June Birthday

     Another birthday at work, another excuse to try out a new card!

First choose the cardstock you'll need as your base and cut to desired measurements.

Second, layer a decorative paper on top, 1/4 inch smaller than the front of your card.

Choose coordinating paper to decorate.  Cut into equal pieces and adhere.  I used an edge punch for this one.

Choose a card topper and design.

I used  Martha Stewart stamp set for the butterfly.  I set it with hairspray (the glitter kept flaking right off.)

Add ribbon and adhere using puffy tape for depth.  And voila...  Happy Birthday Karen!

This is a second card made with the same materials.  (Storming outside, so bad lighting!)

Scraps

      I know it's been awhile since I posted anything.  I'm still accumulating craft supplies but haven't spent much time crafting.  I've been a bit consumed reading lately, cranking out 4 books in 4 weeks and I'm on a fifth book now.  But in the last couple days I've managed to do 3 scrapbook pages.  The photos aren't as clear as I'd hoped but the lighting was bad.  Here goes:

     This first one is my favorite, mostly because of the green and blue hues.  I also tried my hand at the rolled paper flowers and think they turned out quite cute.

This next one is of my niece.  I took some pre-cut flowers and layered them using dimensional tape topped off with bead for the center.

And this one was created last night while I was a bit bleary-eyed.  I love the blacks and reds.  I actually crumpled up a couple pieces of the paper, inked the edges, then glued them down.  It turned out nicely

I used my latest toy...a grommet setter, to make the holes for the brads.  It's so much fun to whack away on something and to make a lot of racket in the name of crafting!  (No complaints from the neighbors yet!)

Just hot-glued the twine down to the ribbon after fashioning a bow.

Thanks for looking.  Cheers!

Cricut

Saturday 5/29/2010    

     My new friend arrived while I was at work Friday.  I had to pull it out of the box right when I got home.  I'm super excited to get to play with it this weekend!  The SCAL program will have to wait at least another month.  In the meantime, I will make sure to get a lot of use out of the 2 cartridges that came with my machine.

Thursday 6/3/2010

     Here's some scrapbooking I did over the weekend.  I've gotten to use the cricket for some of the shapes in this mini-album.  This kit is Pink Paislee.  It is quite a looker!  I was pretty productive over the holiday weekend.

 

I still have 5 pages to do before the album is complete, but at the rate I'm going, maybe it won't take too long.  I'm not sure whether I'm going to fill with my own pictures or use it as a gift in the future. We shall see.  Cheers!

Knitting: Lesson #1, Casting On

  Abi, Nicole (friend from work) and I came to my house on Tuesday for the 'Stitch & Bitch'.  Nicole ended up having to leave early, but was able to get what she needed to start.  First lesson:  casting on.  I've got that mastered and have begun the actual knitting.  I had to start over a couple times (I also do that when I begin a crochet project to get it 'just right'.)   I've overcome the awkward (such a funny looking word) feeling of holding both knitting needles, for the most part. According to Abi, it is best to begin with wooden needles to give the yarn a better grip on the needle.  And it's easier to start with 100% wool yarn to learn.  Hopefully we will be getting together again next week for the second lesson.  Thanks Abi!!! 

     I looked up how to cast off.  It may not be perfect, but I'm happy with my first try.  Now on to lesson #2 this weekend!

And after weaving the loose strands of yarn through my work:

Brads and Chipboard Stickers

     Ok, I just got in my order from Crop Chocolate and I just love the glazed brads and chipboard stickers/pieces.  They are just so pretty to me and I love getting them.  Actually, I like to hoard them...to have them but not really to use them.  Weird, I know.   But I haven't done much scrapbooking as a whole, until recently, so that may change. 

I hope that one day I will find a new use for them. It seems such a waste to just put them onto paper. They would make lovely jewelry...maybe. I'm not much of a jewelery wearer though. But the matching small ones would make wonderful earrings, don't you think?

Here are some pics of the pretties I've accumulated in the last 6 months or so.  (Go ahead, rolls your eyes!)

To me they are like candy. And I have a sweet-tooth for them. This isn't a post to brag.  I don't like when people brag. This is a show & tell of my love for these beautiful things.  Maybe it'll spark a bit of love in you for them.  Enjoy!