Make a Difference

I am excited to have the full week lined up with new projects to show you. Today, I have an easy, easy  6×6 scrapbook page of my youngest daughter, Courtenay. I have come to the conclusion that if any scrapping is going to get done, I need to actually start. This photo was taken over 3 years ago, but I think about this picture often. It was Halloween, 2004, and the four of us had such a fun time. The sentiment says, “all you need toe shoes, a tu-tu and a willing heart”. Actually, I’m not sure how ‘willing’ Courtenay’s heart is! She’s the stubborn one! Ha! The sentiment is a recent single release from Lizzie Anne Designs.

• Stamps: Swirls and ‘willing heart’ from Lizzie Anne Designs

• Ink: Twilight Purple Adirondack

• Cardstock: Cryogen White & Pretty in Pink - Stampin’ UP!

• Accs: epoxy, puffy embellishments from Making Memories, White Mini Brads from Paper Studio, Nestabilities by Spellbinders

 I’ll see you tomorrow with a gift wrap and a card. Have a wonderful night!

My sweet friend, Jami is hosting a little challenge today to celebrate eclectic Paperie’s very first birthday party. You can read about the challenge details by clicking here.  eclectic Paperie is one of those places that I like to shop. The owners, Joy and Daisy are great to work with (and also sweet friends). I am delighted to play along. Happy Birthday, EP!

A gift card was quick work with the help of a pre-stamped and colored (by me) enclosure cards with my youngest’s name on them. I used one here to accent a quick gift card envelope. Children *LOVE* to have personalized thing-a-ma-jigs, so Courtenay loves these.

Well, after several birthday parties and basketball games…(yep, little princesses do that, too!) I’m worn out! Hope you have a wonderful, restful weekend.

Stamps: Ballerina and Sentiment (singles) from Lizzie Anne Designs available at eclectic Paperie

Ink: Palette Noir

Paper: Making Memories Noteworthy and Cameo Coral with Curious Iridescent Cryogen White

Accs: Copic Markers, May Arts Ribbon, Offray Coral Grosgrain Ribbon, Flame Dew Drops, Martha Stewart Chunky White glitter, white rub-on from SU! and a Making Memories button

 editted to add: the white on the notecard is a rub-on

editted again: part of this complete project removed for publication

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ~  II Corinthians 12:9

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My daughter’s love this new set from Lizzie Anne Designs, Once Upon a Time. I think this princess and saying are precious. Although, you always think it will be fun to be the queen when you are young, once you become the ’queen’ of the house it comes with lots of responsibilities that aren’t always fun, KWIM? toilets, dishes, laundry …anyone relate? Oh well, everyone went to school or work today after a long Christmas break. Today…I am the QUEEN of the castle!

 Lizzie Anne has lots of cute, cute things to show you in the next few days. They are sneaking some peaks a few sets per day this week, and their big release party will be held in their SCS forum on Sunday the 6th from 7 to 9 p.m. See you there ~

• Stamps: Once Upon a Time - Lizzie Anne Designs

• Cardstock: Cryogen White, Black and Spring Showers paper from SU!

• Ink: Palette Noir

• Accs: Maya Road flowers, K & Company die cut, ribbon, Copic Markers and Martha Stewart Glitter

As I drove home from my parent’s yesterday, I was respectful of a long funeral procession on the interstate. It was dreary weather and my heart felt sad for the family who had spent Christmas Day waiting for the known funeral day to approach. Then when I returned home, it was with great sadness that Wes & I learned of some friends from church lost their 38 year old son very unexectedly to a heart attack this week. Sorrow knows no season…if your family is suffering from a recent loss or has struggled with facing the first Christmas without someone special in your life, I pray that you receive peace and assurance in abundant proportions this season.

For Frank and Juanita ~ with heartfelt sympathy, friends

This card is folded at the top. The window is cut from the front panel to reveal the inside sentiment on a scalloped square mat with Fresh Rain Dew Drops. The butterfly is stamped on Cryogen White and the colored with Copic Markers. After that, I covered with Ranger Crackle Accents and allowed to dry. ‘Allowed’ is used loosely, as the crackle effect was hindered by my heat gun. I recommend a natual drying time with the Crackle Accents. Once dry, I cut the butterfly out and adhered to the card with adhesive.  

• Stamps: Au Naturale by Lizzie Anne Designs

• Cardstock: K & Company premade cards, cut up and used with Prism Spring Willow Medium, Curious Iridescent Cryogen White 

• Ink: Palette Burnt Umber

• Accs: Copic Markers, Nestabilities by Spellbinders, Dew Drops all available from www.ellenhutson.com and Crackle Accents by Ranger

When I was in Portland for the Stampin’ UP! Regional Training event back in October, one of the items featured and shared was this double pocket bag. It’s just perfect for slipping a gift card or cash into. I came home and made this one right away. I guess I forgot to take a picture and share it. You can find easy-peasy directions from this Splitcoast Tutorial. You just need one 12×12 piece of cardstock, plus embellishments. The bag goes together very quickly. I also stamped a little insert card that I could sign and slip into the ‘purse’.

• Stamps: Christmas in the City and Snowflake - both by Lizzie Anne Designs

• Cardstock: Winter Bright Simply Scrappin’ Kit - Stampin’ UP! and Cryogen White

• Ink: Bashful Blue and Wild Wasabi

• Accs: Stitched Satin Ribbon, Rhinestone Brads, Tab Punch, Dazzling Diamonds, Corner Rounder and Nestabilities

Remember when I was so excited a few weeks back about the smaller notecards and envelopes (A1 - approximately 3.5″x5″) in Curious Cryogen White that www.cutcardstock.com put in their store at my request. And, by my request I mean, I asked Cinday about them on Monday and had them in hand by Thursday, I think! This is what I do with them.

So many of us try to re-invent the wheel when it comes to gift giving, but the tried and true for people on my list, is little sets of note cards! They love receiving them and using them. So, here is a little set that I made using Lizzie Anne’s Christmas in the City set. Keeping the embellishments to a minimum makes mass production easy. I made a little box with a short series of scores and cuts, but a cello bag and pretty ribbon is just as nice.

I am out the door to deliver Meals on Wheels, but you can see the instructions for this project and the other design team projects at Lizzie Anne! Cute, cute stuff by some of your favorite paper crafters. Tomorrow I am hoping to share a little gift idea for special people at my daughter’s school. Have a great day!

Brrr, baby….I had to dig the mittens and ear muffs out for my girls today. They said they couldn’t go out for recess unless they had the appropriate attire. Makes it a perfect day to share this little Lizzie Anne Designs notecard with you. Have you had a chance to stop by the Lizzie Anne Designs Forum at Splitcoast? Lizzie Anne is one of the initial Member Companies who landed their own forum at the number one stamping site on the web last month. Stop by, see news, post your questions, give feedback or just chat with Lizzie and Anne. The Member Company forums are a great place to gather information and get to know your favorite retailers.

All images of the images on this card are from Christmas in the City. They are stamped in Palette Burnt Umber on Curious Iridescent Cryogen White - shimmery cardstock and colored with Copic Markers. I added some glitter to the snowflakes and paired the panel with some Stardream Metallic cardstock the color of cocoa…..hmmmm, cocoa…..off to make some cocoa (with marshmellows)….have a wonderful day.

Do you know my friend, Taylor? Of course, you do. Her house is just a hustle and bustle this week because she is celebrating 1,000,000 hits to her AWESOME blog - Taylored Expressions. Check our her celebration prize packages all week long! On top of blog mania - the USPS man is probably swimming in packages this week as the postmark for Taylors huge trading card swap has passed. I participated in 2 rounds, and I can’t wait to see the goodies when they come back to Missouri. This trading card uses the wreath in the window from the awesome Christmas in the City set by Lizzie Anne Designs and the woodgrain backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms. Colored with Copics and shimmered with the Stardust Clear Shimmer Pen…Fun..fun..fun! Trading cards are a wonderful springboard for quick and cute full-size greeting cards: 

I used some striped paper to add a little awning to my window. Can you tell where I kind of fooled your eye on this card? Take a peek at the scalloped edging. I love that look, but when I put the card together, the edge stripes were green. See how they pop against the red? They DID NOT pop against the green layer up top…they kind of faded away. So, I cut a snippet of the pink stripe, scalloped the edge and hid the seam under the ribbon and the ATC. Now the scallops pop on the green, too!

I have lots of blog posts lined up this week. Can’t wait to share some of my recent projects with you. Tomorrow: Taylor Swaps - Take 2! Have a great day!

As I am getting the Christmas stuff well underway, I’ve been reaching for my Christmas in the City by Lizzie Anne Designs. The images are fun and clean, makes for some quick Christmas projects! While most of my projects thus far have been bright and cheery, here I paired the tree with beautiful paper from Cosmo Cricket’s Wonderland line to create a pretty quick, vintage inspired card.

The tree image is stamped in Palette Burnt Umber on Curious Iridescent Cryogen White. It was colored with Copic Markers and then rubbed down with Scattered Straw Distressing Ink by Tim Holtz to age and make the color match the Cosmo Cricket line. I used a Sukura Clear Stardust Pen to accent the needles and branches. These are on sale at Cornish Heritage Farms right now. <wink>

Even with the sentiment and pretty May Arts ribbons, my tree looked a little lonely. So, I used my R59 Cardinal Red Copic marker and colored a tan mini brad. It came out a wonderful dark cranberry color to match my ribbons. Oh yeah, baby! This is a trick I learned from the Queen a while back. The alcohol marker dries quickly and without streaks, so you’ll be seeing that trick here again.  I dabbed a little bit of Sukura Clear Stardust to the tops of my ‘ornaments’ so they glimmer, too.

The tag and scalloped frame are cut with my Spellbinder Nestabilities, honestly, probably the best tool investment I have ever made. They are light-weight and easy to store. And, this is the biggie: You can tell exactly what you are cutting out without a lot of shifting. You lay the cardstock down and then put the open centered die on top of that. It cuts exactly where you want it to, every time. If you want Santa to put them under your tree, have him go to Ellen Hutson. 

 Tomorrow’s Friday - we’ll see you at 8:30 a.m. SHARP. You don’t want to be late for Beate’s Sketch. Have a wonderful day!