Autumn Days Masculine Birthdy Card

My brother's birthday was on the 27th and this was the card I made for him. And yes, I actually did get it out on time! His was probably one of the cards I was not late with this year. Shocker, I know!!!

I find it hard to come up with masculine cards and there are not an abundance of samples on the Internet either!

On the background of this card I used the lattice embossing folder. I though it looked masculine enough to use here.

The leaves background paper was some scraps I had from another project I had done a couple of years ago. See, I never get rid of stuff.

The beautiful pheasant is from the "Autumn Days" set. It's a set I don't use much but do like it. To be honest here I think I bought the set because I liked the cute little leaf in it. Plus the pheasant was cute too!

Now that I see this card on the computer I could have added some shading under the bird so it doesn't look like it's walking on top of the weeds! Too late now, he's already received the card!

To color in the pheasant I used the "direct to rubber" technique. I took my markers and colored directly on the rubber. I huffed on it so the moisture in my breath would moisten the ink and then I stamped it on the card stock. I LOVE using that technique. It's a great way to add a lot of color to an image without using ink pads.

I had fun making this card, especially coloring in the bird!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Batty for You Halloween Card

This is another card from our last DIVA Day event. This card was made by Diane. I LOVE how she used the Spider Web embossing folder for the background.

The shin on it is from the "Smooch" spray. I bought them and used them a little and I had set them aside and totally forgot about them. I need to get them out where I can see them so I can play with them more. I do like effect it has on a card.

Ok, now for that adorable bat. It's from the "Batty for You" stamp set. It's a set I had on my wish list when it came out. I still like the set but I just can't get myself to buy it because I know it will retire on me and I'll be SO unhappy. I have a room full of retired stamp sets that I need to go through quicker and get them sold. This "Julie/Julia" thing is not working out very well for me! It's mostly because I have other things I'd rather be doing. But I need to take a serious look at the retired stamp situation here and start cleaning house. I need to make room for the sets I have on my ledge waiting to get cataloged and on the shelf. I want a magic wand for Christmas. One that REALLY works! LOL

Let's get back to Diane's fun card. I also like how she did the ribbon. It's hard to see but it's frayed on the one end. I think you can click on the photo to get a closer view!

Isn't it an adorable card? Thank you Diane for letting me show your cute card on my website!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Sweet Treats Halloween Card

This one of the cards I had gotten in the Halloween Swap at our last DIVA Day event. This was a very fun card to make too!

I love using the "Sweet Treats" stamp set and it's fun to use it without the "Sweet Treats" cups!

We stamped the image and then punched out the center. The center was then placed on top of the sucker. The front of the card was also punched. Once the card was closed it looked like the "Sweet Treats" image was intact. And you open the card and there it is, on top of the sucker!

I thought it was a cute design. Juliann a fellow DIVA designed this card. She's such a talented stamper. I LOVE DIVA Day. The only thing sad about it is we don't get to all chat as much as we would like to. We move from station to station making the wonderful cards and chatting a bit while we are playing but it moves along so quickly so you don't get to spend much time with each DIVA. Well, I suppose I could pick one and stalk her all day, following her from table to table!!! LOL But at least we get to chat a bit while we are stamping! DIVA Day is coming up again next month. I can hardly wait! Our theme next month is Christmas and I haven't a clue as to what card I am going to do. I still have not made a decision on our Christmas cards either. I suppose I should get cracking on that too! UGH! SO much to do and with Christmas not that far away it just adds more to do! I think I need a break so I can regroup!

Ok, back to Juliann's card. I loved the colors she chose too. They are not the traditional Halloween colors but yet they work for the theme! Isn't it a cute card? And a treat to boot!

Thank you Julieann for letting me share your fun card with everyone!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Bitty Bat Punch Test Tube

I had gotten my hands on some of these fun test tubes. What I like most about these is the cap. Once you screw it on, it's sealed. Now I don't know if it's watertight or not, I have not filled them with liquid to see. But when you open the cap there is a ring at the bottom that stays on the test tube. Much like the bottled water ones do.

Inside it's hard to see but there are black and orange bats candy. One was broken in half so I tried it to see what it actually was. It tasted like a Sweet-Tart but with a thick coating on the outside. Do you ever wonder what makes these so shiny? I try not to think about it because varnish comes to mind. I remember as a kid hearing that Junior Mints use to use shellac on the mints to make them shine. Now that I'm an adult I think that was one of those urban legends. I have looked up a lot of those urban legends when I think of them or have time. I hadn't thought of that one so I guess the next time I've got some time to surf the net I will be doing a check on it!

So back to my cute test tube. I know there are LOTS of test tube holders out there to make but I didn't think I wanted to do that since the one I'm giving it to could care less about the packaging it comes in.

I just dressed mine up with the "Bitty Bat" punch (of course) and some Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon. I did add two white dots for eyes on the bat. I thought it was cute! I have other plans for my remaining test tubes but it's not for Halloween "stuff." And of course I will share it with you when I finally get around to making it. I have a very long list of things to make and this will be added to the bottom of it. I just plug along on my list and have fun!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Autumn Days Wednesday Sketch Challenge

It's Wednesday again and that means it's time for this weeks Sketch Challenge over at SplitCoastStampers.

I do like the layout of this weeks challenge but I don't like what I did with it.

As I started out with my colors I was happy. I decided to use Cajun Craze for the base of the card. I had found some DP that is retired but it was fall looking and it went with the Cajun Craze. Though I think the color on the DP is Really Rust.

Anyway, I got all of my layers on and I liked what I saw.
Next I went to my Big Kick with my oval Nestabilities and cut out the oval and the scalloped oval.

Back at my worktable I colored on the rubber with markers. Direct to Rubber technique. After I stamped the image on the oval I added the wheat on the left side. I stamped that in More Mustard and then I thumped on some Sahara Sand and Cajun Craze. I stamped that on and then sponged the edges with Cajun Craze. I assembled the card and was NOT thrilled with it at all. Turning it like that sort of boxed me in with it. I didn't have any room for verbiage, ribbons or anything else. I think I will give this sketch another try next week and see if I can't improve on it. I don't think I'll be changing the orientation though. I'll just keep it the way it is and go from there.

So I show you that all of my cards are not winners!

Play with this layout if you have time. It was a pretty simple one. See if you can come up with something fun by turning it. Maybe I was just too tired to think about it!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Bitty Bat Punch Milk Carton

Another one of my favorite Sizzix dies is the "Milk Carton" one. I have a LOT of fun with that one. I have made many different items using it. I have filled them with milk bath, bath salts, candies, bird seed and even lip balm! There's TONS of uses for this die.

Today I used the die to make a clear milk carton. I wanted the pumpkins inside to be visible. And with the Window Sheets everything is visible!

When doing these with the Window Sheets be sure to keep an eye on the seams. You want to make sure they are in the back when you are ready to decorate the carton.

I used some very thin (1/8") Red Line tape to hold the carton together. And at the top I did tape it but I also used the Crop-a-dial to punch the holes for the ribbon. It punches so nice and easy. Punching though those layers of plastic was like punching through a piece of card stock! Easy Peasy!

On the front I added a bat using the "Bitty Bat" punch. Such a cute little punch. I will be putting it away until next October but that's ok, I've used it an awful lot and I think you may be getting tired of seeing it appear on everything I make lately! After this week, it's the Thanksgiving and Christmas theme!

This was a fun little project to do!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,

Wanda

Salt & Sugar Scrub Recipe

I have gotten a LOT of requests for the Salt & Sugar Scrub recipe. Click here for the Salt & Sugar Scrub post.

This is a very easy recipe. Be sure to use a glass bowl to mix the ingredients in. And please read through the instructions before you begin.

Salt & Sugar Scrub Recipe

1 cup salt, any type will work (Kosher, coarse, table)
1 cup sugar, granulated
8 ounces of Sunflower Oil
Fragrance
Colorant (optional)

Mix the salt and sugar together in a glass bowl. Add the sunflower oil and stir until salt and sugar are moistened. Add the fragrance and colorant at the same time. Mix until the color is consistent.

notes:
Sunflower oil is not the same as the kind you buy in the grocery store. You can also use palm kernel oil too. I use whichever is cheaper at the time.
Colorant is optional. Not everyone can tolerate the dyes.
When making these for gifts and especially if selling them you need to include the ingredients (not the recipe, just a list of what is in it) along with the warnings. Example, eye irritant, not fur use for children under whatever age is set by your health board.
How to use the product. For this one you stir the container. Place some on your hands and "wash" them. Wash off with soap and water. Pat to dry. On my "warnings" I did include that if you were using this in the tub or shower to be careful because the floor can become slippery.

Feel free to email me with any questions.

Thank you all for waiting so patiently while I found some spare time to enter this!
Have fun with this!
Wanda

Bitty Box & Envelope Sizzix Die Weekend Project

I am having a lot of fun with the "Bitty Box & Envelope" die. I haven't used the envelope yet but I'm sure I will once I get through the items I want to make using the box part.

Sticking with the Halloween theme I cut my box out of Pumpkin Pie card stock. Then I stamped on the cute little bat from the "Every Little Bit" set. That set actually has a little bit of everything in it! This bat is SO cute and his proportions were just right for this size box!

Inside the box I wrapped a couple of pumpkin shaped sugar cookies. And no, I didn't bake them. I purchased them and hubby has eaten most of them so I thought I'd grab a couple and see what creative way I could find to package them!

To finish off the box I wrapped it with a piece of 1/4" Black grosgrain ribbon. It was just what the box needed!

This box kind of reminds me of the Peek-a-boo box SplitCoastStampers had a few years back. But the nice thing about this one is I don't have to do any cutting. The Big Kick or Big Shot machine and the die do it all! I just fold on the creases and glued it together (after stamping on it).

With a little supervision, this would be a fun project for the kiddies too!

Thank you ever so much for visiting today,
Wanda

It's the Thought Notebooks

I don't like to throw anything away before it's time! I don't like to throw scrap paper away either. I print "stuff" off the Internet, like coupons, etc. I cut out the coupons and there is some nice paper left. SO I cut it in 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" pieces to make these little notebooks out of. In time I can accumulate a lot of little pieces of paper. And in time I will punch the papers and start decorating them.

The decorating starts by looking in the scrap paper container. I can use up a lot of scrap paper this way. Today I found some Bashful Blue card stock so I went with it. I had printed out some Elegant Soiree paper a while ago and ran across some scraps of that too. And trust me here, scraps is all you need for these little notebooks! I purchased the Elegant Soiree download and just printed it out. It is like the paper in the catalog but the paper there is 12" x 12". The best I can print out is 8-1/2" x 11". The image is a bit smaller but it still works fine for what I was using it for. I did print it out on 30# copier paper. You really do need a heavier paper to print on than the standard 20#. The image prints out much nicer and you do want it to have a nice quality look to it.

Now I do know that turtles are not blue but this one had to be colored blue because there was no green in the decorative paper! So why not a blue turtle? The turtle and the owl are from the "It's the Thought" set. It's retired but it's one of those sets I have not played much with so I thought it would be great for a few notebooks. I will eventually give it up and sell it but for now I'm using it on some little notebooks! Blue turtles and all!!!

I am actually making some headway in cleaning off the counter that is behind my worktable. It's full of papers and other "stuff." That is where I found a lot of papers that were not only cut but punched out for notebooks. SO I'm taking the time to make these notebooks and get the counter cleaned off at the same time. And that is where I found the decorative paper scraps too!! I just keep putting these things in piles.

I have a plastic jug that I'm putting these little notebooks in as I make them. The craft fair is coming up in a couple of weeks and I'm going to be selling these little notebooks at it. When I do craft fairs I usually have these little notebooks in it and they sell out! It's a great way for me to get rid of my little pieces of paper and make them useful! I LOVE to recycle and make things into something useful again!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Sugar & Salt Scrubs

When I'm not stamping I can be found doing some other craft! Today I am taking the day off from stamping and the task is to finish up the Sugar & Salt scrubs I started. It was great to get them done. My favorite ones are those in the glass jars. I LOVE the scoop that goes with it!

These were very easy to make and my workroom smelled SO lovely!

I love this stuff too! It exfoliates and leaves your skin feeling SO soft. And that wonderful fragrance doesn't hurt either!

I am making these for the upcoming craft fair at Epiphany church on the 6th of November. Man is that date ever rolling around fast! I don't have a lot of stuff for the craft fair but I think I have enough to keep us busy for the day. Us meaning my older sister and me.

I will be devoting an entire day to clay. I have several ornaments I want to make for the craft fair. I'm SO glad I have one day this weekend that is free. I'll share with you the clay items I make. I'm probably only going to make 6 of each so I can get a bigger variety of items. Clay ornaments are usually a good seller so a variety would be great!

Edited on 10-28-10: I had a lot of email requests for the recipe. Click here to get the recipe for these fun Suar & Salt scrubs!

Thank you SO much for visiting today and have a GREAT day!

Wanda

Greeting Card Kids Card

This card can be used for several different occasions. When I look at the heart I see it as a Valentine's Day card. I can also see it as a Thinking of You card, a Thank You card and even a Birthday card. And I'm sure there are other occasions you can think of to use it for too.

The base of this card is Real Red card stock. On top of that I added a layer of "Candy Cane" decorative paper. This paper is just too cute. The red stripes are embossed. You can see them shine in the photo.

I colored the little girl in using a blender pen and markers.

The heart was punched out and placed over the stamped heart. I saw that on Erica's blog. I forgot to copy the link over and in the original picture of the card the wording on it was done in black and then placed over a very dark part of the card. I was unable to read anything beyond the "Erica." I thought the heart and the pearl was a cute idea. Cute, isn't it?

I added a Real Red ribbon around the card and tied it into a bow. It was just what that space needed.

A sweet card and I really do love the bright colors of it.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Greeting Card Kids Christmas Card

On Tuesday at Stamp Till You Cramp Kay was kind enough to let me play with her brand new stamp set "Greeting Card Kids". I don't own this set and it's still up in the air if I am going to add it to my LONG wish list or not! I do like it very much but there are LOTS of other sets and other "stuff" I want.

I made this card for Kay as a thank you for letting me play with her set.

I used Real Red card stock for the base of the card. I added some decorative paper from the "Deck the Halls" pack.

I added a piece of Real Red grosgrain ribbon and on top of that I added the new crochet lace ribbon. That is the part of the card I don't really care for. It blended in with the background paper. I probably should have just went with the red ribbon alone. But then the buttons (which are retired) wouldn't have shown up very well. UGH!

I colored the image in using markers and a blender pen. I sponged the edge with Real Red ink.

I saw on someones blog how they added the pearls around part of the circle and I liked the look of that so I tried it on this card. It gave that red space a nice look.

It was a very fun card to make and Kay loved it!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Because I care Hydrangea Card Wednesday Sketch Challenge

This is the card I made for today's Sketch Challenge over at SplitCoastStampers.

I did like the layout but to make it work with the flower image here I had to mirror it. I will often flip the sketch but I have never mirrored it. I think it turned out great doing that.

Had I left it the way it was the words would be covering the stem and the side where the words are would be pretty big and open.

The paper I used here is from a Perfect Plum Decorative pack.

I also used a scrap piece of Perfect Plum card stock and used the lattice embossing folder. That piece just didn't look right plain and I didn't want to use another piece of decorative paper. I did try it and it was like wearing stripes and plaids that just didn't mesh well!

Originally I had the oval scallop cut out of Perfect Plum but I had to change it to black because it got lost in the background strips.

The "thank you" came from the retired "Holiday Blitz" set. It's an adorable set that I will be hanging on to for a while longer. I love the little images in it and I especially LOVE the "thank you" words in it. It's difficult to find smaller words that fit in the circles and are big enough to read easily.

There was really not a whole lot to making this card.

My oval and the scalloped oval were made using Nestabilities dies.

It was a fun sketch and if you have the time I highly recommend you play with it, just for the fun of it at least! And check on SplitCoastStampers to see what others have done with the sketch. I love seeing other people's take on this same layout.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,

Wanda

Spider webs are not one of my favorite things but I do admire the look of a huge one (from a distance)! It's amazing how the web is spun. And it's amazing how big a web can be too. We had one this summer that went from the shrub to the house. It was huge and full of bugs. But I had hubby get rid of it so I could paint the house there. YUCK! As much as I admired the workmanship involved in it and the way it captured a bunch of mosquitoes I had to have it destroyed! And the little creature built another one by the next day! SO the web was destroyed but not the spider! That part of the house got painted and everyone (spider included) was happy! LOL

This card was designed by Sandy. It was made at our last DIVA Day event. Sandy used the "Spider Web" embossing folder for the background. It's a folder I didn't buy because I had one that is similar and I just couldn't see myself purchasing another one.

She also used the "Dark & Dreary" set for the candelabra and the "31". It was a very cleaver card. I LOVE the scalloped green edge too!

To emphasise the spider web, the White Craft ink pad was dragged over the embossed web. Cute idea and very effective.

Thank you Sandy for letting me share your card with everyone!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Big on Christmas Christmas Card

The "Big on Christmas" is one of my favorite winter/Christmas sets. There are 3 images in this set and two of them I've used. I should challenge myself to use that third one! It's rare that I use every image in a set. I tend to latch on to one of them and use it to death. Perhaps that one that I latch onto is the one that impelled me to purchase the set in the first place. Anyone else done that???? No, Wanda, just you! LOL

I would LOVE to make this our holiday card this year but I don't have enough of that fabulous "Candy Cane" background paper to make over 100 cards. SO I would have to come up with a different plan to make it work. I'm still leaning towards that very simple "Northern Flurries" embossed one with the snowman on the inside. It certainly would be quick and easy. Something I could really go for about now! Usually I am at least 3/4 of the way done with our Christmas cards. I have not even started them, so you can see how far I am behind!

Back to my this card here. I used the Bashful Blue card stock for the layer that is on top of the base of the card. I colored in the "Snow" using Marina Mist. And I sponged in the edges with Marina Mist. Everything else was colored in with markers.

The two snowflakes are from the "Northern Frost" die.

The more I look at this card the more I want to try to figure out a way to make the background different so I can use it as our card this year. Hmmmm, what to do! Maybe the Northern Frost embossing folder and some sponging? Or using the Dotted Swiss embossing folder and running the Bashful Blue or Marina Mist ink pad across it to pick up a bit of color??? Don't know! Any suggestions? I'll give it a try! And if I use your suggestion I'll snail mail you the card when I'm done! Want to play along?

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

edited on 10-18-10 Wrong stamp set wsa named here. Thanks Chris for the heads up on that.

Bitty Bat Punch Decorations Weekend Project

I had this adorable clear glass planter and didn't know what to do with it. I had one many years ago that I actually used as a planter. I believe it was what it was meant for. But knowing what I know about plants now it's better to keep the roots in a dark planter than in one that gets light. That is why the roots grow underground!!!

Anyway, back to this planter! I had purchased some fun suckers for an event I was going to but wanted them to be displayed better. SO I thought I would set them up the way I did the ghost Peeps a few days ago. I filled the planter with the remainder of the candy corns I had and I just added some candy pumpkins to the mixture! Since the suckers were already on a stick I didn't have to do what I did to the ghosts. Poor things!!! LOL

The sticks on the suckers were already at different lengths so I didn't even have to cut any off! I just inserted them in the pot and I was done. Though I thought the pot looked a bit drab. Seeing the candy was through the glass was cute and all but I thought it still needed a little something.

Well, what would be better for a "little something" than that adorable "Bitty Bat" punch? I punched out a bunch of bats using Basic Black card stock. I took my scissors and curled them a bit, like you would with curling ribbon but not so curly! I just wanted a little bend in them since they were going to be put on a rounded surface.

I set them in place on the glass using Crystal Effects. It's such a versatile item. It is not just for making things dimensional anymore. I LOVE it as a fixative! I have used it to "glue" lots of things together! Even broken things!

SO you can see here that it glued the bats on nicely and really dressed up that glass planter!

This was such a fun project to play with and not to mention those cute suckers had a lot to do with how adorable this turned out to be! And you can see that punches don't just need to be used for cards and scrapbooking!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Northern Flurry Snowflake Note Holder Weekend Project

Today I was playing around with the "Deck the Halls" fabric. I LOVE altered items and this one is no exception. I had a note holder with some "Monster's Inc." characters on them. Since I felt I was a bit too old for that on my notes I thought I would recover it.

First I took the monster paper out of the box. Then I took the box off the cover.

I laid a piece of batting on the top and then I covered the cover with the fabric. I used tacky glue to hold it in place. I let it dry for a bit.

While it was drying I took some white velvet paper I found while digging for something else in my workroom. I ran it through the Sizzix using the new "Northern Flurry" snowflake die. Such a beautiful die and it makes the most perfect snowflakes!

Once I felt the glue was dry enough I cut a piece of white muslin and placed it on the inside of the cover to hide the edges of the Deck the Halls fabric.

Then I glued the snowflakes in place.

I glued on a piece of ribbon to the cover. I glued it on the inside. I ran it across the front and glued it from the center of the front and all the way around the back.

I added the pearls and the note holder was done. All I needed was to cut some copier paper for the inside and to close it with the ribbon. Since the ribbon was only glued from the center to the spine and on the back that left a small opening in the ribbon for the tail of it to slip though and hold the cover shut. I didn't have to deal with tying a bow and trying to get it straight. And don't forget that they are not all that fun to retie once you open it up! This way is just slick. Slip the end in the top part of the ribbon and pull it through the bottom. It holds it shut and looks nice too. I did add some tiny pearls to the ribbon. It just looked to plain without it! So now I have to decide if I'm going to keep it, give it away or sell it at the upcoming craft fair! Touch decision!

These do make wonderful gifts for friends, co-workers and teachers too! It would also be a fun Stamp Camp item!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Bitty Bat Punch Halloween Card

Here is a fun card I made at our last DIVA Day! Our theme was "Halloween." It was a fun time and there were SO many fun Halloween cards to be made! I loved making every one them. Each unique in it's own way and all of them were just FABULOUS!

This card was made by Amy. First of all I LOVE the colors here. And the striped paper the pumpkin was punched out of is just perfect! It is from the Designers pack. It's such a bargain pack of papers. I have them in all the color groups and I LOVE it. I have some designer paper for every color of card stock I want to use! I never thought to use it with the dies! Such a great idea Amy!

The bats were punched out using the new "Bitty Bat" punch. It's one of those punches I'm SO glad I bought. I have used it a lot and I think it's just too stinkin' cute!

The center of the bats is a black rhinestone. Something I did not order but have had the opportunity to play with it on a few cards.

This was a very fun card to make and such a perfect Halloween card. Not too scary for the kiddies!

Thank you Amy for the fabulous card!

And thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Fast & Fabulous Get Well Card

It is just that! Fast and Fabulous!!! This was a very quick and easy card to make. And it's a perfect example of not paying attention to detail! If you didn't catch it I will point it out to you. See the oval with the "Teeny Tiny Wishes" get well wording. Notice anything there? I used white card stock instead of vanilla. DUH! So I'm going to have to try to remove the white and replace it with vanilla. I don't think I should have any trouble removing it, a piece of dental floss slid underneath it should do the trick!

I SO love using embossing folders and this new "Vintage Wallpaper" is SO pretty! I embossed a piece of Marina Mist card stock. Yes, I know I used Marina Mist on yesterday's post. I do believe this is my favorite color!!

I layered my embossed piece on top of a half sheet of Basic Black card stock.

Next I measured the block on my paper cutter and cut a piece of Very Vanilla to that size. I stamped the image using Black StazOn.

Then I got out my Stamp-a-ma-jig to help me line up the colored part of the image. It's a little off but I don't think it's one of those images that you can get perfect. I LOVE that because it gives you a little wiggle room to NOT be a perfectionist!

I sponged the edges and taped the piece on top of a piece of Basic Black card stock.

I stamped my words (on white card stock) and punched out my ovals. I set them in place using Dimensionals.

That was it. A very quick yet elegant looking card. This card would also be great as a birthday card, a thinking of you card and a sympathy card. Very versatile, which is what I love in a stamp set!

Thank you for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday Sketch Challenge Aviary Get Well Card

Yup, it's Wednesday's Sketch Challenge time again. I SO look forward to the sketch challenges. And this one was worth waiting for. It has lots of layers. Something I just LOVE!!! I try to make my cards fairly simple because I know a lot of you like to reproduce them for yourself or for swaps and Stamp-a-Stacks. But once a week I let my hair down and play with these fun sketches and the more layers the better!!!

For today's card I used the Stampin' Up! "Aviary" set. A fun little set I don't use enough! I have found myself in need of three get well cards and you know me, I don't like to take one out of my sample drawer. I would prefer to make a fresh one! And no, I didn't make three of the same card. Even though none of them live or even know each other to compair cards!!!

Anyway, back to my card. I used Basic Black for the base of the card. I then layered it with a piece of Marina Mist that I textured using the Square Lattice embossing folder.

Next I cut the two strips, pieces 2 & 3. I used the Marina Mist decorative paper from the Subtles package. I'm having a lot of fun with those papers. It's SO great to know you have decorative paper in any color you want to use.

Then I stamped the bird cage using Black StazOn. I stamped the owl using Marina Mist and I sponged the edges with Marina Mist.

I added the "get well wishes" words in the "Optional" spot. I love that "Teeny Tiny Wishes" set. It's got pretty much every occasion covered in it. That little space at the bottom did scream for something and those ovals were perfect for it! I attached a piece of the new 1/8" thin Marina Mist Taffeta ribbon. It's my first spool of that new ribbon. I'd like to get more colors in it and will do it a little at a time. Oh, I almost forgot. I did attach the ovals with Dimensionals.

Now I have one get well card and hopefully I can get it sighed and addressed and out in the mail in time!!!

SO, if you have some time, play with this card layout. You can go to SplitCoastStampers and print out the sketch. I print them out every week and keep them in an album. They print out the exact size of a card. I usually just hold my card stock up to the layers and mark them with my fingernail and head on over to the paper cutter to cut the pieces out. It's easier than using a ruler and quicker too!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Bitty Bat Punch Weekend Project

I was playing around with those cute Ghost Peeps today. I needed to make a couple of gifty type centerpieces. They had to have a Halloween theme and they also had to be small. And this is what I came up with! Click on the photo for a closer view.

I took a couple of small votive cups and tied a ribbon around them. Then I filled them with the candy corns.

Next I opened the package of Ghost Peeps and took them apart. I was not aware that they were stuck together. I'm not a Peeps fan so I don't usually buy these. I like the looks of them just not the taste/texture! Once I got them apart I inserted a sucker stick up the bottom middle of each one. I then put the ghost inside a food safe plastic bag and closed it with a bread twistie thing. Is there a name for those things?

I stuck them in the votive cup.

Then I punched out some bats. I cut some wire and wound it around a small dowel rod. I left about 3 to 4 inches of wire straight on both ends. On one end I attached the bat. You need to punch out two bats and sandwich the wire between them. Then I glued them together. When the glue set up I stuck them in the votive cups along with the ghosts. That is all there was to making these. Aren't they adorable? I may have to give this a try at Christmas time. I LOVE the looks of those Peeps too! They're just fun to play with!

This was a fun and quick project to do!! Gotta LOVE that!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wicked Cool Halloween Card

Here is another card from our last DIVA day event and Shoe Box Swap.

This card was made by our great leader Sue! I thought this witch hat was adorable and those shoes.... well, they're cute but not my style. No matter what you've heard from others!!! LOL

Sue used the new large circle scallop to make the jagged edge circle. It's easy to do too! Just punch out one. Next put that piece on top of a piece of copier paper. I little dot of tape is needed to hold it in place. Line up the pointed parts of the scallop on the punch to be in the center of the scallop you have punched out. Punch it out and you have a very jagged edge. A new look for your cards! Isn't it cool?

The green background was done using the new Spider Web embossing folder. It's such a cute background!

Around the image you can see three black dots. Those are the new black rhinestones. I didn't purchase those. The budget can only go so far and it just wasn't in my budget this time to get them. But I was glad Sue used them on this card so I could at least play with them! They are very stunning in person!

You can also see the new Concord Crush ribbon. It's so pretty and is a nice touch on this card.

The hat was stamped and then cut out by hand. It was set in place on the card using Dimensionals. A must for every stamper!!! I LOVE those things!

I thought it was an adorable Halloween card. Not too spooky to give to those who may not care for scary cards!

Thank you Sue for letting me post your card on my blog!

And thank you for visiting today,
Wanda

Long Fellows Turtle Birthday Card

This turtle is just TOO darn cute. I had stamped a few images from it last month using Sharon's set. The images are still on my worktable. Sometimes I get around to playing with them! Today was one of those days.

I used a cute Cuttlebug texture for the background. I cut it into panels and layered them on the Garden Green card stock. I thought this texture had a "turtlely" look to it!

I colored the turtle in using a variety of green markers.

Under the turtle layer I tied a piece of 1/4" white grosgrain ribbon. I wanted to keep the card simple looking but yet give it a bit of texture and dimension.

Thank you Sharon for letting me make a few images from your adorable set!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Candy Cane Christmas Fabric From Rags to Riches!

Here is a snowman that my friend Peggy gave me last year. I hope it was last year and not two years ago! I can't keep track of things anymore!! Anyway, she had giving me this snowman because she new how much I love them. It needed some work and she figured I could dress it up. It ended up in the garage and after we got some FABULOUS shelving built in there we ran across "stuff" we forgot about! And of course this was one of those things that hubby thought should be tossed because of how it looked. I'm trying NOT to be such a hoarder but I told him I wasn't going to give it up. I told him the plans I had for it. Now to have plans and to actually carry them out are two different things. SO realizing that I took the snowman in my workroom and began to dress him up.

Now why is it the buttons just fall off but when you try to remove them it's such an effort??? I couldn't believe how tight those remaining buttons were stuck on! I did get them off with out ruining the paint job. I removed the scarf and began to dress him up.

I got out my "Candy Cane" buttons and laid them on top of the snowman. I liked the colors I picked and knew t he "Candy Cane Christmas" fabric would be so cute on him. I glued the buttons in place with Crystal Effects. Wonderful stuff!

I cut a couple of strips of the "Candy Cane Christmas" fabric. I tied them around his neck.

I was debating whether or not to remove the fuzzy yarn wrapped around the hat. And as you can see I left it. I just added some greens and red beads for berries. It was enough to dress it up.

For his nose I used an orange brad. I poked the wood with my piercing tool just enough so I could push the brad in and it would stay. The brad was just the perfect size for this guys face!

Here is the after photo. Isn't he cute? Click on the photos for a

closer view. The buttons were covered by the scarf but they are there and they are adorable!

Thank you Peggy for this cute snowman!

And thank you for visiting today,
Wanda

Bells & Boughs Christmas Card

I was looking at my new "Bells & Boughs" set and thinking how pretty that bell is. I was wondering what layout to use with it. I wanted to use some of the new "Deck the Halls" decorative paper with it too. SO I headed over to my cutting station and cut a piece of Always Artichoke card stock and went from there.

I chose the Always Artichoke card stock because I thought it matched the decorative paper the best.

I stamped the image on a piece of Very Vanilla card stock and colored it in with markers and a blender pen. When I got to the ribbon I was a bit stumped as to what color to use on it. I was leaning towards red but I thought the berries in the holly would get lost. SO I went with my favorite color Marina Mist. And as I was putting the card together I realized I had not used the Marina Mist anywhere else on the card and I needed to have it on there somewhere to tie the colors together.

I ended up getting out the new buttons from the Winter Mini catalog. I had purchased the "Candy Cane" package and it contains the blue buttons!!! Lucky me!!!

I used the new crochet trim "Victoria" ribbon on my card. I LOVE that stuff. You can always tie a nice bow with it. The "fabric" doesn't slip or slide while you are tying it. I LOVE that!

I like how this card turned out. It's not one I'll make for our Christmas card. Usually by now I have our cards all cut out and in the process of making but not this year. I have a feeling I'm not going to be getting them out by the first of December this year! Oh well, I do know I will get them out!

SO this is my card for today. I want to play with this set more. It's got lots of possibilities.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow. I have a very fun project that I'm excited about!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Lattice Die Notebook Weekend Project

I just thought I would whip up a little notebook here. I had the paper punched a while ago and found it in a stack of papers I was going through. It's retired Lovely Lilac I believe. Or is it Lavender Lace? I always got those two names mixed up.

Anyway, I put the notebook together and was looking at it and wondering what to put on the front of it. I had ran across an envelope with a few of these dies cut out so I thought I'd put one on the cover and make it a quick project!

I used a custom made "notes" stamp and stamped it on Whisper White card stock. I layered it with more of the colored card stock and a scalloped oval of Basic Black.

Just a simple easy peasy notebook!. There's nothing on here that would get hung up in a purse or satchel. The "notes" is just taped down without any Dimensionals. I would normally have used them but not on notebooks. They don't last long on them if they are put in a purse. I like to keep the covers as flat as possible.

I'm hoping that I don't run across any more retired papers. It's tough to do anything with them if you don't have all the inks or accent papers to go with them!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Cardinal Christmas Wednesday Sketch Challenge Card

This is the card I made for this weeks Sketch Challenge.

I love how the details are etched into the image. All you have to do is color directly from the marker. No blender pens at all. I used the Cherry Cobbler marker on the cardinal. It looks like I blended the colors. But nope, the image is made so it looks like that when you are done! I just LOVE that!!!

And when you can color like that it doesn't take long to make a card.

I added a bow and some punched out branches. At the stem of the branches I added some of those fun pearls too!

The background paper is from the "Deck the Halls" package. I thought it would go well with this bird and it sure did!

If I could get my hands on 50 sheets of that paper I would use this for our Christmas cards. Minus the bow of course. I'd just use a piece of ribbon and tie a knot. One knot seems to get through the postal machines. But I don't think I want to purchase 25 packages of that paper to make my card so I'm still on the quest for this years Christmas card. I'd better decide on something soon. My time is filling up with other activities and projects. And it won't be long and December will be here! Sorry but you had to be told!!! LOL

If you have time play with this sketch. See what images you have that fit in the #3 space. These sketches are really not that difficult to do. I think the most difficult part of it is finding the image you want to use. I print out the sketch. Then I open up my catalog and set the printout over the image ti see if it fits and if it does then it's on my list of ones to pick from. Sometimes I'm lucky to take the first one I find because I see the finished card in my head.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Elements of Style Meets Symbols of Solicitude

WOW! It's been a while since I've done my "Julia/Julie" challenge. You can read more about that by clicking here.

The set in question here is the retired "Symbols of Solicitude." I wanted to catalog a current set and found I have no room for it. I remembered I had started going through my stamp sets and was going to make a card with it and then sell the set. I didn't plan to do this in a year like Julie did in the movie by going through the "Joy of Cooking" cookbook. My plan is to go through my retired stamp sets and sell them to make room for the stacks of new and other current ones I have. I need to get more organized. It's not working though. I have too many cards I want to make from other sets and lets not leave out the forgetful part either. I totally forgot I was challenging myself here! SO on with the challenge.

I made this card using the current "Elements of Style" set. I used the "Direct to Rubber" technique. I colored directly on the rubber with markers. Because it was such a big image and it took a little while to color it all in, I huffed on it before I stamped it to remoisten the ink. The image stamped perfectly. I LOVE how the colors turned out. And this image fit the "Symbols of Solicitude" set perfectly!

When I looked at the stamp set the "friendship" image was the only one I ever used from that set. So sad!

My card stock color is Regal Rose but it came out looking like Cameo Coral! Must have been the flash on the camera bouncing back. I need to try to take my pictures with the Ott light and see if that makes a difference. Maybe they should make Ott light flashes on the cameras!!!

The black dots on the edges are 1/4" round pieces of Basic Black card stock. I punched them out and glued them in place. Those edges needed something and that is what I came up with!

It was a fun card to make and it was quick too. Coloring on the rubber does take a little bit of time but this card was done in less than 20 minutes! I consider those "quick cards." If you check the side bar and scroll down you will find a label with lots of cards you can make in 20 minutes or less!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Just Believe Thank You Card

I really LOVE this "Just Believe" set. I love the images in it and also that it is a very versatile set. I can see myself using this set for birthday cards, thinking of you cards, get well cards and even a sympathy card. I think I could even work this up into a masculine card too!

This time I used it to make a thank you card. It was a very simple and quick card to put together too. I used the decorative paper from the "Brights" pack. The base of the card is Wild Wasabi as are the layers. I stamped my image on Whisper White card stock. I used the direct to rubber technique for the image. I colored in the flowers with Melon Mambo and the leafy parts with Wild Wasabi. I find I'm using Wild Wasabi more now than I did when it first came out. I guess it just took that long to grow on me!! LOL

I liked making this card because it was very simple to do and quick. And I do like using the direct to rubber technique, it's a fun way to get a lot of color on your image!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Baby Bundle Baby Card

This is the card that Nancy made for our Shoe Box Swap. The image is from the "Baby Bundle" set. Just too cute isn't it?

If you look closely you can see the tiny pearl on the top part of the carriage.

The ribbon used here is the new "Crochet Trim" 5/8" lace. It's SO pretty and being it's 100% cotton you can die it with your ink pad or inkers. Here is wasn't dyed. It is in it's "natural" state! I have used this ribbon on several cards and projects. I'm adding it to a fun project I will be showing you in a few days. Or sooner if I get my other work done first!

This is an adorable card and I thank you Nancy for allowing me to show it on my web site.

Thank you SO much for visiting my web site today,
Wanda

Birthday Bakery Birthday Card

I thought it was time to put together the "Birthday Bakery" level one hostess set. I thought the cakes all in a row are just TOO darn cute. The set has wording with it but I just wanted a simple "happy birthday. Those words came from the "Teeny Tiny Wishes" set.

The background paper is from the "Subtles" decorative paper pack. Those packs of papers are wonderful to have. It's great to have every color of papers so you can whip up a quick card in no time. And the color of the papers along with the wonderful designs allows you to make a nice looking card too. Plus it doesn't look like you just "whipped" up a card!

The base of my card is Basic Black. On top of that is a piece of Pretty in Pink. The decorative paper is layered on top of that and then the smaller layers.

For the cakes layer I just take the whole wooden block to the paper cutter and I cut the paper to that size. The layers are only 1/8th inch bigger than the previous layer. I just like a sliver of color behind the layers.

Now here is one thing to remember when making your cards. Once the card is done DO NOT set it next to your stamp scrubber and proceed to clean a stamp. I got some splatters on this card. Try not to look too closely at it but that one BIG dot to the left is very visible! I usually slip my cards into a clear sleeve for safe keeping. But this time I decided to clean up after stamping. See what happens when you clean up??? That is why my workroom is so messy. I shouldn't clean up after stamping because accidents could happen! I think I like that story. I may have to use it a few times! LOL

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda