Quick Cards

This is an A2 card size using a Martha Stewart butterfly punch and a 3/4" circle punch. The vanilla card stock measures 3 1/8" x 3 7/8". Such a great way to use up scraps that I've been hoarding - LOL! The sentiment is: Carte Postal by Stampin' Up (retired).

The second card below measures 5" x 6 1/4" and uses a 1" punch. The sentiment is: Think of You by Hero Arts. These cards are simple, but something about them makes my heart sing!

Here's another butterfly card I made using a butterfly sticker and a watercolor powder from Paper Source called Pixie Paint by Cosmo Cricket in a color named Harbor:

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!)

Valentines!

Oh, what fun I had over the weekend! I made some valentines with my sister, mom and some very talented friends. The first picture shows a quick and easy card I designed with Martha Stewart's heart border punch and a heart ribbon with a silver heart charm (both from Michael's in their wedding section --- for $5.49 you get a zillion heart charms --- use your coupon for even more savings). The final rectangle is raised with foam tape for an added professional touch.

The second picture shows a card my crafty friend Katie had us make using SU's Sweet Treat Cups --- so clever! My son is giving this card to his girlfriend for Valentine's Day ;-)

Cards from My November Class

Here's a pic of all 7 card projects from my November class....and I've just posted a sample of the sheet you will receive when you're a member in my card & craft club. Each month I mail out a sheet of project photos and a supply list about 2 weeks before the written instructions and YouTube video tutorial links are sent to CLUB members. You can check it out by clicking HERE.

Christmas Card Idea

Are your Christmas cards ready yet? Here's one that you can whip out in a hurry: I used 3 shades of blue for this one. The background card base is navy blue, then I added a baby blue layer cut 1/4" smaller than the width and length of the card base, then came a white layer with a lighter blue strip of cardstock across the white layer. I added a circle of white below a metal snowflake embellishment and stamped the snowflakes and sentiment using white pigment ink and SU's Ballet Blue ink. Note: All stamping was done prior to assembly. If you are impatient like me and don't want to wait awhile to assemble the card after stamping with white pigment ink (since it needs extra drying time), use an embossing gun to set the ink or add white embossing powder to the white ink and hit it with the embossing gun for a nice raised image on the snowflakes. The SU set used for this card is called "Warm Winter Wishes" and it's one of my favorite sets!

It's been too long since my last post, but I'm getting ready for the big launch of my card club on January 1st, 2010 and Christmas is coming too fast for me on top of that! Will somebody help me slow time down a bit?! Happy holidays and enjoy these next two weeks before Santa arrives.

Personalized Water Bottles

Here's an idea for a meeting, office, party, class, etc. and use up your scraps that you hate to just throw away!

Give a water bottle with the WOW FACTOR by using an oval or circle punch: Punch out an oval or circle on the top layer, then stamp a saying or write a name on a separate piece of white cardstock, place adhesive on the wrong side of the oval punched paper, center and adhere saying/name in oval. Adhere one layer of designer paper to the bottle, then adhere the oval/circle layer on the top.

Your guests will never loose track of their water bottle when you use up your scraps this way!

Stamp Set: Stampin' Up Spotlight On Christmas, but you can use any stamp you desire.

Fall Card

Here's a quick card that uses VersaMark clear ink for the background grass and white craft ink for the large flowers. It's a quick technique that produces such a lovely effect that you can try with stamps you already have! Craft ink produces a dense stamped image and does require extra drying time, so if you can be patient, set your cards stamped with craft ink aside before tying ribbons or adding embellishments. If you're in a big hurry, use a heat embossing gun to speed the drying time....and I'm getting close to the BIG announcement of my next teaching endeavor --I'm literally working day and night to get everything ready for the November 1st debut, and I'll announce it right here on this blog next weekend!

Another Pocket Silhouette Card

I LOVE this Stampin' Up set called Pocket Silhouettes! I used the butterfly punch by Martha Stewart, added some diamond gems to the center of the butterfly body, and stamped the card with the "Thinking of You" sentiment from SU's Bird on a Branch. The punch used in the background card is SU's label punch along with SU's scallop punch. I waited a long time before I ordered that scallop punch. I kept asking myself if I REALLY needed another punch (i.e. an exercise in delayed gratification - hehe!)...and it has turned out to be one of the punches I'm using the most these days -- so this time, the answer to my question was "OH YES YOU DO!"

Paint Chip Card

Here's an idea you might try for a quick and easy card. Start with a paint chip, cut or punch out some leaves, use that bottle of flowers you had to have (guilty times 5!), some eyelets, skinny ribbon, and a 3-D word embellishment. This leaf punch is from Martha Stewart. I'm afraid Martha is leading me down the "MUST HAVE IT" path of no return when it comes to punches! I have a cute little Halloween bat card to show you soon using her bat punch. Oh - please help me!!!

Projects for Memories Live On

Black and white designs are some of my favs and here's a new set of ideas just completed for display at MLO. These designs feature a luscious piece of designer paper from Creative Imaginations called White Fanfare, and when I deliver these projects tomorrow, I've got to buy this paper and more ribbon so I can make a batch of cards for a few upcoming weddings! (You've got to see these papers in person to appreciate the striking impression they make.) There is also a FREE download on my MLO site for the wedding sentiment shown here. Just click on my pic above then MLO DOWNLOADS in the navigation bar to get yours today. BTW - the shoe is a design that you'll get to make if you take my MLO September 27th class. We'll be making it as a witches shoe along with some fun Halloween projects - including a purse to match the shoe!

Wedding Shower Invite

My lovely surrogate daughter, Jimena, is getting married soon, and an invitation to her shower arrived in the mail today -- a beautiful creation by one of her friends! I thought I'd show it here as an example of a stunning but simple-to-make invitation. There's a white layer that appears to have some black rub-on designs added to the top 1/3. This top 1/3 was run through a Cuttlebug to create an embossed pattern, and a pink gem was added to the center. The white text layer is matted by a thin black layer and a thin pink layer to create a stunning finished look. (The invitation was photographed on a black background.) Nice use of fonts and a cute saying, too! The whole invitation is clever and quite doable - and it all arrived in a business-sized envelope. LOVE it!

BLOG CANDY: TOADALLY Awesome!

AT LAST! I've posted pictures showing the EK Success frog punch and sayings!

Katie's Card: What's Inside

Someone asked me to show the inside of Katie's GORGEOUS tree card below. Again she used her new EK Success border punch to create a quick and easy way to finish the inside. This is a wonderful idea for any card base made with dark-colored cardstock.

Embossed and Flocked Cardstock Has Arrived!

New embossed and flocked designer papers have arrived at Memories Live On! You have to come and see them in person to appreciate how divine these textured papers look, and I've designed some quick and easy cards with these "to die for" papers to show you how they give your projects a professional touch! This card reminds me of a Papyrus card that would cost a lot of money....but just by combining and layering our new leaf-embossed cardstock by Bazzill, the white-on-white flocked cardstock by Creative Imaginations, and Jolee's stickers - look what you can do! The picture doesn't do it justice - you must see it in person! I've also designed a simple show-stopper Christmas card, too, for our Christmas in July theme this month at MLO. (I'll post a FREE download and picture of the Christmas card by Tuesday.) Both cards will be on display in the store after tomorrow - Come and take a look!

(The metallic flourish stickers on the envelope are by Best Creations, and MLO carries a nice selection of them in the back left of the store. Right next to those stickers, you'll find the ribbon with the saying.)

August Class Projects

WOW!! Quick Gifts for the Ones You Love!

August 23^rd, 2009

TWO SESSIONS – Pick One:

11:30 am to 1:30 pm OR 2 to 4 pm

Fee: $25

Here’s a SUMMER SPECIAL that will surely make you smile! Join me and make SIX quick favors or small gifts for the special people in your life. Come to this class and create 2 variations each of 3 different paper crafts that will surely be a delight to everyone! Use these gifts for your table settings, party favors, or as small presents to show someone how much they mean to you. Modify and customize them for any holiday or occasion. BONUS: Learn how to take your favorite 4 x 6” photographs and turn them into a one-of-kind treat package. Chocolates are included!

Sign up early as classes do sell out. Call Memories Live On at 446-9901.