ABC's of the Perfect Handmade Holiday at 20% discount!

Now through Dec 16, you have the opportunity to purchase Amazing cards, Beautiful packagine, & Cherished gifts at a 20% discount! Choose from the bundles below! Click on the picture above to download the pdf flier. Email me to order!

Open House Make-&-Takes + a FREE gift for everyone!

Here's the make-&-takes for my Open House Monday evening. This simple card features the new Friends Never Fade stamp set + Greenhouse Gala designer series paper. I love the bright and sunny Daffodil Delight! The 1 1/4" squre punch was used to punch the ds paper. The wording is from my new Fabulous Phrases set! I've been in need of some new word stamps. And the clear mount option is perfect for aligning 2 or 3 words together.

I also made each attendee a personalized little notepad. These feature the Newsprint DS paper, which I also love!! The red circles are Poppy Parade, which really looks great with the black/white. The monogram letters are from the Lovely Letters set, but this would also look great with the Rough Type alphabet- which was what I originally saw this project used with!I used the Bigz Scallop Circle die. The inside of each notepad is regular lined notebook paper, which actually runs through the Big Shot very easily. There's about 25 sheets of paper in each notepad and I think about half of them could be run through the machine at the same time. I used my Crop-o-Dile to punch a hole and tied it all together with some retired ribbon I had on hand. Definitely a fun project that makes a great personalized gift!

August Class Projects

Thanks to the 5 ladies who attended my August class last night! You all made it a successful evening! I hope everyone enjoyed the projects. I always love it when something is new to everyone! For those of you who missed out, we made a total of 4 projects:

2-in-1 Basket.I love that this is held together by a little binder clip ring, decorated w/ribbon! This basket uses a 6x6 piece of ds paper. Score at 2" all the way around. Then, score from each corner point to the middle & fold points in. Click here for a tutorial on how to make this PLUS the other basket option.

Owl Punch Paper Clip Bookmark. I love this little guy! And so easy- just choose your paper and punch! The hardest part is putting the tiny black eyeballs on the whites of the eyes. I used my stylus to help position them onto drops of liquid glue. The finished owls (front/back) were attached to the jumbo paper clip using large glue dots. Someone mentioned that you can find the paper clips at the dollar store! I think I got a big pack of these at the office supply store awhile back. If you don't own this adorable owl punch, you must get it!

Origami Shadowbox Card. I thought this was very striking! Love the effect! Just a square w/a few folds. Click here for detailed instructions.

Stencil Emboss Resist Card.This card kind of has a 'vintage' feel to it. You can get the stencil through SU and there's lots of possibilities for using it & it's very inexpensive! I lined this one up on vanilla cardstock and left a little off the paper. Then, I smooshed VersaMark on top of it, poured on clear embossing powder, & heated with my heat gun. Next, I used a sponge to apply color around the stencil. The embossing part of it 'resists' the ink and makes the image pop out! You can watch a video tutorial here.

If you have any questions, drop me an email!

My 1st Rag Quilt!

Here's my 1st attempt at a rag quilt! I've made several of the rag quilt bags, so I thought I would give the quilt a try. It was basically the same- just more squares. And actually, after finishing, I wish I would have added even more squares! If you ever try this, keep in mind that if you don't pre-wash your fabric, some of the pieces might shrink during the wash/dry rag process. Plus, the scallop edges kind of curl up more and I just think the whole thing kind of looks smaller. I made this one 6x6, so it's small and could be considered a lap quilt. I used Beatrix Potter flannel fabric + several others including cotton, chenille, & fleece. They all worked great together and give the quilt lots of texture. Here's some basic instructions and some pics of the assembling process.

1. Cut squares w/scallop square die through Big Shot. You will need squares for front & back of quilt.

2. Cut cotton batting 3 1/4" x 3 1/4". One piece for each square 'sandwich.'

3. Use sewing or all purpose glue stick to hold batting in place between each sqaure.
Sew an 'x' on each sqaure from corner to corner. This gives it the quilted look.

4. Lay out and then pin all sqaures together- scallops up.

5. Begin sewing- piece by piece in each row. You should end up with long strips of sqaures sewn together. Aim to sew your seams at the same place on each 'sandwich.' I think mine were a littl under 1/2" and I actually put a mark on my machine to guide me.

6. Then, each strip has to be sewn to the one above it. Pin before sewing and LINE UP seams! This will make a difference on a quilt! I had to re-do several of mine. Also, the chenille fabric I used kind of stretched, so it made it a bit more difficult. Here's a pic of the back (where you can really see the seams) before I re-did some of it. You can see where I was off.

7. The final sewing step is to sew a seam around each outside edge.

8. And to finish, throw it in the wash on a gentle cycle and then dry! This starts the rag quilt process which will continue w/each wash.

That's about it! I actually started this one last Sunday. I cut all the squares and sandwiched them together with the batting. It took me a couple of hours. Then, I did the sewing Thursday evening & finished it up Friday evening. I think I'm definitely getting better with each project. It just takes time for beginners, but don't give up! I love working on something and going through each phase of putting it together and in the end, seeing the finished product.

Sweet Little One

The Fox & Friends set continues to be one of my favorites! There's just something about those cute little animals! Here's yet another card using this set. I whipped this one up literally in a matter of minutes right before I needed it. I used the Square Lattice embossing folder for the olive cardstock background. I love the texture it leaves! Then, each adorable animal was stamped and then punched with the 1 1/4" square punch and taped to a chocolate chip background. I used the word window punch for the words, which are from a retired baby set, I believe. The ribbon is the new Marina Mist in grosgrain. Don't you love the little heart the monkey holds? SO sweet and easy- I used the small heart punch! If you don't have that one, you should really get it. For only 5.95, it's a bargain & I have used it ALOT! Ok. Yet another quick & simple card!

Sesame Street Punch Card

Isn't this the cutest card?! I've seen these floating around on various blogs and on splitcoast for awhile now, but have never had the chance to actually make one. I decided to put this one together for my nephew in Ohio who just turned 2. He loves Elmo! Actually, what toddler doesn't?! All of the characters & their facial features were made using punches! Let me know if you have questions about the exact ones I used. The hardest part was adhering the tiny black eye balls! Y0u can search for more 'Elmo punch cards' on splitcoaststampers.

The Last of my Baby Thank-You's!

I can't believe how many baby thank-you's I've had to make, especially with this being my 4th child! All the gifts and meals have been much appreciated and a true blessings to us. I have to admit, I was seriously tempted to buy store-bought thank-you's, after letting my list pile up! Plus, we received several more gifts on our recent trip to Ohio! Instead, I cut 20, 3x3 whisper white cardstock pieces, stamped a monkey or owl (from Fox & Friends) on each + 'thank you' & taped each one to a 4x4 card in pacific point, real red, tempting turquoise, & pumpkin pie. Very simple and quick. I did this after the kids went to bed one night. Now I'm officially caught up & I didn't compromise the hand-made quality! I actually got the idea from a new blog I was referred to. Check it out here.

Aviary Fun!

As I mentioned in my previous posts, I've really been into case-ing cards, lately! I guess all of my creative energy is running a bit low. Usually the extent of my creativity is coordinating 3 kids' naps to happen at the same time! LOL! Anyway, to give credit where credit is due, this card inspiration comes from stampwithheather. The only thing I basically changed was the buttons, some of the paper dimensions, & the greeting, but I wanted you to at least see the set, if you haven't yet noticed it! I think I also changed some of the bird positioning. I love how this card uses so many new and bright colors! And the birds are adorable! When I originally saw this stamp set in the new catalog, it was instantly my favorite. I bought this one in the clear mount

which makes it pretty easy to line everything up. What a fun set!

Kind & Caring Thoughts

This is a card I recently 'whipped up' using the Kind & Caring Thoughts retired hostess set. It's actually case'd from the Summer mini catalog! I love the long look. You'll see that I'm caseing alot of cards these days! I love simple stamp images and this one features shadow-like plants and flowers which are great for tone-on-tone looks. The butterfly is popped up with dimensionals, after cutting it w/my Big Shot from the Beautiful Butterflies die. I used jumbo eyelets and hemp twine for embellishing the side. Since I had the inspiration, I literally made this one in about 10min! Just my kind of card!

I gave this to a wonderful couple at my church who graciously allowed our ladies Bible study to 'shop' on donation (to the church) from their garage full of unwanted home decor items and furniture! It was the best 'sale' I've ever been too! It's also allowing me to somewhat re-decorate my living room, so maybe I'll post before and after pics soon!

Celebrating my Dad's Retirement!

This is a card I made to send to my Dad. Today is his last day of work and he's officially retiring! I'm so happy for him. He will be so much less stressed and relaxed (hopefully!). As a special gift, we also ordered Cleveland Indians tickets for him and my mom.

This is also one of the first non-baby thank you cards that I've made since Josiah was born! I've mentioned it to a few people, but I actually had to dust cob-webs off my poorly neglected stamp area!

In case you're wondering, I did not come up with this on my own. It's a case from a card on splitcoast (click here). The most creative I get these days is coordinating 3 kids' naps to all hit at the same time (rarely works)! I changed the colors and used: Pacific Point, Bashful Blue, Pear Pizzaz, and Real Red. These are all colors from the Birthday Bash Suite in the new catalog. I love how SU suggested color palettes for various occasions!

I used the Top Note die and the Stars #2. I just kind of randomly layered the stars. The hardware is non-SU, as is the 'celebrate' sentiment. This is a pretty simple card, but believe it or not, it took me half the day to make!

Welcome Baby Josiah!

Josiah David Bishop

June 9, 2010- 1:20pm

9lbs, 6oz and 21" long

Baby Thank-You's

No, I have not had my baby- yet! 6 more days and counting! But I have started a batch of thank-you cards. I was completely blessed & spoiled with a church shower on Saturday! I say spoiled because most people don't have showers with a 4th baby! But we believe every baby is a special blessing and celebration & so do my church friends! Anyway, I decided I better get started on my thank-you cards, as the gifts keep coming in! Josiah will definitely be well-stocked with diapers & wipes!

This card actually has little stamping, but the inspiration came from a tiny sailboat stamp that I have from a retired set. I decided to try to re-create the image & used punches to do so. The bottom of the boat is half of a 1" circle. The sail on the boat is half of a 3/4" square. The boat image is layered on a 1 3/8" circle and then a scallop circle. Notice the tiny button- it's one of the clear bitty buttons from the new summer mini! I tied some blue thread through it and used a glue dot to adhere it to the card. The patterned paper is from last year's SAB package- prints that are perfect for a baby boy! I stamped on the white scallop trim & that completes the card! I love making cards in batches. A hint- cut, punch, & assemble all pieces before putting the cards together. And sometimes this has to be done in several sittings, but it's much quicker than trying to put together one card at a time.

Sweet Flower Card

Here is a quick, sweet little card- no stamping involved! I used a white crocheted fleurette flower with a piece of the Sweet Pea stitched felt inside & leaves. The cardstock is Pink Pirouette- yes this color is returning!- + Regal Rose. The ribbon is a piece from one of the Clearance Rack packages (formerly retired). I love this little 4x4 size- so easy!

My 2nd Big Shot Rag Quilt Purse

Well, here is my 2nd attempt at the Big Shot rag quilt purse. Try to overlook the picture quality. I had to take this on my way out the door to actually deliver the bag! I used the scallop squre die + Big Shot to cut the squares, which are a little less than 5". I think this one definitely turned out better than my first, so I was pleased! This adorable little bag is going to a sweet little 3 year old girl as her birthday present. I thought the fabric was perfect for a little girl & I actually have everything cut out to make Isabella an identical bag! I bought the fabric in a bundle, so all of the pieces coordinate. And what a value- the bundle only cost me $6 & I cut 2 bags from it! As you can see from the picture, I used 6 different fabrics, which all coordinate. One reason this bag turned out better than my first is because I used cotton batting instead of polyester. I also used a SU gluestick to glue the batting between 2 fabric pieces. This made sewing the squares much easier because everything stayed in place. The other difference in this bag as opposed to my first is that I intentionally left the scallops on the inside, leaving the outside with neat squares. I actually really like that look better. And of course this bag is made up of 4 squares front and back, instead of 9. Let me know what you think!

A Quick Post...

Here's a quick and simple b-day card that I recently made and did not get a chance to post. I think this works well for a man. The cardstock is Kraft and then I just used some scraps of ds paper to make a central border. I also punched a circle from coordinating ds paper and layered the corderoy button over it. The small medallion stamp + sentiment were both from this year's SAB.

Monday Class Projects- A Flower Theme!

Here are the four projects that we will complete at tonight's class. The theme is 'Flowers' which seems very fitting for the month of May!The Flower Pot Pocket Card has an insert with a message on it! I love this card because it's so bright and colorful! Next, is the Scallop Circle Tote w/Paper Flower embellishment. I love making these flowers & am excited to share with you! Very versatile and lots of options for different styles and looks. As you can see, there's a box in the middle of the two scallops for holding a small gift. Note the Crushed Curry cardstock- this is retiring, so if you love it, stock up before it's too late. The Eyelet Border Punch Flower card features yet another paper flower. Very pretty and definitely springy! This flower was made using a 1x12" strip of paper, punched w/the eyelet border punch, & run through the crimper. It's attached to a sticky-strip covered circle. Very fun to make!

The first three projects turned out to be a little more time & material-consuming than I originally planned. SO, the last project is a simple clothes pin magnet. Cute, easy, & still flower-themed! The flower is made from 4 tissue-paper scallop circles, made in the same way as the flower on the circle tote. I attached a magnet to the back which makes this the perfect cheery & useful accent for your fridge!

If you did not get in on the RSVP for tonight's class, feel free to email me to purchase the class kit, which will include all supplies needed + instructions to make these projects on your own!

Embellished Notepad & Pencil Gift Sets

These are the little gift sets I made for the girls in my Awana class for an end-of-year gift. Somehow, amidst the chaos- school, feeding/bathing little ones, backed-up laundry, & last night's dinner dishes, I managed to get these made up! Sometimes I wonder how I get myself into volunteering for these projects!
I wrapped a simple 1" band around each notepad and glued a punched heart in coordinating paper. Then, I stamped the 'God is Love' image & attached the binder clip. The clips are embellished w/the same patterned paper + ribbons tied around each. I used the 5-petal flower punch for the flowers on the pencils. They're adhered w/glue dots- one on each side. I hope the girls enjoy them!

Pretty Thank You + a New Color Combo

I think this card turned out so pretty- perfect for Grandma! I love the timeless, antique look. And I love the color combo- which I don't think I've ever used! The main card is So Saffron. The other cardstock colors are Basic Gray & Rose Red. I actually watercolored the stamped image, which is a technique I rarely use. It worked perfect with the antique-look of the jars w/flowers (hostess Level 1 set). The ribbon is tied through vanilla hodgepodge. The 'thank you' was popped up w/dimensionals + a flower image stamped in the background, which really adds alot. I find myself frequently using the flower image from 'Together Forever' in this manor. I used the scallop edge punch for the bottom of the card. The entire effect just reminds me of my Grandma! She sent the kids money for Easter, so this is the thank-you from them. And the best part is that I know she'll appreciate and save it!

Shabby Chic Fabric Projects

Here are 2 sets of the 'shabby chic' fabric projects I've been working on. I used the Big Shot & Circles #2 die to cut coordinating fabric circles of different sizes. Then, I pulled around the unfinished edges to obtain the 'shabby chic' look, before layering the circles. Each one is glued together w/hot glue. The object is to try to kind of scrunch each one up so it's not laying flat. For the hair barrettes, I used my paper piercing tool to poke a hold through the center and inserted a crystal brad. The barrette snaps are especially for embellishing and they have a small hole at the top which works perfect for inserting the brad. I added leaves to the larger brooch + a felt backing w/pin & glued buttons in the center, instead of using a brad. I think these make great gift sets! They can even be attached and used as embellishment on a card! The brooches can also be attached to a handbag or other clothing article.
The 3-6 grade girls in my Awana class are making the hair barrettes Wed. night- a set for themselves + a set for a young girl at the Rescue Mission. I'm also currently making batches of these to sell, in various fabric prints. Email me if you're interested in purchasing any.
Brooches, $5.
Hair Barrettes, $5/set of 2.
Brooch + 2 Barrettes, $8.

Simple Thank You

Here's a quick, simple thank-you that hopefully leads towards manly. Colors used are Ruby Red, Crushed Curry, Night of Navy, Old Olive, & Real Red. The only stamping is the little bird from one of my favorite retired sets. The blocks each have something dimensional on them: punched star, popped up bird, button, & felt flower. I think the overall effect is clean and simple! And by the way, Ruby Red & Crushed Curry will be retiring in June, so get them while you can! I happened to have this card already cut & scored, so I used it. As for Crushed Curry, I have practically a full pack, so I will be trying to incorporate it in near-future projects!

Happy Together!

I love this adorable little set, 'Happy Together!' It makes such a cute little card, & this one is going to a baby shower. The designer paper is from last year's SAB choices, but it's once again a great example of how to use SU's double-sided papers. The patterns and colors are always coordinated for easy mix-n-match. I love patchwork looks. My embellishments are usually color choices pulled from various prints in the papers. This card uses a Bashful Blue brad and a Celery button w/ribbon tied through it.

More Easter Class Projects- Simple Embellishments

Here's the rest of the Easter class projects for Monday night (see post below for the watercolor card which is also included). I love the fresh, springy colors! They're fairly easy to put together. Each one features a different embellishment that can really make a big difference in a card. Various sentiments may be substituted for occasions other than Easter. The 4x4 'Happy Easter' note card uses one of the Beautiful Wings Embosslits butterflies. The perfect finishing touch!The 'Happiness Always' card uses the SU Beautiful Butterflies die & vanilla hodgepodge hardware- always a WOW factor! I used Sweet Pea stitched felt + a button on the card with the cross. The basket is from the Baskets & Blooms SU die & a simple bow tied w/grosgrain ribbon. Click on any pic to enlarge. I still have space in Monday night's class, $10. Just drop me an email to join! Since I was so late in putting this all together, I will accept late RSVP's all the way through Monday. OR, if you can't make it to the class, I can put a kit together w/instructions.

Watercolor Crayon Technique- for Monday's class!

I have been meaning to try the watercolor crayon technique and just haven't had a chance until now. It is really alot of fun & very simple! In fact, I think there are various ways to use watercolor crayons. I love the soft effect! The technique I will be demonstrating requires solid stamps, as opposed to line images. The flower image I used is from the hostess set, Of the Earth. This is one of the projects we will make at my class on Monday evening. Please let me know, if you can attend. I will post instructions for this sometime next week.Here's a close-up of the lovely flowers!