"V" is for Valerie...

ETA: The font is SU! Whimsical Lower---I'm not sure if its available anymore:(


My sister was in need of a gift for a co-worker who is leaving, so I thought about some sort of bucket ensemble I could make up, and this is what transpired! These are some of my favorite colors to work with and I have made this patterned paper on some post-it notes in previous posts. Whenever I don't have just the right sort of paper to use, I just make my own. Since the stamps I used take several rounds(double stamping), it takes me anywhere from an hour to 2 hours for one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet. Time consuming?? YES! But the end result is worth it:) I had some leftover notebooks that I bought at Staples and that was my starting point. The cs is SU! and I stamped the bg with PTI Polka Dot Basics. I then added the patterned paper and matted it on coordinating paper. They were cut out with my nesty rectangle dies. To get "Valerie" straight and close together, I used my stamp-a-ma-jig. I swore I'd never need to buy one of these, but it really helps with alphabets and a few other hard-to-keep straight stamping sets I own.

A cute set of 4x4 cards. Since they are dark cardstock for the base, there is a white liner on the inside for easy writing.
And to top off the ensemble, I added a 2x8 chocolate box!

Boards & Beams Part II...

So what's a better gift besides a card you ask?? CHOCOLATE of course! I still wanted to play with this new set some more, so I decided to try out some of my packaging patterns and go at it. The pillow box pattern(purchased at Target) is traced on the cardstock(kraft SU!), stamped, and then cut out. I always stamp before I cut the pattern so I can keep it nice and straight. The coloring techniques are the exact same as the previous posts, so you can scroll down for those details. I will most likely make some more of these in a Christmas theme to use for gift cards and candies. The bg stamp is PTI's Polka Dot Basics and for the candies I used Holiday Treats. Isn't that little house stamp perfect with this theme?
Another fun and simple addition to any gift basket is a bag o' chocolates. Instead of using the house on another card, I decided to turn her into a tag. The bag is a cello-type bag and I trimmed the top off and tied the tag around with some yummy SU! chocolate satin ribbon. To add a little more dimesion to the bag, I added a little bit of shredded kraft paper to the bottom which also helps cushion the chocolates. I will have many more packaging ideas to share since the Holidays are just around the corner!

Boards and Beams FUN!

YIPPEE!! I have waited a long time for this Boards and Beams set from Papertrey Ink. I went thru many scraps of paper trying to find the right color combos for my little craftsman and "victorian" homes. At first I tried BRIGHT colors like gingerbread houses, but they were a total disaster...like a really bad color swatch...lol For the craftsman style home, I found it much easier to just keep the house white and accent it on the outside with my cool grey copic marker. The cool grey tone really helps the house "pop" when working with a white background:) I don't own too many copic colors(although they are on my wish list!!) so I used a combo of prisma watercolors and gamsol. I also had the chance to try out my new Guide Lines Set for the background on the cardstock. It makes for a very hip and snazzy little card!Card #2: One layers can be a little tricky for me, but with the right color match and cutting out focal points, it really "makes" the card complete. The trees and fence line were cut out for a 3-D effect and then I just added some ribbon and the sentiment on the bottom. Coloring was done with copic markers. Card #3: This was my first time using my new Copic Airbrush System. It does have a learning curve, but with a little practice I think I'm really going to enjoy it! The can of air goes quickly and I'm already thru my first one! I simply masked the house then sprayed my leather copic marker over the top. The airbrush technique adds a soft finished look to the focal point.

Prayer Journal...

This prayer journal was made on request for a very special little girl. A dear friend had asked me to make this for a little girl who's father passed away unexpectedly. I hope it will be a book of uplifting memories and thoughts of her Daddy. I can't imagine what pain her little heart feels, but this is a simple way for her to express her thoughts and feelings. I thought the butterfly paper would be perfect and I already had it out working on the diaper cake at the same time. I love this hot pink and green together...very girly and fun! To cover the spiral holes, you just simply use pliers and "un-hook" the ends of the spiral and twist the whole chain out. Once the front is covered with your paper, you can use a 1/8 inch hole punch to cut for the spiral holes. The "K" is used as my focal point and matted on coordinating cardstock. I used glitter stickles on the "K" for a little extra sparkle. For the sentiment on the bottom right I used my new Papertrey Ink white shimmer cardstock. This paper is not over-the-top with sparkles, just a nice subtle shimmer. I hope she enjoys it!

Sweet Baby Cakes...

So before I get to todays post, I just wanted to share my good news! The Wine Box I made a few weeks ago, took 1st place on Papertrey Ink...you can check out Nichole's post HERE! I was so excited when I saw the post...I had made this for a dear friend...I'd better tell her she has a "hot commodity" on her hands now eh??...lol

Now, on to today's post! I have made several of these diaper cakes for gifts in the past, but wanted to try something new. I had envisioned some free standing butterflies with bright colors and it turned out exactly the way I had planned...this doesn't happen too often for me! Step 1: time to tie all the diapers together! For this cake I used Pampers Swaddlers in size 1...these are the ones to get as they don't have designs to cover up! I would have normally used rubberbands, but since I didn't have any on hand, I found a HUGE roll of some old statin ribbon lying around and there was just enough for the whole project. If you're using ribbon, be sure to get a tight knot to hold the diaper together.
Step 2: Assemble all your layers! The number of diapers on each layer will depend on how large you want to make each layer. I will edit this later with the amount on each layer that I did...I already sent it off and forgot to count:(
Since this cake was sent via the USPS, it had to be easy to assemble on the other end. So, to make assembly easy, I simply found a 1/4 dowel(I used E-6000), added my decorations, and slid it down the middle of the layers. For the top of the cake I used my Creative Memories Oval Cutting Patterns for the matte and the added some chipboard letters("baby") which were clear embossed with 3 layers of UTEE. You can use 2 layers if you like, I just perferred the thickness and shine of 3 layers.
Just to add a little more fun to the cake, I added these clear embossed butterflies. They are attached to 20 gauge wire which was "swirled" with some pliers and then tucked into the diapers. I really like how this one turned out, so I may opt to do more of these vs. the fabric lined I usually make.

Am I making Halloween Cards???...lol

I had to laugh at that comment...I only wish I had enough time in the day to try out some new Halloween stamps...lol I've been MIA on some house projects. Now, I wouldn't normally share these here, but I thought it'd be kinda fun to showcase my interior artwork as well! I'm like a modern day Martha Stewart, just without the jail time and BIG fat paycheck...lol Home Sweet Home...love the colors, but especially love the "penthouse suite" above the garage...lol Its the only room upstairs and a great place to catch an afternoon nap or just relax. Its far enough away from the other rooms so you have complete silence! If you look really close, you can see my little one running in front of the hibiscus bushes. The girls have longed for a yard after living in NYC for the last 3 years...we had an apt. on the 3rd floor there...NOT conducive for kids!
This is the main bathroom downstairs and was painted in the standard white. I knew I wanted to try a chocolate on the wall and since I've never painted before, the bathroom is small enough to make my start. I picked up the shower curtain at Penny's...can you tell its actually CURTAINS?? Ok, I will admit it, I LOVE Pottery Barn but not their prices and this striped curtain was perfect while browsing Penny's(plus the price was in my budget). I had every intention of hemming the bottoms, but after hanging them, I decided I like the height depth and went up higher with the shower rod. There is a lower rod on the inside for the liner.

ACCCKKK!! MORE STRIPES!! I'm not doing the WHOLE house in them...just 2 rooms for now...lol These particular colors were pulled from the Rooster plate above, and these colors will be incorporated in my kitchen. I found the pillows and rooster dish at Kirkland's and brought them with me to the fabric store for swatch's. The fabric samples will later be turned into curtains and a bench seat cushion. One project at a time...Martha's not into sharing her money:(


And last but not least...I was nominated for my first blog awards:) Since I was hit twice, I will just list some of my favorite blogs I love to visit!

1. Regina-she is my SU! Demo and incredibly sweet!
2. Dawn-She's like the digi-scrap queen! She made my blog banner and has the cutest set of twin girls...not that I'm bias or anything!
3. Debbie Olson-incredibly talented! She's got me hooked on soldering now...yes, that means you will soon a new project from me:)
4. Nichole Heady-She is the creator of Papertrey Ink Stamps...I own many of her creations!
5. Michelle-Because she's the one who started this madness! I met Michelle while living in NYC(we were neighbors) and happened to be over at her house one night and began browsing a SU! catty. It was all over then...lol Although we are separated by many miles(both military families) now, we still keep in touch and chat about all the new stamp gadgets out!



Sooo, if you've made it this far down the post, there will be new posts this week so stay tuned:)

"2 for 1" Post...

I really LOVE my new Papertrey Ink-Fresh Fruits Set! Usually when I get a new stamp set, it will sit until I'm feeling "really" inspired, but with Fall just around the corner I can't seem to put this set down! This week was spent painting my main bathroom in "fudgesicle" chocolate...which looks really cool I might add, so I couldn't wait to get back to papercrafting! My 4 yr-old stayed up late with me last night to create these 2 little projects. She likes to run my die cutting machines for me:) I pulled out all my Fall "inspired" colors and stumbled on this cute kids patterned paper by Basic Grey(Mellow). Doesn't it just get you all excited for the leaves to change colors? I decided to pair this paper with the "thankful" sentiment and twisted it just enough to where it fit inside of my cirlce. It was a bit of a stretch, but it worked well! After putting the circle together I realized the center "for" would have probably looked better with a no. "4" instead...my luck I didn't have any small no. stamps. To finish off the card I added some yummy sage ribbon from May Arts. I love the texture on this ribbon!
I made this bag up to store until I need it for some goodies this Fall. Lord knows I have more than enough alterables, so I'm just going to make most of them up and use them as needed. These kraft bags are perefect for cookies, chex mix, etc. The inside liner is coated with plastic so you don't have to worry about cookie grease leaking thru. I stamped the bg with my PTI polka dot basics in coffee bean(Dew Drop). All the ovals are cut with my Wizard Machine and the ribbon label is also from Spellbinder's. I wasn't too crazy about this color combo after I put it together...so...I slept on it, and this morning I LOVE IT! It's a little hard to tell in the photo, but there is a slight hint of turquoise in the wheat stalks which really pops with the turquiose matting.

Wine Anyone?

I couldn't wait to get this "First Fruits" set by Papertrey Ink. As a matter of fact, this box was pretty much done, it was just sitting until I got the stamp set! I was holding out for the pineapple, which reminds me of "southern" hospitality. I put this gift together for my gf's birthday this past Saturday. I tried to make it a combo gift as well...her hubby is returning from Iraq and they both could use a little R&R. The wine box started out as bare wood and was purchased from a neat little store(Pearl River Mart), which is in the SOHO district of NYC. If your ever there, you will have to stop by! I covered it in some of my favorite patterned paper by Paper Flair and K&CO. To adhere the paper I used a thin coat of modpodge and let it dry overnight. Its important to do this as it ensures there will be no air bubbles when it comes time for sanding the edges. I used my scallop punch for the pineapple accents, which fit perfectly in the punch! And for you Marine spouses, don't those accents remind you of Marine Chevrons(the rank structure on their uniforms)? That's all I saw when I kept stamping them...lol The green paper I used is actually a sticker sheet from Creative Memories and I used my oval cutters for matting. The sentiment is cut out with my cuttlebig tag die and then I added a couple of Making Memories Antique brads. The best part about this wine box is that it can be recycled and my gf can pass it on for another gift...OR...she can keep to herself:) You can click on the images for larger view.

Simple Monograms...

I just wanted to post this at the top real quick:

Rosalia: I recevied an email from you for the tutorial on the diaper cake but the address you sent the email from has a spam blocker on it. If you'd stil like the directions, please send me an email: madscrapper24@yahoo.com with an alternate address

CCORBITT: I still have your mingmei munchies waiting...please re-send your address and they will be in the mail on Monday. I lost several emails in transit so your package is waiting on my desk:)


This is the last set of cards I created for a friend's thank-you gift basket. I have used this sketch many times and love it for its simplicity. The sketch is a "postage stamp" idea from Michelle Wooderson. I just started with a simple white cs and used my PTI Polka Dot basics for the background. The patterned paper is from Me and My Big Ideas(I use this ALOT!) and the pink cs is from Stampin' Up! On the bottom half I used my ticket corner punch and added some rhinestones and tied on a simple black satin half bow. The monogram is from Papertrey Ink and is matted with the scallop flower punch.
It's the little things that count when it comes to packaging up gift baskets. Yes, I do make alot of cards, but honestly I don't send out many on my own part. I love to create, share, and giveaway! This gift basket is loaded with many of my favorite creations and I had the perfect little thank-you to attach to the outside. I keep these 3x3 cards on hand and if they look familiar in pattern, its because there were made from left-overs of THIS project! Just goes to show that you can always make something from scraps...no need to waste!

Tooth Fairy Box...

Sooo, moving into a new house is really exciting and overwhelming at the same time. As you can see from the lack of posts, where my attention has been diverted! It is my intention to keep up with this blog on a regular basis...I'm shooting for 3 posts a week as I used to, but you see I'm not keeping my end of the bargain...lol I will do my best:) The major stuff has been purchased for the house, so we're officially in a "cooling-off" period! Next payday is the new fence(hopefully!). In the meantime, I've got a great little project to share! I found these neat little circular boxes before I left NY. They look heavy, but are pretty lite in person. I immediately thought they'd make great Tooth Fairy Boxes! This is the first one I played with and I'm sure many more to come...at least 2 more for my girls! It was also my first chance to play with some new stamps(Girly Girl by Paper Salon) from a dear friend. I always assume I'm going to paint the unfinished wood, but I really like how this turned out with the natural look. The paper is from Making Memories and I used my Creative Memories Circle Cutter to get a perfect fit on the lid. The ribbon is just some scraps I had. The monogram is from my Papertrey Ink Monogram set and then I made some matching stationary to go along with it. Its a nice, simple gift for any little princess!

For a new friend...

Since moving into the new neighborhood, I have met many nice neighbors and its a wonderful melting pot! I decided to make a few gifts for them and since I was feeling the need to alter something, I decided on this chunky notebook. The notebook is the Five Star brand, and is thick, yet small enough to tuck in your purse. I also made some coordinating notecards to go with this set. The Cosmobella fit perfectly for Tonya, she is just a sassy little thing! I was going to put some sort of funny sentiment in the circle, but seeing as how I don't know her all that well yet, the monogram was probably a better choice. The patterned paper is from Crate Paper and I used both sides...the bottom half of the notebook is just the flip side of the patterned page. I used my PTI stamps to do the lines in Tea Leaves(Dew Drops) and then used my Black Spica Pen to draw the lines and dots...it really helped the green lines pop! The ribbon is from my scrap box and I adhered a couple of Making Memories brads to hold it in place. Now I just need to get this wrapped up and sent over!

Diaper Cakes and Cupcakes...

So a few friends and I decided to throw our girlfriend a baby shower before leaving NY. Since we are all military spouses, we needed something fast and efficient because we were all getting ready to PCS. I knew I couldn't leave town without throwing my dear friend, Brooke, a sweet and delicious shower. The girls and I decided to keep it a secret, only letting her hubby know the date and drop off time. So we picked Little Cupcake in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn as the spot. If your ever in the area, you'll have to stop by! Not only are the cupcakes piled high with buttercream frosting, but the cheesecakes are superb!

I wanted something else to go with the gift cards I had purchased, so a diaper cake was in order! Now, you can make these diaper cakes several different ways, I just prefer to cover mine with fabric. This also helps when you have the diapers with with printed designs and you don't want them to show. We didn't know the sex of the baby, so I decided not to go too froo-froo and chose the colors more for Brooke than baby. The fabric is from one of my favorite designers, Micheal Miller, in a dark sage and chocolate. I form the diaper stacks first and then wrap the fabric on tight. When you get to the connecting ends, just adhere a strong double stick tape and overlap the ends. I usually take a large flower(with stem) down the center, but this time decided, for transport, it'd just be easier to keep the layers separate.I absolutely love how well the center flower turned out. I originally started with some big chipboard letters that spelled out BABY, but they just weren't working for me, so I opted for the ribbon. The ribbon is offray sage and SU! Choco. Chip. The two colors combos look very rich together! To adhere the ribbon, I cut several 12 inch strips(of both colors) of ribbon, stacked them together and then brought them to the center. Once I had all the ribbon ends in the center, I took a pin needle and stuck it down into a paper stump. The paper stumpe worked well, just cut off one end point and push it down into the center of your top cake layer. The flower is Prima and the antique brad is from Making Memories.Now your all ready to go! I just slipped the gift cards(target baby and a spa gift card) in the bottom and was on my way. If your interested in directions, I have a tutorial available! Just send me a quick email: madscrapper24@yahoo.com with "diaper cake tutorial" in the subject line!