Laura~

verry merry

Hi there! Hope you are having a nice weekend so far. It is really windy and cold here in fabulous Las Vegas...perfect for knocking out a few Christmas Cards! Just one sentiment stamp on this card. I wanted to have this fabulous paper (Figgy Pudding by Basic Grey) as the star of this card. I cut one tree out and popped it on dimentionals!

Recipe~ Paper: Basic Grey (Figgy Pudding line), Soft Sky. Stamps: Short & Sweet. Ink: Bashful Blue, Close to Cocoa, Choc Chip. Other: Hodge Podge, brads, twine, sewing machine.

Sweet Baby

Hi everyone! I can't believe it has almost been a week since I posted. I had some company in town and my daughter started back to school on Monday (she is on a year round schedule).

I want to share some exciting news. I submitted a card to Paper Crafts Magazine and it was accepted for the June/July '08 issue. I can barely sit still I am sooo excited. I hadn't posted the picture of the project here or on SCS, but I will be able to share it here 2 weeks before the issue is published in early May!!!

Well, on to the card for yesterday's sketch challenge. I needed a baby card for SquirlyShirley at SCS. For the DP I used Je Taime from the Tres Jolie collection from My Mind's Eye. I just love how soft it is and I love, love, love soft green for baby things. I got the Bundle of Joy set from SU! over a month ago and just now used it!

Recipe: Paper: (Tres Jolie) My Minds Eye, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Very Vanilla. Ink: So Saffron, Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery. Stamps: Bundle of Joy. Other: Ribbon, cirlce punch, paper piercer, ribbon punch.

Celebrate

Friday means limited supply challenge at SCS. I used by CB for the background and added Fruit Punch Stickles for a little color. I stamped the sentiment in Rose Red and embossed with irredenscent ep. I just love easy cards!! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe: Stamps: Wonderful Words. Ink: Rose Red. Paper: Vanilla, White. Other: Stickles, ribbon.

Tea Bag Holder

Hi! This is for try a new technique Monday at SCS. I used the tag punch from Festive Favorites. Pretty straight forward today. Hope you are having a nice one!

Laura~

Woohooo!

I just wanted to share, because it is pretty exciting for me, that I am featured in a local magazine, called 89148 (my zip code) in a monthly article called Meet the Neighbor. When the editor came to my house for the photo shoot, he noticed some of the paper projects I was working on and included them in the photo. The issue just came out yesteday! Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful Sunday!

Laura ~

CASEing Papermoon

Shelly, Papermoon at SCS, is such a fabulous designer and a wonderful person. She consistently leaves such nice comments for what seems to be everyone! I chose this card to case because the detail is simply stunning and because sadly I need a sympathy card for a friend who lost her mom. I changed the stamps and the colors slightly, but generally kept everything else the same.

Recipe ~ Stamps: Oh So Lovely, Sincere Salutations. Paper: River Rock, Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Ruby Red, Watercolor Paper. Ink: Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, So Saffron, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Old Olive. Other: Paper Piercer, Twine, Daubers.

Polka Dot Birthday

For this Way to Use It Challenge we are supposed to use the fabulous brads that we hoard. Gasp! Well you only get one out of me today! I stamped the presents from MFT in black craft and embossed with clear ep. I colored it in with a blender pen and ink pads. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Recipe ~ Stamps: My Favorite Things. Paper: Wild Asparagu DP, CTMH DP, Pomegranate, River Rock. Ink: Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa. Other: Brad from MM, small brads, paper piercer, frame punch, ribbon.

elegant christmas

This is for sketch challenge SC150. I bought this bronze paper the other day at Mike's and was shopping last night at Target where I was looking at Christmas stuff. They had a wonderful collection of oranaments in brown, gold, and bronze. I wanted to capture the elegance of that. I didn't add a lot of fussiness to this card so that end. For the ornament I circle cut a piece of cardstock vellem and stamped the flourish from CartePostale in versamark and then brushed over that with Sparkle Gold and Sunset Gold Pearl Ex. I used the lighter gold in the center of the ornament and the darker around the edges for some depth. I sealed it with hair spray 'cause I am out of sealer right now. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Laura~

Craft Show Purses

Hi there! These are projects that I have done for craft shows. I told Trish, a fellow craft show pal, that I would post these. Sometimes I just need a little shove! For the fall paper purse, I got the pattern from aPaperCrafts Magazine from at least a year ago, I haven't found the issue yet but will update the post when I do. I included a stack of 6 fall themed note card with envelopes. I priced it at $15, I had 2 and they did not sell. I guess the price was too high. What do you think?

Now, for the altered Altoid tin. I cut paper to size and used decopage over the top. I then added the ribbon, the rhinestones (self adhesive) and the charm (from Mike's by the company Better Beads). These hold a gift card perfectly. I priced them at $3.50 and sold all that I had at the show (5) and took orders for 25 more. I just sold ten more to a friend, she is going to hang them on the Christmas tree. She asked for 5 of them to be more masculine, so I am going to make them look like a suitcase. I will post pics when I get those done.

I had been altering tins that my friends saved for me and that I had, those are gone now. I had to order a couple of cases of cinnamon Altoids. The wholesale cost of those is about $1.26. I found a site online that I can get plain tins for under $.70 so I will be doing that once I get through all the tins I have now! Tell me what you think.

Thanks for stopping by. Laura~

Casing Stamp Owl

Happy Sunday! This is for the Featured Stamper Challenge. This week is StampOwl. She is very talented and has a wonderful gallery! I still need Christmas cards so that's why I chose to make it a holidayish. I stamped the main image on watercolor paper, embossed with clear ep and then colored it with stamp pads and a aquapen. The dp is stuff I have literally had for years. I need to use it or give it away.

Recipe ~ Paper: misc. dp, watercolor, vanilla. Ink: Close to cocoa, ruby red, burgandy, choc chip, old olive, artichoke. Other: Hodgepodge Hardware, stickles.

Thanks for stopping by! Laura~

Merci

Hi! This is for one of the mini VSN challenges at SCS. The challenge was to use the faux linen technique. I have seen this, but not actually tried it, well I guess that is what the challenges are for! So, I stamped one of the flower clusters from Carte Postale on glossy cs with ruby red and mellow moss (stamped off on anoter sheet of paper and then stamped mulitple times) and then added the swirl in sahara sand. I then stamped the other flower image on vellem cs and then embossed it with clear ep. The background for that was another of the artistic elements stamped off once with mellow moss and then I stamped over that with Canvas BG. What do we need designer paper for anyway, right! Whew, added a few brads and some gorgeous ribbon from Jo's and there you go.

Recipe: Stamps: Carte Postale, Canvas. Paper: Glossy White, river rock, ruby red, vellum cs, watercolor paper. Other: Brads, Ribbon, Paper Piercer.

Thanks for stopping by!

Laura~

Timeless

This is for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. I used DP from Me & My Big Ideas and stamps from MFT. This is a great layout, one I don't think of using on my own, but that is why I particularly like sketch challenges. I got the butterfly image at Target. It blends almost perfectly with the the bg paper.

Recipe ~ Stamps: My Favorite Things, Autumn Leave (butterfly). Paper: Basic Gray, Vanilla, Misc. lt gray paper. Ink: Silver. Other: Cuttlebug, ribbon, clear ep, eyelets, Creative Memories circle cutter.

Sparkly Christmas

This is for SCSC03 challenge. As I have said I am on a mission to get as many Christmas cards done as possible. Did you notice this one is not a snowman? I love this little tree. I really didn't do anything special here so here's the recipe...

Paper: DP is from Mike's, ruby red, very vanilla. Ink: Ruby red, gold. Other: rhinestones, fruit punch stickles, flower punch, ticket punch, gold ep.

Thanks so much for stopping by, have a wonderful day!

Laura~

Smile

Ok, so here is the correct version of the challenge from yesterday at SCS. I got so caught up in the directions yesterday that I hadn't noticed the challenge was to make a horizontal pocket card. The dp is Cosmo Cricket. The slide was made with my CB. Recipe~Paper: Cosmo Cricket, Real Red, Choc Chip, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla. Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Taken with Teal, Apricot Appeal. Accessories: Brad, paper piercer, Cuttlebug, stapler, ribbon, corner rounder.

Pocket Thank You

This is for TLC141 at SCS. I just love this flower from My Favorite Things. I stamped it onto vellum cs and embossed it with clear ep. I just got that gorgeous ribbon from Mike's last week and the DP is from SU. This is a really simple card, but I think it is pretty and elegant.

And the winner is.......

Congratulations Amy (SCS, lay_d_shugarrose)! She is the winner of my blog bling. Thanks everyone who played, you made me laugh with some of your answers and some of them were exactly what I would choose.

One of my visitors asked if I could add email updates as an option to my blog. Well, I aim to please, so you can now be notified when I update my blog. Hope you have a wonderful Monday!
Laura~

Thinking of You

This is for the featured stamper challenge at SCS. This weeks FS is Jimmy. She has such a fun gallery and it was great being able to CASE her. I used dp from DCWV Posie collection. The butterfly is from Autumn Leaves. To make the oval I used a cutting system from Creative Memories. I added Stardust Stickles to the butterfly and edges of the ovals! Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful weekend!

Laura~

Blog Bling!

Woohoo, my ticker went over 1000 and I am giving away some blog bling! I want to know a little about you. Please leave a post here answering the following questions and I will have a drawing on Monday morning! (please leave a way for me to find you...SCS name, phone number, address, blog...)

1. ribbon or sparkles?

2. rainy day or sunshine?

3. Christmas or Thanksgiving?

4. rock or country?

5. football or baseball?

6. camping or hotel?

7. wine or beer?

8. cozy by a fire or snowball fight?
9. cats or dogs?

I know they are random, but I bet I made you smile a couple of times!

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful weekend!

Laura~

Holiday Hello

This is for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. This sketch is so fun! I got to use my new stamps and make another holiday card. Life is good! I stamped the snowman in craft black ink and and embossed in clear ep. I used Caramel Alcohol Ink to paint the snowflake brads. Thanks so much for stopping by.

I am getting some blog bling together and will be posting a little something later to find someone to give it to! Laura~

love you

This is for my DH and for the new challenge chasers challenge. It's for everyday event and I for one don't always think about those in my own house when it comes to making cards. I am going to put this little card (2 1/2 x 3 1/2) in my DH's car tonight! I kept it really simple, while he loves my stuff he doesn't care about all the froo froo. I did cover the little heart with Crystal Effects.

Thanks for stopping by!

Laura~

Simple Snowman

This is for the limited supply challenge! It is as simple as it looks! This is a version of the 350 cards I am doing. The only difference being that the other card has a white base (printed inside) and the little rhinestone is not included. The bg is done with my Cuttlebug snowflake folder.

Thanks for stopping by! Laura~

make a wish

Hi! I am still playing with my new My Favorite Things stamps. These are so fun. I stamped the cake image on watercolor paper and used my SU markers to color. The only part I used my waterbrush pen was with the mellow moss. I added Fruit Punch Stickles and Crystal Effects to the cake. To make the frame, I drew a the shape with a pencil and cut on the line. I think I got the polka dot dp from Jo's. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Laura~

Geisha Girl

Here's my DD wearing a kimono for Halloween!

merry reindeer

Hi there. Here's a quick card for this week's sketch challenge. I stamped the reindeer in choc chip and embossed with clear ep on white paper. The dp is from Colorbok that I just picked up at Jo's. I stamped canvas on sage shadow with versamark and added the little snowflake stamp from short & sweet in close to cocoa. Pretty straight forward, thanks for stopping by.

Laura~

just for you

This is for CC138 at SCS with my new MFT stamps. Love them!! The bg was stamped with the little flower from Short and Sweet. and then colored with SU markers. I added a little stickles to the centers of the flowers. I cannot find my piercing grid to save my life. So I lightly drew a freehand line with a pencil, pierced along the line and then erased it, tah dah!! I didn't think I would like these colors, but liked how this turned out.

Thanks for stopping by!

Laura~

My Favorite Things

Yeah! I just got my new stamp set from MFT. I got this flower boho set and the birthday set. I used it for the Challenge Chasers Color Challenge. I love having a buffet of challenges to choose from. If one isn't grabbing my attention there is another somewhere else. I stamped the flower with bravo burgandy and versamark and then embossed with clear ep. The charm is from MM.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!

Tagged

I have been tagged by Chat from Me, My Stamps and I to tell 7 random little known
things about myself, well I am supposed to tag 7 others, I am sooo new at this blogging thing I have 2 people to tag, but sadly no others. Please considered yourself tagged if you want to play and leave a message here


1. In my previous life, before SAHM, I was a cake decorator. My mom and I had a shop together for about 10 years!
2. I married my high school sweetheart, but only after running into him at college.
3. I have a degree in marketing.
4. In November, I am going to be featured in a local magazine highlighting some of the volunteer work I do.
5. I am the PTA President at my DD's elementary school.
6. This is much more difficult than I thought it would be:)
7. I am currently working on 350 Christmas card for the company my DH and I own. (some of my stalking pals do know that, because that is all I can think about right now)

Well, there you go!
Laura

Very Merry Snowmen

Ok, so I love snowmen. It is pretty much the only Christmas stamp set I own. I have another on order, but I ordered it because it has a new snowman in it:) Also, I think you are going to be seeing a lot of Christamas Cards from me. If I do them for the challenges I should have a really great selection of cards to send out. This is my theory, we'll see if that pans out!

This card is for ways to use it challenge, cracked glass. I love this technique, even thought today is the first day I got it to work correctly, yeah. The yummy dp is from Reminisce, Ice Storm White and Blizzard Blue. I am going to pick up some more because I love it! Oh, I also did another tri-fold card from Beate's weekend sketch challenge, I thought this image was perfect for it and they are sooooo easy to do.

Thanks so much for stopping by. My ticker is nearing 800 so 1000 is just around the corner, I think I will have to get some blog candy together. If you have something fun you want to share, please leave a comment and link here and I will take a look.

Note cards

This is a note card set that I sold at a craft fair last weekend. I sold them in a package of six card for $6. I had a set open so you could see what was in them. I sold two sets, but my cost was $5.

CASEing Chat

Congratulations Chat!! I chose this card from her amazing gallery, which I have been stalking since I started at splitcoast. I stamped the flower in choc chip and embossed in clear ep and colored it with a blender pen and ink pads. The dp is Cosmo Cricket Butterflies.

Very Merry

I can't believe I get to play another challenge today!! This is for Beate's weekend sketch challenge!

Winter Friends

Good morning! My kids are out of school today for Nevada Day. I got to sleep in for a few minutes, woohoo! I finished this card around midnight last night, but couldn't get a decent pic. So here we are, the image was done using the masking technique. I will share that I started a completely different card and it just wasn't going anywhere, does that ever happen to you? I embossed the main image with copper ep on watercolor pape and colored it with SU markers not quite navy and bashful blue and a tiny bit of orange and bugandy. The sentiment was stamped with not quite navy. I stamped some small bg snowflakes in versamark and embossed with clear ep and rubbed a bit of saffron colored chalk to highlight the (it's hard to see in the pic)

Have a wonderful weekend~ Laura

Thank you friend

Hi! This is for the brand new sketch challenge at SCS for the challenge chasers. I cut the circles in the frame with a Creative Memories circle cutter. The butterfly was embossed with copper ep and then colored with SU markers and blended with an aqua pen. I then embossed with clear ep over that and over the main flower image. So there you go! Thanks for stopping by.

My daughter is in year round school and has the next four weeks off, so I'll either be doing a lot of stamping or no stamping, LOL!

Sweet

Good morning! This card is for the Wednesday sketch challenge at SCS. I have new stamps so I had to use them. I thought this little hedgehog would be perfect. I stamped him in black on watercolor paper and then embossed in clear ep. I cut out the butterfly and added fruit punch stickles. I cut out the slider with a CB and used SU punches for the flowers. The stiches are stamps from CTMH.

Thanks so much for stopping by!