Finally...St. Pat's Cards made

Everytime I go in my craft room I spread out different green dps and embeilies and no mojo. I end up making something else. Last year I used my QK alphas and coordinating Bazzill cs and die cut "Lucky to have you". I also made a few tag cards with K&Co. products and a "Lucky" tag. I didn't want to do the same cards as last year, but I was stuck. I pulled out my DCWV box which had an abundance (11 cards!) of this green color. Obviously difficult to match. The dp is by Reminisce...good match! I cut this 12x12 sheet into 4x4 squares. Now I had difficulty matching cs. No cs I owned matched to my satisfaction. On to scrap bags. Can you believe I used a 6x6 square of green cs and a 6x6 square of yellow from my scrap bags? Now for a design...I was inspired by a card Tracy sent me (see it here: http://smallsmackerels.blogspot.com/2008/01/another-warm-day-here-in-burg-oldie-but.html) The cards still needed something; I pulled out a bottle of green glitter glue (I prayed it had not dried up...it is probably at least 10 years old!) I made 9 of these cards total (and ran out of Reminisce dp). Only 2 of these green cards left in my DCWV box :) Phew! I took them over to the coffee shops this morning. Now to find some Easter card mojo...

The cutest gift card holder

I made one like this almost a month ago for my sister, Angela, for her birthday. I used a periwinkle cs from ACMoore, white cs, lime green Bazzill (scallop circle), and BG Lollipop Shoppe dps. The ribbon is some I had...don't remember the manufacturer. The circle stamp is SU! and the "happy birthday" and "just for you" are Hero Arts stamps. I used the SU! window punch and a small circle punch to create the slot for the gift card. This is so fun to make! I found the directons last November here: http://stampingwithroxy.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/11/good-morning-my.html

Her directions are great, so go make one now!

Two Scrappy Birthday cards

I'm tired of looking at these scraps now. I filed back in their ziploc bag and re-filed with my other SU! dps.

I took a scrap rectangle from my white cs scrap bag and started gluing little scraps on it until I achieved the rectangle I needed. Then I cut off the extra with an Xacto knife. I used the SU! ribbon slot punch and scraps of white grossgrain. I adhered the "present" with dimensionals on a DCWV card and stamped a sentiment.

Get Well Soon & 2 Birthday

Same SU! scraps. I made 3 of these cards, except the other two are "happy birthday". The base card is DCWV, and the sentiment is Hero Arts. You know I had to add paper piercing!

Question for you: Do you throw away a strip of cs that is less than 1/2 inch wide? See that pink cs I stamped on? I usually don't throw even the smallest strip away. That little pink strip did all 3 cards. Now I don't save EVERY little scrap that size, or I would have tons more scraps. But a small strip of white cs that size I do throw away now, since I tend to have more white cs scraps than any other color.

Organization tip #2:
(See yesterday for tip #1 Storing dps by vendor)
I store all my cs by color. I have 12x12 shelving (full), 8.5x11 shelving (full), and all my 12x12 in a couple of magazine holders w/ dividers. I have 2 more magazine holders w/ dividers holding all scrap cs in seperate ziploc bags by color. One magazine holder for Bazzill scraps, the other for non-Bazzill cs. I acknowledge that I have paper issues. To partially quote Lauren, http://llaurenb.blogspot.com/, I have more paper "than any sensible person needs...but I'm not giving it back."

Simple Scrappin'

This dp is from the same set of SU! scraps from both last Friday's and last Sunday's post. I mounted on a scrap of mellow moss cs, added a Bazzill prima and a DCWV brad. Then I took my white gel pen to add a polka dot to the middle of the brad. The sentiment is a TLC rub-on.

My organization tip:

I store my coordinating sets of papers in large ziploc bags, then file in an accordian file (by category: baby, floral, masculine, graduation, Valentine's Day, Christmas). But that accordian file is overflowing, so I also file in magazine holders (with dividers) by manufacturer (Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket, Daisy D's, American Crafts...) and by the set name (BG Lollipop Shoppe, BG Oh Baby Boy, BG Oh Baby Girl,...) When I have an idea for a card I try to find the set that seems to suit the person I am making the card for. Then I try to make as many different cards as I can in an attempt to EMPTY that particular ziploc bag. It is amazing to me how many cards can be made from scraps! I usually lose steam and re-file the scraps to be (hopefully) used up later. The last time I had this particular bag of scraps out, I made a total of 3 cards. Here are two of them: http://simplyelegantpapercrafts.blogspot.com/2007/06/im-back.html. So that brings me to a total of 6 cards from these scraps. This does not include that I got these scraps from making 5 cards in a class my upline had last year. Let's see how far I can go on this bag of scraps. Stay tuned :)

Anything but St. Patrick's Day...

I keep going in my craft room intending to make St. Patrick's Day cards to sell at Greenberry's Coffee & Tea, but I have a creative block. This is what evolved instead. The same Creative Imaginations ds cs and rub-on from a previous card, a scrap of Bazzill cs and a blue DCWV card (guess where the 2 circles on this card came from?) : http://simplyelegantpapercrafts.blogspot.com/2008/02/thanks-creative-imaginations.html

Yes, call me "The Frugal Scrapper."

Anniversary card

Not sure about this one...too busy? Dh was snoring, so I figured I might as well get up and make a card as long as I was awake anyway :) Maybe not the best idea to create at 5am...

I had this scrap of swirly blue dp and I went with the same LO as yesterday's post. I thought hmmm, silver might be nice, so I pulled out my dusty Class-A-Peels (happy anniversary and the heart). I thought it needed something else, so I added the silver elastic decorative ribbon. Too much? Whadddaya think?

Thank You, Great Aunt Pam!

Pam is dh's aunt. She gave the girls the most adorable umbrellas. One looks like a frog and the other like a lady bug. Right now Julia and Kathryn play pretend with them INSIDE. Kathryn said, "This is the best Valentine EVER!" I don't know if there is any rain in our forecast for the girls to put these cute umbrellas to use OUTSIDE. I still have the dps on my table from the previous post. These scraps were in the same pile, and this is what my little brain came up with. This card is all SU! except the brad is DCWV.

Scrapping w/ scraps

The top picture came out blurry, but you get the idea. I made both cards with a acrap of SU! dp that was 12" x ?" I added the scallop (shoulda used dimensionals) or the primas & brads; and white grossgrain. Voila!

Baby Love Contest @ {Caardvarks}

{Caardvarks} is having a challenge, which ends tonight. They always have such beautiful card entries in their gallery! The winners are always well-deserved. Even though the cards that win are not the same style as mine, I try to enter their contests from time to time.

I used a MM latch card, a K&Co. acetate "heartbreaker", dp from Michael's, SU! baby stamp, and small heart punch.

Kiss Cosmo Cricket Goodbye

This is my last Cosmo Cricket Valentine. I'm losing steam, ideas, and materials for making valentines. I'll post my last valentines (for my girls and hubby) on thursday or friday. I need some mojo...

Conversation Heart?

Does this make you giggle? The dp is double-sided. I cut into 3 strips, distressed the edges with black ink, added some ribbon and the U R Hot chipboard heart.

Hey, Sugar!

Another Cosmo Cricket card with primas, Queen & Co. brads, and dimensionals. It is mostly quiet on my favorite blogs; many of you are at CHA. I am anxious to hear about it!

Be Mine, Cosmo Cricket!

I am so excited about my QVC Cosmo Cricket order. It is now $4 more than the special they had earlier this week, but still a good value if you are interested! The box kit includes 2 8x8 albums, an 8.5x5.5 accordian album and 6 tags to fit in the pockets, 4 cards and lined envelopes, cs shapes, phrases, dps, chipboard pieces, beads, plastic punch outs, vellum flowers, metals, buttons, wire, etc. Fun stuff! It comes in red or blue. Of course I chose red (my FAVORITE color!) Go check it out... www.qvc.com item #F04279 (that is a zero, not the letter o). It may be shipped in 44 more days (but who's counting...LOL). Ah, so the card I posted today is Cosmo Cricket paper. Shocking, huh? The teal cs is Bazzill, the brads DCWV, the mini slot punch & ticket punch are both SU!, and black grossgrain ribbon.

You Are My Valentine, Cosmo Cricket

Thanks to Tracy, who let me know that there was an AWESOME Cosmo Cricket deal on QVC the other day, dh now has a Valentine's Day gift for me :) Thank you for thinking of me, Tracy! You know what I like. I waited until the afternoon to order, so I'm on the wait list for the next shipment in 45 days. I can be patient! I have lots of stash to use.

Speaking of using stash, I've mentioned before how I like the DCWV boxed cards and envelopes. Some colors seem hard to match, but then sometimes I happen upon just the right dp to use with that color. I've owned 3 box sets of those DCWV cards (all consolidated into one box right now), and I am near to purchasing my 4th box. This current box has only 20 cards and 4 colors left in it: a pale yellow, a green, and 2 shades of blue. The card pictured here was the last pink card. The dps are (can you guess?) Cosmo Cricket. The punch is SU! and the heart circle rub-on is AC.

A2 Valentine, not tent topper

My last scrap of My Mind's Eye xoxo paper, a scrap of ribbon, a scrap of red Bazzill, a crap of white cs (circle), and an AC rub-on created this card. Not inspired today, but happy I used up some scraps :)

Thanks, Creative Imaginations!

At Ashburn Family Scrapbook Center (AFSC) the front corner of the store has Creative Imaginations buttons, chipboard, felt lowers, felt ric-rac, brads, rub-ons, etc. that all beautifully coordinate. This is called the "Creative Cafe". I have resisted purchasing (showing amazing restraint, I might add). That is until Tracy came over last week and showed me this card that she made after purchasing the papers and buttons from AFSC, pictured here (below the beautiful hydrangea card): http://smallsmackerels.blogspot.com/2008/02/well-hi-there.html

I purchased this double-sided sheet of paper (reverse side is striped...see under the buttons?), 3 buttons, and the rub-on booklet. My cs is DCWV. I rarely make masculine cards, so I thought it was time to choose some guy paper.

Oh, Baby II

It is difficult to see in the picture, but the "onesie" is cut from a white cs that has subtle stripes, like ever so slightly dry embossed paper. The plaid dp is from one of those 12x12 stacks I purchased from either Michael's or ACMoore years ago. The card base is DCWV, the eyelets are Impress Rubber Stamps, and the stamp is SU!

Oh, Baby! Happy Groundhog Day!!!

I stamped the baby and chalked him. The card base is DCWV and the dps are from a package I purchased at Michael's YEARS ago. Just usin' my stash...

Hooray! The Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow :) I wonder if areas of the U.S. that rarely/never get snow pay attention to this holiday??? I grew up in Maryland and it IS a big deal with children there (or at least when I was growing up.) Who doesn't love a snow day? Okay, maybe my parents, who had to go to work regardless of the weather. Any way, I still love this holiday. I would LOVE to get a good snow day and play with Julia & Kathryn. They both LOVE to make snow angels. Let's see what February has in store for us here in northern Virginia...