Custom Baby Frame....

Yeah! The sun is out, REALLY out today! A good day to dig out the ol' Christmas decorations and get to work. I usually start the day after Halloween ( a bit EARLY, I know!), but I like to enjoy my decorations more than just a "few" weeks. My favorite decorations are those the girls create...even the scribble scrabbled ones!

On to this pretty frame! A cute 4x6 frame for Baby Karisa. Only requests were that it be purple and not too girlie! I could have gone over the top with some sort of princess theme, but kept with a simple design. I started by painting the entire frame white. I cut 1 inch strips in purple and stamped with polka dots in a shimmer dew drop purple.
Stacked a few Prima flowers together and tied them with a Foo-fa-la creme button.
The leaves are punched with Martha Stewart-Frond punch and stamped with the "twinkle, twinkle" star from PTI's-Star Prints (I've been using this set A LOT!).
Letters cut out with my Cricut Cartridge. I added a little Star Dust Stickles on the outside sage green layer. This really helped POP the purple-on-purple theme.

More Pocket Notebooks...

I have a stack of 4x6 notepads on my desk that are begging to be altered (or at least this is my intetion so I don't toss them in a bin and forget about them for months)! I pulled them out last week and I've tried to do a few here and there. Having plenty of new patterened paper on hand always inspires me to create MORE! The only reason I bought this doodlebug paper last week was because I KNEW my ice cream stamp would be a perfect match. After coloring and matting my ice cream cup, I added a tad of crystal effects to the cherry on top to give it a little 3-D effect. When my oldest saw this sweet treat she said it looked good enough to "eat right off the page"! All the rectangles are cut out with my nesty dies. The sentiment "grocery list" is from my new Take Note set from PTI. To shade in the sentiment I dabbed Dew Drop-Aloe Vera ink around the edges.
My dearest friend Donna came by last week and I've sucked her into stamping as well! She loves MFT just as much as I do and had some sets I didn't own, so I stamped up a few and turned them into some sassy, coffee notebooks! I'm not a coffee/caffeine drinker, but I love the way fresh ground coffee beans smell...it's my favorite isle at the grocery store! These notebooks have a fairly simple layout so I just wanted to add a little extra flair by sewing around the borders. On the top notebook, I used the sentitment that came with the Coffee?Tea? set...the bottom sentiment is from Essential Sentiments. There is also a slight "glimmer" on the rims of the coffee cups...more crystal effects so it appears to be a fresh cup of coffee!

Sweet Ballerina Tags...

I needed to make it easier on my girls to find "their" bags at dance class...didn't realize everyone at the school would have the same design! EEEEK! Anyhow, it's also a chance for my youngest to see her name in print. We've been working with her on a speech delay and recognizing letters and this is just another way for her to practice with her name. I think she is doing just fine as she now recognizes "Addison" but keeps asking why we call her "Addie" for short! The cute ballerina and sentiment stamps are from Lizzie Anne Designs. Since I was limited on space, I opted to cut out the ballerina and trimmed her with my copic (C1 cool gray) so she really "pops" on the white, swiss dot bg. It's hard to tell from the photo, but I also used 3-D foam tape to make it look like a diorama! The dancing floor is elevated just enough so when you look at the tag, it looks as though she's really dancing!
A little bit of glitter and rhinestones for her hair!My eager beavers! Addison takes over the "lunch" duty on the weekends! Funny girl.

Magical Tooth Fairy Box...

...because it's for someone very special to me...my Gracie bug! I have made several tooth fairy boxes in the past, this time around it's for my oldest Daughter! When she first told me her tooth was loose all I could think was, "oh man, ALREADY?" Every developmental stage seems to be creeping up on me and they seem to be coming much faster than I'd like them to:( While we were on vacation in GA, Grace lost her tooth and I started to panic about not being prepared and having a box ready for her. I explained to her that since we were on vacation that she'd have to wait until we got home because the tooth fairy wouldn't know she was on vacation...this totally bought me some time to whip up a special box for her...ha! The previous boxes I've made were from circular wood boxes and since I didn't have anymore, I decided to use a gift card tin. The fairy is a sticker that I laid down on some Pixie Pink CS and trimmed close, leaving a small border so it would pop on the YoYo Yellow CS. I cut all my CS to size and sewed on the yellow cs. To create the wording I used my Karen Foster Snap Stamps. I also took a long strip of adhesive rhinestones and traced around my circle with them for a little extra sparkle!I love this slick container...made it much easier to slip in and out of her pillow! Gracie was beyond excited when she woke up the next morning:)

Monkey See, Monkey Do, How Bout' a Birthday for You...

Well, I didn't get the chance to play around with those new stamps just yet! I've been on a "banner-making" kick lately and I have one to share here today. I also have a retirement banner in the works, so you'll have to stay tuned for that one! They are such a fun and nice way to display some color splash and can be easily stored...until next time! I put this ensemble together for a friend who requested a monkey theme for her little girls first birthday. I had the hardest time finding a cute girlie monkey, so I came up with this brilliant idea to buy a packet of stickers (there was only 1 image of this cute monkey in there!!) and photo copy the image on PTI white card stock. I was able to get 6 monkey images on a full sheet of cs...you don't want any more than 6 on a full sheet because you need to allow room for you nesty dies to cut them out. Once I got the monkey image center cut, I stamped my pink scallop (PTI-Faux Ribbon) and used my Karen Foster snap stamps for "Kathryn". I stamped each letter individually vs. having them attached, otherwise they would not have fit! I cut several more SU! coordinating cs colors and on the pink cs I used a SU! Polka Dot bg stamp. There is also a little added touch of yellow to the monkey's flower with an adhesive rhinestone. I printed all the party info. on a nesty cut circle and adhered it to the back. The banner is probably my favorite to date! I love to make these! The colors on this particular banner are so fun and vibrant! My gf asked if I could use Kathryn's middle name as well. I wasn't able to fit it on the invites so I incorporated it with the beginning and end pieces of the banner. I cut out all the rectangles with my nesty dies. I was really sporadic with my PTI-Polka Dot Basics set here. I used an open polka dot first, then went back and filled in sporadically with my solid polka dots. To connect all the rectangles I used a regular paper hole punch and strung thru some May Arts ribbon (I buy May Arts ribbon by the spool from Jody!) and then I went back and added coordinating ribbons in between the rectangles.

Vintage Barbie & Harley Combo...

Awww, the joys of summer...HUMIDITY! You would think that living rather close to the coast, the humidity would be mild, but it has been a killer weekend! I'm a "outdoorsy" girl when it comes to gardening and mowing the lawn, but it's not a whole lot of fun when your soaked before you even turn the key to the lawnmower...lol This weeks forecast is pretty much the same so I guess I will be staying inside and playing with some new stamp sets!

Anyhoo, on to the FUN stuff! I've had this vintage Barbie paper sitting in my stash and a dear friend just happened to be looking for something for her Mom in this pattern! The Barbie's are printed in silhouettes on a 12x12 sheet and I just chose 3 that would fit the size of this notebook. After I cut out the Barbie's I decided they just didn't have the "pop" in color that I was looking for. I sewed on the first layer of cs then matted all of them in SU! Ballet Blue cs. The SU! Pixie Pink cs is stamped with my PTI-Polka Dot Basics (I think I use this set on just about everything!). The write ribbon is simple offray from Wal-Mart and I wrapped it under the cover and added the bows with E6000. I don't know if you can see from the photo, but I also added a few pink rhinestones on the hats and the hair of the middle Barbie. What better combo to go with Barbie's than Harley's? A simple 4x6 photo album customized just for Mom! I replaced the inside cover with the Harley colors. Luckily with this type of album, you have 2 separate pockets for the cover vs. having to fiddle with one large cover which can buckle when you try to fiddle with it! First, I cut the coordinating card stocks and stamped PTI-Sympathy (vines) in black. And of course, then I ran it thru my sewing machine before adding the name (SU! alpha set) and adding some extra matte colors. Lastly, I added the 3-D Harley images and she was complete! This the perfect size album to stash in your purse or bike luggage!

Busy start to the week and a baby surprise...

So what else do you do on a Monday AND it also happens to be your birthday??!!! Welllll, you spend it at the DMV of course...LOL! I would have loved to spend my birthday any other way, but since my license expired THAT DAY, it had to be taken care of! Plus, it's the only DMV I've been to where your 2 yr. old can sit on your lap while taking the written test...she was soo good for being there almost 4 hours! Needless to say, I did pass (barely!) and I officially carry a NC license now:) I've also been trying clean up my messy craft room, but then the urge passes and I'm back to square one!

Anyhoo, on with the fun "baby surprise" I made for my sister's baby-on-the-way! And you thought I was going to say "we" had a baby surprise right?? I love making baby stuff for friends and family. I was trying to think of a neat way to keep all the baby essentials organized, yet easy to see and readily available. All four jars here were only 8 bucks at Wal-Mart. These jars come in 3 different sizes and I used the medium size.To get started I wanted some material that would match the crib bedding. I ironed the material with a little starch to stiffen it up before running thru my wizard machine. After I cut the material out, I cut another circle the same size and mod-podged it on to the cs for strength. The letters are cut with my Cricut and the added flower embellishments are from my cuttlebug and foo-fa-la buttons. The wide polka-dot ribbon is some inexpensive stuff I picked up at Wal-Mart.The medium sized jars fit all the miniatures perfectly! In another jar I also put mylicon drops, baby tylenol, teething gel etc. You could make so many wonderful gifts with jars...think about the holidays...maybe a hot chocolate set for the kids, or cookie mix for teachers? Just a quick snapshot of sis' baby bedding. Our family friend, Sharon, made this bright ensemble. I think baby Kate is going to be very excited with all the bright colors:)

Pretty Princess Birthday...

...because EVERY little girl is a princess! This project was a true labor of love because it was done for my dear friend back home in Oklahoma. Her little girl, Macy, was turning 3 and having a princess party...complete with a visit from Cinderella and tea cup goodies. My gf and I decided on what colors we should use and if you recognize the colors, you know these are based off of the Disney Princesses (Belle, Cinderella, & Sleeping Beauty!). I printed off the invites and left room on the margin to stamp my SU! Pretty Princess. I filled in her dress-up outfit with my copic makers.Fun little banner I came up with. This banner was fairly long and the only place I could get the proper wall space for a photo was in my bathroom...horrible lighting, but it worked...lol Below is detail shot of each banner panel. I randomnly stamped the princess on each 6 inch piece and then matted them in coordinating colors. This is also a great project to use up those ribbon scraps. When I was putting this together I just dumped out my ribbon scraps and went to town. How the banner was displayed at Macy's party. I especially love the extra detail my gf added with the tulle as well as the BIG puffy flowers on the ends. Here I was trying to size up the pieces...this is a very large banner, although it looks deceiving in the photos! I wanted to make sure the letters weren't going to cover up too much of the princess image. The letters were cut out with my cricut.Cupcakes sticks! Cupcake stick just for the princess!Centerpiece--I attached a dowel on the back and it was displayed in a glass bottle with marbles for support.Thank you notes!Goody bags! Say what do you say?? Ready for a party??!!

Hello Kitty Fun...

Michelle said...
SOO CUTE!!! You (almost) make me want to have a baby so you can make me some..heehee.. WHat font are you using in those invites???

Haha, you funny Mish...you may want to talk to Sam about the baby issue, and don't tell him I gave you any ideas!!!! The fonts I used on the invites (previous post) are just the generic ones on Microsoft Word. They are a combination between Comic Sans MS and Script MT Bold. I have tried over and over again to upload some new fonts online, but I have no clue where they save to, and it gets old asking hubby to find them for me...lol



Joan B said...
These are gorgeous!!!! BTW, I hate to say this but the Gina K paper is even better for Copics!!!

Thanks Joan, I haven't tried her paper before! I really do like my Papertrey only because I don't want to buy yet another brand...I already use 3 whites in different brands...it's kind of like buying 3 different brands of ink...which I also do...but then again, there is different paper and ink for different projects right?


My oldest Daughter had a few birthdays come up for her friends and I really wanted to stay away from buying toys. Anyone who is a parent knows the "losing battle" when it comes to keeping rooms clean and tidy...hard to do when there are thousands of toys, especially those with itty bitty pieces. When it comes to making something for little girls, I only had to reach for my Hello Kitty paper. I remember when I was younger I LOOOVED her and also loved the Sanrio Shop at the Pearl Ridge Mall in Hawaii. During 6th grade recess all my girlfriends and I would trade erasers from our cute little locked boxes! It brought back a lot of memories when I picked up these 12 x 12 Hello Kitty Sheets at Archiver's in GA. I will definitely have to pick up more on my trip there in May!
I had originally made up this purse to coincide with the large notebook, but actually put it together with the smaller monogrammed "A" notebook below. The larger notebook is going to be used in an auction with Relay for Life this coming Weekend. I punched the kitties out with my CM circle punch and then matted them with coordinating colors. To add a little flair to my paper purse, I added a Heidi Swapp Ghost Flower (I didn't want to cover my image so the clear flower allows you to see the Kitty without blocking!) and some Prima's.
A is for Alyssa! I used a mini-composition notebook here and covered it with a hot pink and black color combo. The scalloped neon green is done with my SU! scallop punch and added some pink rhinestones on the spine.

A simple little chocolate box! I didn't get the pics snapped of the inside, but it held 6 chocolates that spelled out Alyssa! She just turned 6 and was super excited about this gift! M is for Mia! This is the perfect size notebook for travel. I kept it simple because she will in fact be traveling back to KY with her parents as they are doing yet another military move! Mia will have plenty of time to doodle and pass them time in her new "M" notebook. I used my new MFT Bling Bet and filled in the spots on the "M" with some pink rhinestones. I also added a few extra rhinestones on the middle of the flowers. Be careful when you pull these stamps off the backing. The "a" and the "f" on my set were actually fused together so when I went to pull of the "a" it split down the middle:(

Well gals, that's it for now! I've been super busy volunteering with Relay for Life...explains the lack in posting...and it finally kicks off this Friday and Saturday!!! If I don't manage to squeeze in another post for this week, I will certainly be back to regular posting starting next week! I do have lots of things to share, just need my "go-go-gadget" arms, or a clone...something! I hope you have a wonderful week!

Pretty Princess...

Ahh yes, this would be for my gf's little princess, who is turning 2! I knew this would be the perfect set to add the finishing touch! Bag supplies include: kraft bag, Pretty Princess stamp set(for bag and tissue paper), glitter glue, ink colors: Bravo Burgundy, Positively Pink, and Cool Carribbean. Supplies for the card: PP(not sure of vendor name), Pretty Princess stamp set, Black stazon, watercoloring pencils, CM cardstock for the purple frame, CM circle cutter, SU! Slit Punch, hole punch(to slide ribbon thru), Prima flowers(fresh from the Prima share by Texasjodylynn), and rhinestone bling!

Another recycled Jelly Jar! This one reminds me of an old-fashioned candy shop. I cut the CS, modpodged the underside of paper to stick to the jar, cut chipboard with the cuttlebug and put "sweet stuff" stamped on CS over the "bugged" chipboard. Instead of painting the lid this time, I opted to cover it and add the ribbon around the rim for a finishing touch! For the chocolate nuggets I used Avery 8160 address labels and stamped. It was much easier to do this way than having to cut and glue all the wrappers back on:) Looks YUMMY right??!!