Be Mine

Here's my last Valentine Card of the season.  Yep, I'm all done.  For once ahead of the game.

I used the sketch from Sunday Sketch & Stamp Challenge #141.

My color combo is from the ColourQ Challenge #174.  They always have such great combos.  No disappointment for this one.  So perfect for Valentines.
I used my Doodlebug collection for this card.  I think it turned out sooo cute.

While I'm at it I'll enter it into this weeks Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes and also Inkspirational Challenge #5 - Anything Goes.
I still have one last Valentines project I'm working on so stay tuned.

Sweets for the Sweet

Bringing you another Valentine card.  I love stamping jars and putting things in them.  I have a few different ones.  This one is from PTI and the coordinating die cut that goes with it.  I love the touch of putting the trim around the lid.  I thought I would fill it with little candy hearts.  They are cute little stickers I found.

I really got inspired by the sketch at Retro Sketches - Sketch #48

When I first saw this I thought the sketch looked like a taco.. LOL.  I think it was perfect for my Valentine Jar. 

Did you know Paper Issues is having a give away sponsored by Lawn Fawn products.  I'll add my card into the mix at Paper Issues.. Who knows maybe I'll get lucky.  I love Lawn Fawn stamps.

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Valentine Pig

Why a Pig?  I love them.  I use to have a pot belly pig name Jimmy Dean.  Swear, that was his name.  He was adorable and they are soooo smart.  The main reason for this piggy valentine is it's my daughter's nickname.  Her siblings do not call her by name they just call her pig.  I have to say that she embraces this nickname and she is very proud of it.  It is a very loving nickname.  I can't remember exactly when it was given to her and it wasn't because she is dirty or messy.  It's because she just eats crap.  Sorry no other way to say it.  Her mainstay in nutrition is chips and salsa.  Please don't think I am a bad mom.. I have tried and tried.  Here's the thing she is rail thin!  I hate her for that... not really .. yes I do... noooo. 

Here's the card I made for her.

Here's a couple challenges I'm entering this card into:

Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#5 HEART

The Cuttlebug Spot - It's Hip To Be Square

RRR Challenge #64 - Valentine's Day/Love & Ribbon Theme

Back to working on my Valentine Banner.  I'll show you as soon as I get it done.

I must (ache) U

I ran across this sketch from Just Add Ink - challenge #150.

It is clean, simple and perfect for an idea I had rolling around in that empty space above my ears.
 
I really love this card.. It turned out great if I do say so myself. 

I got a little crazy on the inside.  hehe

Here's some info on what I used:
Stamp: Stampabilities
Paper: American Crafts - XOXO
Chipboard: Cosmo Cricket
String of hearts - Recollection stickers
Arrow Stamp: American Crafts - Valentine pack

A cup of Valentine love

Here is another Valentine card I made using my Hero Arts cling stamp. Once I got my card completed it really felt like it was missing something.  I came up with making a little tea bag tag as the sentiment.  It turned out really cute.

Close up of my tag.

I'm going to enter this one in the Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Paper Piecing. 

Well it's late so better head off to bed.

MFT Valentine

I wanted to share a card I made for the MFT Guest Designer challenge - MFTGUESTDT0213.  I have never attempted to be on any design team before but if there is ever one spot to be lucky enough it has to be My Favorite Things.  I love their stamps and their dies.
 
My bestie just recently gave me Pure Innocence My Little Firecracker.  Pure Innocence figures are sooo cute.   I know I'm working with the wrong holiday but that's what great about these stamps.  You can customize it into your own, so I did just that.  I took her sparkler and made it into a valentine.

Here is the sketch they wanted us to follow.   If you ever need some inspiration or just run out of your mojo, check out their blog.  They have the best sketches, perfect go to in a pinch.

Here she is!

I had a great time paper piecing her little dress.  I used paper I had from Dear Lizzy and colored her little sleeves and collar.  I'm still working, every day, on my blending with my copic but I'm happy with the way she turned out.  In fact I thinks she is adorable.

Of course I used my Circle Stax, they are a must in anybody's stash, open scallop doily and if you look very close that is chevron embossed in the red.  I used my Martha Stewart boarder punch and added a little bling to spice it up.   Last but not least is the heart background paper from Bazzill - Love Story.

I know exactly who this little lover will go to but that's a secret for now.    I hope MFT loves this as much as I do. 

Chalkboard Coasters

Hey everyone,  I know it's been a little bit.  I got hit by that flu not just once but twice.  First it was back in the beginning of December.  My son then got it and now he gave it back to me.  It's like a flue petri dish in my house.  UGHHH!  I hope it is over with now

I wanted to show you another Christmas gift I made.

CHALKBOARD COASTERS.

Just go to your local hardware store and get plain white ceramic tiles.  They were .14 cents each.  That's nothing.  I  also bought self stick felt pads, and of course a can of chalkboard spray paint.

I laid them all out on my spray board and started spraying them.  I tend to do a lot of light coats instead of trying to get it done quick.   It really is the best way not to get any runs in the paint.  Also put on a lot of coats.  I suggest at least 5 to 6 thin coats but it goes fast .. this stuff dries pretty darn fast.

Nice and smooth.  Then just flip them over...

and pop on those felt pads.  I wanted to make sure the pads were very secure so I also used my glue gun in addition to the sticky the pads already had. 

One thing a lot of people don't know about, is that anything you make that is "chalkboard" painted, you have to prime it.  Priming a chalkboard painted surface just mean to take a piece of chalk and run it length wise across the surface of the item.  Back and forth to create a coating of chalk then wipe it off.  Do this a couple of times.  Have you ever seen a chalkboard that even if you wipe it down you can still see writing on it.  Like the writing will never go away.  This is because it was not primed correctly. 

Gotta get back to my Valentines making.  Will have cards to show you soon.

Neon Birthday card.

Well the last of the birthday cards for January are done. 

This card isn't my normal style but after it is all done and said I really love it.  It took me all of maybe 30 mins to do.  

Here are some dets. about this card.
Background paper is from a great collection by American Crafts,  Amy Tangerine, Sketch Book.  I know it's an older collection but I never am lucky enough to have the newest and it all still looks beautiful to me.
My banner is from a die I hadn't used until now.  It's from Simon Says.  Just so you know if your interested in their dies and have not seen them first hand they are great!  This die is longer than what you see.  I cut it down. oh not the die the paper.  It has 8 banners across.   They cut so well and I use my big shot. 
Hey, hello, knock knock - any body from Paper Smooches reading this????   Did you recognize your stamps on here?  ha ha  The "I" and the "U" are from your Good Gab set.  Here, I will show you.
   
The I is from the stamp (I Apologize)  and the U is from the stamp What's Up.  
Now for the best part.  I went to my washi supply and didn't have any in neon.  What's the next best thing?  Post it notes.  Cut, stamped and done.. my sentiment.
Since I love this card so much I want to share it with some challenges:
Allsorts Challenge blog Week 188  - CAS (clean and simple)
More Than Favors Wacky Wednesday #79 -  Banner
Retro Sketches #45
Stampin for the weekend -  Anything goes


Inkspirational -
Inkspirational is brand new challenge blog and looks like I'm going to have a blast there this year.  Can't wait.  
Now to give back to my bestie who is always there for me.  She is redoing all the bed rooms in her home so I'm headed over there now to start the painting process. 

Pretty as a flower

Had to share a birthday card I made for a beautiful young lady that has been in my families lives for a very long time.  My youngest and her became very good friends in grade school and have stayed that way since.   Next Wednesday she will become 19!  I can't believe it.  Geritol here I am.. Take me, do as you will with me.

I used the color palette from the Northridge Publishing over at their blog Create:  

I'll also enter this one in over at another one of my favorite stamp companies and blog to follow:  Simon Says Challenge blog.  They asked us to use something new.  I just added to my stash of embossing folders the CuttleBug Swiss Dots.  I know your thinking.. ahhh how does she not have that folder.  It's a must and everyone does.. I couldn't believe it myself.  I have a folder that are dots but they are not as little as the swiss. 

I have one more birthday card for this month.. My eldest daughter will be turning 27 years old the last week of January.     OMGGGGG!!!!  I better double up on that damn Geritol!

 

 

HAPPY CRAFTING

 

BIG MAMMA LUVS YA

Handmade Christmas Gift

I wanted to show you just one of the gifts I made for friends and family this year.   My daughter and her boyfriend have a magnetic white board in their bedroom.  They write fun notes to each other and have a few plastic magnetic alphabet letters on it.  When I saw it I thought it would be fun to make a bunch of scrabble tiles magnetic so they could play a fun game on it, leave love notes or whatever he wants.

 

While out Goodwill Hunting in the past I had gotten lucky enough to come across, on different occasions, two complete scrabble games and snatched them up.  Can you believe I only paid $1.99 for them?

  I pulled one of them out and got started. 

When I made the decision to make this gift I bought magnets that come in a long strip rolled up.  Cheaper than buying packages of 6 tiles.  I would have bought a crap load of packages.  Much more economical this way.

Got my glue gun out, fired it up and got started.  This process isn't rocket science.  I just took my trusty Tim Holtz scissors and started cutting about 1/2" snips off and piled them up.  These magnates are self adhesive on one side but I could tell it just wasn't going to be strong enough so that is why I am hot gluing the magnets on the underside of each tile.

Once I got all the tiles done then I thought what?  What am I going to put them in -  What kind of storage or gift box should I put these in?  

Then it came to me.  I got a great idea!!!!! 

Make a box out of the game board.  What the heck was I going to do with it anyway.

 

I opened up the game board and decided a 5" square box would be perfect.

I figured the top of the box would measure 5" square and the sides would be a inch high on all 4 sides.  I first cut all my sides.  I wanted to make sure the main part of the box, the top, used the main portion of the board. 

Dimensions:

4 sides:   1" wide and 5" long

The middle:  5 x 5 inch square.

Cutting through this thick board is darn tough so make sure you have a very nice sharp box cutter.  Once I got all my pieces cut I also lightly sanded them.  It had rough edges from cutting so I just took my sanding block and sanded two or three times along all the sides.

Lastly I glued all the sides to the middle.

Whether this is the top or the bottom of the box, the top is always a 1/2" wider on all sides.  So since my bottom box measured 5 inch square I cut the top at 5 1/2" square and the sides for the top measure 1" wide and 5 1/2" long.  The box needs to be the 1/2" wider so that it will slide over the bottom.  Very scientific huh?   LOL

Now the last dilemma was what do I put on the top.  Something like a knob to open it with?  No no no.. to plain.  If he was into some kind of cartoon character or super hero then that would be a way to go.. glue one on top,  but he isn't.  This stumped me for a while and then...

TAAAA  DAAAAAA

Again it came to me.  Actually it was staring me right in front of my face.  Glue tiles on top and make his name out of the tiles.  Remember how I said I bought two games?  So I broke into the other and picked out the tiles for his name.  I also picked out the same number of just random ones so that I could glue them on top of each other.  This way it stuck up higher and he could get ahold of them to use them as a handle to open it with.

   

I hope he liked it. (fingers crossed)

A very needed Thank U card.

Sometimes there are people out there that do things for others just because.  They don't want anything back, they don't even ask any questions.  I am very lucky that I have a couple of people like that in my life.
A few weeks before Christmas my mom's phone took a crap.  The battery just would not hold a charge any longer.  I put the word out to a few friends if anyone had an extra phone (that was on my network) we sure were interested.  I was hoping it wouldn't be to much but told mom if I went the way of ebay it would take too long to get.  Especially since it was Christmas season and you know the mail.  Within hours we got the word someone had a phone.  How much?  NOTHING!  Mom was excited just to get a phone but dang!  Her phone is now probably better than mine. 
Can I take just a moment to tell you about my mom .  She is a horse!  I say that with all the love in my heart but she really is.  8 years ago I decided to sell my big house and downsize.  This involved moving to a different town. Mom and I have always lived in the same neighborhood so moving to a whole different town was BIG!  My dad had passed so when I move she will be all alone.  There is no way I could do that so I told her, "Mom you are going to move in with me".   She is so independent, this did not sound to good to her, but after a little bit it grew on her.  I had told her that she had taken care of me all her life, been there for me and my kids.  Now it was time for me to take care of her.  Well that lasted 3 months and it was driving her crazy to "just sit home all day long".  She went out and found a job and she's still taking care of me.   LOL!!  

This is my favorite picture of her doing what she does best.

She's a star!

This woman is a saint and is willing to try almost anything.  About 4 years ago, mom is now 71, she decided she wanted to learn to surf, and play on the World Wide Web.  I got her a computer, set it up and damn if she didn't start surfing.  I really only had to show her things maybe twice.  She has now graduated to a laptop, laying in bed playing slots online.  I sear the other day she let out a scream and was going on.. I ran in there to make sure she was ok.  She looked up from her lap top and said "yea.. I just won 210 coins!"  You would have thought the IRS were on their way to our house and she was a millionaire. 
I know your asking yourself, where is she going with this and what does this have to do with her getting a phone.  I don't know.  You should know me by now that I just start to ramble and the original story is long gone and lost.  
ooohhh the phone, the really nice phone she got.  She really doesn't need much but she thinks that her touch phone is her gateway to heaven.  She loves to text and I'm telling you we all love to get her texts.  You just never know what that text is going to say.  She doesn't quite get the auto fix and she never reads her texts before she sends.  They crack us all up!  Just the other day my cousin got a text from her with some major four letter words.  The ones that start with "F".  I showed her how you can talk and the phone will create a text out of it.  This woman has NEVER used language like that but she talks fast or hym haws and I know that phone had no idea what she was saying so I think it just got mad and put it's own words in.
For her to get this great phone, and a touch screen at that, has made her feel like she is right up there with Bill Gates.   She is sooooo cool, and we let her keep thinking that!  A verbal Thank You just wasn't enough.

You know I am not going to make a card and not enter it into a few challenges. 

The layout / Sketch is from Freshly Made Sketches challenge #67. 

The colors are from Color Throwdown #223
 



Time for bed.