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