handmade cass

I wanted to make Valentine's Day cards for my kids and turned it into a personal challenge to use some older supplies. (I'm not afraid to admit that I love collecting craft supplies even more than I love using them.) It's hard to remember but I'm pretty sure I had all of these things before having kids, which makes them at least 10 years old. Patterned paper is one of those things that I have way too much of and should never buy more of. However, my tastes have totally changed since I started paper crafting. I used to love Basic Grey and their heavily distressed patterns. Now I lean more cute or clean and simple (think Lawn Fawn). This Basic Grey "Oh Baby Girl" collection was unopened, and perfect for fussy cutting some stamped letters. Last week I was really inspired by Jennifer McGuire's video about pattern paper piecing. Isn't it funny how I tried so hard to conserve every last bit of this paper when it has just been sitting on a shelf for t...

I'm done! I am so happy to have all of my Christmas cards in the mail and I love the way they turned out. I didn't have to buy any new materials (aside from the postage and photo prints) and got to use some supplies that I really love. Hooray!  They were done on December 1st but it took me a few days to get photos.   I wanted to use clear envelopes without mailing labels, so I needed to address the dark purple metallic paper that was the card backing. Originally, I tried using copper ink and pens to tie in with the copper metallic thread I used, but the white stood out much better. The return address was stamped with Hero Arts Unicorn White Pigment Ink and then embossed with WOW Super Fine White Embossing Powder. I had to learn the hard way that the white pigment ink never dried on the metallic paper. My Christmas cards evolved a bit from the sketch I made a few months back . After I started die-cutting all the layers and did a test version, I streamlined the process ...

This is the year I promised myself I would start making handmade Christmas cards again. And since it has been years since I have attempted it (4 years since I made these honeycomb Christmas tree cards ) I have a really complicated idea for what I want to accomplish. It is a book style card, with layers and a pocket inside for a photo. I have it sketched out and have a month and a half to get all 51 cards finished up. So far, I have the Lawn Fawn trees stamped on Basic Grey paper (Copic colored trunks) and they are waiting to be fussy cut. Ironically, I think it is going to be more difficult to get a good photo of my two kids to include than to finish all of these labor intensive cards. If you need me anytime soon, I'll be working on these! 

I just got the new Hero Arts Sleeping Fox stamp , and I am pretty excited about it. I fell in love with it and had to have it. But then I didn't know what to do with it once I got home. Does that happen to anyone else? After seeing the Hero Arts Holiday Card Challenge I forced myself to make something. Anything. I had seen a series of white monochromatic Christmas cards that I really liked, so I used that as my starting point. One Christmas card done. Check that off the list! Supplies : cardstock - Neenah Solar White, Limba Wood Grain, Stardream stamp - Lia Griffith by Hero Arts ink - Stampin' Up letter stickers - Basic Grey glitter - Stickles, Wink of Stella Brush paper doily vintage dictionary paper

My husband needed to send a few thank you cards and he requested something a little less cutesy than the last one I made . I have had this starry background stamp from Hero Arts for a long time and was so excited to use it! I did some ombre stamping with Stampin' Up ink and love the results. And I also managed to mess up the embossing on the second card so I had to add another layer. I even tried using the EK powder tool this time. Embossing gets me every time... Supplies : stamps - Basic Grey by Hero Arts, Lawn Fawn, Stampin' Up dies - Lawn Fawn ink - Stampin' Up patterned paper - Memory Box, Webster's Pages embossing powder - Stampendous powder tool - EK Success markers - Copic

I was really glad that Craft Critique was re-launched right before the CHA Winter 2013 show, because the timing was perfect for me to attend as a reporter.  It is such a special conference for any crafter to attend - full of all the latest and greatest products, tons of inspiration and projects, and even some celebrity crafters.  Here is just a small portion of what I saw.  At CHA I made a beeline to the American Crafts booth to check out the new Amy Tangerine line " Yes Please".   LOVE the new stitching kit from the "Yes Please" line.  This set has chevrons too!  Amy was doing a make and take project, so we could test out the stitching kit.   Loved the Amy Tangerine travel kit that I have seen online.  Perfect for vacation mini books! Smitten with the colors and patterns in "Lucky Charm" from Dear Lizzy and American Crafts. My favorite color is glitter.  And I can't believe how awesome the POW glitter paper is...

Happy World Card Making Day to all my fellow paper crafters!  I had lots of fun catching up on all my favorite craft blogs yesterday and even spent a little bit of time finishing up some cards.  I had a couple already started from an afternoon of chatting and crafting with a friend. And I kept my supply list simple because I have been getting too distracted if I allow myself to use anything and everything. Supplies: Cardstock, stickers - American Crafts, City Park collection Thickers stickers - American Crafts Alphabet stickers - Basic Grey Stamp set - Kelly Purkey for Simon Says Stamps

I have been trying to do a couple lists every month in my Book of Lists (Smash Book).  There are a lot that are more like journaling and too personal for me to share here.  But a while back I decided to come up with a top 10 travel wish list...just the first 10 that popped into my head.  I thought it was fun so I asked my husband to do the same thing. It was hard for him not to overthink it. And in the end we had a few in common.  New Zealand, Glacier National Park, and Northern Lights (probably in Alaska) - go big or go home, right?  Time to get started planning a vacation! Supplies Book, list prompts, and pen: Smash Book by EK Letter Stickers: Basic Grey Washi Tape: Target  I'm also having lots of fun including some Polariod pictures in my book.  I have the Polaroid z340 instant digital camera .  The prints aren't top notch, but it is so fun to have the instant print that I don't care one bit.  And my daughter is absolutely amazed...