Unique Packaging

Here's a darling "basket/box/package" that I made for some of my family gifts. Since I usually do a basket with different items in it for everyone I'm always looking for something unusual. My neices got my homemade lotion, a reed difusser, some earrings, and a homemade dish cloth in each of the pockets.

I did the spiral ribbon by baking it around the handle of a wooden spoon in my oven at 250* for about a half hour ;-)

Merry Christmas Everyone

Another card I made in the MDS program (I promise I'm not going all digital, I still like my rubber!)

Friends & Neighbors

A lady on SplitcoastStampers shared a recipe for homemade hand lotion, here in Michigan the weather and heat dries out a persons skin something awful, and I'm always looking for something that will help with my dry skin. What I didn't know when I made this was that I'd end up with almost 100 ounces of it!!! So my friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors are all getting "Winter Wonder Lotion" for Christmas! It's very unique, and afterall, everyone is on a diet anyway so why should I share my sweets?!? ;~)

I searched in every nook and cranny I could to find for cute,inexpensive,containers and made some tags and labels up in the SU! My Ditigal Studio program. Here's my results, hope you likey!

A Cat's Opinion Of Reindeer

Merry Christmas from a cat's point of view ~ he,he,he!!!

I had some time to play around with my Stampin' Up! My Ditigal Studio program (or MDS for short.) And I made this card for my cat loving friends who I know will "get" this :-)

Snow-y Man

My neice from Texas is visiting us this Christmas and it will be the first time she's ever seen real snow! I'm going to send this to her and pray we have a white Christmas here for her to enjoy!

Everything is SU! except the rhinestone snowflakes, c'mon it's a ten year girl it needed some bling ;)

Shimmering Embossing Folders

Paint the negative side of your embossing folder with Shimmer paint then emboss with your Big Shot. The postive or raised edges won't have the shimmer on them, then use a sponge dauber to highlight the raised edges.

p.s.
I wouldn't recommend using the white gel pen to trace all those edges unless you have a much steadier hand than I do!

Sparklin' Post

Another "the dirty girls wanted texture this month" - card. This card uses the Burnished Velvet technique that dirty girl guru JulieHRR turned me onto. You know I don't think I've ever seen Julie use this technique, so I have to ask myself - Self why doesn't Julie use this technique?

I've came up with some answers, about 1,000 answers, and you know what, they all sparkle! Sparkle on your face, sparkle in hair, sparkle on your workstation, sparkle on your floor, there's a whole lot of sparklin' goin' on around here!!!!

Everything on this card is SU! except the patterned paper I used for the flowers and the purple twill.

It was a pain to photograph, looks much better in real life, but I hope you likey anyway!

Sporty Christmas

The WishRak product challenge for December is High Hopes, this darling bear is a Rak from Tackertwosome - thanks again Lena :)

Lots of touchy stuff here, then mulberry paper, the faux snow, and some microbeads in with the faux snow!

Rustic Christmas

The WishRak sketch challenge for December comes from MojoMonday week 112. The background paper and the five petal punch are all Raks.

I spritzed the punch flowers with Champange Shimmer paint and they really pop in real life!

My Blue Santa

The WishRak color combo for December is Brocade blue, Bashful Blue, Silver and White. The Santa image, the snowflake background, and the brad are all Raks.

I love this santa image and I double dog dare you to try and use this color combo and not make something elegant looking with it!!!

Soft fuzzy feeling

The dirty girls wanted texture this month - I love texture! Dirty Girl and all around SCS go to girl Jenn Balcer had me at the term "Fuzzy Sweaters."

Before mother nature decided to gift me with my very own internal furance I loved fuzzy sweaters (now I wear tank tops and shorts in the winter!) anyway, I racked my brain trying to make a card that looked and felt like a fuzzy sweater. This card uses what I'm calling my Fuzzy Sweater technique.

First of all I needed a bigger palette so I could really see and feel that fuzziness, so this is a 5 x 7 card. I started with a piece of 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" white cs, then I layered a piece of sticker paper on top of that, then I placed my die cut flowers and leaves on the sticker paper, all the area left over had this bright pink Fun Flocking pour onto it and rubbed in really well. I finished it off with some ribbon, tags, and a charm - TA DA! One Fuzzy Sweater card!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Gift Card Holder

Isn't this a sweet and simple gift card holder? It's done with the new SU In Color Markers and the Autumn days set. Clean and Simple, Julie would be proud of me - chuckles!

An Now... Back To Christmas

I made this fun background with my Crimper! How cool is that! The image is from the retired Peaceful Wishes set, everything is SU! except some contraband ribbon.

It Was 1970 Something

This card was inspired by a set scene from the old TV show "Laugh In" since I was under 10 years old in 1970 I don't think this is something I saw much of unless it was in re-runs! Anyway the daisy's are from SU! Daisy Die, the background was a RAK, everything else is SU!

Valentine of a different color

I used the Always set from SU! and some contraband patterned papers to make this "unique" valentine for the men and women stationed overseas. The paper and brads were a RAK from a friend, everything else is SU!

For a Boy's Birthday

This is another card made for the Cards for Heroes roundup I participated in, this Crab & Co. image from SU! seemed to fit the ticket. Almost everything is SU! except the "Raindots" that I used for embellishment to keep the bubble look going.

Goofy Mice

This month I participated in a Cards for Heroes drive and we had to make different themed cards. This project is not related to any vendor but we must use something that we received in a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) A friend sent me this cute Mouse image which I colored with alcohol markers and sprayed with a shimmer mist. The photo makes it look blurred and washed out, but it isn't in real life.

Okay Back To Wood Sheets

Have I mentioned how much I love these wood sheets from SU!? This time it's cut with my Top Note die, I sponged Creamy Caramel ink on the wood, then sponged the edges with Night of Navy, and stamped the dove from the To You & Yours set (retired now) and made it into a box. Then I finished it off with some yummy white satin ribbon, gave to my hostess as a hostess gift and now everyone thinks I'm uber cool - chuckles

Just One More?

Tell me you love this Santa as much as I do! This time I colored him with Alcohol markers, used some glitter glue, and an embossing folder!

More Good Cheer

I borrowed this set from a friend - I think I'm gonna have to break down and just buy it!

This time Santa, from the Good Cheer set, is stamped onto a piece of fabric with chocolate chip ink. This is almost all SU! I did cheat a little with that yummy snowflake printed satin ribbon, some more beads off that old string of Christmas beads and a doily that I picked up in the cake decorating section.

Shimmery Santa

I'm back *I think* My Sister in law has been moved to a rehab facility, I've got my Cards for Heroes done, started my Christmas shopping, took Katie to shop for the 6 year girl that she's adopted for Operation Christmas Child, and made it up to my folks to look in on my mom!

So I finally feel like I can devoted some more time to my blog than I have been for the past few weeks! And I like to start back by showing you a Christmas card that I just loved making!

Santa, from the Good Cheer set, is stamped on a Window Sheet with black Stazon, then I painted the Champange Shimmer paint on the back side of that, stamped the background with Bella Toile and put it together with a little distressing, and some Razzleberry ribbon which is upside down because I didn't want the polka dots to show, and threaded a old string of Christmas beads through the knot. Isn't it yummy?!?

Faux Frame Christmas

I'm enjoying the simple cleanness of this set a whole lot more than I thought I would! The Reverse Faux Frame made with the Top Note die really makes this card pop!

Never An Easy Card

My mom asked me to make her some sympathy cards. I always struggle with what is appropriate for those kinds of cards. I hope this almost all SU! card is appropriate.

Feeling A Little Purple

My friend Debi, aka bottomphish on SCS, sent me this darling Ketto for my birthday - thanks again Debi! I had fun playing with her!

Now Here This

I received this darling House Mouse image from my WishRak friends. I think the mouse with the horn looks rather mean! Or at least big brother - ish :)

Lynn Update

Hi all - Emily started a special CaringBridge blog for her mom here > http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lynnkoppel/journal

Now you can read the updates as Em posts them and leave Lynn a message.

{{{Hugs}}}

SU Page 158

More wood sheets! We'll be doing this at my next monthly stamp club ;)

It's the same card on page 158 of the SU Catalog, I simply changed the colors and added some ribbon!

It Can Get Any Worse

And then it does

I do have some creative stuff to show you, however it was on hold as I dealt with some meanness at work. You know that was stressful and painful enough, then life decided to throw another curve at us.

My sister in law was involved in a four car pile up early Friday morning. At this time we know she has two broken legs, a broken pelvis, several broken ribs, a broken jaw, a collapsed lung, and there was some brain bleeding last night. The brain bleeds have stopped now, they assure us that there is no brain damage, and there is no apparent internal injuries. We don't know what kind of treatment or rehabilitation she will be looking at yet. We do know that she will have to have reconstructive surgery on her pelvis, but we don't know when.

She is of course extremely medicated, she really hasn't woken up to tell us anything, what little she is awake she just says things like "where" "who" she did make us all smile when she said "holy shit" but she's still very confused, dazed and out of it. At this time Lynn continues to be in St. John's hospital in Detroit, she is in ICU and that means no gifts or vistors outside of immediate family for now.

Some of my friends that read this blog just for the crafty stuff may get tired of my family ramblings over the next little while, and for that I will apologize in advance, however this may become, for my family readers, a way to express updates if needed.

If you're the praying kind, keep sending them up to man upstairs we all apprepriate it!

I Warned You!

I'm getting totally addicted to these Wood Sheets! Doesn't Santa from the new Good Cheer set look soooo good in wood?

SU! Wood Cut sheets

I'm loving the look of the new Wood Cut sheets! I ordered them first thing out of the catty and I'm just now trying them for the first time, I think I could get addicted to these things! If you haven't tried them you need to!

REWARD OFFERED

For the return of my missing MOJO! I haven't stamped or created in a week! What's up with that? Plus I have a box of new goodies sitting here that I haven't touched :((((

Someone please find and return my MOJO!!!

Nothing Crafty

But I've had my nose stuff in a few good books lately! Have you read this "Paper, Scissors, Death" by, Joanna Campbell Slan?

Wonderful scrapbooking mystery!



Hopefully I'll get some time to post something crafty later tonight ;~)

More Crypt Work

I warned you, I love this set! This is the "cool skull" sponged with Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie and more Cast a Spell paper. It is a free standing popup card

Altered Treat containers

I LOVE this new set, From the Crypt! Pair it with the Cast a Spell DS paper and even my 16 yo DD was saying "cool skull mom" be still my heart!!!


This is a pringles can, stamped on Perfect Plum C/S and added the Cast a Spell papers, easy peasy!


A little more work to this one, it's an altered styrofoam coffee cup, I made a template by first wrapping a piece of print paper around it, tracing the cup, then I cut out my pattern and traced that onto my c/s.


This is what the coffee cup looks like with the lid on it.

Faux Ribbon Roses

Faux Ribbon Roses

I cannot take any credit for this, unfortunately I don't remember where I originally saw it either, so I'm re-creating it in the way that I did it.


See my little ribbon roses in the lower right hand corner? That's what I'm going to show you how to do! {tip, add some green leaves ;) I forgot them!)


1. Punch some 1/4" holes, but keep your punched pieces you'll need them at the end. I used Almost Amystest cardstock here.


2. Now punch 1 1/4" circles, centering your 1/4" circle in the middle.


3. Now cut your circles into spirals, starting on the outside and cutting in toward your littlest hole. The width of your spirals will determine how "thick" or high your FRR will stand. {Another tip, twist a paperclip to look like mine}


4. Now slide one end of the cardstock into the loop on your paperclip, spiral your C/S around that loop.


5. Keep spinning the C/S around that paperclip, adding some Mono-Multi as you go to keep it together.


6. They should look like this (sorry about the crappy photo)


7. Now take that 1/4" circle you saved and glue it to the bottom of your FRR.


8. This is what the bottom will look like, use a glue dot to adhere it to your project now! (again sorry about the crappy photo)


9. You can now "kick" it up a notch by adding some glitter to top edges of your FRR or you could "rough" up the edges using your edge distressor, play with it and see what you can do!

October is.... Halloween of course!

I've been wanting to do one of these "step cards" for a while now, these GinaK images that I got as a Rak worked perfectly!

I sponged the color onto the images, then I mixed up some SU! White Shimmer paint/alcohol mix and sprayed the C/S - I'm not sure if you can see it, but it created an awesome mottled look on the edges of the sponging & C/S - all C/S & ink are Stampin' Up!

October is... National Book Lovers month

This cute High Hopes image was a RAK:




I based my layout on this vintage Alice In Wonderland book cover: