Bothway Blossoms and the Crosshatch Background

Sorry I took so long to post today. It has been a very busy day for me.

I finished the last of my cards for the Goin' Out in Style swap I mentioned 2 post ago.

There is a link posted there if you think you'ld like to join.
I think there are alot of great swappers in the group.



I just love this simple card.
I used the "For You" stamp from Mini Mates, because it's a versatile statement. This card could even be used for Mother's Day.
I stamped in SU Chocolate Chip ink to match the base of the card, and the matting around the main image.

I stamped SU Crosshatch background on Certainly Celery Cardstock using Certainly Celery Ink. A local Craft store, if your consider an hour drive local, had this cute chocolate dotted ribbon , and this Celery colored baby rick rack in Celery. I just had to buy them both. I tied them together and attached them to the background before attaching the main image. I just love adding a touch of rick rack to my knots. The focal point of the card is the image from SU Bothway Blossoms set, I am so glad I have it. I love the simplicity of the flowers in the set. I love using the stamp to add multiple flowers this way. I stamped them in Timber Brown StazOn. I colored them with SU Markers, in Certainly Celery, Apricot Appeal and Blush Blossom. For a little shimmery shine I added Diamond Stickles over the areas I colored Blush. The picture makes it hard to see the blush color on the flowers, but it is there and IRL, WOW they pop. I am really happy with how this card turned out.



I also designed a Logo & watermark yesterday. I just love the versatility and usefulness of the computer. How else could I share all of these neat projects with my friends.


I probably won't post tomorrow. I just wanted to wish all of you women out there a,

Happy Mother's Day

Please leave a comment if you can. I would love to know who is visiting, and what you think of my cards.

"Itty Bitty Borders" Card

THIS POST WAS EDITTED on the 11 May 2007

Edits are in Blue Font HTH

Well I made another of the four cards for the swap I mentioned yesterday.

I am not quite sure it is done. I also messed up my Photoshop elements so I couldn't add kbo 2007 and identify the Stamp art work as Stampin Up as usual. I need to fix something that will take awhile and require me to shut down. I am going to do that after I make this post.(editted May 11th, 2007)





I am still not completely satisfied with this card but I have been tilling my garden all day and I don't think I will back to this card to tweek it until after the weekend. I think it needs more yellow around the gem for the sun and some faux stitching, and or maybe a brad or ribbon. I will re-upload the picture here later if I change it.

(I tweaked this card and rather then re-upload I decided to post a before and after this is not the same card tweeked but one from the same swap. I didnt pay attention to that when I took the picture, and saying that it may be the same card, KWIM added 5-11-2007)

In tweaking this card I added faux stitching With SU white gel pen. I used a yellow " Gel'nRoll!" pen to add yellow around the gem for the sun. I also added 2 green Making Memories flower brads. I started to use the pink flower brads and I even counted them all out, but the little green dots on the paper caught my eye so I tried a green flower brad. The green really made everything on the card pop. I debated adding some more faux stitching on the insides of some of the plain EF circles on the pink but decided to leave well enough alone.

This is the simplest layout pattern I know. I picked up this KI Memories paper on clearance last weekend. When I saw it I thought of the Cuddlebug embossing Folder "Bloom Dots" which I used on the SU Regal Rose cardstock. I used SU Elegant Eggplant and Cool carribean cardstock to tear and layer and mat the stamped image from the retiring set "Itty Bitty Borders" & I colored them with variuos SU markers Elegant eggplant, regal rose, Pretty in Pink, Perfect Plum, Old Olive and Bashful Blue. On the stamped image I also used one gold Heroarts Gem Stone in the center of the tallest blue daisy. I just love these little stones for Bling. The Gem for the sun was a Target "dollar isle" find from last fall. I love the simplicity of this layout. What ever colors I use with it always seem to give me a great look. It can be Playful and Elegant. I love it.

This set it was the first stamp set I ever bought and I have had so much fun with it and made so many cards with it.

"Goin' Out In Style"

Every once in awhile I get overly excited and I do something a little crazy. I signed up for four swaps in one online swap. Don't get me wrong I am so looking forward to it. This swap is for all the discontinued stamps SU is not going to sell anymore after the 30th of June. They wanted everyone to see the Stamps used before they are no longer available. I decided I would make just 2 swaps. One for In Honor of the first stamp set I ever bought from Stampin Up. The other for the last background I ordered, which should be getting here this week. I thought that was a cute idea. Then a few other people signed up to do four and I got caught up in the hype so I am doing four also. I just added the link to the swap and noticed someone is thinking of doing 5, I just love her cards. Thirty cards for one swap I just love this hobby, and I love that other people love it as much as I do. This first card is a card I cased form SCS. I saw one link that lead me to another link . and I have actually chatted with the person who designed it (Thanks CindyH).

I decided with this swap I was going to case the cards that made me want to buy the stamp set, but in this case it's a card that definately would have inspired me to buy the set, since I had bought it earlier in the year when it was on sale. It had been on my wish list for over a year. I had to make it right away because I thought Cindy's card was so darling. I did make a few changes. I wish I had the darling ribbon she used instead of the one I used. I think mine still works, but I love the dark turquoise. I picked up mine up at Michaels, on a wood spool. I chose to use the same colors as Cindy, because I thought they looked so good together. Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery and Cool Carribean. I will miss Cool Carribean, when it leaves the catalog in June.

I used my Cricut and cut the scalloped squares with Mini Monograms in 31/2, 3 & 2 1/2 sizes and Fabulous finds to cut the Heart Charm at 1" as well as it's insert.

I used my Cuddlebug to emboss Cool Carribean with the D'vine swirl A2 Embossing folder. I chose to use it because it matched the little swirls on the hearts. I thin used a brayer to add white craft ink on top of the raised image. I used a make up sponge to add some white distressing to the edges of the scalloped square and heart charm.

I stamped the hearts from the (SU Mini Mates set being retired) in Tempting Turqouise and Certainly celery stamped them off once and them outlined with an Elegant Eggplant marker. The small heart comes form the same set I colored the heart on the music note with the Tempting Turqouise marker and then stamped it on white Card Stock and then punched it out with a 3/4" circle punch.

Added a few white brads I purchased from ALLTHATSCRAPS one of my favorite online stores. I get my embossing folders from her also. She gives free shipping for orders over 10$. A great deal in my book. I have yet to spend less than 10$,(WINK) (If you order mention my name it helps enable me to buy some more cool stuff.)

This second card sold me on Buying SU's retiring set ALL THAT I'VE SEEN. The minute my Demo made this card, I have modified it a bit but the colors are the same, I had to have it. This isn't the first tiem I have cased this card. (Did you notice that both of these cards have the same basic LO.)

I used SU's Perfect Plum, Sage Shadow, and Barely Banana card stock. The card base was stamped with SU Canvas Background. I cut the book plates with my Cricut Fabulous Finds Cart cut at 1 ". I love the way these word sentiment stamps,( SU Warm Words) stamped with Perfect Plum, fit perfectly in this oval book plate. I stamped the flower image in Sage Shadow and then colored with Elegant Eggplant marker along the edges of the image. I Just Love that Technique! Did you notice it was used in both cards. I trimmed the image down with a paper cutter and then used my corner rounder to round the corners. The matting for the image was cut on the Cricut also, using Mini Monograms, rounded square foundation, at 31/2 and 4". Making Memories pewter Brads were used to embellish this card. I hope you like how it turned out.

My Demo had too small knotted ribbon pieces tied vertically around the straight strips above "cherised". I didn't feel I had the right color of ribbon to do this. I chose to add the extra brads the rounded corners and the bookplates instead she used the Oval punches from SU. If you are interested in any of the SU products shown here feel free to visit my Stampin Up Demos Site . She'ld be glad to help you purchase any of the SU items shown, including those that will no longer be available after the end of June. I know she takes credit cards and she can ship most places. JUst visit her site and drop her an email.

6x6 Scrapbook pages

On the first Wed of the month I usually go and make 2 scrapbook pages to go in my little 6x6 album I have been working on. Because we were busy last Wed we made them today. As usual no picutres, because I might be using this album for a gift Ican't decide. These are the 9th and 10th pages I have made. Maybe I'll post more in the future.

Craft inkwas used on these pages. I just assembled and followed directions.

My demo decides what we do, and the LO's.

She gets them from her SU upline or magazine or from SCS. I dont know the source. I don't really remember the colors I used. I know everything is SU materials. I know we used craft stampin spots, brads of various colors, and papers all from SU. These were simple pages and I got them made quickly.

On this one it is harder to see the SU Alphabits stamps that were used on the different colors along the left edge. They show up better in real life. It was very simple and you can see where I miss punched the hole, Talking too much I guess. I will add a ribbon to cover this up later to coordinate with the picture.
MY demo had a nice picture of her daughter getting off the Bus for this page.

I have some great pictures of my daughter pouting as she's getting on the bus her first day of Kindergarten. That was years ago she'll be 22 this summer. You see I have alot of Scarpbooking to catch up on.

Minnie Cards

The Minnie Images I made yesterday seemed to be begging for something to say. Minnie2 seemed to want to celebrate. She had her hands up and was looking in the air like she was juggling almost. I added little punched out letters spelling Happy Birthday. The lettering was stamped using SU Perfect Plum Ink & Alphabits and punched with SU 1/4" circle punch.

I added a white organza ribbon, using a Fiskars 1/16th circle punch, twisted around her waste it has a little shimmer to it and added white sparklie dots to her dress, with a SU white gel pen and glittery fabric paint. I used the SU white gel pen again to add dimension to her nose, shoes and ribbon. It was also used to add white trim to her sleaves.
I used the same light lilac to make the base of the card as I used for her shadow base, and I stamped with versa mark SU print pattern.


Minnie 3 was looking a little shy and in love. I cutout the small astrik flowers using the Cuttlebug, and one of its Flowers 2" dies,set of four, in light pink. and adhered it to a black background. Then in a light aqua blue I cut out the "I Love You" using the "Jasmine cart" with my cricut. I felt it needed to be a little wider so it was cut in the shadow option. Bling was added using Hero Arts Gemstones in pink and clear.

Dont they both just beg to go to a wonderful home. I will be making more cards like this. I might cut the Minnie's smaller so I can use bigger stamp phrases with them.

Another Oops Moment

I had another Oops moment working with my Mickey and Friends Cartridge on my Cricut.

I Cut out the Base/ shadow feature in Black and all the little colored pieces. I had a heck of a time getting everything attached in the right place, but I managed to do it. I thought that was a little tough to line up. I thought well it's cute but the one they have looks so much better. I looked closer and then I noticed how thier little tail was cut out between the legs and not solid black. Then it hit me I cut out the shadow as the base and never cut the basic Minnie2 at all. Luckily I was able to pry all the pieces off the black shadow. I cut out a new black Minnie2 Character, and shadow base in light purple. It came out great and let me tell you it is a lot easier to assemble the pieces and have them line up with the character base, rather then the shadow. I can tell I am going to have fun with this cart. These are the Minnie 2 & Minnie 3 Charactures on the cart. I intend to use them on card fronts tomorrow. Until then have a great day.

The only suggestion I would give to cricut is that the white pieces be shown in outline form on the cartridge handbook. It doesnt say unavailable but it doesnt show the white pieces in the square and the background is white. I guessed to hit shift because it said face and white. I figured it out, but would an outline figure do any harm. The face white square doesn't show the gloves and whites of their eyes not even an outline. I was going to paste a link to show you but amazing thing the handbook they have online at www.cricut.com shows an outline. I guess I need to make a phone call, and get a handbook like theirs. Is your handbook correct?

Fishy Boarder Scrapbook Page

Yesterday, I made the Fishy Border for this page and today I finished the page to this point. I intend to add cropped and matted round pictures to the page in various sizes to look like the bubbles coming from the fishes mouths. The picture will be of my children playing up at the Lake. The matting will probably be in the same colors as the seaweed with some black. I will probably add smaller circles of various sizes after getting the pictures mounted that get larger as they float up the page. I will have a small bubble for journaling also. I didn't intend to work on a scrapbook page right now**, but I like the result.

Supplies: I used my "Bugs" (Cricut & Cuttlebug). I used the bubbles A2 embossing folder and embossed a 2 ,1-1/2 x 11-1/2", strips of kraft paper. then I tore it and layered it to get the sandy bottom look. I used the Animal Kingdom and Mini Monograms Cartridges to cut everything else. The fish border was cut in Orange and the shift fish was cut in orange black and white. I modeled the fish after a clown fish in coloring from My "Finding Nemo" DVD cover. I layered the white and black cut them at the same time and then trimmed a slight bit more from the white. I used a Sakura Quickie Glue pen, I love the precision it allows when working with tiny pieces of paper like the black trim on the fins. I hope you enjoy.

Any other questions just ask, and I'll get back to you.

** why there are no pictures actually on the page.