Carrots for Sale

A few cute Easter cards to share today.  These are 4.25"x 4.25" cards using an old Amuse image.  It's such a fun image to color because it is quick to bring to life.  He's such a happy carrot seller!

I'm trying to get some Easter goodies made to send to family (and to load into my Etsy shop).  I may use this same general format for an upcoming card swap gathering.  Each person is supposed to bring the goods for 8-10 folks to be able to make a card.  It has to be a fairly simple card because, like a cookie swap, we all walk away with 8-10 new cards.  Unlike a cookie swap though, you make the cards at the party- hence the has to be fairly easy to assemble.  You don't want your card to be the one that causes a log-jam and slows everyone else down!

What about you?  Any fun plans coming up?

Gray and Orange

A big thanks to the sun for coming out to shine today!!!  We totally needed the rain, and I LOVE a good rainy day, but the colors on the trees look AMAZING when the sun hits them.  Honestly one of these days I'm going to go off the road with all my leaf peeping.

This card is a combo of the cloudy weather we've had and the colorful leaves all around. :) I am still crushing on this ribbon I made.  A couple weekends ago I went nuts with dyes and created another 9 or so versions in pinks, greens, springtime Monet-style multi-colored ribbon, and a wicked cool version that looks like an autumn tree in full blaze (can't wait to come up with something for that!)

The plan today is to go visit a friend's studio up in Lowell.  It is in an old factory and the whole place has been hosting an Open House all weekend.  I can't wait to see everything and get inspired!!! It also looks to be a good ride with leaf-peeping opportunities (fingers-crossed I stay on the road! LOL!)

Happy Creating!

Halloween- Getting Ready!

Halloween is such a fun day to decorate for and celebrate.  A chance to see neighbors (and the kiddos), great excuse to eat candy, opportunity to play dress up/ dream up creative costumes, and to test your fears with "scary" decorations.  It's also the time to create cards with wacky color schemes (at least wacky for me!).  I got some great goodies I had ordered from MFT this past week and HAD to use them- they were burning a hole in my pocket ya know. :)

I shopped my stash for most of the goods, so I don't know where the spiderweb paper or the blue night sky paper is from (some paper pad from ages ago is all I can tell ya).  The card base is
jack o' lantern (Memory Box), the green dot is distressed key lime (Memory Box), the sentiment is Amuse, the jack o' lantern is a die (MFT), and the felt is Orange Fizz (MFT).

I've been so inspired by the cards, decorations, and costumes posted in Blogland the last couple of weeks!  What has been your favorite discovery?  Please share, 'cause I LOVE blog stalking inspiration. LOL!

I've carved this little guy and set him out here:
Catered Crop- Knot now
Ribbon Carousel- Fall into Fall
PaperPlay- Choose a Holiday
DL.ART- Halloween/Fall colors

Box of Posies

Remember how I said that one of the secretaries at my school gave me bunch of crafty goodies way back in the winter?  Remember how I said that I still haven't given her a thank you?  She's LEAVING!!!!  Her position got cut from our budget for next year.  I really don't know how we are going to get along with only one secretary and I feel so bad for the gal who will be running everything all alone!

Luckily the gal who is leaving got a job in another school.  There is a secretary who is retiring over vacation week (next week), which is great- BUT that means we are losing a secretary now!!!  It also means I need to make sure to give her a little thank you before she heads off to the other school. :)  This little card set makes me think of her cause it is such happy colors!

The box is Bazzill orange as a base make the same as this one.  The cards are stamped with a Penny Black image on the SU cardstock she had given me as part of the goodie bag.  The images are colored with the copics above- the one you can't read is Y07.  The colored image is mounted it on MME Bloom and Grow paper- I used the scraps to make this.

***Edit I gave it to her this morning and she LOVED it!!! :)

I've boxed this set and headed here:
CMC Copic Challenge- Spring Pretties
Twisted Tuesday- You never promised me a rose garden
colourQ- #132 (image below)

Orange You Glad

It's Friday!  No school today so I'm enjoying a cuppa while I surf blogland. :)  Thought I'd share a pretty bouquet and card that kinda coordinates.  Think I am on an orange kick lately.

A couple weeks ago a friend and I took a MFT class from this great gal Katie.  One of the stamps we used was this little bunny- Sooooooo uber cute!  Of course she had come home with me to join my other MFT stamps. :)

Remember that box o' cherries set?  Well there is an orange one in the works (sneak peek below) and some scraps were hanging out on my table.  Those little pieces (MME Bloom and Grow "grow") were already cut in such fun widths and patterns!  Mounted on the kraft card base, they made for a fun backdrop for the orange bunny (MME Fine and Dandy "tickled pink" 6x6 pad).  Bunny was pop dotted and mounted on a rectangle of green/white patterned paper (We R Memory Keepers-Cotton Tail)

I adore hyacinths, but you forget how potent they are!  This bouquet is downstairs in the powder room and I can smell it all the way upstairs whilst I am in bed!!!

Here is the sneaky-peeky of the orange box set I am working on.  More finished pics coming next week!

I've hippity-hopped here with this creation:
Kraft Journal- Easter or Spring
My Crafty Spot- Easter
Hookedoncraft- Easter

Adore You

Pin It

I bought this yummy paper and have been staring at it for about two weeks.  Finally I got up the courage to cut it up and I'm so tickled that I did!  Not only can it count towards being a valentine, but I made it using some not-so-traditional colors.  Yeah me for thinking outside the box!

It's BG paper, so I don't want to mess up when I use it 'cause then I feel like I wasted "the good stuff"!  This is even better than the card I had pictured in my head- seriously that NEVER seems to happen.  Gosh if it looks even half as good as what I pictured I'm over the moon most of the time. :)  Even more awesome- this was a 10 minute card- if that!!  From start to finish it was just a matter of cut 'n paste.  A little stamping on the kraft base, glue, die cut, tie a ribbon and D-O-N-E done! 

The card base (kraft), ticket die (index card), and stamped trees (birch trees) on the base are all from Memory Box.  The ribbon is Bo Bunny and the pattern paper is Basic Grey (Piccadilly)- the green it is mounted on is the reverse side.  The orange mat for the ticket is Bazzill (I think) and the glittery sentiment paper is actually already on printed paper from My Minds Eye (lost and found).

I'm playing with all these folks that I adore so much:
The Spotted Chick- Krafty Thursday
Basic Grey Challenges- Favorite Things- (mine are dies)
For Your Inspiration- This pic

Well I hope you enjoyed this folks! I've got some fun valentine projects getting posted this week and some more Christmas cards.  So far, so good on my resolution!  How are all of you doing on your resolutions?

Trick or Eeek!

When I was a kid I was terrified of spiders.  I know, I know, not an uncommon childhood fear.  As I have grown up (I only commit to sorta having grown up!!!), I've noticed that I kinda like them now.  I said KINDA.  I'm not running out to buy one as a pet or anything, but gosh they are helpful in getting rid of the insects I can't stand- even kinda.

This kinda like thing I noticed in the last couple of years.  I have something like 6 or 7 spider stamps like the one I used on this card.  I have the prettiest spider pin I love to wear all year, but especially this time of year and I have a giant metal daddy long legs (Fluffy) that I use as a class mascot.

Maybe it is just a self preservation kinda thing.  What with working in a school and having a large portion of my students being 7 year-old boys, you can't show fear of creepy crawlies or you'll find them in places you don't want to see them. :)  Or maybe it is just a control thing and not wanting to be afraid of something SO much smaller than me.  A couple years back a friend who was a psych major said exposure therapy is the best way to overcome fears.  That year I decided to pet the tarantula that the "animal guy" who came to the school for a PTA special was showing the kids.  Honestly I after learning about the little fuzzy arachnid, I was more afraid of hurting her when I "pet" her than anything else. 

So anywho, thought I'd share this fun and simple card with y'all today and ask you what fear have you overcome?

Thinking of others

Here's another card I made using the goody bag from the PTI convention.  I *heart* BG as much as I *heart* PTI, so it was fun to combine the two!

The BG paper parts have been sitting waiting for me to use them for like a year.  They were left over from other projects, but the colors are one of my fav combos so I couldn't bear to toss them.

Another sympathy card, so I kept it CAS.  The doily die is from MFT and I think it really gives a nice focal point for this kind of card.   Hope I don't have to use it anytime soon.

Things are going well for the corgi and I'll post an update in Cad tomorrow!

You Lean & I'll Lean

Quick little post today, as I should be packing for our Anniversary trip! :D  We're headed to Quebec City tomorow for our first visit to New Paris.  Maybe we'll get to see Wills and Kate too. :)  Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends!!!

My DH and I are celebrating 10 married years together this July 4th (17 if you count the dating years)!  This sentiment seems apropos of our observance. :)

The black 'n white striped paper was an old one I had that I stamped some orange butterflies and green leafy vines to spice it up and make my own DP.  I got the idea from my uber creative friend Angela.  She taught a bunch of us how to make better use of all our paper that we're "just not that into" anymore a wee bit ago.  The striped-with-more paper is my creative version from when I experimented at home. :)

I've planted the seeds for this card here:
Shabby Tea Room- My Favorite Things (my version of the DP)
My Mum's Craft Shop- Something Old, Something New (the paper was old, but I made it new)
Stampin' for the Weekend- My Favorite Things (my version of the DP)
Truly Scrumptious- Things with wings (the butterfly stick pin)

Hyacinth Trio

Quick post today. I'm glued to the TV watching the Boston Marathon! If you remember it starts right outside my school in Hopkinton and I'm so excited to see what will happen this year.

This pic is from last year's prep.  Good Luck Runners!

Fun flower trio here using the old marker-to-rubber technique I forgot I knew how to do!  I used stickers for the background embellie, Stickles on the flowers to give them spark, and lots of foam tape to give a little more dimension.

Things are blossoming with these cards here:
TotallyPaperCrafts- Spring
My Time to Craft- Spots
Little Red Wagon- Easter
Pals Paper Arts- Flowers
Drunken Stampers- Technology Sucks


Enjoy!

It's no robin, it's a turkey!

I'm finally done with my jury duty obligations.  What an inspiring, exhausting, anxiety inducing, and wonderful bonding experience. 

Since that experience was so intense and exhausting, I haven't created much this past week.  I snapped this pick on Monday morning as I headed out to court.  It seemed a little fallish so I was inspired to share the Thanksgiving card I made for the "Old School Tweet" basket my cousin is putting together for her high school auction.  I know, I know.  A little early to be thinking of fall holidays when we haven't even hit the spring ones yet. LOL!

Fun little card & envie pair.  Hope the combo of all the feathered friends cards brings in the dough at auction. :)

I'd give more deets, but all I know is the image and base are Amuse.  The chrysanthemum paper is PTI and I colored with Copics.  The rest was in the scrap pile!

I hope to share some jewelry I made last weekend in tomorrow's post!  

Hugs to all of you,

Happy Harvest

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Hope you have most all you need for tomorrows feast (let's face it, all of us forgot something and have at least one more trip to the market in the very near future).  We have a 1/2 day for students and staff today and I have pie baking on the docket this afternoon.  I hope to be elbow deep in pecans by 1pm.  We'll see how close I get. :)     

I was going for a layered look here.  This got mailed off to some family this past weekend along with this, this, and one like this. It's a Thanksgiving miracle!  My family got cards BEFORE the holiday. LOL!

This image & sentiment is from PTI, the brown paper is BB, and the other "stuff" is from my assorted stash piles.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good night!