What to do with those beautiful cards

I always keep the wonderful handmade cards that I receive, but usually they are in a file or a pile (for a while, makes me smile, like a crocodile...oh, sorry, didn't mean to get all rhyme-y on you).  Not very neat, and not easy to look at.  Well, I totally copied Sue's idea to scrap them.  That is a perfect plan.  Now, these wonderful cards are preserved so I can look back at them, and they aren't shoved in a box and constantly being moved when I *try* to get all of my scrap stuff organized.   I think the card layouts will be a nice addition to the Christmas layouts (whenever I get around to getting THOSE finished).

 

  

  

Papers: CTMH Creme Brulee cardstock, DCWV  textured cardstock, CTMH Jingle
Inks: CTMH Tulip, CTMH markers for journaling

Tools and Techniques: Silhouette Machine ("Season's Greetings" title), 2 page layout from CK Sketches January 2010
Stamp Sets: CTMH Made by Me

For these layouts, I wanted to try to make use of the pages in the DCWV stack that are meant to be used whole.  Not something I normally do, and a bit of a challenge with cards (especially considering the unusual sizes of several of them), but I think I like how it turned out.  I probably could have done more in some of the white (green) space, but I didn't want to detract from the cards.  All I added was a strip of coordinating paper (also from the stack) and a little bit of bling.

  

  

  

  

Papers:  DCWV  Holiday Collection The Christmas Stack
Inks: Micron journaling pen

Tools and Techniques: CTMH Sparkles, Nicole Crafts rhinestones, CM number stickers, Snowflake brads (maybe MM?)

First Christmas cards of 2010

Even without taking college classes this semester, 2010 has started out VERY busy for me.  Before creating these two identical cards, my scrapping total for 2010 was 4 pages, 3 cards and two altered items.  I really should have been cleaning, doing laundry, trimming my rose bushes or working out at the gym instead of scrapping, but sometimes a girl just HAS to scrap!!!  I am really hoping to have a productive week and get my March cards made, but I won't be holding my breath. :)  My January and February cards never ended up being made, so I know better!

I made this card following Mojo Monday sketch 124, Sparkle's 2010 Christmas Card Challenge Week #10 (use red and blue), and Cute Card Thursday Challenge 98 (Spots and Dots).  

Papers: CTMH Star Spangled Blue cardstock, DCWV  Holiday Collection The Christmas Stack, other cardstock
Inks: CTMH Bamboo, Chocolate, Outdoor Denim

Tools and Techniques: Marvy Uchida Punches, CTMH ricrac ribbon, direct-to-paper ink distressing, 3-D Mounting Foam
Stamp Sets: CTMH Heartfelt Christmas and CTMH Just for the Holidays

February 2010 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

The first month of 2010 has FLOWN by!  Time for the February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop.  If you just arrived from Lori's blog, you are on the right path.  This month there are over 70 Close To My Heart consultants participating in our blog hop.  We are featuring the February 2010 Stamp of the Month Piece of Cake, a set of 10 stamps.  This set consists of adorable cakes on platters along with some sentiments that will work great for cards and other projects.  And with so many participants, there are bound to be lots of adorable projects that you ( and I!!!!) will want to do for ourselves.

My project is a rather simple (but useful) one.  I've been reading a lot lately, both pleasure reading and professional reading.  On more than one occasion my bookmark has slipped out of my book, causing me to have a spend a few minutes searching for my place.  So I decided to make a magnetic book mark.  The first step was to cut a piece of cardstock slightly more than twice my desired finished size.  I then scored it across the middle (just like you would score to fold a card).  I then took the folded cardstock and cut it using a Nestabilities die (make sure that you place it in the die so that the fold doesn't get cut by the die).

I put the two magnetic disks together, and adhered to the back of one side of the cardstock (what would be the inside of the "card").  Then I closed the card to adhere the second disk to other side, which helped to make sure that the disks were properly lined up.

 
The cake image was stamped twice, once on white, and once on patterned paper.  Both images were cut out, the patterned paper was adhered over the white paper, and I colored in parts of the image.  The paper-pieced image was then adhered to the "front" of the bookmark, and I ran the whole thing (in the open position) through my Xyron with dual-sided lamination cartridge to laminate the bookmark (this will not only help it to last longer than bare cardstock, but will also ensure that your magnetic disks don't come unattached).  Trim away the excess lamination, and your bookmark is ready for lots of use.  I have found that if you intend to laminate something with a fold, it seems to work better to create the fold before you laminate the item.

 

Papers: CTMH Garden Green cardstock, CTMH That's Amore
Inks: CTMH Chocolate, CTMH markers Garden Green and Tulip

Tools and Techniques: Paper piecing, Nestabilities Labels Eight, Cuttlebug, Xyron lamination, Basic Grey magnetic disks
Stamp Set: Piece of Cake

I have to say, I find it highly amusing that I am using this really *cute* bookmark in a book about a Parachute Infantry Regiment company in World War II.

Remember, Piece of Cake is only available February 1-28, 2010.  Contact your Close To My Heart consultant, or click here, to order one for yourself.

Now hop on over to Laura's blog to see what she has created!

If you find any broken links along the way, Helen has the complete list on her blog.

Card for multiple challenges

It had been a while since I had been able to scrap, so today when I sat down to scrap I went challenge hunting.  This card was made following the sketch at Friday Sketchers, Challenge 2 at Raise the Bar (use something that was given to you), Cute Card Thursday Challenge 96 (use a fairy image), Papertake Weekly Challenge (predominately pink card), Doodle Palace Challenge (pink and bling), and A Spoonful of Sugar challenge (lots of layering).  The Tinkerbella image was given to me, and the rest is pretty self-explanatory.

Papers: CTMH Blush and Sweet Leaf cardstock, MM patterned paper
Inks: CTMH Sweet Leaf, CTMH markers in Blush, Buttercup and Sweet Leaf, Copic marker

Embellishments:  Prima Flowers, CTMH Rhinestone Flowers, CTMH Bitty Sparkles, MM buttons, Prisma glitter

Tools and Techniques: Nestabilities Classic Petite Rectangles, 3-D Mounting Foam, Sponging, Watercolor
Stamp Sets: TinkerBella

Mojo Valentine

Today was only the second day this year that I've been able to scrap.  I actually made three scrapbook pages, two cards and one altered item (that's a lot for me).  One of the cards I made was a Valentine for my husband, which I made following Mojo Monday week 122 sketch.

Papers: CTMH Amethyst and Breeze cardstock, MM patterned papers, unknown textured cardstock
Inks: CTMH Amethyst and Breeze

Embellishments:  CTMH White Daisy grosgrain ribbon

Tools and Techniques: Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Ovals, 3-D Mounting Foam, direct-to-paper ink distressing
Stamp Sets: Heartthrob

Scrapping Goals for 2010

My scrapping totals for 2009 were 88 pages, 116 cards and 22 altered items.  My scrapping goals for 2010 are 100 pages and 200 cards.  I won't bother setting an altered item goal, I'll just do those as needed or wanted.  I think (because of my move to Okinawa) I will end up taking a break from scrapping in the late spring/early summer.  But I intend to resume as soon as possible.  I am also thinking that once in Okinawa I would like to set up a monthly (or twice-monthly) cardmaking group, and also maybe a scrap group (although, I'm sure B and I will get lots of scrapping-and wine drinking-done).  I think I may also look into making items to sell at the craft fairs in Oki.  Maybe I'll be able to break even with my scrapping expenditures.  Okay, probably not even close, but a girl can dream.  I also want to post artwork to my blog at least twice a week.  Finish my Okinawa 2006/2007 scrapbook (which is already over one volume).  Get my son's school scrapbooking caught up.  I did have all of my Christmas cards for 2009 complete by December 1st (getting them in the mail was a different story), and I want to do that again this year.  Use my Silhouette (and my other tools, for that matter) more often.  USE my stash instead of increasing its size.  What are your scrapping goals for 2010?

January 2010 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Happy New Year!!!  I am amazed that 2009 has come and gone so quickly.  We have arrived at the first blog hop for 2010.  If you just arrived from Antoinette's blog, you are on the right path.  This month there are over 50 Close To My Heart consultants participating in our blog hop.  We are featuring the January 2010 Stamp of the Month True Friends, a set of 11 stamps.  This set consists of cute frames, brackets and sentiments, and will be fantastic for making cards for friends.

I decided to use this set to make an anniversary card for my husband.  I followed the sketch from Mojo Monday Week 119.  Something I tried for the first time was using re-inker and rubbing alcohol to dye the crocheted flower to match the card (the Vineyard Berry flower, while lighter than the paper, matches much better in person.  It just didn't photograph well).  I mixed 15 drops of re-inker with about a capful of alcohol, mixed and then dipped the flower in the mixture.  I set the flower on paper towels and squeezed most of the liquid out, and then finished drying it with my heat gun.  You can adjust the color by using more or less re-inker.  I used alcohol instead of water simply because it dries faster.

Papers: CTMH Colonial White and Sweet Leaf cardstock, CTMH Emporium
Inks: CTMH Sweet Leaf, Cocoa, and Vineyard Berry

Embellishments:  CTMH Crochet Flowers, CTMH Twilight Corduroy brad

Tools and Techniques: Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Rectangles Small, 3-D Mounting Foam, Re-inker dying of Crochet Flower
Stamp Sets: True Friends and From Me to You



Now hop on over to Barbra's blog to see what she has created.

If you find any broken links along the way, Jena has the complete list of participants on her blog.