No Paper Trimmer Required

I wanted to share with you some cute cards I made that were super easy--in fact, I am calling this "no paper trimmer required" because these cards were made with no need for cutting patterned paper with a trimmer.  Instead, I used punches, chipboard accents, foam numbers, and stamps and ink, of course.

My first example is a card I created with some leftover chipboard hearts.  I've been cleaning up my craft stash lately, and found a few of these shapes in my stuff that I was just ready to use up.  I inked up the hearts in red ink, and then adhered them onto patterened paper squares that I had punched out with my CM square punch.

The sentiment is from CTMH Card Chatter--Love stamp set (inside reads: "to be loved by you"--love that James Taylor song!).  Then I jazzed up the hearts with some glitz glitter gel (starburst) to make them sparkle!

This next card is a GREAT way to use up foam, chipboard, or number stickers you might have left over from a project.  I simply glued on the numbers with liquid adhesive and then used a sentiment from CTMH's Card Chatter--Birthday stamp set, stamped in Indian Corn blue ink. 

 

This particular sentiment is a play off one's age, so the number accents were just perfect for it!

(card reads "A true friend remembers your birthday...but not your age")

 

 

Hope you've found some inspiration today with these easy cards!  Thanks for stopping by, as always!

 

Craft Space

Today, I thought I'd take you on a little tour of my craft space.  It is my old craft space actually--I have recently moved and no longer have a desk and my own space--instead, my supplies are in my laundry room area and I tend to scrapbook and make cards on my kitchen counter!  Oh well.  Either way, it is fun to create!  Feel free to click on each picture to see it in more detail if you like.

 

This set up is basically a little "L" configuration in a corner of our basement bedroom.  I got the desk and most of the organization supplies either at Ikea or Michaels.  The shelves are from Lowes and are adjustable height.  The magnetic board to the left of the shelves holds magnetic canisters with embellishments, and pen holders for scissors.  You can't see it, but I keep my paper in 12x12 plastic drawers under the desk to the left of my chair.  My sewing machine is to the right of the desk on the short wall--I sometimes use it to stitch on pages.

 

 

Upclose of the Making Memories shelf--love!  This is currently hanging on my laundry room wall and is the main "work horse" of my space as far as holding supplies.  Now, my inkpads are also on this shelf since I do not have a desk.  I have my most used wood-mount stamps in jars assorted by theme.

 

Metal boxes are from Ikea--love how they can be labeled!

Found these metal pails in the Target dollar section with my sister--love the wooden handles!  I made labels for them with black cardstock, a label stamp from Papersource, CTMH small friendship alphabet, and white embossing powder--makes for a chalkboard effect!  I made one for less often used wood-mount stamps, one for clear blocks, one for ribbon, and one for chipboard shapes.

 



 

Most of my CTMH stamps are in open baskets (now they are in clear Acrylix organizers--helps keep the kids out of them since they are on a lower shelf in the laundry room now!)

 

Desk with Ott light

 

 

 

Hope you have enjoyed my virtual tour!  Go on and have a creative day!

Butterfly Sympathy Card

This card is a very basic one that I made for a family member when my Uncle Jim died.  I liked the muted, sophisticated tones of the brown, gray, and cream found in the Bliss paper pack (CTMH, retired).  I paired it with a punched butterfly from my MS punch placed in a pin clip, and then stamped using CTMH's Card Chatter--sympathy stamp set (love this set!!) with chocolate ink.  Simple, understated, and elegant.

Butterfly Birthday Card

 

 

In keeping with the butterfly theme (see last post), I will post this cheery little birthday card.  I used CTMH's Dotty for You paper pack (promo, retired) which is double sided--it has the polka dot pattern and the butterfly pattern on either side.  I matted the butterfly patterned paper with some kraft cardstock, then embellished the card with two pin clips, a paradise paper flower, an adhesive gem, and hollyhock rick-rack ribbon.  Lastly, I adhered the sentiment stamped with Party Pennants (both sentiment and frame are in this set) popped up on foam squares. (Note: all products are CTMH).  Super cute and fun!  Have a blessed day and thanks for stopping by, as always, friend!

Butterfly Wall Decor

 

 

 

Hello and welcome!  Today I wanted to post one of my favorite home decor projects to date.  It is this butterfly picture made with two Martha Stewart punches and a recessed matted frame from Michaels.  Now, butterflies are one of my FAVORITE things--I have to resist from buying more butterfly themed craft items at times!  In addition to these two butterfly punches used here, I also have Martha's big monarch butterfly double punch--so gorgeous!  The reason I LOVE butterflies is two fold--first they are beautiful in their own right, but secondly, and more significiantly, butterflies symbolize a powerful spiritual truth.  You see, when we know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior and repent of our sin and believe in Him, our very beings are permanently transformed.  Like a butterfly, who starts out as a fat and ugly caterpillar, emerges forever changed from his crystalis, so we as believers, are forever and beautifully changed!  We have this promise in 2 Corinthians 5:17:

 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

 

Praise God!  Bet you didn't think I'd get all theological on you in a craft blog, did ya?

 

Well, let me move on to how I created this picture.  It is truly quite simple.  All I did was find a magazine page that had a gradation of colors on it--a picture that from top to bottom, moved into one color scheme into the next, into the next.  Then, I punched butterflies out using my two MS punches, which created three sizes of butterflies.  Next, I arranged them according to their color in sort of a "swoop" pattern on white cardstock.  When I liked the arrangement, I simply adhered some flat on the page, and others I just popped up on foam dots for some dimension.   Lastly, I handwrote a sentiment with a fine tipped black pen at the bottom.

 

 

Upclose: (handwritten sentiment states "change is possible")

 

 

Since the mat has a recessed component, I was able to fold up some of the butterfly wings and really appreciate the various heights of the butterflies.  (As always, you can click on the picture for a larger view--sorry it is a bit blurry)

 

Well, I hope you are not only inspired but encouraged today!  Hope to see you again soon!