Paper Conversation

Sweet Baby Rattle

Hi there!

How are you doing in all this heat?  Hope you're finding ways to keep cool and comfortable.  I heard on the news yesterday that this is one of the hottest Summer's on record.  This after one of the coldest Winter's on record.  What's up with that?  It's pretty crazy, that's for sure!

Today's post is all about baby sweetness in the form of a gift tag.  This project features the Something Sweet stamp set.  When I first saw this set, I was intrigued by the gumball machine images and all the cute stamps for stuff you could put in the gumball machine globe, but I was sold on the handle that "attaches" to the Sweet Treat cup because you could make that into all kinds of things depending upon what you put at the end of the handle.  For this card, I decided the handle was just wide and curvy enough to fit into a chubby baby fist.

The card base is Marina Mist cut and scored to make a 4" square card with the fold at the top.  I randomly stamped the heart image on the top half of the card front with Marina Mist classic ink.  I also stamped the heart image on a 2 3/4" square piece of Whisper White with Marina Mist; this piece will go behind the Sweet Treat cup--more on that in a minute.  The Solid Stripes stamp was used with Marina Mist on Whisper White cardstock to make the striped layer on the bottom half of the card front.  A 1 3/4" circle was punched on the left side of the card front just slightly above center.  A 1 3/4" circle was then punched into a piece of Certainly Celery cardstock.  Then the cardstock was placed into the 2 3/8" scallop circle punch with the hole centered in the punch window before punching out the scallop circle.  The scallop "ring" was then adhered to the card front with SNAIL to surround the punched hole.

A Sweet Treat cup was filled with bits of inexpensive charms and beads (the beads spell the name of my oldest grandson, Zack) and then covered with the piece of Whisper White cardstock with the heart image stamped on it, so that the hearts are visible through the Sweet Treat cup.  SNAIL is applied to the exposed pieces of Whisper White cardstock extending beyond the Sweet Treat cup (on the side where the hearts were stamped) and then the cup is pushed through the 1 3/4" hole in the card front from the inside of the card.  The handle was stamped onto a scrap of Whisper White cardstock with Certainly Celery Craft ink and heat embossed it with Clear Stampin' Emboss powder.  This was cut out with Paper Snips and then attached to the card front with SNAIL so that the handle collar is snugged up against the treat cup.  A bow of Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta ribbon was attached to the handle with a Mini Glue Dot.

The sentiment area of the inside of the tag was lined with a piece of Whisper White cardstock.  The wonderful Carl Sandburg quote from the Occasional Quotes stamp set (Level 3 Hostess) was stamped onto the Sweet Treat cup cover.  Of course, there's lots of sponging on this card.  Marina Mist for the card front edges, the striped cardstock edges, the Sweet Treat cup edges visible for the stamping on the inside of the tag, and for the sentiment liner on the inside of the tag.  Certainly Celery was used to sponge the edges of the scallop circle "ring" around the Sweet Treat cup.

The Crop-A-Dile was used to punch a 3/16" hole through the upper left corner of the tag with Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta ribbon looped through the hole.

I made a stack of these tags for swaps for the Stampin' Up! Convention in Salt Lake City this week.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend, but I'll be traveling there in spirit via these little tags and another card that I'll be showing you in a day or two.  My Stampin' Up! upline, Catherine Harwood, will be swapping my cards and tags for me and I can't wait to see all the great swaps that will come back to provide inspiration for more projects.  I know I'll be haunting all the demonstrator forums this week for information and updates from Convention.  There are certain to be some great new product ideas.

Stamps:  Occasional Quotes, Solid Stripes, Something Sweet; Inks:  Certainly Celery Craft, Certainly Celery Classic, Marina Mist Classic; Cardstock:  Certainly Celery, Marina Mist, Whisper White; Embellishments: Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta ribbon, charms and beads inside Sweet Treat cup from Big Box craft store ; Adhesives:  SNAIL, Mini Glue Dots; Tools:  Paper Cutter/Scorer, Paper Snips, Bone Folder, Sponge, Clear Stampin' Emboss powder, Heat Tool, Crop-A-Dile, Sweet Treat Cup, 1 3/4" hole punch, 2 3/8" scallop circle punch

A Family Event 14 Years in the Making

Hi There!  Another drought between blog posts...I'm really not making this a habit, it's just that there's been some craziness in my home for the last couple of weeks. 

The event was a visit from my youngest son, Brian, who is an active duty member of the United States Navy.  He and his wife, Kristy, came to visit and we gathered the family for the event.  The best surprise of all was that all of my children were able to come home this weekend for a Father's Day Gathering; the first time in 14 years that all of them were in the same place at the same time.  For me, that was very special.  We were also blessed to have my parents, one of my brothers and his family, my sister, and one of my cousins and her family who happened to be in town on vacation.  In spite of the afternoon thundershowers, we managed to have a great time visiting and sharing.  I asked my sister to take this picture of my husband and I, our children and their spouses (or fiance), and grandchildren.  

Our oldest daughter, Kristen, wears a dark polo shirt; our oldest son, David, is hiding behind his baby son; our other daughter, Heather is wearing a white t-shirt with pink stripes; our son, Rickey, is wearing a teal t-shirt; and our youngest son, Brian, is wearing a red t-shirt.  Missing from the picture are a granddaughter, a grandson, and our daughter Kristen's husband.

Thanks for your patience and I'll be getting back to posting papercrafting ideas in the next day or so.  I have two cards made for swaps that are very different in color composition and design, but equally eye-catching. 

I'm looking forward to your visit!

Chocolate, Vanilla, or Strawberry?

Hi there!  Thanks for visiting!

One of the great things about being a Mom is that you may be lucky enough to become a grandmother.  I have to tell you that being a grandmother is AWESOME!  My husband and I have 6 grandchildren and each one is very special to us.  We see most of our grandchildren often; however, one of our grandsons, Aiden, lives in Ohio and we aren't able to see him as often as we'd like.  Aiden recently celebrated his 7th birthday.  Here's a card very similar to the one that I made for Aiden.

(click on image to make it larger)

The card base was stamped with the "sprinkles" image in Tempting Turquoise on the upper half and a piece of polka dot paper from the Island Oasis Designer Series Paper covers the lower half.  Pumpkin Pie striped ribbon was wrapped around the card front and knotted on the right side.  The Chocolate ice cream scoop image was inked with Close to Cocoa and then the squiggles image with Chocolate Chip; both pieces "kissed" and then the scoops image was stamped onto Whisper White cardstock.  The same process was used for the Vanilla and Strawberry scoops (Very Vanilla Craft ink kissed with Barely Banana ink and Pretty in Pink kissed with Pixie Pink).  The cones image was inked with Creamy Caramel and the edges of the image "rock and roll"ed in Close to Cocoa ink then stamped onto Whisper White cardstock.  Finally, the cherry image was inked with Real Red and Glorious Green markers and stamped onto Whisper White cardstock.  All of these images were cut out with Paper Snips and adhered to a piece of Certainly Celery with the sentiment stamped in Chocolate Chip and matted to Pumpkin Pie and So Saffron cardstock.  The Chocolate and Strawberry scoops were adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals, all the rest with SNAIL.  A drop of Crystal Effects was placed on each cherry to give it some shine.  The focal point was adhered to the card front with Stampin' Dimensionals.

(click on image to make it larger)  

The process for stamping the ice cream scoops is different for the envelope.  A scoop was stamped onto a Post-It Note near the top of the paper (where the repositionable adhesive is located on the back of the note).  The scoop image was cut out.  This image will be used as a "mask" to create the triple decker cone.  Stamp the top scoop first and place the mask on top of the scoop.  Stamp the second scoop with the top of the scoop image overlapping the bottom of the first image slightly (on the mask).  Press down firmly on the scoop stamp to ensure that you don't leave a space between the ink and the bottom of the mask.  Then move the mask to the second scoop and repeat the process with the third scoop.  To stamp the cone, place the mask on the third scoop and then stamp the cone with the top of the cone overlapping the bottom of the scoop slightly.  Finally, remove the mask and stamp the cherry on the top scoop. 

When I saw these stamps, I just had to have them.  For some reason, I struggle with designing cards for children and felt that I would be able to create some fun cards for kids.  I also saw some possibilities for scrapbook pages with Summer and party themes.  However, I should be honest and admit that the biggest reason really had nothing to do with children:  I just LOVE ice cream!  It's my favorite food group. 

Stamps:  Sweet Scoops; Inks:  Barely Banana, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Pixie Pink, Pretty in Pink, Tempting Turquoise, Very Vanilla Craft; Many Marvelous Markers:  Real Red, Glorious Green; Cardstock:  Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White; Designer Series Paper:  Island Oasis; Embellishments:  Pumpkin Pie 1/2" Striped grosgrain ribbon; Adhesives:  SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals; Tools:  Paper Cutter/Scorer, Paper Snips, Bone Folder, Sponge, Crystal Effects; Other:  Medium Whisper White Envelope, Post-It-Note

Riding the Roller Coaster

Hi there!  I hope all is well in your world.  Things have been a bit of a roller coaster for me in the last couple of weeks with my "day job," family, and pets.  It looks like things may be calming down now.  We'll see for how long.

For those of you who don't know, my "day job" is at the Kennedy Space Center.  I work in an engineering area that supports the Space Shuttle Program.  The recent announcement of the changes to NASA, as proposed in the President's budget submittal, is distressing to those of us who were looking forward to the next human space adventure:  Constellation.  Facing the end of the Space Shuttle Program was tough; however, looking forward to the "next step" in human space exploration was exciting to contemplate.  At the same time, we were moving forward in support of the recent launch of STS-130 with Space Shuttle Endeavour.

 
(NASA/Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connell)

Standing in front of the Launch Control Center and watching the night sky turn to day as the Space Shuttle rose from the launch pad was awe-inspiring.  Night launch or day launch, I am always thrilled and amazed with every lift-off.  I think of all the thousands of people who contributed to the thousands of processes and procedures that must occur successfully each and every time in order to make this event happen.  It's the same feeling each time the Space Shuttle lands, whether it's here at the Kennedy Space Center or at an alternate landing site.

I also think about all the technological advances that have occurred since the beginning of human space flight.  It's surprising how many of these new technologies have translated into commodities that we now take for granted in every aspect of our daily lives.  Where will these advances come from if human space flight is no longer available?  I shudder to think that after all these years that we, as a nation, would be content to take a back seat to any other nation in microgravity research and development.

Shortly before all of this occurred, we were blessed to welcome a new addition to our family, our grandson Randall Charles.  Isn't he gorgeous??!!  He was slightly jaundiced at birth, but he's doing great now.  Thankfully, there was plenty of Florida sunshine available to treat it.  We traveled to South Florida to meet our new grandson just a few days after his birth.

 

This week I finished up a card for a color swap with a number of Stampin' Up! demonstrators.  Our challenge was to create a card using only one color from the Bold Brights color family, Basic Black, and one other neutral color (either Whisper White or Very Vanilla).  When I entered my name to participate in the swap I thought this would be a no-brainer; boy was I wrong!  I really struggled deciding which color to choose and then selecting a stamp set that I could use to showcase the color.  In the end, I decided on Eastern Blooms and Tempting Turquoise.

We were also directed to use at least three layers and an embellishment.  Once I picked the color and the stamp set, everything else seemed to fall into place.  The embellishments for this card are Tempting Turquoise 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, a clear/white button from Button Latte, and small and medium Clear Rhinestone brads.  Two single flower stamps are inked once and stamped three times randomly across the Whisper White cardstock panel on the upper card front.  One of the flowers on the right hand side of the panel was chosen and a hole was pierced through the center of the flower to accommodate the medium Clear Rhinestone brad.  You can see that the small Clear Rhinestone brad is inserted into the button holes of the button and then through the center of the flower before the brad legs are set into place on the back of the flower.  The flower petals were rolled under with the help of a bone folder.  The flower is attached to the Whisper White panel with a Pop-Up Glue Dot so that the petals of the flower don't get flattened.  The Designer Series Paper used for the lower part of the card front comes from the Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper pack.  I liked how the graduated flowers tied in with the button.

The Medium Whisper White envelope was decorated in a manner similar to the Whisper White panel on the card front.  The large flower was stamped first, then the smaller flowers were inked once and stamped three times around the large flower.

 

I mentioned pets in the beginning of this message as being passengers on my roller coaster ride.  We brought a Shih Tzu puppy into our home in mid-December and we've been working with him and our 5-year old Golden Retriever.  Our Golden Retriever, Maxwell, has finally accepted that this new addition will be staying and has begun to play and romp with the Shih Tzu puppy, Zorro.  Zorro is beginning to understand the routine now and I think he is finally on his way to mastering the art of using the yard instead of the carpet.  We are enjoying watching the two of them play together as they romp around the yard and play tug-o-war with their toys in the house.

Life is that way, isn't it?  Mixing up the fun with the not-so-fun so that it becomes a pattern of contentment.  On this Valentine's weekend, I think about all the things in my life that I love and I feel overwhelmed with the blessings in my life.  My husband, my children and their spouses, grandchildren, parents, brothers and sisters (and their spouses, children and grandchildren), friends and even pets; they enrich my life and bring me joy.  I am so very thankful for all of you.

In the same vein, I am grateful to you, my blog readers, for taking the time to stop by to visit with me.  Your comments and encouragement are important to me and I appreciate your support.

Stamps:  Eastern Blooms, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Inks:  Tempting Turquoise; Cardstock:  Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White; Embellishments:  Tempting Turquoise 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Small and Medium Clear Rhinestone brads, Button Latte; Adhesives:  SNAIL, Mini Glue Dot, Pop-Up Glue Dot, Stampin' Dimensionals; Tools:  Paper Cutter/Scorer, Paper Snips, Bone Folder, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, Paper Piercing tool, Mat Pack, Sponge; Other:  Medium Whisper White Envelope

Beautiful Wings (Can Spring be too far away?)

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by to visit!

The last few weeks have been especially cold in Central Florida.  While it's nice to have a chill near the holidays, this is just ridiculous!!  Sleet, snow flurries, iced roads and layers of clothes belong to areas far North.  Right?  Well, this weekend it has finally gotten back to normal.  Hooray!  My husband and I traveled to South Florida for my youngest granddaughter's 3rd Birthday Party and it was wonderful to sit outside wearing our summer T's, shorts and flip-flops. 

During the cold spell, when it was just too cold to go outside, I dug some more stuff out of my Stampin' Up! box of goodies and found the Beautiful Wings Embosslit from the Occasions Mini Catalog.  I began thinking that maybe if I had some positive thoughts about warmth instead of sitting around shivering and complaining, I may have better luck with that return to warm weather.  So I challenged myself to make a simple card that evoked warmth and freedom from all those layers of clothes.  

The most awesome thing about Embosslits is that when you run them through the Big Shot, two things are happening at once:  embossing and cutting.  The Beautiful Wings Embosslit has 5 different sized butterflies in a 2" x 2" space; every one of them embossed in a different way.  When I finished this card I was reminded of a walk through a butterfly habitat at the Zoo.  Lots of butterflies in so many styles and colors all together in one place. 

The Butterfly Accent stamp was stamped three times across the center of the card front.  Before attaching the butterflies to the card front, I decided to bring the embossing into relief by running a sponge of contrasting color across the embossing on each of the butterflies.  The large butterflies were scored in the center to allow the wings to fold up slightly.  These butterflies were attached to the card front with a Mini Glue Dot.  The rest of the butterflies were scattered around the large butterflies and attached to the card front using SNAIL.  There were plenty of butterflies left over, so I put a few on the inside of the card, too.  I left a space in the upper center of the card for a sentiment.  I used the Well Scripted birthday sentiment because the swirls reminded me of the dips and soars of butterflies in flight.

 

The Butterfly Accent was also stamped on the front of the envelope with the Well Scripted sentiment stamped on top of the butterfly.  I purchased the Well Scripted stamp set in the Clear Mount version and it was super easy to ensure correct placement of the sentiment both on the front of the card in between all those butterflies and on the center of the butterfly on the front of the envelope. 

For all of you in the North (and West and MidWest and NorthEast) who are still dealing with all the layers to stay warm, think about giving this card a [Big] Shot with the Beautiful Butterflies Embosslit and let the thoughts of butterflies flitting about a Spring flower garden bring you some warmth.

Stamps:  Butterfly Accent, Well Scripted; Inks:  Close to Cocoa, More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Really Rust, Taken With Teal; Cardstock:  Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Sahara Sand, So Saffron, Taken With Teal, Whisper White; Adhesives:  SNAIL, Mini Glue Dots; Tools:  Paper Cutter/Scorer, Bone Folder, Big Shot w/Standard Cutting Plates, Multi-Purpose Platform, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Sponge; Other:  Medium Whisper White Envelope

A Sweet (End of Summer) Treat

Hi there!  I was surprised to hear that today is the last full day of Summer.  This year has certainly sped by!  So before the Summer is gone completely, I'd like to present you with a Sweet Treat to remember warm Summer days filled with sunlight, laughter, and outdoor fun.  

When I saw the row of cupcakes stamp in the Level 3 Hostess Set, The More the Merrier, I was immediately reminded of my granddaughter Samantha and her 4th birthday party in July.  She asked for a swimming party at Papa and Grandma's house.  To cater to small hands, we made cupcakes and served popsicles.  The children at the party (my granddaughters) were thrilled to swim, blow bubbles, draw with chalks, eat cupcakes and wear most of their popsicles; delightful entertainment for their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents. 

The Sweet Treats are colored with Stampin' Pastels and Blender Pen and rest on a piece of Rasperry Lemonade Designer Series paper accented with Dusty Durango Dotted grosgrain ribbon.  The card base was cut with the Big Shot using the Movers and Shapers die with the Modern Label punch window.  I love how the punch window piece mats so beautifully with the Modern Label punch.  I was excited to see that in addition to the Modern Label and Curly Label (that comes with the Movers and Shapers Bigz XL die), punch windows are also available to match the Scallop Oval, Large Heart, and Large Star punches.  If you can't get enough of the Movers and Shapers punch windows, the Holiday Mini Catalog has additional punch windows; including one that coordinates with the new Ornament punch! 

Make a stack of these Sweet Treats for your friends; a great way to share Summer fun!

Mickey

Stamps:  The More the Merrier, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Inks:  Pumpkin Pie, Basic Gray; Cardstock:  Crushed Curry Textured, Whisper White; Designer Series Paper: Raspberry Lemonade; Embellishments:  Dusty Durango 1/2" Dotted grosgrain; Adhesives:  SNAIL; Tools:  Paper Snips, Paper Cutter, Modern Label punch, Stampin' Pastels, Blender Pen, Big Shot with Extended Cutting Plates, Movers & Shapers Bigz XL die with Modern Label punch window