Cards from Kids

As promised, the cards my students made last week!

The kids did a great job in spite of the terrible heat we had last week.  I didn't take photo's of the letters they wrote because their names are included, but the letters are precious.

All the kids had to read the "How to Make a Card" as part of the process of creating their card front.  After my first group I realized that they shouldn't put bows and buttons on their cards until after they wrote their letter because they needed the whole inside of the card to write their letter!  It was a good learning experience.

After the cards were done (sorta) each group had a chance to write a letter of thanks to a soldier.  Regardless of anyone's feelings about fighting, or having troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, it's important for our men and women to know that people back home care about them. 


The kids wrote some wonderful things to the soldiers thanking them for being brave and asking them cute questions like "what's your favorite snack", "where were you born", and "do you like sports". 


Hopefully these cards with bring a little sunshine to deployed troops.  If you'd like to have your kids write a letter, or you yourself would like to send a note from home, please go to Operation Write Home to get all the details.  This is a great cause and it's a great way to put your creative talents to use in pay-it-forward style!

***Please leave comments for the kids about their cards.  They will be so excited to hear what all of you have to say.

A Red, White, and Blue Weekend

 I'm SO sorry I've not posted in such a long time!  My home computer has been being difficult, my school computer completely died a week ago Friday, and we've been opening a rental property for the summer rental season.  Add in that disgusting mini heat wave (did I mention 98 degrees in my classroom on Wednesday) and it's just been a wacky few days.

 On to the fun and creative stuff!!!  It's Saturday, so it's Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Challenge Day!  The challenge this week is a color theme.  Create something using the Americana colors of Red, White, and Blue.

I had fun with this card.  I used the Lockhart stamp Roses, Daises & Polka Dots for the image, Pink Paisley for the red ribbon and added that white trim I had left after this card, and assorted Americana paper I had left from I kit I got ages ago.

I colored the image with R24, R27, R29, W2, YG13, YG17, E55, Y15, BG 95, BG 97, B00 and then edged with French Blue chalk ink.  For the final touch I, of course, added yellow Stickles to the flower centers. :)  It may not look great in the close-up, but when you look at the whole card it looks great.  Just goes to show that you don't have to be detailed with small image coloring.  I went from start to finish on this card in a matter of 15 minutes.  I had too.  I was on my way out the door for a Christmas card class and I had to have this made and photographed before I left. :)  Score one for procrastination!

Make a Red, White, and Blue creation and enter it on the Stamp, Scrap, and Doodle Saturdays post and you could WIN 8 digi images of YOUR CHOICE from Creations by Penny!!!!

***Shameless plug***Please stop by on Monday.  My students made cards and wrote letters this week to send to soldiers via Operation Write Home.  I'm gonna post their cards (sans names) and would love to share your comments with the kids next week.  They are so proud of what they made! :)

Edit- I added this card to these challenges:
Created by Hand- Red, White, and Blue
Fresh Brewed- Red, White, and Blue
The Shabby Tea Room- Polka Dots
Kelly Jo's Stamp Pad- Color challenge
Friends Having Fun- Memorial Day Challenge
Thanks to Sue I also added this card to OWH's card blog OWH Stars and Stamps 
Thanks to Kim I added this card to Diva Coffee Break Designs- Red, White, Blue

Can Can part 2

Okay, it's reveal day!  I'll warn you now that this post is HEAVY on PICTURES.  I decided I like this altered can most when I look at it through my camera. :)

The whole can is tiny.  I used a teeny-weeny tomato paste can.  I thought it would be easier to decorate and quicker to finish.  Well I was half right!

It was fast to decorate, but the problem was that it was fast-to-decorate!!!  I ran out of room to put stuff and still have any background showing up.  I painted the can and embellished my winged friend before I left stamp club last week. 

The flowers, buttons, dew drops, and bow all got added next.

I've got a soft spot for glitter.  Maybe it is from growing up in the 80's, but things seem sooooo much prettier when there are sparklies on them.  I bought this glass kinda glitter ages ago for a project (that I never actually completed!) and dug it out to frost the flower above.  It looks awesome IRL!

I added the bang of brown glitter next (really would have been easier to have had that inspiration earlier in this project!), it's from the Martha Stewart line.  Say what you like about her, but she makes fantastic glitter.  WAY more sparkle that ANY OTHER glitter (I've got glitter from just about everyone who makes it).  The last part to be added was the little wooden stand with the buttons from my stash.

Have I mentioned that I'm not a big fan of blue?  You wouldn't know it from this project. :)  I am proud of the fact that I used blue and that I altered something with no idea of what I was going to do with it.  Everyone has asked me what I am going to do with this can. Anyone out in the blogosphere have any suggestions?

Cupcake Inspiration Challenge

Hope Stamps Eternal has another fun cupcake inspiration challenge for this week.  These cupcake photo challenges are such yummy fun!It's very easy to get distracted by the deliciousness of this cupcake.  I really want some frosting right now (shuffles off to check the cupboards for can of frosting- jackpot!  shuffles back to laptop with mouth full of chocolate frosting).  
Gosh I wish I could make frosting flowers like these!!!

I haven't had a chance to join in the challenge fun at HSE the last few weeks, so I made it a point to set aside some time to join the fun.  It was also a good excuse to pull out some old BG paper. :)

 

The inside says birthday, but the Technique Tuesday set of greetings could have the inside say anniversary, graduation, or just about whatever.  I used a mix of mini flowers stamps to decorate the envie and the background of the card.

I really enjoy making the envie match the cards.  I know, I know shades of "Martha".  Can't help it.  Sorry.  Well, only a little sorry.  The matchy-matchy envies are so wicked cute!!!

Fella Card Challenge

The challenge at SSDS this week was to produce a "guy card" (cue the horror movie music).  I know, I know AGGGGGHHHHHH!

So making a card for a guy has been THE topic of discussion with many of my crafty friends lately.  We are all looking for inspiration on how to make a card that doesn't seem boring (meaning no flowers, no sparkly blingy stuff and no fun ribbon).

I was talking to a friend and she mentioned that she came across a blog that talked about taking your typical ingredients- flowers, ribbon, bling- and trading them for "guy ingredients" flowers=matte buttons, ribbon=twine/cotton fiber, bling=solid colored brads.  If you know what blog it is, could you leave me a comment and I'll post it for everyone?!?  I found this tip sheet to share with everyone for now. :)

Hopefully you have a wonderful weather weekend and you'll even get a chance to squeak in some time to create a masculine card for the SSDS challenge.  The sponsor this week is Fresh Brewed Designs, so enter your creation so you can win!!!

Edit- I added this to the following challenges
Stamping for the Weekend- Masculine
Cute Card Thursday- Someone Special
Cards for Men- Outdoors
Colour Create-  Khaki, aqua, brown, cream (I got seriously lucky on this one!)

Can Can Part 1

Okay I wish I could say that this is my can 'cause I love it sooooo much!

It the magical creation of my friend Lisa.  Please stop by her blog and give her some love.  She just started a blog a week or two ago and she makes the most beautiful things with punches and free hand cutting!  You should also stop by so you can see the rest this stunning can.  I promise to post my next week, but it pales in comparison to this work of art!!!!

Wrist Bling

So I made my altered can last night.  Not quite ready for posting yet.  It may need to hide in the closet for a few days 'til I decide if I like it or not.  No worries, I'll post it either way, 'cause it is a cool project.  In the meantime, I have another project I'll post. :)

I made this a while ago (right around Easter) at a class I won at my church talent auction.  It was a lot of fun and the bunch of us who won slots created some awesome bracelets and necklaces.

The beading class was actually taught by one of the teenagers at my church.  She was wicked patient and very helpful with all of us.  With all the bad press of how kids these days haven't got any social skills or public speaking abilities, this kid was impressive!  She had such great presence and she did a wonderful job teaching the rest of us adults how to make our jewelry.  I'll be honest, if I had know it was going to be taught by a teenager, I might not have bid on a slot.  I'm happy to admit I was wrong.  Just goes to show, don't judge a book by it's cover.  Gosh- I'm a reading teacher, I should know that by now!!!


So what book have you misjudged lately?  I hope you were pleasantly surprised and not terribly disappointed.

Yummy Part 2- The Fruit Gets Sliced!

Yesterday I posted a yummy fruit sauce that The Jammin Crew made at my church.  Today I'm posting a fun fruity gift.

The candy came from a delicious candy shop in Ogunquit, Maine.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!  The card was made using the Cricut Wild Card cartridge.  I used a Bazzill shimmer paper for the card base and envie.  The stamp is from Papertrey's Fruitful set.  I used chalk inks and am so happy about how freakishly adorable this all looks together.

I'm starting to get nervous.  I've been too happy about the stuff I've created lately.  I'm supposed to be making this cool altered can project on Tuesday.  What if I've used up all my mojo for May already and the can project ends up needing to go in "the can"!!!!  I'll keep you posted either way about "the can project".  I may include pictures, but then again... I may need to spare your eyes. :)

Anything BUT a Card

WARNING: Long post today.  Sit back, relax and sip your coffee. Deets for hooking up to the SSDS challenge are towards the bottom, so if you must rush, then you must scroll. :)

 What a challenge we have for you this week!  You can make anything you want BUT NOT a card.  What to do, what to do?!?

I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but my Unitarian church has this great Country Fair in September.  We make all kinds of wonderful creations!  There is a whole team of gals that meet on Tuesday's to make jam.  ALL kinds of jam.  Something like over 35 creations, but I digress.

The challenge the DT had was to create a "non card" project using images from The Stamping Boutique.  I knew right away that I wanted this jam jar, but I didn't know what for yet!!!  I was so lucky that just hours from the deadline I was hit with inspiration.  Almost literally when I was cleaning out the fridge and I realized I had an entire shelf in there dedicated to sweet stuff from The Jammin Crew (that's what we call ourselves).

I realized that we could maybe make up a few "ready to go" gift packages for folks to be able to give as "thank you gifts", "birthday gifts", or "just because gifts".  I made this demo to bring to the Crafting Hands group today.  A bunch of Unitarian "elves" have been gathering together to chip away at the work and we'll see what they think of this little idea.

 I colored this cutie-patootie jar with my Copics- BG13, BG17, B00 and a teensy bit of T-1.  I didn't do any real shading 'cause if folks weren't game for this idea I didn't want to have put too much into it, but ya know I really like the way this turned out.  I think if I had done too much it may have made the final effect overdone.  Any thoughts?  I always appreciate CC and really take to heart the advice all you folks out there in the blogosphere offer.  It's like having lots of Tim Gunn's out there helping me "make it work".

Okay so now for the deets!  Make your whatever-you-want-that-isn't-a-card, post it to your blog and then post a direct link to your project at SSDS.  The winner of this week's challenge will get to pick 5 digi images from The Stamping Boutique!!!  Get out your creative thinking caps and GO FOR IT! :)  I can't wait to see what everyone creates.

Barb- No peeking at your card!

I'm proud of the fact that I made and sent out Mother's Day cards on time this year!  Hopefully my Gram and DMIL got their packages yesterday.  I posted Gram Ah-boo's card already and I thought today (while my computer is being nice and functional) I would post the card for my DMIL, Barb.

I used a combination of pink scraps of paper I had and this fun little tree from (Memory Box I think) and a sentiment from Amuse.  I'm loving the kraft and pink combo and the ribbon has a velvet center that is luscious!

I added Flowersoft to the tree so it would look like it was a blooming crab apple tree.  I'm kinda tickled with this card 'cause it actually looks like what I had planned it to look like in my head!



Hope you have a wonderful Friday and don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the SSDS challenge! :)

Blog Candy Winner!!!

I've got to post this quick before my computer crashes!  I didn't forget y'all out there.  I'll quickly say that the winner is #22 Tracy!!!!  Email me Tracy and I'll get your goodies out to you. :)

Gram Don't Look!

This is the card I am giving my Gram Ah-boo for Mother's Day! :)

 

Growing up I came up with nicknames for all my grandparents.  None of them had to do with their first or last names and I don't think any of them had a say in what name they were given. :)  My grandfather used to play a peek-a-boo kinda game with me so he got named Ah-boo and since gram was married to him she got to be Gram Ah-boo.  I'm 35 and I still call her Gram Ah-boo!  Do you have any fun nicknames in your family?


The image I used for this card is from Digi Stamp Characters and it can be yours for free!  All you need to do is create an easel card and link it to the Stamp, Scrap, & Doodle Challenge this week.  The winner will get 3 digi images of their choice.

Hope you can join us this week for the challenge and hope you get to enjoy some wonderful weather this week!  I'm off to get outdoors while the sun is shining. :)