Card and Notepad Folio

I received so many kind gestures in the last couple of weeks, as I've been going through a tough time, so I decided to make up some thank you's.

I whipped up cards that were super quick and easy, using colored notecard sets that were on clearance. This gave me a little head start, but still allowed me to give the cards a handmade touch. When you are out and about, keep your eye out for notecards. These "U" monogram cards quickly turn into Thank U, Thinking of U, etc. with your basic greeting stamps. I covered the striped card with a birthday message, and with its colorful stripes, it could be used for a male or female birthday! Here are a couple more pictures. Enjoy and thank for stopping by!

Perky Penguins

Well, I needed some stamping inspiration and one place I love to go is Heather's Blog. She's got a fun sketch challenge, so I gave it a whirl.

I had been wanting to try out these Perky Penguins. Isn't he cute? Of course I had to add a little Stickles, and overall, it's a very simple design. An easy card to whip up a bunch of.

This card is very appropriate, since we got snow here in Colorado over the weekend! I snapped this when I went out to shake our maples so the branches wouldn't break under the weight of the snow!

Kamalaht Chalk Board & Embossed Stones

I made this chalk board a while back as a gift. It's a little bit of form meets function, with its cool Kamalaht accents. (I really wanted to keep it for my kitchen!)
It's also magnetic, so I made some little embossed stone magnets for it, starting with those polished stones you find in the floral section of the hobby store. I used black ink and Transcendence Embossing powder. You could use black powder, but I seem to keep Transcendence right within arm's reach. The great thing about it is you can use it with any kind of ink. You have to work fast with regular ink on paper, but you just stamp, sprinkle, heat and whatever color ink you are using has that glossy, raised look. The other nice thing is that those stray sprinkles of powder that manage to get left behind are clear, so they are almost unnoticeable.
Aside from magnets, I think these stones would make nice little "worry" stones with encouraging messages. You hold or rub your worry stone as you think or pray on your troubles and it helps you let go of worry.
Forget your worries and check out Heather's blog! She's giving out candy!

More Fall Supplement Scrapbook Pages

Here are a couple more pages using sets from the TAC Fall Supplement. Cha Cha paper is so fun for fall!

Kids Table Collection on the TAC Fall Supplement

I'm so excited to share some fun projects with you fromThe Angel Company's Fall 2007 Supplement! When I saw this set, Count Your Blessings, I thought about my kiddos around the Thanksgiving table. We always talk about what we're thankful for, so I made this My Blessings Coaster Placecard Holder. It's a great place for kids to write down their blessings while they are waiting for dinner. My blessings include my husband John, son Jack (8) and daughters Katelyn (6) and Lily (2). You can see a couple more of my projects within the supplement, including one of the kids and me in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy crafting and preparing for your fall holidays!

Spooky Treats

Here are a couple of cute treats for your little goblins! I made this treat with a metal tin that has a clear plastic top. I stamped it with StazOn ink and used Glaze Jelly Pens to color it in.
This adorable card and envelope was made by my friend Gwen Zimmerman. (We're in a swap together.) It uses Simply Spooky Halloween paper. Check out her instructions and other ideas for these cute 3x3 cards and the envelope template on her blog. I love this idea so much that we're casing her idea (thanks Gwen!) for the upcoming Mile High Angel Gathering! It's so fun now that the fall craft season has begun!

Hello Fall Emboss Resist Card

Well, you've probably noticed that I like emboss/resist techniques and here's another one that's similar to what people call Joseph's Coat. I used TAC's Rustic Chic and the miniature maple leaf from the Pressed Flowers stamp set. That paper is especially beautiful for fall, but I love using it all year long.
It's cooling down here in Colorado. Fall is definitely in the air. Perfect weather for getting back to our crafts, catching up on making cards and scrapbooking. Get on my mailing list for some exciting upcoming events!

Summer Pages with TAC's Pop Rockz

As soon as I saw these pictures of Lily, I knew I would use Pop Rockz paper from The Angel Company. Its vibrant colors capture summer and having girl and boy patterns makes it perfect for a family album. The coordinating stamp set, Paisley Rockz, is a must-have. I use it a ton. (Like for my Paisley Mini Book.) I also love that Pop Rockz' slightly-weathered white undertones make it so easy to pull together a page. I left a little white edge to the wallet-sized photos I printed and used white Scrapper's Floss and Paper Posies to give my pages the finishing touch. I love my Mini File Tab punch too. Scraps are magically transformed into the perfect accessory!

Do you want to pick up some tips on some other must-have tools? Click the link below on the right for emails about upcoming Denver/Colorado events, like Tool Time next Thursday at my church's FREE cardmaking night! You'll come home with a few cards and bursting with ideas!

White Crayon Resist

Here's a fun technique to try! Use StazOn ink, glossy paper, an image with some space to color in and a white crayon. Color the space you want to stay white like these flower petals from Blooming Builders (think snowman, cupcake, lighthouse and other images too.) Next use a dye ink to sponge or brayer ink over the surface. I used a Kaleidacolor pad, since they have several colors that harmonize nicely all in one pad. When it's dry, use a tissue to rub off the crayon. What is under the crayon is gleaming white, glossy paper! It's really a fun effect. Tip: keep your crayon sharp with a makeup pencil sharpener. I have one that does large and small widths. Want to learn more techniques like these? Sign up to get emails about Colorado/Denver area stamping and scrapbooking events using the link down in the right hand column!

Ink Up Bazzill Bitty Blossoms and Heidi Swapp Florals

I have such fun with florals. Whether they are vibrantly colored, like our Assorted Bazzill Bitty Blossoms or are white (we have the White Bitty Blossoms and White Heidi Swapp Florals) they are fun to use and even more fun to color with a little ink. I like Palette Inks the best, but they are also beautiful with the Versamagic chalk inks.
Our Hydra Sponges can be turned into at least six perfectly sized applicators by cutting them into wedges. I have one in each basic color and keep them near my desk. (You get 6 in a package for $6.95 so they will last forever!) They are perfect for adding a touch of color to paper (obviously) as well. And don't stop there! Ink up ribbons, staples, Paper Posies, chipboard, book binding tape--you name it. When you add a little ink to your project, everything coordinates. Everything harmonizes. What could be more fun and easy than that?
Jewels
Julie Griffith
Ind. Demonstrator, The Angel Company