Neighborhood Watch

Miss Gracie is most curious and loves looking out the window.  I was happy to get such a unique photo of her from outside.  Glad the weather was cooperating today!

Pinecone Card

This simple card was made with Lacy Labels (for the 2-layer shape), and the blossom punch from SU!  The pinecone is made from one of the shapes that this punch makes.  I also added a bit of stickles in gold to the edges of the pinecone.  You can learn how to make it at http://valitasfreshfolds.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-punch-pine-cones.html - it is really easy to do.  Thanks for looking!

Snowman Gift Tags

I was able to complete my Christmas gift tags for the girls!  I love this snowman.  He is a Whipper Snapper Designs stamp, and is colored in with markers and watercolor pencils.  The tag layers were cut with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge.  There is another white layer on the back that has "To:" and "From:" stamped on it.  I think this would be great on a card, too!

November Card Swap

 

The theme for this month's swap was Christmas.  I used one of the Nestabilities labels for the front stamped image and black shadow cut.  I used the Stampin Up! stamp set is called Beautiful Season, and colored it with my Prisma watercolor pencils.  The card type is called a double Z. 

Inside, I used a sentiment stamp from the same set as the front image.  I also made my own burgundy ribbon with an EK Success border punch, and glued a bit of black grosgrain ribbon on top of it to make it coordinate with the rest of the card base. 

Wedding Card

I needed a quick wedding card this week.  It is an A2 size card.  The white cardstock is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  The two hearts are cut with Nestabilities, and the white layer is also embossed with one of the heart folders from the Cuttlebug die/embossing folder set.  The edge punch used on the white background is a Martha Stewart punch.  A little bit of lavendar ribbon and a couple flat backed pearls, and the card is complete!

Tag Challenge

Sheila from She's a Sassy Lady has a Christmas tag challenge on her blog.  This is my entry for the challenge.  The tag is made from Lacy Labels, the deer are from Wildlife Lite, and the background trees are from the SU! Lovely as a Tree set.  I wish I had a slightly larger Merry Christmas stamp, but other than that, I am happy with it and plan to make more for this year's gift giving.  I think this would be a nice background for a masculine card, too.

October Card Swap

It's card swap time again!  The theme for October was "thank you" and I just couldn't resist making it a fall themed card.  The pumpkins are Sizzix sizzlit dies, and are shaded with Prisma watercolor pencils.  I think SU! currently sells one of them, but I bought them as a pair several years ago.  The background stamps are from the SU! set Autumn Days.  The sentiment is computer generated and cut out with the SU! scalloped square punch.  A bit of raffia and a little strip of autumn themed paper finish off the card.

Candy Wrapper Box

I love the new Sizzix Candy Wrapper Box manual die (exclusive to Stampin Up), but I didn't want to pay out the moolah for it.  So, I decided to design my own version of it with my gypsy.  Using only the square from the George & Basic Shapes cartridge, I was able to make my own version of the box.  I actually have 5 different lengths of the box in my original gypsy file.  The 2" size is pictured below.  I also used a stamp from the Stampin Up Oval All set, and also the coordinating oval and scalloped oval punches.  The paper is from DCWV Whimsy stack.  I am very pleased with my finished box.  Now, to decide what to put inside...

Gracie's new coat

I made this sweet little denim coat for Gracie.  It is already getting cold here, and we are still waiting on her full coat to grow back from the last trip to the groomer.  The lining and trim are a very Scottish looking red plaid.  It was so much fun to make.  The pattern is Butterick See & Sew 5126.

Paper Bag Album post #8

Gracie is 10 months old today!  I know no one cares but me, but I just had to add the info anyway.  This is the final layout of the album.  I am still deciding if these pages need further embellishment or not.  The patterned paper design is so pretty that I hate to cover more of it up!

Paper Bag Album post #7

This is the back of the second pull out page.  I used fruit punch stickles on the white lettering, and it came out a nice pink color.  It shows up better in real life than in the photo.

Paper Bag Album post #6

The next two pages are a regular page and another pull out page.  Gracie was such a little baby!  I also have used the same Martha Stewart heart border punch throughout the album.

Paper Bag Album post #5

This page is the bottom of the paper sack.  It makes a little pocket to slide the photo tag into. 

Paper Bag Album post #4

This is the first two-page layout in the album.  The first picture was taken when we went to meet Gracie on Christmas Eve, and the second one was taken the first day I brought her home in January.  I had to put the little red coat that I made for her on to see just how big it was.  She was swimming in it!  LOL

Paper Bag Album post 3

This is the back side of the pull out page.  The photo is before Gracie was old enough to leave her mother, but right after both of her ears perked.  I believe it was before December was over.  I think she was the cutest puppy ever!  Again, all cuts were made with my Slice.

Paper Bag Album continued...

The first page is a pull out type.  The photo is the one that was on the breeder's website, and is pretty much the way Gracie looked when we met her at 5 weeks old on Christmas Eve 2010.



Gracie Paper Bag Album

Finally, time to get started sharing my paper bag album.  I made this for my sister, but she doesn't have it yet.  Sssshhhhhhh!  This is the album cover.  All die cuts were done with my Slice machine.  The patterned paper is from an old set I bought on clearance at Target.  The "Gracie" letters are stickers that were included with the paper stack.  The two charms (Making Memories) were included with my new Slice machine to make up for the postage I paid to return the defective one.  It was perfect timing for the album!

Time Flies!

It has been a month since my last post.  I have been incredibly busy, but I do have some pics to post.  Hopefully, I will have time tomorrow.  Hope everyone had a wonderful summer!

Update

I finally have all my Christmas card fronts attached to the bases.  I have 39 of the navy and white with the bunny image, and a dozen of the reindeer puppy.  I do want to make some other ones when my new SU! stamp set comes, but for now, I am going to look through my stamps and get some images ready to color to build up my stash. 

Hope everyone has been having a wonderful summer!

Christmas 2011

Here is my first Christmas card for the year.  It is simply navy and white.  I cut a navy A2 size card base, and then another in white.  I used the large snowflake border punch from EK Success on each long side of the white and layered it over the navy card base.  I cut a strip of navy to cover the white center strip, and embossed it with a snowflake border embossing folder from Cuttlebug.  This doesn't show up well in the photo.  The center stamped image is a Penny Black "slapstick" stamp that I bought last year.  I used my Circle Scissor Pro to cut the white and navy circles.

Tilda with Ladybug

I made a few more Tilda cards.  I am thinking about writing "heard you caught a bug" on the inside and using them as get well cards.  The photo corners were cut with my Slice machine and the Paper Reverie design card.  The adorable ladybug at the bottom of the stamped image is cut from my Cricut Create a Critter cartridge.  Tilda was colored with Prisma watercolor pencils.

What's Happening

I have a few projects in progress here, but nothing to take pics of yet.  I have a Tilda with ladybug that will be made into cards--with a cute little die cut ladybug made with my Cricut. 
Then, there is the secret project for my sister.  Not gonna say what it is here, just in case she peeks in.  Shhhhh!
And yesterday, I decided on the design for my Christmas cards, so I have started cutting circles for the stamped images and the layering circles.  I think cutting the circles out will be the most intense part of this, and it is really easy with my new circle cutter.  I LOVE having perfect circles!
Now...if only I didn't have to work today...*sigh*

Promarker & Elegant Edges giveaway

Just enter on Enfys's blog!  And while you are there, be sure to check out her wonderful projects!

http://going-buggy.blogspot.com/2011/07/win-cricut-cartridge-and-promarkers.html

Eat Dessert First--House Mouse Card

I just love the House Mouse line of stamps, and this is one of their image & sentiment sets.  The medallion was cut with my Slice and the Paper Reverie design card.  The layering circles were cut with the Circle Scissor Pro.  The mouse image was colored in with Prisma watercolor pencils, and blended with an SU! blender pen.  Card size is A2.

Wedding Card

Just finished this wedding card using my Slice and the Paper Reverie design card.  I intended to use my Cricut and the elegant edges cartridge, but the puppies in the house create such a complication for me that it was easier to modify it to the Slice.  The black medallion and the shadowed monogram were cut with my Slice and the two layering circles were cut with my Circle Scissor Pro.   The card is a 4.25" square.  It is a simple design, but I think it came out well.



Gracie baby layout

These pictures were taken in January 2011.  Gracie was about 2 months old.  What a cutie!  And, what a handful she was!

All die cuts were made with my Slice machine.  I have used the following design cards:  Faith ("baby"--it cuts as "baby Jesus" but I trimmed it, "Love"), Basic Shapes 2 for the flowers, and Spring for the leaves.

Gracie Pages

 

I did some speed scrapping yesterday and here are two of my pages nearly completed.  I just need to do the journaling for them and I want to think about that before I put it on.  I also have ordered the Paws & Claws Slice design card, and want to use the dog tag shape from it for my journaling tags. 

The lettering is cut from the Spring Slice design card and the white flower shaped button is from the Basics 1 card that came with my machine.  A blue button has been added to the top with a small glue dot.  Circles are cut with my EK Success Circle Scissor Pro.  The EK Success Paw Print border punch has been used on the long edge of the title triangles.

Slice machine update

I received an email from Making Memories stating that my Slice was "not performing to optimum standards" and that they were sending me a brand new machine.  It was shipped by Fed Ex and it came Saturday.  It was already upgraded to the new features of shadowing and mirroring, and it cuts really well.  I have tried 3-4 different design cards in it, making sure to test the cuts the other one was unable to do. 

The old one seemed not to have much power when it was used without the power cord.  That is half the convenience of this little gizmo!  Anyway, I am very happy with the replacement, and its ability to cut as a cordless machine.  I just ordered 2 more design cards this morning!

I really love the new Slice, and will be using it a good deal with my Gracie scrapbook.  It is so handy to have a portable cutter that can operate without cords.  Especially with 2 puppies in the house!  Two puppies!  What were we thinking??

Miss Beasley

Here she is...Miss Beasley, my husband's new beagle pup.  Isn't she just too cute for words?  She is almost 10-weeks old.  My little Gracie is worn out over her!  lol

Slice machine warranty

I just purchased my Slice machine in December 2010, and it was giving me really wonky cuts recently.  I contacted Making Memories customer service by email and was given instructions how/where to properly return it, as it is still under warranty.  They received the Slice and were going to see if they could repair it or not.  Apparently, it has issues, because they have shipped a new one to me today!  I think that is excellent customer service.  I will let you know how the new one works out.  I hope all will be well with the new one, as I really do love that little machine and the design cards that I have for it.

Summer Fun with Gracie

 At first, she was just very curious about it.  But then we discovered that Gracie likes to get a drink right from the hose nozzle.  Too cute for her own good, isn't she?

I think this will make a wonderful LO for her scrapbook.  Now, to just find the time to do it!

June Card Swap

This is the final card swap for the season until we begin again in the late summer or early fall. The background is from a K & Co stack from a couple years ago. The stamped image is an Inkadinkado stamp called Botanical Script. It was stamped, crumpled, tea dyed, and smoothed out again, and the edges were distressed.

The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch, and the hello tag is from the SU tiny tag stamp and punch set.

I like the card, but the stamped and distressed part is time intensive--especially when you are making about 16 of a kind!

Gracie--Watch Me Grow

Finally! I was able to get my LO for Gracie's growth "chart" done! Isn't she the cutest puppy ever? Anyway, the title was cut with my Cricut Nursery Rhymes cartridge.

The fire hydrant was a journaling shape printed from my Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Designer software--journaling font is Catholic School Girl which came with the software. The chart and small 'measurement by date' were printed using the Beach Condensed font. EK Success punches were used to cut the shapes after they were printed.

The yellow measuring tape was a very old tape from my grandmother's sewing supplies. I matted the pics with the same soft yellow that the title was cut from, and then I scattered a few pastel prima flowers around for embellishment. On the second page there is also a small zip bag of her baby teeth that she spit out as she was getting her adult teeth.
The background paper is DCWV Pocket full of Posies stack.

Easel Card

I have a dear friend who works a stressful job. Occasionally I have to remind her to "breathe" so that she will destress herself. So, I made this 4.5" square card for her to keep handy and to remind her when I am not nearby.

The Tilda with lamb was stamped on white paper, then I used my new circle cutter to cut around the image (3.25"). Also used the new circle cutter for the green mat (3.5"). I softened the edges of both circles with the Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink pad. "Breathe" was designed using my gypsy and the Cricut Printing Press font. The matted circle and sentiment were both pop dotted. I used 3 dew drops on the left side of the white circle, and 3 on the base to keep the card in place.

Circle cutter

Not that anyone asked, but I have to give my opinion of this circle cutter. This is the EK Success Circle Scissor Pro, and I am in love! It cuts from 1"-6" circles with cuts every 1/16". It is fantastic. I have a couple circle punches, but it would be impossible to store (and afford) all the circle punches it would take to replace this circle cutter. So glad I bought it before investing any more $$ in circle punches.

Gracie's first grooming

Today was my little girl's first time at the groomer. She looks so grown up--but she doesn't act it. She is still my little baby, full of fun and quite a comedian! Her front feet look really small. We have had a LOT of rain and the fur on her feet was wet from being outside.

Looks like another milestone for her scrapbook! Hope I can get some time this summer to catch up on the pages!

May card swap time

This is my finished card for the May swap. The theme is sympathy, but this would work for a few different themes. The background cardstock is a nice off white--not quite into a brown tone color. The "Y" is cut from the Cricut Botanicals cartridge. The rest of the sentiment is printed from MS Publisher -- font is Annabel Script.

The stamp is from SU, and I dotted the flowers on the middle one with a darker color green to make it stand out more. I think I would like to try this one in lavendar, but I need to get more paper to do that! lol

Easter Card -- #4

This is the final of the Easter cards, and my personal favorite. My cricut was quite busy with this one! The tree is cut from Zooballoo. The eggs, bunnies, and grass are all from the Easter cartridge.

All the eggs were cut from white cardstock and individually decorated. The eggs were added using pop dots for some dimension. The card base is plain white with blue and green added by gently rubbing Colorbox pigment ink pads to get the shadowing and color intensity that I wanted.

I think these sweet little bunnies are so happy with their little decorated tree, don't you?

Easter Card -- #3

This card base was cut with my Cricut. I used my gypsy and welded two egg shapes from the Easter cartridge that was released in 2010. I used some Stardust stickles around the edge to give it some bling.

The bunny was also cut from the Easter cartridge, and the background shape is from the Picturesque cartridge. The bunny was cut from white paper and colored brown with a Bic Marks ALot marker.

Easter Card -- #2

Here is card number 2. The bunnies are also cut from the Slice "Spring" design card and glittered in the same way as the peep. The tag shapes were also cut from a Slice design card, but I just can't remember which one! Doesn't it just figure?

My dear friend just "loved" getting all these special Easter cards! Well, who wouldn't? LOL

Easter Card

I have a dear friend that I love to torment with holiday cards. She knows who she is! LOL Anyway, the marshmallow peep is a cut from the Slice "Spring" design card. I ran it thru the Xyron and sprinkled yellow glitter on it to make it look like the sugar coated peeps. The paper is from the DCWV nursery stack (boy), and the purple plaid is punched with an EK Success border punch. The corner dots are glittery dimensional stickers from Target.

Mother's Day

I just finished the Mother's Day card I am sending to my mom. It needs to go in the mail tomorrow! I used a Penny Black slapstick stamp "Flower Girl" for the image. I colored it using a combination of Prisma watercolor pencils and Bic Marks ALot markers. It is edged with a Martha Stewart PATP punch set. The background is embossed with the Cuttlebug folder that comes with the gratitude or thanks card combo. I thought its flowers looked similar to the sunflower the little girl is holding. I also used a red ribbon and bow at the top. Can you believe it? No die cuts were used on this card! I hope mom likes it!

April Card Swap

Last night was card swap, but I didn't get a picture of my card until this morning. Too busy lately for my own good! Anyway, the swap theme was baby girl.

My card is a 4.25" square with an EK Success punch used along the bottom. I cut a 3.24" square of lavendar cardstock and used a lacy Martha Stewart PATP (punch around the page) set, and I also embossed it with a polka dot folder. The heart set on top was cut with my Cuttlebug heart die/embossing folder set. The heart base is cut from a light lilac and stamped "Welcome Baby" in a dark purple. The top heart is embossed vellum. I like the way the vellum turned out with the embossing, and I am sure I will be doing this again soon!

Graduation Layout

As you know from my last post, Miss Gracie graduated from the puppy class last Monday. Yay, Gracie! Anyway, this is the LO that I made for her scrapbook. I scanned the certificate and printed it out on cardstock in the size that would work on my 8" x 8" page. (I also erased the instructor's name to protect her privacy.) "Graduation" is cut from the Calligraphy cartridge, and the mortarboards are cut from A Child's Year. I added some red embroidery floss for the tassel.

"Valedictorian" is cut from the Nursery Rhyme cartridge, "Teachers Pet" is from Lyrical Letters and was welded with my Gypsy. The white terrier is from Just Because Cards. The background is a soft gray with a 3.5" chunk of printed graduation paper (from Joanns) down the outer edge. Overall, I am very pleased with the LO, especially since I do not consider myself a scrapbooker.

Gracie's Graduation

Gracie graduated from puppy school this evening. Isn't she just the cutest in a mortarboard? I love it! She refused to wear it, of course, so I had to hold it in place to get pictures. She looks so grown up in this picture, but she is just a puppy.

Birthday Card

I finally had time to craft again! Housebreaking a puppy takes a lot of time! LOL

Tilda is holding a ladybug, so I colored her dress and pinafore to match using Prisma watercolor pencils. I used black and yellow Bic Marks a Lot markers, and also added a little ladybug cut from Create a Critter. The sentiment stamp is from a set I found at Joanns. I like the white craft ink on the black paper--it gives it a sort of chalkboard look.