Make-a-Card Monday: Welcome to the 'Hood!

So, in honor of my in-laws moving about 5 minutes away, I am showcasing these cards I made for them. We are looking forward to having them so close. I am envisioning weekly date nights and sleeping late Saturdays. I know I'll wake up to reality, when the "new" of having my kids so close wears off, and they start avoiding my calls.

In this first card, I used an old Stampin' Up set, Right at Home. LOVE this set! It's perfect for more than just  "welcome to the 'hood" cards. There's "thanks for your hospitality" and "we've moved" sentiments as well. I stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with my Prismacolor pencils. I added some Glossy Accents to the TV screen. I cut out the image with my small circle Nestabilities, along with a black cardstock layer. I drew layout inspiration from Cas(e) This Sketch! sketch #14. My little lines are just one-eighth inch strips of SU's Real Red cardstock. I used SU's heart, 1 inch, and 1.25 inch punches.

But, really, how cute is this chair? Swoon.

On the inside, I decided to try something different. I have just found the amazingly talented Amy and she always decorates the insides of her cards. Seems like a fun idea to me. I used the same Kraft that I matted on the outside and I stamped the image in Versamark ink. After letting that dry, I stamped the second sentiment in Versafine. The little hearts are from a SSS set called "Card Exchanging Friends" and stamped in SU's Real Red ink.

I used the biggest stamp in the same set for this card. Oh my, those houses are adorable! So fun and easy to color, too. (Plus, my in-laws' new home is in a row of three, making this image even more fitting.)

I colored the houses with my Prismacolor pencils, keeping it simple with no shading or anything. I did add Glossy Accents to the windows, just wished I had added a bit of color first. Used a sketch that I found on Pinterest (I was unable to find the original source, sorry) and all the colored paper is from my stash. I embossed the background mat with a Cuddlebug folder. I found those brads floating around and thought they would be pretty perfect on this card.

On the inside, I used the chair and inked it with SU's Gable Green. The sentiment is in Versafine.

How do you let everyone know you've moved? I just put business cards with our new info on them in our baby announcements. (E, our oldest, was born 4 days before we moved to Houston.) If we ever move again, I hope to use a little more creativity.

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

Adventures in Running: I need this.

I knew a long time ago how running made me feel better about, well, pretty much everything. It's only recently though I realized that I NEED it. Not being able to get out and lose myself in the rhythm, it has become quite clear exactly what running does for me.

Last Saturday (9/21), I went out and ran four miles. The longest I've gone since my fall a month ago. This run was not a problem for me. It felt great and reiterated the fact that I hit my stride after 2 miles. Which I needed to be reminded of since I had routinely been trying to go just 2 to 3 miles and it was hard and I was getting so discouraged. Of course, as luck would have it, I got sick immediately following that run and wasn't able to run again until this last Wednesday. I went to Memorial Park and did two laps, not running the whole time, but put in 5.65 miles. Not too shabby. But then I came home and got uber sick again. Fever, chills, asleep at 5 in the afternoon sick. And I've stayed that way (on and off) since.

All this to say that I miss running. I'm seriously ready to get back into the groove and train and run and enjoy it. I hope that my next running post goes something like "I just ran 10 miles, no problem!" :)

Thanks for looking. Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

Really?

I keep thinking about the verse that God will not give you more than you can handle. Our family is going through a lot right now, and I keep thinking, and praying, that verse, over and over. We are getting lots of bad and sad news these days.

Another special person, my uncle, has been diagnosed with colon cancer. My mom's best friend, T, and now her brother. I am sad and scared but trying to remember that they are doing amazing things with cancer treatments these days. Miracles happen everyday.

I made this card for my uncle in hopes of bringing a smile to his face. He has always been so happy, loving, and big-hearted. He's one of the good ones, know what I mean? I think he'll get a kick out of this.

I used another of my all time favorites sets from Stampin' Up, On the Farm. My uncle is a rancher so this is super fitting. I used my Prismacolor pencils to color up my images. The cover sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes but the inside sentiment is hand written.  

I also sent this one as soon as I heard the news. I had made it earlier, when I made the one for T.  

I didn't add lots of details about these cards so if your interested let me know. 

If you are a praying person, my family could sure use some of that right now. Even positive thoughts would go a long way. Thanks.

Thanks for looking. Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

December Daily #1 (AKA Don't look, Megan!!)

So, I made this December Daily for my dearest friend Megan. She works hard for her family and hasn't had the time in years past to keep up with the mini album. I figure, if I give her the bare bones, she can add pictures and a few embellishments and make it her own. And be able to keep up with it.

I have had this Teresa Collins 'Noel' kit FOREVER. I'm such a hoarder when it comes to beautiful collections like this one. Regan gave it to me many moons ago. Thanks again, Regan! :)

I added those awesome Stampin' Up jumbo brads (that they don't sell anymore; *tear*) and ribbon for a closure, should the book need one after the pages begin to fill up.

It was important to me to keep it as simple and easy to use as possible so I went with a 'smash book' style mini album. I added lots of pages in different sizes, as well as pockets, tags, and acetate pages. I embellished nothing; that's Meg's job. :)

I am including some die-cuts and the decorative 12 by 12 pages that are included in the collection for her to use as she sees fit. I also plan to throw in some ribbon, chipboard pieces, and charms.

I hope this helps her, this holiday season, capture the memories without taking time away from making them.

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

One of my absolute favorite pictures of us.

June 2006

Make-a-Card Monday Fail

My intent this Monday was "fall" cards. I had them all planned and ready to be made. But we all know the saying; best laid plans...

So you're going to get cute pictures of Husband and kiddos making apple fritter muffins on this first day of fall. When I was pregnant with L, I craved Apple Fritters. Decided I should try and find an alternative and came across a recipe for these muffins. Ah. Maze. Ing.

Little brother quickly lost interest.

One of my favorite kitchen tools.

We had a pretty rough weekend. We got too much sad and bad news. I'm actually so glad that it's over. I've never been so happy to see a Monday come, ever. I know that it doesn't make what happened this weekend go away but it feels like a new "start", know what I mean?

Anyhoo, I still plan to do those fall cards and since we're only a day in, I figure I have time. :)

Thank for bearing with me and thanks for looking. Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I'm a WINNER! Again!

So, I was perusing the Kiwi Lane Blog hop a couple of weeks ago and guess who got the prize? This girl! :) So very excited. Not only do they have awesome designers that share so many creative ideas but their prizes are good too. I got some goodies from the Simple Stories Smarty Pants collection. LOVE IT!

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

Fall comes tomorrow!!

It's almost fall (It only got up to 91 yesterday!) and I wanted to get started on my cards. This is my first. I pulled out one of my all-time favorite Stampin' Up sets called Basket Full of Fun, which is retired.

The colors look so much brighter in the picture than IRL.

My card base is SU More Mustard. I used layers of paper from the Crate Paper Random collection. The little heart is from the Simon Says Stamp Card-Exchanging Friends set, and it's stamped in Real Red ink. I edged everything in Walnut Stain Distress ink. Used a SU border and oval punches and the apple is Nestibilities.

I colored the image with Copic markers on Neenah Solar White cardstock, fussy cut, and glued to SU Very Vanilla cardstock. Wasn't sure if the Very Vanilla would make my colors look weird, so decided not to chance it. 

On the inside, I just used more of the papers, layering them to look similar to the front. Stamped the image again in Walnut Stain distress ink. 

I am entering this card into the following challenges. 

Great Impression - Fall Colors

ABC45 - Fall

Paper Playtime Challenge #19 - Apples

Seize the Sketch #4

Craftin' Desert Divas - Autumn/Fall

Thanks so much for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy. 

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree?

So when The Alley Way Stamps Blog put this picture up as inspiration...

it took me all of three seconds to figure out what I wanted to do. I don't know why I immediately thought of Christmas but there you go. When I found a partridge in a pear tree image in their freebie section, it all came together in my head. And paired with this sketch from Mojo Monday...

this is the card I came up with. I wish now that I had used a pear instead of that gray circle but oh well.

For the card front, I used black and white cardstock with SU's Green Galore (embossed with the snowflake Cuttlebug folder), Yoyo Yellow, and Basic Gray. I printed the image from my computer onto Neenah Solar White cardstock. I knew I wanted to color it with my Copic markers. In real life, partridges are brown with black and white striped wings and a bright orange beak and feet. But this isn't real life is it? :)

I am also entering this card on The Pink Elephant Blog's (TPE217) 'digi image'.

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy. 

Crappy Card

I loved this "Crappy Day" set by Unity the moment I saw it. I knew if it could make me laugh just creating a card with it, it would hopefully bring a smile to the face of the recipient. My mom's best friend, T (who I've mentioned earlier), is having a rough week. I used the Addicted to CAS Challenge #22 theme "Get Well" as inspiration for this card.  I am also entering this card in Try Stampin' On Tuesday's Sketch #136 Challenge.

That's a shadow on the card from the window. 

I created my card front using Kraft, black, and SU's Real Red cardstock. The brads are from my stash.

I stamped my image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it with Copics. I really should have checked out different ways to color toilet paper because I feel like it look like it's rolled on the ground a couple of times. I am not happy with the shading across the bottom as well, but I'm still learning and trying not to be too hard on myself.

Again, shadows from the window.

This sentiment gets me every time. Just makes me smile, and I hope it does T as well.

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy. :)