Card Creations 8... Sweet Fuzzy Train Card

Hi all! Paper Crafts is celebrating the release of Card Creations 8 this week and there is a lot of fun stuff going on at Paper Crafts Connections and Moxie Fab World. There is a lot of fun stuff going on...

Here is one of my favorite cards that I made for the issue...

I rarely make baby stuff (mostly because I purged all of it as soon as I finished the girl's baby scrapbooks), but I was totally inspired these felt border stickers from Martha Stewart Crafts. This card was super easy to make, all I did was peel off the felt strips as a block and adhere to card, apply the train stickers and tie on the ribbon, button and tag. I think what I love most about it is all of the textures from the Bazzill dot cardstock to the fuzzy felt to the course rigid bumps on the hard plastic button.

Have a Terrific Thursday!

Black and White

I often times find myself using color to help define the mood and style of my cards.

For example, if I want my card to have a clean and graphic look to it, I will maximize the white space on my layout. In card design, an easy way to do this is to start with a white card base and add a few graphic elements to it.

To create card:

1) make card from cardstock and round bottom corners with corner rounder

2) fussy cut medallions from patterned paper and adhere to card

3) apply gemstones 

4) stamp sentiment

Patterned paper (Ava collection); gems (K&Co.); stamp (Unity); other (white cardstock and black ink)

Easy... right? This one was so easy that I made a few more for my next card swap;)

Here is another example using the same patterned paper and bright colored gems... but with the addition of more black into the design, this card has more of a dramatic feel and leans more toward an elegant style.

Patterned paper (Ava collection); brad (Homespun Chic collection); gems (K&Co.); black organza & satin ribbon (Michael's Crafts Inc); other (black & white cardstock)

To create card:

1) make card from cardstock

2) layer patterned paper on black cardstock and tie on ribbon

3) apply gem stones

4) adhere to card


How does color influence your work?

Jacksonbelle Tuesday... Add Black Accents

Hello everyone... just dropping in with my card for this week's Jacksonbelle Tuesday challenge...

Here's the challenge... use 1 neutral color, 1 other color and black. I used October Afternoon's fun black and cream dot patterned paper here, Zva crystal flourishes and Basic Grey fabric brads.

If you'd like to play along with this week's challenge we'd love to see what you do. Just leave a link to your project over at Jacksonbelle's blog. And don't forget to check out with the other Jacksonbelle Roackstars did for more inspiration.

Dawn Lusk, Julie Lacey, Heather Pulvirenti, Stephanie Severin, Amy Tsuruta, Pam Varnell, Lynda Benden, Tobi Crawford, Jill Dunn, Heather Lee-Reppen, Shemaine Smith, Lindsey Botkin

Jacksonbelle is still having a great sale (80% off) on single sheet 12x12 patterned paper... you can get some for as low as $0.14 a piece!


Have a happy Tuesday!

Time to Fly...

Just dropping in today with sneak of a project I'm working on for my daughter's graduation... ever since the girls and I visited the butterfly show I've had GCD Studio's Artsy Urban collection out on my desk (its just chock full of butterflies). I think many of the embellies in the collection have perfect sentiments for a graduate who is about to venture out into the world. **Coincidentally, you can win some of these butterflies by commenting over at the blog today**

If you like the Artsy Urban collection, there's a chance for you to win it in this fabulous prize...

....by playing along with GCD Studio's Triangle Challenge with Jill HERE at scrapbook.com (through May 31st). Check it out... Jill also gives a great tutorial about incorporating visual triangles in your layouts... its defiantly worth the click;)

Have a fab Friday!

What's Your Signature Layout?

If you had a signature layout... one that is your slam dunk, go-to layout every time you need to make a quick but polished card... what would it be? Here is mine...

I love it because it really only requires two coordinated patterned papers, some fab ribbon and bling or embellies.

To create card:
1) cut card from cardstock
2) apply patterned papers (October Afternoon) and round bottom corners
3) tie on bow
4) embellish with pearls and flowers (white pearls and flowers from Zva Creative)
5) stamp sentiment (MFT) and cut tag and tie to bow
6) ink all edges

Easy! I'm all about that these days:)

Jacksonbelle is have a great sale (80% off) on single sheet 12x12 patterned paper... you can get some for as low as $0.10 a piece!

Have a great Thursday! Thanks for visiting:)

Jacksonbelle Tuesday... A Sketch Challenge

Hello. Jacksonbelle has a sketch challenge up this week. I got a chance to put my new October Afternoon to action... just loving both of their new collections paired with some Prima flowers! So here's the sketch...

We'd love to see your take on this sketch! Be sure to leave a link to your project over at Jacksonbelle's blog. Be sure to check out the blogs of all of the Jacksonbelle Rockstars for more inspiration.

Dawn Lusk

Julie Lacey

Heather Pulvirenti

Stephanie Severin

Amy Tsuruta

Pam Varnell

Lynda Benden

Tobi Crawford

Jill Dunn

Heather Lee-Reppen

Shemaine Smith

Lindsey Botkin

Happy Tuesday! Thanks for visiting:)

Scrap that Poetry... Challenge #16 Woman's Work

Hello Saturday (already???)! Today I'm sharing with you my last post  as a Scrap that Poetry Design Team Member. My second consecutive term has ended and I will be moving on in hopes to try to check some pages off of my own personal to-scrap list...

STP's next poem is Woman Work by Maya Angelou

I've got the children to tend

The clothes to mend

The floor to mop

The food to shop

Then the chicken to fry

The baby to dry

I got company to feed

The garden to weed

I've got shirts to press

The tots to dress

The can to be cut

I gotta clean up this hut

Then see about the sick

And the cotton to pick.

Shine on me, sunshine

Rain on me, rain

Fall softly, dewdrops

And cool my brow again.

Storm, blow me from here

With your fiercest wind

Let me float across the sky

'Til I can rest again.

Fall gently, snowflakes

Cover me with white

Cold icy kisses and

Let me rest tonight.

Sun, rain, curving sky

Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone

Star shine, moon glow

You're all that I can call my own.

I took inspiration from the line "the garden to weed." I think there is no place that is more reflective of one's work than that of  a garden.  I also think that a garden could be a metaphor for many MANY things in a woman's life especially in retrospect to all of the things that grow and develop as a result of her work.

If you'd like to play along, hop on over to Scrap That Poetry's blog for the details. We'd love to see your work:)

All products from GCD Studios Homespun Chic collection by Melody Ross.

Simply the Best

Hello... I hope you are doing well! Please excuse my absence from the blog this week... we have been busy with preschool graduation... my oldest is leaving a very dear place. Our preschool is a cooperative so we had the privilege to get to know all of the other families of Campbell's classmates very well. Not only will she miss seeing all of her friends every week, but I'll also miss seeing all of their wonderful parents and siblings everyday. If you are thinking about preschools and have a cooperative in your area I'd highly recommend checking it out:).

I also have a big task ahead of me... this past year I've served as board president at our school, so as I wrap things up and start to transition this very big job to our incoming president, I may be absent a bit more from this blog. I may only be in and out for a while, but when I return I'll have a lot more time on my hands and have some fun things planned.

I'll leave you with a card that I think is pretty cool & the sentiment sums up how I feel about my new preschool graduate right now...

I used Webster's Pages here... I've been a huge fan of their products for a long time so when they came out with their 6x6 paper pads, I snagged them up. I feel everything I create with Webster's looks so polished. 

To make this flower I just soaked several white Prima flowers (varying sizes) with Expresso Glimmer Mist and allowed it to dry. Then I stamped the flowers with Technique Tuesdays Verbose set (any script text would work) in black pigment ink and added Prima's flower center for a little bling.

Thanks for stopping by!

Products: patterned paper (Webster's Pages), image stamp & sentiment (Technique Tuesday), punch (EK Success)

CAS Jacksonbelle Tuesday Challenge

Hi everyone! I hope you all are doing well. The Robinson household is gearing up for Campbell's preschool graduation! The school's little white graduation robes are all cleaned and pressed are ready to be worn by the class of 2010 on Wednesday! Whew!!! Is it a busy week! Who knew preschool graduation could be so stressful:)???

Thank goodness this week's Jacksonbelle Embellishments challenge is to just keep it CAS (a.k.a clean and simple)...

This one is super simple... I just made my card from kraft and rounded corners, fussy cut along the jagged edge of the patterned paper (Basic Grey Cappella 6x6 paper pad) and adhered it to card, stamped sentiment and tied on the ribbon. I think this one will make a great card for a graduate from college or high school.

Here is another CAS card that I attempted to make using the same products plus a Prima butterfly stamp.

We'd love for you to play along! To do so, just link up a photo of your projects at the Jacksonbelle blog HERE.  For more inspiration be sure to check out all of the other Jacksonbelle Rockstars:)

Dawn Lusk, Julie Lacey, Heather Pulvirenti, Stephanie Severin, Amy Tsuruta, Pam Varnell, Lynda Benden, Tobi Crawford, Jill Dunn, Heather Lee-Reppen, Shemaine Smith, Lindsey Botkin 

Thanks for visiting today... have good day!

May Inspiration...

Hello everyone! It is my turn to show you how this month's GCD Studios theme inspired me...

What I love most about these images is the patchwork-like colors, the homespun feel and the floral and scalloped elements. Here are my two cards birthed from this inspiration...

Patterned papers (Ava, Homespun Chic and Zippity collections); tools (Chip Art Tool and Chickadee Alphabet & Flourish stamps); border punch (Martha Stewart Crafts); flowers (Prima & Zva Creative); ribbon (Michael's Crafts); other (thread)

Patterned paper & fussy cut butterfly (Ava collection); flowers (Prima & Zva Creative); stamp (Hero Arts); other (thread)

I hope you all had a great weekend and Mother's Day!

I love you Mom!

Happy Mother's Day everyone! I hope you all have a fantabulous day with NO housework, 2 extra hours to sleep-in, dinner out and lots of other nice surprises along the way:)

Here is the card that I'm giving to my mom tomorrow.  She actually inspired its design.... her favorite color is red and we always had a red gingham, checked or plaid table cloth in the kitchen when I was growing up. This little card has actually been all over the country. I made it back in November while on vacation in Florida for Paper Crafts May/June Issue call.  And because it got to make an appearance in that issue (and on their blog...thanks Cath!), it also traveled to Utah. Now it is back home and all packaged up ready to go to Goshen, Ohio where it will end its journey in the red and white kitchen that inspired it.

Products: paper (Making Memories), ribbon (Hobby Lobby), punch (Martha Stewart Crafts Double Loops Punch), stick pins (Fancy Pants Designs), rubber stamp (Stampendous!)

Jacksonbelle Tuesday... Wedding Cake Challenge

Welcome to another Jacksonbelle Embellishments Tuesday challenge. Here is my interpretation of the wedding cake photo HERE at our blog today...

... does this challenge inspire you? We'd love for you to play along by linking up a photo of your project to the comments section HERE or use keyword JBE104 when uploading to SCS or PCP.

And don't forget to hop on over to the other Rockstars blog to see their creations:)

Dawn Lusk, Julie Lacey, Heather Pulvirenti, Stephanie Severin, Amy Tsuruta, Pam Varnell, Lynda Benden, Jill Dunn, Heather Lee-Reppen, Shemaine Smith, Linsdey Botkin

To create card:

1) cut card from white cardstock

2) sew on floral print paper

3) emboss front card stock panel and mat on red patterned paper and then again gold patterned paper and adhere to card

4) tie on bow and embellish crocheted flower, rhinestone and green paper leaf (cut leaf by hand and fold 

Happy Tuesday!

Products: patterned papers (October Afternoon), ribbon (Michael's Crafts), stamp (Technique Tuesday), flower (GCD Studios), embossing folder (Quickutz)

Delight in the Beauty

Last week the girls and I headed to our conservatory and got to see a beautiful butterfly show. Here are a few friends that we met that day...

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.  ~Maya Angelou

Scrap That Poetry is looking for new designers for their next term which runs June through September. If you love poetry and scrapbooking, this one may be for you:) Click HERE for more info.

Thanks for stopping by today:)

Did you know...?

Anyone have an awesome National Scrapbook Day? Looking to keep the creative juices flowing? Well, did you know that GCD Studios features two unique project ideas everyday? You can find scrapbook layouts, cards or altered art projects at the GCD Studio blog HERE and on their Facebook page HERE.  Two different projects... one day:) Its great stuff... check it out!

All products used here from GCD Studio's Artsy Urban Collection

HAPPY National Scrapbook Day!

Hello! I hope all is well:) If you are a scrapper, I hope that you find time to do something you love today. I have my layout for Scrap That Poetry's next challenge to share. Our next poem honors mother's since Mother's Day is just a few days away...it is A Mother's Love by Judy Dowling (June 2, 1978).

Mother's are the very best

That God has ever made

The love they give their children

will never ever fade.

They give without thinking

They love with no bounds

Welcome you with open arms

With smiles and not frowns

A Mother's love is special

In every sort of way

It stays with you forever

She never lets it stray

If this poem inspires you in anyway and you want to play along, click HERE for details. Thanks for visiting:)