My son needs your votes

HELP!! If you voted for my son, we need you to go back and revote. The site went down and he lost a lot of votes.

I am shamelessly asking for your help. My son has entered a contest and could sure use your votes. Please go here and vote for him:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/57ef180032dc44f9b33e/The%20Paper%20Pirate

You vote by clicking the thumbs up button on the bottom left.
Thank you!

National Bicycle Month

Did you know May is National Bike Month? I didn't until I read it on the internet somewhere. I realize May is almost over, but I decided bikes would be my theme for my post today.

All of my cards I'm sharing with you today use OCL's Out for a Spin stamp set.

I used patterned paper scraps I had laying around for each of the cards. Most of the scraps are from My Mind's Eye except for the first card.

I don't have a bike, but we have been having beautiful bike riding weather.

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope it is a lovely bike riding kind of day!

CC Strawberry Box

Did you enjoy last week's Cutting Cafe Beehive challenge? The DT totally rocked with their projects. This week we have another awesome challenge and it involves strawberries from Regina's Strawberry Sets. I created this fun box using her Strawberry Treat Box. These are so easy to make and so much fun. I even have a second one in the making to share later.

I made mine chocolate covered and added a paper doily like you would drape a doily over a basket. I added some sewing pattern tissue to the inside of the box for a fun look. I don't have anything in the box, but I want to see if I can find a mini jar of strawberry preserves and an antique little knife to spread it on bread with. Maybe even add a couple mini strawberry chocolate chip scones, some Hershey Kisses, who knows.

I had to photo it in front of our strawberry patch too. Only seemed fitting. Can't wait for our strawberries to ripen.

Be sure to stop by the Cutting Cafe blog later tomorrow afternoon or early evening to see the rest of the DT's strawberry projects. They are sure to inspire you!

on a personal note:

If you haven't had a chance to vote for my son's video here is the link

http://www.schooltube.com/video/57ef180032dc44f9b33e/The%20Paper%20Pirate

thank you so much!

Tombow Correction Tape Challenge

This week we have unique challenge...create a project using Tombow's Correction Tape. The DT will be showing you "out of the box" ways to use correction tape. It is also our ABC week, so we had a double challenge...correction tape + no cards.

This was probably the toughest challenge I've had to do, but did come up with a unique way to use it. I have lots of extra goodies left over from our blog hop with Canvas Corp last week and decided to play with some tags they sent.

I just applied the tape in a chevron design using two different widths of correction tape; MONO Correction Tape Pen-Style, Fine Line and NEW MONO Grip Correction Tape, Top Action.

I sprayed the red tag with some glimmer mist and added a silk flower, while leaving the other with a natural look.

I added an eyelet to both and tied on ribbon. I think these would be fun to add your information on the back and use as luggage tags.

I hope this gave you another idea of what you can do with Tombow's correction tapes.

Happy Memorial Day!

Take time to remember those who are fighting for our country and for those who have given their lives doing so. Thank you to each and every one of you who are in the service!

CSAYL Tags

Creating a tag is this week's challenge on CSAYL.  I used Inky Antics' Merry Mochaccino Clear Set for my tag. I colored it up with markers and inked the edges.

Come and play along with us on CSAYL for a chance to win some 6 x 6 papers.

Action Wobbles Blog Hop

Welcome to Inky’s “Action Wobbles” Blog Hop! We have a FUN blog hop for you this month! If you’ve come from Crystal’s blog you are in the right spot. If not, be sure to start at the Inky Antic's blog.

My card today is doing double duty. Not only is it for the Inky Antic's blog hop, but also for Cutting Cafe's weekly challenge. I had already told Jackie that I wanted to use Bee Benton Bear (11082MC by designer ). So when Regina had the Cutting Cafe design projects with her Beehive Shaped Card set, it was a perfect match.

I added some glitter to the bees wings and sponged all the hive pieces then added lots of doodling.
Here is a little video showing how the bear is shaking off the bees so he can get to the honey. Ü (hope this works as I've not done this before)

I used an Action Wobbles spring behind the bear (it was too large, so I did have to trim it down) to create this project. You can find on the stamp set and wobbles on this page: http://www.inkyantics.com/may2012hop.htm.
The Inky Antic's blog hop starts today and ends on Sunday, May 27^th at midnight Central time. Please visit each DT members’ blog to view their projects and leave a comment for each designer. The more you comment, the better your chances are to win. (Limit one comment per blog, please). THREE people’s names will be drawn at random to receive a pack of Action Wobbles and an Inky clear stamp set. The winners’ names will be announced on the Inky Antics (insert link) blog next Monday, so remember to stop back and see if you’ve won.

Your next stop will be Keri’s blog. Thank you for hopping along with us.
Don't forget to stop by the Cutting Cafe blog later today to see what the other DT came up with using the Beehive set.

Home Sweet Home Canvas

We are partnering with Canvas Corp this week and the Design Team received a wonderful package filled with goodies to play with! Be sure to stop by their blog and see all the wonderful projects their Design Team has been creating.

I have been oohing an aahing mixed media canvases on Pinterest, esp those inspired by Christy Tomlinson. One of the items I received was a 4″ x 4″ canvas and knew I wanted to try my hand at mixed media art. I loved how this turned out so much that I went out and bought another one at Hobby Lobby! Ü

I looked all over the internet for ideas and tips on how to do it and found you can pretty much do what you want. I need some small space ideas as I was working with a 4″ x 4″ area and found this one on Pinterest that inspired me. I headed up to my craft studio and started cutting papers.

I started out just painting the canvas to give some background color. I also painted on a doily for texture, but it doesn’t show up that well in the final project.

 

I just cut all the pieces to go on my canvas by hand. I didn’t measure anything or use a paper cutter. I inked all the edges of my pieces and with a permanent black pen, drew doodles everywhere.

I painted Mono Multi Liquid Glue where I wanted the pieces to go and pressed them into the glue. (The “home sweet home” is done with typing the words, drawing a box around them and cutting them out.) After the glue was dried, I found some rub-ons I had in my stash and added them to the canvas. Then I painted another thin layer of of the glue over the top to seal it.
I hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to go and try your hand at mixed media.

CSAYL & Limited Runs



The sponsor for this week's challenge on Christmas Stamping All Year Long is Limited Runs Digital Stamps. This week I chose their image called Catching a Snowflake. Isn't this just darling?

Instead of a card this week, I altered a mini notebook. This would be perfect to write in ideas for Christmas gifts, decorating, cooking, etc. A great way to stay organized throughout the year and not doing everything last minute.

Be sure to stop by the CSAYL for inspiration. Play along with us for a chance to win some goodies. Details are on the CSAYL blog.

CC Beautiful Rose

The Cutting Cafe Design Team is sharing projects they made using the Beautiful Rose  Printable Stamp Set. This BEAUTIFUL ROSE set features 36 images and one vase shaped card. The vase shaped card comes in the following format: SVG, PDF and WPC.

I love the postage stamp image and chose to paper piece it. I made it a bit larger (3" x 3 3/8") and printed it out on My Mind's Eye patterned papers. I think this would also make a great Christmas Rose card.

I used markers to add some shadowing to the image. Be sure to stop by the Cutting Cafe blog later today to see the lovely projects the rest of the Design Team created using this lovely digital stamp set.

With graduation fast approaching (it was May 12 for us and most schools around us), I was needing some girly gifts. I decided to make some address books for the recipients to keep track of their friends and family. I realize that nowadays we have internet, but I’m sure they will have thank you’s to write, birthday cards to send, etc.

A local store had these small notebooks. The covers are soft, but I knew I wanted to alter them. Tombow’s Glue Stick is perfect for adhering the patterned paper to the notepads. You want to get a VERY good coverage, so that in humid weather (such as we have) the paper doesn’t pop up where there is no adhesive. So go ahead and cover the WHOLE piece with the glue stick.

To adhere those skinny letters, Mono Adhesive Dots is the perfect adhesive to use! You just add the adhesive to the back, adhere to the front of your project and then rub away any excess adhesive. I love using this adhesive for small pieces like this!

I used Mono Adhesive Permanent for the ribbon and tabs and Mono Multi Liquid Glue for the ric rac. All Inky Antic images are colored with Irojiten Pencils and blended with Gamsol. Here is one I did in blues.

and last but not least, here is one in pink

I hope this gave you some ideas for graduation gifts.

BFB Wildflowers from Winter

I read another wonderful "new to me" author Katie Ganshert's Wildflowers from Winter novel. A WONDERFUL book that I highly recommend! You can click here to download the first chapter. This book was so good it was hard to put down.

The back of the book starts with this: "Like the winter, grief has a season. Life returns with the spring." I really like this saying. It fits what we have been through this year so far.

In this book Bethany Quinn is an architect who has escaped her trailer park teen year life and is estranged from her mother. A series of events brings her back home. She plans to only stay for a few weeks, but more unexpected events happen. She has many decisions to make, but until she makes peace with her past and the God of her youth, she can no experience freedom. Letting go is so hard for her as it is for all of us that like to be in control.

**I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

CSAYL Snow Angel

Hello! I am back this week with another card for our weekly Christmas challenge on Christmas Stamping All Year Long. This week the challenge is one layer. We would love to have you come and play along with us for a chance to be our guest designer.

I used a retired Inky Antics stamp (one of the first ones I ever owned) and colored with colored pencils and Gamsol.

CC Pinwheel Basket

I have some exciting news to share! I am on the Cutting Cafe DT again. I LOVE working with Regina. She is the best and she has such darling files to work with. This week the DT is sharing project they made with Cutting Cafe's Pinwheel Sentiment Template. This set has different sizes as well as decorative edges to choose from PLUS sentiments. I shrunk the scallop edged file down to 2.5" to fit my little basket.

Doesn't this make the cutest basket? I spray painted a peat pot and added moss around the edge then used tissue from an old sewing pattern packet.

Teaher Appreciation Day

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, with today being Teacher Appreciation Day. I am sharing a card with you today that I created for CHA in Jan. I have made extra and will be giving this to the teachers whose rooms I work in. I am a 9-12 grade para and work in all math classes and one reading class this semester so have enjoyed the number break in my day a bit.

I stamped the image with permanent black ink onto watercolor paper and then colored her with Dual Brush Pens. The sentiment is also stamped and then underlined with a black Dual Brush Pen and colored along the edge with a soft brown. Mono Adhesive Permanent was used to adhere the panel pieces together. To make the image pop a bit, I used Foam Tabs to raise it.

I plan to give a card thanking the teachers for all their hard work and a homemade caramel apple. What are you doing for Teacher Appreciation Day/Week? I would love to hear from you as I’m always looking for new ideas. Here is a peek at some of the apples I made. I wrapped them in a cello bag and tied with  a tag.

NSD special on OCL

May 4, 2012

It's National Scrapbooking Day tomorrow !!! YES ~ there really is a holiday just for us! So today our weekly challenge is all about using your photos on a project ~ you can do a layout, a card or some other 3D project ~ but make sure you include a photograph! You can find all the details for our weekly challenges on the OCL Blog.

And now it's time for a SALE!!!!

National Scrapbook Day Sale!

* $10 off orders $30 or more.

* Applies to in stock items only.

* Not Applicable to Wholesale orders.

* Sale Dates: Friday/Saturday, May 4th & 5th, 2012

* Coupon Code Required: NSD2012

(sorry we can't give refunds if you forget to input the coupon code).