lace flower card

I think this card is a great example of how I get inspired just by looking at supplies that are laid out on my desk. I don't think I would have thought to pair these two papers if I hadn't seen them together. I like how the bold diagonal stripes give a funky look to the more traditional floral pattern. I didn't want to distract from the graphic nature of the card, so I just added glitter to the large flower on the right by coloring it in with my Sakura Quickie Glue pen and then using a clear sparkle embossing powder. It's very pretty in person! What you should not do is ask me how long I moved the die cut paper around over the top of the card base trying to figure out just the right portion of the design to use.

In case you're wondering, I called this a lace flower card because the manufacturer calls this die cut paper lace paper.

KI Memories patterned paper and die cut paper; Sakura Quickie Glue pen; Hero Arts embossing powder

cards with texture

I really enjoy using texture in my scrapbooks, but it's even more fun to use it on cards because there's not a piece of plastic in the way (okay, protecting it, but it still sometimes gets in the way!). By giving someone a card with texture, you're indulging their sense of touch as well as their sense of sight. These cards have flocking, which just begs to be touched!

Doodlebug Designs flocked paper; Autumn Leaves; Making Memories ribbon and rhinestone brad; Cricut die cut flowers

I'm pretty proud of this card, because not only is it cute, but it was also made using materials in different ways. The green stripe on this card is actually a piece of a green and clear striped cellophane treat bag I snagged at a party. I thought it looked great with the more ornate flocked green paper. I made the white scallop by using the edge of some circular patterned die cut paper. I only had it in blue and red, so I flipped it over and used the white side to go with the card's color scheme. The brad is embossed with silver and clear sparkle embossing powder.

Bazzill Basics cardstock (grey); Worldwin Papers cardstock (pink); Doodlebug Designs flocked paper; KI Memories die cut paper; Prima paper flower; Making Memories brad; Duro Decal Co., Inc. letter stickers; vellum; cellophane bag

I love this card. Love it. It's simple, but the textures and patterns make it special. The pink circle is a metal circle I pulled off of a breast cancer awareness keychain (and it matches the pink ribbon in real life). The rhinestone brad is covering up the hole where the ring went through.

Doodlebug Designs flocked paper; KI Memories patterned paper; Making Memories glitter letter stickers and rhinestone brad; Fiskars corner punch; metal keychain; ribbon

SC Squared layouts

Here are the finished layouts that I started on Friday during Super Secret Crafting Club (see previous post).

Can I just say that UNT green shirts are just about the hardest thing to scrap ever? I understandably have a ton of photos of us in Mean Green, but all of the green scrapbook papers and accents I have are in a lovely bright green that has more yellow in it. I wonder if our marketing department would be receptive to me asking them to change the school color? I mean, I totally have a good reason.

Bazzill Basics cardstock; American Crafts patterned paper, foam letter stickers, and brads; Autumn Leaves journaling stamp; Creative Imaginations rubon ("Game Day"); Versafine by Tsukineko stamping ink

This isn't really what I had in my head, but those tickets threw a wrench in things. Having memorabilia on the page (instead of behind it, which I sometimes do) makes Keith happy, so I try to do it as often as possible.

Bazzill Basics cardstock; American Crafts patterned paper and felt letter stickers

I also created a card with some of the patterned paper scraps leftover from the Muse layout. The tiny green scallops are actually from my loop punch, but I only let the very tip of them peek out from behind the patterned paper. The small flower is adhered with one layer of dimensional adhesive, and the "Hi" circle is adhered with a double layer. I like how the varying heights make the card even more interesting.

Bazzill Basics cardstock; American Crafts patterned paper and felt flowers; Making Memories mini brad; Recollections tiny brad; KI Memories rubon word; Martha Stewart loop punch

Super Secret Crafting Club

Yesterday was the maiden voyage (inaugural run? charter meeting?) of the Super Secret Crafting Club. This not-really-secret-at-all group is actually created through an open invitation to coworkers and their spouses. A coworker friend of mine likes having the accountability of regularly scheduled scrapbook sessions and also recently took up cardmaking. So that no one would be left out, the gatherings were expanded to include all manner of crafty things.

We met in our conference room at work, so I got started soon after 4:00 and the others came in as they got off work. We watched girly movies (since we have some guys who are promising to join us next time, maybe I'll bring some more gender neutral movies), ate cookies, crafted, and had a great time. It was fun to see the variety of people's creative outlets. Carole came and knitted for a while. Tiffany and Chandra made cards.

Laura, Tiffany and Chandra

Christina crocheted and colored (and brought some awesome cookies!), and Amanda sorted photographs that she's going to scan and turn into a coffee table book.

Amanda and Christina

Laura and Carlynn tried a new process that involves ironing plastic grocery bags to meld them together into a material that can be sewn into something awesome.

Laura

I scrapbooked.

me!

Not only did I scrapbook, but I finished a 2-page layout minus the journaling block (can't believe I forgot my journaling pen!) and got pretty close to finishing another layout. That's quite an accomplishment for me. I'm going to finish those up and post them tomorrow, hopefully.

happy 27

Two months ago today my sister-in-law, Cherie, turned 27. I sent her this card that's just as fun and attention-getting as she is. It uses a printed transparency and a patterned paper with the same design in the same color. The inside of the card is green (Bazzill green tea, one of my favorite cardscock colors), and it shows through the transparency when you close the card. The pink strip serves to hide the glue seams, so the card looks just as finished on the inside as it does on the front. Happy 27.167 years, Cherie!

cardstock: Bazzill Basics; transparency: Hambly; patterned paper: Hambly (turquoise), KI Memories (pink); chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp

For the record, I actually sent this card two months ago. I just didn't post it. If I was two months late with a birthday card, you'd be seeing a lot more groveling here!

hello

A (seemingly) simple card. I've learned that I have a superpower that involves making anything I do more complicated than it probably needs to be. Dang perfectionism.

cardstock: Bazzill Basics; letter stickers (traced) and glitter markers: American Crafts; font: fun font; craft foam

Hey, I scrapbooked!

Sometimes, the best way for me to get back in the groove of scrapping is to make cards. I got to spend Labor Day playing with my scrapbook supplies and now I feel inspired to go create!

one layout and 9 cards. I call that a pretty good day!

My desire and inspiration for scrapbooking goes in cycles, and is usually inversely related to the amount of time I spend at work. This July and August I worked the hardest (and most hours) I think I ever have. Subsequently, no scrapbooking. By the time I got home, I was practically brain dead and certainly didn't have any inclination to pull out my scrapping stuff. (To be honest, I was so tired I didn't even talk much in the evenings. I am so grateful that Keith not only understood, but put up with me making him late for work because I was chattering away in the mornings trying to tell him all the things I didn't have the energy to say the night before. I was a completely different person after my batteries had recharged!)

Labor Day weekend was great, and not just because of my return to scrapbooking. On Saturday we had our third quarterly (get that?) family game day. A full day of family (including some friends we've "adopted"), games, and lots of food. Sunday we met up with some friends at church and were able to worship side by side with them and then spent dinner and dessert connecting with them in a way that filled a little bit of my heart. They are such encouraging, inspiring people. Monday was dedicated to scrapping and football--the perfect bumming day! Basically, a fabulous weekend.