paper is love

Fun & Funky Congrats Card

Hi friends! Yay for Friday! This week flew by - maybe because I had a fabulous birthday smack dab in the middle of it. :) A huge thank you to everyone who made my day so sweet and for your lovely comments on my last blog post. Each one really makes me smile and I just feel so lucky to have such good blog friends. :) So, thanks!

Today I'm sharing another congrats card (I know there have been a lot of them lately, but it seems to be an occasion I create for quite a bit). I really enjoyed making this one because I used two of my favorite products on it - American Crafts Thickers (hello - who doesn't love these?) and some really colorful ribbon from Hobby Lobby. Throw in a little turquoise and buttons for good measure and I'm a happy crafter. 

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, American Crafts

Patterned paper (green): American Crafts

Thickers: American Crafts

Ribbon: Hobby Lobby

Buttons: Papertrey Ink

Twine: The Twinery

Edge punch: Fiskars

 

I think this card could be great for a teenager's graduation or just for a cheerful friend who made it through another work week! Hehe

Design-wise, I kept this card simple since I knew I wanted the focal points to be the patterned ribbon and the sentiment. I decided to round the bottom right corner to add a bit of Flair and draw the eye down toward the scalloped border and the button cluster. Single rounded corners used to really annoy me, but lately I've taken quite a liking to them. I think they can add a playfulness to a design or create an asymmetrical look when you need to off-center your design. Plus, they're just fun. Why not round a corner here and there? Go wild. :)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fantastic weekend! I'm going to be playing with my new DSLR! I'm finally graduating to a big-girl camera. :)

Peek of the Week 7/27/11 - Hip Hip Hooray Card

Hi friends! I'm really excited to be posting today because it's actually my birthday! Yay! Sure, it's just another day and it's the middle of the week and I have to work, but I'm going to keep getting excited about my birthday for as long as I can. For me, it's not just another day, but the start to another chapter of my story. It's also the last time I'll be in my "early twenties" so I'm soaking it up. :) And to top it all off, I'm lucky enough to have some fabulous friends who I'll be dining with tonight. 

I'm also blessed to have a super sweet friend who shares my birthday, so a huge Happy Birthday to Rachel (who is also a brand-new mommy this week)! So, since today is going to be a day of celebration for me, I'm sharing one of my recent favorite celebration cards.

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper

Patterned paper, die cut: My Mind's Eye

Clear stamp, ribbon, buttons: Papertrey Ink

Tab die: QuicKutz

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today and for taking part in my little birthday celebration. My blog has been a huge source of joy for me this year and I feel like it's really grown - and it's because of you, my crafty friends. So thank you!

I'm really excited for where this next year of my life is going and I can't wait to share more about what's ahead for me. I'm definitely taking some inspiration from one of my crafting idols, Kelly Purkey and making a "24 before 25" list and creating a layout to document it. I can't wait! 23, I'll miss you, but I think 24 and I are going to have a lot of fun.

CARDS Magazine June 2011

Hi there! I hope your weekend was fun and not too hot (it was a bit sticky and uncomfortable here on the East Coast). Even though it's been kind of unbearable outside the last few days, I'll still take this over winter any day. If only I could bottle up summer and save it for February. 

Anyhoo, enough about the weather. I'm excited to share two cards with you today - both from the June 2011 issue of CARDS Magazine. One thing that I always love about seeing my work in CARDS is the stunning photography. Sometimes (a lot of times), when I'm photographing a project, I just can't get the photo to do it justice and translate the textures or saturation correctly. So when I get to page through CARDS magazine, I'm awe-struck at how they make the work look as if it's sitting right in front of you - it's amazing, really. So, definitely check out this issue if you can see it in person.

And here's what I had in this issue:

This card was in the July 4th section. I made the star embellishment from two felt pieces stitched together and then added a cardstock die cut and threaded button to the center. DIY embellishments are so much fun because you can truly customize them to create something no one's ever seen before. 

For this card, I did something unusual (for me) and didn't include a sentiment. For some reason I just wanted to create a piece that really embodied the look and feel of the beach and I focused more on creating textures than creating a project with a specific occasion in mind. While I'm still a sentiment-lover at heart, every now and then it's fun to make a card without feeling obligated to put a label on your little creation. :) 

You can find CARDS magazine at your local bookstore or craft store or order your own copy online (or download the digital version!) here. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a great week! I'll be back on Wednesday (which also happens to be my birthday - whoo hoo!). 

Girly Congrats Card

Hi friends! Friday's here! This week actually flew by for me. I really have no idea where the days went. Today I'm actually giving my first little presentation at work, so I'm nervous and excited for that - hoping it goes well! :) After that, I plan on lots of time at the craft desk this weekend.

Today I'm sharing another card I made with a congrats theme (can you tell I'm sharing the cards that didn't make the Gallery Idol open auditions? Haha). I had a weight-loss idea in mind when creating it, but it really could be for any girly occasion where you'd want to congratulate a friend or family member.

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper

Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket, My Mind's Eye, Hambly Screen Prints

Chipboard: Cosmo Cricket

Die cut: Spellbinders

Buttons: Papertrey Ink

Scalloped scissors: craft store

Font: Dafont.com

 I used a Hambly Screen Prints transparency on this card (gotta love those) and for the longest time I could not figure out how to adhere a clear transparency without creating a glue disaster. I tried liquid, glue dots, tape runner and nothing did what I needed it to. So I broke out the serious stuff - spray adhesive. It really does the trick and while it may not be perfect every time, it at least gives the transparency a uniform look without any sloppy mess. My only words of advice: spray it in a fairly ventilated area and do it over a trash can or cardboard box where you won't get anything sticky that you didn't want to. Also, as soon as you lay the sprayed piece down, it's down for good, so choose wisely. Yay for spray! Okay perhaps a cheer is a little overkill, but I truly love this stuff.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fantastic weekend!

Peek of the Week 7/20/11 - Golden Congrats Card

Hi there! So it's CHA week in the crafting world and as always, I'm enjoying getting peeks of the new collections that are coming out. Of course, I wish I was in Chicago seeing them all in person, but I'll get there eventually. For now, I'll live vicariously through the other designers that are there. :) 

Today's Peek of the Week is an elegant Congratulations card that I made for the last Go To Sketches call. I used a variety of gold, shimmery papers with different patterns to create a layered look.

 

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper

Patterned paper: Hambly, My Mind's Eye, Paper Source

Stamp: American Crafts

Embossing powder: Hampton Arts

Mixing patterns is pretty much one of my favorite aspects of paper-crafting, so I incorporate it whenever possible. I try to pick patterns that are close in color, but show a slight variation and I also like to mix bigger patterns with smaller ones. A crafter who I completely admire for her talent (and pattern mixing abilities) is Amy Tan and I'm so excited that her new line with American Crafts is coming out soon. I've been admiring her work for years and I can't wait to get my hands on the new products. Check out her new mini album video on the American Crafts blog. 

Be sure to let me know if there are any collections that you're especially looking forward to seeing from CHA this year. Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp It! Cards - Love You Tons Card

Hey there! Hope this Monday finds you well and that you had a great weekend! Mine was productive in the completing-annoying-tasks kind of way. I went to the bank and library, got my tennis racquet re-gripped, went to 3 stores shopping for a DSLR (yay!), washed my car, completed a project or two and went out with friends (of course, this was not remotely considered an annoying task). It was nice and busy. 

Anyhoo, today I'm excited to share a project I recently had published in the very-popular special issue from Paper Crafts magazine - Stamp It! Cards. 

Here's one of the cards I have in this issue:

As soon as I saw this whale stamp at my local craft store, I knew I had to have it. I think it'd be perfect for making a simple set of cards to give as a gift or for making Valentines. 

If you like (or love) stamping in any fashion, you have to check out Stamp It! Cards. It has so many techniques and ideas for stamping in any style. You can find it at your local bookstore or online at the Paper Crafts magazine online store. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope your week's off to a great start! 

Peek of the Week 7/13/11 - Happy Summer Card

Hi friends! Hope you're having a great week so far - I'm slowly but surely on the road to recovery with my sinus infection and finally feeling more like myself. So no complaints here. :) 

Today, I'm sharing a summery card that features adorable dimensional stickers from K & Company. 

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper

Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket

Border sticker: Doodlebug

Dimensional stickers: K & Company

Stamp: Papertrey Ink

Twine: Westrim

 

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by! I'll be back here on Friday!

Christmas in July - Holiday Cheer Card

Hi there! Hope you had a great weekend! This month is flying by already - it's crazy! Not that I want to rush it any more, but I thought it'd be fun to do a "Christmas in July" post and share a holiday card! Here it is:

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper

Patterned paper: American Crafts

Dimensional sticker: American Crafts

Baker's twine: The Twinery

Edge punch: Fiskars

I know a lot of people like to start their holiday cards early, so I figured it'd be the perfect time to share one. :) Thanks so much for stopping by!

Scrapbook Trends June 2011 - Dad Card

Hi friends! Happy, happy Friday to you! I'm looking forward to enjoying some more serious sleep this weekend and getting myself healthy again. I think I had forgotten what 8 hours of sleep felt like - it's pretty magnificent. 

Today, I thought I'd share a card I recently had published in the June 2011 issue of Scrapbook Trends (one of the sister publications to CARDS magazine). It was in the Father's Day Cards section, but with this sentiment, you could really use it for a Dad's birthday or just to say "I love you."

 

I used lots of Cosmo Cricket goodies on this card - the chipboard foxes, and green patterned paper are from the Togetherness line. The letter stickers are also Cosmo Cricket and the woodgrain stamp is from All Night Media. :) You can find the full supply list and instructions on page 80 of the June issue.

I just adore Cosmo Cricket and the chipboard elements really inspired me. I also love anything woodgrain, so this background stamp is one of my faves. It's a large rubber stamp, so I usually ink it up, then place the paper over top and use a brayer to apply the ink. If it doesn't stamp perfectly, I use colored pencils to fill in. Colored pencils are definitely my secret stamping tool. No one stamps perfectly every time, let's be real.

Do you have a favorite non-traditional (or secret) tool that you use when paper crafting? I'd love to hear it (of course, if you're willing to spill it in a comment). Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fabulous, crafty weekend!

Peek of the Week 7/6/11 - Colorful Congratulations Card

Hi there! I can't believe it's Wednesday already - I guess that's what a short work week does to a person. No complaints here! Except for the fact that I'm on Day 3 of my sinus infection thing and feeling pretty miserable at the moment. So, I'll keep this post short. :)

Today's Peek of the Week is a Congratulations card I made for the Paper Crafts magazine Gallery Idol competition. Check out the other 1,000+ entries in the Flickr group!

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper

Patterned paper: October Afternoon

Clear stamps: American Crafts, Making Memories

Ribbon: Papertrey Ink

For this card, I used an unusual color combination, but I think it'd be great for a young newlywed couple with a fun style or for a young graduate. I also enjoyed making a fun damask background using a stamp from a Making Memories wedding set. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!