A Valentine for Russ

For my Dear Sweet Husband of Mine!!

   I have been working on this Valentine for my husband, Russ. I think this is the one I will give to him, but I am working on a couple others just in case I change my mind. I am having a hard time deciding. So I'll post each one and see what you think.
   I love using my JustRite stamps. The sentiment really seemed to fit us to a tee. I used Stampin Up's bird punch  and added a little flourish to the lady's eye with black enamel accents.
   I just got the lacy circle from Spellbinders. I really like the look with JustRite stamps. I am not sure where I got the designer paper from that I used. The flowers are prisma with a brad added to the middle.
The fern is from Martha Stewart's punch collection.


   I have a website that I look at for a love poem to help me express my feelings. We usually go out to dinner somewhere and talk about how lucky we are to have found each other. It's been almost five years now. Doesn't time go fast when you are having fun. I really do like this one......

Birthday Girl....Lexi turns One!!

   My niece's little girl, Lexi, is turning one. Jessica, my niece, has invited family over to celebrate. We are headed over this Sunday. It's always fun when we get together as a family.  I love seeing little kids playing together and being happy..like kids are suppose to be.
   Anyway, I wanted to make a special card to commemorate her first year. I thought this bunny was so cute. I did CASE a card from splitcoast 'cause it used a bunny from My Favorite Things collection. I think its name is Flopsy. Check out her card here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1267420?&si=flopsy
   I used some designer paper from Heidi Grace, but the rest is paper from Stampin Up. Stampin Up has the
lacy circle border punch. So I used a strip of black to accent the pink ribbon. The ribbon I probably picked up at JoAnn's since I get most of my ribbon there.

  
   I used Bow Easy to make this bow. Love the Bow Easy...
I like the pink and black combo for this card. The dots on the cake are from using Inkssentials Enamel Accents. I love to use this embellishment on my cards when I can.
   I had fun putting this card together. I am anxious for Lexi to see the little bunny. Hope you enjoyed looking. Thanks.

A Valentine for Nathaniel

   I have finally finished the Valentine I have been making for my son, Nathaniel. I've been dying to use the side step card I saw on Jackie Topa's blog. She gives excellent written directions and a tutorial on her card. She's on youtube,too. http://jackietopa.typepad.com/addicted_to_stamping/2010/07/side-step-dresser-tutorial.html

Worth all the work!!

   She is right.. the actual making of the card is easy. It's the design that took me forever. I loved her bureau idea, but I put it in a different place. I just purchased a new SU stamp set, Window Dressing,  from my friend, Cindy. Thanks, Cindy because I used the window and the little kitty stamps. The window is actually an outside window, but I made it an inside window. The little boy is a Matilda stamp,but I just can't seem to help myself .. I need for him to have a mouth...just a little one..
   The tree is from Stampin Up's Branching Out. The bike outside, which I know every kid leaves there, is from Tim Holt'z collection. I also used his distress inks to make things a little more realistic. I absolutely love Tim's Rock Candy Crackle paint. It give the banner a nice patina.
   Martha's Stewart's border punch is used on the bed coverlet. Sizzix die cuts were used from the ball, bat, and glove.
  It took alot of thinking, cutting,and arranging to get the card just right. I think Nathaniel will think it's cute. He's 29 years old, but he will always be my baby.

Winter Fleamarketing

Shadow Box

 Last Saturday was wicked fun. I went indoor fleamarketing with my husband, Russ, my sister, Chris and her husband, Tom . Chris and I had both purchased the new Tim Holtz shadow box that you see pictured here. We were looking for unique items to fit the small boxes. It's going to take some time to do this, so we are starting early. Tom checked out two places; one in Westbrook and one in Scarborough. The one in Scarborough called "Clives", I think, was fabulous. The pictures below only show a portion of the store. We plan on going back for items we weren't sure would fit into the little boxes. We plan on measuring them this time. We stopped for lunch at the Rock 'n Roll diner there in Scarborough. What a great place to eat. It's decor in from the 50's. It was the end to a perfect day.

Love the musical intstruments

Miles of storage

 Once I am done with the shadow box, who knows when, I plan on posting pictures to my blog. I am thinking it's going to take awhile to do this. Anyway, it will be fun to be on the lookout for little finds.

Not in my house!

Great looking bear.

Oooh.. jewelry

Where would I put it?

The Fifties

Tim Holtz has some newer shadow boxes that are flatter. Once I finish this one I may check out his newer one. Thanks for looking! 

Valentine Rosette

Love making Valentines!!!

   I used the rosette I made the other day in this Valentine card design. I also got the chance to use my new Spellbinders lacy circle die cut. Love it..
   The bird is from Stampin Up. The sentiment comes from "My Sentiments Exactly". Not sure who they are?
   I used a small heart from a Martha Stewart border punch and added the stem and Glossy Accents to give it more umph...I got this idea from my sister, Chris. She has a blog that used this technique at www.callalilystudio.wordpress.com   Be sure and check it out.
   The large fern is a McGill punch which stuck when I tried to get another one. I hit it with a hammer,but it didn't work. My DH is going to have to help me with this problem.
   I stamped a background behind the sentiment with a music stamp from Stampendous. Really like this stamp.
   The paper is mostly from Stampin Up and some paper that I bought at Absolutely Everything in Mass. called Basic Gray. I added some distress ink from Tim Holtz 's collection called Worn Lipstick to make the edges stand out more. The card is for, Kristin, my husband's daughter.
The gems are suppose to be notes that the bird is singing.. Anyway, it gives it a little "bling".
   Tim Holtz has a youtube tutorial on how to make the rosette using his die which was wicked helpful. Just type in rosette and it will come right up.
   Oops, I almost forgot, I used SU's Baroque stamp set in SU white ink for the background on the main card. Whew!! I think I got it all. Thanks for looking...

First Rosettes

   I am so excited that I could make rosettes for my paper crafting projects. I have been having a bugger of a time with it. I finally gave in and watched Tim Holtz's video on youtube. Just put in rosettes and his video will come up.

   Once I got it together I noticed that the paper started to rip between perferated sides. That bugged me. So I searched my studio and found a roll of decorative packing tape. It was something I picked up in traveling around to the different craft stores that I like. It was perfect. The sides did not come apart. I love the rosettes. I am working on a Valentine card for my DH.
   I noticed a website on the inside of the packing tape: www.fancythatonline.net   They have quite an array of decorative tapes and ideas on how to use them. I bet they didn't think of my idea yet...
   Anyway, I will be working all morning on how I am going to use these rosettes for my cardmaking. I'll be showing you, hopefully, on my next blog. Thanks for looking!

Newbie

    I have decided to move my blog at Wordpress to Blogger. I was having trouble with moving pictures in my posts and I want to embed videos in my blog, if possible. I am really excited about trying something new. I am a paper crafter and love to share my designs. I am also interested in photography and  plan to  share some of my pictures with you for feedback.
   Since I am newly retired my husband and I have been traveling along the eastern seaboard. We are planning a trip to Florida this February. I take my laptop along and will blog along the way.

   Hope you enjoy what you see and comment as you wish.  Glad to be here.  Here are a few pictures of winter around Maine.