Birthday Cards I Received

Two lovely hand made cards I received last month :)

Happy (e)Mail Day !

Boy, I sure needed a little pick me up after the past month I've had
and I received that both vial email and the postal service last week :)

Two of my projects were winners late last year and to my surprise, I received prizes from them !

The one in the mail threw me when I saw the Air Mail stamp peeking out from under the stack of bills and junk mail,  wondering who was it from and what was it.  It was two nice little holiday stamps from Christmas Cards All Year Round where my Triple Challenge Christmas Card was randomly chosen as the November winner (no stamping on the card). 

The other was a nice bundle of digi images from Dee Dee's Digi's,
that was gifted to me from Scrapbook Blessings Club where my "Dad's Truck" scrapbook page
was the random winner last September (anything goes).


Many thanks to the challenges and their sponsors. I look forward to participating in more this year !

Digital Scrapbook Freebies

There are two great new freebies from My Memories, but you must claim them by January 24th, 2015.


These can be used with other programs such as Photoshop Elements if you download the general files, otherwise they are available for bot Mac and PC in the My Memories form. 
Don't have this fun and easy digital scrapbooking (and so much more) software ? Would you like a discount on your purchase ? Use the code STMMMS23251 at checkout to receive $10 off (plus another surprise or two!). 

Pick up this stacked paper freebie here

Pick up this adorable quick page here

Wallpaper Card

I made this card today for the House of Cards photo inspirations challenge: 

use the colors and / or texture on your card.
You have until January 31st to share your card with us.

I was unable to get my design team card done in time

for the original posting of the challenge since all of my 

craft supplies were packed up in a box truck,

safe out of harms way due to potential flooding of my house.

I am finally getting nearly everything back in its proper place.

How I made my card:

In packing up then unpacking all of my crafty stuff recently,

I came across an old wallpaper sample book.

I knew I had it, just have never used it.

Since my craft dungeon was still in disarray,

all of my card making things not all easily accessible,

 I decided to make a card with some wallpaper !

I trimmed along the scalloped edge of the border piece

(the printing was off, there was a white border).

I also cut off the opposite edge that sort of looks like ribbon

and reattached it on top of the printed "cord" design.

This made the border piece narrower to fit a card front.

I added some dark brown textured card stock, 

carefully torn to follow the scallops.

Inside the card along the exposed edge I glued in coordinating

marbled wallpaper and another piece of the trimmed off  "ribbon" edge.

The wallpaper has lots of pretty texture and shimmer.

This is a nice, flat mail friendly card. 

Be sure to visit the rest of the design team

(those with the * by their name are new members!):

Cohenna | Donna | Dotty Jo | Em | Emily | Heather

Jane | Judy | Karen | Katarzyna Ewa * | Katy | Leslie* | Linda

Merethe | Merlina* | Michele | Paula* | Rocky | Rosi | Ruza

Shawna | Shirley* | Steph | Sue N. | Sue T. | Susan* | Tina* | Toni

Hey Mate digi kit

Greeting card front

12 x 12 scrapbook page

Two projects I created with the fun new 

digital scrapbook kit by JMC Designs.

It is now available in her store at 

Scraps-N-Pieces.com 

I used My Memories Suite software to create these projects.

A super useful new feature in Version 7 

is the ability to crop embellishments !

I cropped the black ric rac

and red ribbon on the card front to fit.

Another neat feature in the software is to insert

photos into png shape files.

The scrap page was made with the 

first January template challenge at Scraps-N-Pieces.com.

It is called a "dump" challenge and was designed by Jodi from

JMC Designs. She provided us with shapes to use then it was

up to us to design something with them. I imported the shapes

into the My Memories Suite 7 software then added photos to them

(actually the jpg files of her decorative background papers from Hey Mate). 

Hey Mate digital kit contents by JMC Designs

Weather Extremes

What a difference a week makes ! 

We went from major flooding 

to our first accumulating snowfall of the season. 

Mild temperatures with days of heavy rain

that are commonly seen in the Spring 

causing major flooding 

to falling temperatures creating ice on the floodwater

and now the snow today with subzero temperatures

tomorrow - right on time for January in the Midwest!

Note: is is difficult to tell in the photos,

but the water was three feet deep over the surface 

of the road at the deepest point

and was easily over eight feet deep in the field ! 

Too deep for vehicles to drive through, so we used boats.

In fact, our field became the

"road" for locals to boat through.

The above photos are my view from inside the house -

yes, the water was too close !

Fancy Cash Envelope Gift

Wow, was it late and the light not the best in the craft dungeon

when I started this project: I didn't realize the decorative paper was pink !

I made the envelope and band, then when I was going to attach the

poinsettia flower (leftover from my photo frame card project last year)

I realized it was pink !  I decided to go ahead and finish it off,

finding a pink card stock in my stash that coordinated well enough

to heat emboss and cut out the MOM letters on. 

The project details:

Decorative paper is from an old Die Cuts With A View

Christmas paper stack, 12"x 12'.

Pink, black and silver card stocks from Stampin' Up!

Lightweight red, green and yellow card stocks, unsure of manufacturer.

Stamp set and scallop edge paper punch, Stampin' Up!

Poinsettia die, cricut.com

Gray grosgrain ribbon, Walmart.

I found logos (and had to make some) to local restaurants

that my Mom likes to eat out at with her friends. 

I sized them onto regular printer paper, printed them out

then attached $10 bills to each one (with an extra $20 in back). 

The idea is for her to use them when she goes out to lunch !

Of course she can use them on whatever she'd like. 

I printed and cut the pieces of paper first, 

then used the dimensions to determine how big to 

make the envelope from a single sheet of 12"x 12"paper. 

Really quite easy to do, no pattern necessary. 

I'll be giving this to her tonight at our bittersweet get together:

our first Christmas without my Dad.

I almost forgot to share another one I made:

Thanks for looking and

Merry Christmas  ! 

Auto Parts Shaped Christmas Cards

I am pretty happy with the way these automobile parts greeting cards turned out ! I made them for my children. They each need parts for their cars, so I wanted to give them a fun card that held money in it to go towards their parts / repairs. My daughter really needs new tires before winter weather hits, so her card is a wheel and tire. My son needs new rods in the engine in his car, so that is what his card is supposed to resemble. I'm hopeful he will figure out what his card is right away since he is somewhat of a "gearhead" like his dad. 

Both cards are sized to fit in an A2 / invitation size envelope.

I've made tires many times before for various cards and scrapbook projects, all sizes. They are easy to do with a scallop edged circle and scissors: simply trim the tops of the scallops off with the scissors! The wheel is a die cut circle of silver metallic card stock that I drew on with a Sharpie marker. I also added tiny circular paper punches for the lug nuts. I have hand cut wheels in the past on other projects. 

A clear alphabet stamp set on an acrylic block laid over the circle helped to create the curved sentiment. I stamped it in Versamark ink then heat embossed white to resemble raised white lettering on some brands of tires. 

The rod card was made by sketching out the shape of a rod from an engine, cutting it out with scissors then die cutting out circles. I colored a stamp with water based markers, stamped on white card stock then die cut out a larger circle to cover the center of the hole on the back side. Silver metallic card stock was hand drawn onto then cut out with scissors (after die cutting the center circle first) to layer onto, around the circle cut into the black card stock "rod". 




Both cards have paper punch leafy ferns (Martha Stewart), 1/4" circle paper punch and red glittered "berries", stamped, heat embossed and hand cut leaves layered onto them. 

Yes, I could have made much simpler cards, but I enjoyed creating these. It reminds me of the saying "The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." - Bertrand Russell


I'm entering my auto parts shaped cards into the following challenges:

The Male Room - Christmas Greetings

EDITED: My card was an honorable mention at The Male Room :)


Love To Scrap - Anything Goes

Holly Jolly Christmas Anything Goes



Thanks for looking and Happy Holidays ! 

Gift Card Holder Candy Box Santa Suit

A little something for my nephews - 

boxed candy with Santa Suit gift card holders

attached to the front !

I wrapped the candy boxes with lightweight red paper

(the type that is used in printers).

I used the same paper to make the "cards"

with scraps of card stock for trim.

I started with an approximately 3 1/8" wide by 11" long

piece of paper. Each end was folded in about 2 5/8".

If you make these, be sure to measure your box of candy

to decide what size the card/money holder will need to be.

I paper punched each long side of a scrap of white card stock

that was 1 1/4" wide and long enough to trim to fit

the gift card holder front. 

The white scallops create the trim on Santa's coat.

The belt and buckle can be made several ways.

A premade ribbon slide and ribbon would be easiest.

If you have two square paper punches or dies that are

"nesting" in size , punch one then punch the other

around it to create a square frame and glue it over the belt.

I don't have two small squares to do this, so I used an Xacto

to cut two slits into a square of silver card stock then slid

a strip of black card stock through it. 

The top portion tucks under the belt to stay closed. 

I glued along the side edges of the red bottom portion

to create a pocket to hold money or a gift card.

I then adhered the belt/buckle with half of it sticking above 

the edge of the red so there would be a flap to tuck the top under.

I'm entering my Santa Suit candy box cover gift card holder into the
Anything Goes Christmas Challenge at Crafty Hazelnut

as well as Anything Goes Christmas Linky Party at Scrapbook Blessings Club.

and Anything Goes Christmas at Holly Jolly Challenges.


Thanks for looking and Happy Holidays !

Paper Cast Santa Wall Hanging

A new paper cast project !

All it needs is a frame.

The overall finished size is 8"x 8".

Perhaps I'll take apart my 12 x 12 shadowbox 

I used to display some old black and white photos.

I haven't made a paper cast in years.

A dozen years or so ago I made patriotic

themed paper cast images and framed them.

I also made some paper cast Christmas ornaments.

I sold a few of them at the school Christmas bazaar
that I used to organize, but haven't made any since. 

I recently found a paper cast kit,

never used, at a resale shop. 

I was able to make two paper casts out 

of the included supplies. 

Using an old blender, I ground up

the pulp making supplies as directed.

Carefully spoon the pulp into the mold.

TIP: sit the mold on a towel or two.

Water will likely be squeezed over the edges

as you smoosh the pulp into the mold to

remove the excess water. 

 Before smooshing into the mold and removing water:

This is what the cast looks like after

smooshing the wet "pulp" into the mold, removing as much excess water as possible

then allowing it to dry thoroughly. It is a messy process, but neat to

see the end results. Terrific dimension and detail in this cast / mold.

I painted my dry paper cast with acrylic craft paints.

My design team duties at Anything But A Card have ended due to the site closing

so I was looking for a new challenge site or two for non card projects. 

I came across these and am entering my paper cast Santa wall hanging into them:

Anything Goes Christmas at Scrapbook Blessings Club

Anything Goes Christmas at Crafty Hazelnuts Challenge

 Anything Goes at Holly Jolly Christmas

Thanks for looking and Happy Holidays !