A card sketch....

...just for fun! I love card sketches & the many sketch challenges I'm finding on other websites and blogs. But I also keep a small notepad of my own sketches close at hand. I find myself reaching for it often to jot down my ideas whether I'm riding in the car on one of our family outings or just watching TV. I thought I'd share one that I did the other day...

And here are my two versions of the sketch:

"Hey!"
Supplies: American Crafts - Craft Fair; A La Mode & Play
Tools: Round 'n Round and Twinkle Twinkle Squeeze Punches; Ultra ShapeXpress Tool and Circle Template by Fiskars Americas

"Thinking of YOU..."
Supplies: The Paper Loft - Flip Flop collection
Tools: Apron Lace Border Punch; Oopsie Daisy and Round 'n Round Squeeze Punches; Ultra ShapeXpress Tool and Circle Template by Fiskars Americas

Hope you'll find some inspiration in the sketch and the card ideas. And if you should create your own card or layout based on the sketch, please let me know in the comments section. I'd love to see what you've done!

CPS Sketch #125.............

I've been following the Card Positioning Sketch blog for awhile and now that I have my blog up and running, figured it's time to jump in and play. You can see this week's sketch by Tami Mayberry here --> CPS Card Sketches. And here's my take on it...



I intended to turn it sideways and have it be a landscape card, but ended up just flipping it upside down instead.

Tools & Supplies:
Fiskars Americas - Squeeze Punches: May Flowers, Around the Corner, Oopsie Daisy, and Round 'n Round
Fiskars Americas - Border Punch: Scalloped Sentiment
Fiskars Americas - Ultra ShapeXpress Tool and Circle Shape Template
Heidi Grace Designs - Thank You stamps

Lily Bee - French Couture: Handmade and Stella patterned papers
Fancy Pants - All Fall: Penmanship patterned paper (back)


Also.....there's a new article up at the Fiskars website about how to make your own camera strap slip-cover. The article has so many great versions....very, very cute! I have to admit that I wasn't super confident when I first got the assignment, but I really liked how my version turned out and have found that with each sewing project I'm given my skills improve more and more. I think I may have overcome my sewing phobia...yay! The home economics disaster project from 7th grade is finally in the past...lol!

Have a great day!

Sketches......

always give me that nudge of inspiration I need when I'm stuck for an idea. And card sketches are my favorite since it means I can craft and complete my idea quickly when time is short. Here's a card sketch by Dee Gallimore-Perry for the Bo Bunny Blog that inspired this birthday card. I especially liked that the sketch is simple and allows me to build on it.



Supplies:
Bo Bunny Alissa {Look at Me} patterned paper
Fiskars Americas Squeeze Punches - Round 'n Round; May Flower; Loves Me, Loves Me Not
Fiskars Americas Border Punches - Apron Lace
Cardstock: Core-dinations and Bazzill

I'm on a roll now so I'm off to make a bunch more cards... and tags, too!

Happy Friday!!!

More projects to share........

like this Wire Works {jewelry} article on the Fiskars website this month. I loved experimenting with the Wire Winder Jig and Templates and discovered so many neat ways to make beaded wire links like the ones used for this bracelet.




And one of my favorite super-simple projects for the POTD in July is this Stamped Tee. I made it in less than an hour and it was ready to wear. It suits my Guitar Hero crazed daughter perfectly!

Crafty goodness......

is happening at the Fiskars website all summer long so be sure to stop by and check out what's new.... and what's not so new, too. July is another POTD (project of the day) month of crafting where each day there's a new craft idea in celebration of summer. There's already a bunch of fun creations to see this month! And if you stop by tomorrow, two beaded book marks that I made with Fiskars wire tools will be posted. I've seen similar book thongs at my favorite bookstores and thought why not make them myself! Oh, and check out the new article on summer purses....are they not to die for or what!?! Seriously, I want to make every single one of them!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Indulge!

The holiday weekend inspired this sweet indulgence for brunch today .........mmmm. My husband loves it since it reminds him of the waffles & ice cream treat he had as a kid. Pretty patriotic too, if you ask me. I know, it's over the top but it's very tasty and the kids just love it!

♥ ♥ ♥ I don't suppose the healthy blueberries and strawberries make up for the ice cream and chocolate chips? No? Oh well....we'll just have to work it off outside today.

Have a sweet day!

Happy July 4th everyone!!!

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend celebration with family and friends! We’re going to keep it low key today and just enjoy the pool and gorgeous weather. I think this is the first rain free July 4^th we’ve had (with all the moving) in years. Yay!

But before I go, here are a couple cards.......

Happy Independence Day!

Fiskars Upper Crest Border Punch; Twinkle, Twinkle and Round ‘n Round Squeeze Punches; (Elsie) KI Memories & Li’l Davis patterned papers & Li’l Davis Foil Rimmed Acetate Stars

Stars & Stripes Forever!

Fiskars Twinkle, Twinkle Squeeze Punches and Li’l Davis patterned papers

Thanks for reading and have a save & fun holiday weekend!

Cosmo Cricket is having a DT call.............

and I’m doing the happy dance! Who wouldn't want to be a part of Cosmo Cricket's Design Team!?! It’s not really surprising that I feel this way since their product is TO DIE FOR and the Cosmo Cricket people all seem like such a fun & happy bunch....I can’t resist applying. So here goes..............

If you walk into my craft room it's obvious that I have an OBSESSION with paper. I like to cut it, punch it, try different techniques with it, piece my scraps together, stitch, ink, sand, crumple it and all other sorts of paper related torture. I do all this because it’s fun... really, it just is! And Cosmo Cricket is at the top of my “must have” list of products. What’s not to like about them? They create product designs that are full of color and whimsy. Everything from pretty florals to cute robots yet they still include basic patterns that keep their collections versatile for any theme I might be working on at the moment. On top of that, their papers are double-sided (hey, I’m a practical girl after all....you know, the economy and all that), durable to work with for any project or paper technique, and .......and ......they’re environmentally friendly! Not many scrapbook companies can claim all that! Bottom line, creating is easy with fabulous products like those made by Cosmo Cricket.

Lately, I’m in love with cardmaking. That wasn’t always the case. Don’t get me wrong, I still love creating layouts but there’s something about the satisfaction of designing the tiny landscape of a card and filling it with all sorts of things. I really like the variety of shapes and sizes, styles, and techniques you can explore when making a card. And the fact that I can complete a project in a short amount of time is a simple pleasure for me. Cards are my go-to project when I want to create but don’t have much time to do so.

Here are some cards I created recently with Cosmo Cricket.............

Hello – 4.5”H x 5”W
This shaped card has the front cut as a circle and the back is rectangular. Flower and leaf punches are layered and inked.
Supplies:
Paper: Cosmo Cricket’s Dutch Girl – Sofie, Klara & Audrey
Tools: Mint Condition and Loves Me, Loves Me Not Squeeze Punches; Round the Bend Corner Squeeze Punch; USX and SuperSize Circle Templates by Fiskars








Oh Happy Day! – 7.5”H x 5.5”W
Lots of circles here – layered and embellished with a fabric yo-yo and mini brads.
Supplies:
Paper: Cosmo Cricket’s Early Bird – Apron Strings, Cherry Pie & Farmers Market
Other: yo-you made by me; buttons; mini brads
Tools: Circle Pop-Up Punch, Round ‘n Round Squeeze Punches, Scallop Sentiment Border Punch by Fiskars









OH BOY! You’re 3! Birthday Card – 6”H x 4”W
Journaling cards pieced together along with punches. The stars were made using a fabulous technique I learned over at the Fiskars website from my friend/teammate Lisa Storms - such a clever girl! I used white core cs and sanded them a bit.
Supplies:
Paper: Cosmo Cricket’s Get Happy – Strip Tease &
Other: Heidi Grace Alpha Stickers
Tools: Twinkle, Twinkle; Round ‘n Round; and You Bracket, You Bought It - Squeeze Punches by Fiskars Journaling Cards








Thanks So Much! – 5.25”H x 7”W
This is an example of how well CC’s papers go together even when crossing collections. Squares are stitched; layered punched flowers with button centers; Rain Dots added.
Supplies:
Paper: Cosmo Cricket’s Mr. Campy – Flannel, Nature Walk, Skipping Stones, Happy Trails and Happy Camper; Early Bird – Apron Strings and Cherry Pie.
Other: Clear Rain Dots by Cloud 9 Design
Tools: Daisy Pop Up Punch and Oopsie Daisy Squeeze Punches by Fiskars


Birthday Wish – 8.5”H x 5”W
Quick embellishment made by layering the paper buttons and stitching.
Supplies:
Paper: Cosmo Cricket’s Dutch Girl – Klara, Audrey and Sofie
Other: Chipboard Alpha by Li’l Davis Designs
Tools: USX and Circle Shape Template; Round the Bend Corner Squeeze Punch by Fiskars











Lazy Days – 5.25”H x 7.5”W
I made my own word paper as background, then I layered circles along the top and bottom edge. I added folded paper strips and stitched across to secure. Center is word from Elements sheet embellished with Rain Dots and buttons.
Supplies:
Paper: Cosmo Cricket’s Snorkel – Elements, Carbonation, School’s Out, Current, Beach Towel, and Board Walk
Other: Sunshine and Clear Rain Dots by Cloud 9 Design, buttons
Tools: Round ‘n Round Squeeze Punches by Fiskars

Welcome to the Neighborhood – 6”H x 8”W
This is my favorite card of the bunch. I like its whimsy and paper piecing has always been a favorite technique of mine. Also, this is another example of how easy it is to mix up papers across (5) collections when using Cosmo Cricket.
Supplies:
Paper: Cosmo Cricket’s Dutch Girl (Audrey), Early Bird (Apron Strings and Farmer’s Market), Mr. Campy (Nature Walk), Snorkel (Umbrellas, Beach Towel, Boardwalk, and Carbonation), Cogsmo (Bandwith)
Other: mini brad, buttons
Tools – Round ‘n Round, Mint Condition, and Amore Squeeze Punches; USX and Circle Shape Template by Fiskars


So that's it! I'm glad I’ve had this chance to share some Cosmo Cricket *love* on my blog and to apply for a place as a designer on their team. Wish me luck!!!

And for any and all who’ve read the above....thank you! I really appreciate the time you’ve taken to do so. Have a wonderful day!


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