I'm SOOOO Happy!

One of my CARD & CRAFT CLUB MEMBERS, Julie Cefalu --- sent these two pictures to me so I could see how she used the March Butterfly Origami Card Project to make a sympathy card. Such beautiful work and paper selections --- it's inspired me to use the butterfly for sympathy cards, too. Thank you, Julie --- you made my day! 

Birthday Card for a Special Person in My Life!

Here's a birthday card for my son's "Second Mom." He is so lucky to have her in his life --- wouldn't it be great to have 2 moms to spoil us, take good care of us and guide us through life?! 

These pictures show a quick way to give someone a gift card using SU's Word Window punch. I use this punch a lot and it works particularly well for words (as shown on the card front) and as a slot for gift cards. To make the gift card insert, score a 5 1/2" wide by 10" long piece of medium weight DSP. Score at 2, 5 and 8" and use a bone folder to create a valley fold at the 2" and 8" score line and a mountain fold at the 5" score line. Measure the width of your gift card as you hold it up to the center of the fold at the 5" fold --- add about 1/4" each beyond that on each side of the gift card and mark those points with a pencil. Start on one side and punch 3 times in a row - aligning the next punch point with the previous punch until you reach the other pencil mark. Punch in the center with a 1" punch to create a half circle and attach the entire piece to your card with red sticky tape. (I used a lace punch to add a border on each side before I attached the entire piece and also put red sticky tape between the 3" sections to prevent the gift card from sliding down too far inside the pocket.)

Butterfly and Lace Punches: Martha Stewart

Pearls: Creative Cafe

Paper: American Crafts I DO Gerber Daisies

Blue Paper for Lace: Lightweight light blue scraps I had from who knows where!

Ribbon: Celebrate It from Michael's

Easter Inspiration

            
After one of my Canadian card maker friends sent me a version of this card, I had to make it! Thank you, LA, for the inspiration! I used a 1 1/4" circle punch for the bunny's rear end and a 12mm pink pom pom from Michael's attached with a large glue dot. The feet are modified from the small SU oval punch (I shorted the oval slightly), and the pink pads on the feet are punched from a standard hole punch. The clouds were made with a SU scallop punched circle and a dauber sponge in Ballet Blue. The Easter saying on the front is from SU's Well Scripted set and the flowers are from SU's Flower Filled set, but any flower set will do just fine. For the inside, I used the Labels 3 Nesties --- a wonderful gift from a friend --- you gotta be thankful for friends like that!!...and the saying was done on my computer. Now, I've got to hop off to bed!...oh, and here's LA's card that she saw on Splitcoaststampers.com that gave me some Easter inspiration:

Happy St. Patty's Day

 

This card arrived from my SUPER talented paper crafting friend, Rachel! I love these waterfall cards, and Rachel's card made my day! So many layers and so much time went into this stunning card. I had to LOL when I opened it and saw the cute Irish man in his green suit holding up the flower. (I do have to admit...it took me saying the "Irish you luck!" out loud before the light bulb went on and I got it!) Thank you, Rachel! 

Check This Out!

One of my CARD & CRAFT CLUB members, Barbara Ernst, sent these sweet little angels to me after I sent out the February penguin project. Thank you, Barbara, for making my day with this wonderful surprise in the mail. These samples of your impressive crafting talents made this happy little crafter do quite a happy dance!

New Class at MLO

FYI: Here is the info. on my next class at Memories Live On

Paper Crafters' Tea Party

Sunday, March 21st, 2010

1:00 to 2:30 PM

$15

Register for this class and receive 15 easy, clever and unique PARTY, CULINARY and PAPER CRAFT ideas all in one class! Each class includes a beverage, a food tasting with printed recipe, a new product demo, and PRIZES! Several wedding shower and special birthday or anniversary party ideas will be included in this first class along with many Easter/Spring projects. Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind class! Since this is KT's first TEA PARTY class, each person attending will receive a composition book for notes, too! Call us today to register (408-446-9901). Only 3 spots remain! (Feel free to bring your cameras.)

Technique Explained

One of my blog readers, Leslie-Ann, up in North Vacouver, BC, Canada wrote to me for more information after I posted the card in my March 6th blog entry yesterday. She was curious about the actual technique used to create the diamond scalloped accent. (See card below.) I wrote back to say that I'd take a picture, and I hope it will help to show just how it's done. 

Start with the WRONG side of a 2 5/8" square facing up, turn the SU scallop punch over, place it into the center of a side, punch the side, then turn the paper 90 degrees and punch the center of the remaining sides. As you insert the punch on each side, look at the raised straight lines on each side of the punch (marked with green arrows) in order to precisely center the punch with the left and right borders of the paper. When finished, turn the square over and adhere to your card. (HINT: When using paper punches, the punch should cut through the RIGHT side of the paper through to the back of the paper. If it's done in reverse, a rough edge left by the punch is often showing.) Hope this helps and thank you, LA, for the question!...and here's another card using the bird punch...I can hardly stop making cards with it. (I think that is the first early warning sign of an addiction!)

New Stampin' Up Bird Punch

Here I go again with a must have new toy --- it's a new bird punch from SU that includes the bird, the wing and the branch all in one punch! It was calling out my name the first time I saw it....and somehow, it has made it's way into my craft room! (If you have double-sided paper that is coordinated, it makes for the perfect wing and body combo.) I had several thank you notes that I needed to send out, and this punch was the perfect thing. 


The saying on the inside of the first card was made on my computer and says "You're a Tweet Heart!" The saying on the front of the 2nd card is from a new SU set that can be used with clear acrylic stamp blocks (LOVE THAT!) and it's called Whimsical Words. The Nestie set used along with that saying is Labels 3. The embossing plate used for the card fronts is from Cuttlebug and called Stylized Flower. I'll post more cards later in the week made with this new LARGE BIRD PUNCH. BTW - to create the triangle accent layer in the first card, I cut a square that measured 2 5/8" and used my SU scallop punch in the center of all four sides --- then I layered it with brown and pink cardstock.