Making Cards Again....

Back when I started this blog, I posted a 'Card of the Week'. Each and every week for almost a year and a half, I made a card - sometimes more than one - and shared it in this space. It was so much fun, and such a fun challenge for myself.

Then I needed a break. My work schedule changed and suddenly making a weekly card became a little stressful...and who needs that when it comes to a hobby? Plus, I felt like I was running out of fresh design ideas. So I stopped.

Over the last few months I have made some cards as part of my work for The Memory Nest Design Team (see here, here, here, and here) and I have really enjoyed myself. I realized how much I have missed card making, and how much I want to do more of it.

So one night last week I put on some classic Sheryl Crow and made these cards. Do you listen to music when you are scrapping?

I had so much fun.

And I am happy to announce that I am back in the card making saddle....maybe not every week, because you know, everyday life can be a tad demanding at times, but I am excited to keep up my momentum and make more cards using all the new ideas I have.

It has been so refreshing to come back to card making after my hiatus, I guess sometimes I just need a break. Have you ever taken a break from a hobby only to come back to it more excited than ever?

(P.S. I just have to mention that this blog post is somewhat of a milestone - my 300th post! I am a little proud of this and may just buy myself a cafe mocha today to celebrate.)

Card of the Week: Christmas Cards (4)

I have a few more Christmas cards to show you today. These ones were made with Bella Blvd.'s Christmas Countdown line (the same line I used for yesterday's layout).

This last card (below) was both a lot of fun and a challenge to make. I punched all the circles out using my Fiskars circle punches and then tried to lay them out in a random pattern on the card. Designing a random pattern that looks balanced while not too cluttered is a lot harder than you might think. I did a lot of fussing about and adjusting while making this card, but in the end I have to say that I am happy with the result.

I can not believe how quickly Christmas is approaching! How are all your preparations coming along? Have you made any Christmas cards? 

Card of the Week: Christmas Cards (3)

Saturday night, after the girls were in bed, I put on my cozy pajamas and fuzzy socks and sat down at my craft table to make a few more Christmas cards.

Using just the scraps from the other cards I have made with the Simple Stories December Documented line (see here and here) I made these two cards:

This is exactly why I cannot throw scraps of paper in the garbage, no matter how small they are: I made two beautiful cards from just the leftover bits and pieces....

Now I can hardly claim the idea for these strip Christmas tree cards as my own, as this design is everywhere. And now I know why, these are so fun to make.

I knew I would drive myself bonkers if I tried to make all the strips straight, so I angled all the pieces purposely.

And that was my Saturday night – cozy and comfortable while making cards.  That’s what I call a good night in.

Card of the Week: Christmas Cards (2)

I'm back again this week with a few more Christmas cards that I made using paper and embellishments from Simple Stories.

To see the other Christmas cards that I have made with this paper line click here.

And please come back next week to see more Christmas cards....because as far as card making goes, I am focused on Christmas from now until the big day. So fun!

Card of the Week: Christmas Cards (1)

I have a few Christmas cards to show you today. I used the 6x6 paper pad from Simple Stories and the coordinating chipboard stickers to make these cards.

Making these cards has really put me in the mood for Christmas. I am really looking forward to the holidays this year - the gatherings, the food, the gifts, the decorating. Can't wait to enjoy this magical time of year with my family.

I'll have a few more cards to show you next week, and every week until Christmas. I've got a lot of pretty paper to work with which is providing me with lots of inspiration.

Thanks for stopping in and I hope all your holiday preparations are going well.

Card of the Week: Let the Christmas Card Making Begin

Well the time has come, the time to start making Christmas cards. I am really looking forward to getting at it this year.

I have two cards to show you today:

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Echo Park; Cardstock: Bazzill; Border Punch: Fiskars; Snowflake: purchased from and cut with Silhouette; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots, 3D Foam Squares

My Christmas stash was really sparse after all the Christmas layouts that I have done lately, but lucky for me I was at a Scrapbooking Garage Sale (otherwise known as "The Happiest Place on Earth") this weekend and scored some incredible deals on Christmas products.

Let the Christmas card making begin....

BOO!

To celebrate Halloween later this week, I made this cute little card:

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: American Crafts; Cardstock: Bazzill; "Boo" Sticker: American Crafts; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

Hope everyone has a fun time trick-or-treating!

Four Fall Cards

This week's crafty challenge over at The Memory Nest is a color and theme challenge.

This is the color palette:

And the theme is Fall.

I made four cards using paper from Echo Park. It was the perfect paper for this challenge.

With Thanksgiving being in the Fall, I made two thank you cards:

One card to wish a happy fall:

And one very subdued, non-spooky Halloween card. 

The work of the other Design Team members can be seen over at The Memory Nest. 

Card of the Week: Thanksgiving Thank You

This weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving so I thought it would be fitting to make a thank you card:

For this card I used beautiful fall themed paper from Bella Blvd., textured cardstock, die cut leaves, and a sentiment sticker from Jillibean Soup:

We had a fantastic weekend full of family, delicious dinners, and beautiful autumn weather....for all of this and more, I am so very thankful. 

Card of the Week: Cupcake Happy Birthday Cards

Today I have three fun cupcake birthday cards to show you. Same papers, but different designs.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Bella Blvd; Cardstock: Bazzill; Border Punch: Fiskars; Washi Tape: my stash; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, 3D Foam Squares

I think they are so fun. Perfect for a child's birthday or for a cupcake loving adult.

Love these cards? I'll be listing them in my shop.

Card of the Week: Four Thank You Cards

Good Morning everyone! I am so excited about this week's 'card of the week' post because I get to show you a card project that I have been meaning to do for some time now and finally got around to this past week.

I have quite a bit of paper from the Basic Grey Porcelain Collection (not sure where it came from) and thought that it would look lovely made up into a set of coordinating thank you cards.

What do you think? I think they are so pretty. And nothing is more special than giving someone a handmade thank you card.  

Card of the Week: Christmas Dots

After a few weeks off, I am back today with another card of the week, this time a Christmas card. Yes, I realize that it is only September, and I for one am not keen on seeing Christmas things in the stores months ahead of the Holidays, but I have been busily working on my scrapbook pages from Christmas 2012 and had some scraps laying around that just begged to be made into a card. Can't fight that.

Nothing too fancy, just some funky Christmas dots.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Bella Blvd.; Cardstock: Bazzill; Circle & Border Punch: Fiskars; Sentiment Sticker: Bella Blvd.; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

And it doesn't hurt that I have a Christmas card all ready to go....one less to make during the busy Christmas season.

Card of the Week: Summer Smiles

With summer coming to an end much faster than I would like it to, I was inspired to make a Summer card this week.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup; Die Cuts: Jillibean Soup; Flower: my craft stash; Border Punch: Fiskars; Corner Rounder: EK Success; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

I have never really known what to do with this paper, the one with the bathing suits on the clothesline that is. It never worked well on a layout for me, but on this card it works perfectly. It's really cute and I am glad that I found a place to use it.

Sending you all summer smiles as you finish off this amazing season. Thanks for visiting.

Card of the Week: Funky Hello

Last week I had so much fun using my leftover bits from Glitz's Yours Truly line to make this card, that I decided to use my scraps from Glitz's Cashmere Dame line to make this week's card.

A funky little card to say 'hello".

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Glitz; Flower: Prima; Button: Basic Grey; Stickers: Glitz; Circle & Arrow Punch: Fiskars, Floss: my craft stash, Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots, 3D Foam Squares

I have a hard time throwing paper in the trash and cards are an awesome way to use up even the smallest bits. Anyone else do this too?

Card of the Week: Always Follow Your Heart

For this week's card I decided to use some of the leftovers I have from Glitz's Yours Truly line. I first used this paper when I made this layout, but did not get to use any of the awesome coordinating stickers. To make this card I used strips of patterned paper and one of the stickers.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Glitz; Sticker: Glitz; Small Hearts: punched with my daughters' craft punch; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, 3D Foam Squares

In keeping with the distressed look of the patterned paper, I sanded the edges of my card.

I love the unusual and unexpected patterned paper in this line.

Card of the Week: The Same Yet Different

This week's card is the same as the card that I made my Dad for his birthday a few weeks back except that I used different paper. The paper is from Jillibean soup, of course.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup; Butterfly: Jillibean Soup; Rub-On Sentiment: my stash; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

Same design (which I really like), yet different paper, makes for a completely new card. A sweet little card that would be so simple to make multiples of.

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

Card of the Week: Happy Birthday Claire

On Saturday Claire turned four years old. How is it possible that my baby is four? How is she such a big girl already, a girl who is watching and learning from the world around her every day?

And she is watching, something I learned again to be true at her birthday party.

Rewind to Friday. I had spent the day chopping vegetables up for salads and for a veggie tray, making dips, and generally getting things ready for the party. After the girls were in bed, I was so tired….but I still had not made a birthday card for Claire. I should not have left it to the last minute, but it had been a busy week as well, and it just sort of happened that way. As I sat at my craft table trying to come up with a design, I thought to myself “Maybe I won’t bother making a card, she is only four, she won’t even notice.” But something, maybe knowing that I had made cards for her and her sister every other year and would be bothered by a missing year, made me press on and come up with this card for my sweet little girl.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Buttons: Making Memories; Twine: We R Memory Keepers; Rhinestones: Recollections; Border Punch: Fiskars; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

When Claire opened up the envelope at the party and saw her card, her eyes widened and she exclaimed “Oh Mommy, did you make this card for me…thank you”. For me, it was the best moment of the afternoon.

Claire has seen me make and give cards to so many people and was so thrilled to have one made for her. She watched as others enjoyed the cards that I had made for them and now she had one of her own. And even though she quickly moved on to ripping the paper off her present, I saw a glimpse of her loving and appreciating the handmade, something that I have hoped to instill in my girls.

She is watching, she saw me create for others and her little heart was touched that I had made something for her. Precious.

Happy 4th Birthday Claire!

Card of the Week: Happy Birthday Dad

This weekend we celebrated my Dad's birthday. I made him this card.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Lily Bee Design; Cardstock: Bazzill; Rub-On Sentiment: my stash; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

Like I did last week, I added some stitching to my card - such a fun detail, I am very glad that I rediscovered this technique.

My Dad had a great birthday. We had a BBQ, which he loves, and spent the afternoon together with the whole family chatting and laughing.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Card of the Week: Jillibean Soup Happy Birthday Card

Inspired by this sketch and using some of the awesome Jillibean Soup paper that I have in my stash, I created this card.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup; Cardstock: Bazzill; Twine: We R Memory Keepers; Flower: Prima; Brad: Making Memories; Sentiment Rub-On: my stash; Border Punch: Fiskars; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

I added a little bit of sewing to this card, something I have not done in awhile. I love how it gives the tag some dimension - such a fun detail.

Card of the Week: Thank You Teacher

This is the last week of school for my daughter Bridget. So naturally I made a thank you card for her to give to her teacher.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: my paper stash; Cardstock: Bazzill; Border Punch: Fiskars; Apple: cut with Silhouette; Sentiment: Pebbles; Rub-On Pencil: Basic Grey; Paper Clip: junk drawer; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

Bridget had a fantastic year in Grade One, and what better way to say thanks to her teacher than with a card covered in bookworms. It really is quite fitting as Bridget has fallen completely in love with reading over the course of this year. She reads constantly and we are incredibly proud of her.

Did you notice the punched border on the bookworm paper? Don't you just love that it makes the paper look as if it was torn from a notebook? I bought this punch specifically for school themed projects and was so excited to use it on this card.

I am going to let Bridget write her own note to her teacher and I can not wait to read what she has to say. I also have a gift for her teacher that I finished making this weekend...I'll show you that later in the week.

Oh, I can not wait for school to be out, and for the carefree, fun days of summer to begin.