Friday

Christmas in July

Christmas in July - what a concept! Ninety-seven degrees outside and it's nothing but poinsettias and "Season's Greetings" inside.

Though I'm loathe to admit it, I've always been a bit of a moody person. However, I have gathered a few tricks for dispersing the sort of generalized funk and gloom that can cast a dreary shadow over an otherwise lovely day. This week it was poinsettias - I stamped, cut out, and glittered dozens of them to make these Christmas cards. I felt wonderful when I finished. Unfortunately, within an hour I'd noticed that I really wanted cream colored poinsettias on black and gold. The funk returns. Tomorrow, cream poinsettias.



Stamp: CTMH Gift of Love

Happy Crafting!

Wednesday

Another Box of Cards and Memories


The "My Creations Memory Keeper" from CTMH make ideal gifts. You can find all the details for how to complete a box on my other website along with a number of other webcast tutorials.

For this box, I made an insert (compliments of Lisa Stenz) that divides the box into compartments perfect for holding greeting cards of varying sizes. I made a few cards to place inside, and now have a perfect gift ready to give at Christmas time. A single paper packet will cover 3-4 boxes with enough paper to make cards for each of them, so I end up with four gifts that cost about $12 a piece.

If you want me to send directions for the inside divider, leave a comment with your email and I'll get it right off to you.


Here are some of the cards I made for inside:
I'll try and finish a couple more of these and get them posted. Now is an ideal time to make Christmas gifts that will be appreciated by the recipient without breaking the budget.

Happy Crafting!

Thursday

Tri-fold Shutter Card




I've been admiring these on other blogs and finally took the tri-fold-shutter-leap. I'm glad I did, it was super fun to do. I used this tutorial: http://rainbowkreations.blogspot.com/2009/05/tri-fold-shutter-card-tutorial.html

Now I've got the bug; I need to go make more of these.

Materials:
Paper: DCWV Old World Stack, unidentified sheet of cardstock
Stamps: (SU) Heartfelt Thanks, Baroque Motifs, Side Kick Sayings; (CTMH)Treasure Life
Spellbinder Butterfly, assorted trinkets loose in the embellishment drawer.

Happy Crafting

Clean and Simple: First Attempt



I made this for the Clean and Simple (CAS) challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. Surprisingly, it took longer than the messy and complicated cards that I normally do. Once again my photography skills have failed me - what looks like black is actually chocolate. Clearly, I need practice with this technique.

Materials:(All CTMH)
Cardstock: Buttercup, Chocolate, and colonial white
Stamps: True Happiness, and Happy Birthday

Happy Crafting!

Monday

Star Dust Lay-out


Clearly, the theme of procrastination flows through both my life and my blog. Hence, I am just now scrapping an event that took place nearly ten years ago. My husband goes to Sturgis every year; and on this trip he took our youngest son. The trip was a mixed blessing for me. Joy at the prospect of having the house to myself for a few days was tempered by nightmarish visions of motorcycle wrecks.

Our family is thoroughly and completely unskilled in all aspects of photography. Sometimes it's that we don't manage cameras very well; sometimes life rolls on, interesting and photographable moments take place, and no one thinks to pick up a camera. I see other people's families poised in front of "Welcome to California" signs and I wonder: "Why don't we ever think to do that?" And yet, we continue to roll by "Welcome to..." signs and forget to stop. But, let a random buffalo wander near the car and I'll snap 35 photos. I'm thick that way.

Anyway, the two of them went to Sturgis, and true to the family genes, my son snapped dozens of buffalo pictures and not a single picture of himself or his father. Had it not been for their images reflected in the motorcycle mirrors as donkeys and buffalo were dutifully captured on film, I would never have known for sure if my boys went to Sturgis at all.



Since I had the Stardust Paper Pack opened, I decided to scrap another event from the ancient past: a trip to Seattle I took with my children. We had a great time at the Pacific Science Center. It isn't easy for kids to have a mother who teaches science. We showed up at the Science center when they opened and stayed until the janitor's push broom nipped at our heels. For me, the day was delightful; for them, a lesson in patience.

Materials:
Close To My Heart: Stardust and Stickease, and a few random strands of ribbon

Friday

Faux Burning Technique



This card is for the Faux Burnt Edge technique challenge at SCS. It was also an excuse to use CTMH's Make It Count and Tim Holtz's Journey stamp set - both of which I absolutely had to have, and yet they sat unused for many months.

I love, love, love vintage collage, but I've had very little success with it. Maybe I'm missing the collage gene. I worked at this one for quite a while and then decided it was simply finished.

I spent my morning lurking in the attic hoping to find a fresh perspective or new inspiration for living. Who knows what I was looking for - I just know to be somewhere different when where I am feels dusty. The attic was certainly dusty, but dusty in a new way. It was a fresh dusty.

What I found were more pictures, which means more scrapbooking, which means I have something fun to do this afternoon.

Until next time,
Happy Crafting!