Piecing and Frosty Cupcake

This weeks Less Is More challenge was paper piecing and for me, that really was a challenge.  I struggle with piecing because I just plain suck at cutting things out by hand.  However, though this card isn't fancy or awe inspiring, I am very pleased how it came out.  :)

This card is final result of three tries that I worked on over the week.  The first one was flowers but it was too detailed so I had to abandon that idea.  The next one was a cute little duck with a hat and umbrella ..... awful is too mild a word to describe that disaster.  But thankfully this last one was easy enough that after a dozen tries I finally got that wrapper cut out perfectly.  YAY! 

The layout is from a really nice sketch challenge from SCS that was posted a few weeks back and I kept it in the back of my mind.  When the cupcake turned out so well I thought it should be the highlight of the card and this sketch was a perfect showcase. 

I'm posting this from work (no one is here yet) and will be very busy tonight visiting all the other blogs later this evening.  Thank you for stopping by.



Stamps: SU Crazy for Cupcakes; Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock/paper: SU White and DP (unknown design it was from the scrap bin)
Ink: Stazon black; Melon Mambo
Embellishments/tools: Cuttlebug EF; Spellbinders Oval dies; Stickles glitter and pearl accents; Kaisercraft rhinestones. 

Celebrate with color ....

I have to admit that I have never cared for the whole pennant fad that has been part of card making for the last year or more.  I still don't like the triangle pennants, but I have come to like the longer banner style pennants.

So here is my attempt which is a birthday card for my niece.  She'll be 9 in early August so I thought I'd get it out of the way, and for once, not be late. 

I'm still on the fence about that bit of fringe I added to the corner of the sentiment. I may remove it and glitter it up a bit so it have some sparkle, that way its more like a firecracker. 

The die used around the sentiment is one of four that is in the set called Apothecary Accents from SU!'s new Framelits line (which I LOVE).  Also new is the fabulous piercing pack by SU!  If you have a list going for the new SU catalog, the dies and paper piercing pack are a definite must have.   

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer.  The weather here in Texas has been humid the last two days which makes it hard on my asthma, but other than that its really been nice out.  Thank you for stopping by.

Carole


Stamp: SU! SAB Outlined Occasions
Paper: Whisper white; Coll Caribbean; MME Fly a Kite
Ink: Stazon; Summer Sun, Cool Caribbean, Luscious Lime

Reaching for the Mojo.

This little card is for this weeks Less is More Challenge which was to include something shinny. 

Though it's a bit small, the bling is in the center of the flower. I left the senitment off because the lady I made this for likes the option of using cards for various occasions.  This is one of four that will be in the pack, each with a different arrangement of DP and flower color. 

I have a couple more card ideas in mind that I might add to this weeks challenge.  Its great to be back in my craft room again and I'm beginning to feel my Mojo resurface. 

Thank you for stopping by, your comments are much appreciated and help me improve. 



Supplies:
Stamp set: Broght Blossoms (SU!)
Ink: Lucky Limeade; Pool Party
Paper: Misc white; Memory Box Viola DP
Rhinestone is from SU colored with a Sharpie marker. 

Casing Linda

This beauty was cased from a lovely card made by  my friend Linda Keal, over at Olive Stamps, for a class she held a few weeks back.  She hasn't posted it on her site or at  Splitcoast so I'll try to describe the couple changes I made.  Since it's only a few it should be easy.

The changes:

Replaced Wedding Sweet stamp set with Bliss;
Used two ribbon leaves insead of four;
Added pearls to the flower centers;
Changed the sentiment;
Changed from a single layer base card to a raised panal on the base card. 

Basically, at first glance one might not be able to tell Linda's lovely creation from this one.  Other than I think her flowers turned out much nicer.  :)

I especially love this card because of the pink flowers.  Linda's rarely uses pink and this one just jumped right out to me.  :)

Whenever I'm in a jam for a card I run over to Linda's blog and see what she has that I can case.  I always let her know I'm casing something she has made; and in fact that is how we met and became friends.  If you get the chance, please drop by Linda's blog .... Olive Stamps .... and take a look at some of her other beautiful creations. 

Supplies:
Stamps: Bliss; Teeny Tiny Wishes; Clearly for You (stamped on the Pool Party C/S)
Ink: Crumb Cake; Pool Party; Early Expresso; Regal Rose
Card Stock: Crumb Cake; Pool Party, Regal Rose
Embellishments/tools: Ornament punch; Striped EF; pearls; vintage ribbon; hemp twine

Creative Elements in the round

This round card was intended for a Less is More challenge from a couple weeks back.  The challenge was to make a card in any shape other than square or rectangle.  I didn't submit this because by time it was completed I thought it was a bit much for a LIM challenge.

The set is SU!s Creative Elements and Curly Sentiments (I think thats what its called); Whisper White, Lucky Limeade and Island Indigo card stock and ink.  The rhinestones are Kaiser Craft and the scallop and circle dies are Spellbinders.

The card base is the Lucky Limeade.  I folded the cardstock in half then lined it up on the scalloped die two scallops more than the half way point then cut.  It created a rounded tent card to which the Indigo and white were attached. 

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be posting a number of cards over the next few days from all the projects I've started over the last month and either didn't finish in time for a challenge or just plain didn't post them. 

CHAOS!!

The construction on the craft room and office has officially completed.  The paint is dry, the carpet in and all the wall shelving is up; now comes the hard part ..... putting it all back together. 

Looking into the craft room from the hallway

I really wanted to sort through everything and get it in perfect order before putting everything back in the units, but now I'm just hoping I can toss out some stuff as I go along and will figure out how to truly organize later ..... as in maybe over Christmas break in December.  :D  For now, everything is going back in the craft room in any open space I can find or make.  Very little is organized at this point with the exception of the new shelving unit behind the craft table. 

The office will definitely be done by this weekend.  It only required the books going back into the shelves and since I don't put books in any order (other than book series) it has been the easiest room to restore.  The only hold up in there is getting my larger books put up on those top shelves which requires climbing a ladder.  Between my vertigo and bad back, I don't climb ladders anymore so I have to depend on the kindness of my friends to come by and help.  Thankfully I have been blessed with some pretty awesome friends. 

Come Saturday, no matter what, I WILL be back in the craft room making a card .... any card ... even a one-layer-card.  It may take extra effort to find all the needed supplies since everything is just tossed willy-nilly in there, but I refuse to go another weekend without crafting in my own space.  So that will be my end goal for this week: make one card in remodeled craft room.  How hard can that be?  Really?  LOL  LOL   

I hope everyone is well and having a great spring. 

New shelving unit behind craft table: The large containers on the floor contain all my 12x12 papers and card stocks.  I still have to label them, but of them are Basic Grey DPs, one is SU! cardstock and the last one is SU! DP.  The small white boxes will eventually be covered with some bright DPs and will contain various embellishments.  Several have already been filled with SU! supplies.   

Looking across craft table at new wall unit.
PS - The painting of Captain Jack Sparrow was made for me by a wonderful girl at a fan site we both belong to.  It is truly a nice piece of art and will get the frame it deserves soon.  

SU! punch storage hanging on the back of the closet door.  I will mount another one on the wall next to the door unit. 

The card stock bins and jars are set, all other items need to be sorted through.  The bins hold my SU! card stock with the exception of two bins which have various weight non SU card stocks and one bin with all my Bazzill stock. 

The efla drawer unit used to run linear starting behind the craft table. With the removal of the closet I pushed it down and around the corner.  This leaves more room behind the craft table and makes the space seem much bigger than it really is.  I have some of those "floating" shelves to put up on the walls behind these units.   

I'm going to be a Grandmother!!!!

  **insert huge happy face here**

My youngest son and his significant other are expecting a baby in Aug/Sep and he called last night with the news that it is a boy.  This will be my very first grandchild!!!  I found out about the baby a few months ago, but I must not have mentioned it in any previous post; so I've decided that this is an event deserving of its very own post. 

I met Vicky last summer when she came to the US for a visit and she is just lovely.  She has been doing well during the pregnancy with some morning sickness but nothing too horrid.

They live in Sydney, Australia and will remain there, which sadly means I'll watch my grandson grow up via photographs.  :(  Vicky is a British subject and has already established residency in AUS; Jeff is working on his.  Wait ... did that make sense?  Aren't Australians' British subjects too?  I think a brush up on my international knowledge is in dire need. 

Anyway, I don't have pictures of Vicky or Vicky and Jeff together so instead I'll post one of my very favorite baby pictures of Jeff.  This was taken Easter Sunday, April 1981 when he was 7 months old.  We sat in the living room of my Mom's home and watched the older kids hunt for eggs through the window.  My Ex took this picture and another of Jeff and I from the outside looking in.  James (my ex) had a really great eye for photography.  I think he missed his calling.  :)
They grow up so fast ...............................