Hello Sunshine

This is a simple card I designed for our card ministry at church. We get together every month and replenish the card racks that are on display in our fellowship hall. Donations from the card "sales" go to various charities within and outside of our church.

I thought this card was fun because I was able to easily paper piece the center using a punch. I wish all stamps from The Angel Company were designed this way, so that where possible (circles, squares, flowers, scallops) the parts could just be stamped and then punched out. That is what I call simple, smart and sophisticated!

Earth Day + Mother's Day = Kids' Art Tote

It's not a paper craft, but it is another great idea that mixes sentimental with practical. I photograph my kids' art so that it won't overtake my refrigerator and so that I can display it on our family blog.

I was looking for another way to share the kids' art with far flung relatives and with everyone going green and using reusable shopping bags, I thought this would be a perfect Mother's Day gift!

I used my favorite (and FREE) photo program, Picasa (you can get this at Google.com) to create a photo collage. Then I printed it on the photo iron-on paper, and put it on these canvas bags I found at the discount store. (There is one other tiny detail that is important if you are printing any typed words: you need to flip the photo so that it's a mirror image. You can't do this in Picasa, so try adding the image to Microsoft Word or my other favorite free photo program, Photoscape.)

Photo collages can also be added to things like mugs, by ordering from an online photo lab. I love mixing something practical with a sentimental reminder of loved ones and I know these totes will be treasured! I sent them to the moms and aunts in our family, but this would be a great gift for a teacher or Scout leader as well!

Design Your Own Fabric (Stamping Technique) and Sewing Kit in a Jar

I'm making lots of homemade gifts at this time of year for teachers, mothers, sisters etc. and most of them are made from paper. Here's one that I think you'll love that required some fabric, which I wanted to match The Angel Company's beautiful Mimi Paper.

It was so simple to make my own, using a variety of stamps. The TAC catalogue gives a list by each paper line of what ink will coordinate, so I just stamped away and I LOVE how it came out! I got this Sewing Kit in A Jar idea from Martha Stewart, but I dolled mine up a little more. I used feminine words and my mini alphabet to make phrases like, "Sew cherished" and "Sew delightful" and, of course, "Sew Loved." I hope these gifts will be the perfect blend of sentimental, yet useful.

The pincushion top is made by adding the fabric and some batting to the mason jar lid. If you peek under the lid, there is a pretty needle holder. I made that by punching two circles of cardstock and scoring one of them on my Scor-Pal. Place the circle at the 1 inch mark and score at 2 and 2 1/8. Rotate the circle 180 degrees and repeat, then fold and adhere to the other circle for strength. Hot glue everything together and add some ribbons and buttons, just for fun!

Inside the jar, I'll stash scissors, thread, buttons and safety pins. This will be a perfect kit to keep at a desk or in the kitchen, so you don't need to get your big sewing basket for a quick repair. I'm keeping one for myself and of course, when my daughter Katelyn saw these, she had to have one too! Have fun making these for everyone on your list!

More DIY Border Punch Styles with Common Scrapbooking Tools

It's Spring! Do you have that itch to get something new? Well, you DO deserve some new crafty supplies, but maybe these NEW IDEAS will suppress the itch a bit. Use what you've got to make some really cool borders that only look like they were done with a fancy punch!


I whipped up these five cards (and a little gift bag to hold them) pretty quickly. It's part of the gift I'm giving the Moms, Grandma and Sisters in my life for Mother's Day. I gave them a card tin like this one a couple of years back and I have to keep it filled!


Here are the border details:


Scor-Pal + Scallop Scissors + Big Bite 1/8
The Scor-Pal has some really handy grooves, like the two right near the 2 inch mark. It's the perfect little touch for this border.













Cloud Scissors + Big Bite1/8 and 3/16
If you missed the video on how easy it is to use the Big Bit's depth guide to line up these holes, go check it out! See what new combination you can come up with!












Scalloped Scissors + Piercing + White Gel Pen
This is so simple, but it gives that pretty, Victorian look!














Scor-Pal + Piercing + Deckle Scissors
This one is fun because it's not so feminine. I have three nephews, so my family uses a lot of boy birthday cards (both to give to the boys and for when those boys' friends have birthdays.)
I used the Scor-Pal lines near the 4 inch mark, which are evenly spaced 1/4 inch apart, then sanded them lightly. This is great with Matchmaker Cardstock. I also added a little stitching and some distressing to the edges.







Scallop Scissors + Bind It All + Ribbon
I think this one is my favorite! You know that the Bind It All can make a really cool notebook paper look, and do a cool trick with ribbon knots, but look how sweet it is with ribbon weaved through it!


I'd love to see what you can make with the tools you have!

PS: I posted the other day that I would give away a prize to someone who took my challenge, but I didn't have any takers . . . .chirp . . . chirp . . .chirp

More Fun with Toilet Tissue Tubes

In honor of Earth Day, here are more fun ideas with Toilet Tissue Tubes!


Bind It All Sour Cream Treat
You've see this treat before, no doubt, but adding the tube makes this treat a little more sturdy, so you can fill it with lots of Peanut M&M's or Hershey's Kisses. Punch one side and seal, then punch the other side at a perpendicular angle THEN FILL, add a touch of adhesive and tie with ribbons.


Tissue Tube Blooms
Flatten and cut paper covered tubes into strips about 3/4" wide. Edge them with ink to give a finished look. Punch a hole in one end of each "petal" and string six together with narrow ribbon, leaving ends long enough for you to tie the bloom onto a treat bag, or whatever you would like to embellish. I tied mine the the bag, but only to one side. (The big bite makes it super easy to do this.) With the bloom attached this way, the bag can be opened without being torn apart. This is great for earth day, because the bag can be used more than once! Scrapper's Floss is the perfect finishing touch and is tied around the whole bloom to hold a button and small floral in the center of the flower. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)

Want More Ideas for toilet paper tubes?

Barb is TP'ing Too!

You can always make more books!

Sweet Thing Card with DIY Border Punch

What a sweet card to send for any occasion! You'll have fun making it too, with my Do-It-Yourself Border Punch technique! (See this Brilliant Inkling Here.)

I love the look of border punches, but I don't have any (and I'm running out of room to store anything new!) so I made this out of what I had on hand:
Big Bite
Fiskars Cloud Sissors

The cupcake is from The Angel Company's Spring into April special, which won't be around after April 30, 2009. The set is called Sweet Thing.

Other touches I love: I made the white dots with my Tombow White Gel Pen. Love it! I also added Prisma Glitter.

The flower and button are from the Ava Embellishement jar (doesn't it look like a little cherry?) and the paper is Catelynne.

Click on any of the product links to add them to your secure shopping cart on my site. Go ahead, you've saved a bunch of money on punches! PLUS, THREE OF THE THINGS THAT MADE THIS CARD SO CUTE ARE UNDER $4!

It's your turn! Leave a comment with a link to a border you've created using different punches. I'll choose a random winner on April 30th for a goodie from me. Maybe a limited edition stamp set . . . .

Floral Vines - Three Techniques to Try

Remember the images I was coloring by the pool? They were from the April Stamp of the Month from The Angel Company, Floral Vines. As a demonstrator, I'm able to order them ahead of time, so I can try out techniques that show how versatile the set is.

Here are three to try:

Quick and Easy Watercolor Pencils - You probably saw my You Tube video with this technique. It's so fast and fun, I used it on this swap card for the Angel gathering in Kansas.

Coloring with Bic Markers - If you're like me and haven't been able to spring for Copics, this is the technique for you. Bic's permanent markers have similar properties and can be blended together for great shading. (Even better: Target and Walmart have big sets for cheap!) On this gate fold card, I used Hot Aqua, Polynesian Purple and Lime Sorbet. The addition of a little shading with a Gray Tombow is the perfect finishing touch!

Magic Chalks - The combination of Versamagic Ink (I used Aloe Vera) and Jewel Tones Pearlescent chalks is magical! See how to achieve this soft effect by watching this quick video. (Click here if the video doesn't appear.)

So, are you sold on this set? It can be yours before April 30, 2009 for $9.75 with a $30 purchase. Better yet, have a show, where I'll demonstrate these or a whole new set of techniques and you could earn one of the Spring Into April sets FREE! If you're not in Denver, Email me to find out how you can have your own Party in a Box!

A Place for Great Ideas - Tabbed Composition Book

Great ideas come from everywhere, and if you're like me, they don't come exactly when you need them. I'm not very organized and can't remember great ideas unless I write them down.

This book is a great place to sketch out creative ideas, write business tips, even keep track of songs you want to download and internet passwords. The tabs keep the different types of info organized. I made the one I use last year and I cut the inside pages to allow a protected area for the tabs. On this one, I added chipboard that extends out from the inside back cover and covered it with paper. I used snaps to attach clear plastic to the front cover to protect the tabs and also to cover the metal letters. The plastic (which I saved from the packaging to my daughters toy doll) has a decorative edging, which I created using my cloud scissors and Big Bite. You can check out more details on the "Clever Closure" I made in this post. You can also click this photo to see it in larger detail.

Check out this page from my idea journal. In addition to the sketch for the idea journal, you can see my "Twisted Treat" idea. I had jotted it down after being reminded of the cute sour cream containers I had seen online, but I didn't have an immediate need for that project. When I was preparing for Escape in January and needed a swap idea for Club Med, I went to my journal and found that idea. I switched it up a little by punching the edges instead of crimping them and tied a little ribbon on the end. It's fun to see the ideas I have come to completion and having this little journal ensures I won't lose track of them!

By the way, this journal was my "Prop Swap" which goes to a surprise recipient during our gift exchange. It ended up going to Laura Arnold (Hi Laura!). I never found out if she liked it, but I hope it helps inspire her and keep track of all her great ideas! I received a very inspiring and treasured gift from my friend and first Angel recruit, Camille [That's us dressed in our wings at Seminar a couple of years back]. It's a darling little coaster memory box which reads on the front: "even broken roads lead to RAINBOWS". Isn't it sweet? I'm going to add photos of my kids playing in the rain and seeing a rainbow, in addition to some messages and inspiring quotes.

I hope you're inspired today and that you find a place to keep track of those great ideas!

Refreshed and Inspired

Last week I was squeezing in a little crafting while vacationing with my family. This past weekend was all about renewing my crafting spirit with some fellow Angel gals in Kansas.

I made these little refreshing goodies for the gals I road tripped with and we all got tons of inspiration as we made projects and swapped gifts.

Here's a little peek at some of the gifts from our Saturday night "Prop Swap" gift exchange. Later I'll post the gift I made. It's so refreshing to gather with ladies who share my love of paper crafts. If you live in Colorado, be sure to get on my mailing list (see the link in my sidebar at right) to find out about my events closer to home. I'd love for you to join me and be inspired!

Coloring by the Pool

Have you been wondering where I've been? Well, I'm crafting a little, but in different surroundings. My family and I have been on Spring Break in San Diego!

In between the Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Sea World and Legoland, I've been making a few swap cards for my next trip after this one: an Angels only weekend in Salina, Kansas.

After that creative escape, I'm sure to be back with a ton of inspiration. Until then, I'll just leave you with this sneak peek. The image is from the April Stamp of the Month from The Angel Company. Of course, I used the quick 'n easy watercolor pencil technique. Keep your eyes out for more ideas with this set soon. I've got a few other things cookin' . . .