Sing a Birthday Song

So excited to try this new music stamp from the Universal Backgrounds set in CTMH's new catalogue! I used a little bird from the Trees and Things set. I stamped them on textured White Daisy cardstock. The rest is pretty obvious. The inside poem I found online and changed it just a bit, computer generated.

This is a very quick card, and I really like the look of kraft cs. So I'm in a happy place, and have a great birthday card to send my friend.

Now that I look at the photo, it seems like the bow is upside-down...that happens to me a lot. It might be because I'm left handed. Well, it's jaunty and upbeat that way! lol

Isn't it funny how posting a photo really changes how you look at it? I think I need to add a little branch for birdie to sit on....

Sophia Celebration

This is a card and set made at my workshop today. The card, clip photo holder, and post-it holder were all made with CTMH Sophia collection papers. The colors are Hollyhock, Pear, and White Daisy. Bright and cheery for a cold, grey NW day.

The post-it directions are at Merri Barber's blog- she has a tutorial with all the measurements.
(www.stamptasticmom.blogspot.com/) But it moves so quickly! You'll need:

Cardstock 8 1/2" X 3 1/4". Score at 2 1/8", 2 1/2", 5 5/8", and 6"

Design paper 3 1/4 X 2 1/2; 3 1/8 X 2 1/8; 3 1/8 X 1 3/4" (the torn dots piece)

4 1 3/4" scallop cardstock pieces + a CTMH sparkle brad for the flower.

2 pieces of green ribbon (3 1/2" each) leaves

1 Velcro dot to hold it closed.

I used patterned paper rather than stamped cardstock on my version. The folded ribbon for 'leaves' is perfect, and a trick I will use again.
The gals thought these were very quick and easy to put together. We had fun making them.

FTL 129 Clean and Simple Challenge

Wonderful sketch at Clean and Simple this week (www.cleanandsimplestamping,blogspot.com/)

So I got to play with my newest toys: MS* butterfly+ Nestabilities labels. Punched the butterfly in black and then traced the outside on a piece of CTMH Honey cardstock to back it. The card base is also Honey, designed paper is from CTMH Mayberry collection. The sentiment is from Wordsworth- the Dickinson collection.

This isn't my usual comfort zone for color, but I just love the way it pops out.

Can you tell I am on a challenge roll today?! Whoo hoo! (It's because all my papers got graded before I left school yesterday. A very rare event.)

Bugaboo Challenge- Go Green!

This week the Bugaboo Challenge blog has a sketch and the the color green. This kraft card uses one of my fav Bugaboo puppies. The papers are CTMH Olive cardstock and Backwoods (retired) designed. The shamrock is from In the Month of March stamp set. Kraft border and neutral buttons also CTMH. Inside it say "I'm LUCKY you are my friend"

Designed to Delight Daffodil

Fun challenge at Design2Delightdigistamps - go to this link:
http://designed2delight.blogspot.com/2009/12/free-stamp-of-month-artists-challenge.html

(I need to learn how to embed the URL links...)

This week is the daffodil you see in the card above. Finally, I am making the card in time for the challenge! I colored the image with markers and then used Spellbinder Nestabilities small ovals to cut it out and matt it. I paperpieced the vase, and stitched some pale yellow organdy ribbon on some CTMH Juniper cardstock. The design paper is CTMH from the Emporium collection. CTMH Smiles stamp set provided the sentiment. Inside it says 'and smiled'

I am thrilled to be making cards today and hope to have more posts. I am also working on the cards to be made at my workshop tomorrow.

One of a Kind Miracle

Miracle papers from CTMH in a simple sketch. I saw a fellow consultant had used branches and flowers on the card base and loved the look. The result is a very softly colored card.

This is a standard card size in a vertical fold, the squares are all 2"

products used all CTMH: Colonial White + Sweet Leaf cardstock, Colonial White brads and ribbon, Sweet Leaf and Crystal Blue inks, One of a Kind + True Friends stamp sets, Miracle papers.

Designed to Delight

This sweet tree reminds me of the spring that surely will arrive...one of these days!

Not a fancy card, but soft and warm. I paired the stitched tree design (the D2D stamp of the week) with CTMH Mayberry paper, Honey cardstock to matt the design, a tiny tab of chocolate stitched ribbon, and copper bitty brads. The 'stitching' on the shape of the card is from CTMH Celebrate the Everyday stamp set. I used chalks for some soft color on the tree, sky and grass.

Gift Tags

Making some fabulously easy paper flowers today from a video you can find at http://www.paperpleatsandribbonroses.blogspot.com/

Connie MacFarland is a Close To My Heart consultant. There are many inspiring designs on her blog. Well, I have lots of little paper flowers, and after making a few, I used them on some gift tags. I did find and use my glue gun to put the flowers together as she suggested. Very easy and quick. Two are Kraft tags, the other is a cute little 3X3 card with an envelope.

products used: Kraft tags, CTMH cardstock and inks in Sky, Lagoon, New England Ivy, Chocolate, Colonial White, and White Daisy. CTMH background papers from Bliss and Sweetheart collections.CTMH Kraft border and mini copper brads. CTMH Chocolate ribbon, other ribbons from Michael's.

Sophie's Touch

If you live in western Washington, there is a wonderful new store you should visit. Gig Harbor has some delightful places to eat and shop, walk by the water...it's a wonderful place to stroll and enjoy the northwest. And if you have a dog, Sophie's Touch is a must-go! Foods, gourmet treats, sweaters, toys, bedding...Trena and Der are wonderful people. Stop by to visit them!
You can read about them and see a map for directions here:
http://gigharbor.patch.com/articles/sophies-touch-expands-to-downtown-gig-harbor

These notepads are dog-lovers variations on some I have posted a while ago. They are double pads (from PaperTrey), a matching pen, and bookmark.

Yeehaw! Wild Cowboy Dude

Another cute Bugaboo image, and using up retired CTMH papers. I did some stitching on the two background papers ( not my best...having some trouble with tension) and then put it on a kraft card base. The most fun was using a few loops of natural hemp to create his lasoo which I adhered with some liquid glass. I pulled one end through the popped sentiment, and knotted it.

It says Happy Birthday inside.

Babies!!

My computer caught a virus....so it went out to get 'cleaned', and I spent my knee recovery time making things. Neighbors on both sides had babies last week and I got to make some cards to welcome the new little neighbors :)

The little boy card followed a recent sketch challenge from H2H. It was so easy to stitch the ribbon on and and it looks really cute. The little images are from a CTMH set called Happy Holidays, the sentiment from In the Neighborhood. Papers are retired Paisley and Kiwi, but the blue is CTMH's new Sky cardstock.

For the girl cards, I had a darling digi image from Bugaboo and couldn't stop coloring the cute little thing. Some retired CTMH papers were used for three of them, and the new Sophia papers for another.

I am glad my knee is much better, my computer is working again, and I have a new follower friend here. Thank you for looking at my creations, and for your kind notes!

Less Is More

I am excited about a brand new challenge blog called "Less Is More," devoted to Clean and Simple designs. They posted their first challenge today: Use black, white and pink.

There are a few layers on my card, but it is pretty simple. I used chalk on the butterfly to bring in some pink, and used foam tape to adhere it. The pink sparkles are in the new CTMH catalogue.

Check out their web-site at http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/

Delightful Inspiration

Found a new challenge blog - play along each week and get a free digi image! Find it at http://designed2delight.blogsot.com/
I colored the image and used Nestie Circles to cut it out. Stitched on some CTMH Cherry-O papers and tied up with a chocolate satin ribbon. Inside there is a little pouch with a few punched out hearts tucked inside. A 'purr-fect' card for a friend who loves her cats.

I am recuperating from a knee surgery, so I hope to have some quiet recovery time with paper :=)