Scrapbook Haul!

I made a trip up to my local JoAnn's, and found that they are now carrying linen textured 8.5x11" cardstock in value packs!  Not only that, but they were also on sale!  I scored NINE packages (w/approximately 40 sheets, each), plus new trimmer blades, red candy melts, a clearanced stamp set, AND the DCWV Rockstar paper stack, for........(Hold onto your seats!!!)  ONLY $12.73!!!!!  I LOVE when I get deals like this!!! Watch out stores, the Deal Predator is on the loose again!!! ~Hoppy Crafting!  

A hint of Orange....Birds!

Ok, I'll level with you, I have looked at this card a million times since I made it, and keep thinking of ways to alter it.  I have debated changing the color of the birds, the color of the background, the heart color, etc., etc.....  Please give my your opinion! I have had mixed reactions when I showed this card to coworkers.  Some absolutely LOVED it, and said it was their fave, while others agreed with me that there's something "off" in the design elements or color scheme.  I think if I change the birds to a dark purple, they might really "pop" on the card! 
My intention in working with the orange though, was to add that unexpected color element.  I figured that SU did it on their "Love" card on the back of their Occasions Mini Catalog, so I can use orange with pink too, right?  As crafters, we all know there are those cards you design and love, pure accidents that turn out gorgeous, and then there are intentional ones that just don't seem quite right.  Tell me what you think, don't be shy!  I can handle it....I'm a crafter AND a kindergarten teacher! He he he!
Here's the quick recipe: scallop trim border punch on kraft cardstock, and layered on a purple card base.  Flourishes stamped on dark pink, with Always Artichoke (which TOTALLY coordinated with the "kraft" cardstock!).  I rounded the corners with my 1/2 inch Zutter Corner Rounder.  The heart stamp is cut out and popped up in the middle.  Finally, I stamped one bird with Punch Potpourri in Tangerine Tango, and inked the other, then punched them out using the SU bird punch.  I drew mouth and wing lines on with a black marker, and added bling eyes with my I*Rock. 
 ~Hoppy Crafting!

All Things Grow With Love...

This gorgeous card was made using three Stampin' Up sets: Elements of Style (flourishes); Sheltering Tree (heart flowers); Love Matters ( sentiment).  I used Rich Razzleberry and Wild Wasabi for all of the stamping and distressing.  I also punched both sides of the purple paper with the scallop trim border punch.  There is a strip of maroonish paper under the flowers and sentiment, which are popped on top.  Lastly, I used my I*Rock to add bling to the flourishes.  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Love Birds

This Valentine card was made using the Sheltering Tree set, the scallop trim border punch, and the SU bird punch.  I also used my I*Rock for the bling on the eyes and on the left margin.  The birds are punched from K&Company paper and popped up w/foam dots.  The flourish is from chipboard elements purchased from my local Michael's.  I tied green grosgrain ribbon along the left margin. The dark pink and purple edges are distressed, using the 7-sided distressing tool.  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Sweethearts!

Here's another Valentine card I created!  I used the Sheltering Tree set to stamp the heart flowers in Rich Razzleberry and Wild Wasabi.  I also used Elements of style for the flourishes, stamped in Rich Razzleberry.  I used SU's scallop trim border punch on either side of the purple cardstock, and layered that over a deep maroon-ish cardstock.  I pop-dotted the flowers, and used a chipboard element from a set I had bought at my local Michael's.  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Flowers of Love

One of my favorite cards that I made while crafting with Brenda yesterday, was this one!  I love how cute the little heart flowers are from SU's Sheltering Tree set!  The "Love" stamp is from SU's Love Matters set, and I "blinged" it out with pink pearls. The heart background paper is from a K&Company Valentine stack (by Kelly Panacci), and I used white grosgrain to tie the elements together.  I also popped up the flowers and the sentiment.  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Crafting and Football

Yesterday, my husband and I got together with our friends, the Halls.  While the guys watched football, us ladies crafted the day away!  What could be more perfect than football and crafting on a Sunday???  :o)  Brenda and I crafted the entire afternoon! We stamped, we punched, we distressed (or, is that DE-STRESSED???  Ha ha!).  She was anxious to try out the Stampin' Up Build a Blossom set and punch that I recently bought, and I was ready to make some Valentine's cards.  You can see the amazing flowers Brenda made, on her blog (http://happyhall4.blogspot.com/2011/01/sunday-with-larremores.html).  We had a totally fun time, and hope to do it again soon!  I am SOOO happy that I have friends that I can craft with!  I've crafted solo for so many years, and to finally find a "circle" of friends who enjoy the same things, is awesome!  :o) 

Flower Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Margaret!!! :o)  I made this flower card for my friend, and kinder teaching partner in crime, Margaret!  Of course I had to use my newest stamp and punch set, Build  A Blossom from SU!  I used Marina Mist and Certainly Celery to stamp the petals, flower center, and sentiments.  I used a vibrant purple from the DCWV Halloween Cardstock Stack, and white card base.  Using the Martha Stewart heart punch, I made the heart border and then added some white organza SU ribbon.  I rounded all of the corners with my Zutter heavy-duty corner rounder. Finally, I used a tag EK Success punch to add the front sentiment and popped it up, using foam adhesive.  ~Hoppy Crafting! 

Build A Blossom-Valentine's Card

Today was a fabulous crafting day!  My friends Lisa W. and Kelly S. came over, and we crafted the day away!  True, my friends got wayyyy more accomplished than I did, but my Cricut, Gypsy, stamps, and many other tools got a great workout!  Right as my friends were arriving, I was also lucky enough to receive a visit from the stamp fairy, a.k.a., Deb (Stampin' Up Demonstrator and fellow blogger, found here: http://flyingstamper.blogspot.com/) I just could not wait to use the Build a Blossom stamp set and punch from the Occasions Mini Catalog (only available until April 30th)!
Deb had included a gorgeous card using the same set, as a thank you, and I was super excited to create one of my own! 
I used a dark pink cardstock base, and embossed diamonds onto brown for a background.  (After all, chocolate and pink are SUCH a winning combo! You just can't go wrong mixing those two colors!)  I stamped Blushing Bride onto coordinating cardstock, and punched out each petal.  I found that it works best to cut a strip that is approximately 2.25 inches wide, and pay attention to the direction you stamp, for the punch to work best and waste as little paper as possible.  (I could get 7 petals on a 2 1/4" x 11" strip)  After all 10 petals were punched, I took my bone folder and pulled the petal firmly across it, to give it some curve and dimension.  Once the petals were all curvy, I used glue dots to stick them together.  I found it easiest to start with the 5 base petals, first, and create the flower, then layer the other 5 petals on top.  Finally, I stamped the green center with Wild Wasabi, punched out the circle, and adhered it to the middle of my flower. 
I positioned the flower near the top of my card (I made a top-fold card), and then added the "I love you" sentiment by using a $1 stamp from Michaels, which I stamped on white, inked with Wild Wasabi, and mounted on the same dark pink cardstock as the base.  The sentiment is popped up, using foam dots.  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Groovy Vinyl

Before Christmas, my friend, Lisa, approached me with a vinyl project.  She asked if I had anything in my Cricut arsenal to create a "groovy" room design.  She was thinking flowers, wording, peace signs, etc.   She wanted these designed and cut for her niece, Maddy, as a Christmas present. 

I consulted my Gypsy and Lisa and I also looked at some letter shapes online to get a feel for the font type desired.  After consulting with her sister, it was decided that Lyrical Letters "Loop dee Loo" was THE font!  We found some asterisk-type flowers on Teardrop, and the peace sign on the Cars cart.  I can't remember which cart the other flowers are from.  I laid it all out on my Gypsy, then cut it out on pink and brown vinyl. 

I was SO excited when I got a thank you card with a picture of the whole thing put up on Maddy's wall!!!  It looks awesome, and I hear that Maddy loves it!!!   (Sorry about the pic of a pic, I know it's harder to see).  ~Hoppy Crafting!!!



Layer 1-Brown vinyl 12x24 sheet



Stampin' Up Workshop!

Yesterday was a super-busy day!  Not only were the Seattle Seahawks in a playoff game (which they WON!!!!), but, before the game, my friend Kate and I went to a Stampin' Up Workshop by Deb!  If you ask me, this was the PERFECT Saturday!  Crafting and football!!!  :o) 
Here's the adorable card that we made during the workshop, using the "Love You Much" stamp set!  We even used a border punch to embellish the envelope! ~Hoppy Crafting!!!

Christmas Cards

This year, I decided to do something different when making Christmas cards...I mass-produced them!  In the past, I have enjoyed creating different ones for each of my friends and family.  Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy it, BUT, I knew my plan of attack had to be mass production this year, or they'd never get out of the house!  I used the Stampin' Up Ornament punch for all of the ornaments, double layered them for dimension, then added bling and/or stamping, as needed.  I also used the Stampin' Up Sizzix Top Note die for the front, as well as on the inside of each card, cut in creme.  I used the "Merry Christmas" sentiment from a $1 stamp I had found at Michael's, and drew on the strings and bows suspending each ornament on the card.  Even though I mass produced these ( I ended up making 50!!!), I still was able to use variations in color schemes to change up the cards when creating them.  Hope you enjoy them, and sorry it has taken me sooooo long to post!  I was so incredibly BUSY during the holidays, that I barely had time to get online!  ~Hoppy Crafting!