-Paula's Handmade Memories- -A Frugal Stamper-

Oh Pinterest...

2011-11-02T14:14:00.003-04:00

I've done it. I have become hooked on yet another website. Someone help me! Here is my idea of what Pinterest is...you know when you see something on the web that you think is yummy/pretty/creative/or crafty so you bookmark it in your favorites in the hopes of one day making it and then never look at it again because the bookmark tells you nothing? Pinterest is a way to bookmark things by using an image of the thing you liked and then this site saves them all for you. So one glance at your "board' and you recall all those wonderful things you wanted to remember. Just click on it and you are back to the original link. I have made a vow that I have to make at least one thing I bookmark a week or I am not allowed to pin anything new. That's what it is for right, to actually follow through and DO something? So this is my first project from Pinterest.

It's a Mommy/Daughter Journal. I bought a composition notebook from Walgreens and made it pretty with my scrapbook supplies.

I wrote a little letter in it explaining it to Millie so it will be where we are each others pen pals and we write back and forth to each other. I'm pretty fired up about it. It was going to be a Christmas present for her but I can't wait so she gets it today when she gets home from school.

Here is the link to where I got the idea.

Baby Shower

2011-03-05T10:39:00.001-05:00

I have no excuse why it has been nearly a year since I have posted to this blog. So I will just jump right in and pretend I never took a break.

I am hosting a very casual baby shower and cookout this afternoon for a great friend who is having triplets - yikes! Despite the rain we are having today, the celebration shall go on.

I used 2 different stamps for this card. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes and the image is from A Muse Artstamps - Maternity Dress.

I love this set from Stampin' Up because they are so small and I can punch them out then pop them up on my cards. I could probably get rid of a lot of my other sets and just use this one. I can not remember the last time I made a card and didn't use this set of sentiments. They also work very well on their own without an image to go with them.

March Madness

2010-03-28T15:00:00.003-04:00

March Madness is here folks. Since I am now a resident of Tennessee, I have to say...Go Vols! These birthday cards will be great for your sport fans this season.

One for the Fishermen

2010-03-28T14:28:00.002-04:00

With Father's Day around the corner, I need to be thinking about guys cards. This was a birthday card but could easily be made as a father's day card. This image is from Stampin' Up! Backwoods.

With Sympathy and Frugal Stamping Tips

2010-03-08T12:24:00.004-05:00

You can never have too many sympathy cards on hand. One of my new sets is called Teeny Tiny Wishes and it works great with the new punch I got, both are from Stampin' Up!.

The card below has the same sentiment but without the punch. I needed to use my stamp-a-ma-jig with this one to make sure when I stamped the sentiment, it wasn't crooked. I also got to use a new toy...I mean tool...that was in my new batch of goodies from last week, a paper piercer. You can see the holes if you look to the bottom right of the sentiment. Nothing fancy, just a pointed tipped poker with a handle so you can poke holes in paper. I also bought a guide so that my holes would be straight. I found that some of my cards just needed a tiny bit of something and the little paper piercer does the trick. It is also handy to use when you need a hole to put in a small brad. You can even take a fine tip pen and draw lines between the holes to look like stitching. All things I will try when I have time.

Frugal Stamping Tip: It is much easier to stamp a sentiment on paper and then punch it out. That way you don't have to worry about stamping straight and you can use lots of small scraps. Just turn the punch over and punch upside down, this way you can see through the opening in the punch and see exactly what you are punching out.

Bonus Frugal Stamping Tip: If you don't have a paper piercer, a thumb tack works just as well!

Out of the Box Thank You

2010-03-06T09:11:00.004-05:00

Out of the Box is one of my new sets from Stampin' Up! that I got last week. I am so excited to use all my new goodies, I am like a kid at Christmas :-) The box, spring and flower are all separate stamps so you can do lots of neat things. I can not wait to see what all I can make pop out of this box. I also need to get more 3D tape so that my image popping out of the box also stands out from the page. I would like to have done that with this one but I am out of 3D tape.

The sentiment for this card is also from Stampin' Up's Pocket Silhouettes.

Hoosier Time

2010-03-05T09:15:00.004-05:00

My sister and husband are HUGE Indiana Hoosier fans. They along with their kids had the opportunity to go to Bloomington with their daughter's basketball team to watch the ladies play and to get a backstage tour of the place. It sounds like they had a great time and so my sister wanted a couple thank you cards to send to those people who organized the trip.

Of course, she needed the card...as soon as possible...and I didn't have many supplies. Even if I had time, I am not sure I would have found many IU items in my scrapbook store down here in Knoxville, TN. So I used my Cricut to cut out the word Indiana and found some basketball paper in my stash. I had to use a larger card than I usually do to fit the word Indiana across the front. I still had to get creative and put it on a diagonal to get it all on there.

The sentiment is from Stampin' Up! and I used a new Stampin' Up! punch to punch it out.

My New Goodies

2010-03-04T12:31:00.003-05:00

Look at all my new goodies! I have not ordered from Stampin' Up! for a while but when Sale-a-Bration is going on, I can not resist. 7 of these stamp sets were free as well as one of the punches. You can't beat that. I have used some of it already but I can not wait to get it all inked up.

If you are interested in getting in on all these free goodies, you have until the end of March. Check out my friend Kristen's Page at Stampin' Up!

Photos After Dark

2010-02-28T12:25:00.004-05:00

I really need to stop trying to take photos at night. With 2 kids though, that is usually when I get time to work and I like to take the photo right away, especially if I am mailing it out the next day. But no matter how I try, I just can not get a good photo after the sun goes down.

Both of these cards turned out really well but the photos sure do not show it.

This one is for a baby shower invitation. No stamps but the letters and hat were cut out using my cricut.

This was a valentine card from a few weeks back. I used my JustRite small letters for the sentiment.

Big Belly

2010-02-26T13:46:00.003-05:00

One of my very best friends is having a baby and so she asked me to make a few thank you cards for her. I found a neat paper stack that was kind of retro and funky so I decided to use my new paper for these cards. The image of the dress is new as well, it is from A Muse Stamps. The sentiments are from Stampin' Up! I used the same basic layout for all the cards but changed the paper and colors so she would have a little variety.

Birthday Sketch Challenge from CPS

2010-02-02T10:16:00.004-05:00

I am still working on building up my birthday card stash and I used the Sketch Challenge this week at CPS for inspiration.

Masculine birthday cards are a bit of a challenge for me and this sketch helped me with that. This may be one I use a lot.

This image is from Stampin Up!

With Heartfelt Sympathy

2010-01-31T20:54:00.001-05:00

I made this card at the same time I made the Birthday Card in the post below. This is such a versatile layout that it could be used for just about any type of card. I think I may make a few more and leave off the sentiment. That way, if I need a card quick, I can just add a quick sentiment and be finished.

All supplies for this card were from Stampin' Up!

No Stamp Valentine

2010-01-31T11:00:00.004-05:00

This card goes to show you don't need an arsenal of stamps to make a nice card. I used a small circle punch to punch the circles out of a piece of designer paper.

I embossed the brown paper with the cuttlebug, added a couple gems and I was finished. Super easy.

Frugal Stamper Tip - The designer paper I punched the circles out of was scrap as well as the strips of paper under them. Don't forget about your scrap pile, look at the details in it and see if you can use a small part of it.

A Few Happy Birthday's

2010-01-30T19:27:00.004-05:00

My stash of birthday cards was running low so I thought today would be a good day to work on a few. There were some ideas on Splitcoast that I have been wanting to try so this snowy wet day seemed to be a good time to work on them.

This card is nearly a copy of another card I saw...here...but I loved it and wanted to try it.

This is another copy...here...but why reinvent the wheel when there have been such good ones already made??

I didn't copy the last two but the layout below I have made before. This layout is so simple and can be used for about anything.

Bye Bye Teacher - CPS 151

2010-01-28T11:18:00.003-05:00

My son's teacher is taking a new job and today is her last day with his class. My daughter also had this teacher when she was 1 year old and they both loved her. Using the sketch this week from CPS, I made this card for her.

We will miss her very much and I just hope my son can recover from this tragedy in his life. I guess as long as the new teacher knows how to get his lunch out for him, he will accept it.

Color Challenge and CPS 150

2010-01-19T19:12:00.003-05:00

This card was for the Color Challenge at SplitCoast this week AND for the CPS Weekly Challenge.

The colors I used were Stampin' Up! Bashful Blue, Ruby Red and Close to Cocoa. The stamp set was also Stampin' Up! Say it with Scripture. I used my Cuttlebug with Nestibility Dies to cut out the shape with the sentiment.

Christmas Card Challenge 2010

2010-01-18T14:06:00.003-05:00

I will be ready this year for Christmas! I get busy making other people's cards at Christmas that mine end up being rushed and not like I want them. So, I found a group last year that I knew I was going to join this year in January. It is on Splitcoaststampers.com and they challenge you to make 10 Christmas cards every month starting in January and ending in November. What a great idea!!

So, this is my January entry. I used Stampin' Up! A Wish for Peace and Night of Navy paper and ink. I inked my dove first with Versamark (sticky ink)and then with the night of navy. This gave it a navy color but the Versamark gave it some 'stick'. Before the Versamark dried, I sprinkled it with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder and used a heat gun to set it. This made my dove very sparkly but it does not show in the photo too well.

It is so much easier to sit and make 10 cards then to sit down and know you have to make 100! This will allow me to use a few techniques that are more time consuming that I would if I were making them all at once. I can see this presenting one problem though, with 11 different designs that I know I will love, I am going to stress about who gets what card. Oh well, guess I will worry about that in November.

Ink Pad Storage For Sale

2010-01-17T16:21:00.005-05:00

My wonderful hubby made this for me a few weeks ago. It was designed to hold 60 Stampin' Up! ink pads but as you can see, it will also hold StazOn and the old style Stampin' Up! pads. As you can also see, I have a problem, I need more ink. Not to worry, they are in the process of being ordered :-)

There are notches cut in the bottom of each shelf so that you can get a hold of the pads easily.

If you would like one of these for your own craft room, just e-mail me at pmb1121@yahoo.com. They are $50 each with no paint or $55 each painted white or black. He can make them to hold as little or as many ink pads as you want, just let me know. Shipping is additional and will be figured at time of order.

CPS Sketch 149

2010-01-12T10:52:00.003-05:00

I played the CPS Sketch this week, I took a break for a while but I am going to try to do better of making a card everyday. In order for me to make a card everyday, I am going to have to play along with challenges or I will end up with a bunch of cards that all look the same.

I tried to keep this card gender neutral as well as occasion neutral. So, it came out feeling neutral when I was done :-) I am not digging it, I think because I don't like the color green. Green, however, is my daughter's favorite color and she was 'helping' me with this one (she is 4). So whenever she is involved, green is usually the color we use. She also picked out the image from my journal notes pad from Crafty Secrets.

The stamps I used were all from Crafty Secrets as well.

More Story Dice

2010-01-05T11:23:00.002-05:00

These story dice are for my little niece who is 1. She may be a little young for them now but she will have them when she is ready. Here is how they work...

2 or more people can play. One rolls a dice (die?) and then what ever is rolled, that person has to start telling a story using that image. When time is up (however long you want) the next person rolls a dice and they continue the first person's story but now using the new image they rolled. This is great creative play and could even be a fun car game. Each dice also has a letter stamped on it so the roller can make up any word that starts with that letter.

I stamped the images from 2 Stampin' Up! sets: Year Round Fun II and ABC Images. I used Black Stazon Ink.

These make great gifts, especially for the hundreds of birthday parties your kids will be invited to over the years.

Journal Note Christmas Card

2010-01-05T10:31:00.002-05:00

Journal Notes from Crafty Secrets make card making a snap. I needed a quick card for my mom so I figured my Journal Notes were the way to go. I embossed a piece of 2 colored card stock and then sanded it a little to allow the color on the other side to show through. This kind of paper is great for embossing. I added my Journal Note, using the top and bottom and that was it. Super Simple.

Frugal Stamping Tip: Journal Notes are a great way to be a frugal stamper. I did not use any stamps on this card (which can be expensive). So you don't need an arsenal of stamps on hand in order to have a great choice of images and sentiments to make a beautiful card.

New Year's Eve Card Making

2009-12-31T22:54:00.003-05:00

It will be no surprise to my friends that I am not out on New Year's Eve but they may be surprised that I am still awake at 11pm :-) I made this card tonight in hopes of keeping myself busy and not going to bed before midnight. I won this set of stamps from Clear Art Stamps a few weeks ago. I thought I would try it out with a few challenges from Split Coast this week. A color challenge, CC251, and a sketch challenge, SC261.

I colored the image with Stampin' Up! markers.

CPS Year in Review

2009-12-29T10:33:00.006-05:00

CPS Challenge this week was to pick your favorite sketch from this past year. I looked through them decided to do CPS 110.

The sentiment is from CTMH My Farm and the wheat is a single stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms. I brayered Only Orange from SU! and stamped the background script in Only Orange. The wheat and sentiment is stamped in Chocolate Chip from SU.

Merry Christmas Everyone

2009-12-26T11:17:00.004-05:00

My dear husband finally took the hint and opened the file that is saved on my desktop called "Gift Ideas For Paula". Granted, it has been there about 3 years but I knew eventually he would get it. In this file, I have websites with product numbers, the price and where to get coupons if available. I show how to order it and everything, it is pretty idiot proof. Not saying my husband is an idiot, but the easier we make it, the more likely we will get what we want for Christmas.

He came through this year and ordered me a few Stampin' Up! things I have been wanting (a stamp-a-ma-jig) along with a set of stamps from Flourishes. I wanted to make a card today using some of my new goodies. I pulled out my nearly new brayer and several Stampin' Up! inks and came up with this card. I love the silhouette image of the flower. What makes me the happiest about this card is the sentiment that is NOT crooked. I was never able to achieve this before but my new stamp-a-ma-jig made it a snap and now I never need to worry about a crooked sentiment again. Folks, they are worth every penny so please, get one. You can order them here from my dear friend Kristen.

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Christmas Holiday.

Zindorf Inspired

2009-12-21T21:11:00.003-05:00

I created these 2 cards after looking through Michelle Zindorf's blog. She made 2 cards I thought I could copy so I wanted to see how I did.

This first one my 4 year old daughter actually picked out and wanted to make so she helped me. We followed Michelle's tutorial closely and made due when we did not have the exact supplies we needed. My daughter was happy with the results so I guess it was a success. Michelle's card did not have 'wind' but my daughter was adamant about it needing wind so we added the swirls.

On this card, Michelle had birds sitting on the ground but I didn't have birds so I got to use my little boy and girl stamp. It reminds me of my daughter and her favorite cousin who is 1 year older than her. She loves him like crazy and this stamp always reminds me of those kiddos.

Thank You Cards

2009-12-14T13:24:00.003-05:00

This set was quick and easy. I have had my eye on a great stack of 12 x 12 paper from DCWV called La Creme but have never bought it. I am glad I didn't because I found it in a 4.5 x 6.5 inch matstack. The matstacks are just like the 12x12 but smaller (and cheaper) and are a great size for cards. They only have to be trimmed down a little and then you are left with a nice strip that can still be used on another card. This is a great way to save money and still get to use that wonderful designer paper. One neat thing about this paper, other than the great neutral colors, are about half of the pages are flocked. That means fuzzy for those of you like me and didn't know what that meant until I bought this paper :-). So, the black printed designs on the first 2 cards is flocked, pretty neat huh??

Frugal Stamping Tip: If you want to try some wonderful quality paper in those great designer stacks but don't want to spend $20, look for the same design in a matstack. It is only $9 AND if you use a store coupon, you can get it for even less. Happy saving everyone!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-01T11:43:00.002-05:00

This elegant card was made using 3D stickers from JoAnn's Crafts. I found some patterned paper in my stash that matched the stickers well. Since the stickers were 3D, I raised my sentiment up on 3D tape so it would stand out as well. I stamped the sentiment with my JustRite tiny letters and embossed it with gold embossing powder. I set a gold eyelet on the side and added a gold ribbon to tie the card closed. I got the idea for this card off the Better Homes and Gardens website, see their card here.

Matching Gift Set

2009-11-30T14:27:00.003-05:00

This neat little set I made for my aunt has a notebook and a check book cover each monogrammed with her initials. She loves the color purple so I dug through my paper and found not one single piece of patterned paper that had purple in it. So, I went with solid purple and added an accent strip I found in my scrap drawer. I accented the monogram with crystal gems on both sides to add a little sparkle.

Agggh! I Used My New Brayer

2009-11-21T14:19:00.003-05:00

This was my first attempt to use my new brayer I got at the workshop I attended last weekend. I did make a few mistakes. Not having someone walk you through every step makes it a little harder but all in all, I think I did ok.

My biggest mistake was forgetting to remove the mask I had in place for the moon BEFORE I stamped my trees. When you do this, the moon is in front of your trees and makes for a very strange scene. So I removed the mask and then stamped the trees again. If you look real close, you can tell but I think if I never would have mentioned it, it may have gone unnoticed.

Second, the moon is still just a touch too light behind the trees, I think you are seeing it a little too much. I should have taken a sponge and darkened in that area with black or a dark blue maybe. I will try next time.

Last, my wolf is howling away from the moon instead of at it :-) I guess they do this...right? I should have put my moon on the right side so that wolf was looking toward it but I didn't plan on putting the wolf in until I was nearly finished with it. Oh well, next time.

Overall though, I am happy with it. My brayering was good, my artistry and planning just need some work. I look forward to learning more about this technique and trying new things. If you want to learn how to really do this, look at Michelle's blog here, she is the queen of brayering and creating beautiful natural scenes on her cards.

Beautiful Card Warning!

2009-11-17T12:16:00.004-05:00

I drove to Nashville, IN this weekend to attend a workshop presented by Michelle Zindorf. I have been a fan of her work for over a year, she makes beautiful sunset and scenery cards starting with a blank piece of white paper. Please see her blog here, you will be amazed. Many of her cards are created using a tool called a brayer which is a hand held rubber roller. By rolling the brayer in ink used for stamping, she colors her backgrounds and creates beautiful realistic scenes.

In the workshop, we were taught how to use a brayer and a few sponges to create 3 cards. We got a great set of stamps, the brayer, a white gel pen and a stamping pad for attending the class. I am very glad I finally attended one of her workshops because she was a great teacher and I am sure I will be able to put my new brayer to good use.

Sketch Challenge 253

2009-11-10T13:31:00.004-05:00

I think Sketch Challeges are my favorite type of challenges because they really get my brain going. I tend to always use the same basic layout when I am left on my own to make a card but with a sketch challenge, I usually love the end result because it is so unlike anything I usually create.

For today's challenge (which was actually from last Wednesday but I just got around to doing it today) I used paper from Die Cuts With A View and didn't even use any stamps. I really like the layout and it emphasizes the focal image with the small triangles on the side.

Frugal Stamper Tip: All the paper used in this card was scrap. When choosing a layout where you are wanting to use up scrap, pick a layout with small pieces so you can use up all those odds and ends in your scrap drawer.

Clean and Simple Baby Cards

2009-11-10T10:15:00.003-05:00

When a baby is on the way, the star of the show is the baby so the invitation can be clean and simple. I enjoy this style of card and for a baby, I think it is perfect. This card would work for either a shower invitation or to accompany a lovely gift for the mom-to-be.

Christmas Party

2009-11-10T10:08:00.002-05:00

It's Christmas party time and why not start your party right with a handmade invitation? This invitation has 6 crystal gems placed on the snowflake to add just the right amount of sparkle. This card would also make a lovely Christmas Card for your personal greetings. All the party details were printed on the inside of the card so everything is ready to send out when you receive them.

The snowflake image is from Stampin' Up! Snow Swirled and the sentiment is from Stampin' Up! Sincere Salutations.

Coach Card

2009-11-02T13:10:00.004-05:00

About half an hour before my daughter's baseball party, it dawned on me I needed to make a card for her coach. I didn't have much time so I had to attack the sticker pile where I knew I had some baseball things. I used Justrite tiny letters with an oval stamper for the words. This was a very quick and simple card.

A Teacher Card

2009-10-29T14:29:00.003-04:00

My one year old was able to start going to a Mother's Day Out program in the fall (I was very excited!) It took about a month for him to realize that I was going to come back and get him and that he would have fun while he was there. His teacher was great and really helped him become comfortable there. Well, I just found out this was her last week because she is moving. My son is not thrilled about this...well...he doesn't understand but he will next week when she is not there! I made her a card today while the kids were out. I thought putting a photo of him on the front would make a nice thank you card for her. My sentiment is a little crooked but I still like the way it turned out, nice and simple.

I used Stampin Up! Pocket Silhouettes and attached the flower with a silver brad.

Birth Announcement Challenge

2009-10-28T19:55:00.003-04:00

This week at CPS they had a nice sketch challenge I used to make this card. I used my justrite oval stamper, tiny letters and monogram set to create the monogram. I added a few small blue buttons which matched the embossing on the brown strip. Hope you enjoy!

A Few Christmas Cards

2009-10-28T15:27:00.005-04:00

Christmas is sneaking up on me so I finally bit the bullet and tried to come up with a few new Christmas Card designs today. For some reason, this year my brain is just not wanting to kick in to the Christmas mode. Maybe because it is about 70 degrees outside, beautiful and only October!

With the glitter paper on these 2 cards, I liked them without a sentiment on the front. I will just leave it off and put one on the inside.

This card is a little more fun...

Card Give Away

2009-10-28T15:22:00.003-04:00

This is a card I gave away on my Facebook page this past week. I love the nice, quite winter scene of this card. It just looks so peaceful. If you want a chance to win free cards, become a fan of Paula's Handmade Memories on facebook.

No Time Challenge

2009-10-23T15:57:00.003-04:00

I have been out of town for a few days and was happy to come back and make a few Christmas Cards. Sharon had a great challenge today and it worked with where my brain has been hanging out. I have been in a creative rut for a few weeks and this is not good since I need to be working on Christmas Cards and I can not come up with anything I like.

The stamp I used was one I won from the World Card Making Day challenges and it is from Magnolia Stamps. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up! Flaky Friends. I colored the snowman with SU markers and topped his star with gold stickles for a little sparkle.

Vinyl Checkbook Covers

2009-10-08T15:04:00.005-04:00

All of your Christmas shopping worries have been solved, well a few of them anyway. Your Mother-In-Law, your house keeper, kid's teachers, coworkers, secret Santa...I could go on and on. These custom made vinyl checkbooks covers will please anyone and the best part, they are custom made to suit everyone. If you can think it, I can make it. Sports teams, pets, hobbies, beach and I can even monogram them for you. I have covers for standard checks or duplicates.

These checkbook covers are $3.50 each or 2 for $6.

Crafty Secrets Journal Notes

2009-10-06T14:27:00.005-04:00

I have a few more favorite things to add to my arsenal of supplies. The company Crafty Secrets has a product called Journal Notes and they are indeed a crafty secret! This pad is filled with vintage images to make quick work of beautiful cards. One part of the page is the image and the other part is a place to write a few words or maybe even a grocery list.

The snowman card I used the image and the journal area as part of this card. The bow I tied with my new bow easy. I added some clear stickles to the snow line to add sparkle to the snow.

For this angle image, I used a metallic paper for the background that I embossed with my cuttlebug. I mounted the sentiment (also part of the journal note) with silver brads. I again used my bow easy for the small white bow.

Both of these cards were created for challenges on splitcoaststampers.com.

Happy Retirement

2009-10-06T14:15:00.003-04:00

A few quick and easy retirement cards. Tropical seemed they way to go with these since I did not know who would be receiving them. I used silk flowers that reminded me of a lei and of course, a map of Florida. Hopefully the retirees will enjoy these cards on a nice warm beach.

The stamps I used were Stampin' Up! Congrats.

Masculine Birthday Cards

2009-10-04T20:34:00.005-04:00

Here are a few masculine birthday cards I worked on today. Masculine cards are difficult for me because I can not use sparkles, ribbon, bows and all the goodies that make a handmade card special. I usually stick with browns, leathers, wood, nature and things like that for my guy cards.

World Card Making Day

2009-10-03T14:45:00.013-04:00

I was just thinking how cool it would be if my birthday was on World Card Making Day. I could be given the day to play challenges all day, making cards and go to the stores around town today giving away free stuff to celebrate the special day. OH well, it isn't so my husband took our daughter camping and I am home with my 1 year old today. I love him to death but he does not make it easy to sit and make cards.

Splitcoaststampers.com had a day full of challenges and here are my cards I created while playing along.

Challenge A - Make a quote or saying your focal point.

Challenge B - Make it pop

Challenge C - Go 80's

Challenge D - Gratitude, Chocolate, and a Sketch

Challenge E - Color Challenge

Challenge F - Make an ornament

Challenge G - Color Challenge & Challenge H- Sketch Challenge (I combined them)

Challenge I - Z Fold Card

Challenge J - Color Challenge

Challenge K - Sketch

Challenge L - Sketch

Ahoy Matey

2009-09-29T15:11:00.000-04:00

Pirates make me think of gold and treasure! These Pirate birthday invitations are covered in gold treasure paper. The 'bullion' I created is stamped in versamark and then heat embossed with gold embossing powder. The sentiment is gold embossed as well. When you emboss something, it gives it a raised and shiny texture.

I printed the party info on the inside in 'pirate language'.

More Bookmarks

2009-09-27T15:45:00.003-04:00

I truly believe these are my favorite things to make. I could sit and make these for hours. I think it lets me feed on my natural Frugal tendencies. It is a perfect project for all those little strips of paper left over after card making and scrapbooking that would go against my nature to throw away.

The base paper is just a solid colored card stock and I designed these so that I could easily cut stripes from an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. The base is 8 1/2 x 11 long and 2" wide and then scored at 4 1/4 and folded in half. The printed paper is 4 x 1 3/4. See how Frugal I am? I hate waste and since the designer paper required is so small, I can easily go through my scraps and usually find plenty to make these cute bookmarks. Add two magnets on the inside of the card stock and these will clip right over the page in a book and not fall out.

Baby ABC Album

2009-09-26T14:53:00.004-04:00

I make a lot of these because they are really great baby shower gifts. There are 27 pages, one for each letter of the alphabet and a title page. This one was made for a friend who does not know if it will be a boy or girl so the colors are green/yellow/orange with a touch of brown. A lot of the paper is glitter paper so it adds just a touch of fancy without being girly. These are great albums for a new mom to have to be able to quickly get those baby photos in a book.

I use my cricut to cut out each letter on every page but I do print each page header on the computer. I have the file saved so anytime I need to make one, I can just put in the color card stock I need and print the file. If it is ever deleted, I may never make another one again because it took me forever to create the document making sure all the margins and spaces were right for easy trimming and minimal paper waste.

The First Christmas Card of the Year

2009-09-24T14:09:00.004-04:00

My first Christmas Card of the season but I'm not loving it. I like the idea but my bow is not working for me. I think it needs a red bow and a material that is softer, maybe silk. For me though, this bow is really good. I learned a new way to tie them and I think with softer ribbon, this technique could work. I will have to practice some more though. Not too bad for a first attempt.

The stamp set is from Stampin Up Pocket Silhouettes and the sentiment is Stampin Up A Wish For Peace.

CPS 134 Sketch Challenge

2009-09-23T13:21:00.002-04:00

I haven't done a challenge in a few weeks but when I saw the sponsor was one of my favorite companies, I had to play. It was a nice simple sketch from CPS and it gave me a chance to use some of my flowers. I have to admit, I never use them because I know what they cost (I am Frugal!) but the 4 jars I have of them are covered in dust so I figured either use them or throw them out. The Frugal in me won out and I used them. I am glad I did, I think it made a very nice Thanksgiving card. So, dust off some of your unused supplies and use them, you never know, you may just like it!

Thinking Of You

2009-09-22T11:31:00.002-04:00

Are you sick of seeing this paper yet? Well, I'm not! I will be very sad when all my little scraps of it are gone. It is just so pretty and even though it is sparkly, I think it is still gender neutral. It just has such as elegant look. You have to believe me because I know the photo does not do it justice.

Let's Go Nuts!

2009-09-21T14:05:00.004-04:00

I told you I am not good at coloring, this is proof. My nice beach scene looks a little stormy. But I figure a stormy day at the tiki bar is still a good day, right? This set of stamps is from There She Goes and I colored it with SU markers. I wanted this card to be used for a guy so I left off the bling and ribbons. I still may have to add a little sparkle to the drinks, I just can't help myself!

Happy Birthday Erin

2009-09-20T16:19:00.002-04:00

I bought myself a little birthday present the other day, I have had it on my wish list for months. It is a set of Nestibilities. They are a die used to cut paper and each set has about 8 different sizes of the same shape so they mat perfectly. They also emboss so I embossed the blue mat, it is hard to see in the photo. The guitar paper is out of a stack from DCWV and I used my JustRite small letters to create the sentiment.

Be Thankful for the Little Things

2009-09-20T14:01:00.003-04:00

I finally found time to use another image from my new JustRite stamps. The set is called Autumn Blessings. You can view the entire set by clicking here. The part of making cards I find most difficult is coloring images such as this one.

I am not good at shading and picking the right colors. A true artist could have shaded those apples and made shadows and did all sorts of wonderful things but the best I can do is just color them in. Considering my MAJOR lack in coloring skills, I am satisfied with the end result. I guess I just need to keep practicing so maybe when I find a spare hour somewhere, I will try to color another one of the beautiful images from this set.

Thank You

2009-09-19T11:08:00.003-04:00

Thanks You's...everybody needs them and I am feeling very thankful right now to all my new facebook fans, you all rock and thanks for showing your support.

A super simple and professional looking Thank You with a strip of glitter paper added to a nice piece of designer pattern paper. Add a little metal Thank You charm and you have it, a simple and quick Thank You.

A little more on the wild side, this Thank You also has glitter paper and makes a funky and fun Thank You.

Looking for a little more elegant way to go, this Thank You is very simple with a touch of elegance that will let anyone know how much you appreciate them.

A Little Nontraditional Wedding Shower

2009-09-16T21:30:00.003-04:00

I really love this paper I got from my local scrap book store. It is a beautiful blue/green color with a copper embossed swirl all around it. Not the cheapest paper on the rack but it sure makes a beautiful card. I kept this wedding shower card very simple and very nontraditional. I stamped the sentiment from my JustRite wedding ensemble set and cut it out with my new cuttlebug dies. I just ran the ribbon right through the slots of the paper and tied a knot. A bow would have been much prettier but I am not that talented so I just did a knot. I do have my eye on a little gadget called a Bow Easy that is on my wish list to help me in situations such as this one. If anyone wants to bless me with a little random act of kindness, you could always send one my way!

Baby Shower Invitations

2009-09-15T14:48:00.004-04:00

My sister is having a baby shower for my cousin in a few weeks so I helped by making the invitations. She is having a little girl, Molly Kate and I felt like a monogram would make a sweet shower invitation. I pre-print the details for the shower on the inside of the blank white cards before I decorate them. I like to match baby cards to the nursery and this little baby is going to have a coral and green room. I got a little bonus when I got out my coral paper and it had a white core to it. When embossing white core paper, you can sand the embossed image and it will reveal the white core on the inside.

I stamped the monogram in cameo coral and inked around the edge in certain celery from stampin up. I used my JustRite monogram and the tiny letters to create the monogram.

Happy Birthday Jenn

2009-09-08T11:37:00.004-04:00

One of my very best friends from College has her birthday tomorrow (yes, this card will be late) so this is for her. She just had a sweet little baby boy a few months ago so I hope she does remember about her own birthday! Since she has probably been seeing blue from head to toe since little baby boy was born, I thought I would pink her up a little and make sure she does not forget what that color looks like.

The layout for this card was from a sketch challenge from There She Goes Stamps this week.

The sentiment is from Stampin Up Sincere Salutations.

I Love This Time of Year

2009-09-08T10:34:00.003-04:00

The weather is crisp, the kids are back to Mother's Day Out and Preschool and I get to make Halloween Cards! My favorite cards to make are Halloween and Fall cards. I am really thinking about not sending Christmas Cards this year and sending Autumn Cards instead...would that be strange?

This card was very simple to make with some glitter paper from DCWV and my JustRite stamps. The little witch hat is from Stampin Up Year Round Fun.

Hostess Cards

2009-09-06T14:31:00.005-04:00

I was asked to make a few hostess cards for a friend, she wanted a few Halloween and a few Fall cards. I love Halloween and Fall cards so I was more than happy to help her out! The new DCWV paper I got the other day made these cards a snap, paired with my JustRite monogram stamper.

Fall Is In The Air

2009-09-04T16:22:00.006-04:00

In my opinion, Indian Corn and corn stalk bundles are the sign of fall. This was one of my favorite images from my NEW Autumn Blessings set from JustRite Stampers. Wait, who am I kidding, I loved them all but I chose to use this one first so I will call it my favorite. I colored it with SU Markers and I am very happy with it. I am horrible at coloring so for me, this is GREAT! I cut it out with my NEW oval nestibilities dies and used the leaf paper from my NEW stack of fall paper from DCWV. Considering how many NEW things I bought to make this card, it may be one of my most expensive! New stamps, new paper and new dies...wow, I shudder to think! Oh well, I think it was worth it so whoever I send this card to I sure hope they love it too.

Autumn Blessings is here!

2009-09-03T14:15:00.005-04:00

Woohoo! I just got my delivery of a new set of stamps! I am so excited, I had to write about it before I even opened them. It is a gorgeous set from JustRite Stampers called Autumn Blessings. If you want to view their blog and see some terrific projects made with this set, click here. I did not make those projects, not even close, those designers are much more talented than I am but it is what made me get the set. Hopefully I can find the time to get some ink on these set pronto and show you what I come up with.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are not familiar with JustRite Stampers, the phrases/borders around the outside of the oval are separate from the image in the center. So, there are 12 different stamps that can be used together or separate for customized looks.

Happy Beachy Birthday

2009-08-25T15:48:00.003-04:00

I made this card for the great blog celebration going on at There She Goes Stamps and for the sketch challenge at CPS this week. It took me forever to make this card for some reason. I kept going back and forth on the colors of paper and the patterns. I guess I need to learn to color my image AFTER I pick my papers because I sure was having trouble trying to get paper to work with brown, yellow and blue. I didn't think it would be that difficult but for me it was. Maybe my brain was just not working today!

Thirty-One Part Two

2009-08-23T10:36:00.003-04:00

A few more cards for a friend. In addition to the funky looking ones I showed in my last post, she also wanted a few fall/elegant ones as well. I think the designer paper on these along with the gold embossed monogram make a nice and elegant looking thank you card.

Thirty-One

2009-08-21T18:43:00.008-04:00

I had a request for a few thank you cards for a friend who sells for Thirty-One. They make cute bags and purses. One neat thing they offer is monogramming on their bags so I thought I would use some JustRite products to personalize the cards like Thirty-One does their items.

I used a purse stamp I have from Stampin Up called It's A Girl Thing and JustRite tiny letters. I colored the images with Stampin Up markers.

Guy Cards

2009-08-21T15:22:00.004-04:00

Guy cards are difficult and not something I make unless I am either forced to or in this case, am challenged to. Splitcoast had 2 challenges this week for us to make a masculine card and a challenge they are. I usually end up using this set from Stampin Up, Lovely As A Tree for my guy cards. I have some animal sets and things but when I don't know the guy, I hate to put a big buck deer on the front or a guy fishing, it just may not be his thing. So, to the trees I usually go. Thanks for looking and I hope you have an easier time with guy cards than I do.

CPS 129 Sketch Challenge

2009-08-20T15:26:00.002-04:00

This card is for the challenge this week at the CPS Blog. I liked this sketch and thought it worked well to use up a few small pieces of designer scrap paper I had left over from another project. The sentiment is from SU Sweet Little Sentiments.

SC241 Happy Birthday

2009-08-13T16:05:00.003-04:00

This card was for Wednesday's Sketch Challenge on Splitcoast. The stamp set is from Inkadinkado and I colored the image with Stampin Up markers. The designer paper is DCWV and was just some scrap I found in the drawer. Gotta love scrap! I added a little bling to the diva's belt to jazz her up just a bit.

Benefit Your Life

2009-08-12T15:47:00.002-04:00

Benefit Your Life located across from Apple Cake Tea Room on Campbell Station Road is now selling my cards. If you find yourself in the area, stop by and check out their store, it is full of great products!

The Benefit Your Life Store brings you the Best Natural Products guaranteed to promote a healthy, nutritious and energized life. Explore the power of sleep, water, delicious food and natural products that will keep your body functioning at it’s optimal level.

Benefit Your Life
620 North Campbell Station Road Suite 24
Knoxville, TN 37934
http://www.benefityourlifestore.com/

Clean and Simple Thank You

2009-08-11T13:55:00.006-04:00

These 3 cards were for the Monday Clean and Simple Challenge on Splitcoast. The challenge was to use a little bling on our cards. I had 3 metal Thank You stickers left over from something so I made up these 3 cards using the metal stickers and glitter paper.

I did not use any stamps on these cards and they were very easy and quick to make.

You're Only Young Once

2009-08-10T22:09:00.004-04:00

Wow, I have been out of town for over a week so it felt good to sit down and make a card today. I didn't play a challenge but I did use a new stamp for the first time. This stamp is from Inkadinkado and I tried to make the lady look like a Red Hat Lady. I don't know much about the group so I hope I did not offend anyone but for some reason, she made me think of them...they seem fun.

I colored her with my SU markers and stamped her in Stazon Black. I used my Cuttlebug to emboss the red background.

2 Sketches 4 You

2009-07-29T14:40:00.003-04:00

2 Sketches 4 You has a challenge on right now and since I needed to make a wedding card for my brother-in-law this weekend, I figured this would be perfect.

All the paper I used was scrap, expensive scrap, but scrap none the less. I stamped the monogram in versamark then heat set with gold embossing powder. I used the wedding ensemble set and a monogram set from JustRite. I kept everything simple since the background designer paper was already gold embossed and very sparkly.

Age is only a number, mine is unlisted...

2009-07-27T13:49:00.005-04:00

I used a new set from Inkadinkado called Humorous Birthday. I played the Clean and Simple Challenge today on Splitcoast, you can see the challenge here.

I used my Stampin Up markers to color the lizard? gecko? tadpole? Anyway, you know what I am talking about. Not much else to tell.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Johnny!

2009-07-26T15:28:00.004-04:00

My daughter (who is 3) insisted that we make our neighbor, Johnny, a birthday card. He turned 7 last week and his mom mentioned he was having some friends over for a camp out in the back yard. My daughter heard "birthday" and was convinced we were going to a party. I had to explain that we were not going to a party but we could make him a card if she wanted. She was ok with that idea and everyone seemed happy.

I used my JustRite tiny letters, my go to item for any birthday card these days, and a baseball stamp my mom got me from a yard sale. The baseball print paper was scrap and I embossed the red with my cuttlebug. I thought it needed a little more so I added the star brad at the bottom.

Frugal Stamper Tip: The small black strip of paper separating the red and the baseball print...you guessed it, a tiny scrap I found in the scrap drawer. I was tempted to throw it out the day before but I am glad I didn't. Anywhere you may think you need a piece of ribbon, a narrow strip of scrap paper can accomplish the same effect in many instances. Give it a try and see what you think!

CPS126 Sketch Challenge

2009-07-26T13:53:00.005-04:00

The challenge I played today was from CPS and you can see the challenge here. I love sketch challenges and I have learned this site has a new one every Sunday and they are all sponsored by different stamp companies so you get to see lots of new products and do a little shopping!

I used my new set from There She Goes again, I am really glad I got it. There is a strand of raffia behind the circles but it ended up more hidden than I had planned, oh well.

Frugal Stamper Tip: The little flowers were from a small scrap of designer paper. I punched them out with a 3/4 inch circle punch and then matted with other circles punched out from other scraps. So, NEVER throw those scraps away, you never know when you will be able to use it. Nearly everyone of my cards has scrap on it somewhere. All of the paper used for this card was scrap except for the large sand background.

CPS Sketch 125 Chalenge

2009-07-25T15:44:00.003-04:00

There is a great challenge going on right now and not only is it fun, there are PRIZES involved which make it even better. JustRite is sponsoring it (one of my favorite companies) and I really wanted to play. You can see more about the challenge on the JustRite Blog. We were given a sketch to follow and here is my card.

Since this challenge is hosted by JustRite this week, I had every intention of using JustRite products but when I sat down to make the card, I went a different direction.

I had a fun little pack of thank you do-dads I have had since I first started making cards but they were quickly pushed out of the way when I discovered stamps. Well, I rediscovered this pack when I was starting on today's card and I wanted to use them. I hope you enjoy and maybe get out a few of your dusty supplies and see what you can make.

Breast Cancer Cards

2009-07-24T12:56:00.002-04:00

What a horrible card to have to make. A friend of mine has been told she has breast cancer and her surgery is next week. She asked if I could make her some thank you cards. What a wonderful person, she is going through all this and still she is thinking of others and that she will need thank you cards for after the surgery. I got the idea for this card off of Splitcoast, what a wonderful site for inspiration.

The sentiment is from Stampin Up, Sweet Little Sentiments and the ribbon stamp I picked up from Hobby Lobby. Used the cuttlebug to emboss the white panel.

Parrot Head - Challenge

2009-07-22T16:11:00.005-04:00

I used this same set in my last post but I really like it. I played along with another challenge today on Splitcoast - SC238. It was a sketch challenge so we were given the layout and had to go from there. I have a Parrot Head friend who wanted some cards so I figured this would be great for her. I colored the images with SU markers and stamped them in black Stazon.

When I was finished, I added some 'salt' to the rim of the glass...enjoy!

It's 5:00 Somewhere - Clean and Simple Challenge

2009-07-21T14:08:00.008-04:00

This is my newest set from There She Goes. Not only is this a great set, it is a great company. They have wonderful service and are very friendly. Anyway, back to the card. I played a Clean and Simple Challenge today on Splitcoast. The challenge was to use 3 colors...yellow, orange and turquoise. And since it was a Clean and Simple Challenge your card had to be...Clean and Simple.

I used a glitter card from DCWV I have had for about a year and used my cuttlebug with nestibilities to cut out and emboss the white paper. I stamped the image with black Stazon, colored with Stampin Up markers...Tempting Turquoise, Only Orange and Yoyo Yellow and then used stickles over the turquoise to add some sparkle. I stamped the phrase in Only Orange and popped it up with 3D foam adhesive. Added a little ribbon and a few gems and was finished.

Train Birthday Invitation

2009-07-20T14:03:00.004-04:00

Choo, Choo, we want to party with you! It's Reed and Millie’s Birthday Party, so don't be late. All aboard, let's celebrate!

I got the wording off the internet for a combined birthday party for my son turning 1 and my daughter turning 4. My daughter is the one who loves trains, she plays with them all day long. So I figured a train theme would work well for both of them.

I used the cuttlebug to cut out both the train and the word party. I also used it to emboss the background. I used Stampin Up Sincere Salutations for the "Your Invited", it is a little fancy for the theme of the card but that is the only stamp I have that says that so I used it anyway.

I raised the train and 'party' up on 3D foam tape. I inked all the panels with brown ink to calm the colors down a little. The yellow, blue and red were kind of harsh and the ink helped that a lot.

Eagle Scout - Boy Scouts of America

2009-07-19T20:28:00.003-04:00

My Brother-in-Law wanted me to make card for his nephew who has just earned his Eagle Scout. This is a GREAT honor for those of you who may not be familiar with Boy Scouts of America. I used my JustRite tiny letters to try to replicate the Eagle Scout Badge. I raised it with 3D foam tape and put a star brad in the center. I used Congrats and Sweet Little Sentiments from Stampin Up for the sentiment.

Simple Graduation Card

2009-07-16T09:38:00.004-04:00

I like to make graduation cards in the school colors but I did not know the colors. I was given a scrapbook-a-day desk calendar years ago and thought there may be something in there I could use. Yep, I found a few pages in that set and I thought they were a nice mix of colors. I just cut out the 3 graduation caps, mounted them on a heavy cardstock, added the gold brads and popped it all up with 3D foam tape. I used my Congrats set from Stampin Up for the sentiment, super simple.

Frugal Stamper Tip I thought I was going to have to go to the store to get a gradation stamp but I remembered about the paper from the calendar. Don't forget about all your scrap paper, wrapping paper or even old cards that you have saved. If you are a scrapbooker, you may be out of the habit of using non acid free paper but remember, for cards, it does not have to be acid free. Magazines, newspapers, aluminum foil and even old books could be used to make a very interesting (and inexpensive) card.

JustRite Birthday Card

2009-07-15T09:11:00.003-04:00

These tiny letters from JustRite make it simple to create a custom birthday card. My mom wanted me to make a card for her friend who was having a surprise 60th birthday party. I used the wooden stamper to stamp the sentiment and used Year Round Fun from Stampin Up for the cupcake. I embossed the paper with my cuttlebug and there you have it. A simple and custom birthday card anyone would enjoy.

Clean and Simple Celebrate

2009-07-14T21:10:00.003-04:00

Splitcoast Stampers has a style of card called Clean and Simple (CAS). They are my favorite type of card, although I don't do them very often when I am making them for other people. I had some time the other day to just make a card for no reason so I came up with this one.

Both stamps are from Stampin Up. The flower is from a set called Daisy that my sister picked up for me at a yard sale and the sentiment is from Wonderful Words. I embossed the frame with my cuttlebug.

Best Friends

2009-07-02T15:57:00.003-04:00

I love, love, love this stamp. It is called Best Friends (3733E) and the company is Rubber Stampede. I think I got it at Hobby Lobby. This image reminds me of my daughter and my nephew. They love each other like crazy and as soon as I saw it, I had to get it.

This card was very simple. I masked the sun with a circle punched out of a post-it note. I sponged yellow and orange ink in the sky. Then I masked the ground by tearing a post-it note and drug Old Olive across the paper until the grass was filled in how I wanted it. I stamped my sentiment which I think goes perfect with this image. The sentiment is Stampin Up Winged Things.

Wedding Shower

2009-07-02T12:55:00.006-04:00

I am hosting a wedding shower for my future sister-in-law on Saturday, which is July 4th. I did not want to over due the Independence Day theme but there are colors of red, white and blue in my decorations. I created a book for the bride and each guest can write some words of advice for her. Since this is my husband's family she is marrying into, I could fill that book up myself...just kidding! I used Stampin Up To Have And To Hold to decorate the front and each page.

As part of her gift, I made her a set of thank you cards to match the decorations I have made. This is such a simple card. Again, I used Stampin Up To Have And To Hold for the hearts and Stampin Up Wonderful Words for the thank you. I used my cuttlebug to make the embossed box.

Finally, I made table decorations and used red containers from Hobby Lobby and foam in the bottom to hold the skewers. I stamped the punched circles using JustRite stamps. I used the wedding set, the tiny letters and a monogram set. I just love these JustRite products. I also used the Stampin Up set To Have And To Hold to stamp a few images on each circle. I then glued each circle to a York Peppermint Pattie and stuck a skewer through it. I had family visiting when I made these so my sister was actually the one who arranged the skewers in the florist foam.

Wedding Shower Invitation

2009-06-22T12:22:00.003-04:00

First I have to say the idea for this card was not mine. I follow the work a fantastic artist named Michelle Zindorf. She made a great card using the bride and groom and I thought it would be great for the wedding shower invitations I had to make for my future sister-in-law. To see Michelle's card click here. Her card is much more beautiful than mine but I had to cut out a few steps since I was making 30+ of these and because...she is much better at this that I am.

I stamped the couple first with Stampin Up! To Have and to Hold. Then placed a circle punched out of a post-it-note so it would stick to the paper. I sponged the colors in the sky and the ground. I removed the post-it-note to leave the white circle behind the couple. I then stamped the sentiment from Stampin Up Wonderful Words. I dotted the sky with a while gel pen to look like stars and matted in all on a black piece of card stock.

Baby Shower

2009-06-20T07:20:00.005-04:00

I love making baby cards. There are so many options and seem to be so many opportunities. I am 30 so I am at the stage in my life where I know between 5-10 people at an given time who are pregnant. I was asked to make a few shower invitations for a friend who is having her third child but it is her first boy. We are very excited for her and her family.

I stamped the letters using Justrite monogram stampers. I punched them out using a 1 inch punch. Using a 1 1/4 inch punch, I punched out the patterned paper. I used Stampin Up Sincere Salutations for the "Your Invited".

Frugal Stamper Tip: The white paper I stamped my letters on was the back of a white card I had messed up when I printed some invitations for an earlier project. No point in wasting that nice heavy paper. Always remember, when you are using the back of something you messed up, hold it up to the light and make sure you are not going to be able to see through.

40th Wedding Anniversary Invitation

2009-06-19T07:54:00.007-04:00

WARNING - BAD PHOTO ALERT! I am very sorry for not only my bad photo of this card, but the poor stamping. I had just finished making 50 of these and was running to the post office with them before it was time for the kiddo's naps. I quickly grabbed a card and snapped a few photos. I did not look at the photos until now. Well, for some reason they were all blurry and the card I grabbed was not stamped very clear.

So, now that I am finished making excuses, I will get to the card. I used Night of Navy for the ink and a non-Stampin Up paper and ribbon that matched. The stamps are from Justrite and I used a monogram set and the wedding set. The sentiment says..."A celebration of love and friendship". I thought that fit very well for a 40th wedding anniversary. The embossing was done with my Cuttlebug and the Birds and Swirls folder.

Frugal Stamper Tip: Do you want to know a secret? I am a VERY frugal person and this is no exception in my paper crafting. I am thinking about devoting this blog to ways to save money. So, I am going to start letting you in on my ways to be a frugal stamper. Look at the navy scalloped circle the monogram is layered on, it is the same color as the mat, right? Well, I punched the scallop out of the actual mat piece before I assembled the card. I figure this saved about 4 pieces of card stock which saved me about $2. Before you do this, make sure you are not going to be able to see through and notice the punch out. I recommend the husband test. Give it to him and have him look it over and see if he notices anything. If he doesn't, you are probably ok. Another tip for doing this 'secret punch out' is to try to punch it out in the same area it will be re-covered later. I punched all mine out of the bottom right corner of the navy mat so that it would be covered again when I placed the monogram.

I hope you enjoy this little tip and it can help you to be a Frugal Stamper.

About As Easy As It Gets

2009-06-18T20:35:00.004-04:00

I made this quick little card today using a new stamp a dear friend got me a few months ago. I had not used it yet but some scrap paper I noticed lying on my desk caught my eye and thought it would work well with this stamp. I always try to include a few cards in each of my larger orders and I had just finished one and wanted to include this card with it. Since I was on my way to the post office, I made this real quick and added it to the box. After looking at the photo, I wish I would have added a strip of paper under the ribbon. Oh well, the card was already at the post office so there was not a lot I could do at this point.

Magnetic Bookmarks

2009-06-14T16:00:00.006-04:00

I think this may be my new favorite thing. Magnetic bookmarks. You will never lose your page again no matter if you are traveling or if your 11 month old grabs your book and uses it as his new favorite toy. The bookmark folds over your page and holds together through the paper. Best of all, with all the great paper there is to choose from, they can be made to match any style you can imagine.

Disney characters make a great stocking stuffer or reward for a child or adult.

Do you have a sports fan in the house? They can be made to match your favorite team colors. These would make a great coach gift!

How about an extra special gift for a co-worker, friend or family member? Have it monogrammed and pair it with dazzling sparkle paper for a one of a kind gift.

These bookmarks would make fantastic party favors. For a wedding have your monogram put on each one for a special keepsake your loved ones are sure to love. Did you just have a baby? Forget those silly cigars and give everyone a bookmark with the baby's information on it.

Baby Shower Gift

2009-06-13T11:04:00.008-04:00

I have a dilemma. A friend of mine is pregnant with her second child. She is strongly adamant about not wanting a baby shower. And it is not like she is saying she does not one but really does...she really does not want one. Another friend of ours set up a week long gift giving system where everyday several of us send her a gift to work. It is a wonderful thought because she is going to need stuff for the new baby but I am worried she is not going to enjoy this. So...what to get her. I figured she is going to need a bunch of thank you cards so that is going to be my gift for her. I picked the first day to take my gift so that she would have the cards at work and ready to fill out on the spot.

I embossed the blue paper with my Cuttlebug and cut out the scalloped oval using the Cuttlebug and a Spellbinders Nestabilities die. The sentiment is from Stampin Up and the little foot prints are from a pack of stamps from Hobby Lobby, I don't know the brand.

30 Sucks

2009-06-12T18:53:00.007-04:00

Maybe 30 does not suck, I seem to be doing fine with it, but what a neat birthday gift. I am heading to a surprise party for a friend turning 30 and I just had to make something for her. This is a cute little bucket filled with 30 SUCKERS...get it?

The numbers and letters were cut out with my Cricut and the small 30 sucks on each circle were stamped with my Monogram stamps from Justrite stamps. I had fun making it and I hope she gets a kick out of it and does not think it...sucks.

Birthday Cupcake

2009-06-02T13:32:00.003-04:00

Trying out my new Stampin Up markers. I am still undecided. The colors are so intense I don't like how my coloring turns out. Of course, I have never been good at coloring so I guess I need to keep practicing. On this card, I just outlined parts of the cupcake with my markers.

The sentiment is from Stampin Up and the cupcake image is from Inkadinkado.

Very Thankful

2009-05-19T12:29:00.001-04:00

I go through a lot of cards. I always start with a plain white card and go from there. So, I was always running to the store, bringing my coupons and getting my cards in packs of 25...yes 25. What a pain. I had a thought one day of how to buy larger quantities. I used to work for a print shop when I was in school so I called and asked if I could get 500...maybe 1000. YES! I wish I would have thought of that sooner. So, now if I could buy my adhesive in bulk, I may limit my trips to the store to maybe just one a week.

I sent my payment for the cards in this thank you note so Warren could see what it is I do with all these cards.

Baby Cards - No Stamping

2009-05-18T08:27:00.004-04:00

You may not realize this, but you don't need stamps to make cards. There are lots of wonderful papers out there that don't need much to make a beautiful card. DCWV has a great Nursery stack of paper that I use A LOT for my baby cards.

I did not use a single stamp in these cards. I did use my cuttlebug to add some embossing, little foot prints on some and the swirls on the other. So, put your stamps away (did I just say that?) and make some cards and keep your hands clean!

Door Prize Set

2009-05-17T10:51:00.003-04:00

My church called me and needed a few door prizes for a Senior Kids Luncheon. I put a couple coordinating sets together and this was one of them. There were 6 cards in each set but this gives you an idea of what I did for one of them. The church image and Dove are from a Christmas set called A Wish For Peace from Stampin Up. I bought that set because the church image reminded me of my church back home in Indiana. The Sympathy sentiment is from Close as a Memory from Stampin Up and the Prayer sentiment is from an unknown company.

A Few for the Guys

2009-05-16T22:55:00.003-04:00

These really have nothing to do with each other but I still had not posted them so here ya go. The tractor is from Close to My Heart but all the other stamps are from Stampin Up!.

Birthday Golfer

2009-05-13T07:56:00.002-04:00

This was a super simple card I made a few days ago. The golfer I picked up from Hobby Lobby on sale. The sentiment if from Stampin Up! Sincere Salutations. I put bronze brads in each corner of the panel with the golfer and added a brown ribbon.

A Nice Little Set

2009-05-12T09:52:00.004-04:00

I had to throw away few when I was working on this layout. I finally got one that I was happy with. Then I just made a few more with different sentiments on them. It is pretty versatile and is probably something I will make more of when I need a matching set of cards. I also really like making one layer cards. They are very quick and neat looking.

I used Stampin Up! ink and stamps on these cards. The stamps are from Close as a Memory, Sweet Little Sentiments, and Friendship Blooms. I used Really Rust and Old Olive ink.

I love this Windmill

2009-05-04T15:10:00.002-04:00

I have had this windmill stamp since Christmas and it just met ink this weekend. I love it. It is so simple and can go with about any kind of sentiment. I also want to point out that I stole these ideas from other very gifted stampers, thanks for the inspiration.