Sharing my favorites: Color Swatches

Hi friends,
Today I have this to share with you. It's my SU! color swatches. I bought this (quite a while back) on ebay for like $8. When I first saw it, I thought it was a great idea, but not a hard one to do myself. But I thought, maybe I'll buy it since I don't have all the SU! cardstock colors. Well, let me tell you how much I have used it! I luuuuv it & wouldn't be without it! I want to share some of the reasons it has become one of my favorite things.

It has all of the regular colors in addition to the specialty cardstock, neutrals, and past & current "in colors". There are a couple of people who also sell swatches similar to these, but I like this one because it lists all the available coordinating products with item numbers- which makes it convenient when reordering. (See below)

When I'm looking for colors to combine, I just pull out my swatch book I pull colors I'm thinking of using. For example: does Chocolate Chip look good with Tempting Turquoise?

How about Garden Green, So Safron, & Regal Rose?


If I don't like color combos, I can quickly see all the colors & choose one I like better. This is where the color wheel comes in handy too.

I can also pull the O-ring apart & take out the swatches I want. Then when I'm done, I know exactly where it goes back because each card has the color family it belongs to & a number. So I know exactly where to put that card back.

I love being organized & using my time to be creative. This little tool is so super handy. It is a purchase I'm sooooo glad I made.

One of the projects on my "To Do" list is to create one for my PaperTrey Ink cardstock. I'm a big fan of their cardstock & have been adding more to my stash.

Click here for the link where you can buy one for yourself. But some of you may want to make one yourself with your own flair. Either way, I hope you're inspired to get your cardstock colors organized.

Thanks for peekin' today! I'm off to work on report cards- gotta go!

Volcano Card

Hi friends,
Today I have this volcano card to share with you. It is made with the Sizzix wedding cake die. It was 40% off at my Local Scrapbooking Store, so I couldn't pass it up. You can see the most amazingly creative cards done with this die. I thought it could be a volcano so that's what I made! I used my favorite boy paper- Archaic- from Basic Grey. I cut out some of the dinos & palm trees & left little tabs on them so they could be 3D too. I used my Sizzix grass die to create the flames erupting from the volcano. I added red glitter glue for the lava oozing down the side.

I made a very simple cover- don't you love the little dino border? Goes so perfectly! I hope the little boy this card is going to likes it.


I'm off to bed early. I've been working on a scrapbook that I finally finished last night. It's casino themed- & very cool looking (if I say so myself wink wink!) Gotta go get some zzzzzzzzzzzz's. Thanks for peekin' in today :)


Project Recipe:
Paper: Archaic Basic Grey, Brown- Bazzil
Ink: black, chocolate chip-SU!
Tools: Sizzix Dies: Wedding cake, grass, Dino border punch-EK Success
Other: red glitter glue, Dino stamps-BasicGrey, Birthday candles

MTCC 02 My Time to Color Challenge

Hi friends,
Today I have a card to share with you I created for Lauren's Color Challenge. I loved using the all these pretty colors for the challenge! I took inspiration for the card from the dress itself. I don't have any girls, so cute girly-girl dresses are nowhere in sight at my place!

I began by making a dress shaped card out of white CS. I just eyeballed it I cut it out (which explains the chubbiness of the dress!) Then I went into my scrap stash and pulled out the colors to layer on top. I used the MS border punch at the bottom, but I had such a hard time punching through the thickness of the SU! and PTI cardstock, so I switched to another border punch.

Here's a little closer detail of the top:

See the little embossed hearts. I thought that was a cute detail :) I added a ribbon on top & that was it. Now that I look at the colors again, maybe it should have been like a Purely Pomegranate instead of a purple color Oh well! Thanks for peekin' today! I'm off to clean up a bit around here- gotta go!



Card Recipe:
Paper: Certainly Celery, Cool Caribbean, Apricot Appeal- SU!, Berry Sorbet-PTI, White, Purple
Tools: Martha Stewart Lace border punch, EK Success GH Petals border punch
Other: Purple ribbon- Offray

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop- May

Hi friends,
Today I'm participating in Papertrey Ink's Blog Hop. I had such a blast last month & had so many wonderful comments from all the sweet people who took the time to leave one for little ol' me. THANK YOU!!! I haven't been blogging for very long at all, and I appreciate all the feedback I get. Hopefully, I do things right more than not!

Ok, today I have this Tea Wallet to share with you.
I made it using My Timeless Templates -Recipe Wrap up. I only used 1 sheet.
I love using Lauren's Templates (in case you didn't know ) probably because using templates & patterns are second nature to me, being a primary teacher.
Anyhoo on to the deets...

close up of the deets As you can see, I used the Tea for Two stamp set. I made a strap that wraps to the front to keep it closed. I faux stitched around all sides to finish the look.

This is what it looks like when you open the first panel. (Hello yellow!)
This side holds the stirrers.

This is what it looks like fully opened. I really like these colors together.
I attached the tea bags and Splenda with removable glue dots. They are so perfect for this project since they don't damage the holder or the packets. They hold tightly, but you can pull them off easily & cleanly! I typed out & printed the words " Steep" , "Sweeten" , "Stir" - punched them out & adhered them to the top with foam tape. I made my own little pocket to hold the stirrers and wrapped them with a scrap piece of spring moss cardstock. I also punched a little border at the top of the pocket. I heat embossed the image with detail white powder & adhered it to the pocket.

Here is what the back of all three panels look like.

I used 3 different teapots- a different one for each panel. I also used the flower as the puffs of steam coming from the teapot with the butterfly leading the way. (Both from the With Sympathy set). I inked it with Fresh snow & used my white gel pen to dot in the centers of the flowers.


This picture is to show that the magnetic snap is hidden behind the panel, but you can see it on the strap.


Now I've covered it with a cardstock circle. These little magnets have a very strong pull! They really hold this closed very well.




Here's what it looks like closed- from the back. The strap is nicely concealed under the panel.

CONFESSION! I actually was going to submit this project for the Template Guest Designer Contest, but I chickened out ! LOL!!! I figured my photography skills would disqualify me from the get go! Anyhoo, I hope you like my little project today

This is going to my grandma. I figured she could tuck this in her purse & take it with her. So now instead of paying $3 for a cup of tea at a restaurant, she can just ask for the hot water & whip out her own favorite tea (not have to go with what the restaurant carries) and make one for herself for free.

Thanks for hopping by today! To see what else I've made with My Timeless Templates click here or here. I'm off to make one of these for myself- Hello Kitty edition! Gotta go!



Project Recipe:
My Timeless Templates- Recipe Wrap-up (free download) -PTI
Stamps: Tea for Two, With Sympathy -PTI
Paper: Lemon Tart, Berry Sorbet, Spring Moss, white -PTI
Ink: Fresh Snow, Berry Sorbet -PTI
Tools: mini scallops border punch- EK Success, Word Window Punch -SU!, Magnetic Snaps- BasicGrey
Other: 3D dots-EK Success, Signo white gel pen

Memorial Day in the USA

Hi friends,
I'll be back later today to share my project for Papertrey Ink's blog hop. Thanks for peekin' in & hope to see you at 5 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time). Until then...


Happy Memorial Day!

Introducing...

Fluffy! He goes by many names actually- Sir Fluff, Fluff n' stuff, Count Fluffula, Fluffles, Fluffster, Fluffmeister, and Fluff Monkey. He is our Guinea Pig. Isn't he just adorable! I never had a guinea Pig before him & didn't know how awesome they are! He is very smart! He jumps up in the air when he's happy. It's so funny because he's super fat so he doesn't get off the ground as far as he used to. He's so lovable. Can you tell I'm in love? We've had him for a little over two years now.

Before you run out & get one for your kiddo, you must know that guinea pigs require a lot of work! They eat a lot, their cage needs frequent cleaning, and they need lots of attention. But for us, he's worth it. He's not our only pet. You'll meet our other pet later on! Studies show that generally, people who have pets live longer, healthier lives! So today, spend a little extra time with your furry companion. I'm off to let him run around on the grass, & eat the dandelions- he luuuvs them :) Gotta go!

MOJO87 Challenge

Hi friends,
Today I have a card for this week's Monday MOJO sketch challenge. For some reason, as soon as I saw it I wanted to do something summery. I used a beach border punch along the border. I punched out the sand dollar/sea star and die cut the flip flop. I decided to use a light skin tone for the foot, since this is pre-summer tan! I also polished the toe nails & added a little bling to the sandal. To finish it off I filled in the right corner space with dew drops. I'm soooo ready for summer! Are you? I'm off to a stamp club- gotta go!


Card Recipe:
Paper: Summer Glitter Stack (DCWV), Bashful Blue (SU!) White
Tools: Beach Border Punch (EK Success), Sand dollar Punch (Martha Stewart), Sandal (Cuttlebug Die)
Other: Twine, Dew Drops, Red Marker, Orange rhinestone

Surf's Up

Hi friends,
Today I have these cute surfboards to share with you. I made them to hang as decorations for our Classified Appreciation Luncheon. I saw these boards at Michaels
& knew they would be perfect for our beach theme! The package of 6 were about $3.

They are blank boards, tag board weight, a little over 2 feet long, (white, not the color this picture shows) ready to decorate.

Here are the ones I made:

All I did was stamp them, ink the edges, added stickles at certain places (see below)

I cut the letters out with my Cricut. It was a simple project, but they came out way cool. They were a hit!!! Thanks for peekin' in today! I'm off to hang loose for the day- gotta go!


Today's Project Uses:
Stamp: Aloha-BoBunny, Hawaiian Floral- unknown
Paper: Fern- The Paper Company
Ink: Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink, Cameo Coral, Rose Red, Tempting Turquoise, Soft Sky, So Saffron -all SU!
Other: Diamond, Crystal, Yellow Stickles
Cricut & Life is a Beach cartridge