March 31, 2009

Poker Face

Life has been getting in the way of my blogging the past few days. In reality, this is THE busiest time of year for me. It is much busier than the holiday season. I should have waited another 6 months before starting a blog. Maybe the hustle and bustle will just give me more to blog about!?! With the busyness comes lots of projects so stay tuned for some fun projects.

This card was made in honor of my cousin, Kirk's 30th birthday! His birthday was the day before yesterday, but I'm using the sick child excuse for not getting this posted in time. I hope your cards were lucky and your day was fabulous!

Stamps: Michael's clear dollar stamps

Ink: Stampin' Up! real red and basic black

Paper: Michael's cardstock packs

Thanks for stopping by! I should have a fun 3-D project done in the next couple days.
Sheri

March 26, 2009

Monkeying Around...

With some new products and techniques. Remember yesterday I said I was trying some new products. Well, bear with me because these are examples of my first attempts. I will start with the monkey on the tire. I completely assembled the card. I thought it was pretty cute, but I wanted to add just one more element. Then I remembered that I had bought some flocking a while back and had never tried it. So I decided to add it to the monkey. First of all, I don't think I used the right kind of glue. Second, it's generally wise to try something new on a scratch piece of paper or at the very least on an unassembled card. I think with some practice and the right glue flocking has potential.



Now, the monkey amongst the leaves...I used the Pearl-Ex without first water coloring. It's kind of see through and not so fabulous. There again, trying something new. I figure as long as I am learning everything will work out. I am a little particular most of the time, but I am giving these ones away. They are going to little boys who are celebrating their birthdays this week. I'm about 98% certain that neither one of them are going to say "Mrs. Smith, I think you need to practice your flocking before making me a card." In fact, I'm pretty certain they won't even realize I made the cards. Although, they might think one of my boys colored them.

Stamps: Stampendous! Changito tire swing, Changito safari, clear rubber stamp from Michael's dollar spot for the greetings.

Paper: 70% recycled pad from JoAnn's that I just can't get enough of, kraft cardstock, chocolate chip,

Ink: Basic brown, watercolor pencils, pearl-ex

Accessories: brads, white gel pen, paper piercer, dimensionals, fun flock


Have a fabulous day and thanks for sharing it with me!
Sheri

March 25, 2009

With A Cherry On Top

Happy Birthday, Aunt Millie! I miss you and love you. This is the card I made you. I didn't want to offend anyone by actually sending it to YOU on time so feel free to pick any other card if you would prefer a different one! I will get better one day.

There are a few "titles" that I could call myself (ie. mom, crafter, baker, etc.), however, photographer is not one of them. My older brother (Hi, Greg) dabbled in photography and took some really cool photos, but sadly, I did not get that gene. My point is that you all will have to use your imaginations if you want my photos to look better. I am a point and click girl when it comes to picture taking. I don't want to have to think about lighting, focusing, or anything else. Maybe it's because just trying to get four short people to smile all at the same time is hard enough. That excuse works for me (don't tell anyone that the majority of my subjects aren't actually people).

OK on to card details. My hubby keeps telling me if I really want to make my cards special I need to decorate the inside as well. I tell him my words are what "decorates" the inside, but he ain't buying it! So, I took his advice and foo-foo'ed up the inside a little. I have been trying to try some new products and techniques. I have been using Pearl-Ex to color some images. On this card I used my ink pads and aqua painter then I added Pearl-Ex to give it a nice shimmery look. I posted 2 photos so you could get a glimpse of the inside and to show all the dimension. The side view does a fine job of showcasing my photography skills (said with lots of sarcasm).


Stamps: Hampton Art cupcake and sentiment inside (I'm not telling you what it says so there is at least a little surprise for my aunt)

Paper: Chocolate chip (Stampin' Up!), designer paper from one of my JoAnn's pads, Cherry pink I got in bulk from a local paper store.

Ink: all Stampin' Up! Certainly Celery, Basic Brown, Regal Rose, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive

Accessories: Crystal effects (on cherry), Pearl-Ex, Swiss dots cuttlebug folder, EK Success punch, circle punches, ribbon from Target


Thanks for stopping by!
Sheri

March 24, 2009

Sewing Some Sympathy

Sympathy cards are hard to make for many reasons. I like to create ones that evoke happy feelings without seeming insensitive. I labored over this card trying to get the placement of everything just so. I did a lot of distressing and stitching and then more distressing. I got it all put together and it still seemed to be missing something. I added some stickles to the center of the flower and it gave it the "happy feeling" I was looking for. I think colors add to the mood because they are cheerful, yet subdued.

For the stitching I used my Janome Sew Mini machine. I want to love to sew, but I don't because I am not good at it. I like stitching on cards because you can purposely make the stitches all over the place and it's really cute. My stitches are all over the place even when I try to make them straight, so I gave up straight stitching for Lent (just kidding). I made this card a few weeks ago. So last night I was trying to sew on a new card, and I can't get my machine to work. It made a few stitches and stopped and had all kinds of bunched up thread on the bottom of the card. I re-threaded it. I took the bobbin out. I blew the lint out (although I doubt there was any lint since I just use paper and not material). I even accused the boys of using my machine asked the boys to see what projects they were sewing. As I adjusted the tension on the machine the tension in my being went through the roof. That would be another reason I don't love sewing. Oh, well. I threw gently packed it away and will try again on a day that I have more patience.


Tip Of The Day: Never pray for patience unless you're really up for the challenge!

Thanks for checking in, and feel free to send your friends over for a visit (on my blog that is)!

Sheri

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Sanded background, Close As A Memory, Botanical Blooms

Ink: Stampin' Up! Groovy Guava, River Rock, Cranberry Crisp

Paper: Stampin' Up! Groovy Guava, Cranberry Crisp, River Rock, and designer paper from Costco

Accessories: dew drop wanna be's from Michael's floral department, stickles,

March 23, 2009

Crochet Flowers

This is the card I sent to my mom. See the crochet flower in the center? She taught me how to make these beauties while she was here. I used white crochet thread and used a reinker to add the color. I carefully added a small amount around the edges with the reinker. I then spritzed it with water and let the ink fade into the flower. I love how it turned out. Did you notice the designer paper says "mother"? I thought that it was appropriate for the occasion. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the scalloped edges. The main flower image and ink are Stampin'Up! Those darn pearls caused me some pain. I'm always up for a bargain. I bought whole pearls from Michael's and had the brilliant idea to split them in half because it's kind of pricey to get the ones that are already split. So I used wire cutters to split them. My hand kind of got in the way of first one. I'm not certain the bruise, swelling, and pain were worth the money saved. But I do like the classy look they give a card. My hubby is much handier with tools than I am so maybe I will sweet talk him into cutting the other 372 that are left to split!



Here is a side view to show the dimension.

ETA: Here is a link to the website that we found the crochet pattern: http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa030803.htm

Thanks for stopping by!
Sheri

March 22, 2009

Happy Birthday, Sweet Nathan!

Today my second born son, Nathan, turns 9. Wow! Time flies. He is such a sweet and sensitive boy. He always thinks of others before himself, even if it means giving up something he really wants. Here are a few pictures of him. The first one is of all of our boys. I had a friend tell me when they stand in a line they look like the bars on the verizon phones. Too funny!




He was being a little silly, but I think he is a cutie anyway. Happy birthday, I love you!

Now onto the card I made for him. I don't think I will be able to get away with "cute" cards for him much longer. The picture is a little dark. I was in a hurry because Nathan was around and I didn't want to get busted taking the picture. There is lots of dimension. The only stamp I used was the birthday greeting. It is one of the clear stamps from Michael's dollar section. I used Stampin' Up! bayou blue ink. I used designer paper from JoAnn's. It is the 70% recycled paper. I am lovin' that paper! I may *need* to get some more.




Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Sheri

March 20, 2009

Thanks Dad!

Once a year I get a beautiful bouquet of flowers. It is on my birthday from my Dad. What a fabulous gift! Thanks, Dad. My birthday is towards the beginning of March so I'm not too late on this card...as long I get it mailed soon.

It's kind of funny, when I make cards I gradually develop new "favorites" until they leave the house. Sometimes it happens with each new card and other times a card stays number one for while. This card is now in the number one spot. It is a very simple and quick card, but I love how it turned out. This is the first time I used this stamp set as well. I really should make a stamp-a-ma-jig template for it because I can see using this one frequently. I just eyeballed placement this time. I like how the random sewing kind of looks like hills. The designer paper is from a 70% recycled pad from DCWV that I got at JoAnn's. I can't be any more specific than that because I split the pad with my mom and I gave her the cover. I used the Stampin' Up! inks Blue Bayou, Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa, and Kiwi Kiss and stamp set called Trendy Trees.
Thanks for stopping by...hope you come back tomorrow.

Sheri





March 19, 2009

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. I would love to show you the card I made her, but...a-hem...she doesn't have it yet. Although I make cards all the time I have a problem getting them in the mail. My family and friends would probably think there was something seriously wrong if I actually got them their cards on time. Maybe next year, Mom! Have a great day anyway. Well, I still have something to show you. I made these 3 cards using the same designer paper. They all have very different looks to them. I personally like the one that is shabby chic with the little green/blue ribbon across the bottom. I paper pieced the flower pots. The designer paper lent itself very well to that. I just used markers and my aquapainter to color the images. The stamp set is from Stampin' Up! It is called Blooming With Love. It is one of those sets that I HAD to have and sadly, this is the first time it has seen ink. I have two crafting goals for this year. One is to schedule craft time more regularly. Starting this blog will help with that goal. The other one is to use the supplies I currently have rather than buying more. That goal will make my hubby very happy. Thanks for stopping by!

Sheri















March 18, 2009

Talk Is "Cheep"...

Or free in my case. I have no problem giving advice or just chatting away. I visit with kiddos all day long, so I always welcome some adult company whether it be on the phone or in person. My mom just spent a week visiting us from Wyoming. It was nice to chat and laugh with her. I made this card for her to thank her for coming to see us, and for everything she did for us while she was here. She is very crafty, and we enjoy crafting together. We didn't have much crafting time since the boys were on spring break, but we still had lots of fun.



Stamp: Cheep Talk

Paper: designer paper pad from JoAnn's

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Not Quite Navy, Really Rust


March 16, 2009

Hula Under The Stars...

It is fun to see how creative people can be with stamps. I love to try to think outside the box. This bear from the Stampin' Up! set called Under the Stars is kind of growly. She (in this case) looks a little kinder and gentler in a skirt. Did you notice her belly button bling? I used a sewing tracing wheel to make the dots on the flag. Just make sure you put a notebook or something with some give under your cardstock to get a good impression. The wheels are not very sharp. I love how it adds a little extra something. I got that fabulous tip from one of my favorite artists, Anna .


This blog is obviously a new endeavor for me so please "bear" with me while I figure this blogging thing out. My husband tells me I know just enough about computers to be dangerous....so we'll see how truly dangerous I am! Thanks for letting me share my creations with you.

Sheri