Stocking Stuffer Gift Idea

Need a quick gift idea? These little bookmarks are quick and easy to make. They'd be great "little somethings" . . . you know . . . you've shopped and still need a "little something" else? Or for some "thinking of you" little gift or stocking stuffer, these are so cute. I used them as the "gift with purchase" at my recent craft fair.

Credit for the idea goes to Carol. (Hey, girlfriend, I hope you're feeling better!) I think this was a project shared at a regional SU meeting, but I got the directions from Carol.

Start with a square of designer paper (I think a small pattern looks best.) I used a 4 inch square (gotta stretch that 12x12 paper!), but you can use whatever size square you'd like. Fold diagonal corners together (looks like a big triangle) and score. Open and fold the other two diagonal corners together. Now remove one of the small triangles created by the folds (cut just on the outside of the crease for best results) and you should have something that looks like the third picture. Fold into a triangle, and re-crease. Then glue the top triangle to secure it. It should lay nice and flat if you cut outside the crease when removing the triangle and crease it good. Embellish as desired. I used a Sizzix Embosslit flower on these.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Elzybells Bethlehem card

Well . . . my first experience selling my creations wasn't a total bust, but I probably will not do this particular one again. I don't think it was the right venue . . . . either that or my stuff sucks. Picture tons of elementary school age children running amok, hyped to see Santa and visit the "Holiday Boutique" where they can purchase gifts for family members for about $1 - $3. Then, outside the "boutique" area, 12 vendors (of which I was 1) were allowed to set up tables with items geared more toward the parents. Problem was the children weren't too keen on allowing the parents much time to peruse the tables. I lost count of the number of moms who said "I'll be back . . . " Anyway, I'm so glad I didn't stress too much over it, and I'm relieved it is over. Now I can make my own Christmas cards.

This card uses the Elzybells "Bethlehem" stamp. Since I made this card, I ordered more Elzybells and got the "Little Town of Bethlehem" that I will use for future "Bethlehem" cards. Prismacolor pencils and Copics were used for coloring. Bashful Blue and Shimmery White cardstock from Stampin' UP! was used and some beautiful shimmery brown for the base. I wish you could see this irl.

Thank you for stopping by.

More Cards

I stamped these cards using versamark ink on some beautiful thick, shimmery quartz colored paper and embossed them with gold and red glitter embossing powders. Some Stampendous Class A Peel red dots were added as accents, and Stampin' UP stretchy gold cord adds the final touch. These are so sparkly irl.

Thank you for stopping by my blog!

Elzybells Penguin Treat Holder

I just love these little matchbook style candy holders. I'm thinking of making more of these to offer as a gift with purchase on Saturday . . . what do you think? I used the directions Dawn provided on her blog here and she credits someone else with the idea. Dawn's blog is fantastic, so check it out.

I'm still madly trying to get ready for the craft sale on Saturday. Not knowing what the heck will sell (if anything) is the most difficult. And I have so many ideas, that I keep flitting from one thing to another. Must focus.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Meowy Christmas

I just love The Cat's Pajamas Rubber Stamps and recently added a few more *wink*. I'm trying to find an easy Christmas card to mass produce, but this won't be it. LOL It would require me to use too much of this scrumptious 7gypsies "Zanzibar" 6x6 paper . . . (thanks Carol). The Santa cap was colored with Copic's Spica red pen, so it is very sparkly, but that doesn't show up in the picture. White applique is on the trim.

I'm very please with this card . . . I hope you like it too.

Thanks for stopping by today.

I'm Totally Outta Control!!!

Someone stop me please! I cannot quit making these Cuttlebug frame cards, and I have so much to do to get ready for the craft show next week! (Insert panic stricken expression here) I have always loved small stamps and have my desk covered right now with little stamps and ideas flying faster than I can create. Must focus . . . deadline looming . . . ok, just one more . . .

Thank you for stopping by today. Hugs . . .

Card Gift Set

I'm setting up a table at my grandson's school in two weeks to sell handmade paper crafts. This is my first time to try this, but for a $10 set up fee I thought it a good opportunity to test the waters. By the way, if any of you have any tips to share, I welcome those.

I knew I wanted to make some card sets, and when I found these HERE, I had a major light bulb moment. A BIG thanks to Michele for the inspiration. I used the current Stampin' UP! In Colors and am so happy with the results. I'm on a roll now . . .

A question for you veteran sellers . . . do you stamp the back of the cards with your "made by . . ."? And is $10 for a set of 5 cards with envelopes about right? I truly welcome some feedback here.

If you have any questions about any of the stamps, just ask. I love small stamps and was so happy to find a great use for these.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

Gobble til You Wobble

I will be busy the next couple of days, so here's a Thanksgiving card for you. Thanksgiving blessings to you and yours, and thank you for stopping by.

Altered Items

Here are a couple of notebooks and post-it note clips I've altered and thought you might enjoy seeing.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Figgy Birdie

I made this card for Amy Westerman's Super Sunday Sketch here. Thanks, Amy! I love this sketch, and I'm sure I'll use it again. It was so nice to make something not holiday related for a change, even though I used my BG Figgy pad again. The main image is from the Amy Smyth line of clear stamps from Inkadinkado and colored with Copics. The oval shadow is from Amuse and stamped with SU River Rock.

Thank you for stopping by today. Please let me know what you think . . .

With Sympathy

My inspiration for this card comes from HERE. I had not yet used my new basic gray paper from SU nor the Baroque background, so this was an opportunity to do both.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Celebrate the Season

I got my inspiration for this card from Debbie Olson here. Debbie consistently provides awesome, beautiful cards with detailed instructions. When I grow up, I want to be Debbie Olson :D

I used a retired Stampin' UP set called Holiday Blocks for today's card. It is stamped with VersaMagic's Sea Breeze and colored using Copic Sketch markers and Spica glitter pens. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Northwoods Poinsettia

Ok, I decided a little texture on the base card was all that was needed for my poinsettia. Coloring done with Copics. Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Basic Grey Figgy

You would never believe how long I worked on this card. Determined to use my new Basic Grey Figgy, I stamped and colored a bee-utiful poinsettia from Northwoods stamps . . . picked out the paper, matched my Copics to the paper, colored two poinsettias so I'd have one to layer . . . cut out and layered the flower, matted it in gold metallic . . . . I'm so-o-o-o loving it, right? Right! Until . . . I placed it on my card covered with the Figgy and realized it covered almost the whole frickin' card! Well, I hoard paper anyway, so to splurge and cut three pieces of my cherished Figgy (from the 6x6 pad that only has 1(!) piece of each pattern), and it's not even going to show??!! Nope, ain't happenin'. Back to square 1. So, this is the card I made with the Figgy Pudding card and will now find a way to showcase my Northwoods Poinsettia . . . I could make the card larger (6x6), but that would take 2 more (whole!) pieces of my Figgy = D and most of it still wouldn't show . . . Nope, off to check my scraps . . .

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I do appreciate it and the comments.

Get Well Soon (feminine)

I'm busy making cards to give as gifts and when I find a design I like, I'm making several. This is a get well card done using SU Blush Blossom and Chocolate Chip. I bought the ribbon at Michael's and loved the color combo, so that was my inspiration. I like the monochromatic card I posted a couple of days ago, so decided to make another but more feminine.

If you ever want more details to any of my posts, please don't hesitate to ask. What may seem self-explanatory to me, may not be as obvious to you. Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

My Sister's Creation

My sister and I spent most of yesterday stamping and creating, and I have to share one of her nugget box beauties . . . . and she thinks she isn't creative - ha! Tell her, okay? I apologize for the picture. Note to self . . . make light box!

Thanks for a great day, sis. We have to do it again very soon, ya hear?

Halloween Funny

This cartoon just cracked me up, so thought I'd share a laugh. I got this from Anna Wight's blog here .

Thank you for stopping by my blog.

Witching You . . .

. . . a haunting Halloween! It seems like I always put off making Halloween cards until the last minute. I don't know why, but I do. Maybe there are just too many cute ideas and I have trouble choosing one. Well, that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it . . . = )

Both batteries are dead for my camera . . . I think one of them needs to be replaced because it's out almost as soon as I put it in. Anyway, this is not the best picture, but will have to do. I will try to retake the picture tomorrow . . . the light will be better then too.

Have a great Halloween! And thank you for stopping by my blog.

Get Well Soon, Will

Seems I need several get well cards, and here is one for today. I love the monochromatic look and should use it more often.

Thanks for stopping by.

MOJO Get Well

Sounds like I want my mojo to heal and, at times, that's exactly what I need to happen. But today I made this card for a contest. Julee Tilman at Poetic Artistry has a sketch challenge every Monday called Mojo Monday, and this is my entry for week 8. I love this sketch and will use it again I'm sure. Great inspiration, Julee.

I stamped and paper pieced the robe from Lockhart Stamps on paper from Memory Box using other paper from the same Enlighten pack for the paper piecing. I used Spellbinders classic rectangle and scallop rectangle dies, a sentiment from Hero Arts and ribbon from Cosmo Cricket. The base card is Stampin' Up! and the pink mat is DCWV. The image is raised on dimensionals and then the entire scallop is also raised. I had to add the ribbon to mimic the belt on the robe = )

Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

You Make Me Smile Award!

Melissa from Simply Pink nominated me for the You Make Me Smile Award. Thank you Melissa . . . it's my very first tag! I feel like a real blogger now LOL Here's how the award works - link to your tagger's blog, post these rules: Share 7 facts about yourself (random or weird is ok!), tag 7 more people and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged. so here goes . . .

Melissa's blog is here.

My 7 Random Facts: (Prepare to be bored.)

1) I love animals - sometimes more than people - and cannot bear to hear of any animal being abused. If the news starts to report a story about a case of animal cruelty, I have to leave the room or change the channel. It absolutely breaks my heart.

2) My husband and I bought an rv primarily so we can take our cats with us when we travel. (See #1)

3) I've never been on a real diet because I cannot stick to a diet. Anytime I try to lose a few pounds, I usually gain weight instead.

4) I love Pepsi . . . regular Pepsi, not diet, which is why I can never stay on a diet. (See #3). I am a cola snob and prefer to patronize restaurants that serve Pepsi products. Yes, I can definitely tell the difference between cola brands. I would love to have a fountain dispenser in my home. Sick? Yup, I know.

5) I am very small boned. My wedding ring is a size 3 3/4 and a bit too large when it's cold.

6) I love classic rock music. Prince is my favorite.

7) I took piano lessons for several years, but had to sell my piano for lack of space (it was a small baby grand) and don't play very often now.

Now, I tag:

1) Beate (my SU upline) fresh & fun

2) Kristina kwernerdesigns

3) Toni Inkyfingers

4) Cathy Crafty Thoughts

5) Lynn Stamperosity

6) Tina travelingmama

7) Tricia {Letters from Lizzie}

Ok, now I must let these ladies know they've been tagged.

Hugs to all.

Let It Snow

No, it's not snowing here yet . . . a little early for that in Kentucky (thank goodness!). This card was made using a brass template and embossing paste with glitter added to the paste before it dried giving it a beautiful, glistening look.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Quickie Birthday Card

Just gonna post a quick card tonight. I don't love it, but I don't dislike it totally either. And I just realized what I don't like about it . . . it's the ribbon! I need to trade the gingham ribbon for a chocolate satin ribbon I have that's wider. Isn't it funny how seeing a picture of a card will make a design flaw more noticeable than looking at the real thing? Okay, I need to change that right now!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Makin' My List And Checkin' It Twice

And with today's projects, I'll be able to find and keep up with my Christmas shopping list . . . . . maybe = )

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Sometime I Just Need To Color

I was inspired to create this votive holder here. Ellen Hutson has some of the most amazing projects on her blog, and I stalk it daily.

I colored my bucket of apples image (Stampin' Up!) with Prismacolor pencils and it is one of my best works ever, if I do say so myself. The ribbon/trim is from Basic Grey (Color Me Silly).

Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

Birthday Card for Matt

I need to go back to taking pictures of my projects in natural daylight. I can see such a difference, but this card had to go in the mail . . . it is already late. Happy Birthday today, Matt! I hope you have a great day.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Hybrid Christmas Card

Here is another project from the digital kits offered last weekend. I mimicked the swirls in the image using a Cuttlebug embossing folder, matted the images, added red bling to the nose and tied on a ribbon. The rest is from the kit. Thank you for visiting my blog.

Birthday Bouquet

Here is my project of the day. I've been wanting to make one of these "bouquets" since I saw them over at Splitcoast Stampers. I started with a small tin for my vase. I used the Sizzix Daisy (large and small) and a digital kit called "Eat Cake" that I downloaded from PaperCrafts website (see previous post) to make the flowers and cover the vase. The flowers are mounted on straws (clear) and the "leaves" are ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Check This Out!

Wanna know what I've been up to lately? I've been creating cards from the digital kits that were shared on PaperCrafts magazine's website last week in celebration of World Card Making Day. I think they are still available for download if you missed them. Anyway, PaperTrey Ink has a contest to win their next three stamp releases, and I've been creating like a mad woman making entries and uploading them here. So check it out! I have other galleries there showcasing other projects I've made using their stamps sets. I've not been a huge fan of clear stamps until these. They are just too stinkin' CUTE not to love. Thanks for stopping by, and please let me know what you think. Encouragement I received here recently helped stimulate my dormant mojo. Thanks!

Spooky Treats

Making these little tins and nugget boxes is so addictive. They are quick and cute . . . so right up my alley. I've already made some for Christmas too. You know those people you want to remember at Christmas but don't want to spend too much . . . maybe the UPS driver, postman, the ladies at the bank, etc.? I figure I've got about $3 invested in each of the completed tins and much less in the nugget boxes. And when you mass produce by stamping sheets of labels at a time and working assembly line style, it's surprising how fast these can be made. I got the ideas from Nicole Heady here and Debbie Olson here. These ladies are so incredibly talented and inspirational.

Recipe:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink

Labels: Avery 8160 (Cheapest price - Walmart - thanks Carol *wink*)

Card stock: Bazzill, Worldwin, GP

Ink: Staz-on (yes it stained my clear acrylic stamps, but I liked that color of purple best for this), Brilliance Pearlescent Rust (very shimmery irl), Ranger

Pen: Copic marker (colored the tin to match the nuggets =D), Copic Spica gold

Misc: googly eyes from Michael's, ribbon, Hershey Nuggets

An Apple A Day

I made this card for Beate's Sketch challenge. The inside says: "An onion a day should take care of everyone else."

Recipe:

Stamps: Hambo, Rubber Soul (oval shadow)

Ink: Ranger

Paper: Bazzill, SU, Target $1 dp

Other: Queen brad, Spellbinders Scallop and Classic Squares, clip, ribbon

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy World Card Making Day!

Pussy Willow

I liked this card much better before I photographed it, but I really must get this posted. My mojo needs the activity and boost. The ribbon was my inspiration for the colors . . . there are two lines of orchid in the ribbon that does not show up here very well. The Fun Flock makes the pussy willow look so real. Kewl stuff. Note to self . . . use Fun Flock more often.

Recipe:

Stamps: Rubber Soul, Papertrey Ink

Ink: Palette Burnt Umber, Versacolor Pine Cone

Paper: Lasting Impressions, SU, Daisy D's

Ribbon: Target $1 spot

Other: Fun Flock, Prismacolor Pencils, Glue Pen, SU Ticket Punch, chalk

Thank You Birdie

I'm in a stamping slump it seems. I've been creating some cards, but most of what I've made has gone in the round file . . . definitely not blog worthy. Here' s a card I sent to a friend. Very basic but better than nothin'. SU card stock, Bird and Swirls from Rhonna, Bird colored with Prismacolors, sentiment from Papertrey Ink. I got some new toys today that may jog my mojo . . . here's hopin'. Thank you for stopping by.

With Gratitude

Here is a thank you card going out to Amy Westerman for the goodies she sent me for winning her business card contest. I used some of the beautiful paper from the DCWV Rockstar stack and scraps from BG Mellow. The image and sentiment are from Papertrey Ink. I used SU Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke and Chocolate Chip inks with the center being Brilliance Poppy. I layered the bloom and one leaf and added some sparkle to the center. The ribbon is SU Cranberry Crisp from last year's mini. Thank you for stopping by.

My Happy Place

I'm posting a few pictures of the stamping area of my craft room. I always enjoy seeing where other people work and thought you might like this.

There is a table behind the stamp area that I bought from Walmart awhile back. It's a good size, and I have 3 stacks of 19 drawers (57) that hold most of my rubber stamps just in front of the table and easily accessible. I really work best with things in sight and at my fingertips. On the back of the door hangs two clear over the door shoe storage bags that I use for punches. If there's any interest, I'll show you my ribbon storage . . .

PS. My room is seldom this straight. In fact, I took these pictures so I could remember what it's suppose to look like : )

Mellow Changito

I used my Basic Grey Mellow for this thank you note . . . even for the leaves (QuicKutz). Changito, sentiment and bananas are from Stampendous. The vine is some twine I knew I'd use one of these days. Changito and leaves colored with Prismacolor pencils. I really must start taking these pictures in daylight or fix a light box. Sorry for the shadow. Thanks for stopping by.

Splendiferous Day

I love this Rhonna clear stamp I picked up at Archiver's Hot Spot a while back. I colored the image with my Copics, added a Hero Arts dragonfly and pierced a trail. I stamped the sentiment (Amuse) and then matted all that on black and placed it on a background of SU More Mustard stamped with a Stamp in the Hand triangle shaped stamp. Added ribbon and it was done.

Imaginisce Anniversary

Not my best effort, but here it is . . . In retrospect, I should make the matted image smaller. The dp is from Imaginisce. The dots are the reverse of the striped paper. Pears are SU and the sentiment from Hampton Arts Clear Expressions. Thanks for stopping by.

Important! Please read!!

http://www.kissesofsunshine.com/2007/08/dear-blogger-blogging-friends.html

Above is a link to a great tutorial that I wish everyone would read. I would love to be able to respond to the sweet comments being left on my blog, but without your email address, you are "anonymous" and I cannot reply. Thank you for stopping by.

Hugs,
Colleen

Anniversary Wishes

Yup, two cards in one night. I'm on a roll . . . It's the Basic Grey "Mellow" line. . . . awesome. See previous post.

I got the idea for this card from one on display at the Morningstar booth in Cincinnati while at Stampaway in August. So, the "anniversary" and "WISHES" stamps are from Morningstar and the flower is from Hero Arts. The paper is Basic Grey's "Mellow" matted with black. There are two wide satin ribbons (Offray) in brown and green tied together. The flower was colored with my neglected SU markers and the center just a dot of white gel pen. Now I need to make some anniversary cards . . .