Black & White + One!

Current Caardvark challenge:

Create a card using black, white, plus one color of your choice.

I originally planned a 5x7 card in my head with more ribbon, brads, and cs, but I couldn't get it to come together IRL. I ended up with an A2 more simplistic card...shocking, huh?

I used a white card base, white cs, and black cs; a scrap of AC dp, AC rub-ons to spell "mom"; BBP bling prima and large jeweled brad; SU! oval punches and dimensionals; and my paper piercer.

Wow! An entire week since my last post?!

Where does the time go? I have not been in my craft room much at all. Last Thursday I chaperoned the kindergarten field trip to a strawberry farm in Bluemont, VA. I asked Kathryn if she wanted to go on the trip and she responded,"No, thank you, Mommy." You may recall this is the same farm where she fell in the pumkin patch and we rode the ambulance back to the old hospital in Leesburg where Kathryn received 7 stitches above her left eye.

I said,"What if I go with you?" Kathryn said, "O.K."

We had a GREAT time! After learning about strawberries and riding the tractor pull out to the strawberry field, the children played on the moon bounce, the slides, the swings, and a picnic lunch. Hey, this is no ordinary farm! The weather was gorgeous. Friday I had my hair done. Monday was my day to run the parent table in kindergarten, and today I went to get our car serviced. We are going out of town this weekend. Every couple of months for the past 15 years we go to Richmond, VA for cousins weekend. My husband has the most wonderful cousins! Those boys are all wonderful. They are more like a big group of brothers. (Okay, well some of them ARE brothers; but my husband has no brothers, so they are like brothers to him.) The past 7 or 8 years, it has been more like 1-2 times per year, rather than every couple of months. You know how it is with every cousin having 2-4 children. It is difficult to get together around all the kids' (the second cousins)various schedules. It is always so much fun. I can't wait!

About these cards I posted...do you recall when I was counting the 45 days until my Cosmo Cricket QVC deal arrived? Well it ended up being LESS than 2 weeks! Yep, it showed up on my doorstep 2 days BEFORE Valentine's Day :) I opened it up on Valentine's Day, but I did not use any of the materials until last week. I made these four cards. I did not design them! They were a display picture in the brochure, and I CASEd them.

I need to get back to Mother's Day cards. They are selling as fast as I can make them. We will be gone all weekend, so I'd better get to work!

MandyB, this is for you

I received this comment from Mandy :
hi there - just found your blog through a google search... I live in New Zealand and I am searching for some paper piercing templates.... I mostly want to do straight lines , crosses and other basic stitches on my scrap pages and the search showed your jan 28th blog entry and I saw all your templates... where did you get them from - maybe I could order them if you let me know the web address - thanks in advance for your help and LOVE you pages and cards.... mandyb

Mandy, those templates I used are Bazzill Basics In Stitch'z Templates. Our local scrapbook store sold them, but that store is now closed. Perhaps you could ask your area scrapbook store to place an order? There are also many online stores that carry them, as well as ebay. Good luck and happy shopping!

Scrapdragons contest and Blog candy

Scrapdragons is having a paper piecing contest: "Create a layout featuring your own handmade, layered funkalicious paper piecing!What you need to do is create a paper piecing by hand. We're not talking your classic tear bears or Disney paper piecing, we're talkin hand made, layers, stamping, 3D and funkalicious!How about a hand drawn bird? A really cool stamped image that you layer, stamp, ink, paint and embellish?Have fun and be sure to link your layout in the comments by April 30th. The winner will receive a $20.00 gift certificate to Crop Addict"
Okay, here is my paper piecing at work:

1) The "Christmas" is a die cut that I layered on green dp to coordinate with the photo mats. Then I cut it out with my Xacto knife. That took a loooooong time.

2) I hand drew the comment ballons and used MM rub-ons "better not pout" and "Let it snow!" (Julia's funny expression should probably be, "Bah, humbug!")

3) I embellished the store bought paper piecing stocking, wreath, present, and santa. I used Button-Ups buttons and eyelets to make the stocking, wreath, present, and Santa 3D. I also hand drew with my black marker give santa more depth.

4) I hand drew the list! I am most proud of this. I was terrified of ruining the layout. Then I could not figure out how to get the list in Santa's hand and behind him (I cut a slit in the list with my Xacto knife and slipped his arm through it...see the end of the list curled up behind him on the right side?) I used a MM rub-on for "Dear Santa", then tried to mimic the font in my own handwriting for our names.

Thank you, Scrapdragons, for having this contest. It gave me the push I needed to complete this layout!

Blogoversary candy winner...me! My blog friend, Sarah, had a 3-part blogoversary contest and I was one of the lucky winners! This is my first time winning blog candy. She even sent me one of her beautiful cards :) Check out Sarah's gorgeous cards:http://creationsbysarah.blogspot.com/

Mother's Day Cards

I'm not sure why the top card looks so dark...it is the same papers as the bottom card. Magenta cs (card base) and Daisy D's dps. I paper pierced and faux stitched on both cards.

For the top card I used the Stampin' Up! word window punch 25 times to create the "petals" of the large flower. I used a large Bazzill brad for the center. The "Thanks for the Memories" sentiment is a Basic Grey/K&Co. wood words.

The bottom card is a Boho blossom stamp that I stamped twice and cut out, then used a MM black snap. The "happy mother's day" sentiment is a Basic Grey rub-on.

Birthday card

When I cleaned out my craft room I found this buckle and ribbon. (It is not so dark IRL). I pulled out the same DCWV card, brown Bazzill cs, metal rimmed tag, SU! inks, and American Crafts dp from yesterday's post and created this card.

I enjoyed making these cards, but I need a change. Stay tuned...I'm going to pull out some Daisy D's dps to make some mother's day cards.

Using my new Cuttlebug

Once again, I love going in my craft room. I am so much more inspired when it is cleaned up and I am not working on 4 different projects at once :) I hope to keep it perfectly neat. (Okay, I can hear you laughing.) I cleaned up after making two cards like this one.

I am so excited about my new Cuttlebug, I had to try it out.

Recipe:
base card (DCWV)
brown cs (Bazzill)
blue cs (scrap that I ran through the Cuttlebug)
Metal rimmed tag (Staples)
Scallop circle punch, dimensionals, ink, and Happy Birthday stamp (SU!)