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!

Card Made with FREE Download!

Here's a card made with the FREE Easter Bunny download on my MLO site (see photo of the entire pdf shown below). Get your FREE bunnies today as described below or click on my picture in the upper right corner. I used COPIC Sketch markers E31 for the bunny's body and tail outline, E00 for the center of the tail and YG06 for the bunny's bow. The purple paper is BAZZILL DOTTED SWISS at Memories Live On, the punch is Martha Stewart's lace border punch and the purple gems are from Hero Arts. The ribbon is from JoAnn's Fabrics & Crafts.

Quilt Cards

I finally had a chance to try some quilt cards! They are so easy to make: Take a 5 x 3 3/4" piece of lightweight cardstock for the base (I trim a 4 x 6" index card down to this size), cut twelve - 1 1/4" squares from scraps and adhere them to the base with adhesive. (I like to lay the squares out in a 4 x 3 square pattern first before adhering.) Then cut out in any shape you desire using Nestibilities. I used the Labels Four Nesties for these two cards. I used rub ons for the sayings or you could use sentiment stamps on the card base. Adding 3-D embellishments adds a nice touch. I think I'll have to try adding some small buttons on my next versions! Complete the cards by using a coordinated marker to make faux stitches around the edge of the final shape.

Zutter Fun!

After my very crafty friend, Katie, showed me how to use her Zutter machine, I had to put that little toy on my Wish List...and here are my first creations with my very own pink bundle of sheer joy! These are Post-It note holders and they are so easy to make that my husband made the one on the right for his assistant's January birthday! She enjoys paper crafting and will really appreciate his handmade efforts!....and not to take anything away from my dear husband, but it's so easy to make items with the Zutter that even a husband can use it --- hehe! (Some of you who took classes with me at MLO will recognize the papers used for these little books.) BTW - I used the extra large Stampin' Up oval for the sayings done on my computer.

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.

MAGNETIC CARD BOX plus Quick Card Ideas

These were the projects for my last regular class at Memories Live On. Everyone got to make a card box AND 7 cards!

Fall Happiness

My wonderful sister gave me the most fantastic present last week --- she cleaned out a bedroom and found tons of ribbon she knew that she would never use --- so, she gave it to me and I was in HEAVEN! There were several spools of ribbon with wider widths than I normally would use for card making, but I discovered that I could attach a length of that wide ribbon around 2 layers of cardstock (cut 1" longer than the width of the cardstock), add a brad along with some cording in the middle of the wide ribbon, smooth out any folds in the ribbon, attach each end with adhesive on the back of the cardstock, then finish by adding a saying. YAHOO! I love it when the light bulb goes off and it takes me in a whole new direction! (Simply open up the 2 flaps on the brad, attach the ribbon in the middle of the brad, criss-cross the flaps over to close it around the ribbon and attach the brad, then adhere each end of the ribbon on the back of the cardstock.) Thank you, Janie!

BTW - to make the front of this card, take 4 different but coordinated 3x5" sheets of paper, and stack all 4 sheets on top of each other. Turn the whole stack over and draw your 3 cut lines in the pattern you desire. Cut through all four layers at once, then separate each segment into 4 piles and reassemble back into a rectangle. Prior to adhering the segments to a black piece of cardstock for the background layer, the first segment will require a 1/8" trim along one side due to the 1/8" spacing between each segment.

The stamp set used for the "happy fall" is Seasonal Swirls by Stampendous. It's a set of 9 clear stamps that I recently purchased at Beverly's. You can view the complete set HERE. The "Thinking of You" on the inside of the card is from a Stampin' Up set called Bird on a Branch....and the leaf on the inside is from a retired Stampin' Up set called Botanicals.

Cards from Creative Friends

Here are two cards from my VERY talented card club buddies: The top one is from Mel Morgathaler and the lower one is from Janet Shannon. I love Mel's use of clear VersaMark ink to stamp a background on the gold (More Mustard) and green (Mellow Moss) cardstock. She also used a background stamp from Stampin' Up called "Linen" to put a subtle texture on the gold cardstock. These details enhance the overall style of this card, and the saying she used on this card is one of my favorites!

Janet's adorable little monkey card included a lined coordinated envelope - such a nice surprise when I opened the card! You can simply trace an opened envelope on the paper of your choice, then cut it out by cutting in approximately 1/2" along the top flap area (so the envelope glue is exposed), then adhere this piece inside your envelope with your favorite adhesive. Try this wonderful technique on your next card!

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!"

Birthday Card #1

I came across some scraps of beautiful origami paper that apparently, eons ago -- I couldn't bear to throw away --- and there was so little of it that I actually had to cut it in half lengthwise and piece it together in the middle to fit across this card and my second birthday card below. My friend, Donna, gave me the wonderful LEAFY BRANCH Cuttlebug embossing folder awhile back (used for the top part of the card), and it is one of my favorite embossing folders! I used Martha Stewart's butterfly punch twice, raised up the top butterfly with a glue dot and added a set of antennae, too, using needle nose pliers and gold wire. A row of gold beads finished off the body. For the inside of the card and the envelope, I stamped a butterfly then added some paper pierced dots. If you are worried about making a perfect spiral, just draw the spiral with pencil first, pierce the dots, then erase your lines. The HAPPY BIRTHDAY saying is from a wonderful Close to My Heart set of sayings called Say It In Style.

Birthday Card #2

Here's the 2nd card I made using some origami paper scraps - can you find the middle seam?! The "Birthday" had a void in the ink when I stamped it -- of course AFTER I had finished the entire card....so, I took this happy little opportunity to re-stamp the "Happy Birthday" on another matching piece of card stock, cut out just the "Birthday," layered it with the navy blue matching card stock, and raise it up with foam tape. Whew!! -- and yet another happy little mistake that made the card turn out even better than I had imagined!

The lace punch is by Martha Stewart, the scallop punch is by Stampin' Up, and the present stamp on the envelope is by Hero Arts.

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!

Quick Card

Need a quick card or want to give several cards in a set as a gift? Try this simple idea using any stamp set you already have. Lay a piece of computer or scrap paper across the middle of a card front, stamp right to the computer paper edge to keep your line straight, add ribbon and an embellishment or saying in the lower left corner. (This card has a metallic oval on it that says THANK YOU. Memories Live On sells a variety of these oval sayings.) I've also made a short video on how to tie this type of knot - just click HERE to view. (Stamp set: Pocket Silhouettes / Ink color: Chocolate Chip * both by Stampin' UP!)

How to Tie the Perfect Bow: Variation 2

Watch this video and follow along with a piece
of 12" ribbon -- See if you can practice enough
until you can tie the perfect bow!

Current MLO Store Display

Love this May Arts leaf ribbon!! It's in stock at Memories Live On and it comes in brown and green. Perfect for layouts and cards -- Try adding flowers in between the leaves to create another variation with this wonderful ribbon.