Conchos and Eyelets

This is a slide card I made for my nieces. I bought them those McDonald's Valentines coupons. I didn't want to just send them the coupons. I thought that was kind of boring. So I came up with this easy slide card. The owl is paper pieced using a pattern from Scrapbooks Etc.  I just used some scrap paper I had laying around.

The pattern from Scrapbooks Etc. suggested using googly-eyes.  But I did not have any. So I used some Conchos for the outer ring of the eyes and then put used a brad as the pupil.  I like them.

The coupons are in a sleeve that slides into the card

This way everything looks nice and neat and pretty.

Snow Days

A couple of layouts I made during our big snow over the weekend Feb 2010.

This one is my four kids. I acutally had taken the pictures of the boys running out in the snow back in December.  Karissa was hanging out with her girl friends (see LO below).  That morning I had dared the boys to run out and touch the railing.  Well, this weekend we woke up on Saturday morning to have even more snow than the December storm.  Karissa was the first one awake. So my husband and I dared her to go and touch the railing - and she did.  Now I had a complete set of pictures of the kids running barefoot in their jammies in the snow.  The picture of all four kids was taken in January.  That seems like a pittance of snow compared to what we got this past weekend.  But as you can see we have been blasted this winter season.

That's my girl in middle.  She spent this December snow storm with her girly friends on the farm.  They got to sled and feed cattle. What more can a girl ask for?

Color Inspiration

Have you ever needed some color inspiration.  I am not sure if you were aware but on Mondays Jennette Lynton posts color inspiration under the Color Me Monday tag.  Using that as my creative boost I made this card from this Color Me Monday post.  I love this card. I made it for my daughter's ballet instructor's birthday.  Whooo.

I lined the interior of the card with Juniper paper and then used our Glitter Rub-ons for the sentiment.  Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy!

Ingredients List:

Cardstock - Juniper, Black, White Daisy
White Daisy Card base and enevelopes (X254)
Stamp set - Soul Mates (D1254)
Ink pads - Tulip (Z2166) and Black (Z2105)
Brads - Basic (Z1218)
Ribbon - Grosgrain from the Cranberry collection (Z1209)

Hearts for Haiti {more info}

For those of you getting snowed in {like we are} I hope you  have your favorite comfort foods stock piled for the weekend.   We are all set here.  I forgot to buy some of those starter logs for the fire though.  Bummer.  

I wanted to just give you a little more information about the Textured cardstock that is on sale right now.  Remember it is buy one get one free.  They do not have to be the same pack.  In other words you buy one Basic pack and get a Spring Harmony free.  You can mix and match till your hearts content.   Here are a few pictures of the Textured cardstock.  

X5747, Basic (Bamboo, Black, Chocolate, Cocoa, Colonial White, Desert Sand) 

X5681, Spring Harmony (Amethyst, Baby Pink, Heavenly Blue, Key Lime, Sunkiss Yellow, Taffy)

X5745, Summer Celebration (Bubblegum, Citrus Leaf, Dutch Blue, Ocean, Topiary, Watermelon)

X5669, Autumn Harvest (Autumn Terracotta, Barn Red, New England Ivy, Outdoor Denim, Pansy Purple, Sunflower)

X5670, Winter Cozy (Blush, Crystal Blue, Honey, Petal, Sweet Leaf, Twilight)

Benefits of Textured Cardstock:

• Textured on both sides.
• Backside is the same color as the front, however, in a lighter shade, so you actually have double the colors in every pack!
• White-core center, so you can sand the front and distress the paper, or brush it with ink to enhance the ridges.
• Very versatile.
• 24 sheets per pack, 6 colors, 4 sheets of each color.

Go here to see updates on Operation Smile - Haiti.  

Thanks

Thank You's

I have a friend that is always doing RAK - Random Acts of Kindness. For example on Christmas she stopped by unexpectedly to deliver a caramel cake. Not just any caramel cake but one that is made at a bakery in a town 40 minutes south of where we live. Now you have to understand, this bakery is old fashioned goodness. Everything they make is just amazing and perfect. To recieve such a treasure was awesome. She literally just stopped by to wish us a Merry Christmas and give us a caramel cake. I know that she had to order that cake. I know that she had to drive the 40 minutes to that little town and then back again. And then she was making stops to all of her friends and bringing this amazing treat. How can you possibly top that?

I can't. But, I do know that she is a woman who appreciates handmade things. The best I could come up with was a few handmade cards. She happens to have a homebased business and I know that she is always sending out thank you cards. I think this is a gift that she will appreciate and find useful.

For this set of cards I adpated the Medallion pattern (pg.52) from the Wishes.

For the base of the card I used some Textured Cardstock. The Textured cardstock is wonderful because one side is darker and the other side is lighter. I used the darker side as the outside of the card which left the lighter side of the card as the interior. Just right for writing a message.
Love that Textured cardstock.

Soup Can Redo

This is a great way to recycle.....I turned a old soup can into a chore jar. Each of the large popsicle sticks has a chore on it. You just pull a stick and do the chore.



I made this can for my sister. I asked her for a list of chores she wants her girls to perform on a regular basis. Typed the list on the computer and then ran some pretty patterned paper through the printer.



The rules in our household are no peeking, what you pull is what you do - without complaint and must be done to the best of your ablity (oldest is 14 and the youngest is 7 - keeps is fair). The quicker you work through the chore jar the sooner you have free time. Since we homeschool that is a big incentive. We begin and end each school week (after school) with a run through the chore jar. That accomplishes 2 things - we begin the week with a clean and orderly house and we begin each weekend with a clean and orderly house. We can knock out the chore jar in under an hour and a half.

For this To Do can I used a large Chunky soup can and large popsicle sticks. One tip - put the chore at the bottom of the stick and place in the chore jar chore side down....the point is no peeking. That keeps the choosing fair and square.

So, tell me. What's on your chore list?

Texturized

Textured Cardstock in a word is awesome.  I love that with little effort you can get some really cool results. 

The two cards below are were made quickly, simply and beautifully. 

If you have the  used the Wishes idea book you can use the Top Brand pattern on pg. 100.

Recipe:

Card Base - Textured Cardstock in Chocolate (X5747), finished card base is  8 ¾” x 3 ¾”, part of the Hearts for Haiti February Campaign.


Distressed by sanding with sandpaper.

Layer 1 - 3x8
Layer 2 - 2 ½”x 4 ½”
Distressed by inking with chocolate ink on edges

Layer 3 - 1 ¼” x 3 ¾”
Distressed by sanding

Sentiment stamped using the January SOM - True Friends
Stamped on the lighter side of the chocolate textured cardstock, distressed with sanding.  Border stamped in Chocolate ink and sentiment stamped in Hollyhock ink, 2nd generation.

Hearts for Haiti

Hearts for Haiti 
Our hearts go out to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, and like so many of you, we’re eager to help. We’re excited to announce Close To My Heart’s February Constant Campaign, Hearts for Haiti—where you can get a great deal while doing great good for those affected by the devastation in Haiti.
From February 1-28, 2010, our 12” x 12” textured cardstock combo packs are buy one, get one FREE—and with every offer purchased, Close To My Heart will donate $2 US to Operation Smile’s Haiti Relief efforts.
Operation Smile is always a fantastic charitable partner—offering free facial reconstruction surgeries to needy children throughout the world. They’ve currently marshaled their medical teams and resources to provide emergency relief in Haiti, and the donations given as part of Hearts for Haiti will be used exclusively for Operation Smile’s efforts in Haiti. For more information on their on-the-ground response, you can visit www.operationsmile.org/haiti.

The following products are buy one get one free.

• X5747 Basic
• X5681 Spring Harmony
• X5745 Summer Celebration
• X5669 Autumn Harvest
• X5670 Winter Cozy

Textured Cardstock: Printed with our signature white core, each sheet of textured cardstock features a rich CTMH color on one side and a lighter shade on the opposite side, and a subtle linen texture. Single color packs include 24 sheets, Combo packs include 24 sheets (4 each of 6 colors).


Order any textured cardstock combo pack at full retail price and receive a second textured cardstock combo pack of your choice FREE.   


Note: You may choose a FREE textured combo pack that is the same or different as the full retail combo pack.