Origami butterflies

Hello there friends,
I've got a couple of quickie cards to share today featuring a bit of origami fun :)
Here's the first:

This card is going to a chum who has a birthday tomorrow. The birthday girl will be getting this origami butterfly. I added a rolled rose to the center & some Stickles to the edges for sparkle. It was a really simple layout so this card didn't take too long thanks to this month's SFYTT :)

The next card was even simpler! (wait, is that even a word???)

 I used a sheet from the 6x6 pad, stamped my sentiment, & added the butterfly. My version of CAS :)

I've got a tute coming for you if you want to give these a go. They are super easy & fun to make! I've created templates & a GYPSY file so you can make them in different sizes too :)

THE TUTE IS NOW READY---> HERE.

Thanks for peeking today!
Gotta flutter off...

Nativity 2012

Hello friends,
Hope you had a "gobble til you wobble" kinda Thanksgiving (those here in the states.)
I don't know about you, but I LOVE Christmas! As soon as we say Adios to the turkey, we say Hola to Christmas decorations! We dec out the house & it looks so festive & makes us haaaappy!

Since my friends & family know I'm a card maker, they EXPECT a hand-made card. So I always struggle with mass-producing cards that I can keep simple, but not too simplistic, kwim???
Well, here are this year's cards:

Here are the deets:

I used a gold card stock base. I embossed the Always Artichoke cs with Tim Holtz' Rays Embossing Folder. I sprayed it with gold Perfect Pearls so that it looks like a million little stars in the sky :) I die cut the BEAUTIFUL & DETAILED nativity scene die (Taylored Expressions) from black cs & stamped the sentiment in gold. I colored the star with my gold gel pen & tied a few times around the card front with gold lamé cord.

Once I figured out my design, I was good to go!
Here it is in Really Rust:

Kraft:

Elegant Eggplant:

and Night of Navy:

the very simple innies:

That stamp is from Hero Arts set CL559. It's a beautiful set that matches the die perfectly :)

I am so happy I have 20 of these cards ready to send---> on time!!! Next weekend, I will crank out the last ones I need. They are A2 sized & don't need a special envelope or extra postage :) Doin' the happy dance!!!

Thanks so much for peeking today :)
Gotta Go!

Got Pie?

Hi friends!
I hope you're not hungry, cuz I've got something yummy to show ya!
Here it is:

 It's a lattice top apple pie! Yes, I'm a baker :) ---> a paper baker! This yummy pie is all cardstock.
Here's a little peek at it:

 This is baked right out of the SVG ovens at svgcuts.com. This file is called Fall Harvest & just like everything else they make, it's brimming with awesome projects! Luuuuv them :) The large rose also comes in the file. I added a few of my favorite things. The other flowers are the Royal Rose die-namics from MFT, and the swirls are from Cheery Lynn. The "Give Thanks" is a Sizzix die. I inked all the edges to give them that golden baked goodness :)

Here's a closer peek at that:

 Here's a side peek:

 So the top of the lid comes off to reveal the sweet treats inside.

 Nothing in mine yet, but I've got loads of ideas of what I'm going to put in it :) This would make a cuuute teacher gift, me thinks!

 I hope I have a prize winning pie at the following challenges:
Inspire me Fridays: Anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp: Thanksgiving
Papertake Weekly: Flower Power

Thanks for popping in today.
Hope you have a couple lovely crafternoons this weekend!
Gotta Go!

Have Yourself a Very Little Christmas

Hello again friends,
I'm continuing with building my little stash of Christmas cards (and playing with a few challenges while I'm at it ;) hehehe...
Here's my card:

But wait... pull up on the ribbon & a tag comes out:

Here's a peek at the tag all by its lonesome:

I stamped the tree in 5 different colors, cut them out & layered them on a gold tree base.

And here they are together:

 Not at all like my last CAS cards! This one has layers, and embellies, and stuff..oh my!

I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch: (I rotated :)

aaaand, I also played along with PTI's Make it Monday #91: Faux Pockets
Crafty Sentiments: Christmas
The ShabbyTea Room: Inspiration pic & Sweet shabby Christmas

That's all for now. Hope you have a great day!

CAS 3 ways

Hello there friends,
Question: Do you know what's my craft Kryptonite?
 
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 Yes!!! It's CAS cards. You'd think they would be simple cuz... well... they're Clean And SIMPLE cards, but they're SOOOOO hard for me! So when I saw this week's sketch at The Sweet Stop, I cringed a little. But, that's why it's called a sketch challenge & not a sketch nothing to it. So I decided to take it on:
Here's the sketch:

Here's my card:

There are NO layers on this card! I know!!! The snowflakes are made with Tim's Snowflake Rosettes with some pretty MS paper. I also used some of her Snow Glitter along the bottom edge leading up to the sentiment.

Here's a closer peek:

 Here's a peek of the innies:

 The bottom edge is actually one of the rosettes I didn't use on the front of my card. I used Shimmer White card stock so it's got lots of shimmery goodness :)

I was so excited I actually created a CAS card, I made more! :)

Here's a New Year's card:

I took inspiration from my students for this card. Some of my girls write a word in block and then another in script over it---> to be "cutesy," I guess ;)

Here's a closer peek at that:

The numbers & word are PTI dies. The "Happy New Year" stamp is from Firecracker Designs, but is no longer available :(

And here's card number 3: A Graduation card

 I felt like cranking out more, but I like 3... three is a good number :) So am I leaving my layers for CAS??? Nahhhh...

I'll play along in the following challenges:
Bunny Zoe's Crafts: Winter (My first card)
Craft Room: Punches/ Diecuts
Crafty Catz: Anything Goes

Thanks so much for peeking today. :)
Gotta go!

Scarecrow Tin Pin Face

Hi friends,
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, this weekend my crafty friend & I went to the Stamp in the Hand Show. It's geared for card makers so several stamp companies showcase their stamps & products. Darcie's was of these companies that was new to me & they had some really sweet stamps. They had several stamp sets that coordinated with their "tin pins" embellishments. Well, 'nuf blabber... see if you can find it on my card:

Ok, disclaimer: I should temporarily take down my Copic Certified button cuz I am waaaay rusty! Ack! I haven't colored in over 4 months & it shows :(  Aside from that, isn't this little scarecrow guy the cutest :) Did you find the tin pin???

No? How 'bout now...

 Ahhh ya got it! It's the little button on his face! The little buttons are already colored in, so if coloring faces makes ya crazy, these may be your slice of cake! You simply color everything but the face & plop these little pins on top. I also used the Sunflower Die-namics from MFT on each corner.

Here's a peek at the simple innies:

 The vine is a scrap piece from another project that found a home here :)

I used this sketch from SSD made by my blog pal, and card maker extraordinaire, Kathy:

Great sketch, Kathy :)

I'm also going to be joining in the following challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers: More than one punch/die cut---> banner, ovals, & sunflowers
Lollipop Crafts: We are Thankful
Paper Playtime: Autumn colors
Paper Pretties: Thank you card
The Pink Elephant: TPE174 Punches or dies
One Stop Craft: Anything Goes
Paper Crafting Journey: Anything Goes

Well, I'm so thankful you took a minute to pop in & check out my card. Unlike the past couple of weeks, I had some extra crafty time this weekend so I actually have more concoctions to share. :)
Y'all come back now, ya hear!...


The 411 
Stamps: Darcie's JCS184 & JCS188
Paper: Chocolate Chip- SU, Cryogen white cs, Authentique- Thankful
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Chestnut Roan
Tools: Copics, Sunflower Die-namics- MFT, Nestabilities, hemp cord, Morrocan CB EF

Autumn Greetings

Hi ya friends,
First, I'd like to take a bit of time to say how glad I am many of my blog pals on the East coast are starting to get back to their homes & all facets of life since hurricane Sandy. I know many are still without electricity & we are all with you in spirit, hoping that everything is back to normal speedy quick.
With that in mind, today's card is about the spirit of thanksgiving. Not the holiday of indulgence (which I fully partake in), but as the sentiment reads:

"Thanksgiving is not a time of year. It's an attitude of the heart." Luv that :) It comes from the stamp set JCS182 from a company called Darcie's. I went to the Stamp in the Hand show with my friend yesterday & fell in luv with their stamps- super cute!

Here's a peek at the innies:

The little pilgrim guy is part of that set.


I wanted to play with this week's Mojo Monday challenge:

and a few others:
Pile it on: Let's be Thankful
Sentimental Sundays: Thanksgiving
Card Makin' Mamas: Thanksgiving
365 Cards: Good Deal Have in stash (the leaf die is something I've had for at least 2 years & I got it from the clearance bin at a scrapbook expo for $5 :)
Aud Sentiments: thanksgiving

Thanks so much for peeking!
Gotta go!


The 411
Stamps: Darcie's Heart & Home -JCS182, JCS184
Paper: Thankful-Authentique, Bazzill cs
Tools: Picot Edge Nesties, Leaf flourish Shapeabilities, Gardenia Die-namics, Viva Decor Pen

NOEL

Hi ya friends,
I have been soooo busy, I was ever so happy to get some crafty time this weekend! Yea!!! I decided I better get started on my Christmas cards before I end up burning the midnight oil or worse---> getting store bought cards! Ugh...I know :( So looking at this month's MFT sketch, I instantly knew what I wanted to do:
Here's the sketch:

Here's my card:

I added four wreaths for the circle cut-out element. I used a MS punch to make those, but I can't WAIT for the wreath Die-namics that's going to be released. It will make it sooooo simple to make full, beautiful wreaths in no time :) I added the Beautiful Bows Die-namics to the top two.  Luuuuv these! I will also be getting the new bow being released as well :) The letters were die cut from foam to give them a bit of lift. I embossed the background white cs in snowflakes. The sentiment is from the Seasonal Sentiments set which is awesome & was free for me in my last order :) I stamped it twice & cut out the banner to pop it up & layer.

 I also added some berries to the wreaths with my Viva pen.

Here's a peek of the innies:

 MFT has been killing my pocket book, especially last release & this one won't be any different! Lol! Ah well... it's still cheaper than therapy, and waaaaay more fun :)

Thanks so much for peeking today.
Have a goodie!