ETA: I don’t sell at craft fairs…yet.  I sold these at work.  All 8 are gone.   Also, the BBQ went really well yesterday.  It was soooo much work but the house and garden (yard) looked great IMO and everyone had a good time.  It was so nice to see my brother and SIL – that’s twice in one year.  I usually only see them about every 2 years.  Now that the BBQ is over I’m hoping to get a little crafting time in.

Apologies in advance for the bad pictures today…no time…

I made 8 sets of beaded pens and notepads in hopes of selling them.  I’ll let you know how I do.

Here’s a quick shot of the lot before they got packaged up for sale:

And here’s what a typical package looks like (ribbons are changed out depending on the paper on the notepads):

On a sad note, Staples has ridiculously upped the cost of having something cut in the store.  It’s 500% more than it used to be for me to get a package of notepads cut.  Utterly insane!  I used to pay a dollar and now it’s a $2 admin fee plus $3 per cut.  That increases the cost of a package of notepads by 50%.  I need to find a cheaper way to do this to keep my notepads at a reasonable price point.  I wonder if there’s anywhere else in my little city that I can get this done?  Ruined my whole evening!

Well, thank goodness for my DT projects because that was the only reason I was “allowed” to do any crafting this week.  Just a few more days until the party and I can go back to my usual routine.  On the plus side, our yard (to call it a garden would imply that flowers are present) is looking quite decent and I know it’s going to be a fun day.  The weather is supposed to be nice on Sunday too so that’s a plus!

Today I’ve got a card plus a little gift ensemble suitable for a young man (okay, a boy) to share with you.  First the card:

Some quick details – I used MME L’il Robots paper and Alfy from the Tinheart Family line of stamps at PWCO.  A little stitching, a mat, and a ribbon/button embellishment and I’m good to go.

I forgot to mention on the PWCO blog a little tip that I’ll share with you today.  I wanted red accents on my robot due to my limited copic collection (just ordered 3 yellow and 1 green) so I coloured the orange dots on the PP with a red copic to tone down the colour I didn’t want and accent the one I did want. (you’ll be able to see the orange dots in a minute…)  It’s a quick way to customize your paper to the colours you want to use.  I’m always amazed that I have a zillion sheets of paper but never seem to have the right shade of green or yellow, etc. that I am looking for.

Let’s move on to the gift ensemble:

A quick 2-4-6-8 box, an altered puzzle, a handmade notebook and a gel pen – a perfect gift that costs well under $5 to make.   Here’s a slightly closer shot of the contents of the gift box:

I hope you like it.  I’ve got something else cooked up to show you but probably won’t get the pictures edited and the post written until the weekend.  Oh, I almost forgot – I took a picture of the inside (I don’t normally bother as I finish all my cards the same way):

See ya later!

ETA:  How cool!  I was “soup-spotted” on the Jillybean Soup blog today!

http://jillibeansoup.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/08/soup-spotting-81110.html

Hi guys…I’ve been so busy I haven’t had any time to update my blog (blog post coming tomorrow though!) DH and I are still working on all the things we need to finish before we host a big family do this weekend.  That means my evenings (and last weekend) are spent assisting with building a fence, doing some landscaping and repairing our patio.   I haven’t even begun cleaning the house or shopping for the food for Sunday.  Eeekkk!!

The Happy Mail only went out today (but it did go out – sorry for the delay).  As I’d already pre-packaged the papers/stamped image I couldn’t handwrite the addresses on the envelopes so I took a few minutes last night to print out labels so I can get your goodies out to you.  I only had 7 replies on the happy mail post so I sent the 8th envelope to someone who has commented on my blog from time to time.  Hope she enjoys it after she finishes scratching her head on why she got the stuff in the mail!

I should be back on schedule after Sunday.

I only had a short window of “create” time a day or two ago so I decided to try a CAS (clean and simple) card purely inspired by a scrap of patterned paper that was sitting on my worktop.

My “artsy” border MAY have ruined the card but I think it’s a decent first try:

On the upside I’m pleased with the colouring and I unearthed a cute sentiment from TAC that I don’t think I’ve ever used.

Enjoy your Friday.  I’ve got more grown up stuff to do this weekend but I’m hoping to get at least a card or two whipped out.

ETA: I use Prismacolour pencils and Mona Lisa brand OMS when I colour with pencils.

I’ve certainly been in a colourful mood lately.  I guess my card colours are geared towards the newest papers (I’m an addict).  I’m enjoying the DeLovely paper from Cosmo Cricket.  I just have to remember to colour my images to match!

To make sure I had something to match this awesome paper, I whipped out my colouring pencils for this image.  I knew I wanted lots of shades of green and yellow and my copic collection is still about 35 markers short of where I need to be.

Behold today’s card:

This card is featured on the PWCO Blog today – I get to do free-for-all projects this month meaning I can make whatever I want instead of having to follow a sketch or use a particular project.  This will give me a chance to play with some of the PWCO products I just haven’t managed to get to yet.

I made a little something to go with the card – I haven’t made one of these little guys since um, Valentine’s day I think:

I just need to make a beaded pen to go with it, package it up all pretty and cute and I’ve got a great birthday gift for my stash.

If you haven’t checked it out already, you really should take in the details of a contest that PWCO is running this month…it’s called the Ultimate Summer Challenge and there are some great prizes to be won.   Go HERE for details.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a CAS (clean and simple) card…I think I need a little more practice with those!

ETA: The stamped image is “Bella” by Whipper Snapper

Well, today is an interesting holiday where I live.  Pretty much the rest of Canada had a holiday on Monday but until I woke up this morning I got the POTENTIAL of having a holiday today.  Luckily, the holiday is a GO!

That’s right, my holiday is based on the weather!!!  And where I live one does not peg their hopes on weather.  You can read about this holiday HERE or you can move on (I’m going to – at least until next year) and check out the card I made last night.

I need to bulk up the supply of baby cards so I’m trying to get a couple of images ready in case inspiration strikes.  Inspiration did strike last night but once I finished the card I realized the papers were a bit of a rehash…I think I even used the same ribbon as the last time I made a baby card…good grief!  At least the layout is different.

I used my Create a Critter cartridge for the background on this card (I don’t own the top note die…I think my friend Karen does so I might borrow it sometime if she doesn’t mind.  Maybe we could do a temporary swap on an item or two).  I think this shape works fairly well as a replacement.  I need to install my Design Studio software so I can play with the sizes a little more.  I would have preferred this to be a shade bigger but can only go up by pre-set increments on my Cricut if I don’t use the software.

Poor old Bella is sitting on a dark coloured surface because I didn’t like the colour I used originally and could only cover it with something darker.  Not ideal but at least I made a card!

Off to do some outdoor work – I would rather be making cards but sometimes you have to act like a grown up.

Enjoy your day!

This is the companion card to yesterday’s blog offering.  I made it using papers and embellishments from the July PaperCard Kit at PWCO.  Did I mention that they are featuring Echo Park paper for August? (I know I did…I just really, really need some Echo Park paper)

I used another adorable RAM image for this card – I think it’s my second favourite from the release.  It’s hard to pick just one favourite.  “Hare’s” my “beary” best of friends:

See the HUGE embellishment in the bottom corner…that was made using stuff from the kit.  I had fun trying to use as many of the doodads in the kit to finish my last two July cards.   Incidentally, this is the card I broke my sewing machine on (not the card’s fault.  I switched to heavier thread to do this one and I think it was too much for my poor old Pixie).  I had to finish the zigzag stitching by hand.  Luckily about 3/4 of the stitching was done when the machine coughed out its last stitch.

Gotta jet…hope to get some crafting done tomorrow.

…or in my case, wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!

I’m trying to catch up with my blogging.  I might have a day off this week (crazy St. John’s holiday that is dependent on the weather conditions) so I’m hoping to get a post or two going.  I’m also hoping to spend some quality time fixing up my mess of a back yard – not a chore I enjoy.

Speaking of gardens, I still have a couple of projects to show you that I made using the July PaperCard Kit from PWCO.

The one I’m showing you today is my favourite only because it uses my fave image from the RAM stamp release.

I used the path under the bicycle as the inspiration for my card layout.   I went a little over the top with embellishments in the fluff factor – two rows of ruffled ribbon plus a multi-layered flower.  Everything on the card except the red layer of flowers was from the papercard kit and I still have some paper and one sheet of cardstock left over.  Pretty good  value for the money.  (the August kit has Echo Park paper in it – which I’m dying to get my hands on…so you should see that on the blog as soon as I can get my hands on it)

I’ve got one more July card to share so I’ll pop back tomorrow with that.  I’ve also got some details on a contest you can enter at PWCO so I’ll get that information on the blog for you tomorrow as well.

Thanks for dropping by!

For those of you that left a comment regarding happy mail, you should have received an acknowledgement email from me by now – in fact, I even sent one to somebody who didn’t leave a comment! (I’m a bit too quick when doing things…oh well!)

The envelopes are a little heavier than a standard card so I have to go to the post office and get them weighed before I mail them…give me a couple of days, okay?

Anyway, I have been spending some time in my craft room but mostly working on DT projects – if you have ever thought about being on a design team, it is quite fun but it takes up a lot more time than you might realize.  This is my first DT and I do not know how people manage to be on 3 or 4 at one time!

(BTW, if you have noticed that I am not using contractions it is because my keyboard is doing something funky on the internet at the moment and I do not have time to shut down and restart the computer if I want to get this blog post finished)

I actually had two cards to share on Friday but just did not get around to blogging them.  I will do that tomorrow (when I sound less like a robot in type!) but for now I have a card to share and I have a quick die cutting tutorial as well.   I will start with the card so you can judge whether you are interested in the tutorial:

He is SO cute.  I love Whipper Snapper stamps…they are so happy!!!

Notice how my flowers spill over the side of my die cut image?  I am going to show you how to do that (please note, I never came up with this concept myself.  I have seen it on SCS several times and I am sure there are tutorials available – I am not trying to take credit for this)

Step 1:  Align the die with the image

Step 2:  Draw pencil marks on either side of the edge of the die where you want the image to overflow (I have made my pencil lines a bit longer and more noticable for the purpose of the tutorial – normally I just make a couple of very light and short lines)

Step 3:  This is really two steps – cut from the top of where the image will overflow right over to just past the inside pencil line (you need to go just a tiny bit past this line so there is room to properly position the die).  Repeat on the bottom of the part of the image that will be outside the die.  This creates a flap of cardstock that you will slip OVER the die.  Position the die and run it through your die cutter.

Step 4:  Remove the die and erase the pencil marks.

Step 5:  Trim the excess cardstock from around the image.

Step 6:  Make a card!

I will be back tomorrow – speaking normal English and sharing a couple of cards I made using Rachelle Anne Miller stamps and the July PaperCard Kit from PWCO.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

I would have posted sooner today but I had to make 8 of you (are there 8 of you out there?!) some little cards to go with your Happy Mail.

I’m doing this a little differently this time around.  Last time I didn’t limit the number of people who could “win” happy mail so the scraps got divided into the appropriate number of piles AFTER you all weighed in.  This time around I sorted the piles out and decided that I had enough scraps to make 8 decent-sized envelopes of happy mail so you get more to play with. 

As mentioned, I also stamped out a Whipper Snapper image – one of my favourites.  You get that too…plus a limited edition Kelly Bee “bookmark” (or whatever you want to do with it – it’s about 4.5X2.25″).

Here are pictures depicting the contents of three of the envelopes I’m sending out so you can get an idea of what you’re asking for:

1.  Basic Grey featuring Lemonade and some Prima flowers that I ‘experimented’ on with some homemade Glimmer Mist:

2.  I’m calling this envelope “mainly masculine”.  Jillibean Soup, Cosmo Cricket, Basic Grey, Three Bugs in a Rug and a piece of ribbon:

3.  Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety – mostly leftovers from my PaperCard Kit from PWCO

There’s another Basic Grey envelope with Kioshi and Green at Heart scraps, a second Garden Variety, a Three Bugs in a Rug envie, etc.

Before I tell you what you’ve got to do to get on the Happy Mail mailing list…here’s a HUGE close up of my bee (glitter AND fun flock):

I know you only want to be on the mailing list so you can get your inky fingers on my adorable ‘bookmark’  but I’ll throw in the stamped image and the scraps too.

Wondering how to make the list?

LEAVE  A COMMENT and make sure I get your email address so I can contact you for your snail mail address.

The first eight (8) people to comment make the list.  The envelopes will be sent out randomly – you don’t get to pick (sorry) but I’m sure you’ll enjoy your freebies all the same.

If you do make a creation using the bits and bobs I’m sending you I’d love for you to send me a picture so I can share it on my blog.

Thanks for stopping by!