Christmas Mini Clipboard

While in the Dollar Store over the weekend I was wandering around, after picking up what I'd gone in for, and happened upon these little 6" x 8" clipboards.  I thought it would make a really cute gift idea...didn't know what exactly but picked it up to give it a try.  Today I took a vacation day to extend the long weekend just to play and craft, and so decided to work on the clipboard.  I pulled out different paper pads, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with it.  Well with Christmas approaching, my mind is on what to do for Christmas gifts.  So...I marched over to my paper stash and grabbed my Christmas paper pads from last year and started leafing through them.  I found this cute paper in my DCWV Winter Wonder paper pad and got started.  I chose the patterned paper with the polar bear because I thought it was cute and appropriate for the person I'm thinking of gifting this to.  I cut it down to size for the front of the board and on the back side I used one of the other silver and white sparkly snowflake papers from the same package cut down to size.  After adhering the paper to the front and back, I took 1/8" wide blue ribbon edge with silver that I picked up last Christmas from Michael's and adhered it all the way around the edge of the board.  When I had picked up the Winter Wonder paper at Jo Ann's, I had also found a package of matching stickers and embellishments to go with the paper.  I pulled some of those from the package and added to the back of the board.  I also added some Jolee's snowflake embellishments with bling and added some additional blue bling I had in my stash. At the top of the board on the clamp, I added two pieces of silver ribbon on each side of clamp.  To finish it up I added a small pad of plain card stock stamped with Christmas words in the lower right corner.  On top of that I tied a small framed Christmas sentiment "May the magic of Christmas be yours this season."  I cut the frame using my Cuttlebug fancy tags die and threaded it with 1/8" white with silver edges ribbon and tied it around the clamp, centering it over the small notes. 

Since I had leftover paper from the front and back of the clipboard, I used the other side of the polar bear paper to create a small matching photo book.  It it is very simple, I had two good corners of the original paper left with snowflakes, so cut those down to a 5 3/4" x 4" front and back cover.  For the inside pages of the book I used some matte silver card stock which I cut down to 5 1/2" x 3 1/2" wide.  I didn't add embellishments to the pages as I didn't want to limit what the recipient could do with the book.  On the outside I added the Let It Snow sticker and a Jolee's snowflake with some bling.  I punched two holes in the left side of the book and used snowflake brads for the holes.  I then added a couple of rings through the brads and covered them with ribbon in blue and silver.  To make the book a little more sturdy, I used my EKSuccess corner punch to punch some corner reinforcements from the silver snowflake paper used on the back of the board.  I then used them on all of the corners, front and back, inside and outside.  Once pictures are added to the book I'm sure it will stand up nicely.

Finally, the finished product with the plain stamped card stock in the middle of the clipboard under the framed sentiment.  All in all, I'm satisfied with the finished product and will probably pick up a few more of these dollar gems to do up some more Christmas gifts.

Until next time, Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

Sizzix

Last Christmas I used some gift cards I received and purchased a Sizzix machine.  I've played with it here and there, but nothing serious until this past weekend.  I've been seeing a lot of cards with embossed layers and find they are beautiful, fun and unique!  I needed a birthday card for my friend so last Sunday my sole purpose was to use my Sizzix and come up with something pretty!  I think I've succeeded!!  This first card is my friends birthday card.  I used one of my Sizzix folders (didn't write the name on it and threw away the packaging!) and chose a pale blue for embossing.  I added a darker blue background as contrast.  I then pulled some ribbon from my stash.  It has wired edges and is actually a series of variegated purple hues, but I think it went quite well with the blue card stock.  I added a lavender butterfly with some bling in the upper right corner using my SU! Butterflies Embossing Sizzlet. On the bottom right I used my Cricut to cut my sentiment piece and background, then inked, stamped, blinged up and mounted my sentiment.  I added a matching sentiment inside on white card stock. 

Next I played with the Allegro Cuttlebug folder.  I love music, if there isn't a movie I'm watching while crafting, the music is on!  This card stock was a kind of rustic red or country red.  I mounted it on a cream card stock.  I liked the look and decided to make it a little elegant with some gold ribbon along the edge.  I cut a sentiment block with my Cricut out of cream and added a pretty sentiment with a butterfly in the corner from one of my stamp sets with a touch of bling on the butterfly and along the bottom of the sentiment.  I inked up the edges with the Tim Holtz Fired Brick ink pad.  I left the inside blank so the sender can write a personalized note.

This card is a birthday card, with the flowery look to it I'm thinking it's a girl's card.  I used the Happy Birthday Cuttlebug folder with a burgundy colored card stock mounted on white.  I add a sentiment square in white card stock in the lower right corner with a small stamped flower and some matching bling. I then added some flowers in the upper left corner with a heart brad in the middle and a little bling on top.  The inside is stamped with Happy Birthday.

Finally, I did a thank you card using the Thanks Cuttlebug folder and burgundy card stock, again on white.   Using the Tim Holtz small rosette die, I added a mini paper rosette on the front with a gold patterned paper from the DCWV Tradewinds paper stack.  I think it punches up the burgundy a little and gives it some dimension.  Inside I stamped "thanks a million and added a schwoopie in the lower right corner with a little bling.  I stamped it with Tim Holtz Fired Brick ink. 

I think I'll be using my Sizzix a lot more in the future!  Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

New Baby Card

I recently attended a baby shower for a friend and former co-worker.  She is expecting her first child, and she knows it is going to be a boy.  I wanted to make the card for the gift but struggled with what/how to make it.  I was flipping through my Cricut books looking for an idea and came across this idea.  It uses the Graphically Speaking Cricut cartridge and actually turned out quite nicely.  Sometimes it's hard to know how to pull some of the different elements together into a nice card, at least I struggle with this.  The idea was in the front of the book, the sample they give in every book and I just went with it.  I had recently purchased some "boy" papers for a project, K&Company's Hopscotch Boy 12 x 12 pad, and pulled one of them for the background paper, a mixture of blues, ivory, and greens. The plain card stock I pulled from my stash, a pretty sky blue, a light olive green and an ivory color. I used an olive ribbon I had on hand as well.  I then followed the directions from the cartridge booklet almost to the letter.  I used my Xyron to add adhesive to the frame and to the baby stroller and the word precious.  Love that Xyron!

The only difference in my design was my selection of the word for the front of the card.  The example showed the jumbled word innocent and I chose the word precious.  It turned out really precious!  I then added an appropriate stamped sentiment inside.  Since it was for a boy, I resisted the urge to add some bling.  Here it is.  It is definitely a card design I would repeat.  In fact I can see some very dainty girl cards in pinks, purples, maybe some yellows!  Until next time!

Imagine, Create, Enjoy.

Scrap Birthday Cards

These scrap cards have been in the works for a little while.  I had seen the banner idea in a card making magazine earlier in the spring.  I wanted to recreate it and here is my attempt.  I've added two small brads at the corners and used sewing thread as the string to hang the Party banner.  I then stamped the birthday wishes on the front of the card and added another birthday wish inside.

The second card started out as another banner card attempt but I changed my mind once I started working with it.  The scraps are leftovers from another project and I used part of the patterned paper with the sentiment in the lower right corner of the card.  I stamped the Happy Birthday on the matching pink cardstock and added some pink pearls underneath it.  Inside I stamped a different birthday wish.

Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

Mini Covered Note Books

I have shared here before a smaller covered note book that I made as a gift for a co-worker as part of a matched set.  Well I picked up a stash of these mini notebooks at the dollar store and in my quest to use up my abundance of paper scraps, I spent some time on these little books this weekend.  These all have themed Christmas papers, leftover scraps from the larger organizer's I made last year before Christmas.  I thought these would be great little gifts.  They are the perfect size to fit in a purse or a pocket and the perfect size to jot notes or make grocery or shopping lists or keep your different lists of your craft supplies in.  I attached the patterned paper to the front and back of the books and added a small tag to the front of each book and labeled it notes.  I secured them to each booklet with a coordinating thin ribbon from my ribbon stash.  I've also added a little bling to each one as well.  I think I'll donate these to my friend at church for her fundraiser for stroke awareness.

Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

Scrap Cards

Since moving again this last June, I have struggled to find time to craft.  Partially due to our son having moved in with us, we have down sized once again, and the main factor: I'm still getting unpacked.  We've unpacked the majority of our stuff...but since downsizing we have a smaller space, about 300 ft. smaller and my son is now living in what is supposed to be my craft room.  This weekend though, I pushed him out of his room and out of the house, set up my craft table, and set to work.

I've been trying to use up scraps and had started a couple of different cards.  This set are general notecards in a Disney themed set.  I used the paper scraps from the patterned Disney papers and matched them up with red, black, and yellow.  I used a side open orientation and a standing orientation on the cards.  I also used a decorative border punch to add a little variety to one of the cards.  I have a Mickey head punch and used that to spruce up the cards and as my signature spot on the back of the cards.  I added white cardstock inside and left them all blank inside so the recipient can use and personalize them as they see fit.

I then made a card holder with bright yellow paper and one of the other Disney patterns mounted on the top.  I added bling on the corner which is a little jeweled Mickey head in red and used some Mickey grommets for the edges of the folder to add ties for the folder.  The folder holds five note cards and five envelopes.  I chose not to label the outside which will allow the recipient to reuse it for anything they want.

Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Well, not exactly a chicken dinner, but I did win some free stuff!!! Love free stuff!  Over on the Everyday Cricut blog site they celebrated their two-year blogaversary last week with product giveaways every day!  All you had to do to participate in the drawings was to post a comment each day; easy enough...but you know, you look at those contests and the number of entries they receive and you figure you probably won't win anything!  At least that's what I figure, you know, like winning the lottery, the more people who enter, the lower your chances of winning.   So, when I opened my email this morning and was reading through today's blog entry, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I had won the drawing for Day 2 last week.  My prize, five, count them five new stamp sets from Creative Time! I can't wait to get my new stamps and use them.  They have such cute stamps, a little retro, but so applicable and up to date!  Thank's to Melanie and Joy and Everyday Cricut!  Love your stuff!