Happy Birthday to my sweet granddaughter...

Today, my granddaughter turns 8 and she was very excited about her birthday party when I talked to her this morning. She lives on the West Coast, so we are unable to join in on the festivities, but we've been thinking about her and wishing her a happy, happy day.

Here's the card I made for her:

The image is a digi-stamp from Cuddlebug Cuties called Patchwork Kit, and I colored it with my ProMarkers. I added a couple of Precious Hearts die-cuts by Memory Box.  The circular stamp on the lower right was a freebie that I got a long time ago, and this is the first time I've used it. I cut the 8 with my Cricut, but I don't recall which cartridge I used.

My granddaughter told me this morning that she was having a sleep-over party. I remember those days! Sleep-overs usually mean a lot less sleep for the parents! Kids are always so excited that they stay up late and get up early. I'm hoping they can all get a nap tomorrow afternoon.

On the inside of my card, I added a couple of mats and some pretty butterflies. I glued down only the bodies of the butterflies so that I could lift up the wings for a little dimension. My sentiment is computer-generated.

Today my DH and I attended the St. Paul (MN) Winter Carnival. It was the warmest Winter Carnival I can remember. In fact, it was so warm that, instead of snow, there was a light rain. We watched an hour-long parade, which made me truly appreciate the warm weather.

Even the ice sculptures had not yet been carved. We think they're waiting for colder weather so that they don't melt away. The Carnival continues for a few more days with the ice sculpture contest and a few more activities.

The first Winter Carnival took place in 1886 as a means of attracting people to Minnesota in the winter. Ha! I'm not sure it was all that affective. Thousands of Minnesotans continue to go to warmer climes at this time of year.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Wool you be mine?...

I've been busy making Valentines, and here's one for a young granddaughter.

Please excuse the somewhat blurry, wonky photos. Guess my hand wasn't too steady today, and I just don't want to retake them tomorrow. Ever feel like that? I can see in this photo that I definitely could have put my fence on straighter, too, but I don't think my little granddaughter will even notice.

My little lamb was one of a set of stamps that I got a VERY long time ago - long before I ever started blogging. So, I've thrown the packaging away and have no idea who the manufacturer is. I do think she's cute, though!

My fence is a die by Darice, the flowers were cut with an old Cuttlebug die and the cloud is a die from Impression Obsession.

I added lots of layers to my lamb, popping each one up on some double-sided foam tape. Layering like this adds so much dimension.

I've added a little pink bow made from crochet thread.

And don't you love those googly eyes? Every girl lamb should have a little eye shadow on, don't you think? I also gave her some shading with a few different shades of gray ProMarkers.

The little hearts above her head were punched out with a tiny Studio G punch.

The inside of my card is very plain, but I will add a personal note. The sentiments here and on the front were computer-generated.

Well, I attended my first Tai Chi class on Monday, and I LOVED IT! The movements even made some of my muscles kind of sore for a day, so I know it's making me use some muscles that haven't been used for a while - which is good! The teacher is great. She's a Physical Therapist by trade, so she knows what she's doing. I'm so anxious to go back for class no. 2. I'm going to watch some videos on YouTube, as well, to help me remember the different motions and forms.

If you ever get a chance to take Tai Chi, you should do it. It's great!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day
Cheryl

An early start on 2016 Christmas cards...

I've managed to make a few Christmas cards so that my special box for them doesn't sit there looking empty and forgotten. Here's one that I really like, and it was actually pretty quick to make.

I used a Cottage Cutz Petites die called "Bells." I cut my bells from some shiny, textured gold cardstock and backed them with a matte-finish gold cardstock. I also cut the ribbon portion of the die from some red CS and layered it over the top of the gold.

I coated my ribbon with some Wink of Stella clear glitter and put a little red gem where the knot would be. The little pine branches behind my bells were made with a Martha Stewart punch

My sentiment is from Jilli Bean Soup. After stamping it in Versamark, I carefully poured red embossing powder over the word "Joy" and some green powder over the rest. I just had to be really careful, but as you can see - it worked!

On the inside of my card, I added a little strip of my DSP that was matted with some of my kraft CS. A couple more pine branches were added to finish it off.

I'm planning on making some more of these cards - at least 10 of them. I really like the bright colors, the little gold bells and the two-toned sentiment. They'll also go through the mail with no extra postage.

On Monday I start a Tai Chi class, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll let you know how I like it in my next post.

I hope you are having a great weekend, filled with moments of joy. If you were in the path of that awful winter storm, I hope you have stayed safe and warm.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Vintage (sort of) card...

For this card, I used my brayer to ink up 1/2 of an embossing folder with some burgundy ink that matches my card base. Then I carefully inserted my piece of cardstock and ran it through my Cuttlebug.

I really quite like the effect. The ink didn't cover all of the depressed paper, but it really helped define the doily images in the embossing folder and gave a nice "vintage" look to my card.

 

 

My sentiment label is one from the Spellbinders Sapphire Simply Tags die set. I like this set of dies because each label die has a separate center piece die on which you can stamp your sentiment. It's perfect for a two-color combination like I've used here. This particular die also has slits on either side so that I can thread my ribbon through it.

 

I also wanted to add some pearls on either side of my sentiment. I didn't have any off-white ones, so I simply used a light brown alcohol marker (ProMarker) to color two little white pearl clusters. They ended up being the perfect color!

 

I left this card blank inside (I only added an off-white liner) so that I can add a personal note before I send it.

 

I am continuing to play with my Cameo, and I'll have some projects to show you soon. I'm not sure how much I'll get done this weekend, though, as the weather is supposed to be very nice in my neck of the woods. I may want to get out of the house and do something fun!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

 

 

A couple of CAS cards for my stash...

I've continued playing with my Cameo and here are a couple of cards that I came up with, using a floral image from the Silhouette Store.

These cards were so quick and easy. The sentiments that I used were from a stamp set by Jilli Bean Soup. I love this set with its combination of large script words with simple font beneath.

For the first card, I cut the flowers at about 2 inches in diameter. The stems and leaves were cut with a Spellbinders flower die, which was a die for the entire flower. I simply "beheaded" the flower and used the stem and leaf. Sounds awfully cruel of me, doesn't it?

I quite liked the effect of overlapping the flowers a bit. To adhere them tightly, I used some strong spray adhesive. I thought this would be the best thing to keep them on the card front.

On my second card, I increased the size of my flower heads to about 3.5". Once I had adhered them to each corner with the spray adhesive, I cut off the excess.

But you know how spray adhesive can stay tacky for quite a while? I didn't want to gum up my scissor, so before I cut off the excess, I sprinkled it with baby powder. This did the trick!

This one seemed rather plain to me, so I added a few coordinating sequins. I'm still not sure that was a good idea, but what's done is done. They're glued on tight!!

Here's one last look at both cards. All in all, I was pleased how they turned out.

Yesterday I volunteered at the thrift shop where I buy some of my craft supplies from time to time. It is run by a church and the money that is earned is used to help pay for their community outreach programs, like their food shelf. It was great fun, and I really enjoy the people who work and volunteer there. I'm looking forward to going back and helping out every Thursday.

I've also signed up for a photo editing class in February. Hopefully, I'll learn a few tricks to editing the {pretty awful} photos I take of my cards.

We're going to get another cold blast here this week, so I plan to stay huddled in my craft room. I certainly hope I accomplish something more than "huddling." ha ha

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

A cute little robot Valentine...

This little robot Valentine image came from the Silhouette Store. It was just so cute that I couldn't resist getting it.

It's a print and cut file (so easy!). I cut it out twice so that I could cut up one of the images to add extra layers to parts of my robot. Her face, balloon, dress and shoes are all double layers that have been popped up on foam tape.

From this angled shot, you can see my layers. The whole image was attached to the card with foam tape and then my extra layers were added, also with foam tape, giving lots of dimension.

Do you see how beautifully the Cameo cut out that skinny balloon string? I was amazed at the accuracy of the cuts and how cleanly they were made. I had no problem taking it off the mat - no tearing, no problems of any kind!

FYI - it says "Be My Valentine" on her balloon. I know it's hard to read in the photos, but it is clearer IRL.

On the inside (which I haven't finished yet), it will say, "I'm nuts {and bolts} about you!"

Here's a close-up of my image. I added Glossy Accents to the balloon, her eyes and her shoes. I also added some Wink of Stella to the little bow on her antenna and the collar of her dress.

The pattern across the bottom is a piece of washi tape from a roll that I bought at a museum store a year ago. Who knew you could purchase washi tape at a museum!!

Last night it was so cold that one of our water pipes froze enough to block the water from getting through. We're thankful it didn't crack the pipe. Our house is old (built in 1927), so the plumbing is not all that great. I think we have mitigated our problem, though, with some extra (temporary) insulation. We'll deal with a more permanent solution next summer.

I hope you are comfortably warm wherever you are. Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

I've been in school...

Silhouette School, that is. I've been reading tutorials every day and practicing on my new Cameo. What a fabulous machine! And I've barely scratched the surface of what it can do.

I thought I'd share my very first cut with you today. It was one of the designs that came with the Silhouette Studio software. I didn't have to do anything to the image, other than size it to my liking

Isn't this a cute little treat bag? After having only a basic Cricut, I am LOVING the Silhouette with its 12" mat and incredible design capability.

I heat embossed the sentiment on both the front and back. I also added the little ribbon bow to both sides.

The glittery little heart in the lower right corner was cut out as part of the design. I added a circle of pink cardstock on the inside with a piece of double-sided adhesive. Then I burnished some glitter into the adhesive on the front side





















Along with the little heart cut-outs from the lower right corners (front and back), some larger hearts were cut out to create the handles. I couldn't just throw these heart shapes away, so I created two Valentines that look like this:

My little cupid was heat embossed and my corner die-cuts are by Cheery Lynn. I used the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder and inked the edges to add a little dimension to my heart. I also inked around the edge of my gray and white CS to make it look more finished against the white card blank

I used the small heart cut-out to help dress up the inside of my card.

These cards will probably go to my elderly aunts and uncles. They always seem to appreciate the cards I send them.

I also used my Silhouette to make a child's Valentine, but I'll share that one in another post.



We are bracing here for some sub-zero weather that is supposed to move in tonight. Brrrrr. I am NOT looking forward to it!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day
Cheryl

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #109 - Layer It Up...

I was happy when it was announced that "Layer It Up" would be the theme of our January challenge at Let's Craft and Create. I am not very adept at adding layers to my cards and need all the practice I can get! Here's what I came up with:

I first created a single base layer with two different papers--a flowery DSP for the top and a pale yellow stitched paper for the bottom. I actually taped them together on the backside so that I could also add a piece of grosgrain ribbon across the join, folding each end underneath the papers. I matted this rectangle of papers with a medium pink paper. Then I added a striped layer on top of the bottom half which was given a shaped edge with one of my Lifestyle Crafts dies.

I'm sure you can see that I did a little inking around the edges of the flowered and striped papers.


I added a small banner as another layer and attached a little button that I made with an Impression Obsession die. I love the look of these little buttons. I usually make them with four layers of cardstock to give them some real dimension.

My final two (yup, two!) layers on the front of my card were the floral oval (Spellbinders) with my heat-embossed sentiment (Studio G) and then a second yellow stamped banner to add over the top of the pink one.

Both my sentiment oval and my little banner have been popped up with foam tape. I think you may be able to see that in the photo at left.

On the inside of my card I added another striped layer and a little matted strip across the bottom. My simple "Celebrate" sentiment (Fiskars) was also heat-embossed.

So that is my card for our "Layer It Up" challenge. Now take a look at my awesome teammates' gorgeous creations. You are sure to be inspired to play along.

Eileen

Catherine
Cheryl – that’s me!
Gail
Hazel
Ursula
Maryvonne
Mary
Monika

Magda 

 

Now it's your turn! Time to incorporate some layers into your project and link it up here. You've got an entire month, so get those creative juices flowing and have some fun.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl 





Is it Spring yet?

I've had enough of Winter already, even though we've only had snow for a week now! The older I get, the less I like the cold, snow and ice. While daydreaming about warm sunshine, green grass and flowers, I decided to make a card to match my thoughts.

 



My friend, Taunya, whose blog is called Daisies Girl, sent me some fancy-fold card blanks. This yellow step-card was one of them, and it was perfect for my summery idea.

I used some Sizzix flower dies to create my little flower patch. The grass was made with a Fiskars grass border punch.

Oh, yes, I want to mention that my DSP is from an old (very old) paper pack that I bought years ago at Michael's. It may be a Recollections brand, but I'm not quite sure. I would lay bets that it is no longer available.

Did you notice in my first photo, that I made an envelope to match? I just used a piece of the DSP and put the pattern to the inside.

I bought a Darice picket fence die a couple of months ago, and this was my first time using it. I love this little fence. It adds such a homey feel to any card! It also provided the perfect place to hang my banner (Die-Versions) and to place the "Happy" (Elizabeth Craft) die-cut. I also put a couple snippets of my grass border on either side.

This stamp was one of those that came from the $1.50 bin at Michael's. I always seem to find a stamp or two there whenever I go for something else. And I'm ALWAYS going for something else. he he

On the inside of my card, I stamped this little set of birthday candles. They come from a set that I bought second hand. It didn't have the original packaging, so I've no idea who the manufacturer is. My sentiment is by Stampendous.

Since I used my picket fence die for the first time on this card, I'm entering it in the Dies R Us Challenge #40: Something New.

It's nice to have the holidays done and the house to ourselves again. I'm looking forward to less cooking and more crafting! First on my list is to become proficient on my new Silhouette Cameo. I've been watching videos and reading a lot about the ins and outs of using it. I've decided that I need to upgrade the software to the Designer edition and I also want to buy a Pixscan mat. I told my DH that these items are what I'd like to have for my birthday--which just happens to be at the end of this month! I also ordered a little bit of vinyl (Oracal 651), but I want to get some HTV (heat transfer vinyl) to try working with, as well. I've been reading that most people seem to like Siser HTV, and not the Cricut or Silhouette brands. If you've got any advice for me regarding the Cameo, I'd truly appreciate it if you'd leave me a comment.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl