Muchas Gracias

Hi everyone! I haven't posted anything new in over a week. I was busy this week helping out at school. I have many cards that are a work in progress, but I haven't completed anything until today. (Edited to Add: Re-took photos since I had better lighting.)

This card incorporates several new SU! goodies and some digi-paper I won from Holly Jones (owner of My Cute Stamps) back in June. The pack is called Delicious Lemonade.

Can I confess I'm still having a hard time embracing the new SU! in-colors? I ordered all 6 inks, but unlike previous years, I didn't order the re-inkers. I always buy the corresponding re-inker when I buy any ink pad (SU! and non-SU!). What about you? Do you do the same?

I loved the card on p. 194 of the latest SU! catalog (US version) and used it as inspiration for this card. I embossed the patterned paper with the the SU! dots Texturz Plate. I don't have the Curly Label punch, but I resized a design on my Silhouette to mimic the punch and cut it out of Bordering Blue paper.

Have a great weekend. I'm headed downstairs to make the guys an Açaí smoothie. It's so hot here; we don't feel like cooking dinner.

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Agradecimento (SU!)
Paper: Melon Mambo, Bordering Blue, Whisper White, Delicious Lemonade Digi-Kit (Holly Jones)
Ink: Melon Mambo
Tools: QuicKutz Silhouette, Big Shot w/Texturz Plate, Modern Label punch (SU!)
Other: button (Making Memories - Chloe's Closet), foam tape, twine, glue dot, Melon Mambo ribbon, white gel pen (Sakura)

With Love, From Me to You

Hi everyone! Where is the week going? There is not enough time in the day. I finally ordered from the new SU! catalog. I got my order on Monday. I had to have the Medallion stamp.

This card is for Kristina's Finally Friday challenge:

Create a card using patterned paper that was originally not intended for the topic of your card.

I used paper and chipboard from the SU! Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit to create this love-themed card.

I made my own heart chipboard by punching the heart out 5 times from kraft cardstock and gluing all the layers together.

I've had 1 bottle of Liquid Pearls for years...I don't think I've ever used it. After see this card by Kristina, I had to try something similar.


Thanks for stopping by and have a good one!

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Medallion (SU!), sentiment (Feeling Groovy by Verve Stamps)
Paper: Kraft, Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit (SU!)
Ink: VersaMark, Riding Hood Red
Tools: 3 heart punch (SU!)
Other: Baby Blue Perfect Pearls, Tombo Mono-multi

Be the Change ...

Hi everyone! Hope you are having a glorious weekend. We are getting ready to host my sister-in-law and soon-to-be brother-in-law for a lunchtime BBQ. I still have to go to the grocery store for a few items.

I {love} this Mahatma Ghandi quote on this Unity Stamp! I think this is my favorite quote ever.

I stamped this quote quite a while ago, but had never finished creating a card with it. I won this stamp from Tamara (and Unity...thanks!) back in June.

Thanks for stopping by and have a good one!

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Be the Change (Unity)
Paper: kraft & Sweet Slumber Speciality paper (SU!)
Ink: VersaMark
Tools: Corner Rounder (Fiskars)
Other: clear embossing powder, tiny buttons (Hero Arts), other buttons (Making Memories - Chloe's Closet), dew drops, thread, white gel pen (Sakura), foam tape, Kraft Taffeta ribbon (SU!)

Celebrate Today

Hi everyone! I'm back from vacation. I finally had some time to work in the studio last night. Here's a card I started while on vacation. All the items on the card are from a cool paper pack (Carolyn Gavin for K&Company) I bought at Micheal's before we flew to NM. The pack had die cut flowers, leaves, birds, butterflies, and borders. I bought this pack as an activity to do at Kalino's birthday party. His 7 cousins on my side of the family are all girls! I didn't know they would love a Lego-themed party as much as they did, but they also loved making flowers with the K&Company kit. I bought floral wire, buttons, rhinestones, and foam tape to layer the pieces. Even days after the party, they were still assembling flowers. Here's a picture of a few of the girlies at work the day after Kalino's party.

Card Ingredients
Stamps: sentiment (Starring You - SU!), background (Heidi Grace)
Paper: Kraft (SU!), Carolyn Gavin by K& Company
Ink: Basic Black, VersaMark
Tools: wire cutters
Other: floral wire, rhinestones (Michael's), foam tape

Lego Birthday Party Invitation

Today is my son's 6th birthday. We are currently on vacation in Taos, New Mexico visiting my family.

I started designing these Lego birthday party invitations several weeks ago. The photo of K was taken last June at Legoland in Carlsbad, CA. His tongue is sticking out...that's a common sight. This kid is not a Disney kid. He has no desire to go to Disneyland, but if he had a say, we would be at Legoland a few times a year.

I wanted to enter this invitation in the Hero Arts Photo Challenge, but I couldn't complete this invitation on time. Cutting out his name was also the first project I attempted with my QuicKutz Silhouette (not smart of my part...there was a bit of a learning curve). These letters are tiny (less and .5 inches high). I downloaded a free Lego font from here. The Silhouette can cut any font on your computer, so it worked out great.

I also used the Lego font on the photo and for the text of the invitation.

The hard part was assembling the 4 layers for each of the small letters.

Card Ingredients
Paper: unknown brand of red, white, black, and yellow paper from my stash
Tools: computer, printer, QuicKutz Silhouette
Other: Legothick font, Tombo glue, Canon Photo Paper Pro, Creative Memories photo splits, foam tape

CASEing Myself

This was the original card I made to submit to Kristina's Color Inspiration Challenge #56. I submitted this other card instead. I like this card, but I wanted a higher color contrast for the white faux stitching.

We are flying out to New Mexico this morning to visit my family. Thanks for stopping by and have a good one!

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Heidi Grace
Paper: So Saffron, Riding Hood Red
Ink: VersaMark
Tools: QuicKutz Silhouette
Other: white embossing powder, Sakura white gel pen, Certainly Celery ribbon, Felt Fusion, buttons (Making Memories), foam tape

Friend to Friend Medallion

Thursday was fun! One of my best friends (and crafting buddies), Ericka, was in town for a day of crafting. We didn't get much accomplished (because we went shopping), but at least she finished a card. I was showing her how to use my QuicKutz Silhouette.

On Thursday night, I got to play with new Stampin' Up products at my friend Peggy's house. I didn't design this card, but I love the layout. I love the Medallion stamp. I added a large Martha Stewart pearl to the center when I got home.

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Medallion, Boho Backgrounds, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Whisper White, Crushed Curry
Ink: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango
Tools: Modern Label punch
Other: Crushed Curry Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, pearl (Martha Stewart)

Happy Birthday - Crazy for Typography

This card is totally inspired by Kristina's work.

This card is for one of my nieces and it uses the colors from Kristina's Color Inspiration Challenge #56.








I loved Kristina's kraft words on kraft cardstock card. I also love the stitching she does. I cut a welded alphabet design (downloaded from QuicKutz) using my QuicKutz Silhouette. I love it! I was crazy enough to add faux stitching throughout the design...twice. The other card I started was with So Saffron cardstock. I'll publish it later. I used my paper crimper to "soften" some thin strips of Riding Hood Red and Certainly Celery paper. I used the thin strips to thread two of the buttons.

Thanks for stopping by and have a good one!

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Heidi Grace
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Certainly Celery
Ink: VersaMark
Tools: QuicKutz Silhouette, paper crimper
Other: White embossing powder, linen thread (SU!), white Sakura gel pen, buttons (Making Memories-Chloe's Closet collection), glue dots, Tombo multi glue

New Mexico Meets Morocco

Hi everyone! This week has flown by faster than most. It's already Friday...again.

I've had a fun few days though. Tina (Travelingmama) selected my picture of Taos Pueblo for her Traveler's Inspiration Challenge:{two}. She asked me to create a project based on my photo. Thanks, Tina! This was fun.

I call this card "New Mexico Meets Morocco" since I used BasicGrey's Marrakech paper for the skyline and Tina lives in Morocco. Beside the kraft paper, I used items I've never used or haven't used in years (thanks for the push, Kristina!). I've had the Pueblo-style house stamp for years. I bought it in Santa Fe. I think I've only used it once to make house-warming invitations for my cousin. I made this card for my Aunt Ruby who lives in Taos. She has Parkinson's disease and is not very mobile anymore. She loves receiving my cards. While she doesn't have a Pueblo-style home, she does have a ladder next to her house like the one in the image I used.


Here's a photo collage from that January day in 2006. (I need to scrap these photos.) Elmo was on vacation with us. He went everyone, like a Flat Stanley.

I LOVE this place! It's normally buzzing with tourists (I like being a tourist in my own hometown), but we got it to ourselves that day. It's doesn't look it, but it was so cold that day. We wanted to buy some of their famous fry bread, but even Cruzcita was not there frying her famous bread. Kalino was almost 2.5 yrs old. For some reason, he didn't want to leave. In the last panel of the collage you can see him crying. His first language was Spanish, so he was crying "mas pueblo, mas pueblo" (more pueblo, more pueblo). He was mad we had to leave. Poor little guy. If you are ever in New Mexico, visit Taos. You will love it!

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Pueblo-style house (Stamp of Excellence), sentiment (Heidi Grace)
Paper: Kraft (SU!), Marrakech paper (BasicGrey)
Ink: VersaMark
Tools: Embossed curve punch (EK Success), craft knife
Other: clear embossing powder, ribbon (BasicGrey), foam tape

Happy Birthday - Traveler's Inspiration Challenge #1

This is a card for Travelingmama's first Traveler's Inspiration Challenge. I have 2 nieces celebrating birthdays next month, so this card will be for one of them. I remember seeing these colorful Moroccan slippers on Tina's website months ago...so pretty! The photography on her site is impeccable. I love hearing about life in Morocco.

I was inspired by the sequined designs and the colors of the slippers. I love repeated geometric shapes on a card. I also listened to Kristina's challenge to "Use it, Sister." I used stamps I've owned for at least a year and have never inked up. In my next few posts, I'm also going to use paper and stamps I haven't used yet. So, I'm using it, Sister!

Thanks for stopping by!

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Petals (Inque Boutique), sentiment (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Kraft & various SU! scraps
Ink: VersaMark
Tools: 1" circle punch, dotted scallop punch (EK Success), corner rounder (Fiskars)
Other: Diamond Sparkles (PSX), linen thread (SU!), mini rhinestones (Michael's), foam tape