Sweetness

The other night Patrick came into the office and sat down at the craft table with me. I was going through my stash of paper scraps trying to come up with ways to use them since they drive me crazy sitting around untouched. He started riffling through these papers and arranging them on the table in front of him. I asked him what he was doing. His reply; "I'm making a card with you."   I think I laughed. A little. I told him he didn't need to humor me with feigned interest. He insisted he wasn't! He said that he finally realized if he wanted to spend any time with me, then he would have to sit down and make cards because that's all I have been doing every night for weeks. Poor man! 

So we sat and talked about art and life and made cards. It was our girl-y night together. It was fun! Every once in a while he will surprise me by doing something like this. This is another reason why I love him so.

So without further ado, here is the little card he made:

It's about the size of a card you would put with flowers or something. He said he wanted it to be different. Obviously not cutesy. As if I expected that! He wanted something that incorporated his love for modern art with a little bling on the side. This is the entire card opened up, to reveal a "beach scene" as he put it. He decided to add some decoupage to give it some texture. 
Very nice work Patrick! Thanks for spending time with me. I will try to give you the attention you deserve!!

Happy Birthday Card

Another birthday boy card. This was a lot of fun to make. I used Doodle Factory Urban and Creatures set. I LOVE all Doodle Factory Sets!!  I cut out the window of the helicopter and placed "Scoober" (cute name eh?) on the inside of the card. Using PTI Birthday Basics and PTI Simple Alphabet I personalized the banner. 

I also used these stamps to personalize the tissue paper I put in the bag, but I didn't take a pic of that. Levi's parents were very curious as to how I got his name on everything.... "I know somebody." I told them. Not sure if they believed me. 

Deets:

Stamps: Doodle Factory Urban and Creature Sets, PTI Birthday Basics, PTI Simple Alphabet,

Ink: SU! Basic Black, PTI Summer Sunrise

Paper: from stash

Accessories: SU! Kids Markers

Today I went into The Ink Pad which as far as I can tell is the ONLY stamp store in Manhattan. I'm sure that's not entirely accurate, but my searches have come up with little. I have been in love with some Hero Arts stamps and didn't want to order them online. I don't know why. I think because I figure it's easy to order (and spend way too much $) when you are in front of your computer, but it takes a lot to schlepp the kid (s) into the city to a TINY stamp store, so you must REALLY love the stamps. And I think they were each a dollar more in the store than you can get online, so pretty much I'm just confirming to you that I'm an idiot. Next time, I will shop online. 

However, in my defense, this scheme has been working for about three weeks, and I wasn't even planning on buying them at all!  I realized I "had" to have them suddenly now because I have been asked by my mother to help her and the sisters stamp some cards while I'm in Utah this next month. I want to do something simple and easy and really thought these would do the trick. I saw a card on the Hero Arts site that I liked, that put these two stamps together, so I got them. Plus The Ink Pad has a coupon out every month, so I had to go use it!!

Anyway, here are the stamps. What do you think? Cute, but simple. Modern and elegant right??

Yup, thought you would like them. I do too.

Doodle Factory New Release: The Tropics!!

I have recently found and fallen in love with the Doodle Factory stamp sets from Starving Artists.
I own the Urban set which is funny, hip and TOTALLY cool!  I actually love all their sets, but don't own them all...yet! 

Well, they have a new design out  called Tropics and it is just great! They are having a blog candy giveaway, and you to can join in the fun. Just hop over to THEIR BLOG and enter to with these THREE sets:  Now thats one BIG giveaway!!!!   

Papertrey Blog Hop!!

This is the first time I have participated in the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop. And boy am I excited!!

The challenge was to use transparencies. I just got my PTI order in the mail this week and have been having so much fun creating. Even the smell of the stamps makes me happy!

Here is what I put together:

The card base is made from a transparency sheet. I cut the full card and then glued a piece of PTI Kraft on the right side of the card. I then pulled out the new guidelines set. Stamped lines on both the transparency and the kraft. Then using one of the images in the set I stamped using SU! White craft ink on the transparency and PTI Plum Pudding on the Kraft sheet. I also stamped one bird from Birds of a Feather on the transparency. Attached ribbon and a brad at the top of the patterned image.

I really wanted to have a complete design when you had the card closed and when you opened it you find this;

I stamped the wire and an additional bird, with the words Missing You.  This way the ribbon on the outside hides the sentiment. And when you open the card you get one lonely bird perched on his wire. poor birdie...

 

The second card I did was stamped on the inside with a window of acetate. I really think this one pulled together much better. It feels more finished than the other:
    
Here is the inside. With a birthday wish. Thats it for my hop, can't wait to take a gander at all the others. You can see them all here.

School Gifts; FINAL PHASE!!

Oh boy. I finally got the school gifts finished! Yesterday I had asked the teacher when the best day to bring them in were and she said today. GULP! I had yet to get my PTI package with the extra Kraft paper I needed. I went home calculating what I could do instead and wouldn't you know it, when I got there, my package had come! So I got moving last night getting the crayon holders pulled together. Luckily I had done some prep work waiting for the kraft paper to show, so getting them together proved to be pretty quick. So here they are in all their glory. Too bad I didn't get any "action" photos. I was too busy putting them together.

You can  see that I wasn't too original on design or the images chosen. For that many kids, I just couldn't do more. Plus you should see how torn up Ronin's book is. I have to tape it together everyday. So I figured the less stuff to get caught on things, or ripped off or the like, the better,  Ronin was so excited to take them to school today. It's the first day since January (when he started) that he has actually asked me if we could go. And he asked more than once. I'm glad he is finally liking it, now that it's over!

Here's what I put in for the teachers:

These little bags are 3 for 1$ at Michael's, I stamped using Stazon Ink since the bags are a plastic-y sort of fabric with a pretty big weave. See Alli's post. 

I kept them very simple as compared to that post, but I thought this way they could re-use them. Cause I always like things to be multipurpose. I put in it a thank you card for each teacher and a post-it note holder with a pen. You can see them here:

I used my new PTI Guidelines Stamp set which is absolutely AMAZING!! You can make your own paper and its elegant and simple and very timeless. You must try this set!!

And thats it! Finally school is done, and it's off for a looooong  month in Utah for a vacation. 

Our Creative Corner Challenge

Every Saturday this new blog Our Creative Corner, will post a challenge. This is their second once (since they just started last week), and I used it to help me do another Teacher Card. This one is actually for the principal of the school. Just so you get it, the door at Little Friends School (our Pre-K) is RED!!! Thought it would be a nice thing to play up.

The Challenge: Use at least One brad and one button. 

My Card:Deets:

Stamps: Making The Grade. (CHF)
Ink: SU! Craft White, Basic Black, Real Red

Paper: SU! White, PTI Kraft, Michael's Black, Red scraps

Accessories: American Craft Ribbon & Brad, Random Buttons from stash