Catch a Wave

So I know I already had a post where I was showing off the "survival kit" I made for Shelby's teacher but I enjoyed making that one so much and it seemed like such a great idea that I made two more! One for a friends birthday (which I have no pic's of) and another for a friend that just had a baby.

For this one I was not sure what to get her as a gift as we had already thrown a small baby shower for her and I had given her something for the baby. Well then I was invited to this other shower but I didn't want to get more stuff for her baby. I wanted to get her something. So I made another "survival kit" just for her! My theme was a "mommy time" kit. So the items I put inside were things she could use to pamper herself or enjoy some quiet "me" time. Only drawback...I took it to work to show off and then left it there! So I didn't have it with me when I went to the shower! Good thing she lives locally and I just dropped it off two days later!


I used the Moon Doggie paper from CTMH (I need more of this too!) and I used a pattern out of the new Wishes book. Though this book provides various patterns for making cards I just took one I liked and used it for the front of my lunchbox!

What I love doing recently is the paper piecing. And I think I am getting better at it! I have found that using the black archival ink is better. For one, it seems to make the image "pop" a bit more and second, when you go to use the water pen or blending pen the ink does not run!

My friend seemed to really enjoy the kit and I am thinking I will do more of these. What is great is that you can customize them to fit your friends needs or personality!

School's Out for the Summer!!

Well not quite - we have a few more days (Shelby's last day is Friday). I can't believe my daughter will be a big first graders soon! Where does the time go??

Anyway, I wanted to make something for Shelby's teacher. And since I have helped out in Shelby's class on occasion I know how trying those kindy kids can be! So I made a little survival kit that is a little bit of silly and a little bit of practical.

I used a metal lunchbox I had gotten from a secret pal swap and then a retired CTMH stamp set (Doodle Art) I actually used a large block and put several of the stamps on it to create the patterened paper. Then I used my Cricut to cut the letters. I think it was the Solutions: Street Signs. Then I used the Family Ties: Children and stamped the two kids and colored them in. I just used a variety of ribbon I had hanging around.




I also went over to a friends house on Friday for a girls scrapbook night. We didn't accomplish much but had a good time hanging out and just talking and tossing around ideas! I made a thank you card for Shelby's teacher as well. This was a pattern out of the new Wishes book. I had a really difficult time doing the cut out. I am sure there is an easier way to do it, but since I am not smarter then the scrapbook paper OR tools it took me a LONG time! Again, I used the Family Ties:Children and then did some paper piecing (which I think I am getting better at!!) Basically you stamp the image twice (or thrice!). One will be your main image and then you stamp it on paper that you want to use as the pieces of the outfit or item that you want to be a different color/pattern. Make sense??!!

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

Well I don't feel these are my best cards to date but I thought I would share anyway.


The first card is using Tinkerin' paper packet from CTMH. I used one of the card templates from the new Wishes book. Now...I should have used their templates that come on a CD w/the book but well that would require me getting on the computer upstairs, printing, etc. etc. So...I used my circle cutters from Creative Memories (gasp! The competition!) However somewhere along the way I have lost one of my circles so the card ended up not being the exact size I wanted it, but that is okay. Then I used the car stamp from a new set I got from Stampin Up (Oh lordy...did you just pass out there???? I know, I know using all the competitions stuff is just hard to take isn't it??) I could not pass up this stamp set though! My hubby is a car fanatic! He likes old cars like this one, hot rods, sports cars...you name it! This stamp set just reminded me so much of him. In fact this kind of looks like the car we have at the end of our driveway! Yard art! (can we say white trash??) Now I like the paper packet...and I like the stamp but not sure if I like them together. Maybe if the paper were in more neutral colors and not primaries?



Okay, now my second card. This one looked a lot better in my head then it did down on paper. What I was trying to do was do like a mirror image. It was suppose to look like the lady was looking at her reflection in the mirror. Well I was playing around with a brayer and though I was able to reverse the image it just did not turn out how I wanted it to. Then I did some paper piecing but the image was so small to begin with that it required a lot of concentration on my cutting and I actually ended up cutting her ponytail off! But with a little glue, it was reattached!

I will chalk it all up to the heat. We had record highs today! It must have melted my brain or at least the creative portion I use for scrapbooking!