Hope Your Birthday's a Blast!

  Mojo interrupted...earlier this week I started to make a couple of cards and then I couldn't seem to get them to come together, which created "piles" around my work table.  The piles must be contagious because there are two more piles on the floor now too.  Hmmm...ever since we moved to our new house two months ago I have been able to make a card, then clean up after; keeping my craft room neat as a pin in between...*sigh*

  It all started with me trying to make a cupcake card (I need more birthday cards for the coffee shop).  I stamped and fussy cut on some Echo Park "Life is Good" scraps, then nothing.  I just couldn't get the card to come together.

Attempt #2:  I began playing with my June Artful Delight kit (Simple Stories "Summer Fresh"...so addicted to that collection right now!)  So pretty, but I could not get a card to come together.

Strategy #3:  I pulled out some really old stash (vellum and gold metallic card stock) to try to make an anniversary card.  Stuck again.

Tactic #4:  Look for a challenge.  SOS (aka Shopping Our Stash) to the rescue: "Father's Day or Masculine" challenge.  So I decided to play with my Cricut Imagine.  dhDH gave me the Imagine for Christmas, and I have made three cards with it so far...technology intimidates me!  I took it out of the box (where it has been since the move) and manage to figure out how to calibrate it.  Score!  Then I printed out this oval panel, rocket, and an extra "BLAST."  I popped up the extra rocket and sentiment with foam tape.

Shopping Our Stash (SOS) inspires me to pull out really old stuff.  About 4 1/2 years ago I used to use boxes of DCWV cards for my card bases.  They are pre-folded, come with an envelope, and they are white on the inside.  Convenient!  I have probably gone through 5 boxes of these over the past few years, and all I have left is a partially filled box of them.  Shall I challenge myself to use them up?  I get my box out of the closet and find that this red base matches!  As for card design, I created the banner from scraps of Echo Park "Life is Good" (pile #1...unfinished cupcake card!)  Hmmmm...I had 7 more of this DCWV card base in red...and I needed teacher end-of-year gifts...I spent the rest of the day making a total of 8 of these.  I decided my end-of-year gifts will be a box of cards for each teacher.

Thanks, SOS!!!

Girly Graduation

  A couple of weeks ago I made two girly graduation cards and took them to the coffee shop...they were using My Mind's Eye Indie Chic and they were done in pink/orange; the grad cap I used was pink and orange too.  I thought they were so non-traditional (not formal) that they might not sell; but I took them to the coffee shop anyway. When I returned home I discovered that I had not taken a picture to blog, so I went back to the coffee shop to take a picture, and they had both sold!  The owner said people wanted more girly grad cards.

  This one is different, but I used BasicGrey paper scraps from my December Artful Delight kit to make two of these and the May Artful Delight card sketch.  I soooo love my Artful Delight kits...when I don't know what I want to make next, I like to pull them out and see which monthly kit inspires my mood that day :)

  I also used my Cricut cartridge "Wrap It Up" for the diploma, my QuicKutz grad cap dies, a Making Memories snap, and a My Pink Stamper "Invitation Only" sentiment stamp.

Happy Tuesday!

thanks a bunch

  I created this card especially for one of my dd's teachers, "Miss Lynn."  Lynn has worked with my girls for five consecutive years!  I absolutely adore her.  She always has a smile on her face and she reminds me of sunshine.  I try to create cards that I think fit the personality of the recipient, and her radiance inspired me to make this card for her.

  As usual my inspiration also came from the lovely Lauren Bergold of "...all the good blog names were taken..."  She was the first person I ever saw create these patterns on her cards.  I asked her how she did it, and she even wrote an easy sunburst tutorial.  Check it out!  Instead of her 1" increments, I used 1 1/2".

  The Echo Park papers and stickers were purchased from Shop Pumpkin Spice.

  *MWAH* to you, Lynn...you are such a blessing to our family.

Supplies:
papers:  Echo Park "Country Drive"
stickers:  Echo Park "a walk in the park" and "Country Drive"
border punch:  Martha Stewart grass punch

Artful Delight June kit

   I created these two *nearly* identical graduation cards with the card stock and patterned papers in the June Artful Delight kit.

  The kit includes textured card stock (the white, red, and navy pictured above as well as yellow and green) and a 6x6 pad of Simple Stories "Summer Fresh" patterned papers.  Some of the 6x6 papers can be cut into journaling cards, and I cut two to stamp my sentiment on.  Voila!  Two quick happy cards.

Now I am off to play some more.  Leeanne's Artful Delight kits sell out very quickly, so I suggest you grab yours now.  She is selling a scrapbook kit and a card kit; click here to check them out!

For more inspiration, check out the Artful Delight blog.  You can enter to win next month's kit by following one (or both!) sketch challenges on her right-hand sidebar of the Artful Delight blog.

Supplies:
papers:  Simple Stories "Summer Fresh" 6x6 patterned papers; textured card stock (from kit)
sentiment:  My Pink Stamper "Girlie Sayings" stamp
snap:  Making Memories white
ink:  Impress indigo blue

Happy Sunday!

Shop Pumpkin Spice June blog hop: Sympathy

  The lovely Denine, owner of Shop Pumpkin Spice, is mourning the loss of her father-in-law who passed away last week.  To show her how much we think of her, the Shop Pumpkin Spice design team is surprising her with a blog hop of sympathy cards.  Denine is truly one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I have ever known and I am proud to now also call her my friend.

  This is the card I sent her, made with product I purchased from her store.  I hope you will hop over to the Shop Pumpkin Spice blog and leave a comment for Denine.

  Please hop along with us!  You should have arrived from lovely Lenae's blog.  If not, please start at the Shop Pumpkin Spice blog and leave some words of encouragement for Denine.

Here is the entire hop order:

Shop Pumpkin Spice

Lezlye

Saundra

Lenae

June (*you are here*)

Carissa

Diana

Court

Supplies:

papers:  Echo Park For the Record "Lace Stripes" and "Table Cloth"

stickers: Echo Park element stickers

glazed brads:  My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Two "Breeze" and Stella and Rose Hattie "Happy"

twine

sentiment:  My Pink Stamper "Sympathy & Comfort"

Your next stop is the talented Carissa!

Artful Delight Sketchs - Win a kit!

*2nd post today; please scroll down*

  I created this card using the June card sketch at Artful Delight.  One random winner will win the July Artful Delight kit.  AND you have two chances to win!  Either follow this card sketch:

or this layout sketch:

  You can enter BOTH challenges for two chances to win the July kit.  Link your creation(s) on the right-hand sidebar on the Artful Delight blog.

Supplies:

papers:  Simple Stories (June Artful Delight kit); DCWV card base

sentiment:  My Pink Stamper "Never Give Up"

snap:  Making Memories snap

grad cap die:  QuicKutz

Happy Friday!

You are so special

    As soon as I saw the My Mind's Eye "Miss Caroline" 6x6 pads available at Shop Pumpkin Spice, I purchased them.  I am particularly drawn to "Dilly Dally."  There are some collections of papers that really evolve into cards easily...this one works for me.  Do you recall my umbrella card?  I loved that one.  And my other butterfly card was quick and easy...and only used 1 sheet of 6x6.  I created today's card from some of the scraps from the umbrella card, plus a few other patterns in the collection.

  Both the glazed brad and the twine are also from My Mind's Eye; I am so glad that their products coordinate with older collections.  The twine is from the Lime Twist collection, and the brad is from Lost & Found Two.

  I was completely inspired by a card on the front of this book by Annie's Attic.

  Happy Friday!