Hand Stamped By Lacey

Wild Things - Magical Monday Challenge: Textures

Hello Stamping friends!!

Happy Monday to you. Did you do anything special this weekend? My family met up with 2 other families at Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia on Saturday. There were conflicting weather reports between weather.com and the weather app on my iphone (both are supposed to be from the Weather Channel). One said it would be on ok morning with rain in the afternoon and the other one said rain all day. So we took the change and drove an hour and a half to Valdosta and when we arrived, the skies were clear...for about an hour! 

Unfortunately, we wasted about a half hour in line on a ride that broke just as we were getting on. We saw some clouds heading our way so we decided to head to the water park to get some water fun in while we can. Well, after 1 lap in the lazy river, the skies opened up and it started raining. And that started the on again-off again, but mostly on, spell of rain, thunder, and lightning all day!

We did manage to get about 45 in at the water park and ride 2 rides. But that was about it! We were able to get rain checks since it rained most of the day. At least the kids had a blast playing in the rain!! After the thunder stopped, they still hadn't opened the rides so we let the kids play and burn off some energy...

My kids are the two on the left. The other two boys are friends of ours and we had 3 younger girls with us as well. 

Ok, it's time for a new Magical Monday Challenge.

This week's challenge is: Two Textures

Remember you MUST use a Magical Character on your project (Angel, Mermaid, Fairy, or Dragon).

We are being sponsored this challenge by me and Stamp and Create...

Here is my card...

This little cutie is "King of The Wild Things" by Stamping Bella. I fell in love with him as soon as I saw him!! What little boy doesn't like to dress up like a Dragon?!

The papers are Campfire by October Afternoon. I also used a Magical Mini Letter Seals sentiment, and net fibers

The sketch is from the new Pink Ink Sketches.

For my textures, I used a cuttlebug dry embossing folder on one of the layers, net fibers, embroidery thread, and heat embossing on the image...

Now it's your turn! Let's see you Magical creations.

This card is also for the following challenges:

The Crafty Pad: Lots of texture

Pile it on: Favorite Technique (sewing)

A Spoon Full of Sugar: Sewing

Thanks for stopping by! Happy stamping!

~Lacey

 

Scrap and Stamp Saturday Challenge: Embossing

Hello stamping friends!!

Well I think the black cloud that was hanging over my head the past week is finally going away! After my PC broke, my store website went down twice, my wireless went down for a short time, and my car broke, I've had two good days with no major issues! I think I'm on the mend!! LOL 

But I am looking forward to the weekend!! By the time this posts, I am hoping to still be asleep in my comfy bed having wonderful dreams!! *Sigh* I love to sleep in!! And since my husband was out of town for 3 days and is now home...I have earned the right to sleep in this week! That makes it even better!!

So, now it's time for another Scrap and Stamp Saturday Challenge!! I am really impressed that I made 3 layouts this week! I am really starting to get faster with scrapping and it is so much fun going through the kids old photos!! 

This week's challenge is: Embossing!!

That can be heat or dry embossing. 

DT Paola created an awesome tutorial on creating custom dry embossed embellishments to add to a layout (or card for that matter). So make sure to check it out on the challenge blog!

We are sponsored this week by Sassy Studio Designs. Wow! They have some fun digital stamps. 

They offered to send us a digi to use on our layout. I had a hard time choosing since they have so many sassy and fun stamps! But, considering I mainly scrap my kids, I needed to choose one of the more conservative digis (if you know what I mean)! But that wasn't a problem...they have an adorable line of Princesses, too! And I found one perfect for a layout...

Now, I would normally have used "heat embossing" for my choice in embossing, but since I used a digital stamp and not a rubber stamp, I had to add a dry embossed element to stay with the embossing theme. 

This stamp is called Little Honey's - Princess Aurora Honey 

These pictures are from our first time having a Character Meal with the Disney Princesses at Walt Disney World. These pictures were taken in 2005 when Ryan was about 6 months and Ansley was 2 1/2 years old. Oh so she was excited to meet the Princesses! And Sleeping Beauty was her favorite one for a long time. 

Of course, living only 3 hours away from Disney World, we have gone to Disney often since then and have had Character meals almost every time. Although, I think we may be growing out of that phase.

The sketch is from Sketchy Thursday this week. 

 
 The left side...

 

Sorry for the glare on the photos. It's hard to photograph photos! Especially when it's pouring rain and dark outside!

The right side...

 

Can you see the smile on Ansley's face in the top right photo? She was soooo excited to meet Sleeping Beauty!! That smile is genuine pure joy!!

The papers are MME "Paris & Co". I used a cuttlebug swirl embossing folder on the burgundy strip, Tim Holtz Adage Tickets, Crown charm, Jewel Brads, Silver Spacer, Prima Swirl, Thickers Glitter chipboard stickers, and lace.

Now it's your turn! Let's see your layout using some embossing! Just remember, you must use at least one stamp on your layout to be entered into the drawing from the sponsor.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey

 
 
 

 

Under the Sea...

Under the Sea...life would be better...down where it's wetter..under the sea! Are you singing it, too. If not, you must not have a little daughter that was in love with the Disney Princesses at one point! The song is from The Little Mermaid.

I missed the Hope Hopes Challenge this week...No Patterned Paper. So I tried to make the card on monday. But every time I leaned my head down to color, my nose would run!! LOL So I tried again tuesday...but wasn't in the mood! Finally on Wednesday, I was able to finish it up...took all day, but I did it! And now it's taken me another day to post it! At least I got a little stamping done earlier, but will post that later.

Anyway, here is my card for the High Hopes Challenge #22...

Click on the pictures for a larger view. 

I made this card for my niece's 13th birthday in a few weeks. She lives in South Florida (where we are moving). The last time we were down there, she took us to a Sea Turtle sanctuary and research center. She loves Marine life and wants to be a Marine Biologist when she grows up.

For the card, I embossed the Sea Floor Backgroundonto SU Whisper White and watercolored using Twinkling H2Os and an aquapainter. I stamped Simon(the turtle) on a separate sheet and cut him out and attached him with dimensionals at the end.

I received this awesome anchor charm from Katharina during a challenge on her blog. I tied it to some Hemp Twine and attached it to the card with some glue. When my kids saw this card, they got really worried for Simon...I think they think the anchor is a fishing hook...they kept saying "he's going for the hook"!!

For the background, I ran some Tempting Turquoise CS through my Tiny Bubbles embossing folder. I inked up the edges with Chocolate Chip and roughed it up with my scissors. I attached that to the 5 1/2" square Kraft Card Base.

When I watercolored the image, I added turquoise randomly all over the background to make it appear like the sea. However, this caused my card stock to curl. So after gluing it to the background, I added some Turquoise Rhinestone Brads to help keep it on. Therefore, it qualifies for A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge 43 - Little Gem.

Here's a close-up of the image...

I think Taylor will like her card!

On a personal note, I am starting to feel better. I still stayed home from work today. I am still short of breath and being in a dusty school library probably wouldn't be a good idea for my asthma! I took it easy at home and rested up some while Ryan was at school.

Thank you all for your well wishes! I really appreciate it!

Thanks for stopping by today! Happy Stamping!

~Lacey

Family

It's been awhile since I posted a scrapbook page. This is another project I made for that scrapbook store design team call. Again, it doesn't involve stamping except the year stamp....which is a huge challenge for me since I am a stamper first! But I am happy with the way it turned out.

Click on the picture for a larger view.

This picture of my family was taken last fall. The photographer Erin Teplin also took my headshot picture on my blog. She is so talented...but I am upset that she moved away :-( Anyway, I just love this family picture she took.

For the layout, I kept it simple. The polka dot paper is from My Mind's Eye. I added a thick strip of SU Cholocate Chip card stock that was punched with the Fiscars Threading Water border punch. I added some polka dot grosgrain ribbon at the top. I altered some Bazzil chip board shapes covered with more My Mind's Eye paper and distressed with ink on the edges. I added some Primas and Basic Grey buttons. The title was cut with a Cuttlebug alphabet die with Lightweight coaster. I inked up the edges of the letters and covered them with Crystal Effects so they look shiny like Epoxy stickers, but they were actually handmade.

The date circle was cut with a Nestability scalloped circle die and stamped with an number stamp set.

I really liked how it turned out. I hope you do, too!

I wanted to say a special thank you to everyone who has left me encouragement and support regarding my post about a possible move. I am so thankful and grateful for your kind words. I do know that God is with me and will lead us to the place that He wants us to be.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Black and White Monogram

I don't have any time to stamp today. Believe or not, I still have to finish up some Valentine's!! Since Ryan was sick last week and missed his class party, I decided I could finish them this weekend....well, the weekend got away from me (not to mention the new High Hopes stamps came in) so I didn't get them done!!

So here is a set of cards I made for my friend. She's the one who bought this monogrammed set for her friend along with another set I haven't posted yet.

I used SU Basic Black CS as the card base. The white panel is SU Whisper White that I embossed with SU Baroque Motifs stamp set, then run through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. I punched the bottom with the Fiscars Threading Water border punch.

For the monogram, I used SU Lovely Letters also embossed in black. I cut it out with a SU Circle punch (sorry, I can't remember which size it was) and matted it with Basic Black cut and embossed with a small Scalloped Circle die. I attached it with Dimensionals.

The ribbon is from the dollar section at Michaels. I got a few rolls a while ago and I am now down to about 12" :-( I soooo need to find another ribbon like this...it is just so elegant.

I also stamped the "p" on the envelope as well.

To hold a set of 10 cards, I created another box using this tutorial...

I ran out of black CS....seriously...I used scraps for the "p" mat!! So, I made the box pink since I love the black and pink combo.

Here is another picture of the box opened...

I made this box a little larger (because I actually made it for a different set but the lid didn't fit...my measurements were off) and that set had ribbons and knots so I needed the box larger to hold everything. So, you can see, there is plenty of room in this box. I made 10 cards with matching envelopes, but I probably could have added another 5 cards! For just 10 cards and envelopes with this design, you can use the "Large" box measurements on my tutorial linked above.

Anyway, Thank you so much for all of you comments regarding my blog candy. I have a HUGE smile on my face...you guys have made my day! :-) Don't forget, you have until Sunday night to enter.

I just got the new Whiff of Joy Spring Kit in the mail today and OMG....they are sooo adorable! I was able to mount them on ez-mount foam and stamp them once so I could see what they look like. But it will have to wait until later before I can make something with them. However, Ansley (my 6 year old daughter) is currently sitting at my stamping desk making something.

Anyway, Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Hectic week...and Stamp Club projects

Oh my, this has been a busy week. First off, the weather has been totally wacky!! Keeping in mind that I live in North Florida...the "Sunshine State"...which is normally very HOT...the low yesterday morning was 17 degrees!!! Yes, 17!! But by the afternoon, it was 61! And it's been this way for the past 3 days. So, I am expecting for us to get sick soon. Everytime the weather changes over a 40 degree range within 8 hours usually means we are all going to get sick. And this weekend it will be in the 70's! Yet it was cold enough to snow this morning with a low of 25! Wacky!! Yes, I know...it's snowing everywhere else....stopping complaining, Lacey. I actually love the cold weather. I just think the temps have just been very abnormal for Florida. 

Anyway, Monday was my monthly stamp club. It was the first day with the new Stampin' Up catalog....yeah!!! So with Valentine's Day only a few weeks away, I created a box and a card using some of the new Designer Series Paper "Raspberry Tart"...(Don't forget to click on the pictures for a larger view)

 For the box, I used Regal Rose CS and followed the instructions on SCS for the Mini Pizza Box.

The stamp is a new Level 2 Hostess set. We used Build-a-brads and a flower die cut from a SU Sizzix die. I scored lines along the center of each flower petal and on the seams to make it more 3-D. The heart is Vellum CS cut with a heart Nestability and run through a cuttlebug embossing folder. I only used the Nestability and the cuttlebug folder to show how they work with the Big Shot. SU also sells a new heart punch and texture plates but they were not offered for pre-order so I don't have them yet. I also used the SU Scallop Border punch along the sides of the lid.

By the way, have you seen the new SU Border Punch? It's called Eyelet Border Punch. That's already been ordered!! I can't wait to play with it!

On the inside of the box, we wrapped Hershey's Nugget Chocolates with coordinating DP...

The box held 12 chocolates perfectly...

For the card, I kept it simple since the DP design was so nice, I didn't want to cover it up...

I think these would make really nice gifts for a friend. Maybe someone's birthday (just change the sentiment on the card). Or a teacher's gift for Valentine's Day. Heck, this would make a great gift "just because". For instance, do you have a friend who is willing to watch your child so you can go to the doctor, but won't allow you to pay them for their trouble? Well, this is perfect for an occasion just like that!

Now go ahead and take a look at the new Stampin' Up catalog on my website...here.

And through the end of January, you can order the Love You Much Bundle for 25% off. The kit includes the Love You Much Stamp set, Candy Lane Designer Series Paper, and the new Heart to Heart Punch for only $41.48 (US).

US customers can order directly on-line through my website if you find anything you like! If you are from Canada, I can put you in contact with a Canadian demonstrator if you are interested.

I was so surprised to find out that Lisa nomiated me for this award!

Thank you so much, Lisa! That means so much to me! I am going to pass this award onto Katharina. Get ready to see some awesome challenges and stunning cards on Katharina's blog!!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

High Hopes Blog Challenge #14

This week's High Hopes Blog Challenge is brought to us by Niki Estes. And the challenge is...to make a "Dude" card!! No flowers!!! Let me tell you, this is normally a huge challenge for me. But with High Hopes Rubber Stamps, it really wasn't that much of a challenge...they have such a huge selection of stamps for guys.

For my card, I had an idea in my head. I put it all together, then didn't like it. So at 11:00 at night, I started all over again!! I used Amy's friday sketch #44 again (this was last week's sketch) because it worked so well with my card.

Here is my 2nd card that uses Amy's sketch (also used inspiration for the button and ribbon from this card)...

I love how the cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles embossing folder on the back side looks like dimples on a golf ball! This image is an older one called Golf Cart. I embossed it in Black, then watercolored it using Twinkling H2Os. It's hard to see in the photo, but I scored a line along all 4 sides of the Brown image mat. The card base is 5 1/4" square of SU Chocolate Chip matted with 5" Old Olive and the DP is from My Mind's Eye.

 

 On the inside, I embossed 18th Green and Golf Bag with Clubs. I left it blank so I can write a message when the time comes to give this to someone.

Now, for my original design...since I spent all that time on the card, I guess I should show it, too...

This card is a slider card. When you pull the tab on the right...

The cart "drives" across the card to reveal a hidden message..."It's all Good!" That's how my husband feels when he gets a day to go golfing!

The reason why I didn't like the way this card turned out was the size. The image ended up being a little too small for the larger card base. The next time I make something like this, I think I will make it a standard A2 size. That way the image doesn't look to tiny. The same image works on the same size card on my other project because it has a large mat around it!

Ok, enough of my cards! Now it's YOUR turn to make a "dude" card. So pull out some masculine images (preferably High Hopes, but not necessary), and join in on the challenge. I have so many images that would work...like Diver Dan, the pirates, most of the jungle images, the dragons! It's a lot easier to make a dude card than you think! Just check out all of the awesome cards the Diva's made!

If you make a dude card, make sure you link it in the High Hopes Blog post so you can be entered in a drawing to win some free stamps. And if you upload your card to SCS, make sure to use keyword HHC14....this helps the Divas see all of your cards.

Last thing...a few of you sent me links to the cards you made for Tina's Grandfather. So, the winner of some stamped images and assorted embellishments is...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

3	

Timestamp: 2009-01-18 13:52:37 UTC

Terry!! Email me with your address and I will get these out to you!!

Thank you so much for participating. I know Mr. White will be very happy when he get's all of his birthday cards!! Heck, I know I would be!! I always love to get handmade cards...I mean, is there any OTHER kind of card?!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

High Hopes Challenge #13

Happy Sunday! It's time for this week's High Hopes blog challenge #13. This week is brought to us by the talented Kimmie and the challenge...Dry Embossing. Oooo, I can do this one...I love cuttlebug embossing folders. And I'll let you in on a secret...you may be seeing something similiar from Stampin' Up! soon!!! I've seen a sneak peak of the new catalog that will be out on Jan 19th!

Back to the challenge...I used the SCS sketch challenge this week SC210.

And here is my card...

 

I used Candi Tooth Fairy for the image. She is part of the High Hopes Project of the Month (POTM), but I used a different sentiment. Without the tooth, tooth brush, and floss, she can be any type of angel!

This card is for a friend...an angel in my life!

On the inside, I used a two stamps from a SU set. I used some of the same DP I used on the front and sewed it on 3 sides. On the 4th side, I used my new Martha Stewart lace punch (I finally got one). This is actually a pocket to hold...

...a CD! I downloaded some of my favorite contemporary Christian songs onto a CS for my friend. I stamped Candi and the sentiment onto the blank CS using Black Stazon ink.

Here is a close up of Candi...

She was embossed in black then watercolored using Twinkling H2Os.

If you want to join in on the fun, make a card using High Hopes stamps (if available, if not, that's still ok), use dry embossing and link your card in the comment section of the challenge post on the High Hopes Blog. You will be entered into a drawing for some yummy High Hopes Rubber! If you upload it to SCS, use keyword HHC13.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Christmas Scrapbook page

I've been sooo busy this week. In addition to working at the preschool, I have been working on a project FOR the school. I have mentioned before that I make scrapbook pages of the school events to hang on the PTF (Parent Teacher Fellowship) board in the hallway. Here are a few pages I have done and posted from last year for Western Night and Spring Fling.

Well, I didn't have any pictures of the various Christmas Programs they do in each class, so I decided to scrapbook some Nativity stamps instead of students. I am only going to show the left side of the 2-page layout today....you will get to see the other side of the layout on Christmas morning.

I used Designer Paper from SU Bella Rose set. I just love the colors in this set (Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, and Pink Pirouette). I sewed some stiching across the green and brown layers and some zig zag stiching in the upper right and bottom left corners. I added some Red/Vanilla Stripped Ribbon from SU and an awesome red and white polka dot ribbon from Taylored Expressions.

This image is Shepherds Awe from High Hopes Rubber Stamps. I embossed the image and watercolored it using SU inks and Twinkling H2Os. To create the sky, I sponged both Baja Blue and Night of Navy and inked up the edges with Chocolate Chip. I added a SU Top Note Bigz Sizzix Die in the brown polka dot SP from the Bella Rose pack to mat the image. I added some assorted primas (with stickles added to the red one), a button, and stamped a swirl around the images in Black Staz-on.

The other image is called Wee Three Kings also from High Hopes. These guys are so cute!!

To embellish the page, I added a huge velvet snowflake...

This actual photograph was taken of the snowflake on the other page...so I guess this is a sneak peek of that design...but it was a better photograph than the other snowflake and I'm too lazy right now to get up and take another picture!!

Anyway, I diecut some deep red velvet card stock that I got at a local store and ran it through my cuttlebug with the SU Snowflake die. To go with the whole "Follow the star" theme of the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, I added a velum star to the snowflake. I ran it through the swiss dots cuttlebug embossing folder first. Then through the SU Stars #2 Sizzix die. I added a button with some Linen thread.

I didn't get a good close up picture of the "journalling" in the upper right hand corner, but it reads...

An Angel of the Lord appeared and said

"I bring you good news of great joy...

Today in the town of David

a Savior has been born to you;

he is Christ the Lord...

You will find a baby wrapped in cloths

and lying in a manger". ~Luke 2:9-12

The bible verses were printed on the computer using Vellum Card Stock then cut out with a Nestability Scalloped Rectangle die.

I added a very Vanilla tag stamped with "Merry Christmas" from Holidays and Wishes from SU and die cut with a Nestability tag die. It was attached to the ribbon with some linen thread.

So, that's the first half of the Christmas layout...you will have to wait until Christmas morning for the other half!!! What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

I can Swim Scrapbook Page

I made these scrapbook pages last month, but never finished the journalling so I never posted it. Well, trying to get caught up on some things (and schedule some posts while we are gone for Thanksgiving), I finally finished it...

These pictures were taken at the pool at our hotel in Daytona Beach, FL when we went there for the 4th of July Weekend. Here and here is another layout I made on the beach.

I created this layout for a Scrapbook club that doesn't seem to be able to get going but I wanted it to be simple enough to duplicate. I took this layout from Julia and simplified it a little for the left side of my layout...

I used a piece of Bashful Blue polka Dot DP from Summer Picnic pack from Stampin' UP as the base. I stamped the beach balls from Life's a Breeze randomly in Bashful Blue Ink. I used a strip of Tempting Torqouise on the left. I wheeled Whimsy in Versa Mark on the Torqouise strip then I drew the swerve, cut it out with sissors, then roughed up the edges to hide my cutting errors!! I added a strip of Very Vanilla 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon and  Riding Hood Red/Very Vanilla 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon to tie in the red stripes on Ryan's bathing suit.

The red circle was made using the Scalloped Circle Sizzix Die...

I die cut the letters for "SWIM" using a cuttlebug alphabet set and some Lightweight Coaster. I inked up the edges a little with Torquoise. Then I covered it with Crystal Effects so it's shiney in real life. "I can" was printed on the computer using Very Vanilla CS and punched out using the SU Large Oval Punch. "July" is from Full Calender set and '08 was hand written. I added a button from Button Bouquet tied with some Linen Thread. Additional Buttons and a paperclip from Clip Assortment with more stripped ribbon were added to the layout.

One button was accented to match the layout...

To create this button, I used punched a 1" circle out of Tempting Torquoise that was stamped with the bubbles from Life's a Breeze set. I used Crystal Effects to attach it to a clear circle button. The crystal effects is a great adhesive (among other things) that doesn't show through the clear button. Regular glue left splotches under the button, but the crystal effects spread out and dried totally clear. I pushed the card stock through the holes in the button and added some more Linen Thread. You can see the dots on the DP great in this picture.

I carried the theme to the right side of the layout....

I created the swirl in the middle of the layout and matted each picture with some Very Vanilla CS ripped along all sides. To create the Journalling circle, I used some Scalloped Nestability Dies (they worked well with the Sizzix die, but allowed for more sizes).

To go with the swiming theme, I used Diver Dan from High Hopes...

I embossed him in black onto Very Vanilla CS and watercolored him using SU ink and Twinkling H2Os.

This was really fun to scrapbook! Scrapbooking is one of my favorite things to do, but I always seem too busy to do it! I hope to have more time after the holidays to do more scrapbooking...at least I HOPE to!! LOl

What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Juggles the Puzzle

I created this Pizza Box for the SCS Try a New Technique Challenge this week.

 I used Tempting Torquise card stock for the box and sewed a layer of retired DP. I took the colors from the DP for Juggles which was first embossed in black, then watercolored using SU ink and markers.

It's hard to see in this photo, but I finally got some Stickles and added i to the hat, the ruffles on his shirt, and the flower. It's really sparkly IRL. I like that this stickles allowed the color to come out underneith while adding some sparkle, but it takes a lot longer to dry than SU Dazzling Diamonds (which gives everything a blueish tint). I cut out Juggles and added him to the DP then added a Kiwi Kiss button. I didn't have a black ribbon, so I died a white ribbon black with the only Copic marker I have!! I added some highlights with my White Gel Pen.

To go in the box, I created a little Circus puzzle...

 I stamped High Hopes Show Horse in Black Staz-on ink onto Craft-a-Board (which is basically a huge sheet of Light Weight Coaster), masked him off, then stamped Juggles onto his back. I watercolored the images with SU ink and markers. I watercolored a yellow "glow" around them, then sponged Tempting Torquise around the edges.

Here is a picture of both of them together...

The box measurements on the SCS challenge is a 6"x11" base and makes a box that is 4"x4" with a 1" side. Here are some other puzzles and "pizza boxes" I made before using a smaller box...

Box and Puzzle Tutorial

Assorted puzzles

Luau - More High Hopes stamps, Turtorial on the puzzle as well as info on Craft-a-Board

Luau #2 - SU and High Hopes Stamps

Ice Princess - High Hopes Stamps

On a personal note...NOTHING went right today!! It seemed like I was late for everything, couldn't find anything I needed, AND everything went wrong. So instead of cooking, I decided we were going out to dinner....wrong choice on a "bad day"!! My daughter pushed EVERY button my husband has and now HE is having a bad night!! Ug!!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Yippie...

Today is a much better day than yesterday. I just couldn't get out of my funk from it being my father's birthday yesterday. I am at peace with his death most of the year, but on occassion...I miss my Daddy!! Today, I am in a much better mood AND I have some awesome news (at least for me) that I have been wanting to share...but had to wait!! Now I can announce it...

I have been asked to be a Guest Design Diva for High Hopes Rubber Stamps!!! Yippie....Jump for Joy...do a little dance...huge grin on my face!!! My dream come true (at least one of them...see here...now, if only I could sing and dance, I could work for Disney World, too). I am so honored to be a guest Diva. The High Hopes Design Team is so talented so I can only hope to be a fraction of their greatness!!

This is my first Design Team so I am so excited. And to celebrate, I have two cards to share today; one for the High Hopes Blog Challenge #1 (to create a birthday card and use brads).

Now, if you have been following along with my blog for awhile, you probably know that I sell cards and invitations to help support my addiction...I mean hobby! And because I sell my cards to friends, I try to keep the designs simple so both I AND YOU can reproduce these cards easily. Sometimes I get intimidated by some of the detailed card designs out in blog world. I really hope that you find my blog a place where you go and say..."I can do that". Of course, I also love challenging designs like tilt cards and pop up cards, boxes, and other 3-D projects, too so I like to share those as well.

This is a Thank You card that I made for my friend who ordered these invitations for her son's 4th birthday party.

I fell in love with this color combination that I found on this clown card by Inge (one of the awesome High Hopes Divas...it's the 2nd card on this post) so I cased the color combination for my clown.

This simple design is easy to reproduce... water color, a strip of DP, some black thread (can be faux stitched as well), and a cuttle bug folder (can be substituted with a fun dot background stamp if you don't have a cuttle bug).

But I wanted to "kick it up a knotch" so I can be worthy of the Diva status, so I also created this card...

I changed the size to a 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" black card base. I added a yellow "glow" around the clown, a strip of striped paper (retired SU), a little ribbon loop, some flowers, some rhinestone brads, and cut out cupcakes to replace the balls....I would love the see the next frame in this picture...when he catches the upside down cupcake!! LOL

Anyway, my goal was to show you that these images are so darn cute on their own, that they work great with a simple card or a "kicked up" card...it's all about that cute little clown!!

If you have ANY High Hopes stamps (old or new), pull them out and play along!!!

Oh, and they just announced the Project of the Month on the High Hopes Blog....go check it out! I am waiting for the new releases, so I don't have these stamps to share a card...but I will later!!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Another Gift Set

My sister's birthday is this weekend so I wanted to make her some notecards.

I used mostly Papertrey Ink supplies for this set...Aqua Mist and Dark Chocolate CS, Guide Lines Stamp set, satin ribbon and the brown polka dot designer paper. Other supplies used SU vellum cardstock, 2 cuttlebug folders, and Fiscars Threading Water Border Punch.

Here is a close up of one of the cards. This one uses one of the Cuttlebug embossing folders...

This set was super easy to make. I think it only took me an hour for the complete set!

This post is a quick one...we are going out of town this afternoon (again)! I still have to pack. Have a wonderful and safe Holiday!!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Luau #2: Boy's Puzzle

For the boy's party favors, I didn't think they would want the hula girl on their puzzle. So I ordered a surfboard stamp, but it hasn't come it yet. I decided to use "Ahoy Matey" from SU as an alternative. I am sure there were pirates in the Pacific, right? If not, the boys won't care...most of them love pirates anyway!

Here it is after being cut...

No, I didn't forget to stamp their name this time. I just doin't have time and I didn't leave room on this design. Oh well, they will survive, right?!

I have a few more party favor ideas that I am using for this party, but I just don't have the time to share them right now!! I will have to save those posts for later.

Tip: Don't wait until the last minute to make things when you are in charge of EVERYTHING for a party including decorations, party favors, food, AND taking care to two very impatient kids!!! I CAN'T wait until school starts!! They are driving me bonkers!!

On that note...Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Luau Party Puzzle and "Craft-a-Board" product critique

If you visit my blog often, then you probably have seen my tutorial on making party favor puzzles. With my initial design, I used 3 sheets of Papertrey Stampers Select White CS and glued the layers together. When I was trying to figure out the thickness for the puzzles, I thought "I wish my coasters were larger, they would be perfect".

Well, guess what?...Ellen Hutson LLC has a new product called "Craft-a-Board". What is Craft-a-Board? It is basically a 9"x13" sheet of light weight coasters!!

I compared the Craft-a-Board next to my light weight coasters from All that Scraps, and they are the same thickness, same texture, basically it looks like the coasters are cut from this product. Therefore....the possibilities are ENDLESS!!

Unfortunately, I could not get a good picture of craft a board's thickness next to lightweight coaster thickness...my camera would not focus. It's currently stormy outside so the light is dull inside the house from the rain and my camera could not get focus. However, here is a coaster on top of a piece of Craft-a-Board...

Ellen has some awesome examples of uses for the Craft-a-Board on her blog here and here (PS, the blog candy has expired...she already picked a winner, sorry).

As soon as I saw that the product was available for sale, I purchased 3 packs. I knew I wanted to use them for my puzzles. And here is my first one...

I knew I wanted to create a beach scene using these awesome High Hopes stamps (and a retired SU dolphin). I stamped the Palm Tree, Leilani, and jungle leaf corner directly onto a piece of 5 1/2"x4 1/4" piece of Craft-a-Board using Stazon Black Ink. Then I masked off half of the Dolphin from Silly Sea Life (Retired SU) and stamped him in Stazon. I used a SU Stampin' Write Marker to draw in the lines to create the illusion of a beach and a skyline. Then I water colored the images with an aquapainter and highlighted with markers.

I found watercoloring onto the Craft a Board was similar to watercoloring onto Watercolor paper. The ink and water bleed a little. It created a cool effect. Then I outlined the images with my SU markers.

I sponged Creamy Caramel onto the "beach", "Baha Breeze" onto the "ocean", So Saffron (using a whole punched with my SU scallop circle) for the sun, then Bashful Blue for the sky using a scallop circle to randomly create clouds.

After I was done coloring my scene, I ran it through my cuttlebug using the Puzzle die. Die sponge side up and puzzle face down...

Add a "B" plate on top. And run it through the machine (don't look at my mess in the background!!).

* Tip: My husband found a few tips that make it easier...instead of cranking the handle when trying to cut a puzzle, "pop" the handle...get the handle at the top and quickly pop it down in a fast motion. Once the sandwich starts moving through the machine, you can easily crank the handle...it's just getting it started that is hard.

* 2nd Tip: My husband also found out that it is sometimes easier to prop the cuttlebug against a wall to help push the sandwich through...like this...

And here is the final puzzle...

I will be adding names to the puzzles to personalize them, but...oops...I forgot to stamp this one before I cut it!! I guess this will be Ansley's!

I have a different design for the boys that I haven't finished yet. So I will post those later.

If you decide to use Craft a Board or make a puzzle, please send me a link. Here is a puzzle Kelly made. Wow! Check out all that masking!! Since I have to make 12 of these puzzles, I deliberatly designed the layout so I did not have to mask off (except the dolphin which was simple...I just used a piece of paper and stamped the image half on the paper and half on the board). But, the watercoloring took forever!! It took me at least an hour to watercolor 4 puzzles. Of course, my son and daughter decided they wanted to make one too so I had to stop many times to help them.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

"Button" chipboard Tutorial

I have another tutorial to share with you. I actually made this one at the same time as the Make your own Desiger Paper Tutorial but I wanted to separate the tutorials so (1) it didn't take an hour to read and (2) so you can reference back to each one by name if you needed a second look down the road.

Honestly, I have no idea what to call these!  I used them on these scrapbook pages here and here.

I cut out my letters using Cuttlebug "Red Tag Sale" dies and Lightweight Coasters that I purchased at All That Scraps.

The dies run through the lightweight chipboard easily.

Once all of the letters were cut out, I placed them on my stamping surface so I could stamp them...

I started with Sanded Backgrounder stamped in Chocolate Chip...

Then I stamped them with Polka Dot backgrounder also in Chocolate Chip...

Next I inked up the outside edges of each letter with Chocolate chip...

Now for the secret ingredient... SU Crystal Effects!! Sooooo simple! Just sqeeze it on all over your piece and let it dry for a few hours!!!

This is what it looks like when it's still wet...

Once again, here is what they look like finished! The thicker the layer of Crystal Effects, the thinker they stay, but take longer to dry. This is truely an amazing product!

Here are the other ones I made for the first page. Yes, these are darker. Apparently when I made these (which I made first), I added Close to Cocoa ink directly to the letters before adding the Crystal Effects! I missed that step on the second round, but was too tired to redo everything. So, shhh, don't tell anyone! LOL

Thanks for stopping by!

 ~Lacey

Beach Babes Part 2

Here is the 2nd page to the Beach Babes layout I posted here.

My next post will be a tutorial on making your own designer paper. I took pictures of each step when I made this page. I wish the coloring in the picture was a little better so could see more of the detail in the handmade DP, but I think the pictures in the tutorial are better than this shot.

To go with the "real sand" theme of the first page, I added a little bag of beach sand to this layout...

I created another "button"-like chipboard title. I have a tutorial on how to make those as well which I will post a little later...

I add a journaling piece on this page. I typed it on the computer and printed in onto Vellum CS. Then I cut it out with my Scalloped Rectangle Nestability. Then I inked up the edges with Chocolate Chip...

Here are some close ups of the pictures...

I adjusted the brightness a little on this picture so you could see some the expressions on their face better (and you can see some of the detail of the handmade DP in the backgroung)...

In the picture below, Ansley has blue gum in her mouth (which is why she has a blue smile)...

Since we don't have snow in Florida, Snow Angels are the next best thing!!

And here are both pages together...

I really love how these turned out. Everything on these two pages (except the ribbon) was done using either stamps or die cuts. Speaking of that...did you hear the news? Stampin' Up! will be carrying....I can't tell you (yet)!! Sorry :-( I don't want to be the first to leak it!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Beach Babes

I finally finished a scrapbook layout from our 4th of July trip to Daytona Beach, FL. Here is one of the layouts. I will save the other half of the layout for a tutorial on Monday.

For this layout, I used the same inspiration piece from Ali Miles that I did for 11 Month layout for the Baby Scrapbook here. But I needed to add one more picture, so I added the 4th picture in the upper right corner. The pictures aren't really this dark in real life except the one on the bottom right...it was before 9am when the picture was taken so the picture is almost a silhouette.

The center picture is matted onto a piece of Papertrey Stampers Select White (cut the same size so nothing shows) so that I could make it stronger and pop it up with dimensionals (there was too much going on under it that it would have been bumpy if I glued it down).

I cut out my title using a cuttlebug alphabet die-cut onto Lightweight Coasters that I purchased from All that Scraps. Then I stamped them, inked the edges, and added Crystal Effects. They almost look like buttons!!

I created my own designer paper using 12x12 Kraft cardstock and 12x12 Soft Sky Textured CS that I got in the Hostess scrapbook kits from the last Fall/Winter catalog (yes, I have been holding onto it for months now...I ended up with about 6 kits so I figured I would eventually make something with it). I will make a tutorial for Monday on creating your own designer paper using stamps.

The ribbon is from Michaels. The swirls are Sizzix dies. The stamp is from SU Summer by the Sea.

Oh, I added real sand from the beach!!

I used A LOT of Crystal Effects and dabbed sand on the Effects trying not to get it all over the picture and page (I added this last). I let it mostly dry, then I added a little more to cover some of the shiny areas left from the Effects. In real life, this piece is hard as a rock!! Not one grain of sand will be able to fall off...ever!!!

I added a little to another picture...

In real life, it looks like the sand is actually being scooped up off the page!!

And here is another close up of the detail on the paper...which will be explained in the Tutorial on Monday...

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

~Lacey

Secret Sister Gift

I have a million projects going at one time, but nothing finished..he he! So here is something I finished before my vacation for my Secret Sister. They had a "reveal" party where our Bunco group revealed who had each other. I was out of town but wanted to give my secret sister one last gift who would give away who I was.

I made her a set on Monogrammed cards (she loves Monogrammed ANYTHING)...

The card base is SU Pixie Pink. The white mat is Papertrey Stampers Select White run through a cuttlebug folder. The monogram is Just Rite Stamper cut out with Nestability Scalloped Circles and the ribbon I purchased at Michaels.

I also made her a set of single layer cards...

The card base was Papertrey Stampers Select White. I emboseed a Nesability Scalloped Rectangle first, then stamped the two-step flower from SU Heartfelt Thanks (so glad is is NOT retiring). That's it!! So simple. It honestly took me maybe 20 minutes for a full set.

I made a matching gift bag, but I forgot to take a picture of it before I gave it to her. But it was just a white gift bag that I stamped the flower bud from Hearthfelt Thanks randomly on the bag and added ribbon to the handle.

It was fun being her Secret Sister!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

KaChow, Monkey'ing Around, and more...

Here are a few other puzzle designs I made to go with party themes.

For the first one, my son LOVES Lightning McQueen from the "Cars" movie. Since the movie came out, that's all he cares about. So I found an inexpensive stamp set at Michaels and found out that it embosses pretty well.

Here is a card I made for a friend for his birthday using the mini set.

I embossed the image onto Whisper White CS then colored him in using straight SU markers (no watercoloring... watercolored red looks pink). I also embossed the Print Pattern Backgrounder and the sentiment (which is from Sassy Suzie). I punched holes in the flap and thread SU Gingham ribbon. I used Sticky Strip/Red Line Tape to close the card.

The pull out has a sentiment from Full of Life (SU mini catalog) embossed in black.

 

I used a black circle (1 1/4" circle punch) folded over the side, a SU Jumbo Pewter Brad and more SU ribbon.

For a coordinating puzzle, I ripped a piece of card stock to use as a mask, then inked up the puzzle to make the appearance of dessert cliffs to create a dessert scene (which is from the "Cars" movie for those of you who may not have little ones that force you to see the movie 1,000 times). For the name on the box, I printed it on the computer before cutting out my cs to stamp.

Here is the Monkey Love invitation I posted a week or so ago....

 and this is the coordinating puzzle I came up with...

For the invitations I made my sister here, I revised the card to match a yellow/blue color theme she wanted...

and here is a simple puzzle that would go great...

The posibilities are endless. Basically, whatever you can do on a card, you can do on a puzzle. However, it needs to be a single layer so that the puzzle die can cut through it.

I hope you enjoyed these cute party favor ideas. I already have an order for the monkey ones and I plan to use these for both of my kids' birthdays coming up in September and October.

Stay tuned, I am hoping to post another layout for the baby scrapbook. I am almost finished with it. Which is great since I am giving it to her this weekend.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Ice Princess

I've had this stamp for a while, but never had the change to show it some love! I found it at High Hopes Rubber Stamps and thought that I would eventually take my daughter ice skating and I would need to scrapbook that experience so I bought the stamp. Of course, it would also work well for an Ice Skating Party invitation. I also wanted to show another idea for the puzzle that I posted here.

How cute is she?!! Seriously, I just want to pinch her cheeks!!!

For the card base, I used Gable Green. I wanted to create my own designer paper look so I used a combination of a few stamps. I have fallen in love the the combination of SU Sanded and Polka Dot Background stamps and I can't stop using it!! This time I added in the swirl from Baroque Motifs. All stamped in Gable Green ink onto Gable Green CS. I also inked up the edges of the card base with gable green to frame it out a bit. I love this layout. I just started playing with it and this is what I came up with.

I used a strip of Green Galore CS and roughed up the edges. I added a strip of Pretty in Pink with Threading Water Border and layered that with some awesome Pink Polka Dot Ribbon (Michaels or AC Moore). The pink strip was also stamped with Polka Dot backgrounder, but it doesn't really show that much.

I embossed the Ice Princess in Black and watercolored with ink and highlighted her with markers. I added some Dazzling Diamonds to her hair bow and skirt. I inked up the image layer with pink and matted it with pink with the edges roughed up. I attached the image panel with dimensionals and added a button to fill a blank space.

I used the same layout to creat the puzzle. Since I use 3 layers of the Papertrey Stampers Select White CS to create the puzzle "chipboard" (see tutorial link for details), and since I wanted to have white areas to stamp the image, I use the white cardstock as the base and add color to coordinate with the theme. I could use Gable Green to make the puzzle but it might not be thick enough and then I would have a green ice skater, see what I mean?

Anyway, I used the same background stamps that I did for the card using a piece of cardstock to mask off the area I wanted the skater to go. Then I stamped a few extra swirls on the right side, stamped the image and colored her in. I added the name at the top with SU Best Friends Upper and Lower alphabet sets (man am I going to hate when those retire in August)! I also used a negative mask to sponge on some pink around the image.

The box was created the same way as my previous post. I stamped a pink swirl on the front and added the name. This is actually a stamp. When Ansley was only an infant (and WAAAAYYY before I ever even thought of stamping or scrapbooking), I went to a craft fair in Tampa, FL. Someone had a both with personalized stamps and they actually had "Ansley" even spelled correctly. Please understand that with an uncommon name like "Lacey", I have scoped out many personalized displays of keychains and pencils and they NEVER have Lacey or Ansley. The first time I found my name I was about 25 years old!! It was a see-through plastic ruler...I bought it! I would get so mad is someone borrowed my ruler at work!! They just didn't understand that it took me 25 years to find my name pre-printed on something!! So when I found Ansley's name on a stamp...I bought it!! I just can't believe that I actually put it in a place that I could find it 5 years later when I started stamping. So now, when Ansley makes a card, she can stamp her own name!!

Ok, back to the box....when making these boxes as party favors, I will print the person's name on the computer so that I can know who's name is on the puzzle inside the box.

I have a few more designs that I will continue to post. I hope you like my little Ice Princess!! I can't wait to take Ansley ice skating just so I can use this stamp on a scrapbook page.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Party Puzzle Tutorial

I found the coolest new tool...a Cuttlebug Puzzle die. I saw it months ago on Julie's blog. I didn't "need" it at the time, but I kept an eye out for it in the stores. I came across it a few weeks ago at All That Scraps and wanted it for my daughter's birthday party coming up in September (yes, I think 3 months ahead for birthday parties). It came in last week and I couldn't wait to play with it. Of course, I had some pending card orders and family in time so I could only just play a little. But today I have a tutorial to share with you.

I am using this card for the inspiration for this particular puzzle. Here is the final result so you have an idea of what we are making today...

I tried using a few chipboard pieces, but they were too large for my cuttlebug. Julie used the back of Notepads in her post, but I wanted something that I could make in larger quantities. I plan on using/selling these for party favors.

So, I came up with using a few pieces of heavy cardstock glued together. Papertrey's Stampers Select White is 110 lb cardstock compared to SU 80 lb colored cardstock (I am not sure what the Whisper White is...I am sure I can find it in the manual if you want to know). So, to start, I used 3 pieces of cardstock cut 5 1/2" x 4 1/2" (basic A2 size).

I completely covered the surface of each layer to make sure that it won't fall apart. Once all of the layers were glued together, I stamped and colored my design.

After the design was finished, I ran it through my cuttlebug (don't mind my mess is the background LOL). I used the White A Plate on the bottom, B Plate, Puzzle die facing up, card front face down, then another B Plate on the top. This is a tight fit, so you may need to hand push the dies to get it started.

When your done, you will have a little "frame" that is left over.

To hold the puzzle to give out, I wanted to create a little box. Niki make this cute little box out of transparencies for the Papertrey Blog Hop so I used the box template, but created it out of cardstock instead. I changed it up a little...

I wanted to use half of a regular size cardstock so I could get 2 out of one sheet. So, Niki's dimensions were 4 1/2" (I think), I made mine 4 1/4". I scored 3/4" along all four sides, then made another 3/4" in the center. The two larger sqaures (which will be the top and bottom of the box) should be roughly 2 3/4" each.I also changed up the way it closes. To make it simple, I made the top to flap over instead of tuck in like Niki's. Therefore, I just cut the flaps on the outside.

Before I did that, I quickly decorated my box...

Then I added little strips of Red Line "Sticky Strip" tape to the little flaps and put the box together.

Here is the box put together....

Once again, here is the final result...

I think these would make adorable goodie bag gifts for a Jungle or Diego themed birthday party. I will do another post with some other designs I came up with for these puzzles.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

In the Jungle

I actually stamped today! After meeting up with some friends for the kids to play today, and while my mom and stepdad were getting ready for the wedding they are in town for, I was able to make a card for a little boy's birthday party tonight.

His theme was "Go Diego". Since I don't have any Diego stamps, I figured the next best thing was a jungle theme. So, I pulled out some new High Hopes stamps, paired it with Monkey Love and made a little jungle.

I used Chocolate Chip for the Card Base. I matted that with Creamy Caramel stamped with SU Sanded and Polka Dots Background stamps in caramel ink. I inked up the edges with chocolate chip and roughed it up with my sissors. I added some linen thread with a few knots on the left side.

For the image, I used two new High Hopes Stamps "Elmer Elephant" and "Jungle Leaves Corner" I paired those up with CC Designs Monkey Love. I embossed the leaves and the monkey onto a piece of Whisper White CS. I watercolored them then highlighted them with my SU markers. I created a sky using a scallop punch to create clouds and watercolored the grass. The elephant was embossed on a separate sheet, watercolored, highlighted with markers, then cut out and attached to the card with dimensionals. I roughed up the edges and attached the image to the card base. On the inside, I used two sentiments "Wishing you wonderful adventures" from High Hopes and "Happy Birthday" from SU Sassy Suzie (monday is the last day you can order Sassy Suzie from the SU Mini Catalog).

I really loved how this came out!! And even though these animals are from different companies, they worked well together.

Now, I also have a "sneak peak" at my new tool that I mentioned earlier...

I am hoping to have a tutorial to post on monday...so you will just have to wait until then!!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Fresh Cuts

I mentioned awhile ago that I got the Stampin' Up! preview set called "Fresh Cuts". SU is having a promotion throughout June, if you order the Fresh Cuts stamp set, you get a set of their laser die-cut "Fresh Cuts Notes" for only $5 (that's a savings of $3). For my stamp club last week, we made this VERY simple card using the sets.

The stamp set comes with a gorgous mini-background stamp (measures 3" x 3 1/4") and includes images from "Riot of Petals" and repeating script like in "En Francais", the swirl from Baroque Motifs, a leaf from "Wonderful You", and a circle like in "So Much Fun"...all scaled down to create an awesome collage effect.

For this card, punched out the die cut petals of the flower then stamped the background image in the center using Soft Sky. Since the cards measure 4" x 4", there was a blank space around the edges so I used the flowering vine stamp from the set and stamped it around the card to fill in the spaces. I inked up the edges of the flower and the card using Creamy Caramel. I stamped the sentiment from the set (it also comes with "For You") onto scrap Whisper White CS and punched it out with my Large Oval Punch. I punched out 2 oval punches in Caramel and attached them off center from the white punch to mat the sentiment.

On a 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" piece of Soft Sky CS, I stamped the flowering vine stamp in a circular pattern to ensure that the flowers will show through the die cut flower on the front of the card. Then I attached it to the inside of the card. To finish it off, I added a Caramel button with a piece of Linen Thread tied.

On the inside of the card, I stamped the "star" flower from the set in the bottom right corner. This card took me minutes to make. So simple, but it has an awesome look because the set is so perfect.

For this next card, I took a different approach and made a more formal card using black and white.  I stamped the image in black onto Papertrey's Stampers Select White CS. Using the black, you can really see the detail on the image. In fact, I forgot that it also has one of the images from "Kind Thoughts". I cut out the image, roughed up the edges, then matted it onto Basic Black CS. I ran a piece of White CS through my swiss dots cuttlebug embossing folder, then cut the bottom edge with my Fiscars Threading Water border punch. I roughed up the edges of the embossed CS, then attached it to a Basic Black Card Base. This the 2nd sentiment that comes with the Fresh Cuts Stamp Set which was stamped onto white, then matted onto black using the same technique as the first card. Both the image panel and the sentiment are attached using dimensionals. Again, this card was VERY simple to make, yet it's such a huge impact.

I hope you like these cards using the preview set. The set is available for only $21.95 (plus shipping and handling) and during the month of June, you can purchase the set of "Fresh Cut Notes" for only $5 with the purchase of the stamp set. I think this set HAS to be in your stash!! It is so simple to use...perfect for a quick card. If you live in the US and would like to purchase this set, feel free to send me an email.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Monkey Love Take 2

I needed to make another layout for the Monkey Invitation I made here.

I used mostly the same materies as with the gate card. Chocolate Chip for the card base. Then I used Close to Cocoa inked with Spunky Spots SU Wheel inked with versamark. I roughed up the edges with my sissors. I made the sentiment the same way as the gate card (embossed), but watercolored the monkey instead of using straight markers.

For the Banana strips, I used Barely Banana CS and randomly inked the bananas in So Saffron ink the I roughed up those edges with my sissors. I attached the image with dimensionals.

I printed the sentiment on the bottom on my computer inked and roughed up the edges then cut a "1" using the letter "L" from the Cuttlebug Tag Sale because I didn't like the "1" that came in that set. I had to cut a piece of the "L" off to make it look like a one.

For the inside, I stamped SU Polka Dot background Stamp in So Saffron onto Barely Banana CS and inked up the edges. If this is the design that my friend is going to choose for her son's birthday card, then his picture will be on the left side and I will print the party information on the right side. Once again, I am really happy with how this came out.

On a personal note, I have been very busy with the kids over the past two days. Ansley is in Soccer Camp each morning this week. So Ryan and I have been running some errands and yesterday I got ready for Stamp Club last night, then we are picking Ansley up from Soccer and going to the pool for a few hours. I am soooo pooped (and a little sunburned) and this is only day two this week!! I am also still fighting off a cold. Needless to say, I am sooooo tired!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Elmo Thank You and Beate's Weekend Sketch

I needed to make another layout for an Elmo Thank You card so I thought I would use Beate’s Weekend Sketch this week.

I used Real Red for the card base. I wanted a fun polka-dot pattern so I first ran a 2 ½” strip of Gable Green into my cuttlebug. Then I randomly clear embossed a few dots onto Whisper White CS. The large dots are from “Pick a Petal” and the small dots are from “Save the Date”. First I stamped the dots into versamark, then into the color I wanted, covered that color with clear embossing powder, then moved onto the next color. After my “designer paper” was complete, I heat set the powder.  I inked up the edges with Brilliant Blue, then roughed them up with my sissors.

For the image, I used my Elmo stamp that I found on-line somewhere (Here's another design with Elmo..this design uses "google eyes"). I embossed Elmo in black then watercolored him using SU ink and an Aqua Painter. Then I highlighted everything with coordinating SU Markers. Yes, I smudged the red before it dried!! I hate when I do that! I cut him out using my Nestability Rectangle die, inked up the edges with Green Galore, then matted him onto a Brilliant Blue cut out with my Nestability Scalloped Rectangle die then attached the image using tape on the left side and dimensionals on the part that covers the red. Since I had 2 layers of paper on the left side, I needed to balance out the image.

The sentiment is from retired SU set "All Year Cheer II" punched out with  1 1/4" circle punch, inked up with Green Galore, roughed up the edges with my sissors, and attached with dimensionals.

I love the way the dotted paper came out. Because I embossed the dots, they are shiny and textured in real life. It's a great way to create your own designer paper! And I love the sketch layout. So simple, but a nice look. This card only took me about half an hour (even with embossing).

I have stamp club tonight so I won't be able to work on any more designs today...I've got to pack my stuff up!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Father's Day Sport themed cards

I will get to my Father’s Day card in a moment. But, before I get there, I have to expalin my “ah-ha” moment…

I saw this Cuttlebug Embossing Folder at the stores and, honestly, thought to myself…”that’s ugly…what would I make with that?”

Then I saw this post from Niki Estes and I said to myself…”ok, that kind of looks like a pebble walkway, I guess it’s not too bad”. Then while I was trying to fall asleep one night (I’ve been sick for the past two weeks so I haven’t been sleeping well), I was thinking about some sports-themed Thank You cards I needed to make for a friend. And the thought came to me….that cuttlebug folder looks like a football!!! So I ran out the next day to purchase it and made this simple card…

This is actually the design my friend chose for her thank you cards for a sports-themed boy’s birthday party. Her husband was excited about it…and he’s normally not the type to get excited about a boy’s thank you cards!

 

 

Here is another design I came up with using the same idea. Just a little different. The sentiments on both cards are embossed in black.

 

I also thought it looked like the texture of a basketball…

This card uses “Lively Little Ones” retried SU embossed in black and colored in with SU markers.

 

 

So, when it was time to make my husband’s father’s day card, I saw something different in the embossing folder design….Turn it over and it looks like a GOLF BALL!!

Perfect, because some of my friends got together and we set up a  Tee Time for our husbands for a golf outing. I found this perfect stamp from High Hopes Rubber Stamps "Golf Cart". I embossed the golf cart in black and colored it in using SU ink and markers. I cased the idea for this card from Michele Boyer with Paper Cuts. I loved the way she used the twine to accent the image. The sentiment is from Papertrey's Father Knows Best.

Here is a close up look of the embossed background...

On the inside of the card, I used two more golf stamps from High Hopes "Golf Bag with Clubs" and "Golf Ball on a Tee" which I embossed in clear.

The message is from the SU Mini called “Full of Life” (I hope they introduce this set to the new catalog in August) and the sentiment is from SU retired set All Year Cheer II.

 

To present the Tee Time Gift to my husband, I created a certificate stamped with yet another High Hopes image called "18th Green"...

 

 

I think these would be awesome to make for a Golf-themed birthday party!

 

I hope everyone is enjoying their Father's Day. Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

Beates Inspiration Challenge

I've been wanting to do this for awhile, but never got around to it until now. I got the most gorgeous black and white ribbon in the store and knew it would awesome on an elegant card. Then I saw Beate's Inspiration Challenge this week and knew I had to play along.

I used the same layout that I did for this card except I added dry embossing for added texture.

I used Basic Black for the card base. I embossed the swirl from Baroque Motifs with black embossing powder onto Papertrey Stampers Select White then dry embossed it with my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder. You may have to click on the picture for a larger view to see the dotted background. I used my new Fiscars “Threading Water” border bunch on the bottom of the white layer.

The star is from the new SU preview set called “Fresh Cuts” which is available for sale this month. I will post another card made with the full set later. I embossed the star in black, cut it out with my 1 1/4" circle punch then matted it onto the smallest Scallop Nestability Circle.

I added a strip of that awesome ribbon and two different sentiments.

The Thank You sentiment is from SU “Fresh Cuts” preview set embossed in white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Together Forever sentiment is from SU “Together Forever” set (a great set for wedding invitations or announcements).

These cards would make a great giftset with a card for all occasions or a full set of thank you cards...ooh..that would be perfect for a gift for someone who is getting married!!

I need to pick the kids up from Vacation Bible School and I think we will go to the movies since it’s supposed to rain this afternoon (as it does every afternoon during the summer in Florida).

Thanks for stopping by.

~Lacey

Spiderman Party

***Please Note - I am often contacted from people wanting to purchase these invitations. I no longer have the time to sell handmade invitations, I am sorry. However, feel free to use the information on this post as inspiration for you to create your own invitations**

My girlfriend, who I made these for, asked me if I could make Spiderman Invitations and Thank you Cards for her son who is turning 3. So, I searched the internet and could not find any Spiderman stamp anywhere (except Marvel Comics Postal Stamps...not exactly what I was looking for). So, I went to Splitcoast to see if anyone else had any luck with Spiderman. And, as expected, there were quite a few designs. Some were hand-drawn, but most used stickers and Web Wishes (Retired SU Halloween set). I found some cute stickers from Oriental Trading Company and then went to SCS "For Sale or Trade Forum" in search of Web Wishes. And thanks to Chris Kirkpatrick (aka Flutterbug...see her gallery here), I found a nice used set. Here is what I came up with...

  

For both the invitations and the thank you cards, I went with SU Brilliant Blue and Real Red CS. For the Invitation, I chose one of the stickers that looked like Spidey was spinning a web. So, first I embossed a few webs in white. Then I matted the sticker and poked a hole in his wrists. I poked a hole in the center of the webs in opposite corners then ran a silver elastic string (SU Holiday Mini last year) through the left corner web, into Spidey’s wrist on the left, came out the wrist on the right, then through the right web. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like he is really spinning a web. By the way, the background of the sticker is blurry in real life so I had a horrible time focusing for the picture…it looks awesome in real life though.

 

My friend wanted me to write something cute for the front instead of just “your invited”. The party is going to have a huge water slide, so I wrote…”Splish Splash at Grant’s Spidey Bash”. I printed it from the computer, then matted it, roughed up the edges, then attached it with dimensionals. The number 3 is cut from a Cuttlebug Alpha set called “red tag”.

On the inside of the invitation, she wanted to include a picture of her son. She is in Texas so I will be mailing these to her so she will have to attach the picture when she gets it. I have already attached a mat for  where the picture will go. I also stamped a spiderweb in Real Red in the background (it’s hard to see in the picture).

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I printed the party info on the computer and matted it in Blue. The wording for the party reads…

“Come celebrate as Grant turns three.

There will be Spidey fun and water slides so come party with me!

Spidey food and cake will fill your hungry growl

But don’t forget your bathing suit and towel.”

For this post I have a ficticous address and phone number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Thank you cards, I changed up the color for the card base and mat. I found a cool “pow” type of shape on my Microsoft Word program and printed it on Whisper White CS. I reshaped it a little larger and printed it on Brilliant Blue CS. I embossed the sentiment from “Outlined for Fun” onto the white CS, cut it out, colored it with red SU marker, then matted it onto the blue. I added two eyelets and threaded another elastic cord through to make it a “slide”. The sentiment can move up and down the cord.

 

My friend doesn’t like her handwritting, so she only sends out thank you cards if they are typed. Therefore, I have pre-printed a thank you note for her…

“Thank you for coming, we hope you had fun.

We’re glad you could come and play with everyone.

Your gift was so thoughtful and so sweet; it really is such an awesome treat.

Thanks so much, Spidey-Grant”

To go into the goodie-bags, she asked me to create a cover for Hershey’s full size chocolate bars. I measured a bar and used 5.5” x 5.5” scored at 1.5”, then 1.75”, 4.0”, then 4.25”. This gave me a ¼” side to the covers. I have attached a few strips of red sticky tape on the flaps. Since I am not mailing chocolate to Texas (they would be a gob of melted chocolate goo by the time it got there), she is purchasing the bars and will have to remove the red covering of the stick strip to attach the covers. On the front of the covers, I printed “Grant’s 3^rd Birthday” on the computer and punched them out using my SU Large Oval Punch. I matted those with B.Blue punched out with my SU Keytag Punch and attached using dimensionals.

I am so excited at how these turned out!! They will be in the mail to her tomorrow. I am hoping to post a few other designs that I came up with later in the week.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lacey

 

 

Just Rite Monogram

I found a link to Just Rite Stampers awhile back and had to have one of my own (of course). I haven't had much time to work with it, but it's real easy to use and I love it! Now I have to get some of the accessory kits :-)

Here is a simple monogrammed card I made for a friend using their stamper.

Well, Just Rite Stampers just started a blog and they are giving away 5 Large Monogram Stampers plus all 3 accessory kits! All you have to do is sign up for their newsletter by monday to qualify. Check it out.

~Lacey