Nite Owl

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

The Raven, Edgar Allan Poe

This poem gives me goosebumps! I've always loved it! That's why I was so excited when I saw The Raven inscribed as a design for the Nite Owl DSP. I placed it one the side, along with the newspaper print one. I couldn't cut them up. I really had no idea what I was saving it for, so eventually:

Nite Owl DSP, Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango, Dark & Dreary Stamp Set, Raven Lace Trim

There, in bold, the very words that make me shiver.

I did not have a ticket corner punch when I made this card, I used my scalloped circle punch to snip the edges.

Oh! And my two children, Toil & Trouble!

These were lots of fun to make, since I wanted to keep certain sections of the DSP. However, I don't really give away Halloween cards. Will I save it forever? Oh well, it brings be satisfaction for now!

Thanks for stopping by.

Chug-a-Choo! Choo!

As I was staring at my shelf of my recent creations, I realized that the shelf lacks masculinity. Sure, nothing is wrong with that. It is MY room, and it shall look how I want it to. However, I like to keep a variety of cards and gifts just in case.

Before I started making cards, I used to spend {UGH!} $3-$7 for a card. I remember how hard it was to find cards for boy without it being a cartoon character or a blue animal. Same thing for men, but it doesn't matter much, because half of them don't read it anyway. Ü

Well, my son loves his trains. I haven't used the Choo Choo stamp set since I completed his scrapbook page a while back. I used it to make this card:

Whisper White, Marina Mist, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Old Olive, Choo Choo Stamp Set, All Holidays Stamp Set, Right on Track Stampin' Around Wheel

Now I have a boy's birthday card on hand, just in case!  Ü I will be making more to keep on the side. I know of a few birthdays coming around the corner. My husband celebrated his 28th birthday last week Wednesday, and (poor guy!) the card I made him was so wimpy. I guess the real reason why there aren't many masculine cards on my shelf is because I'm not very good at them. I gotta get practicing!  Ü

Thanks for stopping in.

 

Mojo Monday 158

Mojo Mondays rock! I remember being employed and dreading Monday mornings. The weekends were never long enough, I would have to be dragged out of bed for work, and my finger tips were itching to dial my job and inform them of my illness.  Ü

Every Monday, I jump out of bed before my kids, and check out the new sketch. Then I dream about all the wonderful things that can be done. So much fun... I love it!

Here is this week's Mojo Monday sketch:

I really like round cards. They look like so much fun. I want to try a round card, but I don't want to work with my Cricut, and I don't have a large circle and/or scallop circle Sizzix die. So here is my square card:

Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Just Believe Stamp Set, 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Rich Razzleberry Brads

When I first sat down to work with this sketch, I immediately reached for DSP. I always remind myself that DSP is not always necessary, and that many of Stampin' Up! stamp sets include a stamp or more that can create perfect backdrops.

Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry is my favorite color combination. I always laugh when I create cards using these colors. My friends and I used to joke about not publicly being friends with anyone who wore purple and green. Silly, right?! I miss the old days... minus high school.   Ü

Hope you enjoyed this card. Thanks for checking in.

Wanna scrap?!

Last week, I took my son to the Emergency Room. He got a mosquito bite right between his eyes and it swelled to the point where it looked like his head was going to explode. Poor child! He had to have blood drawn. Then about fifteen minutes later, the nurse comes back to tell me that they will need to put an IV in and do another blood draw. I was fine, but she asked me "Wanna scrap?!" If she had asked me that question five years ago. I would have been dragged out of the hospital by police. Well, five years ago, I would not have been at a hospital with a child. Anyway, I just laughed. She told me that a few days before, a mother was so angry that she looked as if she was going to throw blows with the nurse. It shouldn't be funny, but it was!  Ü

I created this card using all the scraps I had laying around. This card was supposed to be my submission for Club Anya's Mystery Monday challenge. Because it's football season and my hubby is still hogging my computer, I am last minute in submitting my card today. And it's just my luck that I get an error page as I try to upload my picture for submission. Well, I still wanted to share my hard work here with you.

Whisper White, Sunny Garden DSP, Play Date DSP, Just Beleive Stamp Set, Paradise Stamp Set 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Natural Hemp Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

The hula girl is from The Greeting Farm, I stamped it with Basic Black craft ink, and heat-embossed with clear embossing powder. Then I used Stampin' Up! Watercolor Pencils and Blender Pens to color. The flower was bought from Ben Franklin Crafts, a box for a dollar.

I had lots of fun with this card. The clear sheet that my hula dancer is mounted to is a transparency sheet for ink jet printers. This sheet has a textured side, which the ink sticks to... that allowed me to stamp onto the transparency. The stamped image does not come out perfect, and it will be mirrored, so it will not work with sentiments. I used it here so that you could see the background. I sponged the corners and edges with Early Espresso ink so that my Stampin' Dimensionals would not show through the transparency.

I was really proud of this card, it's too bad it will not be entered for this week's Club Anya challenge.

Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by.

And More Notepads!

Again... busy day... bad day. I sure hope this weekend is a good one. This week has been horrible.

Play Date DSP, Apple Blossoms Stamp Set, Sunny Garden DSP, Cottage Garden Stamp Set

I must say yesterday was an okay day. My family went out to the county fair last night. So different! In Honolulu, the fairs are bigger and louder; however, I really enjoyed this small, less crowded, more friendly fair. It was nice to get out with the ohana. We haven't had so much time to do that since we've moved here. Loved it!

Thanks for stopping by... good or bad, I promise next week's creations will be better!  Ü

More Notepads!

I've been really really busy with so many things, that I can't get in touch with the creative me. So today I decided to just make more notepads!

Love Letter DSP, Play Date DSP, Just Believe Stamp Set, Apple Blossoms Stamp Set

Sorry to keep it so short... I just wanted to get a little something in! Thanks for stopping by!

Notepads!!!

I've been invited to participate in a craft fair in November. I'm unsure whether I will participate or not. I was thinking of maybe having a garage/craft fair at my home once a month or every other month. I have a huge yard and garage, lots of street parking, and a nice and quiet neighborhood. Well, whatever I decide, I will have to have handcrafted items.

I started making these notepads for my own desk (Lord knows I go through lots and lots of scratch paper!) And once it started to look like a set, I began considering making more, for gifts or sell.   Ü

Real Red, Old Olive, Play Date DSP, Tart & Tangy Stamp Set, Apple Blossoms Stamp Set, 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, 1/4" Whisper White Ribbon

The notepad are junior legal pads that I picked up at Office Max. I took the package of 12 to their Impress counter, and had them cut the pads in half. It costed me a dollar and change to cut all 12. Now they are perfect for shopping lists, Christmas lists, to-do lists, Stampin' Up! to-buy lists  Ü (LOL... had to put that one in there!) 

The post-it pad is adhered to Play Date DSP-covered chipboard coaster. I got 100 of these 4x4 coasters on eBay for $16. Tombow-ed it onto the chipboard, sanded the sides and corners. It's not shown, but I covered a medium binder clip with DSP and adhered the cherry-stamped scallped circle. When clipped to the pad holder, it can hang from a push pin or nail on a wall or bulletin board. The pen is a Pentel RSVP pen. I took out the ink thingy (what do you call it if it isn't yet a refill?), wrapped it with DSP, and reassembled. The best thing about this pen is that all you have to do is buy refills, slide one in, and you will still have the same cool pen to match your notepads. The DSP is not glued in any way to the pen. It just sits pretty in there.  Ü  Love it! Although I show it here that the pen is clipped to the coaster, it can also be hang from the binder clip.

I will have a tutorial up for this soon. But if you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mojo Monday 156

I was so excited when I first viewed this weeks Mojo Monday sketch challenge. I new immediately I was going to use the Love Letter DSP. It was just perfect for the designed sketch. However, when I finished my card, I kept thinking "I should have did this instead..." I don't know where my mind was when I was constructing it, but at the end I wanted to change certain layers and use lace instead of the scalloped cardstock. Here is my card. It's not bad, very simple. But I may do another one, just to please my own eyes! Ü

Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Love Letter DSP, All Holidays Stamp Set, 1/4" Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon

Wow! It looks better in real life than it does in this picture! I think I will have to do another one... this one doesn't make me feel so happy. Or it could just be that I'm having a bad day as is. Either way, I will let go of my frustrations by burying my face in another cardstock creation.   Ü

Hope you are having a better day! Thanks for stopping by.

Top Note

I have owned the Sizzix Top Note Die for a while now, and I have not yet used it. I have seen so many beautiful projects created with this die, and I just didn't know where to begin. Since I was challenging myself to use a tool I've never used, I also decided to use a color cardstock I never use, Soft Suede. And now I wonder why I don't use Soft Suede. I love it! It is a natural shade of brown that makes me feel very warm. I'm going to use this more often. Ü

If this looks familiar, it's because I created a card with the Morning Cup Stamp Set that featured four square just like this. I only added the top note die cut Whisper White cardstock and embellished differently.

Soft Suede, Whisper White, Morning Cup Stamp Set, Vanilla Hodge Podge, Real Red Brads, 1/4" Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Natural Hemp Twine

The greatest thing about the Morning Cup Stamp Set is that it can be clean, soft, classy, fun, wild, or any other tone you prefer. Change the colors and the embellishments and this set can become the base of your card for any occasion. Watercolor or leave it as line art. Make a gift box or gift bag and fill it with tea or coffee. Adhere a coffee joint gift card inside for a great Thank You. I love it! This is my go-to set for showing appreciation. You must have this set!

I will be making more of this card to set aside for gift-giving occasions. I must stock up on gift cards, too.

Got any other ideas for this stamp set? Let me know! Or better yet, show me some of your projects.

Hope you like! Good night.

I Don't Like to Share Ü

It's Football (& Fantasy Football!) Season... Yay?! Usually I am quite excited about football. I love a good excuse to spend a day in the kitchen making yummy foods for my husband to grind while he's ogling men in tights. Ü

But this year, my hubby's computer is broken... so I have to share. And he's a HOG, I tell you!! I haven't been blogging as often because of it. (Boo.) But I do work while he's on the computer.

I'm not tired of playing with Halloween stuff yet. I was so happy to see a Halloween section at Walmart in Hilo; but disappointed at how small the section is. If you live on the Big Island, and know where I can get cool Halloween decorations, please let me know. Online suggestions are good, too. Yes, it's still September, I know, but I always like to start early! On October 1, you can count on my front door being covered in faux cobwebs, pumpkins in my front yard, and the Halloween doormat that makes ghoul sounds when you step on it (I bought it last year, but I wasn't able to use it in apartment building we lived in). Ü

I got my daughter psyched about it all, too. She thought Halloween was next week! Hehe. Well, I hope Walmart starts stocking up on the goodies, otherwise, I may have to fly to Honolulu for some... Oooh, maybe I can have my mom bring some on her next business trip to Hilo. Okay, enough blabber...

I did find these at Walmart! They were screaming at me, "Buy me! I have potential! I'm boring! Give me life!" Ü LOL.

Basic Black, Nite Owl DSP, Fangtastic Stamp Set, 1/4" Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon, Natural Hemp Twine, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch

Candy Corn Containers from Walmart

I am amazed that I only bought these three containers, and none of them are open! I like candy corn, but I can only eat two or three before I feel like I've had too much sugar. But I have two little ones, and they have not attempted to open it yet. Hmmm... I feel like a great mother right now... So proud! Ü

I'll be on the hunt for more Halloween gift projects. I have bag toppers, candy bar wrappers, and candy holders/boxes on my to-do list. Check back often or subscribe to receive my blog posts by email on the left side panel.

Here it is...

This weekend I moved my craft room into a bigger room in my house. Ü I'm so in love with it! I will have to get pictures up soon. It is my master bedroom. (Did I hear you gasp?!) My husband offered for me to transfer my things to the master bedroom, so that I can have more space, and I can host my workshops and classes in there, since it's more roomy and it has its own bathroom. My garage has no windows and is very very hot, and I hate to kick my family out of their own house while I have stampers over.

Because it is such a large room, it was always a mess! Too much floor space means too much junk on the floor! Ü This may be a great thing for us as a couple. Our new bedroom (old craft room) is perfect for one bed and a TV. All our clothes fit in the closet... what else do we need? Ü

Okay, I'm done justifying my big craft room move to those who are totally shocked. Ü Hehe. I love it... and if you are in Hilo, HI stop by and craft with me. Lots of room here. Again, my home is kid-friendly, nothing breakable. I have a 4-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy, and they love love love to play with other kids.

So, here it is. I've had these pictures on my desktop for a while and they are just begging to be posted. These are my two cards Kristina's September card swap. Since I am mailing mine to Oahu, and I didn't want to send them in a ziploc bag, I made coordinating boxes for each set. To my surprise, the box fit all 13 card fronts. Ü

The first card front was to be made using a new stamp set from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog. I love this Aviary Stamp Set, and of course, Brights.... I love love love Brights!

This was more fun than I thought! At first, I thought I was going to call my husband to help cut and punch and stamp... YEAH, RIGHT! It was actually quite easy to do multiples Ü

Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Aviary Stamp Set, Scallop Edge Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Sticky Strip, Snail Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

I had no clue how I was going to design the box, and I am so happy with it. I am going to make a card in this exact same design. Adorable! Ü

The second card was to be made using a new stamp set in the Holiday Mini Catalog. And since it is still too early for Christmas cards for me, and I love Halloween... you know... I used the Dark & Dreary Stamp Set, Nite Owl DSP and the Spider Web Textured Impressions Embossing Folder for Sizzix Big Shot.

Can you believe I heat embossed each card? I don't know if it was a hot night or if my (old, small) craft room turned into a sauna from all that embossing!

Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Nite Owl DSP, Dark & Dreary Stamp Set, 1/4" Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon, Whisper White Craft Ink, Basic Black Craft Ink, Clear Embossing Powder, Sticky Strip, Snail Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

My card in yesterday's post also featured the embossed spider web. This box top was the first attempt and I was so excited, I made many more Ü  See yesterday's post to see how I achieved this look.

Both boxes measure 5 3/4" x 4 1/2" x 2". For the box bottom, start with a 9 3/4" x 8 1/2" sheet of cardstock, score at 2" on each side. For the top, start with a 9 1/2" x 8 1/4" sheet of cardstock, score at 1 7/8" on each side. Embellish as desired.

The box fits 6 standard 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" cards with envelopes. Perfect for gift-giving!

I will post a complete tutorial soon. Please check back often or subscribe to my blog at the left to receive my new posts featuring my samples, promotions, and giveaways FREE via email. Ü

Mojo Monday 155

I cannot tell you how much I love playing with my new Halloween stuff!! I made quite a bit of Halloween creations, I just haven't had the time to photograph them all. I will have them up tomorrow afternoon.

I spent most of the day out of the house today, so when I received my Mojo Monday blog feed on my phone, I could not wait to get home and get stampin'!

Today's sketch was awesome. So much fun, and there were so many great cards uploaded already (as usual!)

Fun, huh?! And here is my card...

Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Nite Owl DSP, 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, 1/4" Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon, 1/2" Raven Trim Lace, Natural Hemp Twine, 1 3/8 Circle Punch, 1 3/4 Scallop Circle Punch, Sizzix Big Shot, Sizzix Spider Web Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. Clear Embossing Powder, Sponge, Stampin Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Snail Adhesive

The larger circle was embossed using the Spider Web Embossing Folder for Sizzix Big Shot (new Holiday Mini Catalog, p. 6), then stamped over with my Basic Black Craft Ink Pad and heat embossed with clear powder. After it dried, I sponged over with Old Olive ink.

For the bow, I just knotted my Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon over the RavenTrim Lace and played with it until it looked the way I wanted it.

I impressed myself with how each piece evolved from a tiny thought. I had a very simple card in mind before I reached home, and I ended up doing so much more. This was so much fun! I love Mondays!!!

Hope you had a great Labor Day weekend... Enjoy the rest of your week!

Mojo Monday 154

On Monday, I completed a card for Mojo Monday. This is my second time participating, and I've got to say that I love love love it! I find that Monday is the toughest day of the week for me. All I want to do is sleep! Ü  So it is really nice to have a sketch layed out for me, and to skim though all the great cards that are posted for the sketch of the week. Being in Hawaii, I am hours behind everyone else and there is always lots of beautiful cards before I even get to see the sketch!

For this week, I could have picked a round or square layout. Although with every sketch, you can change the shapes if you'd like. I chose a square layout, because I do not have too many round punches, and my Cricut Expression was on the floor. :0(

Whisper White, Regal Rose, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Just Believe Stamp Set, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon, Daffodil Delight Brads

I was pleased with the colors here. I used the Stampin' Up! Color Coach... you must have this tool! Although at first, I did not agree with many of the color combonations... they really do work out perfectly! Ü

I will play with the round sketch soon. There are some really pretty card samples at Mojo Monday... I gotta step up my game! Ü

Step Ladder Card

I visited a Island Scrapbooking earlier this week, and I had seen a style card I have not done in years... the Step Ladder Card. These cards are so much fun to play with. Because it has been a long time since I created one of these cards, I decided to play safe with basics.

Whisper White, Marina Mist, Rich Razzleberry, Early Espresso, Just Believe Stamp Set, 5/8" Rich Razzleberry Grosgrain Ribbon

I really wish I had a current stamp set that would better highlight the steps. But this works for now! The Halloween stamp sets would be great for the Step Ladder Card.... And they're being delivered to me today!!! Ü

I will have a template for this card soon. Maybe I'll have time to work on that this Labor Day weekend. This is a really fun card... you must play with it!

It's Been Too Long...

Wow! It's been a while since I posted a project! It's not that I have been slacking, I promise! Ü

A couple of months ago, my husband's laptop crashed, so two weekends ago, my parents brought me their old desktop computer (since my dad bought a new one), and that one turned out to have been damaged en route to Hilo. Ugh. So my stamp room had turned into a computer junk yard...

And last weekend was the BJ Penn fight, and my husband borrowed one of the tables from my stamp room for his big party. Everything that was on the table had been transfered to the floor or my other table top. Can you imagine what a mess that was?!

Since my table had been returned yesterday, I am able to work in here again without feeling claustrophobic! Ü

Oh! But I promised I wasn't slacking... and really, I wasn't. I did do some work every day. I had no space in my room to take decent pictures until now Ü

My husband recently asked me if I wanted to have another baby... ummm, NO! Ü  He believes I will want one before Isaiah is 5 years old. Don't think it will happen... my son is CRAZY!!! LOL.

It was because of this that I brought out my Baby Bundle stamp set to play with. I had no idea whether I would use girl or boy colors. Since I have one of each, I decided to go neutral. I was daydreaming during my play about when my son was a newborn. He looked so cute in this green and brown onesie, and he had a pair of socks with yellow stripes that were never worn, because I never dressed him in yellow. (People always thought he was a girl, because he has long eyelashes! Ü) So this card ended up looking like a boy card... Hehe.

Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, So Saffron, Baby Bundle Stamp Set, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 3/4" Scallop Cirlce Punch, Daffodil Delight Brads

I had planned to stamp a sentiment near the bottom, but I love the card just like this, because just thinking about that white sock with yellow stripes makes me giggle inside. Ü

September Workshop Promotion

I want you to be as excited about Halloween as I am. I could not think of a better way than to offer you a Halloween product for FREE!! Ü

Book a workshop with me during the month of September, and I will bring with me a few of SU!'s awesome Halloween products and 2 fun Make-n-Take projects for you and your guests.

As a hostess, you will receive great Hostess Benefits. When your party sales reach $150 (average workshop = $400 in sales) you will receive free, a Level 1 Hostess reward and $15 in Stampin' Up! products of your choice. And with more sales, you get more rewards, click here to view the tier of Hostess Rewards.

And the fun part... Book a September Workshop with me, and I will give you a package of Nite Owl Designer Series Paper FREE on the date of your workshop!!!

Nite Owl DSP can be found on Page 9 of the New Holiday Mini Catalog

If you have not yet received your copy of the Holiday Mini Catalog, email me with your current mailing address to join my mailing list. Members of my mailing list receive mini catalogs and current promotion mailings. If you are in Hilo, Hawaii, feel free to give me a call and drop by my home to pick one up. I am a full-time mom, and my home is kid-friendly. Ü  I love visitors and I would love to meet you and talk about crafting, mommy-biz, Hilo rain.... what can I say? I'm lonely during the day! Ü

If you are not a fan of Halloween, and wish to host a workshop. Contact me. I would love plan the perfect workshop for you and your guests and be able to gift you a FREE product that you will enjoy. Ü

Cards and Presents and Tags... Oh My!!

The holiday season is my favorite time of the year... and it's approaching fast! I can hardly wait! Ü So many gifts to buy, gifts to make, and my favorite part... wrapping, card-making, and tags! I've got so many ideas stored in  my head... it's going to be a great holiday season this year!

If you haven't already seen it, you must check out the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog here.

There are darling new Stamp Sets, Designer Series Paper, Punches, Decor, and (AAAAHHHHHHHHH!) Designer Fabric!! Love it!!

I've already placed my personal order for Halloween goodies, and it should be at my door by Friday.... and I want to play with them already.

I really enjoy Halloween. As a child, I didn't care to participate. But now, I love going Trick-or-Treating, dressing up with my kids, and decorating. This year, we have a big house to have so much Halloween fun with, maybe my hubby will construct a haunted house in our garage. Hmmm... I'm so excited!

Last year, Mariah was Cinderella and so I made myself a Fairy Godmother costume; and Isaiah was Curious George and my husband was The Man in the Yellow Hat. This year, Mariah wants to be Belle. (When will this Disney's Princess stage end?! Ü) She wants Mommy to be Mulan. We'll see... I'll have more fun as the Beast! LOL!!

Anyway (getting too far off-topic!) check back this Friday for some Halloween ideas... it'll be lots of fun!

TOTE-ALLY AWESOME OPPORTUNITY!!!

New recruits who join the Stampin' Up! family as a demonstrator during from now until October 18, 2010 will receive this adorable Tote-Ally Awesome craft tote (valued at $39.95) FREE with the purchase of their Starter Kit.  **Hurry! While Supplies Last!)**

Greenhouse Gala Craft Tote

•100% twill nylon exterior; 100% nylon interior   •Dimensions: 15-3/4" x 7-5/8" x 8-7/8"   •Includes attachable shoulder strap for easy transport   •Center section fits 12" x 12" card stock, Craft Keepers, and Paper Cutter   •Outside pockets fit extra-large punches perfectly   •Outside flap pockets offer secure spot for accessories   •Back zipper pocket holds up to seven Stampin' Pads

Click here to view this Opportunity Flyer

Click here to Learn More about Becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Contact Me Today to Get Started Right Away!!!