Merry "Belated" Christmas!

Hello Everyone! It seems like forever since I have shared with you on my blog. This month has been such a whirlwind of magic, excitement, memories & festivities. I hope yours has been just as wonderful!

Today I would like to share with you my Christmas Card creation for family & friends this year. It is a hybrid card if you will...both digital and hand created. The boys had a photo shoot back in September, and I knew right away this is the photo I wanted for the card. I have this overstuffed baroque frame and thought it would be fun to have them peeking through it. It is so fun and playful. As for the the beautiful imagery around the photo, that is from the uber talented Rhonna Farrer. I am absolutely obsessed with her designs...they are so full of details and intricate patterns. I used both the Christmas Junque Pieces Kit as well as the Christmas Word Art Brush Kit. I really hope that Rhonna comes out with this collection in paper /embellishment form like she did with the Daily Junque Collection this last year. That collection has to be one of my favorites. Ever.

As for the card, I basically took the electronic photograph and worked with the digital images to create the card. I printed on matte photo paper, and adhered kraft paper to the back for extra durability. I then printed extra birds with the hats as well as the "merry" flag. I fussy cut around the images and put foam dots under them to give the cards some extra dimension. I mailed them out in clear plastic envelopes. I am a fanatic when it comes to the clear envelopes....great for presentation and mailing....definitely will not go unnoticed! :)

Lastly, I wanted to share with you a picture of my "spooky" Santa as my son calls it. Everyone knows I am a nut for vintage anything, and my mom picked this dude up for me at a local antique store! He is from the early 1950's, from the Rushton Star Company. He looks to be from the same company that created Zippy monkeys. Did any of you ever have one of those sweet little guys? Talk about a blast from the past!

I will be back soon to share with you the calendar I created for Jack's teacher this year.
Have a safe & memorable New Years! May you create lots of wonderful memories! Love, Amy

PS, if you love the fluffy frame as much as I do, they are on sale over at Uncommon Goods! Regularly $50, they have them in purple and hot pink for $30!

I am a winner @ Two Peas & December Madness @ Paper Issues!!!

I am bursting with excitement! I have entered a few challenges in the past over at Two Peas & A Bucket and found out today that I have actually won for the Webster's Pages Challenge! :)

Not only will I receive $50 in Webster's Product, but this calendar is a custom order so that makes me even happier! My client had seen the "Out of Print" birdcage calendar I had done a few months back, and wanted one with more of a nature theme. After seeing Webster's "Botanical Christmas" Collection, I knew it would be perfect. The red bird on the right adds just the right touch I think. I fussy cut the bird out of one of my Cavallini Postcards and attached actual black/white polka dot feathers for extra dimension. There are lots of birdies and I particularly love the 2 little birds in a nest for the #2. :)

I used a wide variety of products to create......Webster's Pages paper, sparkler, bloomer...
Prima paper, lasercut felt...
Tim Holtz Bingo Texture Fade (to create the fab copper #22)... Martha Stewart's daisy fan punch...
American Crafts memento, rub ons, thickers...
Cosmo Cricket chipboard numbers...
Making Memories rub ons...
Maya Road bingo marker...
Girls' Paperie number...
Fancy Pants stamps...
In addition to loads of vintage ephemera...game pieces, rulers, etc...

Now onto the important news!
Paper Issues has a current theme running through Christmas titled "Holiday Madness." What does that mean to you? Please share your fabulous Christmas creations over at Paper Issues and while you are there, be sure to like us on Facebook for your chance to win a super giveaway of American Crafts goodies! Paper Issues is only shy 13 followers to reach the 700 mark on Facebook! Way to go Paper Issues!!!!!

I love you my wonderful friends! Happy December 1st, may the "Holiday Madness" begin! :)
Amy

Thankful For Fall...Family...& Friends...

Hi Everyone! Paper Issues has revealed the newest theme...Thankful For Fall. If you ask me, what a great platform to create from...things that we are truly thankful for and just in time for Thanksgiving, right around the corner!

A family tradition that we started a few years ago is going to Branson, MO for Thanksgiving. With the extended family in tow, we all load up and stay in a huge cabin to accommodate 12 of us. I am truly thankful that we get to spend this memorable time together...watching movies, playing games, eating, shopping, going to the amazing Christmas shows and taking in all the natural beauty that surrounds us. What a perfect way to welcome the Christmas season. :)

As the trip quickly approaches, I thought it would be a nice time to make a card for my mother letting her know how grateful I am for our family. The card I created is not your typical colors when you think of fall is it? My color scheme is totally inspired by Tara Anderson, one of the designers at Crate Paper. She always does monthly color challenges...funky color combinations I typically wouldn't dare to even conjure up in my head. Lately I have been attempting some of her suggested schemes and am truly enjoying it.

For this card, I used a scrap piece of the Crate Paper Farmhouse Farmers Market. I had recently created some cards using one of the Tim Holtz dies, Regal Crest. I decided to cut around the negative scraps, and it looked like a pumpkin to me so I kept it. :) The same holds true for the copper leaf. It was from negative diecuts too. In addition to the pumpkin, I used an In Stitch'z Formal Flourishes template to create my swirls for stitching. I am loving the magenta floss against the Crate Paper Random Denim. I used AC "Forest" Thickers as well as a diecut from Crate's Random Collection. I dug into my older stash of goodies for the metal "family" piece from K&Co's Life's A Journey & the cute 3D acorns are from Anna Griffin.

I hope my card has inspired each of you to get out there and create for what you are truly thankful for. Please be sure to share with us over at Paper Issues. We would love to see your works of art. :)

Not only am I thankful for my family, I am thankful for you my friends!
Thanks for stopping by, and have a fabulous week!
Amy

Happy Halloween from my Barber Shop Boys!!!

These are my little guys, Jack & Sam.  For those that know me, costumes for my kiddos are a huge part of Halloween.  I am always planning them out months in advance.  Since the mustache craze is so big right now, I knew I wanted to incorporate them into the boys' costumes.  Back in July, I saw these straw hats and totally started thinking barber shop quartet.  Since I only have 2 boys (not 4 thank goodness!)  I decided that they could be a barber shop duet.  Yeah, that would work.  After researching the internet long and hard for the accessories, I came accross these adorable red/white striped vests on etsy.  Jennifer of  The Little Dressing Room has impeccable sewing skills.  I absolutely adore the way the vests look and fit my boys.  The polka dot ties are from The Belle & The Beau.  If you have boys, they make the coolest ties for boys in the trendiest fabrics out there.  The costumes were coming together nicely.  Black shoes check.  Black pants check.  White oxfords check.  Red/black arm garters check.  I still needed the much coveted mustaches for the boys.  I kept thinking, what could I use that the boys could deal with and not tug and play with all night?  Paint no.  Furry sticker staches no way.  Black sharpie tried it....smears & toxic.  Then it hit me...temporary tattoos!  Okay, so then I was on the quest to find them.  Shockingly enough they are practically nowhere to be found.  Everything I came accross were the fingerstaches only.  They are tiny tattoos that you place on your index finger and hold up to your lip.  Cute, but not what I needed.  Eventually I came accross Brittany's etsy shop, Love Stitched.  She was so kind to create some larger 2" ones for my kids and they turned out perfectly.  So if you are ever in the market for life size temporary tattoo staches, now you know where to go!

I hope everyone has had a safe Halloween.  My boys have finally drifted off to sleep after their sugar high!
Thanks dearly for stopping by!

Halloween Crows or Bird Clowns?

I have been working on several of these birds over the past few weeks. My little Sam has been watching me create and keeps referring to them as "clown birds" which gives me a chuckle. I guess it is the hat and the ruffles around the neck that might have given him that idea?

The 2 birds on the pedestals (pictured below) I created for my sister & brother. They both have October birthdays so the numbers on the hats represent their ages. I created the bigger bird for myself with the "31" representing Halloween. (Yeah, I wish I was 31 again!)

Basically all the birds started out as a brown resin and I painted them all black to make them look more like crows. I sanded them to give them a distressed look and then added some fun black and polka dot feathers to the tails for added interest. I made the hats from an old art instruction manual and black pom poms. Mine actually has an orange bell at the top that I recently received in a Halloween box swap. For the ruffle I called on my wonderful seemstress mother to create. Basically she layered orange and black crepe paper, straght stitched and then gathered. I really need to start sewing...she made it look so easy! The polka dot ruffles I created out of polka dot cupcake liners! I added some silver Stickles for some extra sparkle. Lastly, I typed on some little kraft banners and attached to the legs.

Other than the Halloween Curiosities Box Swap and these birds I have not done too much crafting this month. Usually this time of year, I am frantically getting ready for the insanely fun Girlie Show but I thought I might take off this year and just enjoy the fall with my kiddos...the mummy & son masquerade ball...the pumpkin patch...the zoo...carving pumpkins...making goodies for school parties...warming up by the fire outside while eating hot stew & s'mores...this has definitely been a fun October for me and my little guys. Time goes by way too fast...sometimes we just have to stop and enjoy the everyday. We have made some fantastic memories over the past few weeks and it makes me so very happy.

I will stop back by tomorrow to share with you the boys' costumes this year. They are always fun to put together. :) Until then, be sure to link your Halloween projects over at Paper Issues through tomorrow. We would love to see what spooky goodies you have to share!

Hello Friend! BINGO Card

So I have this fabulous blogger friend that lives halfway across the United States from me. How I wish I could "hang out" and create with such friends but I know that is a very difficult feat. To show my appreciation for such a dear friend I have never met in person, I wanted to create her a special card. Isn't it interesting how we meet so many people on the web and feel like we know so much about them and haven't even met in person? My how technology has changed our world!

For my "friend" card, I wanted to incorporate both mine and her sense of style and flair. I always like to incorporate vintage into my work...she always has edgy designs and uses lots of fun techniques...together we both incorporate lots of vivid color. With this combination of style, I present to you this BINGO Card. I have never attempted to do misting/masking on any of my work because it honestly scares me. I feel like I have no control of the spray, and once it is there it is there. Do some of you know what I mean? It is sort of like water colors...I have never had much luck with them as a child or even now. I guess I am too much of a planner in my creations and it tends to limit & slow me down. My friend, Michelle truly takes chances and I love that about her. She inspires me to do so in some of my work, so that is why I took a chance on this card. Crazy enough, I am satisfied with the way it turned out. :)

Here is my ecclectic mix of materials I used...
Chipboard Alphas: KI Hip Hop, Cosmo Cricket Vintage Mix, Pink Paislee Weathered Wood
Rub-ons: Kaiser Craft & Hambly
Damask Sticker: Heidi Swapp
Bird Mask: Tattered Angels
Mist: Smooch Spritz (love this lipstick red)
Vintage: bingo card (with funky orange windows), black & cream bingo markers, wooden lotto marker, red button & black polka-dot butterfly brooch

I hope sharing my card will inspire you to "take chances" as well. You might just enjoy the result!
Amy

It's Halloween over @ Paper Issues & "Curiosities" Halloween Box Swap

Paper Issues is celebrating "31 Days of Halloween" this month. All month they will be featuring lots of spooky, cutesy Halloween projects created by YOU! To make it even more enticing, if you link up one of your Halloween projects...you will be entered into the Halloween Mini Kit Giveaway! They will be giving away SIX kits!!! They will announce the winners on October 7, so you still have time to play!

For my initial Halloween creation this year, I decided to participate in Heather's annual Speckled-Egg Petite Inspiration Swap Box, "Curiosities Edition." I am a huge nut for Halloween so I thought it would be fun to do...it totally gets me into the spirit and I get to share some of my vintage lovelies with others. :) I had 2 swap partners, so I created 2 boxes. Both very similar but a little different; taylored to individual tastes.

I covered the boxes in some super creepy "witch" wrap I picked up at the Paper Source. Those eyes on the witches are just downright scary. Don't you think? To give the paper some dimension, I added silver Stickles to the hat buckle. I then made accordian medallions from a super old dictionary. I topped them off with a vintage black bingo marker. Then I tied bakers twine with a cute crepe paper accent from The Girls' Paperie, Toil & Trouble Collection.

As you can see from the photos, I cram packed the boxes with all kinds of vintage goods in the Halloween color palette. From buttons & trims to a little black bird and a vintage owl card, the collection of findings is sure to jump start a fabulous Halloween project or card for my partners. As for the fantastic boxes I received in return, I was floored with all the fun goodies! From a circus font "Happy Halloween" stamp to a black crow, skeletons & felt pumpkins, I got some sweet little gems myself that I am very excited to work with. Thank you dearly Jeanne & Kathy!

If you have never participated in a swap before, I recommend you give it a try at least once. The great part is you make new friends and you get lots of cool treats in return! To see lots of the boxes in the swap, you can check them out over at Flickr.

Don't forget to link up your projects over at Paper Issues and have a festive month. The holiday season is upon us!

The winner of my Blog Hop GIVEAWAY is...

..."Willieburg Scrapper" also know as the infamous Michelle!  Congratulations!  I truly appreciate each and every one of you for stopping by during the Paper Issues Blog Hop.  It was lots of fun, and I hope you were inspired with tons of creativity along the way. 

Speaking of Paper Issues, yesterday Cassie introduced the newest theme/challenge:  Tree Hugger!  What does that mean to you?  Someone that loves nature or perhaps someone that is really into recycling and/or repurposing...the interpretation is totally up to you.  Won't you join us in sharing your Tree Hugger creations?  The featured project might just be yours!  :)

Paper Issues Blog Hop!

Today I am participating in my first ever Blog Hop! Yeah! This hop is so exciting as there are so many talented girls on the Paper Issues Team to share and inspire you with their creative greatness! :) If you are joining me from the fantastic Peg Hewitt's blog, then you are right on track. If not, I encourage you to join the hop starting at the beginning with Paper Issues. There are tons of amazing giveaways/RAKS on many of the blogs so be sure to check them all out for your chance to win! Also during the hop, Paper Issues is offering 25% off your purchase at the Paper Shop!

The creation I am sharing with you today is a little congratulatory gift I gave to my sweet niece, Allison for winning 1st place in a huge soccer tournament last week. It was very intense for her and her team; and they came out on top, victorious! To help her always remember such a special time in her life, I decided to create her a fancy little trophy and card.

As you can see, this is not your typical trophy. I am a huge nut for repurposing old junk and giving it new life. Perhaps that is the "tree hugger" side of me. :) One day I was "junking" at an antique shop and came across a big box of old trophies. I decided to start taking some apart and putting together different components to create my own. The whole thing only cost me $3. The initial look was rather yuck with the brass and old wood, but I definitely transformed it!

Here is a quick how-to on the trophy, in case any of you would like to give it a try. :)

1. Unscrew all the pieces of the trophy.

2. Take the plastic part of the trophy and completely cover in spray adhesive.

3. Pour super fine glitter all over it, and watch the beauty transform. (As you can tell, I am a huge sucker for bling!)

4. Spray a fine coat of fixative over the glitter.

5. Paint the wood base.
6. Create the sentiment with stickers and place on the trophy plate.
7. Make a paper medallion and glue to base of the trophy.
8. Screw all the pieces back together, and voila!

I used lots of materials to create both the trophy and matching card...American Crafts: Honor Roll & Class President Papers from the Teen Collection, Black Glitter Thickers, Making Memories, Jenni Bowlin: Chalkboard Alphas, Maya Road: Black Pleated Ribbon, Glitz Design: Love Games Peek A Boo, Daisy Hill: Acrylic Alphas, Other: hot pink fine glitter, old trophy parts, black paint and scallop punches.

Okay, now onto the fun part: the Giveaway! Since Paper Issues is all about "paper" I purchased this fantastic book, "Deocorating with PaperCraft" by Clare Youngs. The book is filled with absolutely fabulous ideas and how-to's for beautiful paper crafts. You will love it. In addition, I am including other things I love...overlays and of course vintage ephemera to include tickets, game boards, & book plates. I will be drawing the lucky winner on Monday, September 19. To increase your chances of winning, there are several ways...

1. Leave a comment.
2. Follow my blog.

3. Follow Paper Issues!

I hope you have enjoyed the hop so far, and that you will visit again soon! Don't forget to stop by Paper Issues and show them some love! Now onto the extremely talented, Leah Crowe!

Magnetic Lunchboxes!

I have some unusal ideas when it comes to my creative endeavors sometimes. Tonight I would like to share these fun tartan plaid lunchboxes I have altered just a bit. :)

Since it is back-to-school time still, what a perfect opportunity to share this kooky idea with you all! Basically I first found a vintage tartan lunchbox and then later found some newer versions from Restoration Hardware. To create, I stamped a big Fancy Pants flourish stamp onto the lid with white Staz-On ink. It really pops wonderfully against the black/red plaid. To create the magnets, I used lots of Basic Grey June Bug goodies. From the paper & layered stickers, to the felties and brads they were the perfect match for the tartan boxes. All the fun doodads on the lunchboxes are totally magnetic, even the bird! Whether sending darling little girls to school with a sweet note inside attached with one of the magnets, to being a lady with some funky flair, these are great for girls of all ages.
Being a mother of 2 boys, I needed something a bit more masculine. My oldest son, Jack needed one when he started kindergarten. As you can see, his is a little beat up now. Originally it just said Jack with the little Paul Frank monkey at the bottom. Now that he is a little older, I trust him with magnets. I turned these 1" buttons into magnets for him to play around with. I am sure it puts a smile on his face when he opens his lunchbox with a note from mom that says, "my mom thinks I'm rad" on it. Don't you? My little guy, Sam started pre-school a few weeks ago and of course wanted one just like his brother's. Naturally, I made him his own without the magnets. Now he looks like the "little" big man on campus like his brother. :)

On another note, don't forget to share your Learning Curves creations over at Paper Issues! The challenge is still open through Friday, the 15th so you still have time. Also, I am sharing these tartan lunchboxes with Punky Scraps "Tartan" Challenge this week. The inspiration photo is punky funky fabulous, so be sure to check it out! Have a great rest of the week!

Thanks for stopping by!
Amy

Paper Issues "Learning Curve" & Football!

Happy Sunday all my friends! I hope everyone is doing well getting into the groove of fall with the kids starting back-to-school. Paper Issues reveals the newest theme today, "Learning Curve" which is perfectly fitting for this time of year. To me, the first thing that naturally pops into my mind is first day back-to-school photos, school supplies, and everything that comes along with it...cooler weather & football! I live in Norman, Oklahoma which is a huge football town. Known for the competitive football here, the University of Oklahoma resides at the epicenter of the chaos. When the kids start arriving for the fall semester, our town suddenly has 30,000 more residents...the OU college students! Talk about a major transition each fall for the remaining 70,000 of us that are permanent residents of this college town. Hosting 9-10 home football games each season, the whole town is painted varying shades of crimson & cream. As our town prepares for all the exciting madness of it all, I thought it would be fun to create a calendar focusing on football and all it entails.

To create, I have been purchasing/collecting football stamps for months. The outer border of the circle corkboard is covered in lots of different stamps from Hampton Arts, Karen Foster & Fancy Pants. Using black StazOn, it gives each image a crisp clean image. I created the numbers using my 1" button maker and lots of assorted papers from GCD, October Afternoon, Prima, Cosmo Cricket, Graphic 45, Teresa Collins, Pink Paislee, CTMH, Simple Stories, My Mind's Eye, Crate Paper, Basic Grey, Creative Imaginations, 7 Gypsies and some vintage papers. In addition to the paper, I used some stickers and rub-ons from Echo Park, American Crafts, Karen Foster, Hambly, Making Memories & The Paper Studio.

For a fun twist, I created 3 felt pennants for the calendar. These would be used in place of the number on corresponding game days. For those that are big football fans, what a great way to look forward to the big game day cookouts and tailgating parties! If you are interested in creating one of these yourself, I will share with you some quick details on creating these fun little mini pennants. If not for a calendar, they would make great embellishments on a layout or card too.

Mini Pennants Tutorial:1. Stamp directly onto sticky backed felt using stamp slightly dipped into paint. With a fine tip paintbrush you will want to repaint the image since felt tends to absorb the paint initially.

2. Once paint dries, cut out the pennant like a long skinny diamond since you will be folding it in half. For the pin, I used quilting T-pins since they are longer than reqular stick pins. To make the pennants bendable, here is a fun little trick for you...use some copper or metal sheeting on the inside! That way once you have folded over the felt with the pin and metal securely tucked inside, the pennant can be folded, rippled or wrinkled to your liking!

This is my "Learning Curve" project for you today. As Paper Issues unveils this new theme, be sure to play along and share your projects with us. Your project might just be featured! Remember, it can be anything that you interpret it to be. I look forward to seeing all of your amazingly creative projects!

Thanks for stopping by my sweet, beautiful friends! :)
Amy

"Out of Print" Bird Cage Calendar

So I am sure it seems that I have been MIA from the blogword, but I am still around! Wonderful life experiences like birthday parties and big family vacations have gotten in the way, but I am not complaining. :) My little guy Sam turned 4, and we went on a long road trip to Pigeon Forge, TN. It was beautiful, green & not in the 110 degree heatwave like here in Oklahoma! I can't wait for this intense heat to subside. Unlike Michelle, I am ready for the fall! (yeah willieburg, I am talking to you! :)

As promised, I told many of you that I would eventually share a tutorial on my perpetual calendars and today is the day! I present to you this one-of-a-kind bird cage calendar. Truly unique because I didn't buy more of these cages, and I am kicking myself like crazy because they are all sold out. :( I created this calendar using the lovely Basic Grey "Out of Print" collection. I have always been a huge fan of Basic Grey, and they nailed it again with this line. In addition to the papers I used, I incorporated some of their new "bow ties" and "lace it up" stickers.

Here are the details...
1. Choose a metal surface for the base of your calendar. Be sure that magnets will stick to it before you begin. It can be very deceiving but magnets definitely don't stick to aluminum but do stick to tin and other metal substrates. My best advice is to take a magnet with you when shopping to be sure it will work.
2. Choose the background papers and cut accordingly to the shape of the metal.
3. When adhering the paper to the metal, it is crucial that you use an adhesive that will hold permanently and covers every bit of the paper! Through trial and error, I have found that when there is moisture in the air the paper tends to warp a little. If it is not absolutely stuck to the metal, the magnets won't stick to the metal...and if the magnets don't stick well poo! That wouldn't be good! My favorite recommendation is to use a 5" Xyron machine. Just cut your paper down into 5" strips and reassemble accordingly onto the metal.
4. Create your grid in pencil and then come back over it with a Sharpie. I always do 7 rows accross and 6 rows down to accomodate for the months that start & end mid-week.
5. Put your permanent days on there via stamps or Dymo tape.
6. Stamp around the edges of the metal as desired or add sweet embellishments like flowers, ribbon, etc.
7. Raid your junk drawer for unique numbers like keys, dice, dominoes. Next, raid your scrapping stash for chipboard letters and rub-ons.
8. Once you have decided what numbers to use, glue heavy duty magnets onto the backs of each number. For paper thin pieces like tickets for example, you can use magnetic sheeting. That stuff totally rocks! For your adhesive on the numbers, use E600. Yeah, it is rather toxic smelling but it definitely has a good solid bond.
9. Lastly, create your days of the month using scrabble tile. To be able to form a complete set for all the months, keep in mind you will need several of some letters and some not at all. Here is a handy little list of the numbers you will need...A:2, B:1, C:1, D:1, E:3, F:1, G:1, H:1, I:1, J:1, L:1, M:1, N:1, O:2, P:1, R:2, S:1, T:1, U:2, V:1.
10. Guess what? That's it! Now you can make a calendar that you can enjoy for many years to come!

I hope as you create your calendars as I know many of you will, please be sure to share! I would love to see all of your fabulous creations!

As always, thanks for your sweet comments and support on my blog. You all inspire me to create! Happy Weekend to one and all! :)
Amy

"Sugar & Spice" & Everything Nice...

...that's what little girls are made of. :) One of the hottest lines that came out this Spring is Crate Paper's Emma's Shoppe. I don't have any little girls of my own, but as soon as it was unveiled in early Spring, I knew it was a must have for me! I love creating with such sweet, girlie, vintage imagery. Not to mention that it is filled with lots of RED, PINK & AQUA!

I have a large stash of old windows and occasionally I come accross an unusual one. When I found this one in my piles and piles of windows, I knew this would be a perfect fit with Emma's Shoppe. The subtle buttercream paint on the window pane ties in perfectly with the yellows in the paper. How fun it was to create and play with the colors & design just so. Totally perfect in a little girl's room don't you think?

As many of you know, I was recently appointed to be on the Paper Issues Creative Team. Last week they revealed the newest theme, "Life Is Sweet." What better project could I share for this theme than "Sugar & Spice!" I hope you all will share any projects that you have that play along with the "Life Is Sweet" theme over at the Paper Issues Blog! You might just have your spectacular project featured!

TGIF! Have a great weekend!
Amy

Birthday Card & Moxie Fab World Challenge!

Awhile back I created this cork calendar using stamps, and I had such a positive response I decided I would make a birthday card using the same basic concept: lots of stamps & cork. With the amount of texture in the cork, it amazes me that the stamped impressions turn out so perfectly. Nowadays, manufacturers have come a long way to make the coolest, most detailed stamps out there...its hard to resist going on a shopping spree! :)

As for the card, I created it specifically for the Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge in the Moxie Fab World which is still going on through Wednesday, July 13. If you enjoy playing around with stamps, you still have a few days left to create and enter!

Now onto the sweet details...I started with a 5X7 kraft cardstock base. I cut out a piece of thin cork sheeting and adhered it on the front cover. Next I used one of my scrap cricut diecuts shaped like a bracket for my masking template. I taped it down temporarily as I randomly stamped all over the borders of the cork using black Staz-On and stamps from Pink Paislee's Daily Junque Collection & The Girls' Paperie Jublilee Stamp Set. Both sets contain fun vintage imagery like the typewriter, camera, numbers, starbursts, & postage. I continued to stamp until all the spaces were filled in. After removing the diecut, it revealed a nice bracket shape. Next I took Poolside Powder American Crafts Thickers and stamped patterns on each letter using CTMH stamps from both the Spot On & Noted Background sets. To add some color, I used some of the spankin' new goodies from Pretty Little Studio's Antique Store Collection. Isn't this banner the cutest? I created it using the Vintage Feed Sacks Mini Paper Ribbon and some black & white twine. To "pin" it to the corkboard, I used yellow & white star stickpins from Maya Road. Besides, you have to have tacks or pins on cork don't you? Lastly, I stamped BIRTHDAY using a Stampin' Up stamp from the Happy Everything set.

I hope you enjoy my newest card, and be sure to check out the Moxie Fab World Challenge! Thanks for stopping by my friends! Amy

Pretty, Patriotic & Paper Issues!

I have some super exciting news to share with you today! I am officially on the Creative Team over at Paper Issues! I am so excited to be working with a huge group of talented girls. :) To celebrate, Paper Issues is having a 30% off sale on all their scrapping goodies. Be sure to check it out, you will be glad you did! I just went on a little shopping spree myself. :) For all the details, please visit Paper Issues.

Speaking of Paper Issues, they always host themed parties for me & you to link up and share our paper projects & creations. Right now, the party is Red, White & Blue! Definitely link up some of your 4th of July creations, I know lots of you out there are making them as we speak! It is lots of fun, you should join in!

As for my pretty/patriotic creation, I have to give full credit to the talented Michelle Jackson over at Vintage Street Market. She shared this project on the Vintage Street Market Blog back in May, and I knew I wanted to make one like it. It is a wreath made out of a vintage slide tray as the base. Isn't it genius? Since I went so cuckoo over it, I roped my mom, sister, aunt & cousins in and we had a party creating these! We had a great time reminiscing, crafting and we all walked away with one of these pretties! To see the tutorial on this fabulous creation, here it is...Patriotic Wreath.

I hope you are enjoying the summer! Happy Independence Day, and stay safe!

Amy

Birthday Present & Gift Bag/Reusable Tote!

Happy Afternoon Everyone! Today I would like to share a quick and fun present and bag all in one! One of my friend's birthdays was the other day, and I always like to suprise her with something unique & different. She is one of my dear friends that truly supports my artistic endeavors. I wanted to give her something inspiring and as soon as I saw it, I just had to get it. I am sure that most of you already know Rhonna Farrer of Rhonna Designs. She creates the most amazing, visually interesting digital images I have ever seen! She is the designer behind Pink Paislee's Daily Junque line just to give you an idea of how talented she is. Rhonna recently created a digital image titled, Focus and here it is in all it's wonderful glory. The sentiment underneath reminds us to make time for ourselves every once in awhile! I purchased this wonderful image and decided to print and frame it for my friend. The funky colors and style I knew would be perfect. After framing it, I decided to make a rosette out of fuschia/orange dupioni silk. It ties amazingly well to the flowers in the image. Additionally I added the vintage blue tickets to make it more like a prize ribbon. I love the way it turned out, and she did too. :) For the gift bag, rather than using the typical throwaway ones; I decided to give her one that she could use as a beach bag or tote bag in the future. Since we are all about using totes these days for shopping, etc isn't this perfect? I also have noticed that burlap is becoming a very hot trend. I purchased this burlap bag and added the rosette/ribbon to the front. To make it a permanent fixture to the bag, I adhered it using E600. You can never go wrong with that stuff! As for the materials I used to create the rosette, I used some beautiful new Webster's Pages Ribbon, cream dupioni silk & some vintage pink/white trim I had in my stash. To give it the folded appearance, I simply used a Cosmo Cricket Gluber. My goodness, those things rock! To give the bag a little bit more of a festive flair, I added 3 pennant flag pins from the Girls' Paperie as well as the "joy" pin. Those are easily removable, and she can take them off before carrying the bag. Clever huh? I thought it would be fun to share this idea with you all. Not only was it fun/quick to put together, I think she truly likes it. I know if I was on the receiving end, I would love it. Which reminds me, I am totally going to print/frame Rhonna's "Focus" for my bedroom. It has such a funky flair...so totally me:)

Thanks for stopping by. I have some exciting news to share with you soon so stay tuned! Amy

DIY Wedding Share the Love Challenge by Crate Paper..."Love Birds"

Last week the Crate Paper blog hosted a challenge to create using "wedding" as the overall theme.  When I saw the Portrait Collection in the early Spring I knew it was a must have.  The combination of creams, black, aqua greens & that floral woodgrain just screamed out to me.  Absolutely gorgeous, I knew that I wanted to create with this collection for the challenge.  Since we had severe storms and power outages last week, I was unable to enter the challenge by the deadline.  :(  That's okay.  Because of the challenge, I forced myself to find time to be "artsy" and now have a sweet creation to show for it.  :)

The baroque frame that I used is a vintage one I found about 5 years ago at a garage sale, just waiting for the right moment to shine.  It is a heavy wood that is golden with a white wash distressing over the top.  Isn't it downright lovely?  For the background, I used all the Portrait Papers and with a scalloped ruler I created the "feathered" look.  After placing the glass on top, I then did a mosaic with 2 "love" birds.  The aqua green spotted tile in the center says "love" in a romantic cursive style.  I wanted to give the illusion that the birds were looking at one another.  I created the eyes using the Portrait Brads & Buttons.  The feet are made from copper wire.  Lastly, to add more dimension I wanted the birds to look like they are standing on branches.  Using my Wild Card Cricut Cartridge I cut the branches out of my favorite paper in the collection:  that gorgeous floral woodgrain.  I know this is a rather unusual mixed media piece but I am truly happy the way it turned out.  As for the wedding themed aspect, I thought this wall piece could hang as decor at the wedding to represent the "love birds."  After the wedding it would be hung in the new couple's home as a forever reminder of their most wonderful day ever! 

Thanks for stopping by, and as always thanks for the wonderful comments and words of encouragement! 

Amy