Post It Notes

Idea NOT original to me.... yes, I'm a copy-cat and I'm OK with that. I look at other card makers blogs to see what THEY are making and when I see something I like, I copy their picture into a file for later re-creating. Isn't that blogs are for? To get ideas and INSPIRATION? I visit my brother-in-law's blog for dinner tricks all the time.

Anyways, we recently became members of BJ's Wholesale Club, which is where I purchased 18 packs of Post It Notes (you know, telling Ryan I was going to make all his co-workers Christmas presents with them...) and hoped fiercely that these came out cute. I'd recommend you buy ONE single pack, just to be sure. It just seems smarter:) Although, I will be making many of these, they were fun and easy. Plus, who doesn't need a Post It Note?

2 chipboard coasters, which my friend Betsy and I bought together in bulk last year... cover with your favorite paper. I just used double sided tape and that worked pretty well. Sand off the corners... Here's a HINT: Go ahead and put the binding on NOW (at least 5/8") with the Bind It All. I did not, and had to remove my embellishment because then the already-thick-chipboard didn't fit in the machine. THEN add your stuff to the front...

That bunny stamp is theangelcompany, and one that I got from my Grab Bag... I think it is so very cute! And the "sentiment" is off the SU! Jumbo Roller that I took apart last spring... Nestabilities Label One for the paper that it is all mounted on... and the patterned paper is from a paper pad from Michael's, by Amanda Blu (Mohawk Lane).

Here's how the inside looks, but you get it, right?? :)

And finally, because I know where it is... the LINK to the blog I enjoy for ideas. Rats... I forgot to stamp each paper inside. I will have to remember that for next time because that is cute. As you can see, the more Post It Notes you add, the larger diameter Bind It All wire you need...

Photography at it's Finest

Remember when I eluded to THIS card back in June? You know, when my sister's birthday is celebrated by the OTHER members of my family. I chose to celebrate in August, when I finally sent her the gift I purchased for her in March. Great planning. In my defense, she did mention the week before her birthday that she could use some Thank You cards, and I happily got-to making them for her... IMMEDIATELY. Then the box sat on the side couch in the living room for the remainder of the summer, until we were getting ready for vacation and Ryan said, "Hey, do you want me to mail this?" Oh, THAT. Yes, that would be a very good idea.

I made this card from a "leftover" picture I had from our Sister Trip to Savannah, July 2008. For Christmas last year, I made each of my sisters and my mom a mini-album to remember our very fun trip by. I loved making those albums and poring over the pictures... it just brought a bunch of really great memories flooding back. Made me happy. I was hoping to inspire my darling sister in the same way, when she looked at her birthday card. You know, in August, even though her bday is June. Admittedly, it's the 29th, so I'm certain that is like ALMOST July, so August really isn't THAT bad.

I kind of really enjoyed this look, even though it's NON-STAMPING... so when I went on vacation this summer to the INCREDIBLE Oregon Coast and Amazing Alaska, I took over 3000 pictures, which will "end up" on some cards, too! Promise not to make 3000 posts about THAT:)

Oh, and the post title is NOT in celebration of my fine photography (actually, there's a very good chance that TRACY took that picture, anyways! HA!)... Ryan's youngest sister RANDEE now has a photography website, and you know, she's pretty talented. So click and visit... there's a permanent link on our family blog, too!

Happy Birthday, Laurie!

Whhhoooooo R YOOOOOOOOuuuuuuu?

I feel like I need to reintroduce myself to my card blog. But since there are only a select few who cherish their time here, and you all know WHO I am, I will refrain. But seriously? It's been a while...

Pretty happy to have time to make a few things again (read: the kids are back in school). I have a few things to share, it's just a matter of whether they make it to the blog or not. My mom's living in a foreign land, so I guess if she's going to see what I'm up to, it BETTER make it here, right? (Hi Mom... How are the filafels?)

Right... the card. My sweet friend/co-worker/mother-of-my-God-child, Ashlie, had surgery last month and this card was for her... I say WAS because, of course, I already gave it to her. It would be so silly to post a card here before it makes it to the person, right? Ok, I will post some tomorrow before they get to their intended seeing how you don't care so much. ANYWAYS, The Co-Workers and I (mostly them) made a goodie basket for Ashlie and this is the card that went along with it... with a clever greeting inside "From Owl of Us". Before you think I'M that clever, it's a stamp set (or two, I should say) from theangelcompany: "be square", and "what a hoot", respectively. This card also features the much loved and now retired paper from SU! (Parisian Breeze, and Baja Breeze). The "Feel better" stamp is TAC and also now retired, a hostess set. Hey, I'm not trying to SELL this stuff, just show you, right?

And lastly, the funky shaped card is due to the fact that I made it to fit the cool envelope I had (business sized)... and because several people were going to be signing it. HOWEVER, I forgot to bring it into work in time for said people to sign, so it got the very formal "Love, Inpatient Nursing" jot at the bottom. Really. It's the thought that counts, and how many times does Ashlie need to read our creative re-wording of "Hope you are feeling better... get back here soon because we are tired of working for you"? I'm just saying.

*Sigh* I've missed this place.

Make your own Stamp Cleaner

Remember THIS post? Well, as promised, I tried it out!! Of course, it took me a while to finally do it, but I sure am glad I did!

IT WORKS GREAT!

And ends up being VERY CHEAP.

If you know me AT ALL, you know I can't follow a recipe. That's why I leave the baking up to Rochel... This "recipe" was no exception. Notice that you are supposed to use "distilled water" and I used "purified"... worked the same. And because I purposefully used the wrong stuff (I had purified water on hand - don't ask - so I wanted to use it up), I actually did an internet search to find out the difference. You will be happy to know that the official anwer of that is: "not much". Apparently you CAN'T use tap water because there might be minerals in it that would defeat the purpose of the cleanser, and after time, it will get murky. So, distilled or purified are fine. No minerals.

ANYWAYS... Here's how cheap it is. The baby wash I actually had left over from Carly (so, 7 year old baby wash that you find at your mother's house is ok), so I'm going to call that "free". The glycerin was $2.99 and I have enough left over for another "batch" of cleaner. And the purified water was $0.25 at Publix, on sale. NOW you know why I bought it. I'm turning into my mother. So, for about $1.66, I made the same amount you can get from Stampin Up for almost $9. I think. Sounds about right. I put it in my old Stampin' Up sprayer bottle, and the above bottle holds the other portion of it, plus ANOTHER bottle I made... I made a double batch, you know, feeling all optimistic.

And it works really good... At first I thought it was too soapy, but turns out, that was just my scrubber pad... I had just washed it out and didn't rinse really well. Shocking. According to accounts online, this also conditions stamps, if you are all worried about that.

A word about the glycerin. If you can't find it out in with the general medicines in the pharmacy, ask the pharmacist. I got it at Target and it was behind the counter with the pharmacist. Dangerous stuff, glycerin. I think it might could be cheaper at Walmart...

There you have it!

Anniversary

Just a quick card to share... the anniversary card I made my parents, in MAY. Since I didn't have to mail it, I tried my hand at a 5x5 sized card. They spent so much time in Israel with British People that they fancy themselves Tea Drinkers now. Until they got back home to their Keurig single cup coffee maker.

But the card... patterned paper from Making Memories, Cardstock from SU!, metal tag from STAPLES (hi Dean... sure that you are reading)... teapot stamp from theangelcompany (and inside stamp, too) and the "Happy Anniversary" is an oldie-but-goodie from Michael's Dollar Bin. Ribbon randomly purchased at Michael's... and they are scraps.




And finally, a shout out to my parents: Thanks for staying married and loving each other. I find it very wonderful that you raised 4 kids and are able to sit back at the end of child rearing and enjoy EACH OTHER so much. I have long thought that the best gift you can give your kids is to love their father (well, mother if we are talking about the Dad)... so thanks for leading by example. LOVE YOU BOTH!!!

Random Cards #3

More cards using ONE 8x8 piece of Cosmo Cricket paper... This one uses a stamp set from Stampendous (clear stamps) that my sister sent to me! (Thanks, Laurie!) and I stamped "happy birthday" on the inside of it using a Michael's Dollar stamp that I dismembered. Yikes! That sounds harsh. Ummm, Cut Apart and Remounted On Cling Foam. Oh! and Stickles in the corner... because they were sitting on my desk and I figured, Why Not? That ribbon was probably just laying there, too.






Buttons I happened to have in my stash... and the "Be comforted" stamp is from theangelcompany, and I obtained it in my Grab Bag purchase.





Rick-Rack ribbon, but not sure where it's from (really full of GREAT comments here, huh?!) and the "Adore You" label came with that Cosmo Cricket accessories set that I have still not returned to my mother. Hey, apparently I am still using it.






The "thank you" chipboard is from The Still Not Returned Set, and the stamp "for making my day", is theangelcompany... from a hostess set, if I'm not mistaken. Which I could be. Really, just look at the cards and don't try to copy anything EXACTLY because the information I have given is, I'm quite certain, completely wrong. But, if you are so inclined, feel free to contact me and I will be happy to find out FOR REAL. My phone's going to be ringing off the hook now.

Random Cards #2

A set of cards made with (What else?) ONE piece 8x8 Cosmo Cricket patterned paper.... and a little Basic Grey leftover from another project.  The "Kindred Spirits" stamp is from the SU jumbo wheel stamp "Friendly Words" that I took off the roller and hacked up.  Apparently I enjoy cutting stamps all up and remounting them onto cling foam.  *sigh*  

Proof-Positive for Betsy that I DO make mistakes...  she will get all happy about that... really should NOT have stamped this sentiment over the darkest corner of the card as you can not easily read it unless you look REALLY closely, and that's not EASY.  Anyways, Lesson Learned: do not try to stamp on cards when you get off a really busy 12 hour night shift.  Sleep first.  Another stamp from the now unmounted roller.

Yup... more from the roller and you got it, the Flip Side of the Cosmo Paper at the top... oh, the paper flowers are CC also, from a kit my Mom gave me.  Ha, I don't think she GAVE it to me, so much as said, "Make me something with this"... which I did, but I'm guessing she meant either Make Something With ALL Of It, or Give Me Back The LeftOvers of My 4,000 Piece Accessory Set.  What do you think?  Ok, ok... the paper is from that kit, too.

Last one, which in my opinion, is really stretching the One Piece of Paper Bank.  Blah.  If you get this in the mail from me, do NOT take it personally.  Hey Mom!  I made you a card with that Cosmo Cricket kit!!!!  HAHAHAHAHAAHHA.... ok, not funny.