Father's Day Gift

Is it too late to post a project I did for Father's Day this year?  Well...I hope not!  This frame was made with the kids' help on a dime thanks to Michael's craft store!  The wooden frame was $1 and the "best Dad" wooden sentiment was just a bit more, already painted and embellished with a felted star--cute!  We simply painted the wooden frame yellow with some acrylic paint we had on hand, set the sentiment in the wet paint to dry/adhere to the front, added the blue cardstock stars (CM star punch on cutout setting used on cardstock scraps from my stash), and then embellished it with durables triangle studs (CTMH) for some added interest.  I just LOVE how it turned out...and how EASY it was!  I think he got a charge out of it and it sits by his bathroom sink to enjoy each day.  We love you dear!

Prayer Wall

 I am always looking for TANGIBLE ways to teach my children more about the truth of God's Word and walking in faith and NOT by sight (truth is, tangible things help ME to grow and set my mind on the things above, and not on earthly things Colossians 3:1-2).  I have been contemplating making a Prayer Wall for our house for quite some time now and today was THE day to "get 'er done!"  What is a Prayer Wall, you might be wondering?  This is a place where we as a family can collect our prayer requests (could be written thoughts, pictures, etc) to establish what WE as a FAMILY are trusting God for in our lives.  While I have stalked Pinterest for some inspiration (and have a vision to make a cute shabby-chic frame enclosing chicken wire one day...) I decided to just jump in and use what I already had on hand (hello...can we say FREE?!).  For this project, I used a retired Creative Memories Display Frame (it is magnetic, which is handy, and it came with magnets, the ribbon, and matching clips), Post-It notes, and printed out a few images from our computer and backed them with black cardstock.

The title was stamped using CTMH's Framework alphabet using Cocoa ink on white cardstock and backed with Cocoa cardstock.  No frills, nothing fancy, just a VISUAL and TANGIBLE space where we can all collect our prayer requests!  My daughter had the idea of creating a space under it for answered prayers! Great idea, Natalie!  As you might notice, some of our requests are praises, simple requests (love the "don't get eaten by the alligator" request by my daughter...yes, we do have a gator out back in our lagoon), my upcoming 10K for Living Water, our Compassion child Joan, our family, countries we are praying for (India map/flag), and some are written in my oldest daughter's handwriting and others are written by me.  The biggest decision was where to hang it.  If you know me, you know I like clean and simple and NO visual clutter (as a general rule...the fridge is always an exception) so I knew I didn't want this in our everyday space (like our family room...besides, would YOU want every house guest to see what you all are praying for??).  However, I didn't want to tuck it away in some remote corner of the house so that no one would see it (like the laundry room or back hallway).  We finally decided on Mommy and Daddy's bedroom--a space we often all crash in in the late afternoon hours or on snuggly mornings.  We will see how this works and possibly expand it in the future!  Hope this helps to inspire you and yours as you teach your little ones to trust a BIG God for ALL the things in life!

Hexagon Heaven

Happy December! I will be embarking upon a daily blogging extravaganza to showcase a new handmade card I have made in anticipation of the Christmas season. Some cards are designed for Christmas Day...others have more of a wintry theme, but either way, sit back, grab your favorite warm beverage, and enjoy the eye candy! Be sure to stop by each day for fresh inspiration! I hope you and yours have a truly wonderful and blessed Christmas!

Supplies used: Frosted paper pack (CTMH), Slate ink (CTMH), Hexagon punch (CM)

Recipe Quick Album

 How are you organizing your favorite holiday recipes this year?  Are they all in one place, or do you find the need to hunt-and-peck (like a chicken with their head cut off) to find them each year?  Well, last year I rounded up all of our favorite family holiday recipes and placed them inside this cute little album from Creative Memories.  This particular album design has a strap that transforms the flat book into a little easeled display--how fun and functional!  Here is the introduction page--me with the three kiddos in the kitchen!

 There are recipes for Easter, birthdays, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas in here.  Below is a recipe for my Mother's Cornbread Stuffing and the page also includes a picture from one of our Thanksgiving dinners several years ago--so special!

 Hmmm....pumpkin pie....

 And a look at the Thanksgiving menu (below).  I include holiday menus throughout the book even though they vary a bit year to year, just to give me a basis to work from.  Again...helpful to have this put together for me ahead of time!

All patterned papers, recipe cards, stickers, and accents were part of the Recipe Quick Album kit from Creative Memories--so sad they are not in business anymore to be offering these!  But if you are interested, they might be on sites like Ebay.  Hope you are able to round up your family's favorite recipes this year and have them all in one place.  This makes for stress-free holiday meal planning, but it also provides such a wonderful keepsake for generations to come!

Hello Hexagons

Back today with another trendy look--hexagons!  Love this polka-dot look with the hexagon shapes--sort of a visually geometric smorgisboard!  Added some striped washi tape (SU, Epic Day collection) and another cute clip (below).  Stamped sentiment is in slate ink (CTMH) using a wood-mount bargain stamp from Michaels.  Easy peasy! (note: hexagon punch is from CM...and SU has one now too!)

Hexagon Friendship Card

I don't know about you, but I am really enjoying the new hexagon craze in the design/crafting world!  For my birthday (back in February) I received this hexagon punch from Creative Memories--I am in LOVE!  It is one of those positionable punches that can be placed anywhere on the page, so it is nice to use it both for the punched shapes AND for the negative space it can create for a card front, for example.

Here's an upclose picture of the card (feel free to click on it to make it even larger and to see it in more detail)...

I used the Tea for Two paper pack from Stampin Up that features all sorts of quilt patterns--LOVE pairing this paper pack with the hexagon punch, since hexagons are a popular shape used in quilt making.  I popped up the middle coral hexagon with foam tape (on top of another coral hexagon) for a bit of extra dimension.  I stamped the sentiment "I'm Celebrating Today" from the Because of You stamp set (CTMH, retired) in Calypso Coral ink (SU)--inside reads "because you are my friend."  This makes a great birthday card or just a "thinking of you" type card.

Another favorite of mine--burlap!  So I decided to feature this card next to my farmhouse-style flower arrangement on the back porch :)

Have a creative day and thanks for stopping by!

Teacher Minibook

Just had to share (with my daughter's permission of course) the little minibook Natalie put together for her kindergarten teacher, Ms. Forte.

 

She used a Simply Said book from Creative Memories as her foundation and took great care in selecting photos, writing words, and cropping and adhering her photos into the book in the order which she decided upon.  It was fun to see her so invested in this project from start to finish!

Here's a tour inside...

She chose to give it to her teacher at her End-of-Year school program.  When I ran into Ms. Forte later that day, she told me that she had started to look through it, but had gotten so teary-eyed, she decided to take it home to enjoy it more there!  I think it was very well-received, don't you?  Priceless.

Stamp and Heart Card

 

I know, I know--let's just get through Christmas, right?  Well, sometimes I like to take a breather and do something NOT Christmas related in the month of December!  Here is a super simple card I made using two punches--a Marvy heart punch and the CM stamp place n' punch.  I just layered the punched shapes into a grid--I've done this design many times for various holidays and for everyday sentiments!  Inside of the card reads "I heart You"--sentiment is from Card Chatter Love from CTMH.  I added a silver heart brad to the center square--easy peasy lemon squeezy!

 

Hope you have a creative day, my friend!

Year Round Cheer Cards

Took a little time today to play with a new arrival for me--CTMH's December stamp of the month, Year Round Cheer.  This is an adorable little set that has a picture and sentiment for every month of the year!

 

My first card is for the month of January.  I love the sentiment that goes with this one--I got married in January, had my first baby in January, joined a gym in January...this month truly has proven to be a FRESH START in my life over the years!

I used Enchanted paper (CM), Juniper ink (CTMH) and black ink, epoxy gems (CM), and glitz glitter gel to add a bit of sparkle to the focal point snowflakes.  Love how this patterned paper suddenly looks wintery when you pair it with snowflake stamps!

 

 

Next up is the February image--did this in both a horizontal and vertical style (had to do with the scraps I had left of the patterend paper), and I stamped in both Blush (CTMH) and Riding Hood Red ink (SU)--can't decide which color ink I like best--either one works, I suppose! Patterned paper is from the Sweetheart paper pack (CTMH, retired). Sentiment was stamped in black and square epoxy gems add a finishing touch (CM).

 

Finally, March!  As a Christian, I am not a big "luck" person, but I went ahead and stamped the sentiment along with the clover, just to keep the focal point nice and squared off :)  Used the Miracle paper pack (CTMH, retired) and some adhesive gems (CM).

 

Hope you enjoyed these ideas!  It is fun to do multiple holiday themes in one sitting--as crafters, that is how we roll!!

Badge Button Christmas Cards

Back again today to show you some more little Christmas cards! 

Here is what I did...

I basically opened up my Christmas paper project folder--which contains discarded paper scraps from the past 6 years or so--and just went nuts with every little scrap I could find.  If a scrap was big enough for a card front, I used it.  If it was big enough for a scalloped circle or star punch (CM), I used it. Not all the papers coordinated, and I honestly do not remember the source of most of these papers, but they all worked together--that is the fun part!

 

 

 

I stamped in Riding Hood Red (SU) using sentiments from CTMH's Card Chatter Christmas stamp set.  And then for little embellishments, I used a few Christmas badge buttons from Evalicious.

 

For the last two cards, I used CTMH's die cut White Daisy cards--love the scalloped edge they have!

 

Hope you have a blessed and inspired day!

Dotty for You Mini Note Set

 Hello there!  I wanted to share with you a cute little note card set I made using the My Creations card box from CTMH.  It can be covered with paper or inked and has a magnetic closure flap.  I first learned how to make these little note card sets using the Pemberley paper with Lisa Stenz's club kit about a year ago (see her post here). 

 

This project uses the Dotty for You paper pack (retired), Paradise paper flowers, colonial white mini medley accents, Paradise bakers twine (lagoon), and pink pleated ribbon (SU).  I used He Said, She Said stamp set (CTMH, retired) for the "notes" flower center on the box lid stamped in Sweet Leaf ink.  I also inked the entire box edges/flap with Sweet Leaf ink. 

 

 

 

 Inside view--little handmade compartments for the 3x3 notes, envelopes, and matching pen.

 

 

For the notes, I used 3x6 pieces of the gorgeous flower pattered paper from the paper pack (instead of random stamping), folded in half, and I rounded the corners with my corner rounder (CM).  For the sentiments, I adhered the cut-out brackets (using foam tape) from the CTMH stamp set Crafted with Love in coordinating inks (Smoothie, Sweat Leaf, Lagoon) with various sentiments from the CTMH Card Word Puzzle stamp set.

I also stamped coordinating 3x3 envelopes using a flower from the Card Word Puzzle stamp set and then slipped a bit of paper inside a Pentel pen to make a matching pen for the set.  Thanks to Lisa for this great idea--I've made several of these in various paper patterns for gifts throughout the year! 

Christmas Stamp Card

I am starting to gear up for Christmas around here!  It is funny how us crafters are usually one holiday ahead in the artwork department (otherwise, I've always been a stickler for NO Christmas decorations, music, movies, etc before Thanksgiving).  I have lots to show you this season, so check back often for lots of updates and inspiration!

 

This is a Christmas version of one of my favorite "go to" card designs that uses my favorite punch--the stamp punch from Creative Memories (if you haven't seen this design before, check out my previous blog post here--it is inspired by Jen Patrick).  What I love about this design is that it is a GREAT way to use up coordinating paper scraps and random embellishments!  Sometimes I ink each punched out shape, but here I did not.

 

 

 

 

The sentiment is also a favorite of mine this holiday season--it reads "There is no greater gift at Christmas...than to have everything you want before you open the gifts"--it is from CTMH's Christmas Chatter stamp set.  Love that!

 

So simple and yet fun--a great little card to pop in the mail to someone special :)

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!

 

Father's Day Gifts

Hello there!  I know summer is almost over, but I wanted to share a project that I did earlier in the summer for Father's Day.  I used CTMH Accordion Display Albums (6x6 size) to make minibook displays for my husband, Dad, and Father-in-law.  The one for my husband was a Superhero theme, while the other two were more generically masculine.  I was excited with how they turned out and they were very warmly received by all!  As always, you can click on any of the pictures to see them larger and in more detail :) 

 

All supplies are from CTMH unless otherwise stated

 

Superhero Display album: Superhero paper pack, wooden badge buttons, Varsity alphabet, Riding Hood Red ink (SU), black ink, baker's twine, You and Me stamp set (just the 2 of us sentiment), Jubilation stamp set (hero image), embossed star punch (CM), label stamp (source unknown), pewter ribbon slides, adhesive gems (CM)

 

 

 

 

 

Masculine Themed Display Albums:  Well Worn paper (SU), pewter ribbon slides, hemp, canvas badge buttons, You and Me stamp set, Varsity alphabet, label stamp (source unknown), chocolate ink, durables round studs, wooden buttons

 

 

Hope you have a creative day and make something special for a loved one in YOUR life today!

Our Story Journal

This was a fun journal to create and easy, too.  The journal is from CTMH is is unfortunately retired now, but I was able to score several from the clearance section of their website and from a few consultants.  I like it because it has a clear 5x7 pocket on the front, so you can easily slip in your artwork.  The inside pages are unlined, so you can use it as a journal, album, or smashbook.  The spine is also fun to decorate using various ribbon scraps, like I did here.  For the paper and embellishments, I used Creative Memories latest product line called Enchantment.  This was a very fun paper pack to use and I was super impressed with the quality of the paper flowers that came in the set.  The aqua scallop border along the right side is actually a sticker border and the title is also a sticker.  I gave this journal to a dear friend of mine who is expecting her 4th child while her husband is away on deployment--what a story she has to tell this year!