Birthday Girls

And the girl parties just keep coming. Actually, I think we're done. Tia had a bunch of parties all squished together, so I had a bunch of cards to make all at once.  Genius me, I just made all the cards the same...but different.  I'd love to take the credit for the layout, but that goes to the PTI design team. The layout & some of the card parts (the sentiment pieces & color strips) came with the Color Couture series.

Ok, so these first 2 cards were actually for twins.  I love these girls.  Now, they're twins, so they have their similarities, but they're also very different girls.  Didn't feel the need to reinvent the wheel, so they just got different versions of the same card.  Plus, it was a time crunch, since Tia had another party the very next day.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of that one (not sure what happened there), but it looked a lot like the one below.

This was the last card I made, so by this time I had the hang of what I was doing - what worked & what didn't.  This one is my favorite of them all.  I used a smaller flourish behind the butterfly and I just love how the sentiment piece came out. I made this one all by myself. There wasn't one with these colors (which I love - yes, even the orange!). Yay me!  I think the best part is that Tia helped make all 4 cards. She had input on the colors, flowers and even the bling.  I'm gonna miss my little card making partner when school starts next week!

Stamps: Beautiful Blooms, Butterfly Dreams, Fancy Flourishes, Fillable Frames #4, Birthday Basics (PTI), Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Orange Zest, Aqua Mist (PTI), Pink Pirouette, Pixie Pink, Wild Wasabi (SU!), Paper: white, Raspberry Fizz & Color Couture Collection (PTI), Garden Green (SU!), Accessories: PTI dies, rhinestones, corner rounder punch

Thinking of Red

The power of suggestion. Or, perhaps, monkey see, monkey do? I'm not sure what happened or what to call it, but I saw cool stuff done with this set and decided I had to have it.  Then I made this and called it a day. Not that I don't like the set, but sometimes I have a hard time making things I like work the way I want. Don't get me wrong, I like the card, I just had a hard time doing more with the set. Plus, things recently got so busy for me that I couldn't even enjoy or appreciate the new stuff I was getting. But I had to get it.  So then I had to put a self imposed moratorium on buying new stuff until I used all the cool stuff I just had to have.  At first, I was pretty sure I was going to die, knowing I didn't have a box full of Papertrey goodness coming to my door. But it does get easier as time goes on. And I'm using all the stuff I have, cuz, you know, there's nothing wrong with what I already have.  But let's be clear...it was a temporary pause in my shopping addiction. Next month, Christmas stuff comes out & you know how I love me some Christmas card making gear!

Stamps: Take Three: Summer & Asian Fusion (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Paper: black & white (PTI), Accessories: Copics ~ R29, R27, R24, YG25, YG11 (i think =/)

Gee, Thanks!

Alrighty. These would be the thank you cards that we sent out after Tiara's birthday. It's kinda funny...I'm the mom that crafts & makes cards and yet, I almost never make birthday invitations or thank you cards. I always mean to make the thank you cards, but then I always forget.  It's a good thing she only invites people that we really know & who love us or people would think we're terribly rude. Sorry! I'm not rude, just forgetful. And,ok, a tad lazy. But this year, I remembered and actually got these bad boys out.  Yay me! It could have helped that Tia helped me make these. I'm really feeling bright colors these days (yes, even orange!), so I had the color part down.  But Tia cut out all the circles with my cuttlebug and then decided that the circle should be over on one side, with the ribbon on the other side of the card and not have the whole thing centered. Her version was much better than mine. Card maker in the making!

Stamps: Flutterby Friend & YOF: Lily of the Valley (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Green Galore (SU!), Orange Zest & Raspberry Fizz (PTI), Paper: white & Raspberry Fizz (PTI), Accessories: Nesties, Raspberry Fizz satin ribbon (PTI)

Happy Birthday Tiara!

Tia turned 11 last month. *sighhhh* My last baby is 11. She had our family's first slumber party with more than 2 girls. Let me just say, these things are no joke. I went from thinking we were just going to have 1 girl spending the night to having 5 extra girls in my house. When one of the moms dropped her girls off, she told me I was very brave. I looked at her like she was a lightweight. Puh-leeease, I got this! Turns out my naive days are not quite over. I won't go into the crazy (to me, anyway) details, but I will say that we will not be doing that again. We have 3 daughters. Every night is a slumber party. Well, the kind I can handle without needing medication the next day.

Stamps: Star Prints (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Green Galore (SU!), Raspberry Fizz & Plum Pudding (PTI), Paper: white (PTI), The Sweet Matstack (DCWV), Accessories: star punch (Fiskars)

Happy Birthday Clarissa

K, here's what happened. Birthdays, end of school year gifts, Father's Day, more birthdays & so on. Burn out happened. I really don't know how some people make enough stuff to post everyday and then think of stuff to say about said stuff. Still with me? Anyway, I took a much needed break (which totally bummed out my mom) and now I'm back. Sorta. I just thought she's probably sick of looking at my nephew's graduation card (awesome as it is) every time she clicks on my blog.  So here's one that I totally copied from Nichole, because it was so stunning when I first saw it. I love, love, love images in white. They can be crisp & clean or soft & dreamy. But I hate, hate, hate cutting stuff out. So, smuding white ink on kraft cardstock and getting this soft look is something I think I'm gonna do a whole bunch.  I just love the look. Now, I made this card waaay back at the beginning of June, but no, I don't have 2 months of cards saved up. I just have a few to catch you guys up on. But fear not. August is a crazy busy month for me. I have 7 birthdays & I really should make cards for each of those. So, I'll try my best to get those up (assuming I actually make them) but the posts will probably be light on my oh-so-witty banter.  This is also the month of getting the girls ready to go back to school and Tia has soccer. Not sure whose bright idea that was...sitting outside in the heat in August...but we, as great fantabulous good parents do, support our kids in all of their ventures, whether we love them or not. Um, the ventures, not the kids.

Stamps: Year of Flowers: Lily of the Valley & Asian Fusion (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Fresh Snow (PTI), Paper: white & kraft (PTI), Accessories: Copics (probably) YG67 & YG63

Yay Devin

Last graduation card for this year. Next year, it's my kid! So weird. Anyway, my nephew graduated from high school this year, and this is what he got from his most favorite aunt. Ok, I may have embellished a little there. What he actually said to me was, "Thanks," but sometimes you just have to read between the lines.  Sadly, it doesn't compare to the trip to Hawaii that he also received after graduation, but hey, I do what I can.

So, as I'm writing this, we are on day 3 of summer vacation and Krista is already bored.  Does anyone else have this problem: your kid announces that they're bored, so you ask them what they want to do and then, my favorite part, they answer with, "I don't know"?  She couldn't wait to be done with school and now that she's out, she can't wait to go back. "How will I make it 2½ months?"  Really? Well, to kill some time, may I suggest cleaning out your room, cleaning the mirrors, maybe a bathroom or 2...

Also, it should be noted that I was short on time for being truly self inspiring, so I just did what I do so well lately. CASEd Nichole. Ya gotta scroll down a bit.

Stamps: For the Graduate (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Paper: Soft Stone & True Black (PTI), Accessories: Mat Stack 1 die

For My Teachers

Believe it or not, I have waited over a year for this.  Early last year, Nichole had a post using the template for this "box". Right away I knew it was what I wanted to do for my teachers for their end of year/goodbye gifts. I've been a parent at my girls' elementary school for 12 years, and the 8 teachers that they've had that are still there, all get gifts from us. We love them all and appreciate them so much, this is the least we could do!

Everyone gets a coordinating card & gift box with stationery inside. I made a cute little band to hold the paper inside and then stuck their cards on top. I was inspired by the ideas that come with the template done by PTI's awesome design team.

This is one set, all together. Yes, I love polky dots. And those apples are fun, too!

This is the other set. Same design, just flipped the colors around. The teachers got them last week, and they seemed to go over really well.  Thank you to all of the staff at JL Elementary.  You will be missed!

Stamps: Teacher's Apple, Polka Dots Basics, Giga Guidelines & Simply Stationery (PTI), Ink: Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate (PTI), Antique Linen, Versafine Onyx Black, Paper: white, kraft, Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado (PTI), Accessories: Pure Poppy & Ripe Avocado Ribbon (PTI), Desktop Organizer Template (PTI), circle punch, scallop punch, white pen

For The Graduate

Ok, so my mom needed me to make her another card.  This time, one of her neighbors had a son graduating and it just so happened that I was getting my For The Graduate set that day.  So why not use that bad boy to make a card for mom to give? I'm a fabulous daughter, so I said, "Okie dokie!"  Of course, I wasn't creative enough to come up with something on my own that quickly (even though she didn't need it for a couple of days), so I just stole pilfered CASEd a card that Nichole did.  All I did was change the colors and get rid of the ribbon.  I used his school colors (or, the colors that were on the invitation) and that's it. Done. Sooo easy.  I love easy!

K, I've got tons of things coming up. Yes, I've actually got other finished projects for you guys to see.  Of course, finding the time to get them up on the ol' blog is another thing entirely.  Next week is the girls' last week of school, Tia's going to be done at the elementary school (which means I'm done at the elementary school...so.very.sad) and I've got gifts and goodbyes aaannd I feel a good cry coming on.  Then next year, I have...a senior. Unbelievable. Where did all that time go?  And don't only old people ask that question?

Stamps: For the Graduate, A Little Argyle (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Pure Poppy (PTI), Paper: PTI black & white

A Quick Thank You

So, my mom had asked me to make her a thank you card for her friend. Of course, I do not have a problem with doing that for her. My mom would do anything for me, cuz she's a mom & that's what we do. The problem is that she asked me during one of our Sunday morning, hour long conversations.  "Hey, can you do me a favor and make me a thank you card for my friend that let me borrow her drapes until I get my new window treatments?" Haha. Lending drapes? That's an interesting favor.  "Sure, no problem at all. So, guess what Darien did the other day...blahblahblah"  In one ear and out the other.  Immediately.  Seriously, it was a good couple of days before I even remembered that she asked me for a card.  It's not that she needed it right away (let's not get her started on why she didn't need it right away), but when I remembered that she had asked me, it was like a jolt. Oh, man, my mom needs a card!  So then I had to figure out what I wanted to do.  Colors? Theme? Stamp set?  Golly gee, what should I do?  I think I find it harder for people I don't know.  It's not that my cards are part of some secret society and only "we" understand our cards and really "get it".  But sometimes I see people's reactions to handcrafted (because homemade is for cookies...mmm, cookies) cards and they're like, what the heck is this hokey crap?!  So I finally went for simple, elegant, classic and down to earth all rolled into one.  And then when my mom saw it, she told me that the damask in the card looked just like the pattern in the drapes.  So, this long babbling story is my way of letting you guys know that I'm psychic!  Isn't that the coolest?

Stamps: Damask Designs & Year of Flowers: Violets (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Raspberry Fizz (PTI), Paper: PTI white

For My Baby

Ok, so this week Shawn & I celebrated our anniversary.  And I may have mentioned that he can be difficult to buy for. Really difficult.  So I tend to just go the safe route.  I make him stuff.  Usually it's met with, "ohhh,  cute." And not in a mean way, but how many cards & frames can you get excited about? This time, I figured, since our anniversary is about us, I'd make him a little book.  Oh, yeah, the coaster book is back. I LOVE these! And surprisingly, so did he...

When I saw this set from Dawn, I knew I had to buy it & just what I would do with it.  Of course, I plan on using it for the girls, too, on cards & projects for them.  I totally have a list of things I love about all of them!

(Darien took these a loooong time ago, back when

she was our only kid!)

So, as people see the book (ok, the girls, my friend & even Shawn), the first thing they say is, "you guys look so young!" Um, thanks?

(Hmm, she probably took these, too. These are both in Vegas.)

I do have to say that going thru 18 years of pictures was fun,  even tho some of them (ok, most of them) are actual printed pictures, so they had to be scanned. Scanning + lazy me = not fun. But, he's worth it.

(Left: at a 49ers game in December.

Right: us being silly at Pika Pika)

So there you have it. Another fun project. I love when things come together just right and it gets appreciated all at once! Of course, it wasn't smooth sailing the whole time. I had to do this last page on the right 3 times! It started out with 5 little pictures on it. I glued them on, was thrilled, thought I was done & then remembered I still had to put a hole in it. Well, would've gone right thru Shawn's head. Probably not very sweet. So then I had to put it all away for a few days while he was home. 3 days later, went back to work on it and this time used 2 pictures. Got so wrapped up in the pictures that I totally forgot about the 'hole' thing. Ugh! Really? Ok, focus! One picture. Check. Room for the hole. Check. Done!

Card: Which was inspired by this card by the faboo Maile Belles

Stamps: Top Ten & Top Ten Additions, Fillable Frames 1, A Little Argyle (PTI), Ink: Dark Chocolate, Enchanted Evening, Spring Moss, Spring Rain, Ripe Avocado, Scarlet Jewel & Ocean Tides (PTI), Elegant Eggplant (SU!), Antique Linen Distress (Ranger), Paper: Rustic White & Kraft (PTI), Accessories: FF1 die, Dark Chocolate button (PTI), twine

Book:

Stamps: Top Ten & Top Ten Additions, Vintage Labels, Fancy Flourishes, Around & About Sentiments, Giga Guidelines, Turning a New Leaf, Background Basics: Petal Power (PTI), Inkadinkado hearts, Ink: Dark Chocolate, Spring Rain, Ripe Avocado, Scarlet Jewel & Hibiscus Burst (PTI), Creamy Caramel (SU!), Paper: Rustic White (PTI)

Happy Happy Birthday

Ok, I'm still lovin' my argyle stamps.  It's just such a fun set!  I had a difficult girl to make a card for, so this is what she's getting.  It's more girly in person, cuz you can actually see all the glitter I threw on it. I dotted the intersections on the green diamonds and filled the candles with some Stickles.  It's girly without being too foo-foo about it, much like the girl.  And she's one of the few girls I know who likes green.  Altho, I like green...paper...with numbers & dead Presidents on it. But that's me.

Anyway, I'm really loving the next post I'm doing for you guys.  It's another project of mine and I'm super proud of how it turned out. Now all I need to do is get some good pictures of it. We all know how good I am at that!

Stamps: A Little Argyle, Cupcake Collection & Fillable Frames 1 & 2 (PTI), Ink: Fresh Snow & Spring Moss (PTI), Versafine Onyx Black, Paper: white & Spring Moss (PTI), Accessories: Fillable Frames #2 die (PTI), corner rounder punch

Celebrate...Cupcakes!

Ok, somehow I got crazy behind on my card & gift making.  This card went out the day before the recipient's birthday. That's cuttin' it close for me!  I always have a 2 day cushion, just in case.  Not knockin the USPS, since that's my daddy, but you never know.

I also found that as excited as I was about this cupcake set, I'm having a hard time using it. I'm not sure what my problem is, I just get blocked.  I find I can't get the colors or the placement to work and bring me the kind of happiness I get from actually eating cupcakes.  Oh well. I've got plenty of other things I've got to get done in the next month. A graduation card, a couple of non-cupcake birthday cards, an anniversary gift & card (i think you're gonna like this one) and the cards & gifts for the staff at the elementary school.

Oh, yeah. One more little thing. If you visit Nichole's blog on a regular basis, you might recognize this card. Yeah, I stole it. Hers {scroll doooowwwwn, you'll hit it} was so visually stunning & exciting, I couldn't wait to make one just like it. So I did.  Ok, maybe not just like it, but you can tell where I got my idea. *sigh* She's my stamping hero. K, gushing over. Just wanted to give credit where it was due.

Stamps: Polka Dot Basics & Cupcake Collection (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Hawaiian Shores, Sweet Blush & Hibiscus Burst (PTI), Paper: PTI white, Accessories: randomly placed Stickles, black pen & ruler

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, everyone.  Since I forgot to do this post before Mother's day {sorry, mom}, I'm just throwin' up the pictures and will be done with it.  Tiara's awake and wanting her mommy time, so I'm going to go enjoy my day with my kids.  Well, kid, for right now. Those other 2 are teenagers, so they'll probably be asleep for awhile.  So go enjoy your day!

Stamps: Asian Fusion, Delightful Dahlia (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Hibiscus Burst & Pure Poppy (PTI), Paper: white, black, Hibiscus Burst & Pure Poppy (PTI)

Mmm, Cupcake!

I looooove cupcakes. I don't eat them too often, cuz, you know, they're not good for you & all that junk. But they are just so nice and enjoyable to put into my mouth.  You know it's gonna be a good one when you have a hard time fitting the tippy top of the icing down to the bottom of the 'cake all in one bite.  And turns out, I'm picky. Chocolate cupcake. Vanilla cupcake. I'm good. But now, there's more wild & exotic flavors.  You get into those fancy, gourmet flavors and I start to get nervous.  Why must we mess with what's already workin'?  Banana? Raspberry? Peanut butter?  Ohhh, they just sound wrong for a cupcake.  But that's me. And don't get me started on icing! I prefer buttercream (hey, if you're gonna do it, do it right!), but if forced, I will eat a cream cheese or whipped frosting. You know, if you're gonna twist my arm...I am starting to venture out, tho. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we do have quite the variety of food.  And I'm on a quest for the best cupcake in the Bay. (ok, not in any official capacity, but it sounds more legitimate when phrased that way, right?)  I've got some places that I've mentioned to my husband, so when he's at work, I say, "Hey, if you happen to pass...could you pick me up...?"  Oh, sure, I can stick a label on it & say I'm doing research (for what? i have no idea) or something, but let's be real. I just want a good cupcake every once in a while to make me happy. And if I'm happy, everyone else in the house stands a better chance at being happy too.

Stamps: Cupcake Collection & Vintage Labels (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Raspberry Fizz (PTI), Paper: white & Lemon Tart (PTI), Accessories: Prisma glitter, Raspberry Fizz satin ribbon (PTI), Copics~ RV21, RV23, Y00, Y21

Little Boy Blue

K, you know how I'm not the biggest fan of making the male card? Well, if they could all just be this easy & come out like this, I'd have no problem at all.  When I saw that this airplane set was being released by Papertrey, I thought, well, there's $5 (yes, $5!) I don't have to spend.  But then I had this feeling that I should go ahead & get it, just in case.  Now, I know you're probably thinking I say that about all of their sets.  But no, I really do have some sort of self control.*  Now, if you were to ask me about the argyle set...the second I saw that one, I knew I had to have it. I love this set! Oh, the color combinations! Consider yourself warned: you will be seeing plenty of this set in the future.

Oh, and just a little FYI for my mom and anyone else who hasn't done this yet. The clouds (how cool are they?!) are a scalloped circle that I cut in half. Then, I just sponged blue ink over the edge of the scallops onto my white paper. Easy peasy!

Stamps: A Little Argyle & Fly Away (PTI), Ink: Spring Rain & Enchanted Evening (PTI), Versafine Onyx Black, Paper: white, Spring Rain & Enchanted Evening (PTI), Accessories: scallop punch (SU!), Copics~B41

*This is a total lie. I have zero self control. I love PTI. If I don't own it, I must not be in love with it. And even then, I will probably own it one day anyway.

Happy Birthday Madeline

Oh, the problems I had with this card!  It went poopy from beginning to end, even to taking the picture of it. I won't bore you with all the details like I did last year, but man! I think when it comes to this darling girl, I've got some seriously bad juju going on.  Oh!  She's also getting it late. Crikey! I was doing last minute stuff trying to get it ready, then my weekend went bonkers (i even saw her! but it was a surprise, so i was totally unprepared and didn't have it on me), then I didn't feel well, so I promptly forgot about it and then finally mailed it. Phew!  I think once I get all my May & June cards & projects done (which is A LOT), I'm gonna start on her card for next year.  Allow extra time for all those boo-boos.

Stamps: Butterfly Dreams, Background Basics: Petal Power (PTI), Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Orange Zest, Fresh Snow (PTI), Paper: white & Scarlet Jewel (PTI), Accessories: Nestabilities, Butterfly Die (PTI), Copics~

Happy Birthday Kimmie!

Ok, I finally find the time to come back & post something & blogger is being weird. So I'm going to keep it short for my sanity. This is going to be the year of 17 year olds around here, so this is just one card in a long line of them to come, I'm sure.  Darien's friend turned 17 the other day and she needed a card really quick (or, a really quick card) to give to her at dinner that night.  Tia, Krista & I went thru my cards on the computer looking for something to CASE.  I found this one and this is what I came up with.  It goes so much faster when I can just copy something. Glad I didn't approve of copying when I was in school or I would have learned nothing!  Oh, yeah. Don't get sick of the butterflies yet.  If I ever get this other one finished (the one I'm stuck on & the reason I've posted nothing in days!), you'll be seeing even more butterflies. And then I'm done. For now. Maybe. We'll see.

Stamps: Vintage Labels, Butterfly Dreams, Polka Dot Basics (PTI), Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Hawaiian Shores (PTI), Paper: Hawaiian Shores & white (PTI), Accessories: Nestabilities, Butterfly die (PTI), Copics (BG18, BG13, BG11)

Birthday Dahlia

Ok, while this flower is oh so lovely, I'm not thrilled with the card. I have thoughts of future versions and ideas of how to make them oh so lovelier, so be on the look out for that.  And this card had started out completely different. I had the flower cut out all ready for something else and that totally tanked.  But it was already colored and soo pretty, so I had to do something with it.  And this is that something.  Oh man, I cannot wait for the better versions.

I do have to say that these Papertrey dies are just amazing.  Dies made for stamps? Or, stamps made for dies? Whichever.  There is genius behind that idea and I'm lovin' it! I'm hoping for dies for some of the older sets, like Tea for Two.  I believe I would use that teapot more if there were a die for it.  Oh! Or Friends til the End. I know you guys aren't sick of me using that one yet!  Ha. Or, maybe not. At any rate, if PTI keeps making them, I'll keep buying them.

Stamps: Delightful Dahlias (PTI), Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Paper: Pink Pirouette (SU!), white (PTI), Accessories: Delightful Dahlias dies (PTI), Copics~