July's Sincerely Cards for Kiwi Lane (a.k.a #19, #20 & #21)

I have a confession to make... or maybe a few confessions.  Every Monday before the third Wednesday, I wake up thinking, "OH, CRAP!  I have a Sincerely submission due today!!"  Yep, I'm a true procrastinator.  I have about a month between each submission, my assignment for each month for the rest of the year, and all the supplies to do it, and I usually start and finish it the day of.  Now, if you know me at all, you will also know that I don't like mornings.  And you will also know that I REALLY don't like Monday mornings!  So this realization that something is due on a Monday morning, and I haven't started on it any more than thinking about it briefly, is not a fun one!  That being said, I have to say that I love Kiwi Lane Designs Templates!!  Why?  Because they let my half-asleep-brain work quickly to create things without having to think harder than I can handle on a Monday morning.  And if they let me do that, just imagine what they can do for you when you're fully awake (and it's not Monday morning!)!!  So, moving on to the reason you came~

Birthday Star:

Finished card size: 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"
Supplies: card base (DCWV); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); rhinestone star (Teresa Collins); ink (Ranger); pen (ZIG); circle punches (Marvy Uchida, EK Success)
Templates: Spook Alley 1B, Rings 2, Tiny Shapes 7T, Adventure 1&2.

I have been seeing chevrons everywhere in recent... months!  Have you?  I just really wanted to see if I could use them on this batch of cards and with the templates.  I like that this card ended up with masculine elements like chevrons, stars and a bulls eye type of design (the layers of circles).  And I had to throw in one glittery element with the rhinestone star :)

Wondering how to make chevrons with the templates?  It's easy peasy... and here's how:

Use one of the zig zag borders from the Spook Alley template set (not just for Halloween anymore!) and mark (with a pencil) how long you want your chevron to be.  Trace one zig zag line on your paper.

 Move the template away from the line you just made, keeping it evenly spaced from the entire length of the traced line.  Trace again.

Repeat this for as many time as you need to get the desired number of chevrons.  Cut with scissors and ink, and you're done!  Use them on your projects as you'd like.  Just remember to make sure you have the template the same way for each paper, if you're using multiple papers.

Birthday Balloons:

Finished Card Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Supplies:  card base (DCWV); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); vellum (Provo Craft); twine (Lilly Belles Paperie on Etsy, SupplyOwl on Etsy); ink (Ranger); pen (ZIG); felt rick rack (Creative Imaginations); stamp (Studio G)
Templates:  Sentiments 1 A&B, Celebrate 1, 2, & 3

Do you have a stash of vellum like I do?  I haven't seen it used very much recently and thought I'd challenge myself to use it a bit more than usual.  Balloons seemed to be a perfect fit!  The vellum balloon is sheer enough to see part of the sentiment through.  I used a single mini glue dot under the twine to adhere it to the card (it hides the glue enough that it isn't seen).  I left the strings on the balloons long to make it more interactive- perfect for a curious little boy!!

It's Your Day Gift Card Holder/ Card:

Finished Card Size: 5"x7"
Supplies: cardstock (Provo Craft); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); star punches (Carl); twine (Lilly Belles Paperie on Etsy, SupplyOwl on Etsy); alphabet letters (Making Memories); felt rick rack (Creative Imaginations); ink (Ranger)
Templates: Tiny Tags 1T, Celebrate 6, Tiny Wildflower 2T

I started out wanting to make this into just a small gift card holder, but somehow it morphed into a full fledged card with a gift card holder that looked like a gift.  Cute, huh?  I know, it's not a gift card in the holder, it's my alumni card.  I couldn't find a gift card anywhere in our house and this was the only card  I found that didn't clash with the primary colors on the card... but, wouldn't a Target gift card look fabulous??  Anyway, the easiest way to make the part to hold the GC is this:  Cut a piece of paper just bigger than the card.  Ink the edges.  Use removable tape or glue dots to adhere card to paper.  Tie baker's twine around the card and paper like you would tie ribbon around a gift.  Don't double knot!!  You want a bow that's easy to untie so the recipient can actually remove the gift card without destroying the card!

The top of the party hat is a loopy pom pom made from more baker's twine.  I used a 1" glue dot to adhere it to the card and keep the strands separated.  Then I added the star punches on top of the twine. I had to glam it up a bit with small glittered alphabet stickers for the sentiment :)

Hope you had fun seeing my cards!  Comments and questions are always welcome!

Happy Scrapping!!

#18

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Authentique? ;)  Ya, I know.  I'm a little obsessed!  But can you blame me?  Have you seen their Gathering collection?  Well, if not, here's your chance?  This layout was done using their Gathering collection and their July monthly sketch:

Supplies: patterned paper, die cuts, orange letter stickers, word stickers (Authentique); brown letter stickers (SEI); ink (Ranger); brads (craft supply); twine (The Twinery)

The lighting isn't the best on this photo- I got impatient waiting for some sunlight to peek through the clouds and rain for two days and ended up taking it at night with artificial light.  But, you get the idea, right?

That's it for now!  Happy Scrapping!

Patriotic Cards, Gift Bag and Tag for Kiwi Lane (#14, 15, 16 & 17)

Oh, sweet internet!  It's so good to have you back!!  (Let's just hope it stays on today and I don't lose this post... again.)  If you have stopped by from Kiwi Lane's Facebook page and couldn't find what you were looking for, it's because I didn't have it here.  Hopefully this will work today.  Third time's the charm...

These are the cards I made for Kiwi Lane using their Authentiqe Glory paper pack.  I added just a few things like buttons, twine and jewels (like these cute star-shaped ones I found at JoAnn for $1!)-

I think they are just so cute!  Here is a close up for each one with details listed below:

Finished card size: A2 (5 1/2" x 4 1/4")
Supplies: cardstock (Core'dinations); patterned paper (Authentique); button and twine (craft supply); ink (Ranger); Kiwi Lane templates (Celebrate 4, Tiny Shapes 3T, Tiny Accents 3T, Adorn 1A & B)
I saw the pinwheel and tiny star layered together on Debbie's Calendar page for July and loved it so much that I just had to try it!  I added an accordion folded paper flower, a button and some twine and it was perfect on the striped background.  Thanks for the inspiration, Debbie!

Finished card size: A2 (5 1/2" x 4 1/4")
Supplies: cardstock (Core'dinations); patterned paper (Authentique); ink (Ranger); twine (craft supply); jewels (JoAnn); Kiwi Lane templates (Journey 5, Adorn 3A)
I was just looking through photos of my cousin and his wife on a trip to Washington, D.C. and I kept seeing a shield-type shape with stripes and stars on it.  I loved the idea of something similar for a patriotic card and this is what I came up with!  I used the interstate sign from the Journey set instead of the shield from the Playtime set because it was closer to the shape I wanted.  Then I cut it out three times, one for each layer I wanted.  I used the striped one as my base, then used my paper trimmer to cut the top off the blue one and make sure it was a straight line.  Then I used the small Adorn scallop to trace and cut my cream layer, first marking where my blue layer hit the cream layer.  Then I inked and glued it together.  So here's my handy hint- use your templates for layering- just use part of the template for different layers.  It adds even more depth to your projects!

And here is the gift bag and tag-

Supplies (bag): patterned paper (Authentique); ink (Ranger); button and twine (craft supply); Kiwi Lane templates (Abbie Road 3B, Paisley Place 3B, Tiny Wildflower 5T, Adventure 1)

The bag is just one of those kraft paper bags you can pick up at the dollar store or craft stores.  I chose the craft color because I thought it looked good next to the off white of the paper, but you could use whatever color looks good to you.  I also used the large 12" templates and just trimmed off the excess paper with scissors.

Close up of the tag-

Supplies: patterned paper (Authentique); jewels (JoAnn); ink (Ranger); eyelet (We R Memory Keepers); twine (Divine Twine); Kiwi Lane templates (Tags 7, Tiny Accents 3T, Adorn 2A & B)
I wanted something to look like the crazy spray pattern of a firework and I tried a few things for this tag, but I wound up using this crazy curly paper.  I used my Martha Stewart Crafts fringe scissors to cut a piece of 3" x 1" paper, making 5 smaller strips.  Then I just used my fingers to curl them up and then pulled on them a bit to loosen the curls.  I then tucked it behind my star and adhered it.  I like how it turned out and I think I'm going to use the same technique on a page.

Well, my internet connection seems intact, so I'll go ahead and post this... fingers crossed!

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrapping!

#13

Here's what I came up with for the Scrapbooksteals.com Midweek Mojo Turquoise #5:

Supplies: patterned paper and stickers (Scenic Route), card stock (Core'dinations), ink (Ranger), embossing folder and machine (Cuttlebug), circle punches (Marvy Uchida) star templates (Kiwi Lane Designs)

I have to apologize for the weird angle of this layout- the lighting was off and I had to use a flash and in order to not have a glare on the photos, I had to take the picture at an angle.  But you get the idea, right?  I did the circles with 1" and 1/2" circle punches on a coordinating sticker sheet.  I embossed the green star and sanded the edges and the top of the embossing with a sanding sponge.  And, as usual, I inked the edges of almost everything with Vintage Photo Distress Ink to help everything stand out.

This was a super fast layout- we're talking 30 minutes!  Thanks to the awesome sketch provided by Scrapbooksteals.com!!

Happy Scrapping!

#12

And back to the Christmas layouts... :)  This one is based on the sketch for Scrapbooksteals.com's Midweek Mojo Turquoise 9- which you can view HERE.

Supplies: patterned paper (Crate Paper, Scenic Route, My Mind's Eye), brads (We R Memory Keepers), buttons (craft supply), twine (The Twinery), letter stickers (Making Memories), ribbon (Offray)


I feel like I should play a little game of "Where's the Kiwi Lane template shape?" when I post these layouts!  Because there's almost always one in there somewhere... can you find it this time?  Should there be a prize involved??  Hmmm... something to think about!

#11

Pieces of my Heart

Supplies: patterned paper, die cuts (Authentique); brads (Basic Grey); flower (Prima); jewels (My Mind's Eye); doilies (craft supply); ink (Ranger)

Oh my gosh!  Can I say how much I love this page?  Everything from the scrapbooksteals.com Turquoise 3 sketch to the paper (Authentique's Splendid collection) to the rosettes made with my Scor-pal to the photo- I couldn't have done this any better!  It just makes me smile... but it could just be the pic of my cute kids ;)

Happy Scrapping!

#10

Oh, look!  It's not a Christmas page!!  How about an autumn layout....

Supplies: patterned paper, stickers, die cuts (Authentique); stick pins (Making Memories, Fancy Pants); twine (Lilly Belle's Paperie); ink (Ranger); bracket template (Kiwi Lane Designs.


Here's a little close up of the title:

It says "My Sweet Little Punkins"
I used scrapbooksteals.com's Midweek Mojo Topaz 2 sketch for inspiration.

Happy Scrapping!

#9

And more Christmas... You'd think I'd be getting close to having all my Christmas photos done by now, wouldn't you?

Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill, We are Memory Keepers), patterned paper (Crate Paper), holly leaves and eyelets (Making Memories), jewels (Creative Imaginations), journaling card (Fancy Pants), letters (Making memories, Creative Imaginations, American Crafts, Crate Paper),  edge punch (Martha Stewart Crafts), ink (Ranger), ribbon (Offray), buttons and doilies (craft supply)


Again, this is based on a Midweek Mojo sketch for scrapbooksteals.com - Turquoise 6.  Kind of an icky photo, but I just couldn't seem to get my angle right... or my lighting.  And even though this photo doesn't do it justice, I love how this turned out!!  One of my favorite things to use on pages lately are those paper doilies.  I think they make great accents... are are really cheap!  They come in a bunch of different sizes and designs and you can even get them in different colors, or dye your own.  I usually ink some or all of mine, depending on the look I want.  I used antique linen distress ink on these to tone down the bright white.  You can get doilies in a bunch of different places, too.  I've seen them at the dollar store, discount retailers like Walmart and Target, the grocery store and online.  I usually get mine on Esty. (If you're interested in where exactly on Etsy I shop for mine, leave me a comment and I'll make a post with some shop addresses!)  So next time you need to add something to a layout, try a doily- super easy, super cheap and a great look!

Happy Scrapping!

#8

More Christmas- J's new car!!

Supplies: cardstock (Core'dinations), patterned paper and photo corner(Chatterbox), journaling card (Fancy Pants), flowers (Prima, Basic Grey), buttons and staples (craft supply), ink (Ranger), templates (Kiwi Lane Designs), alphabet letters (American Crafts)

This was another layout based on a scrapbooksteals.com Midweek Mojo sketch- this time it was Turquoise 2.  Again, I loved using a sketch!  I could use as little or as much of the elements of the sketch as I wanted and I could adjust things to work with my photos, too- it was great!  If you don't usually use sketches (or haven't ever used one!), I encourage you to use one once in a while.  It gets your creative juices flowing and helps you create faster than from scratch.

Happy Scrapping!

#7

To continue my Christmas themed layouts, this is one about some of my favorite holiday traditions:

Supplies: cardstock (Core'dinations), patterned paper (Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye), card stock stickers (Fancy Pants), tag templates (Kiwi Lane Designs), ribbon (American Crafts), flowers (Prima), brads (My Mind's Eye), stickers (SEI), ink (Ranger)

I based this page off a sketch from scrapbooksteals.com's Midweek Mojo Amethyst 6.  I usually try to come up with my own sketches when I'm creating, but I was kind of in a creative rut and was looking for inspiration and found a whole bunch in all the previous MWM sketches for scrapbooksteals.com!!  It was fun to give my own little twist to someone else's sketch and I loved it!  So, you will be seeing more pages based on sketches soon.

Happy Scrapping!

June's Sincerely for Kiwi Lane (a.k.a. #5 & #6)

It's the third Wednesday of the month and that means Kiwi Lane's Sincerely is up on their Facebook page and their blog.  And here's my extended version of what is already posted :)

Happy Birthday Pocket/Tag
Finished card size: 5x7
This card is just a flat card (meaning it doesn't open like a traditional card), but it can still have a hidden greeting!

 The pocket is a 4x4 piece of vellum with a scalloped piece of paper on the edge.  So here's how I did it: Cut and inked the vellum.  Traced the scallop and cut out and then trimmed down to 4" long.  I sewed the scalloped paper to the vellum with a zig zag stitch  then sewed three sides of the vellum to the base piece, leaving the top open.  Adhere any ribbon or rick rack and then any other embellishments.

 The tag is stamped so the sentiment shows through the pocket and then I added some small rhinestones  to the pocket while the tag was in the pocket so it matches up to the sentiment.  So can I just say I LOVE this card?!

Templates used: Adorn 3A, 4x4 Photo, Tiny Accents 2T, Tags 5, Tiny Wildflower 1T
Supplies: Patterned paper (Authentique's Splendid collection), ribbon (May Arts, American Crafts), clip (Making Memories), brad (American Crafts), flowers (Imaginisce, Basic Grey), rhinestones (My Mind's Eye), sentiment stamp (Studio G), ink (Ranger)

Happy Birthday Cupcake
Finished card size: 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

This is just kind of a fun and bright birthday card with lots of layers!  The cupcake cup is half of the large hexagon from the Tiny Shapes set with a little bit of embossed lines with a touch of ink to make them more visible.  My sentiment is hand written, but you could easily stamp yours :)

Templates used: Tags 7, Tiny Shapes 4T & 6T, Celebrate 3 & 5
Supplies:  card base (Craft Essentials), patterned paper (My Mind's Eye), rhinestones (Doodlebug, American Crafts), brad (Doodlebug), stick pins (Fancy Pants), twine (Divine Twine, Jillibean Soup), ink (Ranger), glitter glue (Ranger).

I had so much fun doing these cards... I see more being made in the near future!!

Happy Scrapping!

#4

My little brother is getting married next month and his cute little bride is having a bridal shower this weekend.  I asked them when they got engaged if they would be interested in having me do a guest book for them and they (she?) said YES!  So as soon as I was told wedding colors (royal blue and golden yellow) I started "collecting" things that would work for their guest book (and a smaller book that will be a wedding gift).  I will admit, I didn't start actually WORKing on this project until last week.  I always underestimate how long these things take me!! I assumed I could work on it for an afternoon and be done.  Well, a few days (and a LOT of hours) later, I had 15 beautiful pages done.  Each page has a spot for a 4x6 photo to go and then blank space for guests to sign and write little messages to the bride and groom.  Without further ado, here they are:

(Not the best pics, but I really didn't want to post 15 photos) I did take a little bit of artistic liberty and added a little bit of navy blue, aqua and gray in the mix, but I liked the mix of blues.  The patterned paper is by Teresa Collins, along with the brads, buttons and most of the jewels.  I also used paper flowers, ribbon and baker's twine and inked the edges in either blue or yellow.  The card stock is a mix of DCWV, Core'dinations, and American Crafts.  It's also a mix of glittered, color core, shimmer, textured and smooth.   I used Kiwi Lane Designs Templates on most of the pages, too (did ya hafta even ask?) and some Martha Stewart border punches.  Huh.  I just noticed there's not a butterfly in sight- so not like me!  Maybe I'll fix that later :)

While I completely enjoyed doing this project, it hardly touched my stash!  These things were my last major purchase before I set my goal of 100.  So it was all put away together and all I used from my stash was a bit of twine and yellow ribbon and a few more sheets of white card stock.  Maybe next project I'll get to dig into my supplies more....

Thanks for joining me and Happy Scrapping!

#3

I've kind of been on a Christmas kick lately (if you haven't noticed!) and I have another one to share today.  I had a pile of 27 photos from Christmas a few years ago that I needed to get on a page or two.  I really thought I'd be able to get all of them on a two page layout.  I was a bit overzealous with that thinking :)  I may not have gotten all 27 pics on, but I was able to squeeze on 17.  Not bad, huh?!  Right after I finished the page, I thought it looked to squishy with all the photos, but the longer I looked, the more I liked it.  So, here it is:

Christmas Joy

Supplies: patterned paper and die cut tags (Crate Paper); jewel brads (My Mind's Eye); paper doilies (craft supply); chipboard letters and sticker letters (Making Memories); paper flowers (Prima).

The title is done with red glitter letters- "Christmas" is flat and "Joy" is chipboard so there is a bit of dimension.  And the doilies and tags layered in add texture.  I usually don't squeeze this many photos on a layout, but I think it helps the feeling of this layout.

That's all for now!  Happy Scrapping!

#1 & #2

I have projects to share- yay!  Yep, I had some time (well, made some time) for scrapbooking some of those photos that are packed tightly into a very full box!!  I should take a picture of the box- it's quite impressive!  Especially when you stop to consider that about 3 years ago I considered myself "caught up" with my scrapbooking... then I realized that you don't really catch up, you just get behind in your photo printing :)

So, I have this wonderful friend who actually listens to me- even when I think she's not.  A few weeks ago it was my birthday and she brought me a present.  It was a bag full of Christmas themed scrapbook paper- and I was thrilled!!  I had mentioned in passing a few months previous that I had a lot of Christmas photos to scrapbook and not much paper that fit the occasion.  And she remembered that comment and got me some.  Super nice, right?  So the first two projects for my 100 are Christmas layouts.  Here they are:

#1- "Christmas Cookies"

True to form, I had to use a few Kiwi Lane templates (they just add so much without a lot of bulk or effort!) and all the patterned paper and die cuts were part of the gift from my friend.

Supplies- KLD Scallops 2A and 3A, cardstock (core'dinations); patterned paper and die cut border strips, letters and circles (Crate Paper); letter stickers (SEI); spiral notebook paper (Making Memories); baker's twine (Divine Twine); buttons (craft supply); ink (Ranger); pen (Staedtler)

#2- "My Mom's Christmas Tree Collection"

Can I just say that photos do not do this layout justice?  There is so much texture and sparkle!  I love it!!  I used KLD templates for the trees and added some texture with some embossing, paper flowers and gems for the green one and a paper garland, stickles, layered paper flowers and gems for the small one.  The (super long!) title was done in an assortment of alphabet stickers in an array of textures and finishes- chipboard, flocking, glitter and smooth.  Oh, and I have added journaling to the stamped journaling lines :)

Supplies- patterned paper and die cut border and tags (Crate Paper); card stock (Core'dinations); paper flowers (Prima and Doodlebug); stamp (Autumn Leaves); ink (American Crafts and Ranger); gems (Doodlebug and craft supply); alphabet stickers (Making Memories {glitter}, My Mind's Eye {chipboard} and SEI {green}); glitter glue (Stickles by Ranger); KLD templates Celebrate 6 and Tiny Nature 3T)

I forgot how much fun it is to get to scrapbook with your own photos!  I'm usually making layouts that are photo-ready.  I hope to be able to get a few more done this week and I'll share what I come up with.  Right now I have 24 Christmas photos from a few years ago that I would like to squeeze onto a two page layout.  We'll see... :/  Also, next on my list of projects is the guest book for my brother and future sister-in-law's wedding.  And an 8x8 album for their wedding gift.  Hmmm... sounds like I'm a busy bee!! Better get going!

Happy scrapping!

Goal: 100 Projects

Ok, so you know how I mentioned in an earlier post that I didn't need any more paper?  Well, I did say that.  And then I caved soon after that post and fell prey to a super duper sale (or two) from some of my favorite online scrapbook supply store(s) and bought more....   So while I was trying to fit this new crop of goodies into my small scrap space, I remembered that post... and wished I'd stuck to it!  So I have come up with a  goal that I need to meet before I can purchase more supplies- Yay!  I keep seeing other crafter blogs where they keep track of and document all their projects.  That's what I want to do, too! (I'm such a follower, huh? ;)  )  So now I will be doing 100 projects before I can buy more stuff (with the exception of adhesive and basic card stock, of course!)  The fine print for this goal is the following: the pages and cards and other pretty things that I make to sell in my Etsy shop won't count for my 100 projects.  AHHH!  What?!?  Yep, I have to actually make things that include things like photos and journaling or are for gifts.  You may not think this is a huge deal, right?  I'm just a stay at home mom and have plenty of time, right?  Well, if you think that, you're wrong!!  Huge deal!  I'm usually occupied doing things for the shop or things that someone has ordered.  Or taking care of kids.  Or cleaning up after kids and hubby.  Or about a hundred other things that need to be done at any given time.  So these 100 projects will be a challenge, to say the least.

Wish me luck!  And I will be keeping track of my projects right here on this blog, so stay tuned!

SALE in my Etsy Shop

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  I hope you get to spend some time with loved ones remembering those who have passed, especially those who bravely and valiantly defended the freedom we enjoy.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have a sale going on in my shop through the weekend.  Use coupon code MEMORIAL10 at checkout and get 10% off your entire purchase AND a FREE GIFT!  (Discount will not include shipping and can not be used for previous purchases or custom orders.  Coupon code expires Monday May 28th.)

Have a safe and fun holiday!

May's Sincerely... Really.

I found the memory card!  Yay!  I am missing a few pics {my super talented two year old son has figured out how to delete pics now, too} but I think it should still work.  Kiwi Lane has not posted these yet today {isn't it the third Wednesday?} so if you're here before you've seen it on their blog or Facebook page, I guess it's a sneak peek- lucky you!

Card #1- Shirt and Tie (finished card size: 5x7)

Believe it or not, this card is made with templates! And so easy!! 

I used: Tiny Tags 5T, Tiny Shapes 6T & 1T and Celebrate 6; white and brown card stock, buttons, ink, and the Authentique Gathering paper kit (available in the Kiwi Lane Shop).

Here's how:
1- cut a piece of white card stock 4 3/4" x 6 3/8" for the shirt base
2- cut the "knot" of the tie from patterned paper using Tiny Shapes 1T (the small triangle).
3- cut the "pocket" of the shirt from white card stock using Tiny Tags 5T.  Cut it shorter than the actual tag, and remember that you will be trimming the side off to fit on the shirt base.
4- cut the "collar" from white card stock using Tiny Shapes 6T (hexagon).  Here's a picture of how:

You only cut half of the hexagon as pictured (a trapezoid, if you want to get technical), and then you cut that in half.  To make those two pieces into a collar, you turn them out like this (sort of like a butterfly):

If you don't get it the first time, don't feel too bad.  It took me a little bit of moving these around before I got it where I wanted it to be.  Also, if you don't get your pieces in equal halves, no big deal.  Just hold them up so they match and cut the edge off the longer one to make it even.
5- cut the tie using Tiny Shapes 1T (small triangle) and Celebrate 6 (ice cream cone/pennant/long triangle).  This is how I laid it out:

You can see that the long triangle template is too long to match up with the small triangle.  Which is good.  Because it would go off the edge if it did match at the end.  I just moved that tiny triangle up on the long triangle until the two corners of the small triangle met the sides of the long triangle.  This is where I would insert the picture of the shapes traced on paper, but that seems to be missing.  Basically, you would trace the long triangle first and then put the little triangle where you want it (like in the picture above) and trace it.  Then erase the lines you don't want to cut on, leaving you a tie shape.  Then cut it out.
6- ink the edges of the pocket, collar, knot and tie.
7- glue the tie to the "shirt" first, making sure it's centered and the bottom tip is close to the edge, but not hanging over.  Then glue the knot on, making sure it's centered.  Then glue the collar on (it will hang over the top edge of the "shirt" and that's okay), followed by the pocket.  Cut the overhang of the pocket off flush to the edge of the "shirt."  Ink the edges of the "shirt" and adhere to the front of a 5x7 card.  (Because my card base is dark, I also put a piece of lighter paper on the inside for writing a note.) You can add buttons and/or a tie tack, if you'd like.

And you're done!  I know it looks like a lot of instruction, but it really isn't that bad.  

Card #2- Dad, You're a Rock Star!  (finished card size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2")

For this card I used: Templates- Sentiments 2B & 3A, Wacky 3T, Adventure 1 & 2, Tiny Strips; Authentique Gathering paper kit; stickers (SEI and Authentique); jewels (Doodlebug)

This one is a little easier to figure out, or can be altered and adjusted to fit your needs, so no instructions :)  I will say that the "Rock Star" is just my handwriting, but you can use stickers, rub-ons or whatever else you can think of.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Crafting!!

May's Sincerely Cards for Kiwi Lane

If you have come from Kiwi Lane and are looking for the instructions for the super cute Father's Day cards, you are in the right place!  However, my memory card isn't.  That means I don't have pics right now {insert very sad face here}.  Which means I can't post instructions right now {insert even sadder face here}.  If I can't find the memory card by this afternoon, I will make the cards again and take more pictures and post by the morning.  I'm so sorry for any delay of making your own cards!!

*This post was brought to you courtesy of my two year old son who likes to take memory cards out of things and put them in very strange places*

Oh, yeah! I have a blog!!

Sometimes I forget I have a blog.  Especially since said blog was left by the wayside and forgotten for a few years... that is, until fairly recently.  So when you don't see posts on my blog for a while, it's not because I haven't been doing anything, it's because I have mom-nesia, which is what my family has lovingly named that condition when Mommies have so much on their minds that some things slip out.  Usually through the ear :)

So what have I been doing?  Well, LOTS!  I made a layout for Kiwi Lane's April Design by #'s (I had to use all #2 templates), I made a set of cards for someone to give as a gift, and I made and listed a bunch of layouts in my Etsy shop.  Plus, I made my usual cards using the scraps I have left when I make pages.  Where is the proof that I actually work, you ask?  Well, right here, of course!

 This was the layout I made for Kiwi Lane's Design by #'s challenge- and I love how it turned out!! 

Templates I used: Wildflower 2, Tiny Wildflower 2T, Tiny Nature 2T, Rings 2, Abbie Road 2A, Aspen Court 2B.

Other supplies: Paper, stickers, journaling spot (Echo Park's A Walk in the Park Collection); jewels (Creative Imaginations); ink (Ranger); thread and sewing machine.

 These are the cards I made for someone.  She wanted them to give to her sister for her birthday.  I thought they were really pretty- I almost didn't want to give them up (true paper hoarder tendencies coming to light, right? ha!)

I used: card bases (DCWV); patterned paper and die cuts (Authentique's Blissful Collection); flowers (Prima, Imaginisce); brads (Basic Grey, Doodlebug); twine (the Twinery); ink (KI Memories); vellum (craft supply); Kiwi Lane Designs templates; punches (Martha Stewart Crafts, Marvy Uchida)

And this is one of the seven layouts I got posted to my Etsy shop.  And it sold in less than a week.  

Supplies:  Patterned paper and card stock (SEI); brads and letter stickers (American Crafts); ink (KI Memories); brads (Basic Grey); Kiwi Lane Designs templates

See?  I did get some things done for the crafty part of my life!  Now, if only I could remember that I have a blog....

April Cards for Kiwi Lane

It's that time again!  Another Sincerely post for Kiwi Lane Designs.  My assignment was to do some Mother's Day cards and to use their NEW templates!  Yay for new templates!!  I only used a few of the new templates for these cards, but all of their new (and old!) templates are fantastic- you can take a look here!

Card #1 "Mom"

Finished card size: 5" x 7"

Supplies:  Cardstock and patterned paper (DCWV); ribbon (May Arts); flower (Kaisercraft); brad (The Girls' Paperie); pen (Staedler); ink (Ranger); 2" circle punch (Marvy Uchida)

KLD Templates:  Tiny Nature 6T, Tiny Shapes 3T, Tags 1, Tiny Tags 1T

As soon as I saw the Tags 1 and 1T, I had a flood of projects whirring through my mind- and this "award" type of a badge was one of them.  I used a lot of layers to get the look I wanted, but there really isn't a lot of bulk to this card.  I used a sewing machine to stitch around the card stock that everything else would be adhered to.   I used regular old scissors to cut into the edges of the circles and then inked the edges to help define the cuts.  I then put the layers together (flower, circles and paper flower) with a super cute pearl brad.  The "ribbons" of the "award" are made from tracing and cutting the Tag templates (1 and 1T) and then adding another layer of a few strips with their ends cut at an angle.  The top layer is some pale pink ribbon, also with the ends cut at an angle.  I used some foam adhesive to adhere the flower over the ribbon.  I wrote "Mom" in the bottom corner very last (you could stamp it, if you wanted, but I'd suggest stamping before sewing or gluing anything on) and that's it!  It looks more complicated than it actually is... but no one will know but you!  Wouldn't you love to award your mom with a card like this for Mother's Day?

Card #2 "Happy Mother's Day"

Finished card size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Supplies:  Cardstock (The Paper Company); patterned paper (Authentique); paper flowers (Prima); pearls (Basic Grey); twine (The Twinery); 1" punch (Marvy Uchida); Glossy Accents, ink (Ranger)

KLD Templates:  Tiny Accents 1T, Tiny Shapes 2T

So have I mentioned that I'm in love with Authentique paper?  Well, I am!  And if you haven't had a chance to see any of their stuff yet, take a little look here and see why I'm in love!  I just think they have some great designs and their paper is high quality and beautiful.  Anyway, I had just a few 6x6 sheets of paper from a sampler pack of their Freebird collection and these gray and pink papers were just calling out  to me for this card!  It was fairly simple- it's just a background made of Tiny Shapes 2T (the small hexagon) glued to a card base and leaving just a little bit of space between them.  I trimmed the hexagons as I went so there is only one perfect one on the card.  On this hexagon, I added some stickers and paper flowers.  Then I cut out 2 flowers (Tiny Accents 1T), layered them and added a 1" circle for the center.  I made the center of the layered flower shiny with Glossy Accents, tied twine around the card front twice and tied it, added a few pearls for the centers of the other flowers and ta da!  Finished!

I hope these cards have inspired you to get going on your Mother's Day cards!  Have fun crafting!

No More PAPER!!

The title of this post does not reflect what is happening- it is a reminder to myself of what needs to happen.  I do not need to purchase any more paper.  I have paper stuffed in every corner of my workspace and closet and a few other places that I'd rather not divulge at the moment :) but the point is that I do not need more paper!!

Why post this when I tell myself this almost every day?  A few reasons... First, if I write it down, I tend to stick to it a little bit better.  Maybe not 100%, but still better.  Second, if I write it down where others might see it, it makes it more concrete.  I don't know why, but that's just how I tend to think.  Third, I need to make a goal of... something... before I can buy more paper.  Like a certain amount of pages or a certain amount of sales in the shop... something.  I guess I'll post that when I come up with it.

And why post this now?  Well, I think the postman does not like it when I order it online (which is what I have to do for lack of scrapbook stores in the area) because then he has to haul it through the parking lot of our apartment complex, up the stairs to our second story apartment and wait at the door for me to answer.  Although, I've noticed lately that he no longer waits.  I don't blame him.  I also don't think he appreciates that my packages of paper rarely weigh less than 4 or 5 pounds.  Like the one on Saturday that weighed at least 7 pounds.  I also have to post this now to keep myself from adding more to my paper addiction by going to a warehouse sale in town this weekend... because I do not need more paper!!  Especially when I bought a few hundred more sheets in the last week.  Yes, a few hundred in a week.  And then, while I was putting away the new stuff, I found paper that I had purchased recently and forgot about.  It's too much PAPER!!  I also know that we are going to be moving within the next year.  And I don't want to move this much paper... it's heavy!  And I don't want to get rid of it without getting to use it on something pretty.  But, it's still too much paper!!

So now for some help- what should I do for a paper-using goal?  And is there a Paper Hoarder's Anonymous group I can join? ;)

My Scrap Space

If you're coming from Kiwi Lane and want to look at cards, they are in the previous post.  Feel free to read on your way there :)

Every once in a while I get asked what my scrap space looks like.  This usually happens when a fellow crafter finds out that I am also a crafter.  So today, since I really don't have anything else to share that's not already in my Etsy shop, I thought I'd share my space!

My "Scrap Room" has evolved over the years.  Maybe revolve is more applicable.  My "room" changes every time we change residences.  It is usually furnished with whatever furniture we don't use in the rest of the house and goes where we can fit it in.  It has been stuck in the same room as our daughter (when she was 2 years old and didn't have toys in her room- they were in the living room), put in our room (sometimes stuck in drawers in a corner and I would pull things out and work on the floor at the foot of our bed), put in it's own room in the coldest room at the back of the house (does my family remember the house we named the "shanty house"?), stored in the family room, and sometimes it has had it's own spacious room all to itself (seriously- I took over the largest bedroom in the house once and made it my craft room!).  Right now, we live in an apartment with a large master bedroom so about 1/3 of our room has my scrap table and supplies.  It looks like this:

And I love it!  There are two windows close to my work area, which makes it nice and sunny.  And there are boxes, drawers, bins and shelves of paper and supplies EVERYWHERE!!  Really!  Under the table, right of the table, on the shelves on top of the table, left of the table in file crates and a wire paper rack.... everywhere!!

Hmm...  I should have moved the pillows from the floor before I took pictures :)

This is the area left of my table (you can see the green paper cutter on the corner of the table)- it's a kitchen storage cabinet that we don't have a use for in our kitchen.  So I have stuffed it full of scrap supplies!  There are dies in the bottom cupboard and divided boxes of small embellishments, drawers with ribbon, small boxes of die cuts, a dishpan full of paper punches and a box of paper scraps, and more!  

I hate to admit this, but I didn't include pics of ALL my scrap stuff.  Yep, there is MORE!  There is a dresser to the left of my storage cabinet that has a TV on it (J is watching a movie in the photo and you can see his hand!) and in the top drawer is a whole bunch of alphabet stickers and other embellishments like felt shapes and jewel stickers... and it is packed!  Just one drawer, though!  The other three house about half of our movie collection, which I like to watch/listen to while I'm at my desk.  Is there more, you ask?  Why YES, there is!  We have a walk-in closet with 9 different sections for clothes/shoes.  My hubby and I each have a side.  His side houses clothes/shoes in all 4 of the sections.  Mine houses clothes in two sections.  And craft supplies, idea books and magazines in the other two.  Did you do the math?  There's one more section in the middle... I took that over with craft supplies, too!  My super sweet husband knows that having this space is important to me and makes me happy, so he is content to let it take over a good sized chunk of our space.  I'm so grateful he is so understanding!!

So that is my space.... I hope you enjoyed the tour!!

And really quick before I end this post....  I want to show a glimpse into my creative process.  Are you a messy crafter or one who puts away one supply before getting the next one out?  I'll admit, I'm on the messy side!  Here's a peek at what my table looks like while mid-project:

So I want to know- are you messy when you craft or not?  I'd love to know!  Feel free to leave a comment...

March Sincerely...

I'm a designer for Kiwi Lane Designs.  They are a company that make AWESOME templates that you use to make scrapbook pages, cards and other craft projects.  If you haven't heard of them, you can visit them at www.kiwilane.com and/or find them on Facebook.  

Anyway, my monthly designing assignment is to make cards for their monthly "Sincerely..." card ideas.  I will try to post them here every month (from now on), but if you don't see them here, you can see them on their blog at http://kiwilanedesigns.blogspot.com/

This month I was asked to do some Easter/Spring cards and Glimmer mist.  I only have one color of Glimmer Mist right now- and that is Pearl, which is just what it sounds like.  It adds a great pearly sheen, but is difficult to capture in photos.  So zoom in as much as you can to see the sparkle!!  And this assignment has brought me to this conclusion:  I need to get more colors of Glimmer Mist!  It is so much fun to use, and so versatile.  I don't know why I haven't used them on everything!!

Card #1- Spring Birds

Finished card size: 5”x7”

Templates used: Nature 1, Tiny Nature 1T, Mini Paisley Place 2B, Tiny Wacky 2T

Supplies:  Cardstock (the Paper Company); patterned paper (3 Bugs in a Rug); ink (Ranger); Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels); brads (Basic Grey); vellum (Provo Craft); stamp (Hampton Art); pens (Staedtler); fringe scissors (Martha Stewart Crafts); googly eyes (craft supply)

I felt inspired by the cards that Kiwi Lane posted for Valentine's Day- especially the one with the two love birds.  I couldn't wait to transform leaves into birds and this card was the perfect chance for me to do so! If you missed the how-to for the birds, go to http://kiwilanedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/01/mini-madison-swak-card.html and check it out.  My new favorite tool:  Martha Stewart fringe scissors!  They are scissors with multiple blades that let you cut multiple parallel cuts at once.  I've had them for a few months but hadn't used them yet and they let you create the look of grass so easily.  I sprayed the birds, grass and cloud with Pearl Glimmer Mist and let them dry without manipulating them at all.  I liked the slightly warped look that I ended up with.  Warning- Glimmer mist will make some inks bleed!  Like distress ink, which is what I stamped my sentiment with.  So either cover your sentiment before you spray or stamp after you spray.  Experiment to see what one looks better to you.  I wanted the ink from the pen

I used to outline the cloud to bleed and not be as harsh, but not the sentiment, so I covered the sentiment with a sticky note and then sprayed a light coat of Glimmer Mist on the cloud.  I didn’t want the beak of my birds to bleed, so I drew them on last.  I drew their legs after everything was glued on the card.  To add dimension, I used foam adhesive to attach the birds to the card.  I made the wings of the birds out of clear vellum, inked the edges and attached them with brads.  Things you could also do with this card (that I wish I had done, but didn’t):  use a distress tool around the edges of the birds (wouldn’t it look like feathers?  Love it!); use a different paper for the beaks; ink the edges of the blades of grass to make them stand out more; add a sunshine in the corner using Tiny Accents 4T.

Card #2- Happy Spring

Finished card size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/4" (slightly off the standard notecard size, but what can I say?  Tip: measure twice, cut once :P )

Templates used:  Tiny Nature 1T, Tiny Accents 1T, Sentiments 2A and 2B

Supplies:  Cardstock (The Paper Company); paper (3 Bugs in a Rug); Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angles); fringe scissors (Martha Stewart Crafts); punches (Marvy Uchida); ink (Ranger); baker's twine (The Twinery)

I tried masking for this card and it turned out great!  But, you can't see it in this picture.  

If you don't know how to use a mask, it's pretty simple.  You just use a paper or other material to prevent the Glimmer Mist from getting to the paper in some spots.  I was masking small areas, so I used the sticky part of a few sticky notes to cut my shapes from:

I used a 1/2" circle punch, a small flower and hand cut lines.  Then I applied my masks, sprayed the eggs (ovals) with Glimmer Mist, let the mist dry completely, and removed the masking.  And this is what I ended up with:

The light is weird for this pic, but that was the only way I could get the masked patterns to show up.

I made the grass using card-size border template (both A and B) and my fringe scissors.  I also sprayed the flower layers with Glimmer Mist, let them dry and put them together.  For the flower center, I used a 1" circle punch for the base, covered it with adhesive (Terrifically Tacky Tape works great, as would Glubers or Glue Dots XL).  I then tied a knot at the end of the baker's twine, cut the tail off really close to the knot, put the knot in the center of the circle and then started wrapping the twine around the knot.  This made a fun and whimsical flower center with some texture.  

My sentiment "happy Spring" is hand written, but feel free to use a rub-on, stamp or leave it blank.

Card #3- Easter Bunny

Finished card size: 5"x7"

Templates used:  Rings 2 (trace the outside, not the inside), Tiny Shapes 4T and 8T, Tiny Brackets 2T and 4T

Supplies:  Cardstock (The Paper Company); patterned paper (3 Bugs in a Rug); brads (Doodlebug); flower and ribbon (Making Memories); scalloped scissors (Provo Craft); jewels (Doodlebug, Heidi Swapp for Advantus)

This is a simple card! More info is on the Kiwi Lane blog at http://kiwilanedesigns.blogspot.com/ 

One more tip- adhere everything on a background piece 1/4" smaller than the card, including the brads and ribbon.  This way nothing shows on the inside of the card.

Thanks for looking at my Sincerely... cards for this month!  I would love to see what this inspired for you- feel free to post them on Kiwi Lane's Facebook page.  

Kiwi Lane Picture Perfect Challenge - 3

Here is what I submitted for Kiwi Lane Design's Picture Perfect Challenge for March.  The stipulations were to use 3 photos and some KLD templates.  

Templates used:  Bracket 1, Mini Scallops 3A, Strips, Photos

Supplies:  Cardstock, patterned paper and large alpha stickers (American Crafts); glitter brad, staples, small alpha stickers (Making Memories); buttons (Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye, craft supply)

I loved how it turned out!  These pics are from (dare I admit it??) 2008 and I'm happy to have them out of the box and on a page- a cute page I like is even better!  This was a super fast layout- about 30 minutes total- and that includes making the accordion folded circles.  Now to get the even older pics onto cute layouts, too!